#rafeature

Hey team, Thor here! Sorry for being MIA over the holidays we’ve been busy prepping for the upcoming months of 2021 to ensure we can offer you the best options for both your fitness & your safety to start off 2021 :) 

One of the most difficult things for us as a facility is constantly changing & updating protocols - it’s for that reason we have decided to commit to the ‘individual access’ format for the first 2 months of 2021. We have multiple updates to how this will be managed (details below) but based on the latest information & recommendations from the BC government, including specific group class restrictions & our own risk assessment - we’ve decided this is the best way we can provide you the highest level of fitness & safety for the near future.

Thank you for your ongoing & continued support and for continuing to trust us with your health, fitness & safety <3 

UPDATED RISK ASSESSMENT & PROTOCOLS CONTINUING INTO 2021

The bulk of our decisions on how to move forward into 2021 are based on our updated risk assessment which takes into account the latest information, research, and recommendations from the BC Government, the CDC, and WorksafeBC. 

The full length explanations of these can be found here: www.rncty.ca/covid19-faq

RISK: Highest risk of transmission is via airborne particles PROTOCOLS:

We will continue to require masks at all times when outside of your workout box (read more: phase 4B protocols)

Fan guards are being added to assault & rogue echo bikes as the wind generated from them near clients causes an increased risk of spread.

RISK: This risk is dramatically increased when multiple people have increased respiration rates at the same time.  PROTOCOLS:

We will continue to operate as #RaincityGlobo offering individual access for athletes to complete their own workouts. (read more: phase 5C protocols)

We will offer multiple workout streams and encourage athletes to not always follow ‘that days’ workout to avoid the issues with group classes. (read more: government group class protocols)

We encourage athletes to focus on following the appropriate days of strength rather than completing that days prescribed workout (read more about the programming streams being made available: www.rncty.ca/news)

GOV REQUIREMENT: The BC Government has required proper social distance markers are utilized & maintained at all times, and this distance is increased to 8′ when respiration rate is increased. PROTOCOLS:

Workout boxes have been updated with specific locations & directors for cardio equipment & workouts that ensures a minimum of 8′ distance between devices (as required by BC government individual access protocols)  

Social distance markers (orange X) have been added to all high traffic areas (equipment shelves etc) - clients are required to utilize them when getting / waiting for equipment. (read more: WCB protocol requirements for fitness centers)

RISK: Groups of people culminating before / after classes. PROTOCOLS:

We will continue to utilize :30 minute start intervals in order to minimize overlap of clients entering & exiting.

The exterior distancing markers & guides will be updated for clarity of where clients should wait outside.

Social distance markers have been updated in the locker area for those who do no want to wait outside.

Coaches will be enforcing proper distancing measures before and after classes - those in breach may not be permitted entry. 

PROTOCOL UPDATE: The best form of defense we have is clients & coaches staying OUT of the gym if they have ANY signs or symptoms

We have updated our ‘session check-in email’ for [FF] members to be an ‘active assessment’ requiring you to complete a proper self assessment and check the box every day before entry via SugarWOD. 

RISK RE-ASSESSED: We’ve determined that ‘touch’ is of much lower risk than previously thought, and our protocols for cleaning & wiping equipment have been adequate or athlete safety.

We have updated the floorplan of the Annex to allow 12 stations, but the limiting factor is now individual equipment boxes. We mention this updated risk assessment as we plan to move to multiple shared equipment stations / locations in the coming months once we are confident in smooth operations & continued adherance to current protocols - which will then allow us to move up to 12 people at a time.

Starting this week (based on client feedback) we will be adjusting our no-show billing policy for ALL programs including [FF] and [SPRT].

Reservation and Cancellation Windows

All remain the same:

Reservations open 3 days in advance

Reservations close 20 minutes prior to class

Cancellations cannot be made within 4 hours of the class

What’s Changed?

You will only be billed a no-show fee if the schedule class / session was fully booked 

You will NOT be given the session back 

you can reply to the ‘no-show’ email that comes 2 after class and request it back for rare occurrences

This change in protocols does not change the importance of dropping a reservation as early as possible. Please try to avoid ‘holding multiple spots’ and waiting to see how you feel. The 4 hour cancellation window is the minimum, not recommended / ideal for having your spot filled.

Masks are in - get yours now!

So we’re a bit behind here as many members asked for these months ago... but realizing that this whole COVID-19 thing is probably going to continue to go on for a while we figure it’s better late than never! 

They’re super comfortable 2 layer cotton re-usable with 3 different designs to choose from.

Check-out the samples at the front desk (no trying on) and add it to the retail sheet (FAQ - how do I buy stuff?) and a coach can grab you one!

$17 for one or 2 or $30!

Another day, another update! 

This is worse than leaving me alone at the gym doing renos over a long weekend eh??? 

First I have to say; of COURSE this is absurd... unclear... frustrating... all over the map and everything in between. But if there’s one thing I learned  from our #RaincityTownHall with over a dozen of our badass EMS members back in May (checkout some clips), it’s that COVID-19 is this absurd, this unclear, and this all over the map. So in no way will I resist, try to find loopholes, or criticize, our governments handling of this constantly changing information... and as a community I ask the same of all of you <3 

Do I think we’re part of the problem and should need to jump through all these hoops? 100% no! We all know health and wellness is the only proven medicine against everything (because #science), but I also know that resistance and criticism doesn’t get us out of this any faster. So a huge thank you to all of you for doing an incredible job of helping us ensure Raincity Athletics continues to be a part of the solution.

On that note, just like Erin Baker said during our Town Hall; having our protocols clearly outlined and in place makes this a much easier change / update for everyone to manage:

No More Group Classes

Strength & Conditioning has now been added to the classes required to go on hold until the government can generate specific updated protocols for them to operate (expected Nov 30th but we won’t hold our breath). 

We can almost guarantee whatever they come up with we will already meet or exceed (or require a very minor update to) but until then we've got you safely covered and continuing your fitness utilizing prior and existing protocols. For a full detailed update & outline of procedures and reasoning please head to: www.rncty.ca/covid19-faq - below is the relevant information for our athletes starting tomorrow AM.

[FF] Individual Access Updates

Schedule Updates:

50 Minute Blocks starting every 30 minutes for 5 athletes per block and only open to [FF] Memberships

This allows you 3-5 minutes to clean up - but you must be out of the space before :55 on the clock, so the next group can come in

Athletes will be assigned alternating stations by coach based on BLUE or GREEN - so no 2 athletes will be completing the same workout side by side

Squares are clearly labelled with BLUE or GREEN Xs in the corner 

Programming Updates:

[FF] Cant Flex Cardio program is still available via SugarWOD 

It has been updated to include recommended timelines to ensure all work finished in :50 minute block

We are also working on adding additional notes and demo videos

Coach will be available to answer questions, run clocks, demo movements, and ensure all COVID-19 protocols are followed 

Still NO HIIT workouts / ‘heavy breathing’ allowed if not following [FF] program

No Changes:

All reservation / cancellation / booking times remain the same including no-show policy

[SPRT] Access remains the same and on ‘The OG’ side 

[FF] Open Gym schedule will continue on Fridays 

Equipment Lending & Raincity Athletics At Home

We’ve had lot of questions whether we will be lending out equipment again or what happens if there’s another full lockdown etc. If there’s a full lock down you can check the FAQ info HERE. 

We are actively working on an updated inventory check and assessment of equipment lending options - check your inboxes later this week! 

Remember that all [FF] memberships have access to our 7 days a week on demand at home workout videos (provided by NCFIT). They’re pretty awesome if you haven’t given them a try, and most only require 1 dumbbell or Kettlebell to complete, except every Sunday’s workout which is all bodyweight! 

Read more about Raincity Athletics At Home: www.rncty.ca/raah

Again, thank you all for your patience as we navigate these times, thank you for continuing to trust us with your safety, and for everyone’s strict adherence to our constantly updating policies.

If you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to email us info @ raincityathletics.ca or contact myself directly.

Save the date - this year we’ll be hosting the Raincity Classic later in the year - first up is the RAINCITY WEIGHTLIFTING MEET (aka comp).

What’s that? It’s a 1RM Snatch & 1RM Clean & Jerk!

There will be a scaled division with no weigh in required & less strict on ‘press-outs’ & am Rx division where we’ll utilize the Sinclair formula to determine the winners and be STRICT on Olympic lifting standards (no press-outs!).

This is open to ALL members whether in the Barbell Club or not!

Early bird registration will open this weekend until March 14th:

$30 without a shirt  $40 with a shirt 

Regular registration March 15 - April 13: 

$35 without a shirt  $50 with a shirt 

More details & to register:

www.raincityathletics.ca/event/rwlc2020

Interested in joining the Raincity Barbell Club for a cycle to prepare? Check-out rncty.ca/barbell or contact coach Liz or Rebecca

We’ll also begin reviewing press-out standards in [FF] Oly classes over the coming months!

By popular demand - we’ll be running an ADVANCED gymnastics seminar!

Who’s it for?

This is for the Rx Athlete who is looking to perfect their basic gymnastics skills and work towards more advanced movements. They are looking to get their first muscle up OR improve their efficiency in them, as well as the other high skill gymnastics like CTB Pull-ups, HSPU, and more.

Minimum skill requirement: 

5/3 Unbroken kipping handstand pushups

5/3 Unbroken kipping chest to bar pullups

First up - you likely got an email welcoming you to SugarWOD!

Everything is now live - if you boot-up the Zenplanner app there will be a link to view the full workout in SugarWOD!

SUGARWOD

DOWNLOAD THE IPHONE APP     //    DOWNLOAD THE ANDROID APP

Now What? 

Moving forward the only mandatory change for RAthletes is that you will view the workout via SugarWOD!

As you can see in the image above, this is what will show up in your app - and will launch you right into the full WOD details (below): 

Workout Logging

Coaches will still be logging your basic scores in Zenplanner - but we encourage you to transfer those scores (and more detail) into SugarWOD after your workout as well! Over the coming weeks we will be importing prior results & PRs etc into SugarWOD.

Why are we doing this? 

Now that SugarWOD and Zenplanner are owned by the same company, they are working on fully integrating the two systems - Raincity Athletics has been one of the beta testing gyms of the new integration (hence the couple of hiccups). 

SugarWOD has a much more robust and detailed workout posting, measuring, and tracking systems built in - plus it’s all around much more user friendly :)

Download the SugarWOD app - use your Zenplanner login - and start looking around & recording results!