SO THE SURFING PARTY IS THIS SATURDAY.  I THINK WE WILL ALL BE GETTING THERE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.  SO I GUESS JUST SHOW UP WHEN YOU GET UP.  I’LL BRING THE BBQ, JUST BRING SOME MEAT AND SOME BOOS IN A COOLER.  NOT SURE WHAT THE WAVES ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE BUT I DUG UP SOME PICTURES OF ME SURFING OVER THE YEARS.

THIS IS WHEN I WAS IN HAWAII

AND THIS IS ME WHEN I WAS…

NOT REALLY SURE WHEN THAT WAS!

ANYWAY JUST CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING.

CROSSFIT WORKOUT:

BOX SQUATS     3X5
DEADLIFTS       3X5

CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT

RUN 10X200METERS WITH 4X REST

ATHLETE PROFILE: JENNIFER TOMCZYK, AKA HYMAN

NOT ALL OF YOU HAVE KNOWN HYMAN FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE.  WHEN SHE FIRST WALKED INTO THE GYM OVER TWO YEARS AGO I KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT SHE WAS GONNA BE A CROSSFIT SUPERSTAR.  I KNEW DEEP DOWN INSIDE THERE WAS A COMPETITIVE FIRE BURNING READY TO SHOW IT’S FLAMES, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT REMEMBER THIS WAS OVER TWO YEARS AGO!  I HAPPEN TO HAVE A PICTURE FROM THE FIRST WEEK HYMAN STARTED.

SHORTLY AFTER HYMAN STARTED HER HUSBAND CHRIS, AKA. HOLLYWOOD STARTING COMING TO THE GYM.  WE ALL SOON BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS AND HOLLYWOOD SHARED ONE OF HIS HONEYMOON NIGHT PICTURES WITH ME.  I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT AND WAS IN SHOCK!

ACTUALLY, I THINK HE WAS IN SHOCK!

DON’T LAUGH!  IT’S NOT FUNNY!
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO AND SINCE THEN HYMAN HAS PROVEN ME RIGHT ABOUT THE FIRE INSIDE.  SHE HAS REALLY MADE UNBELIEVABLE IMPROVEMENTS, NOT ONLY MENTALLY BUT PHYSICALLY.  HER FAT LOSS AND LEAN MASS GAIN WAS OFF THE CHARTS.  SHE REALLY CONCENTRATED ON HER DIET AND GAVE 110% EVERY TIME SHE STEPPED FOOT INTO THE GYM TO TRAIN.  HYMAN WOULD NEVER SPEAK NEGATIVELY  ABOUT ANY WORKOUT SHE WOULD JUST TRY AS HARD AS SHE COULD DAY IN AND DAY OUT.  YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS:

YUP!  THAT’S THE NEW AND IMPROVED HYMAN!  LIKE I SAID, SHE TRAIN’S HARD AND EAT RIGHT!  HYMAN HAS BECOME THE EPITOME OF CROSSFIT.  AND I DON’T JUST MEAN THE EFFORT SHE PUTS INTO TRAINING, I’M TALKING THE CAMARADERIE, SELFLESSNESS, MOTIVATION, HONESTY, FRIENDSHIP, KINDNESS, LIGHT HEARTEDNESS, CARING AND HUMILITY QUALITIES THAT SHE POSSESSES.  THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING HER FREIND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT AND CAN PROBABLY COME UP WITH A LIST OF YOUR OWN THAT DESCRIBE HYMAN.
I FEEL LUCKY TO SAY HYMAN IS MY  FRIEND, I HOPE!  FAT OR SKINNY!

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

“NICOLE”

AMRAP IN 20 MINUTES
RUN 400
MAX REP PULL UPS

ATHLETE PROFILE: ALI TROVATO

ALI, POST FILTHY FIFITES.

AND ALI’S LEG DURING THE 50′S.  BUT DON’T WORRY, SHE DIDN’T STOP.

AND ALI’S OWN WORDS:

Hello Cross Fitters!  Im Ali Trovato.  If you’re not a 9:30 regular, we probably have’nt met yet.

I fell this morning doing box jumps.  Did’nt pull my legs up high enough and WHAMO, ripped the skin off my shin which then proceeded to blow up like a golf ball.  No to worry, I’m fine.  It almost felt like a rite of passage.  Of course, I kept going and finished Mondays WOD (which I had missed because I had to teach a spin class).  Now I know why Chris keeps that big bottle of vodka under the desk.  Definitely better than a first aid kit. ( I did’nt drink it, just poured it on the cut..YIKES!)

I am an exercise/ cardio junkie, addict, crackhead etc… You get the point.  I started exercising at a gym in high school.  Mostly to look good, but also as an outlet for all the energy that my teenage hormones were producing.  It evened me out.  My dad is like me so we went together sometimes and he paid for my new obsession.  He’s a good daddy!  At the gym I found my first love…..STAIRMASTER was his name.  Me and SM (for short)  were madly in love for many years.  I dreamed of owning my very own.  SM got me through countless hours of studyling for college exams (I can read while stepping, no prob!), tons of novels and millions of trashy magazines.  While studying exercise science in college, I began to really understand how my body worked and the importance of lifting weights and switching it up so as not to let my muscles know what was next.  So, I did 2 body parts a day.  12 sets for each body part, 12-15 reps each time.  I thought I pushed myself.  Still in love with SM.  I looked good. ( I was only 24 yrs old.  They all look good!)  I became a personal trainer so I could help others feel as good as I felt.  Graduated, got married, became addicted to step classes and cardio kickboxing classes with a little SM on the side.  It got to the point where I felt like I could read the instructors mind.  I knew what move would be next.  Still doing at least an hour of cardio every day.  My body NEVER changed.  I felt like my heart was in great shape, but I absolutely could not do a pull up or a push up in my toes. (forget about climbing a rope!)

I gave birth to my son, lost all the weight in 10 days.  Back to the gym in 2 weeks. Woo Hoo!  My step instructor needed a sub one day and asked me to fill in.  I did it, sucked at it and that was the beginning… I proceeded to get certified by AFAA, NASCM, Spinning, Yogafit etc… and began my career as a group exercise instructor.  I lived the 32 count.  I made step combos in my sleep, used kitchen tiles as pretend steps, had FIT TV on at all times!  I jabbed, crossed, hooked and uppercut as I changed diapers.  I LOVED IT!  I still love it.  Had another baby. (Taught kickboxing 4 hours before she was born)  Got hired by more clubs.  Developed a good size following.  Still, Im not overweight, but I can’t do a freakin pull up or push up.  Now my body is changing a bit because of 2 pregnancies and getting older.  Things are headed south.  Literally!  So, I do MORE cardio on top of teaching my classes.  Im exhausted all the time.  Definitely overtraining, but I don’t want to break up with my other man, Ben.  Him and his friend Jerry make me feel so good!  Especially after the kids are finally sleeping and I have a few minutes to myself.  Had another baby.  (yes, it was a busy few years)  A cranky, whiny, non sleeping but adorable baby boy.  Going to the gym became like going to Club Med for an hour.  He was now in the hands of a babysitter and I was alone.  Teaching classes allowed me to be an adult in my world of poopie diapers.  It was the only place I could give orders and people would follow them!  The music, the sweat, is such a high.  I should have been Super Woman yet I would struggle to help my husband move a small piece of furniture.  I can’t seem to get stronger.  I considered doing yoga, pilates, yogalates, but realized I would have to run 5 miles before I would be able to calm myself enough to walk into one of those dimly lit rooms.  Now Im starting to get injuries.  Tendonitis, sprained ankle, shoulder issues, headaches.  I considered getting a trainer to help me, but being in the gym business, I had seen so many bad trainers and I felt that I knew what to do better than they did.  I just was’nt doing it.

While sitting in the stands watching my boys play hockey at skate safe, I saw a bunch of crazy people lifting big heavy weights over their heads and I heard lots of grunting.  I did a double take, because it looked like a 60 something year old woman doing it!  I am intrigued and intimidated.  These people looked scary and very serious about what they were doing.  Months go by and my friend from FLA boasts about these WOD’s she’s doing.  She told my it was called Cross Fit and I looked up LI locations only to realize that those were the crazy people I’d seen and I lived right around the corner from it.  I could’nt imagine that it would really be anything so different than I was used to.  Silly me.

I met with Chris for a trial workout with my head held high.  As only all of you can understand, I left with my tail between my legs (very sore legs).   I’ve been there 5 days a week ever since.  About 5 weeks in total now.  I am sore every day in places I did’nt know existed.  I love that.  My HR monitor says that I burn as many or more calories at cross fit than i do in one hour of teaching kickboxing.  That blew my mind!.  I keep thinking that I am going to hurt my back, yet, I continue to lift a little heavier and I’m fine.  My knees, my shoulder are all fine.  Really fine.  No pain anymore.  No Motrin every day.  Im standing taller and feeling more confident with every workout.  I climbed the rope (with knots) week one and struggled.  Week 5 I did it no problem.  I left, smiling and proud.  I like being told what to do every morning since Im so used to being the one telling.  I love that there are no mirrors on every wall, so you need to focus on how you feel and not how you look.  I am humiliated every day, but it motivates me to come back and do it again.  I look forward to it every morning even though I know it’s gonna be hell.  I have been able to bring my new enthusiasm to my classes, pushing my students beyond what they thought they could do that day.  Im sure that my husband is feeling the HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE thing these days.  I am going to be 40 in september, and I am sick and tired of being disappointed with my body and what it can do.  I take it day by day and give it my all with the hopes of one day walking in there and throwing that blue rubber band out the window.

So, lets get back to the injury this morning.  I went to a business function with my husband last night and ate french fries, and drank wine.  Oh, did I forget to mention the leftover chinese that I dug into when we got home.  You CANNOT do Cross Fit and eat badly.  This has been my biggest and best lesson yet.  There is no faking it.  If I eat shitty , I am going to perform shitty and possibly get hurt.  It’s not a spin class where I can lesson the tension and no one knows.  I have to be on top of my game every morning that I go.  I have since broken up with my lover Ben and his friend Jerry.  It was difficult, but needed to be done.

So, I am eating better and feeling excited about my workouts.  For me, that is HUGE!  My one regret is that I did not act sooner.  It’s been right in front of my face for years.  Im here now, and that’s all that matters!

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

AMRAP IN 20 MIN.

15 BOX JUMPS (30″/20″)
10 PUSH UPS
7 KB SWINGS (70LB/45LB)

FOR THE BOX JUMPS GUYS USE THE BIG TIRE, GIRLS USE THE SMALL TIRE OR THE BOX.

PUSH UPS WILL BE PERFORMED AS FOLLOWS:
START FLAT ON YOUR STOMACH WITH YOUR HANDS NOT TOUCHING THE FLOOR (1 INCH OFF THE FLOOR) FROM THAT POSITION PUSH YOURSELF UP TILL YOUR ELBOWS ARE FULLY EXTENDED (ARMS MUST BE STRAIGHT).  LET YOUR SELF DOWN TO STARTING POSITION, HANDS MUST LEAVE THE FLOOR EVERY REP AND REPEAT.

KB SWINGS MUST COME TO FULL EXTENSION AT THE TOP.  THAT MEANS YOUR WHOLE BODY SHOULD BE IN ONE STRAIGHT LINE AT THE TOP.  FROM YOUR WRISTS DOWN TO YOUR HIPS.  IF YOU CAN NOT REACH THIS POSITION, LOWER THE WEIGHT.

ALSO ABOUT THIS SATURDAY:

okay, so for saturday, if people want to arrive before they have someone in the booth, checking for passes or collecting money, they need to be there by 7:50am, latest. at 8am, someone is manning the booth and it’s $40 to get in without a town of babylon resident sticker. if people are coming later than 8am, they might want to meet with others elsewhere (joe mentioned the lowe’s in bay shore on sunrise highway, just east of robert moses causeway) to leave cars and carpool down to split up the cost of getting into the beach.

we usually park somewhere near the gilgo inn which is west of the parking lot entrance.

we figured we’d head down to the beach and go to the right (west, again) because usually the majority of surfers go toward the east (better break there right now). we’ll try to find our own spot, away from other surfers and swimmers. people should bring whatever beach stuff they’d like–the gilgo inn has limited food (definitely don’t think they cater to paleo, ha) and drinks, but things are a bit pricey, i think, so better to pack what you think you might want.

gilgo beach is accessed via ocean parkway. it’s west of robert moses and east of tobay and jones beach:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=3589253544038848670&q=gilgo+beach&gl=us

see you later!

Zoe

CROSSFIT WORKOUT:

“AMANDA”
9-7-5
MUSCLE UP
SQUAT SNATCH 135/95LB

CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

RUN 5X800 METERS WITH 90 SECOND RECOVERY

ATHLETE PROFILE: TRACEY ROSS   AKA “PINKY”

TRACEY AT 45LB HEAVIER

THE NEW PINKY!

IN HER OWN WORDS:

Tracey’s story: My Journey to Health, Discovering My Own Power & Finding Shades of Grey

My earliest food memory was back when I was about eight years old. My parents were getting divorced and I remember food being my comfort. I can remember my grandpa bringing over ice-cream sundaes when my mom (a single mother raising three girls) needed a break. It seemed food was always a stress relief or something to look forward to. Since my mother was busy working three jobs, I was left home alone quite often with access to a lot of “junk” food. I used to come home from school and watch TV for several hours until my mother got home.

Entering high school I can remember weighing 176 lbs. It was especially hard for me to deal with because I was pretty athletic despite my weight. I felt trapped by it. I loved to kickboxing and bike ride, so although these things helped keep me fit, I had no clue about nutrition and remained overweight and depressed.

This all changed when I met my then-to-be stepmother Pat. She had taken my sisters and me for summers and taught us how to read food labels, etc. I can remember grocery shopping with Pat and her saying as long as we can read the ingredients we were allowed to put it in the cart. Needless to say my sister and I would try and sneak cookies and ice cream in the grocery cart. But Pat really opened my eyes to what good food tasted like. She was of Italian descent; so many meals were made from scratch, which was not something I was accustomed to growing up. Another influence was Pat’s sister Stephanie who was the first vegetarian I met. Stephanie was slender and very attractive so of course I wanted to become a vegetarian. It was my introduction to reading researching nutrition.

HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060193395?ie=UTF8&tag=amamasrant-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060193395″ \t “_blank” Learning about Portion Control

Since then I have been hooked. While I did try going vegetarian for several years, eventually I decided meat wasn’t the cause for me being overweight… too many calories were. So I took up eating meat again and started learning about a concept foreign to me, Portion Control. Many books were instrumental along the way. A few of my favorites,  HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fentity%2FHoward-M.-Shapiro%2FB001JG8ZRO%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref%255F%3Dntt%255Fathr%255Fdp%255Fpel%255F1&tag=amamasrant-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957″ \t “_blank” Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss INCLUDEPICTURE “https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amamasrant-20&l=ur2&o=1″ \* MERGEFORMATINET ,  HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fentity%2FBarbara-J.-Rolls%2FB001H6S7L0%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref%255F%3Dntt%255Fathr%255Fdp%255Fpel%255F1&tag=amamasrant-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957″ \t “_blank” Volumetrics INCLUDEPICTURE “https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?

t=amamasrant-20&l=ur2&o=1″ \* MERGEFORMATINET ,  HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316735507?ie=UTF8&tag=amamasrant-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316735507″ \t “_blank” Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amamasrant-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316735507″ \* MERGEFORMATINET  and  HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060193395?ie=UTF8&tag=amamasrant-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060193395″ \t “_blank” Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amamasrant-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060193395″ \* MERGEFORMATINET .

One big tool that I still use that has been extremely helpful to me (and any emotional eater) was my food scale. By weighing and measuring my food, it makes me accountable. It also helped me to realize real hunger, which I never really understood. I would say I initially lost the weight cutting portions and incorporating a regular exercise routine into my life. It took me about two years to go from 176 lbs to 132 lbs.

Maintenance and weight training

There was a brief period however where I was eating too little and exercising too much. I didn’t realize that there was such thing as maintenance. I was stuck on the “diet mentality” and that lower calories was the ultimate goal. This was a scary time for me. There are so many books on dieting, but few books on maintaining weight loss or how to eat healthy for life. I knew I didn’t want to lose any more weight, but my body didn’t exactly look like I wanted yet.

I also struggled with severe food cravings because I wasn’t eating enough to fuel my body. I struggled with binge eating and severe anxiety. This is when Crossfit made an appearance in my life. Up until this point I was a “cardio bunny.” Meaning, I did quite a bit of cardiovascular work but not much weight training. I can remember walking into my local gym one day and seeing this very athletic woman lifting weights. I can recall wanting her body and wanting to be strong not skinny anymore. It was sort of a switch that went off in my head.

At that point I delved into reading all about women and weight training. I figured bodybuilders must know something about nutrition most didn’t. Or else they wouldn’t look that way. I started dissecting the meal plans and menus posted in magazines like Muscle Fitness, etc. I started eating a lot more protein and cutting carbs. I also figured I needed to up my calories.

Personalizing my plan

While this was a start, it certainly wasn’t the answer I was looking for which was how to be a balanced healthy and fit woman in the “real world.” While Crossfit started doing wonders for my shape, the “Body Builder diet” was very restrictive and unrealistic and

actually not necessary for my goals. So, I started making up my own diet taking from all the research I’d done on nutrition and applying it.

The main thing I learned is that while calories are king, what you eat (or the makeup of your diet) is very important in determining fat loss or muscle gain. Balancing blood sugar is crucial as well in keeping cravings at bay, maintaining mental clarity and keeping energy levels up. It was no longer about eating less or cutting out food groups. It was about balancing them to achieve the best results.

What works for me – tools and tips

I still continue to weigh and measure food because of my emotional ties to it (Being bored spells trouble). If left to my own devices I would be happy eating all day long. I know some people feel that a food scale is not healthy or strange…but to me, it is just another tool that makes life easier. I also kept a daily food journal. I write down my meals the day prior so I know exactly what I’ll be eating and nothing is left to chance. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I choose to eat whole foods as much as possible because they make me feel good inside and out.

Routine

I still love reading all things pertaining to health and fitness. I’m constantly reading up on the newest and latest health related products. It’s good to stay on top of the curve. Since it’s easy to get sick eating the same thing day in and day out I’m always on the hunt for new recipes. You’ll find me in Borders or Barnes & Noble on the weekend browsing the heath and nutrition section.

I currently try to get to Crossfit three days a week. I also try to get in two days of walking or bike riding. I own a spin bike, so that has been very convenient on days I don’t want to leave my house to work out. Crossfit has been crucial in achieving the body I was looking for. It has also given me an inner power and reminded me I can do anything if I put my fears aside and just do it!

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

50 REPS OF EACH FOR TIME
BOX JUMP 24″
JUMPING PULL UP
KB SWING (35LB)
WALKING LUNGE
KNEES TO ELBOWS
PUSH PRESS  (45LB)
BACK EXTENSION
WALL BALL (20LB/14LB)
BURPEE
DOUBLE UNDER

THIS SATURDAY IS THE SURFING PARTY AT GILGO.  I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE TIME AND ANYMORE NEEDED INFORMATION THAT I WILL PROBABLY END UP LETTING YOU KNOW TO LATE.

ATHLETE PROFILE:  HARELAMBOS TSOTSOS, AKA “HARRY POPADOPOLIS”, AKA LAMBOS

HARRY ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF SPAIN

AND HARRY AT THE SNOW COVERED GRAND CANYON

HARRY’S WIFE DEBBIE WROTE THIS FOR HER HUSDBAND:

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Debbie Tsotsos and my husband Harry has been coming to crossfit for almost three years now.  Three years ago Harry “hit rock bottom” physically.  His horrible physical condition also affected his emotional well-being.  Harry like most of us was busy working, and felt he didn’t have time to go to the gym.  His weight kept climbing and he had tried several “quick fix” diets, which would work temporarily. The weight would come back plus some!  I knew he needed a drastic change and along came crossfit.  He was immediately hooked! “ Ten-minute workouts can’t work”, I would say.  Well guess what, they worked an actual life changing miracle.  Harry lost weight, has gotten toned and strong.  While his body was changing so was his mind.  He is proud of the work he does at crossfit. He will tell everyone he comes in contact with how much crossfit has changed his life.  He makes time in his busy life now because he sees the need to take care of himself.     So what has this done for us, me and my kids?  We have a healthy Happy man in our lives who can be active with us.  We work out together; play hockey together, and even went on an adventure vacation together, where the Tsotsos’ set the pace for hiking and biking!       Imagine we have received all this AND great friends as well!  Crossfit is more then a “gym” it is a mindset and a way of life.   Harry is living proof of that!

WORKOUT:

ROW 5K

ATHLETE PROFILE: ZACH JOHNSTON

ZACH!  NO, REALLY IT’S ZACH!

SERIOUSLY THIS IS HIM!

AND THEN THERE’S THE ZACH WE KNOW!

THAT’S REALLY CRAZY SHIT!

NOW ZACH WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS:

In the spring of 2006 I went to a doctor and had a physical for the first time in several years. My health was good except for one glaring problem: at 5′10″ I weighed 255lbs, about 70lbs too heavy for a person my height. I decided right then and there to make a change. Little did I know one change would lead to many changes. All of the changes added up to one thing: a healthy life style.

The first change I made was to add daily exercise. I was always athletic and played sports all through school, so I wasn’t afraid of exercise, I was just lazy… ok ok, I was a huuuuuuuge stoner too. My life before my physical consisted of drugs and food. I would wake up and smoke pot, get an egg cheese hashbrown sandwich, go to class, smoke more pot, go to the deli for lunch, smoke more pot, go deliver pizzas while smoking pot and eat free pizza. That day, after my physical I went on a 3 mile walk all over Northport. I walked the same 3 mile route every single day for about 6 months. I dropped 25lbs in just a couple months, just from walking.

After 6 months I could really see the difference in my body, but I wanted more. Walking was getting boring and it took too long so I started to run. I could cover more ground running in shorter time than I did walking. Running melted the weight away pretty quickly and was getting into pretty good shape, but it wasn’t enough for me. I really wanted to see what kind of shape I could get into if I worked hard at, so I made some more changes. I quit pot and started watching what I ate. At that point I weighed about 215. After I quit pot and started to regulate my eating habits, 30lbs came off really quick.

So now I was in pretty good shape, or at least I thought I was. I was running 6-8 miles about 5 days a week. I was running in races – 5Ks and 10ks mostly. I was getting pretty good times too. But, I decided that I wanted to change up the routine a little and maybe add a little muscle to my body. A friend told me about CrossFit. I wasn’t immediately interested though. I figured, I’m in great shape anyway and I hated my past experiences at gyms. “Today is back and bi’s, or chest and tri’s, or just legs today.” That annoyed me so much but my friend explained that CrossFit was completely different. So, I called Chris and came in and did the orientation wod. As it turned out, I was in shape, runners shape, but thats it. The orientation wod was devastating. I left the gym completely exhausted. My eyes were so glazed over Chris and PJ asked if I would be ok to drive. Now, in my pre-physical days I would have left after that and Chris would never see me again, but I liked the challenge and wanted more. I signed up right there. I’ve been going for over a year and half now.

I owe a lot to my friend for turning me onto CrossFit. Now, I’m not training for anything in particular, CrossFit has taught me a tremendous amount about myself. The most important thing its taught me is that my mind is indeed stronger than my body. Its taught me to attack all challenges. Never turn your back on them. I’ve also met all of you amazing people that push me to dig a little deeper and get through all those grueling wods.

I know how hard it is to make such a huge change, or even lots of changes. It might be the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life so far, but it can be done. Anybody can make this change. I’m not saying to start off at CrossFit, but start off doing something. Don’t say you can’t, because you can. If a 255lb stoner fat kid can do it, anybody can. Get off the couch and learn something about yourself. Challenge yourself. “Just f–king do it”

sorry for the length. i was really fat.

CROSSFIT WOD:

5 ROUNDS
5 DEADLIFTS (275/ 145)
10 BURPEE PULL UP

CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WOD:

10 X 100 METER SPRINTS
DOUBLE THE TIME IT TAKES TO RUN AS REST

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

TABATA PUSH UPS

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
KETTLEBELL SWING (70/35)
BARBELL OVERHEAD SIT UPS

THE SURF PARTY IS AGAIN ON THE 31ST OF JULY.  IF YOU GET THERE BEFORE 8AM THERE IS NO CHARGE, ANYTIME AFTER 8AM I BELIEVE IS $40 FEE.  I’LL BRING THE BBQ AND WE CAN EAT AND DRINK THERE.

ATHLETE PROFILE: MELISSA ELLUL

MELISSA AFTER REALIZING HER ACCOMPLISHMENT TODAY

IN MELLISA’S OWN WORDS:

Wow, Crossfit, who would have ever thought I would be doing this.
I have been a gym person for as long as I can remember. I have been through gym, after gym ,after gym, personal trainers, curves, cardio kick boxing and anything under the sun to keep myself active and in some kind of shape over the years.  In September 2008 a surgery that I had in 1988 (at the age of 11)  caught up with me and I had to undergo extensive surgery again at the age of 31. This unfortunately put me out of a gym until January 2010. October 2009 I began looking for options and gyms that were going to help me get where I would like to be today not only mentally but physically, And so I began my search.  Crossfit was introduced to me by accident, I never heard of it until I saw a huge Crossfit Banner somewhere on Sunrise Highway. I went home looked it up and found Crossfit Bethpage. One day I decided to take a ride there and when I first walked in that day I thought to  myself “This is a gym, not a gym I am accustomed too”. I look back on that day now and thank god there was an actual work out going on that day. If there wasn’t I don’t think I would have ever went back.  That very first work out I saw truly caught my attention and it looked awesome as well worth my time to explore. Well after my first 5 work outs with Chris I thought to myself “OMG, What have I gotten myself into”,I was beyond sore for days. As time went on and I got used to the moves, classes, being sore and the people and I found myself really enjoying Crossfit.
In the last 6-7 months of Crossfit, I lifted weight I never thought I could lift and it is the most amazing feeling (Widow Makers proved that). I do things, like pull ups that I thought I couldn’t do and in six moths I am happy to say I went from a Blue Band to a  Purple Band and I am still improving. My goal is to not have a band at all by January 2011.  Back in March when I first did the WOD “Angie” (100 Pull Ups (Blue Band), 100 Push Ups, 100 Sit Ups, 100 Air Squats) took me 36:12. When we did “Angie” last week my time with a Purple Band was 36:24. It took me just under 20 minutes to do all 100 Pull Ups with a Purple Band and 12 seconds longer on the entire work out. For me this was defiantly an improvement on how far I have come. However today’s workout proved a heck of a lot more. Today’s WOD was “Josh” (21 Overhead Squats (45lbs), 42 Pull ups (Purple Band), 15 Overhead Squats, 30 Pull ups, 9 Overhead Squats, 18 Pull ups) and my time was 22:48. I did this WOD in just a little more time than the pull ups alone on “Angie” took me last week with a purple band. To me this was HUGE. Mentally I tell myself “I Can Do This” and Physically I see that “I Can Do This”.  I see myself improving each and every day. I am able to to things I never thought possible and I lift weights I never thought I could lift even though I am always sore. Mentally and Physically Crossfit has done good for me. Its a great place to be, a great place to work out and I have the Crossfit Family to THANK for that.
LISSA

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

“LUCE”

3 ROUNDS (WITH A 20LB VEST IF YOU HAVE IT)
RUN 1K
10 MUSCLE UPS
100 SQUATS

CROSSFIT AND CROSSFIT BOOTCAMP WORKOUT:

“JOSH”

21 OVERHEAD SQUAT (95/ 65)
42 PULL UP
15 OVERHEAD SQUAT
30 PULL UP
9 OVERHEAD SQUAT
18 PULL UP