64 years young and getting stronger every day!
I came from a fairly active group class at a regional gym where all around aerobics, body and hand weights were our medium.   Except for a torn rotator cuff that kept me from many movements and a knee that hurt to bend I thought I was physically fit!  An orthopedic Doctor looking at my MRI said my shoulder could only be fixed through surgery and my knee was an age issue….he said I was old!!  The more my son Tucker told me about CrossFit and the more I watched his physical improvements, the more I wished to join.  But I thought I was too “elderly”.    Somehow the conversation came up and Tucker said it was never too late to get in shape, so I made the commitment to begin.  I joined CrossFit during the Foundations class in May 2014 and I expected to “try” it out for 2-3 months.  Within weeks my “try” turned to a very positive addiction even though I had to make the time commitment to drive more than 20 minutes to get to Ballston.
The encouragement (and education) to do mobility before and after class has been a most positive affect on my ability to hold correct positions and then increase my weights as strength improved. When I started, my shoulders and hips were so tight that I could not even do an overhead squat with PVC (using weight was impossible).  After months of mobility in the shoulder and hips I can now do an overhead squat with 35lbs and good form! Here are some other things I have accomplished

• 12 full rope climbs to a 15′ height
• Can do 10 “real push-ups”!!
• Double unders w jump rope (52 in a row – can you believe it?!?)
• Jump on a 24″ box
• Power clean 75lbs
• Back squat and deadlift over 100lbs
• Bench Press 50lbs

The other blessing about Ballston CF and CFR7 is that no one seems to mind how old I am.  The point for each individual is to improve their strength, function, mobility and nutrition.  Some people practice and some don’t but the obvious successes are by those athletes who improve because of focus and the work they do on both mobility and strength training.
I wish I would return to those orthopedists who said I was old and needed surgery, to show them my massive improvement (and share that I’ve lost 8lbs doing CF and gained new muscles).  CrossFit and all that goes along with its focus such as chiropractic care (ART) and Thai massage which have all been parts of my rehab and reconditioning.
I am very thankful to my son Tucker, his excellent standards at BCF and CFR7, his incredible team of coaches, and the wonderful encouraging community which he has built for introducing me to the wonderful world of CrossFit. I have had an incredible improvement in my fitness since starting CrossFit and can’t wait to meet my new fitness goals! See you in the box!
 

After graduating college and moving 300 miles away from home, I found myself in a fitness rut. This was the first time in eighteen years that I was not a part of a team and felt lost without the support and bond of a team , which I had grown accustomed to while running cross country and track in college. I accepted the fact that my “glory days” of running were over and joined a run-of-the-mill gym.
Months of 5lb dumbbell curls in a smelly room of meatheads I finally attended a free class at Ballston CrossFit. The camaraderie and dedication was apparent from the moment I stepped through the doors. Several days of hobbling around and being sore told me that this was the place I needed to be to get in shape.
Within the first few weeks I had achieved several physical accomplishments and, more importantly, gained numerous friendships. Each day I look forward to going to the gym, seeing friends, and setting new personal bests. The BCF coaches and members motivate you to push yourself beyond limits, setting and accomplishing goals on a regular basis. In addition to setting goals in the gym, the BCF community supports and motivates you in all other aspects of life.
I have recently begun racing again, and, much to my surprise, begun setting personal bests that were unachievable while running in college. Having only ran 3 times in the month leading up to my first half marathon I maintained a 7:00 mile pace for a time of 1:31. Most recently I achieved a lifetime goal that a year ago I considered impossible, I ran my first ever sub 20 minute 5k (setting over a 30 second personal record) with only a handful of training runs to supplement my CrossFit training!! I attribute all my running success to Crossfit. It has strengthened my entire body from head to toe and taught me how to persevere through hard workouts by relying on mental strength.

To say I’m happy with the changes I’ve seen in my mental and physical condition since I started coming to BCF would be an understatement.  When I first walked through the doors, I was on a host of medications for cholesterol, heartburn, and blood sugar, and my doctor was about to add another for blood pressure.  In the six months since I joined, I’ve seen tremendous gains in my strength and conditioning, and I’m down 40 pounds since the start of 2014.  Most importantly, I’m having more fun now than I’ve ever had in a gym environment.  I can’t recommend BCF highly enough.

I could not be happier or more excited with my transition 8 months ago starting with Ballston CrossFit and CrossFit as a workout overall. The Coaches at Ballston Crossfit have pushed me to truly make the most of the strength components each day and challenge my limits in every WOD. When I first started, I had no idea what an Clean and Jerk was, how to do a hand stand push up or work my way to completion with one, or how proper technique combined with mobility would help me with so many movements, even with everyday life! I can say that withhard work and 8 months Crossfitting and Coaching have truly paid off; I have increased my back squat and front squat 100 lbs, I can dead lift 300 lbs, double unders have become second nature (almost 100 unbroken), I can complete pull-ups and ring dips without bands, I can even do a hand stand pushup, and when I look at the WODs every day I say to myself “I can do that!” – all of these with even better accomplishments to come. Most of all, the community and Coaches at Ballston Crossfit have given me the confidence and competitive drive to take on the 2014 Open Workouts! Eight months ago I would not have imagined being here physically, mentally or competitively; now I look at each day thinking how am I going to get fitter, better and stronger every time I set foot in BCF! 3…2…1…GO!

It is not an exaggeration to say I’m not a gifted athlete. I was always the spaz that the other athletes would run right by. My solution was to give up and over the years I got fat. I spent many years struggling with my weight through exercise and diets. I trudged for hours on robotic machines, lifted weights with no plan, and watched the needle on the scale go up.
After all those years of work, at 42 years old, I was lying in bed one night and started feeling chest pains. I ended up in the hospital with a cadre of doctors and nurses trying to figure out the medical diagnosis. They settled on a “heart event”, but I knew it was a sign that something had to change. The next day I went to a stress-test and I remember stepping onto the scale and it reading a big fat 218 pounds. I was in a haze from my night in the hospital, but I knew with crystal clarity at that moment, I was a fat guy.
At some point I heard about Crossfit and found Ballston Crossfit in June 2012. I went for a free class and decided this was going to change my life. I went through Foundations and learned most of what I thought I knew was wrong. The coaches have worked with me to ensure I’m doing things correctly and safely while pushing me to achieve greater things. Even though Crossfit has not come to me easily, I’ve found a community of athletes and coaches who want me to accomplish my goals. They push me to I succeed, but support me when I struggle. In addition to amazing coaches, BCF offers yoga, mobility seminars and nutrition challenges, so you can fix all those achy spots and learn how to feed your body for optimal fitness.
The result? I’m down to 190 pounds and still going, but I’ve stopped the yo-yo diets, the fitness fads, and the decline in my health. Crossfit frees you from the Gazelle, the Thigh Master, the Butt Blaster or whatever weird machine you are tethered to. Plus, you can ditch all those crazy diets and begin eating delicious food.
I’ve been doing Crossfit for about 18 months and I’m in the best shape of my life. If I could take on my 20-year-old-self in a WOD today, this 44 year-old-man would win! Today, I’m not even close to the strongest or fastest athlete at BCF, but I’ve worked hard and feel incredible about myself. I constantly get comments from people in my life about how fit I look these days and my daughter noticed that I have become “really really strong”. Even a spaz like me can make it at BCF.