Name: Phil Gagliardi

Nickname: Gags

Age: 38

Occupation: Financial Advisor

Hometown: Drexel Hill, PA

Favorite WOD: Diane was fun. Anything that involves push presses or deadlifts.

Favorite lift: Deadlift. I also like the Bear complex.

How long have you been CrossFitting? I was doing it by myself at the local Y for about 1.5 years, then I stopped by on a Saturday for a free class to make sure I was doing the movements correctly. I joined CFDV that Wednesday (in November 2011).

Which class time do you usually attend? 5:30am – best class around

How did you find CrossFit? I was introduced to it by a friend. He was a guy I played lacrosse with for a few years but after one of our games I had to ask what he was doing. He looked like he put on about 25lbs of muscle. He mentioned he was doing CrossFit and told me to go to the website. I was hooked.

FYI, when he mentioned the type of stuff he was doing in CrossFit, another guy said, “It’s similar to P90X, right?” My buddy said, “Kinda, but better.” This other guy said he’d been doing P90X for over 6 months…he was about 20 pounds overweight and in worse shape than the last time I saw him…9 months prior. Just saying.

What is your athletic background? I have played sports my whole life. In high school, I played football, wrestled, and played lacrosse. I played lacrosse in college. I still play in different leagues around the area. I have also completed some sprint triathlons.

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness? I had a very limited range of motion in my hip and was diagnosed with a hip impingement. The doctor told me that the only way to fix it was to have hip surgery now, but eventually I would need a whole hip replacement. That first Saturday I came to CFDV, I mentioned this to Colleen and she showed me some band stretches to do. Between her suggestions and the warm up/cool down stuff we do, my hip feels great. I have a better range of motion and little to no pain. Also, my wife has recently joined CFDV. Now we are trying to get the kids involved as well. I think it is a great lifestyle, not just a good workout. Lastly, meeting Dan A. will change anyone’s life. Not sure if the change is for the good or bad though!

What made you drink the CrossFit “kool-aid”? The community. No doubt. Once I started to attend the classes I knew I loved it. The push you get from everyone else in class is great. It is like being on a team.

What are your CrossFit goals for this year? Consistent kipping pull-ups (ctb), then butterfly pull-ups, then muscle ups. I also want to CrossFit total 850lbs, and would like to snatch 150lbs.

What do you do in your free time? Most of the time I do the family thing. We try to get the kids out as often as possible. We are members of Tyler Arboretum. It is a great opportunity to get the kids out of the house and walk around for a few hours. Also, Ridley Creek State Park or just walking around State Street in Media. For myself, I play lacrosse or golf whenever I get the opportunity.

What is your favorite cheat food? I grew up in a household that ate pasta 4-5 days per week. My eating habits are something I need to work on big time. I do not eat well at all but we are trying to make a solid effort to change that.

Tell us something that most people wouldn’t know about you: I was introduced to my wife by my mother-in-law. She was a client of mine while I was working for a bank. She told Ashley(my wife) to come in and open an account. I guess you can say that we were a full-service bank. Who needs free checking when you can walk out with a catch like me! Other than that, there are many things that I have done that I’d rather people not know about me. Oh the silly (stupid) things we do when we are young!!!

Name at least one embarrassing guilty pleasure: Saturday mornings I love watching “Phineas & Ferb” with my kids.

Any advice for new members? There are three rules I think all new members should follow:
1) Don’t be afraid to scale a workout if you have to. You will eventually be able to Rx the workouts. It takes time.
2) Listen to the trainers – they know their stuff.
3) Support the rest of the people in your class if you are finished before them. There will definitely be a time when you will be looking for that support yourself.

What is your favorite song or kind of music to WOD to? Old school rap, punk, metal. Really anything. I usually don’t even hear it once I get started.

What was the most embarrassing or hilarious thing to happen to you at CFDV? Not being able to reach the board to write down my time – I had to use one of the boxes. Thank god Herb was there with his cell phone to get a picture of it…Thanks Herb!