Lindsay B.
February 16, 2010 | 2 Comments
After finishing my swimming career at the University of Kentucky and being competitive in the sport for 15 years I felt it was time for a break. I was tired of being tired, exerting all my energy, competing, and basically working out. So I took some time off…months of time off. By the time I felt I was ready to get myself back in the gym it was harder than I thought. I would go to the gym get on a treadmill (the ones with the tv attached) and run mindlessly and then finish up my workout with the same weight routine I had done a hundred times before.
I was getting bored and having trouble keeping myself motivated. In the spring of 2009 I entered my first triathlon and even though it was a little rough, I loved it! I knew if I wanted to get better at triathlons I needed to make some changes to my training but I just wasn’t sure where to start.
Then I heard of Emerfit from the Lintz family. I decided to give it a try and I am so happy that I did! Crossfit was just what I needed to revamp my workouts and get my body feeling good again. The first few weeks rocked me and I was so sore that sitting down and standing up took multiple minutes and grunts.
As I continued to struggle through classes I started to notice that my fitness level was improving. Even though we didn’t run miles upon miles in class, my running was getting easier and so was my biking. I started off just coming twice a week but after I started seeing results I was actually excited to come 3-4 times a week to get my butt kicked!
Being a part of Emerfit truly made me start loving to work out again. The biggest things for me are:
#1. Accountability. At my previous gym if anyone ever noticed that I took a week off they sure didn’t say it. But at Emerfit they did notice and they did say something. The fact that the coaches had noticed I wasn’t there was huge to me and it really made me feel like a part of the gym.
#2. Team Atmosphere. Crossfit not only got my competitive juices going again but it really brought back that aspect of team that I had been missing. Everyone is so encouraging in class and that energy really helps to push you that little bit further.
#3. Coaching. Chris, Jeff, and Brad are all incredible coaches that know their stuff. They all are so wonderful at challenging you and helping you to become a better athlete.
#4. The Workouts. The crossfit model is geniusl. After months of doing the same routines at the gym, it was such a relief to go to Emerfit and be able to do so many new workouts and challenge myself to get better.
#5 Crossfit is addicting. Even though it hurts and its hard and I’m sore and its just plain cruel sometimes, CROSSFIT IS ADDICTING. I feel better, I’m getting leaner, and the best part is I have a great time doing it!
Thank you Chris, Jeff, and Brad and everyone at Emerfit!!
Lindsay B. January 2010. Aurora, Colorado.
Jessica Kuzma
February 9, 2010 | 2 Comments
I came to crossfit from a background in traditional endurance sport training. For several years, I thought it best to follow recommendations of “60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week”. Cycling, running, always stretching, a bit of weight training thrown in for good measure: low weight/high reps. I had 3 or 4 standard workouts, I was getting bored, I had hit a plateau, and I was always managing knee pain. I thought I was ‘fit’ and healthy. Because I wasn’t interested in large gains in muscle and preferred cardio workouts, I didn’t see how Olympic lifting could be useful to me.
Crossfit was introduced to me by way of the Paleo community. I was pursuing a masters degree in nutrition and exercise science and heard about the crossfit community and its endorsement of paleo-type eating. I was intrigued. I decided to give it a legitimate try for 3 months and joined EmerFit.
I was skeptical at first: how can I get a better workout in a quarter of the time? But trying is believing and introducing the variability of workouts, maintaining high intensity at all times and targeting all muscle groups was a largely untapped resource for me. The biggest body comp result has been noticeable changes in my upper body and core. Additionally, learning how to ‘squat’ properly has strengthened knee damage brought on by several years of repetitive workouts without exercising counter-acting muscles.
I am stronger, I am not in danger of injury, and have still maintained a high endurance capacity even though I’m not seemingly ‘training’ for endurance sports. I’ve learned a great deal from the EmerFit coaches. They are very knowledgeable and talented at spotting weaknesses in form—my rowing technique has improved dramatically—and they are excellent motivators.
By combining cross-fit type workouts with a solid paleo-type eating plan, results are noticeable extremely quickly. I was amazed that within a couple months of working out at Emerfit I could sustain a new level of intensity and I could come back and do it again the next day.
It has also been exciting to see dramatic results in other members of the gym that have refined their diet after joining EmerFit. Fat loss is accelerated, energy, strength, and recovery are vastly improved, and the inflammation, injury, and sickness setbacks are removed. Proper nutrition is an essential component for optimal health and fitness, and EmerFit recognizes this vital link and does an excellent job introducing and explaining these concepts to new members.
They sponsor ‘Paleo’ and ‘Lean Out’ challenges, provide paleo-nutrition links and recipes on the website, sponsor seminars, and coordinate veggie-shares through local CSAs. All examples of how EmerFit endorses, supports, and educates its members on the importance of proper nutrition.
It is so refreshing to come into the gym and work out with like-minded friends who are inspired and continually reaching for higher levels of fitness supported by solid nutrition.
Jessica Kuzma, M.S. Nutrition and Exercise Science
Brian Walker
December 15, 2009 | 6 Comments
Brian competing in the 2009 EmerFit Games.
I came to EmerFit a year ago with one goal in mind: get ready for the trials that the Army will throw at me. Before I started CrossFit I would easily spend an hour a day in the gym, lifting weights, running, etc. I saw results, but they weren’t anything spectacular, and I would get bored with routines and plateau often. This all changed when I started with EmerFit.
After I met with Jeff for my first one on one, I knew that this was the right program for me. In the past year, I saw results that I never imagined last December. For example, I added almost 100 pounds to my 1 rep max deadlift. I also added an extra 75 pounds to my front squat and broke a 300 pound back squat. For someone who just started lifting a year and a half ago, these are amazing, but they aren’t the end of my improvements. My endurance has gone through the roof. I used to run my 2 mile Army Fitness run and would be dead afterwards. Now, while my time still isn’t perfect, it is 100 times better and I am not nearly as gassed afterwards.
Furthermore, the mental strength you gain from CrossFit is enormous. I not only am stronger and have more endurance, but I am more confident in my abilities. As such, my mind is stronger.
I once read in a book that, “the hardship of exercise is less to strengthen the back, but rather to toughen the mind… because the real test is when you ask men to produce victory on will alone. “ I firmly believe that CrossFit is the way to improve your mind, and make you a better person all around.
I look forward to seeing how far in life CrossFit will take me, especially with my Army career. If you’re looking to become a better athlete or person, EmerFit is the way to go!
SPC Brian Walker, Fort Collins, CO. December 2009.
Chris McMahon
October 24, 2009 | Comments Off
In 1994, I started Tae Kwon Do, and stuck with this martial art for 8 years. Throughout my time with TKD, I definitely improved in coordination – power – gymnastics, but my poor cardio did not improve. I did not spend any time on my nutrition. The result – I gained ~ 25 lbs of weight through these years, with a disproportional amount of that in fat. My peak weight was 230lbs. After TKD, from 2002 to 2006 – I moved through four local Fort Collins gyms. Each of these gyms I experimented with various diet programs, and workout methodologies (group workout, trainers, solo). In my effort through these years, I was effective in decreasing my body weight by a whole 10 lbs, 2.5 lbs a year!
At my November ‘06 physical, my blood pressure was at pre-hypertension levels and my doc put me on meds for that. In the next year I tried to turn up my focus on my work out intensity, but my 2007 physical showed no improvement on my blood pressure, and now my cholesterol numbers were degrading. My doctor gave me a heads up: if by my next physical (January 2009), I did not bring any changes to my cholesterol, I would get to start medicine for that condition also.
January 2007 brought a new intensity to my goal to lose weight, still at a regular gym, I added a diet to the program. I assumed that losing weight would fix my cholesterol and blood pressure issues. My understanding at that time was to lose weight one must create a calorie deficit. The results from January to July were good on the weight side – I lost 15 lbs, ending at 205 lbs. Through this time most of my strength/endurance measures eroded. My blood pressure did not improve, my body fat percentage did not move. I was doing more of the same, getting more of the same.
August 2008 was crunch time – 6 months to my physical: Enter Crossfit at Emerfit with Coach Brown. My first discussion with him was on fitness, specifically, what is fitness. I had never thought about this. No one (TKD masters, coaches, paid trainers, gym buddies) had every asked this question or had an effective answer to this question. Coach Brown described fitness to me in a logical, effective, applicable way. Crossfit is a whole life approach, including nutrition. I started the zone nutrition plan recommended by Coach Brown, and I joined the Crossfit workouts.
The results:
At my January 2009 physical the numbers were in. My blood pressure was back to normal ranges, and I was able to stop the use of blood pressure medicine. My cholesterol was also back to normal levels. And my work capacity improved. My fitness (health and physical capabilities) improved. The Crossfit approach to fitness – excellent foundational nutrition (not just caloric deficits) and outstanding physical programming.
I feel and believe that I need to give credit to the third leg of my success. Coach Brown cultivates an environment where the coaches get to know each athletes goals, strengths and areas needing improvement. They focus on each person, when they need it in the group classes and have periodic one on one sessions to cover goal planning. They provide great motivation in the gym and in life.
Coach Chris Brown runs a great program at Emerfit with life changing results!
Chris McMahon. Fort Collins, Colorado. October 2009.
Robert Alexander
October 24, 2009 | Comments Off
I was tired of the same old routine, at the same old gym. I was not seeing any results, despite the fact I was spending two hours a day there. I began to think why do I keep giving my money to a gym where I am not receiving results? I thought about this long and hard, and deiced to dump my old “Global Gym” and give Emerfit a shot. It is a choice I have never regretted.
My first day at Emerfit, I could see the difference between Emerfit and the old typical gym, and a number of those different aspects astounded me. The coaches not only took the time to show me how to safely preform each lift, but they took the time to review nutrition, and appropriate rest, to ensure I would receive maximum results. They set intermediate goals to help me reach my overall goals. The community that is formed, by the members common passion for continues improvement within ones-self, is second to none. Members are not solely there to improve themselves, but also there to help improve each other. If one finishes a workout before another they stay, and cheer everyone on, until everyone has finished the workout. My camaraderie with other members became so strong that they quickly, not only, became friends within the gym, but became the friends I would hang out with outside the gym. Finally, the workouts at Emerfit are always different; they keep your body guessing, what is next, and they are always fun and challenging. They will challenge your strength, muscle endurance, and cardio all in the same workout, and within an hour.
I came to Emerfit after having two surgeries on my right shoulder. Flexibility and power over my head was not my strength. I was unable to consistently squat while holding a PVC pipe over my head. I would squat two to three reps, may be, and would then need to rest for a bit. I was frustrated with this. The coaches continued to tell me to give it time and trust them. As time past my overhead squat continued to improve. The last time I over head squat I was able to put up 119 pounds, easily. Within nine months, I went from struggling to over head squat a PVC pipe to over head squatting 119 pounds. My confidence with overhead lifts has greatly improve, and I look forward to my next over head squats to see how much I can put up now. Not only, do I owe a thank you to the Emerfit staff, and to the members, for my new found flexibility, strength, speed, and physique, but also for my increase in confidence, mental strength, and ability to handle stress.
If you are like me: results driven, and very busy, you cannot find a better gym, a better program, a better staff, or a more supportive membership than at EmerFit. Considering my experience, and results, I would recommend Emerfit to anyone, no matter their current fitness level.
Below are some of my other results:
- Dead lift went from 355 pounds to 415 pounds in nine months
- 400 meter run went from 1:12 to 1:05 in four months
- Press went from 109 pounds to 125 pounds in four months
- Was able to run and complete a 5k with no notice
- Went from using a blue band for kipping pull ups to being able to do 40 pull ups at once in nine months
Robert Alexander. October 2009.
Robyn Kunick-Bosch
October 24, 2009 | Comments Off
When I first heard my aunt talking about Crossfit in North Dakota I thought she was just trying out a new ‘fad’ type work-out, then one day this past summer I went to a class with her and my cousin, and was amazed at what they did. I had not done any research on what Crossfit was, and was totally surprised by how Crossfit got started and what it really entails. The focus of Crossfit is what all people should be doing to get fit and live a healthy life. I had been the typical gym goer for a long time and was spending 2 hours at the gym just about everyday, which left little time in the evening for anything else. After trying Crossfit in Bismarck I was convinced I needed to find a gym in Fort Collins, and lucky for me Emerfit was only blocks from my house:)
When I walked in to Emerfit to check out the gym and talk to someone about starting the program I was kindly greeted by everyone that was just finishing a workout. Emerfit coaches are some of the nicest people I have met. They are super supportive and encouraging, yet get you to push yourself to make improvements and do the best you can. I was only at Emerfit for 2 months, before I had to move to Denver, but it was the best 2 months of getting fit that a person could want. The classes were wonderful and all the members were very welcoming and helpful. It was a great team atmosphere and had wonderful energy all around every day. Only starting the Crossfit journey I could feel and see changes in my body that I was not getting from my 2-hour cardio and weight work-outs at the other gym.
When I started Crossfit, I was also training for the 3-day 60 mile Breast Cancer Walk and I truly believe that my two months at Crossfit helped my journey on the walk. It was hard at times and my feet and legs were tired, but i just kept thinking that I would not be in as good of condition had I not started at Emerfit. I finished the walk with only 1 blister on my foot, that I got at mile 53, and I felt amazing that I was able to finish and help out such a wonderful organization, in the fight against Breast Cancer.
I was sad to have to leave Emerfit, but have been referred to an awesome gym in Denver, Crossfit Verve, because of the friendships between Emerfit coaches and Verve coaches. I feel very fortunate to have started this program with such wonderful people and to be able to continue this program with such nice people as well.
Crossfit is an addiction and I love that it is part of my life. This is the work-out that I look forward to and can’t wait to see what the days workout will be.
Thanks to Chris, Jeff, Brad, and Crystal for my time at Emerfit.
Robyn Kunick-Bosch. August 2009
Doug Shepherd
January 23, 2009 | 5 Comments
There are two sayings that get tossed around when you are flailing on climb:
1) “pull harder!”
2) “get your feet up!”
I had been hearing both those (usually with a bit more creative language) way too often over the last year as I attempted to break into the higher grades of ice and mixed climbing. I’ve always been known as a MOG: the guy who carries the pack, breaks trail, but usually doesn’t lead the hardest part of a climb. I was a bit more serious about training last year and had a great season, which ended with a 6-week trip to South America and a serious failure on our main objective due to illness. But my eyes were opened as to what training could do for my climbing.
Enter EmerFit. I talked with Chris and really felt a connection; he is highly motivated and passionate about real fitness. After talking with some climbing partners who had been using Crossfit style training with great success, I took the plunge in August 2008. I was thoroughly trashed and sore for the first few weeks and questioning how learning to squat, deadlift, etc… could help my climbing. Slowly but surely I started getting stronger and then the early ice season started. I felt good climbing, so I kept the training up and worked in climbing specific exercises such as pull-ups on my ice tools.
I’ve already had almost 20 days of ice and mixed climbing this season and all the work in the gym has paid off, big time. I’ve gone on two road trips with friends and I’ve been the fastest hiking into the climbs and lead all the hard pitches. Last weekend I led an overhanging mixed climb that I couldn’t even start last year!
That’s just my personal side of it. I can’t say enough about the atmosphere, trainers, motivation, and people at EmerFit. Everyone is interested in working hard to get better, including the trainers. Why work out somewhere where you get looked at funny when you’re trying to not puke when you can work out at EmerFit and know the person next to you feels the same way???
Moving forward I’m excited to work with Chris, Jeff, and Crystal in combining some of my climbing specific workouts with the workouts at EmerFit and getting more climbers to “drink the koolaid” as Mark Twight would say.
Doug Shepherd. Fort Collins, Colorado. December 2008.
Photos: Doug leading Deep Freeze in Rocky Mountain National Park. Below Doug leads Esmeralda at Vail, CO courtesy Dane Hyer-Peterson. And Doug does ice axe pull-ups at EmerFit.
Evka Turpin
January 3, 2009 | Comments Off
Every bride-to-be is worried about what their body is going to look like on the day of their wedding. It becomes an obsession that is planned down to the last detail; what shoes to wear, how the hair will be done, who will do their make up, and of course the DRESS! Soon their minds start to scream “WORK OUT”. I was no exception. I knew how to use the treadmill and a few weight machines. I even had a gym membership! Like so many “I wish I had a better body brides,” I still lacked the self-discipline and knowledge to get the body of my dreams.
Then I was introduced to Emerfit. Chris Brown and his team of coaches was my perfect answer. They were able to take the guess work out of my workout regiment.
The Emerfit team became my workout family. They were always encouraging, never doubting and always concerned with my health. Within the first month I became stronger, leaner and started to see muscle definition in my upper body. I had shoulder muscles and I knew that strapless dress was going to look amazing!
The changes I saw encouraged me to make healthier eating choices and the Emerfit team was there to introduce me to a healthier way of eating. I watched the pounds shave off and after the second month I was a whole dress size smaller. Thank god I bought a dress that laced up in the back.
Emerfit, thank you for encouraging me to be in the best shape of my life, on the biggest day of my life!
Evka (Adams) Turpin. Boulder, Colorado. August 2008.
Tracee
December 11, 2008 | 4 Comments
I was very skeptical of CrossFit at first, because my husband would come home from a workout and tell me how brutal it was. Nothing sounded inviting about that at all.
Having let myself “go” after having Landon, it was very intimidating to think that I could just jump in and keep up with everyone else. Then, on June 10th 2008, I finally bit the bullet and I haven’t been the same since. Now, I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life and am waiting to conquer child number two with ease.
The beauty about CrossFit is ANYONE can do it. You make the workout what you want it to be, no matter what your goal in life is and no matter where you are coming from, be it the couch, the running track or a mountain bike.
EmerFit’s slogan is “Train here, succeed out there,” and I think this is something to be reckoned with. How can you go wrong with accomplishing movements at the gym that can only make your life easier in the real world?
My number one goal in life is to be a strong, healthy and spiritually-motivated mom and wife. With a husband in the military I feel I need to be extra fit both physically and mentally to hold down the fort back here at home, and EmerFit has proven true to this testament.
My lower back pain has vanished, I have more energy and I have more self-confidence as a result of losing the baby fat I inherited from carrying a child. I even lifted Landon, who weighs 27 pounds now, from the ground, over my head and onto my shoulders (aka a Thruster in CrossFit) the other day, without injuring myself.
For 31 years I have said, “I can’t do a pull up.” Well, not anymore. Not to toot my own horn, but I even accomplished my first dead-hang pull up just last week (not to mention I can do kipping pull ups as well!). I’m also proud to boast that I think my son is the youngest child to ever do burpees, at 19 months, and I’ve got the video to prove it!
Chris Brown is such a viable asset to the CrossFit community. His ability to determine everyone’s threshold and push you just enough to make the right amount of progress without sacrificing form is impeccable. When I think of Chris Brown, the words patience, approachable and hard working come to mind. The other two coaches at EmerFit, Jeff Guthrie and Crystal Nelson, do just as good of a job at making sure we are pushing ourselves to the fullest, yet not overdoing it.
EmerFit has truly been a blessing to me. The relationships I have built with other CrossFitters, including the coaches, has completely surpassed my expectations of meeting great people after moving here in March. So go ahead, bite the bullet. Your only regret will be that you didn’t do it sooner and that you might need counseling because you have formed an addiction to hardcore exercise!
Tracee. Fort Collins, Colorado. December 2008.
Chris Gubbels
December 9, 2008 | Comments Off
As a chiropractor and certified wellness doctor with a bachelors of science in exercise science and biology I highly recommend participating in CrossFit. I know it will greatly help you get more out of life and increase your enjoyment of the activities you really love.
I was first introduced to CrossFit by a doctor that I interned with in Minneapolis. We did not have a CrossFit affiliate nearby so I started by doing the online workouts at a local gym. When I moved to Fort Collins in July 2008 I started a building a relationship with Chris Brown at Emergent Fitness. During my first workouts at EmerFit I was amazed by the difference between doing the workouts at an actual affiliate as compared to on my own. The intensity was drastically increased, I was getting a ton of coaching and I built friendships with the other members. Emerfit has a community feeling that is lacking in almost all other gyms.
I strongly believe that CrossFit is the best type of conditioning any individual can participate in for optimum health. As a college wrestler competing at a national level I’ve experience some pretty high levels of fitness, but I can honestly say CrossFit has given me more functional fitness than any other training. Very little of what most people do at the gym carries over to their real lives. Functional fitness is all about helping you get more out of life. If you’re a person who enjoys hiking, climbing, skiing or just wants to truly enhance your level of health then CrossFit is for you!!
When you study the physiology behind what type physical activity is required for the optimum expression of health you will find CrossFit to be the best thing out there. Doing long bouts of aerobic activity such as running long distances or does very little for your health. Your body is designed to do short bursts of intensive exercise using multiple large muscle groups at the same time. Crossfit is the closest thing to what your body innately and genetically requires for the expression of health.
Dr. Christopher M. Gubbels B.Sc., D.C., C.C.W.P
Gubbels Chiropractic & Wellness Center
November 2008
