The Karnes

If you are thinking of joining CrossFit Beloit, don't waste time debating, join today! You won’t regret it.  
If you need more convincing, then maybe my long story will do it...

I’ve always had a gym membership since I was 16, but never really used it. Moreover, when my kids were born, exercise never even crossed my mind.  Consequently, this lack of exercise led to my chronic back and neck pain.  The pain became so severe, I had difficulty performing basic chores around the house, driving, or simply walking.  Eventually, I needed physical therapy to deal with it.  

My physical therapist advised me to start exercising on a regular basis, so I joined a gym and started training with a personal trainer, and she was awesome.   But once I started feeling stronger, I had to cancel with her because of the exorbitant cost.  

In the meantime, my husband also started to experience his own back issues.  We realized exercise was the only remedy to keep these health issues at bay.    We needed an affordable solution so our WHOLE FAMILY can exercise. This is when we discovered CrossFit Beloit.

My husband was the first one to meet with Scott and go through the Elements program.  Every day that he went, he couldn’t stop raving about how energized and healthy he felt.  Within 3 months after joining, my husband stopped complaining about his back pain and he was getting the fitness results that eluded him all his life.  

A few weeks after my husband joined, our daughters (9 and 12) joined the kids and teen classes.  Since day one they loved these classes.  The coaches do a wonderful job of keeping the workouts both rigorous and challenging yet fun and engaging. It’s been a year now since they joined and there has been a tremendous improvement in my kids fitness level.  This has also translated into their other sports with improved performance.  

I was the last to join CrossFit.  I debated for over three months. I just didn’t think CrossFit was for someone like me.  

For starters, it bothered me that CrossFit Beloit didn’t look like a typical gym.  Where were all the traditional gym equipment like treadmills, stair steppers, ellipticals, etc? I just didn’t see how I could get a complete workout without the gym equipment.  Next, there is the CrossFit lingo that I totally didn’t understand. My kids and husband would come home after their classes and talk about EMOMs, AMRAPs, WOD, etc.  What the hell were they talking about and if I join, am I supposed to learn all this stuff.  It's hard enough to exercise, but now I need to learn some new foreign language.  In addition to all this,  let's not forget that CrossFit workouts  are all group workouts.  I HATED GROUP WORKOUTS. I didn’t want an audience while I embarrassed myself in my attempt to exercise.  But the #1 reason I kept debating about CrossFit was because of the WODs (Workout Of the Day).  I was completely intimidated by them.  Can I really do the things these Crossfitters were doing?  I mean I can barely do a wall push-up  without losing my breath!  But more importantly, I was worried about injuring myself, especially with my history of chronic pain.

I thought it was best to ask my old physical therapist about how safe CrossFit would be for someone with my history.  Her advice was that there is always a risk of injury with any physical activity, but if the coaches are vigilant about form and safety, then it should be fine.

So for several weeks I observed Scott while he conducted his classes.   At the end I came to the conclusion that he is an excellent coach, who is committed to his members.  

• Scott always watches everyone, no matter the size of the group, constantly walking  the length of the gym, correcting people’s form, and encouraging them to try their best. To tell you the truth, ALL the coaches are so good about this, you actually feel like you are getting a one-on-one session with a coach.

• Scott never pushes his members to unsafe levels. In fact, if you are trying something that is unsafe for you, he will stop you.  However, once you mastered a skill, Scott does encourage you to go to the next level.

• Scott keeps the lines of communication open with his members.  If anyone is uncomfortable with a movement, has strained muscle, or any other type of issue, he immediately addresses it. He never ignores you and expects you to work through the pain.

• Scott scales and modifies all WODs to fit individual members needs, if needed. I’ve seen him completely change WODs for members. He is truly invested in all his members reaching their personal fitness goals and keeping it safe.

• Scott keeps the BOX (gym) clean & organized.  For me, this is also a safety issue. Not only will you and everyone else around you sweat, but there are the occasional small cuts and nicks that you see in any gym.  I absolutely would not have joined, nor let my kids join, if the facility was not clean and organized.

So after months of debate, I joined.  I did my Baseline workout, followed by my Elements training, which teaches proper form and technique. After that I joined the group classes and started doing the WODs.  

I realize now that you don’t need a gym full of big equipment to get a great workout.  A few basic equipment and my body is all that I need to improve my strength, agility, and flexibility.  Also, I enjoy working out in a group setting rather than by myself.  The  group workouts are awesome because everyone encourages and supports each other, motivating all of us to try our best.   And finally, I realize now that CrossFit Beloit IS for someone like me.  Not only because the exercise program is flexible that any WOD can be scaled and modified to fit me perfectly, but because Scott has fostered a culture in the BOX that is inviting to everyone, no matter what your fitness level or background.

Oh, and as for the CrossFit lingo, it's a non-issue. You pick it up as you go.

Now, It's been 9 months since I joined CrossFit Beloit and I love it. I usually go to the last class of the day, still tired from running around all day.  But when I enter the BOX, I start getting my energy back.  Someone says “hi”, the music is blasting, and my body starts getting warmed up for the WOD.  When I started CrossFit, I was doing push-ups at an incline, I was jumping only 6 inches off the floor, and the 8 pound ball was too heavy for me.  But now I can do push-ups off the floor, jump a 20 inch box, and use a 12 pound ball.  I never thought my body was capable of any of this, and without the encouragement and  support of all the amazing coaches at CrossFit Beloit, I most probably wouldn't have.   I used to always say “I CAN’T”  but now I say “I’ll Try”.

My family and I love that all four of us are participating in something together.  Our girls are more confident and are always talking about the WOD  and how they are achieving their “PR” (personal record).  Both my husband and I are more energetic and stronger, we sleep better, and my chronic pain has completely gone away!  

Joining CrossFit Beloit has been one of the best decisions we ever made for our family.  Our biggest regret is that we didn’t join sooner.
 

R. Kiran