Mr. Vitruvian Man, we're getting close! :)

Well, we hope that you all had a great Saturday! But what would have made it even better, you ask? You could have joined us for CrossFit Spokane's 2nd Annual Snowshoe Trip! We had a great time, was blessed with excellent weather, and had some good laughs (even if most of them were at the expense of every one of us taking turns as we periodically fell while trying to "sled" down hills with snowshoes on:)

Mr. Mike showed everyone some helpful instructions from his vast SERE knowledge in the areas of fire starting and map reading and everyone got in some great exercise as Mike and I continuously decided to head to another hilltop, and then another...and then another:) Great job everyone! We got to know fellow CrossFitters even better and of course took some time to get some great pics of us all doing what we do best...some exercises!:)

I would like to now bring up something that we were discussing earlier today as we huddled around the fire heating up our lunch. We started to talk about our fitness goals. Is it to permanently lose weight in a healthy way or get that first BW pull-up? Could it be to take 2 minutes off of every benchmark WOD or get that CrossFit Total up another 50 pounds? What is/are your CrossFit goals? I'm going to ask something of you, right now, immediately grab a piece of paper or open a Word Document and start writing all of your CrossFit goals down. Nobody is going to see it so just let loose! What do you want to achieve?! I am a firm believer in writing down the goals that you want to achieve. For some mysterious reason, by making these goals physically real on paper you pay attention to them more. You look at them more and focus on how to achieve them with a sense of urgency! They become the driving forces in all of your day to day WODs that make you push yourself even harder because you know that excelling in everything will get you even closer to success!

I personally have a Word Doc. on my computer that has all of my CrossFit goals (short term and long term) written out and categorized into Benchmark WODs, my heavy lifts, my strictly gymnastics exercises (i.e. muscle-ups, max pull-ups, etc.), and goals that are strictly metcon. These are the goals that fuel my intensity as I go into every single WOD day in and day out. I go over them almost every day. By writing them down they have become real, not just periodic thoughts like, "I would like to get 15 BW OHS someday." Without writing it down it becomes a whisper in the wind; you hear it one moment and the next it is gone.

So get to writing! No matter how small and insignificant it may seem or how far out of reach it may appear, write it down and make it real!

The Snowshoe Crew

Starting off the trek from the vehicles

"Over the river and through the woods..."

Master Jedi Garth:)

Gabe and Tira

Bob and Jenni

Is that the Abominable Snowman? No, it's Luke, our trek pack leader:)

Mike's expertise on fires; we supplied him with some snow, water, and a piece of tinfoil and he built a fire....okay, maybe a little exaggerated:)

Ummmm....ladies, wasn't that hill you just hiked up enough? I guess not, time for pushups!

Mr. Mike humbling us all with snowshoe handstands:)

Breaking to take in the scenery

Derek (from CrossFit CDA and a close friend of CrossFit Spokane), this one is for you:) Stay safe over there and get back to us soon!

Saturday WOD

Matt having some fun in the snow. (we miss you, come and see us)

A lot of the CF Spokane gang will be heading up for some fun in the snow on Saturday, but unfortunately some can't make it (including myself (Angela)). So for those of you that are staying behind and want to get a workout in we will be open for one group WOD at 12-1pm. Show up on time, we will start the WOD all together at 12:15.
If you are still deciding if you want to go or not; I can tell you now that we had a blast last year. And learned some good information on survival skills. You shouldn't miss it, if you are able to go. Just make sure to grab a gear list on the desk at the gym.

Mike doing a 165lb snatch followed by 6 OHS's.

Mike finished his snatch workout with a new PR of 175lb snatch @BW of about 165lb then a burnout set of 135lb OHS's for 30 reps.

This Is What Happens When Dogs CrossFit

Okay, not really, but I was just shown this picture the other day and I had to post it! I first thought that it was fake, but upon further investigation, I found the following article explaining what is going on with "Big Wendy" the whippet. Interesting.

Also, remember that this Saturday is the 2nd Annual CrossFit Spokane Snowshoe Trip. If you plan on coming, make sure to grab a gear list at the gym ASAP so you can make sure to get everything (You want to make sure that you can rent snowshoes in enough time if you don't have them; REI is a great place to go).

Hopefully lots of you will be able to make it! Check back soon for confirmation on whether or not there will be a normal Saturday class. If not, we will have a home WOD posted for those of you unable to make it on the trip.

In the Zone

Well, the painting is nearing completion and the place is looking great! We want to thank you so much for being patient during this process.

Just a reminder, Saturday is getting closer and closer so start thinking of someone to bring by that might be interested in CrossFit:)

And also, we are very excited to have four more of our clients making the decision to "Enter the Zone". Good luck to you ladies as you begin this quality of life change. The short and long term benefits that you will gain will be worth giving up bagels and pasta:) From my own personal experience, the hardest part is the beginning when you are first trying to change a lifetime of old eating habits. But be patient and it will gradually become second nature, we promise:) I once heard that for most habits/ways of doing things, your goal should be for 21 days. If you can act everyday towards improving/changing/replacing any habit for 21 days, then you will be successful in permanently achieving your goal. So, congratulations to you and make sure to keep us updated with your progress and results!

***ATTENTION***

We just wanted to let you all know that over the next week we will be repainting a lot of things inside the gym. Obviously we will be painting around your class times to ensure nobody gets painted as well:) But because of this, only small sections at a time will be getting done and the walls might look a little "visually scattered" depending when you come in. So tell your eyes to be patient and we'll get it all done quickly and have the gym looking sharp again in no time! We hope you all had a great Valentines Weekend and we look forward to seeing you all for another great week!

Why Do We Love CrossFit?

The Valentine's Day Crew...kicking a day of chocolate in the *** with a Fight Gone Bad.

CrossFit Spokane's New Shirts with Logo/Slogan!

Why do we love CrossFit? Where can I begin? Who among us still longs for the old way of spending hours in a place packed with machines and cables, elevator music mixed with televisions, and the countless reps of isolated movements? Can we even imagine the time when we didn't OHS or anxiously "fear" a wonderful 5 minute workout? Who among us now can say to our friends and family, "I need/get to go workout" rather than "I have to go workout"? It may be a hallucination, but I like to fantasize that every member of CrossFit Spokane gets up every morning and the first thing on their minds is concerned with what the WOD will be that day:) So how has CrossFit changed your life? What changes have you noticed, not only physically, but mentally (and possibly emotionally) as well? Do you recall your Deadlift technique as you pick stuff up around the house? Have you ever been out somewhere and found yourself naturally dropping into the deep squat after finding that there isn't any chairs around? I encourage you to think about that over the next 24 hours as you go about your day and realize how much you utilize what you work for in the gym. Then come back and post in comments how CrossFit has helped you:)

We are sure by now you have noticed that we are requiring our members to sign in as you attend the classes each day. The reason for this is so that we can take a look at what hours have what number of clients and adjust our trainer-client ratio to better suit you and provide you with the best service and training.

Also, we are planning on having an order sheet posted in the gym within a few days for those of you who would like to purchase clothing with our new logo/slogan. For this first bulk order, we will be limiting the style variety to choose from, but in the future we'll have more of a selection for you all to make more specific orders. Once posted, we will have it available for sign-up for about a week or so before sending the order in.


Also, congratulations to those of you who attempted a PR on your muscle-ups! Unfortunately I was out of town this past weekend (at an outstanding XF Barbell Cert) and I didn't see that many people posting what they achieved...so for the next challenge I will be making sure to have a scheduled time(s) so that we all can watch you go for a PR!!!:) And speaking of a new challenge, the next one is posted on the board so make sure to check it out! The above picture should give you a hint:)

And here's a second challenge...like always, Saturday's are a great time. So between now and then, find someone that you know might be interested in coming by to check out CrossFit. If you talk about CrossFit as much in your "non gym" time as I do, I know that there are some people in your life that are curious. So bring 'em in! They don't even have to workout, we just love having people come in and see what we're all about. That being said, we hear from time to time that a CrossFit gym itself can appear quite intimidating. We completely understand that; walking into a place with simple looking equipment, sweat soaked bodies and that feeling of intensity does make some take a step back, including myself at one time:) But what else does one see? People of all ages, fitness levels, experience, personalities, and goals. We all started with that baseline WOD long ago and wondered if we would be up for this. But think back. That baseline seems more like a warm-up now. Those simple bars, bumper plates and pull-up stations no longer make us hesitant, but instead have become a friend in our lives we couldn't imagine being without. Your confusion with why all of those black stall mats are covering the floor has passed and you now smile when you hear the phrase "Pain For Time" because you now are able to push yourself harder than you ever imagined....

...and you love it.

Below is a short piece written by Jon Gilson from Again Faster. Although this was geared more towards just the women at their gym, you can easily replace some names, words and thoughts to apply it to us fellas as well. Regardless of gender, I think we all can get the point of this article.

If I were feeling a little more lawless, I’d gather all the copies of Cosmo and Seventeen, douse them in kerosene, and strike a match. I’d throw in reams of print ads from Calvin Klein and watch with delight as [models] stick-thin image was reduced to carbon. I’d add copies of Shape and [Vogue] until the flames reached toward the heavens, and then I’d crank call the editorial desk at Muscle and Fitness until they stopped publishing pictures of women on steroids.

I’d get the master tapes of America’s Next Top Model and dub over them with “Nasty Girls”, broadcasting the results on every television station in America

I’d take every woman with mass media-induced ideals of beauty, and I’d show them what it really means to be beautiful.

Beautiful women are strong and powerful. They are athletes, capable of every feat under the sun. They have muscles, borne of hard work and sweat. They gauge their self-worth through accomplishments, not by the numbers on the bathroom scale. They understand that muscle weighs more than fat, and they love the fact that designer jeans don’t fit over their well-developed quads.

They refuse to succumb to the marketers that prey on insecurity, leaving the pre-packaged diet dinners and fat-burning pills on the shelf to pass their expiration date.

Beautiful women train with intensity. They derive self-image from the quality of their work and their ability to excel. They don’t need to wear makeup to the gym, and they wouldn’t be caught dead with a vinyl pink dumbbell. They move iron, they do pull-ups, they jump, sprint, punch, and kick, and they use the elliptical machine—as a place to hang their jump rope.

They spend their weekends in sport, climbing walls, being mothers, winning races, and running rivers. They laugh as they sprint circles around the unschooled, turning the image-obsessed into bench warmers. Beautiful women don’t care if they’re soaked in sweat and covered in dirt [and chalk], if their nails are chipped or their hair out of place. They care only about quality of life.

Beautiful women are happy, healthy, and strong, and they’re right there beside [us], tossing conventional beauty on the ever-growing flames of what used to be.

Be beautiful. Be strong.

Hip Pain

Hip Bursitis

Do to the nature of CrossFit and the types of exercises we routinely perform, some people may begin to or currently experience some pain in their hips? A possible cause of hip pain could be hip bursitis. Although it isn't too common, hip bursitis can affect anyone. However it is more common in women and middle-aged or elderly people and seems to be less common in younger people and in men.

Bursitis is caused by inflammation of a bursa, a small jelly-like sac that usually contains a small amount of fluid. Bursae are located throughout the body, most importantly around the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and heel. They act as cushions between bones and the overlying soft tissues, and help reduce friction between the gliding muscles and the bone.

There are different types of hip bursitis. These types include trochanteric bursitis (pain on the side of the hip), ischialgluteal bursitis (pain at the base of the hips- the buttocks), and iliopectineal bursitis (pain in the groin).

The primary treatment is rest. This does not mean bed rest or immobilizing the area but avoiding actions which result in aggravation of the pain. Taking anti-inflammatory medications may relieve pain and reduce the inflammation, however, if these are ineffective, the definitive treatment is steroid injection into the inflamed area. Other treatment options may include applying an ice pack over the tender area or visiting a physiotherapist for other conservative treatments.

Patients with hip bursitis can often benefit by weight reduction, stretching exercises, and wearing proper footwear for exercise activities. Sometimes physical-therapy programs can be helpful. Generally, patients should avoid hills and stairs and direct pressure on the affected hip (sleep on the other side), when possible, while symptoms are present.

Some ways to prevent hip bursitis include:

-Adequate warm-up

-Avoid repetitive activities that put stress on the hips without proper build-up (too much too fast).
-If you need to lose weight, use diet and exercise (no magic pills).
-Get a properly fitting shoe insert for leg-length differences.
-Maintain strength and flexibility of the hip muscles (use hip mobility drills and exercises).

-Use of ice and proper rest after hard workouts of the hips.

References:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00409
http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/bursitis-hip-exercises.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochanteric_bursitis

http://www.medicinenet.com/hip_bursitis/article.htm

Mike

Satisfying That Sweet Tooth and Muscle-ups!

Notice!!!! For those of you that are going for a Muscle-up PR, tomorrow is the scheduled day to go for it. But, as was posted, tomorrow was only a "on or about" day for it; So I would say that between today and next Monday you grab one of the trainers at the gym and get that PR! If you were wondering if there was a time that everybody would get together for it, there isn't. So good luck to getting a PR and if you are in the gym when someone else is going for it, make sure to cheer them on! Also, stay posted for another personal/gym record challenge in another month or two. What? Hmmmm......? People sure have been developing well in their Double-Unders lately:) Check the white board next week to see what it will be! And just to keep us humble and motivated, click on the link below to see the most strict muscle-up ever; it's quite impressive!

Strictest Muscle-up ever!

YUCK!

Well it's been a great beginning of the week back in the gym at CrossFit Spokane. After asking many of our clients about how they feel after the competition on Saturday, we are pleased to find out that the majority of you were not more than "just a little sore". This is a true testament to your training; you all performed amazingly well at multiple, random WODs and recovered in the same manner. Regardless of how you personally felt you did, trust us, you should be very proud of what you went through...that was some intense stress on your body in only a few short hours. I hope that you spent the rest of the weekend pampering yourself and relaxing.

Speaking of pampering yourself, those of you that have made that wonderful decision to better improve your health and start eating "in the Zone", have undoubtedly been in that position when your sweet tooth attacks. Crud, the worst thing to happen to a "Zoner" who is trying to get rid of those bad sugars and carbohydrates. It always seems as though any sweet treats tend to have lots of sugar, lots of flour, and call out to you like a luring siren. So what on earth are we to do?! I would refrain from a lifetime of not allowing yourself simple pleasures. This usually is the downfall to most diet plans because it seems to make it harder and harder to resist until you break down completely and go, what I like to call, "Kitchen Krazy". What we need to do is find healthier, appropriate substitutes when these situations arise.

I am lucky. I naturally just don't have that big of a sweet tooth. It isn't enticing for me as I stand in the checkout lane at the supermarket while being flanked on both sides by candy bars, sour candies and all of that other fat building, health destroying, teeth decaying junk. YUCK! But every now and then that sweet tooth comes a knocking. So I would like to share with you a recipe that I make from time to time that fits better with our CrossFit lifestyle.

These Peanut Butter Bars are extremely quick and easy to make, not to mention very delicious! I got the main recipe online somewhere and took some things out to make it suited more for people like us. As for the Zone blocks, I'm sure you can tell from looking at the ingredients that there are a lot of fat blocks. But, if you get a total from everything that you put into it, carefully divide that by how many squares you cut it into and make sure to not go wild and eat half of the tray (they are tasty ) these can make for a nice little sweet tooth satisfier. Roughly, what I have found (using my glass baking tray, reduced fat peanut butter, and cutting it into 2 inch x 2 inch squares) is that each square comes out to be about 3 Fat Blocks. Keeping with cutting these small amounts, the Protien and Carbohydrate balance isn't too significantly off, but it roughly comes out to an equal balance where both are a little less than 1 block. Depending on how exact you are, the size you cut it into and your baking dish, yours might vary a little. Play around with the amounts to fit your taste buds and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Honey (which is actually low-glycemic)
1 Cup crushed Pecans (the finer the better/more balanced. Costco has great bags of them)
About 1 Cup of Old Fashion Oats (these and Irish Oats are Zone favorable in moderation. DON'T USE INSTANT OATMEAL!)

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients very well in a smaller dish (around 8" x 8" or so). I like to line my baking dish with wax paper so it doesn't stick. Evenly spread it out and bake for about 11 minutes.

Make sure to be checking on it every few minutes. It is very easy to OVERCOOK this!!!! You want it to still be soft. If you overcook it even a little bit, it will taste slightly burnt and be really crumbly. When done, slice it into desired squares and then put it in the fridge to cool and harden for a few hours. When you do re-cut and take the squares out, be careful to not break them all up seeing as how they will still be somewhat soft.

Well, that's all for now from Brandon's Kitchen; try them out and let me know what you think. Like I said, they are high in fat, but in moderation they are a way healthier alternative to the crap they try to sell you at the store...especially with Valentine's Day coming up!