Located in your backyard, CrossFit West of the River is a community oriented, family friendly gym that is waiting to welcome you! You can find us on Main Street Sapulpa almost all hours of the day. We strive to be a positive influence in our neighborhood and help all those around us live healthier and happier lives. This is the first in a series of articles on how to improve your health and wellness through diet and exercise.
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What is Crossfit?
CrossFit is “constantly varied functional movements performed at a relatively high intensity”. What does that mean for you and how can we at Crossfit West of the River (WOR) help you? First off WOR is not your typical gym. When you walk in, you’ll notice that it doesn’t contain most equipment that you are used to seeing in a fitness facility. That is because CrossFit is focused on functional movement and only uses equipment that helps you achieve functional abilities. Functional Movements are those that you will need and use in your everyday life – for example a squat is used daily by anyone sitting down or getting up from the couch. A deadlift is used when picking up your groceries or your children. By improving our form in the gym, we are able to use those same movements to improve our quality of life. We want everyone to be able to get off the couch, on their own, well into their 90’s. We want everyone to be able to run and play with their children and grandchildren. We believe that everyone should live his/her life to the fullest potential. Those of us at WOR want to help you achieve your health and fitness goals to improve your quality of life over time. We provide group classes and/or private training sessions that can be done by ALL fitness levels, ages and genders. We have members as young as 14 years old and as old as 66. The relationships formed through group classes and individual successes are hard to find in your typical gym. We take pride in our family atmosphere. No one is a stranger and everyone feels welcomed and at ease. Our coaches will work with each individual to accomplish his/her goals for personal success and improvement through both fitness and nutrition coaching. Bottom line: we want to help you with your fitness goals (lose weight, gain muscle, improve speed, eat right, feel better, be healthier)!
Meet the Owners
CrossFit West of the River is operated and owned by LaMonte and Julie Styles.
About LaMonte: To me, CrossFit is more than just a workout. It is a way of life, a community and a support team. It is an investment, being both a trainer and an athlete. I don’t have words for the excitement when someone gets their first air squat, push-up, pull-up, muscle-up or even their first rx workout. I get pure joy and excitement every time I enter into a box. So to me, it’s about reaching fitness goals every day, with every workout, being better than yesterday. I want to be a part of the lives changed, the goals reached.
I discovered CrossFit in 2011 and started coaching CrossFit methods in 2012. My experience as a track & field athlete instilled in me a love for community and competition, which makes CrossFit a perfect fit. I have been competing and coaching in track & field (sprints & jumps) since 1994. I continue to hold the indoor long jump record at my Alma Mater Missouri Southern. I have also completed two half-marathons. I am a true believer in the scalability of all workouts so that ANYONE can do CrossFit.
With a background as a CrossFit trainer, as well as a collegiate track & field coach, I love using those skills to help improve the health of others. I discovered a passion for yoga due to its incredible health benefits, both physical and mental. I strive to foster an environment in which the students and athletes feel challenged, yet always having fun, and leave feeling refreshed and energized.
- Certified Yoga Trainer
- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
- CrossFit athlete since 2011
- Volunteer assistant jumping coach at Oral Roberts University for 2 years
- Graduate assistant track & field coach at Missouri Southern University for 2 years
- Private long jump/triple jump coach for 4 years
- Track & Field athlete for 17 years
- Nationally ranked in long jump for AAU and Collegiate
About Julie: I discovered CrossFit in November of 2013. I had been doing endurance training for marathons for the 2 years prior to this and was just ready for a change. My husband, LaMonte Styles, tried it first and when I saw the progress he was making and the joy he was getting out of it, I knew I had to try it. Aside from taking a few weeks off after having a baby, I have never stopped. CrossFit truly brings joy and health. I got my degree in Health Promotion in 2005. My goals were to change lives through teaching people about nutrition, supplements like ECA stack and the benefits of exercise. Over time, I decided to pursue a career in the healthcare field. I am now a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner…and my passion for overall health and wellness is stronger than ever. LaMonte and I decided to open CrossFit West of the River in 2014. This was a huge leap of faith, but an opportunity to work side-by-side changing lives. We are loving every minute of it.
Aside from acting behind the scenes as owner of CrossFit West of the River, I also function as one of the nutrition coaches. This gives me the opportunity to sit down with individuals who want to change their eating habits to 1) change their abilities in the gym, and 2) make changes physically and mentally. It is extremely rewarding to work with someone on their nutrition and then see them get a PR at the gym…or hit that goal weight on the scale. I am a constant learner. There is always new research and new and better ways to approach nutrition and exercise and I want to make sure that I am always staying ahead of the pack and presenting the most advanced and effective solutions to my clients.
Along with LaMonte and Julie, Crossfit West of the River has three other full time coaches. More information on these coaches, Amber Behrens, Kelly Beatty and Rachael Howard, can be found at www.crossfitwestoftheriver.com/about-us.
