When he’s not hitting the books to master the ins and outs of the U.S. justice system, he’s working up a sweat in the 5:30 Fusion class. Our next Fusion Athlete for the month of April is none other than Murphy Sayre! He’s committed to constant improvement that comes with training hard, and that’s earned him a spot as a Fusion Athlete of the Month!
Way to go, Murphy!
How did you hear about DBS and when did you start classes?
My good friend Jaime told me about the Shop. Jaime and I played rugby together in high school here in Austin, but since then it’s fair to say we both got a little soft around the edges. He told me Dane’s helped him get back in shape and that I should try it. I joined in September 2013.
Since joining the Shop, what changes have you seen not only in your physical abilities but your life overall?
The training at the Shop is unlike anything I’ve done before. It follows that I have gained a lot physically in the past couple months. But more importantly the Shop has established health and fitness as an integral part of my life. I no longer view working out as something I do to “just get it over with.” Now on my workout days, I head to the Shop at 5:30pm without a second thought, which is a dramatic change from the way I used to view exercising.
Which classes do you regularly attend? What do you like about those classes and coaches?
I usually go to Fusion at 5:30pm with Aaron and Dunte; both are excellent motivators and know how far to push me (which usually involves coaxing me into choosing a heavier weight!). I also appreciate how willing Aaron and Dunte are to answer my questions both during and after workouts.
Besides the regular Fusion classes, I try to make it to Ari’s yoga class as much as I can. Yoga is great after a string of Fusion classes, and the corpse pose at the end of Ari’s class often amounts to the most relaxing part of my week. I also am half way through an 8-week cycle of KO Fusion with Juliana, which has been really fun. I have no experience with combat sports, so I doubt I would have ever tried something like KO if it weren’t in an environment where I already felt comfortable.
The bottom line is that I’m a big fan of all the coaches at the Shop.
What are some goals you have accomplished since joining the Shop and what are some goals you are working on?
Olympic lifting was new to me before joining the Shop. When I first started, I dreaded these lifts, but now I have made it my goal to improve my form. My next step in achieving this goal is to start attending some of the strength classes throughout the week.
What do you find to be the hardest workout or movement you have done in class thus far? What movements or workout styles do you enjoy?
I’ve found that everything is hard because the difficulty scales up even if you are good at a particular exercise. In general, however, I always feel wasted during the “conditioning” weeks.
My favorite workout style, as Dunte has described it, is training for “old man strength.” The idea is to build strong hands and a strong core, and the exercises are simple: walk with heavy weight in your hands. In fact, I feel like Dunte has said those exact words in class. During these exercises I always try to push myself even harder than usual.
Tell us a little bit about Murphy outside of the Shop.
I’m in my second year of law school at UT, so that takes up the majority of my time. When I’m not busy with school I like to take my kayak out on any one of the rivers within an hour’s drive of Austin. And if I’m not too sore from the Shop, I always enjoy a pickup game of basketball whenever I can get one.
What would you tell a friend to convince them to join the Shop?
You are signing up for much more than just some cross fit classes. In a single week you will have the opportunity to participate in yoga, kickboxing, and a run group, in addition to exercising with a group of people who genuinely enjoy each other’s company. And when it comes to regular classes, I have never done the same workout twice, or even two workouts that resemble each other; hence, you will not get bored at DBS.