Heidi is the head coach of MissFit, and one of Hale’s most experienced and respected coaches and athletes. Like all of our coaches, she started as a member with some very specific goals and limitations.

Today we hear the story of her humble beginnings, losing 50 pounds and dealing with a variety of injuries to becoming an athlete and coach at Hale, and how she uses her experience to help coach people to amazing fitness results.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How a burrito and beer diet impacts your performance
• Why losing weight wasn’t enough for Heidi
• How Heidi got over her fear of injuring herself
• How YOU can overcome fear in a class
• The best part about being a coach (that has nothing to do with fitness)
• Heidi’s best advice for new athletes

Links and Resources for this Episode

• MissFit – Coach Heidi’s program at CrossFit Hale – click here
• Grace (one of the benchmark workouts Heidi mentions) – click here
• Spehar (Heidi’s toughest workout) – click here
• The 12 Days of CrossFit (our favorite annual event) – click here

Thank you for listening

Thank you so much for checking out our podcast! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or email us.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe via itunes or stitcher.

Subscribe via iTunes – Click here.

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Workout of the Day for 5-3-16

Workout:

15 min amrap
2 muscle ups
200m run

Coaches Notes:

We will spend time going through muscle ups, with a focus on getting you to get your first one, or linking them together

The post Living Better Podcast – Ep 15 – Meet Coach Heidi appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

I never know what the guy is saying, but check it out for yourself.

Ha!! He captured it beautifully.

Nice work on 16.4, guys. If you’re still feeling a little hobbled, make sure to loosen up and get moving, however gently, to get things feeling right again. Perhaps run through a few squats, get in some good hamstring stretches, and spend some time in pigeon pose if you’re really suffering.

One more week to go!! No mandatory theme this week, but remember that you’re going for ALL the glory. Work with your team to put together a dance (I really like dancing) or similar to show your spirit.

Also, note: since we’re announcing the overall team winner this FRIDAY, we will only be counting points for members that complete the WOD by Friday evening. Please plan to do the workout on Friday (or, as a stretch, Thursday after the announcement).

Beer and snacks provided after the evening WOD. We earned it. Even if you do the workout earlier in the day, come crack a cold one with us.

If that’s out of the question, I still expect you to complete the workout and log your scores before Monday… you just won’t earn points for your team.

On to the recap:

16.4 was: 13 min AMRAP:
55 deadlifts
55 wall balls
55 cal row
55 HSPU

Spirit of Hale award for the week goes to Lance for his valiant, final-seconds attack on the handstand pushups. With only a few seconds to spare, he threw himself up to the wall and was able to fight for 3 locked out reps. He’s come a long way on this movement over the last month. Awesome work, Lance!!!

Team Spirit award goes to Legends of Hale. I haven’t seen it yet, but I heard their fox antics were epic. I hear masks give you the anonymity you need to really let loose. Nicely done, guys! Keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook for snippets.

Ashley hit a bit PR on her deadlift and then proceeded to lift the bar another 50 or so times. Yeahhhh!!

Top Rx scores:
Men:
1.Chinwuba Ezekwe
2.Patrick Brown
3.Lance Candelaria

Women:
1.Bekah List
2.Jessica Barba
3.Thao Pham

Top Scaled scores:
Men:
1.Imani Wilson
2.Mike Nevin
3.Cliff Atkinson

Women:
1.Bibi Jackson
2.Bonnie Zweben
3.Kate Smith

Team points for week 4:
1.Tiger Claw: 27 points
2.Legends of Hale & Smoking Dragons: 24 points
3.Herd of Unicorns: 23 points

Overall standings, with ONE week to go:
1.Herd of Unicorns: 152 points
2.Tiger Claw: 137 points
3.Legends of Hale: 101 points
4.Smoking Dragons: 97 points

Can’t wait to see what excitement Thursday’s announcement holds.

Coach “standing up is hard work” Heidi

Workout of the Day for (3-23-16)

Announcements:

2nd annual Hale Throwdown will be Saturday, 4/23–Rx and Scaled divisions available; Early Bird registration is $40 and runs through Friday, 4/1

Workout:

Work up to a heavy set of the complex

1 squat clean + 1 thruster + 1 shoulder to overhead

The post Mike Tyson Said it Best… appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

I’ll spare you the rest. Maybe for the Christmas talent show. No promises.

Still thinking back and laughing about the festivities these past few weeks–THANK YOU for showing up and giving your all for both the workout and the team dances each week. Acting silly sure does take some of the pain out of these Open WODs.

16.3 was:
7 minute AMRAP
10 power snatches
3 bar muscle ups

While the muscle ups created a bit of a pile up at the 10 rep mark, there was good reason to give the Rx workout a shot. Many of you nailed your first BMU or came dangerously close to doing so.

The jumping C2B were definitely a step up from regular jumping pullups we saw in 16.1 and proved to be challenging.

Whether Scaled or Rx, the shorter time of this workout was both a relief (yay! Not another 20 minutes of lunges and burpees!) and a big kick to get moving and push as hard as possible for the shorter time.

On to the awards and standings….

Spirit of Hale went to Carrie Cangelosi this week–she’s been working on muscle ups for months and she finally nailed the transition into a bar muscle up (and a second!) during this workout. Awesome work!

Team Spirit award went to Tiger Claw for their epic re-enactment of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song. They had every detail nailed down, from the couple of guys (that were up to no good!) to the cabbie. Keep an eye out on Facebook and Instagram for footage of this and the other team pre-WOD dances.

Many athletes got their first bar muscle up during or shortly after the workout. Congrats to: Lance, Chiekel, Bekah, Carrie, and Brian J! The following athletes got their first jumping chest to bars (they were no joke!): Bonnie, Denali, Lisa and Dianne.

Top Rx scores were posted by the following:
Men:
1.Patrick Brown
2.Dane Anderson
3.Ravi Karki

And Women:
1.Bekah List
2.Carrie Cangelosi
A tie between all the other ladies that valiantly attempted the BMU–you’ll get ’em next time!

Top Scaled scores came from:
Men:
1.Eric Manlove
2.Chris Tatum
3.Imani Wilson

Women:
1.Bibi Jackson
2.Kate Smith
3.Bonnie Zweben

Team points for Week 3 were:
1.Herd of Unicorns: 41 pts
2.Tiger Claw: 40 pts
3.Legends of Hale: 25 pts
4.Smoking Dragons: 15 pts

Overall standings, with two workouts remaining:
1.Herd of Unicorns: 128 pts
2.Tiger Claw: 110 pts
3.Legends of Hale: 77 pts
4.Smoking Dragons: 73 pts

200 burpees to anyone that completes the workout and fails to post their score next week!

Reminder: Rave theme this week.

See you soon,

Coach “did the beat just drop?” Heidi

Workout of the Day for (3-17-16)

Announcements:

2nd annual Hale Throwdown will be Saturday, 4/23–Rx and Scaled divisions available; Early Bird registration is $40 and runs through Friday, 4/1

Workout:

3 rounds for time of:
500m row
12 burpees
21 thrusters (45/35)

Coaches Notes:

Goal is to sprint today, the weight is light, so you should be able to MOVE on this one

The post How Jay Became the Fresh Prince of Hale… appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

Open WOD 16.2 was:

0:00-4:00: 25 T2B, 50 double unders, 15 squat cleans
4:00-8:00: 25 T2B, 50 double unders, 13 squat cleans
8:00-12:00: 25 T2B, 50 double unders, 11 squat cleans
12:00-16:00: 25 T2B, 50 double unders, 9 squat cleans
16:00-20:00: 25 T2B, 50 double unders, 7 squat cleans
*only move on to next 4:00 cycle if you finish ALL reps

Those short 4 minute windows left a lot of us questioning…could I have gone just a little bit harder?! Those first two rounds were fast and furious. Improving on one missed skip or faster transitions often meant making it to the next round.

The results reflected your hard work, whether the first or second time around. Lots of PRs on doubles or toes to bar for those of you whom chose to go Rx. TONS of squat clean PRs all around. With the big jumps in weights, some of you skipped over a 5 or 10lb PR and went straight to bigger numbers.

Dianne won our Spirit of Hale award for the week, and if you saw her face when she made her first 65lb squat clean, you know why. She skipped her way through the workout on one leg and stepped up to the squat cleans knowing they were heavier than she’d ever lifted before. Despite a few missed reps, she picked up the barbell over and over and ultimately hit a new PR weight of 65# a handful of times.

The Smoking Dragons won our team spirit award with their “creative” Macarena battle dance. It may have been more appropriate in this week’s 90s theme, but way to bring back a classic!

Many thanks to everyone for the epic MJ danceoff.

If you missed it, check out Facebook or Instagram for video footage.

Congrats to the following athletes for PRs this week: Jennifer, Evelio, Bonnie, Cecilia, Dane, Lilly, Chiekel, Dianne, Thao, Carlos, Angel, Malia, Robyn, Julianna, Jeff, Candice, Jessica, Chris, and Ashley.

Top scores for the week went to:

Rx Men:
1.David Ezekwe
2.Cody Coeckelenbergh
3.Patrick Brown

Scaled Men:
1.Angel Orduno
2.Edison Murillo
3.Eric Manlove

Rx Women:
1.Bekah List
2.Jessica Barba
3.Thao Pham

Scaled Women:
1.Nancy Williams
2.Bonnie Zweben
3.Michelle Cappello

Full leaderboard can be found here

Team points for 16.2:
1.Herd of Unicorns (41 pts)
2.Tiger Claw (35 pts)
3.Smoking Dragons (31 pts)
4.Legends of Hale (23 points)

Overall team standings:
1.Herd of Unicorns (88 pts)
2.Tiger Claw (70 pts)
3.Smoking Dragons (58 pts)
4.Legends of Hale (52 pts)

Open 16.3 will be announced LIVE this Thursday at 5pm with Shawn Ramirez and Nick Paladino (two top Masters athletes) competing.

Friday’s theme is the 90s–so many ways you could go for this one. Look for an email telling you all about the unicorns’ winning strategy later in the week. Just kidding. But that was totally worth the dance off.

See you soon,

Heidi “MJ leaks” Heidi

REMINDER: Please post your scores as soon as you complete each workout. If you choose to repeat a workout, you may update your score at any time, but it’s better to have SOMETHING in than forget come Monday at 5pm. Also, please be sure to post all PRs on the board and ring that bell! You earned it! Let’s celebrate it! (And your team gets points for these things).

Workout of the Day for (3-9-16)

Announcements:

Wed. March 16th 6:30pm group class cancelled and 7:30pm Missfit cancelled.

Mobility Seminar: Shoulders workshop $39. Wed. March 16th 6:30pm-8pm Sign up sheet at front desk open to members and non-members.

Workout:

Every min on the min for 12 mins

3 deadlift 275/185 even min
10 push ups odd min

rest 5 mins, then

Every min on the min for 12 mins

3 strict press 135/95 even min
10 pull ups odd min

Coaches Notes:

Goal is to lift heavy on the deadlifts and press, so select a weight that will be heavy for 3 reps, but not impossible

on pull ups/push ups, focus on staying tight through the middle and getting through them in less than 30 secs

The post I can’t get no satisfaction… appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

Still a little tender? You’re not alone.

In case you were wondering, that “side butt” soreness (right below and behind your hip bone) is the gluteus minimus. It’s one of the muscles that helps us track our knees outward and really kicks in for unilateral, or single leg, movements. Woo, lunges!

To recap: 16.1 was…
20 min AMRAP
25′ walking lunges (Rx: 95/65 overhead; Scaled 45/35 front rack)
8 bar facing burpees
25′ walking lunges
8 chest to bar pull ups (Scaled: jumping pull ups)

At first glance, this looked like a simple triplet. After watching the ladies work through the live announcement, it looked like the best strategy was to steadily keep moving–don’t rest too long, don’t put the bar down, and just get through the burpees.

Well, that got spicy REAL QUICK.

The burpees WEREN’T rest. The bar was JUST light enough that each rep felt ok, but the cumulative impact was utterly brutal. Even as singles, there just weren’t enough pull ups to give you much down time.

One round in…”oh, not too bad”

Two rounds in, those words got cut off at “oh, no…”

But we all survived. Some of us even saved enough energy to smack around a piñata at the end.

Without further ado, here are a few highlights of week one of the Hale Open.

Team standings:
Herd of Unicorns–47 points
Tiger Claw–35 points
Legends of Hale–29 point
Smoking Dragons–27 points

Huge shoutout to those that got a PR on the chest to bar or lunges: Priti, Jenica, Jessica, Susana, Cecily, Brad, Imani, and Lisa L all earned points for their teams.

The Spirit of Hale award for the week went to Dee Sanchez. She came back after a few months of rest and was uncertain she’d be able to work out at all, let alone complete the Open. With some convincing, she finally signed up and pushed through the workout with a contagious determination. Great work, Dee!

The Team Spirit award went to the mighty, mighty Unicorns. Not only did Robyn show up in a full unicorn suit, but we had some handcrafted accessories–Malia’s birthday hat horn, Candice and Amarachi’s unicorn cake, and a fabulous poem written by Cody. Not to be outdone, Lisa R brought beer. Cold beer. Thanks, Lisa!

Top (non-coach) scores were posted by:

For the men:
David Ezekwe
Ken Tronnes
Dane Anderson

And for the women:
Bekah List
Thao Pham
Carrie Cangelosi

To see the full leaderboard, click here.

Any predictions on Open 16.2? Reply and let me hear ’em!

See you Friday,

Coach “Booty Gainz” Heidi

Workout of the Day for (3-3-16)

Announcements:

March 16th 6:30PM group coaching and 7:30pm Misfit classes Cancelled. Due to our shoulder mobility workshop @ 6:30-8pm. Sign Up sheet at front desk.

Hale Open 16.2 workout this Friday 5:30-7:30pm

Workout:

A: Handstand practice

Practice handstand/handstand walk for 15 mins

B: Pistol practice

Every min on min for 10 mins – 2-4 pistols per side

C: Scapular pull ups
10 – 10 – 10 – 10 – 10

Add weight if 10 feels eas

Coaches Notes:

Skills today.

First, focus on developing strength, stability, and comfort in the handstand. Then, continue the pistol practice you started a few weeks ago and see if you can improve upon last time.

We wrap up by improving shoulder strength and stability doing scapular pull ups…this means you’ll be hanging from the bar and pulling down without bending your arms (thus activating your lats and strengthinging your shoulders)

The post How Open WOD 16.1 Broke the Internet appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

We’re on Day 9! After today, only 3 to go!

I got a few questions last week along the lines of: “Why are we doing all these named workouts and who are they named after?!”

Truth be told, there’s more to it than some coach making up an awful workout and naming it after his wife, best friend, or monkey’s uncle. What’s in a name? Would a rose, by any other name, smell so sweet?! I don’t think so: “Murph” wouldn’t be as memorable if we knew it as “that one Saturday workout where we ran a bunch, did too many pushups, and squatted til our legs fell off.” Right?!

So, here’s the “why” and a little background:

We are doing 12 benchmarks–by definition, these benchmarks serve as progress checks on our fitness. We have (or will) repeat many of these workouts, so if you haven’t kept track of your times and scaling, here is your reminder.

We want to see results beyond the scale/awesome 6-pack, and benchmark WODs are a fantastic way to measure. Scale back the weight on “Glen” on Sunday? Maybe next year you do it solo and Rx. You’ll have evidence you’re faster and stronger when that day comes.

You’ll see a few different naming conventions: “Girls” (i.e. Cindy, Karen, Annie, Eva) are named after some of the original women of CrossFit; “Open” or “Games” WODs (11.1/14.1 etc.) were workouts completed in the course of the CrossFit Games Open, Regionals, or Games, using the year and workout number as the ID.

“Hero” WODs (Murph, Glen, Rahoi, DT, Air Force WOD, Brenton, etc) are named after members of the military, police, or fire departments that were killed while in the line of duty. I’ve found Hero WODs to be some of the toughest out there, and rightly so. They offer a chance to put a little more purpose and reflection into your workout as you gut through the rounds of heavy, heavy lifting, running with a weight vest, or crawling around.

Lastly, here are the Heroes behind a few of our 12 days:

“Adrian”

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Adrian Elizalde, 30, of North Bend, Oregon, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), based in Fort Lewis, Washington, died on August 23, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his parents, Jorge and Teresa Elizalde, sister Rachel, and daughter Sydney Grace.

“Glen”

Former U.S. Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, 42, of Winchester, Massachusetts, assigned to a State Department security detail in Benghazi, Libya, died in an attack on a U.S. consulate on September 11, 2012. He is survived by his parents, Ben and Barbara, sister Katie, and brother Greg.

“Air Force WOD”

This one is pretty straight forward. Honoring those that served in the Air Force.

“Brenton” (pictured, and also the namesake of today’s WOD)

Field Training Officer Timothy Quinn Brenton, 39, of the Seattle Police Department, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting while on duty on October 31, 2009. He is survived by his wife Lisa, his son Quinn, and daughter Kayliegh.

Strategy on this one: Get the bear crawls done FAST to minimize your time spent upside down. MAX distance on the broad jumps to minimize the number of burpees you have to do–pick a line in the mats as a target and really go for it. No bunny hops! Just. Keep. Moving.

Skills:
bear crawl
broad jumps

Workout of the day:
Brenton
5 Rounds For Time
Bear Crawl (100 ft)
Standing Broad-Jumps (100 ft)

Intermediate/advanced – add 3 burpees every 5 broad jumps
Advanced – add a 20# weighted vest

15 min cut off

Coaches’ notes:
All bodyweight today. Go fast and keep moving!

The post On the 9th Day of CrossFit…12-15-15 appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

Day 8… Is any part of you NOT sore?

Oh yeah, it’s Monday, too. Grumble.

By now, you’ve fought the soreness and fatigue and pushed through workouts you weren’t feeling totally up to. Your friends, family, and coworkers have (hopefully) switched their comments from “what are you doing THAT for?!” to cheering you on through these last few days.

The best news: IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE. In my experience, days 5, 6, and 7 are, by far, the WORST of the 12. Everything beyond day 8 is gravy. You’ve been through so many workouts by that point that nothing can stand in your way.

We’ve said from the beginning–the goal is to make it through all 12. Just show up with whatever you have, and do your best. We don’t expect you to crush your Fran time, PR your bench press, AND crush every other workout. Check in with yourself. Be kind to yourself.

All that said, you’ve probably surprised yourself a few times over the last week… first workout doing ALL the pull ups? Went heavier on a barbell movement than you thought you would? Finished 5 days in a row?

Huge pat on the back. Seriously. Not only do we (your coaches) enjoy the challenge of the 12 Days, but we love watching you all rise to the occasion. You are BAD ASS.

On the bright side, you’re in the home stretch. After today’s WOD, you’re ⅔ there. After tomorrow, you’re ¾ or 75% of the way there! The day after that, you only have two days to go! And one of those will be a partner WOD! Can you tell I used to crunch numbers for a living? Hehe.

I don’t blame you if you’re feeling a little fried. This is hard work! Even if you’re not taking a rest day, you CAN do a few things to recharge and feel a bit more refreshed.

Here are a few tips to help you breeze through the last few days:

1. Take a low intensity day–PS. we’ve done that for you! Lots of rest in “Lynne”
2. Start looking forward to the end of the week AND the holidays. We’ve got a big party on Friday to celebrate and unwind, and then… GLORIOUS REST DAY!
3. Take a minute to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in the past week. Highlight 3 things you’ve done (gym or not) that made you feel awesome
4. Treat yo’self and schedule a break during your day: have coffee with a friend; work from a relaxing space (Mission Heirloom’s patio is our favorite); get a pedicure or massage; or, leave the cell phone at home and just go for a walk.

Coach “Monday is the new Hump Day” Heidi

Workout of the Day:

Skills:
Bench press
pull ups

Workout of the day:
Lynne
5 rounds for max reps of:
Bench press (BW)
Pull ups

10 mins work

Coaches’ notes:
Taking a break from the met-cons today to work on strength

The goal is to be able to do your bodyweight, but choose a weight you can do 4-5 reps with. The only rule is that you must go directly to the pull ups after the bench press. You’ll be shareing with your fellow classmates, so be nice

The post On the 8th Day of CrossFit…12-14-15 appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

With assessment week in full swing (and you all crushing it, I might add), it’s time to start thinking about our next challenge. We’re inching closer to Christmas and my favorite time of year–the 12 Days of CrossFit!

Starting December 7th, we’ll run 12 consecutive benchmark WODs in 12 days. That’s right, even a workout on Sunday, December 13th (9am only).

You’ll see a few of our favorite girls, a few shorter heroes (NO MURPH, I promise!), and a few of the Games or Open workouts to keep things spicy. Most workouts will be 20 minutes or less, and there will be scaling options for all workouts.

I know, I know, 12 days in a row sounds a little crazy, but you should be more excited than scared. Here’s why:

1. You will surprise yourself. Maybe you’ll get your first pull up or handstand pushup. Maybe you’ll do your first workout as prescribed. Hopefully, you’ll finish all twelve days and look back, thinking “holy shit, look at what I did!”
2. You’ll build stronger bonds with your workout buddies. There’s something to be said for the people that support you when you’re feeling beat up, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel. You’ll be that support on some days, and you’ll receive that in return.
3. You’ll be fit for the holidays! By showing up every day, you’ll reinforce your workout habits and go into the new year ready to roll with the good habits….no matter how many pieces of pie you smash through over the holidays!
4. You will want to quit at some point. But you won’t–you’ll keep pushing through the workout, or the twelve days, and you’ll be mentally tougher for sticking to what you started.
5. You have an awesome party to look forward to!

Save the Date: Hale Holiday Party is Friday, December 18th at 6:30pm

Following the last workout of the 12 days, we’ll have a toast, eat some tasty treats (potluck style, plan to bring a dish to share), and settle in for an evening of celebration.

For each of the twelve workouts you complete, you’ll receive one ticket for the raffle.  We’ll have a bunch of goodies and gear up for grabs.

We’ll also be providing live entertainment! The Hale Players present Snow White and the Seven Dwarves…one night only! (Also, we’re still looking for a few cast members, email [email protected] if you’re in).

See you soon!

Coach “ugly sweater at the ready” Heidi

Workout of the Day:

A. Double Unders
B. Push Ups
C. Burpees in 1 Minute
D. 1 Mile Run for Time

Coaches’ Notes:

This week, you are assessing your abilities, show up on time and be ready to move.

To pass the assessment, you’ll have to pass 12 of the 15 skills presented during the week, and 2 of the 4 workouts. To pass from beginner to intermediate, you’ll have to pass the items on the beginner list. To pass from intermediate to advanced, you’ll have to pass the items on the intermediate list, etc.

All the standards to pass are located on our site – /athlete-skill-levels-monthly-progress-check/

The post Silver White Winters and WODs Every Day…These are a Few of My Favorite Things appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

One of my favorite perks of healthy eating is being “regular.”

Gone are the days of fiery burrito explosions and jet-volume mid-meeting tummy rumbles.

My tummy feels so much flatter now that I’m not bloated with bread and processed junk!

I’ll gladly take the easy-going, well-timed veggie-fueled exodus that happens each morning and night.

You’ve felt it before. The day (or 2, or 3) after a big cheat day when you’ve been eating well for a while…

Disaster pants.

This got me to thinking…how can I enjoy an occasional treat and still feel great?

Here are 4 things I do to minimize the damage:

1. I listen to my body’s cues–flatulence (aka farts) generally means that I ate something I can’t digest! After a few challenges and isolated cheats, I know which are the worst offenders, and I avoid them. I know which foods are worth it (really GOOD ice cream) and which are not. 
2. I eat more healthy fats and vegetables. If I plan a treat ahead of time, I’ll eat EXTRA clean for the rest of the day. Often, I’ll add half an avocado and a few handfuls of spinach to my breakfast.
3. I feed my “friendlies,” the happy bacteria and organisms in my gut. When I feel a bit bloated or irritated, I try to add in some fermented food–sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt seem to help me find balance again.
4. I don’t go overboard–when I do, I immediately dread the next day. It’s easier to stop at one treat (just pizza; not beer and pizza and wings and ice cream) when I think of how awful I’m going to feel the next day. In other words, I don’t underestimate the value of NOT being hungover.
5. I try to stick to a routine–pooping shouldn’t be difficult! If I have to go, I GO, even if it’s not a convenient time or place. Holding off actually signals your body to quit working so efficiently and can cause problems down the line.

Also, for a bit more of the science behind this all, I highly recommend reading GULP, by Mary Roach. Using first-hand accounts and real studies, Roach takes readers on a journey through the alimentary canal (food in to food out).

Curious why you like crunchy foods?

Wonder how much food you can eat before you’ll actually pop?

Want to know what actually killed Elvis? (I’ll spare you the details, but he was full of shit).

Check out Roach’s interview with Jon Stewart for a sneak peek of what you’re in for:

“Gulp” author Mary Roach breaks down the process by which the body breaks down food

Have a great week!

Coach “happy poops” Heidi  

P.S. Mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss what we have coming up in October!  

Next round of MissFit starts 10/27

Our 6 week MissFit program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm and Saturday at 9am. $199 covers six weeks of workouts, accountability check ins with your coach, and tons of useful tips on building healthy habits.

For more info, visit our page:

MissFit at CrossFit Hale

Save the Date: Hale-O-Ween party Saturday, October 31st at 9am

We’ll host a morning WOD followed by a kid and family friendly party to celebrate Halloween and our 2nd anniversary. Bust out those craft supplies and get to work on your costume!!

Did you check out the podcast last week? Here’s what you missed.

Do I need to be in shape to start?

In the podcast this week, Jay shares his story of finding CrossFit and losing over 100 lbs.

Click here to find out if you’ve got what it takes.  

Workout of the Day:

Skills:
Muscle Ups/Pull Ups/Ring Dips
Wall Balls
Double Unders

WOD:
“CrossFit Games Open 15.3″

14 min AMRAP:
7 muscle ups
50 wall balls (20/14) to (10’/9′)
100 double unders

Score is number of rounds plus reps completed

Coaches’ notes:
You’ll either do muscle ups (or practice) or pull ups/ring dips (or ring rows and push ups) as a sub for the muscle ups.

We will cover muscle up drills and give you a chance to try. If you have one or two muscle ups, go for it today!

The post Weekend Forecast: Cloudy With a Chance of Disaster Pants appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

I was limping around the gym this week.

An open gym WOD that “seemed like a good idea at the time” turned into too many pistols and a whole lot of leg soreness.

Sore ass central.

Every time I ran into Mike or Lilly, we complained about sitting down and standing up like old men.

I hate it when the movements I haven’t practiced in a while come back to bite me (literally in the ass).

Or I go heavier than I usually would.

Or the simple stuff like air squats just add up!

And I end up waddling around for two days in soreness

Here are 5 things I do to feel better fast:

1. Cool down properly! Just as you wouldn’t hit a WOD hard with no warmup, you shouldn’t go from high intensity to zero in a snap. Walk it off, take some deep breaths, and wait a few minutes before flopping down in front of the fan.
2. Hulk smash: After a tough workout, spend a few extra minutes of your cooldown doing some mobility. Here are two great videos:
   1. Restore the Quads
   2. Recovering Your Overhead Shoulders
3. Hair of the dog that bit you: Sore from squats? First thing in the morning, do some nice and easy squats to loosen up the stiff muscles, and get your blood pumping to speed recovery to those areas.
4. Check your nutrition: are you getting enough protein? Amino acids and other compounds aid muscle repair and regeneration (get those gainz!). Also, consider supplementing with Omega 3s, magnesium, and zinc to help your body combat general inflammation.
5. Take a bath: throw in a handful of epsom salts (high in magnesium) and a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus are great choices) to help relax those sore muscles.

What’s up for this week:

FREE Park Workout this Sunday, September 27th, at 9am

As summer dwindles down, we figured it’s about time for another outdoor workout. We’ll meet at 9am at Albany Middle School (Cougar Field) for a beginner-friendly workout. All are welcome–members, friends, family, and those looking to try a workout for the first time.

To sign up, add yourself (and # of guests) to the sheet at the front desk or email [email protected] .

Living Better Podcast, Episode 1!

Curious to know what it’s like to get fit after a long time away? Wondering how to get your body back post-baby?

In this first episode of the LIving Better Podcast, Tina tells her story of how she struggled with her weight and bounced back to lose over 20 lbs.

Click here to hear how she did it!

Have you met Dale?!

Our 6am faithfuls know that this guy is an inspiration. That contagious smile. The positive attitude as he pushes himself day in and day out. The humble shrug when he leaves us in his dust on every running WOD…

Pushing through injury, Dale has made huge strides in his fitness both in and out of the gym.

To learn more about his journey, click here.

Workout of the Day

Skills:
Box Squats
Back Squats
Box Jumps

Workout of the Day:
Box Squats: 5-5-5-5
Back Squats: 3-3-3-3

then,

5 min AMRAP:
5 Back Squats (70% of weight above)
10 Box Jumps (24/20)

Coaches’ notes: use the box squats to prep you for the back squats.

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