Invictus Athlete Profile – Lisa Burns

Invictus Athlete Profile – Lisa Burns
Written by Nichole DeHart

I have been working with Lisa since she joined Invictus. She is not only the mother of two and an incredible athlete, but also a wonderful motivator. Not a session goes by without Lisa saying hello to everyone in the gym, cheering on other athletes and sharing her latest paleo-friendly recipe. I have never seen Lisa give me anything less than 100% every session. Her success speaks volumes, and it’s directly attributable to her dedication inside and outside the gym. She recently accomplished some big goals, like her first pull-up (immediately followed by her first consecutive pull-ups) and she deadlifted 215 pounds! I couldn’t be more proud of her!

How long have you been at Invictus?

I’ve been a dedicated member of Invictus since September of 2011.

What drew you to Invictus?

Initially I went to Invictus because of recommendations. However, I soon realized all the other things that Invictus has to offer. The level of professionalism is outstanding, the level of knowledge displayed by the coaches, the organization, the phenomenal community, I could go on. I actually tried out another CF gym but unfortunately Invictus ruined it for all other gyms. Other CrossFit gyms can’t come close to what Invictus has to offer! Invictus makes you feel like they are there just for you, whether you are in a semi-private or in a group class. All of those elements combined make Invictus hard to beat.

Invictus is also more then just about how much weight can you lift. All the coaches try to work on your behavior outside of the gym (sleep, nutrition, stress management, etc.) All the coaches work to influence you outside of the gym, which is one of the most important aspects to reach success.

What improvements have you seen since joining?

Many. I feel happier, more confident and more relaxed.

I have seen great improvements in my strength, endurance, stamina and have continued to progress. It seems like I am always a little better, a little faster, and a little stronger. You think that you are going to plateau but you surprise yourself by improving. People have told me that I look happier and I don’t look as stressed out as I once was. I used to always walk around with a wrinkle in between my eyes but not anymore, even though I still have the same amount of stuff going on. I can just handle my levels of stress so much better now.

You recently began a new 30-day Paleo challenge, what benefits have you seen from eating Paleo?

I immediately saw weight loss and my energy level increased. My numbers in the gym have increased drastically and I have no crashes in energy throughout the day. It took me a while to learn how to eat and when to eat when working out but once I figured it out, I felt so much stronger in the gym. I was so resistant to drinking the kool aid regarding paleo, but I jumped onto the bandwagon and it totally works! I am a huge advocate for it now!

What has helped in your success with eating Paleo?

Taking in a lot of information has helped. I am always reading the blog, reading cookbooks and whatever else I can get my hands on. It also helps to have my supportive family.

So your family is on board with your new way of eating?

Yeah, they definitely are. My husband eats whatever I make, so he has made it very easy for me to stay on track. I just feed my kids what I eat. You would be surprised by how much they enjoy eating my meals! When I decided to do my 30 day challenge, Ryan (Lisa’s oldest boy) decided to do it with me! When he realized I wasn’t eating bread, he decided to cut it out as well. They don’t miss it at all! I also focus on everything they can eat and didn’t focus on telling them what they couldn’t eat. I just made the changes and served up their meals; they don’t even realize they are eating paleo! They just think they are eating dinner.

We have the upcoming LGFG challenge, what tips can you give others who are doing the Challenge?

Eat lots of vegetables! Get on the Invictus website and get recipes. Type in the vegetables you like and make as many recipes with those vegetables as possible. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the things you have to eat, stick to what you like then start adding in other items.

How has your nutrition affected your performance?

Every time they tell you it is 80% nutrition, 20% exercise they aren’t lying. I have been in a fitness state of mind for years but the exponential gains I have made in the past few months have come from changing my nutrition. My body has completely changed and it has totally been fueled by my nutrition.

If you had a theme song to workout to at the gym, what would it be?

Back in Black by ACDC.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

A lion. I see myself at the top of the food chain and leading the pack. If you know me, you know I wouldn’t be in the back of the pack!

What advice can you give to people who are just joining?

Listen to the coaches and let them scale your workout appropriately. Don’t be intimidated by what other people are doing since they may have been there longer then you. Know that the workouts can be scaled, and do it at your own pace. Trust the system – it works!