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Brandon Mills – May Athlete of the Month

We are excited to have Brandon Mills as our May athlete of the month!!! 

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study? 

I grew up here in Lincoln, after my first round of college I wound up getting a decent job here in town so I never left haha. I originally went to school for and worked in Computer Aided Design Drafting for a handful of years. While working I went back to school to get my BA in business admin and now work in sales for a manufacturing company here in town.

 

How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

Aaron Topil is one of my best friends from High School and he had been trying for a couple of years to get me to join. Being that I had no prior experience with lifting, working out, etc. (other than running), it was intimidating to say the least walking through the doors the first few months. Which probably explains why I would hide in the back of the class all the time in the very beginning haha.

 

What was the biggest obstacle for you to start?

I quit playing sports when I got to High School, so I had never done any real lifting or legitimate workout routines before. I also didn’t do the foundations classes when I first started either, so it was a bit overwhelming and a lot to take in at first…not to mention what felt like chronic soreness the first month or so.

 

How did you overcome that obstacle?

I had written down my own personal goals for what I was trying to achieve by joining CrossFit. Between constantly reminding myself of those goals and listening to my coaches, I have been able to maintain consistency with attendance and nutrition to help in achieving these goals.

 

Do you remember your first workout?

I have a terrible memory when it comes to remembering stuff like this, so no I don’t remember my first workout. I do however remember my first partner workout. My second or third week as a member, we had an odd number of people in class so I was planning on doing the workout by myself in the back of the class like usual. Out of nowhere coach Austin comes back from the other room saying “Paul said he will do the partner WOD with you”. Ignorant and not knowing Paul was also a coach or who he was for that matter, I agreed thinking “why not, I have started to get the hang of this CrossFit thing”…I got buried, FAST! Thinking back on it always makes me laugh because he had that infamous Paul grin the whole workout, barefoot and all. As I layed there on the floor struggling to breathe like a Carp out of water, I instantly thought of one of my favorite adages: “Stay humble, or you’re going to get humbled”.

 

Who was your coach, how did they help you push through it?

Austin was the coach that evening, but by that point I was committed so I was just trying to keep up as best as I could and survive the workout haha. Having someone to compete against a little bit, or having someone next to me that is going about the same pace always seems to push me to keep going.

 

Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

I have been coming here for almost 4 years now I think; I am in the best shape of my life and I have never felt better, both physically and mentally. On the rare occasion when I miss a day, I can definitely notice a difference where I feel sluggish and foggy-minded. It sounds odd to say, but no matter how sore I am during the week, I always feel better after a workout.

 

How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule?

To put it quite simply, I do everything I can to make the gym a top priority of my day. Usually I go to the 6:30pm classes, but working full time and currently in the middle of house renovations, I just make sure to get the workout in where I can. I know that I can’t achieve my goals if I don’t put in the work, not to mention the gym is one of the things I look forward to most everyday now.

 

How does CrossFit help you with your job?

Dealing with people directly all day long can be, well to put it politely, stressful and interesting haha. Going to the gym in the evenings is a good stress reliever and makes for a positive end to the day…That and the 6:30pm people are pretty awesome and fun 😎

 

What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

The community and coaches here at Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness are second to none. No matter how bad of a day you have, there are always people here to greet you with a smile. Just as advertised, the coaches are truly here to provide support and help you achieve your goals in any way they can.

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