Chris Blate

Name:  Chris Blate

Hometown:  Houston, TX

Age: 30

Occupation: Law Enforcement

When did you first start CrossFitting?  I started CrossFit January 2015

When did you first start training at CrossFit Katy?  I started training at CrossFit Katy January 2015

What class do you generally attend (morning/afternoon)?  I attend the Burn Class 3 days a week a 6 a.m.

Favorite WOD:  Anything dealing with pull ups

Least Favorite WOD: Anything dealing with front squats but that’s only because I’m not good at them yet!

Tell us about you sports & fitness background:  I always played sports.  I played basketball in high school and for fun.  I also ran 300m and 110m hurdles in high school track.  I’ve also have been in the military (ARMY) for 13 years so I am no stranger to hard training.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit?  Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel?  
I was first introduced to Crossfit years ago when I was watching ESPN.  I saw the Crossfit games and I thought I could do that but it was not very popular back then so I never tired looking for a gym to get started.  Fast forward many years and about 30 pounds later I was going through some picture my wife had and notice a large guy in it and asked her who is that big guy?  She said “That’s you!”  It hit me like a ton of bricks, I had never been big at all and I knew I needed to get the weight off fast!   I started searching for work out plans on the internet but I needed someone to help with the right workouts to get the results I wanted.  That’s when I looked up Crossfit gyms in my area and CFK popped up in the results. The next day I started on my road to getting back to a lean mean fighting machine.

I don’t remember what my first WOD was but I do remember that I sore the next day lol… but I liked it and returned day after day for more.

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)?
I have seen lots of changes in my body, the big difference is from January to August I dropped from 220lbs to 197lbs.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected?
Since joining the Crossfit Katy Family I’ve started running for fun which I never use to do even when I was younger.  I’ve also started running Spartan races for fun which would never thought I would enjoy doing if was not for Crossfit.

Name one goal you have reached since joining CFK and one goal you want to achieve (example:  deadlift/squat/press ­­­___ pounds; do a pullup; do a WOD RX’d, etc.):
One goal I have reached since joining CFK is being able to do 10 pull ups straight.

One goal I want to achieve is to do a 225 pound front squat.

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFK moments:
All my moments at the gym are my favorites, it just fun to come to a gym that everyone is excited to see you and work out together.

Any advice for people just getting started?
My advice for first timers is give it a chance.  Don’t give up because it hard or something you’re not use to.  It will get easier with time!

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Spending time with my kids, playing any sports

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