Hi - we’re Cat and Zach Allen (and Aggie), and together we own Black Oak Athletics.

We built Black Oak Athletics because we wanted a place to train that made sense.

Over the years, we’ve both spent time in gyms that did a lot right—and a lot wrong. We’ve seen what happens when intensity outruns coaching, when people are pushed without being supported, and when progress is treated like a competition instead of a process.

We believe good training should make people stronger, more capable, and more confident over time—not broken, burnt out, or intimidated. Coaching matters. Consistency matters. Treating people like individuals matters.

Black Oak Athletics is our attempt to do this the right way: clear programming, hands-on coaching, and a culture that values effort and accountability without ego. Whether someone is brand new or has been training for years, they deserve to be coached well and taken seriously.

Anything you build is only as stable as the foundation that supports it. With an emphasis on technique and consistency, we welcome people at every stage and aim to be a place they can build from for the long term.

This is the kind of gym we want to train in and now we’re building it here.

Zach

Name: Zach Allen
Age: 39
Time in Crossfit: 10 years
Favorite Movement: Ring Muscle Ups
Least Favorite Movement: Burpees (ew)
Fun Fact: I made fun of Cat for doing Crossfit when we started dating.

Cat

Aggie