Daniel Bond – March 2020

Daniel Bond – March 2020

Biography

How long have you been part of the BluCru?

I’ve been a member of Bluprint since July 2019.

What is your biggest accomplishment at Bluprint?

It is really hard to pick just one.  I’ve been consistently blown away at how much I’ve grown as an athlete: picking up skills with various lifts, learning and building volume on kipping movements on the pullup bar, developing my flexibility and mobility, and a literal explosion in my cardio capacity.  But I think my biggest accomplishment has been that even as someone who got into the fitness game later in life (after years of neglect) I truly view myself as an athlete now.  That is the direct result of the way my coaches have taught me to support my physical effort with mental stamina and positive self-talk.  A middle-aged former pack-a-day smoker with about 30 extra pounds on him that never stuck with a workout routine is now a gym rat in the best physical shape of his entire life and has no plans of letting up.  That is my biggest accomplishment.

What keeps you coming back to Bluprint Fitness?

The community, no doubt.  Byron and Janelle have done an amazing job of building a culture among the coaches that continually pushes and challenges their athletes, providing high-contact feedback and constructive criticism every time you’re in the gym, but with a foundation of positivity, teamwork, and support.  The athletes at this gym mirror that energy, and even though our workouts focus on individuals doing things individually, you never feel like you’re doing it alone.  I do every lift, every pullup, every gasser of a WOD using my body, but I do it as a part of the team.  That top-to-bottom support pushes you to push yourself, and the high touch coaching means that the staff always know when and how I should (or shouldn’t) push myself.  The community and culture at Bluprint enables me to continually challenge myself, know that I’ll always be physically safe when doing so, and provides me with a squad that will cheer my successes as much (or even more) than I cheer them myself.

What is your favorite thing to do at BP Fitness?

LIFTING.  Before Bluprint I had only touched a barbell a few times in my life, but I am completely addicted now.  Nothing makes you as aware of your body, as focused on the moment, or provides immediate and unmistakable strength gains as lifting weights.  The sense of accomplishment you get as you learn movements and add weight is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and the feeling when you finally crack the nut of a movement you haven’t figured out yet is as good as it gets.  Bluprint introduced me to this feeling, and the coaches enabled me to push my limits by teaching me how to be safe.  Knowing they have my back has given me the freedom to challenge myself in ways I never would have thought possible before joining.

What would you tell someone considering joining?

DO IT.  Bluprint isn’t a gym as much as it is a community.  The athletes here come in all shapes and sizes, all age ranges, all cultures, etc.  This is not your typical CrossFit gym.  The coaches will make you feel at home, and your fellow athletes will cheer you on every step of the way.  From the person still trying to figure out their first pushup to the person trying to squat 2X their bodyweight, everyone at Bluprint is one team with one goal: to support every athlete as they strive to become the best version of themselves every day.

What do you do for fun?

Listening to records and growing my vinyl collection (much to my wife’s chagrin), playing with my kids, board games, reading (mostly non-fiction and plays), cooking, playing music (guitar, ukulele, a little piano), and I’m a huge fan of camping & backpacking.  AND, of course, going to Bluprint!

What’s your favorite food?

It’s hard to pick one because I love to eat.  But most of the time there is nothing I’d rather eat than a Jibarito (Papa’s Cache Sabroso all the way) or, if I’m cooking at home, a nice dry aged ribeye cooked up medium rare in my cast iron skillet with a roasted sweet potato and a generous class of red wine (sorry Janelle!).

Coach’s Comments

Shout out to D Bond for taking home Athlete Of The Month! A typical 6am-er Mr. Bond has been seriously consistent since joining Bluprint in June 2019. He has dropped 3.26% body fat, shed 6.5 pounds of fat mass, and earned 4.9 pounds of lean mass. He participated in the HoliGAINZ Healthy Habits Challenge and has kept the GAINZ train going even as we moved into the remote world of Wodify Rise. He’s making his health & fitness a priority – making it to the virtual ZOOM classes while juggling work, family, and fitness all at home. When you see him in the ZOOM classes dodging his kids while working out make sure to give him a virtual fist bump!

Instagram: @thenotoriouspdb