April Athletes of the Month

The Clesceris

Interview and pictures by Anna DeVito

How did you two end up at CrossFit Prescott with Joey?

We had worked out at a Crossfit in the Tucson area. When we were considering moving to Prescott, connecting with a Crossfit here was important. Mike talked with Joey a few times over the phone and Joey gave him a bit of an education about his type of training philosophy. When we finally made it up here and were ready to get going, we visited another Crossfit here in town. We were unimpressed and hesitated to join. Meanwhile, we met up with Carly in August and talked with her and realized that Joey was still going to be training at Crossfit Prescott. Mike immediately hooked up with him. Mike started working out in September. Adriana couldn’t stand missing out so she joined in November, just in time for the rowing challenge…that we won together.

What drives your desire to work out?

Mike-It is crazy but I just feel better! When I workout I know that I am going to feel better for the rest of the day; sore and maybe a bit fatigued but I feel better. I know that with this gym I am getting the complete support to be successful. Seeing potential in someone and knowing that you can be pushed to do more is addicting, there is no telling how far I can go.

Adriana-It’s FUN! As long as something’s fun, I’m in. I love the people that come to work out. No matter how crappy I feel or unmotivated I am, as soon as I start the warm up I’m ready to go. I always leave feeling way better than when I came. I feel strong, confident and refreshed.

What type of prior athletic background do each of you have?

Mike-I did not have much of an athletic background. In high school I was in marching band and ROTC, not highly athletic activities. Although I was ‘fit’ in high school, I began putting on weight rapidly after graduation. Over the next 5 years I had reached 380 lbs. At that time, I began to increase my activity, doing things such as P90x at home and swimming and was able to lose some of the weight, In 2004, my athleticism increased as I began pursuing a fulltime career in the fire service. Between reserve FF and training, my lifestyle became much more active, but still struggled with coordination and confidence in my athletic abilities.

Adriana- I am one of 6 kids, 5 of which are AMAZING athletes (sports scholarships, Firefighters, ropeless rock climbers, marathon runners, coaches, trainers) Well, guess who was the one who has never been described as an ‘amazing athlete’? Yep, that’d be me. I loved doing things like cross-stitching and coin collecting and baking-not sports…Although, I have always loved to hike and backpack and play Pickle with my brothers, but competitive or organized athletics were never my thing. I danced in high school, but it was on the ‘even-an-elephant-can-dance’ team, if ya’ know what I mean. And I had to drop out when I cracked my patella tripping over my shoe laces…seriously!

Are your goals the same?

Not really.

Mike-my goal is to get lean muscle mass on, to build more of my stability muscles, and get technique down to be more effective when executing any given exercise with precision. My goal is 225 with lean muscle mass.

Adriana-have fun and be able to do a dead hang pull up and a real push up at some point in time. Be strong. Feel good. It might be nice to lose a little fluff too.

Do you two usually do the same class together? Why or why not? (I ask b/c the husband-wife dynamic can be kind of funny…I speak from experience…)

We do make it a point to work out together. We don’t like to pair up together though. We distract one another. We work out smarter when we aren’t paired up. It’s great to watch each other face challenges and push through to achieve results. It’s also kinda hot watching each other too (oh, did I just say that?)

Have your perceptions of fitness and what “working out” is changed since training at CF Prescott? If so, how?

Mike-Yes absolutely! My experience with Crossfit before was a typical box where we were pushed sometimes beyond our limits on a daily basis and highly competitive. Nothing wrong with being pushed and some good competition, but Crossfit Prescott had succeeded in training smart, especially for the individual who comes in that is not exactly an athlete to begin with. The concept of resting between workouts and the types of workouts that are conducted are for a purpose, not just to be the best on the leader board. From a fitness perspective, I put a ton of trust and faith in Joey’s expertise. The isometric exercises have strengthened the areas of my weaknesses. If there are issues physically or in my body mechanics, there are work arounds. This new methodology has really enhanced and opened a new way of thinking about Crossfit and the trends of it.

Adriana-Crossfit has taught me that grunting (and sweating) is normal…Crossfit Prescott has shown me how to work out smarter. Faster without consistent proper form is never better, for example. I’m not obsessed with the clock so much. Oh my gosh, I used to do circuit training at another gym too-how absolutely BORING!! Joey and his trainers are very well educated, not just from a Saturday training that certifies them to coach Crossfit, but they have an excellent knowledge base that goes beyond that, as Mike said.

Is Paleo eating something you guys might try? Why or why not?

We have both done Paleo challenges in Tucson. So our household was on the diet for about 6 months total last year. Mike actually discovered through blood work that his body doesn’t process proteins with high purine content that pure Paleo eating encourages. However, Paleo eating retrained our thinking in how we saw carbs and sugars. We became accustomed to eating 2-3 veggies with a protein for a meal. We learned to cook and bake without grains and sugar. And we also learned to plan ahead and simplify our eating so that going out wasn’t as tempting too, even on long road trips. There are many things we adapt from Paleo eating into our everyday eating. And we could do a modified Paleo using proteins that have a lower purine count.

What are your favorite and least favorite exercises?

Mike-favorite exercise is the Turtle Slams, love those guys and it gives me a chance to destroy something without ruining the bag! Least favorite is running. I have a tough time running, not built to run but I know it is important for me to do.

Adriana-I love deadlifts. Actually I also love any movement that ‘clicks.’ A couple weeks ago we were doing the power snatch. Joey explained it in a way that it just clicked and was instantly a comfortable movement. LOVE those moments…I hate distance running and push ups.

Any other additional comments…

We enjoy and love being with our Crossfit Family! They have provided a ton of the support and friendship we have needed since moving to Prescott. They are a group of quality, real, authentic people.