How long have you be CrossFitting:  

I have been CrossFitting for about 4 years between multiple gyms.  Joining Beyond Parallel is by far one of the best fitness decisions I have ever made.

A little about yourself: 

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and currently live in Wexford with my wife (Liz) and our dog (Rascal).  I got my undergraduate degree in Accounting from LaRoche College and my M.B.A. from Robert Morris University and currently work for UPMC Health Plan.  I have been playing guitar for around 22 years and now enjoy collecting guitars.  I was in a band covering rock music from the 60’s through today for 10 years.  I also got into woodworking a couple years ago and I built my 9ft dining room table from oak.  I may have gone a little overboard as it weighs around 500 lbs. 

How did you get started in CrossFit: 

Since my early 20’s, I’ve been on and off at the box gyms and I always found myself getting bored with the routine.  I’ve always heard about CrossFit, but all I heard was “CrossFit is bad and dangerous” and stuff like that.  Of course, this is from people that have never done CrossFit, so that was my first mistake…listening to people that know nothing about the sport.  So anyways, May 2015, I was scrolling Facebook and came across an ad for a 6-week intro course at a CrossFit gym in Lawrenceville and figured what do I have to lose.  It helped being in a class with people that have never done CrossFit before.  After the first week I was hooked.  Fast-forward to October 2018, I was near the end of my contract at another CrossFit gym and wasn’t feeling it anymore and went back to the box gym.  FYI…you can’t go back.  So, as it was previously, got bored with the routine and stopped going.  In early 2019 I was looking to get back into CrossFit and remembered meeting Ethan at my previous gym and sent him a message that I was interested in dropping in, and here I am.   

How has CrossFit helped you outside the gym: 

Most importantly, CrossFit has helped how I feel.  In general, I feel good, although some days I feel like Ethan is trying to kill me with his programming.  Between the workouts and now eating better, I don’t feel sluggish.  I’m stronger now, more flexible, and I look better.  Besides physically, CrossFit pushes you mentally, and that mental push translates to the outside world. 

Any advice for someone looking to get started:

Stop thinking about it and just do it.  You will not regret it.  Don’t worry about not knowing anything or if you have never lifted a weight before, the coaches will work with you and everyone else will make you feel welcome.  Everything can be scaled to your fitness level and ability.  The CrossFit community (especially at Beyond Parallel) is awesome.