Testimonials

Jennifer (AKA Hussey) came to SYNERGY to lose weight. Not only did she do that, but she gained confidence, and a new lifestyle. Watch Hussey tell her story of how SYNERGY was the first gym she walked into and never felt judged, and how it helped her get over a weightloss plateau and gained a new perspective on what is beautiful. SEE & READ MORE about her story

VALARIE PERRY: weight loss, athletic performance, and self confidence

Being very active with sports and activities throughout high school, I was surprised what happened to me the years after. I tripled the “freshmen 15” by the end of my 4th year of University and have been struggling with my body confidence ever since. I’ve tried many things but I’ve never been able to stick to an exercise or nutritional routine to loose the extra pounds, and always looked for a quick fix instead of a lifestyle change.
When I started with SYNERGY it was for the same reasons – to loose weight. But what I found was so much different from anything else I had tried. It is now something I looked forward to everyday as appose to a sacrifice I have to make to loose the pounds. In one year (2011) I lost a significant amount of weight and increased my fitness/performance beyond my wildest dreams. I lost over 20lbs (168-147lbs) & 7% body fat (20-13%). I gained strength; Deadlift by 65lbs (250-315lbs), Back Squat by 60lbs (205-265lbs), Press by over 25lbs (84-100lbs). I improved my technique; Snatch by 40lbs (100-140lbs), Clean by 60lbs (130-190lbs). I conquered my body weight movements; started with 0 in everything and now have 20+ pull-ups, 2 muscle-ups, 30+ full push-ups & 10+ hand stand push-ups.
I feel amazing – strong, energetic, confident, and more fit than ever! I’m never bored, I’m ALWAYS improving and seeing results, and I get constant support from an amazing community of people. I have finally made a true lifestyle change, not just a quick fix, and coming to SYNERGY has made it all possible!
– Valarie Perry (Aka – the big VP)

JAMILLE & GEOFF MCLEOD: weight loss & community

What a fantastic group of people! Thank you Allison Murray for telling me about SYNERGY Crossfit. Geoff Mcleod and I started Crossfit with Chad Benko January 2012. Geoff lost 60 pounds and I lost 26lbs within the first year… in the process we gained some amazing friendships and now faced with devastating life challenges the whole gym came together and raised our family some money. I hope we can both be back working out with Chad Benko and the rest of the team in the near future. Thank you all again for the amazing wonderful love and support for our little family!!!! I cannot thank you all enough!!!
– Jamille McLeod

LEO BELCOURT: weight loss & performance

In March, 2011 I stepped on the scale and it said 314 lbs. So I decided then and there that I had to start making some changes. I quit smoking on April 20th, 2011 and started changing my diet two weeks later. I started out with a meal replacement diet plan and from there transitioned to a healthy balanced diet. It was when I started the diet that I first implemented exercise. I started with riding my bike. I would go a little faster and a little farther every day.
In September, 2011 I moved to Saskatoon and traded in my bike for a pair of running shoes (I didn’t really trade my bike in, but it got somewhat neglected). I started running one block at a time and eventually was running 3-5km every day.
On January 14th I had my first Crossfit workout. I was hooked. I had already lost 75lbs on my own. Due to some personal reasons I didn’t get fully involved Crossfit (working out six days a week) until March. Once I did commit I started to notice a huge difference. Not only on the scale, but in inches lost, strength, speed, and endurance.
It was in March that I took part in my first ever Crossfit competition. I placed 465th in western Canada (not bad for only having been doing it for 2 months) in the Crossfit games open as an individual. In June I had two major accomplishments. I had lost 100lbs and I competed in the Sweat Rx regionals where our team placed 1st. It didn’t stop there.
In July I competed in my first Olympic weightlifting competition. This competition took place in Moose Jaw. I placed 1st in my weight category and received a gold medal. It was around this time that l realized I wanted to become a fitness professional and help people make positive and healthy choices and change in their lives.
Since then I have competed in a few Crossfit competitions: the 204 Invitational in August hosted in Winnipeg, finished 21st and Bridge City Beat Down hosted here in Saskatoon by Synergy, finished 26th. Then in Grande Prairie, AB Nov 24/25 2012 where I place 5th out of 21 competitors in the RX division. A 2013 open finish of 105th. 4th place finish at my first spring fling in Regina.
Also, as of October 2012 I surpassed my goal weight of 220 lbs and got down to 195 lbs. That’s a total weight loss of 119 lbs in 18 months. This has changed since then of course.
– Leo

DARYL COOPER: overall health (bloodwork)

This isn’t your standard pr..I write this as a testimonial to Crossfit, the paleo diet and to Chad Benko’s monthly meetings where we discussed my own BioSignature, weight loss and nutrition. I started this process in August 2011, wanting to lose the stubborn belly that adorned my midriff for years. It was annoying as I have worked out 3 or 4 times per week since 1990 and have been with CrossFit since May 2010. Yet, no reduction in weight. I was very happy to see the immediate results that have lasted through to this day. Eliminating the nasty sugars, grain carbs and most fruit I have lost weight in the right places and have a body I am happy with. Genetics, my age, lack of time to be consistent due to other obligations and commitments will mean that I am unlikely to ever attain the perfect six pack but I am certainly happy to wear a tshirt a size to small for the first time in my life. But here is the best news. For years my triglycerides were slightly above normal (normal being 0.60 – 2.30) at about 2.50. Cholesterol normal is 4.20 – 5.20 and I was usually around 5.4. This was the standard for 15 years… TODAY. Triglycerides only 1.06 and cholesterol 4.99. I couldn’t believe it……and I am quite happy as heart disease runs in the family.. There is more good stuff in the report but this is getting too long. Just sayin’ .. I am an outspoken advocate of what I do and how I eat, thank you Chad and the SYNERGY Team… ps: this was funny considering the amount of crappy weather we have been getting this spring, my vitamin D was way down.. which Chad and Mother Nature and maybe my travel agent need to work on.
– Daryl Cooper

KIMMY G: weight loss and self confidence

My CrossFit story began in 2011, yet the person who walked in those doors then is completely unrecognizable to the person I have now become; thanks in large part to SYNERGY. I walked in the doors 55lbs heavier than I am now (6 months later), and a whole-lot-of-defeated. I am now standing taller, prouder, and ready to take on new challenges in life, not only in the gym.
When I first started coming to SYNERGY, I found myself surrounded by amazing athletes. This alone was completely intimidating to me, yet inspiring at the same time. I remember getting so excited for these athletes when they broke their personal records; but what blew my mind was having them cheer just as hard or harder when I broke one of my seemingly tiny records in comparison. I have never had a great deal of self-confidence due to being overweight and out of shape, so coming into a gym like this was a huge deal for me. What completely overwhelmed me, and still does, was the non-judgmental support, encouragement, and guidance I received from the amazing coaches at SYNERGY, as well as from the incredible members. Their voices have encouraged me through many difficult workouts, and have inspired me many times over to reach higher, and push further.
In my first six months, I experienced so many incredible moments that will remain lodged in my memory forever. Things like running my first 400 meters without having to stop and catch my breath, the first time I did a banded pull-up in a workout, the first time I lifted 100lbs, or the first time I did a handstand up against a wall. Then there are so many other amazing moments that weren’t at the gym, but happened as a direct result of my time at there; like the first time I talked to my friends about getting healthy and they believed me, the first time I got dressed up to go out with friends and felt attractive, or the first time I bought a winter coat that wasn’t in the men’s section.
Getting healthy is a lifestyle, it’s radical, and it changes absolutely everything; I couldn’t be more excited, or more grateful to SYNERGY for coming alongside me in the amazing way they have. I am completely in love with the sport I have come to know as CrossFit. Nothing comes close to comparing with the feeling of triumph in all the little things. For those who are considering CrossFit, my advice is simple: do it. You have absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
– Kimmy G

BROOKE ALLEN: weight loss & family

After having my second baby I was looking to find a training program that would help me drop “the baby weight”. I was tired, overweight and ready to change. I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer but quickly realized that she wasn’t very invested in my personal achievements. I had heard about Crossfit from a family member and she raved about what it had done for her so I gave it a try. Soon after joining Synergy I saw how invested Chad (and all the trainers) were in my success at the gym. He taught not only about fitness, but about the importance of proper nutrition; not to simply “drop the weight” but to become a healthier person overall. When I walked through the door at Synergy two and a half years ago I was 180 lbs and could not do a dead hang pull up. Now, I am down 25 lbs and can do 4 dead hang pull ups. I have become leaner, stronger and overall a healthier happier person and my whole family has benefitted. As my husband says “happy wife, happy life.”
– Brooke Allen

DARLENE BRANDER: community and “something different”

Looking back at where I came from, to where I am now, are two vastly different things. When I started Crossfit Saskatoon a couple of years ago, I had a couch potato physique. I had a child a couple of years before, and although I lost most of my “baby” weight, I was still really overweight. Along with being overweight I was incredibility out of shape. I wanted to get in shape but the thought of having to go to a gym with some meat heads, didn’t appeal to me. However, one night I read an article in the paper about Crossfit, where Ian and Chad said something along the line that Crossfit Saskatoon was “not your typical gym”. That line stuck out, because that’s exactly what I was looking for. I then set out and arranged to take the jump start classes and started with Val Perry. It was good environment, because Val was nice, and Chad was patient. I was hooked. In those early days, there was more that I couldn’t do than I could do. The one thing I knew I could do though, was keeping coming through the door. Finishing WODs became exhilarating and liberating. I found that the gym provided an extremely supportive environment, so I kept on coming back. Within a couple of months, I was going home to regale my husband with my feats of greatness, and show him my muscles. It was pretty great, and I still do that even today.
Now, I look forward to especially hard WODs, because I know that afterwards, I am going to feel great. I feel stronger, healthier, faster and happier. I like being part of this community, and especially like that we get opportunities, to “play” together at community events such as the Dragon Boat races and the Crossfit competitions. As time goes on, my experience with the gym continues to evolve and the impact on my life is significant. Seeing other newer gym members reach their goals is inspirational and also keeps me hungry to achieve more. Big thanks to Ian, Chad, and all of the Trainers, and the members of the gym, you guys are all awesome.
– Brander

DALE HOPKINS: performance

I joined SYNERGY in March 2009. When I started, I weighed 210lb (20% + body fat) and I had a 230lb back squat, a 250lb deadlift, and a 100lb overhead press. I’m happy to say that in 2012 I weigh 200lb (10% body fat) have a 315lb back squat, a 425lb deadlift, and a 155lb overhead press.
I have tried a number of other gyms, and I built a gym in my basement, but for me I would train hard for about a year and then my progress would plateau, my motivation would drop and then I’d stop attending regularly and see my fitness decline and weight increase. This has been the biggest change for me at Synergy: It’s now been over 2.5 years without me hitting a plateau and my motivation and drive for the gym is way higher than it was when I started and still improving.
SYNERGY’s obsession over measurement and improvement is key to the success of the gym. They help you measure your progress at the gym in terms of weights, technique, nutrition, and body composition. They then are able to give you feedback on how best to improve those measurements and when you do, they celebrate your achievements and let you know that they are genuinely happy for you.
There have been a lot of big accomplishments for me at the gym:
– I learned to do a hand stand pushup, and then improved to being able to do 14 in a row!
– I improved my 5k time from 28 minutes to 21:12
– I have successfully adopted a paleo diet, I used to pride myself on eating anything and everything I wanted in large quantities.
– I learned how to do the olympic lifts from Synergy and now compete regularly at Saskatchewan weightlifting meets!
– I have reduced my body fat percentage by over 10%, increased my lean muscle mass, and increased all of my lifts at the same time.
– Dale

LAURIE MESCHISHNICK: performance

I walked into Synergy S&C in June 2009 not being able to do one dead-hang pullup. AND then came the Olympic Weight Lifting moves. I watched in awe…then realized I was faced with something that really challenged me…scared me in fact. I stayed calm and carried on. I’m naturally one to push myself but at Snyergy I was supported by the coaches to go even further. The results came quickly; lifting more weight than I thought possible, increasing my very limited range of motion, mastering more skill, going from 0 to 9 dead-hang pullups and reaching less than 10% body fat. I couldn’t wait to get to the next workout. I have learned more about being “fit and healthy” in the last 2 years than the previous 20 of my life. Crossfit at SYNERGY has enriched my life in mental fortitude, strength, endurance, fearlessness, nutrition and friendship. With the incredible skill and knowledge in programming of the SYNERGY coaching staff, I qualified to compete in the Crossfit Games in Carson CA in 2011 & 2012. It is a testament to our coaching staff that we achieved a 2nd place finish in the Crossfit world arena. My Crossfit tip – Be consistent, give a 110% effort and take it one WOD at time!!
– Laurie M

CARLA ROY: self confidence

I decided to try Crossfit because I was lacking motivation to go to the gym & when I did go to the gym, I hardly worked up a sweat. I quickly saw the difference in a Crossfit gym; the actual workouts pushing me beyond what I ever thought I could do & the friendly/community atmosphere. I love how excited everyone at the gym is when someone else achieves a milestone. I remember when I tried for my first pull-up…. and got 3! I was so excited…and so was everyone else that was there!
I did my first Crossfit competition in 2010. I was unbelievably nervous before it, but it was the most fun I’d had with Crossfit yet! I couldn’t wait until the next competition!! I ended up getting 3rd place in my division, which totally surprised me because I didn’t really have any idea how I compared to other “crossfitters”. It was a huge confidence boost for me.
I decided to try the “sport” program because I wanted to push myself further and see what else I could do. In the first 2 months I’ve been doing it I have surprised myself with what I can do. I have been lifting more weight, completing workouts that I never dreamed of doing. It is a huge confidence boost, and also a huge confidence boost when others congratulate me on my accomplishments.
Now, I can’t get enough of the gym! When I’m not there I’m thinking about the workouts, the weights I’ll use, the people there, & checking the blog constantly. I always look forward to accomplishing the workouts that seem near impossible on paper no matter how scared I am!
– C-roy

JASON ROY: job performance and lifestyle

My day job is a Safety Supervisor at the PCS Allan Potash Mine in Allan, SK. What brought me to Synergy Strength and Conditioning is not this, but to improve my fitness levels and performance at my other job, officiating the Western Hockey League.
Throughout the years I have always been a fairly active person. I have had numerous gym memberships doing what I thought was enough to keep me in shape for officiating. When I started the WHL, at our pre-season camp, fitness testing only included as many sit-ups and push-ups one could do in a minute. Since then, as with all sports, fitness has taken on more of an important role. Our pre-season camp now includes sit-ups, push-ups, a multi-stage beep test, forward skate sprint, backward skate sprint and skating three laps for time; with level nine on the beep test being the benchmark for the minimum fitness requirement.
It was September 2009 and I just got done with training camp, I was only able to get to level 8.1 on the beep test and it was clear my fitness was not where it needed to be. I weighed in around 235 lbs and my waist size was around a 36. A friend of mine in Airdrie, AB was raving about a new fitness program called Crossfit that he was doing at a “Global style gym”, and getting incredible results. My wife Carla, also unhappy with her fitness levels, discovered there was a Cross fit gym in Saskatoon, (what is now Synergy Strength and Conditioning) and signed us both up for their jumpstart program. I remember being so nervous making the drive to Crossfit Saskatoon for the first time. Remembering the you tube videos I saw of crossfitters doing workouts such as “Fran” and “Cindy” on and thinking there was no way I could do that. But after meeting with Chad and Ian those fears changed from thinking there was no way I could do that… to I cannot wait for the day until I can! In that jumpstart they introduced me to the Paleo diet, how to properly perform Olympic movements and the importance of sleep, stress and nutrition when it came to weight loss.
The months following I could not believe how much weight I was losing and how much better I felt. By March of that year I was down to 195 lbs and a 32 inch waist. Workouts became easier and all of my numbers in all of the lifts increased. I went from only working the first round of play-offs in the Western Hockey League to the Conference Finals, which I have now done for the past two seasons. The following season at training camp I increased my beep test results almost 2 and ½ full levels getting a 10.5, a full level and a half over the league benchmark!
This season, I was selected to officiate the World Jr. A Challenge in Langley, BC, where I worked the gold medal game and was also selected to work a Subway Super Series game between Russian and WHL All Stars in Regina, SK.
Crossfit and Paleo is now much more than a gym and diet, it has become a way of life for myself and my wife Carla. I just want to thank Chad and Ian and all of the other coaches at Synergy Strength and Conditioning for introducing us to this and motivating us to be better.
– J-Roy

RANA WRIGHT: strength (body and soul)

I joined Synergy Strength and Conditioning because I needed something to help me through a very long and complicated adoption process my husband and I were in the middle of. I thought I was going to get “in shape” but what I really gained was strength. In more ways than one. Synergy has transformed my life. Before I started I couldn’t do a dead-hang pull-up to save my life. Now I can do 3 strict pull-ups and 15 kipping pull-ups, press 70lbs above my head, squat close to 160lbs as well as clean and jerk 102lbs I can run 400 meters repeatedly, push a prowler 150 meters in under 60 seconds, and swing a 16kg kettle bell 30 times! My confidence has taken a giant step forward. It has carried over into my everyday life. I know that if I can finish a WOD at Synergy I can do anything. I have gained strength in body and mind. I have also gained a community of friends who cheer and celebrate every achievement with me and who are there to encourage me through the last minutes of a work out when I think I can’t possibly do another push-up or climb the wall one more time. I stay with Synergy because it has become a way of life. The excellent coaching staff and well thought out programming keep me coming back 5 days a week.
Now that my very active 3 year old son is finally home with us, my training at Synergy helps me stay one step ahead of him!
Thanks Chad, Ian and the Synergy Crew for all your hard work and motivation!
– Rana

JASON KNIGHT: self confidence

I joined SYNERGY in the dead of winter, Nov 2012. I was taking the bus to work at the time, and lived a pretty far ways away. To get there every morning I had to ride the bus for 40 minutes then run, walk and jog a final kilometer carrying 2 backpacks full of clothes, wearing ski pants and a winter jacket. I still can’t believe I did that every morning for the 3 months of winter before I could start riding my bike, but it was all worth it. Now I’ve got a sense of self confidence and self assurance that is unrivaled amoungst the non lifters. Get swoll.
– J. Knight