Ryan Mata - This is what it's all about!

Ryan, Me, Coach Ben Flores after Ryan's final Spartan 300 benchmark!

CrossFit Central is all about - making fitness fun again - building community - engaging friends and family in your journey to meet goals - and ending up with a healthier, happier lifestyle!

CrossFit Central's tag line is "Building a Fit Community" -
I think Ryan's story is a great example of just that - the benefits go far beyond just a 'good workout' or a 'cool gym'- the results spill over into our everyday lives.

Ryan joined CrossFit Central at RunTex a few months ago and was on my Spartan team. He has made dramatic changes in both his fitness and overall nutrition. See what Ryan has to say about his experience.



I can happily say that I have achieved some of my goals for this Challenge. I successfully dropped my body fat % down to the 13s, I completed and then some the Spartan Benchmark Workout, I cleansed a large portion of my lifestyle, from the way I eat to how I train, I feel happier and healthier than I have in a long time, Thank you.

For a long time my workouts consisted of weight training and limited cardio workouts.I always tended to be on and off again in physical fitness, when I am deployed overseas and food consists of only what you need, always being on the move and limited availability of personal time, lifting weights was one of the only things we had extra time for or was one of few outlets for a mental release. The bad thing is that it was only a matter of time before we would get burnt out with the lifting and combat mind set, 10 months to be exact, so when I did get home the last thing I wanted to do was step into a conventional gym. Not to mention having all the food and booze that I had craved for the last year at my hands and not wanting anything but to relax and reintegrate into normal living, it was very easy to put on a few pounds.

The biggest change that I have seen/made since joining the CC community in February is probably my motivation and personal drive.I am happier with my self when I eat properly (not to say I don't cheat from time to time) but feel better physically and mentally with proper nutrition. I now shop and order completely different than I did in the past and its lead me to learn that I like a lot more of different kinds of food other than burgers and beers. I get in a WOD, either weights or cardio based almost every day. I spend my personal time doing more things outdoors and find myself happier and more at peace for doing so.

One experience/workout that stands out in my mind since I've joined CC is hard to determine.

I know that every time I show up for class or get prescribed a Spartan WOD its a new challenge. I have only been with CC since Feb and all the WODs continue to surprise me. I find myself constantly learning new movements and techniques. I have more fun then ever working out with the CC community.

Check out Ryan's Spartan Challenge results here. View all Spartan Results.

Just a few of my star Spartans!

Saturday was the finale for the 7 week Spartan 300 Challenge. My team of 6 did a great job during the entire challenge and the results say it all.

Mike
Mike did I AM CROSSFIT with me in Januaryand he entered this challenge already in GREAT shape. He was strong, lean, and mastering most of CrossFit's basic movements - so what did Mike do?? He signed up for his first triathlon next weekend! Maintained his body weight throughout the challenge but dropped down to 9.9% body fat (down from 24% when he started just 9 months ago). He crushed the final benchmark in 17:39min - a major improvement from his DNF on the first benchmark! Watch out for Mike in the CrossFit Masters competition next year.

Connie
I met Connie last September when she joined my CFE Elements crew. BUT the Connie that I coached during Spartan is NOT the same gal I met back then. She has completely transformed her life and her appearance. In fact, I overheard someone bragging about how Connie has the figure of a teenager :) That was right after a bystander stated they hope to do pull-ups like Connie when they were 50ish....their friend quickly chimed in with "I wish I could do pull-ups like that and I'm not even 30".
Needless to say, Connie is an inspiration! She worked religiously to improve her strength over the last 7 weeks. In the end she was a mere 5 pull ups away from finishing the workout on Saturday - a vast improvement from the initial workout. She also added 3.5 lbs of muscle while dropping her body fat from 19% down to 16.5%.








Emily
Emily is the kind of person who makes you feel comfortable from the instant you meet! While Emily was a new face to me at the start of the Spartan Challenge she was not new to our CrossFit Central Challenges - her plans to do I AM CROSSFIT fell thru and she was out to redeem herself with Spartan!
Redeem she did....Emily kept an immaculate food log - squeezed in the extra workouts between CrossFit Class and training for a marathon - and kept her life as a self proclaimed resident chef, dog feeder, photographer and wife in tact!
Emily improved her performance in the benchmark workouts - lost 7.4 lbs - dropped 9.5 inches - "after 7 weeks of challenge, I felt good enough to hang out on the boat in my bathing suit."

Thank you all for choosing me to help you thru the Spartan Challenge!



If you're interested in seeing results like this - contact me or come check out CrossFit Central's programs NOW.

Grand Finale!!! Spartan 300 Challenge

Tomorrow is the final Benchmark workout for the Spartan 300 Challenge. I know my team members are gonna BLOW IT UP!

The last week of any challenge at CrossFit Central is filled with chatter from the clients and coaches bragging about how much stronger "so and so" got or how much body fat "someone else" dropped or how much more energy "another person" has after committing to a few nutritional changes.
This week has been no exception! Yesterday, Coach JDP, Coach Mike, Coach Crystal and I spent at least 30 minutes sharing all the success stories from our teams.

I can't wait to see everyone bright and early tomorrow morning for the final workout! All the hard work has been done - the workout is just a celebration of all your effort!

Benchmark Week - CrossFit makes you stronger!

This month's benchmark was CrossFit Total. If you've been at the gym at Burnet or in Runtex, you've probably noticed PR's covering the whiteboards and lots of CHEERING as class mates encouraged each other to "make the final lift".

Congrats to everyone on my Spartan team who had a PR this week!
Mike
squat up 25 lbs to 225lbs
deadlift up 50lbs to 365lbs
Cameron
shoulder press up 10 lbs to 85lbs
deadlift up 10lbs to 255lbs
Connie
I'll let Connie speak for herself.....

Yes!! PR 155# Back Squat, PR 65# Shoulder Press, PR 200# Deadlift!! Two other women in my class hit 200# Deads. We are calling it the 200 Club, waiting for Chris Gaussrian to hit 200 in her Deadlift. Then we are cracking open a bottle of Don Julio silver and will howl at the moon - TWOOOO HUNNNDRED CLUUUUBBBB!!!
And, I have 5 pull-ups with a kip! Big Smile on my face!! See... :)

If you had a PR this week, let me know, post to comments!

Kbell skills session at Austin High

This past Saturday, Coach Chris Hartwell - aka kettlebell rockstar - met a couple of my Spartan's and a few of his Trojan team members for a kbell workshop. Most of our session was spent on movements our teams will see in their final benchmark - the kbell clean and press (for the Spartans) and the kbell snatch (for the Trojans).


With only 3 weeks left in the Spartan and Trojan challenge, many of you guys are picking up the pace and dialing in the nutrition! Now is the time to KEEP IT UP and make sure you DON"T GIVE IN to temptations. You've come so far - yet, you can make a ton of progress in the final 21days!


So far on my team -
Ryan has dropped over 3% body fat!
Cameron got his first strict pull up!
Mike has registered and is training for his first triathlon on July 11th
Connie has mastered 5 kipping pull ups in a row!!! She's a bit disappointed b/c she wants 10....little does she know we still have a few coaches who struggle to get 7 or 8 strung together! Be proud, Connie!
Emily has dropped at least 9 lbs and is well on her way to the running goals she set for this fall!
Kris is staying on track with her running plan and kept up the Spartan workouts even while one vacation!


GO TEAM!

Happy Birthday WOD Inspired by Kris

Today one of my Spartan team members is celebrating a birthday! Coach JDP greeted Kris and her class with infamous birthday burpees!  And Kris's teammate Mike took it a step further and created an entire workout in honor of her birthday.


"KRIS"
39 push ups
39 floor wipers
39 lunges
39 box jumps
39 superman
39 burpees

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRIS!

What's your "KRIS" time?

3 weeks complete!

Are you feeling as strong - vibrant - RIPPED as this Spartan? If not, it's time to step it up and ask me how I can help you dial it in for the final 4 weeks!


One of my team members had this to report:
I'm totally cranking on the knee push ups (one of her strength goals!) so that part of the 300 benchmark will go smoother. Overall, the challenge is going great! Believe it or not, I'm down 8-9 pounds (?!) and my clothes are already looser. And on top of that - my skin has completely cleared up - no more acne. I'll be damned! (she reduced dairy and gluten from diet).


What kind of results are you having?


I know you're out there....comment :)

Strength in numbers - Spartan update week 2!

Cameron - Ryan - Connie - Mike just hanging out!

This week I heard someone in my Jack and Adam's bootcamp say how much he needed the group to get the most out of his workout. For anyone who has ever had a workout buddy - been a part of a team - or taken a class - you can relate! There is definitely strength in numbers! Working out with a group heightens your motivation, makes the workout more fun, and keeps you accountable for meeting your goals.

This is exactly why my Spartan team decided to take on a Saturday morning workout together.

WOD 1: body weight strength

4 rounds

• push ups
• pull ups
• jackknive sit ups

WOD 2: met con/endurance

5 rounds

• 400 meter run
• 50 squats

Great job to the entire team for getting this done! Big thanks to Ryan for making this happen.

Week 1 - complete!

We're 1 week into our Spartan Challenge and it seems that my team has been up to A LOT!

Cameron stayed dedicated to his goals on his trip to Guatemala!
Emily conquered a Saturday morning 'long run' with her Rogue friends in addition to her CrossFit classes this week!
Ryan and his brother participated in the Muddy Buddy and earned a 5th place finish!! WOW - it must be the CrossFit kickin' in.
Kris found ways to stay healthy and fit despite travel for work and a hectic schedule.
Lisa (yes, me) rented a fridge in San Diego and got strange looks in the airport as I made hummus/salmon sandwiches using romaine as the 'bread'.

Mike and Connie joined the CrossFit Central crew for a Spartan Skill Workshop. See what Connie had to say about the clinic below:

I loved the skills clinic. The movements at all the stations, Kettlebell, HSPU, Pull Up, and Rings required a lot of focus. All the coaches were generous in providing detailed info on how to improve our technique. It reminded me of the Vince Lombardi quote - Practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect.

The KB snatch revealed a weakness and lack of coordination in my left arm. It was hilarious. That arm has a miind of it's own!!

Didn't know there were so many variations on the pull-up. I was able to do 4 "mountain climber" pull ups with the rope. Got a lot of pointers on how to do unbroken pull-ups with a kip and practice releasing the death grip I've been using to hold the bar!

The HSPU station was very interesting. Walking up the wall from plank, moving laterally across the wall and ending in the plank position with feet on the wall was challenging but I managed to do it! I've been using the rack to do assisted HSPU's but John had me practice getting the "negative".

Personally, I loved the rings and the muscle up clinic. It takes a lot of control to do the push-ups on the rings, but I managed to do a set. Got the beginning part of the muscle up but could not get into the locked elbow position from the dip. I'm going to continue practicing that.

Many thanks for providing this clinic. I enjoyed it and found it very helpful! - Connie

See more photos from the workshop HERE.

Tell me more about week 1 as a Spartan.

Spartan journey begins!

These are my Spartans (minus Emily.....we missed you Emily - next photo you're front and center!)

Are you Spartan?
a. Rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained.
b. Simple, frugal, or austere: a Spartan diet; a spartan lifestyle.
c. Marked by brevity of speech; laconic.
d. Courageous in the face of pain, danger, or adversity.

Over the next 7 weeks this team is going to dedicate extra time and energy to various health and fitness goals.

The goals ranged from nutrition to strength to adequate rest but each goal was set with intention and with a plan of action!

Here are a few sites I shared with this team to help them succeed.
CrossFit Endurance
CrossFit Football
WOD SHOP
Paleo Recipes

Let me know how your first week as a Spartan is going!

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???

Are you Spartan or Trojan?

Registration is up and spots are going quickly.
Are you Spartan?
Or Trojan?

Spartan 300 Challenge from CrossFit Central on Vimeo.