Yang Chen
Athlete of the Month
May 2019
Yang Chen is our Athlete of the Month for May of 2019.
Yang comes in consistently and works patiently to improve her strength and speed. Yang is steadfast with her attendance and doesn’t cherry pick the work-outs. She comes in, puts her head down and gets it done!
She has reaped the benefits of her hard work by being able to move more weight and improve her speed since she has been training with us. She understands the need for longevity and scales appropriately but still pushes herself. We are really proud of her and her accomplishments!
Yang Chen, 32, Planning and Zoning Manager.
I gained too much weight after moving to the US and starting the American diet. In order to lose weight, I tried different types of exercise (running, yoga, boot camp, etc.). The exercises became boring and repetitive, and I hit my weight loss plateau. After doing a lot of reading and research on nutrition and exercise, I learned the importance of building muscle, and that’s why I first started CrossFit while living in Virginia. I do CrossFit now just to challenge myself. I care mainly about my strength and performance, not so much my weight or appearance anymore.
I never had to push myself that hard before my first WOD (scaled), and my muscles ached for days afterwards. However, I was excited to go back and challenge myself more.
The combination of weight training and HIIT (high intensity interval training); the opportunity to challenge myself; the friendly and supportive CFJCers and amazing coaches.
Every new movement, every PR, etc.
The lifts I struggle with the most are clean and snatch.
It changes all the time. Sometimes I check the WOD in the morning and assume it will be easy, then I almost feel like passing out later while doing it. It’s unpredictable but rewarding.
The worst WOD I can remember from 2018 was “5 rounds of 25 burpees and 400 meter run.” It sucked so much! A few weeks ago, I was so terrified when it was listed as WOD of the day. However, it went much easier and I finished it 5 minutes quicker than last year.
Another WOD that I had a love-hate relationship with is Filthy 50 – especially the last 50 burpees!
I’d like to build more upper body strength and do a pull-up.
Never place limits on yourself. When I started CrossFit, I was not able to do five 15-lb strict pushes. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and push myself on a daily basis, in and out of the gym, and that’s how I improve and advance myself. Hard work always pays off!
I am a workaholic, so working definitely ranks #1. Outside of work, my husband and I like to travel frequently to explore new places and experience new cultures.
It has helped me build mental toughness to push through anything and everything. Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger!
