Flashback to July 2013, I am sitting on my screen porch, dissatisfied with my prior gym, getting further from my goals, and not getting the news I needed to hear from my doctor. While trying to figure out how to dig out of this mess, I keep seeing this little BMW drive by our house with the big CrossFit OIB sticker on the back windshield. My curiosity kicks in, and I start researching crossfitoib.com, (great job by the way), and CrossFit in general. I start watching some videos online and say to myself, no way I can do that stuff. Then my competitive and athletic juices kick in . . .

In between, I go and get blood drawn for my physical and also start my journey at CrossFit OIB. It was tough in the beginning, but you and your great coaches made the transition easy. Eight weeks into my journey, I finally go back for the results from the blood test. Numbers were not good, but I talk them into a retake after I explain the changes I had made in my workout routine, but also on the nutritional end via the first Whole Life Challenge. Well the numbers from the retake still were not right, but showed GREAT IMPROVEMENT, and it was enough to buy another six months of doing what you and your team taught me from the Doctor.

Well it has been a year and a half of working at it, 25 pounds down in weight, feeling like a new person, and the biggest piece of all, A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FROM THE DOCTOR. They could not believe what WE accomplished. The sweetest words I have heard in a long time were ” See you in a year” from my doctor.

You and your great coaches have truly changed my life. I can not thank you enough!!!

I now have to try to think of some new goals as we have reached all my old ones!! Looking forward to it!!

-Dan Meehan

WHAT IS THE CROSSFIT OPEN?

The 2015 CrossFit season begins with the worldwide Open competition. Everyone in the world is invited to compete in five workouts over five weeks, posting their scores online in real time.More than 209,000 people participated in the Open last year, and this year the worldwide competition will be even broader and more inclusive. Scaled versions of the Open workouts will make their debut, as well as a new Teenage Division for athletes 14-17 years old. The Open is a truly “open” competition. Anyone from anywhere can participate.

The first Open workout will be released on Thursday, Feb. 26. As in previous years, the Open will be a five-week competition with one new workout per week. The week’s workout will be released each Thursday at 5 p.m. PT, and competitors will have four days to complete the workout and log their score on the Games site. Score submissions will be due before 5 p.m. PT on the Monday following the workout’s release.

The Open
Feb. 26-March 30, 2015
15.1: Feb. 26 -March 2
15.2: March 5-9
15.3: March 12-16
15.4: March 19-23
15.5: March 26-30

What if you can’t do many or any CrossFit workouts scaled? 

You can still play even if you’re not a competitive CrossFit Athlete!

THE CROSSFIT OIB (INTERNAL TEAM) THROWDOWN

Many of us at CFOIB will never make it to the CrossFit Games, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get into the spirit of the Games and create our own version of the Open! Last year we had over 50 athletes participate in the CFOIB  Internal Team ThrowDown. This was our way of bringing athletes together through camaraderie and teamwork and what an awesome time we had!

The Breakdown:

• Every athlete that registers to compete in the worldwide competition will also be placed on a team within CrossFit OIB. As always, we will track your weekly workout result on our in-house leader-board, but this year your score will added to your teammates’ for one big awesome score!
• Teams will be lead by a Captain: A CrossFit OIB Coach who has also registered individually as an Open Competitor.
• Teams will be 2-3 athletes, depending on the number of online Open registrants. Again, you cannot be a part of the Internal Team Throw-Down unless you register for the CrossFit OPEN.
• Teams and/or Individuals DO NOT have to complete the weekly Open workout as Rx’d, scaled workout scores will be weighed just as heavily as Rx’d.
• A scaled version(s) of each week’s Open workout will be given so that ALL LEVELS of athletes can participate. Even newbies!
• Coach K will select teams as athletes begin to register! We want a variety of athletes to work together over the 5 weeks so she will be putting teams together with that in mind. No stacked teams! (Each team will have one full-on RX athelte, one scaled, and one intermediate athlete.)
• Each week teams will complete the announced Open workout for that week. Teams do not have to complete the workout(s) during the same class time but bonus points will be given if they do. The more camaraderie the more points!
• All teammates scores will be added together for one team score that is ranked on the leaderboard each week.
• Prizes will be given each week for teams ranked the highest. Bonus points can be earned throughout the week in a variety of ways. Stay tuned for scoring info!
• Grand Prize will be given for top ranked team after 5 weeks!
• Cost for Open Registration is $20 and is paid to The CrossFit Games, not CFOIB.

Register here: http://bit.ly/TheJerkPart2

An Introduction to Olympic Weightlifting for the Novice Athlete 
with Coach K 

Part 2 :The Jerk 

Tuesday February 24 from 6 – 8pm
Members & Non Members $35
Pro/All In members save 20%

About this seminar:
We will break apart and reconstruct the Olympic Lift, The Jerk using:

Progressions practicing key positioning
Cues to build kinesthetic awareness
Proper technique for more efficient movement
Drills to improve strength and reinforce technique
Demonstration of movements for repetition

This seminar is for novice lifters (ex: fitness & new-ish aim athletes)

We will briefly touch on:
Mental exercises for attempting maximal lift
Exercises and drills that are most effective for mastery

Part 3 will cover Intro to the Snatch, (dates to be announced)

SPACE IS LIMITED TO 20 participants. REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/TheJerkPart2

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

~ Anonymous

How do you feel about setting goals?

Maybe you’re not keen on the whole idea – it seems artificial to you, or you’re worried about failure. Or perhaps, like many, you’re really good at coming up with goals – and less good at actually following through on them.

Now that we are 9 days into the new year I feel it’s time to talk about goal setting. Much of the DAY 1 “focus” (and holiday sugar hangover)  as dissipated and we are thinking more rationally about what we can feasibly accomplish in this new year.

Here are a few tips on goal setting that I have found useful in my years of coaching and competing:

1. Write clear and measurable goals. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? By being clear!
Good example: I want to get 5 dead hang pull-ups by the end of the summer.
Poor example: I want to be able to do pullups.

2. Create a specific action plan for each goal.
Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. Saying you want to lose weight without putting in a plan in place to do so will get you no closer than a wish.

3. Read your goals daily and visualize yourself accomplishing them. It’s easy to lose focus when our goals are not in plain sight. Write you goal in your journal, note book, iPhone note, on a whiteboard or your mirror. Maybe your goal is to run a marathon — sign up for it NOW and let your registration email receipt linger in your inbox as a constant reminder.

4. Reflect on your progress to see if you are on target. No better way to do that than: Test. Practice. Retest.

5. Revise your action plans if needed.
Perhaps your original plan isn’t working quite the way you intended. If that is the case, take time to revise your plan and brainstorm new strategies. Giving up is not an option!  Struggling with your “weight-loss resolution”? Seek out help from a nutrition coach. There are plenty of resources available to you, even just within CFOIB. Remember, giving up is never an option!

6. Celebrate your accomplishments! You deserve it!

-Coach K

Ahhhh the holidays are over. I’m happy to return to a life of LESS cookies, candy canes and elf’s to hide… I mean find! Even though I caught a little bit of the Christmas cookie fever my feelings are that I would have been way worse if I didn’t have to report back to you and your caliper!

Three days after Christmas I enjoyed my 32nd Birthday (yes I know… more cookies). Remember the jeans I brought into your office on our first meeting and said ” I want to fit into these”. Yup that’s right despite all the Who – pudding and rare roast beast three days after Christmas I rocked those jeans! Just to make sure this was no birthday miracle I even tried them on again today! 

Three plus months…goal complete! It did not come easy. I worked for ever last centimeter of room in those jeans but I did it. So what now? I WILL be sharing my new goal with you by next Monday. Till then I’m going to enjoy life in my jeans! 

-Amanda, Nutrition Coaching Client of Coach K 

 

Learn more about Goal based nutrition – and how to eat for your body goals and make it a lifestyle change.

Register today for Coach K’s Nutrition Prescription Plan – A Nutritional Seminar on January 17th.