This month’s Member of the Month is Kristal Frisque! Kristal is an artist and Owner of Art Defined Studios (check out the Facebook page here to learn more and get artsy!). She recently ran the St. Jude Half Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. Read on to learn more about Kristal:
Q: What got you started working out?
A: My health. I knew that I needed to take better care of myself & have always liked strength training, so it was a good place to start. Plus, there’s lots of health problems that run in my family, so I wanted to be as proactive as I could be to fight off genetics.
Q: How many days per week do you typically work out? What groups are you a part of?
A: 5 days a week; I take the lunch class at SC & run with my running group, Sole Sisters.
Q: What’s your favorite exercise?
A: Riding my ElliptiGO! It’s super fun and great on your joints.
Q: What’s your favorite post-workout meal/snack?
A: I’ve never really had a routine with this, but I have used Advocare Spark & protein shakes….beer is great too!
Q: What do you find most challenging about working out?
A: My workouts are mostly solitary, in that I go for long runs or bike rides in the country by myself. Being a long distance runner, I not only have to prepare my schedule for the time I dedicate to my workouts, but also the mental game. I know that I’m going to have my aches & pains, but I have to endure through them when I’m out in the middle of nowhere & accept that I have to run back using the muscles that hurt.
Q: What keeps you motivated to work out regularly?
A: I love the pain! Seriously. The mental accomplishment keeps me going every time. The fact that I owned that workout is very gratifying.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking about getting started in the gym?
A: Just do it! Don’t overthink it or you’ll never start. And your body, your level of fitness is enough. You do not have to fit a visual mold or wear the right gear. You are worth it & deserve to be healthy. We all come in different shapes and sizes, different areas of struggle. There’s no judgement at the gym. Everyone is super supportive and motivating.
Q: What is something you couldn’t do when you started, that you can do now?
A: My core muscles are so much stronger! I still can’t do those blasted pushups, but that’s a long term goal to do them well & in good form.
Q: Tell us a random fact about yourself that people might not know:
A: I was born in Japan.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about working out at The Strength Collective?
A: Hands down the support and one on one help. Lord bless her, Jenna is SO patient with me! And both she & Kat will correct my form, so I can improve. The group is also amazingly supportive.
Thank you for being an awesome member, Kristal! We love having you as a part of our community!