ATHLETE(S) OF THE MONTH: MATT & AMBER RODGERS

CFJAX wants to congratulate Matt and Amber Rodgers for being Athletes of the Month for October 2010! This married couple is a perfect example of how CrossFit can not only change your life and lifestyle, but how it can bring your relationships closer by creating goals and holding each other accountable to those goals.  Their fire for CFJAX is so strong that our brief meeting over coffee turned into an exchange of big dreams, goals we have already met, and goals that are still in front of us, goals that WILL be met! Matt and Amber exemplify everything that CFJAX stands for: positive attitude, integrity, and maintaining the healthiest lifestyle possible.

When did you 1^st become part of CFJAX?

-Matt: Sept 1, 2010

-Amber: Sept 29, 2010

What or Who introduced you to CrossFit?

-Matt: I’ve been CrossFitting on and off since 2006, but never at a box.  I had a navy friend who kept trying to pull me into it, but I had the old typical football mindset- “ you need hours in the gym.. 20 min workouts are for _________”.  So finally navy dude talked me into a workout. 

            5 rounds

            400 m run

            135# Thrusters x15

It was a main site wod.  I scaled the weight to 95#, puked in a trashcan, wanted to die, but was HOOKED!

 -Amber: We lived in Beaufort when we met, and Matt was CrossFitting, pulling workouts from the main site.  He introduced me to CF, and I incorporated the idea of “speed” into my own workouts, but I wasn’t doing the Olympic lifting.  We were honestly better at working out when we were apart, (deployments), because when we were together, all we wanted to do was just be around each other!

How did you stumble upon CFJAX? 

-Matt: First thing we did when we got orders was look up Jacksonville CrossFit on CrossFit.com.  Location was perfect, close to the house they were purchasing, close to base.  Also the website was pretty cool.  We scheduled an intro with Meg when we were here for our house hunt, and that was all it took!

So, Matt started 1^st, and Amber, you started 2^nd.  How did he finally trick you into joining?

Amber- I kind of let it be “Matt’s thing” for a while.  I was intimidated of course, and we’d always done better working out on our own.

-Matt: And I didn’t want to shove it down her throat, but I always thought it would be cool to do together.

-Amber: But I come and watch Fight Gone Bad, and I was IN!  I wanted to compete & be a part of it myself!

What was your 1^st  CFJAX WOD?

-Matt: I don’t remember the specifics, but I thought it was going to be dumb because the foundations class was going to be “too easy”.  I was wrong!

-Amber: Tabata Something Else.  My arms were swollen, really sore!

What’s your favorite WOD?

-Matt: FRAN.  (WHAT?!)

-Amber: I don’t’ really have a favorite WOD yet, but I really like metcons.

Least favorite WOD?

-Matt: Murph.  The only time I’ve done it was in Iraq, with a 60 or 70# bulletproof vest on.  Took over an hour. 

-Amber: again, I don’t really have a least favorite, but running is a weakness, so I don’t like any with running. 

What’s your favorite & least favorite Oly Lift?

-Matt: Clean is fave, least fav is Snatch

-Amber: Power Clean is my fave, Snatch is least fave as well. 

So, what does your day look like on days that you know you’re coming to the Box…  How do you feel right before 3-2-1, go?

-Matt: when I used to do CF on my own, I would get butterflies, and always let the other guy go first, kind of delay starting.  Now, I go 1^st, I’m early, and super pumped!

-Amber: we go regularly Mon, Wed, and Fri.  I wake up, and immediately look at the site, while Matt’s checking it out on his phone, and we usually get excited together, or look at it and think “Oh Crap!”  It’s more of an excited nervous than before.  I used to love working out in the morning because at the end of the day, it was just time to come home and crash. I’ve never once thought to just go home and skip CrossFit.  I’ve never driven there dreading the workout. 

What is something you are getting out of CFAX?

-Amber: we’re doing the Fight for Air 5k, 11/20.  Its Matt’s 1^st 5k!

So, you guys are the poster children for Paleo.. When did you start?  How is it going?

-Matt: We started October 3, Sunday.  I’ve lost about 18lbs, and am still losing, but still gaining strength.  I definitely feel way better. 

-Amber: I’ve maybe lost like 5lbs, but my clothes are fitting looser, and better, and its awesome.  We’re less bloated and we sleep much better.  The biggest change is we wake up 10 min before the alarm goes off.  Matt was a serial snoozer and would sometimes need 2 alarms.

How has the Hot Box changed your life?

-Matt: We go into our own zones when we are there, but we are fully supportive of each other.

-Amber: It’s brought us closer.  We have common goals and something to share.  We’re both proud of each other and our accomplishments.  CFJAX is a great family.  People have to be open minded to try the different workouts, and it’s awesome to be with like-minded, OPEN minded people!

So, who do you stalk on the white board or on the CFJAX site?

-Matt: Caleb doesn’t know it yet, but we’re in a fierce competition.  I hope every day for bench press so I can post higher scores that him.  That dude crushes it!

-Amber: refuses to give names to protect the innocent.

warm up

3 rounds of:

jumping pull ups x 10

jumping ring dips x 10

jumping air squats x 10

jumping abmat sit ups (just kidding) x 10

focus

overhead squat

work

NANCY

5RFT

400m run

95#/65# overhead squats x 15

compare to 12NOV10

INTRODUCTION TO SEALFIT