Many months ago, I came to a fitness "fork in the road". I was completely unsatisfied with standard gyms, having belonged to them for 20 yrs. My workouts were stagnate. After hours and hours of work and eating very healthily, I just wasn't seeing the results I wanted. I was considering hiring a personal trainer at my (old) gym but hesitated because they were all rather unseemly and I didn't want to have to spend much one-on-one time with any of them. Not when they seemed to think that my face was about 9 inches south of where it actually was whenever I talked to them.
Family members had been talking up CrossFit for years and it had always fallen on deaf ears. "Blah blah blah ..CrossFit" I was completely turned off by just the thought. I had read plenty of people's anti-crossfit blogs and was quick to say "See, CrossFit is just a bad fad." Then there was the expense. But after looking at what I would be paying to hire one of those meathead trainers vs paying for a month's membership for CrossFit, it was actually considerably cheaper ($150/mo). What was the harm in trying?
It can be hard to find if you don't know where you are going. 630 is located in the same large business complex as DeEtta's Bakery, but in one of the industrial buildings in back. Behind Naperville North HS's baseball field.
I walked into this "box" at 630 and from the moment I stepped foot, I knew I'd never return to a standard gym again. No meatheads walking around pumping in front of mirrors. There were no women wearing makeup and jewelry, walking on treadmills while they watched TV and yacked on the phone(major, major pet-peeve). In fact, there were no treadmills at all. No TVs. No mirrors. No glitz. Just a few row machines, bar bells, pull-up bars, ropes, kettle bells, jump ropes etc... no fancy equipment. It felt like a nearly empty room comparatively. It wasn't empty though; it just lacked distractions.
The people are supportive. They cheer you on. Give you high fives. Push you to do more. And they notice when you're not there. It's a community.
The first week, I was doing things I'd never done before at standard gyms. And every day, there was a butt kicking workout (WOD) planned out for me. I just show up and do it. People are at all levels. From college age kids to retired individuals. It's literally for everyone.
I'd always read stories about people trying to lift too much and then getting injured doing CrossFit. It was always one of the negatives I clung to before trying CF myself. That was not my experience here. They watch your form. Sometimes I'm told to increase my weights but sometimes I'm told my form is off because it's too heavy and to drop to a lower weight. Nobody wants anybody to get injured; nobody is being irresponsible with my health and wellbeing, but ultimately that is up to the participant.
I love that there's no yearly contract to sign. No sign up fees. It's just your flat monthly charge. Once you sign up with them, you can pay online or make adjustments to your account.
CrossFit ruined me from ever joining a regular gym ever again. I honestly find them to be completely repulsive now. I still keep a membership at a regular one, in case I want to have a run and the Chicago weather doesn't welcome it. I'll use an occasional treadmill, but walking into the standard gym always gives me an immediate reminder for why I'll never again be that girl who goes to spin classes, only working the same few muscles. It's all so mind-numbingly boring to me now. Boring, yet distracting.
I don't miss the women in the locker room putting on make-up and perfume *before* they head out to the floor to pretend they are going to workout. Or people who are more concerned with how they look while they exercise rather than how they're performing. I don't miss working out with TVs surrounding me. And I certainly don't miss the spin classes where I had to listen to Nickelback!!
Joining CrossFit 630, was the best decision I ever made. read more