Member of the Month: Matt van den Boogaard’s Love for Fitness Re-Inspired by Kea Athletics

Matt van den Boogaard was in a rut“

I was trying to go to Fitness World five days a week, but it always ended up being two or three,” Matt admitted, a realtor in based in South Surrey.

He wasn’t motivated and couldn’t convince himself to work hard at the gym, so he would do “some free weight and circuit stuff and a little bit of easy cardio and would go home,” said the 30 year-old Matt who has always been active.

“I kept having bad workouts, and it was worse than not going at all…It was impacting my mental health and I felt crappy,” he added.

Matt had checked out Kea Athletics the year before, but at the time he was hesitant because there was a stigma around the idea of doing CrossFit, “and I had my very chill routine and didn’t know if I wanted to elevate it,” he explained.

But then one day, months later, Matt was sitting on a bench at Fitness world, bored, staring at the wall, and all of a sudden he realized he had zoned for who knows how long.

“And I just got up and left the gym,” he said.

It was time to walk back over to Kea Athletics and at least try it out. Last July, Matt did a free trial week and immediately knew Kea was the place for him.

Since then, Matt has been showing up five days a week like clockwork, always with the biggest smile on his face.

Big Results in Nine Months

Matt, a former basketball player, is finally seeing the results he wanted from working out five days a week.

He has added 100 pounds to his deadlift since last summer and is “breaking records every day,” he said. Further, he can do pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups now, and his flexibility has improved tremendously already.

“I couldn’t even get into a full depth squat when I got here,” he said of how much his mobility and flexibility has improved.

More important, though, is how Matt’s improved strength and conditioning has helped him outside of the gym.

“Last weekend, I was at a Real Estate gala and we were parked far away. When we were leaving, I picked my girlfriend up because she was in heels and I carried her what must have been a kilometre to the car, and I wasn’t even tired…I’m the strongest I have ever been.”

He added: “You’re wasting your time going to the regular gym.”

The Kea Difference

Not only is Matt fitter and stronger than he was a year ago, but he actually enjoys going to the gym now, and credits Kea for this.

“When I was going to the normal gym, there was no plan, and I would always work on certain muscle groups and avoid other things,” he said.

Now, when he shows up to the gym, the plan is laid out for him, and he can just turn his brain off for an hour and work hard with a fun group of people.

“There are no distractions. You’re on a clock so you don’t waste time, and everyone is super positive. There are no egos. Nobody cares if you’re just lifting the bar only,” he said, adding that he also would never push himself working out alone the way he is able to push himself alongside a group of supportive people.

“And I love that you get here and you have no control over the music even. You’re not wasting time picking out music anymore,” he said.

Nine months into his CrossFit journey, Matt is adamant that Kea Athletics has “been life changing” already. “For physical health and also for mental health,” he said

“I feel like I win the morning now, and before I lost the morning,” he added.

written by: Emily Beers

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