Adnan’s CrossFit9 Story

“I’ll be the first to admit that I have never been much of a fan of working out. Growing up, I spent most of my time with my eyes glued to a GameBoy. There was never an emphasis placed on physical fitness, so I only began going to gyms in my early 20s. Before CrossFit, I had tried Cycling/Spin, Orange Theory, and Kickboxing. They were all great programs, but I found my fitness gains and my interest in the classes waning. I was bored.

I thought my CrossFit journey might play out the same way. When I first joined I was only somewhat committed and maybe showed up two or three times a week. I was getting better, but only at a modest pace.

It wasn’t until many months later that the CrossFit stars aligned for me. My major aha! moment happened in July when I attended a rope climbing clinic led by Coach Lindsay. I went into the session not knowing how to do a rope climb. At all. Period.

Truthfully, I was only expecting to come away with a couple of tips and tricks. Two hours later, not only could I reach the ceiling, but I could do so in just two movements! That changed everything for me. It showed me that I – the kid glued to the Nintendo – was physically capable. It ignited a desire to invest the time and energy in myself to get better.

All of a sudden, I found myself showing up 5 times a week in the evening – organically – and I started building strong relationships with my coaches and other members.

In the four months since the rope climb clinic, I have to give Coach Corey a shoutout for helping me step outside my comfort zone and achieve some major milestones, including:

  1. Graduating from Ring Rows to Kipping Pull-Ups
  2. Double Unders
  3. Handstand Push-ups
  4. Pistols
  5. Completing a full Rx workout – was a *insert high five emoji* moment!

I love our community. We cheer each other on, celebrate our successes, and work together through our challenges. Nothing makes me happier than to see one of my fellow 9ers accomplish a milestone that they’ve been working hard for.  It’s a beautiful thing and a reason why I consider CrossFit9 to be “my happy place.”

– Adnan Ali

Ready to take this to the next level? Let’s go!