Debt of Gratitude.

It was Veteran’s Day already, but it’s come and gone again, so fast like it always does. It’s a brief flash of gratitude in a busy life, but I find myself still thinking about it.

This post has one agenda. I want to thank every man and woman who is serving currently or has served our country in the past on my behalf, my family's behalf, and so many people living around us and throughout the country. Thank you for your selfless act of service.

Because of CrossFit and its unyielding support of the military and First Responders, the gym has become a portal for me to get to know an incredible variety of people who have served in every branch. We train day in and day out. I get to hear about life, I get to hear about service, and I get to hear about sacrifice. It is humbling. It makes me realize that I take my freedom for granted. Other people have volunteered to potentially put themselves in harm’s way, and to actively consider the defense of this country so that me and my family do not have to worry about our safety.

I am honored to have a place where I get to share that kind of conversation and that depth. I’m honored to hang the flags of each branch on our walls and to drape the American flag from ceiling to floor. I want CrossFit 310 to be a space where veterans continue to feel honored, and supported.  I want to use every bit of my expertise and my gratitude to be a help and encouragement to those who have served, and who are serving.  And I want to build up and support, people who will serve in the future.

On behalf of CrossFit 310, my family, my coaches, and my friends who might not have a place to publish something like this:  thank you for your service.

Brown Bag Notes

Brown Bag Notes

Amazing humans of CrossFit 310,

This is a quick letter to you all.  It’s a note I’d like to deliver with the affection of a mom scribbling something personal on the brown bag that holds each of her kid’s lunches (Who remembers brown bag lunches?).  

I’d like this note to encourage you, maybe make you smile, and also give you a small spoonful of Mom wisdom–you know, the kind that gives you confidence at just the right time.

You came to workout at 310 for a personal and specific reason–and we absolutely love that.  Our aim is to honor your personal goals and to be part of your journey.  But, I have found, over the course of the 13 years we’ve been open, that people don’t usually stay with us for years because of “Goals”.  People stay because they feel something in our culture that resonates deeply with them AND the way we present fitness matches where their goals are pointed.

Today, I wanted to send you a description of the three chords that bind together everything we do at CrossFit 310. They will give you insight into the things we value.  They will help you put words to some of the things you may have felt, but couldn’t describe.  And, they could help you participate with us in a more profound way…more on that last sentence to come.

The Three Chords:

1. We take movement seriously, but we never take ourselves too seriously.

2. Profound and exceptional physical fitness is easier to get than people think.

3. Our culture is about bringing up the next generation alongside us.

That’s it.  That’s how we have tied everything up into the ball of our culture at CrossFit 310.  I know, short note. But that’s the point.  Just a little note on your lunch bag that we will continue to unpack over the days we have together in the home…or the gym.

The next Brown Bag Note will dive into and unpack the first chord.

And just in case nothing brought a smile to your face yet, maybe this Dad joke, that I might write on a brown bag lunch, will do it:

“Apple pie in Jamaica $2.55

Cherry pie in Antigua $4.57

Key Lime Pie in Dominican Republic $3.87

Those are the pie rates of the Caribbean.”

Love you guys,

Koach

The Myth of Willpower

By Jen McMahon

Is willpower a Myth?  While the concept of willpower seems clear, I find that it is actually quite easy to misunderstand or misuse. I used to believe that any bad habits I had were simply a lack of willpower on my part.  When I was in college, I always wanted to choose healthier foods and yet I would continually find myself stuck in a rut of junk food.  Similarly, I work with many clients that tell me that they wish they had more willpower as if it were a magical elixir that’ll keep them from eating bad foods or motivate them to go to the gym even when they’re really feeling tired.  I often encourage them to look at it a different way. 

The truth is that willpower has a funny tendency to work best for those who set their lives up to support their goals.  In other words, don’t place yourself in front of the tastiest treats and then expect yourself to repeatedly turn down your favorite foods.  People who have the most willpower don’t tend to get themselves in situations that set them up for failure in the first place, but rather they fill their cupboards and fridges with foods that support their goals.  

Rather than expecting willpower to come save you from temptation in a weak moment, see if you can foresee potential obstacles in your day or the week ahead and make decisions that will guide you in the right direction from the start.  James Clear uses a similar concept in the book, Atomic Habits when talking about making habits “invisible” that you’re trying to get rid of.  This is exactly right!  If you’re trying to eat less sugar and you’re a big ice cream fan, try removing ice cream from both your freezer and your weekly grocery list.  If ice cream is easily accessible, it is likely to call out to you in stressful times or even when you’re simply feeling tired, making you feel like you have no willpower at all. We think we need willpower to overcome these constant temptations, but half of the time if it was just a little more inconvenient, we’d resist automatically.

This example works in reverse as well.  If you’re looking to add yoga to your daily routine, place the yoga mat in a visible location that will help serve as a both as a reminder and a convenience as you’re walking by. It is amazing how much your willpower will increase when you have to go significantly out of your way to slip back into old habits.  

Ultimately, I do think willpower exists.  It is success through willpower that is the myth.  Perhaps we’re all just relying on it far too heavily.  Instead of leaning on our willpower to help us manage daily temptations, we have the ability to remove temptations as much as possible and use willpower only when absolutely necessary.

If you’re needing help managing temptations and habits in your own life, we’d love to help! Set up a free Health History at https://www.crossfit310.com/nutrition-1

How To Make Your Body Strong, Part 2

By Kris Germain

Let me set the stage for this article.

Part 1 of this article was written before Covid-19 swept over the world.  Honestly, there’s nothing like a world-wide pandemic to drive our definition of strength deepest.  Functional, Robust and Playful had deep meaning when we were all free to go anywhere we wanted. Now it’s even more important, and never have we been more aware of the immune system as an expression of strength...

Welcome to Part 2 of “How To Make Your Body Stong.”  In part 1, we spent time defining strong as Functional, Robust and Playful.  This article continues to develop a conversation we’re exploring in the pursuit of a thriving lifestyle. Thriving compared to just getting by. Thriving compared to the tyranny of our metastisized To-Do lists and impossible Calendars.

In this article, I will give you 5 areas to help you filter what’s important in making you strong and assessing areas you are lacking.  

• Eat to be strong.

Your body is a machine.  It’s the most beautifully created machine to ever exist.  It is the vehicle through which you experience this world.  Your body operates through chemical stimulus and response. Everything you put in your body changes the chemistry of your body.  All muscular contractions, all pain stimuli, all digestive operations, all sexual responses, all immune responses are initiated first chemically.  If you do not learn How to Eat, then your body will break down in one or all of the following points of strength. 

• Make your heart strong

If you elevate your heart rate for 30 mins a day 5 times a week, you will absolutely take a giant leap towards THRIVE. 

The machine of your body is a pump system.  The rest of your body is completely dependent on it for healthy function.  Without a strong heart, you cannot thrive. Period.

Here’s where mistakes will be made.

1. Walking briskly elevates your heart rate.  People who fancy themselves athletes will struggle with this as an acceptable form of heart exercise.  The cutting edge is about finding the right combination of elevated heart rate. If you’re at a Crossfit gym, you must learn to exist in a way that does not have you at the edge of your capacity every day. It doesn’t sound very CrossFit.  Hope they don’t kick me out :)

2. If you can’t do 5 days a week--start with 1 or 2 or 3.  You must BEGIN in order to THRIVE.

• Make your joints strong

Routinely take your joints through “uncommon” ranges of motion. Teach your body full range of motion squats, presses, lifts, pushups, and pullups.  When you teach your joints to be strong and stable at end-range, you will have acquired a facet of strength that most do not have and nearly everyone loses as they age--and not because of the age, but because we stop expressing full range of motion.  We call this the “Use it or lose it principle.”

This principle of strong joints is tied to mobility and full expression of range of motion.  When we don’t routinely exercise full range of motion we are apt to get injured if we find ourselves suddenly in need of that range of motion (like when your walking your dog and he suddenly pulls your shoulder in a surprising direction).

Your body is inherently stronger when your joints are stronger.  

• Make your frame strong

Ok, here’s where we talk about Muscles and Bones.  It is important to have strong muscles. To build strong muscles you need to use resistance. 2-3 times a week you need to utilize load or weight from your body with pushups, pullups, squats lunges, running and jumping, climbing, etc.  And/or you can utilize external objects like dumbells, barbells, kettlebells, sandbags, tires, rucks, and common machines that you would find in a gym. Variety is important: upper body and lower body movements, exercises designed to strengthen your core, and to promote full range of motion.

Here’s the cool thing, the same principle of load on your muscles is just as important to your bones and the connective tissues that tie everything together. Your bones and connective tissues get incrementally stronger just like your muscles do.  How cool is that? Your bone density increases when you use resistance against them. 

• Make your mind strong

Patterns and puzzles…

I had only written the words above before my Tuesday writing sessions at the office suddenly closed down as the doors to my gym were also closed.  

What I intended to describe was the hunger the brain has to learn and to be used.  You will be able to find study after study that corroborates this, but what I find is rarely talked about is the two-way street that exists between the brain and the body.  Your brain runs EVERYTHING in your body, and amazingly if your brain isn’t challenged it gets weaker and slower just like the muscles, bones and other tissues in your body. Your brain gets strong and stays strong by being challenged.  It needs to process and react and CREATE! One of the best ways to challenge the brain is to ask it to learn something new. New movement patterns are an incredible way to keep the brain strong. Forcing it to create a new system also informs old systems--which means learning new things helps you get even better at old things. 

Now, this is where things get timely.  The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted like never before how devastating it can be physically when stimulus to the brain is reduced.  Apathy is the result, and apathy is like a hidden cancer; it spreads, it consumes and it incapacitates. 

These days I spend most of my coaching time pointing to the great super-highway between the body and the brain.  I preach the “permission to feel good” louder than ever, and it took a global pandemic to cut through the noise of social media, unrealistic and unhealthy goals that were keeping people from actually being Strong

Thriving in life needs much more than just a physical answer, but making your body strong gives us significant advantages if we are Functional and Robust and Playful. 

If you could use some help with any of the “Get Strong” ideas in this article, jump on a call with us today by clicking on this link and scheduling a No-Sweat Intro.

How To Make Your Body Strong, Part 1

By Kris Germain 

Your body needs to be strong.

If you are reading this piece, it’s likely that you already feel that way, but in reality, everyone wants a strong body, they just might not understand why, or even what “Strong” means. 

This conversation is not about building your Bench Press or Squat or Deadlift.  It will not discuss the specific schemes of making your body strong. I’m not going to prescribe sets, reps and rest ratios for you.

This conversation should serve as a filter for you.  As you are choosing your scheme or methodology or even your Coach, these ideas, couched in one basic overarching concept, should be able to help you stay on track. This is the unifying concept:

Longevity is the thing everyone wants, even if you don’t know it at the moment.

Strong means the ability to choose what you want to do instead of being relegated to a way of existing because of various weaknesses.

Strong means functional and robust and playful.

Functional is the ability to do things.  Pick things up, carry things, sit down on the toilet and stand again.  You need to be able to put on your socks in the morning without pain. These are all functional requirements for the rest of your life.

Robust is the ability to get knocked around.  Life physically knocks you around. At any moment you might trip and fall, or get rear-ended, or catch the flu.  Strong bodies get knocked around, recover and move on.

Playful is the ability to move in ways that bring you joy. This is a crucial metric that most coaches aren’t shouting loud enough about and most people aren’t hunting hard enough for.  At CrossFit 310 I try to preach “If we’re not having fun, we’re not doing it right”. If movement is nothing but burdensome to you, you won’t continue to move.

Coach Greg Glassman famously said at the crescendo of his World-Class Fitness in 100 Words, “Regularly learn and play new sports”.  My mom has never read that article, but she started golfing at age 65.  She’s 75 now and she describes golfing with friends in near euphoric language.  She’s my hero.

Playful doesn’t have to mean sports.  You could find joy in walking or hiking.  It could also be wrestling with your young kids, letting them climb on you like a jungle gym. I’ve had numerous people begin to train with me so that they could enjoy playing with their kids.  

This article continues to develop a conversation we’re exploring in the pursuit of a thriving lifestyle. Thriving compared to just getting by. Thriving compared to the tyranny of our metastisized To-Do lists and impossible Calendars.

If we want to thrive in life, we need to be able to do things, recover from things and be available to play when we want to.  

Need help? Book a free 30 min conversation with a Coach.

In Part 2 of “How To Make Your Body Strong”, I will give you 5 areas to help you filter what’s important in making you strong and assessing areas you are lacking.  

Surround Yourself: How To Eat

By Jen McMahon

In our last blog post, Kris started a conversation about Teaching a Man to Fish. It is all about learning skills from and surrounding yourself with the right people who can help you thrive. We believe the foundation of thriving is built on what we fuel ourselves with.

If you have opened a diet book or researched healthy food on the internet lately, you’re likely suffering from information overload. The real trick in today’s information bonanza is to find someone you trust to lead you and teach you how to discern all of the information out there. After 6 Years of studying, and hundreds of hours coaching clients about nutrition, I have a pretty robust filter that I want to give to anyone I can. Read on if you just want to know the fundamentals of eating well so you can thrive instead of just get by. 

Michael Pollan once said, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” This is like the wide mouth of the filter. It simplifies eating down to the basics and helps inform the nutrition principles below that anyone can begin to implement now and benefit from:

1. Eat REAL food. 

   1. Real food comes from nature (ie: plants and animals).

   2. In short, get rid of the pre-packaged junk food that has a long ingredient list that you don’t recognize. 

2. Eat BALANCED meals. This means filling your plate with different macronutrients. You want to make sure at each meal you’re fueling with protein, fat and carbohydrates. 

   1. Among other things, carbohydrates provide energy for physical activity. Carbs are fruits, veggies, starches, beans/legumes, and whole grains. 

   2. Protein serves many functions in your body including helping your body build and repair muscles and connective tissue. Quality protein comes from animal meat, seafood, eggs, nuts/seeds, grains, legumes, and even vegetables. (Side note: I’m a big fan of meat, but sourcing makes a huge difference. Make sure you’re buying grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, heritage breed pork, and wild-caught seafood when you can).

   3. Fat is also a macronutrient that fuels your body with energy and helps to regulate metabolism. Stick with quality sourced saturated and unsaturated fats like meat, nuts/seeds, avocados and fish. 

3. Eat a VARIETY of nutrient dense foods. This means your foods should be colorful and varied to give you a blend of nutrients. 

   1. It is great to find meals that work for you and your family that work well in your routine, however don’t get stuck there. Venture out and try new foods!

4. Eat LESS..._______. These are the things you want to do less often with regard to food. 

   1. Eat less food. Eat until you’re about 80% full. You’ll have plenty of what you need and you’ll feel better.

   2. Eat less often. Most of us don’t need snacks the way we have come to rely on them. Give your body time to digest between meals.

   3. Eat less sugar. This goes back to junk food, but it is worth repeating. Sugar is everywhere and it flavors WAY more of our food than it should. It is probably creeping up in more places than you realize.

5. Eat (and drink) MORE..._______. These are the things you want to do more often with regard to your nutrition.

   1. Eat more mindfully.  Breathe between bites, put your fork down, chew your food, and enjoy it.  

   2. Eat more veggies! Fill your plate with veggies first (organic when you can). Make them colorful and try new varieties until you find several that you love.  They’re worth it!  

   3. Drink more water.  Squeeze lemon into it or whatever you need to make it more appealing, but just drink your water.  

Eating food should be enjoyable and not stressful.  Keep it simple and try not to make it a negative thing for you and your family.  Think of each meal as an opportunity to feed yourself and those you love with healthy foods to keep you feeling great and at the top of your game! If you find these principles difficult to stick with, I’d love to chat further and help break down any obstacles that might be standing in your way.

Surround Yourself: Teach a Man to Fish

By Kris Germain

There is one thing in this article that is important above all other things.  I write it in the last paragraph, so if you don’t think you’re going to make it through the whole article, just skip down to it.  Seriously. I care more about you processing this one thing than you appreciating my metaphors. For you readers...

When we join a gym or hire a Personal Trainer or Health Coach we never ask ourselves “How long should I keep doing this?” or “What do I really want at the end of the day?”  Most of the time, we have a short term goal like “I want to lose 15lbs.”

I think the way we ought to join a gym or hire a Coach should look more like the way we decide on a school or learn a trade or master an art form.  We don’t decide on a particular university because we want to get an A in a specific class during the first semester. We sign up for four years of time, a dozen different classes, a hundred quizzes and tests designed to develop us into something else altogether.  

We expect to be changed after the totality of the university experience.

You dropped 15 pounds because you figured out your schedule and someone told you what to eat for four weeks.  Great, you got an A on the first quiz! Life is pretty good! Do you drop out of school now? Do you take the same quiz again and again?  No, you know you need to be taught more. To thrive in life outside of school, you need another quiz with different questions based on different information.  Life will throw you a curveball because life always throws you a curveball. The best teachers prepare you with that fact in mind. 

The cutting edge of Health and Fitness is all about Teaching a man to fish.  “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

The cutting edge is relationship.  It’s the long arc of patient and deliberate development.  

It looks a lot like the oldest way that things were passed on—even before Universities.

It’s hands-on.

It looks like knowing someone and being known.   

It looks like finding a master and being an apprentice until your master cannot teach you anymore and then you are a master.

Ok, you get the metaphors, now what?

This is the first article in a series where we will explore the cutting edge of how to spend your time in pursuit of a thriving lifestyle.

Thriving compared to just getting by. 

Thriving compared to running in circles, dowsing fires, and reacting to the biggest flame in front of you.

In this series, we plan to engage you with conversations and topics that yield the greatest return in the Health and Fitness frontier:

• How to eat

• How to make your body strong

• How to deal with injuries

• How to rest

• How to view and enjoy the journey

Welcome to the last paragraph (Those of you who skipped straight here, you’ve found it :).  This is the most important thing in this whole article; please leave with this in your brain:  If we want to thrive instead of just getting by day after day, it must be taught to us.  No one can look at the list above and figure them all out on their own.  Podcasts and Youtube videos, books and articles cannot teach you enough to thrive.  Thrive has to be witnessed and handed down to you. The articles that follow in the coming weeks are intended to launch the readers.  They are supposed to strike a match and combust ideas that will move you to action. By all means, email us if anything awesome happens with you, we’d love to hear about it! Or, Follow this link and Book a half-hour with us if you need some help.  

Five Perspectives on Making Change

By: Kris Germain, Jill Schooler, Carrie Rey, DJ Castillo, and Jen McMahon

It’s January and you are either wondering how you are going to achieve your Resolutions or you don’t want to think about Resolutions at all. One thing is for sure though, we all want something from the year ahead. The truth is, most people who make resolutions do not follow through with them, and the other people who don’t bother with resolutions tend to slip deeper and deeper into patterns and habits that a busy life creates. 

CrossFit 310 exists as a group of people who consciously understand that we influence each other. The tribe consists of many leaders that impact each other on numerous levels every day. Consistent positive striving is the goal.

Here are five perspectives from our amazing coaches on how to make positive change for yourself in the year ahead. 

Coach Jill:

I gotta say I am not a big “resolution” fan. But…

1. I am a big believer in having a goal and a way to measure it so you can track progress!  This can happen in Jan, Feb, Mar or when you have an event or “thing” you want to do! As a paddling coach, I do a lot of plans for training around competitions for my team.  It's fun to geek out and make a plan! You should have a timeframe (start and stop) and then break down the plan into pieces so you can execute (not just hope for the best).  

2. It also really helps to do it with your “team”.  This gives you some accountability, support and motivation.  This example is a goal based on a competition so we need increasing mileage, skill work, speed work...but you can apply this type of planning to any goal.  Maybe its increasing your 1k row or getting a pull-up or doing the splits!  

So make a resolution or don't make a resolution  - but definitely set a goal and make a plan!  

Coach Carrie:

1. I tell people that you just have to start.  Even if you think you’re too out of shape, or you’re not good enough at whatever you’re trying, or if you’re nervous.  If you don’t start the process, then nothing will ever change for you. 

2. Something that helps me is the overall mindset of health.  When I exercise consistently I am more healthy. I know it has kept me away from the doctor and allowed me to thrive.

3. Right now I am making two nutritional choices.  First, I’m making choices that are significant enough to make changes, but not so overwhelming that they can’t be sustained.  Second, I am not doing it alone. Accountability means a lot. 

Coach DJ:

I believe that there are a few things that need to be done in order to make a meaningful change for the coming year. 

1. The first one is to track. There are a number of things to track such as progress in the gym if you are chasing a new PR, tracking your food in order to either lose or gain weight, tracking your quality and quantity of sleep, the list can go on and on but choose a couple of things to track and be persistent about it. It can be as simple as how many days in a row that you have come in the gym per week or how many meals incorporated a solid amount of fruits and veggies. But the key takeaway from this is that it gives you data on where you started on your journey, to where you are now, to where you want to go in the future. 

2. The second thing to do to make a powerful change is to have an awesome support system and to surround yourself around people that will help you get to where you want to go. If you’re struggling to get into the gym, or you’ve had one too many treats, you have five great coaches to talk to for you to get back on track and will support you, as well as our entire 310 community. We’re all here to better ourselves in more ways than one and we have strength in numbers. 

3. The last thing I believe that is needed is to enjoy and trust the process. It makes things so much easier to do the things you love doing. I know it can be hard at times to push through those long days, but always remember that nothing comes easy, so might as well make it fun. 

Coach Jen:

Here are my simple resolution tips to optimize your chance to be successful:

1. You do not have to start on Jan 1st.  You can resolve to change at any time; the beginning of the year is just another opportunity to get inspired.  

2. Your goal or resolution must be clear and be something you have control over.  I often hear people say they want to “lose weight”, but I find that choosing a habit or behavior you can change to help you lose weight is a better strategy.  For example, “I’d like to stop ordering lunches out”.

3. The most important part of having a goal or resolution is your plan.  You can’t just decide to execute change without knowing how you’ll do it.  In the example above, my plan might be to go shopping on Monday so I have groceries in the house so that I can make my lunches at home for the week. 

4. Community is key for meeting goals. Get others involved or tell someone your plan so you have a feeling of commitment and accountability. 

Koach Kris:

I’m going to keep mine very concise to emphasize how potent two simple choices can be.  

1. Start with the one thing you think you can repeatedly do again and again that will help you towards your goals.

   a. Two of the most miraculous changes I’ve ever witnessed (ex. overweight Camera Operator turned Personal Trainer/Nutritionist) started with “I’m going to stop drinking Soda and Diet Soda.”

2. Surround yourself with a group of people who are doing the thing you want to be doing.

   a. Make sure that group makes you feel welcome and at-home no matter where you are in your journey.

   b. Make sure they know how to bring you with them.

All of our coaches at 310 have not only experienced success with the achievement of goals and behavioral changes, but we’ve also experienced dozens of failures.  We want to use the knowledge of both experiences and share them with as many people as we can.

The advice above is valuable whether you’re part of our community or not.  If you feel like our coaches and our community could help you, follow this link and we’ll start with a talk: https://www.crossfit310.com/signup  

We don’t have it all together, so you don’t need to have it all together either.  We’ll utilize each other to strive for positive changes and move from simply “getting through” our days to thriving in them!

The Great Awakening

By Kris Germain

The goal board is populated with significant moments you’d like to experience.  The process towards a single glorious moment of accomplishment is comprised of a sea of other moments that are all important, each one building on the other, mapping out your unique experience.  

Your process towards your goal is as personal as your fingerprint.  It is it’s own original work of art. But there is a special moment, a crucial moment, that you don’t want to overlook. It should be recognized and savored, and it should be remembered for future goals:

I’m going to call it “The Great Awakening”. It’s the moment that you KNOW you’re going to accomplish your goal. It’s real, and it can’t be faked.  It’s not positive thinking or an “I can do anything I put my mind to” mantra. The moment literally changes your belief, and even if the eventual goal still has work to do, the energy and drive to the goal changes.  

I’ve worked with hundreds of people looking for their first pull-up or muscle-up. In the beginning it’s fair to say that I believe in your pull-up more than you do.  It feels too far away for you. It feels impossible. But I keep calling you to the bar and I keep encouraging you. With consistency, you feel a little stronger. Some days it feels good, other days it still feels like garbage.

Then one day something different happens.  The rep feels different for a brief moment. Today when the brain fired the command, the message jumped from synapse to synapse throughout the body and it traveled farther than ever. It organized the orchestra of muscles to hit a new and singular note—and you felt yourself move with a new energy.  Something was clearly different and you know at that moment you are going to get your pull-up. It’s just a matter of time. 

This is the moment that I’m waiting for, and everyday I’m coaching you towards this moment. I know it’s there, but you don’t yet (if only you could see all that I’ve seen). 

So I tell you to trust your coach. 

I tell you to keep following me. 

It’s coming. And when it does come, you have to do three things:

Recognize it. 

Mark this moment because seeing is believing. If you feel it and then you see the results you’ll be on the lookout for it in the future.

Enjoy it.

It’s not wise to count your chickens before they hatch, but it’s also a mistake to refuse to be encouraged until your goal is manifest. Enjoying points along the way will develop appreciation for the process of things. If you enjoy process, you will tap into the deep secret of all goals—all learning!

Don’t forget it.

That same moment is hidden in the junk drawer of a hundred other goals, under hundreds of other failed attempts.  You know what to look for now, so remember that moment exists and keep trying.

Need help? Book a free 30 min conversation with a Coach.

The Art of Positive Change

by Kris Germain

This Friday the CrossFit Open happens...again.  I have signed up and I’m ready mentally.

The first thought someone might have is: Kris, you own a CrossFit gym, of course you have to sign up.  Of course you have to tell other people to do the same. If you know me well, you know I can’t preach or sell or coach if I’m not a believer in what we’re doing.  If it’s false, I can’t bring myself to bring others with.

Truthfully, I think there will be many gyms that don’t jump into the Open this time.  Participation likely will be lower worldwide this round. So, why is CrossFit 310 doing it again? Why am I personally signing up for it again?  Why am I bringing people with me? Because of everything I’ve learned regarding Positive Change.

Positive Change is impossible unless you disrupt the thing you’ve been doing again and again.

All significant Positive Change begins with an uncomfortable starting point.  This principle is so universal, it should be EASY to recognize and proceed forward.  The problem is, human nature fights ferociously for comfortable.  

The sharp teeth of “status quo” have sunk in so deep that we rarely see significant change in a positive direction, period.

Forty-six years into life, and here is what I’ve personally experienced and seen, regarding positive change, in the gym and every other sphere of my life:

• It is extremely rare that positive change is made on your own, without any outside influence, whether it be physical, organizational or spiritual.

Period.

• If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward.  

This turn of phrase is dangerously simple.  So simple, you can overlook it. This principle needs to be Preached, Coached and Demonstrated.  It applies to literally every area of your life.

• It is crucial to find organizations and individuals who are doing this well.  

There is an art to daring individuals to break out of their comfort zone and to recognize the timing of each person’s revolution will look different.  My working definition for “doing this well” includes two basic criteria: 

1. The organization or individual invites you to come as you are. Come imperfect and unfinished, and start where you are now.

2. The individual or organization has the ability to follow through with that invite.  They have a method of development to bring people alongside and grow them over time.

Our programs at CrossFit 310 are designed to provide avenues of participation. Another round of RunFit 310 starts October 21st and Coach Jen will be in dozens of conversations, encouraging and inviting people to come with us. Tomorrow our gym jumps into the first CrossFit Open workout.  This is about disruption for me. This is about allowing myself to go with a group of people into unknown workouts to move the needle on my fitness and resolve. I will find myself in dozens of side conversations, encouraging and inviting people to come with us, not just in the Open but generally. We do this in many facets at CrossFit 310 including our Personal Training and Nutrition programs.  We want to help you start now. We believe deeply in positive change and bringing as many people with us as we can.  

Need help? Book a free 30 min conversation with a Coach.

Change Your Life

Photo by Bankim Desai on Unsplash

 By Kris Germain

One of the most devastating things that I continue to learn through the Health and Fitness industry is how many people are losing years of vitality from their lives because of inactivity, lack of sleep, too much stress and poor nutritional habits.

This is not going to be shocking news to most people.  Anyone who ingests even a little daily news now understands the overwhelming scientific evidence that screams “Move more! Eat healthier!”  The big problem everyone is suffering from is not a lack of education, it’s a lack of direction. How does anyone decipher how to choose from a million different ways to move and eat and make changes that last?

Here’s the good news: 

One of the most impressive things that I continue to learn through the Health and Fitness industry is how easy it is to add years of vitality to your life starting today.

Honestly, it’s hard for me not to stop people everywhere and tell them that I could teach them just a few things that will make them feel exponentially better in their days, and add years to their lives.  Years of being playful and adventurous like they are now, or once were.

I have so much confidence in talking with people because I’ve seen with my own eyes that 3 general principles, administered patiently and habitually, will change your life.

1. Elevate your heart rate for 10-20 mins a few times a week.

2. Take your body through uncommon ranges of motion (Stretching yes, but exercises do this too! Pressing something overhead and squatting properly is uncommon to our regular movement patterns).

3. Add some load (resistance) to your frame to strengthen bones, muscle tissue and connective tissue (This could be bands, dumbbells, a machine, a backpack, etc).

That’s it.  That’s the beginning of the revolution.

The problem is, how do you add it to your life?  We’re all stretched so thin!

My advice to everyone is to start with the thing you KNOW you can do.  

Start small and go from there.  You need to schedule something small, that can be repeated, and enjoy the dopamine hit you’ll get when you follow through.  You will be surprised at how gratifying this is.

Maybe it’s going for a walk after work.  Put it on the calendar and grab a friend--but this is your revolution, so if your friend can’t go, you still go for a walk.

If you’re at a loss. If you know you need help. If you know having a place to go and a coach to guide you will help move the needle, go to www.crossfit310.com and sign up for our No Sweat Intro. We’d love to see if we can be a help to you.

Tales of a 5am Runner

By Jen McMahon

My alarm goes off a 4:15a and I quickly get out of bed to avoid waking up my husband or the rest of my household.  I know it might sound crazy, but I never snooze my alarm clock or let it ring long. After years of dragging out my wake-up process, I’ve conditioned myself to pop out of bed right away so I don’t have the choice to flake.  I used to snooze, but now I’ve learned to set my alarm for the latest possible moment so I have just enough time to get ready and get out the door for my 5a run and there is no chance for me to waste time. Most people think I’m insane for getting up this early.  I invite people to come run at 5a and they look at me like I’m joking. I get it because getting up this early is rarely ever easy, but it is definitely always worth it.

At 5a it is dark outside and typically cold.  Depending on the run I’m doing I might even need a headlamp to avoid running through dark trails or streets.  I lead a running group that starts at 5a and it is so nice to have this group for so many reasons. Not only is this group fun, courageous, and encouraging, but the accountability of getting up early and knowing people will be there waiting for me is a huge one.  I also love knowing none of us will ever have to run alone in the dark.

While I definitely consider myself a morning person now, I wasn’t always. I used to stay up late in college and try to avoid early morning classes with the best of them. Though I do remember signing up for an early morning ROTC Bootcamp class my Freshman year. It was dark, muddy and freezing cold and I found it exhilarating!  I can’t quite explain it, but we were tired and yet we were pushed out of our comfort zone before anyone else on campus was up. I left that class everyday feeling SO accomplished and proud. I have great memories of that class. I still don’t think that alone made me a morning person. It wasn’t until many years later when I worked full time and decided to join a running group with my friend early in the morning so I could get my workout in before work that was when I became hooked. I would get up super early, drive across town to run and then get ready for work at a nearby 24 Hr Fitness and do it all again the next day. #worthit

One of my favorite parts about running before the sun comes up is the peace and quiet we experience in the early mornings.  There is no traffic, no noise, no hustle and bustle. It is just us and our path. We get a better glimpse of the stars and in the wintertime I always see Orion’s belt and sword in the sky.  As time goes by on our run, the neighborhoods and beaches start to wake up a bit. We notice cyclists start to pop up along the bike path, walkers on the strand, and surfers heading toward the water with their surfboards.

Depending on the time of the year, we may or may not get a sunrise within the 5 o’clock hour, but during this time of year (spring and summer) we do and it is magical.  As we’re running we get to witness the sun coming up over the mountains or buildings beyond before most people are even out of their beds, much less on the road.  If we are running along the ocean, we start to see the colors of sunrise reflect along the water and in the clouds and it is stunning every single time. Everyday I take a picture as if it were the first time I noticed; I probably have hundreds of these beautiful sunrise pictures that don’t even do it any justice.  If we’re lucky, we even get to see the dolphins up and greeting us and showing off; it is almost as if they know we’re watching. As a girl who grew up in Arizona, the views and scenes at the beach never get old. Just one look at those dolphins surfing the waves and I’m like a kid in a candy store, just giddy and excited over seemingly little. We watch for a moment in awe and then continue on our run feeling so fortunate to have witnessed it.

Once we finish our run, whether we focused on speed, hills or took our time on a beautiful trail, it is always a little sad for it to come to an end.  We stretch and cool down as the world is waking up around us and starting their day. As much as I truly enjoy my morning run with my running crew, there is something amazing about that feeling of accomplishment of being done with a workout by 6a or 7a that is motivating and a little addicting.  I didn’t always appreciate the early mornings, but I’m so glad I found them. Even if you’re not a morning person yourself, I hope you’ll join me for a run someday and see the world from this perspective. I love being able to look back and feel so proud of myself for prioritizing my health and fitness first thing in the morning; it makes me feel liberated and in charge of the rest of my day.

Are You Maximizing Your Open WODs?

by Jen McMahon

Did you know there is something you could be doing today that could improve your scores in the CrossFit Open?  My name is Jen McMahon and I’m a Running Coach and a Health Coach. While this is my first Open experience, I have been a runner for about 14 years and I have been training for a variety of different races in that time including my first Ultra Marathon last year. Having a race date on the calendar to prep and train for is similar in many ways, but not in the ways you might think.  You may be showing up at the gym practicing your wall balls, double unders, and overhead squats and while that is super valuable, there is more to the equation than just practice.

Race Prep

As a runner I have learned over the years that before a race I need to make sure I'm fueled properly.  The Open is really no different. Hydration, for example, doesn't just matter on the day of your event but in the many days leading up to it.  Same thing goes for your nutrition. If you're fueling your body with junk before your upcoming Open WOD, you're likely not showing up with your best effort in the gym, despite your hours of practice.  To maximize your performance, it is best to think through all of the different ways you can give your body what it needs to do well.

Tips you can start today that'll help enhance your practice:
1. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water (yes, actual water) everyday, particularly leading up to your Open Workout.  Water is not only needed to support your organs and your blood flow, but it is crucial to optimize our muscles for use and recovery.

2. Pay attention to what kind of foods set you up for success.  This will be different for everyone, so it is important to understand what works for you.  Simple carbs and processed foods often spike our energy immediately but leave us feeling lethargic later.  Make sure you're eating plenty of real food that will give your body clean energy for the long run.

 
3. While quality of food is key, timing is also important.  If your body is still digesting food, it likely won't be able to focus completely on the task at hand (like helping you PR in your squat cleans), so it is critical to make sure you're eating well before your workout to give you that energy you need without distracting from your goal.  

4. Another important part of fueling your body has to do with recovery.  I know it can often feel like we need to push ourselves to the limit at every opportunity, but if our bodies and minds aren't getting enough down time, that strategy can backfire.  Plan ahead to make sure you're getting adequate sleep and rest (two different things) before your upcoming workout to ensure you're able to give it your all when it counts.

It’s too much!

When done right, these tips can really help you become the best athlete you can be and make sure you're ready to maximize performance when you need to.  That said, it doesn't mean these are always easy to prioritize in our busy lifestyles. My suggestion is to pick one or two of the items on the list above to get started with.  Perhaps you pick the tips that would be the easiest to accomplish before your next Open WOD. This process isn't about perfection, it is about experimenting with proper fueling so you can excel when it matters.  The best athletes out there are in constant pursuit of an ideal combination of all these elements and more. So do as the experts do and practice, not just with your workouts, but also with what fuels your body best so you can experience peak performance when you need it most.

Momentum

By Kris Germain

Momentum: the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events.

There is an imaginary speed at which you would like to have things move in your life.  You have desires, ambitions and goals that you imagine would take this or that amount of time.  Every January, people run headlong into the real-time speed of life with this imagined speed, and real-time usually obliterates the dream.

The good news is, that real-time has a couple of gears and it’s possible for you to change speeds.  The way we all shift gears and change speed is through momentum.  Over the years, I’ve tried to understand and develop some expertise on the subject, and here’s a quick breakdown of what I’ve learned:

1. Emotion is part of momentum, but it doesn’t define it.  When you start something and you feel good, and that good leads to euphoric, enjoy it, but don’t let that define your success.  No deep, lasting change comes without struggle. You must choose to drive your momentum on the days you don’t feel it.

2. Find someone or something that has momentum already, and go stand next to them.  Momentum is such a powerful thing, that you CAN get caught up in someone else's momentum and it can turn into your own momentum.  In leadership and coaching circles when you want to Level Up, you get yourself next to people who are already where you want to go.

3. Momentum starts with you.  It doesn’t matter how much momentum is around you if there is no action taken on your part.  The good news is, I have seen meteoric life change born out of miniscule beginnings. Because I own a gym, the most frequent life changer I see is scheduling the appointment to come in.  Pick up the phone or walk through the door, or call the friend, or avoid the drive-through. These are all beginnings of significant revolutions.

True success is defined by a life changed.  Otherwise you’re just on another roller coaster and you’ll end up back where you started.

Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t taken the first step yet.  Keep trying. Dare yourself to be brave. You might be thinking, I’m in the gym all the time, my body looks great, but you know there’s another thing out there that you just can’t get yourself going on.  

Either way, be brave and go stand next to some momentum.

The Lists Are Long, and They Are True

“You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it within himself.”

— Galileo

by Kris Germain

Everyone has two lists.  There is a list of things you want to do.  There is also a list of things that you want to stop doing.

These lists are long and they’re populated with everything we’ve been told we’re supposed to be doing, plus everything we personally hope for.  Some things we’re outspoken with, and some things we couldn’t bear to say out loud. The lists carry the weight of a thousand broken promises, and they’re constricted by the strong arms of a 24 hour clock.

Start working out.  Stop eating fast food.  Stop trolling Instagram for hours. Start making time to go to my kid’s soccer practice.

For years and years I attacked my own lists in the same futile way.  I mistakenly thought enumerating the list and putting it in front of me would drive me to conquer the list.  I was thoughtful and introspective. I was honest and maybe even hard on myself. My lists grew, and they were true, but nothing was changing.  Then generous and loving friends would sit with me to help me. My lists grew, and they were true, but nothing was changing.

Finally, I heard it.  A guy named Chris Cooper wrote an article entitled “How to paralyze your competition”.  The answer: Give them a list of things to work on all at once.

This answer was like a siren shrieking so loud I could feel it in my bones.  It was the truth. I knew it was the truth because my lists had metastasized, my mind had shut down, and I had experienced this cycle over and over for years.  Reading more books, listening to another podcast and watching more Youtube videos was not the answer. I needed to hear the next siren, the solution:

“The best way to move someone forward is to keep them focused on one thing.”

There it was.  Again, it was true and it was real.  I knew it like I know my own name. I needed someone to walk through the lists with me.  I needed someone to say, “Start here with this, and don’t look at anything else until it’s done.”  That was the moment I knew I needed a coach. It cost money, I paid it, and a funny thing happened…My lists grew, and they were true, but things started to change.  

At CrossFit 310 we don’t believe in simply selling you access to our gym or the equipment we have because it’s paralyzing and the track record of this points directly to failure, again and again.  

You can save a lot of money by grabbing a gym membership for under $50 a month, or you can jump into another groupon deal that helps you on your odyssey to burn more calories.  However, the odds overwhelmingly say that you will NOT move the needle on those lists without someone knowing you personally, knowing your struggles, knowing your lists and then pointing to ONE THING.

At CrossFit 310, you pay for a Coach, you pay for a mentor and you pay for a community of people who are trying to move the needle just like you.  This is how we do Personal Training, Nutrition, and Group Classes.

Start stretching more.  Stop eating cereal at night.  Stop raising my voice at home.  Start eating more vegetables.

Your lists are long, and they are true, but is anything changing?

Need help? Book a free 30 min conversation with a Coach.

The Neighborhood Gym

The Neighborhood Gym

by Kris Germain

There’s an image I have in my head of a neighborhood boxing gym.  It’s a brick building with a roll up door. It’s smashed in between a couple other small businesses, and around the corner from a few different connecting streets that make up a neighborhood.  The image is drawn from back in the day, before fitness was fully realized and commercialized, and marketed to the unwitting subconscious desires of the masses. It was before Facebook algorithms, Instagram follows, and hashtags like #gymmotivation.  The equipment was minimal and so was the space because the owner wasn’t trying to sell a million memberships to people who wouldn’t come in. The owner was trying to reach people in the neighborhood. His marketing campaign was to know people and be known.

When I opened CrossFit 310, there were not a lot of CrossFit boxes period.  CrossFit existed mostly in garages at first. There were more CrossFit garage gyms than actual CrossFit gyms where people would pay money to join. Now there are two CrossFit gyms with a half-mile of us and 20 CrossFit boxes within a 5 mile radius.  That may sound like a big problem for most businesses, but as the years roll on, the proliferation of CrossFit has forced us to scrutinize every detail of our approach to the methodology. Who are we and what do we do with people in a sea of fitness options?

Glad you asked.

In between the gym and my house (about 1.7 miles) are thousands of people who need fitness and nutrition help.  

They need help losing the 10-15 pounds to look a little better naked (yup, I started there because nearly everyone is looking for that).

They need help with figuring out what to do when their knees or shoulders ache, or their back is stiff.  

They need help with the 5k, 10k or Spartan race they signed up for.  Or the dream of that Marathon...one day.

They need help with helping their kids and their sports, or giving them some confidence to move and play even though they love art or playing the oboe.

There are hundreds of streets, a high school and a junior high with thousands of people.  I believe that what we do for our gym is good for everyone, but also know we’re not FOR everyone.  

But, out of those thousands of people, there are a hundred.  

There are a hundred people who are looking for exactly what we do.  They’re looking for a place that takes movement seriously, but never takes themselves too seriously.  

They’re looking for a group of people who don’t have it all together, but we’re working on it together, one day at a time.

They’re looking for trainers and members who will meet them right where they are.

They’re looking for a place to be challenged and people to laugh with.

And they’re looking for change.  Real change. Not a fad, not a quick fix, but a brave look at and a daring leap towards true health, and uncommon fitness.

I’ve lived with my family on these streets for 12 years now.  These are my neighborhoods and coffee shops (you’ll see me there for sure!).  

My main marketing strategy is to know people and be known.

We’ll see each other at a coffee shop.  Our kids will play soccer together, or maybe you’re in a Mom’s group with my wife.  Maybe we’ll meet at church, or on the volleyball court. Maybe our businesses are in the same building, or you have a friend that works out with us and CrossFit 310 just sounds intriguing.

However the conversation starts, I’m excited to say, “Why don’t you come by and see our place.  We might be able to help.”

Mad Scientists and Artists

by Kris "Koach" Germain

This is a quick shoutout to Tim Thackrey, the mad Scientist behind our programming.  And to the marriage of programmers and Coaches.  This is actually born from my short diatribe at the white-board today, and I thought it would be a beneficial post for those in the 310 universe.

It was a tough training day today.  The loads weren't heavy, in relation to our 1 Rep Max, but the effort was high.  Tempo front squats, Zercher Lunges and Broad Jumps fill 20 minutes of strength and skill where we were all hammering away, like Blacksmiths in the fire, on our own personal fitness machines.  After that, the WOD had us rotating through a Row, Toes to Bar and Man-Makers (That may need to be renamed "Personal Empowerment Producers" in the current social climate :) circuit. Yup, great training day. But be careful not to overlook it, or the craft and intention of the days and weeks that proceeded it.

In the last 3 weeks, we've seen tempo work, pause squats, empty bar timing repetitions, tons of OH stabilization work and raw strength reps.  If you look at it too quickly, you'll shrug it off and attribute it to variety for the sake of variety; Tim programs these things so we won't get bored you might say.  While that remains true, new angles and rhythms stave off boredom, take a closer look and you'll see the subtlety of his tinkering.  All the variety is pointing towards something in particular.  Today for example, teaches you to get comfortable in the bottom of a squat, and how to account for all the tension necessary throughout a full range of motion, and also drills a violent hip opening followed by the precision of footwork--and that's just your strength and skill.  All the cogs and sprockets, wind-up keys, and hand-cranks that fuel our steam engine of programming is impressive.  Honestly, it's complicated and beautiful.  And that's where your coaches come in.

The coach's job is to take the instrument Tim builds and apply it gracefully to everyone lined up in front of the board everyday.  The coach takes the powerful engine of our programming and doles out just enough throttle for you, where you're at.  The coach teaches you how to steer, when to gas, when to break, and when to let the engine cool.  This thing can go fast; CrossFit has tons of horsepower.  Let your coach guide you so you can drive it however fast you want, for however long you want.

But of course, all of this is sitting there for the taking.  You're welcome to grab handfuls and stuff all your pockets, or you can grab a teaspoon full and be on your way.  Everyone learns this differently, and we'll meet you where you are.

The real art of this whole thing is to have fun with it.  Driving this hog is fun--and not everyone gets to!  Enjoy the process.  Smile big and enjoy the PR's.  There should be copious amounts of high-fives and laughter. 

If we're not having fun, we're not doing it right!

Pick One Thing

Aim this potent principle at your Diet, and then the rest of your life.  By Jen McMahon

 

Pick one thing

Aim this potent principle at your Diet, and then the rest of your life.  By Jen McMahon

“I just can't manage it all”

I remember about three years ago one of my personal training clients came in to see me. She was in her 60s at the time and she had recently lost her grown son to a sudden unknown disease.  She was not only mourning his loss, but she was now in charge of taking care of her grandson and her life had abruptly changed quite drastically overnight. She had always been healthy and vibrant and she really wanted to continue to take care of herself. She was coming to me two days per week to keep up her strength and she wanted some nutrition advice as well.  We had discussed all of the ways she could improve her diet, her hydration, reduce her stress and try to get more sleep, but each day she'd come in feeling more and more overwhelmed with all of the things she couldn't do right. One day she looked at me and said, "I just can't manage it all". This is understandable right? She had a lot on her plate and yet she had goals and needs and wanted to maintain good health in the midst of it all, but it was just too much at once.  I decided to ask her to forget about everything she had to do to be ‘perfect’ and reach her goals and I asked her, "do you think you could just focus on drinking five glasses of water today?" I told her that I don't really care what she eats for dinner and what time she goes to bed and I asked her to just stick with drinking her water and to report back to me the next day. She agreed and then took a big sigh of relief and she cried. She came to me the next day and was proud to say that she drank her water and she was willing to do it again.  She finally felt successful! We just kept her going with small and manageable goals, one at a time. She was able to accomplish them as she was ready and keep moving forward toward her goals. Her small wins kept her motivated and kept her from giving up on herself.

Pick one thing.

This is my favorite lesson about how to create and follow a custom nutrition or fitness plan that is sure to fit into your lifestyle.  This is a concept that is perfect for:

1. People who are either super busy and don't feel like they have it in them to take time out of their busy lives to meet their health or fitness goals, or

2. People who feel like their goals are so out of reach that they don't even know where to start.

Does this sound at all familiar? Many people want to live a healthier life and are wondering how to do it. The answers are out there, right?  There is no shortage of answers. The real trouble is your head could spin with all of the answers. To reach your goals you just need to… (deep breath) cut out sugar, drink more water, hit the gym in the morning, do sit-ups every night, lift light weights with high reps or heavy weights with low reps. Don't forget to minimize your carbs but don't have too much meat, eat smaller meals more often, reduce your wine intake and stop snacking at night. On top of that you need to remember to cook, meal prep and pack your lunches and eat plenty of leafy greens and don't forget to take your supplements and eat gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and organic and and and and and. The amount of rules, restrictions and changes can just go on forever!

I think about this lesson often, even in my own whirlwind of goals and I remember that we all just have to start somewhere.  In less than a week I'll be running the American River 50, a 50 mile race, and my biggest running goal to date. I started training about six months ago and I was nowhere near ready to run a distance like this.  In fact, even though I was running regularly when I started my training, I hadn't run a full marathon (26.2 miles) in almost 10 years, before I had my two kids. I simply had to start where I was. I slowly built up my weekly miles and gradually increased my long distance runs.  I took recovery weeks when I needed to (and when my training schedule called for it) and I literally took it all one step at a time. Now that I'm so close to the race and I have hundreds of miles under my belt, my confidence is high and I feel prepared, all because I started with one thing.

This is where you come in.  

I'm here to simplify life for you.  Start with ONE thing. Yes, that is all, just one.

It could be improving your sleep, increasing your water intake, going to the gym one day per week, or adding veggies to your breakfasts (one of my personal favorites). Just start.  Pick one thing and make it your focus until you're ready to add more.

If you'd like to chat further about where and how to start, I'd love to hear from you!

[Want a conversation with Jen?  Find her here, under "Nutrition Intro" https://www.crossfit310.com/signup]

The Four Invisible Pillars

After CrossFitting for nearly a decade and owning an affiliate for 8 or more years, you get to watch a lot of workouts.  On the count of 3, 2, 1, go!, I’ve watched thousands of people launch into the throws of three rounds for time. I’ve seen countless 20 minute AMRAP’s, ascending and descending ladders, Murphs, 12 days of Christmas iterations, Open WODs, and other monstrous CrossFit Frankenstein workouts.  I’ve learned the general timelines of growth, tendencies of energy expenditure, and the nature of injury in regards to the prescription of adventure we dose to the common man.

In the last decade, the sport of CrossFit has radically changed, but when people are looking to make breakthroughs, I walk them over to the invisible pillars of CrossFit.  We walk right by the obvious pillars, the ones we already know about.  We nod respectfully at the Strict Pullup, Presses and the Dead Lift. We slow a little to pay homage to both of the Squats: the twin titans; and then we actually pause for one moment and stare at the beauty and power of the Clean and the Snatch.  But, we keep moving and I lead them back to exercises they know well, but maybe didn’t know carried so much weight.

Here’s the hack for your CrossFit.  Determine in your mind first, and then your daily practice, that you will master:

Burpees

Wall Balls

Double Unders

Toes to Bar

This is a way to level the ground in 80% of the WOD’s you come across.  It can take a beginner who’s got a lot of work to do in Strength and Oly Lifts, and let them run with the pack.  A veteran without these four pillars dug deep and set in concrete, will likely have lost ground at some competition or watched their position plummet on the CrossFit Open Leaderboard.  

Burpees:

This is mental, and you must start with your mind.  Everyone hates burpees. You don’t have to like them either, but you need to determine that you will be as good or better than most of the people you’re standing next to.  If you do this, if you master this move, you will mentally be ahead of most people in the box even before you start the workout.

This is not a technique heavy movement.  It does not discriminate gender. Revolution.

Wallballs:

This is mental, and you must start with your mind.  Everyone hates Wallballs. You don’t have to like them either, but you need to determine that you will be as good or better than most of the people you’re standing next to.  If you do this, if you master this move, you will mentally be ahead of most people in the box even before you start the workout.

This move discriminates against the immobile, and short people, but if I can do this, you can do this.  Revolution.

Double-Unders (a.k.a. “Anger Makers”):

This is mental, and you must start with your mind (You’re getting the point right?).  Everyone hates Double-Unders. You don’t have to like them either, but you need to determine that you will be as good or better than most of the people you’re standing next to.  If you do this, if you master this move, you will mentally be ahead of most people in the box even before you start the workout.

This move does not discriminate gender, or strength, but your anger keeps you from practicing.  You’ve got to devote time with the rope. Stop watching YouTube videos, you don't need any more cues, and set a three minute clock to practice after every class.  Revolution.

Toes to Bar:

This is not all mental--you’re not crazy--but it’s still no excuse.  This move takes some strength and coordination to learn. If you have your kipping pull-up, then you should have your toes to bar—you just haven't put enough value on it.  You need more time on the bar, like when you couldn’t stop trying for your kipping pullup because you wanted it so bad. And you know what’s coming next...at some point you must determine that you will be as good or better than most of the people you’re standing next to.  If you do this, if you master this move, you will mentally be ahead of most people in the box even before you start the workout.

Some of you reading this just need to dedicate regular time to these pillars.  Your strength is there and the coordination will come with repeated attempts and play. Others need a coach to cue you, film you, take you through hands on gymnastic patterns and identify efficiency issues--maybe even just tell you when to show up and what to do to get one of these.

Most people reading this will continue to avoid the vegetables I’m telling you to eat.  Test the idea though, I dare you. Keep an eye out and see how many people suffer when you are missing one or more of these pillars.  You can cover up for a while if you've only got one of these weaknesses. But, if two of these pillars show up in a WOD, you're in trouble. If you get triple whammied in one WOD, you're likely gonna find something to watch on Netflix instead hitting the 5:30 class.

Master these four moves and it will serve your whole CrossFit life. More play. More fun!

Raising The Well Balanced CrossFitter

As a father with young kids, I am always on the lookout for tips on parental guidance. As ridiculous as it may sound, I approach parenting with some of the same perspective  that I approach CrossFit. I feel like I'm always training for the unknown, and if I don't get comfortable with being uncomfortable, I may miss out on the joy of being with my family. With a  parenting Suck List a mile long, I'm always looking for progressions and scalings and principles to give me greater insight into partnering with my wife and raising all these little people we love. Recently, I was listening to a radio program on parenting and the points being discussed were so salient, I couldn't help but lay them over the template of CrossFit. These points should be read and understood as guidelines for development; setting the stage for the best kind of growth.

Excellence is attainable, perfection is not.
Begin here with most things in life. Whether it's athletic, social, or spiritual, perfection will not be possible. Striving to get a little better every day means everything. Celebrate the days when it all feels like it comes together, and don't put your head in the oven when nothing goes right. You will have both days. Do not be satisfied with imperfection; excellence is a fight. Understand that the accumulation of days is the currency of excellence.
How does a healthy, well balanced teenager spell Love?: T.I.ME.
How do you get a healthy, well balanced Overhead Squat: T.I.M.E.

We have to make failure a safe thing in our home.
One of the greatest social agendas inside of CrossFit 310 is the conquest of taking the fear away from failure. Complete transparency is a primary reason why we post our numbers on the boards. You need to see my paltry squat numbers, Kyle’s non-existent Muscle-Up, Nathan and Jacob’s infant Handstand Push-ups, and Chastity’s mind bending battle with Double Unders. It's encouraging to know we're all working on something. You are supposed to fail over and over again as you come to class and WOD with your friends. You have to get those failed reps under your belt. You have to experiment and calibrate and overcome! This is what we do. We Teach, Practice, Play. Teach, Practice, Play. Inside of the radio program I was listening to, one of their quotes was, "When your kid spills his glass of milk, he doesn't need a lecture, he needs a rag." Take advantage of an environment that praises the process of failure to success. It's intoxicating.

Raise the kids you were given, not the kids you wish you were given.
This last point may not seem to cross over as easily as the other two points, but from my perspective of coaching hundreds of people over the years, this is one of the most profound points,  and I spend a lot of time talking and writing about it. The kid you were given in CrossFit is you. Your body type, your skill level, your strength, your mobility, your schedule, and your age, is exactly what it is at the moment. Some of these things  can be changed! You can change your shape, and your strength, your skill level, and your mobility! Wait long enough and usually your schedule changes too. The danger comes when you start comparing yourself with someone else. Frustration and irritation fester when I start to question why I can't squat like DJ, or pull as much weight as Alex, or develop as fast as Jacob. Everyone must reckon with what they are and build from there, otherwise growth will only take longer.

If you're at CrossFit 310, then you've found a group of people who are trying to move better, live healthier, and have as much fun as we can on the way. Keep playing and fighting for excellence. Listen to stories of profound change and look for any encouragement available. Use your story to encourage someone else.

This stuff is fun.
—Koach