Austin R.

I’m a small-town country boy from Pennsylvania that broke the mold, was the first in my family to go to college. 
By
Coach Leah
August 27, 2021
Athlete Photo

Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself or something that would surprise us.

I’m a small-town country boy from Pennsylvania that broke the mold, was the first in my family to go to college.  I attended the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Navy.  From there I traveled the world and finished my Naval career at the Pentagon. 

How and when were you introduced to Behemoth?

I got into CrossFit during my time in Washington DC.  I was instantly hooked.  Since then, I’ve been a member at several gyms.  Once I moved to Houston, I was fortunate enough to have moved within close proximity to the best gym in the world, Behemoth. 

What are you most proud of, physically, mentally or both since beginning with us?

Admittedly, when I showed up to Houston I had quite the Dad bod going on.  We had a 2-year-old and another on the way.  With a new job, small children, and the stresses of living in a new place, I was desperately in need of a great program that kept me coming back.  I jumped back into workouts at Behemoth and tried to take advantage of the various challenges and programming that Behemoth offers. Since then I have become stronger, healthier and mentally tougher. 

What has been your biggest, yet most rewarding obstacle to overcome, whether in the gym or on your health journey to date?

When I first got to Houston I was stressed, overweight and not living my best life.  Since then, Behemoth has helped me to live my best life physically and contribute to my mental health as well.  I feel able bodied and have the energy to not just live every day but to excel at what I do.

Why Behemoth?

Behemoth’s coaching staff and programming is world class. What really drew me to the gym was their wholistic approach to total wellness.  They don’t just care how much you can clean or squat, they focus on nutrition, stress, sleep and the myriad of other factors that affect our overall health.  If you have ever met any of the coaches, it is apparent they all practice what they preach.  That was proof enough to me. 

What next? What are you excited about pursuing here in the future?

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things back at the gym after all the lockdown stuff.  I am looking forward to taking one of the power lifting programs and also want to work on my gymnastics movements (read muscle ups).  Really, what I’m most excited about being back with my gym-fam and being around the amazing members and my friends.

“3, 2, 1…Go” Mad Lib section

-My favorite lift (movement) is…Burpees of course 

-My most frequent class I come to is…9:30AM, I like to have my coffee first!

-I have always wanted to…Go fly fishing in Patagonia

-When I’m not crushing weights, my favorite thing to do is…chill out with my family, play with my kids.

-If I could make ANY of the Behemoth coaches do 100 burpees it would be...Hmmm…I feel like this is a set-up…

 -Favorite “application of fitness” outside of the gym is…being able to keep up with my 4yo and 2 yo is fun.  I’m going to be an older dad and want to keep in shape for them so I can throw the ball, coach or just simply keep up with them as they grow.  That and if I can be a positive example to them that fitness is a lifelong pursuit, would be very satisfying for me. 

-Favorite band/genre/Pandora station to workout to is…TOOL / NIN / Any Rap / Die Antwoord

-Beast mode engaged when this song comes on…it varies but right now: The Box by Roddy Rich / NonStop by Drake / Hot by Yung Thug / Fustal Shuffle by Lil Uzi Vert to name a few…

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