How Evan Adams got his mojo back at Nela Athletics

Before I started Nela, I hadn't consistently exercised in almost 3 years. I had had a L4/L5 disc injury that essentially had me laying on my back probably 10 to 18 hours a day. But I was in pain 24 hours a day. In 2023 I was able to start some physical therapy for 3 months (40mins a day 7 days a week). After this I was able to go for walks and do a few mellow hikes. I had no confidence in my physical ability to do the things I love (pretty much anything having to do with the mountains or ocean, I live for that). In the summer of 2023 doing something like CrossFit was nothing short of a joke (totally impossible in my mind). I was pursuing some other health issues and I ended up taking a genetic test and it said that my genes seemed to think that I would respond well to “power” type exercises. So I had this in the back of my mind when my partner Caro recommended that we try a local CrossFit gym that she had found to add some variety to her workouts. Out of curiosity and a show of support, I went down to the gym with her and met coach Erwin (enough said about Erwin, but… his fitness and high energy is contagious). He set us up for the beginner series and wow…. was that hard. I could barely hold a squat for 5 seconds.

I started at Nela without being able to finish an ignite class (L0, maximum modification) and needing to take these insane 2 to 4hr naps afterwards because I was so spent. 11 months later (I just hit my 100^th class!), I was able to do a WOD-Ignite double, riding my bicycle to/from Nela and then working all day without a nap! All this in a little less than one year. I am beyond stoked and feel like myself again. I am now confident in my physical ability to go on the adventures I love. I've also learned so many different things about my body, positioning when doing lifts/exercises and movements that I now use daily in my life. I’d never thought I would say this, but I have learned a ton from the Olympic lifts (position 1,2,3 which I am still trying to improve). I never would have thought that those were so practical in real life (hinges, neutral back, pushing through the floor, elbows close to sides, etc). I've learned so much at Nela, its redefined how I carry myself day to day. My mentality has also changed, I have to check my ego at the door as best as I can and listen to my body to setup my weight and modifications for the day. Practicing that mentally everyday at the gym, has made it easier to have that same mentality in my life. I have also had a few minor injuries (back strain, runners knee and currently a touch of quadriceps tendonitis) along the way, but having knowledgeable coaches that help you tailor activities to keep you moving through and healing, is a standout for Nela.

My favorite thing about Nela is really two fold... For me it's all about the community of people. The gym mentality of humility and encouragement is nothing short of rad. It doesn't matter if you're doing strict pull-ups or if you're jumping off a box to get those pull-ups, everyone supports each other. The 2nd part is knowing that I am safe at the gym, especially with my previous injuries. The coaches know what they are doing and make sure that you're doing it correctly to avoid injury. They will always take the extra time to demonstrate and provide a little side coaching to help you improve. I always feel safe because if I am doing something wrong, I am confident that a coach will point it out and if I don’t know how to do something I know I can ask at any time.

If you're thinking about joining Nela, start with the beginner series because it's excellent, it's short and it goes through all the basic movements (this helped me build some confidence before the real thing). If you have a past with injuries, I'd  recommend starting with ignite and let your coach know what injuries you had/have (don’t be shy). I was intimidated by the WOD for almost 5 months before I started to wade into those classes. You also don't have to end with Ignite, I still love that class and I go to it every chance I get. But now I use both Ignite and the WOD to hit my goals. Lastly start slow, very slow, modify, scale and don’t be afraid to reduce reps or weight after you start a sequence if it doesn’t feel right. Oh and… come to Muddy Paw for a coffee after a workout sometime.

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