Testimonials

Why Sno Valley CrossFit

I walked into SnoValley Crossfit sixteen months ago, and I’ve never left. 

Why did I go? A number of reasons. While I’ve always felt compelled to workout, nothing I did really ‘stuck.´ I was looking for a fitness regime that would really work: I felt I never had a lot of luck on machines at a traditional gym. I also was looking for something close to home: I drive a lot and the fact SVCF is in Carnation was very appealing to me.

And, frankly, I just had to know what was behind that barn door!

The first few months, the Crossfit method kept me coming back. No machines (besides rowing machines), basic movements that I could repeat at home, tough daily workouts that change each time you go. Importantly, there was quickly a link between the hard work I did at each workout and my own physical abilities. I was getting stronger, my endurance was getting better.

Gradually I learned that SVCF is much more than just a highly effective workout regime. After those first few months, two key elements of SVCF kept me coming back and increasing the time I spent there. 

Firstly, I learned that SnoValley Crossfit is much more than a place to work out. It is a family of Valley neighbors who have one thing in common—a desire to improve themselves through greater fitness. Everyone from the owner, Jenny, to all the fabulous instructors, to all the people who come to work out are part of that community. We help each other, cheer each other on, compete with each other, and check in on each other outside of the gym. My husband and kids are as much a part of the SVCF family as I am. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the SVCF community.

Secondly, I learned through Crossfit that I can do things I never did before. I mean never. Climb a rope and ring the bell? DONE. Jump rope 35 double-unders in a row? DONE. Do a 205 lb deadlift? DONE. Do a pull-up? DONE—(sort of!). The personal sense of accomplishment is amazing. Everyone there feels it. It is a huge confidence builder that has helped me physically and mentally.

I walked into SnoValley Crossfit last year, and SnoValley Crossfit walked into me. It is now a part of my life that I cherish, and I am happy to say I am part of it as well. Join us at SnoValley Crossfit; you won’t regret it.

 - Rebecca

Can I do It??

I had been driving by SnoValley Crossfit for at least a year and hadn’t noticed.  Then about a year ago a friend of ours starting going to a crossfit close to his house.  He always talked about what they did and how much fun it was but I thought…this is a place for people that are already in shape.  It was shortly after that I noticed the barn with the sign “SnoValley Crossfit”.  I had lost some weight & was looking to start exercising to now get “fit” but still thought “Can I do it”?  One day I was out on the website & decided to send an eMail asking about crossfit and when Jenny responded I knew I would like working out with her but still thought “Can I do it”?  She invited me down for a session and we set up for me to come to the 5:30am class on October 28^th.  On my way down I almost didn’t stop because I thought “I’m 50+, overweight and out of shape” and thought “can I do it”? 

The minute I walked in the door I knew I would love coming there, I loved the fact there weren’t any machines except rowers and as soon as I met the 5:30 am class; Jenny, Corey, Michele, Steve, Dalen and Shane were so welcoming but now the test came “can I do it”?

Jenny tapered the workout so I could do it, she pushed me but didn’t overwhelm me and I enjoyed myself.  I was a little sore on Friday but by Saturday I could barely sit down because I was so sore from doing squats and was nervous I wouldn’t be able to go on Monday.  By Sunday I was feeling good and made it the next Monday.  I’m now going on 4 months and I’m still enjoying it.  It is still hard and every day I push myself harder and do things I never thought I would be able to do it.  I record everything in my notebook and look back and can’t believe how far I have come in 4 months.  I have tried a lot of exercise venues and this has been the best, I’m seeing results & I feel great.  There are 3 main trainers at 5:30am; Jenny, Stacy & Steve and they are all helpful, make you feel like you can ask questions and make sure you are doing things correctly so you don’t get hurt.

When you join SnoValley Crossfit you not only gain work out partners you also gain friends.

I still love going and have met a lot of great people.  I now say “I can do it”!!

– Dawn

A couple of years ago I bought my wife 10 personal training sessions with Jenny.  She would come home and tell me how tough the workouts were and how sore she was.  At the time, I was riding my bike quite a bit and wasn’t interested in trying it.  I thought I was in pretty good shape….well that’s what I told myself. Fast forward a year or more and I was riding my bike less and getting out of shape.  I’d been very unhappy going to the local gym because it was always the same thing; same exercise, same routine, same 400 calories burned on the stair stepper, same people talking on the phone while they worked out.  I really hated going to the gym, but really knew of nothing different. I’d heard that Jenny had started up her own CrossFit gym in a barn over off Tolt Hill road.  One Saturday last April I decided to give it a try.  The workout that day was called Tabata.  I thought, ‘ok weird name, but ok I’ll try it’.  Tabata is 8 rounds – 20 seconds as many reps as you can do with 10 seconds rest in between for 3 or 4 different exercises.  We did 3 that day; push ups, sit ups and body weight squats.  Simple…right?  Well, no it wasn’t!  I did 8 ‘real’ push ups my first set and then by the 7th & 8th set I was barely doing 2 knee push ups.  Sit ups were worse.  I got through the squats ‘ok’, but I couldn’t walk downstairs very well for 2 days.  In short, that one simple exercise routine showed me just how out of shape I was! I would go from time to time over the summer as my schedule and interest permitted.  I was getting more interested in the whole CrossFit concept but not fully committed.  Then in early September I decided I would go consistently because I liked some of the improvements I’d been seeing and if I went more often I would probably see more!  The only problem was the morning sessions were either 5:30 or 9:30 AM.  I couldn’t do 9:30 because of my work and 5:30 just seemed SO early.  However I sucked it up and did a 5:30 workout.  It was good and yes I was very tired later that afternoon, but I proved to myself that I could drag my butt out of bed in the early AM and go do a workout and if I could do one I certainly could do it again.  Since then I’ve been routinely going to the 5:30 weekday workouts and sometimes on Saturday morning as well. I can’t say enough good things about CrossFit – the gym or the workouts themselves.  Jenny and Terry have started something really cool with SnoValley CrossFit.  They set the tone for the workouts, there is no pretentiousness – it’s in a barn!  They are there to support, motivate and push you past where your brain thinks you can go.  Some may say the cost is high compared to other gyms and they are absolutely correct.  In comparison SnoValley CrossFit is more expensive than gyms on a monthly or per-session basis, however after about every CrossFit workout I feel a sense of accomplishment and I can honestly say I very rarely had that working out at a regular gym. So if you are bored with what you are doing now or want to do something ‘in addition to’, I would suggest coming down and giving it a try.  If you feel intimidated…DON’T!  All workouts are scalable to each person’s ability level.  Trust me, I was REALLY out of shape when I was introduced to ‘Tabata’ last year but stuck with it and am so happy I did!!

–Steve