Name:Jay Byrd

Age:44

Occupation:Technical Architect

Hometown:Douglasville, GA

Which class time do you usually attend?:12:30

Favorite WOD:Whatever I did the day before.

Favorite CF Movement: Snatch. The feeling of a heavy bar floating weightless before landing solidly in a squat is addictive. It happened once and I’ve been chasing it since.

Least Favorite CF Movement: Thrusters. Nothing else is even close.

3RM Back Squat:235

1RM Deadlift:285

Favorite Food: Nigiri Sushi and Ice Cream, but not together.

Favorite Movie: The Legend of Bagger Vance. I went to school in Savannah and this movie always makes me feel at home.

Favorite Athlete:Whoever is helping UGA win football games and of course my wife and son.

Dream Job:Novelist

Dream Vacation Destination:Machu Picchu

If you could have any super power…:Super healing. Tendonitis is my archenemy.

Favorite Motivational Quote:Keep going. Your mind will quit before your body fails.

How long have you been doing CrossFit? (Since Month, Year)

April 2016

How did you first discover CrossFit and what made you decide to start?

“Mike Jones got me interested. I had been bouncing between strength training and aerobic training for years, neglecting one while I worked on the other. I thought the workouts Mike told me about, (every day and in great detail) solved that problem. I tried the no sweat Intro with Brandon and I was hooked.”

Tell us about your fitness/sports background:

“I played football and took taekwondo when I was a kid, but found other non-athletic activities in high school and college. As an adult I trained boxing/kickboxing (non-competitively) for a few years and I have bounced between gyms, strength training on my own.”

 

What sorts of positive changes (mental, physical, emotional) have you noticed in your life since getting involved at No Excuses?

“No Excuses is my happy place. No matter what kind of day I’m having I feel better mentally when I’m finished with my workout.”

Who or what keeps you coming back and motivated?

“Two things keep me coming back. On a daily basis it’s the desire to improve. I’m a very data driven person and I like to see the numbers in my journal improving from week to week. In the long term it’s my family history of heart disease that drives me to stay consistent. My dad was a star high school football player and a Marine, but after leaving the service he became pretty sedentary and had his first heart attack in his mid-fifties. Being fit isn’t a destination, it’s a lifelong commitment.”

In what other ways do you use your fitness? 

“I’m an assistant scoutmaster and I like to not only keep up with our scouts, but set a positive example for them. I’m currently working with several of them on their Personal Fitness merit badge.”

Please share with us a favorite CrossFit or No Excuses moment.

“I have always struggled with cleans. I find the front rack position awkward and have never enjoyed the movement. In the weight lifting class I became more comfortable with the lift and at the end of the cycle increased my PR on the clean and jerk by 20 pounds.”

 

Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next year (doesn’t have to be CrossFit related, but it can be)

“I want to be able to snatch my body weight.”

Tell us about your hobbies and interests outside of the gym:

“Spending time with my family, scouting, camping, mountain biking, reading, and listening to music.”

What advice do you have for someone just starting CrossFit or is on the fence about starting?

“Stick with it, be consistent, and most importantly listen to your coaches.”

What do you love most about No Excuses? 

“Without a doubt my favorite thing is the coaching staff. I’ve been coached, I’ve coached youth sports, and these are the best coaches I’ve been around. They are knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely care about the health and fitness of the athletes they’re coaching.”

 

Coach Chris’s Take: “If I were to have to describe Jay Byrd with one word it would be Consistent.  He consistently comes to the gym (a staple to the 12:30 class), he consistently takes coaching advise, he consistently works to move better, and for that he has consistently become more fit.  Jay is super focused and dedicated to his fitness goals and also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.”