How old / young are you?
I’ll be 44 years old for just a little bit longer… then I hit the hallway point of this decade.
What is your occupation?
I currently work in Sales for an equipment manufacturer out of Italy. We build the capping equipment for all different kinds of manufacturers. From Coca Cola to Motor Oil. I travel a bunch for work and get to see how the sausage is made.
When did you join Widespread Fitness?
A snowy day in December of 2021. I have been sore ever since (the good sore, or so they tell me).
Why did you decide to give Widespread Fitness a try?
I reached a point where I was completely unmotivated to walk into another big box gym and fight for weights, just to complete another vanilla workout I came up with. I was in the worst shape of my life during this time. I found Widespread through Google Maps, and it sounded like a much better fit. It has been the best decision I’ve made for my fitness and health.
What was your athletic background before starting?
I grew up playing sports, and after college got into other fitness activities. Soccer, Baseball, Football, and Rugby through college. In my 30s I was into triathlon and completed an Ironman distance triathlon. In my late 30s and early 40s, I inconsistently trained at the local box gyms – this was the worst shape I had ever been in. Working in the beer industry at this time did not help.
What changes in your health, physique, and overall performance have you seen since starting?
The biggest change I have seen is my day-to-day strength and energy. Physical tasks have become so much easier, and I have the energy to do it. From moving heavy things to working on my feet all day, this is the strongest I have been in the last 20 years.
What advice would you give to someone with regards to starting?
The biggest piece of advice I would give is – check the ego at the door and scale the exercises. Focus on form and don’t worry about the strength and endurance gains, they will come. These were the two biggest mistakes I made when I started and paid for it every time. Now my mindset is about performing the lift correctly and avoiding injury so I can come back for another workout- I am much better for it.
What is your favorite and least favorite exercises / movement?
I love power cleans – for me they are just fun and primal. Pullups are my weakest movement, but even though it’s cliché, I hate burpees. Gravity and big guys don’t mix well.
What is your most memorable moment so far?
I was coming back from knee surgery and working with Matt to get back to some level of fitness and strength to enter the classes again. I had been away from the gym for a few months and was not behaving with my diet. There was an ab mat portion of the workout, and somewhere around the 25 rep my belly cramped up and I was stuck on the floor in a fetal position. Laughing at the absurdity of the situation did not help, and the cramp tightened. It took what seemed like forever to get back up and complete the workout. Not my proudest moment, but definitely the most memorable.
What do you like to do outside of the gym?
I really enjoy traveling, exploring new foods, and dragging my introverted partner into awkward social situations like dance clubs we are too old for. I LOVE to eat and thanks to Kari and the nutrition program, I am much better than I used to be when indulging. In the winter I ski and the summer I golf – but most of the time I love hanging out with my partner, Lisa, and her son (who I fondly refer to as Ding Dong). They are home bodies, so this involves me beating him on a video game or cooking dinner and watching a new show or movie with her.
What is your favorite “cheat” food or meal?
My arch nemesis is the Pizza and Beer combo – no matter how hard I try to come up with something new, if I am going to cheat, this is it.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m not sure, I am pretty random and will try anything once, so most people aren’t surprised when I tell them things I’ve done… maybe this: I once went on a last minute 3 month trip to Australia back when I was broke in my 20’s. A buddy and I lived and traveled in an unregistered van I bought for $100 off a Swedish traveler. To fund our adventure (and since we only had a holiday visa) we worked “under the table” in hostels and on an onion farm so we could keep rolling and wouldn’t have to go back to the US and get a “real” job. Many things happened on this trip, and I am lucky to be alive.
Who or what inspires you the most?
My grandfather. He was a product of the great depression and World War 2. He made it to 99 years old before he passed and lived a very full life. He taught me that nothing is outside of your reach if you are willing to work for it, and if you want something you have never had, you will need to do something you have never done.
What is one goal you would like to accomplish?
My goal is to build a business and a brand that people would be excited to work for and want to be a part of. I have been working on the set up for the past year and hope to get to a launch in 2025.
