Outer Limits Strength and Conditioning is built around the concepts of family and community. From left Co-owners Matt Foss and Mary-Ann Linteau and their daughter Lou-Ann. Tinkess photo
Crysler – It used to be, that if you wanted peace and quiet, you could choose to live in the country, or at least in a rural area. You understood that in return for the more relaxed lifestyle, you were trading a bit of convenience. For example, if you wanted to be able to work out regularly, you either purchased your own exercise equipment (which more often than not would go unused) or you planned your trips into town so you could go to the gym for a workout on professional quality equipment and in an environment where you could receive guidance, encouragement, and mutual motivation.
Now, as they say, things have changed a bit. Increasingly you can find just about anything you are looking for without driving “into town.” The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Eastern Ontario, and more people are discovering that if they offer a good product or service from their home, people will take advantage of it.
Mary-Ann Linteau and Matt Foss are just one example of this, through Outer Limits Strength and Conditioning, which they market as “your countryside fitness community.” It is located at 2045 Route 900 west, between Crysler and St. Albert.
Mary-Ann Linteau acquired her interest in fitness at the age of 11, when she started competitive dancing, an interest she maintained for 13 years. She has a CrossFit L1 designation and explained some of the equipment and activities available at Outer Limits.
“We have the Eco bikes, we have the rowers, “said Linteau. “We have skiers, we have bikers, we also have all the rigging equipment. And honestly, the best equipment you can bring to the gym is yourself. Because this is what CrossFit is all about: we are working with functional movements. We adapt all the workouts to any level, and we have all ages. We have kids, we have teens, and we have people in their 70s as well. It’s really cool working through all ages for all levels, we adapt every workout for any limitation. It’s amazing. A good example of it today is that we have that lady over there, and she has a broken wrist. We still adapt the workout for her to do.”
Outer Limits offers a variety of programs that can be adapted to individual needs. These include strength and conditioning, team workouts, gymnastics, conditioning, teen classes, kids’ classes, babies and barbells, open gym time and, of course personal training with one of their experienced coaches. Soon they plan on offering weightlifting that will focus on two Olympic movements, the snatch, and the clean and jerk.
Linteau’s partner, and soon to be husband Matt Foss also has the CrossFit L1 designation as well as Precision Nutrition L1. He has a background that involves 12 years in nuclear security. “Fitness has been ingrained in me,” said Foss. “I was part of a strength and conditioning gym, at home, so I’ve been involved in this type of fitness for quite a long time.
“We moved from Bruce County, to here in February of 2021. I’ve always owned a gym, maybe not this big, but my personal gym,” said Foss. “When we moved here, we were looking for a place to do what we were doing and we realized in the area that nothing existed. Mary and I, thought of the idea of possibly opening a gym in this space. This wasn’t the plan when we moved, but we tossed the idea around. We’re talking about a year and a half ago. We ran a community workout like this, very low key, to find out whether there was interest and then from there the community just kept growing.”
Outer Limits isn’t secluded by any means, and if you live in the immediate area, then it’s perfect. The thing is, they are attracting people from farther away as well.
“What I’ve heard, some advice from other people is, if you provide something good, people will come,” adds Foss. “So, you don’t have to be in a big city, or go to a big city to get that type of fitness. If you can provide the same quality, and that’s our goal to try to provide the same quality of things as you would in a big city, then people will drive to come to it. And so, for the last year and a half, all we’ve seen as a community gym, is people coming from Embrun, Casselman, Limoges, Moose Creek, Vankleek Hill, Winchester. So, it works.
It certainly seems to work. On Sat., Sept. 2, they were holding their second annual community workout and barbecue. It was a beautiful day, so much of the equipment had been moved outside. There were people on the rowing machines, riding the bikes, doing strength training, and going for a run. It was a beehive of activity and there was a full range of age groups and genders, and everyone was supporting everyone else. Linteau and Foss obviously found a need in the community, and the community repaid them through their support.
For more information on Outer Limits Strength and Conditioning you can visit their website at Outerlimitssc.ca, email them at outerlimitsssc@outlook.com, or follow them on Facebook.
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Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.