Meet Raven!

Introducing our new Barbell Club Coach, Raven!


My name is Raven Faudel and I am the new Barbell Club Coach at The X-Project School of Fitness.

I have been a part of the CrossFit community since 2013, and just moved to the Frederick area, joining the X-Project team, about 2 months ago.

Before CrossFit, I was working out in my university’s gym alone, when a CrossFit gym opened in my hometown in North Carolina. I was pursuing my Master’s Degree in Business Administration and needed internship hours, so I began helping with marketing and community outreach of the new facility. I began exercising alongside a group of people that became family to me and decided (against what I THOUGHT I wanted) to compete locally for fun in 2015 and started coaching in 2017.

Outside of the gym I consult with businesses on marketing, operation efficiency, and team building. I also enjoy spending time outdoors and learning new things. I participate and coach in this industry because I have seen it change lives and bring people happiness and health they didn’t know was possible. The amount of growth that can be made physically and mentally is immeasurable!

Through Barbell Club, I hope to help our members build awareness of their movement patterns, improve their lift technique and strength, and have fun!

MICHAEL GAINES

Founder & Head Coach

My career started as a personal trainer at your typical “big box” gym franchise. Although it was a challenge from day 1, I was ready for it – clients at 5 am, clients at 9 pm; clients who aspired to be collegiate athletes; clients who had never exercised; clients who wanted a “quick fix” and crash diets; clients who were lost; and clients who were stepping into the gym for the first time.

It was a daily challenge working with a “one size fits all” program and platform created by executives focused on profit over people. Everyone is so different, so why is the program the same for each person?

I became continually frustrated – how was anyone supposed to hit their individual goals with a program created for an “average” person. How were my clients ever going to feel encouraged when their progress and success was based on impossible standards? It was wrong, and I was determined to do something better.

There needed to be a genuine collaboration of long-term strategies aligned with our member’s unique goals and lifestyles. Couple that with a safe place where they are heard, seen, and understood. Where programs for exercise, diet, lifestyle changes, conquering health battles, and gaining control are creatively designed, individually prepared, intelligently managed, and continually monitored. It took some time to get it right, but I finally curated a program in a place where each member is individually recognized, yet part of a like-minded community. A place we call The X…and a program that is Proudly Different.

My name is Michael Gaines, and I am the proud founder and head coach of The X. Before you ask…the answer is yes – I hold numerous certifications and have put in years of research that serves as the backbone of every individual program we curate. Our members are my family, and it’s hard to articulate the joy I get watching them triumph over their health, fitness, and diet battles. The results are real, long-term, and rewarding. Stop in and say hello. Tell us how you define success and we’ll help you get there!

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