TUESDAY

Here’s another Athlete profile of Jack Hymanson.  Many of you know Jack from the 5 pm class.  He’s been a member of Thor Fitness for quite some time, and I must say he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Athlete Profile – Jack Hymanson

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

I live in Smithtown. My wife and I moved out to Long Island from Queens 23 years ago. Although I grew up in the city and went to school there I don’t think I was ever really a “city” person. I remember how happy I was when we finally moved to the suburbs. Plenty of parking for sure!

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO CrossFit FUSION?

I thought a lot about this and I think it has to do with perseverance. It’s a long story but thirteen years ago I had major neck surgery followed by thyroid cancer three years ago. I have to admit the cancer diagnosis was scary. It definitely changed my outlook on life. After the treatment and recovery I decided I would step out of my comfort zone more often and try new things even if they were intimidating. CrossFit definitely fit into this category. I was always active and worked out regularly in a typical gym and at home but I was looking for change and what I got in CrossFit was really life changing in so many ways!

WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS? HAVE YOU ACHIEVED THEM?

I remember just before I had my thyroid surgery and treatment I was in a “Spin” class at a local gym. At the time I was obsessed with “Spinning”. The instructor which was really a hard core triathlon athlete would always say don’t let yourself think exercise is a chore or burden. She would say we are privileged to be there sweating and working hard to achieve our goals. That stuck in my head that exercise is a privilege. Not everyone has this privilege or the ability, so I consider myself very blessed. My goals currently are to improve my overall CrossFit performance, improve my diet (not easy this time of year) and continue to make CrossFit a part of my regular activities. The benefits are huge!     

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN THE GYM?

Like most, family and work keep me busy. I have one daughter in college and twin boys that are seniors in high school so things are always crazy in my house. I’m a forecasting software consultant for SAS Institute located in North Carolina for the past 8 years. Definitely culture shock coming from New York companies most of my career.

WHAT CrossFit EXERCISES OR LIFTS ARE YOUR FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE?

I really like the cross training aspect of CrossFit. The power cleans are my favorite when they are combined with plyometric exercises. My least favorite is overhead squats (no surprise) but overall I try not to get intimidated by any of the wods and just do the best I can even when I need to scale the weight.
ANY OTHER TID BIT OF INFO?

When I’m not at CrossFit you can find me Sea Kayaking. I got interested in Sea Kayaking about 3 years ago. It was one of those things I always wanted to do. I joined the Long Island Paddlers Kayaking club and worked towards improving my skills over the last few years.  CrossFit has definitely benefited my Sea Kayaking abilities. I’ve been able to go on longer more difficult trips knowing my conditioning was up to the challenge.

I really appreciate Patty and her team of trainers at Thor Fitness.  They have always encouraged me even when I thought I was either too old or too weak to compete. One of my biggest accomplishments this year was completing the CMC in Brooklyn. I’ve also met some great friends at Thor Fitness that will certainly be my friends for life. 

STRENGTH:

Split jerk

1/1/1/1/1

CrossFit WOD:

“Buzz Kill”

amrap 12 min:

50 double unders

15 T2B

10 power clean + push jerk 135#/95#

LEVEL 1:

Amrap 12 min:

50 single unders

20 ab mat sit ups

10 power clean + push jerk 65#/35#