I started Crossfit almost 2 years ago for a couple reasons. I was going to a typical globo gym and I was struggling to push myself during workouts. My brother, Joey invited me to a Crossfit partner workout one Saturday and I almost threw up. He was so embarrassed I couldn’t even do single unders at the time! Being in the gym, I realized how many people were friends with each other through the gym. My other gym was very isolating and non-social.
Getting started and the first couple months were a steep learning curve, but that was the fun part. There was and still is always something to work on. The Olympic lifts and gymnastic movements were so foreign to me at the start, but Geo being Geo got us all looking decent by the end of our foundations classes.
I am in the best overall shape of my life so far. Crossfit has enabled me to balance strength, endurance, and skill. I do Crossfit for the mental benefits more than anything. I take mental health very seriously and Crossfit has enabled me to disconnect from the rest of the world and focus on myself for an hour. Whether it’s to de-stress from a day’s work or test my mental toughness during a workout, I always walk out of a class with a clearer mind.
I am now doing skills and movements that not so long ago seemed out of my reach. I could barely do single unders when I first started, but once I got those down, the daunting task of dubs was real. During the early times of the pandemic, I would go to the basketball court by the art museum and practice double unders every other day. I made a goal to get double unders before we got back into the gym and I did just that. Also, shoutout to Brittany and Joel for helping me get my first muscle ups! Brittany always reminded me to “get my head through the window!” and “have some confidence in yourself!”. Then Joel nonchalantly asked me “why don’t you just string them together?” when I was doing a bunch of single muscle ups. Most recently I just got hand-stand pushups!
Laura’s barbell class is also awesome. I really enjoyed getting into the details of olympic lifting, having time to dissect my form, and being given the groundwork to improve myself. I really surprised myself with the weight I was able to move by the end of it. The best aspects about the gym are the community, positivity, and support all the coaches and members provide, I am proud to be a part of it. Keep pushing me to go heavier and faster in the workouts, Kelsea!