Athlete of the Month: Gerry Massell

We are HONORED to feature Gerry as our November Athlete of the Month! We’re so excited he embraced (as have many of you) the philosophy and continue to progress at the box. SO EXCITING! Now with the Paleo challenge, it has be a whole new story! So that’s why we know he was perfect to highlight for this month. Give Gerry a chalky high five next time you see him at the box. Let’s keep it up! These stories are all so inspirational and encouraging – shout it from the rooftops!

I started CrossFit about 6 months ago. I became interested after hearing about it from friends, both old and new, who “drank the CrossFit Kool-Aid”. Finally, my daughters started doing CrossFit Teens class and began looking fit, so my wife and I joined CrossFit Salus.

I have been shocked with my performance since I started at CrossFit Salus. I had been working out at a local gym and had plateaued which negatively impacted my motivation and workouts.
The CrossFit “team” mentality tends to push you to places you never thought you could go. I confidently can say that at least once a month, I set a new PR (personal record).

Yes, I never thought about Olympic weightlifting, but I now do it about 3 times per week.

Double under jumping rope (having the rope go under your feet twice) was something I never thought I could do, and now can do them, not consecutively, but consistently.

Two months ago, when the gym started the Paleo challenge is when I was able to really see results. In an 8 week period, I lost over 12 pounds, and my daughters actually commented on muscle definition. It was a remarkable two months.

After I started CrossFit and the Paleo Challenge, I began sleeping better and my snoring stopped (which helped my wife’s sleeping). I’m not sure if it was the paleo, or the exhaustion from the WOD (workout of the day).

Possibly the most important way CrossFit changed my life my life has changes is family life, it’s a lot of little things, playing with the kids, helping around the house. I’m actually looking forward to bringing all the Christmas decorations down from the attic, a task I used to dread. I never realized how little I actually played with my kids, as opposed to watching them play.

I tell them it’s the hardest 1 hour that you will love.

CrossFit becomes very addictive, I try to go 3 times per week, when I miss one, I actually feel guilty.

The one I did yesterday, because I finished it. Every time I see a WOD, I think it will kill me, thus far they haven’t, they’ve only made me stronger.

The first week, learning the basic moves during on-ramp, is difficult, not from a physical standpoint, but from a mental standpoint. You relearn everything from pull ups, Olympic weight lifting to running. The coaches watch and correct your technique. This is where we start learning the language of CrossFit: Box (not a gym) WOD , PR, mobility, wall balls, etc.

After the first week of learning the fundamentals, you get to join the regular CrossFit classes, you see people of all ages with one thing in common: they are wonderful people in the best shape of their lives. They are all very supportive.

I am one of the older, more out of shape members, I am usually the slowest at completing the WOD, I have thought of stopping many times, but there is always someone who has already finished, who will run the last 200 meters with me, someone who will count out loud as I finish my last pull ups, yelling encouragement for me to finish.

Multiple double unders in a row.

Anything with Bacon. I love a diet that says I can have bacon.

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