"Overall fitness is higher than I ever expected!"
On the heels of a series of significant knee surgeries that kept me out for nearly 16 months, I was in the worst shape of my life. My knee was “rehabilitated” per the doctors, but I wasn’t fit…and certainly wasn’t happy with my current state. And I was now on my own. I was in need of a workout plan/strategy that addressed more than just my knee. I needed a structured plan that would focus on fundamentals that I could follow, grow into, and safely be pushed/challenged for whole body fitness.
I joined EF because of the structure and the daily/weekly/monthly plan. Every member can work out side-by-side and yet be challenging themselves at their own level…that appeals to me. The atmosphere of the gym reflect the personalities of Jon, Tajh, and Margaret…their willingness to always help/assist was certainly an added bonus. The members are engaging and supportive.
My initial goal was to get fit again…to fully recover from my injuries. Whatever I thought “fit” meant at the beginning has completely changed today. I have long since exceeded my initial goals/expectations. Now the goal is to no have to do any scaled movements.
A few things keep me here…the atmosphere of the gym, the supportive/communal nature of the members, and just getting better. There’s a long list of things to get better at.
How is your life different since you joined?
Daily life seems easier. Certainly all of my personal metrics have improved significantly, but my overall fitness is higher than I ever expected. The most unexpected is the friendships that have developed over the past year…oh, and pull-ups…
For the first time I think fitness has become a part of my day-to-day, rather than just going to the gym or just playing soccer.
While I had being working out for years, this was the first time someone closely watched/corrected movements. So I not only learned so many new movements, I re-learnend everything else. Thanks to the coaching I better understood how movements are integrated.
I’m pretty proud of the commitment I made. It is easy to be hit-or-miss in attending when work and travel gets in the way. Staying accountable has been important.
What would you say to someone thinking about getting started?
Start slow, be humble, and commit to showing up. It’s not about lifting the most or being the fastest. There is a STEEP learning curve, but gains/achievements will ramp up quickly if you focus on good fundamentals and putting in the work.