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Twelve Ways to Make the Most of CROSSFIT FOR HOPE

By on May 8, 2012 in Announcements, Gym Articles · Comments { 0 }

12. Know what the heck it is. CrossFit For Hope is a workout that will be done by all CrossFit gyms around the world on June 9th, 2012. Pretty cool, right? The purpose is to raise money to help support St. Jude Children’s Hospital, which is working toward a 100% survival rate among it’s children afflicted with Leukemia.

11. Familiarize yourself with the workout and the movements involved. They are: Burpee, power snatch, box jump, thruster, and chest to bar pull up.  Never done a power snatch? Can’t do a chest to bar pull up? Use YouTube to look up the names of all movements and make sure you’ve tried them at least once before June 9th. It’s OK to scale any/all movements.

10. Raise Funds. That’s the point of this whole thing, after all. Donate money, or ask other people to donate at least $10 or so. People may also donate based on your performance. ( $1 for every rep completed, for instance).

Set a good example for your kids by informing them about what you are doing, why you are doing it, who these sick kids are, and how you plan on setting aside some money to do your part.

9. SIGN UP! If you are competing in the workout, you will need to sign up here on our website as well as on the hope.crossfit.com website so that you can donate and see your name on the leaderboard. We have a goal of getting 100 athletes to participate in this workout. We are currently at 25. Please sign up TODAY.

8. Make this your first CrossFit competition. Even if you are brand new to CrossFit, there is no reason not to make this your first taste of competition. We are doing this for FUN, not to actually compete to ‘win’ anything. This event will be more like an extended class with more people than usual, and a lot more cheering and motivation to do well.

7. Know that you can scale any/all movements as necessary. There is NO REASON that you will not be able to finish this workout. It is not any harder than a normal CrossFit Aspire workout and you are encouraged to modify as necessary.

6. Invite your family and friends to see what you do at this crazy gym. Surely you’ve mentioned CrossFit more than a few times to your husband/wife, parents, kids, neighbors, etc. This is the perfect day to invite them out to see you in action and to see what a cool place you belong to!

5. Get your friends involved in the workout. People who are brand new to CrossFit can certainly join in the fun. If your friend plans on working out, please have them sign up the same way that you did, on both websites.

4. Encourage other gym members to sign themselves up. The event isn’t until June 9th. That gives them a full month to cancel whatever plans they had that day, and get themselves ready for the workout!

3. Eat well. Sleep more. Stress less. These things will cause you to be a healthier person, and a stronger athlete. You have 30 days to make a change. Start a new good habit today, and stick with it for the next 30 days. You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes.

2. Watch some CrossFit HQ videos to get you in the competition mood. Or stay on top of the CrossFit Games Regional Competitions, which are happening each weekend this month all over the world. These competitions will determine the top 3 males and females from each region that will be going to the CrossFit Games.

1. Come to class 2-4 times every week between now and June 9th. If you cannot make it out more than 2 or 3 times/week, practice body weight movements (air squats, push ups, pull ups,  burpees, mountain climbers, sprints, box/step jumps, runs, lunges) at home.

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Every Rep Counts…Or Not

By on February 29, 2012 in Gym Articles · Comments { 1 }

This one is for those of you who signed up on the CrossFit Games website for the CrossFit Open.

Congratulations!

You are one of the brave ones – the ones who were willing to commit to posting your scores in workouts that are yet to be seen. You are putting yourself out there for the CrossFit community to see – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

You realize that you haven’t mastered EVERY CrossFit movement yet, but it doesn’t matter. The fact that you are signed up is enough motivation to do well and get through these workouts, RXed or not.

WOD1 went really, really well. We had over 60 people complete the workout that day, and 36 of you posted your scores on the Games website. The energy in the gym was electric, there was pressure to perform your best, and enthusiasm was at an all time high.

Yet some of you walked away from the workout saying things like “I could have done more. I should have done more. If only I had gotten ONE MORE REP”. A few of you (myself included) wanted to re-do the workout. You were confident that if your tried a little bit harder, you’d get at least a few more reps….

…and then what? If you re-did the workout and got more reps, would that prove that you are a better athlete than you were 2 days ago? Would it change the way your coach or the other members viewed you? Would it miraculously catapult you into the top tier of elite athletes? Unless you are competing for the top 3 spots in the world,  the answer is probably No.

Re-doing the workout to get a few more reps would have made you sore, put you at potential risk for injury, and might have even resulted in less burpees, given that you had just done the same workout the day before.

Yes, every rep counts, in terms of scoring your workout. But the number of reps you get in any given workout does NOT determine how good of an athlete you really are, how much you have improved over time, or how skilled you are.

What determines your ultimate success in CrossFit is this:

1. Consistency in your training. Come 3-4 times per week, every week, and you will make improvements.

2. Practicing the skills. Spend more time under a jump rope, and you’ll get your double unders. Spend more time on the rings and you’ll get strong enough for ring dips. Spend more time upside down and you’ll eventually be able to walk across the gym on your hands. Master the ‘hip pop’ and get under the bar faster, and your Olympic lift numbers will skyrocket.

3. Demonstrating perfect form in practice. If you can consistently hit depth on your squat,  show a perfect overhead position on every rep, do pull ups without craning your neck, and hit the wall ball target every time, then performing to the CrossFit standards on game day will be effortless. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is how much work you can get done in the allotted time – not how high your kettlebell is flying, or if your chest is hitting the bar for pull ups.

Yes, you could have done 1 more burpee during those 7 minutes. But that wouldn’t have made you a better athlete.

The next time you find yourself saying ” I could have done more” after a workout, take a step back and evaluate your training, consistency, comfort using good form, and the amount of time you spend in and out of the gym working on high skill movements. Find the real source of your weaknesses, and start making improvements today.

Annie Thorisdottir, winner of the CrossFit Games 2011 didn’t make it there by counting reps. She made it there by practicing consistently and improving her weaknesses.

 

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Olympic Lifting at CrossFit Aspire

By on February 10, 2012 in Gym Articles · Comments { 0 }

Yesterday, Justin and I lifted with Rizelyx Rivera, the National Record holder in the snatch, one of the two Olympic lifts.

She stood in front of us and watched us each perform the snatch, clean and jerk for over an hour. They were easily some of the best Olympic lifts we’ve ever performed. We were focused, tight, fast, and strong on every lift.

Why? Because the BEST person in the country at this lift was watching each lift, correcting our technique, and giving us advice.

It was mentally and physically exhausting to concentrate that hard on the details of the lifts. But wouldn’t you know it; we both picked up tips and technique corrections that helped us improve our form dramatically.

Why does this concern you?

Because she’s coming to CrossFit Aspire to teach YOU how to improve your Olympic Lifts with an intensive 2 day clinic, and a weekly Olympic lifting class.

TWO DAY CLINIC:
March 24th-25th
$95
Max attendance: 20 people.

This two day clinic will include a review and practice in the basics of the lifts, drills and skill movements, critique and practice in each lift, as well as training and skill development on the second day.

How to register: RSVP via the Online Calendar (CrossFit Aspire Members Only!). (Email me if you lost your password for our member website) You can charge the event cost to your account, or pay in cash before March 16th.

WEEKLY CLASSES:
Thursdays, 7:30pm
$30/month
Begins Thursday, March 29th

Rizelyx will also be coaching an hour and a half long Olympic lifting class each Thursday at 7:30pm. Weekly practice in the Olympic lifts is guaranteed to make you stronger, and a LOT more proficient at the lifts.

We are paying for this program as well, so that the cost stays low for our members. We recognize how fortunate we are to have this opportunity and we want to make sure that it’s not too prohibitive for those who really want the extra coaching from a world-class lifter.

Do I have to attend the clinic before starting the weekly classes? No, but it is highly recommended. That way, we’ll all be on the same page and the classes can focus more on refining technique, rather than learning the lift.

Can anyone attend the clinic? Yes. Lifters of all abilities/strengths/proficiencies can attend. The only pre-requisite is that you are interested in improving your performance in these lifts, and you are serious about making changes, even if it means going down in weight, tweaking your form, breaking old bad habits, etc.

I have more questions! Respond to this email or ask Alycia or Justin in class.

Rizelyx’s Bio:
Olympic weightlifter 2002- present.
Certified PersonalTtrainer by IFA 2005- present

Olympic weightlifting assistant coach 2005-2008 Olympic weightlifting coach 2009-present.
Assistant CrossFit coach 2009-2010

Junior National Champion and record holder in Puerto Rico. 2002-2008
Senior Sub National champion (as a Junior) in Puerto Rico 2004-2008
USA Sub National champion 2009-2010
USA National champion – best lifter 2011.
USA Snatch Record Holder 2011
One of the national team selected by the Olympic Games 2012

Team: East Coast Gold
Hometown: Salinas, PR
Current Residence: Moorestown, NJ

Weight class: 58kg
Height: 5’5″

Introduction into the sport:
My uncle Julio Martinez introduced me to the sport. He was a two time Olympian in Olympic weightlifting, and is currently the national coach at the Olympic training center in Puerto Rico.
Favorite Competition Lift: Snatch
Favorite Training Lift: Snatch blocks
Education:  Physical Education in Pontifical Catholic university of Puerto Rico 2005-2008.

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BIG EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘Practical Paleo’ Seminar!

By on February 7, 2012 in Announcements, Gym Articles, Nutrition Articles · Comments { 1 }

CrossFit Aspire is hosting a BIG, IMPORTANT, ALL-ENCOMPASSING, MEGA-INFORMATIVE Nutrition Event on April 21st…and you are invited!

“Practical Paleo Seminar”
by Diane Sanfilippo, owner of Balanced Bites

Who is Diane?

Diane is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach. She runs her own Nutritional consulting business, an informative website and blog, and an easy-to-follow-along Podcast with co-host  and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Liz Wolfe of CaveGirlEats.com. Liz is also the Nutritional consultant for Steve’s Original PaleoKits.

Liz Wolfe will be a special guest at the Practical Paleo Seminar as well!

What is the Seminar all about?

This nutritional seminar will give you all of the information you need to know to be the healthiest you’ve ever been without restricting yourself or feeling like you are ‘on a diet’. You’ll learn about which foods are actually healthy (you’ll be surprised…and happy!), as well as the truth behind some very common nutritional myths regarding fat, cholesterol and whole grains.

You’ll also learn a lot about digestion, hormones and blood sugar regulation and how they play a critical role in your health and performance.

Why do I need to know this?

Because this is your life, and you only have one chance to make it the best it can possibly be. So many diseases, conditions, illnesses and general maladies that we accept as a natural part of aging can be avoided by feeding your body that natural things that it requires to run at it’s best.

Nutrition and sleep are just as important as your workout.  You can’t CrossFit your way through a bad diet and expect to come out healthy – instead, we recommend that our members take a holistic approach to address all aspects of physical health.

What types of people should attend this?

Those of you who eat food.

Those of you who love to cook, eat, and indulge in food.

Those who don’t know much about this whole “paleo” thing.

Those who know enough about eating real foods, but have trouble explaining it to others, or answering tough questions about the impact of real foods on your health, heart, etc.

Those who are interested in performing better in the gym.

Those who know that they need to make a big life change.

Those of you who are ‘addicted’ to certain foods.

Those of you that love to geek out about nutrition.

YOU

What are the details?

CrossFit Aspire
3 Larwin Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
April 21st, 9-5 pm

The Practical Paleo seminar costs $95  $45if you sign up before April 8th, and includes a complimentary e-book written by Diane, as well as complimentary lunch provided by CrossFit Aspire.

$95 $45 for 8 hours worth of high level (yet understandable) nutrition advice, discussion, Q&A, case studies, etc) is a tremendous value.

REGISTRATION: Click here to register now! Space is limited, so please try to register before April to ensure that you can attend.

Our Next 30 Day Challenge!

Your next chance to step it up and eat 100% clean, with the support of over 100 people, online resources, cooking demo’s and parties, and more, begins on Sunday, April 22nd. For the 30 days following the seminar, you will work together with your gym friends and coaches to commit to 100% healthy eating. You will assess your gym performance (with a benchmark workout pre- and post-challenge), symptoms, body composition and overall health to see the immediate effects of treating your body well.
The 30 Day Challenge is completely optional – but really, who doesn’t want to look younger, feel better, and live longer?
More info on the challenge to follow.

For now,

Register Online

to reserve your spot! We are opening this up to all area CrossFit athletes, so please sign up soon to make sure you get in!

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CrossFit Games 2012: The Open, The Regionals and The Games

By on February 1, 2012 in Gym Articles · Comments { 11 }

The Annual CrossFit Games is upon us! Woo hoo!

PART 1:    The CrossFit Games Open:       Feb22nd – April 1

The CrossFit Games Open is a series of 5 workouts, each released to the public weekly, beginning on February 22nd. CrossFitters from around the world will be doing the SAME workout during the SAME week, and submitting their scores online. As more CrossFit athletes submit their scores, those who are participating have an increasingly accurate idea of who are the fittest men and women in the world.

Our gym (and just about every CrossFit gym in the world) is participating in the CrossFit Games Open. We will be doing the weekly workouts each FRIDAY (Feb 24, Mar 9, Mar 16, Mar 23, Mar 30) in all classes. The workout MAY including more technical movements than a regular workout at CrossFit Aspire, so scaling options will be available as always.

EVEN IF YOU ARE SCALING the workouts, you are HIGHLY encouraged to submit your scores online.

WHY? Entering the CrossFit Games Open is similar to entering a 5k race. Most people who run 5k races are casual runners, and about 90% of the runners aren’t expecting to win. They just simply want to do their sport, give themselves a reason to push a little harder during their run, and to see how they stack up against others.

CrossFit is your sport. And the Open is your 5k. Go ahead and sign up. It’s only a few bucks and all you have to do is spend about 30 seconds online each week uploading your scores.

Still aren’t convinced you should submit your scores online? Watch this 1 minute video from another CrossFit affiliate owner and his members.

TODAY:  CREATE A PROFILE. Click here to create your profile.

EVERY FRIDAY AFTER YOU DO THE WOD: Upload your scores (and include scaling info when necessary) to the Leaderboard on the CrossFit Games website.

 

PART 2:      The Regional Competition:      May 25-27 (Memorial Day Weekend)

The top 60 CrossFitters from the Northeast will be chosen to advance onto the Regional Competition at Reebok CrossFit 1 in Boston, Massachusetts. This is a weekend-long competition featuring some of the regions top athletes and teams. It’s an incredible event to witness, and we encourage anyone who is interested in the sport of CrossFit to attend.

*Justin and Alycia will be going to watch! If you plan on going, please comment here or tell Alycia or Justin. We will plan carpools and hotels.

PART 3:      The CrossFit Games:       July 13-15

The CrossFit Games are held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. This 3 day epic event will feature multiple workouts per day, many of them announced just minutes before they begin, performed by the world’s most elite CrossFit athletes. Here you will see famous CrossFit athletes, CrossFit headquarters staff, a ton of vendors with the latest in CrossFit gear, and you will meet a bunch of amazing people.

Here is another 1 minute video for this year’s Games that shows some clips from last year’s competition. Can’t you feel that energy??!!

* Justin and Alycia will be attending. If you plan on going, please comment here or tell Alycia or Justin ASAP.

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Fall 2011 Nutrition Challenge Winners and Before/After Photos!

By on November 18, 2011 in 30 Day Challenge, Gym Articles, Nutrition Articles · Comments { 10 }

The Fall 2011 Nutrition Challenge was a major success!

We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome – from major weight loss to disappearance of daily symptoms to a new perspective on food, everyone gained something valuable from this challenge. And it is our hope that you take what you learn and continue to cook, eat and nourish yourself properly going forward.

Without further ado, we are proud to announce the WINNERS….yes, multiple people won this challenge!

As this challenge went on, and especially after seeing the numbers (weight loss and improvement in the workout), it became apparent that with so many factors contributing to ‘success’ in this challenge, there was no way to choose just one person as the winner. We found it impossible to choose just one person who encompassed everything.

The WINNERS of the Fall 2011 CrossFit Aspire Nutrition Challenge are:

BY THE NUMBERS: This person’s combined weight loss (7%) and workout improvement (39%) was most impressive out of all of the participants.This person is DOREEN!

Doreen not only lost weight and drastically improved her workout time, she also actively sought out recipes and tips to help her through this transition into eating well. She was one of very few to request that we extend the challenge out to 60 days since she was having such great success on it. We wish Doreen much luck in the future and we’re here to support her for an extra 30 days or a lifetime. Congratulations, Doreen!

MOST VOCAL/HELPFUL: This power-couple was the most influential and informative throughout the entire challenge, acting as a comment moderator, question answerer, blog writer, encouragement giver, and all-around knowledgeable duo. This couple is STEVE and JAMIE. ( I tried to make you guys into a “Bennifer” -type name, but it didn’t work…Stamie or Jeve just sound silly, sorry!). They didn’t have weight to lose, but they had plenty of knowledge to give. They will continue to be a great resource within the gym in the future. Thanks guys!

The total amount contributed by members was $340, which will be split evenly between the two winning groups. See Alycia or Justin to claim your prize money. I’m ASSUMING you’ll be spending it on grassfed beef and fancy ingredients! But honestly, spend it however you want. Treat yourselves to a massage at the least – you deserve it!

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

In addition to the winners, there were MANY people who actively contributed to the success of the challenge. In no particular order, they are:

Most Well Documented: Kate Eckert, who kept up her blog, Kate vs Food, for the entire challenge. She has some great stories and recipes that will be used as a resource for future challenges.

Most Visual: Shamus submitted a photo every day of the challenge. I still have a stockpile that I intend to use at some point. His pictures were drool-worthy, funny, enormous, and downright delicious looking.

Most Questions Asked during the first 48 hours of the Challenge: Ameet! This guy travels and has a high stress life – he had a lot to ask about! (This was done behind the scenes in emails.)

Most Impressive Before/After Pic: Mike Ferguson. (See below). Holy abs, Batman! Mike is a chef, and stopped grazing during work while on the challenge. Looks like it helped a little :)

Most Enthusiastic: Jill Fisher. This was not her first challenge, but it proved to be the most successful one. She learned how to cook, and made some very significant life-long changes. Her stories and revelations are in the comments section of the posts on the Nutrition page.

Most Hands On: Melissa G.! She hosted a mini cooking clinic at our house, where she taught us a bunch of simple tips on choosing proper cutlery, and how to shop veggies and fresh herbs. Thank you, Melissa!

Best Meatloaf: Laura. Seriously Laura. I ate it with my hands, out of a tupperware container, while at a red light in the car. Maybe that just shows that I’m a pig, but it was really, really, really good. Thanks for the huge portion!

Most Successful Newbies: Liz and Jesse. They are new to CrossFit, and to eating healthy, and they did a fantastic job of keeping strict and losing a bunch of weight (20 lbs between the two of them!). Keep it up!

Most impressive gym performance: Sharon. She came out of nowhere during this challenge and set a bunch of PRs, not letting anything stand in her way. She also reduced her “Garage” time by half! Watch out – don’t get in her way or she’ll power clean you.

Most Impressive Body Composition Change: Peggy. Justin won’t stop talking about how good Peggy looks. Should I be worried? Peggy also should win for ‘funniest comments on the blog’. She’s a riot.

 

BEFORE & AFTER PICS:

In 30 days, we weren’t looking for an obese-to-thin picture comparison. That just isn’t possible in that amount of time. What we did expect, and we did see, is our members go from ‘average’ to ‘significantly more awesome looking’ in just a few short weeks. Here are the four brave souls who let me post their pictures for all of the internet to see.

*If you have a Before/After that you want to send me, please do, and I’ll add it here. Consider it your contribution to the Spring 2012 Nutrition Challenge, where you’ll serve as a hopeful illustration of what can happen.

Julie Toone: Total weight loss - 14lbs

Alex Carrese: Total weight loss - 10lbs

Mike Ferguson: Total weight loss - 12lbs

Jill Fisher: Total weight loss - 5lbs

Lastly, we received a lot of great feedback from the survey. It looks like you all enjoyed success during the challenge, and were grateful for the support. It’s the people who did the challenge with you, especially the winners and honorable mentions, that provided the bulk of the support. You all were such an important factor in one another’s success, and I hope you realize that you can now go forward, armed with knowledge and a group of people behind you, and start to live healthy and help others.

We’ll catch up at the Spring 2011 Nutrition Challenge! Look for more blog posts/nutrition discussions before then. Congratulations again!

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No Excuses Weekend is upon us…

By on August 31, 2011 in Gym Articles, Nutrition Articles · Comments { 1 }

Labor Day Weekend.

For most people, it’s a great excuse to take it easy, after a summer of taking it easy. Summer hours at the office, summer break at the schools, casual Fridays, long weekends at the beach, international travel with the family…certainly those things warrant a long weekend of crappy food, drinking and wasting time, right?

Luckily, you’re smarter than that and you’ve seen what happens to yourself after letting things slide for the summer. You know that you’re better than that and you’re eager to get back on track.

Welcome to No Excuses Weekend.

This weekend is about making preparations to make sure that your fall, winter and spring are AWESOME. Even better than last year. It’s about making sure that you are setting yourself up to be healthier, in better shape, leaner, stronger, faster, more radiant, more less-stressed, more well-rested than you were at this point last year.

If you spent more than a few minutes this summer thinking “I wish…” , ” I should….”, “I really need to….”, then No Excuses weekend is for you.

WHAT TO DO on No Excuses Weekend.

1. Make a list of your top 2 things that you want to accomplish now that the summer is over. Just pick two for now. You can always add more things later in the year.

2. Use the weekend to prepare yourself for taking action and making progress toward completing your goal.

Want to kick your sugar habit? Raid you cabinets and get rid of everything that has ingredients you can’t understand, remove all sugar (obviously) and go food shopping for grassfed meats and fresh vegetables. Scour the internet and 25 new recipes that only use whole foods. (HINT: Google “Paleo + Recipe)

Want to see more results at the gym? Start going more often! Don’t waste your money – come to every class that you paid for. If you are only coming twice a week, consider bumping up to 3x week. Also, listen. Listen to our recommendations, our movement cues, our pleads for you to go faster,  to not stop, to keep moving. Intensity is a big part of why CrossFit is effective. Get intense. Give 100% at every workout.

Want to stop feeling fat? Remove all grains from your diet. (grains = wheat, rice, corn, oats)

Want to recover faster from workouts? (Those of you who have trouble sitting down or walking after a workout…I’m looking at you) Buy a foam roller and a lacrosse or tennis ball and USE THEM EVERY NIGHT. Roll around on your ‘sore bits’ and ask Alycia or Justin for tips.

Want to learn more about nutrition? Download Robb Wolf’s Paleo Podcasts on iTunes. They are free, hour long, sometimes geeky Q&A sessions regarding how we should eat, why we should eat that way, and how to implement it.

Want to have more energy? Start going to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal. In a few weeks, push it back another 30 minutes.  Invest in heavy, dark curtains that block out all light. Also, avoid fruit or carb-heavy meals in the morning and afternoon hours.

Want to look better? Do all of the above.

Want to feel better? Ditto.

Want more people to like you? Start being nicer to them. Say hello and make eye contact. Ask questions. Listen.

Want to be less stressed? Organize yourself. Start by throwing/giving a bunch of things away. The less you have, the less you’ll have to stress about.

 

Why should you do these things on Labor Day weekend?

Because everyone else is too busy doing nothing. The world (and the space in your head) is slightly more ‘open’ than it is on other weekends.

The opportunities for positive change are right here and are more apparent than ever.

And on this one weekend, nothing is standing in your way.

No Excuses.

 

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Healthy Habit Post #1: Know what’s possible

By on May 5, 2011 in Gym Articles · Comments { 0 }

When you took your first CrossFit class, you probably thought to yourself (after the blurry vision and dry heaves subsided), “Hey, that was a great workout. Sign me up”.

And since you’ve been here, you’ve gotten to participate in a bunch more great workouts. From farmers carries to waiters walks, and everything in between, you’ve been exposed to things that people in ‘regular gyms’ don’t ever get a chance to do.

Since you’ve been here, you’ve also gotten something that’s a lot more meaningful than just a ‘great workout’ … something that has the ability to affect other parts of your life outside of the gym.

You’ve gotten a glimpse into what’s possible for YOU.

You didn’t think that lifting hundreds of pounds up off the ground was possible. Until you did it. You didn’t think getting a muscle up was possible, until you tried it. You didn’t think you’d ever get your first pull up. And then you got it.

Sure, you’ve gotten a little stronger and fitter since you started, but the truth of the matter is, it was always a possibility for you. You just never gave it an honest try.

So when you are filling out your Healthy Habit forms, and as you embark on a month of daily improvements, remember that it IS possible for you to do this without skipping a day. You may have halfheartedly tried and failed in the past, but you never put the time and effort into it that you will this month. You never had 40 other people on your side to help you out. You never were held accountable. And you never really tried very hard at all.

As you begin your 30 days of healthy habits, remember that just like your lifts in the gym, you always had the capacity to do this habit. You just never knew it was possible. Until now.

Good luck!

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The GOOD HEALTH HABIT Challenge

By on April 27, 2011 in Announcements, Gym Articles · Comments { 5 }

Let’s talk about Habits.

Most people have a few (or many) bad habits that they’d like to break. A lot of time and energy is spent trying to break these bad habits, and the stress of failing to do so, causes people to have even more anxiety about their current habits.

What we don’t put nearly enough focus into, however, is creating new habits. Good habits.

Good habits are neat because they are small additions to our regular life that help make us better people. As we get used to one good habit, another one usually follows, as we head on the path toward a healthier and happier life in general.

Getting exercise, meeting new people, trying new things….those are all good habits that you started the day your joined CrossFit Aspire.

Everything you do during the 1 hour a day that you spend in the gym is helping to create or maintain good habits (Learning the Olympic lifts, working on your endurance, perfecting your form on all movements, increasing your mobility, etc). But there are 23 other hours in every day. What are you doing during THOSE hours to complement your good habit of getting exercise?

If this is you outside of the gym, please take us up on this challenge!

THE TASK: Pick 1 good habit and do that thing every single day for 30 days.

THE DETAILS: The point of this challenge is to help get the rest of your life step with the pace of improvement you’re seeing in the gym. The point is that going to the gym for 1 hour, no matter what you do in there (even heavy deadlifts and “Fran”), won’t counteract your so-so diet, high stress lifestyle, or your lack of sleep. In order to make sustainable improvements in the gym, and to be a healthier person in general, all three things – Movement, Eating and Sleep must all be in sync.

How do you achieve this? Pick a Good Habit that fits the following criteria:

Quantifiable/Measurable: “I will get 8+ hours of sleep ever night for 30 nights” is a good challenge. “Sleep more” is not.

Positive: Starting a new habit is something to be happy about. You WILL see better results if you think of the challenge as the addition of something positive to your life, rather than  deprivation. “Eat only meat, fish, eggs and vegetables at every meal for 30 Days” is a good one. “No processed foods, grains, or sweet things that taste good” is a bad one.

Specific: Don’t leave any room for doubt or any gray areas. Try not to make this harder than it is. This is YOUR challenge, and you set the rules. So make them clear for yourself. “Work on my mobility every night for 30 Days” is not specific enough. “Foam roll my upper back and pain ball my forearms ever night for 10 minutes” is a better option.

Challenging: Because, well, this IS a challenge! This is your opportunity to push your limits, find the outer edges of your comfort zone, and perhaps cause a shift in your life’s priorities. Those of you who eat 95% only real foods might not want to make their habit to start eating 100% only real foods. You can get to 100% without much effort. That’s not where your wellness weakness is. It’s more likely to be hiding in your sleep habits, stress levels, or elsewhere. If waking up is a struggle every morning, then your good habit should likely include getting to bed earlier. If you feel run down and stressed out during those 23 hours, then maybe these 30 Days should revolve around time management, cooking in bulk (so you don’t have to rush around every night),  or re-prioritizing one part of your life.

Attainable: The flip side of choosing a habit that’s too easy to follow, or that’s not very far off from how you live right now, is choosing one that will never work in your life. Getting 8-9 straight hours of uninterrupted sleep in a pitch black room might not be a feasible goal for a shift worker, new parent, or police officer. There are certain things that we can’t change instantly (our boss, the amount of attention our kids need, the amount of hours in a day), and there are things that we can change (the amount of time spent on the internet, what we do while we watch TV, how we plan our meals) that can impact the success of our new habits. You have the knowledge to distinguish between the two.

THE RULES:

You MUST commit to doing your Good Habit EVERY SINGLE DAY for an entire 30 Days.

If you miss a day, repeat it. You won’t end up finishing with the rest of us, but you won’t be far behind, and it’ll help teach you not to forget!

If it’s a gym-related habit, like foam rolling, practicing your pull up, taking a long walk every morning, make sure that you have the equipment, availability and space that will accommodate your habit.

If it’s a nutrition-related habit, make sure you have the proper info (pick up a copy of our Nutrition Guide), an arsenal of recipes, and go food shopping for real foods on Day 1.

If it’s a sleep or time management issue, make sure you have a clear cut plan, and not just a singular goal. You must know how you are going to squeeze that extra hour out of the day, how you will spend it, and how you will deal when stress or an emergency comes up.

Over the next week, you will be writing down your habit and keeping it in your Progress Folder.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD HABITS: These are created for people of various backgrounds and lifestyles. Choose one that makes the most sense for YOU, or come up with your own.

I will eat only meats, fish, eggs, vegetables at every meal, and limit my fruit and nut intake to 1 serving of each per day.

Water will be my only beverage. Period.

I will get 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep in a pitch black room. I will be in bed before 10pm to accomplish this. (This entails light-blocking curtains, and covering the LED light on my alarm clock)

I will spend my leisure hours working on a hobby, spending time with my family or reading a book. My TV will not be on at all during this challenge.

I will take a lacrosse ball or foam roller to the tightest spots on my body and spend at least 10 minutes per day working on increasing my mobility.

I will practice my handstand (or double under, or pull up, or knees to elbows) for 5 minutes every single day.

Questions?

Do I have to do this? No. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.  Should you? Yes, we think so!

Why are we doing this? You pay us to get into better shape. Eating well, sleeping well and living well are all a part of that. And because things like this are always easier and more fun when you do it with a group!

Can I do a Paleo 30 Day Challenge? Yes, use this time to challenge yourself in a way that will most benefit you at this moment.  Check the thirty posts in the  “30 Day Nutrition Challenge” category of our blog for helpful articles, hints, tips and stories to help you along.

I’m a mess. Can I choose more than 1 good habit? Yes, you can choose multiple, but limit yourself to what you think is actually feasible. If you change everything at once, you have a better chance of getting stressed out or not following through with any of the habits.

Post additional questions to the COMMENTS below. Good luck!

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Head Games: The power of the whiteboard

By on March 29, 2011 in Gym Articles · Comments { 7 }

You walk into the gym, you put your stuff away, and you look at the whiteboard.  You go over the movements in your head, formulating questions. How heavy should I go? Is there a rest built in after the rounds? What the difference between a Clean and a Snatch again?

After you’ve obssessed over your own impending experience with the workout, do you notice the times and numbers of those who did the workout earlier in the day?  Do you just scan the list to see who lifted the most, and who went the fastest and leave it at that? Do you look and say “Wow, Shamus lifted 3,000 pounds today”,  or “Nick got one billion rounds in that metcon”, and then just walk away? Or do you use the number of other members to push yourself harder? 

The power of the whiteboard is this - It provides instant standards by which you can measure your own performance in the gym. By now, many of you know roughly how much you can lift. My suggestion is that you choose someone in the gym who can lift about the same, or a little more than you can do. Keep an eye on that person -  take note of their scores and weights on the whiteboard, and CHASE THEM.

Better yet, take it one step further and perform BETTER than they did.

Use the whiteboard as a source of motivation to push yourself harder than you could on your own. Use the weights of those who worked out earlier in the day as a way to set, and exceed your goals for the day.

And to the athletes in the 6:30am class –  look at the blank white board as a chance to amaze the night time members. Go heavy and go hard, knowing that 20 more people will be staring at your numbers, trying to beat them. Think about the next morning when you walk into the gym. Wouldn’t it be nice to set the bar so high that no on else reaches it? Also, know that your scores help the entire gym get fitter. Your achievements help enhance the caliber of all of our athletes.

It’s no coincidence that Jay’s lifts usually come within 5 pounds of Dave’s, or that mine come within 5 pounds of Beth or Jill’son certain lifts. We use the accomplishments of others to help push ourselves harder and give ourselves tangible goals for the day.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Now that you’re all pumped up to set PRs and crush some metcons, remember to pay attention to the numbers of someone who is VERY close to your own strength or metcon numbers and DON’T BE STUPID when lifting. Don’t choose the heaviest weight on the board and try to beat it, if your previous numbers weren’t even close. We want you to be monster athletes, not broken crazy people.  

Lift Heavy. Go Hard. Be Awesome.

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