Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

Articles & Announcements

GORUCK Light is LIVE!!

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GORUCK Light

As you may have heard, 5 Alarm CrossFit has been anxiously waiting for the right time to do a GORUCK Light and introduce its members to GORUCK. This post will provide you with most of the information you’ll need to decide if our GORUCK Light is something you’d like to do. If you’d like more information, or you want to see Josh or Leah get really excited about something, just ask them about their previous GORUCK experiences!

CLICK HERE for GORUCK Light basics, and check out the rest of the site for more information.

Most importantly, how do I sign up?
In order to fully register, you need to give Josh or Leah $115 (see below) and make sure we have a current email address. This will be on a first come, first serve basis.  They will then email you the official link to sign up for the Light through GORUCK, as well as a link to a Facebook group specifically for this event.

What is a GORUCK Light?
This is easily the hardest part to explain. A GORUCK Light IS NOT a race. It’s more team based, with the simple goal of everyone completing the event. All events are led by Veterans of Special Operations, known as Cadre, who provide challenges for the class to complete. GORUCK defines its events as “military style endurance events with a focus on teamwork, leadership, and problem solving.”

Who can participate?
Any current 5 Alarm CrossFit member can participate. GORUCK says “the average completion rate of those who show up is 100%” and “if you can do a 5K, you can earn the GORUCK Light patch.” However, spots are limited to 35 people, and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.  If interest is overwhelming, we will do our best to plan another event ASAP!

When will it take place and how long does it last?
Our GORUCK Light is set for Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 1100.  The GORUCK website says that Lights last between 4-5 hours.  For what it’s worth, the Light that Josh and Leah did lasted 6 hours.  Also note that we would like to plan a post-GORUCK Light get together, details TBA.

Where will it take place?
Another difficult one. What we know so far: It will take place in Bloomington/Normal. Beyond that, we just don’t know. The Cadre will determine a start point and let everyone know whenever they choose to. That could be as close as a week away from the event.

How much does it cost?
Unfortunately, this is a bit tricky.  The total cost for us to host the Light is $4000, and our max number of participants is 35.  If we get all 35, it comes out to $115 per participant (plus the cost of any needed equipment).  Any less than 35, and the cost per participant goes up proportionately.  For the time being, we will charge people $115 to reserve their spot, and we will all do our best to recruit the full 35 people.

Do I need special gear/equipment?
Yes and no. To participate you will need to meet the gear requirements for types of gear. However, you do not need to purchase GORUCK specific brand gear to participate. A full gear list can be found through the link above for GORUCK Lights. Notes about gear…

  • Clothes – Comfortable clothes/shoes.  Most gym apparel should be fine, just maybe not your expensive stuff.
  • Ruck – Ideally, your backpack is a least moderately durable.  Think GORUCK, 5.11, etc.  Not Jansport.
  • Weight Requirements (20#/10#) – Josh and Leah are a fan of good old fashioned bricks.  However, there’s better and worse ways to use those bricks.  Josh would be more than happy to put on a brick wrapping clinic.  You’d need (4/2) bricks, 1-2 rolls of duct tape, cheap camping padding, and a sharpie marker.
  • Water – Hydration bladders are recommended so that it’s easier to sip while wearing your ruck.  Josh and Leah recommend them highly.
  • Photo ID and Cab Fare – Easy enough.  And $20 should cover it.
  • Headlamp – NOT REQUIRED for daytime events such as this one.
  • Reflective Band – Cheap and available locally or online.
  • If you’re planning on carrying anything that you’d rather not get wet (food, extra clothes, etc.), pack it in a Ziploc bag.  If it’s a phone or something expensive, either put it in a durable waterproof box or leave it in your car.

Do I get anything for completing the Light?
Completing a GORUCK Light earns you a GORUCK Light patch. Since this event takes place on the weekend of the 4th, you will actually earn their special July 4th Light patch. GORUCK patches are always earned, and never for sale.

Hope to see you there!

Good Luck, Joey!

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Thursday, May 5th will be Coach Joey’s last day with us here at 5 Alarm CrossFit. Joey will be moving home for the summer and spending next semester focusing more on school as he will begin working on classes more specific to his major. We will miss Joey and as a coach and an athlete but wish him all the best in his future endeavors. If you see him in the gym over the next week or so, make sure to give him a high five and wish him luck!

The Benefits of Massage in Muscle Recovery

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The following is a guest blog post from our very own Kara Tiede-Kabir of Revelations Center! Remember, if you’d like to get started, all 5 Alarm CrossFit members can get 15% off Revelations services (excluding Master Level)!

Do you experience persistent fatigue or muscle soreness? Do you have a “minor” injury that does not want to heal? Do you wake with achy joints and/or muscles regularly? Has your performance plateaued? Do you frequently get a “minor” cold or cough that you just can’t kick? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may be inadequately recovering.

Recovery is critical in establishing long term health and vitality. Joint mobility, cardiovascular conditioning, stability, and strength are some of the gains of consistent exercise and movement; however, on the other side of the spectrum training is destructive and catabolic, straining tendons, stretching ligaments, damaging muscle cells and depleting your glycogen. If your body does not have adequate rest, your optimum recovery may be impeded. If this is the case you are at higher risk of injury and long term disease.

The role of recovery in the body is to…

  • Repair tissue, muscles, tendons, bone, and cartilage
  • Allow glycogen (fuel) levels to be replenished
  • Remove metabolic waste from the tissue and cells
  • Restore hormones
  • Restore nutrients and minerals in the body
  • Improves the immune system
  • Restores neural function

… just to name a few. There are many known elements of recovery, such as adequate rest, optimum sleep, foam rolling, eating well, proper hydration and stretching. All of these elements are important, however have you considered adding regular massage by a licensed professional to your routine? If not, here are some viable reasons to consider it as part of your repertoire.

Massage Therapy has been proven to…

  • Increase the rate of muscle fiber repair
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Improve soft tissue function
  • Increase range of motion
  • Reduce various adhesions and scar tissue
  • Increase circulation of blood and nutrients
  • Promote relaxation
  • Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness

Unfortunately, so many people believe that aches and pains are an inevitable result to working out consistently. However, this isn’t the case. Massage therapy reduces and/or eliminates this chronic discomfort when received regularly. A massage therapist has the ability to palpate areas of tension and congestion where other therapies may not. Integrating this form of therapy into your routine, at minimum, once a month may significantly enhance your body’s overall function. Not only will your body begin to repair, but your mind and emotion will be thankful too. Don’t wait for an injury or for your “last resort” to utilize this incredible resource, express your highest potential NOW.

Partnership with Revelations Center

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Revelations logo_vert_4c

 

We are excited to announce our new partnership with Revelations Center! Revelations is a center for health and rehabilitation that utilizes a holistic approach in their therapies. Dr. Kara Tiede-Kabir and her staff offer a wide variety of treatments ranging from massage therapy & Reiki sessions to paraffin waxes. The therapists at Revelations focus on your specific needs as an individual in order to ensure you’re operating at your best.

As part of the partnership, Kara will be writing a guest blog for the website once every quarter. We will also have a staff member from Revelations on hand at all major 5 Alarm events providing complimentary chair massages for athletes (beginning on March 25th’s Friday Night Lights). In addition, all 5 Alarm athletes will receive 15% off products and services at Revelation’s (excludes Master’s Services & some retail items). We will have member cards at the ProShop by the end of next week for you to pick up if you’re interested in participating (you will need to show this card in order to receive the discount). In the meantime, head on over to their website at www.revelationscenter.com and check out a complete list of their services and products.

We hope you are as excited about this partnership as we are! For those of you who don’t already know Kara, introduce yourself when you see her at a class or around the gym. We know you’ll love her!

The Last Alarm – Charlie Brown Workout

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Last Alarm was written in honor of Bloomington/Hudson Firefighter Christopher Brown. Chris was killed in the line of duty on March 5, 2013 while responding to an accident call on Interstate 39 for Hudson FD. He was a loving husband, father, and friend who will always be remembered for his smile and willingness to help others.

The 3 rounds, 5 movements, and 13 reps signify the date of Chris’ death. Each exercise mimics something commonly found in fire ground operations or used in firefighter training. Today, we do this workout in memory of our friend and our brother, Chris. You’re forever in our hearts.

Christopher Brown
Christopher Brown

Meet the Intern – Cedric Miller

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5 Alarm CrossFit is proud to partner with Illinois State University and their Kinesiology and Recreation (KNR) program. Through this partnership, KNR students can partake in an internship here at 5 Alarm. Over the course of the semester students will learn not only CrossFit’s methods, but our particular take on those methods, as well as gain exposure to other behind-the-scenes aspects of running a gym-based small business.

Our current intern is Cedric Miller. Cedric surprised all of our coaches when he jumped into classes head first. His eagerness to learn and help out around the gym has made our first full-time intern experience a great one. If you still haven’t had a chance to meet him, be sure to introduce yourself the next time you see him in the gym!

Cedric and Oakley
Cedric and Oakley

Cedric got a taste of nearly every sport there was when growing up. He played t-ball (but never went on to baseball), hockey, basketball, soccer, and football. Once attending Oswego High School, he decided to stick to playing football, wrestling, and recreational weightlifting. His love for sports and living an active life lead him to pursue a degree in Exercise Science from Illinois State University, which ultimately introduced him to CrossFit with the start of his Senior Internship.

Education, Certifications, Recreational Athletic Experience
– Currently working toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Illinois State University
– 50-Hour Internship at Orthopedic and Sports Enhancement Center
– First Aid/CPR/AED Certified
– Played football and wrestled in High School

Favorite Thing About CrossFit (So Far)
– The intensity and how it pushes me harder than what I’m used to doing.

Favorite Food
– Anything coming out of a smoker – Good Ol’ American BBQ.

Least Favorite Food
– Tomatoes

Favorite Hobby Outside of Exercise
– Other than exercise, I really enjoy making food; cooking, grilling, smoking, baking, you name it.

One Thing About You Most People Don’t Know
– Prior to the start of my internship, I had never been into a CrossFit gym or done a CrossFit style workout.

What do you hope to do with your degree?
– My plan is to continue school and become a Physical Therapist.

State of the Box – Programming Philosophies

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ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

First and foremost, the concepts and ideas that go into 5AC’s programming are not original. Nor is our programming “perfect.” It is built around the methodologies of many coaches; old and new. For the most part, we follow the programming set forth by Ben Bergeron of CrossFit New England. Bergeron has been in the CrossFit game for a long time, and his list of certifications and coaching accomplishments is more than enough to brand him one of the best coaches in the business.

As always, it’s not just having the knowledge but what you do with it that matters. Our programming here at 5 Alarm CrossFit will always be changing and evolving. For now, while we may make small additions or changes to the CFNE programming, they will always be based on two things: (1) the best information available at the time, and (2) the needs of our athletes. We strongly believe that our program, coupled with taking care of yourself outside the gym (nutrition, sleep, etc.), can help get you into the best shape of your life.

GRASSROOTS (A HISTORY LESSON)

CrossFit Pyramid

Does the pyramid look familiar? I hope so. I believe CrossFit introduced the pyramid in 2002. So, how has 14 years of rapid growth and an insane amount of data collection changed the pyramid? It hasn’t. The pyramid highlights a preferred hierarchy of training and foci that individuals should work at in order to develop overall, non-specialized health and fitness. Classic CrossFit.

By no means does it imply that one needs to “master” a lower level before moving on to a higher one, only that the lower levels do have an impact on the upper ones. It is simply a guide, designed to help direct you on how to become the fittest and healthiest version of you for the long haul.

There is A LOT more that goes into this, but it’s not the focus of this article so I’m going to leave it there for now. Suffice to say, we do our best here at 5AC to adhere to classic CrossFit principles.

NUTS AND BOLTS

A. Fitness & Performance

Every day at 5AC there are Fitness and Performance options for the day. Full descriptions of what we envision those programs to be can be found on our website at www.fivealarmfitness.com/programs/.

The biggest difference between the two will be the difficulty of certain movements. Fitness will likely never have some of the more complex and skill based movements such as barbell Olympic weightlifting and higher level gymnastic skills (think muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, pistols, etc.). That is NOT to say that Fitness is easier than Performance. Just different. BOTH programs will challenge you. Both have the ability to push you physically and mentally (maybe even spiritually!).

Any day that you come into the gym, you have the option to choose Fitness or Performance for each part of that day’s workout, Skill/Strength and WoD. Maybe you’re normally a Fitness person, but would like to dabble in higher skill movements from time to time. Or maybe you’re a Performance person, but would like to drill more fundamentals occasionally. And yes, you can choose to do the Performance Skill/Strength and the Fitness WoD, or vice versa. Either way, listening to your coaches and proper scaling are of paramount importance to keep you safe and keep you progressing.

B. Warm-Ups

Our Warm-Ups at 5AC are greatly varied, while holding true to a few themes. The goal of any warm-up should be just that, to warm you up and prepare you for the training ahead. They should not feel like miniature workouts. Warm-Ups are also a great place to practice skills in a non-WoD environment. Lower rep ranges and/or less weight in a controlled setting allows people to focus on technique and develop the neurological component of specific skills or movements.

C. Skill/Strength

The focus here is on learning or improving upon skills, or gaining strength in specific movements through a full range of motion. Maybe it’s an Olympic lifting day, and the weight is lighter to really focus on the positions and moving through them. Maybe it’s a gymnastics day and we’re working on building up the strength required to get our first strict pull-up. Maybe it’s a squat day and we’re shooting for a new 3RM. In any scenario, our primary focus should be on technique development and consistent, safe progress in the movements being performed.

Gymnastics and bodyweight work. Should you expect your body to move well under a load if it won’t move will on its own? The goal of gymnastics work is greatly varied…building essential bodyweight strength, building a solid core, improving body awareness, gaining mobility and range of motion, etc. Remember the CrossFit pyramid from earlier? There is a reason that gymnastics is at the bottom of the pyramid as far as specific movements and training are concerned. Gymnastics will build you the best foundation from which to base all other training modalities.

Powerlifting and weightlifting. Our number one goal here is technique development and consistent, safe progress. Squatting, pressing, pulling, cleaning, and snatching are our staples. Being stronger not only helps us in the gym, but carries over into our everyday life. Need to put that storage box back on the top shelf? Press it. Want to pick up that grandkid? Deadlift him. Need to get that 40 pound bag of dog food to your shoulder? Clean it.

It is also worth noting that here at 5 Alarm CrossFit we do not utilize percentage based strength programs. Percentage based systems have their place, and we will not rule out the possibility of one showing up one day, but for the most part we utilize something closer to a Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) model. Our lives are not constant, and any minor fluctuations can have a large impact on how we feel on any particular day. This requires some auto-regulation on the athletes’ part, with a coach always on hand to provide guidance. If an athlete feels worn down on a given day, they can lift less without stressing over hitting a specific number. If they feel amazing, they can push the envelope and lift more.

Integrated mobility. Mobility and flexibility are two of the most underutilized aspects of general health in many gyms and fitness programs. Our current answer to that is integrated mobility. For our purposes, integrated mobility could involve muscular flexibility, joint health (mobility and stability), or connective tissue strengthening (ligaments and tendons). On some days, skill/strength exercises will be paired with an integrated mobility exercise or two focusing on one or more of the above items.

D. Metabolic Conditioning (MetCon/WoD)

Metabolic conditioning is where your “classic” CrossFit-style workout comes into play. Our WoDs will generally fall within the 5 – 20 minute time frame, and are meant to be relatively intense (though scaled for individual ability). They are not the proper time to learn or practice newer skills, but rather a time for members to demonstrate their skill in movements they are already proficient in. The reasoning for this is three-fold:

• One, it is more safe – as one begins to fatigue in a WoD, proficient movements will tend to have much less technique break down. This leads into…
• Two, it allows for increased intensity – being able to keep moving with good technique and not having to slow down to think about a newer movement will increase the effectiveness of the WoD. And…
• Three, it reinforces the basics – development of a strong movement base sets the groundwork for higher movement progressions.

A FINAL NOTE

The programming here at 5 Alarm CrossFit is necessarily designed to be finished within the one hour time slot devoted to a class. Similarly it is designed to give broad and general improvements in health and fitness for our community as a whole. Depending on individuals’ goals, some additional work outside of the usual class programming may be necessary. Think of it as homework, accessory work, or extra credit. This might include a mobility program to target specific areas, extra skill work to speed up progress for a specific movement, or even extra strength or metabolic conditioning work for more competitive athletes. The nature of the goal will also determine the best course of action, whether it is assigned homework to be completed on one’s own or the occasional Skill Session. Either way, if you’re struggling with a goal, ask a Coach for help! It’s what we’re here for!