Rebecca’s CrossFit9 Story
“I was told to go ‘grab a 400’ with the other foundations students. After I found out what that meant and with my Olivia Newton John sneakers tied tightly, I started out the door running with everyone. I got to about 50 meters when I stopped for some air. I walked the rest of the way to the stop sign (the halfway mark). A coach by the name of Zack ran to meet me and encouraged me to jog back to the box. I cried. I couldn’t. I was embarrassed and I could barely breathe. Zack stayed with me the entire time.
“I promised my wife I would give this CrossFit thing six weeks. Then, I could quit. Yay. That is how Kelly got me to go. I was totally going to quit after six weeks. I came home every night and cried because I did not want to be there, but I knew I only had to give it five more weeks. What a wimp I was!
“Thank goodness for the six week promise.
“Week two got a little better, week three, not so bad, week four…was I actually beginning to tolerate this? I was feeling a little stronger. I liked my new CrossFit9 family. Everyone was so nice and supportive. They made it EASY for me to keep going.
“A year and a half and thirty pounds ago I could not even jog 100 meters. This past weekend I completed a six mile, twenty-five obstacle “Savage Race” with my wife and CrossFit9 team.
“CrossFit9 works, cares, supports, lives and loves.”
Rebecca Meyer
Age 50
Chris Goodwin’s CrossFit9 Story
“I never heard of CrossFit. I heard of cross training and crossdressing, but not CrossFit. That was approximately three years ago. From high school, to the military, to becoming a police officer, I always strived to stay in good shape. I grew up in the era of big muscle mags like Flex and Muscle & (nothing to do with) Fitness; mottos like ‘go big or go home’, ‘no pain, no gain’, ‘cardio is Spanish for no muscle’, and ‘a big muscle is a strong muscle’! It worked well in my younger days, but eventually it caught up, but I still felt I was doing alright. I was team leader on SWAT, had a 465# 1 rep max on bench, and the SWAT obstacle course posed no problem to complete.
“I was invited by chance to the CrossFit9 Open House at the old downtown location on MLK. The WOD was “Cindy”: a 20 minute AMRAP of 5 pull-ups, 10 push ups and 15 ‘sissy squats’ (as we called them at Gold’s Gym, brah!). I thought to myself after it was explained, piece of cake… I can do that while eating a sandwich. I did it. I sucked. Only six freaking rounds. I was tight and sore for over a flipping week, but I loved it and I wanted more! I was humbled. I stood a besmirched, humbled meathead.
“I did not return for several months. I eventually decided that I would, but first I wanted to get in shape before I joined. Funny/strange/weird. I wanted to train to get in shape… to train to get in shape! WTF. A few months later, I walked into the brand new location of CrossFit9, and I haven’t looked back. After a year I cancelled my meathead gym membership and drank the Kool-Aid. I still have a ways to go, but I’m enjoying the trip. My mobility has improved by leaps and bounds. My cardiovascular conditioning is ten times better than it was.
“However, the best asset at the ‘9’ is the people — trainers and members. I have met some of the coolest, funniest, and supportive people ever. I truly feel lucky and blessed. I’ve spread the word throughout the Saint Petersburg Police Department and some have even drank the Kool-Aid! I get asked about CrossFit9 at the department often. It’s truly a feeling of family when even my grandson can enter the box and instantly be in comfort mode.
“And yes… I will give him some of the Kool-Aid in his sippy cup! 🙂
“Love it here!”
Chris Goodwin
Age 49
Will Schantz’s CrossFit9 Story
“I was a pretty fit guy until I quit playing college tennis. That’s when my focus strayed from health and fitness. Most of my 20s were a mix of partying and minimal studying. CrossFitters would say I “scaled” my college experience… to just shy of a decade.
“My fiancee Rachael and I both graduated, and we looked for opportunities outside of Columbus, Ohio. In the meantime, we joined up at a Planet Fitness. I went some, ate some Tootsie Rolls, and really wasn’t doing much for myself in the way of fitness.
“When our opportunity to move to St. Pete came along, we jumped on it. Rachael started up at CrossFit9 before me, and I am super thankful she brought me into the box. My first WOD was a Saturday partner workout, and Lindsay invited me to join the class. It was my first real workout in quite a while, and afterwards I signed up for Foundations. The next few days were rough, as I hadn’t felt such soreness for a very long time.
“I am extremely grateful for the experience I have bad since coming to CrossFit9. It’s been almost a year since I started and I have already achieved things I couldn’t earlier in life. From here I only see CrossFit9 becoming an even bigger part of my life.
“All of us have a different backstory that brought us to CrossFit9, but it’s so inspiring to be in it together. For that I am eternally grateful and thankful.”
Will Schantz
Mark’s CrossFit9 Story
It started with a promise I made to myself.
I vividly remember that I took a glimpse in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself. I used to be athletic when I was younger and I came to realize I had really let myself go physically. At the time I was suffering from chronic back spasms that would leave me debilitated if I simply moved or twisted by body the wrong way. This was due to my increased weight, which was over 240 pounds at my heaviest point, and lack of activity. I made a promise to myself at that moment that I was going to be in better shape at 40 years old than I was in my early 30’s, not only for the myself, but for my young family.
I started dieting and working out on my own. This worked for a little while but I noticed that I wasn’t pushing myself harder and I had hit a plateau. One day my back spasms started and I was in pain for a few days. My sister in law recommended that I visit Dr. Lance at Rx Chiro. After looking me over he recommended that I check out CrossFit9 because even though I was working out on my own, I really wasn’t targeting the muscle groups that would strengthen my back enough to avoid injury. I agreed and decided to give CrossFit9 a shot.
I arrived early to my first foundations class on October 1, 2012 at 7:00 AM. The 6:00 AM class was wrapping up a 5K run (thank god they weren’t making me do that on my first day). Steve Ashton was my foundations trainer and asked if I could get down into a squat. No … not even halfway. Could I do a pull up? No, I struggled to inch myself up a little bit towards the bar. What’s a burpee? I realized how out of shape I was and it was exposed for everyone in the building to see, but the great thing was that I knew that there were others that went through the same beginning struggles I was experiencing. Everyone was very supportive.
I stayed consistent with my workout routine, cleaned up my diet and totally changed my life. In April, I hit my 40th birthday and I can honestly say that I kept the promise that I made to myself. I’m stronger and healthier than I have been in years. I am surprised by some of the accomplishments I have reached in the past 3 years but now it’s time to set new goals. Here’s to getting in even better shape by 50!
Mark Kacprowski
Age 40
I Don’t Have Time to Exercise
We make you this promise: We will always respect your time.
Check out a few reasons why CrossFit9 has a long list of athletes who are parents, first responders, business owners, office warriors, and other time-crunched people who need to make every second count.
1. Classes are an hour long. Period.
Warmup. Mobilization. Workout explanation. Skills like strength work and gymnastic progressions. Fat-burning metabolic conditioning. Cooldown. All of this takes place in one hour or less, and under the watchful eye of a CrossFit9 coach. Check out our schedule here.
2. No guesswork.
Don’t you hate that feeling of walking into a gym and wondering what you’re going to do that day? Us, too. That’s why CrossFit9’s expert coaches program the workouts, so you’ll never be left scratching your head.
3. The Best Damn Schedule Around
CrossFit is wonderful, but why pay for a gym if it’s not open when you want to use it? CrossFit9 is open every day of the week, including luxuriously long open gym hours. So if you only have a few minutes to spare, you can still squeeze in a good workout.
4. Make the Most of Your Day
A heart-pounding workout can be the best thing you do for your productivity. A good ol’ endorphin rush will make you clear-headed at work, able to keep up with your kids, and sleep better when you hit the sack.
Ready to take this to the next level? Let’s go!
Danielle’s CrossFit9 Story
It’s been almost 3 years since I stepped through the doors of CrossFit9.
I was looking for a change. At that point in my life I was a shy, way-too-skinny girl with asthma, used to sprinting on a treadmill and doing supersets on non-functional machines at a local gym. I had fallen into the trap of worrying what the number on the scale showed and what size Express jeans I could fit in.
I remember being so intimated when I walked into CrossFit9 for the very first time. There were barbells flying, extremely fit people working out half naked doing some sort of upside down push-up. I felt completely in over my head until I realized I would be starting a class with 6 or 7 other people who looked just as scared as me.
From the first foundations class on I fell in love. As the months went on I started to become more confident in what I could do in the gym as well as outside of it. Who would have thought that throwing around heavy weight would give me courage and confidence, and the ability to apply that to my own practice as a physician assistant.
I think what I am most grateful about CrossFit9 is the community — or should I say my second family. There is something about pouring your heart and soul into a workout and looking over and seeing someone struggle just as much as you or cheering you on. It really is true that the last person to finish a WOD gets the loudest cheers. I never thought that warehouse would be my home away from home.
This environment, the coaches, the members, has lit a fire inside of me and I am making goals and doing things I never thought I would do. One word: muscle-up.
A video posted by CrossFit9 (@crossfit9stpete) on
That’s not the end though! I want to hit a 150 lbs. clean and jerk. The journey never ends. CrossFit and my family at CrossFit9 have pushed me to be better in so many facets of life. For that I’ll continue to drink the “kool-aid”. Cheers!
Danielle Yuftzack
Age 28
Ready to take this to the next level? Let’s go!
Lois’ CrossFit9 Story
From marathons, to crushing her first CrossFit Open, to “Murph” with a weighted vest, Lois continues to push her own limits and challenge those around her. We’re proud to call her part of our #9Nation family.
Video by Slice.company
What’s the Deal with Barbell Club?
If you’re ready to take your weightlifting to the next level, CF9 Barbell Club is right up your alley.
What is It?
We introduced CF9 Barbell Club a few months ago with the aim of introducing Olympic Weightlifting culture at CrossFit9. We want to build awareness and appreciation for a sport we borrow from in many CrossFit WODs, and provide a pathway for athletes who would like to specialize and even go on to compete in weightlifting meets. (After all, we’re a Certified USA Weightlifting Club!)
Vocabulary Lesson: Olympic weightlifting, often shortened to Weightlifting, refers to the Snatch and Clean & Jerk, the events contested at the Summer Olympics– including the one this summer in Rio!
Check out our own George B. at 2016 Senior Nationals!
How Is It Different from CrossFit?
CF9 Barbell sessions differ from our CrossFit classes in several ways.
The biggest difference you’ll see is that CF9 Barbell is a self-led class, with coaches milling about to help athletes break down and fine-tune their form when and where necessary. For that reason, we ask athletes to wait until they’ve had at least 6 months of consistent weightlifting in CrossFit classes before attending CF9 Barbell Club. (Brand new to barbell movements? Scroll down to the bottom!)
Athletes will self-select the best warm-up and mobility work for their body, capping off with assigned light barbell movements to get ready to roll. The programming is written on the white board, allowing lifters to move through at their own pace, taking a couple minutes of rest in between sets. We suggest sharing a platform with someone about your strength, and you’ll be able to help each other set up and break down equipment more quickly.
You Can Be Late. You read that right. Unlike our CrossFit classes, which start immediately at the allotted time, CF9 Barbell is an open lifting session. So if you can make it with an hour to spare and get right to work, you can still get a good session in.
- Monday Barbell Club 6:30–8:00 pm in the West Room
- Friday Barbell Club 5:30–7:00 pm in the West Room
It’s a Whole Lotta Fun!
It’s true. We love to blast music, chalk up, and get down to business. High fives are highly encouraged. No jerks allowed (except the lifting kind– wink!).
Last week we hosted “Lbs. for Liberty”, our first max out party. Everyone wore their red, white, and blue and kicked off the Fourth of July weekend by looking for a new one rep max in Snatch and Clean & Jerk. There were some misses and a few ugly lifts, but for the most part #9Nation made it RAIN personal records! We toasted the awesome results with a few brews afterwards. Take a look for yourself:
Beginners, Start Here!
If you’re watching that video and think, “I could never do that,” we’re here to help you surprise yourself. Even if you’ve never touched a barbell before, we’ve got you covered.
Join us for our Beginner Barbell class Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm. Because we want to give you as much 1-on-1 attention as possible, we cap attendance for this class.
- Members can RSVP by going to Wodify > Calendar > “Program: Olympic Weightlifting” > and select the next Beginner Barbell class to RSVP.
- Not yet a member? Sign up here and let us know in the notes if you’d like to get in on the next Beginner Barbell class!
Ready to take this to the next level? Let’s go!
Chris Shell’s CrossFit9 Story
“My name is Chris, I am 44 years young, and this is why I started going to CrossFit9.”
When I was a youth I was very involved in scouting. I spent my summers traveling the country on high adventures. I hiked the Appellation Trail, canoed through Maine, Minnesota, and Canada, and attended summer camps. I never got to visit the most challenging camp, Philmont. Philmont is more than 214 square miles of rugged wilderness in northern New Mexico. A typical trek lasts 12 days and will involve several mountain climbs over 10,000 feet while carrying all necessary gear on your back.
Fast forward 30 years and I have been in scouting with my son Spencer. I now have a chance to visit Philmont with him. Fate had shined on me and given me the second chance of a lifetime. The problem I faced was that I was in no condition to handle this trek. I weighed in around 240 pounds and was basically living a sedentary lifestyle. Though I had experience with running and playing tennis, I knew that in order to prepare for this trek I needed something more, and I would need help to ensure my success.
In January 2016, with only seven months before my big adventure, I knew the time for procrastination was over. By chance, a friend on Facebook liked CrossFit9’s page and I saw that they were offering a three-month special to start. I knew very little about CrossFit at the time. I visited, met with a coach, and attended a free session on a Sunday.
The biggest things that attracted me to this type of workout were that one, you just needed to show up, and two, it was a total body workout. I felt like this sort of training could really be the answer to preparing myself for Philmont. I went to classes four or five days a week in the mornings before work. I made a few small changes to my diet such as adding protein shakes in the mornings and trying to avoid excess carbs. (I’m not too good at that second one.)
After six months I was down more than 20 pounds and I felt amazing. I had energy all day long. During practice hikes with my Troop, I honestly had no issues keeping up with the teenagers. I left for my trek on July 10th, and I hiked over 80 miles through the mountains and climbed several peaks over 11,000 feet. I enjoyed every day of the trek and never felt like I wouldn’t make it through. During the tough climbs and long hikes, I would tell myself “this is just another WOD.” I could hear my fellow members cheering me on as they had so many times when I was the last to finish a tough workout. I would hear the words of encouragement from my coaches, which were sometimes positive and sometimes negative depending on how hard they knew I was pushing it, or whether or not they had their coffee yet.
Yes, the physical changes CrossFit gave me made the hike something I could enjoy rather than regret. More importantly, though, were all of the daily lessons I had learned from my fellow 9’ers. There are too many to name, but my 7 a.m. class knows – these people don’t use the words “can’t” or “quit”, there is only “do.” They show up ready to get physically exhausted and have a smile and a high-five to share afterward. The culture at Crossfit9 gave me much more than the physical challenges did; learning to keep going long after my mind is telling me to rest, encouraging others, and making progress rather than excuses. It’s these lessons that I am most grateful for.
Chris Shell
Age 44