Around the Whiteboard: Jeff Kearse

It’s time to go Around the Whiteboard with Coach Jeff

Certifications: CSCS, CFL1, USAW L1

Favorite WOD: Grace
Favorite Lift: Power Clean
Deadlift: 385
Back Squat: 345
Snatch: 175
Clean and Jerk: 225
Favorite Food: Steak
Favorite Movie: Tombstone
Favorite Athlete: too many to choose a favorite
Dream Job: strength and conditioning coach
Dream Vacation Destination: a beach somewhere

You have a background in collegiate and professional strength and conditioning. Tell us more about how you started with that.
“I went to Graduate school for exercise physiology with the idea that I wanted to go into strength and conditioning. I volunteered in the weight room with the football team. From there, the assistant strength and conditioning coach got the head coaching position for Olympic sports. He brought me over as a grad assistant where I worked with the swimming and diving teams. When school was finished I applied for internships with Major League Baseball teams and got a position with the Detroit Tigers.”

What are the big differences between strength and conditioning for a sport and what we do here at No Excuses?
“The are some differences. Time spent is a difference, usually have 30 minutes with different groups. Volume is a difference, you have to take into account the time spent playing their sport and what that does to the body. Periodization is a difference, in sport we are usually working towards a competition, so you try and peak the athlete at that certain period. With sports, the conditioning aspect is usually some type of running to train the energy systems.”

How did you find CrossFit and what drew you to getting started?
“I was working as a personal trainer and one of my clients had a son that was playing rugby at Georgia Tech. I was training him one day and he said hey my sons rugby team is doing this thing called CrossFit, you should check it out. And I did, I got on the website and spent a few hours reading through the multitude of information. I liked their philosophies and approach and started doing different WOD’s from the main site here and there.”

How long have you been doing CrossFit?
“I started incorporating some of the CrossFit workouts into my regiment in 2006.”

What impact has CrossFit had on your life, lifestyle, and level of fitness?
“Being a trainer it is my job to push and motivate people to work harder. Nobody does that for me. I found that CrossFit is my motivator. My level of fitness has never been better.”

What is your athletic background? How did you get started in those sports?
“As a kid I played all the sports. Soccer, basketball, football and baseball. I guess I got started in these sports because that is what my older brother was doing. Soccer stopped when I started playing football because it was the same season. I stopped playing basketball in junior high school. Played football and baseball in high school.”

Have you always known that you wanted to be involved in training and coaching others?
“Not always, but in high school I spent a lot of time in the gym and had more than a few people come to me for workout advice. So in that aspect I guess I have been doing it for quite awhile.”

What do you love most about coaching others?
Seeing the potential in them and coaching and guiding it out of them.

Tell us about a CrossFit moment or achievement of which you are particularly proud.
“Those moments when someone that you are working with accomplish something that they never thought that they could do and seeing that look on their faces.”

What is one goal you have yet to achieve in CrossFit but are working hard towards?
“I would love to get that muscle up.”

What are your hobbies and interests outside of CrossFit?
“Sports, watching and playing. Mountain biking, video games, reading books, and of course my 2 sons.”

What is your advice for new members?
“Keep coming back.”

What do you love most about No Excuses CrossFit?
“There is so much to love here. From my fellow coaches to all the amazing members. It is fun learning something from each of you.”