MO

I joined CrossFit Central in September of 2022. Before I moved to Austin, I did research on all the CrossFit gyms in the area, the website of CrossFit Central looked so neat and professional. I checked the gym in great detail, and the Barbell class caught my eye. In my previous gym, we only had Barbell Specialized class on Saturday for a very brief period before Covid. The diverse classes and the spacious internal and external working areas made the final decision.

It was transitioning time for me. Last August I moved to Austin from New York. I was settling down in my new apartment while I already started my school life in UT Austin. The Ph.D program I’m doing is Structural Biology. Not only am I taking multiple classes but also doing experiments. I was so unfamiliar with everything in Texas, and I didn’t have any friends here. I felt overwhelmed and exhausted, physically and mentally. When I started coming to the gym, I had to scale almost all movements because my body was so beaten-down at the time. Even though CrossFit Central was a new gym to me, the snatch is the snatch no matter where you are. The familiarity of the gym vibe helped me ease into the life of Austin.

I definitely got leaner, my body fat percentage decreased from 18% to 16%, and I PR’d the front squat (160 LB) and push jerk (125 LB).

Since joining the gym I made new friends. We attended several competitions this year, we did alright regarding the results but we for sure had a lot of fun. People in the gym are so chill and friendly. Even though the workout is normally very tough, the environment in general and my interaction with the people help to relax my nerves. The best part of my experience in the gym is watching the coach trying to speak over the passing train and sighing when failing to do so.

I love doing CrossFit. The variety of the movements make me feel excited every day. And CrossFit Central is an outstanding gym. It has every equipment I like to try; the space is so large which is so appealing to a person who lived in New York for 6 years, the coaches are so nice and talented in different aspects of the fitness, the location is convenient, abundant events happen all the time, and the community is very tight and prosperous. In summary, it’s just perfect.