Will Lacey is a local chef and owner of Driftwood Pantry in Charleston, SC. When he’s not cooking up delicious food, he’s here at Holy City Fitness working on his fitness. Here he tells us both how he found CrossFit, and how it has helped him inside and outside of the gym.
I had very little in terms of self-motivation at traditional gyms, and even with what little motivation I did have, I was most likely butchering the movements after the majority of my training was coming from high school football: days of an old man screaming technique from the 1970’s.
CrossFit not only offers the positive motivation from coaches and members alike, but is also a perfect classroom for learning not only how to do something, but why you do it that way. It has helped bridge the gap between seeing and doing.
I also appreciate the time efficiency of CrossFit. With a busy schedule, I found I wasn’t getting my time worth in any other gym. The structure in CrossFit really makes each minute count!
When CrossFit first started, I got caught up in the assumption that it was exactly like the memes: it would be all you talked about. That seemed like something I didn’t want to do. But after a while, it seemed like a better option than being fat, lazy and generally out of shape.
But then I took my first few classes in Columbia, SC and quickly saw that it was not what the internet said it would be (no surprise there). It was filled with encouragement, all levels of fitness, and so much potential for progress. It was all incredibly uplifting.
This has become even more so at Holy City Fitness. Not that I wasn’t getting good coaching at my first gym, but the personal attention at Holy City has been the biggest asset in getting myself into shape. My appreciation for CrossFit seems to grow with each class!
All things considered, I am still quite new to CrossFit so I am constantly having bright spots it seems. Just today, I was instructed to widen my grip on cleans, and it felt so much more natural. The improvement of technique is always a bright spot and my first one, I would have to say, would be technique on just squatting properly. That and running a mile without breaking or wanting to stop running and slowly walk home.
Right now I’m still focusing on my technique in everything. That will always be key for me and will be something I keep working on so that I get the most out of my movements and don’t hurt myself.
I am always trying to improve my cardiovascular endurance, as well as continuing to get in better shape overall. So I focus on doing things from drinking enough water, eating right, and sleeping enough to really get the most out of my workouts.
At Holy City Fitness, the coaching really is second to none. You get both personal attention in a positive environment, but you are also pushed to get the most out of yourself. I can only speak for myself, but it really seems like members are surprising themselves all the time. It is inspiring and invigorating…quite contagious.
Exercise is medicine. You really can’t take for granted how much better you feel in every way after exercise. Mentally, physically, emotionally…it all works together and helps improve your day to day. It helps with the stress of work by being a wonderful release.
At Holy City, the staff and members help in keeping you pushing yourself, which spills over to your personal life. It is all about benchmarks and improvements. That can translate to so many things outside of the gym.
Want to find out if Holy City is right for you? Click here to schedule your Free No Sweat Intro to meet with a trainer and talk about how we can help you reach your goals both inside and outside of the gym.