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This time of the year is usually one of the happiest times for me. But this year, it was different.

My birthday was this weekend. I turned 31…crazy to think that I am over a third of the way through my life. Coronavirus seriously put a damper on that one. But every year on my birthday, we also pay our CrossFit Affiliate Dues. This year makes 7 years operating as a CrossFit gym.

In the fall of 2012, I was attending CrossFit Deer Park’s 5:00 am class regularly. In that class, there was a guy about ten years older than me name Dennis Robbins. Dennis was on the life track that I wanted to be on. He was an aspiring entrepreneur, a married father of two, he was fit, happy, and successful. I would pick his brain from time to time, and one day he told me to come by his office in Baytown. I got there, and he showed me his building and what he wanted to be BayWay CrossFit. He knew I had my CrossFit Level 1 and asked if I would start training people there. (If you know my story, you know I jumped at that opportunity.) From there, we began BayWay Fitness.

We ran a few small fitness classes in the garage attached to the office that he used for his construction company. He and I worked classes together, and it was raw. Learning to run a gym on the fly as we built a small membership base, which was mostly their family and friends, but we were growing.

Dennis introduced me to Dee (all three of us are partners and have grown the business together) the same day that I came to the office, and they told me their plans for affiliating with CrossFit and creating a partnership. Still, it would be down the road a little as the gym needed to make enough money to pay for certifications and the affiliate fees.

Dennis had his third child that December, and I remember it well because he said, “Rich, you got this.” From there, I became the head coach of BayWay Fitness and worked tirelessly to make enough money to pay for us to become BayWay CrossFit.

I would coach classes in the early morning, work my day job until about 4:00. Drive to the gym, work two classes, and then work out myself. Being in my early twenties, putting in 16-18 hour days was no problem. I’m very thankful for our coaching staff these days now in my 30’s!!!!

On May 3rd, 2013, we officially became BayWay CrossFit. I became a partner in the business with Dee and Dennis, and the real work started there. We had a small space that once we affiliated, we outgrew. We knocked down a few walls after a while and grew the area a little more. We had a welded together pull-up rig and some garage sale equipment for probably the first two years until we could afford a real Rogue Rig. We got our first rower in the gym around the same time that we did our second expansion of the building in 2015.

We couldn’t expand any further from there but added so many awesome members and lots of new equipment from 2015 to 2019. That small space changed its face so many times over the seven years that we were there. I have so many great memories there and have met some of my closest friends there.

At the end of 2019, we moved to the new building we are in now. Big, spacious, clean, and beautiful. Lots of parking and a legit backdrop for every picture as the building sits on five acres of woods. We bought more bikes and rowers to accommodate growing classes as well as other pieces of equipment too. So much hard work went into getting us this building, and all of the members who were apart of BWCF along the way are to be thanked. Dee, Dennis, and I cannot thank everyone enough!

Coronavirus has halted BWCF for a while, but the great state of Texas plans to reopen soon, and so will we. Who knows what the future for gyms looks like, but we are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to keep our members safe but also getting them fit again.

Fitness is a legit defense against COVID-19. That doesn’t mean you won’t get it, or that fit people haven’t got it and been seriously ill from it, and it’s not a cure. But you are far less likely to have severe symptoms being fit. Most of the people who are at serious risk are either/both/all 55+, obese, have diabetes, or have hypertension. Exercise cannot turn back time, but it can help with the rest.

When given the green light, I will do everything I can to make sure that everyone is safe at BWCF. That we will all continue to build our fitness but in a secure way.

If you are not ready even with the green light to be back, I will be offering online programming that is customized to you as well.

Thank you to everyone who has been apart of this journey, and we hope that there are many more celebrations ahead of us!

As always,
Stay moving my friends!
Richard

With the stay at home order coming down so quickly, hardly anyone was prepared to workout at home. Most people have no equipment because we have gym memberships and have never needed it. Some gyms rented out stuff so that you could stay fit during the crisis but what happens if this resurfaces in the fall and we are back at home? Or maybe you like working out at home a few days a week; you need some equipment.

I have said on just about every platform I have that I do not believe at-home fitness is sustainable, and most of us are feeling that to be true right now in week four of stay at home. But having some equipment available to you if needed is not a bad idea. Maybe even splitting your days at home and the gym when they reopen fitness centers.

Equipment manufacturers have garage gym packages that work, but I will be honest, most of these packages give you things you do not need.

Here are some things I think you should avoid purchasing for a home gym and why.

Barbell & Plates:
This is usually the first thing people want to purchase for their home gyms because it is such a staple in most commercial and micro/studio gyms like ours.
I don’t think that most people need this because everyday exercisers are not powerlifters or Olympic lifters. We do not need regular barbell work to maintain technique or to build absolute strength. Plus, bars and plates only have real functionality when put together.
They also take up a lot of room and require some decent storage space and are a pain in the ass to move.
If you have a gym membership but also want to have the ability to workout at home, plan to attend the gym on days that there is strength or skill work programmed. This way, you can get the strength work you need and focus on metcons at home.

Squat Rack & Bench:
They may have some functionality, but they are expensive, and when the gyms reopen will eventually be used to hang clothes on.
If you do not have a barbell or enough plates, the rack sometimes is pointless to have, and again if you are not training for absolute strength, which most of us are not, you can save yourself the money here.
Some racks have a pull-up bar attachment, which adds some functionality but not worth the purchase just for the pull-up bar. You can buy a wall-mounted pull-up bar for much cheaper.
Again, schedule the strength and skill days at the gym, and it leaves your metcon heavy days for home workouts.

Cardio Machines:
This one price-wise is pretty obvious. These are by far the most expensive purchases for home gyms with rowers costing around $900, bikes around $700, and ski ergs also in that price range.
Running is free, and let’s be honest; we can all be a bit better at running.
These machines take up lots of space, and yes, have some low impact workout value but are just not functional if you are maintaining your gym membership. Almost any gym owner will allow you to stay after and get some extra cardio on a machine of your choice as long as you do not disrupt the current class or use a machine the class is using.

The problem many people have with trying to train at home is that they think they can do it on their own. That they can find workouts and go for it, but for most, this isn’t possible. What you need, even at home, is coaching. You need a program that fits what you have and what you are capable of, rather than trying to purchase stuff so that you can do any program.

Once you have a coach, here is what you need to have a decent variety of equipment for tons of workout options, all for under the cost of one machine.

Plyo Box
Dumbbells (2 Pairs)
Kettlebells (2 Weights)
Slam Ball (20-30lbs)
Sandbag (40-60lbs)
Jump Rope
PowerBand (light resistance)

Look for weights that cost less than a dollar per pound, and you could have all of that for under $500—a much smaller investment than dropping over a grand on some of these garage gym packages you see online that are less practical than the list above.

The only way to stay diligent at home is to have a coach that is programming workouts with your equipment, workouts you are capable of and do not have to think of your scaling options, and most of all, KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE. As I am sure you all have discovered, it is really easy to stay on the couch rather than walk outside and get a workout in.

If you need any help with coaching or programming, shoot me an email!
[email protected]

Richard

So its Friday, and it doesn’t feel like Friday. Most weeks end with relief and some congregation, but not this Friday. This Friday, we will all be homebodies, and we will all Netflix and Chill.

My sister has been staying with us through this ‘stay at home order.’ As I am sure, you have seen in my videos. One thing that our mom taught us both to do was cook. She made home-cooked meals regularly and had us help her often. Katy is a great cook and makes most of her meals off the top of her head. Yesterday she said she was going to make eggs on avocado toast, so we filmed it. Here’s the video, enjoy!

Monday, I am going to be adding to our current online program that we are offering. Right now, you have the CrossFit program as well as the HOME program. Both we have been posting videos on and providing tons of modifications.

We will continue to do that, but now on the wodify app, there will be a “Kids Speed & Strength” section. I have had a lot of questions on what kids should be doing, so I put this together. It will be a five-day program that will have movements for the kids to do that will help them develop sport-specific training—meaning speed and agility drills, as well as some explosive work. I will attach youtube videos on all movements so that you can show them. There will be lateral movements, so unless you feel that you are athletic enough to do them, please let the kids do the kids program. Lateral movements on older bodies are not a good combination lol.

I will also be reaching out to the people who put that they were looking for customized programs and one on one coaching outside of what we are already doing.

Anyone who wants to join our online nutrition work as well needs to send me an email. I have already received a couple of emails from people who have lost weight during this following our guidelines!

As always, reach out to me if you need help with anything!

Stay moving my friends,
Richard

Now my rant if you made it this far:
This situation that we are in right now is more significant than any one person. Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family. If something happens to you, who is going to take care of them? Let your health be your motivator; let your family’s health be your motivator. Stop eating crap, and don’t skip workouts. Even if you are not putting full effort into the workout, you are doing something that is going to be beneficial to your health.
And lastly, we all know we need to social distance. It’s basically the dieting of 2020. We know we should be doing it, and some will and some won’t. We know what can happen when we don’t diet, and we know what could happen when we don’t social distance. What we don’t need is people planning their best, “I told you so’s,” for when this is all over. No one cares if you were the first to post on social media about it. If you are thinking of only you, how this plays into politics, how you can be right or virtue signaling, YOU ARE DOING HUMAN WRONG.

Rant over.

So in my life before coronavirus, I had a rigorous routine. I would wake up at the same time every day and go to bed at the same time. I coached the same classes and had my hours blocked out throughout the entire day around my coaching ours. I even time block my workout time, and if I didn’t finish, then I didn’t finish. Each day was time blocked out for different tasks that I wanted to accomplish during that day.

Now I am stuck at home, and finding a routine to get into has been pretty tough. I found a resource online and made my time block “At HOME” day based on the last day or two. This may change if they lower some of the restrictions, and I try to get back out and do house calls, but for now, this is how I am structuring my day. This is about 90% correct on my day, the other 10% that is missing is me on the phone or computer communicating with people, motivating, or answering questions.

With my wife home from work for the last couple of days, I have been using the HOUSEWORK section to go for a run. I hate being stuck behind a desk, and in the house, so I go for a run to get out. Yesterday I even ran to the store to get a few things, but the stuff in my backpack, and ran home.

Because of my personality, I know if I can stick to this routine, I can still be productive and keep everyone engaged and bring BWCF back stronger than ever.

Take a few minutes and put together a routine for you. I promise it will help your day pass and feel like you did something.

I hope it helps!
Richard

Coaching is more than explaining workouts and making sure your athletes are safe. This is why at our gym, we call our instructors Coaches and not Trainers. We are more than a trainer, and because I am a coach, I realize I am so incredibly lucky.

I’m trying to find a silver lining here, but it’s hard. What I do know is I love coaching, and any small gym business guru would tell me, “Richard, you need to stop working in your business and work on it.” And I get that, I’m pretty savvy to the game, but man, I can’t pull myself away from it.

I miss it so bad right now. I know I am only a couple of days removed, but I realize how addicted to it I am. I love seeing people smile when it clicks, coaching people to move better and, most of all, the community. The little talks or horseplay throughout the day are some of the brightest parts of my week, and I freaking miss it. I am relearning something that honestly, at times I’ve thought I lost it, and that’s passion. I am one of the few people who wake up every day and get to do what they love and be surrounded by awesome people who love being at BWCF. I miss all of you terribly, and I can’t wait for this to be over.

Much Love,
Richard

Hey Everyone!

So in almost all of my recent emails, I have mentioned coaching you from your home while you’re forced to take time away from the gym. I have received a lot of questions on this, so I want to try and give out some information on what I want to do to help you.

First off, as long as you are a member of BWCF, you will be able to receive the “HOME” workouts through Wodify. I am working on getting some videos for you each day so that you can get some insight into the workouts that you are doing.

I have been training athletes remotely since 2017. It is something that I have become quite good at and understand what it takes to keep my athletes engaged, encouraged, and fit.

I currently have five athletes that I train remotely, and before we moved to the new gym, I had over ten spread out through three different states. I also helped train three athletes to high-level competitions, all just missing qualifications to the CrossFit Games via Regionals, RIP. We were able to qualify for regionals and other major competitions throughout the country through systematic programming. I have developed a system of ‘template’ creation, which allows me to customize each athlete’s needs, wants, and workouts. I have already created a template for personalized at home Corona training, and I am ready to take on whoever needs it or wants it.

I only say this because I have experience with this, and programming for any of you remotely would not be new to me as it will be for many other gym owners and coaches.

As a member of BWCF, if you are planning to stay home or if we are forced to close, I will provide personalized home workouts for you if you want them for the same number of days you are paying for the gym. To fill in the other days, you can use the HOME workouts, and you can I can remain in contact with me via text or email to make sure you have the right modifications for those!

Right now, I have sandbags, boxes, and some barbells that I can lend out to members, but if we were forced to close, I would be renting out everything if you wanted it.

Workouts will be built around your goals, fitness level, and equipment you have. Yes, you can do the free stuff, but at some point, you are going to get bored with doing different variations of squats, pushups, situps, and lunges. That is where I come in.

I will provide you each day with a multi-part workout, including a warm-up and your metcon, but also options for additional cardio, strength, skill work, and core and finishers. It will be built in a structured program to ensure that you are getting the most out of your at-home training.

The next step is nutrition coaching. This is something that is just as important as fitness but now more than ever. If you have been stuck at home, I am sure you have already suffered the ‘grazing’ day. These are days that you eat only one or two meals but snack all day. This is terrible! A quick google search of ‘graze eating’ will show articles on articles of how in just a couple weeks you can put on 10-20 pounds. You are going to put on unwanted weight asap. I will help you structure a day and make sure that you are staying satiated so that you don’t graze.

I am currently in talks with MyFitnessPal on getting a discount on their premium subscription. I will provide you with goals to input in the app, and with the premium, you will be able to do it exactly as I say. Then I will add you to the gyms profile and check-in with you daily to help you modify your day and keep you accountable.

From there, its about scheduling your day. Having a multi-part workout means that you can split your day up around your workout(s). I have already put together a preliminary day, and I will help you set up yours. Keeping busy is crucial, and I think I have a good schedule to help you!

Again, if you are BWCF members and want to stay home right now and then at some point, if we are all forced to stay home, I will provide you with this service if you want it. Your monthly membership will provide the cost for it, workouts programmed will be equal to the number of days you pay for, but the nutritional guiding will be included entirely as well as the HOME workouts.

If you are someone reading this and are not a member of BWCF but would like this same help, the price I charge for this service is $250/month, with the first three months paid upfront. It’s a high dollar service I know, but it is worth every penny when it comes to your health, fitness, and sanity.

I am trying to plan everything out so that I can keep everyone fit and healthy through all of this and keep this community together!

As always, if you have questions, let me know!

Richard