Archive for the ‘CrossFit’ Category

Inspired.

Posted: January 8, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
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I typically aim to add value to the lives of others. I tell myself that those who know me feel they can rely on me in times of need, and that they are comfortable being vulnerable in moments of emotional turmoil. I aim to approach both people and scenarios with an open mind and a willingness to engage in unbiased dialogue without judgement. Yet on this blog, which I’ve run for years, I have typically chosen to stay away from subject matter that can be perceived as controversial.

As the first week of 2018 comes to an end, I’ve felt a strong sense of obligation to stop holding back. Stop pulling punches. START being more vulnerable, myself. While by and large, this blog is meant to be about fitness, my desire to help people become healthier, and my affinity for impressive feats of human performance, this blog also serves as my voice. The words I type represent my persona, and while I’d love to be viewed as a valuable and positive resource, I also would like my “reputation” to be associated with words like bold, unapologetic, and empowering.

Last night my brother sent me a text telling me that Oprah gave an incredible speech during the 2018 Golden Globes as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Thankfully, we live in a time where seconds after receiving his message, I was already able to find the speech on YouTube. Thank you, technology!

Let me preface this next part by admitting that I am the type of person who cries at the end of animated children’s movies when “puppy” who ran away is brought back from from the shelter by mom and dad, while little Susie was crying in her room thinking she’d never see her best friend again. Cue slow motion running towards each other, cue me pretending to cough to give myself an excuse to bring my hands up to my face to dry my tears. REGARDLESS….

Watching Oprah’s acceptance speech literally left me speechless. Not only was I choked up with emotion, but as soon as it was done I turned the TV back on and could only muster a, “… wow….” from under my breath. Here’s the thing, Oprah is an incredible public speaker. But we knew that already. The stories we’re hearing about discrimination, misconduct, and abuse are disgusting and appalling. But most (decent) people agree on that, too. The reason I think her particular speech resonated with me so much is that what we’ve seen over the past few months truly has the makings of an entire culture shift.

The discrimination towards women in the workforce has got to stop. The abuse of power (typically by men in leadership positions in this particular case) has run rampant in many ways since…. basically the beginning of our society. But what’s happening now, today, during our lifetime, is individuals are standing up to defend themselves. Those who are discriminated against or abused based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disabilities, and so many more areas, are beginning to not only get, but hold the attention of larger audiences. In those audiences, more and more people are building the courage to stand up and fight alongside those who have been wronged for so long. Strength in numbers in the fight for the greater good is beginning to create headway for fundamental change.

There have been well-written speeches throughout the years that motivate and inspire meaningful change. This is has the power to be one of them. There are also individuals out there who are already calling for Oprah to run for president. While I understand the passion with which those claims are being made, there’s a lot more to being a president than having a moral compass and striving to improve the current state of affairs. But politics aside, I hope that people who watch the video below can view it from an even broader perspective than “men discriminating against women” for one reason and one reason alone.

While those specific injustices need to come to an end, there are countless others that deserve just as much change and reform! I’m writing this post to offer my support for positive change. I’m writing this post to thank people like Oprah who have the courage to stand up and refuse to sit idly while the corrupt few around them benefit from the intentional hurt and mistreatment of others. And I’m writing this post to let you know that I am here to be a positive agent for change.

Yes, this blog is about fitness most of the time. But sometimes, I’ need to use my voice to discuss things that are more important than a funny dog video or some athletic accomplishment. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it.

-Tom 1/8/18

Sunday Status Update: 1/7/18

Posted: January 7, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
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The “Sunday Status Update” will give me a chance to update everyone on what’s been going on with me, share anything I’ve got coming up in the next week or so, and give my readers the opportunity to update me on what’s going on with YOU!!

This “Accountability” thing helps me a lot. If I tell both people who read my blog what I’m hoping to do, at least one of them might call me out and make sure it happens! So, thanks for you help, mom 🙂

Last week:

  • Fitness- Deadlifted 400lbs x 3 reps + Push Jerked 255lbs x 3 reps and felt strong for both. Completed one workout – 3 Rds of 15 Pull-Ups, 12 Burpees over Barbell, 9 Squat Cleans (135lbs) – in 8:15 and did all pull-ups unbroken, which was nice.
  • Home- Installed my first outlet in the garage, didn’t burn down the house, so that was nice! Also used our new Power Washer for the first time to clean the garage and the driveway. Power Tools.

This week:

  • My challenge is to complete TWO “The 2018 Open is Coming” posts, to start preparing people for what to think about before the end of next month!
  • Hoping to work out 4 days between Monday and Friday, and be in bed by 11 at least one night.
  • I am going to start reading my first book of 2018.
  • Prepped a bunch of food this week, so I want to make sure I bring enough food to eat lunch no matter where I am Monday through Thursday!

What’s going on with all of you? Let’s be “Accountabili-buddies” together!

Moment of Awesomeness: 1/6/18

Posted: January 6, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
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Is the proper term Figure Skating or Ice Dancing? I never know and never want to offend anyone, but also haven’t taken the 14 seconds to Google the difference in order to avoid confusion. In fact, I probably could have found the answer to that question in the time it took me to write the last three sentences…… sigh.

Regardless, Jimmy Ma’s routine at this year’s US Figure Skating Championships turned a few heads and helped give way to what has to go down as one of the best truly genuine color commentary moments in the history of sports. (Relax, I said one of, not the best.) Not only did he begin with “Propaganda“, a song by DJ Snake, but he brought it home with the melodic harmonies of Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What“!

I don’t know what I appreciate more:

  • The conversation had by the announcers during his routine
  • The athleticism (speed, power, balance, coordination, etc) required to pull off some of the advanced tricks
  • Or, the fact that EDM and “The Rap” music are apparently breaking into the culture of Winter Ice-Skate-Dance-Spinning!

Nice job, Jimmy Ma. Great job, commentary crew. And congrats on the breakthrough, DJ Snake and company!

The 2018 Open is coming – Keep it in Perspective

Posted: January 5, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
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It’s a new year, which means one thing: The 2018 CrossFit Games Open is coming!

It also means that Thirty-six people you know are “definitely going to make the CrossFit Games, bro!” Am I right? Of those thirty-six, at least four of them are going to start training this week, too.

Look, I’ve been doing CrossFit for nearly a DECADE (that’s a long time), and I’ve been a full-time CrossFit coach for over half of it. I get the opportunity to see the program help people improve their quality of life nearly every single day. So yes, you can call me a believer.

I’ve also been around the “Sport” of CrossFit for so long, that I’ve seen it grow from a BBQ with a few dozen friends at the Castro Ranch in Aromas to an internationally televised event with a prize purse of over two million dollars. That means I remember when the best athlete at your gym might have been the best athlete in the state, and when a 225 pound clean and jerk in a competition for a guy would leave spectators in awe! Now, there are hundreds (if not thousands?) of athletes worldwide who devote their lives to working out full-time. Some of them are former or current Olympians, some are internationally ranked in multiple disciplines, and many of them are on steroids and other performance enhancements. (That’s not speculation, it’s a proven fact.) What does that mean? Well, unfortunately it means that most (so…. 99.9999999%) of your friends and training partners who have full-time desk jobs, spouses, kids, and pets to take care of, and any kind of a social life are unlikely to make it to the next level. Sorry.

NOW, no part of that last paragraph is designed to insult or bash anyone, or dim the fire inside of those who devote months out of the year to constantly improving. In fact, over the last year, I’ve had the privilege of coaching multiple athletes who have actually competed at the CrossFit Games for multiple years! It’s incredible to watch the motivation, dedication, and performance output of these athletes and their training partners! Day in and day out I’m amazed at what they do. So it CAN be done, no doubt.

What this post does aims to do, is serve as a friendly reminder to nearly everybody else who is getting ready for the Open. For about 6 weeks each year, over a quarter of a million people sign up for, and compete in, this worldwide competition. I’ve seen PR Clean and Jerks, first-ever double-unders and muscle-ups, and countless other INCREDIBLE moments during the weeks we set aside to push that extra mile! In fact, it gives me goosebumps to recall some of those victories. What I’ve also seen, though, are people who become devastated when the results of a single workout don’t match where their expectations were set. I’ve seen people who trained hard for nine or more months look back on an entire year with regret for their overall ranking not being where they had hoped it would be when all was said and done. Worst of all, I’ve seen people push through injury and forget how important it is to let their bodies recover because it was more important to be able to write #NoRestDays at the end of their Instagram posts, and mean it.

At the end of the day, CrossFit is an activity that most people do to improve their health and hopefully have some fun along the way. When it becomes much more than that for some, this fun little fitness program can instead become the source of so much stress and anxiety. Can you see how that sounds a little silly?

My Call To Action for each of you is to try to keep it in all perspective.

Work hard. Find good coaching and fun training partners. Recover, eat well, and breathe. Repeat.

The 2018 Open is almost here. And if you play your cards right, it’s going to be a blast.

If you ever get caught up in things you can’t control, find yourself more unhappy than happy when thinking about this CrossFit thing, or are debating whether or not to do that workout for the 7th time in 4 days, remember what Will Ferrell’s tattoo said in the movie “The Internship” and relax. This is supposed to be FUN, after all!

You’re getting warmer…

Posted: January 4, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
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Today I received one of the best compliments ever!

A friend of mine, who I’ve coached in CrossFit for a long time, pulled me aside after class and said, “You know, I love coming to your classes, but I hate it, too!” Obviously I needed him to elaborate on this one a bit.

He went on to explain that when he works out on his own, he never warms up properly. It takes too much time, it’s not glamorous, and honestly sometimes he just doesn’t know what to do. When he comes to my classes, he said he always feels as though he is warmed up sufficiently, and ready to go!

Why share this compliment? It’s not to brag. In fact, quite the opposite! While I’m completely humbled and flattered by his words, it could have been me saying them aloud, myself! I ALSO don’t always spend enough time warming up when I work out. And it’s for those very same reasons. I’d rather “use the first round of the AMRAP to get warm” or “warm up as I go” to save time. Butttttt, I know that’s not the right thing to do!

As coaches, I feel it’s our job to prepare the athletes in class to be as safe as possible. That will typically involve some dynamic movement to get blood flowing, a bit of stretching and mobility to work through tension or soreness that may exist, and then some sort of skill work to prepare for the day’s training requirements.

At a previous job, I would write warm-ups for every single day, that would be completed by every class in the gym. To be completely honest, I dreaded doing this some weeks. Why? Because while I could have thrown something together in 20 minutes, that wasn’t my style. I wanted to keep things fun and varied. I wanted to introduce new movements to athletes and give them skills to learn. I wanted to make sure that regardless of ability level, the process I selected for that particular day would be effective for both national-level athletes and beginners alike.

It’s important to realize that as “CrossFit Coaches,” we’re tasked with far more than simply reading words on a white board to a group of people. The responsibility, and quite frankly the privilege, we’ve been given is to make our athletes better than they were when they walked through the door. This could mean helping them prevent or recover from injury, improving strength or range of motion, giving them a safe place to disconnect from the stress of life for sixty minutes, and any combination of the above plus countless other options.

The next time you find yourself preparing to lead a class or train a client, try to remember that. Yeah, my friend told me that he always feels warm when he takes my class, and that feels great to hear. But really, it served as a reminder to myself that by striving to never “phone it in,” I’m actively working to ensure that every athlete I work with has the greatest likelihood of success. I don’t take that responsibility lightly, and don’t think others should either.

Also, it reminded me that I need to warm up more effectively myself before I work out alone. 

Stay safe and have fun out there, friends!

Moment of Awesomeness: 1/3/18

Posted: January 3, 2018 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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If you know me, you know that I love beer. I also kind of like fitness. Many years ago, some genius came up with the idea to combine these two areas of interest for so many: Running and Beer!

This lead to the invention of one of the most important sporting events of all-time: THE BEER MILE!!! The Beer Mile website features the OFFICIAL RULES for the race, but let me explain it to you in the simplest of terms:

Drink a beer. Run 400m. Repeat 3 more times. Celebrate. (For a total of 4 beers, and a mile of running)

Corey Bellemore is a freak, and broke the World Record for this event yet again last year with a time of 4:33.6!! He drank FOUR beers and ran an entire mile in the time that is faster than most humans can fathom ever running a mile by itself. Bravo, sir, and thank you for inspiring others to step up their game!!

I’ve run this event a few times, and in the interest of striving to be “Better Than Yesterday,” I will aim to improve my Personal Best in 2018 yet again. (My current PR is 7:16, for those keeping track at home)

For those of you who read that the World Record is 4:33.6 and said, “That’s impossible,” check out the video below. Insane! Corey, if you want to come out to Colorado and train with me for a few days, we’ve got a spare bedroom in the house. Let me know!

New Year, Same Me!

Posted: January 2, 2018 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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A good friend of mine, Broderick, has been reminding me for years that there’s one way to get better at something:

Do it. Often. 

This is something I’ve always known. Through high school and college I was a competitive swimmer, and never really had an off-season. Since 2008, I’ve been involved in CrossFit in some capacity. As an athlete, I used train 15+ hours per week, and as a coach I constantly strive to learn more to help my athletes succeed. If I didn’t train regularly, study often, or if my athletes didn’t stick to their program, it showed. Progress would be delayed. Breakthroughs and Personal Bests would happen less frequently. That’s just how things work.

When my other friend Adam Griffin, posted how he struggles with trusting that his writing making an impact, it reminded me that I feel the same way. There will always be an audience out there who can benefit from our personal experiences. If we don’t take the time to share our thoughts, however, they’ll never have the chance to make an impact! Just write. Create. Share. And Repeat.

I don’t aim to be perfect in 2018, but I am striving to suffer less from “Paralysis by Analysis” and to quiet the voice inside my head that tells me it just “might not be good enough.” That same voice that makes me think my words may not resonate with everyone. Good news, I’m not writing for everyone. I write as a form of therapy for myself. I write to try and add value to others. And I write with the hopes that I can help even one individual benefit from the words I put on these pages.

I am not a “New Year, New Me” type of person, because I think we’re all pretty great. I AM, however, someone who CONSTANTLY strives to get better! So this year, instead of New Year, New Me…. let’s say:

New Year, Same You!

If you want to fine-tune some things along the way, more power to you! Let me know if I can help. 🙂

To quote Shia LaBeouf, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do for a while, but just never had the courage…

Happy New Year, 2018!!

Posted: January 1, 2018 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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I have not experienced more change in one singe year of my life than I did in 2017.
As I reflect on my “TopNine”, it’s incredible to see the places I’ve traveled, opportunities I’ve been given, and the growth I have experienced both personally and professionally.

 Married an amazing woman in an intimate ceremony at my mother’s house in front of family and a few close friends!
 An incredible send off from my amazing gym family ❤️
 Day one of our month long Wedding/Honeymoon/Road Trip Extravaganza Tour, which took us across the country and back, and then to Brazil
 My first time being invited to present as a Guest Lecturer at an Annual Conference for doctors at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida
 A handstand at Mount Rushmore during our Labor Day Weekend Road Trip to the Badlands/Black Hills
 Thanksgiving at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., visiting our families
 One of the amazing sunrises I got to see while coaching the “Rooster Crew” at CrossFit Omnia
 Bacon playing in the amazing back yard at our new home!
 Caipirinhas on Copacabana Beach in Brazil during Emily’s first time there

And that doesn’t even show the dozens of live shows we saw together all over the country!

I’m so thankful for the things 2017 taught me, and am excited to see how I can continue to grow in 2018!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Thought of the Day: 11/1/17

Posted: November 1, 2017 in CrossFit, Training
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“You are your own worst enemy.”

I started this post on February of 2016. Yep. I didn’t finish it because it didn’t seem powerful enough. Like I said yesterday, I suffer from “paralysis by analysis” in most areas of my life. I sit and think, and overthink, and think some more. Then, I’ll ask one person for their opinion, then another, then another. At that point, I’ll convince myself that what I wanted to do in the first place is good enough. Rinse. Repeat.

But now I’m just going to share more. Half thoughts. Incomplete thoughts. The “gist” of certain thoughts. My hope in doing that is to start dialogue with all of you. I don’t expect my posts to be the *hard stop* of any of my thoughts. I started this blog to create a conversation with all of you! So, here’s to starting that two-way street again.

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As a trainer, my greatest goal is to prove to the athletes that I coach just how powerful they really are capable of becoming! Given that I’ve coached thousands of athletes, I’ve notice some trends. First, a woman who walks into the gym for the first time and considers herself “out of shape” is usually MUCH harder on herself than a man who walks into the gym for the first time. What happens next, though?

Through a supportive community, consistency in their effort, and a bit of decent coaching, in no time at all the confidence of the woman (re)appears. The empowerment they gain from an increased sense of accomplishment and independence, the belief that they’re capable of so much more than they had imagined, the desire to uplift and encourage others around them…. on average, I notice female athletes adopting those traits far more rapidly than men.

Many of us can quickly think of several “top performers” at our gyms. Often times, they might be the men who can lift the most weight, or run the fastest. There’s nothing wrong with that. But, if we stop and think about who creates the heartbeat of each individual box, of our unique CrossFit community, I’ve found most of these core members are women. Like most of us, they’ll be struggling through a workout but they’ll see a friend struggling across the gym and shout a few words to keep them moving. They might be done first, but they’ll rarely clean up and leave without cheering on their colleagues. In this world of ours, I don’t think it should be about thinking, “how good am I”, but rather, “how good can I make this place, this secondary family of mine?” Women do that more often than men.

It may seem like a blanket statement, but I’m just saying what I’ve seen. Women, in so many aspects of “American” culture, are almost trained to view themselves as underdogs or “less-thans”… but I’ve found that through helping these individuals see just how powerful they are, barriers are knocked down in their own heads and this new sense of strength is transferred into every other area of their lives.

To quote Queen B: “Who run the world? Girls!”

The next time you’re in the gym, look around. Look for that “eye of the tiger” stare in your fellow classmates. Remember that “beast mode” isn’t just defined by who lifts the most or moves the fastest. The individuals who inspire others around them the most are typically the ones who push on when things get tough. They’re the ones who never quit.

Ladies, you’re awesome. Please don’t ever forget that! Thank you for constantly inspiring me to push myself just a little bit more every day!

Know that your friends can see your progress, and they’re amazed by what you can do. Don’t ever stop believing in yourself.

…. Post that I started 18 months ago: Published!

Smashby Speaks: “It’s ok, I just work here…”

Posted: October 31, 2017 in CrossFit, Training
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“Hey, maybe knock that down 10 lbs and focus on staying tight at the bottom of your clean.”

“You could go Rx, or you could go a little lighter and finish in the suggested time domain.”

“Sorry, I know you thought it was a PR, but you didn’t stand all the way up before dropping the bar.”

Those are just a few of the examples of things I say on a regular basis to athletes in class. Over time, I’m able to create pretty meaningful relationships with most of the people that I coach (thankfully), but there’s always a certain few who refuse to take advice or listen to the suggestion of the person directing the group.

I’m sure there have been times where a coach is jealous that an athlete can out-perform them. Or times where athletes feel like the coach is insulting them by suggesting a lighter weight, or requesting and increased range of motion. I, however, don’t play any of those games. The eye rolls, the weight or movement selection out of spite, the sighing and being bitter for a few days… it doesn’t help anyone!

My job is to help you get better. My goal is to keep you healthy. My responsibility is to not let you do something that could get you hurt. So when I’m leading a class and make a comment to someone about slowing down or being more in control, please don’t be offended. Talk to me if you have any questions, ask me to video a rep or two and show you what I’m talking about (I’m a very visual learner), or respectfully tell me you’re going to do it anyways. But please don’t think I’m ever trying to hold you back. I’ve been doing this for a long time (in comparison to a lot of people in the CrossFit Game), and have one thing in the forefront of my mind each day… to be able to walk out of the gym and say, “Nobody died!”

As a rule, I’d always rather you go a little lighter and practice perfect form in workouts than “going for it” and risk getting hurt. Besides… almost none of us are going to the Games. We’re doing this fitness thing for fun, to stay healthy, and to look better naked. Get a time that’s 20 seconds slower to put up on the white board, but walk out of here on your own knowing you did everything right!

Help me, help you!

Safety first. I’ve got your back. I’m here for YOU!

-Smashby

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