Sprishya Devkota is our male Member of the Month for September. He came into the LAB seeking a healthy lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. Initially he was concerned that a membership to the LAB would be like all the others where he would show up for a while and then quit. Today he is still going strong, and in fact Sprishya attends the eL FIT class just about every day. His goals are to stick with the routine, continue eating healthy, lose weight and keep working towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
What brought you to enduraLAB in the first place? Having just moved in to the city, I wanted a place that would help me transition into a healthier lifestyle. After my first visit, I was convinced enduraLAB would do just that for me.
What was your first impression? How has that changed? I honestly thought an enduraLAB membership was going to be like the countless gym memberships that I’ve had in the past where I show up for a few days and quit. I am happy that didn’t happen. In fact, now I love going to the gym.
What was your first breakthrough moment? I don’t think I’ve had one yet. I still struggle through every work out. I just struggle a lot less than I did when I first started. I will say that losing the first 10 pounds was a nice motivation.
What are your current goals at the LAB? Stick to the regular routine of working out, eating healthy, continue losing weight and just be healthier overall.
What’s your favorite enduraLAB memory? Not being able to fully grasp the dumbbell snatch on what was, I believe, my second day at the LAB. Coach Staci tried her best, but I just couldn’t do it.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting at enduraLAB? This has literally been one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I am sure the experience would not be any different for anyone thinking about starting at enduraLAB.
What is your favorite movement/lift? Least favorite? I like box jumps. I hate burpees!
Favorite restaurant/bar in Fort Worth? The Collective Brewing Project. Hands down the best beers in Fort Worth.
Favorite midnight snack? I really dig the carrot cake flavored LÄRABAR.
Casey Larson is our female Member of the Month for September. She came into the LAB a cardio junkie and has since realized the countless benefits of strength training. Our community has also played a large role in Casey's life. As a New York native, she has made and strengthened some great friendships at the LAB. Current goals? To keep better records of her progress and pull ups. Her advice to newbies: get over yourself! Not every workout is going to be perfect, but it's worth it!
What brought you to enduraLAB in the first place? A bar. Maybe not the most inspirational story, but a true one. When I first moved to Fort Worth about four years ago, I was out on West 7th with a friend. A certain bartender was hyping up the LAB, and the rest is history.
What was your first impression? How has that changed? When I first came to the LAB, I was running a whole lot and lifting a whole little. As a self-proclaimed cardio junkie, at first I was pretty intimidated by the barbell. That has absolutely changed. I will now even voluntarily snatch, and not complain about it.
Current Goals: Record keeping. Coach Mark really inspires me in this regard. Thank you Mark, it's payed off! Oh, and more pull ups. I finally got the courage to try an unassisted one, and now I'm unstoppable.
What was your first breakthrough moment? After a few years of consistent and dedicated attendance at the LAB (and thousands of meters of skiing), I finally realized that the ski erg was intended to mimic cross country skiing. Sometimes I'm a bit dense, but things really clicked for me after this moment.
Favorite enduraLAB memory? Real Talk: This is going to sound cheesy, but I've made and strengthened some great friendships at the LAB. I moved to Fort Worth from New York knowing absolutely no one, and the folks at the LAB embraced this outsider. It's been a big component of my lifestyle in Fort Worth, and I attribute my commitment to the people. The coaches and the clients are all great, and they hold me accountable.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting at enduraLAB? Get over yourself. Seriously, the moment I got over my Type-A need to be perfect at everything, I got stronger, faster and fitter. I am no longer scared of failing, and that has helped me succeed. There have been a few falls on my face after too many push ups, and a few bruised shins from box jumps that might be too high, but it's all been worth it.
What is your favorite movement/lift? Least favorite? Favorite: All the cardio, specifically running. While I'm working on getting outside my comfort zone, obviously I still prefer the things I'm better at! Least favorite: The snatch. I still think this is naturally more challenging for me because I'm tall. Let me keep believing that please.
Favorite restaurant/bar in Fort Worth? HG Supply. If you haven't tried the vegan queso, stop what you're doing now and RUN. Also, after 17 years of dedicated vegetarianism, HG was the first place that I tried meat: Bacon! Thanks to a certain someone who pushed me outside of my comfort zone, I'm now a born-again carnivore and I'm not looking back. All that protein has also helped with the gainzzz.
Favorite midnight snack: RX nut butter packets. Thank goodness these come in portion-controlled packets, or else I would not be able to control myself. I live for nut butter.
