6 things the 'fittest woman on Earth' does to stay in incredible shape
Tia-Clair Toomey/ Instagram
Tia-Clair Toomey won the 2017 Reebok CrossFit games on Monday. Toomey is the first Australian to win an individual CrossFit Games competition. The athlete has an intense training regimen featuring everything from running to lifting weights. Before her Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit journey began, 24-year-old Australian Tia-Clair Toomey was a runner. Now, she's walking away from the CrossFit platform with a first place medal for the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games held in Madison, Wisconsin — making her the "fittest woman on earth."
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/894323293532168193
A surprise newcomer in '15 saw it slip away in '16, but in 2017, her confidence shined.@TiaToomey ???????? is the Fittest Woman on Earth. pic.twitter.com/9qy2gE9ndW
This also makes her the first Australian to win an individual competition at the games.
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After only two years of doing CrossFit, Toomey placed 2nd in the 2015 games and did so again in 2016. The CrossFit games, which started in 2007, exist to, "test, not train, fitness," according to the website for the competition, which says: "The goal is to find the fittest athletes, not to produce an easily replicable workout program." Competitors complete lifts such as the deadlift, back squat, snatch, clean and jerk, and pull-ups.
So how does Toomey train and prepare to lift over 178 kg (390 pounds)? It's a process, and her Instagram posts show her dedication to the sport and overall fitness. Here's what she does to stay in shape.
She lifts a lot of heavy weights.
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Weightlifting and practicing CrossFit moves are staples in Toomey's workouts. Above she is working on some heavy conventional deadlifts.
Weightlifting can actually benefit your brain as well as your body (including your bones, heart, and blood vessels.) A study from the University of California, Los Angeles claims lifting can even make you live longer.
But she doesn't neglect cardio.
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Toomey is a well-rounded athlete making sure she includes other exercises besides lifting weights like running, biking, and rowing.
She uses her body weight.
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Lifting heavy is great and important for Toomey, but so is working out with her own body weight. Doing pull-ups, pushups, and other bodyweight moves will help her overall performance and strength gains.
She works on her core strength.
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It's not all about the abs. In a blog post about core strength on her site, Toomey writes that core strength is more important than what your core looks like.
"When I refer to core strength, I’m not referring to the aesthetic look of making and maintaining a 6 pack," she writes. "That would be of no significant value to me, since looking a certain way has no bearing on my training."
She eats her protein.
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She is sponsored by supplement company Xendurance and often reaches her daily protein goals with the help of their powdered protein products. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics writes that athletes are recommended to have roughly 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
She takes time to recover.
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Toomey takes time to recover "like an athlete," according to her website. She lists sleep, nutrition, hydration, mobility, and active recovery as part of her routine.
Not making recovery a priority is a huge mistake gym-goes make. Even if you aren't a competitive athlete, doing things like foam rolling can help prevent injury.
Although not everyone can be crowned the fittest in the world, we can all aspired to work on our health and fitness to be the healthiest we can be. After seeing Toomey's routine, we sure are inspired to do so.
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