Frank Nicklaus

1) How long have you been a member at Hybrid?

I joined Hybrid in July 2012.

2) How did you hear about the gym originally?

Shortly after moving to the area I mentioned in passing to a friend that I was looking for a CrossFit affiliate to join. He knew a few guys that worked out at Hybrid and loved it, so I decided to check it out. I dropped-in, met Katie and Timmy, and have been coming since. Still working on getting that friend of mine in here though!

3) What is your favorite lift?

I’ve always loved deadlifts. As is the case with most people, it’s by far my heaviest lift, and I just think it’s a lot of fun loading up that bar. As far as MetCons, anything overhead combined with double-unders is going to be a favorite.

4) What is your least favorite lift?

In terms of pure misery, thrusters seem to break it off every time for me.

5) What has been your biggest achievement since starting at Hybrid?

I stayed fairly active after leaving the Army in January 2010 but until I joined Hybrid I didn’t think that I’d ever get back into the kind of shape that I was in during my military career. After training at Hybrid for five months I am close to surpassing even my best fitness levels from my Army days, so I am proud of having clawed my way back into shape and am grateful for the support I’ve gotten from the Hybrid coaches and athletes.

6) What other improvements have you seen since you joined?

I feel great throughout the day. I am happier and more productive at the office, and I take quiet pleasure in the soreness that normally lingers from the morning’s workout.

7) How many days per week do you workout at Hybrid? Elsewhere?

I am typically at Hybrid four times per week, almost always at the 7am class. My office is in Stamford but I live in NYC, so on the weekends I’ll sometimes drop into CrossFit Virtuosity in Brooklyn or CrossFit 5th Ave. When the weather’s warm I’ll jump on my road bike on weekend mornings and head over the GW Bridge to the Palisades. It’s a beautiful ride considering that you’re just outside the city and there are typically hundreds of other cyclists out making the trek to Nyack.

8) What movement are you still struggling with and what are you doing to fix it?

The muscle-up. I can get singles but haven’t been able to link them, so I typically end up scaling if they’re in a WOD. If I have a few minutes at the end of class I’ll work on them, but I’m probably overdue for a couple of open gym sessions.

9) What were your stats, physically, before coming to Hybrid? Weight?

I am about six feet tall and weighed around 189 pounds when I joined Hybrid. I had been getting out on my bike a few times a week so I was in decent shape, but in the five months I’ve been training in Hybrid I’ve dropped about 10 pounds while getting substantially stronger.

10) How has your nutrition changed?

I’ve learned that you simply cannot “out-exercise” a bad diet.

11) What motivates you daily?

For me a tough workout is just a great way to start the day. We have an awesome group for the 7am class that always keeps things interesting, whether it’s getting you to toss on a weight vest when you’re feeling good or just pushing you through on days when you’re dead tired.

12) What advice would you give to someone who might be intimidated by Hybrid?

Just come in. We have exceptional coaching and programming, and most importantly, a great group of athletes who are fun to be around and will push you to work hard every day. And it really does not matter what kind of shape you’re in now. CrossFit is completely scalable and you’ll find that even though we have some remarkably fit people at Hybrid, egos are left at the door. Come by and see what Hybrid is about.