Love your body and what it can do

It's Valentine's Day, a day synonymous with hearts, flowers and gestures of love and affection toward our nearest and dearest.

On this Valentine's Day, my call to action for our community at CrossFit Ampthill, is to place that spotlight even closer to home and to celebrate love for themselves and the achievements they have made since beginning their fitness journey; in short, celebrating what their bodies can do.

Body image, is a hot topic in the media right now; in the last week, we have seen two very high profile examples where women at the top of their game have come under scrutiny from internet trolls regarding the way they look.

The most high profile of these cases, was the incredible Lady Gaga. I think it is fair to say, that Lady Gaga's spectacular performance at Super Bowl 51 last week was an integral part of what made the event so historic. I would go as far to say that the halftime show was as jaw-dropping as Brady and co's comeback later in the game...I mean, how could you watch that performance and not feel pumped coming in to the second half!?

As a fitness coach (with precisely zero singing, acting or dancing ability) watching Gaga's performance, I was in awe of her choreography and how she was able to maintain an intense, captivating performance for the duration - I'm no expert and nor do I profess to be a Gaga fan, but I'm pretty sure every note she hit was intentional and flawless and I can only imagine what level of conditioning she needed to be in to pull off such a show.

It was a shame to hear, waking up from the excitement of the Super Bowl, that Lady G had come under fire from internet trolls some of whom insinuating that she looked "fat" in some of her costumes. I can only reasonably assume that there was something wrong with the dimensions of these viewers' televisions; because it seemed to me that the stunning performer I was watching looked fit, healthy and at the top of her game!Body image aside, I was totally in awe of what Gaga could actually do with her body on stage, from her aerial descent at the start of the show right through to her epic catch at the end (only just pipped by Julian Edelman's for reception of the night), she was an inspiration.

In the CrossFit world, one of our superstars also came under fire this last week from trolls, this time from within the turbulent word of online dating.

Emily Abbott, a top 10 competitor in the CrossFit Games, received criticism on a dating site for looking too "masculine". For anyone not familiar with Emily Abbott, she is a phenomenal athlete who is among the most capable human beings on the planet...to qualify for the CrossFit Games, you have to be on another level...to finish top 10 is practically superhuman. In terms of celebrating what the human body is truly capable of, you just have to watch highlights of Emily and other athletes at her level go about their ritual of daily training and their performances at the CrossFit Games. How these athletes move seamlessly from complex gymnastic movements to highly technical olympic lifts is extraordinary, it is quite literally poetry in motion and the epitome of beauty.

I respect the fact that Emily Abbott, through her Instagram, stood up for herself and all the women around the world who participate in fitness pursuits, in light of the abuse she received and used her status to reinforce the message that 'yes" - you can be strong, you can be athletic, you can be feminine and you can be beautiful.  Over all, Emily and her counterparts advocate rising above what others may think or may say about you; and celebrate what you are capable of and what you have worked so hard to build.

At CrossFit Ampthill, we acknowledge that most people, when they come through our doors for the first time, do so, with goals related to their body image. Most commonly we hear about people wishing to lose weight (which usually means reducing body fat) or people wishing to tone up (build muscle). We know that the stories in the media highlighted this week by Lady Gaga and Emily Abbott are relatable to most people we work with, and therefore supporting people through these issues is very much our vocation.

On a day to day basis we tell our clients to celebrate their small victories...to worry less about the scales and more about their progress on the whiteboard, to ring that PB bell whenever they master a new movement or achieve a weightlifting benchmark and to support each other in doing so.

Currently our members are taking part in a 28 day nutrition and wellness challenge in preparation for the CrossFit Open. As part of this challenge, our members are thinking about what they are eating each day in order to support their own individual body composition goals, however, a bigger emphasis is being placed on what they are actually achieving in the box as a result of increased nutrition and wellness awareness.

This week, as part of their challenge, our members, are encouraged to think about what they have learned to love about their bodies, or themselves generally, since taking up CrossFit, and we have set them a challenge to share their experiences via social media. It could be a photograph showing off something they can now do, that they never thought was possible before; perhaps their first pull-up, their first 5km run or their first handstand. It could be a 'before" and "after" photo that demonstrates the changes they have made in their bodies or simply a testimonial to describe how they're mindset may have developed.

Either way, this week is about "loving the skin you're in" , celebrating what your body can do and how far you've traveled.

If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, we can offer so much more than CrossFit, with personal training, nutritional coaching and goal-setting appointments with qualified and compassionate Coaches and an inclusive and supportive community around to help you;  it all starts with a "no sweat consultation" which you can book with one of our team here.

Meet our members - "Big Gav" Coleman

"I'd been watching ‘Youtube’ videos of CrossFit and wanted to try it. I thought the nearest box was in Bedford, but one day I idly Googled 'CrossFit Ampthill' and the box appeared. I did arrange a taster session, but commitments meant I couldn't go - poor Meg had to try it out first! 

My first impression was of a very spartan place. Lots of pull up bars and barbells...and the smell of honesty workouts! There's still the smell, but what's really great is the members. It's a real community.

I'd been trying to get a Rope climb for ages and finally nailed it 4 days ago. Even managed 2 climbs during the workout! I love that sense of achievement. I remember my first real milestone was being able to get down to a full squat snatch. Im still chasing those elusive Double-unders and would also love to be able to kick up to handstand. There’s time."

If you are inspired by Gav's experience, remember every Rope climb or double under starts with that first step through our front door. If you would like to find out more about CrossFit or our personal training packages our team would love to meet you for a 'no sweat introduction' which you can book with us here. 

Double the trouble or double the love?

Following on from Coach Cath's Double under Skill Clinic last Saturday, Cath takes the time out to reflect on her own journey towards nailing what for many a CrossFitter is on of the most frustrating skills to master...

Early 2013 pre-crossfit... a training session with Matt (Scott, owner of CFA), first part of the warm up - 1 minutes skipping (singles)!  60 seconds worth of singles for me now would be a stroll in the park! 60 seconds back then almost killed me.  I was out of breath, my calves were cramping and I would trip up countless times!  Eventually I got to the point I was ecstatic at making it through the 60.s without keeling over! Roll on a month or so and I could go for 60+ seconds of singles without my lungs screaming, or me needing to break out of necessity!  A trip up however – that’s 3 push ups please!  On top of that, the time was up to 2 and eventually 3 minutes (that’s a lot of push ups)!!  

Anyway, the story here being I didn’t move on to double unders until I had really nailed singles consistently and with good form.

Next up - double unders!  Errr.... double what?  I didn’t know there was such a thing.  The amount of practice I put in trying to get my first double under was crazy but I got there in the end, and i’m pretty sure I told everyone about it too!  Then came working on stringing them together... it felt like I was back to square one, endless amounts of 3 singles to 1 double repeated over and over... break or trip – 3 push ups please!  

I was also a donkey kicker and extremely aware that I was doing it too, which is probably what frustrated me the most... not only did I know my legs should be straight but it was also the main reason I’d have to endure the endless amounts of lashes on my arms, legs and ends of my toes, usually followed by a stroppy rope throw and stopping of my feet!!  But I got there through practice, determination and time... it was almost like someone flicked a switch and it all just fell in to place!! 

I know sometimes when you’re in class and you watch people doing double unders (or any other movement for that matter) with what looks like ease and you think how can they do it so easily and I can’t... just remember that they haven’t rocked up, picked up a rope and got double unders after a few session or 15 minutes of practice, 9 times out of 10 they will have been through just as much frustration as you, they will have tripped and whipped themselves many a time before mastering the skill – everyone at some point has started from scratch and been in your position, you just haven’t been there to witness it.   

So stick with it guys, try, try and try again!  

There are a million cheesy quotes out there I could use but as long as you believe in yourself and don’t quit trying then you’re on the right path.

Cath

Why you should enter the Open...

I’ve just signed up for the Great North Run. It’s been on my “Sh*t to do before I'm 30” list, (which has now become my “Sh*t to do before I'm 40” list). I can run a half marathon anytime I like just put on my shoes, grab the dog, and time myself for 13.1 miles. But that’s not the same as signing up for an event. We are social: belonging and connection are basic human needs. Do I think I’m going to win it? No, I just want to complete it and enjoy the atmosphere (and maybe half a Brown Ale or two). The point is, doing these things with others counts. Buying in counts. This is one reason why we register for challenges of this kind.

More than 250,000 people from around the globe registered for “The CrossFit Open” last year making it the largest CrossFit community event of the season! What makes “The Open” particularly special is that it ties together friends from within the same gym, the country and the whole world. 

The Open is INCLUSIVE and welcomes anyone from 14 to 100 years old. All you need to do is sign up, and enter a score each week. Open workouts, like class workouts, are scaleable and are a celebration of the graft you’ve put in over the last 12 months. You may not make that person declared the fittest on earth at the end of it, and no one expects that of you, to but for those 5 weeks, you will be part of something truly inspirational. 

The first year I participated in the Open, I learned a lot about myself. Mid way through the thrusters, I was in that now familiar dark place and considering my life choices. 

There I was, a Commando trained soldier, supposedly in peak physical fitness, nearly reduced to near tears by a barbell. Spurred on by the other athletes (who had all finished by the way) I dug a little deeper and got it finished. I sucked, but the high fives and fist pumps still rained down and that post WOD euphoria and sense of achievement kicked in. 

I got through it. I didn’t quit. My initial “Open” experience highlighted some serious weakness’ in my fitness, in my training and gave my ego a huge kick in the nuts. It gave me a lot of things to work on for following year. 

Twelve months later, and every year since, those ’thrusters’ reared their ugly head again and guess what….. I still sucked…. but nowhere near as much as I did as the year before.

Be accountable, be a part of something challenge yourself. It’s OPEN SEASON.

On Saturday morning at 10.30, there will be a more in depth explanation of how the Open will run at CFA and how you can get involved. 

Are you ready for the Open?

At CrossFit Ampthill we’re building up to the Open in a big way this year. It’s going to be a lot of fun and you should definitely be getting involved.  The Open is a time of firsts and pushing yourself to do more than you thought you could. You’ll definitely surprise yourself.  

In our normal day to day training, we’ll scale to the point that we’re achieving the desired training stimulus for that session. No one cares what scaling options or weight you used for that workout we did that one time on the 6th May; it’s all about working at the right intensity and time frame to get the effect we want. The Open is different. It’s a chance to have a go at things you wouldn’t normally, without the worry of not hitting the workout the way you should. 

If 16.2 comes up (25 toes-to-bar, 50 double unders and 15 squat cleans) and you’ve never done toes-to-bar in a workout and can only get one or two double unders together, don’t necessarily jump straight for the scaled version. Even if you only manage to get one toes-to-bar in the whole workout, you’ll feel great for managing it and you’ll also automatically be scored higher than someone who did the scaled version (even if they got 20 rounds). It’s not about aiming for a certain number of rounds, it’s just pushing as much out of yourself as you can, whether that’s 5 reps or 500 reps.  

For some people, entering the scaled division is equally, going to be a big step up, forcing you to try weights you’d never normally lift. Again even if you only get a couple of reps because you’ve never put 20kg above your head before, you still accomplished it and that is amazing. It’s testing, not training. A chance to see what we’re really capable of.     

With this in mind, we want everyone to be able to shoot for more than you’ve done before in this years open, so we’re organising some workshops to help you get there. The open kicks off on 23rd February – so there’s plenty of time to get working on some new skills or improving our strength. If, with a bit of work in the lead up you can manage one or two reps of a new movement, you’ll be putting yourself in a great position to have a fun and motivating open season, as well as the chance of scoring more points for your teams! 

So, need a hand getting your chin over the bar, a little extra help with your kip, scared of holding weight over your head or groan every time you see those dreaded double unders on the board (and pray todays scale isn’t tuck jumps!)? We’ve got you covered! 

Whether you’re looking to work towards your first ever rep, need some efficiency tips so you can squeeze out a couple more on game day, or want to know how to improve your mobility to get into position easier, these workshops will be suitable for all.  

Our workshops will run on Saturday mornings at 09:30am and will include;

Saturday 21st January - Work towards your first strict pullup with Emma Gosford 

Saturday 28th January - Improve your Overhead squat with Aimee Cridland 

Saturday 4th February - Take the wonder out of doubleunders with Cath Paterson 

Saturday 11th February - Kip more efficiently (for pullups and toes to bar) with Matty H 

Saturday 18th February - Reduce "row" rage with rowing coach Martin Smith 

These sessions will include mobility exercises, skill transfer drills and training programs you can take away as homework to get you closer to achieving your goals in the build up to the Open. Great value at £10 each. 

Keep your eye out for details of how to book and get involved with everything we have coming in the next few weeks :D   

- Coach Emma Gosford