We’re excited to announce our Bring-A-Friend Referral Program is back for October! Every Saturday throughout October, any existing member can bring a friend interested in trying out CFD. If you don’t know someone that already works out here, no worries! Come check us out anyway! Here’s how it works:
RSVP to any 8am Saturday class in October (need help? Click ‘Sign Up Today’ or ‘RSVP to Class’ on the CrossFit Dubuque home page, or email us for assistance)
Show up!
Receive an automatic $50 off On-Ramp ($300 for 3 months!)
AND, receive 50% off your first month’s membership upon signing up after completing On-Ramp
Plus, any existing member bringing a friend in July receives 50% off their next month’s membership dues AND an additional 50% off if their friend signs up after completing On-Ramp. And yes – these benefits are stackable, so bring as many friends as you’d like!
Questions? Concerns? As always, reach out – we’re happy to accommodate and look forward to growing our community!
Spencer and Ashley Radabaugh with their kids (L to R) Camden, Jordan, Kelsie and Paisley.Chance and his girlfriend Courtney with Chance’s nephew Camden.
Spencer=S, Chance=C, Ashley=A
How long have you been a member at CFD?
S: Started in October of 2020, so coming up on a year
A: I started in May 2021, so about 3 months in.
C: 8 Months!
What made you want to get started?
S: I needed to do something different and it needed to have more commitment than just going to the gym. After doing some research, discovered that CrossFit had that competitive attachment to it that had been lacking since I graduated college. I also spoke to a few different people that said they enjoyed the experience in the past and said that the training would be there in the group setting that I also desired.
A: My husband, Spencer and brother-in-law, Chance would talk about the workouts and how sore they always were so I figured I would try it out to make sure they weren’t just being pansies. Kidding, they actually encouraged me to try it because they both really enjoy CrossFit and the environment.
C: My Brother Spencer started, and I needed to get off my a** and start working out again as I had stopped after I graduated from College.
What is your favorite gym music?
C: Anything upbeat that gives me some energy to lift. So sorry Coach Eric, just about anything other than what you play.
What did you do for fitness prior to joining CFD?
A: Nothing outside of walking and jogging.
C: When I was in college, I would lift a few times a week, but after I moved to Dubuque I didn’t do anything, and needed to get back in the Gym.
What is your go-to PR food?
C: If I go in at 5AM for class I typically won’t eat as I wake up 10 minutes before class. BUT, if I hit an after session, I would say a chicken salad so I don’t feel too full when I start!
What changes have you seen in yourself since you started?
S: Generally day to day weight lifting improvements. Between reps and form getting better, the jumps in 8 months of doing things have me excited for things to come. I can tell there have been changes in my shoulders and back as well, but the way I feel has been the major tell. I don’t make as many dad grunt sounds as I did when I first started.
A: Strength and flexibility improvements in general – I am no longer lifting just the bar!
C: I have gotten much stronger, and much more flexible. I lot of the overhead lifts felt impossible when I began and have gotten much more acheivable.
What do you like most about CrossFit?
S: The way it makes me feel through the rest of the day, no matter how the rest of the day goes I have done something positive at 5 am.
A: The atmosphere.
C: I have gotten much stronger, and much more flexible. I lot of the overhead lifts felt impossible when I began and have gotten much more achievable.
What type(s) of workouts are your favorite?
S: Hang and Power Cleans- They just seem to be more fun.
A: My husband will cringe when he reads this because we are opposites, but I don’t mind anytime there is some running involved.
C: I love squats, it is one of my best lifts, so I enjoy being able to push myself on those to keep adding weight!
What is the funniest thing you remember happening at CFD?
S: Chase wore a cut off shirt sometime last spring, and Mike went to his office and changed into a cut off shirt and followed him around for a bit claiming they were twinning.
C: Not one specific thing, but having Chase in class everyday at 5 AM makes for an interesting morning more often than not.
What type(s) of workouts do you least like to see come up?
S: Burpees are the worst movement ever, I hate them with a passion. I am terrible at pull-ups so those are up there as well.
A: Anything with burpees.
C: Put a bar over my head, and I am internally complaining.
Have you ever chalked up to do something that didn’t require chalk?
C: No, but I tried chalk ONCE and i hated it, felt like nails on a chalkboard to me.
What is your go-to junk food?
C: Cold Stone ice cream. Monster cookie.
Have you ever been really dramatic when completing a movement only to then see someone next to you do what you did silently and with ease?
S: I work out next to Arthur in the 5am; essentially I do my weight and feel good about it, and he does 50% more and probably weighs 100 lbs less.
C: Always, especially when they are doing twice as much weight, twice as easily.
What are your goals going forward?
S: Short term would be 15 unbroken (without coming off the bar for those unfamiliar) pull-ups, and keep working on becoming a stronger healthier version of myself.
A: To complete 16 unbroken pull-ups.
C: Getting back to class consistently. Traveling for work has taken me out some weeks, but not wanting to get up at the 4:30 AM alarm has not helped. Simply need to get back to class more often to start increasing PRs and continuing to improve.
Have you ever won the warmup?
A: This is a funny question because the only advice Spencer and Chance gave me when I started was “don’t try and win the warmup!”
C: Can’t say I have ever “Won” but when the workout has me sweating like we have been through the first portion of the workout already, I love it.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD? I was intimidated walking in.
S: You don’t need to be, everyone is very helpful and respectful of your own ability. Everyone else in class with support you and push you. After attending a few classes, you start to learn the lingo and you will be on your way.
A: Ask questions! Even though CrossFit is a group class, the coaches will always take the time to help you one on one. When coaches have confidence in your ability they will always push you to reach your max potential, but there is no pressure to keep up with anyone.
C: Stick with it, even just three months isn’t enough, thats when you truly start to “get the hang of it” and lifts, form, etc. starts to feel right. As well, go consistently, the workouts will always be difficult, but they are much easier if you are there multiple days a week!
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.
How do I start?
If you are interested in speaking to a coach and learning more about our philosophy on fitness and how we can help you achieve your goals, get signed up for an introductory class! New Foundations classes start the first full week of each month, so get in for your intro class to get signed up for the upcoming month’s classes!
Is CrossFit hard?
Yes. But 'hard' is relative; it will be 'hard' for an elite-level athlete, and it will be appropriately 'hard' for an inexperienced or de-conditioned athlete. Nothing worth having comes easy. More importantly, what we do is appropriate, safe, and effective.
What do classes look like?
Each of our sessions are 100% guided and coached. Our classes are structured in smaller groups so that everyone is able to receive some individual attention. At times, we may bring in other trainers to help coach so as to not overlook anyone.
We will always begin with a dynamic warm up. This will usually consist of a few movements that ensure that the entire body is ready for the session. At this point, you should feel an elevated core temperature and maybe have a light sweat.
Next we work on skill moves. These include a variety of motions such as Olympic lifting, body awareness movements, or any number of others that fit into our programming. Coaching plays a big part in this section. Many of the movements we teach will be outside of the average skill set. Part of our goal is to broaden your base, constantly introducing new and different moves.
At this point we begin coaching the workout of the day (WOD). Often, the WOD will incorporate elements from the sessions’ skill work. After adjusting the WOD to each individual’s skill and fitness level, any last minute questions are answered. Then, it’s 3 2 1 GO! And we’re off!!
Do you track progress?
We do not track progress for you, but we offer you free services to help you track your own progress. With our WODHOPPER integration, you will be able to log your daily reps, times, and weights. Additionally, you are able to view the workout for the current day and see how everyone has performed.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies depending on the number of classes you wanted to attend per week and which program you participate in. For detailed information, please visit our Programs section to learn about the details of each program we offer, and how much they cost.
Are the coaches qualified?
We pride ourselves in the knowledge of our trainers. Each and every one of our trainers are qualified to guide you along your CrossFit journey. We also believe that continuing education is paramount to the success our of members, so we help our coaches get any additional training that will advance their knowledge in the field.
