This weekend our gym had almost twenty athletes compete in a local fitness competition put on by Vintage CrossFit. A few had done competitions like this before, but for many, it was their first time doing a full day fitness competition.   Competing in a competition like this is unlike anything else. Fitness as a sport is unique in that if someone is more fit than you, they are going to win. There isn’t magic (that I have found yet) when 3-2-1 go happens, you obtain abilities and fitness that you didn’t have before. This creates different challenges that most sports do not have. Even in individual sports there other external factors that could play against your opponent that may not factor into your game. In a fitness competition like this, it is only you and your fitness. Nothing else. This makes for an unusual mental state. Most people think...

November Athlete Spotlight:   First Name & Last Initial Harry V.   Home Town Baytown, TX Age 38 Occupation Electrician for the Port of Houston   When did you start CrossFit? About three years ago   When did you start at BWCF? I started CrossFit here!   What are your favorite movements or workouts? Strict handstand push-ups and back squats What are your least favorite movements or workouts? Box jumps and burpees   Tell us about your sports & fitness background? I didn’t play any sports just some football with cousins every now and then. I did go to the gym for a while but just lost interest going by myself.   How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD…what was it, and how did it feel? Well, I would always drive by BWCF and see people working out, and I just kept...

I was watching a video with Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, the other day and he said something enlightening. (If you have watched at least one other video with him in it you will know this is not uncommon.) He said, “I know I am going to make you better.” I wrote something similar to this a month or so ago, but I thought I would write a quick blog on this particular video because I feel it is something that everyone should understand. When you come into our gym, our goal is to make you better. Better by definition is, “of a more excellent or effective type or quality.” Glassman elaborates, “Do functional movement at an intensity that’s a match for your psychological and physical tolerance, restrict your carbs, get adequate protein, enjoy fats, and see what happens. You’ll come out better.” This is the exact prescription to getting better....

Recently I finished the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It is a self-help book that I listened to on the way to work and back for the last couple of weeks. The book was published in 1936 but still has application today. Because this is a CrossFit blog, I will give you a few of my favorite points that may help you be a better person in your community and build better relationships with your classmates. There are plenty of thoughts in this book that could also help you in your professional career, so if you have not read (or listened) to it yet, I highly recommend it. Let’s start with an easy one, a SMILE. Smiling is one of the easiest things you can do to build rapport with someone. Walking into a room with a smile on your face will completely change...

Athlete Spotlight: Linda B. As I put in Linda’s answers I realize that I have made a huge mistake of not sharing her story sooner. Linda has been a member with us for over FIVE YEARS! She could run circles around most of the people in this town and is twice the age of most ladies at our gym. She is a motivation to anyone that meets her. If you have ever done a class with Linda you know that she makes you feel like you can do better, not only through her constant cheering but the amount of effort she puts into each workout. Linda is a fighter. If you’ve met her you see a soft-spoken super sweet lady and you would not get ‘fighter’ as your first impression, but read her backstory and watch her workout and you’ll understand there are not many people in this world who...