Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

Coach Chris

Chris Is Retiring!

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The time has come to bid adieu to one of our own. On July 20th, Chris McFarland will be retiring from his role as coach at Five Alarm CrossFit. As many of you know, Chris and his wife Christy, recently welcomed their second son, Cole (joining big brother Cameron) to their family. As Christy returns to work and Chris continues his career as a Bloomington firefighter, he felt his time off would be best served focusing on his family.

Chris has been with Five Alarm since the beginning and has been a valuable asset during those 2 1/2 years. Whether through his knowledge as a strength coach or his witty sense of humor, it’s safe to say that Chris has had a positive impact on many of us. We are going to miss his smiling face and impromptu dance parties in the gym but know his boys will enjoy having their Daddy at home more on his days off. Thanks for all of your hard work, Chris! Don’t be a stranger!

Bulletproofing the Backside

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– Coach Chris

We sit when we eat. We sit when we drive. We drive to places to sit. All of this sitting can lead to our “backsides” forgetting how to work!

We get tight hips from sitting, causing our biggest muscle – our glutes – to forget how to work, leaving smaller muscles to pick up the slack as the primary movers. The posterior chain includes our back (spinal erectors), glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

This is why posterior chain training is so important. Posterior chain training can help to improve athletic performance, and also help alleviate lower back, hip, and knee pain.

Why? Because improvements in posterior strength builds balance in our bodies’ musculature, which can lead to glutes and hamstrings generating larger amounts of force (hip extension!) and spinal erector muscles keeping us upright under loads (neutral spine!).

Where to begin?

Here are some examples of movements you can incorporate into your Warm Ups or do as accessory work to add volume. After selecting a couple of these movements to do at a time, aim for 3-5 sets and 10-20 reps each set.

  • Glute Bridges
  • Back Extensions
  • Glute-Ham Raises
  • Band Pull Throughs
  • Heavy Kettlebell Swings
  • Reverse Hypers

As always, if you have any questions or need some extra guidance, grab a coach! We’re here to help!

PVC Pipe Assisted GHR – Begin
PVC Pipe Assisted GHR – End
Reverse Hyper – Begin
Reverse Hyper – End

Accessory Work: Little Movements, Big Rewards

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By Coach Chris

Don’t overlook the extras. Accessory work allows us to focus on weak points by loading specific muscles used in the big lifts without the risk of injury or overuse. Not only will this have huge carryover to long-term lifting goals, but it will help prevent injuries in the process.

So, when should I do accessory work? After class is a great time to get accessory work in, because your big movements have already been completed. Another option is to replace your complex movements with accessory work. This will help strengthen any weaknesses.

How can I get the most out of my accessory work? Target specific muscles groups by picking unilateral movements (movements done using one arm or leg at a time) and by using tempos. This will increase the muscle’s time under tension. Some great examples are Single Leg RDLs, Single Arm Overhead Carries, Bulgarian Split Squats, and Kneeling KB Windmills.

Single Leg RDL – 1
Single Leg RDL – 2
Kneeling Windmill – 1
Kneeling Windmill – 2

How do I pick the right accessory work for me? Whether you’re newer or a seasoned athlete, accessory work will help you get closer to reaching your fitness goals. Start with your goals and your weaknesses. What goals are you working toward? What do you want to get better at? This will help you zone in on which muscles to focus your accessory work on.

Still stuck? No worries! We don’t want the notion of accessory work to overwhelm you. If you’d like help figuring out what accessory work to do based on your specific goals, ask any of the Coaches or schedule a Goal Setting Session!

Do You Have a “Goal” or a “Wish?”

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Do You Have a “Goal” or a “Wish?”
The Importance of Setting Goals
– By Coach Chris

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Goal-setting is a very effective, yet underutilized, tool in the gym. Setting goals can keep you focused and motivated on those days when the last place you want to be is the gym.

The ability to set goals (and stick to them) can overflow into your life outside of the gym, as well.

Goal-setting in four steps:

1. Create a specific and realistic goal.
“I want to squat 400 pounds by 2018” is a better goal then “I want to squat more.” Also, remember to be realistic. Finding that balance of creating a challenging, yet realistic goal, can sometimes be tricky. If you want someone’s input, don’t be afraid to talk to your coaches!

2. Write it down.
It’s much harder to ignore a goal if it is recorded somewhere. For me, I need to actually write it down in my notebook. If putting your goal in your phone works better for you, go for it.

3. Create a roadmap.
You can’t squat 400 pounds before you can squat 300 pounds. After you create your goal, map out a timeline with marks you want to hit along the way. Setting micro-goals throughout the year will help keep you focused and motivated. It will also help you visualize your progress and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love smashing a PR every once in a while?!

4. Say your goal out loud.
The CrossFit community is made up of an amazing group of people who love to see each other reach goals. Share your goal with a coach or someone at the gym. And remember to cheer each other on!

There is no perfect way to reach your strength and fitness goals, but it’s much easier to reach your destination with a map. These are the tactics I use to help keep myself motivated and inspired.

Goals aren’t meant to be reached overnight. (And if they are, you might need to re-think your goals). Success is made up of a bunch of “little wins.” So don’t be so hard on yourself and get excited when you make progress (no matter how small).