CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 02/04/09

Sorry I didn't get this newsletter out last week. Did you even notice? Anyway, we had a crazy week capped off by a mini Niagra Falls of melting ice into one of our upstairs bedrooms. Thanks to Geoff G. for climbing a ladder to shovel off our roof and hammer out a foot of ice from our gutters. Geoff is a Cleveland Fireman and does roofing also. Call him if you need roof work done. You can find him most days at 5:30pm at the gym.

FYI-The gym will be open this evening despite this unexpected snow storm! If we ever do have a 'snow day' we'll annouce it on Twitter. You can follow us at http://www.twitter.com/CFcleveland . If you set your account to receive our messages via text/sms, you'll get notices immediately on your cell phone. Cool!


Here is what you'll find NEW this week

. Member Spotlight - Lisa & Greg
. New time for the Beginner "Scardy Cat' class
. The Zone - results, tips & the "option B"
. 3000 Club Competition - WOW - what did you pick?
. Nothing to do with fitness - Westlake Rotary Reverse Raffle
. Access to past email newsletters


This month's Member Spotlight - Lisa & Greg

Greg started coming to Crossfit Cleveland in January 2008 and Lisa joined him in May. Here's what they have to say."We heard about the new gym from Lisa's dad, who works out at the Justice Center with Paul. We were looking for something new to do. We had gone to a personal trainer for a while and were ready to move on...it was very expensive. Crossfit has the benefits of a personal trainer without the cost." You can read more about them and see their picture on our CrossFit Cleveland website


New time for the beginner "Scaredy Cat' class - Wednesdays @ 6:45pm

We've changed the time for our beginner classes to 6:45pm on Wednesday evenings. These classes are for any of you who think our workouts are too hard for you. Believe me, they aren't. Our job as Crossfit trainers is to teach you the proper way to perform exercises and coach you through a workout that you can do at your current level. Some people in the fitness world feel like they have to 'kick your ass' during your first training session, we do not.

It's okay to admit that you don't have a clue how to to exercise properly and effectively, most people don't. These beginner classes will focus on teaching you how to perform our fundamental exercises using proper form and technique, all in a safe enviroment. We will include a light workout that I guarantee everyone can do. Each time you come back we'll turn up the volume a little bit to keep it challenging. Soon you'll be ready to jump into the workouts with our Crossfit veterans!

If you have not attended any of our free Saturday 9:00am workouts your first Scaredy Cat class is on the house(no charge). Otherwise it's $15 per class. You can buy a punch card to reduce the cost to $10 per class.

***Please email me by 6:00pm on Wednesdays to register for each class, or or you can call or text me at 440-915-7856. Thanks!
The 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone, just be on time or you'll only be able to watch.

The Zone Diet - Results, Tips & Option "B"

We've completed another month on the Zone and I'm just not sure what I think of all this weighing and measuring. On one hand it's a pain in the ass. On the other hand, it keeps me from over eating. I'm very good at eyeballing to balance the proportions, but I'm bad about keeping to the correct portion size. So I don't need to weigh and measure to make sure I have the proper balance of proteins, carbs and fats during each meal, but I will definitely over eat if I don't measure the total. Staci on the other hand stinks at eyeballing the proportions, but is very good at limiting the overall portion size. So what am I saying? Stick to weighing and measuring for as long and you can.

One thing we changed recently is that we now prepare the same size meals for both of us. We used to make up a 4 or 5 block meal for me and a 3 block meal for Staci. That was pure genius, not. Now we make up 3 block meals for both of us. I simply eat an additional 3 block meal at some point during the day. That, combined with a slightly larger snack, gets me to my higher block total for the day. I find that it's easier to make a 3 block meal than it is to make a 4 or 5 block meal.
If you have no idea what I mean by weighing/measuring/eyeballing, read a few of the back issues and check out the earlier links to learn the basics of the Zone Diet.

Here's a link to an interesting article by Dr. Barry Sears on Diet Myths.

There is a "Zone Links" section below my sig. I will keep a running list of all new links each week.

Option B:

If you're not ready to start some new diet plan like the Zone, try this. Write down everything you put in your mouth for the next 7 days. Everything. Then take a look at the list. You'll see the bad guys, most people have two or three biggies. Pick one and eliminate it completely for 30 days. Pick two others and cut them in half.

I did that 8 years ago when I was 40 pounds heavier than I am today. That, coupled with a new exercise plan got me on my way.


Club 3000 competition - W.O.W. - What did you pick?

Last month I thought, why should someone else pick the exercise you should do 3000 reps of? Why shouldn't you pick it/them yourself. That's what we're doing starting this month. You get to pick your own exercise or a combination of several that you will do 3,000 reps of. Or maybe 1,000 or 1,500. Put it on the board and go for it.

The only catch is, you gotta pick something you suck at or that you hate doing. No cherry picking like I normally do. Don't pick something you are good at, pick a weakness or something you really don't like to do. We all have them, and we know what they are. Let's call them "Suckers". For me it's pullups and heavy thrusters. I suck at high rep pullups and I hate heavy thrusters, hate'em hate'em hate'em.

W.O.W. stands for Work On your Weakness. I know there's a 'Y" in there, forget about it. Work on your weakness means pick exercises that you either don't do very well or that you just hate doing. Even better yet, pick the ones that scare you. I said before that I hate heavy thrusters. The truth is they scare me.

Make sure you write your W.O.W. Target on the Goal Board at the gym, and email me with your choices.



Nothing to do with Fitness - Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Reverse Raffle

For those of you who like a good party, I've got one for you. The Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club is having its annual Reverse Raffle & Silent Auction on Saturday March 7th, 2009 at Lakewood Country Club. All money raised goes to charitable causes both locally and abroad.

At first glance you might think it's a bit pricey, but it's really not when you consider what you get. Dinner for two and all the trimmings at a private country club, music, dancing and, get this, an open bar all night with top shelf booze. Have you seen the drinks they pour at Lakewood C.C.? Big! You also get one ticket on the main board to win $2,000, plus there are a bunch of other prizes.

Our very own Pat Graham is the Rotary Club's chairman of this event. Let's get a group together and run up his bar tab!
Event Details When: Saturday, March 7, 2009 6:30 to midnightWhat: Reverse Raffle - $2,000.00 Grand Prize and $2,800.00 total Cash Prizes plus a Silent Auction Where: Lakewood Country Club, 2613 Bradley Road, Westlake, OHCost: $175 per couple, includes dinner and open bar all night Why: Your support allows them to continue their mission of giving.

They are also accepting donations for Silent Auction items. Please see Bill or Staci for more details.

BTW-Thanks to everyone who turned out to help Cassi with her fundraising efforts last week. The spaghetti dinner and Sean's band party were very well attended, and fun. Sean might be singing Alex Bevan's "Skinny Little Boy" the next time he's on stage.

Previous newsletters on our website (repeat)

You can read all the past newsletter emails on our website. I've made a newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.
That's all for now, all the old stuff is down below.

Regards,
BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)

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The Zone - links to info from previous newletters

The Zone is the eating plan recommended by CrossFit founders Greg and Lauren Glassman and their crew of senior CrossFit trainers and athletes. We are not nutrition experts by any stretch, we're just making a suggestion that if you want to see better results in your attempt to get to your ideal weight, try the Zone.

Some people find the Zone confusing in the beginning, but it's really quite simple once you get it. The Zone balances three macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates and fat at every meal and snack. The tricky part is learning how to create and maintain the balance.

Here are links from previous emails.
Zone Wellness Pyramid CrossFit Journal Issue 21 on the Zone Diet
"The Top 100 Zone Foods"
"Zone Meals in Seconds"
Zone Quick Start Guide
CrossFit Discussion Board's Nutrition Forum
Dr. Barry Sears on Diet Myths

Executive Fitness Starter Program

The next program starts Tuesday March 10, 2009.

This program is designed for those of you who are out of shape and want to get started on an exercise program that really works. If you finish, I guarantee that you will be stronger, faster and just plain feel better. You will lose weight, but how much is really up to you. You don't have to be an executive, just someone between the ages of 18 and 80 who wants to get back in shape but doesn't know how to start.
You will train in a small group of people (5 max) three days per week. A CrossFit Certified trainer will instruct and manage your group at all times. You will learn the correct way to perform our Level I and Level II functional exercises using proper form and technique. All exercises will be scaled to your current ability and fitness level. If that sounds hard to pull off, it is. That's why we get the 'big bucks'! There are several recommendations on my LinkedIn page if you care to check them out.


New time for the beginner "Scaredy Cat' class - Wednesdays @ 6:45pm

I've changed the name of the 6:45pm Wednesday beginner class to the "Scaredy Cat" class. These classes are for all of you who are scared to death of walking into a Crossfit gym. I'm not trying to be insulting here, just accurate. I'll admit that if I were new to this whole thing and peaked in a window and saw people doing the crazy shit we do I'd probably run away myself. But once inside I'd see a whole lot of normal people working out at their own level and getting in the best shape of their lives.

It's okay to admit that you don't have a clue how to to exercise properly and effectively, most people don't. These classes will focus on teaching you how to perform our fundamental exercises using proper form and technique, all in a safe enviroment. We will include a light workout that I guarantee everyone can do. After one session the light will either go on for you and you will get it, or you'll hate us and never come back.

If you have not attended any of our free Saturday 9:00am workouts your first Scaredy Cat class is on the house(no charge). Otherwise it's $15 per class.

The 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone, just be on time or you'll only be able to watch.

CrossFit Cleveland video promo on our website

Stewart Ryan has been working on this promotional video for months and it's almost ready. This is not the final version, but I posted in on our website anyway.

Thanks to everyone who gave testimonials in the vid, especially Sean, Katie, Jessica, Michael and Amy. I don't mean to leave anyone out since everyone was terrific. However, Mr. Graham "stole the show" . He may become a Crossfit video legend with his closing comment, watch it all here on the CrossFit Cleveland home page. The final 'cleaned-up' version will be posted soon.


Hoodies and Long-Sleeve T-Shirts

The new hoodies and long-sleeve t-shirts are now available at the gym. Hoodies are $30 and the T's are $20. Both have our new CF Cleveland logo on the back and a small RAW Fitness logo on the front.
CF Cleveland Trainers - email addresses
I've added email addresses for Nancy, Paul and Staci on the CrossFit Trainers page on our website. In case you didn't know, all four of us are partners and co-founders of CrossFit Cleveland.New Members get one Foundations Class at no charge

New members receive a one-hour Foundations Class at no charge when they sign up for any membership package. We'll teach about a dozen of our standard exercises to prepare them to join our group workouts. We stress proper form and technique for all movements.

If you joined recently, you are also eligible for this class. Just let us know and we'll schedule you.


Free Basic Class starts at 9:00am SHARP this Saturday.

We're having another free Basic Introductory group workout this Saturday morning starting at 9:00am '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 9:00am, you may not join the class in progress but you are welcome to stay and watch. 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 have additional details on our website, http://www.crossfitcleveland.com/

CrossFit embroidered apparrel

We have two CrossFit logo designs that can be embroidered on pretty much any piece of clothing you have. Just go to the HomeTown Threads store located inside the Wal-Mart in North Olmsted and tell them you are a member of CrossFit Cleveland. The charge for embroidery is $12 per piece. You can buy stuff from them or take in your own clothing, new or already worn. Pretty cool, huh?

We also have the original Raw Fitness T-shirt available for $15 each.


Membership rates

You can pay for individual workouts, buy a punch card or join on an monthly basis. 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.


CrossFit Kids

We have a new website for CrossFit Cleveland Kids. Paul and Nancy have been working on it for the past several months. You can check it out here. Contact Paul or Nancy to register your child in an upcoming class. They can be reached at 216-407-3521.

Copy of previous newsletters on our website

You can read all the past newsletter emails 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