1) Who is Emma Tall? (Where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I grew up in a small town in the south of Sweden, Today I work as a CrossFit coach and personal trainer in Stockholm. Training is my passion, I love to workout and the feeling of getting better than I was yesterday is what makes me push harder. To motivate other people to develop and get fitter is also something I really enjoy.
2) How many years have you been training?
I started to swim competitively when I was really young and continued with that until I was 22 years old, then I took a turn into fitness, spend around two years at the gym with hypertrophy training, competed in bodyfitness twice and then 2016 I found CrossFit, which is absolutely one of the best things that have ever happened to me.
Taking the step into the fitness world left me with food problems and the feeling of never being or looking good enough except at the stage. When I first started with CrossFit I had no plans for competitions, I have pretty much competed my whole life and thought I was over it. I have always preferred training to competition and I have been competing too many times just to prove myself to others. But here we are competing again and right now I’m enjoying it, I do feel that I was not mature enough to compete for the right reasons when I was younger.
3) What’s been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? And how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
I have had a lot of injuries since I started to train, neck, shoulder, knee, back and hip. All because of different reasons during different times, and injuries are always challenging and a little heart breaking if you love what you doing, and your injuries are stopping you from enjoying that of course its going to hurt. That’s when you just have to suck it up and realise that maybe it could be way worse and work with what you have.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
Right now I follow a training plan for two sessions a day, I like to train everything, I do not lie to take stuff out of training just so I can focus on something else. I do think that as long as I’m doing as good as I can everyday I will always get better at something. My diet routine right now is simple, I eat 6 times a day and I do mostly eat good and healthy food. Same goes with food as training, I do not like to take stuff out of my diet or forbid anything. What you eat makes a huge difference in your training, but getting upset with it can make a huge difference in your head and that will effect your training more than a little change in your diet. As long as you eat good food, you’re probably safe.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
I will never put my destiny in someone else’s hand, I have to be the only one in charge. I want to be the one deciding if I reach my goal or not. With that being said, I’ve learned to not compare myself to others and neither do something to prove myself to others. Whatever I do, I’m doing it for myself.
6) What’s your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
I’m weak for all kind of food, I do really eat and enjoy EVERYTHING. I’m way pickier when it comes to sweets! I go for chocolate almost every time.
7) What’s one supplement that you could not live without?
Oh, nothing. I think supplements make my life easier but I would definitely survive without them.
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Everything I have done in my life so far has lead to where I am today. And sure I can wish that I would have started CrossFit earlier or that I did gymnastics as a kid, but I like to see it from a different view. I have learned a lot from all the mistakes I have done in life, and that have made me the kind of athlete I am today, and I do not want to change that. I’m sure about how I am and what I want, I’m sure about my values in life and what’s important for me.
9) Who do you look up to in the fitness industry and why?
The people I look up to are the knowledgeable people I have around me. The people who inspire me and make me work harder every day. I’m not getting impressed that often but people who are willing to put in that extra effort are getting close.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Don’t think so much, don’t care too much, people will always be people and you will always do you. So do your thing, be willing to put in the effort and success will follow.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
I always find it really difficult to answer questions about goals. People want to hear something they can measure, check and control.
I have two goals
1. I want to have fun
2. I always want to develop, if that’s learning from mistakes or hitting a PB it doesn’t matter, as long as I’m getting better.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
@emmtall
