1) Share your story!
I’m Alexa Kleiman. I’m 33 years old and I’m a nurse anesthetist. I spend my days in the operating room giving anesthesia and putting people to sleep for surgery. I started doing Crossfit in 2018 after some close friends convinced me that I would like it. I had been doing some “bootcamp” style workouts and really started to love picking up heavy weight. So they told me at Crossfit I would get to do that and here I am!
2) Why did you end up sticking with CrossFit?
Prior to Crossfit, I had always worked out for the purpose of getting “skinny.” I feel like the 90s preached that women should work out by doing endless amounts of cardio and that women should be “toned” and not strong. I used to have that mentality when working out prior to finding Crossfit and I was never able to stick with any sort of consistent fitness regimen. After starting Crossfit, I became hooked on moving big weight. It was just the best feeling. For the first time I had actual fitness goals and I was accomplishing them. Now it has become not only a way to stay fit, but also a huge hobby of mine. It has challenged me in so many ways and I don’t know where I’d be without it!
3) What achievement or PR are you most proud of, and what is your next goal you’re working toward?
I recently hit a 3-rep max deadlift of 300 lbs! I also have recently been able to string together chest-to-bar pull-ups and toes-to-bar. I always struggle with gymnastics so these achievements are big for me. My next goal is to improve my strict pull-ups and I’d LOVE to get a bar muscle up by the end of this year!
4) What advice would you give to someone who is New Or Considering Trying CrossFit?
When I initially started I thought that Crossfit was too intense for me. Once I took the leap, I realized that everything is adaptable and all movements can be scaled to meet each individual athlete’s needs. I have made lifelong friends and the Titan community is just so amazing. My advice would be to just give it a shot. You won’t regret it. It’s made me more fit than I’ve ever been, both physically and mentally!
