Athlete of the Month: Matt Douglas

Congratulations to Matt Douglas, our November 2015 Athlete of the Month.  Matt has made great strides in his time here at CrossFit Salus.  He never misses an opportunity to get better and puts in the time to work on what were once his weaknesses, such as mobility, Olympic lifts, and advanced bodyweight exercises like muscle ups. He is very motivated and has the drive and determination to set goals and accomplish them. Check out his story below:

Athlete of the Month: Matt Douglas

1. When and why did you start CrossFit?

I can’t pinpoint a certain day. I do remember reading about it and one day came into my old gym, telling my brother we should look into this crossfit. We modified a workout to do at our gym and slow and steady became hooked.

2. How has your performance changed since you started CrossFit?

My endurance has increased with hockey for sure. Crossfit also helped me better understand my limits on how far I can push my body.

3. Are there exercises you can do now that you couldn’t do before?

I never even attempted to try olympic lifts while playing sports or think it was possible to do muscle ups. Now, I can say I do both.

4. How has your body physically changed since you started CrossFit?

It has leaned me out and I actually have more muscle definition

5. How has CrossFit changed you in other ways?

It made me learn balance between eating, sleep and working out.

Before crossfit I was all about pushing my body to the limits, with sports and working out, but never thought about the other parts to it. Also now I am able to fall right asleep once I hit the pillow, those workouts are tough.

Athlete of the Month: Matt Douglas6. How do you describe CrossFit to your friends?

People always have misconceptions about crossfit when they ask me and all I say to them is, I can’t tell you I just have to show you. But I also tell them it has helped me get strong, have a better understand of my body.

I can do things I never thought I was capable of doing.

7. What keeps you motivated to continue?

What keeps me motivated is the people around me. Also I am very competitive so I want to beat all my old times and scores.

8. Favorite WOD or lift?

I do like Elizabeth for some reason..Once I am better at muscle ups, I would say Muscle Ups

Athlete of the Month: Matt Douglas9. What advice would you give to a newbie just joining CrossFit Salus?

I would tell them:

know your limits and soak up everything you can from the coaches about technique.

10. What is your next goal to accomplish…or goat to kill?

I do want to stay more consistent and would like to do join a team to compete with. Also I want to get more Double Unders, but need to practice them more.

11. If you could design your own WOD, what would it look like?

It would be something with pull-ups, cleans and Overhead squat.

Athlete of the Month: Matt Douglas12. Best take away from the last Paleo challenge?

I do need to try the next one to see if I can be discipline with eating and to see if it helps me perform and look better.

13. Favorite Paleo dish….and favorite “cheat” meal.

I love chicken and sweet potatoes, I do also enjoy the coconut chicken from Kettlebell kitchen. My “cheat” is I love sweets, mostly chocolate, cookies and anything Reese’s pieces

I really love the community you guys have created, it makes working out that much more enjoyable and motivates me not only to be better athlete, but person.

Athlete of the Month: Chris Mulvaney

We’re excited to announce this month’s Athlete of the Month is Chris Mulvaney – also our top winner for the summertime Paleo challenge! Give Chris a chalky high five next time you see him at the box! Way to go, Chris!

When and why did you start CrossFit?

I started CrossFit shortly after CrossFit Salus opened in Middletown the end of April 2013. I was just finished with a 2-year run on antibiotics for Lyme Disease and wanted to get strong again. I was working out at home, but needed something to keep me motivated and help me get stronger.

My friend (Pat) didn’t stop talking about its awesomeness so I decided to give it a shot!

How has your performance changed since you started CrossFit?

I am way stronger now than I was before I started. I also have a better engine (but still needs work)

Are there exercises you can do now that you couldn’t do before?

I never did a snatch a day in my life… or a muscle up. Now I can do both!

How has your body physically changed since you started CrossFit?

I am definitely more defined now than I’ve ever been with a lot less body fat to carry around.

How has CrossFit (and the paleo challenge) changed you in other ways?

I’m sleeping better because I’m so wiped from the workouts;) It’s definitely helped me de-stress and I feel that my business has greatly improved since I started CrossFit.

Whether it’s coincidence or because I can think and focus better from CrossFit, my business has been growing at a faster rate since I started.

How do you describe CrossFit to your friends?

I tell them the workouts we do, then I tell them they should do it too (and they think I’m crazy). I also talk about the community and try to describe it as much as possible, but it’s something they really need to experience to understand.

I’ve made a lot of great friends, and it’s helped me push myself harder at the box.

What keeps you motivated to continue?

I see the improvements physically. I also feel horrible when I take 1 or 2 days off which really motivates me to workout every day (either at CrossFit Salus or on my own if I can’t make it in).

Favorite WOD or lift?

Snatch! Love it!

What advice would you give to a newbie just joining CrossFit Salus?

You aren’t going to see improvements right away. It will take time. Learn to “eat to perform” also!

Your body needs fuel to perform so make sure you put the right kind in your body!

What is your next goal to accomplish…or goat to kill?

Handstand walk! I can do handstands against a wall, but I need to walk…on my hands!

If you could design your own WOD, what would it look like?

200 calorie row cash in
Snatch ladder 1 min each attempt to 1rm (start at 50% body weight)
timed calorie row cash out

Best take away from the Paleo challenge?

Paleo challenge wasn’t too difficult with the food as I eat Paleo mostly anyway. The one thing that was hard was eliminating whisky and vodka! I’m not a huge drinker, but I would usually have a few drinks once or twice per week. I would then skip the day after and not workout hard or even at all. I think that not drinking at all for 5 weeks enabled me to not only shed a few pounds but also perform at a much better rate. It was also hard eating out and to know what everyone else is putting in your food. I guess my take away would be to try to limit my alcohol intake a bit when I do drink and prepare myself to recover better when I do.

Favorite Paleo dish….and favorite “cheat” meal.

My wife makes great paleo meatballs! I can eat them all day. For a cheat meal, I’ll need another blog post because the list can get big. If I had to break it down to just one thing that is accessible, give me a pizza with peppers and onions and I’m sold!

Through this monthly recognition, we are showcasing those dedicated members for their hard work and accomplishments and show the community that anyone can be a CrossFitter. All you have to do is make the choice to give it a try, set goals, work hard and challenge yourself. You may be surprised at what you will accomplish! It’s not that this person is able to RX every workout or lift the most weight. What makes an Athlete of the Month is that every time they come to the box, they try their hardest, give the workout their all, and then some. They go above and beyond by spending extra time to work on specific skills, are welcoming of others and encourage other athletes to do their best, too. They really embody what CrossFit is all about and work to make CrossFit Salus the community and family that it is. Each month we will choose a different Athlete and post some fun facts about them to help you get to know them better. Have a nomination? Let us know who!