The 2013 CrossFit Open has come to a close, and now a handful of “Fire Breathers” begin to anticipate to start of Regionals on their Road to the Games.
So this week’s blog post will highlight a phenomenal CrossFitter from the South East, Jon Adams.
Jon participated in the 2012 regionals on Team Hustle Hard, placing third in Regionals and tying for 14th in the Games. This year, he is regionals-bound again, having placed 12th in the South East Region, and 61st worldwide!
How/when did you first get into fitness and more specifically CrossFit?
I began working out my senior year in high school. I was a scrawny 140 lb kid, who was sick and tired of being skinny. I ballooned up to 235 lbs and I started to realize this was not fitness.
I tried one Crossfit WOD and I couldn’t finish a 400 m run. That’s when I realized how badly I had defined fitness beforehand.
How has CrossFit impacted your life?
So many things about CrossFit has impacted me. To begin with, I can honestly say at age 31, I am in the best shape of my life. I am more athletic and stronger now than ever before.
Crossfit has also allowed me to forge relationships with tons of people in the South Florida area that I would have otherwise never become friends with.
Furthermore, being around like-minded individuals makes me feel very comfortable.
How do you motivate yourself to continue to push yourself?
I use many tools to motivate myself and it all depends on the competition. For instance, at Powerlifting Meets there are a ton of athletes there that are HUGE (in every sense of the word), I typically feel out of place at these Meets because my build is not of a typical Powerlifter.
So my motivation is always to make a name for myself, to show that I belong, and to prove that despite my “look” I am also extremely strong.
However, at CrossFit Competitions, the motivation is completely different. At CrossFit Competitions, I usually stand out; I don’t look like your typical CrossFitter, and thus, the perception is that I probably have no cardio.
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My motivation is to prove people wrong, which is why I enjoy WODs that involve a running element so that I can further prove myself. Having the correct mind set is always important. During training, my motivation is just to never be satisfied.
You may set a personal record today, but a couple hours later you’re gonna realize that’s still not good enough, and thus you have to continue to push yourself.
How did your experience at the CrossFit Games affect your future training?
It has taught me several things. One of those things is that I have a lot to work on. I need to continue to get stronger, faster, and more flexible. However, of utmost importance is learning to REST and embrace the REST day.
But balancing a heavy volume of training, keeping up my intensity, and resting is very difficult.
What is the best fitness advice you’ve ever been given?
“It’s not Over-Training, its Over-Developing” — Pierre Soero, my teammate.
It’s really difficult for me to take REST DAYS, but what has helped me get through those REST DAYS is planning. Having plans to keep you busy throughout the day helps you forget about not being able to work out.
Also, having active rest days is effective. So going for laps in the pool, playing basketball, or just a brisk run all performed at a low intensity smoothes over my inherent desire to constantly work out.
Exercise.com would like to thank Jon Adams for sharing this information with us, and we wish him the best in the 2013 Regionals and the Road to the Games!
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