Canton’s Crossfit Overthrow owners know how to get you in great shape

 Canton’s Crossfit Overthrow owners know how to get you in great shape

Collan Baker and his wife Annette opened Canton CrossFit Overthrow Jan. 10.

Canton’s CrossFit Overthrow is stocked with just about every proven fitness-enhancing piece of equipment known to man.

One thing you won’t find in the recently-opened business: shortcuts to success.

Opened Jan. 10 at 8014 Sheldon Center Road by Canton residents (and fitness enthusiasts) Collan and Annette Baker, CrossFit Overthrow’s mission is straight-forward: deliver the highest level of fitness training to its growing number of clients.

“People who love CrossFit recognize that there is no shortcut to hard work,” said Baker, a 2009 graduate of Canton High School, where he excelled at soccer before moving on to Concordia University in Ann Arbor (Annette attended Plymouth Christian Academy before playing collegiate soccer at Indiana Wesleyan University ).

“You’re going to be sore when you start a new exercise program like ours. The best way to not be sore is to keep moving, keep working. The more you do it, the less soreness you’re going to feel.”

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Sold on CrossFit

The Bakers were sold on the demanding (but results-generating) CrossFit regimen shortly after they graduated from their respective high schools in the summer of 2009.

CrossFit Overthrow recently opened in a spacious building at 8014 Sheldon Center Road in Canton
CrossFit Overthrow recently opened in a spacious building at 8014 Sheldon Center Road in Canton

“Annette and I started doing CrossFit to get in shape to play college soccer,” Baker said. “After a while, we looked forward to the (CrossFit) training as much as we did playing soccer. We developed a passion for it.”

After graduating from Concordia, Collan Baker worked for a Canton CrossFit business before signing on as a personal trainer for Edge Fitness in Westland in 2019.

“When COVID shut down all the gyms in March of 2020, I had a feeling it was going to be for more than two weeks,” he recalled.

“I started to accumulate as much fitness equipment as I could and I started training people in our four-car pole barn — basically for donations.”

Popularity spread fast

Baker’s word-of-mouth popularity spread so rapidly, by 2022 he put a price on his fitness-training service.

“The business ultimately outgrew the garage, so we moved to this space,” Baker said.

“Every day is an adrenaline rush. It’s exciting to fully bet on yourself like we’re doing. When we were doing it out of our garage, there was no overhead and it was low-risk. It’s exciting to go all-in on something we’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

The CrossFit Overthrow logo
The CrossFit Overthrow logo

Baker said his business’s menu of small-group classes are designed to train everyone from teenagers to grandparents.

“Canton High School’s soccer team is coming in later today for a class,” he noted. “They’re in great shape, but they want to get in better shape.

“We work with people who are overweight or not in the best condition as far as fitness goes. We cover the whole spectrum.”

Pace yourself

Each of the Bakers’ clients (both Collan and Annette run classes) can work at their own pace.

“If, for instance, we have 10 people in a class, they’ll do the same workout, but there will be 10 different scaling options,” he explained. “That’s one of the benefits of a coach-led class. It’s not a one-size-fits-all concept.

“And the more I get to know someone, the more specific I can be as far as providing them with the perfect class.”

One of CrossFit’s many appeals, Baker emphasized, is the variety of the workouts.

“There’s not a ton of steady cardio,” he said. “It’s not just running, rowing or riding a stationary bike. We mix the cardio together (with strength work).”

CrossFit Overthrow offers scheduled and drop-in classes — both small group and one-on-one.

If you would like to try your first class for free, click here.

To learn more, including pricing, visit its website here.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.

Buying or selling a home this year? Working with our real estate company, Social House Group, helps us bring you more good news. If you’re considering a move, schedule an appointment with Erik Wright today by calling or texting him at (734) 620-4736. We’d love to help you with your next move!

Just a sampling of the equipment available at the facility
Just a sampling of the equipment available at the facility

Ed Wright

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