The Power of Pressing On: A CrossFit Testimonial

I want to share with you a testimonial from one of our athletes at CrossFit 925. Alicia Ynostrosa is a marvelous example of an individual who, though initially intimidated by the prospect of starting a high-intensity fitness program like CrossFit, has made tremendous strides through patience, persistence and a positive attitude.

She has transformed herself into an outstanding athlete—and someone you would never guess was once unable to make it through a warm-up without taking frequent breaks.

We all know there is no silver bullet for obtaining the strength, stamina and physique we desire. The only existing side-effect-free method for achieving our fitness and weight loss goals is to, simply put, train hard and eat smart.

Since Alicia joined our gym in February of this year, she has made remarkable progress by consistently attending classes, taking recovery days and resting as needed, pushing herself outside her comfort zone, and eating healthily at least 80 percent of the time. I know you’ll be inspired by her story:

As a full-time working mom of three young girls—two of which are 3-year-old twins—I always had a million excuses for not working out or eating properly. I could just feel the pounds packing on my body and became very disappointed in myself.

I started noticing these awesome Facebook pictures of a friend of mine who was going to this “CrossFit place.” I thought she looked amazing. In the photos, I saw resistance bands being used to do pull-ups with, women lifting barbells—with weights on them—over their heads, medicine balls being launched up to 9- and 10-foot targets, and something called “burpees” that I think I’d seen football players do. Then I noticed the gym was right here in my neighborhood. I had no excuse not to try CrossFit out, and after the New Year, I decided I’d give it a shot.

When I first began, I really had no idea what I had gotten myself into. My first day, I couldn’t complete the warm-up because I had made the fatal mistake of not eating breakfast beforehand. The next time I went, I made it through the warm-ups successfully but had to do a modified version of the workout and thought it’d be impossible for me ever to do a WOD as it was prescribed. (I didn’t have a clue what a “WOD” even was. By the way, it means “Workout of the Day.”) After the workout, I couldn’t descend stairs without feeling pain from soreness, nor could I lift my girls into their car seats. (Literally, my husband had to do it for me!)

Despite feelings of failure, I decided to keep at it. I had to prove to myself that I was stronger than the lie that I was inferior or “just not cut out for CrossFit.” I knew deep down that I could be strong, healthy and happy about my appearance and no longer disappointed in myself. I must say it was also a huge incentive to attend after having met such a neat person to encourage me: Coach Diana. Having coaches that are 100 percent committed to helping you succeed and who constantly encourage you to reach higher and push harder (always with proper form!) is such a blessing.

I have done the gym thing, boot camp, indoor cycling, etc., but have never experienced such a desire to genuinely want to work out like I do now. There was just something about CrossFit that kept enticing me to return to the box (CrossFit-speak for “gym”), and that attraction hasn’t let up yet! The fact that every day is a new “adventure” keeps it motivating; there’s always something new to learn or improve upon, and the camaraderie among athletes is invaluable.  

My favorite aspect of all is, in fact, the small community atmosphere and the incredible coaches that continuously encourage and assist us, not only while at the box, but on their personal time as well. What other place can you walk out of and have the coach ask you, “So, which day are you coming back?” Talk about accountability! Better yet, I have lost quite a few pounds and inches and have gained substantial muscle and strength. I have made my way through some extremely challenging WODs and finished many that I once would have deemed physically impossible for me to do.

CrossFit 925 has provided me that little haven to get away to, to step into and spend an hour totally on myself, and yet ultimately for my family as I seek to be a stronger, fitter mom and wife. I step out feeling exhausted on some days, full of endorphins on others, but always fulfilled. 

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness. Her popular website can be found at www.fit4faith.com, and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925. Diana can be reached on Twitter.

For the original article, visit dianafit.com.