APRIL 2016- THE SALMONS!

It brings me great pleasure to introduce Chris, Amanda & Daisy Salmon, our Members of the Month for April.

Here's what Head Coach Rob Manlove had to say about Chris, Amanda & Daisy:

"I remember being introduced to Chris about 6 years ago by a friend I was training with at Fitness First. The workout we were doing that day was Bear Complexes and much to my surprise Chris saw fit to strict-press the shoulder-to-over-head reps. Chris has never been afraid of hard work and is always receptive to feedback from the coaches. Over the past year the transformation in Chris' Snatch has been remarkable. It's easy to get discouraged when the solution is tons of reps with lighter weights and doing extra mobility work but he has persisted and is now starting to reap the rewards. My best memory with Chris was winning Tribal Clash 2014 together.  Over the course of that weekend I saw that he has something special inside him when it comes to getting a job done. I'm not sure if that comes from playing rugby or chasing down villains, perhaps a bit of both, but it's a powerful thing"

"Amanda is becoming a force to be reckoned with, it's great seeing her regain her strength and sharpening back up her skills after having had some time off to have Daisy. Amanda shares her work ethic with Chris and I think she has huge potential as an athlete. There's currently a very solid crew of dedicated ladies at CM2 and I see Amanda as one of the driving forces behind the physical development of that group. As for Daisy she's very cute and we've been so lucky to see her smiling face at the box everyday. "

Here's what CM2 Coach Lewis Pridmore had to say:

"Both Chris and Amanda are a pleasure to coach, they always listen and aren't afraid to attack weaknesses. Chris'  progress has been incredible over the last few months. He has been extremely patient with ensuring quality of movement stays consistent as the weight increases. Seeing him hit 90kg on snatch at the Spring Social was epic and much deserved. Since Amanda has been back, it's often been hard to tell her to go a little easy, as she has so much drive to get back to her best and beyond. I'm really Looking forward to seeing Amanda back smashing it and pushing some of the top girls in the gym! As for Daisy, she is beautiful and its lovely to see she's already so settled here - is great having her part of the CM2 family."

Here's what CM2 Coach Rich Marchant had to say:

"Chris and Amanda are excellent members to coach. They always listen and never mind helping others. Since becoming parents their dedication to training has been amazing. I didn't expect to see Amanda back in the box so soon. The hardest part now is trying to ease her back into things as she is used to going full throttle. And as for Chris I've never seen him train so hard; mostly alone and just getting it done. It's a pleasure to have them in the class and it puts a smile on everyone's face when they walk in and see little Daisy. Well deserved family of the month!"

THE MEMBER OF THE MONTH INTERVIEW

How did you first get involved with CrossFit CM2?

Chris: Many years ago I met Scott Jenkins. He started doing main page workouts in fitness first Chelmsford along with Matt Williams which annoyed many of the chest and biceps crew that were there. Scotty introduced me to CrosFit and also to Rob before CM2 was around. Training with them was my first taste of CrosFit workouts. When Rob opened the gym Scott and Matt left. My biggest regret was not joining CM2 until after 2 years after it opened. On our honeymoon in Mexico we were close to CrossFit 917 and even though I had a broken big toe I started using the CrosFit gym there and was immediately addicted. On returning home I got in contact with Rob and joined CM2.

Amanda: Chris has always been very gym orientated and before we were married I'd often join Chris at fitness first or go running with him. When he found the CrosFit box in Mexico though, I'd sit and read in the sun whilst he trained. But when we returned and he joined CM2, I realised if I didn't want to spend countless evenings at home waiting for him I best join as well! I was soon hooked.

What has been your most memorable CrossFit Moment so far?

Chris: Winning Tribal Clash with Rob, Lauren and Louise in 2014 is by far my best CrossFit moment.

Amanda: Pulling a 130kg deadlift at 4 fittest in 2014 when I'd never lifted more than 85kg.

What is your favourite movement/workout?

Chris: When I started it was thrusters and my favourite workout was Grace. Now I'm pretty addicted to bar muscle-ups after finally getting over 10 in a row.

Amanda: Before I had Daisy I loved power cleans, wall balls, double unders, pull ups, chest and toes to bar. Now just wall balls and double unders, but looking forward to doing the rest again soon. I enjoy rowing now too after doing Ed's classes whilst I was pregnant.

What is your least favourite movement/workout?

Chris: I'm not a big fan of lunges.

Amanda: People who know me know.....I dislike running.

Name a CF goal you hope to achieve by the end of 2016?

Chris: I'd like a 100kg squat snatch by the end of the year. One of my many problems is mobility, recently my mobility has improved and I have gone from 80kg snatch to 90kg since Daisy was born.

Amanda: By the end of the year I hope to be back to where I was before I had Daisy, with a better squat hopefully. I was close to ring muscle ups and HSPU so they would be good too. I'd like to get over my dislike for running as well.

What do you do when you’re not training at CM2?

Chris:  I'm a police officer in a pro active gangs unit covering Islington and Hackney, this takes up most of my time. The rest of my time is spent with my two girls.

Amanda: Before I had Daisy I had two jobs, selling timber windows to the elite and gardening, I also made a few cakes. But at the moment I'm just a mummy, haven't got time for much else.

What is your favourite part of being a CM2 Member?

Chris: CM2 is like extended family and I have met a lot of like minded people there. I feel I have made life long friendships. If I had a bad day at work, going to CM2 and hitting a workout relieves any stress and puts things in perspective.

Amanda: I love the social side of CM2, everyone is so friendly and I love meeting all the new people as well as catching up with the regulars and the coaches. I've met loads of lovely people at CM2 and I genuinely missed them when I left to have Daisy.
What advice would you give to a new member?

Chris: Listen to the coaches and follow the programming. Rich, Lew and Rob are always on hand to offer advice and genuinely care about your progress. Sometimes you may not like the programmed wod, I normally find these ones the most beneficial.

Amanda: Don't become obsessed with the scores on the whiteboard. Work towards your own personal goals and on your own weaknesses. Yeah its good to have some competition but you've got to make sure you're getting the best from the wod, so don't concern yourself with what everyone else is doing. It's not always good to go RX as you may not be getting the right stimulus, so listen to the coaches!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself…

Chris: I spent most of my childhood holidays helping at my Grandad's farm, he took me ferreting and initially I'd be in ditches setting nets. When he felt I was old enough he handed me a caught rabbit and told me to kill it explaining it was the same as buying meat. I let the rabbit go and my Grandad wouldn't talk to me for a few days afterwards. Even 20 years later he still gets annoyed and I can see the disappointment in his face.
Amanda: I was the May Queen for Hatfield Peverel when I was nine years old. I got to ride around in a pretty dress on a decorated milk float at loads of country events throughout the year.
Daisy is a recent new addition to the Salmon Family. What's been the biggest challenged of becoming new parents?

Chris: Now everything is about Daisy and her well-being, my priorities have definitely changed, for example instead of worrying what the wod is we're more concerned that Daisy has a fresh nappy on and a bottle of milk ready for when Amanda trains. With a baby, time is a lot more precious, I think this has benefited me at CM2 as I'm a lot more focussed during the time I get there.

Amanda: I guess the biggest challenge is that none of my time is my own any-more. Although I love that Daisy is so dependant on me the only time I get to myself is when I get an hour at CM2!