Although the session was fully booked I had received many texts from those wanting to get involved so it was just opened it up...By the time we started we had 22 people ready for action made up of members, guests and friends! BOOM!
I am very proud of this as it shows that we are well on track to achieving the goals that we set out to when establishing www.mi-gym.com. I am very odd and left field in my outlook, people either get me or they don't - simples. I am fanatical about getting people moving, that fitness must not be exclusive, & that it must be FUN, adaptable and inclusive.
Over to Neil......
....."It's not all about the bike. So yesterday I attended a CrossFit Challenge Mi-gym.com. There are many different view points on the world of CrossFit. Bad technique, racing against the clock etc etc. So I was intrigued about what I would find... in this gym.
What happened over the next hour was amazing. @Rachel Young literally introduced every member into the room as if you were some fighter entering an arena. Her ethos is to build a gym family, treat you like an individual rather than the main stream gyms where you are maybe just a number. So straight away you felt liked you belong. A lady from Canada was welcomed with a war cry of her name, another lady had this workout as her return from a 3 week holiday in Thailand, there was this legend, that legend, everyone eventually would become a legend on this fine Sunday morning in Chelmsford. The warm-up was purposeful and the mobility moves matched the exercises we were about to perform. The Challenge today...Cindy - which for the newbies is 5 pull-ups, 10 press-ups, 15 air-squats. Sounds easy? Here's the catch - do as many circuits as you can for 20 minutes. We were then divided into 2 teams. Ones that needed assistant with a band for the pull-ups. (I wanted to be part of that group) but Rachels introduction to the group made me feel like I could go hard core. (my body laughed at my brains lies.) So you had one person encouraging and scoring for the other person and spotting for poor technique. The adrenaline and vibe in the gym was unreal. Everyone wanted to do their best. Away we went with the first 20 minutes. Everyone was encouraging their buddies and others around them. Something I hadn't witness before in any UK gym. Had I just crossed into the US. There were all standards of fitness, modified press-ups, full press-ups, different bands, half-pull ups. This isn't where the Ego's of Crossfit come - this is where Rachel wants me to be able to train next to my Gran. Though people who come to my indoor cycling classes would know that my Gran would kick my ass. As fatigued sets in sure enough some of the technique started to disappear...but again as we face an obesity pandemic in this country Rachel understands its about getting people moving and having fun. Fun it was for the coaches and cheerleaders, but the exercisers have been drilled well enough if the technique is becoming too flawed to stop rest, recover before starting again. Also Rachel and some others were on hand to make sure the technique didn't suffer and turn into a cheat. Harsh. As I pushed my buddy through Squat round after Squat round I could see other people looking at me and thinking he'll regret that later. Hey these are my well oiled piston legs. I can cope with air squats. 20 mins had flown by as a cheerleader. The first group had done amazingly well. Inspired to do better, feeding off the buzz; it was my turn with the hardcore unit. Christen as a Crossfit Virgin I knew I had an excuse. I was teamed up with the Brain of the gym. Soon to discover his smaller frame made him formidable with pull-ups. So off we went 20 mins. I'm not going to go into my performance. I don't like to brag. (OK so I was having to do 1 pull-up at a time.) Some people debate about Crossfitters kipping but trust me as I tried to pull my chin up above the bar I was using everything to achieve my goal. If you wanted to cheat so be it - your only cheating yourself. Did I realistically perform 60 awesome chin-ups. Probably not. But every press-up and squat I owned. The sweat on the floor around me was testament that I was working hard, chalk flew off my hands as I struggled for grip on the bar. I love short intense workouts. 20 - 30 mins of high intensity work is my kind of workout, today I was glad it was only 20 mins. Because after 5 mins it was all downhill. However let me tell you the energy, commitment and drive from everyone in the room was out of this world. You were surged along by the encouragement and the look of anguish from your other fellow training partners. Because that was what they were, not the competition. As you went into your world of pain, I only had time for mild pull-up envy as the Brain kept performing 5 pull-ups after 5 pull-ups. But all sizes great and small went into the arena to find out what they were capable of. At the end if was high fives all round as we congratulated each other on the blood sweat and tears we had shed. At becoming part of this family which always has open arms. At one point when I was observing Rachel said 'Would you join?' Most definitely just for the buzz and the energy in the room. It just made you want to move. What made me squat with my buddy, I could of encouraged her verbally but the atmosphere just dragged you along. You wanted to get involved and join in wherever you could. People are travelling miles to attend www.mi-gym.com. If you live in the Chelmsford, Essex area you need to find this gym and go along for a session. If you enjoy it as much as I did then you'll be back for more. I'm back for the 22nd June for a session called 'Murph' If Cindy kicked my butt; Murph sounds way more scary"
What happened over the next hour was amazing. @Rachel Young literally introduced every member into the room as if you were some fighter entering an arena. Her ethos is to build a gym family, treat you like an individual rather than the main stream gyms where you are maybe just a number. So straight away you felt liked you belong. A lady from Canada was welcomed with a war cry of her name, another lady had this workout as her return from a 3 week holiday in Thailand, there was this legend, that legend, everyone eventually would become a legend on this fine Sunday morning in Chelmsford. The warm-up was purposeful and the mobility moves matched the exercises we were about to perform. The Challenge today...Cindy - which for the newbies is 5 pull-ups, 10 press-ups, 15 air-squats. Sounds easy? Here's the catch - do as many circuits as you can for 20 minutes. We were then divided into 2 teams. Ones that needed assistant with a band for the pull-ups. (I wanted to be part of that group) but Rachels introduction to the group made me feel like I could go hard core. (my body laughed at my brains lies.) So you had one person encouraging and scoring for the other person and spotting for poor technique. The adrenaline and vibe in the gym was unreal. Everyone wanted to do their best. Away we went with the first 20 minutes. Everyone was encouraging their buddies and others around them. Something I hadn't witness before in any UK gym. Had I just crossed into the US. There were all standards of fitness, modified press-ups, full press-ups, different bands, half-pull ups. This isn't where the Ego's of Crossfit come - this is where Rachel wants me to be able to train next to my Gran. Though people who come to my indoor cycling classes would know that my Gran would kick my ass. As fatigued sets in sure enough some of the technique started to disappear...but again as we face an obesity pandemic in this country Rachel understands its about getting people moving and having fun. Fun it was for the coaches and cheerleaders, but the exercisers have been drilled well enough if the technique is becoming too flawed to stop rest, recover before starting again. Also Rachel and some others were on hand to make sure the technique didn't suffer and turn into a cheat. Harsh. As I pushed my buddy through Squat round after Squat round I could see other people looking at me and thinking he'll regret that later. Hey these are my well oiled piston legs. I can cope with air squats. 20 mins had flown by as a cheerleader. The first group had done amazingly well. Inspired to do better, feeding off the buzz; it was my turn with the hardcore unit. Christen as a Crossfit Virgin I knew I had an excuse. I was teamed up with the Brain of the gym. Soon to discover his smaller frame made him formidable with pull-ups. So off we went 20 mins. I'm not going to go into my performance. I don't like to brag. (OK so I was having to do 1 pull-up at a time.) Some people debate about Crossfitters kipping but trust me as I tried to pull my chin up above the bar I was using everything to achieve my goal. If you wanted to cheat so be it - your only cheating yourself. Did I realistically perform 60 awesome chin-ups. Probably not. But every press-up and squat I owned. The sweat on the floor around me was testament that I was working hard, chalk flew off my hands as I struggled for grip on the bar. I love short intense workouts. 20 - 30 mins of high intensity work is my kind of workout, today I was glad it was only 20 mins. Because after 5 mins it was all downhill. However let me tell you the energy, commitment and drive from everyone in the room was out of this world. You were surged along by the encouragement and the look of anguish from your other fellow training partners. Because that was what they were, not the competition. As you went into your world of pain, I only had time for mild pull-up envy as the Brain kept performing 5 pull-ups after 5 pull-ups. But all sizes great and small went into the arena to find out what they were capable of. At the end if was high fives all round as we congratulated each other on the blood sweat and tears we had shed. At becoming part of this family which always has open arms. At one point when I was observing Rachel said 'Would you join?' Most definitely just for the buzz and the energy in the room. It just made you want to move. What made me squat with my buddy, I could of encouraged her verbally but the atmosphere just dragged you along. You wanted to get involved and join in wherever you could. People are travelling miles to attend www.mi-gym.com. If you live in the Chelmsford, Essex area you need to find this gym and go along for a session. If you enjoy it as much as I did then you'll be back for more. I'm back for the 22nd June for a session called 'Murph' If Cindy kicked my butt; Murph sounds way more scary"
Here is some video footage from the two sittings:
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| (#migymfamily) |
Have a look at some of our other testimonials:
http://www.mi-gym.com/testimonials.html
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