CrossFit Fairbanks

The gym will be closed the 5th(Sunday) and 6th(Monday) for Labor day.  We will still have normal class times Friday and Saturday.

The Saturday morning Workout will be held at the facility this week.  It seems like we are doomed to get rain every weekend as of late.

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” — Pablo Picasso

An interesting cartoon image with some facts about sugar.

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” — Lance Armstrong

Mid-workout, I often ask myself, “Jeezus, what am I doing here?” The answer usually is muffled by someone telling me to stop stalling and get moving because “that squat ain’t gonna do itself!” Like I need THAT reminder. I’ve been at this fairly seriously for about 6 months. I walk away everyday looking like, at worst, I lost a a fight to a semi, or at best, an angry scrappy dog.

So, seriously after all that, why AM I here? Why do I come in here 5 days a week and CrossFit.

I CrossFit because after 15 years of intense involvement in organized sports, I’ve never found something that makes me question my physical and mental capacity and ability, or helped me prove to myself I CAN do it. CrossFit has helped me get stronger. I don’t mean pull-ups or deadlifts or double-unders. I mean in my head, I’m stronger. Someone telling me to keep squatting isn’t what keeps me going. For the first time in my life I know I can. That’s why I CrossFit – because in such a short time (in relation to how long I’ve been an athlete), I learned there’s very little my body won’t do – and it’s an amazing feeling. Every single day, I surprise myself. I lift more, pull harder, and go faster – because I CAN – because CrossFit taught me how.

It’s a lot of work, and sometimes, when I walk away looking like I’ve just been stigmata’d thinking I can’t do it anymore, I catch my breath, and recall the last 14 minutes and 12 seconds and realized I finished, Rx (thankyouverymuch), so I CAN do it.

I’ve never EVER met a CrossFitter who doesn’t have a reason to go in everyday and work themselves so hard – and it’s very rarely because “I want a hot body”. There is more to this – it’s a game you play with yourself to be better than the day before. To be ready for anything anyone throws at you and be prepared for it – in your head and your heart. Maybe your muscles help you through “Misery”, but it’s your head and your heart that tell them to keep going.

Don’t get me wrong, my body looks better, I feel better, I sleep better – all very awesome reasons to do this, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s just icing on the cake that I shouldn’t be eating because it’s SO not Zone.

Of course, this is just little ol’ me, so ask yourself, why do YOU CrossFit? If you haven’t started – ask yourself why not? You’ve got nothing to lose and an amazing life to gain.

By Quinn from CrossFit Fort Meade

“Patience is also a form of action.” — Auguste Rodin

When we think of CrossFit, we don’t often think of the term patience.CrossFit is about going hard and getting results, right? Stronger, faster, quicker, harder? Tear it up, knock it down, 3-2-1-Go!

Yes. And no.

See, to build anything you need hard work. But nothing grows overnight. As stupid as it sounds, you have to tend the garden for a long time before you grow some tomatoes. We know that when it comes to plants, but we forget it when it comes to growing athletes. Or just plain people, too.

You’re not going to learn how to snatch well overnight. Nor will you perfect POSE running in an afternoon. Or a week. Or a month.

The simple truth of the matter is that good things take time. And great things take even more time. To think that anything worth its salt will grow overnight is simple foolishness. The best gardeners and the best athletes share a common trait: patience.

So lace up your sneakers, get your barbell ready, open your ears and listen. Learn. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Wait. Try again. Mess up again. Wait. Have patience. Persevere. Then, act. You might be surprised by the results.

Not doing something all the time is not the same thing as doing nothing. We forget that in CrossFit, and in life.

Learn a little patience. Give good things a chance to grow.

(Words by Lisbeth Darsh/CrossFit Watertown.)

Our Workout of the Day on Saturday will be at the West Valley Track at the normal time of 11 a.m.

The address is 3800 Geist Road.

CLICK HERE for a link to google maps.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
- Albert Einstein

I believe most of you have been doing a lot of the shoulder mobility drills whether it’s with the lacrosse balls, band, or foam roller over the last month or so.  I’m sure you notice that it makes things like overhead presses, pull ups, O-lifts, and generally anything involving your shoulder happen a lot smoother and more comfortable.

I just stumbled across MobilityWod.  It’s a Workout of the Day that is for increased mobility.  You can do these things pretty much anywhere, and I encourage you to do so.  Being more mobile will help you move faster and  with more efficiency.  And for those of you that have knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain.  Some of that can be caused by lack of mobility and tightness in problem areas.

Who doesn’t have 2-10 minutes a day to work on mobility?  Most of you come early enough that you can easily knock these out before the workout of the day.

AGAIN, CLICK HERE FOR YOUR DAILY MOBILITY WOD.

–Kane

The benefits of aerobic activity are…

Increased Cardiovascular Function
Decrease in Body Fat

The negatives of aerobic activity are…

Decreased Muscle Mass

Decreased Strength

Decreased Power

Decreased Speed

Decreased Anaerobic Capacity

The benefits of anaerobic activity are...

Increased Cardiovascular Function

Decrease in Body Fat

Increased Muscle Mass

Improved Strength

Improved Power

Improved Speed

Increased Aerobic Capacity

The negatives of anaerobic activity are…

Anaerobic activity requires an aerobic foundation

CLICK HERE for a good article on the differences between aerobic and anaerobic workouts.

Besides getting into the physical capabilities of people who specialize in aerobic exercise vs. anaerobic exercise let’s take a look at men and women who are elite endurance(aerobic) athletes vs. elite anaerobic athletes.

Athletes with elite endurance or aerobic capacities:

and now let’s take a look at athletes with elite anaerobic capacities….

…tough choice?

Our Workout of the Day for Saturday will be at the West Valley Track.  Still at the normal time of 11 a.m.

The address is 3800 Geist Road.

CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE MAPS

1. CrossFit emphasizes intensity, and intensity is what creates results:

Intensity, of course, is relative, allowing everyone to train at a level appropriate to their own physical and psychological limitations.  Most traditional exercise programs promote low to moderate intensity.  Ever heard the myth that, to burn more fat you need to workout at a lower intensity?… this is horribly misguided information that continues to be spread even while current scientific research has found that shorter duration, higher intensity exercise is in fact better for you.  Intensity is not something to be afraid of.  It is the magic.  It’s the secret ingredient that will change your life.
2. CrossFit creates ATHLETES, not bodybuilders:

Through the emphasis of high power functional movements over low power isolation ones, you’ll be training your body not to just look better, but to WORK better.  The irony about that is, when you take the focus off of vanity and put it on performance, your physique responds like never before.  CrossFit promotes functional exercises by emphasizing the movements which create better core strength, stamina, coordination, agility, and balance to name a few. You’ll begin to focus less on trying to “look fit”, and more on ACTUALLY becoming fit.
3. CrossFit workouts are competitive events:

This friendly competition motivates people like nothing else. Whether you’re competing with your own previous score, or competing with a friend in class, you will be shocked how much more fun this makes working out.  This is especially true if you’re a former athlete who thinks he or she has lost that competitive drive.  CrossFit will awaken something inside of you, and the feeling is addictive and amazing.
4. CrossFit is the new definition of fitness:

Decades, and billions of dollars later, and not one “leader” of the fitness industry has been able to define fitness, until now.  CrossFit has defined fitness as “an increase in work capacity across broad time and modal domains”.  What this means is that the fittest people on earth should be great in everything, but specialize in nothing.  Read the “What is Fitness” article on the right for more on this breakthrough idea.
5. CrossFit is not just fitness, it’s a community:

Sure, it may seem intimidating at first, but you’ll quickly realize how supportive the CrossFit community is and how this is just part of the thread that binds it together. You will never have to workout alone again.  Not only will you benefit from expert coaching and a huge online community to discover and share stories with, but you’ll also develop relationships in the gym that truly make training fun.  This encourages consistency, which is extremely difficult to find in other programs. The people in your affiliate become your teammates, and you’re likely to bond quickly with anyone you meet at the bank wearing a CrossFit tee shirt. People are passionate about this for a reason, it’s up to you to find out what that is.
6. CrossFit produces MEASURABLE results:

Unlike most other fitness programs, when you do CrossFit, you will have measurable and repeatable data to prove you are getting fitter.  Intensity equals POWER.  And power is generated by moving a load quickly.  This means you can score a workout and repeat it at a later time to measure the work produced. Not only will you see and feel improvements physically, your score will demonstrate it.
7. CrossFit prepares you for ANYTHING:

CrossFit trains multiple metabolic systems, as opposed to just one like in most sports.   There are three metabolic pathways that produce the energy to perform any activity: the phosphagen, glycolytic, and the oxidative systems.  Most programs focus on one or two of the systems making you a specialist, but weak in the others.  CrossFit trains you to become a well rounded athlete, spending time in all three time domains and improving your work capacity in any activity that you do.  Soooo… the next time you encounter a bear you’ll have a choice. You could either take the bear down in one swooping lash, wrestle with it until it is too fatigued to fight back, or run away from it for hours on end… phosphagen, glycolytic, oxidative.
8. CrossFit promotes long term health:

Functional movements are named as such for a reason.  They make us more functional. They help us move more efficiently and prevent injuries in our everyday lives.  Combined with a diet that promotes longevity and performance, you will feel better, perform better, and have more energy even as you get older.  This truly is the closest thing to a fountain of youth that we have.

9. Your weaknesses can not hide from CrossFit:

The workouts will keep you honest and force you to attack your weaknesses, making you a better all around athlete.  This is something that nearly everyone avoids when training on their own, which severely limits progress.  In other words, don’t be afraid of your weaknesses, or exercises that you “hate”, face them head on with relentless determination and you will get results you never thought possible.

10. CrossFit is life-changing:

The results you see from Crossfit transfer over to other aspects of life.  The confidence that it delivers will allow you to perform activities you never thought possible. Not only will you feel better physically, but most people notice changes in their performance at work, at home, and in their relationships.

*taken from CrossFit Ramsey

“I am convinced that world-class performance emerges from mind-set. Many of our greatest cyclists did not start out with obvious natural advantages, but they transformed themselves through application. Perhaps the key task of any institution is to encourage the adoption of a growth mind-set. When that kind of philosophy becomes embedded in a culture, the consequences can be dramatic.”

– Peter Keen, as quoted in “Bounce” by Matthew Syed.