Brian & Heather Warwick

If their last name wasn’t Warwick, it would be Friendly or Positive or Positively-Friendly. Either way, this couple has been an amazing addition to our community. They support each other and everyone else they encounter at the gym. Plus they have four really cool kiddos that bring a lot of life to the childcare room.  Brian & Heather became members of CrossFit Mudtown in June. Lets get to know them better!

How did you hear about CrossFit and what was your first experience/WOD?
Brian: The gym I used to go to was half-traditional gym, half-CrossFit affiliate.  I never fully committed to the CrossFit classes there, but my exposure to it got me interested in CrossFit and I started researching online and incorporating it into my own workouts.  My first formal WOD was Murph, on Memorial Day 2011.
Heather: I first heard about CrossFit from Brian, after he was complaining about how awful that first Murph WOD was.  More recently, Brian saw a sign outside of our neighborhood (Liberty Park) for CrossFit Mudtown.  At the time, we were working out at Lifetime Fitness.  I was doing Zumba classes, and running on a treadmill and working with a personal trainer regularly, and we were just in a “comfortable” routine there.  But despite all the different things I was doing, I wasn’t seeing the strength gains or results I wanted—especially after having 4 kids.  Brian suggested we go try out CrossFit Mudtown, so we came by for the open house.  The intro WOD on that Saturday was my first WOD.  After that, I signed up for the next OnRamp session.

How many days do you CrossFit? What classes do you normally take?
Brian: I try to go 4-5 days a week.  I either do the 5pm class, or sometimes the 11:30am.
Heather: I usually go 3 days a week, typically at the 5pm class.

Favorite CrossFit movement?
Brian: Anything body-weight; my favorite weighted movement is probably the push press.  “Cindy” is probably my favorite WOD.
Heather: I would say cleans are my favorite movement.

Least favorite CrossFit movement/workout?
Brian: Overhead squats.  Period.  Ugh, they are just awful.
Heather: Burpees.  Oh, and the Bear Complex.  I don’t like that one bit.

What motivates you/keeps you coming back to CrossFit Mudtown?
Brian: I really enjoy all of the people I get to work out with, so I’d say the community is a huge reason.  And the programming is awesome.
Heather: Yes, the people we have met are so great.  And the coaches are amazing!

Favorite thing about Birmingham?
Brian: It’s great being around all of our friends.  And the breweries that are popping up everywhere are pretty cool.  CrossFit Mudtown is the obvious answer here though, right?
Heather: The restaurants, the people… it’s easy to get around.  There’s so much that is great about Birmingham!

What accomplishment are you the most proud of (outside and/or inside of the gym)?
Brian: Outside the gym, I’d say family.  Inside the gym, I’m pretty proud of managing to convince Heather to start CrossFit.  She loves it (except for the burpees), and I think that’s awesome!  As for me personally, I recently did the “Barbara” benchmark WOD (20 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, 50 air squats, five rounds for time with 3 mins rest between rounds) in under 30 mins including the rest.  I was a wreck afterwards, but otherwise, I’m pretty proud of that.  Oh, and those 7 double-unders I strung together that one day!
Heather: I agree, outside of the gym, I’m most proud of our family.  I think our kids are pretty great!  At the gym, I’m most proud that I recently did my first Rx workout!  I try and find something to be proud of after every workout… whether it’s improving my time on a workout, lifting more weight than before, or just being happy that I am able to pick myself up off the floor when the buzzer goes off.

After a hard workout, what is your favorite meal?
Brian: Since it is what I ate after my first CrossFit competition, I’m going to put in a plug for the Blackwell’s PB&J burger.  And beer.
Heather: I don’t know, I usually eat a lot of chicken and vegetables.  When I splurge, it tends to be Mexican food.  I love pizza too though!

What are some of your interests outside of CrossFit?
Brian: Golf, watching football.
Heather: Anytime we get to do something fun with the kids, playing tennis (although I hardly ever have time for it), hanging out with friends.

What do you do for a living?
Brian: I am an attorney and work for a healthcare technology company.
Heather: I am a pediatric physical therapist.  I work for the Mountain Brook school system.

What is one goal that you are currently working on?
Brian: Double-unders.  Man, I am just not coordinated enough.
Heather: Mainly, I just want to get stronger, so I can do more weight and Rx more workouts!

3 Stages that our Bodies go through after a CrossFit workout

We all know the way you feel after a CrossFit workout.  Exhausted, disoriented, drained, empowered and gassed.  Your heart is up and you are breathing hard and heavy.  It takes you a few minutes before you realize what you just did, or carry on a conversation.  There are so many things our body is going through seconds, minutes, hours, and at times days after a workout! CrossFit causes stress to the body, and a process called general adaptation syndrome (GAS) forces the body to adapt to it using these three main stages.

The Alarm Stage

In the first stage, the body encounters an “unaccustomed” stressor; that is, a physical demand it doesn’t have the capability of meeting completely. Think about your first Thruster, pull up, or snatch.  This puts stress on cells (muscle cells) involved in the processes that are called on to meet that demand.  When a cell is stressed beyond its capacity, it gets damaged.  In the case of muscle tissue, cells or fibers are disrupted.  The cell membranes are degraded, which causes swelling, and you spend the next day or so moving very slowly from the resulting delayed onset muscle soreness. (DOMS)

The Resistance Stage

Within the next 36 to 48 hours, your body begins transitioning out of the alarm stage and DOMS subsides.  It has now gauged the damage, responded to it and can begin the repair process during what is known as the resistance stage.  Your body actually responds in a very logical way to this stress event.  Your body does not want to go through the alarm phase again if you ever re-encounter that stressor in the near future!  During the resistance stage, muscle cells not only repair themselves to the level they were before, but they actually complete a repair process that will ensure they will be better able to meet the demand of that stressor.  This process may take as many as three to four days, you will have more microfilaments pulling on tendons, which creates more force and increases strength.

The Exhaustion Stage

We all need the alarm and resistance stages if we are to become stronger, faster, fitter and more powerful!  However, if we don’t allow sufficient time for the body to complete the repair process, we run the risk of moving into the next stage- exhaustion.  In the exhaustion stage, cells are not fully repaired before again encountering a demand they cannot meet.  Once again, damage occurs, and the alarm process begins.  Over time, insufficient repair time (rest days), stemming from training sessions that are too intense, too frequent or too frequently intense, leads to overtraining and breakdowns.  You will notice slower WOD times, and you will find it will be harder to lift loads you use to manage easily.  Your heavy lifts will drop in weight and PR’s will come less often.

Making sure we train smart and allow our body to recover properly is important!  The intense workouts put major stress on our bodies and can cause internal injuries.  Showing up at the gym 5 or 6 days in a row and going through high intensity workouts will not make you stronger or faster.  Listen to your body and allow it to heal before hitting another hard WOD.  Your body will thank you and reward you in future workouts!