Why did you choose Sycamore CrossFit? Why do you keep coming back?
CrossFit was something I’d considering trying for the past few years, but leaving a gym I was comfortable at and changing my workout routine was hard for me to do. With gyms closing due to COVID, I was left to find workouts to do at home. Luckily, my husband Nathan, who joined CrossFit in 2019, had access to the at-home workouts Sycamore CrossFit put together. We spent those couple of months of quarantine doing those workouts, and I quickly fell in love with the style – the workouts were challenging, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I LOVED IT! I joined Sycamore CrossFit when they were able to open up again. I keep coming back because the coaches are passionate, knowledgeable, and have helped me improve my level of fitness, and the wonderful people I have the honor to workout with feel like family.
What’s your best story about the gym?
Oh, man, how about the one workout I’ll never forget? It was the rainy day that turned 200m sprints into bike sprints for everyone and was accompanied by rowing. We had an extremely full 4pm class, enough that a few of us had to double up on equipment. I was on the eighth and final round and exhausted trying to finish my last 15 calories on the bike. Coach Eric and Phoebe (my partner that day) could tell I was struggling and needed some encouragement. Eric covered my bike screen with his hands, so I wasn’t able to watch those last few calories slowly tick by. He and Phoebe stood by my bike and cheered me on. Their encouragement was exactly the push I needed that day.
What advice would you give to the person you were a year ago?
SLOW DOWN. Prioritize time to do things for you – things that ease your mind, bring you happiness, and fill your cup.
What accomplishment at the gym or in your nutrition are you the most proud of?
Before joining CrossFit, I signed up for a few personal training sessions to work on upper body strength for an upcoming Spartan race. I was hoping to work on rope climbs, but a nagging wrist pain caused me to have to put those personal sessions on hold. This was all just weeks before quarantine. Then, I spent those couple of months doing CrossFit workouts at home with Nathan, which drastically improved my upper body strength – pushups were much easier and I was finally able to string a few strict pull-ups together. The first opportunity I had to do rope climbs was in a WOD. I was able to do ten of them and able to RX that day!
Emily’s Nutritional Transformation
“My husband Nathan and I have always been the athletic type. We grew up playing sports and have spent our adult lives running and lifting weights. I remember when we really started to focus on weight lifting back in 2012, Nathan had mention to me how odd it was that for as much working out as we were doing, we just weren’t getting the results we were trying so hard to achieve. We were your classic case of the saying ‘you can’t out train a bad diet.’
Fast forward to early 2018. We decided it was time to prioritize sleep and make some adjustments to our diet. We planned, prepped, and completed a Whole30. It was life changing! We’ve continued to follow a Paleo lifestyle – consuming nutrient dense, whole foods and limiting processed foods – and have more energy than ever!
Putting the time in at the gym is very important, but we cannot stress enough the importance of healthy eating and sleep as part of overall health and wellness.”
We are so proud of the incredible transformation Emily and her husband, Nathan, have experienced! And we know their awesome nutrition definitely gives them a competitive edge at the gym! We could not believe their before photos!
Before Photo (2011) v. After Photo (2020)
