What's next for CrossFit Death or Glory

Mark talks about Lockdown's being lifted, outdoor training and getting back to "normal".

Running the CrossFit Open in Lockdown

Video about how we have managed running the affiliate during lockdown

I have a diet background. As in im a self proclaimed nutrition geek. But also have qualifications in it. It was my route into the health and fitness industry and I know quite a bit about it.

For years I've said to clients, friends, training partners, or anyone that cares to listen to me,: 'You can't out train a bad diet'

Yeah that old cliched phrase. In most cases I still think that rings true. But to be really honest you can. I certainly don’t recommend it but trust me you can. But if you’re hoping I’m going to explain that right now I’m sorry I’m not. I might someday.

It’s actually something else that really pisses me off when it comes to people moaning about a lack of results.

Let me explain. Because I also have a background in hard work and balls out effort in the gym.

In my opinion there seems to be a growing trend in the number of people who focus so hard on their diets as a substitute for actually genuine hard work on the gym floor.

I need to state clearly at this point that I am aiming this at the people who train regularly and complain they aren't seeing the results they expect.

The ones who spend hours toiling away, exercising, NOT training. Moaning they haven’t changed shape, put on some muscle, and haven’t lost 10lbs off their backsides in the past 6 days.

People who have trained for years and not seen the expected improvements in their bodies or their Wod times.

Everyone is looking for the magic pill when it comes down to nutrition and performance. I get that. I’m still looking too. But we ain’t going to find it.

There is always a new ‘superfood’ or ‘revolutionary new diet approach’ being banded around in the press that people are talking about and trying to take advantage of. ‘Fat loss tea’.. ‘Diet protein shake’.. ‘6 day cleanse lose 20kg’.. Fuck off man!.

To think that we can all eat the same diets and take all the same pills because a magazine or instagram ‘influencer’ tells us to is just plain crazy.

Our diets need to be as individualised as our lifestyles. We all have different body types, food preferences, tolerances, and goals. What works for one person will not work as well for the next.

Im telling you the real problems come down to 'doing the work' in the gym.

Quite honestly too many people are afraid to push themselves further than they think possible of themselves.

They are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and go to the sometimes dark place where real change occurs. Where the stimulus you put on your body triggers the adaption required to promote significant change. I.E. Hard fucking work.

I’m going to burst a few bubbles here and tell you that there are no magic pills, supplements, training drills, or exercise secrets!

If there was we would all walk around looking like Rich, Mat, Tia or whatever action hero or model we all dream of being.

The truth is there is no substitute for good old hard work, logical thinking, and getting the basics right consistently over a prolonged timeframe. Like turning up consistently to class. 3-4 times per week. Applying yourself and making it a really strenuous hour of hard work.

Those 3 I just mentioned might be the fittest in the world. But they all got there by putting in the work. They started somewhere. As did the person you look at in the class or on instagram and want to look like.

The problem is we love to make things complicated for ourselves. We don’t want to believe that the basics work. We don’t want to accept that everything in moderation really can be the answer. We don’t want to admit that we lack the will power to make a few habit based changes and stick to them long enough to modify our behaviours. We don’t want the grind. We don’t like the pain. We want excuses.

Success isn’t made in the kitchen. Success isn’t trying hard in class a couple of times a week.

Success comes from giving 100% effort in each. Consistently. For years.

Look If all you want to be is a healthier version of your current self then yes I agree that cleaning up your diet and focusing on good nutrition will go a long way in achieving that. Turn up and go through the motions in class, have a laugh, and every now and then break a sweat. Yeah that is a massive step in the right direction for the vast majority of the population.

But for those of us that want more. Those of us who want it all! Then we need to give a lot more.

And that means giving as much effort in the gym as we are putting into our diets.

So when the Wod reads AMRAP 20. That’s means you work for 20mins. Hard. For as many reps as possible!.. not the first 5-10mins then coast through the rest. Grabbing a drink every 2 Mins. You don’t need a fucking drink every 2 mins. That’s an excuse to have a rest isn’t it be honest!.

If a workout is ‘for time’.. well that means make it fucking quick. Not ‘sometime’ in the next half hour!.

Stop focusing so hard on hitting every gram of protein we think we need. (It's probably a lot less than you think anyway). Stop worrying that you may have consumed 10 extra calories than you should have. (Train a little harder and you can have more). And for f**ks sake stop demonising certain foods because I can assure you that carbs don't make you fat. (Too much of any food will make you fat).

Instead shift your focus for the next 4 weeks to training really friggin hard and see what happens.

Add some extra weight to your next set of squats and really push so hard that you are afraid you might just push something else out on the way up!

In your next class if you don't want to give up after 5 minutes then you aren't going hard enough. After 8 minutes you should want to die. After 10 minutes you should be finished and think you ARE going to die! (You won't by the way).

For 4 weeks be the hardest worker in the room. That’s doesn’t mean the quickest or the best. But as hard as you can possibly push. Whilst still eating well but not like a diet obsessed lunatic.

Then come back and tell me that you are doing everything you can and still not getting results.

Because whilst you (maybe) can't out train a bad diet.

You most definitely can't out eat a shitty work ethic.

Lockdown with CrossFit Death or Glory

It had been coming for a couple of weeks but as the official news broke of a nation wide ‘Lockdown’ it was still a shock to the system being given such short notice to basically close our doors and not know when we could open them again!

With the best planning in the world you still don’t know how it’s going to go. How long will this last? Will members stay with us? Will we survive? How am I supposed to coach and train people in their own homes? No one has the kit they need to do CrossFit classes at home!?.

But there is only one way to combat fear and that is through action. So act we did. Without a fucking clue how it was actually going to turn out!

Fast forward 9 weeks and the rollercoaster keeps rolling! But we’ve improvised, adapted, and overcome. The fears are still there to a degree but the panic is long gone. The workouts are still getting pumped out and the members are absolutely killing the game daily. Kit has been loaned out. Pretty much the entire contents of our box that has been lovingly built up over the past 2 years is now sitting in people’s homes. Which is a bit scary to be honest!

But it feels right as it goes some way to repay the loyalty shown by our amazing members and means workouts can now be adapted accordingly and options given every day for anyone who wants to train no matter how much or how little they might have.

Gardens, garages, sheds, kitchens, and even attics have been transformed into mini Death or Glory boxes! It’s incredibly humbling to see and feel. The loyalty, support, and all round collective effort is something I’ll never forget or be able to repay in full. And the motivation it provides us too is immeasurable. Because we all struggle at times. Without exception.

The way we decided to ultimately approach things as a business and box during this lockdown period was from the point of view of what we would like to see as a member. After all your members are what make you. And members are what will save you. And what do we all want!?.. We want to train and we want to feel we are a part of something. Our members will never be just a number. They have invested in me and I am invested in them. Whatever they want to achieve through being a member of CrossFit Death or Glory I make it my personal duty to help them get there. Some of my best and oldest friends are here, but also people who had been with us only weeks before we closed the doors and have shown a loyalty that I will continue to repay in whichever ways I can.

Community. Family. Whatever you want to call it. Its amazing. And I’m immensely proud of it.

So the kit loans were arranged. Programming immediately adapted and like I say options were and still are given daily. Activity and chatter in the WhatsApp group increased tenfold and the general positivity has and still is absolutely incredible.

In house benchmark workouts were set and crushed, weekly quizzes arranged and provide a wind down and chance to have a beer and a laugh with our mates! Zoom and FaceTime weekend wods provide some entertainment, competition, and motivation to train when sometimes we just don’t feel like it.

The main thing is we’ve stayed connected. And I’m proud of what we have created. I’m even prouder of the collective effort shown by each and every one of the members we have here at CrossFit Death or Glory!

Corona virus has seemingly put life on hold, put some businesses to the sword, and sadly continues to take many lives each and every day.

But as a CrossFit community in a lot of ways it’s brought us all closer together even if from afar. For me personally as a human, father, coach, friend, and business owner, I’m determined to make this as positive an experience as possible through all the difficulty. The glass is always half full with me. It’s the way I am.

I’m still learning. Still winging it to be honest. Because we are all dealing with the unknown a little bit. But most of all thankful for where we are and where we are heading.

To anyone reading this. I’m thankful for that too. And I hope you’re winning your own personal battles. Remember there are strength in numbers no matter where those numbers come from. Reach out. Stay connected. We will all get through this.

The video that runs with this blog was created by the main man @madebyjonny and is a massive virtual high five and thank you to our awesome members and the efforts they continue to put in. I’m so proud of you all. And you inspire me to keep doing what i do!

And also If you find yourself with a spare 20min then I have something else for you to watch. I hope it helps some of you like it has helped me since I watched it some years ago.

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What's next for Death or Glory?

Running the CrossFit Open in Lockdown

The real reason you aren't getting fit

LOCKDOWN