Gwen Holt

Our 5’2” Powerhouse

When last we did a success story on Gwen Holt about one year ago, she was already kicking butt left and right. Today, she's even leaner, stronger and more awesome than ever. Coming out of our 8-week Summer Leaning Challenge, Gwen lost over 11 LBS and 1.5 inches, bringing her total weight loss since joining CFLB to a whopping 27.4 LB and 19.54 combined inches.

"I told myself it was all or nothing," says Gwen about her commitment to completing the challenge. "I achieved my goal, and that felt good."

While her body weight went down, her PRs have gone way up - especially in the Olympic lifts. Gwen's been religiously attending our Oly lifting classes two times a week, and it shows in her incredible gains in technique and strength. "I continue to PR once or twice a month, and that is an amazing feeling," she says.

Check out these stats. Gwen's one of the top girls in the leaderboard for snatch (100 LBS), back squat (195 LBS), front squat (165 LBS), overhead squat (135 LBS), and clean & jerk (125 LBS). By the time we post this success story, she'll probably have smashed all those PRs too.

You'll also find her name up there for some of the most grueling nasty girl and hero workouts around, including DT, Manion, Fran, Karen and Grace. She's got her deadhang pull-ups down, and is now working on her ring dips so she can get her first muscle-up. In other words, don't let her petite 5'2" frame fool you: this chick is wicked STRONG. Physically and mentally.

She credits her support system at CFLB for giving her the mental strength she needs to get through the gnarliest RX'd WODs. Take this example: Gwen recently hung with the boys in the group class, throwing an extra 25 LB sandbag (above and beyond the RX requirements) over her shoulder for five rounds of 200m sprints, followed by 25 straight-body pushups. When the guys finished their fifth round, they did the rest of Gwen's sandbag runs and push-ups by her side until she was done.

"That's why I love this gym," explains Gwen. "Gina and Chad continue to maintain a positive, fun environment at the gym. Honestly, I feel like it's my second home."

Given how determined and hard-working Gwen is, we're not surprised to see how far she's come since joining 1 ½ years ago. So, has Gwen managed to surprise herself?

"I started On Ramp after a long break in physical activity and was skeptical about my ability to stay committed to the program," Gwen admits. "Now I feel like my day isn't complete if I don't get a WOD in."

The feeling's mutual, Gwen: this place wouldn't be complete without you.

"Gwen is a rock; she is always here, always takes it seriously and can be a lot of fun too," says Coach Chad. "More Gwens please."