State of the Standard address (blog)

😂 AI is so funny. I would never trust a word this guy said.

Greetings citizens and friends of The Standard! I write this long-overdue blog to try to bring everyone up to date with the happenings and plans for where we’re going as a gym.

Firstly, I decided to allow our CrossFit affiliation lapse this past July. This impacts you in zero important ways since we deliver CrossFit methodology with levels, prehab, mobility, bodybuilding, lifestyle best practices, and more. We are more than just CrossFit. If you want the reasoning, it’s 2-fold: CF HQ continues to put profit over affiliate impact now that it’s owned by a private equity firm. Second, I’m fairly convinced that Coca-Cola executed a coup against Greg Glassman because he was fighting a war against big soda as the primary cause of most chronic diseases we have in our society. I don’t want to give our money to them. So, we will now be called The Standard Fitness Academy, which will probably come as a surprise to none of you :)

The 2025 CrossFit Open. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a worldwide competition that acts as the first step toward the CrossFit Games for the absolute freaks, but serves as a barometer for your capabilities stacked gaginst the rest of the CF community. There are flaws in all of that logic, but that’s the idea at least. The Standard has always participated in it, but have never prioritized it because we are regularly testing ourselves internally against ourselves, not against others.

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth participating in and just because we aren’t an affiliate doesn’t mean you can’t. We’re just going to be a world class “garage gym.” Friday night 5:45 class will be replaced by whatever workouts get announced the prior Thursday, so anyone who wants to do The Open, can come then, get judged, and submit a score (and video) to get your name on the leaderboard. Or, if you want to go hang out with Amanda at GCCF, that’s cool too. So, that’s the plan. Friday 2/28, 3/7, and 3/14 at 5:45pm… we Open. 💪

Other News:

  1. I’m actively working to find a new location for us to move our gym to. We need a parking lot, 24/7 access ability, and more space to offer better services. I’ll post all pertinent updates in these blogs, this project is going to go slowwwww

  2. Sam Harmon (Sam 2) has a new board game he’s a part of creating! We’re going to play it after we workout Friday 2/28. Roughly 7pm start time!

  3. We’re going to have Bring a friend week the week of March 17th! As always, your friends are welcome to come anytime before then, but that week will be all partner workouts and all very manageable for the uninitiated. You guys crushed it last time we ran that, so I’m excited to do it again.

TRAINING CYCLES FOR FEB 17-MAR 10

category focuses are:

Front squat - running - kettlebell

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

That’s all I have to say right now, if you have any questions, feel free to text me or catch me at the gym anytime.

Get lean, be healthy with this ONE nutrition guideline:

If you lived your life with one rule, you would live an exceptionally longer life, filled with better energy, hormone balance, better immunity, and have really balanced body composition.

“If Jesus could’ve eaten it, I can eat it.”

Heck, if you follow that with ANY level of discipline, you’re going to get the benefits above. That single guideline makes it easy to understand what foods are preferential and which should be avoided. For example, could Jesus eat M&M’s? No, they didn’t exist. Could he have eaten Hot Pockets? Of course not. Pretty simple, right?

If you want to add one more layer, you add “quality of ingredients,” on top of that. For instance, could Jesus eat bread? Yes. …but… he would’ve been making it himself, from real ingredients. It wouldn’t be Wonder bread that’s been bleached and processed down to fluffy insulin-stimulating loafs of bread. It’d be like Ezekiel bread, sprouted grains, or unleavened bread. Would he have eaten french fries? “They’re potatoes, and potatoes come from the Earth!” Sure, but potatoes are not naturally boiled in 500* fat. They wouldn’t have had a fryer in Jesus’ time… so… no, that’s not going to pass the 2-layer test.

“That means virtually anything enjoyable is unacceptable.” That’s true! Sorta. Making the right choice every single time is not reasonable and no one wants to live that way. No one wants to be the guy who avoids cake and ice cream at a birthday party. You absolutely CAN BE that guy… I’ve been that guy a LOT of times… but that’s because I don’t really care for cake and I DO like seeing my abs. If you do like cake, or pizza, or White Claws, or girl scout cookies; you can enjoy these. These are a social health benefit activity. Here’s what they aren’t: daily partakings. You can earn a 4 hour window for every 7 to 10 days of right choices. In that window you get to enjoy all of the things you typically don’t, to enjoy your friends and family, to enjoy the excess and pleasure. Then, when the 4 hour window has passed, get back on track with your two layers. Immediately.

This is a success strategy that can be maintained for a lifetime. Make more of your meals. Make them with earth-grown nutrients. Use dairy if you like in moderation (cheese is yum, but you don’t need so much of it!). Avoid processed breads, crackers, chips, and candy.

Start small, see BIG progress over time.

D-AY * MEMORIAL DAY * MURPH

D-DAY (JUNE 6TH) & MURPH

Memorial Day is positioned right before the anniversary of D-Day so it gives us two powerful opportunities to reflect on their meanings, honor the bravery of those who went and those who didn’t come back, and appreciate the privilege it is to live where we do and have what we have. I hope you carve out a few moments this Thursday to do that.

The picture above is the USS Arizona which was sank by Japanese zeros on Dec 7, 1941. When I took this, I imagined walking onto the dock I stood on and hearing the planes before seeing them come over the surrounding mountains and begin their bombing runs and kamikazes. The next thought was: “I hope the people who died that day spent their last day with people they admired and enjoyed investing in.” This moment was a big contributor to why The Standard exists right now. I wanted to spend my days helping people achieve more than they could’ve without me and to be surrounded by people who I admire and respect so that I would become a better person along the way.

I can CONFIDENTY say that mission has been a success.

We have a community of friends who enjoy pursuing fitness primarily, but we’ve built a powerful thread of cooperation and support that extends beyond burning calories and building muscles. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t recognize that and it inspires me to keep doing this when there are much easier paths that could be chosen. Thanks for that. I hope as we continue through the second half of the year that you achieve more, that we reach more people, and have the most fun we can in the process.

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IN-HOUSE UPDATES

June 9th — Spartan Race in Cincinnati

THERE ARE A COUPLE SPACES LEFT AT OUR AIR BNB IF YOU WANT TO STAY SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE SUNDAY. IF YOU’RE SIGNED UP, THE ONLY THING I RECOMMEND IS GETTING YOUR RUNNING IN AND FOCUSING ON YOUR GRIP. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OBSTACLES ARE GRIP RELATED, SO LETS SEE THOSE HEAVY KB HOLDS AND DEADHANGS HAPPEN! :)

TRAINING CYCLES FOR MAY20-JUN 15

category focuses are:

UPPER BODY PUSHING - N&C ENDURANCE

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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Bring-A-Friend Week was a HUGE success (thanks to you)!

BRING - A - FRIEND WEEK WAS AWESOME!

We had nearly 20 complete strangers join in the fitness fun over the week. I can’t express how much I appreciate you bringing your friends and trusting that we’ll do a good job with them. 😊 If any of those who attended wish to come back a few more times, they are more than welcome to stop in anytime.

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IN-HOUSE UPDATES

MURPH

every memorial day, the CrossFit community pays tribute to our fallen heroes by doing a workout named after one. it’s very scalable, like we always do, but it’s also a huge workout. We’ll be putting some murph prep in the extra credit and since we are upper body pulling and pushing focused over the next few weeks (assessment cycles!), you should be prepared for this.

June 9th — Spartan Race in Cincinnati

THERE ARE A COUPLE SPACES LEFT AT OUR AIR BNB IF YOU WANT TO STAY SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE SUNDAY. IF YOU’RE SIGNED UP, THE ONLY THING I RECOMMEND IS GETTING YOUR RUNNING IN AND FOCUSING ON YOUR GRIP. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OBSTACLES ARE GRIP RELATED, SO LETS SEE THOSE HEAVY KB HOLDS AND DEADHANGS HAPPEN! :)

TRAINING CYCLES FOR MAY20-JUN 15

category focuses are:

UPPER BODY PUSHING - N&C ENDURANCE

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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MAY CALENDAR!! Don't miss out!

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO LEVELED UP DURING OUR FRONT SQUAT/KETTLEBELL/RUNNING ASSESSMENTS

UPPER BODY PULLING SEMINAR

In anticipation of our Upper Body Pulling cycle, Amanda created and delivered a really comprehensive seminar about the topic. Here are a few highlights!

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

IMPORTANT DATES to put in your calendar…

  1. 🎳 May 4th, 6pm-9ish-- BOWLING!! 🎳

    We’re going to have a bracket tournament and since none of us are black-level bowlers, we are going to play 9-pin! That means if you knock down 9 pins, you get a strike or a spare. If you don’t want to do the tournament, that’s cool too… you can still play and we just won’t tell you you’re in it. 😉 lol

  2. May 13th-18th BRING A FRIEND WEEK!!

    Last Year this was a lot of fun, so we’re doing it again this spring. this is the perfect time to bring people who ask about CrossFit or you think would enjoy trying it. it’s free the entire week, we’ll have partner workouts each day, and have a lot of fun! I’m going to have some cards you can take to hand out if that’s more useful.

  3. May 18th — Upper Body Pushing Seminar

    Keeping on schedule with our focus cycles, ben will be leading an upper body pushing seminar to prepare you for the four weeks to follow. it’ll cost you $20 and it’s open to non-members as well.

  4. May 27th — MURPH

every memorial day, the CrossFit community pays tribute to our fallen heroes by doing a workout named after one. it’s very scalable, like we always do, but it’s also a huge workout. We’ll be putting some murph prep in the extra credit and since we are upper body pulling and pushing focused over the next few weeks (assessment cycles!), you should be prepared for this.

We made these shirts last year to commemorate the day and the workout… are you guys interested in another shirt this year? They’ll cost $25 but I don’t want to spend my time on it if no one actually wants one. :)

5. June 9th — Spartan Race in Cincinnati

THERE ARE A COUPLE SPACES LEFT AT OUR AIR BNB IF YOU WANT TO STAY SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE SUNDAY. IF YOU’RE SIGNED UP, THE ONLY THING I RECOMMEND IS GETTING YOUR RUNNING IN AND FOCUSING ON YOUR GRIP. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OBSTACLES ARE GRIP RELATED, SO LETS SEE THOSE HEAVY KB HOLDS AND DEADHANGS HAPPEN! :)

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are:

UPPER BODY PULLING - RINGS

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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Standard Basics: How to use LM/ChalkIt & how to get more out of it.

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO LEVELED UP DURING OUR WEIGHTLIFTING/FLEXIBILITY/API CYCLE!

SQUAT SEMINAR

THIS SUNDAY AT 9AM

Amanda will be leading a squat seminar as we enter our Front Squat Cycle this week. You’re going to get deep on mind/body connection, technical movement, bracing, and much more. You can reserve a spot now, it’ll cost you $20, and run for 90 minutes… make sure you eat something, you’re going to move weights. 💪

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are:

FRONT SQUAT - Kettlebell - Running

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO USE LEVEL METHOD & CHALKIT PRO TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROGRESS.

THERE’S A BLATANT MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW OUR LEVELS-BASED SYSTEM WORKS, SO LETS CLEAR IT UP!

At The Standard, we use a system called Level Method to track your progress and inform your trainers about who you are and what you can handle. WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THIS DATA in order to do the best job we can for you. If you have inaccurate or undetermined levels, we are LESS CAPABLE of giving you correct recommendations and direction, so if you haven’t been entering levels because “I always do the blue path,” you realllllly should start entering them. Here’s why:

Let’s use an example of Albert. Albert can do all of the Blue workouts no problem. He can deadlift 405 but he can’t do pull-ups or strict press 65% of his body weight (which is 265). On Monday, the workout is 15 deadlifts (Blue is 165) and 15 push-ups AMRAP 10. Albert thinks “I follow the blue path all of the time,” and does the blue. That’s a problem. He got stuck waiting on the push-ups because he got through the deadlifts so easily. He can deadlift 405 which makes him a brown level deadlifter and the brown-level workout weight is 225; he should’ve done a combination of Blue & Brown. The best workout for Albert would’ve been 15 DL 225 & 15 push-ups. He couldn’t have done all of the deadlifts unbroken at that weight, so he doesn’t get as stuck at the pushups and he gets a better, more impactful workout because he had a challenge that was based off of his levels instead of arbitrarily following the blue path.

This is why we assess and re-assess levels. It informs what the BEST workout for you is; based off of your own proven capabilities.

HOW TO LOG RESULTS

1) You level up. HOLY CRAP!! Congrats! Improvement is incredible! Let’s log it. Open the ChalkIt Pro app, click your initials at the bottom, click “My Dashboard,” then “My Level Method,” in the blue area at the top. (If you don’t have one, click the box that says “I need to create one,” and it’ll reload the app) From there, scroll down to the category you want to log, make sure your entry is accurate to the map on the wall, add a note if you like, then hit submit. Once approved, it’ll change colors in “My Level Method,” and in the levels-considerations area of the daily workouts.

2) Levels considerations are the colored boxes on the bottom of the daily workouts.

In the ALBERT example above, his boxes would be “Upper Body Pushing,” in blue and “Deadlift,” in brown. These considerations ensure that you can understand how to make substitutions across workout levels. Example #2… if you don’t have double unders but you’re insanely strong and the workout is 115lb snatches and dubs, then your levels considerations would be Black Weightlifting and Blue N&C, so you should keep the singles and use a 115lb barbell— then log it as BLUE in the “Chalk It!,” section because that’s the lowest level skill you used.

3) Chalk It! & Leaders sections. Logging your performances on things that AREN’T an official level is still really valuable. We just back squatted on Saturday and that’s not a test category, but knowing what you can back squat is worth knowing. You can log that in the “Chalk it!” section and it’ll save for future reference. If you put your level-ups in the Chalk It! section, it will NOT update your “My Level Method,” section and your levels considerations will not change. Put it in both spots!

I’m going to do a better job of looking at people’s levels before/during class and getting them filled in, so if you’re aware of your missing tests, that’d be good and helpful.

I hope that helps to make things a bit more clear! If you have questions, please ask, I’d much rather you ask than not have your data serve you well.

Here’s to a great week of training! 🥂

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THE STANDARD IS 5 YEARS OLD‼️

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years. It doesn’t seem like we’re going to sink anytime soon, so I’m optimistic about our chances of making it five more. 🙌 The way I see it is the coaching staff can only be responsible for so much of that, the rest is up to you. You make it a friendly place. You make it welcoming and kind. You make it life-changing. Thanks for doing your part so well. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so thanks for filling in our gaps. :)

THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG EVENTS COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

1) ADVENTUS CLIMBING — THIS SUNDAY 1/28

2) BABY WOD!!

COACH SAM AND HIS WIFE ANNE ARE EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS!! Sat 2/10’s 10am class will be designed to celebrate that! If you’d like to bring some diapers (or anything else, I suppose), that’d be super cool, but just wanted everyone to know we’ll be using the 10AM class for that.

3) The CrossFit Open

Same event. Different structure for us at The Standard.

What’s the same: 3 different workouts. Announced Thursday, scores submitted by Monday

What’s different: We are not running The Open during all of the Friday classes anymore. We will have one main time for Open workouts: Friday night, 5:45pm. I’m going to make myself available for anyone that wants to do it during open gym times on Saturday morning, but outside of that, you’ll have to arrange it with me.

Why: It’s far too disruptive and frankly, not enough people care… which I understand completely and feel similarly. I want to throw down with my friends on Friday nights and go get food or a drink afterwards and have a good time. I don’t want to force people to count reps for people who don’t care to have their reps counted.

So… if you want to sign up for The Open, go right ahead! It's a great opportunity to challenge yourself and have a milemarker to look back at in your fitness journey.

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: DEADLIFT + ROWING

❗️ALL OF THE ROWING PROGRESSIONS WILL BE IN EXTRA CREDIT SECTIONS ‼️

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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Bring-A-Friend Week (VITAL)(SHORT!)

< CORRECTED > Calendar for the rest of the year!

BRING-A-FRIEND WEEK is here and we NEED your help with this. Not only do we hope that you’ll put the word out and convince people to come check us out, but you’re also VITAL to the experience that new people have when do show up. Here’s a few things that will help us all win this week!

1) Invite someone. Throw it on your socials if nothing else, it costs you nothing, could help us, and could literally save someone’s life. HERE IS THE LINK FOR THEM TO SIGN UP

2) Be friendly. We know our gym is pretty welcoming and non-intimidating, but new people don’t! Please take a moment to introduce yourself, be helpful if people look lost or confused, and high-five after they’re done. Positive vibes from current members make a huge impact on people on Day 1.

3) Be cleanly. If you bleed, sweat, spit, or (if you’re Ben) toss your gum on something during the workout, wipe it off. Lots of outside bacterias will be tracked in, lets kill them as much as possible when we clean up.

4) Be someone’s partner. Yes, we all know it’s rough to get teamed with a stranger, but we also have all done it. Be willing to team up with someone you don’t know this week. Trust me, all of these workouts are legit even if you’re matched with someone significantly less fit than you.

REWARDS!! — If anyone signs up for a membership, the person who invited them AND the new member will both get a $50 credit on their ChalkIt account. You can use it for drinks, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. Whatever you don’t use by the start of your next billing cycle will be taken off your normal membership rates. BONUS!! 💪

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

WE WILL STILL ASSESS CATEGORIES NEXT WEEK!!

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: FRONT SQUAT + FLEXIBILITY + KETTLEBELL

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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Calendar for the rest of the year...

Calendar for the rest of the year!

We have a number of really great things happening over the last few months of the year and we wanted to get them announced as soon as possible so you guys can make plans accordingly. ☺️

BRING-A-FRIEND WEEK is the biggest one to note. We’ve never done this before and it’s a great opportunity to get your friends to experience what we do alongside YOU. We’re planning partner workouts (don’t worry… you individuals are still going to get your sweaty old fitness in, trust me) in a wide variety of ways; all leveled out how we typically do. You can bring as many people as you like, as often as they’d like, all week.

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THEM TO SIGN UP

FAIR FIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!! Every year we host an in-house competition and before you tap out and move on… it’s levels oriented. We crown a champ in Orange+ categories, so everyone gets to play! Every Friday we’ll be working through some more-challenging-than-normal workouts and see if we can accumulate more points than you friends. It’s a great challenge and a good time. Plan to participate! Preferably in the afternoon classes so we can all go get food afterward and stuff.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY PROJECT: Amanda got in touch with the folks at Habitat to arrange for us to send a group of people out and volunteer our time to a deserving family in need. Slots are filling up quick, so touch base with her if you want to participate!

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

LEVEL UPS!!

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: FRONT SQUAT + FLEXIBILITY + KETTLEBELL

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

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Post-Affiliate Summit Blog..

CROSSFIT AFFILIATE GATHERING!!

Thanks to all of the coaches for pitching in so I could be at the CrossFit Affiliate Gathering this weekend in Cincinnati. It was humbling to hear from people are performing at world-class levels and see how much farther I have to go.

…and how much more I could be doing to help all of you. I apologize. I’m going to hold myself to a new Standard and 🤞 hopefully you’ll enjoy being a part of what we’re doing even more. More level-ups, more smiles, more education, more fun, better services, equipment, and training.

It’ll take a while for all of the cylinders to fire in sync, but it’ll come. Thanks for trusting us with your fitness and to make you better, healthier, happier humans. ☺️

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

LEVEL UPS!!

MAN!! IM IMPRESSED!! You guys CRUSHED this month’s categories! More RED performances this week than any YEAR before, so congrats to all of you Double-underin’ freaks!! Huge strides on push-ups and upper-lower endurance as well. If you didn’t hit your goal (I didn’t either, I’m just toooo slowwww), don’t fret. It’ll come eventually. And… we have new categories starting THIS WEEK!!

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: WEIGHTLIFTING + API + ROWING

THE ROWING IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS IN THE EXTRA CREDITS DURING THIS CYCLE!!

IF YOU NEED TO GET BETTER AT ROWING… YOU’RE WELCOME TO FOREGO ANY METCONS TO WORK ON IT.

Take a rower outside and know out that work!

Our program is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GOOGLE REVIEWS

OK, we really try to resist asking for you to do things to help us, but I can’t do the lifting on my own on this one… It would be really helpful if you’d take a few moments to leave a 5-star review on google. It helps with our ranking when people search for gyms/crossfit/etc. …and it’s free. :) HELP!

SUB-STANDARD GOLF OUTING is 10/1 @ The Grande in Jackson, MI. I have 3 tee times at 11:52, noon, 12:08. I’m going to rent a 15 passenger van and drive everyone up together. Anyone who wants to play needs to sign up on the whiteboard in the gym or text me. Greens Fees are $59. The Grande is my favorite golf course and a true test, but anyone can come (gym members or not!) and have a good time.

MORE SOCIAL STUFF IS IN THE WORKS… STAY TUNED…

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LEVEL UPS & TOUGH MUDDER!!

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO LEVELED UP THIS WEEK!!

It was super fun to watch you all strive and work to do things you’ve never done before. You’re showing up and putting in the work and you’re seeing the results!

That’s all it takes. Show up. Effort. Is. everything.

(It’s actually inevitable. But you do have to show up.)

SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO CHALLENGED THEIR FITNESS AT TOUGH MUDDER!

NOT PICTURED: DUSTIN, JASON, AND TIM. 💪

IN-HOUSE UPDATES


TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: SQUAT ENDURANCE - RUNNING

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)




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Assessment week & MURPH shirt design...

2023 MURPH finisher shirt designs are in. We’re planning to print versions in white & green, so here are the mockups for those. We need to place an order for these ASAP, so if this is something you’re into, you can order one right now in the ChalkIt app store. Deadline is Thursday 5/11!

ASSESSMENT WEEK: Tuesday & Thursday

We’ve been working through a Front Squat and Kettlebell cycle (as if you haven’t noticed all of the KB practice) and that culminates this week in an assessment for both of those categories.

Remember, as always, NOT leveling up means less than what you like feel it means. The human body is odd— you could literally sleep one hour less and not hit a front squat that you otherwise would have; you might’ve been able to hold onto the KB one more round. Let’s give our best effort with best technique and log our progress no matter the result.


IN-HOUSE UPDATES

VIDEO WALL!! ….this was the most expensive re-investment we’ve made in the experience at The Standard in the last year and we’re pretty pumped about how it turned out. Hope you’re enjoying it and not having to squint to read your assignment for the day.

We have an additional project to this we’ll add a little later because I’m dumb and broke a window and need to save up my pennies before I make that happen. Stay tuned on that one.

More upgrades are imminent!

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: FRONT SQUAT - Kettlebell - Flexibility

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)


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Level-ups!! Murph Prep Program!! <READ THIS>

ASSESSMENT WEEK RESULTS:

Congratulations to everyone that took on the rowing assessment and the API workout! 😰 Everyone knows those workouts are going to hurt more than usual and yet, you showed up and endured and proved your level. Double congratulations if you leveled up!

Rowing:

Tim - Samira - Brittany - Ashli - Gracie - Sam H

Weightlifting:

Gracie - Ashli - Amanda - Diana - Kelly - Bev - Kat - Kayla - Jen - Natalie - Deena - Brittany - Craig W - Carson - Rachel - Jordyn

*basically anyone who showed up, level up. 🙌

Aerobic Power Intervals:

Jason K - Jordyn - Ashli - Jimmy - Jen - Paul - Amanda - Sam H

SPOTLIGHT: Libbe SMASHED API and achieved Red Level. Anytime anyone doesn’t anything red, it’s worth of recognition, but this one seems a long time in the making and… insanely painful. :) Great job LIBBE!

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

ChalkIt switch-over for billing


IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 5 - Assessment Mentality

If you’ve been around The Standard long enough, you’ve likely heard this speech before. We ask you to re-assess categories every so often we know if our training methods are creating improvement, but also so you can see it as well! Sometimes we do things we’ve never done before and it’s awesome! Sometimes we do the same and then someeeeeetimes… dun dun dun… we level down. So?

Ever gone to the doctor and been curiously bummed about the scale? …or your blood pressure? …or your ability to endure the tongue depressor? Hate that thing. That’s all we are doing with the assessments. Can you row more meters today than you did the last time? No? Ok. You may have slept 15 minutes too long or hit the snooze for 15 minutes too long, or ate spicy food last night or drank a soda with your lunch and you’re on the come down from the sugar high… we can’t know that it’s 100% because you got less rowing capacity or overall fitness. Actually, that’s the least likely thing it proves. It just means:

On this day, with these variables, this is what I did. The next time, I’ll have had 100+ more training sessions, be more lean and strong, and maybe then, just maybe, I’ll row more distance.

It’s not a huge deal. Just log it and move on. We’ll keep striving and struggling because it’s good for us. We just want to know how we did along the way. Be nicer to yourself with that vicious internal dialogue of yours. :)

NEXT WEEK: …don’t know… suggestions? Are there topics you’d like me to discuss more in depth? email or tell me in person. :) ben@thestandardtoledo.com

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: FRONT SQUAT - Kettlebell - Flexibility

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

Murph Prep + Finisher shirts

Murph is one of the more iconic and well-known workouts in the CrossFit community and beyond. We’ll be doing it on May 29th, Memorial Day. That’s 6 weeks away. The workout is BIG volume, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and running, so if you want to make sure you’re prepared for it, I built some accessory programming. It’s 4 weeks long to accommodate for those of you who may not start riiiiiight away. For those that do, you can repeat week 4 for two weeks and be really prepped. It’s $50 and includes a finisher shirt. You can buy it right now in the ChalkIt store on your app.

TWO THINGS: FINISHER SHIRT - WEEKLY DIRECTION

We designed a pretty rad finisher shirt for Murph this year, but we have to order them soon to make sure they’re here in time. I have to submit the order by 4/26. You can get one with the prep program or separately through the ChalkIt app.

Anyone that is in the Murph Prep track will get recommendations about how to work the prep in with normal weekly programming. If you need specific recommendations I’ll make myself available to you.

SHOULD BE A PRETTY NOTICEABLE UPGRADE HAPPENING THIS WEEK!! 🙌

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ChalkIt Class Registration

ASSESSMENT WEEK

We’ve been working through a cycle designed to prep us for rowing, weightlifting, and API assessments that happen this week! Check your levels for these three categories so you have an idea of where your last performance put you and have a goal to level up when you show up. :) No one enjoys any of these assessments, but it’s necessary to re-test ourselves occasionally so we know if we’re moving in the right direction. Also, some of you may not have a level for these categories at all, so let’s get those established so when we do it again, we can see how much you’ve improved. Improvement IS the whole point of pushing ourselves through these workouts each day, anyway, right?

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATES!

(HAPPY SUNDAY TO EVERYONE WHO DOESN’T!)

😃

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

ChalkIt switch-over for billing

I really need your help with this. I’ve been trying for months to transfer data to Stripe from PushPress and they’ve done nothing but waste my time. Having a single app to reserve, pay, track, communicate, etc will make the experience as a member of The Standard much more enjoyable.

Don’t forget to message me and let me know when you’ve entered your info!!

Let me know if you have any questions.


IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 4 - PRE-HAB

The only way to make progress toward your goals or to get your body to perform more optimally is to push it outside of its current capabilities. That causes the body to adapt to the new expectations and moves us one step closer to where we want to be. Along the way, when we push things hard, they break. Sometimes it’s as simple as a little cramp or a tweak or a tight muscle that’s uncomfortable. Less often it’s more than that.

Those little aches and pains and annoyances should be addressed when they happen. Always tell your coach if things aren’t feeling normal so we can work with you to find modifications or improvements to ensure things don’t get made worse.

Secondly, before any of those things break in the first place, we can take steps to armor up the most common culprits: namely shoulders, hips, and knees. These are the most common joints to have issues develop so we use pre-hab (think: preventative maintenance) to address those.

Crossover symmetry, the hip & core halo, and wedge-work are all protocols that can help prevent injuries or tweaks before they ever happen. They also help to strengthen smaller stabilizer muscles that aren’t often focused on in our programming, so they can be a fast track to leveling up, better body awareness, less discomfort in general, AND make your body much more durable and ready to take on the challenges we put in front of you.

If you’re unfamiliar with these, chat with Ben; especially if you have a nagging issue with either of those three areas. It’s possible you can rehab it back to health and then continue past health to make it stronger and more robust to prevent problems in the future.

Taking care of your body after the workout is equally, if not more important as the workout itself.

NEXT WEEK: …don’t know… suggestions? Are there topics you’d like me to discuss more in depth? email or tell me in person. :) ben@thestandardtoledo.com

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: rowing - api - weightlifting

Expect to see some drills and movements we don’t typically do when we aren’t focusing on these

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GYM UPGRADES

I have a number of really cool projects in the works. ChalkIt is one, but that’s not a sexy upgrade for you as members, that’s sexy for me as an owner. :) So, you’re going to get some really great upgrades here in the near future! I want to spill the beans, but ruining the surprise wouldn’t be as much fun. :)

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BILLING SWITCH + Improvement Series Part 3 (Supplements)

Let’s take a moment to recognize that lexi made it through 5 realllly difficult workouts in one weekend & finished in the top 2% of all participants in the 2023 CrossFit open. 🙌

well done!

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

ChalkIt switch-over for billing

I really need your help with this. I’ve been trying for months to transfer data to Stripe from PushPress and they’ve done nothing but waste my time. Having a single app to reserve, pay, track, communicate, etc will make the experience as a member of The Standard much more enjoyable.

Don’t forget to message me and let me know when you’ve entered your info!!

Let me know if you have any questions.


IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 3 - SUPPLEMENTS

If you’ve gotten Nutrition Part A down, you’re leaning out and feeling better. If you got Part B down, you’re building and repairing muscle and burning even more fat. You’re progressing with your strength, your pants fit nice and snug, and look great at the pool.

Then there are things that can fill in the gaps. Like mortar. The bricks are built, they get laid well, they need solidification.

Supplement, n. “something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.”

Supplements are NOT replacements. There is no such thing as a justifiable replacement for real food, no matter how many magic shake products emerge. They’re all crap. ALL OF THEM. Eat Jesus food. Remember, the farther you get some real food, the less valuable that is to the body (google: bioavailability).

Here are the supplements that EVERYONE should be taking regularly:

  1. Protein (post-workout or before bed, this is a great whey (get it??) to top off the protein stores and make sure the body has all it could need. Preferably a whey isolate with very minimal other ingredients. Ascent, Podium, Optimum Nutrition, are all better than the 5-Star dumpster garbage protein in Meijer and Kroger. Quality matters.

  2. Creatine. 5 grams a day is the MOST STUDIED supplement in the world and consistently provides improved performance in the gym, but the crazier benefit is the cognitive benefit! It’s VERY good for your brain function. Now, women may not like it because it WILL force you to hold some extra water, but if you get creatine that is not monohydrate, that should avoid any of that. Again, it’s a supplement, not absolutely vital.

  3. Absolutely vital IS Vitamin D. If you deal with any amount of seasonal depression or have any hormone imbalances or low testosterone, you may just be Vitamin D deficient. 2500 everyday costs something like $.25 and can bring some of the most significant benefits around.

Here are a couple other thoughts on supplements:

  1. Multi-vitamins. These are hilarious and the most offensive scam in the world. The VAST majority of these products are not broken down from their pill form at all, much less bioavailable enough to be useful to the body. They’re a gigantic waste of money. Now, if you’re getting a big benefit from them and you know it, you better keep using it, but as a whole, these are wildly snake-oily.

  2. CBD oil hasn’t been a significant benefit to me, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not for a large number of other people. It’s also pretty cheap at this point and if you’re struggling with aches and pains, it may be worth trying since it’s a proven anti-inflammatory.

  3. Pre-workouts. Quality and concoction matters. MOST of these are just irresponsible levels of stimulants with little to no actual benefit. 300mg of caffeine with stuff that makes you tingly and then a weird come down afterward. The only pre-workout I’ve found with scientifically efficacious ingredients is Podium. There are other good ones around, but if you’re buying C4, you can get more for the same price.

  4. SHAKE YOUR CONTAINERS OFTEN!! Some ingredients are simply heavier than others, so as they settle, there’s some natural separation that happens. Just wait until you get a scoop of pre-workout that’s ONLY caffeine. lol… now you just got 600mg of caffeine and your heart is going to explode, then you get to the bottom and it’s all beta-alanine and you feel like your skin is falling off. Shake them up. Regularly.

NEXT WEEK: PRE-HAB; preventative maintenance.

TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: rowing - api - weightlifting

Expect to see some drills and movements we don’t typically do when we aren’t focusing on these

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

GYM UPGRADES

I have a number of really cool projects in the works. ChalkIt is one, but that’s not a sexy upgrade for you as members, that’s sexy for me as an owner. :) So, you’re going to get some really great upgrades here in the near future! I want to spill the beans, but ruining the surprise wouldn’t be as much fun. :)

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Improvement Series Part 2 - Nutrition Level Deux

we had 12 level-ups for this cycle!!

Amanda gutek

Ben Olin

Diana Patton

Bev Clinton

Kelly Beubien

Ben Snyder

Nate Manuel

jen scharer

samira farahani

adam marroquin

kayla kowalski

michael frushour

jimmy martin

mark antonello

Well done, everyone!! If you stayed the same, great job maintaining, if you leveled down, don’t worry about it too much. It doesn’t mean you’re regressing necessarily. It is an indicator, but of what? TBD. We can chat about it.

NEW TRAINING CYCLES

category focuses are: rowing - api - weightlifting

Expect to see some drills and movements we don’t typically do when we aren’t focusing on these

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 2 - NUTRITION - Level Deux

Ok, so we got our diet to the point where Jesus could’ve eaten the majority of the things that we are and we’re seeing significant improvement in body composition and performance.

What’s the next level? We can go even deeper, to Level Deux. At Level Deux, we look at 2 things: QUALITY of nutrients and QUANTITY of macro nutrients.

When considering the quality of the nutrient, what we’re trying to find is the food that has the shortest trip from the ground or walking on the ground, to your plate. If the chicken has been kept in a cage, shot up with antibiotics, fed from a tube, killed and processed in a machine, formed into an animal shape, then breaded and put into an airtight bag before being frozen and shipped out, only to be dropped in a vat of boiling oil before getting on your tray… that chicken is significantly less valuable than if it’s roaming about a farm, killed, and immediately put on a grill. We want the shortest travel from farm to your plate. That is when the nutrients are the most bioavailable (useful) to your body. Organic vs non-organic makes a difference too, but that’s a totally different topic.

Shop at local markets from local farmers at every turn possible.

When considering the quantity of nutrients, this gets much more individual, but there’s one calculation you can do yourself. Protein. Protein is absolutely pivotal to lean body composition AND for looking good at the pool. The more muscle you have, the more calories they will burn; the more calories you burn, the easier it is to burn fat… which makes you more lean. SO WE NEED PROTEIN IF NOTHING ELSE!!

Here’s a couple formulas: MINIMUM Protein intake per day = 70% of LEAN body mass. Lean body mass is current weight - body fat. So if I’m 20% body fat at 200lbs, then my lean body mass is 160, then 70% of 160 is 106… I need 106 grams of protein MINIMUM in order to maintain my current muscle density. If I want to BUILD muscle, I take Lean body mass x 100%, so I need 160 grams.

How do I know my body fat percentage?

These are visual APPROXIMATIONS — there is NO perfect way to calculate BF

We would also start looking at specific macro % but that’s a trial and error process I’m happy to work through with you, but it takes a while to determine what makes progress for you and allows you to perform the way you want in the gym and feel good when you’re not at home.

The protein numbers can often be really difficult to hit, which is why supplements exist. It’s easier to swallow 6 oz of water and powder than it is to eat 1.5 chicken breasts. :)

That’s what we’re going to talk about next week… supplements.

NEXT WEEK: SUPPLEMENTATION

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Improvement Series Part 2 - Nutrition

SHOUT-OUT TO Standard COACHES SAM & Lexi!

Their performances in the CrossFit open have earned them participation in quarterfinals round.

They finished in the top 10% of all participants in the region; which is incredible! Congratulations!

TRAINING

Deadlift Assessment is on tuesday.

running assessment is on thursday,

weather permitting

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 2 - NUTRITION

You don’t need much information to get your nutrition ~90% correct.

I’ll say it again. Nutrition is very easy. Not necessarily the execution and decision-making, but the understanding. Here’s all you really need to know: if Jesus/Caesar/gladiators/vikings/etc could’ve eaten it, then you can eat it. It’s an allowable food. If you ONLY eat allowable foods, you’re going to get really close to your body composition goals, you’re going to recover faster, feel better throughout the day, and live a long time. Could those historical figures eat brussel sprouts? Yep. Could they eat beef? Of course. Could they eat hummus? If they smashed up chickpeas with some olive oil, yes. Could they eat burgers? Yes… could they eat the bun the burger comes on? No. Could they eat Snickers bars? No. Could they fry their potatoes in a fat of oil? No. If you can consistently apply this filter to your food choices, you’re going to look and feel great for the rest of your days.

If you combine those choices with workouts, you’re going to get there faster.

If you combine those 2 with specific nutritional guidelines, you’ll get there even faster.

That’s what we’re going to talk about next week.

NEXT WEEK: NUTRITION - For specific goals

PODIUM ordered…

I ordered a number of things.

They’ll be set out for purchase when they arrive. :)

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The Open is CLOSED. 🙌

The Open is closed.

Thank God. The Open is a great experience to participate in because you’re pushing yourself to do things you might not normally do with friends you might not normally workout with. We saw so many people do things they never have before and it was glorious to watch and cheer you all on.

All that said, it’s a nightmare to orchestrate a legitimately good class experience while facilitating Open-er’s competition scores. Along the way, it’s really difficult when people don’t listen to the workout explanation at the beginning or the logistics get cramped or there’s a question I don’t know the answer to. What THEN happens is I’m annoyed that I can’t do a good job for all of you and I end up snapping or being short or rude or unpleasant, so let me just say I apologize if any of you caught shrapnel from any of those stresses. That’s not ok and no circumstance would make it ok to be rude, so I’ll do my best to make sure I’m more kind and pleasant in stressful situations. All I hope is that you understand I’m trying to do the best I can FOR YOU and the feeling of not hitting that goal is hard and makes me snippy. It’s a weird catch 22 situation.

I want The Standard to be a haven from all negativity and you should be able to come in and have a great time even if I’m not. So. If I stepped on any toes or was offensive with my comments or sarcasm or jokes: I hope you’ll forgive me.

SUBMIT YOUR SCORE RIGHT NOW!

If you haven’t submitted your score, do it RIGHT NOW… The deadline is tomorrow night at 8pm EST!! If you don’t log it, you can’t have it count.

TRAINING

Assessments FOR This cycle are:

deadlift & running

E DISCIPLINE IS: POWERLIFTING

SYSTEM: VENTILATION

VIRTUOSITY: BODYWEIGHT

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

IMPROVEMENT SERIES.

Part 1 - Category Level-Ups

This will be the first installment of a series I’m calling Improvement Series. These topics will address “How to get better, faster.,” on a variety of different topics. Today’s is geared around leveling up. If you look at your levels in Chalk It, the lowest level is the one we would say needs the most attention. This is typically a strength, cardiovascular, or neurological deficiency. If it’s strength, it’s either bodyweight or external loads (barbells/DBs/KBs), cardiovascular is being able to breathe through the task, and neurological is a skill-acquisition process; “how do I get my body to make this happen?”

No matter which of those three it is, number of exposures is the key to improvement. You have to do more of it more often. The Standard’s lowest level as a whole is “RINGS.” Rings are the perfect example here because strength isn’t the only variable, it’s also neurological. If we decide we want to improve our RINGS level, we have to find opportunities to practice. Here are some ways to do that intelligently.

  • If you’re at the entry levels of RINGS, then the stability hold is the main focus. This is pretty easy to address because it is rarely lack of strength, but rather lack of understanding the balance and body position, so I’d recommend you arrive 10 minutes early, go through crossover symmetry, then make two good attempts at ring stability hold with a short break between. IF you can’t yet hold at all, put one toe down to support you just enough that you can work for 15 seconds. REPEAT AT THE END OF CLASS. Two good attempts at whatever level you are capable of.

  • If you’re trying to get your first ring dip (or more of them), your limitation is strength. You should prioritize attending class on days that have upper body pushing oriented (pushups, push press, bench press) movements. You should look at the week’s worth of workouts in advance so you can plan your attendance around your own athletic development. Then the same thing as above. At the end of class, spend 5 to 10 minutes getting 2 or 3 really good practices . You can vary your effort based on where you are.

  • If you can do 1 dip and want more, then put one toe down and help yourself move through the range of motion for 5 reps. You have the strength to do 1, you don’t have the strength to endure the time under tension of multiple, so let’s increase that time and increase your dip #s. If you want to do a heavier weighted dip, you can tackle that with volume (max number of highly technical reps) or with progressive overload (weighted dips or even weighted negatives 😳).

  • Elephant in the room… if you want more dips, how much non-functional weight are you carrying? If you get rid of that AND put in the work to get stronger, your level will improve much much faster. It’s easier to weigh less than it is to gain the muscle required to push more.

This is how I would address any category. You need exposures which means you need discipline. It’s never a good time to do 3 minute bike sprints at the end of class, but if it helps your lactic tolerance level go up; maybe it’s worth it.

If you want specific direction on how to address your lower levels, speak with any of your coaches and we’ll hook you up or point you in the direction of who can.

NEXT WEEK: NUTRITION…

PODIUM REMINDER

I’ll be placing order #1 for items, so if you want something, let me know what and what amounts. If you want to check their products out, YOU CAN CLICK HERE Essentially everything is $45/per item.

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23.2 — GOLF UPDATES — Podium again

23.2 is … virtually every adjective.

Confusing? A logistical nightmare? Impossible to make a positive class-based experience? Weird movements combined with heavy weights that are difficult to judge consistently? Yes. All of the above. We managed, but thanks to all of you for bearing with Fridays being a little more chaotic and much less polished on our end. All that said, it was really fun for me to watch some of you lean into this workout and embrace some things you are naturally gifted at! Standout performances from Pastor Ben Snyder, Kat, Abi, Marcus, and Derek just to name a few off the top of my head. I was impressed.

I’ve also officially stopped trying to predict what will happen with the next workouts. I’m always WAY off.

SUBMIT YOUR SCORE RIGHT NOW!

If you haven’t submitted your score, do it RIGHT NOW… The deadline is tomorrow night at 8pm EST!! If you don’t log it, you can’t have it count.

TRAINING

Assessments FOR This cycle are:

deadlift & running

E DISCIPLINE IS: POWERLIFTING

SYSTEM: VENTILATION

VIRTUOSITY: BODYWEIGHT

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

IN-HOUSE UPDATES

Let’s talk golf some more.

I’m RIGHT ON THE EDGE of buying a golf simulator so we can engage a local golf instructor to help us play better. The rub: it costs a good chunk of change. 😳 I’m willing to do all of our movement screening for free, but his time and the set-up will have to be paid for, so that being said— Touch base with me via text or in-person and let me know who would be interested in sessions (think $50 for 30ish minutes of his time). I have to do some math and planning.

Let’s talk golf EVEN more.

A few of us have been entertaining the idea of year-long memberships at Maumee Bay. If you’re interested in that, come talk to me or text me as well. It’d be rad to have a crew of people that can go out and play at a moment’s notice. :)

PODIUM REMINDER

I’ll be placing order #1 for items, so if you want something, let me know what and what amounts. If you want to check their products out, YOU CAN CLICK HERE Essentially everything is $45/per item.

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Monthly Assessment WINS!! + Podium...

Assessment week success!

40 INDIVIDUAL LEVELS

The category assessments this cycle were Squat Endurance and Lactic Tolerance and we saw 40 individual levels established or improved! Holy crap! That’s a really big number and considering the tests we’re talking about, that’s even more impressive. Well done to everyone who challenged themselves whether you leveled up or not. You did something supremely difficult and you should be proud of yourself for that.

THE OPEN IS THIS FRIDAY!

It’s 3 weeks long, 3 different challenges, on the next 3 Fridays… starting Feb 16. You don’t haveeeee to do them on Friday, but they DO have to be done by Monday at 6pm. If you need special arrangements, talk with a coach and let’s get a plan together.

EVERYONE CAN PLAY. All levels, yellow-black will have a workout catered to those skill levels.


TRAINING

Assessments FOR The next cycle are:

deadlift & running

E DISCIPLINE IS: POWERLIFTING

SYSTEM: VENTILATION

VIRTUOSITY: BODYWEIGHT

Our programming is designed to bring a broad and inclusive general physical preparedness to everyone participating consistently at The Standard. That means we have to work in cycles where we focus on certain implements (KB,DB,barbell,etc), energy systems (heavy breathing vs muscular burn), virtuosity (proficiency of a specific skill), and E discipline (neurological learning typically with weights). If we tried to do them all throughout the year, all the time, we would get less progress across the timeline, so we break it up so we can get a specific adaptation. Just in case you wanted some nerd stuff in your blogs. :)

IN-HOUSE

We’re now a PODIUM merchandising agent.

Podium is a supplement company and they’re the first I’ve found that has a responsible and effective pre-workout. They also sell hydration and protein. IF you want to check them out, YOU CAN CLICK HERE

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