My journey started like many others; it was New Year’s Eve, and I was determined to make fitness a priority—for real this time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a fairly active person since graduating high school. However, I would never describe myself as “sporty.” Hint: my physical activity only consisted of dancing.

Over the last 3 years, I have kept up a consistent workout regimen. Running on the treadmill, trying my hardest to figure out the foreign, intimidating machines, and Pinterest ab routines were my go-to forms of exercise. Despite maintaining my physique, I still felt unsatisfied with my results. I felt stagnant. So, in January 2021, I decided to make some moves and accomplish one daunting task: execute my first strict pull-up.

I know, one-pull up doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but it takes a lot more strength than meets the eye. This goal of mine subsequently led me to a local gym right here in College Station: CrossFit Aggieland. 

I must preface this by letting you know that I went into this fully aware of what CrossFit entails. If you don’t know much about this sport go look it up; it’ll blow your mind. The crazy things these athletes put their bodies through are unmatched and they make it look easy. As you can imagine, I was intimidated as soon as I walked in. People were throwing 200+ lbs over their heads like it was nothing! Although I felt way in over my head, I had a goal to accomplish and I had to start somewhere. 

Within minutes, regulars were welcoming me into their gym. I had truly never felt more welcomed into a community as I have in CrossFit Aggieland. According to my research, it’s common to experience this comradery in any CrossFit gym. After becoming acquaintances with a few other gym goers, I immediately felt comfortable. This was helpful considering how uncomfortable I was about to feel during the workout of the day (otherwise known as WOD as us CrossFitters like to call it).

Our daily workouts usually consist of a lift and a WOD. The lift can often be something insane like clean n’ jerk or power snatch, or it can be a trusty back squat or deadlift. Luckily, if you’re doing a skill or lift you’ve never even heard of before, there are coaches there to guide you. They’ll break down these Olympic lifts into something you can handle, and eventually get the hang of. The WOD usually consists of some fundamentals, cardio, or honestly anything that’ll really suck. This can be any variation of burpees, box jumps, pull-ups, and sit-ups. 

As mentioned before, these workouts may be unpleasant at first, but once you learn to embrace the suck and give it your all, it actually becomes fun. The friendships form fast within these types of atmospheres because you’re all going through the pain together. Even if you’re the last one to finish, you’ll have the whole gym rooting for you to “push through” and “give it your all” because they’ve all been there. 

Now, I am well aware that cost is a huge deal when it comes to choosing your gym. Fortunately, if you live in the BCS area and want to try CrossFit out for yourself, CrossFit Aggieland offers a free one-week trial. Additionally, CFA offers a Saturday free-for-all for anyone that wants to enjoy the community and experience what this sport has to offer. If you’re interested, here’s the link to sign up for your first class: http://crossfitaggieland.com

After 90 days of CrossFit, I have already seen significant results. Not only physically, but mentally. I have accomplished things I never thought I’d be strong enough for and exceeded my own expectations. No, I haven’t gotten my strict pull-up yet, but every day I get closer and closer to achieving my goal. 

I *highly* encourage you all to go for it. Step out of your comfort zone and set challenging goals for yourself. If you’re even slightly interested in CrossFit, I 10/10 recommend you try it out. It has changed my outlook on fitness in just 3 short months and is something I plan on continuing—even after I get that pull-up down.

Written by Kortnie Franzen, Photography by Abbi Roane, Design by Lindsey Rogers