CrossFit

What’s The Point?

by Integrated Fitness on May 14, 2012

There is a changing of the guard occurring in the world.  With the advent of the internet and a myriad of other technology we are able to see the accomplishments of many thousands of people around us.  We know when they work out, we know how they are working out, and we know how it makes them feel to accomplish their goals.  This has been a majorly powerful step towards helping a huge number of people regain an interest in fitness and health.  The problem for many people is still the age old question that has always faced people trying to take their fitness into their own hands:

Why am I doing this?

It is wonderful to see what others do or watch elite athletes on television doing incredible workouts with intense precision but I have seen firsthand that new fitness enthusiasts dive in too fast they sometimes do it without thinking about a longer term goal.  Many people want to be fit NOW!  They want to be strong NOW!  They want to look great NOW!  There are a few inherent problems with these thoughts:

  1. Life results don’t happen overnight
  2. What happens after you achieve your NOW goal?

It is crucial that you understand these two problems if you want to have long term positive results with any fitness and nutrition program.  I see too many people who want results right away.  They jump in head over heels into their program and many of them see results quickly but they open themselves up to one of two things: injury from overtraining and a reversion back to their previous ways.  It is noble to see people want to work as hard as possible but I see people working hard in the gym then going home and working out again.  Results come fast but they don’t give their bodies a chance to recover properly and over time they will fatigue their muscles and joints.  When their bodies don’t have the proper time to recover eventually their body will give out.  Also, no matter how strong of an athlete you were before you began a workout program it takes some time to really understand how to properly move your own bodyweight let alone weight such as a barbell.  If you jump in too quickly or move too much weight incorrectly you fatigue your body to the point of exhaustion and injury very similarly to overtraining.

The problem with reverting back to your previous lifestyle is very real.  If you have spent years being out of shape what makes you think that you can take 30 days and get into shape?  And, if you drop weight fast why do you think that you will stay in shape if you don’t continue to stay zoned into your workouts and your nutrition.  If I have learned anything about habits it’s that they take time to truly sink in.  You can’t change 15 years of sedentary lifestyle in 30 days.  You need to learn what it is about fitness that drives you and you need to take those deeply engrained emotions and search them.  You need to have real reasons for changing your life and those reasons need to remain driving forces as you progress through your program.  Without proper goals and motivations you will struggle to stay enthusiastic and that can lead to results being erased.  You have to take time to work up to an aggressive training plan.  You will be happy having done so.

At the end of the day take your time, learn the proper form, be patient before you move higher in resistance, enjoy the process, and remember…it is not about today, it is about the progress of being better tomorrow.  You can do it!

 

By Jim Crowell

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Rob Orlando Integrated Fitness Exclusive Interview

by Integrated Fitness on March 7, 2012

Big thanks to Rob for the Interview.

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Chris Spealler Muscle Ups Video

by Integrated Fitness on January 15, 2012

Chris Spieler is one of CrossFit‘s best athletes. Here he reps out some muscle ups with no problem. Awesome Work Chris. At Trident CrossFit.

Josh Bobrowsky

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6 Reasons Why Seminars And Certifications Will Change Your Level

by Integrated Fitness on January 7, 2012

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6 Reasons Why Seminars And Certifications Will Change Your Level

By, Integrated Fitness

Every day I wake up and I have a smile on my face.  I look forward to my job.  It gives me energy because I have the privilege of helping people change how they perceive their lives.  I get to help them grasp what change can be, how much fun it can be, and how to earn tangible progress each and every day.  A big reason that I always have new ideas is because I am constantly learning from extremely high level coaches.  Whether I watch YouTube videos with top end coaches or speak with them on the phone I always learn something new.  But, the best way that I have learned is by attending seminars and certifications.  Getting to spend 24 or 48 hours immersed with some of the best coaches on the planet has been life changing for me.  I want to talk about why it has been so powerful to me not just as a coach, but as an athlete and as an everyday guy.

  1. 1.     A different perspective is worth a great deal:  When you get to listen to new ideas from new people they always say it in a way that is different than you have seen it or done it in the past.  Those new perspectives can really bring new excitement and motivation to your training
  2. 2.     A structured and detailed program is extremely eye opening to new technical information:  If you have been interested in learning new technique a seminar is absolutely the place to learn.  You will be placed with extremely well qualified coaches who have spent countless hours perfecting their trade.  They will see weaknesses that you haven’t seen before and they will be able to repair many of your technical flaws
  3. 3.     It is a great way to learn new programming ideas, exercises, and queues:  Perhaps you have watched 10,000 videos online and you have a great idea of what the technique “Should” be but you haven’t been able to make progress with your workouts.  A seminar will show you how to put new exercises and structured training programs into your regiment that will get you over any plateaus that you would see.
  4. 4.     They are a great way to build relationships with high quality people:  Whether it is one of the coaches in front of the class or one of the attendees learning beside you when you attend a seminar you will be sitting with an incredible group of people.  They share your interests, they share your thirst for knowledge, they share your desire to better yourself, and they share your excitement for fitness that you do.  You will have the privilege of being able to call or email these coaches and athletes and you will better be able to make progress for the long term by knowing them
  5. 5.     They are powerful for people of all walks of life:  You don’t need to be a gym owner or even a coach to pick up a ton of great information on a seminar weekend.  Even though the topic may be a specific fitness discipline I have seen people from many different job industries and demographics attend.  You will pick up a vast amount of useful information   
  6. 6.     The information that you will pick up transcends more than just fitness and athletics:  I never only take information about fitness from a seminar.  I am constantly learning life lessons, ways to motivate myself and others, and ideas that will transcend multiple areas of my daily life.  The coaches have so much experience within their discipline that they can help you understand how their information can help you all over your life

I have had the opportunity to attend a number of seminars and certifications as a coach, as an athlete, and as a common man and I have taken a wealth of information with me.  I have used it in every aspect of my life.  When you sit next to incredibly motivated people there is no way to not come out with a fresh and exciting outlook on your training and on your life

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Toni West First CrossFit Workout

by Integrated Fitness on January 6, 2012

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Yesterday we had the pleasure of having Toni West in our gym and even got the chance to grab an interview with her about her background as well as some of her thoughts on CrossFit and Integrated Fitness

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CrossFit Games New Years Marathon

by Integrated Fitness on January 2, 2012

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This year to start off the new year ESPN showed the CrossFit Games Marathon. This is a great event that shows some of the best athletes the world has to offer.

 

The athletes compete in events that are designed to test almost every level of athletic fitness.

 

For those of you new to CrossFit, these events are much much harder than almost any workout you will do at our gym.

 

That being said, if you are an elite athlete we have specific classes that are geared for our ultra high-end competitive athletes.

 

We will train you and build you and your skill level based on your basic level of GPP (general physical preparedness).

 

The goal of our facility is to design the perfect program to challenge you, make you grow and build you into the best possible athlete and help you reach your goals.

 

The idea of our program is to vary our workouts and combine the best attributes of CrossFit, Powerlifting, and Olympic Weight Lifting with proper diversification so that you never plateau.

 

Here are common reasons why people decide they want to join CrossFit

 

Get in Shape- Make no mistake about it, CrossFit is not just for Fit athletes. We have athletes come into our gym who range from 100 pounds over weight, to professional and Olympic level athletes.

 

Be a part of a community- Here at Integrated Fitness our athletes support each other both in and outside of the gym. We know every not just by name, but we also know about their goals and how to get them there. The bottom line is our clients and trains take a great deal of pride in making this a place where people are not only welcome but are a part of a group of people who work hard together.

 

Love Competition- For those of you who played a sport in high school or college this is a great way to get back into competition. CrossFit is a real sport, that uses speed strength endurance and skill. You compete every day in the gym and as part of our gym we will compete together in events across Pittsburgh and Across the Nation.

 

Get better at your sport- We have classes that are both CrossFit and sport specific training that are custom designed to get you bigger faster, stronger, more balanced mentally and physically toughter.

 

We would love to answer any questions you have about our facility, our training and how our gym works.

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How CrossFit Works

by Integrated Fitness on December 31, 2011

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Many people ask us what is CrossFit. This is often a difficult question to answer. But to give a broad overview, CrossFit is a combination of weightlifting including olympic lifts, with cardiovascular and bodyweight exercises done for time in a competitive atmosphere.

Because CrossFit is so broad reaching each CrossFit gym trains their athletes in a slightly different way. So rather than trying to explain a very broad explanation I am going to explain how we do CrossFit at Integrated Fitness.

1. We build classes by peer group of athletic ability- What this means is that we are going to put in you into a class with people who have similar athletic abilities to you. This is how we are able to build effective classes for people of any and all athletic abilities. Ranging from 100 pounds overweight to Professional and Elite Athletes.

2. We Focus on Eliminating Weakness- We look at what parts of your body are weaker, weather your endurance could improve, your hips could be stronger, or you need to get more flexible. By focusing on weakness and eliminating them we build much better, faster, stronger athletes who have fewer Injuries.

3. We support each other- A large part of what we do at Integrated Fitness is competitive but an even bigger part of what we do is supporting each other, cheering everyone on. This is a place people come to get stronger, and be a part of a community.

4. We set, goals and achieve them- A big part of making progress is finding out what your goals are. Everyone has different goals and each person has different reason for those goals. Our job is to get you to and past your goals. We listen and understand what your goals are and then we work with you to ensure that you get to and past those goals

Here is a link to some common myths of CrossFit

Here is a video to show you some of the things our Athletes at our gym do. For the most part these are some of our more advanced athletes.


 

By

Josh Bobrowsky

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Laughs for Zack- Zack Miller Fund at the Improv

by Integrated Fitness on December 21, 2011

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Wednesday December 28 Eddie Ifft will be performing at the Pittsburgh Improv for the Benefit of the Zack Miller Fund.

 

On Aug. 4, Zach Miller of CrossFit Pittsburgh & Panther CrossFit was in a car accident, and he remains comatose. Zack Miller started Panther CrossFit.

We would love to see everyone come out to show support to one of our fellow CrossFitters. 100% of Ticket Proceeds for the show go to the Zack Miller Fund.

As Mike Pietragallo of CrossFit Pittsburgh describes him “He’s one of the most dedicated driven athletes i’ve ever trained with”

Please come out and show your support for this great athlete.

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Goosemode explosive running out of your shoes #goosemodekaboom

by Integrated Fitness on December 8, 2011

Goose gets going so fast… possibly lighting fast speed that the camera could hardly keep up with his crazy footwork…

During the frenzy of speed and lightning his shoes came of.

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How to Avoid Common CrossFit Injuries:

by Integrated Fitness on December 8, 2011

 

How to Avoid Common CrossFit Injuries:

CrossFit like almost any other sport is a sport that must be done properly do avoid injury. Here are some common injuries

The Most Common CrossFit Injuries:

  • Achilles tendon injuries
  • Calf strains
  • Strained Hamstrings
  • Quadriceps strains

As you can see, strains are the most common form of injury seen in many CrossFit participants. This is largely because of the wide-range of movements that occur during a typical CrossFit workout session. Rapid acceleration, sprinting and jumping are great ways for stimulating muscle fibers as well as burning calories. However, these movements can also place CrossFit participants at a higher risk for muscle strains and other muscle injuries when using improper form

The most important thing to do during your workouts is keep good form, even if it makes you slightly slower in the short term, you will be much faster in the long run.

If you feel a strain or pain (in any portion of your body), it is a great idea to slow down or take a break. Don’t feel that just because your are in a WOD that it is 100% required to finish if you have a minor injury. This can help to give your muscles time to repair and recover. You may also want to consider using the RICE method to help promote recover and reduce pain and swelling.

Just a tip to keep in mind and keep yourself healthy 

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