I have struggled with my weight for the past decade. I tried many types of exercise and various diets. I would find small short-term success, but nothing lasting, and eventually I would return to where I began. I started at Bedlam CrossFit in July 2014, and the last 10 months has completely changed my life. My body is not only physically healthier and stronger, but my outlook on life more positive. My success can really be attributed to the positive culture that exists at Bedlam.

From the first day, I was greeted by attentive coaches that met the needs of my fitness level. I thought I needed to “get in shape’ before starting CrossFit, but that was not the case. Coach John Austin Emmons and Coach Brian Zigrang were the coaches I worked with most when I first started. They modified movements, distances, or amounts of repetitions. They set me up to succeed from the beginning so that I would not get discouraged and quit. As I got stronger, those modifications became fewer. Coach JA was always positive about my abilities, and Coach Zigrang always pushed me to try more than I thought I could do. He always tells me not to be afraid to fail – that it is the only way to get better. It would seem impossible to me at first, but when I proved to myself that I could actually do it, my confidence was built up, and it helped challenge me. The more I worked, the more improvement I saw, and in turn, the more I WANTED to work. As time went on I worked with various coaches, and no matter who the coach is that you work with – they are ALL knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and genuinely care about the success of each member. That is a huge motivating factor.

In addition to the workouts, Coach JA spent a lot of time with me at the beginning talking about proper nutrition. I’d never really had that guidance before. Despite the intense workouts, I would not have been as successful as I have been without changing my mindset about food. He took the time to really teach me what I need to eat to properly fuel my body. The changes in my daily diet definitely fast tracked my success.

Bedlam doesn’t just have amazing coaches, the members quickly become like family. They are always supportive, motivating, and friendly. They support you inside the gym and care about you outside of the gym as well. I’ve developed many great friendships through Bedlam.

10 months of work. 62 pounds and 4 sizes lost. Muscle gained. All positives. But the physical changes are just the result of the positive culture of Bedlam. Bedlam is a place where you WANT to be, where you WANT to work hard, and because of that, Bedlam is the place where you WILL have success.