Success Story 2013: Stanley

    04.25.13

    Crossfit is the most painful thing that you will come to LOVE. If you are reading this, I’m sure you have already seen some sort of video or read some articles about what crossfit is, so there’s no point of me sugar coating it. Crossfit is the most painful thing you will come to love.

    Joining crossfit is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made. Even though after every workout I feel like I got my butt whooped, I genuinely had fun doing it. On top of that, the most important thing is that I was seeing results. My body was transforming and I can feel it getting stronger. I have gone from a size XL to L and now I wear M. It’s costing me a fortune to buy new clothes, but I don’t mind it at all. Before crossfit, I’ve tried other programs such as P90x or Tapout, but quit after a month or two. I just couldn’t stick with the same boring routine week after week. But with crossfit, because of their constantly varied workouts, I’ve been able to keep myself intrigued so much so that I would get up and check what the workout of the day is even on my off days and I would look forward to finding out and doing the WOD on my next training day. It has been five months since I started and counting. Another thing I love about crossfit is the camaraderie you built. There’s just something about people giving each other high fives, and constantly cheering you on and pushing you during a work out. It always make me feel so welcomed, motivated, and it just pushes me to work even harder. Trust me, there were WODs that I felt I couldn’t finish without my workout buddies’ cheers.

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    My advice to the person reading this, if you are just even remotely intrigued, then you should set up an intro session. Better yet, set one up that matches one of the class schedules so you could observe first hand what a regular class feels like. And if you’re thinking you should get into a better shape to prepare for crossfit, which was my excuse for putting it off in the beginning (big mistake), I can tell you to just forget about it because the best way to prepare for crossfit is by doing crossfit. The workouts are all scalable to each person’s fitness level. I still couldn’t do every workout at the recommended weight and I’m still not completely satisfied with my body now, but soon. I can’t honestly see myself quitting crossfit ever, so looks like Coach Rob is going to be stuck with me for a long time.

    ” Shout out to my boys DC and An, thanks for introducing me to Crossfit”

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    Success Story 2012: Magaly

    02.22.12


    It is October 2010; I am 4 months pregnant with our second child. My husband David (also a success story) and his father a retired, 32 year veteran of the LAPD SWAT, joined Walnut CrossFit.

    Fast-forward 3 months. Yes, Still pregnant. Extremely hormonal, and oh so glowing with a soon-to-be-mommy-of-two radiance…. aka fat! I really disliked Walnut CrossFit at this point because every, and any conversation between my husband and my father-in-law began and ended with WOD(workout of the day), PRs(personal records), Time,  and Round. I told them,  “Great you have joined a cult!” My husbands pounds were melting away. I am incredibly proud of my husband but lets face it, I refused to let my husband be the hotter one in the relationship.

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    On April 22, 2011 I gave birth to our second child. I looked in the mirror trying to search for that girl that once existed; A girl that was now lost somewhere in the sea of loose skin, layers of body fat, and undesired kangaroo pouches.  I had never struggled with my weight nor did I have to watch my food intake, but life happened and my body had become drastically distorted. I now found myself in a dark well that I couldn’t crawl myself out of.

    When my daughter was 7 weeks old. My husband scheduled my Intro Class.  As we drove to the class my stomach was in knots. I was scared, nervous, and anxious. Feelings I still get before a workout. I completed the workout and then sat in Coach Rob’s office as he explained the benefits of CrossFit. All I heard was blah, blah, blah because I was still trying to breathe and manage my urge to puke.

    Without over thinking it I signed up and began my CrossFit journey and Paleo Diet lifestyle. My first months at Walnut CrossFit consisted of me fighting the urge to run home, as I knew that I was going to have my rear handed to me, yet again.  I have never been called or considered myself an athlete by any sense of the word, but I have done things at the box that have exceeded my wildest of dreams. Just when I think I am “awesome” and my confidence is at its peak, I get brought down to reality with, what I think at the time, is the hardest workout yet. That is exactly what keeps me coming back. The sense of the unexpected and the knowing that I will never plateau nor will my body ever “get used to it.” I have grown in strength, endurance, speed and most importantly my self-esteem.

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    During my second fundamentals class Coach Rob asked me what my goal was. My response was not the typical “get back in my pre-pregnancy jeans” (I wasn’t flying that high with my expectations). I told him I wanted to wear a fitted, sparkly dress for my 30th birthday. He said, “We have 5 months. No problem.” By month 4 not only did I buy my sparkly dress, but to my surprise I was able to wear my pre-pregnancy jeans with pride.

    I could have never reached such accomplishments without the guidance and never-absent support of Coach Rob and my family. The camaraderie and bond you form with other members is unexplainable.  Just when you think you do not have a single ounce of energy left, it’s that distant voice from the person next to you, cheering you on, that makes you pull energy from the air and place all you have left on the mat.

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    I am constantly asked, “How did you do it?” People want to hear the name of a magic diet pill or latest fad. My response, “Ready?……. it’s crazy…Paleo Diet and CrossFit.” (Diet and real exercise. Not what you get a 24 hr Fitness or LA fitness. All of which I tried without success.) Sorry there is no pixie dust and no 2-week results, answer. Everything real and worth-it in life takes persistence, determination, true commitment, and is NOT easy!

    When I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter, I was diagnosed with a rare case of Progressive and Advanced Meniere’s Disease. A disease, which alters my balance, ability to focus, makes vertigo consistently present, and is slowly taking away my hearing. I have a full time career as a teacher; I am a full-time mother of two; I married a deputy, and I am always on the go. How is that for excuses? Put yours aside and take care of you!

     

    Success Story 2011: John

    10.01.11


    Meet John. John has successfully lost 105 lbs and over 20% Body Fat. If you were to talk to John about his experience here, his weight loss would NOT be what he is most excited about. It would be all the things he can do with his body now. He would share with you how he could not do a pull up when he first arrived at Walnut CrossFit. He would share how slow he ran and how females half his size were lifting the same amount of weight he was using during his workouts. John will also go on to share with you where he is going with his fitness. There are many movements that John is still striving to get better at. He plans on competing in future CrossFit competitions and would also like to get his CrossFit Level 1 Certification to coach other individuals on their CrossFit journey.  John’s wife and daughters, who also train here at Walnut CrossFit, have shown great results in weight loss, improved athletic performance and more importantly……..a healthier life.

    We at Walnut CrossFit are proud of John on his present and future accomplishments. Thank you for being such an inspiration John!

     

    Success Story 2010: David

    10.01.11


    I knew I had finally hit rock bottom.  The heaviest I’ve ever been, 236 lbs.  It pains me to even say it.  I know it doesn’t sound like an extremely obese weight, but on a personal level, many aspects of my life were suffering.  I felt sluggish, tired, lacked energy to play with my kids, and even felt scared to take a shower because the mirror might see me without a shirt on.

    The change in my life came with a strange new phenomenon I’d heard of “Crossfit.”  I originally heard rumors of it being a cult, so I had my doubts, but decided to give Walnut Crossfit a try.  I had always been an average athlete, and in pretty descent “Pre-rock bottom” shape.  I spent five days a week in the local Globo-Gym(Bally’s, 24hr Fitness,etc.), and thought I’d  get through a Crossfit workout without many hiccups.  Boy, was I wrong.  Walnut Crossfit broke me down and I had my A#$ handed to me.  The thing I have learned and come to love most about Walnut Crossfit is the way your ego gets crushed, then gets built back up.  The benefits of the unique/varied training, the community, coaching, and camaraderie, all have changed my life and the way I view fitness.  I’ve adopted a fairly strict, “Paleo” lifestyle, or way of eating healthy (I just can’t let go of beer).

    Now I maintain a weight of about 185-190 lbs, depending on my beer intake, and I feel great.   I wear my kids out, I feel an abundance of energy, my wife even holds my hand in public(lol), and I feel in better shape than I ever have.  My wife has recently started at Walnut Crossfit after giving birth to our second child.  I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of her and the level of fitness she has accomplished in a few months.  My new level of fitness has benefited my job as well.  Being in law enforcement, I truly believe Crossfit is a must and don’t know how I did my job before my new level of fitness.  Walnut Crossfit and Coach Rob, have truly put my health and fitness back on track, and for my family and I, Crossfit has been a life saver.  I could go on and on about my success at Walnut Crossfit, but to truly understand it, is to get off the couch and try it.

    Success Story 2009: Nancy

    02.24.12

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    My CrossFit journey started around two years ago while I was on my way to 24 hours fitness and saw a sign on the side of the street that said CrossFit training. A day later I called the number on the sign and have been with Walnut CrossFit since.

    I was 47 at the time and thought that there was no way I was going to loss my body fat since we all know women’s metabolism slows down around age 40. Heck I was 47 so my metabolism was really slow. Well Coach Robert told me I was wrong and I was skeptical to believe him. I hate to admit it but at the same time love the fact that he was right.

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    My body started transforming with my CrossFit workouts, but I really saw a transformation when Coach Robert had our first Paleo Diet challenge. That is when the definition in my arms and abs really started to take shape. I can honestly say I am more confident in myself at age 49 than I was in my 20′s and 30′s and I owe it to CrossFit training, Paleo Diet/clean eating and Coach Robert.

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