CrossFit Athlete Bethany Shadburne in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Barbell Warmup"

CrossFit athlete Bethany (Flores) Shadburne works hard to maintain her health and overall strength. “Try this barbell warm up out for shoulder to overhead movements! Stole this from the one and only @coachrandyf2 . And then some strict press and push press work in the last couple of slides 🙌🏽I usually do 2 sets of the warm up with just the barbell, 3-5 reps of each movement,” she said on Instagram while working out. Here’s what she does to stay feeling and looking so fit.

1. She focuses on her shoulders

She builds up to her shoulder workout. “Warm-up for shoulder to over head movements! Side plank lateral raise. Scap push up. Single arm plank hold. Scap pull ups. Overhead carry,” she said on a series of videos on Instagram. According to Harvard Health, “building strength, stretching, and improving posture will improve shoulder health and keep you in action. Your shoulders are a crucial part of your mobility and independence. You need them to be healthy and pain-free so you can drive a car, lift groceries, do housework, or pick up a child.”

2. She works her glutes

While working out with weights, she posted one of her favorite glute workouts with a barbell. “Landmine RDLs from the other day! These have become one of my favorite accessory exercises these days 🤪 They get my glutes feeling spicy,” she said on Instagram.

3. She has a routine

She thrives on having a routine. “The face you make because you are a homebody and love your routines. 🙋🏽‍♀️ anybody else?! Traveling is awesome and such a privilege but nothing beats being home and being in my routines! One of my favorites of course is my morning routine where I make my own cup of coffee ☕️ while wearing my toes spacers while walking on my rock mat,” she said on Instagram.

4. She warms up

She warms up her body for training. “A general warm-up flow 🤸🏽 This is something I pretty much do daily before any training day. Things have changed and morphed over time and I’m sure they will in the near and far future but this is what I’m currently doing. Some of it may make sense, some of it may leave you scratching your head. But these have helped put my back into a position to where I can live and lift. Goal with some of the glute specific exercises is get on the left side because most people, including me, stand more on the right side which can cause irritation within the back because we are twisted,” she said on Instagram.

5. She puts in the work

She posted videos of her doing a series of workouts, putting in the work needed to be successful. “Successory work 💪🏽 Split stance good morning x10 each. Bodyweight back elevated hip thrust x20. Weighted knee raises x15, last set straight into max set bodyweight. Try it out! 🤪,” she said on Instagram.

Stephanie Chung, a CrossFit athlete, embraces her fitness journey by staying consistent and intentional with her workouts. She shared on Instagram, “Gym time is me time! Worth it even if I only have 60 mins.” Stephanie knows the value of investing in herself and prioritizing health and wellness. Here’s a look at how she keeps herself active, strong, and motivated.

1. She warms up

Warming up before a workout is important, and Stephanie prioritizes getting her body ready to make her workouts safe and effective. Before a workout, she preps for 12 minutes, doing a barbell warm up, as seen on her Instagram. She leads up to weighted workouts with the barbell.

2. She does a gymnastics primer

Gymnastics is a fun way to get a workout in, challenging various muscles throughout the body. During her workout, she does prep work including a gymnastics primer, as seen on her Instagram. According to the Mayo Clinic, “no matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases.”

3. She does bike and activation work

Stephanie Chung/Instagram

She does 2 rounds of bike and activation work, as seen on her Instagram. According to Better Health, “cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, which will improve your overall fitness level.”

4. She runs

She gets a run in, spending time outdoors, as seen on her Instagram. “Wanted a cute pic on our trail run, but got this blurry one instead which is honestly way more realistic 🥲😵‍💫#RoadToBetter #ComebackKid #GirlsWhoLift #IAMNOBULL.” According to the Mayo Clinic, running has quite an impact on your overall health. “You may feel tired when you first start regular aerobic exercise. But over the long term, you'll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue. You can also gain increased heart and lung fitness and bone and muscle strength over time.”

5. She does muscle up drills

She takes pull ups to the next level. “Introducing you to some of my favorite bar muscle up drills 👋🏼 Give these a go if you want to get your first BMU, get rid of the “chicken-wing” turnover, increase the efficiency of your swing, & hit larger sets under fatigue,” she said on an Instagram video of her working out.

Alethea Boon is sharing a new workout – in her exercise gear. In a new social media post the CrossFit athlete shows off her strong body and strength in a two-piece workout set. “BAR MUSCLE UP,” she writes in the Instagram video caption. “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.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. How She Found CrossFit

“I got into CrossFit in 2013 after searching on Google a different way to get fit. I had been doing a little bit of running by myself but needed some variety and wanted to work out with people. So, after googling CrossFit I went to my first class and fell in love with the methodology of CrossFit,” Alethea told True Protein on how she discovered the workout. “I had no intention of competing and looking back that worked in my favor. I honed in on technique with little to no weight for months before incrementally putting weights on the resistance exercises and barbells. Movement efficiency overload meant I was able to work good technique and keep pretty healthy as we built up slowly. I also attribute the patient build up in barbell work to the success and reason I was able to make a 3rd Commonwealth Games for NZ on the Weightlifting Team in 2018.:

2. 4 Days of Intense Training

Alethea trains hard. “A typical week consists of 4 days of planned training sessions approximately 2 hours, usually starting at 6pm where I follow a structured program typically consisting of Strength, Gymnastics or Bodybuilding and Conditioning piece or 2. (yes have to move fast to get it all done withing 2-2.5 hours),” she told True Protein.

3. 1 Day of Flexible Training and 1 Rest Day

“I also do one additional day where I like to keep flexible with what I do. It’ll be something I really enjoy, like jump in a class, calisthenics, swim, go for a run or bike or even try something new to keep the mind fresh and excited about moving in different ways. Then there’s always a solid rest day to allow the body to recover,” she told True Protein.

4. Structured Sessions

What does a typical workout look like for Alethea? “I structure my sessions according to what needs the most work. But most structured sessions usually follow this outline. Prehab and Strength is where I spend majority of my time over other biases because let’s be honest, I’m 40, I need the prehab and strength is my weakness, so we make it a priority. Then a short 10minute-15min gymnastics or body building piece for maintenance followed by conditioning piece or 2. I like to do one that stings, short and fast 3-6mins, followed by one slightly longer piece that has me breathing and sweating for 15-20mins. I would absolutely love to be able to do more but we make do with the time that we have and really maximize every minute to focus in on what will get me the most return in a competition setting,” she says.

5. Fueling Up with Food

Alethea makes sure to get enough food in her body for her workouts. “Food is fuel! Adequately getting enough, and enough of the right stuff is key to being able to perform both in and out of the gym. I admit as a busy mum I often tend to forget to eat at times because I am always on the go and on those days and the day after I really feel the lack of energy so being sure to prepack and plan meals and supplements around training to support my lifestyle is crucial to ensure that performance in training is fully optimized,” she explains.