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Im NOT a Role Model…YES YOU ARE!

Posted in Lifestyle on September 9, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Nicky works hard, inspires others and always has a good time.

As the Paleo Challenge gets closer everyone has goals are on their mind.

I was talking with a Paleo Challenge participant about their goals yesterday and she had a problem…a good problem. She had hit all of her initial goals of losing weight and toning up when she started CF.

So my question to you is what happens when you achieve all of your initial goals when you started CrossFit?

What is the next set of goals?

How about the idea of being a role model for others. Think about everyone who is unhealthy in your life (family, kids, friends, co-workers…etc) Ever heard the term actions speak louder than words??? Being a role model for health and fitness is one of the most rewarding and powerful thing you can be for others.

Below was a very controversial commerical in the early 90’s about being a role model.

The best way to set an example is to BE the example.

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CFSF Rules to Live By at the Box…Journaling Your WOD is MANDATORY!

Posted in Crossfit Philosophy, Lifestyle, Members on September 8, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Now that everyone is back in there ‘normal’ fall routine. Its time we discuss something very simple, sometimes overlooked, but MANDATORY to get you to your goals and beyond…JOURNAL every WOD every time!

I have to admit I am guilty to not journaling every WOD I do…but that all changes TODAY!

We all do CrossFit because we desire to take our fitness to the next level and in order to “Take it to the Next Level” you must have YOUR journaling habits in place.

A lot you are guilty to “NOT JOURNALING”. When you forget, get lazy, not “FEEL” like it, or don’t want to; then you are GUILTY as charged.

If and when you feel like you any of those characteristic next time look at the people who are journaling, most every single person that is, is probably BETTER than you at CrossFit currently. So if you copy the habits they do, then you will get their type of results.

Why do this? There are a ton of reasons. The main benefits include:

– Accurate tracking of progress through logging work out variables
– Effective and precise planning of future work outs (knowing how you performed previously will eliminate guesswork). It is 100% objective, no excuses, nothing wishy washy, just accurate data you can’t argue.
– Heightened motivation and intensity through striving to beat previous bests. (boy do we know about that…)
– Increased focus and efficiency through having a clear, written plan.

Your goals and results are at your fingertips…LITERALLY!

To get an idea of what your journal MUST look like…

Confess now if you are guilty and make it up by declaring your will start the journaling habit today!

If you are an avid journal’er help everyone out and tell us why you journal and the importance it has had for you and your success at CF.

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Paleo LEANing Challenge 2…Register NOW!

Posted in Crossfit Philosophy, Events, Lifestyle, Members, Nutrition on August 24, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

It is with great pleasure we officially announce the Paleo LEANing Challenge 2!

I can’t say enough how excited I am PLC 2! We had a tremendous amount of success with it the 1st time. This is the kind of challenge that will change your life literally! We often say people join CrossFit for the HARDCORE workouts, people don’t join CrossFit to follow a nutrition plan i.e. Paleo. But I will tell you this, when you decide to adopt a Paleo’ish Lifestyle to compliment your CrossFit training that is where literally the REAL Results happen.

To sign up is as easy as A, B, C:

A- Pay $30 CASH
B- Sign the PLC 2 Agreement sheet
C- Fill out the Pre Paleo Challenge Questionnaire

***Sign up with Chris, Annie or Mary***

Done! You’re in…don’t procrastinate we are holding only 50 spots. Last time we had 49 people do the challenge and that was in Jan when we had a lot less members.

Saturday Paleo class in Week 2 of PLC I

The Rules are simple:

-Take a before Picture (Sept 18). Men in shorts, Women in sports bra and workout shorts…don’t worry they are COMPLETELY confidential.
-Take an after picture (Nov 6). Wearing the exactly same attire.
-Complete a weekly food log online for the 7 weeks.
-Coaches will pick the top 3 men and the top 3 women as the finalist. The participants will vote on the Top Male and Top Female to WIN (the vote is strictly based on before and after pics, the camera doesn’t lie). The winners split the $$$. And the Winners receive a FREE UNLIMITED month membership.
-Every Saturday (1030a-1115a) there will be a PaleoHolics class to help educate, motivate, empower, support and hold you accountable. It is not mandatory you attend every class to win, but it is HIGHLY encouraged to help you.

To give you an idea of the POWER of this Challenge listen to the champs from the 1st one:

Kim Godes and Rob Sietsema had some BIG TIME Results

“When the Paleo Challenge was posted, I thought this is the jump start I need on eating right! From the beginning I quickly learned I had the wrong frame of mind with this minimal thinking. I was blown away by the support, the recipes, the input, and most important the way I felt! My mind and body were changing and I was starting to see results. FINALLY….RESULTS!!!! Why didn’t I do this years ago?!?!
Throughout the challenge, I learned so much! The Paleo book was VERY informative and gave me the facts that I needed to get started. But it was the emails, meetings, and food journaling that really fostered my success. I am so grateful for everyone who ventured on this “caveman” journey with me. I am excited to share what I have learned with my friends and family. Healthy eating is not just a “fad” for me anymore. It is now a way of life!
Thank you to CrossFit for help me to find my spark. After 9 months, I have lost weight, gained strength and confidence, and learned skills to help me feel and look better. And I am not done! The fire inside me is now burning bright and I do not plan on letting it die out! I am so excited to continue on the path of health and fitness. I am ready to take on new challenges and build my level of skill. Most importantly, I am ready to share my fire with others and help them to find their spark for success.”

Kim Godes 3/19/2010…PLC I Women’s Champion
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I joined CrossFit as a part timer….three times a week. Chris gave me the low down on the Paleo diet and told me to read the book. I bought the book and set it on my night stand….didn’t pick it up again until January. You see, I felt that just by working out at CrossFit, that enabled me to be able to eat a pizza every weekend or have that Big Mac and Fries….holy hell was I dead wrong. Sure I kicked my bum those nights I worked out and I hurt like hell the next couple days, but without the nutrition to go along with it, I was running head long into a brick wall….going nowhere fast.
When the challenge was announced I thought to myself, “this is it, Rob!” God has presented me another tool. I picked up that book, read it, took notes, asked questions, participated and prepared in advance for the challenge. Then picture day happened. I thought, no way will I change my appearance in 7 weeks. Impossible, right? Not so, my friends….keep reading!
I worked my tail off. I upgraded my membership to unlimited. Kicked up my workouts full throttle. Tried new healthy foods. Attended every paleo meeting because I knew the information was crucial to my success…not to mention having others going through the same thing I was to bounce ideas off of. I fed on their successes….it fueled me to try harder, eat healthier, work through the pain I was experiencing in my neck and shoulder. It was worth it to me to keep at it because I was SEEING RESULTS! I was FEELING results! It is AMAZING! And best of all….it’s EASY! People I work with would comment on my appearance….asking me what I was doing and how they could incorporate it into their lives. I shared my knowledge and literature. I’d even let them try the food I was making. Share the love, I always say…

In just 6 short weeks, I’ve dropped a pant size. I’m losing inches! My belt is getting looser and looser every day. My shirts are fitting like they should and not with the buttons protruding. I was in hog heaven!

Rob Sietsema
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You Mad??? Go Workout!!!

Posted in Lifestyle on August 18, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Nikki is in Pre-WOD meditation

Exercise has a multitude of benefits. One you may or may not know is it helps with anger, depression and helping you with a better mood.

Read THIS too find out more.

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Fight Gone Bad 5 is HERE!

Posted in Crossfit Philosophy, CrossFit Workouts, Events, Lifestyle, Members on August 17, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Here we go! Every Friday from now until September 25, we will be “Fight Gone Badding”. Today is the original, CrossFit original, classic, benchmark workout. The next 5 weeks at CFSF we will feature different versions of FGB that are pretty darn good!

Here’s the deal…
1. This event is truly about raising money for Livestrong (ahhh Lance Armstrong), Wounded Warrior Project, and the CrossFit Foundation. To participate in the fundraiser (and our FINAL EVENT on September 25), please go to http://www.fgb5.org, get registered, and when you do, join the CrossFit Sioux Falls Team. You must raise a minimum of $150 to participate.

2. We’d love to have over 100 CFSF members participating this year… we’d also love to have your friends or family members who want to fundraise AND try the workout, participate. All they have to do is register as described above, raise $150, and attend a minimum of 2 of our Fight Gone Bad Friday workouts… their first is free, and the second costs our normal $20 drop in fee.

3. Whether you’ve done the Fight Gone Bad before, or not… this time of the year is REALLY awesome! The workout variations are hard (as you might expect) but really interesting… and will really prepare you for the final event on the 25th. This will be a event to remember!

So here’s an invitation – join us! Every Friday for the next 6 weeks… believe me, you won’t regret it!

“it’s just the warm-up.” – if that is your attitude you will be DOMINATED!!!

Posted in Lifestyle, Members on August 11, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Say Hello to the Warmup King

By now most of YOU CrossFitters know or have met the “King of All Warmups” a.k.a. Greg Nelson. When Greg steps into the box he has one thing on his mind…”Dominate the Warmup!” Greg knows that the warmup is the key to mentally and physcially prepare himself for the task (WOD) at hand.

There are a TON of benefits that result from an effective warmup.

A proper warm up can increase the blood flow to the working muscle which results in decreased muscle stiffness, less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of warming up include physiological and psychological preparation.

Benefits of a Proper Warm Up:

•Increased Muscle Temperature – The temperature increases within muscles that are used during a warm up routine. A warmed muscle both contracts more forcefully and relaxes more quickly. In this way both speed and strength can be enhanced. Also, the probability of overstretching a muscle and causing injury is far less.

•Increased Body Temperature – This improves muscle elasticity, also reducing the risk of strains and pulls.

•Blood Vessels Dilate – This reduces the resistance to blood flow and lower stress on the heart.
•Improve Efficient Cooling – By activating the heat-dissipation mechanisms in the body (efficient sweating) an athlete can cool efficiently and help prevent overheating early in the event or race.

•Increased Blood Temperature – The temperature of blood increases as it travels through the muscles, and as blood temperature rises, the amount of oxygen it can hold becomes reduced. This means a slightly greater volume of oxygen is made available to the working muscles, enhancing endurance and performance.

•Improved Range of Motion – The range of motion around a joint is increased.

Found at http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/aa071003a.htm

Never again underestimate the power of a proper WARMup.

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Self Test…CF Style

Posted in Crossfit Philosophy, Lifestyle, Members on August 10, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Nick can do a One Arm Knee to Elbow Can You?

What’s YOUR Score?

There is a standard known as RPE (rating of perceived exertion) which is a subjective, self evaluation that quantifies your level of intensity during a specific workout (1 being almost nothing and 10 being extreme, max effort). I was thinking about this scale and was wondering if it would be useful to do a similar, self-evaluation of your fitness and training in reference to “World Class Fitness in 100 Words” to get a quantitive, albeit subjective, measure of your training.

To put some handles on this, I broke it down into six different areas (see below). In each area, I gave myself a rating on a scale of 1-10 based just how I thought I was doing, both in quality and quantity. Below is each area and the scores I gave myself. In each of the six, I looked at both where I am currently, AND how much I am focused on training / improving my weaknesses.

World Class Fitness in 100 Words
1. Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
2. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch.
3. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.
4. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.
5. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
6. Regularly learn and play new sports.

My current RPFT (rating of perceived fitness training) – 6.5 (8, 8, 6, 5, 9, 3).

What’s YOUR score?

Found from crossfitla.com

A BIG Time Celeb with a BIG Time Productivity Secret

Posted in Lifestyle on August 5, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

Ever heard of, “inch by inch anything’s a cinch”?

Consistent daily action that builds extraordinary outcomes.

If you want to be more productive with anything in life (health/fitness [CrossFit], career, family, friends, finances) then consistency is the key.

Here is a great story on how a BIG Time Celeb
Years ago when Seinfeld was a new television show, Jerry Seinfeld was still a touring comic. At the time, I was hanging around clubs doing open mic nights and trying to learn the ropes. One night I was in the club where Seinfeld was working, and before he went on stage, I saw my chance. I had to ask Seinfeld if he had any tips for a young comic. What he told me was something that would benefit me a lifetime…

He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don’t feel like it.

He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here’s how it works.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”

“Don’t break the chain,” he said again for emphasis.

Over the years I’ve used his technique in many different areas. I’ve used it for exercise, to learn programming, to learn network administration, to build successful websites and build successful businesses.

It works because it isn’t the one-shot pushes that get us where we want to go, it is the consistent daily action that builds extraordinary outcomes. You may have heard “inch by inch anything’s a cinch.” Inch by inch does work if you can move an inch every day.

Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will make you an expert in a short time. If you don’t break the chain, you’ll start to spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t. Small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides “compounding interest.”

Click HERE for the full article.

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When is the Last Time You Have Given Your BEST Effort???

Posted in Crossfit Philosophy, Lifestyle, Members on July 23, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

465 lbs...Mind over Matter Casey!

I heard this phrase last night and it really made me think…if you know me at all, you know I am obessed with the power of our mental capacity.

Why is it that some people are ultra successful and some people are NOT?

Or lets put it in CrossFit terms…

Why is it some people push harder than others?
Why do some CrossFitters have a ton of improvements and success and some people never really “Get it” and end up stopping/quitting?
Why can some people stick to Paleo better than others?

Now questions to ask YOURself…

When is the last time you have given YOUR BEST effort?
Do you do your best each and every time you WOD?
What holds you back?
What grade would you give yourself in your CrossFit career up to this point? (Ex: WODing, Paleo, practicing movements, stretching, etc…)
Are you coasting through the summer???

The great thing about CrossFit is you have an opportunity to improve every single time you step into the box.

Below is a cool blog I found to help you mentally train yourself not only for CrossFit but in life as well. “Train your brain like your muscles and everything will improve for the good.”

Enjoy!

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You have the power to win. You have the power to excel in life and for that you don’t need to look outside. A positive mindset with an attitude developed over a period of time can do wonders for you. Every individual in himself have a storehouse of extreme energy and strength. This is a latent energy waiting for initiation to do its magic. If you realize this than all that is left is how to source it from within , which is your inner self. In order to make your best effort there are 9 steps which can do the magic for you. Follow them and see how Best Effort comes naturally within you and you can clearly see a change in your execution powers. The steps now

1) You have a limited time- Any effort requires the action in a specific time period. One has to realize that few minutes of effort have the power to change their lives. All hard work they have done needs a best effort in those few minutes in order to make it to the top. You have to be prepared for those few moments which have powers to take you on the Path of fame.

2) Sweat it Out- Nothing compares to hard work. Nothing can give you more confidence than the hard work you have done for the final show. More hard work has power to stream the luck in your side. It makes the odds in your favor

3) Think More About it- Think of success and think more about it. Live, eat, sleep and dream of success only. You thoughts need to be synchronized in a manner that every part has a fragrance of success in it. The more you think of success the more you get prepared to welcome it in real time

4) Be Eager- You need to be eager, you need to be hungry to get success. A want, a hunger, a desire, a thirst to win has a magical power which takes you closer to success. Show your animal instinct to get closer to your goal.

5) Be Flexible- Adapt to the environment. Be prepared to be flexible and adjust to the surroundings. You need to be the chameleon that uses all tactics to fight to its enemy. Remain prepared and expect the extreme.

For the last 5 click HERE

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Doing what “they” told me to do…nearly put me in the hospital…

Posted in In the News, Lifestyle, Members on July 13, 2010 by Fit 605 Inc

This story will speak for itself. Thank you Diane Hansum…You are a ROCKSTAR among ROCKSTARS!!!

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I was never an athlete growing up, I loved to swim and ride bike, but never anything competitive. During my 20’s I started adding weight and was working at a job where I traveled quite a bit. So finding time to eat right and work out was never very easy. So I did what everyone said to do, eating less, and skipping meals. Some days I would only eat one meal, and usually only because I was with a client or at a business function. The weight still kept coming on. So I did what “they” say and changed all of what I ate to “low fat” which tended to be high in carbs.

I moved back to Sioux Falls to go back to school. But thought I would quickly take a few pounds off before the semester started….well that turned into a year with no weight loss results. My Doctor found a thyroid problem which we fixed with medication. Thinking this was the solution, I started back to school part-time at nights. In mid 2002 I found out that I was diagnosed with diabetes. We found that all of my years of not eating regular meals put my body in a starvation mode and was killing my metabolism. So everything “they” had been saying was wrong. I needed to eat, and cut out most of the carbs. I changed my eating habits and watched my blood sugars for the next few years. This was hard since I still traveled for work and was working fulltime and going to school part time. Eating every two hours was sometimes difficult. I maintained A1C (a three month blood sugar averaging test used by doctors) levels that were in the 6.0 to 7.1 range. This was really acceptable since I wasn’t on other medication.
In August of 2008, I had been out of school for a few months and decided to start swimming again and to finally lose weight. I worked my way up to swimming a mile a night two or three times a week. I had lost around 10 pounds and thought everything was fine. Then in May 2009, at a work place health fair, we found my blood sugar was pushing 300! Almost triple where I thought I would be! I was doing everything “they” said to do and I almost put myself in the hospital.

My doctor immediately put me on blood sugar lowering meds for the first time in nearly 7 years. I was devastated when in one visit we tripled by thyroid meds and doubled by blood sugar meds. I knew there had to be a way to finally lose weight and get back to healthy lifestyle.
I had been working out three or more times a week, watching what I ate and still was close to 200 pounds. During the final episode of the Biggest Loser I saw my first ad for CrossFit. Realizing the current path wasn’t working for me, I decided to check out the website, and then I drove by one day. Still a little unsure, one day after a high blood sugar reading, I decided to send an email to the contact on the website. A few days later Chris called to set up the appointment. My initial thought was, ‘if I keep doing the same thing, I will always get the same result’. I needed to try something different. What “they” were telling me wasn’t working.

The week before I started Crossfit I had just climbed Crazy Horse Monument with my 76 year old mother. My legs were sore. I don’t think they stopped being sore for two months! I loved it! I finally felt like there was something happening. After my first month I redid the baseline work out, I shaved a 1:40 off my time. I couldn’t believe the difference only a month had made.
When I started Crossfit I was close to 200 pounds, I was wearing size 18 pants, my blood sugar was pushing 300- with an A1C over 9, and I was just starting a medication regiment. By my third month I had dropped two pants sizes, and was noticing an even greater difference. The day after a workout my blood sugar levels were 10-15 points lower than non-workout days. The scale kept getting lighter and the sizes kept getting smaller, and the blood sugar was getting lower.

Today I’ve celebrated my first year at Crossfit. I am now is a size 8, which is the size I wore in high school. One of the goals has been to get back off medication. I want to re-train my body to function without the use of drugs. In August of 2009, just a few months of being at Crossfit my A1C was 5.7 (one of my lowest since being diagnosed). When I retested in March of 2010, my A1C was 5.1!! My doctor gave me permission to drop the medication down one level and test in a few months. My daily numbers are really good. I rarely have a day with a number over 100. I’m scheduled to retest in a few weeks.

The week after the A1C test results (I was still on top of the world), the nurse who found my high levels called to check how I was doing. When I told her my results and how I was doing it, she was thrilled. In fact, she was so thrilled that she and her husband are now Crossfit members.

Who cares what “they” say….

As of my one year anniversary at CrossFit I’ve gone from

A size 18 to size 8
-Lost close to 50 pounds
-A1C of 9.9 to 5.1
-2000 mg of one med to 1500mg (down 500 mg, and hoping for another 500 soon)
-Weekly average blood sugar levels between 90.0 and 95.0