Member of the Month: Domenic Armano

Not only is Domenic consistent in his pursuit of excellence at the gym, he is also consistently a friend, mentor, cheerleader, and coach to other members.  Dom’s positive energy lighthearted personality helps to make everyone around him enjoy class that much more.  At 6:30am it is greatly appreciated. As an athlete, Dom is proof that setting goals and tracking progress leads to great success over and over again.

Day Job: I’m VP of Customer Success at FirstFuel Software in Lexington, MA. To make a long explanation short, we are an international company that works with energy companies to help them improve their energy efficiency.

Hobbies & Other Activities: Other than Crossfit, I love hanging with my family, snowboarding and driving around in my Jeep with the top down and the doors off.

Proudest Life Achievement: This was a tough one, I don’t have one specific “thing”  – but I’d have to say I’m pretty proud of where I’m at with a loving family, great friends and plenty of fitness.

Previous Fitness: I went to UMass Lowell on a track scholarship. While there, I specialized in 110m hurdles and some of the sprint-relays (4×100, 4×400). After I graduated from college life took over and fitness took a backseat.  Up until I joined Crossfit, I’d register for a road race here and there, but nothing consistent.

Why CFFP?: I was almost 39 when I joined crossfit and I was resolved to get fitter. I knew running road races on my own wouldn’t get me there so I started to look around at options. I found CFFP and was hooked. Being involved with track for nearly 10 years, I enjoy working out in groups and the camaraderie. For me, Crossfit is like being part of a team.

First Memorable WOD: Can there be two? My first memorable WOD wasn’t actually a WOD – I remember my first real class after on-ramp and we we’re warming up with a triplet of squats, sit-ups and push-ups (3 rds x 10 reps). I barely got through the warm-up and was seeing stars. Danny, looked at me, smiled and offered me a water; somehow he knew how I was feeling.  My second memorable WOD was a few months later when I decided to go to a 8:00 am Saturday class. I was new to this whole partner WOD thing and ended up partnering with Sean Fallon – it took me at least 6 months to come back to Saturdays.

Favorite CrossFit Movement: I love the Olympic lifts – they’re technical and require a lot of practice. If I had to pick one, it would be the Clean.

What Motivates Him: I’m very goal oriented, so setting goals and working towards achieving them is what keeps me motivated.

Biggest Goal:  My biggest personal goal is along with my wife Liz, raising two upstanding, responsible and successful boys. Up until this week a longstanding (2-year) CF goal was to pull 400# on the DL. My next goal is to improve in my Olympic Lifts and hit a 250# clean and 200# snatch. Go big or go home!

Biggest Challenge: Believe it or not, after 4-yrs,  I don’t have double unders and my push-ups are pretty lame – just ask Coach Kochansky.

Biggest Improvement: I’ve been at CFFP for 4-yrs and looking back I’d say that my strength has improved dramatically since starting and my MetCons are getting better. I log the majority of my workouts and it’s been great to look back at the progress I’ve made.

Advice for New Members: Consistency is key. Always show up on Monday and keep track of your workouts. Seeing my improvement over these past 4-years is what keeps me motivated and coming back.

Who is Your Superhero?: This was a hard one for me because I really don’t have a superhero however, I look up to all my friends who are grinding it out and working hard, taking risks and having fun!

Fun Fact:  If you’re in the know – you already know my fun fact. If not, ask me about LaLanne.