Member Of The Month December 2017

Luke hasn’t been with us long but he has quickly become part of the furniture.

When Luke started we had to stop him from just putting the heaviest weights on the bar and “giving it a go”. He soon realised that if he stopped trying to lift heavy and work on his technique he will progress much quicker.

That’s exactly what he did and now he moves brilliantly, and lifts heavy…he is regularly my demo boy!

Not only does he try hard and with a smile, he usually brightens up the gym with his whacky outfits that we all now love 

Read Luke’s story so far below.

 

M – Congratulations on becoming member of the month. Well deserved.  So how long have you been doing CrossFit?

L – I started on 1st September so a little over 3 months.

M – You don’t tend to have one particular time class you go too, you doo early and late. Which do you prefer and why?

L – I work unpredictable hours so the early morning class is great if I’m not in work early as I always find early morning training sets you up for the day. It’s good to get something hard done first thing because then everything else seems easy! I do really love the weekend morning classes though, they’re always busy and they feel a bit more fun because everyone’s more relaxed.

M – On that note what is your why? Why do you put yourself through it each day? Do you have goals you want to achieve?

L – My biggest fitness goal for a few years has been to complete an Ironman race. I’m racing Ironman Wales in September 2018. I started from scratch by doing couch to 5k in 2014 after letting my fitness slide at Uni. I was in terrible shape at 17 stone. I then just kept looking for longer and harder challenges – 10k, half marathon, marathon and then triathlon. This year I completed my first half Ironman distance triathlon and in the off season I wanted to do something different to just hitting the gym alone and lifting weights. I only intended to do crossfit in the off season but now I’m hooked! I think it’s really important for everyone to do hard things, and to have the discipline to do things you don’t want to do. It’s great for mental health and self esteem to set yourself goals every day and smash them.

M – What advice would you give anyone wanting to start CrossFit but is either unsure or nervous? We get people all the time saying they need to get fit first or they could never do what we do? Any advice for those people?

L – In my opinion, CrossFit is the most complete training protocol I’ve ever come across. The sessions are structured so that all fitness levels can train together. There are scales for all the movements so no matter your level of fitness, there’s a way you can do the workouts. You also won’t find a more supportive atmosphere than at M! If it’s something you’re thinking of starting then just do it! Nothing will get you ready for CrossFit like CrossFit.

M – What is your biggest achievement so far in Crossfit and what are you most proud of?

L – I had never really done any Olympic lifting before joining M, so seeing my PBs on things like squat cleans and split jerks going up consistently is amazing. I’m most proud of learning to get my ego in check and focus on technique over weight in the workouts – I’m seeing the benefits now as the weight I’m lifting is increasing without me gassing out or risking injury in the workouts.

Im really looking forward to competing in some competitions in the new year. It’s something I didn’t really consider when I started but all the coaches are so encouraging and as I said before, for me it’s really important to have goals or races or events to base my training around.

Finally, the best thing about crossfit and M Squared is the community. Its so good to train with such a bunch of savages. I’ve made friends, found people to learn from and share experiences with, and certain people (Victor!) to come in and do disgusting Saturday workouts with!

M – Thanks Luke. Look forward to seeing what you programme for your MOTM Wod!