Jon Mears, an Elkins Park resident and a strength and conditioning coach since 1991, opened CrossFit All City in Wyncote Commons in July.

The new facility is licensed by CrossFit, a branded fitness regimen that has become a household name since its launch in 2000, and offers multiple specializations surrounding its overall focus on functional fitness and health programs.

Among their specialty sectors is a youth program, an Adaptive Athletes program, and a program for veterans with disabilities.

“Veterans can join CrossFit All City for free through funding assistance from the Big Fish Foundation, a nonprofit based in Colorado,” Mears said. “They liked what we were trying to do and they’re closely linked with Crossfit.”

Mears acknowledges that joining a new gym—especially one linked to CrossFit—can be intimidating for the average person. He also acknowledges that the average person is often surprised by his gym’s average member.

A free one-week trial period is sometimes all they need to get on board.

“There are preconceived notions of what CrossFit is and does, so we sell people through our product. People see average people working out, and they realize, ‘Hey, this is for me, too,'” he said.

Another CrossFit All City specialty, dubbed “Legends Lunch Hour,” caters to senior citizens. Instruction includes fall prevention and strengthening for people 65 years of age and up.

“We have a coach who’s a retired British military guy who relates really well to them,” Mears said. “They see his age and how fit he is and they know they need step it up.”

When Mears isn’t running his new gym, he’s coaching other Crossfit coaches as a Level 1 Seminar staff member.

“I’ve been around,” he said.

For more on CrossFit All City, located at 827 Glenside Avenue Building C, you can visit their website, Facebook page and Instagram page.

You can also check out this video from Mears’ former Crossfit gym in Rittenhouse, Philadelphia:

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Photos: CrossFit All City, Jon Mears