Anyone that knows me knows I love shoes. I am not your typical sneakerhead who waits in front of the computer for the latest release, but I do buy a lot of workout shoes. One of my favorite things to do is to see someone wearing a CrossFit specific shoe and strike up a conversation with them solely based of the possibility that they might do CrossFit. A simple, “Where do you CrossFit at?” Usually will make me a new friend in less than five minutes.  Most people that start at my gym eventually come and ask me what shoes they should be wearing. Usually the question goes something like, “Hey Rich, I noticed everyone in the gym is wearing X shoe. Which one do you think is best.” Until recently I would give a cop out answer along the lines of, “Really any of them are great!” But recently...

I just finished the book, “Unbeatable Mind” by Mark Divine. It was a fun read with some cool insight on how to become more mentally tough, but it also had some good insight on how to be a better person in general. Mark uses stories from his life to make his points on whatever topic he is covering. He was talking about honesty in a chapter and told a story that involved exercise and I thought it could relate to our program as well as be applied to your everyday life. The story was this: Mark was at a Seal Fit Training (a strength and conditioning program he designed) and they were on a run. The guy in the lead was well ahead of the rest of the pack and he thought he was all alone out in front and turned ten feet before the halfway cone. He of course...

I was asked in class by a man, “Why do we need to make hip contact on the snatch? I’m afraid on making contact with the wrong part of my body.” We all knew what he was talking about but it brought up a good point. Why do we make contact with our hips and how do we avoid our vital parts. In this short video I go over why and how to maneuver around certain parts of your body. -Richard

CrossFit has come a long way since its inception back in the early 2000’s and because of its popularity many people have at least tried it out. More often than not I will meet someone that did CrossFit for a couple months but fell off for some reason or another. A question I ask those people is, “What have you done since you’ve stopped CrossFit?” At least 90% of the time it is, “I haven’t done anything.” Obviously this is not a large pool of people to chose from nor is it a real study but more of a trend that I have noticed from people coming back to CrossFit or people that I have met outside of the gym. I believe the reason for this is the same reason that drew them to CrossFit in the first place. For most people it is a way for them to get...

Having good overhead strength and stability is important in CrossFit. Whether it is a long metcon or a max effort lift being able to support weight overhead is vital to longevity and progress. You won’t see any Games athletes doing overhead squats with bent elbows and someone who trains everyday needs to keep their shoulders healthy. Add these three movements to your weekly routine and your overhead strength and stability will improve!   Single Arm Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press This is a great movement for overhead stability and shoulder strength. The focus here is going to be to keep the bottom of the kettlebell pointed up. This forces you to keep your core tight and create tension in your arm. The tension in your arm is what creates the stability that keeps the kettlebell from falling on your head. Pressing it overhead requires a straight path, teaching you proper movement,...