In my late 20s and 30s I was in really good shape. I did triathlons, marathons, long bike rides, swam laps in the ocean and pools. I rode my bicycle everywhere and staying in shape wasn't something I worried about. It was a part of lifestyle. A much busier lifestyle caught up with me and I stopped incorporating time for fitness. I remember looking at vacation photos of myself and not being thrilled with how I'd let my fitness go. I used to love the challenge of pushing my body to the limits but as I got older, I stopped doing it completely and missed the experience.

Some of my coworkers were getting into CrossFit and taking classes at CrossFit Central but I wasn't sure it was for me. I was impressed seeing them get visibly more fit and talking more about their fitness and nutrition. Still, I laughed at them for counting out their almonds at lunch and thought that would never be me doing the CrossFit "fad". Things changed when I got into a motocross accident and broke my left elbow. Being injured, then going through all of the rehab just to get my arm back to normal made me appreciate feeling healthy and strong. My road to CrossFit Central started when I took a class during an Invite a Friend Week and I could see how doing it could make anyone stronger. I liked the exercises and power lifting, but I had a long way to go developing my left arm strength. I started doing the CrossFit Central Bootcamp before the regular CrossFit classes. The first kettlebell I used was PeeWee Herman sized, but slowly I started to work my up.

When Coach Carey is coaching she might call out "Ok athletes!" and that is what I feel like when I'm there and beyond - an athlete. I try to carry some of that "feel like an athlete" mojo throughout my day. The coaches and fellow athletes are encouraging and inspirational because they are on their own fitness journey themselves.

Philip Lost 7 lbs.
Lost 3.5% Body Fat
Lost 10 Inches
Gained 3 lbs. of Lean Muscle

Mostly, it has been a mindset change that's helped me rethink and change my approach to fitness. What I've learned in the CrossFit Central community is to strength and fitness train more holistically with good nutrition habits. That might sound simple, but for me it's been a big challenge. Another mindset change is that I'm not just training "to get back in shape" but to actively stay engaged in my performance year round pushing to make incremental, measurable gains. I'm learning more about how to recover and increase mobility and thinking about what I want my health habits to be as I get older.

I never thought stepping up to a barbell would be something I would crave, but now I do. If I do a morning session, I know I've already achieved something before the day has really begun.

Coach Carey Kepler
”Philip has been more and more consistent as he has moved through his career with us. He trains when he travels and works out 4-5 x's a week with us when he is here in town. He has learned how to be more consistent on his diet which is developing into a lifestyle change! Philip always comes ready to challenge himself and work hard. He also listens to his body and knows when he needs to scale back work on technique rather than speed or load. He has a great sense of humor and even though he may not realize it, all of us coaches get to enjoy his gift of fun while we coach and train at the gym! His spirit is motivation for everyone in the space!”