I've been a member of multiple crossfit gyms in three states over ~15 years. Then for a variety of reasons I stopped exercising regularly for several years and gained a lot of weight. I found it hard to motivate myself to use the equipment I had at home, or to go to the Y or other gyms, and I finally realized that I needed the coach/team environment to crawl out of the hole I've dug myself into.This place was close by, but the website seemed a little sketchy, and I couldn't figure out how the strength and conditioning stuff worked with the martial arts for kids stuff. I signed up for a 3-class trial, and got an automated email that told me to call and schedule an appointment. I called and got a generic answering message. I was sure that I had just given my to a Nigerian prince. But I sent an email and got an almost immediate reply, and showed up to my first class the next day. Turns out it is totally legit, owned by a brother/sister team who are both incredibly welcoming and motivating, and filled with really nice people of all fitness levels. Many of the crossfitters have kids who take the martial arts classes at the same time on the other side of the wall - how convenient!At my first class I was obviously unable to do many of the exercises "as prescribed," but one of the great things about crossfit is that you can scale anything to any level, and still feel like you are working just as hard on your ring-rows as the badass chick doing full pull-ups next to you. Marilyn scaled my first workout perfectly, so that I was working my butt/lungs off the whole time but wasn't in danger of hurting myself. After a couple more good experiences I signed up for a membership. Today we did a killer workout that left me questioning my life choices with every rep, but it was still so great to be in a room full of people encouraging each other, with a coach constantly walking around checking everyone's form and cheering us on. I feel like I made it back home.Crossfit is hella expensive, and I know it's not for everyone. But realize that it's practically personal training in a group setting, where you can walk in and not have to worry about coming up with your own programming, but still tailor everything to your individual level. You get the constant motivation and synergy of everyone around you trying to be just a little bit better, put a little more weight on the bar, progress to the next level of scaling, or on some days just make it through the workout. It really does feel like a team when it's done right, and these folks do it right.Am I mad at myself and frustrated that I let myself get so out of shape? Yes. Do I think I'm going to get back to my athletic heyday of 10-15 years ago? Probably not. But I am excited to get back in the saddle for the journey, with a supportive team surrounding me.
