Tim Garland || A Spotlight Interview with the New Captain!

Tim Garland - New Owner

We are excited and proud to introduce to you the new owner of CrossFit Austin! Tim Garland has been a coach at CFA for the last 4 years, making this place and this community his home and family. We asked him to answer a few questions so that you can learn a little more about him and his background as he steps in to fill a much larger role here. Please join us in welcoming and congratulating Tim as the new leader of our crew!

 

When and how did you get started in an active lifestyle?
Oh man…taking it back to the beginning. My brother and I were always the kids that were playing outside and getting dirty. Anything and everything from riding bikes and building forts to hide-and-go-seek, kick-the-can, and king-of-the-mountain with the neighborhood kids. My first year of organized activity consisted of gymnastics and soccer. Soon after, it was baseball in the summer and basketball winter..between spring and fall soccer seasons. 

When did CrossFit come into your life? Tell us about your first day.
My first day of CrossFit was back in the fall of 2008 and was actually a fundraiser/competition on top of Whole Foods in downtown Austin. CrossFit was still something that seemed so underground. I had never taken a CrossFit class, but was versed in the movements for that day. It was the day after my birthday and I had a few buddies in town to celebrate. Let’s just say I wasn’t at my best, but decided to I’d go give it what I had…it was a fight…..Fight Gone Bad to be exact. I still vividly remember the feeling I had when I heard my first….3,2,1…GO! The workout itself was a blur, but I remember laying on the ground after time was called and thinking “282, is that any good?”

Tell us a little about your background. Why did you decide to become a coach/trainer?
It was something that has always seemed so natural for me, combining movement with patience and understanding of individuals. I began working out regularly in the mid-90’s with my buddy and his dad and haven’t looked back since. I used to read anything I could get my hands on, from Men’s Health to Muscle & Fitness. My senior year in high school, I jumped at the opportunity to take Anatomy & Physiology as an elective and realized that learning about the body was something that I was drawn to, not just the “muscle stuff”.  In high school, I went through two different bouts of physical therapy due to a shoulder injury sustained in football. Those experiences led me to declare Health and Sports Sciences w/ a pre-physical therapy emphasis as a major my freshman year at OU (Boomer Sooner!). I played club sports (soccer, rugby) before becoming a part of the sports medicine team my junior year. As part of the Sports Med team, whether in the training room doing low-level treatments or out on the practice fields, I continued to build on the foundation of what I was learning in the classroom by applying and practicing that knowledge on the field. In 2005, I received my first Certified Personal Training certification and began working with clients. Several years later, in 2009, I completed my degree requirements for Exercise and Sports Sciences with a minor in Business Administration at Texas State University. That same year, I took an opportunity as a strength and conditioning coach for Texas State’s women’s club soccer team. Through a series of events, the head coach left and I (along with one of my best friends, Ben Weatherford, DPT)  took over as co-head coach. The ladies were phenomenal, making it all the way to the NIRSA National Semi-Finals, where we lost a tough game to Penn State. I worked briefly in San Antonio at a gym called Elite Athletics, before beginning to coach CrossFit in 2012. A buddy from college, that took me to my first CrossFit competition 4 years earlier, had opened up a gym and I hopped on board with him. I coached there a few years before making my way up to CrossFit Austin.

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
I enjoy pretty much anything outside. Hiking, kayaking, golf, soccer, swimming. You name it, I’m more than likely down to play!

Tell us something we don’t know about you. Any special talents or hobbies?
Ah…special talents that most folks don’t know….when I have the time to commit, I enjoy drawing portraits….but it takes me a while, so I don’t practice as often as I’d like to!

Something else I enjoy is skydiving. So far I’ve made 5 jumps, with the first two being the scariest. My first jump was in 2002. A guy I met while living in the dorms at OU had an uncle that worked at a skydive joint and he gave us a nice little discount. We took a 6 hour class on equipment, jump/landing technique and how to cut away and redeploy the first parachute should something happen. Not sure if this is still legal, but it was at that time…in Oklahoma at least. After that class, we flew up a few thousand feet and got to jump….solo! The scariest part of it all, was climbing out of the plane to hang from the strut of the wing. I was thinking, “we’re several thousand feet up, and flying a hundred miles an hour….my feet are going to fly behind my like Superman when I hang there”. To my surprise, so much so that I almost let go….my feet just dangled under me as if I were 5 feet off the ground hanging from the playground monkey bars!

What is your philosophy as a leader?
While philosophy can be extremely in depth, here are a few nuggets that have stuck with me over the years.

1) Leaders lead from the front… and eat last.

2) Create and establish a clear vision for folks to follow, so they know the path they are taking.

3) Be prepared to change course if you realize that something isn’t working as it should.

4) Listen to your crew, take opinions and advice into account, be humble open and honest…and go with your gut at the end of the day.

Leave the fine folks of CFA with some parting words.
I’m extremely grateful for the foundation that has been put in place over the last decade, and am thankful to have been a part of that for the last 4 years here at CFA. I look forward to deepening the relationships with the community at CrossFit Austin, and want to continue to expand the offerings and potential of both our individual members of our community and our gym as a whole! We’ve got some exciting concepts in the works, so bring the energy and we’ll take care of the rest. Here’s to year number 10 for CFA. Let’s make it our greatest year yet!

 

Get to know more about Tim and the rest of the team!

Tim Garland – Owner || Coach For Life
Genevieve Rounkles – General Manager || Coach For Life
Erica Wright – Coach For Life
Jared Aguilar – Coach For Life
Ben Wells – Coach || Nutrition
Aaron Garza – Coach
Dylan Wall – Olympic Weightlifting Coach
David Henderson – Specialty Gymnastics Coach
Rob Kahn – Profile coming soon 🙂

006 || Diaries of a Coach

Earlier today, as I was going about my merry little way, it dawned on me that next week isThanksgiving. In all seriousness, what is happening? It gets dark at like 2pm and it’s already Thanksgiving?!?

With the start of the holiday season I’m feeling all these feels about the celebrations, the treats, the holiday drinks at Starbucks… all getting cozied up right next to my fitness goals. Threatening them. Taunting them. It’s rude really.

So in the process of talking myself off a ledge, telling myself that it’s going to be ok and that I’m not going to derail every fitness goal I’ve ever had this holiday season, I thought I’d share some of my holiday rules guidelines with the fine people of CFA. These help me to keep in mind what is really important this time of year but also keep my progress in the gym a priority.

Number 1: Chill out.

(Ok fine, in my head it’s more like, “Erica, chill the fuck out.” – but I’m tryna be classy!)

Here’s the deal, ideally, we eat for the purpose of fueling our bodies for movement and activity. However, as coach Gen would say, “Sometimes, we need to eat for our hearts.” There is joy to be had in spending time with your people and enjoying food because it just tastes dang good. Being miserable because you have sworn off any and all sweets, or alcohol, or whatever the temptation may be, is just not worth it. Give yourself the freedom to enjoy life. This will actually lower the odds of binging in response to the frustration of rigid rules that suck the life out of you. It will also keep stress levels down. Did you know that increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol can actually increase appetite and cravings? I don’t know about you, but I need that like a hole in my freaking head. I’ve got enough appetite and cravings to deal with on my own, thanks.

Number 2: Have a plan.

Ok calm down. I’m not talking about busting out macro counts and food logs at Thanksgiving Dinner. I don’t mean a rigid unwavering plan, just a general plan of attack to guide you in deciding moments. Two principles help me on days packed with holiday temptation at it’s finest. First, make more good decisions than bad. This might mean eating healthy throughout the day and then indulging at an evening event. Or make good decisions at dinner so you can have that piece of your grandma’s pie you’ve been thinking about literally the entire year. Second, prioritize how and when you choose to indulge. I don’t know about you, but there are things that I want, but I know I can say no to. Do that. Exercise that ability to say no when you can and it doesn’t open the floodgates of anger and bitterness. However, there are things that when they are in front of me, it’s happening. Remember last week’s post about our limited decision making ability and energy? Anticipate the degree of temptation you’re going to be in and plan accordingly. Can you say no? Do you want to? Can you plan in such a way that you don’t have to? Maybe you avoid the temptation altogether because you know your weakness is no match. Just think it through friends. You is smart.

Number 3: Keep moving.

This is my favorite. Keep doing what you’re doing CFA! You have prioritized your fitness by being a part of this community, investing in a training program and showing up and working your ass off. Andyou like it, you know you do. Keep it up. In the midst of a season of extreme busyness, keep moving. Make your workouts fun and make them a priority. Grab some friends and sign up for the Austin Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Run your little heart out and then get your grub on. Or come work out with me on Black Friday. (Let’s all wear black!) There are tons of opportunities out there, find them, share them on our members page and let’s be all about moving together. Consistent movement, in or out of the gym, will keep your body running efficiently and keep you feeling good. Promise.

So hopefully that helps. I don’t know about you, but I am excited for the holidays. Enjoy them people! Let me know how I can help. Myself or any of the other coaches would love to be a part of encouraging you, keeping you accountable to your goals, and most importantly, celebrating a great year and all the progress you’ve made!

Coach E

 

005 || Diaries of a Coach

Image may contain: 10 people, people smiling

Do you ever have those days, when working out is just not happening? For whatever reason, you’re not interested. Maybe you woke up late, didn’t sleep well, not enough coffee in the world could make you feel alive. Or maybe work was stressful, coworkers not pulling their weight, deadlines approaching too quickly, late nights and early mornings plaguing you. Or maybe its relationships, finances, kids… LIFE. Any given day, I could probably find exactly one million reasons not to work out.

Do me a favor and google “benefits of exercise.” It will take you seven seconds to find a result that includes improved mood and mental health. So apparently it helps, yet some days, nothing could be harder to do.

Last week, I had one of those days. I had early morning sessions, followed by mid morning sessions followed by late morning sessions. I had agreed to train a client at 11am, which I typically avoid so I can prioritize my workout at noon at CFA. But she was so sweet and needed her coach, at 11am specifically. So I agreed and planned to workout on my own later. But given the way this particular morning had progressed, I knew my own discipline wasn’t going to be enough. As soon as my session ended, I texted Tim asking to hop in when I got there. Of course, he said yes. I immediately pulled out my phone and used my CFA coach super powers to check and see who would be in class. My mood instantly changed when I saw the handful of people that I was going to get to workout with that day. I hopped in on a build to a heavy deadlift and by the time I had picked up my 85%, my day had completely turned around.

A couple years, ago I read a book by Dan John (And when I say read, I mean I started. I am a chronic book non-finisher.) where he talked about our limited decision making ability as humans. He argued that the most powerful tool we have toward the success of our goals in the gym is freewill. However, the catch is that we have a limited amount of free will to expend. As we go about our day making decision after decision after decision, the decision making energy in our bank account dwindles. In an effort to make the most of your freewill, he gives three suggestions. Maybe these will offer so help on days like the one I had last week.

First, he says to decrease the number of options, choices and decisions you make in the course of a day. The ultimate example, meal prep. Why is meal prep the most successful plan of action toward nutritional goals? Because the decision factor is taken out of any given moment when could easily be negatively affected by emotions, cravings, or immediate access (think that sweet lady at work that keeps bringing treats and destroying your fitness goals). Same thing with a consistent workout routine. It helps me to workout every day at noon. That decision is already made. So when I caved and let something change that standard, my workout was at the mercy of my mood and that day, it was hanging on by a thread.

Second, he says to whittle down your life, do less, invest more in fewer and more important things. Prioritize priorities. You can’t do it all and do it well. So what is most important? To your mental health? To your physical health? TO YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH? (Talking to myself on that one!) When we try to do it all, something has to give and typically, it ends up being exactly what would help us the most (physical activity cough cough).

Finally, he says to build an army of people that can invest their free will into yours. And this is what I needed and what I got last week, when the workout wasn’t going to happen. We are more successful when we tell our goals to the masses, because we are held to them. We are checked up on, encouraged, pushed harder during workouts, and mentally, we are never at it alone. You see, the science is there, exercise is a mood changer. But having a tribe of people in the trenches with you, if you ask me, that’s the real game changer.

So if today you’re feeling like working out is the last thing you want to do, if the decision to workout is hanging on by a thread, come. I just decided for you! I’ll be waiting for you, with some trap music and an empty barbell.

-Coach E

Night Of Champions V – WODs Announced!

Image result for rocky v

Teams of 2 – Male/Male or Female/Female
Rx & Scaled Divisions available!
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10
6:30 pm – Athlete Check-In
7:00 pm – WOD 1 Start Time

$50 per Team (includes registration for both team mates) Only 20 spots available!

(Only 1 registration per team – We’ll send an email to get division and partner name)

***Proceeds from Night of Champions will go toward new equipment for the gym!***

FOLLOW THE FB EVENT HERE

REGISTER HERE

 

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS 5 WODs

WORKOUT 1) CrossFit Total-The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best of three attempts at the squat, the press, and the deadlift

The order for performing the three lifts will be squat, press, and then deadlift. The best single attempt for each of the three lifts are added together for the CrossFit Total.

SQUAT RULES:

The squat must be done from the squat stands or power rack. The bar must be placed on the back and walked out to clear the rack completely. No contact with the rack is permitted until the bar is replaced in the rack. Once the bar is lowered, the stance cannot change until the bar is to be racked. The starting position must be completely upright, with the knees and the hips fully extended and with the chest up. The hips are lowered until the top surfaces of both of the legs at the hip joint are lower than the knees, and then the bar is lifted back up. The bottom position is identified by A) the apex of the crease in the shorts formed as the hips are lowered, B) the surface of the top of the patella, C) the plane formed by a straight line between the two, and D) the dipping of the hip end of that plane below horizontal. The finish position is the same as the starting position, and the athlete must return to it before the bar is racked. When the finish position is secure, the bar must be walked back into the rack and successfully replaced. Any halt in the upward motion of the whole bar, identified at its position on the back rather than at its ends, constitutes a missed attempt, as does any change in position of the feet against the floor during the squat. Any deliberate attempt to lower the bar counts as an attempt. No more than two spotters are permitted, and they are not allowed to touch the bar during the attempt, which is finished only after the bar is successfully replaced in the racks. The spotters are permitted to steady the racks, and to take the bar if the lifter loses control of it. Any touching of either the bar or the lifter by any spotter invalidates the attempt.

PRESS RULES;

The press is also done from the racks. The bar is held in both hands in front of the neck, taken out of the rack and walked back away from the rack. No contact with the rack is permitted until the bar is replaced in the racks. Once the stance is assumed it cannot change until the lift is completed. The starting position must be upright, with the knees and hips fully extended and the chest up. The bar must be in contact with the top of the shoulders or the chest, whichever individual flexibility permits. After the starting position is correctly assumed, the bar is pressed overhead until the elbows are completely extended, with the bar in a position directly above the ears. Once this position has been attained, the bar is lowered back to the front of the shoulders and walked back into the rack and replaced. Any halt in the upward motion of the bar, identified as the part of the bar between the hands, constitutes a missed attempt, as does any change in the position of the feet against the floor during the attempt, any bending of the knees, or excessive backward lean of the torso as identified by A) the position of the most anterior aspect of the armpit, B) the most posterior aspect of the buttocks, C) the plane formed by a straight line between these two points, and D) the movement of that plane to a position behind the vertical. Any deliberate attempt to raise the bar counts as an attempt. Spotters are not permitted for this lift.

DEADLIFT RULES;

The deadlift is performed with the bar on the platform or floor. The lifter assumes a position facing the bar, with the bar parallel to the lifter’s frontal plane. The bar is gripped with both hands, and pulled with one continuous uninterrupted movement until the lifter is standing erect with knees and hips fully extended, the chest up and shoulders back. Once this position is attained and the bar is motionless, the bar is lowered under control with both hands back to the ground. The bar may not be dropped. Any halt in the upward motion of the bar constitutes a missed attempt, as does failure to assume a fully erect position with both knees and hips extended. Any attempt to raise the bar counts as an attempt. The equipment that can be used is minimal. A belt of any type can be worn but is not required. Knee wraps or sleeves are permitted, but if they are used they must be left on for the entire duration of the session in which the lift is performed—e.g., they must be put on before the squat is warmed up and left in place until the last squat attempt is completed. Wrist wraps are permitted; lifting straps are not.

FORMAT
We will be running platforms with an ascending barbell.

*Opening weights for each lifter, for each lift must be submitted by Wednesday 11/8*

– The weight will move up :30 of every minute.
– The lifter will lift within the second :30 of every minute
– Minimum increase is 2 lbs.
– Each person will have 3 attempts.
– Weight will be changed as a group on each platform

This event will be scored by calculating the combined weights of each lift to find the CrossFit Total and then adding both partners totals.

WORKOUT 2)

5:00 AMRAP(RX)

20 cal Assault Bike

15 Ball Slams @ 20#

10 Pull-ups

5:00 AMRAP(SCALED)

20 cal Assault Bike

15 Ball Slams @ 10#

10 Jumping Pull-ups

*may split as desired, so have a plan and communicate for smooth transitions in case plan needs altered during WOD

*assault bike: must stay seated, no standing while biking

*ball slams; arms must be extended overhead OH, control ball past knees

*pull-ups: chin must pass bar, arms locked out at bottom

*jumping pull-ups: set-up on rig (box, mats, plates) where bar touches 3-4” below wrist when standing on object and arms extended OH

November Athlete of the Month – Ben Anstead!!

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our November Athlete of the Month is Ben Anstead! Ben is newer to CrossFit Austin, joining our community in February this year, but he’s no stranger to the game. He’s been working hard and setting new goals since he’s been here and he just recently achieved his first bar muscle up! Ben brings a fun-loving energy to class and does a great job of pushing and encouraging his classmates. We have loved watching his progress and getting to know his friendly spirit along the way. Ben, the CFA Team is proud to honor you as our November Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this community. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:Benjamin “Ben” Anstead

Words to live by?
It costs you nothing to be a nice person

What is your fitness background?
I was a non-exercise person until a little after college, I started working out at a Globogym with a personal trainer who was also a coach at a local box. The type of workouts he wrote for me were crossfitesque and I started to really enjoy them. Eventually I mustered up enough courage to wander into a box downtown, gave it a shot and have been crossfitting since.

How long have you been CrossFitting?
2.5 years

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
I couldn’t do a single pull-up, I still hate burpees.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
I like the way everyone encourages each other and are interested in each others progress, goals, and PRs

Current Training Goals/PRs?
Short Term: Ring Muscle-up, Long Term: Body weight Snatch (I have a ways to go)

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Everybody started somewhere and it’s a very encouraging community so just get after it.

What is your cheat meal go to?
Anything with cinnamon, particularly cinnamon rolls. Also, Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cookie Core.

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
I like to bicycle and hike but part of the reason I crossfit is that my job isn’t physical at all so crossfit is the major way I stay active during the week.

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
I’ve always had the most difficulty with gymnastics movements so whenever one of those clicked is when I was most proud of myself. I remember my first handstand kick-up, HSPU, and recently a bar muscle up.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
“The Jerk Store called…”

7:00
AMRAP
3 Power Clean Clean
6 Front Squat
9 Jerk
135/95#

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
Auto racing, concerts, margaritas, bicycling, & paddling (canoes or kayaks, I was a whitewater rafting guide after college)

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I have an identical twin brother

Longhorns or Aggies?
I’m from North Carolina, Go Tarheels, and shoutout to my Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Live your life and be who you are.

004 || Diaries of a Coach – Competiton

Two words.
CrossFit. Competition.
Alright so let’s be honest, what comes to mind? The Games? Untouchable athletic performance? Marathon rowing, snatch ladders and Murph?
Me too. And I’ll admit, a year ago I wanted nothing to do with competing. Never imagined I would be goodenough, brave enough or insane enough.
A year later, with my first local competition under my belt, here’s what I can tell you: there’s no such thing as good enough, courage is an absolute necessity and there is an element of this sport to experience and something you might miss out on if you avoid the competitive scene altogether. Competing is so much more than just the Games, it’s hard work and dedication, it’s pushing yourself, it’s community.
I was lucky enough to embark on my first competitive endeavor with three of my favorite CFA girls. Like most things in my life, they had to talk me into it. Historically, I don’t do well under pressure, especially when other people are depending on me. The anxiety about kills me. But also like most things in my life that I have to be talked into, I’m always glad I did.
This particular competition happened after an absurd amount of waiting and anticipation. Because of rain and flooding, it was postponed a month the week of. So you can imagine my anxiety and the time it had to just fester (I also spent that month trying to find a way out of actually doing it). In the weeks and months leading up, I’m pretty sure we read the workouts about 294859303 times to make sure we knew exactly what to do and when. We practiced, prepped and tried not to let our nerves get the best of us.
On the day of, hyped up on coffee and C4, we let adrenaline lead the way. Each workout brought nerves and laughter, disappointments and successes, but we did it together. Having those three girls there, cheering me on, was a complete game changer. Isn’t that what this whole thing is about after all? Pushing ourselves and each other beyond what we think we’re capable of?
Not only did we fair well for ourselves, we were ALL. SMILES. standing on that third place podium, we had a ball. (Yes a ball. And yes, that sounds like something my mom would say.) It wasn’t even about the placings or awards, it was about being proud of what we did that day. And we were. Overcoming the nerves and the pressure was definitely the hardest part for me. But on the other side of those nerves was a feeling of accomplishment I’m glad I didn’t miss out on.
So if you’re considering competing, or even if you’re not, my encouragement would be simply this: TRY IT. Dig deep for 60 seconds of courage and sign up for Night of Champions or another local competition that looks fun. You never know what strengths you’ll find buried deep, or what weakness will rise up to dial in on in your upcoming training.
If that’s all the convincing you need, and you’re ready to sign up for Night of Champions, click here!
If you need a little more convincing, did you know that 100% of profits from NOC registrations will go toward new gym equipment FOR YOU?
Did you know it’s a partner WOD, so you don’t have to go at it alone? (this was an absolute must for my first comp!)
Did you know the movements have already been released (link)? (so no surprises!) Stay tuned for the full WODs to be released Friday!
Whatever you decide, push yourself. Be crazy and brave. Grab some friends, compete and enjoy every second!

 

Coach E

003 || Diaries of a Coach – HALLOWEEN EDITION!

Erica’s Complete Guide to Halloween Costuming

 

If you’re like me, you’ve procrastinated the inevitable decision that comes around every Halloween. The dreaded costume choice. Ugh, I loathe deciding on a Halloween costume. Now, I get that there are those of you that get excited by spending money on a costume you’ll never wear again. That get excited by trying to personify someone or something that you’re not. That get excited about attention and judgment from others based on your costume creativity, originality and execution. Makes sense, I’m just not one of those people.

 

So in honor of this stressful for some, delightful for others time of year, and the commitment to let you in on my ‘diary’, here’s your complete guide to costuming this Halloween based on my own highly informed decisions from years past.

1) Let your alter ego take over.

This option produces not only a great costume but, lets be honest, some self satisfaction we’ve all been looking for. Who wouldn’t want to live, for just one day, in the fantasy of who you could be. Maybe it’s the opposite of who you really are, maybe it’s your dark side. But this Halloween, embrace it and share it with the world!

 

2) Be the ULTIMATE you.
What do you love? What do you love to do? This year, go all out. Like basketball? Go as your favorite NBA player. Love CrossFit? Go as your favorite games athlete (or Coach 😉 ). Really smart? Nerd it up! Love aerobics? Grab those leg warmers! (These should obvi make a comeback!)

 

3) Embrace the season.
Those of you that are lacking the creativity or courage to step into a fantasy you or an ultimate you, go with a tried and true seasonal object, persona or fictional character. You can’t go wrong with these. Options include but are not limited to: ghosts, witches, Frankenstein, pumpkins, pilgrims or even Santa (just don’t be surprised if people insist on copious amounts of lap sitting, or maybe that’s your thing…).

 

4) Get in touch with your spirit animal.
This is my favorite option. Maybe we should all do this one, together. A spirit animal represents the traits and characteristics you possess, in animal form. This might require some soul searching, but figure out the loudest parts of you and your personality and be the animal you were meant to be!

 

Alright friends, hopefully this guide gave you some solid inspiration (if not maybe a good laugh or two?). So get out there, get that costume ready, and I’ll see you THIS Saturday for the long awaited, 3rd annual Halloween WOD and BOO-runch…aka come look silly, workout and then let’s eat and DRANK it up! Sign up today!
-Coach E

Night Of Champions || November 10

Night of Champions 
Are you a champion? Show us your stuff!

Teams of 2 – Male/Male or Female/Female
Rx & Scaled Divisions available!
Night of Champions will consist of 2 WODs
WOD 1 – A Lifting Event
WOD 2 – A Partner WOD
Details to come!
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10
6:30 pm – Athlete Check-In
7:00 pm – WOD 1 Start Time

$50 per Team (includes registration for both team mates) Only 20 spots available!

(Only 1 registration per team – We’ll send an email to get division and partner name)

***Proceeds from Night of Champions will go toward new equipment for the gym!***

FOLLOW THE FB EVENT HERE

REGISTER HERE

002 || Diaries of a Coach

Ok I don’t know about you but here’s how my “rest” days go, on the reg.
Me: “I’m not going to workout today. I’m pretty sore. I’m going to listen to my body and rest.”
 
Me (to me): “Maybe just go to the gym, work on mobility.”
 
Me: “Well that’s a good idea. I’ll do that!”
 
Me (to me again): “But there are push jerks in the workout, you know you love push jerks.”
 
Me: “No, I just need to rest.”
 
Me (an hour later, with ripped hands): “Nailed that workout. ‘PR’ed my butterfly pull ups. Freaking crushed those push jerks.”
Let’s just say I have a really hard time resting. So every so often I have to sit down, with myself, and remind myself why rest is so important.
Did you know that the body can sustain itself longer without food than it can without rest?
Did you know that recovery is the key to making consistent progress?
Did you know that when you’re tired, you don’t operate at full capacity, potentially risking poor form that could lead to injury and low performance that could lead to a drop in overall confidence in work capability?
In an article from the CrossFit Journal, Bill Starr explains, “When an athlete goes through a hard training session, he has, in fact, damaged his body by stressing his muscular, respiratory, circulatory, skeletal and endocrine systems. These systems must have time to be repaired or the body will not respond as it should. That means supplying the various cells with nutrients and, even more importantly, getting enough rest to allow the body to recuperate fully. If that doesn’t happen, the athlete will not be ready for the next workout.”
In fact, the optimal training template designed specifically for CrossFit follows a three days on, one day off pattern, because of the high intensity at the heart of CrossFit’s methodology and the rest needed to recover in order to maintain these high levels of intensity. Scientifically, by the fourth day of training, neuromuscular function and anatomy are affected in such a way that requires a reduction in intensity.
So why do we have such a hard time with rest? My impulse is to blame the culture. I don’t think anyone would argue that we live in a culture that values doing. We are busy people, of our own doing, going from one thing to the next. Getting consistent workouts done make us feel accomplished, and that’s great. But the progress that we miss out on when we refuse to let our bodies rest and recover, that accomplishment, that progress, we sacrifice.
But more than that. When I really dig deep into my battle against rest, I’ve found that there is also a mental and emotional cause for my resistance. Somewhere along the way I’ve associated rest with weakness and worse than that, progress, even maintenance, with constant work. Not only is this an error scientifically, but it fails to cultivate a healthy training mindset spurred on toward consistent progress and gains (which it actually hinders).
So today, I just wanted to tell you that not only is it ok to rest, but that you should rest, regularly and intentionally. (Hey, if you see me, could you tell me too, especially if there’s A LOT of running in the workout?) Find something that you enjoy doing, that allows you to rest both physically and mentally. Maybe it’s getting extra sleep or maybe it’s retreating to your favorite spot and reading a book. Whatever it is, PR your rest day! Deal? And then get back to CFA and say hello to progress!
#havefunandbye
Coach E