Testimonials

Malissa Valdes-Hubert (March 2012)

I’m one of those people with a lot of confidence in my head that never really showed through in any sort of athletic performance. I worked out for years but never really ran that far or lifted that much; never did a pullup or a real pushup. After one year of CrossFit with the awesome people at CrossFit Montgomery, I can finally say to myself that I have real confidence in my ability to work hard, run faster and endure what I thought I could not. I can now lift more weight, more efficiently and do the movements that are essential to keeping my body strong and young. Thank you CrossFit!

Dawn Ellis (September 2011)

When I first heard of the concept of CrossFit, I thought it was completely impossible for me to ever do what “they” were doing. After meeting with David and Jennie, I felt like I was home. There was a willingness to work with me as I was and to work up from there. Foundations was intense (as is all the workouts) but our group bonded like family and together, we could conquer anything. The comradery at the gym is like no other I’ve ever experienced. The trainers are willing to scale the workouts to meet your needs (injury, inability, etc.) while still pushing you to your limits. Thank you David, Jennie and the rest of the coaches for your willingness to accept me, work with me, push me to a healthier lifestyle (all while I’m striving to leave my ego at the door).

Monte Fletcher (July 2011)

From the first time I met Jennie and David Sumner I knew had I had made a great choice in joining CrossFit Montgomery. I had been doing CrossFit for about a year on and off by following the CrossFit site and felt I was in pretty good shape.  However, I learned very quickly that I was sorely mistaken.  Joining CrossFit Montgomery (which is the first gym I’ve joined since being in the service) has been a life changing experience.

David and Jennie both asked me what my goals were, which consisted of achieving better running times, being able to do handstand pushups, lifting heavier weight, and becoming better at pull-ups.  Knowing that both of them along with Britt and Cody were CrossFit certified, I knew they would help me reach my goals.

Once I completed foundations I started my CrossFit adventures to include recovering from ACL reconstructive surgery.  Having the opportunity to workout in an environment where encouragement was constant and camaraderie flourished was and continues to be fantastic! CrossFit is a fantastic program and CrossFit Montgomery is a great gym thanks to David, Jennie, Britt and Cody.

David “Z” Zimmerman, ACSC AY11 (July 2011)

Dave and Jennie, the owners of CrossFit Montgomery, welcomed me in Aug ’10 when I showed up in Montgomery for Air Command and Staff College. I stepped into their gym (The Boneyard) one evening to get more information and ask questions and was subsequently invited to join them and their friends at a wonderful local restaurant for dinner. This is the way they treat everyone that comes into the gym…they are serious about helping everyone achieve their fitness goals while also maintaining a very friendly, social environment inside and outside of the gym. I achieved my goal of improving my physical fitness score while gaining weight through muscle. I gained 10 pounds of muscle while improving my PT score by 5 points (92-97). The 1.5mi run was the largest improvement, improving from a 10:20 to a 9:35 in less than a few months. I have the confidence I will be able to meet my next goal of running a marathon in October. Although my new assignment takes me away from CrossFit Montgomery, I still intend to use CrossFit as part of my marathon-training
regimen.

Thanks to Jennie, David, and all the trainers and members of CrossFit Montgomery for the motivation and inspiration to continue to maintain a high level of fitness and complete my fitness goals. Most of all, thank you for allowing me to be a part of the team! And by the way, the Pound for Pound (#4#) event in April was awesome! I challenge everyone to compete or volunteer for it in 2012…you will not be disappointed!

TJ Pruitt (June 2011)

Crossfit Montgomery pushed me to a higher level of health and fitness. I had been weightlifting for about 4-5 years and was at a standstill without progress. After joining Crossfit Montgomery, I quickly noticed gains and a tremendous loss in body fat. I recently moved to Birmingham and quickly realized that Crossfit Montgomery was not the average Crossfit gym. The atmosphere, facility, and people separate it from the rest.

Kelly Adams (June 2011)

I’ve been with David and Jennie since the very beginning – even before they got their AWESOME location (I like to call it a hybridized adult playground and torture chamber). The Crossfit Montgomery trainers really focus on ensuring you do the movements correctly and safely. With such focus on form, it naturally makes you stronger. They also place great emphasis on stretching and mobility. Finally, they really know how to modify or tailor the workout for each individual so that is challenging, but not impossible for your level of fitness.

Crossfit Montgomery provides an environment that is not only challenging, but fun!  My fellow members not only challenge me to work harder and do better, but also are genuinely awesome to be around. Everyone is so positive and while there are friendly competitions, each person is thrilled when another member gets a new PR or accomplishes a goal.

For those people who are afraid of stopping by because they think it will be too hard – please don’t be scared!  I’m what I would classify as a “normal” person…I’m not a super star athlete nor will I ever be.  I’ll never compete in the Crossfit games, but I do make continuous progress in my own personal workout goals.  The environment and workouts provided by Crossfit Montgomery are possible for anyone.  (For you not-so-normal folks, don’t worry, there are the superman, elite-athlete types too!).

In short, you should stop by.  You’ll be glad you did.

Barb Gill (June 2011)

I’m a relatively new member of CFM, and to the concept of CF.   A friend repeatedly emailed me testimonials and articles with information and the benefits of CF.  This was to encourage me to do something different to strengthen my run.  I’m 48 years old, ran for years (since I was 11?) and hurt my knee badly while playing soccer in 2002 (ladies’ league while assigned in Turkey).  My body was never the same; my run suffered terribly.   I had become an injured or easily injured runner. I was always recovering.  Knowing my love for running, I finally gave in and asked, “Which box should I try?”  My friend’s answer, “I recommend CFM first, great trainers, they know their stuff.”  I started Foundations in December 2010.  Maybe they could help me?  At that time, I was recovering from knee pain.  I was supposed to start in January, but met David and Jennie at the Jingle Bell Run, I was ready to start that day and I did!

Has my run become stronger?  Yes, of course.  My whole body is getting stronger.  BUT, I found something else that I was NOT looking for or expecting.  I discovered a whole new world – crazy people like me!  People concerned about their health, increasing their strength and pushing their comfort zone!  People who are also normal, (I expected a group of elites that would be intimidating—although there are some elites, I love working out with them!)  There is the entire spectrum of members new to physical workouts to those who I call elite; everyone encourages each other to do ONE MORE!   What started as  “Well, I’ll give it a try…” has turned into MY Boneyard with lots of new friends and very experienced, concerned, and encouraging trainers…personal trainers.  What an awesome package!  How can a person not improve?

After 27 years in the military, running all my life and being a gym member at several different gyms I thought I knew everything about physical fitness.  Each time I’m at the Boneyard I learn something new to help me become more fit, stronger, and healthier!  THANK YOU CFM and to my friend who hounded (encouraged) me with information about CF.  I thought running was the only way to get a good workout.  Add squats, lunges, pull ups, OHS, and on and on and WOW, my body is getting stronger.  I’m getting more fit.  I can feel the response in my muscles.  I’ve recently attended David’s “Running Clinic” and am learning how to improve and strengthen my run.  I have a couple half marathons scheduled this year and will continue to run but, it is no longer the obsession it was in the past (don’t get me wrong, I’d rather have a bad run than a good day at work).  CFM takes you as you are and helps you to improve your level of fitness and strength.  Thank you CFM!  I’m staying!

Adrian Herrera (June 2011)

I joined CrossFit Montgomery while here for a PME for the Air Force (5 weeks).  I first heard of CrossFit in San Diego with CrossFit East Village, and am a member of CrossFit Pensacola.  I have dropped in for a WOD with CrossFit Ft Meade as well.  With a decent knowledge in CrossFit, I can adequately say that CrossFit Montgomery was, hands down, the BEST experience I’ve had – and I always find myself coming back.

Price:  The CFM price is the cheapest price out of any CrossFit gym you will ever go to.  When I was here for ASBC, I was surprised on the price that the members pay, and how many services that CrossFit provides.  It’s conveniently located downtown, which is about 10 minutes from Maxwell AFB.

Services: CFM provides way more than the average CrossFit gym, or any other gym for that matter.  Along with normal WODs, they include a strength-centered workout called “Underground Stength” which tests your strength and conditioning beyond a normal WOD. Additionally, I attended a couple running courses to help improve my 5k.  Jennie also showed me so many more dynamic stretches which helped with my knee (have prior knee problems).  I also had a lot of diet recommendations, and I managed to lose a good amount of weight.  Not to mention, all of the social events…

Atmosphere: CFM is located in a perfect place.  It is a warehouse style gym which includes many pull up bars, ropes for climbing, areas to run freely, tires, and enough room to kettlebell swing till your back breaks.  As far as membership, the CFM members are some of the best and friendliest people that I ever worked with.  They will yell and push you during your WOD, but will not forget to make you stretch out after so that you don’t cry in agony because you are so sore.  And that’s only the members.  The owners are very amiable; they were excited to put on additional social events outside of CFM to create a strong “family” atmosphere at that gym.  I definitely miss that, and I still keep in touch with a lot of the members of the gym, even though I am not there.

Benefits for me: I did a USAF PFA when I arrived to Montgomery, and I did one after I left.  All I did was CrossFit, (no running), and my run time went down a minute, my 5k time run was in the top half of the class, and my overall PFA jumped up over 5 points.  The diet I began in Montgomery stayed with me in Pensacola, and I did lose weight.  My form became way better when I got back to my CF gym.  Finally, I got involved with CrossFit competitions, and many of the CFM members will be there to help motivate me on my first competition WOD.

Anyone new to CrossFit:  CFM is the best place to begin your CrossFit experience.  The owners are very strict on form, technique, and stretching, which helped me come a LONG way.  They understand and work with any limitations, but are definitely good at being able to test your limits, and reach beyond what you think you can reach.  Once you join, you will quickly realize that you are now apart of a “family,” which makes this gym different than any other regular or CF gym.

I will definitely be back to CFM during SOS, ACSC, and any other TDY that I ever take to Maxwell.

Tina Fletcher (May 2011)
Jennie asked a question ” What is your goal that you want to reach?” I said ” Not look 40!” Her reply: “Okay” with a laugh.

I started doing Crossfit in August 2010 and never looked back at another workout program. Since August, I have added more muscle and the ability to move more weight than I ever thought I could!

I love our trainers; they gently get you to do more weight, getting to push you to your max effort every time. They’re AWESOME! David, Jennie, Cody and Britt, it has been a pleasure being able to train with you all. I’ll be sad to say good-bye!

If your passing through or staying, there aren’t enough words to say what a great box/gym that you will get in Crossfit Montgomery. The people and the trainers are just amazing.

Chris Katechis (March 2011)
CrossFit Montgomery is…, well in one word, Incredible, but it’s way more than that—looks can be deceiving. It looks primal, industrial, or like you walked into a machine shop. It’s an adults’ playground with monkey bars (“Boneyard Back Bone”), tires, slam balls, and barbells! In 6 months I have accomplished more than I have in 2 years, and I know so much more about what true fitness is.

I have tried it all—from Gravity Glide to Insanity to Bench Press/Leg Press workouts to Y Boot Camps—none of that compares to what I have done through CrossFit Montgomery/41 Fitness at “The Boneyard.” The list of things I have learned is endless: POSE running, deadlifts, muscle-up progressions, toe-to-bars, from jumping pull-ups to full unassisted pull-ups, burpee broad jumps/thrusters/cleans/snatches, front/Zercher/back/box squats, bear complexes, full GHD situps, and the list goes on and on. You never stop learning about what your body needs when you come to CrossFit Montgomery!

I now adhere to a daily mobility Workout of the Day (WOD) which keeps me highly flexible and loose. I adhere as closely as I can to a more natural diet which has produced incredible results as more and more of my energy is derived from fat instead of carbs.

Through 6 months of doing CrossFit 5 days per week (3 days on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off) these are my accomplishments:

• First 5K ran and nearly under 30 minutes with POSE running
• Deadlift 1½ times my body weight
• 10 unbroken/unassisted pull-ups
• Non-modified push-ups
• Handstand push-up (needs more work)
• 25 pounds lost
• Continually growing knowledge of form on more than 20 different kettlebell/barbell lifts/moves
• 2 times competing as an athlete, and registered to compete 1 more time

If you are looking to be in the absolute best physical/mental/psychological condition to be able to handle whatever the world throws at you—you need to get to CrossFit Montgomery. The camaraderie there is addicting. David/Jennie/Britt/Cody are excellent trainers and the results are life changing.

There is nothing that comes close to constantly varied, functional fitness, across broad time and modal domains that you can get from CrossFit Montgomery. Next month I’m going for training for a Level 1 CrossFit Seminar to better know and understand the realm of CrossFit—to help more people see what I see.

Alex Pedersen (December 2010)

I have been an avid crossfitter since 2006 and I can say that the two months I spent at the Boneyard were my best two months of Crossfit. In the last four years, I have never had more fun or experienced better performance gains. David and Jennie are great trainers – incredibly knowledgeable about everything from nutrition to Olympic lifts – and outstanding motivators.

The Boneyard itself is a creative blend of Crossfit equipment and some more traditional functional fitness gear. Sometimes when you’ve had a bad day on the Concept II it just feels good to slam a giant tire with a sledgehammer.

I had done Crossfit by myself or with a buddy for a long time and was generally happy with my workouts. But whether you’re just getting into Crossfit or have been doing it for years, I can honestly tell you that there is no replacement for doing the workout with an awesome group of people, being led by talented trainers, with the right equipment, and in a warehouse rightfully named the Boneyard. Check out Crossfit Montgomery – I’m glad I did!

Troy Hammond (November 2010)

Recently I had the fortunate opportunity to spend a month training with David and Jennie while on a trip to Montgomery. What a great experience! I was immediately welcomed into their box and, as a fellow affiliate owner, I can tell you these two really know their stuff. More than that, they’ve really got something special going on there.

David and Jennie truly love training and it shows. Their passion infuses everything they do. They are always willing to help. They will meet you wherever you are in your fitness journey and help you along. What is really cool is that they have found that magic balance between pushy and encouraging. They will not let you slack on the things that matter or lie to yourself but they also will not yell at you either. Very encouraging! It’s like being trained by a close, honest friend, not a football coach or drill instructor.

I loved training at the boneyard and will be back next time I’m in the area. If you want to get fit, and I mean really fit, join David and Jennie at CrossFit Montgomery.

Chris & Jami Johnson (October 2010)

CrossFit Montgomery can be summed up into one word: AWESOME! David and Jennie are both really personable and really helped to motivate my wife and I through the workouts. I would also like to point out that when we first started attending the foundations classes, my wife was very skeptical of CrossFit, but by the time we left she secretly admitted to me that if she didn’t do a CrossFit workout she didn’t really feel that she had really worked out.

Not only are Jennie and David great trainers the other members are awesome, and really help you to push through to the end of some of the more challenging workouts. I was only able to workout there for about a month due to the Air Force training cycle, but I can honestly say that it was a blast and I would recommend CrossFit Montgomery to anyone!

Thomas Beasley (September 2010)

“I was introduced to CrossFit Montgomery, formerly 41Fitness, by a friend of mine while attending Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell AFB, and was instantly part of the family. Jennie and David were extremely friendly and excited to work with me. I had some previous experience with Crossfit training but had never had the opportunity to work out in a true Crossfit facility. The Boneyard is like a playground for adults. I especially enjoyed dragging and flipping tires and climbing ropes. The warehouse setting definitely adds to the experience.”

“Both David and Jennie helped improve my mechanics. During my short time there I did my first muscle up, and increased my flexibility through mobility drills with Jennie.”

“I highly recommend CrossFit Montgomery to anyone who is looking to be in the best shape they can possible be in and to work with friendly, enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable trainers. I know I will stop by every time I am in Montgomery!”

Michael (June 2010)

“David and Jennie at 41Fitness [CrossFit Montgomery] have a top-notch program running. Not only do they have a great facility to work out at with all the monkey bars and crazy tires and stuff that would keep little kids entertained for hours, but they’re both great coaches. I knew every time I came, I would get a great workout. Beyond that, they helped me immensely with mobility exercises and stretches to improve my flexibility. They even gave me practical ways to deal with my shoulder issues.”

CJ Hincy (February 2010)

“My name is CJ and I’ve been working out at 41Fitness [CrossFit Montgomery] for about 3 months now.  I was referred to 41Fitness by some fellow YMCA’ers who noticed me doing a CrossFit workout one morning.  While I felt I was making some decent gains doing my standard workouts occasionally integrating a Crossfit workout, I was very intrigued by the opportunity to observe the benefits of working out at an actual gym dedicated to the CrossFit discipline.”

“I called and spoke with Jennie Sumner and she invited me to come by as soon as my schedule allowed so she could show me around The Boneyard and talk me through how 41Fitness [CrossFit Montgomery] would use CrossFit and Underground Strength methodologies, mixing weightlifting, gymnastic, and mono-structural movements in constantly varied combinations, to help me achieve my workout and performance goals.”

“I went by for my first visit on a Saturday and was sold as soon as I laid eyes on the renovated warehouse full of ropes, rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, etc.  I’ve since come to think of these gadgets as medieval devices of torture.  I spent a couple of hours re-learning exercises from David Sumner that I’d been performing incorrectly for years and I began the “workout of the day” the following Monday.”

“Not only have I become stronger, quicker and more agile, I’ve done so under the certified CrossFit guidance of both Jennie and David Sumner…which has reduced my exposure to injury and has pushed me to limits I haven’t achieved since I left the military.  I’ve also cut down on the monotony and time of my workouts and I’ve developed a genuine spirit of competitive camaraderie with my fellow 41Fitness’ers.”

“I strongly recommend 41Fitness to anyone looking to improve their overall fitness at any level and I look forward to sweating with you at The Boneyard as soon as you join up!”