As a volunteer firefighter, there have been several days after we have had a bad or frustrating call…
October 25, 2019
Written By: James Wilbee
My CrossFit journey began December, 2015 and it has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, huge accomplishments and frustrating days, and a new career that I never would have imagined. Through it all, one thing has always remained, I can not wait until the next workout to challenge myself in a new and exciting way.
Growing up, I have always had the good fortune to be able to be active and participate in a variety of sports. Like most, it reinforced many values taught to me by my parents, those of hard work, dedication, commitment, compassion for others and teamwork. Life lessons that are so important to make us a valuable teammate but even more important to make us a valuable member of society.I had been hearing some talk about this thing called CrossFit, but really didn’t have much knowledge about what it was or what I was getting myself into. So, after a discussion with a friend that suggested I should “give it a try”, that “I would really enjoy it,” I went to a trial class offered by Kaleda.
I was hooked, and at the end of the class, signed up to become a member!
There was a huge learning curve for the first few months but it was so great coming in everyday and learning a new skill, or getting a little more efficient with ones that I had already been taught. One amazing thing that I learned was that even though CrossFit is an “individual” sport, and you are doing each workout as an individual, you are not alone! The CrossFit community in general and especially at our box at Degree, ensures that you are never alone, everyone cheers you on, everyone lifts you up when you need it and also gives you a kick in the pants if required (but in a loving,compassionate way). Just like a Team, or even more appropriately, just like a Family. Another thing I learned is that CrossFit is a very humbling sport. What I mean by that is, no matter how in shape you think you are, no matter how strong you are, CrossFit will always find a way to challenge you! That being said, CrossFit will always have a way to prove to yourself that you are strong, that you can meet and surpass your goals and that no matter where you start, you can accomplish big things. For me, I have always been fortunate to have good aerobic capacity but I have done very little with weight and strength training. So starting CrossFit opened my eyes to a new level of training that I had never done before. When I look back on my early days and my scores and compare them to the weights that I am able to lift now, it makes me proud to see how far I have come. However, there are still many many days that I leave the gym frustrated with myself that I didn’t lift a heavier weight, or didn’t do as many reps as I wanted to. That is what fuels my drive to keep coming back and trying it again. One more lesson that I learned, and maybe the most important one for me, is the ability for CrossFit to be a stress relief. As a volunteer firefighter, there have been several days after we have had a bad or frustrating call, I will come to the gym and perform the workout and the stress I was feeling will fade away. I don’t know if it is the fact that you are putting your body under stress in a different way, or if it is the fact that you can just shut your mind off from the rest of the world for an hour or if it is the sense of security and “family” you get from all the members and coaches. Maybe it is a combination of all of these, but whatever it is, it allows that stress to dissipate and makes the rest of the day much easier to deal with. My “why” for doing CrossFit remains the same, to get into better shape, try new things and test myself each and every day. What I have gained beyond that has been amazing, and such a wonderful bonus, that being strength. Strength in the traditional way, through lifting heavy weights and performing many reps. Mental strength, gained from pushing yourself to finish a long, tough workout and the ability to block out the world on a bad day and just be in the moment for an hour. And finally the Strength of the community/family. Through the good, the bad, or the ugly, that is what has been created (very deliberately) at Degree.
We are a family, a community, we all have our own unique qualities but we come together to bond, struggle, succeed, and push each other to new and unimaginable heights.
For me, that is pretty incredible and something that I am very proud to be a part of, both as a member and as a coach.
Your Coach,
James
I was hooked, and at the end of the class, signed up to become a member!
There was a huge learning curve for the first few months but it was so great coming in everyday and learning a new skill, or getting a little more efficient with ones that I had already been taught. One amazing thing that I learned was that even though CrossFit is an “individual” sport, and you are doing each workout as an individual, you are not alone! The CrossFit community in general and especially at our box at Degree, ensures that you are never alone, everyone cheers you on, everyone lifts you up when you need it and also gives you a kick in the pants if required (but in a loving,compassionate way). Just like a Team, or even more appropriately, just like a Family. Another thing I learned is that CrossFit is a very humbling sport. What I mean by that is, no matter how in shape you think you are, no matter how strong you are, CrossFit will always find a way to challenge you! That being said, CrossFit will always have a way to prove to yourself that you are strong, that you can meet and surpass your goals and that no matter where you start, you can accomplish big things. For me, I have always been fortunate to have good aerobic capacity but I have done very little with weight and strength training. So starting CrossFit opened my eyes to a new level of training that I had never done before. When I look back on my early days and my scores and compare them to the weights that I am able to lift now, it makes me proud to see how far I have come. However, there are still many many days that I leave the gym frustrated with myself that I didn’t lift a heavier weight, or didn’t do as many reps as I wanted to. That is what fuels my drive to keep coming back and trying it again. One more lesson that I learned, and maybe the most important one for me, is the ability for CrossFit to be a stress relief. As a volunteer firefighter, there have been several days after we have had a bad or frustrating call, I will come to the gym and perform the workout and the stress I was feeling will fade away. I don’t know if it is the fact that you are putting your body under stress in a different way, or if it is the fact that you can just shut your mind off from the rest of the world for an hour or if it is the sense of security and “family” you get from all the members and coaches. Maybe it is a combination of all of these, but whatever it is, it allows that stress to dissipate and makes the rest of the day much easier to deal with. My “why” for doing CrossFit remains the same, to get into better shape, try new things and test myself each and every day. What I have gained beyond that has been amazing, and such a wonderful bonus, that being strength. Strength in the traditional way, through lifting heavy weights and performing many reps. Mental strength, gained from pushing yourself to finish a long, tough workout and the ability to block out the world on a bad day and just be in the moment for an hour. And finally the Strength of the community/family. Through the good, the bad, or the ugly, that is what has been created (very deliberately) at Degree.
We are a family, a community, we all have our own unique qualities but we come together to bond, struggle, succeed, and push each other to new and unimaginable heights.
For me, that is pretty incredible and something that I am very proud to be a part of, both as a member and as a coach.
Your Coach,
James
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian As a Dietitian, I work with a lot of different people. One common thread is that we talk about excuses. So many people come in to a nutrition consultation and tell me about their challenges with nutrition and fitness, and then follow it up by saying something along the lines of "I know these are just excuses, I can do better". The things we often consider excuses can include having a busy job and a busy family life. Working weird hours. Struggling with the cost of groceries. Caring for loved ones. Managing health concerns, chronic diseases, or injuries. The list goes on. For my nutrition clients, I rarely consider any of these things to be excuses. It's not an excuse that you can't eat well because you work long hours and then take your kids to their sports practices - these are very real reasons why you're struggling to make healthy choices. It's not an excuse if you work nights and need to get some sleep so you didn't make it to the gym - it's as aspect of your life that makes getting enough exercise challenging. Think about the things you might consider to be your excuses for not "doing better" with your health and fitness. Are they really just parts of your life or the season you're currently in? None of these things should be making you feel bad or like you're making excuses. But on the flip side, these reasons also don't mean we need to throw in the towel on our goals entirely. They mean we might need to get a bit creative, decide what's really important to us right now, and ask for help when we need it! Instead of feeling bad about your "excuses" that aren't really excuses, it might be time to find some new ideas. Working with a Dietitian can be a great way to figure out what's actually important in your health and fitness goals, and come up with some new ideas to get you there. There are always steps we can take in the right direction to move past those "excuses" and work together for a happier and healthier you! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Coach Kelly Have you heard... "You’re too old, you’re too tired, you’re too X Y Z" to workout? WRONG! Did you know that the more you move, the less likely you are to experience injuries? The less likely you are to trip, slip or fall. If these things happen, you are less likely to be severely injured. We’ve worked with many different people over the almost 10 years that Degree has been around; hip replacements, knee replacements, strokes, members that experienced an injury outside of the gym but still came to class, etc. We often put ourselves in a box that “I can’t because…”. But, is that true? What if you just tried? Moving keeps us healthy and independent; movement also promotes recovery when done appropriately. So, how do you stick to a fitness routine? Why does it matter? And believe me, it really, really does matter. Keep it simple. I saw the most changes in my fitness/health when I ate well and exercised regularly. I didn't starve myself, I didn’t do any low fat things, I didn’t have to take any extra supplements. I just ate well, trusted the process and moved my body. Now, keep in mind things are different for me than they were 3 years ago; I have a 14 month old and a 3 year old at home. Am I tired? Yep! Do I always get a full nights sleep? Nope, never. Do I have more stress now than then? 100%. However, my why stays true. I want to grow old with power and strength. I want to keep up with my boys and beat them in races as long as I can. I don’t want to be at the Doctors office all the time (even though our local Docs are amazing!). I don’t want to be at the mercy of someone else for my own health. You have the amazing opportunity to keep moving. You have friends, family, jobs, groups and an entire world that wants you to feel good. To feel happy, healthy, strong, and not question if you can go for the bike ride, or be scared to take the stairs. The next best thing you can do if you’re stuck? Ask for help. When our cars break down we take them to the mechanic. When we need a teeth cleaning we go to the Dentist. When we have a tax question we go to the accountant. The world is saturated with health and fitness fads - most of which isn't always the best. Ask for help - Talk to a Coach that can help you leaf through what Google is telling you to find out what will actually work for you, and help you create a habit that works. Ready to get started? Email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com or call/text 519-441-7492!
Written By: Coach Kelly Coach Kelly here - I’m here to talk today about what fitness really is, and what really matters. It’s not how much you weigh; It’s not your clothing size; It’s not have a 400lb deadlift; It’s not having 6 pack abs… Before we dive into it, I want to share my personal experience with fitness and how I’ve made it a non-negotiable. Something I’ve carried with me through highschool, college, working long hours as a home-care PSW, joining a gym (Degree!), managing the gym and then running it. In all those years this included job changes, moving, having two babies close in age, and all the ups and downs that life throws at us in between. I got into fitness because my sweet Mother was doing Pilates videos (the VHS kind) at home. It looked fun, I liked hanging out with my Mom so I gave it a try. That was the catalyst. I felt empowered; I felt strong. I was never athletic in high school, I didn’t play sports until grade 11 when a friend of mine introduced me to cheerleading. That became a big part of my life. Through this as well, I tried allll of the things to lose weight, get smaller, find my 6 pack… you name it. I tried the low fat everything fad; I tried the ice cold water with lemon first thing in the morning; I tried the Raspberry Ketones; I tried not eating after 8pm; I tried cheat days etc... And guess what? Nothing changes. Literally nothing. I was spending money on things that didn’t work; I was letting the magazine covers and the celebrities tell me that to be fit I needed to be smaller, I needed to weigh less. Before we get into what actually worked, let’s talk about what doesn’t and get Myth busting Myth 1 Your weight is the most important factor in your overall health and fitness. WRONG! Your bodyweight is simply everything that you are; your bones, muscles, organs, blood, hair, eyeballs, if you’ve gone to the bathroom or not, the food you’ve eaten, the water you’ve drank. You’ve probably heard of BMI (Body Mass Index). This is troublesome as it only measures your height compared to your weight. The shorter you are and the more you weigh, the higher your BMI, thus, we are labeled overweight when we really might not be. The taller you are, and the lower your weight, your BMI is lower, thus, we are labeled as healthy, when we really might not be. The markers that we want to look at (unless there is a medical reason to look otherwise) are things like muscle mass, body fat percentage and other non-scale markers like how stressed you feel (or not), how are you sleeping at night, are you happy? Our genetics play a massive role in our body type; understanding this can also help us work with our body instead of against it. There is a point at which your body will be at a weight it is likely to stick around unless drastic changes are made. For most of us the changes needed are simply unrealistic and. There are many important factors to your overall health & fitness, but bodyweight usually is not the one we need to focus on. Book your Intro Meeting by CLICKING HERE , or reply directly to this email if you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck or frustrated in your fitness journey. We can help!