WEDNESDAY WINS!!! WES K.!
WEDNESDAY WINS! WES K!
Today we highlight one of the greatest and friendliest faces at the Cove, Wes K. Since joining the Cove he has lost over 40 pounds and his body fat percentage has dropped from 30% to 19% in his most recent InBody Scan. We really don’t need the numbers though, the progress is obvious and inspiring. Sometimes losing weight actually means gaining so much more.
You may know Wes from being awarded “Best Male Transformation” at the most recent Cove Anniversary Party, but what this award didn’t showcase was all the effort that went into it. Wes’s story isn’t about a quick fix, but rather was a steady climb over 10 months of intelligent training coupled with a new understanding of nutrition.
Wes came to us looking to lose weight and reclaim his body. As a younger man he was a swimmer and tirelessly spent hours in the pool. He loved it growing up but the grind of constant practices took its toll for his passion for the sport. Fitness became a chore that involved a pair of headphones, a bench press, some curls, and a desire to sweat as little as possible. Living a young mans lifestyle of drinking and it poorly led to him slowly gaining pounds year after year. Again, it wasn’t an instant transformation. It was a slow burn.
Wes realized what he was doing was not serving him and he needed to make a change. CrossFit came onto his radar as he saw the changes it made in people around him, but he was intimidated. Wes found the Cove online and it seemed “friendly and something I could do”. He saw that we offered FREE CrossFit 101 classes but he was afraid even to walk in the door.
“I am naturally a shy person and with all those movements and people being involved it seemed a bit overwhelming. If I ended paying a little money for the sessions I knew I would attend. It helped me follow through. I went through those three classes and it really helped me understand the movements and gave me confidence that I could do this.”
But now he actually had to take it to his first class. “Brian told me to take the Friday class so I did what I was told. I was super nervous for the class experience and he forgot to mention that it’s a partner workout. Not only that but it had like 300 wall balls and a whole bunch of other stuff. I was really feeling for my partner but he was awesome and so supportive. I survived that day.”
And from that first official workout of wall balls thus started Wes’s consistent attendance to CrossFit classes. “Coach John and Coach Brian kept introducing me to people and I started to make connections.” Those connection led to him to not just enjoying classes, but learning he was not alone in his journey.
After finding consistency in attendance he then moved on to the next target in his fitness journey, his nutrition. One step at a time was his simple, yet smart, approach. “I had the get the workouts down before I moved on to nutrition. I ended up buying portioned meals through Territory foods and that made things simple for me. The great thing that happened with changing my diet was that I was recovering better from workouts. I was starting to make classes 4 days a week and I realized that I really wanted to come to classes. I liked being there. I was eating so I could spend time doing something I really enjoyed.”
This is where Wes really started to realize the next benefit of his fitness transformation. Improving his physical body was also transforming his outlook on life and his relationship with people. “Lots of my friends were getting married and having kids and they just weren’t around to hang out anymore. I never realized it but I was isolating myself from others and the Cove brought me out of my shell (pun intended). I hadn’t really thought about it at the time, but depression runs in my family but I know that this place takes care of that for me. I am just happy here.”
And despite his initial hesitancy around crowds and his nervousness about that first Friday class, it has become something he really looks forward to. “ Partner workouts are my favorite night. It’s a day I feel like I can slack the most. I might be as popular a partner anymore after this article. I just love Marcus, Sara, Paul, John, and everyone at the Cove. Things have change so much for me over the past 10 months.”
We couldn’t be more proud of Wes and his amazing accomplishments. Give him a fist bump or high five when you see him and tell him to keep up the great work!
STRENGTH
Establish 1 Rep Power Clean
Time Cap: 14 minutes
P/PP Mod
If belly impedes bar path: opt for DB cleans – can go from hang.
Alternate 1 minute assault bike
+ 6 hanging DB power cleans for 14 minutes
WOD
“Lucky number 7”
AMRAP in 7 min:
7 Power Clean
7 Burpees over the Bar
– rest 1 minute –
AMRAP in 7 min:
7 Power Clean
7 Burpees
Fx: 115/75 part 1, 95/65 part 2
P: 155/105 part 1, 115/75 part 2
O: 185/125 part 1, 135/95 part 2
P/PP Mod
Sub DB hang power cleans
Sub elevated (box) burpees OR up-down + air squat
Coach’s Tip: Let’s get the HEAVY weights rolling. As always, form over weight but better form leads to bigger weight! Weight for the metcon should be something done in 1-2 reps or very quick singles.
Coach Josh just being Coach Josh…
