WOD for Tuesday, 1/6/15:
AMRAP for 12:
15 burpees
15 goblet squats (53#/35#)
CrossFit is growing. FAST.
And with that growth, there is more variety and there are more options offered by gym owners who are hoping to break into the CrossFit market. While more competition refines the business’ towards what it is that the consumer wants, what many ask for (and eventually get) ends up hurting the affiliates and athletes alike. I believe that the concept of having “open-gym” in CrossFit affiliates does just that.
For example, when illness strikes, we first ask if we can medicate and cure it on our own. If we don’t feel like this is the case, we seek out a doctor or certified healthcare professional for help.
Wouldn’t we think it was strange if one of those professionals decided that instead of giving us the proper guidance they are trained to provide, that this person simply unlocked the medicine cabinet and told you to figure it out on your own?
I think you and I both would think this is odd. Either this person is lazy, mainly motivated by profit, incompetent, or doesn’t feel confident that their services are valuable enough to intervene in your pursuit of becoming healthy again.
This analogy isn’t perfect, but I believe the main similarities speak towards truths that need to be addressed. What’s to stop an inexperienced CrossFitter who saw a video on YouTube of Regional level athletes doing:
21-15-9
deadlift (315#/205#)
box jumps (30”/24”)
…and decided they wanted to load up the barbell and give it a try?
No guidance on mobility, technique, scaling…nothing.
Many athletes who may utilize access to a facility like this may have enough experience to function and even significantly improve their fitness. But what do Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali and Tiger Woods all have in common? They have all had coaches. While most of us aren’t in contention for that sort of success, I believe we all want to see improvement in the areas of life that we are giving a significant amount of time, energy, and finances to pursue.
At CrossFit Abilene, we believe the coaching we provide is so beneficial, there isn’t a time in our gym where you are allowed to go without it. Not only that, our coaches love it so much that we hate to pass up an opportunity to be involved in and contribute to your fitness journey! We aren’t motivated by doing things that will make us a quick buck, we’re motivated by making sure YOUR best interests are on the forefront of every decision we make.
All that to say, we love you guys! Bring on 2015!
-AW
Why CrossFit Abilene Doesn’t Do “Open-Gym” Read More »
WOD for Monday, 12/2/14:
20 overhead squats (135#/95#)
20 box jump overs (30″/24#)
15 overhead squats
15 box jump overs
10 overhead squats
10 box jump overs
5 overhead squats
5 box jump overs
Considering the safety of our coaches and athletes is our #1 priority, all classes for 12/31 have been cancelled.
We hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!
Class Schedule Update Read More »
Recently, I’ve been asked by quite a few CFA athletes about my recommendations on “pre-workout” supplements. Considering CFA has carried (up until today) these types of supplements from a well trusted company in the CrossFit world, we’ve had to get honest about whether I believe these supplements are contributing towards our athletes’ wellness, or if these products are low hanging fruit distracting us from what will really bring about the results we are seeking from our pursuit of fitness.
With that said, I believe it’s important to remember that everyone is looking for ways to ease the sting of working hard meet their goals. This isn’t a knock on any particular person’s fiber or willingness to make sacrifices, but the reality is, if you offer something that promises and easier route towards your destination, then you will inevitably will get a lot of love and attention.
I believe the “pre-workout” supplement industry is predicated on this. If you constantly stay up late binging on Netflix, skip good opportunities to train, don’t eat “clean,” and the only water you’ve consumed has been saturated with barley, then pre-workout supplements are only going to contribute to the inevitable crash in the effectiveness of your training that is coming for you.
However, the exception to this is if you feel like you’re in a situation where using a pre-workout can do exactly what it’s designed to do, which is SUPPLEMENT what you already have done to get the tank to be as full as possible, then go for it! Sometimes, our need to perform in the moment will take over our need to stay true to what we know will produce long term health, but I believe those moments are few and far between.
If you feel like you’ve underperformed in your training, consider it a great opportunity to diagnose your commitment to the things that are vitally important in your fitness, not to scramble for shortcuts that only add to the problem.
-AW
On “Pre-Workout” Supplements… Read More »
WOD for Monday, 12/29/14:
21power snatch (95#/65#)
21 burpees
21 pull-ups
15 overhead squats
15 burpees
15 pull-ups
9 squat snatch
9 burpees
9 pull-ups