"Battle in the BURG": Harrisburg gym to host competition in July

A CrossFit battle is coming to Harrisburg, and it will be fought with barbells, weights and sheer grit.

CrossFit is a type of exercise aimed at increasing endurance and building strength through adaptable, high intensity workouts. Cardiovascular and strength exercises are blended together in CrossFit, a technique CrossFit gurus say works out the entire body in a short, intense session. Every workout is varied, with different exercises working out different parts of the body.

And anybody can do it, says CrossFit Little Egypt, Harrisburg's CrossFit gym.

"CrossFit workouts have been designed for marines and middle school kids, ultra-marathoners and ultra-couch-potatoes, grandmothers and grand masters," the gym's website says.

With a membership of over 100, and a crew of seven certifies coaches, the Harrisburg gym will host its first "friendly throwdown" on July 11 and 12.

But the battle would not have come about without the passion and efforts of Kristin King, owner of the gym.

King started doing CrossFit five and a half years ago, and decided to open her own gym when passion, timing and location came together.

"It was all about the passion I had for CrossFit," King said. "It became a huge part of my life. My family was doing CrossFit, my son was raised in a CrossFit gym. It was about taking something that I love and bringing it to my hometown (of Harrisburg)."

When the timing and location fell together, King opened CrossFit Little Egypt. The gym opened for membership in December after a November grand opening.

Already, the gym has a strong membership. Certified instructors lead members in a "Workout of the Day." Open seven days a week, the gym brings in a large, but tight-knit group of individuals.

"We have a good, strong following that are incredibly dedicated," King said. "We try to build a community feel. Everyone's very close, pushing each other, coming in and doing extra workouts together, training together."

The gym offers alternative classes for those not quite comfortable with pumping iron alongside lean and mean athletes.

A new program called the Master's Division is aimed at athletes ages 45 and older. The program will teach mechanics at a scaled back weight with the goal of integrating into regular classes.

The gym also offers an eight-week program for kids twice a year called KidFit. Twice a week, kids learn healthy workout techniques.

Teams from the gym have already participated in one out-of-town competition in Effingham, just after the first few months of practice. In July, the competition will come to Harrisburg.

"It was always a goal of mine that I would host my own competition," King said.

About 150 individuals have registered for the competition from all over the Heartland and St. Louis, and King said she expects up to 500 spectators will come by the gym over that weekend. It is free to attend the competition as a spectator, and King said she encourages it.

"If you have any interest whatsoever in CrossFit, this is a great chance to check it out," King said.

There will also be local vendors selling food and merchandise, and local businesses will be present to support the competition and talk to the community.

Competitors interested in participating must sign up by Wednesday. The cost is $150 per team of three. Teams are single-sex. Two tiers of competition will take place: an "Rx'd" division, where participants will compete in more technical movements with heavier weights, and a Scaled Division, where participants will compete in substituted movements with scaled back weights.

The Battle in the BURG will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 11 and 12. Attendance is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cflebattleintheburg.

Registration is available online at https://cfle.eventbrite.com.

CrossFit Little Egypt is located at 312 E. Locust St. in Harrisburg. They can be reached at (618) 926-0358. Their website is www.crossfitlittleegypt.com.