Workouts Outside of the Gym

Hi everyone, it's Coach Alison here wishing everyone a happy 2017!  As 2016 comes to a close, we know that people will be setting and smashing goals for the new year.  At CFB we want you to always create goals for yourself and you certainly don't need the new year to make those happen!  Some people have shown interest in hotel or home workouts, so this post is about how to create workouts when you can't get to the gym.

One of the easiest pieces of equipment to buy for home is a set of dumbbells.  Walmart sells them for a great price (many of the online stores get you with shipping costs), and the plain metal dumbbells are all you need, and sometimes even Craigslist has a deal or two if you want to search them out.  If you are on a budget, I would suggest starting out with one set of a weight for what works with you for a majority of the movements in the videos below.  If you are not sure, we have some at the gym you can test out before making a purchase. If you are at hotel for business or a vacation, many of the hotel gyms are equipped with dumbbells.  I always bring my jump rope when I am away because something easy to pack and who doesn't love working on their double unders?!

PushPress Timer Free is a great way to keep track of time during your

The second thing you need is a great timer! In this day and age, almost everyone has a smart phone or tablet of some sort.  The best timer that I have found is called "PushPress Timer Free" in the App Store (I have an iPhone). There is a paid version that allow a few more things and no ads, but the free version is awesome and well... free! This timer is just like the one at the gym and you can program, AMRAP countdowns, work to rest timers, a simple count up timer, and my favorite part, you can set a countdown before you start (which many timers do not have).

If you have questions on how to set up a timer that is right for your workout come talk to me at the gym or send a message my way!

A lot of "hotel WODs" that are on the internet are for bodyweight movements and running, so using some of these moves in the videos below, may help you get some ideas for something other than 100 air squats for time!

These videos have 20 different dumbbell exercises for you to try out, and there are certainly more that you can do, but we'll start here.  If you are not sure how to put together a workout, talk with me and I can come up with some for you depending on what equipment you have available.  

Click here for Movements with One Dumbbell

Click here for Movements with Two Dumbbells

Click here for other Movements with Two Dumbbells

Another source that I have used for ideas is a list that Jason Khalipa (CrossFit NorCal owner and CrossFit Games athlete) put together here: http://norcal.vm-host.net/hotel-wods. You can also ask a coach for some workout ideas if you are going to be gone! Several of you have been away and I have asked for a photo of the fitness center in your hotel, which allows us to create some great workouts so you don't miss a beat!

If you are looking to go to a CrossFit gym while away, you can check out the CrossFit Affiliate Map to see if there is a gym near you that you can drop in.  Most gyms appreciate an email to let them know you are coming, and range from $20-30 a visit which usually includes a t-shirt from the gym! A few members have "dropped in" at gyms.  It's a fun way to see other gyms, meet new people and get in a great workout while away from home.  

Hopefully these ideas can give you some tips to stick with your fitness goals, even if you can't make it to the gym!  If you have any questions, talk with a coach! 

History of the 12 Days of Christmas WOD and Holiday Details

You all know what time of year it is! The snow has fallen and the Holiday decorations and shopping have started, which also means it's time again for the annual tradition of the 12 days of Christmas WOD here at CrossFit Beloit.  If you didn't know, this is a tradition that started back in 2011, so this is the 6th time CFB has done this workout, and it's still a blast today! (depending on your definition of blast).

2011 First time and some amazing photos 

We first saw this workout from the mastermind of Scott in 2011, check out some of the photos in the link above for the OG CFB'ers and their first attempt at this workout.

2012 Scott sported a nice purple sweater in this post

As the ugly sweater tradition started while doing the workout.  Soon after the workout, longtime CFB family member, Jeff, made a spreadsheet breakdown of the workout, so check out this link: Breakdown of the workout and see what you have in store!

2013 we did the workout at the Iron Works location and I believe this is where Scott's Elf Sweater saw it's debut.  I'm still thinking that is has not been washed since this date...

2014 Started our White Elephant gift exchange party, which was a big hit!  Members brought some amazing gag gifts and we danced the night away with our ugly sweaters and fun gifts!

2015 brought on multiple heats of  action and some amazing outfits for the workout.  I'd also say that everyone stepped up the white elephant gifts and everyone had an amazing time!

What does 2016 have in store?  Only one way to find out... come do the workout on the 17th (sign up on the white board at the gym), and attend the Holiday party at Game on Bar and Grill (443 E. Grand Ave.) starting at 7:30pm in your best Holiday attire (the uglier the sweater, the better!) and bring along 1 white elephant gift per person.  Check out the event page here

Other Notables:
The gym will be closed December 24th (Saturday), and open for usual hours for the rest of the Holiday schedule.  As always, check Front Desk for most recent class times and talk with a coach for any questions!!

Fueling Strength Challenge Wrap-up

THE FUELING STRENGTH CHALLENGE WRAPS UP WITH GREAT SUCCESS!

The Fueling Strength Nutrition and Lifestyle Challenge saw several of our Crossfit Beloit members getting fitter, healthier, and even a bit leaner and more muscular over the course of the new six-week program. It just wrapped up at the end of October with a final small but lovely potluck gathering to wind down just this past weekend.

Fueling Strength Challenge kicks-off with Cindy! 

Couples who WOD together...Tina and Joanne crushing their Cindy retest.

The Fueling Strength Challenge, led by CFB's new(ish) Coach Kortney, kicked off in mid-September with a presentation covering the basics from lifestyle factors to eating guidelines and recommendations which were all addressed in more detail over the course of the six-week program. Each week celebrated a new weekly winner with prizes graciously donated from CFB’s own Coach Scott, Primal Kitchen, Home Chef, Trifecta Nutrition, and Main Square Dental in Roscoe.

Matt Forshee accepts his Week Five prizes from Primal Kitchen. Avocado oil dressings and coconut cashew protein bars.

Frank Monyak scored the Pure Pharma supplement prize from Scott at the end of Week One, followed by Joanne Lenz-Mandt as the Week Two winner with a selection of avocado oil products from Primal Kitchen. Week Three went to Carly Madison with more fun products from Primal Kitchen, and David Bauer won the Home Chef voucher for four meals after Week Four. Matt Forshee rocked Week Five with even more Primal Kitchen goodies, and finally, Tina Lenz-Mandt wrapped up Week Six with a fabulous teeth whitening kit from Dr. Martha Muldowny’s dental office, Main Square Dental in Roscoe. The sponsored gifts were greatly appreciated, CFB and Fueling Strength would like to extend a big thank you to each of the donors!

Carly - our Grand Prize Winner - tackling Cindy!

Consistency in the daily questionnaire submissions for ticking off the daily habits was the main requirement for winning the prizes, leading to the overall GRAND PRIZE WINNER selection for the whole challenge. Eligible participants for the grand prize could miss no more than 3 daily questionnaire submissions over the whole six weeks, which boiled down to only three (although several others were REALLY close!): Tina Lenz-Mandt, Carly Madison, and Frank Monyak. The final winner of the $100 CASH PRIZE, as well as a generous $120 worth of free organic food delivery from the amazing guys over at Trifecta Nutrition, went to…………….Carly Madison! Woohoo! Everyone did a fantastic job staying active in this Challenge! And the individual results showed it!

Peggy getting her pull-ups on! 

Taking a habit based approach to lifestyle improvements, the Fueling Strength Challenge had members focusing on more than just their diets. With an emphasis on sleep habits, hydration, daily physical activity and mobility, nutritional supplementation, goal setting and mindfulness exercises, and even dental hygiene played a part in rounding out the program. Of course, this was all in addition to appropriate snacking and meal guidelines. With a slight departure from the more common elimination style diets, paleo protocols, or squeaky “clean” eating challenges, the Fueling Strength Challenge left the nutrition dogma and specific food restrictions to each individual’s own discretion while encouraging a fairly broad health promoting, nutrient dense diet. Catering to a diverse group of people ranging from vegetarian to paleo enthusiasts to everything in between, this extra bit of flexibility and wiggle room allowed participants to explore realistically sustainable approaches to eating, while providing a structure and framework to draw on for general guidance.

Placing more of an emphasis on HOW to eat, Fueling Strength Challenge members got to explore eating from a place awareness of physical hunger and satiety cues, slowing down during meals times, and mindful eating practice. While nutritious foods and habits are always encouraged, allowing people the freedom to decide for themselves what to eat or not eat based on their own unique needs empowers each individual to build autonomy in their dietary choices. Additionally, taking an approach with no foods expressly off limits dramatically reduces the likelihood of a post-challenge "forbidden foods" binge-fest! (Or that’s the hope, at least!)

The Challenge kicked off with the grueling Cindy as the baseline workout, and in the six-week end-of-challenge follow-up WOD, members who repeated it ALL saw significant improvements in their scores! The average improvement was 66 reps!!! Frank Monyak had the most improved Cindy score adding a whopping 123 reps to his original score going from a mere 9+28 to an impressive 14+1!  Way to go Frank! Peggy Thiele also had a notable mention with a 92 rep improvement to her score, going from 12+13 to 15+15!

Delicious spread of food at the potluck! 

In terms of physical changes, many people did have their body compositions measured before and after as well.  Peggy again made the most dramatic loss with a 5.8% body fat reduction while maintaining her lean muscle and bone mass. Despite the fact that body composition is likely the LEAST important measurement for determining overall health, in regards to the outcomes of this challenge every single participant who followed up with their after body composition measurements lost anywhere from 1.6% body fat all the way up to 5.8% body fat, with the average sitting at a very healthy rate of fat loss at 0.5% per week, for an average fat loss of 3%. In addition to the fat loss, many people added as much as 3-5 pounds new lean mass! How 'bout them GAINZ!!! All-in-all, there were  good results across the board for those whose goals included body composition changes.

Even more importantly than body composition changes, in a follow-up doctor’s visit, Kim Matthews reported a very HAPPY doctor who saw a reduction in her liver enzymes which had been of concern prior to starting the challenge! How great is that? Getting healthier from the inside out is really what Fueling Strength is all about. Creating healthy, sustainable habits that can improve other areas of life is key! Physically, mentally, and even socially speaking, it’s important to find a manageable lifestyle that enhances the overall quality of life - and sometimes finding that balance can be tricky.  Programs like the Fueling Strength Challenge are great catalysts for longer-term change.   

Dramatic Cindy score improvements! Well done everyone! 

Congratulations to everyone who participated! The final potluck hosted by Peggy Thiele drew a small group to share some of the drool-worthy recipes that had been shared via the private Fueling Strength Facebook group over the whole six weeks! Radhika shared her amazing Indian cooking with a spicy chickpea dish that was to die for, though it was rivaled by her husband Neel’s whole wheat pasta salad. Peggy's homemade dressing was delightful, and the apple nachos were a hit! A few non-Fueling Strength members helped celebrate as we also said good-bye to Jennifer Quantuk while taking turns passing around Baby Harrison. Overall, it was quite a nice, quiet little wrap-up for the season.

Cassia fed us all well with her delicious breakfast bake for post-WOD recovery fuel!

Finally, if anyone still feels like they could use a bit more support to continue to build some longer term nutrition and wellness habits, Fueling Strength has a daily 1:1 online nutrition coaching program on special offer for CYBER MONDAY. At a 53% price reduction for the set-up and first month, followed by an ongoing reduced monthly rate, it's really a small investment for a big return on health and sanity in regards to food and mindset habits. The investment in health is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and sometimes a little extra coaching is all that is needed to tackle those lingering pesky food issues for good. Check out fuelingstrength.com for more or to register for 2017!  

So many activities!

So it's getting to be that F word... FALL! We have many activities planned for the gym and community which are also posted on the "Events" section at http://crossfitbeloit.com/new-page/ Our first event coming up is our traditional Labor Day workout of The Seven. This will be Monday, September 5th with heats at 8,9 & 10am. We will have 8 people per heat due to space and equipment. Please sign up at the gym on the sheets of paper by the showers. If you sign up on front desk and not a heat at the gym, priority will be given to those that sign up at the gym. 

Second is Saturday, September 10th  We will be hosting a Lift Up Autism workout at the gym at 8am. Check out the facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1804978593064494/ Please make note of when shirts come in (depending on when you order) as noted on the page.  If you don't have facebook, please go to this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crossfit-beloit-lift-up-autism-2016-tickets-27266939149?ref=ebtn#tickets You DO NOT have to donate to do this workout.  If you are a non CFB member and want to do this with us, you can drop in for free if you donate with or with out a t-shirt.  If have questions, please email alisonkrick@gmail.com 

That same day (Sept 10th) At 9am we will be hosting an information meeting on our Nutrition challenge "Fueling Strength Challenge" hosted by Kourtney.  She will be going over the Challenge details and let you know everything you need to about this awesome chance to work on your nutrition goals.  Please sign up ahead of time for more information at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdn2C3DtTZx97ZiJ28YVAoksuGhUIKa2fadpv5a2mMmS-dSng/viewform?c=0&w=1

There will be no open gym that day and Teens and Kids classes will both be at 10-11am so please plan a head and sign up on Front Desk as usual.   

Saturday, October 22nd will be our grand opening and special workout. We will be getting out more information but want you to save the date. It will be a sort of open house to show off our new spot and get a great workout in! Keep posted for more details. Here is a link to the facebook event page: 

As always, ask a coach for details on all events and we would love you to be at any and all!

Home Sweet Home

As most of you know already, we have moved into our new spot at 302 State Street in Downtown Beloit and we will be calling this spot our home for a while now!  If you did not know, we have had 4 locations since 2011 and this location just feels like home to me. Maybe it's the endless amounts of Brooke Ence YouTube I can watch at the gym now with our fancy TVs, or it's just the feel of knowing we've found the right spot!  I was sitting in the gym yesterday just looking at the awesome space that we now get to call ours and I couldn't help but reminisce about the memories that CFB has given me and all of the members over the past 5 years.  

Every time that I have been part of a move, our members come through and are there to lend a helping hand, whether it is to bring a truck, build, put up the rig, put down flooring, lift and carry things,  paint, clean (even the bathrooms), or lend a helping hand anyway possible, (coffee runs!) I have felt lucky to be part of a community that cares so much and is always willing to go out of their way to help CFB in any way they can. Through changes all of the members have been amazing and always been a part of the team and we can not say thank you enough!  We appreciate everything you have done for us, and with out you none of this would be possible.

Lastly, I would like to give a big thank you to our fearless leader Scott.  I know he doesn't like to be in the spot light, but with out him our family wouldn't exist and I often think of that.  He has given up a lot for CFB to exist and for us to continue to have an amazing place to not only get our fitness on, but for our friendships and families to grow and have a special place to call ours! 

This fall, we will be working on goal setting for everyone, as this is an important part to everyone's fitness.  If you aren't setting goals, it is easy to get stuck and we want to be there to help you reach and exceed things you didn't think were possible!  If you are on the fence about starting CrossFit, or wondering what we are all about, feel free to stop by and check out a class or email coach@crossfitbeloit.com to set up a FREE baseline workout and goal assessment!