Merissa is our spotlight athlete of the month. She did CrossFit during her entire pregnancy and credits it for her quick recovery. Since delivering her precious baby boy Xander in November she has been killing WODs at the box. Just four months after having a baby she placed in the top 100 in Arkansas for the CrossFit Open. We are all in awe at how strong and metabolically fit she is. Way to go Merissa - CrossFit looks good on you!
When she is not at CrossFit she is keeping us all aligned as our chiropractor. Merissa and her husband Brian own Beard Family Chiropractic. Go see them!
How long have you been Crossfitting?
I first tried it over two years ago when we moved to Conway, but started doing it seriously (and dropped my globo-gym membership) a year and a half ago.
What made you start CF?
I had always wanted to try crossfit! When I was in high school, one of my best friends went to CrossFit. She’d always invite me, but I thought I couldn’t afford it. I wish I had started then! I began CrossFit because I was getting bored in the gym with my 3 sets of 10 exercises, and wasn’t seeing great results.
What changes have you seen since starting CF?
I am more well rounded than ever before! Although I’ve always gone to the gym, and I appeared to be a “fit” person, I could barely do an overhead squat! My butt is totally different, too :-p Most importantly, I now workout to get better and fitter, not just to look better in the mirror. I don’t care as much about the appearance of my muscles, but rather I care what kind of work those muscles can do.
What was it like Crossfitting while pregnant?
It was really awesome. I felt like I had such a wonderful pregnancy because I stayed so active. I also think do CrossFit while pregnant helped me bounce back much more quickly. It was also sort of fun thinking of different ways to modify things to accommodate a growing belly! I got the benefit of being a bit heavier too, which made me stronger in some of my lifts.
What is your favorite/least favorite movement?
If I see burpees or box jumps in a WOD, I get excited because I know I can knock those out. My least favorite movement is the muscle up because I just can’t seem to get it! It’s like my CrossFit nemesis.
What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
The people!! I love the community aspect so much more than I thought I would. I was always an “ear-buds in, don’t talk to me” kind of worker outer, but not anymore! I have met my best friends at this box. I have also enjoyed the partnership we at Beard Family Chiropractic have with CrossFit Conway. I love getting to see someone move at CrossFit, and then being able to help them in the office.
What are your long term goals?
To do a muscle up before next year’s open, and for my baby to work on his snatch ASAP so he doesn’t have the same issues I do!
What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
To just come try it out! Some people think they need to ‘get fit’ before they start, but it’s simply not true. Any workout can be modified. Likewise, if you’re already a fit person and you love a challenge, you can make any workout more difficult but working faster or lifting heavier! From a health standpoint, this type of functional exercise is so important. People think that as a chiropractor, I would hate CrossFit. Not true! I recommend all my chiropractic patients to do it because it strengthens your spinal muscles and core, and also works with your hormones to help you achieve better health. Plus you meet so many great, healthy people. So get off that treadmill and join me at 11:30am!
