December Athlete of the Month: Heidi Steidl
Congratulations, Coach Heidi, on being our December Athlete of the Month!
Coach Heidi has been a big part of our NoCoast community for nearly 3 years now. In that time she has become a coach and a leader. We love Heidi’s enthusiasm and dedication to our members. We’re also excited for her to start our new NoCoast HIITFit class, starting this January. This class will be free from barbells and heavy lifting and will focus mainly on high intensity, interval training. The class will be offered on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings at 5:00pm.
Quotes from Heidi…
“Finding CrossFit was more than just finding a new workout routine, it was more about finding a community that I felt welcomed in and finding accountability. For me CrossFit is more than just getting in a workout, it is more to de-stress and keeping my sanity.”
“No matter what class you come to, everyone is supportive and friendly. It doesn't matter if you finish first or last, if you scale or modify a workout, everyone will be cheering you on.”
Age/Weight:
26 / 145lbs
Athletic/Sports history/highlights:
From a young age my parents had my brother and I in sports. I was involved in soccer, cross country, track and swimming. Swimming was "my" sport and I swam competitively for almost 12 years. One of my season highlights was when I had made it to States for the 100m Freestyle and was apart of the 400m Freestyle relay team.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
I have been CrossFitting for about 7 years now and coaching for 3.5 years.
How did you get into CrossFit?
One of my good friends in college took me to a friends Garage Gym to try out this new thing called CrossFit. I remember the workout that was programmed for the day had 150 pushups and running of some sort. One of the coaches told me that they were going to scale my pushups to 75 reps and I remember thinking that I could do 150 pushups no problem...well reality and muscle fatigue set in at about 50 pushups and I was done. I had never been so sore in my life, but I continued to go back for more fun and torture.
What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
I can't just pick one movement! My favorites include Cleans, Box Jumps, Double Unders, and Burpees.
What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
THRUSTERS. Anytime they are programmed I cry a little on the inside.
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment?
Nailing down Double Unders. Double unders were one of the hardest movements for me to grasp and do consistently in a workout. Learning double unders took me about 3 years and lots of hitting myself with the rope, but with a ton of practice I finally got them. Some tips for my fellow athletes who struggle with double unders, do not get frustrated with them because they will get mad back, practice, practice, practice, and do not give up!!
How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?
To be honest, nutrition is probably one of the areas that I struggle with the most. I eat fairly healthy, but I know I could do better. I am terrible about meal prepping for the week and I get bored eating the same thing for days. I have the classic excuse of "I don't have time to meal prep properly", when really I'm just being lazy. One of my goals for 2019 is to be better about nutrition and meal prepping.
How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?
Growing up I had always been active in sports and when I transitioned from high school to college I was looking for something that had a team like atmosphere. Finding CrossFit was more than just finding a new workout routine, it was more about finding a community that I felt welcomed in and finding accountability. With my line of work, I have to be fit and make sure that I make time for myself to stay healthy. For me CrossFit is more than just getting in a workout, it is more to de-stress and keeping my sanity.
What is your favorite part about being a NoCoast Coach?
There are many things that I love about coaching at NoCoast. I love our members, all of our members bring something to our community and make it a fun place to work. My morning crew, you all have a special place in my heart. You all were the ones who helped me find my coaching confidence and made me into the coach that I am today, so thank you!
As our new NoCoast HIIT Coach, what are you most looking forward to with the addition of this class?
High Intensity Interval Training is one of the most popular exercise formats and has many health benefits. Offering this class at NoCoast three times a week is really going to help our members add in variety to their workout routines and will hopefully help us attract new members. The classes will have a lot of variety when it comes to programming and what equipment is used. I hope that this class continues past our three month trial period, to be honest I am bummed that I can't take it!
Advice to new people:
Don't get discouraged, there is a ton of information to learn when you start, but luckily we have some great coaches and members. No matter what class you come to, everyone is supportive and friendly. It doesn't matter if you finish first or last, if you scale or modify a workout, everyone will be cheering you on. When you are faced with a movement that challenges you, don't give up. Keep practicing and coming in and eventually it will all click.