Even during this unique time in our history, we are presented with a choices.  Stay home or go for a walk?  Stand in line or order online?  Processed food or fresh food?  Produce/Fruit or hot cheetos?

Do I train with what I have or do I just wait for this quarantine to be over?  It seems a lot of people have adopted the "all or nothing" approach.  Despite the many options available for home training, the desire to be in a place, is outweighing the desire to train, or even get some moderate exercise.

In a time before COVID-19, there were other challenges.  The gym was there and available and most took advantage of the environment to make significant progress.  There were other challenges which stalled progress despite great performances in the gym, such as social gatherings, birthday dinners, social drinking, etc.  The tables have turned: "My my, how the turntables..."  While the gym isn't available, training is.  The other challenges have been eliminated.

Take advantage of the robust availability you now have.  You can make significant strides.  We don't have control of when "normal" will resume.  There is some control, move forward.

Working out vs. Training: The new normal

Welcome to the new normal, it's getting thrown out a lot, even when you try not to use it, it seems to pop up.  It quickly get's everyone on the same page when it comes to what is currently happening.

Everyone's world literally got flipped upside down.  When it comes to training, gyms closed, and that is across the board.  There are no fitness facilities open and available for training.  

The training has to change and the mindset has to change, at least temporarily.  That being said, it seems the removal of the barbell has hit some folks like left hook, still dazed and confused and haven't peeled themselves off the canvas.

While it will be difficult for many to get stronger during this time, due to lack of weights available, there is still an opportunity to get better.  Movement patterns can get better, implementing tempo and time under tension to give the body a different stimulus can be implemented.  There is still work to be done and there is progress to be made.

Finding workouts isn't hard, everybody and their grandmother has jumped into the home workout space.  Finding a random workout and challenging yourself to do them is not a bad thing from time to time.  It's working out, something is better than nothing.

There is magic in training, it's progressive, it's mindful of the movements, loads, and volume of the previous day.  It makes sure you don't hammer your tendons and joints.     
  
We've been on the shallow end since January, and then got tossed in the deep end with the developments of current events.  We are swimming, it was a sloppy doggy paddle at first but now we are beginning to find our stride.  Will you find yours?

It is easy to focus on the outcome of this competition and forget about the journey.  While, many will get lost in the result and hopefully utilize it as motivation for future competitions, I will remind you of the path it took to get your here.

We had five teams compete in this competition, many of the women competing were stepping on the competition floor for the very first time.  It is no easy feat, and it should be applauded.  Again, the journey is often forgotten.  Many competitors forget that this is a new endeavor, even though some have been doing it for a couple of years now.  The workouts in this competition included a dumbell snatch, high repetition hang cleans, these are complex movements and far away from the ellipticals and treadmills that are the first thought when it comes to women and fitness.

This is a new era, this is an amazing journey if you allow it to be.  We are proud of our girls, each and every one of you.

On Saturday September 17th, two teams of three heavily filled by our coaching staff, went out and competed in the Tres Amigos competition.  It was a fun event, with some tricky conditions, in which both of our teams placed in the Top 10.

The Three Stooges, team members included Coach Jose, Coach Sergio and Hector, executed very well after the first two events, landing them in a tie for second place.  Impressive was the overhead 155 lb axle bar carry in which Coach Sergio dusted the field.  It was the talk of the post comp dinner, and some would say it was the highlight of the competition.  Two and a Half Men, team members Coach Chris, Coach Miguel, and Molina, had a couple of missteps in the first two events which landed them outside of the top 10.  The axle bar carry that looked flawless and easy for Coach Sergio and the Stooges, proved difficult for the Two and a Half Men, costing the team precious seconds.

Event 3, the Clean Speed Ladder, is where the Two and a Half Men flourished.  The almost stole the highlight of the day from Coach Sergio.  The execution was flawless, movements were efficient and it catapulted the team to a top 10 finish.  The team finished the ladder (5 Cleans @155, 4 Cleans @185, 3 Cleans @205, 2 Cleans @225, 1 Clean @255) in less than a minute (52 seconds).  Unfortunately, this is where the Three Stooges had their misstep as their 1:14 finish dropped them out of podium contention.

Ultimately, the Three Stooges placed 7th overall and the Two and a Half Men placed 9th.  It was a valiant effort in less than ideal conditions.  On a hot day in Chino, both teams gave it their all.  

We are looking forward to the next competition, which will be on 10/22 at Dalton's CrossFit.  We have six pairs of female teams participating in the Bows and Barbells competition.  Hope to see you there.

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Prior to Thanksgiving weekend, we had 3 teams participate in the 2015 Thanksgiving Throwdown at Mutiny CrossFit. Our teams again went all out in the Rx Division (The Pig Emojis and the Wild Boys) and in the intermediate division (Troubled CrossFitters). It was a great showing, not only of athletic prowess but also of community support as family, friends known as #teambackyard showed up throughout the day to support the three teams.

The Wild Boyz (Coach Chris Orozco and Hector Contreras) placed 7th and the Pig Emojis (Coach Sergio Martinez and Coach Jose Soto) placed 8th overall. Over in the intermediate division the Troubled CrossFitters (Joe Arteaga and Jerry Izzarraras) came in 7th. Top 10 finish for two first time competitors.

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on Saturday December 19th at 4pm we will celebrating and bringing in the spirit of the holidays. Come share a good time and reflect on 2015, share a drink with those you have shared the good WODs and the bad WODs. We cordially invite all of #teambackyard, even those that has taken a small break as of late (Holidays ;)). Party starts at 4pm. Please sign up at the front desk, pot luck style. You're not required to bring a side dish or dessert but if you want to share your favorite, it is highly encouraged. Please let us know to avoid redundancies. Also, wear your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and/or favorite Christmas duds.

This was a jam packed competition, with a very competitive and talented Rx and Intermediate divisions.  There were four teams representing #teambackyard across two divisions.  There were the Backyardigans with Coach Sal and Yvette, Dancer and Prancer with Helen and Ulysses, Jin and Juice with Miguel and Ari and in the Masters division the Quicksilvers with Steph and Braulio.

The Backyardigans worked their way to a podium finish with a 3rd place finish, and Dancer and Prancer and Jin and Juice finished in the top 10 (9th and 10th respectively).

Congratulations to Steph, Ari and Braulio for getting their first competition under their belt and to Sal and Yvette for the first of what will be many podium finishes for #teambackyard.

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It has been a very busy competition season, we had three teams participate in this all girls duo competition.  Yvette and Madeline placed in the top 10 (7th) in a field consisting of 38 teams.  Also putting on a valiant effort were Helen and Evelyn, who came in the top 20 in the same intermediate division.  Hilda and Cynthia also participated in the Novice division, getting their first taste of a CrossFit competition under their belt.

Solid effort by all of our girls!
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If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, the cat is clearly out of the bag.  Every Saturday we will be holding a free trial class at 11am.  This class will be for people participating in CrossFit for the very first time.  However, if you are a current member and would like to accompany a friend, you are more than welcome to.

Why are we doing this?  The answer has a couple of layers.  First and foremost, it is tough to host someone doing their very first class when there is a class going full speed.  On top of that, in order to accommodate him or her, they usually have to do their workout in the outside workout area, which really takes away the intimacy and group class atmosphere.  At the same time, it can be very intimidating going through your first class, figuratively getting punched in the gut by a tough workout and seeing advanced athletes crush a workout like clockwork.  Some of you are already machines, others are getting there, these folks are just like you and me, they have just opened the box and are barely looking at the instruction manual.

This will also allow beginners taking the first step in their fitness journey to workout alongside others who are also taking that intimidating first step.  We expect for this to assist in leaping that first mental hurdle.  No one begins by doing Fran in under 4 minutes or Grace in under 3.

Last but not least (I probably forgot a couple of good reasons), we usually extend a very generous free week after their free introductory workout.  This allows for a scheduled rest day (Sunday), followed by a whole week where we will encourage him or her to hit the gym three to four times during their free trial.

This gives the person ample time to make the decision on whether to join our community and/or evaluate their own level of commitment.  Remember, as we often say, in the beginning 3 to 4 days a week with a solid nutrition plan leads to great results.  For those that are in the intermediate crowd, it's 4-5 days, and those that are advanced 5-6 days (1 day recovery or active rest) of training.

If you have any questions or plan to bring a friend, let one of our staff members or coaches know.