• How did you ﬁnd out about CrossFit?

From Kurt Fuller, a good friend of my boyfriend.He recommended coming to TitanFit to try it outand I’ve been coming since November of 2008.

• How have CrossFit workouts changed you?

My perspective on fitness, as well as my physicalappearance has changed significantly. I have madetremendous strides regarding strength, endurance,and my clothes fit better!

• What do you like about the workoutscompared to other programs?

It doesn’t take a great deal of time to completechallenging workouts, I never have the same daytwice so I never get bored and I can see and feel myimprovements more all the time.

• What do you like least?

Because it is so intense, it can be veryoverwhelming and sometimes make you want tothrow up-but in a good way!

• Some people say they want to ‘get inshape’ before starting CrossFit. What areyour thoughts on those sentiments?

I think that is an excuse in a long line of workoutexcuses that people come up with to delay startinga new routine. Yes, it is extremely challenging butit’s also scaled so even if you are new, you can startwith no problem. Anything worthwhile is going to be tough so you might as well get started and stopwaiting. If I could do it, anyone can!

• As a woman, did you have anypreconceived notions about CrossFit?

Definitely! I was one of the few female membersat first, and often times when I would workout Iwould be the only girl there. I thought that maybeit was more for fitness gurus, namely guys, but thatreally isn’t true once you get into it. There are morewomen joining all the time, and everyone is verysupportive especially when you are a beginner sothose initial worries subsided.

• Were you intimidated to try this program?

I was extremely intimidated, to say the least. Ihave never been in very good shape or athleticwhatsoever, and my ﬁrst workout at CrossFit was ateam workout that was so intimidating - to the pointthat I was not going to come back. However, I amso glad I listened to Herb and Carol and the moreseasoned Crossﬁtters because you truly do have to

Newsletter • April 2009

Member Interview

Lauren Higgins

Age:

Profession:

Marketing Assistant

By homas H. Maugh II,

The L.A. Times

Gross obesity can take 10 years off your life, asmuch as heavy smoking and even being moderatelyoverweight can take two to three years off,according to British researchers.A team headed by Dr. Richard Peto, one of theworld’s leading experts on the health effects of smoking, and Dr. Gary Whitlock, both of the Uni-versity of Oxford, analyzed 57 studies conductedin the United States and Europe involving 894,576 people, 61% of them male. During the course of thestudy, about 100,000 of the participants died.The team correlated deaths to the body massindex or BMI, a commonly used measure of obesitythat relates a person’s weight to their height. A BMIof 25 or lower is considered normal, a BMI of 30to 35 is considered moderately obese and a BMIhigher than 40 is considered grossly obese. For aman or woman who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, a weightof 175 pounds gives a BMI of 25, a weight of 210 pounds gives a BMI of 30, and a weight of 280 pounds gives a BMI of 40.The team reported today in the online version of themedical journal Lancet that every ﬁve-unit increasein BMI is associated with a risk of about one-thirdthat of lifelong smoking. That is, people with a BMIover 30 have about one-third the added risk as-sociated with smoking and are likely to have their lives shortened by two to three years. Those withBMIs over 35 have two-thirds the increased risk of smokers and are likely to lose ﬁve to seven years of life. And those with a BMI over 40 have the sameincreased risk as smokers and will likely lose eightto 10 years of life.“Excess weight shortens human lifespan,”Whitlock said in a statement. “If you are becomingoverweight or obese, avoiding further weight gaincould well add years to your life.”Moreover, Peto added, prevention is better than a cure. “In adult life, it may be easier to avoidsubstantial weight gain than to lose weight once ithas been gained,” he said. And “changing your diet but keeping on smoking is not the way to increaselifespan. For smokers, the key thing is that stoppingsmoking works.”

The research, which was funded by Britain’s Medical ResearchCouncil, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK,among others, was published in the March 28 edition of the journal.

Obesity can be as bad as smoking

Newsletter April 2009

give it a chance before you can make an informeddecision. If you stick with it and just keep coming,you will be so glad you didn’t give up.

• What would you say to someone who isthinking of starting CrossFit workouts?

Do not delay because it will be the best thing youever did for yourself.

• Any last words?

CrossFit, and the people at TitanFit, have trulychanged my perspective on ﬁtness and health. Iwas that person who constantly looked for reasonsnot to go workout because I hated it so much andalways felt like a failure. I started to give up on ever getting into shape because I thought maybe it justwas not for me. However, it is the best thing I haveever done for myself, and I have never felt such asense of accomplishment. The support at TitanFitis unwavering and the results are consistentlyrewarding. This is the hardest I have ever workedat anything (probably ever!) but the payoff issubstantial. Again, nothing truly worthwhile ever comes easy and CrossFit is no exception.

I have been a member of TitanFit since June2008. After a crushing defeat to a bunch of eighthgraders in our annual teachers versus students basketball game, I swore to never let that happenagain. My training began at a local gym, witha traditional ESPN/Bench press routine. I soonrealized at age 37, although this workout was veryrelaxing, it was very ineffective.My TitanFit experience has been great. Iworkout with a great group of people, I am proud to be the wall ball freak of the club and I have never puked in a trash can or anywhere else. I love thevariety of the workouts in TitanFit and the coacheswho are there to motivate and challenge you. Thusfar my results have been: More energy to keep upwith my two-year-old son, my wife can only beatme by 50 meters now in a 400 meter race, I have put off golf for a few more years and continue to play and compete in basketball without a medicnearby, and finally, I have not felt this great in over five years and look forward to my annual physical.I have been in a week long conversation witha buddy of mine on why I refused to cheer for Purdue during the recent NCAA tourney. He doesnot understand despite IU’s horrible season, Icannot bring myself to compliment Purdue for their success. Here is my explanation to him. Indiana hasfive national championships and Purdue has none. Now they were ‘voted’ national champs in the 50’swith John Wooden but I was voted Most Likely to be a Chippendale... look how that turned out. My point is, congrats Purdue you made the tourney andyou have nothing to show for it. Until Purdue winsat least ONE national championship I will NEVER acknowledge their success. Sure Purdue has wonBig Ten championships, but in my eyes would yourather win the Powerball or a $20 scratch off? Soto all those who enjoyed watching IU lose 17 timesduring the Big Ten season, just remember no matter what you do in this state, until you have FIVEhanging from the rafters in your gym, you willalways be PU to IU.

My recommendations for the Spring:

Go to Maxine’s Chicken and Wafﬂes and order the Barbecue Turkey Sandwich....the best $5meal you will ever have.Spend time with your family without the TVAsk Herb for some running in your workout. Hehas plenty of suggestions and it pays off.o something nice for someone unrepentantly.Gas cards are a great gift.ake a bath instead of a shower at least once aweek. It relaxes you tremendously.

Want to annoy your spouse, girlfriend, orboyfriend? Try these muscle jokes:

ey you got any tape? ... because I am ripped!almost got arrested today ... for carrying theseguns!need to ﬁnd a vet ... cause these pythons aresick!o you want to buy a ticket? ... to the gun show!•••••••••

Member’s Corner

Kelin Mark

Age:

Profession:

Teacher

Newsletter April 2009