April 2018--Rob Wiemann

1.Tell us about yourself, your family, your occupation, hobbies/interests.
My wife (Maria) and I were both raised in Southern California. We have been married for 15 years and were just blessed with our 5th girl and 8th child. I told Maria before we got married that it was a dream of mine to field our own family baseball team. We moved to KS about 11 years ago seeking out a country home and a smaller town culture. I started my career as a CPA but dreamed as a youngster of either being a park ranger or a carpenter…Now, I’m an owner of a business in the construction field while operating in my spare time our small grass-fed beef, lamb and goat farm. As they say, God always answers our prayers just not always according to our plans.


2. When do you start CrossFitting? Why did you start? Why do you continue now?
I started CrossFitting in August of 2015. I started because Maria thought my level of fitness was ridiculously low and she didn’t want me to die of a heart attack. I fought it for a while but I was too out of shape to out last her. I continue because it is challenging, I see measured improvement and because if I didn’t I would immediately go back to doing nothing.


3. Do you remember your first WOD? What were your thoughts after your first WOD?
I only remember thinking that this does not seem as bad as everyone else makes it look. It seemed that way for the first 3 months or so until I started to get a better feel for how to push myself closer to the “pain cave.” Those first 3 months found me always walking off the muscles after every WOD but now I find the first thing to catch my fatigued body which is usually the ground.


4. What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?
That’s tough…I’ve never been a favorites guy. I would have to say the challenge and competition however, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that I’m happiest about the fitness consistency it has afforded me.


5. What is your proudest CrossFit moment?
It has to be my first strict pull-up. I forget how long that took exactly but I think it was around a year. I’m currently at about 6-7 strict pullups.


6. What is your favorite movement or lift? What is your least favorite?
Again, not great on favorites…so, double-unders, wall balls, pull-ups, and sled pull. Least favorite, wall walks, HSPU, and front squats.


7. Have you had one or two challenging CrossFit goals that you've achieved recently? What are your current goals and how close are you to reaching them?
My most recent goals that I achieved but not altogether that recent were being able to start kipping pull-ups, my first muscle up, going RX in WODS with double-unders and beating Andy McDonald. My first set of next goals are to beat Andy McDonald more than a couple times a year, beat John-Paul in every WOD, and Matt C. in one of his favorite cardio WODs. My second set of next goals are really here to serve the first set: Go RX in a WOD with muscle ups, string together toes to bar in a WOD, and be able to do 5 strict HSPU. I have no idea how close I’m to accomplishing any of these but it doesn’t matter because I’m in it to win it over the long haul.


8. What makes CrossFit different from other fitness programs that you might have tried in the past?
Accountability, measurability, consistency, and last but not least the removal of the mental fatigue caused by attempting your own fitness program.


9. What impact has CrossFit Benedictus had on your life, in and out of the gym?
I’m stronger and more flexible. When participating in activities with friends, family and children I don’t feel like I’m at risk of injuring myself. I never run out of things to talk about when I see one of the brethren at a party.


10. Tell us about your nutrition and how it has changed, if any, since starting CrossFit?
Apparently when you start taking care of your body through fitness it seems foolish not to start addressing other neglected areas, namely, nutrition. My wife and I try to follow a zone eating plan. We are still perfecting our zone plan while continuing to cut out more unhealthy food choices.


11. If you could write a WOD for the classes to do, what would it look like?
I need to get Docs help with this WOD but I have been dreaming about it since I first started. This would be the WOD of all WODs. So, I want all the major movements in the WOD interspersed with sport challenges throughout. I would like to see a few challenges in each of Baseball, Basketball, Football, Tennis, Soccer and Target Shooting.


12. What advice do you have for others about the importance of the dedication of taking care of yourself, of investing in yourself?
“He’ll work at physical exercises in order to arouse the spirited part of his nature, rather than to acquire the physical strength for which other athletes diet and labor. It looks as though they [the wise] established both [higher studies, and physical training] for the sake of the soul.” Plato, Republic


13. What advice would you give to someone new to CrossFit or who is thinking about giving it a try?
There are plenty of reasons not to do CrossFit but there aren’t very many good reasons to not have some level of fitness in your life. The vast majority of us need something different to keep us accountable, track our progress, and make us consistent. CrossFit is the first thing I have found since not playing sports in high school and college to do these things for me and I see it doing the same for many friends.