CrossFit Virtuosity

I’ve been a member for almost 5 years (on and off). I travel a ton so during this time I have visited many other «boxes». Virtuosity has always been my favorite and it’s just getting better. Below is why I think this place stands a part from other boxs
Coaching
The coaches at Virtuosity pay close attention to teaching fundamentals, pointing out when your form is poor. coaches here also encourage members to spend time stretching and on mobility work. As a result I’ve developed an eye for good form in major movements and probably prevented many injuries…
The level of coaching is remarkably high. This is a place is dedicated to excellence and it delivers the goods daily.
Lots of WODs
The convenience of offering many WODs throughout the day,
Diverse Programming
Virtuosity keeps diversifying its programming and offers excellent specialized classes such as gymnastics, mobility and power lifting. I took all three and my life is better for it.
Environment
You’ll actually be happy to come here. Virtuosity feels less like a gym and more like a thriving hive of friendly bad-​ass people. It is very inclusive and is unlike the standard «meat and potatoes» Crossfit gym or the often soulless corporate Reebok outpost.
With this in mind, If you’ve never tried Crossfit, you’ll be making a smart decision to start here.

CrossFit Virtuosity is the real deal. If you live nearby you owe it to yourself to head on over.
In the past years CrossFit has gone from a fringe fitness movement to something more mainstream. In the process gyms have strayed from the basics, becoming more concerned with neon leggings and Instagram likes. What makes CrossFit Virtuosity so special isn’t that they’ve retained the fundamentals of CrossFit but they’ve held the torch and raised the standard.
I first visited the original CFV location about 5 years ago to take my CFL1. What I saw then I still see today a gym with a beating pulse. Community is what makes a gym special and Virtuosity has tons of it.

I’ve been to quite a few Crossfit gyms since beginning in 2009. I’ve been to great gyms on the west coast, terrible gyms on the west coast; great gyms on the east coast, terrible gyms on the east coast. I also have a sibling who owns and operates a Crossfit gym. So I would like to think I am qualified to distinguish between «good» and «bad.»
In an attempt to state without bias (as is often the case on here for Crossfit gym reviews), Virtuosity is superb. They have extremely knowledgeable coaches who know their stuff when it comes to olympic lifting, strength, gymnastics, mobility, and programming. Coaches are attentive to their members be it mid-​WOD or mid-​lift. The member community is also great; friendly and hard-​working.
If anyone is looking for a place to call (Crossfit) home, look no further.

I never in a million years thought I’d be able to run a mile, then do 100 pull-​ups, 200 push-​ups, 300 squats, and then run ANOTHER mile. But that’s exactly what I did yesterday at Crossfit Virtuosity, for a special (and especially tough) Memorial Day workout. Don’t worry — the workouts are not always that hard. That one is a once-​a-​year thing for Memorial Day. And if you can’t do a ton of pull-​ups or push-​ups (like me), the coaches always help you figure out how to scale them so you can do what your body is actually capable of while also making sure you’re at least a little challenged.
I’m 39 years old (for another three months, at least). I was never very athletic and came to CFV pretty out of shape, riddled with carpal tunnel issues, and was rather round in the middle. I was really shy and embarrassed at first because I was always finishing last, or lifting the lightest weight, and generally being clumsy and weak. But right away, I realized the difference at this place: the people at CFV cheer you on especially hard when you’re last or slow or weak, because they know just how hard it is, and they also know that you just might need a push to get across the finish line. Yesterday, I turned to someone working out near me and said, «You gonna run that last mile?» I despise running and was considering skipping it because I was already so wiped out. She said, «Yes. And so are you. You didn’t come this far not to go all the way.» And, to my surprise, despite my jelly legs, I did it. I finished that workout, the whole goddamn thing. And I felt pretty proud of myself afterward. But it was my fellow sufferer who gave me the push I needed to get through it. That’s the kind of community that CFV cultivates.
I should also mention that I took three months off from all exercise this year after having major surgery in January. In the two months since I returned to CFV, the coaches have been extremely attentive and caring to my «special needs,» making sure I’m not pushing myself too hard or too far before my body is ready for it, and giving me alternative movements to do when the programmed ones are inappropriate for my healing. They’ve also each gone out of their way to give me extra tips and rehab exercises I can do to work my way back to 100%. They understand how the body works, how healing works, and the time and intention that goes into any kind of recovery. This is a big part of what makes this place special: the coaches each have their own approaches and specialties, which is awesome, and they *all* understand the human body like no one else you’ve ever met. And they give a shit about how yours is doing.
Anyway, yeah. Maybe Crossfit is a cult. So what. There are worse things to be a part of than an exercise cult full of amazing, interesting people.

I’ve been to many crossfit boxes around the country while on business trips and I’ve learned that a Crossfit box is only as good as the coaches who call it home. You will probably find a cool group of people to work out with at any box you go to. You will sweat. But at the end of the day it’s the quality of the coaching that separates a great gym from the rest, and Virtuosity is a great gym.
I’ve been a member at Crossfit Virtuosity for nearly three years and every time I visit another box I’m reminded how lucky I am to enjoy such high quality coaching on a regular basis. What I’ve observed is that the coaches at Virtuosity are passionate about helping the members improve, get fitter, have fun, and stay safe while doing it. They are also passionate about continuously improving themselves as coaches. They enjoy their jobs and it shows. They have years of experience and diverse backgrounds. In addition to the standard crossfit protocols, each of the coaches at Virtuosity has some other area of special focus and knowledge, be it gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, kettle bells, competition, or mobility. This gives a depth to the overall program at Virtuosity that is invaluable, especially once you get past those first 6 – 12 months of crossfit.
There may be boxes that are closer to your home, or that provide clean towels and cucumber water, or that are a bit cheaper, but at the end of the day, it’s the coaches that will have the biggest impact on your experience, and the coaching team at Virtuosity is superb.

TL; DR: One of the best CrossFit gyms I’ve ever seen, for CF veterans or total beginners.
An atheist, a vegan, and CrossFitter walk into a bar… I only know this because they told everyone within two minutes.
Let’s be real: there’s a lot to roll your eyes about CrossFit. From the cult-​like following of many of its fans, to the reports of injuries and poor coaching, to that one person who spams your social media with the handstand selfies and the #eatingclean…
Forget about all that, put your assumptions aside, and swing by CrossFit Virtuosity for a free intro class.
Here’s what you’ll get:
— A welcoming environment, no matter your background. No intimidation of newbies, no cliquishness, no scammy membership terms.
— Expert coaching: I can’t stress the importance of this enough. You will be trained by athletes from a diverse set of backgrounds, bringing wisdom from various disciplines to your workout (pro sports, bodybuilding, yoga, gymnastics, nutrition… you’re getting the full spectrum of fitness here.) These aren’t your «weekend seminar certified» coaches like I’ve seen in some CF gyms; these folks actually know what they’re doing.
— Safe: a ruthless focus on proper form — and that’s a good thing. Before starting Crossfit I had slipped a disc, and was nervous that it might flare up again. Hasn’t happened, despite using heavy weights. You will be made to practice the movements until you can do them in your sleep, and will scale down if your form is unsafe.
— Challenging workouts: Whatever your level, the workouts will be tough. The good news is, you will make rapid progress — and will have a ton of fun in doing so.
— Great culture: it’s a great place to meet cool people if you’re new to the area, and there are always a few social activities going on outside of the gym. Personally, I just work out and head home — and that’s totally fine.
Bottom line, it’s just a bunch of fitness nerds doing what they love.
So whether you’re new to CrossFit and not sure it’s for you, or you’ve been at it for a while and are looking to drop in, this is the place to try. You might not come out of it a total CrossFit believer, but you will get one of the best workouts of your life, guaranteed.

This place is dynamite. They’re a legit old-​school Crossfit box. I’ve been a member of Crossfit Virtuosity for about 5 years now and in that time I’ve visited countless other Crossfit gyms across the country, but this place is by far the best. Why? Top-​notch coaching, better than anywhere else, that always emphasizes form and technique first in order to ensure safety before going up in weight. They’re also socially involved, supportive of the community, and the place is flat out fun. Full of great members who run the gamut: investment bankers, firemen and women, cops, garbage men, chefs, actors, designers, hetereos, gays, black, white, yellow, purple… you name it. Everyone is welcome to get fit and strong together! I love that.

Before starting Crossfit Virtuosity in October 2013, I exercised regularly, but it was always the same thing, running and lifting very light weights (I loved Jillian Michaels & Insanity). I had basically plateaued with my exercising, and while I was in shape, it wasn’t doing much for me. It was also SUPER BORING. At first I was nervous about joining, all those rumors of Crossfit being a cult-​like group where everyone eats paleo and never stops talking about Crossfit, but I knew after going to the free into class, I needed to do it. (Also, not everyone eats paleo haha)
The level one program really helped me because I slowly learned how to do everything and built my confidence before moving onto the harder, level 2 workouts. All the coaches are very attentive and constantly reviewing skills to avoid injury. My body tone is much better since joining and I’m consistently pushing myself to better. I love all that I can track all my performances and see everyone else’s as well, it’s very motivating to me.
The community and the coaches at Virtuosity is really what makes the gym stand out. Before Virtuosity, I never knew anyone at the gyms or classes I went to, and no one ever told me if I was doing anything with poor form. All the coaches here make an effort to get to know everyone by name quickly and make them feel at home. I’ve also never had any problem with putting my membership on hold when I’m on vacation, etc, and have experienced nothing but friendliness with the entire staff. It is expensive, but let’s face it, this is New York, where people pay over $ 35 a class at boutique fitness studios (been there, done that), and this is a far better, more well-​rounded workout. It’s totally worth it to give it a try if you’re looking to change up your fitness routine and really challenge yourself!

This place is the BEST! The coaches are all amazing, the classes are great, the people are all fantastic and it just gets better and better every day. Do yourself a favor and join this gym right away– you can thank me later!

Crossfit Virtuosity is the absolute best, and the things that set it apart from any other gym I’ve been to are the coaches and the community. I’ve been a member for 3 + years (including through a pregnancy), and I’ve only encountered the highest quality coaching and a community who cheers whether you’re the first or last to finish a workout. If you’re looking to get into crossfit, this is the best place to start.

Disclaimer: CrossFit Virtuosity is the only CrossFit gym I’ve ever tried, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. HOWEVER:
I’ve been going to CFV for 6 months and I absolutely love it. The coaches are very personable and professional. The programming is very smart, challenging, and versatile. I love the feeling of community that comes from working out with these folks (the coaches and my fellow athletes) over the course of time.
I’ve seen huge improvement in my fitness since starting at CFV.
If you’re not familiar with CrossFit, and you’re concerned about the cost ($ 225 – 250 per month), think about it this way: it’s basically group personal training. Even though sometimes the classes are sometimes large (up to about 20 people), the coaches are very good about giving personal attention.

Virtuosity is the best!
I walked in impulsively to try the free intro class with Blanco over a year ago and I haven’t regretted a day since. In that time I’ve done things I’d never thought I’d be able to do – lifting heavy weights, gymnastics, crazy metcons and more.
The coaches are all fantastic, better than any other box I’ve dropped into. Virtuosity places a HUGE emphasis on form and technique — every higher level skill is reviewed in every class, and they’ll help you scale the workouts so you’re working at a skill level that’s right for you. So whether you’re an expert weightlifter or a novice, you’ll always get a good grounding in the basics of every movement.
What’s more, the sense of community they’ve developed is fun and supportive. Coming from a swimming background, I didn’t think this would be something I’d care about, but getting to know my fellow athletes and having people cheer me on/​vice versa is what really pushes me to finish WODs and improve.
If you’re looking for a Crossfit gym in NYC, Virtuosity is far and away the best choice!

This is my third Crossfit gym and I’ve done numerous drop in classes at gyms when travelling plus a bunch of free intros at gyms around the city. CFV is by far one of the best Crossfit gyms I’ve been to and I don’t plan on leaving. The coaches are really smart and the programming is great. They make sure to spend a good amount of time warming up and ensuring you’re doing your movements correctly. The classes aren’t too big and it’s a good atmosphere. I was really happy at my old gyms but CFV is head and shoulders above the rest. Can’t recommend these guys more.

The best gym in all of NYC. If you go anywhere else, your literally doing yourself a disservice. Best coaches hands down. Other gyms can say they have good coaches, but there is no comparison. Go there and train with EDUCATED people who travel the work teaching their craft.

I want to give Virtuosity one star because the customer service is so bad. But I’m compelled to give it two stars because I like the coaches and I had a pretty good experience until the change in ownership.
Bottom line: They are not honoring a block of prepaid classes because they expire after one year.
After having been a member for about a year, I bought a package of 20 classes. Because of a couple of serious injuries, I was unable to use them within the one-​year time frame. Ownership was not willing to roll over those classes despite my interest in further membership. Rolling the classes that I already paid for would have cost them nothing and would have kept me a member.
I had been going to Virtuosity off-​and-​on for a while. I really liked the coaches and the community. I want to go back. However, my request to roll over my classes was rejected in person, and they will not respond to my emails, which I sent over a month ago. This poor customer policy is very short-​sighted and has turned a huge supporter into vocal critic.
Fortunately another Box has opened up down the street. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a substantial migration.
I hope that the new ownership figures it out before they completely destroy what was once a great community of customers.
***Comments after owner response: This response clearly demonstrates the lack of consideration for customers. To paraphrase, «We are so popular right now that we don’t care if you are a customer or not.» And what’s crazy is that I was often times one of the only people at the 6am class.

If you live in or are visiting the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, head over to CrossFit Virtuosity.
My first experience with CFV was in Central Park when they were doing WODs at the Pinetum. I was never a full-​time member but I did do quite a few drop-​ins for WODs and open gym on Sundays. I did an apprenticeship under Keith and learned quite about being a coach.
Pros — It’s caters to people who want to improve their health, fitness and train with a great community. It has all the equipment that you would expect in a première level CrossFit.
Cons — It’s ain’t easy. Not good for people who want a leisurely workout. No elliptical machines with mounted TV’s.

My wife has been a member for almost two years now, and she dragged me to a personal training session with Kurt nearly exactly a year ago.
At first I was intimidated by the big groups of sweaty people lifting lots of weight. By the time my first session was over (I started with personal training), three different people came by to introduce themselves. They were no longer sweaty nameless faces, and I no longer felt out of place.
Since then, I’ve stopped by the gym between 2 – 4 times per week for personal training, the occasional crossfit or gymnastics class, and to pick up our Kettlebell Kitchen meals.
My favorite part about the gym is the community they’ve attracted. Everyone is incredibly nice, generous, and genuine. It’s an incredibly diverse group (not just white males trying to ‘get buff’), and I’ve invited members to my birthday party, attended a halloween party thrown by one of the coaches, and generally found Virtuosity members creeping into my personal life.
My second favorite aspect is their focus on safety. I have an auto-​immune condition called Lupus that manifests itself in the form of a connected tissue disease. My tendons get very tight and moving them becomes incredibly painful. The trainers have each taken time out of each class to understand my condition, put together a custom plan for me, and check in on me routinely to make sure everything is going alright, making adjustments if it’s not. I also have a pre-​class routine that Matt and Kurt helped me put together that helps loosen my tendons and prevent injuries.
In general, the gym is very cognizant of safety issues and all of the trainers on staff are watching for people who are in danger of hurting themselves and they step in with polite and constructive advice to fix poor positioning/​form.
Finally, the trainers are all great people and none of them are rude, arrogant, or insensitive (which generally describes most gyms I’ve been to). I’ve taken class or lessons from Matt, Kurt, and Joey and enjoyed all of them.
Give it a shot, say hello to people when you come in, and get to know the coaches — they are great.

I was quite annoyed that, in order to work out at this box, they wanted me to take an «intro to crossfit» class. Even though I have several years of crossfit experience (I have been doing other workouts for about 6 months) and I am in great shape. This is a pain because its only offered on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons.
Other than that, this box looked fine and has a great reputation. It is a bit tough to find because its in a nondescript building.

I would really love to write a review of the class but I wasn’t even given a chance to do so. Here’s my story.
I first heard about Crossfit Virtuosity because I was looking to drop-​in on a crossfit class around Williamsburg. I check their visitor drop-​in policy and lo and behold, this came up: «Visiting CrossFitters with at least 3 months of CrossFit experience are welcome to drop in to any regularly scheduled Level 1 or Level 2 CrossFit class. No reservation is required, just show up about 10 minutes early to sign a waiver.» Perfect. I had 6 months of experience. What could go wrong?
I get there and I talk to a «trainer» named Joey. I use quotation marks because I wasn’t there long enough to find out he was a trainer. He asks me a series of questions. What’s your name? What’s your favorite workout?
I answer: «I love burpees and I love doing those squatters? Where you lift and squat?»
He looks at me suspiciously and goes: «You mean a thruster? Do you know what the Fran is?»
Okay, first thing. I have done Crossfit for over 6 months religiously but that does NOT mean that I will have all the WODs memorized. Joey seems to have forgotten that some of us aren’t good with names but know how to interact around the workouts with good guidance and training. Isn’t that why you’re called «trainers?»
He then gives me a speech about how he «trusts me» BUT I couldn’t just drop into level 1, only Level 2, basically kicking me out. The next class was apparently a Level 2 class and I couldn’t stay there because I wasn’t «experienced.» He tells me that I can come back another night. Great, I work late on the weekdays so I’m SURE that will happen. So I think that I’m in the wrong and check the policy again because I could have sworn it said Level 1 or Level 2. I check back to the policy above. OH. LEVEL 1 OR LEVEL 2. It also says that the class is Level 1 AND Level 2 online. Interesting, Joey. Way to not align with what your company says.
Call my Crossfit Studio City trainers. I have great form, I work my ass off, and I haven’t gotten hurt once in the past 6 months. Sure, I may not remember ALL the names of the workouts but each class, the trainer should go through and explain the movements anyway. I’m beyond annoyed that I wasn’t even allowed to drop in, even though the policy states otherwise.
Teach your trainers not to be a dick to your visitors and make sure they double check what the policy says.
Bai.
#RantOver

When I travel, I drop in to CrossFit boxes and none have compared to my home base in San Francisco — until now.
CrossFit trainers aren’t always great at helping people break down and understand complex movements. But based on my one session with Juan Blanco, I was crazy impressed with this place. Can’t wait to come back.