BCCF September Newsletter & Athlete of the Month

Blue Crab CrossFit • September 4, 2022

Class Times – Labor Day

On Monday, September 5th, BCCF will have Saturday hours for classes due to the holiday. Classes will be 8:30am and 10am.

The Blue Crab CrossFit August Committed Club

Congratulations to the following individuals who made it to the gym 15+ times in August! The list has GROWN! Consistency is key for growth and your hard work shows. As a reminder, if you’ve made the July and August list AND you are on it for September, you’re qualified for the quarterly $50 drawing! Those who made the July and August list are noted with a * (excluding coaches).

On September 3rd , we’ll randomly draw a name to win $20 store credit to be used at BCCF. If you think your name was missed, please send us a note by the 2nd with proof of 15 sign ins in August.

Didn’t make the August list? We restart TODAY – so your chances of making the list start over! Don’t forget – just RSVP’ing does not count towards attendance – you also have to sign in!

**Share your Blue Crab CrossFit love! Remember to check in to Blue Crab CrossFit on Facebook and Instagram and one or all of the following hashtags #bccfcommittedclub #bluecrabcrossfit #bccfcommitted #bccffamily #bccf

AUGUST ATHLETES OF THE MONTH
– Jimmy & Brandy Wilson –

Congratulations to our September BCCF Athletes of the Month, Jimmy & Brandy Wilson! We are so proud of this amazing Power Couple! When they are not busy keeping us all safe or running their daughters around you will find them consistently at the gym always showing up with a smile! Their hard work and dedication to the gym shows and we’re so excited to honor this amazing couple! Check out their story below for a nomination well deserved!

Where did you grow up? Did you have any siblings, pets – what was your home life like? Were you involved in sports and/or other activities? Favorite memory growing up?

Brandy: I grew up in Elkridge about 3 miles from BCCF. I have 2 sisters and a brother, growing up we had Lab/Irish Setter dog named Lady. Growing up I never participated in any Sports. It wasn’t until I joined BCCF that I ever considered myself an athlete. My favorite memory growing up is hard to narrow down to one, but I’d say all the family celebrations, vacations, and traditions that we’ve celebrated and have since passed on to our girls.

Jimmy: I grew up in Elkridge. Not too far from the gym. Me and Brandy actually grew up together right down the street from each other. My favorite memory growing up was taking family vacations to upstate NY to visit my dads family.

How were you first introduced to CrossFit? How long have you been a BCCF member, what is your favorite workout/movement, etc. Do you have a favorite BCCF memory? How do you feel CrossFit has changed/influenced your life?

Brandy: After having Chloe (our youngest) I decided that I needed to do something physical and get active, during that time social media and a few friends were “buzzing” about CrossFit. I decided I was going to “try it out”, I had researched a few CrossFit Gyms in the area, and saw a Blue Crab sign in my neighborhood and decided I’d give it a try. I participated in Foundations and became “hooked”. I loved the community atmosphere, I loved that for 1 hour, I was focused and pushed out of my comfort zone. My favorite movements at CrossFit are Deadlifts and Back Squats. My favorite BCCF memory is participating in the Girls Rx competition with teams of females from BCCF. CrossFit has changed my life, in 2016 I decided I wanted to try and get hired by the fire department, which has a test called CPAT, that is a timed labor intensive test which involves strength and cardio endurance. CrossFit is the only reason that I was able to pass, and had put me in the best physical shape of my life.

Jimmy: So my first introduction to CrossFit was from a coworker. But it was actually Brandy who got me into CrossFit. I was not interested at all in the beginning. But she joined BlueCrab right after they opened at the original location. She was very dedicated from the beginning. I could see the joy it brought her. She also was persistent on me trying it with her. Well I joined a few months after her and it’s been a great decision for both of us. Before CrossFit, I personally did not workout. Ever. But now it’s the only way I can workout. I enjoy the community and the support.

What goals do you have within the next year – CrossFit and non-CrossFit?

Brandy: My goals in the gym are to maintain fitness and come to the gym at least 3 days a week. I’d like to PR my OHS and get a rope climb or two in. Outside of the gym I’d like to maintain a healthy life style.

Jimmy: My goals have really remained unchanged from previous years. A few are obviously remaining active in the gym. I feel as I get older it becomes harder between work and dealing with nagging injuries from time to time. But a big goal is just keeping an active and healthy life style.

Tell us more about your life outside of the gym – favorite thing to do when you’re bored, favorite meal, music, job etc. Give us one really random fact that people may not know about you.

Brandy: Outside of the gym I work a 24/72 hour shift for Anne Arundel County Fire Dept, I’m assigned to the Brooklyn Fire Station. When I’m not working, I’m busy running the girls to Cheer or gymnastics. My favorite music to listen to is Volbeat. My favorite meal is Steak and Potatoes and Veggies. I love to unwind and drink orange crushes. I love to travel and try new places.

Jimmy: Life outside the gym is busy. We have 3 daughters and they keep us on our toes for sure. I’m an outdoors kind of person. Anything outside is a favorite thing to do. I personally love shooting sports. I enjoy getting out and challenging myself when it comes to shooting. I also love hunting and riding my 4 wheeler. One of my most favorite things is camping. We love to camp. We have a camper and it’s something that we all can enjoy and be outside. Random fact? That’s a tough one. I am a firearms instructor on the side.

Fact(s) about you both: So facts about us both. We both are Firefighter’s and both of us are Paramedics. We both love our job and I think I can say we have the best job in the world.

The post BCCF September Newsletter & Athlete of the Month appeared first on Blue Crab CrossFit.

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Introducing a new benefit to BCCF Members - Embark Physical Therapy

By Mandy Brezina • November 16, 2024

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Embark Physical Therapy! We’re always looking for ways to continue to add value to your BCCF membership, so we’re excited to announce that Zach will be offering FREE in-person consultations at Blue Crab CrossFit (aiming for every 1-2 months) in our recovery room. Whether it’s stretches you can do or a specialist you can see, Zach’s goal is to help you feel and move better, so he’s graciously offered his time to help BCCF at no cost to you! Starting November 23rd, you’ll see availability for 15 minute consultations with Zach in Wodify for you to book. Come prepared with questions about what is bothering you or what you’d like to learn more about to help you feel better. Don’t let that lingering pain become a bigger problem. Be proactive and learn how you can feel better therefore perform better during workouts! In 2024, we’ll also start to put some seminars on the calendar, led by Zach, to help you learn more about various subjects that’ll help you feel and move better!

November Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • November 1, 2024

What to Expect in November Looking back on October, we had a lot on our plate! We started our final strength cycle of 2024, working through a Deadlift, Back Squat, and Push Press 5-3-1 cycle that although shorter, it effectively built athletes up to new PRs. We saw one Oly complex a week to keep our skills sharp, and we began to see prep for our Veteran’s Day workout, Chad. We hit some big retests of DT and Jackie, tackled a new Halloween workout, and got after Mary and Cindy for the gymnastically inclined. We saw a broad distribution of workout types throughout the week, meaning that we weren’t focusing on specific time domains or workouts types like previous Phases - October and the next 2 months will be all about as much variety as possible. Looking ahead to November, we have some BIG benchmarks to get us excited. The first thing we have on the agenda is Chad…1000 Weighted Step-Ups is a great way to pay tributes to any and all Veterans around the world and has become the staple workout on such a special day. We will also finish off our 5-3-1 strength cycle right around the same time and take note that because Chad falls on a Monday, we will be splitting the retest days (2 retests the week of Chad, one the week after) to ensure everyone is primed to hit some PRs. On top of these two exciting things happening almost simultaneously we will be doing the NCFIT Lift-Off right around this time as well. Think of this similarly to the Mid-Year Challenge…3 consecutive Fridays (11/8, 11/15, 11/22) that will prioritize a longer strength session. This is just for fun and no extra work has to be done, just getting excited to lift heavy! For the rest of the month, we will still see a broad range of workout types to get us as much variety as possible. We will end the month with a 12 Days of Thankfulness and Black Friday workout. We have stuffed a lot into this month, so hang on for the ride! 5-3-1 Strength Cycle 10/7-11/18 (Deadlift/ Back Squat/ Push Press) W1 - 1RM Tests W2 - 3x5 @ (RPE 7) W3 - 3x3 @ (RPE 8) W4 - 5-3-1 @ (RPE 7-8-9) W5 - Deload W6 - 1RM Retests November Weekly Workout Commitments (3x/ Week) Back Squat/ Deadlift/ Push Press Strength (1x/ Week) NCFIT Lift-Off (11/8, 11/15, 11/22) (1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/ Classic workout (1x/ Week) Optional Partner Workout Chad Hero Workout 11/11 12 Days of Thankfulness + Black Friday Workout

October Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • November 1, 2024

Happy 11th Birthday, BCCF! Blue Crab CrossFit just hit 11 years of helping people become healthier, stronger versions of themselves. Many members have recent celebrated a decade with us - thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years and made it possible to keep our doors open so we can continue helping people live healthier lives! Here’s to many more years of fun workouts with the Blue Crab CrossFit Family!

Thinking of the Hofstetter family - thank you, Kyle for the beautiful photos.

September Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • September 6, 2024

September events, athletes of the month, what to expect in crossfit group classes.

August Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • August 22, 2024

What to Expect in August July was a jam-packed month, so before we start looking ahead at what’s to come, let’s first take a look back at everything we accomplished last month. We have to start off by highlighting the start of our third strength cycle, which is all about the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. We kept things simple, working on building percentages week to week with triples, doubles, and singles before testing a 1RM for both movements in August! We also changed from Phase II, which was focused on longer GRIND workouts, to Phase III, which is going to be all about SPRINT workouts. We will still see a variety of workouts across the weeks, but the focus will be dropping the hammer 1-2 times per week. We saw a focus on the Pull-Up, chest-to-bar, and Bar Muscle-Up, along with tests of a new Benchmark workout/ Hero workout and a retest of the Filthy 50 from April. Looking at August, let’s first mention the three things that will carry over into this month. First, we will be finishing our Oly cycle with our heavy 1RM tests the week of 8/12. We also will be continuing with our Phase III SPRINT focus, which means we will see 1-2 faster workouts each week to build everyone’s anaerobic base. Lastly, we will still see 1-2 Flex Finishers per week to carry us through the second half of summer. Looking at some changes in the programming, we will have a greater emphasis on the Push-Up and the kipping handstand push-up. We focused on Strict HSPU in June, took a slight break in July, and now we are going to use that shoulder strength and add in some kipping! We will also test Nancy as our Benchmark for the month and retest Kelly from back in May. On top of those workouts to look forward to, we will also see an NCFIT Classic, Supersonic, and a new Hero workout for this month! Let’s keep our foot on the gas this month and keep training hard! Weekly August Workout Commitments (2x/ Week) Oly Strength Cycle (1x/ Week) Deadlift or Back Squat (1-2x/ Week) Sprint Workouts (1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/ Classic workout (1x/ Week) Push-Up/ Kipping Handstand Push-Up Capacity/ Focus (1-2x/ Week) FLEX-style Finishers

July Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • July 29, 2024

What to Expect in July We are OFFICIALLY in the second half of the training year, but before we talk about what is to come let’s reflect back on the month of June! Everyone got after the three Mid-Year Challenge workouts that highlighted some of the themes we will see in the second half of the year. We completed a few named workouts - a test of Cali Bear and a retest of Fran. The Handstand Push-Up was our main gymnastics focus. We saw it once a week to help continue building confidence and capacity. We also saw two GRIND workouts a week during the final month of our “Towing Capacity” cycle. This solidified our more anaerobic system (shorter duration, higher intensity), so we can now switch gears and build our aerobic (longer, lower intensity) system during our next phase. Lastly, we saw a barbell complex once a week to set us up for our next strength cycle (Oly Cycle) that will be all about the Snatch + Clean & Jerk! In July, our strength cycle is going to start in the second week of the month. This is to account for the Fourth of July holiday week(end), when we traditionally see lots of athletes traveling. The first week of the month will see some nods for what’s to come, but the cycle won’t officially start until the following week, 7/8! This Oly cycle will center around the Snatch + Clean & Jerk, culminating in a 1RM test! Week 1 will be an opportunity to build to something heavy that can be used to base percentages on for the remaining weeks. From there, we will see triples, doubles, and single reps leading into a deload and a 1RM test! We will also see alternating weeks of Back Squats and Deadlifts, which are supplemental lifts - the stars of the show are our two Oly lifts! Our conditioning phase will switch to a focus on shorter, more explosive efforts, which means we’ll see more sprint workouts each week. The intent is to take the long-distance base we established in the last phase and now work on dialing up the intensity with these shorter, more explosive workouts. Getting uncomfortable with speed in a workout is required and that's what this phase is all about! Our first benchmark, Jackie, highlights this concept perfectly! We will also see a retest of the Filthy Fifty, a hero workout on July 4th, and the classic Crossfit workout: Fight Gone Bad. The last big note for this month is a higher exposure to Pull-Ups, Chest to Bars, and Bar Muscle-Ups! Olympic Lifting Cycle 7/8-8/18 (Snatch + Clean & Jerk) Week 1: 3-3-3-2-2-1-1* (Sets of 3 in 60-70% range. Sets of 2 in 70-80% range. Sets of 1 in 80-90+% range) Week 2: 5x3 @ (60-70%) Week 3: 5x2 @ (70-80%) Week 4: 5x1 @ (80-90+%) Week 5: Deload Week 6: 1RM Snatch + Clean & Jerk July Weekly Workout Commitments (2x/ Week) Oly Strength Cycle (1x/ Week) Deadlift or Back Squat (1-2x/ Week) Sprint Workouts (1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/ Classic workout (1x/ Week) Kipping PU, C2B, Bar Muscle-Up Capacity/ Focus (1-2x/ Week) FLEX-style Finishers

June Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • June 16, 2024

What to Expect in June We are officially at the halfway point of 2024, which means the Mid-Year Challenge is right around the corner! Let’s first recap May to celebrate everything we accomplished! In the first week of May, we tested our 3RM Bench Press and Overhead/Front Squat, capping off our volume cycle with some great PRs and leading into a phase of general physical preparedness (GPP) lifting! We had a big bunch of named workouts that we tackled - our Mother’s Day partner Workout and a retest of The Chief! We saw Kelly as our Benchmark of the Month, so expect to see her again in three months! Leading up to Memorial Day, athletes had the opportunity to get some last prep work in with the Optional Murph Prep, which spanned four weeks and led right into Murph. Lastly, we really got comfortable with an uncomfortable amount of toes to bar (T2B) with our capacity focus showing up in workouts in various ways! As we shift into June, we have some exciting things on the horizon, so let’s see what’s in store! Let’s kick off this review with the main focus for the month…our Mid-Year Challenge! On Friday, June 14th, and the following two Fridays, we will complete an Open-style workout that is completely unique to the NCFIT programming! Weaved into the month, we will also see a retest of Fran and our Benchmark of the Month: Cali Bear! We will also see Barbara, another Hero Workout, and a Father’s Day workout! Our Toes to Bar volume from last month will shift gears, and we will see a greater focus on Strict/kipping Handstand Push Up(HSPU) practice/volume. The goal will be to build more reps of both Strict and Kipping HSPU into workouts, similar to how we did with T2B last month. This will be the last month of our Towing Capacity Cycle, so we will continue to see 2 Grind workouts each week to finish this phase of training off strong! Lastly, you will see at least one Oly complex per week to prep us for our Oly cycle that starts in July…this will run in tandem with a continued focus on GPP strength work. And finally, we’ll be adding in 1-2 FLEX bodybuilding finishers per week to keep the pump alive going into summer! Weekly Workout June Commitments 3 New Mid-Year Challenge Workouts (2x/ Week) Grind Workouts (1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/ Classic workout (1x/ Week) 1 Oly Complex (1x/ Week) Strict/ Kipping HSPU Capacity/ Focus (1-2x/ Week) FLEX-style Finishers

May Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

By Mandy Brezina • May 17, 2024

What to Expect in May We’re closing in on the halfway point of 2024, but before we talk about May, let’s review April and everything we worked on! First, we saw the beginning of our Volume/ Capacity cycle for the Overhead/Front Squat + Bench Press that carried through the month. Each week the reps got a little lower with the intent of increasing the weight.…we also got the opportunity to retest Death Row and see the engine improvement! The Strict Handstand Push-Up (HSPU) showed up a few times during the month, both as a skill session and in workouts…the goal was to develop strength/awareness while inverted, and even if this didn’t result in your first Strict HSPU, it still helped get some practice upside down! We saw a change in the conditioning focus, too…we are working on rowing capacity for the next few months, which means 2-3 GRIND workouts per week! Lastly, we saw the beginning of our four week extra credit Murph Prep, which will lead us up to Memorial Day and make sure everyone is ready to rock! Since we’re talking about Murph, let’s see what May has in store! The first full week of May is going to start on a high note as we test our 3x Rep Max for the Overhead/Front Squat & Bench Press! Once the strength cycle is done, we go back to General Physical Performance lifting, which will consist of barbell complexes and strength days, but there will not be a linear progression behind them. We will continue to get stronger by varying our strength movements! We have a special Cinco De Mayo workout, a great Mother’s Day Workout, our Benchmark workout: Kelly, and of course, we are tackling Murph on Memorial Day weekend! Throughout this month, we will see the gymnastics focus shift from Strict HSPU to building confidence/capacity in the Toes to Bar. This will take the form of skill sessions and higher volume TTB workouts, so prep those lats and midlines! We also will be prepping everyone for the Mid Year Mini Comp that will take place in the final 3 weeks of June! We will see some “Open Style” workouts to help us get ready for the 3-week event! We will still be focusing on longer GRIND workouts 2-3 times a week, so let’s get ready to keep building those engines through the month of May, especially with one of the best examples of an engine workout, Murph, right around the corner! May Weekly Workout Commitments Overhead/ Front Squat + Bench Press 3RM Test (2x/ Week) Grind Workouts (1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/ Classic workout (2x/ Week) Extra Credit Murph Prep (1x/ Week) Toes to Bar Capacity/ Focus