Athlete of the MonthJune

Juan Martinez

Career: Storm/Sewer Drain Technician

Years at CrossFit Kennett Square: 2

"Since starting CrossFit I have seen physical changes in my body & my energy levels are way up. Plus, I have lost 50 lbs!"

Favorite WOD: Anything with a barbell

Least Favorite WOD: Anything with Burpees & running. Mobility/Accessory Work
IYKYK.

Tell us about your sports &  fitness background: Wrestled in high school
Sophomore & Junior Year.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD…
what was it, and how did it feel? I was first exposed to CrossFit through CrossFit
Wheelhouse & i don’t remember my first WOD i just remember not being able to talk
for about 20 minutes after the workout.

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since
starting CF (before/after)? Since starting CrossFit I have seen physical changes in my body & my
energy levels are way up. Plus, I have lost 50 lbs!

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on
something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I have a physically
demanding work environment & learning to lift properly has also helped me
with work since I’m always lifting objects over 50 lbs. I have also developed
better eating habits since joining CrossFit.

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFKSQ moments: Friday Night
Lights was something crazy & the energy was amazing; also, Barbell Brawl!

Any advice for people just getting started? There is nothing wrong with scaling–everyone
does it. Just put in the work and the results will come, as long as you’re consistent.

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I enjoy
hikes with my dog & my girlfriend. Hanging out with friends/family & the occasional
beer here & there.

CFKSQ Coaches’ Christmas Favorites

It’s the holiday season! There’s no better time than now to make that Crossfit wishlist and your CFKSQ coaches are here to help you narrow them down!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CFKSQ Coach must-haves:
CFKSQ Coaches fun favorites:

Meet Dana!

We’d like to welcome Dana to CFKSQ! As the newest addition to the Nutrition team, she’ll be able to take your health and wellness game to the next level!

You can find her working out at all times of the day and you’ll have an opportunity to get to know her even more through our annual Nutrition Challenge starting in January!

Here’s what she had to say about her journey into coaching:

“Growing up, I wasn’t really into sports. In high school I became a cheerleader, but that was about the extent of my athletic ability. Fast forward to my late twenties when I was peer-pressured into trying CrossFit. I fell in LOVE! The same year I joined the gym, I took the L1 to become a coach! After a year or so into coaching I became really interested in perfecting and teaching the Olympic Lifts, as well as learning all about nutrition and what a huge role that plays in our athletic (and daily) performance. I chose to get certified in both; weightlifting (USAW2) and nutrition (PN L1). And here we are! I’m stoked to become a part of the CFKSQ fam. Everyone has been so welcoming! My favorite thing about coaching is celebrating the wins, both big and small! We can’t expect to show up for others if we can’t first show up for ourselves.”

Welcome, Coach Amy!

We are so excited to announce and welcome Amy Althouse to our team! Her fitness coaching background and contagious enthusiasm will be a great fit here at CFKSQ!

Amy’s CrossFit Journey

I started my journey in 2015 at another box, terrified of the barbell overhead and anything gymnastics. I loved the challenge of it all and wanted to give it a shot. I was nervous to dive in and quickly found myself coming to class only when I knew I would be successful with something in the workout. I wanted to be good at it (I’m a bit of a perfectionist), but didn’t feel I had the support to keep progressing and keep working on “the things.” I stayed with this approach for a year and ultimately left to go teach group fitness/kickboxing until the end of 2018.
I missed lifting, so I bought a rack, a bar, lots of weights and started re-teaching myself the lifts. My actual CrossFit journey began with Aaron at the start of COVID in our garage gym. We would create challenging workouts and have lifting sessions that allowed me to work on my weaknesses (barbell overhead) all the while building this amazing relationship between us. This created a fire within me and I knew it was time to finally give CrossFit my all.
I took my first class at CFKSQ in August 2020 and I felt like I was “home.” I finally found the home to allow me to work on my technique, to challenge me, to guide me in both my areas of strength and weakness with this huge added bonus of meeting truly great people! I was mentally ready to commit myself to CrossFit. Little known fact, I’ve been following CFKSQ on social media since 2017 – always thinking about the “what if’s”… could I do that? Am I ready to do that? Oh, little did I know how ready I would be!

Amy’s Coaching Focus

I want athletes to believe in themselves, believe in their power/strength, to trust they can accomplish whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish. If they’ve been working on a lift, together we will break it down and work on the movement and when you walk out, I hope you are proud of the work you put in. I thrive on athletes being proud of their efforts, getting the small and big wins for themselves. I love the saying “any degree of better, is better.”
I am a “cheerleader”… and I can be loud! I will support and encourage you. If you don’t like this style then please let me know! I won’t be offended. I enjoy motivating people to work hard and push through!

Fun Facts!

I am a southern girl from the great state of Kentucky! I bleed blue in the best (worst) way! Go UK!
I’m a total lefty, literally my right hand/right side doesn’t know how to work and this includes me calling out stretches on a side and doing them opposite.

Welcome, Coach Aaron!

We’d like to welcome Aaron Griffin to our coaching staff! Aaron brings a wealth of various fitness experience that has led him to becoming a CrossFit Coach here at CFKSQ and we’re thrilled to have him as part of the team.

Aaron’s CrossFit Journey

I have always been athletic, I grew up surfing, water skiing, and swimming…. No real organized sports. I started running long distances in my 30s and really didn’t start lifting until my 40s and as I enter my 50s I have decided to be a CrossFit Coach!
In 2014 I started doing CrossFit style workouts with a group of friends at a very large Health Club. We started to get sideways glares and a few reprimands from management. It was then that we decided maybe we had grown out of that space and we should look for other options. About this time, I also started doing obstacle races and had an introduction to the Civilian Military Combine. I got hooked on the WOD format!
In 2015 I joined my first Box. I was 5a for 5 or 6 days a week and in a very competitive class and probably overdid it for a while. I was at this Box until a back injury in 2017. After this I decided to just do endurance training as well as calisthenics.
In 2018, I actually joined Crossfit Kennett Square with a punch card. I would just do endurance classes on Sundays treating it as my “sprint” day.  I continued that format till 2020.
In 2020 I re-evaluated my fitness and what I wanted to do going forward. Amy and I built out our garage gym and started putting together workouts. When things opened back up we started at CFKSQ. We started looking at getting our Level 1 as we have both always had a teaching or coaching mindset in our lives. Now, here we are.

Aaron’s Coaching Focus

I don’t strive for big achievements. My desire is to help someone with something small. My philosophy is that you start with small foundational movements and build on them. If I can give the a cue or a hint that makes an athlete just a little bit better that day that they can build on going forward, my bucket is filled.

Fun Facts!

I am also a Lifeguard, a CPR instructor, and I grew up in SouthEastern North Carolina

2021 CFKSQ Nutrition Challenge: “Healthy Habits” Edition

2020 has been quite the year, so we wanted to start 2021 by cleaning things up a bit.
Our nutrition challenge will last 5 weeks and our aim is to bring consciousness to things that we may have on autopilot!

Check out all the info below, sign up online at http://cfksqchallenge2021.wodifyrise.com  or in person at the gym. Registration is only $24 and our top 3 winners will receive gift cards! Start the year on the right foot and develop some healthy habits with us!

2021 Nutrition Challenge Rules

 

Looking For The Workout?

Our WODs have taken a permanent vacation away from social media! If you’re following along at home, head over to crossfitkennettsquare.wodify.com and sign up for CFKSQ Delta! 😎
With Delta, you’ll have access to:
✔️ Every workout
✔️ Strength, Accessory, and Gymnastics programming
✔️ Modifications with or without equipment
✔️ Daily Coaches’ notes video
✔️ Access to our Wodify Whiteboard

Is Boutique Fitness Right for Me?

If you’re ready for results it’s time to ditch the health club…

There was a time when we got all the exercise we require from our daily activities. But as hunting and gathering lead to farming and eventually the industrialized world we live in today the need for human “labor” has been nearly eradicated. Now that we work desk jobs, eat our meals from the hot bar at Whole Foods, and enjoy a generally sedentary lifestyle we are required to reintroduce this missing physical activity. For some reason, the question of how to add physical activity, or work, back into our lives is one that has proven to be puzzling, controversial, and difficult terrain to navigate.

 

In response to the demands of the market the fitness industry has grown tremendously, particularly in North America where an estimated $28 billion was spent in 2015. Much of this industry is dominated by health clubs and large gym franchises that offer a sampling of strength equipment, cardio machines, TV’s, massage chairs and minimal staffing. Granted  how many staff members do you need when your members don’t actually attend the club? In a study done by students at UC Berkeley found 67% of gym memberships are never used in the population they surveyed.

 

“If you are not going to the gym, you are actually the gym’s best customer.” -Stacey Vanek Smith, NPR

 

The savvy marketers at big box gyms know how to target their marketing towards individuals who won’t actually come to the facility. As humans we often get a rush of excitement by a new fitness undertaking. “This is it, the time I actually change, no looking back,” you say. The challenge is that the health club has made zero commitment to you. They don’t care if you show up or not. Luckily there is someone out there who does.

 

Boutique fitness is the alternative to the traditional health club model. Boutique gyms offer specialized classes based on the expertise of the owners, teachers, or coaches. CrossFit boxes, Barre studios, Bikram yoga, parkour facilities, spin classes  are all great examples of the boutique fitness model.

 

These communities succeed when the all parts are working together; the owner, staff, and clientele all succeed when they each meet their goals. This synergistic effect leads to faster results and more satisfaction from all parties. As a client you have a team of coaches and fellow members who are all rooting for you, teaching you, and most importantly holding you accountable. Becoming fit doesn’t have to be a chore, a challenge, or a pain point. In fact, it can even be fun 😉

 

Boutique gyms have been seen rapid growth in the past decade as clients recognize that when it comes to fitness, not all gyms are created equal. Some of the most common excuses sound like:

  • “I have a hard time sticking to a routine”
  • “I’m just too busy to exercise”
  • “I get bored with going to the gym, it always feels like work”
  • “I don’t know how to lift weights/choose a routine/eat the right food”

 

These are great excuses, but since you’re ready to make a change it’s time to ditch the excuses and focus on RESULTS. By implementing a system that counters your excuses you’ll be left with the only option, the results that you want to achieve.

 

If you struggle with sticking to a routine you will benefit from the coaches, friends, and community members that you’ll meet at each class. A group of people that will ask you about your day, learn about your goals and life, and most importantly encourage you to show up consistently to your workouts.

 

If you claim to be too busy then you should sign up for classes ahead of time. The wide variety of classes that are available each day at time frames that are consistent with your schedule make it easy to squeeze in an hour long workout.

 

If boredom is your challenge then a workout that changes every day is exactly what you need. Not only that but the different coaching styles and friends you’ll make at different times of the day make each class a totally unique experience.

 

If information is the enemy then relax, because that’s already been taken care of for you. Your coach has put a lot of thought into a training program that will improve your fitness and will be by your side to instruct you on form, breathing, and what weights to use. Keep an eye out for group nutrition challenges to boot!

 

To get the results you want sometimes you need to try a new approach. If that trip to the gym feels more daunting than Frodo walking the ring to Mordor then it’s time to see what a boutique gym has in store for you!

WOD 4.11

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