Working it Out: Longtime Trainer Finds Niche with CrossFit, Opens Local Facility

Although CrossFit, a core strength and conditioning program, has been around for a few years, there has never been a training facility in the Cranberry area—at last as far as Tammy Friedt knew.

That all changed earlier this week.

On Monday, Friedt, who spent years as a personal trainer and fitness instructor at the , opened CrossFit TPA at The Primal Athlete in a former garage just off Lindsay Road in Zelienople.  

“It’s absolutely phenomenal and it’s very rewarding with the camaraderie,” said Friedt, who is a certified Level One CrossFit Trainer. “It’s not like anything you’ve ever done or had in a regular local gym.

Utilized by some military programs, CrossFit involves elements of track and field, gymnastics and weightlifting in demanding workouts that take place in a group setting. Crossfitters typically perform “Workouts of the Day” that could include anything from sprints to working with kettle balls or jumping on top of a box.

When someone breaks a personal record, which is written up on a shared whiteboard in the “Box,” as Crossfitters call it, the whole crowd erupts in cheers.

“Everyone is excited for you,” Friedt said. “It’s such a community,”

While the program is intense, Freidt, who lives in Connoquenessing Township with her husband and 14-year-old twin boys, said everyone works to his or her own abilities—and at their own pace.

Friedt noted she has a grandma who does CrossFit workouts alongside 20-something male athletes.

“It can be very, very difficult,” she said. “But what’s great about CrossFit is it’s tailored to you.”

Friedt would know.

After years of teaching spinning, kickboxing, metabolic conditioning and boot camp, she fell in love with CrossFit a few years ago. In the process of becoming a CrossFit athlete, she also changed her body.

“At 42, I found my six-pack,” said Friedt, who turns 44 next month. 

After leaving the YMCA, Friedt began leading CrossFit workouts in garage of her friend Julie Wakefield’s home in Cranberry. Word of mouth spread. Soon, there were dozens of people getting their CrossFit on in Wakefield’s home.

Friedt decided it was time to find her own training facility.

Once she found the right location, Friedt, her husband and her sons spent weeks converting the former garage into a no-frills fitness facility, which is exactly the way Friedt wanted it. There are no mirrors in the box, just weights, boxes for jumping, rowing machines—and a lot of passion.

“It’s not real pretty,” Friedt said. “It’s a warehouse type of workout.”

Wakefield and another friend, Tricia O’Shea, also received their CrossFit Level One training certifications and joined Friedt at the facility as coaches.

For those interested in learning more about CrossFit, Friedt is holding an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the facility, which is located at 129 McCarrell Lane, Suite 105, Zelienople.

For a schedule of programs, visit the CrossFit at the Primal Athlete website by clicking here.