Botox and Burpees
Botox and Burpees
S06E124 BISON 15 - Make Your CrossFit Routine Your Character Builder - Summer Vanwyckhouse
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We sit down with Summer Vanwyckhouse @summervanwyckhouse to talk about how CrossFit took her from a soccer-focused teen to a confident, consistent athlete who loves hard workouts and supportive people.
We also connect training to her life as a nursing student, from building perspective in clinicals to choosing smart scaling that keeps her healthy and improving.
• starting CrossFit to get stronger for soccer
• loving the group dynamic
• building skills like double unders
• staying active at college with club soccer plus CrossFit-style options
• why younger adults may choose hot Pilates or hot yoga
• why CrossFit can feel intimidating
• the power of scaling workouts
• how nursing clinicals shape motivation and gratitude
• what a healthy gym culture looks like, including clear boundaries and respect for women
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Welcome And Summer’s CrossFit Story
SPEAKER_00All right, hello, and welcome to another episode of Botox and Burpees, the Bison 15. We have with us a great bison athlete, relatively new, about a year at our gym. It's Summer Van Wickhouse. Thank you so much, Summer, for uh being part of the podcast and guesting. And today we're going to talk a little bit about her fitness experience and her experience with CrossFit as well. So, Summer, welcome to the podcast and I'll let you take it away.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much. I'm really excited to be here. Yeah, so I started CrossFit when I was 15 and I'm 20 now. I started at CrossFit Waldwick and then I started at CrossFit Bison like a little bit more than a year ago. And my favorite part is I just love how everyone pushes each other. And I feel like it's so cool seeing everyone being different ages and then like we're all together working out. It's nice to like have other people to look up to
Soccer Strength To CrossFit Passion
SPEAKER_01and to like push yourself with like so many different people around you.
SPEAKER_00So what made you start at CrossFit Waldwick at age 15? Obviously, was it something you wanted to do? Was it something someone got you to do?
SPEAKER_01So I did like I went to Catholic school and I did varsity soccer there freshman year. So I kind of wanted to become stronger on the soccer field because I feel like I was an offender. And I'm always like, I'm a little short, I'm like five three. So I feel like I wanted to be better at like bodying people off the soccer ball. So I was like thinking about joining a gym, but then I was like, if I was just thrown to a gym, I would have no idea what I'm doing. So I was like, why not try CrossFit? And it definitely made me stronger, but then I kind of liked that more than I ended up liking soccer. And yeah, I just feel like I joined it to push myself and I just ended up really liking it more than I thought I would.
SPEAKER_00So what is it about the workouts in CrossFit that appeal to you specifically?
SPEAKER_01I like that it's workouts that I wouldn't choose to do by myself. Like if
The Psychology Of Group Intensity
SPEAKER_01you were to like tell me to go do 30 burpees, like I would stop after the third one, but I think it's because someone's forcing me to do it. And then I have other people around me that like in my head, I'm like, you can't let them down, you have to keep doing your burpees. And it's just like stuff that I wouldn't choose to do, but it's stuff that I should be doing anyway. And I feel like that's what I like about the actual CrossFit part. And then like you keep track of your stuff. So I know I've always done like 15-pound barb uh dumbbells, but I recently started to be like, you should be doing 20 pounds. So I just keep upping it.
SPEAKER_00Um, what movements do you find most challenging in CrossFit that you feel like uh you could still have a lot of room for improvement on?
SPEAKER_01Um, my newest thing, I just got like double unders consistently. I feel like I used to be doing them where I would do double unders like in a workout for as long as I can. And then like when I would stop at around like 20, I would just do singles. And I recently
Skills Progress Double Unders And Beyond
SPEAKER_01started doing it where like you're just doing double unders. Um, my next movement that I'm trying to get is toes to bar, probably, or just like upping my weight. Like I used to do eight-pound wall balls and then I started doing 10-pound wall balls. I feel like just trying to push myself a little bit more this summer.
SPEAKER_00What was the trick with getting more double unders? Was there anything specific?
SPEAKER_01Like Um, I um Bobby used to like tell me that my arms look like fish because I'm like, I use my arms instead of using my wrists. So I feel like I just started to think more about my wrists. So then when I'm not going like this, I'm less tired. So I'm just like that. And I feel like that really helped me.
SPEAKER_00It's really good. I uh I know that you're going back to school soon. And so we only have you at our gym uh probably for another month or so. And then what do you what do you do when you're
College Training And Staying Consistent
SPEAKER_00at your your college?
SPEAKER_01So at college, I still do club soccer, which is nice because I just love like the social aspect, and like I've played soccer since I was little, so it's like not too much of a commitment, but it's just really fun, and you make new friends in college from it. And I do that when I'm at school, and then besides that, there's a CrossFit gym and there's also this like organization, it's called Move to Heal, and it's like CrossFit inspired movements, but then there's also like uh what's the word? Like a discussion kind of after, and I feel like that's really cool. It's similar to CrossFit, and then I'll do CrossFit occasionally, but they only have it at like six o'clock at night, and I'm like a morning workout person, so I just try my best.
SPEAKER_00So right now, CrossFit is at a crossroads in terms of the um HQ, the big organization,
Why CrossFit Intimidates Young Adults
SPEAKER_00they're they're trying to increase the demographics for younger athletes. Um, and as you know, our our gym has a lot of um pe athletes probably over the age of 30. We have a lot of families and parents and so forth. You're probably one of the f uh few younger athletes that we have at the gym. So, what is it that you think CrossFit can do to help appeal to say a younger demographic?
SPEAKER_01That's hard.
SPEAKER_00I feel like Or what let me ask you this. Why do younger athletes not just all go to CrossFit gyms? Like, what is it, what other things do they prefer, and why do you think they prefer those things versus say maybe CrossFit that's your in terms of your friends or peers?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, okay. I feel like a lot of my friends do like hot Pilates or like hot, real hot yoga. Um, I feel like it's because they want to wear like cute outfits and then you're like, you know what I mean? But I really like CrossFit because I'm like, I just like to like like you're not doing burpees like in real hot yoga. You're like you're like, I don't know, you're like hardcore. That's what I really like about it. But I feel like some people are like intimidated by it, I feel like, because you see all like the movements and the workouts. And a lot of my friends, I posted like something on my Instagram story about like Murph, and they were like, oh my god, you do like a hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups, three hundred air spots, and then you run again. And I'm like, yeah. But I feel like it's just intimidating. But I feel like because there's so many ways to scale, and like if you can't do one movement, you can like fix it another way with something else. And I feel like that's really cool about CrossFit. But I feel like if you're not like used to it or you don't
Nursing Clinicals And Doing Hard Things
SPEAKER_01know anything about it, I feel like it is intimidating.
SPEAKER_00What is it about your personality that lends you to doing hard things? Because these are hard things. Like you go to the gym, it's there's a lot of intensity, it's not, it's, it's fast, like you said, and there's a lot of different movements. So what is it about your personality or how you've sort of approached your life that makes that appeal to you?
SPEAKER_01Um, I would say I always try to walk into the gym a better I try to leave the gym a better person than I walked in there. I always try to push myself. And I feel like with being a nursing major and I just started clinicals, and you see people in the hospital and people who can't walk or can't eat by themselves. And then I just like kind of came to a realization of how lucky I am that I am able to do this. And I just really like that I I like need to work out, like it makes me happy inside to like be pushing myself into be doing that stuff. So I would say my personality goes along with it because I just try to be my best self and to become a better person each time by each workout I do and give it my all each day.
SPEAKER_00Why did you decide to go into nursing, by the way?
SPEAKER_01Um, I knew I wanted a job where I could help people. And then I think when I was like a sophomore junior in college, I was like, or sorry, a sophomore junior in high school. I was like when it started to become real, like college and what you major in, I wanted a job where I could help people, where I could have like a stable income when I'm older. And as I like looked into it, I knew like nursing was something I more so wanted to do. My aunt passed away from breast cancer when she was 32, and I was like a little bit younger. So I feel like that also had an impact on me for wanting to choose healthcare. And yeah, I feel like nursing's gonna be like the perfect thing for me though.
Community Across Ages And Gym Culture
SPEAKER_00So describe the social environment of CrossFit or CrossFit gyms, or at least bison. So you said um that was a very positive aspect for you. Um what is it that you like about that that part of it?
SPEAKER_01I love that everyone is different ages. Like, there's people like my partner today, she was like having kids, and then like I'm just 20, but we're just like in it together, and I feel like it's just so cool that there's just so many different types of people. And then there was like a girl next to me who's in her 60s and she's working out and she's awesome. Like, I just think it's so cool that there's so many different ages and so many different groups of people that can push you. And I just like I'm an extrovert, I love talking to people, and it's like if I was just in a gym and it was just like you, yourself, and you like there'd be no chance to like talk to people or like get to know other people to push yourself more. I just love how CrossFit, like everyone, especially in Bison, like wants to be the best version of themselves and they're all so kind and so friendly. And it's just really nice that there's so many different people that you get to talk to and meet, and then they like you all have like a common goal, you all want to be more fit, you all want to push each other.
SPEAKER_00Um, I've talked to young women, also my daughter and others, and I think one of the issues that they deal with in a social situation, sometimes at gyms or other places, is that if you are nice to someone or you're kind to them, guys will mistake that as some sort of interest. And I know you're a very extrovert friendly person. Does that is that a problem for you? Or how do you navigate those social situations as a young woman uh dealing with guys in all of these types of situations?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Um, that's another thing that I really like about CrossFit, especially like CrossFit Bison. There's no like weird old creepy guys. I actually like everyone just like high-fives you and then like goes on with their day. I was I still have a membership for like a gym like near my house, but I like only use it for the sauna. And when I go in there, there's so many creepy guys. Someone said to me last week, I'm not even making this up, you're living proof that God's an artist. And I was just like, oh my God. Like the older guys, they're just so weird and creepy. But that's what I like about CrossFit is like you know when you're going to work out, like you don't have to worry about some guy in our gym being like saying something like that. It's just like guys, though, at regular gyms, it's like insane. But I just feel like you I try not to like pay attention to that. Like, I just was like, oh my god, and walked away. Like you just can't.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's it would be funny if it wasn't so weird, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I feel like, well, first of all, I know that most of the guys at the gym was like, if anyone ever acted that way at our gym, like, you know, there's a very it's very important that we have a great community, great standards, great culture. And it's not just like the creepy old dudes, but if it if there was anyone who was toxic or not nice to somebody, or, you know, you know, um anything that's bringing anyone down, period. Like that's sort of what a gym needs to do to sort of make sure that that vibe is good. And I'm I'm glad that you you feel that way. Um I'm glad we don't have creepy old old dudes that are
Coaches Friends And Future Nurse Goals
SPEAKER_00gym. Uh so um talk about some of the friends that you made at Bison and like how you've related to them, how they've pushed you, or maybe you've pushed them um in terms of your fitness journey.
SPEAKER_01Yes. So my like my normal crew during the week is like my 9:30 class. And I knew um Bobby from CrossFit Waldwick, and so it's like I've known him for like four or five years. So yeah, it's nice because he sees my improvement from like when I kind of first started to now, and he's just like so nice, and he's so good. He's like a really good coach. Um, and then Liz also coaches a lot, and Liz is awesome, she's like human sunshine, like in a person, like she's so nice. So those are I feel like the coaches that I normally have on like a weekly basis, and then the people in the class, like we have like Kelly, she's awesome, and then like Karen, and they're all like 40-ish year old women, and like they run around me in the workouts. I have to like keep up, like it's crazy. But I just feel like it's such a good crew and they're all so fit. And then like Kristen and like Aaron Brady, they're both um like nurse practitioners. So I like to like talk to them about nursing and stuff. And I feel like it's so cool to see like they're like a version of me, like in the future, like they're healthcare baddies and they're in the gym working out, and they're just awesome too.
SPEAKER_00That is really cool. I yeah, I never thought about that from a mentoring standpoint, but uh you're right. We have a lot of people who are in healthcare, um, who are NPs, who um do a lot of healthcare work, and they're also amazingly fit. You're right. All of those people you mentioned are um, they have families, they have kids, and yet they've maintained uh an insanely high level of health and and fitness, which um absolutely. So what do you foresee yourself in the future? So let's let's fast forward summer Van Wickhouse, say two or three years from now. So you've graduated. Uh how do you foresee your fitness journey or and also like your your personal journey at that?
SPEAKER_01Yes. So like two to three years from now, um, I want to move back home from college. And then I my goal is to work at Hackensack, but we'll see. And I just want to be a nurse, so I'd work like three 12 days a week. And on my off days, I would go across a bison, of course. I my goal, I like am one of those people that's gonna be stuck in Bergen County. Like I am never gonna leave. I like love it. Um, so my goal is like, and also I'm a very, like, what's the word? I don't like change. Like I'm very routine and structured. So like I don't like to switch up what I do. So I definitely like see myself being at like CrossFit bison for like a while. Um, my goal is to work and then just be at the gym on my off days. And then during the summer, I love to go to the beach.
SPEAKER_00Pretty awesome. Uh yeah, there are so many people from the area that have been lifers. Their families are from here. No matter where they went for school, education, training, work, they come back. Um North Jersey is just like a really fantastic. I mean, obviously we all live here, so that's that's we've made that choice. Um, what do you foresee yourself in terms of healthcare? Like, is there any particular specialty or field that you have seen that you really like so far?
SPEAKER_01So I'm in clinicals right now, which I really like because I get to like see all the different types of like things that's going on, and it's really nice because you learn so much and you just like it gives you a whole new perspective. Um, I know going into college, I wanted to do pediatric oncology, but like as I keep doing it, I'm like, oh my God, that's so sad. I don't know if I could do that. But I definitely really like kids or babies. So maybe right now I think my goal is nick you, but that could also still change. But I feel like that's a good goal for right now.
SPEAKER_00So if you had to give the five-year-ago summer Van Wick House or someone just starting CrossFit or someone your age who's thinking
Training Smart Without Injuries
SPEAKER_00about it, but is like, you know, I've done Matt Pilates, but this just looks really scary to me. Like, I don't know. Um, what would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01I would say to go for it and give it a chance, but you also have to give it time. Like you can't expect to like love it instantly, especially because learning all of like the hang snatch and like hang power snatch clean, like all of that stuff. I feel like it takes time. And to really like see a difference, like I feel like you have to wait a couple months before you like really give your like opinion on it. But I would definitely say to try it because I feel like you have a whole new version of yourself like waiting for you, and CrossFit can like bring so much out of anybody. And I feel like anyone could learn or grow by just trying to start CrossFit for the first time.
SPEAKER_00You know, I've I've uh I've been in class with you and I've seen you um, you're very careful to stay like you you bring intensity, but you are also very measured in terms of like there are some people that just bite off way more than they can chew. And somehow you you feel it seems like you know what you want to do or what you can do. Um, and how do you figure out, like, for example, that you did eight-pound wall balls and now you're ready to go to 10, or you do this and now you're ready to go to that. Like, have you had any injuries in CrossFit or or how, if not, how have you avoided them?
SPEAKER_01I haven't had any injuries in CrossFit, and I feel like that's because I instead of going like all out, like I know in most like RX workouts, it's like a 14-pound wall ball or like 35-pound uh dumbbells, but I feel like I really try to like start a little lighter and then I like see it out, and then I'm like, I could push myself and go a little heavier, or like I could balance the reps depending on what it is, or if I go really hard on one movement, I could sacrifice it a little with something else. I feel like I really try to like strategize what I'm doing by when I'm doing it. And I feel like just having like a mental note of like I know my like one rep maxes and I know like what I normally go for. So I'm just instead of going from like an eight-pound wall ball to 14, I'm just slowly working my way up, or instead of going from a 15-pound dumbbell to a 30-pound dumbbell, I just am slowly going up by like five pounds.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like for example, today's workout, let's talk about that. You it was a uh 24 cal ski, max wall balls, then 24 cal bike, max rope climbs, and 200 meter run together with max kettlebell swings with you and your partner, two minute 30 second stations. So, how did what did you do and how did you figure out what to do for that workout today?
SPEAKER_01So I loved this workout and it was really nice because it was raining and it was like the perfect time when it stopped raining was when we went for our run. So we started off on the running station, and it we like finished at about a minute. So then we had a minute and a half of uh kettlebell swings to go. And we broke it up by doing like 15, 15, and then we would alternate by how much time we had left, and we like got around 40 to 45 each time, which was like a good pace, and we kept that for consistently for the three rounds. And then the second one was we had the ski, which that's a hard movement for me. We really don't do it that often, and I'm like not that good at the form of doing it, but I still tried. And then we did wall balls, and that was good. I feel like we were pretty consistent with each round with our time, and then for the bike, we did around 20 calories, like we had 10 each, and then we got capped, and then we had to go to the rope climbs, and we scaled that, and we were just doing like pull-ups um with the rope, but it was still a really good workout, and I feel like I was like sweating so much after so um, so uh that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00You guys really sort of figured it out and um and got a good push from it, uh, but still found like the right scales that worked for you guys. Um so I would say in the future, I really would like to see where you go in terms of um your CrossFit progression. You've made like you have made a ton of improvement over the past um, I guess, years since you've been at at Bison. And uh I didn't know you were in nursing, but that's awesome. And like I said, that you're there's so many mentors at at Bison who are just killing it in that profession, and you're gonna do well too. Um if you followed in their shoes, I think you'd be really, really successful. Um so what do you do in your off days when
Sauna Walks Reading And Nutrition Growth
SPEAKER_00you're not doing CrossFit?
SPEAKER_01When I'm not doing it.
SPEAKER_00Do you do other exercises or anything else like non-crossfit related?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I go to the sauna a lot. I love the sauna. I try to push myself by doing 25 to 30 minutes, and I'll do that like three to five times a week, depending on how busy I am. Um, I feel like it really helps with my sleep. That's my favorite part of doing it. And I just love when you get to like the 20-minute mark and you have like five or 10 minutes, however much I'm doing that day, you like really have to push yourself to stay in. And you just feel so good after. So I love to do the sauna for like workout-wise. I also love going on walks. I go on walks a lot with my mom and my dog, and we'll do like three to four miles, and that's like a good way I like to stay fit. And then in my free time, I'm a huge reader. I love to read. And what else do I like to do? Oh, and I love to like hang out with my friends and my family. I'm very like I'm extroverted. I just love to be with people.
SPEAKER_00How's your nutrition? Do you do anything for your nutrition at age 20? Like or not worry about it at all?
SPEAKER_01Um, I'm like, I could be way better about my nutrition, but it I definitely have an improvement from like when I first started. Like when I was 15 and when I first started CrossFit, I like I have a picture for my camera roll. I my Starbucks order that I would get every day was like $20 because I would get a large refresher, a coffee, I would get like a sandwich, and then I'd get a cake pop, and it was like 20 bucks. And I was like, what are you doing? And then I'm like, I can't be doing that anymore. So I definitely don't eat like that anymore, which is good. I definitely like I try to be healthier. I was very picky until like I was like 17 or 18. Like I didn't have lettuce until I was 18 years old because I was like petrified of it. I don't know. Um, but then I tried salad and I was like, this is an amazing thing. So I have salad a lot or like wraps or like chicken or steak. Like that's like my I definitely eat healthier than I did, but I still have room for improvement.
SPEAKER_00I if I was your therapist, I'd dig into that petrified of lettuce thing, like way in. There's gotta be something really interesting about that, but I'm glad you're eating the salads now. That's awesome. Um, Summer, it's been such a pleasure uh to talk. Um I hope we have another opportunity in the future uh to catch up and find out what your continued athletic and uh academic progression is. Um and thanks again so much, Summer. I hope you
Closing Thanks And Back-To-School
SPEAKER_00have a great uh academic year on clinicals. I know it's gonna be uh there's some crazy stuff that I'm sure you're gonna see that I would love to hear whatever your clinical stories you have with when you come back with those. And uh good luck. And uh yes, just and continue to enjoy life. You are such a beacon in our gym. Like I said, you are a very um social, super positive. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who's talked to you at the gym not come away happier or you know, in a better mood. So um that inspires me to do the same thing, to try to be um more of a light uh around me in class as well.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much for having me. I had such a good time, and it was so nice to talk to you. Thank you so much.