I joined the CrossFit Route 7 community in the fall of 2016, with about a year and a half of CrossFit experience under my belt. I came in thinking I had a good understanding of what CrossFit was all about, and how most boxes operated, but boy was I wrong. CrossFit Route 7 is by far the best box I have been a part of in all categories. The coaches are knowledgeable, the facility is clean and spacious, the equipment is top-notch, the hours are accommodating, and most importantly, the community is welcoming. Bj not only knows how to run a gym, but he also knows how to be a great person. He cares about everyone, and he makes sure you know it.

Everyone here at CFR7 wants to better themselves through the help and encouragement of others, and my inspiration is drawn from those around me. Sure I love reaching a new goal, but seeing someone else reach theirs makes me even more eager to reach the next. One of the things I love most about CrossFit is that anyone can achieve personal greatness if they just put in the work. There’s no “Arc Reactor” (Iron Man Reference), no “Michael’s Secret Stuff” (Space Jam Reference), there’s just the requirement to show up and workout (real life reference). The people here at CFR7 certainly show up, and they certainly put in effort. When I walk into the gym everyday, I am instantly inspired by everyone around me to work hard and to challenge myself. I am challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally in every workout, and I know that everytime I’m lying on the floor exhausted after a wod, I’m one step closer to my goal of being the best version of myself.

As far as my history goes, I was a distance runner and soccer player through high school and college. I had maybe touched a barbell once during that entire time. Needless to say, I wasn’t your first choice to move heavy objects…or even slightly more than average weight objects…but I could run really far! Trust me it was all the rage. Anyway, when I started CrossFit I was hitting new personal records (PRs) left and right. It’s easy to gain strength when you’re basically starting from nothing (picture drawing some of those cute little biceps on a stick figure). But by the time I came to CFR7, I had reached the oh-so-scary “plateau”. I was much stronger than before, but my never-settle attitude wasn’t about to let me become content. Through the intelligent programming and personalized coaching at CFR7, I have since left the plateau, targeted my weaknesses, and am on my way to the next level. Some recent PRs of note are a 270 lb front squat, 365 lb deadlift, and chaining 7 unbroken muscle-ups together. I also recently completed “The Seven” hero wod RX, which is a feat that if you told me a year ago I would do, I would’ve called you crazy. I’ve also taken a full minute off my “Jackie” time and “Annie” time, and completed the “Memorial Day Murph” wod RX for the first time this year. All since joining CrossFit Route 7.

I’m humbled that I was asked to share my story, but if you haven’t noticed by now, I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing people I’ve met in my time at CFR7. I look forward to what lies ahead, and encourage anyone thinking about giving CrossFit a try to come to CrossFit Route 7! You won’t be disappointed.

I think working out throughout pregnancy is important, as long as it’s safe for you, especially considering after the baby you can’t/don’t have time to lol.  My goal was to work out 3x a week throughout the entire pregnancy, but I managed to do up to 5x a lot of weeks.  It  was very difficult for me in the beginning because there is a lot of competing advice on what you should/shouldn’t do.  The whole “work out at a conversation pace” is kind of impossible with crossfit haha.  What worked well for me was to tone down the intensity, take breaks when I thought I was starting to breathe too heavy, and stop doing any crunching movements after the 1st trimester.  I probably took it a little too easy the 1st trimester, but I had a miscarriage two months prior to this pregnancy so I just wanted to be extra sure.  The biggest thing is to listen to your body, which I thought was terrible advice going into the pregnancy because I wanted some concrete rules, but it really is true.   I think this topic is really important and isn’t something I really thought about until I had to!  If anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer them.

I have been a member of CFR7 for the past 5 months, and it has been the first exercise program I have stuck with in the last 4 years. After completing grad school and starting a full-time job I struggled with my health. I grew up playing sports, and once school ended I didn’t have an outlet anymore. I tried going to the gym on my own, and at home workouts, but I would get bored and quit after a few weeks. I had no motivation to exercise on my own. I knew I needed to try something else, I just didn’t know what. That’s when I saw the New You Challenge on Facebook. My cousin actually owns a CrossFit gym, so it was always something I was curious about, but never thought I’d be fit enough or strong enough to do. I saw that the program was only 6 weeks, so I decided to give it a try. It was the best decision I could have made. I love how every day is different and incorporates both cardio and strength. Being able to exercise with a group while at my own pace and ability is the perfect fit for me. I have more energy, feel healthier, my clothes fit better, and I feel strong. After the challenge ended I signed up for a year membership, and consistently come 4-5 times a week.

My two favorite things about CrossFit are the community and the coaches. Everyone has been so welcoming since day one. I never felt out of place or like I didn’t belong. Everyone encourages one another to complete the workouts and I like the accountability it provides. I also can’t say enough about the amazing coaches. They are all very knowledgeable, and even when a class is full they make sure my technique is still where it needs to be. Coach BJ is always there to greet me with a smile and Coach Ashley is always motivating me and encouraging me to just keep moving.

If I could give one piece of advice to people considering CrossFit it would be don’t be intimidated. Everything is scalable and before you know it you’ll be doing exercises you didn’t think your body was capable of. Prior to starting CrossFit I had never tried weightlifting, and now it is what I look forward to the most. It took me a solid month to understand and execute a clean, but after 5 months I hit 140 on my clean & jerk and couldn’t be happier. I still have a long way to go (especially on gymnastic movements), but my goal is to keep improving on my technique, strength, and to always give 100% every workout. I can’t thank CFR7 and the coaches enough for introducing me to a community and program that I enjoy and am proud to be a part of.

Physical Transformation

20lb & 20 inches lost J