The athlete of the month is one of a kind. He always brings the energy and a party to every class! Even with a busy travel schedule, he makes time to get in his fitness. In one short week he will be dancing down the aisle as he marries the love of his life. Let’s raise a barbell to our athlete of the month for October:
Brenden Rogers
- Where are you from originally? I grew up just East of Pittsburgh in Irwin, PA, then went to Penn State, then moved to NYC for twelve years before moving back to the ‘Burgh.
- If not from Pittsburgh, what brought you to Pittsburgh? N/A
- Where do you work? I work in marketing and partnerships for the group sales division of Broadway.com.
- What is your favorite hobby? My favorite hobby when I have downtime is a good jigsaw puzzle. I know this will make me sound very old but I love them. Oh, and comic books.
- How did you discover CrossFit? I discovered CrossFit through some online research. I was looking at different workout options that combined group classes with something a bit more high intensity than just a Zumba or spin class.
- When did you start CrossFit? I started CrossFit just about two years ago with my partner, Drew. I scheduled a meeting with Matt, loved everything he said, and went back and told Drew we were both joining LOL.
- Why did you start CrossFit? I started CrossFit because I wanted to make a bigger commitment to my body. I wanted to focus on functional strength and feeling stronger in my everyday life.
- What is your favorite thing to do in CrossFit? My favorite thing to do in CrossFit is tackle whatever exercise scares me the most that day. I’m still overcoming 35 years of not feeling like an athlete so there’s always at least one movement or lift that seems daunting. But spoiler alert: we always make it through – and that’s the best!
- What is your least favorite thing to do in CrossFit? My least favorite thing to do in CrossFit is the same answer kind of; something I struggle with. Like a sumo overhead squat. (Is that the right name??) You psych yourself up and then just your body sometimes can’t do it and that’s so frustrating. But the coaches are there with tips, and every time you get a little better. And that’s growth and we love to see it!!
- What is the number 1 thing you want to get better at? The number one thing I want to get better at is not being scared of the big plates on the bottom levels of the trees. They just seem so daunting to use, even though I will absolutely pile on the smaller plates which add up to more. It’s all a mental game!
- What is your favorite part about coming to CrossFit at Industrial Athletics? My favorite things are the people and the coaches. It’s always a great and encouraging environment.
- What is your favorite CrossFit WOD? My favorite CrossFit WOD would always involve a mix of planks, rowing, wall balls, and maybe a push jerk or something where you throw the barbell over your head. That feels “signature” CrossFit to me!
