It’s a popular way to crush calories and build muscle. CrossFit grows in popularity across West Texas, and part of that is thanks to locals Kenny Woods and Rodney Taylor, who own CrossFit Mix in Midland.

“We just want to get people up and get them moving,” says Woods. “Everything we do is stuff you do in your day-to-day.”

The gym sits off Florida Avenue. It was founded six years ago as the two partnered up to bring a fitness option to Midland that they say is anything but boring.

“When I first started CrossFit I was around 330-340 pounds,” says Taylor. “It was the first thing I’ve done since basketball that kept my interest fitness-wise.”

Each class is taught by coaches who help motivate you to keep going. The owners say what makes this place stick out is that each coach has a drive to better each person in the class.

“Rodney was overweight, I was overweight,” says Woods. “Some of our coaching staff was overweight. So we all made a change in our life to make it better. That’s the thing that I think makes us special, that all of our coaches understand where people are coming from.”

It’s also a Black-owned business. Kenny and Rodney say they’re proud of that, and they’re trying to set examples for others in the community.

“I’m a father of four,” says Taylor. “I want to show my kids that they can own their own business, they can own their own place and kind of live their dream out in a different way than they thought it always had to be.”

If you’re interested in trying out Crossfit Mix, it offers a free trial. The gym offers classes all throughout the day. Find out more here.

To get a look inside CrossFit Mix, check out the video above.