Q1. What have been your greatest successes (physically, mentally or emotionally) since you began? How does your body feel now compared to when you started and WHY?
I think my greatest success would have to be the consistency with which I’ve been hitting the gym. I didn’t really come in to DNR with any specific fitness goals in mind; I just wanted to create a lifestyle of being fit, and I’m doing it.
Q2. How has your life changed since starting CrossFit training? Has CrossFit transferred over into any other areas of your life?
I am definitely more fit than I was before. I love how transferrable CrossFit is to other areas of life: I can approach almost any athletic situation knowing that I’ll be able to handle it well. My mentality in approaching hard situations has definitely been shaped by the regiment CrossFit has created for me. There’s certainly an element of mental toughness that I have to overcome in order to wake up before the sun’s even up to punish my body day in and day out, so I guess the tenacity that I have acquired from doing CrossFit has helped me out when life gets tough.
Q3. What are the advantages of CrossFit style training compared to your previous workout styles?
I love the fact that when one goes to do his training, he usually walks away with a total body workout. CrossFit engages one’s whole body, not an isolated muscle group. I had never done such intense workouts consistently before I started CrossFit training.
Q4. What advice can you give to others?
If you are serious about being healthy and getting fit, you have to be consistent. Anybody can show up and do a hard workout every once in a while. It’s the athletes that get their butts whooped and come back time and time again that will see the benefits of hard work. You don’t have to be a nut and come in to the gym every day in order to be healthy; whatever your plan is–2, 3, 4, 5 days out the week—stick to it! Most importantly, you should know that no matter how heavy you lift or how fast you can do the workout or how fit you look, you are loved and valued just as you are. It’s good to want to be fit and healthy, it’s another thing to need to be fit and healthy; that’s a hard lesson I’ve had to learn throughout the course of my life. I am confident that Jesus loves you and me; so therefore, I train out of enjoyment rather than necessity.
Athlete Specific Q. Do you think by training at 5:30 am gives you an advantage over those that train later in the day?
Haha, man there are so many amazing evening CrossFitters out there that can totally show me up that I don’t think working out in the morning makes me tougher than someone who works out later in the day. What I can testify to is what I mentioned previously—how waking up so early has definitely made me learn to get over myself and to just get up and do it—.