William Chuang
February 21, 2019 15:17
I joined CrossFit Dynamix in November 2017. At the time, I was in my mid-thirties and in pretty bad shape. I had lifted weights for a bit but then stopped for about a decade due to work. I was the typical skinny-fat guy who spent a bit too much time sitting around in an office without exercise. My cholesterol was up, and my doctor said that I had to work out or start taking medication. Given the choice, I decided on CrossFit.
Starting was extraordinarily tough. The foundations class was helpful and educational but my first real CrossFit class, well, I maybe threw up in my mouth a little. Coach Stephanie was positive and kept pushing me right up until I wasn't able to go forward anymore. I wasn't physically injured in any way but my ego felt damaged. But I like challenges and decided to stay. That was the best decision I've made in a long time.
In the year or so since I joined, I have reached the best shape of my life due to the coaching by Justin, Hugo, Maria, Ryan, and the other coaches here at Dynamix. My cardio is much better, and I've lost a lot of body fat. I wouldn't say that I'm buff by any measure but I look and feel much better. I can run further, lift heavier weights, and do harder exercises. When I went hiking up a very steep trail last year, I went up pretty quickly without struggling too much while my fellow hikers were really dying from the effort.
The community here is also very friendly. To a beginner, the Dynamix crew is a bit intimidating because they're in really good shape. However, they generally treat CrossFit as a hobby, and like most hobbyists, are more than happy to chat and help out with advice. I got comfortable asking for advice not only from the coaches but also other members, and they were always very positive. Even when I was doing poorly (at least in my own mind), they were very encouraging, and pushed me to do better.
I would encourage anyone who wants to get into better shape to try CrossFit Dynamix. However, you need to leave your ego at the door. Start with the lowest weights and scaling options. Build up your cardio, your flexibility, and your technique. It's easy to push yourself too hard on weights because everyone else seems so capable, but that's a fool's errand. It's more important to do things correctly than to rush into exercises with bad mechanics and do everything wrong.
Commit yourself to at least three months. If you join for a month and then quit because you aren't seeing any results, then you might as well throw that money away. It took me a decade to get into bad shape, and it took me a year to get into good shape. Forgive yourself, and focus on improving yourself rather than comparing yourself to others.
Be loud. If you have any injuries, then tell the coaches. If you have any concerns, ask. If you don't know how to do something, ask. In terms of advice, I would say to stay after class for more cardio because that's something you can improve relatively quickly. Also, work on your core strength because that will pay dividends on your lifts.
Bottom line is that if you are willing to commit yourself to work hard and improve yourself, CrossFit Dynamix is the best place to do it.