TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?
I’m a recovering attorney. After years of litigation I recently shifted my career focus and am loving the improved work-life balance (and so does my husband). For fun, I like traveling, and enjoy all things sci-fi. During the winter months I like to binge a really good open world video game on x-box (Assassin’s Creed and Star Wars). I’m also a dog co-parent to two rescue dogs (a shiba-inu and beagle mix) who are both crazy in their own ways.
WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO TRAINING AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
My background in fitness prior joining Hardware was full distance triathlons (Ironman) and marathon running. I moved to Andersonville in 2021 and was looking to continue my adventures in functional fitness (which I had recently discovered during COVID when the lakefront was shut down in 2020 – which meant no running). After our move to Andersonville I did some googling and I found Hardware. At first, I was a bit unsure about coming and trying out a class because a lot of the movements were entirely new to me (I don’t think I’d ever touched a barbell in my life, or if I had, it had been decades; and don’t even get me started about rope climbs!). I was hooked almost immediately after my first few classes. I love learning new things and testing out what my body is capable of doing/learning. Overall, the things that keep me coming back to Hardware are the community (lets face it, no one would ever decide to do 50 box jumps at 6:00 am if there weren’t other people doing it alongside you); and the coaches (seriously, all of them are great).
WHAT ARE YOUR FITNESS GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?
My fitness goals for this year are (and continue to be); getting better at doing double unders and handstand pushups. If my body is cooperating, sometimes I can string together a few double-unders. Handstand pushups, for me, is less of a strength issue and more of a coordination/confidence issue. Maybe sometime in the far distant future I’d like to consider working towards doing a muscle-up.
WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED AT HARDWARE THAT MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?
I remember when I first started at Hardware it was hard for me to get into a squat (having a desk job isn’t the best for overall flexibility; and flexibility is something I completely neglected). After lots of practice with back and front squats, they are much easier; and movements I (sometimes) look forward to doing. Besides the squats, I’m amazed that I was able to do a rope climb (and still am, to be honest).
FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?
This is a tough question to answer because I truly think it changes from week to week (or day to day). Right now, my favorite movement would probably be either box jump-overs, alternating dumbbell snatches or really anything with a kettle bell (russian/american swings). Sometimes I even enjoy a good thruster (I can’t believe I actually said that, but its true).
LEAST FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?
Overhead squats. I can do them (now, sort-of), but I always question my life choices when I’m in a squat with a barbell raised over my head.
ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT HARDWARE?
Just do it. The community is great, the coaches are great, and you’ll learn so much about yourself and get some exercise in the process. And more importantly, don’t feel afraid about not being able to do some type of movement, there are scales of everything, and I can’t think of one person in the gym who has mastered every single “crazy” movement that we do.
