Interview with Coach Jimmy Toppeta

Prema: What are the benefits of CrossFit?

Coach Jimmy: CrossFit is an effective workout for building strength, agility, and flexibility, and improving your aerobic fitness. What’s important is consistency just like any other exercise routine.  Staying consistent will help you reach your goals and maintain them.  Cannot stress this enough with clients – you get what you put into it.

Coach Jimmy: Community is one of the things that makes CrossFit unique.  People coming together building relationships.  I have been doing this since 2013 and built strong relationships along the way.  I plan on building more relationships here at Signature CrossFit.

Coach Jimmy: Stick to clean eating.  Stay away from processed food.  Lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, plenty of water.  Ingredients that you cannot pronounce, probably isn’t something we should put into our bodies.  Protein is key.  Eat at least 1 gram of protein per bodyweight.  Carbs fuel our workouts.  Healthy fats.  If you’re counting macros, about 45-50% carbohydrate, 25-30% protein, 20-25% healthy fats.

Coach Jimmy: Daily workout schedule for CrossFit includes a whiteboard brief.  Followed by a general warm up which is designed to raise core body temperature.  Then a more specific warm up priming our bodies for the strength portion, or conditioning.  Strength would be either a primary lift such as a back squat, deadlift, bench press, etc. or an olympic lift such as a snatch or clean.  Then finally conditioning which typically lasts anywhere between 5 to 25 minutes.  Then a cool down.

Prema: How do you balance being a single dad, a coach, and maintaining your own fitness?

Coach Jimmy: Balancing all these roles can be demanding, but it comes down to effective time management and prioritization. My daughters are my top priority, so I make sure to schedule dedicated time for them. As for coaching and personal fitness, I integrate them into my routine. CrossFit is not just a job for me; it’s a passion. So, coaching becomes a seamless part of my day. It’s all about finding harmony between responsibilities and personal well-being.