Sumo Deadlifts and Russian Twists.. Wha??

It's all about the Crossfit. CareyN, I'm ready for Kettlebells with you!

I've been obsessed with Crossfit since October, prior to Liam's birth. As much as I love surfing and rock climbing and trail running, these are things I simply cannot do on a regular basis now(at least a few times a week). To get back into shape the fastest with the least amount of time commitment, I decided to look into Crossfit. So back in October, with my big belly and all, I checked out a few local Crossfit garage-style gyms. It was very intimidating, and felt a bit out of place, especially since I knew I had lost all my prior fitness abilities and had essentially become a mass of wiggly jello. The only thing I had going was that I was hoping for muscle memory.



Once I received the doctor's approval for working out,I told Ryan, "I'm going all out." I started with taking the Crossfit fundamentals class to learn the moves. My beginning fitness level was an eye opener. I could not do simple exercises and cardio was non-existent. It felt like a Biggest Loser moment. So I spent December, working out on my own every few days. The frequency was not much because the rest of the time was in post-recovery body aches. Ah yes, you know what I'm talking about, having the sore muscles where walking up the stairs becomes laborious. The beginning is always the hardest at trying to re-train the body and the inactive muscles back to being fully engaged.

With the start of a new year, which also perfectly coincides with my post-baby resolution, I have been obsessively focused on (besides the obvious, family and work) Crossfit and healthy eating . With careful planning and a very regimented schedule with no room for anything else (and of course, the awesomely supportive husband), I have been crossfitting 5-6x a week and loving it. I used to think weight-lifting was boring, but that's because I never tried it. It's fun to focus on the correct form and posture and then be amazed at how easy that makes the lifting. Flipping monster tires and banging things up with sledge hammers are fun too.

At 3-months post-Liam, I am back to pre-Liam weight and then some. Almost back to pre-Emilia weight. Muscle definition is slowly peeking through, but of course, I am not even close to where I was before. I can run up to 5 miles, though slow. I can do 3 pull-ups consistently and have a goal to beat my all time high of 13. Best of all, I feel great.

And a side note, I sometimes partner up with a normal looking 70s-something year old woman that can, in general, lift more than 30% above me, and has a wicked 180lb deadlift. She proves that one can be as active, strong, and fit as one chooses regardless of age. Amazing. I can outrun her though. =P

Oh, and what's this about sumo deadlifts and Russian twists? They're currently my favorite Crossfit exercise.

Hard Work. Determination. Crossfit.