DJ WOODMORE
Staff Writer
Virginia Wesleyan’s new intense training class is changing the way students get fit by leaving them crawling on their knees back to their dorms and trying to catch their breath. RecXFit, Virginia Wesleyan’s version of CrossFit training is becoming a growing trend in the way students push themselves to the limit and workout on campus.
“It’s now the big movement,” certified instructor and trainer Casey Sullivan said. “The sport’s awareness has raised to a whole different level.”
Sullivan has been doing CrossFit for over five years and is now offering a free class in the Fitness Center to any student or faculty member that would like to participate.
CrossFit is an intense strength and conditioning program in which military units, police academies and professional athletes use to get in top-notch shape.
“I want the people that come to my class to get the most out of the workouts each day they walk in the gym,” Sullivan said. “The program is built for anybody that wants to challenge themselves into seeing results.”
Freshman Javana Messersmith has decided to challenge herself with RecXFit and believes it is a program everyone should try out.
“You have to be willing to go in there with an open mind and be willing to push yourself,” she said. “It’s exciting to me and you do get results if you stick with it.”
Students aren’t the only ones taking part in the RecXFit experience. The classes have a mixture of personnel, including athletes, coaches and faculty members of all different skill levels.
“I love the workouts,” said Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach J.P. Stewart. “They are some of the toughest, challenging, most fulfilling exercises I’ve ever done.”
Stewart started CrossFit in December 2010 and hasn’t looked back since. Each session requires different exercises demanding a full body workout. He’s grown so fond of the program that he makes his team train using it.
“That’s all the team does in the preseason,” Stewart said. “I had them in Casey’s class everyday during the past Winter Session.”
With the demand for the program growing each week and the number of people in the class rising, where exactly were all of these students and faculty members working out?
At the end of the fall semester, more than $25,000 worth of remodeling and renovation to the Fitness Center was completed. The improved center, which opened late December, took approximately a week to complete and includes an all new set up, new carpet, new equipment and extended rubber floors.
“The new layout to the Fitness Center makes the place more spacious and open for use,” said Director of Aquatics and Fitness Willie Harrell said. “It was definitely designed with RecXFit in mind.”
With more open area added to the Fitness Center, Sullivan is utilizing the space to his advantage for his classes.
“Now we’re not just limited to the C-MAC anymore,” Sullivan said. “We can maximize the entire facility.”
This semester, Sullivan continues to instruct RecXFit with sessions offered every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 am to 9 am, and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 pm to 2 pm. The class is free to join and all skill levels are welcomed.
