Coaches Corner
The CrossFit Learning Curve
I often explain to newcomers that there is a learning curve to this whole CrossFit thing. Seemingly, it looks straight forward. Show up, stretch, lift, sweat, maybe give a few fist bumps, get a few fist bumps, rinse and repeat. That’s the gist of it, but there is plenty of nuance to this whole thing that can be pretty overwhelming if you let it.
The acronyms alone could warrant their own tutorial (AMRAP, EMOM, SDLHP, GTOH etc etc etc). The basics of Olympic lifts and then the variations that come from them take time to understand (and a lifetime to perfect). Then gymnastics movements that require a whole new pattern of movement for our nervous systems to comprehend and try to execute also takes time, and practice. A lot of practice. Next is the soreness that is a different type of soreness than most other types of exercise induce. And then for me specifically, was the complete hijacking of my appetite from the new found physical stimulus that took awhile to acclimate to.
These are just a few of the things that take some time getting used to when getting (or returning) to a sport like CrossFit. The moral of the story is to give it time, patience and just as important, consistency. When I explain this to athletes that are new to us, I tell them that 6 weeks + or – is a good time frame for getting most of these things down and not feeling like the new kid in class.
The beauty of it is, that it does get more familiar but never easier. As the comfort level goes up, so does our ability to lift heavier and move faster, which gives that same challenge that was felt on week one. Keeping it fresh and challenging keeps the intrigue high and the fitness moving forward!
Let's Celebrate!
New Coaches
We want to welcome our two new coaches Tyson and Dr. Cory. Tyson will be coaching Monday mornings and Dr. Cory will be coaching Tuesday mornings! They are both incredibly knowledgable, make sure to introduce yourself if you haven't already.
Meet Tyson
I began CrossFit while working as a Drill Sergeant at the police academy in So. California and I fell in love with it. After retiring from Law Enforcement in 2013, I opened A small CrossFit gym in Ojai, California. I owned the gym for about five years and then decided to move to Arizona.
I’ve been married to my wonderful wife Jerri for 37 years. I have 4 children, 2 two boys and 2 daughters. My sons live here in AZ. My daughters, along with my 4 grandkids, live in California.
I have been a coach all of my adult life. I've coached high school Football for over 25 years, I trained New police officers for 20 years, and have coached CrossFit for over 17 years and I love it! Nothing is better than watching someone get better!
Meet Dr. Cory
As a basketball player for as long as I could remember, that intrigue was motivated by a drive to become the best I could be in my sport. That led me to a career at the collegiate level and a short stint professionally in Europe. I was inspired by my experience as an athlete and love of service to pursue and complete a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
I was drawn to CrossFit due to its inclusion of weightlifting, gymnastics, and other functional movements, but more importantly the atmosphere. As a member of a team for almost my entire life up to that point, I loved the community of encouragement during every workout and actually found that was what truly kept me coming back.
My passion now is longevity. Having treated people of all ages and levels of wellness as a physical therapist, I have a better understanding of how important it is to continue to push and challenge our bodies and minds while minimizing the risk of injury, as we age for improved quality of life.
I am a servant and hope to improve the lives and longevity of others by sharing my knowledge, as so many others have done for me.
October Birthdays
- Weston - 10/4
- Megan - 10/5
- Marina - 10/11
- Courtney - 10/11
- Coach Gabby - 10/12
- Maji - 10/15
- Justin - 10/17
- Marcia - 10/23
- Robert - 10/26
- Zach - 10/26
- Dale - 10/28
- Marija - 10/31
Anatomy Optimized
Top 8 Sleep Hacks for Better Sleep for Improved Performance
Top 8 Sleep Hacks for Better Sleep for Improved Performance:
It is irrefutable that higher quality sleep and ideal sleep quantity improves nearly every domain of human performance. Emotional regulation, physical exertion and post-exercise recovery, and cognitive bandwidth are all regulated by varying aspects of sleep. Today we’ll discuss the top 8 sleep hacks that you might want to include in your daily or nightly routine!
1. Schedule a consistent time to wake and go to bed regardless of weekday or weekend activities.
2. Avoid exercise 2-3 hours before bed as this can prime the nervous system to delay the signals for sleep to begin in the brain.
3. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon hour.
4. Limit alcohol consumption and avoid alcohol before bed as ethanol can delay REM sleep.
5. Avoid naps after the late afternoon (3pm or later)
6. Try setting night time room temperature between 64-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Our body’s temperature will ebb and flow throughout sleep cycles and when temperature rises past a certain threshold, it will limit deeper and deeper phases of sleep to occur.
7. Get at least 10-30 minutes of natural sunlight exposure once you wake up which can regulate patterns of sleep.
8. Avoid using the bedroom for anything other than sleep or sex as other activities can prime the brain to delay starting circadian sleep cycles.
Dr. MacKenzie Schneider, DPT, FAAOMPT
Reference: Walker, M. (2018). Why We Sleep. Harlow, England: Penguin Books.
Mom’s Corner
Hi Fortified Family,
My name is Peggy Tazelaar. Henry and I are part of the 5a.m. group, and have been with FF for a year and a half. I have so appreciated the camaraderie (shared misery?) and the great coaching. My fitness journey began long ago in a YMCA in Oak Park, Illinois. Don't even think about asking if leg warmers were involved! When covid shut our gyms down, Henry taught me some basic CrossFit exercises in the garage and eventually I joined him at BOTB, and now Fortified. I'm delighted that these intense and efficient workouts have made me stronger and healthier, despite the challenges of osteoporosis and arthritis. Knowing that so many of our coaches are fabulous physical therapists also makes me feel secure.
Henry and I have two sons. Andrew and his wife, Christina live in Grand Rapids, MI with their two children, Isaiah and Lydia. Jeff lives in Sonoma, CA. You may have caught a glimpse of him at Fortified where he has joined us a time or two. We are committed to developing a close relationship with our grandchildren, despite the distance. It has been fun to think of creative ways to do this, and technology has been a big help. Henry discovered the MarcoPolo app and has used it to record himself reading chapter books which the kids can play back when it is convenient for them. I've arranged craft or cooking sessions where I send supplies, or a list of things for them to assemble and we work together on a project which we can both do while on FaceTime.
Nicolette suggested I include a recipe. She had no idea what a pandora's box she opened with that request! I love to cook, and have scores of recipes and cookbooks. For simplicity's sake, I'll share a recipe with you that we are having this week.
Meatballs with Carrots and Yogurt
It's simple, healthy, delicious, and has only one unusual ingredient: garam masala, which is an Indian spice blend which you can easily find at the grocery store. Enjoy!
Weigh Ankor
Let's Talk about Butt Berries...
I know Peggy just wrote an article above me about food and here I am writing an article about your bum...
Though the truth is, butt berries are the most common injury in CrossFit. If you've never had the pleasure of getting a butt berry... it is the chaffing or raw oval shaped mark you get at the top of your bum after doing a high volume of sit-ups. It makes for a painful post-workout shower and no ab mat alone can save you from this destiny.
Getting butt berry doesn't mean your bum is too big or you're wearing the wrong clothes. Most likely, you're moving too fast in your sit-ups your hips and lower back are coming up off the floor... I know mine were. This fast movement is what rubs your skin back and forth on the floor. After 150 sit-ups... viola butt berry.
- The best way to beat butt berry is to keep your hips and lower back on the ground through the whole motion. This isn't something that is easy to do, but slow down and focus on keeping the connection with the floor.
- Another way to reduce the friction on your rear, is it to use a yoga mat, these are rolled up under the big tv in the front. Feel free to grab one to throw under your ab mat.
- The final way to reduce butt berry is to never do sit-ups... but I don't think this is a viable option... 🤷🏼♀️
Best of luck! If you have another tactic for beating the berry... let me know!
- Ashley
Follow me on instagram: @weighankor
Visit the site: weighankor.com
MAV Team
Hello Fortified Family and Happy October!!
Historically, October has always been a very telling month for the AZ real estate market and as we begin to head into the holiday season, we wanted to explore the markers that we use when we talk about the direction of the market.
The largest and strongest marker is the Cromford Market Index, or CMI. The CMI value not only provides a short term forecast for the balance of the market, but also records significant history of how our market reacts to certain events. The CMI is derived from the trends in pending, active and sold listings compared with historical data over the previous four years. Values below 100 indicate a buyer's market, while values above 100 indicate a seller's market. A value of 100 indicates a balanced market.
Now that we know what that number actually means, what does that tell us for what is happening lately?
Well, some sellers can celebrate again - the number of cities with an improved CMI over the past month has doubled again since last week. Scottsdale and Tempe have now joined Chandler and Paradise Valley.
The average monthly change in CMI was -5%. This is another improvement on the week before when the reading was -9%. The deterioration has slowed markedly during the past four weeks and CMI readings are barely falling now. The average decline over the last week was only 0.1%.The same 4 cities remain over 100. They are all relatively expensive parts of the market and all in the Northeast Valley. This market remains much stronger than the market has as a whole.
Goodyear has slipped into a buyer's market below 90, so we now have a majority of cities in a buyer's market, even though the market as a whole is balanced. The contrast between the top and bottom cities is unusually large. The bottom 3 cities continue to deteriorate for sellers because supply is high and still increasing.
***If you have any questions on the market, are thinking of buying or selling, we are a quick call or text away! - Or you can usually catch us at the 6:15pm class!
~Madeline & Vincent Fiore
The MAV Real Estate Team
As always, you can find more AZ specific real estate info, helpful tips and tricks at MAVrealestate.com or visit us on IG @MAVrealestate.
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