March 2018 Member of the Month

Ron Knips

Preferred Name: 
Ron

Age:
54

Where did you grow up? 
On a farm in southwest Minnesota near the village of Lismore (population 200 then, smaller now!)

When did you become a member of Mi5 Fitness? 
4.5 years ago

What do you do when you are not at Mi5?
Work life has progressed through engineering, management, interior design, and now occasional subbing for special education paras.   I'm pretty handy and always seem to have a home or yard project going.  Love to travel, camp, kayak, and rock climb.

How did you find out about Mi5? 
A friend I met during bootcamp classes at Lifetime convinced me to try it. 

When/How did you realize Mi5 was the right fit for you? 
After a few weeks, there was no going back to lifetime!  The "community of Mi5" is it's greatest asset and makes this place much more than a gym.  The encouragement, support, and friendship shared among the members and staff have helped me reach increasing goals.  I love to come in for a workout, but there is never enough time to talk with everyone. 

What is your favorite WOD/movement?
I really kind of like burpees... as well as rope climbs, toes to bar, assault bike, and various obstacle course challenges.

What is your least favorite WOD/movement? 
Lunges and squats. Bad knees, with a unilateral replacement in one, make these a challenge.  Accommodations performing these movements help to maintain strength and stability, but not doing the workout as prescribed is a personal struggle.  With guidance from excellent Mi5 trainers I have become more attune to my body and how to develop and strengthen it... correctly.

They still suck!

What would your perfect WOD look like?
A chipper with a variety of movements and challenges of strength, mobility, and endurance all in one workout.

What is one thing you have been able to accomplish since starting at Mi5 that you never thought you'd be able to do? 
The Mi5 games.  Previous competition always focused on running.  

What motivates you to stay fit? 
To keep my abilities in line with my attitude rather than my age.  

What is something about you that Mi5 members do not yet know? 
There was a time in my life when I was known for having really good hair!

What advice would you give to someone just getting started at Mi5? 
Try a variety of classes.  Arrive early to roll, stretch, warm up, and get to know everyone. 

Learning the proper technique is key. 

Know that each class will have a range of skill levels, but everyone had a beginning and progressed at their own pace.

Don't rush the progression, but learn and do as much as you can along the way.

This place will change your life!