Strength/Skill: 10 parallette pass throughs and 20 sit ups for 3 rounds
WOD: Sandy Hook WOD
26 KBS (70/53)
25 DUs
26 Box Jumps (30/24)
26 DUs
26 Pull-ups
26 DUs
26 Power Cleans (136/95)
26 DUs
26 Jerks
26 DUs
Categories
Tag: WOD
Categories
Why should I compete?
So, we just finished hosting and running the second annual Winter WODerland competition. Not only did we have seven members compete, we also had many of our members come out to cheer as well as help run the event. Here are the competitors from CrossFit Sting:
Why should I complete? I will be the first to admit that competition isn’t for everyone. Or is it? When you hear the word “competition” you immediately think of winning and losing, a clear winner among two or more people. For some people this is truly why they compete. They want the title of being the ultimate winner, they want the bragging rights, the prize. That tangible prize, just like living to make a lot of money and have material things is not what will make you happy. The more I am involved in CrossFit the more I have seen and learned to compete with myself and not those around me. To not be better than someone else but to better myself. In fact, one of our own members said to me yesterday, “I don’t compete to win, I know I am not the fastest or strongest but I have my own goals for each competition that I set and try to achieve them.” How awesome is this? She said she was even in line waiting for her heat and asking those around her what their goals were. Cammie you are so amazing! I hope they learned something from you. Here she is meeting her goal in a competition in April.
If you are only signing up to compete to win and come away with the top prize then be prepared to be let down. We can’t all pitch a perfect game, one team or individual cannot win 100% of the time. We don’t all win and we don’t all get a trophy, sorry kids of today. You can however set goals and work on them, even in a competition. Maybe the first goal is to just sign up and follow through and actually compete that day, without throwing up. I am kidding about the throwing up, well sort of. CrossFit competitions are like no other. Everyone is cheering for everyone. The person in last place usually gets the most people cheering the loudest for them. It still amazes me when I see this. So, next time the opportunity presents itself think hard about stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing what a competition is like. Set a goal for that competition and be happy to meet that goal. I promise you will have fun, learn a little something about yourself and it might make you a little less competitive in chasing just that materialistic prize.
If this guy has no excuses than neither should you! He competed in the scaled division Saturday with no difficulties. Here he is snatching 75# for 20reps with one arm! Follow him on instagram @sngl_handedly! Photo credit FotoLab Photography and Design.
Here are a few more pictures of the competitors having fun:
Here is a link to more pictures..https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.394117490713573.1073741831.278187072306616&type=1
Categories
Meet Member Peter
Name: Peter ‘Guns’ Kallos (or Peter “Short shorts” Kallos)
Age: 38
Occupation: Software Developer
Previous workout/exercise history before starting CrossFit? Some weightlifting, rollerblading, brazilian jiu jitsu
CrossFitting Since: January 2013
How did you learn about CrossFit Sting? My wife had already been a member for a month or so and was harassing me to join. I figured if she could do it and come back unharmed I should give it a shot.
Was it love at first WOD? I didn’t die. And I enjoyed some of it, so I came back to not die some more. And now I enjoy more of it. (Peter is acutally super strong and jumps on the box with the softest jump I have ever seen. I think he has springs in those calves.)
Favorite WOD or movements? Cleans and Snatches. There’s a combination of skill/strength/luck/breakfast that goes into it that is fun and always keeps it a mystery. (You forgot to mention how much you love AMRAPs. That stands for “as many rounds as possible”. Peter is a big fan of those since you can work at whatever pace you would like instead of having to finish a certain amount of work to be finished.)
Least favorite WOD or Movements? For movements, that would be Thrusters or Burpees or anything repeated an excessive amount of time, like 100. For WOD, that will be “Air Force”. I will turn around and leave if I come in and see that on the whiteboard. (Hey that one is only 20 reps of a movement before moving on to the next movement. We will be sure to program that very soon for you.)
Favorite CrossFit Sting moment? Every time I’m done exercising when I get to lay on the floor like a fat beached seal and roll around in front of the fan.
Why do you CrossFit? To survive past my 50’s. Someone once told me that there’s old people, and there’s fat people, but there’s no fat old people. And looking around, I believe they are correct. My health had gotten pretty bad, with continual doctor visits, surgeries, procedures for things that in hindsight were avoidable/unnecessary if I had lost weight and started eating healthier sooner. It’s also entertaining. I get bored easily, so I can’t really stick to any non-interactive type of exercise like a regular gym membership.
Tell us something new about you that we don’t already know? Oh, I think you probably know it all already. (Besides being a comedian and having one of the biggest hearts, Peter (and his wife Emily, are talented photographers. They have a photography business on top of their full time jobs and they do AMAZING work. Be sure to check them out at http://luluphotos.com/.
Categories
Meet Member Heather!
Name: Heather Morris
Age: 37
Occupation: Labor and Delivery RN (Heather was actually the RN for one of our members’ delivery! Some crazy girl was determined to delivery naturally 🙂 )
Previous workout/exercise history before starting CrossFit? Not much. A few classes at the gym. Some bike riding. Nothing to get excited about.
CrossFitting Since: I think Oct or Nov 2013
How did you learn about CrossFit Sting? Kara Schramm. We worked together and she used to show me pictures. I thought no way! Then someone else talked me into going to an intro class. (The interesting thing was that Heather came in with about 3 other co-workers. She may have struggled the most at the beginning but she has been the ONLY one that has stuck around. I love your commitment!)
Was it love at first WOD? NO!!! I struggled and realized I was not in shape at all. But, I also new I wanted to come back for more.
Favorite WOD or movements? Double unders. I’m not great at them but they make me smile (You should be very proud of this. For those that do not know a double under is when you jump rope and the rope passes under you two times in one jump. There are many experienced CrossFitters that cannot do DUs.).
Least favorite WOD or Movements? BURPEES and wall balls. And that’s all I have to say about that. (Heather forgot to mention that not only does she HATE burpees but she seems to always pick the days to come with burpees. She never checks the WOD before she comes in so she never cherry picks. Also, her schedule only allows her to come a few days a week and inevitably there is always some type of burpee.)
Favorite CrossFit Sting moment? It was one of my first WODs after signing up. 5 rounds of I don’t even know. And of course Burpees. I was at the end. About 10 Burpees to go and I couldn’t even push myself off the floor. My arms were Jello. I wanted to give up and almost did. The girls in the class cheered me on and gave words of support. And then, Cammie stood beside and said lets do this together. She did every last Burpee by my side and didn’t let me give up. When I finished, I cried. I knew I had found my place. (I remember this so clearly too and it is, in fact, one of my favorite moments at CrossFit Sting too. This is what it is all about, people encouraging and supporting each other no matter if you’re slow or fast, beginner or veteran.)
Why do you CrossFit? To turn my life around. Be healthy and strong. Many people told me I couldn’t do it because I’m not an athlete. We’ll at Crossfit, I feel like an athlete. (Never listen to those other people and never listen to that little voice in your head that says, “stop” or “you can’t do this.” You ARE and athlete for sure.)
Tell us something new about you that we don’t already know? Some already know this. I’m doing a half Iron Man in October. One year ago I couldn’t run a mile. Now, I’m going to check this off my list. (Awesome, so proud of you and your Sting family will be cheering you along the way.)
Categories
Meet Member Tammy
Name: Tammy Hart
Age: 34
Occupation: Daycare owner (Tammy owns a Discovery Point daycare, so if you’re in need of child care check them out. It’s on Highway 9 near Midway on the Alpharetta/Cumming border.)
Previous workout/exercise history before starting CrossFit? Very typical spin classes and boot camps. I realized when I was at the YMCA and went from spin to boot camp then needed to do weights something needed to change. People looked at me like I was crazy for actually wanting to get a good workout in. I had heard of CrossFit while I lived in South Carolina and really wanted to try it but never really looked into it.
CrossFitting Since: July 2013
How did you learn about CrossFit Sting? I saw how much fun Joe was having on all of his Facebook posts. Especially when he survived Murph!!!!! I knew I had to try it. (Hmmm….I am not sure Joe would classify his experience as fun, right Joe? However, thanks for the PR and showing Tammy what CrossFit is all about.)
Was it love at first WOD? No!!!! I thought I was in great shape but I wasn’t. I’ve come a long way and want a lot more. (Don’t let Tammy fool you she did great in her intro and first few weeks. But of course, CrossFit can be tailored to anyone’s fitness level.)
Favorite WOD or movements? Hero WODs and EMOTM. The longer the WOD the better.
Least favorite WOD or Movements? Farmer carries and T2B
Favorite CrossFit Sting moment? When I learned how to kip watching Jessica in front of me during a WOD.
Describe your experience here. I absolutely love being apart of the hive. You get out of it what you put in. You can work out anywhere but it’s very special when you find somewhere that you actually want to be and people that care about you. (We are glad you found us. Yes, another benefit to CrossFit is the community of people that develops that becomes like a family and also holds you accountable to put your health as a priority.)
Why do you CrossFit? I could never go back to a traditional gym. If I did I would still do whatever CrossFit moves they would allow. I’ve never been in better shape. I love the constantly varied moves, I’ll never get bored.
Tell us something new about you that we don’t already know? My husband and I have been married for 11 years. He was forced into CrossFit after seeing how much I loved it. Now he’s just as addicted as I am. Our three children love it also. I know my neighbors think I’m crazy as I have them doing drills in the yard and they’re asking for more with smiles on the they’re faces. (New nickname, Drill Sargent Tammy? Seriously though this is one fit family and we love having ALL of you in our programs. Tammy’s kids are regulars in our kids classes and did both camps this summer.)
Categories
Psychological or physical?
So, I read something today that another box owner posted on their Facebook status that really resonated with me. It was a quote from Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit and it said , “The most committed in the gym are going there for psychological reasons, not physical.”
I have heard from so many members that their time in the box is their “me time”. If they are having a bad day or have a lot on their mind they come into the box and all is forgotten. Maybe just for the hour they are there, but they feel better when they walk out. They feel better mentally. Mom’s have told me that they are a better mom since starting CrossFit and even a few husbands and wives have thanked us for keeping their significant others sane and more patient. Coming to the box is the highlight of their day. I know I shouldn’t be surprised by this because I always felt the same way.
We all come to the box for many reasons. I think initially you come with the goal to get in better shape, to be stronger, to look better naked, lose weight or even gain weight. These are all great things and of course, lead to being a healthier person. Call me crazy but the person who tells me they have become calmer and more patient and handles stress better makes me even more proud to be helping people. Mental health leads to physical health and they go hand in hand. I think the people that come in the most probably did it initially for the physical reasons, only to find out now they need it more for psychological reasons, and the physical results are icing on the cake. This is why we all become those obsessive CrossFit people. We cant stand to miss a WOD. That all we talk about is CrossFit. It’s a cult. Well, something that makes you feel this good mentally and physically should be talked about and shared. The community helps foster the psychological benefits and that can’t be duplicated by the globo gyms claiming to have CrossFit type classes. Members and coaches support each other mentally and physically.
Many of you know where Jessica and I came from and how when we opened the box we were under enormous stress. Many of you may not know. When we opened we were not only running a Crossfit box but we were running a therapy company full time as well. Jessica and I are licensed Occupational Therapists. CrossFit had been a part of our life for a few years and it helped relieve the stress of dealing with insurance companies, the healthcare system, employees and all the other things running a business entails. We were one of the lucky ones that took a chance on opening a business at a young age and we were doing something that we loved. Well, after 15 years it wasn’t fun anymore. It was stressful and it was making us both sick. Thankfully, we had an outlet with CrossFit much like you all are now getting to experience. However, it just wasn’t enough. We didn’t just wake up on day and decide “hey we should open a CrossFit.” We joked about it a lot, talked about it with friends and in fact we talked to the owner of our old box quite often too. Things were changing and not getting better at our therapy clinic, stress was high and things were different at the box we belonged to. Our friend, the owner of the box left. We didn’t have the same outlet that we needed for our mental health. The time was now or never so we made a plan and took the plunge.
We opened CrossFit Sting last October all while still working and running our therapy clinic full-time. Talk about stress! We weren’t getting in enough WODs and stress was mounting. We couldn’t wait until Thursdays to get there because we could just be at the box 3-4 days in a row, the therapy clinic was closed on Fridays. Then the dreaded time would come to return to the therapy job and we would feel physically sick again. Our plan was to continue running both jobs until our lease was up on the clinic. That would have been July 2014! Well life is short and we decided something had to change. We were stressed beyond belief with two businesses and had a lot going on personally too with our family.
It’s amazing what happens when you just tell it like it is, communicate with people and just ask for what you want and need. We sat down with our landlord of the therapy clinic and had this whole plan of exactly what to say and we were ready to negotiate. Well, to our utter shock and surprise he looked at us and said, “we won’t hold you accountable, you’ve been good tenants and we want to help you in any way we can.” Amazing! I actually cried tears of relief! We were free to walk away from our lease with no penalties, nothing! Next, was to break the news to the employees. Wow, to our surprise they were amazing too. They knew what we had been dealing with and we worked together to help each other in the best way we could. We feel like we always treated our employees how we would want to be treated. I think that helped with their understanding and taking the news that they were losing a job and knowing that we would be helping them and looking out for them.
Fast forward to today. I’m committed to daily WODs again and mentally I feel great. My last vacation to the CrossFit games in July was the only time I can remember being on vacation and not really dreading coming home. In fact, I missed work, yep I said it…. I missed work! Thank you all for giving me a job that I once again love. I hope you all are lucky enough to feel the same both in your personal and professional lives. Don’t settle, don’t sit back being miserable and just let life pass you by. I know for a fact that money doesn’t buy happiness. I’m not just being corny and saying this, I have lived it. I have had years making money where I could just buy what I wanted and not ever have to have a budget. I have never lived outside my means which helped. Now I need to be much more careful and budget and plan but its ok, because I am truly happy!
Like Coach Glassman said, “the most committed in the gym are going there for psychological reasons, not physical.” Well, I know that certainly rings true for me. Our box helps me mentally and physically whether I am coaching or training. What about you?
-Danielle