March Athlete of the Month – Bill Beane

1) What is your biggest motivation?

To start, the motivation was “Health”. Around 25 or so years ago I was 40 lbs over weight and not living a health life. My blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar was high. My doctor told me that with my family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease that my time was on earth would be short if I didn’t start moving, losing weight and eating better. From that point on, I started to make a change. I grow up very active and in athletes all my youth and college days, there was about a 10 year period from when I got out of college to this doctor’s appointment that I lived a stationary life and became out of shape. Health was my original motivation and still very much motivates me today. But I have other additional motivations today. Today I truly just love working. Also it now a life style that I love. Its my routine.  Also I love the community aspect of it. Working out with a group is a lot more enjoyable than working out alone and help keeps me motivated. Yes, I love all y’all!

2) How long have you been a member at CFRR & why did you choose CFRR?

10 years. I work at Emerson and for many years I coached and programed a group work out for many people at our office gym. We moved offices about 10 years ago and the gym, in the new office, was not going to be finished for about a year. Many of us in the group did not want to wait that long so I started looking at local gyms for us to attend. A year or two prior I had already started researching CrossFit and I supported and believed in their philosophy of high intensity circuit training and being always varied. I wanted our Emerson group to continue to do high intensity interval training and strength training.  At that time, I started looking for CrossFit boxes near our new facility. This is when I found CFRR. I walked in in February to a 2 PM Coaches workout. Adrian stopped her workout and spoke to me. She didn’t have to sell CrossFit to me, I was already sold on it, but I need to know about them as coaches. It didn’t take long to understand they knew their business. I could see that when I walked in that first day and saw them working out. But also they talked about their on boarding classes called Elements at the time, and the importance’s they place on technique training. I know from that conversation that they are very good coaches, they are passionate about their work, and they were themselves actual living examples of what they were selling.

3) What are your current training goals/PRs?

To stay healthy. May weight goal is to stay around 205 lbs. My body fat goal is to stay between 12 and 15% body fat (I’m 60, so that range is good) and to stay off all medications as long as I can. So far I’ve meet the medication goals for the last 25 years. In regard to the weight and body fat goals, I’ve bounce in-and-out of those ranges over the years but I’ve always have been close since starting CFRR. Currently my skill goals are mostly around Gymnastics. I wanted to improve my Toes to Bar, Hand Stand Push-ups, Pull-ups, Chest to Bar Pull-ups and burpees. To support this goals, Landon is programming me two gymnastics skills training session each week and I come in and do these workouts on Tuesday’s and Thursdays. Another short term goal I’ve been working on is improving my “engine” (overall cardio endurance). To do this I’ve been doing extra 30 minute cardio sessions two or three days a week over and above my WOD’s and skills training.

4) What advice do you have for new athletes just starting out in CrossFit?

For the Ladies, do not be afraid of the term CrossFit. Many people misunderstand what CrossFit means and you’ll hear all kinds of crazy things. Do not be intimidated by it. I’d suggest researching the CrossFit workout philosophy and then trying it to see if it’s a good fit. I tell people all the time, from what I can tell most CrossFit boxes seem to have more ladies the gentleman. This training appeals to women that try it.

For the men I would say, do not be afraid to backup. Meaning don’t be afraid to lower the weight to learn the technique or to work on mobility. If you’ll do this your gains will come much faster. I really did back off the weight when starting Oly lifting skill training for the first time. Funny story, Adrian was teaching the Oly class at the time, she handed me a PVC pipe and that is what she made me train with for about a month. Talk about your humbling experiences.  But I needed it! I wasn’t mobile enough in the movement patterns of Snatching to use weight. So I had to check my ego and be coachable. It paid big dividends over time. Now, Olympic lifting are some of my better CrossFit movements. I wished I would have done even more mobility from the beginning. As mentioned, my current goals is to improve my gymnastics. The programming Landon is currently doing for me, which I’m preforming two days a week to improve my gymnastic skills, has a lot of mobility elements. See, I need even more mobility to support my goals of improving my gymnastics. I need even more flexibility to better my superman to improve my Toe-to-bar, pull-ups and hand start push-ups.

And for everyone, trust the process, don’t be afraid to scale moments and give it time and stay consistent. Consistency over  time is so important in regard to any of your goals weather it’s health, body composition, or learning CrossFit skills.    

5) Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout?

I’ve had many over they years. Back in the day it was more about improving my strength. I came in to CFRR squatting about 230 lbs., most recent PR was 370 lbs. My deadlift has steadily improved from about 300 lbs. to 415 lbs. Another proud movement was when I Cleaned and Push Jerked 225 lbs. But most recently, my proud moments was when I put together 10 unbroken Toes-to-Bars, and was able to put together 4 Chest-to-Bar pull-ups. I had only been able to do singles until now.

6) What are your favorite CrossFit movements?

Bench Press!  It’s a joke around the gym that I will never miss a Bench Press day. Everyone knows I like the bench press, but that’s not really considered a CrossFit movement. I would say my favorite CrossFit movement are any form of the Clean or Clean to Overhead, like a Full or Power Clean, Push press or Jerk. But, If I keep improving on these burpees……. No! It will never be Burpees!