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November 05, 2013 - 8:50PM

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If calendars had a place for calorie counting, what would November and December look like for you? If you are like most, food is an important part of the holiday season. Whether your taste runs to old traditions or to something new, it’s easy for normal eating patterns to take a backseat at this time of year. With the average weight gain being anywhere from 2 to 9 pounds over the holiday season, this accelerated weight gain can be a real concern. The extra pounds accumulated over the holiday months can stick around year after year, contributing to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure. It is crucial to figure out what factors contribute to this weight gain and have a personal plan to successfully battle these unwanted pounds. Simple changes in behavior can have enormous benefits after the holidays have passed.

So what are you going to do differently this year so you can continue to achieve your fitness goals?  Whether you are motivated to get through the season just maintaining your weight, or even striving to be a few pounds down, it is essential to be prepared for the social pressures that may break your willpower. Kristen Bell will be hosting an hour-long seminar that will give you all the strategies you need to battle these challenges and leave those undesirable, excess pounds for Santa.

It IS possible to avoid putting on extra weight with the right plan so you still look and feel healthy without depriving yourself of all the holiday treats and festivities. Kristen will discuss how to implement a clean eating plan and how to budget for those food and drinks that you look forward to all year long.  She will also be sharing some of her favorite meal and recipe ideas, tricks to make food taste great with half the calories, and most importantly, get you motivated and encouraged to have the right mindset to make this holiday season the most successful yet!

When: Nov 12^th at 7:30pm at Dogtown Crossfit

Cost: $20

More questions? Contact Kristen Bell at Kristen@kristenbellrd.com or check out her website at www.kristenbellrd.com

November 05, 2013 - 8:48PM

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Everyone has a different connection to our gym.  For some, it's a place to let loose and let out some aggression.  For others, it's a place for them to clear their minds and get swole.  Whatever the reason is, there is one thing we ALL need to be more cognizant of:

Putting away our TOYS!

Now, I'm using the word "toys" extremely loose here.  But for the sake of keeping everyone on the same page, the word "toys" refers to any piece of equipment that belongs to the gym or any personal item that makes it way into the gym.

We're all adults here.  Some of us even have their own children that they clean up after.  And as much as we may pride ourselves in being B.A.M.Fs after a work out, use your time afterwards to cool down and put away or wipe down anything you may have needed or used during your workout.

I'm sure we've all heard someone say to us at some point or another, "this is why we don't have nice things".  There's a reason people say that.  If we as a gym take the time to put things away neatly and with some care, the equipment will last longer and will be able to be used by future DogTowners to come.

By all means, come in and mobilize before or after a work out, but PLEASE, put your PVC pipes and rollers away.

Just PR'd Cindy?  Awesome, but PLEASE, put your bands and AB mats away.

Survived the Crush Cancer WOD?  Nice, but PLEASE, put your weights and ropes away.

Be mindful when using chalk and protein powders.  Use what you need in moderation, and if you can, PLEASE refrain from pretending that you're Tony Montana.

The bathrooms are another beast entirely.  Dry cleaning hangars, beautilities, Lulu and Reebok clothing, moldy towels hanging, thrown or strewn around the bathroom areas makes the gym look unprofessional and grimy.  Clean up after yourself.  Would you want to walk into the bathroom just to change only to find yourself standing in Lochness?

The floor is NOT a trash can.  Please be more conscious of disposing of any sports tape, paper towels, and disposable water bottles INTO the trash cans.

There are so many nice and quite expensive items left behind by members that I'm surprised are never claimed.  Unfortunately, we just don't have the space to keep everything for extended periods of time  If by the end of the week the owner has not claimed whatever item it is, it will become donated.  Invest in a duffle bag, sharpie lifting shoes and shaker bottles and take care of your things!

Remember, your mom doesn't work here, other people do.  Please clean up after yourself.

October 31, 2013 - 5:28PM

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If you were given an opportunity to increase the amount of weight you were able to lift, trim time from your metcons during class, and make drastic improvements to your overall health and quality of life, would you take it?

Now what if I were to tell you that this opportunity would not only transform your level of fitness, but provide a uniquely fun and exciting experience with people who are equally passionate about making the most of life, quick to offer love and support as you strive to achieve (and exceed) your goals together? Would you even hesitate, I mean, it's a no brainer, right?

Of course! That is, until you hear that this opportunity is the gymnastics class offered at DogTown every Wednesday night at 7:30pm. The thoughts that begin to surface go a little something like this: "Gymnastics? Oh dear, there's no way: I'm too tall, too wide, too old, too busy," and the list goes on.

Well, I'm writing to share with you why it's time to lay aside any preconceived notions you may have when it comes to gymnastics, give in, and give the class a try!

Let me begin by introducing myself: fellow DogTowner, Hanna Halteman, here. For those of you who don't know me, I stand just south of 6'3 and was born with limbs that extend further than the East is from the West; I’m pretty much your typical gymnast... NOT. Growing up, however, all I ever wanted to be was an Olympic gymnast, true story! I was enamored by the grace and the beauty the athletes possessed and fell completely in love with the sport! When I wasn’t watching it on TV, I was practicing on my own performing cartwheels on the Duct Tape balance beam I crafted in the living room or choreographing elaborate floor routines, “sticking” every tumbling pass. I convinced my mom to sign me up for classes at a world class, competitive gymnastics club located just across town, and I was determined to earn a spot on the team as quickly as possible.

What came sooner than a spot on the team was a heartbreaking conversation with the coaching staff regarding the realities of my future gymnastic career, or lack there of. Apparently my height was a problem, and I was becoming a liability. “You can be anything you want to be in this life except for two things,” I remember my Momma saying after we left the gym, (one of them being a jockey, haha) and the other, a GYMNAST.”

While I know full well my mother’s intentions were good and her words were spoken with love in response to the difficult conversation that had just transpired with my coaching staff, this was the first day I joined the bandwagon of perception regarding the lies of exclusivity the sport portrays. The truth of the matter is... I AM a gymnast... and you are too!

A common misconception surrounding gymnastics is the idea that the only opportunity to participate exists within the confines of the “sport of gymnastics”, but the beauty of the practice is that anyone can perform gymnastics movements, anywhere, anytime. Pull-ups, push ups, handstands; these are all gymnastic building blocks that construct the foundation of CrossFit. Attend only one CrossFit class at DogTown, and you will most likely execute all three of these movements in the warm up alone! Gymnastics, in addition to being foundational to the progressions used to create CrossFit workouts,  also develops strength, joint stability, and core control.

That being said, let’s revisit the question, “If you were given an opportunity to increase the amount of weight you were able to lift, trim time from your metcons during class, and make drastic improvements to your overall health and quality of life, would you take it?” Get excited, because this question is far from hypothetical.

Every Wednesday night at 7pm Dusty Hyland, DogTown Co-Owner, spearhead of CrossFit Gymnastics, and Co-Author of the phenomenal gymnastics book entitled, “Breaking Parallel,” is helping all participants invoke their inner “gymnast” by instructing, spotting, and encouraging each to be able to perform gymnastic based movements in a safe, fun, and supportive environment - free from the limitations we immediately place on ourselves when we hear the words “gymnastics class.” From my own, personal experience, the once “too tall Hanna”, I can say that in addition to gymnastics class being one of the highlights of my week due to the pure joy that results from the creativity and camaraderie of each session, I have experienced exponential increases in my strength and a heightened sense of stability and body control. My 1 Rep maxes have gone up, I am able to perform skills that had once seemed impossible, and I am noticing considerable improvements in the quality of my movements in both the strength work and metcons we execute during classes. So much so, that I will never doubt the awesome sauce that is gymnastics or my ability to be a gymnast ever again! I can’t get enough of this stuff and am falling in love with the beauty of it all... try it, and you will too!

If you have yet to drop by on a Wednesday night, I encourage you, rather, I implore you to do so! What have you got to lose?  I can attest, from first hand experience, you have the world to gain! What are you waiting for? Like I said, it’s a no brainer!