Name: John Wayne McCarthy
Age: 32
Height: 5’10
Weight:164
Crossfitting Since: February 2010
Attends Class: 3-4 days a week
Favorite Quote: “The Worst of all fears is the fear of living”-Theodore Roosevelt
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT?
I heard about Crossfit from Coach Meris Sullivan who I was referred to from a mutual acquaintance to work with in one-on-one personal training sessions. I originally expected to do kettlebell work but then she started talking to me about Crossfit, eventually I gave it a shot during the Winter of 2010.
WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
I had no set goals at first because I wasn’t sure what to measure/shoot for, there were times just finishing a workout was a success. Eventually I wanted to start doing WOD’s RX’d. Then I began focusing on getting stronger, being able to lift heavier as time went by.
HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING?
Quite simply, Intensity. I worked out at other gyms and did classes like boxing and cycling but never got close to the level of intensity and hard work needed to be successful at Crossfit. It was overwhelming at first but I refused to give up and be “beaten” by the classes.
WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT?
The best results have been the little things that back in the day that I thought “oh I ‘ll never be strong enough to do that” like stringing together 20+ pull-ups or being able to do a muscle-up. And without Crossfit I know running the NYC Marathon last year would not have been possible.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN?
I’ve enjoyed many things with Crossfit Hoboken, from the experience and help from the coaches to training hard with other members in class and getting to know some of them better. It sounds cliché but there really is a sense of community here. Most of us compete in class or in competitions but in the end we’re all in this together and trying to accomplish the same goals.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS?
I have a few goals in mind such as getting an 200+# ground to overhead lift, finally breaking 400# on the deadlift and 300# on the back squat. In terms of workouts the biggest one is doing Diane RX’d, but that’ll take some more work with the handstand push-ups.
NUTRITION QUESTONS
WHEN DID YOU START EATING PALEO?
I started shortly after the 2010 Superbowl, so a little over 2 years
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF FOOD LOOK LIKE YOUR YOU?
I love cooking eggs in the morning so if for example I’m just waking up and not working out yet I’ll make two eggs with a small amount of meat and add a green veggie and/or avocado. For lunch I like to keep it small especially if I’m working out before dinner so at most it’s a small salad or just a Paleo kit. Dinner I’ll cook up or re-heat either grass-fed beef, chicken, or sometimes grilled salmon and surround the plate with vegetables, once in a while put a sweet potato if there’s a long run to do the next day.
HOW DID PALEO ACCELERATE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS?
Safe to say my weight loss pace doubled than when I was on a more “runner’s diet” with big pasta dinners and not worrying about how much bread I was having with it.
HAVE YOU FOUND IT HARD TO ADHERE TO PALEO DIET?
Yes and no. Once I was able to find good reliable sources for my vegetables and meat all you need is an hour or two to prepare/plan for the week, it’s real easy in that case. Yes it’s hard when you’re going out to dinner/parties, sometimes you just have to be flexible and give in to what’s available.
OTHER THAN PALEO WHAT OTHER DIET TOOLS HAVE YOU USED?
I haven’t really used any other tools to be honest.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF GOING PALEO?
Just knowing what you can’t have sometimes. Back in the day it was easy to get home from work late and just pick up a bowl of chicken parm with pasta and or a chicken roll, grab a Milky Way or something along those lines for dessert and that was that. With Paleo it requires a little more effort, you just have to grind through it sometimes but it’s worth it when you’re successful.
DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE WITH THIS WAY OF EATING PERMANENTLY?
I’ll keep going with it as long as humanly possible. It might still be evolving in terms of the science, but bottom line is it works.
Widely known fact about John: John is awesome.
This is a well deserved and long-overdue profile of John. He embodies all that is positive with the CrossFit movement. He was the first athlete in this gym that pushed me to perform harder and he still does to this day. His selfless attitude and committment to better all members of the gym, not just himself are incredible attributes not found in many. It is a privelege to work out with him and call him a friend. Thank you for making us all better; keep it up, John.