Some of you may have noticed a new group of people coming in around 7:00pm during the week. Four members of the Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club are taking part in a new Executive Fitness Program that I developed for people who have become a bit lazy and want to get back in shape, but don't have a clue as to what to do. These four are helping me 'tweak' the program to make sure we deliver optimum results.
I'll be working with them in a small group setting, teaching them our basic exercises and developing their physical work capacity. Before long they'll be taking part in the daily CrossFit workouts along with the rest of you.
I told them if they just show up and do what we say, they will get stronger and faster. Most importantly, they will feel better. Of course all four have an opportunity to lose some weight along the way, but how much is really up to each person.
There is one 'catch' for this group - If any one quits before the end of the program, they have to make a $250 donation to the Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club. One person claims to have already made out the check, just in case! Say hi to Sue, Patrick, John and Pat if you get a chance. I give them all a lot of credit for taking part in this new program.
If you know of anyone who may be interested, let me know or forward this email to them.
Two new videos on our website
I edited a couple more videos last night. It's a good way to see what we do. One shows parts of the Deck of Cards workout from 12/01 and another shows a workout from 1/19. Check them out here on our CrossFit Pictures & Videos page. You can see all of our videos on our Crossfit Cleveland YouTube Channel.
Dues are due
Tomorrow is the 1st of the month, so please pay your dues if you are on a monthly package. You can pay by Credit card on our website or bring cash or a check to the gym. Thanks.
Five lazy guys decide to get back in shape - Continued
Last week I left off with hiring Randy L. to get us into shape and teach us Hapkido. Here's a little more how that got started.
Chuck and I were sitting in the Men's Grille at a local club a few days after our embarrassing attempt to join Randy's Hapkido class at the Westlakek Rec Center. He just had to tell everyone in sight how funny I looked wearing a t-shirt that had not fit me in years, standing in a room full of little kids in karate uniforms, I had to add that he looked almost as foolish, except that he was quick to blend in with the other parents standing near the doorway, acting as if he was there to watch his kid. Maybe that's why some people don't go to a gym, they're afraid they'll look like a goof. Well, I had done that once and I was not up for a replay.
Anyway, while were sitting around the table Chuck and I talked Bill and Dean into joining us if we could find a place for us to learn martial arts. Just about then Bobby turns around from his stool at the bar and says "I'm in!" They did not care what style, just something. I had always been a black belt wannabe all my life and really wanted to take Hapkido. I said I'd contact the instructor who was teaching the program at the Rec Center and see what I could set up for us.
It just so happened that I knew that instructor from high school. Randy was a personal trainer and Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do instructor. He had won several state and national TKD tournaments and could have kicked any or maybe all of our butts collectively, so I decided to ask him if he would give us private group lessons. Any price seemed fair just to keep us out of that room full of little kids with their parents watching!
Within a week or two, the five of us started training with Randy. I think we started with just two nights a week. The first order of business was to get our sorry asses capable of some sort of activity for more than a few minutes. There was no point in teaching us any fancy martial arts moves until we had some wind. For the first couple months we mainly did cardio kick boxing type workouts. He mixed in some self defense training to keep it interesting, but it was mostly an intense cardio program.
It worked. In the first three months I lost at least 30 pounds. I really did not know what I was doing, I just did what Randy told us to do. As for diet, I had been on and off that Atkins/no carb thing. That was a mistake. Low carb diets don't support an active lifestyle, but I did not know any better at the time.
We all can look back on experiences and say what we would do differently if we had the chance. One thing I would not change is the group training aspect. It really makes you stick with a new program. If you are having difficulty getting started doing something-anything, get a few friends to start with you. If you don't have any friends, join a gym that does group workouts/classes.
Looking back, I would make one change. It's really an addition. I would have added more strength conditioning to my workouts. Losing fat is great, but adding muscle at the same time is better. I'm not talking about bodybuilder ego muscle stuff, I'm talking about increasing functional strength.
I get asked a lot about how I changed my diet to lose those 30 pounds. I am not a nutritionalist or dietitian, so I won't give any diet advice here. What I will do is tell you how I changed my eating habits by just identifying a few really bad aspects of my diet and then making a few simple changes. More on that next week.
You can access our newsletter archives if you want to read earlier parts of the story, click here for our fitness newletter archives.
Saturdays are our busiest days
The 9:00-10:00 hour is the busiest time. Members may want to come earlier or later to avoid the crowd. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays. See below for weekday hours, or check our website.
There has been some confusion on Saturday mornings concerning the Free workouts at 9:30am. We hold a free Basic Training Workouts in the Classroom side of the facility (the side with the blue matting). People attending the free workouts are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless they have a membership package or pay the daily fee. Thanks for being respectful of our members.
Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this Saturday.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning starting at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The class is limited to the first 15 people who arrive so please be a little early. You'll need to sign in and fill out a liability waiver before you start the class.
If you show up after 9:30am, you may not join the class in progress. If we have a larger crowd, we may begin a second session immediately following the first. Please be aware that if you are attending the free workout, you are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless you have a membership package or pay the daily fee.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't require any term commitments or contracts. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts. The more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our CrossFit workout Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
CrossFit is GPP
CrossFit is a General Physical Preparedness program. It works to develop all ten of these general physical fitness skills.
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance 10. Accuracy
Here is a link to an issue of the CrossFit Journal giving some great information on fitness. The Feature article is titled "What is Fitness". You'll also find more information on the 10 physical skills listed above as well as Crossfit's two other fitness standards. Read more here.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our CrossFit Cleveland mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Crossfit Cleveland News - January 23, 2008
If you've been to our gym lately you've probably noticed a bunch of us practicing things you don't normally see at other gyms or fitness centers. Handstand holds, handstand pushups, ring dips, kipping and inverted ring pullups, etc. We're really not nuts, practicing these movements help build strength, coordination and balance.
Check out this handstand video posted on the main CrossFit website. I haven't seen our members do these moves quite yet, but we're getting there! Click here for the video.
GPP
CrossFit is a General Physical Preparedness program. It works to develop all ten of these general physical fitness skills.
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance 10. Accuracy
Here is a link to an issue of the CrossFit Journal giving some great information on fitness. The Feature article is titled "What is Fitness". You'll also find more information on the 10 physical skills listed above as well as Crossfit's two other fitness standards. Read more here.
Five lazy guys decide to get back in shape
If you are having difficulty getting started doing something-anything, get a few friends to start with you. If you don't have any friends, join a group.
I mentioned last week about how several years ago four of my drinking/golfing buddies and I got together to get back in shape. We all realized that years of inactivity and poor eating habits helped add an unappealling layer around our midsection.
It all started when my good friend Chuck P. faxed me a page from the Westlake Rec Center's program listing a Hapkido class that was starting soon, I believe it was that very same night. We showed up at the Rec dressed something like Jules and Vincent at the end of Pulp Fiction. Oh yeah, we were the only adults in the class!
It took us less than five minutes to realize we made a mistake. 20 minutes later we were on our favorite stools at the Cabin Club, still in time for Happy Hour. If Chuck was still alive today, he would be telling that story for the 105th time.
We did not give up though. We decided to try martial arts again, but definitely not in a classroom full of strangers. We rounded up Dean, Bob and another Bill and made bets on who would quit first. I arranged for private training with our soon to be best buddy Randy L. and we gave it a shot. Randy put a hurt on us real bad for the first month or two, but no one was going to be the first to quit.
More on the adventure next week.
Saturdays are our busiest days
The 9:00-10:00 hour is the busiest time. Members may want to come earlier or later to avoid the crowd. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays. See below for weekday hours, or check our website.
There has been some confusion on Saturday mornings concerning the Free workouts at 9:30am. We hold a free Basic Training Workouts in the Classroom side of the facility (the side with the blue matting). People attending the free workouts are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless they have a membership package or pay the daily fee. Thanks for being respectful of our members.
Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this Saturday.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning starting at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The class is limited to the first 15 people who arrive so please be a little early. You'll need to sign in and fill out a liability waiver before you start the class.
If you show up after 9:30am, you may not join the class in progress. If we have a larger crowd, we may begin a second session immediately following the first. Please be aware that if you are attending the free workout, you are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless you have a membership package or pay the daily fee.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't require any term commitments or contracts. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts. The more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
3rd Concept 2 Rower is here
Our new Concept 2 Model E rower arrived Tuesday. We now have a Model C, D, and E. If you haven't had a chance to use our Concept 2 Rowing machines yet, please ask us for a lesson. Rowing is a great total body workout. It's also a great way to warmup - 4 to 5 minutes of rowing will get you ready for just about any workout we do.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made anewsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
Check out this handstand video posted on the main CrossFit website. I haven't seen our members do these moves quite yet, but we're getting there! Click here for the video.
GPP
CrossFit is a General Physical Preparedness program. It works to develop all ten of these general physical fitness skills.
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance 10. Accuracy
Here is a link to an issue of the CrossFit Journal giving some great information on fitness. The Feature article is titled "What is Fitness". You'll also find more information on the 10 physical skills listed above as well as Crossfit's two other fitness standards. Read more here.
Five lazy guys decide to get back in shape
If you are having difficulty getting started doing something-anything, get a few friends to start with you. If you don't have any friends, join a group.
I mentioned last week about how several years ago four of my drinking/golfing buddies and I got together to get back in shape. We all realized that years of inactivity and poor eating habits helped add an unappealling layer around our midsection.
It all started when my good friend Chuck P. faxed me a page from the Westlake Rec Center's program listing a Hapkido class that was starting soon, I believe it was that very same night. We showed up at the Rec dressed something like Jules and Vincent at the end of Pulp Fiction. Oh yeah, we were the only adults in the class!
It took us less than five minutes to realize we made a mistake. 20 minutes later we were on our favorite stools at the Cabin Club, still in time for Happy Hour. If Chuck was still alive today, he would be telling that story for the 105th time.
We did not give up though. We decided to try martial arts again, but definitely not in a classroom full of strangers. We rounded up Dean, Bob and another Bill and made bets on who would quit first. I arranged for private training with our soon to be best buddy Randy L. and we gave it a shot. Randy put a hurt on us real bad for the first month or two, but no one was going to be the first to quit.
More on the adventure next week.
Saturdays are our busiest days
The 9:00-10:00 hour is the busiest time. Members may want to come earlier or later to avoid the crowd. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays. See below for weekday hours, or check our website.
There has been some confusion on Saturday mornings concerning the Free workouts at 9:30am. We hold a free Basic Training Workouts in the Classroom side of the facility (the side with the blue matting). People attending the free workouts are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless they have a membership package or pay the daily fee. Thanks for being respectful of our members.
Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this Saturday.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning starting at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The class is limited to the first 15 people who arrive so please be a little early. You'll need to sign in and fill out a liability waiver before you start the class.
If you show up after 9:30am, you may not join the class in progress. If we have a larger crowd, we may begin a second session immediately following the first. Please be aware that if you are attending the free workout, you are not permitted to use the equipment on the Gym side (the side with the weights and rowers) unless you have a membership package or pay the daily fee.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't require any term commitments or contracts. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts. The more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
3rd Concept 2 Rower is here
Our new Concept 2 Model E rower arrived Tuesday. We now have a Model C, D, and E. If you haven't had a chance to use our Concept 2 Rowing machines yet, please ask us for a lesson. Rowing is a great total body workout. It's also a great way to warmup - 4 to 5 minutes of rowing will get you ready for just about any workout we do.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made anewsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
Friday, January 18, 2008
Crossfit Cleveland News - January 16, 2008
As I approached 40 I was hovering around 30 pounds overweight. Up five pounds, down five, up ten , down eight..... you know the drill. My suits hardly fit and I had no strength or stamina left from my younger days. My fitness level was close to non-existent. I could still hit a golf ball a long way, but you didn't see me walking too far from the cart! One day I stepped on the scale and it went north of 210. If I was 6'1" tall like my brother, that might not have been so bad, but I was 5'10".
At that point, I had an unusual but powerful reason to drop weight. I had built a pretty expensive closet full of suits and custom made shirts, most of which no longer fit. I wore a suit 3 or 4 times a week at the time so it was quite a problem. I simply could not afford to replace my clothes. That was a big enough reason for me.
I got together with four drinking buddies and we decided to get back in shape. It worked, and we had a lot of fun doing it. More on that next week.
Why it's hard to keep the weight off
Many people struggle to keep the pounds off after they lose them. I think the big reason for this is that they don't necessarily feel better after losing the weight.
If you went on a typical diet of restricting calories without increasing physical activity to any significant degree, you probably didn't have any noticeable benefit after losing the weight. You probably still huffed and puffed after climbing a flight of stairs and struggled carrying out the trash cans.
What I'm prescribing is to focus more on getting fit, and doing something that will cause you to feel better and be able to do things you can not do now. If you have weight to lose, it will come off in the process.
Don't just reduce calories and remain inactive. It won't last. Cut down on what you know you should not eat and get moving, get stronger and build stamina while you are at it. You'll start to feel better and this feeling of satisfaction will help you to stick to the new routine. As you lose fat and build muscle, you'll continue to feel even better. At each 10 pound increment, you can decide if you want to continue to lose more or if you like it where you are. I don't want to oversimplify things, but it is really that simple.
I can't promise that you'll lose any weight if you work out with us, but I can guarantee you that you will get stronger, faster and increase your physical work capacity. It's not easy, but you can do it. Our job is to teach you how and push you to do it.
Saturdays are getting busy
We had a huge crowd last Saturday, mostly between 9:15 and 10:00am. Come earlier or later to avoid the crowds, or come right at 9:30 and join the party! We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays. See below for weekday hours, or check our website.
New Rower on order
If you haven't had a chance to use our Concept 2 Rowing machines yet, please ask us for a lesson. Rowing is a great total body workout. It's also a great way to warmup - 4 to 5 minutes of rowing will get you ready for just about any workout we do. Paul ordered another unit today so we'll soon have a total of three machines. We'll add more in the coming months.
New video in the making
I'll be shooting lots of video this Saturday. It will include some of our more unusual exercises and routines that set us apart from the training most people get at traditional health clubs. Stop by.
Jason's first Muscle-Up caught on video!
In case you missed this last week, here is Jason getting his first muscle-up last saturday, it's posted on our website here. You can also get to it directly on YouTube. A muscle-up is like doing the biggest, hardest pullup you've ever done immediately followed by the deepest dip you can image, on gymnastic rings. Congrats Jason!
Sean and I are competing to see who gets on the board first. No money has been discussed yet. He's got the edge at the moment so get odds on me if you're betting!
KettleBell Basics Part 2 - video clip , secend in the series
This video was posted on the main CrossFit site last Sunday.. Jeff Martone received his training directly from Pavel T. and is one of CrossFit's expert Kettlebell instructors. You will start to see KBs show up everywhere now that they are becoming popular, mainly due to CrossFit. They even sell them at Target!
This week - Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this week.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The Saturday crowd has been growing so we need to get started right on time to be able to accomodate everyone.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our CrossFit Cleveland website
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't have any contracts or require any term commitments. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts, the more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join the CrossFit Cleveland mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
At that point, I had an unusual but powerful reason to drop weight. I had built a pretty expensive closet full of suits and custom made shirts, most of which no longer fit. I wore a suit 3 or 4 times a week at the time so it was quite a problem. I simply could not afford to replace my clothes. That was a big enough reason for me.
I got together with four drinking buddies and we decided to get back in shape. It worked, and we had a lot of fun doing it. More on that next week.
Why it's hard to keep the weight off
Many people struggle to keep the pounds off after they lose them. I think the big reason for this is that they don't necessarily feel better after losing the weight.
If you went on a typical diet of restricting calories without increasing physical activity to any significant degree, you probably didn't have any noticeable benefit after losing the weight. You probably still huffed and puffed after climbing a flight of stairs and struggled carrying out the trash cans.
What I'm prescribing is to focus more on getting fit, and doing something that will cause you to feel better and be able to do things you can not do now. If you have weight to lose, it will come off in the process.
Don't just reduce calories and remain inactive. It won't last. Cut down on what you know you should not eat and get moving, get stronger and build stamina while you are at it. You'll start to feel better and this feeling of satisfaction will help you to stick to the new routine. As you lose fat and build muscle, you'll continue to feel even better. At each 10 pound increment, you can decide if you want to continue to lose more or if you like it where you are. I don't want to oversimplify things, but it is really that simple.
I can't promise that you'll lose any weight if you work out with us, but I can guarantee you that you will get stronger, faster and increase your physical work capacity. It's not easy, but you can do it. Our job is to teach you how and push you to do it.
Saturdays are getting busy
We had a huge crowd last Saturday, mostly between 9:15 and 10:00am. Come earlier or later to avoid the crowds, or come right at 9:30 and join the party! We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am on Saturdays. See below for weekday hours, or check our website.
New Rower on order
If you haven't had a chance to use our Concept 2 Rowing machines yet, please ask us for a lesson. Rowing is a great total body workout. It's also a great way to warmup - 4 to 5 minutes of rowing will get you ready for just about any workout we do. Paul ordered another unit today so we'll soon have a total of three machines. We'll add more in the coming months.
New video in the making
I'll be shooting lots of video this Saturday. It will include some of our more unusual exercises and routines that set us apart from the training most people get at traditional health clubs. Stop by.
Jason's first Muscle-Up caught on video!
In case you missed this last week, here is Jason getting his first muscle-up last saturday, it's posted on our website here. You can also get to it directly on YouTube. A muscle-up is like doing the biggest, hardest pullup you've ever done immediately followed by the deepest dip you can image, on gymnastic rings. Congrats Jason!
Sean and I are competing to see who gets on the board first. No money has been discussed yet. He's got the edge at the moment so get odds on me if you're betting!
KettleBell Basics Part 2 - video clip , secend in the series
This video was posted on the main CrossFit site last Sunday.. Jeff Martone received his training directly from Pavel T. and is one of CrossFit's expert Kettlebell instructors. You will start to see KBs show up everywhere now that they are becoming popular, mainly due to CrossFit. They even sell them at Target!
This week - Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this week.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The Saturday crowd has been growing so we need to get started right on time to be able to accomodate everyone.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our CrossFit Cleveland website
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't have any contracts or require any term commitments. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts, the more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join the CrossFit Cleveland mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Crossfit Cleveland News - January 9, 2008
Someone asked me recently about why we thought the area needed another fitness facility. He said that there are Gold's, Bally's ,Curves and community Rec Centers all over the place and why would anyone care about a CrossFit gym?
I bit my normally blabby tongue and said something like "you're probably right, but people just keep coming back, bringing their friends and thanking us for helping them workout harder than they ever have before." I guess that happens everywhere.
What I find interesting is that a lot of our current members belong to 'one of the above' and still come train with us. They say they enjoy our group and the personal instruction from certified trainers.
We focus on teaching proper form technique and then coach everyone through their workout. Some people workout with a small group and some prefer to be on their own. We change the workout every day so you don't slip into a boring routine.
One of our members said recently "coming here is like having your own personal trainer available whenever you workout, without having to pay an hourly rate. It's a no-brainer."
Like I wrote last week, you'll either love what we do or hate it, but at least give it a try.
Jason's first Muscle-Up caught on video!
Check out the video of Jason getting his first muscle-up last saturday, it's posted on our website here. You can also get to it directly on YouTube. A muscle-up is like doing the biggest, hardest pullup you've ever done immediately followed by the deepest dip you can image, on gymnastic rings. Congrats Jason, and welcome back!
Heavy Deadlifts today
Today's workout is heavy deadlifts. Come in and we will teach you the proper form to get you started adding dealifts to your training routine. Don't worry if you don't know how, most people don't have proper form until they are taught.
Paul is excellent at instructing proper form and technique on all lifts, especially the deadlift. Nancy, Staci and I aren't bad ourselves! Stop by and we'll have you 'spot on' by the time you leave.
What are Med Ball Toss GHD Situps?
I mentioned these in last week's email and more than a few people asked me what the heck I was talking about. If you're in the gym this week ask me and I'll show you.
KettleBell Basics video clip
This video was posted on the main CrossFit site today. Jeff Martone received his training directly from Pavel T. and is one of CrossFit's expert Kettlebell instructors. You will start to see KBs show up everywhere now that they are becoming popular, mainly due to CrossFit. They even sell them at Target!
New video in the making
Dylon was the first person to volunteer to be part of the new video I'm making. It will include some of our more unusual exercises and routines that set us apart from the training most people get at traditional health clubs. If you care to be included, let me know. Who knows, you might become famous.
This week - Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this week.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The Saturday crowd has been growing so we need to get started right on time to be able to accomodate everyone.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't have any contracts or require any term commitments. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts, the more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
Co-Founder
Crossfit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC
17140 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
440-527-0527
I bit my normally blabby tongue and said something like "you're probably right, but people just keep coming back, bringing their friends and thanking us for helping them workout harder than they ever have before." I guess that happens everywhere.
What I find interesting is that a lot of our current members belong to 'one of the above' and still come train with us. They say they enjoy our group and the personal instruction from certified trainers.
We focus on teaching proper form technique and then coach everyone through their workout. Some people workout with a small group and some prefer to be on their own. We change the workout every day so you don't slip into a boring routine.
One of our members said recently "coming here is like having your own personal trainer available whenever you workout, without having to pay an hourly rate. It's a no-brainer."
Like I wrote last week, you'll either love what we do or hate it, but at least give it a try.
Jason's first Muscle-Up caught on video!
Check out the video of Jason getting his first muscle-up last saturday, it's posted on our website here. You can also get to it directly on YouTube. A muscle-up is like doing the biggest, hardest pullup you've ever done immediately followed by the deepest dip you can image, on gymnastic rings. Congrats Jason, and welcome back!
Heavy Deadlifts today
Today's workout is heavy deadlifts. Come in and we will teach you the proper form to get you started adding dealifts to your training routine. Don't worry if you don't know how, most people don't have proper form until they are taught.
Paul is excellent at instructing proper form and technique on all lifts, especially the deadlift. Nancy, Staci and I aren't bad ourselves! Stop by and we'll have you 'spot on' by the time you leave.
What are Med Ball Toss GHD Situps?
I mentioned these in last week's email and more than a few people asked me what the heck I was talking about. If you're in the gym this week ask me and I'll show you.
KettleBell Basics video clip
This video was posted on the main CrossFit site today. Jeff Martone received his training directly from Pavel T. and is one of CrossFit's expert Kettlebell instructors. You will start to see KBs show up everywhere now that they are becoming popular, mainly due to CrossFit. They even sell them at Target!
New video in the making
Dylon was the first person to volunteer to be part of the new video I'm making. It will include some of our more unusual exercises and routines that set us apart from the training most people get at traditional health clubs. If you care to be included, let me know. Who knows, you might become famous.
This week - Free Basic Class starts at 9:30am SHARP this week.
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am 'on the dot.' The Saturday crowd has been growing so we need to get started right on time to be able to accomodate everyone.
You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Membership packages
We have several ways you can join and attend group workouts. We don't have any contracts or require any term commitments. Rates are based on the frequency of your workouts, the more often you want to train, the less it costs per workout. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Copy of weekly newsletter on our website
Starting this week, a copy of our weekly email will be available on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
Co-Founder
Crossfit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC
17140 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
440-527-0527
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Crossfit Cleveland News - January 2, 2008
I read a funny quote the other day on the CrossFit message board, "People will do anything to lose weight...except eat right and exercise." It's sad but true. Unfortunately most people don't know how to do either one.
We show you how to get in better shape by teaching you a better way to work out. We combine functional exercises that work your muscles together, not in isolation. The workouts are scaled to your fitness level and vary every time so your body doesn't get a chance to adapt to a regular routine.
It's truly amazing how people love these workouts. Some say they like the small group training and instruction , others like the constantly varied workouts. Almost everyone agrees they can't believe how great of a workout they can get in 20 minutes or less. One of our members refers to our workouts as 'her crack', really. You'll either love what we do or hate it, but at least give it a try.
Article in Best Life
My good friend Bob A. told me about an article he read recently entitled "10 machines you must avoid" in the gym.
We happen to use #s 9 and 10, but only after proper training and supervision. I agree that you should avoid them all, and only use 9 & 10 when you know how and why to use them. We have a few members who do med ball toss GHD situps....that's something you don't see every day.
Here is a link to the article , let me know what you think.
New video in the making
Speaking of things you don't see every day, we are going to make a short video of some of our more unusual exercises and routines. If you care to be included, let me know. Who knows, you might become famous.
More pics
I put up even more pictures on our website, click here to see them. There's a shot of my daughter Katie doing a handstand on the home page. Our other Katie R. was showing off doing one the other day, but I did not have the camera handy. Sean and I will get one without using the wall sooner than later......
Holiday Gift Cards
The Holiday gift cards are all gone, but we have a fresh batch of 10-Class punchards available for $100. They're good for up to six months. We also have monthly packages available. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
This week
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am. You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
We show you how to get in better shape by teaching you a better way to work out. We combine functional exercises that work your muscles together, not in isolation. The workouts are scaled to your fitness level and vary every time so your body doesn't get a chance to adapt to a regular routine.
It's truly amazing how people love these workouts. Some say they like the small group training and instruction , others like the constantly varied workouts. Almost everyone agrees they can't believe how great of a workout they can get in 20 minutes or less. One of our members refers to our workouts as 'her crack', really. You'll either love what we do or hate it, but at least give it a try.
Article in Best Life
My good friend Bob A. told me about an article he read recently entitled "10 machines you must avoid" in the gym.
We happen to use #s 9 and 10, but only after proper training and supervision. I agree that you should avoid them all, and only use 9 & 10 when you know how and why to use them. We have a few members who do med ball toss GHD situps....that's something you don't see every day.
Here is a link to the article , let me know what you think.
New video in the making
Speaking of things you don't see every day, we are going to make a short video of some of our more unusual exercises and routines. If you care to be included, let me know. Who knows, you might become famous.
More pics
I put up even more pictures on our website, click here to see them. There's a shot of my daughter Katie doing a handstand on the home page. Our other Katie R. was showing off doing one the other day, but I did not have the camera handy. Sean and I will get one without using the wall sooner than later......
Holiday Gift Cards
The Holiday gift cards are all gone, but we have a fresh batch of 10-Class punchards available for $100. They're good for up to six months. We also have monthly packages available. See our Rates Page for more details. You can pay online or stop in and pay by cash or check.
This week
We're having another free Basic Training group workout this Saturday morning at 9:30am. You'll learn the basic exercises that we use in our CrossFit workouts. We'll teach you proper form and technique while we warm up, then we'll give you a workout scaled to your fitness level. We're located at 17140 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. We're on the north east corner of Mckinley and Madison, two minutes off the McKinley/I-90 exit.
If you've been to our free workouts and want something a little more challenging, you may want to check out our other classes available six days a week. We're open from 8:00am - 11:00am Saturday, M-W-F mornings 5:30am-7:00am and T-W-Th evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm. We have additional details on our website, CrossFitCleveland.com
Special Introductory Self-Defense Course
Master Chris Price of Four Gates Hapkido is offering an introductory course on the basics of karate and street defense at CrossFit Cleveland starting this month. We have flyers at the facility with more details. Email me if you are interested and I will forward you a copy.
Mailing List
If someone forwarded this message to you, click here to join our mailing list so you can receive future messages directly. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-527-0527
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