CrossFit 184 is a Hub of Health & Fitness
What happens when CrossFit and Physical Therapy end up under one roof? At CrossFit 184 in Marysville, Ohio, the answer is a Health and Wellness hub where you can train, recover, and stay connected to people who care.
On the latest Built for Life episode, I sit down with Corey (Doctor of PT) and Rich (PTA) to tell how it came together.
How Did CrossFit 184 Become a Health and Wellness Hub?
It started with a humbling moment. About 11 years ago, I was 23 and had just graduated college. I was a nationally ranked college wrestler who had just started a CrossFit gym. I was hitting PRs every other week and felt like the fittest I’ve ever been. I was making my run at CrossFit Regionals chasing a dream of eventually qualifying for the CrossFit Games. Then an injury stopped me cold…
That’s when I met Corey, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a man full of ideas. He came into the gym to help me navigate an injury and get back to training. What he asked me to do was simple: hold a 6-month baby pose. This is a plank position when you’re on your knees and hands. I scoffed and got down into the position when my arms instantly started shaking.
Corey looks at me and says, “You’re as weak as a kitten.”
That first meeting turned into a friendship and Corey’s ideas never stop coming. At that time he was pitching an idea to build a place where training, injury care, nutrition, and community all lived together. Over the years Corey has pitched me close to a thousand ideas, if I were to guess, and most never stick but this one was different. It took six, seven, even eight years to build out. And here we are today.
Why Put CrossFit and Physical Therapy Under One Roof?
Most people picture CrossFit as a place where you smash your body. Rich Hancock, a Physical Therapist Assistant since 2002, thought the same thing. And when he walked into CrossFit 184 what he expected and what he found were totally different. It was “so much more than exercise.” He found experts operating in their lane. He found a community that cares for other people. He found members of all walks and abilities encouraging and training together side by side.
Corey chose to take the CrossFit Level 1 Coaching Course as a Doctor of PT. He knew that in order to influence a culture, you have to first immerse yourself in it. He learned that he didn’t know what he didn’t know. And was surprised about how much he took away from that CrossFit course. He was bought in.
Over the years Corey and I have built a system of rehab and pre-hab inside the CrossFit gym. We learned that when your coaches and your Physical Therapist talk to each other, your plan for recovery is much more effective.
Can You Keep Working Out After an Injury or Surgery?
Yes and it is our belief that it is the best thing for you to do. We’ve had members recover and rehab major shoulder surgeries and knee surgeries over the years without missing a class. Our Physical Therapists Saw him about eight times in total, a typical rehab plan is over twice the number of visits. They focused on range of motion and scaling CrossFit movements in a safe way.
Our coaches are trained and experienced. They get a heads-up before a class starts if there’s an injured athlete that may be attending. They take into consideration and make modifications for that member often times without anyone else in the class even noticing.
Something we remind members is “An injury is not detrimental, but isolation is.” Coming into the gym, even with a scaled-down workout, keeps you connected while you heal.
An injury doesn’t have to mean time away from your people. It is an opportunity to slow down, connect more with others, and focus on different areas of your health and wellness.
How Does One Gym Program for a 22-Year-Old and a 60-Year-Old?
By staying open to change. Our head coach often sends Corey or Rich the week’s programming and asks for feedback. When we are unsure about the repetitive nature of a movement or how this workout will go following yesterday’s programming, we connect with experts in the space.
At this time, CrossFit 184 has 55 members over 50 years old and 22 over 60 years old, so considering our demographic truly matters.
Our goal is simple. Members in their 60s should be able to play with their grandkids. Younger members should look up to the 60-year-old who is still deadlifting and hanging from the rig. Experienced coaches who stay for years make that possible, and they keep learning along the way.
A great program meets each person where they are today.
What If You’re Hurt or Not Sure Where to Start?
The hardest step is walking through the door. As Rich mentioned in the episode, the gym is full of people who aren’t judging anyone. They are just glad you’re there, even if you’re scaling a movement for any reason.
Corey likes to call that nagging pain you keep ignoring: “leaking oil” and his advice is to get into CrossFit 184 and check out Roots Physio, do not sit at home alone. At 184, you will feel welcomed, coached, and supported from day one, with no ego and no judgement.
If you’re in Marysville, Plain City, or nearby, you can start with a Free Class or Consultation and go from there.
Book a Free Class and we’ll talk through where you are and what makes sense next.
