On to week 2 of the CrossFit Open! Here is the workout: 24.2 CrossFit Open 20 min. AMRAP 300m row 10 deadlifts 50 double unders Before diving into strategies for 24.2, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster than they normally would. Before going there, think about your current AND long term goals, way beyond pregnancy or trying to prove something early on postpartum.  Pregnancy is not forever ..read more

Here we go! The 2024 CrossFit Open has officially begun. Even though there are scaled and foundations options for each of the workouts, pregnancy and postpartum are very different seasons that deserve different considerations than random lists of exercises that are okay or exercises that should be avoided. Before diving into strategies for 24.1, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster than they normall ..read more

Here we go! We are at the final week of the CrossFit Open and here is the workout: Starting with a 6-minute time cap, complete as many reps as possible of: 5 wall walks 50 double-unders 15 snatches (weight 1) 5 wall walks 50 double-unders 12 snatches (weight 2) *If completed before the 6-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete: 20 strict handstand push-ups 50 double-unders 9 snatches (weight 3) *If completed before the 9-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete: 20 strict handstand push-ups 50 double-unders 6 snatches (weight 4) Before diving into strateg ..read more

On to week 2 of the CrossFit Open! Here is the workout: Part A: 15 min. AMRAP 5 burpee pull-ups 10 50-ft shuttle runs *Add 5 burpee pull-ups each round Part B: In 5 minutes 1 rep max thruster Before diving into strategies for 23.2, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster than they normally would. Before going there, think about your current AND long term goals, way beyond pregnancy or trying to prove s ..read more

Here we go! We are at the final week of the CrossFit Open and here is the workout: For time: 21 pull-ups 42 double-unders 21 thrusters (weight 1) 18 chest-to-bar pull-ups 36 double-unders 18 thrusters (weight 2) 15 bar muscle-ups 30 double-unders 15 thrusters (weight 3) 65 lb, then 75 lb, then 85 lb Time cap: 12 minutes Before diving into strategies for 22.3, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster tha ..read more

On to week 2 of the CrossFit Open! Here is the workout: 10 min. time cap 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps deadlift bar-facing burpees Before diving into strategies for 22.2, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster than they normally would. Before going there, think about your current AND long term goals, way beyond pregnancy or trying to prove something early on postpartum. Pregnancy is not ..read more

Here we go! The 2022 CrossFit Open has officially begun. Even though there are scaled options for each of the workouts, pregnancy and postpartum are very different seasons that deserve different considerations than random lists of exercises that are okay or exercises that should be avoided. Before diving into strategies for 22.1, I want to remind you of a few important things during this chapter: Athlete brain is real, especially during a competitive time like the Open. The Open puts most athletes in a different mindset to allow them to push harder and faster than they normally would. Before ..read more

When should I stop doing sit ups, planks, toes-to-bar, etc. in pregnancy? Are any core exercises safe in pregnancy? These are common questions that I get from women often and I once asked these questions as well. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter, I would go in for my doctor’s appointments with questions like this, but all I would get was, “just listen to your body and slow down if you need to”. At the time, I had no idea what that meant, so I assumed I could continue unless something hurt. Nothing ever really hurt in my abdomen, so I continued many core exercises well into late ..read more

For all of you runners out there, this is for you! I enjoy running (reasonable distances-ha!), but I learned pretty quickly in both of my pregnancies that running just didn’t feel great for me, so I found other options for substitutes. I’ve talked and worked with many women and some felt similar to how I did while others felt great while running in pregnancy. Many women are told that it’s safe to continue the type of exercise they were doing prior to pregnancy. The trouble with this guidance is that it is just too broad and it doesn’t take individual experiences into consideration. Just becaus ..read more

Last week, we talked about postural strategies you can use in exercise during pregnancy. Check it out HERE. Today, I want to dive into some strategies related to your breath and the core and pelvic floor connection with movement. Before completely giving up on certain exercises all together, there are often some different strategies you can try to see if the exercise feels better when performed in a different way. Sometimes all it takes is doing it differently. Remember (especially in pregnancy) that something may feel great one day, but not so much the next, so going with the flow and learnin ..read more