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What Would Happen If I Did Pull Ups Every Day?

Pull ups are the classic back exercise. You probably learned to do them as a kid, but they’re a useful addition to a workout routine at any stage of life. They’re challenging, require minimal equipment, and are awesome for developing muscle and strength. You’ve surely seen trends of “100 Pull Ups Every Day For A Month” or similar. If you really enjoy this movement and see great results from it, you might be wondering what would happen if you tried doing pull ups every day.

There are some real pros and cons to doing, well, any movement each and every single day. This is particularly true of an exercise as intense and challenging as pull ups.

Let’s say you decided to do 50 pull ups every day for three months. Here are some results you could expect to see. Some are good. Some…not so much. 

You’ll Get (Way, Way) Better At Pull Ups

Pull ups are hard. Many people can’t even do a single one. At the start of your pull up challenge, you may only be able to complete five or so at a time. But, if you dedicate yourself to doing pull ups every day, you’ll quickly start seeing improvements. You may even get to a point where you can do all 50 in a row. That’s bound to feel good.

Your Back Will Gain Some Impressive Lean Muscle

This movement mostly targets your lats. Therefore, doing pull ups every day will have an amazing effect on these muscles. When they’re well developed, great lats make the waist look small and the shoulders look big. Lats are also crucial for keeping your back in a healthy position when you’re doing deadlifts, squats and bench presses.

Although, Your Gains May Not Be Proportional

Yes, your lats (and probably your biceps) will look awesome. But while they’ll be looking great, you can’t neglect your other muscles. You need to do other exercises to even out your legs, chest, and the rest of your arms and back. Having an underdeveloped lower back, traps and rear deltoids but massive lats is a slightly strange look, to say the least.

Doing Pull Ups Every Day Will Boost Your Grip Strength

Supporting your body weight for one pull up, let alone 50, requires some serious grip strength. It will be challenging at first, but within a week or two you’re likely to start seeing some major improvements. Many people find that their grip strength negatively impacts their pull exercises such as deadlifts, rows, and flies. So, your daily pull ups will help you in other areas of your fitness. And pretty soon, you’ll be the go-to jar opener among your friends and family.

You’ll Develop Great Muscular Endurance

When you commit to doing pull ups every day, your muscular endurance will skyrocket. This will also be helpful in other areas of your workouts, such as cardio and high intensity training. Your hard earned endurance will help you power through almost any other workout, which is super helpful.

But, You Won’t Be Resting Enough

Doing the same movement every day can take a major physical toll. If you get injured, you won’t be able to keep doing pull ups every day. As an athlete, it’s responsible to take rest days. Otherwise, you risk painful inflammation or torn and strained muscles.

Research shows that it’s best to allow muscle groups 24-48 hours to properly recover between workouts. You should absolutely not push through injury.

And You’ll Get Real Sick Of Doing Pull Ups Every Day

You won’t just be tired physically. You’ll feel some mental strain too. Most people who have committed to daily pull up challenges report really struggling with the mental side of it. Dragging yourself to the gym to do the same gruelling exercise over and over again is tough – especially when you’re overtrained and sore.

On the other hand, pushing through the pain may suit your personality type. You may find it really empowering to force yourself to get into the gym and do those pull ups every day for 3 months. At the end of those months, you’ll feel like a beast. One thing’s for certain though – doing pull ups every day is going to be tough. Consider the pros and cons carefully before diving into any daily exercise challenge.

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How To Get Back In The Gym After A Break

For one reason or another, you took time off working out. You might be looking to get back in the gym after lockdown, getting busy with work, recovering from an injury, or any other reason.

First of all, congratulations! It’s great that you’re ready to get your fitness back on track. However, don’t be overzealous. It can be tempting to go really hard to make up for lost time, but this can lead to burnout and injury.

In this post, we have some key pointers for getting your mind and body back into the workout grind safely and sustainably. If you use these tips, you’ll be able to start working out again in a way that’s positive for your long-term plan.

When you get back in the gym, expect a change in ability

No matter if you used to be a weightlifter, a CrossFitter, a cardio lover or whatever else, you should remember that your physical ability will have suffered. Don’t feel bad about this – it’s normal! 

But, it is important to keep in mind when making a new plan. If you jump straight back into the same workouts you used to do, you may overexert yourself and get injured. Or, you might not be able to perform like you used to and get frustrated. Make sure to start working out again in a sustainable way, so you don’t burn out.

Be patient and take it slow

Take some time to think about your old workout plan, and how you can scale it back. It’s important to set yourself up for success. This means thinking about keeping it sustainable.

Think about your previous high intensity workouts. A good rule of thumb is to start working out again at 20 percent of the intensity of your hardest workouts.

If you had to take time off from exercise because of an injury or illness, check in with your doctor before getting started.

Plan your workout with exercises you enjoy

You’ll be far more motivated to get back in the gym if you’ve got a killer workout plan. When you’re getting back into the swing of things, try to keep it simple. Get back to the basics, and focus on your functional movements. There are many great resources online to inspire you.

Create a workout plan with two to four heavy compound lifts at the start. From there, you can be flexible. Work in some isolation lifts, cardio, bodyweight exercises, or anything you want.

Many people like to ease themselves back into exercising with group fitness classes, such as CrossFit. You could also opt for a game of soccer, tennis, basketball or any sport of your choosing with friends. 

Expect to be sore when you get back in the gym

Every fitness junkie has had a bad case of DOMS at some point. DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. When you do any kind of resistance training, it causes tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This is why you feel sore after a workout, particularly after your first session in a while.

After you get back in the gym, you should expect some muscle soreness. However, you can minimize it by warming up, drinking enough water and applying ice to the affected muscles after the workout.

Don’t let your sore muscles put you off too much. And luckily, the more often you go, the less noticeable your DOMS will be.

Set (healthy) goals

Getting back in the gym can seem a bit daunting. Setting yourself some goals can help you measure your progress and boost your motivation as you smash through them.

When you set goals for yourself, remember the SMART acronym. A goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based. When you reach a goal, reward yourself with some new workout gear, or anything else you like!

At the end of the day, getting back in the gym should be fun. If you take it slow and manage your expectations, this will help you ease back into the lifestyle. Before you know it, you’ll be back where you left things – or better than ever!

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How Do I Get 6 Pack Abs As Quickly As Possible?

There’s many reasons to work for 6 pack abs. Strong abdominal muscles are super important. They help you have great posture, boost your workout endurance, and provide a base of support for your whole body. Plus, they’ll help you look a little more like Chris Hemsworth.

Getting shredded and looking your best is all about gaining muscle while maintaining minimal body fat. Even if you build the core muscles of your dreams, no one will know if they’re hidden behind too much bulk.

Here’s how you can get those washboard abs as quickly as possible – and no, it doesn’t require 1000 sit-ups a day.

Focus on your diet

You know what they say: abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. For an enviable core, yes, you need to work out often. More importantly, you need to eat a healthy diet. 

As a general rule, you should aim to get 40% of your calories from carbs. 30% should come from protein and 30% from fat.

Don’t skimp on healthy carbs such as brown rice, sweet potatoes and whole grains. Eat enough colorful and leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spinach.

To build abs, you need to build muscle. This means eating enough protein to fuel your gains. Aim for 0.6 – 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, depending on how much muscle you wish to build. Some great protein sources include chicken, fish, eggs, lean cuts of beef, and dairy.

Finally, make sure you work enough healthy monounsaturated fats into your diet. Think nuts, avocados, fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, and olive oil.

Do more cardio

Cardio is a crucial aspect of your general fitness. Getting your heart pumping helps your body burn fat. In turn, a low body fat percentage reveals the ripped 6-pack abs you’ve been working hard for.

Most CrossFit workouts are energetic and have a big cardio component to them. Checking out a class at your gym could be a simple and easy way to break a sweat, without having to waste time deciding what exercise to do. Plus, group fitness is really fun.

There are also many other great ways to work some extra cardio into your daily routine. You could consider walking, running, biking, swimming or rowing. Team sports you enjoy, such as soccer or basketball, are a popular and fun way to get a workout in without feeling like you’re slaving away at the gym.

Do core exercises

In addition to your cardio, take some time to strengthen your abs. There are many fantastic CrossFit moves that will get your core burning. You can get creative with which exercises you want to use during your workouts. 

Some of the best and most popular functional movements you could consider using include:

  • Overhead squats

Hold a weight above your head and complete a full body squat. This forces your abs to work super hard to stabilize your body. 

  • Toes to bar

Hanging from a pull-up bar, slowly and steadily bring your toes to the bar while keeping your legs straight. Most of the pressure will be on your core, making this an incredible ab workout.

  • Farmer’s carry

This is a simple exercise that consists of carrying two dumbbells. Your arms, back, shoulders and abs will all be exhausted after completing a few of these. The farmer’s carry is a popular CrossFit move and a great way to work your whole upper body. 

  • V ups

These modified sit-ups involve lying on your back and bending at the hips. With arms above your head, slowly bring your hands and feet towards each other – shaping your body into a V. This exercise works your obliques, core and hip flexors. V ups will improve your stability, balance, and most importantly, set your core on fire.

  • Burpee box jump

This explosive bodyweight movement upgrades a classic burpee by adding a leap onto a box. This is a great way to work your core, while also getting in some intense cardio.

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What Is Butt Wink And Is It Bad?

There are a few topics in fitness circles that have polarizing sides and can cause major arguments. Sumo vs conventional dead lifts? Is CrossFit dangerous or not? Is butt wink bad? These are all touchy subjects.

Butt wink, as it is so lovingly called, is when someone goes lower into their squat (hopefully after they pass parallel) and their hips rotate and tuck under them. Basically, this allows them to get into a deeper squat position. The controversial aspect is around if butt wink is dangerous, or causes back problems.

If you don’t want to read and learn, here is the short answer. It depends, but most people have some degree of butt wink and are okay.

Here’s the long answer.

Why does butt wink happen?

Basically there are two schools of thought here. The first is that butt wink is an anatomical thing that is more prone to happening to certain people. The other perspective is that butt wink is a mobility issue and can be fixed. 

Most people, myself included, fall to the anatomical side. With that said, I do think having better mobility can help. But mobility can only do so much. It can’t move your anatomy.

So what are the anatomical reasons? Believe it or not, people are different. Some people have wider/deeper pelvic bone structure than others. Others have longer/shorter femurs, and the femur head might sit higher or lower on the hip. The femoral neck can also be shorter or longer on some people. Your femur length to torso length ratio also plays a factor.

Basically there are tons of anatomical reasons that a person might have butt wink. 

But what about the mobility part?

Like we said, mobility can help you squat in a better position but it can’t do anything to change how your hips are built. Your mobility won’t change your femur to torso ratio. 

However, a major player in the mobility game during a squat is your ankles. If the ankles are tight and immobile then a perfect squat is going to be very difficult or maybe not possible. By increasing ankle mobility and range of motion, you’ll be able to squat in a much healthier way.

But is butt wink bad?

It can be. Once again, most people have some degree of butt wink somewhere in a full “ass to grass” squat. That doesn’t automatically make it bad. However, it also doesn’t mean it is totally acceptable for every person. This is especially true if you have lower back issues.

The ‘bad’ part of butt wink is that any time the spine is loaded and rounds then you open yourself up for injury. You might get lucky and be okay for a while but after many many reps where this is allowed to happen, your chances of injury increase.

If a person who does not have any previous lower back issues does a squat with no load (i.e. bodyweight) then the risk is relatively low. But the heavier the weight and the sooner in the squat the butt wink occurs, the more likely there will be lower back problems and pain. 

For a person who already has lower back issues, even a bodyweight squat or high reps of bodyweight squats can cause pain.

What to take away

There are a few things to keep in mind.

  • Don’t just forget about mobility and blame your butt wink totally on your genetics.
  • Video yourself squatting, or have a coach who knows what to look for watch you for multiple reps.
  • If you have pain or issues, stop. That is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.
  • Work on increasing your mobility first, before worrying about anything else, unless it is pain.
  • Be okay working with some lighter weights while your body is adjusting and breaking bad habits.

How I deal with my butt wink

For me, I get butt wink just below parallel. If I sit all the way into my squat, it is pretty pronounced. My ankle mobility could be better, but I do try and work on it every week. I don’t squat massive weight, or even anywhere near what most other males my age and size do. I don’t have pain or low back issues and generally I feel fine in my squats.

Now, if I were coaching myself here is what I would say: You should focus on improving the ankle mobility and core strength (to help keep the chest up in heavy squats). As long as you don’t have any pain or discomfort you are probably okay to continue just like you have been.  But if something does cause you problems, let me know and don’t just think it will go away.

If you have any questions with the squat, butt wink or anything else please let us know. We love to help!

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World Class Fitness in 100 Words (Part 2)

So as a follow up to part 1 of this post, I wanted to break down each aspect of fitness in 100 words. The great thing about the mindset is the simplistic takeaways. The lack of specialized words or terms makes it very easy to read, and actually comprehend.  So trying to stick with that same theme, let’s dive in to take a look at these parts.

Eat meat & vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.

Choose healthy foods that provide your body with lots of nutrients. A bag of chips doesn’t have many nutrients in it. Lower amounts of starch means you don’t need them with every meal.

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, fruit does have sugar. The “no sugar” that this is referring to are things like candy, or sweets with high levels of sugar and no other vitamins or benefits.

Keep intake to levels that will support exercise, but not body fat.

Measure your foods for optimal fitness.  If that doesn’t work for you, just try not to overdo it. Eat healthy foods, when hungry.

Practise and train the major lifts:

Deadlift, Clean, Squat, Presses, Clean and Jerk and Snatch.

These are multi-joint movements that train large (and more than one) muscle groups at a time. Compound lifts are shown to be the most effective at developing muscle and gaining strength. Vary the weights and reps you use when training these lifts.

Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics:

Pullups, Dips, Rope Climb, Push Ups, Presses to Handstand, Pirouettes, Flips, Splits and Holds.

If the major lifts build your large muscle groups, then these train the smaller ones. These exercises are great for helping you stabilize and balance, rather than move large amounts of weight.

Bike, Run, Swim, Row, etc… hard and fast.

It’s crucial to do enough cardio. Aim for easily repetitive movements that can be done intensely without major risk of injury. Focus on sprint intervals with these, not distance.

Work out 5 or 6 days per week. Mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy.

The majority of the week you should be combining these lifts, movements and exercises in endless ways. There should be an underlying structure to how they are combined. But, try to stay out of a strict routine. Don’t get in a rut of doing the same things over and over. Get creative with how you incorporate workouts into your life.

Keep workouts short and intense.

Intensity is king. Common knowledge would say longer is better. However, this is not true. There is a reason sprinters look like power houses and marathon runners look like twigs.

Regularly learn and play new sports.

Learn new movements and create lots of neural pathways. Teach your body and your mind how to do lots of things!

Fitness in 100 words: a simple philosophy

There you have it. That is fitness in 100 words (plus a little extra).  Ready to get fit? Book your free intro today.

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World Class Fitness in 100 Words

What do we all want?

Recently, I have been meeting with the Buffalo Nickel CrossFit members one on one and have had some great discussions. We have been talking about goals. Not only goals for their health and fitness, but life in general. Almost everyone has mentioned that they want to lose weight and/or maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle. That is, they want a world class fitness regime.

This is music to my ears for a couple of reasons.  Not only do people want to get healthier (lose weight), but they also want to STAY healthy!

What would happen if you asked a group of people “Do you want to get and stay healthy?” The majority would say “Yes, of course!” But there is a problem!

Where to begin…

There is so much existing information about health and fitness.  A quick google search of “how to get in shape” will hit with a tidal wave of results. Some of this information is good, and some is just absolute garbage. It can be really overwhelming.

Even for someone like me who has invested a large amount of their life into being healthy, it is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant.

That’s why I think about fitness in 100 words. It is a general description without any crazy or confusing details. Even someone who is brand new to fitness should be able to understand the concept of fitness from these 100 words.

This was posted in the CrossFit Journal all the way back in 2002.  But guess what, fitness in 100 words still applies, because it is actually fitness. It is not some crazy “as seen on TV” product or a $3000 stationary bike that will eventually be worth less than a computer mouse.  The original article has 11 pages of information that you can go read here if you want.

World class fitness in 100 words

I will break each of these parts down with a little more explanation in the future, but this is the gist.

“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY. Keep workouts short and intense.

Regularly learn and play new sports.”

That is the simplest way it can be said. If you follow this mentality, you will have world class fitness. Like I said, in a future post we will go over these parts in more detail. 

If you have any questions about how to be healthier, please reach out to us. We can help you to reach your goals.

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What Shoes To Wear For CrossFit?

So, you’ve just signed up for CrossFit, and when you were at the box you noticed a lot of people wearing a certain style or brand of shoe that looked nothing like the shoes you had on. And you start thinking: what are the best shoes to wear for CrossFit? Do I need special shoes?The short answer is a big fat no. You don’t NEED CrossFit shoes, sometimes labeled as training shoes.  

But they will definitely help you. First, some history.

In the beginning

Believe it or not when CrossFit started, there was no specific CrossFit equipment, let alone shoes.  Everyone simply wore what they had. Regular athletic/running shoes, barefoot shoes, and Converse were all popular choices. They each had things they did well, and they each had their own Achilles heel (hahahaha). 

However, this all changed when CrossFit and Reebok entered into a partnership in 2010. The partnership basically made it so that Reebok was the only licensed company to use the CrossFit brand on their apparel and shoes. 

In 2011 the very first CrossFit shoe came out (Nano), it was designed to be similar to a CrossFit athlete: generally good at everything. This was huge. You could do box jumps and double-unders in them, then use them for weightlifting, and to finish, take off on a mile run. All that, and without having to change shoes or having to sacrifice comfort.

By today’s standards that doesn’t sound like much, but for a while most “athletic shoes” were sport specific. Or, they were focused on looking athletic, but couldn’t actually handle simple fitness requirements.

10 Years Later

The sport of fitness, and popularity of a truly functional shoe has grown over the last 10 years.  Other companies have decided to cash in on this popularity and have designed “fitness” or “training” shoes.  Some are just as popular if not more so than the Reebok designed Nano.  

The partnership of Reebok and CrossFit is in its last year, and it will be interesting to see how both companies handle this break up.  

Okay cool, but what are the best shoes to wear for CrossFit?

If you are just starting CrossFit, then you don’t need to go out and buy new shoes, just wear what you have. Most people have a pair of athletic shoes lying around. They will work just fine while you are learning the basics.

Special shoes to wear for CrossFit can be expensive, so you might get lucky and meet someone at your new box who has bought a slightly used pair, didn’t like them and now wants to sell them.  You might be able to pick up a newer pair for cheap.

It’s also good to talk to coaches and members to see what they recommend for footwear.  Trust me, CrossFit people LOVE shoes and you will make their day asking for their thoughts and advice.  If anything, you’ll have to make an excuse just to get away from them talking. 

Shoes: some good, some bad, some ugly

There are plenty of people who have done comparisons and reviews for each and every CrossFit style shoe out there. With research, you can find more than you ever knew was possible on this topic.

But if you don’t want to spend the time using Google, hopefully this will make it easier. This is not by any means all the ‘fitness’ shoes out there but it does cover the most popular.

 Reebok Nano:

Good

These are the originals. They’ve been in the game the longest, and in my opinion it shows.  I think they are the most comfortable. Reebok has refined the shoe well, and they continue to make overall improvements.

Bad

They are known for having some bad generations.  There is a reason Reebok has the best CrossFit shoe, and that is because they have made some major mistakes in the past. But, for the most part, I think that ended with the 7th generation.

Ugly

I think all Nanos are pretty slick looking.  The design of the 8s are my personal favorites. The newest generation, the X’s, have a pretty cool look.

Nike Metcon:

Good

When these came out they were an instant hit and have grown in typical Nike fashion.  I had a few pairs and one thing I loved was the hardened heel for handstand push ups.  They also brought a new design to the game and made it to where there was variety inside CrossFit boxes.

Bad

The few pairs I had had a major issue; with every step they would squeak and squawk. It sounded like you were walking on a freshly waxed linoleum floor being followed by a gaggle of geese. Plus, the sides of the soles would always crack.

Ugly

Design peaked years ago.  The newest ones look bulky and heavy. I have a wide foot and the toe box on Metcons have just never felt right.

Nobull Trainer:

Good

If your focus is on lifting, these will probably be good for you. The firm flat sole is nice and the snug fit ensures your foot won’t move too much. Nobull probably has the most color options of any fitness shoe. They seem to make a new color scheme for their shoe’s every week.

Bad

Okay, here we go…I don’t like Nobull. They are expensive for what they are and rarely (if ever) put their shoes on sale. They have had the same basic shoe since 2017 and just throw new colors on it without actually making any improvements. 

They started with this whole ‘David taking on Goliath’ mantra which was cool, but that quickly faded when they sponsored some of the biggest names in CrossFit. Personal opinion aside, I had one pair, and they didn’t last 6 months before the sole came apart.

Ugly

Despite my dislike for certain aspects of the company, I actually love the look of the shoe and all the colors. They make awesome colors, the design is simple and you can get as subtle or as wild as you like with all the themes they offer. 

If you do find something you like, you better get it quick! They are notorious for selling out of sizes/styles and then not restocking for a long time, or only offering one run of something on a certain day of the year (Black Friday, New Years, etc.) 

Wow David, your knowledge and insight of CrossFit shoes is SO impressive!

Thank you. Hopefully this helps you on your journey to picking shoes to wear for CrossFit. Be warned: it is unlikely you will only have one pair.  Everyone knows a good CrossFitter will have lots of CrossFit shoes.  

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Buffalo Nickel Crossfit FAQ

Ever wonder about Buffalo Nickel CrossFit? Wonder no more! Here are the answers to your top questions about Buffalo Nickel Crossfit.

When did Buffalo Nickel CrossFit open?

The end of 2016. I decided to open around August/September. By the time all the papers were signed and the doors were open it was December.

Where does the name come from?

Mostly because I am a bison nerd! I find all aspects of them amazing. Their history, their wildness and stubbornness, how nutritious their meat is, but mostly how athletic they are.  Bison are all muscle, with very little fat. They are big, powerful and strong animals. Yet, they are still able to jump 6 foot fences, run about 40mph, and move with ease.  From a CrossFit perspective, they are one of the ultimate athletes.

Why did you start Buffalo Nickel CrossFit?   

I started coaching CrossFit in 2014 and I loved it. The most enjoyable part for me is helping people improve their movement. I really like being able to give someone the right cues to help them move better.

So, after coaching part time for about 2 years, I decided it was time to open my own affiliate. My goal starting out was simple: I wanted to help normal people become healthier, and move/lift in functional ways. CrossFit had been such a large part of my life and I felt like it had done a lot for me. I wanted others to experience that too.

What does the future hold for Buffalo Nickel CrossFit?

Of course, our main goal is to give our clients the very best value along with the ultimate CrossFit experience.  I want people to be blown away by every little detail of Buffalo Nickel. This is why it’s always a work in progress. I never stop thinking about what we can do to make our box better.

Myself and the other coaches do a lot of learning and studying just trying to make sure we can provide some great services to our members.

Knowing what you know now, would you do anything different? 

I definitely underestimated how difficult starting a business is. On the other side of that coin, I overestimated myself. 

There have been a lot of very long, painful, and expensive lessons to learn, but ultimately I enjoy the satisfaction of overcoming the obstacles.  Of course there are things I would do differently.  The main thing I would suggest to anyone starting any business is do your homework and just start trying different tactics to find what works. 

You can’t know/do too much.  The faster you find what doesn’t work, the quicker you can find what does. 

How will you know when you have become successful?

I think the word successful is misleading to most people. I believe most people picture success as reaching a point in life where they are done chasing dreams, or don’t have to work for things. Basically, a point where things are easy.

Of course I want to achieve goals, and accomplish what I set out to achieve. But I never want to reach a point where I stop chasing dreams. And resting on my laurels is unacceptable. For me it’s the chase that’s exciting.

Really, I just want to help make happy, healthy humans.  So that’s what we are going to do!

Click here to see some more info about what we do and how to join us at Buffalo Nickel CrossFit.

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Exercising Later In Life: It’s Never Too Late

Getting older sucks…or so the saying goes. But why does it suck? A big reason is loss of health. As we age, we typically lose muscle mass, have less energy, a compromised immune system, higher blood pressure, and more. Years of unhealthy habits finally catch up to us, and we have to start paying the piper.  Even so, there’s another (better) saying: “it’s never too late”. Exercising later in life is an excellent way to combat these common issues.

I want to brag for a moment. At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit we currently have 6 members over the age of 55. One of them is my own mom. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these 6 people, for multiple reasons. 

One being, CrossFit is totally different from the health and fitness routines that they were taught growing up. Secondly, they haven’t let age determine their health. They embody “it’s never too late.”

Lastly, when I first started CrossFit I was in my early 20s and relatively fit. I was still nervous walking in. These folks started CrossFit in their 50s and 60s.  They took a huge step out of their comfort zone and stepped into something that requires discipline and grit. That is awesome!

So, are you too old to join a gym? 

No way, not even close.  Fitness is healthcare, even just being interested in fitness is caring for your health.  In fact as we get older it is even MORE important to take an interest in your health.  It is like planning for retirement, earlier is better but even if you don’t start until your senior years you can still reap benefits.

How can exercising later in life help your mind?

Exercising helps with multitasking and creativity. It also prevents some of the common effects of ageing such as memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia.  In some cases, it can even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Exercising is great for your body and brain. Committing to exercise later in life is a perfect way to slow the cognitive effects of ageing.

How can exercising later in life help your body?

It boosts your metabolism and builds muscle, in turn burning more calories. Exercise lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancers.

It also improves strength, flexibility, and posture, which helps with balance and coordination, and helps prevent falling. As an older person, you’ll find that exercise alleviates symptoms of arthritis. Working out over 50 is one of the best things you can do for your body.

Living a happier, healthier life can start at any age. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  If you are still uncomfortable in a gym setting, there is plenty you can do from home to help increase your fitness and be healthier.  Unsure where to start?  Reach out to us, we have some of the best coaches who would love to help you.