Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself or something that would surprise us.
My name is Rick Rivas. I’m from El Paso, TX, but have lived in NM, Alaska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kansas, and now Houston. I graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors in Accounting, and am now an Area Manager for Saratoga Homes. I grew up playing baseball, and have been drafted twice by the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates. I had a brief Minor League career that started and ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers. These experiences have shaped who I am today and how I view people and business. I can be a very intense individual that is strong willed. I do not accept failure and complacency, nor settle for it. On the other extreme I can be a goofball and like to have fun and enjoy life.
I am married to my beautiful wife Martha, who I met in Houston. She is definitely my better half who puts life into perspective for me when I get too intense. We have an 8th month year old son named Ricardo Cruz Rivas aka Ricky Cruz. I also can’t forget my two fur babies Bailey (GSD) and Bleu (Chocolate Lab).
What I have learned about life and business is you have to have a 'WHY?' In my opinion, this is the driving force behind individuals who seek to be the best version of themselves that they can be. I am blessed to say that my little family is my 'WHY?'
Fun fact: I was chased by a Grizzly Bear in Alaska and survived to tell you about it.
How and when were you introduced to Behemoth?
I was doing CrossFit at another box in old Katy. The drive time was a little longer than I would like. I realized I was always stressing to make class on time because the drive was not ideal to my busy work schedule. I drove by Behemoth on my way to lunch one day and dropped in.
What are you most proud of, physically, mentally or both since beginning with us?
I would say my core strength. It was one of my goals when I first started with Behemoth. I am not satisfied where I am at but am happy about the progress. I have noticed that it is easier to breathe during intense workouts, which allows me to go heavier and harder. It has been a long journey with my core.
Why Behemoth?
Honestly, I had experienced some health issues before I joined Behemoth. I have a demanding job and I didn’t make health a priority. I knew I had been lacking on the nutrition side and didn’t know where to begin to make a change. I knew I needed help from someone who is knowledgeable to help guide me in the right direction. Leah was my coach and the first person I talked to when inquiring about Behemoth. After our first meeting, I knew that Behemoth’s values and mission aligned with what I had been searching for. Nutrition was my top priority and I wanted to know where to begin researching, reading, and experimenting with what I ate. What amazed me was that all the coaching staff’s knowledge on nutrition and sleep. Plus, they sent me reputable web links, books, and podcast to research for myself. Over the past year and a half, I have learned a lot about nutrition. I am grateful to have a coaching staff that is willing to help you in any way, to achieve your personal goals.
What next? What are you excited about pursuing here in the future?
I still have the same goals as when I started that I need to achieve and perfect. I look forward to achieving them in the near future. If anything, I would say that I need to pursue being more disciplined in my approach to achieve these goals.
“3, 2, 1…Go” Mad Lib section
-My favorite lift (movement) is…all gymnastic movements I can’t do unscaled…yet (strict muscle-ups, hand stand pushups, hand stand walks)
-My most frequent class I come to is… Shout out to my 5:00am crew!!
-I have always wanted to…do 30 strict pull ups.
-When I’m not crushing weights, my favorite thing to do is…spend time with my family, and golf.
-Favorite “application of fitness” outside of the gym is…carrying my son in his car seat doing alternating farmer carries. You’d be surprised how much an 8 month old weighs.
-Favorite Pandora station…lately it has been “Ke$ha Radio” and “Classical Music For Your Baby Einstein Radio”
-Beast mode engaged when this song comes on….”Given Up” by Linkin Park
