“We take people outside the gym so we can broaden their horizons and see what this world has to offer to us.”
Richard Aceves was a climber before he found CrossFit. In fact, he started CrossFit as a way to slim down his powerlifter’s body while maintaining his strength for climbing.
Today, Aceves is co-owner/operator, as well as head trainer and director of programming, at CrossFit No Boundaries in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. He never lost his first love — rock climbing — and imparts his knowledge and passion for climbing to the affiliate’s members.
“At our affiliate, we don’t have a lot of firebreathers or competitors,” Aceves says. “We really focus on what I’ve learned through CrossFit: try to enjoy life, especially focusing on other aspects of life other than just going to work or coming to the gym for an hour and lifting weights. We try to get people outside their comfort zone, whether it’s outside on high rocks or repelling down mountains or mountain biking down hills.”
Aceves and the rest of CrossFit No Boundaries’ coaching staff have started taking members on regular climbing trips around Southern California.
Fellow coach Jeremy Illenberger organizes the climbing trips, while member Tim Wolford, a certified climbing guide, has become a go-to man for the outings. Wolford helps select dates, scouts sites and manages details during the trips.
“It’s kind of evolved into something that our clients like to do,” Illenberger explains. “We’ve developed a group and some of the clients have been on (a trip) before and look forward to the next one. And for the ones that haven’t, we’re always able to get some who haven’t done it before and they’re super excited to go. A lot of people from the gym enjoy it.”
CrossFit No Boundaries coaches try to organize one outing a month, saying it helps create stronger relationships among members.
“It’s changed the ‘me mentality,’ the ‘get out of my way, I’m hard-charging’ mentality,” Illenberger says. “It brings people together, almost as a family. We won’t have the success that we’ve seen without it.”
Although the rock-climbing excursions started as spontaneous outings with only a handful joining, today as many as 15 members are involved. The more, the better, Illenberger says.
“We get in this rut,” he adds. “We live in probably one of the best places to do CrossFit: right by the beach and it never really gets too hot here. You’d think we’d get out, but everybody kind of gets stuck inside. It’s a tough rut to break and we’ve found the necessity to get out and do something different, showcase some other things in life.”
The outside-the-box outings aren’t limited to rock climbing.
“We go out canyoneering, standing-up paddling,” Aceves says. “We take people outside the gym so we can broaden their horizons and see what this world has to offer to us.”
Illenberger agrees.
“Why hold yourself back?” he asks. “Why would you have any boundaries? You have to push beyond what you know."
