Introducing our December Athlete of the Month… Nesa Kleinheksel. She’s an OG!

“Nesa is a Ladies Class OG!  At this point, I believe Nesa could be grandfathered into coaching at RX. When in doubt, program push press and never ever make her do a group warm up that involves high kicks! But for real, Nesa is awesome and there is a big hole in Class when she isn’t there. Nesa is a fantastic athlete, she works really hard. She is  a wonderful and necessary part of ladies Class. I love you, Norwegian princess!”- Coach Amy Levens

“What a wonderful piece of our gym community Nesa has been…But she does not stop there! In addition to being an outstanding, long term member of our gym community, Nesa has been an absolute superb donor to our Fantasy Football league! She holds a 4 year record of being the only one to draft a kicker in the first round! Talk about easy money 🙂  But for real…we all love Nesa! I hated when she made the switch to ladies class because I never got to see her anymore! She certainly has made her mark in that class though! I am happy she has found her soulmate in Amy L. We love you Nesa K! Keep on hustling!”- Coach Kelly Levens

1. How Long have you been doing Crossfit, and how long have you been at RX?
I don’t know how long..but my spreadsheet says I have paid CrossfitRX a total of $5760 so far since I started.

2. Why Crossfit?
Once I shattered my goal of a level 10 incline on the treadmill at LAfitness, I knew I needed a new physical activity to keep my mind challenged, so I tried Orange Theory and I fell in love with it. I go every day! Crossfit Rx is just something that occupies my mornings.

3. Hobbies outside of the gym:
Leaping. But lately i have been getting into Twirling and really enjoy it.

4. Favorite Movement – I love Push Press! Least Favorite – stretching, lunges, squats, burpees, pullups, double unders, running, rowing, biking, box jumps, muscle ups, sit ups, bench press, deadlifts, AND Toes to Bar.

5. One goal you’ve accomplished in Crossfit:
Well just a few weeks ago, I was really hoping for a new bench press PR after a long 5 week cycle, well I failed. So I have no accomplishments, but I know what my goal(again) is now!

6. Favorite Food?
Whatever snacks the Moms bring for the kids at RX…after a long hard WOD there is nothing like munching down some dry Cheerios or Ritz Crackers!

7. Something people would be surprised to know about you:
I am super shy.

8. Best piece of advice you’ve gotten at Crossfit?
Make sure you wear the right underwear for a successful wod.

We have a two-fer special for our Athletes of the Month for September. Crossfit RX welcomes all military and police personnel, and would like to honor those who serve and protect us. This is why we chose both Andrew Grubb and Larry Compton, and we are truly thankful to have them part of our community.

First let’s meet Grubb!

“Grubb is the man! Regardless of whether he’s come off a full night sleep or has been up for 48 hours straight catching bad guys, when he is in the gym he is killing it. Great attitude, great work ethic, always willing to help, he’s an ideal member. I’m glad we have people like Grubb in the gym and on the streets”– Coach Guy

“Aside from being a great athlete, member and the most consistent athlete in our gym as far as attendance is concerned. Grubb serves our community as a police officer in Cobb county. We as a gym want to thank you for you service and are proud to have you as well as any other police officer or uniformed service member in our gym.”- Coach Kelly Levens

1) How long have you been doing Crossfit? I’ve been doing crossfit for about 7 years, I started at Crossfit South Cobb.

2) Why Crossfit? I’ve been at RX for the last three years after I decided I needed a change and visited 5 different gyms. RX fit everything I was looking for in facility, coaching, programming, & most importantly people!

3) What are some of your hobbies outside of the gym? I’m a big music buff so outside of the gym I try to take in as many live music shows I can make it to. I love sharing and introducing people to new bands. Favorite Atlanta venue is Terminal West.

4) Favorite and least favorite movements? Favorite movement handstand push-ups, least favorite is wallballs.

5) Name one thing you’ve accomplished in Crossfit, and name one goal you are currently chasing. One goal I chased and accomplished is a body weight snatch. A goal I’ve yet to accomplish is a 225lb clean and jerk.

6) Favorite food or meal? My favorite meal has to be the “burger” at Fox Bros.

7) What is something people would be surprised to know about you? People would be surprised to know that I worked undercover narcotics/organized crime investigations for four years. I’m virtually unrecognizable in photos from back then. Partly because of my beard and hair but mostly because I was about 25 lbs heavier 🙂

8) Favorite piece of advice you’ve gotten in Crossfit? it’s cliche for a reason but that piece of advice is not to be afraid of checking your ego and scaling. The coaches have a time domain or work capacity in mind when programming these workouts so plan your workout accordingly. You’re missing the point with your 15 minute Grace time.

Now let’s learn a little more about Larry….

“We want to give special recognition to Larry Compton. Larry is not able to attend quite as regularly as Grubb is because Larry is serving his country in the Army. Despite his constant travel, Larry has always maintained his relationship with Crossfit RX and calls our gym his home for fitness. We are happy he does and have immense gratitude for his service.” Coach Kelly Levens

About me: I am currently serving in the United States Air Force Reserve as an Cyberspace Operations Officer /Intelligence Analyst, and I am an Afghanistan veteran. I live in Candler Park with my wife Vanessa and 10thgrade daughter Audrey. In my civilian job, I work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

1. How long have you been doing Crossfit?

I have been doing Crossfit since 2012 – I had just come home from an overseas deployment and was looking for a way to get in better shape. My wife bought me 1 month at Crossfit RX as a Christmas present, and I have been a member at CFRX for all of those 5 years. For the last several years, I have traveled on various military and civilian missions for about 180 days out of the year, so I don’t attend CFRX as much as I would like. However, most military gyms now have functional fitness rooms that give me options while on the road.

2. Why Crossfit?

After the introductory workout with Kelly, I knew Crossfit was much harder than my previous routine. I immediately saw an opportunity to increase my fitness level. The biggest benefit I get from Crossfit is actually mental fortitude and resiliency. The mindset and discipline to push through without giving up carries forward to everything in life, not just physically demanding tasks.

3. What are some of your hobbies outside of the gym?

I have very little free time, but I do enjoy hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, and target shooting. We like to attend sporting events as a family, especially Atlanta Braves baseball games.

4. Favorite and least favorite movements?

Anything involving bodyweight is my favorite (or easiest). This includes pushups, pullups, etc. Heavy squats and double-unders are my least favorite. The Olympic lifts like clean and jerk/squat clean/snatches are terrifying and exhilarating all at once. I enjoy trying to focus on form with the Olympic lifts.

5. Name one thing you’ve accomplished in Crossfit, and name one goal you are currently chasing.

A few years ago, I participated in the CFRX clean eating challenge. I had a terrible diet soda habit that I was able to kick entirely and replace with black coffee. I am required to take a fitness test twice a year for the Air Force, and my goal is to always score “Excellent”. That’s what I’m working on right now since I have a test coming up in October.

6. Favorite food or meal?

My wife makes amazing lamb chops, Greek potatoes and Greek salad. I love having that with a side of homemade mint sauce and a pint of stout or porter.

7. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I was born in Singapore and traveled all over Southeast Asia as a young person.

8. Favorite piece of advice you’ve gotten in Crossfit?

Attend the skills classes, and re-attend for a refresher. These aren’t just for new members!