CrossFit Santa Monica

I took this as a break from spinning and being around 90% other women in class. Workout was ok. I wish they had modifications for short people — hard to reach the pull-​up bars without dragging a block of wood over as a step.
Lots of pretty people and kind of intimidating, especially if you’re a newbie. On the plus side, lots of shirtless, hot guys.
Other than that, it was difficult to find someone who worked there and then try to get checked in, then figure out how to open the bathroom (key hangs next to the women’s bathroom). No tour, no nothing. Just me walking around looking confused and trying to avoid sweaty people grunting.

Crossfit is down the street from my office. It is a fantastic place with fantiatic people who want you to succeed in whatever goals you have set for yourself. The coaches here are outstanding and genuinely care. They see your potential and push you farther then you could push yourself. They adjust the workouts to accomodate any person of any age or fitness level. Yes, the workouts are challenging but the focus is always on proper form over speed or heavy weight.
I love walking through the doors and felling the energy and support the athletes have for each other.
Lives are transformed and changed here.

Hi energy, great coaches, all levels welcome — highly recommend CF SM!

Coaches are really important to me because I am a disabled athlete so I modify every crossfit movement. I was in Santa Monica to visit a friend who goes to CrossFit Santa Monica and dropped in for a morning workout. Coach shane was very welcoming and adapted the workout to my needs. I got my butt kicked and had a great time.

I was visiting from Chicago and was looking to get my cross fit on. I found the CrossFit Santa Monica gym with a quick google search and I dropped in for a quick workout. The coaching and the programming was excellent and the crowd was just as good. Basically good down to earth people and coaches with a nice facility to workout in. I’ll be sure to drop back thru next time I’m in town.

Great workout, good looking people, motivating trainers… good times!

I found CrossFit Santa Monica on Classpass. I was a little nervous at first because it was, well, Crossfit and I have never done it before. I also am a petite girl and do not want to bulk up so that also made me nervous. I also read that the class is taught by ex-​navy seals. But I was like, what the heck… let’s give it a try. What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger right?
I tried the Saturday morning class at 10:15am, which you meet at the gym location but walk down to the beach for a full on workout. I was greeted right away by the receptionist and the owner of the gym (ex-​navy seal). Not only was he nice but he was EXTREMELY personable. He made me feel like I belonged right away.
As for the class itself… tough. Halfway through the class I told myself «I am never doing this again.» That’s how hard I was pushing myself to keep up with the regulars. But by the end of the class I was dedicated to doing it every week.
This class is tough but the best class I have ever taken. EVER. Not just on Classpass. I am not one to jump in the ocean in LA but by the end of class you are diving in with the rest of the class.
Not only will you get an amazing work out, but you will be inspired and make new friends.
After my first visit I received an email from the owner of the gym as well as a follow up the next week to make sure I enjoyed my experience. This place is a well-​oiled machine and I will be back time and time again!

Crossfit Santa Monica was a fantastic experience. Great coaches and a great community!!! Everybody was very welcoming and I felt right at home. Can’t wait to drop in again when I’m in town. Very knowledgable staff that I took a lot away from and implement in my training today. Thanks for having me!

I’ve been to a couple of classes here through Classpass. It was a great workout. Definitely kicked my butt and the fitness of the regulars is inspiring. They didn’t do any Olympic Weightlifting stuff while I was there so I didn’t feel like I had to worry about form too much, and could just get a great workout

4 for veterans, 3 for beginners. This was my first Crossfit class ever. I went using classpass. I’m a work out newbie, never attended strength training/​bootcamp classes. I got classpass as a trial to look for a gym/​studio that I can regularly go to. Crossfit was one of the studios I’ve always been curious about, but too intimidated to try bc I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.
While 95% of class were veterans, they do adjust the reps for beginners. They had an instructor and 2 spotters who went around to check for form. They push you to put in 110% but also emphasized the importance of correct form (weight lifting, etc). One of the CF spotters looked like she smelled a dead animal the whole time. The other was very supportive and encouraging — saying Go XX! Or push yourself! etc which made the class a lot more bearable. The instructor was very straight forward — demonstrating the exercise and watched us do our reps.
While they do adjust for beginners, I wouldn’t recommend this class if you’re a complete workout newbie like myself. They tried to be accommodating but I could feel there was tension for having to train complete beginners… Like ugh it’s classpass beginners.
Overall — it was a challenging but manageable workout. Studio was clean (towel service, showers avail), but a bit cramped for larger classes. Might come back when I’m more familiar with common foundation skills. Will be building foundation skills elsewhere though.

To preface, I’ve dabbled in CrossFit with around 15 – 20 classes across 3 or 4 different boxes. I’ve been Olympic and power lifting on my own for years, so I’m pretty comfortable with most CrossFit WODs. I generally enjoy Crossfit, but am not among the legion of Crossfit cultists.
I dropped in for a Team CrossFit class (marketed as «All Levels») while I was in town for a wedding. The workout itself was actually fantastic and kicked my ass pretty good. I was also really impressed with some of the athletes they have here. Perhaps I’ve only been to shoddy boxes, but this was the first time I’ve really been impressed by multiple folks who were actually working out in the class, as opposed to one or two firebreathers training off to the side for the CF Games. I also appreciated that the showers were clean and well stocked.
However, I was really, really unimpressed by the instructor. He threw some Crossfit newbies into highly technical Olympic lifts with only some token instruction and not much supervision. Those newbies were predictably really struggling and not getting the attention they needed to fix their form. Every other box I’ve ever been to (even the garbage ones) require you to either take some sort of fundamentals course or prove to the instructor you know what you’re doing. Throwing people with no experience into Olympic lifts (much less Olympic lifts as part of an AMRAP in a large, chaotic class) is downright negligent and exactly the sort of behavior that gives CrossFit a bad rap. It may have been just one bad instructor, but him leading class without any supervision reflects pretty poorly on management.
There was also something like a 1:20 instructor: student ratio, which is pretty typical of Crossfit boxes but still patently irresponsible, particularly with novices in the mix. I think CrossFit classes should have at least two instructors for that many students, unless the instructor knows that each student can handle their own business. A second instructor floating around would have alleviated a lot of concerns.
So I’m a little torn. I think I’d really enjoy this box for myself, but I can’t in good conscience leave a top rating given what I saw. If you’re someone’s who’s familiar with Olympic lifts and power lifting, and feels comfortable working with minimal oversight, I think this is a pretty good choice. If I was advising someone who’s just getting started in fitness without a good foundation in Olympic lifting and high-​intensity training, I’d tell them to be a bit wary.

Just wanted to say thanks to Kaj, Carter, and the rest of the CFSM gang for kicking my butt when I was in town for a month! I was in reasonable shape but had never done CrossFit. I found the classes to be very accessible. The coaches provided scaling options for difficult movements and always started with skill progressions for more technical movements.
I’ll definitely work out at CFSM if I’m ever back in town!

Meh. Ok class. No instruction on how to do each of the exercises which left my back hurting after. Not the friendliest crew either. Seemed kind of cliquey. Not really a team environment.
I did feel sore the next day which is why I’m not giving it one star. Maybe it was just the teacher that day (not sure of her name), but I won’t be returning.

I’m not a hardcore crossfitter. However, I have experienced several other boxes and done about 30 classes total. 10 crossfit and about 20 cardio crossfit (non-​olympic lifting crossfit classes). My point being, I’m not a complete noob, nor a dedicated fanatic. My review is a refection of my entire experience and I’ll do my best to be objective. That said, one of my favorite writers once said, «every man is the sum total of his reactions to experience. As your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes.» — Hunter S. Thompson.
Therefore, my rating is a reflection of my experience at CFSM as it relates to my other box experiences.
1. The check-​in girl’s attitude: I was three minutes late to class, and I know, that’s not respectful. parking was a bitch and if you haven’t been there before, it’s tucked away. First thing out of my mouth was an apology. I was cut off… by brienne of tarth, «You know class starts at 10:30, right?» I’m a big fan of treating everyone as if you might one day work with them, or worse, work for them. Needless to say, she wouldn’t work for me long. I’ve seen other gyms handle lateness by playfully assigning burpes or jump lunges.
2. The coach: he demonstrated the movements well, but there was a serious lack of thorough technique corrections throughout the class. There was about 5 new-​comers in my class, one girl was wearing a hand full of rings, the others seemed to have no idea what she was doing.
3. Facility: nice, two bathroom stalls, a shower, great equipment. Location is good.
4. Community: I’m surprised people get good vibes from this place. I didn’t feel that at all today. Very bro-​y. One dude stops the entire class to show off his Turkish Get Up with a 53lbs weight. Maybe it was an off day?
I understand if people have never been to another box before, that they feel this one might give them a kick ass work out, but trust me, try another one. You can get a more balanced workout, with better technique adjustments, and more comfortable setting at almost any other box in the area.
Much love–

If you love crossfit and live on the west side, this place is for you. Great equipment, awesome classes. Highly recommend.

AWESOME place. Went using Classpass when I was in town (visiting from NY) and they made me feel very welcome and right at home.
Instructors were great, class was awesome, and everyone was very helpful and demonstrated proper form and technique.
Can’t wait to go again.

Such an amazing place and such an amazing staff. I have been working out at CFSM for five months now and i’ve never had such a consistent, amazing experience at a gym. Carter and Kaj, along with coaches Katie and Adrian, always kick my ass. The community around this Box is so amazing. I am thrilled with my experience.
I walked into it very out of shape and a little nervous about keeping up. The support i’ve received has me keep coming back. Crossfit is not for everyone but if you want to try it in a positive environment, this is the place.

Having worked out all over the country and at many different gyms, I typically head into a new gym without any expectations. I was extremely pleased and happy to drop into CFSM to find a warm, welcoming atmosphere surrounded by other happy, friendly members who were ready to work and sweat.
I quickly adapted the workout for my needs and goals for the day with the assistance and guidance of the knowledgeable instructors to sweat out all of my stress for that day. One thing I always worry about with working out without mirrors is having good form but the instructors here at CFSM are extremely attentive and make sure to keep you aligned and injure-​free while you work out.
I look forward to coming back when in town from DC and working out again at CFSM. Even if only in Santa Monica or LA for a day, I highly recommend getting your sweat on at this gym.

What an awesome box
Really friendly atmosphere
A really warm welcome !!
For Two traveling Brits
Hope to train here again :-)
All the best for the future !!!
Can’t recommend this box enough.
Top quality AWESOME

I first visited CrossFit Santa Monica in late-​March and have been hooked ever since.
Let’s face it, CrossFit looks intimidating. Ripped men and women, heavy weights, quick times and all that WOD lingo… It can be overwhelming for a newbie. CFSM made me feel right at home. I almost puked after my first workout, but undeterred I kept at it, and am glad I did.
The instructors are knowledgable, members are friendly and the location is prime time. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a beach workout. What I like most about CFSM is the atmosphere. Other boxes overemphasize time and weight, which IMO is a total deterrent. Let’s face it, I’m at CFSM for a good workout and some motivation. I’m not trying to compete, and there’s no way I’m going to hang clean 110 pounds. The encouragement I get from staff and members pushes me to try harder and lift more. Members stay until everyone completes the WOD. CFSM’s camaraderie is awesome.
After a few months at CFSM I feel stronger and look leaner, but I’m not the only one who notices. Between pool parties and beach days, I’ve received countless comments on my physique and what I do to stay fit. I’m like, «Oh, CrossFit Santa Monica, they’re the best.» For reals though, I haven’t felt this good about my body since competitive dance team days almost ten years ago.
If you’re looking to give CrossFit a try, look no further than this box. It blows the competition out of the Pacific.