dave hartzell: may member of the month

Big congratulations to Dave Hartzell, our May Member of the Month!

For 8 years, Dave has shown up with a cup of coffee in one hand, ready to back squat, deadlift, or bench. His consistency, kindness, and willingness to jump in and help others never go unnoticed. He always brings a great attitude and has been a steady part of what makes the Sanitas community such a special place.

Eight years of showing up, putting in the work, and being a great teammate is something worth celebrating. We’re really grateful to have Dave as part of Sanitas and excited to celebrate him this month.

Here is a Q&A - get to know Dave!!!

Tell us about yourself! ... Where did you grow up? How did you end up in CO?? You have a plane!?

I grew up in Iowa, went to university in South Dakota, then made a ten year layover in California before ending up in Boulder late 2011.  I do technical things for the government, I love reading and learning, hanging out with friends, and I’m a private pilot.

What brought you into Sanitas? and what are some key things that have made you stay for the past 8 years!?

In 2017, I dropped into a few free classes with a friend, who was a member at the time.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  I was road and mountain biking a lot at the time and Crossfit was a nice change.  Sanitas has been an amazing place for the past 8 years, mostly because of burpees.  I love burpees.  Plus the coaches and the community make it a great place.  I’ve made a lot of friends through Sanitas.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day, knowing everything you know now?

One thing I would tell my 8-years younger self would be to do heavy lifting.  A lot.  Get strong.  Then I’d say: Rest.  Recover.  Sleep. Eat better.  Don’t get hurt.  I’m still trying to dial all of that in.  Around 2022, I weighed 165 pounds (and I’m just shy of 6’).  Crossfit worked well for weight loss, but I was too lightweight.  So I started working with coach Michael Butts (formerly of Sanitas) and got on a program to bulk up, get stronger and stay fit.  Now I weigh about 195 and can lift a lot more. Coach Butts once said “it takes mass to move mass” and that has always stuck with me.

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome recently, and how did you push through?

I recently had a close friend suffering from mental illness. It can lead to bad things if untreated. It’s worth saying that we all need to keep our mental health in check, seek help, talk to friends and family and do whatever it takes to get well.

3 or more favorite movements & Numbers that are meaningful to you
My favorite movements are the main lifts, i.e the grunt work.  Squat, Deadlift, Bench and press.  Just not all on the same day.  It was a big deal for me when I could pull 4 plates (405#), squat 3, bench 2 and press 1 plate.  And I was kidding about burpees. I don’t like them.

As a side note, Dan McIllroy suggested the following WOD.

Dave’s WOD:

30 minute AMRAP*

3 sips of coffee

5x5 squat @75% of max

Chat amongst yourselves in remaining time

* heart rate should not exceed 80bpm