Driven Nutrition Supplements Are Coming!

CrossFit Galena is excited to announce that we are now an authorized Driven Nutrition affiliate.  We strive to offer our athletes the best supplements and products available, and we believe Driven Nutrition is going to be a great addition to our line-up!  Also, Driven Nutrition products can only be purchased form their website, or at an authorized CrossFit Affiliate.  Although we won't be carrying every product that Driven offers, we will be carrying a large percentage of their products.  We will also be selling these supplements below website pricing, so if there's something you would like to see, let us know and we'll get it in!

Products we will initially be stocking include:

Driven Whey Grass Fed Whey Protein:  Driven Whey is a premium grade Grass Fed Whey protein blend loaded with muscle-building amino acids. It is designed specifically for individuals looking for the highest quality protein, which is vital to build and maintain lean body mass.  Driven Whey  is packed with 23 grams of protein per serving and is rich in all the needed branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). An advanced amino acid profile provides the perfect form of Essential, Non-Essential, and Conditionally Essential amino acids that your body requires for optimum protein synthesis. This combination is ideal for helping you meet your daily protein requirements, and perfect for building and fueling new muscle growth and recovery. Driven Whey is formulated without additives or fillers, and is instantized for greater absorption and bio-availability. Including a quality whey protein blend before and after training will enable your muscles to repair and rebuild more quickly which will help you see improved physical performance and increased lean body mass.*  Initial order will include Vanilla, Chocolate Milkshake, and Cinnamon Roll. 

PreWod PreWorkout:  Train with maximum concentration and drive in every workout. PreWod adds energy and intensity to every workout you set out to conquer. Never again feel tired as your training drains your energy. PreWod will bring the drive deep into the most brutal workout. Designed to create massive energy, PreWod delivers maximum blood flow, oxygenation and nutrient delivery to working muscle tissue. Win the war against the weights, be Driven to meet the challenge of every workout.  Initial order will include Cherry Lime flavor.

DYSRUPT:  DYSRUPT™ combines a powerful ratio of rapidly absorbed Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and natural energizers to help you reach your next level. We created this strategic blend of BCAAs and caffeine to effectively boost energy and support muscle growth during even the most intense workout sessions.  With zero calories per serving, DYSRUPT™ will make a big impression without denting your diet. Mix up a serving anytime you want to dial-up your mental focus, physical energy and recovery support.  Initial order will include Berry Bash flavor. 

Doc Spartan Combat Ready Ointment:  Life is a contact sport and war wounds are apart of the game. Doc Spartan’s Combat Ready Ointment is the no BS, all natural, first aid ointment that gets you back to doing what you love. It smells great and gets the job done.  Our proprietary formula utilizes nature’s best ingredients to comfort and soothe all of your first aid needs. It contains Organic naturally refined coconut oil, 100% Beeswax, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E, Lavender Essential Oil, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, and Tea Tree Essential Oil.

These great new products should be at the box on Wednesday, Oct. 19, so be sure to check these out, ask questions, and let us know what you think! 

If you would like to order directly from the Driven Nutrition website, please use this link, as it is specific to CrossFit Galena.  Or, if you see something on the website that you'd like, let us know and we'll throw it in with the next order!

SCALING v. RX


I believe there is a big difference between being taught a lesson and learning a lesson.  Anyone can sit in a classroom, read a text book, listen to a lecture, etc., and be "taught" the who, what, where, when, and why about a subject.  But until someone actually experiences those lessons for themselves, I would argue that they haven't really "learned" the lesson.  But, I digress.....


In CrossFit, scaling is an absolute necessity for all athletes.  And I say all because I would argue that even the Games athletes, the "fittest on earth" have scaled workouts during their training.  But for some reason, the word "scale" has a very negative connotation in the minds of CrossFitters all over the world.  So many athletes associate "scaled" with "less than" or "not as good as". But that could not be further from the truth.  And I don't think the athletes from our little slice of heaven here at CFG are any different. 


So, maybe we need to look at this a different way.  You see, for programming, there has to be an "RX", otherwise we wouldn't know where to adjust from.  The RX programming is written with the most elite athlete in mind and what type of a response that workout should illicit from that athlete's body.  However, this "RX" is not the end all, be all, to measure your athletic abilities and level of fitness.  Scaling is simply taking the WOD that is programmed and adjusting it to fit each athlete’s ability and skill level for that day in order to illicit a response that will produce gains.  That's it.  And in order to progress and succeed in our fitness journey and personal goals, we need to be smart about our workouts and view scaling, or adjusting, as a necessary part of our success.  There is no shame in scaling; in fact, in my opinion, scaling a workout is smart business and it shows me, as a coach, that an athlete has put aside their ego and is serious about getting better.  But, again I digress....


Here is an example of what I'm talking about.  A real life example that actually happened.  To me.  Today.  And let me preface this by saying I've obviously scaled workouts before, especially those workouts with muscle ups, handstand push-ups, heavy overhead work, etc., but mainly because I simply could not do those movements.  Now, today, today was different.


I felt ok this morning, but had had a chest cold or something for the past couple of days.  Nothing big, just not breathing the greatest.  I got to the box, got some mobility in, then rowed 500 meters, which honestly felt like 1000.  Strength component today was 3-3-3-3-3 push press, building each round.  Seriously, I'm winded after three reps!?  Whatever, I'm fine.  Then, set up for the WOD.  It's really nothing crazy difficult for me: 4 Rounds for Time of 10 shoulder to overhead at 115#, 40 double unders, 10 hang power cleans at 115#, and 40 double unders.  The weight isn't normally heavy for me and I am usually pretty ok with the doubles, on a good day.  But knowing I'm not feeling the greatest today, the right answer is to scale this workout in some fashion by either lowering the weight, lowering the reps, both, or seriously, just packing it up, get some good nutrition and rest, and hit it tomorrow.  But of course I put the 115# on the bar and 3, 2, 1, go....


17:30 something.  17:30 something on a workout that should've taken me much less time than that.  What did I accomplish?  Absolutely nothing, except I wore myself out.  At 17:30 something, I did not illicit a response from my body, I did not increase my work capacity, I did not succeed in making progress today.  I simply did a lot of work with no real return on my investment.  Why?  Because I didn't scale.  Because I didn't listen to my body today.  Because I "always" use 115#.  Because, because, because. 


And, just some quick math for you to show you how beneficial scaling is.  We all know that power is defined as force x distance / time.  I know I'm not accounting for the double unders, but figuring all things are equal, my power output for this workout at 17:30 was around 8.76 (80 reps x 115 / 1050 seconds).  Now, had I scaled that weight to 95 pounds and maybe I would shave a minute off of my rounds, that gives me a power output of 9.38 (80 x 95 / 810 seconds).  I would have actually had more power output by scaling the weight 20 lbs.  I would have actually made progress today, had I scaled.  And that is what I'm trying to convey to you; scaling isn't a "less than" option.  Scaling is simply adjusting in order to help you increase your fitness level and reach the goals you have set for yourself.  It is a necessity for progress.  Here is a great short article written by CrossFit athlete Erica Saint Clair that sums it up. 


So now, after writing this post and looking back on today, I guess my time at the box wasn't wasted.  I finally learned the lesson I have been trying to teach. 


Have a great day everyone.  See you at the box!


Coach Craig