CrossFit Athlete Kelly Stone in Two-Piece Workout Gear Celebrates "Girls Who Lift"

CrossFit Athlete, Kelly Stone, puts in the work to stay healthy. “Unexpectedly had an opportunity to compete this weekend and left the weekend feeling so grateful. Thanks @madfitt_ @troydonahue7 @ryley_humrighouse for reminding me why I love this sport. I wasn’t sure if I would ever step back on a competition floor. 8/8 event sweep was pretty cool too 😎Thank you @elisa_schauer for letting me step in (even though I didn’t think I wanted to 😂). Rest up ❤️Thank you @mbsturkeychallenge for running a great comp. I can’t feel my legs today @bridgesj3 but the programming was super fun. 📸: @brynwilliams__ 🙏❤️❤️Lastly, thank you so all of those who came up and said hi throughout the weekend. That means more than you’ll ever know,” she said on Instagram. Here’s how she stays fit and feeling her best.

1. She reflects

Reflecting on what you’re proud of and what you can improve on can be an important factor when setting new goals. “WHAT.A.YEAR. I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions but I think it’s important to take time to reflect on accomplishments, set-backs, and focus points moving forward,” she said on Instagram.

2. She’s strong

She’s proud of her strength. “Someone pulled me aside today and told me.. “Congratulations for building a strong and beautiful body. That clearly took a lot of hard work and dedication”… and I’m about that life. Thank you kind stranger for *respectfully* making my day ❤️,” she said on Instagram.

3. She keeps things moving

She focuses on intentional movements. “I remember a time when chasing a certain physique was my only goal. But over time, I realized the true magic of movement. 💪✨Now, I exercise for the energy, the mental clarity, the strength to tackle life, and the sense of accomplishment after every session. Looking better became just a bonus—feeling better is the real win. 🏋️‍♂️🔥,” she said on Instagram.

4. She strength trains

She focuses on building muscle and gaining strength. “Mostly strength training and cardio these days but we still love to lift 💁🏻‍♀️Happy to hit 225# on this complex today. It turns out when you have a STRONG foundation, it generally carries over into other things (eg weightlifting) 😉,” she said on Instagram. According to the Mayo Clinic, “your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age.”

5. She does gorilla rows

She does a workout called gorilla rows as part of her upper body routine. “Have you tried GORILLA ROWS?! 🦍This strength & power exercise targets the back, shoulders, and core, building stability and grip strength while adding some serious muscle. Perfect for balanced gains and functional fitness! 🦍💪,” she said on Instagram.

Zummer Pagan is a very successful CrossFit athlete. She also has a large following on Instagram. She recently appeared in an Instagram collaboration with Apreita. They captioned the post, “𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯: 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘞𝘦 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘞𝘦 𝘉𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘞𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮. 🖤🔥🐐🏋🏻 ♀️• The perfect reminder to start this month full of competitions. This November 8-10 we will be at the Coliseum Marcelo Trujillo de Humacao for @beetleextravaganza, and we will close a successful month with #entrylevel on November 23 at @ft_cross1 🔥Both events will feature the presence of strong and powerful women, who bring invaluable value to our brand. We have some big surprises for you! 🥰🥰”

1. She Does CrossFit

Zummer Pagan/Instagram

CrossFit is the main way Pagan stays in shape. It has a lot of health benefits. Dignity Health states, “There's a reason CrossFit is so popular: Its workouts do a great job getting people in shape. Participants are drawn to the competitive atmosphere and camaraderie that their box's WODs foster. But CrossFit isn't just for the athletically inclined: People of all fitness levels and walks of life can participate in the training, although some WODs may need to be modified for beginners. Practitioners attribute their fast transformations to CrossFit's high-intensity and continuously changing workouts. Training consists of compound exercises to build cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, and balance while burning more calories per minute than traditional weight-training activities. In addition to body-weight movements, the program utilizes a variety of equipment -- from barbells and medicine balls to jump ropes and elastic bands -- as part of its daily WODs.”

2. She Does Sit-Ups

Pagan shared some of her favorite workouts in this Instagram video. One thing she is seen doing is sit-ups. The Cleveland Clinic reports, “Sit ups are great for tightening your core. They strengthen and tone your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and oblique abdominal muscles as well as your neck muscles. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions three times per week.”

3. She Lifts Weights

Pagan likes to lift weights to keep herself in shape. In the previous Instagram video, Pagan is seen lifting a barbell. She is also seen using a barbell in this Instagram video. ACE Fitness states that lifting weights has a lot of benefits. “Lifting heavy weights elevates levels of anabolic hormones—specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)—which are used to repair muscle fibers damaged during exercise. This helps the muscle fibers to become thicker and capable of generating higher levels of force.”

4. She Uses A Stationary Bike

Zummer Pagan/Instagram

In the previous Instagram video, Pagan is also seen using an exercise bike. Penn State PRO Wellness states that using an exercise bike to workout is very beneficial. “Depending on the intensity of your workout and your body weight, you can burn more than 600 calories an hour with a stationary bike workout. This makes indoor cycling an excellent workout option for burning calories quickly.”

5. She’s Comfortable With Herself

Pagan is comfortable with herself and her body. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “Dare to be different and see yourself outside the norm. Although it took me a long time to accept that I look different, I now understand what my body is capable of is awesome and I am grateful everyday for it. At the end of the day, why be the same as the rest?”