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Tarasa is the co-founder of CrossFit Cayman and has a lifelong passion for sports, with volleyball being her true love. She played indoor volleyball throughout high school and college, and upon moving to Grand Cayman, she transitioned to competitive beach volleyball. In addition to her volleyball success, Tarasa became a formidable CrossFit competitor. She represented Latin America at the Reebok CrossFit Games, competing as part of a team in 2010 and as an individual female competitor in 2011 and 2012.
With over 12 years of experience as a certified trainer, Tarasa brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to CrossFit Cayman. She holds multiple certifications, allowing her to coach a diverse range of athletes with a focus on both performance and safety.
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
CrossFit Kids
CrossFit Endurance
USAW Sports Performance Coach
First Aid/CPR Certified
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Please join us in welcoming @misschantalpt (Chantal Ayotte) to the coaching team at CrossFit Cayman!
Many of you have already seen Chantal around the gym, and you’ll be seeing even more of her as she begins shadowing classes and stepping into a coaching role in the coming weeks.
Chantal started CrossFit in 2016 and began coaching in 2018. Her passion for coaching comes from helping people achieve what they once thought was impossible improving their health, fitness, and quality of life in the process.
She brings a wealth of experience and education to our team, including:CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (2021)
CrossFit Masters Certificate (2020)
CrossFit Gymnastics Course (2019)
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (2018)
ACE Orthopedic Exercise Specialist (2015)
ACE Sports Conditioning Specialist (2014)
ACE Certified Personal Trainer (2013)
We’re excited to have her energy, knowledge, and heart for people join our coaching crew. Make sure to say hi and give her a warm CrossFit Cayman welcome!
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Matt Barnett is the owner and co-founder of CrossFit Cayman. He has been passionate about sports and weightlifting from an early age, with baseball being his primary focus. Matt played baseball at the high school, community college, and university levels, competing in the 2001 NAIA World Series and earning an honorable mention on the All-American team. During his college baseball career, he set records in categories such as RBIs and home runs.
In addition to his baseball achievements, Matt has a strong background in CrossFit, having competed in the CrossFit Games both as a team member in 2010 and as an individual in 2011. He is a certified CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and holds several other certifications, including:
CERTIFICATIONS:
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 2
CrossFit Level 1
CrossFit Endurance
USAW Sports Performance Coach
First Aid/CPR Certified
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Jason is a dedicated and passionate fitness coach with over 10 years of experience across various roles in the fitness industry. For the past 8 years, he has served as the head coach at multiple CrossFit gyms, where he has led large group classes, developed personalized one-on-one training sessions, managed coaching teams, and designed comprehensive training programs. Jason works with clients of all fitness levels and backgrounds, tailoring his approach to meet their unique needs and goals.
He is a CrossFit Level 2 certified trainer and holds a Bachelor's degree in Sports Coaching, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise.
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Nathan is a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer with a passion for both fitness and music. Growing up, he was an avid baseball player before discovering skateboarding, where he went on to rank as Florida’s top competitor in his age division during his final year of competition. Nathan has been dedicated to CrossFit for over four years, starting his journey in a garage and at a globo gym alongside his brother Matt and close friends.
His coaching career began under the mentorship of Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity in New York City, where he honed his skills and developed a deep commitment to helping others achieve their fitness goals. In addition to his CrossFit expertise, Nathan is a professional flamenco guitarist and enjoys spending as much time as possible surfing.
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
First Aid/CPR Certified
PUT YOUR TRUST
in our certified coaches
Your body
is the only one
you’ve got!
We have your best interest
at heart.
♥︎
ATHLETE
of the Month
HALL of FAME
“I had a great time at Crossfit Cayman while on vaca! Really loved this place! Matt, thanks for the help with my pull-ups bands! :)”
–Aline Ventura Côrtes
Confidence
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience.
We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.For an in depth view of CrossFit’s fitness philosophy, please read the link below from [the CrossFit Journal: “What is Fitness”][1]
[1]: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_Trial_04_2012.pdf
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The beauty of CrossFit is the community aspect it offers. Too many times, people join a gym with good intentions of going daily to get in shape. However, they soon fall of the wagon once they lose their motivation, get busy, become bored,etc. At CrossFit Cayman, we offer group classes with a certified Coach teaching each class. With this aspect of training, each individual is likely to stay motivated and committed because they have their group and Coach behind them. Also, the workout is different everyday focusing on the ten components of fitness. This provides the full range of fitness to get each person into the best shape of their lives and takes the boredom out of most people’s daily workout routines.
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No. All new members start with our beginner Foundation Course regardless of where they are at with their fitness level. This Course will give each new member the base and understanding they need to start group classes. Once in group classes, workouts will be scaled and tailored for the individual’s fitness needs and levels.
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Yes, CrossFit is safe when done correctly. Our main focus at CrossFit Cayman is to get people moving safely and in proper movement patterns. In the six beginner classes of the Foundation Course, each member will learn the movements and exercises with just PVC or light weight. Members will only progress with intensity and loads once they are moving with the proper mechanics. Because there is a certified Coach at each class, we are able to monitor and scale members accordingly to help them reach their peak fitness levels safely.
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No. There is a common misconception that CrossFit is for elite athletes. The truth is that it is for everyone and doesn’t matter where you are at with your fitness level. You can start the journey where you are today and if you stay consistent, it’s likely that you will get into the best shape of your life. Our community is comprised of competitive athletes, former athletes, working professionals, people that had never stepped foot into a gym, and people with physical ailments. Allow us to get you into the best shape of your life!
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WOD is “Workout of the Day.” At CrossFit Cayman we post a workout for each day. Some insight and thoughts on sets and reps:The WOD descriptions are very literal; don’t read into them. If it says “squats” it means bodyweight (aka “air squats”) – no added weight, unless it says back squats or front squats.A “rep” or repetition is one iteration of a movement. One bench press, one squat. A “set” is a group of reps: 10 reps =10 bench presses, 10 squats. 3 sets is do a group of repetitions, rest, repeat, rest, repeat. So, 3 sets of 10 (reps) is 10/rest/10/rest/10. The rest interval is up to your recovery time, and the goal of the WOD. Obviously, if it’s a timed WOD, you want to rest less.Also, rest and reps are frequently inverse.
Sometimes a WOD says deadlift 3-2-2-1-1-1. This means a set of 3 reps, a set of 2 reps, another set of 2, a “set of one” aka a “single.” This few reps indicates maximal load, and indicates longer rest times.Back to literal: if the WOD says 21-15-9 reps of bench and pullups in “rounds” (or any two or three exercises as given) you do 21 reps of exercise 1, followed by 21 reps of exercise 2, and 21 reps of exercise 3 if there is a third one. Now do 15 of the first, 15 of the second…9 of the first, 9 of the second.Most likely you will be breaking the 21’s and 15’s (and maybe the 9’s) into subsets, aka “breakdowns.” This is based on your strength and conditioning. Remember if you need to adjust the weight downward, do so, since these are timed WODs.
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Part of the CrossFit philosophy includes pursuing/learning another sport or activity, and many CrossFitters are also martial artists and competitive athletes in a variety of disciplines.However, if you work the WODs hard, you will find yourself at an improved level of fitness, and for lots of us, the WOD is our primary “sport.”If you pursue another activity, you will need to balance your work/rest cycles and be sure to allow for recovery. Sometimes, you will need extra days off or to consider a WOD as “active rest” done at a lower intensity.
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No. The awesome thing about CrossFit is that it focuses on not specializing on any one component of fitness. Because each workout is different daily, there is no way for a person to get bulky or big since they will not be specializing in weightlifting. Getting big and muscular is very hard to do. Just ask any average male. It takes years of hard work, the right training program, and a lot of food . . . it just doesn’t happen by accident. Weight training will add a few pounds of needed lean body mass which will in turn make you leaner and give you a better looking physique. Women simply don’t have the levels of testosterone needed to support the type of muscle growth you fear. Unless you are taking anabolic steroids, gaining too much muscle is probably the least of your worries. And if you are taking steroids, gaining muscle is still probably the least of your issues.
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You’ll have a better understanding of how classes are run and the method behind what we do at CrossFit Cayman. It’s quite likely you will have learned some new things, be a little bit “sore” and excited to come back for more. You will feel successful to have worked out with a great community of athletes, many of whom you did NOT expect to be CrossFitters.
Classes Fit For You
Whether you’re looking for a few sessions to work on a particular problem, have scheduling conflicts during our group class times, or desire a longer term program to reach your training goals, private coaching could be what you’re looking for.
Before joining Group Classes, each new member must complete the Private Foundation Course. This course consists of of 3, 1 on 1 hour sessions. New members must also sign-up for a minimum of a 1-month unlimited group training membership.
Group Classes
Train Like You’re on a Team
Your coach will take you through a series of mobility drills, dynamic warm-up, skill work, and the Workout of the Day. The workouts are varied daily and focus on functional movements (no machines) at high intensity. Workouts can be scaled to suit varying fitness levels.
We offer two uniquely wonderful classes for kids aged 8-11 and another for Teens aged 12-16. Not a “watered down” version of CrossFit for adults but instead a different design altogether.
On vacation and need a place to get your work out in? Or maybe you’re just checking things out. This one’s for you!
Keep Movinge
Experience our brand new, 2x larger location at 50 Lincoln Dr.
ADDRESS
50 Lincoln Dr., George Town, Grand Cayman
Google Maps Directions
DRIVING DIRECTIONS (PDF)
from Owen Roberts Airport
from Camana Bay
from West Bay
from George Town