YELLOW DIAMONDS

15 min amrap:
chest-to-bar pullups x 3
burpees x 6
air squats x 9

FEATURED MEMBERS: LOUIE & DAWN ROSADO

How did you first hear about CrossFit? What interested you in the program?

L: I had a few friends that had mentioned they were doing it and at first it sounded out of my realm of capabilities. I really learned a lot when we went to North Carolina last October and saw the results of a friend that had been doing it for only a few months.  When he explained the program to me, and how some of the modifications work and that it is different every day, I really started thinking that maybe I might be able to do it.  It has been a huge bonus that we have the best coaches in the world and have made some amazing friends!

D: My best friend’s husband started CrossFit and we learned more details when we went to visit them in North Carolina.  Then I also treated several patients with orthopedic injuries sustained in CrossFit.    One patient showed me some wild lifting videos and I thought it was too much.  Then Louie joined and he told me how much emphasis was placed on proper form and technique, which is very important to me with my physical therapy background to prevent injury.  Once I heard about the importance placed on form and the constantly varied workouts, I was eager to try it for myself!

Dawn, you joined after Louie. What were the deciding factors for you?

D:  Louie started when I had abdominal surgery in January.  I was not allowed to exercise or return to work for 2 months.  I thought he was crazy at first.  I could not understand how he could be so sore for so long.  I sat back and watched the changes Louie was making and was jealous of his results, especially because I was not allowed to exercise.   Then, Louie participated in the 30 day Paleo Challenge at CFJAX, so I also ate Paleo by default.  I started to feel better and quickly started noticing results. So when I was cleared for vigorous exercise, he brought me to Bring a Friend Day.  I think our workout was only 12 mins long and I was sore for 4-5 days after.  I have been a sports physical therapist for 12 years, thought I knew about fitness and working out, but had never felt like that after a workout!  Once I got over being sore, I came in for my baseline. I talked with Louie that night, compared scores and realized my score was 3 minutes faster than his…that is when I knew I could do it and how competitive we would be!

Do you remember your very first WOD (post-Baseline)? Do tell!

L:  It was a 12 min. AMRAP of rows and dead lifts with a bonus round of 200 sit-ups for time!  I was extremely nervous on my way to my first WOD and when I saw it on  the board I thought – Ok, this doesn’t seem too bad; it’s only a 12 minute workout!  I quickly learned how long 12 min. can be!  I only completed 3 rounds, April scaled the sit-ups to only 50, and it still took me 4 min. to finish those! I ended up with the lowest score for the day! I left with my head pounding, still short of breath and was sore for the next week! I remember thinking – I can’t believe I let myself get this bad! 

D:  My first WOD was “Weyer’d” (after CFJAX member Jack Weyer) which was a 20 min AMRAP involving 10 ground-to-overhead and 10 pull-ups.  I think I used the training bar and did jumping pull-ups. I was sore for several days and wondered how I was going to be able to work out another day that week.  It took me at least a month of working out, being frustrated, trying to schedule massages just to make WODs 2 days a week. It was then that I noticed less soreness and was able to tolerate back to back WODs, which was a huge accomplishment for me.

You have both made some pretty amazing changes since starting your CrossFit journey. What has been the biggest life changer?

L:  Other than the obvious weight I have lost (85lbs), it has to be that I feel like I have my life back.  I can play with my kids in the yard or at the park and not want to go back inside after a few minutes.  I can actually run and jump and climb with them!  I can pick them up and carry them around without my back aching non-stop and gasping for a breath.   We are also making good decisions when it comes to nutrition.   Paleo is no longer a “diet” for us.  It has just become the way we eat.  Not because we feel we have to, but because we feel like crap when we don’t. 

D:  I think it is our lifestyle.  We went from going out to dinner 4-5 days a week to going out to dinner maybe 1 day on the weekend with our family.  We have focused on nutrition, following more of a Paleo diet or lifestyle you could say.  We are eating more vegetables and fruit and really enjoying them.  We feel better when we eat clean.  We have started cooking more, each of us experimenting with different recipes.  Louie has become an amazing chef.  But we still find time to take the kids out on the weekend and get some treats (ice cream!). We have both made working out a priority and have changed our work schedules to accommodate and manage our time better.  I think it has helped prepare me for the demands of my jobs as a wife, a mother and a physical therapist.  I think it helps that Louie does CrossFit, too.  We keep each other in line with nutrition, have someone to share our stories and frustrations with and it allows us to talk more once the kids go to bed.  We have started to make personal goals and want to set a good example of fitness and nutrition for our kids.  I lost 25 pounds quickly, noticed improved mental clarity and feel I have more energy.  I feel that I am more active with my 2 kids, able to lift and carry them without complaining and do not have to pass them off to Louie.  As far as professionally, I am trying to lead by example.  As a physical therapist in sports, my job is to motivate my patients to get better, get them back in the game by returning them to their sport and/or job and ultimately improve their quality of life!  I try to apply the principles of CrossFit to my patients and have seen some amazing results, starting with squats (something I struggled with early on).

Do you guys like working out in the same class? Does it get competitive?

L: Our schedules rarely allow is to work out at the same time.  Between our 2 kids and work we literally pass each other in the box most times we workout.  That doesn’t keep us from being competitive though!  We are constantly poking fun at each other for one reason or another and pushing each other to do more.  Really, the only time she beats me is when she cheats!  Haha.  Both of us want to be better than we are and it helps keep us motivated.    

D:  We have made it to several classes together and enjoy working out together.  Now my work schedule has changed.  I workout first at 6 am, he gets the kids up and dressed and brings my car and the kids to the gym. We swap cars, then he works out at 7am and I take the kids to school.  What teamwork!  It bothers him when I beat him in a workout- like in the Whole Life Challenge baseline WOD and the CrossFit Games Open burpees WOD.  I think it motivates him more, while it gives me a sense of accomplishment.  We have both been taking Posers together, which has been fun.  He often makes fun of me and motivates me to do better.  He even ran the last ½ mile with me on our last track night when I wanted to give up.  He pushed me and motivated me, so I could complete the WOD and finish in the very front, after he had already finished his 2x1.5 mile run! 

What is going through your mind when you hear “3, 2, 1, Go”?

L: I still get nervous right before I start.  Sometimes it even takes a minute or two to settle in after I start.  I just keep telling myself – No matter what, DO NOT QUIT!  So far, I haven’t! 

D: Haha! I feel the same way.  I get nervous driving to the gym before every workout!  I still get butterflies in my stomach before all WODs (not sure why exactly, just want to do good every time).  Then something changes when I hear the countdown, my mind settles down and my body just goes.

Favorite lift or WOD?

L: I kind of like chippers.  Not because I look forward to huge amounts of work and guaranteed pain.  But because when you first look at it and feel like there is no way you can do it all, somehow you struggle through it, find that little extra deep inside of you and finish.  It is just a huge sense of accomplishment to know that you completed what you originally thought was impossible. 

D: I had no idea how much alike we were!  I also like chippers.  I like the variety of movements and attacking it piece by piece.  It gives you a sense of accomplishment when you finish!

The best question – who do you chase on the whiteboard?

L: I still feel like I am chasing everyone!  I get frustrated when I know I could have pushed just a little harder and shaved an extra few seconds off.  I used to feel like I was chasing Seth a lot, but he has just been so strong lately!  I am definitely looking forward to the next I Am Strong series to close the strength gap on some people. 

D:  I definitely know who Louie chases, but that is a tough question for me.  I found myself competing with Jenn Budd when we took morning classes together.  Otherwise, I am often checking the board to see how the top girls are doing and to see if I have closed the gap.  Some days I feel good because my scores are close to theirs, while other days their lift scores seem untouchable.  That’s CrossFit - you just have to keep working!