CrossFit, Second Trimester
I have been without internet now for 8 days. I feel so disconnected and behind. Not that I necessarily would have actually published this post in the past 8 days, but I should have, considering I've now been in my third trimester for a few weeks.
Before I continue, I want to say that without the encouragement of my husband, the coaches and our friends at our box, and a little extra motivation due to having a sweet tooth (thanks, Harlee!), then I probably would not have continued CrossFit while pregnant. I am not the competitive type, yet I get down on myself when I don't do better in a WOD than I did last time, lift at least as heavy as the same lift before, or end up having to walk parts of the 4x400m runs that are dispersed throughout the WOD. Being pregnant, I really had to stop competing with myself, since it turns out that's what I was doing, and remember that my main goal is to just keep moving, and to keep both myself and this tiny human I'm growing healthy.
While the modifications I mention here are what worked for me, it's not for everyone... I listened to my body, my doctor, and did my own research on what I felt was appropriate. I've been doing CrossFit for a year now, 4-6 times a week, so having that baseline prior to being pregnant was great to have.
In my first trimester, I was still doing rope climbs, or partial rope climbs. As soon as my belly started to pop (around 18 weeks), I quit doing rope climbs all together. I managed to avoid rope climb days until week 24, and just did two rope lowers instead of the one rope climb, which are difficult enough with an extra 10+ lbs to carry.
Cleans seemed to be a common occurrence in our WODs for the last few weeks; I stuck with 65 lbs. I can't even remember what my max weight is for cleans, but it's something higher than 65 lbs.
(No, I really just dress like this all the time and totally have a thug life tattoo on my stomach. It wasn't actually our Halloween WOD... haha)
Week 26 was the week I realized that running for time and distance just really isn't an option for me anymore. I'll still do a warm-up run, but anything over a 250m in a WOD now gets substituted for a 250 on the rower. Not only has running started to hurt (feels like she's trying to come out of my lower abdomen, so weird), but she's also somehow all up in my lungs at the same time, making breathing pretty difficult. Rowing is interesting too, my knees go wide on the row to make room for my belly; I'm sure it looks pretty goofy and loses some efficiency, but it's working for me.
Burpees - doing sprawls instead.
Core WODs - For any core work, I'll typically substitute plank holds, or plank knees to elbows, and Russian twists instead of any sit-up exercises, or just skip them all together. Sometimes my abs speak to me and tell me I'm doing too much when it comes to core exercises, so I try to listen when that happens.
I have pretty good luck substituting knees to elbow for toes to bar, since it's pretty difficult to get those legs over my head and around my belly in the same movement.
For any lifting PR days, I'll check my tracking sheet (CFPB gave us some printed tables to keep track of our max lifts; it's awesome to see how it progresses - or stay the same, if you're pregnant!) and typically go 70-80% of my max weight (more or less, also depends on how I'm feeling that day). If you're planning on getting pregnant, or just being awesome in general, the tracking sheet is a great tool that made the whole "CrossFitting while pregnant" thing a lot easier (and I'll know my goals for after she's here!).
We definitely do more than what's listed above at our box, but the moves listed above are what I've had to struggle through and adapt, because I know I'll be stronger in the end, and better for both myself and baby during the pregnancy, by continuing to be active.
And now I really should finish up this post and get on my last minute Christmas gifts - anyone else not finish yet??
Cleans seemed to be a common occurrence in our WODs for the last few weeks; I stuck with 65 lbs. I can't even remember what my max weight is for cleans, but it's something higher than 65 lbs.
photo by John Pfiefler Photography
(No, I really just dress like this all the time and totally have a thug life tattoo on my stomach. It wasn't actually our Halloween WOD... haha)
(most photos in here by some friends at the gym unless otherwise specified)
Thrusters - I would have said I stuck at 45 lbs throughout the second trimester if it wasn't for this picture. I did 55 lbs here, but definitely kept it under 45 for the remainder of the second trimester. We had a "ladder" thruster day, where Rx was 35, 65, 85, and I did 35, 45, 45 for the rounds, and it was plenty.
Ring dips - still using the lightest band we have, but dude, I should now be able to do non-pregnant weighted ring dips. Ask me again after Harlee is here.
Pull ups - still currently able to do pull ups, although it's only a couple at a time. I'm refusing to use a band for them at this point. I feel like as soon as I use a band, I won't go back to no band until after the baby arrives.
(my feet, I know)
photo by John Pfiefler Photography
Week 26 was the week I realized that running for time and distance just really isn't an option for me anymore. I'll still do a warm-up run, but anything over a 250m in a WOD now gets substituted for a 250 on the rower. Not only has running started to hurt (feels like she's trying to come out of my lower abdomen, so weird), but she's also somehow all up in my lungs at the same time, making breathing pretty difficult. Rowing is interesting too, my knees go wide on the row to make room for my belly; I'm sure it looks pretty goofy and loses some efficiency, but it's working for me.
Burpees - doing sprawls instead.
Core WODs - For any core work, I'll typically substitute plank holds, or plank knees to elbows, and Russian twists instead of any sit-up exercises, or just skip them all together. Sometimes my abs speak to me and tell me I'm doing too much when it comes to core exercises, so I try to listen when that happens.
I have pretty good luck substituting knees to elbow for toes to bar, since it's pretty difficult to get those legs over my head and around my belly in the same movement.
For any lifting PR days, I'll check my tracking sheet (CFPB gave us some printed tables to keep track of our max lifts; it's awesome to see how it progresses - or stay the same, if you're pregnant!) and typically go 70-80% of my max weight (more or less, also depends on how I'm feeling that day). If you're planning on getting pregnant, or just being awesome in general, the tracking sheet is a great tool that made the whole "CrossFitting while pregnant" thing a lot easier (and I'll know my goals for after she's here!).
We definitely do more than what's listed above at our box, but the moves listed above are what I've had to struggle through and adapt, because I know I'll be stronger in the end, and better for both myself and baby during the pregnancy, by continuing to be active.
And now I really should finish up this post and get on my last minute Christmas gifts - anyone else not finish yet??