Beast mode! Great-grandmother lost 70 pounds doing CrossFit
Rosa Rodriguez may have 12 grandkids, but she can lift as much as she weighs.
No cross stitching for this great-grandmother -- she’s more into CrossFit.
Rosa Rodriguez lost over 70 pounds working out at Beast Mode CrossFit in Friendswood, Texas.
The 60-year-old weighed 210 pounds and had trouble breathing before a friend convinced her to take a class. Rodriguez said she had never exercised before, let alone lifted 100-pound weights.
"As soon as I walked in, I said there’s no way," she told "GMA." "I’m too old for this."
The class started off with a mile run, which she had never done before. After an hour of running and walking, she returned to the gym to find that everyone else had finished the workout.
That first class felt "terrible," she said, but she was hooked.
Over time, with the encouragement of her coach and classmates, she started running faster and lifting heavier weights.
Three years later, Rodriguez now weighs 138 pounds and feels stronger than ever.
She also said she no longer takes medicine for blood pressure and cholesterol and can lift as much as she weighs.
“I’m so happy,” Rodriguez said. “Even my daughter says, 'Mom, you look better than me, Mom!'”
Today, Rodriguez can be found going "beast mode" five days a week. She follows a meal plan rich in protein and vegetables and has even encouraged her kids to join her at the gym.
Despite the tough workouts, Rodriguez has no trouble attending class every day. To her, the gym feels like a family. Her coach, Andrew Resendez feels the same way.
"She was just like a mom or grandma to a lot of us right there," Resendez told ABC News affiliate KTRK in Houston.
Rodriguez's classmates aren’t the only ones inspired by her dedication. Her 12 grandchildren and great-grandchild marvel at her shrinking figure.
"They go, 'Grandma, you’re working so hard," she said. “'But you’re not big anymore, you’re skinny now!''"
Rodriguez may have shed the weight, but she has no plans on stopping her fitness journey. She foresees a long life of pull-ups and power planks and calls on everyone to do the same.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re 10, 20, 40, 50, 100,” Rodriguez cheers. “We need to keep on moving.”