Upper East Side

Congratulations to our October athlete of the month, Carol Hochenberg! Not only is Carol a fun person to be around (she’ll make you giggle with her infectious laugh!), she is an amazing athlete. Carol defines the quote, “But remember, quiet girls can be fierce too.”

Anyone who has trained alongside Carol knows she is humble and won’t steal the spotlight but has a ton of talent and trains smart. Her gymnastics are effortless and graceful, and she consistently drills her weightlifting technique to improve her lifts. Carol truly understands that fitness is a journey and I’m happy to have her be Athlete of the Month and call her my friend.

— Coach Nicole

How/when did you get involved in CrossFit? What has motivated you to stick with it? 
I got involved with CrossFit a little over a year ago. I started to see some Instagram videos of friends who had joined CrossFit gyms in NYC. I said to myself, I want to try that! Next thing I knew I was taking On-Ramp and signed up for my first CrossFit class. My motivation comes from so many things. But the obvious changes I’ve seen in my strength is definitely number one. And of course the smiling faces I see every day keep me coming back!

What do you enjoy most about being a member at EVF?
What I enjoy most is being a member of an amazing team of like minded athletes. I love coming in to the gym and seeing my friends and watching them crush their goals day in and day out.  I never thought in 14 months I could make as many close friends as I have.

Do you remember your first workout? Looking back how did it go?
My first class I took was Outdoor 360 with Carissa. I remember how fun it was and I also remember how exhausted I was afterward! In my first CrossFit class, I remember doing cleans. I just pulled out my book to check! I don’t remember exactly how I felt from the workout but I do remember feeling welcomed by the members as well as James Q. Clearly I was hooked!

What were your goals when you first started? How have they changed?
My goal when I first started was just to get stronger. I felt like I reached a plateau in my home workouts and needed a change.  My thinking hasn’t really changed.  Every day I want to get stronger.  I still walk in every day striving to be better then I was yesterday.

How have you grown in that time — health, body, mind, etc.?
Over the last 14 months I’ve grown a tremendous amount mentally and physically. I’ve learned that this sport takes time, dedication and discipline. I’ve also learned that there is always something new to work on and improve on. I’ve learned that you’ll have good days and bad days. There will be countless hours spent working on different lifts and movements. Small progress is still progress.

Favorite lift and WOD?
My favorite lift is a power clean and WOD is Grace. I like a good long metcon (30-40 minutes). Weird, I know. But it’s more mentally challenging than physical for me. It’s my therapy. I love how my body gets focused and in the zone!

Least favorite movement and workout?
Least favorite: thruster and workout would be Fran.

What drives you through the door each day?
My number one goal when I first joined was just to get stronger. I’m obsessed with the strength I’ve gained. In a little over one year my clean has gone up 70 pounds and my deadlift has gone up 80 pounds.
I also love seeing the members and my workout partners everyday. They keep me motivated and laughing through my entire workout!

Do you have any advice for new members?
Stick with it. Scale workouts if you need to. Take your time learning the lifts and movements. Ask the coaches questions on your form. All of them are very knowledgeable and are amazing teachers. Listen to your body — when you feel like you need a day off, do it! Have fun! 🙂

What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
Bodyweight snatch. This is probably one of the most challenging lifts for me so this would be pretty awesome if I could see this in 2016!