One year ago, I didn’t know what a snatch was.  One year ago, I didn’t know what a muscle up was, a kip was, or that people would do push-ups without their feet on the ground.  A year ago, this was me.

​210 pounds, unhealthy, and miserable with the way I looked and felt.  It was my 29th birthday, and I was the largest I had ever been, and decided to make a change.  Enough was enough.  The next day, on April 4th I started my 30for30 challenge.  Lose 30 pounds by the time I turned 30.  It had been years since I had a consistent workout regiment that lasted more than a month, and I knew I did some help.  I did a little research and decided to invest in myself and try crossfit and CrossFit District 5.  Today, 365 days later, this is me.

I have lost 40 pounds, and much more importantly, I am happier and healthier than I have ever been.  It took a year of hard work and dedication to reach this point and I am nowhere near "done" on my fitness journey.  I achieved these results from hard work in the gym, and hard work in the kitchen.  I because extremely conscious of everything I would eat and drink.  Cut out snacks after dinner, drank beer once a month, ate more fruits and veggies than the past 4 years combined.  Those are crucial to getting to where you want to go, its easier to skip eating a snickers bar and eat carrots instead than work off 600 calories at the gym. At the same time, I ate my fill of pizza, ice cream, and all the other delicious things through out the year just at much more moderation. They were treats, not staples.

At the gym, I showed up 5-6 days a week most weeks, found Crossfit Boxes to visit when I travel, and took my dog for a 1-2 mile most days it was nice out.  I wish I could go back and talk to my younger self, tell him that looking and feeling like this is possible, it just takes, hard work, dedication, and help.

This journey is nearly impossible to do alone.  Real talk, if you have gotten yourself to a point where I was, you cannot do it alone.  I tired hundreds of diets, and "THIS TIME I AM GOING TO MAKE IT STICK" gym reginmates only to give up.  This time, I invested in myself, both time and money.  Crossfit is not the cheapest way to get in shape, but it is incredibly effective.  The cost is also a motivator, your paying that much, you gotta use it regularly.  The coaches at D5 are amazing, and they will keep you on track and motivate your to come back day after day.

​By the time my 6 months of fitness arrived, I had reached my 30 for 30 goal and then some.  So I set a new set of goals for the following six months, half of which I did achieve!

The other half, I have made significant progress on and will track to try and achieve over the next six months of my journey.  One of the great parts of Crossfit to me is how trackable and measurable everything you do is.  Nothing else you do in your life will have the clarity of time in, vs reward out.  It's easy to see and track every single day, which is what makes it great.

Without a doubt, joining D5 was one of the best decisions of my life.  Not only for the results I see in my fitness, but the community within.  It is a place with incredible people who love and support you as you work to make yourself your best self. Whatever you started, and wherever you want to go, the community is there for you.  The coaches, their families, and all the members care about one another in a special way.  I am so proud to call Crossfit D5 my home.    I hope you will too!

Statistics show that the average American does not consume the recommended daily intake of Protein. I’m was guilty of this. Until recently, I just assumed that I was eating enough protein in my food selections-wrong.
Protein is a macro nutrient so important for building and maintaining muscle. Experts recommend .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. When I started paying attention to my macros I realized- there’s only so much meat and eggs I can handle, ergo ‘Brotein’ powder is a must have.
So, what kind of Protein should you buy? With the numerous products on the market, it makes it that much harder to decide. Here are some tips on what to look for:
 
High Protein:
Ideally, you should be picking a protein powder that has at least 20 grams of protein. Anything below that, is it worth it? Remember the whole point is to supplement.
 
Low Carb:
Carbs are an important macro nutrient too, but again the point is to protein. Some protein powders actually have more carbs than protein. We see this most commonly in certain protein bars.
 
Few Ingredients:
Pick a protein powder that has less than 10 ingredients. The first ingredient should be, PROTEIN. Powders with over 10 ingredients tend to have fillers like synthetic ingredients, sweeteners, and preservatives.
 
Protein Source:
Most importantly is to choose a protein source, i.e. Whey, Soy, Casein, Pea, Hemp, and Rice. Vegans should avoid Whey and Casein which are both Milk based. Choose a source based off your personal dietary needs.
 
Whey vs Casein:
While both are milk based, they serve two different purposes. Whey is fast digesting and Casein is slow. To increase muscle, you need to increase protein synthesis and decrease muscle break down. Whey increases protein synthesis while casein decreases muscle breakdown. Essentially, you’re getting the same muscle breakdown effect from whole food protein because they are digesting slowly. The great thing about food protein sources is that you can take it in combination with Whey Protein and get the full benefits. By combining Whey and Casein you would actually be slowing down digestion of the Whey Protein and no longer get that increase in protein synthesis. Trying to “Bulk”? Casein may be for you…
 
Have you had your ‘Brotein’ Shake today?


​-- Coach Morgan

Achieve Your First Pull Up Program

 This program is designed to be done along with our regular CrossFit classes. The workouts should take no longer than 15 minutes and can be done following your desired class. This program is designed for someone who does not yet have their first strict dead hang pull up or someone who maybe only have 1 to 3 pull-ups. The program is broken down into three 4 week cycles with this being the 2nd cycle.

If you are just starting out and maybe have a hard time hanging on the pull up bar, you may want to repeat the first 4 week cycle a few times. If you are a little more advanced, you can work your way through the program as written.

See a video of Coach Elliott taking us through Cycle 2, and print out the PDF below to have on hand.
https://youtu.be/swrswRyBTlQ

That once-a-year, weekly WOD where CrossFit athletes test themselves against the world, themselves, and their local communities. Where they are able to put to use the skills and strengths they have learned day-in and day-out in the gym. It’s one workout per week for five weeks. You will register for The Open and be able to see how you stack up against people all over the world doing the same workout every week.  Although the best in the world will go to the CrossFit Games, for the rest of us (me) this is a time for self-evaluation and firsts. And, at CrossFit District 5, is also a bit of a party! So many personal records are set in the competition atmosphere. It will give you usable data on your performance in the gym and allow you to set reachable goals. Where does the party come in? I have left the gym unable to speak from yelling, cheering, and laughing every week during The Open for the past five years. It is so high-energy. It’s a party every Friday night.
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The Open is a competition. The reason we CrossFit is health and health alone…until The Open. It’s all about the score. If we can do the rep safely and it meets the movement standards then it is a good, Rx rep. Try and get that rep by any means necessary! So, we approach The Open with a different mindset: if you have 20 minutes to get as many reps as possible of 50 chest-to-bar pull ups, 50 calorie row and 50 air squats and you have never done a chest-to-bar pull up, but you think you can safely get one…TRY! An Rx score of 1 is better than 1,000 scaled reps in The Open. So try Rx if you think you’re safely close, and then do the scaled workout later to sweat that beer out. There are never as many personal bests and personal firsts than under The Open lights. So many people cheering you on and such a positive atmosphere create a breeding ground of potential and confidence.​

The Open is from February 21st to March 25th this year, so start working on those skills you need improvement on now. The D5 coaches are here to help! If you want to work on something, Open Gym is the perfect time to get some personal assistance with a movement. See y’all under The Open lights!

​Coach Darren