It’s nearing that time of the year again – we are pumped to host the Team Rubber / Team Turf throwdown during this October’s 5 CrossFit Open workouts! If you are unfamiliar with the Open, this article explains quite a bit about it. However, we will be taking our own spin on it this year with two teams making a re-appearance: Team Rubber and Team Turf.
For those of you who have already been assigned a team, you have received an email confirming your participation. A response is only necessary if you do NOT wish to participate this year.
For those of you who have not, a signup sheet will be posted at the gym in short order that will allow you to enter into the draft. I can’t stress this enough – it’s your participation that counts the most, NOT your fitness level. It’s a great opportunity to set some goals, make new friends, and have fun while exercising!
Monday, October 7th is the LAST DAY to sign up for the draft!
Looking forward to it everyone – have a great week and I’ll see you soon!
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on October 5th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
I was doing my own thing at another gym locally by myself for about two years. I had a very routine workout that I did consistently for months at a time before switching to another 8-12 week workout plan that I would find on online forums which felt very repetitive. I have a friend who is a CrossFit coach out-of-town help out with programming weekly for a few months and eventually it felt repetitive as well.
What made you want to get started?
After telling my coaching friend how I felt working out solo at the gym and my fitness goals, he kept telling me, “You have to try CrossFit. It’s a three-month commitment minimum. If you don’t like it at the end, you can at least say you tried it.
What changes have you seen in yourself since you started?
I’ve gotten surprisingly stronger! Like much stronger than I ever think I am. I knew that CrossFit would help get me in a better place in terms of fitness but I’ve managed to accomplish a lot of personal fitness and strength goals in the last few months that I would’ve never expected to reach in my time here so far.
What do you like most about CrossFit?
The consistency and the discordance. The consistency that the programming is designed to make you stronger not only in the spots you’re already strong in but also the spots you struggle. The discordance of the workouts makes it both enjoyable and fearful. I love lifting heavy weights and I absolutely hate cardio. As much as I’d love to skip the days with large amounts of cardio, I make it a point to go and try to focus on the spots I’m weak in both physically and mentally.
What type(s) of workouts are your favorite?
Anything focusing on strength components. I love to compare how I had done previously and try and beat my own PRs.
What is your go-to junk food?
I wouldn’t call it junk food, but anyone who knows me knows it’s a large chicken carbonara on Rosemary Parmesan bread with no mushrooms and extra sauce from Quiznos.
What are your goals going forward?
I’ve hit a lot of goals in the last two months that I never thought I would’ve hit previously since I joined and that’s only made me hungry to set new goals and continue to get better. As slow going as it’s going to be, I also want to focus on eating healthier; as someone who’s rarely eaten vegetables their entire life, it’s been a struggle to introduce it into my diet. Lastly, I would like to compete in a local/regional competition sometime after my one year anniversary.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?
The workouts can and will be intimidating, frightening, grueling, and downright morale-breaking. But when you hit a new PR on a movement, or finish that last round of five, or collapse to the ground after a 20-minute AMRAP, you will feel relieved and accomplished. The coaches do an amazing job helping you understand the movements; the members make it effortless to become entangled in the community and events; the community is extremely supportive and feels like another family. Never be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help as others have been in your shoes before. Focus on your own growth, both physically and mentally. Most importantly – have fun!
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on September 7th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
With kids going back to school and unseasonably cooler weather, it seems like fall has arrived a bit early this year. We had a perfect day on Saturday for our Summer Party – thanks to all who came out and spent time with us! It’s always great to catch up with everyone outside of the gym.
There’s a handful of things coming up that I want to inform you all about, so in the order that they are occurring, here’s what is happening over the next couple of months:
The Brooke
Some of you may have noticed the fliers up at the gym recently or recalled a post I put up earlier about Illinois State Police Trooper Brooke Jones-Story. She was killed in the line of duty on March 28th of this year, and her friends and family put together a memorial workout and fundraiser in her honor to be performed on September 2nd (Labor Day) in Stockton, IL.
Many of our CFD family will be making the drive out to support this great cause, but we also understand that many of you may not be able to, which is why we are hosting an opportunity to support it here at CFD as well.
For more details about Brooke’s story and the event in general, please follow the link to the Facebook page. We thank you all in advance and hope to have a great turnout, both in Stockton as well as here in Dubuque!
2020 CrossFit Open
Wait, what? Why is Phil posting about the 2020 Open, didn’t we LITERALLY just get done with the 2019 Games? Yup… they are totally re-structuring how the process works, and the 2020 Open starts on October 10th of this year – just a handful of weeks away!
Regardless, we will implement the testers on Fridays and build the rest of the week around it, same as we always have. Since this Open had admittedly snuck up on me, it’s still to be determined as to how we will run it this fall. Shoot me an email if you have an opinion!
That’s all for now, see you soon!
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on September 7th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
My husband joined a year prior. At first I said there was no way I would ever be able to do those workouts. I have no upper body strength. I’ll stick to running. But slowly over the next year, my reactions to his descriptions of the workouts went from dear god no to hmmm maybe I could do that. The more CFD people I met, the more I knew I needed to give it a try.
What did you do for fitness prior to joining CFD?
I have been a distance runner since junior high. I ran cross country and track in high school and in college at Loras. After college, I did a marathon, several half marathons, and tons of other road races. I did very little strength training. I could never bench more than 60 lbs and I never squatted because I thought it would make my “bad knees” even worse.
What changes have you seen in yourself since you started?
So many changes. I wouldn’t say it’s made me a faster runner, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. Obviously, I’m stronger. I love that I can carry both of my kids (combined weight of over 120lbs) upstairs to bed. My food outlook has changed – I eat better, more healthy, more natural foods. I have a lot more self-confidence. I think I’m more coordinated, although I still can’t do double unders.
When I was in high school, I had to get custom orthotics because my knees were getting wrecked. I was an over-pronator and it threw every joint off. I had knee surgery just before sophomore year of college. After just a couple months of CrossFit, I ditched my orthotics. I knew theoretically if the muscles around my knees were stronger, my knees would be too, and I was right. Those dreaded squats fixed my knees, and my running form was fixed too, completely eliminating the need for anything in my shoes.
What do you like most about CrossFit?
There are so many things I love about CrossFit. I am setting an example for my kids. They may seem totally unimpressed now of my deadlift PR, but that’s just because it has become commonplace for them to see strong amazing women. Of course you can do that, Mom. Instead of “pretty please with sugar on top” at my house it’s with proteins on top.
I love the community and the coaches. We are so lucky to have such dedicated, caring, and knowledgeable coaches. The last 8 months has brought so many changes in my life – the ending of my marriage leading to a new job and moving into Platteville. Everyone has been so supportive every step of the way, even if they had no idea what was going on. So thank you everyone for cheering me on, cheering me up, and being the normal part of my life. Being stronger is great, but being part of this community means so much more.
What type(s) of workouts are your favorite?
I’m not sure I have a favorite type of workout. I like strength days. I also like when running is involved. I’m certainly not the fastest, but I do enjoy it. I like deadlifts and cleans, sometimes squats.
What type(s) of workouts do you least like to see come up?
I. Hate. Thrusters. And burpees. I feel like I do them in slow motion and they just never get easier.
Have you ever been really dramatic when completing a movement only to then see someone next to you do what you did silently and with ease?
Not a single movement, but a workout with a lot of thrusters or shoulder to overheads I get a little dramatic. Those workouts where Mike has to make me cry to get me through it. He knows the kind.
What are your goals going forward?
I am still chasing that elusive pull-up. And my toes have yet to become acquainted with the bar. Overall, I just want to keep getting stronger. I hope to keep coming to class as much as I can, even though my schedule will make it very hard once school starts.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?
Don’t give up! It can be so frustrating to learn new movements, things feel awkward, intimidating, and you may think you will never get to where everyone else is. But you will. It may take 3 years to learn how to clean right, and you may not be able to do a pull up 5 years in. The important thing is to stick with it, listen to the coaches and the other athletes, trust the workouts, and have fun! Everyone here wants you to succeed.
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on August 17th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
There are a lot of factors that go into progress, each playing an important, interconnected role as we strive towards our goals. Each of the following pieces have been discussed at length in previous blogs and are commonly addressed by countless sources within the industry. In fact, I’ll go into some Nutrition Fundamentals principles this Thursday at 6:30pm for those of you who haven’t attended that lecture before.
Many of these commonly-discussed factors that contribute to progress are:
Program Design
Food Profile
Water Intake
Sleep/Recovery
However, today I’m going to address a different component that is vital to progress and not typically discussed. This ingredient is not only paramount as it relates to fitness goals, but it also applies to absolutely any other goal you may have in your life – personal, relational, business, you name it.
The Key Ingredient? EFFORT.
That’s right. Forget the program design, forget your food, forget your sleep, forget all that stuff for just a moment and consider the following:
It doesn’t matter how great your program design is. If your effort sucks, so will your progress in the gym.
It doesn’t matter how well-designed your learning materials are. If your effort sucks, so will your education.
It doesn’t matter how friendly the people you surround yourself with are. If your effort sucks, so will your relationships.
If you aren’t happy with where you’re heading or how quickly you’re getting there, take a serious self-assessment at how much effort you’re putting in. All else held constant, you get out of life what you put into it, and one of the few factors we have COMPLETE control over in this world is our EFFORT.
Harsh language ahead, but I think the following quote is sound advice that embodies what it takes to get what you want out of life:
“Control the things you can control, maggot. Let everything else take a flying fuck at you and if you must go down, go down with your guns blazing.” – Stephen King
Stay The Course <1>
Upcoming events
July 18th at 6:30 pm – Nutrition Fundamentals with Coach Phil
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on July 20th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
Happy Sunday everyone! I have just received more specific information regarding RSVP troubles some of you may have been experiencing. It appears that there are some coding issues on the website which is preventing the WODhopper widget from loading when the ‘RSVP’ button is clicked on. I’m not sure how that link became broken (and my 300-level Web Design course has not adequately prepared me to troubleshoot this issue myself – trust me, I tried!), but for the time being it is not working.
For those of you who have added the widget link as an icon on your homescreen, you’re likely not experiencing any problems since that link is still functional (I just RSVP’d and then un-RSVP’d myself to the 5:15am class tomorrow to test it from my phone with no problems). However, if you are always navigating to the website or using your desktop to RSVP, you’re likely in the subset of the population who is experiencing problems. Go ahead and click the link above (and then save yourself the hassle and add it to your phone’s homescreen as an icon – it is far more convenient!).
If anyone is unable to RSVP with the above link, please let me know via email at phil@crossfitdubuque.com
Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. We are working at resolving this issue as soon as possible! Thanks for your patience 🙂
Happy holiday week, everyone! We have some upcoming schedule changes as well as some dates of interest to put out to you all:
Independence Day
July 3rd, there will be no 5:30pm class. Otherwise, the day will continue on as usual July 4th, Independence Day, we will be hosting the 9:30am class ONLY.
Summer Party
Save the date! August 24th is our annual Summer Party, and this year we will be hosting it at Flora Park. Check out the FB event page for more information as the date gets closer – it’s sure to be a great time!
The Brooke
September 2nd (Labor Day), our friends at Rx Fitness in Stockton will be hosting a memorial workout in honor of Brooke Jones-Story, an Illinois Trooper whose life was tragically lost in the line of duty. More information will be released as it gets closer, but the location of the event will be at the Stockton Park at 10am. I know for many of you in the Dubuque area it’s a bit of a haul, but it’s a great cause and I wanted to do what I could to bring awareness to a great cause. More information and an event page will be pushed out when it becomes available.
That’s all for now, keep up the great work and continue having a great summer!
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on July 6th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
Honestly, I was tired of not being able to keep up with my toddler. I was horribly out of shape—the epitome of dad bods. Carrying my daughter up the stairs was the greatest leg exercise of my day. My friends Kristine and Hillary kept telling me over and over again how amazing CFD was, so when I saw an opening for one of the trial workouts, I signed up to give it a try. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
What is your favorite gym music?
My favorite gym music is usually the stuff that Mike picks out during the 5:15 classes. It’s usually some classic rock or some of my favorites like Breaking Benjamin.
What did you do for fitness prior to joining CFD?
Unless chasing a toddler counts, nothing. Before CFD I never did a single clean or lunge or thruster or any of that shite. I had maybe spent a total of 30 minutes in a gym over the last 10 years. Growing up, I was the kid who was always picked last for teams, utterly hated gym class, and would try forging sick letters from his parents during the Presidential Fitness Test days. Today, because of the support I’ve received at CFD, I truly enjoy coming to workouts. I look forward to them.
What changes have you seen in yourself since you started?
CrossFit helped me discover a better me. Since joining CFD I’ve lost 65 pounds, and I’ve dropped quite a few pant sizes. That said, CFD isn’t a weight loss program: it’s a community; it’s a support team; it’s fun; it’s unimaginably challenging; and if you trust the process it will absolutely help you get stronger and lead a healthier lifestyle. Because of CFD, I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. Playtime with my daughter doesn’t burn me out anymore, and I have the energy I need to be the kind of dad I want to be.
What do you like most about CrossFit?
The community at CFD is the thing that sets it aside. It’s what keeps me coming back again and again. CFD is my family. I want to see my CFG friends get better, and they want to see me kick ass too, and that is amazing. That spirit is the RX to success.
What type(s) of workouts are your favorite?
Maybe I’m a masochist, but anything with running for time because it pushes me past my comfort zone. I like being pushed to catch up to the person ahead of you or to stay ahead of the footsteps behind you. Team workouts are always fun too.
What type(s) of workouts do you least like to see come up?
Anything with double-unders, just because I really really really suck at jumping rope.
What are your goals going forward?
I think my biggest goal is to beat Hillary or Dustin at something, and by next October, I’d like to do an RX workout and get my double-unders down.
Have you ever won the warmup?
Define win? No one told me that was a contest, but yes I have. 🙂
What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?
The greatest advice I could have for someone just starting out or considering joining CFD is to believe you can do it. If this dad who was afraid of gyms can do it, so can you. You got this! Trust in the process.
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on July 6th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
Happy Monday, everyone! As many of you probably noticed on social media, the coaches pooled together and did a much-needed deep clean of the gym over the weekend. Aside from the tidying and re-arranging, I’ve also got a few supplies coming in for maintenance and repairs, including:
New GHD pads
replacement parts for the Assault Bikes
A horizontal BB storage rack for trainer bars
More SFH protein coming in (finally!)
New lifting platforms coming soon
You’ll notice that some things have a ‘new home’ where equipment is stored. We ask that you all do your part to help the place neat and organized and thank you all for making up such an incredible community!
Also, there is a bin of ‘lost and found’ items that will be tossed/donated over this next weekend (Saturday, June 15th). Please claim any items that are yours by then or else Lincoln will be forced to strut around in some new gear! 🙂
You guys are the best – see you all soon!
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on July 6th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class here or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
Allison: We had just moved back to Dubuque and I was sick of being out of shape, so I figured I might as well start a new job and a new fitness routine at the same time.
Dan: Allison started and I like to be better than her at everything.
Allison: Honestly, if you would have told us a year ago that we would be doing CrossFit and being featured we probably would have laughed in your face and said absolutely no way…. yet here we are.
What did you do for fitness prior to joining
CFD?
Dan: I played volleyball at Clarke from 2008-2012, after that I played in some volleyball leagues but nothing very physical or challenging.
Allison: I played softball and track off-and-on through high school and early college. I was never a star athlete by any means. I only liked sports because of the team aspect. That was one of the big things that attracted me to CFD, because I need that group aspect to keep me accountable.
What changes have you seen in yourself since
you started?
Dan: I have dropped a lot of weight and my cardio has gotten way better
Allison: I am more confident, better at embracing uncomfortable situations, and way stronger than I have ever been.
What do you like most about CrossFit?
Dan: The sense of community that we have both in and out of the gym.
Allison: Same. I also like that CrossFit pushes me to do things that I know I would definitely not be doing on my own. I’m sure most coaches would agree that I don’t really like to challenge myself as much as I should, so there are a lot of days where I know if I went to a regular gym and tried to do the WOD on my own I would quit half way through.
What is the funniest thing you remember
happening at CFD?
Dan:Maddy said that we had to use a different clock because the battery was running low on the normal one and we couldn’t hear it. Hodge was quick to point out that the clock was plugged into the wall.
Allison: The other day Coach Austin said we weren’t allowed to say the word “shoulders” for the rest of the class. I tried to refer to my shoulders but couldn’t figure out what to call them. For some reason the phrase “meat bookshelves” is what came out of my mouth.
What is your go-to junk food?
Dan: When I was about 2 or 3 my dad introduced me to enjoying a glass of milk and 6 Oreos a night. After doing some math I have figured that I have had over approximately 59,000 Oreos in my lifetime. Allison has banned them from the house except for special occasions.
Allison: Everything (other than Oreos), my diet could still use quite a bit of work.
What
advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?
Dan: If you are competitive like I am, you are going to want to try to keep up with people who have been going to CFD for years. It is important that you focus on your own progress and only push yourself as hard as you can handle—don’t just focus on how others are doing compared to you. As I think Phil said a while back, it takes “Trust and Time.” I like to follow that motto.
Allison: It’s going to be uncomfortable for a while, but you should do it anyways. I didn’t know anyone when I started and I was nervous for every single class for the first couple of months. I still get nervous before some of the WODs, but just showing up is an accomplishment.
Not a member? Sign up today! The next Intro class takes place on July 6th at 10:00. RSVP to the free Intro Class here or e-mail us today to set up an appointment!
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.
How do I start?
If you are interested in speaking to a coach and learning more about our philosophy on fitness and how we can help you achieve your goals, get signed up for an introductory class! New Foundations classes start the first full week of each month, so get in for your intro class to get signed up for the upcoming month’s classes!
Is CrossFit hard?
Yes. But 'hard' is relative; it will be 'hard' for an elite-level athlete, and it will be appropriately 'hard' for an inexperienced or de-conditioned athlete. Nothing worth having comes easy. More importantly, what we do is appropriate, safe, and effective.
What do classes look like?
Each of our sessions are 100% guided and coached. Our classes are structured in smaller groups so that everyone is able to receive some individual attention. At times, we may bring in other trainers to help coach so as to not overlook anyone.
We will always begin with a dynamic warm up. This will usually consist of a few movements that ensure that the entire body is ready for the session. At this point, you should feel an elevated core temperature and maybe have a light sweat.
Next we work on skill moves. These include a variety of motions such as Olympic lifting, body awareness movements, or any number of others that fit into our programming. Coaching plays a big part in this section. Many of the movements we teach will be outside of the average skill set. Part of our goal is to broaden your base, constantly introducing new and different moves.
At this point we begin coaching the workout of the day (WOD). Often, the WOD will incorporate elements from the sessions’ skill work. After adjusting the WOD to each individual’s skill and fitness level, any last minute questions are answered. Then, it’s 3 2 1 GO! And we’re off!!
Do you track progress?
We do not track progress for you, but we offer you free services to help you track your own progress. With our WODHOPPER integration, you will be able to log your daily reps, times, and weights. Additionally, you are able to view the workout for the current day and see how everyone has performed.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies depending on the number of classes you wanted to attend per week and which program you participate in. For detailed information, please visit our Programs section to learn about the details of each program we offer, and how much they cost.
Are the coaches qualified?
We pride ourselves in the knowledge of our trainers. Each and every one of our trainers are qualified to guide you along your CrossFit journey. We also believe that continuing education is paramount to the success our of members, so we help our coaches get any additional training that will advance their knowledge in the field.
