Athlete Profile: Firas Kaddaha

Name: Firas Kaddaha
Age:  31
Height: 6ft
Weight: 185lbs
Crossfitting Since: 2009

Attends Class: Everyday if I could, but average about 5 times a week

Favorite Quote: We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.—Aristotle

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT?
Summer of 2009 my brother started crossfitting in Montreal. Within a few months he was getting results both in his fitness and the way he looked. Being that he was my younger brother and our ongoing sibling rivalry, I started looking into trying it out. I lived in Morristown at the time and the closest box was Crossfit 908 in Berkley Heights, which is owned by Crossfit Hoboken alum Tim Carroll. I crossfitted there from November 2009 to April 2010. Then I moved to Jersey City and started my medical residency in NYC and didn’t crossfit for 5 months. But I still had the itch and Tim always had great things to say about CFH which was a 5min drive for me, so I joined CFH in October 2010 and the addiction has been ongoing since then.

WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
Didn’t have any specific goals other than get fitter, stronger and look & feel better. And of course beat my brother at a WOD. Safe to say I’ve accomplished all of these goals and more since I joined.

HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING?
I’ve always been active – tennis, horseback riding, basketball, soccer, running – but I never really trained regularly before crossfit. I have paid so much money into regular gyms, but always within weeks I’d lose motivation and eventually stop going. I was always intimidated when I went into those gyms, never knew what to do. Crossfit, on the other hand, is something I see myself doing for as long as I can, hopefully the rest of my life. It starts off with the great coaching I’ve had and the guidance and support you get from day one. You never feel lost or aimless when you’re there. It’s an hour of your day and you leave feeling like you’ve accomplished a lot. But really it is enhanced and made enjoyable by the great camaraderie and community feel you get when you’re there. You meet great people who all support and push each other.

WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT?
I am, without a doubt, in the best shape of life physically. But there is a great emotional and psychological benefit to crossfit, which I guess is true of all exercise, but for me has been most noticeable with crossfit. I look & feel fitter and better than I ever have. This in turn translates into more energy and confidence in my work, and into more calm in my private life.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN?
My experience at Crossfit Hoboken has been a phenomenal one. I joined the gym when it was half the size and seen it grow in size and in membership, and one thing I am always impressed with is the reinvestment in the gym from new expansions to new equipment and new coaches. I look forward everyday to make it to class, and because of the great people that work and train there I enjoy hanging around after class to chat or do a little bit of extra work.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS?
I would just like to be able to continue to make it there as often as I do – with a baby on the way I’m really hoping I can still keep up the pace. I would like to continue to set new PRs and to continue to push myself even more and hopefully in a year from now I’d still be able to say I’m in the best shape of my life.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR DIET?
I don’t really adhere to paleo diet. I generally do try to minimize carbs and dairy but I don’t cut them out. My focus is more on portion control. I generally believe it is more about the balance of calorie intake versus calorie expenditure. Crossfit in general though has made view food in a different way. I still enjoy, but because of the work in the WODs, it makes me think twice about wasting it on a craving.