I CROSSFIT BECAUSE....
How much time do I have?? LOL. I'll pick three of the many reasons I CrossFit...#1 - It works. I'm creeping up on 30 as I write this and I have no doubt I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, and probably spend less time working out now than when I was younger. I'm stronger than when I was just lifting weights. I'm faster and can run further than when I was just running. I have skills I never had in the past. I feel fantastic; and although I don't do it for aesthetics, I'm pretty confident I look better now than I did doing anything before.#2 - I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy learning new things, which at first are challenging, but get better with practice. I enjoy refining my skills, again challenging at first, but better with practice. Most of all, I enjoy the grind & little bit of suffering each day. It only hurts for a little while. The discomfort eventually subsides (some days faster than others) and the feeling of satisfaction is well worth it. In addition to making my body fitter, it strengthens my mind and I've found this accelerates all other aspects of my life.#3 - The people. All my friends are CrossFitters, and we're not just friends at the gym. We support each other outside the gym. We do non-fitnessy things together. We support each others businesses. We celebrate weddings, birthdays, & retirements together. My in-laws, my doctor, my kids godparent's, my car salesmen, almost all of my close personal acquaintances are Live Active gym goer's. Just a whole bunch of like-mind individuals who've made it a priority to be healthy and better themselves. We set high expectations of one another & hold each other accountable. I'm surrounded daily by doer's and high achievers. What's not to love about that?
I HAVE BEEN CROSSFITTING HOW LONG....
I have been CrossFitting since October of 2012. I started after my college lifting pals graduated and I was left to lift by my lonesome. Bored and lonely I was looking for something new. I dropped into one class and was basically hooked. Since then I've pretty much lived and breathed all things CrossFit. I wish I had started sooner!
I COACH BECAUSE....
Again, how much time do I have? How about three of the many reasons I LOVE coaching CrossFit...#1 - We're helping people achieve real results, and therefore changing their lives, for the better! In a world filled with "Fitsagram fitness professionals" and "self-proclaimed health gurus", we are helping our members achieve real results by understanding their goals, meeting them where they're at, setting expectations, holding them accountable, & building meaningful relationships that far outlast their time with us. These things lead to results, and that's why we're in this business. RESULTS. Not likes and followers.#2 - I enjoy the range of athletes that I get to coach and interact with on the reg. From stay at home moms, to former division one athletes, high-schoolers, grandmas, and everyone in between. Young, old, experienced, inexperienced, washed up, or in their prime. CrossFit has no boundaries.#3 - Gym clothes. All day. Every day. Okay it's not really about the gym clothes, it's more about the freedom that CrossFit has given me. Simply to do what I love, every single day. Quite honestly, coaching a CrossFit class is the easiest part of my day, because I enjoy it that much.
MY FAVORITE MOVEMENTS ARE....
Easy. Burpees. I promised I'm not crazy. Remember when I said I enjoy the grind? Burpees all day!
MY WEAKEST MOVEMENTS ARE...
Definitely the deadlift. For a long time I avoided deadlifts as they were a clear weakness, but since starting CrossFit I'm willing to tackle them more frequently. I still won't admit that I enjoy them though :/
MY FAVORITE JUNK FOOD IS....
Ice Cream, no question. Cream of choice?....definitely an Oreo Shake with Peanut Butter, ideally from Whitey's, but I'll dabble with DQ also. I simply will not say no to ice cream.
ANY OTHER PASSIONS OR FAMILY HISTORY THAT YOU ARE NOT SCARED TO SHARE.
Between gym work (and play), balancing a schedule with three kids under 5 (Carter, Cooper, and Millie) & a wife, Megan (also a CrossFitter) I stay pretty busy, but I Iike it that way! I've also been a member of the Iowa Army National Guard for 11 years and am currently working on becoming a firefighter. I'm passionate about living our brand, it's not just a fun tag line, but I firmly believe life is better when you LIVE ACTIVE. In addition to setting the example and being able to perform at my actual jobs, it has relevance outside the gym. I take my kids on long runs, we play all the sports under the sun, they want to wrestle and be "airplanes" every time I sit on the ground. I'm on a flag football team in the fall, a softball team in the summer, and sub for sand volleyball when called upon. I run 2-3 5k's per year, am training for a sprint-tri this summer, and have hopes of doing a Go-Ruck or Ragnar race in the near future. I'm all about living our brand, and utilizing my fitness outside the gym, so when I'm called upon to climb the hill across from Veterans Memorial Park in Bettendorf 50+ times in one day to sled with a pair of four year-olds who don't quit, I can handle it.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD
This past year I've been focused on refining my nutrition habits, which in the past I had never concerned myself with. Like many 20 year old dudes, I was able to get away with eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. When I did eventually start working on my nutrition, I started simple, tracking my food, then started eliminating some things; all with the help of a Coach, yes, I am a fitness professional and I have a Nutrition Coach, one of ours of course. It's true, you cannot out work a poor diet :/ In addition to making me feel incredibly better (both physically & mentally), focusing on my nutrition has taken my training to a new level, and again I'm not in this for aesthetics, but I'm confident focusing on nutrition has upped my game. Like CrossFit, I wish I would've figured this nutrition thing out much sooner!
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