CrossFit Charlottesville Client Testimonial: JJ

In terms of injuries, last year I trained for 2 marathons by running, and only running. I always felt like I was injured. Since I started CrossFit, I have had NO running-related injuries whatsoever. I can’t say this enough…my cardio has gone up from less running, and my knees don’t hurt. Thank you CrossFit.

It’s becoming a standard to ask people what they got out of our gym when they move out of town.  JJ joined us a little over three months ago and trained about three or four times a week with us. He’s made some pretty impressive improvements to his benchmark Army workouts and earned a spot to get into the competitive Airborne school.  He did this without training for these events and we’re proud that JJ is a walking testament to our fitness community.  We’re sad he’s leaving, but we asked him a few questions about his experience.  His responses are below:

What was your athletic background prior to starting at CrossFit Charlottesville?

I played Football and Baseball in high school. In college I didn’t play any sports, but I was part of the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team. Ranger Challenge, for lack of a better analogy, is the varsity sport of ROTC. We trained to participate in events against other ROTC programs like ruck marches, obstacle course, etc.

What sort of training were you doing before starting CrossFit Charlottesville training?

For about the last three years all I’d been doing was running. In December 2009 I discovered CrossFit.

Can you tell me about your PT tests you do in the military and how you performed before and after you started training with us?

The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) measures a soldiers physical fitness by seeing how many pushups the soldier can do in 2 minutes, how many situps the soldier can do in 2 minutes, and how quickly the soldier can run 2 miles. When I started Crossfit Charlottesville, I could do 59 pushups, 80 situps, and run 2 miles in 13:13. I recently took the test again. I did 69 pushups, 81 situps, and ran 2 miles in 12:31. Also, I competed for and earned a slot at Airborne school. To earn a slot, I competed against 17 of my classmates for 10 slots. I came in 8th place overall. Our ranking was determined by how quickly we could run 5 miles, how many max pullups and chinups we could do, and our final APFT score (as mentioned above). Most notably, based in large part because of the ridiculous effects Crossfit has on one’s cardiovascular system (in my opinion), my 5 mile run time went from 34:49 to 33:37 in just over a month. This was good enough to be the fourth best time.

Why did you decide to join CrossFit Charlottesville? What goals did you have for yourself?

I fell in love with CrossFit and wanted to continue working out in a positive environment surrounded by motivated people. Even though I could have done some of the workouts at a local gym, NOTHING replaces the motivation from working out under the watchful eye of an attentive staff who pushes you to your max.

How has your fitness and health changed after training at CrossFit Charlottesville. How have do you feel when you think about energy levels, nutrition, injuries and recovery times?

Immediately after a workout I feel alive. It puts me in a great mood for the rest of the day and makes it easier for me to stay focused on my homework despite a long day in Army law classes. Also, I sleep better whenever I do CrossFit. Most importantly, I’m more motivated to eat healthy before and after a workout because I know how proper fuel speeds up recovery. I don’t like the idea of wasting a great workout by going to Five Guys and ordering 3 burgers.

In terms of injuries, last year I trained for 2 marathons by running, and only running. I always felt like I was injured. Since I started CrossFit, I have had NO running-related injuries whatsoever. I can’t say this enough…my cardio has gone up from less running, and my knees don’t hurt. Thank you CrossFit.

What’s the most surprising thing you learned after joining our gym?

After spending a few months in Boston at Cross Fit Fenway, I didn’t know what to expect in Charlottesville. What I’ve found is that Cross Fit gyms attract the same awesome people no matter where you go. All of the trainers at Cross Fit Charlottesville ALWAYS made me feel welcome. Even though I was only going to be here for less than three months, I always felt like this was my home. Everyone was very supportive and willing to offer advice on form, paleo, strength training books, etc.

What are your fitness goals when you leave Charlottesville?

Compete in a Triathlon
Compete in Sectionals
Run a Marathon in under 4 hours
Run 5 miles in under 32 minutes
Get a Muscle-up
Complete Fran in under 5 minutes
Do Murph at Rx (with my new weight vest!)
Eat Paleo 100% of the time
Row 2000m in under 7 minutes
Just to name a few…

Anything else you’d like to say?

My Fran time before I showed up at Charlottesville was 8:55 rx. I did it a few weeks ago and it dropped to 7:35 rx [6:47 RX on his last day!]. I’ve very proud of these times because on December 14, 2009 I did Fran for the first time. On this occasion I used purple and green bands and a 45lb bar for a time of over 14 minutes.