The record-holding professional lumberjack athlete, Erin LaVoie, has been a fixture at competitions since she first started chopping in college. As if that’s not enough, she’s also a CrossFit Athlete and the owner of Predation CrossFit in Spokane, WA.
For all her fans out there, you must read Women Fitness’ exclusive interview with Erin LaVoie.
Namita Nayyar:
You are a record-holding professional lumberjack athlete, what inspired you to take this up as a career? Kindly elaborate on what is involved in this sport for WF viewers?
Erin LaVoie:
I started competing on a college team. I trained hard and placed in every event at my first competition. After the collegiate circuit finished I started competing professionally. There weren’t very many girls at the time, so I guess it was easier to win. Winning is fun and that might have been what kept me at it. Year after year, I was invited to Championships, and accepted a position on the USA Women’s Relay Team to compete in Australia. It was a snowball effect, and I just really enjoyed the ride and the experiences. Competing has taken me to 7 different countries and has introduced me to some amazing people along the way. The sport isn’t always easy….. The 15 to 30 seconds I am on stage is just the payout for hours upon hours of hard work. I have to find trees to cut down and turn into logs of the correct diameter for the best training. Keep my gear in good working order. And keep in shape to train and compete year round. You can’t just go to the local sporting goods store and pick these things up. My best competition gear (Saws and Axes) can take 1-2 years to order, and then hours to make sure it suites me.
Full Interview Continued On Next Page
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All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
Making it to the Guinness book involves out of the box performance. What led you to become the Guinness WR Holder by chopping the most Christmas trees in two minutes.? How did you feel in that special moment?
Erin LaVoie:
This event was brought to my attention. I didn’t know about it prior. I had an invitation to Cologne, Germany for a chance to break the current record of 7 trees chopped down in two minutes. It was an awesome challenge! Robert Groce is a logger and friend who lives 45 minutes north of me. I’ve traveled to a couple competitions with his family when I first started. He helped me with gear, and getting wood, so he had to come with me. When we got to Germany we got to test my axes in the wood, he would work on them (change the file) to make them match the wood as best as possible. I just focused on my game plan and how I would approach each tree with the precise angle to chop it down as efficiently as possible. My competitor beat the old record with 9 trees, then it was my turn, and I laid down 27 for the win! I remember being so focused that the number of trees falling didn’t faze me. I had no idea, I just kept going. One after one they fell. It was so cold that by the end of the two minutes, my teeth and lungs were burning from breathing so hard. With my preparation, and having been able to bring my coach/axe filer I had a good feeling I was going to beat the record, but I had no idea by how much. The crowd and the hosts were shocked and I think that was my favorite part.
Namita Nayyar:
You are also a CrossFit Athlete, share with us what your workout routine looks like?
Erin LaVoie:
CrossFit is a perfect mix of Gymnastic (Body) movements/skills, Weightlifting, and Metabolic conditioning. I stick to the CrossFit ideology of General Physical Preparedness. There aren’t any movements I do where I try to mimic my specific sport. I own Predation CrossFit, and do all of the programming for the gym. So I just do that programming as well. However…. I do try to build my strength more in the off season, then let off and just maintain that strength during season while mixing in a lot more mobility and rehab, and focusing on fast light weight movements. The better workout formats for my sport are intervals. I like the “Tabata” clock. 8 Rounds of :20 work, 10: rest. or sometimes :30 work, 1:00 rest. It allows me to go from Zero to 100 instantly, just like the Underhand chop, and Single buck.
Namita Nayyar:
As the owner of Predation CrossFit, how do you train your female clients, especially with some health challenge?
Erin LaVoie:
The first thing I do with any new member is to make sure they feel comfortable with the environment – The other members, the movements, their surroundings, and with me/or the other coaches. I find people have better success when they are comfortable. Its a big step for somebody new to walk through the door and not feel intimidated. More so for women I have noticed. Once they find comfort, then they find confidence, and success. I look at all health challenges closely, and work on finding the best line of action with that member. There is always a way.
Namita Nayyar:
To complement your fitness routine, what does your diet comprise of in a day?
Erin LaVoie:
My diet is super important to me, especially when my season is in full swing. I demand a lot of out of my body and really need to take care of it by what I put into it. I am a big fan of whole foods: i.e., meat, veggies, fruit, nuts. If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t eat it. If it is a chemical, I don’t eat it. If it does not help me, I don’t eat it. My macros each day consist of roughly 130 grams of protein, 50 grams of carbs, and 80-90 grams of fat. Including lots of Tumeric, Ginger, and Kill Cliff for recovery and prevention of my body getting tired or sick.
Namita Nayyar:
5 Favorite exercises that are a must for building a strong upper body, define a workout routine. Any specific exercises for women over 40?
Erin LaVoie:
1) I think pull-ups are the most important exercise to be able to do. Just for the sake of saving your own life. If you have the grip and the strength to pull yourself up, you might be able to pull yourself out of a lot of bad scenarios.
2) I love Kettle Bells Swings. They are a great all around movement and heavy breather. Great for the upper body, and booty!! (Who can say no to that)?
3) Single arm movements are great as well. Like….. 1 arm presses with a dumbbell or kettle bell. It isolates each side and doesn’t let you get away with relying on the other side to help out. These are also great for the abs!
4) Handstands. Getting upside down is great for you, and being able to support yourself in such a way is a great strength to have. There are many ways to scale, or build up to this movement.
5) Chopping wood – I just had to throw that in there, because its what I do, and its what I love. Plus you get to keep yourself and your family warm in the winter!! All of these movements are great for anybody of any age. You just need to know how to scale them if needed, and progress with them. Interval training is my favorite.
So, you could take all of these movements – Start with 20 seconds of Pull-ups, 10 seconds of rest x 8 Rounds, then continue in the same fashion with the others movements.
Namita Nayyar:
How would you define Women Fitness?
Erin LaVoie:
I’m not sure I would – Fitness is Fitness. Its good for you, and it helps you lead a better life. So whatever you are doing, as long as it makes you happier and healthier, keep doing it!!
Namita Nayyar:
As a sportswoman what are your future plans? Do share them with us.
Erin LaVoie:
I will enjoy this ride for a couple years yet, but I’m really not sure how much longer I want to keep competing in Lumberjack Sports. To be the best at something it takes up a lot of time, and I’m just not sure how much longer I want to keep sacrificing so much. I know that if I put in less time, I won’t win, and I just can’t deal with that. Regardless of what I choose, I know that I will always be an active person.
Namita Nayyar:
Have you seen a drift in the pattern of lumberjack sports from when you joined it? Why should a female opt for this sport?
Erin LaVoie:
Yes…. When I first started, I noticed I was one of maybe 2-3 women competing in the professional circuit on the Western part of the United States and Canada. Sometimes we had to compete against the guys. There has been huge growth in the sport for women since then, and even bigger just over the past 5 years. There are hundreds of women in this sport now. It has been fantastic to watch, and really fun meeting so many women with the same interests and passion. Females should opt for this sport, the same they should opt for any sport – I say, just play and do everything! A handful of the reasons I love it so much is the travel, and the people I get to meet, as well as the power you can produce when it all comes together.
Namita Nayyar:
Message for Women Fitness on our 19th Anniversary?
Erin LaVoie:
“Life is better when you’re Fit” You can do so much more in life when you have that energy, and strength. Find your potential and push that limit. Get up and make it happen – Today!!
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http:// www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness