CrossFit Midtown is very excited to announce our September 2016 Member of the Month, David Holland! Read on to learn more about David and his CrossFit journey. Thank you for being such an outstanding member of the CFM community!
Name: David Holland
Nickname: “Mad Dog” (I used to wear a shredder with a picture of a rabid dog on it, and I tend to “vocalize” a lot when I lift heavy things)
Age: 47
Hometown: Jackson, MS (yeah, I don’t believe it either)
How did you get exposed to CrossFit? Some friends of mine were doing it and made it sound really fun, so I decided to drink the Kool Aid.
What brought you to CrossFit Midtown? I was visiting Atlanta and came as a drop-in. Mike was the coach and made me feel really welcome so when I moved here I decided to join.
What was your very first day at CrossFit Midtown like? It was hot (I came at noon), but the rest of it was a blur. I just remember feeling very comfortable with the staff.
What changes have you seen in your overall health and fitness level since starting CrossFit? Unlike most people, I actually gained weight doing CrossFit – about 30 pounds (of muscle). I’m a lot stronger now, and I’ve discovered that I can do some things that I never thought possible for me. I’m still no gymnast, but I can squat.
What kind of changes have you you experienced since starting CrossFit that were completely unexpected? The more fit I got, the more confident I became in my life. My self perception has always been a bit skewed, but the gains I made at CrossFit forced me to challange many things I thought I knew about myself.
Favorite WOD: Used to be “Cindy” before I got bigger. Now I have to love “Fran.”
Least favorite WOD: “Mary Ann” — still no HSPUs.
Favorite CrossFit Midtown moment: I hit a large PR back squat a few weeks ago. After I moved back to Atlanta, I had a hard time getting back into my fitness groove for about a year, but I hit several new PRs this year — this one was my favorite.
Hobbies, Talents and or Interests Outside of CrossFit: I’m a recovered drug addict (16 years) who’d been subjected to an rx drug treatment, so I spend a lot of my time with men in recovery.
Advice for new CrossFitters: Don’t be afraid that you’re going to look stupid. It’s OK not to be graceful when trying new things, and even some basic movements (like squats) require us to move in ways that may seem silly at first.
Also, it took me about 3-6 months to get used to some of the most basic movements, like back squats. I had to learn to feel confident that I wasn’t going to fall over before I could work on getting strong, but once I got into the grove my strength skyrocketed. So don’t be afraid to scale a lot while you’re getting used to the movements.
And lastly, if you didn’t fail at something today, you weren’t reaching far enough.
