Share your Prototype experience and fitness journey
Over the years, I’ve had various active hobbies to keep physically fit, mostly endurance focused (cycling, triathlon, running). After having kids, I didn’t do a great job managing my time between work, commute, and family and so steadily gained weight and fell out of shape. Back in 2018 I was finally motivated to get some help with my fitness goals and decided to try Crossfit and Prototype seemed to be well regarded in the area. I did the virtuosity sessions to learn the basics and started with a few classes. I really enjoyed the class style as it didn’t take any planning, just had to show up. Like most people starting out, I was so sore I could barely move and could never finish a workout under the time cap. There were quite a few workouts I didn’t complete due to how difficult they were for me. I was convinced that I needed lots of rest to recover between workouts, which created a lot of inconsistency in my schedule and made the habits harder to keep.
At the end of 2019, I was out of shape again and wasn’t happy with the trajectory I was on. I was watching an interview with an ultra-endurance athlete who runs 50 miles at a time for days on end and It occurred to me that the idea that a sedentary guy like me needs a couple rest days in between my 15 minutes Crossfit metcons was ridiculous. It’s not that rest isn’t necessary, but just like you’re probably eating more calories than you think, your body is also resting more than you think. I decided I wanted to get back into the gym and this time I would commit to working out every weekday and rest days were only necessary when I was really hurting. Turns out it worked great for me because I got a regular routine going and was able to build a real daily habit. Then the pandemic hit. The Prototype staff was amazing during this time, quickly adapting to the challenges of keeping the community together and productive during really hard times. I had Jon texting me daily with suggestions on daily workouts I could do at home and I felt supported even though I wasn’t coming into the gym.
Finally in December 2020, I felt comfortable enough with the COVID risks to get back into the gym and have stayed consistent through all of 2021, making huge progress on my fitness. Over the past year, I’ve hit PRs on all the major lifts and with Jon’s help have learned toes to bar and kipping pullups. If anyone is wondering if 1-1 training is worthwhile, I highly recommend it to help improve on the core skills!
What is your favorite thing about being at Prototype?
The coaches and other members are by far the best part. Go 7am crew!
What are your hobbies and activities?
If I’m not working or in the gym I’m spending time with my family. My wife Heather and I have a son Zachary (10) and daughter Adelyn (8). We love to play family board games with them almost every day. When the weather is nice I enjoy mountain and road biking and I’m planning to get my son into mountain biking this year now that he’s skilled enough to navigate New England trails. When the weather is not so nice, I love to play video games.
How has (if it has) Prototype helped you outside the gym (in sports etc)?
The most obvious is improved endurance for active activities. Being ready for anything opens up opportunities for things that might normally require some specific training. This past fall, Heather and I completed a sprint duathlon and my only training was coming into prototype for daily workouts. Something more subtle has been having regular physical activity to help combat stresses outside the gym. Starting the day with the accomplishment of completing a workout helps me face other challenges with a better mindset.
What are you continuing fitness goals to this point?
Just keep consistent and show up for that sense of accomplishment every day. Keep getting a little stronger and a little faster every day and stay healthy.
What is your favorite quote?
Keeping to a fitness theme, but this applies to all aspects of life. If you want to achieve a goal, you have to consistently work toward it, especially when it gets hard and uncomfortable. Don’t allow yourself to feel entitled to the outcome without preparation, sacrifice, and hard work.