Before joining CrossFit Central I felt like something was lacking in my life. Physically I was so out of shape. Walking upstairs and putting my shoes on had become a challenge for me. I have never really been a strong person, but I have never experienced shortness of breath. I was a student athlete growing up, so it was as if in the blink of an eye I was suddenly so out of shape. Every time I went to dinner or went out with friends I would not just have one drink, I would have several. It was well known that I could hold my alcohol. I was the guy that everyone wanted to go have a drink with because you would have fun. It took me awhile to realize my worth on those relationships.

I was tired of the way I looked and felt. I didn't like the way that I looked in my clothes. My jeans and shirt sizes were going up and I hated looking at myself in the mirror or taking pictures. I didn't even really notice that I had become so unhealthy until it was serious. It was hard for me to put my shoes on or walk upstairs without getting winded. I had been working a lot and hadn't really paid attention to what it was doing to my health.

I finally decided to make a change. I knew that I didn't want to go to a regular gym. I knew that I needed something that was drastically different. I had heard of CrossFit only through what was displayed on television. I had never given it a thought because I thought it was only for people that "were already fit." Which I have realized isn't the case. There are scaled movements for every exercise to make sure that you are getting the most at your fitness level.

I used to work down the street from the old CrossFit Central Downtown building on 3rd street. I decided to get on the website and take a look at what the gym had to offer. I am the type of person that likes options, so I looked at every CrossFit gym in the Austin area and something kept pulling me back to CrossFit Central. I decided to give it a shot. The rest is history.

Since joining CrossFit Central I have fully immersed myself in the culture. My first couple of months were a bit of a challenge. I am one of the hardest working people that you will ever meet. I may not be the best at something, but I will work until I am the best. I think that has to do with my competitive nature. I think that is why I love CrossFit so much. In class I look up to the people that out perform me and I work to surpass their level of performance.

Since joining I have lost 45 lbs. and have made improvements in all areas of my fitness level.

Olympic lifting has been a major improvement for me. I had never done any Olympic lifting before joining CrossFit Central, which is also one of the major ways CrossFit differs from every other commercial gym. If you are intimidated — don't be. The coaches are really helpful in making sure that you are performing the movement correctly. I have made huge improvements in my strength and mobility from when I first started. I enrolled in Coach Megan Miller’s specialty Olympic Weightlifting class on the weekends. This has helped me fine tun my technique on the more technical lifts, which have carried over to some drastic improvements on all the strength movements.

I have also taken part in the Fire and Ice recovery program that CrossFit Central offers, which is something that is truly mind blowing. If you have never tired it, it will challenge you mentally and break down barriers that you didn't know that you even had. Not only have I taken some of the Fire and Ice breathing practices into my workouts, but I’ve started using them in my daily life. Focusing on breath can change your mental state. I can be a little socially awkward, so being trapped in a sauna is a good way to break down some barriers and make friends.

CrossFit Central has really made an impact on me, but also on the people around me. I now have more confidence. People have even said that I walk differently. I have always been a hard worker, so I have been able to take my competitive nature into the workouts. My family has shown interest in CrossFit and I am constantly getting asked for nutritional advice. Even people at the gym ask me what I do and tell me how good I look or what a transformation that I have made. That is another reason CrossFit Central is so great — the community is so inviting.