Numbers That Matter

Please bear with me through the first part of this blog post, I promise it will lead to something halfway relevant to the title.  But first....


I'm sure when some of you joined, the last thing you thought part of your training would include would be Olympic/Power lifting.  Some, if not most of you, had never done a power clean, deadlift, or snatch, or maybe you hadn't even done any work with a bar before.  It was new to you, and at one point, I'm sure the majority of you were a little anxious, maybe even skeptical, about performing these movements.  Of course, we can program classes that don't involve bar work, heavy weights (relative to your strength), or no weight at all, but we do this in order to provide you with the best training and best RESULTS possible.  With proper nutrition and adequate rest, most workout regimens will provide some type of result.  However, weight training, combined with aerobic exercise has been proven to produce results much greater than each of them alone.  This is science people! 


For clarity sake, I think it is important that you understand Jason and I aren't looking to turn any of you into competitive Olympic lifters; that would be a decision better left up to you.  However, to be clear, the reason we coach the movements and warm up the progressions is so that you can safely, efficiently, and effectively perform these movements under heavy loads.  When it comes down to it, I could seriously care less who has the most weight on any of the lifts because the weights are all relative to YOUR strength and ability.  Of course I'm excited as hell when any of you reach a new PR, but the main reason we train in these movements and preach about proper nutrition and recovery is so that you get stronger.  Adding muscle and strength to your frame has countless benefits, one of which it allows you greater capacity to train.  Take Fran for example.  21-15-9 of 95# thrusters and pull-ups.  Now this is a very simplistic narrative, but stay with me here.  Say it takes you 8  minutes to complete.  Now, in six months, you've gained strength in your strict press and front squat, so that 95# seems lighter than it did six months ago, and you've gone from 8 minutes to 6.  Getting stronger allowed you to increase your capacity.  You've gotten the same amount of work done in much less time, and that is what our goal is.  The ability to perform more work in a given time domain, to move more weight over a set number of reps, or to complete the same amount of work in less time are all measurable progress, and when we can do that, our fitness level, and health, positively changes.  So, in short, we aren't performing weighted movements to turn you into meat-heads, we use bar work to increase strength, which allows you to do more work, build more muscle, burn more fat, and increase your fitness and health.  Plus, strong people are harder to kill. 


Now, back to my main point of this post.  Like I said earlier, I'm really not that concerned about who lifts the most weight.  It's cool and sexy and impressive, but what I'm seriously concerned about is your health.  Five years ago, when I began my "journey" at CrossFit Dubuque, I was seriously out of shape. I had smoked for a few years, I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and had zero motivation to do anything physical.  I made a decision to take my health seriously and to hold myself accountable for whichever way my life was going to go from then on.  Fast forward five years.  It's been a great trip so far, I've made some great friends, had tons of fun, and have been successful at turning my health around.  Remember I titled this blog post "Numbers That Matter"?  A couple weeks ago I had a blood test done just for the sake of curiosity (which I guess is really fucking weird to the nurse's when you call to schedule a blood test for no apparent reason, but whatevs).  After getting the results, I realized exactly how much training and proper nutrition had paid off.  All of my levels were good.  But of most concern to me were the cholesterol levels:


Total Cholesterol:  Less than 200 is desirable, 200-239 is borderline high risk.  My total was 113.
HDL ("Good" Cholesterol):  Less than 40 is at risk, > 60 is very good.  My total was 63
LDL ("Bad" Cholesterol):  100-129 is near/above optimal.  150-199 is borderline to high.  My level   was 35.  Actually the Doc said he had only seen it that low maybe one other time.
Triglycerides:  Less than 150 is normal, 150-199 is borderline to high.  My level was 76.


You can see by the results, the past five years of training and consistent (not constant, because you know I love me some wings and beer) nutrition habits have paid off in ways much bigger than a PR deadlift.  In five years, I feel I have somehow reversed the hands of time, or at least extended my life by a few years.  Of course I'm going to continue to train to be stronger and reach new PR's, but not because I have any delusions of being the strongest or setting any records.  I will train to become stronger, just like you will, so that I can perform better, which will allow me to increase my capacity, which in turn will positively affect my health and fitness levels, which will lead to our ultimate goal of living longer, happier lives.


If you are interested in getting your blood tested, speak with your Dr; I would encourage you to do so.  Having the knowledge of where your levels are will give us a great place to start and a year from now, will be great information to compare to.  Keep training hard in the box to get those numbers on your lifts higher, but more importantly, to get better numbers on those things that really will extend the number of your days on this earth. 


Coach Craig

YOGA SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS

Due to Coach Lindsey's upcoming wedding, the yoga schedule has been adjusted slightly for the next couple of weeks.  After these dates, classes will resume as normal on Monday and Wednesday nights at 7:15 pm.  Thank you!


Upcoming yoga classes:
January 23 (Monday)
January 25 (Wednesday)
January 30 (Monday)
February 1 (No Class)
February 6 (No Class)
February 8 (No Class, rescheduled to Feb. 9)
February 9 (Thursday)
February 13 (Monday)
February 15 (Wednesday)


All classes are still 7:15 pm, but you are welcome to come early to prepare for class. 


Also, moving forward, we will be working with Coach Lindsey and posting any yoga cancellations on our Facebook page.  These classes are also posted on our WODHOPPER gym software, so if you want to add that shortcut to your phone, please let us know and we can set you up!  And, as always, these classes are open to everyone, so please bring a friend - the more the merrier!


Thank you,
Craig and Jason

Fitness Classes Beginning Jan. 31!

Beginning January 31, CrossFit Galena will be adding fitness classes to the schedule.  Fitness classes will be held at 5:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These classes will consist of a warm-up, workout, and a cool-down and will concentrate on full body/body weight movements, interval training, sprinting/short distance running, rowing, and core strengthening movements, designed to raise overall fitness and health, without using barbells or Olympic lifting movements. 


Group fitness classes will be led by one of our knowledgeable coaches, who will instruct the class on movements and form so that the workouts can be performed safely and effectively.  These classes are designed for everyone and can be scaled to meet any individual needs.  But more than that, our group fitness classes are meant to increase your health and fitness in a fun, motivating, and supportive atmosphere! 


Fitness class prices are $65 a month OR $50 a month with a three month commitment.  Again, these classes will be held four times per week; Tuesday and Thursday at 5:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. 


For more information or to schedule your free consultation and assessment, please click here, or email Jason and Craig at cfg@crossfitgalena.com 


**We are offering a free fitness class on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 9:00 a.m. for anyone who would like to check out our facility, class structure, and get a great workout in!**

Latest PR's - Great work!

Hang Clean/Squat Clean Complex
Alex Scheetz- 95#


Hang Power Clean (3 rep max)
Brett Shutts - 185#
Tracy Berning - 115#
Chad Heidenreich - 175#
Nick Haskin - 165#
John Meyerhofer - 145#
Bob Freiburger - 245#
Evan Berning - 185#
Alex Scheetz - 105#


Deadlift 1RM
John Meyerhofer - 355#


Deadlift x3
Matt Blaum - 345#


Squat Clean 1RM
Scott Wernet - 215#


Thruster x3
Brett Shutts - 195#


Bench Press x3
Scott Wernet - 205#


Unbroken Toes to Bar
Dan LaFrancois - 40


Overhead Squat 1RM
Jesse Gleason - 165#
Jason Gonzalez - 285#


2,000 meter row
Craig Ketelsen - 6:49

A Healthier You in 2017!

What better way to start the new year than with a commitment to ourselves to pursue a healthier lifestyle.  At CrossFit Galena, we are committed to helping you reach your health and fitness goals through our expert programming, nutrition counseling, and a community of like-minded, motivated, and inspiring athlete members.  We take care of the details, you just show up and put in the work!

Now before you say “I can’t do CrossFit” or “I’ll try CrossFit after I get in shape”, let me explain the difference between CrossFit as a sport and CrossFit as a fitness regimen.  I’m sure some of you have seen YouTube videos of CrossFit athletes or watched the CrossFit Games on TV, showcasing the world’s best athletes COMPETING against each other.  These events are created to test the athletes to determine the “fittest on earth”, and are a far cry from what we actually do day in and day out at CrossFit boxes all over the world.  CrossFit, as a fitness regimen, isn’t about “testing” an individual, but rather increasing a single individual’s level of health and fitness.  Each workout is scalable to the member’s ability and level of fitness.  CrossFit® describes itself as “universally scalable” as they have identified that the needs of an Olympic athlete and the needs of our grandparents differ in degree, not kind.  What this means is that we all have movements in our daily lives that we need to perform in order to live a longer, more independent life.  Whether that be a squat (sitting down or getting up from a chair), deadlifting (picking up an item from the ground) or a press (putting that item on a shelf), we all perform these functional movements every day.  And, our population at CrossFit Galena is no different than any other CrossFit box around the world.  We have 20 somethings and 60 somethings, people who have been working out for years, and people who just started their fitness journey, people whose professions range from public service, to sales, to daycare, to business owners and everything in between.  My point is that CrossFit is for anyone and everyone who wants to make a positive change in their lives.

All of our classes at CrossFit Galena are coach led, usually at a coach to athlete ratio of 1:10 or less, which allows you to receive individual attention when needed.  The coaches will lead you through a proper warm-up and workout, not only telling you what to do, but actually instructing you on the movements and how to properly and safely perform them.  All of our coaches hold at least a Level 1 Instructor certificate, among other endorsements.  Our workouts are expertly written meant to increase our capacity in the 10 fitness domains: Cardio/Respiratory Endurance, Strength, Stamina, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Accuracy, and Balance.  We also offer nutrition counseling for those of you who need the extra help in identifying what foods, and the proper amounts of foods, you should be consuming. 

At CrossFit Galena, we believe that a healthy lifestyle should be sustainable.  We believe that fitness is a lifelong journey, not a six week boot camp.  We believe that your fitness program should be an all-inclusive plan, not just some random workout that makes you sweat.  We believe your nutrition should contain real, whole foods, not two shakes and a sensible dinner.  We believe that progress and success comes from commitment and hard work, not some magic pill.  And we believe in our members, because we see just how hard they work and how committed they are to reaching their goals. 

To schedule your free consultation and assessment, please contact Craig or Jason at cfg@crossfitgalena.com, leave us a message on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/galenacrossfit/ , or fill out a contact form on our website www.crossfitgalena.com 

A Little Bit of Everything

I wanted to get a post out to everyone just to keep you all in the loop and let you know what's going here at CFG.  I will apologize ahead of time if the topics of this post are random and in no logical order; but hey, it's information people!


First, let me start of by saying 2016 has been a great year.  I know I say it a lot and it may be pretty cliché by now, but Jason and I are tremendously proud of all of the athletes at CFG and the community we've built together.  Thank you for making this commitment to yourself and allowing us to be a part of your journey.  With our families, our full time jobs and responsibilities, it's sometimes hard for us to spend as much time doing things with the group as we'd like, but I want you to know, we appreciate you and the time you have put in to making positive changes for yourself.  You'll never know how much your success means to us!


Speaking of positive changes, we will be making some changes in the near future that we feel will be a step in the right direction as we move forward.  I don't want to get into specifics just yet, but just know that Jason and I are always contemplating ways on how to improve our service to you.  Also, we will be adding another coach in the very near future.


Remember, the competition with Rx Fitness and Jacked in the Box Fitness is Jan. 28 in Elizabeth.  This is a two person, same sex, team competition.  Grab a partner and get signed up!  Everyone will be able to compete, so don't use the excuse that you can't do the movements.  Get outside your comfort zone and do this; you'll be glad you did!


Finally, remember, CFG is your place.  Let us know how you feel, what improvements we could make, and how we can help you reach your fitness goals.  I'm excited for the new year and what it will bring us.  Keep your eye on the prize and stay committed to making yourself the best you can be.  And when things get hard and we lose perspective on why we do what we do (because let's face it, life happens) please talk to us, let us know what's going on, and most importantly, what we can do to help.  See you at the box.   


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Craig

**ANNOUNCEMENTS**

YOGA


Don't forget yoga is starting Monday, Nov. 28 at 7:15 p.m. and will run every Monday and Wednesday at this time.  Depending on interest, more class times may be available. You can let us know if you're coming by commenting on this post, or just show up.  This class is being instructed by Lindsey May and is open to everyone, whether you are a member of CrossFit Galena or not.  Cost is $12/class or 5 classes (punch card) for $50.  CFG members pricing will be $8/class or 5 classes for $35.  Yoga mats are recommended.  If you don't have one, there will be a few mats for you to use ($1).   Hope to see a lot of you there! 


COMPETITION


We, along with Jack'd in the Box Fitness (Elizabeth) and RX Fitness (Stockton), will be holding a competition on January 28, 2017, in Elizabeth, IL, at Jack'd in the Box Fitness, located in the old school next to the antique mall.  The competition will be two person, same sex teams.  I don't believe there will be an RX or Scaled division; all teams will do the same workouts, but will be flighted after the first WOD.  Spots will be limited - max 15 teams in each division.  There will be an entry fee, but we have not decided on that yet.  More details to come, but start getting your partners and let us know if you are interested.  I will keep a list of teams for CFG.  Hope all of you seriously consider taking part in this, you definitely won't regret it! 


Coach Craig