Mandy has been a member of Croga for a few years now and rarely misses a day at the gym unless she’s being active outdoors instead. Her consistency, enthusiasm and friendliness are second to none and I often have to stop her from making friends so that I can get class started on time so we don’t run late ;). During this past (crazy) year, she has really impressed us by turning to fitness as a positive outlet and making it part of her morning routine to start her day off on the right foot. She often runs from 6-7 am with friends and then jumps in the 7 am class with the group and then is off to work like a flash! Congratulations on being our March Member of the Month, Mandy! Keep up the great work and making us all laugh every morning, we love having you as part of our community!!!
When did you join Croga?
I joined Croga in 2017. I had been looking to join a new Crossfit gym for some time and finally decided to give Croga a try. It was a perfect fit:-)
What were you doing before for fitness?
My first introduction to Crossfit was about 8 years ago. Before Crossfit, I had mostly done cardio for my workouts (running, hiking, swimming). I had really never lifted weights before and it really empowered me. I grew up swimming competitively and played water polo in high school. After high school I didn’t work out too much. It was after I had my second baby, I decided I was ready for a change and started at a bootcamp where I really started getting back into fitness. Soon after, I found Crossfit and both hated and loved it. To this day, I still feel the same:-)
What was your first workout? First reaction to your first workout?
To be honest, I don’t remember the details of my first Croga workout! However, I do remember Dave asking me about what my favorite pizza toppings were and I apparently said the “wrong” answer. Lol I know it must have been a good WOD though, they always are. You know the workouts where you think you are in decent shape, and you are proved wrong by the time you are only a minute in.
What improvements have you seen in the way you look, feel and perform?
I definitely feel stronger and better overall. One thing I really like about Croga is that you can always improve and the workouts really never get easier. It’s almost like you realize that you can do more reps at a certain weight or that you aren’t as sore, so it’s time to crank it up and add more weight to the bar.
What days and times do you come to Croga?
I try to go every day, but realistically end up going to class 5-6 times a week. Before COVID, I usually attended the 3:30 afternoon class and Saturday classes. The past year or so, I have been attending the 7am class and love it. What’s your favorite WOD? My favorite types of workouts are ChipperWODS. I love the variety and it never gets boring. I also like that they take a bit longer for improving endurance.
“The Mandy” WOD! What would it be?
Run 400
50 Box Jumps
40 Push Press
30 Deadlifts
20 KB Swings (American)
10 Burpees
20 KB Swings (American)
30 Deadlifts
40 Push Press
50 Box Jumps
Run 400
This can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells. Whatever the coach thinks would be best.
What’s your favorite post-workout routine?
My favorite post-workout routine would be grabbing coffee and talking about my workout for about 45 minutes with whoever will listen. Seriously!
What’s been your favorite culinary discovery since joining Croga?
I never have really enjoyed cooking much. However, I do love eating! I have pretty much eaten intuitively my entire life and it’s worked out ok for me. But, learning about macros, flexible dieting through Croga has definitely made me more aware of what I am putting into my body and makes me think twice about my food choices.
What’s your biggest fitness goal for this year?
This year, I would love to be able to get back into the gym and not only get stronger, but also work on my gymnastics skills. I would love to be able to consistently cycle my toes-to-bar and maybe get some bar muscle ups!
What do you love about this type of fitness?
I love the fact that I am working toward something; getting stronger, improving endurance, skill work. It makes me feel productive and overall, satisfied.
What words of advice do you have for new members or people considering joining Croga?
Try it, be open-minded, and give it time. I was definitely intimidated at first, but soon realized that so many different types of people, regardless of age or fitness level, can do Crossfit and modifications can always be made; that’s not an excuse not to try.
