Crossfit Synapse

All coaches are great. I am lucky to be there.

From Vancouver BC and needed to come to LA for a week and I was worried not to find a gym to keep my training up. Emailed Allison and she invited me to workout with them! Dan was my coach at the two classes I attended. All I can say is that I felt I never left my home gym. EVERYONE including the other people in the class was awesome and friendly! What a great place to work out! MI casa TU casa totally applied here. If anyone from your gym needs a place to workout or crash in Vancouver reach out to me! Would love to pay back the hospitality! Thank you Synapse!

I need to start off by making a very important and clear statement. For all who leave one star and complain about Jimmy, you must have been having a bad day. Today was my very first time here and the person to greet me was Jimmy, super down to earth guy. He’s real as hell, so sissy bullsh*t doesn’t really fly. Allison is also wonderful she has been communicating with me via E-​mail and was very prompt and welcoming. Matt lead the class at noon. He made sure to attend to me as a new-​bie and clearly explain exactly what they were doing. I most definitely got the «homie» feeling and all those who worked out in the class treated me as if I had been there for a while. I recommend this place 100% for all ages, levels, sizes, genders… etc. thanks for an awesome class!

I am an Affiliate Owner, I have been a coach for almost 10 years. My gym helped launch the Southern California CrossFit Scene. I have owned Multiple Gyms and currently own and operate CrossFit Alhambra.
I don’t write this to brag but just to give a hint to the notion that when it comes to coaches and gyms, I know my stuff.
My Mother recently retired and through her Doctor’s suggestion was asked to begin a regular exercise program. Having never really done any formal training for her entire life, my siblings looked to me to help her.
I looked to her area and noticed that Allison had opened a location near her home.
I called my mother and told her that I found the perfect coach for her.
I called Allison and asked her if she would so kind as to take time away from her busy schedule as a coach of classes and gym owner to privately train my Mom.
She jumped at the opportunity. Major progress was made!
See there are things I had never really grown up seeing my Mom do because of limitations in her fitness. She was always riddled with injuries. For example: She always had back pain and issues with her ankles.
Not too long after her training with Allison started, I was visiting my Brother and my Mom walked in. I immediately stood up to give her my chair but before I knew it, she had just sat down onto the floor. COMFORTABLY. I offered to go get her some food and she just popped back up and got it herself. I thought for a second, «When was the last time I saw my mother get up and down off the floor?» It had been so long I couldn’t remember.
She had a smirk of confidence. like she planned to show me she could do that. Again… When was the last time I saw that kind of confidence in my Mom? I could not remember!
My Mom loves calling me and telling me about her training sessions. She lives about 1 mile away from the gym and one day I decided it would be nice to drive out and surprise them both. I held back the tears as I watched my Mom pushing herself under the very dedicated supervision of Allison, I could not have been more proud. I offered after the session to take my Mom to breakfast and when I asked her where she parked her car, she told me she walked!
So there you have it. From not doing anything her entire life for fitness until retirement, to being capable of pushing sleds, squatting, lifting barbells over her head and doing BURPEES.
My mom is getting fit and healthy and I owe the majority of that to the amazing abilities of her coach Allison.
Allison is attentive, understanding and knows how to see the bigger picture with fitness. She knows the difference between needing a break and needing a push and she is alert and focused through her entire training session… always taking into account that my Mom is older, had injuries/​limitations and was new to fitness.
In the months that they have been working together, I have never once questioned the safety of my Mother.
It’s kind of easy to find a coach that knows the movements and has read the books.
But to find a coach that cares as much as Allison does for her clients is rare.
Anyone thinking about Private Training needs to look no further than Allison.
If a veteran Strength and Conditioning Coach can trust her with the handling the safety and fitness of my Mom… Than you can trust her with yours.
Go ahead and look at my Unilocal reviews and see how many other coaches I have given reviews to… Yup. Just her.

I drop into this box when I’m in the area for work. I travel quite frequently and see a lot of boxes, and this is by far one of the most impressive. Allison and Jimmy (coaches/​owners) are super friendly and super knowledgeable. Their attention to detail really ensures that people know what they are doing, spending lots of time on warming up and emphasizing proper form. The equipment is solid — plenty of bars, weights, racks, sleds, weightlifting platforms — and even rumble rollers! Awesome. Very welcoming community, too — even with only being a drop in, people stop and introduce themselves. Again, I rarely experience that at most other places I drop into so it just shows you how awesome the community is. It’s too bad I only get to hang there once a quarter. If I did live in the area, I could definitely see this place being my go-​to jam. Solid box, with top notch coaching and a great community!

I came here with a Groupon the 1^st few days I loved I was either training with Matt or Allison which they are both really nice and take the time to actually show you how to do it correctly. I’ve never done Crossfit before so I thought I would give it a try which I loved at the beginning. Now that I came across JIMMY I don’t even want to go back and finish my Groupon this guy is a total As*hole. The 1^st time I saw him he said are you here to try out? I said no!!! he said oh you are here with the «coupon thing» and I said yes I am here with that «GROUPON THING» and he just said ok didn’t introduce himself or anything. Not only that he doesn’t bother to show anyone ANYTHING he doesn’t even demonstrate you ask him how do you do it? his answer is «you should know» if you show him something thinking that’s what he is asking you to do he tells you «I’ve never seen that before» HELLO!!! how am I supposed to know the name of all the different stuff they do in crossfit if I’ve only been there a few times. He loves to chit chat with all the other students that have been there for a long time he is always correcting their posture but new students he doesn’t even bother he makes you feel like crap I left there not wanting to come back I will never pay $ 169+ to deal with someone like that. Sucks because I referred 2 of my other friends here and they also have nothing positive to say about JIMMY he thinks he is all that and a bag of chips when he isn’t he used to be fit but now he is just fat. I feel bad for the new students that have to deal with him total a*s. DO NOT BUY A GROUPON FOR THEM AND IF YOU DO TELL JIMMY OFF THATS WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE BUT SINCE I AM NOT LIKE THAT I DIDNT SAY ANYTHING BUT NOW AS I WRITE THIS I WISH I WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO HIM. I WILL BE CALLING GROUPON TO SEE IF I CAN GET A REFUND SINCE I AM NOT SATISFIED.

Regular gyms are cold and uninviting; but Synapse is a whole other story. Everyone is welcoming and warm, the trainers really work with you and push you to do the best you can; within your physical means obviously. I used to hate going to the gym, but now I actually get UPSET when I miss a workout! The first two weeks were absolute hell, but it was worth it. I’m more aware of what I put in my body as well now, because I know how hard I work during each session. Definitely join CrossFit if you want real results! (ps, take it from someone who actually attends this gym, the trainers DO teach you form! contrary to so many articles)

I found this gym on groupon and thought I would just try it out and move to the next great deal ! However right from the start Allison greeted me with a smile and was super helpful in making me feel welcome!
There’s an awesome vibe there an the trainers are very knowledgeable and make sure you have the personal attention you need when first starting out!
I love the workout they are fun and go by super quick.
I decided to join and I can’t wait to see more results and have more fun with crossfit synapse !!!

Crossfit Synapse has been one of the most welcoming gyms that I have ever been to. I really enjoy coming every day to learn technique and new workouts. Coach Jimmy and Coach Allison are great mentors and take the time to teach and push you to do your best. I’ve been a month in and I’m hooked. All the coaches are great, it feels like a family here and every supports each other. Great environment to workout. Thanks for a great experience

I recently moved to Tarzana and found cross fit synapse. It was a little intimidating at first, but I have to say all the coaches and members make you feel at home right away. I think one of the things I was most impressed by was the way you still felt like you were getting one on one coaching even in a good sized group class. They really emphasize technique and quality over the speed of getting through the workouts. In just a few short months I really feel and see the difference in my body, strength and stamina. On top of that, synapse has a great sense of community which makes it fun and motivating to workout!

My girlfriend and I purchased the Groupon deal and decided to try out the «box.» The first workout was really tough, but I was amazed at the level of coaching that we received. It felt like we had our own personal trainer along with a bunch of friendly and supportive people who were also working to complete the workout.
We are now members of Synapse and attend 4 – 5 classes a week. I can’t emphasize enough how much we enjoy our «box». Synapse is a strength-​bias box, which means that we do a lot of lifting (i.e., almost every day). Even being someone who has lifted in gyms for the past 15 years, I was impressed by how much I have learned from the coaches. I used to hate squats because they would hurt my knees. Now I am doing deep squats without any issues or pain … all because of great form and technique taught (and emphasized) by the coaches.
It’s been about 3 months now, and I am definitely seeing and feeling results from my workouts. I love the supportive coaching, the variation in workouts, and the feeling of community. If you’re in the area and looking for an incredible workout with some interesting and friendly people, look no further!

I have tried a few other CrossFits and really like synapse. No hype or BS, really good committed people and a great workout. Allison really breaks things down so you can get proper form, and gives all the new people personal attention. You also get to work out with the rest of the group which motivates you to push harder.
Sure there are nicer gyms with nicer bathroom and showers, but this is the real deal, cool people and the work outs will kick your butt.

Been with the Synapse family for a year now and am very happy and thankful I joined. The trainers Jimmy (owner), Allison and Mike are some of the best people you’ll meet and they’re all different beasts as well.
The gym is bigger than other crossfit gyms I’ve been to but since everyone’s caught the synapse bug, the 5 & 6pm afternoon classes have been pretty packed. I suggest going to some of the morning classes if you’ve done crossfit before and the fundamentals classes when they’re offered (7pm most days).
What makes this gym awesome is the family feel it has. Everyone is genuinely nice and supportive. You can just come up to pretty much anyone to ask for tips about technique or a skill.
Lastly, please leave the excessive whining at home. It’s ok to groan and what not for a bit cuz of the hard WOD but complaining about it the whole time?! It’s crossfit bitch!?!

My twin brother has knee issues and he is able to get a great work out. His fitness has improved so much, I am planning on becoming a follower. I love the idea that he can achieve a degree of fitness with such a dramatic knee condition.

Such wonderful supportive people, no matter what your capabilities they will PUSH you!

I joined Crossfit Synapse because of the Groupon and some badgering of a friend who was enjoying the classes. My first class was with Allison and she took a little time to show me moves and proper form which was helpful because I’d never tried crossfit before. If every session was with Allison I probably would have continued. But the classes I thought she’d be teaching ended up being switched to Jimmy and there was no fore-​warning on the website to know.
What really bothers me is that the instructor, Jimmy never asked if there was anyone with injuries or if anyone has never attempted crossfit prior to the classes. Nor did he explain proper form. He would demonstrate how to do an exercise a few times then tell you to do it. Having never even heard of exercises before and not being able to replicate them properly, I asked him for clarification. His responses were typically, «just do it better» or «just commit.» If I asked a specific question, he would be condescending and remark, «you can’t just do it?!» and re-​demonstrate. I’ve never done the exercise before, I was asking because I wanted to know and wanted it explained. He could have taken the time to say, «when you do it, you’re straightening your arm too much, don’t lock it out» or whatever I needed to be doing better. There weren’t mirrors so I couldn’t tell why I was doing it wrong other than it felt wrong, and I couldn’t fix it because he wasn’t giving me feedback he was just re-​showing me… which still did not tell me how I was doing it wrong.
As far as injuries. I have knee problems and I’ve never been to a single workout class where the instructor hasn’t asked, «does anyone have injuries.» When I tried to go at my own pace he badgered me. Instead of asking me what was going on. I think Jimmy thinks he’s being funny, but I was not amused. I’d also had multiple surgeries prior to going to crossfit so I was out of shape from inability to exercise consistently. I think this particular instructor is OK for anyone who has done crossfit prior, or who is aware of proper form. But he’s not very professional and I’d doubt if he was properly trained on how to train those with limited lifting backgrounds.
I understand trying to get people to push themselves, but it is really important to let people start at an appropriate level and then move up so they see improvement. Rather than causing them to injure themselves or be so intimidated they just don’t want to come back– like me. I made it through 4 classes. I would have continued if I had felt encouraged and motivated, rather than badgered and belittled. **I want to add that some people seemed really motivated by Jimmy, I just wasn’t.
Positives: Allison is lovely
It really is an encouraging family atmosphere with the other members if you can get past Jimmy’s limited instruction. If you’ve tried crossfit before and want to workout with awesome people, I’d suggest this place. Otherwise, save your peace of mind.

Did a drop-​in with this group, and overall I had a great experience. I almost gave them four stars because frankly, the box was super crowded. But they’re just victims of their own popularity, and it’s easy to see why.
The first thing you’re going to notice here is how friendly the coaches are. I watched the WOD before I did it, and it’s always nice to see coaches who really make their way through the room encouraging everyone, particularly on an individual basis. They have a great attitude about what they’re doing, and it’s obvious that they’ve built a huge sense of community here.
Although there are some highly accomplished crossfitters here, there wasn’t any sense of competition. That’s refreshing, as someone who drops in a lot I can say that intensely competitive boxes can make for an uncomfortable experience for newcomers and strangers. Everyone knew each other, but there weren’t «groups» of people – it was all one big family.
The weights were torn up a little, they’ve seen a lot of use. And there wasn’t a lot of space to work out in. The warm up was posted but you are on your own, they just expect you to go do it. The progression was also rather unstructured. Somehow though, it was all comfortable and worked.
Definitely a unique box, and a GREAT experience. I would totally recommend this for anyone who wants to explore Crossfit, and if you’re from out of town, you owe it to yourself to schedule a visit.
PS. The WOD was incredibly challenging. I really enjoyed it. :)

I absolutely love Crossfit Synapse!!! I came here after buying a groupon just to see what all this crossfit «hype» was about but I ended up falling in love! The work outs are hard but great, fresh every day, and the coaches push as well as challenge you (and I LOVE a challenge!).
The people here are amazing! Always helping each other out whether it’s pushing you to move forward or helping you perfect something. It’s like a little family. Definitely no douchies walking around acting like they’re hot stuff!
I’ve most definitely found a gym to a home! Crossfit Synapse or die!

I’ve never been to any other crossfit affiliates but people here are so great that i’ve decided not to look elsewhere

If you have never tried CrossFit, CrossFit Synapse is the place to start. The trainers are warm and welcoming. They believe in successfully mastering the fundamentals first and help new members achieve this by breaking down the movements piece by piece with a thorough explanation of the techniques and endless patience. Always striving for growth and improvement, their classes push their members to new heights everyday. Mindful of the larger picture, their programming takes into account the week’s workouts as well as the month’s, and month to month, resulting in a complete approach to fitness.
Many CrossFit gyms I have tried were too regimented, over-​the-​top-​gung ho, all over the place with their programming or complete lack there of, or any mixture. CrossFit Synapse is a nice relief from all of that. Their approach has been to work hard and put all the effort out there without ego. A fun place to be for newbies and veterans.
Watch out for these folks at the Games in 2012!