Coach Morgen Larsen
CrossFit L1
CrossFit Kids
What inspired you to start doing CrossFit?
Desperation. I had just turned 30 and was in terrible shape. I knew I would be a complete train wreck by 40 if I didn’t do something, so I tried CrossFit after a friend recommended it. I found that although the workouts were harder than anything else I had ever done, the community was there to help pull me through it.
What are some of your goals in the gym?
Do a dead hang pull up, improve my strict press, do a handstand push up… there is a theme here. Fun goal time: bodyweight snatch.
What do you love most about coaching athletes?
I really enjoy the process of teaching and I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to do it in the gym, one of my favorite places.
What advice would you give to a beginner CrossFit athlete?
When it’s time to work, focus on yourself. There will be people around you who seem to be amazing at everything in the gym, and while that can be inspiring, don’t let it distract or discourage you from chipping away at your own goals. Keeping track of what you do in some sort of journal is an easy way to see how you are improving, which can shore up your ego on tough days. No victory is too small to celebrate.
When the WOD is over, get to know the people in your new CrossFit family and enjoy them! The friendships you will gain are one of the very best things about doing CrossFit.
Which types of community work inspire you the most?
I really admire the work done by Youth Farm, an organization that operates right in my neighborhood (and a few others in the Twin Cities). Through summer camps and other programs throughout the year they develop young leaders by teaching kids how to farm–planting, growing, preparing, and selling food–with additional aims of promoting healthy minds and bodies and contributing to the positive identity of children and youth. I know some people who have come up through this organization, and have seen their summer program in action (and tasted the fruits of their labor). Youth Farm is amazing.
What do you like to do outside of the gym?
Chase toddler, ride bikes, garden, cook all the time, drink beer. And watch weightlifting videos on YouTube.