The 2014 CrossFit Games women’s champion shares the secrets to her success.

 

TRAIN: What do you do to recover from one of the big CrossFit competitions?

“Having good form and proper nutrition are important. I have a lot of healthy carbs before a competition, I barely have any protein or fat. I eat lots of sweet potato and I have my BSN Endorush Xtreme Strength. I drink a lot of BSN Amino X too.”

 

What do you consider to be your weak spots and how do you overcome them?

“Endurance and weird workouts are my weakest areas. I try to focus on workouts I’m not so good at, instead of going to the gym and doing the workouts of the day (WODs) I enjoy, so I can get better at them and eventually learn to like them.”

 

What role did mental toughness have in you winning the 2014 CrossFit Games?

“That’s my best quality. This year I was mentally unshakeable. I did two no-reps in a row during the Muscle-up Biathlon, but managed to stay on the rings and then did 10 reps, while my opponent dropped after a no-rep.”

 

What is your favorite WOD and why?

“I’d say my favorite workout is anything that involves lots of pull-ups or me hanging from the rings because that’s one of my biggest strengths. When I do something like that I feel like if I don’t win it then something went wrong (laughs).”

 

What sort of supplements do you take?

“I use a few different supplements. I like to take Amino X by BSN, as I mentioned before, which is full of BCAAs. I’m a big fan of the watermelon flavor as it tastes fantastic. I’ll also take Syntha-6 from BSN which helps me make sure I get a good amount ofprotein. And I drink coffee for a little bit of energy.”

 

How are you able to avoid injury?

“Good form is important because too many people try to grind through a workout with poor technique. Training smart is important too. I didn’t start CrossFit at the level I’m at now, it has been a six-year journey for me to get here, so people who do the same volume as me but have just started doing CrossFit should be careful as they could get injured.”

 

What’s next for you? Are you planning on defending your CrossFit title at the next games?

“We’re trying to use my win at the CrossFit Games to find all the opportunities out there. I’m trying to be a good role model for women from my generation and previous generations and give them all a confidence boost. I also definitely want to try and win again next year, and qualify for the 2016 Olympics in weightlifting.”

 

Find celebrity interviews and more in every issue of TRAIN magazine.