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Athlete Profile: Chris Hohman aka Cap’n Fun

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What’s Going On In March?!?!

THIS SUNDAY MARCH 4:  There will be NO Sunday class at CFWH, instead, join us at lululemon City Centre for In-Store CrossFit at 11am coached by Leah!!  Class will be in the store or on the lawn outside of Ruggles Green (weather permitting).  Come get your WOD on with your CFWH community and anyone else who wants to join, everyone is welcome, class is free.

FOLLOWING the in-store CF WOD at lululemon CC, we will head back to the gym at 12:30 for a Paleo Chilli cook-off and tug-o-war challenge!! Bring your favorite (Whole 30 approved for those of you on the Whole 30) Paleo Chilli and we will have a fun afternoon!

Join us for ANOTHER lululemon in store CF WOD at City Centre March 11 at 11am.  Ryan and Mel will be coaching!  We won’t have Sunday class at the gym, so we encourage ALL of you to come AND to bring a friend, spouse, sibling etc. if you’d like!

LASTLY!!! A reminder, Sunday yoga is at 10:45am (instead of 11am).  The WEDNESDAY NIGHT YOGA is NOW AT 6:45 pm (instead of 7pm) so make note and COME try out a class if you haven’t already!! Skye is an amazinggg yogi teacher!

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Athlete Profile: Rebecca Ziegenhorn

I started coming to Crossfit West Houston a year and a half ago. At that point in my life, I was approaching my mid-30′s and was starting to notice the inevitable creaks working themselves into my joints and my arms were resembling chicken wings more and more each day. I realized that if I didn’t take action, I’d already reached my personal physical best, and the future did not look bright.

Crossfit was challenging from the start. It had been years since I’d been to a gym. I hadn’t ever been an athlete, and so many of the movements were completely foreign to me. The coaches at CFWH had a way of acknowledging that I needed improvement without discouraging me. Within a few months, I was in better shape than I’d ever been, accomplishing physical feats that I’d never considered. I gained confidence in my body’s ability to do work and learn new skills. A few months into Crossfit, I started tennis lessons and now play on a team. That downward slope I’d seen a year ago was now gone, replaced by an expectation of future achievements and personal bests.

One unexpected benefit of Crossfit has been a cultural shift in my own family. I’m the mother of four young kids, and I’d always encourages them to eat healthy and exercise, but I wasn’t setting a very good example for them myself. As they saw me start to become more active and careful about my dietary choices, they reflected those attitudes back at me. They see exercise as a positive part of their daily lives. They talk about making healthy choices when preparing snacks or meals. This fringe benefit is worth more than the dress sizes that I’ve lost.

I love many things about Crossfit: being pushed to do things I never thought I could, getting a totally solid workout in 10 minutes (or less!), the calluses on my hands, kettle bells, rowing,  the energy burst you get after an awesome WOD. I’m inspired when I look around the room and see people from a range of skill levels and ages all doing exactly the same workout. I don’t know that I’d have had the word “athlete” attached to my profile any other way.

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Athlete Profile: Robyn Vann

Hello, My name is Robyn, and I have a CrossFit addiction.

No need to enroll me in a 12-step program or seek therapy…CrossFit is my therapy!

My first CrossFit experience was a one-hour trial workout with Ryan in February 2011.  I couldn’t lift my arms nor walk for a week, but a few days afterward I emailed Rob to eagerly join this box.  I did my fundamentals classes in March, and couldn’t wait to get into the regular classes to join my friend and neighbor, Lauren Rothman, the person I hold responsible for getting me to join CFWH. Once April rolled around, I started going to classes twelve times per month.  (I switched to Unlimited in July – - just couldn’t get enough!) 

 My goals in this order were, to lose weight, relieve stress, gain energy, improve my posture and build muscle.  At first I was completely scared of finishing WODs dead last, but quickly experienced what the CrossFit community is all about.  Dead last was where I placed plenty of times, heck I placed dead last in “The Civil War:  Racked and Loaded”, but you know what….I FINISHED!  (I told Rob I smiled all weekend long after that intra box competition.)  I’ve never been pushed past what I thought were my limits.  The CFWH coaches sometimes know my limits better than I do.  I love it when one of them asks me If I thought the weight I’m currently attempting, which was my max lift the last time I tried it, was easy….I’m only getting stronger.  And as for getting over that “finishing last” thing, I never figured a group of athletes finishing a WOD two minutes before me would be standing outside of the roll down doors cheering me on while I’m round the corner from a 400m run.  Who knew a community could feel like such a close-knit family?

My former workout plans were all over the board.  I got bored really easily.  I ran the Houston Half Marathon in January 2011, just to prove to myself I could.  I was contemplating tracking down my old trainer again to drop weight and work towards beating my time in 2012, but I really didn’t LOVE running.  I couldn’t stand the global gyms to which I had belonged.  There was far too much social and mirror time there for me.  I tried Pilates for a while and liked that, but nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment I get from CrossFit. 

As for likes and dislikes, I like rowing, kettlebell swings and deadlifts the best, while my least favorite has got to be the dreaded BURPEE.

After a few months, the “Desperately Seeking Skinny” girl that I was, made getting on the scale disappointing, as I wasn’t losing.  Tricia told me to throw my scale away.  Then I decided to compare measurements to the ones I used as a baseline when I first started CrossFit.  Whoa….I could sort of tell by the way my clothes were fitting, but my tape measure was not my foe, but a welcomed friend.  I started eating Paleo-ish in April.  I embraced it in July, and my August 1 measurements had me losing 13 total inches all over, and approximately 10 lbs.

What’s in my future?  My current goals include eating as cleanly as possible during the next Whole 30 Challenge, working on a handstand, doing perfect pull ups and getting a double under, which will hopefully lead to a series of them.  How will I get there?  Getting my mind straight and making it understand I CAN perform these skills. Who will help me do this?  Rob, Aja, Leah, Tricia, Ryan and Mo (with some Steph thrown in there too!), and all of the amazing athletes/friends that call CFWH home!

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Athlete Profile: Simon Payne

How long have you been at CrossFit West Houston?

I started at CFWH in early summer of 2010. 
How long have you been CrossFitting ?

I started Crossfitting in Spring of 2009 at Wine Country Crossfit, a little garage gym, which is now a box.  It is located where I grew up, in Napa California.
What brought you to CrossFit West Houston?

I was coming off a shoulder injury and looking for a CrossFit gym that had intelligent programing and coaches conscientious of their athletes movements.  My wife was curious about CF and attended a CFWH class.  She commented about the number of women been higher then she expected.  I took this as an indication the CFWH might be what I was looking for.  In my opinion, one sign of a well run Crossfit box is a diverse cliental in age and ability.  If the only people in your gym are young fit guys, there is a good chance you either injured or scared away a bunch of people who otherwise would have loved CrossFit.  I could care less about demographics.  I believe the most important measure of an athlete is their perseverance in seeking improvement, and little else.  After attending a couple of classes I was comfortable that the aim of CFWH was in line with my personal Crossfit goals… So I decided to keep coming.

What did you do for exercise before CFWH? 

Prior to CrossFit I was a endurance guy, riding my bike at least 75 miles and running about 25 miles a week .  The running was my “cross training.”  On a heavy 6’2″ frame eventually overuse injuries began to creep up on me.  While I love cycling, it has a unique ability to tax your back without giving you any additional strength there.  My back was always sore.  I was anemically thin from all the volume and a vegetarian diet.  I had done some research into resistance training and was doing “Runners World” type cross training in my garage.  It was limited and I was probably doing more damage then good.  Eventually one of my cycling friends suggested Crossfit.  It took my some time to get over how intimidated I was by all of it, but eventually I took an intro class. 
What do you like most about CFWH?

In some ways I feel like there is a degree of vulnerability necessary to push yourself hard in any activity.  Nobody who is working hard should look pretty at the end of a difficult workout.  My favorite thing about CFWH is that I feel comfortable giving it my all.  Nobody is judging me, and I feel inspired by others to try challenging things.
What is your favorite CrossFit move/exercise?

Rowing or Deadlifts.  I can’t decide because they are so different.
What is your least favorite?

Burpees…  But not in the generic way everybody dislikes burpees.  I genuinely HATE burpees with every fiber of my body they use.  Sadly that’s most of the body. 
What were your goals when you started CrossFit?

I was mostly just looking for a weight training program to make me a better cyclist.
How has CrossFit helped you work toward your goals?

Crossfit redefined my goals, and changed how I look at fitness.  I know that sounds “culty,” but it is true.  It’s not a popular position within the CF community, but I don’t believe that CrossFit has the capacity to make an elite endurance athlete better at their sport.  (For an amateur athlete however, CrossFit might offer serious gains.)  My personal journey in goal setting has been one of coming to terms with the limitations of endurance athleticism.  I could become a really good cyclist, but would that be worth giving up basic functional movement like get into a squat?  And how does that fit into the bigger picture?  Do I want to be some bent over 65 year old, or do I want to be functionally strong, flexible and able to call myself an athlete later in life?  In forcing me to confront my preconceived notions about fitness, CrossFit has done more for me then help achieve a particular goal.  Instead CrossFit became the genesis of a new journey and new perspective.
What has changed in your life since coming to CrossFit?

In terms of fitness I am feeling much healthier then I did two and a half years ago.  I’m less worn out, more flexible and a whole ton stronger.
What are your current CrossFit goals?

Flexibility: Toes to the wall, neutral back, below parallel air squat. (End of April)
Strength: King Kong, RX  (I hope before the end of the year, but I will take the pieces as they come.)

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CFWH NEW CLASS SCHEDULE

Here is our new class schedule.  This schedule will be effective starting next Monday, January 30, 2012.  Changes have been made across the board with CF classes and yoga so take a look and mark your calanders!!

New CFWH class schedule

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1/8/12

3 Minute AMRAP

5 Pull Ups

10 Push Ups

15 Air Squats

Rest 1 min

1 Round of Helen

400 m Run

21 KB Swings

12 Pull Ups

Rest 1 min

3 min AMRAP

5 Pull Ups

10 Push Ups

15 Squats

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Pam B. (She is AWESOME!)

CrossFit West Houston member Pam B. is an avid marathon runner who incorporated CrossFit into her training this past year.  Recently, Pam ran the Toronto marathon and PR’d her time, qualifying her for the Boston Marathon!  We are so proud of Pam and her huge accomplishment and wish her the best in Boston!  We know she will continue to display her AWESOMENESS in Boston just like she does here at CFWH!

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1/6/12

Strength:

3 Rounds:

Push Jerks x 5

Front Squats x 5

 Shoulder Band Stretch

MetCon:

Every 90 seconds sprint 80 meters (40m down and back). Repeat for a total of six sprints.

Rest 2 minutes.

Tabata Side Plank (alternate sides at 2 min)

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1/4/12

Strength:

3 Rounds:

Deadlift x 10
Front Leaning Rest on Rings x AMSAP in 60 seconds
Hamstring Stretch x 30 sec R/L

MetCon:

For Total Time:

800m Run
1 min Rest
20 Box Jumps
25 Sit-Ups
30 Walking Lunges with 45/25 lb Plate Overhead
25 Sit-Ups
20 Box Jumps
1 min Rest
800m Run

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