Not so easy, is it guys?
Last May, a CrossFit instructor and owner of CrossFit Unbounded in Miami made a clip of herself working out while 40 weeks pregnant. And if that sounds impossible, imagine what the guys in the video think, as she had them strap 10-pound medicine balls to their waists while they attempted the same workout.
The major OMG looks, beatdown bend overs, and sweaty faces on the guys are priceless.
According to Good Morning America, the instructor/owner, Michelle Duboc, was doing the Murph Challenge, a workout that CrossFit members take part in every year on Memorial Day to honor Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan.
The challenge involves a 2-mile run, 300 air squats and 200 pushups. And let’s just say, the guys all look like they just want to take the damn medicine ball off already.
It was actually the idea of the husband and CrossFit Unbound co-owner, Gian Franco Duboc, to attempt this workout that mimicked working out while pregnant.
"She's a motivational person at the gym well before and after her pregnancy," said her husband. "Everybody around her in the gym just looks at her and if somebody's having a bad day and they don't want to work out, they just look at her and they're like, 'Damn, I can't complain.'"
Ever the inspiring crossfit coach, Michelle Duboc didn’t do any “Told ya so” laughing, but instead was happy with the sympathy-inspiring escapade. "It was pretty cool to see them actually want to try it and to see kind of what it feels like," said Duboc.
Three years ago when she had her first child, Duboc thought about posting pregnancy workout clips, but was fearful of negative reactions. But this time she went for it, posting periodic videos that she hoped would spread the importance of sweating it out when the bun’s in the oven.
"It's so beneficial," said Duboc. "Working out is just so good for you. You also get those happy endorphins that we all need if going through a rough time in pregnancy."
And the over 9 million Instagram views of her latest video proves many others wanted the inspiration.
GMA confirmed that in a 2019 study published by East Carolina University, researchers found that exercising during pregnancy resulted in babies who are more adept at movement, and possibly more likely to be active as they grow older. Another study published in 2018 by researchers in Spain also found that women who exercise just three times per week during pregnancy have a shorter labor.
Of course with so many IG views, there are bound to be negative comments.
"For a lot of people, it's like really embedded in their head, like women who are pregnant shouldn't lift [weights]," said Duboc. "And they hear it more like [pregnancy] is a condition." She added, "It's sad because they don't know all the benefits that come from working out during pregnancy."
It all worked for Duboc, as the day after this workout challenge, she delivered her second daughter, Sky Duboc, who weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces.
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