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Author: David Gionta

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The 7 Most Functional Movements

woman doing one of the most functional movements

There are 7 movements that known as the most functional movements. These are the movements that the human body moves through (or at least should move through) on a daily basis. This is why they’re the ones we should do in the gym most often as well.

The conventional/commercial approach to fitness is machine based (often seated and with some resistance that usually focuses on one muscle group). There is a focus on aerobic over strength/function, and multiple “helpers”. These might be handles to hold onto and brace while doing hamstring curls, or a pull up machine with a platform that helps you lift yourself.

If you are a bodybuilder or physique competitor, this can be very helpful and important. But what if you are a human who just wants or needs to be stronger/healthier to live a longer and happier life? That is where functional movements come into play. 

So, what are the 7 most functional movements?

Squat

If you have ever sat down and stood up, you have done a squat. This movement can range in difficulty. Easiest is a supported squat, using something to hold onto as you sit/stand all the way. The hardest is an overhead squat or a pistol (single leg squat). These are many variations in between.

Hinge

Ever bent down and picked something up off the ground? Congratulations, you have done a deadlift. There are also countless variations of the deadlift. You can also adjust the load and range of motion for any level of ability.

Lunge

Lunges are quickly becoming one of my favorite movements. They have good transfer to walking/carrying and can be easier for beginners than a full on squat. You can easily adjust the load, and do these using each plane of the body. That is to say, they can be done forward, backward, sideways, and up/down.

Push

Yes, of course pushing a sled looks cool and is what everyone pictures first. But presses also fall into this movement. Bench press is probably one of the most well known, but strict presses, jerks, seated presses and others are all part of this movement pattern.

Pull

Pull ups, rows, rope climbs, and band-pull aparts. The pull is such a simple and underestimated movement. I can promise the pull is used much more in daily life than we realize. It is definitely one of the most functional movements. Pull movements help us to develop nice strong back and shoulder muscles.

Rotate/Core

Everyone knows doing 1000s of sit ups a day will give you a strong core right? No, definitely not! Planks, side planks, weighted holds, crawls, and rocks are all great ways to build a stable core. The core is one area where, if you increase its stability and its strength, you will get stronger in every other movement. Core movements are not to be overlooked.

Walk/Carry

I would say general locomotion falls under this. Can you move yourself through time and space effectively? Can you do that with weight, and can you do it for short fast distances, can you do it with weight, or over varying terrain? Walking, crawling, running, or jumping? All of these seem and sound easy, but when you start adding weight or reliving a movement we have forgotten (the crawl), you start to increase the difficulty. 

Why to focus on these movements

The nice thing about the most functional movements is that they can be combined in an unlimited amount of ways and variety. On top of that, they are actual movements you will use in life – unlike some machines found at a commercial gym (pec-deck)!

Interested in starting functional fitness? We would love to guide you, contact us today to get started.

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Building A Circle of Support

building a circle of support eating a meal around a table

So you have decided it is time to change your lifestyle and become healthier. Maybe you have already begun to exercise, and eat healthy.  Or, maybe you have been considering it and have finally made the decision that it is time to start. A key part of a fitness journey is building a circle of support, so you’re excited and go to share your goals with your family and friends.

Hopefully, all of them will be happy for you and will have positive things to say. But what happens when they don’t? Or even worse, when they react negatively instead of positively like you had hoped?

This can be disheartening and make you second guess your decision. Understand your health is your responsibility. Your motivations are a deeply personal thing. While there are many things in this world that someone else can do for you, taking care of your health is not one of those things.

Still, you want their support. What can you do when those who are close to you are not in the same boat when it comes to health?

Building a circle of support is about communication

Yes, it is easy to get upset with them and argue about who is right or who is wrong. At the end of the day, will this help do anything but solidify each of your mindsets? 

Understand that this person might think they are showing you they care about you. People like to take care and spend time with those they love and care about. 

When you tell someone that you are not eating the foods you did in the past, or will be spending an hour at the gym a night, there is a good chance they hear something different. 

To them you could be saying you no longer want to eat with them (eating together is one of the most social and vulnerable things you can do). Maybe they hear that you no longer want to spend time with them due to being at the gym for an hour.

For many people, food is love

We all probably know someone who considers food to be a reflection of love. That person in my life was my dad. Food was a direct expression of his love for you. He would spend hours preparing and cooking food. He wanted to make sure you not only had plenty to eat, but that you had leftovers too.  

So, when he would offer you something he knew or thought you liked, it was his way of saying he cared about you. When I would say no thank you, to him I was denying his love. This might seem a bit extreme but think of it this way.  

Our caveman/animal brain has evolved, but not past the point of realizing that food is a life source. We only share it with those we care about. By doing so, that part of our caveman brain is saying, “I care about you enough that I will sacrifice something that could possibly keep me alive”.  That is pretty wild to think about!

So listen to them. Calmly assure them that while you are wanting to be healthier, it doesn’t mean you love them less. Yes, there might be some changes but they need to understand that this is important to you and you want to better yourself.

Next, invite them to join you

Building a circle of support doesn’t have to involve new people. You can incorporate your family and friends and pull them into this journey with you.

Ask them to try cooking a new healthy recipe with you. Or, invite them to go to the gym with you and workout together. They may not want to, but they will see you are wanting to include them. 

Sometimes friends and family see you changing and feel afraid you will leave them behind. They have known you for years and they have liked/loved who you were. When they see change happening it scares them.

Inviting a friend or family member to get healthy and active with you can be beneficial for both of you. It can help keep you motivated, and it can help them start becoming healthier. Plus, if there is something you both enjoy doing it together will be so much more fun compared to doing it alone. 

Ideas for building a circle of support with people you love

  • Join a recreational sports team together. This could be soccer, volleyball, ultimate frisbee…
  • Order a meal service and cook a healthy meal together
  • Go to the new local healthy restaurant that just opened
  • Train to run a 5k together
  • Take a weekly hike/walk
  • Join CrossFit together (duh…)

Whatever you decide, inviting them to join you in whatever you are doing will always be better than not inviting them.

Lastly, realize that it is your life and your decision

Maybe this person who says they care about you actively opposes you being healthier. They pick a fight when you are about to leave for the gym. Or they try to convince you to eat unhealthy foods. The worst are those who are trying to get clean and overcome a drug addiction and their “friends” keep trying to get them to use again.

Hopefully, by now you know you need to take your health seriously and do what is best for you. Allowing someone who is supposed to care and love you convince you that being unhealthy is the best decision is selfish and manipulative. Do not give people this power over you. Build your base of health so strong that it can not be broken by anyone.  

You have total say in how healthy you want to be. Maybe you just want to tone up a little, or maybe you want to make fitness your profession.  Whatever it is, when you make that choice don’t let anyone stop you until you reach your goal.

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8 Magic Fat Loss Pills (Part 2)

boxes of healthy magic fat loss pills food in container

Part 2, here we go. If you read part 1 then you will know you were supposed to drink some more water before bed, and then get to bed on time. Hopefully you did one or both of those things and started today on the right foot! If you did not do those things, don’t worry.  Today is a new day, and we are starting fresh. I want you to pick 1 or 2 of these magic fat loss pills off this list and do them today! 

Magic fat loss pills at Buffalo Nickel CrossFit

The whole Buffalo Nickel CrossFit team is here to help you. So, if you have questions please let us know. We would love to help you have the body and/or life of your dreams!

Calorie deficit

Food gives our bodies energy. A way of measuring how much energy we take in and how much we burn is through calories. Consuming less calories than you actually use in the day will result in weight loss. 

Please understand this does not mean starving yourself of nutrients and food completely. Your body still needs energy to function properly.

This can be tricky and there’s an overwhelming amount of information on this topic. So, take my advice and do research. Or, get a nutrition coach to help figure out the right foods and quantities. 

High quality sleep

You have heard it before and you will hear it again. The average adult needs 7-9 hours a night. Sleep allows your body to rest, shut down, and reset. 

This does not mean getting in bed at 10 but staying up for two hours watching TV, or playing on your phone. Your body/mind are easily trained. This is why you feel sleepy but then when you get in bed your mind knows there is a couple hours of stimulation coming, so it perks up. 

Try to make your room a good sleeping habitat (cool, dark, comfortable, quiet), then get in bed and focus on your breathing. It will help you get to sleep and stay asleep. In my opinion, good sleep is the most underutilized tool for health.

Hydration

Drink water! 

Water is the only truly healthy drink that also offers 0 calories. Juices, pops, teas, energy drinks, coffee, and more might provide some energy, or are a good treat once in a while.

But water flushes toxins, boosts metabolism, improves skin/hair, helps blood pressure, makes a healthy brain, regulates body temp and more. Want to drink more water but don’t know how?  Here is our article on 5 ways to get more water.

Sufficient protein

The body needs protein. Plain and simple, humans must have protein.  And good quality protein in the right amounts is important for maintaining strength and muscle tone. 

For the most part your protein should be lean and minimally processed (white meat poultry, eggs, certain seafoods, some red meats). If you are vegan or vegetarian I would suggest looking for a yellow pea protein powder as opposed to soy products. 

Most if not all the world’s soy is genetically modified. Concerns about this are (luckily) becoming more important to people. However, there are alternatives available.

Nutrition dense foods

Have you ever eaten a large quantity of food only to feel hungry again a short time later? Chances are this was because that food was not rich in nutrients. 

Here is the kicker too, most times “foods” that don’t offer many nutrients are cheap to buy. However, you are not fulfilled when you eat them, so it leads to eating more. Eating more means you have to buy more, therefore spend more, so are they really cheaper? 

Not to mention they don’t give your body nutrients, and years of little to no nutrients can result in some pretty major health problems that cost 100 times what some good healthy food would have cost.

Stick to healthy, nutrient rich choices to fuel your body.

Strength train regularly

Lift heavy objects a few times a week. Heavy is relative. For some people and some movements heavy will be 10lbs. For others it will be hundreds of pounds. 

We have covered some of the benefits of adding weights in your workout here. Usually when people hear the phrase “lifting weights”, they picture some massive bodybuilder who has such big muscles they can’t touch their shoulder. 

But weight training does not need to be super heavy to be effective! Adding it in even a few times a week can be super beneficial.

Increased heart rate

Do things that get your heart rate high. Not just kinda sorta high, but red lined. 

Sprints, jumps, full body movements are great at getting and keeping that heart rate up. Make yourself sweat and breathe hard. 

Once again, like strength training, cardio done a few times a week will help metabolism, keep muscle tone, keep bone density up, increase balance, coordination, brain health and general athleticism.  

The key magic fat loss pill: consistency/patience

You will not and should not lose tons of weight in a short period of time. Be patient. 

You spent 20 years getting out of shape, expecting to get in shape in 30 days is delusional. I will tell you right now, if you are expecting to see a change before a couple months you will be disappointed. Especially if you are not consistent. 

You have to do all these things daily or almost daily to see any real change. Now, you will probably feel change after a few days, but this process works from the inside out. So you will feel it, then see it. Not the other way around. 

To help keep on track, celebrate small successes. Maybe it was your first day in 10 years where you did not drink pop, be proud of that. Use that as encouragement to help motivate and inspire yourself to continue down the healthy path.

These magic fat loss pills can help you

Stick with it! You can do this. Remember that it is our goal to make you happier and healthier. One of the things we offer is nutrition mentoring. We can give you awesome one on one coaching to help you understand nutrition. You can improve your lifestyle to work FOR you and not against you.

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8 Magic Fat Loss Pills

woman standing with hula hoop for weight loss

Everyone wants to lose weight. They want to believe in magic fat loss pills, teas, workouts, body wraps, surgerys, anything. Let’s be honest. We all wish it was that way. If you could do one workout, or drink one beverage and have the body of your dreams, who wouldn’t do that?!

The truth is that doesn’t exist as of now. I hate to burst your bubble. So, get it out of your mind that there is one magic pill for fat loss. There are actually 8 magic fat loss pills…

Yep, 8 magic pills and I promise you will shed some fat. I will go over these 8 pills in more detail tomorrow (part 2) but here is the list.

  • Calorie deficit
  • High quality sleep
  • Hydration
  • Sufficient protein
  • Nutrition dense foods
  • Strength train regularly
  • Increased heart rate
  • Consistency

There it is. The secret to getting those stubborn pounds off. Trainers will tell you losing weight can be complicated, it’s not. It is simple. It may not be easy, but it is definitely simple.  

Want to shed fat? Let’s start today. First, drink 2-3 bottles of water in the time between you reading this and when you go to bed. Second, go to bed on time. Turn your phone on silent and don’t use it in bed.  With those two little things, you’re already off to a good start.

We will go over these tomorrow. Until then, drink water and get sleep!

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Do I Need a Weighted Vest For CrossFit?

woman in the gym wearing a weighted vest for crossfit

Training with a weighted vest, or additional weight added to your body, is not a new concept. Strongmen, CrossFitters, first responders and military, are some of the many groups who use gear to help them create a more difficult training environment. This helps them to perform better in real-life scenarios. A weighted vest, for CrossFit or any activity, is the most well-known and widely used piece of gear for this purpose.

In recent years, a weighted vest has evolved to be more tactically inspired. This helps them appeal to various groups, but also helps them become more functional and utilitarian.  

These days, a weighted vest usually has pockets for body armor shaped plates, and is typically called a fitness plate carrier. There are tons out there and there are plenty of reviews on them. But, many people still have questions about them. Let’s touch on some of the most common questions.

Are there any benefits to using a weighted vest for CrossFit?

Research is pretty mixed on this. There are many variables, and the simple answer is that it depends. From my own experience, there are times it is beneficial to wear one and there are times it isn’t. 

If you are not used to the additional weight, it can actually slow you down because you are having to rest more. Therefore, you have trouble keeping high intensity throughout your workout.

Some benefits are they can increase your VO2 (how much oxygen your body can actually use while working out). The added resistance can help increase speed and your time to exhaustion.

When should I use a weighted vest?

First and foremost, focus on performing a movement correctly without any additional weight. If you can do high reps of a movement without loss of form, then you might consider a weighted vest.

There are also certain movements where a weighted vest isn’t necessary, doesn’t do much for you or can actually be harmful. For instance, doing bicep curls with a weighted vest probably won’t do much for you. Exercises such as sit ups or hollow rocks with a weighted vest on can do damage to your back and spine, so should be avoided.

You also don’t need to wear one every single day and for every single workout. Give your body a rest. Plus, variety is part of the CrossFit methodology. Follow it.

What weight should I use?

Well, that depends! A weighted vest for CrossFit is usually 14lbs for females and 20lbs for males. However, if you are not accustomed to a weighted vest or physically exerting yourself in heavy gear then you might want to start with a lower weight. 

The nice thing about a plate carrier vest is that you can adjust weight simply by switching to heavier or lighter plate(s).

How do I know it’s the right size?

Weighted vests typically don’t have sizes because all of the plates are made to be a standard size. They are more like a one size fits most thing, but they are usually adjustable. The problem with having the standard plate size is that for smaller framed individuals the vest can feel way too big. Sometimes, it may not be able to adjust down to small enough.

But, for those the adjustments do fit, you want the vest snug, but not tight. A weighted vest that is loose will allow you to breathe a little better but depending on your movements, it can make you feel like you’re taking a beating. A vest that is super tight will be more like a part of you and therefore more comfortable, but it will not allow you to breathe as deep because it will constrict you.

What should I be careful of when wearing a weighted vest for CrossFit?

In my opinion, the biggest thing to be careful of is the impact it can have on your body. Your body is a very fine tuned machine. It is used to moving you (and your exact weight) through space.  hrowing a vest on is instantly more weight with no time to adjust. 

This is where proper movement and form come in. If you don’t maintain these you open yourself up for injury. The chance of injury increases with the more weight you add.

Another thing I learned early on is that if you are doing anything involving a violent hip extension (i.e box jumps, push press, thrusters, etc) then there is a good chance that the vest will upper cut you. You are moving in one direction, the vest is moving another, next thing you know there is a shooting pain across your lower jaw. If you are lucky, you had your mouth closed and your teeth gritted. 

Do I really need to spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a weighted vest?

There are some very expensive weighted vests out there. By the time you add in the plates and shipping it can get very pricey. I have worn some expensive carriers and yes, they are definitely comfortable and nice. But I have also had a $50 carrier for years and it has done just fine.  

The nice thing about the more expensive tactical ones is they usually allow for more and easier adjustment. If that is not a big issue for you, then save your money and go with the less expensive choice. When it comes to workout gear, more expensive often doesn’t mean better.

What to look for in a weighted vest?

There are tactical plate carriers, and there are plate carriers that are more designed for athletic functions. You can use a full on tactical carrier for your plates, but typically they have a cummerbund that is very wide to accommodate MOLLE and/or side plates. 

Having a cummerbund that goes from hip bone to rib cage and is made out of thick material is going to make you very hot, very fast. So, look for one that has low side attachments, or at least allows air to get to your skin easier.

Also, pay attention to rub points. The vest obviously has to rest on you and touch your skin, unless you always wear a shirt under it. Vests are made from thick, heavy, course materials and have lots of velcro, plastic or metal bits. Point is, anywhere that touches and rubs your skin will get rubbed raw after even a few reps. If you wear a vest regularly this is just normal, but most people don’t and so they never even consider this. But now you know!

Have questions about a vest?  Let us know, we would love to help.

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5 Ways To Drink More Water

ways to drink more water in the desert with a bike

Summer is here! If you’re like me, this is your favorite time of the whole year: hot weather, long days, and lots of sweat. What isn’t there to love? But with all that sweating comes something very important, staying hydrated. It’s important to consider ways to drink more water.

Obviously, you should stay hydrated all the time, but in summer it is especially important. Most of us are outside more than we are in the winter. We are generally more active. It is warmer, therefore we sweat more. Now, I know drinking lots of water can be difficult, but there are some things you can do to make it easier.

Here are 5 ways to drink more water

And not feel like it’s a chore…

1. Add flavor

Drinking a gallon of water day in and day out can definitely get (and taste) monotonous. But, adding a light flavor can give the water some taste, and variety. The flavoring of your choice should come from natural whole foods, not a brightly colored bottle you bought at the convenience store.  

Some popular choices are strawberry, cucumber, lime, lemon, mint. It’s super easy to add flavoring this way. Chop up whatever you want to use as flavoring, add it to a large pitcher/container of water, and place in the fridge overnight. When you wake up you will have cool, refreshing and great tasting water.

2. Drink 32 oz of water when you wake up

Drinking 32oz of water (about 4 cups) as soon as you wake up does a couple of good things. 

It gets a big portion of your daily water done before you even leave the house. Also, by doing this you wake the body and mind up. You have just gone 8 (hopefully restful) hours without any water, so you need to rehydrate.

I find it easiest to just drink this 32oz as fast as possible instead of sipping it and having it take forever. And sidenote: starting your day with small successes such as this will help motivate you throughout the day to meet your other goals!

3. Divide the day up

Telling yourself you have the whole day to drink a gallon of water is almost a sure way to put the majority of it off until it’s too late in the day to accomplish. 

So, give yourself smaller timelines. A favorite of mine is in the next hour I will have at least 30oz of water.  Then every 15 minutes I take a few big gulps. By the time the hour is up, I have met my goal. 

Another popular way is to mark on your water bottle increments of time. You can set a reminder on your phone, and when the alarm sounds, drink to the corresponding time on their bottle. Pretty ingenious!

4. Be ready to use the restroom

If you are used to having a bathroom nearby and are not used to drinking large quantities of water, then you’ll be using the restroom more often than usual.

So, the day to start drinking more water is probably not the same day you and the family go on that summer vacation that requires 12 hours of driving. 

But I promise you, the more water you drink, the more your body gets used to it and the longer you can hold it. Plus, if you are sweating a lot you won’t need to use the restroom as much. This is yet another reason to get out and enjoy some summertime physical activity!

5. Go sustainable 

You don’t even want to know the markup on a bottle of water. But I will tell you anyway, 4000% (no, not a typo) is the MINIMUM! It can be as high as 280,000%! This means bottled water has a higher markup than any other product.

Stop drinking bottled water! Besides the obvious financial savings, you also will contribute less to plastic pollution. This is not only hard on the environment when it is being produced, but the millions of plastic bottles in the world will take (450) years to fully break down.

So do yourself and the world a favor, get a Nalgene, Yeti, Rtic, or any other reusable container. An at home water filter is also a great way to not buy plastic bottles.

Do you have a tip/trick to drink more water? Let us know – we love talking about water!

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Tempos, Pauses And Holds

tempos pauses and holds being completed during kettlebell squat

If you asked most people what the secret to getting stronger is, most would say lift more weight, or do more repetitions. This strains the muscles, therefore theoretically cause them to grow. Sure, that’s good and all. But, there’s a simple hack to get stronger. This is…tempos, pauses and holds.

What are tempos, pauses and holds?

Let’s use the squat as our example.  A typical squat goes something like this: 

Push hips back and down as if reaching for a chair to sit on. Keep the chest up as the hips go down. Once the hips are lower than the knees, push the floor away. Leading with the chest stand up to return to starting position.

Now let’s add in a tempo and a pause:

Push hips back and down as if reaching for a chair to sit on.  Keep the chest up count to 5 as your hips go down.You should reach 5 once the hips are lower than the knees. Come to a complete stop in this position and count to 3. Push the floor away. Lead with the chest as you stand up and return to the starting position.

Yes, it’s the same movement. But, focusing on tempo, pauses and holds causes the muscles to be under tension for a longer time per rep. This is known as time under tension.  

How does time under tension work?

When muscles are placed under tension the fibers tear. When these tears heal, the muscles grow back stronger. This is how muscles are built.

Time under tension comes into play because your muscles must spend time pushing, pulling and flexing to break down. Theoretically, the more time our muscles spend pushing, pulling, and flexing the more tension they are under and the stronger they become.

By adding tempos, pauses and holds to a movement your muscles spend more time under tension. And the really awesome thing is that you don’t have to use heavy weights or do more reps.  

But I like heavy weights…

Yes, of course, who doesn’t like lifting something heavy and having that instant gratification? But guess what? We should be varying our weights. It’s good to lift heavy sometimes…but not all the time.

Heavy weights and high rep ranges can cause issues, such as:

  • Stress on joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones
  • Injury. Poor form with heavy weight or lots of reps is a good way to get hurt

Also, due to Covid-19, gym equipment has recently been hard to come by. A great benefit to tempos is that you need very little weight for them to work effectively.

Are there times you need to add more weight? Yes, of course. But for the average person, a focus on tempos, holds and pauses and getting into proper form will pay off. This is way more valuable than just picking up heavy weights with bad form.

What benefits come from tempo work?

  • Less overall stress on the body and central nervous system. If you’re used to lifting heavy, this will be a welcome break for your body
  • Ability to focus on what muscles are recruited for each movement. This is a good test for if we are using the proper ones
  • Our focus shifts to proper movement and form, instead of how much weight is being moved
  • Less equipment is needed, especially weight
  • You get a deeper understanding of your movement 

How do I incorporate more tempos, pauses and holds?

Adding tempo work is easy, and one of the nice things is how many options you have.  The possibilities are endless. A good rule to remember is only do your tempos, pauses and holds as long as you can maintain good form.  Adding a 10 second pause to a front squat will only help if you keep good front squat form.

When you do add these to your training, make sure to keep the ego in check.You will have to be using lighter weights than you usually do. Some people have a difficult time with this and give up on the tempo work. But I can promise you that, if done properly, this strategy will only increase your numbers and help you break plateaus.

Have a tempo combo you love? Let us know what your favorites are!

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What Is Active Recovery?

guys playing basketball outside for active recovery after a workout

Taking a day off from the gym is not something most of us want to do, but it is definitely something we all should do. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a day to eat 4 large pizzas, and down a 30 pack. So now the big question: if I’m not going to the gym, and I’m not drinking beer and eating pizza, what am I doing? Allow me to introduce active recovery.

What is active recovery?

I’m sure there is some super scientific description out there, but here’s your super simple answer. Active recovery is anything that gets the heart rate in the 60%-70% of max range. Yeah, we get sweaty or breathe a little heavy, but we don’t end up on the floor wishing we were dead.

Active recovery shouldn’t make you super sore. It shouldn’t be anything that is a sprint. It doesn’t even need to be seen as “fitness”. But it does mean getting around and moving.

What are some examples of active recovery?

Active recovery that isn’t “fitness-y”

  • Yard work. Mowing your lawns or doing some general home maintenance will be a surprising workout, and feels so satisfying.
  • Cold water/hot water (showering from cool/cold water to warm/hot water, switching back and forth every 20-30 seconds)
  • Breathing exercises
  • Sauna or sunbathing
  • Playing around – such as climbing a tree; playing with your dog; jumping in the pool and climbing out a bunch of times; taking your kids to the park and playing on the jungle gym with them
  • Yard games – such as volleyball; bocce; frisbee; etc

Active recovery that is “fitness-y”

  • Walking – you can go with your family and friends, or just by yourself
  • Row/bike for 20-40 minutes at a pace you can hold a conversation at
  • Hiking – check out some cool spots in your area
  • Body weight get ups. This literally is just getting up off the floor. There are tons of ways to do this. If you do them a few times, you’ll learn a surprising amount about your body
  • Backwards walk. Get ready to look weird. Go for a walk but make it a rule you can’t walk forwards. You can walk backwards, side steps, crossovers, butt kickers, etc. Use your imagination
  • Try a new sport. Go rock climbing, play basketball with some friends, wiffle ball batting practice etc

How often to do it

If you are a gym goer 3/4 days a week, schedule your active recovery for 2 days of that week. If you are a 5/6 day a week person, give yourself a day of active recovery. I think 1 day of good solid rest, where you are fully letting your body and mind recover is needed for most people.  But that’s not a rule! If you feel like going and doing something active and fun, get out and do it!

Possibilities for active recovery are endless! The only rule is to have fun. Doing something you enjoy it will help you feel better and help you relax in ways you didn’t even know you needed.

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5 Similarities of Fitness and Retirement

fitness and retirement require hard work

Fitness and retirement? How would those two ever be in the same article?

I’ll tell you how: they are both major life goals of many. 

Most people in the world want to retire someday, and most people also want to be healthy and fit. Accomplishing these goals takes planning, practice, and experience. But, if you look at them next to one another they can be more alike than you knew. 

Disclaimer: I am in no way a financial advisor.  You should always seek the help of an actual financial advisor to answer any questions or you know, advise you.

For both fitness and retirement, the earlier the better

Get started with your fitness and your retirement plan early in life.  Starting sooner gives you a couple advantages. You have time to recoup any setbacks you might have. You are also able to maintain and improve as opposed to fix and rebuild. 

Both your finances and health are compounding assets. In other words, they are heavy but quickly gain momentum. By starting earlier you are able to get the ball rolling sooner. The earlier you can start pushing that ball the faster results come and the more momentum it carries. This makes the results are easier to maintain.

Find what works for you

There are so many different options for retirement out there, it’s almost as numerous as different activities people do to stay healthy. 

For retirement savings: real estate, the stock market, investing in businesses, 401k, social security, IRAs, CDs, the list goes on. 

And for fitness? You’ve got: CrossFit, Pilates, Yoga, MMA, running, basketball, hiking, triathlons, etc. 

Both retirement and fitness have many avenues you can choose to invest in. Finding what works for you is important because you will then take an interest in it, by having that interest you actually care and want to see it improve.

Diversity is key

Everyone knows you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  For retirement that is important because the more financial ‘legs’ you have to stand on the more stable you are. If something happens to one, you still have the others to help keep you from falling. Fitness works the same way. The more specialized you are, the more likely you are to have a chink in the armor. This leaves you vulnerable.

Understand I am not saying you should do CrossFit. I mean, you should, its awesome, amazing and does a little bit of everything to make you a functional human in all modes of movement, but I understand my thoughts on this could have the appearance of being biased. Anyway, if you only want to run marathons, then fine, that’s great too. 

No matter what, you should be incorporating some strength work, sprints, mobility, etc. into your fitness as well. Without doing so then yes, you might be really good at running. But what happens when you have to lift something heavy? Injury will come easier, and no one wants that.

Realize there will be hard times in fitness and retirement

No matter what you do, setbacks do happen. You pull a muscle or have surgery and can’t exercise for a few weeks. Or, the company you worked for goes under and you lose the majority of your retirement. 

The point is that hard times happen.  Nothing worthwhile comes easy. You just have to work through the problem and get past it.  After this happens a few times you learn that this is just part of it. Obstacles are thrown in your path, find a way to go over, around, or under them.

Research and find a coach

Knowledge is power. The more you understand about something the more informed decisions you can make. This is true for your health, finances, having kids, building a table, buying a car. No matter the task, it’s best to be informed.

There are definitely those who can do all this research and learning on their own, and maybe you are one of them. But having a coach/mentor/advisor allows you to have access to their years of experience, as well as any years of experience from the person/people they learned from.

To end

I won’t answer any financial questions or give financial advice. But if you have any health or fitness questions then I want to help. Let me know what I can do!

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Greg Glassman’s Tweet: What We Think About It

iphone representing greg glassman's tweet which was controversial

If you have not heard yet, you will. Greg Glassman, the founder and CEO of CrossFit, recently made a comment that has offended people for multiple reasons. I’ll let you do your own research and make your own judgments about Greg Glassman’s tweet. However, I’m sure it will get brought up, so I wanted to address a few things as a whole.

Who is Greg Glassman?

He created the CrossFit brand and is the current CEO of CrossFit. Some people might assume that makes him my boss, but CrossFit isn’t a franchise. It’s an affiliate. 

Basically, affiliates just pay money to use CrossFit in their name and marketing materials. CrossFit is trademarked and therefore they can legally come after anyone who uses their brand name without permission. 

Each affiliate is able to run their box as they see fit. Each affiliate depends on CrossFit for nothing other than the name and legal support.

What do you think of Greg Glassman’s tweet?

Glassman is nuts and always has been.  Obviously, I don’t know him personally but from everything I have read and heard, he just seems like an odd duck.

He is constantly involved in drama, he likes to pick fights, he has said wildly insensitive/inappropriate stuff in the past, and he probably will again in the future too. 

With that being said, he is fiercely protective of his brand. Overall, I suspect he just doesn’t understand how his words/actions affect people or CrossFit as a whole. 

At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit, We Do Not Support His Comments

Although Glassman is a loose canon, Buffalo Nickel CrossFit always tries to stay out of the drama that seems to always surround him. But, sometimes we get roped in just because we are a CrossFit.

Does Greg Glassman’s tweet show a poor leadership choice for the organization? Yes. 

Was it an idiotic and uncaring thing to say in such a setting and at such a time? Yes.

Was it insensitive? Yes.

Did it do anyone any good by saying it? No. 

Does Greg Glassman speak for all or even the majority of affiliates, specifically Buffalo Nickel CrossFit? Absolutely not! 

Will BNCF dis-affiliate because of Greg Glassman’s tweet? Not be a CrossFit, but still be a gym?

That is undecided at the moment. I try to view and learn all the possible angles of a situation before making a decision. Basically, I want to see what changes and or moves are made. This is not because I am a Greg Glassman fan, but because I am a CrossFit fan and a CrossFit community supporter. 

I am reminded of the saying: “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”.  Or, it’s like when a car breaks down. You don’t just leave the car on the side of the road and go buy a completely new car. You take it to a mechanic and find out what the issue was. Once the issue is fixed, you can continue driving the car.

Things take maintenance. It is unrealistic to think every relationship or dealing with people will be 100% perfect all the time. Greg Glassman’s tweet is just one of many examples of this.

Do I think other affiliates are having a knee-jerk reaction to dis-affiliating? 

Yes, in my opinion CrossFit is more than Greg Glassman. CrossFit is a community. Every box is different but at BNCF we have always welcomed every type of person. CrossFit has helped lots of people in many ways. I think there is a very loud part of the community that has forgotten that. 

CrossFit has done many great things for smaller gyms/athletic centers that could not compete against larger organizations with deeper pockets. For years, CrossFit has fought for their affiliates/coaches in legal battles and has spent millions of dollars to make sure we can operate as we see fit and don’t have to answer to large government groups that don’t even know what a barbell is.

It is both fortunate and unfortunate that CrossFit has Greg Glassman. I don’t think CrossFit would be what it is today or maybe even still be around if it were not for Glassman. I also think that some of Glassman’s wires might not be fully connected.

It’s similar to Elon Musk calling one of the cave divers that rescued the soccer team a “pedo guy” and going wild on Twitter. Some people are amazing at creating something, and are truly an artist in their field, but that doesn’t mean they need to be the public face of the company or have access to the brand’s social media.

I ask that people please be patient and understanding. Give CrossFit the company the time they need to make a decision is fair and rational.

Note: shortly after this post was published, Greg Glassman resigned from his position as CEO of CrossFit. Reebok also ended their partnership with CrossFit in response to the controversy. Although he has apologized, many of CrossFit’s affiliates do not accept this.

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