Original Strength: Coach Heehee's Story
Corey first introduced me to Tim Anderson’s Original Strength during COVID. He showed me some of the foundational movements—especially crawling—and told me this was the certification we were going to pursue.
And I laughed.
I came from a CrossFit background, where we valued intensity, hard work, and pushing limits. We lifted heavy things, worked on skills, and challenged ourselves physically every day.
Crawling on the floor seemed too simple to make any difference.
I was wrong. Crawling and other Original Strength movements have made all the difference to my health and well-being.
The Back Pain I Learned to Live With
I've struggled with back pain since I was a teenager.
When my son was little, we'd play together, but there were many times when I had to lie down and rest because my back hurt too much to keep going. I had reluctantly accepted that pain as part of my life.
Years ago, a massage therapist even suggested that I might have been born with a flat back and would likely deal with pain forever.
It was a terrible thing to hear.
But once I started practicing Original Strength, my back started to improve. Now, not only do I have no more back pain, but I’m also practicing judo, jujutsu, and kickboxing. I never imagined I would be doing this in my life :) So much fun!
Original Strength showed me that our bodies are incredibly adaptable and that we can empower ourselves to move, feel, and live better when we are willing to make a change. I started as a skeptic. But now it's become one of the most important tools in my own health journey.
Crawling... and Much, Much More
Original Strength is based on the idea of restoring the movement patterns our bodies were designed to use from the very beginning—even as babies!
This includes:
Breathing.
Rolling.
Rocking.
Crawling.
Twisting.
Balancing.
These are foundational movements that many of us lose as we spend years sitting in chairs, driving cars, staring at screens, and moving less than we were designed to.
The goal is to reconnect with the foundational movements that support everything else we do.
No Fancy Equipment Needed
One of the things I love the most about Original Strength is that it easily fits into our everyday lives.
You don't need a gym.
You don't need equipment.
All you really need is a floor.
I can practice Original Strength on a film set, in a hotel room, before an audition, before singing, before a rehearsal, or before a workout.
Whenever I want to feel more mobile, energized, grounded, or connected to my body, I have simple tools I can use immediately.
That simplicity is one of its greatest strengths.
Why I Decided to Recertify in Original Strength
Recently, I decided to recertify in Original Strength.
Part of the reason was personal. One of my sisters was struggling with back pain, and I wanted to support her.
I had completed my original certification online and was curious about experiencing the training in person.
What I didn't expect was how rewarding it would be to watch someone else experience their own breakthrough. Seeing my sister have that "aha" moment reminded me of why I fell in love with Original Strength in the first place.
That experience strengthened my desire to bring this knowledge back to our Empower Fitness community and help others experience the same breakthroughs.
Bringing Original Strength to Empower
If you've been a CrossFit group class member at Empower for a while, you've probably already experienced some Original Strength training. For years, we've incorporated Original Strength resets into our Make-Up Days and recovery-focused sessions.
With our new programming structure, Make-Up Days are no longer part of the schedule. Rather than let these valuable tools disappear, we've decided to give them a dedicated home.
That's why we're launching Original Strength with Heehee.
Program: Original Strength with Coach Heehee
Time: Saturdays, 11:00 am -12:00 pm
Location: At the Empower gym
No experience necessary. You don't need to be a CrossFit group class member — or any type of Empower member. Everyone is welcome!
Space is limited to six people, so sign up early.
You can sign up for a monthly membership for Original Strength here.
If you're recovering from injury, dealing with aches and pains, looking to improve mobility and coordination, building resilience, or simply wanting to move better, these foundational movements can really help.
Original Strength provides the foundation that everything else depends on.
Because strength doesn't start with intensity.
It starts with foundational movement.
