It has been a little over two years since I moved away from HIIT classes 6 times a week to CrossFit. While I have previously ‘dabbled’ in strength training at the gym from time to time, I have never had actual instructions or proper introductions to the different types of lifts.
CrossFit is something I had always admired from the sidelines but never really believed it was something I can do or should do ‘at my age.’ Growing up in the 80s I had believed that lifting weights – like using barbell and plates was something reserved for the muscle bros at Gold’s gym. It certainly was not something for a woman, much less a menopausal woman.
In general, women are not encouraged, if not outright discouraged to lift weights, much less ‘lift heavy.’ And it has to do with the erroneous societal notion that women should be delicate and slender to be ‘feminine’ aka pretty. Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles for women to lift is the fear of getting ‘bulky’ aka ‘too masculine’ aka not pretty.
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (“NASM”) with an increased official recognition of female strength sports like female powerlifters (1987), the Women’s Weightlifting Championship (1987), female bodybuilding shows (1977), and the Strongest Woman event in 1997, CrossFit in the early 2000s (Rohloff, 2013), has made strength training more popular, however, it’s still feels rather unreachable for the average woman who is not looking to be powerlifters or Strongest Woman participant.
And for me, this is where CrossFit comes in. Yes, there are a lot of lifting opportunities in CrossFit, but there are also a lot of gymnastics, and different forms of cardio which makes it ‘interesting’ and provide flexibility to adjust workouts to individual goals.
For example, right now I am in body recomp. So, my goal is to lift heavy weight and increase muscle while reducing fat. Therefore, my focus is to have some form of strength training in every class. On days where there are no strength portion, I follow the strength training regiment in the 531 Strength App to get my strength training in. And this is something I would have never done previously because I simply lacked the confidence to be in a gym surrounded by barbells and plates. But after 2+ years I not only have an increased confidence, but I am starting to enjoy lifting … words I never thought would ever come from me … the cardio queen.
And with this newly minted confidence I am more willing to try WODs which ordinarily would have received with an exaggerated eyeroll and ‘fuck that shit’ sort of mentality to going in with a plan and just try.
July 4th started with a Frankenstein sort of brainchild workout from multiple coaches’ collaboration … which should be illegal imho. 😉
The workout (For Time):
150 Wall Balls
*Every Break – 2 Rounds of ‘The Chief’
- 3 Power Cleans 135/95#
- 6 Push Ups
- 9 Air Squats
Directly into “Helen”
3 Rounds for Time
- 400m Run
- 21 American KBS 53/35#
- 12 Pull Ups
1776m Cash Out on Cardio of Choice (Row, Run, Ski, Bike)
My strategy was simple – avoid WB breaks at all costs. If I had to go alone, I would do three rounds of 50 WBs at an extra slow pace, limiting the round of ‘the Chief.’ If I had a partner, I would attempt to do all 75 WBs without breaking.
Thankfully I had a partner. Around rep 63, my quads started to seize. Around rep 67, both my legs began to shake. Around rep 70, I could hardly bend my knees to reach 75 but I did. I took my time and broke down my barbell before starting ‘Helen’ because I had Jello legs and was afraid that I would face plant on the Assault Runner.
All in all, I finished the special July 4th workout in 37:11.
CITE
Nicole Goldman. “Weight-Lifting for Women: Why Women Should Lift.” NASM, Sports Medicine, Women’s Fitness, https://blog.nasm.org/weight-lifting-for-women. July 5, 2025.
The Angry Typist 
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