CrossFit Launches One-Day Hybrid Level 2 Course
Earlier this month, CrossFit LLC announced the launch of the Hybrid Level 2 Certificate Course. This course is designed for busy gym owners who might not be able to dedicate a full weekend to completing their Level 2 certification, as has traditionally been required.
The details: The Hybrid Level 2 includes an online lecture component you can complete at your own pace, followed by a one-day, in-person course.
- Pre-requisites include a current or expired CrossFit Level 1 or Level 2 certification. For those interested in the traditional two-day Level 2 course, it will remain an available option.
Director of the CrossFit Games, Dave Castro, announced in his Week In Review on August 25 that the first one-day Hybrid Level 2 courses are scheduled for November and December in Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; Dallas, TX; Atlanta, GA; London, UK; San Diego, CA; and Brooklyn, NY.
You can find more details here.
How the Hybrid Level 2 Came to Be
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, CrossFit had to cancel all of its in-person courses. In response, the EDU team at CrossFit developed an online version of the Level 1, which remains available today.
- “You do the lectures [online] at your own convenience…and then you have to schedule a Zoom session where there are about seven other people and one of our trainers and they teach you the movements,” Castro said.
In late 2023, CrossFit started requiring all affiliate owners to hold a Level 2 certification within a year of opening their affiliate, which introduced some new challenges, Castro admitted.
- “We had to schedule a lot more Level 2s…and some people said, ‘Hey, going to the two-day course, taking my whole weekend to do that is a lot,’” Castro said.
In response to this, trainers at CrossFit thought about creating an online Level 2 course.
However, as Castro explained, they ultimately decided that it wouldn’t be practical to test everything in the Level 2 course through an online format because it includes both lectures and breakout groups where attendees teach each other movements and are evaluated on their skills.
The Big Picture
Ultimately, CrossFit aims for the Hybrid Level 2 to help busy gym owners complete their Level 2 certification without sacrificing a whole weekend.
- “If you’re running a gym, if you’re a small business owner, and you can’t give up your Saturday, well, now there’s this one-day course, which is just on Sunday…Is it a compromise from the [two-day] experience? Slightly, yes…But it’s still one full day of you teaching and of people giving feedback,” Castro concluded.
He added: “I believe it’s a great option…I’m excited to offer it and excited to see how people respond to it.”
Featured image: @crossfit / Instagram
