Maricopa gym cross training MMA style

At the CrossFit BattleFit gym don’t expect to see a guy in a tight tank top sipping on a Thirst Buster and standing next to the treadmill talking to a girl who is more concerned with her makeup 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 a program inspired and used by Mixed Martial Artists (MMA). “There’s nothing pretty about what we do. We’re here to work.”

Maxcy is CrossFit’s trainer and a USAW Sport Performance coach. The warehouse facility the members train in is similar to where Maxcy started out–in a garage with his brother, Matthew, a West Point graduate now serving overseas in Iraq. According to Maxcy 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 workouts and want to keep it that way,” said Maxcy. “We then met Matt Lincoln a year ago, and things just started to come together.”

At 36, Matt Lincoln has been wrestling for as long as he can remember and still competes. He and Maxcy, with their combined certifications, are providing cross-training programs designed to meet an individual’s needs through a team effort. They also have brought other trainers and expert fighters on board to bring together different techniques and regimens under the same roof. Having other trainers on board also creates additional and more varied times for people to 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 workout is the same for everyone even though it’s the same program.”

As a Maricopa firefighter Maxcy knows it’s a “must” for him to stay in shape. He says the workouts teach people how to move their bodies properly, and people in any occupation, at any age, have to be aware of the way muscles work.

“I couldn’t do my job if I didn’t stay in shape,” Maxcy said. “However, there are people bending and reaching for things in a way that isn’t safe, and they end up getting hurt. You can bend over to pick up something and pull a muscle. It can happen in a gym, where people are lifting improperly. 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 at Maricopa Wells Veterinary Hospital. She has been training at CrossFit BattleFit and said she feels the difference. “Trust me, when I’m dealing with a 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 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.”

CrossFit BattleFit is next to the new Hit-N-Pitch batting cage on 12501 N. Murphy Road off the Maricopa-Casa Grande 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 with specific training in various fighting styles for different age groups. Maxcy also hopes to see some officers from the Maricopa Police Department trying out the gym.

“They got some guys that are in pretty good shape,” Maxcy said, “But I’d like to see them in here and see if they can go through some of the workouts we have. I think we’d be up for that challenge.”

For further information, call 480-223-8843 or email [email protected] (on Facebook.com/crossfitbattlefitaz). The gym’s website is www.crossfitbattlefit.com.