JOSEPH KERNAN – SEPTEMBER ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

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Joseph is our September athlete of the month. He has only been a member of our community for a year, but within that year he as impacted all of us at Lincoln Nutrition and Fitness quite a lot. Since he joined he has made it into our winter and summer committed club attending at least 36 class in the hardest months of the year with holidays and traveling. He also currently sits in first place for overall highest attendance of any athlete in our gym since 9/1/2021. 

His story is one you might miss because he was so quiet and shy early on, you might forget he was 70+lbs heavier when he started and lifting only the bar for some workouts. It seems simple to just show up to class everyday and you will loose weight, get stronger, get fitter and ultimately change your life…Joseph is a wonderful example of this. He put in the work everyday by showing up to class and it shows. He is humbly one of the strongest men in our gym now and an active member of our community. Thank you Joseph for showing up to class and letting us coach you and get to know you.    

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study? Feel free to add more.

I currently am in the LPD Academy. I used to work at the Lincoln water plant in Ashland. I had quite a diverse background of jobs before I came here to Lincoln. I was a sewer maintenance worker and dump truck driver, I did scaffolding for the carpenters union, I cleaned out cracking towers and distilled towers in refineries, and the job I enjoyed the most was working on the water as a marine spill response operator. 

How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

I found it on a google search.

What was the biggest obstacle for you to start?

Honestly, it was my weight and how long it had been since I worked out. I was embarrassed by the thought of going in and seeing all of these fit people and me being overwhelmed with how shitty I would do. 

How did you overcome that obstacle?

I was tired of the way I looked and felt. So I sucked it up and went in.

Do you remember your first workout?

Yea, it was something like shoulder press first, then the dreadful 30 reps of cleans as fast as possible at I believe was 95#. This workout broke me. Paul said I should probably do 55 or 65#, I told him I’d do fine at the Rx weight. We started and I felt really good until about 5 reps. After 8 reps I dropped the bar and started taking off my weight and finished the rest at 45# and last in the class. My forearms could barely grip afterward, my legs hurt, and my lungs were on fire. I think in that class behind me was Anna Mcvay doing 65 or 70#, I can’t remember too much I kind of limped out of class that day. It was extremely humbling. But what I liked was everyone who finished started cheering me on until the end. It really made me hunger for more and want to return. 

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

Paul was my coach when I first started. Paul had a look he gave you if he thought you were doing too much or too little weight. I always had this little voice in the back of my mind that wanted to prove him wrong when he told me I’m doing to much weight for the workout or I might not be able to finish a workout in that time. But while he was at the gym I was never able to do that, even though I pushed myself harder each day to possibly prove him wrong. He was always there to encourage and coach every little thing I might be doing wrong during class. During our goal sessions, he didn’t focus as much on weights for me it was more on lifestyle, how things are going at home, hows sleep, and hows my nutrition. It definitely kept me aware of what I might be missing and kept me true to the goals that I wanted to achieve. 

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

I really enjoy the people at LNF, everyone is extremely welcoming and I look forward to every day I come in. Having a planned workout that you can come into and not have to make yourself is a perk as well. 

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

I put working out as a priority now. I make sure I get into the gym or work out at least 5 times a week. I used to put it farther back after doing dishes or laundry, but that can wait until the weekend. I gotta get those gains!! (: 

How does CrossFit help you with your job?

It makes things easier coming into the Academy because I am already conditioned and it is more like a light workout when we do PT. Plus already having a routine I just tweak my schedule a little bit to make the time I need to get into the gym. 

What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

In all honesty, I don’t want to get back to where I was. My mental physical and overall life is better since I have been going to LNF. I feel like having some kind of activity where you can have friendly competitions with others makes working out fun as well. And after every workout, while everyone is laying on the ground trying to suck at least one breath that they can feel in their lungs, I know I can count on them to be there tomorrow to do some other shitty workout that’s going to have the goal of killing us. 

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