With most people popping their headphones in and focusing on their own workouts, going to the gym can often be a lonely and demotivating experience.
But nothing could be further from that at Kimura CrossFit where working out is all about community spirit and supporting each other to reach your fitness goals.
Launched by Leigh Richardson and his brother Peter, the gym based in Charleston Road North in Cove Bay, is where every sweat, every challenge and every triumph is shared.
“At Kimura CrossFit, we’re not just a gym; we’re a community that grows stronger together,” says Leigh.
“No matter your starting point, you have a place here.
“We’ll work with you to tailor workouts that challenge you appropriately, ensuring your safety and enjoyment in every session.”
From martial arts to CrossFit
The brothers’ shared passion for helping people of all ages and abilities discover the transformative power of Crossfit began as teenagers when they both started martial arts.
“So me and my brother started training together in martial arts in 1991, specifically Jeet Kune Do which was first developed by Bruce Lee,” says Leigh.
“We were instructed by Dan Inosanto, an American martial arts instructor and actor so we became senior associate instructors under him and we visit him in LA every year.
“We’re also black belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Thai boxing and Filipino Martial arts and have over 30 years experience in coaching plus we also run the Aberdeen Martial Arts Academy.”
Discovering the power of CrossFit
It was during lockdown when Leigh discovered CrossFit and decided to incorporate elements of it into their martial arts training.
“Obviously all the gyms were shut during lockdown so I started to run some online classes,” says Leigh.
“I came across a CrossFit workout online so I started to do little CrossFit workouts and then I started to do them with my martial arts guys who were logging into the Zoom sessions that I was running.”
The CrossFit style workouts proved to be so successful that once their martial arts gym re-opened, they created a special area for those workouts.
“I put in an area called a Cross-training zone and I kept that training going,” says Leigh.
“And when the unit next door to our martial arts gym became available, we thought ‘hey why don’t we get that’.”
With the extra space, Leigh and Peter decided it made sense to open their own CrossFit gym.
“My sister-in-law Paula suggested that we do CrossFit because she and my brother had lived in Houston and had seen how popular CrossFit was in the States,” says Leigh.
“So we started to look into it and it turned out to be a good idea as there’s a synergy between the CrossFit and the martial arts.”
CrossFit is for everyone
Based next to their martial arts gym in Charleston Road North, Kimura CrossFit has already proved popular just weeks after opening.
Leigh is now on a mission to encourage even more people to give it a go.
“CrossFit is designed for anyone as they use a thing called scaling where some of the exercises can be modified,” says Leigh.
“For example, you might reduce the weight or the number of reps or you may even change the exercise to something similar but not as difficult,” says Leigh.
“It means that everyone can train at CrossFit.
“My mum Margaret trains at CrossFit in Mearns and she’s 78.
“She gets modified exercises that still challenges her.”
You’ll never get bored at CrossFit
Not only can CrossFit be adapted to suit all fitness abilities, Leigh says the workouts are always different which means you’ll never get bored.
“It’s one of the best fitness programmes in the world and part of what makes it really good is the fact that it works on functional strength using functional movement and exercise,” says Leigh.
“It combines Olympic lifting with gymnastics and cardio.
“The combination of exercises is different and the order in which you do them so you never get bored because it’s always something different and you don’t find out about it until the day you turn up.”
Working out in a supportive community
Leighs says that the fact that there will always be coaches there to check your technique is also really important.
“It’s not like going to the gym and you’re just turning up to work on the machines,” says Leigh.
“At CrossFit you’ve actually got qualified coaches taking you through the movements and improving your technique and encouraging you to train hard.”
For Leigh though, one of the most powerful elements of CrossFit is the social aspect.
“There’s a really strong community at CrossFit,” says Leigh.
“So it’s not only the coaches who push you, it’s your peers too as if they finish before you they will rally round to support you.”
CrossFit for kids
Going forward, Leigh and Peter hope to create a CrossFit classes specifically for children and those aged 60 plus.
As well as CrossFit, the gym also offers Hyrox classes.
“Hyrox is a fitness programme and they hold events around the world and in the UK,” says Leigh.
“It’s a simple workout as it has eight exercises and some running too.
“So later in the year we plan on running some Hyrox event preparation programmes.”
Leigh, whose wife Rituka is a children’s coach at the martial arts gym, is also looking forward to the Rogue Invitational event at the P&J Live in November where the biggest names in CrossFit and Strongman will compete.
“It’s great that Rogue is coming to Aberdeen,” says Leigh.
For more information on Kimura CrossFit check out their Instagram page
Conversation