Who is in the Best Shape of Their Life? by William Albritton
(read all the way through to find the answer)

What an amazing 8 weeks this challenge has been! It wasn’t easy but nothing is easy if it’s worthwhile. Many want to be healthy but few want to put in the work these participants did.  For two months, they ate lots and lots of quality food, tons of leafy green vegetables, slept 7+ hours a night, monitored their hydration, worked out 3 – 5 times a week. Results were tracked with before and after blood work, performance test, point system and body composition measurements.

Here are the most impressive results from individuals in the challenge.

1. Increase of 47 reps on the performance test which consisted of rowing, pull ups, squats and press.

2. Pr’d all the power lifts (squat, deadlift, press)

3. Reduced LDL cholestrol from 122 to 93.

4. Reduced LDL from 155 to 128.

5. Body weight didn’t change but lost 9lbs of fat and gained 9 lbs of lean muscle!

6. After 15+ years of running, set a PR in the 1 mile.

I love what the participants had to say about the challenge….

1) I realized what I was gaining in this challenge was knowledge.  Knowing hydration is truly the key.  Knowing sleep can enhance performance wherever it may be (work, gym, mom, wife, friend).  Knowing post workout meals are necessary to build and replenish.  Knowing heavy weights are not going to “bulk” you up.  Knowing that those scales are not the basis of what makes a person healthy.  Knowing that I can better help others reach their goals.   KNOWLEDGE for the rest of my life not just 8 weeks is a win win!

2) Am I in the BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE?  That definition is vague but I can honestly say if feeling this good and gaining the knowledge that helps me succeed with myself and others, yes I am! At 40 years old, life couldn’t get any better.

3) This challenge forced me to take a closer look at not only what I was eating, but when, how much, how often and the combination of nutrients in my meals.  I may have been eating the right food and getting plenty of exercise but I needed to make major adjustments. I needed to adjust; how often I was eating and how to get the best combination of fat, good carbs and protein.

4) My biggest adjustment was getting enough sleep. Before the challenge I was going on the assumption 6 hours was enough. Since I started the challenge, I now get 7-8 hours of sleep, and I have so much more energy not only to get moving in the morning but also to keep moving all day by getting just one to one two hours more each night.

5) I think my greatest high came when I was able to do my first true Rx workout with heavy weights. During the eight weeks, I also PR’d my one rep max on deadlift, back squat, front squat, shoulder to overhead and clean and jerk. I truly believe I am getting stronger.

6) I have learned more than I thought possible and am getting stronger every day.

7) I was ecstatic to see my results at the end of the eight weeks.  I did not expect my results of the performance test to improve by that much, and to me, the weight loss was an added bonus.  During the challenge I also performed my first unassisted kipping pull-up, my first toes-to-bar, and my first handstand push-up;   all things that I was sure I would never be able to do when I first joined Crossfit nine months ago. 

8) The eight week challenge taught me that I have the willpower to say “no”, even on special occasions.  It also brought me to a place in my life where I no longer have “weight loss” goals, I have “fitness” goals.  As someone who has always struggled with weight/body image, that realization comes with an overwhelming sense of peace. 

9) The challenge was a way for me to realign myself with all of the things that I value; eating right and training hard (mostly with CrossFit). I did this relentlessly everyday for and made lots of progress in both body composition and fitness. The results from my blood work, measurements, and performance test reflect this. The challenge forced me to focus on my weaknesses and to be consistent everyday.

The goal of the challenge was to get the participants to be in the best shape of their life and obtain a lifetime of knowledge. The challenge was divided into 5 categories – blood work, essay, performance, body composition and points. Congratulations to Jessica for winning the Best Shape of My Life Challenge!!! She will be getting a new pair of Nano 3s as the top prize!