1
Apr
Ross Askanazi
| Q: How did you find out about Ballston CrossFit and what about it convinced you to join? I moved to Ballston and got a dog a couple of years ago, and I noticed this gym on one of our walks around the neighborhood. I was looking for a new community, new lifestyle and exercise changes, and just new adventures, and eventually decided to give the free class a try. Everybody I talked to from the first time I walked in was so kind and welcoming, it really made me excited to come back. Q: What stopped you from coming in sooner? I’d always thought part of the brand was super high intensity and thought that meant you had to be really athletic and already in great shape to enjoy it. I was thrilled to learn I was totally wrong and that it’s a lot of fun even at super introductory levels. Having such a welcoming environment, plenty of scaling options, and coaches who encourage you no matter what level you’re at fixed all of my misconceptions really quickly. Q: When did you start at BCF and what were your goals going into it? I started almost exactly a year ago! I think I took Foundations in May 2023. Coming into it I had general goals of being healthier. I had a lot of back pain issues and terrible cardio. So I wanted to try new ways to feel better. The diversity of CrossFit really appealed to me – Having better cardio, being stronger, being able to move around pain-free, it all had a lot of appeal. I didn’t set myself any particular benchmarks, I just wanted to generally be healthier. Q: What has helped you achieve success at BCF? Being open-minded and committing to the process. I really try to check all prior beliefs at the door and if a coach tells me to do something, I do it 🙂 Q: What advice can you give to others that are new to CrossFit? Focus on having fun and working hard and don’t measure progress *too* much. Certainly don’t compare your progress to other people. There’s so many dimensions to CrossFit, and everybody is progressing at different speeds on each dimension. Just enjoy your own journey and support everybody else on their journey. Q: Besides working out, what other lifestyle changes did you make outside of the gym to achieve your goals? I try to do a lot of work on mobility and I’ve tried to be smarter about my diet. I don’t count calories but eating more vegetables goes a really long way. It’s harder to overeat when half your plate is veggies. Q: What benefits have you noticed since starting CrossFit both in or out of the gym? Honestly everything about life gets easier and more enjoyable. Having a stronger core means I don’t get back pain anymore. I can run with my dog and not get out of breath. I sleep better and I’m less stressed. It’s pretty incredible how different life is. Q: What has been your favorite thing about Ballston CrossFit? The coaches and community! I’ve made a lot of friends at BCF, every day when I come in I’m excited to see who will be there and there are good groups that hang out outside the gym now too. The coaches are truly fantastic. Everybody is extremely well-educated and well-trained, but also everybody has their own perspective and their own way of thinking about the sport. So I always learn something new every time I talk to a coach! |