SpeedX ™ – CrossFit for Fat Loss

This article is going to talk specifically about CrossFit for fat loss. In Part 1 of this 2 part CrossFit series, I gave a basic overview of what CrossFit is all about. Today I’m talking with the Head Trainer of a CrossFit gym who has recently perfected a special method of Crossfit that is laser-focused on burning body fat. The workout is called SpeedX and from what I understand, it has been working wonders for people in his gym. Jarett Perelmutter, of Brick Sport Performance Gym in West Hollywood, agreed to do an interview outlining his new SpeedX system. He even put together a pdf with 2 sample SpeedX workouts exclusively for readers of FBB.

[The entry way of Brick Sport Performance Gym looks like a fancy downtown boutique. One of the coolest gym interiors I've ever seen...would love to live in a place with this type of aesthetic.]

An Interview With Jarett Perelmutter About SpeedX ™

Rusty: Jarett, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Before we discuss SpeedX, let’s talk a bit about your gym…Brick Sport Performance. Can you give me a bit about your background that let up to opening a pretty darn impressive CrossFit gym?

Jarett: I have been involved in athletics since childhood. I established a chain of five martial arts studios in the Miami, FL market, and after selling them in 2009, moved back to Los Angeles and got heavily involved in the world of CrossFit.

My background in martial arts and fighting led me to win over a dozen titles and world championships in kick boxing, and my love of exercise was reignited when I discovered CrossFit.

I immediately saw the appeal of the sport, and believe it is a revolution in fitness. I worked at a CrossFit in the LA area for a while as a private trainer while I also trained for the CrossFit Games and other various competitions. Seeing the opportunity in CrossFit, I found partners that were equally excited and we opened up BRICK in November 2010.

We set out from the start to be a bit different from the traditional CrossFit model that had developed nationwide. Our concept is a larger space with more amenities and variety of classes and programs to appeal to a broader audience and to keep members excited about coming back again and again. While CrossFit is our main focus we also saw great opportunity to develop other programs based on the CrossFit methodology.

Rusty: Although I have dozens of questions I’d love to ask you about CrossFit, I want to focus mainly on CrossFit for fat loss. When I was doing some research online, your workout called SpeedX came up on Google. Can you tell me a bit about it?

Jarett: We developed SpeedX as an alternative to traditional CrossFit.

Being located in an area that has a large population of very young and fit people accustomed to interval style workouts, we set out to develop our own class based on CrossFit methodology.

We had a lot of people coming in that were members of boot camps complaining about injuries and having reached a plateau. They were not, however, interested in the intense weightlifting components of CrossFit.

SpeedX was developed around high intensity bursts of activity with low to moderate weights and lots of body weight conditioning. In order to ramp up the intensity and results, we incorporated Tabata intervals. The typical class starts with a 15 minute warm-up, similar to CrossFit, designed to get your heart pumping, your body hot, and your muscles loose.

…We then jump into eight different stations, each a different movement, with 20 seconds of intense workout with 10 seconds of rest. Eight rounds at each station and then a 15-20 second rest in between stations. 64 bursts of intense energy in 45 minutes. The fat just falls off the bone.

The main attraction of SpeedX is that it is constantly changing. Unlike boot camps or other interval workouts, there is no repetitive motion and use of treadmills or other machines. Workout programs change daily to keep people excited, motivated, and coming back for more.

Rusty: So similar to the CrossFit WOD, you surprise people in the SpeedX class with a different set of exercises every time they come to class. Is there any station that people dread (in a good way)? What are some of the tougher stations?

Jarett: People usually dread the total body movements the most. Burpees, Handstand push-ups, wall ball targets, parallette bars, and the push-press thrusters. These are probably the hardest stations and the ones they dread the most. They’re hard because there is constant motion – no way to rest between reps. These are also full-body exercises that work on multiple areas at once.

Rusty: This may be asking for a bit, but I best the readers would love a PDF sample of a typical SpeedX workout. Is there any way I could get a pdf for people to download?

Jarett: See attached a copy of a sample work-out for your readers. While the workout is awesome, we believe that the team aspect and energy we create within BRICK is what really drives people to push their hardest.

[Right click on the ebook cover and chose "Save Link As..." and save to your Desktop for easy access.]

Rusty: I’m one of those people who actually enjoys a typical commercial gym, but also likes the idea of doing some workouts in a CrossFit type of environment. Do you make special accommodations for people who want to keep their current gym membership, but maybe just want to come in 1-2 times per week for an intense fat loss session? Can people just pay for SpeedX classes without having to pay the full monthly membership fee?

Jarett: We absolutely do! We offer SpeedX either through the unlimited monthly membership, our 2 times a week membership, and through day passes that can be purchased in single to thirty packs. Most of our members have memberships at typical commercial gyms, but once they start to see the results from SpeedX, they stop going to their other gyms.

Rusty: Very cool. So someone who wants to kick their fat burning up in a big way in lives in the area…they can go to one of your scheduled SpeedX classes 2 times per week. Let’s say someone is just traveling to LA for a beach vacation and wants to swing in mid week to one of your scheduled classes. Should they arrive 20-30 minutes early to learn the moves before the workout starts?

Jarett: If it is their first time, they can try out SpeedX for free.

We actually offer a free 7-day pass to everyone who wants to try out BRICK. They should come in about 20-30 minutes in advance to complete their paperwork and warm up a bit for class.

They can also speak with the instructor and let them know it’s their first time so they will be given extra attention on form and technique. After the free week, they can choose between either purchasing individual or multi class packs or a 2-day a week membership, which will start June 1, 2011.

Rusty: I like team aspect of this. I know this type of workout is hard as heck to do without a little “push” from others. I can imagine that people would get fantastic results. What is the best way for people in the LA area to give your SpeedX class a try?

Jarett: The first step is just to come on in.

You can bring a buddy, but you don’t really need one. You’ll find that within 15 minutes, you’ll have made 3-4 friends just by being there. That is our crowd and that is what we’re most proud of – our community.

We’ve got members who have been in athletics and CrossFit for years and they’ll come up to you and give you all kinds of encouragement and advice without any judgment or attitude. If people want to give SpeedX and BRICK’s CrossFit a more casual try, we offer free classes at Runyon Canyon in Hollywood. Most Saturdays through the spring and summer months, people can come to Runyon at 11:30am and jump into one of our workouts.

Rusty: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. I like trainers who think “outside of the box”. You and the guys over at BRICK are certainly a great example of this.

Jarett: We appreciate the opportunity! Like I said before, our community is what keeps us going. To have such a diverse group of people come together and not only improve their health but create social bonds is really something we are proud of. We also strive to be the best CrossFit out there. Our place was designed around a cool and modern loft-style space with great equipment and amenities that a lot of other places don’t provide. The single most important thing, though, is our trainers. They are all high level athletes and competitors who are dedicated to fitness. They are the most approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly bunch of professionals and they want to help people succeed and exceed what they thought possible.

BRICK Sport Performance
7811 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(323) 315 – 0700
http://www.brickcrossfit.com/