Articles

The Hard Thing About CrossFit (and life)
Photo Credit:  Our awesome customer @jacelynanne!  Out of all the things that make CrossFit hard for me…the muscle soreness...the painful workouts...the wanting to throw up...etc. I think the hardest thing for me is learning to be grateful for the performance I was able to give. Chasing after the wind is common in CrossFit.  All that chasing makes our bodies and minds incredibly strong.  Every time we walk through the doors we find out a little more about ourselves;  how long we can hang on...how strong we are...what our hidden potential... Read more...
Does This Build Up The Community?
I think it's very common to become self-centered in the pursuit of fitness.  I also think one of the best things we can do to improve our individual fitness is to help build up the community around us. It seems counter-intuitive that we could improve ourselves by caring well for others, but I think we can, and I think we could all benefit by asking the following question frequently... "Does this build up the community?" Here are a few examples of this question in action, along with some thoughts on... Read more...
An Open Challenge to Mat Fraser
  Photo disclaimer:  This is not actually a picture of me, but we can all dream right? #bicepgoals - - - Mat Fraser won the CrossFit games by the widest margin in history this year, and while I know I could NEVER come anywhere close to competing with him in any event that includes a barbell...the ex-distance runner in me wants to know how I would have stacked up against him in the 7k trail run that kicked off the 2016 CrossFit Games. However, the course at the games looked... Read more...
The Opposite of CrossFit
It occurred to me today that I spend most of my time doing the exact opposite of CrossFit... Read more...
What's So Great About Losing?
I think one of the best things about CrossFit is how frequently athletes are exposed to defeat. That may sound like a crazy thing to say, but let me explain where I'm coming from. Yesterday my daughter's undefeated 7th grade volleyball team lost their last game of the season.  As much as I would have loved to see them end the season on a high note, I think the lessons they learned as they grappled with a painful loss were worth more to them in the long run. After the... Read more...
Why is CrossFit Addictive?
CrossFit is hard...Like...REALLY hard. But here's the funny part.  It doesn't HAVE to be hard.  If you wanted to, you could scale the workouts to a point that didn't challenge you.  You could move slowly, take your time, and barely break a sweat. So, why do we make it hard?  Why do we push our limits? Why do we frequently put ourselves in situations that have us writhing around on the floor like we've been beaten within an inch of our lives? Well, I don't know, or at least I... Read more...
How To Do CrossFit At Home
Sometimes you can't make it to the CrossFit box. Sometimes you don't live near a Box. Sometimes paying for a membership would have you living inside a cardboard box. If you're interested in occasionally, or frequently doing CrossFit from the comfort of your own home, you've come to the right place. Here are a few basic ideas on how to do CrossFit at home, and pointers to get you headed in the right direction... 1.  Start with your nutrition... I know, I know.  This isn't the most glamorous thing to... Read more...
They've Got Skills...
I wasn't an athlete in high school, unless, of course, you include marching band in athletics, which for some reason, my school did.  Band was my P.E. credit for all four years of high school. I could hardly fool anyone into thinking I was working out on that field, though.  I was in the "pit" with most of the other big percussion instruments, which meant that I spent our time on the field on the sidelines. Score one for me for finding a way around the system which required my... Read more...
A CrossFit Lesson From Isaac Newton
  While Isaac Newton may have struggled to find the right hairstyle, he was one of the most influential scientists who ever lived.  For our purposes here, it's sufficient to recognize that he was a REALLY smart dude. I have 2 other friends who are also really smart dudes.  This is a story about all 3 of these smart dudes... After coaching the 9am class at my local box the other day, I looked up, and saw that it was well after 10:00 AM on a very busy Thursday.  With... Read more...
Making Excuses At CrossFit
  At my local box we have Wodify.  It's this really cool tool that helps our athletes keep track of their performance and interact with each other.  It's like a digital white-board with a bit of a social network mixed in. First of all, please hear me say that I LOVE WODIFY! However, I personally find myself misusing Wodify frequently. Let me explain. When you enter your results in Wodify, you can enter a comment under your score for the WOD.  In my mind, there are about 3 different ways... Read more...
5 Things That Are Only Normal in CrossFit
Some of the things people do at CrossFit workouts would be completely unacceptable outside of the Box. Here are a few of those things...1. Finishing a task with torn up hands.Where else would this be acceptable?   When you tear your hands...you go fix your hands... Right?   Not always.   Sometimes people are willing to say..."Well, I tore my hand open, and there was blood and human flesh everywhere, but I only had 20 pull-ups left, so I figured I would just place my open wounds on a filthy piece of metal... Read more...
Should We Use Supplements in CrossFit?
It all started when one of the ladies at our gym, said something to the effect of:  "Hey, have you guys tried WonderPow?  I don't like the taste, but Jane swears by it!" Read more...