However the open can also take a massive toll on your body. 5 workouts in 5 weeks. While it may not sound too bad the whole experienced can be both mentally and physically demanding!

I’m sure we all had some high and lows throughout the open and pushed ourselves past a point we never thought possible. The energy you used throughout the open can leave your body feeling beat up and in need of rest.

As a coach I tell clients to listen to their body and stress the importance of rest and how it’s an essential part of your recovery and performance. With their renewed focus after the open, I find a lot of people training more than they have before without taking their time out to rest and recover.  In this article I’m going to explain 4 reasons why everyone needs a rest day:

1.Overtraining

Overtraining can also be know as under recovering and that’s exactly what’s happening. If you start increasing your training load without adequate recovery time then it can have a number of negative effects on your body. If you continue to under recover they you may eventually experience decreased performance, constant muscle soreness and it can even effect the your mental state and decrease your motivation to come to the gym!

2. Performance

Rest and recovery are an essential part of your progress and improving your overall performance. After a hard workout your body can take up to 48-72 hours to fully recover. This recovery period is the time where your body can repair and grow in response to the stimulus in the gym. If your muscles don’t get time to recover then how can you continue to progress? Throughout not only your training week but also your training cycle the body needs phases of lower intensity exercise to allow it to adapt. Sometimes the biggest gains are made outside of the gym!

3.Injury Prevention

Rest is also important for injury prevention and we all know if you’re injured then you won’t be able to train at your full capacity! Overtraining can put more stress on your muscles than they are used to and can lead to increase risk of injury. Overuse injuries are also common when people overload their bodies too quickly instead of gradually increasing their workload over time. For example, imagine if you jump from squatting 3 times per week from 1 times per week. This can result in a massive increase in your total volume and without a gradual build up and adequate recovery it can lead to injury and time away from the gym!

4.Get out of the gym

Everyone needs time out of the gym. There are too many times where I have heard people say ‘I’ve trained 14 days straight’ or ‘I haven’t had a rest day in a month.’ While this may not only lead to the problems I’ve discussed earlier it may also mean it’s time to get outside the gym and use your fitness.  For those of you who still wants to exercise on a rest day then try low impact options such as swimming, yoga, hiking which won’t place too much stress on your body. At end of the day what’s the point of having all this fitness if we can’t use it?

Remember every individual is different and some people respond better to high volume training and others to lower volume training. As you become more experienced you begin to learn how to listen to your body and know when it needs to recover and take a full rest day.

No matter who you are everyone can benefit from including a rest day into their training schedule. Take some time out to allow your body to rebuild, refuel and be ready to perform in your next session!

The post Why you need a rest day – Coach Adam Earnshaw appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

First, let’s talk about the benefits of training with your friends, your pals, mates- whatever you want to call them, they influence your movement patterns, your awareness, your intensity, and most importantly your passion and drive to be better. You’re not always going to walk into the gym feeling like a million bucks or with the energy to PR your back squat, but the moment you see your friends there is a switch. You may not even realise it at first but their presence alone changes the way you think about your workout. It’s the unspoken (or spoken) friendly competition you have with someone who’s strengths are your weaknesses, and their weaknesses are your strengths. You immediately make one another better by just moving together. You’ve already outdone yourself, improved your mental game by talking them through the last final reps, chasing them down in an AMRAP, or witnessing them accomplish a new skill. You are automatically better today than you were yesterday because of them. I can list off a few friends that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for them. These are the ones you keep around forever because no matter how you think you did in a workout, to them you did well. To them you smashed out one more rep, to them you have given everything you’ve got and they are proud. Training with your friends keeps you honest, humble, focused. However, training solo can do just that and more if you let yourself go and just have some fun.

Sometimes things just happen and you can’t get in a session with your regular crew and rather than miss a workout you force yourself to train alone. I’m not one to advocate for doing this but recently it’s happened more often than I’d like and I’ve just had to adapt. I took on The Outlaw Way ‘twelve days of Christmas’ workout by myself last week because I had to work the day my team completed it together. Believe me when I say there was a lot of talking in and talking out of doing this workout by myself but I bit the bullet and got stuck in. There were several occasions where I could have just stopped and called it quits (during minutes 5 to 55 to be exact), but I kept going. I kept repeating to myself “no one is here so just move, you’re not doing this for anyone but yourself”. And so I did just that- moved. Sure there was a lot of fluffing around and talking to my dog, but I got the work done. I proved to myself that I could attack a workout as long as that and not crumble. I instantly became better than I was the day before, I had instantly improved my mental game by not quitting. Working out alone can seem like a total suck-fest but often you end up bringing more intensity and focus to your training because there are so few distractions. No one is there for you to talk to mid-wod, or distract you from working on some horrific movement you’d rather not endure (cough-thrusters-cough). If you give yourself a timeframe and get to work you’d be surprised how capable you are of getting through your session. I have started to find a lot of joy in my solo sessions and its helped me streamline my intensity and focus and improve my mental state. And it also means I get to blast some country tunes because that’s what I want to lift heavy shit to.

Whether you choose to train alone or in a class or with your team, shake things up a bit. Tell yourself you can do it (whatever the task may be) and get on with it. Try going it alone every now and then and see what you’re capable of, but when you’re with your friends chase them down. Make them better too. You’ll both get the benefits.

Coach Laura Gibbs

The post Training solo vs training with friends. Coach Laura Gibbs appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

Today we are celebrating this month’s Athlete of the Month; Adrian (Bumble) Purificato!

When we asked the coaches to say a few words about Adrian, there was definitely a theme.  Adrian is one of the most delightful members to coach – he listens and takes on feedback, he brings a great attitude and community spirit to every class, he never hesitates when helping out other members, and he has brilliant taste in music (very important, obviously)!

What is most impressive about him (and you will see below that all the coaches attest to this), is that, despite injuries and set backs, his spirit never waivers and always brings a positive energy to the gym.  We never fail to be impressed by his commitment, his spirit and his determination to be and do the best he can do.

Adrian and his beautiful wife Steph are also expecting their first child and the entire staff at CrossFit Victoria wholeheartedly wish them all best – you’re going to be amazing parents!

Check out all the awesome things our coaches had to say about Adrian!

Coach Laura said: “Adrian is one of the most amazing members of our community. He’s always there to cheer on the person next to him, give you a hello and a high five, and introduce himself to the newest member of CFVic. He always has a smile on his face and a positive attitude in the gym. He embodies community spirit and is one of the kindest people I know. It’s always been a pleasure to both coach and train along side Adrian.”

Coach Shane said “Adrian is an absolute delight to coach. He is always so eager to learn new things and improve as an athlete. He’s a very good listener and takes everything you say on board! I know he has been dealing with quite a few injuries in the past but whats awesome is that he never lets it get the better of him and always finds ways to work around it to keep on improving!! Adrian is a humble bumble, friendly and just a good bloke overall “

Coach Amanda said: “Adrian is an absolute legend, delight to coach and all round nice guy. He never hesitates to help or give advice to a new member and is an awesome part of our community.
He is hard working, dedicated and has really committed to bettering himself through all aspects of his training and lifestyle.”

“Adrian is always on the ready to put some sweet jams on and adds a wonderful spice to the gym with his beautiful bumble wife. He’s an awesome friend to all and going to be an amazing Dad and athlete in the future. Excited for what’s ahead for ze Greek!

The post February Athlete of the Month – Adrian Purifcato appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

Flick has been working incredibly hard over the past month.  After being injured, she has committed herself to her rehab program and the improvements have been incredible.  Watching her movement patterns improve in leaps and bounds of the last few months has made all of us coaches very proud.

It’s easy to get derailed by an injury and let it get the better of you, however, Flick has shown remarkable resilience and defiance.  We are so delighted to award her this months AOTM accolade and look forward to seeing her get better and better every day!

Head Coach Amelia said; “Flick is the silent achiever… she has been working hard on improving her movement, maintaining control when training as well as getting strong.

Coach Amanda said; “Flick is a huge inspiration at the gym. Hugely dedicated to her rehab and bettering her movement. She has stayed patient, focused and trusting in her coaches and program and it has shown. She has been killing it and moving so well. She is such a supportive and encouraging member of our community – her love for other members is equal to her love for new Paleo bar flavours, and that is huge!”

Senior Coach Adam said; “Im so proud of how far Flick has come! After being injured she really committed to her rehab program. She has focused on her movement and taking it one step at time all while being a massive member of the community. She always has a positive attitude whenever she comes into the gym and I can’t wait to see how far she can go in the future!”

Coach Kate said; “Flick has been such an inspiration. Always working on bettering her movement and pushing herself beyond the limits. Ps totally love her costumes for the in-house comps”

Coach Laura said; “Flick has been an awesome addition to the Vic community. She has shown that dedication and consistency really pays off when working through injuries. Great to see her rocking it in the WODs and cheering on her fellow WOD buddies.”

Hope you all enjoyed her WOD today… it was a good one

The post January Athlete of the Month – Felicity Splatt appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

With less than 4 weeks to go until open workout 17.1 is released, it really is down to crunch time with training. The strength cycles are over, the conditioning has been picked up and another year’s worth of training is coming to an end.

Who should do the open?

I feel that everyone that does Crossfit should participate in The Open!! So many people are scared and feel intimidated because all these incredible athletes who participate in it, but at the end of the day, you competing against yourself.

The Open Isn’t just for the competitors trying to make it to the Games, it’s for everyone. Yes the open is stage 1 and the gateway to making to the Games but it’s not just about them. It’s a good way to measure where you are at as individual and how far you have come and progressed over the past year. For a lot of people, The Open is their benchmark to their own personal achievement. You may not be a competitive person but everyone has a bit of desire to be better and want to improve.

The best part about The Open, is the community behind it! There is also no better way to see your progress than with a room full of people who are positive, encouraging and with you all the way. There is even the option for scaling every workout, so at the end of the day, you don’t really have a reason to not sign up and join in on the fun.

Have you been preparing correctly?

If you plan on being competitive or just want to do well in The Open, the best way to prepare is through experience!! Whether it is from yourself or you’re coach, at the end of the day, the longer you have been in the game, the more understanding you gain as well as know how to prepare correctly.

If you or your coach is smart enough and took the time to look at all past Open workouts, you will start to realise which movements are more important than others. This doesn’t mean rule out any movements that haven’t been in the Open, because over the past couple of years Dave Castro has been throwing in new movements, which has been getting everyone by surprise.

What’s also fun and exciting about the Open is that gyms from all over the world play the guessing game of which workout he is going to repeat. Every year since 2012, he has done 1 repeat workout from the past years, so it’s not a bad idea as an athlete or coach to program past Open workouts into your lead up to The Open.

Open prep advice

Most CrossFit gyms around the world will go through a series of strength cycles in the off season, but as soon as it starts getting closer to the Open that’s when the conditioning starts getting implemented. The key thing when coming off your strength cycles is to make sure you maintain you’re strength because the stronger you are, the faster you can move! With saying that, you never actually know what could be thrown in The Open, for example in 2015 when they had the max clean and jerk after a 9min AMRAP. It comes to show, you really have to be prepared for anything!

The one big thing of The Open, is that it’s limited to how they can test athletes around the world, due to movement standards and measurement of the workouts. Each year a series of the same movements will show up with a couple been left out and maybe a surprise new movement but if you have a look at all the past workouts since 2011, there has only been a handful of movements that have been repeated every year since the first ever Open. These include  “toes to bar, double unders, chest to bar pull ups, thrusters, wall balls and snatches”. So my advice as a coach and a athlete, is that if you’re planning to be competitive or just wanting to RX The Open, make sure you have all these movements in you’re programming and become as efficient as possible with them.

Good luck and I hope you do much better than last year ☺

The post Are you Open ready?? Coach Shane Zunckel appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the festive frenzy that is the end of the year! Every night there seems to be something to do, see or, most likely, eat!

When the festive fever takes a hold of us it can also be easy to slack off the training, so we’re super proud of every single one of you that continues to come in, give it 200% and sweat it out with us.

One young man’s dedication has been shining through and it’s with great pleasure that we announce DAN FRANKEL as our NOVEMBER ATHLETE OF THE MONTH!

Dan is a huge part of our beautiful community here at CFV and his journey has been one of our favourite to watch.  Watching him grow and change has been incredible.  Not only has he improve his training, his mobility, his movement and his body composition, but he’s now a valued member of our intern program and is now committed to helping others in their journey too.

The coaches had incredible things to say about this legend:

Head Coach Amelia Thomsett said: “I remember running Dan through his free trial and from the very beginning he was dedicated to changing his life. He has made so many massive gainz in not only training but in life by signing up for the intern program so he can learn more about what it’s like to be a coach.”

“He is a MASSIVE community member, always welcoming new members to the gym and going far a beyond for his friends that he has made in the gym.”

“Dan the man is a very important part of our gym. He is strong inside and out and we are all so grateful that he trains at Vic”

Coach Amanda Hill said: “Dan the Man!! Absolute legend of our community and so dedicated to bettering himself every single day. So much I could say about Dan too but will keep it brief Dan has improved out of sight since starting, in his ability, his attitude, his health and his mad gains! He is so passionate about learning, helping, improving and our community.

He has taken the time out to get his body right so he can smash his goals and is such a supportive member of our community to all. CF vic wouldn’t be the same without him! Such a great guy and becoming such a great athlete and intern. Excited for what’s ahead for Dan the man!!”

Senior Coach Adam Earnshaw said: “Dan is one of our most committed members. He is always looking to improve and learn as much as he can! He is a huge part of our community and always welcomes new members to the gym.  He has worked hard to rehab his injuries and come back stronger!”

Coach Shane Zunckle said: “Dan “the man” Frankel…there is a lot I can say about this guy but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. He is one of the most approachable members, always happy and energetic and brings positive energy to the room and people around him. He is a hard worker, passionate about life in general and always eager to learn more and keep on improving. Overall Dan is an awesome person and huge part of our community, he is also a great friend and a fantastic person to be around!!”

If you’re in the gym today, give him a hug, a high five and enjoy his AOTM of the WOD!!! It’s a fun one!

The post November Athlete of the Month – Dan Frankel appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

First of all if you don’t already set regular training goals then you are missing out. Training without setting goals is just exercising. You are basically working out in the gym with no real purpose or direction.

Setting goals should be a part of any athletes training process! Having goals will allow you track your progress, keep yourself accountable and have direction every time you step into the gym. Specifically we need to set S.M.A.R.T goals but what does that mean?

In this article I want to breakdown what each letter stands for and help you work out how to set S.M.A.R.T goals:

S – Specific

When we create a goal we want to make it specific to you. A general goal is something like ‘I just want to stay in shape.’ We need to make our goals more specific than this! We need to answer the questions such as:

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• How?
• When?
• Why?

M – Measurable 

When we create a goal we need to establish a way to measure this goal and to track your progress during training. With your squat you can measure the kilograms lifted and to measure your pull ups you can count the number of reps you can achieve. Making the goal measurable is an amazing way to track your hard work, reach your targets and to stay motivated as you see your numbers go up!

A – Attainable

We want to set a goal which is within reach and achievable. You have to ask yourself if the goal is attainable? You need to make sure you have the time and resources to complete your goal and your goals fit with the commitments and other priorities you have in your life.

R – Realistic 

To be realistic, a goal must be something you are willing and able to work towards. You are the one who needs to decide if a goal is realistic for you. If you set the goal to high then it will be too difficult to achieve and if your goal is too low then you won’t be motivated to hit your goal!

T – Timed

The last part we need to look at is the timeframe for your goal. Without having a timeframe then there will no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 3kg  then when do you want to lose it by? Keep the timeframe realistic and flexible so you can keep morale high and make the goal achievable.

Now that we have looked at what a SMART goal is we need to look at what you want to achieve! Let’s change your goals from ‘I want to be healthier in 2017’ to something with a bit more meaning. What about something like this to get you started:

‘In 2017 I want to commit to my health and fitness by coming to Crossfit Victoria 4 times per week. I also want to increase my back squat 1RM by 5kg and take 10 seconds off my Fran time. I want to complete this goal by the 1^st March 2017.’

Still need help with creating your goals? Come speak to us! At Crossfit Victoria the coaches are here to help you achieve your goals and help you become version of yourself. If you want to make 2017 your best year yet then book in a time to chat today!

The post SETTING S.M.A.R.T GOALS: Coach Adam Earnshaw appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

I can’t. There is a thing that top level strongman have, as a result of lugging 150kg + bodyweight around, and eating 10000 cals a day, it’s called perma-sweat. That’s me in the summer. Warm up hasn’t even started, sweating gallons, doing strength work, sweating gallons. And THEN there’s the conditioning work, the cotton mouth feeling, the browning out sensation somewhere between a really bad dream and reality, and sweat angels so detailed you would swear they were shot in 4K.

But unfortunately, it’s not an excuse to shut up shop and wait for cooler climates, the show must go on. Here are some survival tips to make the most out of the summer season.

Stay hydrated – yeah I know, this seems obvious, but it is so important. Get the water in in-between strength sets, and even sacrifice a few seconds for some in a WOD. And not just water, but electrolytes and salts too. All that sweaty mess you left on the floor? That needs to be replaced and then some.

Stay as comfortable as possible – This is the big one for me. Focussing on technique for lifts is hard enough at the best of times, doing it with slippery hands or sweat coming off the end of your nose is even harder. Do whatever you can between strength sets to stay comfortable. Dry towel, soaked cold towel, go wash your face with cold water, lots of spare t shirts, cold beverage; anything that works for you to keep your focus.

Train in the AM – when the heat REALLY sinks in, there isn’t an hour of the day that will be ideal. But you can at least minimize the impact by training in the cooler hours. Our timetables have added a third morning class at 5:30am on 3 of the week days, so take advantage of it.

Don’t train to complete exhaustion – you shouldn’t be doing this at anytime of the year, but it can easily sneak up on us in the heat. It’s tough to cut a workout short, or scale more than you would like, but a workout at 75% followed by another the next day is still more productive than maxing out, then needing a day or two off with heat exhaustion.

Settle in, make the best of the long morning and evening hours to get work done, inside or outside of the gym, and know that cooler times will always be only a few short months away.

The post Can’t handle the heat; stay out of the kitchen (not the gym) appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

If you were to take the time to think about it there are probably many occasions that your CrossFit training has provided other ‘functional’ benefits to your life beyond just the physical. A clearer mind, better sleep, motivation to change your diet, used gym networking to find a decent plumber, developed new friendships or perhaps your training inspired you to make big changes in your life, a career change maybe. Perhaps even, you became a firefighter…

It’s hard to remember exactly where the idea first came from but probably from another couple of gym members that were around in the early days of CF:VIC. They were both going through the recruitment process and I frequently discussed it with them and I would guess this is where the idea started to take form in my mind.

We all have our different reasons for why we come into the gym, each one different and each one valid. For myself the prime motivator is a simple enjoyment of being physically active, and in a versatile and varied way. For years I had been searching for a career I was motivated to pursue. I had no idea what I wanted to be but I held by the optimistic and somewhat romantic belief that if I just stayed true to myself I would figure it out. CrossFit was a part of that. I enjoyed being physically active and especially so when you could see the progress you were achieving. I knew that there was something inherently fulfilling to myself in following this kind of training and therefore if I could find a career that could have these elements incorporated into it then that would lead to greater fulfillment in my working and everyday life. So that early spark led to a fire that led to an inquiry that led to an application.

There are five stages to pass in the application process. The first stage is an aptitude test. Second there is ‘group testing’. Next up is the physical testing. After that is a psychological profile and finally you have the interview stage comprising of a short written test followed by an hour-long interview.

As you would expect the physical was a breeze. If you can push yourself through a tough WOD you can definitely handle the physical tests. I did no specific training to prepare myself. I just continued my regular CrossFit training, which, back then, was just regular classes. It wasn’t easy for everybody however. At least half the people I saw go through were failing and these were fit people! But they didn’t have an overall fitness, they specialized. Either they were aerobically fit, or they were strong, but not all were both (and some were neither). Firefighting is not about looking good or BMI, it requires real world application of your fitness with some mental fortitude. If you can’t apply your training into the real world it is of little use here.

More surprising is that I used my CrossFit to help pass the final interview. I talked about coaching in the gym and associated the skills used for that and how they can be applied to a firefighting career. I knew they would talk about community involvement so I entered the Eureka Tower stair climb (once again, no special training required) and raised over $500 mainly through support from gym members.

So passing tests is great. And landing the job was a dream come true and an end to four years of anxiety wondering if I was going to make it all the way or not. However, the largest benefit to CrossFit training has been where in the actual job itself. I can’t think of any other training out there that applies itself so realistically to the varied physical demands of firefighting. Firefighting is a combination of slow heavy movement, short bursts of energy, pushing, pulling, carrying and moving of awkward objects, isometric strength, forces that strain all of the muscle groups as well as a ‘can’t quit’ attitude when the heat is very literally on.

That’s my story and I hope that all of our members have some ‘ripple-effect’ story of their own where the training led them closer to the goal at the heart of all of our goals, less suffering and increased happiness and fulfillment.

Keep training, keep dreaming, keep winning. See you in the gym.

The post How CrossFit helped me land a dream job as a firefighter. appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.

Dare we say it… SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE! Well, kind of.

In true Melbourne style, we’ve had 2 really nice days and we’re going nuts!

It’s been a huge month for us all at CrossFit Victoria! Classes have been consistently full, and we’ve just announced that we will be launching our brand new Summer timetable very soon! So, now you early birds can get even earlier with our brand new 5.30am class! This means we now have three morning classes on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday so we get to see more of your lovely faces

Amidst all the excitement, one lady and her dedicated have been shining through and it’s time to crown…. Jennifer Browne as October’s ATHLETE OF THE MONTH!

This lady has been putting in the hard yards recently and it has been paying off.  If you’ve ever seen Jen train, you’ll no doubt have noticed her beautiful gymnastic skills!

Our coaches had nothing but glowing things to say about Jen.

Head Coach Amelia Thomsett said: “Recently Jen has really been pushing herself.  She’s donea few comps and is hungry for more!

“She is focusing more and more on her skills and it’s really starting to pay off.  Every week Jen is posting a new PB or smashing a new movement.

“Jen is also a great community member, always coming in with a smile and is very welcoming to new members.”

Coach Laura agreed: “Jen has been an increidble addition to the CrossFit Victoria family.  She’s really pushed herself to the limits and in doing so has encouraged all her Girl Bosses to do the sam every day.

“She’s such an inspiration and hard worker.  I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next in the gym.”

Coach Amanda said: “Jen has come so far since starting, in all aspects of her training.  She has worked so hard to develop her strength, skill and confidence gains.

“The follow on and encouragement she gives to other members in our community is awesome!”

So, if you see this legend around today, make sure you give her a big high five.  And, enjoy her WOD… is a big one!!!

CONGRATS JEN!

The post October Athlete of the Month – Jennifer Browne appeared first on CrossFit Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy.