Athlete Spotlight: Patrick Hoydar

FNT_patrick
Name:
Patrick Scott Hoydar
Age: 30
Occupation: Lead Developer at WebMD
Which class time do you usually attend?
5pm
Favorite WOD:
Elizabeth. I love cleans and dips are right in my wheelhouse
Favorite Lift:
Snatch. We have a sort of love hate relationship.
Deadlift Max:
365
Back squat Max:
295
Favorite Food:
Any pizza ever made
Favorite Movie:
Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Athlete:
Roger Federer
Dream Job:
Full Time musician
Dream Vacation Destination:
Ireland. You can’t have a red beard and not go to Ireland at least once.

How long have you been CrossFitting? 
“Since July 2015.”

What keeps you coming back/motivated?
“I love the competitive yet friendly environment the gym has. Seeing my own gains as well as being motivated by fellow members keeps me coming back no matter how much a WOD destroys me.”

How did you find CrossFit? 
“My good friend Tyler has been following CrossFit for years and used to go to No Excuses.”

What is your athletic background (If applicable)? 
“I’ve played tennis my whole life and a little bit of football in high school. My coaches weren’t too bright, so I was 5’11 and 190lbs playing offensive line. No, we didn’t win many games.”

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?
“I’ve always loved lifting weights, but I pretty much used to do only the typical lifts like bench press, shrugs, and bicep curls. Those exercises got me in decent muscular shape, but those results were nowhere near the results that CrossFit has delivered. I’ve truly tasted the Kool Aid, which is very apparent now that I never shut up about CrossFit.”

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do?
“Handstand push ups. I’m not talking about multiple push ups. I’m talking about being able to get into a handstand without fear of snapping my neck and then even being able to do one. The day I got about 5 in a row, you would have thought I won a small lotto jackpot.”

Who or what motivates/inspires you?
“I’m inspired by my wife and daughter to be a better husband and father, which means keeping myself in good health so I can be with them as long as possible.”

What is your proudest CrossFit achievement? 
“I just learned how to do the rope climb and it felt amazing to be at the top looking down. When I was in middle school we had to climb the rope in gym, and I couldn’t even pull myself off the ground.”

Name one goal/personal achievement you would like to achieve through CrossFit?
“I’d like to see one ab. Nothing greedy like a six pack. Just one ab and I’ll be happy.”

Hobbies/Interests outside of CrossFit? 
“Music has been my passion since I was a pale chubby kid squeaking out notes on the saxophone in the 6th grade band. I’m happy any time I can pick up my guitar and get a few notes played and a few melodies sung.”

Any advice for new members?
“Don’t give up. You will want to, but the reward is far greater than the struggle. Also, check your ego at the door. There is always room for improvement. I thought I was really good at picking heavy things up, but I was really on a fast track to a hernia and a bad back.”

Any additional thoughts/comments
“I can’t say enough about how great the coaching is at No Excuses. I’ve never once felt judged or stupid for asking questions. They are patient and extremely good at what they do. I’m pumped to be a part of the No Excuses family.”

Coach Brandon’s Take:
“From the moment he graduated from Foundations, Patrick has been drinking the CrossFit Kool-aid hard! He has a tremendous passion for fitness and exercising and that carries over into his training. As a former powerlifter, Patrick has really good strength, but he has made tremendous progress with his gymnastic movements. He has also taken a liking to Olympic Lifting where he continues to see improvement as well.”