James Cook

Growing up I played a number of sports such as baseball, basketball, football, soccer and swimming. During high school I primarily focused on training/ competing in baseball and basketball. During these years the concept of training to get better at something such as sports was something that caught my interest and a passion to pursue. Strength & Conditioning seemed cool to explore making a career of. I would pursue this path in college. I enrolled in a very good school which also had a very strong baseball program. My Freshman year I walked onto their baseball program and was ready to work. The Spring semester of my Freshman year the pandemic hit and just like that the world was turned upside down. The Spring baseball season was cancelled, we were sent home and finished the semester virtually. When things shut down, my Dad told my brother and I we needed to take this opportunity to make something good out of this. Something about turning lemons into lemonade...some old guy stuff, I guess.

We transformed our old beat up 2 car detached garage into a CAGE to workout in. Old workout equipment was resuscitated. New equipment was quickly acquired or built by whatever means necessary. We invited friends, and soon we had sessions running many hours of the day. My brother and I became Coaches for many. We worked and taught lifts such as bench, sumo and conventional deadlifts, push presses, box squats, ass to grass squats, front squats, Olympic lifts, ZERCHER SQUATS???, and more. It was insane and it was fun. Whiteboards went up. Tires were flipped, yokes were crushed and sleds pulled out in the yard. Pushup clubs were formed; events were planned for competitions (RAGE A THONS) amidst bonfires during cold winter nights. Leaderboards written in chalk scribbled on our cinderblock walls. All while the tunes cranked and our American flag stood strong in the gym. It was such a real experience of hard work.

Essentially, this was my first job. Being 18 when this began, I was getting all of this experience working and training friends. Learning about strength, conditioning, working with athletes and getting them better. I am thankful for all those who trusted me to train them in those days, it helped me tremendously getting started on this road of personal training and coaching athletes.

Looking back, that season of real-time experience was a gift; it gave me the dual perspective of a coach in the trenches and an entrepreneur behind the scenes.

Wanting something to compete in, in the fall of 2021, my Dad challenged me with CrossFit. He would send me workouts that immediately sparked my interest. I was hooked by the sheer intensity and the way the movements built 'functional athletic horsepower'—a perfect fit for any well-rounded athlete. I began experimenting with these workouts in our RAGE CAGE, but I quickly realized that to truly excel and eventually compete, I needed more. I needed a dedicated community, professional mentorship, and a facility built for the sport.

At age 22 I signed up for the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar hosted at CrossFit 845, and shortly after that I signed up to begin training at CrossFit 845. The Coaches and Community were all so welcoming right away. People seemed like they would go out of their way to cheer you on or talk to you before or after class. One day I was deadlifting in class and the owner Dave approached me about coming aboard the Coaching staff. Great opportunity and I got involved with private sessions and running Group classes many hours of the day. All while my brother was still running sessions out of our garage gym with a fairly large following of youth athletes. About a year later, it was time to move houses. Wanting to continue our Rage Cage gym we approached Dave with an idea. Me and my brother primarily worked with athletes in middle school, high school and college, over the course of 5 years leading up to this moment. With Westside Barbell and ATG training focused methods (different approaches than CrossFit), we thought it would be a great idea to compliment the community. Dave and business partner Jon McKenna of CrossFit 845 Poughkeepsie were on board and gave us the chance.

In less than a year of operating Rage Cage Gym within CrossFit 845 PK, we have successfully transitioned our core group of athletes from the garage while welcoming many new faces, thanks to the support of Dave and Jon. Our growth is driven by a singular vision: to provide an elite training experience specifically tailored for youth athletes. By combining a dedicated community with high-level coaching, we are committed to helping the next generation reach their full physical and competitive potential.

Oh, and I did not even get into HUM. Please read my brother Chaz's bio for the back story