Athlete Spotlight – Mehul Gandhi

1. How did you find CrossFit?
I had been doing your standard weight lifting for many years and began to plateau in terms of strength. For my frame, I was able to move very heavy weight;  at the same time I was losing the athleticism that I had as a high school varsity athlete. I missed being able to play basketball or squash or swimming. I read an article in a popular fitness magazine about “complex training” and I started changing my workout routine to more functional exercises that were organized into circuits. It was a lot more exciting and challenging than what I was doing but I was still not entirely satisfied. During a two week span in September of 2008, I bumped into two individuals who had been doing CrossFit for over 6 months, and they were RIPPED! I had been on the HQ website a few times but was still unsure about trying it. One of those individuals was my fellow CFZ’r, Marco Yuen. He said that he was doing CrossFit with a buddy (Spidey!!) at the local university gym and invited me to come out. I was instantly hooked and a couple months later we met Deanna and eventually joined CrossFit Zone (CFZ) …the rest, as they say, is history!

2. What is your favourite CrossFit exercise or WOD?
I really like the metcons that combine short, hard runs with a intense lifts. I also really like the lifts. Randy is fun and Linda is my all time favourite WOD.

3. How long have you been CrossFitting for?
10 months

4. What do you do for a living?
I am a financial advisor and sales manager with Desjardins Financial Security in Victoria. I specialise in helping young individuals, couples, and families attain their financial goals by creating a holistic plan that takes into account diverse investing and appropriate risk management.

5. What are your hobbies?
My favourite past time is snow skiing. I would ski everyday if I could, as long as I could squeeze a WOD in before or after! I also enjoy playing squash. It is hard not to love outdoor activities when you live in Victoria, so I like to hike and camp as well. I have recently started enjoying running and plan to run my first race at the Royal Victoria Marathon this October; just the 8km race though.

6. What are your goals?
My fitness goals are as follows:
To be proficient at all the lifts and gymnastic movements so they don’t hinder my WOD’s, To continue to increase my flexibility, strength, and endurance, To improve my VO2 max, lactic acid tolerance, and resting heart rate,  To dead lift 450lbs, To run the full Royal Victoria Marathon in 2011, To compete in the CrossFit games first as a part of an affiliate team and then as an individual.

My overall life goals are as follows:
To continue to infinitely grow my business, To maintain optimal health by continuing to improve my eating habits, And finally, to have total control over the many stressors that life offers.

7. Why do you CrossFit?
I CrossFit for many reasons; but first and foremost, I CrossFit because it is difficult. Anything that is difficult is worth doing. Through CrossFit, I have been reminded of how far the human body and mind can be pushed. This was a lesson that I first learned from my high school basketball coach that I had since forgotten. I am able to apply this lesson to other aspects in my life, allowing me to push through my perceived limits to reach new levels of success.

Another reason I CrossFit is because it is the most scientific exercise regime out there. It is measurable across so many domains, and your progress can be accurately charted. This keeps me motivated, day in and day out.

A second part to this question is, why do I CrossFit at CrossFit Zone (CFZ)?

Deanna and the other coaches have cultivated an environment that is based on a foundation of integrity, excellence and a strong sense of community. For me, CFZ is home, and when I am away from the gym for more than a few days, I get home sick. I have met so many high-quality, like-minded individuals at CFZ, individuals who I now consider close friends.

8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?
As much as I hate the word TRY, I would say to anyone thinking about CrossFit, to try it. Commit to a baseline session and a group workout and then make your decision. You don’t have to be in shape to start because every workout is scalable to your level and Deanna and the other coaches are committed to getting you into best shape of your life……3, 2, 1, GO!

M-Train you rock!  You are a great addition to the family.  You bring an amazing energy to the CFZ community and you are very motivating to the members.  We are so happy to have you 🙂

Today’s Workout:

Buy In – Skin the cat 5 x 3 reps.  If you can’t do skin the cat, practice knees to elbows / toes to rings and then inverting on the rings  (have a partner spot you).

WOD – “Helen”

Elite: 3 Rounds

• 400M Run
• 21 KB Swings (35/55)
• 12 Pullups

Zone 3:  scale KB to 20/35

Zone 2:  scale KB to 20/35 and assisted pullups

Zone 1: scale KB as needed, and jumping pullups

Cash Out – 3 x 15 reps of max Overhead Squats.  Goal is to eventually get to 15 reps of body weight overhead squats.