Good to Great: Lauren Brooks on Having What It Takes to Go to the Games

By: Lauryn Lax

 

 

What separates a CrossFit Games athlete from an average athlete?

 

CrossFit Games competitor Lauren Brooks, of the South East Region, is on a mission to continue to answer that question.

 

Last year, she made her first-ever appearance at the Games after four-years of Regional showings.

 

The experience proved to herself that she truly can do whatever she puts her mind to, and as she looks forward to a more intense competition come the 2015 Open, and hopefully, Regionals, she said one thing is primarily on her mind:

 

“I am training primarily for Regionals right now. The Games is a lot of odd type tests, which I am good at. Regionals is pretty gymnastic, always has been. I have to train for that, then worry about the games after,” Brooks said.  

 

So what is Brooks doing with her time leading up to the 2015 season? She said the focused work, starts now.

 

“Until this week, I had been coming to the gym and just doing whatever I felt I should that day. Now I have started this week back with my coach and programming—approximately 2-3 hours spent in the gym 5 days a week. As the Open gets closer, I will be doing a lot of conditioning. Endurance work doesn't seem to bother my strength, and I sure do need it with my body type,” Brooks said,” Brooks said.

 

For now, the majority of her sessions revolve around training her ‘weaknesses.’

 

“It’s 100% weakness for me—lots of Olympic lifting, gymnastics and skill work. Strength is a strength of mine, so I don't need to really be on a ‘lifting program’ full of percentages and max efforts. Leading into the Open and Regionals, I benefit me more to target barbell cycling and gymnastics. These methods aren't necessarily right and wouldn't work for everyone. They are a result of knowing myself very well and training accordingly,” Brooks said.

 

In addition to her dialed-in training, Brooks enjoys incorporating Bikram yoga as an active recovery day, and occasionally mixing things up by jumping into a class at her box, CrossFit Salvation, or paddle boarding. She also ensures to take one day off from the gym completely. For bodywork, she has a standing appointment with a massage therapist two hours a week for ‘necessary maintenance’.

 

Aside from her physical training and recovery methods, however, if there was one thing that Brooks claims “made all the difference” in going to the Games last year, it was her diet.

 

“Nutrition plays a huge roll. That was the main thing I fixed last year that made me grow leaps and bounds. I intend on going even harder with it this next year. I have an amazing diet coach in my area that I will be working with for the second year now,” Brooks said.

 

Her daily fuel includes:

 

Breakfast- egg whites/ 1 egg

Pre workout- scoop protein/ 30g carb

Post workout- scoop protein/ 30g carb

Lunch- ground turkey/ asparagus/ sweet potato

Dinner #1- ground turkey/ asparagus

Dinner#2- ground beef/ Brussels sprouts/ 2 Pieces of Ezekiel toast 

Before bed- casein protein pudding/ 1 tbsp almond butter

 

“That's my day. There are also supplements throughout the day that I take with certain meals. He was really able to get me where I needed to be last year so I really trust him to do the same again in 2015!” she said.

 

Regardless of what this year’s season brings, Brooks said she’s learned more about herself as an athlete this past year than ever before.

 

“Last year’s Games taught me, I am way tougher than I give myself credit for. There is no room for fear. I am applying all of the things I've learned and I'm going to give it hell. If it's Gods plan for me to return to the games then so be it!” she said. 

On January 24 and 25, Brooks will be throwing down at the Kill Cliff East Coast Championships, hosted by CrossFit New England in Boston, MA. On day two of the team competition, she will play an integral part on Team Pure Strength, alongside Za Anderson, Emily Bridgers, and Alex Anderson. The weekend will feature a number of the country's best athletes, including Rich Froning, Mat Fraser, Stacie Tovar, Sam Briggs, Chris Spealler, and more, all competing for the title of 2015 Kill Cliff East Coast Champion. Can't make it out to the North East to see these guys kick ass? Stay on FloElite.com to watch the weekend LIVE. 

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