I would like to thank Steel City CrossFit and in particular coach/personal trainer Adam Morden for helping me to increase my strength and overall fitness level over the past 5 months. My job as a paramedic requires sometimes very heavy, awkward lifts in varied weather conditions and situations, in order to ensure longevity in my chosen field it’s vital to be in the best physical (and mental!) health possible. Prior to starting CrossFit classes in Oct. ‘07 I was continually having nagging injuries after bad lifts at work (ex. heavy patient on a stairchair – bending and lifting up a flight of stairs = lower lumbar problems!). After training with Adam my strength and conditioning is more than adequate for the rigors of the job – and as an added bonus I love the challenge of CrossFit and the mental benefits it provides. Adam has assisted me with a variety of different lifting techniques specific to my job, he is extremely knowledgeable regarding body mechanics and proper form/technique. He is also an enthusiastic motivator and very positive person, I think my favourite ‘Adam quote’ would have to be “pain is weakness leaving the body….”!

When returning to train with Murray for my second summer I was excited but nervous. I was coming off a serious knee injury, a torn meniscus, which required surgery and myself being on crutches for 7 weeks. The following months after I was off the crutches were spent in physiotherapy and attempting to regain an active lifestyle. By the time my first session with Murray came around my knee was still not at 100% and my overall health and fitness level were at a low. My training with Murray would go from April 16 to August 17, four times a week.
With Murray’s expertise and motivation I was quickly back at 100% and looking for more. My training consisted of intense cross-fit workouts using everything from gymnastic rings to tractor tires. These workouts produced immediate results in improving strength, cardiovascular conditioning, and fat loss. These were by far the best all around workouts I have ever participated in. On top of the cross-fit workouts Murray used a combination of one-rep max and high endurance lifts to improve my strength and explosiveness. Murray’s knowledge does not stop at weight lifting and training. He also instructed and monitored my daily nutrition and supplementation, as well as my sleeping patterns. With the combination of all these things my results by the end of the summer were dramatic. I was able to lift weights that at the start of the sessions I would have thought would be impossible for myself.