About CrossFit Hove

My name is Miles Key, I first found CrossFit.com late in 2006, I was studying to be a personal trainer and researching functional fitness on the internet. My training had come from a back ground of varied fitness pursuits, some of which were endurance based, some martial arts and to a greater extent weightlifting. At first I was intrigued by CrossFit, studying the programming it showed a very varied structure combining weightlifting movements (as opposed to bodybuilding movements) cardio-endurance and body weight or gymnastic training.

I began to study and learn the movements, using myself as guinea pig, trying to understand how CrossFit worked and began to follow the daily workouts (or WODS-workout of the day) posted by CrossFit.com in my garage. It’s fair to say I quickly became obsessed with this new training protocol, at this time I knew of nobody training CrossFit but I believed in it and could see the results myself. My first CrossFit client (my then partner and now wife) had come from a background of never having been in a gym-it took a certain degree of coercion to get her to train with me but she too quickly saw the results.

The first CrossFit trainer I met was Andrew Stemler, owner of the first CrossFit affiliate in the U.K. CrossFit London, I was fortunate that Andrew saw in me a mutual obsession for CrossFit and began teaching me the more complex techniques involved in our training.

In September 2007 I became a CrossFit affiliate, the seventh in the U.K., initially teaching my friends and their friends and work colleagues CrossFit, renting school halls and using my garage as a base. It was after that point that I started to travel round the country meeting my fellow affiliates and continued my learning.

In May of 2007 I travelled to San Diego to attend my first level 1 certification (I’ve since attended 3) and found our first premises shortly after (CrossFit West Sussex) in converted garages at the back of a print shop (the rent was £20 a week!)

Our affiliate grew steadily but we recognised that in order to keep growing we needed to relocate to Hove and CrossFit Hove opened its doors in July 2009.

In January 2010 I took my CrossFit Level 2 coaching certification (this certification differs from the level 1 in that it is an assessment of being able to teach the CrossFit method, as opposed to the level 1 which is being taught the foundational movements of CrossFit) After taking my level 2 it allowed me the opportunity to work for CrossFit HQ, teaching on the level 1 certifications.

In September 2010, my wife and I were invited to attend the CrossFit Kids certification by Jeff and Mikki Martin, founders of CrossFit Kids. We currently teach our Kids class on Saturday mornings to 10 and upwards, and find it hugely enjoyable and rewarding for them as well as us.

My most recent qualification was CrossFit Endurance, giving me the tools to help the increasing number of endurance athletes get more proficient at their sport.

My experience of teaching CrossFit is very broad, dealing with clients in their seventies, clients with replacement joints, undergoing chemotherapy, Asperger’s syndrome, dyspraxia, Cerebella Ataxia,MS and substance abuse issues. All of our clients have benefitted from the work that we do and seen their fitness improve as a result.

CrossFit Hove is an open, friendly local community consisting of normal people with a desire to get fitter and use our skills, experience and knowledge to do so.