October 2018
Get to know Phil Nathan’s Success Story at Fit2Live!
Phil has been a member at Fit2Live for almost 5 years now. He is known for bringing many of the nooners’ bad ideas to fruition and to the public eye with his skills in videography and graphic design. His consistency, hard work, positive attitude, and fun spirit is what made him the member spotlight this month.
When and why did you get started at Fit2Live?
Growing up, I’d always been active and involved in a number of different sports and physical activities from swimming and cycling to weight training and wrestling. After beginning my professional career and starting a family, I didn’t have a lot of time to devote to a lot of physical activity. After 10-15 years, I really started to notice that I was out of shape and wanted to do something about it. When I first discovered Fit2Live (about 5 years ago), my office was literally a stone’s throw away from the place. I drove past it every day on my way to work. I figured, if I was going to get back in shape and be more active again, what would be more convenient than just walking across the street for a class each day? I’d seen packs of folks working out together in and around the gym and really liked the idea of what we now refer to as “suffering with the group!” Eventually, I reached out and gave it a shot.
What was your first workout or memory of Fit2Live?
2 memorable memories came out of my very first class at the gym. The first was when Suzy looked me straight in the eyes, very seriously, and asked me, “Do you know what a snatch is?” In the second or 2 that I had to react and respond to the question, so many thoughts went through my head and all of them were incorrect and inappropriate answers. Eventually, I responded with a simple “no” and she demonstrated a barbell movement that I had never attempted before in my life! The second was when Lauren demonstrated burpees outside, in the grass, while she was 8 months pregnant! I’ll be honest, I fell in love with CrossFit AND both of those incredible ladies right then and there!
You are a man of many talents (excellent guitar player, gymnastics ninja, graphic design and video editing aficionado, just to name a few). What is your process for learning new skills and achieving excellence in them?
Excellence is a relative term. I’m the worst when it comes to accepting compliments, but thank you for the kind words! There are plenty of people that do all those things a heck of a lot better than me and that is where I draw inspiration. I feel like a broken record at home when I tell my kids, “Just because something is hard, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do or try it”. There is a process that goes along with learning a skill and the only way to get decent at it is persistence. Whether it’s a technically demanding piece of music, new software or a new software technique, or an Olympic or gymnastics movement – If you put in the time, you will always achieve a certain level of proficiency. When it comes to skills specific to the gym, your abilities always improve with the advice and support of your peers in tandem with quality coaching – Something that Fit2Live has always had an abundance of!
What 3 songs are on your current playlist?
There are thousands of tunes on my old iPod and that pretty much shuffles 24/7 unless I’ve got a gig coming up. Prior to a show, I always put together a full list of the stuff that we will/might play so that it’s fresh in my mind. Come out and see us at The Magic Bag on October 20thfor our Annual Halloween Bash!
What is your favorite CrossFit workout and/or movement?
Murph. Muscle-ups, pull-ups, handstand variations, double-unders, and squat-cleans. Oh, and burpees. Burpees are awesome.
You had a shoulder injury a couple of years ago and have since made a full recovery. What was your mindset when the injury occurred and what was your process for overcoming that injury? What helped keep you on track with the rehab?
I knew I was in trouble when I had to modify everything that I was doing from putting on shirts to opening car doors. It was waking me up in the night and preventing me from doing the simplest things that everyone else takes for granted. Above all, I kept thinking about my kids and how much I might miss out on because of a bum shoulder, so I talked to my doctor and an orthopedic surgeon after getting an MRI. I was bummed out when I got the word that my supraspinatus tendon was more than 80% torn, but I knew that I had to do something about it. I had the surgery to repair my shoulder knowing full well that the recovery was going to be a long one. I was really motivated to get my arm out of the sling and regular visits to physical therapy (3 times per week for the first few months) kept me moving forward and getting stronger. The most important thing to remember during rehab is patience. The operation takes 45 minutes and after more than a year, I’m still not 100%, but I’m getting there. I’m incredibly grateful for all the help and support that I’ve received from the Fit2Live staff and community!
What advice would you give to someone starting out at Fit2Live?
Starting at Fit2Live is easy – If you’re beginning your first fitness journey or if you’re a seasoned veteran, the staff and the community are friendly and welcoming. You’ll find everything that you need and there are plenty of time slots that will easily fit into a busy schedule. Listen, and be coachable – the staff at Fit2Live really prides themselves on making sure that their athletes are executing the movements correctly and not overstepping their abilities. Above all, it’s important to have fun with it and to support your fellow athletes.
Where do you think the nooner name came from/how did it originate?
If I remember correctly, the term “Nooner” started getting tossed around when Ryan began coaching at Fit2Live. As I understand it, a “Nooner” describes an activity undertaken during the lunch hour, in this case, group suffering.
What is your next big CrossFit goal or skill that you are working to achieve?
Meeting Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet (she’s dreamy). Getting my shoulder stronger and more flexible. I love bodyweight and gymnastics movements – I really want to learn ‘press to handstand’ and backflips. I need to bump up the numbers and clean up my technique on my deadlift and back squat too.
Want to start your fitness journey just like Phil did in 2014?
Take the next step with a FREE No Sweat Intro Consultation HERE.
