Dee working on her back squat form so she can go heavy, hard, and fast later on.
We often see people afraid to get under the bar and move the load. Going heavy is the right thing to do so long as the form is solid. Working on lifting when the lifting WODs post rather than just skipping it is the right thing to do. WOD shopping shouldn't be something you do -- ever! If the workout looks hard, has a skill you're not good at, or involves some slow lifting, get to the gym and don't let your lizard brain take over and cause you to miss out.
This month the challenge is to work on mobility. The requirements are simple - go to mobilitywod.com and do one of the videos a minimum of four times per week. Sign up at the gym and check for the rules you need to adhere to in order to win a prize at the end of the month. Good luck!
Lora coaches Josh to get his form right - in this case, Josh needs to drop his hips, lift his chest, and get a bit more extension in his lumbar.
Listening to the coach isn't something that everyone wants to do every time they come to the gym. Well, in our gym, that's too bad. For one thing, one of the main reasons you train here should be the coaching. Whether it's a slow, heavy lifting day, or whether it's a "Hero" WOD, the entire hour is built around coaching. Warm up and mobility prepare the body for the workout by moving the muscles, increasing body temperature, and allowing the coaches a chance to see how your body responds to movement that day. The skill work, by some thought to be a waste of time, is critical to ensuring proper form. Often times the entire class's form is so bad that the WOD has to be scrapped or adjusted completely for those present. The WOD itself presents unique coaching opportunities for each individual and each coach. As intensity increases, form can go out the window. In those cases, a solid coach knows just the right cue to fix those errors, or will simply just scale you down -- right in the middle of the WOD. Stretching and cool down gives the coach an opportunity to see that everyone recovers well and ensures that your body won't lock up from the WOD.
It's important that you always pay attention and listen to the coach and do what's asked of you. Failing to do so sets the conditions for injury. For example, just because you PR'd your deadlift last week doesn't mean you can hit that same milestone this week. A lot of factors go into performance - diet, sleep, frequency of training, stress, and other factors. If you blow off the coach, don't expect to go RX on the WOD. If you don't want to listen, then you're wasting your money and perhaps you should train elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and check the ego at the door, then you can train hard, fast, and safe all day long!
THE NEW - It's January and we're seeing quite a few new members in the gym. So nice to see new faces and people experiencing CrossFit for the first time. Our Guest Day from last week brought in well over a dozen folks that would not have experienced CrossFit otherwise! Of those who came in, we hope to see you on a regular basis and thank you for checking out our gym and all we have to offer.
THE CREW - New Year's Resolutions abound with the rest of the crew and, fortunately, for them CrossFit continues to be a huge part of their health and fitness. To The Crew, our hat is off to you. It's why we continue to love what we do and strive to offer the best coaching we can -- both on and off the floor.
THE USED TO BE - For some, CrossFit is just too hard, too expensive, or just not for them. Too hard means not willing to train two, three, or four hours a week to make significant impact on overall health and fitness. Yes, CrossFit is hard, but ask yourself what in life worth having isn't hard? For those who find it too expensive, all I can offer is that paying $140/month for huge gains in fitness while guided by well-trained coaches (try getting that type of coaching via personal training and see what you'd pay) may seem on its face expensive, you have to balance what that costs versus other wants and needs in your life. Everyone has a budget, so you have to decide how much your health and fitness is worth to you. We can't do that for you. If it's just not for you, then you either tried it and it's (a) too hard, (b) not convenient (c) or you're just choosing not to make time for it. We get that, but again it's a choice between being fit and not. For those who honored their program agreements to the end, we commend you for sticking it out. For those who didn't, well . . . you didn't.
For those who have fallen off the wagon and need to get back to training, check out THIS POST (click the link) and see if it pertains to you. I think it does.
In just the first two weeks of the rowing challenge, those on the CFOC rowing team passed the 1 million meter mark! This is a huge milestone for the team and a goal to set for the remaining two weeks of the Concept 2 Virtual Challenge - row another million meters! Yes, we can do it!
Kelley instructs rowers on some basic skills and drills before a class
What is "Mediocristan"? It's that place where you live a life of mediocrity and complacency, have little drive to excel outside of your comfort zone, and have resigned yourself to accept that "you are what you are" and nothing you do will make a difference. Ask yourself if that's really where you want to be.
There are some advantages to living in Mediocristan. For one, not much excitement takes place there. Mediocristan is where your routine is solid and change occurs rarely. New experiences come along infrequently and comfort allows you to plod along through life. In Mediocristan, your gym is one of safe machines with selector pins, life cycles, and mindless movement to synthesizer tunes and heavy bass beats. Not much change occurs, because your workouts are, well, mediocre.
Change requires one to step out of the comfort zone. It's a simple step and only requires you to shift your thinking just a bit. Adjust your paradigm of fitness so that you can embrace the notion of working hard, very hard, for shorter intervals; training with weights; and training in a coached environment with others. Where would one find such a place? It's right here in our CrossFit Ocean City gym, that's where.
What might that be? Coached CrossFit training. Why coached? Because without a coach, you won't achieve your full potential. Hiring a coach to train you will get you on the right path to improved fitness. And you do that by coming to our gym and experiencing the type of training that will take you outside your comfort zone. It will push you to your potential. And the added challenges will enable you to improve your fitness beyond that which you thought possible.
Reebok is an example of a company that existed solely in Mediocristan. That is until they discovered CrossFit. Now, partnered with CrossFit, Reebok has transformed its image, improved its product, and launched itself into a whole new sport - the Sport of Fitness. Check it out: click HERE. And check out the new Reebok CrossFit commercial.
What's your fitness mission this year? Want to compete? Want to just lose a few pounds? Want to be healthier for your spouse, significant other, kids? Want to feel better about yourself and have more confidence? You can achieve it all through CrossFit training.
Big businesses have turned to CrossFit to help their employees succeed in fitness. Reebok not only took on this mission with a vengence, but opened up an entire CrossFit affiliate right at their headquarters, hired CrossFit trainers, and mandate that their employees participate. How's that for a fitness mission?
Check out this article (click HERE) to see how they did it and to hear some great successful fitness stories. Keep in mind that you don't have to travel that far to find your local CrossFit affiliate. We're right here in town. Come see us and we'll help you on your fitness mission.
Have you begun your New Year's resolution to get fit and healthy? Perhaps that piece of your life is a-ok and you're embarking on some other venture. Work? Family? Fun? A new hobby? New friends? No matter what you embark on, you'll meet not only resistance, but saboteurs.
Resistance is your own internal friction. Your ball and chain. Your lazy-lizard brain. It's whatever roadblock you put up to prevent you from reaching your goals -- no matter how lofty and noble they may be.
Saboteurs are, well, according to Steven Pressfield, others who will stand in your way, divert you, and keep you from reaching some new horizon. Here are his thoughts:
". . . beware the saboteur. The people closest to us, friends and family, may not like it when they see us starting to change. When we begin to paint, to write, to dance; when we find the courage to live out our dreams, our progress becomes a reproach to others if they are not doing the same. It’s unconscious. The people trying to sabotage us may love us and wish us well. But they will attempt to trip us up, to undermine our resolution and to sap our growing self-confidence."
