CrossFit 214

This was the first gym I started CrossFitting at, and I’m so glad it was here. Like most women, I was scared. I had never done any Olympic lifts. I came from a running background so I wasn’t familiar with most lifts to be honest. I was intimated by the whole concept of CrossFit, but wanted to try it because a friend of mine got such great results. Since day one, the coaches have quickly made me feel at home.
The coaches are knowledgeable and welcoming. They’ll push you, but not too far. They know what’s safe, and what’s not safe. They’ll show you how to do moves with proper technique, and they’ll tell you when you need to back off the weights and work on technique. They’ll also tell you when you should add more weight to the bar. :)
I did a nutrition challenge for 3 weeks while I was at 214. The before and after picture surprised me. I don’t eat fast food. I don’t eat crappy foods. So I didn’t think it would be that much of a difference. Oh how I was wrong! Not only did my appearance improve, I had more energy and my mood was better as well. And my favorite part? They didn’t push paleo on me, and I got to eat a ton of food.
I went to that gym for over a year, and I absolutely love it there. I recently had to move out of Dallas, and so wish I could find another gym like 214. I met lifelong friends there. My body looks better, and the best it’s ever looked. And most of all, I’m healthier and feel great!
Is it pricey? Yes. Is it worth every penny? Yes. :) Could I ever see myself not CrossFitting? Never again. As soon as I’m back in Dallas, I’ll be back at this gym for sure.
Oh, and it’s clean and super organized! Plus you get to go to two gyms — one on Lemmon Ave near Whole Foods and the other is on Ross Ave. There’s also multiple classes you can go to that day — there’s Olympic lifts, fitness, athletics, and gymnastics. So there’s a variety so if you’re not in the mood for a certain workout, there’s other options. Love that.

Best place in town, the owner/​coach and other coaches are class act and truly care about you. Save for other crumby gyms you are a person here, not just a number. The workouts are tough and go by quick in a fun environment. Keep up the good work!

I’ve been here twice now and I am impressed at their ability to come up with challenging but not too challenging workouts of the day (wods) for people new to HIIT.
Both times they were partner wods where you do some work, then your partner does some work. This makes sense because the format builds in some rest so you don’t push yourself too hard. The movements were bodyweight or light dumbbell work. Nothing too serious for the uninitiated but if you know how to push yourself you can get a good workout in.
Before and after the Wod is also a great way to meet people, so you could think of this as a free mixer to attend and flirt with other fitness-​minded people. The community, in my opinion, is crossfit’s greatest strength.
CF214 is your typical Crossfit box, industrial feel, open air with garage doors that open. There’s a lot of toys to play with, but I think they won’t allow you to play with any of them unless you’ve signed up with a real membership. I doubt they will have any of the barbell movements in the free wod just because they are so complicated. So my hat’s off to these guys for making it fun while really reducing the chance of injury.
I was left a little unimpressed by one of the coaches because during the warm up he mention he was suffering from a certain injury that I too am recovering from. After class I went up to him and let him know that if he wanted I had some resources/​knowledge to help him out, but he kind of disregarded anything I had to offer and instead tried to give me (not necessarily correct) advice.
For example, when I told him I had a tear in the back of my shoulder labrum he sagely nodded and incorrectly called it a Bankart lesion, and didn’t really seem to want to be corrected. That was kind of a turn off for me, because he just didn’t seem interested in learning about what I had to offer. I get it though, I’m just some random dude and everyone thinks they have an online medical degree. Still, if I were in his shoes I would’ve at least faked a little more interest or asked questions instead of making assumptions.
This place does have a lot to offer, but it is still a crossfit box. People had differing opinions on whether it is the coaches or participant’s responsibility to know when to stop. I fall into the coach’s responsibility camp. I think it’s the coaches job to cut people off before they hurt themselves. However, here coaches encourage the exerciser to keep pushing, but when the exerciser gets injured it’s suddenly the exerciser’s fault for not listening to their bodies. Because of that, I am giving this place three stars.

Crossfit 214 owners, staff, coaches and facility are all top notch. They provide an extensive amount of knowledge that in my case is invaluable. After having multiple Knee surgeries and back problems from previous injuries, let me be clear, (Prior to Crossfit). I have had the opportunity to train at some other top notch facilities since I started Crossfit 214. But the team at 214 have gone above and beyond to work around my issues and get me back to strong and healthy. All the while maintaining my bodies integrity.
Everyone here gets the same treatment, I can’t believe it. EVERYONE, no matter if your training to go the the games or just training for fun. They treat every athlete with the utmost respect and encouragement.

Incredible facility with an all-​star coaching staff. Each coach takes very special care to focus on form and mobility to promote long-​term progress and overall successes for the individual athletes at the gym. I came to the CrossFit 214 a year and half ago with a couple of different injuries that I had developed over the years by working out on my own at a regular gym. I was always pleasantly surprised how well they remembered my specific limitations while working with me to scale and reprogram certain parts of my workouts so that I could continue to improve despite previous setbacks. I never once felt like I was a burden or that I was putting any of them out in mentioning my issues. In fact, people are actively encouraged to mention any issues that they may have as the staff has a very real desire to not just work around limitations, them want to fix them. Preventing injury and helping members achieve their goals is their #1 priority.
In addition to being incredibly knowledgeable about movement, building strength and conditioning AND nutrition, the gym fosters an amazing atmosphere of camaraderie. The members range from highly proficient CrossFit athletes to beginners who may have never tried CrossFit before. Regardless, EVERYONE is treated the same and there is an atmosphere of encouragement that helps you push past your boundaries.
I can’t say enough good things about this place. They work very hard to foster an extremely open environment that is INCLUSIVE of all shapes, sizes and persuasions.
I’ll sum up my review with this statement. If I ever have to move out of Dallas, the thing that I would have the hardest time replacing in a new city would be finding a facility that matches CrossFit 214. They’ve done an amazing job of setting a very high bar (no pun intended!).

I can’t say enough good things about CF214. I’ve been going to the box for a little over a year and have to say, it’s the best facility I have found. I moved from Washington DC where I thought I could never find another box I would love that much. Until I found 214.
The foundations of Crossfit education at 214 is unmatched by any other box I’ve been to. The coaches and owners pride themselves in ensuring each athlete understands the fundamentals of each movement to ensure a healthy & injury-​free workout. Also, the coaches and other athletes all foster a very inclusive and team-​oriented environment. I have met more friends at 214 than I have at any other gym I have been to. It truly is the friendship & camaraderie that always propels me to do my best during a workout!
I’m a lifelong member as long as I’m in Dallas!

I spent 3 months in Dallas for work and was looking for a new box. I’m so lucky I stumbled upon CrossFit 214. ALL of the coaches are awesome and knowledgable, there is plenty of equipment, and everyone is so supportive and welcoming. They also opened a new location on Lemmon Ave that is SO nice with brand new beautiful equipment and membership includes access to both gyms! The progress I made in 3 months surprised even myself, I would definitely recommend dropping in to see these guys!

I joined CrossFit 214 back in April and have been going pretty steadily since then. I’d been doing the solo-​gym thing for around 4 years but it had just gotten boring. I tried a few different things (other types of group exercise /​yoga /​etc) and finally took one of the free classes at 214 one Saturday morning. I was hooked immediately. I knew it BUT it took me a while to figure out why I was hooked:
Tyler and Ian have put together a really amazing group of coaches who genuinely care about making you a more awesome version of yourself (Erik, DC, Austin, Brett, Jenny, David and Eddie — you guys rock) These people drive the culture at 214 which is the best of any gym I’ve been to. Ever. Period. The other athletes are a great group of people. Supportive of new people and passionate about fitness. The gym itself — There are two large indoor workout areas and a large outside area. Plenty of equipment to go around and lots of space to workout in.
If you’re on Unilocal reading reviews then you’re at least thinking about joining a Crossfit gym. Let me talk a little bit about some concerns I had and how they were addressed at 214:
#1 «You’re going to get hurt» — Pretty much everyone I told that I was considering joining a Crossfit program gave me some version of this. Sometimes immediately, sometimes it took a while, sometimes it was just a concerned look. One of the first things out of Tyler’s mouth in the free class I went to was that the main goal for the coaches was for everyone to leave healthy and be able to come back the next day and train. This makes a lot of sense. No matter how much weight you’re lifting, if you continue to do it regularly you will improve a lot faster than you will if you have to take long breaks due to injury.
At 214, there is a lot of emphasis on building the mobility and skill you need to perform movements correctly before you add weight or speed. This is why it helps to have a Fitness class instead of just an on-​ramp program. You can stay in the Fitness (Basic) class as long as you need to in order to build up your weaker areas THEN you move on to the Athletics class. This is a contrast to other CrossFit establishments that will throw beginners in with the advanced atheletes after only a handful of training classes.
You’re still getting a great workout in Fitness. (Editing — I’ve graduated to Athletics these days, but I still will go to a Fitness workout occasionally) Go check the blog out on the 214 webpage, the workouts are posted daily.
#2 «I’ve read the workouts and I can’t do XYZ» — Everything I’ve seen done can be modified or substituted with something else. People do this REGULARLY in the Fitness class and the Athletics class both. If you are new to a movement the coaches will spend extra time with you, making sure that it’s modified (aka «scaled») to your fitness level and that you’re doing it correctly. It helps to introduce yourself as a new member so they’ll know to watch you.
If you can’t do pull-​ups, assistance bands will be added until you can or ring rows will be substituted. If you can’t do push ups or can’t do the number of push-​ups you need to do in a row, the movement will be modified for you. With proper scaling, anyone can do CrossFit. Anyone. Again 214 really shines here with the excellent coaching.
#3 «Those people are crazy fit and I’m just starting out» — Yes, all of those crazy fit people at 214 will finish the workouts before you and then they will cheer you on. They will get excited when some huge guy deadlifts 400lbs for the first time and they will get excited when you hit a personal record of 200lbs or 100lbs or 50lbs. If you’re worried about being the unfit one, take it from me. It doesn’t last that long. I was dead last in just about every workout for the first 2 – 3 weeks I was a member. Everyone was there at one point or another.
#4 «It’s expensive» — Yeah. It is, but like most things you get what you pay for. The money supports the excellent coaching staff and the facility. Another way to look at it is that you’re getting what amounts to a gym membership, quasi-​personal training sessions, nutritional coaching and mobility training all rolled into one price. $ 50 a month will get you in the door at other gyms, but you’ll pay extra for 1:1 coaching, group exercise classes, and basically any extra service you want.
Editing: Gregg Glassman had an excellent quote for #4: «Successful businesses create unique opportunities for other people. CrossFit offers people the unique opportunity to pay 2x as much for a gym membership that will give you 3x the results. It’s a steal.» It’s funny, but it’s also true.
Anyway. that’s probably enough fanboy’ing out of me. Once you give the Crossfit methodology a chance, training any other way won’t make any sense. 214 is as good as it gets.

I’m a fairly new member of the cross fit community and can say that prior to starting, I had quite a few reservations. I want to say that all these hesitations were overcome by my strong work ethic and perseverance but this would be false. It took the right gym and I couldn’t have asked for a better place. The coaches at CF214 are amazing. They really are focused and strive to better your health. I see myself sticking with this gym for as long as I’m located in Dallas.

Very bro-​centric, homophobic and racially insensitive coaches at this crossfit gym. I’m not sure the coaches realize how many gay clients they have, though ignorance is no excuse for bullying, discriminatory behavior. On occasion I have heard the warm up PVC pipe referred to as the «gay» bar – ostensibly because it is used for warming up and therefore inferior to a real barbell. I’ve also seen coaches mocking clients in ways that alludes to their sexual orientation. Racially, I heard one coach when asked by a member who was Indian to guess what she had for lunch respond «cow» and then laugh. Given that one of the owners is complicit in the mocking it’s hardly a comfortable atmosphere to address these issues. Because the structure of the workouts is reminiscent of high school P.E. I would recommend you sample a few of the local Crossfit gyms to get an idea of the mentality of the coaches and the clients before you choose which Crossfit gym is right for you. No one wants to pay $ 179 a month only to feel diminished by the ignorance and insensitivity which exists here unchecked.

If you’ve ever taken an intro course in psychology you’ve probably heard of the illusory superiority theory or the above average effect. For those who haven’t it’s the idea that most people rate themselves as above average when compared to everyone else.
With that being said, I have to admit I tend to consider myself to be above average when it comes to fitness (let’s not talk about pull-​ups). I mean how could I not be? Do you know how many countless years/​days/​hours I’ve spent at an archery range or the gym or how about all that running on a treadmill in a posh well air conditioned gym? :-) So when I decided to step up my training and join 214 I thought I would excel immediately. (see previous sentence, I am a pro at this fitness thing, right?) lol Woo was I in for a wakeup call. Crossfit has by far been the most challenging and strenuous workout program I have ever been through, even though I spend half the amount of time working out then I used to. I’ve been at 214 for 6 months and I haven’t had a duplicate workout day yet. I set a new PR probably every week and I’m the fastest (elementary school doesn’t count) and strongest of my life. You feel empowered and good about the functional movements you’re doing, you want to be better, and you want to challenge yourself each and every day. It’s all because of the coaches. They are fun, patient and knowledgeable. They emphasize form and technique in every class and aren’t afraid to «shut you down» if you’re getting silly with your movements. Being competitive at 214 is great, but check your ego at the door.
As another reviewer mentioned, CF214 is «life-​changing stuff» it’s more than just a workout. It’s about nutrition, health, mobility, rest, recovery and a great community (family) and friends. Everyone welcomes everyone with open arms and a team mentality is strongly emphasized. If you want a great, fun, challenging workout that is led by some bad ass coaches while being surrounded by peers who encourage you to be your best then this is definitely the place for you.

I signed up at CrossFit 214 about 2 months ago and have seen tremendous improvements in my strength, overall well being, and overall physical appearance! I wish that this is something that I would have known about even sooner b/​c this is something that I will continue to do for a VERY long time!
All of the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and helpful during class. If you are interested in getting serious about transforming your body into what is probably the best shape that you have ever been in, then CrossFit 214 is just what you are looking for!

If you comparison shop other CrossFits, you’ll quickly find out that the coaches are what make 214 different from other boxes: they’re incredibly educated, passionate about their work and their athletes’ safety is always a top priority. I’ve got botched knees and my safety has never been in jeopardy at 214. And they’re quick to correct you if your form is unsafe or if you’re lifting more than your capacity. When I started a year ago, I felt like they kept the kid gloves on for at least my first 6 weeks. Any questions about injuries or diet and I know they’re there for me.
The gym is a revamped auto garage, so 2 large garage doors let in fresh air with no need for AC. (This has never been a problem– not even in August.) There are 2 main gym spaces, on site massage therapy by appointment courtesy of EKH, a fridge stocked with electrolyte beverages and paleo snacks and tons of room to spread out.
Crossfit is pretty life changing on its own, no matter where you work out but the coaches are what make this box extra special. Check out a free class on Wednesday at 7pm or Saturdays at 10am.

I’ve been going to C214 since April 2011, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
If you have never been — all the classes/​workouts can be scaled for the beginner who has never stepped foot in a gym, to the extreme athlete who does competitive workouts in their spare time. I happen to be somewhere in the middle. C214 even has free classes a couple of times a week so you can see for yourself.
The atmosphere — energetic with a high level of comradery.
The coaches make C214! They are experts at technique, stretching/​mobility, rehab, and they make the workouts pretty darn fun.
I used to think it was a cult too… and no I have not been brainwashed since I’ve been there. It’s a great place to workout for complete fitness and gain a few friendships along the way.

I don’t know what the guy who gave this place one star was smoking. From my close to 6 month experience at this gym I can personally say that I have NEVER seen a coach here tell anyone to keep going if their form was bad. Period.
That being said, this is a fun gym. The people are super welcoming. There is a nice mix of people very new to Crossfit (actually may be the majority here), and those who have been doing it 1 year plus. The atmosphere is FAR from intimidating. The coaches are very knowledgeable and professional. Tyler, the owner, is a cool guy. The programming is challenging yet manageable, and the results are tangible. Just walk in and behold the beauties, male and female.
It is more expensive than your typical globo gym, but the money is worth it for the training you receive. And it IS one of the more affordable Crossfit gyms in the area.
At least give it a try — Saturday morning workouts are free. The worst thing that will happen is you’ll try something new and not like it. But you may just find a group of people and an exercise philosophy that will change your life. It has happened to more than a few people here at Crossfit 214.
You might become one of them.

WARNING SLIPPED DISC — HARD ON BACK
I initially began there in decent shape, having done circuit training for six months prior. I did really enjoy the workout and the atmosphere was fun and attractive. However, the pace of the workouts and the instruction encourages a high injury rate. The instructors make no real effort to correct form or help evaluate your strength in determining the proper weight. I am used to high paced workouts with weights, but considering the type of power lifting, such as variations of back squats. Within one month of cross fit I began having a pulled hamstring which I later learned was a symptom of a slipped disc. The trainers never made any mention that this could be the root of the problem and encouraged me to continue to work out on my pulled hamstring which led to a worsening of my condition.
I would warn anyone who is looking for a competitive workout that is looking to maintain their form to help improve longevity of flexibility and strength, this workout is not for you. Please, take notice in other sources on the web of people who encounter other injuries at a higher rate than other workouts/​sports.
If you are going to try this workout, please keep your weight lower, and ignore the demand to drop form in exchange for intensity.

After a disappointing tenure at an unnamed Crossfit establishment, I found my interest in the Crossfit methodology and approach to fitness waning and boring. Were 12 minute workouts really working? Was the 10 minute warm up and the short workout of the day three times a week worth the money and effort? Was I getting in better shape? Was I getting the most out of the program? I thought not. In fact, I felt less powerful, less interested and more out of shape than I have been in many, many months… Until I found Crossfit214. What a difference! Let me explain how.
First, the coaches are super personable. They really do have invested interest in your health, nutrition and personal goals that you want to attain while at Crossfit214. In addition, the coaches are always available to help with technique or to answer a question you may have in a very honest, matter-​of-​fact way.
Secondly, the establishment is massive. There is a lot of space to move around and get comfortable. There’s plenty of area to run, to lift, warm-​up, etc. It seems that they will be adding even more space soon, which is great news.
Lastly, and most importantly, the structure of Crossfit214’s daily classes are absolutely phenomenal. Before I explain how, let me tell you: I work very long hours at a very demanding job and I have very little time to exercise. During a five day work week, I have basically one hour to spare — at most — during the day to devote to an exercise routine. This is where CF214 shines.
In one hours time, expect a full, structured, excellently coached workout. A basic class begins with 5 minutes of your own, «warm up» then onto coach led group warm-​ups, skill work, and routines that last any where from 10 — 15 minutes, or more. Next comes a weight routine or something similar that lasts a good 15 minutes, then on to the work out of the day, to round out the hour. Expect a full 60 minutes of exercise.
I can’t say enough about this place but I hope this helps if you’re on the fence or confused by choices in the area. Crossfit214, by far, is the best Crossfit gym in the downtown Dallas area.