Maximizing Your Amplify Experience

Part 1: "Cleared for Arrival"
Before Entering Amplify

Prior to setting foot in the gym, some items need to be in place to ensure success with any fitness program. For us at Amplify, we pride ourselves in understanding that the development of the whole person is the ultimate goal; we always want to consider the entire spectrum of health and wellness: a balance of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

This means we should first acknowledge time outside of the gym in order to help facilitate personal progress in your fitness journey and in life.

To start, here are some "to-do's" before coming to class.

BEGINNERS
First off, welcome! You've taken control of your fitness journey, and in looking for a safe and reliable place to land, you decided on us.

Some newbies come to us with absolutely no fitness background. Others are athletes looking for the next step in life or have been in and out of other programs before settling on Amplify. No matter what, no matter how intimidating it may feel, and no matter how much turbulence life has had before now, we are here to make that transition as smooth as possible. We're glad you landed on Amplify.

1.) See the big picture.
Strength and conditioning takes time. Fitness is both a journey and a destination, although in this analogy we never really "get there," we just arrive at layovers-- short-term benchmarks where we refuel and reenergize to keep working our way towards the next goal. Keep in mind, it doesn't all have to happen in one workout. Set a one month goal. Set a summer goal. If you want, set lots, aim high. But see them through. How? Write them down. Tell other people. Amplify coaches are here to help, so ask questions!

2.) Plan ahead.
We already set the daily workout, so that's easy. But by planning your set days each week, checking the workout and any related videos ahead of time, and coming in with a plan of action, this not only shows true commitment but it's also mentally easier once you set foot in the gym. And no extra baggage! Work around your career and social calendar, just for an hour. Allow yourself that. Let the only weight on your shoulders be that of the barbell, and the only stress be that of the MetCon.

3.) Hold yourself accountable.
While it's okay to miss workout days, it's not okay for it to become a habit. You didn't register as an Amp member to stay home. We host nutrition challenges, so become involved! Use Wodify or a personal journal as a workout log to see your progress. Need more help? Find a copilot. Connect with a buddy in the same class hour as you and create weekly check-ins.

VETERANS
Thanks for continuing to fly the friendly skies with Amplify. You are the heart and soul here, so your preparation is not to be neglected. Even after months or years at the gym, we could all use refocus and reminders.

1.) Don't become complacent.
No recycled air here. If you haven't felt stagnant, good on you. However, if you think your fitness journey is now an overcrowded flight circling the runway, then we need to find new motivation. How? See #2 and #3.

2.) Revisit goals.
It is just as important to examine your own goals as it is for a beginner. Life changes, and so should your outlook on approaching your fitness regimen with fun and fury. You know how exciting it is to have small victories or PR after years of hard work, but also remember to smile at life's setbacks. That's just headwind, after all, so set a new standard and attack. Change your altitude to improve your attitude.

3.) Maintain priorities.
Family and friends matter. Put those life essentials on level with your personal health. Along with social health development should be your physical well-being, and vice versa. After all, you can't be there for loved ones if you literally can't be there because of a lack of wellness. There's always a big picture involved; invest in yourself in order to invest in others. Adjust for heavy winds, and keep navigating.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Goal Setting
Simple tips on how to plan your summer workouts and reap the benefits come fall.

The Fitness Equation
Things can look so simple on paper: fuel, work, rest, repeat. So where do we go wrong? Check out the basic recipe for success in physical fitness.

Cherry Picking
Why shy away from the very workouts you need? See recommendations on how to avoid laziness.

This is part one of a six-part series entitled Maximizing Your Amplify Experience. Stay tuned for more.

- Scott, 6.16.2017

2017: A New Year

A New Year

Lifestyle vs. Resolution We love challenges at CrossFit Amplify. Nutrition challenges, fitness competitions, and even the popular New Year, New You motivational cliché for newcomers.

Yet it must be said that what we are attempting to construct in those 3-, 6-, or 8-week challenges is not necessarily a resolution. It's a lifestyle.

We have come to understand that anyone looking for a quick fix with diet and exercise clearly needs some guidance. Those who expect health and wellness in just a matter of months often become very disappointed, and therefore fall off the fitness (band)wagon. See, this isn't a "get rich quick" scheme. Fitness isn't in the 8-minute Abs, ThighMaster, Bowflex, Tae-Bo, or Zumba. And it's not in Bootcamps, Kettlebells, or CrossFit training either.

The magic is not in the program-- although some are identifiably better than others. (Insert jab at easy target here. Shake Weight, anyone?) The magic, if there is such a thing, is in the lifestyle. It's in the hard work. Any fitness or nutrition challenge simply exists to kickstart behavior. Realistically, whatever enjoyable activity gets a person moving can produce results. But results are not in the decision to exercise, they're in the action.

Being active... how fitting a term.

Think about it, from your own past, with your own New Year's resolutions. Did they stick? If you said to yourself, "no," was it because you really didn't want to change in the first place? And if you said, "yes," then it must not have mattered that you began on January 1st. You could have started any other day of the year. Am I right? Maybe a new year was the kick in the butt you wanted/needed, but it was just a small part of the behavior choice.

It was a lifestyle change. Not a trick, not a scheme, and not even a resolution. It was action. And that, my friends, involves much more than just a decision.

The Translation Find that place where motivation becomes routine.

Here at Amplify, we have a recommendation for you: follow a strength and conditioning regimen. We'll even set the daily workouts. And post them publicly online.

The magic isn't in the programming; it's in the lifestyle change. It's putting the plan into action, it's the camaraderie with our Amplify community, and it's the 23 remaining hours each day that are spent in healthful eating habits, mentally stimulating work, and social and emotional bonds with loved ones.

The Execution Set a one-month goal. Set a year-long goal, if you can. Set lots. Aim high.

But a vision needs a plan of action, like a catalyst needs a conductor. Create a plan to collect the spark of a vision, and carry through on the attainable. One without the other is a waste of energy.

Know the days of the week you will make it in to the gym. And hold yourself accountable.

Keep in mind that this is ever-changing, and even a lifestyle can look different from year to year. Priorities can shift with work, family, and stress. Setbacks occur, and if we consider all this to be part of the process, part of life, then a big picture vision works to maintain balance.

Again, lifestyle vs. resolution. A resolution is easy to scrap. A balanced lifestyle is never thrown away; it fluctuates and evolves, naturally, but it remains intact.

The Yearly Challenge Each year I offer a motivational challenge to each and every reader, as prompted by our own love/hate relationship with CrossFit and the tough workouts we endure.

New to our AmpFam? Welcome. The journey is fun, but the outcome is better. And the group of people here are second to none. Check past posts regarding the fitness equation, dedication, progress, community, etc. Ask questions. Seek out answers.

The challenge? Step back and do some self-reflection. Think about what goals you have and how you will pursue those goals. Bigger than that? Think about what can be done to continue or set into motion your lifestyle.

• What brought you in to the gym in the first place? Why did you step foot into Amplify?
• What are you doing to take the next step, to make the next advancement in your fitness journey?
• Where can the trainers help? Specifically, what can you communicate that would further benefit the time you put in the gym each and every week?

Whether you are an Amplify veteran or have just joined the ranks of our gym, here’s looking ahead at another year of fitness without boundaries.

Thanks for being here, and as always, thanks for reading!

- Scott, 1.1.2017

2016: A New Year

A New Year

Amplify & Anarchy: What's with the logo? The anarchy “A” symbol was adopted for CrossFit Amplify almost 6 years ago.

Early on, the logo was debated. Would it be too edgy? A turn-off, for some? Will it be mistaken as a promotion of chaos or mayhem? Or could it be a great draw to our barebones approach to fringe fitness?

It's a delicate subject, particularly since the concept of anarchy has a confusing and negative past. When the question comes up, I find myself answering in a variety of ways depending on time and the sentiment in which the question seems founded.

Sometimes it's a simple, "Yep! Yeah, it is the same symbol. We thought the circle 'A' would look cool."

Other times a more detailed explanation helps, since research proves the term is a bit misunderstood and maligned.

Although anarchy now represents disorder, a true anarchic view was/is not necessarily what the masses and extremists have come to see it as. In its original meaning, anarchy does not equate to mayhem. It is not chaos. It is not barbarism. And it is definitely not terrorism. The initial meaning of anarchy as it relates to human beings is the concept of having no rulers and no masters. Rules, yes. Absolute rulers, no. But the accepted definition now involves a belief in the absence of government and/or not recognizing authority through lawlessness, disruption, and turmoil.

So why did Amplify assume such an image?

Below is further background, if you’ll humor me for a bit of a historical digression.

The "good" translation? No one person creates a living for another. We are born free, and should live as such.

A real anarchist in no way condones violence, instead preaching voluntaryism: the belief that our society can live voluntarily in action and transaction. In close relation, the non-aggressive principle is cited most commonly as a major component of anarchism, referring to a principle of ethics in which uninitiated aggression is illegitimate or improper.

In short, both of these terms explain that we are able to make our own decisions regarding what is safe or unsafe, healthy or unhealthy, and as long as we do not initiate violence and our choices in life do not negatively interfere in someone else’s well-being, we are free to act and react as we see fit.

In this context, then, anarchy means freedom.

From the anarchist viewpoint, the historic creation of government was to control people… in the negative sense. Control has historically occurred by the rich and powerful. The rule of people by people, held to a caste system, in a divisive state. Freedom only for those in power.

The "not-so-good" translation? Obviously, throughout history the anarchist belief system, and in turn the anarchy symbol, evolved in meaning. Many symbols have done so, some to a terrible end. Need an example? Check into the original scribing of the swastika in Sanskrit to its most recent use as propaganda with the Nazi Party, concurrently evolving to represent hate instead of good luck and well-being.

For the anarchy symbol, eventually it came to represent disorder, insubordination, and other negative actions, most of which are historically degenerative, destructive, and even violent. Which now means anarchy is and will heretofore be used as a term synonymous with mass chaos.

Some historically infamous figures have identified themselves as anarchists and have wreaked havoc on society, leading to this evolution of the term. Anarchists have committed assassinations of Presidents and other leaders, not just in America but across the globe. They have called on violence in the name of their idea of anarchy, just as hundreds of religious zealots have killed in the name of their gods. This is the extreme. These are terrorists.

True anarchists would never promote violence. But the real truth is that anarchy now does precisely that: it describes a state of disorder.

The point? The use of the anarchy “A” at the gym is by no means an endorsement of barbarism and chaos.

Quite fittingly, however, some modern conceptions of anarchy actually fit well into the CrossFit world of fitness.

1. Non-conformity. There is a draw to CrossFit for many people—we began as an edgy, outsiders' collective of free-minded thinkers in our exercise habits. A non-conformist view towards corporate fitness, if you will.
2. No rulers. No masters. A legitimate fitness progression within CrossFit means consistency can get us results, while variance can make those results optimal. Rules, but no boundaries. Our workouts see many leaders with many different strengths in many different fitness components... all who respect others who lead too. Masters? Only in terms of age.
3. Chaos & Disorder. The workouts at Amplify are often chaotic, and in many ways bring a person back to an inherent, barbaric nature of primal physical work. We're never haphazard, but our MetCon workouts can definitely leave us feeling wrecked and disordered.
4. Community. Our fastest, strongest, and most talented of athletes work right alongside our newest members and those still learning. In fact, we're all still learning. We build ourselves up by cheering each other on, no matter if it's the last member to finish a workout or our top athlete at a televised regional competitive event.

What does this all mean? It’s a free market notion that we’re in this together, that we all deserve an equal opportunity in life, just like we do in our personal fitness. This unity is larger than that which a top-down, politically biased, prejudiced workout society could ever force upon its "citizens."

And so, Amplify is full of anarchy. Disorder to the fitness norm. Disruption in sedentary lifestyle. Chaos in the MetCons. Unity through weekly suffering. Leaders by example in a community without a fitness caste system.

No matter what angle we take on the logo and associated term, every time the question comes up from now on, I will guide the conversation so it evolves into the fact that it is now our gym logo as well.

The circle “A” stands for Amplify. And that, dear AmpFam, makes it the most important symbol we could have adopted.

Yearly Challenge Each year I offer a motivational challenge to each and every reader, as prompted by our own love/hate relationship with CrossFit and the anarchy of the tough workouts we endure.

New to our AmpFam? Welcome. The journey is fun, but the outcome is better. And the group of people here are second to none. Check past posts regarding the fitness equation, dedication, progress, community, etc. Ask questions. Seek out answers.

The challenge? Step back and do some self-reflection. Think about what goals you have and how you will pursue those goals. Bigger than that? Think about what can be done to put some order into your chaotic life.

• What brought you in to the gym in the first place? Why did you step foot into Amplify?
• What are you doing to take the next step, to make the next advancement in your fitness journey?
• Where can the trainers help? Specifically, what can you communicate that would further benefit the time you put in the gym each and every week?

Whether you are an Amplify veteran or have just joined the ranks of our gym, here’s looking ahead at another year of fitness without boundaries.

Thank you for being here, and as always, thank you for reading, you rebels.

- Scott, 1.1.2016 Ⓐ

Giving Up

Which came first?

Giving Up

Bailing out. Missing a lift. Saving your skinny little chicken neck.

In weightlifting, it is so necessary to correctly fail that dumping a barbell should be simultaneously taught with how to successfully make a lift. Also very necessary is to know when to cede to a workout or give up on a fatigued movement.

Which came first, the failure or the lift? The concept of "giving up" creates such a negative connotation that the motivational nonsense spread through life nowadays gives the impression that anyone willing to give up is a failure. Weak, inadequate, and/or inferior.

No better than a shivering chick... a wet newbie peeping for its mama hen.

Quite the contrary can be said when we look at making or failing a lift, whether it be a power lift like a Deadlift or a Squat, or an Olympic lift like a Jerk or a Snatch. It is those athletes that know how to bail out that keep themselves safe, healthy, and strong.

Those athletes that have trained the correct bar path in order to efficiently make a successful lift know this. When something goes wrong, when a movement is incorrect, even in the slightest, failure means you live to lift another day.

Plus, heavy squats are always the go-to fix for chicken legs. So the skill of dumping a barbell helps to correctly use the progressive overload principle.

For those who haven’t failed, their potential in whatever endeavor they seek in life has not been fully realized. They haven’t tested the upper limits of their capabilities. In weightlifting it's knowing how to safely fail that shows strength through intelligence.

Like a smart, egghead brainiac, strength can come in many forms.

Similar to weightlifting, if a gymnastics movement or other bodyweight exercise starts to lose efficacy, if the body is shutting down to a point of inefficiency, then giving up is a necessary evil. Sure, there are times to drive ahead, to push through fatigue and complete a workout as it was written. The mental gains are particularly worthwhile in this regard, so long as the movements are still safely executed. But the moment where one puts themselves at high risk for injury, at risk for overtraining or under-recovery, this is the time when a workout becomes completely negotiable. At this point, the decision to end a session early is not weak in any regard; it is not incompetent or pitiful. Instead, it is mentally strong. It is egotistically impressive, actually. Realizing that range of motion is breeched and safety is compromised is in fact a very, very strong attribute.

Know when to fold 'em. When it's time to "snuff the rooster." This is tricky, for sure, but highly necessary in strength and conditioning.

Dan Maggio has done such a great job at succinctly highlighting the specifics of intentional bailing from a lift that it deserves reprinting here to his credit on how to implement this into your training.

How to Miss a LiftWhen teaching/coaching weightlifting related lifts, the FEET MUST ALWAYS MOVE in order to get the base of support out from under the falling bar. [Source: The Importance of Missing Lifts and Bailing Out]

• Bailing out of the Back Squat: Release grip on bar, push chest and head UP to pop the bar off your back, JUMP feet forward to avoid the bar hitting your heals if you land on your knees.
• Bailing out of Front Squat: Release grip on bar, drop the elbows as you simultaneously JUMP your feet back and push your hands to the ground. Not jumping your feet back can cause the dumped bar to crash on your thighs and knees. (This bail is the same as bailing out of a Clean.)
• Missing the Snatch (in front): Actively EXTEND arms forward. JUMP your feet backwards.
• Missing the Snatch (behind): Actively EXTEND arms backward (as if giving “Jazz Hands”). JUMP FORWARD quickly to avoid the bar landing on shoulders or back. It is vital to extend the arms backward fully to create more space and avoid collision.
• Missing the Jerk: If the barbell is already moving forward, JUMP the body back while pushing the bar away. Similarly, if stability is not maintained and the barbell drifts backward, JUMP forward away from the weight.

Someone's gotta work on their 10 components of fitness...

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall... As far as "giving up" goes, we're on the topic of succumbing to a lift or movement in a positive, thoughtful way. Not just being lazy or unmotivated.

In reference to being smart with a conditioning workout or to avoid overtraining/under-recovering, some specifics have been highlighted in past articles. Check "MetCons" and "Progress" to get the full explanation.

Our basic concept is always to pursue lifelong fitness. If we're looking to stay healthy for years to come, then one day does not make or break a workout regimen. However, one day can turn into a week, then a month, and so on. So therefore, since a longer term view on fitness best serves our ever-aging bodies, then pushing to a point of immense fatigue is a slippery slope. Particularly dangerous is exercise addiction.

All the king's horses and all the king's men can't put an addict's fitness together again.

One must ask some important questions: "Am I working hard because this will gain me the necessary muscle breakdown and/or cardiovascular stress?" vs. "Am I doing this because I'm stubborn and masochist and want to prove something to myself?" Be honest.

In other words, be cautious of forcing a conditioning workout if you crash and burn. Once you bonk, die... lay an egg.

Finish what you started if you can, sure, but only if is still safe in the realm of total work. For example, is the run mileage just too high? Burpee reps too many? Barbell weight too heavy? Plus, will you be sore and out of commission for the rest of the week? Time to be smart and give in.

A full week of quality work is more beneficial than one day of feigned glory.

As I've stated before, if a lifting session or post-workout skill work aren’t going well, then a new PR or your first muscle-up probably won’t happen on your 20th, 30th, or 100th attempt. Being persistent is one thing, being stupid is another. Stop. Cut your losses. Look ahead to the next day.

This is a plan of action where giving up is actually moving forward.

So off you go with brains and brawn. Never be chicken to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

- Scott, 6.22.2015

Goal Setting

Goal Setting

Any good summer begins with a goal. Multiple goals, perhaps.

Most of these goals are unwritten, which is just fine. So in your head, or in your heart if you typically think of things cinematically, albeit inaccurately, what is it you're looking to accomplish this summer? Does it include your personal fitness? Let's assume so.

In life, a good goal needs to be smart. It needs to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. "SMART."

After all, a goal without a plan is just a wish.

SMART GOALS

• Create the specifics. Again, even if just in your head. What is it that will specifically happen, and how?
• Fix a measurement to put in place. Without a means of tracking things, how will you ever know if you've succeeded?
• Make sure each goal is achievable. Sure, you could shoot for the moon, but what frustration or procrastination might develop without immediate success?
• Is your goal relevant to you? Make sure it's not just something you think sounds good over cold beers at a summer party.
• And finally, make your goal time-based. Bound it all to the calendar. When is it that these things will happen?

In the the realm of strength and conditioning, goal setting is just as important as it is in any other facet of life-- career, family, hobbies, etc.

Spending an hour here or there throughout the week working through a series of Back Squats, Pull-ups, or maybe hitting a fun MetCon while hammering an area of weakness is all well and good. All very important, and all topics in articles I've written in the past. But without a sense of what the end goal is, this work is futile, unfortunately. The Fitness Equation requires another piece: a look ahead to the why.

Each summer I kickstart our weekly articles with the same reminder: that this time of year can be two-fold in purpose. These are the months to do great things with family and friends. And those "things" are essential to life. Go, do them, and enjoy the social health development. But with the right plan, with set goals and fitness priorities, summer can also be the perfect chance to get your workouts in and reap the benefits come fall.

Below are my three constant reminders as I start into the Words of the Week each summer.

SUMMER GOAL SETTING
Step 1: See the big picture
You have three months of great things ahead. Three months to work on your strength and conditioning. It doesn't have to happen in one workout. Set a one month goal. Set a summer goal. If you want, set lots, aim high. But see them through.

Hold yourself accountable with a nutrition challenge or look ahead to the Amplify Open competition in August. Use Wodify or a personal journal as a workout log to hit correct lifting percentages and also to see your progress.

I don't know one CrossFitter who is content with their current skill set or fitness level.  That's the best part-- there is always more to do. But it takes goals, everyone. Which is why summer is not just a three month beach escapade with horrible pop music playing over the stereo.

Step 2: Plan ahead
If you come to Amplify we already set the daily WOD, so that's easy.  But by planning your set days each week, checking the workout and any related videos ahead of time, and coming in with a plan of action, this not only shows true commitment but it's also mentally easier once you set foot in the gym.

I don't mean you should obsess over your future or what's to come; I'm talking about knowing what you'll expect of yourself come "go time."

Let this also be my yearly reminder to warm-up properly. Yes, we're all sore. So get in here and perform some self-maintenence whenever possible. Can't fit in extra minutes before or after your class? Foam roll at home any chance you get. Speaking of, are you in need of a mobility goal this summer? Neglecting your deficiencies for three more months seems like a really bad plan.

Step 3: Intensity
Always include the correct intensity. Some is good, more is not necessarily better. Yes, intensity is key. But no, you don’t need to spend hours breaking down your body systems. Especially without proper recovery.

If you keep the intensity up in your conditioning and your time under duress at appropriate levels, you not only make gains but also keep overtraining from spiraling out of control.

So there it is; a three step process as common sense reminders each year. Make the most of your efforts by formulating goals each day, each week, and each month this summer and always.

And remember that baby steps are important and very motivational. Allow the little victories in life to build together like foundational columns supporting the future you.

Happy Summer!

- Scott, 6.15.2015

2015: A New Year

A New Year

Like fire or water, it seems love and hate can spread fast these days.

Once the internet takes hold of something it gets ripped apart. Like a forest fire raging in a dry summer heat. Like a hurricane flooding a coastline city street. If something is popular, so is its hatred. Particularly online.

Social media is afire with the love of CrossFit, so accordingly it is flooded with CrossFit hate.

Fire

When Mike and I started into CrossFit training towards the end of 2007, even before CrossFit Amplify took roots, in many ways it was looked upon as a new-fangled workout regimen. A bit extreme and somewhat insane, fair or unfair. Yet although it was pretty much the norm to receive weird looks from neighbors or fellow globo-gym goers, there wasn't the swelling wave of hatred that has seemed to pick up speed recently.  Sure, people disagreed with the CrossFit philosophy since its onset in 2000, but branches of the military, law enforcement and first responders were consistently showing interest not necessarily because of the extremity of the workouts, but because of their functional aspects. Likewise, the general public was interested in the novelty of constantly-changing workouts with consistent results.

With the advent of the CrossFit Games and the inclusion of Reebok and ESPN, CrossFit is far more mainstream than just four or five years ago. And if something is mainstream, then, as expected, haters will show their face. Or, shall we say, hide behind a computer screen. Keyboard warriors are an expectation at this point, surfing their own oil-infested internet waters with a lit match in tow.

It's an "us vs. them" ideology that permeates many parts of life-- sports, education, nationalism, race, religion.  Fitness is no exception. At the risk of sounding completely corny, can't we all just get along?

The obvious answer is no. We are fire and water. But it brings up so many other questions.

For instance, why disrespect other people who are doing something they love? Moreso, those enjoying a hobby with physical benefits? Instead of making fun of people that want to get fit, instead of taking video to fuel social media fires, how about stepping up with encouraging words? How about asking, teaching, or at least engaging in a conversation if you think they are doing something wrong?

I wrote about this exactly one year ago today, with many of the same questions. It seems this is just as much an issue of bullying as we see in adolescence. Read all about it here, if you didn't last year.

r.m. drake

To quickly elaborate, in a few regards CrossFit hate stems from people promoting their love of the gym life. We're a cult, after all, so memes and message boards blast the obsession that some exude.

In other regards there's the injury debate. It's a topic that I'll save to detail at another time, but understandably, fitness professionals and physical therapists ultimately want what's best for the health and well-being of the general public. Good. Fine. Never an issue. The pursuit of safe movement is valid and necessary in any athletic endeavor. Bad form, incompetent trainers, ego over safety? By all means, critique. Still, ever see the CrossFit fail videos? Half of what gets shown and laughed at isn't even from a CrossFit gym. Which is why it's easier to just turn a deaf ear, like throwing a bucket of water on the bonfire of hatred. Go on enjoying the benefits, so long as technique and movement efficiency exist. Just don't feed the trolls with ridiculous new exercise combinations.

And as far as the argument that people will lose strength or conditioning gains because of CrossFit? Looking at statistics within our lifts and workouts, we see many more gains in our gym than fitness losses. But we're just one gym in one city in the world. In the end it's about finding something that works for you.

Ice

The real reason for bringing all of this up is to highlight the continued excellence we see in the Amplify community despite whatever icy back-and-forth exists on the internet. It's been yet another great year of physical and mental growth, and our Amplify family is increasing all the while.

New to our AmpFam? Welcome. The journey is fun, but the outcome is better. And the group of people here are second to none. Check past posts regarding the fitness equation, progress, attitude, community, etc.  Ask questions. Seek out answers.

Each year I reflect on the Amplify community and share some basic thoughts and thanks to what has developed. This year I echo those sentiments. But I also issue a challenge. A motivational challenge to each and every reader, as prompted by our own fiery love/hate relationship with CrossFit and the tough workouts we endure.

The challenge? Step back and do some self-reflection. Sure, the normal questions should take place, like thinking about what goals you have and how you will pursue those goals. But bigger than that is to set fire to the wave already in motion.

• What brought you in to the gym in the first place? Why did you step foot into Amplify?

• What are you doing to take the next step, to make the next advancement in your fitness journey?

• Where can the trainers help? Specifically, what can you communicate that would further benefit the time you put in the gym each and every week?

Is there a fire under your ass or are you just going through the motions? Is the drive still there or do you you need to reignite the embers?

Are you attacking your weaknesses so they come crashing down under the weight of the waves of your work? Do you need to water the roots of your love of fitness by finding more physical challenges to branch out towards?

Whatever analogy works, use it. We'll be here to stoke the fire or water the parched ground for you to find footing and burn/melt through your goals, this year and always.

Icy Fire

- Scott, 1.1.2015