Bilderz.com Photo Of The Day - Day 2

lfischer@bilderz.com (Lance Fischer) — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:53:28 -0700

Taken at the 2012 FTF Challenge

Bilderz.com Photo Of The Day - Day 1

lfischer@bilderz.com (Lance Fischer) — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:31:04 -0700

Josh Golden 2013 a couple weeks after his win at the 2013 FTF Affiliate Challenge.

Five benefits of joining a CrossFit Affiliate.

lfischer@bilderz.com (Lance Fischer) — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:08:13 -0700

So you have some concerns about joining a CrossFit Affiliate. You’re either worried about the cost, or you’re worried about getting hurt, or both. These are both valid and understandable concerns. I bet you’ve already spent a small fortune on this fad diet, or that new exercise gizmo, and are a little apprehensive about spending even more money to get the same results as before (none). Plus you figure, why spend more than it costs to join a local gym right?

Or you’ve read about CrossFit, seen the results of people you know, but are worried about getting hurt. Heck, the thought of doing some of the stuff you see online is scary, I know. But if done correctly the exercises are very beneficial and the risk is minimal compared to the rewards.

If you’re like millions of other people out there that find themselves on this very fence, let me outline a few benefits of joining a local CrossFit Affiliate.

Joining an Affiliate will make you part of a community. For many people out there motivation is a huge factor to their success. When you join an Affiliate you are around people who are going through what you’re going through. Plus you’re surrounded by others that have been there and done that. Going solo or with a partner to the local gym, who is just as clueless as you, just doesn’t have the same effect.
You get one on one instruction from people who really know what they are talking about. The trainers at most Affiliates have been involved with CrossFit for years before they become trainers. They have attended numerous classes, certification courses and have spent ridiculous hours in the gym learning first hand and honing their skills. They are full of valuable information, tips, and techniques that can make your fitness journey a success.
You get to take all the guesswork about what you’re going to do in the gym, how long to do it and what weight to use. Plus there is someone there every step of the way correcting, advising, and praising your hard work.
The workouts you do will make you functional in everyday life. From lifting a bag of heavy groceries, to carrying your child in an emergency, should one arise, you’ll be prepared.
You’ll look great! Don’t take my word for it, scour the Internet and look up CrossFit on Google images and take a look at the photos. Many started out where you are today, fed up, confused, overweight, and out of shape. The great thing is that by committing to CrossFit, a great body will be a by-product of all your hard work.

These benefits are the same ones I gave during a recent conversation. Hopefully they will help someone else who is on the fence.

What it comes down for most people though is money. Most are willing to spend $50 or more each month at a regular gym, yet never reap any benefits from their investment.

I summarized my conversation like this. For around a $100 a month, a person can reap all the benefits and take the guesswork out of getting fit. Getting the money is for the most part easy; it is what most people spend monthly at StarBucks.

Don’t feel you have to rush in either. Contact your local Affiliate (CrossFit Affiliate Finder Map), make a visit and go meet them and some of their athletes (Yep they’re all called athletes, after you do you’re first WOD, you’ll understand why!). Ask for a free first session and see if it’s for you, I promise you won’t regret it.

Just my two cents.
See you in the hills.

Lance

Rryan Kingsbury Indian Hills CrossFit bursts onto scene becoming SoCal Regional Competitor

lfischer@bilderz.com (Lance Fischer) — Sun, 12 May 2013 07:33:53 -0700

This past week I was lucky enough to get the chance to conduct a short interview with Rryan Kingsbury, owner of Indian Hills CrossFit in Tehachapi California, before he heads to the CrossFit SoCal Regional’s on May 17^th-19^th 2013 in Del Mar California. During the Open, Rryan consistently posted top scores week after week securing his spot on the road to the Games.

As a competitor myself, it always peaks my interest when someone is able to come from near complete obscurity and bounce onto a scene which most of us merely dream about. What makes Rryan’s story great is that he’s just a normal guy. He’s married, has kids, a full time job as a Firefighter, and just happens to own an Affiliate. Somehow he is able to juggle a full life, a business, and stay in top physical condition year round.

As luck would have it, Indian Hills CrossFit (Located in Tehachapi, CA) is just a short drive for me. I’m always looking for new talent, in the hopes that one-day, that talent will make it big. Call it ego, but I think it would be cool to say, hey I knew that guy when…

With a few messages between us, Rryan agreed to an interview via Facebook and last Thursday, I packed the car, drove the short distance, and ran through a set of questions and a few quick photos.

Athlete Profile

Name: Rryan Kingsbury

Age: 35

Weight: 150

Years in CrossFit: 4/12

Affiliate: Owner Indian Hills CrossFit

Certifications: CrossFit Level 1, CrossFit Kids, CrossFit Mobility

1. So you made it to the SoCal Regional’s this year and you’ve had a chance to look at the workouts. Which WOD do you think will be your biggest hurdle?

Rryan: My biggest hurdle for sure is going to be the overhead squat complex. WOD 2 (7 minute ladder). My plan is to start out at 225 but, its gonna be how I feel. The challenge is that if I (instead) start at 185, I have to go 195, 205 all the way up until I hit 225. I know 185 will be nothing, but cleaning 225lbs, throwing it up over my head, catching it in my back rack then re-jerking up to an overhead stance (will be the challenge).

2. Last year during the Open you posted one of the top scores in the world for 12.1 (7 Min Burpees Total 148, 5^th in the World), and even received a mention on the Games website. Shortly after, you had an injury that put you out of contention for the remainder of the Open. Can you tell me what happened and what it meant to be knocked out so soon after a year of hard training?

Rryan: Last year I did Burpees, everyone around here knows me for liking them, it just happens to be one of my strengths so when that workout (12.1) came up I was pretty stoked about it. We did it and I got a good score.

I actually kept the top score till the end of the week then the guy from Russia (Danila Shokhin) beat me, then Scott Panchick. I actually wanted to do it again, but it’s one of those ones that you don’t want to repeat (laughs). Anyway I didn’t, I was happy with 5^th then the following Monday or Tuesday I was putting equipment away in my garage, I stepped on a bike rack using it as a ladder and slipped off.

A box smashed my hand between a shelf and the box that I was carrying. I ended up breaking the top of my hand. I was in a cast for about four weeks. I tried to complete a couple of the next workouts but I couldn’t overhead press and stuff like that so…

The year before I had tried the Open. My buddy and me did a couple of
workouts on film. We did the WOD’s at our Fire Station but kept getting calls and were interrupted, so we said forget it, we weren’t into it that year.

Then (the next year) we Affiliated. We geared up for it; the whole gym was doing it. We were excited about it after the first week; the buzz was going around, then I was kind of devastated after that happened (the accident). I was kind of sad sitting there having to score guys, especially guys I know I could beat. It was pretty disheartening.

3. What changes did you make to your training this year to prepare over the previous year?

Rryan: The previous year we had just Affiliated. So we were mainly following .com stuff and I was adding in my own strength stuff. Then I started following The Outlaw Way, (Outlaw CrossFit) it’s a lot of OLY lifting, which got me a lot better at OLY lifting. But they kind of went to the route of pure OLY lifting and kind of got away from all the CrossFit stuff. So I got into my own programming. I did a lot of that at the beginning of the year, then come fall I ended up on a Smolov Squat Cycle.

A lot of squatting, my squat went up 40 lbs in 12 weeks, which was good because it helped everything. The only bad thing was that I timed it wrong and I was hoping to peak at that around mid November – December.

4. To make it to Regional’s, it takes a ridiculous amount of skill and athleticism, but it also requires a strong diet. Do you follow Paleo, Zone or no diet at all?

Rryan: I did Zone for a while. I got used to my Blocks, and the percentages that I need to eat, but got tired counting. Now I follow more of a Paleo/ Zone if you call it that. Once a weekend I might hammer down some pizza (laughs) it might be an entire pizza you know. I still try to live life, but what I have done, especially lately is eat a lot. I eat twice as much as I ever have because when I don’t, I start losing weight and I can’t keep mass on.

That’s the problem being 150lbs, when you start working out a bunch the next thing you know you’re 146lbs. I’m like dude you need to eat more. Now I just eat ton, whenever I’m hungry, I eat. I always try to make it well balanced, a good amount of protein, carbs and some kind of fat.

5. Do you take any supplements?

Rryan: Ya, I take ProGenex shakes, lots of fish oil and glucosamine.

6. One of the WOD’s calls for 21-15-9 of 315lb Deadlifts and 30” Box Jumps. How will your size and weight affect you compared to some of the heavier competitors when it comes to that WOD?

Rryan: Yeah, that’s definitely gonna be one of my challenging WOD’s. 315 lbs being twice my body weight is going to be hard. But I can do it, I did it today actually, adding GHD’s in the middle and I finished in 8 minutes. Deadlifts happen to be one of my strong suits, so I’m not to worried about that, the 30” box jumps are going to be a little bit harder though.

7. I know you have a family life, run your Affiliate and are a full time Fire Fighter. How are you able to juggle all you do and still stay in top competition shape?

Rryan: The biggest thing I got going for me is that my wife is very supportive. Once we got the Affiliate she was slow getting into CrossFit but now that she’s into it, she’s down at the gym with me. I have great training partners here at the gym and one at work, so that keeps my training going well.

The whole family is involved, and the people we all hang out with all do CrossFit. So it’s become part of life rather than training.

8. What do you think your chances are of making it to the Games?

Rryan: (Laughs) I hate to sound negative, but I don’t think my chances are very good this year. I think I have a lot of weaknesses I need to work on, especially the heavier lifts. I think with another year of training I could get better. One of my goals since I started CrossFit was make it to Regional’s, that’s my Games. I did it this year by surprise, I wasn’t even expecting to.

I’m gonna take this years Regional’s as a learning tool. Then hopefully by next year I can be ready for the Games.

9. After seeing the individual WOD’s for Regionals, is there one that you tell yourself “Yeah, I got that”?

Rryan: Oh, that’s a tough question. You know as much as I hate to say this, the 100’s workout, I think I can do pretty good at that. I think a lot of people’s goat in that one will be the Pistols, and that ‘s never been a problem for me. Other than that they all pretty much look like a giant suck fest (more laughter).

10.If you could choose one CrossFit star to go head to head with in a WOD who would it be, what would the WOD consist of, and how do you think you would do?

Rryan: I would love to take on Rich Froning in Burpees. Because I beat him last year and I think it’s the one workout I could beat him in (Laughing). The one and only one I could beat him in.

After the interview concluded, I packed up and we talked a bit. While we talked I thought to myself, wow in week this guy’s going to push his body to the limits voluntarily, far past what most people could ever endure.

I was humbled a bit thinking that with all the time I put in, there are those out there of all shapes and sizes that can still outperform be at the drop of a dime.

Man I have a long way to go, but it’s fun to dream. In the meantime, guys like Rryan are living the dream for me. I hope Rryan does fantastic, because I know we’ll be rooting for him.

Good luck Rryan, hope to see you on the podium.

See you in the hills.
Lance