Why am I doing this?! This is a question you should be asking. Because behind every good exercise program is a clearly defined why with targeted adaptations and results in mind. At FitLab, nothing we do is random or left to chance. Our training is built on sound principles, careful planning, and a long-term vision for the health and performance of our community. Unlike a “one-size-fits-all” program that you might find online, our approach reflects the needs of our members and the philosophy we hold as a gym: fitness should improve your life, not just for today, but for years to come.
In this post, I want to share what FitLab is, how CrossFit shapes us, what our coaches do behind the scenes, and ultimately, how our programming philosophy has been designed to give you the broadest and most sustainable version of fitness.
What FitLab Is
FitLab is a functional fitness facility that combines group training, personal training, and nutrition coaching under one roof. Our goal is simple but powerful: to help people build health, fitness, and resilience that carries over into every aspect of life.
We use CrossFit as the foundation, applying the methodology of increasing work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Put simply, this means we want you to become capable of doing more, across a wider range of activities, for longer periods of time. This might look like running after your kids without getting tired, helping a mate move house without your back giving out, or setting a new personal best in a lift.
Beyond CrossFit, we offer specialty programs in Endurance, StrengthLab, Olympic Weightlifting, and Mobility. Each program serves to strengthen one piece of the bigger picture. For example, Endurance develops your aerobic base so that everything from workouts to everyday activities feel easier. StrengthLab builds raw strength and stability, which supports not just heavy lifts but also safer, more efficient movement patterns. Olympic Lifting hones explosive power and coordination, while Mobility ensures you can move freely, reduce injury risk, and access better positions. Together, they create a broader, stronger base of fitness.
Nutrition is also central to what we do. Every member receives baseline nutrition coaching, because no amount of training can outrun poor habits in the kitchen. Whether your goal is fat loss, performance, or simply more energy for work and family, learning how to fuel your body effectively is one of the most powerful steps you can take.
What CrossFit Is
CrossFit is often misunderstood, so it’s worth breaking down clearly. At its core, CrossFit is a health and fitness program designed to build the broadest version of fitness possible. Its aim is not to make you the best at one thing, but to make you well-rounded enough to tackle anything.
The methodology is based on three principles:
- Constantly Varied – workouts change daily, so your body never adapts to a single routine. This helps you stay challenged, motivated, and capable of handling the unexpected.
- Functional Movement – exercises mimic real-world actions like squatting, pulling, pressing, and jumping. These movements are multi-joint and natural to the human body.
- High Intensity (relative to you) – intensity is scaled to your level. For one person, this might mean using 100kg on a barbell; for another, it might mean using a dumbbell. Both are working at an intensity that challenges them.
What makes CrossFit unique is that it is also “open source.” It borrows from the best of other methodologies when they fit the goal of creating more capable humans. Olympic lifting, powerlifting, breathwork, paleo, and even modern fitness sports like HYROX have all been adopted into CrossFit because they work.
The result is General Physical Preparedness (GPP) — the idea that you should be ready for anything. A triathlete might excel in endurance but struggle with strength. A powerlifter might be strong but lack stamina. A CrossFitter, by contrast, is balanced across multiple domains: strength, stamina, endurance, power, speed, flexibility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. That’s why someone who trains CrossFit can run with friends, lift a heavy couch, climb a rope, and still perform well in the gym. Life doesn’t test us in one domain at a time — and our training reflects that.
What Our Coaches Do
Our coaches are often the most visible part of the FitLab experience, but what you see in class is just the tip of the iceberg. All of our coaches are CrossFit Level 1 or 2, with additional Cert III and IV qualifications in fitness. More importantly, they bring thousands of hours of practical coaching experience.
Their role goes far beyond leading warm-ups or starting the clock. Coaches teach and refine movement, provide progressions and scaling options, correct dysfunctions, and manage the flow of the room so that every athlete — from beginner to advanced — gets the most out of their hour. For example, if someone struggles with overhead squats due to limited shoulder mobility, a coach might substitute a goblet squat variation, while also giving them mobility drills to work on long-term.
Behind the scenes, coaches collaborate daily. They share notes on members, discuss patterns they see, and trade strategies for working with different personalities or limitations. This means that when you come into class, you’re not just benefiting from the knowledge of one coach — you’re tapping into the collective expertise of the entire FitLab coaching team.
Our Programming Philosophy
Programming at FitLab is built on CrossFit principles, traditional strength and conditioning, and our own vision for health and longevity. It isn’t random, and it isn’t outsourced. Every workout is carefully chosen to fit into a bigger plan.
CrossFit divides training into three pillars: Weightlifting (W), Monostructural (M, e.g., running, rowing, biking), and Gymnastics (G). Our weekly programming balances these so that members improve across the whole spectrum of fitness. Some days will focus on one domain, others combine two or three. Over weeks and months, this creates well-rounded progress.
However, we know that progress sometimes requires focused practice. That’s why we offer specialty streams. If your goal is to improve your Olympic lifts, we don’t advise waiting for “snatch day” to roll around once a fortnight. Instead, we recommend Olympic Lifting classes or a hybrid membership that gives you dedicated exposure. The same goes for endurance — if you want to improve your engine, you’ll make far faster progress in our Endurance program than by hoping a long run shows up in class. And if your dream is a first muscle-up, we’ll guide you through StrengthLab and personalised coaching, so you build the pulling and pushing strength required rather than spinning your wheels.
Open Source Influence
Just like CrossFit itself, our programming borrows from proven training systems when they add value. StrengthLab incorporates elements from Westside Barbell and powerlifting, such as the use of bands and chains to challenge different parts of the lift. Conditioning pieces sometimes include hypoxic breathwork, teaching you how to tolerate discomfort and improve oxygen efficiency. Olympic Lifting sessions draw on techniques from elite weightlifting programs, while our mobility work takes cues from physiotherapy and functional range conditioning.
This open-minded approach sets us apart from gyms that stick rigidly to a single template or philosophy. At FitLab, we pride ourselves on being broad, adaptive, and unafraid to try what works — always within the boundaries of safety and our coaches’ expertise.
Health First
Most importantly, our programming follows a health-first philosophy. For us, health isn’t just the absence of illness. It’s the ability to move freely, think clearly, and live fully across your entire lifetime.
It’s important to recognise that training for performance and training for health are not always the same thing. High-level athletes often push to extreme peaks of performance, but that comes with trade-offs: injury, burnout, or shortened careers. Training for health, on the other hand, means gradual and sustainable progress. It’s about building strength with sound technique, expanding your fitness base without breaking down, and seeing steady improvements in both physical and mental performance over years, not just weeks.
That’s why, when we program strength work, we emphasise positions, range of motion, and progressive overload. When we program conditioning, we balance intensity with variety and recovery. The aim is to challenge you, but also to keep you thriving well into the future. We want you to be strong and capable now — and still training, playing, and enjoying life decades from now.
The Bottom Line
At FitLab, programming is never random. It’s a reflection of our values, our coaching expertise, and our long-term vision. Every class you step into has been designed to build you into a healthier, stronger, more resilient version of yourself.
Our promise is this: if you trust the process, commit to consistency, and lean into the variety we provide, you will not only see performance gains but also experience the kind of fitness that makes life outside the gym richer, easier, and more enjoyable.
That’s why we program the way we do — and why we’re proud of the results it creates in our community.
Coach Steve