A CrossFit Family Needs Help

April 3, 2010

9:00 am

If you are a member of FirePower, you know the tight family feeling we have in the gym.  Many of you know that this extends to ALL other CrossFitters globally or locally.  We stick together, we sweat together and we stand by each other.  Recently a fellow CrossFit trainer was seriously hurt in Orillia.  See below the note from his home box owner, James from CrossFit Orillia, a friend of FirePower.

If anyone is interested in participating for this benefit WOD, get a team from the gym and sign up!  Unfortunately the Savard family will be in Montreal so FirePower will be collecting donations for Jeremy in any amount.  We’re starting with $100.  If you can contribute with us, please drop off at the front desk.  Let’s band together to help Jeremy & his children!!

Thanks,

Andrea & George

Hi Everyone,

Recently, one of our trainers (Jeremy) was involved in a very serious
snowmobile accident, leaving him with a shattered pelvis, broken
sacrum, and damage to both knees.  He has a long recovery ahead of
him, and is not expected to bear any weight on his legs for at least
another 3-4 months.  Jeremy is a self-employed contractor and single
Dad.

Since Jeremy is unable to work, or work out, we’ve decided to help him
out.  On April 3rd we will be holding a Benefit Challenge to raise
funds for our freind.  There will be three WOD’s spaced out between
9:00am and 4:00pm and all events will be done in teams of 4 (at least
one female per team).  The entry fee for each team is $60 with all
proceeds going to a fund set up in Jeremy’s name.  Local business have
generously donated prizes and they will be awarded to the top teams in
Rx’d, Scale 1 and Scale 2 divisions.

As the workouts are scaled, everyone is welcome to come and compete.
Spectators are more than welcome and are asked to make a small
donation as well.  Of course, no proper CF event is complete without
an awesome after party.  There are two hotels within walking distance
of our box, so plan to stay over and enjoy the bright lights of
downtown Orillia;-)

Please RSVP via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=498186130243#!/event.php?eid=49…

Thanks,

James

New Member Special: Includes FREE Trial Classes

Here is your chance to test drive CrossFit and split the cost with a friend.

Join us through the month of March and

Receive 2 for 1 price on

CrossFit Foundations

Have you been looking to try CrossFit but unsure why it’s priced so different from other facilities?  Here’s your chance to see for yourself at a fraction of the cost.  We believe so strongly in this type of training that we’re making it available at a deep discount for the month of March. To begin at FirePower, each new member is required to complete our CrossFit Foundations program which included 5 personal sessions, as well as the remainder of the month for unlimited CrossFit and Boxing classes.

Here’s the scoop:

• Promotion is for 2 people for the price of 1
• Both people must book all 5 personal sessions together at the same time
• No long term contracts, no commitments
• No admin fees, only a small refundable deposit on swipe card
• Offer ends March 31, 2010.

Join us for a FREE TRIAL CLASS: Sunday March 14th and Sunday March 28th @ 9:00am

For questions or to book you first Foundations session, email Kim Smith or call 905-864-9941

SuperKids, TeenFit, & ParentFit: 6 Week Programs

March 23, 2010 4:00 pm

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April 29, 2010 4:00 pm

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We’re working hard to get Milton Kids FIT and healthy!!!  Help us spread the word.  Encourage your children to grow up active, healthy and in a positive environment.  We accept children and teens of all fitness & coordination levels, overweight, and underweight!!

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New For March: PARENTFIT

We’ve had many requests for a “mommy & me” workout while the little guys are doing their class. Time to test this out!!  Starting March 25th on Thursdays @ 4pm, FirePower will hold “PARENTFIT“…a 1 hour workout while your PowerPups are doing their session.   We will only do this if there are more than 6 adults.  Spread the word!  No CrossFit experience necessary.  Cost will be $75 for non-members for 6 weeks. No extra cost for current FirePower members. To reserve your space for ParentFit, email Andrea

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Spring & Summer 2010 Flyer

Download PDF Registration Form

Group	Ages	Day(s)	Time	Start Date	End Date	Cost
Big Dawgs	8 to 12	Tuesdays	4:15pm	Mar 23rd	Mar 2nd	$90 + GST
PowerPups* & ParentFit	4 to 7	Thursdays	4:15pm	Mar 25th	Mar 4th	PP: $90 + GST PF: $75+GST non-members PF: n/c for members
TeenFit	13 to 17	Wednesdays	4:00pm	Mar 24th	Mar 3th	$90+GST

To register, come into the gym and complete the appropriate form at reception. Full payment is required to fully confirm your spot.  Limited spaces are available in each session.  Questions:  Email Andrea for more info or call the gym at 905-864-9941

Trail Run today

We are blessed to have some amazing trail running so close to FirePower in Milton and the escarpment is incredibly beautiful. So the level 1 cert for CrossFit trainers is coming to FirePower training again this weekend, and the gym will be tied up with lots of people coming from all over the place. So as an alternative workout of the day we will be hosting a trail run at the agreement forest North of Hilton Falls in Milton.

Start Time: We will meet Saturday February 27th at  9 a.m. and again at 10 a.m.

The run will be hosted by : Mark and possibly Heather if we can get babysitting.

start/finish location: Corner of 10th SideRoad and 4th Line near Milton, Ontario (no facilities).

Exit Hwy 401 at Guelph Line. Go North on Guelph Line for approx. 2km to 10th SideRoad. Turn Right/East on 10th SideRoad and travel approx. 2km to Start Location. Click here for a link to google maps

View Larger Map

How it will work:

The run will start from the corner “parking lot” area of the agreement forest. We will leave no one behind. If we get ahead the lead runners will either do a short loop or complete functional fitness exercises, squats, burpees, push ups until the back of the pack catches up. Trail running is very different from running on pavement and due to Mark’s love of adventure racing and off road running their may be some scrambling over the rocks and through the woods as well with a little follow the leader.

This will not be a hammerfest designed to demoralize and turn you off of ever running in the woods again.

The run will finish up back at the parking lot and you will love being outside. This will happen rain, snow, hurricane, or sun.

Things to bring:

• running shoes
• clothing, loose and in layers.
• hat
• gloves
• sunglasses or clear glasses for sticks (you have been warned)
• snacks as we will stop every 20 minutes or so for a little bite.
• hydration either camelback or a with water
• small backpack, fanny pack (this isn’t a fashion show, i’m more concerned about function)
• pants not shorts

hope to see you there, call me if you have any questions 416.970.3727 or email me @ mark @ firepowertraining.com

Are you lifting enough weight?

After a diccussion last night with Tammy about max weight lifting and potential, I found this gem…

Are You Lifting Enough Weight?

If you lift weights, have you ever wondered whether you’re doing it right? Specifically, are you lifting enough weight? According to a study done by the University of Michigan, many of us aren’t. Researchers took beginners (both men and women) through a series of moves, allowing them to choose their own weight. After assessing their 1 rep max (the general standard for choosing weight), they determined that most chose a weight well below what was needed to stimulate muscle growth.

Are you guilty of going too light? If so, you may not be seeing the results you’d like. Learn more about why lifting heavier weights could change your entire body.

Why Lifting Heavy is the Key to Weight Loss

You know that losing fat involves increasing your metabolism. What you may not know is that muscle plays a huge role in raising metabolism. A pound of muscle burns about 10-20 calories a day while a pound of fat burns 5 calories. That means any growth in your muscle tissue is going to help you burn more calories all day long. In fact, strength training has all kinds of great effects on your body like:

• Increasing resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories, even while at rest.
• Making you lean and slim–muscle takes up less space than fat so, the more you have, the slimmer you are
• Strengthening bones and connective tissue, which can protect your body from injuries in daily life
• Enhancing balance and stability
• Building confidence and self-esteem

However…this only works if you’re using enough weight to stimulate that muscle growth. In other words, if you can lift the weights you’ve chosen (for most exercises) more than 16-20 times, you might not see the kind of fat loss you would if you increased your weight.

So, why don’t we lift more weight? For some, lifting weights is scary, especially if you’ve never done it before. The machines…the dumbbells…the people who seem to know what they’re doing…it’s enough to make anyone skip weights altogether. Aside from that, there are other fears that invade our minds, such as:

• It feels weird. The goal of weight training, if you didn’t know, is to lift as much weight as you possibly can (with good form!) for the number of reps you’ve chosen. In daily life, we typically don’t push ourselves to fatigue in anything we do, so this idea may not only feel foreign, it may feel downright miserable. That’s one reason it’s best for beginners to gradually work towards that.
• Fear of injury. Because our muscles burn when we challenge them with resistance, people often feel they’re injuring themselves when they lift. And injury can be a real fear for beginners since injury can occur if you max out before your body is ready for it. Taking it slow while still challenging your body will help protect you from injury.
• Confusion. When you haven’t lifted weights before, you may not know what’s too heavy and what’s too light. It may take some time to get a feel for your body and what it can handle.
• Fear of getting bulky. There’s still a tired old myth running around that men should lift heavy and women should lift light to avoid getting big and bulky. Women hear this: Lifting heavy weights will NOT make you huge–you simply don’t have the testosterone levels to build big muscles. Lifting heavy weights WILL help you lose fat.
• Fear of pain. The other thing about lifting weights is the psychological factor. The discomfort level associated with training to fatigue is pretty high…if you haven’t lifted weights before, you may not be able to overcome that discomfort enough to lift as heavy as you’re capable of. Again, this is one reason it’s best to err on the side of caution (if you need to), while always working towards more challenge and more weight.

These fears often keep people lifting the same amount of weight for weeks, months or even years. Most of these fears are unfounded, if you take time to ease into a weight training program and work (slowly) towards the muscle fatigue that will make your muscles grow.

From: About.com

To chalk or not to chalk

Recently some people have been suffering from blisters.  They are are painful, especially when they tear.  Here is some advice from Freddy C. of Crossfit One World:

“1) Cut the chalk! All that chalk is not helping your pull-ups and is not going to make your grip stronger. Chalk serves a purpose, to dry the hands so you can get better grip. I occasionally put a little chalk on my hands, then I make sure to rub my hands together until I no longer see any chalk. My hands are then dry, and I can grip the bar. When you heavily chalk your hands, your hands stick to the bar. You start kipping and all that violent movement transfers to your hands. If your hands don’t slide a little you tear. People with a very pronounced kip tear even more when they use excessive amounts of chalk. I often hear people say that they have to chalk heavily because they sweat profusely through their hands. Try drying them with a towel and then lightly chalking them as I described.

2) Take care of your callouses! If you are building up huge callouses on your hands, at some point they are going to tear. Knock those callouses down! You can use a nail file, cuticle cutters, or my favorite: a Dremel tool with a grinding stone on it. Jolie turned me on to this good advice: buy a good pumice stone and use it on your callouses in the shower when your callouses are warm and soft.   And don’t forget- your significant other will appreciate the fact that your hands do not feel like a cheese grater when you give him/her a massage!

3) Practice pull-ups with no kip! Dead hang pull-ups are an excellent way to build the strength to do pull-ups without a violent kip and make your kipping pull-up more proficient. ”

Freddy C. CrossfitOneWorld

Post your thoughts or suggestions to comments.

New KettleFit – 4 week Introductory Session

January 9, 2010 11:00 am

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January 30, 2010 11:00 am

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If you are into training for the long run you have to take time to address your weak links and build up different forms of strength such as muscular endurance. One very fun and effective way to keep training interesting, address your weak links, and take your muscular endurance through the roof, is to incorporate kettlebell training into your routine.

Join FirePower Training’s Daniel Sonsini for

KETTLEFIT

4-Week Introductory Session: Saturdays @ 11am

January 9th to January 30th

Special Price of $40 + GST

Sign-up Online (max 10 people)

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What is a Kettlebell? They are the ultimate Russian fitness tool used for endurance, strength, and overall conditioning. Training involves compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, thus developing a healthy body that is strong, toned, lean, agile, and has tremendous muscular endurance.

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Kettlebells for women: Women are the fastest growing users of Kettlebells. If you want to improve your cardio and get a lean, toned body there is no better fitness tool.  Kettlebell swings will get your legs and glutes looking better than they ever have. You can tone, shape and do cardio all with one tool without any excuses. Kettlebell presses will give you a sculpted body with movements that are similar to yoga but with the added benefits of resistance training.

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Kettlebells for men: Kettlebell training is one of the best fitness regimes addressing strength, endurance and weight management. Kettlebell training builds functional strength, stamina and explosiveness that are ideal for sport. This kind of training is a fun, safe way to get in shape and stay in shape.

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Your Trainer: Daniel Sonsini, Level 2 Agatsu KB Instructor

Daniel Sonsini

Daniel has been involved with “Functional Training” for 10 years including a background in CrossFit, Kettlebells, Sports Specific Training, Pilates, and Nutrition.  He’s the youngest person to receive a Doctorate of Natural Medicine (DNM) through the Examining Board of Natural Medicine Practitioners (EBNMP).  His certifications include: Level 1 CrossFit, AKC, CPTN-CPT, DNM, and Pilates (Mat Work & Vertical Intensive). He’s also part of Usana Health Sciences, which is one of the top and most respected nutritional companies in the world.

Daniel is extremely passionate about Health and Fitness. He strives to help any individual reach their goal(s) through “Functional Training” and working the 10 essentials of fitness: Cardio Respiratory Endurance; Stamina; Strength; Flexibility; Speed; Power; Accuracy; Agility; Balance; Coordination.

“Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.”

Goals

During the 5 PM class today I realized that folks struggling with things like; double unders, pull ups, etc, are maybe lacking goals.  Sure, we all want to be in better shape.  We come to the gym, hit the wod’s, but one year later we still can’t do a double under, etc.  Maybe because we’ve accepted the mundane as normal.  Not having goals is like going on a road trip without a map.  Sure, we all want to acheive super elite fitness, but what we need are short term goals.  I have a 455 lb max deadlift, my goal is to one day get 500 lbs.  This can be attained by setting a deadline and of course, lifting big weights.  I’ve put up a goal list on the white board.  Join in, put up a goal and give yourself a deadline.  Make it realistic, acheivable…10 more pounds in my shoulder press, kipping pull ups, or maybe handstand push ups.  Next step, work on it!  Come early, stay late…take advantage of open gym time, or even bust it out at home.  Set a goal and go for it, your firepower family will cheer you on!!

-Brian

FirePower Hoodies – First Print Order Due Dec 9

We promised they were coming!  Now that the snow is here, it’s time to get your hoody.  We are taking orders for the first batch and hoping to have them for Christmas!  A little sweet talking to the printer always helps…

About the Hoody:

• Gildan Ultra Cotton Hooded Sweatshirt, 17oz 80% Cotton 20% Polyester
• Front Design: FirePower CrossFit logo
• Back Text: “CrossFit, Forging Elite Fitness”

Cost: $35+tax

To order, email Andrea with your requested size(s) by end of day Wednesday December 9th.

“Core Training”

Gosh I love Mark Rippetoe! Read the attached article for a true understanding about “core” training.  Stick to the basics, ie. the lifts to build true “core” strength.  Then stick a knife in those Swiss balls, and turn off those infomercials promising a strong “core” with some silly device!  Oh yeah, the site is a keeper for great info…stay strong everyone!

Brian

http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/resources

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