No! CrossFit is a fitness program that can be adapted to suit people of all fitness levels, including those who aren’t in the greatest shape. In fact, many CrossFit gyms (commonly known as “boxes”) welcome individuals of various fitness backgrounds, body types, and ages. The workouts can be scaled and modified to accommodate each person’s abilities and needs.
CrossFit is designed to be inclusive and scalable, meaning that the intensity, load, and complexity of the exercises can be adjusted to match the individual’s fitness level. This allows participants to progress gradually and safely while still challenging themselves.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re considering CrossFit and are getting started in a fitness routine:
Consult with a healthcare professional: Before starting any new exercise program, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
Choose a supportive CrossFit gym: Look for a CrossFit gym with experienced coaches who are knowledgeable about scaling exercises and providing appropriate modifications. A supportive community can make a significant difference in your fitness journey. Ie – CrossFit Unstoppable 🙂
Focus on proper form and technique: Learning the correct form for movements is crucial to prevent injuries and maximize the benefits of your workouts.
Set realistic goals: Set achievable and realistic fitness goals that are specific to your needs and abilities. CrossFit is about progress and personal growth, so celebrate every milestone, no matter how small.
Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels during workouts. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to communicate with your coach and ask for modifications.
Be patient and consistent: Progress in CrossFit, like any fitness program, takes time and consistency. Be patient with yourself and focus on steady improvements.
Remember, CrossFit can be an excellent way to improve overall fitness, strength, and endurance. It can also be an enjoyable way to connect with like-minded individuals on a fitness journey. If you’re interested, give it a try and see how it works for you.
You can get started today!! Just book a FREE No Sweat Intro with one of our trainers!
Strength training offers numerous benefits for women over 40, helping them maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Here are five reasons why women in this age group should incorporate strength training into their fitness routines:
Muscle mass preservation: As women age, they naturally experience a decline in muscle mass. Strength training helps counteract this process by stimulating muscle growth and maintenance. By retaining muscle mass, women over 40 can improve their overall strength, mobility, and functionality, making daily activities and movements easier and reducing the risk of injuries.
Increased metabolism and weight management: Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning that having more muscle can boost your resting metabolic rate. By strength training, women over 40 can support their weight management goals and maintain a healthier body composition, even if their metabolism tends to slow down with age.
Bone density improvement: After menopause, women face an increased risk of osteoporosis due to declining estrogen levels. Strength training has been shown to stimulate bone formation, enhancing bone density and reducing the risk of fractures and bone-related issues. It can be particularly beneficial for women over 40 to mitigate the effects of age-related bone loss.
Hormonal balance and mood enhancement: Strength training has positive effects on hormonal balance, promoting the release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These “feel-good” chemicals help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, which can be more prevalent in women over 40 due to hormonal changes. Regular strength training sessions can contribute to improved mood and overall well-being.
Joint and back pain relief: As people age, joint and back pain may become more common due to wear and tear on the body. Strengthening the muscles around the joints and core can provide better support and stability, reducing the strain on these areas. This can lead to decreased discomfort and improved functional abilities, allowing women over 40 to stay active and engaged in various physical activities.
It’s essential for women over 40 to engage in strength training exercises that suit their fitness level and any existing medical conditions. Consulting a qualified fitness professional or healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program is recommended to ensure safety and to receive personalized guidance.
If you want to get started on a strength training routine and have fun at the same time, set up a No Sweat Intro with us at CrossFit Unstoppable! We would love to help!
When it comes to working out in the summer, some people prefer the “comfort” of an early morning workout. However, there are MANY reasons to embrace the heat and humidity! While exercising in high heat and humidity might seem counterintuitive, it actually offers a multitude of surprising benefits. In this post, we’ll explore why sweating it out in challenging conditions can be advantageous for your fitness journey.
1. Increased Calorie Burn:
One of the notable benefits of working out in high heat and humidity is the enhanced calorie burn. When your body is exposed to higher temperatures, it needs to work harder to regulate its core temperature. This increased effort leads to a higher metabolic rate, causing your body to burn more calories during and even after your workout. So, if you’re looking to shed those extra pounds, exercising in hot and humid conditions might help you reach your weight loss goals more efficiently.
2. Improved Cardiovascular Performance:
Exercising in high heat and humidity can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular system. The combination of heat and humidity makes your heart work harder to pump blood and oxygen to your muscles, which ultimately strengthens your cardiovascular endurance. Over time, this can improve your overall stamina and make your regular workouts feel more manageable.
3. Enhanced Detoxification:
Sweating is the body’s natural way of cooling down, and when you exercise in a hot and humid environment, you tend to sweat more profusely. This increased sweating helps eliminate toxins and impurities from your body, promoting detoxification and cleansing your system. Just remember to stay hydrated and replenish your fluids adequately to support this natural detox process.
4. Mental Toughness and Resilience:
Pushing your limits in challenging conditions can do wonders for your mental strength and resilience. Exercising in high heat and humidity requires mental determination and the ability to overcome discomfort. By regularly subjecting yourself to these conditions, you can cultivate mental toughness that extends beyond your workouts and positively impacts other aspects of your life.
5. Adaptation to Changing Environments:
Exposing your body to different environmental conditions, such as heat and humidity, can help it adapt and become more adaptable to a range of situations. This adaptability can be especially beneficial if you participate in outdoor activities or sports that require you to perform in various weather conditions. Training in high heat and humidity can prepare your body for such challenges, enabling you to excel in diverse environments.
While exercising in high heat and humidity may not be suitable for everyone and requires caution, it offers several surprising benefits. From increased calorie burn and improved cardiovascular performance to enhanced detoxification and mental toughness, there are compelling reasons to incorporate workouts in challenging conditions into your fitness routine.
**However, it’s essential to prioritize safety, stay hydrated, and listen to your body’s signals. Remember to consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns or underlying health conditions. So, why not step out of your comfort zone and give it a try? Embrace the heat and humidity, and let your workouts reach new heights.
Let us know if you would like to set up a No Sweat Intro so you can get started with us today! 🙂
We get this question all the time. Sometimes it’s from people who are looking to build muscle in their biceps and triceps. Other times, people are looking to achieve better tone. We’ll answer the question for both crowds.
Here are five things you can do to get the arms you want.
1. Eat Properly
Surprised this one is first? Don’t be: Nutrition is the foundation of everything when it comes to fitness. If you want to build larger muscles, you’ll need protein. And if you’re looking to increase tone and definition, you’ll need to reduce body fat. To drop fat, you must have your nutrition dialed in: You can’t eat excessive amounts of food, and some foods will help you accomplish your goals faster than others.
We have nutrition experts who can tell you exactly how to eat for your goals, but here’s the short, general version: Prioritize protein, and look to whole foods like fruit and veggies before processed, fatty foods with lots of added sugar.
2. Lift Heavy Stuff!
To build some arm muscle, you need to lift enough weight to cause the muscle to grow. That means the last reps in any set should be challenging. If you do a set of 8 biceps curls and the last rep felt very easy, you’re probably not lifting heavy enough.
You need to “feel the burn” and challenge yourself! That safe stress will trigger your body to grow new muscle to adapt to the work you’re asking it to perform. Muscle growth is called “hypertrophy.”
In the past, people often saw bulging bodybuilders and worried that heavy lifting would turn them into behemoths covered in veins. That just doesn’t happen without very hard, very specific training (and often anabolic steroids). So don’t worry that heavy lifting will make you “bulky.” Lifting heavy is exactly what you need to build muscle and achieve great arms.
How heavy should you go? That depends on the movement and the sets and reps you’re doing. A coach can give you an exact plan—and we’ll talk about that below.
3. Do Arm Movements
This seems obvious, but we’ll point out something most people miss: You shouldn’t just focus on the biceps if you want great arms. Sure, the biceps are prominent, but you can’t forget all the muscles of the forearms and the triceps on the back of the arm. Deltoids are considered shoulder muscles, but they still help move the arms, and you should work them, too.
Hundreds of movements can be used to train these specific muscles. You can use barbells, dumbbells, bands, cable stations, body weight and household objects. A lot of times people will use “single joint” or “isolation” movements to train the arms. Think biceps curls, triceps extensions, delt raises and so on.
These movements can be great if you want to target very specific areas. For best results, we recommend you train all the muscles in the arm in isolation and together—read on!
4. Do Compound Movements
Compound movements work many muscle groups at once and involve several joints. Think about a pull-up, for example. It requires the elbows and the shoulders to move, and it trains a host of muscles at once.
Isolation movements are great, but don’t think you aren’t training your triceps in a bench press or your shoulders in a barbell press. You’ll get a huge bang for your buck with compound movements, and we use them regularly in the gym. As an added benefit, compound movements usually involve the muscles of the core and sometimes even the legs. That means you can improve your whole body even if you’re mainly focused on your arms.
A few great compound movements for arms: pull-ups, chin-ups, bench presses, shoulder presses, bent-over barbell rows.
5. Change Your Routine
If you always do the same thing, your body will adapt for a while and then stop adapting. But if you change your routine at appropriate times, your body will keep adapting to new stresses and you’ll get the results you want.
That means you might do 3 sets of 8 reps of barbell biceps curls with 20 lb. for three weeks, then switch to 2 sets of 12 reps of dumbbell hammer curls with 10 lb. in each hand for three weeks.
You can adjust the weights you use, the reps, the sets, the movements, the rest and the number of times you train. But it’s not random. You need to make the right changes at the right time. We could write a huge book on that, and we carefully tailor workouts to our clients so they get results. We’ll just say this to get you started: Change up your routine at least every four weeks to ensure you’d don’t hit a plateau.
Get to Work!
There you have it! With these five tips, you’re well on your way to better arms.
We’ll even give you a simple workout:
2-3 sets of 8 alternating dumbbell biceps curls (rest 45 seconds between sets)
2-3 sets of 8 dumbbell lying triceps extensions (rest 45 seconds between sets)
2-3 sets of 8 dumbbell hammer curls to overhead presses (rest 60 seconds between sets)
2-3 sets of 8 dumbbell bent-over rows to triceps kickbacks (rest 60 seconds between sets)
If you’d like a more specific plan that will help you accomplish your specific goals faster, we can help. Click INTRO to book a free consultation with one of our expert coaches today!
Can you build strength after 40? (Pic shown is me at 46 😉 )
Absolutely!
Many people think that we get weaker as we get older. And it’s true that we’ll all experience some physical decline as we age.
But it’s a fact that strength can be improved at any age, and older adults who train regularly can become incredibly strong. With continued training, they can hold much of that strength very late in life.
Think of it like this: If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. And you certainly won’t improve it.
People who are sedentary will start weak and become ever weaker if they don’t train as they age. Similarly, an active person who stops training will grow weaker quickly and then gradually become weaker as years pass.
The flip side is amazing:
Inactive people who start working out at any age become stronger—often quite quickly at first. As people continue to train, they’ll gradually gain more strength. If they continue working out over their entire lives, they’ll become very strong, and they’ll lose strength due to advanced age at a much slower rate.
These people retain their capabilities later in life even as inactive people around them lose their independence!
We’ve seen people well over 70 gain strength and dramatically improve function, so if you’re over 40, it’s definitely not too late to start.
Strength Training Over 40: Three Secrets
Here are three tips for gaining strength after 40 (you aren’t “over the hill”):
1. You have to work out consistently.
Building strength is about momentum. If you train 2-4 times a week and do the right stuff (see below), you’ll get stronger and stronger. But you can’t work out for a month and then take a month off. If you do, you’ll lose your progress.
2. You have to do the right things the right way at the right times.
Strength training is a balance of stress and recovery, and you can definitely do too much or too little. Similarly, doing the same things over and over will blunt their effect. You need some variety and something called “progressive overload” to ensure you always make progress. And then you need to make sure you do the movements properly. Don’t stress about all this—our professional coaches take care of everything for you!
3. Nutrition is important.
You can’t drive a vehicle without fuel, and your body won’t become stronger without the right food. Protein is important, and so are vitamins and minerals. Carbs and fats figure into the equation, too. Again, we’re experts and we can tell you how to optimize your nutrition so you get strong!
Let’s Start Lifting Together!
Remember, It’s never too late to start working out. Here’s the best part of all: People who start working out usually notice changes in strength fast. As the body “wakes up” and connects the brain to the muscles that are already there, people get stronger very quickly.
Later, with great training and nutrition, people generally notice a few more changes. Their clothes start to fit differently, movement becomes easier and more fun, and they usually add a little bit of muscle.
Don’t worry about “getting bulky.” That just doesn’t happen. If you gain muscle, it will happen slowly, and you’ll look “fit” rather than “bulky.” You don’t have to be big to be strong.
We’d love to help you accomplish your goals. We specialize in building strength in people over 40, and we’ll tell you exactly how we can help you do it in a free consultation. Click on the consultation link below to get started on your fitness journey with CrossFit Unstoppable!
You came here to find out if you can get stronger after 40. Now you know that you can. You just have to start training.
Don’t waste another day—book a consultation with us today and let’s get started!
You’ve built up good momentum, are already consistent and are feeling pretty good.
You’re eating quality foods 80% + most of your days and you’re hitting your fitness consistently 3 to 5 times per week without deviation.
Your next greatest opponent to challenge all the behaviors and momentum you’ve built is right around the corner.
The holiday season.
The holiday season challenges all of that in its own unique ways.
I know that if in the past you’ve gotten
Very stressed around the holidays,
Fallen off your nutrition routine
Lost consistency with fitness
That these patterns are likely to emerge and challenge you again and again.
AVOIDING THE SNOWBALL EFFECT…
While the holiday season in an exciting time:
family gatherings,
delicious foods,
shared memories
and quality time with people we love,
it’s very natural and normal for our nutrition and fitness to take a small step back.
How big of a step back is in your hands and your control.
The snowball effect happens when that small step back turns into a walking backwards or in reverse.
HOW IT HAPPENS
At Thanksgiving, we are around people we love and we feast. We are in company we love and enjoy and we let our guards down temporarily.
We eat foods we wouldn’t or don’t normally eat on a regular day to day basis.
These tasty treats and variance throws our taste buds into extreme sensation and pleasure seeking mode.
This snowballs when one day with one meal turns into days or even weeks of over indulging or eating too much of those joy foods and not enough quality food.
We are officially off our routine.
Then with Christmas around the corner our levels of stress are higher.
This leads to that need for a quick impulse or feel good to be even at a higher level, so we continue down this path.
As exciting as Christmas is for most of us, we can be in a constant state of stress about schedules, gifts, shopping, expectations or worries that we skip the gym more than get our daily dose of health, wellness and endorphins.
Missing a day here or there is normal and isn’t going to derail your progress.
It’s when we fall off our normal 3, 4 or 5 day a week fitness regime that we put ourselves in this hole that the further we get into it’s harder to get out of it.
And when we do eventually make our return we are unfortunately met with difficulty, a feeling of everything is difficult and I’m winded so quick and easily. Making the very thing you loved and enjoyed so regularly seem so difficult.
All challenging your will.
And then, New Years.
A classic time where people stay up later than normal, over eat snacks and drink alcohol to celebrate the closing of a year and beginning of another.
The staying up late, food and alcohol combination throws off our entire daily rhythm and leaves us with more anguish than excitement.
These factors in combination are the downhill snowball effect in full speed.
They challenge all the good behaviors, mindset/mentality and healthy consistent actions you’ve built up consistently over a long period of time.
WHAT DO I DO?
Aware – Acknowledge – Action
Awareness, that’s the first step.
Second, we must acknowledge.
We can acknowledge that our nutrition will not be perfect over Thanksgiving and Christmas and that we will fully enjoy those meals and moments with loved ones, guilt free.
We acknowledge in advance that we will likely be around others (people we love) who don’t share the same will, drive, discipline or goals as we do.
Sadly, even the same desire for high levels of health and wellness.
(Friendly tip:If your family knows you as the “CrossFitter” or the “healthy person” or “workout nut” a couple of things may happen during this time of year…..
One – they may challenge your discipline or healthy ways or two – they may talk or communicate in a way that almost shames you for being so healthyor them for not.
I encourage you to not be reactive but to lead by example and allow your best self to show up in these instances. Meet them with unwavering love and understanding. What is really being said without actually being said is “I wish I had the level of discipline and commitment to my health as you do.”)
We acknowledge that although we may travel or need to do holiday shopping or be out of town, we will remain MORE consistent within the gym than not.
Third step, the most critical is we take action.
We take action in not letting ourselves spiral out of control due to 1-2 holiday indulgences.
We take action in committing to a minimum amount of days within the gym per week because we know it will lower our stress, help keep moving us closer to our goals, bettering us daily and that if we don’t we dig a hole that the deeper it gets the harder to climb out.
We take action in planning ahead.
We plan our schedules around our workouts.
We plan what days we will be traveling.
We plan what healthy and nutrient foods we will be eating a majority of our days.
We plan to get back on track the meal or day after we eat “out of the norm.”
We plan ahead and we vow to not let 1 or 2 days where we eat out of routine (Thanksgiving and Christmas) make the other 30+ days a wash and set ourselves further away from our ultimate goal and actually hinder our progress, body composition and ultimately how we feel day to day.
We know this time of year our healthy habits will be challenged the most.
We get ahead of that challenge by being aware it’s coming, acknowledging what we need to do and not do and taking and committing to action.
Because the alternative?
That snowball effect turns into an avalanche that some can never recover from.
Here’s to stopping the SNOWBALL!
Thanksgiving Week Hours: Wednesday-Normal Schedule Thanksgiving-OPEN…9am Class Only Friday-Open Gym 6:30am-7:30am and 9am Class Saturday-Open Gym 7:45am and 9am Class
This time around I’m going to put myself out there…This summer (well, actually the last 18 months or so) has pretty much reeked havoc on my life…personally, physically, and emotionally.
All of these things made me go down a road that I did not want to be on. I didn’t focus on my health in the way that I should…I was talking the talk but I wasn’t walking the walk.
So towards the end of July, feeling sluggish and unmotivated I decided to “coach” myself and call upon an accountability partner to help get me through “August Accountability”.
I hated seeing those first numbers on the InBody reading as they were at my highest ever…this was a good time to start developing better habits – tracking my food, drinking more water, getting more sleep and moving a little more.
I did an InBody on 7/31 and five weeks later, I’m happy to say that I’m down 6.7#, added 1.1# of muscle and lost 3.2% body fat!
My workouts are so much better and I have more energy to do the things I need to get done! This stuff really works!
So are you ready to CHANGE for the better? If so, give me a shout and I can coach you Just click HERE to set up a Free Intro!! I want to help YOU!!
When looking at your body composition goals there are often 2 competing thoughts:
A quick fix and dramatic results are what you crave.
There is nothing more you want than to get to your goals as fast as you can, but it often feels exhausting and overwhelming.
Vs.
I need to learn habits that I can maintain long term.
Taking the time to get the desired results will help maintain these results, but it feels “not so sexy”.
Let’s examine what can happen with each approach.
Many of us have done restrictive challenges, fad diets and had amazing results, only to feel depleted and exhausted. Maintaining these behaviors is tough due to the rules and restrictions. The upside is the aesthetic results. Many people comment on how amazing you look. Inside, you may not feel the same. Fatigue and feeling deprived have been mentioned by some people who have adopted the quick fixes and are now searching for something sustainable. Without that sustainable approach, many people return to old ways.
Often time quick fixes and restrictive diets leave a person isolated. They don’t often promote the balance between real life and the diet. An example here is an event like a birthday or work party. On a restrictive diet, there is a temptation to not participate, not enjoy the event due to the foods or beverages involved. Instead, there is much to be learned about taking a planned break from a diet, having some “controlled fun” if you will and then challenging yourself to get back into a healthy routine after the event is done.
What is missing with these quick fixes is the time to learn habits that build your foundation. By taking your time to really learn different healthy behaviors, practicing them in real-life situations, building them into your routine, creates behaviors that are second nature and effortless. Another thing that is missing is the building of a healthier more resilient mindset that you have been able to overcome a setback and get back on track with healthy behaviors. Taking the time to learn healthy habits, a few at a time, and challenging yourself to commit to getting back on track after a time where you have gone off track builds resilience and mental toughness.
Another thing that can happen that feels more far off by taking your time is that you are taking small steps each day to invest in your long term health. Each day, by working on habits, you are making internal gains on working on avoiding the burden of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
The challenge here is allowing yourself to appreciate what can be gained by taking the time to learn the process, trusting that by investing the time and effort in learning healthy habits that this will yield a healthier and happier, more resilient you for a lifetime.
If you are looking for a healthier and more sustainable approach to achieving your goals, we recommend booking a free intro with our nutrition coaching staff!
Click here to book your free intro today: FREE INTRO
This baked oatmeal is a great option for the whole family. Top with you favorite fruit and nuts. To add extra protein, add in Bubb’s Collagen when cooking. This increases the protein to 24 grams of protein per 200 grams.
At my house, we are huge fans of muffin tins. These delicious meatloaves are great reheated. Pair with roasted veggies and mashed cauliflower for a balanced meal!
This is one of the most versatile recipes we have. You can put it over a sweet potato or make a Mexican bowl.
If you liked these, check out our recipe book. Fun fact: you can find all the nutrition facts for HSN recipes in MyFitnessPal, by typing Healthy Steps Nutrition Official then the food name.
A client came to me recently and said how badly she wanted to achieve their body composition goals and was frustrated that it was taking so long. “Why does it take so long to see the changes?” I had the opportunity to have an open and honest conversation about the importance of taking a long-term approach to our health and wellness goals and why the quick fix isn’t the way to go.
I will warn you that taking a long-term approach and truly taking the time to learn habits and make them part of a daily routine is not sexy and it is not quick. This stuff takes effort and time, and it is not a quick fix.
Taking a long-term approach to improving our nutrition means we have intent, objectives, goals, and a mission to accomplish not only short-term goals but also long-term goals. The big picture mission is simple, we want to be happy, healthy, and strong – both mentally and physically. Being consistent with healthy habits like drinking water, exercising, sleeping, meal prepping, and eating real foods is key to accomplishing your long-term goals. When we take the time to learn these healthy habits, that is when we sustain healthy behaviors and we achieve the results we are so desperately seeking.
Intent without action accomplishes nothing.
Many of us want to get to ideal body composition, losing weight and body fat. Setting those goals is the easy part. Being accountable for those goals and doing the smaller, often deemed “not so sexy” action items that lead to goal achievement is the hard part – and that’s where working with a nutrition coach in customized nutrition programs and participating in ongoing coaching programs over time is important.
First, let’s start with mapping out a long-term approach. Follow these 3 steps:
Step 1: Begin with the end in mind: What do you want to achieve? What will it take to get there?
Step 2: Start small. The little wins will snowball into larger wins down the hill. Consistency wins.
Step 3: Establish SMART Goals.
What’s a SMART goal? Glad you asked!
S – Specific; Should be simple and defined what you are going to do.
M – Measure; Tangible evidence so you can achieve the goal.
A – Attainable; They should push you just outside your comfort zone.
R – Results-Focused; Goals should measure outcomes, not activities.
T – Time-Bound; Goals should be linked to a time frame that creates a sense of urgency.
Here’s an example of what it looks like to map out nutrition goals over the course of a year:
I will eat a balanced breakfast using the plate method at least 4/7 days this week.
I will meal prep dinners with 3 compartment containers with balanced portions of lean proteins, green vegetables, healthy fats, and healthy carbohydrates for the next month to deal with busy times of the day.
I will eat balanced plates with lean proteins, green vegetables, healthy fats, and healthy carbohydrates, and have a glass of water instead of regular soda with that meal for at least 2 meals per day in the next 3 months.
In the next 6 months, I will log my meals daily to learn about my macronutrient balance, and work with my nutrition coach to stay accountable to losing 15 pounds in my customized nutrition coaching program.
This year, I will enlist the support of a coworker, family member, or friend at the gym as another accountability partner to make sure that we are eating healthy balanced meals 90% of the time, and getting to the gym at least 3-4 times per week.
I will work with my nutrition coach for at least a year to stay accountable to losing 30 pounds and 8% body fat in my customized nutrition coaching program.
It’s your turn! What does it look like for YOU to take a long-term approach when it comes to YOUR nutrition?
Map it out, and book a free intro to sit down with your nutrition coach to get a plan in place for accomplishing your long term goals! If it sounds like its going to take a long time, remember that a nutrition coach will be there with you every step of the way.
You can book a FREE INTRO HERE! We want to help YOU reach your true potential! 🙂
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