Friday 6 November 2009

New Year's Revolution.

We want you to look like this on New Year's Eve.

But we don't want it to be because of alcohol.

CrossFit is a fitness revolution.  As CrossFitters, we hope that work capacity across broad time and modal domains will replace the current American fitness paradigm.  But in reality, the CrossFit revolution involves much more of our lives than just the way we exercise.  It means changing many fundamental aspects of our lives: the way we eat (Zone/Paleo), sleep (I've got a 9 PM bedtime), socialize (every CrossFit affiliate is a community), grieve (Hero workouts), and celebrate.  That last one is what this post is about.

We believe you can better celebrate with accomplishments than alcohol.   We believe in starting the New Year off right, and that doesn't mean making a resolution: it means achieving something.

On New Year's Eve 2008, CrossFit Monterey had an impromptu "PR Party."  Due to circumstances I originally considered unfortunate, I was forced to go for the PR deadlift I'd been planning to do during the day, late that night.  Of course, I invited all my friends to come hang out.  Thus the PRs began:  I pulled a 20lb PR deadlift.  Russ PR'd his press, chest-to-bar pullups, and muscle-ups.  Two of our athletes, Alex and John, also added 20lbs to their deadlifts.

It turns out the circumstances that led to this party weren't unfortunate at all.  We've decided to make the PR party a CrossFit Monterey tradition.  This New Years Eve, Russ and I will be at the gym, hitting PRs like nobody's business.  We're going to invite all of our athletes, and anyone else who wants to join us.  We hope that a lot of people decide to start the New Year off like this: amongst good friends, working hard, and improving ourselves.

This is our challenge to you as a CrossFitter, and especially to all the CrossFit affiliates out there: Host your own PR party.  Serve Paleo food.  Invite every CrossFitter you know.  If you read this blog and train at an affiliate, suggest it to them.  And if you're CrossFitting on your own and have no place to go, you're more than welcome at CrossFit Monterey.

You want to be part of the fitness revolution?  This is your chance.

Start something.

16 comments:

adam said...

Although I will only have been in Florida for 15 days, I may just have to fly back for this one....

traucer777 said...

any other affiliates doing this a little closer to LA because im totally down to do so but Monterey is a bit of a drive for me :/

Russ Greene said...

Traucer,

Why don't you start one yourself?

traucer777 said...

because i'm a lone ranger at a LA fitness (standard globo).
ive only met 1 crossfiter face to face ever. and it was his first WOD, then never saw him ever again. so he barely even counts...
:(
ill probably just end up doing it as a satellite lifter :)

Sean said...

Very cool idea, I'm going to bring that up at our affiliate. I like the website, some interesting stuff here. Nice job

Sean'O
Crossfit Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Terrance said...

Traucer get in contact with Johnny D. @ CF Pasadena.... He just opened get with him... Russ and Jacob nice idea.. I did something similiar in Iraq with my Marines. On New Years eve we did a New Year/New Man workout.. 10-15-20-10-15-20-10 reps of KB Snatches, Flip squats, Burpees, and KB Linges... Well none of us made it to the one shot, two beers the rest of the Marines got b/c we were in the rack around 1030pm...

Unknown said...

this is an awesome idea and I am going to get a few of my friends together to do this at the gym somehow.... I don't have my own facility yet so I have to improvise. Nice idea...

BK said...

Solid idea! Do you guys let ya hair down after the PR'S and have a few coldies ?
What time do you start?

Russ Greene said...

Traucer,

I'm surprised. I would have expect that someone as passionate as you are about CrossFit would have assembled a small army of fellow kool aid drinkers.

Get to work on building your badass inner circle, my friend. You'll make some of the best friends of your life, have a great time, help other people's lives, and improve your own training.

Russ Greene said...

Terrance,

I can entirely understand how you would want to get to sleep early after that one. No surprise that other CrossFitters are also in the habit of celebrating the new year with WOD's.

Russ Greene said...

BK,

Some people present will likely be drinking.

We at EYF have nothing against the occasional beer or two (or shot of whiskey as one may prefer.)

Our concern is with people making excessive drinking the centerpiece of their social lives.

There are better ways to have fun and hang out. We think that our social lives should reinforce, not detract from, the rest of our lives.

Russ Greene said...

Sean'O,

I have been following your blog as well. Impressive that you keep our training so hard and consistently with everything else that you've got going on.

Anonymous said...

we should have a follow up post around new year's with those who participate and what PR's (or new PR's were set). This could be a good community-wide event for us all.

Russ Greene said...

Jay,

You're onto us. "Community-wide" is the initial goal. Then...

Anonymous said...

....same thing we do every night, Pinky, try to take over the world!!!!!

traucer777 said...

yeah. my lack of fellow crossfiters is a problem. Im working on it. recently introduced one of my already best friends to the Kool aid actually.
so thats 2 crossfiters ive met now :)

My friend just needs to get a membership to a gym affiliate or otherwise, because his home equipment is holding him back BAD. he cant kip on his Pull up bar for a reason that will take to long to explain + his lifting bar isnt OLY and is shaped weird. it has this weird thicker band in the middle for no reason, making it much harder to get a proper front squat without crushing your throat.

and ill definitely look into Crossfit Pasadena, thanks Terrance!