Time Is PRICELESS
It’s true what they say. You can get a do-over on pretty much anything. Make a mistake, learn from it, improve from it and 9 times out of 10 you will get a second chance. Time however gives no second chances and Time waits for no Man! Fact! So why do so many people ignore TIME when considering a gym membership?
💥The Time to Travel💥
💥The Time to Workout💥
💥The Time to Learn💥
💥The Time to Master💥
💥The Time to Grow💥
What would you pay to go back in time? I would pay a shit load. I would do it all again but having the lessons and knowledge I have now I would be way more efficient in reaching my goals.
As I get older I am always thinking about how I use my time better. And so should everyone. I hear people talking about spending 2 hours in the gym to do a basic 45minute program. Standing around waiting for machines to free up. I would say this is madness however I also understand that a lot of this is down to education. Knowing alternatives you can do to achieve the same outcome.
Here are 3 ways to make your gym time more efficient and way more effective:
#1 - Short on time? Superset exercises and even do a couple of Giant Sets
(This is the Shoulda Shocka Finisher. You can giant set large reps or small reps. And use different rep ranges for each exercise.)
#2 - Find a Coach - This could be an online coach, a Personal Trainer or A CrossFit style Gym, but find someone who can guide you on the right path. Fix any technical mistakes and add some accountability.
#3 - Invest in yourself. Don’t be afraid to spend money on improving your health. Massages, Spa Days, self help equipment like a massage gun or Kino Move+. Albeit these won’t necessarily save you time they will help you with recovery, both mentally and physically which means the next training session is more effective which means you will hit your goals quicker 🏋️♀️
We are always here to help so if you would like some help with training BOOK A NO SWEAT INTRO and we will try our best to help!
Protein Gainz
A guide to Protein
We love PROTEIN. It is what grows the muscles. It’s what repairs the muscles after a tough workout. I don’t know about you but I want to be strong, powerful and harder to kill.
Now onto the minefield of what amounts of protein you should have. Truth be told in my experience for many people it’s not even that important to begin with. In the hustle bustle of everyday life we look to quick and easy solutions. take away sandwiches, quick snacks like granola bars and fruit (on a good day). but when you read the labels of most quick fix snacks the protein content is pretty low. Now if you want to really start digging into how much protein you should eat here is a helpful guide:
But wait, “I count all my macros” I hear you say. That’s not a problem. The general rule of thumb is 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Something like this:
Mike weighs 70kgs = 155lbs So Mike would need to eat 155grams of protein each day.
If you have access to an Inbody Scanner that can workout your Lean Body Mass then this is even more accurate. You can book a scan with us HERE>>>
Protein Sources
We always advocate a whole foods approach to nutrition. Avoiding processed food is not only a lot healthier for your body but whole foods taste much better and fill you up for a lot longer. Remember the food industry makes money when you eat, so the more they can get you to eat the better their profits.
Above you will see a whole host of sources of protein ranging from lean meats to fatty ones. When choosing your protein the fattier meats can have an effect on your cholesterol levels and liver function so try and aim for the leaner sources when possible.
SUMMARY
Here are a few finishing ideas for you . If you can get protein into every meal and snack that is a great start. If you can make it around 30-40grams per meal you are getting close to your daily targets. Try and aim for whole foods as best you can adding a portion of vegetables and some healthy fats and you are going to see improvements in health, sleep, recovery and much more.
If you would like some help with your nutrition book a nutrition consultation and find out how we can get you to your goals.
Open Gym Program 3
Moving along with our Open Gym Program here is the 3rd instalment. We have a Chest workout, Back Workout and a cheeky little leg workout for you all.
CHEST DAY
Exercise 1 - 5Rep Max Bench Press.
Start light and build up each set. I warmed up with 3rounds of 10 Incline Press Ups and 20 Banded Pull Aparts.
Exercise 2 - 3 x 8/Arm Down/Up Dumbbell Press
Work upto a heavy set of 8. Make sure you have a couple of reps in the tank as you are going to do 3 working sets at this weight.
Exercise 3 - 3 x 12 Cable Flyes
Again work upto a good weight for 12 reps and then perform 3 working sets. If you are going to stagger your feet make sure you change half way through the set.
Exercise 4 - Super Set Tricep Dips / Rope PressDowns
If you can perform Bodyweight dips awesome. Hit 10 of those. In my video I am demoing the Assisted Dips Machine. Once finished get straight on the Cable Pressdown and hit 15 reps. Rest 90 seconds and go again.
Workout 2 is Leg Day
Exercise 1 - Leg Press 4 x 20reps
Use this as a warm up. Start light and add weight as you go. If you feel up for it keep going until you get to your 20Rep Max
Exercise 2 - Knee Extensions 4 x 12
We don’t have a leg extension machine so here is an alternative. Keep you Core tight and pivot around the knees. Bodyweight will be a challenge for some. Others might need to add load so grab a disc or a dumbbell and go for it.
Exercise 3 - Spanish Squats 5 sets 12/10/8/6/4
Feel free to mix the order and do these before the Knee Extensions. I didn’t as I wanted to stretch and warm up my knees first. These Spanish squats will work your inner quad (the Medial head of the Quadricep). Choose a medium sized band. I have looked this in half and stepped through each end. Take a step back ensure you lock the knees out at the top of the squat to really get those suckers burning. I descended in reps and added weight each set.
Exercise 4 - Slant Board Lunges 4 x 8/Leg
Find yourself a wedge, if you don’t have a wedge just make a step and perform Split Squats on that. The wedge gives us a little more travel for the knee and therefore a little more work around the thigh. Choose a pair of dumbbells that will challenge your strength but also balance and perform 4 sets of 8 reps on each side.
march newsletter
March updates for what’s coming up in afscrossfit
Spring time is here. Birds are singing, the sun is flooding through my window to wake me up before my alarm and thankfully the heating can get turned off for a few months. (I can hear you all saying what heating 🤣).
Easter opening hours:
Good Friday - Classes at 0700/0930/1100
Easter Saturday - Classes at 0800/0900/1000
Easter Sunday - Closed
Easter Monday - Classes at 0700/0930/1100
AFSCUP 2024
To celebrate our 14 year anniversary we will be running the AFSCup pairs competition on Saturday 20th April. Find yourself a partner, no super teams and get ready for 3 workouts as well as a lot of fun. There will be a BBQ as always and we will definitely be heading out out afterwards if you fancy celebrating with us.
LADIES STRENGTH BUILDING COURSE (LSBC)
Starting on the 8th April our first LSBC begins. This is a beginners course aimed at giving non-members the perfect way to get into training correctly, building insane strength and confidence all under the watchful eye of Myself (Gareth) and British Powerlifting Qualifier Kim Glover. Here is a taste of what happened in our Free taster last week:
If you would like to join us you can register HERE. We have 4 Spots remaining and exactly 2 weeks until we kick off!
COMING SOON
I.D Program - Life throws up all sorts of conundrums and problems. In #GYMLYF that’s usually either injuries or time restrictions. Both of which cause stagnation, loss of motivation and possibly direction. Our new I.D (Individual Design) program can help. 30 minute personal training sessions once a week to work on your particular requirement. May that be rehabilitation or working on a skill or weakness our training team will identify key exercises to assist you in improving and then prescribe you a weekly program to follow in your own time. This can be run alongside gym membership or on its own as a member or non member. If you would like more information on how this can help book a goal setting session today!
BRUNO’S COFFEE SHOP
Bruno’s is our in house coffee shop and provider of (in my opinion) #thebestcoffeeinandover. Every month they do giveaways through their instagram @brunoscoffeeshop and also through their monthly newsletter. SIGN UP here and help us spread the word of Bruno’s 🐶. Non members and Dogs WELCOME!
Ellie millings sports massage
Our resident Sports Massage Therapist Ellie has begun her own instagram channel. If you are looking for hints and tips on stretching and self myofasicial release you should head over there and take a look @elliemillingssportsmassage. She is also giving away hints and tips in her newsletters you can SIGN UP HERE for her monthly updates, competitions and giveaways.
ROUND UP
Over the past few weeks and months we have been trying to create a much more robust and comprehensive service to improve your fitness journey. With 3 monthly goal setting reviews, nutrition and accountability coaching and the launch of our new ID program we feel we are getting pretty close. We can however always benefit from feedback from you. If you have anything you would like to see I would love to hear it.
The Open Round UP!
The CrossFit Open season is over and for most of us the competition journey is over. Here are my thoughts on the workouts, the results, and my favourite moments.
The Open has come to an end. After quite a bit of deliberation a Fran type workout came along. I was a little disappointed in myself for not predicting something like this as every year they do something FRAN based. For those of you unfamiliar with Fran she is the 100m of CrossFit, THE MAIN BENCHMARK workout of:
21 / 15 / 9
Thrusters
Pull Ups
Some can do this in under 2 minutes. I believe the gym record is around 3mins maybe quicker. (I’m sure whoever has that record will correct me 🤓.
Now this year as always we saw trepidation. A lot of members scaling as they didn’t have Chest 2 Bar Pull Ups, some had no pull ups what so ever. But as always the pressure of competition produces some diamonds. First pull ups are always a momentous occasion. Especially when watching people work for so long to get them. A special mention has to go out to Anne Prince. After months of working with Anne in the strength class working towards getting a pull up, she only went and hit 8. As a masters athlete this is an inspiring story and proof that it is never too late to get strong. Awesome job Anne 💪.
24.3 Standings
This years CrossFit Open has been the first one i’ve actually enjoyed for many years. That’s has mainly been to do with injuries but also the programming has been a bit crap. This year I feel that everyone was able to take something away for the workouts. They were challenging for the seasoned CrossFitters and accessible for the the new CrossFitters. And for us Oldies with a few niggles they weren’t crazy heavy so we could drag our broken asses over the finish line. I was a little sad not to see international Brad Breakdown Day but there is always next year 🤪
CONGRATULATIONS!
So this year sees Ross crowned as the winner of our individual gym open comp. With wins in 24.1 and 24.2 and a 3rd place finish in 24.3 he absolutely smashed it. It was also the 266th in the Uk so very respectable. A big congratulations to him.
*Overall leaderboard for those that completed all 3 workouts.
Now onto the team competition. On drawing the teams my money was on the Hornets to come away with the victory and sure enough they stepped up and crushed it. Great job Team Hornets. The Dingos came second, Flapjacks third. My Team, Team Boom finished Fourth and the Cornettos right behind with the Wooden Spoon.
Now that the Open is finished for us mere mortals we can hopefully all walk away feeling proud of our efforts. Everyone of you put a proper shift in and worked as hard as you could. That’s always a great feeling. I’m certainly pretty happy with making it through all the workouts unscathed and looking ahead to get fitter for next year. That’s what this last 3 weeks was about. Testing your fitness. Testing your mental strength. Then giving you purpose and focus on what needs to be worked on over the next 12 months. If you need help with analysing your performance and identifying what’s next come in for a Goal Setting Appointment and I would be happy to talk through the best pathway to reach your targets for next year.
Ultimately I hope that the biggest take away from the pst 3 weeks is the AFSCrossFit Community. Every workout that took place was cheered on. I know I felt the support of everyone around to push me for that extra rep to beat Sutty 💥. There is nothing like overcoming adversity, pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and having your fellow CrossFitters there to support you throughout.
Great Job TAFS
G-Unit
Rest When You’re Dead
The importance of rest is possibly the most under valued training technique and the easiest to implement!
Throughout history it’s pretty much a given that Hard Work pays off. Therefore it goes without saying that training more will help you achieve your goals in super quick time. Pushing through fatigue, Pushing through Injuries and not letting a single thing get in your way. This is admirable, and shows dedication, motivation and determination to win at all costs. YOU ARE A WEAPON!!
I have heard many times the saying “There is no such thing as Overtraining”. You can’t put too much work in. Some of you will know the saying “What’s Rich doing?”. If you have been following CrossFit at all you will know Rich Froning as the CrossFit Games Champion 4 years running which puts him in the conversation for CrossFits GOAT. On the run up to the 2011 CrossFit Games the media team at CrossFit shot a fantastic behind the scenes video showing Rich Froning and Jason Khalipas road to the games. One scene shows both the families getting together for a meal, I believe it was thanksgiving. Mid way through the meal Jason notes that Rich is no longer sat at the table. He goes to find him. When he reaches the garage he finds Rich crushing sets of Front Squats and so the phrase “Whats Rich Doing” was born. Jason went home, headed to his garage gym and wrote “Whats Rich Doing?” on the wall. A constant reminder that every time he stops for a rest, rich will be working harder and doing more then you.
It was a crazy clip but a perfect example of what is needed to succeed at the highest levels. It is also old school thinking. There is now a new buzz word “UNDER RECOVERY”.
WHAT IS RECOVERY?
The first part of Recovery is Sleep. When we sleep the body repairs. We are able to switch off all the non essential body functions and let the body fully set about fixing itself. When we think about the amount of sleep we get we recommend between 7-9 hours. For some, like me you are lucky to get 6hours but that’s ok. Fire in a few pensioners and you will be fine.
The second part of Recovery is Nutrition. If you are not fuelling the body to do the work then you are definitely not fuelling it to repair itself. This is where protein comes in. Protein is the building blocks of muscle. When we do a workout may it be a long run or a heavy lifting session or CrossFit you are going to break down some muscle. That’s what muscle soreness is the day after aka DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) is. Your muscles have been damaged or broken down and now the body is trying to repair it. A good rule of thumb for protein intake is:
1 Gram of Protein Per 1lb of bodyweight.
If you have a way to accurately assess your body composition then you can be super accurate and base this on Lean Bodyweight. We use the InBody scanner here at AFSCrossFit. You can book a scan here.
The third part of recovery is training sensibly. The methodology of CrossFit very much focuses on compound movements. That means we are using multiple joints and lots of muscles in every workout. That does mean we don’t use the same training protocols as say a bodybuilding who would train different body parts each session therefore allowing the others to rest. Equally a power lifter would likely train their squats one day, deadlifts another then the chest on a third day. giving each movement pattern time to recover and sometimes would train each one once a week so lots of recovery.
CrossFit.com recommend a 3 on 1 off training plan. Meaning we workout 3 consecutive days then rest the forth day. In my opinion that’s doable if you are a seasoned trainer say more than 3years training experience. We recommend for new members to aim for 3 sessions per week with one day recovery inbetween. We also run different classes. If CrossFit is getting a little tough, then you can lower the intensity and try a strength session. If you need to focus on stretching then add in a Yoga session or 2.
Summary
In summary eat plenty of protein. Get plenty of sleep. Switch up your training. Listen to your Body, it will tell you when to rest. Hopefully that will be through fatigue. But be warned, when we are tired and fatigued we start making mistakes and this is when we risk injury. It's definitely more beneficial to take a day off rather then spend 6months on the rehab table.
With our nutrition program we look at balancing nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, lifestyle and support to put you in the best possible space to succeed in reaching your fitness goals. A No Sweat Intro is the perfect place to come and discuss your needs and see how we can help.
Happy Training
G-Unit
24.2 Review
Week 2 of the Open threw up up a lovely little 20 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible).
Row 300m
10 Deadlifts
50 Double Unders
to complete the row + deadlifts + Double Unders = 1 Round
A slow burner of a workout it provided a lot of new members the opportunity to hone their skills for 20 mins. Greeted with shrieks of “I hate skipping” and ‘“I will be skipping the whole 20 mins” many of our team needed some cajoling into trying this workout RX (as Recommended). With an 83kg deadlift for men and 56kgs for ladies the weight proved not to be a barrier to entry for anyone. The 300m row, again was just a case of just keep pulling the handle for a little over 60 seconds and we move on. No problem there for anyone all we needed was a nice consistent pace. Just what the doctor ordered.
Throughout the week we saw all sorts of approaches. Our better athletes tried to go unbroken in everything and scored well over 8 rounds completed. Personally I found a steady 2min pace on the Row followed by single Deadlifts (Lift and drop each rep) and then 3 sets of Double Unders. As you can see from the graph the 2 Red spikes are the final two sets of Double Unders that I managed 2 sets in Round 5 and unbroken in Rd 6. My heart nearly exploded but it was the perfect route to nearly 7 rounds. I was well happy with that 💥.
Heart Rate for 24.2
Many of our newer members found pacing difficult. Some started the row at world record pace of 1 minute 45s for 500m but soon realised they had f%£cked up and dropped significantly in the rounds that followed. As I mentioned earlier the deadlifts were ok for just about everyone however the double unders were emotional.
I saw shins that looked like they had been whipped in some kind of medieval torcher ritual and even had to duck for cover when skipping ropes broke with the intensity going through the roof. Ultimately many found their first double under. Many of those then managed to hit 3 or 4 rounds and walked away well chuffed with their efforts.
Last but not least we had our scaled athletes. Many of our newer members have not had a skipping rope in their hands at all so they stuck with the singles. All absolutely crushed their attempts and I have no doubt will be thinking to next year and making sure those double unders are dialled in.
Want to get involved for next year come in for a No Sweat Intro and see how we can help!
Wishing you a Happy Workout
G-Unit, Salsa Jedi
24.1 The Open Review
13 years of Open workouts..Here goes 2024s efforts
The Open has kicked off and as always it starts with a muthaf%@ka of a workout:
15 Minute Timecap
21 DB Snatch (1 Arm)
21 Burpee over DB
21 DB Snatch (1Arm)
21 Burpee Over DB
15 DB Snatch (1 Arm)
15 Burpee over DB
15 DB Snatch (1Arm)
15 Burpee Over DB
9 DB Snatch (1 Arm)
9 Burpee over DB
9 DB Snatch (1Arm)
9 Burpee Over DB
As someone who is a little on the heavy side and recovering from a long standing array of shoulder and back ailments it was always going to be a tough day at the office. A score of 176 reps meant I just fell short of completing it. Although I had hoped to finish I was very pleased to walk away. And I mean literally walk away 🤣.
After 14 years of doing the Open I always love the reactions of my members to the newly released workouts. Some embrace the challenge. Some roll up their sleeves, fight back the workout demons and crack on. Some require that extra persuasion, that little bit of coaxing to realise their potential and get stuck in kicking and screaming 🤣.
The overall feeling at the end from all is one of satisfaction. Pride and maybe a little bit of relief. We saw some fantastic times, a huge amount of effort one tweaked hamstring and only a couple of breakdowns. We kicked it off with a bang.
The recovery from such a posterior chain dominant workout is crucial to be ready for the 24.2. Here is a few tips to get that back moving smoothly once more. Good Luck everyone. Enjoy 24.2 💥
do you hiit the mark?
High Intensity Intervals are the best way to improve VO2Max
Many of you will have heard of HIIT training. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is all the rage in running and cycling clubs in the pursuit of the holy grail, Improving VO2max score. VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilise during intense or maximal exercise.
Here are two tables detailing the range of scores and where they sit. The lower your score the bigger the risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s heart attacks, strokes, and other such nasty ailments. Nobody wants that.
TRAINING
The principles of training to improve your VO2Max is pretty simple. Go balls out for time or for distance then recover. Rinse and repeat 6-10 times and you should be fitter right? Not necessarily. Cardiovascular fitness needs to be at near max heart rate around zone 4 and zone 5. Now many of you will have performed interval workouts around a track. Following a protocol similar to run 300m recover 100m performed 10 times.
The issue with this style of interval is the time actually spent in the correct zone. If we work off a max Heart Rate of 200bpm we may see the following pattern:
As you can see of the nine intervals performed only 2 hit both the target working heart rate of Zone 4 and the target recovery Heart Rate of Zone 1. Albeit this would have been a sweaty session if we are specifically aiming to improve the VO2Max score we need to be hitting Zone 4/Zone 1 for all 9 intervals.
TESTING
The first part of addressing this training program is the testing. We use the Uptivo Heart Rate Monitoring system in the gym to be able to track our intervals. This system uses the generic calculations above as does most wearables and many apps such as whoop. However we use the PNOE Metabolic Testing equipment when our clients wish to have a 100% accurate picture of their zones. We have found that even being 1 or 2 beats out can be detrimental to performance. The beauty of this system is it can identify if you have a weakness with your breathing (Breathing rate/tempo and lung capacity/strength), your metabolic conditioning (muscle endurance) or your cardiovascular system (Heart strength). This accuracy allows us to build the program that will most effectively improve your weaknesses. Most see improvements within 6-8 weeks.
Gemma getting into the ZONE
THE FIX
Now you have the results from the test and have your zones locked in, here is how we go about improving our clients VO2Max. We recommend 2 HIIT sessions per week. One Zone 4 Session and one Zone 5 session. The protocols we follow are as follows:
We use the Echo bike, Row Erg, Ski erg and Bike Erg in our sessions to achieve the intended goals but you could also do this with running. I have listed the 3 levels we use. You would have to complete the Target amount of intervals in the 40min time cap to be able to move up the following week. If you don’t manage it then just keep repeating until you do.
CONCLUSION
If you give these sessions a solid 8 weeks of hard graft you will see some fantastic results. Personally I have seen an improvement of 9 points over 8 weeks. Give them a go and let us know how you get on. If you would like to find out anymore information book a NO SWEAT INTRO and i’ll help you anyway I can.
Happy Training
G-Unit
open gym program 2
A Beginners program to follow for a few weeks. A four day split
You’ve just crushed program 1 for the past few weeks. Hopefully you increased the load every session and have started to get the hang of this working out business. This next program adds a bit of variety but the key to any good program is keeping the fundamentals at the forefront of the thinking. We are going to keep the body parts separate so there are 4 workouts you can try. I would stick to training every other day to begin with but if you are feeling hunch feel free to do 2 days on 1 off, then 2 days on and rest the weekend. If you would like more help feel free to book a no sweat intro and let us see what we can do.
BACK WORKOUT
Warm Up
4 Rds
Row 200m
20 Banded Pull Aparts
A) Watson Row Machine 3 x 15 reps
B) Lat Pulldown 3 x 8
C) Straight Arm Pulldown 3 x 10
D) Side Plank Cable Row 3 x 12/side
LEG WORKOUT
Warm Up
4 rounds
Bike 400m
12 air squats
A) Leg Press 3 x 20reps
B) Goblet Squat Work upto a 25rep max. Target is 1/2 Bodyweight
C) Wall Squat Work 30 seconds rest 1min 3 rounds
D) 3 rounds 15 Glute Bridge 12/side Clam Shells
Positve mental attitude
Over the past near decade and a half I have been very clear on how I think CrossFit should be approached. Many of you would have heard me shout many immortal and highly encouraging motivational phrases such as “Drink a Cup of Concrete” and “Don’t be a Pussy”. With no context and no tone those can be considered a little non-pc but you will be happy to know those are the snowflake versions that I can actually publish 😇.
I grew up along with my Brother Dave, in and around the army, first as a Pads Brat (My dad served 36years) and then took the plunge and joined myself at 19 and served 6 years. More than enough time for me. Now during those formative years during the 80’s and early 90’s we had a great life. Go out, be kids, stay out of trouble. Mission accomplished. We also grew up with not many cares in the world, and thank god no social media. I wouldn’t say we were pushed too hard by our parents. We definitely weren’t drilled to within an inch of our lives and didn’t go wanting for much. We had each other, we had a football, and we had some wide open spaces to play in. Perfect!
Now somehow we managed to get to adulthood and have an inner steal. A winning mentality and a no quit kind of attitude. Obviously that comes from parenting, but I think it also comes from the alpha male environment. You don’t see it as kids as it’s all you know, but there was always competition, always people trying to get one over on you and always someone trying to take your place. I kind of thrived on that and enjoyed beating these people immensely. The only problem being that it carries through into every part of your life and is quite a difficult trait for many to deal with and I have had more then a few run ins with people who disagree with my opinions and more then a couple of failed relationships as a result.
Until recently, possibly the past 12 months I didn’t see why people couldn’t just get the work done. Couldn’t commit to achieving their goals even when those goals are extremely important due to health worries. I possibly even viewed it as being lazy. “What a Dick” I hear many of you say. And I now completely agree.
The gym has never been a place that has intimidated me, and I was only saying the other day how my inner meat head comes out in a globo gym. These past 12 months has made me very aware that this is the exception and not the norm. Many of the people who I have started working with here at AFSCrossFit through our Nutrition program and our Bootcamp courses do not feel the same way and very much view the gym as a nessecary evil as opposed to a place of joy and achievement. SOUND FAMILIAR?
I believe that most of this comes from mindset. Some of these obstacles are due to a fear of failure. Not being good enough or my favourite not being fit enough. However I also believe that there is a huge fear of success. Firstly not being able to see what success looks like, a fear that success is a shit tonne of hard work away and will people still like me if I am successful?
Pretty bonkers right but all true. I think also that there is a tendency to look at that 10 stone weight loss number, or that 15% body fat that needs to be shifted and get overwhelmed. Trust me when I say I have been there. Actually I am there. I have had a lot of injuries and work has been crazy and I could do with shifting 10kgs myself. Now at 1lb of weight loss per week that’s 22 weeks of hard graft. Tough workouts and a super clean diet. Sounds tough to me.
How I am approaching it is one day at a time. Let’s make small manageable changes that I can stick to and get started. That’s the biggest obstacle. Making the decision to start and then kicking off. After working with one of our nutrition coaches I made a plan. After diving into my daily meals it was clear I needed more vegetables so I started there. I added vegetables into every meal, Yes, including breakfast. And so it began. 2 weeks later having got that down pat I decided I needed more water throughout the day. so I aimed to go from about 4 pints a day upto 7. The more water you have the better your body works, the more fat you burn, and the more muscle you grow. after 6 weeks I was down 3 kgs and my body fat was down 3%. Bang on that 1lb a week target.
The nutrition was only part of it and I see a lot of people struggle with the mindset of getting fit. I was drifting along and not feeling like I was in control. This is where the story goes a little off my usual approach. No longer was head down and plough on working. Just grinding away putting one foot in front of the other was not working. So I did something radical. I started reading, First I read the 5am Club, then The high performance Athlete and just recently the Miracle Morning. These are all good books and very much have a common theme. You need to take time out to be silent, to think , and to put yourself first. Not in a selfish way but in a mindfulness way.
I could go into the S.A.V.E.R.S philosophy of the morning miracle but i’ll let you explore that for yourself. Ultimately what I started to do was to spend 20 mins just breathing, eyes shut concentrating on nothing but being silent and still. Quite a revelation as Im not sure I have ever just sat still and thought of nothing. I’ve recently started these things called affirmations and an even crazier concept in Gratitude. Again two things I have never even come across let alone started to do. Some proper left field thinking I know. I am still a little awkward with saying thanks for stuff but I will get there.
The take away from this epiphany over the past 12 months is:
You can only control what you do and what you think.
Live for right now. You can’t see the future and can’t affect the past.
Be positive, life is pretty tough, Is full of challenges. If you think positively you might just come out the other side a winner. If you think negatively you will 100% come out the other side a loser.
Goodluck in your journey.
To Compete or not compete? that is the question…
Here at AFSCrossFit we are always running in gym competitions like the CrossFIt Open, and our anniversary competitions. There are also a multitude of competitions around the country for all levels. Here ias a breakdown of why I think you should compete.
CrossFit by design generates competition. Both internal and external. The leaderboard generates an element of competition that some love and some hate. Either way every time you come into the gym, load up the bars and wait for the 3..2..1…countdown you are ultimately trying to be better than you were yesterday.
They say to try to be 1% better every day which is admirable. Is that 1% faster? 1% stronger? or 1 % lighter that’s all down to your goals. Booking a goal setting appointment would help to build a plan to work out the plan to achieve those goals.
I’ve been approached by a few people about doing some competitions and a lot of what I hear is am I ready? What I always say to people is go and give it a go. Firstly go and have some fun. Sign up with some Gym friends, take a road trip and go and see some different CrossFit Gyms. Secondly go and enjoy the adrenaline of working out infant of people where it actually matters. You will be surprised how hard you push yourself. Lastly it’s very different to do one workout a day to then go and do 3 or 4 in a comp. Its a whole different level of fitness and something that has to be experienced to give you the reference point to base all your training on to move forward to do the next comp.
If you are interested in a competition here is a calendar of events coming up around the Uk. Find some friends and get involved
How to start crossfit
How I would go about getting into crossfit if I wer new to the Game.
CrossFit has been my chosen method of training since 2006. I have followed numerous programs, started my own CrossFit affiliate and now 14 years later have a thriving business. I have just been tagged in a thread on Facebook about getting into CrossFit and how to get started so here is what I did to get this CrossFit relationship kicked off.
1) Check out www.CrossFit.com - I stumbled across an article about CrossFit and decided to try there Filthy Fifty. I have blogged about this already so won’t bore you with the details. Needless to say I loved the workout and was hooked. As soon as I go back to my room I searched for CrossFit.com. I found they program a WOD (workout of the Day) on their website every day that I could follow. Which is what I did for the next 4 years. They also have the Journal. This is a library of everything crossfit. Past articles about workouts, nutrition, exercises, guest blogs on Mobility, Weightlifting and thousands more which I read relentlessly trying to learn as much as I could and you can too. They have a ton of free resources on their site.
2) Find a gym - You can do CrossFit anywhere. Back in 2005 in Iraq there were no CrossFit affiliates and in a lot of places I was lucky to have a barbell and weights. But that is the beauty of CrossFit. You can do it anywhere. With limited kit and crossfit.com gives plenty of alternatives for you to use and scale. Head to your local leisure centre or puregym, grab a KB, DB or Barbell that you need for the WOD and give it a go. If its exercises you have never done, check out a YouTube video, ask your fitness instructor for a demo, stay light and safe and see how you get on. I didn’t get any coaching until I went to my Level 1 course in 2009. I managed to get through unscathed. Doing something is better then doing nothing.
3) Find a training buddy - CrossFit workouts are challenging and will push you out of your comfort zone. That’s life though right. If it isn’t hard it probably isn’t doing any good. It’s definitely not making you adapt and improve. The hard things are always easier with a buddy. You and your friend getting in the trenches together, sweating and toiling through the hard work together will build a bond Ive not seen outside of sport and the Army. It will not only build a great friendship but you will hold each accountable and support each other to getting those results you want. May it be to lose weight or get to the CrossFit games.
4) Find CrossFit Gym - I’ve put this one last because it’s ultimately the last port of call. If you have given CrossFit a go, have found you love it then why go to a CrossFit gym? I used to believe the number 1 reason was community. Working out with like minded people in a safe well equipped gym, being able to do what you love and have the support of great people keeps you coming back for more.
I now believe that the Number 1 reason is “does it solve your problem?” If you are looking to get better at CrossFit then you need the following:
Great Coaches
A program that can get you the skills you need In a safe and timely manor
The facilities and equipment to deliver that program
Now pretty much every affiliate has the kit, most have the programming, and to be an affiliate you must have at least the CrossFit Level2 cert. Now all the certifications in the world doesn’t guarantee that you will like the coach or the gym. I have seen a million different ways that people interpret delivering their style of CrossFit so it’s worth seeing if they do a trial class.
If you are looking to use CrossFit to lose weight then you will need to consider the following:
Do they have a nutrition program
Do they offer body composition analysis
Do they offer accountability coaching
CrossFit is but one part of the solution for weight loss. Nutrition and accountability make up 66% of that equation. Now having a nutrition program delivered by supportive Nutrition and Accountability coaches working on a holistic approach to losing weight will be a huge benefit to helping you achieve this goal.
That’s my take on getting started. Here is a link to help you find an affiliate.
If you would like to find out how we do CrossFit feel free to book a No Sweat Intro and I would be happy to see if we can help you 👊
Gareth
the open is coming!
The CrossFit open kicks off on the 29th February. Old battle lines are drawn and we are getting ready for Combat. Well maybe we are 😆 Sutty is missing some toes since last year and I’m not sure there is any part of me that isn’t hurting. However for 3 weeks I will be sucking it up for Team Boom to try and finally claim the AFSOpen Title.
We have got loads of new faces who have probably never heard of the Open let alone considered (you are taking part) getting involved. so here is a quick breakdown of what it is.
3 CrossFit workouts will be released over 3 weeks. Each workout will have an RX category and a scaled category. We use this very much as a community activity. We put everyone into a team and then score each workout on a sliding scale. First place gets 1 point, Second gets 2 points, Third gets 3 and so on. Anyone who completes the workout as Recommended (RX) will score first, followed by the scaled athletes.
One workout will be released each week on the Thursday. We try to encourage everyone to do this together on the Saturday and repurpose the teamwood for the duration of the OPEN. We do understand that this is difficult so for week 1 and 2 we give you options on Friday and Monday to get it done. On the 3rd week we do it on the Saturday together and fire up BBQ and crack open some beers. It has been known to escalate into a bit of a session so keep Saturday 16th FREE.
All the exercises will be things that we have done. On the whole CrossFit tries to make it as accessible as possible. There has been occasions in the past where I have added an extra scaling option to allow everyone to take part so don’t panic if you don’t feel fit enough.. Each workout will be judged so that it is fair and a real test of your fitness. This should be used as motivation and a gauge of where you are and give you goals and targets to work on for next year👊.
This Saturday, as has been advertised we are going to draw the teams after the teamwod. I have TEAM BOOM, Dave has THE DINGOS, Kat has THE FLAPJACKS, Maris has THE HORNETS and Brad has THE CORNETTOS. There will be team shirts available and we encourage shithousery at every opportunity.
This is meant to be a fun experience where you throw down with your CrossFIt buddies and test yourself against the workout. You will lift things that you never thought possible. Some will get their first pull up. Others will do their first full RX workout and others (like me) will just be happy to take part. We all will take our own positives from the experience but ultimately we will go through the hellish workouts as a team and come out the other side just a little bit stronger, a little bit fitter, and just that little bit harder to KILL💥
open gym program 1
Here at AFSCrossFit we not only offer the best CrossFit experience around, but we also give our members all the tools they need to be able to improve their health and fitness. This program is aimed at helping our CrossFit members get strong.
At AFSCrossFit its not all about CrossFit. Sometimes we like to go a little globo gym. Our Open gym area has enough equipment to be able to work around any fitness goal. We are going to release a series of programs that can be used by our members and anyone with access to the same equipment and this blog to follow along with a quick video (not professional 🤪) to help you get through it. if you need any help then feel free to book a No Sweat Intro to discuss.
This program covers a chest workout, a back workout and a shoulder workout. I have chosen compound movements and rep ranges that suit a beginner. However, it is more then possible to change the rep schemes and sets to achieve different results so as a quick guide here is a table detailing the rep ranges and their desired training effect:
Strength 1-3 Reps @ 90-100% e.g Work upto a 1 rep max
Strength For All 4-6 reps @ 85-75% e.g 5 sets x 5 reps
Hypertrophy 6-12 reps @ 75-50% e.g 3 sets x 10reps
Muscle Endurance 12+reps @ 50% e.g 4 sets x 20 reps
IF you decide to modify the program it would be worth testing your max lifts. Make sure you have a spotter available so you can go wild!
Warm Up
3 Rounds
20 Banded Pull Aparts
10 Incline Press-ups
1) Bench Press 4 x 6 reps
- choose a weight you can complete 8 reps at for all 4 sets.
2) Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 12 reps
3) Cable Chest Press 3 x 15/side
Warm Up
3 Rounds
Row 300m
Rest 1 min
1) Pull Ups 4 x 6 reps
2) Lat Pulldown 3 x 12 reps
Wide grip targets the last Narrow grip targets the rhomboids and traps
3) Seated Row 4 x 6
4) Ring Rows 3 x 15 reps
Change hand position each set. - overhand - neutral grip
Warm Up
3 Rds
20 Banded Pull Aparts
20 Face Pulls
1) Bottoms Up KB Press 3 x 6-12 each arm
2) Yoga Push Ups 3 x 20
3) Superset (Complete each exercise back 2 back with no rest)
3 x 8-20 Front Raise
3 x 20 Bus Drivers
AFSCrossfit Muscle up Guide
The fabled Muscle Up is a dream of many of us. Once described as a really big Pull Up followed by the worlds fastest Sit-Up it sounds easy right. It is anything but. A huge amount of strength combined with a vast amount of agility and speed makes this one of the toughest exercises in CrossFit.
To begin the journey to a Muscle Up you first have to get your Pull Ups to around the 5 rep mark. See my previous Pull Up guide if you need help with that. If you don’t have a Pull Up yet but want to start working on the basics of a Muscle Up then feel free to add banded assistance or low bar alternatives so you can still build up a strong grip and the techniques.
Check out our YouTube Channel for tutorial videos on the exercises below. Now go get after it. Remember the more work you put in the luckier you will get. If you need any further help feel free to book in for a No Sweat Intro and we can get you started properly.
Week 1- session 1
• 3 Sets: False Grip Hang (hang at bottom for 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 30 Second Dead Hang
• 3 Sets: 6 to 10 Ring Dips
Scaled - 3x6 Banded Dips
• 3 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other)
Pulls Up - 5 x Best Effort (Active Hang or better)
• 5 Sets: 2-3 Slow-motion Negatives
Week 1- session 2
• 3 Set: False Grip Hang –30 seconds
Pull Ups - Dead Hang on Bar
• 4 Sets: 3 Ring Pull-Ups at a slow speed- Count of 3 (palms facing away from you)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts (Active Hang or Better)
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (pause at top between reps)
Scaled - 2x3 Negatives + 2x3 Banded Dips
• 5 Sets: 5 Muscle up progression
Pull Ups - 5x5 Banded Pull Ups
Week 1- session 3
• 3 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull-Ups (hang at bottom 10 – 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 3x3 Banded Pull Up (aim for the thick red band)
• 8 Sets: 3 Negatives at a slow speed
Pull Ups - 8x2 Negative Pull Ups on Bar
Week 2- session 1
• 3 Sets: False Grip Hangs (hang at bottom for 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - Dead Hang
• 4 Sets: 6 to 10 Ring Dips
Scaled - 2x5 negatives + 2x5 Banded Dips
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other)
• 5 Sets: 5 muscle up progressions (slow speed)
Week 2- session 2
• 3 Set: False Grip Hangs – 30 seconds
• 4 Sets: 3 Ring Pull-Ups at a slow speed (palms facing away from you)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (3 sec pause at top between reps)
Scaled - 2x5 Negatives + 2x5 Banded Dips
• 5 Sets: 5 negatives at a slow speed
Pull Ups - Jumping Pull Ups
Week 2- session 3
• 3 Sets: 4 False Grip Pull-Ups (hang at bottom 10 – 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts
• 8 Sets: 3 progression with feet elevated
Pull Ups - 8x3 Ring Rows shoulders under the rings
Week 3- session 1
• 3 Set: False Grip Hangs (hang for 40 seconds)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips / Ring Dip Attempt
• 3 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other) / Pull Up Attempts
• 5 Sets: 5 negatives (slow speed)
Week 3- session 2
• 1 Set: False Grip Hang- 40 seconds
• 4 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (Slow, palms facing away from you)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (pause at top between reps)
• 5 Sets: 5 Jumping muscle up / Jmping Pull Ups
Week 3- session 3
• 3 Sets: False Grip Pull-Up (2 sec pause at top, 5 second hang at the bottom)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle up (SUPER friend required) / Assisted Pull Ups
Week 4- session 1
• 1 Set: False Hangs (30 seconds)
• 8 Sets: 3 Negatives – faster speed.
• 5 Sets: 3 Ring Dips with a Pause (Explosive push after the pause)
• 5 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (fast, palms facing each other)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle ups / Assisted Pull Up
Week 4- session 2
• 8 Sets: 1 Muscle up progression – work on keeping in close
• 5 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (Fast, palms facing away from you)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (Explosive push after the pause)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle up
Week 4- session 3
• 3 Sets: 3 False Grip Hangs (hang at bottom 30 seconds)
• 5 Sets: 2 guided muscle up
1 Full Muscle up! (Dave 1000 burpees)
Or 1 PULL UP!!!!
AFSCRossfit Pull up Guide
The AFSCrossFit guide to the first Pull Up
Getting that ever illusive first Pull Up seems miles away. Unless you are a tree climber, or professional mountain climber you probably don’t spend a lot of time lifting your own bodyweight from a dead hang. Even if you can pull a truck that doesn’t necessarily mean you can do a pull up either. And let’s not even get started on if you are heavy set like myself. Bodyweight definitely does matter when it comes to a pull up so in my brothers immortal words:
“Get less Fat, or get more strong” David Millings circa 2014
Weight really does count. So you have a couple of routes to success for this. This guide is going to map out a work out routine that can help you attack your Pull Ups from an exercise perspective but if you would like to loss a kilo or two then BOOK IN with our nutrition team can certainly help you with accountability and Nutrtion.
Let’s cut to the chase and deal with the muscles. You are going to be targeting the Lats mainly but also the rhomboids and traps. Basically all the muscles that work around the shoulder blade as well as your biceps (AKA the Swans). We are going to use a range of angles and grips to help us get a well rounded routine to encourage strength to increase and maybe get a little growth in the muscles. A big muscle will be a strong muscle (Sometimes) so don’t be afraid to get a little bigger in pursuit of that first pull up.
A little caveat before we dig in. If you follow these routines once a week you will get to a pull up a lot slower then if you hit them 3 times a week. However life is crazy for all of us so the idea of this plan is to give you the tools and you implement them as needed. I would recommend at least 1 day rest between the workouts. That could mean complete rest , or a change to cardio or a push day in the gym. Some call this active recovery.
Week 1 & 2 -Alternate the days as needed to get 6 sessions in before moving to the next phase.
Day 1
Ring Rows / TRX Rows
Low Bar Scapula Pull Ups
Dead Hang
Bicep Curls
Day 2
Dead Hang
Low Bar Pull Ups
Banded Pul l Ups
Bicep Curls
Week 3 & 4
Day 1
Dead Hang
Scapula Pull Ups
Low Bar Negatives
Banded Pull Ups
Day 2
Dead Hang
Low Bar Isometrics in 3 positions
Bicep Curls
Week 5 & 6
Day 1
Weighted Scap Pull Ups
Jumping Pull Ups
Bicep Curls
Day 2
High Bar Isometrics in 3 positions
Ring Rows
PHASE 2
Once we have got those basics we should be pretty close to a pull-up. This next part of the program moves into performing Pull Ups either with a band or starting to work your newly found strict pull ups.
We are going to perform the following program with a band. Make sure the band tension means that the reps are hard but manageable.
* Day 1: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
* Day 2: 4, 3, 3, 2, 2
* Day 3: 4, 3, 3, 3, 2
* Day 4: 4, 4, 3, 3, 2
* Day 5: 4, 4, 4, 3, 2
* Take a day off
* Day 6: 5, 4, 3, 3, 2
If at any point you can do a strict pull up feel free to add them in at the beginning of each set then finish the set with a banded pull up.
My WHY…..
My Journey to opening AFSCrossFit. What got me into fitness, My struggles staying fit, and my crazy path to becoming a Gym Owner.
My journey towards the 14th year of owning AFSCrossFit has been a long and complex one. My reasons WHY have evolved over the years but ultimately I did it because I love the gym life. Here is my story of how I began training, my ups and downs of training and how life has twisted and turned on the path to where AFSCrossFit is today.
It’s 1996 I we are living in Hohne, Germany. Our apartement/flat looks out over a 5-a-side football pitch with white square goalposts and the bumpiest pitch you have ever played on. I spent everyday on this pitch with my friends and brother, football was my life. One day my mate Tom Gallagher knocks on my door and asks me if I want to go for a game of Two Touch in the gym. The gym was about 400m away from my front door so I said yes why not. The weather was terrible and playing indoors was a welcome change. We walk into the gym and the sports hall is busy. Off to the right is a weights machine area. We head over attempt to lift the stacks on all the equipment and my love of lifting heavy shit was born. On my work experience the following year I applied to work in the gym. Other than play a lot of football I hit the weights every day. No plan, no journey, no clue just lift as heavy as can everyday. That’s how I have continued to roll ever since (Injuries permitting🤣).
Now the last time I really walked into a globo gym to train was 1998 at Andover college. I did a sports course that had gym training as part of the curriculum. We used the leisure centre facilities which at the time had a great meat head space. James, my best friend of 30 years who now owns Sarum CrossFit in Salisbury was always my training partner. He was a sprinter who had developed an awesome six pack from doing sit-ups since he was in nappies. He was, however blessed with long levers which meant the strength stuff always slightly favoured me. During our sessions we always hit the leg press and tried to do the stack. I can’t remember the exact weight but it was somewhere around 300kgs. Some would say that’s never changed 🤦♂️. I remember 1 particular day our teacher Hugo took the challenge. He jumped on the leg press and hit a set of something like 6 or 7 reps. I jumped on and smashed him. We were soon ushered out of the gym.
The next few years were a right off for weights as I started working towards joining the army in 1999. During my selection to get into the army I had to drop from 13stone (82kg) down to 12st7lbs (80kg). I resorted to the tried and trusted method of running. God it was boring but at least The Oasis album of Definitely Maybe had been released and Snoop Doggy Dogg’s album Doggystlye was loaded into my walkman to keep my going. It took 4 months but I got there, I even had to run in black bags to sweat the weight off but I got there. I eventually managed to start basic training in November 99 straight after a lads holiday with James to Faliraki. During my medical I was told I would always struggle to keep my weight down which I thought was a bit cheeky at the time but as it turns out it the doctor wasn’t wrong. During Basic training I actually put that 1/2 stone back on while everyone else dropped in weight WTAF?? Nothing but marches and crap circuits defined the next 2 years from November 99 to September 2001. This period was also a time when I had my first battle with weight. I got diagnosed with a hernia and told to rest. No football and no PT. After getting operated on in early 2001 it took another 12 months before I was fit again. My weight went upto 15stones (95) and I wasn’t in a good place. Constant stomach pains and no support from physios or doctors meant my rehab was non-existent.
An example of a session would be a team/squad run. I, as the slowest at the time would start at the front and off we went. After 15 months out you can imagine the pace dropped and I started falling back. As I got closer and closer to the back all the Old wankers would start shouting at me to try harder, get back up there, your weak and other such highly motivational messages to drive my self confidence. Once all the way at the back the pace was slowed and I was ushered back to the from to repeat the process. This was an awesome way to give someone who was now 2 stone heavier then he had ever been, hadn’t run in over a year the motivation to keep going, and to cap it all off I was suffering from the fallout of an 8 inch scar across my belly. Now some would say this was toxic masculinity, but that’s just how it was. Only the strong of mind and body would survive. Thank god for Kosovo and Pete Armour!
In September 2001 we deployed to Kosovo for 6 months. Now I’m not saying I wouldn’t have got in shape had this not happened but this was when weight training really did become a huge part of my life. Pete was a mountain of a man. He was a 6ft4, 17 stone, and a rugby league player who could lift heavy but also run 1.5miles in 7:30 AKA the BPFA. So a beast. He came to me one day and said did I want to hit the gym with him? He would help me get in shape. Luckily the weather in Kosovo was awful. Heavy Snow and temperatures down to -20 meant there was no chance of getting outside for PT. Plus the gym facilities were small so we were all told we had to do our own phys. Pete was now what I would call my accountability coach. This meant I turned upto the gym everyday to meet Pete no questions asked. I didn’t want to let him down or make him angry 🤣. I remember our first session like it was yesterday. We did the Alpha male thing of bench press and chest day. We loaded the bar with 40kgs and I hit a heavy 5. And off we went. I managed to hit a PB of 60kgs and I was fucked. My arms nearly fell off and what very little ego I had at that time was blitzed by this behemoth hitting 100kg for 5. I got back to my room absolutely done. However the challenge had been set. I was hooked. I went back in with Pete everyday. We trained traditionally so legs, back and bis, chest and tris and Shoulders and abs was our routine. The first couple of weeks were awful. I needed to learn all the techniques, establish my baseline and start from the bottom. All the while my training buddy smashing out some huge weights.
Within 2 months I had matched Petes lifts and it wasn’t long before I was beating him on everything. Pete got his own back on me when the weather began to clear up taking me on a few runs. To say it was emotional would be an understatement. And I never got anywhere near 7:30.
The rest of my time in the army was a bit crap for training. Another tour of Kosovo meant another 6 months of lifting but In 2005 I left the Army to pursue a career in Personal Training. A 12 week course in Costa Del Trowbridge was my resettlement package. The information just soaked in. I was hooked. I met some great people who have gone on to do great things. Ramsey now runs a personal training business in Bristol and Stu who went on to be a big part of BoxFit. A few great nights were had and memories that will last a lifetime for. None more so then achieving the qualifications to get this journey proper started.
My First job in the Fitness Industry was at the Basingstoke hotel. I had to travel 45mins each way to get there and then spent 12-15 hours working in the gym. Teaching classes, conducting 1-2-1s and generally putting a proper shift in. It became very apparent very quickly I wasn’t cut out to work for anyone. I also wasn’t cut out to earn 14k a year with a family to feed. I got the chance to interview for a Communications Engineering role in Iraq. From Arriving in London for the interview on the Friday morning, to getting offered the job on the train on the way home, to quitting my job in the hotel, to heading to Newport for a fast track passport on the Saturday to being in Iraq by the Tuesday afternoon. It was quite the whirlwind.
Iraq was hot, dusty and surprisingly homely. I spent my first year in the Baghdad International airport on the American camp. Tasked with ensuring all the teams could deploy with working Comms to clear the Countries ammunition storage facilities I had a busy morning and a busy mid afternoon but other than that I had a lot of free time. So long as the teams went out and I didn’t incur $1,000,000 / day fine everything was golden. The camp had a Pizza Hut, a Burger King, Coffee Shops and salsa clubs. It also had a gym that probably cost 10million pounds to kit out if not more. Dumbbells upto 100kgs, Hammer Strength kit which is gym porn of the highest calibre and a free weights area that you could do anything your imagination could come up with. Every night I would jog the 800m to the gym. Spend a couple of hours doing bro sesh weights and jog home. I would read every issue of Muscle & Fitness and one evening in 2006 I had the moment my life changed for good. An article on CrossFit Los Angeles.
Fran, Nancy and the Filthy Fifty WTAF were all these workouts. I had never done on overhead squat, never done a thruster and never thought about doing 50 reps in one go ever. This CrossFit thing intrigued me so I copied the workout to my phone and headed to the gym. The Filthy Fifty was my chosen work out:
For Time
50 Box Jumps (24/20 in)
50 Jumping Pull-Ups
50 Kettlebell Swings ( 16kg)
50 Walking Lunge Steps
50 Knees-to-Elbows
50 Push Presses (20kg)
50 Back Extensions
50 Wall Ball Shots (9kg)
50 Burpees
50 Double-Unders
28mins later and I was dragging my ass back to my room well and truly nailed. I got back, started looking at CrossFit.com and began following the main site everyday there after. 4 Years I spent in Iraq in various locations. The gyms ranged from the Full Scale super gym to the old York plates and skinny bar setup you would have in your garage. At least back then you would have. Now the garage setup can be extremely awesome. Check at my home gym guide here for that.
Throughout the 4 years it became harder and harder to be away from home. Coupled with that I had left the Army because I didn’t like the culture or the leadership structure and although I was getting paid considerably more it didn’t negate the same issues. It was also very evident that my interest levels had hit rock bottom and I was just treading water. I needed a change and change came. I working on a project to deploy to Afghanistan in 2008 when I was called into the project managers office. He was an ex foreign legion officer with quite possibly the hardest handshake i’ve ever come across. Cut a long story short we parted ways. I didn’t want to work for the French and he didn’t want me to work with them. I was sacked. Never a nice feeling I took it on the chignon up, shook is hand again gingerly and made my exit. I walked 4 paces to the door, got to the threshold and AFSCrossFit CrossFit was born.
I first went through starting up a conventional globo gym. Treadmills, Machines, SpinningBikes, and free weights. I started contacting suppliers, getting floor layouts and costing up everything from changing, rooms, to gym flooring to coffee machines for the reception. It soon became pretty clear that this project was going to be in the 100’s of thousands and way out of my budget. It was also becoming more about building a gym that didn’t actually do what I was doing, CrossFit. I love CrossFit, I was spreading the word about CrossFit to my friends and they were starting to train with me. One day I thought how much would a crossfit gym be to set up? Back in 2010 I had to find equipment suppliers in the U.S and Europe as there was no-one doing it in the UK. This added costs of shipping etc but after I got over the logistics, found a UK company building rigs in BeaverFit I got the whole lot for less the 100K. Still a shit load of money and it still took me another 2 years to be able to open the doors but on the 19th April 2010 the doors opened and the true AFSCrossFit was born.
The Struggle is Real….
As someone who has always enjoyed the gym and the challenge of lifting heavy weights from a very early age it is easy to forget how intimidating a gym can be. When I first opened AFSCrossFit I was met with an array of initial feedback when people first walked into our gym. AFSCrossFit 1.0 was a wide open space, with a huge rig set up. It was the second build from Beaverfit who have gone on to build a massive brand of workout containers and rigs. I was always met with “Wow, that’s a torture device” or “where is the sex swing and bondage gear”. Without the usual rows of treadmills and weight machines it was an alien space for even seasoned gym goers at the beginning to get their heads around.
As time as moved on and the concept of CrossFit and Functional Fitness has evolved and you can’t walk into many facilities and not find a rig or functional area of some sort. So why, I ask myself are people still struggling with making that first step towards getting fit? Here are a few of the reasons I hear:
People will look at me / Laugh at me
I don’t know what I’m doing
I’m scared I will hurt myself
I need to be fit before I start training
I can’t commit to training
I’m sure there are many more reasons individual to each person. Anxiety manifests itself in all sorts of ways and is very difficult to manage. Here are just a few tips to try and help.
Look at every gym or trainer around until you find a space that you are comfortable in. As 1 of 700 CrossFit affiliates in the UK it is very easy for people to assume we are all the same. This is not true. The coaching styles are individual, the business goals range from holistic coaching all the way through to Competition coaching. The culture of the gym can alter massively also. It’s always worth going along and having a chat first. We offer everyone thinking about the gym a No Sweat Intro. This makes for a great start and the perfect chance to find out if we fit for you and you fit for us.
Most traditional gyms set you a generic program and leave you to it. When you want to progress and work on new things it’s easy to get injured and put off. Sadly this business model is more about you not turning up than actually turning up. Here at AFSCrossFit we work differently. We have small classes which are all coached from start to finish. This ensures your form is correct, you're working at the right intensity and you are progressing. No one wants to waste time and that’s something a great gym will provide. An efficient program that effectively and safely overloads your training to allow you to adapt and grow in both cardio vascular fitness and strength.
If you have ever been injured then you know the ball ache getting over the initial injury can be and then the long road to rehabilitation is a painstaking one. The fear of getting injured or re-injuring is real. The best and most effective course of action to get over this is to get a Personal Trainer who will be present and coach you specifically on your needs and goals. The next best option would be small group personal training. You and a couple of friends work with a trainer through your sessions. This is not quite as personable but a little cheeper. Then you have large group training like our CrossFit or Bootcamp classes. Here you will train with a group, get that community feel as well as getting coached.
This fourth point is a funny one. Over the years I have hears so many times that people need to get fit before trying CrossFit. Do you know what though? I get that now. Sometimes our workouts are hard, involve technical moves that require skill and practice and I maintain that we can coach anyone to achieve these results in the classes. I have taken this feedback on board and we now offer a bootcamp for the complete gym newbie. This class is all about going from Couch to 50Kgs. A perfect place to start if you have never been in the gym or looking to restart. We then have our Beginners CrossFit class which will start introducing the technical moves and upping the intensity then finally we have our CrossFit classes at the top of the pyramid.
Sometimes we want to train. We know we need to train. And feel bad that we don’t train. This is where an accountability coach can help. You have a Coach work with you to break down the 6 key points in a holistic approach to health. These 6 points are:
Lifestyle
Exercise
Support
Nutrition
Sleep
Stress
Some are lucky and only have 1 of these points out of whack and it’s a quick fix. Some, however are not so lucky and takes working with a dedicated, and caring Coach to unpick these elements so you can get into the gym and start taking control of your health of wellbeing.
Just A Little Help….
I spent an evening with Sir Ranulph Fiennes on Tuesday at the Portsmouth Guildhall. I had bought the tickets quite a while ago and it didn’t disappoint. What I thought was a solo ticket turned out to be a pair and I had completely missed the chance to talk e a plus one. In hind sight it was a good thing as the seats were tight.
For those that don’t know who Sir Ranulph Fiennes is he is one of the most successful explorers of our time. From serving 2 years with the S.A.S, to being attached to the Omani Army his early career was driven by an ambition to command hi fathers regiment. Sadly he didn’t quite have the grades to attend the right schools or Sandhurst meaning that dream was unobtainable.
On finding love and with a rare set of skills it became apparent that normal just wasn’t going to cut it. His wife hatched the plan that they would start embarking on breaking world records. The first world record attempt was to travel the Nile in hovercrafts. 4000 miles and through 2 wars this was the start of some truly inspirational achievements. All done without being paid or paying anyone else for work , help or equipment.
Some of you may remember the him making it to both the north and south poles. His major motivation was to beat the Norwegians to such goals and he managed it. His biggest achievement came when he circumnavigated the world travelling through both poles. This expedition took 7 years to plan and 3 years to complete. Cost him a few fingers and a few toes and also gave a huge amount of scientific data on how to function while starving. One of his team being a scientist who specialised in human performance while starving.
The talk was excellent and although now 79 Sir Ranulph was still witty and charming and his comedic timing brilliant. Very much of the old school with borderline political incorrectness it was very much to my taste.
The feats that Sir Ranulph managed were quite staggering and I didn’t even include climbing Mount Everest. He attempted it 3 times failing once for due to a heart attack, the second time to fatigue but completed on his third attempt. He was also asked by on of his team if he would join him for a holiday. His friend had 7 days of from his Doctors job and decided he would do a marathon a day but each marathon would be on a different continent. I must add that Sir Ranulph had a heart attack I think 3 weeks before the event. Truely quite remarkable what the body can achieve and recover from.
The biggest take aways for me were just how mentally tough you need to be to go after any of your dreams. That can be exploring the world or getting back in shape. The pain, albeit relative, of attempting these very tough journeys is one that requires commitment and consistency to over come. Sir Ranulph did say that he thought many times about quitting. He wasn’t a super hero or anything special. However throughout these epic adventures he said he had his dead father and grandfather beside him. And every step of the way he thought about not letting them down and being the first to quit. A somewhat interesting analogy for persevering but a true reflection of the mindset required to dig deep and keep going.
The final takeaway that really hit home was his support team. He was locked down for 8 months a couple of times while in the arctic and antarctic. At a time with no satellites or mobile phones the only communications were over the HF Radio and being able to tune into BBC World for 2mins a day. His wife spent the whole expedition on the other end of the radio. Her job to coordinate the logistics of this huge undertaking and provide radio updates as often as the weather allowed. This adventure would have all but been impossible without that support.
When we look at getting fit again, or losing weight we tend to focus on the fitness and nutrition elements. The rate of success when we start working towards achieving our fitness goals is greatly improved when we have the support of others. A partner, friend or colleague working with us to keep us on the right track. Avoiding those crevices along the way that just open up and swallow our momentum. Also having professionals who can guide you and advise you on the most effective routes will make the journey one that has small milestones of success all the way along to maintain motivation and help keep you consistent.
So whether its climbing mountains or just climbing your own personal Everest with the right support the sky really is the limit.