If you or someone you know has a kid between the ages of 5 & 11, our Five Alarm Kids program is for them! This 45 minute class runs every Thursday during the month of June from 3:00 – 3:45pm. Kids can expect to learn or improve basic movement patterns seen in fitness (squats, press, push-ups, etc) while having fun and working together. Cost to participate is $75/person ($65 for each additional family member in the same household). Registration is live and space is limited so reserve a spot for your kids today!
Articles & Announcements
Shirt Orders are LIVE!
Our latest shirts are available for purchase and these might be our favorite design yet! These come in either a unisex t-shirt and racerback tank. Cost is $30/shirt with pre-orders closing on Saturday, February 11th at 12pm. Be sure to get your orders in before that secure yours and represent Five Alarm both inside and out of the gym.


Friday Night Lights is Back!
Friday Night Lights is back! Yes, you read that right. 3 weeks of fun, fitness, and friends beginning Friday, February 17th. For those of you who have never participated in this event, you’re in for a treat. For those who have been through it before, we hope you’re as excited as we are for its return. Check out the rest of this post for additional details including the registration link!
Friday Night Lights is a 3 week, inner gym event where athletes will complete a workout (provided by the CrossFit Games Open), earn points for their team, and enjoy cheering for and hanging out with other Five Alarm athletes. The event begins on Friday, February 22, runs for 3 weeks, andends Friday, March 3. Our schedule for those 3 weeks will look like this:
- 4:30pm Regular Group Class
- 5:35 pm athlete/judges briefing w/ performance tips, judging standards, and heat assignments (please do NOT skip this!!)
- 6:00 pm heats start and continue until finished
*** Please note, there will NOT be Open Gym access during the event.
In addition participating in the workouts, we will have a friendly, inner-gym competition. Athletes will be randomly drafted onto teams captained by Coach Ryan and Coach Leah. Each week, athletes will have the opportunity to earn points for their team. More details on this will be released as we get closer to the event.
Every Thursday night, after CrossFit releases the workouts, athletes will sign up for the heat they would like to participate in. You’ll be able to find that heat link on fivealarmfitness.com/events or on our Five Alarm Athletes Facebook page. Heat assignments are first come, first serve but don’t worry, everyone will have a chance to do the workout that night.
Registration Costs (1 time fee for all 3 weeks)
- $20 – current Five Alarm members
- $25 – non Five Alarm members
NOTE: If you’d still like to see how you stack up against the rest of the world, you’ll either have to calculate and keep track of where you would have finished on the CrossFit.com Leaderboard, or register separately on open.crossfit.com.
So are you ready for the fun? If so, click the link below to sign-up. Still have questions? Ask your coach or send us an email and we’ll help you out!
FAQ’s
How is Friday Night Lights different than a regular Friday class?
For the event, the gym is set up in more of a competition style format. Athletes will have their own “lane” for the workout along with a judge that will help count their reps, write down their score, and encourage them to keep the standards of the workout (squat depth, chin over bar, etc). This is also a time when we encourage people to push a little harder than they might in a group class or spend extra time trying to get that first pull-up or lift a slightly heavier barbell (don’t worry, we won’t encourage you to do anything we think will injure you). You might be surprised what you’re capable of when in this type of environment.
What is the Open?
The Open is an online competition hosted by CrossFit HQ that gives the fitness community a chance to see how they might stack up against the rest of the world in the sport of fitness. The top finishers in the Open will get a chance to move on to the next level with the best of the best making it to the Games (CrossFit’s version of the Super Bowl). Every Thursday night for 3 weeks, CrossFit HQ will release a new workout for athletes to complete. We will be utilizing these workouts during Friday Night Lights but athletes do not need to participate in the worldwide competition (for those that wish to, you’re welcome to register for both).
What if I can’t do some of the movements/weights, should I still register to compete?
Absolutely! This isn’t about what you could or couldn’t do last year. It’s not about what other people in the gym can or can’t do. This experience is about YOU. We want you to push outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Besides, who knows when you might get that first Double Under, HSPU, Pull Up, etc.? Also, because this is an inner gym competition, we can help you modify the workout to your ability level if something comes up that you are unable to do.
Winter 2022 Apparel Order
Level up your winter wardrobe with the latest Five Alarm gear! Our online store offers a wide variety of apparel from kids shirts to winter jackets and everything in between. The order will be open from now until Friday, November 18th at 11:59pm so don’t wait because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good!
Josh’s Shoulder Re/Prehab Routine
The shoulder is one of the most common problem areas for pretty much everyone – people who workout, people who don’t workout, sport athletes, tactical athletes, general population, etc. Injuries can range from minor pulls to major strains or sprains. Impingement, bursitis, cartilage tears, rotator cuff tears… the list goes on.
Let me preface this article by saying that I am NOT a doctor, and that this is NOT medical advice. If you’re having a shoulder issue, whether minor or severe, the only way to truly know 100% what is going on is to see an orthopedic doctor and likely obtain an x-ray, MRI, or both.
Here’s what I can tell you… for a 7-8 year period (I’m a stubborn and slow learner), my shoulders were a mess. I would hurt my left shoulder… rest it, let it heal, gradually reintegrate exercises, etc. until it felt pretty good on its own… then, sometime within the next year, I’d hurt my right shoulder… rest it, let it heal, gradually reintegrate exercises, etc. until it felt pretty good on its own… then, sometime within the next year, I’d hurt my left shoulder… and on and on. It literally felt like one shoulder or the other would be hurt in any given year. Luckily, I’ve always been able to avoid a major injury that might require surgery; but it was always frustrating, to say the least.
Finally, I decided enough was enough. I wanted a “shoulder routine” that I could do for rehab, and eventually PREHAB, that would end the cycle. It had to be…
- simple – it couldn’t be crazy, complex, or require specialized equipment,
- efficient – it needed to be doable fairly “quickly,” as an add on to my current workouts,
- progressive – it should progress from rehab to prehab as my shoulders got healthier/stronger.
After a lot of thought, I decided my Shoulder Routine would need to focus on 3 elements of shoulder health…
- Flexibility/Mobility
- Stability
- Strength
In the end, I came up with a routine that I’ve done consistently for the last few years, and my shoulders have never felt better. I won’t bore you with WHY the various elements are part of the routine. I’m told I ramble when I talk about things like this, and I’m sure you’re already bored enough and ready to get on with it. But if you’d ever like to know WHY something is included (or excluded), then you can always hit me up for a chat at josh@fivealarmfitness.com.
Now, onto the routine…
I break up the shoulder work into two areas… General Work and Specific Work. General Work consists of things I do EVERY SINGLE TIME I’M IN THE GYM. Specific Work is more actual exercises that get added into my workout 2-3x/WEEK.
GENERAL WORK: AGAIN, EVERY TIME I’M IN THE GYM. 4-5 DAYS/WEEK.
- 100 – 200 Band Pull Aparts or Band Face Pulls. I usually work these into a Warm Up. For BPA, I use a light band and do them pretty fast, usually doing 2-4 sets of 50. BFP are a bit harder, and I use a light band and usually hit 2-4 sets of 25. Sometimes I’ll even mix them up. Regardless, I try to get 100+ reps every single day.
- Accumulate 1:00 – 2:00 of Overgrip Bent Lean. To hit a solid OBL, start by placing your hands palms down on something (a racked barbell, a box, a countertop, a GHD, etc.). Keeping your elbows locked, hinge at the hip and bend over, pushing your head down in between your arms. Depending on your flexibility/mobility, you might need to find a surface that allows you to put your hands/arms wider. No worries. I’ll do OBL for :30 at a time, and usually hit 2-4 sets, either in my Warm Up or mixed in with other exercises instead of just standing around resting.
SPECIFIC WORK: STRUCTURED EXERCISES. 2-3 DAYS/WEEK.
For the Specific Work, I try to integrate it into that day’s strength work. Usually I’ll pick one of the exercises below, but I might hit 2 if it’s an actual “shoulder day.”
- Kettlebell/Dumbbell Arm Bar – Honestly, this is the bread and butter of the routine. You can do these for reps (usually around 5/side per set), but I usually do 4 sets of :15 – :30/side and just hold it the entire time. The key is to start LIGHT and don’t rush progress. Here’s a video of Jeff Martone teaching the KB Arm Bar.
- When I first started, it was my left shoulder that was in pain. I would hold a 5# DB and go for 4 x :15/side, because it was all I could handle without pain (ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING PAIN FREE. IF IT HURTS, STOP.) My plan was to do the routine 10 times/month. Over the first month, I was able to go from 4 x :15/side to 4 x :30/side with that 5# DB. The next month, I went up to a 10# DB, but went back down to 4 x :15/side. Again, pain free. And again, over those 10 sessions I was able to get up to 4 x :30/side at 10#. I repeated this month 3 with a 15# DB. Month 4 with a 20# DB. And so on. Eventually I jumped to kettlebells. Even though the jumps in weight got a bit wonky with the KBs, I was able to keep progressing this way for an entire year. At the end of that year, I was doing 4 x :30/side with a 70# KB.
- Accumulating 2:00/side in a KB Arm Bar with a 70# KB is pretty solid. I’ve held that standard for over 2 years with no re-injured shoulders. I’ve also begun playing a little with variations of KB Windmills. Those are fun, and we’ll see how it goes.
- When I first started, it was my left shoulder that was in pain. I would hold a 5# DB and go for 4 x :15/side, because it was all I could handle without pain (ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING PAIN FREE. IF IT HURTS, STOP.) My plan was to do the routine 10 times/month. Over the first month, I was able to go from 4 x :15/side to 4 x :30/side with that 5# DB. The next month, I went up to a 10# DB, but went back down to 4 x :15/side. Again, pain free. And again, over those 10 sessions I was able to get up to 4 x :30/side at 10#. I repeated this month 3 with a 15# DB. Month 4 with a 20# DB. And so on. Eventually I jumped to kettlebells. Even though the jumps in weight got a bit wonky with the KBs, I was able to keep progressing this way for an entire year. At the end of that year, I was doing 4 x :30/side with a 70# KB.
- Strict Presses – Specifically, KB/DB Strict Presses (overhead). 90% of the time, whenever any pressing overhead motion comes up, in a strength or workout portion, I modify it to some kind of KB/DB Press. Even then, about 90% of the time I’ll do them Strict, and maybe 10% of the time I’ll do something like a Push Press. Even less frequently, I’ll do a variation of BB Press.
- The range of motion available from doing KB/DB work is important. Over the same year I mentioned above, I focused intently on hitting KB/DB Strict Presses a couple times per week (and ALWAYS WITH A FOCUS ON FORM). Lots of light weight/volume work, with occasional heavier loads, and within the year I was able to Single Arm Strict Press a 70# KB for a double on either arm, and pain free.
- As a side note, this same rule applies to when I Bench Press. When I Bench, I’ll use DBs the majority of the time, but I’ll also often modify any horizontal pressing to Push Ups or Dips (see below).
- The range of motion available from doing KB/DB work is important. Over the same year I mentioned above, I focused intently on hitting KB/DB Strict Presses a couple times per week (and ALWAYS WITH A FOCUS ON FORM). Lots of light weight/volume work, with occasional heavier loads, and within the year I was able to Single Arm Strict Press a 70# KB for a double on either arm, and pain free.
- Loaded Carries – I don’t do these nearly enough, but I’m looking at integrating them a lot more. If you can maintain good posture, Single Arm Farmer Carries, SA Front Rack Carries, and SA Overhead Carries are money in the bank for shoulder stability. Just start light enough to be able to maintain good posture. Go light and long, or heavy and short. And WALK, DON’T RUN.
- Push Ups / Parallel Bar Dips / Strict Pull Ups – These I do a lot of, and there’s a million ways to program them. For my shoulder health though, regardless if they’re light and high rep or heavy and low rep, I started doing them all to a (1111) tempo. This can be a real ego check. So lose the ego, and reap the long-term strength and joint stability benefits.
And that’s it. Seems like a lot with it all typed out like that, but it’s really not. Things like Carries, Push Ups, Pull Ups, Dips, and even Strict Presses are already part of a solid functional program, so that’s not really adding anything.
The Band Pull Aparts, Overgrip Bent Lean, and KB/DB Arm Bars are a bit extra, but I do the BPA and the OBL daily as part of my Warm Up. Arm Bars I usually do at the end, after my workout. I’ll just constantly alternate sides until all 4 sets/side are done, and I’m done in under 5:00. Often though, they can be integrated into a strength set, working them with another exercise instead of just waiting to do my next main set.
I hope that helps. Or clarifies some things. Or sparks some thoughts of your own. If you have any questions, or you’d like to talk more about rehab/prehab or anything else health/fitness related, you can reach me at josh@fivealarmfitness.com!
This Isn’t Goodbye…

Hey Five Alarm fam!
At this point, most you know that Kelsie and I are expecting later this year and starting a family of our own. With that comes new responsibilities and challenges. The amount of support you all have shown the two of us has been so amazing it’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for you all to be a part of our lives. That is why this has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make… we’ve prayed long and hard about it, and, for the best interest of us and the future of our family, we have made the choice to move to the Springfield area by the time baby Backs comes in November.
Now I know this may be a surprise and shock to many of you, but family is very important to us and to have two sets of parents extremely close will help us out tremendously. I want each and everyone of you to know you are and WILL ALWAYS be family to us. You’ve been my family for the past 6 years, keeping me accountable, helping me through my darkest times, and always putting a smile on my face. You have also shown Kelsie just as much love and compassion the past couple years she’s been here and there will never be a family like this Five Alarm family. I promise you this isn’t a goodbye but more of a “see you soon” as we both plan to be back to drop in when the opportunity presents itself.
Also as you saw earlier this week we have posted for a new addition to the coaching team. From this post, you can figure out that the new posting is to fulfill my departure. I want to make sure this transition is as smooth as possible and we make sure this new coach has all the tools they need to make each and every one of you the best version of yourselves. There is no official last day for me, but I will be fully transparent that we are actively looking for homes and hoping to be moved by the end of October.
As the days and weeks go by, I am an open book with no secrets and if you have any questions about the move, please reach out and I’d be more than happy to discuss.
We love you all,
Joel and Kelsie
We Are All Heroes
“You’re much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.” – Superman
It’s no great secret that I possess some “nerdish” tendencies. Of relevance to this discussion, however, is only my love of comic books… and superheroes.
Background
My favorite superhero is Superman. I know, I know, such an obvious choice! But, hear me out… See, it’s NOT about the powers. It’s NOT the strength, the flying, the heat vision, etc. It’s Superman’s HUMANITY (yes, in spite of the fact that he’s Kryptonian) that draws me in. Imagine for a minute Superman was a real person. Physically he’s good to go; but what does he have to deal with mentally and emotionally? He’s the most powerful person in the world, and yet he can’t be everywhere at once; he can’t save EVERYONE. What unofficial demands has society placed on him? “Why didn’t Superman save MY [insert family member]?! Too busy that day?!” Does Superman have PTSD? You can see bits of this struggle in the movies and how various actors set out to portray the role.
“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.” – Christopher Reeve
“My version of Superman is essentially of a guy who has spent his whole life alone.” – Henry Cavill
Superman’s humanity makes him the ultimate tragic hero.
Application
It is the different aspects of our HUMANITY – our problems, our struggles, our compassion, our perseverance, etc. – that is OUR power. We might not have SUPERpowers, but that doesn’t make us powerless. We might not be SUPERheroes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be heroes. It doesn’t mean we aren’t already.
You might not feel like a hero when you…
- prioritize your family’s health by cooking at home instead of going out.
- come into gym before the kids are up so you can be home in time to put them on the bus.
- set a PR on a lift or get a new movement/skill.
- push hard just to finish a workout, especially after a long, full day at work.
- show dedication and consistent effort in family, work, and personal time.
- etc.
But to someone you are. Someone is amazed you find the time to eat healthy and provide healthy food for your family. Someone is astonished at the physical feats you accomplish daily in the gym. Someone is inspired by your ability to keep pushing and striving to improve yourself in various aspects of your life.
It’s so easy in our line of work to focus on physical accomplishments. I am equally impressed by the member who gets their first Pull Up or runs their first 400 meters non-stop as I am by the member who hits a 225# Snatch. But even more than that, I am inspired by the effort and dedication it takes for either of them to do so. To strive, and fail, and strive again. To overcome. It’s not about the specific task.
So, by all means, stay humble, hungry, and happy. But know that someone somewhere is inspired by you and your effort. We all lift each other up.
– 49%
PS. This is a real photo from a Five Alarm member, and I think it’s the greatest thing ever, and not because of the physical ability stuff.
New Apparel Order!
Warm weather is here and you’re going to need some new gear to keep cool in. Be sure to check out our most recent apparel order and get yours today! Shirts are available in unisex tees, unisex tanks, and women’s racerback tanks. Order closes May 25th at 7pm so get yours in before it’s too late!


