I recently moved to Texas, leaving behind my amazing and very well established Crossfit gym/"home away from home" in California. I am SO happy to say that I think I have found my new Texas Crossfit home in UpReach Crossfit. I have only been a member for a few weeks, but am happily driving almost 20 minutes to get there because it's such a great place. Here are some of the things that I am loving about my experience so far...
1. The sense of COMMUNITY.
As soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted by the owner, and all of the other members. People are friendly and genuine. There are weekly "family dinners" and the staff organizes both social events and extra classes-- there has been a boat party and a free Oly Weightlifting clinic offered in the first 3 weeks I've been a member! The owners, coaches, and members are down to earth. There are so many different people of various ages, professions, and backgrounds-- everyone is there to have fun and get better/healthier! It's also extremely kid friendly. UpReach offers kids' Crossfit classes, and many members bring their kids with them to the gym :).
2. The COACHING (and programming!).
I have taken classes with Justin, Andre, and Natalie so far and have been so impressed with their POSITIVITY, professionalism, and coaching skill. Each coach demonstrates the movements for EVERY class (it's a big pet peeve of mine when coaches rush through instructions). The coaches all provide cues and suggestions with kindness-- they come from a place of expertise and I trust that they will correct my form and keep me from getting hurt. They also always provide scaling options and take the time to figure out what every single person in the class needs to be successful (and feel like a badass). I have already made some real improvements in my lifts and have even had a few PRs! The programming is fun, and extremely varied. It is clear that Justin has been an athlete his whole life, but he also prioritizes making workouts accessible for ALL members. The programming is highly varied, but also very thoughtful- looking forward to a week of programming I know that I won't be bored, but I can also see how the combinations of movements are intended to improve overall fitness/skill. I appreciate the mix of gymnastic skills and lifting before each WOD. There's nothing worse than boring/predictable or ineffective programming-- you will be pleasantly surprised by the programming here!
3. The FACILITY.
The gym is brand new, with brand new equipment-- I know that these things will last when the gym is no longer brand new because the staff/members take care of their stuff. Everything gets wiped down after each class and the floors are always kept clean (another pet peeve is paying a lot of money for a gym membership and working out on a dirty floor/nasty equipment). There are nice bathrooms--one with a SHOWER!-- and there's a cold water dispenser for water refills during/after workouts. The one thing that is missing would be a vending machine with a variety of post work-out drinks/snacks, but there are FitAids available for purchase in the office.
Overall, I cannot recommend this gym highly enough. Whether you're an experienced Crossfit-er, or are just looking for a supportive community in which to try a new exercise routine, you will feel right at home at UpReach! read more