CrossFit Ocean City

MAX EFFORT + HEAT AND HUMIDITY = TOTALLY SPENT

Yes, we experienced some awesome heat and humidity this week coupled with some incredibly hard efforts on the WODs.  As we progress through the summer months, remember to stay hydrated throughout the day.  The hydration process is continuous and can't be remedied by sucking down a bottle of water 10 minutes before the WOD.  Start each day with a 20 ounce glass of water and try to replace fluids throughout the day.  The optimal level of hydration is to take in 60% of your bodyweight in ounces each day.  So, a 150 pound person should drink about 90 ounces of water each day.

Brent recovers after a hard WOD at 5 pm as Erick looks on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Van recovers from the same WOD done at 5:45 a.m. The heat and humidity didn't get any better as the day wore on.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT FINALISTS

And the winners are . . . all of them!  Congrats to the twelve CrossFitters who took on the challenge of adhering to the Zone Diet and upping their training by one extra day per week for 12 weeks!  The results with improved health and fitness were remarkable across the board.

 

Kate, Judy, Mendy, Holly, Hilary, Doug, Linda, Lora, Dayna (kneeling) and Val (also kneeling).  Missing are James and Jess, who were out of town for the final event.

 

The final UGOF WOD begins. 

RUGBY PLAYERS AND CROSSFIT

We have a couple of women rugby players who CrossFit with us regularly.  Dayna has been with us for about six months and Kristi, a fellow teammate, recently began CrossFit.  These girls are tough, put out 100% each and every time they train, always listen to coaching cues, study the videos online, practice the skills, and never give up when the WOD gets hard.  Quite simply, rugby players make good CrossFitters!

 

Dayna (left) takes stock of her bar before going for a few more reps, while Kristi (right) executes a near perfect sumo deadlift high pull.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR JUDY

Judy put in a solid 12 weeks of work in our Ultimate Gift of Fitness Program.  Not only did Judy up her training, but she lost 10 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of lean muscle mass.  The Zone Diet works if you put into it the work required.  For some, the weightloss is dramatic, for others the process takes longer, but either way, the changes do show and the effort is worth the results.  For someone going through some really tough times personally, dealing with stress, and sticking to the Zone and the training regimen, Judy did a heck of a job!  Way to go!

       

Judy before and Judy after. 

CROSSFIT ROWING CERT - CF OCEAN CITY

 

Many thanks to all the attendees and to Coach Angela Hart for a great day of C2 Rowing!

ILLUSION OR REALITY?

Illusion is doing CrossFit without the nutrition piece and expecting exceptional results.  Reality is doing CrossFit and getting in the Zone with the right food in the right quantities at the right times of the day while sticking to this plan over a determined course of time.  For Jess Waterman, her CrossFit journey began in October.  While she experienced gains in strength and conditioning, she didn't maximize the return on her training until she plugged the Zone Diet into her routine. 

Jess began our Ultimate Gift of Fitness Program on March 29th with about 30% bodyfat.  She did her final weigh-in and measurements on Tuesday, June 16th.  In 12 weeks, Jess lost 18 pounds of body fat, lowered her bodyfat percentage to 23% and lost 13.25 inches throughout her body (4 inch in the hips, 3 inch at the waist, 2.5 inch at the chest, and 3 inches in the thighs).  Check out the difference!  WOW!

  

  

Jess before (left) and Jess after (right).  If you want to make this kind of change in your body composition, then plan to eat right and work hard.  This is twelve weeks of intensity at its best!  Congrats, Jess, on a job well done.

"My results have been surprising and exciting.  I mean, I knew from seeing others who had been through the 1st UGOF how effective it could be, but I didn't really believe it would work that well for me.  My body has changed, I feel so much stronger, and so much more comfortable in my own skin.  I am so proud of the discipline I have demonstrated to myself over the past few months.  I really could not imagine that I would be able to make such dramatic changes in the way I eat and perceive food."  - Jess Waterman

UPCOMING EVENTS

This Saturday, June 20th, we host the CrossFit Rowing Certification from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  We'll still have class at 7 a.m., but no 8:15 a.m. class.

On Tuesday, June 23rd from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., we have the final meeting of the Ultimate Gift of Fitness 2 participants.  Regular 6 p.m. class is cancelled for this event.

Although this is a ways off, hold October 3, 2009, open.  We have a special visitor coming to CrossFit Ocean City for the day.  Stay tuned for more details!  This is one event you won't want to miss out on!

ABS - WHEN DO THOSE GET WORKED?

Well, the correct question should be, "When do the abs NOT get worked?"  The abs, or the front of the midline, must be stabilized at all times.  So, the abs get worked constantly with everything we do:  squats, Olympic lifts, running, deadlifts, cleans, rowing, pushups, pullups, and the list goes on.  Sometimes, though, we'll focus and ramp up the intensity specifically on the abs with abmat situps, knees-to-elbows, and reverse crunches. 

 

Beau takes a quick break while Judy presses on through the reverse crunches.

SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ATHLETES

Here's a great blog from EndlessHumanPotential.com called "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Athletes".  In a nutshell, here's the list of seven:

-Revolve all other habits around your intended goals

-Pour every ounce of effort into training

-Educate yourself

-Keep records

-Focus on details

-Restrain and discipline yourself beyond the average person's capabilities

-Notice the little things

Click HERE to read the blog.  Those who perform well do so because they really care.  And this attitude, this philosophy, of giving 100% and paying attention to the details pervades every aspect of the effective athlete's life - work, family, you name it.  Look around the gym next time and you'll notice those who practice these habits.  They're the ones making a difference.

 

I can't help but spotlight Doug again.  In the past few weeks, Doug has knocked 3 minutes off his 5K time, increased his back squat by 35# to 335, added load to his overhead work, lost bodyfat percentage, and so much more - his triglycerides dropped from 108 to 50 and his cholesterol dropped 20 points to 167.  Why?  Consistency, intensity, and the Zone.  Doug has made becoming an athlete a habit and you can too.

OC BEACH PATROL INTRO SESSION

Many thanks to the members of the OC Beach Patrol who came out on a Saturday evening to learn about CrossFit and experience a short, high-intensity CrossFit-style workout.  All of them were strong and competitive athletes - just the kind of people I want guarding my beach and protecting my family! 

The intro session covered CrossFit's definition of fitness and provided an overview of the CrossFit method and why it works where other programs fall short.  After a review and skill work on the rower, squats, situps, pushups, and pullups, the guards ran through our Baseline Workout:  500m Row, 40 Squats, 30 Situps, 20 Pushups, and 10 Pullups.  They all got the feel for the type of intensity we look for at CrossFit, which isn't all that different from the experience of a water rescue.

Experiencing pullups.

 

Squats.

Rowing to kick off the Baseline Workout.