Christine Rhoades
Age - 59
Real Estate
"In fun, I run with the senior members of CrossFit Ethos! I was looking for a program that would work me hard and intensely at an affordable cost. I needed a program that would help me to get into the clothes that had been hanging in my closet for months. I have always been active skiing since I was 12, tennis, golf, a Masters in Dance and actually taught on the college level for several years. As you get a bit older it's hard to kick your own butt even though it's not at all hard to find. I've been a good and consistent gym rat over the years and know the exercises one can do but it's hardly fun to hurt all by yourself. I started the program September 2009 at the age 57. Currently I am 59 and making gains in my fitness every week. The program works! Regardless what level you are at currently the fun and support you will get with all these young kids encouraging you on is the best way to workout. Here's a little saying I made up to help me through the challenges 'Just show up and finish.' Thanks everyone for cheering me on!!!"
Age - 59
Real Estate
"In fun, I run with the senior members of CrossFit Ethos! I was looking for a program that would work me hard and intensely at an affordable cost. I needed a program that would help me to get into the clothes that had been hanging in my closet for months. I have always been active skiing since I was 12, tennis, golf, a Masters in Dance and actually taught on the college level for several years. As you get a bit older it's hard to kick your own butt even though it's not at all hard to find. I've been a good and consistent gym rat over the years and know the exercises one can do but it's hardly fun to hurt all by yourself. I started the program September 2009 at the age 57. Currently I am 59 and making gains in my fitness every week. The program works! Regardless what level you are at currently the fun and support you will get with all these young kids encouraging you on is the best way to workout. Here's a little saying I made up to help me through the challenges 'Just show up and finish.' Thanks everyone for cheering me on!!!"
Sam Rafail
Age - 34
IT Sales Professional
"Crossfit and the team at Crossfit Ethos has been life changing for me. I was athletic in high school and in college, but once I entered the workplace 13 years ago my life was spent behind a desk and computer. I had stints of hitting the gym and doing the regular 1.5 hour workouts with cardio and weights, but that never stuck. I was in horrible shape and suffered from numerous back and shoulder issues due to my job behind a computer or in my car and needed a change. I went from not being able to do a single pull up at my intro session at Crossfit Ethos to 4 months later easily cranking out more than 100 in certain workouts and completing other workouts that I never thought I could even complete. I lost over 20 pounds and consider myself to be the strongest and fittest I've ever been at the age of 34. My friends and family have been amazed with physical changes in my body and I'm personally amazed at how my confidence and self-esteem have improved and carried over into my professional career as well as my quality of life. I have the team at Crossfit Ethos and the friends I've made there to thank for adding years to my life and bringing a passion for fitness that I never thought could be possible. My greatest achievement in CrossFit is that I feel athletic again, which makes me feel younger. I usually describe it as the feeling you had when you're a kid and you see some wall about 3 feet high and you just jump on it, just because you can. I feel like I have that again. And the purely aesthetic feeling of looking better and happily spending hundreds of dollars having all my clothes altered to fit me! Most of my current friends never knew me when I was really athletic back in high school and college playing basketball at a high level, but they're looking at me now as the 'workout guy'. I know that this is just the beginning because I see where the other athletes are that have been CrossFitting much longer than I have and my motivation is to see where I'll be as I keep it up."
Age - 34
IT Sales Professional
"Crossfit and the team at Crossfit Ethos has been life changing for me. I was athletic in high school and in college, but once I entered the workplace 13 years ago my life was spent behind a desk and computer. I had stints of hitting the gym and doing the regular 1.5 hour workouts with cardio and weights, but that never stuck. I was in horrible shape and suffered from numerous back and shoulder issues due to my job behind a computer or in my car and needed a change. I went from not being able to do a single pull up at my intro session at Crossfit Ethos to 4 months later easily cranking out more than 100 in certain workouts and completing other workouts that I never thought I could even complete. I lost over 20 pounds and consider myself to be the strongest and fittest I've ever been at the age of 34. My friends and family have been amazed with physical changes in my body and I'm personally amazed at how my confidence and self-esteem have improved and carried over into my professional career as well as my quality of life. I have the team at Crossfit Ethos and the friends I've made there to thank for adding years to my life and bringing a passion for fitness that I never thought could be possible. My greatest achievement in CrossFit is that I feel athletic again, which makes me feel younger. I usually describe it as the feeling you had when you're a kid and you see some wall about 3 feet high and you just jump on it, just because you can. I feel like I have that again. And the purely aesthetic feeling of looking better and happily spending hundreds of dollars having all my clothes altered to fit me! Most of my current friends never knew me when I was really athletic back in high school and college playing basketball at a high level, but they're looking at me now as the 'workout guy'. I know that this is just the beginning because I see where the other athletes are that have been CrossFitting much longer than I have and my motivation is to see where I'll be as I keep it up."
Lorene Houser
Age - 55
Retired, Silpada Jewelry Rep, Cancer Survivor
"What a difference a year of CrossFit has made in me. I was in a rut with the same old exercise program and not seeing much of a change in my body. Had truly reached a plateau and was getting discouraged. CrossFit came along and who would of thought that at 55 I could do the exercises and lift the weights that I am doing now. I can dead lift over 150 lbs and run a 5K! Prior to CrossFit a 400 meter run was a challenge! I am not only in the best shape I have been in years, my bone density is at 30 year old levels! CrossFit is hard work, but the trainers at CrossFit Ethos motivate you to challenge yourself to give 100%. I never thought a grandma could look this good!"
Age - 55
Retired, Silpada Jewelry Rep, Cancer Survivor
"What a difference a year of CrossFit has made in me. I was in a rut with the same old exercise program and not seeing much of a change in my body. Had truly reached a plateau and was getting discouraged. CrossFit came along and who would of thought that at 55 I could do the exercises and lift the weights that I am doing now. I can dead lift over 150 lbs and run a 5K! Prior to CrossFit a 400 meter run was a challenge! I am not only in the best shape I have been in years, my bone density is at 30 year old levels! CrossFit is hard work, but the trainers at CrossFit Ethos motivate you to challenge yourself to give 100%. I never thought a grandma could look this good!"
Haley Walsh
Age - 23
Recent college graduate, Administrative Assistance/HR
"After college I told myself I was going to make time to go to the gym and get back into shape. I signed up at 24 Hour Fitness and decided I would go for at least one hour, four times a week. The first day I walked in I hopped on a treadmill and tried to keep myself entertained. I lasted about 15 minutes before I got off and left. I paid for the membership for 6 months and never returned. I didn't really know what to do when I went to the gym, I didn't like working out around strangers, I had no drive, I was bored.
My father, who is an avid CrossFitter, told me about CrossFit Ethos and I decided to give it a try. I was intimidated because I had never really lifted weights and I could barely run 400m. One of the owners, Jimi, was there on my first day of Elements. He was nice and welcoming and explained that he didn't expect me to be able to do the workouts to the level of those who had been there for over a year. He saw my weaknesses and changed the workout to be to a level I could do. In a short four minute workout I was sore, tired, excited, and absolutely addicted.
I continued to return to CrossFit Ethos for many reasons. I loved being told what to do because it forced me to face my weaknesses and work on them. I loved the competition whether it was beating one of my previous times or trying to keep up with someone who had been at the gym longer than me. But I think the best part of CrossFit Ethos is the community. Even if you want to beat someone in a work out you cheer that person on and encourage them to push themselves."
Age - 23
Recent college graduate, Administrative Assistance/HR
"After college I told myself I was going to make time to go to the gym and get back into shape. I signed up at 24 Hour Fitness and decided I would go for at least one hour, four times a week. The first day I walked in I hopped on a treadmill and tried to keep myself entertained. I lasted about 15 minutes before I got off and left. I paid for the membership for 6 months and never returned. I didn't really know what to do when I went to the gym, I didn't like working out around strangers, I had no drive, I was bored.
My father, who is an avid CrossFitter, told me about CrossFit Ethos and I decided to give it a try. I was intimidated because I had never really lifted weights and I could barely run 400m. One of the owners, Jimi, was there on my first day of Elements. He was nice and welcoming and explained that he didn't expect me to be able to do the workouts to the level of those who had been there for over a year. He saw my weaknesses and changed the workout to be to a level I could do. In a short four minute workout I was sore, tired, excited, and absolutely addicted.
I continued to return to CrossFit Ethos for many reasons. I loved being told what to do because it forced me to face my weaknesses and work on them. I loved the competition whether it was beating one of my previous times or trying to keep up with someone who had been at the gym longer than me. But I think the best part of CrossFit Ethos is the community. Even if you want to beat someone in a work out you cheer that person on and encourage them to push themselves."
Tim Wilson
Age - 36
Los Angeles County Firefighter
"When I discovered CrossFit it was pretty much the perfect time, although I wish I found it 10 years ago! I was doing the traditional bodybuilder style of weightlifting with some boring treadmill running. I was not achieving the body goal I wanted; I was strong, but definitely not fit. Running a 5K would kill me back then. In fact my 5K time was 28 or 29 minutes, and today it's 22 minutes. I've never had this much fun working out and I spend far less time in the gym. My fitness level has improved dramatically. I am far leaner and more athletic. I found that I was getting injured quite frequently with my old training habits. I am suffering far less injuries now.
I have really noticed a dramatic improvement in my abilities at work as well. I am a full-time firefighter and I would get seriously taxed when doing a progressive hose-lay up steep hills. After a couple of months CrossFitting I noticed a dramatic improvement in my cardiovascular fitness with my ability to do a 1000 foot progressive hose-lay up steep hills. I got up the hill, chased down the fire & felt like I could easily go on. I just got back from my department wellness exam & found that all of my numbers improved dramatically. My strength has increased, my VO2 max improved, my waist was 2 inches smaller, I weighed less, body fat decreased, my HDL cholesterol increased, LDL went down (I had high cholesterol last year, normal this year), and my blood pressure went from 118/70 to 104/66.
I was always into fitness, for vanity when I was younger, but as I get older and now have a family, the numbers above mean something. I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I'm stronger, my cardio is better, & I look & feel better. Thank God I found CrossFit Ethos. I LOVE IT!"
Age - 36
Los Angeles County Firefighter
"When I discovered CrossFit it was pretty much the perfect time, although I wish I found it 10 years ago! I was doing the traditional bodybuilder style of weightlifting with some boring treadmill running. I was not achieving the body goal I wanted; I was strong, but definitely not fit. Running a 5K would kill me back then. In fact my 5K time was 28 or 29 minutes, and today it's 22 minutes. I've never had this much fun working out and I spend far less time in the gym. My fitness level has improved dramatically. I am far leaner and more athletic. I found that I was getting injured quite frequently with my old training habits. I am suffering far less injuries now.
I have really noticed a dramatic improvement in my abilities at work as well. I am a full-time firefighter and I would get seriously taxed when doing a progressive hose-lay up steep hills. After a couple of months CrossFitting I noticed a dramatic improvement in my cardiovascular fitness with my ability to do a 1000 foot progressive hose-lay up steep hills. I got up the hill, chased down the fire & felt like I could easily go on. I just got back from my department wellness exam & found that all of my numbers improved dramatically. My strength has increased, my VO2 max improved, my waist was 2 inches smaller, I weighed less, body fat decreased, my HDL cholesterol increased, LDL went down (I had high cholesterol last year, normal this year), and my blood pressure went from 118/70 to 104/66.
I was always into fitness, for vanity when I was younger, but as I get older and now have a family, the numbers above mean something. I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I'm stronger, my cardio is better, & I look & feel better. Thank God I found CrossFit Ethos. I LOVE IT!"
Brian McIntyre
Age - 46
Commercial Pilot, Former USMC F-16 Pilot
"In February of 2008 a friend asked me if I wanted to compete in the 'Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge' beheld the following weekend at Drake Stadium, UCLA. As a promotional tool, the Navy was traveling across the country to various cities, allowing the general public to take the entry test to BUD/S (SEAL school). This consisted of a 500 meter swim, as many push-ups as possible in 1 minute, as many sit-ups as possible in 1 minute, as many dead-hang pull-ups as possible, and a 1.5 mile run. Persons who meet the basic standards for entry into BUD/S would receive a brown t-shirt, and persons who met a more competitive standard would receive a blue t-shirt. I missed receiving the coveted blue t-shirt by 6 push-ups and 40 seconds on the run. I started investigating various workouts on the Internet, and eventually came across SEAL.com/ U.S. Tactical (now U.S. CrossFit). They were running a BUD/S preparatory course for upcoming High School and College graduates who wished to become Navy SEALs. Most of the workouts had girl's names. I found out these were CrossFit workouts. This led me to CrossFit.com. I read all the instructional videos on CrossFit.com, and by April I was trying to follow the Mainsite WODs (Workout Of the Day). Doing the CrossFit WODs in our local gym came to a crashing halt, literally, the first day I tried Overhead Squats. I dutifully loaded up the bar with 95# of metal, Clean and Pressed it overhead, and it came crashing to the ground on my first squat. I got a lot of strange looks in the gym. I promptly came home and ordered an Olympic bar and a set of bumper plates. Luckily, I didn't have to flail too long at home, for CrossFit Laguna Beach opened in June. I will never forget doing 100 dead-hang pull-ups in my backyard the first time I did Angie.
CrossFit Ethos' (formerly Laguna Beach) Grand Opening WOD was Fight Gone Bad. I knew that any program that could teach a person to manage a workout like that was one I wanted to be involved in. As soon as my hand stopped shaking both my wife and I signed up for memberships. That seemed like a lifetime ago. I keep getting stronger and stronger; and, though I don't run a fraction of the mileage I used to, my run times are faster and faster. I went back the next year and totally killed the Navy Seal Fitness Challenge. The blue t-shirt was mine. The physical challenge that left my throat so sore I could barely talk last year, this year was little more than a warm-up. Not only that, but the bum hip and shoulder that I always just tolerated are now injury free. My wife's transformation has been equally impressive. She started without being able to do a single pull-up, and now can do 15 easily. Before, the only thing that could get my wife to run was a house fire, but now she sprints every one of her 400 meter intervals. Her body is fit and toned in a way that it wasn't in college.
It is amazing that something that can be so hard when I am pushing at maximum intensity, can also be so much fun. I run my kids through CrossFit workouts at home, and they love it. Even my 3-year old likes to do burpees. The focused, personalized attention I get from all the trainers, on every workout, keep me safe and constantly improving. The camaraderie of my fellow athletes makes it so fun to come back day after day. CrossFit Ethos is more than just a workout, it is community; and it is a community that has totally changed my life, and the life of my wife, for the better."
Age - 46
Commercial Pilot, Former USMC F-16 Pilot
"In February of 2008 a friend asked me if I wanted to compete in the 'Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge' beheld the following weekend at Drake Stadium, UCLA. As a promotional tool, the Navy was traveling across the country to various cities, allowing the general public to take the entry test to BUD/S (SEAL school). This consisted of a 500 meter swim, as many push-ups as possible in 1 minute, as many sit-ups as possible in 1 minute, as many dead-hang pull-ups as possible, and a 1.5 mile run. Persons who meet the basic standards for entry into BUD/S would receive a brown t-shirt, and persons who met a more competitive standard would receive a blue t-shirt. I missed receiving the coveted blue t-shirt by 6 push-ups and 40 seconds on the run. I started investigating various workouts on the Internet, and eventually came across SEAL.com/ U.S. Tactical (now U.S. CrossFit). They were running a BUD/S preparatory course for upcoming High School and College graduates who wished to become Navy SEALs. Most of the workouts had girl's names. I found out these were CrossFit workouts. This led me to CrossFit.com. I read all the instructional videos on CrossFit.com, and by April I was trying to follow the Mainsite WODs (Workout Of the Day). Doing the CrossFit WODs in our local gym came to a crashing halt, literally, the first day I tried Overhead Squats. I dutifully loaded up the bar with 95# of metal, Clean and Pressed it overhead, and it came crashing to the ground on my first squat. I got a lot of strange looks in the gym. I promptly came home and ordered an Olympic bar and a set of bumper plates. Luckily, I didn't have to flail too long at home, for CrossFit Laguna Beach opened in June. I will never forget doing 100 dead-hang pull-ups in my backyard the first time I did Angie.
CrossFit Ethos' (formerly Laguna Beach) Grand Opening WOD was Fight Gone Bad. I knew that any program that could teach a person to manage a workout like that was one I wanted to be involved in. As soon as my hand stopped shaking both my wife and I signed up for memberships. That seemed like a lifetime ago. I keep getting stronger and stronger; and, though I don't run a fraction of the mileage I used to, my run times are faster and faster. I went back the next year and totally killed the Navy Seal Fitness Challenge. The blue t-shirt was mine. The physical challenge that left my throat so sore I could barely talk last year, this year was little more than a warm-up. Not only that, but the bum hip and shoulder that I always just tolerated are now injury free. My wife's transformation has been equally impressive. She started without being able to do a single pull-up, and now can do 15 easily. Before, the only thing that could get my wife to run was a house fire, but now she sprints every one of her 400 meter intervals. Her body is fit and toned in a way that it wasn't in college.
It is amazing that something that can be so hard when I am pushing at maximum intensity, can also be so much fun. I run my kids through CrossFit workouts at home, and they love it. Even my 3-year old likes to do burpees. The focused, personalized attention I get from all the trainers, on every workout, keep me safe and constantly improving. The camaraderie of my fellow athletes makes it so fun to come back day after day. CrossFit Ethos is more than just a workout, it is community; and it is a community that has totally changed my life, and the life of my wife, for the better."