I have long been a fan of Crossover Symmetry. I remember seeing a whole set on the wall at a CrossFit gym. I pulled on a few bands now and then, but didn’t really understand the concept. Until my shoulders began to hurt.
I didn’t realize how bad my shoulder mobility was until I started doing handstands, overhead squats, and kipping pull-ups. Things I had always done without a thought became painful. Like pushing open the car door with my arm. Or reaching back to apply sunblock to the back of my neck.
I became a student of shoulder mobility stretches and exercises. I watched every YouTube video I could find. I ran through routines with stretchy bands and PVC pipes before every workout. These helped, but never really solved the problem.
Then I stumbled upon a promotion for Crossover Symmetry. I actually read the chart on the wall and started doing those motions before my workouts. It was magic. My shoulders felt so much better. I loved them so much I bought my own set for my garage gym. With a set of middle-of-the-road (neither beginner nor elite athlete) purple and red bands on the concrete block wall I was ready to go. I did both sides of the instruction card almost every day, working on my shoulders and scapula. My pain disappeared and my mobility improved.
That was four years ago. About a week ago, I was running through the exercises when I felt a “pop” from one of the purple bands. Uh-oh. Something had come loose inside the fabric sleeve, and it was no longer stretchy.
I got online and checked for any warranty. The warranty is excellent, but it’s only for two years. Okay, maybe I can repair it. I wondered what was inside of those well-made sleeves. I carefully sliced one open with a knife and found a stretchy tube inside that had simply snapped. The rest of the tube was cracked and dried, too. I wondered if I could get a replacement part. Everything else, from the handle to the fabic sleeves to the carabiner hangers was like new. So maybe.
I found my email receipt from four years ago, and sent my question to customer support at Crossover Symmetry. “Can I repair the purple band, or do I need to purchase a replacement?” I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but it never hurts to ask.
A few days later, I got a reply. “I’m happy to hear that you’re a fan. I would be happy to send you a new pair of purples. My gift for spreading the word about Crossover Symmetry.” I never expected such a gracious reply! And this post is my part of the deal.
I’m back in business. It only takes ten minutes to run through the shoulder and scapula motions. The routine works through all the different planes of motion in my shoulders. What a difference! I can workout pain free and my mobility is much better. I am no longer doing CrossFit, but warming up with Crossover Symmetry has served me well through a variety of streaming Bodi (formerly known as Beachbody) workouts.
Crossover Symmetry has systems for backs, knees, hips, and core, too. I haven’t tried them, but I’ll bet they are just a good as the products for shoulders. Customer service? Awesome! Thanks.
Waite for it... 