Well if you haven’t seen after a few weeks the leaderboard is finally updated! Through a small issue with Zen and the Carnival this task took us longer than we had hoped. However, the hard work and dedication has paid off and the PR’s have proved it. As a gym, in the past 4-5 weeks, we have been focusing a bit more on Olympic lifting than usual, and I must say as a coaching staff we are impressed with all the improvement we have been seeing! Along with honing in on the small technical aspects of Olympic lifting, you all have been maintaining and even building on your pulling strength from the floor and tempo front squats (everyone’s favorite).
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Moving onward into our next phase of the year, you will see a decrease in positional work with tempos and a return to classic style squatting, pulling, and pressing. That being said, although CFR will not be on a specific strength program (Smolov, Conjugate, Hatch, etc.). You will still be gaining strength and progressing towards your goals. Using a classical CrossFit training methodology along with the consistent development of movement mechanics will allow us to broaden your skill set and expand your fitness to new lengths. CrossFit is and will remain the backbone of our programming here at CFR.

When this phase is all said and done we will be trying something new when it comes to testing. We are restructuring the way we assess and test benchmarks. Instead of having a two week regimented period of testing filled with specifics, we will broaden the time domain in which you are all tested. Coaches and Programmers will have a general idea of when the benchmarks will appear and the dates will be chosen to maximize your potential to succeed. This isn’t something that will be announced, however it is not something that is random.

To sign off this short letter to you all I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit: “The magic is in the movement, the art is in the programming, the science is in the explanation, and the fun is in the community.” The coaching staff and I are looking forward to getting down to business and we hope you all are too!

If there is one major misconception regarding nutrition that the world should stop believing it is that you need to starve yourself and severely restrict calories in order to lose weight. There tends to be a belief that in order to lose weight and see muscle definition, a diet of a few hundred calories a day is required. However, I can happily assure you that this could not be further from the truth. In order to keep a healthy metabolism, a caloric deficit (i.e. expending more calories in a day than you are taking in) should not be sustained for a long period of time. Your body needs the chance to recover from being deprived of the calories it takes in order to sustain your body weight. After a prolonged period of “dieting” and eating at a restricted caloric intake (we’re talking more than 12 weeks) many people actually find it harder and harder to lose weight as the time passes. We refer this as a stagnant metabolism. Your body starts to go into protection mode from being calorically deprived and therefore slows down body functions, including your metabolism. In order to maintain a healthy weight, it is of the utmost importance to keep one’s metabolism running at a healthy rate.

As opposed to so severely restricting calories so as to potentially cause metabolic damage in the long run, it makes much more sense to only restrict calories enough to where someone is safely, but consistently, losing a small amount of weight each week for no longer than 12 weeks at a time. For example, if a person’s base calories required to sustain his current body weight is 2000cal a day, it makes much more sense to only cut out a few hundred calories a day to ensure smart weight loss as opposed to cutting these calories in half. Why should this person suffer more than he has to? Now, instead of this person being miserable throughout the duration of his diet because he is trying to function on a tiny number of calories, he is happily eating enough to feel mostly satiated, keeping his metabolism safe and steadily losing weight to accomplish the goal of weightloss.

As a practical example, looking at many of our higher-level athletes at CFR who are leaner and more muscular, if they are not working out they can most likely be found eating! On the contrary, many of our athletes here who have complained they have a hard time losing weight are admittedly eating only a couple times a day and taking in only a few hundred calories, thus keeping themselves in a deprived state that does not allow for optimal metabolic function or workout performance. In the words of CrossFit HQ Intensity (work/time) = results. Therefore, any pestilence that will hamper our intensity must be shunned like a repeat of 16.5.

In conclusion, if you have been trying for quite some time to lose weight and your weightloss seems to be stagnating, it’s probably time to get a hard look at how many calories you are eating and where or not that is actually a sustainable number for you and your metabolism.
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If you have any questions regarding nutrition or would like to learn more, please email Nicole at nlatini@crossfitresilience.com!

As of this past testing week CFR has been in business of making mere mortals superhuman for 3 years. In that time we have had plenty of time to observe trends in training, what works and what doesn’t, which skills come easier and which can be a grind, and what factors can influence progress. From this we try and get a feel for what training focus areas will result in the greatest fitness gain for the greatest number. So lets take a look at some recent trends, and also at what our next block of programming will entail.

​“The Heavy stuff”
Over the summer and the past few months we were in a fairly mixed modal “pure crossfit” phase. I purposely chose to omit most truly heavy lifting (lifts @ > 90% 1 RM) in favor of an increased volume of lifting done at ~80%
This was done consciously to see what effect sub maximal lifting at higher volumes would have on maximal strength. I would say the results are definitely favorable. Granted its now incredibly difficult to macro view our population since we now have a huge variety of “training ages” and skill levels, but on average the norm was a modest improvement or at least maintenance in 1-3RM strength. Whats cool about this finding, is that it puts some backing behind the theory that higher frequency lifting at 75-80% will result in positive adaptations, which from our standpoint is great because we can stay in the game longer by minimizing the risk and joint strain of true maximal lifting.

“The ole fashion PE exercises”
Within this “pure crossfit” phase there was also a big emphasis on bodyweight pressing movements, namely pushups and that family of exercises. I am of the firm belief that a pushup tells A LOT about the body, and performance.  While with our diverse population it is difficult to speak in absolutes, there was a big improvement in the performance of pushups in testing, as well as in class.  I still maintain that if an athlete is unable to complete perfect pushups, that should become the #1 training priority, because it is such a universal indicator.  On the pulling side of things pull-ups remain a challenge for a great number, but for those who put in the work the improvement shows. I forecast a focus on eccentric and isometric pulling work to hopefully help activate pulling musculature that may lay dormant.

“Barbell Gymnastics (oly lifting)” 
On the side of olympic lifting technique there has been a huge improvement in the ability to cycle a barbell in a met con setting (think touch and go hang cleans etc.) this is really cool because more people are now getting a greater benefit from WODs with a barbell component. Heavy oly lifting is steadily improving, but to make serious gains in this area a more dedicated focus is needed. To this end the clinics we have added with the wonderful Ms. Carly have filled a much needed void. We will still continue to olympic lift for those who are able and willing in class, but those desiring high level olympic lifting gains would be well served to check out the clinics.

“Hows the engine?”
One thing I would really like to see improve over the current status is our collective ability to be absolute monsters going 110MPH (while still safe and in control). I see a great ability of many to sustain an effort steadily, find a pace, stay in a groove, and operate in a “happy place.” I think we need to improve our ability to handle large uncomfortable UB sets, short aggressive workouts, and doing things in a very fatigued state. That said, EVERYONE can ALWAYS improve this area, its not a new thing by any means. Its also not something you can train everyday, or you risk some serious burnout. But i think 2-3x a week or so, we need to challenge ourselves to delve deep into “the suck” and take up residence.  Buckle up.

Whats on the horizon?…
-A decent volume of lifting between 75-85% (a bit here and there between 85-95)
-Pullup work on the regular, with oodles of holds and negatives
-A variety of Hero workouts/partner workouts/and longer met cons on saturday
-A high amount of work on “burners” in which we want to push ourselves to and through the breaking points
-The mix of fitness beauty we have all come to know and love that leads to the extermination of weak and average
What do you think? Questions comments concerns, speak up and post below! ​

Those two infamous letters in CrossFit “Rx”

To some these two letters can literally define self worth, to others it is something so far from them they couldn’t possibly care any less. Like so many other things in life the optimal mindset and answer lies somewhere in between the two.

To the person who views “Rx” as the indicator of whether they deserve to breathe that day… Remember in the grand scheme of crossfit what is most important above all else: Movement quality. If movement quality is anything less than perfect, there is a problem, and scaling something to fit that perfect movement criteria is NEVER BAD. So instead of feeling as useless as a scuba suit in the sahara, realize that from time to time your “optimal” may not be Rx.

An aside to that…If there is extra work assigned to a workout if one is not Rx, that is only to preserve the best stimulus of the workout, not to “punish” anyone who isn’t an Rx athlete. The only exception to that are the “alternatives” to double unders… Keep practicing those 😉 

To those who view Rx as a leopard spotted unicorn that simply will never exist in their world, I have a challenge for you as well. While you may never reach the Rx level on all workouts (which is fine!), the process of working towards it will still result in immense progress across many areas.  By working on areas our fitness is deficient, the gaps in our game shrink and we become fitter as a whole.  Constantly striving to improve your movements, lifts, conditioning, and making progress closer and closer towards the Rx level, is what we should all keep thinking about during our daily fitness mission.

Without going into too much detail here are a few things that you could add in, taking less than 10 minutes each that could help you close up a fitness hole.

Difficulty BW pressing (Pushups, HSPU, etc.)- 100 Reps triceps extensions for time + 25 Eccentric Pushups each taking 5-10 seconds

Difficulty BW Pulling (Pullups, T2B)- diet+body comp focus first, 50 Super strict ring rows w/ elevated feet + 3×6-8 DB Rows

Always winded (gas tank goes to E quick)-  OTM x 10 even: 30 seconds max burpees, odd: 30 seconds max cals on bike

Sub Par squat pattern (drunk bambi on ice skates squat)- 5 min in bottom of a squat w/ KB, Rolling calfs achilles daily, tempo goblet squats x 50 reps

My arms are supposed to reach over my head??!! – Wall or floor slides x 2 mins straight, pec/trap rollout, external rotations (any variation) x 50/ea, active + passive range of motion (continually using light leverage to push the edges of our ROM, while being conscious of core positioning)

Of course we could go into more detail on all of these avenues of work, but we all know the longer the list gets the less that actually gets done.
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Keep working, keep improving, and remember leave the mental flatulence to the couch dwelling, dorito hoarders than populate the ubiquitous world of the underwhelming.

We all work so hard each week crushing WODs and sacrificing sweat to create the strongest version of ourselves possible. Sometimes we feel a bit stagnant and need that jump start to reignite progress. Here are ten things you can do TODAY to fire up the gain train!

1) Start a food log– Be accountable to yourself and understand what you put in your body will dictate what you are able to get out of it. (my favorite is ‘myfitnesspal’)

2) Make sure you focus each meal around an animal protein source– Because no one ever said… ” I’ve striving to build the body of a vegan”

3) Eat more vegetables than you currently do. As great and tasty as perfectly cooked animals are.. Our body still needs the fiber and micro nutrition found in plant food. The greener the better! (A good test is usually… the more it grosses out a little kid the better it is for you)

4) Prepare 75% of your meals ahead of time- Getting the bulk cooking out of the way (cooking a ton of meat, rice, sweet potatoes, steaming veggies etc.) will allow you to turn daily cooking into mere “meal assembly.” Meal assembly that takes 5 minutes is a sure fire way to make sure you opt for the right choice.

5) Know that if a food is in your house you will eventually eat it- Simple fact here….Very few people will pass up nutritious foods and make a specific trip for junk, make it hard for yourself to eat poorly.

6) If you have been eating the right foods for a long time( READ: NOT been gorging on weekends and/or drinking like a college freshman) and still not seeing any fat loss, it may be time to monitor calories- Go back to point 1 on the food log and track yourself for 2 weeks, see if any patterns emerge of being either too low or too high calorically. (A good starting point is 12-14 calories/ Lb BW for someone aiming to lose body fat) Aim to make adjustments of 250 cals a day and adjust based on results every 2 weeks or so.

7) Have the will power to resist social situations- We ALL get put in situations where the easy thing to do would be to eat junk and have a few drinks, realize you have chosen a different path and have refused the hedonistic weakness of the masses… Ignore the momentary pain of social isolation for the eternal glory that comes with unrelenting fitness. Be a higher class of human.

8) Make magnesium a part of your daily routine- Awesome for insulin sensitivity, muscle building and sleep quality. Dan’s pick for nutrient unsung hero. Health experts recommend 10mg/kg BW per day (i.e. 100kg man needs 1000mg) spread out during the latter half of the day.

9) Coffee + Coconut oil = Pre-workout bliss – Try an energizing mix of dark roast coffee and coconut oil pre-workout. These two wonderful things combined will help give you a pre-workout kick without over stressing your system and filling you with other lack luster ingredients like the leading pre-workout drink.
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10) Find a “fat loss accountability” buddy- Spouse, friend, workout partner, it can be anyone! Someone who is going to help motivate you, keep you honest, and be that voice of support when that carton of frozen love handles or sleeve of salty sweet muffin top calls your name.

Building off of what we have talked about recently in terms of health and longevity, we at CFR want to formally introduce another avenue by which we are trying to keep you healthy!

Starting FRIDAY (9/5) and MONDAY (9/8) we will be conducting 2 very simple tests to evaluate shoulder mobility and core stability/pressing strength. These tests are nothing new and scary, they are basic and give us a general look at whether or not certain movements are optimal for you yet.

The tests are:
-Back to Wall Shoulder flexion 
-Pushup Test 

Scores will rank from 3-1 on each test, with anything less than a 3 resulting in our recommendation to engage in a varying degree of modification/scaling and homework drills. (A lot of which is already taking place, but having an objective system in place will hopefully increase adherence and speed progress)

The goal of this is keep us all healthy and training for as long as possible, we need to be certain our foundation is solid before we start to build too much on top of it.  Realize that even if nothing “hurts” yet, these screens are preventative, and show us things that may likely evolve into an issue.  We understand this may limit some of us for a while in terms of exercise diversity, but please know that it is with nothing but your best interest in mind we are undertaking this process (and as always we will have plenty of “work” to be done). As with anything there will always be exceptions and outlying examples, so please feel free to talk to a coach if you have a question as to why we are recommending to avoid certain movements.

We care about all of you wonderful people, and want to see you flourish as athletes. That can’t happen if you’re on the sidelines with injuries, so we need you all as healthy as possible.
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Please feel free to let us know if you have any questions!
-Team CFR

Another testing block has come and gone, and we are ecstatic to see so many new PRs in the various disciplines! Lets take a quick look at each section and share some thoughts on each (these are generalizations of the WHOLE community, so realize of course you may be an individual exception) I promise this time I’ll be super brief, so hopefully everyone has the patience to read this one…
Lower body strength and movement quality:
As always an area of primary concern, and once again HUGE gains across the board here! Lots of progress in back and front squat, and even if you may not have a set a PR in both, progress is evident.
Upper Body strength (push ups, pull-ups etc.)
This remains one of our big communal “goats” and is something that will absolutely be targeted going forward. There will be a protocol posted to perform DAILY for those looking to crack that first pull-up (far left of the white board, updated weekly)….which is by far the hardest, after that one falls the rest come much quicker.
Olympic Lifts
One of our goals when splitting the programming to the strength group and olympic lifting group was to give those who are able the ability to develop these technical lifts with more frequency. As was seen with this batch of testing there were big strides made in this area by those that were training primarily in this group. Just a side note don’t be shy to use an occasional workout and spend the “oly group” time working on technique if you feel you’d like to learn (and are without any movement limitations)
High Level Skills/Gymnastics
These numbers did not improve tremendously because they were not trained with a very high volume.  We were focused more on the baseline movements and olympic lifts, rather than gymnastics volume… To set ourselves up going forward. Prepare to see more “On the minute” work that includes gymnastics/body weight volume. Sadly in this category the doubles unders remain a bit stagnant…Still looking for the magic solution there, but until then I can promise you will NOT improve UNLESS you are devoting 3-5 minutes a day 4-5 days a week to this little gnat of an exercise.
Next Phase:
Our next block of programming which will lead into the holiday season will be focused on and include the following:
Upper body Pushing/Pulling/Gymnastic strength –  3+x/Wk HIGH priority
Shoulder Health/ Function – 6x/Wk HIGH priority (separate write coming on this soon)
Olympic Lifting development – 2x/Wk Medium-High Priority
Lower Body Strength – 2x/Wk Medium Priority
Mixed Modal MetCon- Daily/ Medium Priority (we saw good overall gains in conditioning modestly across all areas this way so we will continue with a more varied approach to our energy systems work)
Challenge Sessions involving heavy carries – Will pop up a bit more frequently….
That is basic gist of it! Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about your goals and the best way to get there!

Been in a rut lately body comp wise? Here are 10 quick tips to jump start your progress to looking and feeling like a resident of Mt. Olympus!


1) Focus your diet on animal protein (locally sourced and pasture raised if you have denounced mediocrity!) and green veggies… No bout a doubt it, if you want to look better nekid this is step 1! Its not a real “meal” without this items!
2) Do/watch/listen to/ something everyday that makes you laugh so hard you metaphorically snort milk (metaphorically raw milk) out of your nose… Research continues to show us this is one of the best ways to fight elevated cortisol levels (an imbalance of which is a primary culprit in MANY health issues and body fat dilemmas).
3) Earn your carbs… With what we do in the gym there is certainly a need for some level of carbohydrates in almost all our diets. That need is highly variable dependent upon a host of factors (i.e current body fat, type of workout, body composition/performance goals, genetic carb tolerance, and much more) but to generalize for most of us 80% of the days carbohydrate consumption should fall around the workout (before during and after).
4) If you aren’t “regular” make a change…. Make sure the foods you eat agree with your system and also try adding a solid probiotic, extra fiber, and more cruciferous veggies. A healthy digestive system means proper absorption of nutrients, a robust immune system (if you are one of those people that is always getting sick and the sniffles check your gut… 80% of our immune system is there). As a wise man once said, “strive daily to produce a foot long floater with minimal odor” (hehe poop).
5) Fortify your diet with essential supplementation… Ask any good functional medicine practitioner and they will tell you that anyone living in our society is likely deficient in omega 3s, magnesium (a key player in blood sugar regulation, blood pressure, and sleep), zinc, and many trace minerals…. For this reason I think most people should consider these a part of their “food shopping” rather than something on the side.
6) Limit cheat meals and the like to once every 2 weeks….Again this varies based on your leanness but for most of us once a week is honestly too frequent if you are after serious change. By waiting 2 weeks before allowing an indulgent meal you learn to appreciate it more, and demonstrate a higher level of commitment to making a change.
7) Alcohol …. When it comes to this its just a plain question of what do you want more? A rock solid head turning body and health so vibrant it blinds the sun? Or do you want to indulge in liquid mediocrity and look like a human version of the chocolate monster from candy land? The choice is yours friends…


8) Embrace a good ole cuddle session with your significant other (or a dog)… Legitimate research shows this DIRECTLY and immediately increases hormones and neurotransmitters that destroy stress and are beneficial for body composition improvement. Bet you never thought you’d hear a strength coach recommend that to speed up your progress!
9) Stop making excuses… We all have something going on, travel, family events, work, or whatever it may be. You have to be willing to take the time for yourself to make a positive change.], and this may mean being a bit selfish with your time. Don’t be afraid to do that.  Last time I checked no food was ever eaten by accident, “officer the assailant forced me to eat cheesecake and pizza at gun point… It was horrible!” Yup pretty sure that one has never come across the desk of hopkinton PD. Be responsible, take action, and leave the excuses for someone else. Food preparation and bulk cooking can eliminate 95% of all potential dietary excuses.
10) Eat enough and eat frequently… When fat loss is the goal often times calories get slashed too low too quickly, leading a “stale” metabolic state. By eating every 2-3 hours and meeting an appropriate calorie range (a good STARTING POINT is 15 calories/ LB BW) you will set yourself up for continued fat loss and a strong metabolism that won’t decrease your performance while striving for body comp improvements!

CrossFit as both a sport and a fitness modality possesses within itself the ability to dramatically change us physically, emotionally, and mentally. It can sculpt our bodies, mold our confidence, and emotionally connect us to people we otherwise would never have known. The positives of crossfit are numerous and profound, and hopefully you have personally experienced this as well.  On the other side of the coin, CrossFit is certainly not without it’s risks, and recently the media has tried to display CrossFit in a way that would make the average person fear stepping in a CrossFit gym. What we would like to discuss is what these risks are, why we do things the way we do, and what you can do as an individual to maximize your benefit and minimize your risk.

CrossFit is an intense physical activity, intense at relative levels, but intense none the less.  With any intense physical exercise or sport there is always a risk of injury, heck forget exercise even in life! (we’ve heard more stories of injuries doing yard and house work then we’ve had at the gym!) The simple fact is the human body is not indestructible (though we are striving to get as close as possible!)  and we need to take measures to be as safe as possible, especially if CrossFit is your “fitness” modality, and not a competitive sport for you.

Having said that lets reinforce the greatest mechanism you have to prevent injury…. CONSISTENTLY AND PERMANENTLY DEDICATING YOURSELF TO THE TECHNICALLY PERFECT EXECUTION OF ALL MOVEMENTS. I think we should make everyone solemnly swear on a bible to do so. If we asked you as an individual how to correctly perform a certain movement (once past the introductory stage of your CrossFit life) I’m sure many of you could easily describe the important points, yet its revoltingly common for the most seasoned of us to continually exhibit the same movement faults even when you are well aware the correct technique points. Why does this happen? The first and most obvious is fatigue, movement quality suffers under fatigue, but thats why we need to be so diligent at all times in only allowing ourselves to practice perfect movements, so that when fatigued our body reverts back to the only movement pattern it knows, the correct one. The more you “respect” a movement the easier it is to keep it solid when you’re looking at the tail end of a brutal met-con. We squat, hinge, and do some kind of pushup nearly everyday for this reason. If you have a technical flaw in this base movement how can you expect to successfully graduate and add load to it? The best thing you can do to help this is keep track of the coaching cues you are given in your TRAINING LOG so as to not make the same mistakes repeatedly. You will continue hear us hammer this point home, and we sincerely hope you will respect even the simplest of movements in order to keep yourself healthy in the long run.

Another huge factor in your health and safety is avoiding movements for which your body is simply not ready. We strive to provide as many substitute movements as possible in place of the higher risk/higher skill exercises (namely overhead movements), but often times its easy to get caught up in the group mentality and ignore what may be best for you. Even if a movement isn’t acutely painful, if you have a restriction that is keeping you from performing it correctly, it is just a matter of time before a slight “twinge” pops up and becomes a larger injury or issue.  We understand that sometimes the more basic movements are not as exciting, but our goal is to keep you healthy and get you fit first and foremost, and often times this requires regression of exercises. Just because an exercise is regressed for you, does not mean it is any less beneficial, in fact quite the opposite. Be selfish sometimes, and know that what is best for so, may be a modified movement, and that is absolutely fine.

While the work you do in the gym is a huge determinant of your progress, what you do outside the gym is equally important.  What we are referring to here is mainly self restorative care. If you have movement restrictions are you taking daily steps to improve them? Or are you simply hoping they’ll vanish on their own? Say for example you have poor hip mobility in a squat, you should be taking 5 minutes (minimum!) everyday to sit at rock bottom of a squat breaking down the restrictions keeping you from a smooth and fluid squat. The reason this is so important is because every time you perform a sub-par movement you are breeding imbalance and faulty motor patterns….These will both inevitably come back to similar issues we described above, you are only as solid as the base of your pyramid.  Fitness built on a foundation of dog-doo and dandelions will only take you so far.

Unlike strength which can improve by training it 2-3x a week, movement quality is something you must always be working and conscious of. If you spend 10 minutes opening up your shoulders at the gym, then 10 hours sitting in a garbage posture, do you think that change will really stick? If you really want to advance to the higher skill movements attacking these movement limitations 2-3x a day is absolutely necessary. If that isn’t something you think you can manage, just know that you are probably going to be better off with the modified options, which is also fine!

In summary, CrossFit like all other worthwhile endeavors is not without it risks; however by taking the proper steps of: being aggressively dedicated to the repetition of perfect technique, scaling and opting for substitutions even when it may not be the most glamorous, and taking your movement quality mindset with you everywhere you go and working on postural/mobility drills outside of class time, you will be able to mitigate these risks and enjoy all the positive power the CrossFit world has to offer.  Your coaches are here to help you in your fitness journey and keep you safe, but it is up to you to listen to your body and know when to take the path that best suits your needs!

January 2014 Paleo Challenge Information

(Click the above Red Lettering to be linked to the document)

​Alright!  The time has come guys.  Here is all of the information we are going to be giving out right now until the Kick-Off meeting.  We wanted to show everyone, especially those who are still on the fence of participating, what the challenge is going to be all about this year (or next year I guess).  Please feel free to ask us any pertinent questions, but if they’re food questions, etc. just hold on to those until the meeting.  It’s going to be another great month! We want to try to get at least 100 members participating this year!

The Pull-up…. A movement on the goal list of nearly every novice crossfitter.  The pull-up has often been referred to as  “the squat of the upper body,” due to its immense training effect and ability to predict overall physical performance. What we would like to lay out is an incredibly detailed progression/regression with which you can build your pull-up prowess. First a couple notes:

The single most important factor in achieving pull-ups (for MOST people) is…… BODY COMPOSITION
If you are not yet lean, and carrying around a fair amount of body fat (~>13% males ~>19% Females) Pull-ups will be EXPONENTIALLY harder, and for the most part impossible to obtain. As a result attention to diet is the single most important factor for many who struggle with pull-ups (refer to our nutrition articles for more information there!)

The second most important consideration during your pull-up journey is whether or not your shoulder range of motion will allow you to kip.  THIS test will determine if you are “eligible” to learn the kip. If you cannot fully complete this test, kipping is not for you yet, and until range of motion is restored strict movements will be the default.

With those two things said, here is a progression anyone can use over time to build pull-up strength. Once you can complete a step a to perfection you are eligible to move to the next, these drills can be practiced almost daily (EXCEPT eccentrics… 2-3x/wk there), the higher the frequency the better.

1) 1 Min Dead Hang
2) :30 Chin Over Bar Hold w/ Black band
3) :30 Chin Over Bar Hold w/ Green band
4) :30 Chin Over Bar Hold 
5) 15 Second Eccentric (lowering) Pull-up from top w/ Black Band (time spread evenly through whole movement)
6) 20 Second Eccentric (lowering) Pull-up from top w/ Green Band (time spread evenly through whole movement)
7) 5 PERFECT Reps From Dead start w/ Black Band (>150lbs BW) Green Band (<150 lbs BW) @ knee
8) :30 Bent Arm (90 Degree) Hold w/ Green Band
9) :30 Bent Arm (90 Degree) Hold 
10) 10 Perfect Reps From Deadstart w/ Green Band (>150lbs BW) Blue Band (<150 lbs BW) @ foot
11) AT this point you should be able to hit 1-3 strict Pullups! … From there
12) 75 Strict Pull-ups / Wk (outside of class time)
13) 100 Strict Pullups/ Wk (outside of class time)
14) 150 Strict Pullups/ Wk (outside of class time)
15) 200 Strict Pullups/ Wk (outside of class time)
16) If eligible… Practice Kip. Repeat steps 12-15 w/ kip, making sure you do not exceed given number in a week before building up.
17) Repeat steps 12-15 with STRICT Chest to Bar Pull-ups
18) Repeat steps 12-15 with KIPPING C2B Pull-Ups
19) Practice Butterfly pull-up… Another story for another day!

Make sure you keep this order! You must take all steps in order, DO NOT JUMP AROUND! Let us know if you have any questions, and good luck in your pull-up journey!

BONUS!!
Accessory Exercises to help build pull-up strength! (complete each of these 2-3x/wk with your above steps!)
Trap -3 Raise…VIDEO
Chest-Supported DB Row….VIDEO
Fat Grip Curls (Yep Curls! Especially ladies!)
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Go forth and destroy the pulls!

For your convenience and to take the guess work out of supplementation we have put together 3 primary supplemental protocol packages. Each package is aimed at one primary goal, however they all contain many carry over benefits. Below is a brief description of the products in each bundle, and why they were chosen to be included.  For more information be sure to ask us in person, or consult the info binder in our retail area!

​The General Health/Base Protocol
No matter what your goal you cannot go wrong with this combination of supplements. It is geared at aiding all basic metabolic processes of the body and covering the most common nutrient deficiencies.
D3– The super nutrient. Every single cell in the body has a receptor for its use, and many of us are deficient, especially during the winter.
Zinc- Plays a role in the absorption of all other nutrients, and the formation of stomach acid. Also a key player in testosterone synthesis.
Multi-Intense– A comprehensive multi-vitamin, containing the most bio-available forms of all its constituent compounds. Essential if you are lacking in consumption of organic produce.
Ultra HCL- Supplemental HCL (stomach acid) to aid in digestion. It all starts here. Our current diet and life style norms have dramatically reduced our HCL concentration and supplementation is essential for many of us to breakdown our food to a level which allows us to use all nutrients contained within.
Omega 3 6:1- A high EPA fish oil that is specifically formulated to help fight inflammation, and improve arterial and cardiovascular health.


The Fat Loss/Body Composition Enhancement Protocol
This package was put together for the person targeting fat loss as a priority.  Its primary goal is to improve the way your body handles glucose and insulin, and improve your cells ability to use fat for energy. The products include:
High Concentrate Fish Oil: A more potent liquid fish oil that has a power anti-inflammatory effect, as well as an unmatched ability to improve insulin sensitivity.
FenuPlex: A combination of well-researched herbs that improve the way your body handles glucose (carbs)
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA): Essential amino acids that aid in reducing muscle breakdown during periods of dieting, as well as improving the body’s ability to burn fat for energy during exercise.
Glycocarn: A patented form of carnitine that aids fatty acid transport into the cell to be used, as well as a crucial arterial health compound.
Zen Mag: A high quality magnesium supplement. Magnesium is THE mineral of insulin sensitivity. Also promotes restful sleep.


The Performance Enhancement Protocol
This package is aimed at maximizing performance during workouts. For athletes looking to improve strength, endurance, or any other athletic qualities this is where you want to start.
BCAA- (See above) Also shown to improve gains in lean muscle mass, and improve maximal strength.
Beta-Alanine– A compound that has also been well-researched that is shown to improve time to exhaustion during training.
Opti-EFA– A well rounded fish oil to cover the wonderous spectrum of omega-3 benefits.
Focused Response- A neural supplement that helps with focus, response time, mental clarity, and alertness to help you get the most out of every training session.
Zen Mag- (See Above) For all the good things magnesium helps with it should be on everyone’s list, but very important for the hard training athlete because intense exercise rapidly depletes it.


Please fell free to ask us if you have any further questions related to these protocols or general supplementation!

A couple quick Q and As then I will share with you some information on how to avoid the current epidemic decay of our species!
Eating while upping training volume….
The other day after briefly introducing the fact that we will be adding a second “squat focused” strength workout per week, I said to “eat accordingly.” A few of you have asked what exactly that entails, so here is a better explanation.
(Bear in mind this really only applies if you are training 4+ times a week and actually attending both training sessions, if you are just beginning and training more for technique and comfort with the movements this may not apply. Likewise if you have a significant amount of bodyfat to lose this information is not for you. In such a case a more strict “paleolithic” diet approach should be your starting point) 
So with that said here are some guidelines to help you boost your lower body strength when increasing the volume of strength work:
-Pay EXTRA attention to your post workout shake. 1.5-2 Scoops of protein is a minimum (if you truly embrace excellence you will mix this with RAW milk!).  Add to this mix, if you so choose, 5g of pure creatine monohydrate, a carbohydrate source (gluten free of course) and your in business.
-Ensure you are eating enough meat to scare most normal people (more on this later). 2+ lbs for males and 1-1.5 lbs for females is a good rough target per day.
-Add a high carbohydrate meal the night BEFORE a heavy training session.
-Drink your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.
-If you tolerate it add a source of caffeine pre-workout (read past blogs for more info here! as well as the next section of this blog)
-Do not skimp on dietary fat… Avocados, olive oil, egg yolks, animal fat, and butter will help your training and make you a better person.
-Pass on that second drink, A glass of wine HERE and THERE (not as in one glass on the kitchen counter, another in the living room, and another on the night stand…) Alcohol is the demonic hemorrhoid of strength gains…
Caffeine Hierarchy
Here is a quick list of my favorite sources of caffeine:
1) Organic Fair Trade Coffee (the pinnacle of the perking stimulant)
2) All other coffee provided it doesnt have a ton of sugar or syrup added
3) Caffeine Supplements from REPUTABLE companies, without a million other added junk ingredients (ex. Poliquin Java Stim, Biotest Brain Candy and Spike, Vivarin)
Some examples of junk products (NOXplode, super pumped 2000, all of that GNC peddled meathead crack…)
Thats really it in terms of products I would recommend someone using as a performance enhancer with regards to caffeine! Be very weary of just about anything else because many times companies will load up on cheap junk nutrients to fill a label, having no knowledge of how these compounds interact.
The time has come to shed the loathsome burden of normalcy and live like the dominant, aggressive, alpha of a human you were meant to be.
10 Tips to enhance your physique, health, mindset, and testosterone (a nutrient our world is sadly lacking in BOTH genders{T is incredibly important for females too…})
1) Eat more meat than your friends think is healthy. Yes I know, your skinny friend Veronica The vegetarian, has told you your love for the flesh of conquered creatures lower on the food chain will be the death of you. She has told you that meat will cause cancer and melt your brain from the inside. Well (provided you are eating a quality source of meat) she couldn’t be more wrong, and eating a diet based on meat with the addition of some of that nasty green vegetation… will make you a far superior, leaner, stronger, smarter (yes its true… your brain NEEDS DHA and cholesterol which are virtually impossible to get on a strict veganesque diet!) and well liked person.
2) Get strong in the big lifts. But we all know that anyway 😉 Getting strong in big barbell lifts is one of the best things you can do for your overrall health, and testosterone optimization. Bigger Squat=Higher T
3) Optimize your vitamin D Levels. Next time you go to the doctor’s office DEMAND (don’t ask, DEMAND) a “25-OHD” test to assess your vitamin D levels, if its less than 80 start a vitamin D protocol. Without D you got no T!
4) NEVER EAT EGG WHITES ALONE. If you eat egg whites alone you probably think pocket protectors and suspenders are the sexiest thing since the invention of the thong. Throwing away egg yolks is a greater sin than letting a rumbler loose in a crowded elevator on a hot summer day in Texas. In all seriousness egg yolks are magic; they contain nutrients like choline, vitamin A, and the treasured UBER nutrient cholesterol. Egg whites also contain a high amount of leucine, which if consumed alone can cause an insulin spike, and without glucose in the blood a hypoglycemic event (dizziness, lightheaded, cold sweats… not fun).
5) Eat some carbs when you deserve them. While a higher fat lower carb diet has proven to be effective at boosting T, a VERY low carb diet can do the opposite. Make sure you consume carbs in moderation when your training warrants them.
6) Eat more meat attached to the bone. Cooking and eating meat that still has bones intact is a great way to get extra nutrition (the nutrients from the bone enter the meat during the cooking process). So next time you’re at the store opt for an organic whole chicken vs. boneless skinless chicken breast. There is also something inexplicably primal and beautiful about tearing some animal meat right off the bone.
7) Ensure optimal Zinc and Magnesium levels. If you aren’t an eskimo or a primal tribesman drinking the blood of the animals you kill, chances are good you are zinc and magnesium deficient. Especially since magnesium is depleted during rigorous exercise, and in males zinc is depleted during “intimacy.” These nutrients play roles in energy production, hormone synthesis, and nutrient uptake, don’t be caught without them!
8) Minimize stress, maximize Sleep! If you are constantly stressed chances are you will: be weaker, fatter, sicker, crankier, and more miserable in general (sad but true… these are all backed up by science and research). Here are some ideas to combat stress. Eat well and exercise (got that one covered), make time to be alone with your loved ones, practice some sort of meditation (spiritual or intrinsic, doesn’t matter as long as you are relaxed), sleep in a totally blacked out room, turn off all electronics before bed, avoid turning to food as a “comfort,” tell it like it is- Let things be out in the open, be as honest as possible, say what you mean and mean what you say, make sure you have things in your life you are passionate about, have fun smile and laugh. These things will all go a long way in minimizing the stress you feel on a daily basis.
9) WIN! And root for winners. Strange as this one sounds, and even though its far removed from nutrition, its true. Winning yourself and routing for winners, is directly corresponded with a boost in T!
10) Minimize Inflammation. By “putting the fire out” thorugh diet and supplementation you allow your endocrine (hormonal) system to function optimally. Make sure fish oil, turmeric (or supplemental curcumin), carnitine, fibrous veggies (the darker/greener the better), and CHOLESTEROL are all corner stones of your diet!
BONUS TIP: Minimize exogenous estrogen exposure (which can harm natural healthy estrogens and testosterone) by avoiding: Beauty and hygiene products with pthaltates and parabens, microwaving anything using plastic, and non-BPA free drinking bottles.
There you have it folks… 10 Tips to make yourself anything but normal… Beacause life is just far to short to be one of the herd!

f you aren’t achieving full ranges of motion you will not improve at anywhere near the rate you potentially could. When we say half squats yield half results we are being generous. Modern life has put us into such unnatural positions and tasks that our bodies have all become severely “jacked up” for lack of a better term. Here are some of my thoughts on how to counter the damage of modern life has done to our movement quality.

In order to “bulletproof” your body and move effectively you need two primary things in every joint, mobility and stability (some joints require more of one than the other). When we talk about mobility we are referring to the ability to achieve a desired range of motion. Stability can be defined as the ability to control one’s joints and body while in these various positions. More often than not, as a generalization, males require more mobility work, and females require a greater degree of stability work.  If you have one without the other, you can bet you will encounter some type of issue down the road. If for example you lack mobility you will be straining neighboring muscles, tendons, and ligaments to compensate, which can result in strains, sprains and potentially tears.  If you lack stability, especially around the spine, neck, and shoulders, you will require improper muscles to stabilize these areas, which leads to extreme overuse and many of the common “tight,” tweaked, knotted, and bound up musculature you may feel around your traps, hips, low, back, and shoulders.

So let’s describe “tin-(wo)man” (mobility need as priority) and “gumby” (stability need as priority)

*WARNING MILD GEEK ALERT*

Tin-(wo)Man
-Difficulty achieving full squat with tall torso
-Cannot Pause in bottom of overhead squat with proper form
-Fails shoulder flexion test (VIDEO)
-Sub Par Duck Walk
-Cannot complete ankle mobility test to 5″ from wall (VIDEO)
-Poor T-Spine extension/Rolled Shoulders

Gumby
-Full Range of motion squats but no ability to control spine or pelvis in the bottom
-Cannot keep spine at neutral during hinges/pull
-Fails stability pushup test [start at :40.. (VIDEO)
-Can complete PVC “pass-through” with a close grip
-Knees collapse during squat (could be either TM or Gumby here, but usually more Gumby)
-Poor planks/side planks
-Weak External Rotators/Scap retractions, demonstrated by a constant shoulder elevation during pulling movements

So hopefully from that you can see which category you fit into (if neither than kudos to you, you move well and are ready to get MURDEROUSLY STRONG) now lets talk briefly about a general course of action. It is really impossible to prescribe corrective exercises on a macro level so if you fall DEEP into one of these categories it would be in your best interest to schedule some time with one of coaches to write out a plan to attack your needs. It will pay off in the long run for sure. But here are some general things you should focus on hammering if you are either one of these types:

Tin-(wo)Man
-AGGRESSIVE rumble rolling/lacrosse ball rolling of: IT band, achilles ankles, upper back, rear delts, pec minor
-Banded distraction of the shoulders
-Sitting a full squat with neutral spine for up to  10 MINUTES using a pole for leverage
-Learning to press and move through shoulder blades on all over head movements
-Take the dynamic warm-up as the most serious part of the day (spider mans, worlds greatest etc.)
-Try and get ART  or comparable soft tissue work as often as possible
-Learn to breathe through your belly to relieve upper body stiffness

​Gumby
-Learn to use and activate your glutes (butt squeezes, band walks, hip bridges etc.)
-Learn to engage your deeper ab muscles (belly breathing, paloff holds, seal walks, side planks w/ upside down kettle bell (VIDEO)
-Slow down tempo on all lifts
-Practice flexing and controlling all muscles (seriously)
-Add in external rotator/retraction work (band pull a parts, scap pushups, seated rotations)
Your movement quality reflects how much care and effort you put into your training, everyone can improve these attributes if you are willing to put in the time. Make this a priority, because if you aren’t moving well, you WILL NOT see the improvements you are after in performance, aesthetics, and all other areas! Treat this as an absolute first priority to avoid injury, get stronger, look better, and feel better!

By now I’m sure many of you have seen or read that article thats been passed around all over the web saying that crossfit is the russian roulette of the fitness world. The article, if you haven’t seen it do a google search – I refuse to link it here, talks about the disease known as rhabdomyolysis, which is a condition in which muscle tissue becomes severely damaged releasing proteins into the blood and leading to renal (kidney) failure. This condition occurs under situations of extreme exertion, in individuals whose bodies are nowhere near prepared for the stress imposed on them.
 “Rhabdo” is a real and dangerous condition, no argument there; however it is not something that ANY OF YOU need to be worried about at any point and I’ll tell you why.

1) Your coaches know and understand proper exercise and metabolic progression.
We love you guys. Honestly we do, we enjoy every minute of every day we get to work with the motivated, hard working, energetic, and enthusiastic group we have been blessed with. We will always be here pushing you, encouraging you, and asking you to give us your best effort BUT At NO POINT do we want anyone puking, passing out, or breaking down, in an effort to deem a workout hard enough. That is not how we as a group progress and improve. This is why you often see us custom cutting and shaping a workout for many individuals. Training and exercise has be shaped to your fitness level to be effective, a simple blanket workout with no shaping for people on different ends of the spectrum is a recipe for bad things to happen. Rhabdo is a result of an individual doing too much work for their current capacity, to a point where any reasonable coach should be able to see, which is why having a good coach who knows how to progress/regress you is so valuable.

2) Your Box cares about HOW YOU LIFT AND TRAIN
We spend so much time drilling and practicing the technique of complex movements because in a fatigued state your body will revert to what it has patterned most often. Having proper technique and selecting weights correctly for a workout, is possibly the single most important element of avoiding internal or external injury. Sadly this is not the case at many crossFit Operations. We have heard many stories from you guys while traveling that the attention given by coaches was far from adequate to ensure the safety of all participants.  Knowing this fact (that each crossfit gym will approach their training differently)  you can see why it so frustrating for us when “crossfit” is criticized on a macro level, when each box is its own entity.

​3) You will never be forced to do something you are genuinely uncomfortable with here.
While we will always encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try new exercises and movements, you will never hear a coach yell at you for not doing x,y, or z movement, especially anything that relates to an injury/health issue. At any point during a workout if you aren’t feeling well, or feel things beyond traditional exercise discomfort, we will immediately take action, rather than yell at you to keep going.
Exertional Rhabdomyolysis can happen, and it certainly has occurred in crossfit. Its also happened in high school football, cycling, the military, soccer, and probably even competitive cup stacking (those guys are intense…youtube that stuff) and the list goes on…. It is absolutely not something that is intrinsic to CrossFit, and it is certainly not something that occurs with any kind of regularity.  It is far more likely that you will get injured on the way to a workout then in the workout itself. You could fall out of the bathtub after a shower and die… Have you stopped showering as a result? Also have you checked some of the numbers on the risks of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart disease, and the like? Yea…all a hell of a lot higher then rhabdo.

Exercise has its risk no doubt about it, but thats why you come to CFR, thats why you pay a little more than your commercial gym buddies, because we are here to guide you, to minimize that risk, keep you as healthy as possible, and make sure you have a damn good time doing so. Again we love you guys, and we would never want to see anything like that happen to you.  Whenever you read these CrossFit bashing articles, before losing faith and passing judgement remember to analyze each gym as its own entity. Don’t let the fear mongering of the weaklings of our race deter you…you are better then them…you are alpha…you are RESILIENCE STRONG 

Here are some other great responses to the article by the cowardly physical therapist Eric Robertson (God forbid he meets a task in which he has to exert himself, he may suddenly collapse and die of rhabdo…)

http://crossfitdeep.com/2013/09/26/setting-the-record-straight/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ericka-andersen/crossfit-rhabdomyolysis_b_3985231.html
(^ dont entirely agree with this one but it has some good points)

Also check the link I shared on our facebook page!

Have a great day! Don’t fear immeasurable power and dominance!