My journey with CrossFit has been a long one: I first came across the philosophy when I was working as a fire fighter. I tore my ACL and it took me a long time to recover due to an infection, but I didn't want to quit firefighting. Through firefighting I had taught myself how to get strong; go to the gym twice a day, lift a lot of weights, do a ton of cardio. But after the knee injury it was different, I didn't have the motivation I used to, so in 2008 I began to go to CrossFit, first at CrossFit Austin (in Texas) and then at CrossFit Denver (both excellent gyms). I had to take a couple years off firefighting but CrossFit eventually got me where I needed to be to go back for one last year, in 2010. After my last year was done I moved to Seattle, where I began going to Foundation CrossFit. You can find my review for them; Foundation was an excellent gym both in the way it fostered community, hosting parties and Whole 30 challenges, and in the way the owners and instructors taught CrossFit, starting with a month-long on-ramp foundations class and continuing with thoughtful coaching and many different options for weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio. It was Foundation that encouraged me to get my CrossFit certification and begin training to be an instructor, but unfortunately I had to leave Seattle abruptly and therefore the gym. I still miss them.
That was in 2011. It's 2017 now. In the years in between I went to the gym at my school, through a revolving door of committing to fitness and getting in shape, only to be overwhelmed by my studies and job and slip out of my routine. I wanted, very badly, to get back into the shape I was in when I was a firefighter.
Cue CrossFit Syracuse. For years I had been making the excuse that I couldn't afford CrossFit, but upon reevaluation I found that I needed to make fitness a priority. I enrolled and began coming to classes, a little scared, because I'd tried some other CrossFit gyms and been turned off by macho attitudes, poor coaching, or thoughtless workouts. I was picky due to my background, and also hesitant because of an injury I was dealing with.
Here is what is so special about CrossFit Syracuse: There isn't a macho attitude to be found, the coaches are beyond knowledgeable (and if there is something they don't know, they will refer you to someone who does). They watch your form during workouts and make sure you're doing things right, and if there is a mobility issue they will easily modify your workouts. When I injured my knee I was scared to come in because I felt like it was asking too much for the coaches to have to ponder my workouts and help me modify, but when I talked to the head coach (Dan, whose knowledge is basically infinite when it comes to many things pertaining to CrossFit) and voiced my concerns I was reminded that the coaches are there for that. I am currently still working with an injury, and although it is frustrating for me, it doesn't faze the coaches, who will happily help me modify.
The excellent coaching isn't the only thing that's great about CFS; there is also the sense of community that begins to emerge as you attend the same classes over and over again. Because of my schedule I end up attending random time slots, but even so, I have met many people who are super nice; many people who are not what one thinks of when they think "athlete" but who are the most badass athletes out there, always pushing themselves to get through workouts or training for competition. I love being constantly awed and surprised by the strength of the people I work out next to, and that is motivating for my own workouts, to see them working so hard. I love watching women older than me squat more that I can, because it reminds me that fitness is a lifelong pursuit and that the images we see in the media of athletes, almost always young and of a certain physique, are only a small percentage of what actually exists in the world.
Not only that, but CFS has nutrition challenges. I've participated in one and not only did it help to change the way I was eating but it also helped my overall health. The challenges aren't focused only on losing weight (a philosophy I find problematic and unsustainable) but on gaining muscle and changing body composition for health. They have an InBody machine, which measures your entire body composition, and you can see where you've gained muscle and lost fat. As someone who has struggled with weight for my entire life, this is a healthy way for me to focus on fitness rather than gauging by what I see on the scale. They nutrition challenges also create community, because everyone is in it together.
There is truly so much more I could write about. But take it from me, someone who has been in search of a great gym for a long time I am so glad to have found CF Syracuse and encourage anyone to come in for a drop-in or membership. read more