Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

Articles & Announcements

Taking Charge of Your Nutrition During #shelterinplace

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I’m sure by this point you’ve seen the meme’s on social media about weight gain during the “Shelter In Place” order. You know the ones I’m talking about right? On the left we see your favorite fitness influencer all jacked and tan (and clearly resembling your current physique) while on the right we see your after picture, an image that more closely resembles the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. 

But let’s be honest, while it’s funny to look at those, none of us wants it to be our reality. Sure we might not actually look like our favorite fitness influencer, but we don’t need to backtrack just because we can’t get out. This time isn’t an excuse to let our nutrition fall to the wayside. In fact, I think it’s an opportunity for us to really dial it in. 

Why you might ask? Well, how many times did you go to work last month and have a food day? I’m sure it was more than once or twice. What about that friendly coworker who brought in donuts for the whole department “just because?” Maybe you had a birthday party, a happy hour, and a date night all in one weekend. Sound familiar? 

In our current situation, those things aren’t our reality. We have the ability to grab our eating habits by the horns and really focus on improvement. It doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul, but by building small, sustainable habits a little at a time you’ll be making big changes to your life long term. 

So what are some ways you can take charge of your nutrition during this time? Here are 3 tips to help you get started. 

  1. Create a menu for the week. Write down all the ingredients you’ll need for each meal so you don’t need to make unnecessary trips to the store throughout the week. This can be a great strategy any time but it’s especially important when you’re trying to #stayathome and only venture out when necessary. 
  2. Only buy what’s on the list. Now that you know what you need, don’t get distracted. Only buy the items you’ve written down and avoid venturing down the aisles that cause you to mindlessly put things in your cart. 
  3. Prepare what you can ahead of time. Leave any meat you’ll use in the next 2-3 days in your refrigerator so it doesn’t need to thaw and cut up your veggies before putting them away so you lessen your prep time the day of. It might seem like more work up front but you’ll be glad you did it when it comes time to cook. 

If you utilize these tips, we’d love to see! Share your menus, your shopping experiences, and/or your meal prep for the week to social media and be sure to tag us @fivealarmcf. 

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.

CLOSING TIME… FOR NOW

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Five Alarm Family,

Thank you for your continued understanding and vigilance as we have taken actions to protect the health and welfare of our community. As we expected, and have been preparing for, we have been required to close Five Alarm. Effective Sunday, March 22 the gym will be closed and will remain closed through the remainder of the month and into April. We plan to reopen the gym on April 8th (although the re-opening date is subject to change).

The good news is that if you’d like to stay invested in your health and fitness, we are still here to support you! During this interim period, we will continue to provide you with the tools you need to stay active and LIVE BETTER.

At-Home Workouts. No need to cross your fingers hoping your Coach will play your favorite song during class! Put that jam on repeat and get after it!

You will have access to 3 workout tracks, 2 of which are specifically designed to be performed at home.

  • Total – The full version for those with access to more equipment or could attempt to modify.
  • Build (Full Version) – The full version will be posted in a daily Notes section on Zen Planner.
  • Build (At Home Version) – All you need is one or two dumbbells or kettlebells.
  • Outside the Box – All you need is your body and a backpack.

In addition to programming the workouts, our Coaches will be leading online classes for each workout track so you can still get your fitness on with friends! We’ve got a good idea on exactly how this will work and look, but please bear with us as we learn. Stay tuned for Five Alarm communications for live workout links!

Tentatively, our Coaches will be leading online classes on the following schedule, seven days per week, Sunday through Saturday!…

  • 9am – Outside the Box
  • 1pm – Stretch/Mobility Session
  • 5pm – Build (At Home Version)

The Win-Win Equipment Borrow Program. It’s a win for you because you get access to some awesome equipment without having to buy it. You can stay fit while you’re stuck at home – and you can help support Five Alarm. It’s a win for Five Alarm because we can help you stay fit and it allows us to stay in business.

The Equipment Borrow Program is already up and running. Tomorrow, Saturday, March 21 we’ll be open and running our regular morning classes; and in addition, we’ll be continuing letting members borrow equipment for use at home during this temporary move online. Just choose your equipment, fill out the paperwork, and you’re good to go!

Accountability, Challenges, Events, Etc. Movement is just one small piece of the equation as we all try to stay healthy during this time. Nutrition, mindset, and accountability will all play major roles in keeping your immune system strong for whatever the next few weeks may throw your way. All active members will receive weekly accountability check ins, as well as free access to any and all online challenges, events, etc. that Five Alarm runs during this time. And, boy, do we have some things in the works!

A Digital Community. Our doors may be closed but our community will stay strong! If you have not already, join our members only Facebook group. We will be posting tips, sharing progress, and answering all your fitness related questions in one place.

Thank you for your flexibility, understanding, and generosity as we endure this situation together. We will continue to do our best to update you on any new changes as the situation evolves.

With Gratitude,

The Five Alarm Team

COVID-19 Gym Updates

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Wow, what a crazy last few days. Our team spent most of the morning discussing what the recent changes mean for our members and how we can continue to serve all of you during this time of uncertainty. 


For the time being, Five Alarm will remain open. However, in an effort to keep our members as safe as possible and to comply with some of the newest recommendations, we’ll be making some changes to our schedule and our class sizes. We will also begin offering at home workouts for those who would prefer to not come into the gym. All of these changes will go into effect on Wednesday, March 18. 


Our updated class schedule can be found HERE. Please note that all classes, including open gym, will have a strict cap of 9 athletes (plus 1 coach). As a result of this, we will be requiring athletes to reserve their spot in class at least 60 minutes prior to it’s start time. If you know you are unable to attend a class you’re reregistered for, please update that as soon as possible to allow another athlete to take your place. In addition, we ask that you not arrive more than 10 minutes prior to your class time so we can control the number of people in the gym at one time. 


As class slots are limited, only the programmed workouts will be allowed during class times. If you’d like to do workouts other than our regular group classes, please do so during an Open Gym time slot. There will be a coach in the gym from 8am -7pm most days to accommodate this and for those who would still like to come in but want to be around fewer people. If you’re unsure if someone will be there, give us a call before you come in.

Outside the Box! This one is really exciting! For those of you wanting to stay home & self quarantine, we want to continue to support you as well. Outside the Box workouts will be listed on ZenPlanner at 7pm the night before along with our Build & Total options. In addition, we will be posting a video to our private athlete page on Facebook the night before going over the workout itself and possible modifications you can make to it. If you do not have Facebook and wish to participate in these, please let us know so we can email them to you instead. The only equipment you’ll need for these workouts is a backpack and yourself (we will have jump rope options some days if you have access to one). If you’d like to make your backpack a weighted implement, get creative and have fun! You can add books, bricks (click HERE for a tutorial on how to wrap those), water bottles, milk jugs, plates, etc. If you do it with your family, tell us! If you post it on your social media, be sure to tag us and #fivealarmcrossfit. And don’t forget to log those scores in the Zen Planner app as well.


We want you all to know we’re taking the COVID-19 situation very seriously and will continue to monitor it closely. Your health and the health of our team is our top priority. We know there are other gyms in the area closing and, truth be told, I’m not sure if our decision to stay open is the right one. I’m also not sure we won’t be making a different decision in a few days (don’t worry, we have a plan for that as well). What I do know is that a lot of consideration went into making this decision (as I’m sure it did for other gyms) and we feel hat this is how we can best serve our clients at this time. We also know that the virus and the shut downs have had a significant impact on some of our members. If there is something we can do to help you, please let us know. We are all in this together and I truly believe our community will be even stronger when it’s over. 


Thank you all for your support! Stay healthy and keep moving!


Josh, Leah, & the Five Alarm Team

COVID-19 and Five Alarm

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By now you’ve heard about COVID-19 and some of the recent suspensions/closures as a result of it. We want to keep all of our members in the loop by letting you know how we’ll be handling things at Five Alarm. 

1. Don’t come to the gym if you’re sick or feeling “kind of icky.”If you have any signs of the virus, stay home. This goes for your kiddos too. Our coaches have also been advised to stay home if they are sick. 

2. Wash your hands. First thing when you come in, please wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20s. Dry them with a paper towel. 

3. Wipe down EVERYTHING you use. We’re lucky. You all do a great job of this already but, for the time being, we’re asking everyone to be a little extra diligent. Wipe down your foam roller, your barbell, the plates, your floor space….it might seem excessive and it may take a little more time but if it’s something we can do to help prevent this from entering our four walls, we’re going to do it. The coaches will be changing out towels, on a regular basis so again, please wipe down your equipment and your area. 

4. No logging into classes at the kiosk. If you’re able to, please preregister for the class you plan on attending. Coaches will be logging everyone in at the beginning of class and the iPad will not be set out for the time being. 

5. No recording WOD times or writing workouts on extra boards. You’ll notice that the markers are missing from the baskets as well. For now, coaches are the only ones who will have access to these. They will still write your names on the board along with your score/time so be sure to tell them what you got when they ask! We’d also encourage you to keep recording your scores in ZenPlanner. If you get a PR, let your coach know and they’ll write it on the Bright Spots board for you as well. 

6. No fist bumps or high fives. Just don’t touch each other for awhile. Keep encouraging and keep waiting for everyone to finish before cleaning up, just try to refrain from giving your fellow classmates a big high five or hug at the end of the workout. We know this one might be hard because it’s what we do but try your best. 

7. Limited chalk. I know, I know….we all LOVE our chalk, some of us more than others. We will have ONE chalk bucket out on the floor for the time being. We’d advise everyone who opts to use it to do so at their own risk. If things get any worse, we will pull the chalk bucket as well. Consider this your heads up 😉 

8. Toilet paper. Well folks, our timing couldn’t be worse but the gym is low on toilet paper and, apparently, most stores in town (and Amazon) are out. We will get some in there ASAP but pease be understanding if it’s not the “good stuff” for a little while. 

Five Alarm will continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19 closely and make adjustments as warranted. In the meantime, what are the best things you can do to protect yourself and your family? Continue prioritizing your health. We can help strengthen our immune systems by getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating a diet rich in whole foods. While this doesn’t guarantee we won’t catch the virus, it’s our best line of defense and is well within our control (in conjunction with washing our hands & staying in when we’re sick). 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We appreciate your patience and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure you’re able to get your workouts in at Five Alarm. In the meantime, please stay tuned to your email, our website, and our private Facebook page for updates. 

Treign Apparel Order

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Get your Five Alarm gear before spring hits! We’re doing an end of season Stadium Lightweight Hoodie to get ready to launch us into spring. Click HERE and type in code “fivealarm” in the box to access the online store.

The store closes on 3/10 at midnight so be sure to get your gear while you can! All orders will be shipped to the gym when they’re finished so stay tuned for updates on their arrival.

February Committed Clubs

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Congrats to all of our athletes who made it in the Committed Club for the month of February!

February Committed Club

Leah Wheeler (19)
Nick Jefferson (18)
Mark Johnson (18)
Zach Maxwell (18)
Steve McCane (18)
Janet Daniel (17)
Wayne Geffon (17)
Michael Reilly (17)
Callie Sanders (17)
Gayatri Bondili (15)
Kelly Huey (15)
Corey McCarty (15)
Ryan Reilly (14)
Garrett Gould (13)
Lorena Allen (12)
Alvin Bilang (12)
John Blair (12)
Mike Buob (12)
Brock Burgener (12)
Ryan Convery (12)
Ben Henson (12)
Cassie Isaacs (12)
Amie Mouser (12)
Risk Rangineni (12)
Craig Tackett (12)
Brett Whitaker (12)

Super Committed Club

EJ Garneau (24)
Sheri Jefferson (24)
Joel Backs (23)
Levi Ransom (23)
Lisa Reilly (23)
Taylor Sanders (23)
Maddie Winger (23)
Chris Burchett (22)
Cindy Bruce (21)
Thomas Woods (21)
Jordan Downing (20)
Barry Reilly (20)
Mallory Roberts (20)

March is the beginning of our Sunday class so there’s more opportunity than ever to join one of these clubs next month. Will you do it? Keep up the hard work everyone!

Schedule Changes

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We’ve got some exciting changes coming to our schedule! Beginning March 1st, we’ll be opening the gym for a group class on Sundays! Our TOTAL class will run from 12-1 on a trial basis for the month of March. If the response is good, we’ll keep it going on a permanent basis. With the addition of the Sunday class, our lunch open gym hours will now be 10-11am M-F (also effective 3/1).

We hope you’re as excited as we are about this new addition! See you in the gym!

FAQ’s

  • What time will a coach be at the gym on Sundays? 

Similar to our other classes, a member of our team will be at the gym at least 15 minutes prior to the start time to open the doors and greet athletes. 

  • Will I need to be out of the gym right at 1? 

No! We always encourage athletes to stick around and socialize or stretch after classes while we perform our closing duties. All we ask is that you’re respectful of our time on the rare occasion a coach needs to get out right on time. 

  • What if I don’t want to participate in the group class on Sunday? Can I still do my own thing? 

For the time being, Sundays will be class format only (similar to Saturday at 8am). Folks wanting to come in and do mobility work during that time would be able to do but if you’re wanting to do a workout or active recovery, it would need to be with the rest of the group. 

  • What if I want to come in during the Open Gym slot during the week but I can’t make it until later? 

We would highly encourage you to call the gym and see if one of our team members will be around. There are many days when a coach is on site working despite it not being one of our “scheduled” hours. Unless otherwise stated, if one of our team members is in the gym, you’re welcome to come in and do a workout so long as you’re also respectful of our time in the event that they need to leave.