At Cold Storage CrossFit, there’s literally a program for everyone—especially in the summer. Christi Turner, who is the owner of Cold Storage CrossFit, has emphasized a member-friendly atmosphere since the place’s inception in 2011. “I didn’t open a CrossFit gym to prove my fitness,” said Turner, a 18-year Hollister resident.
At Cold Storage CrossFit, there’s literally a program for everyone—especially in the summer.
Christi Turner, who is the owner of Cold Storage CrossFit, has emphasized a member-friendly atmosphere since the place’s inception in 2011.
“I didn’t open a CrossFit gym to prove my fitness,” said Turner, a 18-year Hollister resident. “I opened the gym so we can bring the inner athlete out of everyone. It’s not about ego. We’re more about the average person and trying to get them healthy.”
This week, Cold Storage CrossFit has a program called “Buddy Week,” where members are allowed to bring friends, family or co-workers in for free. Programs for kids and teenagers start on the week of June 15.
On June 27, Cold Storage CrossFit is holding a fundraiser to help the inaugaral San Benito High girls field hockey team, which starts practice in late August. Anyone is welcome to participate in the workout of the day—or WOD in CrossFit vernacular—which will be a 3.1-mile run on this day.
It’s free to participate, but Cold Storage CrossFit is politely asking for a $10 donation.
“We’re going to give all the money we raise that day to the team,” said the 39-year-old Turner, whose two children, Amber and Trevor, both attend San Benito High. “The adults are lifting weights, but with the kids, the main priority for them is having fun. It doesn’t have the intensity element or the weightlifting element to it like the adult classes have. We teach squats and bodyweight movements with the kids, but they have such a short attention span, so we have to find a happy medium of keeping it fun with games and having them move correctly.”
CrossFit facilities are referred to as boxes—and for good reason. You won’t find the latest $3,000 treadmill or exercise bike, but you will find plenty of open space to perform lung-busting workouts.
CrossFit combines running, gymnastics, plyometrics, a variety of bodyweight exercises and highly technical Olympic lifts—featuring varied and high-intensity functional movements—to whip people into shape and test their physical limits.
One of CrossFit’s main principles is to work a person’s weakness in order to improve overall fitness.
CrossFit has been criticized for a variety of reasons—injury rates are one of them—but the reality is this: Any form of exercise, when not taught correctly, can and most likely will lead to injury.
“We’re very focused on safety,” Turner said. “It becomes a priority over intensity or load. We don’t yell at people to go heavier, either. It’s not the vibe we give them here. We definitely do encourage them to go up in weight when we feel like they’re ready.”
During a typical WOD, CrossFitters are told to complete a number of strength-training or endurance activities as fast as possible, or complete as many repetitions in the time allotted.
Turner said she and the other coaches at Cold Storage emphasize a good warm-up before starting every workout. Cold Storage opened in 2011, and recently expanded from 2,400 to 6,300 square feet. How did the name of the facility come about?
“One of my friends who I worked out with said, ‘Hey, we have a space in my cold storage facility (to open a CrossFit box),” Turner said. “That’s what triggered the name.”
A friend introduced Turner to CrossFit in 2008, around the same time CrossFit started gaining national attention. Three years later, having gained her CrossFit certification, Turner opened Cold Storage.
“What we do is very unique because we really focus on proper movement patterns and keeping things varied,” she said.
For Turner, nothing beats the thrill of seeing people accomplish their fitness goals. Whether it’s someone crushing their all-time best on a WOD or simply seeing kids having fun in the summer program, Turner wants to get them in the best shape of their lives.
“The misconception about CrossFit is that it’s not safe or you have to be in shape to start it,” Turner said. “That it’s not good for beginners. There’s a coach in every single class where people will get individual attention on movement patterns. We’ll only give the very best to anyone who wants to improve their fitness.”
