UDC CrossFit is Here! Get Pumped, Oxford!

CrossFit has been called “the sport of fitness,” and it has become a worldwide phenomenon in just over a decade. Founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, a former gymnast who was hired to train the Santa Cruz police force, CrossFit has exploded to include over 3400 affiliated gyms (known as “boxes”) across the globe. Now, Oxfordians can get with the program—a brand new CrossFit box will be opening right here in our hometown.

Master Trainer Dennis Montgomery, owner of UDC Fit, is preparing to bring his knowledge to a new facility located off Heritage Drive. CrossFit UDC will open Tuesday, May 15 with a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by an exciting CrossFit competition demo. This is a free event, and refreshments will be provided (also free!)

“This event is open to anybody and everybody,” Montgomery says. Participation in the competition is free, and people of all fitness levels are welcome to take part. The contest will be comprised of a typical CrossFit workout, and will consist of several exercises in a circuit format. To register, contact UDC Fit at 662-259-2888, or just stop by the gym (located on West Jackson Ave. next to Kabuki) and holler at one of the trainers on staff. The specifics of the workout will be released at 10 am Saturday, May 5 at UDC Fit (but you don’t have to attend Saturday in order to be in the competition).

Cash prizes will be offered to the first place winners (one male and one female), with second and third places also receiving prizes. Former NFL and Ole Miss football players Terrence Metcalf and Derrick Burgess will be among the judges, as well as UDC personal trainers Kristina Hull and Dwight Wilson. Also in attendance will be local favorite, athlete Todd Wade, who will be competing in the demo. (Can you beat him? Come on out and give him a run for the money!)

Located at 204 Collonade Cove, on the west side of Oxford, CrossFit UDC will offer morning classes Monday through Friday at 6, 7, 8, and 9 am; and evening classes at 4, 5, and 6 pm, as well as an “Elements” class each Saturday at 9 and 10 am.

The CrossFit method, although a relatively new phenomenon, is one of the fastest growing fitness programs out there, and for good reason. First of all, it’s fun. Where else can you climb ropes (besides elementary school gym class), learn Olympic-style lifts, and even master a “handstand push up”? The workouts are varied so it’s never boring—every routine is different. But it’s also a big challenge. Designed to drive you to your limits, to get you to reach within yourself and push through all the movements for the designated amount of time or repetitions—sure it’s hard, but it works. The program is built “to prepare trainees for any physical contingency—prepare them not only for the unknown but for the unknowable.”

Basically, it is a balanced, well-rounded approach to fitness that will result in the strength and agility to carry you through many of life’s challenges and make you a better athlete, no matter what sport you play. It’s “a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains … Cardiovascular and Respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy.” Employing this minimalist approach to fitness, the program is easily adapted to any fitness level. Another statement from the website asserts that “the needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen.” Is it for you? All you need is the desire to be fit, healthy, and strong. (The aesthetic physical benefits aren’t too shabby, either. CrossFit athletes are lean, toned, confident, and sexy.)

The WODs (Workout of the Day) are “short, intense, demanding all-out physical exertion.” Rather than slogging for hours on a treadmill or trudging through reps on the weight machines, a typical WOD will combine movements such as “sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, weightlifting, and carrying odd objects; they use barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls, and many bodyweight exercises.” And they typically last no more than 20 minutes. So, that leaves more time for kicking ass in life, rather than toiling for hours in the gym.

In addition to CrossFit UDC, Montgomery’s original gym will continue to provide 24-hour access to members, including a sauna and individual fitness instructors. Package memberships will be offered at a discount rate for use of both facilities.

For those who want individualized fitness instruction, UDC Fit has two additional trainers. Kristina Hull, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from Colorado Springs, is a 2014 Olympic hopeful for the US Skeleton (look it up, it’s very hard core!). She played softball at Georgia Tech and received her graduate degree in Kinesiology from LSU. Dwight Wilson is Certified Personal Trainer from Louisiana who has competed in three regional Body Building Competitions, and held the title of “Mr. Oklahoma” in 2011. Either of these two dedicated athletes have the skills and knowledge needed to get you into the best shape of your life.

Come on out for the big day May 15. Even if you don’t compete, cheer on your friends and witness the birth of a new movement in Oxford. And maybe try something new, something that will change your life for the better and make you into a superhero.