6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks, and how to fix it - Part 5
This is the fifth of six articles listing some common reasons why your fitness routine may not be producing the results you want, and how to fix it.
Reason #5: You don't set goals or measure your progress.
Most, if not all of us, know how important the habits of setting goals and measuring our progress are when it comes to our career and financial plans. How many of you take the same approach with your workouts? I'm not talking about wanting to lose 20 pounds in the next 60 days and then weighing yourself every day to see how you're doing. Yes, that is a goal and you do measure your progress, but it's not enough. You are dealing with an outcome and not the work you must do in order to get the desired result.
So how about setting a goal to do your workouts at least four times a week for at least one hour each time? Big deal. Again, it's a goal but it's not enough for most people.
What if you tracked every workout, comparing the overall work you did in a certain amount of time and then set goals to increase your work and/or reduce the amount of time it takes for you to do it next time? You could also compare your results with your workout partner(s) and gain additional motivation to work harder to improve your results. Now we're talking.
Let's face it, going to the gym and exercising on a regular basis is not an enjoyable activity for most people. You get into a workout routine and after a couple weeks you start to feel better. Maybe you have a bit more energy or you start feeling a little stronger or less winded when you climb a flight of stairs. You can't measure those feelings though, so it's hard to get excited and stay motivated to continue. When you time your workouts and start recording your maximum efforts, you'll be able to see your progress in hard numbers. Numbers don't lie. When you start seeing measurable improvement, you'll find it easier to stick with your routine and keep working harder. Read on and I'll explain why that is.
Here is a timed/measured workout that I give all of my Executive Fitness Starter Program participants on Day 3. They repeat it and compare results on Day 16, approximately one month later.
Five rounds of maximum effort of:
Concept 2 Rower, 1 minute for max calories burned(counted as reps)
Abmat situps, 1 minute for maximum reps
Squats, 1 minute for maximum reps
Rest, 1 minute
Here are some real world results.
Nancy B. 174 reps (07/11/09) up to 266 reps (08/15/09)
Jillian N. 301 reps (07/11/09) up to 351 reps (08/15/09)
Ryan S. 287 reps (07/11/09) up to 362 reps (08/15/09)
Jasmine S. 260 reps (07/11/09) up to 298 reps (08/15/09)
Dana M. 272 reps (08/07/09) up to 385 reps (09/14/09)
Ann W. 200 reps (08/07/09) up to 248 reps (09/14/09)
Joe F. 213 reps (07/13/09) up to 243 reps (08/12/09)
John G. 174 reps (07/13/09) up to 284 reps (08/12/09)
Jim K. 197 reps (07/13/09) up to 272 reps (08/12/09)
Christy G. 300 reps (07/13/09) up to 355 reps (08/12/09)
Numbers don't lie. All of these people saw measurable improvement in their fitness level. Why is this so important? Each one of them knew they felt better after the first month of their new fitness program, but had a hard time quantifying anything. Since the workouts continued to get more demanding as the program progressed, it remained a struggle to finish each session. They were getting better/stronger/faster but did not know by how much because each session demanded a little more from them. Once they got to repeat a workout exactly like they had done a month earlier, they could see their improvement. Numbers don't lie. Now they have a payoff for their efforts and are willing work harder for even better results next time.
We are all about increasing your overall physical work capacity. What does that mean? It means you can do more physical work, whatever that is, in less time. Look at the numbers above and you'll see it, increased work capacity.
Crossfitters believe that if your performance improves during the workouts, your physical performance will also improve outside the gym. If you're performance starts to suffer due to a change in your diet or other habits, it will show up in your numbers at the gym and you can identify the cause and make necessary changes. That is, if you track the numbers.
You can start by taking some benchmark measurements for individual exercises. Record the maximum number of repetitions you can perform for a handful of exercises. Also record how long it takes you to do 100 reps of each of those exercises. It may take you 10-20 minutes to perform 100 reps of certain moves, but that's okay - just get a benchmark to compare to future efforts. Then set a goal to improve several if not all of them and test yourself every so often. If you've got a workot buddy or two, challenge each other and maybe make a small wager or two. This is a very basic approach but it will get you started tracking your progress and help motivate you to keep at it and push a little harder.
Next week - Reason #6: You don't eat properly
You can find Parts 1-4 if you missed them earlier.
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 1
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 2
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 3
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 4
Bill Russell
CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC
17140 Madison Avenue Lakewood, OH 44107
216-812-7841
To get more information and watch a video to hear what our people think of our training , visit our CrossFit Cleveland website.
Follow us on twitter @CFcleveland
Become a Fan of CrossFit Cleveland on Facebook
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus*
We had 60 people sign up and 47 actually finish our first annual 5K Plus workout on Saturday October 10th, 2009. The weather cooperated nicely as our participants completed our workout consisting of 10 rounds of a 500 meter run, 5 pullups, 10 pushups and 15 squats. Dave Heine finished in first place with a time of 27:35 and Jeff Koha was a close 2nd at 29:15. All times are listed at the bottom of this post.
Stonehouse Grill - Cindy Yorke & Scott Hornblower
Jim Kukral's Success Bootcamp
Brightguy, Inc. -
Northshore Tax & Accounting - Jim Strunk
Color by Numbers Salon in Lakewood- Natalie Bosau
Casey's Sports Bar
Donald Martens & Sons Ambulance Service – Dean Martens
We also thank everyone who donated prizes for our participants.
Donald Martens & Sons – Dean Martens
Color by Numbers Salon – Natalie Bosau
Mindful Motion – Tamara Murphy
Rock Bottom Brewery –
West End Tavern –
Blackbird Baking Company –
Nature’s Bin –
BrightGuy, Inc. –
Heinen’s –
The Reagle Beagle -
Savannah Bar & Grille, Jim DePaul
Convenient Food Mart –
CrossFit Cleveland
Dave and Ryan Weber of Axent Graphic did a fabulous job on our t-shirts and gave us special pricing for this event. You can find them online at www.axentgraphic.com
Staci and I would like to thank our volunteers who lent a hand before, during or after the event – we could not have done it without all of you.
Karen Wazbinski – Registration & ‘Last Minute Project Manager”
Shane Scott – Traffic Cop/Crossing Guard & J.A.F.O.
Troy Bratz
Carol DeMinico
Kevin Laing
Dean Martens
Lisa Matuszny
Christine Mauersberger
Jillian Neimeister
Adam Pelleshi
Phil Reid
Cat Viola
Audrey Williams
If I forgot to list someone, I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks!
We have pictures posted on our CrossFit Cleveland Facebook Fan PageLast but not least, here are the final results.
| Last Name | First Name | TIME |
| Heine | Dave | 27:35:00 |
| Koha | Jeffrey | 29:15:00 |
| Fischer | Michael | 29:33:00 |
| Bratz | Troy | 30:12:00 |
| Carroll | Peter | 30:14:00 |
| Heil | Tom | 30:33:00 |
| Lehman | Eric | 30:50:00 |
| Colarusso | Anthony | 30:59:00 |
| Pelleschi | Adam | 31:55:00 |
| Jochems | Rich | 32:03:00 |
| Stevenson | Richard | 32:40:00 |
| Morris | Scott | 33:12:00 |
| Laing | Kevin | 33:25:00 |
| Hayes | Chris | 34:55:00 |
| Stewart | Michael | 35:04:00 |
| DeMichele | Peter | 36:24:00 |
| Fremman | Thorin | 36:40:00 |
| Gibb | Eric | 37:20:00 |
| Strazar | Nick | 37:24:00 |
| Davis | Tom | 37:44:00 |
| Flannery | Patrick | 39:10:00 |
| Beauclair | 40:33:00 | |
| Fuehrer | Rick | 40:33:00 |
| Thomas | Andrew | 41:33:00 |
| Atwell | Greg | 41:55:00 |
| Mcmahan | Adam | 43:37:00 |
| Comerford | Bill | 58:14:00 |
| Modified Division | ||
| Maggio | Marielena | (8) 34:30:00 |
| Sinacore | Steven | 36:40:00 |
| Blankenship | Linda | (6) 36:50:00 |
| Heckel | Asya | 37:13:00 |
| Millward | Aimee | 37:57:00 |
| Winters | Sarah | 39:07:00 |
| Morse | Kristi | 39:10:00 |
| Tortoreti | Tricia | 41:20:00 |
| Large | Matt | 42:03:00 |
| Williams | Audrey | 42:52:00 |
| Newcomb | Denise | 43:24:00 |
| Morino | Dana | 43:46:00 |
| Reid | Phil | 44:02:00 |
| Hendzel | Beth Anne | 44:17:00 |
| Haney | Shana | 44:43:00 |
| DeMinico | Carol | 49:35:00 |
| Neimeister | Jillian | 49:42:00 |
| Viola | Catherine | 49:46:00 |
| Veres | Cassandra | 50:45:00 |
| Owens | Kimberly | 53:07:00 |
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Six Reasons Why Your Fitness Routine Sucks - Part 4
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks, and how to fix it - Part 4
This is the fourth of six articles listing some common reasons why your fitness routine may not be producing the results you want, and how to fix it.
Reason #4: You only do what you like to do.
There's a saying at most CrossFit gyms, "work on your weaknesses". More bluntly put, "do what you suck at". That might not be good grammar, but it's damn good advice when it comes to getting in the best shape possible.
How often do you include exercises or routines that you hate into your workouts? My guess is not very often. This one factor can seriously limit your progress if your objective is to improve your overall fitness level.
Let's say the first three reasons I write about in this series don't apply to you. #1 You have a workout buddy or group of people you regularly workout with and #2 you constantly vary your workouts every day. #3 You've also learned proper form and technique on a wide variety of functional exercises and know what you are doing and why. However, you always choose the exercises you like to do and perform them in the rep ranges and time frames that you are comfortable with. You rarely, if ever, include the exercises that you hate and/or suck at. Do you think that might be hurting your efforts to get in the best shape possible?
Even if you attend instructor-led classes where someone else determines what you do, most of the time you know what you're in for. You usually choose a certain kind of class because you like the routine(s). Whether it's yoga, spinning, pilates, etc. it's a safe bet that your instructor is not going to surprise you and make you do 100 burpee pullups for time. We pull shit like that all the time. It's usually an optional part of the cool down and people like it more than you'd think.
Why not write down a few of your weaknesses and the exercises that reveal them. Commit to working on at least one this month. Pick one or two and work them into your warmups or cool downs. Don't go overboard, just ease some of those 'suckers' in and see what happens.
Here are a just a few of the exercises we've done in various combinations during the past month. Our members don't get to cherry pick. They do them all, modified to their fitness level of course. Pullups, handstand pushups, burpees, summo deadlift high pulls, 800 meter runs, 1000 meter rows, hanging knees to elbows, ring dips, mountain climbers, overhead squats, thrusters, double unders, max effort deadlifts, walking lunges, clean & jerks. I bet you see a few that make you cringe, those are the ones you can start with.
Last year we did a series of W.O.W. challenges. W.O.W. stands for "Work On (your) Weaknesses". Each month we picked a particular exercise and asked people to complete a certain number of reps during the month. They could be performed in warmups and cool downs, but reps done in our daily workouts did not count. Give it a try, you might be surprised at the result.
Next week - Reason #5: You don't set goals or measure your progress.
You can find parts one, two and three here if you missed them earlier.
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 1
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 2
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 3
Bill Russell
CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC
17140 Madison Avenue Lakewood, OH 44107
216-812-7841
To get more information and watch a video to hear what our people think of our training , visit our CrossFit Cleveland website.
Follow us on twitter @CFcleveland
Become a Fan of CrossFit Cleveland on Facebook
Friday, October 2, 2009
CrossFit Cleveland update - 5K Plus*
Thanks to everyone who came out to our Member Appreciation picnic last Sunday at Wendy Park. About 50 people showed up to enjoy a beatutful day on the lakefront. I'll post some pictures on our website soon and link to them next week.
Plans are in high gear for our first annual CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus* event at 9:00am on Saturday October 10th, 2009 at the gym. All proceeds will be donated to the Lakewood Christian Service Center and the USO of Northern Ohio. There is a link on our website to register for the CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus. Please register this weekend to get an "I Survived" T-Shirt.
Here is a 5K Plus* flyer that can be emailed to friends and co-workers or printed and posted for others to see. We would appreciate any help you can give us to promote the event.
We currently have the following sponsors:
Northeast Court Reporting - Staci Russell, www.necourtreporting.com
Stonehouse Grill - Cindy Yorke & Scott Hornblower, www.stonehousegrill.com
Jim Kukral's Success Bootcamp, www.5DayBootcamp.com
Brightguy, Inc. - Greg Atwell & Lisa Matuszny, www.brightguy.com
Northshore Tax & Accounting - Jim Strunk
Color by Numbers Salon in Lakewood- Natalie Bosau
We're looking for prize donations for the top finishers, i.e. gift certificates for local restaurants, hair salons and massage centers, etc. Please ask your favorite place to donate a prize.The cost to participate is $15, which includes an "I Survived" T-Shirt if you sign up by this weekend.
The event will be a 5K run with a bunch of bodyweight exercises mixed in to test your mettle. We'll have several 'scaled down' versions so that everyone can participate. It's a 'rain or shine' event, Crossfitters aren't afraid of a little bad weather. Remember the Kory flipping the tire in the rain video?
We hope to get some local media coverage for this event. I also have the event listed on Facebook, please share it with your friends CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus* on Facebook
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks, and how to fix it
Sorry, but I ran out of time to finish the next article this week. I promise to have it next week! Here's an interesting article comparing P90X to CrossFit training.
Returns next week - Reason #4: You only do what you like to do.
You can find parts one, two and three here if you missed them earlier.
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 1
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 26 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 3
New Executive Fitness Starter Programs starting soon
There will be several new Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Program beginning later this month. I'll have the new schedule posted by early next week. You'll find info on the program down below my signature. I also have a flyer available online, click on CrossFit Executive Fitness Starter Program Flyer.
The cost is $270 per person for the 6-week, 18 session program. That works out to $15 per session. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program. Previous participants pay only $249.
Member Spotlight - The Amazing Trio
Chuck, Suzanne and Jessica have been working out together since the beginning of 2008. Jessica and Chuck found us the year before while we were running the free workouts in the metroparks back in the summer of 2007. Here's a little scoop on each of them on our website, along with a picture taken immediately following a grueling workout. Chuck, Suzanne & Jessica
Nothing to do with Fitness
The Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club is having its annual Sweetest Day Rose Sale fundraiser on Thursday October 15th from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Westlake Holiday Inn. Get a dozen roses for your sweetheart and help a great local organization. If you are interested, please contact me or Pat Graham.
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, as always all the old stuff is down below.
Regards,
BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)
Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland
Find us on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland========================================
The Zone - links to info from previous newletters & Option "B"
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
Zone on WebMD
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. The Zone is confusing for some, I know that - but Option B is as simple as it gets. 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.Try it and show us your list. If you can't see the bad guys, we'll point them out for you.
Executive Fitness Starter Program
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. The cost is now $270 per person for the 6-week, 18 session program. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program.
You will train in a small group of people (5-6max) 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. I have pictures of a few of our Executive Fitness groups on our CrossFit Cleveland Facebook page here. I'll be adding more soon.
Wednesday Five Dollar Workouts for Beginners - Off the Schedule until FallWe'll restart this again after Labor Day, please stay tuned for start times.
We refer to the 'Five Dollar Workout For Beginners' as the "Scaredy Cat" class. These classes are for all of you who seem to be scared to death to walk 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. Or maybe you are just looking for a change of routine in your workouts. 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 you will realize that you are capable of doing our workouts. You might like them, but at least you can say you tried.
For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for your first three visits, then they cost $5. Please be on time or you'll only be able to watch. All other workout times are reserved for our members or participants of our Executive Fitness Programs.
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. These workouts are free for your first three visits. After three free visits, we'll ask you to pay $5 per.You'll learn a few 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, 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 Kids Cleveland. 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.
Free speaker available for your group meeting Do you know of anyone who needs a free speaker for their group, club or association meetings? I am available to speak at local group meetings on two topics. 1. "How we built a profitable business using social media and on-line marketing."In this talk I tell how we used various low/no cost on-line marketing and social media tools to start and grow our business, and what our strategy is for the future.2. "Six Reasons Why Your Fitness Routine Sucks, and How to Fix It."In this talk I outline six mistakes most people make in their attempt(s) to get in shape. I have considerable experience in this area and help many people get back on the right track when it comes to improving their fitness level.Both talks are approximately 20 minutes long and normally trigger about 10 minutes of Q&A. I have no sales pitches or solicitations, these talks give hands-on information while allowing me to promote what I do to anyone who might be interested in approaching me afterwards.Please contact me through email at bill@crossfitcleveland.com or call direct at 440-915-7856. Thanks.
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
440-915-7856
Plans are in high gear for our first annual CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus* event at 9:00am on Saturday October 10th, 2009 at the gym. All proceeds will be donated to the Lakewood Christian Service Center and the USO of Northern Ohio. There is a link on our website to register for the CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus. Please register this weekend to get an "I Survived" T-Shirt.
Here is a 5K Plus* flyer that can be emailed to friends and co-workers or printed and posted for others to see. We would appreciate any help you can give us to promote the event.
We currently have the following sponsors:
Northeast Court Reporting - Staci Russell, www.necourtreporting.com
Stonehouse Grill - Cindy Yorke & Scott Hornblower, www.stonehousegrill.com
Jim Kukral's Success Bootcamp, www.5DayBootcamp.com
Brightguy, Inc. - Greg Atwell & Lisa Matuszny, www.brightguy.com
Northshore Tax & Accounting - Jim Strunk
Color by Numbers Salon in Lakewood- Natalie Bosau
We're looking for prize donations for the top finishers, i.e. gift certificates for local restaurants, hair salons and massage centers, etc. Please ask your favorite place to donate a prize.The cost to participate is $15, which includes an "I Survived" T-Shirt if you sign up by this weekend.
The event will be a 5K run with a bunch of bodyweight exercises mixed in to test your mettle. We'll have several 'scaled down' versions so that everyone can participate. It's a 'rain or shine' event, Crossfitters aren't afraid of a little bad weather. Remember the Kory flipping the tire in the rain video?
We hope to get some local media coverage for this event. I also have the event listed on Facebook, please share it with your friends CrossFit Cleveland 5K Plus* on Facebook
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks, and how to fix it
Sorry, but I ran out of time to finish the next article this week. I promise to have it next week! Here's an interesting article comparing P90X to CrossFit training.
Returns next week - Reason #4: You only do what you like to do.
You can find parts one, two and three here if you missed them earlier.
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 1
6 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 26 Reasons why your fitness routine sucks - Part 3
New Executive Fitness Starter Programs starting soon
There will be several new Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Program beginning later this month. I'll have the new schedule posted by early next week. You'll find info on the program down below my signature. I also have a flyer available online, click on CrossFit Executive Fitness Starter Program Flyer.
The cost is $270 per person for the 6-week, 18 session program. That works out to $15 per session. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program. Previous participants pay only $249.
Member Spotlight - The Amazing Trio
Chuck, Suzanne and Jessica have been working out together since the beginning of 2008. Jessica and Chuck found us the year before while we were running the free workouts in the metroparks back in the summer of 2007. Here's a little scoop on each of them on our website, along with a picture taken immediately following a grueling workout. Chuck, Suzanne & Jessica
Nothing to do with Fitness
The Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club is having its annual Sweetest Day Rose Sale fundraiser on Thursday October 15th from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Westlake Holiday Inn. Get a dozen roses for your sweetheart and help a great local organization. If you are interested, please contact me or Pat Graham.
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, as always all the old stuff is down below.
Regards,
BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)
Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland
Find us on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland========================================
The Zone - links to info from previous newletters & Option "B"
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
Zone on WebMD
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. The Zone is confusing for some, I know that - but Option B is as simple as it gets. 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.Try it and show us your list. If you can't see the bad guys, we'll point them out for you.
Executive Fitness Starter Program
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. The cost is now $270 per person for the 6-week, 18 session program. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program.
You will train in a small group of people (5-6max) 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. I have pictures of a few of our Executive Fitness groups on our CrossFit Cleveland Facebook page here. I'll be adding more soon.
Wednesday Five Dollar Workouts for Beginners - Off the Schedule until FallWe'll restart this again after Labor Day, please stay tuned for start times.
We refer to the 'Five Dollar Workout For Beginners' as the "Scaredy Cat" class. These classes are for all of you who seem to be scared to death to walk 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. Or maybe you are just looking for a change of routine in your workouts. 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 you will realize that you are capable of doing our workouts. You might like them, but at least you can say you tried.
For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for your first three visits, then they cost $5. Please be on time or you'll only be able to watch. All other workout times are reserved for our members or participants of our Executive Fitness Programs.
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. These workouts are free for your first three visits. After three free visits, we'll ask you to pay $5 per.You'll learn a few 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, 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 Kids Cleveland. 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.
Free speaker available for your group meeting Do you know of anyone who needs a free speaker for their group, club or association meetings? I am available to speak at local group meetings on two topics. 1. "How we built a profitable business using social media and on-line marketing."In this talk I tell how we used various low/no cost on-line marketing and social media tools to start and grow our business, and what our strategy is for the future.2. "Six Reasons Why Your Fitness Routine Sucks, and How to Fix It."In this talk I outline six mistakes most people make in their attempt(s) to get in shape. I have considerable experience in this area and help many people get back on the right track when it comes to improving their fitness level.Both talks are approximately 20 minutes long and normally trigger about 10 minutes of Q&A. I have no sales pitches or solicitations, these talks give hands-on information while allowing me to promote what I do to anyone who might be interested in approaching me afterwards.Please contact me through email at bill@crossfitcleveland.com or call direct at 440-915-7856. Thanks.
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
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We hope to see you soon.
Bill Russell
440-915-7856
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