Wednesday Wins! Brenda
Today we celebrate one of our recent “Fresh Start” graduates who is kicking butt and taking names — Brenda R.! She came to us in January looking to shake up her workout routine and find new ways to get a leg up on her competition on the tennis court. And not only has she accomplished things she never thought possible inside the gym and on the court, the side effects of her hard work are beyond incredible.
Not only does she LOOK AMAZING, the data is picture perfect. She has lost 15 pounds from when she started. She has lost 20 pounds of fat and gained five pounds of muscle. Her body fat percentage has now dropped into the “ideal range” for her age. She feels the effect on the tennis court too. She’s feeling faster, gets to more balls and doesn’t get tired like she used to. But for Brenda, the biggest surprise has been keeping it off (and continuing to lose!).
“I have always yo-yo’d. I have always played tennis, but I just ate badly. Sweets, baked goods (banana bread is her ‘thing’), you name it. And we always have a steer in the fridge, so I overdid the red meat too. I’ve done lots of nutrition challenges in the past and have seen short term victories, but it never stuck. I do well when I have other people counting on me, so the team challenges (like the one we are doing now) really work for me. I’ve now figured out how to keep doing it on my own when someone isn’t depending on me”.
When asked why she think she saw success this time her answer was simple. “Now I know what agrees with me and what doesn’t. In the past we were told to cut things out because they are ‘bad for you’, but I didn’t understand that maybe my body couldn’t handle those things. But this time it made sense because I learned what food doesn’t agree with me. I took diary out. I felt better. I took bread out. I felt better. I didn’t have to add those things back in because I felt so good. Or when I do really crave them I only have a little bit.”
The other piece of the puzzle is the workout regimen she’s added to the mix. She’s a self proclaimed “slug” but if you ask her what she likes to do every week now, your jaw will drop. And for her, fitness has now become a great distraction to keep her out for the kitchen and snacking on those sweets. Tennis anyone? Sometimes up to four times per week. CrossFit (3-4x) per week. Trainer (once per week). And occasional runs on the track near her house. “In the past I belonged to gyms that offered classes all the times. But I never went. I come here (to the Cove) three — sometimes four– times per week because I want to keep progressing. I want to get stronger by doing everything right. I want to be better at lots of things.”
She’s on a mission to get doubles. And pull ups. And to be more mobile. And wants to improve technique on all her lifts. Oh, and she’s one heck of a partner. She plays doubles in tennis. She won’t cheat on a nutrition challenge if she’s on a team. She’s the real deal ‘team player’. Seek her out on a Friday for a partner WOD if you haven’t already!. Plus you can sip the KoolAid together. When she came to us she said, “I’ll give it a month and see what I think.” Four months later, she’s still here. Glad it tastes so good Brenda! AMAZING WORK!
STRENGTH WOD I
STRENGTH WOD II
WOD
COACH’S TIP: Today would be considered our training day (not game day). 10 minutes is quick for a 3 rep heavy lift. So people should be getting to 80-90% of their max potential. The AMRAP should be more of a recovery/get a sweat. It should not be super challenging. Scale the doubles appropriately.
Meet our newest “NOONER” Katie G! She’s a beast and we are thrilled to have her as part of the community. Give a high five or a fist pump when you see her!
