Fitness has been a big part of my life for a long time, but it didn’t start until I graduated college.  I weighed 125 pounds dripping wet, and I started dating a girl who was a cheerleader at TTU.  She asked me to join her at the gym, and I quickly realized that she was stronger than I was.  I signed up for the YMCA the next day, found myself a workout partner, and started hitting the gym hard.  In the next 12 months I put on 30 pounds to a much more respectable 155 lb.

Since that point I’ve tried just about every fitness program out there.  3 days a week splits, 5 days a week splits, push/pull, circuit training, upper/lower body, 5×5 program, and for 4 years I was in the Air Force and did PT 3 days a week.  Each program had its strengths and weaknesses.  If I was doing heavy weights my cardio always suffered.  While I was in the military, my cardio was great but I slowly lost my strength and my weight dropped all the way down to 140.  However, I loved the camaraderie that the military PT sessions offered.   There were always people there to push you and cheer you on, no matter if you were the first or the last to finish.  When I exited the Air Force I thought I would never find that atmosphere in a gym again.

I came back to Nashville and started my own business.  I joined a gym and tried to work out 3 mornings a week, but I couldn’t find a partner to join me at 6am, and I often found my motivation lacking.  I started looking at alternatives, and I really wanted to find something that would give me a good mix of both strength and cardio.  I looked at sprint triathlons and even bought a bike, but I wasn’t motivated to train by myself.  I had heard a little bit about CrossFit, but it wasn’t until I came across this quote that I really considered it:  “We can do everything you do almost as well as you, but you can’t do everything we do nearly as well as we can”.

I started CrossFit in October 2012 and joined CFBH in January 2013 since it was closer to my house.  Everything about it has exceeded any expectations I had of a fitness program.  Not only does it work on both strength and cardio, but also flexibility, balance, and nutrition as well.  My strength is almost equal to my levels when I was focusing only on lifting.  Amazingly, without doing any running outside of the box – I ran a 5K a few weeks ago in less than 24 minutes, which is almost down to my times when I was running a lot in the military.  The absolute best part though is the atmosphere, which is even better than what I experienced in the military.

I can honestly say that at 38 years old I’m in the best shape of my life, and I owe it all to Nandor and all of my friends at CFBH!

Fitness has been a big part of my life for a long time, but it didn’t start until I graduated college.  I weighed 125 pounds dripping wet, and I started dating a girl who was a cheerleader at TTU.  She asked me to join her at the gym, and I quickly realized that she was stronger than I was.  I signed up for the YMCA the next day, found myself a workout partner, and started hitting the gym hard.  In the next 12 months I put on 30 pounds to a much more respectable 155 lb.  

Since that point I’ve tried just about every fitness program out there.  3 days a week splits, 5 days a week splits, push/pull, circuit training, upper/lower body, 5×5 program, and for 4 years I was in the Air Force and did PT 3 days a week.  Each program had its strengths and weaknesses.  If I was doing heavy weights my cardio always suffered.  While I was in the military, my cardio was great but I slowly lost my strength and my weight dropped all the way down to 140.  However, I loved the camaraderie that the military PT sessions offered.   There were always people there to push you and cheer you on, no matter if you were the first or the last to finish.  When I exited the Air Force I thought I would never find that atmosphere in a gym again.  

I came back to Nashville and started my own business.  I joined a gym and tried to work out 3 mornings a week, but I couldn’t find a partner to join me at 6am, and I often found my motivation lacking.  I started looking at alternatives, and I really wanted to find something that would give me a good mix of both strength and cardio.  I looked at sprint triathlons and even bought a bike, but I wasn’t motivated to train by myself.  I had heard a little bit about CrossFit, but it wasn’t until I came across this quote that I really considered it:  “We can do everything you do almost as well as you, but you can’t do everything we do nearly as well as we can”.  

I started CrossFit in October 2012 and joined CFBH in January 2013 since it was closer to my house.  Everything about it has exceeded any expectations I had of a fitness program.  Not only does it work on both strength and cardio, but also flexibility, balance, and nutrition as well.  My strength is almost equal to my levels when I was focusing only on lifting.  Amazingly, without doing any running outside of the box – I ran a 5K a few weeks ago in less than 24 minutes, which is almost down to my times when I was running a lot in the military.  The absolute best part though is the atmosphere, which is even better than what I experienced in the military.  

I can honestly say that at 38 years old I’m in the best shape of my life, and I owe it all to Nandor and all of my friends at CFBH!

“I’ve been called a number of things in my 34 years of life, but this is definitely the very first time “Athlete” has been used.   I was all about ballet for most of my childhood and teen years, and I’ve had a lot of friends who were athletes, and I do feel like I move pretty quickly when chasing my 2 year old son, and 5 year old daughter, but scrawny me, athlete…No!”

“Well, I guess over the past 5 months it’s become a new me.  There is no doubt CrossFit has changed me both physically and mentally in ways nothing I’ve never, ever thought possible!  This ride so far has been one of the best times of my life.  I am so happy, and never have I looked so forward to 6:00 a.m.  Monday through Friday.  Especially since Nandor is such a morning person!”

“As far as how this journey began, my husband Andrew and I have had good friends who were crossfitters for some time.   Each time we saw them, they raved about their box and the CrossFit community, while the results in their bodies spoke for themselves. We, on the other hand, had been paying our monthly donation to the YMCA for over a decade and once in a while, we actually even went there and worked out; most months we did not.   The times we did make it, never did we leave with a sponge for a shirt.”

“I remember seeing the sign go up at CFBH, and I thought, this is it – I’m going to do it.   I instantly expressed my desire to Andrew, but was basically ignored. He, unlike me, was a former college athlete, and “had enough of the strenuous work outs 15 years ago”.  This was something I really wanted us to do together, so finally, after a few weeks of coaxing, he agreed to give it a shot and we got signed up for the fundamental class.  It was mid December, as part of our deal was that we start immediately, and this was not going to be a New Year’s resolution as we were 0 for everything on those.     We started rather slow as our bodies did not work so well after the first few workouts, but the craving for more grew rapidly, and the soreness, well never mind it’s still there but it has subsided a bit.   I am happy to say we both have stayed committed to a minimum of 4 days a week since February and our bodies grow healthier after each of Nandor’s (often ridiculous) WODs.”

“Words cannot express the gratitude I have for Nandor, Miranda and all my friends at CFBH  for all they have done for me.   I knew the craziness Nandor wrote on the chalkboard would yield results, but I absolutely had no idea how the spirit and energy of the box would ultimately mean so much more to me.    I’ve lost pounds, and I’ve lost inches and I love the new me, but more than anything, I LOVE my new CFBH family. Maybe I still can’t hit a ball, but as for a pull-up; as of May 9, 2013 – I got that business!”

“I’m not going to weigh 300 plus pounds after my NFL career was over. This was the promise I made to myself. Now how in the world do I reach this goal? I debated for a few weeks. Should I get a gym membership or hire a trainer? Should I change my diet or just limit my fat intake? Should I workout 3 or 5 days per week? All these questions, but no answers. Finally one day all my questions were answered. I was walking into Target to pickup a few items when I noticed this sign that said Crossfit. Crossfit, what in the world is this? I knew it at least had to do something with working out because of the word “fit”. I walked in and was greeted by Nandor and his wife Miranda. They explained the main concepts of Crossfit and their workout schedule. A few minutes later I had signed up for an entire year. I rushed home to tell my wife and soon after she was signed up as well. I weighed 337lbs on the day I signed up which was November 17th 2012. After weeks of grueling sessions with Nandor, I have lost 55lbs as of April 1st. I am more toned than I have been in years. I also have more energy than I had at 21 years of age. Nandor has been so instrumental in this process. He pushes you to limits you never knew you could reach. Being a former pro athlete, I was use to hard workouts but nothing compares to Crossfit. Other workout programs had alot of downtime which leads to the lowering of heart rate. The majority of Crossfit workouts keeps my heart rate at such a high level that it feels like I can never catch my breath. A 20 minute Crossfit workout usually feels as bad as an hour football training session. There is no doubt in my mind that Crossfit is the hardest workout program I have ever done. Even though it is very challenging, I always look forward to the next workout session. I would recommend Crossfit to anyone. If your looking for an healthier lifestyle I would sign up to become a member of Crossfit Brentwood Hills ASAP!!!!!”

Early on ….

I was a competitive gymnast for 9 years, excelled my junior and senior year in high jump, and did all-star cheerleading for 4 years. From the ages of 3 until 18 I always had a coach telling me what to do to be the fittest possible. My parents owned a gymnastics facility so I was working out multiple hours a day up to six days a week even in elementary school! I didn’t know what it was like NOT to work out!

I took off for a decade …

Adjusting to college was very difficult for me. Luckily I slid though college resting on my awesome metabolism, occasionally doing some cardio at the student health plex or attempting to run. I did however keep up on my tumbling, sneaking into the gymnastics team’s gym. Between the ages of 18-22 I wasn’t concerned about being out of shape.

Around the age of 25 I kind of discovered running 5ks (even though I hated every minute of it). I envy people who are out running 10ks, half marathons, and marathons. I have the attention span of a five year old so I can run for about 30 minutes then I quit. Also near that time I discovered yoga, which I enjoyed because it got me back to some of my gymnastics background of strength and stretching. I was in that stage of trying new workouts every couple months and not sticking to anything. Going to the gym and doing 30 minutes on the elliptical was my normal.

Let’s make a lifestyle change ….

At the age of 29 and fresh on Nashville soil, I was in that dreaded “skinny-fat” stage. Sure I looked okay with clothes on, but wasn’t happy how I felt. I needed a goal. With the scary “30” approaching I was ready to make a positive change in my life. My husband and I researched nutrition and clean eating, even watching around 9 documentaries on Netflix. I started utilizing the FitnessPal app on my iPhone tracking everything that I ate. I also started going to any and all classes on my local gym. I had to put ego aside and realize this was going to be a long process. With hard work I lost 13lbs in 11 months. I found some muscle again, more energy, and renewed positive feeling about myself.

What’s this CrossFit stuff?…

Through social media I had seen some of my friends doing CrossFit for years, but I really didn’t understand what it was. I had also seen the games on ESPN last summer but still didn’t understand the concept except that that the people were crazy fit with 6-pack abs. My husband happened to try a couple classes last summer and I was still intimidated, but now understood it was an actual gym people went to.

I found out about CFBH because I used to go to the salon that was located there before Nandor and Miranda bought the space! I was ready to take my fitness to a new level so I went with some friends to a free Saturday class back in October and haven’t looked back! Having a coach (Nandor) again was EXACTLY what I needed! His non-intimidating approach to the classes has been amazing. I can’t remember pushing myself so hard in workouts. My body has made an amazing change in the past 4 months that I couldn’t have done on my own. I love the other athletes I have met, and their diverse backgrounds (shout out to the 3:30/4:30pm MWF peeps!). I had a new athlete ask me recently “Does CrossFit get any easier?” I laughed and said “No!”. There is always more weight to add and seconds to take off the clock!

I’m Jennifer Meade. I’m 31 years old and I can do 100 unassisted pull-ups in 10 minutes!

Thanks to Nandor, Miranda, and the CFBH family for helping me find my fitness again!

I was a competitive gymnast for 9 years, excelled my junior and senior year in high jump, and did all-star cheerleading for 4

years. From the ages of 3 until 18 I always had a coach telling me what to do to be the fittest possible. My parents owned a gymnastics facility so I was working out multiple hours a day up to six days a week even in elementary school! I didn’t know what it was like NOT to work out!

Adjusting to college was very difficult for me. Luckily I slid though college resting on my awesome metabolism, occasionally doing some cardio at the student health plex or attempting to run. I did however keep up on my tumbling, sneaking into the gymnastics team’s gym. Between the ages of 18-22 I wasn’t concerned about being out of shape.

Around the age of 25 I kind of discovered running 5ks (even though I hated every minute of it). I envy people who are out running 10ks, half marathons, and marathons. I have the attention span of a five year old so I can run for about 30 minutes then I quit. Also near that time I discovered yoga, which I enjoyed because it got me back to some of my gymnastics background of strength and stretching. I was in that stage of trying new workouts every couple months and not sticking to anything. Going to the gym and doing 30 minutes on the elliptical was my normal.

At the age of 29 and fresh on Nashville soil, I was in that dreaded “skinny-fat” stage. Sure I looked okay with clothes on, but wasn’t happy how I felt. I needed a goal. With the scary “30” approaching I was ready to make a positive change in my life. My husband and I researched nutrition and clean eating, even watching around 9 documentaries on Netflix. I started utilizing the FitnessPal app on my iPhone tracking everything that I ate. I also started going to any and all classes on my local gym. I had to put ego aside and realize this was going to be a long process. With hard work I lost 13lbs in 11 months. I found some muscle again, more energy, and renewed positive feeling about myself.

Through social media I had seen some of my friends doing CrossFit for years, but I really didn’t understand what it was. I had also seen the games on ESPN last summer but still didn’t understand the concept except that that the people were crazy fit with 6-pack abs. My husband happened to try a couple classes last summer and I was still intimidated, but now understood it was an actual gym people went to.

I found out about CFBH because I used to go to the salon that was located there before Nandor and Miranda bought the space! I was ready to take my fitness to a new level so I went with some friends to a free Saturday class back in October and haven’t looked back! Having a coach (Nandor) again was EXACTLY what I needed! His non-intimidating approach to the classes has been amazing. I can’t remember pushing myself so hard in workouts. My body has made an amazing change in the past 4 months that I couldn’t have done on my own. I love the other athletes I have met, and their diverse backgrounds (shout out to the 3:30/4:30pm MWF peeps!). I had a new athlete ask me recently “Does CrossFit get any easier?” I laughed and said “No!”. There is always more weight to add and seconds to take off the clock!

I’m Jennifer Meade. I’m 31 years old and I can do 100 unassisted pull-ups in 10 minutes!

Thanks to Nandor, Miranda, and the CFBH family for helping me find my fitness again!

burt powers

“On September 26th, 2012 my company hosted our annual wellness survey where we get blood work done, weight, etc.  I am 5’10”, weighed 190lbs and my total cholesterol was 226.  For reference my cholesterol was supposed to be below 200.  So, I had the pleasure of a very nice “Health Counselor” tell me I was technically over-weight and “at risk” in all my blood work categories.  That was it for me!

My wife Kristi and I have 2 awesome kids- Emmie, 4, and Cooper, 1.  We spend a lot of time at Target and it was perfect timing that CrossFit BH was opening in October.  Joining was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I wake up excited for the 6am class and really enjoy working out with Nandor and the friends I have made over the past 4 months.

On February 1st, 2013 I went to my Dr. for a physical because I knew my numbers had to be better between the workouts and Paleo diet….  down to 171lbs, total cholesterol is now 169 and all other numbers are in normal or better range.  It is amazing how different I feel and looking forward to hitting new personal records!  Thank you Nandor and CFBH.”

RACHELLE HUMPHREY 

“When I turned 40, I knew that my goal was to be 40 and FABULOUS. I also knew that I could not obtain that goal alone. I have tried and hated the typical gym so when I saw CFBH on one of my friend’s Facebook page I decided to give it a try. I have been training with Nandor for 3 months now and I cannot tell you how much he has changed my life!  So far I have lost a total of 16.5 inches and I am down 2, almost 3 sizes. The changes in my body have been amazing and I feel more and more confident each day. Every Monday I get excited because I know I have 3 more days that I get to work with Nandor.

Since joining CrossFit, I have loved having that “personal” trainer. Someone who holds me accountable and actually knows what I need to do to get results. I also love having someone who has faith in me and pushes me to believe in myself. I thank God daily for Nandor and his mad training skills!”

What do I tell my friends and skeptics about CrossFit? I tell them that if they believe they can’t do it, then they are right! I tell them that if you can’t do the move or the lift, you can modify it. The next time you do that same move, you realize, I CAN DO THIS! I’m still always sore after each workout but it’s a good sore. The results I see in my body after 12 weeks is amazing. I can actually feel muscle in places I never knew existed. It also helps when you have friends telling you that “you look good” and asking “what are you doing?” I tell them, “CrossFit, of course!”

Nandor Tamaska

615-310-7611

crossfitbrentwoodhills@gmail.com

http://www.crossfitbrentwoodhills.com

Ultra Runner David Goggins breaks world record in Brentwood.

Brentwood, TN – January 23, 2012 – David Goggins, Navy Seal and ultra runner has broken the Guinness world record of 4,020 pull ups in 24 hours. On Saturday, January 19 at 10:30am at CrossFit Brentwood Hills located in Brentwood, TN, Goggins took to the pull-up bar to begin his attempt. After over 17 hours, he completed 4025 pull ups which broke both the American record and world record. This was Goggins’ third attempt at breaking the world record. He fell short during his first and second attempt due to injuries.

Goggins’ has been referred to as “the toughest athlete on the planet,” having served in Afghanistan and completing ultra runs such as Bad Water and Ultra Man, that are designed to test the human limits. “You can fail, as long as you get back up again,” says Goggins.

Alongside Goggins’ was his girlfriend Dawn Griner who completed 1000 pull-ups. While this did not qualify her for a Guinness record, she is the first woman known in world record history to complete 1000 pull-ups.

Goggins and Griner will be at CrossFit Brentwood Hills from 11am – 12pm on Saturday, January 26 for interviews and autographs. Please contact us for further details.

The event will be open to the media and the public.

“On September 26th, 2012 my company hosted our annual wellness survey where we get blood work done, weight, etc.  I am 5’10”, weighed 190lbs and my total cholesterol was 226.  For reference my cholesterol was supposed to be below 200.  So, I had the pleasure of a very nice “Health Counselor” tell me I was technically over-weight and “at risk” in all my blood work categories.  That was it for me!

My wife Kristi and I have 2 awesome kids- Emmie, 4, and Cooper, 1.  We spend a lot of time at Target and it was perfect timing that CrossFit BH was opening in October.  Joining was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I wake up excited for the 6am class and really enjoy working out with Nandor and the friends I have made over the past 4 months.

On February 1st, 2013 I went to my Dr. for a physical because I knew my numbers had to be better between the workouts and Paleo diet….  down to 171lbs, total cholesterol is now 169 and all other numbers are in normal or better range.  It is amazing how different I feel and looking forward to hitting new personal records!  Thank you Nandor and CFBH.”

One of my all time favorite cheat meals is pizza. With the Paleo Challenge I knew I was going to have to give up this for a while so I started looking for recipes (with pictures) that looked really good and resembled the real stuff. I came across one and wrote the ingredients down, headed to Whole Foods but…. left my list in the car. So I just grabbed what I thought I remembered was on the list. Turns out I must have got a few of the recipes mixed up so I just crossed my fingers and used what I had bought. It turned out so very good! Amazing delicious and so filling.

This recipe gave us enough for one pizza, 8 slices.

PALEO PIZZA CRUST

2 cups of almond flour

1 cup of flax seed meal

3 tsp baking powder

garlic powder

dried basil

salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 cup of coconut milk

Preheat oven to 400. Grease the bottom of your pizza pan with coconut oil.

Combine almond flour, flax seed meal and baking powder. I used a whisk to mix these together. Then add garlic, basil and salt and pepper and mix again. I loaded it up on the garlic powder as I usually do with most of what I cook. You can use however much you want or choose different spices all together.

Combine eggs and coconut milk together. Poor egg mixture into dry mixture and mix together. It will not a little runny and will not look at all like regular dough.

Pour the “dough” onto a pizza pan and spread with a spatula. Obviously try to make as even as possible. You could spread thinner if you were wanting more of a thin, crunchy crust.

Bake for 20 minutes. Once the dough is cooked you can begin to put on your toppings. I put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

We topped ours with organic marinara sauce (I used the Whole Foods brand), grass-fed beef, green bell peppers, onions and fresh jalapeños. A little side note – I had no trouble removing the pizza from the pan using the coconut oil to grease the pan. Hope ya’ll enjoy as much as we did!

If the world pull up record was simply on physical and mental strength alone, David could blow the record out of the water. Unfortunately calluses are the consequence of anyone doing pull ups and the constant friction of his hands on the bar for over 16 hours resulted in third degree burns on David’s right hand.

David’s hand after he called the event. Doctors have diagnosed this as a third degree burn.

But no worries my fellow David Goggins fans, he will be back and if I have it my way he will be here again at CrossFit Brentwood Hills.

Hour after hour David continued to amaze every person that came to event. Hours 1-6 consisted of David doing 6 pull ups every minute on the minute. It usually took him about 10 seconds to complete 6 flawless, dead-hang, chin over the bar pull ups. Each one with perfect form as the one before. He then would rest for the remaining 50 seconds. After 1000 pull ups he looked the same as when he completed the first 10, other than a little extra sweat dripping down his back. His routine was the same…

6 pull ups, sit down, 6 pull ups, chalk hands, sit down, 6 pull ups, sit down, 6 pull ups, chalk hands, sit down….

When I say it was unbelievable to watch, I truly mean I have never (ever) seen anything like it before.

After hour 6 he called for a break, I could tell his hand was starting to bother him. He dropped to 5 pull ups each minute, but not without joking to the person counting his reps that he may still do some 6′s “just because I can.”

We began wrapping the bar with extra padding. He was bleeding through is glove onto the towels and tape wrapped around the bar, blood was dripping from his fingers onto the floor. This continued for another 3 hours. His breaks got a little longer stopping as he wrapped his hand trying different kinds of tape. We did another two layers of the towel around the bar, trying to add a some more cushion. He switched up his gloves. We taped under the glove, over the glove. At this point it was about pain management.

It was around hour 10 that he removed the glove and the tape and I saw that the skin and calluses had ripped completely. This was the first close up that I had of what his hand looked like exactly. But he continued. At this point he had dropped to 4 pull ups each minute. The pain was getting intense. David put in his head phones and zoned out. He watched the clock and waited for his time to get on the bar, he did his 4 reps and he sat down. He didn’t talk to anyone, he stared at the floor…he stared at his hand. Shortly after, he dropped to 3 reps a minute and continued this pace into his 3000th rep. I was expecting him to break after 3000, but he didn’t stop. He continued into the 12th hour continuing 3 pull ups.

Around 8:30pm he came to me and asked me to take everything off the bar and wrap a single layer of a padded tape.

He took a longer break trying a different way to wrap his hand. He came back and did 2 reps but nothing we did to the bar or his hand seemed to help. The new tape on the bar was too slick and his grip was getting worse. I took off that tape and added a different kind of wrap to the bar. We tried wrapping his hands several different ways and nothing seemed to provide him any relief from the pain. Every time he would do a pull up that layer of skin would continue to peel back. But he pushed through. He was down to 2 pull ups each minute pacing in between sets, wrapping his hand, watching the clock. This became his routine for the next 2 hours.

Around midnight he stepped in the back room and he didn’t come back out until after 1am at which time he called it. His hand had torn into the second and third layers of skin and he could no longer grip the bar. The final count was 3203.

My first hand account of the entire event was amazing. I’m inspired and motivated in my own training and I feel more equipped to pour that same inspiration and motivation into my CrossFit athletes. There isn’t another man in the world like David Goggins. And I say that aside from his physical abilities.

When David and I discussed having the event at my box the fact that he is not a practicing CrossFitter never crossed my mind. Honestly the fact that he was someone who was coming back a second time for something he very publicly failed at 2 months prior was my main reason to offer him the use of my facility. I’m all about self vindication. It was never about the publicity to David. In his words he would “do this in a hole with no one watching.” Also, he is a NavySEAL and I’m a Marine. Enough said.

David is an extremely well known athlete. What David does, his SEAL training, his preparations for ultra runs and marathons, his power lifting experience and now this pull up event, to me is the definition of what CrossFit is all about. It is constantly varied, always changing. David is the master of ultra runs. He could stay there and dominate each and every run, but does he? No. Also, pull ups are something many of my clients struggle with. Completing just 1 unassisted pull up is a huge goal many have set for themselves. Seeing a man complete over 3000 dead hang pull ups (no kipping was allowed) with perfect form gave each of them extreme motivation. They are seeing first hand what seems impossible become possible. They watched him push the limits, press through the pain, with blood dripping off his hand and hour after hour after hour he continued to get back up on that bar.

Do I think helping a non-CrossFitter reach a personal goal shows a poor image of my box? Most definitely not. Yes, I’m a passionate CrossFitter. I love everything about CrossFit, but CrossFit is about NOT limiting yourself, pushing past what the average do, exceeding what you think is even possible.

CrossFit Brentwood Hills is the first CrossFit affiliate in Brentwood, Tennessee. We have only been open for 6 weeks and we already have an amazing group of athletes! I’ve been able to talk to a few of the CFBH athletes that either came as witnesses or spectators to the event. Each of them were so supportive of not only our box, but also David…a man they had never met (some of them never heard of) in their life. I am thankful to each and everyone of them.