Tell us a little about you…
My name Josh Woodhull and I have been competing in CrossFit for the past 10 years. I also work full time as a Registered Dietitian.
Where did your fitness/athletic journey begin?
I have always played some type of organized sport for as long as I can remember. I first started playing soccer as soon as I could stand up straight. From there I picked up basketball and tennis as well through high school. In college I played many different intramural sports and started to weight lift on my own. One day I was watching tv and saw the CrossFit games on tv and thought it looked fun. I went to my college gym and tried doing some overhead squats and and handstand push ups and realized it was a lot harder than it looks. The same day I reached out to my local CrossFit gym and the rest is history.
What’s your favorite part about your sport?
One of the favorite things about my sport is that there is always something you work on to make yourself better. I love the constant grind and hard work it takes to stay competitive in this growing sport.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
What’d your favorite kind of dessert?
My favorite kind of dessert is hands down cookies. After the last training session of the week you can bet I have some cookies at home waiting for me!
What’s been your most memorable time as an athlete?
I would say the most memorable time as an athlete is being able to travel to all different places around the world competing in CrossFit. I have been to places such as Shanghai and Sao Paolo, which I would probably have never visited if I wasn’t involved in CrossFit.
What have been some trying times in your athletic career and what have they taught you?
I have had to deal with knee and back injuries on and off during my CrossFit career. At times I thought I would not be able to compete again and mj career was finished. During these times my mind wandered down some dark places. Thankfully I have a great support system and they helped me stand back up and look at the positives of every situation. During these times I learned that something good can come out almost every situation and I can only control what I can control.
Tell us a little about your accolades
I have competed at CrossFit regionals as an individual 3 times and 2 times with a team. I have also qualified for multiple sanctionals in places such as Shanghai, São Paulo, Oslo, Miami, etc. I was able to take second place in both Norway and China. This year I have qualified for Midatlantic CrossFit Championship where I will take another shot at qualifying for the CrossFit Games.
What does your diet/nutrition look like? Any advice to others on things that you've had to learn the hard way in this are of your health and fitness?
Being a registered dietitian and competitive CrossFit athlete I watch very closely what I put in my body. I try to eat as many Whole Foods as possible with plenty of clean proteins and complex carbs. I also choose clean supplements to aid my diet, which is why partnering up with Swolverine was a no brainer. As with any nutrition protocol, each persons needs are different and can vary depending on a ton of factors. A good rule of thumb is to try and stick to as little processed foods as possible since a lot of nutrition can be removed during different processes. If you are wondering how to eat at a competition just eat foods you are normally used to, don’t try to throw new foods in on game day.
Tell us a little about your training regimen - do you follow specific training program(s), coaching/coaches, etc.? How do you prioritize your training over other aspects of life to reach this level of competitiveness?
Right now and for the last 3 plus years I have been following Comptrain programming. I also have been using aerobic capacity workouts to help build my capacity. In addition, I have a coach that I work with daily to help change or add any additional pieces that we think will help me in the long run. Competing at a high level of CrossFit is basically a full time job these days. So with having a regular full time job as a Registered Dietitian, my days are pretty full. After work you can find me at the gym for hours getting all my programming completed. If I am not working or training I am usually trying to get as much recovery in as possible. This means prioritizing sleep, massages, sauna, mobilizing, etc. I plan my entire day around training and making sure J maximize the time that I have.
What’s the biggest piece of advice that you’ve been given, that’s made an impact on you as an individual, that you wish to share with others for their journey?
One of the best pieces of advice I have gotten over the years has to do with mental toughness. I used to be a very mentally weak athlete. I would do great during training, but then “choke” or just think about everything that could go wrong. So one of the best pieces of advice I have gotten is to just control what I can control. It’s nothing new or Earth shattering, but I think it’s something that is overlooked and something that can easily help someone stay grounded when things start to spiral out of control. At the end of the day, the things we can control shoukd be the only things we focus on. Everything else is going to happen regardless so we should not waste energy on those thoughts.
Why do you choose Swolverine?
I chose Swolverine for a number of reasons. I was very impressed at their ingredients of all their supplements. As an RD I know when supplement companies just pump a bunch of fillers into their products to save some money. Swolverine is very upfront about their ingredients and only put what your body actually needs into their products. During my initial conversation with the team I could tell they truely beleive in their products and are proud of them. They weren’t just trying to push their products on me. All their supplements are backed by science and have the highest clinical dosage so there no need to double up servings.
What are your favorite products to use from Swolverine?
I am looking forward to trying all their products! I use whey protein, BCAAs, beta alanine, and glutamine daily so they will be a great addition to my regime.
