Anthony Hodges, AKA Hodge, is our male athlete of the month. A man among men, you can find Hodge in the tallest trees and lifting the heaviest weights. Hodge has been part of the CFB community a long time now. We admire his commitment to his own progress as he supports others with theirs. Don’t let the big weights and lumberjack thing fool you, Hodge is actually really laid back and even kind of funny!
CFB: Tell us about yourself (family, job, sports, interests etc))
AH: Grew up in southern-ish Missouri in a small town named Potosi. Lived there until I was 18 with my mother Karen, father Lloyd, and older sister Shannan. Joined the military after high school and lived in Germany for the majority of my contract with deployments scattered in there. Once finished with my obligation it was time to start new again, so I moved to St. Louis where I attended school for a year and then started working as a line clearance trimmer for the utility company.
CFB: When did you start CrossFit?
AH: Started my CrossFit career around 2007, with my Company commander who believed it was the greatest test of strength and endurance. So through YouTube videos and peer checking with others that had the same amount of knowledge that I had, which wasn’t much, we figured some of it out.
CFB: What were you thinking/feeling after your first CrossFit WOD?
AH: Frustration in a word, I think that is what had me keep coming back. The fact that my performance isn’t what I wanted it to be. So I kept pushing and trying to get better at anything I felt weak at, either strength or skill work.
CFB: What is your favorite WOD?
AH: My Favorite WOD is definitely DT. Its got enough core lifts in it to make it suck by itself or you can add different things to it, to make it that much more “enjoyable”.
CFB: Least favorite WOD?
AH: Without a doubt, my least favorite WOD is Manion, I get the good cause and all but Ive never had a workout put me down like that one.
CFB: What is your favorite WOD song?
AH: The music hasn’t really been a big deal for me, unless its that EDM stuff. I just can’t get on board with it. Besides it all becomes background noise so we don’t hear ourselves and others breathing and grunting right?
CFB: Do you ever get competitive with each other in WODs?
AH: I like to think of our everyday workouts as mini competitions with everyone that goes in that day. When a benchmark workout comes up, that’s when you are in competition with your old self, and that should be your only goal to be better than you once were.
CFB: What is your favorite quote?
AH: “Long-term consistency trumps short term intensity.” -Bruce Lee
CFB: What is something about you that your fellow members wouldn’t know?
AH: I’m afraid of snakes and clowns. About all I can think of that people wouldn’t know about me.
CFB: How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym?
AH: Has made my job much easier. Climbing trees and moving around in them doesn’t take as much of a toll as it used to.
CFB: If you could write a WOD tailored to you, what would it be?
AH: Annie with a round of DT between eat set.
CFB: What is your favorite thing about CFB
AH: The community is amazing. Everyone comes together to help one another when they need it. As well as the Wolfpack, gotta love that 4:30am crew getting the gym warmed up for everyone.