Gym Bag Essentials

Now I’m a little old school when it comes to gym kit to train CrossFit. However time has meant all sorts of weird and wonderful gym gear has hit the market and it can be a bit of a minefield to understand what you need and what you don’t.

First of all you shouldn’t need to but much to get started. Here at AFSCrossFit we have a range of equipment that our members can borrow to get throw all of our workouts. However, there comes a time along the journey to becoming a true CrossFitter that style, look, functionality and most of all cutting corners moves up the priority list and you want to spend some hard earned cash on some proper gym stash. So here I am going to run through the stages of enlightenment.

1. Most people start CrossFit as an experiment. They run, they do some gym classes and usually turn up in leggings/shorts, a t-shirt or vest and some bubble trainers like Hokas or whatever brand is in for runners at the time. After a while the enquiry is made “what are these CrossFit shoes all about?”. And so Pandoras box is opened and we start plummeting down Alices well. Nike Metcons, Reebok Nanos, Inov8 and Nobull all offer great trainers for crossfit. Head over to Wit-Fitness.com to check them out. If you use the code AFSCROSSFIT you can get a 10% discount

2. Next up is usually the dreaded double under. We have ropes that members can borrow however there is nothing quite like getting that custom fit rope to unlock your double under potential. There are lots of ropes out there however I pretty much stick to rogue ropes. They are well made and have great bearings. Even the Speller and Tia-Toomey ropes at about £30 spin pretty nicely. If you move unto the Matt Fraser Rope for £75 you are buying some pretty epic bearings and quality handles. There are amazon ropes available however I would steer clear of anything under £25 quid.

3. You have been doing CrossFit a few months now and are progressing towards your first pull up. As you have seen all the weapons in your gym crushing kipping chest to bar pull ups you think fuck it. I’m going to skip all that strict pull up advice, it’s holding you back from being a badass and you bust out Cindy. 20 minutes later your hands are pissing blood andyou have shredded your palms to bits. This is the moment that you realise that I wasn’t joking when I said you need to get your first 5 strict pull ups and build your grip strength. Either way, you are determined not to repeat the agony and look to buy a pair of pull up grips. A good place to get these is Reyellen or rogue. They come in all different shapes and sizes so I suggest asking some of your gym buddies if you could try some before you buy. Lets just hope they are not scruffy and have never washed them.

4. Those runners are doing absolutely nothing for your olympic lifting. Your ankles are tight and you just can’t get into a good position in the snatch. You notice some fellas walking around in high heels, hitting the best slut drops you’ve ever seen and your interest is piqued. You waltz over and ask “Hey, nice wedges. Whats the point of those then?”. Well the point is that the wedge allows you to get the knee further over the toe. This then allows you to squat deeper which for the olympic lifts is very important. It also allows you to get more weight back during the extension phase of the lift giving you more confidence. Finally most Olympic lifting shoes have a strap along the top to provide more foot stability. Nike Romaleos, Adidas Adipower, Nobull, Reebok and Inov8 all offer these shoes.

5. With that increased range of motion and now smashing bodyweight snatchs overhead your knees and wrists are throbbing and your back is in shit state. When tuning into the Arnold Classic on YouTube a monster of a guy comes pirouetting onto the platform wearing the biggest spanks you’ve ever witnessed, his knees so tightly wrapped his legs are blue, and a bondage belt stressed to the max holding it all all in. Your joints are going to take a pounding. This is CrossFit and when doing CrossFit you are going to squat heavy, press heavy and deadlift heavy. Hopefully your gym/box has programs in place to build up your lifting intensity like we do and you don’t ever have an injury. The innate task of getting stronger means you work on the limit of your strength and thus injuries are always possible. A good pair of knee sleeves or better yet knee wraps can give you support when squatting, you can also get similar wraps for your wrists. Again rogue is a good place for these. I would say to borrow a pair of these to try but no-one ever washes their wraps or sleeves and most sites give you a sizing guide. Lastly belts. There are leather belts, velcro belts, 3 inch belts, 6 inch belts and many other types. For crossFit I would recommend a velcro belt. These are quick to tighten up so perfect for during a WOD and offer plenty of support. The velcro these days has also got a lot better but will never last as long a bulk setup. You could go down the lever route for your static lifts such as squats and deadlifts. These are custom fit to your waist so super easy to tighten up but these belts tend to be super think also so not so good if you are trying to workout with it. If you want. custom belt head to Mobility Tools you can also try try Sling Shot , Rogue, Reyellen or Strength Shop for these bits.

6. Finally we come to mobility. This is always last on peoples agenda until they break then suddenly everyone needs a copy of the Supple Leopard. I’m going to keep this simple a list what you will need:

   -Foam Roller

   -Lacrosse Ball

   -Peanut Ball

   -Mini Band

   -Voodoo Band / Floss Band

   -Theragun

   If you check out The Ready State, Mobility Tools or rogue you will find all of the above. Keeping everything moving correctly is super important and just 10 minutes a day can make a hugs difference. Jump into our Yoga classes as well and you will be a mobility wizard.

That just about comes up the essential kit you can buy. It is by no means an exhaustive list and there are plenty of other equipment suppliers out there that I have not including so feel free to have a shop around. Show us your gym stash in the comments. If you have any equipment you would recommend throw them in the comments. Sharing is caring.

Just Be Better

G-Unit Out!

Shit, I just scrolled uptown the top and didn’t even think to mention bags. WTAF. Anyway give built for athletes a look or velitas.

CrossFit Wa%4ers

CrossFit to some is a cult. To some its just plain mental, to others its a death trap but to the members of AFSCrossFit and the millions of people around the world that turn up each day to crush a Wod with their fellow CrossFitters it just the norm. A way of Life, and a very effective way of staying fit and healthy. Now this isn’t a post about the why’s and wherefores of CrossFit but to take you through your EMOMs and AMRAPs, do you need to see a doctor about your SDHP or a podiatrist about your Ankle ROM. Below is our little breakdown of common CrossFit terminology for any newbies wanting to get upto speed with the lingo.

WOD - The Workout Of the Day.

AMRAP - As Many Rounds/Reps as Possible. This common workout style usually consists of a mini circuit you complete as many times as possible over a defined period of time. For example:

• 20 Minute AMRAP

• 5 Pull Ups / 10 Press Ups / 15 Squats (Cindy)

EMOM - Every Minute On the Minute. When looking at skill development and strength work in a class sometimes we use the EMOM. Its an easy way to define a set period of work i.e:

• 10 Minute EMOM of 5 Backs squats.

• 10 Minute EMOM of 3 Strict Handstand Push Ups

ATG - Ass To Grass. This is the gold standard for squatting. If your ass hits your ankles you are in the holy land of squats. The fabled Ass to Grass squat. It should be noted that not many can reach the holy land just to hip mechanics but giving it your best shot is all that is asked and always stay safe. No need to burst a disc or destroy a knee chasing a depth your body can’t reach.

R.O.M - Range Of Motion. Every joint can move, and we try to work in an optimum range with all of our exercises. A thorough warm up and cool down is always recommended to help with your mobility. We run am excellent Yoga class on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings that will definitely help improve your mobility. As a little bit of self help over the years many people have come up with apps that can help improve mobility, ROMWOD, GOWOD and The Ready State to name just a few.

Why Girls Names - Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit started calling his benchmark workouts girls names as they left him broken. A state very similar to when an ex girlfriend broke his heart. Hence the birth of the Girl WODS. Cindy, Fran, Mary and Annie are just a few of the workouts we use regularly to test our fitness and mental resolve.

Why Soldiers Names - In the early days of CrossFit Greg won contracts with his local police department, Fire Department and even had FBI agents such as Greg Amundsen attend his box. As CrossFit gained more notoriety the Marine Core and Navy Seals such as Dave Castro started to adopt the the program. Sadly some of these early adoptees were killed in action in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. To pay their respects workouts such as Murph were born. Murph is commanding officer in lone survivor you see running at the beginning of the film. His workout is now the Memorial Workout celebrated every year on the American Armed Forces Day. The workout is:

• 1 Mile Run

• 100 Pull Ups

• 200 Press Ups

• 300 Air Squats

• 1 Mile Run

• all to be performed while wearing a 20kg/45lb Weighted vest.

1RM - Your 1Rep max is your absolute 100% best effort lift.

3RM - Your 3 Rep Max is roughly 90 % of your 1RM.

5RM - Your 5 Rep Max is roughly 80% of your 1RM.

Now this isn’t an exhaustive list and I have not even touched on exercise abbreviation but these are the most common terms when you first walk into AFSCrossFit and any other CrossFit Box you will see. Feel free to fire any more into the comments and I’ll happily answer them.

And remember JustBeBetter. JustBe Better then yesterday and everyday you will be working to become the person you want to be!

DR Oxygen Out!

Fitness Is Life!

My promise to you all when you sign up to become a member of AFSCrossFit is to help you get fit.  Now obviously as CrossFit is above the door things like Pull ups, Squats, Handstands, Snatchs and the dreaded cardio as well as a lot more exercises (didn’t want to set anyone’s PTSD off about burpees and box jumps so missed them out) are all integral to our programming.  Many of which make our benchmark workouts such as Cindy, Fran and Murph to test our fitness.  All these workouts are repeatable and give us a fair test to see if we have got fitter, faster and stronger.  However, when I say fair is that actually true? We go through life and life beats us up pretty bad.  We get injuries, we have tough times, stressful times that affect our training, affect our weight and affect our mental resolve to sometimes push hard in these workouts to constantly improve.

With all this in mind I have purchased over the years a shit ton of gadgets that I have thought were super cool but actually only ever really looked at them in isolation when implementing them into my business. I also, from a business point of view looked at these tools as a way to make money. Or at least I was sold the idea that these could make money.  Some of you have been members for a little while and so don’t actually know yet that I’m pretty terrible when it comes to making money and would put helping people first before making a profit.  And that lack of business acumen has led me to this decision.

From September we will be implementing a program of Fitness Testing available for all members on a 3-month basis to keep a track of a few key markers that allow us to track longevity.  We all want to live forever, but spoiler alert, that just isn’t going to happen.  What we can do however is try to resist for as long as possible and put up a bloody good fight.  My mantra of “Building a Gym everyone is proud to be a part of, and everyone benefits from” has led me to re-evaluate how we best serve your needs and keeping you healthy and alive and giving you all the tools to achieve that is fundamental to AFSCrossFit’s philosophy.

How’s this going to work? I hear you all ask.  Well, from reading this article you will be able to book an appointment with me, Kathryn, Dave or Brad to go through your Spirometry, Body Composition, Grip Test and Blood Pressure. All of which will give us a great snap shot of your general well being. 

FEV1 - Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second

The first test will be the Spirometry.  This will test your lung capacity and your lung strength.  FEV1, which stands for forced expiratory volume in one second, measures the volume of air that you can exhale in a single second, and is measured by a device called a spirometer. FEV1 is a powerful test that has been identified, along with lung capacity as the second and third most significant indicator of biological age for females and males, respectively, in an upcoming aging clock.

Visceral Fat Levels

The second test is for visceral fat.  Using the Inbody Body Composition scales we can get an accurate reading of body weight, bone density, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass and visceral fat levels. Visceral fat can’t always be seen, but it’s the fat that wraps around your organs and your abdomen, and it’s more likely to raise your risk for heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type two diabetes, stroke, and can lead to higher cholesterol numbers and ultimately a higher risk of mortality. Visceral fat increases with age, and depending on how healthy you eat and how regularly you exercise, you can keep it down.

Blood Pressure

The penultimate test is Blood Pressure (BP).  This is a tricky one to be accurate as when we conduct the test plays a huge role.  If you have eaten, drank a coffee, already exercised or have already had enough of what your day has served you and are pissed it can vary the results greatly.  The reading of blood pressure is pretty simple.  You may have heard of the terms Systolic and Diastolic.  Systolic is the pressure when the heart beats, and Diastolic is the pressure in between beats, pretty simple really.  The perfect BP is 120/80.  Some of you machines may be lower then this around 110/60 but some may be as high as 140/100.  For some who are higher with good programming and hard work you can easily get within back to the normal range.  We have got you covered there.

Grip Strength

The final test we conduct in this 20minute appointment is for grip strength.  As regular CrossFitters who lift this shouldn’t be a problem. We are looking for a grip strength of 72lbs for men and 44lbs for women.  Not a problem for you beasts that can deadlift your own bodyweight.  Grip strength is a popular measure of longevity, as researchers have shown that a powerful grip also correlates to longevity. A study of over 500,000 adults between 40 and 69 years old correlated grip strength to their rates of healthy outcomes for diseases ranging from heart disease to respiratory illness and even cancer. Grip strength has been shown to be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease than even blood pressure and physical activity levels.

BONUS MATERIAL

You will have seen the heart rates (HR) of some of our members on the big screen in the gym and wondered what is going on.  The simple answer is that they are wearing a HR monitor and the uptivo system is keeping a track on the Calories burnt and the energy zones they are working in.  The more complex answer is that many have taken advantage of our PNOE metabolic assessment and have run the testing and had their zones calculated and found out their VO2max and are now training in the appropriate intensities to improve their cardiovascular health. 

What is VO2 Max?

VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can utilize during exercise. It is considered to be a good indicator of overall cardiovascular health, as it reflects the efficiency of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. VO2 max test results have been shown to decline with age, which is one reason why regular exercise is important for healthy aging.

In one study, it was found that higher exercise capacity, measured by VO2 max tests, was strongly associated with a lower risk of mortality in men referred for exercise testing

Kodama et al. conducted a meta-analysis of multiple studies and concluded that higher cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed by VO2 max tests, was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women.

A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology followed 5,000 middle-aged men for 46 years and found that those with the top 5% of VO2 max lived almost five years longer than those in the bottom 5%.

These studies demonstrate a significant correlation between higher VO2 max levels and increased longevity, as well as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. 

How will it work?

From now until the end of September 2023 I am now offering every member the opportunity to have a Vo2max Test for free*!  All you have to do is login to Zenplanner and book an appointment with me.  If you can’t find an appointment just message me or catch me in the gym and we can arrange a time.  Once you have completed all the tests we will have a clear idea of where your health markers are, where you fitness currently stands and you will have all the information to better take control of your fitness to live a long and happy life.

What is a GYM?

Just recently I have been having what could potentially be called a mid life crisis. Some might call it a blip, I’ve referred to it as torpedoing my whole life. That is possibly a little dramatic but the crux of the matter is purpose. What is it all about? Now i’m not going to get into the meaning of life and all that ballocks but part of my current mindset is what is My Gym, What is its purpose? and what is my responsibility to it, to my members, to my coaches, to the other businesses involved and, most importantly, the members that are the lifeblood of our great community.

We recently started a Bootcamp program. A 6 week course aimed at bringing people into the gym who wanted to get fit and lose weight. On the face of it that sounds like every fitness course you’ve ever seen on instagram or Facebook. The goal from a business perspective to grow my membership and make more money. The only problem with that is I have an issue with trying to make money under false pretences so I set about making sure it was good value for money and produced results. I think everyone who has completed the 6 weeks, lost around 10 pounds and gained a huge amount of strength and fitness as well as meeting great people, will back up that claim

But ultimately it brought up questions within myself about What is the purpose of my Gym? I’ve had many conversations with members and friends and business associates about this subject. Albeit I haven’t asked anyone specifically that question it is insightful to hear peoples opinions on the subject of fitness but more importantly health and well being. Both Physical and mental.

When starting AFSCrossFit in 2010 my goal was to get swole. Pukkie the clown was my hero and working out hard and competing everyday was the the bare minimum expected. This was reflected in my coaching, my mindset, my members and how my business was viewed. It has taken me quite a while to realise that my why, is not necessarily the same as everyone else’s. for some making it into the gym is a win, for others hitting PB’s is what its all about and for others its just about the social side of working out with friends. Just the other day I was being educated as to why my own ego (which I believed to have been checked at the door 🤦‍♂️) could be a factor in not being the best coach or business owner, and apparently i’m old and need to make way for the young bucks to progress. Adapting my coaching to be more of a mentor to these members rather than an antagonist. This is something I will have to work on for sure.

What this brought to light is what am I doing each day to make my gym, my members and myself better. I’m sure Mark will be happy to get a mention, but recently I have had a lot of people show me they care. Mark for one, albeit an airborne w@£nker has bombarded me with podcasts, book recommendations and advice. He would say i’ve ignored it all but everyone has to find their own way in their own time and some of it has sunk in I promise 🤪. Jodie went out of her way to buy me a journal and I’ve started doing a daily paragraph or two and It’s amazing how many people are psychologists 🤣. Kathryn and Gina have been life coaching me and apparently it’s good to talk. I’m still not so sure. but maybe it’s helping me get to my WHY?

I love the gym, and I love to work out. I think that has been lost somewhere along my journey. A lot of injuries, a lot of stress, and as it would become clear a lose of purpose have all contributed to a very poor fitness standard of myself. Although the bootcamp has helped a lot of people retake control of their fitness and possibly made life changing choices it has also made me look at myself and my business from a very different perspective. One that has taken me down quite the route of self evaluation, analysis and asked me to answer some pretty tough questions.

The main one of concern for this blog is What is AFSCrossFit? To some it’s just a gym, just an expensive gym at that. To others it’s a community, to me its life. I think working out shows true character. Some people aren’t ready to ask themselves the dark questions of why and that is ok. Is it to look good? is it to feel good? is it to get rid of stress? is it to live longer?. That last question, IS IT TO LIVE LONGER? is becoming my why. Why I am reenergising my workouts and also rethinking how we as a gym serve our members. Is it enough to just open the doors at 6am say hi to everyone who comes through the doors in the next 13 hours, coach them a tough work out then wish them well until the next time we throwdown in the AFSColosseum. That’s certainly how I have gone about it for the last 13 1/2 years.

This however is not how I see AFSCrossFit moving forward. I still want to say hi, still want to coach, still want to make you work as hard as you can, but I need to be accountable. I need to do more to provide a service that truly stands AFSCrossFit out from the rest. To build a gym that EVERYONE is PROUD to be a part of, and EVERYONE BENEFITS from. That’s my owners intent for those new to my ethos. The truth is though I have been struggling to see exactly what that looks like. But not anymore. I believe that information and education is the key to success. To that end AFSCrossFit will become a Gym that strives to give all of our members the motivation, accountability and coaching to never be in a vortex of bulls&£t when it comes to their health and fitness.

How are we going to do that you ask? Well we already have great coach’s, A great gym and a vast array of classes. But moving forward I will be looking to employ 2 full time coaches. Their responsibilities will be first and foremost Member engagement. They will be checking in weekly to ensure everything is going well, inside and outside the gym. They will obviously coach, and they will carry out our new HEALTH MOT Package, provide nutrition coaching and much much more.

Our Open gym area will very soon have programs laminated to deal with shoulder pain, hip pain, and back pain that you can head up and start to implement should you be struggling with an injury. These will be available to be coached 1-2-1 should you need help but all the information will be available to follow online as well. We will shortly be starting a 3 Monthly Health MOT. This will be available for all members and will consist of an in body scan, a lung capacity & power test and a blood pressure screening. All included in your membership. These will give you the basics to be able to track your progress and stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

And lastly by building an even stronger community. We will be doing more events for you to take part in. More monthly challenges. Team Events and much much more. This is just the start of the improvements and I would love to hear any feedback you may have. Communication is the only way we get better together and it’s something I will endeavour to better as we move forward.

Thanks for reading

G-Unit