Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

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Ice Shaker PreOrder

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We know what you’ve been thinking… “Man, I wish I had something that I could use for post-workout shakes, keeping regular drinks cold, AND showing my love for Five Alarm Fitness!”

The wait is over, fam! 🔥

These 26oz IceShaker bottles do all 3! Plus, if you choose, you can customize it! 🤯

Check them out, and order online HERE or at the gym! But hurry, the order closes next Friday, July 23 at 10am!

Introducing: Girls On Fire

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Girls on Fire is a new, one of a kind program for girls ages 11-16 focused on helping participants improve their confidence, wellness, & relationships.

Confidence. Each session will include small group discussions focusing on individuals strengths and goals. Goal notebooks will be provided to each of the participants to utilize as they see fit during the program.

Wellness. Girls will complete a functional fitness style workout under the watchful eye of our coaching staff. Each workout will be tailored to the individual so participants of all fitness levels will get the most of each session. Girls will also spend a portion of their time learning the basics of nutrition and leave replenished with a healthy snack.

Relationships. Girls will be mentored by qualified coaches and will learn to communicate with one another and work together as a team to create solid habits and reach their goals.

Space is limited so reserve a spot for your daughter, niece, or friend today!

REGISTER HERE!

**Scholarship spots are available for this program. If you would like to help scholarship an athlete or if you would like to apply for a scholarship position, please contact us at info@fivealarmfitness.com.

Good Luck, Garrett!

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It is with mixed emotions we announce Coach Garrett will be leaving Five Alarm to pursue a new adventure in a different state. While he hasn’t settled on his final destination, he’s excited for the change in scenery and the new challenges. Garrett has played an integral part in our team and our Five Alarm family over the last couple of years and will be greatly missed. And while we are sad to see him go, we know he’ll do great in this next chapter of his life.

As Garrett’s plans continue to unfold, we will update all of you. Stay tuned for his official last day (don’t worry, we still have a month or so with him) along with details for his going away party.

Good luck, Garrett!!

Does Hard Work REALLY Pay Off?

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If you’ve been in the fitness arena for any length of time, you’ve inevitably heard the saying “Hard Work Pays Off” or seen the acronym “HWPO.” Popularized by five time CrossFit Games champion, Mat Fraser, we now see this on Nike apparel, gym letter boards, and hashtags on social media accounts across the world. But is it true? Does hard work REALLY pay off, or is this just another cute internet saying?

The short answer? Yes, in most situations, I believe it does. That being said, it doesn’t happen overnight. Many times it may take weeks, months, or even years to see the results.

Probably the better question to ask yourself is “Am I REALLY working hard?” Take your diet for example. You’ve been crushing it for two whole weeks; abstaining from alcohol, fast food, even your daily latte is on the back burner. But now it’s the weekend and you’re going out to celebrate your friend’s promotion at work. You order a of couple drinks and have the dessert with full intention of getting back on the wagon tomorrow. But the next day, you realize you don’t have any food prepped, so you order pizza and breadsticks for dinner (because hey, supporting small businesses is important too). Wednesday, your coworker brings in a homemade apple pie their wife made and you have just one slice. After all, you’ve been “working hard” at your diet and one piece won’t hurt. When you step on the scale the next Friday, those 5 pounds you initially lost are back and staring you in the face. Why? Because at the end of the day, you didn’t REALLY work hard to lose that weight. It’s not your nutrition plan or your exercise program. It’s not your coach’s fault and you definitely aren’t a special snowflake who’s the exception to the rule. You just really didn’t put in the time or effort to see success. You didn’t want it enough. You didn’t work THAT hard.

Hard work takes discipline. Hard work means doing things you may not always enjoy in the moment knowing that the pay off will be worth it down the road. Hard work might sometimes mean doing something that people around you think is crazy but knowing it’s a stepping stone toward reaching your goals. Hard work is just that…..it’s hard.

So yes, hard work DOES indeed pay off….if you’re willing to actually put in the hard work.

We Are An Official NCFIT Partner!

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Get excited, Five Alarm! As of September 1, Five Alarm CrossFit becomes Five Alarm Fitness, NCFIT Partner! 

Over the last five years, we have poured our hearts and souls into Five Alarm and we did not make this decision lightly. Our rebrand is a culmination of countless discussions regarding our vision, core values, and how we can continue to rise the tides for both our team and our athletes.  

You might be asking who is NCFIT and why would we choose to partner with them. NCFIT was founded by Jason Khalipa 10 years ago as a single gym in Northern California. Since then, they’ve grown into a global organization with over 20 locations worldwide. The NCFIT team has worked hard at developing this partnership and is committed to helping all of their partner gyms raise the bar through business support, coach development, marketing, branding, and more.  

What does all of this mean for you? Well, in a broad sense, nothing has changed. We will continue to provide great programming (spoiler alert, we’ve been utilizing NCFIT programming for awhile now), top notch coaching, and the best gym family in the area. We are the exact same gym we have always been. Our character and our people are what defines Five Alarm. Branding does not. Over the next few months, you will see new logos, an updated website, changes to some of our backend material, and more. We know the transition will take time and we appreciate your patience as we work through it.  

Please note, despite the name change we are still currently a CrossFit gym! The decision of whether or not to reaffiliate is a big one and something we are still considering. Our partnership with NCFIT does not impact this decision in any way. We will continue to update you as we come to a conclusion, but for now, Five Alarm Fitness is still an official CrossFit gym.  

The one constant in life is change. Unfortunately, that word often comes with a negative connotation, sometimes warranted. In this case, it’s not. In this case, it’s welcomed with clear minds, opened arms, and a bigger, brighter, and better future. A future we will build together.  

More information and details will come soon enough. For now, just keep showing up, being you, and get excited about being a part of an exciting future at Five Alarm Fitness, NCFIT Partner.

Memorial Day 2020 and “MURPH”

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This Monday is Memorial Day! While we may not be able to meet in person this year, we are excited to still perform our annual “MURPH” workout that day. Please join us at 9am on Zoom (our entire team will be there) for a virtual “MURPH” event. EJ Garneau has also offered up his house to anyone who might like to come do “MURPH” with others. If you are interested, please let us or EJ know so he has an idea of how many to expect. 

Our goal this year isn’t to PR our times but to honor the sacrifices made by others and our gym community. With that in mind, we want to help make this a great workout for all of you. In order to do that, we need your help! After reading this email, please send your designated Coach (or any Coach) the following information: 

  1. Are you planning to do “MURPH” this year?
  2. If yes, what equipment do you have access to & where will you be performing it? 
  3. Do you have any injuries that currently prevent you from doing any movements? If so, what are they? 

Our Coaches will be emailing modifications to every single one of you who wants to participate based on the equipment you have and your current ability level. We will also be delivering sidewalk chalk to every member from Friday-Sunday of this week. You can use the chalk to keep track of your rounds and times but we’re also encouraging you to write encouraging notes to your fellow athletes or maybe draw something patriotic. Get creative, get your families involved and be sure to share your creations on social media (don’t forget to tag us @fivealarmcf).

In the meantime, please get those emails to your coaches! We’re looking forward to honoring LT. Michael Murphy this Monday at 9am. See you on the web!

“Stronger Together” Apparel

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Despite the uncertainty of this time, our Five Alarm family has pulled together, remained positive, and continued to support one another. We wanted to put together a shirt that embodied that mindset so we’ve teamed up with Forever Fierce to bring you this limited edition “Stronger Together” apparel line. Click HERE to place an order today and have your items shipped directly to your front door. You do NOT need to be a Five Alarm member to participate in this order. The store will remain open until 11:59 on April 20th so don’t wait.

If you have questions, please contact us at leah@fivealarmfitness.com.

Thriving Through COVID-19

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An integral part of Stoic philosophy involves focusing on the things that are within your control, and letting go of the things that are not. Without diving too deep into that, I think our current circumstances are a perfect opportunity to put the concept into practice.

There are a whole slew of things happening right now that are beyond our control. Those things are forcing us all into new and uncomfortable situations. But while we can’t control everything that might be happening to us, we CAN control how we react to it.

This isn’t a burden. It’s an opportunity. And NOT an opportunity to just see how many shows you can binge watch on Netflix, but to snap out of some of those bad habits you don’t even consciously think about anymore. To get shit done. Don’t just think about WHAT you want to do, but WHO you want to be. Take some time to get your head right and your body healthy. Then, when the dust settles, you’ll emerge stronger. Accomplished. Better.

Here’s a good start…

MINDSET

  • Perspective and gratitude. Our brains are actually wired to look for dangerous and negative things. Now is the perfect time to flip that on its head and flex some gratitude muscles. You have a home. A family. Access to healthy food.

    I’m not leaving the house nearly as much. We might not get a family vacation. But I’ve roughhoused and read books with my kids every single day for two weeks (outside of days I’m at the firehouse). This OPPORTUNITY won’t last forever.
  • Focus on what you can control. Figure out what you need to do, then do it. Or develop a plan to do it, then start executing the plan. Don’t waste time or energy on things outside your control.
  • “Get to” vs. “Have to.” This fills in gaps along with gratitude and focusing on what you can control. It’s a simple mindset trick. We tell ourselves all the time, “I HAVE to do this…” and “I HAVE to do that…” But often we don’t.

    I don’t HAVE to take the kids to school. I GET to take the kids to school. I don’t HAVE to go to work. I GET to go to work. I don’t HAVE to mow the yard. I GET to mow the yard. I don’t HAVE to workout. I GET to workout.

    You get the idea. So simple, but such an extremely powerful difference.

HEALTH

  • Physical Fitness. Even if you typically workout at a gym that’s been closed, your physical fitness needn’t suffer. You can still workout. You GET to. In fact, now is likely the perfect OPPORTUNITY to focus on some of those aspects you’ve always known you should focus on, but never do. Shoulder or Squat mobility? Push Ups?

    At Five Alarm, we’re still running classes (online) and providing members with different workout options based on their equipment availability. But whatever you do, find something you enjoy. Be creative. Make fitness fun. Workout with family. Get online with friends. Challenge each other. Share your workouts. Just keep going!
  • Nutrition. Home is the easiest place to CONTROL what you have access to for food. If you don’t have sugar-laden, empty calorie foods lying around then you can’t eat them. Whether you’re a great cook or microwave chef, take this OPPORTUNITY to learn to cook a new meal (or meals). Get family involved, and eat together.
  • Sleep. A great day starts the night before. Take a little time at night to plan out the following day. Take 5 minutes to… write down 3 things you’re grateful for, your 3 biggest priorities to accomplish the next day, and to set yourself somewhat of a schedule (don’t forget to include your workout).

    Set a bedtime routine that helps relax you and promotes quality sleep. Things like limiting screen time before bed, darkening the room as much as possible, etc. Then shoot for 7+ hours every night.
  • Mental/Psychological/Spiritual Health. Stress levels are high. If you don’t already know, take some time to find out what helps you relax and reset. Get closer to family and friends (even if it’s from a distance). Practice gratitude, prayer, meditation, philosophy…

    Read something you find fun or interesting¹. Start journaling (there are several great guided journals available)². Learn something new. You don’t have to, you GET to. Laugh. And once in a while, even watch Netflix³.

One last thing. As you move through this, cut yourself some slack. As always, we’re looking for progress, not perfection. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, we don’t fail when we fall. We fail when we decide not to get back up. We can emerge from this better people than when we went in. And when that day comes, we’ll both be ready. And I’ll hope to see you in the gym soon. I’ll be there. Probably with Burpees.

Coach Josh

¹ My top books over the last couple of years…

² Leah really enjoys The 6 Minute Diary. I love The Daily Stoic Journal (which pairs well with The Daily Stoic book).

³ I hear Ozark is good.