I am very excited to announce that we will be offering CrossFit Kids at CFM! First ten to be signed up are guaranteed a spot in Coach Margaret's CrossFit Kids Class! If you have any questions please contact margy.brown59@gmail.com.
CFM FEATURED MEMBER: KATY PALMA
CF MILPITAS FEATURED MEMBER: KATY PALMA
Name: Katy Palma
Occupation/Major: Critical Care Nurse
Favorite Movement/WOD: Deadlifts and toes to bar
Least Favorite Movement/WOD: Maxing out on heavy back squats
Please tell us a little about yourself:
I'm an ICU nurse, but plan on going back to school to be a nurse practitioner soon. I'm married to my best friend, and I'm obsessed with my dog!
When and why did you join CrossFit Milpitas?
I joined about 2 and a half years ago. I was working night shift in the ICU when we first moved out to Cali, and I gained 20 pounds over the first 3 months of it. I worked out 6 days a week doing cardio for over an hour, but I just continued to gain weight. I was devastated and knew I needed a game-changer. Luckily, Groupon sent me an email around that same time saying that Crossfit Milpitas was doing a free 1 week trial. I bought it immediately and then almost had a panic attack, because I was so terrified to walk through those doors. Thank God I did, because it changed my life!
What sort of changes have you seen or experienced since starting CrossFit?
My confidence, my clothes sizes, and the fact that I think that being strong and toned is way sexier than being skinny.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit/CF Milpitas moments:
I really enjoy the time of year when it's the Open and everyone is extra supportive of each other. The box has such high energy!
Any advice for people just getting started or new to CrossFit?
Always listen to your coach, believe in yourself, and remember that every member was new at Crossfit at one point too!
JULY 4TH WEEKEND CLASS CHANGES/SCHEDULE!!!
On Saturday, July 4th CrossFit Milpitas will have a 9am team WOD and open gym from 10 to 12. If you plan on coming in please arrive no later than 11:15, please. If no one is here by 11:15 and no one if left in the box I'm shutting it down!
Sunday will be a coached class as usual at 10:00am. I know the website still says 9am. I swear I've been trying to get that fixed for weeks. I know I mentioned Mission Peak to a few of you but that will be a few weekends from now.
REMINDER: Coach Tim's Olympic Lifting classes start next week! Tuesday/Thursdays 7:30pm to 9pm.
THE BEST PROGRAM IS THE ONE YOU ACTUALLY FOLLOW!!
We will soon be changing up the programming. Again. We always have and we always will. As Greg Glassman (founder and CEO of CrossFit) said, "Routine is the ENEMY!" Here are some other great quotes from Coach:
“Be impressed by intensity, not volume.”
“Just because you’re 250 pounds doesn’t excuse or exempt you from needing 25 pull-ups.”
“Why is it that strength training is commonly recognized as a discipline across several training modalities yet there is no equivalent metabolic conditioning recognized across multiple training modalities?”
“If you can brag about either a low 4′s mile or a high 4′s bench press you could also be a lot fitter.”
“Stick to the basics and when you feel you’ve mastered them it’s time to start all over again, begin anew – again with the basics – this time paying closer attention.”
Trust that the coaches here at CrossFit Milpitas have extensive knowledge on CrossFit methodology. We’ve learned about it, have been tested on it, we know it and understand it in great depth, and we are passionate about it and BELIEVE IN IT. Sometimes I think other boxes lose sight of what CrossFit actually is and should be. They may start programming based on what is “sexy” and popular at the time. Remember that CrossFit programming is not RANDOM although it appears that way to some. CrossFit is VARIED, and has been battle tested through more than a decade. If CROSSFIT never worked, it would have never taken off.
We are at the end of a strength cycle. This week will be full of testing so we encourage you to make it to class! After that Vito and I have agreed on a specific block of CrossFit.com programming for our box. Will we continue having structured strength every day? We will not. Was it popular with our members? For a lot of them, yes. Why would we change something that seemed to be popular? I will stress again that we hope you know we have your best interests at heart. We care about your fitness, and we would never do anything we didn’t feel wasn’t going to keep you on the path to a better, healthier, fitter life. We will still have plenty of barbell but like I often say, you shouldn’t be worrying about your bench PR when you can’t do 5 strict pull-ups and dips yet! I truly believe Vito does an EXCELLENT job of staying true to CrossFit when he programs. He knows what he is doing. Honestly, I bet if we didn’t mention we were following Main Site, most might not even know the difference except for the fact that some WODs are going to appear extremely difficult. Those of you who are used to completing workouts as Rx’d may be scaling reps and modifying more than you have before. Do not feel that we are setting impossible standards for you. Remember prescribed CrossFit.com is designed to test the fittest in the world and it is meant to be modified and scaled as needed. Even as a regional athlete, main site WODs sometimes terrify me (in a motivating way). Even I have to scale and modify an occasional “.com” workout. Your coach will help you decide how to tailor WODs so they are right for YOU. CrossFit.com main site WODs are truly varied and unbiased.
The 4:30 Strength/Competitor class will be following Invictus Performance inspired programming with additional structured skill work. Invictus is just a big-name CrossFit box/program that publishes 3 categories of WODs (Fitness, Performance, and Competition). They do this because they have multiple locations with many members including a large group of elite competitors. Some travel long distances to train there. Is there something magical and special about Invictus programming? If you do it are you going to automatically qualify for the Games? Absolutely not. But there is some good accessory work and skill work that goes a long way. This additional work is why the class is an hour and a half.
If you would like to read about CrossFit programming please see the following: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/06_03_CF_Template.pdf
If you feel you are beyond GPP for whatever reason (maybe you have been doing CrossFit for 5+ years, or perhaps you feel your training needs to be different because you are competitive) please read the following: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_2014_10_Competition_Cecil.pdf
If you would like to learn more about how brilliant CrossFit.com is please look at this: http://blog.beyondthewhiteboard.com/2014/04/23/crossfit-com-programming-analysis-part-1/
CF Milpitas/CF One World THROWDOWN! NO SATURDAY CLASSES!
Well, kind of... Most teams will consist of Milpitas and One World members. There are a few teams from other boxes. This is a friendly, no-pressure, get-together and workout with awesome people while challenging yourself type of event!
Remember there will be NO CLASSES ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27th because will we all be at CrossFit One World in Union City from 8am to maybe 2pm!! If this affects you, try to come to the 10am Sunday class. Athlete check-in at 7:30am. We would love to see you come out and support your fellow CFM athletes, have some food and drink, enjoy the music and watch some CrossFitters do amazing things.
If you have never worked out in something from LuLuLemon, you haven't lived. LuLuLemon will be at this event and will have sports bras, mens and womens shorts, shirts, swim suits, headbands and more for purchase. Popular among CrossFitters and high in quality!
SEE YOU SATURDAY! GO CFM!!
Clean Workship with Coach Tim TOMORROW!
Reminder! CFM Members ONLY clean workshop tomorrow at CFM with Coach Tim from 7-9pm. You will have the opportunity to get to know Tim, break down the clean in detail, and be able to pick his brain with some Q&A toward the end.
Starting the week after JULY 4TH the regular Tuesday and Thursday 7:30 classes will now be coached by Tim. These will strictly be Olympic Weightlifting classes. You do not need to have a certain level of experience. Just show up and be ready to learn!
Do One Thing A Day That Scares You...
For me, yesterday, that was cleaning the gym refrigerator. TERRIFYING! Have you ever VACUUMED a refrigerator?! I now have. I try to clean something every day at CFM. This is in addition to the usual like endlessly picking up water bottles, clothes, whiteboards and dodgeballs (how to they end up under every shelf every other day?!). Some projects take longer than others. Some are constant battles. Like the daddy long-legs and their webs. Now, my degrees aren't in cleaning and pest management and I'm getting over my fear of dusty corners and crawly things, but I PROMISE you I make an effort every time I can to keep up with these web masters when I'm not coaching classes, doing intros, emails, social media, program planning, and other tasks that my job include.
I would like to mention a few other items regarding gym cleanliness. As you have probably figured out by now, CrossFit gyms don't have some of the luxuries a Globo Gym has. We have to be located in industrial areas in buildings without air, showers, and multiple bathrooms in exchange for an affordable location, tons of floor space, and tall ceilings for ropes and rigs. Not to mention a place we don't have to be quiet in. Most people see the value in quality coaching over having towel boys. There is dust and there are webs. It's inevitable.
Some things COULD be better, though. Coach and staff members make an effort to change/stock toilet paper when we see it is out. We cannot predict and be in the bathroom with you the exact moment the paper towels run out so if you notice, please let one of us know! The floor cleaners come twice a week which is pretty standard in most boxes I have worked at. They do a great job. We cannot possibly have them come every day just because someone did handstand walks everywhere with chalk. We wipe down the medballs, kettlebells, PVC pipes from time to time but perhaps we could do a better job with things like the pull-up bars. Some boxes have their members wipe everything down after using it. Do I feel each member should do this? Depends on your personal beliefs and feelings on germs, chemicals, our immune systems, and cancer, I guess as well as how much of a role you feel members should have in the cleaning process.
I will say this... some absolute without-a-doubt things that need to be a habit is cleaning up items that you bleed or tear on. No one wants your DNA. Also, if you excessively sweat on something, especially the floor, it would be a great idea to clean that up. I am not afraid of a little sweat but even I cringe when I have to do inch worms in someone else's sweat puddle.
Simply put, we will continue to make a better effort to keep the gym clean and I hope you will, too. Unless you're Vito and claim you can't clean well because you're a male.
WELCOME COACH TIM FOK TO CFM!!
We are SO very excited to introduce you to our newest addition to the coaching staff here at CrossFit Milpitas! Coach Timothy Fok is here to coach two Olympic Lifting classes a week. Class times will be Tuesday and Thursday 7:30-9:00pm. If you would like to meet Coach Tim, we encourage you to come to CFM on Thursday, June 25th to a CLEAN WORKSHOP from 7 to 9pm!! Tim brings a wealth of knowledge to our gym and we hope you are able to take advantage of his big brain!
Here is a message from Coach Tim:
"Hey Crossfit Milpitas! My name’s Tim, and I’m a Bay Area native. I recently moved from Santa Barbara back to the Bay Area after graduating from UCSB. I have been lifting weights since 2010, and I’ve been involved in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting. I initially trained as a powerlifter, but I switched to weightlifting after seeing people smaller than me snatch my max deadlift.
While at UCSB, I competed as a weightlifting athlete for the school's team. I also helped coach my fellow teammates, and I received my USA Weightlifting Coaching certification at the end of 2014.
Weightlifting isn’t just my passion. It’s so integral to my life that I couldn’t imagine a world without weightlifting. If anyone ever wants to chat up some snatch and clean and jerk, I’m definitely all ears. My love for weightlifting might make me sounds like I'm a crazy person, but trust me, I'm not (at least I hope I'm not). Weightlifting has just helped me in so many ways I could never imagine. If in 2010 you told me that I would one day compete in and coach weightlifting, I would have said you were the crazy person. Anyway, weightlifting is awesome.
I am excited to be a part of the Crossfit Milpitas community! :)
I'm also on Instagram and Youtube. My username for both services is DoesTimEvenLift.
Fun fact: I majored in computer science and minored in history at UCSB.
Thanks!
Tim
SUMMER COMPETITIONS!
The purpose of CrossFit is to be fit for life. Some of us, however, have a desire to compete. As Greg Glassman said, "Men will die for points". The CrossFit Games were born in 2007 and the explosion of interest in the Sport of Fitness has been growing ever since. Competitive CrossFit can be a wonderful thing.
-You can see how you stack up to others.
-You can challenge yourself mentally and physically under pressure.
-You can test your ability to work with a team. (Partner Comps)
-You can experience CrossFit community at its finest.
-You can use an upcoming competition as motivation to work on goals or to be consistent in your training. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON!
If you are interested in competing, no matter what level you are at, there is a competition for you this summer! Here is a list I have pulled together and there is one for EVERYONE. There is a BEGINNER COMP!! I would LOVE to get some of our members signed up for this. These beginner comps fill up FAST - believe me! There is a MASTERS division in some of these. Also, Rx, Scaled, Individual, and Team. Competitions with Pool WODs. What more could you ask for?!
If you aren't sure or have any questions about preparing or which one is right for you please talk to a coach. We LIVE for this stuff, so we would love to help every step of the way!
