CrossFit Archives - Inspired & Strong | Making the Best of Every Day with Stacy

Hi Gram,

Three years ago today, we said goodbye. So many ups and downs since then. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was driving you and Gramps home from Virginia after his month-long stay in the hospital. We lost him just a week later on February 4th. I can’t believe that was eight years ago. I miss his big belly laugh so much. He was so full of life. I wish there was a way to know him as I did as my Grandpa but also if I could go back in time and know him as a young adult. I think he would have been a very interesting young man to know as My Prince and I hear many, many stories of “Coach” from his former players and friends.

After Gramps passed away, we had a lot of fun didn’t we, Sweet Gram? I miss our times together. Even though we had many ups and downs, overall I had the best time living with you and taking care of you. I can’t believe it has been three years since we lost you. I think about all of our adventures often, and we talk about them all the time with others who remember you and others who never had the chance to meet you.

My first summer back in my hometown we did a few updates to your house including a new roof, new floors, new carpet, and some outside landscaping. We made several fires as we always needed to take the chill off. We napped during the day anytime we wanted to. We drove to softball games so you could see me help coach my alma mater’s team. We also found as many ice cream joints as we could. We zipped around in my little EOS convertible without a care in the world. (I am sure you know I am now on my fourth EOS 🙂 It’s blue and beautiful.)

We had so much fun driving up and down the East Coast visiting the family in Virginia and your condo in Fort Myers. Those first two years we were together were full of so many ups and downs. We learned that my sister had the dreaded C word. Then a few months later, while we were in Fort Myers, we met the man who would become my forever Valentine. You liked him so much and he must have liked us, too. As you can see lots of ups and downs.

The next year we lost the sweetest, kindest soul, my sister. It was a shock that her battle with cancer only lasted 18 months. I couldn’t believe she was gone. It was one of the hardest times in my life. I was blessed to have you, my friends, and My Prince to support me through the grief.

Later that year, we moved to Florida to be with My Rock. We continued driving up and down the East Coast but now we were a trio. The next year your health declined a bit but My Heart and I got engaged and married. More ups and downs for sure.

We continued our adventures together. We watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. We sat by the pool and took you on the boat. We visited friends and family. We even took you hiking and out to the mountains of Colorado. Sometimes you didn’t want to go but after some arm twisting you were all smiles and at the end of the night you thanked us for such a good time.

Gram, life is so full of ups and downs. I guess we need the downs to appreciate the ups. I don’t know. I loved all of our ups and downs together and miss you like crazy. I know when the rest of us get to Heaven it will seem like no time has passed. Until then those of us down here will keep having our ups and downs on this journey we call life.

In How We Move

Burpees

February 16, 2022 No Comments

Equipment Needed

yoga mat
timer

Weekly Wednesday Workout

In today’s workout, you will see how many burpees you can do in two minutes.

Movements for each round:

burpees or up/downs or abs of your choice

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Fortune Vieyra on Unsplash

In How We Move

3 Rounds Lunges

February 2, 2022 No Comments

Equipment Needed

dumbbell (optional)

Weekly Wednesday Workout

In today’s workout, you will do three rounds of 12 reps of three different movements on each leg. Rest as needed in between each round.

Movements for each round:

12 lunges right leg
12 lunges left leg
12 reverse lunges right leg
12 reverse lunges left leg
12 curtsy lunges right leg
12 curtsy lunges left leg

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Sergio Pedemonte on Unsplash

In Fitness and Nutrition

New Year, New You

January 4, 2022 No Comments

It seems every January, people make resolutions that they don’t keep. They think it’s a new year, it should be a new me. Instead of being realistic they go for the gold and end up quitting before they even get started. This year, make your resolution mindful and realistic. Reread the post Eat Better and Move Better and focus on becoming 1% better every day. What baby steps can you make to meet your goal? The more steps you take and the more progress you see the more likely you will be to keep going.

It’s hard because, after the holidays and all of the parties and gatherings, you want to be a new you in the new year. But try to evaluate where you are now and where you want to go. Then be realistic about the amount of work you will need to put in. I am not trying to discourage you. I just want you to be honest with yourself. Whatever your new year goals are…what does it take to get there?

Do you want to lose weight? Gain muscle? Run a race? Quit drinking? Quit smoking? Eat at home more often? Eat less fast food? Travel more? Do a Spartan Race or a mud run? Hike a mountain? Ride a bike? Whatever you decide, write it down, and determine your short-term goals. Remember the end goals are like marathons, not sprints. You are not going to lose 10 pounds in 10 days. It takes time. So start small. Start with two pounds a month and by next year the new you will be 24 pounds lighter! And next year, you can continue and soon you are down 48 pounds, and you can keep it off because you have changed your lifestyle and not gone on some fad diet.

I talk a lot in this blog about how we eat and how we move. I first learned to eat healthily at Bill Lawrencen’s Personal Fitness in Meadville, PA. If you are in the area, go now, and start Dream Team. You won’t be sorry. He gets some serious results. You can also participate virtually. Check out the website. To this day, Jeff and I continue eating a lean protein, the right carb, and a healthy fat at every meal. When we eat out, we make as healthy of a choice as we can, and usually, we order fish or lean meat and veggies.

If your goal is to travel more then decide how often do you want to go? How much do you want to spend on each trip? Then make it happen. Do a little each week or month to get you there. Look for deals on airlines. Look at the low-cost carriers. Try to pack minimally and don’t pay for a seat or luggage. There are many ways to travel inexpensively. Also, look at credit cards that give you miles.

Whatever your goals, it’s a new year for a new you. Start small and take baby steps. Jeff and I had our two-year wedding anniversary on December 31st. One of our new year’s commitments to each other is that every month we will do one of the Five Love Languages. We did them the first two years of our relationship but haven’t made a conscious effort on them for the last two years. Each month we will pick a language and make a day of it. To find out your love language and that of your partner or even a family member, click here.

Whatever your goals, I wish you a safe, happy, and healthy new year and new you! Stay strong and be inspired each and every day!

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

In How We Move

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

August 11, 2021 1 Comment

Happy Birthday, Mama! Can’t wait to celebrate together! I incorporated 8/11 and 70 for the reps and time today. I am not sure my mom is thrilled about this workout but if you want something quick to do with a good amount of reps, this workout is for you!

Equipment Needed

none

Weekly Wednesday Workout

In today’s workout, you will have 11 minutes to do 70 reps of 8 different movements. You will need to do these moves quickly to get them all done within the time limit. So get a timer, a mat, and get moving!

Movements:

70 jumping jacks or jump rope
70 squats
70 mountain climbers
70 crunches or abs of your choice
70 lunges
70 high knees
70 sumo squats
70 standing abs (35 each side)

Repeat if you have time left. You can always modify by doing two rounds of 35 reps of each movement.

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

In Family

That Summer

May 18, 2021 No Comments

As you read in “The Broken Hip”, Gram and I took off for Florida in February 2017. It was there, at the CrossFit gym, where I met my future husband as you read in our trio blog posts from him, Eleina, and myself. It was also at that time that I had just started my First Dream Team. And we had just learned that my sister had Cancer. But let’s continue on our journey with Gram that summer.

After two weeks in Florida, Gram, the cat, and I made our way to Richmond to see the family. My sister had just undergone surgery and was recovering from having several organs removed. The doctors felt surgery was the best approach to try to rid her body of cancer. She was hopeful and ready to kick cancer’s ass. She was so strong and she didn’t stay long in the hospital bed. She was ready to be home with her little ones. We stayed a couple of weeks to help out and to spend some time with her.

Once she was settled back at home, Gram and I continued on our journey to PA. I decided to start taking classes to get my real estate license. I thought being a realtor would give me flexible hours and a flexible schedule. I could then care for Gram, but also make some money and possibly turn it into a career when my caretaking duties were finished.

Because it was my first Dream Team I also spent a lot of time at the gym. I took my new healthy lifestyle seriously plus I was meeting new friends. I really enjoyed it. Many days, I would take Gram with me to the gym and even put her through a few workouts. She was so inspiring. She would do some squats, lift some dumbbells, and do a weight machine or two. I hoped it would help her with her balance. At that time, the gym was on the second floor so just to get to the gym Gram had to walk up two flights of stairs. And she did it well!

My sister had another surgery in May, and they scraped every inch of her abdomen. She was in the operating room for 20 hours. It was so scary. But, she pulled through and was ready to go home within days. I couldn’t believe how determined she was. We all prayed that the surgery would be the last, and she would start the remission process. But they still wanted her to do chemotherapy and radiation that summer, which she did. She held onto most of her hair until that fall. Then it started getting thin. It eventually fell out by Christmas.

After months of studying, I passed my real estate license test and started selling houses. I really enjoyed it. Gram went with me several times to show houses. Sometimes she would go in and sometimes she would just sit in the car. She was content and happy. We spent that summer riding around in my little convertible EOS, getting ice cream at all of the hot spots, and making our way up and down the highway to and from Richmond. We didn’t have much of a schedule so we just took one day at a time and wanted to spend as much time as we could with the family.

That summer, I was busy with real estate and started doing some personal training at the gym. Jeff and I stayed in touch but only saw each other a few times. I kept thinking ‘if it’s meant to be, it will be.’ I wanted it to work, but I knew the distance could limit the opportunity, especially since his youngest son was still in high school. So I enjoyed my time with Gram and doing my own thing. She was the best companion because she did what I wanted to do and didn’t complain 🙂

As the weather got chillier and fall came upon us, things started to change. Jeff asked me to a few family functions and football games as our relationship started becoming more serious. Gram told my friends and family that she better not say how much she liked Jeff or I would stop dating him. Therefore, she kept it a secret for a while. But every now and again, when I was in the bathroom with Gram, she would let it slip and say, “I like Jeff. Do you like Jeff?” And of course, I liked Jeff but we still lived in different states, and I wasn’t sure where life would lead or what Life Changes would occur.

My sister finished chemo and was feeling pretty good. She was working on gaining muscle and getting her strength back. The kids were getting older and more involved in gymnastics and tee-ball. We all loved watching them play. We were all hopeful. We were looking forward to Christmas and spending more family time together. My sister was so positive and determined. Even as she was battling cancer and going through surgeries, radiation, and chemo, she kept a positive outlook. She laughed, she smiled. She enjoyed all the little things. Little did we know that upcoming Christmas would be her last and more life changes would be upon us.

In Fitness and Nutrition

My First Dream Team

May 12, 2021 No Comments

If you are from Northwest Pennsylvania then you have probably heard of or participated in the Dream Team contest put on by Bill Lawrence’s Personal Fitness. Bill runs the contest every year starting in January and it runs for 16 weeks. The goal is to make a commitment to learning how to eat healthily and stick to a fitness regimen, then maintain that lifestyle after the contest is over.

The team that loses the most weight and body fat is the winner, and I believe they receive a free membership to the gym for the rest of the year (But I don’t know for sure). There are other prizes given for different accomplishments like moving into a leaner category than where you started or the biggest transformation. It’s always fun to win a prize, but the best part of the contest is creating a team, getting to know each other, pushing each other towards your goals, and then going to the Dream Team banquet. Everyone gets dressed up, and it’s time to Par-tay! It’s unbelievable the transformations that occur during these four months of nutrition and exercise discipline. It’s a great celebration of accomplishments, and it really is so much fun. It’s kind of like Prom for adults 🙂

I learned a lot during my first Dream Team. My team came in 7th place. We worked really hard by eating right and supporting each other. I didn’t know my teammates that well when we started the contest, but we are friends to this day. We got to know each other over the four months and helped each other when we were struggling. I started to feel more comfortable in the gym. I was getting to know more people and starting to feel like I belonged. I can’t thank them enough for asking me to be on their team.

I also learned how awesome the workout community is. The members of this gym are amazing. One, they believe in each other and want everyone to succeed. They cheer each other on and lift each other up. Two, everyone learns the nutrition program and shares meals they enjoy. They want everyone to like what they are eating while maintaining nutrition. Three, many of the women here are badasses. I have been to a few gyms over the years, and these women are truly like no other. They push themselves and each other to the limit. I learned to do things I never in a million years thought I would be able to do like a backflip. And the women are happy for and actually support each other. I never would have been able to lose weight if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my teammates and the athletes at this gym. Everyone is supportive. I hope that you can find a gym like this near your home town.

It definitely takes time to learn the nutrition program (that Bill teaches). If you have been following me, we try to eat a lean protein, the right carb, and a healthy fat at each meal. I am still learning what works and what doesn’t but during my first dream team, I lost weight and body fat and transformed my body. I went from 129.9 pounds and 19.6% body fat to 119 pounds and 15.8% body fat. Although I am not as strict as I once was, I have learned to enjoy what I eat and substitute healthier options for those not-so-great options I used to love. Check out Sub This for That for more suggestions.

In the end, fad diets don’t usually work. You may lose a lot of weight in the beginning but then when you start eating normal foods again or become less strict, you gain all of the weight back. Although you may bounce a little up and down with this program, the bounces are not extreme if you stick with it 85-95% of the time. My suggestion is to find an activity that you love to get your body moving. Find a gym that is supportive and encouraging. Yoga, pilates, CrossFit, and weight lifting are just a few examples. Then start slowly. Give up soda or other heavy calorie drinks. Give up fried food for a week. Eat at home more often than you eat out. Eventually, you will realize you don’t miss the fast-food cheeseburgers because you worked really hard and you like the way you look and feel.

In Pilot's Wife

How We Met- Part 1

February 8, 2021 No Comments

As you read in, The Broken Hip, Gram broke her hip in December 2016 but by February she was making great strides. We left the snow for the sun and ended up at her condo in Fort Myers.

Since I had just started CrossFit, I googled CrossFit gyms near the condo. I found a few and decided on CrossFit Thoroughbreds. I took a few CrossFit classes and met some great people and instructors. It was my first time dropping into other boxes, and I fell in love with the CrossFit community. On Saturday, February 11, 2017, I decided to try Boot Camp. After class, I met two amazing people who would significantly impact my life. One would later become my husband and the other one gave me the tools and the support to start this blog. (Their stories of “how we met” will be published this week. Stay Tuned!)

I arrived at Boot Camp a little early and was stretching and warming up. I observed a man and woman having a conversation about what seemed to be some kitchen renovations and possibly an ex. They both talked fairly loud so it was easy to eavesdrop 🙂 They seemed to be very good friends who had a history of being there for each other. I was intrigued by their conversation and wanted to know more about both of them. The guy was good looking, and he seemed like he was about my age, but I can never tell. Plus, he had on a hat and you never know what’s underneath that! They both had great figures and looked like they were dedicated athletes.

During the workout, they were partners while I was in another group. I remember it being a pretty tough workout with push-ups and running. I also remember looking out of the corner of my eye to see how good of an athlete this guy was. I found they both worked hard and were impressive in their moves.

After class, the woman, who was sitting next to the man, said hi to me and asked if I was new to town. I explained I was only there for about two weeks and was taking care of my grandmother. I told them I had friends coming to town that night so they gave me some suggestions on where to take them. The guy mentioned he had some time off from work and wanted to know if I wanted to meet him the next day and go to the beach. Because I am a Yes Woman I didn’t hesitate to say it sounded like a fabulous idea. We chatted a few more minutes and before we parted ways, Eleina, the amazing wing woman, said how can he contact you without your number. I laughed and probably rolled my eyes. In the end, we exchanged numbers and the rest is history 🙂

I still find it hard to believe that quitting my job in 2015 led me back to my hometown which led me to caregiving for Gram which led me to CrossFit which in turn led me to my prince. I would not have met my husband if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith. And I wouldn’t have found him if God hadn’t placed me right where I needed to be at that moment.

This week is dedicated to our story of how we met four years ago this week. No, it wasn’t love at first sight and no, we didn’t start dating right away because we were in two different states. But we met and that was just the beginning.

Jeff, my husband, and Eleina, the wing woman will be writing posts Tuesday and Thursday of how our first meeting went from their perspectives. Check them out!

In What We Use

Rogue Fitness

December 1, 2020 No Comments

We love Rogue products.

Since it’s the holiday season, we thought we would do a few posts about the products we use and because we love them, we also applied to be an affiliate. If you order through our links then we may get a small commission, which we would really appreciate.

EQUIPMENT

One of my favorite purchases from Rogue has been my jump rope. During quarantine, I ruined my first one by jumping on the cement. But I loved it so much, I bought another one exactly like it! For Christmas last year, my husband got me this amazing Toomey Edition Women’s Bella barbell. Baby Blue is my favorite. The rowers we use at home and at our gyms is the Concept 2 Rower. We also just ordered the Rogue Vertical Plate Tree. We are working on building our home gym. We love working out with the CrossFit community but it is nice to have the option to do something at home, especially when we feel like sleeping in!

OTHER STUFF

I bought my husband this hat, which he loves. Although I don’t use it as much anymore, I used to use a lot of tape. This goat tape is the best. We also have these Rogue Bumper plates.

We believe Rogue has great quality products. Many of the CrossFit gyms we go to use them as well as people who have created gyms at home. If you decide to order, please go through this link or the Rogue ad below. The links to the products don’t have my affiliate ID in them, but I wanted you to see what we use. Please let us know if you have any questions. Happy shopping!

CrossFit

Ups And Downs

Burpees

Equipment Needed

Weekly Wednesday Workout

How to Do the Moves

3 Rounds Lunges

Equipment Needed

Weekly Wednesday Workout

How to Do the Moves

New Year, New You

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

Equipment Needed

Weekly Wednesday Workout

How to Do the Moves

That Summer

My First Dream Team

How We Met- Part 1

Rogue Fitness

We love Rogue products.

EQUIPMENT

Missing Gram

Like this:

Letter to Gram

Like this: