Coaches Corner

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

Mindset is one of the most important aspects in determining if you are going to be successful in your training or not. In fact, I would argue that it is THE most important aspect. Before you ever lose weight, get in shape, get stronger, eat better, etc., you must do it in your head. No person ever achieved a goal without first deciding they were going to do it in their head. In this article, I discuss why mindset is so important and provide a few tips to help you change your mindset and achieve your goals.

There are two different mindsets that one can have, a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. In her book Mindset, Carol Dweck defines these two terms and talks about why it is so important to have a growth mindset. In life, many people have a fixed mindset, which means they believe that their talents and abilities are fixed and cannot be changed. These people believe certain people are born with good genes and that is the reason they are successful. These people believe they weren’t born to be fit, or smart, or skinny, or successful, or whatever the case may be. Dweck goes on to dispel this myth and show why people who achieve things in life got there by countless hours of work and dedication. The fixed mindset is a lie people tell themselves to feel better about not achieving what they would like to achieve. People with a growth mindset, however, believe they can achieve anything they would like to by putting in enough work. These are the people who succeed at the highest levels of any area. They know what their goals are, what it will take to achieve them, put systems in place that will help them get there, and then attack them relentlessly. They most likely have found out what successful people do and modeled their behavior after them. If you read any autobiography of a super successful person, or hear them talk, or meet them in person, you will quickly pick up on this. They would not be where they are without having a growth mindset.

So what does having a fixed mindset look like in regards to health and fitness? People with a fixed mindset will say things like “I wish I had their metabolism or genetics” or “I peaked in high school” or “I could never do that” or “obesity runs in my family.” There are a million other ways this mindset can manifest itself, but if you know what you are looking for, you will recognize it when you hear it. Such people will most likely quit any fitness program after a few months and never get the results they could have, because they don’t believe they can. They tell themselves they can’t achieve whatever it is they want to achieve because of their genetics to make themselves feel better about not putting in the work required. If they are not where they want to be in a fitness program, they will blame their trainer, or friends, or job, or schedule, or anyone and anything else they can think of. They will also spend a ton of time comparing themselves to others and making excuses for why someone else is in better shape, stronger, skinnier, etc. than them. A person with a growth mindset, however, will say things like “I can’t do that YET” or “I just want to be consistent” or “I want to give my best effort every time I come in.” These people realize that where they are in their health and fitness is a representation of their effort and consistency only and the work they have or have not put in. If they have not been training consistently, they take full responsibility for the shape they are in. Overall, they realize you get out what you put in and the harder the work they put in, the more progress they will make.

We all have a fixed mindset in some areas and a growth mindset in others. The goal is to think more growth mindset every day and realize you are in control of your life. If you want to achieve something, it is up to you, and only you, to achieve it. If you need a coach, it is up to you to find the best coach. If your coach isn’t cutting it, find a better one. If you need accountability, find people who will hold you accountable. If you need to get your diet in check, get your diet in check. If you need to learn more, do the research and learn more. So many people blame their circumstances for their results, but at the end of the day, we only have ourselves to blame for where we are in life. If you are not happy, it is up to you to make the necessary changes—no one is going to do it for you.

So how do you have a better mindset with your training? The first step is realizing you are in control of your own health and fitness. If you want to get stronger, lose weight, or anything else, it must start in your own mind. You must believe you can do it and come up with a plan to get there. Once you have a plan, you must hold yourself accountable to do everything you can to achieve it. Remember, whatever result you get will be solely a representation of your own resourcefulness, effort, and consistency. There is freedom in realizing this because once you realize you are in control, you realize you can achieve whatever you want! I would challenge you to start taking the steps towards your goals that you know you need to. If you have a goal but don’t know what to do, find someone who does know what to do and ask them. If you need to learn more, look things up on the Internet. If you need guidance, ask a coach. If you want to achieve something great, find someone who has achieved it and ask them how they did it. And finally, surround yourself with people with a growth mindset. Mindset is contagious and if you are around people with nothing but fixed mindsets, it will be very hard for you to have a growth mindset.

Remember this: no one ever achieved anything in life without first achieving it in their mind. If you have a goal, envision it in your mind, plan out how you will achieve it, and do everything in your power to get there. Be introspective about your thoughts and challenge yourself to have a growth mindset in every area of your life. Surround yourself with people who are more successful than you. And above all, remember you can do anything you want to do. The outcome is up to you.

CrossFit Class Programming. We have made some changes recently to the class program to give you more variety, new warm ups and a healthy mix of strength, conditioning and skill work. After eight years of creating all of the programming myself, I have decided to take a break and pay for fresh new ideas. The goal is to have classes be fun and enjoyable while getting you fitter! The cool thing about this new programming is the coaches version we have access to: insight to the purpose of the workouts, stimulus, a timeline to run on time classes and scaling options. This allows us to run consistent classes, regardless of the coach, to bring everyone the same great experience. This also helps us better prepare you for the workouts if we have not yet done them ourselves. So far, we are really enjoying the new program and coaching aids.

HIIT Class Programming. This program is designed to be a nice blend of short, high intensity bouts with a mix of longer intervals and straight up long duration conditioning using everything but the barbells. If you are looking for more conditioning and less lifting, then this class is for you. Currently offered 4x/week with morning class times coming soon! You will see more outside workouts as the weather shifts to warm sunny days. You can also expect a mix of partner workouts regularly to help separate this class from our typical CrossFit classes. First class is free—perfect for introducing newcomers/beginners to the gym.

Competitors Programming. This program is open to all members wanting to supplement their current classes (you do not have to participate in competitions). We currently offer 3 tracks of extra work depending on needs. You can currently pick from extra conditioning (long duration), gymnastic strength, and barbell strength work. We run this in 6-week cycles so every 6 weeks you can either keep the same track and get a new focus or switch it up to change which track you follow. All Competitors programming is done on your own before or after class.

Sports Performance Programming. This is our Olympic Weightlifting Program and the focus is based on improving not only your olympic lifts but general strength as well. Like our competitors program, this one also runs in 6 week cycles. You can attend our Sports Performance classes (3x/week) while following the program to get help with technique and additional coaching. This class is open to all members on the Unlimited Plan.

Questions? Please ask any of the coaches for more info.

—Coach Chris

by Coach Vanessa Dickens

When you work out, you’re essentially creating micro tears in your muscle. The act of breaking down those fibers can leave your muscles tender, sore and even difficult to move. Sometimes, that soreness may take a couple days to really hit you and you experience DOMS (delayed onset muscles soreness) So the next time muscle soreness strikes, here’s a few things you can do to speed up your recovery so you can hit it hard on your next WOD.

#1 Foam Roller

The foam roller is your friend. This simple and handy device can reduce muscle soreness, speed recovery, and it’s kinda fun. Taking a few minutes out of your day to roll out the knots in your muscles will help you train harder, perform better, and prevent injury. Here is a good starting routine for the foam roller. Make a pass or two over each group, pausing and taking deep breaths when you find a sore spot. Don’t overdo it, less is more here. Keep your attention on the experience in your muscles, breath, and mind.

#2 Massage

Here is a great excuse to pamper yourself! Get at least an hour massage once a month, more if you are training 6+ days a week.

Pro-tip: after a workout is really the ticket to ultimate relaxation. Having a massage improves blood flow to sore muscle tissues, releasing micro-adhesions and encouraging muscle repair. Sometimes this can be painful but is an effective treatment if you can handle a little pain, which I know you can because you’re badass CrossFitters.

#3 Sleep

After pushing your body in the gym, you need time to reset and recover. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. The body repairs itself at night, triggering important hormones that signal repair to muscle tissue. Lack of sleep decreases the hormonal response, meaning your recovery (and results) will be slower.

#4 Cool down

You may think, “Hell yeah! I’m finally done with this WOD!” and you just want to pack up and go home. But that’s not the best idea for your body. So always try to do a brief cooldown after each sweat session. Stretch the muscles you just exercised to improve blood flow and increase your range of motion. Try holding each static stretch for 30 to 60 seconds for maximum benefit.

Remember, you don’t get stronger in the gym, you get stronger during recovery and allowing your body to adapt to the stimulus. You don’t grow muscle in the gym or when you’re lifting the weight, you don’t build endurance when you’re hammering through a WOD, all that happens when you are resting. So recover around your training and all will be well!

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

With summer right around the corner, there is typically one thing on most people’s minds with regards to their health and fitness: looking good for the beach or river or lake. This is the time of year that most people kick their fitness regimen in high gear as their planned summer trip is only a few months or weeks away. The idea of spending all summer outside in a body that you are not proud of can be a scary thought. I wanted to share a few tips to help you have a body you can be proud of. This article will look a lot like a previous article I wrote; if you missed out on your New Years goals, there is no better time to start than now. Ultimately, the best way to be ready for summer is to live a year-round lifestyle of health and fitness. These tips should not only be followed leading up to summer, but should be continued all year long.

1. TRACK YOUR FOOD

One of the biggest issues I see with people is that they have no awareness of what they are eating. It has been proven food recollection is one of our worst memories, so it can be very easy to fall into the trap of not realizing how much you are eating. Quickly tell me what you ate for dinner two nights ago. I bet most of you have no idea what it was. Even if you do remember what you ate I bet you can not tell me how many calories the meal was and have no idea of the macronutrient breakdown. You will never be able to get a handle on what you are eating until you start tracking. There are plenty of apps out there available to us, but if technology is not your thing then write it down. Just the act of tracking will give you a much better idea of what you are taking in and will help you limit your portions, especially on the weekends.

2. DRINK MORE WATER

We all know we need to drink more water, but most people are walking around chronically dehydrated. When your body is dehydrated nothing works as it should. This greatly effects energy levels, digestion, metabolic rate, mood, and many other functions. A good starting point is to drink a glass of water right when you wake up. This will give you energy to start your day and make you more likely to drink water the rest of the day. I promise you that you will notice some major positive effects immediately by implementing this.

3. EAT VEGETABLES AT EVERY MEAL

Vegetables are some of the most important aspects of our diet and things that get vastly under eaten in modern society. There are too many benefits of vegetables to list them all, but a few that will impact weight loss are increased feeling of fullness (fiber rich foods), better gut health (improved nutrient intake, digestion, etc.), replace highly processed foods full of fat and sugar, and shore up micronutrient deficiencies (improve hormonal health, speed up metabolism, etc). Eat a wide variety of colors and types of veggies, and make sure to add at least a few handfuls at each meal. After only a few days of this you will notice a big difference. Also, I know that a lot of people have not developed a taste for vegetables because they have never eaten them. However, as you eat more of them you will start developing that taste. The trick is to get started.

4. EAT MORE PROTEIN

We talk about protein a lot because most people are not taking in near enough of it. Protein is what your body uses to build muscle, which is going to give your body the lean look that you are looking for as well as speed up your metabolism as you add more. If you are not tracking then you will most likely have no idea how much protein you are eating, so refer to point 1 on this. If you are doing a lot of strength training then you will want to get more protein. Your protein should mostly come from lean meats (chicken, fish, lean beef, turkey, etc.), but adding in a protein supplement (as long as it doesn’t have many ingredients), such as whey, once throughout the day might be a good idea to help you hit your goal. If you consistently get more protein then you should notice a big difference in how you feel throughout the day and your results in the gym should be better as well.

5. DO MORE STRENGTH TRAINING

Most people think that when they want to lose weight they should do more cardio. This can definitely help to put you in a calorie deficit, but a much better way is to do strength training. By doing strength training you will tear down your muscles, which will require a lot of energy (calories) to rebuild. You will also be building muscles that give you the toned look that most people are really looking for when they want to look good. Adding muscle will also increase your metabolism, because it costs more calories in a day to run a pound of muscle than it does a pound of fat. Add in some strength work a few times a week and you will really notice a difference in how you look and how quickly your body is able to burn fat.

6. BE CONSISTENT

Consistency is the key to all of this. You are not going to make much progress if you are good for a few days and then let yourself go every weekend. Here are a few things that might help you be more consistent:

• Schedule your workouts in your weekly calendar. Put the day and time down on pen and paper (or in your phone’s calendar) and stick to those commitments. Shoot for at least 3 days a week but 4 or 5 is ideal. Make everything else work around these times. After a few weeks this will be habit and it will be very hard to miss.
• Create a daily scorecard. Create a scorecard for all of the things you want to accomplish in the day (drink 100 oz of water, have 8 servings of vegetables, work out, track everything you eat and drink, eat 170 grams of protein, etc.) At the end of each day put a checkmark by each one you completed. I promise you that if you get in the habit of holding yourself accountable like this it will change your life.
• Find an accountability partner. Find someone who has the same goals as you and hold each other accountable. Go to the gym at the same time every day. Check in with each other on your diet and nutrition. Be honest about your shortcomings and failures. Talk about your struggles. Be vulnerable with them. It will be much easier to keep going if you know you have someone doing it with you and you will probably develop and even closer relationship.
• Get a coach. We all need a coach to help us in different aspects of our lives. If you are really serious about getting where you want to be then you should find someone who knows how to get you to where you want to be. If you follow these four steps then you should be well on your way to being consistent.

I hope these tips will help you on your weight loss journey. Remember, it is much easier to get your summer body ready if you have developed a lifestyle of health and fitness because you are always summer-ready! If you have not yet developed those habits then implement these steps and they will help you to get there. Making health and fitness a year-round goal is the best way to be ready for the summer and there is no better time to start than now.

If you found yourself wishing the CrossFit® Open was over, mid-workout, you were not alone. It’s challenging. It’s hard. That being said, what truly makes the Open great is the hard stuff. The hard stuff is what we end up learning from. Conversely, the CrossFit® Open is also awesome. It brings us closer as a community, it pushes our limits and tests skills we’ve been working on all year.

What if you were to shift your perspective and refocus your mental energy? I’m here to remind you that progress isn’t made without putting in the work. Hard work. Because in the end, the only thing that ‘sabotages’ our Open performances isn’t Dave Castro, the new movement standards, or the workouts – it’s ourselves.

Here are four lessons we can learn from, moving forward:

1. The Open is a great reminder: control what you can control and forget about the rest.

Can you control what the workout is going to be? No. Can you control how much you’ve practiced each movement the previous 12 months, your attitude going into workouts, and the reaction you have when you face adversity? Yes. And that’s a much better use of your energy.

2. Last minute learning = hitting the panic button

It happens every year. Dave announces a movement like double unders, muscle ups, or some other high-skill movement during the Open, and the procrastinators panic. Sure you can get your first [enter gymnastics movement here] during the Open without preparing for it, it’s possible. But you shouldn’t expect success if you haven’t been practicing, drilling yourself, breaking down the movement, and doing the work. On that same note, you shouldn’t make a scene if your failure to prepare leaves you with failed reps and a lackluster score on the leaderboard. Instead, own your lack of preparation and get back to the drawing board.

3. You can’t hide from movements you hate

There are athletes at gyms around the world who hide from certain types of workouts, or even particular movements. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “crap that’s me!” The CrossFit Open exposes athletes like this with stunning accuracy – myself included. in the Open, you don’t get to cherry pick. You can’t hide from your weaknesses. Starting this year, it’s time to grind through it. Don’t let your weaknesses get to you. You’re a badass, you do CrossFit; who gives a crap if you think you “look stupid” while struggling through those double unders you hate? This is the year to put in the work. And once the dust of the Open has settled (like now) take time to make a game plan for how to fix those weaknesses.

4. Dave Castro’s job isn’t to coddle your ego, it’s to transform it.

Raise your hand if the mention of handstand push-ups still makes you want to cry a little bit (raises hand). A lot of interesting commentary surfaced the week after 18.4 came to a close – this is a good read if you haven’t already seen it. Did the new standard suck? Of course it did. But remember, CrossFit is supposed to be hard! Handstand push-ups are no exception. It’s the challenge of it – both mentally and physically – that actually leads to true growth and transformation. The new standards were set for that very reason… to challenge us, the quality of reps, and to perform the movement in a safer manner. So let’s stop wallowing and carrying about how Dave Castro was mean and shift our mindset. Bottom line: be humbled and happy any weaknesses were exposed. That should be your motivation for something to achieve. You have a year to work on them.

In closing, training for the 2019 Open starts now. What are you going to do about it? The Open teaches us as much about our character as it does our physical abilities. And that’s awesome! We’re exercising for fun, learning new things, and spending time with good friends. How incredible is that? If you’re ready to crush your weaknesses, let your coaches know what you’ll be working on. If you need help with a specific movement, let us know… we’re here for you! April means it’s time to update the goal board with new 3-month goals. Be sure to add your name and set a goal or update your new 3-month goal!

—Coach Chris

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

I relish the feeling of using all my strength and power until I’m spent but regularly training at that intensity is a mistake. As has been said before, “training to failure (all the time) is failing to train”.

I was introduced to CrossFit in late 2011. Like most, I was skeptical that a short-duration, high-intensity protocol could offer significant benefits. I finally committed in November of 2011 and went full steam ahead. I was ecstatic. After a couple weeks of regularly attending classes, I felt like Superman. Whether it was the peak heart rates I achieved or the neuroendocrine response, I felt stronger, faster, better, and more confident in my abilities than at any other time in my life. And the joy of a newfound physical and psychological power made me go harder and faster still.

Although cautioned otherwise, I started doing two CrossFit workouts a day, sometimes along with a session of olympic weightlifting. After all, if a little is good, then a lot is better, right?

In retrospect, my obsessive approach seems quite silly and an obvious mistake. But even now, despite my passing on the caution that I received, I see friends new to CrossFit doing the same thing I did. The benefits of CrossFit are significant, and when those benefits come from such a small investment in time, the money-for-nothing proposition is, for most, too good to pass up.

As a result of my mistakes, I have come up with three rules all newcomers to CrossFit can benefit from.

1. Focus on the volume of work prescribed, not on the loads. The WOD (workout of the day) is designed for the fittest of the fit. Unless you’ve been doing CrossFit for years—or unless your genetic code has something mine doesn’t—I suggest making reps a higher priority than loads. The cardiorespiratory stimulus of completing the prescribed reps at a reduced load seems to be equivalent to or greater than that of taking the significant extra time and rest to get through too-heavy loads, and this strategy leaves something in the tank, which is essential for healthy, long-term training. For example, “Diane” consists of 21-, 15-, and 9-rep rounds of 225-pound deadlifts and handstand push- ups. I recommend disregarding “225-pound” and “handstand” if they feel unmanageable and instead choosing loads that allow you to complete the workout, whether in complete sets or reasonably broken ones. Note: “Handstand” in this case is essentially a load designation. Piked [inverted and bent at the waist], feet-raised [toward a handstand], standard [horizontal], and feet-lowered [as in upward-facing stair push-ups] are all legitimate ways to scale push- up loads.
2. Use speed as an intensifier before weight. Once a personalized WOD has been achieved, I make a faster result my goal, rather than an increase in weight, on subsequent performances of that WOD. I find it much more rewarding to shave seconds than to struggle under more plates. Subsequently, faster times increase my motivation for each workout. The thought “my work-to-weight ratio is higher” is a better motivator than “I’m not as strong as I want to be.” (However, this is a personal bias. Focus on weight if that’s where your priorities lie.)
3. Most importantly, low motivation does not necessarily mean you’re lazy. Lowered motivation may be your body’s way of recruiting your emotions as a messenger that it needs a break. I know most CrossFitters are action-oriented people, so a day or two of sloth or lethargy may not mean you’re a slacker. It could be precisely the necessary WOD for you. When I can ignore my ambition and listen to my body on days like this, I often discover that “yeah, my legs are pretty heavy” or “man, it hurts just to lift a can of La Croix.” Best of all, a few extra rest days mixed into a full workout schedule often brings the snap back. It could be the difference between a workout that is a chore and one that sets a new personal record.

Now that I’ve committed to the process rather than the result and can be consistent in my workouts, my training is more effective and even more enjoyable. My gains are slower in the short term, but over a longer timeline, they are far greater due to my ability to be consistent.

Coach Glassman issued the warning in an issue of the CrossFit Journal: “We have counseled in ‘Getting Started’ and repeatedly elsewhere that the WOD is designed to exceed the capacities of the world’s fittest humans and starting CrossFit by throwing yourself at the WOD 100% will result in devastating failure. We’ve recommended that anyone attempting CrossFit first get through a month of ‘going through the motions’ before diving in with full intensity—establish consistency before intensity. Countless badasses from sporting and special operations communities, long regarded as bulletproof, have been burned at the stake of ego and intensity.”

Placing consistency before intensity will prevent burnout and injury every time.