Are you looking for something outside the box that is going to challenge you mentally and physically? How about something that will make you feel different about yourself from the inside out? If yes, then Crossfit, founded by Greg Glassman, an Olympic lifting training coach, in 2000, might be the challenge you are looking for. It’s an extreme exercise program designed to reconstruct and challenge the mind and body. There are over 4,400 gyms throughout the United States affiliated with Crossfit.
So where can you find this Mecca of fitness? Right here in the Yuba-Sutter area we have Feather River Crossfit, located at 851 Gray Avenue, Yuba City, in the Elite Fitness building. The “box,” as some people call it, is set up without some of the typical gym equipment like treadmills or ellipticals but they have bar stations, free weights, mats, dumbbells, barbells, jump ropes, medicine balls, kettle bells, rowing machines, and of course the most important element – you. Crossfit incorporates Olympic style weight lifting, cardio, and core workouts to give your body a full sculpting from head to toe. Everyday offers a new timed “WOD” or “work out of the day,” so there is never a dull moment; nor is the possibility of a mundane cycle being developed. Crossfit keeps you on your toes, literally.
Monday through Saturday you can enter the box, at various set times throughout the day, and get a rocking hour of range of motion you will never forget, and will crave when you don’t have it. Feather River Crossfit provides “On-Ramp” classes, which give you a month of the fundamental knowledge of Crossfit, such as basic moves, proper lifting, and efficient guidance on proper and safe technique. All the Feather River Coaches have been trained and certified to instruct the public on this amazing fitness lifestyle.
If you are not fond of the group setting, Feather River Crossfit also provides personal training classes for a two week period. It is the coaches’ number one job to ensure you get a quality, injury free workout. Debbie Goode, Feather River Crossfit Owner, says, “We are not worried about getting people in here for memberships to get your money, we want people to come and learn how to live a quality lifestyle. Health, nutrition and proper form is our absolute first concern.” Not only does Debbie and the other trainers make sure you are getting the training you need, but the members that have been a part of the box make anyone feel like they’ve been there all along.
One of the greatest features of Crossfit is the community. The members are a family, and you feel welcome the minute you walk in the door. Smiling faces with sweaty brows and wet shirts greet you as you come in. Everyone is breathing hard and dripping sweat from head to toe, and in an instant, you know that everyone, no matter their level of fitness, has gotten to work.
For me, there is a rush I feel when I pull up into the parking lot. It was just a month ago that I completed my On-Ramp class, and it was the first time I had ever taken on such an immense challenge. I have always struggled with my health and fitness, and never being an athlete meant my work was cut out for me. In the last two years, along with my husband, we have made strides toward a better, healthier lifestyle and quality nutrition. For me Crossfit was a challenge I really wanted to take on. After having completed two rounds of P90X and other outside fitness regiments, I found myself signing up for On-Ramp.
The challenge was scary, but truly something I knew I would not regret. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:30 p.m, I was entering the “box” with my workout face on and butterflies in my stomach.
Every workout is timed, but the coaches encourage you to work at your own efficient pace. Our first workout consisted of a 200-meter run, 15 squats, 15 push-ups, 15 ring rows, and then another 200-meter run. Scared and nervous, I pushed myself hard and got a time of 12 minutes and 45 seconds. I was proud of that time, but knew there was room for improvement.
By the end of the month, our class did the same workout on the last day of class as the first. We lined up ready to go. Starting on this day I only expected to see a little improvement, but what I got I couldn’t even have dreamed of. At the end of my run when the timer went off, my coaches and classmates were shouting and applauding because I came in at eight minutes flat! Almost a five minute improvement!
To top it off, I lost five inches all around in just a month. Crossfit has changed my mind about fitness and working out. It’s something I look forward to, and something I crave when I haven’t gotten it in. When I’m not there, I get phone calls and text messages asking where I am, and when I’ll be back. I love the people I have met, and I continue to challenge myself with them. The members and staff at Feather River Crossfit are wonderful people who just want to give and receive the best quality of life available, and I am so proud and honored to be a part of such an awesome community.
As we enter these cold winter months you might want to ask yourself, “Do I want to put on a fifty pound winter coat this year, or do I want to go against the grain and get into great shape far before the hot summer months?” These are the types of questions many of us struggle with every season. Break the cycle! Try something fun, challenging, exciting, and all around rewarding. Crossfit, a system created to bring out the real you from deep within. So call or stop by the gym and see you if you are ready to get Crossfit!
For more information please call (530) 673-3953
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