1) Who is Chris Holt? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I am an identical triplet. My brothers and I were adopted from Seoul, Korea. My father worked for ExxonMobil (until he retired) so we lived overseas our entire childhood. Sicily when we were infants. K-5th grade in Singapore. 6th-the middle of 7th in London. Middle of 7th-10th grade in Stavanger, Norway. And our last two years of high school in Montgomery, Texas.
I graduated from the School of Architecture from the University of Miami in 2006. Worked for a firm downtown for a couple years and left architecture in 2008 to open what is now the oldest CrossFit Affiliate in Miami (CrossFit Threshold). I love movies, traveling, tattoos, and a great book.
2) How many years have you been training?
I began CrossFitting on my own in 2004. Didn’t know what I was doing and was the crazy person in UM’s gym running from treadmill to pull up bar to weights.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
I have had 4 major lung surgeries and numerous collapsed lungs. Also had a near death car accident in 2002. I basically lived in a hospital from 7th grade to my sophomore year of college. Each time was not only physically painful, but mentally crushing. Lost my will to keep going many times and almost didn’t see the point. But I learned to just enjoy the process of rebuilding again. Each setback made me more resilient mentally which helped push me physically.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
I do CrossFit but most of my training is SEALFIT. Long arduous workouts that forge mental toughness. I eat a modified ketogenic diet thanks to Robb Wolf.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
Over the past year I’ve learned that it boils down to enjoying your training. I’m in this for the long haul and have seen the growth of CrossFit from its early days. It’s about staying safe so you can continue to exercise in this realm til your last day on earth. That is my focus and goal now.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
My favorite cheat/treat meal is pizza.
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
One supplement I could not live without are electrolytes (I use a brand called Vitassium SaltStick).
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
If I had to start over with my diet and physique I probably would have started tracking my macros from day one and doing more blood work.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
The one person I look up to in the fitness industry is Pat Sherwood. Watching the way he presented information at certifications in the early days helped mold the way I started coaching. He views fitness the way I do. He truly represents the essence of our community.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
One piece of advice I would give is to do your research and shop around. You have to find a place that you feel comfortable and you need to find coaches that have experience. When we opened our affiliate in 2008, we were one of maybe 113 affiliates in the world. Today there are almost 15,000. It can be overwhelming starting out but you just have to meet with each box owner and you’ll know within a 10 minute conversation whether or not it’s a good fit.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
I am actually building a base of remote/online clientele that I work with. Focusing on nutrition first then exercise. Discussing how to reframe any negative thoughts people may have about themselves. Creating positive mantras and building a base for sustainability. It’s about creating a lifestyle rather than a quick fix and educating people so they can form their own opinions about health and fitness.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
For now, people can follow my journey on my IG page (@beyondthetats).
