2011 Reebok CrossFit Games North Central Regional

I’ve always wanted to help people in a way in which their life changed for the better. When I discovered CrossFit, I realized it was something completely special and unique to the world of fitness. No more machines, mirrors, fake muscles, fake “fitness”; just hard work and results.

I have many years of training experience, including 5 years CrossFit-specific experience at gyms in Ohio and Wisconsin. I have also led basketball camps and youth camps with sport-specific training. Born and raised in Green Bay, WI, I grew up playing multiple sports, though my love for basketball in particular kept me most active in order take advantage on the court. However, focusing on the typical weightlifting schema and conditioning workouts set forth by my coaches and potential colleges proved average at best. It wasn’t until I discovered CrossFit that I realized how quickly things improved beyond what I was doing prior.

Along my CrossFit journey, I studied and trained under and with numerous coaches, trainers and fellow top athletes — taking pieces of each to develop my own training style. I also competed in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games —  this experience has helped me lead other athletes or wanna-be athletes on a journey to their goals.

I was also selected to be the fitness trainer for two amazing people on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Weightloss Edition. This experience has helped me appreciate what others may go through so I can best assist them!

In addition to my experience in the fitness realm, I hold an Associate’s degree from NWTC in Computer Networking (CIS) and a Bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Business Management.

Outside of the gym, my family is my rock. I enjoy spending as much time as possible with them. I also enjoy my friends, being outdoors, being active in other sports/activities, boating, waterskiing, bird hunting, eating food, and listening to music.

• CrossFit L1 Coach
• CrossFit Coaches Prep Course (L2)
• CrossFit Kids Trainer
• CrossFit Endurance
• USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 Sports Performance Coach
• First Aid – American Red Cross. CPR Certified w/ AED – American Heart Association
• Lead fitness trainer for people on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Weightloss Edition

Tyler@BadgerCrossFit.com

When I discovered CrossFit, I knew it was different. After being largely inactive since graduating college, I was eager to get back into the physical shape I was used to being in. CrossFit challenged me to push myself, to always want to be better, and to break through the barrier of discomfort that we as humans rarely do. I expected it to be simple, but I learned that if I wanted to get better, it was not going to be easy. Every day brought a new milestone and a new challenge, and it kept me coming back for more. Whether you are a competitive basketball player or a desk jockey, I promise to make your goals be my goals. I will strive to make you the best on the court or simply to become the best you can be at life. My hope as a coach is that you will enjoy CrossFit as much as I have, and use it as a tool to improve yourself physically and mentally.

I believe that your health and wellness is a lifelong journey, and I look forward to helping you along that journey whether you are a world-class athlete or have never touched a barbell in your life. We all have the potential to be strong and healthy human beings. My mission as your coach is to unlock your potential, help you reach the unimaginable, keep you safe, and most importantly have fun.

When I’m not at Badger CrossFit, I enjoy spending time in northern Wisconsin, fishing and bowhuting. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

I have been active in a variety of sports since high school (basketball mostly) and did your typical gym workouts before being introduced to a crossfit workout in early 2008. After “Tabata Something Else” left me with sore quads for 5 days I realized this was something different. With Crossfit you have a system never gets boring, always leaves a person with something to work on/improve yet along the way allows you to stay motivated by hitting PRs. Even if you have an injury (or two) there is likely something you can find to work on that will help you heal faster, identify why you may have been hurt to begin with (lack of flexibility????) and still maintain a level of conditioning until you get back to 100%.

Outside the gym I enjoy time with my wife Kate and my career as an insurance agency owner. My other hobbies include poker and following a handful of sports. I strongly believe there would not be a national healthcare problem if individuals took personal responsibility and watched what they ate and put some sort of activity in their lives.

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
• CrossFit Movement & Mobility Certification (Nov 2010)

Eric was introduced to CrossFit in 2009. He quickly became convinced that CrossFit is the best General Physical Preparedness program there is and has been turning others on to CrossFit ever since. Eric is a CrossFit Level 1 certified trainer since 2010. He comes from a competitive wrestling background and played other sports while growing up such as Baseball and Football. Strength & Conditioning is an important part of his life and in his career as a police officer. Eric has a great understanding of CrossFit and looks forward to sharing his passion for it with you.

• CrossFit level 1 Trainer
• SWAT Operator
• CPR/AED/First Aid Certified

I was introduced to crossfit by my older brother. I remember walking into the gym feeling completely terrified as I saw people throwing around bar bells, easily whipping themselves up and down on a pull up bar, etc like it was no big deal. And then something really neat happened, everyone in the gym introduced themselves and many told me a story about their first experience. My first WOD happened to be a partner workout. Mypartner and I were the last ones to finish but as I closed in on the end everyone there who had already completed the last task, 100 burpees, joined me in my final 15 burpees. Right at that moment I realized crossfit is different…It is constantly varied and every day I feel as challenged as that first day I stepped foot in the gym.

I hope that as a coach I can help you through those tough moments and workouts. I believe in always having goals in the gym for yourself whether it is to get your first pullup, achieve full ROM on a handstand push up or to beat your last Fran time. Having a goal ensures you are always improving. I look forward to meeting everyone and helping you achieve your goals in anyway that I can.

Aside from crossfit I enjoy playing volleyball, softball, biking, and boating. I have a Bachelor of Arts as well as Master’s in Business Administration and currently work in Portfolio Strategy and Planning.

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

I played pretty much every sport growing up and narrowed that to football and basketball in high school. After my sophomore year, I found that my true passion was football and I focused on that (the fact that I didn’t get any taller after 8th grade MAY have played into this decision too…). Also growing up in Ohio there are really only two classifications for sports: (1) Football and (2) Everything else. I was good at football but definitely did not have the size to play at a DI school. Since the only colleges that I had interest in were Ohio State and MIT… I knew football would end for me at 18 years old.

While at Ohio State I earned a degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering and met my beautiful wife Erin (originally from Northern suburbs of Chicago). I took a job with Eaton Corporation out of college which eventually brought me to Milwaukee in 2006. During this time, I ran 8-10 miles a day and ate plain chicken breasts for pretty much every meal. I dropped about 25lbs but looked like death. I had no muscle tone whatsoever. I thought I was in great shape. After having a bad experience at the 2007 Chicago Marathon (95 degrees, 90% humidity, and no water) I was so tired of the running/strict eating and went in the opposite direction. This continued for about 3-4 years and my activity consisted of your typical Bally’s gym workout of 3 X 5 bench, 3 X 5 curl, go to the elliptical machine and move your feet in circles for 30 minutes.

Enter CrossFit. A friend from home suggested I should check it out so I looked around online and found that Badger CrossFit had recently opened up nearby. I came in for a free Saturday class, got my butt royally kicked in 10 minutes or less with nothing more than a kettlebell and wooden box, and went straight home to tell Erin I was joining this crazy place. The rest is history… Week 1 Fran time was 15:58 (and that was with a band on pull-ups). After three weeks it was 10:12. After a few more weeks 6:50, then the 5 minute mark, then 4, etc. I gained strength in every movement, greater mobility, increased stamina, not to mention dropped about 40lbs (now I’m actually trying to GAIN). BCF has truly been a life transformation for me as I apply the same focus and dedication we all do inside of the gym into my everyday life. Now my passion is to help other members have the same experience that I have had (and continue to have). This is why I’m so excited to coach at BCF. I promise that I’ll make sure you get wherever it is that you are looking to go whether you are a competitive athlete or have never entered a gym. I promise to help you be the best you thatyou can be in all aspects of fitness, keep you safe throughout the process, and proudly cheer the loudest once you get there.

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

When my college football career ended, I began searching for something to fill that competitive void.  Then I saw the Crossfit Games on ESPN and I thought I may have found my answer.  I joined Badger Crossfit in May of 2012 and entered my first competition in August and have been hooked ever since.  Crossfit has been able to provide me with the competitive and team atmospheres I missed so much.

Coaching and teaching are passions of mine. I enjoy helping athletes do things they never felt possible. I coach football at New Berlin Eisenhower High School and I am also very involved in the design and implementation of their strength and conditioning program. After two just seasons coaching football, I decided to change careers and started going back to school in order to become a high school science teacher.  When I’m not at the gym I enjoy spending time with my wife Caitie and our dog Fiona.

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

I was never involved in sports growing up or in college.  I was skinny, but had no strength or endurance.  I did some kickboxing in my early twenties and did the usual globo gym classes — not because I wanted to be fit, but because I was more worried about the numbers on the scale!  I didn’t really become active until later in my twenties when I fell in with a group of female triathletes.  Although I had vowed I would never do a triathlon, it wasn’t long before I completed my first sprint and then a half-iron (70.3) distance… and became injured (IT Band).  I was told that a muscular imbalance in my legs was the cause and was given some rubber bands and exercises to use to correct this — way too boring and I quit after about 2 weeks.  I pretty much gave up running at that point.

I heard about CrossFit from an endurance runner who had seen some incredible gains after training with it.  The very first time I walked into a CrossFit gym in the early spring of 2008, I thought I was being scammed.  There was nothing there — no machines, no stationary bikes!  I’d never picked up an Olympic bar in my life and the thought of doing a pull-up had never even occurred to me.  Following my first workout (where I discovered that I was too weak to even do “girl” push-ups) I knew that I’d found something that would help me become really fit.  I’ve never looked back!  And I discovered the freedom and rewards of training for fitness and strength instead of worrying about the numbers on a scale!  Most importantly, I discovered a community — something that I’d been looking for at other gyms and never finding.

Needless to say, I started running again and discovered that my IT Band issues were completely gone.  Seems that air squats, back squats, front squats and overhead squats are extremely effective — and so much more fun than rubber band exercises!  Since then, I have completed 3 half-iron (70.3) distance triathlons and I can’t-remember-how-many sprint tris and various 5k races.  I earned my Crossfit Level 1 Certification in 2010 and I enjoy sharing the excitement, hard work and gains that CrossFit provides!