#crossfit central

[localeur]

Learning from Locals: Jeremy Thiel, co-founder, Crossfit Central

Given my co-founder’s passion for fitness and my own history as a distance runner for two decades, fitness has always been an area of interest for Localeur. One of our first Localeurs in Austin when we debuted back at South by Southwest 2013 was Jeremy Thiel, co-founder of Crossfit Central, one of the premier places to work out in all of Austin. Fast forward a few years, and Jeremy convinced me to drop in for some sessions. I may fancy myself a distance runner, but late last year I took the plunge and signed up for 10 sessions at Crossfit Central Downtown. It was a lot of new movements for me and the muscle memory definitely wasn’t there initially, doing things like box squat, overhead squats, toe-to-bar pullups and such, but I’ve just signed up for another 10 sessions because the total body benefits are definitely there. My strength has improved, as have my balance, stamina (shockingly for a distance runner) and it’s kind of cool to workout with other Austinites and people visiting from other Crossfit boxes around the world (today there was a guy from LA and another from Australia). So it only made sense to drop-in and catch up with Jeremy and learn more about his passion and his ideal day in Austin. - Joah

Localeur: Who is Jeremy Thiel and what are some basic tenets you love by?

Jeremy: A small town boy with big dreams wanting to positively impact the world by empowering people with tools to apply to their health and wellness that will radiate out into their passions.

Localeur: You’ve converted your passion for fitness, and Crossfit specifically, into a successful business. At what point or moment(s) did you realize this was your path, and that all this could be possible?

Jeremy: In 2004, I was on my friends’ couch after doing a half-Ironman feeling sorry for my self because I didn't know what I was going to do with the rest of my life. He said "move to Austin and train people hard core...you’re good at that.” I was like hmmmmm that sounds like a good idea. I moved to Austin and launched a boot camp and shortly after found Crossfit. When I was introduced to Crossfit I knew it was what I was made to do and went after it!

Localeur: Could you talk about alignment of business and your passion in fitness, in the context of Austin – a city fixated with both local business and fitness.

Jeremy: Austin is the Mecca of fitness in the state of Texas. There are so many amazing outdoor venues to ride bikes run and work out. One of my early goals was to be a staple in the Austin fitness community. I looked up to Paul Carozza of RunTex and wanted to have a similar impact for functional fitness.

Localeur: Outside of business, what makes Austin an ideal city for you and your family, especially coming from other parts of the state?

Jeremy: My grandmother and grandfather moved here in the 1950s so my mom grew up here. During summer breaks Austin was our second home. Today all five of my siblings live here with our children there’s a total of 12 cousins. My wife and I contemplated moving out of Austin as it has grown so much, but after discussing it for a short period we settled Austin was the place for us and the people and experience is like no other in the state. 

Localeur: Give us an ideal 24-hour day for you in Austin – what spots would you visit in the day?

Jeremy: First wakeup and run on the Greenbelt off of Barton Springs then jump in Barton Springs Pool for a refresher grab my wife and kids and head over to Tacodeli off Spyglass and Mopac. Go back to Barton Springs to hit the playground with my kids then let the kids take a nap and head over to South Congress, grab some coffee at Joe’s and do some people watching. For dinner, I would head over to Lambert’s on 2nd and enjoy some maple-glazed pork ribs with some collard greens and brussels sprouts. End the night with a show at the Moody Theater and call it at night!

Localeur: Between Crossfit Central and your other endeavors, you're quite busy. Do you even have off days? If so, where and how do you relax and try to enjoy Austin?

Jeremy: Being an entrepreneur, I created my life around value add to clients lives, a world class working environment for my coaches, staff lifestyle and profit. I really enjoy the city daily; getting out on my mountain bike on the trails or hitting up my favorite coffee shops for local flavor. I love Barton Springs all spring and summer, typically getting out there four to five days a week for a dip and some breathing meditation cycles.

Localeur: You seem to travel quite a bit. What are some standout cities, and where would you like to go next?

Jeremy: I love to travel! San Diego is my wife’s and my favorite city to travel to. We love all the pockets of beach towns, the great eateries and of course the Crossfit gyms. We also love to visit North Carolina; my wife’s home state. She grew up in Waynesville, a little town outside of Asheville in the Smokey Mountains.

Localeur: What's the future for Crossfit Central, and for you personally, in the year ahead?

Jeremy: I’m really excited about 2017. We have two phenomenal locations in upbeat areas of Austin. Burnet Road is a bustling area in North Central Austin with a great community surrounding it. Crossfit Central Downtown is right in the heart of the city. With so many young and talented people moving to Austin we get to host some of Austin's finest. We have been making upgrades to our locations adding training spaces plus new recovery zones soon to be added Downtown; a contrast dry sauna with ice cold water tubs.

[brianmackenzie]

Gonna be HOT!

[alysonboyd]

Press Handstand and Plange Practice

[katgrosshaupt-blog]

So excited to be back in the ATX in November! This is a MUST for anyone 

- Currently pregnant

- Thinking about getting pregnant

- Coaches of pregnant women

It is chock full of good , valuable, practical information as well as a hands-on portion out on the gym floor. Don't miss it. It WILL sell out!

Here's what people are saying....

" Thank you so much for putting this together. I feel much more confident now when I walk into the gym and don't feel so intimidated by the workouts I see on the whiteboard. I know now that I'm doing the right thing for me AND my Baby!" - Christy L.

"This was so valuable for me as a coach. We have more and more pregnant women lately in our box so now I feel like I can help them instead of being so nervous about them being in my class."- John Q.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  Deep down I felt like I knew my body and knew that CrossFit and running was ok during pregnancy, but everyone around me was quite the opposite and even made me feel bad about my choices. Now that I have this information I feel much more informed and can talk with my doctor with more confidence about what I'm doing. This was a godsend!" - Charlotte E.

For signup info, go here.  

Have a great Friday!

[katgrosshaupt-blog]

Crossfit and Pregnancy: Myths and Facts

First off, I will make the disclaimer that you should ultimately follow the advice of your Care Provider about anything pregnancy-related. It would be irresponsible of me to say to take matters into your own hands. But the reality of the situation regarding Pregnancy and Fitness is that most of the information handed down to you is outdated. And let’s not forget, CrossFit has only been around for a pretty short while, all in all. Furthermore, CrossFit has become more “above ground” only in the last couple of years. So we have to remember that most people, doctors/midwives included, have only seen CrossFit on ESPN2 or heard about it from a friend. Just last month I was at a birth and when the OB found out what I did, she said, “Oh! You can do CrossFit while pregnant?!”  

  This “issue” of whether CrossFit is safe or not or if Moms are harming their babies and putting them at risk has about 50% to do with exercise itself, but it also has to do with, in my very vocal opinion, trusting that Women know what they are doing in regards to their bodies. Sure- there are lots of women who aren’t sure how to go about exercising during pregnancy. I’m sure there are even women who go about it recklessly. What I have seen is this:

Women don’t usually take their pregnancy lightly. For most, pregnancy is a long-awaited, exciting event and they are so nervous about doing everything just right so as to not harm the Baby or themselves. Pregnant moms are research Queens.

And most Women err on the side of caution. Period.

Having said all that, let’s look at CrossFit.

What is the definition of CrossFit? 

“Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive.....The Crossfit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience...We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart conditions and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs... The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind.”

- from CrossFit.com

Ok. I don’t believe for a second that pregnant women are sick or injured, but just as coaches will scale for an injury, a good CrossFit coach will also scale for a pregnant woman’s growing and changing body.  As it says above, we scale load and intensity. As a pregnant woman’s body grows, she can no longer keep perfect form for barbell snatches and cleans. So we modify. She uses dumbells or kettlebells in order to keep good form and prevent injuries to her back from an unavoidable arc in the bar path. She also may lower the weight- all depending on how she feels that particular day. As her pregnancy progresses, the weight may get lighter and lighter. She may even choose to not even do that movement anymore.

Because of the hormone, Relaxin, which courses through a pregnant woman’s body throughout pregnancy and for months after, ballistic movements are modified in CrossFit as well and as needed. Some women feel comfortable running and jumping rope, others may choose to row or walk. As the definition above states, “we scale load and intensity, we don’t change the program.”  This is why you’ll see a pregnant woman doing the exact same workout along with the rest of the class, albeit at her own pace and with scaled movements and load.

The main point I want to get across is that women are smart and intuitive. If they’ve been in our community (CrossFit as a whole) for any length of time they tend to know their bodies, their limitations, and probably spend more time scouring the internet for Pregnancy resources than you can imagine. Are there women who take it too far? Most likely. Are there women who do CrossFit throughout their pregnancy? Definitely.  There have been multiple Moms at our gym who worked out the day of delivery. One even worked out the morning of her delivery with her OB in the same class! 

Which brings me to my next point.

The majority of the women who have continued to do CrossFit throughout their pregnancy have had extremely short, relatively easy labors. Hands down. In all the births I’ve attended I’ve noticed CrossFit Moms having a great deal of stamina, mental focus and endurance, and with all the squats we do- shorter pushing times. Oh and let’s not forget recovery. CrossFit moms have shorter, easier recoveries. All of this can be attributed to exercise but let’s not forget about diet. CrossFitters usually eat very clean, minimally processed, high quality diets. THIS MATTERS.

Ok, But What Does the Research Say?

In 2002,  the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) lifted the advisory for keeping a pregnant woman’s heartbeat below 140 beats per minute. Now, the thinking is that if you have been doing a form of exercise for at least 6 months prior to getting pregnant, you can continue to do it as long as you don’t feel too exerted. According to the ACOG website,

“Twenty years ago, very little research was done on the effects of exercise on the pregnant woman and fetus. Therefore, doctors erred on the side of caution and recommended a sedentary lifestyle for pregnant women. 

Now, numerous scientific studies have shown no correlation between moderate or even vigorous exercise and miscarriage or pregnancy-related complications. In fact, ACOG says if a woman is accustomed to vigorous exercise, she can continue to do it as long as she feels ok.”

Wow. So we should be letting women set the pace for deciding how much and what kind of exercise to do during pregnancy? Maybe we should also allow them to vote and drive a car. Oh wait...

To end this post, I want to know where the articles and outrage is towards the moms who are eating McDonald’s every day while pregnant? Drinking soda after soda after soda? Smoke? Yeah, people still smoke while pregnant. When do they get shamed and called names for endangering their babies? Why do they get a free pass? 

When something is mis-understood there is Fear. Where there is Fear there is unnecessary and uneducated backlash.  Let’s start trusting women. Let’s believe that they are doing their best for their pregnancies and their baby’s health. 

This is why I started presenting CrossFit and Pregnancy workshops. This is why I want to help women in our Community. The way a woman gives birth matters. It sets her on a certain path to parenthood and can really affect the way she sees herself both as a woman and as a mother. Now, more than ever, I am called to work with these women. It’s my passion. It’s my One Thing.

If you have any questions about CrossFit and Pregnancy, please contact me. I would love to help you!  

[email protected]

To sign up for my next CrossFit Pregnancy Workshop on November 2 in Austin, Tx, please go to this link. 

[katgrosshaupt-blog]

A Birthing Manifesto..... or the Pre-quel to my response to the Crossfit/Pregnancy Backlash

  Wow. There’s been a LOT of backlash lately regarding Crossfitting and Pregnancy. Funny how one picture or one article can start a wildfire. It’s like that with anything, really. Especially things that are mis-understood or where there is a lot of fear or resistance to changing the norm.

Most people know what I do in Life. But if you don’t- I am first a Mom of 2. I am also a Crossfit Coach (4 years), Birth Doula (60+ births), and a Childbirth Educator (5 years). So I would say I have a little experience in this arena. I don’t know everything but I’ve seen A LOT- in my childbirth classes, in the Gym, in the hospitals, and in talking with hundreds of pregnant and postpartum moms. It has shaped my thinking, the way I approach teaching and supporting pregnancy and birth, and has catapulted me into doing lots and lots of reading and research. I’ve developed personalized programs for pregnant and post-partum moms and have developed a Crossfit and Pregnancy Seminar that I travel around presenting at various Crossfit gyms. This is my passion. My true path.

I would say my Professional Philosophy is fairly moderate. My personal choices and philosophy differ from what I think about birth as a whole. This is something that has been vital to my career in this field. After all, each woman is as varied as her fingerprint and each woman has a different desire for her birthing and pregnancy experience. It’s not up to me to sway her to my side. I’m only here to guide and provide information. 

Here are some of my core beliefs about Pregnancy and Childbirth. If you are thinking of getting pregnant or already are, this is a great exercise to do. What do you really think? What areas do you find you need more information about? 

Birth is Normal. It’s not a medical emergency waiting to happen.

Women are Strong. Much stronger than they realize.

Women have in them the deep-rooted inner strength and encoded blueprint of how to have a baby. Our bodies, as women, are made to do this. And 9 times out of 10 birth will go off without a hitch if we just get out of the way and allow it to unfold on its own.

Moms have a monumental responsibility to their growing Baby(ies) to provide them with the best environment possible: air, water, quality food, and exercise. It is irresponsible to lay around and use pregnancy as an excuse to eat crappy food and lay on the couch for 9 months. 

What is good for one Woman may not be good for another. Just because your mom, best friend, or sister did things one way or used one particular care provider doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Women must arm themselves with information. Care providers are people- just like us. They know a LOT but they don’t know it all. 

Thank GOD for Doctors, Nurses, and Midwives. Here in Austin, we have some amazing medical professionals and I have had the pleasure of working with some really outstanding Birthing Professionals. Not all docs/nurses are out to get you...

Women must learn to trust themselves and their body. Tuning in to your Instincts will benefit you a million times over- not only in Pregnancy and Labor, but also when your Baby is born and you're wondering if they are in some sort of pain, if they hate you, or if they just have gas. It's probably the last one.

Birth is 80% about Mindset. Find a program (like Hypnobirthing) that will help you get in the right frame of mind to tackle labor. If you Crossfit, you’re already 50% of the way there.

There are quite a few factors that play into how your birth is going to play out. Some of them you can control, some you can’t. If your goal is a natural birth, arm yourself with tools and knowledge on how to make that happen. But if things need to go a different way for safety or health- related reasons, it’s ok. 

YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE.  NO MATTER WHAT. BIRTH IS NOT A “TEST”. THERE IS NO PASS OR FAIL. 

See above. Read it again and tattoo it on your forehead.

There is a time and a place for everything- inductions, interventions, epidurals, c-sections. They are overused. So be informed and ask questions. Your care provider, you, and your nurse are all a Team. Make decisions as a Team. Then see below.

The NUMBER ONE way to have the birth you desire is to find a care provider you are on the same page with. Be it a Midwife or an OB/GYN- this is the most important decision you’ll make in your pregnancy. They don’t just catch the baby at the end. Their policies and philosophy determine how your pregnancy and birth will go. 

On the same line, hire a Doula. I’ve never met anyone who said, “That was a waste of money.” Most of the times it’s the Dads that say “Dang. I was so against hiring you but I am sooooooo glad you were here!” Then we hug it out and they become my biggest advocate. 

Know that Birth IS a Business. Period. YOU are the consumer. From the shiny aisles at Babies R Us to Vaccine info to the production of A Baby Story- it’s all marketed to you. Same with your Provider. If you don’t like what they are telling you- leave. Find another one. I get it. They are "nice." You are not having them over for dinner. One of my students changed providers at 38 weeks. She ended up having the birth of her dreams. Be courageous. You may have other kids, but this is THIS baby’s only time to be born.

Geez. That was a lot more than I expected. I can’t help it. I get on a roll. I think I’m like the Zack De La Rocha of the birthing world. Rage Against the (Baby)Machine. Fist pump!

This is only Part 1, People. I had to set the stage for my next post about Crossfit and Pregnancy. I’m notorious for lengthy back story. Don’t worry. It’ll be worth it!

[katgrosshaupt-blog]

What's Better Than Burpees? Burpee Pullups...

I really do. Seriously.

When teaching my childbirth classes, I always stress to parents that Labor is 80% about mindset. That’s why I love Hypnobirthing and that’s one of the reasons I love Crossfit. Yesterday our workout had the following:

Back Squats

Front Squats

100 Chest to Bar Burpee Pullups

At first I was seriously contemplating going to yoga instead. I made all sorts of excuses about my shoulders and my left pinky toe (ok not really). But my friend and fellow exerciser, Kelli, texted me and said 

“Just come to class. We will all suffer together!”

So I decided to go because, really, it didn’t matter if I even finished the workout or was last, but I am committed to bettering myself and wanted to be there for and with my “team”/my classmates. Which is another reason I love Crossfit- we all suffer together :)

But back to mindset: 3 years ago if I were to see 100 Chest to Bar Burpee Pullups I would have gotten a huge knot in my stomach and stressed about it for at least a day. But when I saw it the night before, I just made a plan. I’ve been doing Crossfit for long enough to know my threshold, know my weaknesses and limitations, and plan accordingly. I love a good plan when it comes to workouts so I made one and committed to it.

My plan was to do Burpee Pullups since my chest to bar isn’t strong and I want to improve my regular pullups while maintaining a good pace with the burpee part too.  I decided to do sets of 5 with 5 breaths in between sets. I know that may sound weird to plan the number of breaths, but I’ve learned that if I don’t do that I’ll stand around forever- or until someone yells at me to move my butt!

I also chalked up between each set so I wouldn’t tear. As Winchester said yesterday- train smart. I knew that if I just powered through it I would rip and then wouldn’t be able to workout for the next few days- or wash my hair- the weekend is coming up after all- come on! 

My plan turned out to be a good one. I finished under the cutoff at 17:22. Around the 20th rep I thought, “Are you kidding me? I’m never going to finish” but then when I made it over the hump of 50, I saw the light. And by 70 I was like “I so have this” and even picked up the pace!

Today I’m heading to yoga for some major stretching and sweating. This has been a rough week and I want my body to recover and work out all the kinks. Epsom salt baths have been my friend as well as increasing my fish oil. Again, train smart. Part of that means Recovery and rest.

So the next time you face a workout that seems daunting, make a plan! Break it down into chunks and think about what’s doable for YOU. Also, make sure you talk yourself through your workout- don’t let yourself say things like “this sucks” and “when is it going to be over”- it makes all the difference- in Labor, too, by the way.

Have a great rest of your week and I’d love to hear how you plan out your workouts! What’s your strategy?

[katgrosshaupt-blog]

It Takes a Village. Part 2.

This is the first time I've ever posted pics of myself half naked on my blog. It makes me cringe but it's necessary. I think...

It’s a funny thing when you give advice and counseling all day then don’t take your own advice. I’m sure I’m the only one to ever do this, right? 

Riiiiiight.....

Old habits die hard. And what I learned last night after attending a talk about the book, The One Thing (phenomenal book btw), is that it actually takes 66 days to form or change a habit- not 21 days like we’ve always been taught.

66 Days.

That’s like 2 months. Damn.

For me, even 21 days seemed like an eternity. After a week of “eating clean” I expected 6 pack abs, chiseled thighs, and 12% body fat. Well ok, not really. But I did expect to see some sort of results after a week or so of clean eating. When that didn’t happen, I got discouraged and moved on to bigger and better things- like wine and cupcakes...you think I’m kidding.  I’m admitting all of this because there are people out there that think just because we are in the fitness industry and are coaches that we are perfect and eat squeaky clean all the time and do backsquats on our days off just for fun.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

We ALL struggle- in one way or another- to find balance in our lives. But the kicker is that I AM MY PRODUCT. I want to help people live healthy fit lives. I want people to change their eating habits and exercise habits to better themselves- physically, mentally, emotionally- all of it.  But how can I ask that of people when I’m not doing it myself?

2 weeks ago, I dusted off my meal plan that Melisa gave me, headed to Costco to buy my weight in asparagus, and got to work. I also had been reading about The Metabolic Effect and have been doing a ton of reading on their site about balancing hormones, moods, and cravings using an approach that would help you find your specific formula for eating that would carry over into your everyday life and not just be about a “diet.” (Not that P&S is a diet. I just wanted to get all the info I could about this way of eating) And actually the two are quite similar and fit together nicely.

I also met with Crystal Bold who I had been working with on my Adrenals and Leaky Gut issues to see what she thought of my Plan as I wanted to continue to heal myself while making dietary changes. She suggested I add a bit more of this and that and I was on my way.

The last piece of the puzzle was my Advocare supplements. I have been taking the MNS E (which has lots of vitamins, some fat burners, and has given me lots of needed energy), Thermoplus, Catalyst, and BioCharge. Again, I have been consistent with my supplementation and it has paid off. As my workouts have also increased, I have also upped my Omegas which has helped me recover and reduced inflammation and soreness in my body. I take Advocare Omegas as well as Original Nutritionals.

With my workouts, I’m still in the GGRX class at Crossfit Central Downtown. I’ve just upped my mental commitment and, as of yesterday, am riding my bike to my workouts twice a week (Austin sure is hilly!). I have added in a day of swimming at Deep Eddy for active recovery as well as a day of Bikram Yoga. It has made all the difference. See, sometimes more is not more. My goal is to reduce the amount of cortisol my body produces, thus helping stabilize my adrenals. So I’m not adding in extra workouts, but focusing on moving my body more and adding in activity that will complement my workouts- like biking, swimming, yoga, and even nightly leisure walks.

Ok, so to end my super long post, it really has taken a Village to get me to where I need to be. I plan on meeting with Melisa again in 2 weeks to tweak my meal plan and see where I need to go from there. Melisa is such an inspiration and is a no nonsense “punch you in the face” kind of girl- I appreciate all of her motivation and support. She’s been there too!

So I saved the best for last. I took my measurements this past weekend, and here’s my stats so far:

-2 lbs.

-2% bodyfat

-1” from waist

-1” from hips

The pic below doesn't do it much justice. They aren't much different but it's good to have a progress shot. And I couldn't locate those red shorts! :)

This is huge for me as I haven’t seen any of these numbers budge in about a year. They’ve only been going up. In my pics I can see how bloated I was too. Even though I’m only down 2 lbs. my stomach is way flatter and feels much better. Because I’m eating every 3 hours, I have no cravings, my moods are soooo much better, and my head is clear. I feel like a better version of myself actually!

I’m only 1/4 of the way to my 66 days but I’m in a way different place than I was a month ago and I’m more motivated and determined than ever.