Athlete Spotlight: Glen Wilkins

Name: Glen WilkinsRocky
Age: 41
Occupation: Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations
Which class time do you usually attend? 9:30 a.m. es puro loco!
Favorite WOD: n/a
Favorite Lift: clean/power clean
Deadlift Max: 350
Back squat Max: 255
Fran: 5:44
Cindy: Who knows (faster than Ryan G.)
Got Muscle-ups? Almost?
1 mile run: How many meters is that?
How long have you been CrossFitting?  Since January 2013

What keeps you coming back/motivated?
“My wife Nicole and the crew at 9:30 and 12:30.”

How did you find CrossFit?
“My wife did a Crossfit WOD with my sister in Austin, Texas, last Christmas. It killed her and that made her want more. We have been doing five days a week since then!”

What is your athletic background (If applicable)?
“Skateboard, Mountain Bike racing, Road racing, snowboard, surf, baseball.”

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?
“Since joining No Excuses we have changed our eating to the Paleo lifestyle (80%-20%) and workout very regularly. Even with my travel schedule I find different boxes to drop into and experience different coaching techniques as well styles. I am more fit and thinner than my two boys have ever seen me. We always stressed fit/athletic lifestyles for our kids and sat and watched them participate. This, is for us to do the same thing and be good physically fit role models for them.”

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do? (muscle up, double unders, heavy deadlift, run a mile, etc.)
“Any weightlifting. All of the sports I participated in were not focused on weight lifting, at all. I enjoy lifting heavy weights, but even more I enjoy learning to lift them efficiently and safely. I like the idea of lifting heavy weights multiple times and quickly. That is what makes the WOD’s so much fun!”

What motivates/inspires you?
“Looking in the mirror and seeing what I didn’t think I would ever see…a thinner me. I have lost 40 pounds and gained a lot of muscle doing it. The comments I get from people that I have known for years is encouraging. The 9:30 crew Kenny/Bobby/Kevin/Jeff/Ryan G./Ashley/Larry/Dhillon and Patti make it fun to go every day. There is a lot of trash talking and encouragement at the same time. The coaches are great, no matter who is there to put up with my crap!”

What is your proudest CrossFi achievement?
“Completing my first WOD at RX! No more scaled workouts!”

Name one goal/personal achievement you would like to achieve through CrossFit?
“Muscle ups on rings and bar muscle ups. I want to be like the guy in the movies that pulls himself up by his finger tips from the edge of the cliff!”

What goals have you achieved in CrossFit?
“Weight loss and muscle gain.”

Hobbies/Interests outside of CrossFit?
“I really enjoy going to my boys athletic events (baseball, basketball and football) and spending time with Nicole. We all love to travel, so we spend a lot of time on the road and in the air. The healthy decisions have made travel that much more enjoyable.”

What is your favorite meal?
“Any New Mexican dish — chile rellenos, pasole, enchiladas…all smothered in red or green chile. Of course you have to have chips and salsa with an ice cold beverage!”

Any advice for new members?
“Don’t push it so hard that you burn out. Make sure you attempt the Paleo diet sincerely. It is hard enough to do pull ups when you aren’t over weight, but if you are, it makes it that much harder. Don’t compare yourself to the people that have been doing it for a year or so. Find that person that is comparable to you in ability and push each other every day. Show up and have a good attitude and get to know the other members and coaches. Know this, Brandon loves to have the WOD altered, Laci and Laura are always looking for music opinions before the WOD and Chris Fischer can show you how NOT to do every move in the book!”

Any additional Comments?
“Have fun everyday and build those relationships inside the box!”

Coach Brandon’s take:
I remember when Glen first started, he always wanted to to alter the WOD. I finally convinced him not to do that and just listen to his coaches. He’s made tremendous gains in the last year and has become one of our stronger athletes. Glen always has a great attitude and is fun to be around. But he also knows when it’s time to put in work and get better.