Month: August 2020

From Coach Pete: 2020 has forced many of us to make decisions about our lives and make us look a little closer at the decisions we make. For Ahren, the downtime in the spring shed light on just how much she needed to be in the gym consistently for both physical and mental health. Ahren’s spotlight was created because when gyms were given the green light to open, her commitment to herself and her goals were above and beyond anything we had seen from her before. A renewed sense of purpose and commitment has made Ahren one of the most consistent morning athletes in recent memory. Ahren’s commitment to herself has accelerated her progress as well as her happiness. The life of a realtor is fast paced and ever changing but Ahren has found a way to make it work, to hold herself accountable, and to make every appointment with herself. Thank you, Ahren, for being an inspiration to us all.

1 – What brought you to Roaster Barbell?

I have had a deep love/hate relationship with CF from the moment I completed my first workout 7ish years ago. Unfortunately, my first gym closed and I bopped around from gym to gym for a couple years. I struggled to find the community and structure I was looking for. My friend and colleague, Nikki Miller was the one who first suggested I try Roaster. I knew Pete through the community and reached out to drop in for my first class. The rest is history!

2 – What are your training goals?

My goals are a lot different than they were when I first started CF. Most of the time my goals are more related to fitting into my pants… On a serious note, my competitive side will always be there so I always want to improve, however working out has become a much more mental health thing than a physical one.

3 – What keeps you coming back for more?

My first year as a member I struggled getting into a groove. I have a very demanding job that frequently keeps me up later than I’d like. After losing my gym time due to Covid and seeing what a major impact it had on my mental health, I promised I would make working out part of my daily routine at least 5 days a week. Of course the community is a large part of what keeps me coming back and it’s just a non-negotiable part of my day. Show up no matter what!

4 – What is your favorite part of the Roaster Barbell experience?

The structure and coaching. So many other gyms don’t start class on time, have inexperienced coaches, members with dangerous form. I am grateful to be somewhere that even after almost a decade of fitnessing I am able to learn so many new techniques and tips! I even coached and had my Level 1!

5 – How has training improved your life outside of the gym?

I am a different person when I am working out and eating healthy. My boyfriend is grateful that the mood swings are much less frequent! Again, I have a demanding stressful job and working out at Roaster makes me be a better business owner and leader.

6 – What have you accomplished that you never thought you would never do?

Consistently getting up, even on weekends, by 6:30 am and making it to a morning workout! I always said my schedule was too demanding and morning workouts were not for me. I have missed one class due to demand post Covid!

7 – What has training taught you about yourself?

Training has really taught me to stay in my lane and give up control. I am a very social and outgoing person. It is sometimes hard for me to let others lead. I also don’t like getting beat. Roaster is very humbling gym. We have so many high level athletes. Being honest, at first it was a little discouraging. Now I have learned how to block out what everyone else is doing and push myself to accomplish my own goals.

8 – What is your favorite gym activity?

I love the gymnastics movements, snatching, and overhead squats.

9 – What is your least favorite gym activity?

I hate, hate, double hate, WALL BALLS!… oh, and the bike sucks too.

10 – What advice would you have for someone who is looking to get started?

So many people think they have to “get ready” to start CF. It’s like they think they have to train for a few months to prepare themselves. That’s not true. Just show up and be ok with where you are. If you keep putting off the start, you will never reach your goals!

11 – Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I love my Dog, Luna! And, thank you Pete for allowing me to be apart of this amazing community!

The dust has now settled on the 2020 Masters Fitness Collective in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Masters athletes from all over the world converged on this one of a kind event to showcase their years and years of hard work and dedication. A masters athlete is a functional fitness competitor who is 35 years old or older. There are categories for men and women respectively with age groups that span 5 years each. Age groups at the 2020 MFC included 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64 and 65+.

Our very own Theresa Demich earned her way into the 60-64 year old division and left her mark on the weekend finishing in an outstanding 2nd place overall while racking up 4 first place event finishes. Competition in the functional fitness world rewards those who stay consistent. Theresa had a slow start and needed to finish strong in order to inch her way onto the podium. The weekend consisted of 10 events covering a broad range of skills and tasks. Theresa has never been one to back down from a challenge. Her positive mindset and ability to overcome obstacles paved the way for her strong finish.

Theresa is not one to brag so I will do it for her. The amount of hard work and dedication that Theresa has been putting in on a consistent basis for years is truly unique. Ive been a professional coach for 10 years and Ive never worked with a 60+ year old who out trains athletes 1/3 her age like Theresa. To say she is an inspiration for all ages is an understatement. It has truly been a pleasure being a stepping stone on Theresa’s journey and we are looking forward to taking on the next challenge!

Congrats again to Theresa for taking home 2nd at the 2020 Masters Fitness Collective!

#TEAMROASTERBARBELL

From Coach Pete: When I think of Eric, I think of kindness and happiness. The past couple years have been a pleasure working with such a driven young man. Eric is a very intelligent, hard working athlete that has used his fitness experience to connect and form even stronger relationships with his family. A moment that sticks out to me that shows Eric’s progress through the years was at our 2018 in-house partner competition. Eric and his older brother Jack were partners and they were working on synchro power cleans at 140#. The weight was right on the edge of Eric’s comfort zone and the workout was very difficult for him. Fast forward to 2020 and a power clean at 140# would hardly be a warmup. Consistency wins. Eric is a great example of what consistency will produce. Thank you, Eric, for being a great ambassador for our community!

1 – What brought you to Roaster Barbell?

My family did. Abby and Jack started going to the gym before I did and they really pushed me to join them. After seeing the positive impact it had on them, I decided to try it out. Have been doing it ever since!

2 – What are your training goals?

My goal is to just stay healthy. I am still young and plan on living a long life. I know that if I start these habits now, they will stick with me for the rest of my life.

3 – What keeps you coming back for more?

The great coaching and community always brings me back. Every time I come in, there is a workout that will kick my butt and make me better. On top of that there is a great group of people that will suffer and grow with me.

4 – What is your favorite part of the Roaster Barbell experience?

My favorite part of the Roaster experience is the community. Whether it’s dancing with me at 7:30 in the morning or cursing out Pete because of an extra hard workout, it is always a good group of people to be with. Everyone has the right mindset of wanting to get better, not just in fitness, but in everyday life. When you have an off day, everyone else will push you through it.

5 – How has training improved your life outside of the gym?

Outside of the gym, training has made me more confident in myself. In high school and growing up I had trouble with being the person that I know I am and wanted to be. Going into the gym every day and growing mentally with that has helped give me the strength and confidence to come out to my family and friends, something I used to think I would never be able to do.

Training has taught me that the only person you can count on is yourself in the long run. Like the community at the gym, there will always be people there supporting you, but only yourself has the ability to push through the roadblocks and walls.

My favorite workout will be the one where I kick my brother’s butt, but I will always love a work out that will push me farther than I thought I could go.

Anything that tears my hands. I must have soft baby hands because no matter how much chalk I use or how many times my calluses heal, I always rip.

If it is kicking your ass, then you are doing something right. Just stick with it when it gets hard and you will see major self-improvement.

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Thank you for taking the time to get to know Eric! If you would like to learn how you could become our next success story, just email Coach Pete at ptaylor@mail.bw.edu and lets begin talking about how Roaster Barbell and help you reach your goals!