CFA Athlete Profile

Each month we will be featuring one of our awesome CFA athletes here and finding out what makes CrossFit Ampthill such a special place to train.

Name: Laura Rolland

Age: 28

Occupation: Project Administrator

Home town: Flitton (at the moment but Pulloxhill as heart)

Started CrossFit in: May 2014

Favorite WOD: Hmmm…can’t think of a WOD I like as such but rowing always goes down quite well (even if I do cheat because of my height!).

Biggest achievement so far:  Losing four stone (although, for a serial yo-yo dieter, keeping it off will be the bigger achievement).

Describe yourself in 3 words… creative, compassionate and genuine

Tell us about your sport and fitness background  Sporadic. I’m a bit all or nothing. I’ll get obsessed with something for a few months (gym, bootcamp, running) and then give up. Hopefully Crossfit is a keeper…6 / 7months is a new record anyway.

What are your goals? Initially to lose weight but now to keep momentum as I feel so much more healthy and happy

Your biggest GOAT (thing you find difficult) Running – which is weird because I used to really enjoy it.

What are your hobbies, interest, talents outside of CrossFit? Not very rock n’ roll but reading, spending time with my family, drawing, singing (although not in public!) and watching films.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on CrossFit that were unexpected? Getting up early – I have always HATED it (ask my poor family!) but now I’m up at 5:30 almost every weekday morning for the 6:00am class.

Please share your favorite CFA moment  Rowing the 5k and being able to sustain a time per 500m that I couldn’t manage for a couple of minutes when I first started.

Any advice for people just starting out? Keep going…starting is always the hardest part but there’s nothing quite like that feeling of knocking minutes of your Jackie time

Complete the sentence: I love CrossFit and training at CFA because… it has helped me out of a dieting / fitness rut that was making me miserable! I couldn’t do it without all the lovely CFA members cheering me on (especially on those occasions where I’m running into the box several minutes after everyone else AGAIN) and of course our amazing coaches for their endless courage, support and patience. THANK YOU everyone x

Welcome to the nest!

A warm welcome to Nat who completed her on ramp programme today! 

She is remaining elusive so far due to a camera failure (or she may possibly be a photo ninja) but we will be sure to take plenty of photos of her when she is next in the box. So for now here's the PB board that's filling up nicely! 

Welcome to the nest Nat! 

Welcome to the nest!

Please welcome two more on ramp graduates Sian and Kelly who have smashed their way through the 12 sessions.  Sian completed her baseline with the quickest time in the history of the Crossfit Ampthill and Kelly took a massive 7 minutes off of hers which is the biggest reduction in time to date. 

These ladies are going to be amazing so make sure you give them a high five the next time you see them at the box. 

Welcome to the nest!

Smash the On Ramp...ring the PR bell...get the girl...

...all in a night's work for our man Wes.

Having recently taken time out of training with pneumonia, Wes came back swinging last night,  taking over 2 minutes off of his baseline time (and throwing in some nice looking deadlifts); showing exactly what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.
Recent On Ramp graduate Tracey was on hand to congratulate him and show him the CFA community spirit in effect.

We can not wait to see what Wes is capable of at full health as he joins us in our WOD classes soon.

Welcome to the nest!

Welcome to the nest...

...Andy and Jamie. Collectively, this dynamic duo have smashed their way through our On Ramp program, collectively taking 8 minutes off of their baseline times!

We are looking forward to seeing you in our WOD classes soon - well done!

Smash that on ramp. Ring that bell. Welcome to the nest.

Smashing their way through the on ramps this month, we welcome Jackie, Lindsey and Kate. 

After working hard throughout the 12 sessions, they have all improved their baseline times earning the right to ring that PR bell! 

We look forward to seeing you all in regular classes soon...welcome to the nest! 

CrossFit Ampthill coaches to do 24 "girls" in 24 hours in the name of charity...

...YES you read that correctly...

On Saturday 13th December, 09:00, CrossFit Ampthill coaches Matt Scott and Ben Rookwood aim to take on 24 of CrossFit's most challenging WODs in 24 hours.

The workouts chosen are the infamous "girls" - benchmark WODs so tough that CrossFit founder Greg Glassman proclaimed "anything that leaves you flat on your back, staring up at the sky asking what the Hell happened- deserves a girl’s name”.

This challenge will be completed in order to raise funds and donations for local charity NOAH Enterprise (New Opportunities and Horizons).

NOAH is a Luton-based charity offering hope and support to people struggling against homelessness and exclusion and provides a practical, empowering and caring service through; 

• Welfare; providing food, clothing, medical and dental care, outreach support and specific advice on accessing accommodation and income support
• Running training courses in basic and life skills and employable crafts
• Providing the opportunity for people who are long term unemployed to gain work experience and training in employable skills

To find out more about the great work NOAH is involved in, please visit their website here.

How YOU can get involved

1. Join Matt and Ben in one (or more) of their WODs in exchange for a donation (collection available at the box)...

• To participate in 1 x WOD: £10 donation
• To participate in a second WOD: Additional £5 donation
• Each WOD thereafter: £1 per WOD

2. Make a cash donation...

• Collection tins for cash available at the box (in the office)

3. Donate pre-loved and essential items in the containers at the box...

• Winter items such as; coats, jackets hats, scarves and gloves
• Toiletries such as; razors and shaving kits, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, shampoo and hand cream
•  Clean towels, blankets and face cloths. 

4. Come to the box to show the guys your support

October 2014 at The Nest

Its been another awesome month here at CrossFit Ampthill!  We have welcomed 7 new recruits to the team having completed their On Ramp programme.  Make sure to say hi to Scott, Richie, Anthony, Zoe, Claire, Paul and Tracey when they are next at the box.  Supple Sundays with Kirstie Wilkins came to the box and showed members the way to become supple leopards.  We have had some epic WOD’s including a brutal 35min AMRAP to celebrate the Royal Marines 350^th Birthday, a 5K row with a 25min time cap and quite a few birthday burpees.  Outside the nest has been just as busy with our very own Carla smashing a 2 hour half marathon in London and coaches Ben and Matty H competing in the Super Human Games. 

 

 

There are lots of exciting things planned for November so make sure you show up and make it count! 

 

The CrossFit Ampthill monthly newsletter  for November can be seen here

Weightlifting weekend

Last weekend, CrossFit Ampthill coaches Matt, Ben and Matty H headed up to CrossFit 3D in Manchester for the CrossFit Weightlifting Trainer course.

In the company of 66 other coaches from all over Europe, we were put through our paces by Beau Burgener son of legendary Senior USA weightlifting coach Mike Burgener. It was obvious from Beau's passion for teaching others about the sport that he is a real chip off the old block and weightlifting is literally coursing through his veins.

Supported by other trainers and athletes hand picked from top weightlifting clubs and Gyms globally, we learned a vast amount of warmup drills, accessory movements and techniques to improve our coaching (and performance) of the snatch and clean and jerk...we even smashed a PR or two ourselves this weekend! 

We are excited to put into practice what we have learned at the nest soon, and help take our own athletes to the next level. 

Welcome to the nest

Great work from Scott who smashed a huge 4 minutes off his baseline time! Make sure you say hello and well done to him when you next see him at the box 

Movement and mobility class returns to the nest this Sunday

Get past your sticking points. Safeguard your body against injury. Perform BETTER.

Mobility can be the most overlooked aspect of CrossFit and arguably the most important.

Day after day we put our bodies through the grind of the workout of the day (WOD), and although we take the time to thoroughly warm-up, mobilise and cool down each and every training session, sometimes we need to take a bigger step back and give our bodies a little more TLC.

This Sunday, 26th October @ 11am we will be offering a specialist movement and mobility session with CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and Level 4 Sports Massage Therapist, Kirstie Wilkins.

In these sessions you will learn how to perform basic maintenance on yourself using a variety of stretching, rolling and movement techniques that will help you get the most out of your CrossFit training and life in general.

Sign up on Teamup, and if you have any questions for Kirstie in the meantime feel free to chat to her when she is in the box next, or email at kirstiewilkinspt@googlemail.com. 

Our half marathon hero

Well done Carla Rookwood, smashing her way through the Royal Parks half marathon in London today. Finishing with an impressive time of 2 hours, Carla has proven that all that hard work and dedication to CrossFit is totally worth it. As that first marathon gets ever closer, we look forward to sharing in Carla's continued training at the box and success in "the field", keep it up! #inspiring #proud #community

Run Carla Run...

Tomorrow our very own Carla Rookwood will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in preparation for the London Marathon in April 2015. She will be running 13.1 miles with over 16,000 others from 32 countries in central London.  

Good Luck from everyone at the nest! 

Happy graduation day...

...RICHIE, smashing his way through the On Ramp and taking more than 2 minutes off of his baseline time...great hustle! We look forward to welcoming him to WOD classes soon. #WelcomeToTheNest 

Meet the Superhumans...

This Sunday, 4th October in Bristol; CrossFit Ampthill coaches Ben Rookwood, Matt Hollingdale and Kirstie Wilkins and CFA athlete Joanna Hollingdale joined forces with friends from CrossFit LGC to compete in the Superhuman Games.

The Superhuman Games is a competition designed to put the fitness, endurance and mental toughness  of same sex pairs to the test across 5 x 20 minute rounds.

This year's event included;

1. The Unconventional Beast: 180kg Tyre flip
2. Brutal 500: Bar-hop burpees and Thrusters (35kg/20kg)
3. The Drill Sergeant (team relay): 400m Obstacle Course
4. Strength and Honour: Deadlifts (100kg/65kg) and Farmers Walks (35kg/20kg each hand).
5. V02 Max: "Bleep" Test (16m/14m)

The event saw competitors from CrossFit boxes, gyms and bootcamps from all over the country - with a healthy balance of competition and camaraderie on show throughout the whole day.

In June, 2015, the event will return once again to Bristol, where we hope to see some more of our athletes from the nest out there competing and putting their new found fitness to the test.

Joining our WOD classes soon...

Meet Anthony, Zoe and Claire, our latest On Rampers to graduate. They have shown a lot of hard work and commitment over the last few weeks and are ready to get their WOD on! Make them feel very welcome when you see them in the box next. #WelcomeToTheNest

Welcome to the nest...

...Paul - our latest athlete to show our "On Ramp" program who's boss and primed to join our WOD classes soon. Be sure to make  him feel very welcome when you see him at the box next! If like Paul you want to find out what CrossFit is all about, please get in touch we would love to hear from you! 

Meet our latest On Ramp graduate

Meet Tracey, our latest athlete to smash through the On Ramp, posing here with her new friends from the 8pm class. In just 12 sessions she has come a long way, showing great determination and taking the time in even the grittiest workouts to flash her coaches a smile. Say a big hello when you see her in class next, welcome to the nest Tracey! #community #pride 

After a few late entries the scores and Jackie times are in. Well done to all that participated. I hope you have reaped the benefits of the challenge.
The overall winner is laura Rolland congratulations!
Best male, Mark Hodgson .
Best Female, Hayley Sammons
best buddies, Steve Fowler and Danny Thompson.

Prizes are available from Tuesday night.

Smashing the 'on ramp'

No magic pills, no machines. just hard graft and a decent diet. fantastic work, laura. #proud — with Laura Rolland.

CFA goes international

Nice having Pete in this morning for the team WOD. and a nice message from his box in Hong Kong.#community

Lee 'Riggers' Rigby Mermorial Hero WOD

Awesome effort on the Lee 'Riggers' Rigby HERO WOD. 1 year on....We will remember them...

Lee Rigby, a British soldier age 25, Was wednesday afternoon May 22nd brutally murdered in the Streets of London, for absolutely no reason at all.

To honour him, all cross fitters willing to support, Will perform a memorial WOD on saturday May 25th, in each of our local CrossFit boxes. Please spread the word and "attend" if you and your box wants to join in.

Lee Rigby RIP

"Lee "Riggers" Rigby"
For time:
22 cal row
25 squat cleans 95/65lbs (42.5/30kg)
22 Double unders
25 Burpee over bar
22 Double unders
25 Pushpress 95/65 (42.5/30kg)
22 Double unders
25 Pullups
22 cal row