North Macon Crossfit

"A year from now you'll wish you would've started today."

I have always liked that quote.  There are many reasons to delay training and nutrition changes and some of them are pretty good.  But ultimately it's either a priority or not.  There's no guilt in the matter,we just all arrange our time to do what we think is most important at a given time.  But please don't whine about your choices...

And this brings me to Nancy...and Ocito.  Nancy is 60.  I'm not sure how old Ocito is.  Nancy cares for her elderly mother all day and only has a brief window of time in the morning for training before her mother wakes up.  Similarly, she has to bring Ocito since he will bark and wake her mother.  So, most mornings, Nancy and Ocito come in and Nancy trains while Ocito relaxes.  When Nancy first started with us back in Oct/Nov 2009, she could not squat and generally lacked mobility and strength.  She had two things though, discipline and spunk.  And that's all it takes.

This was her most recent session with the back squat.  She's squatting 55lbs to nearly legal depth (she can bodyweight squat plenty deep, but we are still working on the back squats).  She can deadlift over 100lbs and can press around 50lbs or so.  She can do a pullup with a little help from bands.  She can swing a kettlebell, do burpees, and row like she's crossing the Delaware.  And embarrass youngsters if they take her too lightly.

 

Now, if you ask me if you "need to get in shape before you do CrossFit" or "is CrossFit too hard for me" please understand why I think those are excuses.  We can make it work for you...all you have to bring is a little discipline and some spirit, that is once you make it a priority.  From 14yr old high school football starters to 60yr old women who refuse to act their age...we can help you help yourself.

Paleo Challenge ends and Signature Saturday Sweetness

The Paleo experiment is officially over (Easter basically).  We haven't completely run the numbers yet, but it appears that Hunter lost the most at something over 20lbs.  It should be noted that he's been extremely consistent in his training as well.  Hmm, solid nutrition and hard training...20lbs lost in just over 40 days.  It ain't rocket science.  Nice job Hunter (yes, we want before and after pictures).  Others are in the 6-10lb range.  None of us feels like we were deprived or overly hungry during this experiment.  You can lead a horse to water...

Signature Saturday has also become something of a tradition as well.  This was started by the three amigos: Rachel, Brandon and Brad.  It has been joined by Hunter and Virginia and a few others here and there (this weekend Michael joined us from Statesboro).

Which is what makes this one different.  While we'll often relocate post-workout to El-Som (i.e. El Sombrero in the same parking lot), we decided we needed to give Bloody Mary's a try.  From scratch.  And apparently Michael has expertise in this area.  Since he was in town visiting, the plan came together...

Heat 2 of Call Gone Bad (forgot to take pics of the first heat, dang it):

 

Front to back, doing kettlebell swings:  Brandon, Michael, and Rachel.

Call Gone Bad is based on Fight Gone Bad but with movements that fit our equipment better.  The result is still an extreme time-priority metcon.

Afterwards, it is Bloody Mary and pizza time (end of Paleo challenge and all that).  Michael whipping up the concoctions:

For what it's worth, the paleo contestants have all stated they will continue to mostly eat this way with perhaps a extra cheat or two thrown in.  The lack of suffering, excellent body fat loss, and better performance in the gym seems to be a keeper.

Talk of Margarita's and Daiquiri's when the weather gets hot have now commenced...

Miscellaneous Updates

1.  The Paleo Challenge is underway and we are seeing lots of progress already in terms of weight-loss.  We are also seeing lots of 'non-measurable' improvements like energy and focus.  This is running from Ash Wednesday until Easter (supposedly forty days but Sundays don't count in that number so slightly more).

2.  The new shirts are in and they are cool.  Check them out:

I love this philosophy!

3.  And speaking of people getting stronger...Brandon competed in the Georgia Sectionals and broke the top 20 out of 100 competitors.  This, after only four months of crossfitting.  Those that have seen him train completely understand it, he's a demon possessed.  And he'll be back!  Congratulations Brandon, strong work!

Row, then a 1.2mile run up Stone Mountain.  Note the cool shirt.

Big Clean & Jerk PR, 225#...in 30degree weather.

And lots of Deadlifts to finish the final metcon.  Strong Work!!

And finally, a big thank you to all the new January and February folks, we're love having you here.  It's been a great two months at North Macon CrossFit!

A small piece of sanity in an insane world...

I just thought I would point out this site/diet.  I occasionally have people that balk at the complexity of the Zone diet.  This is somewhat understandable in that there is math and planning involved and some folks just don't want to do that.  Similarly with eating Paleo.  They know they will be eating bread and such so they prematurely give up on that.  What to do? 

Well, the No S Diet is one possible solution.  It's not ideal in my view for fat loss (Paleo and/or Zone being very fast in that regard)...but it does allow some simple rules to allow progress.  And my hope is that the more you progress, the more wise and disciplined you'll get.  That is what is happening to me as my hunger levels are resetting due to less sugar/grains.  But we have to start somewhere and I don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.

Here are the rules (copied straight from the site):

There are just three rules and one exception:

• No Snacks
• No Sweets
• No Seconds

Except (sometimes) on days that start with "S"

There you have it.  We can argue whether snacking is the real problem or if it is sugar and grains.  I would say that might be a bit of a chicken and egg problem.  Most snacks in this country are simple, processed carbs...most people don't go around snacking on chicken-on-a-stick (though they should!).

Perhaps these simple rules combined with hard training will work for you.  Further, I think you'll find you need a decent amount of protein and fat to help you make it to the next meal without hunger.  A big plate of pasta isn't going to last four hours.  But you'll find that out when you try this experiment.

Here is the site (and there's a book to be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble...though the website has it all).  The author is an entertaining writer and quite clever in his thinking, so you'll likely find it an enjoyable read.

See what you think:

The No S Diet website.

Enjoy...

The times they are a changin'

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Our schedule is adding a few earlier times for folks who want it.  We have a new trainer, Rachel (shown below about to squat in heels and pearls), who has volunteered to come in at 6:30am - 8:00am Wednesday and Friday.  So, you early morning folks, take note, now's your chance to prove this is a worthy time to be open. 

Most of you have met or seen Rachel.  She is certainly qualified (runs the health and wellness program for faculty and staff at Mercer) and more importantly, trains like a demon possessed.  We value that intensity.  So if she asks you to suffer a little, you can rest assured she has likely suffered more (which I normally help see to).  We are grateful to have her aboard.

Next, I'm opening at 7:30am on Tuesday and Thursday since that extra 30min might allow a few more folks to get in and train.

So, the full schedule now:

Monday:  8am - 10am, 3pm - 6:30pm (then BJJ from 6:30pm - 7:30pm or so)

Tuesday:  7:30am - 10am, 4pm - 6:30pm

Wednesday:  6:30am - 8am (sharp, Rachel has to get to work), 3pm - 6:30pm (then BJJ)

Thursday:  7:30am - 10am, 4pm - 6:30pm

Friday:  6:30am - 10am, 4pm - 6:30pm

Saturday:  9:30am - 12pm

See you there...

Eating in the real world (aka Macon, Ga).

So, in the past six months, I've lost about 15lbs.  Not earth-shattering, but pretty good.  Particularly considering how much I've eaten.  What I mean is that I have been playing with a few rules and have seen pretty good progress considering how painless it was...and I still ate lots of "bad" stuff.

What did I do?  Basically, for several days a week, I'd eat a low-carb meal.  Normally it was lunch (which isn't the best choice, I think supper would be better).  That and my shift in focus from lots of strength work to more metcons and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.  I still lift heavy, but instead of three/four times per week it's once or twice.  More than that and I get ridiculously hungry.

So, what is the biggest problem in most people's diet?  Portion size?  Fat?  Snacking?  Sugar?

I think it is absolutely not the fat.  I never buy low-fat anything.  It tastes like crap and worse, IMHO, they replace the fat with sugar, thus causing an even larger insulin spike which holds the fat in (see Good Calories, Bad Calories for a in-depth review of this).  I think it is the sugar consumption which usually screws up portion sizes and causes lots of snacking.

Think about it, how much cheese could you eat in one sitting?  Steak?  Fried Catfish?  I've tried this.  After a while, you just get tired of chewing.  But give me spaghetti and I'll fill up...then ten minutes later I want more.  Same with desserts.  The sugar is literally like crack (and for our purposes here, grains count as sugar). 

So, given this, what sort of meals have I been eating when I would have no/low-carb lunches and suppers?  Grass-fed beef hand raised on a farm?  I wish, but no.  I live in the real world.

So, here are three restaurant meals and three home meals that I regularly eat, usually in a hurry and late:

A.  Zaxby's grilled chicken house salad (usually with Thousand Island, throw out the bread).

B.  Chick-fil-a (God's chicken according to my brother) nuggets (I normally get a 12 and 8 pack).

C.  Chicken on a stick from Ming's on Forsyth Rd (our new neighbors).  This might be two meals for some, but I can eat all four sticks...and it's only $4!  It comes with no rice, which is good since we are avoiding carbs here.

Now, that's not to say I don't ever get the Zaxby's box with chicken fingers and fries...I do...but when I'm doing a low-carb meal, it's the house salad (the blue cheese would probably work too).

Easy things to do at home:

A.  Roast chicken from Kroger.  So, so good and only about $6 for several meals worth of chicken.

B.  Bubba burgers with salsa.  I normally eat two patties from the George Foreman with a good salsa.  Quick and easy.  Not quite as good as home-made, but we are talking speed here.

C.  Scrambled eggs and either bacon or keilbasa sausage.  High protein, good taste, and cost-effective.

Seriously, I eat these things often.  Combined with our high-intensity training to boost your metabolism, I suspect you could make progress too.

I wanted a picture of chicken on a stick...but I ate it too fast, sorry.  Perhaps next time!

Good luck...

hw

We have moved!

Hello folks,

I suspect some of you are dropping in for the first time.  Feel free to look around.  We've recently moved from our first location to our new spot in the Kroger parking lot on Forsyth Rd.  Be sure to check our site and read about what we do and how we can help you achieve your physical goals. 

In the meantime, here are some pics of the move in progress:

Brandon and Brad moving weight.

Rachel organizing the stacking of all that weight.

Zac trying to take over, as usual...which is ok since he a fellow Auburn Alum.

And Brad hitting a last PR in the deadlift at the old spot (335#).

And a huge thank you to the Macon Monogramming family who hosted us in their building for our first year.  They are wonderful people and if you need a now-vacant space for a new business, I can't recommend them more highly.  Thank you Brad, Amy, and Jordan!

We have moved!

Hello folks,

I suspect some of you are dropping in for the first time.  Feel free to look around.  We've recently moved from our first location to our new spot in the Kroger parking lot on Forsyth Rd.  Be sure to check our site and read about what we do and how we can help you achieve your physical goals. 

In the meantime, here are some pics of the move in progress:

Brandon and Brad moving weight.

Rachel organizing the stacking of all that weight.

Zac trying to take over, as usual...which is ok since he a fellow Auburn Alum.

And Brad hitting a last PR in the deadlift at the old spot (335#).

And a huge thank you to the Macon Monogramming family who hosted us in their building for our first year.  They are wonderful people and if you need a now-vacant space for a new business, I can't recommend them more highly.  Thank you Brad, Amy, and Jordan!

A couple random things...

Just a heads-up, my wife likes designing stuff and putting them on cafepress.  So here's our store for those interested.  There's lots of stuff from shirts to ornaments to cups.  Check it out.

One of the most common things I hear, besides being effective, is how quick the workouts are here (and indeed how hard in such a short period of time).  I guess I'm used to high-intensity training and am not shocked that short, hard workouts can produce great benefits as I've never been a cardio-fan (unless that is your particular sport, but I'm talking for general fitness).  I've just never bought into the idea of having to run, bike, swim, elliptical, treadmill, etc for an hour.  But apparently, many, many people do think this way.  I think part of it is the calorie_in == calorie_out fallacy, but that's another discussion.

You do not.  If you enjoy such things, that is great...but please do not think that is what is required to be "in shape" since it isn't.  And in fact, lots of LSD (long, slow distance, i.e. cardio) can be catabolic to the body, especially if no weight-training is done and that isn't what most folks want.

So, if you don't really like training for an hour several times a week and would like to get done in a much shorter period of time (not to mention that you'll be more mentally engaged as our workouts are always different and always challenging)...give CrossFit a try.  You'll be shocked, not only from the results but also from the time-savings.

You aren't going to die, really.

Recently, another trainer and I were discussing an interesting phenomenon.  She has helped many people completely change their life from obese and unfit to lean and fit and so has encountered this quite a few times.  We noticed that people who come to us and have never really done much physical face an peculiar problem that lifetime athletes have a hard time understanding.  And it is this:  they really fear they might die.

They have rarely, if ever, experienced a spiked-out, pounding heartrate, the shortness of breath, and the metabolic drain that follows intense physical effort.  They really worry this could be bad and that they might die or something similar. 

Now, of course, most of us know that your body will shutdown long before there is a real danger (unless there is some underlying pathology).  But this is a real fear.  And once people overcome that fear, often over a period of months, a new-found physical and mental confidence occurs and they really learn to push their bodies and appreciate their strength.  To paraphrase the character in Green Street Hooligans, "you learn you aren't made of glass."  (great movie, BTW)

It's an awesome process to witness.  And they learn Arnold's old maxim:  "It's always the mind that fails first, never the body."

In other news, Zac recently completely some snazzy plyo boxes in the appropriate Auburn coloring:

Much pain and suffering will result from these new toys, I'm sure...they are quite robust (inside joke there).  Thanks Zac.