Interview with Travis Maples

Ines Subashka: Introduce yourself.
Travis Maples: My name is Travis Maples.

IS: How long have you been doing Crossfit?
TM: I have been Crossfitting for  2 years!

IS: Have you been involved in some other sports before that?
TM: Before Crossfit, I played basketball, volleyball, and football in high school. And went on to play football in College before discovering Crossfit in my Junior year. After that, I knew Crossfit was what I wanted to pursue.

IS: How did people around you accept the fact that you are doing crossfit?Did they take a jaundiced view of it?
TM:  At first, giving up college football wasn’t easy, however once my friends and family saw how passionate I was about learning and teaching the sport of Crossfit, it was well accepted. Now I have an excellent support structure from friends and family that do crossfit as well as those that do not.

IS: Do you have a nutrition plan that you follow? If yes, do you meet disapproval from you friends?Or do they understand why you eat the way you do?
TM: I try my best to follow Paleo, however being a college student with limited finances, I do have to cheat and eat the occasional ramen noodle meal. But I essentially try to eat high protein, high fat, and low carbohydrate foods.

IS: What does crossfit mean to you and did it change your life in some way?
TM: Crossfit really has become a huge part of my life. It is my outlet from the stresses of the real world, and has also given me an unbelievable community to be apart of. I love teaching the sport and I will be Crossfitting as long as I am able.

IS: What is your favorite WOD and which one do you hate the most?
TM: My favorite WOD would have to be...Grace(30 Clean& Jerks for time)! I love the clean and jerk movements, plus it is one of those workouts where you have to go all out from the very start. Some people’s times are so low on it now that you can’t really afford to take breaks. 30 reps ground to overhead as hard as you can! My best time is 1:58.

IS: Is it hard for you to combine your daily tasks with workouts? And have you ever used the excuse that you are too busy to workout?
TM: I’ll often have days that are so full of class and work that I am extremely pressed to workout. But to be honest, I will jam them in at night before bed if I have to. Even if it’s just a run or some interval rowing, I feel better if I do something.

IS: What is your biggest accomplishment in crossfit so far?
TM: Getting my level 1 certification was a big accomplishment, and I’m hoping to add some accomplishments at this years Crossfit Open Sectionals! But physically, breaking sub 3:00 on Fran was a big deal to me. The first time I did it, I got over 4 minutes. I trimmed that time down to 2:55 a couple weeks ago. I was on cloud 9.

IS: Do you remember some funny story with you and crossfit?
TM: As far as funny stories go, I remember trying to get down handstand pushups in my garage. I put my feet up against a door, and the door swung wide open. I fell on my head and went feet first into my house. Hurt a little, but it was certainly funny.

IS: What advice would you give to the beginner crossfiters in Bulgaria?
TM: Advice to beginners: Keep it fun! Never stress out over a workout, Crossfit is your outlet. If it ever feels like work, you need to find something else.