Trainers

Geoff Pitluck

I have been an avid fitness athlete since I was 17. For years, my personal training program consisted of daily running and swimming, plus lifting several days a week. While never a “contender,” (my best 10k race was 37:48, and my mini-marathons have all been 88-89 minutes), my passion for “fitness training” has always been strong.

I’ve tried phases of either “bulking up” to 205-210#, by lifting more and running less (I always managed to gain “a lot more” than just muscle), or running more and lifting less (during the years when my typical Saturday included a 20-mile run, I weighed around 145#, at 6’3″). Clearly, neither strategy was producing “elite fitness,” for me. I enjoyed my long training runs, but never ran them faster than 9-10 min/mile pace. I turned to swimming, which also gave me a good cardio workout, and helped me gain back some muscle. After that, I used a combination of running, swimming, and lifting for quite a while.

As the years went by, I eventually hit a plateau. And, due to professional and family obligations, I had increasingly less time to train. I began looking for a system that would give me all I needed, even with my limited schedule.

When I first started doing the workouts from CrossFit.com (“The Main Site”) in 2004, I found that they helped me increase both Strength and Fitness, and took much less time to complete than my typical run, swim, or visit to the gym. They also kicked my butt harder than the workouts I’d been used to, even when “scaling” the weights down. I began following the Main Site workouts regularly, and read the CF Journal articles and the discussions on the Message Board after work each day.

I got Certified to teach CrossFit in 2008, with my wife and son, and eventually, at the urging of friends, for whom training with us in our Garage was becoming too crowded, my wife Amanda and I decided to open “CrossFit Bloomington.” I had always dreamed of owning a Gym, and I strongly felt that, in a town as sports-oriented as Bloomington, there was a clear need for a CrossFit Gym. We officially brought the Bloomington community its first CrossFit Affiliate in May 2009.

I love the constant variety that is a basic ingredient of the CrossFit philosophy. And the free-weight, whole-body movements (“functional movements”) we use in CrossFit workouts are so much more easily adapted to Members’ individual biomechanics than all the various types of exercises using plate-loaded machines, like Hammer Strength, Smith machines, etc. Plus, after a high-intensity workout with whole body movements, there is a feeling of exhilaration that defies description.

Using the continually-evolving CrossFit methodology, our Trainers facilitate the safe execution of the kind of workouts that research has shown to cause the most dramatic growth response. I feel very privileged to have that opportunity whenever I work with someone in our introductory Foundations Course, or when leading a Group Workout. Helping CFB Members achieve a higher level of fitness and strength than they ever dreamed possible for themselves is extremely gratifying to me. At CFB, we do that for our Members day in and out. On our Whiteboard, an asterisk next to a Member’s posted results, denotes a Personal Best, and is a very common site at CFB. Members increasing their strength, as evidenced by the weights they use, and improving their timed performances, as well as their own personal self-image, is a common part of the CFB experience.

I’ve always been known to my friends as having a strong interest in Health/Fitness. After earning a BA in Biology, I attended Chiropractic College and, eventually, Pharmacy School. Friends have often enlisted my help to lose weight, quit smoking, clean up their diet, etc. But I never felt drawn to become formally Certified as a Trainer until I found CrossFit.

In addition to being a CrossFit-Certified Level 1 Trainer, I have also attended Coach Mark Rippetoe’s Basic Barbell Certification, and Coach Mike Burgener’s Olympic Weightlifting Certification. The information I received from both Coaches and their Staff has proven invaluable during the many hundreds of hours I have spent training new CFB Members, when they take our introductory, Foundations Course.

Whether working with a CrossFit beginner, a seasoned athlete, or a group, every session at CFB is another opportunity for me and the other Trainers to keep raising the bar, for our Members’ growth as well our own growth as Trainers.

I look forward to the opportunity to introduce you to the unique experience that is CrossFit Bloomington!

Kim Crane

Hi, I’m Kim Crane. I have always been interested in and enthusiastic about health and fitness. As a child I hosted summer dance camp, played sports, and coached my mom through her latest work out videos. I made it through the Tae Bo 90′s, studied yoga, worked at a health food store and became a pilates instructor for a while. I thought I’d tried everything. And then I found CrossFit. And we are perfect for each other. I started in the summer of 2009 @ CrossFit Bloomington. I have been a CF Level 1 Trainer since Dec 2010 and I am LOVIN it!

One of the things I love about CrossFit is that it challenges every member at any level of fitness. It inspires me to see individuals exceed limitations they have either placed on themselves or accepted from others. I also enjoy the variety of challenges provided by the CrossFit format. Each person has skills unique to him or her and therefore is provided many opportunities to shine as well as endless opportunities to improve:) As I am fond of saying, “Everyone has their day at Crossfit.”

It is my sincere desire to assist any and all who grace the door of CFB in reaching their full potential. I feel very fortunate to be in the position to do so and I look forward to meeting you all!

Drew Murray

I discovered Crossfit in September, 2009. A buddy of mine suggested that I look into the program when I went into graduate school and lost all my lifting buddies. Problem solved.

I have no athletic background. Never played sports in grade school, and only really lifted at the gym in college because all my roommates did it. Crossfit managed to change that. Within a few months of starting, I began to see incredible changes in my strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility. Soon after I got my Level 1 Trainer certification and Olympic Lifting cert. The stone keeps rolling and gaining speed as I continue to be apart of the Crossfit community.

These days, along with Crossfit I regularly run 5k races, trail ride, and rock climb. I plan to do my first sprint triathalon within the next year.

I wanted to become a trainer to help others achieve similar or even greater success than I’ve had through the Crossfit program. It’s easy to stand behind a program that allows people to improve their overall fitness/wellness, allowing them to do things they never thought possible. Crossfit provides the tools for individuals to go out and run a race without any extensive training, and then turn around and hike the next day with friends. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Ask me about nutrition. I love talking about it. All the time.

Chad Christensen

Hello, I’m Chad! I have been with CrossFit Bloomington since December 2009. My journey into CrossFit began early one morning when coming back from the gym, I saw these seemingly insane people doing farmer walks and running sprints on Walnut Avenue as part of a gym called CrossFit Bloomington. As I passed by in the mornings, I noticed that they were doing Olympic lifts, rowing and other intense forms of exercise. My interest was piqued and so I began researching CrossFit. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was something I would be interested in getting involved with.

I started working out at 17 and it has been one of the most consistent things in my life. For a number of years I was an ACE certified personal trainer where I had the opportunity to train individuals of all ages and fitness levels. I was also assistant manager of a gym in Melbourne, FL. One of my greatest experiences was having the privilege of training a special Olympian in preparation for the Special Olympics. I also had an opportunity to work closely with Canadian and European rowing teams that used our gym as a training ground in preparation for the Olympics. I am a strong believer that nutrition is 70% of the battle and have experimented with a myriad of nutrition strategies (which have changed since my metabolism has also changed!). I have been following a Paleo Diet for close to a year now and I love it. I also have been recently experimenting with Intermittent Fasting which I really enjoy.

Prior to CrossFit my training focused on heavy lifting. As a lifelong severe asthmatic I often skirted away from a lot of aerobic conditioning other than the gym’s elliptical machine. What I love most about CrossFit is that it is constantly varied – it forces me to do things I would not otherwise do. Since starting CrossFit my aerobic conditioning and asthma have improved dramatically. At the gym it was easy to skip a leg day – not anymore! There are days when I absolutely dread the workout as it may not focus on my strengths. However, because of this some of my weaknesses are becoming strengths and I have been able to improve my overall health an conditioning.

I have always enjoyed being a trainer, however, at this point in my life I have a myriad of competing responsibilities that limits my time. The opportunity to train even a few hours a week allows me to stay involved and engaged in the CrossFit community, which only furthers my passion. Most importantly, I really enjoy having the privilege of interacting with the wonderful CFB family. It really is a great group of people and when I miss a workout, I also miss the opportunity to interact with my CFB friends. That is motivating alone!

Brian Dobkowski

I grew up in Michigan playing sports, track and field in high school, intramural sports in college, and throughout spent a lot of time in the weight room. After college, I tried to maintain my fitness level with a typical weightlifting routine and occasional running, but it was always a struggle to motivate myself to get the gym. A few years out of school, a friend introduced me to CrossFit. A first I used crossfit.com for exercise ideas and tried a few workouts while a member of a regular gym. The challenge each workout provided impressed me and I was even more amazed by the results that people posted. In August 2009, I moved from Michigan to Indiana, and shortly after decided to join CrossFit Bloomington to see if a CrossFit affiliate really did offer something different. I was quickly hooked by the intensity, challenge and community. I particularly enjoy the constant variation, which pushes me to work on my weaknesses, things like kipping pull ups, double unders, and flexibility. When training alone, I would often avoid these elements and instead focus on my strengths, usually slow lifts like the bench press and deadlift. CrossFit has also introduced me to new skills such as gymnastics, kettlebells, and Olympic lifting.

After a year of working out at CFB I decided to get my Level1 Certification. Since becoming a trainer, I have found that I really enjoy sharing my knowledge with new members and seeing their improvements. One small flaw can be the difference between a new PR and a failed lift. Helping an athlete make a little correction to get to a PR is absolutely rewarding. The best thing about being a trainer is coaching athletes to achieve lifts, master skills, or just complete workouts they didn’t think were possible.

Outside of CrossFit, my full time job is a mechanical engineer. I also enjoy golf, mountain and road cycling and I’ve recently developed an interest in photography.

Ken Weber

I was introduced to CrossFit by one of my high school wrestling coaches when I asked him for some off-season workouts. He told me to check out this thing called CrossFit. I had never heard of it but as soon as I tried my first WOD I was hooked.

Before CrossFit, I was mostly doing more “traditional” lifting and running with a lot of bodyweight calisthenics to train for the sports I played. I was lucky enough to have been introduced to CrossFit pretty early on so the majority of my training has been CrossFit.

The mental toughness aspect is definitely what I like the most. CrossFit builds mental toughness like few other things I’ve ever done. Aside from that I’ve found the CrossFit community as a whole to be great. The people are friendly, encouraging, and driven.

I like the atmosphere at CFB. It’s relaxed but everyone works super hard as well, it’s just awesome.