Is CrossFit right for me? Amanda Waited Three Years to Join. Now She's 42, Deadlifting 90kg, and Showing Her Daughter What Strong Looks Like.
Amanda's husband joined CrossFit Ancoats years before she did. She didn't think CrossFit was for her. She kept meaning to. Life got in the way. Then one day she walked through the door, nervous, convinced she'd embarrass herself, and absolutely certain at some point she was going to be sick. None of that happened. What did happen is this.
Three years of meaning to...
My husband joined CrossFit Ancoats years before me. I kick myself for not starting sooner.
It's one of the most common things we hear. Someone close to a member watches them train, notices the change in them, thinks about it, and then keeps thinking about it, 'is CrossFit right for me?'. The gap between curious and committed can stretch for years.
For Amanda, it was 2022 before she finally walked in. She was 37. And from the outside, CrossFit looked exactly like the kind of place that wasn't for her.
"I wish it had been sooner."
The fear that almost kept her away
"Hell yes I was nervous. But everyone was so friendly that the nerves didn't last long once I got into my first class."
Her biggest fear walking in wasn't the workout. It was looking like an idiot.
I was worried I wouldn't know what to do. The coaches made sure everything was explained properly and were really supportive — so thankfully it didn't come true.
And the other fear — the one she was completely convinced about?
"I was completely convinced there would be workouts that would make me throw up. I can confirm this has never happened."
Two years. Hundreds of classes. Still waiting.
What keeps her coming back?
"The people. It's such a friendly, supportive place and you never feel like you're on your own."
She enjoys the programming too, and the dog. Milo, CrossFit Ancoats' resident gym dog, gets a special mention. But it's the community that turned a trial into a habit, and a habit into something she can't imagine her week without.
She trains Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The odd weekend session when home life allows.
An hour that belongs to her
Amanda has a three-year-old and a high-stress job. Training isn't something that slots neatly into a quiet week. It's carved out of a full life.
"Having an hour to myself is therapy for me."
She's also learned something that takes most people longer to figure out: giving yourself a break is part of the process.
Life changed enormously when her daughter arrived.
The training adapted around it. That's what sustainable fitness looks like; not perfect attendance, but consistent enough, for long enough, that it becomes part of who you are.
What two years of showing up looks like
When Amanda started in 2022, she could barely pick up a barbell.
"Pretty much everything with a barbell. I could barely pick one up when I started, and now I can deadlift 90kg and back squat 50kg."
But the numbers aren't really the point. The day-to-day is.
"It is so great when you notice the regular things in life, like carrying the shopping or chasing after my daughter start to feel easier, and know that's a direct result of the work you're putting in at the gym."
The line that stuck with us
Amanda turns 42 next month. She says she's in the best shape of her life. The confidence from training feeds into everything else. Work, home, the way she carries herself through the week.
But when we asked what training here had changed, she didn't lead with the deadlift numbers or the confidence or the energy. She said this:
"I love showing my daughter that women can be strong, and that going to the gym is just a normal part of life."
Her advice for anyone on the fence:
"Walking through the doors of CrossFit Ancoats will be one of the best decisions you make. It can feel really intimidating from the outside,
but once you're in, everyone is just there to help you get better."
Amanda waited three years. She wishes she hadn't.
If her story sounds familiar, the curiosity, the hesitation, the feeling that it's probably not for someone like you - the best thing you can do is find out for yourself.
Start with a no-pressure chat, try our Starter Pack - 3 private sessions to build some techinque and confidence, plus 2 weeks of unlimited classes. By end you'll know it's right.
Find out more at crossfitancoats.com or drop us a WhatsApp and we'll take it from there.
Comments