July Ai1: Terry Hopp
Hometown: Fullerton, CA
Age: 55
When did you first start training at Anaerobic?: October 2012
Favorite WOD: Early on, my favorite WOD was Clovis (10 miles running and 150 burpee pushups) which I did on a Sunday in December 2012 with Alexa Dickerson, Chris Curto and Tito Cervantes. Now, while I still love a good chipper, I really enjoy and look forward to the Barbell Club workouts.
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with handstand pushups but especially banded handstand pushups with a head cold…thought my head was going to explode!
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I consider myself a “wanna be” athlete compared to my husband and daughter but I’ve always been active – youth and high school volleyball and basketball (1970’s), aerobic and step aerobic classes (1980-90’s), marathon running and masters swimming (2000’s) and then a combination of outdoor cardio and indoor video workouts (aerobics, strength, HIIT, kickboxing, kendo, yoga, etc.) My most significant fitness accomplishment was training for and completing the Barb’s Race 1/2 Iron(wo)man triathlon in Sonoma in July 2012.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? After completing the triathlon (a bucket list item), I was looking for a new challenge when my good friend and hairdresser, CJ Taylor, invited me to a “Bring a Friend Friday”. I was apprehensive because, though very fit from a cardio vascular and muscular endurance standpoint, I lacked muscular strength. I was surprised to find the workout challenging but “doable” and enjoyed the community aspect of the program. I signed up shortly thereafter.
The coaches and community are there to help you achieve your goals. My objective is healthy, functional longevity. The coaches at Ai understand this and are instrumental in identifying modifications that provide intensity but don’t exacerbate my arthritis.
- Terry
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today? I went to a Saturday “intro” class taught by Jeff Scott at the old Ai1. The workout was 10 to 1 reps of burpees, D-ball slams and box jumps. Because of my cardio background, I loved it. In fact, the regular Saturday class was doing a chipper that day and I remember thinking “I can’t wait to do that workout!” The biggest change today is my improved strength. I almost quit when I hadn’t passed On Ramp after four weeks. My endurance was very strong but I struggled big time with the strength movements – especially anything requiring upper body strength (pull ups, snatches, overhead squats, push and strict presses, etc.) Fortunately, Mark Wolf convinced me to keep at it.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? Healthy diet and exercise have always been important parts of my lifestyle but I think being a member of a committed, supportive community has helped me take those aspects of my life to an even higher level. The most significant change in my body and fitness has been increased strength. I’m no beast but happy to report that my husband has noticed the muscle development in my arms and back.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? The biggest and most unexpected change in my life came as an indirect result of CrossFit. That change was learning about a year ago that the nagging hip pain I’d had for years was osteoarthritis and that I have scleroderma, a fairly rare autoimmune disease. I’m thankful to Darius Veleas for noticing that I always opted out of rowing because of my hip pain and encouraging me to have my hip evaluated. The evaluation identified the arthritis and led to blood tests that identified the scleroderma. I feel very fortunate because this knowledge has enabled me to take steps to mitigate the progression of both conditions. Community is caring.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit Anaerobic moments My most proud CrossFit moment was my first unbanded strict pull up. For the skill section of class that day, we were supposed to work on muscle ups and I remember thinking it was silly for me work on muscle ups when I can’t even do a pull up. So I walked to the end of the pull up rack to work on pull-ups instead. I took a deep breath, took hold of the bar and slowly raised myself, fully expecting to peter out once my arms were at 90 degrees. But to my surprise, I actually cleared the bar! I did it one more time, just to be sure, before telling Coach Linsey. I ended up doing about five that day. Another favorite CrossFit moment was hiking to the top of Saddleback with the Ai Hiking Group. We hiked 26 miles that day and learned a lot about each other.
Any advice for people just getting started? Find your own “Fit” in CrossFit. Every person is different. From body type, age, gender, physical strengths and weaknesses, goals, etc. we are all different. It’s important to make an honest personal assessment and take responsibility for your success, however you define it. The coaches and community are there to help you achieve your goals. My objective is healthy, functional longevity. The coaches at Ai understand this and are instrumental in identifying modifications that provide intensity but don’t exacerbate my arthritis.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? My greatest joy comes from spending time with my husband, Brian, and my grown children, Brian Jr. (25) and Camille (23). I enjoy cooking healthy meals, especially since Brian remodeled our kitchen. I also enjoy traveling, walking/hiking (preferably at the beach or around the Back Bay), swimming, watching movies and wine tasting. Cheers!
July Ai2: Mike Anderson
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA
Age: 55
When did you first start training at Anaerobic?: I first came to CrossFit Anaerobic, Laguna Niguel, in November 2013. I had stopped in on a Saturday and spoke briefly with Mark Wolf who gave me a brief tour and I started training the following Monday.
Favorite WOD: My favorite WOD is any WOD I can complete at the RX level. The variety of workouts, for me, highlight my strengths and weaknesses. So on those rare occasions where I complete the WOD without scaling down I feel a sense of accomplishment.
Least Favorite WOD: I do not have a least favorite WOD. I’m currently nursing a sore left shoulder and have to adjust my workout so I can get it back to normal. The coaches are aware of this and are careful to ensure that I adjust accordingly.
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I have been fortunate enough to have stayed relatively healthy for all of my life. I grew up primarily playing baseball. I also played volleyball and soccer in high school. As member of the Tempe, Arizona Police Department I played on the Department’s baseball team and on the Department’s softball team in the Police Olympics. As a member of of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department I participated in the Baker to Vegas relay race and ran leg 17 two years in a row. Over the years I have also participated in a number of charity running events.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? I was first exposed to CrossFit by my friends and co-workers who were bringing the WODs into the gyms at work. At first I thought it was going to be one of those fitness trends that would come and go. But after doing the workouts I was exhausted and felt great after completing them. Over several years CrossFit seemed to be growing from home garages to small businesses in industrial parks. In June 2013 I was given a gift membership to a CrossFit gym and I really enjoyed going there.
CrossFit has kept me healthy, I have lost about twenty pounds, and I feel more confident in doing exercises that I had never done before and now do on a regular basis.
- Mike
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today? On my first day at a CrossFit gym I was a little nervous. I started by completing an on-ramp program where I learned the proper techniques for the different exercises and began measuring my times on a daily basis. By completing the same WOD at the beginning of the on-ramp and then at the end of the program, there was a noticeable improvement in my times. Now, I try and ensure that no matter what the WOD happens to be that I use the proper technique. I know Coach Mark and Alaina may not believe me, but that is what I primarily focus on.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? Before employing CrossFit as my primary workout routine I would run or do weight circuit training at gyms at work. CrossFit has kept me healthy, I have lost about twenty pounds, and I feel more confident in doing exercises that I had never done before and now do on a regular basis.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I have made CrossFit an integral part of my life. The WODs are always different so that I improve on both my strengths and weaknesses. The WODs are not routine and I’m always exhausted at the end of the workout.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit Anaerobic moments My favorite CrossFit moments are seeing the sense of accomplishments in the faces of those who achieve new PRs, string together their double under for the first time, do their first handstand push-up, bar muscle-up, or reach a goal that they have set for themselves.
Any advice for people just getting started? For anyone just getting started, complete the on-ramp program and listen to the coaches. Don’t be afraid you are not in shape, fast enough, or strong enough. Scale your workouts to your abilities, yet are challenging as well. Be consistent in your attendance and make it a part of your routine. You will not regret the results you achieve.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? With two girls in competitive dance, much of my time is spent taking them to dance rehearsal and attending dance competitions and recitals. When I can, I like to golf, attend Arizona Cardinal football games, ASU football games, Arizona Diamondback baseball games, and go to spring training baseball games in Arizona. I also enjoy any day at the beach!
July Ai3: Andrew Kao
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Age: 19
When did you first start training at Anaerobic?: November 2013
Favorite WOD: Long WOD, any WOD with bodyweight movement or gymnastic movement.
Least Favorite WOD: Any WOD with wall balls.
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: In High school, I was in cross-country for about a year. I switched to wrestling and swimming for my junior year, but never really liked it. I did sports just for the sake of staying in shape. But I learned to surf with a free lesson from my best friend and have kept on surfing ever since.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? It was before AI3 opened, Anaerobic set up a booth on UCI campus. I never really heard of Crossfit before. I remembered talking to Kimberly and she introduced me to Crossfit. She explained to me what Crossfit is about and what Crossfit workout are like on a daily basis. I decided to try it out.
Not finishing the workout is the least of my worries, but I get to test my limit mentally and physically.
- Andrew
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today? I don’t really remember the first day of Crossfit. But I remembered the first time I did Filthy Fifty for my first Saturday workout. I was first week straight out of OR, and I have never been to a saturday workout before. I decided to try it out. I am not going to lie, it was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. The workout was brutal, and I barely got to halfway. Even though the pain during the workout was agonizing, I was actually glad that I did it. I got to try out one of the long Crossfit workouts and that feeling of working toward the limit was the most memorable experience I have never had in any of sports I partake. Not finishing the workout is the least of my worries, but I get to test my limit mentally and physically. Today, I am ready to face another round of filthy fifty.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? Since joining, I’ve become stronger and fitter. Before Crossfit, I didn’t really have the chance to compete against myself and testing my limit when it comes to exercising. After Crossfit, I am able to exploit my own weakness and get to know my body much more, when I really need to rest and when to leave nothing in the tank
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? Mentally, I have become more strategic when it comes to facing a task. Just like in Crossfit, it is always better have a plan before a workout and lay out some strategies on how to attack the workout.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit Anaerobic moments Crossfit Open and learning a new movement such as the muscle up.
Any advice for people just getting started? Just do it.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Surfing and listening to all kinds of music.
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