I started my first Foundations class at CrossFit Route 7 on April 9, 2018, and can’t believe how different my life is now. I’ve generally been pretty active throughout my life but struggled with consistency, especially if it’s something I was doing alone. When I started CrossFit, my goal was to find something that I could *stick with* because I am a completely different person, less anxious and much less prone to depression, when I’m able to exercise regularly.

My experience this past year at CrossFit Route 7 has been better than I could have imagined! Because of the great coaches and new friends that have helped to keep me accountable, I have been able to workout more consistently than ever and am in the best shape of my life, mentally and physically. I’ve seen physical results and gotten stronger (like my recent 200lb Deadlift! what!) but what keeps me coming back is the people, and the knowledge that if I just show up I’ve already won and everything else is a bonus. Even after a bad day at work I still leave CrossFit Route 7 with a smile. THANK YOU CFR7 for providing an encouraging and uplifting place to get my sweat on and build lifelong healthy habits! 

Congratulations to 7-Fit program member, Pendar Kordnavasi for having so much success through his experience in the 7-Fit Program. Since his fitness journey began in July with us, he has lost over 20lbs, reduced his body fat, gained strength, tone, coordination, and flexibility. Read his interview below!

Q: How did you find out about the 7-Fit program and what about it drew you do join?

I found the 7-fit program through Facebook ads.

Q:When did your journey with 7-Fit begin and what were your goals going into it?

I started my fitness journey in June or July of 2018, hoping to do a regular workout after years of overlooking this important aspect of my life. I aimed to be back in shape again to ensure my optimum health and also gain self-confidence every time I look at my body.

Q: What has helped you achieve success in the program?

Having experienced, knowledgeable, caring, and friendly coaches who know how to push you out of your comfort zone logically, realistically, and based on your capacity.

Q:What advice can you give to others coming into the program with similar goals?

Whatever concern(s) you may have, COME and talk to one of the coaches to address them. As a classical pianist, I was very concerned about whether this program is going to injure my hands. I talked about it prior to registering for the class and got some honest and professional advice about it. So, the coaches know my concern and try to modify any movement that may impose extra pressure on my wrists and hands. Needless to say, I’ve been able to meet my fitness goals in a safe environment without any injuries.

Q: Besides working out, what other lifestyle changes did you make outside of the gym to achieve your goals?

While I have never had an unhealthy diet, I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about what to eat and how to eat more consciously, and how to avoid foods that may deviate me from my goals. Also, I have started encouraging others to do a serious workout; regardless of how busy are you, attending a regular workout program increases your health, productivity, and self-confidence!

Q: What has been your favorite thing about 7-Fit?

Being in a friendly atmosphere with supportive peers and coaches feels awesome. I see many athletes next to me who are in a much better shape than I am and are much faster, but the atmosphere promotes only positivity. I am only comparing me to me and nobody else. Progress is frequently acknowledged by your coaches and peers, and it feels so encouraging!

Congratulations to 7-Fit Program member, Bill Baker, on losing 20 pounds since he began with us in October 2018! Through hard work and consistency, he has not only improved his endurance and strength dramatically, he has also reversed disease. His blood sugar levels used to be pre-diabetic and his cholesterol was high, but now both are in the normal range. In less than three months, Bill has changed his life and he plans on continuing to attack his future goals with the same tenacity in our 7-Fit Program. Want to be like Bill? Sign up for our 6-Week Fitness Challenge! Read his interview below!

Q: How did you find out about the 7-Fit program and what about it drew you do join?

“My wife, Rhea, has tried various fitness and physical rehab programs because of residual issues from auto accidents. She loved the variety of CrossFit and was asking me to join her (for a long time). I said yes just so she’d stop asking. So, yeah, I wasn’t so much drawn as dragged.”

Q:When did your journey with 7-Fit begin and what were your goals going into it?

“I had my own accident issues (centering in my lower back) that had been getting progressively worse over the course of a year or so. I went to see a chiro/rehab specialist for a couple of months to get in shape so I could start to get in shape at CrossFit Route 7. When I felt it was time to move up to a more intensive workout I started with 7-Fit; that was in the last week of September.”

Q: What has helped you achieve success in the program?

“Without sounding too much like a Nike commercial – just do it. Be consistent. There’s a saying that if someone tells you, “You have to eat a frog today” you should eat the frog first. Carve out the time – I do it first thing in the morning (7-Fit!) and go through the rest of the day knowing I’ve accomplished something that was completely out of reach a just few months ago. I am 62, and 5’10” and was 220 lbs. when I started. Just a couple of months later I’m down to 201 lbs. I’m trading fat for muscle. I’m moving more. (Sweating way more.) And my most recent physical showed my blood sugar normal vs edging into diabetic – that’s a change that is primarily due to the weight loss and exercise. My cholesterol & BP are so far into the normal range that my doctor is considering lowering my meds dosage.”

Q: What advice can you give to others coming into the program with similar goals?

“The gym is deceptively simple – weights, bands, balls – no complex machines. These are exercises you can lean at the gym, follow up at home, and reinforce by coming back to class to learn more. The classes are different every time. You can scale the exercises to fit what you can do – but push to do the best you can, and keep going. More than once I’ve been on the floor trying to catch my breath and have made myself get up and crank out 2 or 3 more reps. And don’t worry about whether you can do this because you think you’re too old, or because you’re too big now, or not strong enough now. The people in 7-Fit are all ages, demographics and body types… and if you see someone in great shape you need to remember that a lot of them got there by starting where you are now.”

Q: Besides working out, what other lifestyle changes did you make outside of the gym to achieve your goals?

“I’m working on getting the diet under control, eating more veggies and cutting out unnecessary sugars and starches. No soda. But I’m eating normal food – not a diet of paleo-Atkins-South Beach-shake-protein bars, fads or fasting. The main thing that has made a difference is the exercise – M-W-F at 7-Fit.”

Q: What has been your favorite thing about 7-Fit?

“7-Fit is not a lonely grind or a solitary quest. You have a coach, you have classmates or a partner or a team and you have a daily plan that varies what you do, how much you get done, and the way you do it – in nearly 3 months I don’t think we’ve done the same routine twice.”

I’ve always been relatively active from an early age, but like many people I struggled after college to incorporate a healthy amount of exercise into my increasingly busy routine.  This past year, though, I decided to make a promise to myself to prioritize and invest in what matters most – my health. A coworker of mine heard me vent one day about my frustration with my lack of progress in my fitness routine, and suggested I try CrossFit.  To be honest, I had always been a little intimidated by the idea of CrossFit; in my mind, there was no way someone like me would ever be fit enough to handle it, let alone keep up with the other athletes. I protested his suggestion, citing all of my preconceived reservations,  but he corrected me, pointing out that everyone starts somewhere, that it’s about competing with yourself and pushing yourself to do better rather than comparing yourself to other people,  and that he’s never met a more supportive community of people. 

So I did it. I took the plunge, came in for a free class, completed foundations, and signed a membership contract. It was hard – I’m not going to lie about that. My body was more sore than it had been in a long time during those first few weeks, and it was tough for me to accept that I was the last one – by a long shot – to finish most workouts. But my coworker was right about the support, and the warm, friendly, welcoming people I worked out with each class quickly reminded me that it wasn’t being last that mattered – what mattered was I still finished the workout. Overall, what keeps me  excited to come to classes each day is supportive and encouraging people, the awesome coaches that help me find the balance between pushing myself to my limits and ensuring personal safety and good form, the variety of movements that keep me from getting bored, and the fact that I can consistently measure my progress, even with just the smallest of milestones. 

The most noticeable accomplishment by far is that I’ve lost 20lbs. For me, though, as awesome as that physical change is, it isn’t my only accomplishment. I’m happier and more comfortable in my skin, I feel healthier and have so much more energy than I did before, and I’m learning to listen to and understand what my body is telling me – both from a exercise and a diet perspective. Perhaps the biggest shift of all, though, has been in my mindset – the amazing coaches at CrossFit Route 7 have been instrumental in helping me with that. I previously felt guilty about eating ‘badly’ or not working out, and I was constantly beating myself up mentally for not being fit enough or healthy enough or ‘good enough’. Since starting CrossFit, I’ve learned to celebrate my accomplishments for what they are, instead of what they’re not. I’ve learned that it’s not about feeling guilty, it’s about wanting to feel the good, clean energy from eating healthy, and that rush after an awesome workout. Am I finishing the workout to the best of my ability? Am I challenging myself to increase intensity? Am I making progress? If my answer to any of these questions is yes, I walk out of the gym proud after each workout, happy with who and where I am in my journey towards a healthier me.