April's Athlete of the Month

Time to highlight one of our spectacular athletes! What makes up an Athlete of the Month? Not RX’ing every workout or lifting the most weight. This athlete exhibits consistency and a hard work mentality. Every time they come to the gym they have a good attitude and give their all. This person is also welcoming of others, helping make CFHD the best community there is. Each month we choose a different athlete and post some fun facts about them to help y’all get to know them better.

This month is the VERY cool Mr. Chris Ferren. This guy works hard in and out of the gym and it shows. His work ethic is something we want everyone striving for. He's always got a smile and we have never heard him complain... nope, not once! We have loved watching him improve over the past year and can't wait to see his dedication continue pay off. We are so thankful to have Chris in our H Dub fam!

Name: Chris Ferren Hometown: Johnson City, TN Age: 33 Occupation: Artist Manager Tell us a little bit about yourself: I was born and grew up in Johnson City, TN. After getting my degree, I decided to go back to school and pursue a job in the music industry. I moved to Nashville in 2012 and got a second degree from MTSU in 2014. I was fortunate enough to meet a few great folks in the industry during that time and begin working in Artist Management before graduating. I’ve been doing that ever since. I have two cats (Adele the Cat Ferren & Andy Banjo), I’m passionate about live music, love to travel, and still enjoy a good comic book / superhero movie. What were your goals when you started CrossFit? I wanted a new routine and I wanted to be better educated about fitness / nutrition. How long have you been doing CrossFit and how did you get into it? I’ve been doing CrossFit for about a year. It was completely new to me when I started at H Dub. I was working out regularly and have off-and-on for most of my adult life, but I had stopped challenging myself. I hurt my back in 2015 and my physical therapist recommended getting into CrossFit. I came close to starting but I had biased opinions about it, so I ignored her. Fast forward to a little over a year ago, a co-worker (Chad Meholic) had joined H Dub and after about 6 months of trying, he finally convinced me to give it a shot. I wish I would have started sooner! What is your favorite/least favorite thing we do in CrossFit? I love any workout with cleans or deadlifts, however lately I’ve been obsessed with gymnastic based moments. I. Hate. Thrusters. How has CrossFit H Dub positively affected you? It’s been a better experience than I ever could have asked for. I’m in the best shape of my life, I eat better, and I sleep better. Most importantly I have a clearer focus mentally. Personally I’ve found that there’s no greater mental-refresher after a long stressful day then going all out during a WOD. Something about laying on the floor after a workout completely clears my head. What advice do you have for newcomers? First, forget about everyone else. It’s easy to look at a room full of people that have been working out at a CrossFit gym for years and be intimidated. However, you’ll quickly realize that you’re only really competing against yourself. Everyone else is there to support you and celebrate your accomplishments. Second, the workouts aren’t “one-size-fits-all.” Most of the time, everyone in the gym is doing a variation of the same workout per direction from the coaches. You’re able to scale everything so that its challenging but appropriate for what you’re capable of. All you have to do is commit the time and trust your coach. Lastly, know that CrossFit at its core is meant to be educational. Trey, Lacee, and the team do a great job of getting you prepared for unfamiliar moments, explain things step by step, and fully guide you along the way. You’ll learn the proper way to do difficult and simple movements and also how those movements translate to your every day life. What is something no one at the gym knows about you? At one time I had a collection of over 500 comic books. Who are 3 people you would have a meal or drink with dead or alive? Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Robert Johnson If you had an intro song when you walk into the gym what would it be? Talk to Me - Run The Jewels Favorite Sport? Hockey If you could have one super power what would it be? Regenerative Healing What is your favorite cheat meal? Hibachi w/ all the yum yum sauce