Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy

Brand New at Brand X
The home of CrossFit Kids offers a new gymnastics program

to increase youth strength, agility and more. E.M. Burton reports.
By E.M. Burton November 2012

All images: E.M. Burton
CrossFit Kids at Brand X is beginning a new gymnastics program to augment and support its regularly scheduled
classes for kids and teens.
A recent open-house event held in the first week of October, Grand Opening Play Day, introduced both CrossFitting
members and the larger population to the new program, which was set to start a few weeks later.
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Brand New ... (continued)
Like CrossFit Kids, the gymnastics program at Brand X focuses on safety and fun.
“One of the things we see consistently in gymnasts of all ages. Duncan Martin, son of Mikki and Jeff Martin,
is awesome strength,” said Mikki Lee Martin, CrossFit has been doing gymnastics for several years and will be
Director of Youth Programs and co-founder of assisting Coach Camzin and acting as a mentor for the
CrossFit Brand X. “When you consider that also comes younger kids.
with amazing coordination, balance, agility, power,
“We think it’s helpful as an addition to our programming,”
etc.—all the areas of the 10 General Physical Skills—why
Mikki said
wouldn’t we augment our program in this way?”
Although her daughter is already registered in the classes,
Two new classes will be added to the schedule on Saturdays
Tiffany Pate, a CrossFit athlete at Brand X and parent of
at the beginner and intermediate levels. Attendance will
7-year-old Michaela, came to the open house.
be capped at 10 members maximum, so each child will get
more work in and receive more individualized attention. “I have met Camzin. She’s very kid friendly, and her
background is extremely impressive,” Pate said. “Both the
“We have also added a Gymnastics for CrossFit class for
program and the coaching (are) very unique with a focus
our teen population, catering to the specialized aspects
on technique.”
of gymnastics we use in CrossFit. This teen invitational
gymnastics class is intended to push the boundaries of Michaela, who brought friends along, is not currently
what our teen athletes can accomplish within CrossFit,” CrossFitting but will likely start soon.
Martin explained.
Pate believes the gymnastics training will be a good transition
Camzin Morrell-Stinson is the instructor of the new to CrossFit workouts for her child. She appreciates the
program. A former high-level gymnast who has competed emphasis on proper technique so Michaela will learn how to
in South Africa, Morrell-Stinson has almost a decade of perform the movements safely, as well as the progression of
experience coaching, including coaching for Olympic movements so her daughter can improve over time.
medalist Guard Young’s recreational gym and children
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Brand New ... (continued)
back handspring, you have to demonstrate you can do the

back handspring three times with good form, rather than
having one demonstration be a fluke. We don’t want the
kids pushing themselves beyond a safe progression.”
One thing Morrell-Stinson has seen with kids who are
already CrossFitting is the pace of their adaptation.
“Watching these kids, it’s amazing how quickly they got
inverted and got a tripod … . That’s something that
normally takes four to six months for the average child
who enrolls in gymnastics, yet it’s something we’ve been
able to achieve with all but two of the kids in this class.
That goes to show what CrossFit can do for your child’s
physical awareness, midline stability, and so on.”
One thing is certain: Morrell-Stinson had tremendous
command of the room. Even with up to 20 little kids in
movement, they all paid attention to her, which, as parents
can tell you, is something in itself.
With the framework laid out, Morrell-Stinson can already
see areas for growth in programming.
“This open house gives us an indication of who we’ll have
and is also a great way to get ideas for how we might
support our current programming and what programs we
In traditional gymnastics classes, girls don’t train on the rings. might want to be able to offer in the future.”
Not so at CrossFit Brand X.
“Back flips, front flips and beam—she wants to do it all,” F
Tiffany said.
Classes will be co-ed for all ages, which is unique in the About the Author
gymnastics world after a certain age. And all kids will
be using all the equipment, breaking another rule of E.M. Burton is a CrossFit Journal staff writer.
gymnastics where women and men focus on very different
equipment for the most part.
“Traditional gymnastics is gender segregated, but both
boys and girls need to have the same functional skills,”
Morrell-Stinson said.
“Girls will learn rings!” Martin pointed out with enthusiasm.
Dividing the classes up by age group and skill level will
allow each child to progress.
“Everything we do starts in its most basic form and builds
from there,” Morrell-Stinson said. “Progression will be based
on prerequisite skill sets that you need before you can
progress. A student needs to be able to perform a skill
well three times before moving on. If you have a back
handspring, for example, and you want to do a double
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Brand New at Brand X

The home of CrossFit Kids offers a new gymnastics program

By E.M. Burton November 2012

back handspring, you have to demonstrate you can do the

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