Tommy Behnke
When I started Ballston CrossFit in January 2021, it was the first time I ever picked up a barbell or incorporated any semblance of strength training into a workout routine.
To say that the beginner “Foundations” classes were challenging for me from a coordination standpoint would be an understatement. Just ask Brock or Mack. I was an absolute train wreck! Never mind the complex movements like cleans and snatches; I struggled with everything. From rounding my back on deadlifts to flipping my wrists on kettlebell cleans to even getting my arms straight on shoulder pass-throughs. Because of how poor I felt my mechanics were, during my Foundations “graduation” class, I asked Brock if I should repeat the two-week program before jumping into the big boys’ and girls’ pool. He said nay, and off I went into regular WODs.
While I never doubted that I would improve eventually, thanks to the caring and talented staff that Tucker has put together at BCF, I started to see improvements very quickly.
During my (very scaled!) initial classes the coaches watched me like a hawk and not only regularly provided counsel on how to improve my form, but before and after class, took the time to give me supplementary drills to do both in the gym and at home to iron out my mechanics.
Coach Madison, specifically, provided many early pointers. I will always appreciate what she did for me, from giving tips on how she overcame similar setbacks to her form when she first started CrossFit to even pausing her off-the-clock workout time to assist when she noticed I was struggling.
The first 2-3 months were what I would call the Stuffed Animal Era. I didn’t have much more than stuffed animals strapped to the ends of the barbells and focused intensely on getting form and mechanics right, both in class and at open gym.
Progress started to come. Not overnight, but it came, and it continues to come. While I still have a lot to work on, I can lift a heck of a lot more — and a heck of a lot more correctly — than I could six months ago. My body composition numbers have also shown improvement. From January to today (July), I have gained 18 pounds of muscle and reduced my body fat from 20-percent to 11-percent.
If you couple the great coaching staff at BCF with hard work, dedication, and a positive mindset, there will never be a ceiling on your growth and progress here. If an uncoordinated keyboard warrior like me can get this stuff, so can you. Seriously, I was as bad as they come, so there are no excuses. Come and join the fun!