Anand is a consistent athlete at 6:00am. He’s a learner by nature, which makes him very coachable. He asks questions about each movement and truly wants to know how to make himself a better athlete. Throughout that process, he’s been able to tackle movements with good technique and has seen tremendous gains because of it. He’s not only great to have in class as an athlete, but as a person, Anand is very kind and truly cares about his fellow athletes and coaches. He goes out of his way to welcome others and hold conversations about a variety of topics. He’s always a great presence among the 6:00 crew.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study? Feel free to add more.
I am originally from Kansas, though I hopped around after graduating from high school: a handful of years in Texas (Waco and Arlington), and then a handful more in Bloomington, Indiana. My wife (Adrienne) and I moved to Lincoln in 2012 so I could start my job at UNL as a professor at the College of Business. I teach and research on topics related to entrepreneurship, and Adrienne is a nurse practitioner in women’s health. She is basically my hero. We have two kids – Malachi (11) and Karuna (8). As I write this, they are outside in the backyard ostensibly to clean up after the dog, but in truth my daughter is chasing my son with the poop-scooper and he’s running away in (very rational) horror. So they’re pretty great.
How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I was aware of Crossfit when I moved to Lincoln, though only in vague way. I previously worked out in a variety of group-based gyms, since I enjoy the community of it all, but none of them challenged me as much as I was hoping for. I bellyached about this to one of my buddies from Indiana, and he encouraged me to try out a Crossfit gym. This gym comes up pretty quickly when you Google “Crossfit Lincoln, NE”, so nicely done with the search engine optimization!
What was the biggest obstacle for you to start as an athlete?
The hearsay about Crossfit – that it gets you fit at the expense of longevity, joint health, and assorted aches and pains. There are a lot of people with strong opinions about the risks of Crossfit, and I can appreciate the concern. The reality of our gym, however, is more nuanced, which leads to my answer for the next question.
How did you overcome that obstacle?
First, trying out the gym rather than making assumptions. Second, learning first-hand why it is wise to read and act on the advice given in the emails Emily and the other coaches send every week. Here’s what I mean – when I first joined the gym, I glazed over the emails that said things like “don’t go 100% every time you’re in the gym”, and I took each class as an independent workout instead of a part of an interconnected series of workouts. After some time, I started getting aches and pains that wouldn’t relent. I took some time off to let my body recover, and I spent that time working on mobility and restorative movement. When I started back at the gym, I was more proactive about looking at the week’s workouts, planning the days I would push and the days I wouldn’t, working on mobility and restorative movement outside the gym, etc. In other words, I have overcame the obstacle by listening to my body and listening to the coaches. Turns out they have some pretty great guidance, as long as you pay attention.
Do you remember your first workout as an athlete here?
I don’t – but I do remember thinking “This doesn’t look fun at all.” But often the things that are good for us are things we have to learn to like. I think there is a life lesson in there somewhere.
Who have your coaches been? How have they helped you through your first year as of a CrossFit athlete?
I am consistently a 6am person, so my coaches are primarily Emily, Erin, and Derek. They have been amazing. I am genuinely grateful to them for the variety of ways they have instructed, encouraged, and critiqued. Thankfully, the gym has other wonderful coaches that I have benefitted from as well, whether because I dropped into a random class at a different time or because other coaches have dropped in to teach 6am. The coaching staff is really fantastic.
Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
The gym provides several benefits. Physically, the variable but intentional programming provides ample opportunity to grow and be challenged. I have also learned a lot more about things that I need to work on. In other words, the gym keeps me humble! But the real answer here is the same as my answer to the last question, so I’ll hold off on saying it now so I don’t repeat myself later.
How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule? How do you stay so consistent in the gym?
Balance is such a tricky thing. It can be tricky enough if you have two general buckets (e.g., “work” and “life”) that you’re trying to balance. To achieve balance, the placement of the fulcrum depends on the load on each side of the beam, and that load constantly varies – you have a baby, a promotion, an illness in the family, etc. So balance is dynamic. But most of us aren’t balancing two general buckets – we’re balancing many things that push and pull us in many directions. It is a complicated matrix rather than a single one dimensional-beam. So, I try to be gracious with my inability to balance at times, and I remind myself that the reason balance is hard is because I have a life full of great things that I care about – family, career, church, community, etc. The gym, then, provides me with the opportunity to be energized, engaged, and capable in those areas I care so much about.
How does CrossFit help you with your job? How does CrossFit affect the rest of your life?
Working out consistently puts me in a good place, mentally and physically. And since the gym helps me start the day off in a good place, I can (and ought to) do something worthwhile with the rest of my day. Being active on a regular basis helps with my mental clarity, and that is something that is valuable in just about every aspect of life.
What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness: Home of CrossFit Lincoln?
I’ve read enough of these Athlete of the Month posts to know most people say “it’s the community.” Though a part of me wants to be original and not say what others have, a bigger part of me wants to be honest. So: it’s the community. People matter, and having a group of people that you consistently work out with, talk to, laugh with, etc., is a meaningful thing.
Last month’s athlete of the month, click HERE!
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