FitHAUS Featured Athletes Mike and Tim
We’ve featured individual athletes, “power couples” and now we are so pumped to be able feature TWIN brothers who attend FitHAUS! Mike and Tim have been regular 6:30am attendees, and they work so hard in class. Both are newer to the FitHAUS, but are great additions to the FitHAUS community. We’ve loved getting to know them…plus. most of us can finally tell them apart;). We figured it would be a great to feature these two awesome athletes and learn a little more about their lives outside the gym! Read below to learn more:
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself…
Mike- A bit about us We grew up in Fargo. Both studied at NDSU for engineering. Came to Minneapolis to work in Medical Devices (and we even managed to work at the same company. 3rd time we've done that since highschool).
My wife Heidi actually got me into Crossfit. She's from South Africa and did a ton of comps there while she was in college. We met and I started joining her training! Now whether we're in MN or SA I've got a gym that feels like home!
Tim: I'm glad Mike mentioned we've worked together several times. We work well together, so it's great to keep pushing each other in the gym as well! My wife Darby and I live in Maple Grove, and are currently working on a major house renovation. DIY projects are my jam, and I feel like there's nothing I can't learn with practice and the right YouTube video.
2. What made you decide to join FitHAUS? What were you doing prior to coming to FH?
Mike: Heidi and I were living in Uptown Minneapolis, involved with our community a few blocks away at Crossfit Kingfield. Going to some comps with the Kingfield crew was where I first heard about FitHaus.
Tim: I decided to join FitHaus when I found out I could join Mike and Heidi in the mornings and still make it to work on time. The accessibility and location are great for me, even living and working up in Maple Grove! Prior to FitHaus, I had a chain gym membership and would go 2-3 times a week, but having an accountability partner that I know I'll see every morning is a HUGE improvement.
3. What is your favorite thing about FitHAUS?
Mike -I love how family-oriented the gym is. Events are for everyone. Moms are super involved and bring their babies. As Heidi and I aim to start our family this was super apparent to me when we first came, and super valuable now as regulars.
Tim: My favorite thing about FitHaus are the great relationships I've already started to form after going for just a couple of months. It's been great to go out and do activities outside of the gym with other members.
4. What are some of the accomplishments related to physical fitness that you are most proud of. Do you have any fitness goals moving forward?
Mike: I'm happy to finally be stronger than Heidi haha. She has a lot of skill, and could outlift me in almost everything until I got some practice. Now I've got some fun skills like muscle-ups and am building them more each day. A big goal is to be able to do a strict bar muscle-up.
Tim- I'm proud of the cardiovascular and back strength improvements I've marked in just a couple months. As a relative newcomer to crossfit workouts, my goals right now are around keeping great form, and getting better at skills that involve cadance on the pull-up rig, like toes-to-bar.
5. How has being physically active bettered your life outside of the gym?
Mike: I'm pretty inclined toward the easy route. And yeah we have fast metabolisms and probably would have dodged the dad-bod for a while, but the office jobs and no activity were going to catch up some day. Now I feel like being active and living a healthy lifestyle is my default. I'm very grateful to see that influence extend throughout the gym.
Tim- I've enjoyed the sense of greater strength when working on heavy-duty projects at home, and I can definitely see an improvement in endurance when skiing, swimming, etc. It feels good!
6. What is your favorite class or movement/skill? What is your least favorite movement?
Mike: Maybe it's my ego but I love a workout with a nice row where my height helps out a ton. And now that my skill is increasing I love a heavy squat clean. But I still have more to learn with that. Heavy dumbell movements like manmakers or dumbell thrusters make me want to stay in bed tho.
Tim: For me, instead of picking one favorite movement, I'm going to highlight how awesome it is to learn some unique movements that I'd never heard of before. Things like bird dog rows and rainbow presses (I think that's what they're called) that both improve stability and provide a challenge are my favorite. Least favorite: I really need to get better at double unders!
7. What advice would you give to someone looking to join FITHAUS?
Mike: Check out the trial membership and talk to the folks in your class! Lots of fun people at the gym, and the people are what make it worthwhile. A bit of accountability and a bright spot knowing you'll see your friends that day!
Tim: Start light and pay attention to form, and you'll improve faster than you think! But really, the most important thing is to just start. After my first trial week, I knew I'd be coming back, and I bet you will too. You'll have a great time and meet great people.
Mike and Tim, we are so happy to have you as part of our FitHAUS Fam!