The Grand Opening celebration that is scheduled for tomorrow is being postponed until next Saturday, April 27 3-5pm. Unless you live in a cave, this should not come as a surprise to anyone, considering this past week in Boston and Cambridge, life has been crazy, to say the least. First the bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Then this morning as I got ready to teach a 7am Small Group Training class, I was barraged by the absolute insanity that has taken place, literally right in my hood!!! We are all on lock down mode and in lieu of this, I think it best to move the Grand Opening to next Saturday. I hope you can join us and help welcome Raw Fitness Performance to East Cambridge!
A true Bostonian would sub hell for the f-bomb…. Or maybe that’s just me;)
You could win 1 month of FREE Small Group Training
and other cool schwag!
Come check out the new BIZ creating a BUZZ!
We area Strength and Conditioning facility that specializes in personaltraining in a small group or private setting with affordable options for everyone. We do not charge an initiation fee. We do not have memberships. You only pay for the training you want or need. We like to keep it simple.
We offer:
Individualized programming based on your needs and goals
Functional Movement Screens, 7 assessments that identify functional limitations, issues that can reduce the effects of training and conditioning
Fitness and Performance Assessments to establish baseline measures
High quality and nationally certified coaches that educate, motivate, and inspire you to do your best
Cutting-edge training utilizing some of the HOTTEST equipment on the market today
We want you to feel better, move better, look better, and live better!
We are finally done with all the work to get RFP in a state of bliss…. YEAH! Now there are no excuses not to get your butt in here and try us out. Our approach to training is personalized and customized to be sure you are ready and able to perform at your best. We ARE NOT interested in just beating the crap out of you. We ARE interested in your LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT, making exercise a lifestyle, not a “one and done.” Too many people are confusing pain and soreness with production. Don’t be fooled by that approach. It takes time to develop the fundamentals that will provide the foundation for successful development of strength, speed, power, conditioning, and overall fitness. It’s an investment that pays dividends; you’ll move better, feel better, AND look better, without the risk of being hurt. I’d say that’s worth it. Come and see for yourself.
A quick update on the second floor beautification project. Last week was spent sanding, caulking, priming, and painting the office to make it a more enjoyable space to look at AND become more functional. Friday I finished the second coat of paint and scheduled the carpet and rubber flooring installation for this coming Friday. Yeah! Once that is done, WE ARE DONE with the build out! I am very excited to have a fully operational studio, maximizing the usage of all the space. Take a look at the before and after pics. Pretty amazing transformation with just a little paint and some elbow grease.
These pics were from last Friday night, getting ready for the Open House. Doesn’t this place look like a fun place to get into shape or train for sports performance??????
I was pretty spot on with this graphic. It helped me to imagine the space and how best to utilize it.
THANK YOU Court, Jilly, and Virginny for helping to get RFP ready for biz-nass and it’s coming out party! YOU GUYS ROCK! I love you all:)
Unpacking lots of stuff! Cool.
So many windows, so little time….
Can’t wait to just hang out…….
If you are interested in training at Raw Fitness Performance then check out the schedule and get your self signed up for Small Group Training. First class is on the house – FREE! Come try us out.
We’d love the chance to earn your business! The success of the company is built on the reputation and professionalism of Raw Fitness Performance. Providing top notch training and coaching at an affordable price sets us apart from other competitors. We offer the same high quality instruction and programming you’d find in a college strength and conditioning department or top tier health club, but in a “small budget gym” setting. We do not charge an initiation fee. We do not have memberships. You only pay for the training you want or need. We like to keep it simple.
We had a successful Open House Saturday with a steady flow of visitors to check out the shiny new digs of Raw Fitness Performance! Thank you to those who were able to stop by and check us out. For those that could not make it, no worries. You’ll be on the list for the official Grand Opening some time in April. I’ll be sure to give plenty of lead time so you can plan accordingly;)
If you are interested in training at RFP, check out the newly posted schedule under the Schedule tab and sign yourself up for some Small Group Training. First class is F-R-E-E…. that’s right, FREE. It’s your opportunity to try us out and see what we are all about with no obligation. If you are not a big groupie-type individual, no problem. We offer Private and Semi-Private (2-4 people) Training. Just click the tab for that. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!
Without further ado, here’s a peek of the “almost finished” product of Raw Fitness Performance. (Almost b/c only the Training Floor is done).
We area Strength and Conditioning business dedicated to Sports Performance, Private, Semi-Private, Small Group, and Bootcamp Training for all ages and ability levels. We offer cutting-edge programming and high quality coaching, in a small budget-gym setting with affordable options for everyone. We do not charge an initiation fee.
We do not have memberships. You only pay for the training you want or need.
We like to keep it simple.
What was old school is now new school! We combine kettlebells, Olympic-style lifts, barbells, dumbbells, TRX®, med balls, playgrounds, and much more to make working out fun, challenging, and RESULTS-DRIVEN!
I couldn’t resist sharing this because it is absolutely hilarious!!! I first saw this video last summer and for some reason yesterday it popped into my head. I thought it would be a good follow-up to the blog I posted the other day.
When you can’t get to the gym or take your scheduled run or bike ride, what better way to get some fitness than to go out and play in the snow. Today was Nemo Workout Day! Court and I usually take a run on Saturday or Sunday to the Bunker Hill Monument, but of course Nemo changed our routine. Today we strapped on the snowshoes and headed over to Charlestown!!!
Getting ready to do a Nemo Workout!
We stuck to the side streets which are not cleared yet and then cut through North Point and Paul Revere Parks and kept on going. Holy cow is the snow deep and we had one heck of a workout!! For the number geeks, we burned about 1000 calories in a little over 2 hours! And more importantly, we had fun doing it!
Made it to Charlestown!
Bunker Hill Monument….made it!
Tomorrow’s workout is digging out Peppa! Can’t say THAT will be fun, but it will be a workout.
My last blog announced my soon-to-be opening business Raw Fitness Performance, a small training studio dedicated to Sports Performance, Personal, Small Group, and Bootcamp Training located in East Cambridge. In the blog, I included a drawing of the layout and highlighted the equipment that will outfit the training space, e.g. Kettlebells, Olympic platform, squat rack, chin/pull-up bars, dumbbells, medicine balls, climbing rope, etc. I’m pretty sure it is the choice of equipment that has people asking me if I am “CrossFit.” (If you don’t know what CF is, here’s a link to get caught up; http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossFit.)
Let’s get a few things straight. I am not “CrossFit.” I am not a CF affiliate, nor am I a CrossFitter, or whatever you call someone who participates in CF. I do not plan to open a CF “box,” CF lingo for gym. I don’t necessarily have anything against CF, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you should know something about the latest and greatest fad to come along since the vibrating weight loss belt. CrossFit has exploded onto the fitness scene as “forging elite fitness using fundamental movements performed at high intensities” and it has everyone talking.
Now before I am accused of being a CF “hater,” hear me out. I remember when I first heard about CF about 6-7 years ago when it was just starting to blow up. I actually liked the idea behind the high intensity philosophy; after all, research continues to provide ample evidence that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) results in greater fat loss, increased work capacity, improved strength, power, and conditioning in half the time compared to other exercise modes. I agreed with their functional approach that people needed to work HARDER, push themselves by getting off the machines and grabbing some dumbbells, climbing some ropes, or throwing around some heavy weights. After all, I’ve been a Strength and Conditioning Coach for almost 25 years now, and have seen the positive results of that type of training, both personally and professionally. But scratch under the surface and you see their “constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity” to violate most sound and scientific strength and conditioning principles. As a result, people are getting hurt. Yet CF claims to have roots in the strength and conditioning field. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states “the ultimate goal for strength and conditioning professionals and other sports medicine specialists-athletic trainers, physical therapists, physician assistants, and physicians-is to help individuals achieve maximal physical performance without incurring injury.” The NSCA, founded in 1978, is the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, supporting and disseminating research-based knowledge and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness.
Participants are asked to do complex movements, such as overhead squats, Olympic-style lifts, squats, Kettlebell swings, and gymnastic moves like kipping and hand stand push-ups, without enough physical preparation to handle the high levels of stress those types of exercises place on the joints and soft tissue. It’s not only the couch potato I refer to but even those that make health and fitness a regular part of their life that are getting hurt. Throw in some bad coaching and you have a recipe for disaster. Too many participants are getting injured. Why?
I believe this is a three-fold problem:
It is easy to get a CrossFit-Level 1 Trainer certification.
It is FRIGHTENINGLY easy to own and open a CF “box.”
Their programming is flawed for long-term success.
To obtain a CF-L1 cert, you take a weekend course, 7 hrs/day, 14 total hands-on hours, with the focus being to provide attendees the understanding to better use CrossFit methods for themselves; and to provide attendees an initial and foundational education to begin training others using CrossFit. The cost is a $1000 and if you pass the 50 question exam at the conclusion of the weekend course you earn the certification. BOOM. Easy. Once you have that cert, you can now become an “affiliate” and open your own CF “box” by paying an additional $3000/year to license the name. Done. BLAM!
Flash forward, now you are training OTHER people with little knowledge and even less experience using “functional, aka complex, movements performed at high intensities, aka fast speeds.” And for real, you think 14 hrs of a hands-on introductory course is enough preparation for RUNNING YOUR OWN SHOW and TRAINING OTHER PEOPLE? I remember thinking that my CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) I got in 1991 through the NSCA just before starting graduate school was going to prepare me for becoming an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach while at UMass-Amherst. On the very first day in the weight room I quickly realized I knew jack! I have worked hard to become the coach I am today, learning and developing a training philosophy that has evolved over 25 yrs of coaching experience. This is the best example of my coaching style and philosophy I can give you.
Again, in theory, this type of training sounds all hunky dory. Fast and furious, short and sweet, more bang for your buck, get in and get out kind of workouts!! Yehaw! Sign me up. But buyer beware, because this type of workout places a high metabolic stress especially on the central nervous system, which over time has been shown to lead to overtraining, detraining, or injury. The body cannot meet the demands of high intensity exercise every day, week in week out, month after month. For example, here is workout of the day (WOD) done for time that some dude did and posted on his FB page:
Whew! I’m tired and sore just reading that. I hope to god the dude who did it had a decent level of core stability and strength. Otherwise that is one ugly-ass workout! And to be honest, I would never give an athlete or client that kind of workout. It’s just not my style.
But my point is this; only time will determine if this type of programming is any good. As it stands now, I’d say CF is headed for disaster. Too many CF “boxes” run by too many inexperienced trainers, with not enough quality control. It’s reckless and dangerous for the participant and the industry. And yes, I realize not everyone falls into this category, that there are good CF trainers out there doing good things. But I think CF needs to cool their jets and figure out how to curb the impending disaster that seems to be looming large. Too many people are getting hurt. Just google CF + injury and you can read for yourself.
So when I am asked, “Am I CrossFit,” the only similarity I see is that I use similar equipment and I like to throw around heavy weights. Other than that, we are worlds apart.
