Athlete of the Month: Brad Hurst

Athlete of the Month: Brad Hurst

Birthday: December 27, 1978
CrossFit Birthday: January 2013IMG_9188

How did you hear about CF? I had been working out at Aspen Merle Hay prior to that and was looking for a change to my workout routine. I felt like I kept doing the same things all the time and wasn’t really challenging or motivating myself enough on my own to really see improvement in my fitness levels. My sister in law, Stefanie, had been working out at Crossfit Carbon in the Chicago-land area and raving about how much she was loving it and how much she was improving at pretty much everything/ She is a former runner at Florida State and has an impressive workout regimen so I take her opinions on exercise and fitness pretty seriously. She really encouraged me to try out Crossfit 515 as it was close to where I live in Grimes.

How has CF changed your life? I think the best way to answer this question is in one word: TEAM. I truly feel like we are all a team at Crossfit, and I believe this is a real missing component for most people who just workout on their own at the gym. We support and push one another to give our best every workout. We celebrate each other’s accomplishments and we have great coaches that really know what they are doing and that offer great advice and encouragement when you are really struggling through a workout. In many a workout, it’s been Bobby or Jaime or another athlete in the gym encouraging me to give more effort, to rest less and work more. Its much more like high school or collegiate athletics. I feel much more accountable to myself, but also to the group of athletes around me who are pushing their own personal limits as well. We are a true community and its been amazing sharing that part of my life with so many amazing people.

Favorite & least favorite movement? Favorite: Back Squats – They are always something I’ve been decently good at at one of the few movements that I could do when I first started out to feel good about myself when I struggled initially through so many of the workouts. It was one of the few things I didn’t have to scale when I started out. I have also grown fond of clean and jerks as my form and strength have improved greatly from when I started and could barely do #135. Now I am up to 225#! Least Favorite – There are many movements that I still struggle with: running in general, burpees, rope climbs, pull-ups, double unders, and handstand push-ups, among others. There is probably not a movement that I would say is my least favorite as I see my weaknesses as opportunities to improve. I would say I am still a little skiddish every time I do box jumps after I have done a number on my shins on multiple occasions.

Family info: Wife – Shelley. We’ve been married since July 2007 and we are each other’s rocks and inspirations. I don’t have any kids yet, but I am a high school teacher so when the time comes, I’ll be ready for the teenage years! I am the oldest of 3 siblings. We grew up in the country near Cresco, IA.

Something interesting about me? I am a high school science teacher at Johnston High School in Johnston, IA. I wear many hats as a President of the Johnston Education Association and I’ll be starting grad school in the Fall at Drake University to earn my Specialist in Education Degree.

Favorite saying? Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ GandhiIMG_9172

Favorite songs to WOD to? I like pump-up music: Jay-Z, Kanye, Eminem, Drake, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, etc. It’s very cathartic!

Favorite TV show? Cosmos-I love to get my geek on!

What movement or skill were you most excited about when you were able to do it? Double unders! It took me WAY to long to get ONE double under…over a year! I have never claimed to be the most coordinated person. I am still struggling to string 2 or more reps together unbroken, but it’s just the next goal I have. I also want to get much better at rope climbs. They still intimidate me, but I was pretty pumped when I completed one. Eventually, I have the goal to do just one Rx’d handstand push-up. Maybe someday, I’ll even get a muscle-up! 🙂

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