At the CrossFit BattleFit gym, don’t expect to see a dude in a tight tank top, sipping on a Thirstbuster and standing next to the treadmill talking to a girl who is more concerned with her make up than with breaking a sweat.
“We are rogue, there’s no doubt about it,” said Nathan Maxcy, manager of the cross training gym and a trainer for program that is inspired and used by mixed martial arts experts. “There’s nothing pretty about what we do. We’re here to work.”
Maxcy is a Crossfit Trainer and a USA Weightlifting sport performance coach. The way clients train at the warehouse facility is similar to the way Maxcy first started the regimens in a garage with his brother, Matthew, a West Point graduate who is now serving overseas in Iraq. It’s just a much bigger size with enough space for pull-up bars, dead lifts, and an area that is used for weights, cardio activities and wrestling mats.
“We started with the basics, in a basic environment, but we had the most intense work outs and want to keep it that way,” said Maxcy. “We then met Matt Lincoln a year ago and things just started to come together.”Lincoln, 36, has been wrestling for as long as he can remember and still competes. With their combined certifications, the men are providing cross-training programs designed to meet each individual’s needs. They have also brought other trainers and expert fighters on board to bring different techniques and regimen under the same roof. Having other trainers on board, also allows for different times people can train.
“In MMA, the fighters have to be conditioned for any type of style,” Maxcy said. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re conditioning and making sure all the muscles are being utilized in a natural way that builds for strength and endurance.
“You can’t just do a few reps on a machine and call it quits for the day. It’s a program we set, and we know right away what a person’s strengths and weaknesses are. No work out is the same for everyone even though it’s the same program.”
He says the workouts teach people how to move their bodies correctly, and that people in any occupation, at any age, have to be aware of the way their muscles work.
“There are people bending and reaching for things in a way that isn’t safe and they end up getting hurt,” Maxcy said. “Without thinking about it, you can bend over to pick something up and pull a muscle.
“It can also happen in a gym, where people are lifting improperly or trying to transform their body in a way they weren’t meant for. We want to change bad habits, keep people limber, and help them with their energy levels.”
“I’ve noticed the change,” said Dr. Laura Black, a veterinarian for Maricopa Wells Veterinary Hospital. She has been training at CrossFit BattleFit and said she has felt the differences. “Trust me, when I’m dealing with 150-pound Rottweiler, I know it’s helped.
“It’s also kept me on track and what’s cool about the program, is that in a ways, we are all competing against each other but at the same time, we’re pushing each other. It’s a good feeling with everyone respecting each other and it’s really team oriented.”
The facility is next to the new Hit-N-Pitch batting cage off the Casa Grande/Maricopa Highway. Maxcy said he likes it for its size and privacy.
“If we were in the middle of town, we would have to take turns jump roping because there wouldn’t be enough space,” Maxcy said. “This place provides the perfect atmosphere because people are going to be serious about their workouts and we aren’t going to have a bunch of people staring through the windows when the BattleFit MMA begins.”
BattleFit MMA will begin in July. This will be specific training with various fighting styles for different age groups being scheduled. Class schedules change from week to week, with updates regularly posted on the their website.
BIZ AT A GLANCE:
12501 N. Murphy Road, Suite B
480-223-8843
