Our spring strength challenge starts Monday April 5th. We are still working on the programming and will have everything ready for the challenge to start. We will be measuring lean body mass, body fat percentage and performance assessments. We're really excited about this challenge and are expecting a big turn out.
To assist you with this challenge, we are trying our best to have author and nutritionist, Dr. Susan Kleiner, to present at Pacific Personal Training in April. Keep your fingers crossed! She wrote one of my favorite books on strength training nutrition, Power Eating. She's just outside of Seattle, so hopefully it wont be too difficult to bring her down.
There have been quite a few of you who have expressed interest in purchasing locally raised, grass fed beef. Some of you already have, like Adam and Kimberly Johnson. Adam was even kind enough to bring me some beef jerky he made which I finished by about 8 AM. There are quite a few farmers who raise "grass fed beef", but I didn't just want any farmer. Through a couple of clients and word of mouth, I found Soggy Feet Enterprises on Sauvie Island. I invited them to the studio to ask them a few questions about their beef. At Soggy Feet, they keep a close eye on their cattle, and appropriately care for them. They feed them grass and red leaf clover (I don't know what that is). They don't feed them grain (but there are some farmers who do in the last 30 days just to fatten it up a bit for taste) and they take them to a USDA facility for butchering. Soggy Feet is a locally owned, licensed, insured and registered business, which is important when selling food. Think about exercising at our studio, then exercising at a fly by night box with no nationally certified trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, no liability insurance or knowledge of working with special populations. That's the difference we were concerned with when purchasing local beef.
The owners both graduated from OSU with degrees in agriculture and I believe this is makes them good business practitioners. I appreciated their honesty too. When I asked them about antibiotic usage on their cattle, they explained to me that just like any other mammal, cows get sick, especially in the winter. Instead of watching the cattle suffer through sickness, they MAY give them an antibiotic. However, there are NO antibiotics given to the cows 6 months prior to butchering.
They sell their beef in whole, half and quarters. Later this week we will have the dry-weight pricing butchering options and order forms. They told me before, but I don't want to misquote them, and I don't have my notes in front of me right now.
As always, please let us know if there is anything our staff can do or provide to improve your experience at the studio and make each and every one of you a Raving Fan. We have no pride and will do (just about) anything.
Gracias,
Chuck & Shelly/ShellChucker Gonzales
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Mayonnaise Jar
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Sunday, March 28, 2010
My conversation with the supervisor of school nutrition for Washington County
A few of weeks ago I decided to make a call to the supervisor of the school lunch program for Washington county. I wanted to know more about the food choices that were being provided at Gabriel's elementary school, Minter Bridge. Shelly and I rarely let Gabe eat a school lunch, but occasionally he really wants what they are serving, so we let him indulge for a day. Gabe likes the chicken nuggets they serve, even more so at school because we don't have them at home, or when we go out to eat. I wanted to know more about where the food came from, the carbon foot print of their food choices, how it was cooked & processed, what guidelines they followed, etc. My grandmother always told me that you'll catch more bees with honey than you will with vinegar, so I was especially transparent, objective and overall pleasant when I called the school district (you know, not like my normal self).
I after I made the call, I was transferred to her direct office. Surprisingly, she picked up the phone and pleasantly offered to answer all of my questions. I have to admit that I was a little surprised, because I was expecting an impatient pencil pusher to answer the phone, annoyed with another overprotective parent complaining about a broken system and taking no action to fix it. No, she was quite nice, patient and knowledgeable. She told me that the school system must meet at a minimum, the federal guidelines for school nutrition which dictate the amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates which must be served to each student each day. Everything is baked fresh at the school the day they are served. They buy their fruit from local companies and purchase their meats and dairy from local farmers. They do have a strict budget they must abide by, but hey, so do we.
All in all, I was quite pleased with how she answered my questions and the execution of their meal plan. I don’t think she was a bureaucrat or a spin doctor either. Is the system perfect? No, but neither is my diet. Can there be improvements made? Certainly, and I am sure she would love to make them. Now the question is, what is it that we expect from our schools when it comes to feeding our children? Should they eat organic products grown by local farmers? Should they only eat grass fed beef raised in Washington County that's free from antibiotics because the farmers can't even give the cows essential medicine when they develop pneumonia? Should all the kids be on Paleo or an exercise nutrition diet, or should we just pack our kids lunches every week? What about low-income families who may not be able to afford to pack their kids’ lunches? Are they now subjected to settle for chicken nuggets and beef taco, all provided by the lowest bidder? As you can see, it’s not a simple or overnight quick fix.
Shelly and I have always packed lunch for our kids, usually 4-5 days out of the week. There are days when the kids really want burritos at school, and some days where we just wake up way too late and we send them out the door with a muscle milk, a little creatine, N-O Explode and Amino Vital (seriously, just kidding). We understand that sometimes life happens, and you can’t shelter yourself or your children from any environment forever, and if you do, or try, chances are you’re waiting for the mother ship with some kool-aid on hand.
Proper nutrition has always been very important for us. We believe that most health problems can be solved with a strong, healthy diet, rich in high quality vitamins, minerals and nutrients. We allow ourselves a little room for the good stuff, like cookies every 2 months or so. My challenge (not weakness) is ice cream. I usually have some kind of ice cream once a week. Interestingly, I’ve almost lost all desire for alcohol, so I figured I needed some kind of vice, and Baskin & Robins is just a block away.
So, don’t be too hard on the lunch lady. They’re really nice and they just want what’s best for our kids. I encourage continued discussion and brainstorming on this topic and please contact your local school or school district and ask them about how you can help make a difference in our children’s’ lives.
ps., whatever you do, don't call them "The Lunch Lady".
Sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes!
I after I made the call, I was transferred to her direct office. Surprisingly, she picked up the phone and pleasantly offered to answer all of my questions. I have to admit that I was a little surprised, because I was expecting an impatient pencil pusher to answer the phone, annoyed with another overprotective parent complaining about a broken system and taking no action to fix it. No, she was quite nice, patient and knowledgeable. She told me that the school system must meet at a minimum, the federal guidelines for school nutrition which dictate the amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates which must be served to each student each day. Everything is baked fresh at the school the day they are served. They buy their fruit from local companies and purchase their meats and dairy from local farmers. They do have a strict budget they must abide by, but hey, so do we.
All in all, I was quite pleased with how she answered my questions and the execution of their meal plan. I don’t think she was a bureaucrat or a spin doctor either. Is the system perfect? No, but neither is my diet. Can there be improvements made? Certainly, and I am sure she would love to make them. Now the question is, what is it that we expect from our schools when it comes to feeding our children? Should they eat organic products grown by local farmers? Should they only eat grass fed beef raised in Washington County that's free from antibiotics because the farmers can't even give the cows essential medicine when they develop pneumonia? Should all the kids be on Paleo or an exercise nutrition diet, or should we just pack our kids lunches every week? What about low-income families who may not be able to afford to pack their kids’ lunches? Are they now subjected to settle for chicken nuggets and beef taco, all provided by the lowest bidder? As you can see, it’s not a simple or overnight quick fix.
Shelly and I have always packed lunch for our kids, usually 4-5 days out of the week. There are days when the kids really want burritos at school, and some days where we just wake up way too late and we send them out the door with a muscle milk, a little creatine, N-O Explode and Amino Vital (seriously, just kidding). We understand that sometimes life happens, and you can’t shelter yourself or your children from any environment forever, and if you do, or try, chances are you’re waiting for the mother ship with some kool-aid on hand.
Proper nutrition has always been very important for us. We believe that most health problems can be solved with a strong, healthy diet, rich in high quality vitamins, minerals and nutrients. We allow ourselves a little room for the good stuff, like cookies every 2 months or so. My challenge (not weakness) is ice cream. I usually have some kind of ice cream once a week. Interestingly, I’ve almost lost all desire for alcohol, so I figured I needed some kind of vice, and Baskin & Robins is just a block away.
So, don’t be too hard on the lunch lady. They’re really nice and they just want what’s best for our kids. I encourage continued discussion and brainstorming on this topic and please contact your local school or school district and ask them about how you can help make a difference in our children’s’ lives.
ps., whatever you do, don't call them "The Lunch Lady".
Sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
We're Building our Team
We are now hiring for the position of Childcare Attendant. Please review our requirements and pass along to anyone who you feel would be a great addition to our team. Thank you!
Request for Childcare Attendant
Request for Childcare Attendant
"Groupon week"
Thank You!!!
Holy cow, that was an amazing week. For those of you who signed up for our "groupon" special, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. For those of you who recommended us and the special to your friends, we can't thank you enough. Does it ever get any easier though? Just how strong can Dan and Cian get? Is Heather going to try three WODs next Wednesday? Did Chantal sufficiently kick everyone's asses on Wednesday? But seriously folks....("Drunk driving, what's up with that?" - Cliff Clavin)
Point to Remember
The Joshua Box. Joshua needs a friendly reminder of our appreciation for his service in Afghanistan. We are collecting whatever a young soldier needs to feel loved (please, no porn). Toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, mouth wash, essential essence shampoo, beef jerky, nuts....I'm just rambling now.
T-Shirt contest. Forward us any cool designs/slogan that you would like to appear on a CrossFit Hillsboro t-shirt. Winner receives a free week of CrossFit, and of course, a t-shirt. The "Strong is Beautiful" shirt is on it's way too. Very excited about this one.
April 18th Bridge to Brew run. Bridge to Brew
This is a 10k, 8k & walk. Will be fun, but cold. I may observe from the sidelines with my parka and cocoa.
The owners from Soggy Foot farms (I think that's the right name) on Sauvie Island came to the studio yesterday to talk to me about buying local, grass fed beef. They raise it themselves and are licensed and insured to follow the necessary precaution to raise grass fed beef. I really like the both of them and their philosphy on how to properly raise cattle. They will be dropping of some information for us to hand out, then we can make a decision about purchasing a whole, half or quarter of a cow. We'll keep you posted
The owners from Soggy Foot farms (I think that's the right name) on Sauvie Island came to the studio yesterday to talk to me about buying local, grass fed beef. They raise it themselves and are licensed and insured to follow the necessary precaution to raise grass fed beef. I really like the both of them and their philosphy on how to properly raise cattle. They will be dropping of some information for us to hand out, then we can make a decision about purchasing a whole, half or quarter of a cow. We'll keep you posted
Monday, March 22, 2010
Are you a fan of "Groupon"? Deal seekers- read on!
Did you see the "Groupon" deal of the day? Only $40 for personal training plus one month of unlimited classes at Adapt Training. That's a pretty smokin' deal. Well, not to be outdone, we've come up with a little special of our own. I don't think we have ever done this before, for a couple of reasons.
First, we never like to "undervalue" ourselves. Second, we never like to "undervalue" ourselves.
So, for 24 hours only we are giving you all the value you have come to expect from CrossFit Hillsboro/ Pacific Personal Training, and then some.
24 hours only!!!!!!
1 MONTH OF UNLIMITED CROSSFIT CLASSES
PLUS
1 PERSONAL TRAINING SESSION
WITH ONE OF OUR
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINERS
It gets better......
......
.....
....
...
..
.
ONLY $49!!!
WOW IS RIGHT!
Like I said, we haven't done this before, so let's just hope for the best. There are a couple of rules however.
Fine print: Offer applies to new guests only, or those whom have been inactive for 6 or more months at CrossFit Hillsboro/ Pacific Personal Training. No commitment or contract required. Offer is good for EXACTLY 24 hours from the time of this post on our blog. Must be activated by March 31, 2010. Package valid one month from day of first visit. Contact us if you have any questions. (503) 747-7317. Referral bonus still applies with this offer for current guests.
Fine print: Offer applies to new guests only, or those whom have been inactive for 6 or more months at CrossFit Hillsboro/ Pacific Personal Training. No commitment or contract required. Offer is good for EXACTLY 24 hours from the time of this post on our blog. Must be activated by March 31, 2010. Package valid one month from day of first visit. Contact us if you have any questions. (503) 747-7317. Referral bonus still applies with this offer for current guests.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Deadlift Integrity
Tips on a proper deadlift.
Deadlift:
Major Muslces Involved
Gluteus maximes, Semimembranosus, Semitendionsus, Biceps femoris, Vastus lateralis, Vastus intermedius, Vastus medialis, Rectus femoris
Beginning Position
- Feet hip width apart,
-Feet flat in contact with weight on the heel and center of the foot & toes pointed slightly outward,
-Knees bent so hips are lower than the shoulders;
-Lumbar curve is accentuated with a lordidic curve,
-Spine is neitral. Use PVC on spine with 3 points of contact:
1. Saccrum
2. Thoracic, between shoulder blades
3. Back of skull
-Scapulas are retrated and pulled together,
-Head and neck are either neutral or slightly hyper extended,
-Chest is up and out
-Keep elbows fully extended
-Hand grip is generally pronated on the right and supinated on the left, with grip slightly wider than the shoulders,
-Trapezius relaxed and slightly stretched,
-Bar is either directly under or slightly behind the shoulders,
-Inhale and hold breath during the lift to increase interabdominal pressure (valsalva maneuver),
-If athlete have a history of heart disease, they should avoid the valsalva maneuver,
-On elevation, the hips and shoulder should rise at the same time.
-Keep the bar as close to the shins as possible
-As bar rises just above the knees, move the hips forward to moce the thighs against and the knees under the bar
-Athlete is fully extended at the top of the movement with scapular retraction.
-Athlete exhales at the top, of the movement when fully extended
-Return bar under same control to the floor,
-Athelte can also drop the bar back to the floor,
- Maintain the flat-back body position when releasing the weight to the floor.
Deadlift:
Major Muslces Involved
Gluteus maximes, Semimembranosus, Semitendionsus, Biceps femoris, Vastus lateralis, Vastus intermedius, Vastus medialis, Rectus femoris
Beginning Position
- Feet hip width apart,
-Feet flat in contact with weight on the heel and center of the foot & toes pointed slightly outward,
-Knees bent so hips are lower than the shoulders;
-Lumbar curve is accentuated with a lordidic curve,
-Spine is neitral. Use PVC on spine with 3 points of contact:
1. Saccrum
2. Thoracic, between shoulder blades
3. Back of skull
-Scapulas are retrated and pulled together,
-Head and neck are either neutral or slightly hyper extended,
-Chest is up and out
-Keep elbows fully extended
-Hand grip is generally pronated on the right and supinated on the left, with grip slightly wider than the shoulders,
-Trapezius relaxed and slightly stretched,
-Bar is either directly under or slightly behind the shoulders,
-Inhale and hold breath during the lift to increase interabdominal pressure (valsalva maneuver),
-If athlete have a history of heart disease, they should avoid the valsalva maneuver,
-On elevation, the hips and shoulder should rise at the same time.
-Keep the bar as close to the shins as possible
-As bar rises just above the knees, move the hips forward to moce the thighs against and the knees under the bar
-Athlete is fully extended at the top of the movement with scapular retraction.
-Athlete exhales at the top, of the movement when fully extended
-Return bar under same control to the floor,
-Athelte can also drop the bar back to the floor,
- Maintain the flat-back body position when releasing the weight to the floor.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Confession...
I have a confession to make: I just returned home from attending a boot camp class at a local 'Glob-o-Gym". It was a good workout that had me sweating and my heart pounding. There were probably about 50 people in attendance so there wasn't much personal attention paid to each student, but going in knowing what I was doing and how to push myself allowed me to get a good workout regardless. Also, we used only our body weight; no external load.
Here's what I came away with: in one hour I got warmed up, got my butt kicked, finished off with some core work and a little stretching. Even as personal trainers, it's great to have someone else kick our butts every once in a while. Having someone over you reminding you (or yelling, whichever) to hustle up for the last 10 seconds is definitely motivating (for some people, anyway). I tried (once) to have Chuck train me, but that just didn't work out. He doesn't get to tell me what to do at home so why should he at the gym? ;)
Do you wander around the gym wondering what you're going to do today? Bored with your "cardio day" and "weights day" program? Feeling like you're working hard and getting nowhere? Not sure how to maximize your core work? Unsure if you're stretching effectively? Enter CrossFit. It's like bootcamp (on steroids). We take all the guesswork out for you! Show up, prepare to sweat, give 100% for 60 minutes, and you're done. Until tomorrow. What is CrossFit? Good question!
Join us right now for March Madness: 21 days for only $50! Give us 3 weeks and you won't look back. (This includes your free 7-day guest pass)
We offer packages from month-to-month up to 1 year with rate decreases based on the package you choose. Of course, everyone receives their first week absolutely free. Come try us out for 7 days. No obligation, no risk, no commitment. In fact, we encourage you to try out a few other places before you come to us. Right away you will experience the Pacific Personal Training/CrossFit Hillsboro difference. It wouldn't be uncommon if you found it addictive. Can you say that about your gym routine?
Here's what I came away with: in one hour I got warmed up, got my butt kicked, finished off with some core work and a little stretching. Even as personal trainers, it's great to have someone else kick our butts every once in a while. Having someone over you reminding you (or yelling, whichever) to hustle up for the last 10 seconds is definitely motivating (for some people, anyway). I tried (once) to have Chuck train me, but that just didn't work out. He doesn't get to tell me what to do at home so why should he at the gym? ;)
Do you wander around the gym wondering what you're going to do today? Bored with your "cardio day" and "weights day" program? Feeling like you're working hard and getting nowhere? Not sure how to maximize your core work? Unsure if you're stretching effectively? Enter CrossFit. It's like bootcamp (on steroids). We take all the guesswork out for you! Show up, prepare to sweat, give 100% for 60 minutes, and you're done. Until tomorrow. What is CrossFit? Good question!
Join us right now for March Madness: 21 days for only $50! Give us 3 weeks and you won't look back. (This includes your free 7-day guest pass)
We offer packages from month-to-month up to 1 year with rate decreases based on the package you choose. Of course, everyone receives their first week absolutely free. Come try us out for 7 days. No obligation, no risk, no commitment. In fact, we encourage you to try out a few other places before you come to us. Right away you will experience the Pacific Personal Training/CrossFit Hillsboro difference. It wouldn't be uncommon if you found it addictive. Can you say that about your gym routine?
Week of 3/15/10 & The Right People
The right people are here and will show up on time. What does this mean to you? I'll tell you what it means for me and what it reminds me of. About 4 years ago, I was training one of my favorite clients at the old Globe-O gym. We were talking about how great it would if Shelly and I opened up our own studio. "Yea." I said. "But I really love all of the clients I have right now. I love training you guys here." "Yea, Chuck." He answered. "But you know what? You'll love your next ones too." I've never forgotten that. A year ago, Shelly & I had no idea who most of you were and you would have flipped out if someone would have told you what an ass kicking you were in for. But now, you're all here. You showed up on time, and exactly when you were supposed to. We patiently waited, built the studio for you, and now here you are. You're all the right people, here at the right time and we're eternally thankful for your determination and potty mouths.
This week was not easy. Especially the overhead squat part.
I just never get tired of this photo. 
Doodle!!Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sectionals WOD #1
So far today we have had ALL women in classes up against a killer wod that is very challenging for us (rope climbs!)
We took this one from the Oregon/Idaho Sectionals this past weekend.
Looks like so:
5 rounds of:
1 rope climb (15') plus 7 thrusters (135#/95#)
Substitution for the rope climb: lay supine on the floor under rope and pull self to standing position while keeping body straight. Or towel pull-ups.
We took this one from the Oregon/Idaho Sectionals this past weekend.
Looks like so:
5 rounds of:
1 rope climb (15') plus 7 thrusters (135#/95#)
Substitution for the rope climb: lay supine on the floor under rope and pull self to standing position while keeping body straight. Or towel pull-ups.
Afterwards we added some running and kettlebell swings. Timer set at 2:00- Run 400 meters. With whatever time is left perform kettlebell swings. 3 rounds. Tally total # of swings. 2 minute rest between rounds. We just HAD to get out and enjoy some of this sunshine! 
This wins our P.O.D. award. (Picture of the Day) This is Heather Russell, 3rd place finisher in the nutrition challenge, with her 5 yr. old triplet boys watching her in awe. They were veeeerrrry impressed with their mama.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
6-Week Nutrition Challenge Results
Drum roll please.........
After plugging in numbers for days to be sure we were accurate, here are the final results.
Grand prize goes to...ATLANTA JUSTEN! Atlanta scored herself one month of unlimited CrossFit plus $210 bucks! (40% of the pot) Atlanta worked her butt off and excelled in all categories (weight loss, waist circ., body comp., food log, and improved Daniel time).
Weight- Before: 137lbs, After: 126lbs.
Waist circumference- Before: 34.5, After: 30
Body fat%- Before: 30%, After: 25.1%
'Daniel' time- Before: 19:44, After: 13:25
First runner up goes to: NICK SADER (Winner of $121.35)
Nick lost a total of 13lbs., 2.25 inches from his waist, 4.9% body fat, and shaved a minute off his 'Daniel time. Great work, Nick. You are looking so great!
Second runner up: HEATHER RUSSEL (Winner of $52.50)
Heather lost 7lbs., 4 inches from her waist, 1.8% body fat, and took 5 and a half minutes off 'Daniel'.
Third runner up: ANDREA HAMILTON (Winner of $26.25)
Andrea is our top weight loss winner with 13.5 lbs. She lost 3.4% body fat, 5 inches from her waist, and took about 6 minutes off her 'Daniel' time.
Here's how the point system breaks down:
Weight loss- 10%
Waist circumference- 10%
Body fat%- 20%
'Daniel' improvement- 30%
Food log- 30%
Everyone did so great and we're very proud of you all. It was a long 6 weeks that required a lot of mental strength as well as physical. We hope that you have made some healthy new habits and feel really good about where you are now. The goal of this challenge was to create awareness with what you were eating and drinking, as well as place an emphasis on 8 hours sleep and 15 minutes of daily stretching. This is why the food log was weighted so heavily at 30%. 'Daniel' was also weighted at 30% to ensure that you were practicing proper nutrition to continue to fuel your workouts. We wanted to avoid a basic 'weight loss' competition because we feel it is very important to learn healthy eating habits that enable your body to perform optimally. Excelling in this benchmark workout at the end of the challenge meant that you didn't compromise your performance along the way by eating junk or starving yourself just to lose weight.
By the way, for those of you wondering, 'Daniel' is a benchmark CrossFit workout that consists of:
50 pullups
400 meter run
21 thrusters (95#men/65#women)
800 meter run
21 thrusters
400 meter run
50 pullups
Most of the gang shaved about 6 minutes off their 'Daniel' time. That alone is very impressive. We ensured that all variables were the same with both the initial and the final workouts. The crew was running faster, knocking out the pullups and thrusters more quickly with less fatigue and moving from one exercise to the next with minimal rest.
Once again, huge congratulations to our winners Atlanta, Nick, Heather, and Andrea. Come get your $$$!
Are we ready for the next challenge?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Happyness in CrossFit
Way to be on the ball Jonas. Ready.....ready.....
Both Shelly and I have to say that we're really happy being in the CrossFit family, and we're not just kissing ass either. 80% of the new clients that we get are interested in our CrossFit programming. We have to be honest with you, if we weren't a CrossFit affiliate, we would not be nearly as successful, even with our entire staff. I don't know, maybe we would be, but it sure would take us a hell of a lot longer. CrossFit has changed our lives as trainers in ways that we never imagined and while it was pretty damned difficult for us to get on board with entire methodology, we're convinced that this programming is the way of the future. "Constantly varied, functional exercise executed at high intensity." "Eat meats, nuts, vegetables, some fruits, little starches and no sugars, some beer, a few shots and an occasional bowl of frosted mini wheats." Okay, that last one was stretching it a bit, but you get the idea.
So, we're fans of CrossFit, yes. But, we're also fans of TRX, BOSU, spin bikes (yes Jeff, I do like spinning), core strengthening, stability balls and many other implements. We think our clients like them too when we're kicking their asses with them. I also like a good Pinot Noir (I don't know where that came from, nor do I know when I went from writing "we" to "I". Hi, by the way...it's Chuck, not Shelly).
Check out the pics below of some kick ass Charlie's Angels. Well, I guess they're Shelly & Chuck's Angels, or Shellchucker's Angels, or Shluckels. Sounds like a Keebler Elf.
"Secret, strong enough for Dan, but made for JFlood."We're really happy that Janal didn't convince herself to drive back home after she got to the studio at 5:30 AM.
Head em up, move em out, rawhide! Yee Haw! Greg, aren't you just glad that this isn't included in the field sobriety test? Jana, I'm slightly afraid of you. 
Jana, I'm still afraid of you. 
Nancy, I'm pretty sure that your close to another PR. Holly, you look like your picturing my face on the concrete in front of you. 
Atlanta, you know how many people I have asking me who you are? "Who's this 'Atlanta' girl?"
That's a 312.5 lb front squat for Cian. You're starting to make me sick.
Nancy, I'm pretty sure that your close to another PR. Holly, you look like your picturing my face on the concrete in front of you. 
Atlanta, you know how many people I have asking me who you are? "Who's this 'Atlanta' girl?"
That's a 312.5 lb front squat for Cian. You're starting to make me sick. That's Jonas, still standing there. 
Monday, March 8, 2010
How to find your 1RM
"1 RM: The greatest amount of weight that can be lifted with proper technique for only one repetition; "Repetition Maximum: The most weight lifted for a specified number of repetitions." NSCA Essentials of Strength & Conditioning
Lately in the studio we have been lifting fairly heavy, sometimes in an effort to find our 1RM or 5RM max lift. These are the protocols laid out by the National Strength & Conditioning Association on how to find your 1 RM.
1. Warm up with a light resistance that easily allows 5-10 reps.
2. 1 minute rest
3. Estimate a warm-up load that will allow the athlete to complete 3-5 reps by adding:
10-20 lb or 5-10% for upper-body exercise or
30-40 lb or 10-20% for lower-body exercise
4. 2 min rest
5. Estimate a conservative, near-max load that will allow the athlete to complete 2-3 reps by adding
10-20 lb or 5-10% for upper-body exercise
30-40 lb or 10-20% for lower-body exercise
6. 2-4 min rest
7. Make a load increase
10-20 lb or 5-10% for upper-body exercise or
30-40 lb or 10-20% for lower-body exercise
8. Attempt a 1RM
9. If the athlete was successful, provide a 2-4m min rest period and go back to step 7.
If the athlete failed, provide a 2-4 min rest, decrease the load by subtracting
5-10 lb or 2.5-5% for upper-body exercise or
15-20 lb or 5-10% for lower-body exercise
AND then go back to step 8.
Continue increasing or decreasing the load until the athlete can complete one repetition with proper exercise technique. Ideally, the athlete's 1RM will be measured within five testing sets.
Once you know your 1RM, look on our chart on the wall of Estimating 1RM and Training Loads.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
CrossFit Snowball
Wasn't there was a chance for snow in the hills this weekend? Where is that Matt Zaffino? Well, when talking about CrossFit Snowball, we're not referring to some crazy game of football in the snow coupled with burpees & thrusters. CrossFit Snowball is rather the event that is occurring globally. We are proud to be amongst the CrossFit insurgence. Day after day we strive to continue our mission which is:
"To enrich the lives of each guest through function exercise & fitness education, within the context of a caring and comfortable environment which encourages partnership, accountability and mutual respect."
We love seeing all the new faces in the studio and the community that is being built not by us, but by all of you. It's very fulfilling for us to see all of you continually be so encouraging to each other in the studio and give them a that extra little push they need. Take Dan Flood, for example.
Kimberly really rocked too. Rx'd weight and jumping pull ups.
Yesterday morning, Dan finished Fran in 5:36. This is an outstanding improvement as he shed 7 minutes off his previous time. After a little recovery in supine position on the cold floor, Dan popped up and starting coaching and encouraging everyone to keeping going. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Dan gets the 'Dori' award for positive encouragement.
The third suite is still under construction, but after a little TLC on Friday, it's ready to roll. Pay no attention to Chuck's paint job either. The tape and lever were really crooked. The kiddy care is now open as well for those of you with little ones. 24 hours notice is required for childcare registration. The fee is $2/child, $1/each add'l family member. We are so excited to offer this service and look forward to meeting your kids!
Looking forward to another snowball week,
Chuck & Shelly
"To enrich the lives of each guest through function exercise & fitness education, within the context of a caring and comfortable environment which encourages partnership, accountability and mutual respect."
We love seeing all the new faces in the studio and the community that is being built not by us, but by all of you. It's very fulfilling for us to see all of you continually be so encouraging to each other in the studio and give them a that extra little push they need. Take Dan Flood, for example.
Kimberly really rocked too. Rx'd weight and jumping pull ups. The third suite is still under construction, but after a little TLC on Friday, it's ready to roll. Pay no attention to Chuck's paint job either. The tape and lever were really crooked. The kiddy care is now open as well for those of you with little ones. 24 hours notice is required for childcare registration. The fee is $2/child, $1/each add'l family member. We are so excited to offer this service and look forward to meeting your kids!
Looking forward to another snowball week,
Chuck & Shelly
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What are you putting in your body?
Today is the beginning of week 5 of our 6 week nutrition challenge. As I think about what our clients are eating and how focused they are and how amazing they're looking, I can't help but reminisce about the Winter Olympics. "How do you mean?", you may ask. Well, allow me to explain. Let's think about the average training schedule for the life of an Olympian. Not only are they insanely focused and disciplined about their training, they are the best in the entire world. To get this far in their sport they must eat, sleep and breathe it. From the time they open their eyes in the morning they are focused on how everything they do in the course of any given day will directly impact their practice and competition. They've got it down to a science; amount of sleep needed to perform optimally, nutrient timing, recovery, you name it. You don't become an Olympic athlete by winging it.
So, when I heard from a very reliable source that 50% of the food the athletes consume in the Olympic village during the course of the two week games comes from McDonald's, I was flabbergasted. How is this possible? I wonder about the direct correlation between medaling and McDonald's consumption. Did Lindsay Vonn eat too many Big Mac's? I really hope that wasn't it, and honestly, I doubt it was. The U.S.A. put on a great showing and we're very proud of our athletes.
What's my point? Food is fuel. Your body is the machine that is fueled by your nutritional choices. If you eat crap, you will feel and perform crappily. Is that a word? You will definitely notice a difference when you are fueling your body with complex carbs, lean protein, healthy fat, and lots of water. In regular intervals. That's right; it's not enough to eat a balanced, healthy meal, but you must do it 4-6 times/day. I like to think of metabolism as a campfire. When you're initially building a fire you must work very hard to get it going; erecting a little tee-pee of wood, kindling, and newspaper, fanning it with oxygen and working your butt of to get it going. Every once in a while you have to add in some more wood and poke
at it to keep it burning. This will create a roaring fire. If neglected, the fire will slowly start to die down and you will have to work just as hard as you did in the beginning to create this roaring campfire again. BUT, if you are consistent with the oxygen and fanning and poking, this fire will roar all day. Think about eating as adding wood to the fire. Your metabolism can be a roaring campfire all day long if you are fueling your body properly.
Another analogy I sometimes use is a houseplant. If you go on vacation for 2 weeks without planning for someone to water your plant the soil will dry out. When you return home it may take a gallon of water just to saturate the soil of your wilted plant. You'll keep pouring the water in wondering when it will start to seep out the bottom. Whereas, if you'd had someone water the plant regularly the soil would stay moist. It would only take small amounts of water at regular intervals to keep your plant flourishing. Just like the houseplant, when feeding your body at regular intervals, you are sending the message that there is a constant source of food coming in and that it is okay to use this as fuel rather than store it.
I've heard from some of our guests that as remarkable as they're doing with weight loss during the challenge, they're concerned about keeping it off once the challenge is over. My answer: ideally, you're learning what to eat, how to eat, how often to eat, and in what portion sizes. You're learning about what makes you feel great and what makes you feel not so great. Ideally, this is something you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. At least 80% of the time. I make no secret about my "diet" program: 80/20. 80% of the time I am spot on, and 20% (maybe 10-15% for the most part) I allow a little wiggle room. This is to maintain my sanity and to not feel deprived. I am all about hard work and healthy eating, but I also enjoy life. A scone here, a margarita there. Not enough to derail me, that's for sure. I work my butt off and eat my fair share of leafy greens, flax and salmon.
2 weeks to go. Hang in there CrossFitter! We'll plan to revisit "Daniel" in all classes on Monday, March 15th and Tues. the 16th (for those who will miss Monday). Final weigh in's will be conducted on Saturday the 13th and Monday the 15th.
-Shelly
So, when I heard from a very reliable source that 50% of the food the athletes consume in the Olympic village during the course of the two week games comes from McDonald's, I was flabbergasted. How is this possible? I wonder about the direct correlation between medaling and McDonald's consumption. Did Lindsay Vonn eat too many Big Mac's? I really hope that wasn't it, and honestly, I doubt it was. The U.S.A. put on a great showing and we're very proud of our athletes.
What's my point? Food is fuel. Your body is the machine that is fueled by your nutritional choices. If you eat crap, you will feel and perform crappily. Is that a word? You will definitely notice a difference when you are fueling your body with complex carbs, lean protein, healthy fat, and lots of water. In regular intervals. That's right; it's not enough to eat a balanced, healthy meal, but you must do it 4-6 times/day. I like to think of metabolism as a campfire. When you're initially building a fire you must work very hard to get it going; erecting a little tee-pee of wood, kindling, and newspaper, fanning it with oxygen and working your butt of to get it going. Every once in a while you have to add in some more wood and poke
at it to keep it burning. This will create a roaring fire. If neglected, the fire will slowly start to die down and you will have to work just as hard as you did in the beginning to create this roaring campfire again. BUT, if you are consistent with the oxygen and fanning and poking, this fire will roar all day. Think about eating as adding wood to the fire. Your metabolism can be a roaring campfire all day long if you are fueling your body properly.
Another analogy I sometimes use is a houseplant. If you go on vacation for 2 weeks without planning for someone to water your plant the soil will dry out. When you return home it may take a gallon of water just to saturate the soil of your wilted plant. You'll keep pouring the water in wondering when it will start to seep out the bottom. Whereas, if you'd had someone water the plant regularly the soil would stay moist. It would only take small amounts of water at regular intervals to keep your plant flourishing. Just like the houseplant, when feeding your body at regular intervals, you are sending the message that there is a constant source of food coming in and that it is okay to use this as fuel rather than store it.
I've heard from some of our guests that as remarkable as they're doing with weight loss during the challenge, they're concerned about keeping it off once the challenge is over. My answer: ideally, you're learning what to eat, how to eat, how often to eat, and in what portion sizes. You're learning about what makes you feel great and what makes you feel not so great. Ideally, this is something you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. At least 80% of the time. I make no secret about my "diet" program: 80/20. 80% of the time I am spot on, and 20% (maybe 10-15% for the most part) I allow a little wiggle room. This is to maintain my sanity and to not feel deprived. I am all about hard work and healthy eating, but I also enjoy life. A scone here, a margarita there. Not enough to derail me, that's for sure. I work my butt off and eat my fair share of leafy greens, flax and salmon.
2 weeks to go. Hang in there CrossFitter! We'll plan to revisit "Daniel" in all classes on Monday, March 15th and Tues. the 16th (for those who will miss Monday). Final weigh in's will be conducted on Saturday the 13th and Monday the 15th.
-Shelly
Monday, March 1, 2010
"MLP"
Today is a strength day at the box. The WOD is courtesy of Mary Lou Parker, or MLP. Last year, I asked Lou to try to kick my butt with a crazy WOD. Boy, did she ever. She really likes the TRX (T-Rex, as she calls it) and hates the Bulgarians (which are actually now referred to as 'Hungarians' in support of our awesome Hungarian client, Andrea Hamilton). MLP swears to this day that I went outside and pouted after the WOD, when actually I was spent and needed the fresh air. I decieded to take a seat in the parking lot, and she thought I was really pissed at her for making me suffer, which I though was pretty funny, actually.
5 rounds for time (since today was a strength day, we did not go for time, but for recovery instead)
12 TRX 'Y' Delt raises
12 DB Squats (45lbs)
12 Incline press (155)
12 TRX push ups
12 TRX pulls
12 Hungarian lunges (20lbs DB's)
Butts are going to be slightly sore tomorrow.
5 rounds for time (since today was a strength day, we did not go for time, but for recovery instead)
12 TRX 'Y' Delt raises
12 DB Squats (45lbs)
12 Incline press (155)
12 TRX push ups
12 TRX pulls
12 Hungarian lunges (20lbs DB's)
Butts are going to be slightly sore tomorrow.
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