Posts Tagged ‘Cross Fit’

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/31/12

Posted: October 31, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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“So sick. SO. SICK. WOW! That was awesome!”

Those are the words I just said out loud… to myself… by myself, in my apartment. It’s not sick as in gross. I’m “that guy” who uses words like sick and epic to describe things he thinks are cool. Think that’s annoying? Deal with it, I’m not ashamed.

Alright, gut check time. I have said a few times over the past few months that I am going to start being more real and more raw on this blog. It all started from a conversation with Alon, in which he commented on a video I made and said, “Tom… how did that topic REALLY make you feel?” As in, “you gave us SOME of the real you, but not all of it. We came to YOUR blog to hear YOUR thoughts. Give it to us, straight.”

So I’m trying.

This commercial that I’m pasting below basically embodies who I THINK I am as a coach, and I freaking LOVE feeling like that! Feeling that I can look at any athlete, regardless of their experience level, ability levels, or confidence level, and TRULY think to myself… Let’s do this. You CAN do anything.

Most (all?) of you who have trained with me know that I hate (yep, hate) phrases like “I can’t.” Instead, I prefer conversations like one that I had with the amazing Casey Polk once:

Casey- “I SUCK at running!”
Me- *Disappointed stare*
Casey- “UGH! I mean… I am excited to have the opportunity to improve my running today.”
Casey- *Sly smile because she realized how much better it felt to say it that way.*

Even typing that has me smiling like a goon over here.

So that’s why I started this blog. I started it to share, and communicate, and interact, and help, and offer resources to you guys. My “readers”, the athletes that I am lucky enough to train, my friends. And to hopefully bring a smile to your face that comes close to matching the ones that you all give me every day.

So here’s to hoping that we can continue to grow these relationships together. Because even though the main goal of this blog is to try and help you, it sure as hell helps me a lot, too! Keeping this a two-way street will make this a lot more fun for all of us. (Otherwise, I’ll just keep posting more Parkour and Snowboarding videos, since that’s what I like!…. and you’ll still get those things, I’d just like to post things YOU want to see/learn/talk about, too!)

You guys are amazing. And like I said above, I really do think you can do anything you put your minds to and believe in. Sometimes I’ll just believe in it a little more at first!

Boom.

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/29/12

Posted: October 29, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Some of you may not know this yet, but I am originally from New York. Not Utica (no offense, Utica), but Manhattan. I’ve gone back there regularly and had family there my entire life, and have always considered myself a New Yorker. With Hurricane Sandy starting to attack the entire Northeastern seaboard as we speak, checking in with my family last night (and today), has me thinking about New York even more than usual.

You can see just by looking at my desk how I think about “the city” every single day. That’s why, when I saw this video from Red Bull (from their “Where do you call home” series), it made me think about how much of our personalities, outlooks, and aspirations may come from our “hometowns.”

New York, Smashby Training, CrossFit, Cross Fit

What I look at every day at work.

What do you think? Did your hometown help mold the person you are today? It certainly did for me!
At the end of the day, I’m unwavering proud of where I’m from (and where I grew up – Pittsburgh), and think you should be, too!

That being said, please stay safe, East Coast! I’m sending good vibes from the Mile High City.

CrossFit WOD Tips: 10/22/12

Posted: October 24, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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People often times put a lot of pressure on themselves if they have to miss training days. Whether it’s because they’re too busy, too tired, or just don’t really want to go, it doesn’t matter. A lot of us will guilt ourselves into feeling really bad about not going into the gym and I’m here, again, to try and encourage all of us to RELAX.

I’ve said this a lot, but “We are working out for fun.” Put pressure on yourself accordingly!

Thought of the Day: 10/19/12

Posted: October 19, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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All I am going to say is that you should make the time to watch this 28-minute video as soon as possible. I’ll paste the video summary below, so you can read it for yourself, but wow. The story covers Danny Dean, an athlete who suffered a serious neck injury, and his amazing road to recovery. The perseverance of the human spirit is so inspiring to me. Videos like this also help me keep my “problems” in perspective. I wake up every day and try to be thankful for all of the things that I am lucky enough to have, and this was my morning gut check.

To answer your question… no, my eyes did not water watching this. I swear.
I’m serious! I’m not crying, it’s just raining… on my face.

All jokes aside, this is one of my favorite videos that CrossFitHQ has shared with us, to date.

Congrats on your progress so far, Danny. I’m excited to hopefully hear more updates over the next few months and years. You are an inspiration!

“After Danny Dean broke his neck eight years ago, he was only able to use 20 percent of his right side. Physical therapists told him whatever movement he regained in the next 18 months would be the most he would ever have. The former competitive wakeboarder became resigned to his fate.

Then his wife started doing CrossFit.

Thus far, there hasn’t been a week in which Dean hasn’t seen improvement under the watchful eye of CrossFit Forever Strong owner Jason Speck.

“Pathways that hadn’t been worked are starting to redevelop and starting to work again. Muscles that hadn’t known how to contract and how to pull are now contracting and pulling,” the coach says.

The two are focusing on seeing how much function they can create on Dean’s right side.

The 32-year-old says he’s never felt better since his accident.

“I had no set goals before,” he explains. “I kind of just resigned to modern medicine and technology to maybe save me one day. The outlook now on those sorts of things is totally changed. I do want to be 100 percent healthy again.”

Video by Carey Peterson.”
~Summary from the Video Page from CrossFitHQ

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/16/12

Posted: October 16, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Many of you are aware of the incredible feat of the Red Bull Stratos and jumper Felix Baumgartner, this past weekend. For those you who are not, here is the summary directly from the page:

“Red Bull Stratos, a mission to the edge of space, will attempt to transcend human limits that have existed for 50 years. Supported by a team of experts Felix Baumgartner plans to ascend to 120,000 feet in a stratospheric balloon and make a freefall jump rushing toward earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. His attempt to dare atmospheric limits holds the potential to provide valuable medical and scientific research data for future pioneers.”

Yes, you read that right. He actually ended up ascending to over 128,000 feet… before walking to the edge of his capsule, and… jumping off! Here is the summary of some of the accomplishments from the mission:

“Felix Baumgartner broke the speed of sound reaching an estimated speed of *833.9 mph (1,342.8 km/h) jumping from the stratosphere, which when certified will make him the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall while delivering valuable data for future space exploration.

Felix climbed to 128,100 feet (39,045 meters) in a helium-filled balloon Sunday morning Oct. 14, 2012. This is exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket powered airplane. Felix broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the longest freefall record to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.”

Watching this live online was probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen. I was anxious and nervous during his entire ascent as he climbed from the ground to 128,000 feet above the ground! Then, once they commenced the launch process, you got to see all the went into making this jump happen.

Then, at one point… the door to his capsule opened and you got to see just how high above the Earth he was, it was breathtaking. I am sharing a few videos below here, and I ask that you just take a second and think about how awesome this jump was for us to be able to watch.

Congrats, Felix!
The “Official” Jump Video:

This shows a bit more of the prep necessary to make this event happen:

Here’s just a full video, with music for audio, of the entire fall:

Some more shots of what Felix actually saw… breathtaking:
Probably some of my favorite shots from this video!

SO COOL!

Ask Smashby: 10/12/12

Posted: October 12, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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After my video stating “WE’RE BAAAAACK” yesterday, I felt inspired today to record another “Ask Smashby” video covering a topic that I am asked about quite a bit.

The question is basically, “How do you handle stress? When things seem overwhelming, what are some tricks used to help manage those tasks that you’re faced with?” This video is my attempt at answering that question. As always, I welcome your feedback.

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/12/12

Posted: October 12, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Videos like this are awesome to me. They combine things that I ALREADY think are awesome (Extreme Mountain Biking, even the Urban kind) with things that I think are …. kinda cool (road biking) … and turn them into something that is REALLY cool (Extreme… Urban… road biking?!).

I think part of the reason I like this video so much is because I have so many friends who are REALLY into Road Biking (some were previously sponsored athletes, etc), and I feel like this can help bring us closer together!

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do. Martyn Ashton is awesome! (This one’s for you, D’Ardenne and ‘Claw!)

Ask Smashby 10/11/12

Posted: October 12, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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I had to post SOMETHING on 10/11/12, and this is what I chose to post.

A video.

Of me.

Talking to myself. 🙂

The point, though, is to share that I want the “Ask Smashby” series to make a comeback. My good friend (and fellow CrossFit Lakewood athlete) Alon pointed out to me after one of my posts, “The information was good… but how do you REALLY feel about the topic? Stop being so politically correct. People are asking you your opinion because they want YOUR opinion!” Touche, Alon. Touche.

So, effective immediately, I am going to start being much more honest and direct with the questions that are asked my way. Oh, man….

So here is my “welcome back” video. And since I was so excited, the video BELOW that, is my first topic back. It covers a question that I am actually asked quite regularly by some of the athletes who train at the gym where I work. This question is, “What supplements do you take?” After watching the first video, if you’re STILL bored, check the one below it.

In short, the answer to the question of which supplements I use, is… Simply Pure Nutrients. I take their Pro-3 Synergy as my PRE-workout powder, I take their Elite Athlete Recovery Fuel as my post-workout powder, and I take their Quell daily as a means to help decrease inflammation and get my essential omega-3 fatty acids.

More questions, keep ’em coming! Do you like this series? Let me know.

Thought of the Day: 10/11/12

Posted: October 11, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Here is the final post on this short little 3-part series I started last week, trying to encourage women to give CrossFit a chance, despite a common perception that it’s only a workout regimen performed by crazy men.

Please read the summary pasted below from the Woman v. Workout Series on YouTube.

“Join fitness model Lauren Berlingeri as she takes on a crazy new challenge each week. Whether training with the FDNY, tossing axes with STIHL Timbersports legends, or bounding through parkour routines, our fearless host manages to land on her feet with a smile (well, most of the time!).”

In this episode, Lauren Berlingeri “Attempts CrossFit” at EVF Performance (with coach Eric Von Frohlich), home of CrossFit Upper East Side in New York, where she will complete the workout Fight Gone Bad with CrossFit competitor Jenn Hunter.

Hold on for a second before you watch this video, though…

I may not be a fitness model, but this type of a “job” would be AMAZING to have every day.
If you guys know people, or have suggestions as to how I can start to do something like this, please let me know!!
Ok, enjoy the video!

My favorite part is when Lauren asks her trainer a question while he is teaching her the Sumo Deadlift High Pull:
Lauren- “What are we working here?”
Coach- “Everything. It’s CrossFit.”

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/4/12

Posted: October 4, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Wow.

This clip (called the Strandafjellet segment), which comes from the movie “Being There” (last year’s film by Field Productions), blew my mind.
The jumps these guys make combined with the scenery below as they b-line these hits (really big jumps)… wow!

Be warned, especially all of you Physical Therapists out there, at one point Aleksander Aurdal dislocates his shoulder (you don’t see the fall, relax). Their on-site medic helps him pop it back in (CRAZY!) and then… a little while later… he decides to ski AGAIN! Why? Because, as he says,”Can not let this opportunity pass!” Do NOT try that at home folks…

Visually, however, some of these shots are stunning.

As Denver prepares for it’s first potential snow of this season, enjoy!

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