Athlete Spotlight

Thursday December 5, 2013

PreHab

Theraband Shoulder External Rotation and Circles
Overhead Band Distraction
German Hang

Group Warmup

Duck Walk, 100′
10 Scapular Pushups
10 Lat Activations
Bear Crawl, 100′
Crab Walk, 100′
30 Sec Handstand Hold
60 Sec Hollow Hold
Inch Worm to Maximum Extension, 50′

Gymnastics Strength

4 Rounds:         

8 Tempo Ring Push Ups or Regular Pushups
3 Skin the Cats

Notes:  The tempo for the pushups is 3 sec down, 3 sec up without any pause at the top or the bottom. Ideally the rings will be only about 2’’ off the ground.  Before you get on the rings, you should be able to perform this with regular pushups.  Use spotters for skin the cats to ensure full range of motion.

Conditioning

For quality:
50 Strict Toes to Bar
50 Strict Chin-Ups
50 Hollow Rocks
50 Arch Rocks

-25 min time cap-

Notes:  Partner up with one or two people and work through this sequence together using spotters.  Notice “chin-ups” means hands facing you.  

Cool Down

2 Rounds: 30 Sec Each
German Hang
Plow Stretch
Cobra
Samson Stretch with Band

 Molly
Molly

There are far too many Athletes that come to mind that I could possibly ‘Spotlight.’  Having said this, I really wanted to recognize Molly Hauge for the dedication and hard work she puts in at the box.  I am so proud of her progressive growth as an athlete.  Not only is Molly very consistent every week with her workouts, but she is also a very (as I like to call it) ‘coachable’ student. Molly is receptive to all the key concepts being taught in class and keeps an open mind by trying things that may even scare her a bit.  These attributes are just some of the elements I mention to my students to ensure their success. Molly’s willingness to change has translated into improved technique which has lead to new PRs.  She is now doing things that I know she probably thought she could never do.  It seems like Molly is accomplishing a new goal every week due to her positive and upbeat attitude.  So to get to know her and what her journey has been like thus far, here is a little Q & A with the Spotlight Athlete.  Congratulations Molly and keep working hard!!

1.  Age :  29 (and holding!)

 
2.  Occupation : Photographer
 
3.  When did you start at Paradiso Crossfit?  August, 2013
 
4.  Favorite WOD :  Hmmm, surprisingly I think it was Fran, because it was my first and only time that I had done it, and there were tons of people so the atmosphere was great. I think that makes a big difference. 
 
5.  Least Favorite WOD :  Anything that has a time cap of 40+ minutes, I remember “Jackie” being brutal for me, or any that have Bear Crawls. 
 
6.  What is your Sport/ Fitness Background?

 I played sports my entire life, mostly softball/volleyball/golf and I was a national competitive dancer for 15 years.  

 
7.  What did you partake in before PCF?  

I was in a bit of a lull before joining cross fit, but the only other fitness class I did was BarMethod, which I liked because it took me back to the dance aspect of training.

 
8.  How did you first hear about PCF, or get exposed to Crossfit?  

I was exposed to Crossfit through my boyfriend Kyle, he had been doing it independently for years so I would say I’ve known about it for 4 years. I would do an occasional workout with him here and there. Then when I joined his gym, he introduced me to Lara Erlank and she trained me for about three months in a Crossfit style. 

 
9.  Tell us about your first WOD.  What was it?  How did you feel?  

Well, I had the two weeks of on ramp but my first WOD in my first group class day was: AMRAP-wall ball cleans, bar taps, and v-ups. The wall balls get me every time they are in a workout.

 
10.  What Changes have you seen in your body, health, and fitness since starting Crossfit?  

The very first thing I noticed was my skin changing. I never had an issue with my skin so I was surprised at how much better it felt. I think because I have never sweat like I do in class.

I never really weighed myself, because a) it was scary and b) i’d rather go on how my clothing fit. But I knew once I started Crossfit that my weight was shifting. So while my number initially were not going down, I could see a difference in how my body was shaping up.

Once I started the nutrition program I am on (Nov 1), I have dropped 8 pounds and 18.25 overall inches (I had to take like ten different measurements over the period of 30 days).

Other than actual strength gain and building muscle, I have also noticed that I sleep better and it’s not as hard for me to wake up in the morning (according to Kyle). 

11.  Share your Favorite Crossfit moment.  Is there a day that sticks out in your mind that was a life changing moment?

My favorite moment so far was completing the 5k. I know that seems silly but I have never been a runner and I had never run more than 1 mile in my life that I can remember. I did not train or build up before that day because I planned on skipping it. Then guilt got the better part of me so I showed up and ran. I had to stop twice, and I know everyone finished like 10 minutes before me but I just didn’t care. Kyle came out looking for me (obviously because he probably thought I keeled over somewhere). I was in the homestretch conveniently for him and I literally teared up because I knew I was so close. Not many people who were there that day knew how big of a deal that was for me. I couldn’t believe that I did it. I don’t think I made it back inside, but immediately sat in front of the door before eventually leaving since the next class had well started already. That was a big/awful/sweaty/proud day for me.  

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