Photo by Alyse Horn
Allegheny City CrossFit, located at 857 Dounton St., aims to make connections with clients and help them reach their fitness goals.

By Alyse Horn

When I reached out to Rob Penebaker about writing a story on his gym, he suggested that the reporter work out with him to better understand what CrossFit is. So, for the sake of this article, I did.

Penebaker is the owner and head coach at Allegheny City CrossFit, 857 Dounton St. I have heard about people overexerting their bodies, so I shied away from this exercise routine. But Penebaker said in those situations, the exercises are not being done properly or the trainer could be pushing the trainee too hard.
Penebaker said that he advises that “coaches have a well-rounded background,” meaning they have been
trained in more than just CrossFit. This is where injury can stem from, and a well-trained CrossFit coach can also work around existing injuries with a client.

Penebaker has years of background in Muay Thai before he started CrossFit training.During my visit we worked on the proper form for squats. Penebaker said he works on form with clients who are newbies to CrossFit before real training begins so it reduces the likelihood of injury.

Each week he creates different “Workouts of the Day” for his clients, with classes one or twice a day throughout the week. When a client misses a session and doesn’t contact him beforehand, Penebaker said it isn’t unusual for him to reach out.

“If they usually show up for a scheduled class and don’t, I’ll shoot them a text asking if they’re okay.” Penebaker said.

In my opinion, he keeps clients accountable, so if you are looking for a regular gym membership this might not be for you. An unlimited membership for the month costs $125, and $20 for drop in sessions. For more information, click here.