Jerks: 2-2-2-2-1-1-1-1 OT 90 sec - build from 65%
3 RFT: 30 Hang Power Cleans (115/80) 30 Wallballs (20/14) 30/20 Calorie Row
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Featured Athlete: Kalene Kammer
Accomplishing Goals Through Nutrition and Exercise
Quick Fire Questions:
Recent accomplishments in the gym?
Being able to incorporate RX’d body weight movements and increase strength in lifts
Favorite CrossFit WOD?
DT
Favorite CrossFit movements?
Cleans - power and squat and anything that short people excel at ;)
Recent accomplishments with your nutrition?
17lbs lost working with Courtney since May ‘16 and 30lbs total.
Healthy relationship with food
269 day streak tracking food in MyFitnessPal
Most importantly, shifting focus to performance goals in the gym and not identifying nutrition success as only “pounds lost” or a number on the scale.
Food you can’t live without
‘Saigon Roll’ Spicy Beef Vermicelli Bowl (I actually don’t think it's on the menu anymore but they still make it for me, haha!)
Favorite macro-friendly restaurant meal
Opa - I love their pitas but also get the kids meal with some added meat skewers to up that protein!
Go-to snack
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vitality Nutrition) with natural peanut butter, apple and grapes
Why did you decide to work with Vitality Nutrition?
When I first started with Courtney I had been coming to BRIO for roughly a year and a half and didn’t really think about nutrition much at all; I thought I was eating ‘healthy’ but I wasn’t seeing any changes in the gym. At that point I just really wanted a change - both physical and mental.
What has been the biggest change you’ve made to your lifestyle since working with a nutrition coach?
Tracking/weighing my food and being super conscious of the choices I am making is the biggest change and now has snowballed to become part of my lifestyle. I have such a healthy relationship with food now - majority of the time my nutrition is dialed in but that isn’t to say that I don’t leave a little room for a treat every now and then in the right settings. Since working with Courtney, I have been able to see changes in the gym that I never thought would be possible and it has made me want to keep working to be the strongest and healthiest I can be.
As a student, your week can be hectic. What are your tips for staying committed to your nutrition and fitness goals?
Meal prep and the crock pot! That has been the biggest determinant to the success of my week. I find so many times especially during midterms and finals when stress levels are high, I tend to look in the fridge and if something isn’t there to grab I will go buy something that is quick. Always having washed and cut fruits/veggies, cooked starches (potatoes, rice, etc) and some pre-cooked meats make sure that I can stay committed. Also keeping healthy snacks around has been huge. Especially in the cold if I am craving something I don’t want to leave the house so if I had tempting foods in the cupboard I would be in trouble.
Has your performance been affected since changing your nutrition? If yes, how so?
Yes! In more ways than I ever thought it would. I have never been able to do many body weight movements - this summer after returning from travelling I couldn’t do 5 push-ups to save my life. Now I have 190 in my wheelhouse! I also taught myself kipping pull-ups because I thought I would never accomplish a strict one but now strict pull-ups are for reps. Nutrition has also affected how I feel when I work-out. Before I would maybe hit 3 wods a week and think that was good enough mainly because I didn’t have the energy to want to do more. Now that I am fueling my body the right way I am able to hit 5 WODs plus some additional lifting and gymnastics work without feeling like I am ‘out of gas’. I am able to push harder, lift heavier than I ever have and see the changes that I have always wanted.
What is the next goal on your bucket list?
Attend a weightlifting meet - kind of terrifying but I would love to push myself to try something new.
What is your advice to someone looking to start CrossFit?
Just do it! When I started I had no clue what I was getting myself into - plus my first wod was ‘Karen’ and I stuck around. The biggest challenge for me was stepping into a gym and having no clue where to start or what to do. The community and energy in CrossFit and at Brio especially is something unparalleled. There aren’t many gyms where you want to die after but everyone is giving high-fives and praises of a job well done. The physical and mental rewards after a grueling, ‘why I am doing this to myself’ workout are something I have never found anywhere else. I thrive around energy and people so CrossFit and Brio have become the perfect fit.
What is your advice to someone looking to hire a nutrition coach?
You never know unless you try it and it is never too late to start. I kind of did it on a whim when I heard Courtney was offering her services back in University and it has turned out to be the best thing I have ever done for myself. It has changed everything for me - my relationship with my body and food has increased tenfold. I am the happiest, healthiest and strongest version of myself.