Meet Shauna. She came to Bellum looking to switch up her fitness routine. At the time, she was only 22 years old and was suffering from some serious low back pain. Luckily Shauna’s background in college level sports makes her super coachable and open to learning all of the movements with a beginner’s mindset. We were able to teach her proper lifting technique and get her out of a state of chronic back pain.
Shauna has participated in two 6-week nutrition challenges. Each time, she has lost pounds and inches, as well as gained muscle mass. Shauna is now much more aware of the importance of meal prep and making smart choices throughout the week. She has found a balance of still enjoying life without derailing all of her hard earned progress.
Some of the CrossFit movements have come easily to Shauna, and others have been more challenging. She is always careful to practice and challenge herself to learn things well the first time, which sets her up for success in the future. Just this past September, Shauna placed 1st in the Intermediate category at our local Rookie Rumble competition!
If I had to choose one word to describe Shauna, it would be unstoppable. Thanks Shauna, for being a visible example that hard work pays off! We are so lucky that we get to call you a Bellum Warrior.
What is your favorite CrossFit movements?: I’d have to say my favorite CrossFit movement is the power clean. Before I got into CrossFit, I always found power cleans to be interesting. Coming to Bellum and learning how to properly execute the power clean was a lot of fun. I like that there are a lot of factors to perform the move correctly and it uses several different muscles. When I first started, I couldn’t even get my elbows in front of the bar, and now it’s great to see the form and improvement that I’ve made thanks to our awesome coaches.
I also love handstand walks. I love practicing this movement and beating Coach Ann by the little inches I still have on her (:
What is your favorite workout?: Since I’ve only been at Bellum for a year and a half, I don’t have a lot of workouts under my belt. I’d have to say my favorite workout was MURPH. I loved the intensity and skill work it took to perform and just the down and dirty grit you needed to complete it. I also loved the amount of running… I love any workouts with heavy lifts and long runs!
Which holiday do you prefer – Christmas or Thanksgiving, and WHY?: I’m so glad you asked this question because not many people know this but I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! I am a Christmas fanatic and if it were up to me I would keep my Christmas lights up 24/7. The reason I love this holiday is because in the LaMaina household, Christmas Eve is the biggest day of the year. Our whole family (cousins and all) get together to catch up, exchange gifts, and we have a giant Christmas singalong that turns into a country concert later on in the evening. It’s a night that all of us cousins hold close to our heart and we look forward to the whole family being together every year. Let’s just say if you’re invited to the LaMaina’s on Christmas Eve, IT’S A BIG DEAL and you’re officially part of the family.
What is your favorite out-of-the-gym activity?: This is a hard one for me because we are a very active family. I still love playing field hockey on the weekends and doing lots of outdoor activities. Over the summer, my dad and I did some barefoot waterskiing. My new hobby is now car racing.
What is your current gym goal? My current gym goal is to learn how to kip my toes-to-bar and pull ups. As well as be able to keep off the weight and inches I lost in the challenge over the holidays.
What’s your “Why”? My why is why not? I have no reason at this point in my life to live the unhealthy lifestyle I was living before I met my Bellum family. I was always active and athletic, but was never aware of all the harm I was putting into my body on the nutrition end. If I start now, while I’m young (yes I know I’m only 23 lol), then I hope to be an example for the rest of my family so they can jump on the nutrition train and we can all live a long and healthy life together.