ALBANY CROSSFIT

Reconsidering 10 Rounds...

Final call for all of those with a zero score on the Paleo Challenge.  We have: Gene, Katie, Mike W., Mike K., Cat, Jason, Dave M.  anyone else?  This is your final chance.

Written by Lenora from Kosher Korner:

There's no such thing as a "dumb" question, but, some are definitely entertaining in that they challenge the obvious.  If you have been CrossFitting for at least one year, and you've found yourself asking questions like these - thank you for the entertainment.  I have inserted some important questions that are legitimate concerns. Can you tell which ones are which?

1. Q: Can I do the Wendler Strength program and stay on Paleo?
   A: Why don't you just ask if you can eat in the most healthy way possible for your body and still get stronger? Thanks for playing.

2. Q: Is this like the Starting Strength Program that Rippetoe prescribes?
   A: Read the description of the 5-3-1 programming, percentages of max, and rep schemes, and see if that's different from the 3 x a week, 3 exercises, several warm-up sets, and 3 sets of 5 rep max. Notice that the new program is about 20 additional minutes of work, 3-4 times/week, vs 2.5 hrs.  Sure. Identical! Thanks for not noticing how much extra time you have for your life outside of the gym.

3. Q: Should I drink a gallon of milk a day to get stronger on the new program?
   A: Why would that make sense during a campaign for Paleo eating.  Is Milk considered dairy?  Thanks for reading the info on the Paleo diet so carefully.

4. Q: Will the spreadsheet program calculate my weights for me?
   A: It won't guess what your 1 rep max is.  You still have to feed it that basic information.  Also - If it doesn't, do you think your forearms and thumbs are strong enough to operate a calculator?

5. Q (Asked by female): Will I get big on this program?
  A: Not unless you are among the genetic few who have the predisposition, and/or you take anabolic steroids.

6. Q (Asked by male): Will I get big on this program?
  A: Not unless you are genetically predisposed to do so, and you eat tons of food, don't do any met-cons, and, maybe, drink a gallon of milk a day like the genius who asked question #3 tried to do. 

7. Q: If I'm just doing the strength part, but, skipping the WOD on a certain day, do I still have to sign up for the class?
  A: I was hoping someone would ask that and make my day!  Are you using a bar, weights, a rack, using space in the room, someone whose healthy and safety is important to us?  UBETCHURASS!

8. Q: How important is the bench press?
  A: Who put this on the entertaining questions list? This is important. Glad you asked.  It isn't as essential as Press.  We do other, more functional exercises like push-ups and dips.  It is important in that it will help you perform better on push-ups. If it's a choice between that and Press - do Press. It's more functional.  Try not to do it the day before or day after Press. That's why Saturdays are recommended.  Oops. I feel a Shabbos question coming up for entertainment.

9. Q: What happens if we don't work out on Shabbos? How do we fit in Benches?
  A: Use the ones in Temple.  OK. I'm being a douche-bag.  You can do it on Sunday, if you aren't interfering with a class. Try to get someone to spot you. It's awkward trying to bail on this lift alone by tipping the bar to the side, or rolling it off you.  It's dangerous.  You'll piss off all the Jewish mothers.

10. Q: How do I fit this into my tight schedule? Won't this lengthen class time?
   A: Try to get here as early as possible, warm-up, and hit the strength work. If you think you may need to leave before the allotted class hour is finished, you may begin the WOD early in the next room with that clock, or in the same room, with an individual stop watch. We care about your time also, and that's why we have everyone sign-up, so we can get set up and organized.

“If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.” --Maya Angelou

You're so money!

What an amazing day today!  It was just one of those days at Albany CrossFit where everyone seemed to come in with super positive energy and great vibes!  Everyone loves a ladder so maybe that was it?  

It was also hopefully quite evident that we are trying super hard to really keep all classes running smoothly, safely, efficiently, and organized.  It's not always easy, but we are really doing our best.  Starting with a brand new whiteboard in the hallway, we are going to provide more specific time frames for the breakdown of classes. 

It really helps us coaches when everyone pays attention, listens, and follows the instructions to the best of their ability.  We want to focus on what makes Albany CrossFit stand above all other facilities, and that is our positive community and coaching.  We want to make sure to take time on a daily basis to review movements, there is always potential to improve an exercise.  Just like one can never master the violin, one can never really master an exercise, there is always some place to improve.  

Please post your thoughts on today to comments.

Shout out to Heather of "Mean" Gene's 9am class.  Completing an astounding 25 Rounds at the Women's prescribed weight of 25lbs!  This lady is no joke!

Thoughts on the Paleo Challenge, Written by Mike "Woody" Wood:

As promised, here are a few thoughts on the Paleo challenge I completed this past month. 

I knew it would be hard when it started and I was thinking 2 things.  1) It was going to take 0 points to win the contest and 2) I needed to understand more about Paleo and what I could eat.  I immediately committed to myself I was going to finish with 0 points and I went out and bought a book.  The book was very insightful and showed me what, how and why to eat Paleo.  Once I understood that, I was ready to begin. 

People have to understand what motivates them.  I have been looking for something to help me lose weight for a while.  It's proper motivation that was always my downfall.  A contest works for me.  It was perfect.  It fits my personality and gave me a reason to hang with it.

I will admit, my first week was hard.  I know some people say their workouts suffer but I was new to CrossFit so my workouts were not great to begin with.  I ended up losing 6 pounds the 1st week.  That was a big motivator!  This "contest" just turned into something more.  I had never seen such good results in 1 week.  I was operating out of commitment to results now more than I was before.  I was astounded to see another 5 pounds gone at the end of week # 2.  I saw where this was going and momentum and commitment got stronger and better.

I am happy to say that at the end of 32 days I have dropped 19 pounds.  If I can do this, anyone can do it.  One of the best feelings I had was at the end of week 4.  5 weeks ago, I had about 7 pairs of jeans in my closet.  One pair fit me and my last "good" pair of jeans were getting tight.  I took out a pair of jeans I have not touched in 3 years and slipped them on with room to spare.  I then put on a shirt I had never worn because it was too tight.  It's hard to explain to some people how much that means but it was like I had taken control of my health again.  Almost everything in my closet fits me again.  If I keep this up, I may have to end up giving that stuff away and going to get new (smaller) clothes.

I am running into people I have not seen in a while and everyone comments about how much weight I have lost.  It's a good feeling.

Here are some KEY tips I would give to anyone who wants to do this:

1) Get your spouse to do it with you - My girlfriend is doing this with me and she has dropped 8 pounds.  She only wanted to lose about 15 pounds and she looks and feels great.  As a side note, she no longer needs her Nexium and has not gotten a sinus headache in a month.  She used to get them 3 times a week. (The book talks about this)  It is so much easier to do this when your partner is doing it with you.

2) Crossfit - Needless to say, the intense workouts helped the whole process.  And yes, my workouts have gotten better.  My recovery time is shorter and I am less sore from day to day.

3) No Alcohol - This is the tough one for most of the 20 and 30 something crowd we have at CrossFit.  It was a simple decision for me…I just wanted to lose weight more than I wanted a drink.  Moving forward, I will have a drink here and there but my approach to it will be different.

4) Manage your Weekends - Weekends are the hardest to stick to it.  I had to treat myself a little bit on the weekends to better diners.  I would go out that day and get some good fish.  Or I would spend more time preparing a better meal with more fresh ingredients.  Again, I wanted to lose weight more than I wanted pizza.

5) Take a Break - I am talking a break over the weekend.  I still like pizza and beer and I am going to have some of both over this Super Bowl weekend.  I am right back on this on Monday.  I have come too far to turn back.

I hope this helps a few people out there.  I am usually around if anyone has any questions.  I will always remember on our first day that  Caleb said Crossfit and Paleo could change your life.  It only took me two months to realize he was right! 

“love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it” --Maya Anelou

Float On!

Our first Think Tank is this Saturday, you should be there!

Paleo Challenge!  I need anyone that scored a 0 on the Paleo Challenge to post to comments today!  We have heard a lot of people scoring 0 but have only heard from a few of them.  Once we figure out all the 0s we will need everyone's help determining if everyone truly kept strict Paleo.

Our new Strength Program will begin next Tuesday, February 16th.  This week we need everyone to make sure they have a one rep max established for the Back Squat, Press, Deadlift, and Bench Press (if you plan on hitting this lift on Saturdays). 

The way our program will run is Tuesdays will be Back Squat day, Wednesdays is Presses, and Fridays are the Deadlift.  Those of you that would like to incorporate Bench Press into your program can do it on Saturdays at Open Gym time.

If you consistently miss class on one of these days it will be on you to make up the lifts.  For example if you always take Wednesday off for knitting class, you will need to hit your Press on a different day and not in a matter that will slow down or interfere with an established class.  You can come early enough to hit it before a Thursday class or after, however classes will take priority for space and equipment.  You can also come in and hit it when there is no class scheduled or during open Gym time.

If you miss a Strength Day here and there, that is ok.  You just continue with the program wherever we are.  So, if you have to take off on Friday, February 26th, and don't have time to make up the Deadlift, that is ok, life will go on, we assure you.

If you have questions feel free to ask.  Be sure to download the Spreadsheet to get your numbers situated.

 

Week 2 of our February Plank Challenge begins on Monday!

"What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!" --Alfred Adler

Albany CrossFit Think Tank

The doors of Albany CrossFit were opened three Years ago.  We started with classes on the Court Club Aerobics floor, we then expanded to one Racquetball Court, cheaply rigged piping for Pull-Up bars, no mats on the floor, 1 class per day, and we were closed on Thursdays and Sundays.  After 3 months we had 10 members, our programming was terrible, and we had one coach.

Three years later we have 3 Courts filled with tons of top of the line equipment.  We now have more certified coaches than we once had members. 

Some faces have come and gone, while others have been with us since day one, and there are still others we know will be with us for good.  We have had coaches come and go, tried different types of programming, had huge community wide events, and all the while have had tons of fun.

No matter what has happened in the past three years, we always have had our athletes best interest in mind.  However, as we grow, we want to assure everyone that this will never change.  Is Albany CrossFit a Business?  Yes.  Although not our intention, it has become one.  But, more importantly we are a community, we are friends and we are family.

We always want everyone to feel they have a say in what we do, how we run, and in what direction Albany CrossFit heads.  Our first Think Tank is your chance to voice your opinions, comments, concerns, questions, thoughts, feedback, and more.

Saturday, February 13th will be our inaugural Think Tank.  We are going to run a format of a moderated, free form discussion.  The open source model of CrossFit has catapulted this community to the forefront of the fitness industry.  We aim to expand that to Albany CrossFit.  Tackling topics and questions surrounding our box, our programming, CrossFit methodology, coaching, community, and more.

Jason will lead the moderated free form discussion.  What we ask is that everyone looking to attend e-mails Jason (albanycrossfit@gmail.com) two questions, comments, concerns, to discuss.  These can remain anonymous if you would like.  We will then put these comments into categories, organize, and discuss.  We encourage everyone to talk freely and openly. 

Even if you cannot attend please feel free to send in your comments and we will discuss.  We hope to type out the minutes of the Think Tank and post for all to read.

This will begin Saturday, February 13th at 11:15am.  There will be no time limit to this discussion, we will go as long as necessary.

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!” --Bob Marley

Every Dog has it's Day!

Check us out on the Affiliate Blog!

Are you getting nervous about our new Strength Program?  It is not as crazy or hard as it sounds.  Download this excel spreadsheet and it will help organize you for the next month.

Download WENDLER.xlsx (13.3K)

Next week we plan on taking one of the lifts from the program per day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for review.  We will do this for every class throughout the day.  Please be prepared to learn and pay attention. 

Great Recipes!

Do you "suck at Facebook?"

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).
 
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
 
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
 
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
 
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. 

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
 
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
 
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?''

The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

 

"I never dared to be radical when young, For fear it would make me conservative when old." --Robert Frost

Strong Like Bull!

The Paleo Challenge officially ends tonight!  What will be your first cheat meal?  Please post your total points to comments.  Everyone did a fantastic job and you should all be proud of yourselves!

Your weekly Leb dose:

Back again my friends.  Yet another fun week of WOD's, I thought Tuesday's workout was particularly interesting.  It posed a very interesting challenge to finish the prescribed work (cleans and box jumps) in that given time.  I believe quite a few people were shocked at how well they performed in the WOD, still having plenty of time to rest after completing the movements before the next round.  I guess people are just way stronger than they think, next time you hit this workout make sure to go heavier to challenge yourself!

In regards to getting stronger, as Jason mentioned in last night's post, we will be implementing the Wendler 5/3/1 strength program soon.  It is basically 4 week cycles, training the back squat, press, and deadlift.  Each week, you will have to train these movements, performing three sets of each, done at varying percentages of 90% of your 1 Rep Max for each respective lift (hence the importance of establishing your 1RM's in the coming week).  The reps per set decrease from 5 the 1st week, 3 the 2nd, and 1 the 3rd week, with the 4th week being a deloading week.  Each set will change in terms of the weight you will use.  The real kicker to this workout is the final set of each, where you will be attempting max reps instead of the 5, 3 or 1.  The first 2 sets will feel light, almost like a warmup.  That third set is HARD.  While it is hard, it is extremely important to give it your best effort because this is what is going to make you stronger.

Having been following this program for the past month, I'll just say that I love it and I definitely think everyone will benefit from a consistent methodical approach to specific strength training in concert with the met-cons.  It takes relatively little time (maybe 15 minutes total) because the first two sets are lighter, and it is a fun challenge to max out on the third.  We will be covering the details in depth with everyone over these next couple weeks so if you are a little confused right now that's okay.  Just be prepared for a lot of info coming your way, in the end I think everyone will really enjoy the results and the program.  Alright that's all for me for now, keep up the great work and I'll be back next week with more fun-filled blogging.  Leb OUT.

Check out a great post about Agave Nectar on our Nutriton Blog.

The New Age Caveman

Chris's Box Redemption from Albany CrossFit on Vimeo.

“I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” --Rosa Parks

Last day of the Paleo Challenge! Pizza anyone?

Great to have two old school Badasses back in action.  Pat and Dr. Greg both made their long awaited come backs this week, we are psyched to have you back crushing WODs!

Lots of sore backs today, but that's ok.  Your back has a whole lot of muscles in it, do not assume it is hurt, simply because it is your back.  Just be smart.  The best thing to do is come in, take your time warming up, do some light stretching, and if need be go a little easier on the WOD.  99% of the time you will feel better after working out then if you had simply taken the day off.  Post-WOD stretching, ice, and fish oil is always encouraged.

New Strength Programming:

Wendler 5/3/1 Program is coming!  In order for everyone to get the most out of it we will need each and every one of you to have a One Rep Max in the Back Squat, Press, and Deadlift.  Even if you have just hit a CFT or 1RM, go again!  It is very important you get as precise as possible, so go for it, don't worry about failing, get a spot, and challenge yourself, no limit on attempts, just hit it!

You will have all of next week to find your one rep max for these 3 lifts, many of you hit your Press tonight.  Please be considerate of class times and plan ahead.  Feel free to ask a coach or even other athletes for spots and help with lifts.  If all goes well, we plan on implementing this new strength program the week of February 15th.  More information will be coming on a daily basis, so keep checking in.

Two Useful Links - T Muscle, Buy the e-book

Clean Seminar - Saturday, February 6th 2010, 11:15am - Please sign-up on MindBody Online.

Are you in the February Challenge?

Due to popular demand we will be extending our New Year's Special through February!  Do you know of anyone that could use a little Albany CrossFit in their life?

Do you listen to the Paleolithic Solution?  Get your fix here - Episode 13.

"It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it." Lena Horne