The CrossFit Gamer

The CrossFit Gamer has MOVED SITES!!!

2010-06-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Make sure to link over to the new sight here:

www.thecrossfitgamer.com/blog

Focus

2010-06-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Damn I want a freaking beer.

I took my car in for an oil change at 7am, ate eggs and veggies at Norms (We never close) nearby, picked up the car at 8am, drove right to the office, worked to 5pm straight with a lunch meeting with an important business partner, came home, changed, drove right to the gym and finally got home at 8pm.

I want a beer.

And I will not have one.

"Temptation"

Image by the mind of aamran

Found here

Mini Fridge at the Office

2010-06-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing feels better than a fully stocked mini fridge in my office on a Monday morning after a Whole Foods run. Get the right tools around you and things get easier.

A new journey

2010-06-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, my partner in crime, Steve Dugger wrote a pretty concise article on our dietary approach. One paragraph caught my eye.

"Now you can start getting some real work done. Start by focusing on the basics. Stop eating the processed foods. You know exactly what I'm talking about, stop asking about detailed food you are unwilling to give up. What about...? What about...? Here is the deal, eat veggies, a piece of meat (the less hormones, the more organic the more free range, natural food the animal would eat on it's own, the better), and some nuts or seeds. Anything you ask me at this point that is not a vegetable, meat, or nut; do NOT eat it. Do this for 6 months. Drink only water or iced tea. NO sugar, no milk, no bread, no cereal, no grains, none of that garbage. Veggies, meat, nuts. Eat as much as you want. Eat when you want." Read it all here...

Pretty solid piece of advice if if you ask me. So here we go.

No Sugar (or fake sugar)

No bready carbs (you know what I mean)

No Alcohol

Only Meat, Veggies, and Nuts/Seeds

For 6 months.

Side Note: Love this website www.deviantart.com

Pic was found here

More by this artist

Ride the Lightning

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today a new dawn breaks, a new horizon beckons.
Decide today will be different, today will be your day.

Ride the lightning.

2010-05-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."

- Tommy Lasorda

Why is it that I am not surprised anymore?

• Joe has dropped 27 pounds in 60 days and gone from a 42 pant size to a 36.
• I watched 3 more women begin to do full, unassisted pull ups, in 2-3 months of training.
• Every single time we have a max effort day many of our members achieve a new personal record (PR).

And I’m not surprised in the slightest. Again and again our members are smashing through barriers, breaking into new PR’s and being forced to buy new clothing that will actually fit.

It’s now become the norm.

I want to challenge anyone who may not be achieving these massive results to really dig out what is holding you back.

I am known at times to be somewhat harsh in my writing. I often too brazenly throw reality into the faces of my readers without the soft touch of appropriate tact. I wrote this a while back and wanted to share it now.

See you in the gym.

-Alec

---------------------------------------------------------

Everyone should have a mirror close by. Not for the vanity one might assume. A mirror, I’ve found, is one of the most powerful tools mankind has ever created and is largely overlooked.

Let me explain.

When negative and potentially harmful events in life occur, from the mundane to the dramatic, everyone is presented with two initial choices.

1) Blame yourself or blame others
2) Focus on the good or focus on the bad

That’s the first step. When life gets difficult and things don’t go your way, what do you do? And here is the magical power of the simple mirror.

When your day gets away from you and you can’t make it the gym, do you blame your boss, your spouse, or your kids?

When your pants no longer fit who do you blame for the physical state you have gotten into?

When you look at your bank account and it’s not what you want, who do you blame?

When you look at your relationships and they are not what you want, who do you blame?

“But it’s not my fault. I didn’t do that. The market moved. My boss is a jerk. The government took away my chance. The training just does not work for me. I can’t chose what I eat my family just provides it. I don’t have time to cook or workout. I’m the victim. I can’t be blamed. It’s not my fault. I shouldn’t have to do that. I shouldn’t be responsible for that.”

Which line above did you like the best? Which have you thought or said recently?

You always have a choice; if you chose to be the victim, if you chose to blame others for things that affect you. I can guarantee and virtually predict your results in life. You will always be the victim. Others will always control what happens to you. You will live a negative life with mediocre or depressing results.

Why? Because those “other people” will never change and you keep expecting them to. They won’t. You are expecting them to solve your problems and they will never be able to. You are expecting them to make life better for you and they can’t.

But the answer is in the mirror.

You can.

When you take personal responsibility for the results in your life, you begin to have a chance to change them. When you don’t, your results never change.

“But I don’t have control over those other things. I can’t help it if my work makes me stay late. I can’t help it if I can only afford fast food and don’t have time to cook. I can’t help it if my genetics are bad and exercise doesn’t work. I have a low pain threshold and can’t workout hard. It’s not my fault.”

Oh but it is! You just have the wrong belief. You see, if there is a negative event that could occur to me, it’s my responsibility to avoid it. You believe this too. If you saw a car heading down the street towards you, you would move. If someone was coming to attack you, you would defend yourself or run away. It’s the same principle.

When something occurs, that affects you negatively, look into a mirror and ask yourself what you could have done and what you should do next time to avoid this! Don’t blame the car that ran you over, learn not to be in the street when the car comes. Learn about your body, what to eat and what to avoid. Teach yourself about fitness and health. Throw yourself against the self-erected barriers and your own limiting beliefs until they fall before the power of your will.

True growth and improvement arises from this action. Stagnation and failure occurs when we expect the world to change for us. Success begins when we realize we can simply change ourselves.

“Oh but that is just so unfair, why do I have to change and improve when it’s not my fault that I’m in this pain? Why do I have to adapt and be better just to make sure someone else does their job? What can I possibly do about all these things that are out of my control?"

The answer is simple.

LIFE’S NOT FAIR! Never was, never will be, deal with it. Life is still happening; workouts are still there to be done. It doesn’t matter how you feel about this reality, because guess what? You are the one who is affected. If you don’t change, you’re the one who loses. You’re the one with the mediocre results, the pants that don’t fit, and deteriorating health. So regardless of how we feel about this reality, hold up that mirror and see the truth.

Success begins with you, it always has. It’s up to you to improve, to change, to adapt, to overcome. It’s up to you to become better, gain more knowledge, and design new systems. And amidst all this unfairness in the world, there is one magnificent truth.

You are capable of greatness. It’s built into you. It’s in the very core of your being. It’s ready to break out. It wants that victory, it burns for that success, and it’s all yours for the taking.

So get a mirror, take a deep breath, and take a good hard look.

Pain

2010-05-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I have heard people act based on only two things in this world. They move away from Pain and towards Pleasure. The pain can be either perceived or realized and the same with pleasure. It can be physical, sexual, relational, or spiritual. Pleasure is the great Lover; the seducer, while Pain is the great Teacher and instructor.

The Lover is always in front, calling, beckoning, opening her arms to you in hopes you will run to her and a future you are capable of achieving.

the Teacher, though, she never leaves your side. While the Lover calls from afar and whispers dreams of success and passion, the Teacher stands as a shield bearer. She is always there, to instruct and remind.

We so often view ourselves at odds with our Teacher. We see pain as something evil to be avoided, repelled, and muted. We become soft.

The Teacher and the Lover are one. They exist together in a perfect relationship. Our world tells us we need not heed the Teacher in order to have the Lover. Lies.

No one has ever reached the Lover without countless lessons under the powerful hand of the Teacher.

So when the lessons come, are you learning?

What We Stand For

2010-05-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

We stand for the transformation of the mind and body; the empowering and revitalization of the human will and spirit; the unleashing of the human potential. We care about your performance not your body fat percentage. We care about you setting new personal records not about your pant size.

We live for the moment when the fire of your soul awakens and your eyes open with the steeled determination that you are more capable than you ever imagined.

That’s what CrossFit means to us. Dropping weight, body fat percentage, and looking “sexy” are bi-products of effort, dedication, and a commitment to pushing through the barriers placed in front of you by your own limiting beliefs.

We stand for you, for ourselves, and for our fitness.

The Evolution of CrossFit Costa Mesa

2010-04-26T08:38:00.001-07:00

5K in a wheelchair?

2010-04-24T16:28:00.001-07:00

2010-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

2010-04-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

5K race in a wheelchair? Why not?

2010-04-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Are you into CrossFit?

Think you can handle a 5K Community Run?

Do you like helping education?

Do you like helping those in great need?

Here is your chance! CFCM has thrown down the gauntlet to all those interested for a new type of challenge. CFCM has partners with Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM) to participate in the upcoming Costa Mesa Community 5K. Anyone and Everyone is welcome to participate with the only catch being each member has to become a “sponsored” participant by asking for donations to cover the cost of entry for the race ($20) and the cost for at least one wheelchair to be donated to those in need ($60). Of course, you can make the donation yourself as well.

Oh, and there is one more catch. To raise awareness in the community that there are thousands and thousands of people all over the world literally crawling in the dirt due to injury, birth defect, etc… we will be completing the 5K USING one of the Wheelchairs from FWM!

Can you see it now? 20+ CrossFitters wheeling across the course? Talk about being prepared for the unknowable and it should be a ton of fun.
If you are interested and local (or can make yourself local) come join me.

http://costamesacommunityrun.com/

http://www.freewheelchairmission.org/

Date of Event: April 24th, Saturday (14 Days away)

Fun Times

2010-04-03T16:24:00.001-07:00

Make the move

2010-03-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Get off your ass.

Seriously.

It’s way past time.

You have been making enough excuses now so let’s just get them out in the open for everyone to see.

You’re tired; Work was too hard; You’re not in good enough shape; You feel kinda sick; Kids are sick; Money is tight; Not enough time; Get over it.

That last one was not an excuse. So what’s yours? Why do you continue to get fatter and unhealthier? Stand up straight right now and look down your front. Can you see your shoes? Or maybe it’s not a weight gain thing. Maybe you just get tired going up some stairs. Maybe you can’t lift one of those water jugs at work or that box of paper. What about your kids or grand kids? Do you get tired lifting them up? Can you hold them or carry them without getting tired? Can you lift them at all? Can you run one mile without feeling like you are going to die?

Stop being a victim to everything in your life and get in a gym, a real gym, not a health spa. Come to a place where people sweat and I mean really sweat. A place where people care about whether or not you show up. A place not built to make you feel comfortable, but built to break you down so you can actually breakthrough into your real life.

A life built in power and health. It’s yours and it’s waiting for you.

Coachability

2010-03-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

In another Alec/Steve conversation the other day, Steve made an interesting connection. We had just finished Sectionals the other weekend and an interesting phenomenon was observed. As we watched the athletes perform (myself included) we noticed that many at one point or another expressed frustration and even downright anger at some of the judges as they made their “calls” on whether a movement counted or not as a valid repetition.

The judges where doing their best, no doubt, but I can definitely understand the frustration by some athletes who had their reps not count when they had in fact done the required movement, not of course when they missed the movement entirely.

The interesting correlate was that the underlying feelings were anger and frustration at the judges. Now, refocus to our time in the gym. You are going all out on the daily WOD and a certified coach comes up to you and tells you those reps don’t count. It’s interesting that those same feelings of anger and frustration can be seen bubbling up and get focuses on the trainer. How unfortunate!!! Our coaches don’t want to remind you your movements are not up to your standard. They don’t want to bring that conflict into your world. We would much rather shout words of encouragement and support.

Sadly, often times what is needed to actually support you in a greater way is not the encouragement, but the clarity to see yourself and make the corrections needed to return to full range of motion.

We honor coachability in our gym; the ability of an athlete to hear correction and make it instantly, without frustration or argument to the coach. This is a hard trait to earn and one ironically I personally struggle with and know so intimately.

So I encourage you. The next time you hear some “coaching” look back and see if you are being coachable!

Paleo Challenge begins today!!

2010-03-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

You ready to go for it?

It’s truly amazing how 60 days can literally change your life and if you have not made the commitment to start it up today, well what are you waiting for.

For those of you that have made the choice to take on this challenge let me give you some “armor” to help steel yourself against…yourself.

First off, get prepared. Not just mentally, but literally. Here are some tips:

Prepare some pre-made snack packs. These are quick simple meals you can have lying around so when the hunger hits, boom, you are ready. Here are some ideas.

Ziplock baggies with some chicken (think deli meat or better yet Costco rotisserie full chickens) and almonds.
Keep some apples and oranges lying around for a quick snack
Keep buckets of unsalted raw almonds in your home and workplace

Throw out all the crap you keep around your home that will cause you to cheat. Frozen food, ice cream, bread, cookies, pasta. Even hide your alcohol.
Be mentally ready for some withdrawals

You are addicted to crappy carbs. You will possibly be cranky, fussy, and whiny for at least a week, maybe two.

Be prepared for some low energy for 1-2 weeks

You body will be changing where it gets its energy from, expect an adjustment period.

Rally your circle of influence to your cause.

You have friends, co-workers, and family you are around ALL the time. Explain to them the challenge you are taking on and get their verbal commitment to support you. Ironically, if you don’t ask and get their commitment to help you, they will unconsciously sabotage you by making fun of the challenge and tempting you to cheat. You might even be able to get them into the gym with you.

Read and understand what is Paleo and what is not. The information surrounding this topic is massive and easily available to you, so don’t play the ignorance card.

Use Google
http://paleodiet.com/

60 days goes by in a blink. Believe me, it’s definitely something you can handle. It’s only your life and health we are talking about right?

See you in the gym!

CrossFit SoCal Sectionals Summary

2010-03-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

What a great experience!

I loved the CrossFit SoCal Sectionals and HUGE props to CFLA for a seriously impressive event. Great programming and logistical coordination.

There was a lot of beasts at the event and it was fun to be a part of it. Sadly, I had a “chink in my armor” (http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/09/the-chink-in-my-armor.tpl) and it was exposed in the second workout. I came into WOD#2 ranked 28th out of 170+ guys. Not too bad. But the shoulder strength demanded for 24 Handstand Push Ups was not available to me and I couldn’t get through it.

Overall I was pretty happy with about 95% of my performance. I made a comment earlier that ironically, it’s always the final 5%, that last little bit, that makes all the difference. I want to thank everyone who came out and supported me and our gym. It was cool to meet a lot of you guys out there.

It’s now time to get back in the gym!

Gotta love CrossFit.

In case you forgot, here were the workouts:
Day 1:
WOD 1 "Stadium Chipper"

This WOD is "for time." You will be starting at field level, and will be running through a zig-zag course up and down the stadium steps a total of 3 times up and 3 times down. At each landing (top and bottom for a total of 6), you will be required to perform a certain number of reps of a movement. Your time is based on your cumulative time from the start to the finish line.

For time:
- Run 100m from start (on the field) to bumper plates
- Pick up a bumper plate (45#/25#)
- Run up 83 steps (to the top of the stadium) with your bumper plate (45#/25#)
- 70 Squats (holding the plate, drop the plate and start at zero)
- Run down 83 steps, drop your plate
- 35 Push Press (45#/33#)
- Run up 83 steps (no plate)
- 15 Thrusters (135#/95#)
- Run down 83 steps (no plate)
- 35 Burpees
- Run up 83 steps
- 35 Wall Ball (10' - 20/14lbs)
- Run down 83 steps
- 70 Double Unders
- Run 100m to the finish line

WOD 2 "Double Down"
Overview: This WOD actually consists of two short workouts. You will start the second workout exactly 20 minutes after you start the first one, so your rest is determined by the time it takes you to finish the first workout. Your score for this event is the combined times of both workouts, and based on this time, you will be ranked from fastest to slowest.

Part 1
4 Rounds for time of:
9 Squat Cleans (135/95lbs)
6 Handstand Push-ups

Part 2
For time:
30 Hang Squat Snatches (75/43lbs)
30 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
750m Row

Day 2:

WOD 3 "Six Max Efforts"

Overview. This WOD is composed of six different individual events, each done for max effort. You will have 3 minutes for each event to complete your max effort, followed by 3 minutes of rest (when you move from one event to the next). You will be ranked in each event individually, earning you 6 independent scores. Your total score for this WOD is the cumulative rank of all 6 scores. For example, an athlete that is ranked 1 in all six events will get a score of 6, and will be ranked in first place for this WOD.

Event 1: Row - 3 minutes - max calories
3 min rest
Event 2: Deadlift (275#/185#) - 3 minutes - max reps
3 min rest
Event 3: L-sit - accumulate as many seconds as possible in 3 minutes
3 min rest
Event 4: Overhead Squat (95#/65#) - 3 minutes - max reps
3 min rest
Event 5: Pull-ups (chin over bar) - one max effort without coming off the bar
**must begin pull ups within 5 seconds of the start**
Rest begins when you finish your pull-ups until start of run (6 min after start of pull-ups)
Event 6: 800m Run for time

SoCal Sectionals - CrossFit Competition - March 13/14th

2010-03-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here's the info if you are around. Definitely come and watch/hang out at UCLA's Drake Stadium. It's going to be extremely fun to be apart of.

And you can see my mustache in action!

REGISTER here as a spectator

CLICK HERE to learn more about the competition

Down to the wire

2010-03-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

I just finished my last double WOD day yesterday with these fun little experiences below:

7am WOD

Strength

4 Rounds

4x4 85% Front Squat

10x Squat Jump

Hip Mobility (both legs)

Met Con

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Thrusters (75#)

SDHP (75#)

6pm WOD

10K Row

Sectionals are 11 days away and it’s time to get everything dialed in. I’m making sure I sleep 8 hours, recovery showers, foam roll, massages, etc…Diet is nails, no sugar, no alcohol, no crap.

Sectionals will be a blast and we’ve got 6 members from our gym competing at UCLA, Drake Stadium on March 13^th/14^th. If you are around, come say Hi!

See you in the gym!

Almost there...

2010-03-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

Lessons from CrossFit Costa Mesa

2010-02-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last night was a great workout called “Jones Crawl”. It’s a take from Gym Jones and a solid experience all around. It’s performed as follows.

3 Rounds for Time:

10x Deadlifts at 115% BW

25x Box Jumps at a 24” box

This WOD is a great “exposure” workout. Either you weigh too much, don’t have enough strength or don’t have the lungs to keep moving.

After the workout, I stumbled around the gym for a few minutes waiting for my legs to start working again and then made my way home.

That night I received an email from a trusted friend who I workout with at CrossFit Costa Mesa. He told me that relatively new member at our gym was asking why some of my movements lacked the full range of motion I preach so vehemently when I train new members.

It’s a very important email and a very important topic for CrossFitters.

Watch these videos:

http://journal.crossfit.com/2010/02/at-the-chalkboard-perfect-technique.tpl

http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/03/dave-castro-technique-vs-intensity.tpl

It’s interesting to hear Glassman and Castro talk about the intensity and mechanics which at times incorporates a range of motion issue. Steve and I are a unique blend in that capacity. I am often guilty of pushing intensity in my personal workouts to the degree that my form breaks down. I’m been CrossFitting for 3 years, not an eternity by any stretch, but I’ve also never been injured either and continue to improve in strength and metcon. Steve has the slight tendency to perfect his movements and range of motion to the detriment of intensity. These two opposing tendencies are not ideal. Too much intensity can cause a breakdown in form and too little will detract from the potency of the workout. You may have heard about the CrossFit 80%. We look for 80%+ of the movements to be done in perfect form and 100% intensity and we are OK with 20% being a little sloppy. Now by sloppy, we of course don’t mean dangerous. That’s a massive distinction and one I am proud to say our gym and my personal workouts have avoided. We have a great track record keeping our clients (and myself) injury free.

That all being said, intensity is a tough line to track. It moves. One WOD from someone might be performed with 100% intensity and his or her mechanics may fall to 60%. As they lay gasping for air we would hi-five them for pushing their limits and eventually talk to them that 60% range of motion and mechanics needs to be improved and intensity pulled back. Of course if we saw them doing something potentially dangerous, we would stop them immediately.

In the same breath if we saw another athlete maintaining perfect, text book form but taking 30 minutes to complete a 5 minute WOD, we would tell them the opposite.

It’s funny being an owner and trainer at CrossFit Costa Mesa and working out with my members. Steve and I decided we would never workout when we are training as we are too large now, but one my free nights, I love the community.

I love the fact that someone I love from the gym had the stones to email me and let me know he felt my range was below the levels we set for our community. Like I said before, I tend to fall towards too much intensity. I’ll wrap this little article up with a quick story.

At the “OC Throwdown” a few months back, a local CrossFit competition a great example of this topic can be seen. In the first workout of that day, I crushed a lot of the people’s times in the competition and landed in the top% of athletes. At the second event, we had to perform 3 sets of 20 unbroken pull ups (with some rowing in-between). On the last set of 20 my range of motion caused me to miss a few pull-ups and left me with a big DNF. The judge felt I was not getting over the bar high enough (or at all) when I thought I was. I fell of the bar after performing 26 pull ups (with ripped apart hands) where the judge only counted 19. I was furious, not at the judge, but with myself.

My dream for the gym has always been the transformation of human lives. I’m part of that journey as well. I love the people who train with me and who dance the line of intensity every WOD.

How hard are you willing to work?

2010-02-23T15:28:00.001-08:00

In a typical Alec/Steve conversation over some Thai food last night we wondered about the following situation.

If you were asked by the CrossFit gym you train at to show up on a Sunday when the gym in normally closed, for an undisclosed reason involving your future membership, would you show up?

Let’s say you do show up and you see some other gym members there as well and by talking with them, you realize they were told the same thing, and you realize that the other people you see around you are known to half-ass their workouts in the gym and that apparently, you have been categorized as that type of member as well.

Then the owner of the gym comes out and explains to everyone that some changes are going to occur at the gym and that each of the members invited there on this day are going to be asked to complete a workout right now.

The WOD is to sit on a rower, and at the sound of the whistle, row for an unspecified time to reach an unspecified distance.

Those that are unable to complete the WOD to the prescribed distance in the time limit allotted would be asked to leave the gym and their membership would be revoked permanently.

So let me ask you. Would you row? You don’t know if the allotted time will be 15 seconds or 2 hours and 15 minutes. All you know is that if you decide to sit on that rower and give it a go, you will need to row with everything you have right out of the gate and hold on for dear life.

Do you value your CrossFit membership enough to lay it on the line? Do you value your health and fitness level to commit to something, to an experience like this, that would demand such a powerful physical cost to perform?

Or would you just walk away and quit? Justifying your decision with the thought that the WOD and what has been asked of you was unfair or stupid.

Can you imagine a gym, a for-profit organization, actually doing this to their paying gym members?

And let me ask you one more thing. At the CrossFit gym you train at, would you be one of those half-ass members invited to this kind of event?

Thanks Sarah for this...

2010-02-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

400m Sprint
100 Wall Balls @ 20#
800m Sprint
50 Handstand Push Ups
400m Sprint
30 Muscle Ups

Breath it in

2010-02-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

Max Snatch
177# - Felt great. Finally got over my body weight.

WOD
10x Deadlift @ 115% body weight
400m Sprint
4 Rounds
9:27

Good Times.

I.W.T. needs a new name

2010-02-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

3 Rounds
10x Push Jerk @ 135#
550m row in 2 minutes
:::Rest 5 minutes:::

3 Rounds
10x Front Squat @ 200#
550m row in 2 minutes
:::Rest 5 minutes:::

3 Rounds

6 Pull Ups

6 Ring Push Ups

6 Ring Dips

6 Turkish Get Ups (w/53# kettlebell)

50m Farmers Carry (w/53# kettlebells)

If you are in the mood, post a new name for this workout in comments. Or at least think of a good one in your mind and imagine what it might be like to post that cool new name to comments.

Sunday Funday

2010-01-31T17:13:00.000-08:00

For Time:

40 - 30 - 20 - 10
Ring Push Ups
Kettlebell Swings
Double Unders

Pull a sled (w/ 55#) 50m in between sets

Sectionals are very close.

Another Day

2010-01-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

"In war there is no substitute for victory."
-Douglas MacArthur

My hands are almost healed. My body has recovered. Tonight lies a crucial decision. To throw myself with abandon towards victory and pain; to focus my will and drive my body again against the steel and rubber, the concrete and sweat, or to make an excuse about something irrelevant and close my inner eyes and ears against the unlimited potential we all possess screaming inside to be unleashed.

OC Throwdown

2010-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Great times had by all. I was proud of my performance overall but my hands hurt. You should see the looks on the faces of the people in my office today. I feel like Tyler Durden.

The OC Throwdown this weekend. Should be fun.

2010-01-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

2010 OC ThrowDown WODs

OC ThrowDown equipment configuration shown in a 3D environment

Saturday, January 9th

WOD 1 – “exponential”

OC ThrowDown WOD #1 from Justin Flynn on Vimeo.
7 rounds for time;

5 squat clean thruster

10 toes to bar

(each round, the weight for the thruster increases by 10#,
it is the athletes responsibility to change the weight per round,
clips and weights will be provided; toes to bar is part of shoe
touching the bar starting from a dead hang; thruster starting
weight for guys is 95# increasing to 155# by 7thround, gals
starting weight is 45# increasing to 105# by 7th round)
(Intermediate/Masters Men 95-125(5# increase),
Women/Masters 45-85#(only 5# increase)

WOD 2 – “unbroken”

OC ThrowDown WOD #2 from Justin Flynn on Vimeo.
For time;

20 unbroken chin ups

Row 500 m

20 unbroken chin ups

Row 500 m

20 unbroken chin ups

(If an athlete breaks the chin ups or fractions them by coming
off the bar at any point in the 20 reps, they have to start at 0
again, rowers damper and foot setting is up to athlete. Chin
MUST PASS THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE BAR TO COUNT.
The standards OPT used for the Canadian qualifiers will be used
here. Check out this link (watch the “Jackie” wod) All pullups
including Butterfly will be held to this standard. Make sure you
are doing this before coming on Saturday. Judges will be strict.
Womens Rxd will need to complete minimum 10 on first go and
then no less than 5 on second attempt.) (Intermediate Mens and
womens will need to complete minimum 5 unbroken per 20.
NO FRACTIONS BELOW 5.)

Sunday, January 10th

WOD 3- “los dos”

OC ThrowDown WOD #3 from Justin Flynn on Vimeo.
5 rounds:

45 sec AMRAP Dead Lift – 225#/155#

Rest 15 sec

45 sec AMRAP Burpees

Rest 15 sec

(Total reps are athletes’ score. Burpees need to be done with
an upright torso, no muted hips and a visible jump off the ground
must occur)

(Intermediate/Masters Mens 185#, Womens 120#)
After 3rd WOD there will be an elimination and only the top
35 men and 15 women will advance to the 4th WOD.

WOD 4- “finale”

OC ThrowDown WOD #4 from Justin Flynn on Vimeo.
5 min max clean in lbs; rest 0 sec

5 min Cindy (chest-bar pullups) for total reps; rest 0 sec

5 min row calories

Total score = max 1RM weight lifted in lbs + total reps in
5 min Cindy + total cals in 5 min rowed (i.e. 285# + 240 reps
(8 rounds) + 100 cals = score of 625 score)

Highest score wins…!
Athlete is responsible for putting weights on and off.

———————————————————————————————

Click Here: Layout of OC Throwdown

-Athlete Check in time is 7am on Saturday regardless of

heat and start time. Here you will get your heat # which

will tell you your start times for all 4 WODs.

-Judges/volunteers check in is 6am on Saturday. Sunday

is 7:30am

-If you cannot complete the prescribed weights do not

worry. You will still compete as normal but with weights

that allow you to finish the wod. You just wont be in

contention for a trophy.

-Videos detailing the standards and points of performance

coming by tomorrow morning.

-Address of event:

17662 Armstrong avenue

Irvine, CA

-Please carpool if possible as parking will be limited.

Also bring all necessary supplies, tape, water, snacks, food,

chalk, etc. There is no liquor store or bank nearby so please

bring cash for the vendors. There will be an excellent caterer

grilling mexican style chicken, and vegetables over a huge

BBQ. Paleo friendly.

The Great Deceit "Part 5" - Final Chapter

2009-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

“Worth”

"It’s choice – not chance – that determines your destiny."

- Jean Nidetch.

Are you worth it? Are you worth having the success and passion you day dream about? Are you worth having the wealth, the loving family, the body and health? Are you worth it?

It’s not a complex question. It’s a yes or no answer. But the answer you have, the answer that comes from the darkest corner of your soul, may not be the answer you want it to be.

So much gets left out of this world, so much achievement, so much contribution and greatness, so much inspiration, sadly because the people capable of it don’t think they are worth it.

I meet a lot of people who believe; deep down, that they are not worth the success they are capable of. This tragedy keeps them locked in mediocrity and failure. This belief is subversive and devious. It manipulates and self-sabotages. It lies, cheats, and erodes from the inside out. It must be destroyed. It must be cut out viciously and without remorse.

You are of the highest worth imaginable. You have a destiny and a purpose on this earth, one that is filled with amazing things yet to happen, in that amazing body you see underneath those outer layers, with the success and purpose you know deep down is inside you. A life filled with the over-abundance, love, wisdom, power and freedom.

You are worth it, you always have been. The lie we buy into is that we are not. It’s the lie that says we are broken, unlovable, sullied, and hopeless. That we don’t matter, that our thoughts don’t count, that our contribution is meaningless. It’s just not true.

We believe it because someone we trusted and loved laid this lie upon us. Society, our friends, and our leaders, who had the lie placed on them, passed it through onto you and me.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

- Carl Bard

But enough is enough. You don’t have to live underneath the Great Deceit anymore. It is time to throw off that yoke dragging you down; it’s time to see it for what it is. Shine light into those dark places. Get ruthless with yourself, come clean. Stand up for your self-worth and see yourself for you who truly are and truly made to be.

You are powerful beyond measure, capable beyond belief, and worth more than you could possibly imagine.

"Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul."

-Ezra Taft Benson

The Great Deceit "Part 4"

2009-12-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

Are You Capable?”

"Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?"

- George Bernard Shaw

The second pillar surrounds the concept of your capabilities. Now that we have established that everything is possible for you, we need to dig out more for the foundation and establish if you have the capability to do what you desire.

Do you believe you are capable of achieving what you previously deemed impossible? Well, let’s walk through this. If you now truly believe that your impossible has become possible, the next obvious step is to start gaining the capabilities.

You may not be currently capable of achieving what you want. Say you want to run a mile in less than 6 minutes, but you weigh over 300 pounds. It will probably not happen right away. You will need to start training and eating right. Over time and will consistent dedication and effort, you will break that mark.

How many examples do you want of people transforming their lives, gaining the capabilities and achieving their goals? There are countless in all spectrums of life. Whether it’s work, sales, fitness, health, or family and friends, we can cover the entire spectrum of life and show example after example forever of this type of belief. We can show you Olympic sprinters who run faster than 99% of the human race with no legs; we can point out quadriplegic man who speaks through a machine that make millions of dollars a year and has changed science forever. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have accomplished great things in their lives that we will never hear of as well.

The truth of this foundational pillar is this. You have within you the capabilities to achieve the “impossible”. Even more core to this belief is that you already know how. You don’t need me to explain it. You know what to do to gain those capabilities to make it happen. I get so tired of hearing people say, “if only I knew where to start.”

You know! You’ve always known. It may be you know exactly who to talk to, what book to read, what foods to eat, what questions to ask. You know what to do.

You’re dream existence is possible and you are capable of achieving it. Period.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Great Deceit "Part 3"

2009-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

“The Foundation”

With a clear place to work, we can start laying the foundation. We will need to dig deep to get the depth we need, for our new structure will reach tall. We are going to build something to pierce the clouds and stand the test of time. It’s going to rest on 3 pillars we will need to drive to the heart of our earth. These pillars are the core pieces of our foundation and they are not easily created. We will need to toil and sweat to get this work done and it will not be easy. Your ground which was once fertile has become harder than stone and although the surface has been cleared, we will hit spots harder than diamond as we drill into the core. Let’s get to work.

“What Is Possible?”

This will be the first pillar we will need to establish. We have been told that there are certain things in this life that are not possible for us. The irony is that we know this is a complete lie. Let us begin here with some basics. Think of this as digging into the earth to plant our first foundational pillar. And remember, you will experience some rocks along your path down; we will need to unearth these so our new foundation can be built. Let us uncover this lie. Throughout all time, great men and women have been told that what they want to accomplish is impossible. That it can never be done. Can you think of some of these? Let’s take a moment to review.

The creation of tools and the wheel
The taming of fire
The creation of modern agriculture
The creation of the train and the automobile
The continual advancement of medicine
The creation of human flight
The landing on the moon

All of these things were deemed impossible at some point. People didn’t believe these things possible until they were possible. It’s as simple as that. Yet, we stand and complain about our small endeavors and the unfairness of our lives, wallowing in the “impossibility” of our situation. Can you see the lie yet? All things are possible for you. Anything deemed impossible right now may very well become possible very soon. Let’s even take a shallower look. Say you are not making enough money and don’t like your job. You feel it’s impossible to make a change to something you like. Can you find any anecdotal evidence of someone who was in the same situation and made it out to their dream? Absolutely, in fact I bet we could find someone who was worse off than you and still made their dream life happen. So the reality is everything is possible. But…but…but…I know, just not for you right? It’s possible for those other people but somehow you are just unlucky. They got the break, you didn’t. They got good genetics, you got screwed.

Don’t you see what you are doing here? You are letting your old beliefs manipulate you mind. Who told you it’s not possible for you? Remember we have suspended our old stuff right now, emptied our cup. Just let this new information come in and allow it to dig. Let those hardened spots you have put in the way, loosen and get swept out of the picture. We are just going to go deeper as it is.

Everything is possible. There is evidence beyond measure to support this viewpoint; you just have to be willing to see it. Are you?

The Great Deceit "Part 2" - Getting Our Hands Dirty

2009-12-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

We are going to build something now. As with all things worth building, we will need a foundation. True to our allegory, before a foundation can be laid, we will need to clear the site so we’ll have a neutral place to begin.

“The Empty Cup”

"The Japanese master Nan-in gave audience to a professor of philosophy. Serving tea, Nan-in filled his visitor's cup, and kept pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could restrain himself no longer: "Stop! The cup is over full, no more will go in." Nan-in said: "Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you anything unless you first empty your cup?"

Clearing the ground for our foundation can only happen if you can let go of the ideas, opinions, and beliefs you hold true. We don’t need you to abandon them completely, we just need you to loosen your grip on them, let them float to the background for now so we can level the ground and prepare for something new. We are not going to be building onto the structures you have already created. We are starting from scratch.

Why start from scratch? Simple enough answer. Do you have everything you want from your life? Are you waking everyday and experiencing the life you truly want or are you left wanting? If you know there is more, if you feel lacking and half-awake then make this realization.

The core values and beliefs of your life, your opinions and the reality you hold to be true has created the results you have in your life today.

That’s why we need to put those to the side right now, they may be of use later, and they may not. But for now, empty your cup, roll up your sleeves, and let's get ready to get our hands dirty.

The Great Deceit

2009-12-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

“All things are possible…”

When did we stop believing that? Do you remember the exact moment? Some do. Some people have that experience where their childhood understanding, the one that says they that they can do anything, comes crashing down around their heads and a harsher reality full of Can’t, Don’t, and No’s stifles their existence. For others it’s a gradual shift; full of subtle rejections and limitations that slowly choke the real life from their minds and bodies. So slowly it’s almost imperceptible and they don’t even register that belief is gone.

So what is the Great Deceit?

The Great Deceit is the lie that we “can’t”. We can’t have the job we want, we can’t have the family, and we can’t have the money, the body, the health. We can’t have our freedom, or the love of our lives, or our peace. We can’t have contentment, wealth, wisdom, and power. We can’t have it all, we can’t have the life we desire, and we can’t truly live. That is the Great Deceit and it’s truly vile and sinister, because we don’t really believe it’s a lie at all.

Hitting the Plateau

2009-12-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

So you hit a plateau. Tough shit.

I know that sounds too harsh. But come on now people. It happens. Your PR's start dropping, your times get worse, you gain weight and body fat. Nothing seems to work.

It's part of life. You can't tell me you actually thought it would never happen to you. So get over it, get back engaged in our community, dig through the trough.

I know it's rainy outside, and cold in the gym, and the you just feel over it. I know that you don't like the programming right now, you don't like feeling tired and sore, and the benefits just seem to be gone from working out.

Welcome to real life. It happens in relationships, it happens with friends, loved ones, spouses, etc... Things actually do get hard and you actually have to make a choice that counts. It's hard to choose to get off you ass when your tired and over it. It's hard to make the right food choices when you just seem to keep gaining weight.

But those choices are the only ones that matter. Making those hard choices separates the great from the mediocre, the fit from the unhealthy, and the winner from the loser.

What camp do you fall into?

Quick Update

2009-12-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Sectionals have been announced for my area on March 13th.
Swine Flu sucks ass and hurts very badly.

I can't express how excited I am that we finally have a date for sectionals and that I am finally out of the grey, pain-filled haze caused by the Swine Flu. What a bitch that was.

Back to the gym tomorrow to hit it hard. Sectionals should be a blast.

What is Important?

2009-11-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

I want to first recognize Sarah Daum, Kristan Bruce, and Erica Hanson for a great job at the CrossFit Level 1 Certification this past weekend in San Diego. You women did amazing down there and represented our gym very well. I was and am very proud.

It was a great weekend at the cert and 2 years since Steve and I first got our Level 1. Lots of stuff was the same, some was different, and Fran still hurts like a bitch.

An interesting conversation took place at the cert and it connected with my way of thinking. The topic of discussion was focused on some of the internal “camps” being formed inside of CrossFit. These camps have differing views on what increases work capacity to the highest degree and fall on broad areas like nutrition and technique. They vary from high-level concepts to extremely specific and sometimes even subtle technical variations in certain movements and lifts.

If you are really involved in CrossFit as a national movement you probably understand what I am talking about. If not, it’s really not important. Just understand that some people think you will get better performance by doing something one way and other people think differently. When you throw strong egos into the mix you get bickering at best and all out explosive and personal attacks at worst. It all comes down to one question though.

What is important? And this is why this topic is so important to us.

When our egos become more important than our desire to better our community, our members, and ourselves we are fighting a losing battle. When we can’t step back and see the real enemy and somehow focus our attacks against someone who is really an ally, we all lose.

This is such a crucial concept. When your ego gets in the way of your fitness, you lose. If you can’t handle a hard workout because it’s embarrassing to go so slow or feel like you are doing so poorly, you are losing before you even begin.

Get over yourself and realize who your real allies are! They are here in the gym, calling you out on your own BS, pushing you and pushing themselves with you. They expect better for you and won’t settle for a half-ass life. It's that simple.

See you in the gym.

So you are telling me there's a chance!

2009-11-24T10:45:00.001-08:00

So we have the holiday’s coming up. And by coming up, I mean right on top of us.

Let’s just go right for the good stuff ok? Who do you want to be and who are you becoming?

If those are different things you’ve got problems. If you want to be an animal in the gym, look like Jacob from New Moon (yes my wife forced me to go see it), lose the double chin, the muffin top, the cankles, drop a pant size, etc… but you are already thinking and committing emotionally to eating and drinking tons of crap over Thanksgiving and Christmas season, well then, you are a mess.

Stop it!

Someone asked me the other day what to do when you are conflicted with limiting beliefs. On one hand you want the body or the ability to perform on “Fran” but at the same time you like the crappy food, the alcohol, the sugar, and you don’t feel enough pain to get healthier and can’t see enough pleasure to get out of your current state, how do you make the move? It was a great question and it has a relatively easy answer and solution.

First let’s get clear on the problem. I have defined this as being “in the mush pot”. It’s that grey middle zone where you stay comfortable and semi-content with your mediocrity. It’s a kinda nice place to be, not too painful, not too pleasurable.

Got it? Good, now let’s get clear on how to get the hell out of there.

Ok here we go. I am going to use health and the physical world as our obvious example here and we since we are going for speed to get out of this place and into where you want to be, we will be using the medication known as “pain” to start the process.

Step 1: Admit to yourself that the mush pot is all a lie. It’s really is a horribly painful place to be but for whatever reason, you have lied to yourself that it’s not.

How do you know this? Well, you can do this several ways. Take a picture of yourself in the most scandalous underwear you have. Now look at it. Do you like what you see? If you are one to hide from mirrors, wear big clothes and sweaters all the time, create distractions for others from actually looking at your body, like crazy hairstyles and colors, tattoos, make up, extra cleavage. Or for the men, never tucking in your shirts, wearing layers, etc… then its time to experience what you are hiding from. The pain in muted because you hide it. You lie to yourself.

Post your photo online for your friends and family to see. Sound fun? I’m guessing not so fun. Well then that’s a start. There is really pain and discomfort there. If you want to change, go experience what you have been hiding and lying to yourself about. Want to avoid eating shit at Thanksgiving, put that photo right by your plate. Too much or drastic you might think. Who cares? Your goals are that important, hell it’s only the rest of your life, its only your chance to avoid diabetes, to not be bed ridden at 65 years old, to be able to wipe your own ass at 80, to avoid a lock down old folks retirement home, to be able to pick your grandkids up, go up a flight of stairs, live through a car crash that’s not your fault, pick a wall up off a friend, or break a wall or door down during a building fire.

Come on, get over social restraints that might hold you back, they have been holding you in this mush pot for too long anyway.

If you don’t have image issues and want the pain, take it on in the gym. Come dig deep during a CrossFit WOD. Do “Murph” as prescribed with a weighted vest on. Can you do it in 30 minutes like some of the guys in my gym? Row a sub 6:20 2000k. Come throw your body at the WOD’s with abandon and let them expose your weak level of fitness and power.

Step 1: Get real. Experience your pain as it is in its raw and powerful state. Not in the weak, muted, lie-infused bog you have wrapped yourself in.

Let the pain stick with you everyday. Remind yourself of it constantly, while eating, while driving, while working, while at CrossFit.

Read books about it, talk to everyone about what is going on, what you are doing. Rally support and kill and abandon the dissenters. It’s your life and it’s that important.

Excuses

2009-11-10T10:36:00.003-08:00

This is one of my favorite topics; the world of denied responsibility. I love it simply because it is so hideously manipulative and obviously shallow.

Let’s dive right into it. I hear everyday how someone wants to make more money/sales or get the body they want. It’s amazing actually how often I hear it. Then, like clockwork, when I explain to said person what to do about their situation to get what they want, they start making excuses.

Here is the best part; a lot of these people get really upset when I let them know that they have just made an excuse. Here are some definitions of the word.

a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise
grant exemption or release to
serve as a reason or cause or justification of

It’s hilarious. They will say, well I can’t eat those types of food they make me sick, I work too late to make the gym, I can’t get “that” done because “this” gets in the way and I have to do “this”.

Excuse after excuse after excuse, and it’s really laughable. The reason people get upset is because by our societal definitions of the word excuse, responsibility for the “lack of” whatever gets placed squarely on the shoulders of the person making the excuse. This is precisely where they do not want it. They want the fault to lie somewhere else, on their genetics, or their boss, or the industry they are in. To look into the mirror and see that the fault lies nowhere else but on the person standing there is too painful.

But the real question is, is it really too painful?

This is the insidious side. It’s not. It’s all a lie. It’s not painful really. What’s painful is avoiding mirrors because you don’t want to see your own fat ass. What’s painful is hiding you body in layers of clothing and sweating all day. What’s really truly painful is living a pathetic life of mediocrity, never satisfying the desires of your heart, living half-assed and half-awake. Never feeling the fire that is trying to burn inside you, never knowing the unbelievable sweetness life’s victories can provide, and one day looking into your eyes, long dead, and finally seeing your old body, broken and grotesque, and seeing the spent years of your life displayed before you, wasted and unfulfilled.

Wake up, you walking dead. Burn with the passions that makes you incredible and seize the glory and the destiny you can create in this world of endless possibility.

60 Day Paleo Challenge is over.

2009-11-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

What is possible? What is worth it?

Got Destroyed

2009-11-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Got Destroyed

So I thought I’d post about my workout last night. Steve developed it from Dan John, Mark Twight, and I believe Pat O’Shea (might be wrong on that one).

It’s a strength-creating workout as that’s a competency I need improvement on to get through Sectionals. Here’s how it goes down.

3-3-3-3-3
“The Exercise” – Snatch followed by OHS

3-3-3-3-3
Full Clean and Push Press

3-3-3-3-3
Full Clean

You begin the first set of 3 @ 90% of your max snatch and for every subsequent set of 3 you MUST go up in weight.

This is what it looked like for me. I have a max snatch of 161. Since I knew this was going to suck, I started at 133 for the first set which is 83% of my max and went up from there.

133-143-148-153-163

I was feeling super good at 153# so I said screw it and went 2# up on my max and destroyed it! Felt super good walking around the gym alone, getting myself focused and psyched up and just nailed not only a new PR but hit 3 reps of it. My back was still sore from max dead lifts on Saturday where I also hit a new PR of 363, I missed 373 by 1 inch, but not sore enough to stop me from pushing ahead.

I went on to full cleans and presses but could only manage three rounds. My back started to tighten up pretty good.

163-177-187

From there I figured I would go for 3 rounds of heavy cleans to finish up. My back was getting blown out and I did not want to injure myself.

187-197-207

I was pretty happy with my performance last night and definitely can’t wait to take on this WOD again next week. Steve has it booked every Monday for this entire month, can’t wait to see how I progress. Here is how I record the entire WOD which took my 1 hour to complete.

“The Exercise” 133-143-148-153-163
“C/PP” 163-177-187-DNF-DNF
“Clean” 187-197-207-DNF-DNF

Oh, and I did this WOD from 8:30 to 9:30PM. I worked my full day at Bank of America from 8:00am to 5:00pm where we finished the prior month at #2 in the entire nation in production; I coached two classes with Steve from 6pm-8pm, spent another 30 mins talking and encouraging some of our clients who I care about deeply, and then hit the WOD.

No excuses. If something in your life is important enough for you to want to go after, nothing but yourself can stop you. No one can devalue the desire of your heart unless you let them.

War

2009-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

“One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’

The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’”

-Unknown

You are at war with yourself. There is a battle raging everyday for your life. It may not look that way, but it is there. Often times the war is fought through sabotage and manipulation. It is fought in the background of your mind and in the subtle nuances of your day.

It’s present for every meal choice you make; should you eat the foods you know are good for you or stick with the donut and coffee. It’s there when you are getting off work or when the alarm clock goes off at 6am; should you make it the gym or just hit snooze.

It’s a devious war fought in ways you can’t imagine. You have ally’s in the friends you surround yourself with, your CrossFit partners. And you have enemies is places you never look; your colleague who pushes cookies down your throat or in your family who mocks your lifestyle or teases you into eating garbage.

So let me ask you, which wolf do you feed? Do you feed the one who is fighting for your health, for your longevity and for your life. The wolf who wants you to live long and powerfully, who fights for you to be able to pick your grandkids up when you are 75 and stay out of a nursing home. The one who wants you to be ready for anything, filled with the confidence and ability to move powerfully in the world around you. Or do you feed the other one, that scraggly, mangy wolf who lies to you about the enjoyment of today, filling your mind with the BS that you should just enjoy life, tempting you with the falsities of society; tricking you into being unhealthy and reveling in the fact that you are slowly and effectively killing yourself.

Don’t be misled. Every single action you take today regarding your health has massive long term ramifications. You are establishing habits for the rest of your life today. If you set a diet for yourself and you cheat on it every week (not just on designated cheat days) then guess what? You are becoming a cheater and a liar. It’s that simple and that devious. But that one wolf does not want you to hear that, it whispers that what I am saying is crap. Who cares if you have one cookie or eat bread everyday, it’s not that bad for you…

So which wolf you feeding?

And most importantly;

Who are you becoming?

CrossFit is too intense

2009-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

"CrossFit is too intense."

"I’m not ready (in good enough shape)"

"It hurts too much."

Again, let me start with a question of my own; too intense for who?

CrossFit can be done by children barely 3 years old and older adults all the way up into their 70’s and 80’s. I’ve seen it. In fact, just Google it or search on YouTube. It’s not a hidden reality.

CrossFit is scalable. Everything can be simplified into the most basic and elementary movements that it becomes immediately applicable and workable for any level of fitness, no matter where you may be starting at. Let me explain in a very clear example.

This morning, you probably got out of bed (Sit Up). Before breakfast or even at work you more than likely sat down into a chair and then stood up later (Squatting). At some point you may have bent over and picked up something off the ground, lets say groceries, a stack of paper, etc… (Deadlifting) Combine those actions into multiple repetitions, do them as fast you can while maintaining great form, and “magic time!!!” you just did a CrossFit workout.

There is literally NO barrier to entry when it comes to CrossFit. So let’s get honest for a second. It’s easy to stay unhealthy. Eat crappy food, don’t exercise, sit around all day, and it’s done.

If you are even still reading this section, the reality probably is that you are just comfortable and happy with the results in your life; at least enough that you have created some limiting beliefs about the reality of what we do. Real working out is hard. It can be uncomfortable. You will be sore the next day. But that’s where you need to rejoice. Your soreness means you worked hard. It means your body is adapting to the stimulus you put it though and next time you will be stronger, faster, and more fit. So stop making excuses about intensity, or your level of fitness and your preparedness. You are ready; I’ll see you in the Gym.

60 Day Paleo Challenge

2009-10-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

60 Days to change your life. No joke. Literally, in 60 days you can change your life. Here is how it works.

For 60 days you will only eat foods prescribed by the Paleo diet (www.paleodiet.com). This means NO cheat days, NO alcohol, NO sugars, NO fake sugars (diet drinks), NO bad, bready carbs.

You can only lean meats (chicken, fish, maybe some lean ground chuck), vegetables, a little fruit, and nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil for fats.

AND to really make it happen, eat every 3 to 3.5 hours every day. 5 meals a day.

But hey, It’s only your life. No big deal.

I'm nearly 50 days on this diet I have dropped from 187 down to 174 (13#s). My waist went from busting a size 36 to having size 34’s dropping and needing a belt. You can actually see my abs now, my musculature has improved AND my WOD times have dramatically improved. My max rep pull ups sky rocketed and my WOD’s have also dropped time.

Listen, you don’t have to do anything. You can continue to have your cheat meals, make poor food choices, make excuses about how this is too hard OR you can change your life.

There will always be an excuse. There will always be a holiday, a wedding, a birthday party, a funeral, something where you can make an excuse to be unhealthy.

Face reality, get in the game!

It’s only 60 days and it’s only your life.

Yesterday's WOD

Snatch

1-1-1-1-1-1

I hit 163 yesterday and could not hit the 177 mark. I wanted that so bad as it's 3# over my BW, but alas it will have to weight (hahahaha, weightlifting pun).

Mental Fortitude

2009-10-20T14:55:00.001-07:00

Do you have it? Can you turn it on? Can you turn it on at a seconds notice? Can you turn it on when life is throwing you curve balls, when work sucks, when your relationships are crumbling, when the world is caving in?

Do you have it when it matters?

A CrossFit WOD at our gym is a microcosm of your life. I can watch one workout and I will know everything about you.

I will know if you cheat under pressure, if you short reps or range of motion. I’ll know if you can push hard or if you quit when things get brutal. I can see if you blame others or take responsibility for your life. If you are honest with yourself you will see the truth too. I will be able to see your mental strength, your heart, and your commitment to yourself.

This can be a tremendous gift to those who are willing to look. Otherwise, it’s just painful and get’s repressed.

CrossFit teaches you how to hone your mind. It gives you the chance, again and again to come face to face with yourself. It allows you to harden your mind and your focus. Over time, 3…2…1…GO can be used as a trigger. A way to focus the mind regardless of what else is going on. Eventually you won’t even need a trigger. It will be you, you who control when it’s ON and when it’s OFF, you who control your focus, passion, and mental fortitude.

It’s just up to you. It always has been.

What is CrossFit?

2009-10-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

CrossFit is Transformation.

It is hard bodies and harder minds. It is hard work and high intensity. CrossFit is real fitness and real results; its dramatic change and hard truths. CrossFit is a revolution and way of life.

It is weightlifting and gymnastics, pull ups and squats, sprinting and rowing. It is random and functional, broad and expansive, powerful and connecting. CrossFit is community and support, encouragement and accountability. It is authenticity and humbling. It is exposing and revealing.

CrossFit is challenging and rewarding, it is breaking down and breaking through. CrossFit is inches off your waist and added to your vertical jump. It is pounds decreasing off your body and increasing on your dead lift. It is sweat left on the gym floor and blood on barbells; its calloused hands and breathless lungs.

CrossFit is health and nutrition, diet and discipline. It’s a lifestyle and life giving. It’s a new kind of soreness, a new kind of power, a new kind of life.

CrossFit is your transformation and CrossFit is waiting for you.

Why Community Matters

2009-10-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Like you need convincing right? Ok maybe you do if you are still trying to workout alone. This is another one of those honest moments I like to draw attention to. This is a moment where you can let down some of the BS excuses you wrap around your consciousness to avoid facing the truth.

When you workout alone you cheat yourself.

I can hear the excuses and BS rising up in everyone’s mind just about now. I don’t cheat, I work hard, I do all the reps, I go through the full ROM, etc…yeah right.

I don’t like a community, they judge me, they might laugh at me, I can’t keep up, I will embarrass myself, I get a better workout by myself, they get in my way…just shut up for a second.

Take a deep breath….

Let the BS fall away. It’s holding you back. Those lies above don’t help. Let them go.

Nothing improves your fitness more than encouragement and accountability. Knowing there is a group of people waiting to workout at the same time, knowing they are coming to some warehouse to push themselves to exhaustion, to fight for their health and fitness is an amazingly powerful thing and if you are avoiding embracing it, you are cheating yourself.

Our community will push you. They will encourage you. They will support you. They will sweat and bleed with you. They will grow with you.

Amazing results and breakthroughs happen in our CFCM community. So what are you waiting for?

There’s no judgment over someone’s current level of fitness, only on their willingness to push themselves.

There’s no judgment over someone’s lack of ability, only on their lack of desire to learn and improve.

We are a community built on transforming our minds and our bodies. We are a community that does not accept the status quo. We are drivers, innovators, success stories, and living transformations. We are breakthroughs and new beginnings. We are a revolution.

The only requirement for membership is that when the WOD begins for the day, you leave it all on the warehouse floor.

Our doors are open, see you in the gym.

Winning is a Habit

2009-10-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why Vince Lombardi (http://www.vincelombardi.com/) is famously remembered? He was a winner. One of my favorite quotes of his is “Winning is a habit.”

I love that and I am sure you have heard that before. But why is it a habit?

Habits are learned, right? Habits are something that becomes instinctual in a person over time.

(Habit (psychology), an acquired pattern of behavior that often occurs automatically.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habit

So how could something as complex as winning be a habit? Winning seems so obtuse and broad. Did Vince mean a “winning” football player could jump into a pool and out swim an Olympic swimmer? I don’t think so.

I believe that what Vince meant when he said “Winning is a Habit” is that winning is a state of mind. That football player would not beat the swimmer in a swim event, but he would know how. He would know what it would take and the dedication it would require. He would understand the cost. And if it was worth it to him, if beating the swimmer became his goal, nothing would stop him. He would not complain about the temperature of the water. He would not complain that he was going to get wet or that he has to wear a tiny bathing suit. He would not whine that his body is too big to be fast in the water or that he can’t hold his breathe very long.

If he wanted it, he would pay every price, meet every demand, and eventually he would win.

You can see it in the eyes of winners. That look they have that after the victory was achieved, you can see that it was just business as usual for them.

Let me bring this home and make it personal.

We are in a competition for our health. I’ve heard it compared to war, sporting events, fights, boxing matches, etc…but regardless of the metaphor being used, it’s a competition how ever you want to look at it. And it’s serious. It’s life and death literally.

As in all competition, it’s unfair. There is always something that will get in the way. There is always a real excuse on the forefront of our minds. There are always things that need to get done that conflict and take away from your health or ability to workout. It sucks, but its life.

But that’s all irrelevant at the end. There will be a winner and there will be a loser in this competition. It’s as small as one meal at a time, or one WOD at a time.

When you are thinking about suiting up for the WOD do you bemoan the tragedies of the unfairness surrounding you? Do you focus on where you are weak? Are you defeating yourself before ever stepping foot into the ring?

Winning is a state of being. I am seeing people continue to have MASSIVE breakthroughs in their health and fitness.

They are supremely happy and dominating in the fight for their fitness and their health. They are unstoppable right now and nothing fazes them. That is what a winner looks like.

What do you look like? What are you focusing on?

Do you focus on what you think is holding you back or limits you?

Do you look in the mirror and feel too short to play the game? Or are you determined to fly?

Victory through pain

2009-10-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
-Lance Armstrong

We have all heard the sayings before.

No Pain, No Gain.

Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

Etc…

I have a thousand such quotes and sayings circling in my mind. But there is deep truth I am becoming more and more accustomed to surrounding the topic of pain.

Pain comes at us in many forms and in each we all do the same thing. Try to avoid it. It comes at work in awkward dynamics and relationships. Conversations we avoid and conflict we shy away from. Pain of rejection comes through sales we may have to do, or presentations involving public speaking. These are all types of pain we are familiar with outside the gym.

Inside the gym, there is only one type of pain that supersedes all others. Well, unless you are at a Globogym (or health spa) in which case the pain of rejection may play a more important role as of course the main priorities there are who is wearing what new Nike spandex body suit or who is yelling the loudest into the mirror while performing bicep curls. But in this CrossFit gym, we all know the pain I am referring to. It’s the pain that is only present when intensity is driving the workout. When your muscles are screaming at you to stop, when you can’t seem to get enough air into your lungs, when you hit that lactic threshold and start to taste a little bile. That’s the pain we are familiar with. The usual question I am asked is why the hell would anyone want to put him or herself through that. Why would a normal person do a workout where someone might actually throw up from working hard? Those are great questions. And the answer to them can be surmised through the foundational belief I have come to accept about the nature of pain.

Victory and success in life only come once you pass through “pain”.

I hope you can see it now. You will never be fit unless you work your body through pain. And if you want to be really fit, it means you will have to take on even more pain.

You CANNOT jog your way to real fitness. You cannot drop that body fat, gain the muscle you want, loose the inches off your waist unless you experience real, uncomfortable pain on a regular basis. Pain you will need to inflict on yourself. I know this truth does not sit well with everyone. Most people want the easy way into fitness and health. I would too if it was available. It’s not, get over it.

You are going to have to go through pain. You are going to have to sacrifice the crappy food you keep around your home. You are going to have to give up the sugars, the bready carbs, the massive amounts of alcohol, and the processed food. You are going to have to really workout HARD, harder than you ever have before.

Stop lying to yourself that you are doing “good”. You are not. Can you pick your own bodyweight worth of weight up off the ground and put it over your head? Can you do a pull up? Can you jump over a 2ft bench? Can you run a mile in under 8 minutes? Do you eat every 3 to 3.5 hours every single day with the proper mix of macronutrients and the “right” food?

Let me give you another example using some quick easy math. If you eat like you are supposed to, every 3 to 3.5 hours, that can be added up and equates to 35 meals a week. So if you only eat three meals a day you are at 21 or a success rate of 60%. A big fat “F” for failure. Now lets say of those 21 meals you skip 3 breakfasts during the week, you just grab coffee and get out the door. Now we are down to 18 meals or 51%. Now lets go a step further and say of those remaining 18 meals you actually eat, 1/3rd of them are absolute garbage. Meaning you eat the worst possible processed foods and all the crappy, bready carbs you can shove in your mouth and chase down with some ice-old beer. This means you are only eating about 11-12 good meals a week. This is a success rate of 33%. I bet some of you may be even worse.

So of course you will NOT get what you want out of your fitness. Couple the diet above with 3-5 days of jogging at a health spa and YOU WILL NOT GET FIT. You will not loose the weight, you will not get stronger, you will probably continue to get less fit.

So let’s get back on topic here people. Victory is only present through pain. You can’t avoid it. There is no magic path. No special pill or vitamin. No magic workout program like 6-minute abs. So let’s get real, stop deceiving yourself, find a real gym, get committed to yourself and your life, and come experience some pain with us.

It’s all yours for the taking…life, victory, health, success, and fitness. It’s all right there on the edge. But we have to go through some pain to get it.

That’s what we are doing at CrossFit Costa Mesa. Come with us.

CrossFitter's Dream

2009-10-09T09:33:00.001-07:00

The Dilution of CrossFit?

2009-10-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

A previous CrossFit Affiliate wrote a strong article as to why they are dropping their affiliation with CrossFit due to his general unhappiness with what he considers the dilution of the “CrossFit Elite Brand”. This article has triggered some excellent dialogue and strong emotional responses as well. I don’t ever respond on forums or to blogs, as I am simply too busy, but I felt compelled. Here is the letter I posted in the forums of CrossFit HQ, under the forum topic titled “Huge Decline in Quality” (http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=51858&page=6)

Here is the link to the article by the previous Affiliate: http://greyskullarticles.blogspot.com/

Enjoy.

An Open Letter Regarding CrossFit:    

I don’t normally respond to various letters, articles, blogs, posts, comments, etc. regarding CrossFit as a national movement simply because I am too busy growing my humble CrossFit gym and thriving. But today is different for me for some reason, and I feel compelled.    My partner and I have always wondered about the future of the CrossFit movement as we find ourselves progressing forward from days of underground garage gyms to warehouse “boxes” and eventually moving into massive fitness facilities in the tens of thousands of square feet. This is the future of CrossFit as I see it.    We have pondered the topic of hundreds of new “certified” trainers being pumped out every weekend and watched in curiosity as subsequent affiliates began popping up all over the nation. We had the same questions about the ability of these “certified” trainers and new affiliates, at times thinking the same thing a lot of people think. Things like:

1) These people are diluting the brand.  

2) They are causing destruction to what CrossFit really is.  

3) They are injuring people.  

4) They don’t know what they are doing.  

5) They don’t know how to program, they are bad trainers, they suck.

The list goes on and on. I have watched affiliates try to harm other affiliates, steal clients and trainers, and rip other CrossFit marketing out of the ground or off walls and buildings. I have watched verbal sparring on forums and blogs as people try to show how such and such is superior or inferior, all in an effort to cover their own insecurity.    It all leads me back to the same consistent foundation CrossFit was built on that has been a major building block to the explosive growth: Excellence. People train with trainers who provide excellence.

When the first WOD was posted on CrossFit.com (http://www.crossfit.com) and the request was made to “post time to comments,” the world of fitness was changed. Our old fitness ideas were challenged and old mind frames refuted—all with the underlying foundation that we will back it up. And CrossFitters have been backing it up for years now.

If a “new” trainer affiliates after getting certified and starts a gym and grows it through passion and enthusiasm to hundreds of clients, and if those clients are gaining strength, improving their gym times, dropping fat and lifting heavier every quarter ... guess what? That is a good trainer.

Now are they are good as you are? Do they know more about exercise physiology than you do? Are they creating superior athletes like you are? Maybe not. If they are unsafe or not knowledgeable, their clients will all eventually leave them and find you. If they are creating massive success for their clients and setting new PRs all the time and they still keep growing and expanding and loving their success, then guess what? They are GREAT trainers. Those that complain that these people don’t know enough, are not good trainers, etc., are whiney, whiney victims and need to shut up or go away.    Don’t you get it? A great trainer is someone who inspires those they train. They create new opportunities for their members. They push them and encourage them and are invested in their lives and their success. If they are bad trainers, their clients will either get hurt, hit plateaus or realize they don’t really know anything and leave. What are you afraid of?    That’s why I don’t care if 100 new CrossFit gyms open up blocks apart from me. I spend every day improving my ability to train people, deepening my knowledge in all areas around fitness and nutrition, learning and adapting to become better each day. If I lose a client to another gym because that gym does a better job training them or inspiring them, I don’t cry about how unfair life is—I learn and I get better. I’m more interested in hel4ping those new gyms grow effectively, train better and have massive success like I have.    “But Alec, the brand is being diluted. People are thinking they are getting trained at ‘CrossFit’ when they are not.”

I don’t give a shit. Why would I? People have been getting trained by “personal trainers” who know nothing about fitness for years and years now. Talk about a diluted brand image. The title “personal trainer” means just about as much to me as “life coach.” I don’t know what the hell you do!    So, my open letter to the CrossFit community can be simplified into several succinct points:

• Get over yourself. Focus on becoming excellent in what you do and help those around you become excellent as well.

• Drop your insecurity and inferiority complex and get some confidence in your product and what you do.

• Focus on the foundational truths our community is built on. Love the fact that we are open-source and affiliated versus carbon-copy franchises.

• Stop complaining about how unfair life is and own up to the reality you have created in your life. Your ego is not that special.

Oh, and one more thing: Show some damn respect and appreciation to CrossFit HQ for fighting through the BS it took to bring this revolution to the world and for helping fill your damn gym with clients simply through their “brand” and placing your link on their website.    

Alec Hanson  

Owner

CrossFit Costa Mesa

(www.CrossFitCostaMesa.com)

Recovery

2009-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

If you are CrossFitting you need to get real.

YOU. ARE. AN. ATHLETE!

I don’t care if you are over 300#s and your CrossFit workout is massively scaled to PVC pipes and half-ROM air squats. If you are pushing the current levels of your fitness to the maximum levels of intensity you are currently capable of (while maintaining good form), and you end each WOD (Workout of the Day) lying on the ground, gasping for air, and sweating profusely, then guess what? You are an athlete. And as an athlete you need to start taking care of your body as seriously as you approach a workout. So here are some basics.

1) Sleep 8 hours (This means being disciplined)

2) Eat Right (Again, be disciplined)

3) Foam Roll (Every day)

4) Contrast Showers (2 mins as cold water as your shower allows, 2 mins really HOT water. Repeat 4-5x’s)

5) Massage Therapy

Everyone can understand that if you don’t take care of your body you can’t get back into the gym and drive additional adaptation and improvements. If you are so sore you can’t sit down to use the toilet, good luck squatting with intensity during that days WOD.

So get intentional! Take time to recover your body.

My Workout Last Night (http://duggerworkout.blogspot.com/)

3xPP@135#
20x wall ball shot (20#)
rest 1.5 min.
3 Rounds.
Then:
30/30 Push Press with 20# DB
1. 22
2. 22
3. 20
4. 20

5. 21

Then:
300 sec (5 min) FLR hold in rings
Then: Cooldown
2k row easy

Humility and Integrity

2009-10-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today I got smoked in the gym. We have a tremendous athlete named Chad who always demonstrates great heart during a WOD (Workout of the Day). He pushes hard and posts solid times consistently. Today we did "Angie" which is a follows:

For Time:
100 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups
100 squats

I finished in just over 15 minutes as Rx. Chad did it under 10:30. That's called getting smoked. I've learned a lot over the course of my CrossFit life so far and the #1 lesson that comes crashing into anyone attempting a CrossFit workout is a swift and hard lesson in humility.

CrossFit will expose your weaknesses. If you can't drive yourself through them, you won't make it long in the CrossFit world. There is no place for your ego. Only because if you bring it with you, it will get destroyed in the first few minutes of a WOD.

This brings us to lesson #2. Integrity. When faced with a CrossFit WOD it's easy to cheat. It can be a subtle cheat like not going through the full range of motion on a few reps. Counting one or two pull ups when your chin doesn't get over the bar or even jumping ahead in the number of reps to pretend to gain time.

It's easy. Let's be honest, our egos get hurt. I see Chad crushing the pull ups, getting more and more ahead of me, and here's an example of how it goes down.

"Oh damn look at Chad, he is crushing me right now. Wait was that pull up #82 or #87? I can't remember. Darn it. I'll just round up to 90. Ok here we go. 92. 93. 94..."

You see? It's easy to skip a few reps. You're tired. You can pretend you forgot what number you are on. All B.S. and we all know it. We knew exactly what number we were on and we cheated. Plain and simple.

It takes a person a great deal of integrity to finish out the reps left even when everyone else in the entire gym is DONE and waiting on you.

The key to living a powerful and successful life are containing in these two first lessons learned in someone's first day at CrossFit. So the next time you find yourself knee deep in the painful, breathless depths of a workout, live powerfully in the grace of and with respect to these two lessons. Accept and act with humility and above all honor and maintain your integrity.

See you in the gym.

Why do you need a coach?

2009-10-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

Why you need a coach.

Let’s get honest. You lie to yourself. You cheat yourself. You make excuses. You half-ass it. You quit on yourself all the time.

Its just reality. The sooner you just step up to the plate and take responsibility for the choices you make and the results you have in your life. The sooner we can start some real progress.

That’s why you need a coach and it’s the same reason I need to coach. The first step to taking control of your life and to drive in the direction you want is get someone around you who will call you on your BS. Someone who will support you in the direction you want to go. But, it’s not just about accountability. Coaches are great sources of that but we have other avenues that can provide that in our lives as well. At CrossFit Costa Mesa, we also use our community to hold people accountable.

Coaches need to know how to get you from Point A to Point B. So in addition to a coach holding you accountable, they need knowledge and insight.

They also need passion and the ability to encourage and uplift their athletes when they fall. It’s a tough balance. They need to be hardliners who call out their athlete’s shenanigans but at the same time, encourage and support them to reach their objectives. You can’t be too harsh and cause division and alienation, but not too squishy that they let someone coast by on their own BS. They need to be able to encourage you to lift that bar when you think you can’t.

So, are you clear? You and I both need a coach. I’ve asked Steve Dugger to be my coach. I know him personally and he knows his stuff more than anyone in the fitness business. No brainer.

He is programming my workouts and tailoring them to build the ultimate CrossFit warrior.

What are the CrossFit Games?

2009-10-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

What are the CrossFit Games?

2009-10-05T10:14:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine asked me a very simple question. What are the CrossFit Games? Great question. To be specific, the CrossFit Games are an annual competition designed to test the fitness level of men and women across broad and expansive modal domains. What this means in layman’s terms is that the CrossFit Games competition is the exact definition of what it means to be a badass. The men and women who compete in this event are absolute animals.

Here’s the link for the site so you can get a taste.

http://games2009.crossfit.com/

Over 2 days 50 men and 50 women compete for the title “Fittest Man /Woman on the Planet”. The multiple events that span over these days are grueling. Not always in length or time of event, but in pure power and strength demands, agility tests, coordination and pure speed. These “Games” are designed for competitors without flaws.

They are not specialists in any one thing, but absolutely rounded and powerful overall athletes. That’s my end game and the journey is going to be brutal and fun. These two videos will show you two things: the humble and explosive origins of CrossFit (along with some clarity as to WHAT it actually is) and a video documenting the CrossFit Games from last year. Enjoy.

What is CrossFit?

2009-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

One Arm Snatch

2009-10-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Gamer's Diet

2009-10-02T08:14:00.001-07:00

I’ve been on a very strict diet the last 32 days and I have 28 left. Why? I decided to go up another level. If you have heard me preach about “being a 10” you know what I’m talking about. For a little background, I’ll give you an example.

Go ahead and define what “being a 10” would look like for you if you were to become a “10" in your life with your fitness. Got some kind of image in your mind? Good. Now go ahead and rank yourself from 1-10 at the level you are currently at compared to your image of the “perfect 10”. Where do you lie? Are you a 4, a 6, an 8? Get the point.

I view myself as a 7. With my definition of a 10, I am about 30% away. Well, the reason for this strict diet was simply because I got FREAKING OVER BEING A 7! I went ahead and decided I would do 60 days strict Paleo. No Sugars, No Alcohol, No Cheat Days, No Bad Carbs. Only lean meats, vegetables, little fruit, nuts and seeds 5 times a day, zoned out to about 80% “perfect zone” rations supplemented with fish oil from Costco at 3 of the 5 meals. I’ll tell you what, the first few weeks sucked big time. Now, in 30 days I dropped from 187# down to 178# this morning. My strength has improved and my CrossFit times have gotten better. My abs are starting to see the daylight from behind that little layer of “extra warmth” I was wearing and all in all I stoked how it’s all shaping up. Don’t worry I have before and after pictures coming. After the diet we'll see how I land. I'm not sure yet what % I will drop back from this near perfect level, but it won't be far. I've got stuff to do!

Moving on to the topic of the CrossFit Games. I’ll be detailing out more of my training strategy over the next few days (especially after Steve Dugger writes my programming) and how I plan to prep for the qualifying events leading up to the CrossFit Games as well.

I’ll give you a hint on how I’m going to do it though. It’s a secret I’ve used to become immensely successful in everything I do. I try not to sound overly arrogant when I say things like that, but believe me, it’s not because I am some genius who has mastered the secrets of the universe. The secret to how I am going to make it to the Games is quite simple.

I am going to do the things everyone else won’t do and I will continue doing those things when others quit. I am going to work harder, put in more hours, maintain focus, eat right and push hard during the WOD. I am going to do that EVERY…SINGLE…DAY. When others quit, get tied, get distracted, make excuses, I won’t. I will never quit, I will never stop pushing. I will never give up.

See you in the gym.

Clean and Jerk

2009-10-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Why I CrossFit.

2009-10-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

I CrossFit because I’m sick of the BS. I’m sick of the fraud in the fitness world, filled with muscle heads and bicep curlers staring at themselves in the mirrors of those Globogyms. Those skinny fat gals in painted on spandex doing some sort of ski/walking on that Pre-Core machine, reading a magazine, watching TV, listening to their iPod, and drinking a Gatorade at the same time.

I am sick of the average, overweight America walking into these modern day meat-markets and trying to figure out what pully to move by staring at the side of the machines for 15 minutes then following that up with 30 minutes of cardio. Making sure to hold onto that handle on that $40,000 treadmill so they can make sure their heart rate stays in the “fat burning” zone.

I am pissed off when I see these people walking out of these “gyms” (aka health spa’s) chugging a bottle of sugar water they think is helping them, eating a candy bar (aka “Protein/Energy Bar”), and believing they are working out or getting fit.

I CrossFit because I’m after what matters. I want real fitness, not the beach body. I want to be able to pick up a wall if it falls on my loved one. I want to be able to break through a locked door if what’s on the other side matters. I want to be useful in life when it matters.

That’s why I CrossFit.