Dan & Alyssia
Age:
A: 26 (Almost 27)
D: 31
Hometown:
Algonquin
How long have you been a member of CrossFit Enclave?
A: At Enclave, I have been crossfitting for about 6 months now! However, three years ago, I did crossfit at a gym in Palatine for a year.
D: I was with Enclave about 6-7 years ago for about a year. I returned about 6 months ago.
Athletic Background:
A: At the age of five, I started taking gymnastics classes and fell in love with the sport. I continued to do competitive gymnastics for 13 years until my senior year in high school. I’ve also ran in four half marathons and love to golf for fun when I can.
D: I grew up playing football, baseball, and basketball. I was lucky enough to play 2 years of college baseball. These days I play a ton of golf and have fallen in love with the sport! I try to play whenever I have free time.
What brought you to try CrossFit?
A: I decided to try crossfit after a friend of mine recommended it. I’ve always been very into fitness but started to get bored going to a regular workout gym. I felt like I was doing the same workout over and over again and wasn’t feeling motivated anymore. I also would just workout by myself or with just Dan and I. Don’t get me wrong...I loved working out with just Dan but I could only take so much coaching from him! :)
Also, since I have the gymnastics background, I had heard that it was similar to a lot of the strength and conditioning that we had to do as gymnasts. So, I decided to try out crossfit!
D: I wanted to get in better shape . I knew with the great coaching and motivation at Enclave that there was no better place to help me reach my fitness goals.
What were your thoughts after your first WOD?
A: After my first WOD, I was so excited that I actually finished! I loved how motivating and nice everyone was!
I thought I had done a pretty good job keeping up with some of the veterans and thought I was pretty well prepared (at least with my conditioning) for the workout. Little did I know that the next day and for about a month after, I would barely be able to walk and would hurt in places that I never thought possible!
D: I remember getting in my car after the workout and having to sit in the parking lot for a minute or two because I had to catch my breath so I could drive. I was also wondering how I was going to get out of bed the next day. Even though I was exhausted and sore, I knew that was exactly the workout I was looking for. I couldn’t ask for a better group of coaches and athletes that push me to be better, day in and day out!
What keeps you coming back to CrossFit Enclave?
A: There are so many reasons I keep coming back to Enclave. One reason I keep coming back is because of how close knit everyone is! Everyone is so supportive and kind! It’s like a family. I also love how challenging and motivating the workouts are. I always leave feeling so accomplished and motivated after having completed a really hard WOD that I killed! In addition, I always leave Enclave feeling so much better than before the workout. A lot of times, I get really stressed at work and completing the WODS really helps me destress!
D: Enclave is more than a gym, it is a community of people who genuinely want to see you succeed. I look forward to looking at the WOD the night before class and envisioning myself killing it the next day with the 4:30 crew.
How has your motivation changed since you started CrossFit?
A: Crossfit Enclave has pushed me into doing things I never thought I could do. I feel like I can push myself so much harder during the workouts . Even on days when I’m not feeling 100%, I still like to go to the gym because I always surprise myself when I’m there and I don’t want to miss out on opportunities to improve .
D: Crossfit keeps me motivated to get better every single day. Not only do I want to get in better shape, but I also want to get better at all the movements!
How have your fitness goals evolved since starting CrossFit? Do you have a new goal you are working toward?
A: My fitness goals haven’t really evolved since I joined! I’ve always been really into health and fitness and that hasn’t changed. However, a new goal that I’m working towards is double unders!!! I can’t seem to master that skill yet and I’d love to be able to string together multiple double unders. I’m also trying to work on my attitude towards my own goals! I’m really hard on myself and if I don’t hit a PR or perform on a movement, up to my standards, I get really upset with myself! Any progress is progress no matter how small it is!
D: I would like to be able to RX every single workout. My main goal is to show up and give 100% every day and see where it takes me!
What results have you already seen inside and outside the gym
A: My overall fitness, cardio and strength, has improved significantly! Anytime I do a workout other than Crossfit, I feel like the workout is easy!
D: I just feel like I am a better version of myself health wise. I like not being winded when I am throwing the football around, or running around coaching my nephews’ baseball team!
What is your favorite CrossFit Movement?
A: My favorite crossfit movement is toes to bar! I love doing toes to bar and wearing grips because it reminds me of my days as a gymnast! I also feel like I’m getting a killer ab workout.
D: My favorite movement is the snatch. I love how it takes your whole body to complete the lift.
What is your least favorite CrossFit Movement?
A: My least favorite crossfit movement, at least right now, is double unders! I can do single double unders or double under, single, double under, single, but if I try to string more together, I always end up with red marks all over my arms and legs!
D: Burpees of any kind! They destroy me!
What is your favorite thing about CrossFit?
A: My favorite thing about crossfit is the new friendships that I’ve formed and the constant feedback I get from coaches about how to improve! I’m the type of person who loves getting feedback on how to improve and even when I feel like I can’t lift anymore weight or push myself any harder, there’s always a coach or another crossfitter who tells me I can do it!
D: The team like atmosphere! It’s awesome when others are cheering you on when you have nothing left in the tank. It gives you strength to get the 1-2 extra reps you need to finish a workout.
What is the number one tip you would give someone just starting CrossFit?
A: My number one tip I would give someone is to never give up! There have been so many times when I get frustrated with myself during a WOD because I’m not performing to the best of my ability. However, I’ve learned to never give up and to push through the workout because by doing so, I’m getting stronger, even when it’s not my best day.
D: Stick with it! You have to trust in the coaches and the other athletes to get you through the workouts when you don’t feel like you are 100%, or you would rather be at home on the couch!
What’s it like working out together as a couple?
A: I love doing crossfit with Dan! He’s always pushing me to be the best that I can be. We’re very competitive with each other but it pushes us to be the best we can be! On days, when I’m feeling discouraged because I couldn’t do a movement or beat a PR, he’s constantly reassuring me that I’ll get it or pointing out the positive in what I was able to do...except for the special occasion where he tells me I could’ve back squatted way more weight than what I was doing. In those instances, I just stare at him and tell him to add a little extra weight to his own back squatting weight.
D: I have a blast doing crossfit with Alyssia. She gets mad at me for pushing her a little too hard sometimes, but it’s only because I know she can be great! It’s a blast looking at the workouts together and thinking that whoever wrote it up can’t seriously think we can complete it! We always make it though!
What is your best CrossFit achievement?
A: My favorite crossfit achievement was when I was able to deadlift 250 pounds! I never thought I’d be able to lift that much in my life! Still not sure how I even got to that weight but I’ll take it!
D: My biggest achievement is how much progress I have made since I first started. I have gone from feeling like I am going to die after workouts, to just feeling like I need an oxygen tank after workouts now!
What is your favorite memory at CrossFit Enclave so far?
A & D: Our favorite memory so far was completing the Murph workout as a team! It was so much fun completing the WOD in honor of military veterans. Even with such a tough workout, everyone pushed through and there was so much comraderie!
Tell us something no one knows about you:
A: I’m a twin (he’s a boy) and my younger brother and sister are twins as well!
D: I once won a talent show (Mr. Larkin High School) rapping Forgot About Dre- by Dr. Dre and Eminem.
What is one piece of CrossFit equipment you swear by?
A: One piece of equipment that I swear by is the weightlifting belt. This has helped me so much with lifting very heavy weight. I have a bad back from gymnastics so I don’t think I would be able to lift as much as I do without using a belt!
D: I love my Nike Metcons. They are great shoes for any style of workout. I also love chalk! My hands are always sweaty during workouts, and it helps me keep my hands on the bar.
Do you have a favorite elite CrossFit Athlete (or other professional athlete) you follow or admire? Who & why?
A: I really admire Simone Biles. She is an elite gymnast and even though she is the best in the entire world, by a huge margin, she’s always trying to beat herself and become better than what she could previously do.
D: My favorite athlete is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He inspires me to be better. No matter how busy he is, he always finds a way to keep himself in the best physical shape possible. If he can find a way to stay in shape with how busy he is, there is no excuse for me not to show up and push myself to be better every day too!
I love doing crossfit with Dan!
“He’s always pushing me to be the best that I can be...”