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Posted July 3, 2018
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What made you decide to join the RIV?
Meagan: My site director at work (Lou D’Agostino) had been talking about the RIV for months, and then when he mentioned that it was opening a Cycling program I figured it was a natural fit. I had a background in Crossfit from when I was in the military, and I had just gotten my spin instructor certification a few months before.
James: Well, obviously dating Meagan exposed me to the RIV. But I resisted joining for almost a year because I was afraid I wouldn’t like the atmosphere of a Crossfit gym. However, after meeting the coaches at a few social functions (like the Christmas Party), I really liked how down to earth they were, and I felt comfortable trying it out.
How has the RIV helped you achieve some of your fitness goals?
Meagan: The RIV has added variety to my fitness routine. I was mainly doing cardio before (cycle and running), but I’ve seen my strength improve immensely since joining a year and a half ago. I’ve gone from 10-15 lb weights all the way up to 25-35 lbs! I love how strong I feel.
James: I’m more consistent and my endurance has gone way up. I love the variety in the exercises, and I’ve seen a huge difference in how I look.
What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved the most?
Meagan: Surprisingly, my favorite workout was accomplishing my first Murph this year. I had never attempted it at my old box, as I was always intimated by the numbers. James and I agreed to do it as a partner WOD with the encouragement of Coach Michelle. But then we were doing so well, we both completed the whole thing! Since joining, the thing I’ve improved most is my burpees- I can knock them out no problem now.
James: Endurance class are my is my favorite workout. It is never the same, and you always know you are going to be pushed to your limits in class. I’ve seen my run improve hugely from endurance class.
What is your favorite part of the RIV?
Meagan: My favorite part of the Riv is that it’s different than any other Crossfit gym I’ve been to. There’s no cult-like feeling. It’s all about being a community and trying new things. I love the variety of classes- especially Coach Mike’s Endurance!
James: My favorite part is getting to workout with Meagan and the challenge/variety of the workouts.
Posted June 26, 2018
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When Jason and I met over seven years ago, we had really terrible eating habits and our fitness habits were nonexistant. We both enjoyed going out to eat and drink and definitely went overboard. It wasn’t unusual to meet for appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks when we dined out multiple times per week. Treating ourselves became common for all occasions (to celebrate, when we had a stressful week, just because… etc.). We both ended up gaining 40 pounds each over the first year of being together. Finally, after a few occasions where simply walking made it difficult to breathe, we decided to make a change. Through various diets and working out a small personal training gym, we ended up losing close to 100 lbs together. This was really exciting because we were now able to find joy in healthy activities such as hiking and going to the gym. Although we kept most of the weight off, we slowly began to gain some of the weight back over the next few years. The diets that had helped us loose weight were not long term solutions, so when we had a craving for something that we had been depriving ourselves of, we went overboard. It wasn’t until the nutrition challenge that we began to see how we really needed to change our whole lives to reach our long term goals. Through the nutrition challenge, we learned to make healthy choices that didn’t feel like a punishment. The challenge mentality helped us stay on track most of the time. When we did make a few small mistakes, it was easy to get back on track (which is a philosophy that has been really important post challenge). Having a support system such as our facebook group helped us lose over 25 pounds together during the challenge! This has been a great motivator to keep us going! We both feel more energy, determination and enthusiasm to continue our health journey together.
I was always athletic when I was younger, dipping my toes into every sport but competitively playing volleyball for school was my main sport. I never focused on nutrition and just ate what we had in the house with takeout being an option when Mom or myself didn’t want to cook or was getting off a long day between school and work.
Once college came around I started to workout less and eat more. Again never thinking it was an issue and never feeling too bad about myself. Then came the end of senior year and the beginning of becoming a full fledge “adult” (still don’t have it all figured out but that’s okay)!! At this point in life I decided that the normal wasn’t working out for me anymore so I decided to jump right in with both feet and step out of my comfort zone of the elliptical and occasionally going to the gym once and awhile.
I joined Crossfit Riverfront October 16, 2015. I joined because I needed something different and it was 6 month until I was getting married. It was also one of the most stressful times since I was just starting my first “big girl job”, I was buying a house, and planning a wedding. However I found a place to release that stress and get through whatever was thrown my way.
In the past two years I have gone to the gym more than I ever have since playing high school sports. But again never paid attention to the nutrition piece. In October 2016 the gym decided to do a Whole 30 Challenge. 30 days of just basically meat, vegetable, and minimal fruit. It was brutal at first but I stuck to it religiously. I completed the Whole 30 Challenge and lost almost 20lbs and learned that whole food could be delicious and that it made me feel better about myself. However it wasn’t sustainable for a long period of time. I ended up spiraling back to old habits harder than before and gained back all the weight I had lost and then a couple more.
In June 2017, the gym decided to do a summer body fitness challenge. I’m competitive by nature and signed right on up for it. Throughout the six weeks I was working out for 4-5 hours a day but was not focused on nutrition and basically eating whatever I felt like. I ended up winning the challenge but didn’t sustain any of it because I burnt myself out.
Then in August 2017, I switched schools that I was teaching and began working at the front desk at the Riv. With these new job changes I learned the importance of meal prep. When going from one job to the next I learned that if I didn’t prep it was take out for me and that led to bad choices.
Towards the end of 2017 I was battling with self image issues and knew I needed some other change in my life. I started to work with a nutritionist in January 2018. She is great and makes a plan that is easy to stick to but I wasn’t always sticking to it as best as I could be especially when life got in my way. However I was making slow progress.
Then the nutrition challenge got announced at the gym. Me and my competitive nature couldn’t resist a challenge so I signed up. I knew it would be easy to stick to since it was mostly what I was already doing. However I also knew that this was what I needed to help get me past my sweet tooth that I just couldn’t kick. Within this challenge I stuck to the plan. It had similar guidelines as the whole 30 but with the added bonus of being able to have peanut butter and rice!! This made it so I didn’t feel so limited. I also explored different recipes and found meals that were super healthy, made of food I used to hate but now love, and didn’t make me feel guilty.
This challenge solidified the path I was taking and helped get over a hurdle that had been just a little too high for so long. Since January I have re-lost the 20lbs and have more confidence than ever. I’m still working on the nutrition and workout balance but I know now through this challenge what it takes to maintain a healthy love with food and allow yourself to have what you want (in moderation) but ultimately plan your week out and stick to it!!
The battle between myself, nutrition, and fitness can be though at times but right now I feel like I am strong and am slowly breaking down barriers day by day. It might not be easy but I know it’s all worth it in the end.
Posted June 11, 2018
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What made you decide to join the RIV?
Jamie: The staff was very helpful when I stopped in to take a tour. The convenience of the facility, and the intensity of the workouts. I must admit I was skeptical of Crossfit, but very happy I joined.
Jeff:I was looking to take my fitness level up. My wife joined crossfit and was seeing great results, so I decided to give it a try.
How has the RIV helped you achieve some of your fitness goals?
Jamie: I was really struggling working out on my own, motivating myself, and seeing results. I knew I needed to do something different. I was thinking about getting personal training sessions, and thought the RIV covered all my goals. I signed up to do the Savage Race in 2017. I was part of the RIV for about 8 months, and knew this helped me get through the race. I have since completed my second race.
Jeff: I feel the coaches and the athletes in class are the greatest motivation! I’ve lost about 20lbs, I’m stronger and I have more energy.
What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved the most?
Jamie: I enjoy the partner WOD. I would say core work, and burpees have improved, but everyone hates burpees!!
Jeff: The Friday Partner WOD has been my favorite.
What is your favorite part of the RIV?
Jamie: I enjoy the group workout aspect, and the coaching/personal training feeling during the workouts. I have seen results from joining, I feel more comfortable doing everyday activities, and think it is the healthiest stress reliever I have found!
Jeff: It’s always a challenge. Each workout is different. I like that Riv has a variety of class schedules and workouts.
Posted June 6, 2018
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I’ll be the first to admit despite working in the nutrition and fitness field I didn’t believe I had much room to improve. I’ve always eaten really clean with very minimal cheats so how could I do any better than I am? I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with food. It’s simply why I chose this career path but just because I know better doesn’t always make me the best client. I’ve struggled with eating disorders and body image issues for years. In the past few years I’ve finally reached a level of happiness with food so the thought of changing that up scared me. I knew I needed to start eating more carbs but again the thought of now eating more put that old fear back in my head. Now looking at the results I’m glad I put my fear aside and proceeded. It’s been 5 weeks of feeling healthier, not as tired, and stronger. Now I can truly say I feel like I’ve obtained a better relationship with food. I’m glad I took on this challenge and with some of the most amazing and motivating people I know. I’m super excited to see everyone else’s results as we come to an end. 5 weeks is just the beginning for me, there will be more to come.
Posted June 5, 2018
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Posted June 4, 2018
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Posted May 24, 2018
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Posted May 8, 2018
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What made you decide to join the RIV?
Marybeth:Steven joined the RIV and after hearing him talk about it I did the free week trial and ended up joining. I had a person trainer a few years ago and enjoyed the idea of someone else planning my workouts for me so when I saw the RIV had multiple classes throughout the day with planned workouts I knew this was a good fit for me.
Steven: I had just started working full time and I realized I couldn’t spend my days sitting at work and sitting at home. I knew I couldn’t go to a regular gym and workout on my own. I wanted to workout in groups with someone designing the workouts and helping with my form. The Riv has proven to be just what I was looking for.
How has the RIV helped you achieve some of your fitness goals?
Marybeth: My fitness goals are to just be in the best shape as I can. I’ve always had trouble motivating myself to go to a gym with my work schedule of working night shift. The RIV has helped because it motivates me to go to the gym instead of staying home. If I take a week off, I know Chelsea will have something to say about where I have been. It also helps to have my brother there with me because we can compete for time or reps which makes me work harder.
Steven: I didn’t come in with any specific goal. I initially just wanted to get in shape and blow off some steam from work. Now my goal is to keep pushing myself in workouts with heavier weights and less breaks.
What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved the most?
Marybeth: My favorite workout was the in-house-competition in November. Steven asked me to be his partner and we both had never competed before. It ended up being a lot of fun working together and somehow we ended up in 3rd place.
The RIV has helped me improve in many different workouts. Before coming to the RIV I could not do a pushup and definitely couldn’t jump on anything higher than the 12 inch box. Even though I still struggle with pushups I can at least do a few in a row and, as of a few weeks ago, I can do box jumps on the 20 inch box!
Steven: I don’t have one specific favorite workout. However, anything that is cardio intensive and involves lots of running and rowing is something I always look forward to.
What is your favorite part of the RIV?
Marybeth: My favorite part about the RIV is the other athletes in the classes. I used to avoid partner day on Fridays because I felt like I was always slowing down my partner. After attending a few Fridays, I realized that no one was judging me for going slower than them. My partner just cheered me on or picked up a few reps to help me.
Steven: The atmosphere at the Riv is my favorite part. I enjoy seeing the coaches and members everyday. The members provide some friendly competition that keeps me motivated and the coaches are always cheering me on and suggesting the heavier/harder way. The holiday party is also a favorite part.
Posted April 9, 2018
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What made you decide to join the RIV?
Believe it or not, I was not much of an athlete growing up. I was a gymnast from 2 – 14yrs old but after my early retirement from that, I did not get into any sports-ball type athletics. I bowled in high school! But I don’t really think that counts.
In 2011, I found Obstacle Course Racing and was determined to do a 12 mile Tough Mudder. I ran my first 5k that year and found out just how “fit” I really wasn’t. After a year of running (hating every mile) and training on my own, I finished my first Tough Mudder and… ouch. But crossing that finish line is all it took for me to become hooked on OCR. Over the next 4 years my goals transformed from just wanting to survive a race, to never walking during a race, then to never failing on an obstacle, to hoping to finish as a top 10 female. I knew the typical gyms were not going push me to these goals. CrossFit seemed to be all the rage at the time, so I started doing some research. I wasn’t sold on CF but the RIV won me over because of the diversity and amount of classes.
How has the RIV helped you achieve some of your fitness goals?
After one year of rivFit my mile time dropped by 3 minutes and my obstacle completion rate was in the 90% range. Add another 6 months and include a few WODs into the weekly mix (yup, I gave in and drank the CF Kool Aid) and I am usually in the top 10% of female finishers in all of my races. I have done nothing but improve since my start at the RIV and it has been addicting! I can’t wait to see what I can do next!
What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved the most?
Anything that is going to hurt the next day! Preferably involving burpees, running/rowing, gymnastics, and at least 20 minutes of work (yeah, yeah… I’m that person).
My strength and endurance have obviously improved but I think my attitude and confidence have improved the most. Every failure I experience motivates me to keep striving towards success! I no longer see my small stature as my greatest weakness, it just provides a greater opportunity to prove my strength.
What is your favorite part of the RIV?
Oh, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
Okay, I don’t want to get too sentimental here so I will keep it simple:
The music. Who doesn’t love working out to some throw back hip-hop, reggae, or backstreet boys?! No really, I do love the music.. I think I dance during most WODs. But on a more serious note…
The Diversity of Classes. My fitness goals are all over the place. I want to lift more, run faster, climb higher, flip that tire, and hold on just a little looonnggerrrr. The RIV has classes for all of these things! From rivFit to Strongman, WODs to Endurance, and Cycling to Mobility I think I am getting the most well rounded version of fitness that anyone could ever ask for. Except for maybe swimming. Do you think we could add a pool anywhere? haha. But, to be honest, my favorite part of the RIV is…
YOU! The people are what MAKES the RIV one of my favorite places to be. It sounds silly thinking that a gym can represent a community but the RIV is just that and more! It does not matter how my day was or how late I am walking into class, haha, there are always people greeting me, asking me about my day, or what I thought of about a WOD, or just looking to talk about life. The people are amazing, both the members and our dedicated coaches. You ALL inspire me! You provide the challenge and motivation that I need to push myself. And YES, I mean all of you – from the parents setting their kids up with coloring books so you can work out, to the olympic lifter cleaning 200+ lbs, to the CrossFitters that are stringing 100 DUBS together and the CrossFitter leaving with welts because they are still working on getting one DUB, to the coach that volunteered to come in early to help judge the Open, the athlete that is having an off day, and even the member that just made it through their first class. The members and coaches understand the struggle it takes to overcome that next obstacle ahead of you and they also know how sweet the reward is when you get there! You all have believed in me and my abilities more than I do on most days and it is because of ALL OF YOU that I have come this far. Thank you! And y’all better keep it up!
