Meet the team
Simon Jones aka Coach
— Director of Coaching
Crossfit means quite a few things to me, one of many is being able to push myself on any given workout to what I think I am capable of and further. Crossfit to me is a program that has given me a drive when it comes to training and nutrition knowing that if I do not eat well or train right my results will not show and that goes for my clients as well. Setting goals and targets, which seem unattainable and even outrages at first and then seeing that it is attainable is amazing. Crossfit has given me a new spark to training, competing and to living life.
I discovered Crossfit sometime in 2007 just by surfing the net. I came across an article about a 20min workout that left you on the floor. I remember my first workout was “tabata, something else” and boy did that change my aspect on how to train. I started digesting as much information as I could and experimented in my back yard, by coming up with modifications of the workouts I saw on the site and trying to make up my own as well.
I moved over to Manchester in the start of 2008 and read up on an affiliate that was around here. I stopped by, met the coaches and the members and I was hooked. All I remember after my workout was when can I come back! The box became my 2nd home and spent most of my free time hanging out there, learning and playing with different movements and workouts as well as picking the brains of the coaches. This is what I was missing over the years and I am never looking back. Experiencing the atmosphere and making some great friends along the way has given me the push I needed and till this day have never been as strong and as fast as I am today.
I want to be able to pass on what Crossfit has given to me to build a Crossfit community to promote and spread the world of Crossfit is a dream, come true spreading Crossfit one person at a time. Training is my passion and my life as an affiliate I want to run a box where people can come and train because they love to not because they have to. I want to have a gym where we can see and celebrate the achievements and success being made by my clients and members everyday.
Come and check out my blog www.simonsaysfitness.blogspot.com
Pete Brzezinka
— CrossFit Coach
Pete is a qualified Level 3 Personal Trainer with a passion for nutrition. I first got into CrossFit whilst searching online for challenging bodyweight workouts. I remember seeing the benchmark workout ‘Angie’ thinking that a workout with 100 pull-ups in was just ridiculous, but continued regardless. Since then I attended the CrossFit Olympic lifting certification and will be a qualified level 1 CrossFit trainer end of end of February. I strongly believe that if you’re going to train someone a certain way its got to be something you have experienced for yourself, whatever workout that may be, and, as obvious as it may sound it also has to be something you believe to be successful.
The most common thing I hear people say as a trainer is ‘I’m so unfit!’ To me that just says that you’ve pushed well through the required workload. Your sessions with me will be always be difficult, there’s no getting away from that, I will always safely try and get the most out of people in a session. With any given person there’ll be strengths and weaknesses, my job is to make sure you don’t keep avoiding those weaknesses!
CrossFit’s community is fantastic, and is ever expanding. There is always a real sense of camaraderie in the gym and there’s no room for egos, the competition lies largely with oneself. It’s nice being surrounded by likeminded people who are prepared to put such effort into their training and nutrition.
If I’m not working or training I’m usually meticulously planning my food binge for Sunday or playing 9-ball or both… I’m very competitive when it comes to eating, and have an INCREDIBLY sweet tooth. I know a couple of other folk who would like to challenge me here, but come on guys really…! If conversation ever deviates to that subject then excuse my excessive waffling. Any time you want to talk about proper nutrition and diet or just training in general then please go ahead! I look forward to seeing you at the Thursday classes.
Melissa Henderson aka Little M
— Director of Marketing and Media
— Trainee Trainer
I was introduced to CrossFit by Simon in May 2008, at the time I was quite active, attending various classes at globo gyms, and doing the typical cardio and weights mix.
I was encouraged by the members in Simon’s class and of course by Simon to give it a go. I naively thought, this hour workout is going to be easy compared to my usual 3 hour workouts, but hey why not, I liked trying new things and Simon too, so how could I say no. The four days after the workout I was wishing I had said no, I could barely walk and everything hurt. Funnily enough though, the week after my first CrossFit class I was there, ready and eager to get my CrossFit fix! That was it, I was hooked! My old training days were forgotten.
At first I couldn’t explain or even understand why week after week I was coming back to do these crazy arsed workouts? I realised over time it was a number of reasons. I loved the constantly varied programs- not knowing what to expect when I walked into the class. Pushing myself further than I though possible, because of the support from the coaches and members. The sense of achievement after a workout, and the fact that I was stronger, faster and fitter than id ever been. It was such an amazing buzz when I went head to head with the guys in the class and beat them, me this 8st, 5 foot nothing, girl. It was from then on that Little M(onster) was born.
What I really enjoyed about CrossFit was the sense of community. It’s like joining a family, you were immediately accepted. I have made some great friends, and have had the privilege of meeting and building friendships with people all over the world as a result of the CrossFit community. We train because we love to, not because we have to. My goal now is to help spread CrossFit, to give back what CrossFit has given to me.
