She Already Knew How to Lift Heavy. That's Not Why She Came to CFR.

Lynne Steiner • July 3, 2026

Ashley competed in powerlifting. She knows what a loaded barbell feels like, what it means to step onto a platform, what it costs to train for a specific lift. She is not someone who needed to be convinced that strength matters.

And yet, in her mid-forties, she found herself starting over.

Not from scratch. Nobody with Ashley's history starts from scratch. But starting fresh, with new goals, in a new place, with a new definition of what being in the best shape of her life actually looks like. That kind of restart takes a different kind of courage than lifting a heavy bar.

She joined CrossFit Roselle two months ago. Her boyfriend Joe, a long-time CFR member, had been talking about it for a while. "He has always had the BEST things to say about CFR," she says. Still, she was intimidated.

She came anyway.


What the On-Ramp Actually Does

Before Ashley ever walked into a regular class, she went through CFR's on-ramp program. For someone with her background, you might assume that's unnecessary. It wasn't.

"My on-ramp gave me a chance to get familiar with CFR, the culture, the coaching," she says. "It gave me confidence quickly in what I was doing, no matter where I was starting. I try to carry that into every class."

This is exactly what on-ramp is designed to do. CrossFit is a specific language. The movements, the pacing, the culture, the way a coach cues you versus how a coach at a powerlifting gym cues you. None of that translates automatically, even for experienced athletes. The on-ramp is where you learn to speak it before you're expected to perform in it.

Ashley walked into her first class already belonging there. That's the point.


Twice a Week, on Purpose

Ashley trains twice a week. For someone with her competitive background, that might sound conservative. It isn't. It's strategic.

"For me to be consistent, I wanted to master that," she says.

Consistency is the thing most people skip past in their excitement to do more. They come in four days a week for three weeks, then they burn out, or life intervenes, and then they're back to zero trying to rebuild momentum. Ashley decided she would rather own two days completely than chase four days inconsistently.

It's working. In the past few weeks, she's added a third day.

That's how sustainable frequency actually builds. Not by starting at your ceiling.


What She's After Now

Ashley's goals right now are specific: build lean muscle while continuing to lose fat. She is direct about the fact that those two things don't always cooperate with each other, and she is not in a rush.

"I know these two things require different focuses," she says. "For now I am working on getting my workouts in, keeping my diet clean and getting the protein I need on a daily basis. Some days are better than others, but being consistent is the key."

That's not a beginner speaking. That's someone who has been on a long road, who has tried faster approaches, and who has learned that slow and steady is not a consolation prize. It's the whole strategy.

She's been working on her weight for most of her adult life. The version of Ashley who walked into CFR is down 225 pounds from her heaviest. Sixty of those came in the past year. Twelve since she started training here.

None of that happened quickly. All of it required building habits that survived real life, not just good weeks.


Her Tools, Her Terms

Ashley is also using peptides as part of her approach, including a GLP-1 compound that helps her preserve muscle while losing fat. She came to it through her own research, and she is thoughtful about how she talks about it.

"They are not a magic bullet," she says. "Like any other tool, they need to be accompanied by proper nutrition and weight training."

That last sentence is worth reading twice.

We are seeing more members come through our doors who are using GLP-1 medications and similar compounds to support their weight loss. And we think that's genuinely great. What those medications do really well is lower the barrier to change. What they do not do is build muscle, improve your cardiovascular capacity, or teach you how to move well. That part still requires showing up, putting in the work, and listening to the guidance of a coach.

Ashley's approach is what this looks like when someone uses every tool available and uses them correctly. The medication supports the process. The training and nutrition build the body she actually wants.


What She'd Tell You

If you asked Ashley what the difference is between this time and other times she's tried to change her health, she'd probably tell you it's the consistency. And the community.

"CFR is a place I get excited to go," she says. "Between the people and the workouts, it's become one of my favorite parts of the week."

For someone who left CrossFit 10 years ago, came back through powerlifting, battled her weight for most of her life, and still showed up nervous to on-ramp anyway, that's not a small thing to say.

It took her a decade to come back. She's not going anywhere.


Ready to find out what the right start looks like for you? Our on-ramp program meets you exactly where you are. Reach out and let's talk.

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Strong For Show vs. Strong For Life

By Lynne Steiner • June 29, 2026
We've all played this game. Who can move a trunkful of groceries to the house in the fewest number of trips. Four bags stacked on each arm, milk swinging off two fingers, keys clenched in your teeth, foot kicking the screen door shut. Nobody films it. But that's the actual Olympics of your life. Now picture the gym mirror instead. Flexing under lighting built to flatter, comparing your reflection to a stranger online whose entire job is looking like that. One of those scenes builds the body you need. The other just builds resentment. The Mirror Lied to You First Aesthetic training chases a look: bigger arms, a flatter stomach, a number that feels like a report card. Nothing wrong with wanting to feel good in your clothes. But when "looking strong" becomes the whole goal, your body optimizes for things that do nothing for you on a Tuesday. Functional training chases capacity. It wants you to pick things up, carry them, and put them down without your lower back staging a protest. From the outside, both paths look the same. Same barbells, same sweat. The difference shows up later, when your body actually has to do something instead of just sit there looking good. What Your Body Is Actually Practicing Strength training isn't one thing. It's a set of patterns, and each one teaches your body a different real-life skill. Squat : getting off the floor, out of the car, up from a low couch Hinge : lifting laundry baskets and suitcases without your back arguing Carry : hauling groceries or a duffel bag while walking like a normal human Push and pull : opening a stuck door, rearranging furniture, lifting a suitcase to an overhead bin None of that requires a mirror. It just requires showing up, because eventually your life depends on it. That's what gets you on the dream trip without hesitating, or up the trail on a 5-mile hike without needing a rest every quarter mile. Train for Tuesday, Not for the Camera Stop asking "does this make me look strong" and start asking "does this make me more capable." Small shift in language, completely different gym. The deadlift isn't about hamstring shape. It's about handling the heavy thing without flinching. The farmer's carry isn't about shoulder definition. It's about loading a full trunk of groceries without a rest break. Aesthetic results show up anyway when you train this way. They're the receipt, not the goal. The body you build for real life will always outlast the one you built for a feed. So next time you're choosing between chasing the pump or chasing the strength, remember the groceries don't care how your arms look. They just want to make it up the stairs in one trip.

Motivated people aren't more disciplined. They just stopped waiting to feel ready.

By Lynne Steiner • June 22, 2026
You've been here before. The alarm goes off. You lie there running a quick internal audit: energy levels, mood, general enthusiasm for human movement. The results come back negative. You reset the alarm for tomorrow, when surely, surely, you'll feel more like it. Tomorrow has a terrible track record. Here's the uncomfortable truth nobody puts on a motivational poster: motivation is a feeling. Feelings are unreliable narrators. Building your fitness habit on motivation is like building a beachfront property. It looks fine until something actually tests it. The waiting room nobody escapes Waiting to feel motivated before starting is the most common trap in fitness. It feels responsible. Logical, even. Why force it when you're not in the right headspace? Because the right headspace doesn't arrive on its own. It gets created. Motivation follows action. It almost never precedes it. The science on this is clear, and so is every honest account from anyone who has stayed consistent for longer than three months. The "just start" principle works like this: Commit to two minutes. Just two. Put on the shoes. Drive to the gym. Grab a foam roller. Let momentum show up once you're already moving. The shoes are the hardest part. After that, your body usually decides to cooperate. The plan with no backup is a plan to quit Most people have one routine and zero contingencies. The routine is optimized for a perfect Tuesday when work ends on time, the kids are calm, and the stars have aligned favorably. Real life is not a perfect Tuesday. When the schedule collapses and the full workout isn't happening, there's nothing to fall back on. So people fall off entirely. The habit breaks. The restart ritual begins. Again. The fix is a "bad day" workout. Short, simple, and so easy to do that saying no to it would feel genuinely embarrassing: A 10-minute walk A single round of bodyweight squats, pushups, and a plank Ten minutes of stretching on the living room floor while something good plays in the background This isn't a consolation prize. It's a lifeline. The goal on a hard day isn't a great workout. It's keeping the habit alive. A small fire is infinitely easier to tend than a cold pit you have to relight from scratch. Stop waiting for perfect conditions Perfect conditions are fictional. They have always been fictional. The people who seem effortlessly consistent aren't operating under better circumstances. They built a system that runs without ideal weather. Tip: Right now, before you close this tab, write down your bad day workout. Three moves. Ten minutes. Something you would genuinely never say no to. Save it in your phone. The next time motivation goes dark, you'll have a flashlight ready. You don't need to feel ready. You just need to start. Readiness is what happens after.

He Didn't Run Out of Time. He Just Got Started.

By Lynne Steiner • June 19, 2026
One of the things I love most about this gym is watching people surprise themselves. Not in the sexy, highlight-reel way. In the quiet, consistent, show-up-even-when-it's-hard way. Mike Szymborski has been part of our CFR fam for a little over a year now. He trains 5 to 6 days a week. He is in his early 60s. He manages Type 1 diabetes. He has had a hip replacement, survived prostate cancer, and came back to the gym after a heart attack in March of 2025. He also broke his pinky on a box jump during his first workout back after being cleared by his cardiologist. He finished the workout. I asked Mike to share his story in his own words because he sets such a clear example of what is possible when you show up for yourself consistently regardless of age, injury, and medical conditions. What follows is mostly him. I've added very little, because very little needed to be added. Before CrossFit "Back in my college days I lifted weights regularly. When I got married in 1992, I was in great shape, weighing 205 lbs. Then life happened. We had 3 kids by 1998. I spent my time working and raising a family." In 2004, Mike was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and became insulin-dependent. The same year, he was becoming dependent on alcohol, too. The diabetes diagnosis, he says, is what made him stop drinking. He has been clean and sober since 2005. "I ate what I wanted and took high doses of insulin to control blood sugar. My weight steadily climbed to about 290-300 lbs by 2015. When XXL polo shirts no longer fit comfortably and I had to buy size 44 pants, I knew something had to change." He joined Weight Watchers and a local gym, lost 75 pounds over 9 months, and ran 2 half marathons. Then life happened again. The approach wasn't sustainable. His marriage of 26 years ended. By 2018, he had gained the weight back. "I found myself alone, fat and miserable." He Googled CrossFit. He found CrossFit Carol Stream. He dropped into a free class in December of 2018. "I was hooked after the first class. I've been going 5 to 6 days a week ever since." The Speed Bumps Between 2018 and today, Mike's list of health challenges has continued to grow. Prostate cancer diagnosed in 2020, removed in 2021. As of January 2026, he’s 5 years cancer-free. Bone-on-bone arthritis in his right hip lead to a total hip replacement in October 2023. Then came a heart attack and stent in March 2025. He also broke his foot doing a lateral burpee over bar. And the pinky. He mentions both almost as asides. "In all honesty, I don't think about any of these past issues on a daily basis. I wake up each day and look forward to every challenge. The years are passing quickly. There is no reason to focus on negatives. Every day presents an opportunity to improve. That's what drives me." When I asked him what a bad training day looks like, he said the question didn't really resonate with him. "I don't think I've ever had a bad training day since I started CrossFit in 2018. CrossFit is the best part of every day for me, except days when I golf. Then it's a close second." The Hip, the Open, and What Changed For years, Mike couldn't squat below parallel. Not in a wall ball, a thruster, an air squat. The arthritis in his right hip made it impossible, and it meant he was scaling workouts that he wanted to do as prescribed. The hip replacement changed that. "My hip replacement and subsequent recovery allow me now to achieve parallel in these lifts. That's given me new-found confidence and the ability to record RX during workouts." This year, Mike competed in the 2026 CrossFit Open and made the quarterfinals in his age group. He finished in the top 18%. "That achievement was validation for my hard work. It created a greater sense of belonging to the CrossFit community at large and CrossFit Roselle specifically. I identify as a CrossFit athlete. It's what defines and differentiates me from my male friends in my age group." What He Wants You to Know Mike is active on social media. He posts his workouts for accountability and, more than that, to show other people what is possible. When someone in a Facebook group asks whether it's too late for them, or says their health history is too complicated, he shares a video of himself doing a handstand walk and lists what he has been through. He listened to an audiobook that changed his focus to health span over life span. "People in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s have already started to lose VO2 max and lean muscle. These losses will continue and the rate will even accelerate unless steps are taken to stop or slow the loss. Any level of movement is a positive step. CrossFit-style movements offer even more positive benefits as the movements address all 3 key metrics." On the nutrition side, Mike's path to figuring out what actually works took some trial and error. He used Ozempic for 15 months and got his weight into a better range, but felt like something was still missing. After his heart attack, he went fully low-carb and keto. He credits that shift with reducing his A1C, reducing inflammation, stabilizing his weight, and giving him a general feeling of health he had never experienced over five decades of the standard American diet. "Positive changes are very incremental and big changes come slowly. It's not a race to get to a certain point or fitness level. It's a journey. It's a process. If you don't like where you are, it's within your sole control to make changes which will bend your trajectory in the right direction." What's Next Mike turns 62 in September. His goal is to hit a new baseline weight by his birthday and hold it. He's eyeing the 2027 CrossFit Open and, eventually, the semifinals. "I understand I might have to age into the 65+ age group for that to happen." He says he's starting to feel some issues with his left hip. He suspects he may need a replacement within the next year or 2. He's not looking forward to it. He's also not going to let it go as long as he let the right one go. He'll be in the gym tomorrow morning. Five or 6 days a week, like always. A Note from Coach Lynne I share Mike's story not because it's unique, but because it's honest. His progress was not linear. He didn't get here on a clean path. He got here by deciding, over and over, that the path was worth staying on. If you're reading this and thinking your situation is too complicated, or that you've missed your window, I'd ask you to sit with Mike's answer to that question. He's been posting his own version of that answer on Facebook for years. Now it's here, too. If this sounds like your story, or the story you want to write, we'd love to meet you. Start with a free no-sweat intro at CrossFit Roselle. No experience required. No perfect health history required. Just show up, and we’ll take it from there. Click the "Book a Free Intro" box to get started.
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