functional-coach

[functional-coach]

How captivating was the Paris 2024 Olympics!

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t seen any of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

I ask you, how excited where you by the performances of the athletes representing their country?

It’s exciting, inspiring, exhilarating, heartbreaking a whole mix of emotions we get watching the best in their country take to the competition floor.

I can only imagine the feelings and emotions they encounter from that level of competition.

And the feelings and memories they will have with them now for a lifetime.

Competing my self in different sports over the years, Thai boxing, Crossfit, Olympic Weightlifting.

I have been lucky enough to get a sense of the emotions and feelings that come along wth competition. And I can personally say its life changing!

The personal growth and confidence that comes from being vulnerable and competing is unmeasurable.

I share this to encourage you to think about taking the next step in your training and think about signing up for that competition you’ve been looking at for too long and haven’t committed to yet.

I’d bet there’s a better you on the other side of it!

[functional-coach]

DON’T SKIP A STEP

Something I encounter on the regular is athletes asking or jumping to more intensity, with out spending time perfecting a lift/ movement or doing the reps/ volume required to build a solid foundation. To prepare them for the more technically advanced movements they desire.

Question:

Have you ever been to a seminar of an elete coach. I'm talking Olympic level coach.

What do they do?

They get everyone. Regardless of their size, strength, perceived current ability. And they cover foundational lifts, skills or movements. They then, spend time observing everyone. And ERYONE gets feedback and coaching on the foundational lift, skill or movement.

Why?

Because there is room for all of us to improve that foundational lift, skill or movement.

And by going back and learning to perfect the foundational movement everyone in attendance leaves that day having something actionable to work on to move the needle on their performance.

Why do I share.

Chances are there's something your working on and want to improve.

Pro tip, go back a step or two and see where you can find an area to improve. Spend the time there working on it. Then see in 6-8 weeks what happens.

Also think about getting a coach to really help you move the needle! 😉

DM or email if there’s something I can help you with :

James.functionalcoach@gmail.com

[functional-coach]

I’d like to take a minute and celebrate each and every Raincity Athletes performance this past weekend.

The weekend was filled with intense workouts programmed by the GOAT Mat Fraser. Against some of the top athletes from the west coast and spread over 3 long days. Not only that, its a rain or shine event and they got a lot more rain than anyone expected.

However, fuelled by some elite competition I see each athlete and team shift in to that extra gear that is only possible in competition, It was pretty epic to see. Adrenaline is an amazing thing if you can harness it.

The weekend certainly wasn’t the smoothest for the athletes either. There was more than one judging error encountered by almost all of our athletes. A warm up area that had 50% of the equipment/weights they would face in the workouts. There was literally last minute changes to workouts only discovered in athlete briefing 10 mins before athletes took to the floor. And finally walking out on to the floor as its raining to try to perform at your best against your competitors was a whole new challenge.

Hear me when I say I’m not trying to shame the judges who gave up their weekend or the competition organizers. We appreciate you giving your time and your efforts to make the weekend possible, so a big thank you. I’m just trying to paint a picture.

In-spite of all the adversity everyone performed at there out and out best. I was very proud as a coach to witness how they all handled the weekend.

Finally, probably the biggest highlight for me was how the Canwest competion brought the Raincity Athletics community together. We had 18 athletes compete and even more made the trip out to Percy Perry stadium to cheer and support their fellow athletes. I know the athletes really felt the love and support of the spectators and that energy helped the athletes get through some pretty gruelling events and push into that extra gear with pretty beat up bodies.

A lot learnt from this weekend, and everyone who competed should feel proud of their efforts.

You all crushed it and I’m excited to see everyones progress come this time next year.

Keep going!

[functional-coach]

The work has been done now rest + prepare.

All the hard work has been done. Following the previous olympic lifting mesocycles working on improving positions, technique and speed in the lifts. Building pulling, squatting and pressing strength and finally building confidence in the lifts.

The last few Sunday lifting sessions we specifically looked at finding a current 95-100% of the snatch and clean & jerk. Also specifically prepping the weight jumps, sets and reps that will best serve you on the day to hit your top no’s for the 3 attempts of each lift. e.g

Snatch

75lbs (2 x 4)

95lbs (2 x 4)

110lbs (2 x 2)

120lbs (2x1)

125lbs x1

130lbs x1

Attempts on the platform 

1st 135lbs 

2nd 140-142lbs

3rd 145-147lbs

Hopefully everyone knows their opening lift no by now and is confident in it. Pro tip, your first lift should feel comfortable and will set the tone for your next two attempts, think of a liftt you could hit 12x out of 10. Also this is most lifters first comp, the focus should be on putting up 3 really good lifts close to their top end nos and walking away thrilled with their performance. Your not lifting for your country so don’t get in your head that if I don’t PB on the day its a failure. further more no one but your coach and you know your personal PRs so no need to try to over achieve. However if the stars align, your training up to know has been on point and you feel epic on the day I will help you get to that new PB.

Now Rest & Prepare

Yesterday was the last programmed day to lift some weight at moderate intensity. The next 2 days are very important. I personally advise a 100% rest day out of the gym to calm the mind and relax. Friday you will see there Is some barbell only skill work programmed to prep you for Saturday. However if you feel you really need to move around then another option is doing a mobiltiy emom and 10-20:00 mins easy pace on a rower. WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER

Finally Mindset 

Potentially the most important part between now and Saturday. 

I would decide on your first lift, write down your jumps in weight so you really can relax. (If you haven’t done this already, highly recommend you do. Also if not sure reach out I will help you) 

Then pick up or download a mindset book, blog YouTube clip and start getting yourself in the zone. Also watching some Olympic lifting comps can help too. Especially on getting in some good visualization of technically perfect reps.

I hope this was helpful and any questions before Saturday don’t hesitate to reach out.

Your all going to smash it!!

[functional-coach]

Prioritizing training when following multiple programs and having multiple hobbies

Received this question from a few athletes recently so thought I’d share my thoughts and help you get the most out of your training.

Following more than one program and or managing other hobbies out side the gym often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Which in turn leads to not achieving the goals you set out, and more often than not feeling tired a lot. Which leads to just getting through a work out, your program or you Monday night soccer match instead of attacking it and maximizing your results.

I get it, there’s a lot of things competing for our attention and energy. That evening functional fitness class with your buddy, that muscle up program that guarantees results, that mid week soccer match after 3 days of training, the 6am morning run with your partner 5 days a week and the Sunday coached olympic lifting session ;)

So what’s the answer??

Step 1 - Prioritirze

Take a minute and write down all your programs, activities and hobbies. And list them in order of priority.

Step 2 - Look at your schedule

Put pen to paper or make a spread sheet and note down your schedule across a 7 day period. Listing working hrs, training hrs, activities, coffee with friends etc everything your currently doing.

Step 3 - Reflect

This requires you be very honest with your self and your priorities.

Looking at your current busy schedule do a recap of the past 1-2 weeks and start to see how your currently turning up to each session/day. Write it down for reference.

From there see how many days your training, when and where your resting and how your feeling as a whole across the week.

For most people I’ve had this conversation with lately the answer is they are doing too much, not achieving their goals and feeling pretty tired when it gets to day x or session x.

Step 4 - Change

Now having your priority list, go through your week and carve out scheduled rest and recovery days/times so your turning up fueled and excited to attack your top goals and hobbies.

This may require you to say no to that Wednesday night session. Which is day 3 of training and has you feeling sluggish for that next day of olympic lifting programming which is at the top of your priority list. Or it may be the case that you really enjoy mountain biking on a Sunday with friends but it leaves your legs felling pretty fatigued for Mondays squats. Well If mountain biking is top of your priority list, Monday session should be a rest day and you either catch up on your squats the following day or you decide which days you can get to the gym with adequate rest and that becomes your squat day.

I agree this isn’t the easiest of tasks but having a planned schedule, with proper rest will set you up for success over haphazardly dragging your body through 8 days of training/ activities in a row.

If your struggling with this I highly recommend you speak to your coach who can objectively answer how many days you should be training/ resting tailored to you achieving your desired goals, crushing your hobbies and feeling great through out the week.

Step 5 - Try it

After stripping down that over saturated schedule, give it a few weeks to see how the body and mind responds.

Keeping a journal of how your feeling will be helpful here too to track the results.

Step 6 - Enjoy!!

[functional-coach]

“Raincity Weightlifting Classic”

The upcoming Raincity Barbell Club V3.0 lifting cycle we will continue to build pulling strength in the clean and the snatch with pulls and deadlift variations. We will also be looking at refining the technique and speed of the pulls in both lifts. Taking the lifts from different heights, hip, mid thigh and floor.

You’ll also see some complexes to keep it fun and for athletes to get stronger by being under load for increased time and having to control the bar between movements. Sunday will continue to be a day to go heavy and keep edging that top end strength up.

The second half of the cycle will be very focused on prepping athletes for the “Raincity Weightlifting Classic”.

Specifically spending time trying to increase the lifters clean, jerk and snatch by isolating the lifts and doing some comp prep on the last couple Sundays having athletes play with the 3 heavy attempts. Finishing off with a mini de-load before comp day Saturday December 4th.

So why not use the “Raincity Weightlifting Classic” as an excuse to dive in to improving your Olympic lifting skills and follow up the cycle testing yourself under competition conditions with your fellow athletes.

The “Raincity Weightlifting Classic” is open to all Raincity athletes plus friends!

Any questions reach out to myself or Simon.

[functional-coach]

Do shoes make a difference in Functional Fitness Training?

For newer athletes it’s hard to grasp this as they have such a young training age so the feedback from the shoe is probably not on their radar. 

However a more seasoned athlete will be able to tell you why they chose the shoe they chose, what shoe they wear for specific WODs, what shoes they lift in and why they prefer the previous nanos to the latest release and so on.

So why is Footwear so important?

Well for several reasons:

Stability + Safety - In a Functional Fitness class you will most likely perform a variety of movements in a single session. From your classic lifts (squat, deadlift, press) for lower reps in a strength portion of a class to an infinite variety of movements in a WOD.  From barbel cycling to running to rope climbs to box jumps to double unders. Under heavy loads and pushing the pace to beat your peers the last thing you want is to loose your footing and suffer the consequences of a twisted knee, tweak of back or shoulder due to loosing position under heavy bar etc. With your shoes playing the lead role in your connection with the floor it’s crucial your wearing a shoe fit for purpose and one that’s well fitted too.    

Performance - I’m sure we can agree every one coming into the gym is looking to improve. Whether this comes in the form of putting up heavier no`s on your back squat or improving the technique of your split jerk, does it not pay to set our self up for success? With our shoes having such an impact on the results and added benefits of technology in the form of optimal heel to toe gradient, firm sole, supportive body, extra grip and sturdy light weight design. why not improve our chances of progress made in the gym each day by sliding on the right pair of shoes for the job.

Which shoe to choose - The one that fits and feels the best to be honest. From the wide range of crossfit/ cross training shoes that are on the market, even though most do a similar job, there are distinct differences in fit and feel. Some being a little roomier for the wider footed athlete and vice versa. A great place to start is to ask your coach, as I guarantee they have tested most of the shoes on the market and can guide you towards the pair that will fit you best. Next step Is to get down to your local store and try a pair on, have a walk around and pick the most stylish colour way. And if your double lucky you can usually score a a good pair of last seasons at 1/2 off. 

Conclusion, your choice of shoes is connected to your performance in the gym so choose wisely. And if you’re on the fence about investing stop hanging around and pull the trigger on a wise investment. 

You can thank me later!

[functional-coach]

How to warm up for Olympic Lifting?

A good warm up sets the tone for your Olympic lifting session.

This is because the lifts are so technical and require the body to be in very specific positions that require a high level of mobility. They also require you to move through them at very high speeds to produce an optimal lift. So good luck pulling yourself under the bar over 1.5x bodyweight at 0.4 seconds with tight hips and shoulders.

Where to start? I think it helps to break the warm up down into three parts.

Part 1  - Get the blood pumping and the body temperature up

This can be a couple of minutes on an erg machine, running or skipping. I personally opt for a rower as it utilizes the hinge position and warms up the posterior chain, so transfers nicely to both lifts. Occasionally I will opt for the ski erg if my shoulders are really tight and I feel they need a little extra attention before lifting.

Part 2  - Mobility and stability

Think dynamic and static stretches and banded movements. We want to specifically address the ankles, hips, shoulders, thoracic, and lats. As limited ROM in any of these ares will greatly effect our lifts.

Mobility 2x

Pvc pass throughs x 8  

Spiderman reach x 4 L+R          

Pike toe touches x 8    

Boot strappers x 8

Bar hang X :45                                                                                            

Into

Stability 2x

Banded monster walks x 20  

Banded shoulder pull-aparts x 15  

Barbell good mornings x 10        

Side plank x :20 L+R                                                                              

Part 3  - Lift specific warm up

Theres no better way to prepare for a lift than to perform it with an empty bar/ lighter weight. Here you will go over segments of the lift, then on to putting it all together to perform a technically sound lift building in speed and load allowing you to move the heavier barbell.

e.g Clean + Jerk, complete 2 x 3/5 reps with empty barbell

Dip + shrug

Muscle clean  

Front squat

Hang pwr clean

Hang squat clean

Strict press + reach  

Push press

Split jerk (foot work only)  

Split Jerk    

                                                                          Then completing the full Clean and Jerk with the barbell building in comfortable weights and in speed focusing on perfect technique and only adding weight if the lift looks and feels good. Otherwise taking a minute to address any faults usually with the assistance and feedback from your coach.

Olympic Lifting is highly technical and requires years of training to master. On top of that athletes are starting at different training ages and with different training backgrounds which can hamper their technique specifically in regards to mobility limitations that many athletes develop.

For this reason every athletes warm up will need to be specific to them to get them best prepared for the session ahead. e.g Mike may need to spend a the majority of his  warm up mobilizing his shoulders where as Sophie may need to spend more time on core stability/activation and barbell positions. 

Following the warm up written for the day is a good place to start for beginners but to really move the needle it helps to have the trained eye of an experienced coach tailor a warm up to your specific needs.

I hope this helps you keen lifters @raincityathletics. And any questions feel free to reach out James@raincityathletics.ca

I look forward to hearing from you!

[functional-coach]

Should you video your lifts? In a word......... YES!

And any other movement/skill you're trying to improve for that matter.

Here's why.....

When it comes to working on a particular movement/skill "will stick with Olympic lifting for arguments sake" your goal is to move better in the Snatch by the end of the training session and or training cycle than you did at the start. And the fastest way to improve is feedback.

That's why you'd expect to see an experienced Olympic lifter who has trained under an Olympic lifting coach move better than a less experienced amateur lifter. They have more hrs under their belt working on the Snatch, refining their technique with feedback from coaches to guide them towards a technically sound snatch.

Videoing some reps of your snatches can provide feedback in a couple different ways.

A less experienced lifter might video several reps. Note how the lifts felt and share them with their coach and get feedback on their form for a specific focus the next snatch session. e.g Work on chest up hips down from pulling position next session.

For a more experienced lifter they might review their technique for immediate feedback and focus on a specific part of the lfit on the very next rep. e.g lifter reviews video, sees the bar was too far forward when trying to stand the bar up. So will focus on not driving the head through too aggressively when receiving the bar.

Finally videoing reps throughout your training cycles/journey can provide reference points along the way to see what in your training is or isn't working. e.g At the end of an 8 week snatch cycle, acceleration in the second pull is a lot faster and smoother. But timing of receiving the bar with the arms locked out still needs work.

Wherever you may be in your training journey, keep striving to be better today than you were yesterday. Video your reps, review your lifts and ask your coaches for feedback. Then get to working on it.

@raincityathletics Olympic Lifters be sure to check out

https://raincityathletics.tumblr.com/tagged/raincityprogram

(Olympic Lifting program) for whats coming your way.

Enjoy the Journey!

[functional-coach]

“My legs are smoked”
Most people think the hardest part about fitness is the training itself. However, that’s not even half of the story. 
To turn up and perform your best, there are many other areas that deserve attention. I’m talking nutrition, hydration, sleep hygiene, level of fatigue from the previous session, inflammation, mobility, stress, etc. 
I want to dive specifically into one of these areas today: “level of fatigue from the previous session”. I’ve heard many times in or around the gym… “my legs are smoked” or “my arms are dead from yesterday”. Now, I’m not going to disagree with someone’s feelings about discomfort. I do, however, have a few questions to help bring awareness to combating it for the future. 
Did you use the specified weight for what the stimulus of the workout was designed for, and is it appropriate to your strength/fitness level? E.g. WOD weight > 60% of 1RM back squat.
Did you spend any time cooling down post WOD? E.g. 5:00 min easy bike/row/run to flush everything out?
Did you spend any time stretching, foam rolling, or on the lacrosse ball?
Did you read today’s workout and see that it is Squats, but your legs haven’t yet recovered from the previous session?
Did you eat enough calories/macros post WOD for your body to optimally recover?
Did you get 8+ hrs of uninterrupted sleep?
You get the picture.
What I’m trying to say is there are numerous elements within our control that can help us move the needle to perform/feel our best that you might not be giving credit to. And that I highly recommend you start dumping energy into one or more of the areas that resonate with you. 
Just turning up to drag your beaten body through the daily WOD again won’t give you the best opportunity to see PRs and move the needle. Photo credit @athleteinside 💪👊🔥📸

[functional-coach]

Focus on getting the most power out of each stroke…….

When it comes to rowing, especially in a group class WOD setting. I believe focussing on 2 numbers can help people move the needle to get more power out of each stroke and the best out of their WODs. These numbers are your split time, centre screen, see 1:53/500m. And strokes per minute, bottom left, see 29 s/m.

So, what do these numbers mean?

Split time - measures the time it is going to take you to row 500M when the rower is set to meters. And how many calories you will row in an hour for Cals/hr. This is displayed as 2:00/500m and for Cals/hr see 623 Cals/hr. The harder we are rowing we will see the split time go down when the rower is set to meters e.g from 2:00/500m to 1:55/500m. And Calories per/hr go up when the rower is set to Calories e.g 623 Cals/hr to 900 Cals/hr. And vice versa for both measurements when we slow down on the rowing machine.

Strokes per minute – projects the number of strokes you are doing per minute at your current pace on the rower. See 29 S/M

Now, how to use these two numubers....

Split time - for our split time, knowing your 2k pace and 500m pace or 50cals and 10 cals pace will be extremely helpful. This will give us a good indication of what M split or Cals per/hr we should look to build up to in a few pulls and know that we can maintain powerful strokes for the duration of the row while maintaining good form. This is specific to longer duration rows. 500M + at 1:54/500m or 80 cals at 1200 cals/hr, consistency is key. For Sprints 500M or less we will go hard straight out the gate and use the M or cals/hr split to keep us rowing hard for the full duration of the sprint. Eg I might start a 500M sprint at 1:40/500M then drop to 1:42/500M and try to finish on 1:43/500M knowing I pushed the pace and kept the intensity up for the full distance of the sprint.

Strokes per minute - For a longer row we want to be pulling somewhere close to 23-26 S/M or whatever is maintainable for the distance required and specific to the athlete where we can generate a powerful stroke throughout the entire row. If I start at 23 S/M I should finish the row still holding my 23 S/M. Your focus here should be maintaining long powerful strokes for the distance required compared to doing more strokes per minute to get them M or Cals into the rower. For a sprint 500M or less 30+ S/M with only a small drop off in strokes per minute so finishing on 30 S/m The focus here is to consistently get repeatable, powerful strokes but also a higher amount of S/M as it's only a short sprint you will be able to maintain a higher power output.

So, what if you don't know your numbers?

A great place to start is adopting the S/M mentioned above. Then to start paying close attention to your split numbers in meters and/or cals at about 75% of the way through your row in a longer rowing wod. This should be a pace you can row at consistently. Then next time you jump on the rower in your warmups and wods try to build to your known split time and hold it all the way through the row. At first this may seem a bit on the easier side. However, you are building the habit to develop consistent powerful strokes and we can gradually increase the pace by 2/3 sec split for M and 50cals/hr for Calories with more time spent on the rower. we can continue to gradually increase until we notice our splits start to drop off the pace as we are not able to maintain such powerful strokes from where we start and where we finish.

I hope this helps some of you keen rowers out there?!

good luck!

[functional-coach]

Don`t overlook them skills Time and time again you see top athletes come undone in a workout containing double unders.

Now, double unders or Dubs as they are referred to in Crossfit are far from the most complex or strenuous movements that can be seen in any wod. So why do we see so many athletes ranging from beginner to advanced struggle? My theory, because they don`t give them the credit they deserve. And it costs them. With so many movements to work on, I get it. Dubs probably aren't the thing you get pumped about or why you really want to head to the gym that day. However Dubs are a skill and like any skill need time spent perfecting them. I`m talking practicing single unders, fast single unders, high single unders, unbroken sets of dubs 20-200, dubs in your nanos, dubs in your lifters, triple unders the list goes on. 

Now I'm not expecting everyone to know all the progression out there for the double under, but it may pay to look into them and start adding them into your training if you don't want to be the guy or girl who keeps coming undone when it comes down to their double unders?!  

[functional-coach]

The power of training with your peers

 I have the pleasure of coaching some of the group classes at Raincity athletics and its remarkably interesting to see people come together and support one another. I see this in a couple areas.

Firstly, when it comes to a heavy lift. I see athletes shout words of encouragement at their fellow athletes to encourage them to give it that extra little push that may not have been there without the voice of a peer. I`d say this has been one of the biggest contributions to people hitting many PRs in the CrossFit/Functional Fitness space.

 Secondly, its satisfying to hear athletes discuss how they are going to attack a workout, also share strategies and tips with other athletes. Although in many ways your competing to place higher on the leader board most days when it comes to the WOD. It doesn’t hurt sharing your strategy as at the end of the day you still have to deliver on your efforts and run a smooth race. It`s certainly more friendly competition rather than game day conditions.

 Finally, the sheer presence of peers. This is in some ways the most subtle but probably the most impactful. This plays out in all areas of pushing in the gym, whether it be a heavy lift, conditioning or the WOD. I see people all the time get into the zone when they know a fellow athlete is catching them or just ahead. And by far one of my favorite acts to catch is when an athlete has a quick glance around when transitioning movements or taking a breath and acts accordingly to hold the challenging pace they’ve set or increase their pace to keep up with or push their peers.

 None of this I feel would be possible if it were not for surrounding yourself with like minded individuals. I feel Raincity athletics has done a great job in developing this culture and the athletes on the daily continue to deliver which I believe is one of the biggest driving factors of the athlete’s great results.

 Great work, now keep it up!

[functional-coach]

“Do the Damn Programming”

As we return to the gym after lock-down. It`s great to see all the faces and feel the good vibes everyone brings to the gym space that is Raincity Athletics. Everyone is doing a great job of working within the new confines of their marked out square and being disinfectant ninjas cleaning every piece of equipment. On top of that It`s great to see so much energy people have in the return.

However, don’t let that pent-up energy be counterproductive. People are asking can they add more weights when the strength is written 3x8@50% or sprinting an Erg machine with no attention to technique. I understand we want to get back to the strength no`s we were hitting, repping out heaps of pull-ups and smashing cals on the erg machines. I hear you. And you want to know the secret to a speedy return to past performance? Follow the damn programming!

Programming is designed to give athletes the correct dose of weights, reps and volume to stress the body enough to drive change without over training and burning out or breaking the athletes. The programming is also progressive. So rather than turning up and thinking about just adding more weight to the bar or winning the rowing portion of the WOD ask yourself what can I do today to following the prescribed programming to move the needle? Is it work on bracing the core in heavy lifts, it better body control in gymnastics movements, is it working on that leg drive on the rower or really leaning into the coaches focus of the day “drive the elbows up out of the front SQ”

Going forward, if your really want the most out of your programming I suggest you start by doing the damn programming.

Now, let’s get after it!

[functional-coach]

“Leadership”

In these unknown times with the Coronavirus disease Pandemic, now more than ever do we need leaders to lead. The Public, my close friends, my family and myself are all very confused. We are all hearing of the outbreak and severity of the Coronavirus yet many people are going about there day as if things are normal. I appreciate people are washing there hands more often and wiping things down but I really feel we are not doing enough. And this is going to get a whole lot worse before things get any better.

The confusion I feel is from one maybe not being immediately effected by the virus as symptoms can resemble the flu and some people have zero symptoms. secondly when the general public look like there going about there day as normal its very confusing as it paints a picture to the onlooker that things are normal. I appreciate areas are effected differently and have different measures in place to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Lastly the government specifically Canada is doing live announcements daily slowly implementing protective measures to stop the spread of the virus.

In my opinion this is very low level Leadership and I feel they are taking half measures to protect the general public with the bias of saving or making money in these unknown times. where what the public needs is a very definitive measures that should be implemented immediately regardless of cost to protect as many people as possible and deal with this efficiently as possible rather than be ignorant and put off making the hard decisions to the last minute. this will not only end terribly it paints the picture to everyone of there poor leadership.

I would like to commend gym owners, shout out to Raincity Athletics, for making the hard decision to close there doors before being told to by the government to protect its athletes and members. Leveling up and attacking the challenges ahead to deliver value to the Raincity Athletics community in these trying times when they need community more than ever.

I personally find that we are drawn to the leaders who make the hard decisions, its inspiring.

I hope every one is doing there part, washing there hands practicing social distancing and staying safe out there. 

we will get through this and be all the stronger for it.

[functional-coach]

“Getting your sleep vs sacrificing them precious minutes of shut eye”

Being in the fitness space and an athlete myself I am aware how important sleep is for all of us and I believe in more ways than we even appreciate. Some of the ways that you might be interested in:

-Recovery (recovery of cells and central nervous system)

-weight loss (lack of sleep effects appetite)

-weight gain (human growth hormone produced at 7-9hrs)

-stress (allowing the mind to rest and relax)

I could go on, but these are a few important ones to help make my point and hopefully help the reader make better decisions when it comes to their sleep habits/hygiene.

In an ideal world we would all get 8+ uninterrupted hours of sleep. The benefits above all provide a strong argument for why we should be getting them 8+ hrs with out fail if we have fitness/health or performance goals.

Now I`m pro sleep and tell all the athletes I coach how important it is to get your quality sleep. However, I`m trying to make things happen in my coaching career and currently working more than one job. Like most people early on in any pursuit of developing themselves weather that be personally or a business endeavor time is somewhat stretched and there isn’t enough hours in the day to get to bed at say 9PM get my precious 8hrs and wake up 5am.

I`m certainly not complaining as this is my choice. It has taken me some time to get my head around sacrificing my precious sleep to get everything I need to get done in the days. I then had the conversation with a mentor of mine, and he hit the nail on the head telling me “there is no 40hr work week”. It is constantly changing and forever will if we choose to continue develop ourselves and grow. The goal then is to be aware of our schedule and sleep hygiene and choose when its vital to sacrifice sleep to get the work done?

I`m currently dancing with getting my 8+ hrs and not. The first couple weeks were hard but I`m adapting and getting better at managing my time to get my sleep. I wanted to inform you it is possible to function at a high level with a little less than optimum sleep. More importantly though I want the reader to question when and where it pays to get their 8+ hrs and where it might pay to get the work done instead?

Food for thought?

[functional-coach]

Committing to that thing

In and around the gym the classes are busy and people are putting the work in. In classes, in open gym, weekdays and weekends.

It’s as if people are giving that little bit extra every where I look. Not only can I see it, you can feel it, it’s in the atmosphere.

I was wondering why, then it hit me this morning as I was walking through the gym @raincityathletics​ a heap of our own athletes and athletes from other gyms were competing in Functional Fitness League. A team competition that brings athletes together from various gyms to compete across multiple weeks and finishing off with a great big final throw down crowning one team victorious.

As The Functional Fitness league is getting started, the Canwest Qualifiers are done and those who qualified have accepted a spot to compete on the big stage this summer.

It all came together this morning seeing the Functional Fitness League in full swing. People are giving there all in there training because they are committed to something. In this case CrossFit/Functional Fitness competitions.

There’s something guiding there training. To be ready and perform to the best of there ability come game day. Wether that be team or Individual everyone is committed to performing there best.

It’s funny how something as simple as signing up to a competition can make so many people shift gears in there training.

It got me thinking about other areas this could be applied. It’s almost anywhere you want to deliver or do your best. Be it fitness goals, education, travel, financial.

So I encourage you to commit to that thing, book that course, sign up for that competition, sign up for a diet/nutrition plan and see where it takes you?!

Get after it and enjoy!

#crossfit #functionalfitness #functionalfitnessleauge #coachingblog #commitment #getafterit #enjoy