Crossfit Games Athlete, Jessica Griffith

I am excited to bring in our first of many Crossfit Athlete interviews with a great discussion with Crossfit Games Athlete Jessica Griffith.  In 2017 Jessica became a Games competitor and is currently preparing for her second year as a competitor.  I have included a link to her Crossfit Games page so you can view her impressive lifts and accomplishments.

Athletes: Pay attention to question 4, small choices throughout the day can make or break an athlete.  Keep building positive habits and soon they will pile up and create an unstoppable athlete.

https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/254313jessicas Crossfit Games bio

1. I am a Crossfit athlete. I got started when I graduated nursing school. I needed something to fill my free time and that is when my friend introduced me to Crossfit.

2. Because I love Crossfit so much, I can't really say there has been MAJOR struggles. But some obstacles I've faced is being disciplined enough to focus on m diet and water intake to achieve optimal performance. Another obstacle is learning how to balance training with family and social interactions. It is so important to be focused on the goal at hand--but to not take it so seriously that you miss out on the most important things in life--your loving and precious relationships with people.

3.My short term goal is to qualify for my second Crossfit Games. Long term goals include being a person that people look to for advice, guidance, inspiration, and motivation to be the best person they can be.

4. Advice I would give a young athlete is, focus on the small day-to-day choices. The small choices make the big picture. For example, carrying around a water bottle with you and constantly filling it with water to keep yourself hydrated. Choosing to take the extra 15 minutes in a day to stretch your muscles after a workout. Choosing portion control opposed to over indulging on your meal. All of these small choices made day after day eventually evolve into months and years of good choices which will then produce a magnificent product--a healthy, strong, sturdy athlete.

5. Nutrition plays a huge role in training. I count my macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). So everyday I have a set number to hit of each. These numbers have been calculated according to my height and goals for performance. Your body needs a certain amount of energy to achieve certain volumes of training. When I find I'm consuming too much sugar, I'm not able to perform nearly as good as I do when I am conscious of my sugar intake. Same thing with water. If I neglect to drink water, I am not able to perform to my best ability. I find wholesome nutrition to be crucial in top performers.

Kansas State High Jumper, Clare Gibson

Today we brought in Clare Gibson, a High Jumper from Australia who is currently competing at Kansas State University and already hitting some big jumps early in her college career.  In  2015 she was a finalist in the World U18 Championship with a 1.8m Jump and is also a U16 State Record holder and in 2017 she received the Silver medal at the Australian National Championships.

For our Athletes, pay attention to question #3 (Goals). One of the great hints about Track and Field is being able to find victory in a PR even when you do not take first place.  Always focus on making yourself a better and stronger athlete.

1: How did you get started in your Sport?
I began through a program called Little Athletics back in Aus, it is basically a version track where you have the opportunity to compete in multiple events each weekend. the focus of this program however is not so much to win, rather to beat you own PR. After a few years competing in this, i moved my way up to competing at the proper meets and everything has really just progressed from there.

2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success
i would say that the biggest struggle has probably been injuries and knowing how to deal with them. I have had injuries come 2 weeks before nationals and had to drop out, It was devastating at the time, but from it i learnt about how to care for my body and to listen carefully to know when is enough. It is a constant battle as an athlete to know just how far we can push the boundaries without injuring ourselves in the process.

3: What is your current goal
My current goal this season is to jump a PR. There is no gold medal or winning a competition that would make me happy, what excited me rather is simply getting better and improving everyday. I know that i am young and have many years left in this sport, so right now its about focusing on the small things and trying to refine myself as a jumper.

4:  What advice would you give a young athlete?
Never give up, and find what motivates you. There are so many times when it is tough and you want to give up. i say to people that i have a love hate relationship with the sport. but no matter how many times you feel like quitting or things are getting to hard, you just have to push through in order to come out the other side and experience the good. I think that finding out what motivates you as an athlete to train your hardest is one of the most valuable things you can do. In order to be your best, you have to give 100% and its the little things that make a difference. Its all about the 1%s.

5:  How big of a role is nutrition when it comes to your training?
As a high jumper, nutrition, recovery and sleep are the most important parts of my training. If i want my body to perform at its best, i need to be fuelling it correctly. This means that when season comes around, i have to clean up my diet and cut out the foods that are not so great for me. I know that by eating correctly, this could be the difference between winning and losing, or jumping that pb that i am always after.

I always ensure that i have healthy snacks on hand, and that after sessions i am eating a good amount of carbohydrates and protein in order to help restore my muscles and promote recovery.

American OLYMPIAN, Molly Huddle

In this weeks installment we were lucky enough to speak with Molly Huddle.  She placed 6th in the 2012 Olympics where she set the American Record in the 10,000m at 30:13.17 and also broke the American 5k Record in 2014 with a finishing time of 14:42.64.  What I found most interested in Molly is that her High School did not have a Cross Country team so she ran and competed by herself.  For our athletes reading, pay attention to how she came back from multiple injuries and recommends keeping a journal of your progress and goals.

How did you get started?

I got started running by watching my Dad do road races, and running a few, then joining the middle school track team.

What was your biggest struggle?

a major struggle for me was avoiding injuries, as I broke my foot 4 times. Each time I figured out what I could do better with my form and strengthened weak areas of my body and problem solved with foot orthotics and stayed fit with cross training, which I view as a new physical and mental challenge that would help me be a tougher athlete in some way.

What is your current goal?

my current goal is to win the Boston Marathon and make the Olympic team in 2020.

What advice would you give a young athlete?

I would tell young athletes to write in a journal everyday so they don't forget what they learn from their sports and so they can see patterns in their training! It also helps to write down goals and steps to get there and what your values are, it makes everything more real and serves as good reminders of accountability.

Where do you rank nutrition when it comes to success in your sport?

nutrition is important, I definitely could have eaten better as a young athlete. I did not eat enough protein, which is my biggest regret!
Happy training!
Molly


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For a full list of Mollys career check out her impressive Wikipedia page
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Huddle

Swiss Javelin Thrower Nadja Marie Pasternack

For our third installment of speaking with some of the worlds best athletes we had the privilege of meeting with Swiss Track and Field Star Nadja Marie Pasternack.  My favorite aspect about following Nadja on Instagram is her workout videos, proving just how important the weight room is for athletes, especially Throwers.  I’d highly suggest all our track athletes check her page out and pay close attention to the work that is required to succeed in this sport.  As she comes back in 2018 after an injury you can expect to see her hit new PRs as she works hard to reach her goal of qualifying for the European Championship.

1: How did you get started in your Sport?

I tried lots of different sports when I was younger, track and field fascinated me the most. Different to lets say handball, you can actually see your improvement by measuring meters, centimeters or time. Also its you that improves and not the team.


2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success?

I stayed in a toxic coach / athlete relationship for too long because I couldn’t find a way out (no other coach) and was afraid of training alone. 


3: What is your current goal?

My realistic goal for next season would be to throw a new personal best, after I was injured in 2017. My dream goal is to qualify for the european champs in berlin next year and to participate at the olympic games in 2020 in tokyo.


4:  What advice would you give a young athlete?

Do it for yourself and not for anyone else. Don’t do it for your coach, family, friend etc. Do it because you want to do it. Set small goals and write them down. 


5:  How big of a role is nutrition when it comes to your training? 

I used to think nutrition wasn’t as important as it actually is. What I learned recently is that you should never feel hungry! 
My body needs a lot of energy. If i don’t have enough energy for my training, I’ll first get tired so much faster, second cant get my training done 100% and third i have a higher risk of getting injured. I eat clean during the week. On weekends I allow myself to “cheat” a little bit by eating a pizza or cake :) 

Giada Antreutti TEAM ITALY Discus Thrower

This weekend we were given the opportunity to speak with Team Italy’s very own Giada Antreutti as she prepares for the European Championship in Berlin this summer.  Giada is a top notch Thrower with an amazing 55.70 meter Discus Throw.

Make sure to check her out this year in BERLIN!

1: How did you get started in your Sport?

Some of my relatives used to play this sport and I got inspired by them. This is how I started. At the beginning I used to some high jump and combined events. Then my passion for food was definitely bigger than anything else, this is why I became a thrower.

2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success

Being constant to be successful ia fundamental bit it's not as easy as it seems. Sometimes I feel tired or I'd like to hang out with my friends but I have to be focused on what I do, and I have to sacrifice the rest.

3: What is your current goal

Berlin. (European Championship)

4: What advice would you give a young athlete

You should never give up. Fix target goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them.

5: Where do you rank Nutrition as a factor for success

nutrition is important for every athlete, but when I need it I never renounce to something tasty!

Kathrin Klaas -3x Olympian speaks to O’Hara Fitness Athletes

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kathrin Klaas, 3times Olympian Hammer Thrower from German and member of the Eintracht Frankfurt Team.  Katrin has an all time record of a 76.05m Hammer Throw and is still actively competing and is currently training for the European Championship this spring.

Our new “Speaking with Athletes” program is really picking up and we are extremely excited to launch our first interview with such a highly successful athletes.  I’d advice all athletes, especially our throwers, to follow Kathrin on Instagram and YouTube and keep a close eye on the hard work an athlete at this level puts out.  Huge thanks to Kathrin for taking the time out to help us, stay tuned for the next interview as we build a large database for young athletes to go to and learn from the top competitors in the world.


Good luck this August in Berlin when you compete at the 2018 European Championship!

1: How did you get started in your Sport?

In Germany every school does what is called „Bundesjugendspiele“ once a year. It translates to "federal youth games“. The name is rather old but it still does the job. Most of the time they are held in t&f , sometimes in swimming or gymnastics depending on the region. I was seven when I came home and told my dad that I jumped 3m into a sand pit and was the fastest girl that day in the 50m dash. He asked if I wanted to do this kind of sport more often and in a club. Thats when I started doing t&f in a small club near my home town. I grew older doing all the events kids do and when I turned 11 a coach introduced me to hammer throwing. I started with light hammers and a lot of technical drills first. My favorite event was hurdles though. I did both events parallel until I turned 17 and switched from junior hurdle distances to the women`s 100m race. 

2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success

I had two tough years with injuries and set-backs. In September 2016 I had a hernia surgery and I must have walked around, trained fully and competed at the European Championships and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games with it. All I felt was that I wasn`t able to generate the speed I normally was known for. In the end it took half a year and many visists at different doctors and physio therapists to find the issue. 

The preparation time in the winter of 2015/2016 was extraordinary. I pr’d in many lifts and with different training hammers as well. In April I threw 76+ in training which I had never done before in my life so early in the season. Then all of a sudden all the results broke down. I had felt something like pop in my groin area lifting one time but I never would have concluded it to be a broken hernia. 

3: What is your current goal 

Since October I am preparing for the European Championships in Berlin in August this year. I am excited to come back to one of the most exciting circles in der world and a stadium where I first became a medal contender. My goal is to stay healthy and keep track until August. In the last season of my carreer I would like to show that I still have some good throws inside. 

4:  What advice would you give a young athlete

Do not let anybody tell you what you cannot do. Be honest to yourself and keep track. Dare to commit yourself to a higher goal that might seem far away and impossible to reach. Allow yourself to fail but get up again. Be good to yourself and never stop asking questions. 

Hammer is not an easy event. There are many ups and downs, technical problems, coordinative issues -  set-backs when team mates (in other events) march from PR to PR. Hammer takes longer but for those sticking with it, those with a strong mind eager to take on the challenge, it will pay off in one of these magical circles around the world in a sold-out stadium. 

5:  Where do you rank Nutrition as a factor for success

Nutrition is one of the main keys. Its the fuel our bodies run on, its the material our cells are built from. Quality clean food means strong, durable, capable cells, tendons and muscles. Eating mainly plant-based accompanied with meat meat (chicken/beef) once or twice per week and getting rid of dairy products, made me feel much fresher, more awake throughout the day. 

When I started to gather more and more information about nutrition related to athletic performance my body started to shape towards the athletic figure I always wanted to have. I became more self-confident and was able to walk into the competition circle with broad shoulders and my chin up. One leads to the other. 

 

Taste of our At Home Workout

For as low as 3 Months for $100 you can now train with us from home!  We understand that not everyone can make it to the clubs or even take our online program to their gym so we have set up an affordable and effective at home program designed to reach your goals and get you looking/feeling great.

What we need:

List of equipment (if any)

Goals

Schedule

Injuries

Restrictions

What you get

3 Workouts a week designed to get you blasting the fat and building the muscle.  Below is an example of 1Day of a NO EQUIPMENT workout

Day 1

Warm up

20 of each

Jumping jacks

Mountain Climbers

Squats

Routine 1

10 Minutes straight of 

Jump squats x 5

Push ups x 10

Lunge right leg x 15

Lunge left leg x 15

Repeat for 10min

Routine 2

5 Burpees

10 Sit Ups

6 burpees

10 Sit Ups

Then 7,8,...up to 15

Abs

30 crunches

25 Russian Twist per side

20 Leg Raises

X 3

Winter Shot Put Training

Shot Put Training: Winter

I have never seen Winter Track as a time period to focus on winning the weekly indoor competitions but more a time to prepare for States in May.  We have been fortunate enough to continuously win medals during the winter months but our main focus is on building the strength, power, and explosiveness needed to really launch the Shot come spring.  Below you will find 1day of weight room training from our HS 6day 2.5-3hr lifting/throwing Program

Day 1
Dead’s and Clean
1: Deadlift 5-4-3-2-1-1-1... just keep coming until you can’t pull a 1 rep max

2: Sumo Deadlift 3x8

3: Power Clean 5-4-3-2-1-1-1

4: Hang Clean and Press 2:1 ratio 2 cleans 1 Press equals 1rep for 3x5

5: Rack Pulls with 3 second holds HEAVY 3x5

6: 100 Dumbbell Clean and Press per arm

7: 50 Pull-ups

8: 50 GHD

9: Ab Work

10: Throw

Keep in mind this is only 1Day of 6 for a 12 week winter training cycle.  All remaining time is spent throwing or doing speed work.

Throwers need a legit training program.  If you are in the philly region contact us for in studio workouts or sign up for our international ONLINE TRANING at www.OHARAFITNESS.net