Train › Beginners onboarding

3 sessions · 1 hour each · Coach-led · All abilities welcome

Your starting point. Everyone has one. Every athlete at Foundry — no matter how fit, how experienced, or how long they've been training — started exactly where you are now. Foundations Lab is where that journey begins.

This is a 3-session onboarding course designed specifically for people joining Foundry for the first time. Over three coached, one-hour sessions, you'll learn the fundamental movements that underpin everything we do in our general classes — and more importantly, you'll learn how to perform them safely and with confidence. There's no rushing, no pressure, and no prior experience required. Foundations Lab isn't a fitness test. It's an investment in your long-term progress.

Why Foundations Lab matters

Walking into a group class without the basics is like learning to drive on a motorway. The mechanics of functional fitness — squats, hinges, presses, pulls — are not complicated, but they require coaching to do well. Done right, they build strength, protect your joints, and set you up to train for years without injury. Done wrong, they limit your progress and increase your risk. Foundations Lab gives you the foundation to train with purpose from day one.

Four key benefits

  • Move with confidence — You'll know what you're doing before you step into your first group class — no guessing, no intimidation.
  • Train safely from the start — Good movement habits built early protect you from injury for the long haul. We take technique seriously.
  • Meet your community — Foundations Lab is small-group and coach-led. You'll start building relationships before your first general class.
  • Progress faster — Athletes who complete an onboarding course consistently outperform those who skip it. The foundation pays dividends.

Session breakdown

Session 01 — Body Mechanics & The Big Three

1 hour

  • Welcome, gym tour, and equipment safety overview
  • Introduction to how we train: intensity, scaling, and listening to your body
  • The squat — air squat, goblet squat, and why this is the foundation of everything
  • The hinge — Romanian deadlift and kettlebell deadlift
  • The push — strict press with a PVC pipe or light barbell
  • Intro conditioning workout: bodyweight movements at a pace set by you

Session 02 — Loading the Movements

1 hour

  • Review of Session 1 movements — technique check and refinement
  • Introduction to the barbell: how to load it, rack etiquette, and safety
  • Back squat — building from bodyweight to barbell
  • Deadlift — loading the hinge with a barbell
  • The pull — ring rows, banded pull-ups, and horizontal pulling
  • Introduction to the rowing machine and basic technique
  • Conditioning workout: barbell + cardio combination, fully scaled to you

Session 03 — Putting It All Together

1 hour

  • Full movement review across Sessions 1 & 2
  • Introduction to overhead movements: push press and overhead squat with PVC or barbell
  • Core and midline: hollow holds, plank variations, and why they matter
  • How to read the whiteboard, understand workout formats, and scale appropriately
  • Your first taste of a real Foundry workout — coached, supported, and celebrated
  • Q&A and transition plan into general classes

Movements covered

Squat patterns — Air squat, goblet squat, back squat, overhead squat

Hinge patterns — Romanian deadlift, kettlebell deadlift, barbell deadlift

Push patterns — Strict press, push press, push-up variations

Pull patterns — Ring rows, banded pull-ups, horizontal pulling

Core & midline — Hollow holds, plank variations, core stability under load

Cardio & equipment — Rowing machine, burpees, box step-ups, running

You don't need to be fit to start

This is one of the most common concerns we hear — and it's completely understandable. But Foundations Lab is built for people at the very beginning of their journey. Every movement is taught from the ground up, every workout is fully scalable, and your coach will be with you every step of the way. Whether you haven't trained in years, you're returning from injury, or you simply have no idea what a deadlift is — that's exactly who this course is for.

Ready to start?

Book your Foundations Lab spot today — spaces are limited and fill fast. Your first session is the hardest one to book. Everything after that gets easier.

Have you done CrossFit or functional fitness before?