How long have you been a member of CrossFit Northland?
I’ve been at CFN since spring 2019.
What brought you into CFN?
I had done some Crossfit when I lived in California, and I knew Jason Willis from when I worked at Oak Park High School.
Tell us about your fitness/health background? (Did you play sports growing up? Try other gym settings? Workout at home?)
I played little league baseball and soccer middle school. I played football in high school. I coached high school wrestling and a very small amount of middle school football, which was surprising fun. I had memberships at some of the commercial gyms.
What are some changes you’ve noticed in yourself during your time here at CFN? (Physically, mentally, capabilities, daily life, etc.)
The first things I noticed are little things, like I was standing up with straighter posture and my clothes were looser. I’ve gained a pretty good amount of strength in weightlifting. I feel like my mobility has increased noticeably. I bought an Assault Bike.
What kinds of things can you do now, that you were not able to do when you first started CrossFit? (inside or outside of the gym)
I couldn’t do a lunge when I started. My squat is much deeper now. I couldn’t take a deadlift from the floor. I’m wearing clothes that I had gotten too big for.
What motivates you and keeps you coming back for more week after week?
The people. I can’t imagine ever doing anything but group fitness for the rest of my life. There’s something about doing the work in a community of likeminded and supportive people that makes it easy to keep coming back. Also, I’m pretty sure if I stopped coming people would come find me.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable aspect of CrossFit Northland?
I would say the coaching. I think the coaching is excellent and the classes are small enough to provide everybody with guidance. I appreciate the efficiency of being able to get done in an hour. I like having workouts programmed by the coaches instead of me trying to figure that out on my own.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future here at CFN?
I want to continue to improve my workload capacity and get my weight down. Also, Nike makes a tee shirt that has a big swoosh logo on the front along with the word “athlete.” I want to be able to wear that in public and not look delusional.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone that is considering joining a CrossFit gym?
I would advise people to just jump in. For me, there was a pretty long hesitation to get started based on feeling like I needed to “get ready” or have a base level of fitness to begin. I waited way too long. Like most things in life, there’s really no such thing as “being ready.” Just jump in. You are in good hands.