Chad Oliphant joined Unbreakable Athletics Academy in 2017 thinking he was already in pretty good shape. Chad, an operations manager for Medtronic, was a passionate climber who had committed himself to staying in shape for the love of both his hobby and his two children.
“I played sports in high school and had done some basic weightlifting, but I was really looking for a mechanism to get out of my garage gym. I needed something more intense.”
Almost 20 years ago, a co-worker mentioned she was going on a climbing trip, and on a whim, Chad asked to go along. “It was the worst climbing experience of my life. I lost all of my toenails to frostbite.” Despite this initial less than ideal introduction to the sport, Chad was hooked.
Climbing requires both excellent stamina and muscular endurance. Climbers are required to use their strength to cling to a wall – many times holding their muscles constantly tensed. Strong shoulders, arms, and back, as well as a lean body frame assist tremendously in getting a climber up their wall.
“When I came to Unbreakable, I was sitting at 205lbs – I was pretty ‘fit’ at this weight, and had always eaten well, but I knew I could do better.” Chad joined Unbreakable’s Crossfit class, and was immediately shocked at the intensity of the workouts. “I didn’t realize how far I had to go. This place and the coaches really redefined fitness for me, and I really think the group environment helps the athletes work out harder and more intensely.”
Chad lost 30lbs in the two years since he joined Unbreakable, which has been a marked improvement for fueling his climbing expeditions. “The strength to weight ratio is a big deal in climbing, so this was huge for me. I am in better shape now than I knew I could be before I came here.” He consistently trains four days a week, both in Unbreakables’s regular Crossfit classes and also in their “competition” Crossfit class which offers even more advanced workouts.
“I highly recommend Unbreakable to others – all you have to do is show up and it provides the perfect environment for hitting your fitness goals.”
