Since she arrived at Croga in June of 2021 Marina has been crushing the fitness game, improving in every area possible, physically and mentally! Marina tells a story where she fell at a dinner and was able to catch herself (without dropping any food!). Crediting the gym as what got her body “ready to take care of her.” The gym might be the place where she goes to get her fitness, but Marina is the one who puts in the work. Emphasis on putting in the work. Marina is pretty dang consistent!

One of the coolest things to see as a coach is how much more confident Marina is, it’s obvious in the way she carries herself! There’s definitely more swagger. And the swagger is contagious! Over the summer Marina was able to get her daughter, Emily, into the gym. Together they’re an unstoppable mother-daughter duo, crushing partner WOD’s like crazy!!

Marina doesn’t care what the workout is, or who’s in class, she’s going to give her very best effort and she’s going to do it with a smile and a positive attitude.

When did you join Croga?
June 11, 2021

What were you doing before for fitness?
Fitness???  Not much.  I was walking the dog two miles, five times/week.

What was your first workout? First reaction to your first workout?
According to the Beyond the Whiteboard app, I did the 5:30pm class where we did a 12-Minute AMReps workout which included Ring Dips, Plate Russian Twists and Lateral Hops, building 3 at a time (3,6,9..).  I replaced the Ring Dips with Ring Pulls. I made it all the way to 18 Reps.  Based on other people’s time stamp entries in the app, it looks like Aviv and Curtis were also in this class with me.

What improvements have you seen in the way you look, feel and perform?

Honestly, the improvements to how my body looks, feels and performs are more than I ever could have imagined.  I used to think weight lifting was an exercise in muscle isolation.  I thought you did one specific exercise to build one specific muscle.  Eighteen months at Croga and I know how incorrect I was in my thinking.  I just didn’t know.  I never tried many of the moves we do at Croga.  Now I realize that one movement can work my WHOLE body.  To do some moves correctly, I must engage multiple muscles to maintain good form.  It’s a GIFT!  Crossfit is SO EFFICIENT.  I walk taller, straighter and with more confidence.  My butt muscles are lifted.  What?!  I had no idea weightlifting would do that!?  Slowly over time, my core muscles are more engaged throughout the day.  I feel more fluid as my body moves through the day.  My joints feel flexible.  I feel resilient.  I’ve discovered layers of muscles in my shoulders and back that I never knew existed.

Back in May 2022, I was at a golf club reception and the high heel of my shoe got caught on a table cloth and I fell immediately to the floor while holding a full plate of food.  And you know what?  I felt my hip hit the floor and in a split second, ALL of the muscles in my body engaged and I bounced right back up off the floor to a kneeling position while confidently balancing the plate of food in my right hand.  I did not spill a thing!  And I was standing on my knees as if nothing happened.  Of course, several tables of people around me were staring at me in shock, expecting me to be hurt or something.  I simply smiled at them and said, “I’m good!”  It was the funniest moment.  I knew immediately it was a Croga success story moment.  That fall could have turned out so much differently.  Before Croga, I’m sure I would have been laying all over the floor with food spilled everywhere.  But because of Croga, my body was primed to react and take care of me.  These are the life moments we cannot anticipate.  Accidents are going to happen in life.  Challenges are going to come our way.  I may not be doing all of our workouts at Rx quite yet, but I know the work I’m doing in the gym is making a positive impact on how I experience the world every day.

What days and times do you come to Croga?

During the week I prefer 6am. But sometimes I have early work meetings and push my workout to the 5:30pm class.  On the weekends I like 8am, unless I want to avoid the partner workout on Sat., and then I’ll go at 7am and do my own thing.

What’s your favorite WOD?

I don’t have a favorite WOD yet.  I feel too new to Crossfit to have a favorite.  Since I’m still building my skills, I try to just roll with it.  I know some people like to cherry pick their workouts.  I try not to do that.  I remember taking a Cardio Day workout in my first or second month and hardly anyone showed up.  I was surprised.  Ethan was coaching.  I asked him “Where is everyone?”  He said, “Oh, lots of people skip Cardio Days in favor of Weight Lifting Days.”  I had no idea that was a thing.

What’s your least favorite WOD?

Honestly, my least favorite WODs have nothing to do with the movements and more to do with my eating habits.  Over the last 18 months, my least favorite WODs have been the WODs I tried to do at 5:30pm after eating pizza or lasagna for lunch, or after having alcohol the night before.  The four times I’ve felt like throwing up during a workout were because of my eating or drinking habits.

“The Marina,” WOD! What would it be?

I’m not experienced enough to put together a good WOD.  I’ll leave that to the professionals.  But I generally get excited if I see wall balls, dumbbell thrusters or split jerks.  I like how my body feels after doing these movements.  I feel like I’ve used my whole body and every muscle is awake.

What’s been your favorite culinary discovery since joining Croga?
Culinary discovery?  Uh yeah, don’t drink beer if I intend to work out the next day.  Consequently, I find I’m drinking a lot less alcohol since joining Croga.  I’m not sure if that was intended?

What’s your biggest fitness goal for this year?
In general, I want to attend more frequently.  In my first 18 months, I attended 13x/month.  This was a BIG win for me because I was consistent and I didn’t quit.  I tried Crossfit two other times in my life.  Both times I tried to compete with others and pushed myself aggressively from the start just to burnout and quit a couple months later.  This time, I did it differently.  I chose NOT to compete with anyone else.  I decided what was good for me, but stuck with it.  Honestly, our Croga Coaches get a lot of credit for this.  I never felt pressured by our Coaches to push harder or be more aggressive with my training.  Other gyms I attended were a bit more pushy in their coaching style.  I never felt pushed at Croga.  I have always felt supported and encouraged, but never pushed.  In the next 12 months, I’d like to attend 18-20x/month.  There are several moves I’m still working on and I know if I increase my frequency, I’ll have a better chance at success with the harder moves.

What do you love about this type of fitness?
What we do at Croga feels 100% scalable, 100% adaptable, and 100% limitless.  No matter what’s going on in your life, our workouts are diverse enough and scalable enough to meet you where you are.  In my second month at Croga I used bad form on a deadlift and I hurt my back.  Cody was really great in coaching me through my recovery.  He was very insistent that I should NOT stop moving my body.  Don’t just sit on the couch, he told me.  He asked me to keep coming into the gym and he would give me stretches to do to help with my recovery.  I did and it worked!  Four weeks later, and several visits to the chiropractor, I was back doing the regular workouts.  I did not play sports in high school or college.  So, I’ve never experienced anything like that where you get injured and you move your body through recovery.  I feel like I’m at the very beginning of a long journey that is going to help me age better than I ever thought possible.

What words of advice do you have for new members or people considering joining Croga?

1) Don’t be intimidated by any of the weight lifting moves or Crossfit jargon.  Just try each move as it comes.  Don’t compare yourself to others.  Your only goal should be to keep coming back to practice good form.
2) This is a marathon, not a sprint.  Don’t expect miracles overnight.  You WILL see results over time if you are consistent.  In June 2021 I did my first split jerk with a 35 pound barbell.  In Sept. 2022, I did a split jerk with an 80 pound barbell.  And let’s be honest, I don’t really care about the weight.  I care that my arms look good in a tank top as I get older.  
3) Try to be consistent with which classes you attend so you can make friends with other people who come to the same classes with you.  We have a wonderfully diverse group of supportive people at Croga.  Get to know them!

Anything to add that we didn’t touch on yet?

Uh, yeah!  I just completed my first Spartan Race on Dec. 3 (with the help of all my Croga friends) at age 56.  You’re never too old to try something new!  Thank you, Croga, for opening my belief system to new possibilities.

Leave a Reply

GETTING STARTED IS EASY!

Simply fill out the form below and then schedule Your FREE intro session on the next page.

Shortly after we will be in touch with you to confirm your intro session. We are excited to meet you!

(give our form below a second to load, we love you for it!)

Jill Parker

Product Assistant

About

Jill helps us out with member relations, event planning, social media, admin tasks, and other projects. Feel free to email her at jill@crogafitness.com with any fun event ideas or if you have any questions about getting started at Croga

David Musgrave

Owner

About

From a very young age, it became apparent that Coach Dave loved all things sport and competition related. Maybe it was being the youngest of four or maybe it was being the only boy in the family. Whatever it was, it has created a fire inside of him that fuels his urge to constantly be striving for excellence through consistent and steady improvement. His unwavering persistence and eternal optimism are his two greatest assets as a husband, father, coach, entrepreneur and athlete. They are the pillars he has stood on for as long as he can remember and are the reasons he is such a fantastic leader. He grew up playing competitive soccer, loves snowboarding and enjoys traveling the world. Dave was thrown into the world of CrossFit in 2008, he has competed in the largest competitions in the CrossFit world and in 2017 he was the 18th Fittest Man in Northern California in The CrossFit Games Open, finishing 34th at the California Regional as an Individual Athlete. Dave relocated to Boise, ID with his wife and two daughters but still has a hand in directing the heart of Croga Fitness. When he is not coaching or training, you can usually find him reading a book, listening to a podcast, doing some online continuing education or having a chat with someone he thinks he can learn from. As a very curious, driven and dedicated individual, he like to say that he is a serial learner and has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Over the years, Dave has experimented with a lot of different types of eating, but never really felt like he was in control or consistently making the correct food choices that would result in long term success until he found WAG and “flexible dieting”. Dave and his wife have both had significant success with improved body composition and performance since incorporating this healthier and more sustainable type of eating into their lives and it has inspired Dave to want to share with others and inspire them to improve their health through flexible dieting as well.

Qualifications

  • CrossFit Certified Trainer (CCFT) (CrossFit Level 3)
  • CrossFit Level 2
  • CrossFit Level 1
  • Certified Working Against Gravity Nutrition Coach
  • Active Life Coach Awareness Seminar Certificate
  • CrossFit Masters Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Aerobic Capacity
  • USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach
  • CrossFit Anatomy Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Scaling Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Spot The Flaw Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Lesson Planning Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Dumbbell Course Certificate

Ethan Fein

Coach

About

After trial runs at baseball, fencing, and soccer lasting two seasons, a couple years, and one practice respectively, Ethan found ice hockey at nine years old and was immediately hooked. Wanting to get stronger going into his freshman year of high school in 2016, Ethan started working out at Croga, where his mom, Julianna, was already a member. CrossFit became a separate passion, rather than just a supplement for hockey. Now a freshman at UCLA, the pandemic delayed Ethan’s move to southern California and allowed him to focus on other interests. He has always been interested in the mental side of sports and as someone who loves watching sports, he enjoys learning the nuances of each game. Becoming a coach has given Ethan a different perspective on CrossFit as an athlete and a chance to help others improve and reach their fitness goals.

Taylor DiBiasio

Coach

Snatch – 245

Clean and Jerk – 305

CrossFit Total – Back – 485 Strict Press – 220 Deadlift – 445

Personality – Priceless

About

Taylor moved to California in 2021 and is originally from Alaska by way of Portland. During the Day he is an HR professional. During his free time, he loves to disc golf, play board games, eat good food, ski, and travel.

Turning Point

I am a D1 volleyball athlete turned recreational rugby player turned mediocre disc golfer. After leaving college I had no idea how to take care of my body or my nutrition. Then at 23, I started what would become a 7+ year battle with cancer and my body was just falling apart. 5 years ago, in between rounds of chemo, I found CrossFit. The diverse workouts kept me excited, the community kept me showing up, and the rest is history.

Motivation & Passion

I truly just want everyone to be as excited about movement as I am. Sure is the competition side of CrossFit fun and exciting? Yes. But there is nothing like discovering the power inside yourself to positively create change within your body, within your life. That feeling from when you’re 6 years old and you make it across the monkey bars the first time does not go away. Whether it’s cross-training for athletics, trying to keep up with your kids, or getting in the best shape of your life at age 50, I want to be a part of that journey for members. That’s why I coach, and that’s why I show up at the gym (almost) every day.

Qualifications

CrossFit Level 2

CrossFit Kids

Carmen Romano

Coach

Back Squat: 285#

Front Squat: 225#

Bench: 185#

Dead Lift: 295#

Member of the ROGUE 750# CLUB…woohoo!

About

I’ve been interested in the human form and movement for as long as I can remember and decided at University to get serious about learning it! I’m a practicing Physical Therapist, fitness coach and mama of three. Those little rascals are by far my favorite and greatest motivation. Some of my interests include: playing the tenor sax, anything water-sport (including sailing), horseback riding, racquetball, dancing, wine tasting …and fun!

Turning Point

I was a boxer and broke my hand in the ring. While I was post-surgical, in my cast and feeling sorry for myself, I started focusing on strength training. After a couple of years and noticeable progress, I decided to try out CrossFit.

Motivation & Passion

When people come together, support one another and get health benefits that surpass conventional outcomes by moving better and working hard..well then we’re on to something. CrossFit facilitates this AND gives an opportunity to all, athletes and coaches alike. Getting someone moving better and proud of their own achievements / progress is my motivator. I may not get them to their finish line, but if there is an opportunity along their journey I can educate, coach and push them, oh…I’m there!

Qualifications

CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist 

Bachelor’s of Science Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Science

Doctorate of Physical Therapy

“Keep moving, keep trying, keep smiling…you are making a difference.” 

  – C. Romano

Johnny McDermott

Coach

Back Squat-350

Deadlift- 405

Bench-255

About

Work as a project manager for a general contractor by day, and throw weight around at my favorite gym by night. I love working out, I want to share my love for working out with everybody and hope it rubs off. It is the best natural medicine for anything. The more people realize that the happier our lives will be.

Turning Point

I have a passion for sports and working out. I want to share that passion with people, and hope it gives them what it has given me throughout the years. I wasn’t able to do that while working as a project manager, I was blessed with the opportunity to do so at Croga and it has been very fulfilling.

Motivation & Passion

I want to see people live happy lives, and one of the best starts to do that is feeling like the best version of themself. Going to the gym and having fun a few days of the week is a step in the right direction.

Qualifications

  • CrossFit Level 1

Nicolas Tran

Coach

About

As the younger sibling of an older brother who was well rounded in sports, Coach Nick was always surrounded with opportunities to dabble in all kinds of sports. He became a multi-sport athlete in wrestling, track and field, volleyball, and was the captain of his varsity football team. As a result of playing all of these sports, Coach Nick found his love for how versatile the human body is from his football coach.

Turning Point

From then on, he wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy so that he could have the opportunity to help people and guide them down a path of living a longer and healthier life. Coach Nick worked as a physical therapist aide at numerous clinics in San Jose and wanted to broaden his horizons with more hands-on training. He looked at gyms and came across Croga Fitness that had a loving community and the rest is history!

Julia Muller

Coach

Deadlift 265#

Bench 137#

Squat 205#

Snatch 105#

Clean 140#

Jerk 150#

About

I am a fitness forward physical therapist and coach with a passion for helping people move better, feel better, get out of pain, and hit their PRs. Being able to share my PT experience with athletes is one of my biggest joys. I am originally from the northeast (Boston area and central NY state) and started coaching while in grad school. I fell in love with group functional fitness for its ability to challenge me both mentally and physically. The communities were unmatched and seeing athletes of all ages achieve new heights was captivating! I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of incredible coaches and mentors. I also grew up a competitive swimmer for over 17 years and have recently gotten into long distance running outside of functional fitness.

Turning Point

When I first started group functional fitness at various gyms back East, it was the first time I ever felt welcome in a lifting atmosphere as a female. Having incredible female coaches was what kept me feeling safe and welcome in the gym. I never thought I would ever have enough experience or confidence to lead fitness classes. As I started taking more lifting specific continuing education in PT school, I realized that I had the knowledge to be the female role model that I had. I hope that other female athletes can feel confident and a sense of belonging in gym spaces.

Motivation & Passion

I am passionate about supporting people with their fitness across the lifespan. I have specialized experience and interest with fitness during pregnancy, postpartum as well as with geriatrics. I love being able to use my PT skill set in the gym to modify workouts appropriately and help athletes feel like they are still performing at their best. I am too aware of the negative health effects that lack of physical activity can have on all systems of the body and it is my mission to help athletes feel welcome and supported with their fitness journeys.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Ithaca College and CA Licensed Physical Therapist working at P3 Athletic in Milpitas, CA
  • CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
  • Certified in the Clinical Management of the Fitness Athlete (Cert-CMFA) through the Institute of Clinical Excellence
  • Pelvic Physical Therapy trained through the Herman and Wallace Institute and the Institute of Clinical Excellence
  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Clinical Health Studies, Ithaca College
  • Bachelor of Music (BM) with Flute concentration, Ithaca College

Cody Rubel

Owner and Head Coach

About

As the oldest of three brothers Coach Cody’s job growing up was to set the path for his younger brothers and to make sure he never let them get the best of him ;). He was a multi-sport athlete in High School, playing Football, Basketball and Golf, which gave him a well rounded view and background in fitness. Along with his brother PJ, aka “The Brother’s Rubel”, he found CrossFit in 2011 and immediately fell in love with the challenge that each day presented and also how great it was having a supportive community of like minded athletes helping you along and cheering for you to be successful in your pursuit of improved fitness and health.

Turning Point

After a few years of using CrossFit for personal growth, Cody realized that he loved being a leader and helping those newer to CrossFit learn and reach their personal goals. He decided to pursue a certification in CrossFit and the rest is history. He has been coaching full time for since 2014 and is extremely passionate about coaching athletes through workouts and teaching them new skills and techniques.

Qualifications

  • CrossFit Level 2
  • CrossFit Level 1
  • ISSA Certified – Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
  • Certified Working Against Gravity Nutrition Coach
  • Active Life Coach Awareness Seminar Certificate
  • CrossFit Aerobic Capacit
  • CrossFit Spot The Flaw Course Certificate
  • CrossFit Lesson Planning Course Certificate

HAVE QUESTIONS?

We Would Love To Meet You!

Simply fill out the form below
& one of our amazing
coaches will be in touch asap! We are excited to meet you!

ARE YOU LOOKING TO DROP-IN?

We Would Love To Meet You!
WARNING! Class Sizes Are Limited.

If you would like to reserve a spot…
Simply click on the button below to Drop-in!

OUR DROP-IN RATES

$30 Per Class

FIND US AT:

FIND US AT
1547-40 Meridian Avenue,
San Jose, CA 95125

(408) 533-8093

OUR PRICING IS SIMPLE

We Want To Offer You The PERFECT Membership For YouR NEEDS.

Simply fill out the form below and one of our amazing coaches will send you our current membership information.