CrossFit Portland

Reviews 3

MA

Manar Khoury

Ive been with Crossfit Portland about 8 months. My fitness background prior to that was taking group classes at a traditional gym and attempting Crossfit for the first time at a different place for about 2 months prior to giving Crossfit Portland a shot - and Im happy I did! Attention and feedback are pretty critical to me. In the past at other facilities, the attention I got started off great, but then would slowly lessen as time passed; the less "new" I was, the less attention and feedback I would receive. I really thought attention fading away with time was a normal practice up until I joined Crossfit Portland – it’s not normal, nor should it be and its definitely not here. At Crossfit Portland. the attention and feedback Ive received has been consistent with every coach (who have all been there for extended periods of time) since Ive started and it has not lessened in my time here at all. They go above and beyond to ensure this. One of the most valuable things Crossfit Portland has done for me is that it has given me the ability to try new things and not be afraid. I think most people don’t try new things in fear that they’ll fail at it and/or be embarrassed. Crossfit Portland eliminated this fear for me without me even realizing it at the time by the environment they have created - I can lift some weight, get in some double unders, and climb a rope – all because I got so incredibly comfortable trying new things here! I didn’t play around with equipment before or push my limits as much at other facilities because I really just wasnt comfortable, confident, or felt safe enough doing so. You miss out on a lot of progress and fun with this worry. It’s an incredible feeling once you get passed this and you won’t know it until you experience it. This followed me outside of the gym as well and is more valuable than you realize. Before signing up I noticed it was a bit pricier than other places – 8 months later I realize why and it’s well worth the price. There is such a wide variety of knowledge, passion, and experience packed into this place and its coaches its incredible. They care about your overall well being outside of your workout in a way that’s very rare with fitness facilities. They write specific warm ups and recovery for each Workout of the Day (this is not the case everywhere), teach stretching and mobility, and give you lots of laughs along the way. The friendly, helpful, and welcoming members here are just an added bonus. Check out their website, blog, Facebook, YouTube videos – Google the founders and coaches. It’s pretty awesome. You won’t find anything comparable and you get more than you paid for both physically and mentally. PS – prior to the last couple years I did not have any sort of consistent fitness or workout routine whatsoever, so if you’re brand new to this stuff, don’t hesitate! And no, I wasnt paid to write this and have no affiliation with this place besides being a proud member. Thank you Crossfit Portland! I actually look forward to my workouts for the first time in my life!

MA

Marcus Chong Tim

I rarely write reviews, but the reviews helped me so I figure this might just help someone to make a life changing decision. Two years ago I could say that I never did a power clean or front squat. I was out of shape and gaining weight. I drank a Red Bull or other "energy drink" every day. I also lacked some mobility in my shoulder because of a past fracture. I tried working out at some globo gyms over the years and never seemed to progress or stay committed, even with personal training. The concept of CrossFit was exciting and scary to me. I honestly didnt think I could do it. I read stories on reddit and watched YouTube videos about CrossFit and psyched myself out with erroneous assumptions. I wasted time. I wanted to be more active and healthy and needed structure. I read review after review of CrossFit Portland and knew right away that this gym would be a welcoming place for a geeky out of shape guy like me. Im going on my second year now and I continue to make strength gains that I never thought possible (like climbing a rope to the top). Im more active and conscious about my nutrition. But I still have a long way to go. The CrossFit Portland community is supportive, diverse, fun, and cool. The gym might look chaotic and intimidating to some. Weights crashing to the ground, kettlebells, rope climbs, burpees . . . yoga stretches, what? Dont let that stop you from checking CrossFit Portland out. If you come by, there is no receptionist and you might even feel like people are ignoring you, but theyre not. Theyre just focused. Ask around for a CrossFit coach or contact the gym for a tour ahead of time. The jumpstart program is a fun and easy way to learn the basics of CrossFit. You work out with a group of other newbies and a coach, so you dont have to start this new journey on your own. Im not going to sugarcoat it. Your muscles will hurt in places that might make you question your ability to do this kind of physical activity. I sure did. Epsom salt soaking baths? Yes please. Foam roller? A necessary evil. Just dont worry about what you THINK your fitness limitations might be. Your coach will work with you to ensure that you have a safe, but effective workout. Always. Now if it wasnt for the encouragement and support of the coaches and the CrossFit Portland community, I would have taken the very easy road of quitting. The quality of the coaching and the support of the CP community are what make this gym so awesome. Its why you see so many people willing to share their personal stories in reviews about this place. We support each other and we will support you. I know the reviews helped me decide to join up, so I hope youll find value in mine. (I received no compensation or high fives for writing any of this. Woot!) If you want to increase your mobility, increase your energy, make friends, and improve your life, give CrossFit Portland a try. You wont regret it.

TB

tbojarsky

My cross fit experience: I am a 56 year old male. I live and work in Portland, Oregon. When I first came to Crossfit Portland in October of 2014, I weighed 260 pounds, had high blood pressure and was generally out of shape. I started with the jump start class for the first month (which is typical for new members). I was very apprehensive going in as I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do many of the exercises – for example I couldn’t do a squat or a pull up, couldn’t climb a rope and struggled to do more than a couple of pushups at a time. I had a great instructor in Madoc Yng-Wong. The first thing I learned was that the instructors scale every exercise to each students ability. Can’t do a pushup? No problem- try doing one on a bar supported 2 feet off the ground. Still too difficult? No worries, the instructors will find an exercise that you can do yet will still challenge you. If you put in the effort you will see improvement quickly. Have a back problem, mobility issue or other injury? They can find an exercise that works for you. The gym is a really nice clean space with plenty of equipment for everyone in the class to use. I typically attend the 9:15 AM class on Mondays and Wednesdays. Class size averages 6-8 people at that time. I imagine the early morning classes and evening classes may be more crowded. I believe they limit the class size to 15 total. Every class starts with an introduction of names – a small thing, yet typical of the gym’s commitment to forming a community of crossfit. We then do a warmup sequence followed by the workout of the day and conclude with a cool down that typically involves some form of stretching. The workouts are always changing and offer a nice balance between cardio and strength training. I’ve noticed improvements every week since I’ve been going. I have lost 40 pounds in the 8 months since I joined and seen my blood pressure return to the normal range. Equally important to me is that my flexibility and strength have improved as well. What I appreciate most is that everyday tasks are so much easier than they used to be. Jumping up into the back of my pickup and crawling around under the canopy or carrying one of my twins up two flights of stairs is a lot easier now than it used to be. Bottom line - I feel so much better! Prior to joining I had visited several other crossfit places in Portland. Also checked them out via their web sites. This one impressed me most by how clean, organized and well run it was. The instructors seemed to really know what they were doing. Overall this has been a life changing experience for me and I plan to continue this crossfit journey for as long as I can. I highly recommend this gym to anyone considering a way to get healthier and to feel better.

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