Name: Anna Cressey
Age: 30
Location: Hudson, Massachusetts
What does being a GGS mean to you?
I love lifting heavy and am so thankful that my husband, Eric Cressey, taught me and encouraged it! After running for years, everything hurt. He encouraged me to try lifting more. I BEGGED him to write me a program, and he finally gave in after we dated for 6 months.
After a few months I started seeing some changes and my body felt so much better! Lifting is now part of each and every day. It is an outlet for me. It is a commitment. It is fun. It is a stress reliever. It is something that Eric and I cherish and enjoy together. I’m so thankful for Cressey Performance (our S&C facility) and Eric for helping me discover lifting heavy!
How long have you been training?
Just about 6.5 years. It all began with Eric having me “try out” the glute-ham raise on our fourth date. Cressey Performance came into existence not long after that! Little did I know what I was getting myself into on all accounts!
Favorite Lift:
Tie between deadlifts and chin-ups
Most memorable PR:
Another tie, just in the last 6 months, I hit a 300x3 trap-bar deadlift and a 12 chin-up PR.
Top 5 songs on your training playlist:
Rarely do I get to choose the music when I’m lifting at CP! This means that Linken Park gets me through many days of lifting. On the rare chance that I get to choose, I love top-40, 90’s hip-hop, and even some country.
Top 3 things you must have with you at the gym/in your gym bag:
My New Balance Minimus or 997s, Lynx-grips, elastic for my hair (I have no idea how people work out with their hair down!)
Most hilarious pick-up line you’ve heard at the gym:
I can’t say I’ve really heard any pick-up lines that I can remember but I have been asked on a few occasions if I was a trainer! Eric was always proud of that one.
Favorite post workout meal:
A really big omelet! Even at night. I love breakfast at any time of the day!
Favorite way to treat yourself:
I love sweets. It’s tough for me to decide between carrot cake and German raspberry candies!
Favorite quote:
It’s on the wall at Cressey Performance:
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
Favorite book:
I have to admit I don’t really like to read. Since optometry school, I haven’t really found much time to read with our non-stop lifestyle. I do commute a lot, so I have grown to love audiobooks. I recently finished and loved both the Hunger Games series and Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants.
What inspires and motivates you?
At the risk of sounding cheesy, Eric is one of my biggest motivators. For years, our dates were “working dates.” While friends were having fun, I was always studying. He was always working. Exciting, right?!...It was definitely not the most glamorous part of our life, but it worked! He always did and still does motivate me to be a hard worker and enjoy what I do.
I’ve never known a more genuine, dedicated, patient and loving person. He has achieved some amazing things in life, but he never stops trying to be the best for his clients, family, and friends. He inspires and encourages me every day to do what I love, and do it at 110%.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am an optometrist and see patients for about 50 hours/week. I have my own practice and also work for a non-profit called the Boston Foundation for Sight, where I treat patients from all over the world with serious corneal disease.
A typical day for me looks like this:
What’s the coolest “side effect” you’ve noticed from lifting heavy?
I have so much energy and rarely get sick. There is no way I could keep up with our insane lifestyle without lifting, eating right most of the time, and getting enough sleep! It’s a nice bonus that I lost some weight when I stopped running and started lifting!
Next training goal:
15 body-weight chin-ups, and continue to work on being consistent with nutrition.
If you had to choose 3 words to describe yourself, what would they be?
Hard-working, passionate…Eric gave me the 3rd one, selfless. Ahhhhh
What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous to start lifting heavy?
I was intimidated. I had no idea what I was doing. I would say and have said to many females that come into CP scared to death, give it a chance and believe in the process. Follow a program with a professional that knows what they are doing and give it at least eight weeks. I promise you will see changes, no matter your goal. You will feel more confident, motivated, and you will become addicted!
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