If you’re from the U.S., you probably know a bit about CrossFit, or have at least heard of it. In the past decade, CrossFit has become increasingly popular and has spread to over 10,000 affiliated gyms around the world - including a handful in Shanghai. But what exactly is CrossFit? Essentially, it’s a strength and conditioning program which focuses on “high-intensity, constantly varied, functional movement” (read more here). The workouts consist of a mix of aerobic exercises, gymnastics, and weightlifting. In the simplest terms, you’ll never be bored, and you’ll always feel it the next day. There are several CrossFit-affiliated gyms in Shanghai, and one of them, Emperor Crossfit, is only about 5 km from the NYU Shanghai campus. Emperor Crossfit was started by four friends, Nick, Miguel, Piero, and Xavier, who were in search of a gym in the Pudong area. After failing to find a gym that suited their preferences and needs, they decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own gym. One of the factors that has made CrossFit so popular is its sense of community. I’ve worked out at three CrossFit gyms in the past (two in Miami and one other in Shanghai) and although there was a sense of community, they all ultimately felt more like a mega-machine business with the end goal of making bank. Emperor CrossFit doesn’t feel like that at all - you can tell these guys are doing this because they love it. When asked if he feels that the CrossFit experience in Shanghai is different from elsewhere, owner Nick said, “Overall every [gym] has its own characteristics but the one common thread is the community and welcoming attitude, as well as the great workouts.” This couldn’t be more true. The gym currently has 80% local and 20% expat members, which I personally find refreshing. On the future of the gym, Nick says: “We hope we are able to grow a bit, but we are not looking at anything crazy. We like having fun and as long as we can do that, the sky's the limit.” Again, the gym is really focused on the important stuff: working out and having fun. If you’ve never done CrossFit before, Emperor Crossfit also offers a series of Foundations classes which will make sure you cover all the basics. Emperor Crossfit has kindly agreed to give NYU Shanghai a 15% discount on their membership prices - just show them your NYU ID. Prices range depending on how long you sign up for, and how many times a week you plan to go, but you’re looking at about 1300RMB for unlimited classes for a month, or 1175 RMB for three classes a week for a month (including the 15% discount). The longer your membership period, the better value you’ll get. They’re also pretty flexible in terms of monthly payments, like temporarily freezing a membership if you go away or are on break. For more information, visit their website at http://www.ecfshanghai.com/, or contact them at [email protected]. This article was written by Enrique Menendez. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Ajeet Gary