A Legacy of Strength: Jason Rice’s Next Chapter and CrossFit Roselle’s Future
Lynne Steiner • July 6, 2025
In 2008, Jason Rice opened the doors to a 450-square-foot studio with a dream, a barbell, and a relentless drive to help people change their lives through fitness. That dream became CrossFit Roselle—and over the next 17 years, Jason would pour his heart, soul, and strength into building a space where athletes of all ages and backgrounds could thrive.
From that humble beginning, Jason ran the business single-handedly for over a decade, growing it into a thriving community built on sweat, resilience, and connection. His speed, tenacity, and unmistakable ability to make everyone feel like they belonged became the foundation of our gym culture—one where people show up for the workouts, but stay for the support.
This summer, Jason is stepping away from ownership, officially passing the torch to Lynne and Chris, who have been his trusted co-owners since 2020. While the moment is bittersweet, it's also a celebration of everything Jason has built—and the future we’re stepping into together.
As Jason shared in his farewell message:
“It feels like just yesterday that I welcomed my very first client into a modest 450-square-foot studio. Over the years, together, we’ve grown into something extraordinary—far beyond what I could have imagined... This gym has been built on countless moments of blood, sweat, and tears, and most importantly, on the incomparable community that each of you has helped create.”
From early morning workouts to Open season camaraderie, Jason’s presence has been a constant source of inspiration. Whether you were here from day one or just dropped in last month, chances are he’s greeted you with a smile, cheered you on through a tough workout, or encouraged you to keep going when you weren’t sure you could.
In recent years, Jason has been devoting more time to developing his fitness product, the Core Bomb, which is gaining momentum and deserving of his full attention. As he steps fully into that venture, we know he’ll carry the same passion and precision that helped shape CrossFit Roselle.
The great news? The gym is in excellent hands.
Lynne has spent the last several years growing into her leadership role—coaching, building programs, connecting with members, and running the day-to-day with heart and hustle. Together with Chris, they’re committed to honoring the legacy Jason built while continuing to evolve and grow our community in exciting new ways.
And don’t worry—Jason won’t be a stranger. He plans to drop in from time to time to check in, cheer us on, and say hi (likely still faster than most of us in a metcon).
As Jason so perfectly put it:
“This is not goodbye—it’s simply the start of a new chapter for all of us.”
We couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Jason, for everything. We’ll carry your vision forward—strong as ever.
Want to share a memory or thank Jason?
Drop us a message or post your favorite photo and tag @crossfitroselle—we’d love to celebrate his impact together. ❤️
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Sweat, Smiles, and Tie-Dye: Free Community Workouts This Weekend at CFR There’s nothing we love more than opening our doors and welcoming new (and familiar!) faces into the CrossFit Roselle community. That’s why this weekend, Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug, 30, we’re hosting free community workouts, and you’re invited! Friday: Free Workouts All Day On Friday, every scheduled class is free and open to the public. Whether you’re an experienced athlete, brand-new to CrossFit, or somewhere in between, you’ll jump into a workout designed to be accessible to all levels. Our coaches will help scale movements and guide you through, so you can focus on moving, having fun, and leaving with a big dose of accomplishment. Saturday: Family Workouts + Tie-Dye Party Saturday morning is all about family! We’ll have two family-friendly workouts at 8:30am and 9:30am. These sessions are a chance to bring your kids, your spouse, or your neighbors along to see what CrossFit is all about. Every workout is adaptable, so kids and adults of all ages can participate side by side. After we sweat together, we’ll head outside for a tie-dye party! We’ll provide the dye, and we’ll have a few white CFR shirts available for purchase. You’re also welcome to bring your own white shirt (or any gear you’d like to color). It’ll be a fun way to cap off the morning. Why We Do It Community is the heart of CrossFit Roselle. Events like this give us a chance to introduce new people to our space, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate the energy that happens when we all come together. Fitness is better when it’s shared, especially with a little sweat, laughter, and color splashes along the way. Reserve Your Spot Spots are limited (and filling fast, especially for Friday and Saturday morning), so be sure to reserve your place ahead of time: 👉 Reserve Your Free Workout Here Whether you’ve never touched a barbell, haven’t been in a gym for years, or just want to join a fun, welcoming community workout, this is the perfect opportunity. Bring a friend, bring your kids, and let’s make some memories together. We’ll see you Friday and Saturday at CFR!
Picture this: your alarm blares at 5:30 a.m. and suddenly you’re negotiating with yourself like a lawyer in a courtroom drama. “If I skip today, I’ll go tomorrow.”“ If I just get more sleep, I’ll perform better next time.” Sound familiar? Here’s the hard truth: the universe is not going to clear your schedule, tuck your kids into bed early, or refill your coffee pot so you can have the “perfect” conditions to work out. Life is messy, chaotic, and sometimes downright rude. And yet, the secret to fitness success isn’t buried in some obscure training manual or locked inside a macro-tracking app. It’s simpler—and harder—than that. The real secret is showing up. Especially when you don’t feel like it. Why Obstacles Aren’t a Sign to Stop Life throws haymakers daily: - Your boss schedules a late Zoom meeting. - Your kid has soccer practice that somehow requires three hours of driving for a one-hour game. - Dinner burns because you answered a work email and forgot the chicken in the oven. At the end of the day, your workout starts to look like a luxury cruise: nice in theory, impossible to board. But here’s the twist: those obstacles aren’t signals to quit—they’re signals that this is the exact moment you need movement most. - Busy schedules convince us there’s no time. But what if fitness isn’t competing with your schedule—what if it’s fueling it? A 30-minute class can give you more focus for the next eight hours. That’s a return on investment Warren Buffett would be proud of. - Stress and fatigue whisper that skipping a workout is the “safe” choice. But skipping doesn’t recharge your batteries—it drains them further. Exercise is the world’s most underrated stress relief valve. Miss it, and you’re building pressure until the lid blows off. The Psychology of Just Showing Up Here’s a fun fact: your brain is terrible at measuring effort. It screams, “This will be awful!” before you even touch a barbell. But once you walk through the door, say hi to your coach, and start the warm-up, the story changes. Suddenly, what felt impossible feels… doable. Think of it like dragging your feet to a party you didn’t want to attend. You almost bailed three times. Then you show up and—what do you know—you’re laughing, eating chips, and wondering why you resisted in the first place. Fitness works the same way. The hardest lift is the front door. Flip the Script: How to Show Up When You Don’t Feel Like It Instead of chasing “perfect conditions,” practice this mindset: - Shrink the workout. Don’t have an hour? Do 20 minutes. No gym? Knock out squats and push-ups in the living room. Something is always better than nothing. - Anchor to identity. Stop saying, “I have to work out.” Start saying, “I’m the kind of person who trains, even when it’s hard.” That tiny linguistic tweak shifts your brain from obligation to ownership. - Stack the deck. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Book your class in Wodify. Tell a friend you’ll meet them there. Future-You will be grateful when Current-You tries to chicken out. The Conclusion (And a Pep Talk) Here’s the takeaway: the secret sauce isn’t motivation, luck, or perfect conditions. It’s the gritty, stubborn decision to show up anyway. - Your schedule will always be busy. - Your energy will sometimes be low. - The stars will never align just right. But when you show up through the chaos, you win. Every. Single. Time. Pro Tip: Next time you’re tempted to skip, try this: tell yourself, “I’ll just go for the warm-up.” If after 10 minutes you still want to leave, you have permission. (Spoiler: you won’t.) So lace up your shoes, roll your eyes at your inner excuses, and step into the arena. Because the only true failure in fitness isn’t a missed lift or a slower run—it’s not showing up at all.
Picture this: You’re in the middle of a workout, lungs puffing like an old steam engine, and you’re wondering why your legs feel like you’re squatting through wet cement. You’ve been training consistently, hydrating, and sleeping… sort of. But the fuel you’ve been running on? Let’s just say it’s about as fresh as that bag of spinach at the back of your fridge you swore you’d use. Here’s the truth: your body craves change with the seasons, just like the leaves outside your window. And right now, fall’s produce aisle is nature’s own performance-enhancing buffet—bursting with the exact nutrients your body needs to train harder, recover faster, and spend less at the grocery store. Why Seasonal Eating is Your Secret Weapon We live in a world where strawberries show up in December and apples in April. It’s convenient… but it’s also like wearing flip-flops in a snowstorm—it doesn’t match the environment you’re in. Seasonal eating is about aligning your plate with the natural rhythm of the earth, tapping into foods that are at their peak in both flavor and nutrition. And when it comes to CrossFit, seasonal eating can: - Fuel recovery with fresh, nutrient-packed carbs. - Cut costs by choosing produce that’s abundant (and therefore cheaper). - Keep your meals exciting so you don’t fall into a “chicken-broccoli-rice” rut. Let’s tackle the two biggest pain points that seasonal eating solves. Pain Point 1: Same-Old Foods, Same-Old Results If your grocery cart hasn’t changed since May, you’re probably missing out on nutrients that could take your performance up a notch. Repetition is great for your back squat program—not so much for your micronutrient profile. Fall’s MVPs like squash, sweet potatoes, beets, apples, and kale aren’t just pretty on Instagram, they’re powerhouses: - Squash & Sweet Potatoes – Loaded with slow-burning carbs and beta-carotene, they help you crush high-volume metcons without the sugar crash. - Beets – Packed with nitrates that improve blood flow, helping oxygen race to your muscles when the WOD starts to feel like a survival mission. - Kale – Your immune system’s bodyguard. Keeps you training instead of coughing on the couch. It’s like swapping out your regular gas for rocket fuel—you might not notice it in the first mile, but by the time you hit round five, you’ll be glad you did. Pain Point 2: Eating Healthy Feels Expensive Let’s be honest, grocery bills can feel like they’re training for a max lift lately. But here’s the magic of seasonal produce: when a food is in season locally, there’s more of it, which means prices drop. Instead of spending $6 on a sad, out-of-season tomato that tastes like cardboard, you could fill your basket with in-season butternut squash, onions, and apples, all for less than a post-WOD smoothie. - In-season = better taste – No more watery zucchini in October. - In-season = better price – The abundance makes it cheaper. - In-season = better nutrition – Foods don’t spend weeks traveling, losing flavor and nutrients in the process. Think of it as getting front-row tickets to your favorite band for the price of the cheap seats. How to Start Seasonal Eating (Without Becoming a Farmer) No, you don’t have to churn butter or grow your own pumpkins (unless that’s your thing). Seasonal eating can be as simple as making one swap each week. Quick-start ideas: - Replace white rice with roasted sweet potatoes in your post-WOD meal. - Blend roasted pumpkin into your morning protein smoothie. - Swap your usual snack for apple slices with almond butter. - Add shredded kale to your scrambled eggs for a nutrient punch. Pro tip: Hit the farmers’ market —it’s basically a seasonal cheat sheet. If it’s piled high in bins, it’s in season. The Bottom Line Seasonal eating is more than a foodie trend—it’s a way to work with your body, the seasons, and your budget. By shifting your grocery list to match what’s in season right now, you’ll: - Improve performance and recovery. - Save money without sacrificing quality. - Make your meals exciting again. Helpful Tip: This week, pick one fall vegetable and one fall fruit you haven’t used lately. Build at least two meals around them. Your taste buds, and your next workout, will thank you. When the leaves change, your plate should too. Fall’s harvest is here, let it fuel your next PR.
