ROY VOSS
How did you first hear about CrossFit?
I was first introduced to CrossFit in the summer of 2008 by pure chance. At that time I had become extremely bored with the mundane training regimen that is typically seen at large chain gyms. My training partner was a former gymnast who had also become bored with our daily training routine. In an attempt to change our programming, we decided to incorporate some gymnastic movements into our training, as well as minimize the rest time in between movements, rounds, and sets. The effect of this was programming that appeared similar to CrossFit. During one of our training sessions another member at the gym asked if we were doing CrossFit. We both looked at each other, not knowing what he was talking about, and responded, “No.” A couple weeks passed and I noticed a friend of mine wearing a CrossFit shirt, peaking my interest once again. That evening I visited CrossFit.com. The next day and in the following weeks I started incorporating main-site WOD’s into my training, until entirely transitioning into CrossFit, first at a chain gym then at a local box.
How did you hear/find CrossFit Mission Gorge?
I knew that I was going to be moving to San Diego early in 2010 for work, th
us began my search for a new box to train at. I initially started my search under the affiliates section of HQ’s main-site. Over the course of six months, before moving to San Diego in the fall of 2010, I would sporadically visit the different affiliates websites trying to narrow down my search, but with minimal results. As with any new gym or training facility I am very particular. I spend a considerable amount of time training and I want to be comfortable at my box. When I first arrived in San Diego I thought I would try CrossFitting at a “globo” gym, but having done that before I knew it wouldn’t work. So after a few frustrating months of bouncing from “globo” gym to “globo” gym, I picked up my search for a new box once more. CrossFit Mission Gorge was one of the affiliates I found that peaked my interest from their website, so I decide to give them a visit. I showed up one night to give them a try and signed up after class as over. The facility and the coaches fit what I was looking for at that time, and as I have grown as an athlete over the months so has the facility and the coaches grown to fit my new demands.
What is you athletic background?
My athletic background began when I started swimming lessons at the age of four. After spending some time taking swimming lessons I began competing and did so until I was nineteen. Along with swimming I was an All State and All League baseball player in high school. After graduating high school my baseball career soon ended after a short stint in college. Nevertheless, the competitive drive still existed. In order to fill the voided that baseball and swimming had left I took to the gym. I was no stranger to weight lifting and training, that was commonplace for me while out of season, and I had done some power lifting training previously as well. With athletics seemingly a part of my past, I decided I would purse some of the more competitive aspects of weight training, those being power lifting and bodybuilding. I first tried my hand at power lifting. I trained and competed, but never really found much enjoyment in either the training nor the competing. So after a few power lifting competitions I decided to give bodybuilding a shot. Here again, I training and competed in a few different competitions, but once again the training and the competitions lacked the competitive aspect found in other athletics.
What do you do for a living, and how does CrossFit Mission Gorge help prepare you for things you may experience at work?
Professionally I work for the Government so it is imperative that I maintain myself physically. While I have always been very active there are certain characteristics and traits of CrossFit you will not find in other sports or training programs that translate to my professional life everyday. One of those is the push and the drive to never stop, even when your entire body aches and you can barely breath because your lunges feel like they are on fire, you push through it until your done. I find myself in WOD’s were I want to slow down or back off a little and as soon as I do that, I find I have one of the CrossFit Mission Gorge coaches pushing me, encouraging me to pick the pace back up and not falter. It’s this characteristic of CrossFit and Mission Gorge that are indispensable to me professionally. Finding yourself in a situation were you are physically torn down, routinely so, and yet you push through it, often times harder and more ferociously than in the beginning. Also there is the constant drive and push to always excel and be better than you were the day before in your movements, capacity, and in every aspect. All of these are very important to me in my personal life, athletic life, and in my professional life.
Please tell us a little bit about your experience competing in the CrossFit Open Sectionals and The Southern California Regional.
The 2011 CrossFit Open was a great experience for me to say the lease. I had just recently returned to CrossFit after an eight-month hiatus, do to work obligations, when the Open began. Initially I had no intentions of participating, but after some coaxing, encouraging, and maybe a little pure pressure by the coaches and other members, I decided to compete. Competing in the Open was eye opening and beneficial in many ways. It revealed some of my deficiencies and areas I needed more work on. It re-exposed me to competition after being away from a competitive sport for so long. It also exemplified the CrossFit community; moreover, the community at CrossFit Mission Gorge. There was encouragement for you to succeed, encouragement when you failed, and encouragement to push yourself.
The 2011 Southern California Regional was again a great experience for me. I competed in the Team events with other members from CrossFit Mission Gorge, which provided valuable insight and fostered an amazing atmosphere when training and competing. I felt more prepared for the Regional’s after competing in the Open and having time to train with the coaches and team members, but nonetheless, gained a tremendous amount of insight and knowledge from the Regional competition. Regional’s solidified my love for the sport and the community and ignited a desire in me to perform better in next year’s competitions.
As someone who is competitive in the sport of CrossFit, how has CrossFit Mission Gorge helped you prepare for the CrossFit Games season?
Through preparation for the CrossFit Games season Mission Gorge as been indispensable. The coaches are always available before, during, and after classes to provide critics on movements or methods and insight into training techniques and nutrition. For me personally, one of the most valuable preparation tools I have gain from the coaches comes during daily classes. They have been there to push me during a WOD beyond what I may physically or mentally want to do, helping me to achieve to high levels both physically and mentally. The critics before and after classes on movements have allowed me to improve a great deal on many of the movements I was weak in and have subsequently enabled me to perform better overall.
What are your goal(s) for the next CrossIt Games Season?
My goals for the next CrossFit Games season are to perform better than the last. I plan on competing in the Southern California Regional’s in the Individual classification and will ideally earn a spot at the CrossFit Games in the Individual classification.
Any words of advice for former athletes looking to start CrossFit, or current CrossFitters who would like to compete during the CrossFit Games Season?
Words of advice I would give former athletes or current CrossFitters wanting to compete in the Games is, “Jump In.” Expose yourself to the competition atmosphere and be a sponge. Be willing to learn from others and be aware of yourself and your abilities, deficiencies, weaknesses, and strengths. Push yourself and push others, and always strive to do better and achieve more.
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The first time someone mentioned CrossFit to me, I didn’t think twice about it. It was just shy of 2 years ago, I had just had a baby, and the idea of working out again was the last thing I thought I had time for in my already jam packed schedule. Between my new baby, my husband at home, a house to maintain, and oh, let’s not forget the full time job, I never thought I would see the inside of a gym again, though I knew deep down I really wanted and needed to, for more reasons that I even realized at the time.
Over the past two years, I have had several friends become involved in the CrossFit community throughout Californina, and they have all had the SAME thing to say about it…”It will change your life!”. I didn’t really know what that meant, but I was very intrigued. I began looking into the different CrossFit boxes around San Diego and found CrossFit Mission Gorge. I liked what I saw on the website, but I still had excuses! So there I was, stalking the website for nearly 5 months before I FINALLY got myself into the box and gave it try! Once I finally did though, let me tell you, it was love at first lift!
I have to admit…it was a bit intimidating at first. You might look at the experienced athletes doing the Olympic weight lifting moves or a kipping pull-up and think the same thing, but don’t! The beauty of CrossFit Mission Gorge and their wonderful coaches is that they are hear to teach us, motivate us and inspire us to get better and stronger! And, not only do you get the opportunity to work with these amazing coaches, but you have an amazing membership of experienced CrossFitters that support you, too!
I am approaching my six month anniversary at CrossFit Mission Gorge and I can officially say that it HAS changed my life! I have learned how to workout more efficiently, I have learned how to eat in ways our bodies were meant to and in doing so I have lost 20 lbs and am back to pre-baby weight! But not only have I seen the obvious physical changes in such a short time, but also in doing CrossFit, I have become less stressed outside of the gym, a happier wife, and an all around better example to my daughter by leading a healthy lifestyle.
It is so exciting for me that I no longer look for reasons NOT to work out, but rather I seek out ways to allow my schedule to fit in as many workouts in a week as possible. CrossFit Mission Gorge has become a permanent repeating event on my calendar and I am so grateful to have found it!!! Thank you CFMG!!!
(Written by Jen L.)
My first experience with Crossfit was a couple of summers ago when I was trying to get back in shape and my brother was trying to get ready for BUD/s. He invited me one day to try something called a "Turkish Get Up" or something outlandish, along with about 5 million lunges. He said we were supposed to do pushups and pullups too but I decided to skip those because I hated them (but really because I couldn't do them even a little bit.) I almost threw up and for the next three days I was limping and groaning with every step.
Running is my first love, but after the Rock and Roll marathon last year my knees were no longer being team players in my body's quest for fitness. I tried working out on the elliptical religiously, sprinkling in "strength training" on the nautilus type machines at 24 hour fitness. After about 8 weeks, I was so frustrated by my lack of progress that I was ready to try something drastic.
After some research on different Crossfit gyms in San Diego, I happened upon Crossfit Mission Gorge. The amazing guys there made it easy to get past the intimidation factor of Crossfit. I remember telling Ian that I was only doing Crossfit because I couldn't run, and that I didn't care if I could ever do a pull up or bunch of push ups. The first two weeks I had to force myself to get over my fear of looking and feeling like an idiot while doing movements that were foreign to me. As I got to know the other people there, their encouragement and cheerleading, regardless of their own levels of fitness, was all I needed to convert me from dutiful exerciser to Crossfit fanatic.
Fast forward 5 months, and now I'm sure that my friends wish I would stop talking about Crossfit things such as cleans, kipping, or going Rx. I can actually do more than one pull up unassisted, and I don't have to do push ups from my knees anymore. I'm still working on the whole "lifting heavy things over my head" concept, but every time I do double unders I get a couple more in a row than the time before. I love seeing new muscles (itty bitty ones, but still) and fitting into my clothes better. The feeling of leaving everything on the floor at the end of a WOD is better than the runner’s high I used to get from running for hours. I love the confidence it gives me to know that I did things that were impossible for me just months or weeks ago. There is a secret swagger, or something, in my step as I walk up the stairs (wincing with every step) because I did Crossfit before work: after facing my own mental and physical boundaries in the box, nothing the day throws at me can be too overwhelming.
It’s been 6 months since I signed up to CrossFit Mission Gorge, and to be honest, it’s the best decision I have ever made. Working out at the local “globo” gym wasn’t providing me with the results I wanted. I needed a change, that’s when I found CrossFit Mission Gorge. At first I was very skeptical, some of the exercises we were doing I’ve never heard of or seen. It was a little intimidating but I didn’t let that stop me. With the great instruction and guidance from coaches Ian, Geo and Dawn I’ve been able to improve greatly on my form and flexibility to do many of these workouts.
What I liked the most when I started CrossFit is that if your weak in certain areas or aspects of a workout, the coaches will work with you face to face and help you improve your technique or give you some constructive criticism. You can’t get that kind of help from a gym. Another great aspect of CrossFit is the relationships you make with the people you workout with. Being new to California, I didn’t know many people besides the people I work with. It’s a nice change of pace to meet people outside of work, who are all so different.
Since joining 6 months ago, I’ve seen some amazing results. I’ve lost close to 30 lbs. and have trimmed off 6 inches off my waist. I’m coming close to turning the big 3-0 and I’m glad that I look and feel better than when I was 20. CrossFit Mission Gorge has really changed my life for the better and can’t wait to see what this New Year brings.
I got into CrossFit about a year and a half ago while on deployment and I loved it. When I got back I decided I was going to find a CrossFit box to train at, after some searching I decided that it wasn't going to be worth spending the money on any I found. I decided I would just go the the on-base "globo gyms" and work with what they had. They are not conducive to CrossFit programming.
I decided to try my search again in Febuary after being in a deep rut post-deployment and having gained 20lbs. This time when I searched and CrossFit Mission Gorge popped up. The first plus was that it was really close to my house, the second and third were the coaches and the members. I instantly felt comfortable, no "who's the new guy stares", just warm welcomes.
So I jumped right into Ian and Geo's great programming and have experienced nothing but PR's and gains since. Geo mentioned that another CrossFit gym was having a CrossFit competition in October and suggested I sign-up. I remember thinking there wasn't enough time to prepare and train, but I signed up anyways, and actually won! This couldn't have happened without the great coaching from Ian and Geo and the amazing support from my great friends at CFMG.
I have always been an active person, but the mental and physical strength that I have gained from working out at Crossfit Mission Gorge (CFMG) is unparalleled by any workout regime I’ve ever done.
When I came to Crossfit Mission Gorge four and a half months ago, I had recently gained some weight and I was in such a deep workout rut that I wanted to scream! A good friend of mine had been going to CFMG and suggested that I check it out. I showed up for a WOD and was instantly hooked: The positive, encouraging environment was such a fantastic change from my mindless stair-stepping at the gym or a workout video in my garage - how could I not keep coming back?
Recently I had been toying with the goal of running a 10k. I thought I would have to create a specific training program and it would take many weeks or months to work up to such a goal. But I was quite surprised a few weeks ago when I returned from a run only to realize that I had just run 6.5 miles! That’s 0.3 of a mile more than a 10K! I promptly signed up for a local 10k that another CFMG member suggested and I set the goal of completing it in less than an hour. With hardly any run training I was able to complete it in 52:20! Before Crossfit, I never would have even set the goal of running a 10k, let alone complete it in less than an hour!
As far as the nutritional ideas that Ian and Geo have shared with me, all I can say is I’ve never felt better. When I started Crossfit I already ate lots of veggies and lean meats, but by eating more in tune with the recommended diet and pretty much eliminating dairy and grains from my regular menu I feel like my system is much “cleaner” and thus my performance has improved.
The bottom line is that Crossfit Mission Gorge is a community of like-minded people who care about each other achieving his or her own goal. The coaches consistently help me work harder and surpass old limits. I am very grateful to have Cross Fit Mission Gorge WOD’s, coaches, and fellow members in my life.
It has been 6 months and we (Demi and her fiance Reggie) are still here. Both of us and our family had doubts that we would make it this far. We thought that after six months, we'd take our newfound knowledge, skills and results and just go back to a regular gym or running at Miramar Lake. This was intended to be like a boot camp to help us on our journey to becoming healthier and losing weight.
We laugh when we think about that because we can't imagine not having CrossFit in our lives. CrossFit has made us stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. We have so much more energy to conquer our day . We feel great. The difference was obvious one week that we decided to take a rest. Suddenly we were that same old tired couple without CrossFit in our routine.
Every workout is scalable, and they are actually fun! We never get bored because everyday we walk into something new. If we can do the workouts than anyone can. There are no excuses here and the coaches are so supportive about modifying workouts to suit our needs. Sometimes the modification happens in the middle of a workout, if one of us finds out that it's a struggle to get it done. It's all about building our work capacity and strength, and we can only get better, stronger, and faster at what we do.
Since January, Demi has lost 20 pounds and went from a size 16 to a size 10. Reggie has lost 25 pounds and went from a size 46 to a size 36. We run faster. We continually get stronger and set personal records every week. Recently we competed in the CrossFit Mission Gorge Partner Challenge at our gym. We were surprised to see how close we came to the other CrossFitters and it felt great to be able to compete.
CrossFit itself is a great program that will yield results for anyone who tries it. But we have the added benefit of having the most amazing coaches who continue to push us and motive us to be better. CrossFit Mission Gorge is like a family to us. We plan on being a part of this family for a long time.
I have been a member of CFMG since Feb 1, 2010. I personally come from a non-athletic background to say the least. Yoga has been the only thing I have done and that was only over the previous year or so. Though I have several friends that are devoted Crossfitters, it took someone telling me I couldn't do it to get me to face my "fear" and try. I was tired of always being the "weakest link" so to speak and playing the girl card. So in mid January I went to several free Saturday classes at different CrossFit gyms around Sand I diego, and by my 3rd class I knew this was the real thing not a gimmick.
I found CrossFit Mission Gorge online and they offered a free week; after spending time with the amazing coaching staff and other members, I knew I had found my home.
I am someone who does not like to feel stupid or incompetent; this has held me back a great deal in my life from trying new things. Somehow, the support and positive environment of CFMG has over a short time helped me not only be able to try things I have never thought possible with out fear, but to actually look forward to it. In less then three months my physical strength has increased beyond what I thought possible. Every time I am able to do one more full push up, run a little faster, lift a little more, I feel like I've won the lottery. So I get to feel good a lot and I KNOW it can only get better. I'm more confident, I eat better then I ever have, I feel better physically than I can remember and have a better mental outlook then I have had in years. I also have noticed I deal with stress much better, I don't seam to sweat the small stuff as much.
I discovered the meaning of functional movements when I had to move antique glass shower doors from my garage to the back of a truck then into a dumpster by myself (each door weighing about 60 to 70 lbs of glass and metal) before CrossFit I would never have been able to figure this out let alone execute this (at least with out a tragic ending) now it's a piece of cake.
Its also worth mentioning that for years as part of my studies of Buddhism I have attempted mediation in the quest for the "still mind" something I have been unable to achieve. I have realized recently that during a WOD (workout of the day) and even many of the skills training, the single focus on the task at hand actually stills the mind and clears out all the noise.
Since starting CrossFit last January, I have seen incredible improvements in my fitness level, nutritional health and just general life attitude. I was doing the same workout routine for many years at the gym, lifting, curling, stair climber, ect. I had definitely hit a plateau for a long time, and had no creativity or joy, really, when it came to working out. A friend recommended CrossFit, which I had never heard of, and a leap of faith got me to give it a try.
I haven't looked back! At CFMG it's fun, I love the daily challenge, and I'm breaking through the old plateaus continuously with measurable results. It changes everyday, there's great camaraderie, and there's such unity of purpose with the coaching. It's been several months, and they still come up with new movemnts, or compbinations, or tweaks to improve form, so it never gets stale and its effcient. A one-hour class fits in the monring or the afernoon a lot easier then my old workout which took longer.
The recommended Paleo diet had dramatic effects on my body after only a couple weeks. I never knew I could look or feel the way I do...just lean and strong. I could go on, I find myself gushing about CrossFit whenever anyone notices the results I'm getting. This inspired attitude is spilling over into all parts of my life, and I'm looking forward to continued success with everyone at CFMG!
We started Crossfit about 9 months ago, after a move across the country from Madison, WI. We came to Crossfit Mission Gorge in hopes of trying something new. Betsy had a background of endurance sports, and Brad had participated in organized sports (soccer, football) since grade school. We both included weightlifting in our training, but our gym was a joke, we were bored with the same old routine (chest, shoulder, back, biceps and triceps! 3 reps of 10!), and we weren’t seeing any results from our efforts.
Fast forward to now and our whole lives have changed. We are physically stronger/faster/more capable than ever before, find ourselves pushed outside our comfort zones every day (and that’s a good thing), and have found a community of people who care about us (and we care about them!)
Brad has seen remarkable changes physically and mentally through working out in an environment that welcomes friendly competition, rather than being in a gym by himself. He has gained the confidence to compete in local Crossfit competitions, and now, as a 2011 Crossfit Games Open competitor.
Betsy had competed in road races and triathlons (marathons, 1/2 Ironman distance, and everything in between) since college, and was happy with where she was at, but felt the pull of Crossfit after Brad checked out Crossfit Mission Gorge. Being the competitive person that she is, and also being open to learning about a different “sport,” she initially began as a way to cross train with her endurance training. Long story short, Crossfit radically challenged her in many ways, as she came in as a vegan with a “long, slow, distance” training mentality, with tons of miles logged but not a lot of strength or mobility. After making major changes to her nutrition (re-introducing meat, and eating Paleo) and her training schedule (incorporating Crossfit along with her regular swim/bike/run training), she was able to compete in her second Half Ironman and felt stronger and better than ever, setting some PRs along the way.
We find ourselves recommending and talking about how awesome Crossfit is all the time, to anyone who will listen! It now is truly a way of life for our entire family. Our boys, Ty and Ian (ages 6 and 4) also attend Crossfit Kids classes at CFMG, and they look up to and adore their Coach Ian. They get to jump on tires, hang from monkey bars, climb ropes, run fast, and practice the things they see their parents do in class every day. Ty has become more confident in his body movements, and learning new things in each class. He also physically challenges himself with doing things he used to be “afraid of” or too timid to try. Ian is still young, but he is happily learning the building blocks and has fun with the games and playing “tag” with mommy and Coach Ian. As parents, this is a much better fit for us, to incorporate our kids in an environment where they are welcome, and they witness us setting and reaching goals, working hard, pushing ourselves physically, and practicing good sportsmanship, cheering on fellow athletes. Sometimes they are not interested in our “adult” class and prefer to watch a movie instead, but other times they are interested in the movements and watch from the side or try to join us, or do the cool down/stretch with us. Most importantly, they feel comfortable at CFMG, they love their coaches and fellow members, they are learning/practicing the fundamental movements, and they feel it is “their” gym, too. We have no doubt they will be outpacing us soon enough, and we are happy to raise a new generation of confident crossfitters.
We feel that we are better parents and a happier and healthier family because we are challenged on a daily basis through effective and efficient workouts. The quality time we dedicate to Crossfit, to spend in the gym, in that hour, working as hard as we can, really pays off when we realize how much time we now have for each other (and we can say goodbye to that long slow distance training!) We have set more athletic goals and PRs in our short time at Crossfit than we ever have. Betsy started out not knowing anything about Olympic lifting, and could not do a single pull-up, much less squat, despite her athletic background, and Brad had a thing or two to learn about double unders and muscle ups. But those things we thought we could “never” do became the things we worked at and achieved. And now we have some new things to set our sights on and practice.