Meet Robbie!
Robbie LaRue has been a long time member and is now a Certified CrossFit Coach! We are excited to welcome him officially to the coaching staff.
What are your hobbies? Hobbies include Crossfit, OCR events, hunting and fishing, and working on the farm.
What do you do in “real life”? In real life I am a Project Manager for a Construction Company.
Please tell us a little about your personal life. I am 29 years old. I am married to a great woman, Emily LaRue. We have an American Bulldog named Trooper. I attended Auburn University where I received a degree in Civil Engineering. I lived in Nashville, Tennessee for 1 1/2 years. When Emily and I got married, we lived in Owens Crossroads, Alabama and then in May of 2017 we moved to Priceville.
What led you to join the CrossFit Protocol family? I started CrossFit in December 2017. I first became interested in CrossFit in college, but never was fully engaged in the methodology. After Emily and I moved to Priceville, I heard from a friend that CrossFit Protocol was one of the best gyms around, so I thought that I would give it a shot. I have been hooked ever since.
What is your past fitness/sports/exercise history? Prior to CrossFit, I played sports in high school and intramural sports in college. I have always been a bit of a gym rat, mostly in the traditional bodybuilding/”globogym” setting.
What did you think about CrossFit before you started? I thought that the methodology was sound but that the workouts were a bit on the short side. It felt like you had to spend hours at the gym to get results.
How do you feel about CrossFit now that you’ve been doing it for some time? I now see that working in the aerobic pathway, you can not only improve your strength but that through the methodology of CrossFit (constantly varied functional movements done at a high intensity), you can see significant improvements to your anaerobic capacity as well.
How has CrossFit affected you in your regular life; tell us about any results you’ve experienced as a result of CrossFit? I would have to say the biggest way that CrossFit has affected my regular life is completely non fitness-related. Yes, I am strong and I can run faster and do gymnastics, but it is the family that Emily and I have become a part of that has changed our life. I met some of my favorite people in the world at CrossFit Protocol. The CrossFit community has made the biggest impact on my life.
If you could pick one exercise that you never had to do again, what would it be? Strict Handstand Push Ups.
Tell us one thing about you that we might not know. I am afraid of Flamingos.
What’s your biggest CrossFit accomplishment? It took me two years to be able to do double-unders. A few weeks ago, I hit a set of 100 unbroken.
What goal are you currently working on and how do you plan to attain it? I am in the process of learning to handstand walk. I am trying to spend 30 min, 3x per week on this skill.
Why did you want to become a coach? After Emily joined the gym, I realized that I was more excited to see her meet her goal than I was to hit my own goals. I just have a passion for helping others succeed.
If you had to pick only one thing that most athletes should work on, what is it? Setting goals and developing a plan to meet them.
What is the top subject you consider yourself an expert in? Goal setting and execution of a plan to meet those goals.
What is the best advice you have for someone who may be interested in checking out our gym? Just try it for two weeks. I bet that after two weeks you will have realized two things, 1. you are not in as good shape as you thought, and 2. the Protocol community is second to none and you cannot get enough of it.
Meet Carrie!
What led you to join the CrossFit Protocol family (and how long have you been a member)?
I knew I wanted to do something to get back into shape, I am in my 40’s and wanted to be able to keep up with two active boys. I knew Jessica was doing CrossFit and asked a few questions…next thing I know some guy named Adam was calling me (lol)! I have been doing CrossFit for eight months now.
What is your past fitness/sports/exercise history?
I played high school volleyball, softball and a little college softball. I have always loved sports and enjoyed going to the gym, doing weights and cardio. I just got bored and had a hard time staying motivated.
What did you think about CrossFit before you started?
I was very intimidated by CrossFit, honestly a little scared!
How do you feel about CrossFit now that you’ve been doing it for some time?
Love it!! I look forward to working out every day and feel bad when I have to miss!!
Tell us about any results you’ve experienced as a result of CrossFit.
I love feeling strong and that my boys think mom’s muscles are cool! Bonus is that I have also lost 15 pounds!
How has CrossFit affected you in your regular life?
I have changed the way I live because of CrossFit, eating healthier and making it a habit to be active even when I am not at the gym.
If you could pick one exercise that you never had to do again, what would it be?
100%...Snatches.
Tell us one thing about you that we might not know.
I am very competitive! VERY.
What is your definition of “healthy eating”? How do you eat? What’s your favorite “off plan” meal?
The changes I have made in my diet are focusing on eating clean and trying to focus on eating in a way that is easy to sustain, if it is too hard it is going to be too easy to make bad decisions!! My “off plan” meal is always Mexican!!
What’s your biggest CrossFit accomplishment?
PR back squat of 195 lbs (April 8th).
What goal are you currently working on and how do you plan to attain it?
Double-unders, mainly because I am tired of leaving the gym with whip marks! I am just praying for it to “click” like everyone says and practicing on them at home.
If you could design your own WOD, what would it look like?
Partner WOD (I love partner WODs!), and it would involve rowing, sleds, wall balls and sit-ups.
What is the best advice you have for someone who may be interested in checking out our gym?
Try it! CrossFit may not be for everyone, but you won’t know until you try it. Make yourself commit to 3 months, when you see how far you can come in a short period of time you will be hooked!!!