Photo by Jeff Baughan Ross Dodd rides a stationary bike as part of his cardio training.

PARKERSBURG — Greg Brewster walks around the workout area at Strong Tower Fitness. The massive man wears his faith on his sleeve as much as he wears exercise logos across his chest.

“Pushups!,” he yells loud enough for all to hear. The class is one of the cross-fit classes he and Tate Linder, who are co-owners of Strong Tower Fitness at 1709 Seventh St., have throughout the week.

“The Strong Tower is mentioned in Proverbs 18:10,” Brewster says. “It’s where the name comes from. We’ve incorporated it into everything.”

Proverbs 18:10 states in the King James Version: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

“We started as to do something positive and felt God was leading us to start a plan where people could get strong physically, mentally and spiritually. Tate’s gone so far as a WOD for GOD,” said Brewster. “WOD meaning Workout of the Day. It’s based on a verse and a workout is programmed. Everyone shows up, pray and workout.”

Photo by Jeff Baughan Strong Tower Fitness crossfit members Chada Tepe, left, and Mary Beth Bauman combine to flip a 300-pound tire during a workout at the Parkersburg facility.

Brewster explains how a workout is mixed with a verse. “Take John 3:16 for instance. There are four rounds for the letters in ‘John.’ Then you have a 300 meter run and 16 pullups. And you do that as fast as you can.”

That’s crossfit. Brewster and Linder found themselves at the top of the list when bestthingswv.com named the facility the best crossfit gym in West Virginia.

“Yeah, that was a surprise,” Brewster said. “We don’t know who it was who made that decision. I don’t know if they just wandered in one day or what but they never announced themselves to us. Whatever, it was nice to know someone appreciated the work everyone was putting in to make it that way.”

There aren’t weight machines to work on. It’s free weights and muscle for strength training. Rope climbing, flipping tires, box jumping, sledgehammers beating on tires … full body workouts.

“It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in when you walk in here,” Brewster said. “When you leave you’re going to have improved your health.”

Photo by Jeff Baughan Eric Johnson performs a standing vertical jump onto the top of a wooden box during crossfit training.

Brewster explained more about crossfit. “It’s about coaching people to be fit,” he said. “Crossfit does elements of all gyms combined into all things. You can get a little bit of everything here.

“Crossfit prepares people for life,” he continued. “You get stronger, have endurance, you get a better quality of life. It helps keep people fit by keeping strong, be mobile and be active. It’s a perfect anti-aging formula.”

Linder is the lead trainer at Strong Tower. He is a CrossFit level 1 trainer, CrossFit level 2 trainer, CrossFit Scaling Certified, NSCA Trainer (National Strength and Conditioning Association). He has a Bachelor’s degree in physical and health education with a minor in exercise science. Linder was a Top 10 finisher in the 2016 West Virginia CrossFit games. He has been coaching since 2012.

“When you use nutrition, it’s more than working out,” Linder said. “Diet/nutrition creates a healthy lifestyle. You can’t outwork existing on a bad diet.”

Linder also remarked crossfit is time efficient. “You can do the same level of workout at crossfit and do it in 30 minutes as you do in two hours or so at a regular gym. You have people to work out with. You show up and do it. The trainer who is here will guide you through it. Every class is programmed. All equipment is present. You have to show up and do the work.

Photo by Jeff Baughan Strong Tower Fitness co-owner Tate Linder does pull ups as he trains. Linder owns the faith based business with Greg Brewster.

“A personal trainer is normally going to cost you $40 an hour,” Linder continued. “So three sessions would cost you $120. Three sessions a week with us is $50 a month; 12 sessions for $50. And you get to try the first three sessions at no cost.”

Prices can be found at strongtowerfit.net.

The official name for the crossfit program is “Strengthen the Faith Crossfit.” There is a 6:30 p.m. Thursday weekly Bible study which is not part of the crossfit program but is open not only to the members, but to the public as well. “We’re about to start in Isaiah and we’ve done Ephasians, John and Acts,” Linder said.

“It’s at the end of the day and we have closed up the gym,” he continued. “It’s the last thing. We think it being in the gym, it makes for a less intimidating venue.”

There’s one other thing different about Strong Tower which one doesn’t find in other gyms — there’s a cursing clause. You curse, it costs you in exercise. “If we hear you curse and we hear you, we will call you out on it,” Brewster said. “I think it’s been put to use four times and they self admitted it. People respect the rule.”

Photo by Jeff Baughan Jason Sprigg begins a rope climb as he trains for an upcoming crossfit competition.

It’s 10 burpees per curse. Burpees are not fun. Burpees are a four count exercise:

* Start in a standing position.

* 1.) Move into a squat position with hands on the ground.

* 2.) Kick feet back into a plank position, while keeping the arms extended.

* 3.) Immediately return the feet into squat position.

Photo by Jeff Baughan Stephanie Brooks watches others do crossfit training as she rests between sets of her benchpress workout at Strong Tower Fitness.

* 4.) Stand up from the squat position

“You don’t have to be perfect to walk into a church,” Brewster said. “You don’t have to be in shape to be walk into crossfit. Crossfit is about functional movement and reaching personal goals. Crossfit is for anyone from teenaged to senior citizen.”

Strong Tower does have a kids program which “allows kids to participate with their parents,” said Linder. “It’s for ages 10-16 years old. Kids aren’t allowed to do heavy weights but they do get the basic fundamentals for training.”

Strong Tower is hosting the West Virginia Crossfit Games at an undetermined date this summer. But Brewster said he and Linder are the owners, they are not the ultimate one in charge.

“God will lead us and continue to lead us,” he said. “When you let God lead, God works it out for everything more than you could imagine. When He leads and you follow, you trust Him and hold on for the ride. Everything we do, God is first.”

For more information call 304-745-7867.