The More The Merrier: Benefits of Group Fitness

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Above:  Do you have fun with "Angie" or does "Angie" have fun with you?  I know some would say that benchmark girl WOD "Angie" has too much fun with them.  Whatever your answer, our athletes always work hard, and knowing that can finish with a smile!

Today's WOD:

Push Press

3-3-3

"Angie"

For time:

100 Pull-ups

100 Push-ups

100 Sit-ups

100 Squats

Today's 8:30am class brought up a great point about the benefits of group exercise.  In a Crossfit 808 class setting, you are more likely to achieve more than you would alone.  In fact, studies have shown that group exercise can be beneficial. "Working out in a group provides support, accountability, and structure," says Lynne Vaughan, Chief Innovation Officer of the national YMCA. "People don't want to let their buddy or group down, which is terrific in terms of adherence to an exercise routine."  Working out with others brings camaraderie to your daily routine.

Didn't someone smart say that two heads are better than one?  Well, in CrossFit the more the merrier!  So, if you're in a rut with your workouts come have fun with us at CrossFit 808.

Saturday's WOD Board:

Give it try! What do you have to lose?

“The only real failure in life is the failure to try.”

Above: At CrossFit 808 all our classes are taught by very knowledgable and experienced coaches/trainers.  We provide you with a workout, we coach/teach you all the movements in the workout, and then we get you through the workout.  So, all you have to do is show up! Oh, and bring some water!

Today's WOD:
3 rounds for time, of:
200m Run
15 Hang Power Cleans (135/95 lbs.)
15 Burpees

Its official, CrossFit 808 has logged one week in the books--from our first kickoff workout, "Diane" to today's 3 round WOD with my love/hate element, Burpees.  Thank you and congratulations to everyone who came out and gave CrossFit 808 a try.  Whether it was your first CrossFit experience or your 3rd year of CrossFitting, we hope you learned something from us and got better because of it.

If you still haven't taken the opportunity to give our gym a try, its not too late!  So no more excuses, we'll see you in class on Monday, the last day of "Free classes till March 1st".  

Yesterday's WOD Board:

"Eyes on the Prize"

“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”

-E. Joseph Cossman

Above: Some of our boys in action during Today's AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible).

Today's WOD:

Shoulder Press 5-5-5-5-5

AMRAP in 15 minutes, of:

40 Double-Unders

10 Toes to Bar

20 Box Jumps (20")

What are your goals for the month of March? With the 3rd month of 2011 right around the corner, have you begun working on your New Year's resolutions?  If better fitness and nutrition are apart of those goals, come stop by our gym and see how we can help you keep your eyes on the prize!

Yesterday's WOD Board:

The Squat and Intensity

"Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing."

Today's WOD:

"Nancy"

5 rounds for time, of:

400m Run

15 Overhead Squats (95/65 lbs.)

"The Squat and Intensity"

In CrossFit the term squat is used interchangeably with “air squat.” When load is added the name changes (back, front, and overhead squat) The squat is the foundational movement of foundational movements! Odds are the first day you tried CrossFit you were squatting! Though it seems simple enough its beauty, only found in full range of motion, is lost when novice crossfitters sacrifice full range for a fast times. It happens in every gym… the novice falls short of full range for every rep in effort to finish, sometimes only seconds faster than their counterpart who finds the bottom “below parallel” and opens the hip to “full extension” at the top for every rep. This is the classic case of intensity before consistency. This only delays the time it will take the athlete to realize their full potential. This “shortchanging” the range of motion is found not only in the squat but in other movements as well; though when found in an athlete’s squat it likely exist in other movements.

I strongly urge all of our athletes to not only perfect their technique, but to become CONSISTENT with that correct technique… only then should the intensity increase. As your coach I expect proper technique accompanying full range of motion and I will not relent!

More to follow on the squat… did you know there are over 20 points of performance for the squat???

Yesterday's WOD board:

Cycles

"Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at the last minute. Sport, like all life, is about taking risks."

ABOVE: Jenn, Shay, and Syd--3 of my high school friends came and crushed today's WOD during the 8:30am class!

"Baseline CYCLES" emphasized high intensity interval training using the Concept-2 Rower and body weight or Gymnastic movements.  Among the many benefits of interval training is the improvement in recovery time.  With a given 3 minutes rest between cycles in today's WOD, athletes pushed to keep their times within seconds of each other.

Today's WOD:

"Baseline Cycles"

4 CYCLES each for time, of:

500m Row

40 Squats

30 Sit-ups

20 Push-ups

10 Pull-ups

REST precisely 3 minutes between CYCLES.

Yesterday's WOD board:

Day 1 with benchmark WOD "Diane"

"How to be more ful-filled is not a mystery. Exercise regularly. Face, rather than avoid, your problems. Help others. Have goals that matter to you. Love and be loved. Accept yourself."

Top: Noon class rips through their Deadlifts. 

Below: The Handstand Push-ups (HSPU) in a workout like "Diane" can be modified for anyone.  Using a box under the feet/legs to simulate the vertical motion or placing AbMats under the head to lessen the depth are both common modifications.

Today was our first day of classes at CrossFit 808 and everyone did an amazing job! Whether it was your first CrossFit experience or your 100th, everyone had fun, worked hard and put up some awesome times for benchmark Girl WOD "Diane".  Great job to everyone--coaches and athletes--for making our first day a huge success!


WOD:
Deadlift 3-3-3


"Diane"
21-15-9 rep rounds for time:
Deadlifts (225/155 lbs.)
Handstand Pushups


If you plan on coming to the gym tomorrow, here's how you can find us on Pu'uhale Road:
From N Nimitz Hwy, turn left/right (depending on which direction you're coming from) at Puuhale Road.  Go down until you see a BLUE WAREHOUSE COMPLEX on your RIGHT (from the road you’ll see a SIGN that reads: The Cabinet & Stone Factory).  
**Please park in our reserved stalls marked by signs OR find street parking (its free).**

CLASSES BEGIN Tuesday, February 22nd!

**Class times and coaches are subject to change.**

FULL CLASS SCHEDULE WILL BEGIN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND!

All classes will be FREE till MARCH 1ST! We welcome all fitness levels, no CrossFit experience is necessary! So, there's NO EXCUSES!

Come get your CrossFit on with CrossFit 808! See you at the gym on Tuesday!

One Step at a Time

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

-Henry David Thoreau

If you asked me 10 years ago, what I would be doing with my life, I do not think I’d have ever envisioned myself owning and operating my own CrossFit Gym. Yet, with each passing day the once distant dream is becoming a reality. For the last 2 months, I have been making my dreams a reality one step at a time. While the road has not always been easy, I have had help and support from a strong group of friends and family along the way. Now, only two days out from opening and running a full class schedule starting Tuesday, February 22nd, the hard work and long hours that we all put in feels worthwhile. The transition from a dirty, rundown warehouse to a clean, lively CrossFit gym has been an experience of its own. I have learned so much from so many people in the past months, and I cannot thank everyone who has helped me--big or small--enough. If this post stands for anything, let it remind you that dreams can become reality, but from my experience, you do have to work hard for it and you can't do it alone, so ask for help and ask often. Like Howard Schultz, CEO and author of Pour Your Heat Into It, says in his book, "If you pour your heart into your work, or into any worthy enterprise, you can achieve dreams others may think impossible. That's what makes life rewarding."

See you in the gym!

-Elyse