I could talk for HOURS about metcon creation. But the short answer is that, yes there are very deliberate methods to the madness.

Benchmark Workouts

• First and foremost, I'll schedule certain 'benchmark' workouts 4-6 months in advance and make sure they jive with the strength lifting and skill progressions (and the Open of course). I'll make sure that the programming leading up to those workouts and the Open sets people up for success when test day comes.
• Second, I'll acknowledge what week w…

Well... I don’t think anyone expected Wall Walks in the Open!

That being said, it is a pretty cool movement to test people. It is more approachable than Handstand Walks. The judging should be pretty easy (although chalk handprints on the floor will drive gym owners mad).

It isn’t the most ‘functional’ movement in the CrossFit arsenal, but it will challenge people’s coordination and flexibility.

Watch the video for the full breakdown, but here are the high points:

Overall

• 55 total Wall…

You’ve been out of the gym for a while.

Maybe it has been a few weeks. Maybe it has been a few months.

Maybe… it has been years or a decade since you have trained or exercised consistently.

When starting back up after an extended break, there are some things to keep in mind to make the transition the most successful. Here are 5 things you should avoid (and what to do instead) when getting back to the gym

TL;DR... Avoid:

1. Expecting it to feel the same as when you left
2. Changing your diet dr…

This is a chart to help you determine approximately what weight you should be using on a metcon if you don't have a coach to give you direction (maybe you are working out at home or in open gym) and the workout description is vague on the correct stimulus. Primarily this is designed for barbells (since we usually have an idea of what our 1 rep maxes are, unlike DBs or KBs)

The way it works:

1. Look at the reps per set (or largest set if the numbers change each round)
2. Follow the row over to t…

What if I told you there needs to be a monumental shift in the fitness industry?

Fitness professionals, enthusiasts, and facilities are focusing on the wrong things.

They are focusing on the body, physiology, and biology, almost exclusively.

What movements are best? What equipment?

What coaching cues? What diet?

What time domain? What intensity?

What sets? What reps?

There is no better example of this than the ‘out of shape’ (aka “Fat”) trainer.

Maybe you are one, or maybe you are just s…

Below is a series of courses we developed for Thrivestry subscribers.

It was created a year-or-so back to be implemented with gyms that were in full operation.

In lieu of recent events, we have decided to release it free for everyone! (There was no way to buy it before).

Some of the content will not pertain to working with people remotely on short notice, but I do recommend you go through everything so you don’t miss any ‘gems’ that might help.

I also did not take a lot of time to thoroughly…

Let’s say there is some hypothetical kind of emergency, like a pandemic or something…

You have 1 hour to get all the supplies you’ll need to keep your training effective and interesting for the next 8 weeks (without leaving your house).

Or maybe you are really tight on funds because your job just put you on forced leave for an undefined amount of time and you want to save money.

Or MAYBE, stay with me on this one, you are traveling to Mars at 1 G acceleration and you can only bring a backpack…

"Should I cut back hours?"

"What if they shut us down completely?"

"How can I cover some costs and payroll while people are prevented from coming to the gym?"

As many parts of the world are going into shut down mode for the COVID-19 Corona virus, there is a lot of uncertainty about how this will affect our own individual lives. This includes what we should do about our fitness businesses.

In some locations, gyms are closing or limiting hours to prevent the spread of the contagion. In others,…

Or, as Adam Carolla once put it (while making fun of ‘hardcore’ Tae Kwon Do instructors):

“Sweat on the mat, or BLEED on the street.”

If you are like me, these phrases get you fired up to go and train.

Personally, I think it is because I like to be over-prepared. I usually carry a backpack with all sorts of potentially useful stuff (multitool, tape, extra batteries, notebooks, protein bars, etc.). I like to do a ton research before I enter a new experience. I always have the most stuff …

I started CrossFit when I was 24. I am writing this on my 40^th birthday. I hate working out, and I have never had a membership to a gym (even though I have owned a more than a few).

It has been a crazy journey and I’d like to share some of my history, my mistakes, and what I have learned along the way. This is a ‘long one’ so make sure your coffee is topped off and/or you have your reading glasses handy.

TL;DR Notes

• We have come A LONG way since the early days of CrossFit. I was young eno…