A general manager and a personal trainer have a conversation, one of many, about how if “they” owned a gym  they would do so many things differently.   “Cleaner, better equipment, personalized service by the front desk staff” the general manager said.  “Space, look at all the space in here taken up by all the machines.  Imagine the things we could have the members do if there weren’t so many machines” the trainer pointed out.  They both agreed that on their own, they would do it much differently, much better in their minds.  The personal trainer, in spite of how naive he is, looks out at the main floor.  Something isn’t right about that, that can’t be all there is to “working out”.   His search began then.  He didn’t really know what he was looking for.  But he knew something better.  He found Kettlebells, He found Gym Jones, he found this amazing trend that was basically un heard of back then Crossfit?  Isn’t that where you jerk around like an idiot on the pull-up bars, convulsing until you get your chin over the bar??? That was what someone asked him back then.  You can’t do pullups like that you’ll hurt your back and shoulders, it’s terrible for you. Those were the words of someone he looked up to.  But something in it all made sense. It made sense when you took the exercise away and made it a task.  What task?  Get your chin over the bar as many times as you can.  How you do that, doesn’t matter, go.    CONSTANTLY VARIED….Never the same workout twice……even when you did repeat a workout it was so long since the last time, you had improved so much that it really wasn’t the same workout.  FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS … workout ways that your body was meant to move, deadlifts, squats, jumps, running, pull ups…so simple……so basic……..so necessary..HIGH INTENSITY  After all it’s called work for a reason.  Most of these workouts lasted less than 20 minutes…is that possible?  After being fed a steady diet of body part isolation workouts, and cardio for 45 minutes 5 days a week, how are people going to believe that 5 20 minute workouts will do them worlds better????  After all isn’t longer better.   In fact, no.  Then the personal trainer found himself at a crossroads.  He had two outstanding offers in front of him.  He was blessed by being a fairly decent martial artist and had found someone who believed in him enough to offer him a chance to manage a school, and become part of  a very successful world class system.  The other offer was a GM spot at an up and coming franchise, new to the Buffalo Area, open one, the part owner of the next, etc….at least 5 here the offerer had insisted.  He turned down the latter in favor of the former more familiar in terms of people he knew and trusted.  Over the next 6 years the naive personal trainer learned a lot, grew more than even he expected, and was proud to call himself a martial artist.  (a title he still isn’t entirely comfortable with)  He learned humility, training every day next to martial artists whose skills he was in awe of.  Trained how to teach by a teacher who was world renowned, and truly personified the word Grandmaster….Introduced to a system that for the most part emphasized truly caring about the client, and providing them with not only the highest quality instruction but also the most complete customer service experience in the market.  It succeeded.  But the personal trainer grew restless.  He loved the martial arts, but was not passionate about what he taught.  He longed for a place of his own.  Where he could again connect with the goals inside of him.  What was it.  What unified the jobs he’d done.  What part of them did he enjoy the most?  Selling cars, teaching Tae Kwon Do, personal training?  It was seeing the joy in people’s faces when they accomplished something they didn’t believe they could.  That realization.  It was awesome to him.  To be able to be a small part of their success.

It is from this place the Crossfit Williamsville was built.  It does not claim to be the  “be all and end all to exercise.”  What it claims to be is… Honest….hard working…..and ever learning…..and above all else…caring for the needs of the community that it will build.   Come visit the naive personal trainer sometime and see if you like the workout, the atmosphere, and the people.    All are welcome.

take care buffalo, best of health to you all