Upper East Side

Eliza is a shining example of consistency. I know I’ll see her at 7:30 p.m. every day without fail. She’s hardworking, open-minded, and extremely coachable (and her technique shows it). She’s come such a long way since she started and is always a pleasure to have in class.

— Coach Jenna

How/when did you get involved in CrossFit?
I took a boot camp-esque class for a while before I moved to NY that was taught by a CrossFit instructor. I really liked her class, and it inspired me to look into doing CrossFit. I signed up for the free intro class at EVF Upper East Side in late February/early March of 2016, and decided this was it for me.

Do you remember your first workout? How was it?
My first CrossFit workout was on a Monday, so it was back squats with Garen. He kindly came over before class started and introduced himself, which helped me feel slightly less intimidated (I’m pretty sure I looked petrified).

I remember I squatted 55 pounds that day and felt pretty impressed with myself about it. The WOD was an AMRAP of deadlifts, burpees, and ring rows. It was tough, but I wanted to come back for more.

What were your goals when you first started? How have they changed?
When I started, I just wanted to get in shape and workout consistently. I didn’t have any specific goals in mind. Nowadays, I am looking to improve my squat form, as well as working on developing skills like toes to bar and double unders.

How have you grown in that time — health, body, mind, etc.?
I’ve grown so much! I’m waaaay stronger than I’ve ever been in my life, and I love it! My health has definitely improved as well. Working out consistently makes me want to eat better. I hate not being able to perform well because I ate junk.

What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?
I love the supportive community, whether in class or at an EVF event, there is always a positive energy. I’ve met some great people and made some even better friends.

Favorite lift and WOD?
My favorite lift would have to be cleans. It’s probably the lift I’ve made the most progress with.

What about your least favorite?
I find snatches to be rather frustrating. There are a lot of factors involved in making that lift work, especially in a full squat snatch. I get nervous that I’m going to fall backwards, even though I tend to have the bar too forward.

Although I have to say, I’ll take snatches over rowing any day.

What motivates you?
I am rather competitive, which drives me to want to be better, lift more, and move faster.

Do you have any advice for new members?
You won’t get better if you don’t show up. I constantly kept telling myself that the first month at EVF. Sometimes you forget how hard and intimidating it can be to be new at something. I may have only been able to lift the empty bar at first, but over time (more time than I wanted) I was able to get the movements down and start lifting more.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
I am looking to improve my nutrition to support the muscle I’ve gained and support my workouts. I also hope to continue improving my Olympic lifts, and maybe gain a couple skills.