Dear Paulo,

Congratulations on your “Member of the Month” award. You've been a member with us for 1.5 years! You are super consistent with your training routine and your cardio and fitness are impressive.

You bring lots of energy into our classes and support the other members 🙂 Keep up the good work!

Tell us about yourself?

I was born in Lisbon and lived there for 50 years. Then, for professional reasons, I moved to Linz (Austria) and was there for 2 and a half years. In March 2024, I moved from Linz to Zürich, again for professional reasons. I have been working in aviation since 2005, and presently I work for a Swiss operator.

I started doing CrossFit, still in Portugal, back in 2017, so quite a long ago…

I love burpees, sky erg, and everything with DB and KB. My weakest point is for sure the barbell ☹

What kind of sports have you been doing before CrossFit?

Actually, before CrossFit, I have never done any sports on a regular basis. I was playing football and running occasionally, but nothing consistent. I tried the gym several times, but I didn’t find it interesting to circle alone from machine to machine and always gave up after some time.

You are a role model for many of our members. How have you managed to stay so fit over the years?

I have to say that my genetics helped, so it’s not my full merit. I also don’t have any special care with nutrition. My only “secrets” are the frequency and the consistency of the training and a good cardio background.

How often do you exercise each week, and do you have a set routine?

When I started CrossFit, I started 2 times a week. I was like that for 1 or 2 months, but my motivation was low and every training day was a kind of sacrifice. Then one day, my Portuguese Coach told me: “Paulo, with only 2 times a week you will not progress. You need a minimum of 3 trainings per week”. I followed his advice, and results were immediate! The improvement was enormous, and my motivation increased dramatically together with the results. I still try to keep 3 to 5 times a week.

What is your greatest personal achievement – physically or mentally?

I have to say that I’m kind of addicted to CrossFit/HYROX. Sometimes I decide that I don’t go that day because I feel tired or have other things to do, but, as the time approaches, almost always I change my mind and actually go.

I also found that the harder and more stressful the working day is, the better the training feels and even the results are better. So I use it also as a 100% effective anti-stress therapy.

Another point I would like to mention is that in my personal health I see huge differences since I started CrossFit. Since then it is very rare that I have a cold or flu. Something that before was quite common.

Why do you think CrossFit is suitable for all ages?

Everything is so scalable and adaptable that, of course, it is suitable for all ages. Although I still do occasionally PRs (recently it was Deadlift and Bench Press), what I find with age and the CrossFit experience is that you learn a lot about how to manage your pace. For this reason I prefer long WODs. The longer, the better for me. So I think as the age increases, you might lose some specific capabilities, but you improve others.

What makes our box special for you?

I choose without any reference, based only on the location and the walkable distance to my home and work. But very soon I was surprised by the quality of the Coaches (I love all of them, including the ones that had left in the meanwhile) and the friendliness of the multinational group of athletes.

In a more personal touch, I’m learning German, but since I don’t use it at work, progress is very slow. I really appreciate the fact that classes are mostly in English!

Last but not least: What advice would you give to new members or older beginners?

My advice for new members is to not give up on the first hard workouts or with the frustration of not doing correctly some exercises (DUs took me years!). With training and persistence everything will be possible.

For old beginners, I think it is never too late to start, and you will be able to see results quite fast, both in your physical and mental health. Being integrated into such a nice community is an amazing feeling.

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