Jennifer Higgins
www.huntitgatheritworkit.blogspot.com
Owner. Mama to two boys. Past geologist, present CrossFit fanatic, future Olympic Lifting Old Lady. My journey to CrossFit began with my nutrition work where I educated people about traditional and ancestral food ways including evolutionary and primal nutrition. From there I began studying evolutionary movement and energy expenditure patterns and looking for the connection between exercise approaches and body composition and of course I found CrossFit. The intelligence of CrossFit hit me like a ton of bricks and I was in. I am CrossFit Level I certified with CrossFit Nutrition, Kids, Olympic Lifting and Endurance Certifications. My current focus here in my Affiliate is supporting people who are new to CrossFit become comfortable with physical intensity and inspired about their fitness potential. I am also enjoying the process of building a CrossFit community and creating a team of people who are a phenomenal resource for the people of Tucson to become more WELL!
Favorite CrossFit Workout: “Grace”
Least favorite: any run more than 400 meters!
Carl Wells
Carl Wells is co-owner of CrossFit Works. Born in Texas, Carl moved to Tucson in 1981 while still a teenager. He played high school and college basketball and later spent some time in Nashville as a singer/songwriter. Carl spent 10 years as a successful real estate broker. Financially successful that is, physically, he was a mess. He was living the proverbial “Rat Race”. He was not eating right, getting enough sleep or exercising, and to his surprise, he woke up one sad day weighing 143 lbs more than he did when he was playing basketball in college. He got out of the “Rat Race” that day.
He closed his real estate company and began his relentless pursuit to find the best and most effective way to lose weight and maintain a healthier lifestyle than the one he lived for the previous decade. That pursuit led him to CrossFit, Paleo eating and Jennifer Higgins. Together, he and Jen finished the process of losing 143 lbs that Carl had started a few years earlier. Today, Carl is a walking testimonial to what CrossFit and Paleo eating can do for someone. Carl now maintains a consistent weight of about 185 lbs, the same weight he was in high school, and with Jennifer Higgins started CrossFit Works in an effort to help others achieve the same level of health and wellness he has found for himself with CrossFit and Paleo.
Jenny LaCoss
Hello! I am a CrossFit Works trainer and also a firefighter with the Tucson Fire Department since 97′. I grew up playing sports: volleyball, soccer, cross-country and mostly softball. I started lifting weights my freshman year in high school which was about the same time I decided I wanted to become a firefighter. I worked hard to get into the fire department, and now looking back realize I was totally overtraining. I used to train Monday- back/bis, Tuesday- chest/tris, Wednesday- legs etc…etc. Then would do 45 min to an hour of cardio. Sometimes doing this twice a day! After ten years of this my body was feeling it. I started spending less time in the “gym” and began doing more bodyweight exercises. Then about two years ago a fellow firefighter introduced me to CrossFit. My initial reaction was: “You mean to tell me I can get better results in about a tenth of the time?…RIGHT.” Needless to say, it took me about six months to realize, HE WAS RIGHT! I haven’t looked back since. I had been a personal trainer since 04′ and later became certified as a Level 1 CrossFit trainer. That’s where I met Jen, and the rest is history. I enjoyed being a trainer, but being a CrossFit Works trainer is even better! I love working with different people and I love the fact that CrossFit is for EVERYONE!
Kate Wells
Kate is Crossfit Level I certified and has the Crossfit Olympic Lifting Cert as well as Harvey Newton Olympic Lift Cert. She played Div. I basketball and coached Div. I basketball at University of South Carolina and College of William & Mary. She also owned and managed her own coffee roaster/retail business which makes her good to travel with since you never resort to gas station coffee. She found crossfit in 2007 and fell in love right away. For Kate, CrossFit fulfills the need to be pushed, to have competitive drive and have fun all at the same time. She loves working with clients, watching them push hard and achieve things they never thought possible. Kate enjoys walking into the gym every day to see everyone work hard, and feeling great when the workout is over.
Bryon Lichtenhan
I am a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I have been training in various martial arts since the age of 15 and have earned a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido, while also studying Capoeira, Tai Chi, traditional Japanese swordsmanship, and other arts. As a long-time paleo-diet proponent, barefoot runner, and Olympic lifting, kettlebell, and gymnastics lover, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I found CrossFit. When I did it was love at first WOD, though it took me a while to fully transition to CF as my fitness regime. Now I can’t imagine ever returning to the boring, multi-hour, workouts of my past.
As a trainer, I love helping people discover their (sometimes hidden) potential, and being a witness to the achievement of things never thought possible. I am always amazed by what we are capable of with practice and training. Beside CF and the martial arts, my other great passion is for learning and practicing the skills and technologies of our paleolithic ancestors. Some of the skills I am constantly developing include bow making, hunting, tracking and trapping, braintanning hides, the use of edible and medicinal plants, flintknapping, friction fire, ceramics and basketry, shelter building and wilderness survival.
Michael Heinz
B.S. Exercise Science from the Univ of Arizona; CF Level I certified; Burgener Olympic Lifting Seminar
Firefighter/Paramedic with the Tucson Fire Department
I stumbled across CrossFit in August of 2007 and was instantly hooked. After purchasing some cheap barbells and plate’s off Craig’s List, some friends and I headed to the park and followed the main page WOD for about a year. The workouts improved all aspects of my health and fitness, and fueled a desire to learn everything I could about this “new” strength and conditioning program. It has been very rewarding to work as a CF Works trainer. I am continuously inspired by the transformation our clients can achieve.
Andres Aponte
I have always had a fascination with the human body and have spent many years reading and leaning how the body works. I have taken this information and over the past 4 years been training hard while trying many different training techniques to achieve my own fitness goals.
Two years ago, I decided to become a personal trainer at one of the “globo gyms” but found that there were limitations to this type of training. In a quest to find more, I moved to Tucson, Arizona to attend the Providence Institute where I became ACSM certified and was also introduced to crossfit.
I have since become a Level 1 Crossfit certified trainer and am going back to school for a degree in Exercise Science. I am passionate about learning and finding new information to not only apply to my own life, but to share with those around me. I am eager to help those around me that show a desire and want to make changes to their bodies.
Spencer Roberts
Spencer Roberts, MS has a wealth of knowledge and experience in coaching both individuals and groups in maximizing their fitness and health. He was certified as a Master Fitness Trainer by the United States Army in 1986 and earned his Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Arizona in 1989. Spencer has developed and implemented training programs for athletes and non athletes alike. His philosophy is “quality vs. quantity” and understands the challenges of fitting training routines around the responsibilities that life presents. A full-time coach and personal trainer in Tucson AZ, Spencer started participating in triathlons and duathlons in 1988. He was a member of team USA at the World Duathlon Championships in 1999, 2002, and 2003. Currently, Spencer teaches indoor cycling, crossfits, and competes in local time trials. “I’ve been active all my life first as a football player in high school and college and later as a triathlete/duathlete. I’ve competed in three World Duathlon Championships. My passion lies in helping others achieve their fitness and health goals. I train all age groups, from kids to folks in their eighties. I truly believe we are all athletes…it’s just some are in training and some are not.” Spencer is married with two teenage children and volunteers as a strength and conditioning coach for his kid’s high school. He also coached his son’s middle school cross country and track teams. This allows him to truly understand the competing priorities we all face. Spencer will work with you to become the very best athlete you can without compromising your other commitments and priorities.
