February 6, 2013 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
If you workout in the morning, you may know Barry. But did you know this- Barry is the Godfather of CrossFit Waxahachie. We joke about this but it’s kinda true. You see, Barry was the first person who told me about CrossFit. He was all excited about this website you went to to get your workout for the day. I looked at the site and really didn’t understand much of it. I just wrote it off and went on my way. Then about 3-4 months later I came upon it again in a search for exercise routines. I guess the workout for that day made sense, so I tried it out (I don’t even remember what it was). The next WOD was Helen and it crushed me. I kept scrolling through the times that people had posted for this WOD and couldn’t believe I was so slow-weak-challenged by this effort. That was it for me! I was hooked. That was September of 2007. I’ve been at it ever since.
CrossFit and CrossFit Waxahachie have brought many things into my life that I’m truly thankful for- a community of friends and better fitness are just a couple of the biggies.
Thanks, Barry!
The Godfather on his way to a CF Total PR.
January 23, 2013 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
This was around the start of her CrossFit journey.
Sarah is another one of the few who have made the transition from BFC back in 2009 to present day CFW. Over that time she’s been working- HARD! She’s come a long way since she started with us and is still giving whatever it takes to move forward, improve and change her life!
It hasn’t always been easy but Sarah has a knack for doing it anyway. Burpees, OK. Pull ups, sure. Hanging knee raises, yea. Don’t get me wrong, she likes these things about as much as anyone in her yoga class likes staying in chair pose for, “Five more breaths.” BUT- she does them. She knows that she can get through anything- one step, one movement at a time. Not only has she lost weight, her confidence has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years and it’s been awesome to watch!
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve almost come to blows over the WOD!
During a recent press workout, the weight just wasn’t going up. She was stuck in between two weights. The extra 5# jump was too heavy but taking them off was too light. What did she do? More collars on the bar. That my friends is being willing to do whatever it takes. That’s how I know Sarah will continue to move forward and meet all of her goals!
What do you do when you fail?
Surrounded by friends and a community that supports you, you can accomplish anything!
Ready to give CrossFit a try? Here are a few options coming up:
Elements- (our beginner class- more details HERE)
Thursday, January 31st at 5:15pm
Email me to save a spot.
Open Gym-
Tonight (and every Wednesday) from 5-7pm
November 21, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Events, Nutrition, Success Stories
Congrats to our Lean Turkey winners- Mistie Underhill and Branden Embry!!
Mistie lost just over 11.2 lbs!
Branden lost over 12.6 lbs!
In just 3 weeks!! AWESOME JOB GUYS!!! I have your prizes at the box!
Big thanks to everyone who participated! Gobble, gobble 
Thanks to our sponsors:
Bakery on a Hill in Cedar Hill
CFA Waxahachie
Tuscan Slice in Waxahachie
August 24, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Events, Thoughts
CFW’s second team at the Europa CF Challenge was called “Second Choice.” All of the athletes on this team are straight up studs! If the WODs had stacked up differently, like more gymnastics, this team would have been on top for sure. The way things turned out, the WODs were a bit heavy and this team had the weight on their shoulders, literally.
WOD 1 was 50 back squats for each team member at 185# for guys and 135# for girls. The guys didn’t seem to have any trouble with the weight (except for when Josh lost one side of the bumpers and still held onto the bar). The girls were a different story. For Kara and B, this weight was a challenge. As a team they were pretty sure they wouldn’t make the 15 min time cut off for this workout. The girls went first and got a bunch of their squats done. Then the boys knocked out their 50. Next the girls had to finish. They gutted it out. Each rep towards the end was a huge effort. The boys picked the weight off of Kara two different times as she got stuck under the bar. But after shaking things out, she got back under. The final rep for her was a single. She went down and with legs shaking, stood it up to finish. Time- 12:49.
This heavy WOD out of the way they then went on to crush the next two WODs! They were kinda worried about WOD 3 but as you can see, they had absolutely no trouble with it!
This team was ALL HEART!! It was a blast cheering them on! As their coach it made me proud to watch them in action!
Kudos, Team Second Choice! You’re number one in my book!
August 8, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
KB has been working out with me since I started my very first boot camp program in April of ’09. The first workout I ever programmed was on April 7th:
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes of-
5 jumping pull ups
10 modified push ups
15 squats
Kara 12 rounds +5 pull ups
Gena 6 rounds +10 squats
Chelsey 11 rounds +11 squats
Laura 12 rounds +2 pull ups
As a high school and college athlete, she had some pretty good skills coming into the workout. She did pretty good. But I can guarantee that the 2012 version of her would kick the 2009s tail! In fact, I’m pretty sure she could beat her previous score now with real pull ups and push ups on her toes. That’s what 3 1/2 years of dedication will do!
Kara is probably going to hate this post, but those of you who know her know that she’s hard-working, focused and driven as a mom, wife and athlete. It’s been a privilege to coach her over the years and see her grow. She truly is CrossFit!
This level of growth and development is available to all of you guys who are seeking it. Show up, work, eat to support your goals, and keep doing it (this has kinda been a theme lately).
Check out one of the most exciting times ever at CFW, the Browne Family Fran-Off!
May 18, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
49 days.
Our friend, Jason, is competing in Ironman Texas tomorrow. He’s going to swim, bike and run a long way! After a 2.4 mile swim, he’ll jump on the bike and pedal 112 miles. He will finish the day with a 26.2 mile run. When he’s done, no matter the time, he’ll be in rare company as an Ironman!
As his strength and conditioning coach, I’ve had the pleasure of watching him progress over the last year. But it’s just the last few weeks that have been the most eye opening.
When he first called me the one thing he wanted to know was, “Will CrossFit training make me a better distance athlete?” Since I was on a 5 day, 365 mile bike ride from Waxahachie to Lubbock during this conversation, I told him, “Yea, I’m pretty sure it will!”
Jason jumped right in and went to work! He had enthusiasm and really pushed himself in the challenging workouts I threw at him. His goal was the Ironman. Everything he did was in preparation for obtaining that goal.
He ran long, he biked, and he swam. He did intervals and tempo runs on top of his strength work. He especially liked when we had running days at the box. Often he would come back in the afternoon for a second chance at those workouts!
One of the best things he could have done happened near the end. Jason found out what would happen if he went on a strict Paleo diet. And an already seemingly fit athlete lost body fat (from an already lean frame) and got faster.
Kudos, Jason! Your CFW Family wishes you the best during your race tomorrow! We’re already proud of you!
August 30, 2011 / by CFW / 2 Comments / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
Britt in March 2011.
Its funny how much can change in 1 year.
This time last year I was 25, about 25lbs heavier, and was diagnosed with high cholesterol, PCOS, and pre-type 2 diabetes because of insulin resistance- and to top it off, because of this, it would probably be hard for me to have kids oneday. It was quite a rude awakening. What had I done SO wrong to my body, at 25, that caused this? To most people, I looked pretty normal- pretty average.
My normal workout routine: I took a couple zumba classes a week, signed up for a 5k every few months, and hopped from gym to gym using the machines till they got old. I was active.
My normal diet: I figured that if I took a lean quizine or weight watchers meal for lunch every day I was eating healthy. I tried to eat wheat bread on my many subway sandwiches, tried to drink more milk because it said on T.V. that doing so would be really good for me, and stayed away from ANY red meat because I’ve always been told that its horrible for you. I ate ‘light’ yogurt, drank ‘diet’ sodas if I had one, got kids meals from restaurants and snack packs from Chicken Express (my favorite place!). I had a drawer full of mini laffy taffys at work that I snacked on throughout the day, they were tiny… couldn’t be that bad… I would skip breakfast alot because I just wasn’t hungry- figured it would help me get smaller if I didn’t eat as much too. I looked at calories-ALOT- but I never really cared what it was that I ate. As a kid I ate what all the other kids ate, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, mac’n'cheese… school lunches, pizza, cheese fries, “gravy day”- sometimes I would use my lunch money for ice cream instead of lunch- but hey, I was skinny- why should I eat healthy?
Not sure about this crew that came out for the April '11 Sven Challenge.
My life wasn’t really that different than the normal American- I even thought that because I was running a little and taking Zumba that I was doing more than the average person. Right after the Dr. diagnosed me, she immediately told me about the Meds that she was going to start me on to counteract the insulin resistance (that’s when your body has been fed too much sugar and doesn’t know how to process it anymore)- and she told me that we would just have to keep upping my dose as my body got used to it. I asked if there was another solution. like with nutrition, she said no- just watch what I ate (whatever that meant). So I started meds, dealt with side effects, and accepted the fact that I potentially had a hard road ahead of me.
A few months into this, a girl I worked with (AMY GLASS) came into work and said, “Hey Britt! I know that you’ve done a 5k and my CrossFit group is doing a 10K in Feb.- would you want to do it with us?” I thought about it, figured it would be fun and challenging, and nervously agreed to do it.
[See, I had no idea what CrossFit even was- All I knew was that Amy and the other couple people that did it wore crazy socks, and got REALLY excited when they saw each other, and always ended up jumping around and talking about weird workouts- it kinda freaked me out. In fact... She had one of the Coaches come up to work and do a weird "Lean Turkey Nutrition" meeting one night and I LITERALLY tried to sneak out the front door doing everything I could to not make eye contact with anyone! They reminded me of hippie people. Freaked me out a little.]
A couple weeks later, I went to a CrossFit workout strictly to meet the people that I would be running with. That day was the last day at their old Crossfit Waxahachie location, so there were double the people there just because they thought it would be fun to have a big last workout together. When I walked in, the room was filled with laughing and talking and crazy socks- I saw rows of barbells on the ground- and thought, ‘surely that that was what the Guys must be using to workout- not us girls’. They were about to do a strength workout. I didn’t know I was going to work out that day, but I jumped right in and started learning! At the end of the 30 min workout, I was able to lift a barbell from the ground to overhead! I had NEVER touched a barbell before, other than the VERY few bench presses we had to do for highschool tennis. It was empowering! Everyone was motivating everyone! It was fun… what a concept! I was SO sore the next day! I realized why Amy and her friends were so happy when they talked about working out. Because it wasn’t just working out. It was a community- a community of friends of all ages and shapes and sizes that do crazy workouts together and have a blast while getting their butts kicked! I’ve never walked into a gym or a class with that kind of atmosphere before. I was hooked.
I started crossfit a couple days a week and Loved it! A few weeks later, at lunch one day, Amy and I talked about the Meds I was taking- She immediately said, “BRITT! I’ve been on that! You do know that you can reverse that with nutrition, right?? I’m totally off that now!” -I was skeptical because of what the Dr. told me, but figured I could give it a try. See, another part of CrossFit is that they promote nutrition as the foundation of their program. She and her friend Jeanye Mercer (another CrossFitter) teamed up and kinda took me under their wing and told me about eating “PALEO” (short for Paleolithic- the cave man era). Basically- it’s eating like the cavemen would have eaten… the way God created our bodies to eat. Eating: Meats & Veggies, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds, Little Startch, No Sugar. Cutting out Grains, Pasta, and Dairy (Some people can do Raw Dairy, but most people’s bodies can’t). Getting away from all processed and fried foods, and getting away from all artificial foods/sweetners. I started googling everything I could about Paleo, and decided to take myself off of my medicine for a month and give it a try.
30 days of eating pure… 30 days with no sugar… only veggies, fruits, meats, nuts, and seeds. It was hard- I had cravings- I almost cried when I had to make cupcakes with the gooy icing for Josh’s baseball team and couldn’t lick the bowl… but I did it. And ya know what… It changed my life. I felt more energy than I had in years- my complexion looked better, I lost weight- my body made some huge changes. I’ve had zero problems with my health, my body started to fix itself- no more Meds- no more PCOS- no more insulin resistance. I haven’t taken a pill since. And I’ve never felt better. I’ve lost over 25lbs and had to go out and get a whole new wardrobe because my clothes are falling off of me now. That’s huge! The funny thing is that now, I could care less about the scale- knowing I’m healthy and seeing muscle where there used to be fat is so cool! Do I eat a cupcake here and there for a special occasion? Sure- but 95% of the time I do everything I can to actually feed my body what it was created to need. It’s Do’able. It’s worth it.
The more people I share this with, the more people I realize have a similar begining story. If Amy wouldn’t have reached out to me and told me how CrossFit and eating Paleo could change my life, who know’s where I’d be today- how hooked my body would be on meds- how many fertility Dr’s I would have had to see in the future– This stuff works. I am one of thousands that have realized it. This is why I’m so passionate! It’s not just a Workout. It’s not just a Diet. It’s a Lifestyle. -A lifestyle that has changed me for the better forever.
Britt "At The Bridge" this month.
August 10, 2011 / by CFW / 4 Comments / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
BootCamp- June 2009
Meet Jeanye, AKA J1 or Mad-Dog. She’s been at CrossFit Waxahachie since before it was CFW. In fact she was the very first person to willingly let me train her with full on CrossFit methods. I still remember her first Fran. She did PVC pipe thrusters and jumping pull ups on the old rusty bridge at Chapman Park. It seems like yesterday and eons ago at the same time. But enough of me talking, I asked her a few questions so sit back and check out more about my friend, J1:
When did you start CrossFit?
I started working out with BFC Bootcamp in June of 2009. I started doing CrossFit right after Chris said, “Let’s start doing CrossFit for real.” I think it was May 2010.
Describe your first experience with CrossFit.
I remember a lot of stomach aches on the way to the workouts. And I remember looking at Chris like he was crazy when he would tell me what we were going to do. I remember trying to do a push jerk very early on, missing the lift and hurting my wrist trying to catch the weight instead of dropping it. Looking back I’m amazed that I kept coming back for more. But I did. I think it was the fact that no matter what I couldn’t do, I would still do as much as I could, which always turned out to be more than I could have imagined.
What brought you to CrossFit?
Midlife crisis?
Hanging out with T.
What keeps you going with it?
I love the community. I love feeling strong. I love challenging myself in ways that are just plain crazy. I love that Superman and I can workout together and both of us get what we need from the workout. I love the encouragement from the other CrossFitters. I love the Coach! I love the fun!
What are some of your accomplishments so far?
I’ve lost about 25 pounds and 2 sizes. (3 sizes if you count my skinny jeans!); I can string 24 double unders! I am CrossFit Level 1 Certified and CrossFit Kids Certified. I have a 190# DL PR. And I can now put weight over my head without crying.
What goals do you have going forward?
My goals include showing up, working hard and having as much fun as possible for as long as possible.
Who are your role models or what motivates you?
My mom and dad are without a doubt my role models. They have taught me how important family is and what unconditional love looks like.
What is your favorite exercise?
I love Deadlifts. We should definitely do more deadlifting!
CrossFit- August 2011
Favorite workout?
It was hard to choose just one. I love that each workout is different. But if I had to choose one I would go with Linda, aka 3 Bars of Death – but only if Coach lets me finish!
Least favorite exercise?
Jumping on or in or over things.
Worst workout you ever did?
It’s a toss up between Seven Rounds of Hell (That’s what I named it.) and 400m lunges.
What motivates you during a workout?
I definitely enjoy working out with a group of folks who are encouraging me and are working hard themselves. I try to think positive thoughts and use mantras like “You are strong!” or “You can totally do this!”
If you had to pick one thing to eat at every meal, from now until forever what would it be?
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad from Cheesecake Factory. (You didn’t specify Paleo!)
If you could become one animal what would it be?
Something that runs fast. I would love to know what that feels like.
A CrossFit couple for sure!
Will CrossFit be a part of your life for years to come?
To quote Jenna Grace, “Heck to the yes!”
What advice can you give everyone out there?
Put your heart in it!
Describe yourself in 5 words: Superman-loving, Life-Coaching, Food-Evangelizing, Mad-dog CrossFitter! (from Chris- I’m not sure if that’s 4 or 9?)
