Meet Megan! A badass mama of two, whose Olympic Lifting form is what dreams are made of! Watching Megan come back post baby has been such an inspirition. Plus, we love her sweet family–her amazing husband, Ashish, and her two sweet girls!
What brought you to Anthem in the first place?
We were sick of being lonely in our home gym and wanted to find some cool people to work out with! And we did!
What was your first impression of CrossFit? How has that changed?
My first impression of Crossfit was that it was a bit crazy (anything more than 10 reps seemed crazy to me) and just a way to see how many limits you could push your body to. After a year and half at Anthem though, the thing I love most about Crossfit is that it’s an equalizer. You can’t do Crossfit and just do the movements you are good at, which means that I’ve done more cardio in the past 18 months than I ever would have chosen – and I’m stronger for it. Though I still think more than 10 reps is crazy.
What was your first “bright spot” at Anthem?
Our very first workout at Anthem was Murph and my husband and I were going to split the workout so we could watch our toddler at the same time. Without even knowing us, someone offered to keep an eye on our kid so we could focus on our workout. I felt like we were part of the community the moment we started.
How has being at Anthem benefitted you as an athlete?
Cardio! I found weightlifting years ago and quickly gave up any sort of cardio exercise because I didn’t like it and I wasn’t immediately good at it. But it’s good to be uncomfortable, because that’s when you grow. I’ve been really uncomfortable at times, but I’ve also been stronger than I ever thought I could be at this stage of my life.
How have your goals or accomplishments shifted since working with Anthem coaches?
My goals are bigger now! There are a lot of movements that I thought I would never be able to do (coughdoubleunderscough) but the coaches are always encouraging you to break it down and work on tough skills rather than just breezing past and scaling.
Has your mindset changed since you’ve been at Anthem? If so, how?
When I started at Anthem, I would always choose weights that I knew I could finish the workout with without much trouble. Since working with the coaches and the community here, I am not scared to push myself to the point where I don’t know if I can do it. Now, I would rather go hard and “fail” than play it safe.
What are you working on now?
I am trying to build my strength back up after having a baby – especially my core. I want to hit heavy weights again but I want to be solid when I do. So far it’s going well!
You had your second child this summer! Would you be willing to share about your return to CF post baby?
I went into this pregnancy with a different mindset than my last – I just tried to keep showing up even if I had to scale or substitute a movement. Luckily, I was able to work out even into the week I gave birth and my recovery was so much better than my first. My mindset is the same postpartum – just show up and hopefully it will get easier! Workouts are different now but I think I’m a better mom when I take the time to prioritize my health too (and a HUGE thanks to everyone who has held a crying baby in a workout over the past few months!)
And most importantly: what is your favorite song for working out?
Whisky in the Jar – Metallica (little Irish folk metal!)
Is there anything else you want to share about your journey with us?
I just feel really lucky that an awesome gym happened to open up down the street at the exact time we needed it! We love our Anthem family!