Mobility in Design: A Portable Pull-Up Structure

One of the main challenges facing new CrossFit affiliates, once you find a box and get some equipment, is figuring out where everything should go. The layout of the platforms and pull-up bars, and where you put your medicine balls, kettlebells, rings, and other equipment will enhance or diminish the experience your clients will have. If your facility is disorganized, your classes will be too.

Workout programming, space organization, and class flow are essential to operating successful group and individual training. Getting your layout and equipment right gives you the opportunity to train larger numbers of people in relatively small spaces. Larger classes--of, say, 15 to 30 people--require the instructor to have strong skills in handling equipment and class flow. The ability to morph, move, and manage large groups in effective workouts is strongly affected by your facility's layout.

CrossFit Ann Arbor/HyperFit USA had more than more than 30,000 people-hours of CrossFit training in 2007 (up from 24,000 in 2006), with class sizes ranging from a high of 77 people to as small as one. Even before we found CrossFit several years ago, our bootcamp classes often had 30 to 50 people in them, with a very limited amount of equipment. The key then as now is organization and leadership.

When we were getting ready to open our main facility (the "compound") in August of 2006, I knew that we would need to be able to move equipment and change up the facility depending on the class and the workout. One of the major issues I saw was pull-up bar placement.