May Spotlight

Meet Nate

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Originally from Southeastern Wisconsin, I've been in the army for a little over 5 years as a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter Crew Chief. In my spare time, I like working on cars, traveling, playing music, reading, and hanging out with friends. I lost about 100 pounds after high school and have gone through periods of being in and out of shape since then. I joined Cataclysm in the fall of 2018 and fell in love with this gym and the amazing members and staff.

How did you get interested in CrossFit? I saw some compilation videos of the games on youtube and thought "doing stuff like that looks like fun." I found Cataclysm and gave it a shot. The super welcoming community, the upbeat music playing over the loudspeakers, and the intensity had me hooked instantly and I never looked back. I've met a ton of really great friends here, and I love seeing them in and out of the gym.

What is your favorite thing about CrossFit? My favorite thing about CrossFit is how much variety there is in it. You get to work on a ton of different areas of fitness, and it combines them in a really interesting way. 

​Tell me about your sock game... do you prefer ankle, mid, or high socks? I'm usually a mid sock type of guy. Like just above the ankle feels perfect for me. Except for rope climbs, you need longer socks for that. Learned that the hard way haha.

It might sound funny but CrossFit has made my life easier, here is why... CrossFit made my life easier because it feels like as I get better at doing these movements and get more in shape, everything else becomes easier. Picking things up and moving them around at work and in everyday life seems so much easier. I feel like I have a lot more energy and confidence than when I first started as well.

When your motivation is down, how do you find the drive to get up and come in? Some days, the hardest part is just convincing myself to show up. When that's the case, I just remind myself that once I get in and start pushing myself, I'll feel so much better and accomplished because of it. Pushing myself through a tough workout and seeing myself become better is what makes this all worth it in the end.

What is your least favorite movement? Honestly, I hate wall balls. I've been getting better, and I have come to really respect the challenge, but doing them repeatedly for larger sets is something I am just not naturally very good at.

What is the next goal you hope to reach with CrossFit Cataclysm? Lately, I've been putting a lot of focus on general barbell movements, trying to improve and gain strength with those. I also want to become more efficient during workouts. All in all, my focus is just improving my overall fitness right now and enjoying it in the process.

​What would you say to someone that has never tried CrossFit and is looking to get started? Any tips or advice? I'd tell them just to come in and give it a shot! There are people from all walks of life, ages, and fitness levels here all working alongside one another. Come in with an open mind and willing to learn. Listen to the coaches and your body and trust the process. And most of all, just have fun with it. It's okay to not be good at something when you're first starting out. Fitness is a journey, not an end goal.

If there was a "Nate" workout what would be included? Probably a 15ish minute workout with squat cleans, push-ups, and rowing in the middle.

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