Chelsey Hughes

ECC & WDZ
By: Lauryn Lax 

 

The Fall and Winter months are technically classified as the ‘off season’ for CrossFit athletes who train year round for the CrossFit Games season—beginning with the Open every February.

 

Fitness competitions, like the Kill Cliff East Coast Championships in Boston and Wodapalooza in Miami, happening in January 2015, are opportunities for fitness enthusiasts and serious CrossFit contenders to get their feet wet for the approaching Games’ season.

 

Chelsey Hughes of BRICK CrossFit is one of those athletes.

 

Placing 1st in the ECC Online Qualifier and 2nd in the Wodapalooza Miami Qualifiers’ Elite Divisions, there’s no doubt the 2014 CrossFit Games’ team athlete has been working hard in the gym this year with one goal in mind.

 

“Before I retire to working at a desk, I want to stand on the podium as an individual and as a team athlete at the CrossFit Games.”

 

Hughes’ name is relatively new to the competitive CrossFit and fitness scene.

 

She has been involved in the sport for the past three years, but only most recently begun to make a name for herself as a serious athlete.

 

After taking the Stub Hub Center’s field for the first time last year, as part of Team BRICK CrossFit, she was bit by the fitness bug to see how she could fair as an individual in other local competitions. Her focus, now, has been preparing for a big Janaury.

 

“I had a blast competing for Brick Nation at the Games this year, but being part of the team required my training to be team oriented through July. In August and September, I decided to do a few individual competitions (Hawaii VA Games-6th out of 10 Elite Women, and the Granite Games—8th out of 30) and then flew to Spain for work. My ‘offseason’ started the month I was in Spain and will continue until I compete in the ECC and Wodapalooza in January. Right now I’m concentrating on staying healthy, getting stronger, and cleaning up holes in a couple skill areas,” Hughes said.

 

The former gymnast and collegiate cheerleader at Texas Christian University boasts a strong background in gymnastics’ skills, and her training has been aimed at building strength and working on her Olympic lifting technique this year, along with old-school conditioning (running, swimming and rowing).

 

“A few days a week I lift in the mornings and have a full training session in the afternoons. I make it to the pool once a week and to the track once a week. I train mostly by myself unless I can convince someone to do a piece with me here or there! Tuesdays and Fridays I have Olympic sessions programmed by Michael Casey (“THE MAN!”), an I come up with all my other programming, under the watchful eye of my mentor and owner of BRICK Jarett Perelmutter. He makes sure I’m not overtraining, tells me when to rest, and provides a fair amount of spice to my sessions,” Hughes said.

 

A training day from Hughes’ WOD log may look something like this:

 

AM

 

1. Snatch

6 sets x 4 reps @70-75%

 

2. Clean & Jerk

3 sets 3+1 @70%

3 sets 2+1 @80%

1 set 1+1 @85%

 

3. Clean Pulls

4 sets x 5 reps @90%

2 sets x 3 reps @100%

1 set x 3 reps @110%

 

4. front squat
8x4 @ 197.5

 

5. strict press
8x4 @ 95


6. GHD back extensions

3x10 no weight 



 

PM - 
Row Workout

 

500m mod, 100m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 45 sec

500m mod, 200m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 1:00 min

500m mod, 300m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 1:15 min

500m mod, 400m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 1:30 min

500m mod, 300m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 1:45 min

500m mod, 200m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, rest 2:00 min

500m mod, 100m hard, 100m easy, 100m sprint, done!!

Total:  6500m

When she is not training, the 28-year-old Director of Operations of BRICK CrossFit is most often found ‘doing a number of things in the gym,’ like most gym rats. In fact, Hughes recently moved from L.A. to New York City at the end of October to help manage one of the affiliates’ newest locations.

 

“I am still adjusting to the change, from L.A. to the Northeast—and getting use to having to train in sweats since it’s freeeeezing up here!” Hughes said.

 

Keeping the ‘unfavorable’ elements in mind, Hughes is excited to take both Miami and Boston by storm in January.

 

“I want to compete against the best! I sent so many emails last year trying to find a way to be invited (to the ECC in particular) and had no success. So I was really thankful to hear that both competitions would open up a few spots via a qualifier,” Hughes said.
 

Above all, she’s keeping humble.
 

“I could be worldwide champ of a million online qualifiers and it wouldn’t mean much. As an athlete its much more rewarding to stand on a podium when it really matters – at the end of a hard fought competition.”