Jessica S

Since I was a kid, all the way up to 16, I was always either a competitive cheerleader or a competitive gymnast. My strongest skill set was tumbling. I was powerful and could get a lot of air when running across a spring floor to tumble. I spent so many hours of my childhood and teenage years on a spring floor flipping around as much as I could. When I was 16 I had a fall that caused a mental block I never thought I would get over. I was too scared to even do a back handspring with a spot. I completely stopped tumbling and gave up on myself. Life went on and I accepted that I would never do a back handspring, back layout, or even a simple handstand again. In college I gained weight and started to come to the conclusion that I wasn't an athlete at all. Without cheerleading or gymnastics, I didn't know what sport could fill that gap. I accepted that I wasn't athletic and that I would never be that person who would run on trails around Austin or lift weights in a gym.

When I joined CrossFit City Limits over a year ago as I write this post, I was 24 and in the worst shape I had ever been. I had no idea what a power clean or snatch was. I didn't even know the proper form to do a squat. Luckily, the environment at CrossFit City Limits is all about accepting people with open arms no matter your skill set or knowledge. A year later, at 25 I did a back handspring for the first time in 9 years. CrossFit City Limits not only helped me build muscle, but it helped me mentally believe I could accomplish anything. I started to realize I could be that person who can run trails around Austin and that I could push myself to lift heavy weights. It has been the most life changing experience for me in the most positive way. I went from accepting that I would never even do a handstand again to believing that I could even be better that what I was at age 16. CrossFit helped me fight my fears from 9 year ago and now I have the confidence I never thought I would have again. It is a slow work in progress since nothing changes over night, but one step at a time CrossFit has helped me feel more confident, healthier, and stronger than I ever would have believed.

Heather R

I have gone through just about every exercise phase and craze there is: Running, Swimming, Les Mills programs (Body Pump, RPM, etc.), Kickboxing, Yoga, Personal Strength Training, and, at one point, I was even a certified spin instructor:  I was never an athlete. I only played sports to be social in high school, but I have always loved exercise, specifically group exercise. While I am able to motivate myself more than most to work out on my own, a group setting has always been my favorite.

As much as I have always loved exercise...it is important to note that I have the worst eating habits...ever! I have eaten like a 12 year old for most of my life as the standard.  I love fried foods, sugar, and bread and eat almost no veggies or fruit.  In the past, I would try "quick fixes" like crazy diets that are unsustainable or diet pills.  Nothing ever stuck.  I would eat better for a small amount of time, or in the case of the pills, I would just eat less of the crappy food. It would work for a short time but I would always eventually end up going back to my horrible habits.

Enter CrossFit City Limits.

When I moved to Austin, I was trying to find something that was going to work with my schedule, budget, and exercise needs. I was able to use the gym at my apartment and I would try to incorporate strength movements from a book but it was miserable and I could only motivate myself to even do anything about half the time.  I tried Title Boxing in North Austin because I had done those classes while living in NYC the year before and had loved them, high energy, strength work, and you get to HITT stuff:) However, I quickly realized with the behemoth that is Austin traffic, I was never going to be able to have a regular routine there that would work with my schedule.

I had been talking (complaining) to a colleague at my school about my lack of a "good workout" in my area.  He is a CrossFit convert and had actually been promoting it since I met him.  I had blown him off and called him a cult member and all of the regular things you say to someone who does CrossFit.  He finally convinced me to try it...I told him with as close as I lived to CrossFit City Limits, I really didn't have an excuse not to at least give it a shot so I signed up for the free intro. I was apprehensive to say the least. I had many preconceived notions and judgments about the "type of people" that do CrossFit, but I went in anyway. I was super up front and had no problems sharing my preconceived notions about how CrossFit people that just want to lift a bunch of heavy weight and how it's a fad that gets people hurt because they really don't teach proper form. By the end of the intro session, their knowledge of fitness had convinced me to give it a try.  I signed up for the intro month which allowed me to have a couple of one-on-one sessions to go over the basic movements and then jumped into classes. I still very vividly remember one of the first workouts. I was halfway through a set of burpees on a time limit and I realized I don't think I had ever been that challenged physically or, if I'm honest, mentally. I HATE BURPEES!  I seriously questioned what I had gotten into and for a brief moment wondered if I was cut out for it and if I should even come back....almost 8 months later and I'm still here....not planning on going anywhere anytime soon:) 

I do have to say that, surprisingly, the biggest effect CrossFit City Limits has had on me is my nutrition.  For the first time in my life, I realized and felt how much the extra weight I carry was affecting my performance.  I think in other areas (spin, swimming, even weight lifting), I was able to perform even at a heavier weight.  I remember there was a moment about 3 months in at City Limits that for the first time ever, I thought to myself "I work too damn hard in those workouts to completely negate it by eating so unhealthily."  For the first time, I wanted to eat better so I could perform better, not just to look better.

Enter the Wellness Challenge in January.

At just the right time, they started advertising for the Wellness Challenge.  I was in a different mindset than I had ever been before and I was ready for something to help guide me, keep me accountable, and teach me how to eat in order to get my body to perform better.  "Winning" wasn't even a consideration for me as I am the least competitive person in the world.  The challenge was just a way to utilize others around me and the knowledge that the coaches brought to tap into my desire to be healthier. The first week was absolutely miserable, but with the help of seeing others' misery on the Facebook page, and this newfound motivation, I got through.  I finally felt what it was like to have my body function well. My energy levels were amazing and I just felt great!  I also saw the eating patterns as something I could continue to stick with, again, for the first time in my life.  Eating healthy was totally doable. I ended up losing almost 13 pounds and several inches in 6 weeks which felt GREAT.  Also, I won!!! Winning was super cool but was secondary to the life changes that came from the challenge. I am far from perfect but I am a completely different person in regards to nutrition than I was a year ago, which is probably the biggest "win" for me.

What CrossFit City Limits Means to Me

I am convert, a Kool-Aid drinker, a cult member, and a lifer. In such a short amount of time, I have seen my body change, become stronger, function more efficiently, and I am able to do things I never thought I would be able to do. Every class I take, I am challenged and pushed to my limit, causing me to get stronger (literally) every day. I said I am not a competitive person, which is true, but I do compete with myself.  I hold myself to high standards and will push to meet those standards. CrossFit gives me something to work for every time I step into the gym. I still scale down so many things in work-outs, but I now know what it feels like to push myself.

I would be remiss if I neglected to talk about the impact the CrossFit City Limits community has had on me.  Moving to a new city is never easy and finding a community of like-minded individuals is typically one of the hardest parts. Starting with the Barbellas girls group, and eventually many others in the gym, what I found at CrossFit City Limits was a diverse group of individuals that are supportive, genuinely like being around each other, and all place wellness and fitness as a priority in their lives.  How can you not love a group like that? 

To sum it up, I would say that City Limits has given me a supportive community that has helped me make life changes and grow physically and mentally stronger through putting fitness and nutrition as a priority in my life. Not to mention....CrossFit City Limits throws killer parties:) 

Daniel P

            I'd like start with a more personal note as to why this CrossFit City Limits is so important to me. Since I was 18, I have heavily self-medicated with drugs and alcohol to deal with depression and social anxiety. Even during bouts of sobriety, I was using large doses of anti-depressants and mood stabilizers to keep my mental state in check. I've been to rehabilitation centers three separate times and I've struggled back and forth to stay clean despite how terrible things got when I wasn't. A couple months before I joined CrossFit City Limits, I had one final weekend of using anything and everything under the sun. I came to the end of that weekend jobless and homeless. For a month and a half, I lived out of my car around Austin until I was able to pick myself back up and find a great job that I still have today.  Within a week of work, I had signed up for my first month at CrossFit City Limits. It was a huge financial sacrifice at the time but it was essential to my survival at this point. I was now completely sober and off my psychiatric medications as well and the gym and the community proved to be a fantastic outlet for my depression and anxiety. Even after all I had been through, it took me a few months of coming and going before I finally made the commitment to come to class 4-5 times a week and clean up my diet. Now, I could not be happier with this decision. I needed God to get clean but I needed to stay active and eat better to stay clean AND happy.

As I come up to my anniversary of joining CrossFit City Limits, I've been reflecting on the positive changes that have happened in my life over this last year. I am mentally and physically a completely different person. I have taught myself, with the help of great coaches and a great community, I am capable of doing things I told myself for years I could never do. I no longer look at tomorrow's workout with dread but with the excitement of the challenge ahead. This is not only the strongest I have ever been, I also sleep better, and carry around very little stress in my life. The people at CrossFit City Limits (including some friends that I've dragged in along the way!) are amazing.  Whether you are a long-time athlete or just getting started, you'll find a welcoming environment to grow with other like-minded individuals. I can't wait to see what the next year holds!

CrossFit can be for anyone. We have all kinds of people from all walks of life at our gym. When you first come check it out, you might see some crazy people running around and picking up a lot of heavy stuff like we've got nothing to lose. Give us a try for a month. You'll be doing the same and loving every moment of it.

Elaine T

I was a competitive gymnast for 15 years and was forced into early retirement at the age of 22 after rupturing my Achilles tendon in the middle of my last competitive season at The University of Texas.  For the majority of my life I was used to doing gymnastics based workouts which included a lot of core and stability work with occasional medium distance runs thrown in.  After graduating from college, and even all the way through physical therapy school, all I did for fitness were these basic, body-weight workout routines at the gym.  These never included any barbell work.

Fast forward to Spring of 2014 when I was finishing my last semester of physical therapy school and completing my internship with Austin Manual Therapy Associates. My company started working with CrossFit City Limits to conduct simple movement screens on their athletes on some Saturday mornings.  My mentor, James, asked if I would be interested in joining him on one of those Saturdays as a learning experience.  I'm not going to lie, I was really skeptical about what I was going to see because all I had ever heard about CrossFit at that point was stuff like "everybody that does CrossFit gets injured" or "CrossFit is a cult!!"  I'm glad I decided, on that one fateful Saturday, to go up to CrossFit City Limits because my life was about to drastically change.  I walked into the gym and was shocked to see everyone just picking up loaded barbells with good technique and ease and then immediately transitioning to a set of pull-ups.  After observing for approximately 5 minutes I turned to James and said "this looks like something I might really enjoy doing!!!" After talking with the coaches and seeing a class, all of my doubts about CrossFit were thrown out the window. I really liked how the workout incorporated weighted movements along with gymnastics style movements and how knowledgeable the coaches were.  "Constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity" was exactly what I was looking for as I was getting bored with my body-weight only exercise routine. 

In January 2015, after I graduated from physical therapy school, I decided to do a class at CrossFit City Limits and immediately fell in love. After that first day I knew I had found my "new home". The community was welcoming and everyone was so friendly!!!  The coaching staff was incredibly supportive and knowledgeable, and even took the time on day one to walk me through, step by step, everything I needed to succeed in that class.

CrossFit has worked wonders for someone like me.  It has taught me to get comfortable with being pushed out of my comfort zone which has surprisingly translated into other aspects of my life. My entire lifestyle has changed for the better because of CrossFit.  I am the fittest I have EVER been in my life.  I am stronger, faster, and leaner now than I was when I was a collegiate gymnast.  I am SO thankful and blessed that I found my "home" at CrossFit City Limits!!!

Allie O

In 2012, I walked through the gym doors and saw Coach Kyle standing there with a big, fat grin and an out-stretched hand to welcome me. I was, of course, promptly annihilated by the work-out, but knew that I had stumbled across a really special coach and community. Before that day, I had never touched a barbell, I had no idea what a power clean was, and I had very poor results with weight loss; however, with the coaches at CrossFit City Limits's endless patience, focus on proper form and mobility, and knowledge of good nutrition, I have been able to make huge gains in the gym and losses in the kitchen. The coaches and community have been a constant source of encouragement for me over the years. They take a personal interest in what you are doing inside and outside of the gym, and have on more than one occasion reached out to me if have noticed something may be off with my performance due to outside the gym factors. They remember my personal records better than I do, encourages me to recognize how far I have come if I’m ever having a down day, and are always the first ones to laugh when I make a lame joke. Bottom line? CrossFit City Limits Rocks! But seriously, my fitness would not be where it is today without their influence. I am stronger and more confident, and the best part is that I continue to make progress. I can’t thank the owners, Blake and Kyle, the other coaches, and the gym community enough for the endless positive life changes they have helped me make in the last 4 years. When you surround yourself with encouraging people, the positive impact on your life is immeasurable. Thank you CrossFit City Limits!

Stan P

In early 2013 I was diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis, also known as a frozen shoulder. After several doctors, multiple x-rays, MRI’s, cortisone shots, and thousands of dollars worth of physical therapy (even Airrosti and ShortWave therapy!), I had finally given up on ever having full use of my shoulder again. I had been told that eventually it may get better, but after a year and a half of waiting for it to get better, I still had very limited range of motion in my shoulder. Towards the end of 2015 the pain in my shoulder had started to get better. In an effort to regain some strength I started looking for a gym or trainer. Really I didn’t know what I was looking for. I wanted someone that could help me rebuild the lost strength under conditions that would decrease my likelihood of re-injuring my shoulder. At the time, I had never tried CrossFit, however I had heard about some of the incredible results my friends have been able to achieve. My wife and I looked at several gyms, big commercial gyms, CrossFit gyms, boxing gyms, and even gymnastic strength training gyms all over Austin. Some of them wanted to help, but were the “take a number” type of gym, while others just didn’t give you the time of day. When we got the opportunity to meet the coaches at CrossFit City Limits, right away I was impressed by the help, consideration, and knowledge about the injury and his eagerness to want to help achieve my goals.  Because of my injury, most gyms didn’t want to touch me. The first few sessions proved to me quickly that they truly cared about everyone’s overall success and this included staying injury free.  As I write this, I have seen my shoulder mobility and strength continue to get better and better. I’m stronger, I feel better, and have a more positive outlook that my shoulder will NOT be a handicap in anything I choose to do. I never would have thought that I would be able to do a handstand, press weight over my head, or hold a barbell in a front rack position. I owe it to CrossFit City Limits for this and I will always be grateful for his help!

Mary T

When I picked up my first barbell, I almost fell over. A high-intensity exercise program held no allure except that my sister suggested we try it. Braver with her at my side, we tried it together. I returned home after surviving that first day to find that I had to climb our stairs one at a time. At age 60, my friends and I have started the phase of life where we talk about knee replacements, cholesterol levels and Social Security benefits. Did I really want to start a program with a warm-up called “Death by Burpees?” The coaches at CrossFit City Limits have taught me that I’m much tougher than I ever imagined. In almost every work-out there’s a point that you have to make a decision to push past discomfort, exhaustion and a voice in your head screaming for you to stop. Rising to this mental challenge gives me a sense of satisfaction no other form of exercise has ever provided. Now, when I hold a barbell over my head, I don’t feel 60. I feel strong

Kelly L

I grew up in the seventies doing competitive gymnastics, track and field, and cheer-leading. I played on an office softball team beyond high school and took up golf. I taught gymnastics and swimming to three-to-five-year-olds then later became an aerobics instructor. I clearly have led an active lifestyle. After raising three kids, I did some jogging here and there, but never got back into a real workout routine. I had chronic arm pain preventing me from lifting anything over my head or even carry a load of laundry up and down the stairs. Cortisone shots did not help and 25 physical therapy visits gave me little relief. I decided at age 55, I was just getting old and that was how my life was going be. Then my son, Kyle, convinced me to try CrossFit. This is where you can start seeing the bias of my testimonial, but my son or not, my life has changed!  And, as much as I want to give my son Kyle all the credit, the community and coaches at CrossFit City Limits that surround me every time I walk into the gym is a big part of keeping me motivated and keeping the experience tons of fun.

The coaches at CrossFit City Limits taught me how to deadlift with a PVC pipe and light weight at first, then gradually got me to lift more and more weight.  Early on when they showed me something new, my stock answer to Kyle was to laugh, shake my head and say, “I can’t do that!” Their stock answer to me was, “Yes you can.” We worked on my arm and worked on changing the way I moved which was causing the pain in the first place.  With their guidance, encouragement, persistence, and a lot of patience, I have actually learned and am confident with the weight lifting movements typically used in CrossFit workouts.  Over the last four years, I have consistently improved my personal records (PRs) over and over again. I have stayed motivated to improve my times, weights, number of reps and speed because I am constantly seeing results.  Along with keeping a watchful eye on my technique and giving me quick cues to work on with a variety of moves such as double unders, kipping pullups, and handstand pushups, the coaches have also taught me the importance of prioritizing quality of movement during work-outs and mobility exercises before and after workouts. But they don't stop there. They have given me a wealth of nutritional information which has added to my health and more PRs. My favorite results? My arms are no longer in pain. I am in better shape now than I was in high school and will always be thankful to CrossFit City Limits for teaching me, “Yes I can.”

Gary S

CrossFit City Limits,

This is a short note to personally say thank you and let you know how much I appreciate the time you have spent with me over the years as my CrossFit trainers.

As you may recall, I came to your box in September 2012 at the urging of my son Steve. At that time I was 59 years old, had given up playing basketball to stay in shape (because I was hurting myself and others) a few years earlier and besides the one workout, about a month earlier, with Steve in his VA box I had no exposure to the CrossFit type of workout. You also may recall a 400m run totally winded me, I had no real experience with weightlifting and my original box jump was 3 inches. I’m sure you were very excited to see this old, out of shape dude roll in!

Well, I’m 62 years old now and your coaching has allowed me to stay at it. I am amazed that, at my age, I keep making progress.  I couldn’t have even gotten started without your welcoming attitude, positive reinforcement, constructive criticism, and your outstanding teaching skills. I can now do a ton of 24 inch box jumps in a work-out, I am squatting 255lbs, can actually consider a 400m run a warm-up, and feel incredibly healthy. You have taken your responsibility as my coaches very seriously while at the same time making sure things stay light during training sessions so it remains enjoyable for all.

I appreciate the gym welcoming the old dude in and making me feel a part of the community.

Sincerely,

Gary S

Jennifer B

I never viewed myself as a super fit person, but I thought by running a few miles, 4 or 5 times a week, I would be able to keep up some sort of “healthy lifestyle.”  It was not until I put myself under the “wedding ready” spotlight that I realized running was getting me nowhere near the healthy and fit life I wanted.  A few close friends kept telling me that CrossFit was something I would love, which I thought was silly because of what I thought it was. I had no idea what participating in CrossFit would do for my life!  

July 23, 2014, I stepped foot into CrossFit City Limits, terrified to try my first CrossFit class.  The coaches were so welcoming and encouraging to every new beginner in the class.  They put a high priority on learning the foundations of how human bodies were meant to move and that was the start of a new beginning for me. Going to CrossFit City Limits became a part of my day.  It provided my life stress relief and community while my husband was deployed with the Marines and while work grew increasingly more stressful. It became my third place, where I could go and forget the worries of the world. The coaches not only helped me improve every lift higher than I ever imagined, but most importantly, they taught me to believe in myself. I quickly learned CrossFit is not just about strength and endurance, but about courage and a positive mindset which carries over to every aspect of life.  The coaches worked patiently with me each day and boosted my confidence to a point where I can now squat over 200lbs and throw 140lbs over my head!  I can do a handstand push up and attempt things without allowing the fear of failing to paralyze me.

I am appreciative day in and out that I braved the world at CrossFit City Limits and was lucky enough to stumble upon those amazing coach. I am a whole new person with a whole new fitness level and a new outlook on health and fitness.

Morgan B

I grew up an athlete, played volleyball competitively, rowed on the University of Texas Women’s Rowing Team, competed in fitness competitions, etc. As I grew older, my competitive nature never diminished! I have watched several of the Reebok CrossFit games and knew CrossFit was something I needed to get involved in. I watched YouTube videos of CrossFit that were completely terrifying, yet I believed I could do it. I jumped into the CrossFit world in June of 2015. As soon as walked through the gym doors at CrossFit City Limits, I stepped into an entirely new world of fitness and wasn’t completely comfortable with being an amateur at something.

Kyle was the first person who welcomed me and made me feel immediately at ease. He walked me through my first workout, discussed form for each movement, and how to improve my body and movement through mobility work. I have always hated stretching and yoga, but Kyle introduced a style of mobility to me and showed me the importance of loosening up tight muscles in order to achieve better form, strength and improve performance. Through this mobility work, it supercharged my work-outs. I have worked out in gyms all my life, but I personally feel as though I’m stronger and better after only being at CrossFit City Limits for less than a year.

The comradery within the CrossFit City Limits community is something I haven’t experienced in a long time. I was nervous that the people who had been doing CrossFit for some time wouldn’t accept me and I’d feel like an outcast. WRONG! These people all have a similar goal…they want to be healthy and accept that there are things they need to work on. Sure, some are more competitive, some are just looking to lose a few pounds, but in general, we are all there for the same reason and are willing to work hard to achieve what we want out of life. We cheer for each other, motivate each other and celebrate for one another as personal goals or personal records are reached.

I have CrossFit City Limits to thank for spending the time with me both in group settings as well as personal sessions. The coaches are exceptional at breaking down movements so I could better understand how to perform the skill before taking the movement head on. They identified a limited range of motion in my ankles and hips and thanks to them…I’m hooked and performing better than ever!

Carmen G

I am a former collegiate volleyball and basketball athlete who was used to working out and training with a purpose.  At 33, I found that I was no longer getting the most out of my workouts. I wanted to incorporate weight lifting, cardio and other strength exercise into my routine, but wasn’t sure how to do it on my own. In college, I used to have an entire team of trainers and athletes to work out with.  I was becoming less and less motivated and knew I needed a change. My journey with CrossFit City Limits began in December 2013. Outside of needing a workout change, I also had an initial goal to prepare for a destination wedding and look good in my swimsuit! CrossFit City Limits has thoughtful coaches who took seriously my personal goals.  They have shown me how to scale movements to my abilities, but still challenge myself and get better. I have been with them long enough to now see that they were not simply making movements easier for me, they were building my foundation and progressing me through different movements to where now I am doing all of the complicated movements used in CrossFit.  They have a keen sense of how to explain lifts and break down movements to a level that allows me to understand and mimic. They seriously takes into consideration utilizing the safest and most appropriate form, saving me from injury and allowing me to get into positions to be a serious athlete again. Their coaching style displays patience, motivation in my individual ability, and sincere encouragement to be an all-around better athlete. The gym and community have pushed me to learn how to fail without being a failure allowing me to now have done things I didn’t think were possible.

It didn’t take long before I knew I would stick with it, even beyond the wedding, to continue meeting my overall fitness goals. Now 3 ½ years in, I’m comfortable doing Olympic-style weightlifting, like a squat snatch and clean and jerk, and am again confident in my physical abilities to allow me to take on anything the real world throws at me. I have even mastered a muscle up!  My husband, also a former college basketball athlete, had seen my progress over the years and has now joined me in this journey. We are two very different body styles, but the coaches are able to highlight our strengths and focus the gym's training for us in ways that benefit our individuality and different styles of working out. Everything we learn from the coaches we carry over and apply to our lives outside of the gym.

CrossFit City Limits has made working out fun again and has created a community that surrounds us that keeps us going. It is a positive environment that continues to motivate me to do more. The devotion of the CrossFit City Limits team and those I work out with is infectious!

Stephanie S

Until this trip, I had no idea how strong I was getting. I can’t wait to get back there! I just returned from Argentina, where I hiked 30 miles in the Andes. I really have to thank CrossFit City Limits for giving me the endurance and strength to complete it–it wasn’t easy. I came to the conclusion on that hike that I really want to be fit enough to continue active traveling well into the future (I guess this would be my training purpose). While I have typically hated the Olympic weightlifting part of CrossFit, since hauling a loaded backpack for days, I have a new appreciation for how important muscle strength is and have renewed my goal to be able to do a pull up in 2016–strict or kipped!

Kyle G

CrossFit City Limits has changed the way I view fitness.  They have helped me get into the best shape of my life and continue to make improvements. I have been in sports my whole life, as an amateur and professional, exposing me to many different fitness theories and environments. This life has also exposed me to many pesky injuries and surgeries on each hip along with the rehabilitation programs that came with them.  The coaches at CrossFit City Limits have provided me with better results and knowledge than all of those experiences combined. Focus on diagnosing weaknesses and addressing the causes has helped me gain better range of motion in all areas enabling me to perform exercises correctly, safely, and efficiently, and thus, gain the functional strength and health at a level I had previously never been able to achieve, all while staying injury free.  Since I started training at CrossFit City Limits, I have forgotten about my two hip surgeries, just over a year ago, and have never felt as physically fit.  I just wish I would’ve trained with them 6 years ago when I was at the collegiate level and I know I would be in a much better position in my professional career.  They have fun and do things right! Listen and learn because everything they say makes sense and produces results! I just ran a half-marathon in 1:38:51 with no training for it outside of the work-outs I did at CrossFit City Limits.  I made a last minute decision to race in it and wasn’t even signed-up to race until 1:00 AM the morning of the race.  Substituting the gym's work-outs for the traditional training methodology of logging a ton of running hours each week helped avoid the all the injuries caused by that much stress on the body that I heard many runners at the event complain about prior to the race even starting.  I avoided these nagging injuries and also achieve a better time than many of the traditionally trained runners.  I finished in the top 10 percent of all male runners using CrossFit City Limits programming…This gym is legit!

Nicki H

I had spent a lot of years working out and exercising (with widely varying degrees of success) not because I particularly enjoyed it or found exercise fulfilling, but because I knew it was good for me and I was supposed to do it. It is kind of like going to the doctor for a shot. Yes, you know you’ve got to do it to be healthy and it’s all for the best, but no one actually likes shots, right? That was my general attitude toward fitness for a long time as I viewed exercise as a chore. My dismal attitude was because I didn’t know how to exercise properly or what types of workouts to do in order to achieve results, which meant that I usually wound up frustrated and not achieving much of anything. I figured that I should just do what all the other girls in the gym did — join the rows of women on elliptical machines while watching whatever muted cable news show was on the gym TVs, thinking about Cosmopolitan Magazine’s latest advice on how to lose ten pounds in two weeks, and probably all wishing we were somewhere else. Come to think of it now, it’s no wonder I felt like that was a chore! When I walked into my first session at CrossFit City Limits about four years ago, I was so nervous and felt completely out of place. I had never touched a barbell, I didn’t know what most of the equipment in the gym was even called, and I lacked the confidence to think I could even finish a CrossFit workout. I’ve gone from that point four years ago to surprising myself with my achievements now. And while confidence is still sometimes a weak spot for me that I work on fixing, a huge part of my transformation in terms of physical and mental strength over the past three years has been the coaches at CrossFit City Limits. Their expertise, contagious enthusiasm, and encouragement have been major components of my success every step of the way.

No one in the gym wants to see you succeed and overcome your obstacles more than the coaches, and they have passionately supported my goals and helped to smash my hurdles in a way that makes his desire and excitement for others’ achievement obvious. And when the going gets tough and I hit a wall in terms of diet, programming, lifting form, an everything else in between, they been great go-to experts for knowing what I can improve so that I can cross that barrier and can move on to my next challenge. When I think of all the gyms, coaches, and personal trainers I have trained with and all my choices for where to work out, I feel so lucky to have walked in full of nerves that first day to CrossFit City Limits. This gym is a huge part of why my CrossFit and fitness experience has been so fun and rewarding.

Four years ago, if someone had told me that I would have the ability to back squat 225 lbs, lift more than 100 lbs over my head, and even know what the heck a box jump was, I would have thought they were nuts. But now that I know better, I say, “Yeah, I can do that! And more than that! And there’s a lot of more awesome stuff that I’m going to do, too!” I surprise myself with my accomplishments in the gym and am glad I now possess those skills because I have seen how useful they are outside the gym in my everyday life. But I also know I can do more, continue to improve, be faster, and stronger. The confidence and fulfillment I get from knowing my ability and strength comes from the foundation that the coaches have helped to build in teaching me how to work out and how to chip away at my goals until I’ve achieved them.  Exercise is now fun!

Bri K

I do not think of myself as a very athletic person, but I somehow I have learned to enjoy exercising. I had joined gyms before, worked with personal trainers, etc. but nothing ever stuck. I have been doing CrossFit since 2012 now and big part of that are the coaches and community at CrossFit City Limits. I did not know anything about lifting weights, box jumps, or anything else the coaches were going to have me do. They taught me as a beginner and not only did I learn a lot, but I had a lot of fun! They were very patient demonstrating all the movements and letting me take my time to learn the proper form and technique. They are great about watching you do a movement and helping you understand how you can improve and make tweaks for better performance. When it was time to increase the intensity and weight, it was with confidence. The coaches have always been so encouraging and genuinely interested in making me a stronger, fitter person in a way that fit my goals. The gym goes so far beyond simply being a place where I work-out. I have made a lot of friends through a gym I can call my own and truly enjoy the atmosphere. It’s the main reason why I am still having so much success doing CrossFit today. It’s nice walking into my gym and hearing a coach yell “Bri!” Working out in a community where you know everyone and the coaches really care is so important. CrossFit City Limits is a great gym and cultivates an amazing community which will help anyone reach their goals!

Sam W

Where do I even begin…I remember walking into the gym for the first time and thinking “What the H-E double hockey sticks am I doing here?” I was never the type of person who enjoyed lifting weights…that is until I started classes at CrossFit City Limits. The coaches are all what you hope for in a coach. They are always there to help and constantly make you feel as if you are receiving one-on-one personal training sessions even if there are a lot of others working out in the class as well. I’ve been working out at CrossFit City Limits for over 3 years now and I am stronger, healthier, and in the best shape I have ever been in my life. The coaches and community are a big part of that. Not only have they taught me how to properly do all the movements, they also make working out fun and enjoyable for everyone around. I love the community and I love the results!

Chris Z

Since I was 13 years old, I played sports and spent an enormous amount of time in gyms and weight rooms. I used what I learned in school playing sports and from school coaches to design my workouts.  My focus has always been on losing weight and gaining strength. I had never considered joining CrossFit or getting a coach because I felt I already knew what to do.  It wasn’t until I notice my workouts weren’t getting me anywhere that I considered trying CrossFit.

After starting CrossFit and meeting the coaches at CrossFit City Limits, I can now admit that I honestly had no idea what I was doing for all those years working out. They feel like a waste of time and, like most people, I wish I could go back with everything I know now.  The coaches were able to break down the basics and enhance not only my workouts and overall fitness, but my everyday movements. Little nagging pains have gone away as I am just moving better all around. Because of them, my workout IQ has expanded dramatically. I now work to improve my life through this better understanding of strength training, mobility, body positioning, flexibility and many other areas. From this knowledge I have been able to reach a new level of fitness that I’ve never been before and I’m excited to keep growing.

I didn’t want to mention this, but they wanted me to brag a little bit about myself.  At the time of this article, I am now running a 5:30 mile and back squatting over 400lbs.

Ashley S

At the beginning of 2014, I was a pack-a-day smoker with no real fitness plan. The holidays had just ended and I was carrying around an extra ten lbs from overindulging on booze and sweets during the holiday season. Six months before I had dropped in to CrossFit City Limits for a 10 minute work-out that left me sore for weeks and afraid of changing my ways. But this was the time, and I knew where to go to start. I built up the courage and decided to begin my trek to fitness in February 2014. The coaches treated me with patience and encouragement. I remember using a PVC pipe in the beginning while watching the other CrossFitters with barbells loaded up with heavy weights and wondering if I would ever be able to do the same. Starting the journey was hard, but I persisted.

The coaches' senses of humor, genuine interest in seeing me improve, and their positive outlook helped keep me coming back.  If I was having a rough day, I knew that if I just walked in the door that everything would be alright. After I gained experience and started seeing his methods provide results, I learned how valuable their training advice was and became more focused on soaking up all of their knowledge.

If you listen to the coaches at CrossFit City Limits, you will get better. I can now do pull-ups, I actually love lifting a barbell, and several times, I had the confidence and chance to represent our gym in inter-gym competitions.  I am no longer the beginner in awe of the others, I am one of the others.

I’ve moved cities and relocated at a new gym now. The coach there has given me lots of positive feedback on my form. I give all the credit to CrossFit City Limits and their attention to detail in my first days. As I perform each lift, I go through the mental checklist that they helped me build. If you buy-in to their methods, even when you don’t believe them, and hold yourself to their higher standard during workouts, you will see yourself make great strides.