Strong Together Hackettstown CrossFit — Local services in Hackettstown

After being beyond tired of these extra 30lbs I've managed to gain, I saw HCf on my fb feed. They were running a 21 day fitness challenge. On a whim, I decided to go to the meeting and be ready with all of my questions(and excuses, I guess) to see if I would be a good fit for this program. I have a history of surgery that doesn't allow me to move the way I once did. I had an accident in October hurting my knee and back AND I don't eat chicken!! So believe me,, my guns were loaded to find anyway from the physical movements to the diet portion, to NOT, be able to do this. "Not to worry, you are not the only one!" I was told. So after some thought, I signed up and I was on my way! It was exciting actually! I felt like I was going to my first day if school!😄 the fb page was one of the best things that this program allows you to be a part of. The witty banter, memes, support from the same group of people you're working out with. Struggle isn't really the appropriate word here, because this plan is not really a struggle at all! When your feeding your family pizza, work meetings with donuts, not attending 'wine Wednesdays' and pouting outloud about it😄 group support is right there to cheer you on!The workouts: I went in knowing full well I was going to have 'alternative' exercises due to my condition. I NEVER felt left out, or stupid, or like the alternatives were any easier. Just a different approach to a movement. Let's not get that twisted! Walking in to the first class, I was nervous of course. Am I going to look fat, stupid, weak, etc. And low and behold, ALL WALKS OF LIFE were in the same room, all feeling the same way. Funny how we all perceive things differently, isn't it? At warm up, I thought WTH did I get myself into? By classes end, I was ready to face the world, air boxing like Rocky! The workouts are different and keep you burning calories for hours and days later than a traditional workout. It is still hard to wrap my head around the fact that I don't have to workout every single day to see a result. I was working out 4-5 days a wk at LA Fitness with not 1oz lost for more than a year! I'm the great maintainer, I thought! Old age has finally kicked in... next step, acceptance of my middle aged body, sigh😧 I have managed to 'maintain' these 30lbs steadily for all this time😒 whoopee... lucky me! So, where did my money go you ask?? Down the damn drain, is where! Do you know, that after doing the free 21 day fitness challenge at HCF, I've eaten more food than I could actually endure, I worked out 3 days a week and I successfully lost 12lbs and 1.9% body fat in 21 DAYS!! Incredible! It takes me longer to spring clean my house then it did to do this challenge. I have lost more weight than I have in 2 years, on my own. I guess it just goes to show ya, everyone could use a little professional boost. The coaches are great, I cannot say that enough. The location is clean, they have organized workouts, offer childcare, and they run in a timely fashion. What a group of positively great folks, I now have the pleasure of knowing! This is not just a gym,.. its a community. My hat goes off to owner Ben(who did the challenge with us!) coach Mike, coach Jessica, and staff for putting this program together. In this new world we live in everyone is out for what seems like blood, HCF could have easily ripped us off, they could have lied about the diet, they could have manipulated weigh in numbers, and most of us would have been happy with HALF of the weight loss numbers we were getting! HCF actually wants to show you that their program works. No strings attached, no showing off, no gimmicks and No 'if you don't join' shenanigans. They ACTUALLY truly enjoy what they do for a living and it shows whole heartedly! HONESTY is an amazing thing! I will leave this challenge not just happily 12lbs lighter, but more full of knowledge, self esteem, physical strength, pride, encouragement to continue to my goal, a great experience, and more friends than I can count! THANK YOU from the bottom of...

Hackettstown Cross Fit is awesome! I started going here in April, 2016. My plan was to just try out a 3-4 month membership. I was not too sure it would fill my needs, but figured it would be a nice change from my normal gym routine. Turns out I was way wrong. The workouts are fun, challenging, and constantly varied. The people there are great, and I am not just talking about the Coaches, they are great, but the members are very nice too. It really feels like a good community where everyone is helpful and friendly.

The workouts run about an hour. They include bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, rowing machine, running, bars for pull-ups, etc. Normally there is some stretching and foam rolling, then a warm up, then the WOD (Workout of the Day) and sometimes we are rewarded with Chocolate Milk. And not the kind you drink, the kind that means a few minutes of something at high intensity.

If you search for Cross Fit on the web you find some pretty intense pics and videos. People are throwing around a lot of weight. It can be intimidating. But it turns out there are scaled versions of everything. The Coaches will show you other techniques or exercises, or you can use a lighter, or heavier, weight and before you know it you are pushing around some heavy weight and doing exercises you would never have thought you could do just a few months earlier.

One thing I really like about HCF is the expertise of the Coaches. I came into this from a few years of exercising on my own at local gyms. Turns out I picked up some bad habits and my form was lacking on many exercises. The Coaches are always walking around watching to make sure you are using the proper form. This is important to prevent injuries, but also proper form gets the desired results for each exercise.

The Coaches are also a wealth of knowledge on different exercises, eating habits, stretching, etc. I am usually quick to see an exercise, movement, or flexibility issue that I may have. I then try to work on improving it. I am regularly asking Coach Jess or Coach Mike for ways to improve at something. They both have spent a good bit of time getting me over some hurdles, like double-unders and muscle-ups. Two exercises that I just could not perform. But that has changed and now I can do both at will.

One thing that I find quite different here is that I actually look forward to going each day. Before I would go to the gym because you need to go at least three days a week and work out. Now I find myself getting ready the night before if I need to take an early class, or scheduling my appointments so I make sure I can get to HCF for an evening class.

It has been a long time since I have been excited about working out. It is no longer something I feel I have to do, it is something I want to do. I no longer have time issues where I cannot get to the gym because when you enjoy it, you make sure you can fit it in.

My results have been quite good. I am much stronger in every exercise. I can do more of them, use heavier weights, and do them at a faster pace. I started with a body weight of 222 lbs and a body fat percentage that floated around the mid 20's. As of this morning I now weigh 199.5 lbs and my body fat percentage is in the teens.

One of the reasons I was a bit skeptical about joining was because it looked like a young persons sport. I am 53 years old and was not sure how well I would be able to perform there. Turns out I do pretty well. And so do most of the people there that are quite a bit older than I am. So do not let your age be a factor, this is very well suited for everyone.

Give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised when you realize how much you can do with...

OK, now that I have completed the 12-week program at Hackettstown Cross-Fit, I thought it would be a good time to tell everyone my story! My first “official” day was on 2/1, and I came in at 259.1 LBS, a % body fat of 40.3%, on a calcium channel blocker for high blood pressure, and generally feeling “unwell.” For reference, I took my first photo that afternoon after my weigh-in. (see the first picture posted) In the past, I tried to hit the gym, always with mixed results, primarily by my fault. I would start working out hard and then hurt myself, only to take too many days off and then “fall out” of the routine. So I knew it was time to try something different. From the moment I walked into HCF and met Christine Romero, I could see that this would be what I needed; she provided me guidance not only on my workout but also on my diet. She gave me an easy diet plan to follow, checked in with me regularly and at the gym, coached me when I tried to do too much. (WHICH SHE STILL DOES, BY THE WAY!) While I am not going to say it was easy! Especially the first two weeks! I saw immediate results, and I wasn’t killing myself, just working really hard, which is OK! And throughout that time, Christine and the staff at HCF continued to give me good feedback, provide me constant direction, and encouraged me to keep going. My second photo was taken 26 days later, on 2/26. I had already lost 19 LBS. my BMI dropped to 32.3%. By now, I was in a groove at the gym; I felt I was getting stronger each week, learning the workouts (even the crazy, Christine ones!), and connected with some of the nicest people in the other gym members. (yea, I’m talking to you guys! Melissa, Jim, Sue, and Ken, and of course my workout buddy Jeannette!) Still, Christine and the staff continued to keep me focused on my goals and provided the needed guidance even when not at the gym. For this, I am very grateful. So, to wrap up my long diatribe, I will tell you where I stand today, after my last weigh-in at the end of the 12-weeks. My weight has dropped to 213.4 LBS, down 45.7 LBS. My % body fat has dropped to 23.2%, down 17.1%. And my muscle mass has increased from 88.2% to 93.5%! Please see the last photo. And oh, by the way, no more blood pressure medicine for me! (Doctors orders) While my fitness journey continues (my goal is to get into the 175 LBS range), I know it is only a matter of time before meeting my goal. I can say without a doubt; I could have never achieved these results without the excellent work from my coaches at Hackettstown Cross-fit and a very special and sincere shout-out to my coach Christine Romero, who helped me along. If you are thinking about getting into shape, and are unsure, talk to the team at HCF, I promise you, you will...