As this whirlwind week unfolds, we have not only re-opened after the Covid closures but are now also in the process of re-branding our gym! Phew! I want to assure our community that this was not a “knee jerk”, or emotional reaction to what has been happening in the CrossFit world or with the CrossFit HQ leadership. This de-affiliation has been on our radar for awhile, but the VERY poor choices of that “leader” strongly confirmed our decision and we had no other choice, IMO. CrossFit HQ is making some swift changes to the leadership team, as they must. But that does not change our decision. We love CrossFit and fully acknowledge how powerful it has been for the fitness industry and our own gym. As an 8 year affiliate, we thank CrossFit for the changes has brought forth and the fights pursued in the name of health and fitness. We will always be proud to have been CrossFit Fernie from 2012 – 2020. CrossFit is more than one person. But now it is time for a change that better aligns with our values and methods.
Fernie Mountain Fitness & Athletics. Our mission is to create a family of humble, healthy, happy people who kick ass and live the “Active Fernie Lifestyle” into their 90’s. To create a community and program that prioritizes wellness, proper movement, smart programming and healthy nutrition for long term fitness and health. #healthierhappierpeople.
How do we do that? By training our members smarter. Maya Angelou states, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” We know better, and our programming has evolved, and strayed from traditional CrossFit for the last 4 years or so… We no longer program killer metcons day in and day out so our members are writhing on the ground after each session. We focus on strength, we include in depth warm ups, accessory work to support ligaments and tendons as we train our big movers regularly, we program cool downs to aid in recovery. We program general physical work that may not be overtly sexy, but is key to fitness and body composition. We also know that high technique movements like olympic lifting are not the end all, be all anymore. While they are still a part of our workouts, they do not make up the majority of our programming. We help our members achieve their goals in fitness better by using movements that each person can really dig in to and that have a lower risk of injury. That’s why you are here right? To get fit? To feel better? To look better? To move better? To move faster? To do more?
“Prioritize Strength Training: #1 physical capacity. Strength is “the ability to exert maximal force” we are going to look at strength from more of a holistic approach encompassing all tools that improve it, directly and indirectly.
With that said, in our model of “strength training” allows us to accomplish:
- Improve body composition
- Improve muscular imbalance and posture
- Improve the strength of smaller muscle groups that assist in complex movements which then allows our athletes to perform complex movements with less risk of injury
- Improve neuromuscular efficiency allowing your athletes to actually use more muscle fibers to generate more force
Again, strength = resiliency not to mention EVERYTHING else is easier from lifting a heavy load to running a 5k.
Conditioning: More is not better, better is better. “Go so hard” is a one-way ticket to overtraining and the methodology that too many subscribe to. Don’t be fooled by social media there is a point of diminishing returns; it’s likely if you’ve been around the block a few times you’ve experienced this.
What is a better approach is actually knowing the difference between the aerobic and anaerobic systems, how the two overlap and in just about every single CrossFit metcon, and how we can improve the two most effectively.The funny part is that CrossFit is far more aerobic than it is anaerobic yet the premise of the system is based on “high-intensity.” And we’ve all heard “intensity is relative.” That can be said about just about anything, but what’s better is actually knowing what the desired outcome and “why” is of every single metcon you put into your plan.
The best possible option is to focus on the building the base of fitness which is the aerobic system. The aerobic system affords us the ability to recover better and LIVE LONGER – it’s pretty well established via multiple studies the connections between endurance and lifespan. Without an efficient aerobic system, your clients will never be that great at CrossFit either.
List of benefits of improving the Aerobic System:
- Improved Recovery.
- Improved Sleep
- Improved ability to pump blood to the extremities
- Improved ability to replenish ATP for explosive movements
- Decreased resting heart-rate
- Longer lifespan!”
Source: Jason Brown, BP Training Systems (https://drjohnrusin.com/crossfit-but-smarter/?mc_cid=4bff7bc0a2&mc_eid=fa6f7e937a0)
We are excited for the next leg of this journey.
We are Fernie Mountain Fitness & Athletics.
Are you ready to train like an athlete and get in the best shape of your life?
