Battle Scars & APF Party!!

http://youtu.be/6zu8Oi2UbeQ

video of the team tire flip challenge. Mo. Karen and Staci working hard together

Bailey, you never fails to give it her all, ripping her hand on clean and jerks :)

Lori, who refused to let go of the bar on her power snatch, hit both her shins on the way down from her squat. I could only stand and watch in awe of the epicness

Turkish sit ups and ball over bar. I want to get apart of this trend that graham kids have where they grow their hair long and wear different colored carhart beanies

Power cleans and lateral hop burpees, whats not to love?

So wanted to talk a little bit about "battle scars" you may acquire during a wod.. I highly encourage them. Do they hurt? yes. But nothing shows you are working hard and earning your results like a good tear in the hands and a big fat sweat angel on the floor. Don't worry they will all heal and the only thing that is going to happen is you will improve and build a little bit of necessary toughness. Above in the pictures are a couple of examples from Lori and Bailey. If you happen to obtain a battle scar, share it with me during class or send me a picture, or post it on the APF facebook page. Also, remember there is a big difference between a battle scar and an injury. You all know I work diligently to make sure you all have a steady progress and are safe. That's why I always preach about keeping a good, consistent diet, hydration and mobility. So battle scars= good. Injuries & optimum performance inhibitors= bad.

Ok, now time to talk about things that really matter..PARTIES!! Don't forget that Saturday April the 13th, we will be having our first APF party at LouAnn's house. That's a week from tomorrow from 5pm til whenever. BYOB. To get more info just post on the APF facebook page. We will be giving out the address next week. I will be putting up a sign up sheet for a ping pong tourney. So if you think you got what it takes, to take me down, put your name on the list and you will be entered into the bracket.

Next couple weeks are going to be a blast. Don't forget today (friday) we have garage soccer. Bring your A game because I'm getting pretty good and if you're playing against me you're going to have a tough time. See you all in the shopbox!!

The New Look of APF

The Foundation of APF is as solid as a rock!

I know, I know, I haven't posted in a long while and I sincerely apologize. I was having computer issues but now they are resolved. Enough of that, where do I begin...Let's start with the picture above from last night's WOD which was a team version of 12.4. A ton of wall balls and double unders. Nights like last night's class is what gets me fired up and puts a big emphasis on why I do what I do. What gets me so excited about what I have growing at our gym is that you have a group of amazing people working together for one common goal of becoming better in every aspect of their health and fitness. What's also super cool about this concept (shown in the picture) is that the age ranges from as young as 8 to as old as....well, I won't go on to speculate but let's just say old enough to have kids in high school. I have members now who have battled re-occurring injuries, busy schedules, crazy kids, and so on to make a consistent effort to join the party we throw down every single day. I'm also extremely proud of how welcoming we have been to all the new members who have spent no time acclimating themselves into the APF way.

I'm going to also take this time to make the announcement of a schedule change that will go into effect at the beginning of next month. On Tuesday and Thursday nights from March-May I will be running the football speed and agility for the Graham Little Eagles (6-7pm) and the JV and Varsity GK Eagles (7-8pm). Excited to work with all my athletes again as we pursue to get BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER in an effort to build a championship season. So what does this mean as far as APF is concerned? Tuesday and Thursday nights we will have one class from 5-6pm. Everything else will stay the same. Also, don't forget about the 530am class Mon, Wed and Fridays!

Going forward I will be relentless on posting on the blog. Even if it's something small. I'm going to maximize the exposure of this blog to the masses. I have hundreds of cool APF action shots on my phone that I can put on here so stay tuned for that. And don't forget to tell your friends about all the enormous amounts of awesomeness we consume everyday here at the shopbox.

GK boys reppin APF & doing work!!

So stoked about my GK student athletes performance tonight at APF! I don't need to tell them twice to work hard or push themselves. They have an uncanny work ethic that is a direct reflection of their parents'. The work they put in the classroom and on the field will lead to a high standard of success in their futures. Tonight we did some push press (5x3) for strength where they did incredible. Followed by a tough Metcon of squat cleans and toe to bar. The amount of grit and toughness they displayed tonight far surpassed my expectations. Nothing like burning off a little steam before finals and getting some tips on nutrition on my part going into the new season (Cole/baseball) and off-season (Adam, Chase, /Football). Going to lose these guys for the next few days for finals but then have additional familiar faces coming to train with these guys. The energetic atmosphere is going to be insatiable this summer and year here at APF in graham. In the words of Bart Scott "CAN'T WAIT!!"

Achieving Resolutions: Setting Small Goals

2012 APF member of the Year LouAnn getting her first  Toe-To-Bar, even after a long layoff you can always improve and get better.

Starting the new year I've heard a lot of the same, where everyone has lost a step since the break. It's ok though, because by initiating a solid diet and consistency in fitness, it does not take long for you to get back into the groove. By starting this now, in 3 weeks all those Christmas cookies and eggnog will be a far distant memory. One thing that is key to success is preparedness. Starting this week I will be preparing my meals for the entire week. That way you don't have to make an irrational decision when you are hurried and and hungry and decide to devour that non-nutritional meal!! If you make all your food on Sunday night, you and your family can enjoy some family time and learn how to make some nutrient-rich meals that will be ready for you during the week.

Other major aspects of being prepared is proper rest and hydration. I tell people all the time, your urine should be clear by the time you come to workout. That shows that you drank enough water and are hydrated. If there is any color in your urine you are probably not hydrated (or have been taking vitamins or supplements) and need to drink a little bit more water. Your body is machine, it's always working. See even when you sleep it is using that water in your body. So when you wake up in the morning, you are dehydrated. Every morning I like to consume as much water as possible before I eat breakfast and consume any form of caffeine. The other aspect, rest, is one I wish I could get more of. The ideal amount of rest is 8 hours a night. Most of us with busy lives rarely get that luxury so the best we can do is have our bodies adapt with what we are given. As long as you still maintain a consistent diet and WODdage, your overall health will still improve.

With all that being said, for all you early risers I will be offering: 530AM CLASS!! Starting tomorrow morning January 7. I will be having these classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for now. If the class picks up I will ad Tuesday and Thursday. Contact me if you are interested in this class.

New Year, New Deals

So starting 2013 I'd like to give everybody some deals on training, based on referrals.

Refer 1 person, receive: 1 free APF shirt ($25 value)

Refer 2 people, receive: 50% off plus APF shirt

Refer 3 people, receive: 3 MONTHS FREE training *rate will adjust accordingly, if person(s) fail to attain membership. + APF shirt

Hopefully this will give all members incentive to go out and talk big about all the great times we have here at APF. Coming off the holiday season, most people including myself are coming home from travels and getting situated. I look forward to get everyone back in the gym and going again. That being said, we all have resolutions and goals for ourselves in 2013. If you are serious about your health and fitness, there is no better time to get started then RIGHT NOW!! Its time to stop making excuses and get active with our diets and lifestyle dedicated to feeling good. I'm excited to see the continuous progress everyone has made and look forward to seeing new faces enjoy the APF experience!!

All-Pro Member of the Year:

So I've decided to do my inaugural All-Pro of the year award. Awarding the most outstanding member in 2012 (even though APF has only been in operation since the early summer). What more can I say about this amazing person? She was not only my first member , she is one of the nicest and hardest working people I have ever met.  This woman has shown up to the gym at least 3 times
a week since we have started and has put out %1000 effort every single time. No matter what I put her through, she has had the grit and will power to push through and finish. Which explains the amazing results she has achieved. At 46 years young, she has lost over 20 pounds and has gained substantial overall strength and fitness (135 pound clean and jerk... No BS). So I'm proud to announce the 2012 All-Pro member of the year to LouAnn Crook!! The picture above is LouAnn performing her first kipping pull-up last night. I couldn't have been more stoked and fired up over witnessing this accomplishment she has worked so diligently to achieve. I'm excited to see LouAnn compete in the 2013 Crossfit Open as a master and I look forward to working with her for a long time to come. Congratulation LouAnn

PR's for DAYS!!

HERE IS SOME COOL PICS FROM LAST WEEK

gritty workout with swings, ring rows and tuck jumps

ascending wall ball and pull-up ladder. that one was nasty..but always fun

some of my GK football players doin work on thrusters and burpees. makin me proud

former huskies qb Johnny D doin some deadlifts

lori and adam rockin over 150 air squats

Finally as I have an opportunity to post on the blog and the first snow falls in Graham, I look back on the progress our community and gym has made the past 6 months. I can honestly say that even though I still have a lot more work to do on developing the gym with enhanced equipment and optimal programming, I could not be more excited and fired up with the accomplishments and comradery that we have achieved thus far. Nothing gets me more stoked than when I see someone hit a PR (personal record) on a lift or workout and performs 10 plus true push ups when they couldnt do 1 when they started. Our increased strength on a lift by over 50%! For some of our awesome ladies their first kipping pull ups are RIGHT around the corner and I so can NOT wait to see that!! Tomorrow night will be the last class for 10 days because I will be heading back to California to visit family and friends for Christmas break. I will still be posting workouts on facebook and expect everybody to report their scores and times on the wods. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday and I could not be more optimistic for 2013 at APF.