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Why To (Maybe) Stop Using A Scale

me on the left before i decided to stop using a scale and on the right is a smiling man who decided to stop using a scale and is shirtless and more muscular

The picture on the left was me somewhere in the winter of 2015/2016 and I weighed 225 pounds. The picture on the right is me in August of 2020 and I have no idea what I weigh. Here is a little about my personal weight gain and weight loss story, and my decision to stop using a scale.

I started CrossFit when I was 23 and weighed right at 170 lbs. At the start, I would weigh myself religiously. I had a little muscle mass, mostly from high-school sports, and working physical labor jobs. I could crush body weight movements, as well as anything cardio. But when any substantial weight was added to a workout I struggled. This was difficult for me to handle, I had always been physically capable and never really struggled with exercise. But, CrossFit has a special way of humbling anyone who participates.

I was obsessed with the scale

My eating habits didn’t help things. I have discussed this previously which you can find here. Intermittent fasting, along with a strict paleo diet, left me wiped out after my workouts and unable to gain any real strength. During this time, I had only gained about 5 lbs of muscle. So after about 6 months of CrossFit, my goal became to gain weight and lift heavy. So I started eating, A LOT!  

I have never measured my caloric intake but here is an idea of how many calories I would take in. At the time I was working on Sundays. Before I went to work I would usually eat a lunch or two. I would also pack some food to snack on at work. Typically, it was grilled chicken, rice, eggs, a couple apples, 2 green smoothies, and a 2 lb bag of clementines. While at work I would also get a burrito from Chipotle, and then go to Smashburger where I would have a burger, fries/haystack onions, and a milkshake. When I got home I would have a couple of bowls of cereal, and usually some ice cream or donuts before going to bed.

Well I did gain weight and the weights I was moving went up. I quickly hit 190 lbs. Then 200 lbs. I got to 215 pretty easily, but my goal was to weigh 225 lbs. It was a struggle to make it to 225. I ate until I felt like throwing up, then I would sit down and let my stomach settle for about 30 minutes. Every day, usually multiple times a day, I would weight myself. I was obsessed with my weight. And I simply could not stop using a scale.

As you can tell, the 225 pounds was not a healthy life for me. While my weightlifting had increased, my cardio was abysmal. My life in general was a struggle. Walking up stairs or a hill at work had me winded. Bending over to tie my shoes had me holding my breath and trying to move my gut out of the way. My clothes started to get very tight. But I still weighed myself. Hitting 225 was nice. I reached my goal! But my body and certain aspects of my life were different. It left me looking for change.  

I decided 225 was the turnaround point for me, and that I needed to lose weight. I wanted to get back to looking good and being able to perform all movements well. In a few months, I dropped from 225 to 185. And still I checked the scale every day. 185 left me feeling weak in my lifts, and with little muscle endurance.  

Why I decided to stop using a scale

Over the years I have fluctuated between 185 and 200, but where I feel best at is 190 to 195. I can move enough weight for an athlete of my caliber, but my cardio and body weight movements still feel strong and fluid. About a year ago I decided to stop using a scale. I have an idea of what I weigh only because I have weighed myself so many times in the past. 

Now I am not concentrating on the number the scale gives me. I am concentrating on being happy and enjoying all aspects of my life. Obviously, health and fitness is a major part of my life. Feeling good and operating well in my workouts makes me happy and at peace. Another big part of my life though is food, and enjoying it with my family and friends. Being able to do so without worrying if the scale will change by even a pound makes me happy.

Can a scale be helpful in our health and fitness journeys? Of course it can, but it shouldn’t be the end all be all. The scale is like a photograph. It captures a split second of your life. Sometimes that second is good, other times it’s not so good. But that second doesn’t determine anything else. 

You might find it helpful to stop using a scale and stop worrying about the numbers. Worry instead about how many people you make a positive impact on in a day. Your life will be much happier that way.   

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How To Make Fitness Work For You

make fitness work for you man in gym clothes standing in front of sign that reads ftc and wearing shorts and a t shirt at the gym

There are so many fitness trends out there. These greatly affect how we think we should approach fitness. From skinny detox tea to the keto diet, health and fitness trends are endless. But at the end of the day, what is fitness for? The CrossFit philosophy is that your fitness should work for you. Your fitness should help you move furniture around your house, or play with your kids in the yard. It’s about using your fitness to be functional.

Fitness isn’t about trends

When I started CrossFit, paleo was the popular diet trend. So, I jumped on that bandwagon. For those who don’t know paleo is, it’s a diet where you attempt to eat like humans did in paleolithic times. This means only foods you would come across in a hunter/gatherer society. If you are follow it, you will spend a large amount of time, money and effort to abide by it.  

I was very skinny before starting CrossFit, and when I first joined I put on a little muscle. At the same time I was eating paleo, I was also intermittent fasting. This means having a large block of the day where you don’t eat. The premise is that you keep your calories limited by only having so much time to consume food in your day.

I didn’t know this at first but the intermittent fasting and paleo were actually hurting my performance. I would fatigue quickly during my workouts. My recovery afterwards would take hours, and I was not gaining any strength. But I would weigh myself everyday and I was happy with the number on the scale.

I did about 7 months of intermittent fasting and paleo. By the end, I was burned out. I hadn’t been out to eat, I didn’t eat the same food as the rest of my family, I hadn’t had much “enjoyment” food, such as desserts, or sweets. So, the pendulum shifted. It shifted way farther than it should have.  

Feeling weak and fatigued had been terrible. The first few workouts with a significant source of carbs in my diet was amazing. I felt good, I lifted heavier, I recovered faster. Going to restaurants was fun again, and I could enjoy meals with my family. But as that pendulum kept going I started gaining weight. Some of it was good. I put on significant muscle mass, I was moving heavy weight in all of my lifts. Some of it was not so good.

The fun lasted for a bit, but then I started having trouble doing anything like pull ups, push ups, box jumps, or running because I had gained a lot of fat as well. I had a goal to see how heavy weights I could lift. So, my cardio stopped. I lost definition and the ability to do some of my gymnastics movements. 

Make fitness work for you

Around this time I switched boxes. The shape I was in disappointed my new coach. He pointed out that while lifting heavy was beneficial, I should be more focused on fitness for life. If I was unable to move quickly for a few minutes without having to stop and try to breathe, were my workouts really doing what I wanted/needed them to do?

That became my new mantra, I wanted to be able to do any physical task life called upon me to do. Whether it be a week of hiking, helping push a stalled car, laying sod, riding my bike with Zeke on my back, the list is endless.

The point is, your fitness should suit your life. You should not only enjoy what you do to get/stay in shape, but it should also work for your needs. That’s why CrossFit is so beneficial: it’s functional. 

The functional movements prepare you for the variety that is life. This way, no matter what life demands of you – a ski trip with friends, carrying your kid around a theme park, helping your brother move – you can do it. Make fitness work for you and for your benefit.

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The Ugly Side of CrossFit

woman wearing boxing gloves showing the ugly side of crossfit on a blank background and hair out

Last night, a member left what is written below near my stuff as I coached. The member who left this piece, The Ugly Side Of CrossFit, is one of Buffalo Nickel CrossFit’s founding members.

Becki and I met years ago, and when I opened Buffalo Nickel CrossFit she was there to support us. She has always been a friend and a great member. She always keeps the gym laughing with her good mood and hilarious sense of humor.  

Everyone has an image in their heads of a person that does CrossFit. Most times this image is highly exaggerated. Most people that enjoy CrossFit are just normal people. CrossFit is not a sport to them, it is how they get and or stay in shape. 

Becki does a much more artful telling than me, and she has given me permission to share what she wrote, so I will just let you read it for yourself.

The Ugly Side of CrossFit

Every time you think or look up CrossFit, you see beautiful bodies, that’s the beautiful side of CrossFit.

Now let’s look at the other side. To me, CrossFit means strength, courage, friendship, sweat & confidence. Not all CrossFit athletes are in their 20s with beautiful bodies. A lot of us are older, overweight, depressed, lost in who/what we are. Desperate to find something to save us from our broken-ness. That’s where CrossFit found me. 

We walk in terrified, feeling stupid, ugly, fat, incompetent, out of place. Then you do your first warm up. Almost die, but you keep going.

You’re seeing these “amazing athletes” with all their beauty and strength doing these lifts and movements.  All the time you’re standing with a piece of PVC.  Lost as ever. Not realizing these people started just like us!

Now the hard work starts.

You’re learning, trying.

Pulling, pushing yourself further than you ever imagined you could.

The whole time pulling your shirt down trying to cover your fat.

Shame, sweat, read faced, and out of breath.

But then it’s over. You did it! It sucked and hurt. You know you won’t be able to move tomorrow. But you don’t care, because you did it! 

You faced your fear and embarrassment, and did it.

So when I hear CrossFit, that’s what I think about. Not the beautiful looking finished product. I think about the beautifully broken men and women desperately looking for a place to fit in.  

No shame.

No judgement. Just a group of broken people. Trying to better themselves together.

So yes, CrossFit can be confusing and overwhelming. But trust the process and know, we won’t all turn out to be these amazing beautiful athletes.  

And I am perfectly okay with that. 

-Becki

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Wearing The Best Shoes For CrossFit

two people wearing shoes for crossfit and tights sitting next to a bouquet of flowers on a blank background

For the first 6 months or so, I never wore CrossFit shoes. I had running/athletic shoes and lifters. I figured regular athletic shoes were about as good as the best shoes for CrossFit.

Plus, I didn’t want to spend the money. I was already paying a membership to my box. I had already bought Olympic lifting shoes, and was spending money on supplements and vitamins. CrossFit was expensive! (If only I knew how expensive owning one was, I would have never complained about a few hundred dollars).

I wore my lifters for basically everything except running. Box jumps, DU, T2B, burpees, everything. I remember that I only got Reebok Nanos because they were on sale and I finally thought, ‘Well let’s give them a shot. If they don’t work I only lost $60.’

Wearing them for the first WOD was awesome. They made a huge difference. I could jump higher, do more T2B, and string together more DU. They were my personal P.F. Flyers, okay, they didn’t directly make me run faster or jump higher. But, in a way, they did. 

Shoes for CrossFit are very different than regular athletic shoes and even more different than lifters. They allow your feet to move and breathe differently than other shoes. They offer a stiffer, flatter sole, so you are not standing on what feels like a pillow.

Having the proper shoe for the job can make all the difference. While the gear you wear may not make you better, it can allow you to work for longer. Maybe it weighs a pound less, but a pound compiled over 50 box jumps is an extra 50 lbs your body has to move.

Just like you wouldn’t wear basketball shoes to play golf, or ballet slippers to go hiking, your footwear can make a big difference during the WOD. 

Selecting the right shoe for CrossFit can be a challenge for a new athlete. If you need some help and guidance, check out our article What Shoes To Wear For CrossFit?

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Support Other CrossFitters: Give Compliments

fit woman standing on a mat wearing leggings shows how to support other crossfitters

She joined CrossFit in an effort to lose weight, trim up, and feel stronger. It had been a while since she exercised, but a friend convinced her to try CrossFit. She told her it was a a great community with lots of support for other CrossFitters. She spent some time choosing the right box and then went along. The first few weeks were agonizing. She had never felt this sore before. Plus, and eating healthier was harder than she thought.  

But it got easier

As the weeks pressed on and turned to months, the WODs didn’t get any easier. But she could tell she was improving. Eating healthier was becoming less time consuming, and now she didn’t have to look at every single nutritional label when she went shopping. 

Most noticeable to her was how differently her clothes were fitting. Usually her clothing had been tight around the waist and baggy around the leg, now it was the opposite. She was also noticing little changes when she looked in the mirror. She wasn’t losing weight which was weird because she definitely could see some of her “problem areas” not being so problematic. But no one had complimented her so she just continued eating healthy and doing her WODs.

A few more months went by and she was really noticing some improvements. Her strength was increasing, and her metcon times were getting faster. It was easier to breathe during hard workouts now and she was feeling more comfortable with cleans.

A few of her friends had mentioned how good she was looking and this made her happy, but no one at her box had said anything yet… And why should they? She thought to herself; compared to her they were amazing. They moved well, had veins popping out everywhere and lifted way more weight than she ever could.

She was starting to question if she would ever be like that. It was hard to stay motivated when people didn’t notice her improvements and changes. Yes she knew it was silly to place that much of her self confidence in others but she still wondered why no one said anything. 

Did others even notice?

It was Friday, and she had just gotten off work. It had been a stressful day and she didn’t even feel like going to workout. The WOD had box jumps in it, she hated box jumps, but she decided to go anyway. It was Friday evening and as usual the class was pretty small compared to most other days. But there was a new girl in there, they had a few minutes before the class started and introduced themselves.

During the WOD the new girl had a tough time, as she did what felt like her 1000th box jump she reminded herself to go tell the new girl afterwards how good she did and that it will get easier. As they put their equipment away she mentioned how well the new girl did. The new girl sighed, and said, “Ugh I was just trying to keep up with you, you are so good! And you look great by the way.”

A smile crossed her face, and she felt very flattered. Two sentences from a total stranger and it changed her day. She felt motivated again. It felt like all her work was paying off – finally someone noticed!

Support other CrossFitters and acknowledge their growth

Moral of the story, compliment someone. It’s a great way to support other CrossFitters. It might be just the motivation they need to keep going. Everyone loves to get a compliment for their achievements. This is especially true when they have had to work hard for them. There’s no need to feel awkward, or reluctant. Foster a community of encouragement and remember to support other CrossFitters. Take 5 seconds out of your day and pay someone a compliment.

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Picking The Right CrossFit Box

one man sitting and one standing as they talk together at the right crossfit box with equipment in the background

So I have been debating writing this for a while. But due to recent events, I decided it was the right time. I am tired of seeing inadequate coaching in the CrossFit world. And I am tired of members not picking the right CrossFit box and being shocked when they come to us and actually receive coaching or corrections. I am tired of people complaining of knees, hips, backs, and more hurting because for months or years the person/people who were supposed to be coaching them gave them no attention. When others in the CrossFit world give people a poor perception of CrossFit, my box becomes guilty by association. 

CrossFit has an outsider’s perspective of being dangerous, injury prone, only for elite level athletes, and that to even join you must “be in shape”. Luckily, most of the bad coaches/boxes do not last long. After a couple of months or maybe a few years they close up shop. Notice I said most, not all. There are still poor coaches and troublesome boxes out there.

Enough is enough

Hopefully this article helps those who are looking for a box, no matter if they new or if they have done hundreds of WODs. I seriously doubt this is the case, but hopefully it also reaches those box owners and coaches who have low standards and realize it’s time to change. 

Heck, they can even message or call me if they need help (my box isn’t perfect, but in my opinion we have the highest standard around). I’ve realized other boxes are not competition instead they are an extended family. 

Our goal should not be to take members from one another, but instead to build CrossFit and help make people healthy. If that means someone goes to another box they like better than ours, fine. They are hopefully getting healthier than they were and now I get to work a little harder.

Here is what to know, or what matters, when looking for the right CrossFit box

Do your research

Google, Facebook, Instagram are your friends here. To find the right box, look at pictures, read reviews and comments. Forget the actual website. The website is simply there to get you in contact with the business. Ask friends, family or coworkers about the box you are considering. Seriously – you can’t get enough information!

Visit with the owners/coaches

People in the fitness world love this quote, “Your health is an investment, not an expense.” Yes, it is true. But those same people won’t take 10 minutes to talk to an owner or a coach of the box they are looking at joining. 

At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit, we meet in person or at least chat with all prospective members. Most times I personally do this myself. It gives me a chance to know them, learn about their goals, and for both of us to put a face to a name. Most coaches and owners are doing something similar now, but if they don’t offer it, ask! 

*Warning, if a coach and especially an owner is unwilling to meet with you before you join, that is a red flag* 

Get a feel for the box/members

If you walk into a box and the members act like you don’t exist, this is another red flag. CrossFit is about getting fit and healthy; but the only reason CrossFit continues to exist is the community. 

One of my biggest pet peeves is when you go to a CrossFit, as as a drop in or a new member, and the current members act stuck up. Okay, they might have veins and bulging biceps, but I promise you they aren’t THAT good at CrossFit. Any box with that much ego will have that much drama as well. 

The right CrossFit box is one with a welcoming community.

Observe a class

Some places will offer a trial class. People jump at this opportunity because they feel like they are getting something for free. You are not. To me, this trial class is the magicians illusion. You are too distracted by the actual workout to even observe how well the coach does their job. 

Instead, observe a class. Watch the coach, see which members they correct. Is it overly serious or does the coach make it fun? Do they pay attention to everyone or only the better athletes? Are they on their phone or actually coaching? All of these are things that it is more difficult to pick up on when you are actually in a class instead of observing one.

Coaching matters 

You need a great coach. A coach that is only a cheerleader is not an effective coach. Coaching requires a skill most people lack. Confrontation. 

A coach has to tell members that a movement should be done differently, or a weight should be lighter, or a metcon needs to be scaled. They must do this gently enough to not be a tyrant, firm enough to make it happen. They need to do it in a tone that lets the member know it is okay, and big results are built on small achievements. 

Some members are very coach-able, they just say okay and do what they are told. Some members however are not as coach-able. Pay attention to how the coach handles both types of member.    

How safe are they?

If you are new to CrossFit, or have never been told/coached in proper form, then don’t expect to see minute safety details coaches should correct. But there are some very overt things you can watch for. 

Does the coach provide each member enough room to work in, or is the class packed like sardines? Is an athlete noticeably extremely exhausted and does the coach scale for them? Does the coach go over each movement, talk about proper weight choices, and what to be careful of? All of these and more will help you see if they are a safe coach/box. 

Cleanliness

This is another pet peeve of mine. Now, trust me, I know how difficult it is to keep a box clean. We have been in an industrial warehouse since the day we opened. We have no AC, so the garage doors are open a lot. Even when closed the building is definitely not air tight. 

But, we go above and beyond to make sure everything is clean. And we always have, not just because of Covid, and not just on Mondays, but all the time and everyday. I have been to more than one CrossFit that when a medball or plate hit the floor a cloud of dust blossomed. This is unacceptable in my opinion. Cleanliness shouldn’t be anything special – it should be the minimal standard for a box.

Things that absolutely do not matter:

How many members a box has

A new member walks into a box and sees a class of 20+ people. They think wow this is a big class, lots of people must like this box, therefore they must be good. Not saying a box with lots of members is necessarily bad or does not coach well. But the ratio of coach to member is important. 

Let’s be honest, the actual coaching and sharing of technical information is cheap. The internet is free, worldwide, and provides limitless information. But if a coach has 19 other people to pay attention to, how much time per class will you actually be seen, and corrected? Therefore an in-person coach is not so much about how knowledgeable they are but how well they can connect with and correct the members. 

The price

Free/cheap coaching ain’t good. And good coaching ain’t cheap/free. On the flip side, just because someone is charging the most doesn’t automatically make them the very best. But it is definitely a good indicator that they value their service. 

I get asked a lot, “do you offer discounts”? The answer is no. Our coaches do not give half price service, therefore we don’t discount our prices. In fact we always try to overdeliver. We try to give more value than what our members are paying for, no matter what they are charged. CrossFit is not about the space and equipment, it is about the coaching, the personal connection. If you want to take your health and fitness seriously, go to the best and find a way to fit it in your budget.

If they have a 6 pack or big muscles

Alright, so yes, I think a coach should practice what they preach. A coach should take care of themselves and be fit. No one wants advice from someone who obviously doesn’t follow the advice they give others. Going to a marriage counselor who is in the middle of a divorce does not invoke great confidence. Same thing with a CrossFit coach.

But that should not be the deciding factor when you’re looking for the right CrossFit box. It should be important, but all in all I would rather have a knowledgeable coach rather than a fit coach.

How much equipment they have

Atlas stones, handstand ramps, peg boards, and air runners are all really cool. But how often do they actually get used? Is the average class able to use those, or would they be better off with basic strength and fitness equipment? Just like with members, more does not automatically mean better. If you are a raccoon, tons of cool looking equipment is the shiny nickel in the trap that gets your attention.

The right CrossFit box does exist

Last but not least, find a box you enjoy, that provides coaching, and has a great community. With some hard searching, you’ll be able to find the right CrossFit box for you.

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CrossFit Myth: Chalk In The Gym

people using chalk in the gym and standing in a circle wearing face paint

Chalk has been used in sports for ages. Crossfitters took chalk in the gym from a useful tool and made it a fashion. Not kidding, chalk is overused to the extreme in the CrossFit world.

Like with most things in CrossFit, it got pushed to the limits. If one rep is good, 100 is better. If a little chalk is good, a lot is better! Right?  Well maybe not…

Why even use chalk in the gym?

Now, I am sure someone with a degree in some ultra-science major will know much more about what chalk does. The ridges of our fingerprints create friction when we try to hold onto something. The chalk particles create a bond between the skin and an object, blah blah blah. 

Here’s the CrossFit answer. Chalk helps remove moisture from the skin. In most cases, the hands. 

If you have ever tried to hold onto something with sweaty hands, you probably noticed that it’s more difficult than with dry hands. Chalk dries the skin, so as long as you have the grip strength you can theoretically hold onto whatever is in your hands.

Chalk also helps to increase friction. This is partially due to drying the skin but also because the small little particles give you more surface area and angles to “grab”. 

Why more chalk in the gym isn’t necessarily better

One thing I see quite a bit, especially in the summer or when people are very sweaty, is people LOAD up on the chalk in the gym thinking it will help. Inevitably, they rip their hands and then are surprised. 

They believe that since they used every ounce of chalk in the bucket that their hands should somehow be able to repel not only rips and blisters, but flames, needles, and knife wounds.

Here is what actually happens. The sweat mixed with the chalk creates a nice paste that holds the moisture against the skin. A little moisture is okay and can sometimes help. But, once you add too much and then throw in the friction of swinging on a bar for lots of reps, then your skin will eventually rip. 

How to avoid ripping

Here are a few ways you can avoid ripping your hands:

  • Dry your hands before using chalk in the gym.
  • Use the right amount. Don’t go for AMCAP (as much chalk as possible).
  • Give it time. Most people who are new to CrossFit have soft hands. Over time, you will build up calluses, scar tissue and general toughness.   
  • Try healing balms. Bagbalm, Ripfix, Badger Balm…there are lots different healing balms out there that help heal rips faster than just letting them heal on their own.
  • Let your rips heal. If you rip your palms, give it a day or two to close up. Otherwise it will never heal and you will get blood on all the things.

Health and safety

If you do rip, clean everything you touched! No one wants to grab your nastiness. Ripping isn’t a big deal, it happens. Leaving your blood on stuff is a big deal!

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Is CrossFit Bad For You?

woman wearing a tank top and shorts hanging from gym equipment is crossfit bad for you

The draw to CrossFit, especially in the early days, was that you were receiving a ton of actual coaching for a fraction of the price of personal training. As CrossFit’s popularity exploded, boxes started opening up on every corner. Now CrossFit is a household name, but people still wonder: is CrossFit bad for you? Will it cause injuries?

The issues

In the early days, because CrossFit got so popular, some people who didn’t actually care about helping members just saw an opportunity to make a quick buck. 

These people really did not put much time or effort into becoming a coach. They didn’t have any knowledge of proper movements, form, and so on. And problems followed…

This situation caused major issues for the CrossFit community. A problem it created was the notion that CrossFit is bad for you and can even be dangerous.

Could a person get injured doing CrossFit? Of course, but a person can also get injured doing any sport, or not doing sports at all.  

Were all CrossFits a hotbed for injuries and a lifetime of knee issues like your doctor told you would happen if you did CrossFit? Absolutely not. It all came down to the coaching.

The rise of YouTube

Another thing that was happening during the early days was that the popularity of YouTube, Facebook and other social media was starting to rocket. 

CrossFit was new, different, exciting and unique. Seeing average people swing on rings, throw bars and weights around, jump over boxes and climb ropes grabbed people’s attention. I’m not sure CrossFit would be where it is today without the help of social media and YouTube in the early times.

However this attention was not all good, because if there’s one thing humans love to see more than someone do something amazing it is to see carnage and violence. Videos of people falling off rings, dropping bars on themselves, destroying their shins on boxes or plummeting 15 feet to the ground after a rope climb was too good to miss.  

The baggage: is CrossFit bad for you!?

Once this happened, CrossFit became known as a surefire way to get injured. And yes, many people were injured. 

Thankfully that has changed. Most of the coaches that didn’t actually coach are gone and this has benefited the CrossFit community greatly. However, there are still some poor coaches out there who don’t really coach or coach poorly.  

There are three types of coaches, and for today’s subject we will divide them only by their abilities to prevent, address and understand injuries. Having a great coach is such an important part of your fitness journey.

A bad coaches:

  • Doesn’t review movements, scaling or modifications.
  • Doesn’t pay attention to members during class.
  • Gives the same cue 5 times even though it has not fixed the issue the previous 5 times.
  • Allows members to move poorly without any corrections.
  • Tries to make every person move exactly the same way. Age, skill level, height, weight, etc do not matter to these people.

A good coach:

  • Goes over the WOD.
  • Has knowledge but overloads the athlete with it.
  • Breaks down complex movements the same way for everyone.
  • Watches movements but can only offer a number of cues which may or may not help.
  • Knows when people move poorly but does not research and learn why they are and how to correct it.
  • Gives members attention, but allows their attention to be drawn everywhere all the time instead of focusing on one or two people at a time.

A great coach:

  • Goes over every movement, scaling options, and modifications.
  • Implements those in the class for members of all different skill levels, ages, etc.
  • Modifies so all athletes are getting the same stimulus without being pushed to injury or pain.
  • Knows that change takes time, and understands deeply ingrained movement issues will take time to adjust and heal.
  • Gives each member at least one correction or approval each class.
  • Helps members understand their skill level might be different than they believe and adjust the difficulty to help progress an athlete.
  • Does not allow poor movement patterns, scales the movement, weight, reps, time or time to keep athlete moving properly.
  • Has a variety of cues they are able to use and change based on the athlete they are with at the time.
  • Not only can do certain movements, T2B, MU, butterflies, but can teach them as well.
  • Studies and learns about how to improve people’s athleticism while sifting through “snake-oil” fixes and movements while keeping the time tested models in place,
  • Pays attention to all members, not taking favor to more advanced athletes or those who show potential.
  • Actually coaches, answers questions, offers movement advice and fixes, and creates a learning environment.

So is CrossFit bad for you? Not if you have the right coaching and environment for your growth.

Finding a box you love and a coach who will help you advance not only as an athlete but a human should be your top priority. There are thousands of CrossFit boxes out there. Try them all until you find the right match.

At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit, we’re proud to say we’re a box full of great coaches. Contact us to try out our coaching style today.

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How To Do Burpees: The Buffalo Nickel Guide

guy wearing cleveland singlet knowing how to do burpees on an athletic track

Raise your hand if you love burpees! What? Nobody?! I agree. Even though I don’t love burpees, I also can’t say that I hate them. I actually don’t mind them at all. They’re not too bad, if you know how to do burpees.

I used to hate burpees. Yes, hate is a very strong word. In this case, it’s completely accurate. I considered burpees to be equal to the devil. They are one of the most challenging CrossFit core exercises.

If I’m being honest, I hated them because I wasn’t good at them and I just couldn’t ever get comfortable with the suck. If you know me, you know I don’t like it when things are hard for me. So, I set out to embrace them.

I embraced them by doing them. More specifically, I did a 100 burpee challenge. 

The challenge was set up to do one burpee on day one, two burpees on day two, etc.

If you miss a day or days, you have to make up ALL of the missed burpees plus the current day’s burpees to continue. For example, if you miss days 10, 11 and 12, then on day 13 you have to do 46 burpees. 

One day, I did over 300. One day I did over 400. One day I did over 600.

I completed the challenge, though, and today I don’t hate burpees. How could I possibly hate them when I’ve never again had to do 600+ burpees in a single day?!  

Here are a few things I learned about how to do burpees

1. They really aren’t that hard

Let’s be honest, they are nothing more than getting on the ground and then getting back up. When you’re up, get down. When you’re down, get up.

That day I had to do over 600, really made me see them differently. As soon as I stood up, all I had to do was get down. Once I was down, I just had to get up. 

Of course there is always technique, which I’ll address shortly, but the basics of a burpee aren’t hard. Get down and get back up.

2. You have to pace yourself 

That pace is going to be different for everyone. Things like fitness level, volume of burpees, whether you are combining them with other movements, etc, will determine your pace from workout to workout. 

Your pace should be the rate at which you can move as quickly as possible, without stopping. Burpees will get your heart rate up and your lungs burning so you have to find that point that you can continue to manage both without stopping.

Sprinting and stopping and sprinting and stopping is going to take you much longer to accomplish the same amount of work. Find that breaking point of moving as fast as you can, but not so fast that you have to stop…and then stay there.  

3. Technique is a key part of how to do burpees

There are many tips out there for how to do burpees. Here are some of my favorites.

When you get down, don’t stop in the middle, at the top of the plank, and then lower yourself. Rather, try to kick your feet back as you’re coming down and “catch” yourself in the bottom of the push up position. This is because it takes longer when you stop, it takes more effort to stop there, and you then have to do the decline of your push up, which is harder than just falling. 

When you get up, jump your feet wider than your hands and throw your hips up as you bring those feet up. When you go to stand up, go straight into your jump. Don’t stop at the stand, and then jump. Let your stand and jump be one fluid movement. 

Move as little as possible. I am all about efficiency and accomplishing a task with as little effort as possible. Flow as many movements together as possible. Step up and step down if you have to. 

4. Burpees are mentally taxing

It can be a real mental game for a lot of people.  There were far more people who started the 100 day challenge than people who completed it.

The burpee is very repetitive and it takes a lot of effort to complete just one, and they never go as fast as you want them to go so it can be frustrating. When you accept them for the challenge that they are, you can just get after it. 

Final thoughts

If you think burpees suck, embrace them. 

Embrace that you’re burning calories and getting a full body workout every time you do them. 

Embrace them because you’ll never need the Life Alert, if you’ll just do them. You’ll be able to get on the floor and play with your kids, your grandkids, your dogs, or whatever, and not have to worry about not being able to get up. 

So, the next time you see burpees programmed, embrace them. After all, you’re just getting down and then getting back up. 

By Kari Reed

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How To Improve Weaknesses

man wearing hardness knows how to improve weaknesses by climbing a big cliff

We all have certain areas of strength! But, we also have certain areas or traits that we feel are our weaknesses. Becoming better at our strengths is easy. Generally people like and enjoy things they learn or can do easily. Therefore it is fun. Most people will unknowingly concentrate on their strengths. It’s important to know how to improve weaknesses. However, many people leave their weak areas by the wayside or work on them with minimal effort. 

I am all for trying to improve every avenue of oneself. I also believe there are certain times where improvement only takes you so far. And while you may never be great at your weakness, you can improve and fight to become better.

Of course most people know that how to improve weaknesses is to work hard at them. The more you practice the better you become. 

But is that it? Does it only come down to going through the motions over and over, and magically you will become better? I think it takes a little more self reflection, open-mindedness, and understanding than physical repetitions. 

So, here are some of the mindset changes that need to take place in order to move something from the ‘weakness’ column to the ‘strength’ column.

Change your mindset about how to improve weaknesses

Call it “focus work” instead of “weakness improvement”.

Simply by changing the way your mind thinks and speaks to itself is a great start. It makes it easier to accomplish the tasks at hand that you might not be thrilled about doing.

The word “weakness” implies that you’re bad at something. If you’re bad at something there is a good chance that you don’t want to do it. By switching to a mindset of opportunity you give yourself the chance for growth. 

Do I want to mow the yard? No. But do I want to get better at weed-eating? Yes. So instead of thinking I ‘have’ to do something, now I ‘get’ to do something.

Change your mind, and you will change yourself.

Expose, experience, and learn

A while back I was reading about kids and why physical playing is an important part of a child’s development. Due to an increase in personal electronic technology recently, researchers believe things like coordination, problem solving, balance, athletic ability, physical strength, and immune health have and will continue to suffer in children.  

It is hypothesized that the more situations and scenarios a young growing mind and body are exposed to, the more understanding and comprehension the mind and body retain. And here is the crazy part, the researchers even believe that this goes for situations and events that the individual has not been exposed to yet.

Basically, when you expose yourself to situations that require you to think through/fix a problem, then you are laying a solid base for when you come up against a new problem or issue.

I like to picture someone standing on the ground looking up at a second story deck that has no stairs. If all they have done the first 15 years of their life is look at a screen and push buttons how able are they to get to that second story? They aren’t! 

But each and every experience they have growing up; no matter how large or small, learning how to ride a bike, reading and doing book reports, playing hide-and-seek with friends, or being taught how to build a fire, act as building blocks that now gives them the knowledge and self confidence to get to that second story deck. They may not know how to build a ladder or stairs, but they know they can learn, or they will problem solve until they reach that second story.

The more you do, the less intimidating new experiences are. 

Understand how to improve weaknesses 

Be clear in your understanding of self.  I, for one, am not great (or even good) at anything musical. I know this and I don’t have a delusional point of view that tells me otherwise. Being able to identify an area you are weak at is important. This is because if you don’t know where to focus your effort you are flying blind.

To get to point B from point A, first you have to know where point B is in relation to point A. If you don’t know you are just guessing, and while you might get lucky there is a much better chance you won’t even get close! 

Find the areas you are not strong at. Have enough of an open mind and enough knowledge of self to realize you aren’t amazing at everything. If you do think that, you are delusional and should go seek professional help. It’s far better to have an understanding of your flaws and how to improve weaknesses.

Keep your goals insight

What are your goals? Do you want to become the best at something? Do you just want to learn for the sake of learning? Do you want to just become better at a subject so you can have an understanding when friends discuss it in front of you? Whatever level you want to reach, try writing down your goals. Writing down your goals can be a great way to remind yourself why you are working so hard.

We discussed how people don’t enjoy working on weaknesses. It is usually a struggle to make yourself do it. By writing down a goal, or goals, that you have can help inspire and reinvigorate you to push towards them. 

Motivation is key, but can quickly fail us, especially if you don’t see much progress. Keeping your written goals in a place you see everyday will remind you to not only work on improving, but why you are doing it.

We want to know your goals.  Who knows maybe we can help you accomplish them!  Feel free to comment and tell us what your goals are. 

By Nate Cordray and David Gionta

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