Meet Coach Kevin

​As you might already know my name is Kevin Morrison and I’m your newest coach. Hopefully I’ll have already had the pleasure of meeting you but if not, Ill quickly take you through the basics:

• I’m from London Ontario
• I’m 32
• I’m the youngest of 4 brothers
• I majored in Transnational Human Rights Law
• I spent the last 10 years between Ottawa and Calgary
• I love Crossfit
• I LOVE dogs more!

 
Now that that’s out of the way I’d like to tell you a little bit about the origin of my coaching practice and my philosophy around training. 

​I started Crossfit a long time ago.
 
The year was 2011. And I, at the spry old age of 24 decided to give this Crossfit thing a go. My passion for training had led me to become a very poor (both financially and professionally) personal trainer. I was a couple years in and I thought that I at least had an idea of what fitness was. I would put my clients through circuits that “emphasized compound movements” in an effort to “increase muscle mass” and “burn fat” in the most “efficient way” possible and blah blah blah.
 
I didn’t know what I was doing! 

​I didn’t know about the principles of periodization as laid out by Dr. Tudor Bompa. I didn’t know about the strength continuum or how to bridge the gap between energy systems as so eloquently explained by the likes of James Fitzgerald and Max El Hag. I didn’t know about strength training, plyometrics, mobility, joint integrity, training cycles, olympic lifting, nutritional science, you name it. I didn’t even know if I wanted to know any of these things. But one day I watched a video of Mikko Salo and Graham Holmberg doing a Hero WOD named Whitten and got so inspired that I took my kettlebell and a set of dumbbells to the park right then and there at 9:30pm and did it. I didn’t even have a wall ball so I did a movement that I would later find out was known as a thruster. I did box jumps on a bench, burpees on the grass and ran around the perimeter of the same park that I had worked out in countless times, but this was different. And when I was done I lay on the grass looking up at the stars, legs numb and lunges burning, with a knowing smile on my face, like I had found the thing I was looking for.

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​It took me 40 mins to complete, and it changed the course of my life.
 
What followed was an introduction to the world of fitness through the CF L-1 seminar and an obsessive need to watch, read and learn about everything Crossfit. It gave me an outlet to express myself through athletics. To learn patience, respect and dedication from the barbell. To find out what I was made of through pain, grit and determination. To simply love something for the sake of it, and nothing more.
 
As you can see I’m a bit of a romantic. But how could I not be? This alternative, niche, underground sort of weird/ punk rock thing gave me a life I am so overwhelmingly grateful for. It led me on a path of understanding that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. It asked more of me, crushed my ego, tore me down and built me back up. It took the ugliest parts of me and put them in front of my face and subsequently required me to dig down and consider my very nature. So ya, I feel like I kinda owe it.

​Now, whether or not your Crossfit origin story is as epic a tale as the one you just read doesn’t matter. We all have a reason why we continue to do this thing. Even if, like me, you found out very quickly that your genetic potential for elite fitness was a far cry from the monsters that do Crossfit at the highest level, you can still give it a go anytime you want just to see what you’re made of. And that’s the beauty of it. We can all take part in this thing, friends abound, and throw down any day of the week and make each other better. And that’s why I love this thing.
 
So that’s about it. I love Crossfit and I hope my passion and expertise shines through and helps each of you realize your potential.
 
See you in the gym.
 
-Kev

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