Business & Tech

CrossFit KOA a Tight-Knit Community of Fitness Newbies to Experts

The center offers a high intensity workout to Cranford and surrounding communities.

CrossFit seems to be everywhere now and it has become increasingly popular over the past few years. The trademarked workout program combines short and intense workouts that are of a high intensity. Workouts combine strength training, cardio and gymnastic moves. The new spike seems to come after people realize they are getting results with CrossFit.

Co-owner Steven Gregersen contributes the popularity of CrossFit to the fact it is now broadcasted on ESPN, CrossFit athletes are on the cover of magazines and that more and more people know someone who have done it and had great success.

Some of that success is seen by CrossFit KOA member Miguel Cardia, who lost 80 pounds since joining the gym in August of 2012.

“I fell in love with it,” he said. “It’s the only pace you’ll get the loudest cheers for last place.”

Cardia said he originally went to a regular gym, but never really improved. He saw one of his friends was getting great results with CrossFit and decided to try it out.  He hasn’t left since.

He says the encouragement and push you get at CrossFit really translates into results.

Gregersen, Josh Mandel and Tom O’Dougherty own CrossFit KOA of Cranford located at 8 Eastman St. Members of CrossFit KOA range in age and fitness levels. More on the guys, here.


Members of CrossFit KOA purchase a monthly-unlimited pass and can visit the gym from 6 a.m. through 8:15 p.m. on any day. Each time slot is allotted a personal coach who leads and directs the members through their daily workout.  There are also open gym periods on Thursday and Friday night and Saturday morning for anyone who may have missed the day’s workout.

Each workout, the coach is telling you what you to do and pushing you to go further, Gregersen explained. Even if you are not on the same fitness levels, their exercises can be scaled down, but in a way that is still challenging for them.

“Everything we do can be scaled down,” says Gregersen.

Gregersen said that CrossFit is all about the intensity and motivation, which he explains carries over in the rest of your life.

“It becomes kind of a community here,” Gregersen said. He explained that CrossFit KOA does a lot of events, such as October’s “Barbells for Boobs” breast cancer fundraiser. Also, one of their members served in Afghanistan and the gym came together to send packages to his troops.

Gregersen added that if a cause were close to someone at CrossFit KOA, the members would come together for it.

Member Anne-Marie Spricigo also fell in love with the community aspect of CrossFit Koa, as well as the intensity.

“It becomes an addiction,” she said. “If you like a physical challenge this is for you, if you’re not afraid to push yourself mentally and physically.”

On top of it, she says, you have a support group. Everyone is at KOA for the same reason and it creates a sense of community, she explained. Working out at CrossFit KOA makes her less tired and gives her more energy each day, she added.

“People of all different physical levels can do it,” Spricigo said. “You start off at your own level and work your way up, the judgment is not there.”

If you have ever seen people sweating their way running through downtown Cranford, they are probably coming from CrossFit KOA.  Free trial classes are offered every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. For more information on CrossFit KOA and their ‘Workouts of the Day’ (a coined CrossFit term), visit their website


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