John Caylor

Please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sheri and I have been married for 13 years and I have a 20 year old daughter, Anni, in college. Sheri and I own, and operate a CPA firm in Plymouth. We love traveling, and she loves hearing me talk about Crossfit.

When did you start doing CrossFit?

I started about a year and a half ago.

What were you doing before CrossFit?

Not a damn thing that really mattered. Two or Three times a week, Mark “slow as mud” Andrada and I would go to Anytime Fitness for an hour and a half and bench press. In that hour and a half, we probably actually worked out about 15 minutes or so and the rest was social hour. No cardio, no leg work. I had one “fitness” goal; a 300 pound bench press. Not very well rounded.

Why did you start doing CrossFit?

I was pushed into it. I was perfectly comfortable with my huge bench press and tiny legs but somehow I got talked into it in a weak moment.

What apprehensions did you have before starting?

Growing up playing sports, I thought I had a decent shot at getting back in physical shape but I was approaching 50, and did not really know how my body would respond. I assumed Crossfit was for young people. And I have a few old sports injuries that I assumed would flare up.

Also, I was more scared of the mental part of Crossfit than the physical part. I just had not pushed myself since college, and I thought maybe my mental drive would be gone. But I responded pretty well physically and mentally.

What made you decide to come CrossFit SISU?

I just followed the big fella (Mark) and did what he did.

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

Holy s__t, this is not for me!!!

Honestly, it was so far out of my comfort zone that part of me said “don’t go back”. But also, there was something so rewarding about being completely exhausted and I felt a connection to the others in class instantly. So I went back. And then went back again, etc……..

What’s the greatest benefit you see so far since starting CrossFit and SISU?
Two main benefits:

1. Balance. I can now squat as much as I can bench!! And overall, I feel much more balanced.
2. Community. The relationships and community we are building at Crossfit are really rewarding. I could not ask for a better group of people to work out with and I ‘m happy they allow me to show up and complain for an hour every day (this is a shout out to Tom “big country” Loven, Matt “wall ball” Dornik, Laurence “ L squared” Levin, Brad “robocop” Holzerland, Mark “slow as mud” Andrada and the rest of the noon gang). Not a lot of females on that list for some reason.

Are there any special memories/ achievements during your time here that you would like to share?

There are lots of good memories but one stands out to me. For reasons unknown, I can deadlift pretty well. When I started at Crossfit, I always looked at all the amazing athletes in class, and then looked at the white board and dreamed that someday, with a lot of hard work maybe I could get on the white board.

Well, a few months ago I made the board with a nice deadlift, and while maybe I did not make a big deal of it at the time, at home I talked Sheri’s ear off and showed her the video Tyler took of my lift about a hundred times. It was a pretty big deal for me at my age and just a nice memory. Sheri does not ask to see the video any more. And now that we use WODIFY, I think I’ll be on the old white board forever!!

What advice would you give to a person just joining CrossFit SISU?

I don’t think I would give advice to a younger person but for someone a bit older, I’d say listen to your body, then tell it to shut up and push harder. I’m doing things I did not think possible and love it but many times, have to push past my comfort zone. Crossfit works on mental toughness as well.

Also, I would say find a person or two with similar skills and push each other. Some of the daily competitions at the noon class between us old guys are pretty fun, but we do push each other to get better and a win still means something. Who has the OT shirt, because I’ve never wore it.

Something you might not know about me is?

I really do work, at a real job.

Favorite WOD?

If I created “the perfect WOD”, it would be running, deadlifts and rope climbs.

Least Favorite WOD?

If I could create the worst WOD of all time, it would be HSPU, OHS and Thrusters.

Favorite Lift?

Deadlift. According to Arnold, the best overall test of pure strength.

Least favorite lift?

Overhead Squats, or as I call them “the devil’s lift”.