New Years Resolutions are a familiar topic that most of us have tried at some point in the past, but likely no longer find utility in performing. This probably stems from the fact that we’ve set goals in the past that were too vague, too ambitious, or too open ended and inevitably failed to uphold our commitments. Enacting a change or embarking on a challenge at the start of a new year might seem inherently arbitrary, but nonetheless can be a great time to press “reset” and establish some healthy habits and restore some discipline after a decidedly indulgent time of year. I am personally a fan of performing 4-6 week challenges throughout the year and placing specific events on my calendar (weightlifting meets, for example) that force me to train, diet, etc. with a purpose. These time indexed durations tend to align well with how long we’re able to focus and sacrifice without becoming disinterested or unable to stay the course.

Enter the January “No Days Off” Challenge. Just like our approach to fitness and well-being here at the gym, this challenge will be holistic in scope to help you get leaner, fitter, healthier, and mentally stronger as we dive into 2023. For a full 30 days, starting January 9th, you will commit to daily requirements involving diet, movement, sobriety, and sleep. This challenge requires measures of sacrifice, discipline, and planning and will have a few options with regards to difficulty. Choose the options you believe you’re confident you can stick to and hammer them every day.  

Here’s the rundown of the various categories.

Challenge Scoring Categories

Daily

• Movement: Walk at least 30 minutes

• Exercise: Workout for >30 minutes, you pick the medium = 1 Pt.

  • Extra Credit: 50/35 Push Ups + 100 Lunges or 100 Air Squats = 1 Pt.

• Diet: No Sugar, No Gluten = 1 Pt.

• Intermittent Fasting: Fast 16 hours, limit eating to 8 hour window = 1 Pt.

• Dry/Sober: No Alcohol, No Marijuana, etc.  = 1 Pt.

• Sleep: >7 Hours nightly; ideally lights out before 12AM = 1 Pt.

  • Extra Credit: ≥ 8 hours of sleep

Monthly

• Fasting: 1x 24hr+ Fast (water/coffee only) = 5 Pts.

• Endurance: tackle a 2+ hour fitness challenge (hiking, biking, running, rowing, etc.) = 5 Pts.

• Read: 1 book = 5 Pts.

In addition to these various categories, there is a recommended weekly accountability weigh in on Monday mornings, and optional before photos and/or measurements (thigh, umbilicus, arm, etc.) for your own reference. Remember, doing things that are hard are their own reward. Consistency, good habits, and discipline are all muscles that need to be exercises frequently. Commit to something outside of your comfort zone, reset your dependencies on food and substances, and reclaim your most important asset, your health and wellbeing, to begin the new year. 

Here’s the link to our scoring spreadsheet for daily tracking. Print it out or save your own copy and update it each day! "No Days Off" Scoring Sheet

If you are down to take the plunge, email the gym or talk to a coach this week and we’ll follow up with next steps!

Mark your calendars! The annual Gym Holiday Party goes down this Saturday, 17 December at 7PM in Bethesda. We’ll be getting together at Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant (7900 Norfolk Ave. Bethesda, MD 20815).

Dress to impress and please bring your friends and significant others (the more the merrier!). We’ll be there for several hours, so come by for however long you’re able to. Looking forward to seeing you all there - trust us, you're not going to want to miss out!

Silver Spring Training Club officially turned 11 on August 15th, and a celebration is in order! We’ll be doing a cookout / potluck at 3PM this Saturday afternoon (17 September) at Colleen’s house and everyone is invited. We’ll be there into the evening, so come by whenever you can and bring whomever you’d like! The address is 1706 Bartholomew Ct. Silver Spring, MD 20910.

There is a sign up sheet at the gym if you’re curious what folks are bringing. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

 

As many of you may recall, we undertook a January challenge earlier this year to help folks get back on track after a long and indulgent holiday season. 30 disciplined days of intentional movement, diet, sobriety, and more to make rapid progress in reclaiming how we look, feel, and perform. September is similar to January in that we’ve likely had an extended busy social calendar of activities centered around eating, drinking, traveling, and enjoying ourselves and thus some good habits have likely fallen by the wayside.

Enter the September “Fall Reset” Challenge. Just like our approach to fitness and well-being here at the gym, this challenge will be holistic in scope to help you get leaner, fitter, healthier, and mentally stronger as we dive into the fall. For a full 30 days, you will commit to daily lifestyle requirements and weekly requirements of fasting (food and caffeine). These types of challenges invariably are harder in some areas and easier in others, depending on the individual and what they struggle with. For example, if you don’t currently or hardly drink coffee, going 1 day per week without it will be a breeze. In that case, make sure you focus your efforts on a weekly traditional fast instead. The daily challenges are your main goal – accumulate as many points as possible as consistently as possible for the month. The weekly challenges are an added layer that many of you will likely find beneficial; undertake them at your own choosing.

This challenge requires measures of sacrifice, discipline, and planning so act accordingly. We officially kick off on 9/12 but you can start whenever you’d like so long as its 30 consecutive days. 

Here’s the rundown of the various categories.

Daily

Movement:

• L1 - Movement: 25 Push Ups or 25 Burpees + 50 Lunges or 50 Air Squats = 1 Pt.

• L2 - 50 Push Ups or 50 Burpees + 100 Lunges or 100 Air Squats = 1 Pt.

• 1 Hr. of Walking or 1 WOD Class = 1 Pt.

• Diet: No Sugar, No Gluten = 1 Pt.

• Sleep: >7 hrs = 1 Pt.

• Sober: No Alcohol, No Marijuana, etc.  = 1 Pt.

Weekly (optional)

• Caffeine: 1x 24hr Caffeine Fast Per 7 Days = 1 Pt.

• Fasting: 1x 24hr Fast (water only) Per 7 Days = 1 Pt. 

In addition to these various categories, there is a recommended weekly weigh in on Monday mornings, and optional before photos for your own reference. Consistency, good habits, sacrifice, and discipline are all muscles that need to be exercised frequently. Commit to something outside of your comfort zone, reset your dependencies on food and substances/stimulants, and refocus your energy on improving our most important asset: your health and wellbeing.  

If you are down to take the plunge, here’s the link to the scoring rubric to track your progress (save your copy and update it daily). Let us know if you’re in and good luck!

New Years Resolutions are a familiar topic that most of us have tried at some point in the past, but likely no longer find utility in performing. This probably stems from the fact that we’ve set goals in the past that were too vague, too ambitious, or too open ended and inevitably failed to uphold our commitments. Enacting a change or embarking on a challenge on January 1st might seem inherently arbitrary, but nonetheless can be a great time to press “reset” and establish some healthy habits and restore some discipline after a decidedly indulgent time of year. I am personally a fan of performing 4-6 week challenges throughout the year and placing specific events on my calendar (weightlifting meets, for example) that force me to train, diet, etc. with a purpose. These time indexed durations tend to align well with how long we are able to focus and sacrifice without becoming disinterested or unable to stay the course. 

Enter the January “No Days Off” Challenge. Just like our approach to fitness and well-being here at the gym, this challenge will be holistic in scope to help you get leaner, fitter, healthier, and mentally stronger as we dive into 2022. For the full month of January you will commit to daily requirements involving diet, movement, sobriety and weekly requirements of fasting plus a fun workout challenge at some point during the month. This challenge requires measures of sacrifice, discipline, and planning and will also have two options with regards to difficulty. Choose the option you believe you’re confident you can stick to; if you’re not already following a paleo / primal diet approach or are unaccustomed to fasting, opt for “health”. 

Here’s the rundown of the various categories. 

 Performance Scoring Rubric  

Daily 

• Movement: 50 / 35 Push Ups + 100 Lunges or 100 Air Squats + 30 min. of walking or exercise = 1 Pt.

• Diet: No Sugar, No Gluten = 1 Pt.

• Sober: No Alcohol, No Marijuana, etc.  = 1 Pt.

Weekly / Monthly

• Fasting: 1x 24hr Fast (water/coffee only) Every 7 Days = 1 Pt.

• 12 Mile Ruck: 1x > 40/30 lbs, completed in under 4.5 hours = 5 Pts.

• Read: 1 book = 2 Pts. 

Health Scoring Rubric

 Daily

• Movement: Walk or Exercise 30 Minutes = 1 Pt. 

• Diet: No Sugar, No Gluten = 1 Pt.

• Sober: No Alcohol, No Marijuana, etc. = 1 Pt.

Weekly / Monthly

• Fasting: 16 Hour Fast 2x / week (water/coffee only) = 1 Pt.

• Walk: 1x 12 miles in < 5 hours = 5 Pts. 

• Read: 1 book = 2 Pts. 

In addition to these various categories, there is a recommended weekly weigh in on Monday mornings, and optional before photos and/or measurements (thigh, umbilicus, arm, etc.) for your own reference. Remember, doing things that are hard are their own reward. Consistency, good habits, and discipline are all muscles that need to be exercises frequently. Commit to something outside of your comfort zone, reset your dependencies on food and substances, and reclaim your most important asset, your health and wellbeing, to begin the new year.  

If you’re down to take the plunge, email the gym and we’ll follow up with next steps! 

At long last, the time has finally come for us to begin reopening the gym! The state of Maryland and Montgomery County have met the benchmarks necessary to move into Phase 2 this past Friday at 5PM. Further information on all things phase 2, including requirements for various businesses, can be found here.

Our intention is to gradually reintroduce classes to the schedule over the next several weeks to safely accommodate as many athletes as we can while adhering to county requirements and CDC recommendations. We’re all anxious to get back into training after a long layoff, but it’s important that we take the time to adjust to new protocols designed to minimize risks in a practical manner. 

As such, starting tomorrow (6/23) we’ll be implementing the following policies for all in-person (indoor and outdoor) classes:

• First and foremost: if you are feeling sick, are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, or have recently traveled, stay home and quarantine until it is safe to return to the gym (8 day quarantine + a negative PCR Covid test or 10 days without symptoms after potential exposure)

• During stage 2, WODs and Barbell Club are capped at 10 athletes

• Advance reservation is required for all classes via the Zen Planner website or member app. Check your email for log-in credentials. Any issues, email us! If something comes up, please make sure to cancel your reservation so someone else can attend.

• Wear a mask inside the gym

• If you arrive early to class, you are required to wait outside if there is another class currently in progress. Once that class finishes, cleans up, and leaves, the next group will come into the gym.  

• Upon entering the gym, everyone is required to wash their hands thoroughly prior to the start of class. Avoid unnecessary touching of your face

• Make an effort to maintain social distance during class (6 ft) when possible

• During and after class, everyone is required to wipe down their gear with towels and bleach disinfectant spray 

• If possible, arrive in your workout attire       

• If you aren’t ready to return to indoor classes, we’ve got zoom WODs on Wednesday at 530PM 

Please continue to check your email and the blog for updates on these policies, class schedules, and more. Thank you all for your continued support of the gym and these interim policies so that we can get back to business of getting strong, fit, and healthy. Can’t wait to see you all back in the gym soon!

With Outdoor WODs officially underway starting with this mornings workout near the gym, here’s the schedule for Memorial Day.

As many of you know, CrossFit gyms around the world traditionally do “Murph” on Memorial Day to pay tribute to Lt. Michael Murphy and other US Service men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. While we won’t be doing Murph, we will be performing a Hero WOD tomorrow morning at 9AM on the B-CC High School Track.

1. Register online in advance via the Zen Planner website. Check your email for login credentials which were sent Saturday. Class sizes will be capped per county and state guidelines, so do it now!

2. If there is sufficient demand, we’ll consider adding a 10AM class as well!

3. Wear running shoes, bring your water, a mat, and a jumprope if you have one handy for the warmup. If you don’t have one, don’t worry about it!

4. The entire workout will take place outdoors with plenty of space for social distancing

Any questions, email the gym! See you all tomorrow!

“Come for the rigorous workouts and great coaching, stay for the fun and camaraderie.”

We’re excited to announce the introduction of our newest program and class offering, the athlete referral program and Saturday community class.

We’re going to offer FREE trial classes one Saturday per month, the Friends and Family Community Class, which will give folks new to CrossFit a chance to experience an inclusive workout designed to safely give them a taste of what we do here at the gym. The community classes will take place during all regularly scheduled Saturday WOD times (8, 9, & 10AM). No need to change your planned attendance this week; bringing a friend is optional, and while the workout is designed with new athletes in mind, anyone who attends can plan on getting the same quality workout they are accustomed to.

If you know someone you think would enjoy working out at CFSS, invite them to come with you to try the community class!

Additionally, if you bring OR refer a friend and they sign up, you and your friend will both receive $50 towards your next membership payment. No limit on referrals.

Any questions, let us know! In the meantime, spread the word, and get your bonus!

 For the second time this year, The CrossFit Games season kicks off with the start of the CrossFit Open. This is the first time with the new format, and this year’s Open will determine who will go to the 2020 Games (this is why it’s called the 2020 Open even though it takes place in 2019). 

For those of you who haven’t participated before, The Open is an online competition hosted by CrossFit HQ. A new workout is released online each week for 5 weeks. This can be performed anywhere as long as a judge is preset to count all reps and validate the athlete’s score. These workouts will be released Thursday evening and all scores must be submitted by the following Monday evening in order to count. You will be able to see where you rank in the gym, in your state, age group, and in the world!

This is a great way to test your fitness, gauge your performances on standardized workouts, and step outside your comfort zone in a supportive environment.

CrossFit Silver Spring will host the Open workouts every Saturday morning, from 9:00am-11:00am, starting Saturday, October 12th*. Everyone is encouraged to participate! We have a great crowd every time and our hope is that even more people will come out to compete and cheer on their fellow athletes. The atmosphere is electric and very encouraging, and is best experienced firsthand. 

CrossFit HQ makes the Open inclusive for all athletes, not just those with higher competitive aspirations, by offering both scaled and masters divisions in addition to Rx. All Rx’ed scores are ranked above scaled scores but everyone is able to compete against the CrossFit community as a whole. Even if you’re going to miss a weekend here or there due to other commitments, you can still participate; registering with CrossFit.com is optional as well. What that means for you, both competitive and recreational athlete alike, is: there is no reason not to sign up!

Here’s the link: CrossFit Games Open Registration

Make sure you enter Crossfit Silver Spring as your affiliate. It’s going to be a great time, don’t miss out!

* P.s. no worries if you have a Saturday conflict; we’ll do our best to accommodate a Friday or Monday makeup during a scheduled class time

“If it’s important, do it every day. If it’s not, don’t do it all.” – Dan Gable, Olympic & NCAA Champion Wrestler

One easy way to spice up your workouts and keep things interesting in the gym is to give yourself a 30 day challenge where you pick a particular skill or exercise to ideally perform daily for the full duration. In keeping with commonly accepted research on behavior change  and habit formation, a 30 day period is a sweet-spot when it comes to both seeing progress while also realistically staying focused and sticking to your goal.  

So here’s the rundown: for the month of August, we’ll be doing a daily Kettlebell Swing challenge, to be performed before or after class (or on your own at home, on the road, etc.). Swing the heaviest bell you can for 50 unbroken, consecutive reps, with high quality technique of course. Start at a reasonable weight, and as you invariably get stronger, feel free to gradually increase the weight. The goal here is consistency – namely, do it as many days as you can. If you can’t make it to the gym and don’t have practical access to any kettlebells, perform 50 burpees instead. 

While 50 swings may not seem like much, you’d be surprised how much a difference this simple act can have in positively impacting your work capacity, grip & core strength, swing technique, body composition, and more. Again, perform your swings before or after class; reps performed during class in the context of warm-ups and WODs don’t count. August always seems to be a hectic month when it comes to vacations and the like, so let’s keep accountability high and finish the summer on a strong note by crushing it in the gym between now and Labor Day Weekend! Daily tracking sheet will be posted at the gym on the whiteboard, are you in?  

Brian Hughes was a Captain of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots Firefighters and tragically died on July 29, 2018, while battling the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National park in California. Brian was 33 years old on his last day of duty and is survived by his parents, sister and fiancé Paige, who is 4 months pregnant with their first child.
 
Brian belonged to Gnardog CrossFit located in Reedley, CA , which is owned by a fellow Hotshot colleague, Adrian Encinia. The Arrowhead Hotshots crew are a tight knit group, and many of the teammates belong to Gnardog Crossfit. In order to honor Brian, Gnardog created the Hero WOD, “Hughes”:
33 Minutes:
1.5 Mile Med-ball Run
then, AMRAP
7 Kettlebell Swings
29 Double Unders
18 Burpee Box Jump
 
In the CrossFit community, Hero Workouts are named after fallen first responders and service members to honor their sacrifice. The reps, rounds, and duration of the various elements of the workout are often symbolic of the circumstances when the individual passed away. In the case of "Hughes", Brian was 33 years old, had served 15 years as a firefighter, and passed away on the date 7/29/18. Gnardog and other CrossFit affiliates in California's Central Valley are performing this workout in solidarity and more importantly collecting donations to send to Brian’s pregnant fiancé as a show of support and love.
 
CFSS will be performing this workout tomorrow, September 21st as our workout of the day. Let's pack the gym out all day tomorrow and get after it remembrance of "Hughes". We are asking everyone who participates for a suggested, voluntary donation of $10 / person or $20 / team to support Brian's fiancé, Paige. Hope to see you all tomorrow!
 

In case you hadn’t heard, our in-house Weightlifting Team, El Jefe Barbell, competed this past weekend at the Black & Red Open in Tyson’s Corner, VA. This meant that your beloved CrossFit coaches had to throw on their Barbell hats and spandex for the day and coach/lift the team to victory!
 
The day began with Christian Villalas on the platform bright and early at 8:00am. For those who aren’t aware, an 8:00am start time means a 6:00am weigh-in… the lighter guys have it tough! Christian had a tough day and couldn’t put the pieces together on the platform to hit his lifts, but valuable lessons were learned. Always a good sport, he stuck around to help our lifters in the the next session.
 
The 10:00am session was a busy one for EJBB. Katie Weddle and Nivana Campos were on the “Red” platform and, at the same time on the “Black” platform, Marshall Knight, Justin Jeng, Marcos Hernandez, and Lukas Hernandez were all lifting. That’s six (6!) athletes at once. Thank goodness Josh and Chris were able to keep control of the situation because, out of this time slot, the team came away with three medals. Katie and Marcos each got gold and Lukas received the silver medal for their weight classes. Katie and Marcos also came away with third place finishes in the entire meet!
 
Honorable mention to both Justin and Marshall who went 6/6, not missing a single lift. This achievement is remarkable! With a crowd of people all watching, they hit big personal records on both the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, and Total, and had their best competitions to date. Make sure to congratulate them the next time you see them!
 
After wearing himself out coaching six lifters it was Josh Dempsey’s turn to show what he could put together. Going against the top two lifters in the entire meet (adjusted for bodyweight) he came away with the bronze medal, the team’s fourth medal of the day.
 
Last but not least it was Caitlin Seaton’s turn to go lift something heavy. She had been dealing with a tweaked shoulder but was able to fight through it and adjust her technique enough to come away with a personal record in both lifts! It just goes to show there is a lot left in her tank and it’s only a matter of time until she brings home hardware for herself.
 
Thanks to everyone who came out to support the team! Your support means a lot and some of those lifts were only made because of how loud you cheered. Everyone knows the noise makes the bar lighter on gameday!