I’m Crystal. Just your ordinary, straight to the point, no gimmicks, no gray area, no nonsense, just HARD WORK kind of girl. I think I have always had an eye for the finish line. As far back as I can remember I have been pushing myself. As a twelve year-old growing up in Dallas, Texas, I would tell my mom to meet me at the school, about a mile from our house. She would drive and I would RUN! Fast forward many years and I was the rare Army soldier who loved morning PT (the required physical training with drill sergeants yelling). At one point in my military career I went to the gym and I saw a woman who was in phenomenal shape.. I knew I had to attain what she had! She graciously took me under her wing, teaching me how to fuel my body properly to attain the results she had. My old Army sergeant saw my interest and offered to show me the ropes in the gym. For seven days straight he showed me how to work each body part. Once I knew what to do I was off and running! I have lifted every day since then. Naturally I was drawn to the intense discipline the bodybuilding world offered. I began competing in bodybuilding and figure competitions, winning every one I entered. After ten years of competing however, I began to see that extreme lifestyle was very taxing on my body. I stopped competing, took time to learn my body, to really listen to what it needed to create a new sustainable lifestyle. This conscious journey led me to want to share what I was learning. I knew I wanted to inspire and motivate people, just like the woman at the gym did for me. I knew I wanted to invest in others the way my old Army sergeant did. I started by serving as a diet technician. My YouTube channel Puzzle Fit was born soon after I gave birth to my son nine years ago. Working out at home was my solution to the challenges of getting to the gym with a newborn. I knew many others were in the same kind of boat so I began sharing my passion for fitness in a simple and direct way. For almost a decade now Puzzle Fit has been a go-to channel for strength, cardio, nutrition and more recently yoga. Many early mornings as I run through our little Madison, Alabama neighborhood where my family now resides, I am reminded of my childhood races to the school. I promise to take your hand now, helping you to evolve into the strongest, most beautiful version of yourself as we reach for the finish line together.
One day I decided to slow down and stretch! I attended a yoga class, and I’ve been hooked ever since! I am now a 200-Hr Registered Yoga Teacher. My passion is Ashtanga Yoga! I love Ashtanga because It’s a balanced practice. There isn’t a single part of my body that ever feels left out of this practice. Many of you have known me for years and I appreciate you following my journey and being on board with my mission of “Putting the pieces together for total mind, body and fitness.” When yoga came into my life I quickly realized everything it brought was what I had been trying to get out into the world for so long. In Sanskrit, yoga means “to yoke.” In essence, yoga is the joining of all those pieces I advocate for.
It would be my honor for you to join me (pun intended) in a yoga practice.