Cross Fit Lees Summit

As a very experience CrossFitter and one that has dropped into over a dozen boxes, here are my impressions: This is a box that you go to if you want to get some of the most experience instruction around and have the flexibility of group classes, doing things on your own (which a lot of experienced CF’ers like to do) or have kids that need a fitness program. Aaron (the owner) is very good as a coach and knows his stuff. The only downside is that he needed to manage a number of individual athletes working on the perimeter while we (the group class) were doing our workout. As an experienced person, I didn’t mind this, but it’s just something to note.

I’m a huge fan, I’ve tried personal trainers and gym memberships but nothing has made me feel as good as Cross Fit Lees Summit has. Now albeit I am a little biased as I’ve not tried any other cross fit, but this place was just great. I bet they didn’t even think an «older» lady like me (as one lady in the group had said to me) could hang with them. Now that I’m getting in better shape from trying to find the perfect gym for me, I think I’ve finally found a place to belong. The environment is so friendly I’m glad I tried it out. I will be trying some different cross-​fits to be able to compare but so far I think this will be my new Gym-​Home. They helped me with my technique and made me do things I think a lot of personal trainers are afraid to let their customers even try. I had never even seen a power clean in person before! I’d say try it out, I bet you’ll like it.

Well, I went here for one of the intro classes, because I was dragged there by my brother, who is a cross fit wiz. I have a background in personal training and know my way around a gym, and I was skeptical for all this cross fit stuff. How was it going to be any different than zumba or PX90 or whatever is the next fad? Oooh, you have lots of minimal workouts and guys wear nondescript black wool caps. It must be ligit.
The first thing I notice when I walk in is the playground. For the kids. Like, if you have a family you can drop your child off in a little playground area inside and let them go at it with a cushioned area to play around in. Eventually we got started with our workout, and, while everyone who showed up was pretty much athletically-​inclined, we were all smiling and happy to be there. The instructor (Nicole, I think) was very peppy and ready to go, even though we just watched her do some sort of sysyphusian repetitive torture with medicine balls and kettle bells. So why was she smiling? Anyhow, we got in a cirlce and we sort of introduced ourselves and we did some basic moves, and got the blood moving, and it was pretty fun. I mean, it wasn’t the workout she had just done, but we were getting a pretty motivating workout with only a few simple moves. Although they only looked simple. I have to say, we didn’t go over what it really means to do a proper squat for very long, and even though she asked whether or not anyone had any prior medical or physical issues, squatting properly is tricky, especially if you start doing explosive-​type moves. But this was just the free class, no one got hurt as far as I could tell, and we were all pretty happy by the end of our 10 minute routine. I’m sure in the 2 ½ hour intro class they go over this stuff in more detail. But I’ve seen too many folks go down the road of bad form, so I’m sort of stickler on that stuff. Of course, I’m not in the business of fitness, so I can critque it all I want. Hopefully other folks who’ve gone here can review this place in more detail.
I remember after the workout, I had set down my sweatpants on a stack of wooden boxes near the entrance, and the pants had fell down behind these things, and I started to move the boxes to try and get to my clothes. Then one of the regulars or the instructors must have seen my struggling, and he jumped over and said «hey let me give you a hand» or something, and we proceeded to move the boxes and get my sweatpants without a problem. This sort of left an impression with me, along with the kids center, that this crossfit place was not really a fad. I’m sure there are bad seeds in every organization, but for the most part the attitude of this place was not hoity-​toity and better-​than-​thou, but it was inclusive and genuinely excited about moving ones body. I was only there for one class, but my brother had been telling me about this stuff, and I had to see it to believe it. And I saw it. And it was sweaty and good.