Meet the CFX Training Staff:
Travis HoGlin-Proprietor
Where did you grow up? Colorado Springs, CO - home of the Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy!
What brought you to Bellingham? Change of pace from the big city life in Denver for my wife and I. And H2O...I heard there was some in this area!
Bellingham Favorite Restaurant? Kyoto's, Oyster Bar, Boundary Bay(of course) and Jalepenos.
Personal interest? Athletics and outdoors, fly fishing especially! Traveling with my amazing Wife and Kids!
CrossFit Certs? Level 1, Kettle Bell, Power Lifting, Kids, and Mobility
What is your background? I grew up playing every sport I came in touch with. Focused on playing and coaching soccer from high school through college, where I injured my back and ended my playing career. Continued coaching soccer at various levels, from college level to club level until recently retiring...to live the good life!
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it. CrossFit changed my life. After my back injury I remained active, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, etc., and full of pain. I had developed so many compensations and weaknesses from my back being bad for so long, that I could function, but certainly not in a healthy fashion. I tried several different fitness styles and regimes over the years to strengthen my body and get me back on track, but to no avail. Fed up with lack of results
and boring programs, I began digging in to the internet in search of something new. Enter CrossFit. Fun, exciting, challenging, different, and so effctive! My back pain and compensations are a thing of the past. I am stronger, more balanced, and more physically capable than I have ever been...and nearing my 40's! I am looking forward to the next couple decades with CrossFit!What do you love about CrossFit X? I love the people - fun, hard working, focused, always willing to help others and challenge them in positive directions!
Every day/workout is different and exciting! I love sharing my passions with all of CrossFit X, teaching them how to be effectively strong, balanced, and pain free in a positive growth environment!!
Coaching is my passion! Viva CFX!!
Alycia HoGlin-Proprietor
Coming Soon!
Nick Mabe
Where did you grow up? Vancouver Wa. (The ghetto of wa)
What brought you to Bellingham? Change of pace. I heard Bellingham was the happiest place on earth, I had to find out for myself.
Favorite Bellingham Restaurant? Scotty Browns
Personal interest? Crossfit, the outdoors, cars.
CrossFit Certs? Crossfit level 1.
What is your background? I played sports throughout my childhood. I wrestled, played football, and baseball.
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it. I was introduced to Crossfit by my beautiful girlfriend Carly. During my first year of college I gained the freshman "30" and needed a life style change. I found Crossfit and it was all downhill from there. I love that I'm always learning something new and always growing as an athlete.
What do you love about CrossFit X? I love the people and the community within CrossfitX! CrossfitX makes the happiest place on earth a little happier!
Joe Hoppis
Where did you grow up? Krypton or Bainbridge Island
What brought you to Bellingham? Meteor or So many things...Family, outdoors and a more laid back style.
Favorite Bellingham Restaurant? Copper Hogg=Cheers but Prospect St Cafe and Nimbus and Bistro and Fork and Tivoli and Harborside are all real good!
Personal interest? I really love being on the water, in the water, and over water.
CrossFit Certs? Level 1
What is your background? Athlete thru life good at a lot of sports master of none! Young Life Area Director turned Real Estate Agent. Hoppis Party of 5 with Jackson 11, Jake 8, Molly 6 and Jody...ageless!
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it. Kept seeing people running during my lunch hour was drawn in tried it out and my ADD/Athletic interest found it's home!
What do you love about CrossFit X? Love the constantly varied workouts. I hate being bored...being bored sucks. Love the family atmosphere ripe with sarcasm rich in love. Set a PR and the fastest time in filling out this bio!!!
Connor Nelson
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Edmonds Washington, about an hour south of Bellingham right on Puget Sound
What brought you to Bellingham? I came to Bellingham to pursue a Degree from Western Washington University in Finance
Favorite Bellingham Restaurant? Coconut Kennys
Personal interest? I love learning about fitness, whether its reading up on nutrition or programming or watching coaching videos, I really geek out on this stuff.
CrossFit Certs? CrossFit Level 1
What is your background? I played Football and Basketball at Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood, and now play Rugby for Western Washington University.
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it. Beginning of my sophomore year of college I began to really get into lifting and fitness. I started on Mark Rippetoes Starting Strength and after a while started poking around the internet for info and ran across crossfit.com. I figured i was in good shape so I would give it a try. Enter “Linda” 60 minutes later I was laying on the ground in a pool of sweat(it may have been tears) and I have been hooked ever since
What do you love about CrossFit X? I love the people and I love the workouts. You’re always challenged, pushing yourself to get better and you can never be satisfied. There is nothing like the camaraderie you build sweating and battling with your friends to reach your fitness goals. Your never bored and it allows you to view fitness as enjoyable which is what is should be, FUN!
Erin Okonek
What brought you to Bellingham? Was born in Bellingham and lived here until I was 12. After teenage years in Huntington Beach and an undergraduate degree at UCLA, moved to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. After retirement from lifting, I moved to Chinook, WA and taught 6th grade for 3 years. Back to a horse ranch in Colorado Springs for a year and a half. Took a job with Matrix at the BP Refinery in February and made my way full circle back to Bellingham.
Bellingham Favorite Restaurant? Scotty Browns
Personal interest? Crossfit, horseback riding, skiing and snowboarding, salmon fishing
CrossFit Certs? Olympic Lifting - Burgener/Crossfit Tier 1 Olympic Lifting Coach, Gymnastics, Level 1
What is your background? Lived and trained at the Olypmic Training Center from 2000 - 2006. Competed at meets including the World Championships and PanAmerican Championships. Started coaching O-lifitng certs for Crossfit in 2006. Was also a strength and condtioning coach for Naselle Middle and High School while teaching 6th grade.
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it? Although I have been coaching Olympic lfiting for Crossfit, I did not do the workouts. Occasionally at certs I would get suckered into a workout or a dared into doing handstand pushups in a bar. :-) While living in Colorado, a friend of mine was leasing space out of a Crossfit gym and running an Olympic lifting club. I was lifting weights while a Crossfit class was going on. While resting, for an extended period of time, I was watching the CF class do power cleans. I was a little distrubed with the technique and offered to help. I then started coming to Crossfit SoCo and coaching O-lifting classes for the box. Eventually, I even asked if I could try out a class. With that I was hooked. I started Crossfitting in August of 2010 and haven't looked back. I became Level 1 and Gymnastics certified and started coaching full time. I say now that Crossfit has become my religion and my therapy. What do I love about Crossfit? I love what it has taught me about myself. Crossfit has tested many qualities that I have always believed I have. When suffering and completing an awful workout, I have learned that I am, in no sense of the word, a quitter. I have been able to continue to feed my competitive personality and push myself beyond personal limits that I previously thought existed. I have discovered a unbelievable passion within myself that is an essential part of my life. Furthermore, I adore the Crossfit family and community of people that I have met at various boxes across the country and here at Crossfit X.
Jeff Schwab
Where did you grow up? Puyallup, WA.
What brought you to Bellingham? Western Washington University!
Favorite Bellingham Restaurant? Most frequented = Barkley Bobs, Boundary Bay, Dirty Dans, Anthony's, and LaFiamma's Wood Fire Pizza are delicious.
Personal interests? I love the outdoors! Snowboarding, hiking, my road bike, running (preferably short distances...), boating (friends with boats are great), golfing! Traveling and I love a good IPA!
CrossFit Certs? Level 1
What is your background? I've always played sports growing up, probably won't ever stop. I'm a full time firefighter (best job in the world!) with the best second job in the world at CFX!
In a short paragraph tell us how you got into CrossFit and what you love about it. CrossFit was introduced to me by a buddy of mine and I LOVE it because of it's ability to make you better at EVERYTHING you do and dream of doing in life. The unhealthy lifestyles I've seen changed into healthy lifestyles by CrossFit is amazing.
What do you love about CrossFit X? The members, the coaches, the intensity, the results, the camaraderie, and on and on and on...
Testimonials:
The following is my testimonial...
I was what I would consider to be a “typical” gym attendee thinking that I was in pretty good shape. I would go to the gym 3-4 times a week and run 4 miles on the treadmill and spend about 20 minutes on the bike. In nice weather, I would run 4-5 miles outside. I was always a bit heavier than I wanted to be and just couldn’t lose the 10-15 pounds to get to my ideal weight.
Then, a little over a year ago my wife and I visited CrossFit X and did the introductory session. I could only do 2 rounds and thought I was going to puke. My wife immediately joined, but I being the stubborn person that I was remained at the gym doing my same old routine. I was convinced that I liked to work alone and told my wife I “didn’t want to be working out with a bunch of people I didn’t know”. Looking back on it now, I also think I was scared to give this thing a try because it would expose my weaknesses.
Then, last Christmas my wife bought me a six pack of visits. I promised her that I would use those six visits. At about visit #3, I began to realize what an amazing group of people I was meeting. Travis is outstanding as the coach and everyone there was supportive and encouraging me to go at my own pace. Also, being a physical therapist, I was really impressed with the cues/coaching that Travis gave to insure proper body positions and mechanics during the workouts. I decided to go ahead and give it a month, but maintained my other gym membership.
I literally took it one WOD at a time. It was a real challenge to not get down on myself or discouraged, and the support I received at CrossFit X was KEY to me hanging in there. At two months, I began to see changes in my body, my strength and my endurance that I hadn’t see since high school (I’m 47 by the way). It was at this point that I quite my membership at the other gym and began to attend CrossFit X 4-5 times a week as my body would allow.
Now, after just 10 months, I am at a weight that I couldn’t have imagined. More importantly though, I am stronger than I have been in years. My chronic neck pain and headaches are a thing of the past. Make no mistake, CrossFit will challenge you in so many ways it is unbelievable. There’s no “reading a magazine while doing the elliptical” here! Just when you think you can’t do any more or you can’t finish the WOD, you do! The lessons learned that can be used in other parts of life in regards to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is something that I never would have dreamed would be there. There is still much for me to learn and challenge myself with.
And the people! One of the other primary reasons I look forward to going is to meet up with the “gang” and checking in with everyone. No egos, no prima donnas, just a group dedicated to improving their lives and there to help you improve your life as well. I have developed so many great friendships at CrossFit X that it is amazing.
Now my wife and I do this great thing together and our son also joins us on occasion. What a great way for a family to push each other and themselves. It strengthens the relationships. I can’t wait for our daughter to get started.
I can honestly say that this has been one of the most transformational years of my life and CrossFit X is one of the primary reasons for it.
Thank you so much Travis and Alycia! As you would say Travis...you guys rock!
With sincere gratitude,
Mike Hampton
I’ve been doing CrossFit X for about 4 months now. I have lost a total of 23 lbs. I’m sure I would have lost mush more than that, but I’m also much stronger than I was 4 months ago, so there’s a lot of muscle that I didn’t have before. My clothes are too big and I’m fitting clothes I haven’t been able to wear in a couple of years.
On my first day, Travis asked me to do 5 pull ups. I had to use a big rubber band, just to get them done. This week, I successfully did 25 unassisted pull ups! I haven’t been in this good of shape since varsity football in high school. Give me another 4 months and I’ll be better than I ever was then.
The workouts are very challenging, but accomplishing them feels so good. I don’t ever come dreading what I’m going to have to do and I always leave feeling great (and tired J). Travis and his staff are a great combination of friendly, funny, encouraging, and motivational when you need the extra push. I love the atmosphere they create.
Luke Kaemingk
CrossFit X has challenged me both physically and mentally. It puts forth challenges everyday that have to be pushed through!
Joe Hoppis
As a college athlete I trained 6 days a week many days twice a day. I was in the best shape of my life. Over the last 15+ years I have been a member of a local gym, I attended classes periodically, spent hours on treadmills and cardio machines, swam thousands of laps, I even did a few rounds of Boot Camp, but nothing compared to or inspired me like my college experience…. Until I started working out at the CrossFit X gym. CrossFit X is as close to anything that I have experienced since college. I am constantly challenged to push harder, work on technique, strive to meet goals, I am inspired by those around me, but am responsible for my own progress and performance. CrossFit is to me competitive exercise. The creative and diverse workouts along with the coaching that I get at CrossFit X rivals any strength training program the I experienced in college while on the rowing team. I can never go back to my self guided workouts and just working out for the sake of doing it without a goal in mind. I was recently discussing CrossFit with a buddy that I rowed with in college and we both agreed that if this kind of training was available to us then, it would have revolutionized our workouts and subsequently the success of our team.
Rob Weston
Dear Travis,
I wanted to say THANK YOU for how hard you push me in CrossFit. This weekend I Nordic skied for nearly 40 km over 3 days time and felt amazing. Usually, I would have been limited by muscle fatigue or cardio capacity, but this time I was only limited by my ability to skate ski well. (Turns out, quite a limitation!) but my body was strong and my heart had no problem with the work.
Best to you and Alicia for all you do for the group,
Elizabeth Hampton
I was an athlete in high school. I played sports and even lifted some weights. Fast forward 16 years and I had kinda let myself go. 5 kids and the normal stuff of life had taken their toll. At the end of 2009 I weighed 247 lbs. I just barely fit into the suits I had to wear for work. I was somewhat comfortable in size 38 jeans. My waist, as measured, was over 40 inches. I wish I would have take an official “before” picture. But I didn’t. Why would I have? As long as I can remember, I’d made a new year’s resolution to get back down to 200 lbs. Every year I would re-resolve to do the same thing--why would it be any different this year? It had become a bit of a joke between my wife and me. I’d tried Weight Watchers, P90X, South Beach, Atkins, Body for Life and at least a dozen other fad diets and diet/exercise programs. I’d attempted to add in a few sessions of “cardio” per week, etc. I’d given it some solid efforts and even managed to lose a few lbs, but they always came back (and brought friends) because I failed to make changes to my lifestyle.
I started at CrossFit X in April of 2010. As of November 2010, I’m down to 210 lbs. And it’s not just that I’ve lost weight. My body has transformed. I fit into size 32 jeans--something that hasn’t happened since high school. My closet is still full of XL shirts that hang off me like oversize curtains. I had to get my business suits taken in. For the first time, I can keep up with my wife when we go running. I can also power clean 275 lbs. At 34 years old I can say without a doubt that I’m in the best shape of my life. And I’m still improving.
Why has CrossFit been effective where everything else I’ve tried has failed? I think there are a lot of reasons. First, when I’ve worked out in the past I typically just did the things I enjoyed and gave no thought to my weaknesses. At CrossFit X, everyone does the same workout. Of course adjustments are made to accommodate different people level of strength, skill and fitness, but if a run is part of the workout, you’re not getting out of it just because you aren’t really a fan of running. I need someone to force me to work on my weaknesses--often that’s where I stand to make the biggest impact on my level of fitness or body composition.
Second, I’ve owned gym memberships before, but I was always too cheap to spring for personal training. You have a coach watching you closely during every CrossFit workout. This helps you avoid injury and get the most benefit out of every movement.
Third, and this may not sound like a big deal, but the idea that you don’t know what the workout will be until you walk in the door is a huge component of the success I’ve had. Any kind of workout program will only work if you go consistently. Missing a scheduled workout either means I missed a new opportunity to test myself in different way or that I missed a chance to improve on a workout that I might have done a while back. I’ve always struggled to get up at 5:30AM to go work out--until I found CrossFit X.
Finally, the relationships you build at the gym are of immeasurable value. Having strangers become friends and then watching those friends get their first unassisted pull-up, then watching them complete 10 unassisted pull-ups only a few months later is awesome. Having these same people encourage me during my workouts inspires me to always give it my all.
Mike Hollister