CrossFit Mendota Comes in From the Cold

Exercising in a neighborhood park may be enjoyable, but in Minnesota it isn’t practical year-round. Pat Costello quickly found this out after establishing a CrossFit workout group in 2011 that met weekly in .

Now CrossFit Mendota can bear the winter at its own gym, equipped to fit the needs of the local client base. The new space, located at 2535 Pilot Knob Road, can accommodate all parts of the cross-training philosophy—from Olympic power lifting to rope climbing and gymnastic rings.

“We can just do more here—everything that is CrossFit,” said Costello, president and founder of CrossFit Mendota.

The 4,200-square-foot gym includes pull-up bars, Olympic and power lifting weights, medicine balls, climbing ropes, gymnastic rings, a retail space and a large wall mural by one of Costello’s clients. The new home of CrossFit also includes a reception area and waiting spaces.

“People can call this place home as far as their gym,” Costello said, “They really connect with the space.”

Grand Opening

Neighbors and those looking to get in shape can check out CrossFit Mendota’s new space during a grand opening this Saturday, Sept. 24. From 1 to 5 p.m. neighbors and those curious about CrossFit can visit the gym for prizes, food and a sampling of the CrossFit regimen.

The grand opening will include two short demo workouts as well as two to three full demo workouts that are more technical for people to try. A range of age groups will be represented, Costello said, to demonstrate the scalability of each workout.

What It Is

The CrossFit program coaches participants in a group setting through varying high-intensity, functional movements. Workouts and intensity levels are scaled to the participant, making the workouts perfect for people of all ages and abilities, Costello said.

“As someone who was never into sports or very physically active, I was looking for something that truly pushes and motivates me each workout,” said member Maija Golladay in a statement. “I had a little anxiety before my first workout about keeping up with the other CrossFitters, but have really benefited from the program scaling down to my ability while still being a part of a larger group.”

The program is designed to motivate through team workouts and recognizes personal achievements and improvements rather than striving for a universal benchmark. Classes focus on community support in reaching fitness goals.

“I don’t care what your time is, I just want to see you get better,” Costello said.

The group sometimes sticks around to grill after the workout.

“You’re joining a community of people who are like-minded about your fitness,” Costello said.

Visit www.CrossFitMendota.com for more information.