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Holiday Season and Upcoming Events!
The holidays are here, and we'd love to hang out with you outside the gym. The details of our holiday celebration are below, as well as a list of holiday hours and a few things to note for 2017:
Dec. 10 - 204 holiday party, 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Original Joe's Kenaston (casual drop in for a drink or a meal)
Dec. 24 - Open gym 10 a.m.-noon (other classes cancelled)
Dec. 25 - Closed (the only day we're ever closed)
Dec. 26 - Normal hours
Dec. 31 - Open gym 10 a.m.-noon (other classes cancelled)
Jan. 1 - Holiday workout 11 a.m. (other classes cancelled)
Jan. 7-Feb. 25 - 204 Strength Barbell Club starts (see below)
Jan. 16 - New You Challenge starts again (let us know if you have a friend who's interested!)
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Recognize anyone?
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New Stuff!
In early December you'll notice some new toys at the gym. We've been making space for the new arrivals, and everything should be here by the 10th or so. Consider it a holiday gift--although you might not thank us for the AirBikes!
Here are a few new things that will be rolling in:
- 2 Assault AirBikes
- New and heavier medicine balls
- Fractional plates for 1-lb. PRs
- More barbells and plates
- Another flat bench
- Skipping ropes for class use and purchase
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Improved Schedule!
We've been evaluating our schedule to make it easier for you to access the programs you want, and we have two changes to announce, with a few more to come:
- Starting Jan. 1, 204 Conditioning will run Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. The Saturday slot will be cancelled. These earlier slots give us CrossFit or Conditioning classes every weekday morning, and they're slightly earlier so you can get to work on time. Come out and join Cody!
- On Saturdays starting Jan. 1, the 10-a.m. class will now be open gym, with CrossFit classes at 9 and 11 a.m. You can still do the CrossFit workout in open gym, and a coach will be on hand to work with you. This switch will allow us to accommodate more people earlier in the day, so you don't have to wait until noon for open gym if you need to make up a workout from earlier in the week or do our high-performance programming. We'll close at noon.
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Member's Stories: Leandro
I joined CrossFit 204 about two years ago. Having grown tired of going to a conventional gym, I was looking for an activity that would incorporate a challenging workout and a social aspect. My girlfriend had been a CrossFit 204 member for a few years and suggested I try it, saying it was just what I was looking for.
After surviving my first class, and getting through on-ramp, I was hooked! The workouts were definitely challenging (and humbling to a newbie), and the members and staff were most welcoming and encouraging. This made for a smooth transition into CrossFit. The coaching staff at CrossFit 204 is top notch – welcoming new members, ensuring everyone has the best workout possible relative to their ability, and maintaining a fun and safe environment at all times while also fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
As a Type 1 diabetic, the benefits of CrossFit are incredible. When I needed to tweak my diet to better manage my diabetes and improve performance at the gym, I received excellent guidance from Crystal through the 204 Lifestyle program. I look forward to seeing Mike and Crystal’s programming up on the website and seeing what they have in store for us that day.
The members and staff at CrossFit 204 have become like family, and coming to CrossFit 204 is definitely the best hour of my day.
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Training Tip From Coach Mike: Muscle-Ups
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Here's a fact: Everyone who has followed our progressions has eventually earned a muscle-up. For some, it took 2 minutes--Aaron and Jeremy, we're looking at you. For others, it took months or years. How do you explain the difference? It's strength.
Muscle-ups are a skill movement, but they require a certain level of strength before they're possible. That doesn't mean you can't practice aspects of the muscle-up before you have that strength. You absolutely should practice transitions and supports on the low rings. But your focus should be on strength first.
How much strength? About 3-5 strict pull-ups and 3-5 strict dips will usually do it. The key is strict strength. Our Gymnasty program is designed to provide this strength, so stick to it and work hard. It will come!
Once you have the strength, here are a few quick tips that solve most problems:
1. Use the false grip. It is essential. Many powerful, experienced athletes don't use it, but it is essential for your first attempts. It is uncomfortable, but it works!
2. Practice the transition on the low rings. It should be silky smooth down here before you head upstairs. Don't skip this step even though it's tempting to do so. If you can do an L-sit muscle-up on the low rings, we guarantee success on the high rings.
3. In the pull, lean back and pull the rings to your sternum, not you shoulders. Most people who miss the transition keep the body too vertical and pull the rings to the shoulders, which makes it very tough to get on top of the rings. Lean back--think of a ring row--and pull the rings to your sternum. When they touch your torso, the transition is easy.
4. Keep the elbows and forearms close to the body in the pull. If the elbows flare to the sides, you are likely attempting the transition too soon. Imagine you're doing a muscle-up inside a high-school locker. The arms must stay tight to the sides.
Check out Mike's position in the photo above: false grip + layback + rings to torso + arms to side = muscle-up!
Make sure you have a victory dance ready.
Interested in learning more about gymnastics? Coach Geoff is hosting a workshop 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the gym. Cost is $25, and you can register here.
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204 Strength Barbell Club - Jan. 7
Love to lift? 204 Strength Barbell Club is back starting Jan. 7 and running for eight weeks. We're doing two-hour sessions from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays this time around, and the plan is the same: get stronger and faster while surrounded by friends.
We'll be spending time on advanced drills, and the block will be programmed to help you increase your skill with the lifts we love.
Sign up here:
$84 - Current members
$157.50 - Non-members
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204 Lifestyle: Holiday Alcohol Tips
Let's be realistic: the holidays bring social times that often include treats and alcohol. We recommend a healthy diet for best results in the gym, but we realize we're all human. Still, a month or even a few weeks of excess can really derail your fitness, and it's not a good idea to say, "I'll eat better and drink less in January," then cut loose for December.
You can, however, make adjustments to accommodate moderate consumption and ensure you enjoy life but stay as fit as possible. Here's how:
Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram but little else--no fat, no protein, very minimal carbohydrates. Protein and fat are essential in your diet, but carbs are not. So you can adjust the carbs in your diet to "make room" for a bit of alcohol if you choose to imbibe. We don't recommend you drink, but we're being realistic here.
For example, a 5-oz. glass of red wine has 125 "empty" calories (3.8 g of carbs). This is equivalent in calories to 150 g of sweet potato, which has 30 g of carbs.
Another example: 1.5 oz. of hard alcohol has about 97 calories (0 fat), which is equivalent to the calories in 10.7 g of fat - about a rounded tablespoon of peanut butter.
One more: a 12-oz. beer has about 150 calories (13 g of carbs), which is calorically equivalent to about two slices of bread (30 g of carbs).
To be clear: We do not recommend replacing food with alcohol. But by reducing food intake in some ways, you can accommodate some alcohol in your diet if you choose to drink.
This, however, can be a trap: By replacing food with alcohol, you will not get the vitamins, minerals and fiber food contains, and you will likely be hungrier. That can lead to bad end-of-night decisions: "I'm drunk and hungry, so I'm going to eat way too much of something bad."
If you are going to drink, here's the best advice we can give: Drink in moderation, not to excess. One drink each evening is preferable to seven on Saturday night. Heavy drinking is bad for health, and you can more easily accommodate the calories in two drinks by slightly adjusting food intake that day. It's not possible to adjust your intake to account for 12 beers and three cheeseburgers. Avoid sugary liqueurs that significantly increase carb and calorie numbers, and avoid mixing drinks with sugary soda. Liqueurs have almost double the calories of a spirit such as vodka, and mixed drinks can hold 200 or more calories in just 8 oz. Also try to avoid the sugary, high-calorie snacks that often go with drinking. Eat healthy as often as you can and work out regularly.
Enjoy the holidays, but stay on track with good diet and exercise habits!
Want to learn more? Read "Down the Hatch, Miss a Snatch?" in the CrossFit Journal.
Click here to calculate the calories in your alcohol intake.
Need more specific advice? Check out 204 Lifestyle nutrition services.
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