February 2024 Member of the Month: Lou Ernst
Meet February's Epic Member of the month Lou Ernst!
Although Lou has really only been with us since November 2023, he has already fit into our FH family. He comes from a CF background, and it had been a bit since he had consistent strength training in his life. He’s been doing an amazing job at safely easing back into things. Continue reading below to learn more about Lou in his own words as well as the coaches around him. PS for the record (since Lou said he didn’t know what it is), you can read about the kettlebell challenge, Simple and Sinister, in case other inquiring minds would like to know. :)
Check out what our coaches had to say about Lou:
“Lou has such a great learners attitude when it comes to his time in the gym. He always asks great questions, knows when to modify for his body that day and has a smile on his face when he leaves the gym. I look forward to my interactions with Lou!” - Coach Hay
“Lou is always putting in the effort when he comes in. He is certainly finding his way in the 9am group!” - Coach Kari
“I love watching Lou’s progression and commitment to movement. He is a powerhouse!” - Coach Dre
“Lou is making awesome progress while putting in a lot of effort. I love watching his commitment to the journey and finishing the task at hand.” - Coach Kathryn
Name: Lou(is) Ernst
Pronoun(s): He/Him
Occupation: Architect --- (95% retired) after nearly 50 years in the field. Do very limited consulting for my old firm.
Where can you be found outside of the gym? What do you do for a living?
Trying to figure out the next chapter of my life. Don’t see working full time again. Am trying to figure out where my skill sets might be useful. Need to get outside more.
What are your hobbies?
(See Above) Working with my hands. Whether that is in the yard, cooking, doing things with daughters and grandkids or making furniture. Really --- right now --- trying to figure out what to do with a lot more free time than I have had in half a century.
What brought you to FH in the first place?
After 3.5 years away from a gym, first due to covid and then my wife’s battle with cancer, I was looking for a new “home”. One of my daughters has driven past many times, knew some people who worked out at FH and had followed you on IG for a while. She thought the workout structure and atmosphere might be a good fit for me. I checked the FH website, arranged a visit with Brian to talk objectives and FH methodology. Felt right. 3 workouts the first week convinced me that it was.
How are we so lucky you picked us (what are your favorite things about FH)?
I went through a similar phase of my life 10 years ago and had a pretty good idea what works for me. Needing to lose some weight; needing to move more dynamically; needing to increase both strength and balance. What works for me is to be around others who are trying to do the same. I like group/class environment. I know I need coaches who are attentive and approachable.
What sports or fitness things did you do before FH?
For the 6 years before the onset of Covid, I was a regular at a crossfit gym in lower QA. During the 1st year of Covid after gym closures, I did a lot of road bicycling, averaging 80+/- miles a week. A year into Covid, my wife was diagnosed with a very rare and ultimately fatal form of cancer, so I needed to stay close and avoid disease, which kept me out of gyms. I tried crossfit type workouts at home, but did not have the self-discipline to keep consistent. I got a peloton bike and that was an effective and accessible calorie burner. But it was no substitute for functional, full-body movement.
What programs are you currently involved in at FH and why?
Group classes/Group Classes/Group Classes Done both Fuelstrong and KB mornings. Have dabbled in Sunday yoga. Looking forward to hitting some of the Mobility30 and Conditioning30 classes.
What goals are you working towards and/or what’s on your FH bucket list of things you’d like to accomplish?
Goal 1: Move better: i.e. more flexibility, more strength, more balance, less weight. Goals 2 thru 5: TBD - still figuring them out. (guess I should find out what “simple and sinister” are --- I see it on the wall but haven’t figured out what it is yet)
What makes you commit to training even on days you don't feel like it?
Knowing that no goal/no change comes quickly or easily. I am a creature of habit. I can have good habits or bad habits. Knowing that the 1st step is showing up, 2 things get me going every day. 1. Knowing that when I walk IN the door there is a going to be a group of people who have made the same commitment. 2. Knowing that when I walk OUT the door, I am going to be moving as freely and as loosely as I will all day.
What's your favorite movement/exercise?
I (masochistically) like most “chippers” --- continuous movement (broken into multiple drills) over an extended period of time. I should work on more explosive/higher intensity/higher speed drills because I know that is where my weakness is.
What have been your “bright spots” (PRs or accomplishments are you most proud of)?
It’s way too early in my return to a gym to be seeing any PR’s. But I can already tell that I am regaining some functional movement and strength. Hopefully the conditioning and cardio strength will follow. Still early but I am becoming more and more intrigued by working with the KBs. I have zero clue what is an appropriate weight for a given movement. But the asymmetric nature of moving the bell through space is an intriguing challenge, both physically and mentally.
How have these accomplishments affected your life?
I know that the key to aging well and battling illness is to move (a lot); and to be able to move well. I have never really understood how weight machines help with that. Maybe they’re good for brute strength. Whether I can leg press 300 pounds seems far less important to me than if I can carry multiple bags of groceries up my front stairs. To move well requires asymmetric full body movement. I can already feel it in the “simple” things like improved balance with loads on stairs or on the trail.
What is on your general bucket list for life?
My father passed away at age 51; my mother passed away 18 months ago at the age of 96 (and she lived her entire life independently and in her house). I am a couple of years shy of the midway point between those two extremes. Primary bucket list item for life --- live a healthy life for another 25+ years. To see my grandkids grow into adulthood.
Tell us a little known fact about yourself or what’s something most people don’t know about you?
People around FH have probably seen me wearing KU (Kansas University) hats and sweatshirts. I did go to KU and have been an avid KU basketball fan for life. However, I am Missouri born and raised (a distinction that probably only matters to people from either Kansas or Missouri). Marilyn and I migrated to Seattle 45 years ago so I could go to grad school at UW and we never looked back. We made this city our home a long, long time ago.
What's your favorite thing about being a FUELhouse member?
I have a favorite quote from Ted Lasso: “Be Curious, Not Judgmental”. First, the welcoming and nonjudgmental nature of everyone at FH is the first thing that hit me. Secondly, the attention that the coaches pay to how I am moving and their ability to identify inefficiencies, to help me make scaling and movement adjustments, (to help me be curious) to get the most out of each workout.
What was your first impression of FH? How has that changed?
First Impression: Good people. Good work. Good times. That has not changed. What has changed is I am getting more familiar with the FH terminology/workout structure/culture.
What advice do you have for new (or experienced!) new friends trying out FH?
WALK THROUGH THE D&^N DOOR!!! (and then do it again and again and again). The scariest moment is the 60 seconds outside before you come through the door for the first time. But once you’re inside, you are part of something bigger and better than anything you can accomplish by yourself. Take advantage of the coaches; pick their brains; ask questions; try new things, new classes. Your body will thank you.