This month we have the pleasure of choosing one of our evening class stalwarts, Susie, as our Member of the Month! It has been almost exactly four years since Susie first walked in the door of Croga and she has been a consistent and uplifting part of our community and a big piece of the social puzzle at Croga as well. If you have ever been to a 5:30 or 6:30 pm class at Croga, you most definitely know and love Susie! And she’s always been a Croga staff favorite because she loves all the things that we all love: Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, Murph, making friends quickly, adult beverages, and now that she’s a member of Croga Nutrition, counting macros, hahaha. Congratulations on taking an already consistent commitment to your health and fitness pre-COVID to a whole new level by attending even more classes and signing up as a nutrition client a couple of months ago. We’re proud of you, Susie, and can’t wait to have you back INSIDE the gym with all your friends slamming bars and having dance parties in the back corner of the gym, soon! When did you join Cróga? Around Labor Day Weekend 2016 – 4 years ago now! What were you doing before for fitness? Literally nothing. My old apartment had workout classes I would attend occasionally and I would run about a mile a few times a month. It was a weird time in my life as I have always been active, but I had no desire to then. What was your first workout? The first reaction to your first workout? I have told this story many times, but my first workout was a Saturday WOD. I was told it would be a good day to start because we would have partners. BUT THEN my partner turned out to be Kristi Smith. She was so fit and I was so not – thank God she was so nice to me. We were to go on a wall ball run together, and I just saw her grab this giant heavy ball and take off on what felt to me like a sprint. I chased after her as best I could and afterward all I could think of was, “how the hell did she do that?”. When I asked her, she told me she had been carrying around baby Parker for months. I was blown away, if I could be that fit someday right after having a baby I was so in! What improvements have you seen in the way you look, feel, and perform? I LOVE looking more muscular. I look back at photos of myself and see scrawny arms/shoulders and think I look weird. I am excited to continue improving with Croga Nutrition. My goal is to wear a crop top this year and I am determined to make it happen!! What days and times do you come to Cróga? I am a solid evening gal, and since COVID started I now try to come 4-5 days a week. It’s my only time for socialization :). You will never catch me in the mornings at the gym, I am the grumpiest! Shoutout to the old 10:00 AM Saturday crew! What’s your favorite WOD? Anything with farmer’s carries, kettlebell swings, or deadlifts. It’s when I feel my strongest 🙂What’s your least favorite WOD? Is anyone actually a fan of burpees? I also HATE box jumps. So fair to say I also hate Burpee Box Jumps – I am sure that is why Cody programs them so often. “The Susie” WOD! What would it be? Something with a healthy combo of cardio AND strength exercises. It would probably include some of my favorites above like Kettlebell swings and Farmer’s carries and maybe rowing for calories. the WOD would also be an AMRAP, I hate being the last to finish something because it is for time. What’s your favorite post-workout routine? On a nice night, I like to sit outside in my garden to cool off for a bit before eating dinner. Lately, with the heat, I have resorted to driving around my neighborhood with the AC on blast or sticking my head in the freezer 😂. Before COVID and joining Croga Nutrition my post-power lifting routine was to get McDonald’s. It was such a wonderful treat and the reason I needed to join Croga Nutrition. 😉 What’s been your favorite culinary discovery since joining Cróga? Figuring out ways to make my favorite dishes healthier has been really exciting for me. I love that I don’t have to miss out on my favorite things! What’s your biggest fitness goal for this year? I always say “this is the year I will get pull-ups”. I hope at some point I will be able to get into the gym for some practice soon – I was really motivated this year! My biggest goal is to lose some of my extra pounds and improve my overall health/fitness. What do you love about this type of fitness? I know everyone says this, but it’s the community. I love lifting and being strong but there is no way I would have stuck to it without such amazing people surrounding me and pushing me forward. What words of advice do you have for new members or people considering joining Cróga? Just push through your first month. We all had that feeling at first of “I can’t do this” or “this is too much”. Once you get into the groove you will see results so quickly, feel so much better, and join a community of people you won’t be able to live without. Anything to add that we didn’t touch on yet? Shout out to the best coaches in the world who have stuck through my sarcasm, complaining, dance sessions, and talking too much during class. I could not have gotten this far without you guys over the last 4 years. Thank you to my friends for pushing me to keep going, push harder, and lift heavier. This community is what keeps me going, and makes me excited for the end of my workday. I am so grateful for every one of you.
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