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trans·for·ma·tion

-a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.

Many times on Tuesdays, gyms like to post about “Transformations”…I did in a way post on other media streams a transformation on one of our trainers, Seth. He was in it to win it! During our 6-wk nutrition challenge, he lost 10#, gained 2.1# of muscle and lost 3.9% body fat! Did I mention that he did this in just 6 weeks?!?

Seth is always up for a challenge and his results prove it! Not only did he transform his appearance, but he also gained valuable knowledge and discipline in following through with this challenge. And to add to all of that, he also had major strength gains! All from following some simple guidelines with nutrition!

Our nutrition adherence should not be limited to just 6 weeks though…we need to at least make good choices 80% of the time when it comes to what we eat and drink. We always tell our athletes, if you only put in 50% effort, you will only get 50% results. It’s pretty common sense, but we realize that many people think that nutrition is complicated! I think this is because there are soooooo many diet plans out there!

Google diet plans right now and you will see thousands! Literally! No wonder our nation is so confused! At CrossFit Unstoppable, we want to simplify things for people so they can transform to the person they truly want to be. We guide you in the process and help you stay accountable.

Once someone has had phenomenal results, he/she tends to be an inspiration for others…guess what that leads to; you guessed it, extra accountability. When we go through a transformation process, we not only have to talk the talk, but also walk the walk. I can’t emphasize enough how much that accountability plays a role in one’s success. At our gym we have “gym buddies” who help keep each other accountable and this helps out in more ways than one!

If you are ready to TRANSFORM your life for the better…let us know! We are here to help make you and our community Better Than Yesterday! Book a Free Consult and talk with one of the coaches about getting started in either fitness or nutrition! You do NOT need to be a member in order to get help on the nutrition side! So what’s stopping you from living your best life?? Give it a shot! Have a great day!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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In a Rut?

Why is it soooo hard??

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about and some of you may be saying, “Is she talking to me?” It’s so easy to get stuck in the same vicious cycle of bad habits…not drinking enough water, not moving your body, not fueling your body the right way, not getting enough rest, drinking too much alcohol and I’m sure there are many other bad habits that people can get stuck doing as well, but I’m going to focus on the ones that have hurt me in either the present or the past.

Water…are you consuming at least 80oz per day? Our recommendation for our athletes is at least 1/2 their weight in ounces per day; more so if they will be doing a workout that day. I usually don’t have a problem with this one as usually always have a water bottle in tow, but I can see where it can be a problem with some people. Those who are at a desk most of the day and only get up occasionally and during lunch. Something that may help is to set a timer on your phone and get up, walk to the water fountain/cooler and fill up your water bottle…at least 10oz…do this at least 5 times per day and you already have half of your quota taken care of! I’ve used this “vision” before and it may sound gross, but do you want your organs to look like a flank steak or a dried up piece of beef jerky?? Your body NEEDS water so get it in! No Excuses!

Exercise…do you move your body at least 30 minutes per day? It doesn’t have to be intense…It could be 3-10 minute walks. I bet you could do this on a break at work! You could even park further away from the entrance and take stairs! The idea here is to develop a routine and habit of just moving. Have more specific goals for building strength and endurance, well that’s another topic. I just want you to move for 30 minutes per day. Not only does the physical activity help your entire body, it helps with your mental health as well! Starting the day off right with some movement is definitely something that can help you get out of a rut!

Nutrition…do you eat “clean” at least 80% of the time? Does half of your plate at lunch and dinner contain veggies? Are you including lean protein, a starchy carb, veggies and a healthy fat at each meal? Do you know how many calories you should be consuming each day? Do you KNOW you consume too many calories? This piece right here is what gets most people down (including me!). They think it’s complicated, but it really isn’t…most people KNOW that eating ice cream every night will not help them reach their weight loss goals, but they do it anyway. Why? Because they are addicted to the sugar and they don’t have anyone holding them accountable for their goals. There are many times throughout the year when I just crave the crunch, the salt, or the sweet and it gets away from me, but I’ve found that if I have someone who knows what my goals are, I am more apt to saying no to the “bad” stuff and filling my plate with more healthy options! This gets me closer to my goals and having the accountability keeps me out of that rut! I KNOW the nutrition piece is hard…I’ve lived it. Not every day is easy, but how bad do you want to change?? That bad, huh? Well, then do the work AND if you need help, we have the tools and means to help you reach your goals faster! I attended a workshop this past Friday, and one particular thing that made a lot of sense…“Do you want to lose weight fast, or do you want to lose it forever?” Forget the fad diets and pills…we can help you reach that goal…just book an appointment with one of our nutrition coaches –> Nutrition Coaching (You do NOT have to be a member for these services!)

Sleep and Rest Days…do you get at least 7 hours of sleep or just shrug off resting your body telling yourself that you can handle just 5-6 hrs of sleep? Many ask how many hours do you really need; there are lots of studies out there and your body functions better when you get between 7-9 hours of sleep. Adolescents and children need much more so if you have kiddos, make sure they are getting adequate rest. Especially if they are athletes and need rest and recovery from practices. Rest days…it’s okay to take them, in fact we encourage athletes to take at least 2 rest day per week; this doesn’t have to be “do nothing”, you can still do an active rest day like a walk or hike or even some bike riding. But your body does need time to recover from the weight lifting or high intensity exercise that you place on it during the week. So Rest and Recover! 🙂

Lastly, one that tends to rear its ugly head is alcohol consumption…I like my beer (and wine on occasions) especially in the summer when you just want to hang out and have a couple to chill. However, these empty calories can certainly add up and guess where it adds up…your gut and butt 🙁 So the best thing to do here is plan your drinks out ahead of time if possible. Push the protein and eat as healthy as possible early on so you can enjoy the adult beverages without feeling guilty about it. You can also put a limit on consumption so you don’t have any ill affects the next day 😉

If all of us were to be on the same page with all of the above things, meaning everything on the positive, we would definitely be staying out of those ruts and funks. The physical and emotional toll that these so called ruts take on a person is terrible and I hate to see anyone there. So if you need help or just need to know where to start, let me know or follow our CrossFit Unstoppable Facebook and Instagram pages for inspiration and motivation. I want you to succeed and I definitely want to see you Better Than Yesterday! Have a great week!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Got Stress??

Sunday already…where did the weekend go?? I hope you all had a good and productive one! I had every intention to check a lot of things off the list, but sometimes you just need a little down time…I may or may not have binge watched a show on Netflix or watched a movie here and there 😉

With a week full of classes (very HOT in the gym by the way!), a slew of volleyball lessons, and the ins and outs of running the business, things can get a little bit stressful. So how do you manage your stress and your workload? Do you just deal with it or do you have any tips that help you manage throughout the week?

One thing I like to do is sit down on Sunday evening and map out the week to see when I’ve got some larger blocks of time to fit in some “down time”; let me tell you, it’s not often that down time happens so I’ll take it when I can get it! Take time for YOU every day!

Another thing that has proven helpful for me is that I get up at the same time on most mornings for some “quiet time”…a good cup of coffee and some devotion/reading time is just what I need to start the day off right. I also like to tackle 3 big things that are on my list so that way I can basically say that I’ve won the day! It’s a good feeling when you’ve accomplished 3 major tasks before 9am!

Exercise is a HUGE stress reliever for me and most of the time you can find me in the gym (well, that’s where you mostly see me anyway 😉 ) working out between 8:30 and Noon or so. I really like working out with a group so I try to hit a regular class as much as my schedule will allow. Working out with other athletes at CFU helps keep me motivated AND helps with accountability!

I would most likely go to the earlier classes, but SLEEP lately has been taking precedence. I find that when my sleep patterns are off or I don’t get enough sleep, my anxiety shoots up and it’s hard to manage. I would recommend that you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night in order for your body to properly recover and reset for the next day!

Last but certainly not least, my nutrition must be on point otherwise I stress eat or eat out of boredom. You’ve probably been there before as well, but planning out your meals and snacks is a sure way to success. I know I should have done some meal prepping this weekend (I still have a couple hours tonight!), but “doing nothing” felt good for a change! If you need help with your nutrition or would like to get started at CFU, book a Free No Sweat Intro…we would love to help you out!

It’s really easy to get caught up in the rat race of going here, going there, doing this, doing that, when do I have time, I don’t have enough time, what am I going to do if I don’t get this done…BREATHE…Slow down and make a plan. Nothing is more important than your health and well-being because if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have much to give to others. So take care of yourself, will ya?? Have a great week!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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CrossFit Unstoppable

Why We’re Different…

  • Community…at CFU, everyone knows your name. We workout together, we laugh together, we hang out together and we live life together! We have a common bond where many of us have made life-long friends because of the camaraderie 🙂
  • Coaching…at CFU, we have certified trainers to lead you through the classes…to help you with your form…to offer suggestions for modified lifts and movements…to encourage you to do something that you didn’t think was possible! Our coaches are top-notch!
  • Variety…at CFU, every day is different and you are not repeating movements on a daily basis to cause injury. We offer at least 2 workout options per day along with a variety of challenges during the course of the month/year. With all of the variety, it’s impossible to get bored!
  • Equipment…at CFU, our equipment is pretty basic; no weird machines to get trapped in and all of the movements involve functional fitness! Whether it be dumbbells, kettlebells, boxes, or bikes, our equipment will help you reach your goals!
  • Progress Tracking…at CFU, we provide a fitness tracking app (SugarWOD) to track workouts and PR’s. With this app, members can provide encouragement to other members and this helps to motivate each other with our progress!
  • Nutrition Guidance…at CFU, we offer nutrition coaching as well as publish information about the importance of the food/drink that we consume. We run nutrition challenges throughout the year to try and help members reach their goals faster. (You do not need to be a member of CFU in order to obtain our nutrition services. Click HERE if you are interested in our nutrition coaching!)
  • CrossFit Lingo…at CFU, we have our own language…what is a WOD? (workout of the day)…EMOM?? Say what? Every minute on the minute you will perform a certain movement…And what the heck is an AMRAP? As many rounds/reps as possible! All of these terms help make the workouts more “fun” and different!

The bottom line is…CFU is a fun atmosphere where you can do a bunch of crazy things while having fun with friends in order to reach your goals! It’s a WIN-WIN situation! If you are interested in changing up your routine and reaching your goals faster, book a free No Sweat Intro so we can come up with a plan for YOU! Because you deserve the BEST!

Have a great weekend!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Ken Wilks

Age is Just a Number!

“I am 63 years-old and have been going to the CrossFit Unstoppable Masters Class for seven years.  It has helped me tremendously!  I have toned up my leg and arm muscles – my wife says that I am getting ripped!! An added bonus is that I have increased my stamina.  Plus, it has helped me lose over 40 pounds. 

Debbie, who works with the class knows her stuff and tailors the workouts to suit individual needs.  She challenges us, but she also encourages us and helps us push our limits.  At CrossFit Unstoppable you don’t have to wait to use the exercise equipment nor pay more to have a trainer work with you.  There is plenty of room to work out in and you can easily practice social distancing. 

We do a variety of different exercises each time and I always feel better after going through the workout sessions.  The exercises are good for the heart, body, mind and soul.  If you are 50 or older, I can assure you that joining the Masters Class at CrossFit Unstoppable would be one of the best things you could do for your health and for yourself.”

Ken Wilks
CrossFit Masters Class participant since 2013

If you would like to learn more about our “Forever Young” Masters class, click HERE to set up a free consult to see if our program is right for you!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Boredom Eating…

Have you ever gotten home from a long day at work and found yourself downing a whole bag of chips or sleeve of cookies? Maybe after your long day with the kids you sit down and relax with a little mindless binge on Netflix and automatically turn into a bottomless pit that eats through the pantry like the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar? Raise your hand, because we have all been there! 

In general, if you’re not hungry, you’re emotionally eating! According to research, a high boredom task increases the desire to snack.  Increases in eating may be used as an attempt to distract from an experience, in this case being bored or stressed.  We often see this while sitting in front of the TV or computer, when feeling stressed about an upcoming deadline, or simply needing a mental break from certain tasks like writing emails. What situations do you find yourself snacking more even though you aren’t hungry?

Just because boredom or stress eating is common, it does NOT mean we have to keep doing it! Here are 5 strategies to help you overcome this habit: 

  1. Fix your mindset 

This is KEY! Instead of thinking thoughts associated with a negative emotion, try turning it positive. Instead of “this is boring” or “this is awful, I hate answering emails all day”, try asking yourself “how can I make this more enjoyable” or thinking, “Everyone has to do some tasks they don’t want to do in life, this is just one of those for me!” While this may seem small, changing negative emotions to positive just by mindset will make a world of difference! 

  1. Closet cleanout

Out of sight, out of mind! Don’t allow your junk food to be so easily available. Choose to get rid of them, place them in high cabinets, or even the freezer!

  1. Change up your routine

Winding down with TV at the end of the day? Decide how many episodes you are going to watch and think about setting an alarm. Rather than snacking, bring a water or seltzer to keep your hand busy. Getting more bored? Move to a different, more stimulating task. 

  1. Learn your hunger & fullness cues

Take the time to check in with yourself and evaluate if you are truly hungry or just bored! Don’t eat until you’re full and SLOW DOWN! It takes time for your brain to get the signal from your stomach that you’ve had enough. 

  1. Practice mindful stress management

This is as easy as remembering “STOP”! Slow down, Take a breath, Observe how you are feeling/thinking and why, Proceed while considering multiple possibilities. 

Stress and boredom eating can create a cycle of continued negative self-talk, thoughts, and feelings. Keep these 5 strategies in mind the next time you feel overwhelmed or sit down to unwind in front of the TV.

 If you are looking for more guidance to create a better mindset and healthy habits, schedule a time to speak with our nutrition coach to help you find the path to success! 

Book TODAY

Coach Aaron

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Nutrition-Keep It Simple!

Nutrition should not be complicated! But many people make it out to be and start making excuses on why they do not reach their goals! Bottom line is…follow these little tips to make your nutrition journey a little bit easier!

Don’t drink your calories

A coffee from the coffee shop might as well be a giant slab of cake… a venti size frappuccino with whipped cream at Starbucks can have as many as 600 (!) calories. Alcoholic drinks are all empty calories (meaning you get no nutritional value) plus consuming alcohol in excess can cause you to make poor food choices. Fruit juice, while natural, is liquid sugar! Water or unsweetened tea is your best bet. Check the labels!

Drink water with every meal

Hunger can often masquerade as thirst. You may feel that you are still hungry, but really you just need some water, so drink a tall glass with every meal. If you can’t decide if you need a snack or not, drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes before going for the snack. If plain water is too boring, try infusing your water with fruit. Use a shaker bottle, add a few pieces of frozen fruit and you have a cold, lower sugar, flavorful drink.

Eat veggies with every meal

Mom said veggies are good for you and turns out she was right. Not only are you getting a boatload of nutrients and vitamins, but the water and fiber content of the veggies keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Try sautéing vegetables, like zucchini and onions, and seasoning with salt and pepper and fresh herbs like chopped thyme or tarragon. When in a pinch grab a bag of baby carrots, snap peas, or green beans. Almost all supermarkets have washed and packaged snack or smaller size portions of fresh veggies. At CFU, we teach the plate method which is making at least 1/2 your plate be veggies! This helps with filling you up AND there are less calories!

Make calculated indulgences

Nobody said, never indulge! Just plan and indulge smarter. A failure to plan is a plan for failure! If you know you’re going out for dinner and you’ll want to order dessert, make smart food choices leading up to your meal out and there’s no need to feel guilty about the brownie with ice cream. Ordering the dessert is a planned indulgence. Now, if you find yourself eating junk food from a vending machine because you didn’t plan ahead to bring your own food, you’ve indulged, but you probably haven’t enjoyed it one bit. Plan ahead and eat well most of the time so you can eat something not so healthy but feels truly worth it guilt-free. There are non perishable food items you can stash for snacks; almonds are a great option.

Avoid your “trigger” foods

Can you think of any foods that once you start eating them you just can’t seem to stop? The package of crunchy, salty, sugary, fatty whatever-it-is that you just need to keep snacking on until it’s gone? Any food that triggers a binge, that is, a food you cannot eat in moderation, you should just simply steer clear of. Remove the temptation. If it is in your house get rid of it and replace it with a healthier option. Better yet, don’t buy it in the first place!

It all goes back to keep it simple. If it is to hard to follow it is a recipe for failure and frustration.

Take the tips above focus on them and then start building upon them. Don’t start with “all of the above” all at once…take one tip per week and build upon that!

If you would like to have some extra guidance, book a free consultation with one of the nutrition coaches so we can get you on the right path! You are worth the time and effort! Have a blessed day!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Transformation Tuesday

Michelle Trupiano

12 Weeks!

I am so proud of this lady! When she first walked through the CFU doors, she really didn’t know what to expect and she kept asking if she could really do CrossFit. Yes, Michelle…You CAN! And look what she says about her past 3 months at CFU…

“This is long and both a brag and a thank you…

3 months ago I was the heaviest I’ve ever been outside of being pregnant. 

It wasn’t so much the number on the scale that bothered me but that fact that I was lethargic all the time, my clothes didn’t fit, and I was being controlled by my addiction to sugar. 

I had been telling myself for months that I needed to make a change but one day would pass into the next and I couldn’t muster the motivation. 

One day I was scrolling through FB and an ad popped up for CFU. Not sure what it was but something “clicked” that this was it. 

In less than 3 minutes I was signed up for a consultation and it has been the best split second decision I have ever made. 

The first few workouts I had lots of WTF have I gotten myself into thoughts (honestly, I still have lots of those thoughts) but I stuck with it, even in quarantine, and in 3 months I have lost 16 lbs and 10% body fat, but more importantly I have energy for the people and things I love.

 I still have a ton of goals to achieve, like maybe one day in the future (far, far, away) being able to do a HSPU, or lift more than 60 #’s, or hang from the rig for more than 15 seconds, but for now, I truly feel Unstoppable. 

Big thanks to Debbie for all that she does day in and day out to motivate all of us and to all the coaches, especially the D&E coaches – David, Haley and Aaron – for always being patient as you show me once again the correct way to do something and always pushing me to do a little more than I think I am capable of. 

And thanks to all the members for always cheering me on. I didn’t know that CFU was what I needed but I am so glad I walked through the doors!”

Michelle, we will help you reach your goals…just keep showing up and doing the work! Your hard work and dedication is definitely paying off!

If you would like to achieve similar goals, book a No Sweat Intro with us and we will help you get there! Happy Tuesday!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Rest & Recovery

Rest days…some people are good at them, some are not; that’s the plain honest truth. When I talk rest, I mean not doing a hard work and giving your body a day or two to recover. Some people like to workout at CFU all week then take the weekends off and maybe go for a walk or run. Others may go 6 days on with just one day off. Everyone is different; the key here is to listen to your body.

Today I did just that, well kinda…Yesterday I had a pretty tough workout which included 80 heavy lunges and my backside let me know this morning that they were heavy! So, instead of doing 63 wallballs along with some burpees and rowing, I decided to workout my lungs instead on a cardio challenge workout that we posted. Our gym is a bit unique in that we have 2-3 options to choose from when you go to the gym.

This is because everyone has different goals and abilities. I like to think that our members are more apt to show up because of these choices and it is better in the long run for all of our goals. Had I done the regular workout, I probably wouldn’t have been able to walk right for a few days 😉 Don’t laugh, it’s probably happened to you as well! 🙂

Post-recovery…what do you do? Stretch…mobility…protein…recovery drink…all of the above? We all should be doing this! I’m guilty of not stretching the right way after a workout as I’m usually busy going from appointment to class to appointment to whatever…It gets pretty hectic, but one thing that I have found that does help a bit faster for me are recovery drinks. I prefer the O2+ which is a non-carbonated, oxygen infused drink with CBD recovery in it!

Our gym recently participated in the #stayformay campaign and O2 was gracious enough to help out the members by selling the cases online for 1/2 price; our gym also got a few extra cases as an incentive for participating. All in all, it was a WIN-WIN situation because we got to save money AND we have a great recovery drink for our tough workouts.

Take the listening to your body and taking a rest day, stretching and a recovery drink here and there and you’re bound to set yourself up for success! It doesn’t do anyone any good to workout if you don’t have any fuel in the tank! I’ll go more into that later in the week! Hope you all had a great Monday! 🙂

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Getting Off Track – Saturday 7.4.20

Happy Independence Day! How are you celebrating? BBQ, Fireworks, a few drinks? All of the above for me, but I’m going to keep it under control 😉

Many people use the summer months as an excuse to let things slide a little bit (some – a LOT!). We see a lot of this in our profession around the holiday months as well and the rationale behind the excuses really isn’t acceptable. Why? Because to get decent results with exercise and nutrition, one can eat pretty clean 80% of the time and workout 3-4 times per week. If they choose to tighten up the reins a bit then they will see even better results.

I’ve been on my “latest” fitness journey for 10 years now and I have had those days and months even when I’ve gotten off track. Many think that progress is only hard at the beginning of the journey; I’m here to tell you, that just isn’t true…things come up which try to derail you. You lose focus and you need to find your way back. You get too comfortable after losing 50# then slowly the weight comes back on because an extra bite here or there won’t hurt, right? Do you know what I’m talking about?

Progress is definitely not a straight line either! There will be ups and downs throughout one’s health journey, but the main thing is to NOT focus on the setbacks and forge on towards a healthier future! Are you better than yesterday? Are you better than you were a year ago? If not, set some new goals and set out to reach them and see where you end up in a week, a month, a year…Build healthy habits and watch your success happen!

Put in the work and it will work for you! If you want progress and transformation, then get yourself back on track and make things happen-You are worth it! If you need some extra guidance and accountability, let us know and we can get you started! We want to help people with their journeys!

Have a safe and happy 4th!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!