How long have you been a Crossfitter?
I started CrossFit at CrossFit South Cobb in late January 2011.
Why do you CrossFit?
Initially it was purely because I lacked the motivation to get myself into a traditional gym. My wife Ginny encouraged me to try it out late in 2010 and the military roots caught my interests so I took the plunge. For me CrossFit mixes working out with overall health in every aspect of your life. You can tell that it is a system designed to improve your life in every aspect and not just a way to take your money and give you massive biceps.
What’s your favorite thing about CrossFit?
In a nut shell I love the people/social aspect that is unique to CrossFit and South Cobb more specifically. When you start, you begin to make friends with your intro class folks and encourage each other, and then as you move into the regular WODs you get the encouragement from the more seasoned folks plus those folks you started with. Prior to joining here I thought of the gym as an extension of work…I hated gyms or so I thought. The people, the crossfitters and the trainers encourage like no other place I have ever been and that has kept me hooked. I am excited to come into the gym now not because I have too but because I want to and I love reciprocating that encouragement that so many give to me daily.
How has CrossFit impacted your life?
Physically: 40-45lbs. of overall weight loss, and a decrease in body fat composition from roughly 35% to 19%…I feel that every day all day.
Mentally: You find out exactly who you are inside on the tough WODs. Working out like this exposes your weaknesses and allows you to work on them. I love that cross-fit encourages me to dig down deep inside for the courage to continue when things are sucking during a WOD or just life in general. Will told me something the other day that really stuck; “Don’t listen to your body when it tells you it is tired and wants to stop…just keep moving and doing work until that clock stops the rest will take care of itself.” Truer words have never been spoken.
My wife can’t keep her hands off of me…so I got that going for me…which is nice.
What’s your favorite lift/workout?
Power Cleans/ Any of the long challenging ones like MURPH, GLEN, PARKER because they make me feel like I have really accomplished something when I finish.
What’s your least favorite lift/workout?
Wall balls or Thrusters/ Any of the long challenging ones like the ones mentioned above…they just suck. Or anytime we have to sprint row before a WOD.
What advice would you give to the new Crossfitter?
Stick it out and keep coming in, even when you are too sore to move, too tired, too what ever. If you can get in a routine/ habit of making at least 3 workouts a week for one month you will be hooked…the results don’t lie and you will start to feel great in the short of a period of time.
Tell us something not CrossFit related that we don’t know about you
I am a huge Geek but everyone knows that already. I love to cook/ bake (why I had a weight problem), I am an avid photographer, Scuba dive when ever possible, and have had the pleasure of drinking from a coconut with Ginny on the island where they filmed Castaway. When I am not busy doing those things I am watching Starwars, Jurrassic Park, Lord of the Rings, or Band of Brothers. I also moonlight as Ginny’s personal carpenter, electrician, and plumber during our ongoing house renovation and most importantly I am greatly looking forward to becoming a father shortly after Ginny’s water breaks most likely during a WOD.