Niamh Harford

Name: Niamh Harford

Age: 33

Hometown:  Dublin, Ireland

How long have you been CrossFitting?

Almost a year and a half. 

What is your favorite WOD/Exercise?

Anything involving a barbell! I love strength training and squat, bench and deadlift are my favourite lifts to train. Over the past few months I have been trying to improve at olympic lifting and have been doing some one on one sessions with Matt, which have been hugely beneficial. Whilst Olympic lifting looks simple and elegant, it is incredibly technical, but I’ve been really enjoying the challenge of trying to master the technique. 

What is your least favorite WOD/Exercise?

I’m a very slow runner, so I always dread workouts with lots of running. 

What is your previous workout/athletic background?

I’ve always been pretty active, but was never particularly good at any sport. I started Irish dancing aged 4 and danced competitively until my early 20s. I picked up a barbell for the first time a few years ago and immediately fell in love with strength training. The feeling of being able to lift heavy weights is really empowering and I enjoy the process of getting stronger and seeing what my body is capable of. 

What was your first experience at CrossFit Cayman like?

Really positive, everyone was so welcoming. The coaches spent a lot of time helping me perform newer movement patterns with good form and provided helpful guidance on how to scale the workouts based on my capabilities as a beginner. I remember being super impressed by how fit and strong a lot of people in the gym were. It gave me something to aim towards and the confidence that CrossFit as a training methodology works given the level a lot of people were performing at. 

What results have you seen since CrossFitting?

My cardiovascular fitness has really improved and I’ve seen a huge improvement in my muscular endurance. Before starting CrossFit I was pretty strong and could lift heavy loads in the lower rep ranges, but struggled with lifting lighter or more moderate weight in the higher rep ranges, but that has progressed massively. This has really helped build my stamina in workouts. 

What do you do to get yourself through a tough workout (mental thoughts, tips and tricks, etc.)?

I try to break up the reps into smaller sets to make it seem less daunting. For example, instead of thinking of performing 15 reps, I think of it as performing 3 sets of 5 reps and focus on getting the first 5 reps and then the next 5 etc. I also try to pace myself early on so as not to go in too hot at the start of a workout and gas out half way through. 

What's your favorite aspect about working out at CrossFit Cayman?

It’s a really positive environment. Everyone shows up ready to train hard but have fun and it’s motivating to train alongside people with similar goals and attitude towards training. The coaches are all amazing. They are super knowledgeable and take the time to help you with your technique and to also explain the rationale behind the programming and how it helps you progress. 

What advice do you have for someone thinking about joining CrossFit Cayman?

There are people of all ages, fitness levels and abilities in the gym, CrossFit really is accessible to everyone. CrossFit can be quite intimidating at first as it requires a broad and varied range of skills and it can be quite challenging trying to learn all the different movements whilst building your base level of fitness. Give yourself some time, stay consistent with training and you’ll see gradual incremental improvements that add up massively over time. Don’t compare yourself to other people in the class after you first join. The people getting the fastest times and lifting the heaviest weights usually have been doing this for a long time, so don’t feel demoralised if you can’t do what they’re doing just yet, you will get there if you keep working at it.