CrossFit Presque Isle at Six05
opens doors in the Star City
PRESQUE ISLE — There is a new gym in Presque Isle, and not the kind that people are used to seeing. One step into Six05 and you see the black rubber floor is mostly open, gymnastics rings and thick ropes hang from the ceiling, and a large steel pull-up rack takes up most of one end of the room. There is no sign of treadmills, elliptical or universal machines. But one thing you will quickly see is the work being put in by the athletes.
Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics
CROSSFIT PRESQUE ISLE, located at 605 Central Drive, is a new gym specializing in CrossFit, a strength and conditioning program that utilizes constantly varied, functional movement, performed at high intensity. The workouts are performed in group sessions scheduled throughout the day. Pictured after a recent workout are, from left: Six05 athletes Jonathan Holmes, Rob Swiatek, Katie Buob, partner and lead trainer; Jenn Edgecomb and Kate Parsons.
“CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program utilizing constantly varied, functional movement, performed at high intensity,” said Six05 Partner and Lead Trainer Katie Buob. “It is for anyone who wants to explore and achieve real fitness, with the support of a passionate community.”
The workouts are performed in group sessions scheduled throughout the day. Athletes attend hour-long classes where they are coached by a CrossFit-certified trainer to complete the workout of the day, or “WOD.”
“Everyone who joins CrossFit Presque Isle must go through our Foundations program to learn how to safely perform some of the key movements that make up our WODs,” said Coach Adam Simoes. “But the training does not end there. Every class we focus on mobility, warm-up/cool-down, the WOD, and form/technique. We keep the classes small so attention to form can be the main focus.”
Located at 605 Central Drive in Presque Isle, the 3,600 square foot facility is the first CrossFit box north of Bangor and one of 24 statewide. It was started by a group of local fitness enthusiasts who saw the growth in popularity of CrossFit nationwide and the need for something like it in northern Maine. CrossFit has gained popularity nationally partly due to the CrossFit games, an annual competition aired on ESPN to find the Fittest Man and Woman on Earth.
“Some people may see the games on ESPN and think it is too intense for them, but those are athletes at the top of their game. It’s like watching the NBA or NFL. At Six05, every exercise can be scaled to the physical abilities of our athletes,” said Buob. “We have athletes who are teenagers all the way up to a 70-year-old athlete. It truly is for anyone who is willing to put in the work.”
The goal at Six05 is to build capacity in cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.
“We don’t want you to be great at one of these things, we want you to be solid in all of these domains, and we will work constantly to find the limits of your capacity and ours to improve our fitness and — in turn — our health,” Buob said.
“Every day is something different. We may work on rope climbing, handstands, rowing, weight lifting and running all in a week with the coaches teaching us how to work up to these new movements,” said Six05 athlete and Mapleton resident Billie Porter. “I absolutely love the workout that I get and the support from the other members and coaches of Six05.”
Open since January of this year, Six05 offers CrossFit classes that are held six days per week, some as early as 5 a.m. and as late as 6:30 p.m.
For more information, go to www.six05ive.com or www.facebook.com/crossfitpresqueisle.
