Crossfit Fitness News and Updates - 04/11/09

The proof is in the......

Pudding. The proof is in the pudding. So what does that old saying mean anyway? I searched around and found a good answer, "results are what count". Take a look around the place where you work out. You see many of the same people for months, maybe years. Are they seeing dramatic results from their fitness routine or are they stuck in a rut? Are you? When I look around our CrossFit gym all I see are people making steady progress towards their goals. Most can't believe they finally found something that really works. Don't believe me, come talk to them yourself.

I have an exercise for you, especially my new friend who just can't seem to make a decision to join the Executive Fitness Program. He, maybe like many of you, knows he needs to lose weight and get back in shape. He's been saying that to himself for the past year or few without taking any action. So here is the exercise - Take out your calender and go out six weeks, to mid May. Circle a date and write in a note to ask yourself that day if you are still saying "I need to get back in shape". Get it? Just do it. Start now and in six weeks you'll be well on your way.

* We'll be adding one or two new Executive Fitness Starter Program groups that will start in a couple weeks. The day and time slots will be based on interest. I have several people asking for a lunch hour timeslot through the week, and a few more at 9:00am or 10:00am weekdays. If you are interested in one of those times or have a better suggestion for me, please let me know. I'll send out more details as they develop. Thanks.

* The "Farewell workout' for Sean & Jessica Kufel is set for 10:00am tomorrow, Saturday April 11th, at the gym. Please join us if you can. Several people have said they are going to the Beer Engine in Lakewood after the workout so please stop in to wish them well. We hope to see all of you Saturday, and dress for some outdoor activities if it's not raining(too hard)! Members can workout at any of the regular times if they can't join the 10:00am gig.

* Congrats to Trevor Murray for getting his first muscle-up this week. He joined Paul, Sean, and Chris in the 2,009 muscle-ups in 2009. Paul is temporarily sidelined but shot way out front early, Sean in closing in on 1,000 reps, Chris is close to 50 and Trevor has 1 and counting. Troy, Greg, Katie and I are still getting there and still working on our 1st one. I predict Greg will be the next to pull it off. A muscle-up is done on pair of gymnastic rings, as you pull up you come up on top of the rings and press out a dip. Some make it look easy, see a video of Sean's first muscle-up from last May. I'll get some video of Trevor and others doing MUs and post something later this month.

Nothing to do with Fitness

The Westshore Chamber of Commerce is hosting a 'Business After Hours" event along with several other local Chambers tonight at the Beachcliff Tavern on Detroit from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Staci and I will be there around 5:30 with several of our friends. The Chamberites will be watching the Tribe game, I'll be catching up on the Masters. Come join us if you can.
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.

Hoppy Easter!
BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)

Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland
Jessie is on Twitter too, http://www.twitter.com/jessiepup

========================================

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

We'll be adding one or two new Executive Fitness Starter Program groups later this month. Stay tuned for details.

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 $249 per person for the 6-week 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.


Five Dollar Workouts for Beginners - Wednesdays @ 6:45pm

We refer to our Wednesday 6:45 '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.

New visitors can attend their first Wednesday 6:45 Beginner Workout for free, after that it's just $5 per.

For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone every week, just be on time or you'll only be able to watch. All other workout times are reserved for our members of 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. 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

Crossfit Fitness News and Updates - 04/03/09

So what's in your workout? If you aren't doing CrossFit workouts, the chances are you are doing the same routine over and over, and/or doing it whenever it happens to be convenient. Even if you do mix things up, one problem is that when you choose your own routine you usually pick exercises that you either like or are good at. Sure, you'll see results for a while, but then you'll hit a plateau for sure. Why not try mixing up your routine and adding some things you suck at. We do it all the time!

* One spot opened up in the morning Executive Fitness Starter Program that starts this Monday April 6th. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and run for six weeks (18 sessions). We also have one spot remaining in the program that runs on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program.

* Paul and Nancy have updated the CrossFit Kids Cleveland website. It includes a video on the program. Check it out.

* I have a bunch of new pictures that I'll post as soon as I get some spare time. I do have a pretty cool video of everyone flipping the big truck tire last week, you can see it on our CrossFit Cleveland Videos page here.

* We rescheduled the "Farewell workout' for Sean & Jessica Kufel for 10:00am next Saturday April 11th at the gym. Please join us if you can. Several people have said they are all going to the Beer Engine in Lakewood after the workout so please stop in to wish them well. We hope to see all of you Saturday, and dress for some outdoor activities if it's not raining(too hard)!

* Sean posted a few pictures of his favorite new tree in his yard, see them on his Fat Kid and the Afternoon Snacks blog

Nothing to do with Fitness

My friend Dennis Willis is a Business Coach with Action Coach International. He's on my email newsletter list and I'm on his. His latest newsletter had a link to an interesting article written by one of his associates titled "10 Ways to Maximize the Sales Value of Your Business", read it here

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

========================================

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

We've added two more starting April 6th. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and the new evening program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am.

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 $249 per person for the 6-week 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.

Five Dollar Workouts for Beginners - Wednesdays @ 6:45pm

We refer to our Wednesday 6:45 '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.

New visitors can attend their first Wednesday 6:45 Beginner Workout for free, after that it's just $5 per.

For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone every week, just be on time or you'll only be able to watch. All other workout times are reserved for our members of 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. 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, 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

CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 03/25/09

Several new things this week, and more Zone stuff below.

* Every Wednesday at 6:45pm we have a Beginner's Class - also known as the "Scaredy Cat Class". If you've been hesitant to come in and try a workout, this is for you. New visitors can attend their first Beginner's Workout for free, after that it's just $5 per. Please call, text or email me if you are coming, 440-915-7856.For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone every week. All other workout times are reserved for our members of participants of our Executive Fitness Programs.

* Two new Executive Fitness Starter Programs begin on April 6th. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and the new evening program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am. Space is limited to 5 people per group. You can register on our website's payment page, look about halfway down for the Exec program.

* We are having a "Farewell workout' for Sean & Jessica Kufel this Saturday 2/38 at 10:00am at the gym. Please join us if you can. Several people have said they are all going to the Beer Engine in Lakewood after the workout so please stop in to wish them well. We hope to see all of you Saturday, and dress for some outdoor activities if it's not raining(too hard)!

Sean, an Electrical Engineer, landed a new job at a firm in Marietta, OH. He and Jessica have been working out with us since the early days in 2007. Sean has been a regular fixture in the gym four or five days per week as well as maintaining our CF Cleveland Myspace and Facebook pages. Sean and Jess will certainly be missed, and will undoubtedly be stopping in whenever they visit their families back in our area.

* Katie 'Killer" Rawlings posted a time of 8:25 last Saturday doing a Fractured Fran at the Men's weight of 95lb. That's 45 reps of 95lb thrusters and pullups, split into 5 sets of 9 reps each. For those of you not familiar with this workout, her performance was un-F'ing-believable. See a few pictures of her and her new 'doo'' on our CrossFit Cleveland website

The Zone - Tips & Results

I mentioned last week that Staci and I bounce back and forth between strict weighing and measuring and the eye-ball (guestimate) methods. It's clear that when we guestimate, we over eat. We're back to a stricter routine and it is getting much easier to prepare meals. Hang in there, it does get better.

I recently eliminated almost all whole grains from my diet and after a couple weeks I noticed that I had less energy and felt sluggish all of the time. As a result, my performance during workouts suffered and I lost 4 or 5 pounds in the process. I realized that I had not eaten more fruits and vegetables to replace my lost carb calories, but instead increased my protein intake -mainly because it was easy to do. Wrong.

I increased my fruit and veggie intake and added half the whole grains back in - I can already feel the difference. I did a Cindy workout recently and matched a previous PR. I was hardly out of breath at the end, compared to being completely smoked the previous time. You might think I was dogging it a bit and maybe I was, but an improvement none the less. My muscles were completely fatigued from the pullups but I was not gassed. I will do her again next week with the goal of adding at least two rounds. I'm trying to get comparisons to previous workouts instead of just saying I feel stronger, faster, etc. More details as they come.

My rowing times have definitely improved, especially when there are multiple rows in a workout. I usually have to keep at a 2:05/500M pace during a 3rd or 4th round to keep from gassing. The other day I did three 500M rows and I finished the 3rd round in 1:50, or 15 seconds faster. Yesterday we did a wod with 300M Rows in the circuit. During my 7th and final round, I kept at or below a 1:40/500M pace for the entire 300M. I couldn't seem to get it any lower but I felt I could have kept that pace for another 100-200M. These are big improvements for me, must be the Zone.

I'll report on Staci's numbers next week. She has noticed a definite increase in her overall work capacity during workouts and she is coming up with some real numbers for comparison. She says her clothes keep fitting better and better every week, that's always a good thing.

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

Nothing to do with Fitness - Jessie on Twitter

Jessie has over 100 followers on Twitter these days. How many do you have? Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/jessiepup

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

========================================

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

We've added two more starting April 6th. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and the new evening program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am.
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 $249 per person for the 6-week 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.


Five Dollar Workouts for Beginners - Wednesdays @ 6:45pm

We refer to our Wednesday 6:45 '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.

New visitors can attend their first Wednesday 6:45 Beginner Workout for free, after that it's just $5 per.

For now, the 9:00am Saturday Basics Class continues to be free for everyone every week, just be on time or you'll only be able to watch. All other workout times are reserved for our members of 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.

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, 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

CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 03/18/09

Our newest addition, Jennifer Lynn, is doing great and getting bigger by the minute. For a baby, that's a good thing - for the rest of us maybe not so good.

Jennifer has made a couple appearances at the gym recently and was pictured on the "CrossFit Mom's" website last week, scroll down to the 3/11 post on http://www.xfitmom.com/

Several quick things this week.

* Tonight, and every Wednesday night at 6:45pm we have a Beginner's Class - also known as the "Scaredy Cat Class". If you've been scared to come in and try a workout, this is for you. Please call, text or email me if you are coming, 440-915-7856 The first class is free then it's only five bucks a class after that. We still hold free Basic Intro classes every Saturday morning at 9:00am

* Congrats to Sean Kufel for landing a great new job in Marietta. It sucks that we won't be seeing Jess & Sean's smiling faces every week, but we're happy for them none the less. We will be having a 'Farewell Workout" near the end of the month, stay tuned for details.

* The Executive Fitness Starter Program starting tomorrow night has been sold for the past 2 weeks. Thanks for your growing interest in this program.

* We have added two new Executive Fitness Programs starting next month. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and the new evening program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am. I'll post the starting dates shortly. Please see down below my signature line or contact me for more details. As usual, payment reserves your spot.

* Katie 'Killer" Rawlings has been training harder than ever lately, getting ready for the CrossFit Games qualifier in Columbus in mid-May. She recently came in 2nd in a qualifying event at a Crossfit Challenge held in Austin, TX. She used that event to gain experience and insight for competing in the real thing. Stop in and watch her workout sometime, it's amazing, and scary as hell sometimes.

* If you haven't done so already, please connect with Staci and me on Facebook. You can find me here on Bill Russell's Facebook - you can find Staci and a bunch of our other CrossFitters in my friend list along with some photos from recent workouts in my profile.

* I'll continue my Zone Chronicles in the next newsletter. Here's a brief update. Staci and I bounce back and forth between strict weighing and measuring and the eye-ball (guestimate) methods. It's clear that when we guestimate, we over eat. We've sort of hit a plateau lately so we are going to make a rather drastic change to see what happens. I'll fill you in more next time, since Staci doesn't even know what the change is yet!

* Our very own Michael DeAloia, aka The Tech Czar, is traveling abroad this month as part of a Marshall Fellowship Program, read his updates here Tech Czar in action. You can also follow him on Twitter for day to day updates, http://twitter.com/techczar

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

========================================

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
Zone on WebMD

Executive Fitness Starter Program

The program that starts tomorrow has been sold out for the past two weeks. we've added two more starting in April. The new morning sessions will be at 7:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and the new evening program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 7:30am. I'll post the starting dates shortly.

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 $249 per person for the 6-week 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.


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 $5 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.

CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 02/25/09

We had a record number of people who read and responded to our last newsletter. I guess new baby announcements interest everyone. If you missed it, Nancy and Paul celebrated the birth of their baby girl Jennifer Lynn. She was born Saturday 2/7 at 12:28pm weighing in at 5 pounds 11 ounces. Check out our website to see CrossFit's newest and prettiest girl, here's the picture. Mom and baby are doing well and Dad is averaging 2 hours sleep, on a good night.

Just a couple quick things this week.

* Tonight, and every Wednesday night at 6:45pm we have a Beginner's Class - also known as the "Scaredy Cat Class". If you've been scared to come in and try a workout, this is for you. Call, text or email me if you are coming, 440-915-7856

* One spot remaining for the next Executive Fitness Starter Program. If you want it, you need to make payment to secure your spot. Details are down below my signature in this email.

* I may do an additional Starter Program on either on Monday and Wednesday evenings or Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting next month based on demand. Please let me know if you have an interest.

* If you want to join Staci and me at the Westlake/Bay Village Reverse Raffle on March 7th, let me know. We're trying to get a fun table together. I included details in the last two newsletters, you can catch a copy on CrossFit Newsletter Archives Page.


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

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)

Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

========================================

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
Zone on WebMD

Executive Fitness Starter Program

The next program starts Tuesday March 19, 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, 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.

CrossFit Cleveland fitness news & updates 02/13/09

Congratulations to Nancy and Paul on the birth of their baby girl Jennifer Lynn. She was born last Saturday at 12:28pm weighing in at 5 pounds 11 ounces. Check out our website to see CrossFit's newest and prettiest girl, here's the picture. We're all hoping she makes an appearance at the gym very soon. I'll keep you posted on any news I get.

I've also posted a bunch of random pictures from the gym like Kevin and T-Roy doing medball toss situps on the GHD, and various shots of Tracey, Katie, John, & Sean. I've also got a couple shots of the Executive Fitness group, Anthony, Kim, Catherine, Linda and Eileen, doing the "Deck of Cards" workout after getting their first taste of Hapkido wrist grab releases. Check out the pics here on our CrossFit Cleveland Photos page.


Here's what's happening

. Member Spotlight - Lisa & Greg
. CrossFit Affiliate Gathering
. The Zone - results, tips & the "option B"
. Nothing to do with fitness - Westlake Rotary Reverse Raffle(repeat)
. 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


CrossFit Affiliate Gathering

Staci and I attended a conference last weekend in Austin, TX for owners and trainers from CrossFit gyms all around the world. It was not about working out and learning more about being trainers, but learning more about the business side of the house. We had a blast and met a lot of people, and we even learned a few things too.

There were over 300 people in attendance from as far away as Australia. There are now close to 1,000 CrossFit affiliated gyms and training centers, up from about 300 at the beginning of 2008. It's amazing how the CrossFit community is growing and how strong it is. It all started with a guy putting a linux server in his garage, hooking it up to the net, and posting free workouts everyday.

I found it interesting to learn that there are 8 or 9 CrossFit gyms in Austin, with a few more in the works. They are all doing well and get along just fine. You see we're not like the globogyms who want thousands of clients to pay for a year or two of training and then hardly ever show up. We're looking for people who want better results from their fitness training. My guess is the Greater Cleveland area could support a whole bunch of CrossFit gyms like Austin can. We thank you for supporting ours!



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

I'm looking for some feedback from those of you who have started on the Zone, or some variation of it. Please send me your comments, suggestions and questions if you have them.

If you haven't started yet, have you at least done option B listed below? If you haven't done either, it tells me one of two things about you. You are either happy where you are, which is great, or that you aren't the least bit serious about making a positive change. The Zone is confusing for some, I know that - but Option B is as simple as it gets. Try it and show us your list. If you can't see the bad guys, we'll point them out for you.

I found an article on WebMD about the Zone. It's basically "what it is", "how it works" and "what the experts say". Take a read here - Zone on WebMD.

BTW, I'm not trying to be hip by calling it the Zone and leaving off the "D" word. I'm trying to keep my 'junk email' score lower by not using it so often, clever huh?

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.



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 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.

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)

Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland

========================================

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
Zone on WebMD

Executive Fitness Starter Program

The next program starts Tuesday March 19, 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, 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

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)

========================================

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