CFG Weekly Newsletter July 6th 2020

Hi All,

What a week of rain we’ve had and looks like another one to come!  Just in time for kids officially breaking up from homeschool in true Scottish style.  If you find yourself not getting outside as much, tap into the HomeWODs and we will keep you moving indoors.

IN-HOUSE COMPETITION

There is also still opportunity to sign up to our online paired competition that can be mostly done over Zoom.  (Just WOD 1 you need to meet up in a park!).  All 3 workouts have been released and you can sign up below.

Sign up here:  Solidarity Series: Electric Boogaloo Two

All three workouts have now been released, the deadline for all workouts is Thursday July 16th.

To view the workouts and the descriptions click here

SHOWER REFURB – ARCH 1

When we first started CrossFit in days of yore (2008/2009) it was extremely rare that a CrossFit box would have a working toilet. I remember attending my level 1 in London during a cold December and using a portaloo outside the door to the gym. It was dark after the course and the attendees had to leave the door open just to see what they were doing. Back then, that was a part of the appeal – that it was about training not comfort. 

Nonetheless, the lack of showers represented a major hurdle to getting members into the gym; as one of the peak class times was immediately before work. People look weird enough leaving classes all red and shaky, maybe staggering a bit on legs that don’t quite work anymore. Turning up in the office stinky and black from rubber matting was a step too far.

When we opened CrossFit Glasgow we decided that showers were a necessity and forewent a rent reprieve in order to have Network Rail fit the shower block as you now see it. There were two weak electric showers within small square shower cubicles. They lasted a few years but weren’t very nice or practical and soon started to buckle under the traffic that they were subjected to.

About 6 years ago, a group of tradesmen from our community fitted us out with some very nice showers and hot water cylinders, bigger trays and vinyl flooring. We got some fancy wallboards in our company colours and added the luxury of mirrors! They put us ahead of 90% of all UK Affiliates in terms of the available amenities and we took great pride in showing them off. We will forever be grateful for having a gym that brings people together like this – a true community helping each other to get the best out of the place that they share.

Over time however, the rest of the country caught up and our showers began to look a bit tired and dated. The quality of the materials and workmanship largely held up to the test of time but the sheer volume of people taking our classes took its toll. The seals broke down and the fans failed; the condensation started to wreak havoc on the ceilings, doors and fixtures. We were pushing through hundreds of members a day and there seemed no convenient time to make the necessary repairs without causing major disruption.

The COVID-19 crisis has provided an opportunity to overhaul a lot of things at the gym and the showers are the tip of the iceberg. Since materials became available, again, through the help of our community, we have been ripping things out and replacing them. The showers were an obvious and overdue project and we’ve been trying to address all of the issues that had affected them previously.

Feedback from all of you has been very much appreciated and we identified the following issues:

1. The ventilation was really inadequate and the steam would build up over several showers so that everything was damp and getting dried and dressed was difficult.
2. There was nowhere to hang jackets/bags/shirts
3. The chairs were a bit rubbish
4. There was a lot of water getting on the floor leading to soggy socks
5. The door locks were malfunctioning and sticking
6. They were a bit grubby and tired looking
7. The lights were temperamental

So, we have done the following:

1. Upgraded the ventilation system to a 6” rigid duct system with 2 inline fans to replace the previous 4” flexible duct system with standard bathroom fans. The new system is sealed and has much higher flow and pressure. On paper it should be more than 5x more effective at shifting steam and air and the tests suggest that it will keep those rooms totally clear.
2. We’re adding coat hooks to the back of the doors and getting extendable rails to hang things on. Please just take your hangers with you.
3. The chairs will be replaced with low stools that are a bit more robust
4. The aperture to enter the tray is narrower so less water should escape and we plan to add a swing door to help even more.
5. The door locks and handles have been completely replaced and can be checked on an ongoing basis
6. The shower rooms have been completely ripped out back to the frame and various adjustments to the set up mean that the rooms will stay cleaner, drier and be easier to service and maintain. The whole room will be effectively waterproof and therefore much easier to keep to a high standard and will be more functional and attractive for you
7. The electrics for the lights have been completely renewed making them safer, more reliable and more attractive. Spotlighting can be combined with the new mirror arrangements for more effective post WOD selfies

It’s taken a while but we’re getting there. Likely, you won’t be able to use them right away due to COVID restrictions but on the whole they should be a vast improvement to the facilities. Enjoy.