January Athlete Focus: Tad S.

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January Athlete Focus:  Tad S.

“I’ve known Tad for a long time now, he’s always the first one to volunteer for a fun yet soul crushing workout, especially if it means helping out one of his fellow athletes! But not only that, but he’s also always the first to jump in and help with whatever you need!”-

– Coach Jake

Member since:  September ^20th, 2012

Tell us about you! Job, hobbies, aspirations, etc 🙂

Dad, Husband, Computer Geek | xargs -P 3 Be a Good Person.

What was it about CrossFit Torque that made you want to join?

Patty (aka. Hot Wife) had been going to CrossFit for about four months or so and was pressing me to go saying “I would enjoy it”.  Although I wanted to get back into something athletic, I didn’t want to spend a hundred bucks to have some yahoo telling me how to lift weights… so when it came time for the on-boarding class, Patty literally was pushing me out the door.
But then, as I did the one-on-one with Coach Kenny I was able to do more than I expected and really appreciated the patience and tips on how to move better. Then as I started taking classes, I noticed that all the coaches were like that!  Honestly though, I didn’t like it…. for the first 6-8 months.  All that waking up early, being out of breath, and being sore for days…  I would rather “sleep in” and enjoy a leisurely donut and coffee on my way to work in the morning.  I kept going though because immediately Patty and I had something new in common that we could talk about – I could do something athletic for me but we could also share our accomplishments and challenges outside the box. CrossFit as marriage therapy… that snuck up on me!
Unrelated to my wife, I had a bad back for a couple of years before starting CrossFit I tried a lot of things from a chiropractor and acupuncture to a new mattress and proscribed stretching… it turns out that strengthening my core with CrossFit was pretty much the solution – I recall doing snatches in the parking lot (now next door) and realizing my back didn’t hurt.
So I keep coming back to CrossFit because it makes me stronger… I can throw my kids around, my back feels better and I am doing WAY more than I thought I could, my marriage has improved is ways I didn’t think of, mentally and physically I am more willing to take on challenges and I can more easily accomplish/endure them…  and for CrossFit Torque specific -I get to do all of the above with friends I can laugh with and coaches that understand (and laugh with) me and they all want me to improve, as I do them!

What has kept you coming back to Torque, day after day??

There is this thing in CrossFit we have all heard “Constantly varied”.  Every day it’s a new challenge when I come in with a (somewhat) different set of friends to do it with.  I am not motivated enough to work out alone, CrossFit Torque fills that social side of shared challenge that keeps me going. Whether it is a coach I hear saying “Keep it going, Tad!!!” when my mental toughness is wavering or it’s trying to keep up with (or stay ahead of) a CrossFit buddy.  It all means a lot to me and drags me out to Torque when I want to sleep in.

What is your proudest accomplishment thus far?

Five plus years of CrossFit Torque. Seriously. Being consistent.  Maybe I didn’t go every day I could, but I kept going!

What has been your biggest challenge?

Bar and ring muscle ups.  I have a mental hang-up about even practicing them and I can’t figure out why.  I have to steel myself to even try one.  It takes someone else saying “let’s do this” to get me to even practice.  Lame.

What is your favorite CF movement to do?

Every single movement that goes well.  When I do a snatch and it lands in a squat. My 3rd-4th-5th pushup.  The first Handstand pushup.  The power clean where my feet pop just as the bar lands on my shoulders.  The KB swings and DU’s that flow like water.  The crabwalk that… no…   F that.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who is looking to start CrossFit but hasn’t yet?

Two words.
Be consistent.
Everything else flows from there.
If you are considering CrossFit, do it.  You don’t have to go gangbusters, you don’t have to compete, you just have to be consistent.  It doesn’t matter how much you are out of shape… it is ready for you.  It’s really about improving you… in more ways than you expect… in more ways than I can write.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”5″ images=”25225,25226,25224″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row]