Upper East Side

We are very excited to announce November’s Westside Athlete Spotlight of the month is……

Brandon Frost!

Brandon has been a member of our Columbus Circle community since its inception.  He has always shown dedication and support for fellow athletes in the box as well as set a positive example for all.  After suffering a rough injury dislocating his shoulder and sidelining him for a couple months, he has come back with a vengeance.  The determination he exhibits after the injury is second to none and always stays to the end cheering on fellow athletes.  CFCC is lucky to have him! We caught up with Brandon to see what he had to say about his CrossFit journey.

How/when did you get involved in CrossFit? What has motivated you to stick with it?
I first saw the CrossFit games on ESPN about 2 years ago while I was channel surfing on a lazy Saturday. There was an ocean swim event and I thought to myself, “Those idiots don’t know how to swim.” I swam and played water polo in college so I was going hard on their technique until I realized they ran a mile, did 50 pull-ups, and a whole bunch of push ups and air squats. I swallowed my words and then thought, “This just got real.” I wanted to try CrossFit ever since that lazy Saturday.  I searched for a little over a year by dropping in on boxes, taking free intro classes, talking to coaches, etc. but none of them really had what I was looking for: personalized attention in small group classes. That’s where EVF came in, and thankfully Columbus Circle does not require me to take a train to work out.

I stick with CrossFit not just because I am crazy; rather, it’s something that I can do for myself. Being a high school teacher means I am always doing something for someone else, so CrossFit allows me to have that one hour out of every day where I push myself physically and mentally in a very different way.

What do you enjoy most about being a member at EVF?
First, I enjoy the personalized attention from the coaches and their motivating attitudes. I also enjoy the people I work out with as they hold me accountable for coming to the box and to complete every WOD with a goal in mind.

Do you remember your first workout? Looking back how did it go?
Can I count the mini-WOD at the end of my first On-Ramp as my first workout? It was the coldest day of January 2014 (it was 9 degrees outside … I clearly remember) and Travis made us complete a 15-minute AMRAP consisting of 200m run, 10 ring rows, and 10 wall balls. I considered myself a fairly athletic person but the freezing temperature coupled with those wall balls really got the best of me. But if that can’t be considered my first WOD, then a week after my On-Ramp I enrolled in my first CrossFit class and that day’s WOD was “Karen” (150 wallballs) … enough said.

What were your goals when you first started? How have they changed?
My first goal of CrossFit was to listen to my body. I did (and continue to do) my research on CrossFit, and in order for me to set realistic goals I need to understand what my body can do and what it needs to improve on. Now that I have been in CrossFit for almost a year now and I am continuously perfecting my lifting form, my goal is to do men’s RX at least twice a week by the end of 2015.

How have you grown in that time — health, body, mind, etc.?
I feel much more confident in how I workout and in how I carry myself on a daily basis. I have much more energy (mainly because I sleep a lot more) and I am more focused in my career.

Favorite lift and WOD?
I love cleans, handstand push-ups, and burpees … yup, I said it. BURPEES! My favorite WOD has to be “Mary” (20-minute AMRAP: 5 HSPU, 10 Pistols, 15 pull-ups).

Least favorite movement and workout?
Anything to do with squats. I do not like squats.

What drives you through the door each day?
What drives me to come to CrossFit is seeing the people that I normally workout with. They and the coaches push me mentally and physically to do things I never thought I could do. Not only that, but it’s November and I am already thinking about my summer beach body.

Do you have any advice for new members?
My advice is to stick with it, keep your chin up, and rely on our CrossFit family for support. There are few places in life where you find support and strength in people you are competing with and against. In addition, do not be discouraged if you finish last, or have to complete a WOD with just the bar since everyone starts somewhere and we were all in the same boat regardless of our previous athletic background.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
I want to complete at least two WODs a week at men’s RX by the end of 2015.