"I am usually very poor at taking advice to train less, whether that advice comes from me or others. Over training is something I tend to be pretty good at."
Following last year’s CrossFit Games, Matthew Lefave moved his law practice to another firm.
“I am a full-time lawyer and have been practicing since 2006. I moved to Beard Winter LLP in August 2012,” Lefave says.
With the career shift on the heels of the Games, Lefave was forced to focus on building his new practice and scale back his training. In his opinion, this wasn't a negative.
“It was great timing … I am usually very poor at taking advice to train less, whether that advice comes from me or others,” he says. “Over training is something I tend to be pretty good at.”
In December, Lefave got engaged to Marg Kimball, who is helping him prepare for the 2013 season.
“My fiancé got her Level 1 shortly following the Games and she has not looked back. Keeping up with her huge gains in the gym has been a task in itself,” he says.
Over the holidays, Lefave and Kimball spent time in the Carolinas, visiting Christmas Abbott at CrossFit Invoke, and Andy and Spencer Hendel at CrossFit Charlotte.
Lefave is getting ready for the upcoming Games season. He's been working with Bryan Marshall, the weightlifting specialist at CrossFit Liberty Village, where Lefave is a co-owner.
“I cleaned and jerked 320 lb. before the holiday season and I don’t think I had a 300-lb. clean and jerk at that time last year,” Lefave says.
Currently building up strength, Lefave will shift to conditioning when the Games season officially begins.
“I will start to increase my volume slowly leading up to the Open and Regionals,” he says.
He also plans to clean up his nutrition.
“I always eat pretty clean … about 80 percent paleo,” Lefave says. “I will admit that more bean and peanut butter treats made the list in the month after the Games, but 2013 is now upon us, and it's once again, go time.”
Lefave knows a return ticket to California won’t be easy.
“I am looking forward to 2013 with great anticipation,” he says. “My goal is to get back to the Games. The competition gets tougher each year and I take nothing for granted.”
