CrossFit Athlete Arielle Loewen in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Defying Gravity"

Balancing Family Life with the Gym

“I think I’m able to balance it pretty easily because I approach training differently than most CrossFit athletes. I’ve learned that, for me, less is more when it comes to being in the gym, so I have a few hours of high intensity training, and then plenty of family time,” Arielle told The Barbell Spin. “I am in the gym from about 11 AM – 1:30 PM, and then sometimes back for an evening session after my daughter goes to sleep. I train around her schedule and am able to make breakfast and spend time with her in the morning, and then we get to enjoy the afternoon and evening together. If I need to take her to gymnastics, dance lessons or to the park, I can, because I’ve gotten my workout done.”

Macros

Arielle counts macros using MyFitnessPal. Her main focus? Consuming enough protein. “Here's a look inside what I eat in a day as a full-time mom & CrossFit athlete! I love when I hit my protein goal! I weight around 150lbs & my goal is to get 150g of protein a day!@myfitnesspalmakes it easy to see exactly how much protein I'm consuming a day 🥩🍗,” she captioned a post.

Cycling

Like most CrossFit athletes, Arielle spends a great deal of time cycling. Here she is on the airbike. The Cleveland Clinic explains that biking, a low-impact aerobic exercise, is great for building muscle, improving strength and flexibility, and improving balance. It can also boost mental health and help other health conditions, including arthritis.

Hiking

Arielle enjoys outdoor exercise. Here she is hiking in Scotland. According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:

• Building stronger muscles and bones
• Improving your sense of balance
• Improving your heart health

Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems.

Training While Pregnant

Arielle didn’t let her pregnancy keep her from CrossFit. While she “scaled down her training significantly” she did a noon class four to five days a week. She also focused on eating “a good meal,” such as meat, potatoes, and veggies, throughout her pregnancy. As her pregnancy progressed she reduced intensity. “CrossFit was definitely good for my physical health, but also my mental health,” Loewen said. “Everything about my body was changing. But the one thing I knew was showing up to the noon class and doing the class workout was my mental escape,” she told CrossFit.

She’s Consistent

Boon makes sure to stay consistent with her workouts. She talked about this in the caption of her recent post. “We all have our reasons for challenges. Mine is 1 press to handstand 🤸♀️ each day for 30 days. Why? To gain consistency facing something I personally find hard each day! Lots being learned as we go, I'm nearly there, staying focused and looking forward to pushing to the end. Here we go!”

She Stretches

As you can see from her Instagram post, Boon likes to stretch to keep herself in shape. Harvard Health states, “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

She Lifts Weights

Boon likes to lift weights to keep herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing weight training. Boon captioned the post, “Day 1 of the Level 2 Burgerner Strength Weightlifting course is proving to be a valuable experience, filled with some great takeaways delivered through whiteboard & video theory discussion, combined with a healthy dose of hands-on practical learning. From physical assessment before even touching a barbell to all things Snatch! We delved further into points of performance for block work and drills ... and I mean so so so many valuable drills, to some fun building to a heavy for the day. It's been great to connect with new friends who share similar passions while having fun and gaining knowledge that can be immediately applied to our own training and coaching. I'm looking forward to day 2!”

She Does Bar Muscle Ups

Boon likes to do upper body workouts, like bar muscle ups. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. Boon captioned it, “BAR MUSCLE UP. There are many ways to learn a skill, many drills for the same skill, and not everyone responds to learning the same drills that is where coaching comes in (I can help here) BUT the fundamental of skill acquisition remains the same: ⭐️ Foundational strength ⭐️ Progressive dills ⭐️ Keep building strength in those positions ⭐️ Continue drills and progress. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat 😉”

She Walks

Boon likes to walk to keep herself in shape. In this Instagram reel, she is seen walking on the beach. Boon captioned the post, “Morning Connect. True-Fuelled. Meaningful and with gratitude. Get ready for something exciting! ... 🙊 🤫” Harvard Health states that walking has a lot of benefits. “Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.”

She Does Drills

Roberts does a lot of drills to keep herself in shape. In her recent post, she shared her go-to arm strength drills. Roberts captioned it, “Here are some drills focusing on the common fault of lack of pulling and straight-arm strength. 1️⃣ Banded Kipping Levers. 2️⃣ Lean-Away Pull-Ups. 3️⃣ L-Seated Stomach-to-Bar. 4️⃣ High Chest Iso Hold. 5️⃣ Sweeping Bent Over Row.”

She Takes Care Of Her Mental Health

Roberts is all about taking care of her mental health. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “The transition out of competitive Crossfit has been a rough one. I always knew it would be, I’m a couple years deep and it still gets to me every.single.day. So why not be my mad erratic self and come up with a new daily focus.”

She Runs

In the previous Instagram post, Roberts is seen running outside. She talked about what she loves about it in the post’s caption. “I’ve always felt a bit of impostor syndrome in regards to my physique vs my athleticism and I believe that there is something so amazingly athletic about running. Yes, I can lift weights, yes I can walk on my hands, but man I would love to gallop like a gazelle.”

She’s Inspired

Roberts opened up about the people who inspire her in the previous post’s caption. “In 2023 I was inspired by so many amazing individuals. Watching my good friends @deiancousins & @lcous1ns run the Sydney Marathon. My incredible friend @emilyjwornes resilience, a constant reminder of the precious gift of physical capability. Following the badass @savannahsachdev on Instagram & so so so many more.”

She Strengthen Her Arches

Roberts shared her tips for strengthening her arches in the caption of this Instagram video. “STRENGTHEN YOUR ARCH POSITION 🏹💪🏽First off, why is it important to have a strong arch? 🤔🔸Increased power and force production 🔹Improved body awareness 🔸Enhances core stability and control 🔹Protects the joint, reducing the risk of injury 🔸Increases movement efficiency for smoother, more fluid movement 🔹Foundational body position used across all skills. 🤸🏽♀️👇🏽 Use these drills 🤸🏽♀️👇🏽 1️⃣ Prone straddle superman leg lifts 2️⃣ Low bar prone superman 3️⃣ Frog reverse hypers 4️⃣ Prone incline plate raise 5️⃣ Single arm prone shoulder flexion 6️⃣ Banded deadstop arch to hollow 7️⃣ Prone lifts off with plates 8️⃣ Gymnastics reverse hypers.”