Archive for July, 2009
Happy Long Weekend
It has been a sweaty week here at CFWS! Enjoy your long weekend!
If you are staying here in town just a reminder that the World Police and Fire Games start tonight. We will be opening our gym up to the athletes a couple of days next week. As well we are volunteering at the Deadlifting and Bench Press events. If you want to come check it out email us. We will provide you with the event location and times.
CFWS Beach Workout
It was a hot one! Sunday we had our first CFWS Social Outing. We headed to Jericho Beach to do a WOD then hang out. We had everyone doing 100ft Overhead Walking Lunges and 21 Burpees for 5 rounds. It was a killer, especially with the sun beating down on us. Thanks again to Victoria for organizing the day. She will be keeping you updated with more CFWS Events this summer and in the fall.
Also, a big congratulations to Ema and Jeff for completing their first Crossfit Level 1 Certifications.
Tracking Progress
Tracking your progress is essential to seeing gains in your athletic development. It is also a motivating factor. Seeing yourself progress from a 90lbs Overhead Squat to a 185lb Overhead Squat in under 8 weeks is not only motivating but freakin awesome! Even gaining 1 more pound in a heavy deadlift or squat can keep you driven and hungry for more. If you want to keep seeing results and better fitness make sure you write down each workout. What you did for your weights. What time you got. How many rounds you got. And then check to see what weights you should be using in your Crossfit Success Journal. Keep working towards these goals.
Healthy Competition
You know you will push yourself harder in the workouts when you are in a group environment. Especially one that is all in good fun. Our goal continues to be creating more intensity in your workouts so we can see better athletic development. And you guys have all been rockin it!
Come have some fun with us this Sunday afternoon for our first ever Crossfit Westside BBQ. There will be a workout (if you want to join) and some good times to follow afterward. Check out the details at the gym!
The CFWS List
When is the last time you checked out "The CFWS List"? Everyone has one in their Success Journal. "The List" describes different athletic levels for exercises in Gymnastics, Weightlifting, and Met Con. We use "The List" to help us understand our strengths and most importantly are weaknesses. We want to work on our weak links so we become a better all around athlete. Last week we tested our 400m Run. The fastest time was 1:13. Do you know where this ranks?
Crossfit Games
Wow is all we have to say! If you have not checked out the Crossfit Games YOU MUST! The competition was insane last weekend and Crossfit Headquarters did not hold back in testing who would be the strongest athlete in the world! 
We really want to put a team together for next year. So if you are interested please let us know. We know that every athlete has to start somewhere. Not everyone is going to be able to do 40 pull ups their first day and we don’t expect you to. But we want you to get 40 pull ups in a row and we know that it all begins from doing 1 pull up, then 2, then….40. Last week we practiced our Handstand Pushups. Some of you could do them, some of you could not. Does that mean we don’t do them? Of course not!! We have to start somewhere to get them. We started with the first progression as shown above. Kristina starts with her feet on a box. Next we will try to get her hands closer to the box and hips right over the shoulders. Then as she gets better at this we will then move her to the wall as shown below by Megan. 
Here Megan does the HSPU with 2 abmats under her head. Next she will move down to one abmat, then no abmat. Just her head will touch the floor. Once this is accomplished we will then use the parallete bars doing handstands! It is never ending but that is why its so much fun. We will be putting a team together next year for the Crossfit Games. Once again if your interested please let us know. We have a good year to get you from 1 Handstand Pushup to 20!! Looking forward to seeing who is up for the challenge:)
Mayhem or Fun!
How Do You Know a Crossfitter?
There are many things that make Crossfitters different from regular gym rats. One of our clients sent us this link about how you know you are a "Crossfit Addict!"
1. You have left a sweat angel on the floor of the gym.
2. You know that Angie, Grace and Fran are not real people.
3. You do everything for time.
4. Your favourite numbers are 21, 15, 9.
5. You watch Crossfit Videos while at work.
6. When your out of town on vacation, you go workout at another Crossfit.
7. You know how many blocks of fat you ate at each meal.
8. Your scared of your workout.
What makes you a Crossfitter? Email us.
CFWS Newsletter – July
Hey guys,
What a great start to summer! Hopefully you’ve all had a chance to take advantage of your ever improving athleticism and get outside and "play" in the beautiful weather.
This month’s newlsetter is a short one – we’ve got an article introducing CFWS’s new coach, Jason Noel, as well as a recap of Jenika’s experience with the newly developed CFWS Performance Program. While it may sound scary at the outset, make sure you read the whole thing so you learn about the fun and benefits achieved through the Program.
Lastly, in honour of summer and the plethora of fruits available to tantalize our tongues, our Zone recipe is a fresh and fruity dessert. Careful, you may not be able to resist…but don’t worry, it’s Zone approved!
Until next month,
Asja
Editor, CrossFit Westside Newsletter
CrossFit Fanatic: Jason Noel
However, after graduating from SFU in 2003, he was looking for a new athletic challenge and selected boxing. Jason’s decision to get into the ring was fuelled by his respect for the "complexity of the sport." His dad had introduced him to boxing during his childhood, so Jason had grown up watching the fights and learning from his father’s enthusiasm.
Although he’s modest about his accomplishments in the ring, it’s worth mentioning that Jason won the amateur middleweight BC Bronze Gloves Title in 2006. However, despite Jason’s passion for boxing and his win, he explains that by the time he started training, he was already past his competitive prime.
But instead of severing his love for boxing there, he realized the lessons he had learned in the ring were transferrable to the younger generation of boxers emerging at his gym. He also felt like coaching was an opportunity through which he could pay homage to the many hours of coaching assistance and mentorship he had received while growing up. As Jason became more and more involved as a boxing coach, he was increasingly impressed by "how powerful the sport was in helping with confidence and attitude" among his young charges. He explains, "I saw the most introverted people come out of their shell in a boxing gym. It is funny what happens when you put a pair of gloves on someone and tell them to hit something."
Luckily for us, Jason is now combining his love for boxing with CrossFit and offering the CrossFit 
But, aside from sharing his passion for CrossFit, what can we expect from Jason as a coach? Well, he explains, there are many things. First of all, he’s not going to let you cheat yourself in a workout. Jason says he’s got a keen eye for form and he’s not afraid to use it. But don’t worry, he won’t kick you out of class for a badly executed squat,but he will work with you until he likes what he sees. Jason explains that this is where he gains satisfaction in coaching – it allows him to help people progress and find success in things they never thought possible. To be a great coach, Jason makes sure he stays on top of new developments in CrossFit workouts, methods, and philosophies. He also puts in a lot of training time to make sure he sets a good example by staying in the best shape possible.
Welcome to CFWS Jason!
To learn more about Jason, check out his bio under the CFWS "Coaches" page and find out about his coaching credentials, CrossFit successes, and previous coaching activity.