May Athlete Spotlight–Tim Saunders

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

I have been a member of the CFD community for 3 + years now. I began in February 2012 I believe one of the first few foundations groups. I started the Saturday after meeting coach Mike at an athlete convention in Dubuque. I had injured my back and suffered a severly bulged disc in my low back doing concrete work when I was 19 and thought that fitness was a thing of the past for me. I lost all interest in fitness for many years and was headed in a bad direction. The saving grace for me was my daughter Zoe, I was a pretty poor example of a healthy father for her and this began to eat at me.  Fast forward to my mid thirties and I knew something had to change, I had watched a poor lifestyle take my parents at a young age, my dad being only 49 years old! I actually found CFD by complete coincidence at an athlete convention. I was only there to watch my friends daughter compete in a dace comp. Coach Mike was manning a booth, I was sharing that I dead lifted 135# for my sets and didn’t do this very often at all because I didn’t want to hurt my back! Mike told me that  because I didn’t train my back for strength that it was prone to injury, he told me that “strong backs are less likely to sustain injury than weak backs”  He challenged me to show up to the box and do a Saturday intro workout with them. I showed up that Saturday, and by the end of that first workout I was hooked. I joined CFD shortly after and have never stopped. I am in my 40’s now and I am in better shape than I was in my 20’s!! I no longer look at working out as something I “have” to do, it has become something that I love to do again, and that is awesome!

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

The changes are enormous, not just in what I can do, but more in my belief system. I rarely look at something and say “I can’t” anymore; I look at things as challenges to overcome. Oh and when I showed up that first month or so, I could only deadlift 135#, and now my deadlift is 405#. But more than that the changes are in my whole family, my daughter, girlfriend, sister, and niece all crossfit together now, and that is the biggest change. We have become a crossfit family together, and that is my proudest achievement. Our family is on a fitness journey together and it is amazing to watch the ladies of the family become strong confident women. To think that I played a small part in that makes me proud beyond measure.

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

Prior to Crossfit I was into home fitness programs, and did the globo gym type stuff. The thing I like most about Crossfit is that it never gets stale; I am constantly challenged to get better every day. Just when I get to a point where I think I am just getting pretty good at something and then some first timer comes in and kicks my butt at something and I get humble again. It’s that constant support, challenge and fun that keeps me coming back for more. There are plenty of other gyms in town but none in my opinion that offer the same level of expertise, camaraderie, and fun in a top notch facility as CFD.

4.  What type(s) of workouts are your favorites?

Chippers, Chippers Chippers with Burpees, pull ups, and a Barbell. Ohh and Diane, I love that workout

5.  What type(s) of workouts do you least like to see come up?

Snatches and Muscle ups because I stink at them both!! Ohh and Row sprints….ick!

6.  What are you goals going forward?

Moving forward I just want to be Crossfitting for many years, and getting a solid muscle up before I break my arms would be a bonus. But realistically for now I will settle for beating Fullan at anything in next year’s open!!

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

I would simply advise someone just starting out to stick with it, get out of your comfort zone and try stuff that you have never done before especially if you think you can’t. You never know what you’re capable of if you never try. I would also advise listening to the coaches, allowing yourself to be coached can be a challenge especially if you come from an athletic background but it pays off in the end.