After almost six years competing in CrossFit, I started transitioning into Olympic weightlifting,…read moreand found a new home at Requisite Fitness in the fall of 2016. I needed a gym that would give me the chance to take CrossFit classes if I wanted to, but primarily, I needed a gym with a strong barbell club, a strong coach, and a supportive community as I explored a new-to-me sport.
I started dropping in at Requisite when the gym was still located on Ridge Ave. The barbell club space was on the smaller side, but there was always plenty of equipment available. The new space on Scotts Lane is amazing - bright, open, and with plenty of space and equipment to have three separate groups - competition training, CrossFit classes, and a barbell club - running at the same time. It's clear the gym invests in and regularly updates equipment to help the athletes learn and try new things, and to ensure no one's ever waiting for anything.
Micah coached me through my first meet before I'd fully committed to weightlifting with Kilodelphia, later took me on as a new barbell club athlete with programming designed to help me get better, and helped me become a contributing member of a new team. His flexibility, openness, and general desire to see me be improve has been wonderful. The barbell athletes made me feel welcomed, supported, and I've developed valuable friendships in what feels like an incredibly short time! Having an experienced coaching staff watching me every day, a coaching staff that knows me and how I move, has been wonderful, and it's helped me get better.
I'm also able to rely on both Micah and Perrin for CrossFit coaching and support, which was important leading up to the CrossFit Games Open in 2017. Though I don't spend much time away from the platforms, I've really enjoyed the CrossFit classes I've taken at Requisite.
Though it's not always convenient for me to make the drive from Center City to East Falls to work out, it's worth it to me to go to a gym where I feel supported, equipped to improve, where I get the oly coaching while having the flexibility to dabble in CrossFit when I feel the itch!