Blake Kidder – Strength specialist
What is a brief overview of your origin story. Where you grew up, early family situation, athletic background, school, early jobs, travel, etc?
I have been a Texas boy my entire life. I grew up playing competitive sports from a young age and fell in love with football after my first season of playing at the age of 10. I played college football at the University of Northwestern Oklahoma State as a wide receiver and graduated with a degree as a Clinical Physiologist. I have always had a fire to compete. A few years after college I found the sport of Crossfit and competed with two teams at the regional level.
What is your current occupation, family situation, and focus in life?
I live in Boerne Texas with my beautiful wife and daughter. I am a avid hunter and I am bless to work for The Outdoor Group as the Western Regional sales manager. I represent a few companies in the archery industry such as Elite Archery , Scott Archery , Custom Bow Equipment and Slick Trick Broadheads. I am still a Crossfit competitor in the sub-Masters division when I am not training for GRID and a coach for Crossfit Fair Oaks Ranch. I enjoy being outdoors year around hunting or shooting competitive archery.
Describe the biggest hurdle or challenge you have overcome in your life:
For me it was coming back to traing after a back injury during my senior year of college where i compress my L4 and L5and S1 along with jamming my facets. It took about 2 years for me to get back to a normal training regimen. I seeked help from doctors but the only solution they they were will to give me was pain management. Thankfully Dr Chad Carpenter at Hill Country Physical Medicine saw my injury through a different scope. He prescribed me a spinal correction program that consist of chiropractic care, spinal decompression and corrective movement therapy. I focused on creating balance in my lower extremities when it came to strength and flexibility . After about 12 weeks of care i started to feel like myself again. Its was a long road to get back in the swing of things , but on that journey I found Crossfit and I wish I would have found it sooner in my athletic career.
How do you prepare to play on the GRID and other forms of competition? How do you think about nutrition, training, and other factors that contribute to your readiness?:
My training schedule is very consistent but can be challenging with with work and family. I have a personal coach who is also my GRID coach for the Wild. Adam Muir programs for me through GRID season and Crossfit season out of 352 Fitness. I train Monday – Wednesday with a rest day on Thursday and finish the week out strong with longer and more volume session on Friday and Saturday when I have a little more time in my schedule. Sunday is for family and for recovery. Most of my session from start to finish are about 2-2.5 hours . Recovery is key for me ! I try to make sure that I take time to fit in a GO WOD session before I train and one 10min session during the day. I like to end the day with a ROM WOD session before I go to bed. I have found that it helps me relax and wind down my day.
Currently I am working with 27 Health and Wellness to dial in my nutrition . James Free does a great job working with me to reach and maintain my goals. The best part of working with him is that it has created balance in my diet with my busy schedule and life style. I focus on eating whole foods for all of my meals . My meals are simple but full of flavor for me and my family. I don’t meal prep but I do cook enough that I have enough for the next day. I like doing this because it creates variety in my meals.
My supplements of choice are Xendurance. I use the entire line from the daily Immune Support and basic lifestyle supplements to the performance side of the brand where I use Fule 5, JB creatine and Xendurance to help fuel and recover from my workouts.
Describe what is it like to play on your team?:
FAMILY !!! If you have ever watched the WILD in their natural habitat , we are a big family . I have never been apart of such a great group of people who just connected from the first time that we met. Our team feeds off one another all year around . It doesn’t matter if we are 1000 miles apart we hold each other accountable through training and celebrate each others success in fitness and in life. I truly feel like they are my brothers and sisters. I love my team and wouldn’t want to compete in GRID without them!
How did you get involved in GRID? Did you come through the American Grid Trials? Tell us the story!:
I tried out for the American Grid Trials in 2018 . That was my first taste of it… and that was all it took . A few years later I came across the FGL and was super excited to see what it was about. I competed in the trails and shortly after Adam reached out to me to play . He was building a new team in Gainsville and wanted me to be his Strength Specialist. The rest speaks for itself on the GRID floor!
Watch Blake in action against the Tampa Bay Brigade!
What is important for people to know about the sport of GRID? How does it compare to your other forms of competition?
GRID is a sport that highlights your talents. That’s the best part. I train most of the year for Crossfit but my strength is well my strength lol So to be able to turn on the switch and highlight my talent is fun! GRID is a team sport as well but yet it is still individual at times. So it is a great opportunity to be apart of a team and hold yourself accountable to those who are competing with you! The speed of the sport and skill level is what sets GRID apart from any other fitness event that you may watch and it is also exciting to watch guys and girls compete against each other . Some of these ladies will surprise you !