I’ve always enjoyed playing sports but maintaining a consistent fitness routine had been a challenge for most of my life. I struggled for motivation and lacked proper guidance and accountability. Before joining BSC, I was overweight and easily out of breath even while doing everyday things like climbing stairs or taking the garbage out. Today, almost two years since joining, I feel like a completely different person and certainly fitter than I have ever been. I am confident that I couldn’t have made such progress without BSC and am excited to find out how far I can go.

My initial goal was to lose the weighted vest (fat) I had been wearing under my skin! I made it a priority to train consistently 4 times every week. After I had a routine established, I started seeing results and could focus on learning new movements and honing my technique. I’ve managed to learn handstand push-ups, bar muscle-ups, rope climbs, toes-to-bar, double-unders, and many other movements that I had never been able to do before. I’ve also hit PRs in nearly every lift. There are plenty of goals I’m still chasing and hopefully will achieve them soon!

Definitely the coaches and community! This became even clearer to me during the initial Covid shut downs and zoom WODs - it was wonderful to have guidance from the coaches and the BSC community by my side to help stay motivated and feel accountable in those difficult times. At the box, the environment always feels relaxed and judgment-free with people from all walks of life and different fitness goals working together to progress. I really feel like I can push myself to the limit when I see how hard everybody else is working in class. It is also especially uplifting to see people motivating and cheering each other on during workouts!

When I got my first pull up! It was a significant milestone that convinced me of my progress and that I was on the right path. It took months of persistent work progressing from ring rows to banded pull ups, negatives and so on until I was able to do a pull up. I remember how good it felt and often think of such moments when I'm looking for motivation.

There are many that inspire me at the gym, from coaches to regular faces I see every week. The dedication to show up and put in hard work consistently is something I really admire in every person that I see in class. I try to watch and learn from the more advanced athletes and coaches who have been doing it for years. The little tips and advice I've gotten from them have been very valuable in my development.

Before coming to BSC, I had been trying to get a handle on some chronic illnesses that felt like they were taking over my life. Once I finally felt well enough to start exercising again, I was excited to try CrossFit because I had always wanted to but had always been too intimidated. Since starting at BSC, I have gained so much strength and confidence. Although I still have some days where I can’t work out as hard as I’d like, I feel so much better overall. Instead of being intimated by barbells, I always want to lift, and I’ve improved in my cardio, even though it’s not my favorite.

My main goal was just to feel strong again, and I’ve definitely achieved that. I feel strong and capable. I’ve also always had the goal of getting a pull-up, and I’m getting a lot closer to that. I’ve hit some lifting PRs that I’ve been really excited about as well. That’s one of the things I love about CrossFit: once you achieve one goal, there’s another one that you get to work toward

I love that the community is so supportive. Also, when I come into to gym, I know that it is a place where I can challenge myself, and I don’t have to worry about failing because that is part of the process, and everyone supports your efforts regardless. I feel like CrossFit and BSC have given me permission to believe in my abilities and reach goals that I would have been too embarrassed to even say before.

My “ah ha!” moment was my first experience with the open. I was able to do more than I thought I was capable of doing in some of the workouts, and it really showed me that I could achieve more than I thought and not to limit myself.

So many people at the gym inspire me. My workout buddy Tara has inspired me to come to the gym often and consistently, and watching incredible athletes kill it every day encourages me to believe that I can be stronger and fitter. All of the coaches are so supportive, and numerous times when I would have quit, they have pushed me to finish. Those mental wins have been so important for me.

Before I joined BSC I was still trying to find a great way to stay active. I tried pretty much all the sports available to me. Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Gymnastics, Skateboarding, Running, Golf, and a number more. Honestly, I found all of these sports boring and I did not have a passion to improve. After trying all of these sports I decided to try The Burn. I joined back in 2017 (when I was 10). The first year or so was just 2-3 times a week with Dean and Dawna. They were both awesome coaches and helped me get to where I am today. Then about 1 ½ years ago I started coming to CrossFit classes. Since then, I have achieved more than I have ever thought possible, and have not only made changes to my fitness, but also my diet.

When I joined BSC my goal was to find something that I had a passion for. As I continued into CrossFit/Burn, I started to develop more goals (get a pull-up, complete one WOD Rx, get a muscle-up). I have achieved all of these goals, and more. I am currently working on my Double-Unders, and hope to get them before The Open.

BSC is more than a gym to me. It’s a community. There is something special about walking into a gym, with a community that has the same mindset as each other. Everyone has their own set of goals, and we support each other to achieve them. When I started to see results in myself and felt more confident, that’s when I knew I was in the right place. Sometimes I have those days when I could lay in bed forever. But at the end of the day, I am always glad I didn’t and had enough discipline to wake up and work out.

My biggest ah-ha moment was when I completed the 2019 CrossFit Open. Yes, I scaled it, but that didn’t matter to me. I was able to finish, and that’s what meant the most to me. That’s when I realized that I was part of something bigger than just working out. I didn’t just sign up for a gym membership. I signed up for a lifetime of happiness, health, and achievements. This is when I noticed how fun CrossFit could be, and this is when I decided I wanted to stay consistent.

Every person that has the grit to come to the gym consistently inspires me. Everyone works so hard to either see results or achieve a goal and it’s truly inspiring. Another two people that are particularly inspiring are my parents. My dad wakes up every morning at 4:50 am just to bring me to get my workout in before the day starts, and my mom is dedicated to working out and swimming constantly. When I have people like this in my life, it makes me want to work just as hard, and succeed. They are always pushing me to be the best version of myself possible, and because of this, I have made exponential growth since I started in 2017.

In 2015, I attempted my first Crossfit class. I was intimidated by the workouts and completely felt there was no possible way I could hold up….so naturally I had to try it. To my surprise, I loved it and didn’t die. Once I settled from my move to Oregon in August of 2018, finding a new gym became top priority. I visited several in the area and then landed at BSC. I knew immediately BSC was the perfect fit for me as soon as I walked in. Attending class continues to be my one of my favorite parts of the day – I truly look forward to it!

My initial goals were to build up endurance, be a better runner and just get ONE strict pull-up. I’m happy to share, I’ve achieved all three. Now to tackle several strict pull-ups in succession and build up overhead strength.

The culture! I just love the people and the environment. It’s the perfect combination for great results. I’ve made so many wonderful friends at BSC. Completing a grueling workout with friendly faces around is highly motivating. BSC creates such a comfortable atmosphere for athletes of all ages - It’s so much fun watching all the families work out together.

Once I realized how important consistency is it changed my progress. For me, it’s not as important to focus on how heavy the weight is or how fast I complete a workout, it’s more about establishing a daily routine and staying true to it. Finding the right pace to just keep moving!

All the athletes and coaches at BSC inspire me. I completely enjoy being around like-minded people who cheer for one another and genuinely want each person to succeed. Witnessing others who set/achieve goals and reach incredible feats in their workout is contagious. It gives me so much energy and keeps me coming back every day. I’m better just by being around the best!

Before I started BSC, I was just kind of doing my own thing in the gym. I had been exercising somewhat consistently, but the intensity of my workouts was nowhere near those here at BSC, and things had become stagnant with little variation and progress had stalled. Going to the gym was all very "chill", for lack of a more nuanced description. Now having been at BSC for a little over a year, I've seen notable changes in my cardiovascular health and endurance, improvements in my form and a better capacity to manage higher amounts of volume. Now, the act of going to the gym is not what I would describe as chill, but gives me deeper calm and satisfaction overall.

My goals when I started were primarily to improve my cardiovascular health, learn new movements, and engage consistently in a program that would not allow me to adapt and become complacent. I can definitely say that, while these are ongoing and qualitative, I have definitely made progress in all of these areas and I am now starting to set goals that are more quantitative. Getting muscle-ups is going to be something to shoot for in 2021.

Many things! First and foremost, the coaching has been invaluable for me in many ways, ranging from how to approach the WODs from day-to-day, to learning new movements and correcting and optimizing form. Second, I appreciate how positive the environment is, and how the programming is tailorable in such a way that it fosters sustainable progress, yet is relentlessly challenging. I've also come to really appreciate having my workouts dictated; I can tell that there is a lot of consideration that goes into making sure that the WODs have the correct balance of pushing and pulling, hit all major muscle groups, have enough variety to be stimulating and fun, invoke different energy systems, etc. Finally, the intensity of the WODs and the absolute focus that they require allows me to totally dissociate from any negativity I may be experiencing and spin it into something constructive.

I have little "ah ha" moments relatively frequently when I make incremental improvements to some of the more complicated or technical exercises and gymnastics movements that we do. A recent one involved a correction on my HSPUs that makes them feel much more efficient, and I can feel that I'm also on the cusp of a major breakthrough that will allow me to string together more that 5 DUs!

A lot of people at BSC inspire and motivate me. The coaches consistently inspire and impress me through their patience, positivity and technical knowledge. Huge thanks to Dawna, Derek, Jesse and Mike for all the effort they invest and knowledge they share. Many of my fellow athletes are also a major source of inspiration to me, and I'm always impressed and humbled by the level of athleticism, stamina and modesty that I'm exposed to coming to class each day. I was also moved by the generosity and extra effort that Mike, Christine and all of the coaches showed during the pandemic, particularly during the shutdowns- loaning out equipment, organizing zoom sessions, reaching out personally to the members, etc. These extras seemed to me like an enormous logistical challenge but showed a lot of concern for the well-being of the group and made a difficult situation a little more manageable for many. It was above and beyond the call.

I grew up playing soccer and fastpitch softball competitively till college and just burned out. I still played both sports till the injuries started to pile up and realized that I didn’t heal as fast as I did when I was younger. A friend and I decided one day to try fitness pole dancing and did that for awhile till the tricks on the pole needed me to be more flexible than I was or was every going to be. I took up kickboxing for 2 years when I decided that I needed something else. I had just starting doing obstacle course races and was really disappointed with my ability to do anything that required grip and strength (sucked at anything that required me to pull myself up). I thought about doing CrossFit but people kept warning me about it and was a little scared to try it. Went for a baseline class just to see if it was a scary as I imagined and was hooked. I couldn’t have imagined how much stronger I have become from that person that walked thru BSC’s doors a few years ago.

I really wanted to get a pull-up and learn how to rope climb since these were the skills I needed for obstacle course racing. Also wanted to get some experience with free weights. I can say now that I can do pull-up and can rope climb but haven’t yet had the opportunity to use these in a race yet but hoping for next year :)

There is so much to learn and skills to develop that I can’t get enough. I see the athletes that have been doing it for years and I want to be like them someday. I have to put in the work to achieve my goals and BSC has been exactly what I was looking for. I love the positive attitude that everyone has here.

I had been practicing my pull-ups everyday after class and was getting frustrated with them. There were muscle ups in a CrossFit open work out in 2019 and I knew I couldn’t do those but Coach Sasha suggested that I could do pull ups instead (they didn’t count for the open but that was ok). So that’s what I did and some how it just clicked and did one then got a couple more. It was an awesome feeling.

This question is difficult since I feel that everyone at BSC is an inspiration. From the veteran athletes to the new ones we are all here to make our lives healthy and be better then we were yesterday. All the coaches have been awesome and always have great attitudes. Even when I get frustrated with a movement they are there to keep pushing and offering ideas that work for me. But a special shout out to Coach Sasha for all the help, suggestions and keeping me going when I get frustrated.

I was training with competition in mind before, and now I train to stay fit and healthy for work and dad life.

My goal was to increase the size of my sets during workouts instead of going for the quickest time. So I had mini goals for each movement that would vary. Example: I might normally do sets of 5-7 pull-ups in a workout that requires 40 throughout. And now I will rest as long as necessary to do sets of at least 10 reps.

I enjoy the warmups as they are dynamic and always a little bit different. I really notice a difference in performance during workouts. And Coach Mike’s dad jokes are pretty spot on.

The moment that comes to mind was a while back when Derick taught me how to do a strict ring muscle up. I had the strength and mobility, but it wasn’t until he gave me one cue to think of when it clicked on the first try.

Derick’s humility with how dominant he is, is something I admire in a gym environment, and in life. Keep doing what you’re doing.

I have always been active with sports. I used to play a lot of racquetball and squash when we lived in Ohio. In 2012 I ran a half marathon for the first time. However, after that I fell off the wagon a little bit for 3-4 years with young kids and a busy career. When we moved to Portland in 2016 I was looking to get back into fitness. I had heard about CrossFit but always felt a little intimidated. I decided to try BSC onboarding and honestly it still felt intimidating in the beginning. People were lifting heavy weights when I was struggling to even do the movements with an empty bar. But I kept going and telling myself that I don't have to compete with others, I just have to be a little better every day. Slowly but surely the weights went up, the movements got better, new PRs were set and I was doing things that I never thought I would be able to do. Now I feel that I know what I am doing at the gym. I am still not the guy who lifts the heaviest (and never will be hahah)...but I try to just show up every day and give 100% to each workout. I really look forward to my time at BCF every day.

I had a very simple reason and goal for joining BSC: My family. My doctor told me that my health numbers were trending in the wrong direction and unless I did something to change I'd be looking at prescriptions for the rest of my life. I could not imagine not being an active father to my young daughters. I joined BSC so that I can grow young with them and enjoy everything life has to offer. I want to be able to play golf with my girls until I reach the last hole of this journey called Life! I am happy to report that 4 years later my numbers have improved and I haven't needed any prescription. In fact last time I asked my doctor for a test they told me to chill because my numbers are fine and I don't need to get tested so regularly!

The community and the people. Everyone is so nice, so friendly and welcoming. There truly is something special about this place. When I don't come to the gym for a few days I really miss it!

3-4 months ago I realized that even though I am moving better and lifting heavier weights my body weight was not going down. After doing some research and talking to a couple of coaches I realized that exercise alone isn't the answer. I was not eating bad. I just wasn't eating the right things in the right potion size. I increased the protein in my diet and was more conscious about my potion sizes. In the last 3 months I have been able to lose 15 pounds with these changes.

Everyone! All of the coaches are super awesome. They all give me a hard time but I know it is because they love me :) I don't know how BCF finds all of these amazing coaches. Every time a coach has left I felt really sad to see them leave. And then the new coach comes and they are equally awesome. I love it! All the members are really nice also. I am a regular in the 5:30 pm class and it's been fun to see other people's progression through the years. I've been able to meet some really sweet people and make awesome friends. The diversity of the BSC members inspires me. There are people of all ages, races, ethnicities, fitness levels at BSC and the one thing they have in common is when they see you they smile. Such a beautiful thing to experience every day!

Once upon a time I was a Division I All-American athlete. Like many athletes, when I was done competing I went through many types of workouts trying to find something that I enjoyed. I tried running, cycling, masters swimming, triathlons, group classes at the gym, but after years of on and off I knew I needed to find more of a community to keep me continuously motivated. It was while looking for community that I found the Fords. I actually first joined in 2012. I have been through a lot personally in the last 8 years and there have been times when I was unable to attend classes regularly including almost 2 years away after having my son. I always missed the BSC community and I have been back now for a little over a year. I love working out at BSC, and I love all the members that make each and every workout so much fun and push me to challenge myself. I am physically more confident and comfortable in my own skin when pushing myself consistently alongside all of you!

My goals right now are to get to class consistently to improve my overall strength, fitness, and health. I like using Wodify to track my workouts try to get better over time. I enjoy both the Bulldog Burn and CrossFit workouts and have picked up many new skills over the years. Strength training was part of what I did as a competitive swimmer, but Olympic lifts, kettle bells and double-unders were all new things for me to learn. Setting goals to achieve and/or improve these skills always adds to my motivation in class. Currently my biggest goal is to get back to being able to do (at least) 1 strict Pull-Up.

The members and the coaches keep me coming back. Especially now. While everything was shut down the live Zoom workouts KEPT ME SANE! And now, in the gym is pretty much the only time I see people in person even if it’s at a distance or behind a mask.

In the Spring of 2019 I was having a rough time. I was the heaviest I had ever been (outside of being pregnant), I was having some minor health issues and I just didn’t feel good about myself mentally or physically. I had been trying my best to workout and improve my eating, but with an unpredictable work schedule and a toddler at home I was struggling to maintain any kind of consistency. For Mother’s Day I asked for a punch card to BSC so that I could get back to the place where I last felt good about myself physically. That was all it took. As soon as I got back into the classes with all of you I was hooked once again. I finally lost (most) of the baby weight and immediately started gaining confidence again.

All of you! I have made so many great friends over the years, but I love that I can go to class almost any time of day and fit right in and get a fun and challenging workout. I also think that we have the best coaches around. Thanks to all the coaches for helping me improve, push myself, and figure out how to modify things when needed that will still provide an amazingly challenging workout.

Well, I’ll try to keep it brief... I grew up playing many different sports and martial arts from 1st grade through high school and I took one weightlifting class in college; then I basically sat on the couch stuffing my face for the next decade. After unsuccessful gym memberships (lack of motivation), and generally feeling heavy and unhealthy I decided to go all in and do something more to be functional and healthy. January 2018 I told myself no more excuses and I joined a box in Tigard down the street from my job that happened to have a 6 week beginners challenge course at the time. I became hooked. My employment changed to Beaverton, where I lived, and my friend Robert Ball and Sister-in-law Amy said great things about BSC so I happily joined. Currently, I feel the strongest I’ve ever been from the programming. I went from 3 days a week to 5+ days a week during my time at BSC and for some strange reason, I felt stronger and better conditioned after the zoom classes during quarantine! (Big thank you to all the coaches/staff/ and BSC for creating an environment to continue our training). Currently I feel much more confident in my abilities and want to start trying to rx more of the WODs that won’t outright kill me.

I had many overall goals in the learning process but my main focus was to get back below 200 pounds, significantly increase my pull ups, then get TTB. I have gladly met all three. Went from 220lb. to 193lb., which helped with pull ups and completion of my first full Murph, and locking in the rhythm of TTB was awesome. My next goals are to develop more of the gymnastics skills.

As most have stated before, the community is amazing. Not sure if I could have pushed as hard without all the positive encouragement, friendly competition, exceptional coaches, and of course, the 5:30 am crew! Also, can’t argue with the results.

I have two that come to mind. The first being nutrition. I thought as long as I trained hard I could consume what I wanted. When that stopped working I begrudgingly took control of my nutrition and was amazed at the results of simply tracking what went in my gullet. The other moment was when I first started, there was a coach that said to treat class like an appointment. You make time and show up for a doctors appointment, so treat class the same way, and make it an appointment for your health. That gave me the drive to show up even if I would rather hit the snooze button.

I am absolutely inspired by all the coaches at BSC for their dedication and willingness to teach. Coach Mike for his jokes and insight to my many questions, Dawna for your kind positivity and in great movement explanations, Sasha for the fun, the concise technique corrections and motivation you give me (even though there are three Alex’s in class I just assume you are yelling at me), Jesse for being there to kick my butt if I’m slacking, Derick is awesome to learn from when I can make it to Oly class. The OG members are great to observe and learn from and the new members inspire me as well. I still remember being the newbie and receiving encouragement from the other members or even a simple hello which I try to extend to any new people coming in as well which makes this community worth coming back to. I want to give a big shout out to the 5:30 am crew for the push and shared misery we endure each day.