Martin City Crossfit Trains Your Body for Real Life

Martin City Crossfit Does More than Just Make You Look Good

By Kathy Feist

When I first met Brady Mora six months ago, he introduced himself as the ninth fittest man in Missouri.

“What that means is I should be able to run two miles, come back here, lift 500 pounds off the ground, do some pull-ups and run another two miles,” he said with a broad grin.

Good thing he was so fit. He was cleaning out a newly purchased building that would soon become Martin City Crossfit.

Martin City Crossfit, 201 W. 135 St.,  opened on May 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and much fanfare. The work put into the gym was nothing short of jaw dropping. The once carpeted office spaces and dropped ceiling tiles were replaced with a sophisticated industrial looking open gym with black mat flooring and grey metal walls. Brand new equipment lines the periphery while a former basement in the middle of the building has become an open play pit for children. The building was purchased by the Goes family, owners of Infinite Energy Construction in Martin City.

Mora did not compete this year in the region’s Crossfit Open and so can no longer proudly say he is the ninth fittest man in Missouri. “I had to build this gym,” he says. “I didn’t have to, I got to build this gym!”

And now that it is built, he gets to coach others.

“Crossfit is an adjective for doing every type of fitness,” he explains. “It is constantly varied, functional movements executed with high intensity.”

For the most part, crossfit uses the body and body weight. Kettlebells and dumbbells provide resistance training. Martin City Crossfit also employs assault air bikes (stationary bikes with fans).

Mora programs each daily workout differently. One day may consist of changing a movement every minute, he explains. The next might call for 50 calories on the bike, 10 push ups, and 30 pulls ups. Another may consist of running 400 meters, doing 5 deadlifts and 20 sit-ups. “We practice everything,” he says.

Mora has been a Crossfit coach for six years and a personal trainer for the past 10.

He’s familiar with the scene at global gyms.  “No one is sitting there telling you what to do unless you pay a premium for personal training which can be $70 to $100 a session,” he says. “Here, you pay $150 a month for unlimited sessions with unlimited classes. You can come see me 30 times a month. I will warm you up, put you through the workout for the day, show you how to do it, and explain how and why you’re doing it.”

Consider it personal training within a group. Everyone works out at their own pace. While some may still be returning from a run outside, others may be attempting pull ups or lifting weights. Mora keeps an eye on all of them.

“I am their coach/trainer/motivator,” he says.

“The byproduct of Crossfit is looking good, but it is not our main goal,” he said. “We’re trying to train you for real life.”

There are nine one-hour sessions starting as early as 5:15 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Two beginner classes, called On-ramp sessions, are at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www.mcxfit.com or call 816-799-4827.