A Different Look At Fitness

Gasping for air, red-faced, hunched over, fatigued and ready to do it all over again the next day, if you can. That is what happens at CrossFit Explosion.

Tucked between the Grand Hotel and Club Sport is a small operation called “Boom Fitness”. From the outside, it is as unassuming as it gets. There is an advertisement reading “$9.95 per month” on the front window, and it leaves you thinking this is just a cheap place to workout with the cheap experience. However it is much more than that.

It takes less than 30 seconds to notice this place is no joke. The workout facility is complete with everything you need. There is a matted section for mixed martial arts and a hidden gem called CrossFit Explosion. They also offer yoga, spin class and Zumba. If the manager didn’t physically walk me back to the warehouse I’d never know it was there. It is hardly a warehouse anymore. Now it is a place where people go to literally leave it all on the floor and even stay there to rest. The class is set up with a holistic approach to fitness. People are not simply going through the motions and don’t want to either. They give everything they have each day. As a matter of fact there would be no point in joining if you didn’t. Giving it your all is what makes CrossFit Explosion great, but there is also no pressure. Every exercise is scalable to what a certain person can do. On top of that there is absolutely no pressure to ever go beyond your abilities. That sets the tone for the whole community. Everyone feels safe to compete and have fun while getting in the best shape of his or her life. All this is possible and more, but not without a great teacher.

The lead trainer for CrossFit Explosion is Rob Bozada. His approach is a lot different from the typical “trainer”. From the first lesson it is clear he values and cares about each member of the class. Each lesson has the same purpose. That is for the participants to learn and perhaps perfect the correct form of a weight lifting skill. The skill worked on usually goes for a whole week. It might be a power clean, squat, dead lift or even the snatch to name a few. Every class begins with a warm up, then the skill is worked on and finally the workout of the day or “WOD” in the CrossFit world. These workouts will feature body weight movements such as push-ups or pull-ups or more of an Olympic weight lifting focus with the aforementioned skills. No matter what the WOD is it will whoop your behind.

The CrossFit culture has blossomed into a great experience for anyone looking to get into tip top shape. I asked Bozada a few questions about what he has seen since the beginning of his time at Boom, “It started out as a small class but has grown a lot in the last 6 months. Everyone has improved so much since the beginning. It is great to see how much everyone has grown. I see it everyday in class and am proud of all their hard work.” (Bozada) His sentiment shows how well the class is treated as well as how well they have improved. Coming from a teaching stand point I can definitely say students do not improve if they are not engaged and they are not engaged if they do not enjoy the subject matter.

The goal of attending a gym class is to improve one’s personal fitness. CrossFit Explosion does not only meet that need, but exceeds it as well. My guess is they will continue to better people’s lives for a long time to come. It is a great place to be a part of. They are doing something really special there. People are treated with respect and feel welcome from the beginning. You certainly don’t have to sign up for CrossFit, but if you do you will learn the correct way to exercise. It will not only result in improved fitness, but give you tools to succeed for years to come. In my 3 weeks observing classes and participating, I have been gasping for air, red-faced, hunched over, fatigued and ready to do it all over again the next day, if I can.