March Featured Athlete: Kristie Smith

1. How did you find out about Crossfit?

I found out about CrossFit from my good friend Sannette Webb. Her and her husband had just started and were loving it!

2. What is your favorite Crossfit exercise or WOD?

My favorite WOD would be "Kelly." I've always enjoyed the ones that include running. I also look forward to the "Memorial Day" WOD each year. It's just a good, hard, and long work out.  The "Fiflthy 50 " is always a great one too. That's a sensitive subject around our house though. I was very pregnant and beating my husband during that WOD when he walked out in the middle and has never come back!

3. How long have you been Crossfitting for?

I have been doing CrossFit since May of 2008.

4. What do you do for a living?

I am a stay at home Mom with 5 very active and involved children.

5. What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are running, scrapbooking, vacationing with my family and anything else that involves my kids.

6. What are your goals?

My goals are to keep coming everyday and continue to eating healthy.

7. Why do you Crossfit?

I CrossFit because I like the way it makes me feel. I believe I have more energy, patience with my family, and I'm a happier person due to Crossfit. I've always been active and exercised, but I've never seen the results I've seen with CrossFit.

8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?

My advice would be give it try! I call it a love/hate relationship, but I definitely have more love for it! CrossFit is not for everyone, but you'll never know until you try!

Safety, Respect & Being a Good Gym Member

Making a gym a safe and fun place for everyone means a lot of things working together. Coaches need to ensure movements are being performed properly, that equipment is working correctly and that the floors & bars are clean. But there is another factor that can make or break these efforts; the athletes themselves.

Coming in with a positive attitude, awareness of your surroundings & respect for fellow athletes and equipment is what makes the gym a great place for everyone. Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics, recently wrote about this in his article "Be a Good Gym Member: Safety, Respect and Taking Care of Equipment"

"The way you treat the equipment in your gym says a lot about you, not just as an athlete, but as a person. Whether or not you know it, you’re being judged, and if it’s by me, it’s probably harshly. For those of you with good hearts, but not enough experience to know proper facility etiquette yet, here is a handy list of rules to help you take care of the gym you train in, show the people around you that you care, and be safe. " -Greg Everett

He has written a list on some of the most common and offensive gym 'faux pas' that create a dirty, dangerous environment and shorten the lift of the equipment. Some are obvious, "Put Away Whatever You Use". While others may not be well-known courtesies like "Don't Drop Bars into Vertical Racks".

CVSC has  our own Gym Rules board covering some of the basics and if ever in doubt, ask a coach, they are there to help you! Not sure if you should load 45# plates onto a 15# bar?  How about 10# plates on a 45# bar? Ripped a callous on the pullup bar? Kicked the chalk bucket? Ask for some help and you will always be greeted with friendly guidance and when needed, a bandaid or Clorox wipe.

Numbers of the Beasts | CrossFit Games

"What’s tickling the eardrums of your favorite CrossFit athletes and trainers while they yank on the Concept2 for 5,000 meters or smash through Fran?

What does Chris Spealler want to hear when it gets heavy? What does Lindy Wall listen to when she needs to get in the zone? Does Dan Bailey listen to acoustic guitar when he’s training? Does Lucas Parker prefer DMX or Shania Twain?" - Kevin Daigle | Crossfit Games

Read what some of the top CrossFit Athletes listen to when they're getting pumped. Maybe you have more in common than you thought. See their answers and the full article at the Crossfit Games site here: Numbers of the Beasts | CrossFit Games.

The Cardio Myth

This week we're talking about training. Specifically, cardio, or aerobic conditioning.

Featuring an article from T Nation documenting Rachel Cosgrove's experience with changing body composition when she trained for an IronMan. Her results were surprising and counter to the popular media's message that slow-state cardio is the way to burn fat and get in shape. When she had completed the grueling event she returned to interval training and had the results she was originally seeking with running. Every globo gym features an iconic long line of treadmills with women (and men) slowly plodding along in front of their tvs. While well meaning, they are clearly 1. Not approaching weight loss in the most effective and 2. most fun way. The enjoyment and time saving in a 20 min session of weight training and interval work can creating an environment where your body is building fat-burning muscle and you can engage in some therapeutic high-intensity exercise!

"...I still enjoy heading out for a run or a bike ride occasionally, but I don't do it for fat loss. I do it because I enjoy it. Think about it. If you do a thirty minute walk at a steady-state, moderate pace, you'll shed about 150 calories.

If you mixed in eight thirty-second sprints, you'll burn closer to 200 calories. But the biggest factor is that after an interval session, your metabolism can stay elevated for a full day and you'll end up burning two to three times the total calories you'd expect to burn from lower intensity exercise."

So, go ahead and go for a jog if it clears your mind and gets you out of the house, but know that if your goal is fat loss and muscle-building, devote at least 3 days a week to some form of interval or weight training. Depending on your fitness goals, you will find different CVSC classes will help you reach your goals and none of them involve treadmills.

So, who's up for some TABATA?

To read the full article, with pictures here, T NATION | The Final Nail in the Cardio Coffin.

Unplug, reflect and hit the reset button. So long LA.#nofilter #cvsc #cachevalleybarbell #optccp #AlwaysLearning

February Featured Athlete: Klair Fullmer

1. How did you find out about Crossfit?

Lorie talked me into trying it out. It was one of her better ideas.

2. What is your favorite Crossfit exercise or WOD?

I really enjoy doubles. Hopefully I’ll be back to doing them again soon. My favorite WOD is Annie, Filthy Fifty, or anything with a shit-ton of movements that equals hundreds of reps.

3. How long have you been Crossfitting for?

5 years

4. What do you do for a living?

I work for Wasatch Property Management in Human Resources.

5. What are your hobbies?

Read. Garden. Travel. Bear Lake.

6. What are your goals?

Get back to regular workouts and not modified/progression. I would really like to do burpees and doubles again, but not running.

7. Why do you Crossfit?

It’s an instant pick-me-up. Whether or not I want to do the WOD, I’m always glad I did when I finish. Even if it has push-ups in it.

8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?

It’s not a competition. We are all here for the same reason and the only person you should be proving anything to is yourself. Count every rep, do the movements correctly, finish, show up again.

The Many Faces of Sugar

Whether you are participating in the CVSC Lifestyle Challenge or just trying to be mindful of your sugar intake, this article from the Poliquin Group is a good refresh on how sugar effects your body, what it is exactly, and how to avoid the excess intake of this addictive, tasty stuff in all its forms. 

Here is a list of some of the possible code words for 'sugar' which may appear on a label. Hint: the words 'syrup', 'sweetener', and anything ending in 'ose' can usually be assumed to be 'sugar'. If the label says 'no added sugars', it should not contain any of the following, although the food could contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk).

Agave

Nectar

Barley

Malt Syrup

Corn sweetener

Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids

Dehydrated Cane Juice

Dextrin

Dextrose

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate

Glucose

High-fructose corn syrup

Honey

Invert sugar

Lactose

Maltodextrin

Malt syrup

Maltose

Maple syrup

Molasses

Raw sugar

Rice Syrup

Saccharose

Sorghum or sorghum syrup

Sucrose

Syrup

Treacle

Turbinado

Sugar

Xylose

Remember, your body doesn't care what the label says, it's all just 'sugar'.

Accept that There Is No Healthy Sugar
Although added fructose may be the worst sugar because of how it slows metabolism and halts fat burning, there is NO nutritional value in any form of sugar except possibly honey. For optimal body composition, avoid ALL sugar. Be aware that “healthier” sweeteners are a myth—agave is one of the worst sweeteners because it is almost pure liquid fructose with an even higher fructose content (88 percent) than high-fructose corn syrup! 

Read  Is Sugar More Trouble Than It's Worth? for their 10 tips to avoid sugar for a better body composition.

If you want to do anything, you find a way. If you don't want to do anything, you'll find an excuse. -OPTFebruary's to-do list: Be Better!#cvsc #EducateAndInspire

Do you floss?

The dentist says you should floss everyday and KStar agrees.

Today's (belated) Mobility Monday post is all about a mobility tool outside of the popular lacrosse ball and foam roller. Voodoo Floss Bands. Voodoo Floss or Voodoo Bands is a fancy name for a long latex band used to compress and re-perfuse tissues and joints. A mobility weapon that helps an athlete enhance the benefits of stretching & 'unglue' their issues.

When wrapped around a joint or muscle, it creates compression around the site while you work through your range of motion. According to  Angus Certified, Voodoo Bands are effective tools for 4 reasons:

1) Restores sliding surfaces of the compressed and regional tissues being wrapped. (Like Self Inflicted ART)

2) Pushes swelling out of joints/tissues when used to treat in this way.

3) Re-perfuses tissues that have poor blood flow

4) Creates flexion gapping at joints like the elbow restoring normal joint motion.

via Angus Certified.com

Read the full article below to learn about what exactly flossing is and get some instruction videos on how to use them.

How To Use a Voodoo Floss Band | Angus Certified.

A quiet/clean gym makes for a productive morning.#cvsc #sundayritual #nextmonthsprogramming #optccp #programdesign #personaltrainer #bulletproofcoffee #gains #hashtaggingtohashtag

Kevin Ogar Fundraiser

Kevin Ogar, a Colorado CrossFit athlete, was competing at the OC Throwdown on January 12th and suffered a traumatic injury to his spinal cord during a heavy 3 rep snatch. He currently has no movement below the waist and has years of surgeries and rehabilitation ahead of him. He did not have insurance.

In light of this tragic event, this past weekend, athletes from Primal Mountain, CVSC, CrossFit UAC, CF The Quad, Box Elder Elite Fitness and CrossFit USU, joined thousands of others across the country to do the workout, “Kevin” to raise money for Kevin Ogar’s medical bills as he starts his long road to recovery. After all the donations were collected we were able to raise $350 for Kevin.

Please visit http://kevinogar.com/ to donate to his recovery and learn more about Kevin.Thank you to all the athletes and coaches that rallied together to make this event happen.

Always nice to get the band back together..even if it's for just a few hours. @TRLteerich#cvscOG's

A Friday night..supporting one of our own. #ogarstrong #cfcommunity #cvsc @primalasjacob @crossfituac @barbellsforboobs

"Bring Up Your Bad Days"

As a beginner in any sport/training, improvement often happens rapidly for those who remain consistent. The first few months are a sharp incline of progress. Every time you retest a movement, a workout or a lift you may be hitting PRs, sometimes huge PRs. It feels amazing. Eventually though, you may start to notice those PRs may not occur as frequently, they  may be smaller jumps and you may even find yourself slipping backwards on something. This slowed progess is often misinterpreted; many people believe that have just reached their potential and settle or even give up on their training entirely. But this is normal, progress is not a straight line.  Accept that you are going to have 'bad days', and instead of lifting more than you should for ego's sake or doing more reps than is healthy, focus on technique.  

Coach Dan Bell writes about this, specifically about Weightlifing, but the principles hold true for all training. A bad day for a new lifter has a lot of attempts and a lot of misses...

If the lifter keeps coming back and keeps practicing, a year later their bad day consists of a miss or two...

With practice, the lifter has made their bad day an essential part of reaching their training goals, not an exercise in “PR or injury” Russian Roulette. They have made their bad days good, and when the good days start to pile up, you don’t have to wait so long for a great day.

Bring Up Your Bad Days | Coach Dan Bell

Read his whole article above & remember that if you put your focus on perfecting your technique, listen to your coaches and remain consistent, you WILL get better, stronger, faster.

January Featured Athlete: Tanya Winslow

1. How did you find out about Crossfit?

I first heard about CrossFit from my friend Deena. BT rolled into Logan and started some "new" exercise program. I had no idea what to expect. We started at the rec center improvising with their equipment . I thought he was crazy. Do what? I had never lifted weights before.

2. What is your favorite Crossfit exercise or WOD?

Anything difficult. But always love when running is involved! Probably any type of " chipper " . I may not be the fastest, but I will ALWAYS finish!

3. How long have you been Crossfitting for?

I have been training with BT since day 1..for almost 6 years! And hopefully for 60 more .

4. What do you do for a living?

I am a cosmetologist and have a salon in my home.

5. What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are crossfitting of course, running and sewing . Ok, a little shopping :)

6. What are your goals?

One goal I have set is to run 50 marathons by my 50th birthday. I have completed 33 marathons, so 5 years with only 17 to go!

7. Why do you Crossfit?

Why wouldn't I CrossFit? That is the question! CrossFit has changed my life in so many ways. It is now a lifestyle/religion.

8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?

My advice to anyone starting, would be diet . As a runner you can run off a "crappy" diet, but not if you want to survive at CrossFit. Also patience, listen to your trainers, they truly care about you.  I love all of them and my CVSC family!

Coach Brody taking a breather..rough life.#cvsc @dillonedelen @bunnelli @chelseaf4

Hill sprints! @ckchlarson#cvsc #PoseShoeing #HumanIditarod

There are plenty of ways to get strong without necessarily requiring massive loads, just your body and a small (er) external load. Keep your elbows in, your body tall and rigid, and perform a full range of motion. Technique and quality will always be paramount.#cvsc #longevity #TrainSmart

Congrats to those who participated in our, "Squats for Tots" fundraiser this morning! 100% of the proceeds were donated to a family in need. The workout was..squats, every min on the min. Top air-squatters: Kate Black- 666 Roy Fetzer- 705#cvsc #crossfitcommunity #neonvibe #airsquats

December Featured Athlete: Richard Spillman

1. How did you find out about Crossfit?

Several of my children had gotten into it and eventually coaxed me into giving it a try.

2. What is your favorite Crossfit exercise or WOD?

Running and thrusters.  Maybe I don’t like them so much as I really like that I can do them.  I am 60 years old and before going to Crossfit I had pretty much accepted certain things as inevitable.  Running, squats and weight training were some activities that I was beginning to accept that I would never do again.  Every time I do those exercises I think of that and I feel like I have a whole new lease on an active life.

3. How long have you been Crossfitting for?

About 3 years.  When I started Brad quickly gained my confidence.  I could feel that he was there to help me.  I never felt pressured to do more.  In fact, he would often suggest that I do fewer reps or use less weights.  I began dreaming of the day when I would do the WOD without modification.  It took about 6 months before I finally accomplished that goal.  Sometimes I can start thinking that I am not really any stronger but then I remember that I do the standard WOD now almost every day.  I finish dead last 99% of the time but that doesn’t matter to me at all.  That’s not why I’m there.

4. What do you do for a living?

I started a software company in the late 70s called Spillman Technologies.  Actually, it started as my senior project at USU.  We moved it to SLC in 2005.  We build, sell and support software to law enforcement agencies.  We have over 1,200 agencies across the US and we employ about 250 people.  I have been partially retired for the last 5 years.

5. What are your hobbies?

My hobby has always been building my business.  That was what I really loved and consumed most of my time.  It continues to be my hobby now but I also love spending time with my 7 children and 17 grandchildren.  I love to travel with my wife and family.  My favorite place to go in the world is Disneyland.  Crossfit has even made Disneyland a LOT more enjoyable.

6. What are your goals?

My goals, with regard to fitness, are I want to live to be 80 years old and I want to be able to keep up with my grandkids.  My father died of a heart attack when he was 55.  Three years ago I was overweight and I was starting to accept that I couldn’t do things anymore.  I just thought I was getting old and couldn’t do anything about it.  A single flight of stairs became a big obstacle that I would avoid if at all possible.  Finally I had enough and knew I needed to make some big changes.  I started going to Crossfit and I went on a diet.  A year later I had lost 50 pounds (they’re still lost) and I could run around Disneyland all day with my grandkids.  That felt so good!  As I said, I had accepted the fact that I would never run again.  I used to run some.  I had a tradition with my children to run the Main Street Mile at the beginning of the Hyrum City parade on the 4^th of July.  I haven’t done it for many years.  This year I ran it with several of my grandkids.  It was tough but I never felt so good!

I have a bucket list that I have been working on for a long time.  I have raced the Baja 1000, I have stood on the beach of Normandy, I have seen a tornado, I have passed through the Panama Canal, I have been to all 50 states, I have been north of the Arctic Circle.  Some things still on my list: see the Great Wall of China, see a solar eclipse, learn to speak Spanish and go into outer space.

7. Why do you Crossfit?

Because there are so many ways that your life is improved when you are fit.  There are so many more things that you can do and enjoy.  In fact, I don’t think I lost any weight from the exercising at Crossfit.  I didn’t Crossfit to lose weight; I lost weight so I could Crossfit better.  I hate getting up in the morning and going to Crossfit but that only lasts until I get to the box.  From then until the next morning I enjoy a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  We’re talking about quality of life here.  It doesn’t just happen.  I love that I just have to show up.  I don’t have to plan the WOD and it is NEVER boring.

8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?

Build up your courage and walk in the door.  That’s the hardest part.  Talk to Brad.  You will quickly sense that he’s there to help you.  Look around and you will realize that the people there are not all hard core muscle-bound specimens.  There are also just regular people who are trying to improve their quality of life – just like you.  Commit yourself to at least a month.  You will likely feel some soreness or aches and pains – be careful but work through them.  Come with a friend.  Always remember that no matter how hard it is the return is the best investment you will ever make.