This training cycle has been a fantastic start to our new gym. Everyone has been buying into it whole heartedly and you have reaped the benefits from it.

Firstly, strength-wise everyone has improved tremendously over the past 8 weeks in the Strict Press, Back Squat and Deadlift which has been the overall strength focus. Secondly and more importantly for all the new members who haven’t been doing a lot of strength training in the past, your weights would have gone up of course but your technique has become a lot better and that is most important for improving in the future and staying injury free.

We have also been focussing a lot more on accessory work to make sure we have overall improvement of both larger and smaller muscle groups. Both the main movers and the stabilizing muscles will need to work together for you to get the most out of your strength. Core strength has been a big part of the accessory program as every functional movement starts from there.

Functional movements for us are exercises which are categorically unique, in the way they express power. (Deadlift very Functional vs wrist curl not very functional)

The main reason for focussing on the Strict Press, Back Squat and Deadlift is those three lifts are the foundation to all lifting so being good at these three will yield the best results in strength and technique over time.

The main part of our program is of course general fitness because we believe it is the most bang you can get for your buck and it is the most fun. We do not neglect any aspect of fitness which means you will not miss out on anything. All these exercises we have included in our current program also act as a testing battery for us to assess what part of fitness is lacking in the gym as a whole this will in turn improve everyones fitness longterm. This also means even though we might not be working on your specific weakness right now we will eventually get to it and in the meantime you will get really good at everything else. Don’t worry there is always something to work on. And yes you can improve both strength and fitness at the same time, you are proof of that every day:)

Note: There will be an updated time table coming soon so stay tuned for that and other news surrounding the gym

Christian

Friday 4/11/16

WOD: 3 Rounds for Time

600m Run

30 SDHP 35/25kg

30 Wall Balls 9/6kg

Accessory Work: 3 rounds for Quality

10 DB Step ups (each leg)

10 Strict Single arm DB Presses

5-10 Strict Pull ups

You might say its too early to start thinking about christmas now but reality is it will creep up on you if you’re not prepared so making sure you get into a daily routine before december has to start now. I can’t help you buy all your presents or sort out your dinner plans but I can help you with your health and fitness.

Physical activity increase production of endorphins in your central nervous system and gives you a feeling of being on a high.

When you focus on training you forget about other things in your life, if only for a moment. It gives you a time-out from what is stressing you out. Focussing your mind on and completing simple tasks like during a training session will help you feel accomplished and can give you a new perspective on things.

Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, it can relax you, and it can lower the symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. Exercise can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress and anxiety. All of these exercise benefits can ease your stress levels and give you more control over your body and your life.

Make sure you get some exercise in most days to help combat stress. Its not too early to start. Get into a routine before its too late and the christmas stress get the better of you.

Christian

Thursday 3/11/16

Strength: Back Squat testing

Option 1: Find 1RM

Option 2: Work on Technique

WOD: For Time

21-15-9

15 HSPU

15 Hang Squat Cleans 40/30kg

2 min Rest

21-15-9

TTB

Push Jerks 40/30kg

Hey Chrispy! Just wanted to say a huge thank you for everything this year! This year has been the first time I’ve actually stuck to any form of training before and it’s amazing not only to notice the physical improvements – but also how much my life has been enhanced by it too (sounds cheesy, but true!). You’ve been hugely part of this process and I’m really going to miss the banter and training at Southern Peak Fitness. All the best with your business career and I’ll be sure to stick my nose in and say “hi” next time I’m down.! Cheers, Jess xx

This is exactly why I wanted to open a gym, to affect peoples lives in a positive way. I have said before I want to change everybody’s lives but the truth is, if I can just change one persons life that would be worth it.

Thank you for the kind words and your banter will be missed Jess, especially questions like “I really love the brickwork at the gym,  Did you set up the bricks or were they already there”?

Christian

Wednesday 2/11/16

Strength: Strict Press Testing

Option 1: Find new 1RM

Option 2: Work on technique

Skill: Muscle Ups

Option 1: Unbroken reps of 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1

Option 2: Pull/Push Strength

Option 3: Turnover drill

WOD: 7 min AMRAP

5 Unbroken Hang Power Snatches 60/40kg

100m Run

Finisher: 3 Rounds For Quality

30 Sec Hollow Hold

30 sec Arch Hold

30 sec L-Sit Leg raises

Christian

Tuesday 1/11/16

WOD: 15 min EMOM

1st min: 6 CTB Pull ups & 8 Box Jumps 24/20′

2nd min: 40 Double Unders & 4 Burpee over box

3rd min: 14 Reverse Lunges 50/30kg

Then straight into 3 rounds of

6 CTB Pull Ups

5 Burpee over box 24/20′

40 Double Unders

4 Burpee Over Box

14 Reverse Lunges 50/30kg

We are moving into testing week for Squat, Deadlift and Press. It will be very interesting to see how much stronger you have all become over the past 8 weeks.

Testing weeks are important because not only will you see where you are at at this point in time but more importantly you will have a clear picture of where to go from here. While we always try to focus on overall fitness, strength is an important part of fitness and we have been focusing a bit more on it for this training cycle. Make sure you commit to this weeks sessions and get the most out of the max strength testing sessions. For the students who have gone on holiday already make sure you find a gym at home and get your testing lifts in to finish this training cycle off. It would be a shame not to find what your maxes really are as most strength training works from a % system and without clear numbers these percentages will be inaccurate and wont help you improve.

With the amount of times we have told you to know your numbers, I hope you have recorded your old testing numbers so you can see how much you have improved. In case you haven’t I can, this one time, help you out but we do highly recommend you record and keep strength numbers and times of wods for future comparisons.

Christian

Monday 31/10/16

Strength: Deadlift Testing

Option 1: Find you 1RM Deadlift

Option 2: Work on technique in singles

WOD: 5 Rounds For Time

200m Run

15 Burpees

15 KB Swings 32/24kg

It has been a stressful month but finally got my new Visa back which I am absolutely stoked about. Thank you to everybody who wrote a letter in support of my application it meant the world to me seeing all those letters and I am sure that was what swung the decision in my favor in the end:) Great to see how our community stand together when need be so thank you very much to everyone.

What a shame Otago couldn’t bring it home in the end I was glued to the TV till the last seconds but it wasn’t to be. Bad luck boys hope you come back stronger next season.

Saturday 29/10/16

WOD: Partner WOD – 30 min AMRAP

Partner A) 600m Run

Partner B) AMRAP of:

15 Wall Balls 9/6kg

20 DB Snatches 20/10kg

25 Toe To Bar

Scale as needed

How are you going to show off all that fitness you have worked so hard for? It is important to have something to supplement all the fitness you are doing. Playing a sport this summer will also help your athleticism. Especially team sports like rugby, football, netball and so on forces you to be fast on your feet and able to change direction quickly which is something we don’t do a lot of on a daily basis. Another thing you will hopefully end up seeing is how easy you can pick up a sport and be good at it straight away because of all the training you have been doing in the gym. Im not saying you will be a pro, but chances are you will be able to move better than you thought because of your fitness background.

It doesn’t have to be a team sport either you might want to start with something a little closer to home like running or weight lifting. The difference here is those types of specialized sports will often culminate in doing some kind of competition whether it be a lifting meet or half marathon. A team sport like footy or netball is more something you can compete at on weekly basis. In the end it really depends on what you will find the most fun. But keep being interested in new things, learn new sports which in turn will help you learn more about yourself. Have fun and stay fit and healthy.

Friday 28/10/16

WOD: Max Reps in 24 min: 90 sec Work: 30 sec Rest

First 90 sec: 200m Run – Max Thrusters 40/30kg

Second 90 sec: 30 Double Unders – 8 Burpees – Max KB Swings 24/16kg

Score is Max Amount of Thrusters and KB Swings, separately

These 5 fire breathers were bitten by the CrossFit bug long ago and it is an absolute pleasure training all of these guys because you know when they turn up they are there to throw down, it doesn’t matter if it is in class or at boot camp. Mark has been a regular member of 6am classes since day one while Letty and the kids have been training in my boot camps for the past many years:) It is fantastic to see how highly this family rates health and fitness as an integral part of their day to day lives. You can easily tell too as all five of them are super fit and healthy and even though I am sure the kids aren’t always keen on a 6am session they still turn up ready to train. Any coach dream of members like you because you work hard and you listen to the coaches because you are always there to learn and get better.

Mark has always been good for some banter but he is rarely on the receiving end of it as he regularly cleans the floor with the 6am crew haha. When I first started training Letty I could barely get her to string a sentence together but as she has become fitter and stronger and gotten closer to more of the other members her confidence has grown and she has definitely opened up a lot more, she always has a joke or cheeky comment for the rest of us to lighten the mood before a hard boot camp session.

Im sure the three boys can be a handful at times but it is great to see how far they have come and how much they have matured over the course of the time I have known them. They are all super smart and are getting more and more athletic every time I see them. Arvan, jack and Heath you have all got bright futures ahead of you, just go for it and remember it doesn’t matter if you don’t get it right the first time. There will always be someone there to help you through if you need it. Nothing good in life comes easy so work hard for what you want.

Looking forward to many more sessions in your company team:)

Thursday 27/10/16

Strength: 5 x 3 Back Squats (compare to 29/9/16)

Sets 1-2 @ 70% + 2.5-5kg

Sets 3-4 @ 80%  + 2.5-5kg

Set 5 @ 90%  + 2.5-5kg

WOD: 10 Min AMRAP

3 Snatches 70/45kg

7 HSPU

Good Morning  everyone,

The gear is on its way but if you are one of the lucky ones who are going on holiday early I am of course more than happy to send it to you. Just make sure you get hold of me ASAP with your address. If you haven’t gotten around to paying me yet please do so to our bank account or bring cash into the gym when you are working out next.

With all the students starting to leave it is a really positive sign that the classes aren’t really decreasing in size due to all the new members who are starting to sign up. That is of course a great thing so make sure you keep coming down and reap all the benefits from working out in a group of like-minded people.

We are looking forward to seeing what summer has in store for us and we are super excited about how the first couple of months has been going.

Enjoy your day and try to keep warm with this 10 Rounder:)

Wednesday 26/10/16

WOD: 10 Rounds for Time

12 Wall Balls 9/6kg

6 Box Jumps 30/24′

3 Muscle ups

I have touched on the subject before earlier this year and I feel it needs repeated to make sure all of you have a chance to make use of this technique. The main point for this post is to make sure you develop your own cues to use during WODs.

Main reason for developing Cues: During a hard workout it is easy to lose form as you are trying to work as fast as possible and the wheels can come off very quickly when that happens. To make sure you work with virtuosity (a perfect balance between intensity and good technique) you should develop cues to make sure you keep good form and minimize risk of injury. It will help you focus on each exercise you are meant to do rather than how hard or difficult the workout is or how tired you are. Its about controlling what you can control during each WOD.

Developing good Cues: A good cue should focus on body position and technique. Telling yourself to keep a tight core during deadlifts or fast elbows during cleans. If you are performing a high rep WOD you should focus on how to cycle through big sets of reps rather than just go go go… When you are performing Heavy weights get yourself set up before starting the lift. Use cues that mean something to you. We as coaches use and explain cues to you all the time that would be a great place to start if you are unsure what to tell yourself. And as always: When in doubt, Ask

Tuesday 25/10/16

Strength: 5 x 3 Deadlift (compare to 27/9/16)

Sets 1-2 @ 70% + 2.5-5kg

Sets 4-3 @ 80% + 2.5-5kg

Set 5 @ 90% + 2.5-5kg

WOD: For Time

600m Run

21 Front Squats 60/40kg

21 Pull ups

400m Run

15 Front Squats

15 Pull ups

200m Run

9 Front Squats

9 Pull ups

Finisher: 4 min Tabata

Hollow Hold

Sit ups