Nathan
I joined CrossFit Central in August of 2021. I had just turned 33 years old. CrossFit wasn't my first foray into fitness though. I've been working out on/off all my life in some capacity having spent the majority of the previous few years in an on again/off again relationship with OrangeTheory. However, a few years ago, I stumbled upon a documentary called "Fittest On Earth" that caught my attention . . . so I turned that baby on and found it was a documentary about the 2015 CrossFit Games, a documentary that has quite literally changed my life. I was immediately fascinated by these athletes that we're so capable across so many fitness modalities. They could run long distances, lift heavy weights, swim, bike, do gymnastics... it was so cool to discover this sport where specialists are actually at a disadvantage. I ended up finding documentaries we're made about every CrossFit Games since then and I watched every minute of them all, started getting to know these athletes, started following them on social media, and before I knew it, I was drinking the “CrossFit kool aid” in a big way. That led me to eventually decide to join a CrossFit gym myself to begin practicing what I was so infatuated with... and here I am a year later still loving it to the brim! CrossFit Central just happened to be the closest gym to me, but it only took one session to immediately know this is where I belonged. I met a few members that we're so effing friendly plus meeting the likes of Coach Carey and Coach Allison we're all I needed to see to commit to this wholeheartedly. Those are some of the best humans on the planet and I couldn't imagine doing all this without them! I actually knew the Kepler name because of the CrossFit Games so I immediately fanboy'd out when I realized Carey was the owner of the gym!
March of 2020 was a transformational time for me. I had just closed on a house up in Leander (a suburb of Austin) right when a long-term relationship was coming to a close AND when my company sent all employees to work from home. I was in an unhealthy place across the board - mentally, physically, and emotionally. I was really struggling to process what my future had in store since I found myself at my new house, all alone, with the entire world going through an incredibly turbulent time. I took the opportunity to regroup with family and friends where I'm from in Phoenix, AZ for about 7 months which gave me time to reflect on everything that led up to that point. I decided I'd try and use that time to really learn from the past and turn it all into an opportunity to grow on all three fronts (mentally, physically, and emotionally). I owe a lot to the people that surrounded me at that time as they we're there to provide the encouragement and stability needed to get things in gear. And this was my inflection point. A large part of that was a commitment to fitness and nutrition. OrangeTheory was my first stop on that train, and it definitely helped me get on the right track, but I felt like there was something lacking. I had been watching those CrossFit Games documentaries on repeat during that time which eventually built up my confidence to do that damn thing. I relocated back to Austin in April 2021, sold my house, moved back into town, and joined CrossFit Central a few months later and that's honestly when I think things REALLY started improving for the better which leads me to where I'm at today: happy, healthy, and motivated as ever to continue tackling my goals!
Results are the cornerstone of CrossFit. One of the greatest aspects of CrossFit Central is how dedicated our coaching staff is to setting and attacking goals. Carey, Zach, Allison... they all take the time to get to know us as individuals like why we show up and they actually check in with us, challenge us, and hold us accountable for the things that we're trying to achieve. No other gym has ever done that in my experience.
I've taken advantage of a few programs throughout the year like the I Am Challenge and the CC33 Challenge to help maintain laser focus on my big picture goals. But it's the small things that make the biggest impact. The simple fact that we record our workout performances in an app that lets us track progress over time speaks volumes about the philosophy at CrossFit Central. I'm a big believe in the mantra "What Gets Measured Gets Managed" and believe me when I say, I've certainly noticed the most amount of both body composition and fitness performance improvements of my life in my short time at the gym. Personal highlights include:
At my heaviest, I was close to a very unhealthy 280 pounds. During my my latest in-body scan at CrossFit Central clocked me in at ~190 lbs. I'm the leanest I've ever been at approx 13 - 15% body fat as well (starting my journey around 23%)
During the I Am Challenge to kick off 2021, I lost 15 inches from various parts of my body, but gained 2 inches in each of my legs, proving I'm losing the bad weight and building on the good
My squat, deadlift, and overhead press PR's have all gone up + I've gotten proficient at some technical movements, specifically double unders, handstand pushups, & kipping pullups (couldn't do a single one of any of those things when I started, now stringing together large sets of each)
I've shed a lot of the self-consciousness that I've long held in my mind that's prevented me from really living my life to it's fullest. I've worn clothes I never thought I'd get to wear. Confidence is at an all time high. Dating isn't as scary. I've met so many new friends. My competitive spirit has grown 10-fold. I'm less afraid to venture out into the unknown and try new things. So much of that has everything to do with what we practice and what our coaches preach at CrossFit Central. What we do day after day is NOT easy. So developing the mental edge to tie those shoes everyday and get out the door knowing what awaits extends far beyond the gym. There's a swagger that comes with this stuff that I'll truly never take for granted. It's a game changer for sure.
The people is the real answer here. CrossFit Central isn't just a gym. It's where like-minded people get to come together and partake in the activities that fills our cups. There aren't too many places like that, so I gotta take advantage while we can.
Selfishly though, we're just scratching the surface baby! I'm still not 100% there yet with where I want my physique to be, and I have so many things I can get better at fitness wise that I'm SO looking forward to getting after. Thanks to Coach Allison, we now have HYROX as another avenue to train for and I'm fully intending to compete at an upcoming HYROX event. 2023 is in store for some bigger and better things so they aint getting rid of me anytime soon!