When Nicole Johnson’s was chosen as June’s BAM it was obvious to me why, she’s consistent, friendly as can be, strong as hell, and totally embodies what we stand for at The Shop. After sitting down with her and discussing her journey and how she ended up at The Shop it’s obvious to me that all these great traits not only resonate at The Shop but all throughout her personal life as well.

Nicole was born in Dallas, Texas and moved to Austin at a very young age. HEr childhood was spent being involved in athletics as much as possible, she did tumbling, cheerleading, and was a very competitive swimmer. She swam competitively for 16 years and had olympic aspirations especially in the 500m freestyle, 200m IM, which were her two best races. Eventually tendonitis in her knees put a hold on her swimming career once she reached college but Nicole pivoted and turned her focus to a musical career.

At Texas State University Nicole formed a group called “On The Radar” that was a musical youth ministry program. She was the lead singer in the group and her and other members traveled all over the US performing and eventually got signed to a Christian Record label. During this time she was also pursuing her a major in Health Administration at Texas State. She recently decided to continue her education by enrolling in Physician Assistant school for Dermatology.

After she graduated from college her father got sick and she realized that in order to take care of him she had to get in better shape and began working with a personal trainer. Once she got a taste for working out she found that it gave her comfort and consistency in her day to day life. Since joining The Shop she has noticed her comptivie side come back out from her days of swimming. That competitive side has lead Nicole to push herself even outside of The Shop’s workouts as she tries to run a miles after most of her strength classes which results in her running 2-3 miles a week. This has helped her muscular endurance and she one of her goals is to “run a mile without dying and to continue to hit new PRs in every community gains.”

More than the workouts Nicole says that she loves The Shop’s community feel and all the friendships she has made here. She says the community feels like a second family to her and we are very happy to have her as part of our family.

The things we know:

He is quiet, very friendly to everyone he works out with, and possibly the Shop’s most shirtless member. Oh, and he might occasionally skip a workout to eat at Taco Mex down the street from Manor Shop.

What we want to know:

How did James end up at Dane’s and, more specifically, how did his impressive athletic background and friendliness shape him to be Manor’s BAM for May?

Being a very fast, lean, and explosive athlete growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, laid the foundations for James’ fitness journey and accomplishments. He was a member of an impressive traveling Youth Soccer Team named the Blazers and also qualified for the Junior Olympics twice in the 200m & 400m Dash when he was 9 & 10.

James went on to attend college at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he would explore muscle-bulking in order to be more competitive on the school’s Ragin’ Cajuns Rugby team. He dedicated himself to putting on 20 pounds of muscle within a couple months in order to prepare for the intense physicality of the sport. Although he ended up playing Rugby for only one season, his obsession with lifting weights continued.

Putting aside his athletic talents, James started to let his “self-image” motivate his fitness goals, going to the gym and doing typical bodybuilding movements.

While attending college at UL Lafayette, James worked at a bike shop named Capitol Cyclery. Cycling had always been a hobby of his, but not until volunteering at a local triathlon did he have the revelation to take endurance training seriously. “During the race I kept seeing participants 60+ years old crushing it on the course. Then it hit me. Why do I need all this muscle? I’m not doing anything with it. It certainly won’t help me on the bike.” That’s when James’ athletic goals dramatically changed from doing bicep curls to swimming, biking, and running. James raced triathlons for 7 years, completing 2 half ironman triathlons and a full Ironman in 2015 (Ironman Texas ). That’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run all in a day.

After living in various places in the United States, including New Orleans and Washington state, James moved from Louisiana to Austin to continue his career in Industrial Design, taking a job with Dell. He then moved on to LVL Technologies ( a wearable device company) where he has been working for the past 2 years as their designer. What lead him to Dane’s? His LVL office happens to be walking distance from the Manor Rd Shop and .

James has been a member at Dane’s for just over a year and, spoken like a true competitor, his favorite memories at the Shop, so far, are competing in the various Mini-Meets the Shop holds quarterly. The December Push/Pull Mini-Meet, in particular. He placed 4th in last December’s Push/Pull with a very impressive 420 pound Deadlift PR. After a more recent (in-class) pull of 450, he is hoping to pull 500 pounds (three times his body weight) by the end of the year. However, he has been dealing with a slight knee issue that has limited him to some degree.

He continues to be relatively strict with his diet. His personal secret to success: a low carb diet that he’s stuck with for over 8 years, attending Fusion and Strength Classes at least 4 times per week, and, yes, as we’ve suspected, a Taco-Mex taco here and there. He also bikes to and from work pretty much daily, a total of 18 miles, which he says puts him in a good mood and lets him continue to grow on his developed love of cycling.

James hopes to continue getting healthy at the Shop and improving all his lifts, especially his squats. He thinks Dane’s is the place to do that. If he were to describe Dane’s to someone who has never been before, he’d tell them it’s a group of “cool people working out, throwing lots of weight around with no fluff, it has some grit to it.” We think this is a great quote that actually sums James up pretty well: a cool, friendly dude who throws a lot of weight around and he has plenty of grit to him that has lead him to be successful throughout his life, as well as becoming this month’s Manor BAM.

I sat down with Sara over some La Croix one recent afternoon after work. We were joined by her new dog, Pete.

How long have you been at the shop? I feel like once you arrived you jumped all the way in.

Since December. Almost a year. My previous trainer was the manager at Frame. Their classes are a mix of our strength and fusion, or fusion if there is a strength portion. The main difference is that it was all go at your own pace. When you moved on to the next thing, you would go to the trainer and ask them to show you the next thing. She was leaving and going to a big box gym and it was too far from me. And there was this place I would pass by on my way to Frame every day, so I’m going to check it out.

You do fusion and strength and run group.

And now yoga. Actually I’m not doing any fusion right now (sheepish). I had to cut it out because I’m training for a 5 k. For me, that’s a lot of running. I was doing three fusion and three strength. And I had to take two fusions away to do two run days. I run with the group once and once on my own. And then I took away my last fusion for yoga because my body just gets so tight. I’ve been going 6:30 am at Manor. It was just me and one other person this morning, so it was personal yoga. It was awesome. And it really helps.

How does fitness fit in with your larger life?

I feel like, at least for my lifestyle and body type, I have to work out. So I just made it part of my normal routine. That’s why I work out every morning, because usually I have stuff doing on after work. I also really like working out. It’s a stress reliever for me.

Where do you work?

It’s a tech consultant. It’s called agile velocity. It’s small. There are 12 people. I’m also a wedding coordinator. I do that on the side. The most I’ve ever done in a year is seven. That’s too many.

Do you have any specific goals you’re working on right now that you want to share?

Well, I’m doing Veronica’s FuelUp program!

Yes, how is it going?

It’s going. It was hard for me at first bc to me it started feeling like it was a diet not a lifestyle change, so I got a little confused but V and I talked through it.  I’m on Phase 1, so I’m just paying attention to how I’m feeling and it says to limit yourself to eating out one meal per week, which is impossible for me with work and weekends. Realistically, how about three or four? I honestly didn’t think I ate out more than that, but the program made me open my eyes to the fact that I was eating out a lot more than I thought I was.

Any goals in the gym?

Just try to stay in good shape and tone up. And my 5k. I’m kind of regretting signing up for a 5k. It’s November 18th, I think then I’ll be back in fusion. I know Doug accomplished a pull up. I’d like to be able to do that someday.

Have you noticed any changes, mentally or physically, since starting here?

Um, ya! Before I started here, I didn’t know all that my body was capable of as far as weight lifting bc even when we did that at my old gym, we never did community gains type stuff where you’re maxing out, so that was really cool to see that. I didn’t know that I could lift so much.

What do you value about your classes?

The trainers are really awesome. Keith always corrects me when I’m doing something wrong, even though I get frustrated when I can’t figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. And being able to modify stuff. There was awhile when I had hurt my ankle and he let me modify. Sometimes it was a lot of things. And the community here too. I’ve made a lot of good friends here.

What keeps you coming regularly?

I feel like there is an aspect of accountability. People expect to see me, so people will ask “where were you yesterday?” which is hard lately bc I’ve switched up my schedule. So, I say “I promise, I’m still going, I went on Thursday not Wednesday.” Jake last week asked me where I was. I was at yoga at Manor. Since I’m not doing Wednesday morning strength bc of yoga, I’m doing Thursday strength in the morning.

What’s your favorite movement?

Back squats.

What’s your least favorite?

Probably front squats. – Laughs.

Actually, no. I really hate burpees

Why do you hate burpees so much?

I don’t know. I just really don’t like them.

Have you made any special friendships? Do you want to give anyone a shout out?

Ya. It’s really cool because if I do work out on Saturdays, which is hard if I’m out of town or have something going on, Mark, Liz and Doug are a core group who go out and get breakfast. It’s really nice bc we will just sit there for at least an hour and talk about the most random stuff.

What do you like to do when you’re not working out?

Um. I’m pretty lazy. Home with my dog. Or out with my friends.

Describe your perfect Saturday.

That was probably something like this past weekend when I went tailgating. I went to strength with the breakfast crew and then I went tailgating with my boss who hosts. My sister and I went for all day, It’s something to do and gets you outside. And there is football and games and drinking. I went home, rested for a little bit, got ready and went out for the night to my friend’s boyfriend’s ACL after show. We were side stage, so that was pretty cool.

I was very honored to get Athlete of the Month, because when I first started, I asked Chad what it was and he told me. And it was one of my goals. And it was funny because the month I finally got it, was probably my least active.  It’s not that I didn’t want to, but things happened. Vacations, and not feeling well.

How does fitness fit in with your larger life? I am always on the go…whether it’s work, home
or leisure travel. Fitness fuels me so I can keep my “energizer bunny” status that Robert would say I have!

Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with us? At present, I do not have anything specific. My plan is to maintain my consistency and enjoy the
workouts and my fellow DBS’ers

Have you noticed any changes, physically or mentally, since starting at the Shop? Yes…both! Physically, I am stronger than I have ever been in my life and mentally…I may or may not be more sane!

What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop? I value the coaching. The DBS coaches know their (you know what) and I can lift with confidence knowing that they will make sure I’m doing it the right way to avoid injury.

What keeps you coming to class regularly? The community…DBS’ers are a unique and great group. I know that whatever class I take, I will enjoy it because of the people I will sweat with. I guess you could fold this one into something I value about the Shop as well!

What is your favourite movement? Least favorite? I’m still on a burpee protest so I’ll make that my least favorite. As for my favorite, I’ll go with the deadlift!

Do you want to give anyone a shout out? I could literally give a shout out to everyone I workout with and then this interview would never end.  Instead, I’ll just say thank you DBS community for being an inspiring group of amazing people.  I love sweating/running/lifting heavy things with you!

What do you like to do when you’re not working out? I love to cook. I grew up in an Italian family from Philly, so all gatherings centered around food. It’s another “happy place” for me. With some wine and music…I can get in the zone.

How does fitness fit in with your larger life?

Fitness is a big priority for me. As an overweight kid I value fitness for the way it makes me feel, but also how I envision my quality of life as I age. My dad retired several years ago and I’ve watched his mobility decline as he ages. I want to still be squatting, cleaning and dead lifting when I’m 80!

Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with us?

At the end of last year I noticed my body fat creeping up and my clothes fitting less comfortably. I had a milestone birthday last year and wanted to see what I could do to get a little leaner and meaner if I really focused on it. I hadn’t ever worked with a nutritionist, and decided I was ready to give it a try to see if that would help. After committing to a nutritional program for 6 weeks I made some changes to my eating habits that yielded results. I’ve been able to mostly stick with them since then and have been happy with the changes.

Have you noticed any changes, physically or mentally, since starting at the Shop?

Yes, I’ve been at the shop for ~ 4 years now and I’ve definitely gotten much stronger physically and mentally (sometimes) = )  Additionally, my approach to working out has changed as well. I’m a competitive person by nature, so I often want to go pretty hard. I’ve come to realize that there are always going to be people stronger and faster (i.e, Mark, Rimas, Max, Jacob just to name a few) and it’s better to live for another day than to kill (or injure) yourself doing things I’m not able to today.

What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop?

Hmm, lots of things for sure, but the community is probably the thing that stands out the most. I love the class style workouts and the fact that the workouts are programmed for me and keep working out fun and challenging. There are a lot of good programming and coaching available today, but there’s only one DBS.

What keeps you coming to class regularly?

I workout first thing the mornings to “get it out of the way” and ensure that work doesn’t prevent me from making it to the shop. The 5 am crew is a good group of people that keeps classes fun and interesting. While the members that get up that early to workout has changed during my time, there is a core group that is consistently there. The witty humor and balance of personalities makes me want to be there and also adds a sense of accountability.

What is your favorite movement? Least favorite?

Favorite movement is either clean or snatch (when I nail the technique). Least favorite is easily thrusters, hate them!

Gung-ho About this Shit
as transcribed by Chad

Max Baker brought the goods in this interview.  I expected caustic humor with a tinge of self-deprecation, honesty, and plenty of f-bombs.  Max delivered on all fronts, for probably the most textured and surprising interview I’ve conducted to date.  You’re not going to want to miss reading every word of this interview- probably best to not read it out loud in front of your children though!

Have you ever been interviewed before?

I mean, a job interview.

Well this is twice as important as any job interview.  The first thing I wanted to do was get your impression of The Strong Person Mini Meet.  

I felt like it was a little height biased.  It was very pro-height.  I had a ton of fun.  I’m not the most social guy at the gym, so this three hour fun community event gave me a chance to talk to people I’ve never talked to before. The event itself was fun, I mean *#$&, who doesn’t like to win? *laughs*  

Were you surprised that you won?

I don’t think I thought about it- I thought I might have a chance to be toward the upper half.  With the exception of (The Push-Pull Mini Meet) I hadn’t done any of these meets, so I didn’t know what to expect.  I did know that I was good at some of the things that Dane was dropping hints about.

Did you have a favorite event?

I liked the hand over hand pull.  I think I’ve got the technique down- don’t let the tire stop moving.

You had an epic flop on to your back at the end of that event.  That was one of my favorite parts of the meet.

Yeah, I remember the look on John Whiteley’s face when I did that.  He did not seem too pleased.  It always makes me happy when I can piss that guy off.  *laughs*  That guy needs to smile more!  *laughs*  I love that guy!

You had a bit of a fan section for this event.  You seemed a little shy about that.  Who was coming to check you out?

Well my mom was there and she brought the neighbor from the house that I grew up in so she would have company.  I’ve never worked out in my entire life, so the last two years of going to Dane’s (my mom) has seen me go from my worst at like 300lbs of just fat to where I’m at now which is pretty gung-ho about this shit.  

And you really are gung-ho about this shit, that is obvious.  What does your gym routine look like?  I know that you do Fusion and Strength, I’ve also seen you take Yoga.  

In a perfect world, I like to do Monday, Wednesday, Friday Fusion- preferably in the evenings.  Strength Tuesday and Thursday, preferably in the evenings.  If I can make Saturday, I try to make it.  I love Pete’s workouts at Manor.  Pete’s got, in my opinion, the best blend of aerobic lifting.  They really burn you out.  I love it.  

So that sort of high intensity is your favorite type of workout?

Now that I’ve quit cigarettes, absolutely.

How big of a difference in your workouts was that for you?

It was big.  I smoked about a pack a day for my first year of going there and I got to a point where even with that bullshit I was performing pretty well.  

Yeah you were!

So you take that out and it is like a weight has been lifted off your back.  It is like training with altitude.  

That was your methodology!

*laughing* Yeah, that was my method.  I was smoking that much for training purposes.

That is a real *#$&ing athlete.  Amen!  So you kind of hit on it, but you like to work out in the evenings.  I know I have trouble working out after a hard day of work.  How do you find the motivation to come so consistently?

Oh man, I’ve just seen too much positive benefit from the effort I’ve put in. And I pay too much goddamn money!  I don’t get off work and drink a beer or smoke a J, so frankly it is just my time to myself to unwind.  I don’t know, it has just become such a positive thing for me that I’m unwilling to sacrifice it no matter how tired I am.  It is now hard for me, even when everything is telling me to take a break, to take a break.

You get dialed in.

I don’t know man.  You know my favorite thing about Dane’s?  No matter how much I don’t want to work out, if I just put on my shoes and I show up, the workout happens.

You kind of already answered my next question, but why is going to the gym important?  You already said it is your relaxation time.

It is a lot of things.  I mean, the mental and physical benefits I’ve seen from the workouts.  It provides me with, I don’t know, positive self image, clarity of mind, an absolute endorphine blast.  Since getting sober, I can’t be lazy.  I spent so much of my life sitting around getting wasted, so now to me just unwinding like that feels unhealthy to me.  I like to go.  If I’m just sitting around, that is when cigarettes look good, and then maybe a beer, and then- I don’t know maybe (going to the gym) has something to do with an addictive personality.  I’m not addicted to it-

Oh I absolutely am!

Maybe I am!  I associate addiction with negatives.  It is just too much a part of my life to not make it.  I don’t go out to bars…

It is just a big part of your life?

Yeah.

Switching gears, I have to ask what is up with Sade?  I love throwing on Sade during a Metcon as much anyone, but the first time I heard you request that, it took me by surprise.

It just makes me laugh.  Everyone plays this high intensity rock or their favorite rap, or general pump-up music which is fine, but I think I like requesting something else because I enjoy *#$&ing with people.  I’ve created a Strength playlist that is a lot of Sade, Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, Kool and The Gang, Teddy Pendergrast- music that you generally have sex to is the music I like to workout to.  It just makes me smile on the inside.

And I could tell that this was part of your mercurial sense of humor, but I have picked up on the fact that you are a musically savvy person.  Outside of Sade, do you have a type of music that gets you going?

If I had to choose, it would be rap without a doubt.  Nineties era Bay Area rap, like Andre Nickatina and Mac Dre (yes dear readers, I had to look these up as well).  Anderson Paak is really good, do you know who that is?

I actually have one of his songs on my gym playlist!  What do you listen to when you’re not working out?

I’ve got tinnitus in my right ear from South By Southwest, so I don’t go to a lot of shows, but I’ve been collecting vinyl since I was in 7th grade and I have a turn table.  I like music all over the map.  You’re going to bring out the grandpa in me, but there is this folk singer from the 70’s named Karen Dalton- she has this album I bought that is phenomenal.  Everything from folk to rap.  I just like music that comes from a place of authenticity.

You have a background in film right?  How did you get into that?

I was a pretty nerdy and withdrawn kid.  I spent a lot of time by myself- I’m an only child- so I developed some bizarre taste in film. I used to live down the street from Vulcan Video and Antone’s Records and go there every weekend as a kid.  I used to go to the cult section of Vulcan which just had the weirdest shit.  I was like thirteen years old renting “Dolemite”- I got into some really obscure movies and I just really loved everything.  

And you ended up moving out to California?

Yeah, I did my last semester at U.T. in L.A.  I got my film degree and worked in editing movie trailers.  

Awesome.  Did you enjoy that?

No, not really.  That is when I got to my most unhealthy point.  Lots of drinking and drug use on the job.  High stress, long work days.  You work on cool stuff, you get paid to work on movies, you show up at a party and people think it is so cool.  It has got cache, but I don’t think it responded to me on a certain level.  I got into film because I love documentaries and practical special effects.  But, I found myself working in advertising.  As sexy as it was or as cool as it was, man I just never felt it.  I hate working in computers and it is just all working in front of computers.

So no plan to get back into that?

Oh no, not editing.  What I plan on doing going forward is probably a longer question than I can answer.  I think about it a lot.

Maybe we will find a fun way to button back to that at the end of the interview.  Let’s go ahead and pause to enjoy pizza.  (And we did pause here.  Glorious glorious pizza!  Dear Via 313, how I will miss you!!!  Back to the interview…) We’re picking back up with some completely random questions here.  

Okay, so you’ve made some different decisions in your life and you’re on death row, what is your final meal?  Does Pizza make the cut?

I feel like I would want pizza in there.  I’m such a fat-ass down deep.  I feel like I would want a little bit of everything- A lot of ice cream.

Do you have a favorite ice cream?  Don’t say “Halo-Top”!

*laughing* I don’t know what that is.

It is the ice cream that somehow they make an entire pint that is only three hundred calories.

Ahh!  I’ve gotta go classic- cookies and cream Blue Bell.  I could eat a half gallon in a sitting.

So pizza and ice cream?

That is a terrible answer!  Avocado is my favorite single ingredient.  My old answer would have been pizza, ice cream, a hamburger from Dan’s, all this bullshit, but nowadays it would be something like a really *#$&-ing fancy plant-based chef meal.

If you’re nominating someone from the Dane’s Body Shop community to run for president, who would it be?

Someone I think would win, or someone I would want?

Split the difference.  Someone you think could win and someone you could stand behind.

Kind of a cop out answer, but Dane being so *#$&-ing handsome would have the best shot.  This is where I’m at a supreme disadvantage being so unfriendly and not knowing people’s names.

When I’ve asked this, people have tended to lean toward coaches, which I think is something of a cop out.  Like people have said Autumn, which I can get behind.

Of the coaches?  I think you’d make a fantastic president.

I think I might have a high upside and a low floor.  Probably a dangerous choice.

Without a doubt, you’d be the best of the coach options.

Do you know Tom (Sennett)?

Heck yeah man, I love Tom!  I showed up at 5am for a month out of necessity and now no matter what, whenever I see him, like across the gym, he yells something like Max you look great!  It’s like man, stop it!  I mean, it is really great- you can’t put this in the interview because I really love Tom.  Him and Jacob (Umanzor).  Actually, Jacob counts.  He’d bring this country out of the quagmire it is currently in.

I think that is absolutely the right answer.  The last thing I like to put a button on these interviews with is an opportunity for you to issue any decrees or words of wisdom.  Anything you’d like to share with your puny supplicants?

Implement more squat thrusters.  Go harder?

Is that what would be on your BAM! tombstone?

“Squat thrusters; dot, dot, dot, Go harder”? Yeah, that sounds good.

Man of the People
– as transcribed by Chad

I asked both of this month’s BAM!s who they would nominate from the Shop community to run for president.  After this interview, I might say that Raghav is the best choice.  At the very least, he is a publicist’s dream.  This interview required next to no editing because Raghav’s responses were so bright, focused, and interesting that they stood on their own.  Hell, I think he could actually even be trusted with his own Twitter account!

The place I wanted to start, because it is so fresh in our minds, is The Strong Person Mini-Meet.  I just wanted to get your impression of the meet as someone who participated.

I thought it was awesome.  I wish I would have done better- not to have competed better, but just to have done better for myself.  But now I know what to improve on for next year.  It was just a huge adrenaline rush- amazing.  A lot of things I assumed I couldn’t do one rep of, I surprised myself.  I didn’t even think I’d be able to get the Zercher Carry up, but I did.

What do you think the hardest event was?

I think the Hercules Hold was the one I had the hardest time with.  Grip strength was the issue- I didn’t get a good grip from the start and you can’t recover from that.

Was there an event you were extra amped for?

The Zercher Carry.  That’s a lot of weight!

And its painful right?

Yes.  After (the meet), I thought I would be sore and I wasn’t, i was just exhausted.  I went home and took a nap- I don’t take naps!

How did the meet differ from your expectations going in?

It was about what I expected- hard and fun.  Everybody there is cheering you on, so it is a great experience no matter how you do.  Even if you’re just a spectator.  It is cool to see the Dane’s community really rally around everybody.

Do you think you’ll do a competition like that again?

Oh yeah, for sure!

That is great.  How long have you been coming to Dane’s?

Since October. I moved to Austin and then came to a couple community workouts and then was sold.

What prompted you to start coming?

When my wife and I first moved here, we were having dinner at Vino Vino and I thought (The Hyde Park Shop) looked like a cool place.  Fast forward, we moved to Mueller and I saw that the Manor location was close.

What sort of physical training had you done before?

I started going to the gym in college and I was pretty good about working out when I moved to Austin, but then after my son was born work and life kind of took over.  I got back in to going to a bootcamp, but I really missed lifting.  That is kind of why I checked out Dane’s- I get the lifting and the cardio as well.

What have you noticed a difference from then to now?

I feel a lot stronger and that I’ve progressed in strength.  Things that I’d never done before like cleans, I can do now.  I love the clean, it feels like an animal movement

That is a great way to put it- pure power.

Lifting stuff off the ground, almost like a gorilla.  And so things like that, I’m surprised that I have been able to do that.  Something like that, you wouldn’t do on your own.  Having the coaches there to break it down into manageable steps makes a big difference.

I facebook stalked you a bit and I know that you’re from Pennsylvania- can you give us like a little three or four sentence biography?

Sure.  I grew up outside Pittsburgh in a town called Greensburg, fifteen minutes from where Mr. Rogers was born and also where Arnold Palmer is from.  I decided to go to college in Philadelphia because my parents wanted me to stay close, but I didn’t want to be too close.  I loved Philadelphia so much that I stayed there for law school and then moved to DC after graduating.  I met my then girlfriend, now wife there.  In 2013 we decided that we were going to move somewhere, so we looked at a map and decided on Austin.

What sort of law do you practice?

Patent law.

Oh!  Is that exciting?

It is!  I do mostly computer hardware and software stuff.  I did my undergrad in computer science, so it fits me well.

So you’re a computer science lawyer?  Those are two things that I regard to be almost mystical, like beyond the grasp of humans.

I don’t know that it is mystical, but it is interesting to me.

Nope, I think you’re straddling the cosmos.  So you’re back in to working out now, how does fitness and work and family all play out together?  Do they complement one another?

Definitely.  I feel like I’ve accomplished something first thing in the morning.  I go to the 6:30am class and get home just around the time my son is waking up.  I think the year I took off (of working out) made me feel more lethargic.  I want my son to see that being healthy is a good thing.  He enjoys it- I like to put him on my shoulder and do squats.  He’s not so good at being a kettlebell.

I could see that being upsetting for him.

No, he likes it!  Its just when I hike him between my legs he swings his legs.

Oh!  Little known fact, it is easier to swing a kettlebell than be one.

Thats fair.

That is a common thing I’ve seen with parents- valuing the example they are setting for their children with fitness.  Have you noticed traits of physicality in your son?

He is a climber.  I think this is earlier than he should be doing this, but he can climb into his car seat and buckle himself in.  He can climb on to our barstools.

So you’ve got a beard.  How long have you had that?

Since my son was born.

Oh!  So you know you’re never allowed to shave it then.  My dad had a Tom Selleck mustache and he shaved it off once.  I was like five or six, so I was mostly okay with it, but my sister was only two or three and she lost her mind.

Oh yeah.  My dad had a mustache until I was twenty eight or twenty nine and then decided to grow a goatee.  I still think it looks weird.

I think there is value in working out not just for yourself, but also for your beard.  You’ve got your super cool computer lawyer job, an awesome family, and the best gym in Austin.  What do you do outside of that?

Basically just spending time with the son and fixing little things around the house.  But I like that part.  It brings me satisfaction to do stuff around the house myself.  Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have expected that I could replace a light switch or do any electrical work at all, but if you watch enough youtube, you can figure it out.

How did our forefathers survive without youtube?  So this is a question that Pete has me asking.  If we were to come up with a Raghav workout, what would it look like?  What are the things that you enjoy?

What wouldn’t be included would be burpees.  I hate burpees.  I love deadlifts and I love cleans and with respect to other stuff- tire flips.

Awesome.  One of the things I like to get into are some random questions.  The first thing I want to do is put the coaches on the spot.  Who has the best music and who has the worst music?

Okay.  Best music I would say is Courtney.  She’s not afraid to play stuff that you wouldn’t think is good to work out to but actually is.

Anyone you’d like to give some tips to?

*deep breath*  A couple weeks ago, Pete played too much Katy Perry.  He claims he meant to skip some of it.  But he played a lot of Katy Perry.

Really?  Okay Pete, you’re getting called out for Katy Perry! Do you have any party tricks?  For instance Dane opens up beer bottles with his wedding ring.

I have a weird ability for knowing song lyrics.  It is probably taking up space in my brain that could be used for something more important.

We’re sitting here enjoying some beers, do you have a favorite indulgence with respect to food or drink?  Cheat meals they would call them.

For drinking I like whiskey- bourbon.  My wife got me a bottle of MacAllen 18 and that was great.  I like an Old Fashioned and when it gets hot a gin and tonic.  For cheat meals, I love burgers.

Favorite Burger in town?

I like Clark’s burger.  A good reliable place is Silo on 7th.  I didn’t eat beef until a couple years ago and since then I’ve made up for lost time.

Nice.  If you were to go undercover as a drag queen, what would your drag name be?  For instance, I would be “Kitten Kaboodle”, like the whole kit and kaboodle.

That is one I have never thought of.  I feel like “Princess” is a good one.  And I feel like with a name like that, you don’t need a last name.

Oh yeah, and particularly when you also have an awesome beard!  Fantastic answer.  Okay, if you were to nominate anyone at The Shop to be President of the United States of America, who would you nominate and why?

That is very easy.  George Washington.  The name carries a lot, but he is also a great person to work out with- what do you call someone you workout with?

Gym bro?

Gym bro!  Yes.  He is a great gym bro.  He is very motivating, always encouraging people.  Great guy.

And he leads by example.  Very quietly lifting really heavy weights with excellent form.  Who would be a good Vice President to balance the ticket?  George is kind of quiet, do you have someone who might be more of a Joe Biden sort to balance it out?

I think Carrie (Leigh) would be a great balance.  Very social, she goes to Fusion, Strength, and Run Group.  She’d bring a broad base of support.

She’d be great at a fund-raiser!  Also, I don’t know if George has any tattoos and Carrie has tons of amazing tattoos.  That is perfect!  GWIII and Carrie Leigh- I’ll go for that!  Here is an important one Raghav, what pisses you off in this world.  What makes you angry?

Not a lot.  I try to be a happy guy.  Walking behind smokers is probably the biggest pet peeve in my life.  And mean people.

Mean People Suck.  I’m with you there.  So walking into a gym, walking into a bar, just following you throughout life you have a theme song.  What is it?

My wife is going to be so embarrassed by this.

That is how it should be.

There are two choices.  “I’m a King” by P$C (How cool am I dear readers?  I had to look this one up.  Pimp Squad Click- classic!) and also “Party all the Time” by Rick James and Eddie Murphy.  That song is great- very underrated.

Oh yeah!  I need to look that one up again.  Now to wrap things up, we’ve touched on many things hither and yon, but do you have any final thoughts?  This BAM! thing is a fun silly thing we do, but we also do take it seriously and have contentious debates as to who it should be.  We’ve chosen you for a very deliberate reason, so I’m always curious to hear thoughts and even shout outs.

As bad as his music is, I really appreciate Pete for supporting me and lobbying for me to be BAM!  I really like his classes.

Great energy. I love that guy.

I love that I’m able to experience and go to classes with different coaches.  I think that the Dane’s feel has never been met by any other gym I’ve been to.  Lately I’ve been traveling a lot for work and so wherever I go I try to find a gym that isn’t a hotel gym, but I’ve never been to another place that feels like Dane’s.

Any words of advice or warning for your minions, because they are your minions now.

I don’t think that I’m in a position to have minions.  I’m a man of the people.  All I would say is make sure that the BAM! statue is out of the reach of a two year old!

Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with us?

I’m not training for anything specific. It’s nice seeing my numbers go up in terms of stamina, power, strength, and all that but I’ve always believed that most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, are going to the gym for the same reason – to look better naked.

Have you noticed any changes, physically or mentally, since starting at the Shop?

I have. Physically I see a lot more definition and I feel much stronger. My weight has stayed the same but I lost an inch in my waist and everything is just feels…tighter, I guess. A redistribution of mass. It seems like my posture is better and though I’ve had to work thru a couple of injuries (not from the Shop) I can tell my stronger core has really helped. I’ve noticed I can cram many more rounds in during AMRAPs and at the end of the day I’m much less tired that I once was. Mentally, we all have our off days but I do notice that overall I find it easier to stay focused and sharp. Before I joined I never thought of myself as “out of shape” but I can easily see now just how out of shape I really was.

What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop?

I’d have to say the passive encouragement. I’m never one for people yelling, “you can do it,” “keep it up,” or the like. It does nothing for me. But looking around and seeing a group of folks fighting thru what you’re fighting thru is motivating to me. As a solo workout kinda person for most of my life that’s something I never thought would work for me, but here I am. Additionally, the technical coaching has been very helpful. I’ve fixed a lot of bad habits and learned so much about proper form. I’m sure I have a lot more to work on, but I definitely think my form has improved as I see much bigger gains in strength and fewer aches and pains in general.

What is your favorite movement at the Shop? Least favorite?

I don’t know that it’s fair to single out a specific “favorite” moment. I will say that there’s a lot I enjoy about the shop. The community is amazing. It’s diverse and motivated without being cultish, something that seems to be rather common in the fitness world. I feel like the coaches are genuinely concerned with my progress and work to make sure I’m developing my skills and furthering my goals. I will say I wouldn’t mind a bit more direction at times. I think the coaches are great at spotting someone struggling with too much weight or poor form and quick to save them from themselves, but they’re much less likely to encourage or suggest a heavier weight or more difficult modification if something appears too easy. This is a nitpick, though. I do think the options are explained, but even a little bit of, “that looks a little easy, have you tried X?” Might be helpful.

How does fitness fit in with your personal life now, as opposed to before the Shop?

It’s a big part of my life. It hasn’t changed what I do, but it has changed when I do it. My schedule is planned around getting my 4-5 classes in per week. Meeting up with friends may have to wait an hour for me to finish a class and get a shower. I’ll move a phone call so I can run to strength class in the middle of the day. I’ve also changed the way I eat based on my workout schedule. I never used to pay that much attention to what I ate prior to joining, but now it’s something that I’m very cognizant of.

What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop?
Continual improvement – not only increasing the weight on the bar, but improving my form.  Prior to joining DBS, I had zero experience with kettlebells or Olympic lifts.  I appreciate the tips the coaches provide to help improve my form little by little each week.  Best tip I’ve received at the Shop:  Pre-Fired-Glutes.

What’s your plan post surgery? Will you supplement the Shop classes with anything in particular, or just sit and wait for things to heal? (this a trick question)
I was diagnosed with a torn labrum in my left hip about six months ago…I’ve been dealing with the nagging pain for years.  The first doctor I consulted recommended surgery and platelet injections (not covered by insurance $$$), which I was dreading, so I decided to get a second opinion.  The second doctor prescribed physical therapy(PT) and continuing my normal routine at DBS.  The focus of PT is twofold:  increase mobility and strengthen the glutes, both of which we focus on in The Shop.  

What changes, physically or mentally, have you noticed since starting at the Shop?
I love to exercise.  I love what it does for my body and most importantly what it does for me mentally.  For me, it’s meditative – I’m able to block out all distractions and focus on form and breathing.  I get cranky when I skip a few days…

What is your favorite exercise movement? Least favorite?
Favorite:  Not really a ‘movement’, but I enjoy the MetCon sections of the Fusion workouts.
Least Favorite:  Any variation of the overhead squat.  Eff that BS.

What do you value about the community you take classes with at the Shop?
Everyone supports one another and there is no reason to be intimidated by any of the members.  I was once partnered up with two of the strongest guys in class just because we were the same height.  I was worried that I’d inconvenience them by having to unload the bar every set, but they ended up being super-encouraging.  

Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with everyone?
My two main fitness goals are to improve my mobility and gain functional strength.  I’ve always led an active lifestyle, but since joining DBS I’ve been able to identify my deficiencies, especially when it comes to mobility.  I used to admire other athletes for their feats of strength, but now I find myself in awe of how deep they can go while performing an overhead squat.       

Have you developed any particular relationships at the Shop, or strengthened your ties to Ricardo Jimenez? 😉
This is a tough question.  While don’t regularly hang out with members outside the Shop, I still feel I get social interaction and have developed friendships.  I’m not actively seeking a bromance,  but wouldn’t turn one down either.  Ricardo and I worked together briefly and we enjoy giving each other $hit at the Shop.  He has a fondness for the pink kettle bell…

What do you like to do when you’re not working out?
My two kids (11 & 9 yo) keep me pretty busy.  I’ve passed on my love of cycling and skateboarding to my kids, so we’ll hit the skate park or head out for a long bike ride on my off days.  I enjoy working in the yard, but lately I’ve been hiring out the work so I’m not too fatigued to hit Monday Fusion.

1) How does fitness fit in with your larger life?
This is going to be embarrassing , but I’ve been ignoring the fitness aspect of my life for 90% of my life. I’ve come to the realization that if I don’t give it the importance it deserves, I will pay for it haha.
Although it’s not a top priority, it is 3rd on my list of things I really care about.
Priority list :
1)Work
2)Dancing
3)Fitness

Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with us?
I think when I started out, all I wanted to do was to look better. As I spent my time interacting with coaches and the members from the shop, I learnt that there is so much more to fitness. Now, I just want to have a disciplined life where I eat
really healthy, show up to the shop consistently at least 3 days a week, and push really hard towards improving my strength.

What changes, physically or mentally, have you noticed since starting at the Shop?
Dane, you were the coach on my very first class at the shop. My body was shocked in 20 mins, and I threw up. And, I wanted to go home, but you said, “Just relax, your body is just taking time to adjust”. You’ve no idea how much of an impact you made
by saying that. That is probably why I continued to show up to the shop even when I was intimidated by the program. Physically speaking, my posture has improved radically, and I subconsciously adapt techniques from the shop to my life outside the shop.
Also, when I dip my partner while dancing, I feel super confident ;). Mentally, I’m really happy after a workout which is probably the same with a lot of them. Here’s what interests me , when I show up to shop  to see if I can mentally challenge myself to go beyond what I think feels doable. Doing that over a long period of time has helped me take that attitude outside the shop and have amazing results. Essentially, I’m able to override my mind’s perceived limits to an extent.

What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop? And what keeps you coming to class regularly?
NOVELTY and TOGETHERNESS.
The classes are structured in such a way that they focus on different muscle groups all through the year which keeps it super fresh. Also, this is not a shop where I come and just do my thing with my headphones. Everyone’s watching out for each other. There’s always sense of “hey, you got this”. Lastly, the coaches have been very kind and friendly and the attention to detail has been phenomenal.

What is your favorite movement? Least favorite?
Deadlifts are my favorite. The reason being – I sucked at the form when I started, my lower back always rounded. Every coach would keep pointing that out to me, and did their best to help me remain patient. When it finally clicked after 2 months, I was the happiest. I go super hard on them. Least favourite – Speed Skater squats and Pistol squats are tied haha. Whenever Keith expects me to do them, I make sure I let him know that I hate him for that. He says that he’s going to include more of that :/

Have you developed any special connections at the Shop?
I’ve a great time talking to Keith, Stephen, Jen, John and you for sure. When it comes to the members, Patty is super chill. She always gives me a big wide smile and has been real friendly ever since the early days. Also, Matt and I’ve a love-hate relationship, it’s quite dysfunctional, but we get along ;).

Why do you hate taking fusion classes I teach? 🙂
It’s not you Dane, it’s me.. haha. This is totally unfair, I showed up to your Monday fusion classes regularly for 6 months and then I changed jobs where I get out at 4:30PM, and the Strength class at 5:30PM works perfectly into my goals . Sorry, I don’t make it man. I’ll definitely try my best to make it a point to come in once in a while.

What do you like to do when you’re not working out?
I love reading books on self improvement and behavioral economics with some hot mocha. Also, blues and swing dancing is really important to me. I make sure to get out and dance around 2-3 times a week.

Describe your perfect Weekend:
It’d involve an extra hot cappuccino from Houndstooth , hitting the shop with a Strength class,  2 big ass Torchy’s Tacos with Diablo sauce, some book reading, 3 hours of dancing in the evening, chill with some friends on the couch and talk about life, and work on some of my side projects that I’m passionate about. As you can see I like my weekends laid back 🙂