AFSCRossfit Pull up Guide

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.

Happy Training

G-Dog

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

My WHY…..

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.

Happy Training

Gareth

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

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.

  Happy Training

  G-Unit

  If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

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.

Happy Training

Salsa Jedi

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

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 upto the top and didn’t even think to mention bags. WTAF. Anyway give kriger a look or velitas.

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

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!

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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.

Happy Training

Gareth

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>

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

If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>