My name is Anisa Vintimilla. I joined BCF in November 2020 (yes, 2020, that awful year when we were stuck at home). I also happened to have just moved to Arlington in the middle of the pandemic and I was bored, had zero friends. I had nothing to do but stay at home watching tv while eating and putting on some extra pounds. That got me scared since I’ve always battled with my weight and body image. In 2018 I was at my heaviest weight of 206lbs, I was able to lose quite a bit over the next 2 years (got down to 160) doing all the popular fad diets (keto, whole 30, IF) but couldn’t lose any more or tone anything. Now thanks to CrossFit I’ve lost another 25lbs and I actually get to eat the foods I like (hi carbs, I missed you)! 

I used to play a lot of sports growing up (soccer, racquetball, tennis, track, roller skating) and considered myself pretty decent at them but when I got to college I just stopped. I always HATED going to the gym, I thought it was boring and would focus on just cardio machines. These were the worst to me because I have asthma and I would give up right away. After doing CrossFit for 9 months I barely use my inhaler and now I can actually run and jog for an extended time.

I didn’t know BCF offered a free trial class. I just showed up one day, asked about getting started and signed up on the spot for the foundations class. Luckily it was starting the next day or I would’ve probably lost the motivation to start. 

During the foundations classes coaches Brock and Madison really knew how to keep us all motivated, and teach us basic technique using the barbell while some good music was playing. They would also make us laugh and feel more relaxed to be there. The first time I picked up a barbell I really liked it, and wanted to add more weight to it right away!

I was super intimidated at first because everyone looked so fit and were having such a good time. I felt like I would never be able to do the same thing, but I was willing to give it a try. I signed up for a 3 month membership with 13 classes a month,  and kept thinking after 3 months I can say I tried and just cancel it. Here I am 9 months later absolutely loving it. 2 months in, I had to upgrade my membership to unlimited classes because I kept running out. 

I set the goal of doing at least 1 pull up by the end of my first year and maybe get close to doing a single rep of toes to bar or climb halfway up the 15ft rope that seemed impossible back then. I can proudly say I can currently do 5-7 strict pull ups, string together 10-12 toes to bar, and fully climb the rope several times during a WOD. Double-unders and handstand push-ups are next ;).

I have had so much fun and have been so motivated that I also decided to learn about my nutrition and counting my macros to make it all work in my favor. Those toned arms, booty and abs I wanted to have my whole life are finally starting to make an appearance!

It is very hard as an adult in a new city to make friends, especially friends that will have the same interests and will help motivate you. However, at BCF that is easy! So many people are willing to welcome you, help you and encourage you to push yourself! In a short time I’ve made some amazing friends. I was never EVER a morning person until I joined BCF and tried out the 5:30am classes, now I wake up easily and am excited to go to the gym every morning to get a good workout in while hanging out with my friends!

The coaches… AMAZING! So knowledgeable, helpful, fun and friendly! They are always willing to go the extra step to make sure you’re doing it right, to help you achieve the goals you set for yourself, to modify a movement if you need to for any reason (injuries, experience level, etc). 

I HAVE to mention the top 3 coaches that have helped me the most (because every coach has helped me one way or another) but Cam & Rich coaching the AM classes with such great energy have had a huge impact on my success. Also, Madison, even though she is not coaching in the morning would go out of her way to give me advice on how to improve a certain movement, checking on the technique and not letting me give up without trying one more time.

The thing is, with BCF you get ALL the tools for success, and it is just a matter of how you use them. They offer skills classes to help you get better at certain things, mobility & yoga classes, nutrition seminars, clinics, and mainly great coaches with a ton of good info who want you to get better! I will never regret the day I walked through that door for the first time! 

Everyone’s experience is different in its own way but in my opinion we all struggle with similar battles of mental walls and fears of failure. At BCF we are constantly reminded by the coaches and peers that we can in fact break through those walls and get it done. I love a quote that I actually have no clue who said it to give credit to, but it goes like this: “You won’t always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined”. 

Completing the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in one trip is a mammoth undertaking. Each year, thousands of hikers attempt the over 2,000 mile journey and only about one in four makes it all the way.⁣
⁣
One of those hikers is our very own Faith Breads! It’s always nice when our athletes make their fitness functional. Here’s what she had to say about the experience: ⁣
⁣
“I’m happy to say that I summited Mount Katahdin and completed my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail on Sunday, September 19th. Not only did I feel my strongest on trail thanks to the WODs, I felt super equipped to properly stretch my body and focus on recovery thanks to the mobility tips and seminars I attended.” ⁣
⁣
Every journey starts with a first step. What will YOU accomplish next? ⁣
⁣

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!

Hi! My name is Stephanie Percoco and I joined Ballston CrossFit in August 2020 as a way to get back on track with my health and fitness. Also, I needed a social outlet during the pandemic. Growing up, I was a competitive figure skater and was part of the color guard in my high school’s marching band. I always considered myself active, competitive, somewhat health conscious and involved, but not someone who was particularly super athletic.  I couldn’t keep up with skating after college so as a way to keep myself “in shape” I would lift weights in the gym. I wasn’t seeing the results that I wanted which often left me feeling unmotivated. It was a negative mindset to have. Also, working out alone is really boring. 

In 2018, I moved to New York City to pursue my dreams of working in TV and film, but the job was really intense and I stopped caring about my health. My plan was to get myself to the gym, but I was so tired after work and I was always anxious my boss would call me with some fire to put out so I didn’t go. Working in entertainment can sometimes be a 24/7 job. I gained weight and was the heaviest I’d ever been in life. Then the pandemic happened. The industry shut down and I had to move home. It was time to really reflect on where I was going in life and I decided that I really needed to make some changes both physically and mentally. Once I was settled into my new job working in healthcare, I realized that I just really missed the 5 day/week routine of having an activity that I enjoyed and that made me feel challenged. 

CrossFit was always something I wanted to at least try and I had known about BCF from when I lived in Arlington previously. I doubted myself, but there was something inside me that just knew I should go for it. I had nothing to lose.  At first, I was super insecure and felt awkward being around such a strong group of athletes. After seeing them push through a workout there was no way I was ever going to be able to do that, but instead of giving up, I used it as an opportunity to work on my insecurities. It is we who must not judge the act, but rather see the edge being met. Stay at the edge and do not judge the feat that brings you to the edge. It’s only the edge that matters.

Since joining BCF and with the help of their excellent coaching staff and community, I have lost 30lbs and am in the best shape I have ever been in.  I can squat 160lb, bench 100lb and I am close to getting a pull up. I even completed my first “Murph” this year. The community is so supportive and even if you sometimes get confused by the structure of the workout, like me,  the coaches are always there to help guide you. CrossFit has become my therapy, a place to hold myself accountable and a place where I find community of which I feel a part of. It’s given me a space to push myself beyond my comfort zone and to work hard to make my goals a reality. I am so grateful for what I have learned from the coaches and I am looking forward to continuing making progress. 

I started CrossFit when I joined Ballston CrossFit in August 2020, and my success story is still very much a work in progress. I feel like finding a gym that has become an integral part of my life is a success in and of itself. My background is that I was a college club hockey player with a penchant for snow sports who was “active” but had no interest in fitness or strength. My stress and weight snowballed after starting my first job as a surgeon in a rural area where I was isolated, depressed, and couldn’t even muster the energy to be active. I finally committed to a change when the new Orangetheory Fitness opened in town. COVID struck 3 months later but I continued working out at home and 4 months later, I moved to Arlington. At that time, I was in fair shape cardio wise, but I wanted to get stronger. What I wondered when I was looking for a gym is how is this place going to help me meet my goals as well as inspire me to make it an indispensable part of my life.

Between death by wall balls/box jumps at the free trial class and my pre-existing bias as an orthopaedic surgeon against CrossFit as a potentially dangerous activity, I didn’t think it was for me at first. Then they offered a discount on foundations and I thought learning proper lifting technique wouldn’t be a bad idea. By the end, I was interested enough to commit to 3 months. What impressed me immediately was that in my first classes, the coaches recognized that I was new, introduced themselves, and made sure that I was performing the movements safely and modifying the workout appropriately for my abilities. They were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but what was unique was that they seemed to really care that I wasn’t getting overwhelmed or discouraged by my inexperience which can certainly be frustrating initially. Early on, I was in a few classes with a coach who wasn’t coaching the class but would still make an effort to give me advice and help with my technique which I thought was awesome and really encouraging. 

I’m naturally shy, so it was hard to meet people at first as I floated around different classes 3x/week. Almost 3 months in, I upgraded my membership to unlimited and started going almost every day at the same time where there was a fairly consistent and talented core group that I was both intimidated and inspired by. Small actions make a huge difference, and a simple fist bump and “good job” at the end of class from a classmate that I hadn’t previously talked to made me feel like I belonged for the first time. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know so many awesome people and started to understand what #BCFfriendshipmachine is all about! When you move to a new city in the middle of a pandemic, finding community is an invaluable feat. Going to the gym isn’t just about working out anymore. It’s an opportunity to grow under the guidance of mentors, a chance to pursue a passion with friends who share it, and a journey toward building not only a strong and functional body but mind as well.

If the first 3 months were a trial in patience and development, the second 3 months have been an exciting time of growth. People frequently say they aren’t fit enough to do CrossFit, but that’s a misconception. My fitness level when I joined was that I had started to run on a treadmill instead of walk and I had picked up a dumbbell before, but I had never done any of the exercises that are common in CrossFit workouts. I learned how to link two double unders after 4 months and 2 months later was able to use them in my first Open workout. Even though I struggled, I was able to attempt and survive the Rx (aka most difficult) version of my first two CrossFit Open workouts ever. My weightlifting technique is slowly improving, and I feel myself getting stronger for the first time in my life. My confidence in what my body is capable of continues to grow, allowing me to continue pushing myself in every workout. 

These small victories are a vital morale booster especially when the pressures of life and work seem insurmountable. It reminds me that with hard work and perseverance, even things that seemed impossible may one day be achievable. Especially in these times, it can feel like so much of life is out of our control, but when training, the work you put in correlates with the results you get out and there are no shortcuts, excuses, or saboteurs. It’s been a spectacular de-stressing environment for this type A, obsessive compulsive, perfectionist surgeon! What makes BCF special is not only programming that will inevitably improve your physical fitness if you stick with it, but community and mentorship that keep you invested and motivated even when times are tough whether in your fitness journey or life in general.