CrossFit Citadel

I had tried working out over the years but I never stuck with it. For me working out was boring and I viewed it as a means to lose weight, which I did not need to do, plus I have scoliosis so I thought there was not much I could do. When Katie first told me about CrossFit I told her it was too intense for me, but she finally got me to try it and after a few months I was addicted. It has changed my life. It is intimidating at first but Jon and Travis are very encouraging and with their help I am doing more despite my scoliosis. Now I want to eat healthier and I look forward to the WODs and at only a 115 lbs the progressions make it easier for me to become stronger physically and mentally. CrossFit has taught me how to use muscles I never knew I had and to do things I never knew I could accomplish. Even though it can be frustrating at times but in the end it is worth it. I love embracing the suffering.
-Meagan H.

I've always considered myself in fairly decent shape until I tried CrossFit. CrossFit is a big wakeup call and ego check for those out there that think they're tough because they can hammer-curl 50 lbs. CrossFit is what fitness should be.
-Geral G.

Two months ago I was on medication for A.D.D. symptoms. The meds weren't working anymore so my doctor wanted to increase the dosage. My resting blood pressure on the meds was 186/84 @ 90bpm. Something told me that this wasn't the path I should be on so I decided to drop the meds completely. I quit soft drinks, started transitioning to the paleo diet and began training at CrossFit Citadel. These decisions were some of the most challenging I'd ever made but they paid off. 11 weeks later my resting blood pressure is now 120/75 @ 67bpm. I still struggle with the A.D.D. symptoms but they are better than they were prior to going on the meds and will continue to lessen as I fine tune my diet and conditioning.
-Karsten F.

CrossFit Citadel has changed my life. Before joining CrossFit, I would spend hours in the weight room building non-functional muscle. I developed some size, but had no explosive strength. After four years and many hours in a traditional gym, I met Jon and Travis. The trainers at the Citadel began to explain the importance of functional muscle and a proper diet. Six months after joining CrossFit, I lost 18 pounds, developed lean, but very strong muscle, and now I feel healthier than ever. It took some hard work, discipline, and some scary WODs, but I wake up everyday enjoying the way I look and more importantly feel. Thanks to the awesome trainers at CrossFit Citadel for helping me achieve a healthy lifestyle.
-Joey R.

I first heard about CrossFit from my college roommate. She attended a summer session of CrossFit traing before starting her station duty in the Air Force. She would always tell me stories of the crazy workouts she would do. When I compaired the exciment she was having with her workouts to my spin class/ globo-gym group exercise classes, I felt like I was missing out on something. Looking to kickstart my New Year’s resolution of “working out more,” I googled CrossFit Longview, TX. To my surprise there was a CrossFit gym right here in Longview. I took this as a sign. Taking advantage of the free Saturday workout, I headed up to the gym to experience first hand what CrossFit could offer me. I remember my first WOD like it was yesterday. 5 Rounds for time: 5 Pull-ups (Woa! I have never done a pull-up before these people are crazy, but with an overside rubberband this seems doable) 10 Squats (WITH weight, I normally just use a 10lbs bodybar, but 65lbs is not as heavy as I thought it would be, I can do this) Sprint down and back the length of the Basketball court (well that’s normal) The workout was scaled for each person envolved and we were ready to start. I was so excited to being doing something different than I was used to. When the clock started counting down to signal the start of the workout I was wierdly nervous/excited. It was compairable to waiting for a kickoff back when I played rugby in college. The competitor inside of me was itching to perform. Less than 10 minuets later I was “Smoked,” and it felt amazing. CrossFit has changed the way I look at fitness. The number on the scale used to be the only measurement I cared about. Now I measure reps, rounds, time, loads, work, and power. Watching these numbers has given me more satisfaction and motivation than any scale reading. There are always new goals to set and achieve. I hope you make CrossFit a goal and work to achieve Greatness.
-Whitney D.

I came to CrossFit looking to cut body fat and use it as a supplement to my weight lifting. I had no idea how out of shape I really was. When I first started I couldn't do any pull-ups at all and my deadlift was around 345. Within three months my deadlift has jumped 60 pounds and I can do 12 pull ups in a row. I lost 10% body fat and maintained the same weight. So, in other words I replaced all the fat with muscle. My conditioning has also improved greatly. Travis and Jon really take care of you and try to improve you as a total athlete. I have had a great experience since I started and I plan on continuing my training here for a long time.
-Josh W.

I've read a lot of forums and people talking about how Crossfit is only good for people who were in shape but have let themselves go a little bit. Ex-athletes, out of shape firefighters, military, etc. I can absolutely say that is not the case with me. As I approached my late twenties I realized I was gaining about 10 pounds a year and could barely play with my daughter in the yard without getting winded. I never played sports or lifted weights prior to Crossfit. My wife talked me into doing a weight loss program and I lost around 40 lbs, was lighter than I had ever been in my adult life, but I didn't look good, or even feel any better for that matter. I was just a lighter out of shape version of myself. In other words I really sucked at life and was beginning to believe that was just the way it was. Then thankfully I met Travis and somehow he talked me into doing this crazy stuff, now eleven months later I am literally in the best shape of my life. I look better, but most importantly I feel better. I will never go back to that guy I was before. I do things every week in the gym that the average guy couldn't imagine himself doing and I love it. Yes it hurts, yes it sucks, but it is the best feeling in the world to finish a workout and know that you are better because of it than you were when the buzzer went off. Plain and simple- Crossfit- Do yourself a favor and quit sucking at life! See you at the gym...
-John C.

CrossFit has changed my life. Jon & Travis believe you should be fit for life. It takes discipline and a whole lot of effort. There is an awesome group of guys and girls with a common goal of better today than the day before. Since I've started, I've lost 40lbs; have gotten stronger & supposedly stopped snoring, according to my wife. I want to be fit for life. It's awesome!
-Mario O.