CrossFit Cleveland Fitness News and Updates

Here's what up this week... > My ramblings > Gym closed Saturday May 8th > Membership waiting list to start in May > CPR Certification May 17th > the next food co-op is next week We like to ask new people what caused them to come in and get started with us. We hear all sorts of reasons but one thing always seems to come up - they say they've either been driving by the place or reading our emails/website for the past 6-12 months, some even longer. I think Jillian still has the record, reading these emails for 2 years before peeking her head in the door.  That was some time late last summer. She works out 4 or 5 times a week now, and joins Killer in her Crossfit Games training workouts a couple mornings per week. Who knows what she would be doing these days if she had just kept reading the emails and stayed at home. Certainly not 100 pullups in a workout like she can do now, that's for sure. When I ask people what took them so long to come in, I hear things like "I was scared" or "it's really intimidating to start" or "I didn't think I could do this".  Those are all valid feelings.  You should be a little scared, and yes it is intimidating, and maybe you don't have enough reasons or have what it takes to work this hard. Crossfit training is tough, but it's totally doable by damn near anyone. People figure that out right away once they start.  They learn how we can modify and scale various exercises for anyone.  They learn the proper way to exercise with intensity and purpose. They get results they never thought possible. The greatest benefit I see in most people is not physical though, it's increased confidence. Our people look and feel stronger, healthier, fitter, etc. but more than anything, they are more confident in themselves and their abilities than they were when we first met them - every single one of them. So think of that the next time you pass us by for the 100th time and wish you had the nerve to stop in. What are you missing? It's really not that hard to find out. Watch and listen to what our people say in our "What is Crossfit" video on our - CrossFit - How to get started page Closed Saturday May 8th  FYI - The gym will be closed Saturday May 8th as we travel to Logan, OH to support Kate Rawlings at the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifier. 30 men and 30 women will be competing to earn a place at the Crossfit Games competition in California this summer.  Only 3 men and 3 women will advance from this regional event.  Learn more about the Crossfit Games. Membership Waiting List to start in May We're growing steadily and quickly approaching membership capacity during the afternoon/evening workouts. When we reach capacity, we will begin a waiting list for new members who wish to attend the P.M. workouts. New members will be able to attend any of the morning workouts and will be placed on a waiting list for attending P.M. workouts until a spot opens for them. Existing members will be able to attend any workouts they choose as long as their membership remains current.  It's important to know that if you take a month or two off, you will be subject to the waiting list upon your return. If you've taken the past couple/few months off, this might be a good time to get back in before the waiting list starts. You can register on online payments page of our website here. We do have expansion plans in the works that include additional workout times and more space. Please stay tuned for details.  Thanks to everyone for helping us grow this fantastic community. CPR Certification Class Monday May 17th at 7:00pm Staci has scheduled an Elyria Fireman to hold a CPR Certification course at CrossFit Cleveland on Monday May 17th at 7:00pm at the gym. It will last approximately 2 hours.  Please let Staci know if you want to attend, or put your name on the sign-up sheet at the gym  The cost is $35 and the certification is valid for 2 years. There are a limited number of spots and payment is needed to reserve your place. You can email Staci at staci@crossfitcleveland.com or see her at the gym if you have any questions. This class is open to anyone, not just gym members. CF Cleveland's Organic Produce Co-Op Staci and Tricia go down to the Cleveland Food Terminal every other week and purchase organic fruits and vegetables by the case. They get a boat load of food for not a whole lot of money, then they split it all up into 6 equal shares. They spend $300 total, making each 'share' cost $50.  The minimum buy-in is $25 for 1/2 share of produce. If you are interested, please add your name to the sign-up sheet at the gym or email staci@crossfitcleveland.com. The next trip will be the week of May 3rd. Staci will announce the exact day by this weekend.  Pick-up will be either Tuesday 5/4 or Wednesday 5/5. You can see a few pictures of the past couple batches of food here on our Organic Food Co-op post on our website.  Advocare products Staci and I are starting to get picked on for being 'crack' pushers. The fact is the Advocare products we're carrying really work and people are loving their results. Never before have we considered offering supplements because we never knew which brands worked and which were just scams. Advocare works. Skip Chase of Mount Baker CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting coach Mike Burgener and Jeremy Thiel of CrossFit Central are all very respected members of the CrossFit community.  They are all big fans of Advocare products, mainly because they work. When we learned that these three guys were involved, we agreed to take a closer look. We feel it an obligation to bring our members anything that can improve their results. Advocare happens to fit in perfectly. Hardly a sell-out as some label it. Our morning trainer Kate Rawlings feels the same way. Check out her recent blog post at her Killer Fitness Blog, and while you are there read all about her training for the CrossFit Games qualifiers. Many other top Crossfit gyms endorse and use Advocare products.  This stuff really helps, and everything comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can even bring back a completely empty container and tell us you didn't like it and you get your money back. That's a pretty impressive guarantee. If you are interested in learning more about their weight loss and performance enhancing products, ask one of us. You can also learn more about their products online at Staci's Advocare website

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

Crossfit Cleveland - Workout news and updates

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We've been running a lot more the past couple weeks and I have to say I kind of like it. Pause, gasp, pause again...did I really say that? I hate running, well I used to anyway. I've noticed that as I have gotten stronger, my running has improved dramatically. I've been on heavy dose of back squats lately, which is the only thing I'm doing differently and I think it's helping my running. Not to mention I'm running more than I ever used to.

It's just one of the tenets of CrossFit, we do what we suck at and/or hate to do. That's just how you get better.  The benefit is that you increase your overall fitness level by working on the chinks in your armor. I've always hated running and thrusters, and sucked at pullups.  I've gotten much better at pullups, 22 now. Thrusters don't knock me dead like they used to and now the running is pretty tolerable. Why, because I stopped avoiding all three and forced myself to do way more than I wanted to over the past few months. If you are guilty of avoiding certain workouts because of what's in them, start taking them on with a new attitude, do what you suck at.

Try these. Here is a video of the v-sit square-off between Kate Rawlings, Scott Morris and Hank Kelm during our recent Crossfit Gymanstics Certification Seminar. V-Sits at CF Cleveland


New daily updates on our workout page

FYI- We started posting a picture of the whiteboard showing workout results on our 'Workout of the Day page on our website. You can check to see the times for the morning and evening workouts. We post a workout six days per week on our site so that anyone can follow along with our programming whether they workout with us or at their own gym. The Crossfit community believes is sharing and this is one way we do that.

We also post a lot of photos on our Facebook Fan Page. You can view it even if you don't log into Facebook, here's the link for CrossFit Cleveland on Facebook If you are on Facebook, help us tag some of the people in the photos.

Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Programs for April There are several sessions starting later in April. Register now to reserve your spot. Group 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15pm and Saturdays at 7:30am,               starting Tuesday 04/20/10 Group 2: Mon/Wed/Fri at 6:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10 Group 3: Mon/Wed/Fri at 7:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10 Group 4: Mon/Wed/Fri at 9:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10  Group 5: Mon/Wed/Fri at Noon, starting Monday 04/19/10 You can read more about, register and download a flyer for our Executive Fitness Starter Programs in April on our website here

CPR Certification Class Monday May 17th at 7:00pm Staci has scheduled an Elyria Fireman to hold a CPR Certification course at CrossFit Cleveland on Monday May 17th at 7:00pm at the gym. It will last approximately 2 hours.  Please let Staci know if you want to attend, or put your name on the sign-up sheet at the gym  The cost is $35 and the certification is valid for 2 years. There are a limited number of spots and payment is needed to reserve your place. You can email Staci at staci@crossfitcleveland.com or see her at the gym if you have any questions.

CF Cleveland's Organic Produce Co-Op Staci and Tricia go down to the Cleveland Food Terminal every other week and purchase organic fruits and vegetables by the case. They get a boat load of food for not a whole lot of money, then they split it all up into 6 equal shares. They spend $300 total, making each 'share' cost $50.  The minimum buy-in is $25 for 1/2 share of produce. If you are interested, please add your name to the sign-up sheet at the gym or email staci@crossfitcleveland.com. The next trip will be on Tuesday April 20th and shares will be available for pickup from 4:00pm-7:00pm that day. Staci needs to have payment by Saturday April 17th. We had a wait list for the last delivery so don't delay if you want in. You can see a few pictures of the past couple batches of food here on our Organic Food Co-op post on our website.

Member Spotlight - You could be next! Please give me some input on who you would like to learn more about. I'll be adding a new Member Spotlight person in the next newsletter.  Someone old, someone new, someone borrowed, someone blue...just let me know who!

Advocare products Staci and I are starting to get picked on for being 'crack' pushers. The fact is the Advocare products we're carrying really work and people are loving their results. Never before have we considered offering supplements because we never knew which brands worked and which were just scams. Advocare works. Kate Rawlings now feels the same way. Check out her recent blog post at her Killer Fitness Blog, and while you are there read all about her training for the CrossFit Games qualifiers. Many of the top Crossfit gyms endorse and use Advocare products.  This stuff really helps, and everything comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can even bring back a completely empty container and tell us you didn't like it and you get your money back. That's a pretty impressive guarantee. If you are interested in learning more about their weight loss and performance enhancing products, ask one of us. You can also learn more about their products online at Staci's Advocare website

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

CrossFit Cleveland Fitness News and Updates (03/25/10)

CrossFit Cleveland March 25, 2010

Chris H. came up with another idea for a T-shirt slogan that was pretty good.  "CrossFit, you just wouldn't understand". Unless you've experienced the results from doing CrossFit workouts, you won't have any clue why so many people are hooked on the program. It's not just the results you get in terms of strength, stamina, endurance, balance, etc., it's about learning that you can do things you never thought you could do. It's about thinking you'll never get through something and then all of a sudden, you've done it.  You pushed through pain, fear, doubt, weakness and all sorts of other emotions that hit you during a workout, but in the end you got it done. Sort of like everyday life stuff, huh? CrossFit makes you better outside the gym. You learn to do things properly, face your fears, and to not give up. It sounds odd that doing crazy-hard workouts will make you better at facing all sorts of life's challenges, but it does. Are the workouts hard?  Yes, but only as hard as you make them. You can't get results if you don't push yourself. Our job is to teach you how and make sure you don't get hurt in the process. I read a quote from a local self-proclaimed fitness expert last week, "No form of exercise should be punishing. This is counterintuitive (sic) to what you are trying to do for your body and actually sends a stress signal." While this person's clients may be healthy from excellent nutritional counseling,  their bodies are most likely weak and fragile. Our clients, young and old, are strong and getting tougher than nails. You might think I'm preaching, but I don't mean to. I'm sharing what I see in our little world of Crossfit training. I constantly watch people, lots of people, change the entire direction of their lives doing this shit. It's amazing.  Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's scary.  And yes, it will make you perform better at just about anything in your life.  Okay, my glass of kool-aid is empty, nuff said. New daily updates on our workout page FYI- We started posting a picture of the whiteboard showing workout results on our 'Workout of the Day page on our website.  You can check to see the times for the morning and evening workouts. We post a workout six days per week on our site so that anyone can follow along with our programming whether they workout with us or at their own gym. The Crossfit community believes is sharing and this is one way we do that. We also post a lot of photos on our Facebook Fan Page. You can view it even if you don't log into Facebook, here's the link for CrossFit Cleveland on Facebook  If you are on Facebook, help us tag some of the people in the photos. Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Programs for April There are several sessions starting later in April. Register now to reserve your spot. Group 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15pm and Saturdays at 7:30am,               starting Tuesday 04/20/10 Group 2: Mon/Wed/Fri at 6:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10 Group 3: Mon/Wed/Fri at 7:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10 Group 4: Mon/Wed/Fri at 9:30am , starting Monday 04/19/10  Group 5: Mon/Wed/Fri at Noon, starting Monday 04/19/10 You can read more about, register and download a flyer for our Executive Fitness Starter Programs in April on our website here CF Cleveland's Organic Produce Co-Op Thanks to Christine for teaching Staci how to start and run our very own Organic Produce Co-Op.  See Staci for all the details but here's the scoop in a nutshell. Staci and Tricia go down to the Cleveland Food Terminal every other week and purchase organic fruits and vegetables by the case. They get a boat load of food for not a whole lot of money, then they split it all up into 6 equal shares. They spend $300 total, making each 'share' cost $50.  The minimum buy-in is $25 for 1/2 share of produce. If you are interested, please add your name to the sign-up sheet at the gym or email staci@crossfitcleveland.com. The next trip will be on Tuesday April 6th and shares will be available for pickup from 4:00pm-7:00pm that day. Staci needs to have payment by Saturday April 2nd. We had a wait list for this week's delivery so don't delay if you want in. You can see a few pictures of the past couple batches of food here on our Organic Food Co-op post on our website. CPR Certification Class in April Staci has arranged to have an Elyria Fireman teach a CPR Certification course at CrossFit Cleveland on a Saturday in April on a date not yet picked.  It will start at noon and last approximately 2 - 3 hours. Once we get at least ten people interested, we will pick the date.  Please let Staci know if you want to attend, or put your name on the sign-up sheet at the gym  The cost is $35 and the certification is valid for 2 years. Member Spotlight - You could be next! Please give me some input on who you would like to learn more about. I'll be adding a new Member Spotlight person in the next newsletter.  Someone old, someone new, someone borrowed, someone blue...just let me know who! Free Crossfit "Out-of-Work" Workout -  Monday 3/29 at 11:00am These weekly workouts are free for anyone currently unemployed and actively seeking a new job. They can help people feel better and energize them in their job search. There is absolutely no cost or obligation to attend. We are having another workout on Monday 3/29/10 at 11:00am. Pre-registration is necessary and there is a limit of 15 people.  You can read more and find a link to the registration page here CrossFit "Out-of-Work" Workouts. Please share this with anyone you think might be interested. We are encouraging all CrossFit gyms around the country to hold similar free workouts for people who are in transition. CrossFit CEO and Co-Founder Greg Glassman liked this idea enough to give me the mic for a brief moment to share it with the crowd at last month's CrossFit Affiliate Gathering in Miami Beach.  If you belong to CrossFit gym, please encourage the owners to consider this.  Advocare products Staci and I are starting to get picked on for being 'crack' pushers.  The fact is the Advocare products we're carrying really work and people are loving their results.  Never before have we considered offering supplements because we never knew which brands worked and which were just scams. Advocare works. Kate Rawlings now feels the same way.  Check out her recent blog post at her Killer Fitness Blog, and while you are there read all about her training for the CrossFit Games qualifiers. Many of the top Crossfit gyms endorse and use Advocare products.  This stuff really helps, and everything comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can even bring back a completely empty container and tell us you didn't like it and you get your money back. That's a pretty impressive guarantee. If you are interested in learning more about their weight loss and performance enhancing products, ask one of us. You can also learn more about their products online at Staci's Advocare website

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

CrossFit Exercise, Fitness News and Updates

CrossFit Cleveland March 2, 2010

The Executive Fitness Starter Programs that begin next week are filling up fast, except for the new 9:30am MON/WED/FRI group. To help get this new time slot filled up, we are offering a '2-for-1" Special for anyone who signs up before this Saturday or until it sells out. See below for more details.  This is the weekend of the much anticipated CrossFit Games Sectional Qualifiers at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH.  Several of our athletes will be competing for a spot in the Regional Qualifiers to be held in May, and a couple more are doing it just for the experience. Crazy kids! We hope to see many of you there. Let me know if you are interesed in attending and maybe I can hook you up with others to share the ride. One of our newer members, Carlo, will be competing in one of the Jiu Jitsu tournaments.  He's a blue belt in BJJ under Royler Gracie and Donald Park. For those of you unfamiliar, earning a BJJ blue belt takes 2-3 years of very hard training - they don't hand those out for just showing up. Good luck Carlo. Check out all the action at the Arnold Website. You can read about Kate Rawlings' training for this competition, and for life in general, at her awesome blog, Killer CrossFit-ness We post a lot of photos on our Facebook Fan Page. You can view it even if you don't log into Facebook, here's the link for CrossFit Cleveland on Facebook Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Programs for March   There are several sessions starting the first week of March. Register now to reserve your spot.   Group 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15pm and Saturdays at 7:30am,               starting 3/09/10 - SOLD OUT on 2/09- Thanks! Group 2: Mon/Wed/Fri at 6:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10 Group 3: Mon/Wed/Fri at 7:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10 Group 4: Mon/Wed/Fri at 9:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10  **2-for-1 deal** Group 5: Mon/Wed/Fri at Noon, starting Monday 03/08/10 You can read more about, register and download a flyer for our Executive Fitness Starter Programs in March on our website here We are offering a 2-for-1 deal to fill the new 9:30am Monday, Wednesday, Friday time slot. If you sign up online, indicate the name of the person who will be joining you. You will receive a confirmation that the two of you are registered for this program at the special 2-for-1 rate. Free Crossfit "Out-of-Work" Workout -  Monday 3/8 at 11:00am These weekly workouts are free for anyone currently unemployed and actively seeking a new job. They can help people feel better and energize them in their job search. There is absolutely no cost or obligation to attend. We are having another workout on Monday 3/08/10 at 11:00am. Pre-registration is necessary and there is a limit of 15 people.  You can read more and find a link to the registration page here CrossFit "Out-of-Work" Workouts. Please share this with anyone you think might be interested. We are encouraging all CrossFit gyms around the country to hold similar free workouts for people who are in transition. CrossFit CEO and Co-Founder Greg Glassman liked this idea enough to give me the mic for a brief moment to share it with the crowd at last month's CrossFit Affiliate Gathering in Miami Beach.  If you belong to CrossFit gym, please encourage the owners to consider this. Member Spotlight - Christine Mauersberger I heard about CrossFit in March last year and thought this type of exercise was not for me: an overweight woman, approaching 50. I wasn't always heavy, however, I had gotten into a tough spot with a huge weight gain in my late 40's. So I thought, why not just do it?   I started with the Executive Fitness Program in April 2009 & have been a regular member since September working out at least 4x/week. I've encouraged several friends to join and they're just as hooked on CrossFit as I am.   Every aspect of CrossFit has helped me dial-back the weight gain and restore my overall health and happiness: from the expert coaching of Bill and Staci to the commitment members have for each other's success.   Click here to read the rest and see Christine's 'Before & Now" pictures.  She's says the 'After' pictures later this year will be even better! Advocare products Staci and I are starting to get picked on for being 'crack' pushers.  The fact is the Advocare products we're carrying really work and people are loving their results.  Never before have we considered offering supplements because we never knew which brands worked and which were just scams. Advocare works. Kate Rawlings now feels the same way.  Check out her recent blog post at her Killer Fitness Blog, and while you are there read all about her training for the CrossFit Games qualifiers. Many of the top Crossfit gyms endorse and use Advocare products.  This stuff really helps, and everything comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can even bring back a completely empty container and tell us you didn't like it and you get your money back. That's a pretty impressive guarantee.   If you are interested in learning more about their weight loss and performance enhancing products, ask one of us. You can also learn more about their products online at Staci's Advocare website   Nothing To Do With Fitness 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 6th, 2010 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. Pat Graham is the Rotary Club's President and chairman of this event. Let's get a group together and run up his bar tab! Event Details When:    Saturday, March 6, 2010  6:30 to midnight? What:     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, OH Cost:      $175 per couple, includes dinner and open bar all night                 Why:      Your support allows them to continue their mission of giving. Two additional ways to help: Program Ads: Only $100 page, $50 half page and $25 for a ¼ business card ad! Silent Auction Items: You can help by donating a Silent Auction Item that will be publicized in our program and on-line. (Minimum value $50). Please let me know if you'd like to attend the party, place and ad in the program and/or donate an item for the Silent Auction, Thanks!

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

Crossfit Fitness News and Updates - February 11, 2010

CrossFit Cleveland February 11, 2010

A quick reminder that CF Cleveland will be closed this weekend due to the CrossFit Gymnastic Certification Seminar.  For members, we will be having a single workout before the seminar gets underway. Warm-up starts at 7:15am and the workout starts at 7:30am sharp. Please don't arrive late or you'll just be able to watch, no exceptions. We need the gym cleared by 8:15am to make way for seminar sign-ins. There won't be a 11:00am Basic Intro Workout for non-members this Saturday, but we'll be back on our normal Saturday schedule next week. You can read more about the Gymnastic Seminar down below, along with NEW info on the next series of Executive Fitness Starter Programs beginning in March, our new free "Out-of-Work Workouts, a new Family Membership option and a cool article about CrossFit training that ran in the Wall Street Journal last week. BTW- I added a video of Russ doing a muscle-up and a bunch more stuff on our Crossfit Cleveland Facebook Fan Page, check out the pictures and tag people if you know them. You don't have to have a Facebook account to view these pictures. My friend Kip Marlow sent me this link to an article and video about a wounded Marine who continues to use CrossFit training, take a look here Crossfit in the Wall Street Journal Crossfit Executive Fitness Starter Programs for March   There are several sessions starting the first week of March. Register now to reserve your spot.   Group 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15pm and Saturdays at 7:30am,               starting 3/09/10 - SOLD OUT on 2/09- Thanks! Group 2: Mon/Wed/Fri at 6:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10 Group 3: Mon/Wed/Fri at 7:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10 Group 4: Mon/Wed/Fri at 9:30am , starting Monday 03/08/10 Group 5: Mon/Wed/Fri at Noon, starting Monday 03/08/10 You can read more about, register and download a flyer for our Executive Fitness Starter Programs in March on our website here Free "Out-of-Work" Workouts - NEW We held our first CrossFit "Out-of-Work" Workout this past Monday at CF Cleveland.  We had five people attend and about a dozen more respond with interest in future workouts. These workouts are free for anyone who is currently unemployed and actively seeking a new job. They can help people get in better shape and energize them in their job search. There is absolutely no cost or obligation to attend. We are having another workout on Monday 2/15/10 at 9:00am. Pre-registration is necessary and there is a limit of 15 people.  You can read more and find a link to the registration page here CrossFit "Out-of-Work" Workouts. As of right now there are 11 spots remaining. We are encouraging all CrossFit gyms around the country to hold similar free workouts for people who are in transition. New Family Membership option - 2 workouts per week each We've just added a new Family Workout Package that allows you and your family members to attend up to two workouts each per week. See our CrossFit Cleveland Rates and Payment page for details Additional family discounts are available - please inquire if you are interested. Member Spotlight - Christine Mauersberger I heard about CrossFit in March last year and thought this type of exercise was not for me: an overweight woman, approaching 50. I wasn't always heavy, however, I had gotten into a tough spot with a huge weight gain in my late 40's. So I thought, why not just do it?   I started with the Executive Fitness Program in April 2009 & have been a regular member since September working out at least 4x/week. I've encouraged several friends to join and they're just as hooked on CrossFit as I am.   Every aspect of CrossFit has helped me dial-back the weight gain and restore my overall health and happiness: from the expert coaching of Bill and Staci to the commitment members have for each other's success.   Click here to read the rest and see Christine's 'Before & Now" pictures.  She's says the 'After' pictures later this year will be even better! CrossFit Gymnastic Certification Seminar in February We're excited to be hosting a CrossFit Gymnastics Certification Seminar on  February 13th and 14th at CrossFit Cleveland. It is both for trainers and people interested in learning more about performing and teaching the gymnastic movements that we use in our workouts. This training seminar is taught by Jeff Tucker and his crew from GSX Athletics.  I've had a beer or two with Jeff and have watched him in countless videos - he's great and funny as hell. We are limiting on-line sign-ups to the first 15 people. Please check out the Crossfit Gymnastic Cert registration page for more details.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this event. We are also hosting a CrossFit Endurance Certification Seminar on the last weekend in August. I'll have more details once the registration page is online.  Toby Jurging of SPC CrossFit in Hudson is also hosting a CF Endurance Cert in early June in case that better fits your schedule. Advocare products Staci and I are starting to get picked on for being 'crack' pushers.  The fact is the Advocare products we're carrying really work and people are loving their results.  Never before have we considered offering supplements because we never knew which brands worked and which were just scams. Advocare works. Kate Rawlings now feels the same way.  Check out her recent blog post at her Killer Fitness Blog, and while you are there read all about her training for the CrossFit Games qualifiers. Many of the top Crossfit gyms endorse and use Advocare products.  This stuff really helps, and everything comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can even bring back a completely empty container and tell us you didn't like it and you get your money back. That's a pretty impressive guarantee.   If you are interested in learning more about their weight loss and performance enhancing products, ask one of us. You can also learn more about their products online at Staci's Advocare website   Nothing To Do With Fitness 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 6th, 2010 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. Pat Graham is the Rotary Club's President and chairman of this event. Let's get a group together and run up his bar tab! Event Details When:    Saturday, March 6, 2010  6:30 to midnight? What:     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, OH Cost:      $175 per couple, includes dinner and open bar all night                 Why:      Your support allows them to continue their mission of giving. Two additional ways to help: Program Ads: Only $100 page, $50 half page and $25 for a ¼ business card ad! Silent Auction Items: You can help by donating a Silent Auction Item that will be publicized in our program and on-line. (Minimum value $50). Please let me know if you'd like to attend the party, place and ad in the program and/or donate an item for the Silent Auction, Thanks!

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland