It’s Never Too Early to Be a Strong Crossfit Athlete and Marie Rognstad Knows It

Marie Rognstad is living proof there is never too early to pursue your dream sports career, and she has some great accomplishments to prove it. The young but fierce CrossFit athlete and coach have a gymnastics background that taught her consistency and devotion is key to achieving any fitness goal. But it was in CrossFit that she found her calling at the tender age of fourteen. Since then, she has managed to take part in some of the biggest CrossFit competitions with great results and even acquire a level 1 coaching diploma. Her dream? To be a CrossFit legend, and from what we’ve seen, is well on her way to success!

Can you tell us about your fitness journey?

I started with gymnastics at a very young age, but I switched to CrossFit at 14. At first, it was just training a couple of times each week for fun, but when I learned it is a competitive sport it gave me the motivation to focus more. I started to train more focused on the competitions. What helped me is that I have had the same coach since I started and he has given me a specific training program to follow almost every day. Since then, I aim to participate in as many competitions as possible. I think I have done it well so far!

What makes CrossFit exciting for you?

For me, it’s the variety. CrossFit has so many different movements and you discover new things every day. Every competition is also different from the other and there is always something new to learn and experience. It never gets boring. You constantly discover new challenges that help you become better in what you do.

What is the youngest age one can start doing CrossFit?

For competitions, you need to be at least 14 to be allowed to compete. Of course, one can start CrossFit training even at a younger age but we’ll have to wait until 14 to compete.

What are the sacrifices you need to make in order to reach your goals?

I certainly devote a lot of time to training, especially during the weekends. At my level, I have many hours of training every day but it’s fun and exciting for me. In that sense, I am not sacrificing anything; I am simply following my dream. It’s true that sometimes I would prefer doing other activities than train but then I refocus on my goal. My dream is my motivation.

Where do you imagine yourself in five years?

By then, I hope I will be able to focus solely on CrossFit and make a living from it. The goal is to be able to do it full-time and further pursue my coaching career. Right now I am a level 1 coach and through this, I would love to help other people achieve their fitness goals. Right now, I try to be as good as I can and get as much competition experience as possible. And of course, win some top placements along the way!

As a coach, what would you advise someone that is just starting CrossFit?

It's important to not stress. When I started my CrossFit journey I would look at other athletes’ Instagram pages and always compare myself to them, which was so wrong. It's much better to just focus on yourself and your development; one day you will be at their level if you try hard. It just takes time, focus, and consistency. Social media can be very deceiving. People mostly post what they are good at and not their bad moments. Don't compare yourself to others.

How do you recover after a bad workout?

You do need bad days to be the best, if you don’t that means you are not learning. I try to focus on bad workouts but just explore what went wrong. Was it my nutrition, my training, or anything that needs changing? I don’t stress, I have a brand new day tomorrow to do my best! A positive mindset is key.

How are diPulse products helping you in your fitness journey?

I was in a competition this summer and won first place. The winner’s package included a diPulse SMARTBELT KIT and I felt very curious to try it. I have seen so much about it on Instagram and the prospect of using it myself was exciting. diPulse wearables are great before a workout to warm up the muscles correctly but also as a fast and safe recovery tool. I also tried the diPulse products during my recent competition; we had some really challenging deadlifts but I used the ancillaries on my back afterward and didn’t feel sore the day after. Effective warm-up and fast recovery are key for us athletes and diPulse provides both.