I AM CROSSFIT begins

What is required of YOU for the next 8 weeks:

• Before body assessments and goal setting meeting Friday, Jan 7th at 7pm
• Benchmark WOD on Saturday, Jan 8th - you sign up via link sent today
• Nurtition meeting attendance on Jan 11th - mandatory attendance!
• Skills workshop on Sat Feb 12th
• 2 additional team workouts - dates TBD
• WEEKLY turn in of I AM CROSSFIT workouts (to be emailed to you each Friday)
• WEEKLY turn in food log review from coach
• After body assessments and review of goals
• Benchmark WOD on Sat March 5th

What I commit to you:

• Help with setting realistic goals and creating steps to get reach them
• Weekly feedback on food logs and nutrition
• Weekly email and blog communication with challenges, educational info, motivation, updates on the team's progress
• My best efforts to keep you on track to make this a challange that changes your life!

I AM CROSSFIT the workout:

3 rounds w/ 10 min time cap

• 400 m Run
• 15 pull ups
• 7 hang power cleans - check out this video

Advanced 135lbs men/95lbs women - Intermediate 95lbs/65lbs - Beginner 65lbs/45lbs

Which level will you be on Saturday, Jan 8th?

I AM CROSSFIT - COMMITMENT

Visit sicfit.com for more Videos

Starting next week 110 people will commit to the 2011 I AM CROSSFIT challenge at CrossFit Central.
Just signing up begins the process of change - improvement - success! Congratulations to all who have committed to this challenge.

I am looking forward to coaching a rock star team with fellow Crossfit Coach, Burke.

Look for great things from these guys and gals over the next 8 weeks.

1. La'Toya Bigelow
2. Stephen Dillard
3. Trent Marino
4. Christine Mecklenborg
5. Veronica Pike
6. Andrew Potter
7. Rajesh Ramanan
8. Suzette Ruedas
9. Sybil Slate
10. Tony Trungale
11. George Yesian
12. Sarah Stagg

The Final Product

On Friday night, Kris and Jeff (two of my I Am CrossFit peeps), hosted a Paleo party in celebration of our team having the BEST results out of all I Am CrossFit teams! Congratulations!

It was truly my pleasure to coach this crew.

Spartans, are YOU ready???

One Gal's story!

Are you gonna SELL OUT on your new healthy habits or are you SOLD?

My Elite Eight!

Melisa, Pam, Karen, me, Mike after their WOD today. Two questions:

1. Where did you get those sports bras? (jealous!!!)
2. How did Mike get sucked into this?

Today was the I AM CROSSFIT finale! We started the challenge 8 weeks ago today. The participants were required to do 2-3 workouts in addition to CrossFit Central classes, food log everyday and transition eating habits to a Zone/Paleo style diet.

Each participant set goals that included PERFORMANCE, BODY COMPOSITION, and LIFESTYLE/MENTAL changes to be accomplished during the challenge.

I was astounded by the happy, healthy, crossFIT, crew that showed up to complete the final I AM CROSSFIT workout this morning.

Each of my team members successfully reached ALL of their performance goals and look at the body composition results below!

1. Melisa Rehm lost 4.5% body fat, dropped 6 lbs, and is 4 inches smaller.


2. Jen Nieman lost 6.2% body fat, dropped 8.6 lbs, and is 6 inches smaller.


3. Pam Stickler lost 3.3% body fat, dropped 6 lbs, and gained 2.5 inches in her arms/shoulders.


4. Emily Baker lost 7.4% body fat, dropped 9.6 lbs, and is 13.25 inches smaller.


5. Joey Rachid lost 7.5% body fat, dropped 11 lbs, and is 2 inches leaner in his waist.


6. Mike Shorter lost 5.3% body fat, dropped 4.6 lbs, and is 1 inch leaner in his waist.


7. Kris Morgan lost 4% body fat, dropped 2 lbs, and gained 2 inches in her arms/shoulders.


8. Jeff Morgan lost 9% body fat, dropped 15 lbs, and is 2 inches leaner in his waist.

I am so proud of each and every one of you! Thank you for letting me be a part of your success over the past 8 weeks.

Stay tuned for the final results regarding performance improvements on today's WOD and the overall winners!

Go CELEBRATE your success!

How will you finish?

We only have 2 weeks left in I Am CrossFit! Has your coach ever yelled "finish strong" to you in the last few seconds/reps/feet of a workout? Now is that time! Stay focused and let's make the last two weeks your best.

Same faces - New look!

Do you recognize these people? They are my I Am CrossFit team and after just 5 weeks - they are transforming themselves - meeting their goals - all while having fun! Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone on Team 4 who joined Crystal, Mike, and me for a WOD on Saturday morning.

Check out all the photos HERE!

What goals have YOU met during I Am CrossFit?

Food, Inc. showing for I AM CROSSFIT participants

CrossFit Central will be hosting movie night this Friday, Feb 12th at 7:00pm for all I AM CROSSFIT participants. Come see Food, Inc. with us - My Fit Foods is providing snacks for the event!

See you there.

Overtraining - How to tell if you need to rest!

Most people are worried about getting enough exercise. But there are some people who 'forget' to take a day off or put a goal in front of their well-being!
Too much exercise or overtraining can make you susceptible to injuries, illness, and DIMINISHED performance!

How can you tell when you're doing too much? Here are some things to look for:

• washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
• mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
• sudden drop in performance
• insomnia
• headaches
• decreased immunity (more colds, sore throats, flu)
• decreased training capacity - drop in intensity
• moodiness and irritability
• loss of desire for sport/fitness
• decreased appetite
• increased incidence of injuries
• compulsive need to exercise

It's the start of the new year - many of you are holding strong with your New Year's Fitness goals - many of you are striving to complete 'extra' workouts for I Am CrossFit - If your workouts suddenly feel harder than usual, or you're losing ground despite the fact that you're working hard, ask yourself - AM I OVERTRAINING?

Take a day off - maybe take two!

The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken even the strongest CrossFitters :)
Rest days are critical to performance for both physiological and psychological reasons. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen.
Remember - listen to your body and believe in E.P.O.C (it works - go hard - go short - STOP).

Yes, This stuff counts!!

Some of my favorite things.....The bulk isle at Whole Foods and 'just a handful' of SUGAR :)


Margarita's, Mexican Martini's and all the goodies at the coffee bar.....



You may have heard someone joke that food eaten standing up didn't count. I knew better then. I just hated to admit it. Your body counts everything: food eaten standing up, food eaten from a spoon, and food you sneak off someone else's plate. All the nibbles you take during the day - the mini-chocolate piece you took from so and so's office candy bowl - the cream, sugar, flavoring you put in the coffee this am - the 'just one' drink you have every night with dinner. Are any of these things keeping you from your nutrition/fitness goals?

Above are some of the items I am approaching with caution during I Am CrossFit. I challenge you to take a look at your 'nibbles' and see what might be sabotaging your nutrition plan.

Feelin' Good!

Week 3 of I Am CrossFit - Man, I didn't know how I was gonna make it thru the week. Last weekend was spent in Fort Worth at an Advocare conference - which was great - but also meant that I went into Monday without any downtime! Monday was rough I was groggy, over caffeinated, and 'enjoyed' a few too many peanut butter spoonfuls :) But the week seemed to get easier as it went on - I attribute that to good nutrition, fighting for my 10pm bedtime, and having a job and community I LOVE!

I am feeling great and had fun with the WOD today in Coach Crystal's class.

My time: 14:33 with 95lb Overhead Squat!

For time:

21-15-9

Toes to Bar

OH Squat M:95 F:65

Superman

Burpees

Box Jump

TGIF (almost.....).

My Fit Foods

FRESH, cost effective, yummy, healthy paleo and zone ISH dishes.....My Fit Foods

All the meals are cooked to order each day! Here is the kitchen and store front on Bee Caves

Check it out! This is how I am saving time, planning ahead, and staying on track with my nutrition goals.

Each meal is labeled with nutritional facts so I can track protein/fat/carbs, etc.

MY FIT FOODS

How does it work:

• Go by there locaiton and pick something up for the week.
• Order online and pick up YOUR specific order the next day.
• Call ahead and have them put together YOUR specific order.

The coolers are stocked with just about every meal - pick your meals from this case or....

....order ahead and pick up YOUR specific meal combo for the week.

How much does it cost:

• Breakfast is around $5 and lunch is around $8
• CrossFit Central clients get 15% on your first order thru Feb 15th!~

Are they Paleo?

Some of the dishes are but ALL of the dishes are high quality, lower fat and carb, delicious meals.

My favorites are the Salmon and veggies and Lemon turkey (sans rice!!).

Have you tried My Fit Foods yet? What do you think?

5:30am Warriors!

5:30am??!!! Are you crazy? No, you're committed! This is my Tu/Th 5:30am class at RunTex and they are committed!
HALF of these folks are doing I Am CrossFit and the energy form the challenge is rubbing off on the whole class. 100% attendance (as seen in this photo) is NOT the exception - it's the norm!

This entire class is motivating! However, a few folks deserve a special 'shout out' this week.
Wes - Jonathan - and Lysle have all really stepped up their game this month. They have improved attendance, changed nutrition, and/or learned to push the WODs to the next level!

Classes are SELLING OUT at both our Burnet Road location and the RunTex location. Are you interested in joining us? Get set up for Elements ASAP!

Monday Update - Confessions of a CrossFit Coach

My I Am CrossFit week 1 at a glance:

I felt stronger than ever on my weekly WODs. Jeremy hid the almonds/almond butter from me so Goal #2 (see yesterday's post) was easy! I food logged like a champ.....and then.......I struggled thru the most painful 3.5 mile run (maybe ever) on Sunday. I hit a wall!

What? Why? Oh yeah, I enjoyed birthday celebrations on Friday AND Saturday. I didn't get 'that much' sleep towards the end of the week and the timing of my food Friday/Saturday was "off".

I am not discouraged - I am recovered - I am focused - I am reminded that the additional workouts are just part of the I Am CrossFit challenge. Rest, recovery, and nutrition are all part of the equation. In fact, I believe nutrition is 90% of what you will see, feel, and experience over the next 7 weeks.

It's Monday and I am back on track.
Check out Coach Mike's reminder to us all.
Also, see your teammate, Mel's recap of the week!

My Team with Coach Mike and Coach Crystal's team at Saturday's skill Workshop! Great job everyone.

Team 4, tell me about the I Am CrossFit extra WODS you did and how things went during your first week.

I Am CrossFit WOD: 7:48

Body Assessment: 15%, 143lbs

Goals:

1: Alcohol limited to 1x a week (my bday week is OVER so this should be easy now!)

2: Limit consumption of nuts to 1/4 cup a day - find alternative fat source!

3: Add 1 track workout a week (Neil, keep asking me to show up!)

We're all in this together!

1 week down - 7 to go! As you committ to making changes over the next 7 weeks - remember, you're not in this alone! Tune out the nay-sayers and listen to your teammates....

Kris and Jeff acted on my suggestion to document the I Am CrossFit journey and sent me this photo from their dinner at Trudy's RIGHT AFTER the nutrition meeting!



Trudy's Tex-Mex Adventure from last night--yummy! (No chips were harmed in the making of this photo--the red chip in the middle of the guac is just for show, I promise!) Kris & Jeff


Melisa is working hard to stay Paleo - check out the recipes, shopping tips and the SUCKOMETER entry from Jan 8th! Melisa's Blog


Take a look at Catherine's dedication to the challenge as she reflects on the importance of having friends take the "I call BS on YOU" motivational approach (Jan 11th)! Catherine's Blog



Do you have some to share?
If you're documenting your I Am CrossFit adventure - we'd love to see it!

E.P.O.C - Why CrossFit works!

Many of you have signed up for the I Am CrosFit - E.P.O.C challenge! Well, what is E.P.O.C and why is it important to you?

What is E.P.O.C?

E.P.O.C stands for Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption and refers to the work your body continues to do AFTER your workout. During EPOC your body is restoring/repairing itself to it's pre-exercise state. This means, you're continueing to expend energy and burn fuel (calories) at an elevated rate.

EPOC is higher with short, high intensity workouts (like your CrossFit Central WODs) than with aerobic (running, cycling, long slow distance) workouts.

Why is it important to you?

EPOC is the reason CrossFit makes YOU fitter than you've ever been. You must attack every CrossFit WOD with your highest intensity and you will increase your metabolic efficiency. It's shown that EPOC can increase your metabolic rate 13% up to 3 hours after exercise and 4% after 16 hours post workout! That's right one 5-15 minutes workout can increase your metabolism for 16 hours. READ THAT AGAIN! That is exciting! That is something your 1 hour runs and 3 hour bike rides CANNOT do for you!

This also means that you need to respect the need for your body to repair itself after CrossFit WODs. You're in the challenge, you're working towards your goals, you're making sacrifices, and pushing yourself to new physical limits BUT make sure you rest and recover.

TEAM 4:

How has the first week been?

What did you learn at the Nutrition meeting?

What is the biggest thing you'll have to give up for this challenge? post to comments.

For me: I need to cut out the corn tortilla's and get back to 1x a week alcohol treats! I am doing the I Am CrossFit workout today and will let you guys know how I did and what my goals are for the next 8 weeks.

I Am CrossFit - My team!

Take a look at these faces because at the end of this 8 week challenge, this is the crew who will be celebrating with dinner at Diner 24!
The I Am CrossFit requirements included:

• Body composition before and after results
• 3 goals for the I Am CrossFit challenge
• Benchmark WOD before and after results
• Attend 1 Nutrition Meeting
• Food logging - turn into me 1x a week
• 2-3 additional workouts each week - turn into me 1x a week

I've been around CrossFit Central for 3 years and I've never seen the coaches so jacked up to help you - the CC members - reach your goals. I know each of you is ready to take on the challenge and dedicate yourself to making changes to make your goals a reality.

Which leads me to this point - I notice many of your goals include numbers as the point of focus aka number goals! For example, lose 5lbs - drop body fat to 12% - increase squat to 225lbs. While I would rather your goals focus on behavioral changes, nutrition tweaks, etc - because those goals will lead to changes in the numbers! I understand that it's sometimes easier to start with the number goal and then find the action steps.

If the "number goals" above look like any of your goals, I challenge you to write down 3 steps that will take you to that goal. Come up with a plan that fits your lifestyle and personality that will get you where you want to be. Be realistic BUT make sacrifice. You are not doing I Am CrossFit to be the same person March 6th that you are today! Challenge yourself!

Over the next 8 weeks, I am going to use this blog as a communication ground for my team of 8 and for Crystal and Michael's teams! By the end of each Monday my team will be responsible for posting to comments his/her extra workouts from the previous week. Accountability - competition - and dedication! 3.2.1....GO!