I joined CrossFit Central within the first few weeks of moving to Austin during the summer of 2019. I had been going to CrossFit gyms or doing my own CrossFit workouts since I was 17. Frankly, I planned my move around the location of the gym, well before I ever visited it. I wish I had a deeper origin story to tell but I mostly just took a gamble that paid off enormously.

I had just moved down to Austin, coming from New York City. It was certainly a transitionary period but mostly a good thing at first. Funny enough, the job I moved across the country for turned out to be very bad. The work environment was comically toxic and bad for just about every employee's mental and physical health. It was difficult to consistently come out to CrossFit Central, mostly because the role demanded everyone be nearly constantly in the office. Regardless, CrossFit Central was there as one of the few escapes and I'm happy to say I found a far better role. Plus I can come to the gym every day now.

 

I came as a scrawny 155 lb, leaf eating city dweller. Since then, I've added 30 lbs, mostly muscle and mostly from bbq. I've hit milestones on every major lift that I would never have expected to hit.

I can squat 400 lbs, clean and jerk 300 lbs, snatch 220 lbs and sit in a tub of ice water for 10 minutes.

 

Those results have come in the last 6 months and seem to be accelerating. The most important change in my exercise career has been coming out to the barbell class hosted by Davis Collins. The results would not have been possible without his coaching.

Before joining, I had a lot of energy I directed toward comparing my results to others. I finally realized that's wasted energy. As I focused more on my own outcomes, self improvement became a far more sustainable motivator.

Also, going consistently to the Fire and Ice class all throughout the summer was a great pairing with the gym classes. The breath work, the sauna, and the ice tub are excellent places to focus inward, reflect, and learn to control your mind with greater force. Most day-to-day issues fade away when you're holding your breath under ice water.

The physical results are hard to argue with, but it's the community that keeps it so great. I spend more in person time consistently with my lifting class than many of my co-workers or family at this point. The barbell class run by Coach Davis has been a staple. I've also really appreciated the Fire and Ice class led by Michael Gregory.