CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 07/22/08

It's hard to believe it's almost August. Where has the time gone? Pretty soon summer will be over and a bunch of you will not be able to use that old excuse any longer. You know, the one about "I can't start a new workout program in the summer, I golf, or I boat, or it's too hot, or .......

The one excuse I hear often and that I do understand is "I don't know what to do. I go to a gym and stand around looking like a goof, then I try to do what someone else is doing on some shiny machine and I end up look like a bigger goof, I leave and never go back."

It's actually valid for many of us. I think that's why so many people get hooked on CrossFit. It's not necessarily the program or the specific workouts, it's that you get taught the proper way to exercise and perform workouts that give results. There's no need for lots of space and fancy equipment, a lot of the workouts can be done anywhere. Look at our place, it's not fancy - far from it. It's raw, plain and simple. Full of a bunch of regular people who want to get in better shape and feel better. I see it working every day.


You gotta have a reason

When I see someone working hard at getting/staying fit, I often wonder what it is that's driving him or her. You can ask 20 or 30 of our members and you'll probably hear 20 or 30 different reasons. The reality is that if you don't have a good enough reason, you won't change what you do. It can be any reason that drives you, but you have to have at least one.

Heck, mine reason was pretty goofy, but it worked. Eight or nine years ago I went north of 210 pounds and I couldn't fit into any of my suits. My last 'fat suit' was too tight. At the time I could not afford to replace a closet full of nice suits and custom made shirts, so I HAD to lose weight. I said it was goofy. What's your reason?


First Happy Hour Workout and Cookout next week

We're planning our first Happy Hour Workout for our members on Friday August 1st at our house in North Olmsted. Paul, Nancy, Staci and I will all be there. We'll start at 6:00pm with a warmup and workout followed by a cookout on our patio. We'll supply the food, beer, wine and mixers. Spouses/partners are welcome, but they have to workout to get food! We would appreciate RSVPs asap. Please respond with the secret member handshake and I'll send you directions.


New pics and videos

I've got new pictures and videos on our CrossFit Cleveland website. You can see who crosses the finish line first during a recent Saturday workout and watch Kory finish his workout in a downpour.


Executive Fitness Program is underway
You'll see a few new faces in the gym on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Say hi to Liz, Michelle, Michael, Jennifer and Katherine when you see them. They may even join the members on a Saturday morning workout in the Metroparks soon.
There is another evening program starting on September 9th. Reserve your spot early before the group fills. See below for more details on the program.

We'll have a morning group start once the shower and changing rooms are finished early next month. Details to follow.

Club 3000 competition

Troy is determined to be the first member to reach 3000 reps so he can help choose next month's exercise for the 3000 competition. It looks like he'll get there tonight. Paul sailed past 3000 a while ago to win the "owners division".

For those of you who missed it earlier, we've starting something new at CF Cleveland. Each month one of our members will select an exercise for the competition. You just have to do 3,000 reps by the end of the month. Yes, I said 3,000, and that's in addition to any reps that may be included in daily workouts. You can do them at home, work, the beach or at the gym as a cool down. Just post your totals on the Workout of the Day page on our website or in your square on the Goal Board at the gym.

Katie R. chose situps as the exercise for July. Any style will do, GHDs, abmats, anchored, unanchored - just get them done. You can do 100 a day, 200 every other day, or cram 3000 on the last day, you decide. Jason says KTEs should count, I agree. That stands for Hanging Knees to Elbows for you new folks.

Be the first member to hit 3000 and you get to help pick next month's exercise. Everyone reaching 3000 reps will be honored at a special black tie dinner or get their name on the board, I haven't decided yet. Good luck.

We got this idea from Chris and Kristin from the CrossFit affiliate in Kent.


New Summer Schedule

MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE: Instead of being open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., we will be having outdoor workouts every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. until after Labor Day. We'll be at at our normal location in the Metroparks. It's on Valley Parkway under the I-90 bridge, 1/2 mile south of the Lakewood Dog Park. Show up rain or shine since we have rain cover under the bridge. Please be aware that this outdoor workout is for current gym members only. (Platinum, Unlimited, 2x and Punch Card).

We are continuing the free Basic Introductory Group Workout on Saturday mornings at the gym on Madison. The new time for the Free Workout is 9:00am instead of 9:30am. The gym will be closing following this 9 o'clock workout.

You can find more details on the Basic Introductory workouts down below near the end of this message.

That's it for this week. You can find the old news below.

BR

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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.
You will train in a small group of four to six people 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'!
Another evening program will begin September 9th, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:00pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am. The cost is $195 per person for the 6-week program. Please contact me for more details and to reserve your spot.
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.


CrossFit Kids

CrossFit Kids classes are held every Monday and Thursday at 6:15PM and run about 30 minutes. Please contact Paul in advance to register your child in an upcoming class. He can be reached at 216-407-3521.


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.


Expanded hours available for Unlimited Members

Unlimited members who want to workout on days that we are normally closed can make arrangements in advance to schedules times for us to open for them. Please contact one of us to work out times. You can see our current hours and membership rate on our CrossFit Cleveland website.


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.


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, CrossFitCleveland.com