#DedicatedDave
Name: Dave Smith
Age: 24
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 195
Crossfitting Since: September 2014
Attends Class: 3-4/week. I’ve got a gym at work I can take advantage of at lunch other days
Favorite Quote: “Some people want it to happen, some wish it could happen, others make it happen”
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT?
I first heard about Crossfit in college but it wasn’t until I moved to Hoboken where I really started gaining some interest in it. I had a few coworkers and friends that had been doing it for a while and had nothing but good things to say and saw some serious results as well.
WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
I first joined on a bit of a whim so other than the typical self betterment and improving my overall physical fitness, I didn’t have any set goals in mind. However, it didn’t take much time to realize how many things I needed to work on.
HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING?
Like a lot of people, I’d gotten stuck in the same routine doing the same workouts each week without really getting the results I wanted. I was working out to just work out without much direction. Monday – Chest and Tris, Tuesday – Back and Bis, and so it goes. I really like the variability in Crossfit’s programming. Not only does it help keep things interesting but there’s no doubt it helps stimulate results. There’s also something to be said about performing the same workout with 15 or so other athletes. The environment the box provides is contagious and it’s unlike any other gym I’ve ever been to. I love the competitive feel and it’s really pushed me farther in workouts than I ever would have expected. Needless to say, I’ve drank the Kool-Aid.
WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT?
I’m still pretty far from where I’d like to be but I’ve definitely become a lot more comfortable and confident in some of my Olympic lifts and gymnastic movements. It’s a little intimidating when you first start but like everything else, it just takes practice.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN?
I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about my experience at Crossfit Hoboken. The coaches do a great job pushing athletes during a workout while emphasizing and practicing proper form. It’s actually frustrating realizing how poor of a job some of my high school coaches and trainers were at teaching proper lifting form and working on mobility.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS?
I’ve arguable got some of the worst hip mobility in the gym which is something I’ve been trying to work on from the start. I’ve definitely made some progress but there’s still a lot to improve on. I’d also like to get better in my Olympic lifts and hopefully sign up for a competition or two this year.
NUTRITION QUESTON
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF FOOD LOOK LIKE YOUR YOU?
During the week, I’m generally pretty good about eating healthy. A typical day might be oatmeal with fruit and/or eggs for breakfast, a lunch meat sandwich or wrap with vegetables and a greek yogurt for lunch, and some source of protein with vegetables for dinner. I try to keep a stash of healthy trail mix and/or fruit to snack on between meals. I try to eat healthy on the weekends too but that’s a little more difficult. I’ve also considered trying Paleo but haven’t just yet.
#ExcellentMovingEllen
Name: Ellen Wisner
Age: 31
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 135
Crossfitting Since: Nov. 2011
Attends Class: (times per week?)
3-5 times a week
Favorite Quote:
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT?
In 2011 when my husband (Nate) and I moved to Jersey City he was trying to figure out what he was going to do for a gym. I wasn’t really looking for a gym. I like to run and I had a gym at work. I had heard about crossfit, specifically that it involved high intensity workouts, so I convinced Nate that he should join Crossfit Hoboken. I had no intention of joining, but after a few months of him coming home and telling me what he had done in class I decided to give it a shot.
WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
My goals were mostly just to stay in shape and not get bored doing so.
HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING?
I’ve been an athlete my entire life, and I played soccer through college. When I graduated college I was used to training 5-6 days a week, so for several years I filled my exercise need with all sorts of things: running, ultimate frisbee, step aerobics, spinning, and bootcamp-style workout classes. Before crossfit, I had done very little weight lifting (just some squatting as a part of my soccer training), so this was the first time that my training incorporated a lot of heavy weights and any Olympic lifts. I was worried about all the weights at first, but they quickly became my favorite part of crossfit.
More than just going to the gym on my own, or running, or taking a workout class, crossfit feels much more like a competitive sport to me. You are racing the clock, your neighbor, or your past record. This is what has kept me coming back.
WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT?
I am a high stress individual and crossfit helps keep me sane. In addition, it helps my confidence. Every time I clean the bar it reminds me that I am a badass.
I can do all sorts of things I never could do before. Here is a great example: At the end of my fundamentals class, we had to do some workout that was a mix of pull-ups and air squats and the rep scheme was 12-9-6. I was using maybe 3 bands, but even so, by the end I was struggling to finish — enough so that the coach actually had to come over and push my feet up on each rep so that I could get my chin over the bar. Now, pull-ups are one of my favorite movements. I can do 30 unbroken reps. Similarly, the first time I ever did Annie Rx (50-40-30-20-10 DU and sit-ups) in May 2012 my time was 28:28. Last month, I did it in 5:50.
I have arm muscles! (I never had them before.)
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN?
It’s been really, really great. My biggest fear when I started was getting injured, but, I have found the coaches at CFH to be very knowledgeable and aware of what all the athletes are doing. If they see you doing something that might hurt you, they stop you and help you correct it or have you scale the movement.
I also have made some friends at CFH, which makes coming to workouts even more fun for me.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS?
This is tricky. In general, my goals are the same as when I started, that is, to stay in shape and to have fun doing so. I typically don’t set specific “goals” when it comes to crossfit. This is mostly because then I would be stressed about hitting those benchmarks and, for me, that would take away a lot of what I get out of crossfit. My goal is to keep enjoying coming to the gym and improving as the result of that. Would I be pretty excited about getting a 300# deadlift? (I’m at 290 right now.) YEAH, but if I never do, that’s ok too.
NUTRITION QUESTON
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF FOOD LOOK LIKE YOUR YOU?
Well…. if we are being honest, I eat whatever I want. My definition of “healthy eating” has evolved over time. I no longer try to exclude any particular food items. For me, eating healthy means eating lots of vegetables and fruits, eating some meat (although I try to limit my consumption of meat, especially red meat), and getting some complex carbohydrates, typically whole grains. I mostly avoid overly processed food. That being said, I love to go out to eat, I love to eat pizza, and I love baking and eating cookies, so I do those things when I want to.