Workout of the Day, this is the combination of exercises, prescribed weights and time allotment that will be the law of the land from the first class to the last. Typically a WOD will consist of one gymnastic move (pull-ups, ring rows, sit-ups, etc.), one aspect of cardio (rowing, running, jumping rope, etc.) and one Olympic power-lifting maneuver (back squats, clean & jerks, dead lifts, push-presses, etc.).

When one does the prescribed amount of weight and reps, one is said to have RX’d (as in, he or she followed the prescription).

centers are not called gyms, they’re called “boxes” and many of them resemble just that. Typically they’ll be in warehouse-like spaces with cement walls, exposed rafters crisscrossing the ceiling and nought but a black mat covering the length of the floors. There are no smoothie bars or aerobics studios in one’s peripheral vision, just the iron bar you’ll hang from, the weights you’ll thrust up above your head and the ground you’ll drip your perspiration and occasional tears into until you feel as though you’ve become a part of the place. This is your box. There are thousands of boxes across the country, but this one is yours.