Crossfit Journal - JuneCompliation2016 - 2

THE
JOURNAL
June 2016
TITLE AUTHOR(S)
Programming: In-House Or Outsource? Beers
Strong Gets Stronger: CrossFit Risk Retention Group Reingen
Elliptical Syndrome Cripples Fran, Helen Warkentin
21 + 15 + 9 = Better Teachers Potts
Beyond Proven Achauer
Live to 100, Die on Your Feet Cecil
Problems and Pros Saline
Training Tips: From Wreck to Recovery Upchurch
Zone Vs. Macros: Accounting for Fat in Protein Synkowski
CrossFit Culinary Ninja: Beers

Beyond a Bland Bowl of Broccoli
Copyright © 2016 CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Subscription info at http://journal.crossfit.com
CrossFit is a registered trademark of CrossFit, Inc. Feedback to feedback@crossfit.com
® Visit CrossFit.com
Dave Re/CrossFit Journal
PROGRAMMING: IN-HOUSE OR OUTSOURCE?

Affiliate owners sound off on the best BY EMILY BEERS
way to program a CrossFit affiliate.
CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 1
Raul Alonso Valenzuela is passionate about coaching, but he’s
even more passionate about designing workout plans for his
athletes.
“Programming is one of the most satisfying parts of my job,” said

Valenzuela, owner of CrossFit Down Under in Adelaide, Australia.
He isn’t alone: Thousands of affiliate owners share Valenzuela’s

love for designing and implementing workouts and fitness plans for
their athletes. But for every Valenzuela, there’s also a Jan Clingston.
The owner of CrossFit Kungsbacka in Sweden bowed out of doing
his affiliate’s programming when he started outsourcing the task in
October 2015, and he’s very satisfied with his choice.
Some affiliate owners vow they’ll always program for their gyms,
while others are happy to give the role to a staff person or pay an
outside vendor to program. We talk to members of both camps to
find out why they do what they do.
Imported Squats?
Many gyms still use the high-quality free programming on CrossFit.
com and other websites, but the choice can be made to pay for
programming that’s either generic or tailored exactly to a particular
gym. A number of individuals currently offer monthly program-
ming packages for affiliates. A close look at half a dozen options
shows a great deal of variance among programs.
One major difference is price: The least expensive program of

those surveyed costs US$75 a month, while the most expensive
is $499 a month. Much of the cost differential can be attributed
to the level of detail in each program.
For example, David Spitz of Cal Strength in San Ramon, California,

offers a strength program as opposed to a program focused on
general physical preparedness (GPP). Spitz’s gym, which has
been around for a decade and has produced many high-level
American weightlifters, has been offering this service to CrossFit
affiliates for two years. Those who follow Spitz’s Chapters strength
program pay $75 a month, which gives them access to four-week
strength cycles, papers Spitz writes based on the data he tracks,
and a workout-tracking app that also serves as a forum for inter-
action and discussion.
Because Spitz’s program is solely focused on strength and is not

tailored to individual affiliates, gym owners who follow it add their
own flair by designing and implementing skill work, conditioning,
David Spitz (right) of Cal Strength
accessory work, flexibility training and so on.
offers a bolt-on strength program
some affiliate owners have
Courtesy of David Spitz
used to complement their own

conditioning programming.

In contrast, Pat Sherwood, CrossFit Media personality and owner
of CrossFit Linchpin in Fremont, California, sells his GPP affiliate Affiliate programming is usually
program for $499 a month. Sherwood works with affiliate owners
individually and then drafts a program based on the demographics
and specific needs and characteristics of that affiliate, such as
designed for general clients as opposed
weather considerations and equipment limitations.
to competitive CrossFit
One of the other big differences between affiliate programming is
intent. The purpose of some programs—such as Chapters—is to
get a large number of athletes on the program, which helps Spitz
athletes, though it’s not uncommon for
collect data and test different strength methods.
providers to offer two slightly different
“It doesn’t matter how elegant my theory is. If I’m not producing
results and people aren’t progressing, then I have to make adjust-
ments,” Spitz explained. He said he analyzes his athletes’ numbers
variations of the same workout.
each month to help him optimize his program and produce the
best results.
Meanwhile, other programs, such as Sherwood’s, are often

temporary solutions to help new affiliate owners learn about
programming—essentially mentoring them until they feel confident
creating their own programming. Sherwood, a former member of
CrossFit Inc.’s Seminar Staff, acts more like a coach—or program-
ming mentor—to the affiliate owners he works with.
Despite variance among the programs, there are also many simi-
larities. By and large, affiliate programming is designed for general
clients as opposed to competitive CrossFit athletes, though it’s not
uncommon for providers to offer two slightly different variations
of the same workout—one for competitors and one for general
clients. Most programs provide a workout six or seven days a
week. In certain cases, additional skill work, flexibility pieces and
accessory work are also programmed. Warm-ups are usually not
included; however, Pat Barber—a CrossFit Seminar Staff member,
the head of coaching development at NorCal CrossFit, and one of
the principals at Warmup and Workout—offers a program with a
warm-up specific to each session.
Other common features include scaling options to reflect different

fitness levels, as well as possible substitutions if a gym doesn’t
have enough equipment for an entire class. Further, most
programs include links to outside resources—often relevant
articles and videos—and coaching tips. Barber’s program, for
example, includes a detailed lesson plan—an explanation to help
the coach implement the programming correctly. It’s also common
for vendors to provide an online forum to allow recipients to ask Pat Barber’s program includes
questions and generate discussion with other owners and coaches. warm-ups and lesson plans for
affiliate owners. Scaling options and
Finally, affiliate programs are released to their audiences either online forums are other common
Shaun Cleary/CrossFit Journal

one week or one month at a time, usually near the end of the features offered by vendors.
previous month so the recipient has a chance to look over the
program beforehand.

“I’ve Got It” things in terms of the workout. At times, I’ve gotten pretty geeky
with it trying to figure out what the ideal program is to keep all of
Valenzuela believes doing your own programming is an integral my people getting fitter,” he said.
part of being an affiliate owner. It’s part of creating your own
culture and catering to your athletes’ needs, he said. These experiences made Earleywine realize it’s less about the
program and more about the coach, he explained.
“I got into CrossFit because it challenged me and my opinion of
fitness. And I really enjoyed having to think about how it all made “I believe if we coaches over deliver and coach the heck out of the
sense and having to progress and learn new things as an athlete program, (my athletes will) get better. And if they believe in the
and a coach,” he said. “I started my affiliate in my garage with program—and they will if they trust their coach and their coach
limited equipment. And part of my learning was about learning buys into the program—then they’ll get results.”
how to run things with limited equipment. If you’re getting
(programming) offshore, they don’t (necessarily) understand what He added: “If I find someone I trust to program, and he understands
equipment you have and how you run things.” our culture—our class sizes, space, equipment—so logistically he
can program something we can pull off, then I won’t have any
Even more important than culture and logistics is staying up concerns giving it up.”
to date with new science and trends, he said. Doing your own
programming allows you to do this, he added.
“There’s a certain degree of mastery to it,” he said. “And I think “Programming, whether ‘good’ or
you lose that when you’re following something someone else Courtesy of Jan Clingston
designed.” ‘bad,’ is secondary to effective
When you design your own program, you understand the method
behind the madness, the intended stimulus and the reasoning coaching, appropriate scaling, using
better than anyone else, Valenzuela explained. Conversely, if
he were following someone else’s plan, he said he would fear sound mechanics, and a group dy-
becoming complacent, not to mention less passionate, because Jan Clingston (left) outsourced his programming and said he’s saved four hours each week that he can devote to other tasks.
he would be less connected to the process.
“Making long-, medium- and short-term plans based upon what I And because CrossFit is measurable, it’s easy for her to see what’s namic conducive to pushing oneself.”
“If you’re not interested in showing people your knowledge and want my class to achieve in a given amount of time (is my job),” working and what’s not working, she explained.
what you know, then there can be a lack of understanding on your she said. —“CrossFit Level 2 Training Guide
end and theirs,” Valenzuela said. “Sometimes the week I had planned turns out to be tougher than
And nobody knows her students better than she does. Her famil-
iarity with her students even includes knowing their schedules
I had envisioned. You have to respond to the needs of your clients
on a daily basis. Some days, shit happens and things need to be and Workbook”
“I like to know that my clients’ each week, she said. tweaked or even chucked out the window entirely,” she said.
achievements are a combination of “I know some of my clients come the same days every week, so I
make sure the programming (reflects this). For example, Monday
This trial and error is all part of it, she said. And it’s why she loves it.
isn’t always squat day,” Stevens said. “I think if I didn’t like programming I would be in the wrong job. The “CrossFit Level 2 Training Guide and Workbook” covers this
my programming and coaching and It’s part and parcel of what we do.” very topic:
What’s even more important for Stevens, though, is her desire to
their hard work.” —Krzysia Stevens be closely involved in her clients’ journeys. How, not What “A trainer cannot lose sight of the small influence programming
has among a host of other factors that determine a client’s
“It isn’t that I wouldn’t trust someone else to do my programming Josh Earleywine of CrossFit Sanctify in Madison, Wisconsin, is success. Programming, whether ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ is secondary to
for me. I’m sure there are plenty of folks out there who could do an considering purchasing gym programming. He doesn’t think it will effective coaching, appropriate scaling, using sound mechanics,
Krzysia Stevens of CrossFit Uckfield in the U.K. holds a similar amazing job—a better job than me, a different job than me. But take away from his or his athletes’ growth because he said he and a group dynamic conducive to pushing oneself (i.e., highest
view. The former primary-school teacher said her role isn’t so I like to know that my clients’ achievements are a combination of thinks the program itself is secondary to its implementation. intensity brought to the work). Even with less-than-optimal
different now than it was as a teacher. my programming and coaching and their hard work,” she said. programming, a trainer with a good eye for movement mechanics,
“We are a team and we do it together.” “In the five years we’ve been open, I’ve had our members do just and who develops a good rapport with his clients, will help clients
about every strength template there is and all sorts of different improve their fitness for years.”

With this in mind, Earleywine feels comfortable hiring someone to
relieve him of his programming duties, as it will save him five to
eight hours a week, he said—hours he can use on other parts of “The standard by which to evaluate
the business.
“The Level 2 Training Guide and Workbook” is also clear that

any programming is measurable im-
the magic is in the movements, particularly when coached by
a skilled trainer: provement in performance markers.”
“Functional movements performed at high intensity, regardless of
how well they are combined and varied, are powerful enough to
—“CrossFit Level 2 Training Guide
elicit dramatic changes in one’s health and performance, partic-
ularly for the unaccustomed. Therefore, trainers can spend more and Workbook”
focus on his or her coaching skill set and member rapport instead
of striving beyond reason to create the ‘perfect’ template and
programming cycles.”
a test workout at the start and end of the 30 days. Or recently, we
had a photo shoot going on in the gym, so we had to program to
Get With the Program
Mike Warkentin/CrossFit Journal
work around it,” DeWitt said. “And nobody argues anymore.”
Like most affiliate owners, there was a time when Clingston But the best part of the change at CrossFit Up, DeWitt said, is the
programmed for his gym in Sweden. new program is producing better performance.
But unlike owners of large affiliates, who often have the luxury “The fitness that is being delivered is far better now,” she said.
of delegating various business tasks among multiple coaches,
Clingston only had one other assistant coach working with him.
He needed to find a way to buy back some precious hours each Improve Fitness ... By Any Means
week, he explained. His answer was to outsource his program- “A box of Fran? Who ordered this? Can we send it back?”
ming. It’s made a world of difference, he said. A host of options are available to affiliate owners when it comes to
The Best of Both Worlds programming, including simply sitting down at the computer and
“A lot of the time I’ve saved from programming I’ve used to actu- Clingston said the new programming has helped his business and creating a great mix of heavy days, couplets, triplets and chippers,
ally train myself—leading by example, you know?” said Clingston, his clients: “My athletes are seeing better results.” Sonja DeWitt—owner of CrossFit Up in Santa Cruz, California— all according to CrossFit principles. Whether you choose to design
who has freed up at least four hours each week just by ridding and husband Ryan DeWitt used to share their gym’s programming your own program or outsource the task to someone you trust, the
himself of programming duties. George Burke of CrossFit Munster in Munster, Indiana, is another load among three coaches. “Level 2 Training Guide” is clear that you must monitor the input
affiliate owner who said his athletes are benefitting from a deci- versus the output:
Before he made the change, Clingston admitted he had concerns. sion to purchase monthly programming. Burke spends $75 for a The situation wasn’t ideal, DeWitt explained, as their program
strength program and continues to program his own conditioning lacked consistency and the coaches could never agree on what “Effective—or ‘good’—programming produces results, and the
“I was worried there might be some equipment issues in the workouts, reducing programming time to one day a month. was best. But programming just wasn’t something she or her relative degree to which programming is effective is the degree
beginning. We are a small gym with 70 members,” he said. The husband was all that passionate about, she said. to which it optimizes fitness. The standard by which to evaluate
programming he purchases comes complete with substitution “The (strength) cycles last four weeks. I usually get the new cycle any programming is measurable improvement in performance
options, so he hasn’t had any problems. the Saturday before it starts. And I will spend most of the day “Ryan never wanted to do the programming because it’s just not markers.”
Sunday planning met-cons and skills training around it,” Burke how his brain works,” DeWitt said. It made sense to pay $250 to
“And we have a forum where we can ask questions and get input explained. someone more suited to the task. With that in mind, it likely doesn’t really matter who does your
from (the other users and the programmer),” he said. “I’ve lost programming as long as workouts are well coached and you and
count of how many times I’ve discussed substitutions on stuff like The set-up is working because it allows Burke to continue to be They decided to keep programming in house and use one of their your clients are getting fitter.
GHD sit-ups.” involved in programming but leaves the strength aspect of the own coaches to take on the job. The decision has saved them
program to someone he considers to be more expert than himself, multiple hours each week and has given them peace of mind that
His other initial fear was about losing his unique style and brand he explained. the program is designed by someone who knows their members
by giving up programming. This hasn’t happened either, he said. well, DeWitt explained. About the Author: Emily Beers is a CrossFit Journal
“Our members love all the strength work that we do. And our contributor and coach at CrossFit Vancouver. She finished 37th at
“My own unique style has a lot more to do with my personality strength levels as a gym have skyrocketed,” he said. “She knows what’s going on at the gym. Like right now, we’re the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games.
than it has to do with programming,” he said. doing a Whole 30 nutrition challenge, so we asked her to program

THE
JOURNAL
STRONG GETS
STRONGER:
CROSSFIT RISK
RETENTION GROUP
Undefeated in litigation, CF-RRG continues to defend the
CrossFit community and improve service to policyholders.
BY ERIC REINGEN
Nicole Voelzke
Since 2009 , CrossFit Risk Retention Group (CF-RRG) has
After six years, CF-RRG now uses
stood behind affiliates and trainers.
A community-owned insurance company, CF-RRG provides all its own data based on claims
insurance requirements in affiliate licensing agreements and fulfills
CrossFit Kids requirements. CF-RRG also provides personal-trainer
policies for independent Level 1 CrossFit Certificate holders. submitted by CrossFit policyholders.
Last year was very strong, and 2016 has already brought notable It’s a paramount shift in maturity.
successes, making the future very promising for CF-RRG and its
policyholders.
As of press time, 2,525 affiliates and trainers are covered by
CF-RRG. On average, CF-RRG welcomes 50 new members per
Premium and Capital month and renews the insurance policies of existing members
at a success rate of 90 percent. Relatively unchanged for years,
CF-RRG continues to be the insurance leader for CrossFit affili- these numbers are great indicators of stability for CF-RRG and its
ates in the U.S. Over 36 percent of U.S. affiliates use CF-RRG community.
for insurance, up from 30 percent in 2013. In addition, all U.S.
military affiliates are insured by CF-RRG. Understanding growth is only one component of managing
CF-RRG. Claims are becoming increasingly important as periodic
In 2015, its largest year ever, CF-RRG wrote US$3,319,075 of allegations threaten to hurt CrossFit’s training programs and the
premium, up 7.5 percent from $3,075,457 in 2014. CF-RRG CrossFit community as a whole.
collected $474,100 in capital contributions in 2015 vs. $620,800
a year prior, down 24 percent.
Claims
Capital contributions, also called membership contributions, are
$1,000 for affiliate owners (payable in two installments) and At inception, CF-RRG was created to protect against potentially
$200 for trainers. These contributions make policyholders stock- devastating allegations regarding CrossFit training, specifically rh-
holders as well. CF-RRG expects capital contributions to continue abdomyolysis (rhabdo). Almost immediately, in 2011, CF-RRG
to decrease as the insurance company matures. Once members found itself defending against a rhabdo claim. After many years,
have made their full contributions, they no longer need to make CF-RRG, CrossFit Inc. and P3 CrossFit recently prevailed on all
additional capital payments. As the renewal membership popula- counts.
tion continues to increase, CF-RRG will collect less capital. This is The case has been well documented by Russell Berger (“CrossFit
normal and expected. Inc. Victorious in Texas”) and Dale Saran (“Rhabdo Redemption
and RRG Proof of Concept”). Our purpose is not to detail the victory
CF-RRG has continued to mature and stabilize in 2015. Years ago, but to understand how CF-RRG’s claim decisions have affected the
general fitness-industry data was relied upon to manage critical company in 2015 and why they will pay dividends in the future.
components of the insurance process. Rate establishment, claims
expectations and expenses were all based on analysis outside CF-RRG spent $232,153.26 defending P3 CrossFit and CrossFit
the community. After six years, CF-RRG now uses its own data Inc., though we had good reason to believe CF-RRG could settle the
based on claims submitted by CrossFit policyholders. It’s a para- case for $15,000 in 2015. This was not a case CF-RRG wanted
mount shift in maturity. Pricing now more accurately represents to settle, so we chose the more costly but more valuable route to
risk, claims can be predicted with greater accuracy, and forecasts defeat the claim. The defense cost of the case has impacted losses
are made well into the future. This allows for a healthier, safer in the short term but stabilized legal expenses and claims moving
insurance company. forward. CF-RRG is identifying this in decreasing loss ratios. A
loss ratio is determined by dividing the claims payments by the
premium written in the same period. It’s an important factor when
Tip: Boxes should be inspected
regularly for wear and tear that
could cause accidents.
Alessandra Bisalti

establishing the health of an insurance company. In 2015 the loss as the deadlift highlight the propensity of attorneys to sue quickly
ratio of CF-RRG was 38 percent, while in 2014 the loss ratio was and without understanding.
43 percent.
CF-RRG expects defense costs to decrease (on a per claim basis) Media
as legal victories are publicized in the community of personal-in-
jury attorneys and these attorneys become less likely to pursue Recognition of claim origin is an important aspect of CF-RRG
frivolous claims against CrossFit affiliates and trainers. In addi- management, and intelligent analysis and execution of risk-ma-
tion to the recent win with P3 CrossFit, CF-RRG has won cases nagement goals help the community. CF-RRG has increased its
via summary judgment on multiple occasions, leading to an media output to raise awareness of simple ways our community
undefeated record in litigation since inception in 2009. The signi- can make gyms safer. “The Soap Box Series” takes on issues
ficance of this achievement cannot be overstated because it forms such as spatial awareness, waiver preservation, on-boarding new
the backbone of personal-injury litigation strategy for U.S. CrossFit members and so on.
affiliates.
In 2015, CF-RRG hosted webinars in each region to help the
community understand the regulatory requirements of automated
external defibrillators (AEDs). We currently send six emails to
CF-RRG has an undefeated record in our members throughout the year that illustrate other exposures
a CrossFit affiliate might not be aware of, including workers
compensation, network security issues and employment practices.
litigation since inception in 2009. Sometimes a claim can be diverted if one suggestion is imple-
mented at an affiliate.
In January 2016, we introduced an added benefit to CF-RRG

CF-RRG strategically appoints counsel to defend its members, membership: the WellCard. The WellCard provides a significant
with all coordination through the CrossFit Inc. legal team. Counsel discount on prescriptions, doctor visits and other health-care
appointees know CrossFit, understand the CrossFit methodology services—reductions that are very welcome as health insurance
and are very familiar with the local jurisdiction from which they becomes increasingly expensive.
are chosen. Local counsel also hires medical experts in a similar
fashion. These elements and strategic protocols can be expensive,
but the long-term positive effects are worth it. Defending cases Technology
vigorously now creates a reputation of community protection for
the future. To better serve the community, CF-RRG successfully integrated
into CrossFit ID and went paperless in 2014. Payments are now
Contrary to previous notions, rhabdo claims have not been as taken online and quotes no longer need to be manually signed.
frequent as we expected. This could be because of the efforts
against plaintiff Adam Gottlieb in the P3 CrossFit suit or simply CF-RRG is the most advanced insurance company providing
because of the existence of CF-RRG. coverage to CrossFit affiliates—but that’s not good enough. Cont-
inually improving member experience and process is vital, which
The most frequent claims have been associated with property is why we are making changes.
damage—vibrations and damage to flooring, subflooring or walls,
for example. We’ve even seen claims involving vehicles rammed Later in 2016, CF-RRG will have a new look. A new website
by errant tires. will replace the current scheme that is a replica of the CrossFit
Games page. My Account, which currently serves as the place
With regard to CrossFit programming, CF-RRG has seen claim to sign quotes and make payments, will be completely reworked.
frequency with back injuries. Attorneys are creative in their New features will allow members to change their address from
assertions of malpractice, usually because their understanding the website with zero wait time. Additionally, members will be
of CrossFit is limited. This makes the importance of a Cross- able to change their name or add an additional insured from My
Fit-educated insurance company even more valuable. As with Account effortlessly. Members will not need to sign their quote,
Tip: Frayed ropes, straps and bands
should be removed from rhabdo claims, the CF-RRG defense is robust and vigorous for and coverage choices will be easy to choose online.
use immediately. these cases. Allegations concerning a universal movement such
Allan Teer

Jota Murillo
A qualitative research project was conducted in the CrossFit CF-RRG expects premium growth of 10 percent or more in 2016,
community to guide CF-RRG in this process. Through research, but, as stated earlier, we expect capital contributions collected to
CF-RRG learned new things about our community and how its grow at a slower rate. Nevertheless, CF-RRG’s total assets will
members view insurance, and the knowledge will be used to be over $8 million by year’s end, and we’ll begin the process of
create a better user experience. returning over $500,000 of contributions from our capital-raising
efforts in 2008 (this does not include active policyholders). This
Behind the scenes, we’re working to increase efficiency from process will start in late 2016, upon approval of the Montana
CF-RRG staff, resulting in quicker response times, even more Insurance Department.
accuracy and more time devoted to each member. One of the best
things we learned from our research is that CF-RRG provides the In 2013, we believed insurance markets could harden and
highest customer-service satisfaction. In 2017, the bar will be create higher prices in the short term; however, capital has cont-
raised even higher. inued to flood reinsurance markets, extending the soft insurance
market into 2016. Indicators show the soft market and CF-RRG’s
increased maturity are leading to better terms from reinsurers and
2016 and Ahead other insurance partners. Better reinsurance terms coupled with
low claims are probable, and we expect this to play a large role in
In 2016 and for the first time, CF-RRG will partner with a company growing capital reserves.
beyond CrossFit Inc. and its affiliates. Infant Swimming Resource
(ISR) provides swimming lessons to infants and children by empo- As capital grows, CF-RRG is in a better position to defend its
wering its 450 instructors across the world, and it’s been part of members from attacks on the CrossFit community and its metho-
the CrossFit community for a long time. dology.
CF-RRG will provide insurance for ISR instructors in the U.S. The growth and increasing strength of CF-RRG will allow us to
because ISR instruction is unique and can create challenges take aggressive action in defense of our affiliates and trainers.
when trying to fit into traditional insurance policies—much like
CrossFit. Most policies restrict swimming instruction and don’t About the Author: Eric Reingen is a principal at CrossFit
adequately provide coverage for professionals with expertise in the 310 in Redondo Beach, California; assistant vice president of
water. We’ve worked together with ISR to provide a comprehensive CrossFit RRG Inc.; and vice president of Nexo Insurance Services
insurance policy that is specifically designed for ISR Instructors Inc. Email him at eric@crossfitrrg.com.
and their businesses. Find more about this new partnership here.
The page for ISR Instructors also provides a glimpse of the experi-
ence CrossFit affiliate owners and trainers will enjoy following our
website redesign.
The growth and increasing strength

of CF-RRG will allow us to take
aggressive action in defense of our
affiliates and trainers. Tip: Worn skipping ropes often have
exposed wires that can cause injuries.

Chris Rosa
MIKE WARKENTIN | UNCOMMON SENSE | JUNE 2016
THE
JOURNAL
ELLIPTICAL SYNDROME CRIPPLES FRAN, HELEN

Warning: Reducing intensity can be habit forming. Please consult your CrossFit trainer immediately.
You have to do Fran today.
Stop reading, close your eyes and really think about that for a
moment.
“Intensity is the independent variable
Note the freefall feeling in your chest, the sweaty palms and the most commonly associated with
subtle changes in your breathing. maximizing favorable adaptation to
exercise.” —Greg Glassman
Now consider this statement:
You have to do Fran in less than 12 minutes today.
I bet you suddenly don’t feel nervous at all. You might even
view the reps as a warm-up for another workout.
Provided you’ve scaled properly and aren’t slogging through

singles at maximum effort, a 12-minute Fran is a relative cake-
walk. A fairly proficient athlete could do the round of 21 in
about 2 minutes, then take the next 7 or 8 minutes to recover
before banging out the 15s and 9s in another 2 or 3 minutes. It
wouldn’t be that bad. Or you could steadily chug through 1 rep
every 8 seconds or so, occasionally throwing in a triple to allow
for a few adjustments of your knee sleeves and several checks
to ensure the phone is recording your efforts for Facebook.
Same weight, same reps, same workout—different results.
Intensity burns. It tastes like a

mouthful of old pennies soaked in
battery acid.
Intensity burns. It tastes like a mouthful of old pennies soaked

in battery acid. It makes you dizzy. It causes you to writhe
around on the ground trying to work the misery out of your
muscles. It usually requires a period spent on your back or
butt, and sometimes it sends your lunch back the way it came
in. Intensity gets caught in your throat and keeps you hacking
hours after the workout ends.
Intensity also brings results. Push someone out of the comfort

zone and physiology adapts. Do that regularly and fitness
improves dramatically. After more than 15 years of workouts
on CrossFit.com and six years of the CrossFit Games Open, we
can make that statement with certainty backed by data.
Tai Randall
Discomfort creates adaptation, but it can be very tempting to To get even further out of your CrossFit comfort zone, I’d
Giulia Fideli
avoid the continuous discomfort needed to keep driving adap- encourage you to experiment with workouts similar to the wall-
tation—even as a CrossFit athlete who knows its rewards. ball challenge detailed above.
Repetition creates habit, and you can adjust to almost Air Force, with 4 burpees preceding the work every minute, is
anything—even fairly unpleasant stuff like Fran. I’m sure The a good example of a nowhere-to-hide workout.
Man in the Iron Mask was pretty uncomfortable for the first
period of his imprisonment, but after a few years of metal, he Or try 500-meter rowing or 400-meter running repeats with a
was probably well used to flattening out his sandwiches so they thruster penalty for every second under a certain challenging
would fit through the mouth slot. but achievable time.
Same deal with fitness. As we all know, “beginner’s gains” in Another option: Create a workout with a scheme about 2 reps
CrossFit are the reward athletes are given simply for ditching out of your comfort zone and vow to do all sets unbroken. Fran
inactivity or a stagnant fitness routine in favor of a superior at 23-17-11 might present an excellent challenge even if it
regimen. When beginner’s gains evaporate and the nose lacks the mathematical grace of the original prescription.
must go right to the grindstone for sustained improvement in
CrossFit, it can be tempting to get comfortable and step back Or you can create workouts in which a certain number of reps
from intensity. Not all the way back—just enough to take the must be completed every 60 seconds. If you pick the right
edge off. Satisfaction with current output can reduce discom- amount of work for your fitness level—say 15 wall-ball shots
fort significantly—and limit results—while the quest for further and 10 heavy kettlebell swings, for example—you’re going to
improvements would bring great reward but also renewed have to work hard and go unbroken to get the work done in
acquaintance with that deep burning sensation. each minute.
Reducing intensity can be as subtle as breaking up Fran’s 15 To reap the greatest benefits from CrossFit, you have to be
thrusters when we don’t have to. It’s a very minor reduction willing to push yourself, to be uncomfortable, to suffer for
in effort, and almost no one notices—sometimes not even the reward. And most of us are most of the time. The whiteboard
athlete. Fran burns a bit less, and only 20 seconds are added and the rivalries thereon are powerful motivational tools. Still, a
to a PR time, giving him or her the opportunity to attribute the 5-minute Fran can become a habit if you let your mind trick you
score to an off day, bad sleep or “that third burrito at lunch.” into dropping the barbell well before you need to.
Luckily, the athlete still stays far fitter than if he or she hadn’t Remember: Objects in motion tend to stay in motion, while
done Fran, but slacking off a little can lead to slacking off a objects at rest tend to head to the chalk bucket.
lot, which is equivalent to treating a CrossFit workout like a
20-minute roll through the sports section while plodding on the
elliptical machine.
Set your mind, grit your teeth and finish the reps. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mike Warkentin is the managing
editor of the CrossFit Journal and the founder of CrossFit 204.
To reap the greatest benefits from I realized I was cutting with the wrong side of a very sharp knife
a few weeks back in a workout that forced me to push myself:
mentally crumbling and quickly advised that trading only 15
wall balls for 13 burpees plus 15 wall balls was a bad deal.
CrossFit, you have to be willing to 100 wall-ball shots So I kept going, and while the 45th rep burned deeply, it was
Do 13 burpees after any broken set; no resting while holding achievable. In fact, I had a few more in me. I had no idea—but
push yourself, to be uncomfortable, to the ball. my coach did.
In that workout, my utter hatred of burpees forced me to The workout and the coach kicked me off the elliptical machine,
suffer for reward. complete my final set of 45 by pushing into the neighborhood so to speak, and they highlighted the fact that I’m capable of
of my physical limit. But my mental limit had come 30 reps into more than I think I am. I bet you’re more capable than you
that last set, when I normally would have quit had the burpees think you are, and your CrossFit coach knows it. Listen to him
not been present. or her when you’re told to keep going and see what happens.
When the coach says, “Do 5 more,” do 5 more—even if you
“I can’t finish this unbroken,” I thought before a coach saw me think you’ll fail. I bet you won’t. I bet you’ll get fitter.

All photos: Dave Re/CrossFit Journal
21 + 15 + 9 = BETTER TEACHERS
Educator Julie Potts applies CrossFit training principles to BY JULIE POTTS
help her students succeed.
A few months ago, I walked into a CrossFit box hoping to learn
new ways to get in shape. What I did not expect was the insight
CrossFit would give me into my career as a kindergarten teacher.
Watching a CrossFit class is like witnessing the most perfectly

differentiated and inclusive classroom. Every athlete is comple-
ting the same workout, but all work at very different levels. Some
do pull-ups while others do ring rows, and some squat with 75
lb. while others lift 200 lb. or more.
The structure allows me, a beginner, to attend the same class as

a competitive CrossFit athlete. I don’t feel threatened or unsuc-
cessful, and he or she doesn’t feel bored or unchallenged. This
structure is what I strive to achieve every day in my classroom.
I was always a fairly successful student, and I don’t think I’ve

been able to truly empathize with my struggling learners until my
CrossFit experience.
I was always a successful student,

and I don’t think I’ve been able to
truly empathize with my struggling
learners until my CrossFit experience.
Imagine if I had walked in on my first day of CrossFit and the

coaches told me to do as many pull-ups as I could. I am hardly
strong enough to hang from the bar, much less attempt pull-ups.
What if they did not give me an alternative or became frustrated
with me for not trying? No matter how angry they might get, I
just can’t do a pull-up.
I think of my students and how some activities are simply not

appropriate for certain learners. No matter how badly I want
them to read or write at a certain level, they might not be ready,
and forcing them to attempt tasks that are inappropriate is only
going to lead to feelings of inadequacy and failure. Just as I
would have walked right out the door if coaches insisted I do
pull-ups, children will give up if we give them tasks that are out
of their reach.
The key to learning is ensuring
students are challenged at the
right level. If a task is too easy, My definition of having high expectations for my students has
boredom is likely. If a task is too changed since starting CrossFit. I used to think “high expecta-
hard, some students will become
very frustrated.

tions” meant a goal for all students to read at a certain level
or achieve a certain score on a writing or math test. What I’ve
All students learn differently, realized is that I can have high expectations for all students, but
whether they’re in a school or those expectations do not need to be the same for every child.
a CrossFit gym. Smart teachers
and coaches find ways to connect Just as I can have a great workout that will not come close to
with individuals to produce the the level of the competitive athlete at the rack next to me, a
best results. struggling learner can complete an incredible piece of writing
that might not contain many letters or words. I am still working
the same muscle groups and becoming stronger every day,
just as my students are becoming better readers and writers
every day, even if some aren’t yet reaching the milestones the
department of education would like.
I needed introductory training sessions to teach me the basics,

and I still need the coaches to check in with me more frequently
during class workouts. I am not ready for some exercises, and
for each I have an alternative to strengthen the same muscle
group. It’s not embarrassing to do something slightly different,
as everyone knows we all work at different levels.
I have already made changes to my classroom activities and

expectations, and I look forward to continuing to develop a
learning environment similar to the one I experience when I
attend CrossFit classes.
Psychologist Lev Vygotsky taught us to keep tasks within a

child’s zone of proximal development (ZPD), providing her
with experiences that challenge her just enough to move
forward but not so much that she becomes frustrated. Success
is unlikely if a child is constantly pushed past her ZPD and into
frustration and failure, just as it would be impossible for me to
succeed if pushed past my physical limits or given a task my
body simply cannot perform.
Will I be able to do a pull-up eventually? Yes! When my body

is ready for it, just as all my students will read and write when
their minds are ready.
About the Contributor: Julie Potts is a kindergarten

teacher in Massachusetts. She started CrossFit in January
2016 at The Fort CrossFit in Hampstead, New Hampshire.

THE
JOURNAL
BEYOND PROVEN
BY HILARY ACHAUER
Top athletes talk about their single-minded pursuit of the

podium and how they filled the void when they stepped
back from the sport they love.
Milisa Smith/CrossFit Journal

My husband threw me a semi-surprise party for my 40th birthday.
When I walked through the roll-up garage doors of the gym that night,
I saw three banners hanging from the ceiling. Each had a photo of me
along with one word. One said “Writer,” one said “Mother,” and one
read “Athlete.”
There was my life, my identity, wrapped up in three words: writer,

mother, athlete.
Most of us define ourselves, in part, by our job, our family and our
interests. But what happens when I stop working, when the kids grow
up, if I get injured and can’t pursue sports—who will I be then?
Rory Zambard—who started CrossFit at 14—took 14th place at

the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games. Now, at 24, she’s stepped away
from competitive CrossFit, and it wasn’t easy for her to leave behind
something that had defined her.
“I had found my identity in CrossFit for too long, and when I could no
longer be who I thought I needed to be, or who people thought I needed
to be in the world of fitness, things sort of fell apart,” Zambard said.
When a CrossFit Games athlete makes the decision to step away from
the sport, it’s not an easy transition. Competing at the highest level of
any sport is all consuming, and giving it up leaves a vacuum many
struggle to fill. However, these athletes often find a pot of gold on the
other side of hours of training and time away from family and friends: a
return to basics and a renewal of what they initially loved about CrossFit
and fitness.
Competitive athletes often find a pot

of gold on the other side: a return to
basics and a renewal of what they
initially loved about CrossFit.
The Decision
After her strong showing at the Games in 2013, Zambard was
ready to compete again in 2014. She hurt her back swinging a
Very competitive athletes often find kettlebell just before the regional competition but still qualified
serenity when the pressure is off for the Games. When she hurt her back again three weeks after
and they train only for health and regionals, Zambard got an MRI and discovered a softball-size
Sandro de Carvalho
fitness. A more relaxed Rob Orlando
actually found his way back to the
CrossFit Games as a master.
tumor in her pelvis. She withdrew her name from the Games but Family First
was determined to come back in 2015 after surgery.
Val Voboril has long been a hero to CrossFit athletes with full-
Once her body healed, Zambard began attacking workouts time jobs and kids at home. The five-time CrossFit Games
again, but something had changed. athlete, who took third in 2013, works full time as a fourth-
grade teacher and has a daughter, born in 2011. Voboril did not
“My heart had become hardened to the process,” Zambard qualify for the Games in 2015, and before the Open started in
said. “I didn’t find joy in (training) anymore, and I didn’t love it 2016, she decided she wouldn’t proceed to regionals no matter
anymore. It was work. I had to really push myself to just walk where she placed in the Open.
into the gym.”
“I’ve been back and forth on the idea for a while,” Voboril said.
She continued: “As that started to grow … I realized I was in “I think trying to compete last year at regionals was a mistake.
jeopardy of falling out of love with CrossFit, which isn’t some- I don’t think my heart was in it. And Day 1 showed that more
thing that I wanted to do.” than anything. I think I spent the training leading up to last
year’s regionals trying to force it. I just didn’t want to force it
Halfway through a partner competition in January 2015, this year.”
Zambard realized she was miserable. She hated every second
of that competition, she said. In 2016, Voboril qualified for the California Regional but didn’t
film her workouts, a requirement for entry. She said the Open
So Zambard stopped working out altogether, determined to was “so much more fun” knowing she wasn’t going any further,
figure out who she was beyond a CrossFit competitor. It would but stepping away from competition wasn’t easy.
take five months of soul searching to find the answer.
“The biggest struggle was leading up to the decision, worried
Like Zambard, Miranda Oldroyd’s transition away from compet- about letting other people down, because at this level of the
itive CrossFit was precipitated by an injury. When competing on sport you have a lot of people who put a lot of their time and
NorCal CrossFit’s team at the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games, energy into you,” Voboril said.
Oldroyd tore her ACL and damaged her meniscus. Through
rehabilitation and recovery, a move to Southern California, and “So many people in my world just give so much to me, and I
a new position with Progenex, Oldroyd realized she needed to feel like I was really letting them down by not moving forward,”
take a break from competing. she said.
The deceleration process was not easy, especially for someone

unaccustomed to sitting on the couch. Oldroyd said she knew
she’d never be the type to fall into inactivity, but she also knew
“When you’re doing CrossFit for
she needed time away from competition.
fitness … it’s all positive.”
While Oldroyd was done competing, many of her friends were not.
—Rob Orlando
“I still talk to Molly (Vollmer, former NorCal teammate) every
day. She’s my best friend, and she’s getting PRs and I’m happy
for her, but I think, ‘I couldn’t do that.’ And I think, ‘Oh my God,
I’m losing that,’” Oldroyd said. Like Voboril, Rob Orlando stopped competitive CrossFit to focus
on work and family. Orlando competed as an individual at the
It’s not easy to switch off the competitive, hard-driving mindset. Games in 2009, 2010 and 2011 but was disqualified during
Even though she’s sure about her decision to step away from the swimming event that opened the 2011 competition.
competing, Oldroyd said she finds herself slipping into the old
thought patterns. “It left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth,” he said about the
swim event, “but such is life. I realized, though, at the Games
After Rory Zambard finished 14th at the “This morning I was trying to figure out (when to fit in a workout), that year that the competition was just getting so much younger
CrossFit Games in 2013, health issues and then I thought, ‘Why am I stressed about this?’” she said. and that my ability to recover was dramatically different than
made her re-evaluate her priorities. Now, somebody who was 10 years younger than me.”
she’s given up competition and focuses
on her work as a coach and CrossFit Inc.
Seminar Staff member.
Chris Rosa

Orlando has two children, ages 10 and 7, he runs two affili- “To train at that level and to compete at that level, you have to
ates—Hybrid Athletics—and he created the CrossFit Strongman be a bit of a narcissist,” Orlando said.
Trainer Course. He wanted to focus on his work and his family,
not competing. “Everybody makes concessions around you,” he said. “Every-
body says, ‘That’s where he is, that’s really important to him,’
“I would have these moments where I’d think, ‘I wish I was still but I think at some level you’re missing this bigger picture—at
on the floor,’ but then as quickly as that comes it immediately least for me, anyway. (Competing) started to become a whole
washes away because you think, ‘No, I’ve got a 10-year-old lot less important. How I ranked in this particular workout, how
and a 7-year-old that want me around, and I’ve got a wife that I ranked in the Open—it just didn’t carry as much weight with
wants me around’ … and so these moments would come and me.”
go,” he said.
It takes time to figure out how to fill those hours once spent
“When you’re doing CrossFit for fitness … it’s all positive.” training. For a while, Oldroyd worked out on her own, but one
day she was in a hurry and decided to jump into a class at
CrossFit Chalk in Newport Beach, California. It was so much
Letting Go fun she’s been working out in the group classes ever since.
You can become tremendously fit with one CrossFit workout a
day, and many busy people spend 60 minutes training, then get “It’s fun, and I actually think I’ve improved a little bit since I’ve
back to other daily responsibilities. Some of these athletes are so been doing it because I’ve been going so much harder than
fit they can do well in competitions without spending more than when I’m alone,” Oldroyd said.
an hour a day in the gym. Cheryl Boatman/CrossFit Journal
“The members there are cool … they don’t expect me to be the
The elite levels of the sport, however, often require additional best,” Oldroyd said. “That’s the weird thing too about going to
time and effort spent weeding out weaknesses, learning new regular classes is sometimes you kind of feel like you need to
or more complex movements, or training to handle the volume beat everybody every day and put up these crazy numbers, you
of a multi-day competition. That type of commitment usually know? But I don’t feel that from them.”
means the athlete has to prioritize competitive CrossFit over
other aspects of life, something Chris Spealler talked about in Oldroyd has also taken up yoga, boxing and salsa dancing, and
the 2014 article “Hanging up His Shoes.” she writes regularly on her blog, but it’s been a challenge to dial
back the intensity in some of these other pursuits, too.
After retiring from competition, Zambard took five months to figure out who she was—and who she wanted to be.
Stepping away from something that takes so much time and
energy can be a painful process. “The (salsa instructor) told me to just relax—‘This isn’t a compe-
tition,’” she said with a laugh. Oldroyd knows that if she tries
“I think that’s why a lot of people do this (work out so much), something, she’s going to go at it with gusto.
because they feel a sense of control and you don’t really have to
think about anything else (other than your workout),” Oldroyd “For me, with yoga, it’s going to be the hard yoga,” she said,
said. “You can be like, ‘I can’t do that because I have to train.’” “I’m a perfectionist. I want to do it right.”
Zambard said being the best in the world at anything requires

selfishness.
“So there’s a lot of crying and a lot
“In order to go to the CrossFit Games and in order to really be
the best, you have to ignore other parts of your life,” she said,
“and for me that meant my relationships with people and my
of tears and a lot of ‘am I making the
Will Duncan/CrossFit Journal

Courtesy of Miranda Oldroyd
relationship with God and my relationship with coaching … I

had to let a lot of other things slide, and in that process I sort of
right decision?”
lost sight of who I am other than how fit I am.” —Val Voboril
For the longest time, Orlando said he’d show up to family
birthday parties with his own food, telling people he could only
stay for 30 minutes because he had to go train.
Even in yoga, Miranda Oldroyd has a drive to be the best. For years, Val Voboril balanced life, work and training with great success.

As she worked through the process of stepping away from “I’m still doing all the regular things I was doing two months ago
competitive CrossFit, Voboril said she struggled with questions and six months ago,” Orlando said. “I drink a little bit of beer
about her identity. every day. I eat pizza. I’m not gonna change my routine, and I’m
not going to fall back into that trap of being the full-time athlete.
“(Competing) is such a defining part that it’s kind of hard (to let I am a dad and a business owner … I’ll do what I can, and I’ll
it go),” Voboril said. “So there’s a lot of crying and a lot of tears be the best version I can of this guy.”
and a lot of ‘am I making the right decision?’ and ‘am I making
a terrible choice or am I totally going to regret this?’”
The Big Picture
Her husband had an adjustment to make as well. When a pursuit or a job becomes all consuming, it’s difficult
to avoid linking the outcome of that activity—whether making
“My husband was cute,” Voboril said. “He said part of his ego money or winning a competition—to your identity.
really does like to brag about me, so (my not competing) meant
he couldn’t brag the same way.” Orlando said he will never forget something seven-time Games
competitor Spealler said years ago.
Orlando never regretted stepping away from competitive CrossFit,
but he admits the transition was difficult psychologically. “He said, ‘These workouts don’t define me,’” Orlando remem-
bered. “That resonates with me. Under no circumstance does
“I struggled with it, because you have these moments. I would one workout define me as a person. This is just what I do.”
say that it’s more these impulses now and then,” he said about
his intermittent desire to compete. Orlando said there are going to be uncomfortable moments in
any transition. He said it’s the same for a professional athlete
Of course, even retired competitors can scratch the itch by who retires and goes on to do other things.
throwing numbers on the whiteboard every day or entering a
competition that doesn’t require months of training. Some will “There’s a transition time and it’s just going to be uncomfort-
still yearn for the highest levels of competition at times, but that able. There’s just no way around that,” Orlando said. “For me,
Sandro de Carvalho
yearning is often balanced by other aspects of life. personally, I looked at my kids and my family and I said, ‘These
people need me around, too.’ That adds value to my life on a
“Those moments (of regret) come and go, and with a little daily basis.”
distance in between you’re kind of like, ‘I kind of like my life
the way it is,’” he said, now that he has time to have a hot dog Now when Voboril works out in her backyard, she includes her
with his kids at a baseball game or the freedom to eat a slice A father and business owner, Orlando dialed back his competitive drive but still found himself one of the fittest 40-year-olds in the world. husband and her daughter. The focus is on fun as much as
of birthday cake. “I replaced those feelings with other emotions fitness.
and other things in my life that bring just as much if not more “My friends and the gym community were all a big part of me Like Zambard, when Voboril turned her focus away from
value.” finding fitness for fun again instead of competing … (I) just go competing, she rediscovered what made her love CrossFit—the “Because (there’s) less pressure, I have more time be together
in and have fun and play,” she said. community. and enjoy it,” she said.
The Other Side
In her time off, Zambard realized she’s not an innately compet- “Training in my backyard by myself, there’s no community. And
Zambard, a member of CrossFit Inc.’s Level 1 Seminar Staff, itive person. although that fits nicely with my lifestyle and my time schedule,
moved to Kauai, Hawaii, in early 2016 to run a kids program it wore thin,” Voboril said. About the Author: Hilary Achauer is a freelance writer
for CrossFit Poipu and work for the Ultimate Hawaiian Trail Run, “I wouldn’t die for points. I don’t really care if you beat me. I just and editor specializing in health and wellness content. In addi-
which raises money to develop the health and fitness of the happen to be really good at it,” she said about CrossFit. “I’m off right now to go meet with Jamie Hagiya and Kris Clever tion to writing articles, online content, blogs and newsletters,
youth in Kauai. (both of whom qualified for the California Regional) to go have Hilary writes for the CrossFit Journal. To contact her, visit
“My coaching career for CrossFit and working for CrossFit occu- fun. They are going to work out really hard, and I am going to hilaryachauer.com.
“Most of my time is spent developing the kids program and pies my head and my heart, and I love that job. I know what play,” she said with a laugh.
finding every avenue possible to give these kids the same CrossFit can do for you as a kid. I know the lessons it can
opportunity that I had,” Zambard said. teach of perseverance and dedication and hard work and how As for Orlando, a funny thing happened when he took the focus
it can show you that no obstacle is too big to overcome, and it off competition. The 41-year-old competed in the Open for the
After her five-month hiatus, Zambard returned to the gym and can provide you with a community that loves on you and cares first time in years, and he qualified for the CrossFit Games in the
began doing CrossFit for fun and fitness. about you regardless of your circumstances,” she said. Masters Men 40-44 Division.

THE
JOURNAL
All photos: Andréa Maria Cecil/CrossFit Journal

LIVE TO 100, DIE ON YOUR FEET
BY ANDRÉA MARIA CECIL
Septuagenarian CrossFit coach Mike Suhadolnik refuses to let his peers age gracefully.
It’s a bright, sterile room—what you would expect at a hospital. managing arthritis, diabetes and other chronic diseases or some
Large windows line one wall. form of metabolic derangement. A smaller number are there to
simply lose weight and stay active.
“You’ve got a nice view out,” said 77-year-old John Barber.
As many as 40 people can sit in the room, each 10 feet away from
a neighbor in a reclining chair framed by cabinets that hold TVs.
Every few feet sits a nurse’s station.
“There’s people who thought he’d be
Many people sleep. Not Barber. pushin’ up daisies. … He ain’t push-
“I never sleep while I’m there. I read and I watch a little TV,” he
said. “They got all these clear bags with liquid in it, and they’re all
in’ daises. He’s still drivin’.”
lined up on a pole, and … as they run out there’s an alarm that
goes off, and they show up and change the bag and start some —Mike Suhadolnik
other kind of fluid.”
Eight bags are typical.

Suhadolnik has accompanied Barber to his cancer treatments and
“One bag to keep you from gettin’ sick, another bag that’s the noted the difference between him and the other patients.
actual treatment, and then there’s another one to keep you from
havin’ the shits and, I don’t know, there’s some kind of thing … “Everybody’s sittin’ there like this,” Suhadolnik said, throwing his
after you’ve had all of ’em to kind of clear the system.” head down to portray a hunched-over posture. “And he’s walkin’
around gettin’ smart with the nurses.”
In contrast to the other chemotherapy patients at Springfield Clinic
in Illinois, Barber is a bit livelier. The retired real estate agent cracks CrossFit coupled with chemotherapy is a good thing, he added.
jokes, drives and does CrossFit.
“This will make the medicine work better,” Suhadolnik said. “They
“The doctors at the hospital say they’ve never had anyone be able can’t believe he’s not in pain. … And he drives, he’s alert. We talk
to do what I’m doin’,” Barber said as he finished 5 miles on the at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
Schwinn Airdyne one Monday afternoon in late April at CrossFit
Instinct, also in Springfield. He’s been doing CrossFit for three “I got a younger wife, too,” Barber proudly interjected.
years.
“Younger,” said Suhadolnik, emphasizing the word’s last two
On that particular day, his workout started with 12 miles on the letters.
same Airdyne, then went to 3,000 meters on the rower, followed
by 5 sets of 5 deadlifts at increasing weight that topped out at 75 The couple is planning a summer trip north to picturesque Door
lb. While the rest of the class did Russian kettlebell swings and County.
toes-to-kettlebells, the coach directed Barber back to the bike for
more cycling. “He’s still doin’ all these things,” Suhadolnik said with his quint-
essential toothy grin. “There’s people who thought he’d be pushin’
“I still gotta get John where he gets uncomfortable,” Mike Suha- up daisies. … He ain’t pushin’ daises. He’s still drivin’.”
dolnik said after the workout, sitting in the affiliate’s small front
office while Barber stood diagonally to his right at the corner of
the desk. The Vision
“If he poops in his pants, he poops in his pants. It doesn’t matter.” Suhadolnik, a former offensive tackle and middle guard at Illinois
State University, spent most of his life powerlifting. At his best, he
The 72-year-old CrossFit Instinct coach is primarily focused on the benched 350, squatted 450 and deadlifted 550 lb. His physique
gym’s Longevity class—entirely comprising people over 55. The implied fitness. But when his daughter Molly and her now-fiancé
A chemotherapy patient fighting youngest is 57. Many have physical limitations, and several are Tim Hahn asked him to overhead squat more than seven years
prostate cancer, 77-year-old
John Barber says his doctors are
shocked at his physical capabilities
compared with those of his peers. CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 2
ago, he couldn’t get the bar over his head. The doctor recommended changes to Suhadolnik’s diet, including
eliminating processed sugar, dairy and grains. Suhadolnik also
Then they asked him to do burpees. became an athlete at CrossFit Instinct, Molly’s affiliate.
“I played football in college. I said, ‘No problem,’” Suhadolnik Three months later, he arrived for his follow-up appointment with
recounted. “I couldn’t do a burpee.” the Chicago doctor. Suhadolnik was at 9.5 percent body fat and
had gained 12 lb. of muscle. His PSA had plummeted out of the
Disturbed by this, the then-65-year-old visited his doctor in danger zone. And he had done it without a lick of medication.
Springfield.
“Excuse my French, but I said, ‘Holy shit.’”
Of concern was Suhadolnik’s rising level of prostate-specific
antigen (PSA). PSA is a protein produced by prostate-gland cells. Suhadolnik added: “My life changed forever.”
A growing level in a man’s blood could indicate inflammation or
enlargement of the prostate, even prostate cancer. In the year that followed, Suhadolnik paid closer attention to the
world around him and the people in it.
Other than that, “Your whole profile is good,” the doctor told him.
His rising PSA was not an emergency, the doctor said, but if it “Every time I turned the television on, it seems like all they were
did become one any medication would negatively affect his other- showing (was) big butts and fat guts,” he said.
wise-good health.
He decided to do something.
Upon his doctor’s recommendation, Suhadolnik sought out a
nontraditional doctor 200 miles northeast in Chicago. This one It started with a program he dubbed Doctors Get Fit.
performed a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry—known as a DXA
scan—to measure his body fat and bone density. He began with Dr. Craig Backs, a former neighbor who was more
Barber (right) is undergoing chemotherapy once every three weeks but still makes it to CrossFit Instinct at least four times a week. of an acquaintance than a friend. Suhadolnik had seen Backs’
“He said, ‘I’m gonna just tell you something: Even though you picture in the Springfield Business Journal. He noticed the weight
almost look like Arnold (Schwarzenegger), 22 percent of that is gain and picked up the phone.
fat.’”
“His picture was horrible. You couldn’t even see his chin. Gee
For all his weightlifting, 6-foot-4, 250-lb. Suhadolnik was only manilly.”
in the “acceptable” category when it came to body fat. Had he
been only a little higher—at 26 percent—he would have been The physician remembered the conversation vividly.
considered obese.
“So I get a call out of the blue from Mike Suhadolnik,” Backs said
“I told him I wanted to live until I was at least 110 years old but while sitting inside his private practice in Springfield. “He said, ‘I
that I did not want somebody pushing me around in a wheelchair, don’t mean to be critical but,’ he says, ‘why is it you doctors don’t
walking with a walker or having someone wipe my butt,” said take better care of yourselves?’ And there was kind a long, preg-
Suhadolnik, today 223 lb. nant pause. And I said, ‘Are you trying to tell me that I’m too fat?’”
It was May 2012. Backs had recently opened his private practice.
“I told him I wanted to live until I He also was struggling with his own health issues: atherosclerosis
and prediabetes. At 6 feet tall, Backs weighed 235 lb.
was at least 110 years old but that I
All the while, he was advising his patients on the importance of
did not want somebody pushing me lifestyle.
“I might as well have been sitting there with a cigarette and a glass
around in a wheelchair.” of whiskey, tellin’ ’em they need to quit smoking and drinking.”
No longer prediabetic, Dr. Craig Backs changed the way he practiced medicine after starting CrossFit in 2012.
—Mike Suhadolnik Suhadolnik had a plan.

“He already had a vision that involved improving the community’s And 71-year-old Doug Nelson, whose back pain and minimal flexi-
health by getting the people that were supposed to be leaders bility were keeping him from a motorcycle ride to Alaska; Nelson
in the community around health to set a better example,” Backs made the 3,600-mile trip shortly after completing Doctors Get Fit
recounted. less than three years ago.
The two men met for an hour and half the next day. All of them have different stories. All of them have the same
outcomes: improved body composition, performance and health.
“He made me an offer ultimately I just really couldn’t refuse. He In other words: increased functional capacity.
said, ‘Give me 90 days—I guarantee you’ll see your abs.’”
Suhadolnik sees it like this: His father-in-law, a decorated World
Suhadolnik emphasized diet, telling Backs to eat whole foods and War II veteran whose B-29 was shot down over Russia, leading
avoid processed sugar. to his being a prisoner of war, lay in bed for six years before he
died. He was on multiple prescription medications after surviving
“He worked me hard,” said 60-year-old Backs. cancer and having his leg amputated. His mother-in-law developed
Alzheimer’s and weighed 66 lb. when she died, unable to speak
In 90 days, the doctor lost 40 lb. for the last three years of her life. His own father, however, died
delivering turnips. His mother?
“And I was pretty much hooked.”
“She went from givin’ me a bunch of crap, still doin’ things, to dying
He also got his atherosclerosis under control and is no longer within five or six days. That’s what we want to happen,” Suha-
prediabetic. dolnik explained. “Now did they live perfect lives? No. But they did
what they wanted to do. And they were not a burden to anybody.”
Then Backs changed the way he practiced medicine. Rather than
immediately suggesting medication, he now starts with lifestyle Being a burden, he added, can easily be avoided.
changes. CrossFit coach Mike Suhadolnik (foreground) pushes athletes to increase their functional capacity for a healthier, longer life.
“Hey, don’t wait until you have that heart attack and then start
“A big part of my medical practice now involves heart-attack working out. Bullshit. Do it right now. Start right now.”
and stroke prevention—arterial-disease prevention—and insulin
resistance, or prediabetes, is a huge contributor to that that’s
under-recognized. … I’ve gotten more conversant with that through
CrossFit than I’ve ever gotten through any medical journals, which
“Don’t wait until you have that heart
I think a lot of people find ironic. So if the CrossFit leadership is
wondering whether (it influences) medical care, at least in my attack and then start working out.
office, it certainly does.”
About a dozen athletes in CrossFit Instinct’s Longevity class are

Bullshit. Do it right now.
direct referrals from Backs. Some started in the Doctors Get Fit
program, an on-ramp to the class for those with chronic problems Start right now.” —Mike Suhadolnik
and who haven’t exercised in years. Being a doctor is not required.
“I took seriously that my payback for that was to be a better

example,” Backs said, “and to engage other physicians and other
people in the community to be better examples.” “Gimme One”
The Longevity program includes about 25 people split between With a clipboard in hand, Suhadolnik began leading the 7 a.m.
the 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. classes that occur almost daily. Longevity class on this particular Monday. His haircut, voice and
demeanor all point to retired Marine. Or drill sergeant. He is neither.
There’s 62-year-old Karen Paisley, who hadn’t exercised on a
regular basis for nearly 30 years and recently showed off a photo of “All right. Everybody get a ball. We’re gonna stretch out.”
herself in a bikini. There’s 64-year-old Walter Lynn, whose legs are
no longer black from knees to ankles because of poor circulation. All 12 athletes scooped up medicine balls and followed instructions After two weeks of CrossFit, Bill Fleer (on floor) had his blood-pressure medication cut in half by his doctor.

to place them below their lower backs, allowing their heads to And several Longevity athletes arrived at CrossFit Instinct because
relax and hang backward. Suhadolnik showed up unannounced at their offices or placed
unsolicited calls.
“Straighten your legs. Get rid of that weekend. Let’s go. Come on,”
he barked. “Because of my age, I can really be frank and get away with a lot
of stuff that younger people can’t,” he explained. “I tell them in a
Athletes moved their arms up and down with the med ball at nice way that they’re too fat and they’re not gettin’ their job done.”
increasingly higher positions on their backs.
“I get away with murder,” Suhadolnik added, grinning.
“Just give me five snow angels. Go slow. Try to rotate.”
But Backs said it’s more than just age that accommodates Suha-
Next was kicking one leg straight back while touching the floor dolnik’s coaching style.
with the opposite hand.
“People ultimately do figure out that he cares about them or they
“You look like a goomba, you look like a goomba. Don’t worry wouldn’t do it. … On the surface it could be seen as ‘Yeah, he was
about it,” Suhadolnik declared. just bein’ a bully.’ But if you get close enough to it and you start
realizing that it’s for your own good, then it takes on a very different
The 4 p.m. class was similar. type of feel.”
“Give me snow angels, come on. Get those scapula moving.” Suhadolnik’s age, Backs noted, adds legitimacy to his demands.
“Cobra. Dog. Come on, let’s go. Cobra. Dog. Please.” “There’s something about maturity. You know that somebody has
been through some of the same challenges you’ve been through.
The “please” typically comes after a couple of demands. And I think we all gravitate toward people who are like us, have
common interests, have been through many of the same things.”
It was deadlift day. For most CrossFit Instinct athletes, the objective
was to establish a 1-rep max with textbook form. For the Longevity
class, it meant 5 sets of 5 reps. Iron Mike
“The movement we’re gonna do is stick you butt back and come A few athletes in CrossFit Instinct’s 55-plus Longevity class wear T-shirts made to support fellow athlete Barber through his chemotherapy. Three years ago, when Suhadolnik turned 70, CrossFit Instinct
back up,” Suhadolnik explained as he pushed his butt backward coaches and members threw him a surprise party that featured a
and snapped to standing again. “Rick and Walt, go get another pair of 10s. Please.” fested in his athletes but also mentally. Many in the Longevity presentation called “Stuff Coach Mike Says.”
class refer to themselves as “a tribe.”
He watched each athlete, one by one, lift 55 lb. When he was When the additional weight was in place, Suhadolnik surveyed
satisfied with their movement, he gave further instructions. the room to see if the athletes were prepared to move on his call. “This is hugely, hugely important. Hugely,” said 58-year-old Susan “This is hugely, hugely important.
Nightingale, another athlete in the Longevity class. “It’s been a
“Everybody go get a pair of 10s.” “You ready, Johnny?” revelation to me. It’s so much more than the physical.”
Hugely. It’s been a revelation to me.”
“I knew there was more,” Barber knowingly replied. “Yeah,” Barber answered. In more than a year of CrossFit, Nightingale has lost 40 lb. and
lowered her blood pressure, and she hopes she’s gotten “ahead —Susan Nightingale
Suhadolnik laughed. “All right. Walk up to the bar.” of the curve” on her asymptomatic arterial disease. On a Tuesday
afternoon in April, Suhadolnik put her through a workout of 5
“K. We’re gonna do 5 sets of 5. And it’s gonna be academic that Athletes positioned their feet below their barbells. rounds of Turkish get-ups and jumping pull-ups. On the final
you keep your lumbar curve.” round he bumped her up to a 20-lb. kettlebell, the heaviest she “Most of them have to do with his apparent—but not real—lack of
“Lumbar curve. Gimme one!” demanded Suhadolnik, his had ever used for the movement. It was a struggle, but she did it. empathy. Things like, ‘You’ll be OK.’ And, ‘I know, I know,’” Backs
Suhadolnik, who holds a master’s degree in mathematics, spent emphasis clearly on the second phrase. explained. “People looking at it from the outside might think that
17 years teaching the subject. He often uses the word “academic” In that way, too, Suhadolnik is unrelenting. he’s just hard-nosed and maybe even a little cruel. But those of
when coaching. He called out the same way—“Gimme one!”—for the remaining us that are experiencing the benefit of what he’s doing know that
reps while his body twitched as if he willed the athletes to move. To keep his athletes motivated, he texts them at 4 o’clock in the it gets the kind of results (that) keep (us) coming back for more.”
A couple of the athletes were exceeding expectations. morning every day—sometimes earlier—with inspirational words,
The results of his no-excuses style are not only physically mani- videos or a workout they can do at home or while traveling. Backs described Suhadolnik as “direct and largely unfiltered.”

In Springfield—Illinois’ capital of about 117,000 people—Suha- body is to hug them and stroke them and coddle them and say Suhadolnik pushed Fleer to get the screen to read “30 calories.”
dolnik has been a larger-than-life figure, making no apologies ‘there, there.’ Mike has never said ‘there, there.’” The bike’s fan whirred and Fleer looked like he was in physical
along the way. pain. He kept getting close but not quite reaching 30. On the
last round, he did it.
“I don’t ask for permission,” he flatly said. “It’ll Last You the Rest of Your Life”
“Thirty,” Fleer said, barely able to speak, as the bike became silent
In a 1996 Illinois Times article, writer Jeff Ignatius penned a It was a little after 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 28. and he released the handles.
profile of Suhadolnik titled “Outta My Way.”
Bill Fleer came in for another one-on-one session with Suhadolnik. “Thirty,” Suhadolnik repeated with a broad smile.
“If Suhadolnik dislikes somebody or feels wronged,” Ignatius His first one had been nearly two weeks earlier.
wrote, “he will let the whole world know, one way or another. He “He’s strong. He just hasn’t had to work in a long time,” Suha-
is stubborn as an ass and quick with an acid tongue.” Suhadolnik started him off with a warm-up of candlesticks to a dolnik said.
seated V position. Fleer got winded.
For 30 years, Suhadolnik owned and ran Construx of Illinois, “My mind wants to do it. My body’s not there yet,” Fleer replied.
a general contracting company that challenged construction Next was the cats-and-dogs stretch.
norms of the time and sought to build quality affordable housing After his heart rate lowered, Fleer explained that his mental outlook
for low- and middle-income families. Across three decades the “Up, up, up,” Suhadolnik said in quick succession. “Now drop it has improved. He told of his father-in-law, who failed at his goal
company—and its multiple ancillary companies—created and way down.” of living to be 100.
performed $75 million in business, Suhadolnik said. The Greater
Springfield Chamber of Commerce twice recognized him as Busi- Fleer’s face grew red. “I’m gonna be a centenarian. And be fit,” he said with a smile.
nessman of the Year.
Suhadolnik brought him over to the pull-up rig for ring rows. His In his brief time at CrossFit Instinct, Fleer said his doctor has cut
“He tried to literally change Springfield … in areas that needed to feet elevated on an 18-inch box, the 64-year-old retired railroad his blood-pressure medication in half.
be renovated and renewed,” Molly said. “He believed in people. administrator couldn’t quite get his hips to the rings. Suhadolnik
He hired people that other people probably wouldn’t.” explained he needed to squeeze his butt first to force his hips to “He might be miserable for 5 minutes, but that’s better than havin’
rise. Finally, Fleer understood. somebody wipe your butt,” Suhadolnik plainly stated.
He’s a man who, when Molly was a teenager, refused to wear
his prescription eyeglasses and instead trained his eyes to have He counted Fleer’s reps. Fleer nodded with a smile.
20/20 vision again. It’s an achievement he still holds today. He
also has part of a gold tooth buried beneath the first finger of his “One. Two. One more, please. Three.” That’s the point for Suhadolnik, especially when he thinks of
CrossFit Instinct’s Longevity class begins with about 20 minutes of mobility work.
right knuckle, evidence of a long-ago fight that most considered a Barber, the chemotherapy patient battling prostate cancer.
tall tale until an MRI appointment proved otherwise. “He can’t chin yet,” Suhadolnik said of Fleer’s pull-up abilities.
These days, her father arrives at the gym before she does. And she “Now his quality of life when he beats this—and he’ll beat it; I
Yet, despite her dad’s seemingly gruff demeanor, 29-year-old Molly teaches the 4:45 a.m. class. Suhadolnik typically rises anywhere He added, smiling: “When he loses 50 lb. of body weight, he’ll fly.” really believe he’ll beat it—it’s gonna be good,” he said, smiling.
described him as “a softie.” from 1 to 2 a.m., does CrossFit Instinct’s daily programming
at home and figures out the best way to modify it for Longevity Next he taught Fleer the shoulder press, push press and push jerk. Suhadolnik hopes to inspire other older folks to get their CrossFit
“He was not the punisher of our family,” she said, smiling. athletes. At the box, he consults with Molly or Tim, who also help Suhadolnik added weight to the barbell between sets, then had Level 1 certificates and start training their peers for longer,
coach the Longevity classes. Fleer bust out more reps. healthier lives.
The day she was born, Suhadolnik was “so pumped” to have
another child, Molly told, that he left the hospital at 3 a.m.—after “He’s preaching it and walking the walk,” Molly said. “We’re goin’ awful quick. We’re goin’ awful quick,” Suhadolnik “Functional movement, really, that’s what we do. Number 1, it’s
she was born and while his wife, Maureen, slept—to do a set of repeated. safe. Number 2, it’s useful. I’m gonna teach you how to stand up
10 touch-and-go deadlifts at 475 lb., followed by 10 back squats Thus when Longevity athletes complain of aches or pains, he off the chair, sit, stand up off the pot. And 3, it lasts a long time.
at 425. understands but offers little sympathy. “For this old man ya are,” Fleer said between breaths. It’ll last you the rest of your life. And that’s really what I try to do
with these people.”
In Molly’s early years, Suhadolnik would take her and her two “When he sees people with their weaknesses, he doesn’t cut ’em “Big air. Go! Use your butt cheeks,” Suhadolnik instructed.
sisters to the local park every Sunday. There, he power walked 4 any slack—and that’s out of respect,” Backs said. “I tend to agree About the Author: Andréa Maria Cecil is assistant mana-
miles. To keep up, the little girls had to run. When they got home, with him that we often need to challenge people, that we need “One. Two. That’s it. Get your head through the window. Four. One ging editor and head writer of the CrossFit Journal.
he’d feed them a sandwich “with a huge bunch of meat,” vegeta- to expect more of ourselves and other people, that we shouldn’t more. Please. Five.”
bles, fruit and a tall glass of water, Molly said. assume that just because somebody has a limitation that they
can’t do something that we think they should try. Many people will Finally, it was time for the Airdyne: 20 seconds of work for 5 rounds.
As a teenager, she added, her suitors were “always terrified of him.” struggle with that, that the only way to show empathy to some-

THE
JOURNAL
PROBLEMS AND PROS

BY BRITTNEY SALINE
C.Mead Jackson Photography

Creative, dedicated CrossFit affiliate owners share how they’ve overcome
obstacles including floods, angry neighbors and endless bureaucracy.
Courtesy of Hudson River CrossFit
Courtesy of CrossFit 2 Street

Swimming WOD at Hudson River CrossFit? George Caroulis of CrossFit 2 Street went out of his way to address each and every concern neighbors voiced when he was opening his affiliate. Shared walls made noise a concern at CrossFit 2 Street.
The rain sounded like gunfire as it pelted John Franklin’s home in “It looked as if the concrete was sweating profusely,” he said. With heavy rain flooding Hudson River CrossFit about once a month, the entire town. That means any time I walk the dog, any time I go to a
Hoboken, New Jersey, one night in June 2013. Though it was already Franklin and his staff have become pros at keeping their heads above restaurant, statistical probability says that I’m gonna run into somebody
past 10 p.m., he pulled on his boots and drove the seven blocks to Before he had the chance to reach for a mop, he heard a low gurgle water, loading all their equipment into an elevated storage room every that I’ve worked with before. So you have a lot of accidental community
Hudson River CrossFit, the affiliate he was in the process of opening from the direction of the bathroom. In a few seconds, the gurgle became time the weather report predicts a storm. that happens, and it’s much stronger than anything I’ve felt.”
after months of leading free park workouts. an explosive sputter as the drains in the gym’s two sinks, showers and
toilets began spewing sewage in succession “almost like a fountain “We’re very handy with a Shop-Vac these days,” he said. “That’s how Challenges are par for the course, Franklin explained: “It’s all part of the
He was just weeks from the grand opening date, and with the gym show,” Franklin said. you get all the water out, and then you have to go through the whole game. There are certain points ... where I get a little beat down, but in
sitting right at the city’s lowest point, he feared the heavy rain might process of disinfecting it.” perspective, my life is fantastic. I have a staff that I love, I have members
seep inside. As Franklin stood ankle deep in sewer refuse, he thought of the three that I love, ... I get to share something that I’m very passionate about
friends who had showed up to his park workouts. To disinfect the 2,800-square-foot space, Franklin shells out about with other people, and I’m making a living doing it. It’s just a team effort,
He heaved the garage door open and flicked on the lights. US$600 each time for a professional sewage-cleaning service. Adding and having that good staff in place is something that has saved my ass
“Am I just making like really bad life choices?” he asked himself. backflow preventers to the drains would cost nearly $30,000 and more times than I can count.”
“The floor looked kind of like an infinity pool,” Franklin recalled, unable “Because we had no idea how this would actually work—or would require a total bathroom tear-up, and with real estate at a premium in
to tell where the water ended and dry cement began. anybody actually sign up for this CrossFit thing?” the area adjacent to New York City, moving is out of the question.
Killing Them With Kindness
He ventured to the far side of the gym, where a long concrete slab—a Today, Hudson River CrossFit boasts around 250 members, one of So what keeps Franklin going?
storage area in the space’s past life as a refrigerator warehouse—was two affiliates that make up Flipside Performance (the other is Bowery George Caroulis, owner of CrossFit 2 Street, also wondered if he’d made
elevated a few inches above the floor. Gray sludge oozed from the hair- CrossFit in Manhattan, New York, which Franklin opened at the end of “The community,” he said. “Our mission has always been to build a a poor life choice in 2013 when he arrived to scout the South Philadel-
line crack beneath. 2013). strong urban community ... and we’ve probably trained 1-2 percent of phia spot that would eventually become the affiliate’s home.

A large garage door took up almost the entire storefront of the
3,000-square-foot space wedged between a split-level duplex and
a popcorn shop with two apartments on top. To the rear sat another Caroulis responded to every
single-family home. All in all, the affiliate would share walls with five
residential units and one business if Caroulis leased the location. complaint in kind, explaining exactly
“I remember the first day I pulled up to the address; I thought I was in how he would address the issue.
the wrong spot,” Caroulis said.
But his market research had promised the up-and-coming neighbor-

hood was a good place to be, so he took a chance. As he hauled rigs He responded to every complaint in kind, explaining exactly how he
and rubber mats into the garage, neighbors ogled and whispered. would address the issue. He agreed to keep the garage door down
at certain times of day to limit the music’s reach, and he instituted a
“Every now and then I would start walking over there to introduce no-drop policy—with the exception of one-rep-max attempts, during
myself and talk to them, and by the time I would get there they’d be which athletes must use heavy crash pads to deaden the vibrations.
halfway down the block in different directions,” he said.
Most importantly, he never stopped trying to connect.
It wasn’t that the neighbors were shy. They were worried. And after
Caroulis diligently notified all residents within a four-block radius “Any time I’d see anybody out on the block, I made sure to go over
of the pending affiliate—by city law, the residents had to be given and say hello, ask them how they’re doing—just being as friendly as
an opportunity to attend the affiliate’s zoning hearing—he learned humanly possible,” he said. “The last thing I want is someone to have
that emails were circulating among the neighbors, damning the an issue with me or us in any way and not feel comfortable enough to
presence of a CrossFit gym. come and talk to me.”
“The last thing we want is loud music, weights dropping, additional Just a year after the gym opened, all the neighbors directly connected
parking on our streets and sweaty guys without shirts running around to CrossFit 2 Street had become members—even Nolan. Though he’d
the block,” the anonymous email read. previously turned down Caroulis’ many offers to try a workout, Nolan
eventually bored of his globo gym workouts.
Though none of the residents came to the hearing, noise complaints
began to fill Caroulis’ inbox days after CrossFit 2 Street opened that Now, he’s the one throwing wall balls at his headboard.
October.
“I haven’t looked back,” he said. “You just expect the meatheads you see
One of those complaints came from Joe Nolan, who lives in the duplex in your typical (globo gym), just people who are gigantic and brooding,
next door and shares a wall with the gym. He emailed Caroulis after but even from the first day, everyone walked in, asked me my name.
waking one Saturday—barely recovered from a Friday night on the ... These people are a lot like me, and everyone just has a common
town—to the rhythmic thud of wall balls behind his headboard. interest in working out. It’s been a really great community.”
“It was like that annoying kid in college who would throw a tennis ball Caroulis didn’t have to make all the changes he made. With no protes-
against their wall,” Nolan said. “And here I am waking up hung over ters at his zoning hearing, he had a full permit and the right to operate
and there’s people who are working out, and it’s like ‘Oh, God, now I as he saw fit.
feel even worse about myself.’’’
Building community the right way: “But that’s never been my approach to anything,” he said. “I always feel
Caroulis didn’t want bad blood with anyone. A year after the gym opened, all like you’re going to accomplish more when you’re able to work with the
of CrossFit 2 Street’s immediate people who are against you.”

neighbors were members.
“I decided to kill them with kindness,” he said.
Better Safe Than Sorry

With plans to open an affiliate in Manhattan, New York, Izzy
Levy decided to tackle potential noise issues in advance. Before
opening I.C.E. NYC/CrossFit Below Zero in February 2016,

Levy spent two years researching locations and zoning laws and have to be shut down at one point. So we knew the risks, we knew the
interviewing experienced affiliate owners to avoid the pitfalls expense involved, and we decided to do it the right way.”
discovered by other New York affiliates.
Levy had no desire to repeat mistakes made by others. Knowledge Is Power

“What we figured is ‘let’s do it right. Let’s try to figure out the secret Billy De La Rosa, owner of another Manhattan affiliate, six-month-old
sauces and we can avoid these problems,’” he said. CrossFit Spot, knows all too well the battle that is convincing the BSA
to grant a PCE permit. Even after he presented the board with tests and
After Levy found a location—a 4,500-square-foot space in the data similar to Levy’s, the board remained skeptical of how a CrossFit
bowels of a luxury apartment building in Tribeca—he hired an gym would affect the community.
acoustics team, not just for eventual tests on the location but
also to provide past studies of the team’s previous clients to win “Is it gonna have a good impact? Are you giving back?” De La Rosa
over the prospective landlord. Once the lease was signed, the summarized the board’s concerns.
experiments began.
Though CrossFit Spot would be located in the wealthy Lincoln Center
“The first thing you think of is noise ... but the real issue is vibration,” district, De La Rosa saw an opportunity to give back among the poorer
Levy said. “What happens is in a building, when you drop 200 lb. from projects a few blocks away. He proposed a plan to offer free workouts
overhead, vibrations run through the columns, and a penthouse 20 for anyone in the community on the weekends, inviting residents of
stories above you will feel it just as much as the one right above you.” low-income areas via flyers to attend for free on Saturdays and Sundays.
To deflect vibration, Levy and the acoustics team decided to decouple “That was very good with (the BSA),” he reported.
the floor, or create a “floating” platform separated from the floor by
ICE CrossFit Below Zero
acoustic isolators that prevent the transmission of vibration from Still, the BSA remained hesitant.
machines—barbells in this case—to the building structure. First, they
built a small mock platform to test various materials, dropping 225 lb. “Their entire issue was that they just couldn’t understand why we had
from overhead each time. to lift heavy weights and then drop them from above our heads,” De
La Rosa said.
Steel channels ran from one isolator to the next beneath the platform,
topped by layers of dampening material. After a bit of trial and error— So he took a different approach: education.
Beneath the floor at CrossFit Below Zero, acoustic isolators ensure vibrations don’t run into the apartments above.
sheetrock layers were prone to cracking and foam layers resulted in a
floor that was too malleable—the team arrived at the winning cocktail “I had to first put myself in the board’s shoes,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK,
of wood and rubber, which brought the vibrations, measured by seismic I have to be able to relate this to something they can understand.’”
readers installed on each of the building’s 17 stories, within the accep-
table range. After, Levy soundproofed the walls and the ceilings. He explained to the board that the weightlifting done in CrossFit derives
from an Olympic sport.
Meanwhile, his physical culture establishment (PCE) permit
application with the New York Board of Standards and Appeals “It’s something that all countries participate in, it’s one of the most beau-
(BSA) was under review as part of a nine-month process he tiful movements out there, and part of the lift is actually dropping the
began well in advance. The extensive testing resulted in a full weight,” he told them. “We allow the weights to drop from overhead
PCE permit just weeks before the affiliate’s opening date. because it’s the safest position. You can’t expect someone lifting that
kind of weight to not drop from overhead.”
Courtesy of Submit 2 Fitness CrossFit

“We’ve been open for three months now and not (had) a single comp-
laint from any of the condo owners,” Levy said. “Well, why do you have to lift heavy?” the board replied.
ICE CrossFit Below Zero
The investment, he said, was worth the risk. “The new skinny is being strong,” De La Rosa explained. “I told them
that more people are realizing that the way to be fit is actually to be
“It was definitely scary, and then in the last five years (the BSA has) really strong.”
cracked down on CrossFit gyms, so we knew we were gonna have an
uphill battle,” he said. “But we were not willing to have issues in the But it wasn’t until De La Rosa explained how CrossFit Spot’s on-ramp
future. If we build a beautiful business, we don’t want our members to program would work that the board began to ease up. He gave them
CrossFit Below Zero invested in acoustics studies to ensure happy neighbors. Submit 2 Fitness CrossFit relocated but stayed local despite a reduction in space.

a copy of the affiliate’s beginners program, which outlined the month-
long course.
“It turns out that nobody has the
“I said, ‘We don’t just allow people to come in here and from Day 1 just
start flinging weights around,’” he said. “We teach all the Olympic lifts,
authority to give us back the rest of
all the CrossFit movements, and we make sure they understand and
they progress at their own pace. It’s not about lifting heavy; it’s about the space in all of New York.”
doing the work correctly.”
—Hari Singh
When the BSA finally granted De La Rosa the PCE permit, he invited
each member to come try CrossFit for a week—though none have
accepted the offer yet.
“It‘s endless, and it just wouldn’t be worth it,” Singh said. “Ultimately,
“When they saw that we took the time to actually create a program that we just accepted that we’re only gonna have two-thirds the number of
teaches people how to safely do these lifts, then they gave a little more members, that it’s not gonna be as profitable as we hoped.”
credit to what we were saying,” he said.
Community Trumps Square Footage

Tales From the Crypt
Long-forgotten zoning laws aren’t the only things that can surprise
Still, not even the most thorough testing and preparation can provide a affiliate owners. After five years of renting a 2,500-square-foot
guaranteed defense against the bonds of bureaucracy. warehouse space in Secaucus, New Jersey, Submit 2 Fitness
CrossFit owner Javier Ferrer found himself with six months to
C.Mead Jackson Photography
CrossFit NYC began construction on its Upper West Side location pack up and get out.
in mid-2013. The spot was perfect—more than 3,000 square feet
in an L-shaped space six stories below the first residential floor He had been subleasing from a friend who ran a martial-arts
of a condominium formerly home to ABC Studios. With several studio on one side of the warehouse. Investing his heart, soul
hundred members already signed up, affiliate owner Hari Singh and what little money he had into his dream of making people fitter,
had big plans for his new gym. Ferrer spent five years building his own rigs, acquiring equipment and
growing his membership to just over 50 athletes. About a month out
“We figured out exactly what we could do in the space, how many from taking over the entire warehouse, Ferrer was told the building had
classes we could run,” Singh said. The crypt at CrossFit NYC: where burpees are banned by bureaucracy. been sold and all its tenants had six months to get out.
years,’” Singh said.
Singh planned to run three classes simultaneously, with a locker room building above it. It’s the most soundproof place in New York.” “I felt like somebody just ripped my heart out,” Ferrer recounted. “We
and showers to accommodate three classes’ worth of athletes. But soon As it turned out, ABC Studios, which was built after the zoning law was worked so hard to where we got to and we had started to get out of
after construction began, resident complaints began rolling in. implemented, was grandfathered in. When CrossFit NYC stepped in Despite the fears of the residents, the BSA granted CrossFit NYC a the red, and the community was getting built and people’s lives were
and changed the building’s zoning to allow for a PCE, the new zoning two-year PCE permit in November 2014—so long as they followed changing. The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘What are we
“There was a big article in the New York Post about condos suing laws went into effect, and the affiliate was forced to wall off the space. through with the plan to wall off the offending 1,250 square feet. Six gonna tell our people?’”
crazy CrossFit gyms that hit the newspapers a week before we were months from now, the gym will be re-evaluated in order to receive a full
supposed to go for our final approval,” Singh said. “With that, the “There’s nothing on the other side of the wall except dirt,” Singh said. permit, good for 10 years. But Singh’s lawyers doubt that even a record Most of his members lived or worked within walking distance of the
building basically went full blast, got our hearing rescheduled, filed “It’s just a wall and a hole on the other side. It’s a crypt, basically.” free of noise complaints will be enough to reclaim the crypt. affiliate, so Ferrer and his girlfriend scoured the neighborhood, but every
petitions, did everything they could to prevent us from getting in.” place of comparable size was too expensive.
The loss was catastrophic. “We thought, ‘OK, we’ll just wall it off for the two years,’ and then when
While searching for ways to expel the affiliate, the condo board’s the two years are up, surely the zoning board or whoever’s rational will A few months into the search, Ferrer came upon 3,500-square-foot
lawyers unearthed a decades-old R8 district zoning law dictating “We didn’t see this coming,” he said. “It basically cut our capacity by a say, ‘Yeah, that doesn’t make sense, you’ve been a good guy, you can dream of a warehouse—complete with its own private parking and the
that no commercial space can be within 75 feet of the sidewalk on third ... . It cost three-quarters of a million dollars to build out the space, have the rest of the space.’ But it turns out that nobody has the authority option to acquire an additional 10,000 square feet of space—for half
Columbus avenue—above or below ground. Most of the affiliate which included the locker rooms—and the locker rooms were designed to give us back the rest of the space in all of New York,” Singh said. the price he was paying. His friends told him he’d be stupid to turn it
was safely within the commercial zone, but the last 50-by-25 feet to support three classes.” down. The problem was that it would be a 20-minute drive for most of
bled into a residential district. With the complexity of the New York building permits system, redesig- his members, many of whom were used to a five-minute walk.
Singh continued: “It’s kind of a disaster for us. It’s the best space in ning the space was out of the question.
“We said, ‘That’s crazy because ABC Studios has been there for 25 the gym because it’s literally under nothing but dirt—there’s not even a “We knew if we went there some people would follow, but it would kind

of be like starting all over again,” Ferrer said. though affiliate ownership hasn’t been without hardship, for Ferrer, it’s
all part of the game.
He considered his athletes.
“We love what we do and we don’t look at (hardship) as a problem,”
“It’s an awesome feeling when you have people that were on medica- he said. “There is always a solution. We sacrificed where we needed
tion and because they were part of our community they changed their to sacrifice to make it work, and if somebody’s not willing to put in the
lives around,” he said. “And there were still a lot of families that had a work, the sacrifice, the heartaches and the sleepless nights, they have
lot of work to do ... I had a heart-to-heart with my girlfriend and I said, no business opening up a box.”
‘We’re gonna have to bite the bullet on this one. We’re gonna have to
do whatever it takes to stay in town, because we have an obligation to
our community.’”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brittney Saline is a freelance
It was more than a year before Ferrer found a suitable location in town, writer contributing to the CrossFit Journal and the CrossFit
less than a mile from the original affiliate (luckily, the sale of the original Games website. She trains at CrossFit St. Paul. To contact her,
location was stalled, allowing Submit 2 Fitness CrossFit to remain in visit brittneysaline.com.
operation while he searched). Of the new site’s 1,100 square feet, only
900 square feet are suitable for training.
“There is always a solution.

We sacrificed where we needed to
sacrifice to make it work.”
—Javier Ferrer
To save space, Ferrer suspended everything from benches to rowers

from hooks bolted high on the wall. He also invested in space-saving
equipment such as pull-up rigs and squat racks that fold into the wall,
as well as a collapsible GHD from Rogue. To keep from knocking the
neighbors’ products off their shelves, Ferrer built a separate barrier for
wall-ball shots: It’s made of wood and metal and hangs from the rafters
several inches away from the shared wall.
The modifications cost Ferrer thousands in new equipment and gear

left behind, and he had to downsize the maximum class from 20 to
10 athletes.
Still, his members are happy, Ferrer said.
“Everyone loves the new cap of 10 (athletes), and so do we,” he said.

“We have anywhere from two to three coaches on the floor, so our
athletes get that one-on-one feel.”
Today, Submit 2 Fitness CrossFit is nearly 100 members strong. And

TRAINING TIPS:
FROM WRECK
TO RECOVERY
BY SHANE UPCHURCH, CF-L3
Dave Tittle
On Aug. 8, 2015, I was hit on my motorcycle by a box truck
that ran a red light. I suffered degloving of my lower left leg, three
displaced ribs, a bruised lung and swelling of the brain. I spent
If you’re caught up on what you used
one month in a hospital and underwent a free flap transplant to
my lower left leg, a crainiotomy and a few other smaller operations. to have or what you will have in the
Courtesy of Shane Upchurch

After I was released from the hospital, I spent about five weeks on
a couch resting.
future, you’ll never really improve
I finally began working with a physical therapist, and in the begin- the version of you that is available
ning I mostly rode the Airdyne before doing my therapy homework.
After being cleared by my doctors for all activity, I began working

right now.
my way back to CrossFit-style training. After all, it was arguably
this fit lifestyle that helped me bounce back in the first place.
In dealing with my return to CrossFit, I’ve learned a few things I 2. Volume

think would be beneficial to other coaches and athletes who are
coming back from an injury or even just a lot of time off CrossFit. I Soreness is big factor in coming back from an injury. If you make
narrowed my experiences down to five concepts that have helped returning clients so sore that their next days are impossible, they
me the most. won’t come back. More discomfort is the last thing they want.
It’s better to play it safe than push the envelope too soon. Depen-
1. The New Normal ding on the injuries or how long the clients have been out, some
When I returned everything felt heavy. My form was garbage at any movements and loads might be accessible but leave them so sore
moderately heavy weight, and it was frustrating and misleading to that they’re unable to train. Remember, the goal is to get them to a
think of what I had been able to do only months before. I had to point where they can exercise and help recovery, not to train at a
quickly learn and accept that my normal was now different than volume that best prepares them for competition.
before and would never be the same again. Accepting this fact was
actually very relieving because it removed all preconceived notions In my situation, I started out by staying around the 30-rep range.
of what I could and couldn’t do. I also started at very light loads and worried more about positions
and full range of motion. Over the course of a week or two, I would
The new normal will be harder for some clients to accept, but bump the reps up by 15-20, and during the following week or so,
the sooner they do, the sooner they’ll progress. Depending on the I would also increase the load slightly. I continued until I could do
injury they’re coming back from, they might never have the body most CrossFit workouts without being excessively sore for the next
they used to, and they might not be able to do what they could few days. I entered the CrossFit Games Open this year with a goal
before. That’s OK. We can call it bad or good, but it really boils of doing everything as prescribed, and I made it, finishing in the
down to what you have to work with in the moment. If you’re top 40 percent of my region.
caught up on what you used to have or what you will have in
the future, you’ll never really improve the version of you that is
available right now—which is all you really ever have. 3. Strength and Range of Motion
An athlete who is coming back from an injury will probably have
This acceptance also gives you a blank logbook to begin tracking some sort of movement restriction, and full range of motion
your progress. That means PRs every day—at least for a while— trumps strength 90 percent of the time, especially if we’re trai-
so enjoy the journey, acknowledge the victories, and respect the ning to be better at life. I had a lack of dorsiflexion in my left
athlete you are today. ankle, which made it very difficult to go deep into a squat and
keep my chest up.
Upchurch struggled with dorsi-

flexion after the injury, so he slowly
combined small, progressive
increases in range of motion with
strength work in the new range.
Dave Tittle

Some days I would throw air squats into a conditioning session thing I did, but I added workouts like this into my training, and I
and work to a butt target I eventually eliminated. Other days I still do them.
wanted to work more on strength, even if it was only in a partial
range of motion. For squats, I would use a box. I have a client who
is recovering from back surgery, and we sometimes work with a 5. The Big Picture
trap bar to get him in a better position with a load. Other times I couldn’t do a number of things when I first got back to exer-
we go with empty-bar deadlifts and focus on increasing range of cising—double-unders, for instance. Jumping rope at all was a
motion. chore, and it didn’t take long before I caught myself falling back
into old habits and creating plans for how I would conquer doub-
As range of motion improves, continue to challenge strength in the le-unders immediately. But why? If my goals were to get back to
new range. The end goal should always be a full range of motion a level of fitness similar to what I had before and to be able to do
with progressively heavier weight, but don’t let the pursuit of full things in life without special preparation, why did it matter?
range of motion deter you from lifting heavy at times.
I found that a better approach was addressing weaknesses as I
This brings up max lifts. I would never max out in a shortened found them, just as I would attack a chipper. Only making a start
range of motion, and I didn’t truly max any lifts for several is needed this very moment.
months after returning to activity. I would often find a weight
that challenged my technique, and I made sure it was as heavy I began with single-unders in warm-ups, and I kept an eye on
as or slightly heavier than what I had done before for a similar volume levels to make sure I wasn’t making any huge jumps. Over
rep scheme. This kept me progressing at a consistent rate and time, I tried a few double-unders with almost zero success, and
prevented any new injuries. then a few group workouts came up with a format that allowed
me to try them again. This went on for a while. Finally, during a
workout that had athletes running 400 m and then doing doub-
4. Perfect Positions le-unders, I strung together 9. I didn’t get any more in later rounds,
Courtesy of Shane Upchurch
Let’s be honest: Once you’ve achieved a certain level of strength, and that was OK. Then in Open Workout 16.2 I got 50 in a row!
it’s really hard to go back to the basics. Returning from an injury
is a great time to do just that. We’re not training for anything in
particular, we need to take it slow, and our conditioning is garbage The Long Game
anyway, so the idea of high intensity seems silly. We also know It’s very easy to get overwhelmed with all the areas for impro-
Dave Tittle
that perfect positions make a stronger athlete, so why not strive for vement in CrossFit, and we can quickly fall into the trap of wanting
those positions? to fix everything today. Viewing goals on a much larger timeline
really helps keep things in perspective and keeps me from getting
I’ve often said that the best part of returning from ground zero Upchurch recovering from his accident in 2015. Upchurch today. carried away.
is that I have no excuse not to work on perfecting movement
patterns, and I’ll bet I end up stronger because of it. I spent a lot of my warm-up time working on perfecting positions 3 rounds of: I plan to live to 100, so that leaves me 68 years to keep working
and dealing with different mobility issues, performing exercises 6 low-hang box power cleans on the things I can’t do today. If your goal is to win the CrossFit
such as hollow holds, wall slides, squat holds, single-arm and 90 seconds for max calories on an Airdyne Games, then your approach is going to be much different, but for
single-leg work, stability drills and more. Rest 2 minutes most of our clients the 100-year approach will work very well.
I’ve often said that the best part of I found Interval Weight Training worked perfectly for this because Rest 5 minutes
it allowed to me to work on quality lifting at low intensity, with a
returning from ground zero is that I more basic movement at high intensity to follow. 3 rounds of: About the Author: Shane Upchurch, CF-L3, is a coach
8 trap-bar deadlifts at CrossFit Roots in Boulder, Colorado. He’s been involved with
have no excuse not to work on Interval Weight Training was created by Pat O’Shea, and the basics
involve lifting 5-8 reps at 70 percent perceived exertion, then follo-
60 seconds for max calories on a ski erg
Rest 2 minutes
CrossFit for 10 years, and he’s coached for seven of those. His
accident opened his eyes to the beauty of the CrossFit community,
wing up with 1-2 minutes of all-out intensity on another activity. and he continues to chase his passion of a healthy lifestyle through
perfecting movement patterns. Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat for 3-5 rounds. In the original format, This system allowed me to focus on hitting good positions with activity and nutrition. He and his wife are believers in the Paleo
you would then rest 5 minutes and repeat with new movements. submaximal weights while slowly increasing volume, and it also lifestyle and plan to have a farm that will allow them to provide real
A typical workout for me looked like this: developed conditioning. Interval Weight Training wasn’t the only food to their family and friends.
Scott Brayshaw

Nutrition Brief
ZONE VS. MACROS: ACCOUNTING FOR FAT IN PROTEIN

Tracking the amount of food you eat is key to accomplishing For this meal, the Zone and macro approaches are essentially equivalent. individuals who are not leaning out or reaching health/perfor- Fruit Variations
health, performance or aesthetic goals. While the Zone has been mance goals on the Zone can evaluate and make changes as One of the benefits of the Zone diet is the “eyeball” approach
a staple in CrossFit, macronutrient (macro) tracking has become necessary. For those individuals attempting to use the standard that can be applied instead of weighing and measuring every
increasingly popular. Both programs require eating a prescribed Fat: The Major Swing Variable fat prescription (1x), eliminating the additional 1.5 g of added item. In particular, fruit can be widely variable in size and, there-
amount of food every day, but caloric totals rarely match when Fat has over double the caloric density of protein and carbohy- fat in consideration of a fatty protein source can move the athlete fore, carbohydrate content. Particularly for the items that are
the exact same meals are evaluated in each system. drates (9 calories per gram of fat compared to 4 calories per closer to the intended prescription (Meal 3). If one eats lean frequently consumed in your diet, spend some time calibrating
gram of protein or carbohydrate). The fat content, specifically meats all the time, precision is greater. your eye to determine which banana is truly equivalent to 3
This brief neither criticizes nor applauds either system, nor does in your protein source, can add a significant number of calories blocks. Assuming the individual is not getting all carbohydrates
it discuss how much of each macronutrient someone should to your diet depending on your choices. In the Zone, a block Meal 3 total calories according to macros = 116 (protein) + from extra-large fruit, significant hidden calories are likely not
eat. Instead, this brief demonstrates and explains the differences contains 3 grams of fat, with the assumption that half (1.5 144 (carb) + 162 (fat) = 422 added; however, it is a factor that could affect daily precision.
in caloric measurement between the two systems so athletes grams) is from the protein source. When constructing meals,
can optimize their approaches. only 1.5 grams of fat are to be added per protein block. This results in an approximately 18 percent increase in caloric
intake from Meal 1.
Considerations for Application
Precision and Hidden Calories This means a protein source with greater than 1.5 grams of fat Although hidden calories can make your daily Zone calorie or
The Zone counts “blocks,” where one block is equivalent to

per block of protein adds more calories to the diet than antici-
pated in the Zone system. A large egg is a block of protein, but it
Combination Items block totals imprecise, they might not be cause for concern.
Consistency can trump precision in that a constantly imprecise
7 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of contains 4.5 grams of fat—3 grams of fat not accounted for by Combination items can add significant calories to the diet diet still provides a solid baseline from which to make changes
fat. Food is a generally assigned to one macronutrient group the Zone. A four-egg omelet would contain 12 grams of fat (108 depending on how they are blocked. A favorite go-to protein in pursuit of the optimal diet. For example, it does not actually
based on its primary source of calories. This means the Zone calories) that are hidden in calculation. If an individual chooses bar has a macronutrient split of 18 grams of protein, 25 grams matter if you consistently have 12 or 9 extra fat grams per meal
has “hidden calories”—calories not reflected in your daily total. protein such as ground beef (20 percent fat), pork cuts or eggs of carbohydrates and 17 grams of fat. At 2.5 blocks of protein, as long as you are monitoring your diet’s effect on performance
Using an orange as an example, only 18 grams (2 blocks) of as dietary mainstays, the daily total calories may be significantly 2.8 blocks of carbohydrates and 5.7 blocks of fat, the bar’s and aesthetic goals. If you realize you need to make adjustments
carbohydrates are tallied in the Zone despite the 2 grams of higher than intended (approximately 400 calories per day for a composition dictates that all calories from macronutrients and then do so, your consistent baseline will allow you to make
protein an orange also contains. These eight protein calories 16-block athlete, for example). should be accounted for. Treating the bar only as a fat source those adjustments regardless of the system.
are hidden. or carbohydrate source leaves too many hidden calories on the
The Meal 2 table illustrates the increase in calories created by table—about 170-225 of them. However, for those whose day-to-day diets are highly variable,
Counting one’s macros is inherently more precise, as it allows switching from chicken breast to ground beef (20 percent fat). sometimes choosing more combination items or fattier protein
you to track every gram and calorie of every macronutrient in As a general rule, if the item contains at least a block of a macro- cuts will inconsistently add hidden calories to the diet. This can
every food. This means all calories are accounted for. The Meal Meal 2 total calories according to macros = 120 (protein) + nutrient per serving, it should be accounted for—even if one thwart health or performance goals because it is impossible to
1 table compares blocks, grams and calories for a single meal, 148 (carb) + 216 (fat) = 484 macronutrient contributes more calories. make precise adjustments from an inconsistent baseline. The
with hidden calories highlighted. more frequently one chooses leaner cuts of meat, the more
precise the Zone will be, even when eyeballing.
Meal 1 (Chicken) Meal 2 (Ground Beef) Meal 3 (Ground Beef, No Avocado)
Finally, while precision is laudable, food labels are not always
Food Protein Protein Carb Carb Fat Fat Food Protein Protein Carb Carb Fat Fat Food Protein Protein Carb Carb Fat Fat 100 percent reliable, and the body is not sensitive enough such
(blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g) (blocks) (g)
that small fluctuations in day-to-day totals are significant. Hitting
Chicken 4 28 0 0 0 4 Ground beef Ground beef within 10 grams of protein and carbohydrate goals and within 5
4 28 0 0 0 18 4 28 0 0 0 18
Apple 0 0 2 18 0 0 (20% fat) (20% fat) grams of fat goals for the day is precise enough when weighing
Banana 0 1 2 18 0 0 Apple 0 0 2 18 0 0 Apple 0 0 2 18 0 0 and measuring.
Avocado 0 1 0 1 4 6 Banana 0 1 2 18 0 0 Banana 0 1 2 18 0 0
Total 4 30 4 37 4* 10 Avocado 0 1 0 1 4 6 Avocado 0 0 0 0 0 0
Calories 112 120 144 148 108 90 Total 4 30 4 37 4 24 Total 4 29 4 36 0* 18 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: E.C. Synkowski is a Flowmaster
*4 blocks: 1.5 g of fat from the avocado plus 1.5 g Calories 112 120 144 148 108 216 Calories 112 116 144 144 0 162 for CrossFit Inc. Seminar Staff and has worked at more than
assumed to be in the protein source (3 g total fat per block) *Added fat blocks eliminated in consideration of the fat in protein 200 seminars. She is the Program Manager for the Training
The substitution of a fattier protein source results in an approxi- source. The meal still contains fat, but it comes from the protein Department and is pursuing a master’s degree in human nutri-
Meal 1 total calories according to blocks = 112 (protein) + mately 35 percent increase in caloric intake over Meal 1. source entirely. tion and functional medicine (anticipated completion in 2017).
144 (carb) + 108 (fat) = 364
Depending on your goals, taking some time to identify the fat
Meal 1 total calories according to macros = 120 (protein) +
content in your protein sources can be beneficial. For example,
148 (carb) + 90 (fat) = 358
THE
JOURNAL By E.C. Synkowski CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016

All photos: Alicia Anthony/CrossFit Journal
THE
JOURNAL
CROSSFIT CULINARY NINJA:

BEYOND A BLAND BOWL OF BROCCOLI
Chef Nick Massie teaches athletes how to mix their macros for delicious fare that supports a healthy lifestyle.
BY EMILY BEERS
Phillip Gomez used to suffer from mageirocophobia—the fear of chicken and broccoli and keep their macros all separate and
cooking. isolated. Food is more exciting and tastes better when you combine
them all into one dish in the form of something like chili, lasagna
“I thought cooking was hard. I didn’t know how to cook, so it or fajita pie.”
seemed like a waste of money because I figured I’d mess it up,”
said Gomez, a police officer and coach at Turn 2 CrossFit in
Murrieta, California. “Food is more exciting and tastes
“It was scary and unknown. I didn’t even have time to think
about making anything in the kitchen, never mind prepping large better when you combine them all
portions for the week. So I didn’t do it. I didn’t want to have any
part of it.” into one dish in the form of something
Gomez also avoided cooking because healthy foods—which he
tried to eat—just didn’t taste that good. He knew food was essen- like chili, lasagna or fajita pie.”
tial for survival, health and athletic performance, but eating didn’t
excite him, he explained. —Nick Massie
That changed when he and wife Michelle Gomez took CrossFit’s
inaugural Culinary Ninja Specialty Course in April 2016 at CrossFit Massie said he thinks many athletes also avoid the kitchen
Del Mar in San Diego, California. because they assume cooking takes up too much of their precious
training time.
Macros, Unite! “They just need to learn how to be more efficient with their food
Chef Nick Massie, with more than 20 years of experience, is prep,” he said.
the Culinary Ninja instructor. He said Gomez is typical of many
CrossFit athletes he meets. In creating his culinary ninjas, Massie is determined to teach
CrossFit athletes and coaches how to be more efficient in the
“A lot of CrossFit (athletes) aren’t interested in cooking. And they kitchen, get them out of the macro rut, and show them that healthy
don’t think eating healthy tastes good,” said Massie, the man eating can taste good.
behind PaleoNick.com and the owner of Ice Age Meals.
Because mealtime has become boring, food prepping and cooking What Ninjas Know
feel like a time-sucking nuisance, he added. Massie’s one-day seminar is part hands-on cooking course and
part nutrition-theory course—based on Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone Diet.
Given the importance of nutrition to good health and performance—
two things CrossFit athletes care a great deal about—food prep The theory side of the course teaches attendees about nutrition
and cooking should never be afterthoughts, Massie explained. math, such as calories-to-grams conversions, Zone-block measu-
rement and macronutrient percentage calculations. The practical
“Their priorities are skewed in that nutrition is the foundation. But side of the course has novice ninjas cooking various meals. Massie
how much effort are (CrossFit athletes) putting into the kitchen also introduces cooking concepts such as seasoning, salting, toas-
compared to the gym? There’s a huge disconnect,” Massie said. ting spices and using herbs, as well as efficiency tips including
batch cooking and crock potting.
The biggest reason for kitchen laziness? The “macro rut”: Athletes
focus on getting the right amount of macronutrients but don’t “Crock potting allows you to cook overnight. Things are getting
bother to combine the foods, nor do they take the time to make done in the kitchen while you’re sleeping. That resonated with
their meals taste good, Massie said. people at the course,” Massie said.
Head ninja Nick Massie is trying
to get CrossFit athletes out of the “Their food is bland and boring. I compare it to functional The idea of making healthy food taste good also piqued the interest
“macro rut” with delicious recipes movements versus isolation movements. They’ll make rice and of attendees, he added.
and food combinations.

“We talk(ed) about basic things like salting meats properly, about With a renewed desire to stay healthy through proper nutrition—and
using heat instead of sweet, like using jalapeños instead of sugar, to help those around her use food to fuel good health—Martinez
or putting sriracha on chicken instead of ketchup.” enrolled in the course. Her plan was to acquire more cooking and
nutrition knowledge, which she could then pass on to the athletes
To emphasize the point that healthy can be tasty, Massie made at her affiliate, CrossFit Point A in San Marcos, California.
mayonnaise in front of the group to show them it doesn’t have
to be littered with sugar. His mayo combines olive oil with lemon “A lot of times people come into our gym and they want us to give
juice, mustard, egg yolk, garlic and some spices. them the whole package of coaching. They want to work out and
be physically fit, but they also want a nutrition plan,” Martinez said.
“I did a mayo demonstration for a 120-block chicken salad, and
I added chicken, grapes, celery, honey and toasted pecans. The
mayo gave us our fat, and that became our lunch,” he said.
“Other culinary classes are often just
In keeping with CrossFit philosophy, the course is very hands on:
Ninjas made meals themselves and left with 16 different three- about making food that tastes good
block dishes, including chili and lasagna.
“They made four gallons of chili. And we used the same meat
and not necessarily food that helps
sauce in the chili as the lasagna,” Massie said. “This showed
(attendees) they can make more than one meal at a time, and they you in the gym.”
can turn a simple meat sauce into a variety of different dinners that
all taste completely different. It opened their eyes to being more
efficient.”
—Cynthia Martinez
From kitchen efficiency to knife skills, Massie said the concepts
he teaches are simple but effective. Most importantly, they’re She knew there were many options for culinary and nutrition
practical, he added. courses, but she wanted one dedicated to teaching the nutritional
concepts she believed in. Taking a course at a local culinary school
“(CrossFit Founder and CEO Greg) Glassman is big on practical wouldn’t have given her the same confidence, she explained.
application. You can go to a nutrition class anywhere and listen to
the science all day long, but if it doesn’t translate to make your life “Other culinary classes are often just about making food that tastes
better, then what’s the point?” Massie asked. good and not necessarily food that helps you in the gym,” Gomez
said. “This particular way of eating that Massie teaches helps fuel
“I want people to take what they learn here and use it every day.” performance.”
Since taking the course, Martinez said she has become better at
Nutrition Is the Foundation delivering nutrition, cooking and recipe advice to her athletes.
Cynthia Martinez was another attendee at the first Culinary Ninja
course. “We’re now implementing (Massie’s methods) to new members
who come in. We have different options for them on the nutritional
Unlike Gomez—whose fear of cooking caused him to avoid it alto- side and ways to help them meet their goals,” she said.
gether—Gomez has always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen
preparing healthy food.
The Massie Effect
Her focus on quality nutrition became even more important to her Today, Gomez is no longer afraid of the kitchen and he no longer
last year when she suffered a major heart attack. shies away from helping his wife with dinner. The days of unsea-
soned, uninspired meat and vegetables sitting apart from each
“I didn’t know I had heart disease. I don’t remember the event other on the plate are over.
because my heart stopped for 40 minutes,” said Martinez, now
Just like other CrossFit courses, the
43, who was revived by a paramedic in the ambulance on the In recent weeks, Gomez has been cooking and trying new recipes
Culinary Ninja seminar includes lots
of hands-on work. way to the hospital. with his wife, all the while sticking to Zone Diet principles, which

Gomez said makes him feel healthier.
“I’m not afraid of carbs any more. I used to think carbs were the
For those who don’t enjoy time in the
enemy. And I’ve added more fat to my diet, too,” Gomez said. “I kitchen, Massie shows how batch cooking
always thought, ‘Why can’t I get any stronger?’ I’m a small-framed can provide many meals with minimal work.
guy and I was stuck at this particular size and weight. Now I know
I wasn’t eating enough carbs and fat. I can see the difference in
my body already.”
On top of it all, cooking isn’t nearly as hard as he thought it would be.
“Nick showed us how easy it is to make mayo. I always used to

switch to mustard because I thought it was healthier, but now I
see how easy it is to make my own, and I don’t have to feel guilty
about eating mayo,” said Gomez, who has made Massie’s mayo a
handful of times since the course.
All this has added up to a more enjoyable, tastier life, Gomez

explained.
“I had been in this rut for so long. Now I’m actually enjoying food
again.”
For more information and a list of upcoming CrossFit Culinary

Ninja courses, visit Training.CrossFit.com.
About the Author: Emily Beers is a CrossFit Journal cont-

ributor and coach at CrossFit Vancouver. She finished 37th at the
2014 Reebok CrossFit Games.

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THE

Programming: In-House Or Outsource? Beers

Strong Gets Stronger: CrossFit Risk Retention Group Reingen

Elliptical Syndrome Cripples Fran, Helen Warkentin

21 + 15 + 9 = Better Teachers Potts

Beyond Proven Achauer

Live to 100, Die on Your Feet Cecil

Problems and Pros Saline

Training Tips: From Wreck to Recovery Upchurch

Zone Vs. Macros: Accounting for Fat in Protein Synkowski

CrossFit Culinary Ninja: Beers

PROGRAMMING: IN-HOUSE OR OUTSOURCE?

“Programming is one of the most satisfying parts of my job,” said

He isn’t alone: Thousands of affiliate owners share Valenzuela’s

One major difference is price: The least expensive program of

For example, David Spitz of Cal Strength in San Ramon, California,

Because Spitz’s program is solely focused on strength and is not

used to complement their own

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 2

Meanwhile, other programs, such as Sherwood’s, are often

Other common features include scaling options to reflect different

Shaun Cleary/CrossFit Journal

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 3

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 4

“The Level 2 Training Guide and Workbook” is also clear that

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 5

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 2

In January 2016, we introduced an added benefit to CF-RRG

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 3

The growth and increasing strength

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 4

ELLIPTICAL SYNDROME CRIPPLES FRAN, HELEN

You have to do Fran in less than 12 minutes today.

Provided you’ve scaled properly and aren’t slogging through

Same weight, same reps, same workout—different results.

Intensity burns. It tastes like a

Intensity burns. It tastes like a mouthful of old pennies soaked

Intensity also brings results. Push someone out of the comfort

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 3

Watching a CrossFit class is like witnessing the most perfectly

The structure allows me, a beginner, to attend the same class as

I was always a fairly successful student, and I don’t think I’ve

I was always a successful student,

Imagine if I had walked in on my first day of CrossFit and the

I think of my students and how some activities are simply not

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 2

I needed introductory training sessions to teach me the basics,

I have already made changes to my classroom activities and

Psychologist Lev Vygotsky taught us to keep tasks within a

Will I be able to do a pull-up eventually? Yes! When my body

About the Contributor: Julie Potts is a kindergarten

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 3

Top athletes talk about their single-minded pursuit of the

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 1

There was my life, my identity, wrapped up in three words: writer,

Rory Zambard—who started CrossFit at 14—took 14th place at

Competitive athletes often find a pot

The deceleration process was not easy, especially for someone

CROSSFIT JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 3