Meet the March CFD member spotlight–Eric Banwarth!

1. How long have you been a member at CFD, and what made you get started?

I have been a member at CFD for a little less than a year and a half. I joined CrossFit because I was looking for a program that would be high intensity, would include lifting, and would break up the monotony of going to the gym on my own or pounding the pavement. A friend of mine was a member at CFD and when I asked him about it he had nothing but good things to say about the programming and the coaches, so I decided to give it a shot.

2. What changes have you seen in yourself since your very first day?

When it comes down to it, I can just do more! But seriously though, that’s the best way I can think of to sum it up. All aspects of my fitness have improved. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been and I’m able to do movements in the WOD’s that I would never have even attempted to do before CFD.

3. What did you do for fitness prior to CFD and what do you like most about CrossFit?

I played sports during high school, and for a couple years in college. After that I basically tried to get into the gym on my own and do some running here and there, II also ran a couple marathons. Right away joining CFD I liked that I don’t have to think about the programming, I could just show up and everything is written out on the board. All I had to worry about was showing up and working hard. I found it very easy to stay motivated because there is always something to work on, and new goals to achieve, whether it be hitting that PR on a lift, or trying to get good enough at a new skill movement to be able to do it in a WOD.

4. What type of workout do you want to see pop up in this years CrossFit Open?

Well we just did 15.1 and I thought it was a blast. It was a smasher workout, but I really liked the Clean and Jerk component. There were PR’s all over the board! I’m most looking forward to the moments like that, that give people the opportunity to push beyond what they might regularly do or even thought they were capable of. Just like the chest-to-bars last year, a lot of people were on the fence with that movement (some people even got their first one during the open!) and with a movement like that (or muscle ups or double-unders, etc.) every rep you get is a small victory and I think that’s awesome, and for the majority of us it’s what the open is all about.

5. What are your goals going forward?

My number one goal is to get stronger, both lifting and strict body weight movements. To me that is my biggest weakness (of many).

6. What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?

I would tell someone starting out to make sure you have fun with it. If you’re the kind of person who can enjoy digging deep and pushing your body to the limit of what it can do, then you will really love CrossFit. I would also say to try everything. If there’s a movement that is out of your reach, just start screwing around with it. You might get closer than you think and even if you don’t quite have it, it will be a starting point for the awesome coaches at CFD to help you get there!