I love Albany CrossFit because the workouts are different every day. This ensures that I don't have to figure out what to do every day and I don't spend all day doing things I'm good at. It also ensures that showing up makes me stay to the end. I also love the positive energy watching everybody succeed. Changing lives! Positive! Motivating!

Five quick characteristics that makes Albany CrossFit stand above all other gyms. It's different each day. It's straightforward. The community. The accountability. The variety. Until Albany CrossFit I had never seen any other gym with rings or varied gymnastic work.

My legs were always a real weak point for me, and I grew up with significant knee problems that prevented me from lots of the standard exercises. Now I can squat heavy, my posterior chain is developing, and I no longer have concern about knee stability problems. I can see and feel the muscles that didn't develop until I start CrossFitting.

My confidence has drastically improved. I always felt so meek, shy, and awkward. I don't have to worry about it at Albany CrossFit. Coming in and lifting heavy is its own social starter, and I'm forced to be around and interact with others, and I know that, while I'm still sometimes extra-awkward, it's a lot better than it used to be.

Albany CrossFit provides me a stress outlet, a solid place where I can go stick my brain when I'm not in the mood, when I've had a crap day, and do something I can feel proud of. Only occasionally have I shown up in a bad mood and been too cranky to WOD, and then I just squatted heavy or deadlifted instead. It's given me permission to make time for me.

Even in every day life, I love how I can get down to the business of lifting heavy sh*t. This is a problem solving mechanism. I can, for the most part, just do what needs to be done. It's an action device when others are stuck waffling and decision making and deciding who can do what. It also makes me more confident at my job (paramedic), where my own safety and job security rely on my physical abilities.

My favorite moment was watching Dona PR her overhead squat at Friday Night Fights in March. Lots of heavy weights got moved, and Dona was included. I don't know, a 25 lb bar? 35? Regardless, we cheered like we were at the CrossFit Games. Triumph.

It's a real priority for me to get in to Albany CrossFit, and I make planning for it an essential part of my schedule.