07/31/08
Running anyone? The CrossFit main page wanted us to run 15K yesterday...but I didn't think anyone wanted class to stretch over 2 or 3 hours. The workout last night was run 1 mile, as many reps as possible in 5 minutes of walking lunges, then run another mile. Lisa amazed us with her ability to carry on whole conversations while running, Will ran so fast we didn't even realize he had done the workout, and Matt pushed himself harder than ever to finish both mile runs! Excellent effort from everyone!
There is a bit of a debate over Will's newly set double-unders record. 4 people were counting his jumps, and all 4 people came up with different numbers. Care to help us settle the debate? The video of his record is below. Email Jennie if you can count how many he did. (misses don't count!)
07/30/08
Don't forget! Our newly added class times (6-7pm M-TR) are effective starting Monday, August 4th.
The CrossFit home page wanted us to do Helen yesterday, but we just did that last week! Instead we did 35 burpees, 45 pull ups, 55 box jumps and 65 thrusters for time. Sounds fun, right? :-) It was a challenge, but everyone made it through, including our two newcomers, Lana and Marty. Lana is visiting us "on a dare" from her peers out at the Naval base. I can't even imagine what poor Lana was expecting if her MALE peers were daring her to come try it. She did AMAZING; there wasn't any bleeding, vomiting or exercise comas. (wink, wink) We'll try harder next time.
Marty is an extra special newcomer...he is Bill's Dad! He likes his marathon running, but we won't hold it against him. Like Son, like Father? Marty has excellent squat form, and did a fantastic job cheering everyone on once he finished his workout. We're glad you finally came to CrossFit, Dad!
CrossFit REALLY IS scalable to every fitness level. Bill worked out last night with his Dad...they both did the same workout, just at different levels. Don't be afraid to come try this! The videos you see online are usually the elite level, top performing CrossFit athletes. These videos shouldn't scare you, they should inspire you! Watch the videos, but remember that those CrossFitters are the true fire breathers. They have been doing this for years. You'll do the same workouts as them, but you'll do it at your own pace.
07/29/08
Who likes Burpees!? WE DO! Starting August 1st, we will be doing a Burpee challenge; everyone is invited to participate. The first day you do 1 burpee, the second day you do 2....all the way until we're at day 100 doing 100 burpees! Don't miss a day though.....you'll have to make them all up the next day! Do them at home, work, school or at the gym....just DO THEM!
Last night we did Michael which is 3 rounds for time of: run 800 meters, 50 supermans, 50 situps. Everyone did a great job! Myriam ran the full 800 meters for the first time, and I am so proud of her! Stacy, Sparky, Will & Matt...fantastic job on the runs and pacing each other! To make the workout extra special, I jumped in and joined the group. The idea was that working out with the group on a running day would inspire me to run faster/better. No such luck. Running is totally my CrossFit Kryptonite. Each of us has something that we feel the least confident in....what's YOUR CrossFit Kryptonite?
We will be without our lovely Leslie for a while. She flew to Mexico for her wedding! Congrats Leslie! I hope you do burpees on the beach, and margarita swings for time. And while Leslie is leaving, Dirk is just joining us. Everyone, let's give a big welcome to our newest member, Dirk Becker!
Look at Dirk go! You can do it Dirk!
I was smiling....but I was crying on the inside.....I MUST get better at running! :-)
07/28/08
NEW CLASS TIMES!!! For those of you looking for an earlier evening class - your wish has come true! Starting 8/1, we will be opening 6:00 - 7:00PM classes Monday - Friday in addition to the 7:00 - 8:00PM classes Monday - Thursday.
Ah, the elusive double unders. There's something almost mesmerizing about watching the whirring jump rope, the concentration on people's faces. They're a beautiful thing! Now, what we all need to remember is that NOBODY picks up a jump rope and learns double unders in a day. Just like the olympic lifts, it's a skill that must be learned and mastered. You'll need to get whipped by that damn thing at least 100 times before you'll be close to getting them! Make an effort to grab a jump rope every time you're at the Fort and give them a try.
07/27//08
Saturday morning was another BEAUTIFUL day for our morning class. We did "Jeremy" which is 21-15-9 of Overhead squats (95/65lbs) and burpees. Everyone did fantastic! Jeremy is an incredibly hard workout; Bill and I both gave it a whirl and were pleasantly surprised by its difficulty! We had a special visitor - Lisa's daughter Hannah came to watch class and cheer for her Momma! When supplied with a jump rope and a pogo stick, she promptly picked up the pogo stick above her head and started doing overhead squats. We DEFINITELY have a CrossFit Games 2021 contendor on our hands!
Per Stacy's request, we brought a box of Joe to help everyone wake up a little. Some people didn't want just a little coffee though....
07/26//08
We had another fun Team Friday! What could be better than beautiful weather, and some BIG TIRES!? We are fortunate enough to have a company down the road from us that has an abundance of huge tires. Thanks to Sparky for finding them for us! We picked out two tires that looked about right and they cleaned them up and dropped them off for us. It was Will & Zach vs. Sparky and Matt; a close race with some great effort from both teams. Will & Zach became our new team champs. Nice work fellas!
Hey...they're old tires! What did you expect? They're just a little dirty.....
07/25//08
We had a pretty small class last night - it was Myriam, Leslie and Zach. These lucky 3 CrossFitters got to do one of the most loved/hated CrossFit workouts; Helen! Helen is 3 rounds for time of: run 400 meters, 21 kettlebell swings (24kg/16kg), and 12 pull ups. This is another one of those deceiving workouts that looks easy on the board, but can quickly catch up to you. The first time I did this workout was at the Level 1 certification in January of this year. Keep in mind that it was only the 2nd CrossFit workout I had ever done. Instead of running 400 meters, I WALKED. Yep, that's right....I slowly power-walked around the block feeling like a wuss the entire time. I could literally only jog for about 4 seconds before the cramp in my side made my eyes tear up. After 29 minutes, I was cut off, and was only 9 jumping pull ups into my 3rd round. In other words, I didn't finish. AND I used the 8kg kettlebell. Yeesh. Last night I re-attempted the dreaded Helen for the first time since the certification. I used a 16kg kettlebel, and did every pullup without assistance. My time was 13:14.
Moral of the story? ANYONE can do CrossFit and succeed. Our group last night is a thousand times tougher than I ever was when I first started. Zach did the workout using the 24kg kettlebell! Leslie is like a gazelle on the runs, and Myriam, you pushed yourself the most I have ever seen you push! You all should be proud of the way you performed, and how far you have come on your CrossFit journey.
07/24/08
I have started to think of myself as "an experiment of one". Just recently I have started logging everything I eat/drink into the daily plate. While the Paleo diet has done wonders for me so far, it's time to start fine tuning my level of consumption so that I can get the results I want. While Bill is trying to put on mass, I'm still trying to get rid of that last little "squish" around my middle. I call it my muffin tops, but Bill argues against my description. EITHER WAY....for all of our members I would like to recommend that you start a food log. Log it online, or write it down. This isn't to drive you nuts or excessively change your diet; it's just for reference. If we are going to be effective as trainers in helping you reach your goals, diet is going to come into play eventually. The Daily Plate is recommended, as you can add Bill and I to your "friends" and we'll have access to your food log.
One thing I've heard a few times is that people feel like they have to "get in shape" before trying CrossFit. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! Our program is intense, but it's scalable to every fitness level. Let me be honest here....you are NOT going to push yourself as hard at home as you would in a group setting. And if you were going to "get in shape" on your own, you would've already done it, right? :-) GET YOUR BUTT TO THE GYM AND TRY YOUR FREE WEEK! You have nothing to lose. There's absolutely no pressure to join, and we're not going to run you into the ground so that you are unable to lift a pencil the next day.
07/23/08
After two days of the Filthy Fifty, we were ready to ease up on the metcon, and have a strength day. Our workout last night was 5 sets of 3 push jerk. When done right, this movement incorporates the shoulders, arms, legs and yes, even your midline (core). At CrossFit, we believe there is no better way to improve midline (core) strength than to hold heavy shit above your head and try to stabilize it. :-)
There were several announcements last night at class. First of all, on August 24th at 9:00AM CrossFit Milwaukee is hosting a multi affiliate gathering/competition. The gathering will consist of a workout/competition with categories for men, women and affiliates. After the workout there will be a game of Hooverball (volleyball played with a medicine ball) and a cookout. We would like to get as many people to attend as possible so CrossFit Fire can make a strong appearance! Come to compete, or come to stand there looking cute....JUST COME! For more info visit Ryan's website: www.crossfitmilwaukee.com/wisconsins-first-multiaffiliate-competition/. Let Jennie and Bill know if you are able to attend.
Second - Effective immediately, there will be no Sunday evening class. If there is enough interest, we will open up a Sunday morning class. We'd like at least 4 members to commit to the mornings before we open the time slot. I think we already have 2 people interested, so we'll most likely be able to open this time.
Sorry for the long post today.....but got a lot to say! :-) I wanted to point out that if you want to get the absolute MOST out of CrossFit, it's best to make a 5 day a week commitment to it. This isn't to say you won't get results by coming 3 days a week; the results will just be slower that way. 5 days a week will really put you on the fast track to getting the results you want out of this program. We sell 2 day a week, and 3 day a week packages, but in my utopia, everyone would be at the Fort 5 days a week.
07/22/08
Some workouts are SO GOOD that we can't stand the thought of some CrossFitters not getting to experience them. We know we just did the filthy fifty on Sunday night, but we repeated it again with our Monday night group. Zach was the only one who was here both days, so we let him row 2,000m for time instead. Lucky him! The workout was done Sunday with most of our girlies, and it was done last night with a group of all men. Not surprisingly, the workout proved to be a challenge! Just in case you're wondering what the heck the Filthy Fifty is, it's 50 reps each of the following exercises for time: Box jumps (24" box), jumping pull ups, kettlebell swings (16kg), walking lunges, knees to elbows, push press (20kg), hip extensions, wall ball shots (20# ball), burpees and double unders. Even the most experienced CrossFitter will shudder at the sight of this workout!
07/21/08
Ah, the Sunday night class. :-) We have been going along with the CrossFit main site lately, so don't blame us for the filthy fifty! It was a very humid night, and the temperature in the gym was about 88 degrees. Several of our members had the priviledge of meeting Pukie the Clown for the first time last night. Personally, I just found that to mean that you pushed yourselves hard enough on this workout! While I don't encourage puking, and I typically ask people to stop before they reach that point, there comes a time in everyone's CrossFitting where you NEED to be pushed. You need to push your body to its limits in order to achieve great results. And guess what? Now that you pushed THROUGH that limit....you have a new limit, and it's greater than what it was before!
07/19/08
Saturday morning's workout incorporated everyone's favorite CrossFit activity - rowing! We rowed 500M x 4 with about 4 minutes of rest between rounds. Congratulations to Myriam for improving her time every round! You go girl! Myriam is our newest member, and she's working so hard to reach her goals!
07/18/08
Yesterday we were all fooled by the simplicity of the workout. The workout was as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of: 15 push ups, 12 ring dips, 9 push press. I'm pretty sure everyone came in, looked at it, and thought "I'm totally going to crush this workout". Yeah...the workout was way more intense than we thought! Some of us set our sights on 9 or 10 rounds....I think the most anyone got was 7!
One thing that I would like to point out is this:
That's our thermostat in the gym. While the morning classes enjoy temperatures somewhere around 78 degrees, the afternoon class gets THIS! You guys are tough as hell! This is a true commitment to fitness. There's no fancy equipment, no TV, no air conditioning.....just show up, work hard and get the results you want.
Here is what it looks like to work hard:
07/17/08
We have but one goal here at CrossFit Fire: improve the lives of as many people as possible by promoting physical and mental well being. We would be VERY BAD at what we do if we didn't make CrossFit a big part of our lives. CrossFit is in everything we do every day. Raise your hand if you have done at least 1 thing outside of the gym "for time"?! If this were just a hobby, things would be different - but this is a lifestyle for us. Do we think CrossFit is the best program out there? OF COURSE WE DO! If we thought something else was better, we would be doing that "something else" instead. Does this make us elitists? Does this make us like a cult? Are we "mentally unhealthy"? While we joke about "drinking the Kool-Aid", it's all meant in good fun. We CrossFit because we believe it will help us live longer, fuller lives free from medications and nursing homes. We CrossFit because being stronger really does make us better at our daily activities. Don't believe me? GET STRONGER and THEN tell me that you're not a little better at what you need to do.
Yesterday was a strength day - no metcon in sight! We did 5 sets of 5 deadlifts. Myriam did a GREAT job! It was her first time deadlifting, and she did amazing! We also hung our climbing ropes. Hooray for part-man-part-monkey tricks! Thank you to Zach and Scott for climbing ALL THE WAY UP THERE to hang the ropes. We couldn't have done it without you!
07/16/08
We had another big class last night! The workout was Ode to Amundson. This is a tough workout that combines thrusters, pull ups and running. I wonder if Greg has ever really done this workout??? Anyways, everyone did GREAT! I want to send a big welcome to Myriem who is starting her free week. Even though we put her through a very intense workout on her first day, she said she absolutely loved it! That's what we like to hear!
Bill has started passing out our new preference/goal sheets. We're collecting information on everything from songs you want added to our playlist, class time preferences, to your fitness goals. Be as specific as you can, but be honest. We want to make sure you are all getting the best CrossFit experience possible!
Here's Stacy working on her thrusters. Check out that good ending bar position!
Here's Sparky catching his breath after the workout...
07/15/08
We had a big turnout last night - 12 CrossFitters joined us for the workout. We did 4 rounds for time of: Run 400 meters, 50 squats. I was glad to see that everyone kept each other motivated. There's something about doing 50 squats that leaves your legs feeling like jello, so the runs were always interesting. :-)
Let's give a GREAT BIG WELCOME to our two newest members - Lisa and Cheryl! Cheryl joined us this morning for "Ode to Amundson" and signed up on the spot! Thank you to everyone for continuing to bring friends, family members and co workers to join our community! This REALLY IS the best workout on the planet! The referral bonus is the absolute best bonus offered anywhere. If your friend signs up, you get 1/2 their 1st monthly membership credited to your account. That means you could get a month at half price, or even FREE if you get 2 friends to join!
Here's everyone getting ready to start the workout...listening as Bill explains...
07/14/08
We have had some great feedback on our website recently, and we are hoping to add the ability to "comment" on a picture or posting soon.
Last night we all spent a lot of time upside down. We did the same workout that was posted on headquarter's website, so we did handstand push ups and L-sit pull ups. The handstands make your eyes bulge out if you stay upside down for too long, but contrary to popular belief, your eyes won't ACTUALLY pop out of your head....but they'll come real close. Thanks to Sparky, we were able to come up with 2 new ways to help scale the handstand pushups. My personal favorite was the assistance band contraption.
WELCOME BACK TIM! After two months away, Tim's knee is finally ready for some action. We're all happy to have you back as a participant!
Look who's back!!
Here is Jennie demonstrating the handstand pushup assistance bands
07/13/08
Saturday morning's class was fun! While some CrossFitters stayed snug in their beds, we were doing as many rounds possible in 30 minutes of 15 walking lunges, 12 knees to elbows, 10 hip extensions, 5 pull ups and 5 ring dips. Guess who can do ring dips now!? MATT CAN! Congratulations to Matt on making some huge progress over the last 2 months. We know it's not always easy to show up to class when there are 967 other things going on, but if you want to reach your goals, that's what you gotta do! Matt has done a great job of letting Jennie and Bill know what his goals are, and the time frames in which he wants to reach them. We know you can do it!
The truth is, if you're not going to prioritize your goals over everything else, then what the hell ARE you going to prioritize? Once something starts to take priority over a goal....I start to wonder if it's REALLY a goal or if it was just wishful thinking.
07/12/08
We ushered in a new Friday tradition last night. We now have a CHAMPIONSHIP BELT that can be claimed by the winning team. It was a close competition last night. The workout was Row 1,000 meters, 250 wall ball, 250 double unders, row 1,000 meters. Mark collapsed after about 5 double unders, so Jennie had to be tagged in. As it turns out, she was the ONLY FEMALE at the gym on Friday! Where were my girlies!? ANYWAYS....not only was Jennie the only female there, she completely OWNED the double unders. From somewhere deep inside she pulled out double under after double under to bring her team back to a near victory. Alas, Will and Tim had too far of a lead, so they took first place by a mere 40 seconds. (I smell a rematch coming on)
07/11/08
You wouldn't believe the storm we had last night! It was unbelievable watching it roll in! We tried many tactics to scare it away including jumping rope, and yelling...but alas the storm came. We have a new CrossFitter starting his free week - Welcome Tim! Our evening class went through their CrossFit total, and I am so proud of everyone! James set PR's in both the deadlift and bench press (not part of the total, but still good to set a PR!) Ariel and Stacy blew us all away with their amazing strength! I keep telling you ladies....YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!
Looks like the weather tonight is going to be perfect for grilling! 85 and sunny tells me that we are definitely grilling out tonight after class. Please join us if you can!
Here's James trying to "jump rope" the storm away!
And here's his PR Deadlift. Way to go James!
07/10/08
We had a visitor this morning from a distant land....ok, nothing too exotic, but Mike drove 2 hours to join our 6:00AM class. For those of you who are bad with clocks, that means that when the time started with a 4 he was in his car driving! Mike is looking to open his own affiliation and came to get his workout on, and check out our facility. He got to participate in a CrossFit Total this morning. Congratulations to everyone for improving their scores from last time! You're all strong like bulls! This was Pete's first CFT, and he scored over 1,000! NICE WORK!
We are planning to grill out tomorrow night after class if the weather holds out. Then again, it wouldn't be a CrossFit Fire cookout unless it was raining. :-) Please feel free to join us for some food and drinks as we celebrate our two month-iversary in our new Fort!
07/09/08
Have you ever done a workout that makes you go "damn!". That was how we all felt going through yesterday's workout. We did 5 rounds for time of: 15 deadlifts, 12 hang power cleans, 9 front squats, 6 push presses. Prescribed weight for women was 40kg, 60kg for men. This was one of those classic CrossFit workouts that tested us physically and mentally, especially with the heat and humidity. It pushed the upper limits of our strength, endurance, stamina, and our willingness to sweat! I'm proud of each and every one of you for sticking it out and making it through!
07/08/08
Last night we tried the "pull up on the minute" workout. For those of you who are not familiar, this is when you do one pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the 2nd minute, 3 the 3rd and so on until you cannot complete the prescribed pull ups in one minute. Everyone agreed that this one starts out REALLY easy, but is definitely a tough workout. We are tough CrossFitters, so nothing is too tough for us! We are all proud of Lisa. It was only her 2nd day, and she ripped her hand. She was brave, and didn't even need to use her princess tissues. :-)
07/07/08
Welcome back everyone! Hopefully you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend. The record boards are up, and there are records to be set and broken! So far most everyone has been able to get their name on the board. Let's keep it going! If there was a record for "best attendance during holiday weekends" it would DEFINITELY go to Keri. Our lovely Miss Keri was the ONLY MEMBER at our class last night. (gives the evil eye) We also had Lisa stop by to start her free week. Welcome Lisa!
Sparky set the record for highest box jump by LEAPING an amazing 45 inches! Will is currently in 2nd place for the highest box jump. Watch the video below.....
07/03/08
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO EVENING CLASS TOMMORROW - JULY 4TH!! CLASS WILL BE HELD AT 9:00AM! Ok, now that we got that out of the way...
Yesterday was Mark's birthday! Happy birthday Mark! One of the traditions we started was allowing you to choose the workout on your birthday. Mark chose a format very similar to the filthy fifty, but it was the filthy 29. 29 each of walking lunges, pull ups, burpees, box jumps, double unders, kb swings, dips and knees to elbows. It was a great workout, but we're all pretty glad Marks birthday only comes once a year! We're all dreading the filthy 30 that he'll prescribe for us next year!
Here's Mark after his birthday workout......
Here's Heather, nearing the end, and feeling exhausted...
07/02/08
Imagine this...it's 6:00am, and sleepy eyed CrossFitters are milling around the fort waiting for class to begin. Suddenly there is a thunderous roar of a Harley pulling into the driveway. It's MIKE! Anyone who knows Mike is aware that he is NOT a morning person. Needless to say, his early morning appearance caused quite a stir; we were all glad he was there!
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of 20 jumping pull ups and 10 burpees is a LOT harder than it sounds, especially with the heat. We purchased two very large fans to help circulate the air, but it was still 86 in the Fort during our workout. Despite the fact that it was hot like the surface of the sun, everyone did GREAT! Nice work everyone! (see our three new boxes? A big thank you to Joe for helping make them!)
07/01/08
Happy July everyone! What are your goals for this month? What are your goals for this year? Bill and I would like to start capturing the goals of our CrossFitters and keep them in your file. When setting goals, they should be specific, realistic, measurable and attainable. Generic goals like, "I want to get in shape" never really seem to work, because how can you measure "in shape"? Set a goal that is specific - "I want to do 10 pullups, and run a 7 minute mile" or "I want to fit into my size 6 jeans by September". Once we know what your goals are, we can help tailor a program to help you reach them! And we're talking about the big N word here...NUTRITION. Get a nutrition plan from Bill - you'll be amazed at the effect it has on your performance in the gym, and the speed at which you reach your goals.
