Grunge City CrossFit

I would highly recommend GCCF for anyone looking for a warm and welcoming place to work out, regardless of skill or fitness level.
About four or so months ago, at the behest of my loving wife, I began really looking to getting back into shape. I used to play soccer for my college but after an injury derailed that endeavor I never really got back into working out or keeping in shape. On top of that, I have a desk job so the only real work out I was getting was lifting my coffee mug. After a decade of Coffee Curls (as my office affectionately calls them) as my main source of exercise, I was your typical out-​of-​shape desk jockey.
After grabbing a Groupon (I believe) for GCCF and completing her first WOD (Workout of the Day), my wife raved about the experience and really pushed me to go. «I loved it, and I hate working out». So, with my wife’s endorsement, and the incrementally increasing number on the scale running through the back of my mind, I decided to give this place a try and signed up for their introductory «On Ramp» classes.
When I showed up to my first class I was very hesitant for a few reasons: 1). I was very much out of shape and was not looking forward to facing the reality of just how out of shape I actually was. 2). I was going to the class by myself due to scheduling issues with my wife. 3). All I knew, or heard, about Crossfit in general was that it was filled with the stereotypical shirt-​less gym monkeys yelling in your ear to get «one more rep» while continuously flexing in the mirror. In hindsight, I can’t tell you how wrong those preconceived ideas were.
Pete was my coach on the first day and the experience I had was great. Warm, welcoming, and informative he spent a lot of time going over form and educating me on the fundamentals of Crossfit. Pete dealt with my areas of physical weakness and injury concerns very well and made me feel like I was in competent and caring hands. I also noticed that the other people attending the class were just as warm and welcoming as Pete. There was lots of encouragement and supportive cheering as we all tackled the WOD, which at first glance seemed insurmountable. As I was leaving the box that night, sore and exhausted, I still felt great that I completed something that two hours early I thought was impossible for me.
Honestly, that feeling of community and accomplishment is what has kept me coming back to GCCF for these past four or so months. If I just wanted to lift some weights, or run a bunch, or work out in general, I could find a cheap community gym and go there. I know how to do that, but hate working out alone or feeling like I am just another «member» to a place. I continue to go to GCCF because it feels like a real community of people striving to improve their health. Every time I, or one of the other Box members, improve their clean form, or add another 5 pounds to their back squat max, or PR their mile run, everyone is excited and makes you feel good about yourself. Especially coming from a guy who had basically resigned himself to getting winded going up a long flight of stairs, it is great to know that others care about my progress while also actually SEEING improvement in myself.
I would recommend this Box to other Crossfitters as well as anyone who’s looking to improve them health and well-​being. Take it from me: you won’t find a more caring, warm, and encouraging place to work out in around Seattle.

I don’t even know where to start … everyone at Grunge City is amazing! I joined this box a few months ago after years and years of putting in time at the gym. I was quite proficient in any and all gym classes and also spent quite a bit of time on the cardio machines on my own. But, nothing was changing. So I decided I would look into Crossfit and give it a shot.
The coaches at this box are awesome — they care SO much about proper form and modifying to a point where newer athletes are still able to learn the movement, but perform it safely and at a level that works for them.
And the other athletes — so friendly and welcoming! It was very intimidating for me to come into a box where most everyone is super in shape and can do each of the WODs as prescribed, but from my very first day it was very apparent that each person was a cheerleader for everyone else, and that people genuinely cared.
I can’t say enough good things — if you are thinking about trying out crossfit or if you’ve been doing it for years, come try out this box!

7 reasons to work out with Grunge City:
1.Coaches — Who is not going to trust that you will get results when you have a team of fun, passionate, patient, super well trained and totally ripped coaches motivating you every step of the way? They let me whine when it burns, they let me laugh when I fail, they celebrate with me when I surprise myself, they do not let me say ‘I can’t’ and at the end of the day, they are the reason I keep coming back for more. Plus, there is a variety of additional knowledge in both the coaching staff and fellow cross-​fitters ranging from nutritionists, sports medicine and massage therapy. You are in good hands.
2. Safety — The coaches ask how you are feeling every day and will modify the WOD to fit whatever particular issue/​concern you might have at the time; it is not one size fits all. They know what they are doing and more important than stacking on a bunch of weight and going for a personal record, they want you to do it right. And safely. Form is more important that weight here. The classes are small enough so you know you are being watched for form and you can ask lots and lots and lots of questions. You will be corrected until you are perfect. Then add more weight.
3. Fellow gluttons for punishment — It is rare when I am not weakest one in the box, but it doesn’t matter because the WOD is tough for everyone at every level because you scale to what you can do. We all want each other to get through it and get stronger. It’s me against myself with lots of great cheerleaders by my side. Don’t get me wrong, it is intimidating to be beside people who have been doing cross-​fit for longer and I am probably nervous before every WOD, but I come out on the other end feeling on top of the world when the girl who totally dominated gives me a sweaty high five and says she has noticed how much stronger I am getting.
4. Self-​improvement — So what if I can barely do a real push up? Everyone has to start somewhere. There is no judgment; just encouragement to try for one more. Time, dedication and lots of sweat make that first tight, planked push up totally worth it. Wait, wait, wait… what is this? Oh, that’s my gun show. Ok, teasing, no one at this box speaks like that.
5. Variety — Strength, cardio, gymnastics, mobility, more strength. Every day is different. And for the love of God, do NOT look at the WOD online before you come in – you know you have to do it anyway so why torture yourself with anticipation? Squats and wall balls are a love/​hate relationship. Embrace them and just get them over with.
6. Availability — there are lots of class times to flex with your schedule. You really have no excuse not to go. Darn it.
7. Affordability — Crossfit is crazy expensive, but there is something about paying that keeps you accountable to get your money’s worth. GC is the best value I have found in the area; somewhere between the coaches that genuinely want to see you push yourself in a way you never thought possible and not being able to walk quite right for a few days, it all seems worth every penny when you can suddenly do a real pull up!

It strains the limits of my selflessness to evangelize this place, because I suspect that its magic comes at least in part from its size. Despite a pretty athletic and gym-​heavy history, I was inexplicably put off by CrossFit and the culty-​ass weird aggro intensity the movement often has. Don’t we all know at least one insufferable CrossFit person? Of course we do. Something about it has always conjured up that scene from «An Officer and a Gentleman» where Richard Gere is blubbering while doing one-​handed pushups in the rain and screaming THANK YOU SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER! And to top it all off, I sort of hate group exercise and like to be totally quiet and in my head when I work out.
So basically this should have been extremely threatening and off-​putting, which is why it took me so long to venture in. But where I live, my options are famished. Between the hair-​gelled tools at the fiercely lowbrow VisionQuest – guys who never met the biped they didn’t immediately try to glad-​hand (if not strong-​arm) into buying more shit (even after disguising any number of hidden fees in their utterly disingenuous contracts) and the moronic 24-​Hour Fitness, I was really missing my beloved Shoreline YMCA. And then I saw their wee sign, just at the corner of the assisted living facility on Lake City. Not sure how I missed it, but I’d have avoided four months of epic Roman Empire decline if I’d seen it sooner.
Small and totally friendly, it’s nothing I feared and everything I hoped. How can something be so intense and so low-​key? Even the workouts – if you need to chill a bit more, they will nudge you but it’s always just the right amount; they’re totally respectful and ask a lot of questions. CrossFit newbies will be onboarded thoughtfully and with a few «handicaps» based on your conversations and the trainers’ assessments. The workouts don’t really feel like PE classes (not most of the time, anyway): they build. Which is to say, they feel challenging, but maybe not extraordinarily so… in the first repetition. But by the second and third, there will be wobbles and maybe some conversations with gods you formerly foreswore. There are no atheists in CrossFit!
Kidding! There totally are.
There are never any Groupons or Amazon Deals for this place, but you know what? If you go to early classes you’re getting straight-​up personalized training with quality staff and you WILL get results this way. I’m cautious with my cash – okay that was a lie, or more generously, a delusion, but I *aspire* to be cautious with my cash – and have no compunction paying their dues (and you can go in with no contract, too, without a penalty or stupid «admin fees»).
Anyway, this is my second class. Two days after my first, I could barely stand, and that’s even after totally wussing out with little bitch versions of some of my exercises, like using a big-​ass bungee cable for my pull-​ups.
Taunt me if you will, but this way I’m at least 30% more likely to be able to grip my steering wheel by Thursday, so I’ll have the last laugh.
Anyway, I have had nothing short of great experiences both with the trainers and the members; it took me the space of an hour to know I’d sign up for the year. This is an exceptional place, and if you’re down to earth, authentic and a little rough around the edges, come find your people. If you use Axe body spray and read pickup artist e-​books, however, VisionQuest is just up the road a mile – and LOOK! TANNING BEDS!

This box is small but it makes up for it with its great people and excellent one on one coaching. Good place for all levels of athletes including people straight from the couch to crossfit. This place has a positive vibe and all the members are like family. They celebrate when people reach their goals and give them the tools to push beyond them. Saturdays strength classes are a great time to meet all the other members and learn complex lifting. Since I’ve been here I have already reached 4 PRs (personal records) Thats huge for some one thats been doing CF for 2 ½ years. They have helped me break past my year long plateau. Alot of people tend to be scared of CF and think they dont have what it takes to do it. This CF movement is for all levels and I always say when I havent tried something out before is that «there is only one way to find out». If you ever thing about checking this place out talk to Martin, James Bang, Tigis, and George. I think they have a week long trial period but I could be wrong.