Founded by Mill Valley native and Tam High grad Marcus Filly, TJ's Gym Crossfit Mill Valley is part of a school of fitness where athletes of all ages, backgrounds, and ability levels come together with a goal in common: to get as fit as possible by using the most effective exercise and nutrition program around.
The primary approach we use at TJ's Gym is called CrossFit. CrossFit is a workout program based on
functional body movements and drawing from the disciplines of Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and
cardiovascular fitness. Workout sessions vary in length, ranging from a few minutes to a full hour, with intensity being a consistent component. The idea is to challenge the body and psyche beyond previously experienced limits, through increases in speed, weight, and reps, as well as combinations of movements. Workouts are never exactly the same, an element that keeps the body guessing and challenges participants in ways other workouts don't.
We run, jump, row, lift weights, do pull-ups, throw balls, squat, jump rope, and more. CrossFit
workouts can be modified to meet the training needs of athletes of all ages and fitness levels. Because of its proven success, 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.
One of the things that sets CrossFit apart from other exercise programs is that it recognizes that all athletes (from the senior citizen, to the stay-at-home mom, to the high school soccer star, to the weekend warrior, to the Olympic medalist, to the professional athlete) have the same requirements for an effective fitness program. The differences among their needs relate to intensity and volume, but not type of training. Functional body movements that are varied and executed at high intensity are key to the development of optimal fitness in all athletes. This is the basis of CrossFit. To read more about CrossFit and how it leads to real results in real
people, [click here] to download the free trial issue of the CrossFit Journal.
A critical component of the CrossFit program at TJ's Gym is nutrition education. We encourage clients to
carefully consider a way of eating that is in sync with the physiological demands of CrossFit workouts and life outside of the gym. We advocate a move towards a Paleo way of eating, which, in simplified terms, means eating only whole foods; avoiding processed foods; taking in sufficient healthy fats, lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables; and avoiding refined sugars. We offer complimentary nutrition lectures and various avenues of support for all clients in our CrossFit program, as we recognize that elite fitness is impossible without dedication to proper nutrition.