Thank you for checking out The Community Conversation, brought to you by Prototype Training Systems, home of CrossFit Prototype!  The Community Conversation highlights a different member of the Prototype Community each week and allows them to tell their story, share their life experience, and communicate their perspective on all things fitness.

We’ve all listened to podcasts and watched YouTube videos that highlight some of the world’s greatest leaders and visionaries. We believe we have some AMAZING people at Prototype and we want you to get to know them! (Check out our last episode here!)

This is our 22nd episode of the community conversation and I am SO PUMPED to introduce our guest and long-time Prototype member AND one of my first personal training clients, Olivia Harwood. Liv is like a little sister to me, I started training Liv in 2010/2011 before she was in high school. This one is special for me because Liv is awesome and if you don’t know her I’m glad you get to know a little bit more about her today!

So, click the link below to watch this Community Conversation on our YouTube page! You can also check out The Community Conversation on all major streaming platforms including Spotify! Don’t forget to subscribe!

Olivia Harwood 0:03
That’s great.

Michael Collette 0:05
All right. Well live Welcome to the community conversation. You got a nice introduction before this, so everyone knows who you are. And without any introduction, everyone knows who you are you like the, one of the most OG people? prototype. So with that being said, Why don’t you just kind of talk everyone through like how you got involved in prototype how you, like got involved in the gym, for the people that might not know your story?

Olivia Harwood 0:37
Yeah, so thanks for having me, by the way. Um, I think my dad started working out with Mike the OG, you know, founder and owner of prototype, back in the day when he was a trainer at BSC. I think I was like, 12 at the time, I’m 23 now. And I think my dad was the one that got me into, like weightlifting basically. Or he was the one that suggested I get into weightlifting, I played sports, my whole life, soccer and lacrosse are my big things. And I wanted to play competitively in high school, and I go on to college, hopefully for one of them. So I think probably Brent Harwood was the one that was like, you should like come, I don’t know, like workout with Mike lift some weights. So then I started working out with Mike at BSC, when I was like, 13, maybe I think we snuck me in there when I was a little bit under age. And I remember the day you Mike, were like, you heard across it. And I was like, No, and you’re like, it’s the next big thing. And I was like, No way I don’t believe you. And then my left VFC to open up. I’m CFP at the time. And my parents and I followed him over there in 2012. And I think for the first like, I don’t even know like, probably like three or four years or something. We pretty much only did personal training with you. I think I was intimidated by the CrossFit classes and stuff. I’m just was like sticking to personal training with you. And then I think it may not have even been till I was in college that I started going to the CrossFit classes and stuff. I’m definitely having my mom as my workout buddy helped me like get over my like small social fear of like, doing a workout class of people I didn’t know. But now I love it. I would tell everyone I played competitive lacrosse in college. And everyone always asked me like I was the strongest on the team, I could always do the most pull ups. And everyone’s always like love, like, how do you do it. And I was like CrossFit. That’s the story, my style. I do CrossFit classes, and I work out with Mike. And now you’re an adult a little bit anymore. I’m 23 years old, I’m going to have to start paying for my own gym memberships and which is very scary.

Michael Collette 2:58
And you’re going to be moving into South Boston soon. And one thing that you didn’t mention to the you were Canadian for a little bit, so when was that? Because I don’t think everyone knows that. That you guys left like this area for like a short like hiatus for your for your mom’s your mom’s job. So what was that? Like?

Olivia Harwood 3:22
Like, what was it like being Canadian? Yeah, I think I kind of blacked it out, honestly. But um, but um, yeah, my we moved right after I finished eighth grade. So I have two older brothers, but we just it was just my parents and I not moved because my brothers are old enough to be on their own. And we lived there for two years. And I kept playing sports up there competitively, and like my school require that we play sports like all three seasons, so I picked up some new ones. And my mom’s biggest thing when she moved up there was finding a gym. So we did find, like a great personal training gym, which ended up like the owner of that gym ended up opening up a CrossFit gym and like oh fell the time we lived in. So that was a big part of our time out there as well. But we would still come back to the gym and like work out whenever we are home over like the holidays and stuff and yeah, then eventually move back to Westboro and I did my junior and senior year of high school in Westboro and then went to college in Maine. But again, still whenever I was home on breaks, like came back to the gym and did classes and everything.

Michael Collette 4:31
So you graduated during this COVID thing. Can you tell people that may not know what that was like? Like what your experience was like kind of going through COVID being a college student and being like your senior year, sorry to bring that up. But you know, a lot of kids now we’re kind of still feeling the Same feeling that same effect now it’s starting to kind of get to that tail end of it here in Massachusetts you know seniors got a lot of seniors have like, graduation tomorrow high school seniors and and like, how can I pray and what’s worth having their graduations and stuff? So these kids are getting that opportunity. What was it like being in college especially your your senior year kind of living? living through COVID?

Olivia Harwood 5:23
Yeah, so it was right in the middle of lacrosse season Actually, we, we like spend. Basically, I played in a league called the mascac, which the season starts February 15. Every year you can’t have any coaches practices or competition before February 15. And like February was kind of like when the world like went on lockdown. So it was it was weird. Like we went on our spring break trip to LA and we got back and that’s when things were getting really bad. And I remember I got back to the locker room after practice one day and amhurst another college and our league had decided they weren’t having liquor awesome. We were like freaking out. Sorry, we were freaking out or like what is this mean? Like there’s no way Bates is shutting down. Like we’re gonna be fine. Like we already had our spring break. A lot of schools have like their spring breaks coming up. So I think that we thought they were covering their bases by like not allowing people to leave campus in return. But like that was like on a Tuesday and then on like a Thursday we found out that like this that school was done that we are being sent home so it was like a very insane 48 hours and from like a lacrosse perspective we had spent from the second we got to campus in September until like, we were probably at the beginning of March at this point, preparing for the season that we weren’t even going to get and a completely on a completely individualized No, I was kind of like over college across at that point. So as much as I was like, really sad to like, not be spending time with my teammates and stuff anymore until I was sad for my teammates that still really did want to season. I kind of was just like, okay, like this is happening. And then obviously being sent home my friends. At first were like, we’re all gonna stay like we had a house off campus like let’s all stay let’s just like we’ll eat like Panera and Chipotle I for every meal. Like it’ll be fine. Um, it quick like three days later, everyone was like, okay, we need to leave like this is just not safe. And it’s also just not sustainable. So that was really crazy. But I think one thing that helped me kind of get through it was knowing that it wasn’t like just me thing. It wasn’t just a friend group thing. It wasn’t just a Bates thing. It was literally the entire world. So it wasn’t like, oh, why is like there were like millions and billions of people going through it. Obviously, we were still all safe and healthy, which was really big. And honestly like now I’m kind of thankful we got out when we did because I feel like so bad for everybody else that’s still in college and like the people that just finished up their freshman year that they like their senior high school was cut short. And now their freshman year was tough probably to do like all the normal social things. So it was kind of it was just kind of crazy. It’s the time has gone by really quickly. But it’s just like weird to think about, like 15 months ago at this point. I was in person living

Michael Collette 8:25
I can’t imagine being in school gone through that stuff. It’s things like you said things for the freshman just to be able to get a good perspective on it. And then you also continued to like say in super good shape. And like like many questions they like many maybe many folks like prototype but not like many folks like across the world. You and Sally and Brent continued and still are doing like virtual like training in virtual classes. I want to talk about that. And then I share my know what I want to talk about before we go into that is like staying on like the college and high school like side of things before we get more into your you know, as an adult is like being in high school, in training and being a being an athlete, being in college training being an athlete not many kids have like I don’t want to call you a kid but like at the time you’re a kid devoted like as much time to like their physical like their fitness their health like their well being now many kids are in that mindset get up in the morning go to a 6am class. Like how did that like what like what is going on in your brain? That was like a decision you made? This is what I want? This is what I’m going to do.

Olivia Harwood 9:48
Yeah, I think that well first a big part of it honestly was my parents like supported me through a lot of it like not only financially which was a big thing which I’m very appreciated out. appreciate about And a lot of people don’t have that luxury. But also just like my dad, his slash, like was working out with Mike three times a week my mom is in the gym like every day, that definitely has helped me a lot. But in high school, I remember like, lifting weights, like was not a thing for like the people on my high school like lacrosse teams and stuff. Um, but I remember and we still got in like good workouts, I guess, like in games and practices. But I remember during soccer season one year, I had been like, training with Mike in the offseason. And then soccer season came around, and I was like, Okay, I’m like, getting like workouts and during practice, I don’t need to be kind of like going into the gym as much. But I noticed I felt like I kind of felt like crap. Like, I didn’t feel like I was in shape. And then I reached out to Mike and was like, Can we start training again. Um, so yeah, I just felt like I always felt better when I was like, consistently actually like lifting and like doing real workouts in the gym. And that was a thing that transcended to college to like, I went to a d3 school that was competitive, but a lot of people had no experience lifting. And it definitely showed like I was blowing people away in the weight room. But even at school, it is hard, I always felt like I was on a much better track when I came home, which has made the transition to being like, virtual and like now being an adult and like not being college a little bit better. Um, like, it was always hard for me to stay on track at school. But I knew that like, when I came home, it was my time to kind of like reel it back in with both my nutrition and like being consistent in the gym. So overall, just like I think the main motivation, there is just like feeling better. And like, you look better when you feel better, too.

Michael Collette 11:45
I talk about nutrition in a second, but like keep keep on that track with the with the virtual like what, like you guys are like doing tons of virtual and you got like your your got get your spot and the cape, you’ll go to KB workout, you’ll go you know, and you’re working full time to from home, and they’ll do your workout like in your house and in westborough to like, what is that whole, I know that you’ve been consistent. So that’s played a role into you don’t want to stop being consistent, but even the folks that there’s some folks out there that were really consistent that like, you pivot to a virtual No, like, not for me, like, Yeah, what what made that easier for you, or what keeps you keeps doing that with I mean, besides the fact you have an appointment with me, but

Olivia Harwood 12:33
um, I think we’ll definitely the main thing is like having a schedule, like whether we’re working out with Mike on a day or just like, deciding, I mean, before I started work, I was still living at home from like March to August before I started work. So that was a time where like, I still tried to be very, like maybe I wasn’t getting up and doing like the 7am CrossFit classes, but I still made an effort to do like the 9am thrives every day. So still just like making a plan. I’ve also just decided for myself, this might change when I like move out. But um, and I’m living with my friends, but I know that if I don’t work out first thing in the morning, it’s not happening. So I like won’t roll out of bed until I’m ready to work out. Um, so that was kind of more of a factor when I wasn’t working. But now that I am working full time. It’s like I’m working on at seven or I’m not working at all, so I might as well work at seven. Um, and then the other thing that has really helped me is honestly like my mom living at home with my mom and her also being really committed. Like it’s nice when my alarm goes off in the morning and I can already hear her downstairs and I’m like oh gotta get up. But I have really liked virtual um, I mean, like my parents I’ve totally hooked us up Brad Harwood specifically shout out with like a bunch of like home workout equipment and stuff which has been awesome, but I love still being able to take a class like the pro everything is so programmed I don’t need to like think of my own workout I just need to show up and like be told what to do and like make myself do it. Um, yeah, but I love virtual and it’s it’s I get to sleep in an hour later on a selfish note and I roll out of bed like five minutes before class starts. It’s great.

Michael Collette 14:15
I don’t think you’ve ever missed a workout like cuz you like decided to sleep in I want I’m wondering like if your mom would ever give you a hard time for Mrs. missing one cuz I feel like it like sleeping. We normally talk about it the night before. Like, it’s kind of like maybe we won’t say we’re not working out tomorrow, but we wake up in the morning are both like it’s not happening. It’s a mutual agreement.

Olivia Harwood 14:38
Yeah, yeah. But I mean, but um, you all do.

Michael Collette 14:43
You hold each other accountable to work out. You also hold each other accountable not to work out.

Olivia Harwood 14:46
Exactly. It’s like yeah, like if one of us is not working out, probably both of us are not working out. But I like to rest on the weekends. So my motivation is like just gonna make it through like Friday, maybe Saturday and I can just

Michael Collette 15:00
So, back to the part about like nutrition, you use like 2020, COVID, all that stuff to really dial it in. I mean, you’re back home, you that in school, all the other stuff that comes with being in college and stuff, like you, like me like a huge like transformation. Like, what did you do? And like, what advice would you give to like other folks that are like that? Want to, you know, make that progress? Well,

Olivia Harwood 15:31
yeah, so I think just being home in general definitely has helped me a lot. Like Obviously, I’m not drinking as much and I’m not in like comments or they’re like, endless food options, and I can just, like, have whatever I want. And I’m being like, influenced by my friends. But I will say I did, I feel like my transformation did kind of start at school. And I have been trying, I’ve been like working with like prototype nutrition on and off, I think since I was like a freshman in college, but I couldn’t really get myself in the right mindset. Like I kind of kept being like, I was tracking macros, but it was like all or nothing. So it was like, if I go over my macros, even the slightest bit, like I’m throwing it out the window, and I’m just gonna eat like everything in sight. So I got into, I was in like, a really unhealthy manner for a long time. But then, I think like, maybe like, towards the end of my junior year of college, or like my senior year of college, I was working with john. And the macro counting was like, very important for me to learn kind of like portion control, and learn, like, yeah, I can eat this, but like, this is like kind of what I’m putting into my body situation. And then from that, I was able to just be like, Okay, I’m going to eat what I want, but I’m not going to overdo it. Like kind of more like a mindful eating approach. And that was like really what did it for me like that is when I really started noticing, like, the transformation I guess I’m just so just like, I guess like listening to my body and stuff. But being being home has helped me like get over the end line, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. And surrounding yourself with people who I feel like thank similarly like people who also want to be healthy. And you know, I eat like a lot of crap in a day but it’s all about balance Whole Foods, prioritizing Whole Foods.

Michael Collette 17:25
What is your favorite food? Like if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life?

Olivia Harwood 17:32
What would I think sushi?

Michael Collette 17:35
Just what kind of what kind of sushi though? Like Yama? Sushi. You’re talking like good like you’re talking about like shimi what are you what are you talking about?

Olivia Harwood 17:44
I like the Maki. I think that’s what it’s called. I think that’s like Yama, sushi. I mean, Yama, sushi is kind of like fake sushi because they just throw everything in there. But I like some good I love some salmon. I love some tuna. I love some avocado with spicy Mayo drizzle. I’ve been really into pokey bowls recently there’s a place in western called Atlantic oh it’s in Shrewsbury actually called Atlantic pokey. I got Brenton sadly on them. It’s like a burrito bowl but it’s like sushi ingredients. Amazing. Yeah, I never heard of that place but they call the Atlantic Atlantic pokey. There’s also there’s one in Shrewsbury. There’s also one in Marlboro across from the apex center. Delicious. document all the good Poke Poke.

Michael Collette 18:25
Well, let’s get into Spitfire. I know that I’ve asked you that question because I want to change up these questions but we just haven’t got around to it. So question number one big one a was the food favorite movie and TV show of all time. And what are you currently binge watching right now? I know you’re a Netflix binge watcher.

Olivia Harwood 18:50
Okay, favorite movie. I feel like I always say Back to the Future. So I’m gonna go with that. But also Legally Blonde is an honorable mention best movie of all time. Better than Mean Girls. Sorry, not sorry. Um, favorite TV show of all time is probably The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s so messed up. If you like mess up stuff. You’ll love it. I was like

Michael Collette 19:15
I watched I watched like, I don’t know like to try to watch the first episode Erin and she had on and I was like, I can’t watch the show. I can’t watch the show. I’m disturbed by it I couldn’t watch it. But

Olivia Harwood 19:27
yeah, now my favorite genre of like books movies, TV is like the psychological thriller like really screwed up stuff. That’s my favorite.

Michael Collette 19:35
Do you Like Dexter?

Olivia Harwood 19:37
I haven’t watched Dexter I’ll add it to my list.

Michael Collette 19:41
Add it to your binge watching list because now we get to go on to show you binge watching right now.

Olivia Harwood 19:46
I’m currently binge watching below deck. Um, I’ve been very in the past couple months have been very into the Bravo shows. I watched summerhouse changed my life. Do you know what summerhouses I’ve definitely told you about this summarizer

Michael Collette 20:00
But I don’t know

Olivia Harwood 20:01
summerhouses like a bunch of like, like New York City adults like late 20s early 30s on the weekends over the summer they go to the Hamptons and they just like party and it’s like so insane highly recommend below document below deck is. Nope. Haven’t heard dap is it’s a reality show about the lives of people that work as the crew on a yacht that is chartered by like billionaires, very entertaining. Many episodes many seasons perfect for binge watching.

Michael Collette 20:32
All right, next question. Favorite musician or band of all time and I’m going to add to this to like, what’s your favorite song of all time? You want to know one song? So those are like three? Those are two questions. So favorite musician or band of all time doesn’t know does not have to be related to your favorite song of all time.

Olivia Harwood 20:55
Okay, I don’t know if this is my favorite of all time, but I really love some Ariana and Rhonda. I know that’s so basic of me. Um, I don’t know she just box like, like, hit after hit. Yeah, what have you seen that video of her? It was like on SNL when she like, impersonated like all these different like music like, really bring anybody like Britney Spears. She’s really talented. She’s really good. Yeah, no, but she’s dope. She just got married shout out Ari. My favorite song I don’t even know if I have a favorite song but I’ve really been into cowboy Take me away by the checks.

Michael Collette 21:33
Whats that?

Olivia Harwood 21:34
Its like cowboy Take me away. Y’all know you know it and keep singing it.

Michael Collette 21:41
Keep singing it it.

Olivia Harwood 21:42
I think all I know off the top of my head. I also really enjoy listening to Sirius XM channel. 12 pop rock.

Michael Collette 21:52
Wait, is that like throwback like 90s pop rock?

Olivia Harwood 21:54
It’s like, I feel like it’s like 90s, early 2000s. Like, all the time. It’s amazing.

Michael Collette 22:00
Awesome station. They play like blues traveler and matchbox. 20. Like all the good. The good music. It’s not you know, it’s not the same caliber anymore. Last question is, besides working out what is your favorite thing to do? What’s your favorite hobby? Like? What do you like to do?

Olivia Harwood 22:20
On a perfect day, sit on the beach and read a book.

Michael Collette 22:25
Sit on a beach read book. What’s the book here? What’s the book you’re reading? Right now you read anything?

Olivia Harwood 22:29
I am. I’m currently I got really into reading last summer. And then I like stopped. And I just got into again. I’m currently reading the wife between us, obviously a psychological thriller. I’m like, halfway through. It’s about like, I don’t know if some guy like marries this girl and ruins her life. And then he like divorces her and now he’s marrying a new girl. And she like first wife is trying to save a new wife.

Michael Collette 22:52
It’s very complicated. It’s great. It’d be it could be a real true story, too. What’s that show? I think we talked about it. He just got got me thinking about it. It was on Netflix. There’s like three seasons, there was a guy that like Ozark. No, it’s like he was like a guy who was like, follow this girl around or it’s woman.

Olivia Harwood 23:12
YOU

Michael Collette 23:13
Yeah, that’s it. So you must love that show.

Olivia Harwood 23:16
Yeah, that was good. It was honestly not one of my favorites. But it was good. Okay, yeah. I don’t know that guys. Think of psychological thriller. That’s like all I think about is something like that, where this guy is just like an absolute psychopath. And like, you’re kind of like, oh, like, I hope you like, like, she likes him. But then you’re like, he’s a psycho. Yeah. And then he kills everyone. Yeah, and then kill people.

Michael Collette 23:39
Well, with, I appreciate you being on this community conversation. Just got to know a lot about you already knew all this stuff. I’m doing my healing my sister, basically. But uh, everyone that’s listening right now got to know the value. So I appreciate you being on everyone that’s listening right now. I appreciate you listening. Remember, if you haven’t yet, subscribe to us on Spotify and on YouTube. You can catch the community conversation every week, that new episode that comes out every week. So get on that. And again, thanks for being on a community conversation with you all real soon.

Olivia Harwood 24:11
Thanks for having me, Mike.