EDCF is proud to present the newest addition to our team, Coach Drew. We are excited to add Drew’s knowledge and passion for CrossFit to our EDCF team. Drew will be coaching Thursday evenings to start off so make sure to say hi! A little more about Drew..

I come to Dallas by way of Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina. In my day life I’m a lawyer, and I recover from those shenanigans at the CrossFit gym.

I stumbled on to CrossFit in 2008 and have been obsessed ever since. In my prior life I was a swimmer who swore I’d never run and then became a runner who refused to swim. I’ve run three marathons, countless half marathons for which I refuse to train (thanks CrossFit!), and one ill-advised triathlon, and conquered a 5K lake swim (never again). In my CrossFit life, I was a regionals qualifying athlete in 2010 and 2011.

I am CrossFit Level I, Power Lifting, Olympic Lifting, and Mobility certified and I have additional training in kettlebells. I have a special interest in helping women get stronger than they ever thought possible and I’ll probably always put more weight on your bar. I absolutely love coaching and finding new ways to help people conquer movements they find challenging.

My outside of CrossFit hobbies include being jealous of my husband’s flexibility, playing with our two adorable dogs (Howie and Lulu), and dreaming of the next time I’m going to visit Africa (my favorite travel destination).

Meet you July Member of the Month, Jason Anderson. Jason came to us in pretty bad shape. I could tell he was only there because his wife, Angelica, dragged him in. I could also tell there were many places he would have rather been and many other things he’d rather be doing. After getting over that initial hump, Jason now has one of the best attendance rates of any of our members. He has made a complete 180 since his start and is one of the core members of our 6:30am class. Most notably, Jason came in second place in our Spring Body Composition challenge by gaining 16lb of muscle and losing 13lb of fat in just 9 weeks which is almost unheard of! He is strong as an ox and loves the heavy stuff. That being said he also hates anything remotely aerobic (but we’re working on it). Jason and Angelica are also celebrating the birth of their first child who was born on July 5th. Keep it up man. EDCF is proud of what you’ve accomplished in a year!

1. When did you join EDCF?  How did you find the gym?  What was your first impression or how did that first workout go?

Last July (2013). When we moved to Lakewood. First workout was horrible. Threw up peanut butter cup cereal within the first 15 seconds. (Haha no joke!)

2. What class time do you attend the most, are there any regular members you work out with at that time? 

6:30 am class with Zach, Carson and Lindsey.

3. Tell us a little about yourself, What is your life like outside the gym? Where do you work, do you have kids/pets/husband/bf/partner? What is your favorite hobby outside the gym?

My first son was born July 5th. We will be married for 6 years this July. I am a principal at Strait Capital and head of the fund administration department.

4. What do you like about CrossFit or EDCF that keeps you coming back?

The people and the variety I the exercises. Ryan always switches it up so I never get bored and I still get sore after one day.

5. What is you favorite lift or exercise or type of workout? What is one of your short term and long term goals?

Favorite lift is high-bar back squats and dumbbell rows. Long term goal is to be able to do double unders and toe to bars. Short term goal is to continue to go workout with a new child waking me up through out the night.

Just a reminder!…. We are headed out to another local brewery this Saturday, July 12th to hang out and have a great time. Community Beer Company holds an open house every Saturday from 2-5pm. For $10 you can sample their awesome beers and listen to live music. It’s dog friendly and there will be a food truck on site. Purchase tickets in advance HERE for $10. They are $15 at the door. Hope to see you there!

Where: 1530 Inspiration Dr., Suite 200
When: Saturday, July 12th. 2-5pm

Joe Gaspari came to us looking for a supplement to his running. You see, Joe has been running for quite a while. On top of that, Joe has been overdue for hip replacement because of a degenerative joint for years now. He still runs the Dallas Marathon every year but what is most impressive is that he has completed six pervious Boston Marathons. His goal this year was to complete his seventh and final Boston before going under the knife. Joe credits his training at EDCF for keeping him on his feet long enough to cross the finish line one more time. We just credit Joe’s stubbornness.

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Outside The Box is an EDCF blog series dedicated to showcasing member achievements outside of the gym.

East Dallas Crossfit Promo from Doyt Films on Vimeo.

We are pleased to announce Ashley Douglas as your Athlete Of The Month for June. Ashley has been with us a little over a year but has really picked it up in the last 3-4 months. Ashley can always be found with a couple of other nooners working on skills before or after class. She sets goals and she meets them. Recently she has conquered the kipping pull-up and has continued to add weight to all of the major lifts. She is a constant motivator and makes coaching the noon class a daily pleasure. Congratulations Ashley! Find out more about Ashley below..

1. When did you join EDCF? How did you find the gym? What was your first impression or how did that first workout go? I joined EDCF in July of last year (my one year anniversary is approaching!) and I joined because one of my friends was joining. I was looking into CrossFit prior to that, but hadn’t committed to anything yet until she forced me to try EDCF. Honestly, that first workout was BRUTAL. I remember thinking, “there’s no way I can do this. I’m not in shape enough for CrossFit.” The first workout I have recorded in my journal had a 20 minute cap, and I finished in 19:50…one of the main reasons I came back was because of the class members; they cheered me on for several minutes after they were already done. Rockstars!

2. What class time do you attend the most, are there any regular members you work out with at that time? Yes, I go to the noon class Monday-Friday. The members that I workout with that attend regularly during that time are Brent, Leigh-Anne, and Jake. Brent is my positive reinforcer. Leigh-Anne is my best “CrossFit buddy” and biggest/best competition. Jake is the guy that says ‘oh, you’re doing 35? Try the 44.’ All of us also push each other outside of CrossFit, running or paddle boarding around White Rock Lake. They’ve become some of my best friends, and I wouldn’t have had the same experiences without them.

3. Tell us a little about yourself, What is your life like outside the gym? Where do you work, do you have kids/pets/husband/bf/partner? What is your favorite hobby outside the gym? I am a Sales Representative for a cheerleading company called Varsity. I also coach cheerleading at Jesuit in Dallas. I am the oldest of 9 siblings, 3 of which live in the Dallas area. One of my younger brothers is in the Navy and is stationed in Hawaii, but he’ll be living in Dallas by Christmas. No boyfriend yet, but I’m single and ready to mingle! My favorite hobbies outside of the gym are reading (anything and everything), working out, cooking (I’m a fantastic chef), and hanging out with my friends and family. I’m a wine aficionado, sports enthusiast, music fiend, great friend, and a lover of all things life-altering.

4. What do you like about CrossFit or EDCF that keeps you coming back? Why do I love CrossFit? A simpler question would be “why DON’T I love CrossFit?” My friends actually make fun of me, loosely quoting Fight Club saying that “the first rule of CrossFit is to talk about CrossFit.” I fell in love with the CrossFit culture. The people that I workout with are exceptional, inside and outside of the gym. I had a lot of pre-existing injuries coming into CrossFit because of years of cheerleading (two knee surgeries, a torn shoulder, sprained ankles, and an additional 20 pounds of cookies). CrossFit was the BEST thing that I ever did for my body. It made me strong in ways that I didn’t know I was capable of. In addition, Ryan is the instructor that I interact with the most, and he is an exceptional motivator. He always pushes me to be my best self, and I am eternally grateful for his guidance.

5. What is you favorite lift or exercise or type of workout? What is one of your short term and long term goals? My favorite lifts/exercises are Power Cleans and HB Back Squats. A recent addition to the favorite list is Kipping Pull-Ups (finally got them down!). Next exercises to check off the list are double unders and [heavy] overhead squats. A LONG-TERM goal of mine is to compete in the CrossFit Games. Dare to dream! I believe that EDCF can make that dream come to fruition. 

Dr. Matt Yocom from Airrosti Rehab Center will be at the gym this Saturday during regular class times to give out complimentary assessments and treatments.

Sign up by clicking HERE.

 

We are so very proud of Kay Knox as she officially became part of the Dallas Fire Department last Friday! When Kay started here almost 2 years ago she was struggling to pass the physical test required to get into the academy. Kay got stronger, faster, and overall more badass and crushed it. We are so lucky to have her, Charles, and Lullaby as members. Way to go Kay!