The thing I love about having Curt as an integral part of the Croga Family is that he is a wonderful role model for consistency, thoughtful training, and persistence. As you’ll see in his answer below, when he came into the gym he was pretty fit aerobically, but he knew he had some holes in his fitness game and he was excited to work on them. And work on them he did.Over the past 4 years, I have watched Curt eliminate mobility issues that were causing pain through consistent stretching, build huge strength to bodyweight numbers (he’s toward the top of the list of pound-for-pound lifters in our gym), improve skills through consistent practice and being open to coaching feedback and then using it to improve technique, take his aerobic capacity far beyond where he started even though most of what he used to do was aerobic based, and become just plain JACKED to the point where he probably can’t take his shirt off at pool parties because he’d embarrass the other dads.It has been a pleasure getting to know you, coach you, and learn from you, Curt. I really value our friendship and look forward to watching you continue to crush your goals year after year with your focused training and hard work. When did you join Cróga? I joined in July of 2016. What were you doing before for fitness? I used to cycle a lot. I enjoyed climbing the hills up the peninsula, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Mt. Hamilton. I also did spin classes and HIIT. What was your first workout? First reaction to your first workout? I don’t remember exactly what my first workout was, but I do know it included wall balls. I recall Shawn and Tony seeing me, the new guy, pick up the Rx’d 20 lb ball saying something like, “No, you don’t want that just yet.” It was good advice! What improvements have you seen in the way you look, feel, and perform? I just feel stronger overall. All the cycling I used to do gave me a good aerobic base, but no matter how many hours I put in or how many hills I climbed I could feel myself getting weaker as I got older. Now, I am stronger and feel more fit than at any point in my life. What days and times do you come to Cróga? My workout times have shifted around over the last four years. I was a regular at 5:00 AM for a while but have settled in at 5:30 PM. What’s your favorite WOD? I like chippers. Seeing a large volume of work on the board and the this-is-going-to-suck dread it induces gives me that much more satisfaction when it’s over. What’s your least favorite WOD? Right now, it’s anything with double unders. I like jumping rope, but I just cannot get my act together on double unders. However, I haven’t given up and will eventually be able to do them consistently. At that point my least favorite WOD will be anything that includes the assault bike. I enjoy pushing myself hard, but I’m not a masochist. “The Curtis” WOD! What would it be? I like working with kettlebells. Here’s something I wrote for myself a couple months ago.5 rounds for time:Run 400 m20 Kettlebell snatches, 10 each arm20 Abmat sit-ups What’s your biggest fitness goal for this year? I started the year with two goals: to log over 200 workout days for the year, and to deadlift over 400 lbs. With the consistent programming that Croga has put out through the shutdown, the first goal is well within reach. Also, the 1+ hours per day that I have gained back from not commuting the past several months has given me more time for working out.I don’t have a barbell at home and was beginning to doubt I’d achieve my second goal. I’ve made overall gains during the shelter in place, but I don’t think bodyweight and kettlebells were going to allow me to increase my deadlift. Now, with the small group training and open gym available, I just might have a shot at it. What do you love about this type of fitness? I love the variety of the workouts. Going to a typical gym was never something I could stick with for very long because it was just boring, and I would never make much progress. I’m sure that was due to not having any coaching or any sort of training plan. Having programming that is continually changing but is not totally random keeps working out fun and challenging. What words of advice do you have for new members or people considering joining Cróga? Be consistent with your training. Everything is scalable to whatever your current abilities may be. So get in the habit of showing up regularly even if the workout has a movement that you’re not yet able to do or is a weak point in your fitness. Consistent effort over time will produce the results you’re looking for (and some you may not have expected).And don’t be intimidated by the 6’ 2” bro wearing a Rogue cap and no shirt. He’s actually a cool dude who I’m sure would be very supportive of the fitness journey you’re on. Anything to add that we didn’t touch on yet?The community is a huge part of why I belong to Cróga. I have gotten to know some really great people with similar fitness goals. There is a healthy level of competitiveness that motivates us to push harder, but we also encourage and support one another. The coaches are excellent teachers and motivators. They know their stuff, show us how to move safely and effectively, and keep things fun. I am extremely grateful for the coaches and members of Cróga.
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