• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Learn how food affects your body. Get Free Nutrition Info Today

the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search
the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search

Crossfit After Baby

January 30, 2015 by Lindsay 31 Comments

162 shares
  • Facebook28
  • Twitter
  • Email

Hi Friends!

It’s been several months since I did a Fitness Friday post so I’m pretty excited to be back in workout mode! Today we’re talking about Crossfit after baby.

Advice for getting back into Crossfit after having a baby.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I’m a Crossfit lover and that I continued to do Crossfit throughout my entire pregnancy. You can read about how I modified some of my workouts here:

32-38 Weeks Pregnant
23-31 Weeks Pregnant
18 – 22 Weeks Pregnant
13-17 Weeks Pregnant

I was excited to get back into Crossfit after baby. Then I got sick – which you can read about here. I honestly think if I hadn’t gotten sick, I would have been ready to start easing back into Crossfit about 4 weeks after he was born. I recovered well from my delivery and at my 5 week post-partum appointment my OB gave me the ok. However, I ended up being quite sick for several weeks and was even hospitalized for several days. I was sent home from the hospital with a PICC line, which meant no lifting weights until it was removed, even when I started feeling better.

Since I couldn’t lift, I tried to just start being active again by getting back into walking the dogs, etc. It was tiring even just taking them around the block.

I got my PICC line removed on New Year’s Eve. I had planned to wait and do my first workout on New Year’s Day but I was so excited to have it out that I went in for my first official comeback workout on NYE.

Let me just say….if you want a humbling experience, start crossfitting again after having a baby. HOLY HARD! I decided to chronicle my journey with you guys so you can see how I got back into things and I’ll share my honest feelings about how hard it was,

Here we go:

Week 1

IMG_0408

Wednesday: This was my first WOD back. And let me tell you, it was miserable. Everything hurt. Even jumping rope. You don’t really think about how much you use your abs but lemme tell you, when you have none, you notice how you use them for EVERYTHING!

I did 55# clean and jerks and for the T2B, I hung from the bar and lifted my feet about 2 feet off the floor for 2 sets of 3.

Before the wod, I tried a few double unders. I couldn’t get more than 2-3 in a row before messing up. I was frustrated but decided to try the wod. Once the clock started, something clicked and I was able to string  together 20 or so double unders, but it still took me a while. When I moved to the wall balls, I picked up the 14# ball and it felt like it weighed about 45 pounds. The first time I threw it, I didn’t even hit the wall…it went about 4 feet in the air before coming crashing down on me. It took all my strength to get through 30 wall balls, something I could previously do unbroken in about 90 seconds. Then I moved on to the thrusters. I had 55# on the bar. I picked it up and immediately set it back down and stripped the weight. Way too heavy. I did my 10 thrusters with the 35# bar. When I moved back to the double unders for round 2, I literally jumped once and fell to the floor. My quad muscles locked up and I could barely move. I knew there was no way I could finish the wod…so I stopped. It was my first time not finishing a wod.

I left feeling super defeated, yet elated at the same time. I was so happy to be back working out, but frustrated because I knew I had a long ways to go. My quads were so sore I could barely walk for 4 days.

IMG_0458

Thursday: Despite my legs being so sore, I decided I should go back the next day to keep my muscles loose. This was the first wod of 2015. I used a 26# kettlebell, after the 4th round I did inch worms instead of wall walks, I had to stop 4 times to keep from throwing up but I finished all 11 rounds in 33:25. So miserable.

IMG_0509

Friday: I knew I needed to ease back into things so I took an active rest day and took the boys on a 1.5 mile sunset walk and did a few planks.

IMG_0583

Saturday: I headed back to the gym for a workout after I spent some quality time with Squish. I used a 20# db for my snatches and did 35,45,55,35,35# for my thrusters. We finished right at the time cap! Thrusters are SO HARD for me right now. It took everything I had to get through 10 at 55# and then I struggled through the next two sets at 35#. 

Sunday’s are for squats and strict press. 5×5 @ 95# squats & 5×5 @ 45# strict press. And Marcus being ever so helpful as always! #comebackstronger

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on Jan 4, 2015 at 11:55am PST

 

Sunday: I headed to the basement to start building my strength back up. Need to get that butt back! I went all flat on me 🙂 95# squats used to be my warmup. This time it was challenging to get through these 5 sets, but I did it!

IMG_0723

Monday: We did a lot of squats and hand stand pushups for our skill/strength. I worked on handstand holds which were super hard. Then for the wod I did 2 rounds + 10 Rx. It was my first time trying kipping pullups since I was 34 weeks pregnant and they were HARD! But I did 30 of them! I can only string 2 together right now and did a lot of singles. I was able to do 55# push press and 35# kb swings but this workout left me sore for a good 4 days.

Tuesday: Rest

Week 2

IMG_0828

Wednesday: This one was hard. Rowing is usually one of my strength but our strength session was front squats. I did 5×5 at 85# and my legs were gassed. I rowed slowly and did descending weight deadlights (105#, 95#, 85#, 85#). They felt super heavy. I also did hand release pushups instead of handstand pushups. By the end of the week I was feeling sore but pretty good. Things were starting to get a bit easier. I was able to do some good knees to elbow on Tuesday which was a big improvement from barely lifting my legs on my first day back! 

Deadlifts are one of my least favorite lifts. This year I’m making it a goal to focus on my weaknesses so I’m forcing myself to work on them instead of slacking off on them like I usually do. 

IMG_0866

Thursday: If you’re looking for something challenging, do this 20 min EMOM. Double unders and thrusters is one of the worst pairings. For the later rouds, if we weren’t able to get all 10 thrusters in a minute, we were encouraged to keep our starting weight and just do fewer thrusters instead of dropping our weight to get all 10. So I did 55# thrusters the whole time, but I did 3 rounds of 10, 2 rounds of 8, 2 rounds of 6 and 3 rounds of 5 thrusters. It. was. brutal. For the wod I did 21-15-9 box jumps but cut the chest to bar to regular pullups and only did 12-9-6 since I was still sore from the pullups on monday. I finished in 8:05

IMG_0916

Friday: Late night squat session. It’s been forever since I squatted over 100# but I managed to do 5×5 at 105#! Felt good!

IMG_0923

Saturday: Kicked off the day with a partner WOD. This was deceptively hard. The pvc squat jumps made your legs burn like crazy! We used a 35# kb and 20# dumbbells for the last half. Wall walks were never my strength and now they are extremely hard! Again, the lack of core strength makes everything 100 times harder. 

IMG_0997

Sunday: I did some strength in the morning, then hubby & I did a little afternoon cardio after he lifted. My rowing splits were right at 1 min, hubby’s were 10 sec faster. Finished part D in 5 minutes. Squish cheered us on! Rowing sucks…that’s about all I have to say about this one.

IMG_1018

Monday: We started with deadlifts- I worked my way up to 3 sets of 8 at 135#. Then we did benchpress- I did 4 sets of 10 at 55#. Then 13:30 for the wod with 55#. Felt hard but good!

IMG_1110

Tuesday: This EMOTM was tough…but the good news is that I can still do pistols! Bad news is I still don’t have my TTB back..but I’m getting better at knees to elbow. Toes to bar are something I worked really hard on when I first started Crossfit. I remember how excited I was when I finally figured out how to string them together. It’s super frustrating to not even be able to get my toes to the bar anymore but I know they’ll be back as my core strength returns. This was my first time doing snatches since I’ve been back, and they felt surprisingly good. Made it through the snatches of round 7 for the wod with 55#.

 

Week 3

Wednesday: REST

IMG_1163

Thursday: If you want to smoke your legs, do this EMOTM of wall balls and box jumps. I made it through 16 minutes of unbroken wall balls and rebounding box jumps before I had to start breaking things up. Today was the first day where I didn’t feel like I was dying doing wall balls. It’s like I got my legs back under me and the ball didn’t feel like it weighed 80 pounds like it had for the past two weeks. So that was exciting. Class ran long so I only had time for 3 rounds of the wod but I did 115# deadlifts and pullups and finished in 13:32.

 

Squats with a side of squish! 8 at 100#, 5×6 at 110#, 8 at 100# #crossfit #comebackstronger #fitfluential #fitcolumbus

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on Jan 16, 2015 at 1:52pm PST


 Friday: Squats with a side of Squish.

crossfit
Saturday: Full house at the gym to kick off the weekend. This one was a leg burner!

crossfit

Sunday: Squats. I was feeling proud after this workout. 3 weeks ago I was finally cleared to workout again. I started squatting and struggled through 5×5 at 85#. Tonight I did 5×5 at 115#!

crossfit

Monday: Worked on handstand holds, then squats and ring push-ups. Ring pushups are SO hard for me. Regular pull-ups are hard but adding in the stabilizing factor and they’re even worse! Did 65# thruster and knees to elbow for the wod and finished in 8:55. Then finished the burpees in 2:38. Rough.

crossfit

Tuesday: We redid 14.1 tonight. Last year at the open I got 252 reps. At 25 weeks pregnant I got 225 reps which is 5 rounds. Tonight I got 180 which is 4 rounds. If it had been the open tonight I prob could have gotten thru the doubles of the next round but I’m happy with my score since I’m still getting back into the swing of things!

Week 4

Wednesday: REST

crossfit

Thursday: Everyone has bad workouts. This was my first one since I’ve been back. Crossfit has a way of knocking you back down just when you feel like you’re getting the hang of things. I’m struggling to get back into the mindset of “committing to the lift” when the weights get heavier overhead. Did one round with 75# and then dropped to 65# bc my form was suffering on the jerks. Finished 4 rounds in 19:15.

pullup bar

Friday & Saturday: REST – but hubby did install a pullup bar in our garage which I’m super pumped about!!

crossfit

Sunday: Took a couple rest days but back at it today! I was finally able to string together some sets of 5 pull-ups in a row and my squats felt great!

crossfit

Monday: Snatches. Hit several at 70#! Then I hit a mental block. Finished the wod in 10:25 Rx! I also tried a couple toes to bar and was at least able to get my toes to touch the bar again. Now to start stringing them together again!

crossfit

Tuesday: Dead. Holy legs. When I did 13.3 in the open 2 years ago, I didn’t finished the doubles. I did it again last winter and finished the doubles in 9:30 and then stopped since I can’t do muscle ups. This time I did it  after one month back post-baby and finished the doubles in 11:00! Talk about hard. My lungs were on fire and I collapsed as soon as I was done. The 5x500m rows with one min rest at the end just added to the misery!

—————

So there you have it! A recap of my first month back at Crossfit. There hasn’t been a single day that was easy…but then again, there never really is with Crossfit. It’s been a mental struggle for me to take things slowly and an exercise in patience as well. But I’m amazed at how far I’ve come I just the past month and am excited to continue my comeback! My goal is to be prepared as I can be for The Open, which starts at the end of February!

My advice for you if you’re returning to working out after pregnancy or an injury:

  • Be realistic. As hard as it is to stomach, you’re not going to just head back to the gym and pick up where you left of, no matter how badly you want to. Set a few realistic goals to motivate you, but be honest with yourself about where you’re starting from and how long it will take you to get where you want to be.
  • Take it slow. It’s going to be a long road and it may take longer than you want it to…but going too hard at the beginning and getting injured is only going to make it longer.
  • Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your journey back is going to be tough. Give yourself credit for having the willpower, desire and motivation to get back into working out. There will be bad days and there will be good days. Embrace them both and learn from them.
  • Be grateful. Your physical health and the ability to workout is a privilege. Never take it for granted.

Let’s chat:
Have you ever made an exercise comeback? What was the proudest moment of your return?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

table talk series
LEARN HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

Enter your email here ...

Filed Under: Kids, Workouts

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    January 30, 2015 at 3:22 AM

    ….I don’t think my jaw can hang any lower. the more I read, the more I am impressed. Dude, this is insane. Congrats on the comeback!

    Reply
  2. Maryea {happy healthy mama} says

    January 30, 2015 at 7:00 AM

    You are a rock star! That’s all there is to it. I’m impressed by your determination and attitude. You will inspire a lot of women (and men!^^^^) with this!

    Reply
  3. Jojo @ Run Fast Eat Lots says

    January 30, 2015 at 7:42 AM

    Way to get back at it!

    I’ve made a comeback after an injury that required surgery. I’m proud to say that I am back in running shape 🙂

    Reply
  4. Tamara @ A Side Of Dessert says

    January 30, 2015 at 7:46 AM

    You’re a superstar!! That’s an amazing and quick comeback!!

    Reply
  5. Maureen says

    January 30, 2015 at 8:39 AM

    Glad you’re back at it! And I’d do squats with a side of squish any day…he is so stinking cute! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Renee Benda says

    January 30, 2015 at 8:53 AM

    Wow these look tough. I’m so not a crossfit fan but I do love to lift. I can’t image doing all this with a 3 month old. My kids weren’t great sleepers it wasn’t until they were at least 6 months old I could get anything done for myself. Great work!

    Reply
  7. Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit says

    January 30, 2015 at 8:54 AM

    I struggle with taking it slow! When I have a workout goal, I want it to happen all at once! I’ve been working on my arms and glutes for the last few months and keep telling myself not to rush it.

    It’s waaay fun to start to see results though–persistent work pays off!

    Reply
  8. Jennifer Hudy says

    January 30, 2015 at 8:59 AM

    Thanks for sharing your progress! I can’t relate at all but it is awesome to see you getting back into it! Finding a balance seems tough, but you are doing great! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    January 30, 2015 at 9:07 AM

    i’m still waiting for my exercise comeback lol…. this year it will be about running!

    Reply
  10. Lisa @ RunWiki says

    January 30, 2015 at 9:14 AM

    I understand your pain! I did a tempo run yesterday after several months off and because I have no core strength, my quads were burning! It’s amazing how much we need those abs! Happy Weekend!

    Reply
  11. Teresa says

    January 30, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    Great post! I’m new to your blog and was wondering, is Crossfit your only workout right now or do you run/jog as well? I’m thinking about giving up running for a while because I’m tired of being injured all the time, but I don’t know if the boot camp classes I’m taking are enough cardio to manage my weight. It seems like most fitness/health bloggers are runners, and I’m curious if there are folks out there who don’t run but still find fun activities to stay in shape. Maybe you could do a blog post sometime about the workout routines of dietitians. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 30, 2015 at 10:21 AM

      good idea on the blog post! and yes – crossfit is my only workout. no running except when i have to for crossfit. I used to run 3 miles a day several days a week but once i found crossfit I discovered I just didn’t enjoy running anymore!

      Reply
  12. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    January 30, 2015 at 10:37 AM

    You’re a fitness rockstar! Way to be so motivated and ready to get back to doing what you love! XOXO

    Reply
  13. Farida says

    January 30, 2015 at 10:48 AM

    Congrats!! I love that you are getting back to the mood of training ! you are in inspiration 🙂

    Reply
  14. Faith VanderMolen says

    January 30, 2015 at 11:41 AM

    I love that instead of just being discouraged and not trying, you’re giving yourself grace and working hard! You’ll get back to where you were in no time with that attitude! Congrats:)

    Reply
  15. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says

    January 30, 2015 at 12:24 PM

    It’s always so tough to come back after a break in working out. I remember being injured and I couldnt run for about 3 months. Once I was able to start again, I obviously wasnt where I was before and it can be defeating mentally. I always remind myself that it wont take long to get back into things and to just keep going!

    Reply
  16. Stephanie @ My Freckled Life says

    January 30, 2015 at 12:39 PM

    Love this! While I’m not a crossfitter, I’ve definitely already started thinking about what my fitness comeback after pregnancy is going to be like (I’m not due until May, but this is the type-A planner in me coming out!). I love your thoughts at the end of setting realistic goals and knowing that things are going to be different. Muscles haven’t worked in awhile, things have moved and stretched and gotten all wonky. And you have to give yourself a little credit for that!

    Reply
  17. Hollie says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:04 PM

    Glad you are able to get back into training and everything post pregnancy. It’s truly awesome Lindsay.

    Reply
  18. Ashley says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    Nice job! I had a hard time too (still, actually) after the baby! Once I accepted that I had to take it slow, I improved a little each day/week/month etc!

    My ass is also flat. So weird how that happens right?

    Reply
  19. Caryl Anne says

    January 30, 2015 at 3:35 PM

    Very nice work! It’s difficult to get back into the full swing of things, especially after having a baby, but I have to say, you are doing an incredible job! Such an inspiration!

    Reply
  20. Lindsay says

    January 30, 2015 at 4:36 PM

    This post frightens me!! Lol. I will be in this boat in a few months, and your pre-baby crossfit abilities were WAY beyond mine. I’m gonna die!!! But I look forward to following your progress! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Chris says

    February 1, 2015 at 1:12 PM

    thats quite a journey! I got sick at New Years, and while it wasn’t as bad as yours, getting back to CrossFit after just a week off took some effort! Soon you’ll be far and beyond your previous bests! Keep at it.

    Reply
  22. Ari @ Ari's Menu says

    February 3, 2015 at 10:13 PM

    Gahhh, I only know how hard it’s been to come back after taking a break for my marathon/half ironman…I can’t imagine how hard it must be after having a baby, but you are KILLING it! You are such an inspiration lady. Loved this post and YOU!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      February 4, 2015 at 11:30 AM

      thanks so much, friend!

      Reply
  23. CF says

    May 11, 2015 at 5:11 PM

    Do you bring your baby to the box? I’m struggling to figure out what to do with my little guy so I can work out and get some sanity back! My MIL can only watch him 2 x a week when there are no WODs.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      May 11, 2015 at 11:38 PM

      i bring him occasionally, not all the time. it would’ve been easy when he was younger bc he would sleep but now he wants to be sitting up/moving so it’s touch and go as to whether he’ll sit through a whole wod without crying. usually i got when my husband gets home from work.

      Reply
  24. Merchon says

    October 21, 2015 at 9:14 PM

    I am 3.5 weeks postpartum and JONESING to get back to crossfit. I was crossfitting until 39 weeks and miss it so much. I feel ready, but am so nervous to hurt myself more than help. I am also nervous because of how slow my workouts were as I was further along. I am going to want to be where I was pre-baby and it is going to take a while, so I have to be patient (not my best quality).

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      October 22, 2015 at 9:02 AM

      definitely be patient. It took me about 6-8 months to get back to where i was pre-pregnancy but it will happen!

      Reply
  25. Rachel Finn says

    January 29, 2016 at 11:17 AM

    I’m amazed that you did crossfit throughout your pregnancy. I have a hard enough time doing it without being pregnant! I am curious if getting back into your crossfit routine after having your baby affected your milk supply if you are breastfeeding? That’s one thing I really worry about.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 29, 2016 at 2:12 PM

      I had some issues with breastfeeding, which you can read about here: https://www.theleangreenbean.com/breastfeeding/ so i stopped before i went back to crossfit but i know several friends who have done it successfully

      Reply
      • Rachel Finn says

        February 2, 2016 at 10:54 AM

        Thanks for replying. I guess you just have to know yourself and do what is best for you and the baby.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

Learn More →

Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
footer-logo
The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
Recipes

Breakfast
Dinner
Snack
Slow Cooker

Kids

Cooking With Kids
Favorite Gifts
Toddler Meals
Indoor Activities

Resources

Easy Packed Lunches for Kids
Dinner Spark
Snack Spark
Ultimate Guide to Food Prep

About

Meet Lindsay
Become an RD
Work with Me

The Lean Green Bean is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Read the full privacy and disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2022 · The Lean Green Bean

table talk series

Learn how food affects your body.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

[email protected]