New Crossfit Gym Opening in Williamsburg

Pictured: Owner Shimi Litkowski hits the weights. Photos by John V. Santore

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, NY — Williamsburg exercise enthusiasts now have a new place to confuse their muscles.

Crossfit Outbreak is opening a third Brooklyn location at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18.

The new gym, located at 411 Wythe Ave., is partnering up with another lifting business, S&S Barbell, which will run an attached 24-hour weight room that Crossfitters will also have access to.

On Friday, Crossfit Outbreak owner Shimi Litkowski said he first got into the Crossfit workout model five years ago.

He was a distance runner, he said, but was looking for another kind of weight training.

On his first day, he spent 20 minutes on a rowing machine, a surprisingly difficult exercise that he described as "a good mental challenge." He wasn't sold at first, he said, but kept coming back until he was hooked.

Litkowski explained Crossfit's approach to fitness, defined by "constantly varied, high intensity workouts" that hearken back to "primitive times" when people used their bodies constantly to survive.

Voluminous exercise data is collected from members, he explained, allowing them to track their progress and keep moving forward with each workout.

Litkowski said he stresses community building in his gyms, noting that he wants to use a lounge area in the new location to host movie nights. He also often invites members out for social gatherings, he said.

The gym's lounge area, where you don't have to lift anything.

Litkowski said that while those with an athletic background might take to Crossfit easier than others, the gym will work for anyone willing to give it a sincere try, adding that workouts can be adjusted to skill and strength levels.

Membership costs $199 a month for 13 workout or training sessions, or $225 for unlimited workout and training sessions. However, the first 35 people who sign up Saturday can lock in a rate of either $185 or $199 per month, depending on their exercise package. Crossfit Outbreak does not require a year-long contract, and allows members to join on a month-to-month basis.

Deven McCarthy, a spokeswoman for the business, said three trainers and one administrative staffer have already been hired at the gym, but that the business is looking for two or three more people for each position. Those interested can inquire about jobs at the gym.