December 2022--Erik Rutten

1.Tell us about yourself, your family, your occupation, hobbies/interests.
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Hailing from Canada, in the suburbs of Toronto, my wife and I moved to this area in 2020. We now live on a cozy farmstead with our 4 children, along with an abundance of dogs, cats, geese, chickens, rabbits, and pigs. I worked for a rapidly growing and very successful tech company in Canada for almost 2 decades, but having lost my job in October we’re now taking time to explore whether to dive back in or pivot into human-scale regenerative agriculture. May God’s Will be done!

2. When do you start CrossFitting? Why did you start? Why do you continue now?

I started going to CrossFit in about 2013 in Canada. I was looking to get active after not having done much vigorous activity since being a kid. My cousin was a coach at some other box and told me to check it out. I was a beanpole and could hardly do a single push-up. I continued to do it for a few years, then stopped when we lived in Nevada from 2017-2020 and started again here in Fall 2020. My wife encouraged me to join here knowing that the camaraderie / working out with others is helpful to keep at it. I sometimes joke that I want to be able to deadlift a car off a loved one, but there’s some truth in that, which is that I value training to be fit for whatever life brings before me. Fitness is obviously great for general well-being, but this box is very special and it’s been a pleasure to get to know folks and suffer arm in arm.

3. Do you remember your first WOD? What were your thoughts after your first WOD?
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I can’t quite recall.


4. What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?
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Constantly varied movements. With others, getting pushed to go further.


5. What is your proudest CrossFit moment?
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Athlete of the year in 2021, to my complete surprise.


6. What is your favorite movement or lift? What is your least favorite?

My favorite is the clean and jerk. My least favorite would be toes to bar which I can’t string together very well.

7. Have you had one or two challenging CrossFit goals that you've achieved recently? What are your current goals and how close are you to reaching them?
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Consistently showing up, which has been tough after throwing my back out, but I look forward to returning soon! I’d like to be able to do a handstand push-up and muscle-up. I haven’t found the time to practice them so I can’t say I’m close to reaching them.

8. What makes CrossFit different from other fitness programs that you might have tried in the past?
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Apart from some basic powerlifting schemes, I haven’t tried any other fitness programs.

9. What impact has CrossFit Benedictus had on your life, in and out of the gym?
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I am no longer a beanpole and can happily skip along with a couple 50lb bags of feed for the animals.


10. Tell us about your nutrition and how it has changed, if any, since starting CrossFit?
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I did try paleo for a bit back in the day, but it seemed funny since most of our food these days isn’t anything like it was for paleo folk. We try to eat whole foods and cut out the processed junk. But I don’t think my diet has changed a whole lot; I try to eat a balanced diet of bacon and Goller beer.

11. If you could write a WOD for the classes to do, what would it look like?
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5 rounds
Row 250
Wall balls 25
American KB swing 25

12. What advice do you have for others about the importance of the dedication of taking care of yourself, of investing in yourself?

Isn’t it obviously so important?. What’s the alternative? You will be stressed, unhealthy, unable to face life’s mental and physical challenges. For your own sake and your family’s, fitness is required to be sane and thrive.


13. What advice would you give to someone new to CrossFit or who is thinking about giving it a try?

Just do it! You will become stronger, faster, healthier, and happier.


14. Open Forum:
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God bless the founders and owners of this special box that foster a wholesome, healthy and challenging environment for us all to improve together.