Coach’s Corner: Tom Brose

What do you do/like to do outside of the gym?

Spend time with my wife Winnie and dog Pepper. We have a cabin in West Virginia and we’re there as much as possible- hiking, gardening, chopping wood etc.  Time in nature is essential.  I’m also a big rugby fan, and into collecting 1980s punk/hardcore records.

What inspired you to start coaching CrossFit?

No one was training in a way I believed was effective, then I found CrossFit.  There weren’t any affiliates between NYC and Florida, so I jumped in.

Best coaching cue/tip you’ve ever received?

“Don’t change”- learning a martial art very different from what I’d trained before.  The teacher would show me a movement, then get me to repeat it (usually poorly).  I was trying to understand it through the lens of my previous experience instead of just doing what he showed me.  He’d shake his head, take a long drag on his cigarette and say “Don’t change- maybe one year, two year, no change. Maybe five years you understand”.

Favorite movement, skills, or workout to coach and why?

 I love strength, so the basic Squat, Deadlift, Bench days are always fun and results are very tangible.  As simple as the workouts seem, there’s always another layer of technique to apply. I also love workouts that combine high heart rate with either heavy lifts or static holds-getting people to understand breathing and bracing under pressure is huge.

Favorite memory from coaching at CFDC?

 So many great memories-one that comes to mind is locking up the old 14th St gym for the last time, knowing we’d outgrown the space and had found a better home for the community we’d built.  But really, the connections to so many incredible people is the memorable part.