September Blue Crab CrossFit Newsletter

Mandy Brezina • September 6, 2024

What to Expect in September

August was full of excitement, the main highlight being the 1RM attempts for both the Clean & Jerk and Snatch to end our Olympic Lifting Cycle! We continued to see the Phase III focus of “Horsepower” show up in 1-2 SPRINT workouts per week where the only strategy was to drop the hammer! We built pressing volume for both the Push-Up and the Handstand Push-Up that showed up once a week.

We saw some great FLEX bodybuilding finishers to keep the pump alive while working through the summer months and also worked on a short Pistol progression to help build mastery of a very tricky movement! Lastly, we had an opportunity to test the classic Nancy. Let’s talk about what’s in store for September!

September marks the final month of our Horsepower phase! This month we will focus on GPP strength training with 2-3 lifts or lifting complexes per week. These are not a linear progression and will not culminate in a 1RM test, but the continued exposure to various lifts and loads will help us continue to gain strength! Kicking off the month we have Hotshots 19 on Labor Day along with a retest of the classic Kelly. We will also see the Hero workout Amanda workout this month – a classic combo of explosive strength and high skill gymnastics. On 9/11, we will run our tribute workout “Stand Tall” to commemorate the events that took place on that day…this is an important one so mark your calendars.

We will continue to see 1-2 SPRINT workouts to push our pace along with 1-2 FLEX finishers weekly. Our gymnastics focus will center around the Ring Muscle-Up and building efficiency with this high skill movement! Lastly, we will see at least one big chipper workout each week…a format that delivers some of the most fun and exciting workouts!

We’re excited for September! Way to crush August!

September Weekly Workout Commitments

(2-3x/ Week) Strength Work/Barbell Complex

(1x/ Week) Chipper Workout

(1-2x/ Week) Sprint Workouts

(1x/ Week) Workout of the Week or Benchmark/Classic workout

(1x/ Week) Ring Muscle-Up Skill Work/Focus

(1-2x/ Week) FLEX-style Finishers

The Blue Crab CrossFit Committed Club is for members who attend 15+ classes at the gym each month. Every quarter, if you make the three consecutive months in that quarter, you get added to the quarterly drawing as well! $20 monthly - $50 quarterly towards the BCCF store! Drawing on the 3rd of each month. If there is an asterik next to the name, then you're qualified for the quarterly drawing if you are on the list for September!

Why do we have a Committed Club?

Unlike big box gyms who have a business model of pay for a membership but don’t encourage attending, Blue Crab CrossFit WANTS you to USE YOUR MEMBERSHIP! The more consistently you attend group classes, the better you feel and the more results you’ll see. Our mission is to help you live a stronger, healthier life and in order to do that, you must attend class 3+/week. Our committed club highlights members who made it to the gym 15+ times in a month.

Haven’t made the list? We’re just getting started! You have the year to make 200+ check ins or 11 of the 12 months on the list to get an entry into the Grand Prize!

September Athletes of the Month

Emiily & Brian Betz

Emily and Brian frequently attend the evening classes when they aren’t busy traveling the world to keep us safe! Both in the Army, we’ve loved seeing them embrace CrossFit to supplement their military readiness and always show up with a smile and ready to tackle the workouts! They will be moving soon to their next duty station in the Army - we’ll miss them both greatly and hope that someday they’ll find themselves back in MD :-)

Thank you for being such great members of BCCF! Enjoy their great story below!

Tell us your story - where did you grow up and what kind of activities did you do growing up?

Emily: My parents were in the Army, so I moved every 2-3 years. Some honorable mentions being Landstuhl, Germany (I was born there!), Fort Drum, Fort Meade, Newport, RI, and Fort Bragg. Ironically, I got stationed here as my first duty assignment! Growing up I tried out several different sports, but in High School I was dedicated to swimming. I also was a huge band nerd (marching band, concert band, jazz band, you name it); I played the trombone.

Brian: I had what I consider a pretty normal childhood growing up in New Jersey. Every summer, I’d go to various summer camps from sports clinics to nature conservation weeks. I enjoyed football and baseball, but was never good enough to be on the school team.

Tell us how you were first introduced to CrossFit? How long have you been doing CrossFit - any thoughts/comments on how it’s changed or influenced your life.

Emily: I graduated college in 2020, which was right in the middle of the pandemic. As a "brand new adult" I found myself lost and unfocused in terms of my gym routine/fitness. I wandered aimlessly around Planet Fitness and did boring and unproductive workouts. My friend convinced me to give CrossFit a try, I went to my first class in September 2020! Initially, I loved it because I could show up with no plan and get told what to do by the coach and leave with a challenging workout behind me. CrossFit gave me an outlet to release my competitive nature. I'm secretly very competitive, and that forces me to work harder when I have someone next to me doing the same workout and a coach cheering me on. I loved leaving the gym feeling like I accomplished something great. But now what I really love about CrossFit is the community. No matter where I go, I can find a CrossFit gym and drop in and get a good workout in. We had a huge CrossFit community when I was deployed, and it was awesome being able to instantly connect with Soldiers over CrossFit when I first arrived in country. It took some of the anxiety away for sure!

Brian: Funnily enough, my first CrossFit class was at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, way back in 2022. At the time, I was on a weeklong battlefield circulation with SOJTF-L and got a chance to visit Emily. It took me until Emily got back from deployment to start doing CrossFit seriously in February 2023. At that point, I was reasonably fit, but CrossFit really tied everything together. The movements and techniques that CrossFit requires rounds out your fitness in a way that traditional strength and conditioning alone could not. As a unit Master Fitness Trainer in the Army, I’ve mixed in a lot more METCON-style workouts with those that I train and they’re universally well-received.

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

Emily: I start Physical Therapy school in January! Which is super exciting. My goal in the next year is to balance school and the gym. The thought of being a doctoral candidate is insane to me, I feel like I'm still 15 years old sometimes! So really my main goal is to figure out a new routine that allows me the ability to continue CrossFit (and find a new gym in Texas!) and be a good student!

Brian: I still have yet to get down Double Unders and Ring Muscle-Ups, so those would be at the top of my goal list for CrossFit. I am currently training to represent the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade at the Army Ten-Miler in October, so I’ve been mixing in long runs whenever I can. I hope to wrap up qualifying in two specialties as an Army Cyber Capabilities Developer by the end of the year, which I’ve been making steady, gradual progress on in evenings after CrossFit.

Talk to us about your life outside of the gym - hobbies, favorite meal, music, job etc. Any random facts you want us to know?

Emily: I'm an amateur cyclist, you can find me most weekends going for a bike ride on the B&A or BWI trail. I also love to cook and bake; I love finding new recipes or creating new recipes. I'm known to bring in a huge Tupperware of cookies (or whatever) into work the next day to my coworkers because I experimented with a new crazy recipe and needed some feedback or because I have way too much leftover!

Brian: My day job is a Cyber Capabilities Developer with the Army, specializing in Unix Persistence. Most of my hobby time is taken up by the Georgia Tech M.S. in Computer Science program. I was lucky enough to take the Binary Exploitation class this semester, which is a lot of work, but is enjoyable. The course is structured like a Capture-the-Flag game. I also try to invest a good amount of time into honing in my C programming skills. There’s always something new to learn!

Do you have any advice for people getting started with CrossFit - what's helped you stay consistent and coming back day after day?

Emily: Don't give up on yourself! Crossfit is challenging, but it's the challenge that makes it worth it! Never be afraid to scale a workout, don't let your pride get in the way. You should be so proud of yourself for what your body is capable of and the resilience that you show each day. Sometimes I miss a workout (or two or three) because of whatever reason, but I always try to incorporate movement into my day, even if it is just a walk.

Brian: No matter what your background, there will be some aspect of CrossFit that’s challenging. It might be the Olympic lifts or gymnastics or keeping up with the volume, but some aspect will push you in a new way. Encourage yourself to stay consistent when possible, but life happens, which is okay. Missing a class here and there and taking rest days are not only okay, but necessary in a balanced life. Find a rhythm that works for you and stick with it!

When: October 12th

Time: 9:15am

Registration: $35 (shirt, gift bag, raffle ticket); other amounts available.

Lift for Autism was created to support the Maryland Autism Community, raise funds for Pathfinders for Autism, and most importantly, turn a spotlight on the impact of Autism on families and individuals in Maryland and around the world.

Together with local partners, Lift Autism will donate 100% of the event proceeds to the Pathfinders for Autism to help them continue the necessary and important work that they do.

Blue Crab CrossFit is excited to be one of THREE locations who will be hosting this amazing fundraising event on October 12th. This is our first of hopefully many years hosting. Help us reach our first year fundraising goal of $1500!

Donations and registration can be found in the event link. Blue Crab CrossFit will have onsite donations as well that will go 100% to the event. Registrations of $35 by September 20th will receive and event t-shirt, a welcome bag (to include the first 50 get a special gift!), and an entry into a raffle for many items donated by local businesses (think Royal Farms gift cards, restaurant gift cards, etc)!

About Pathfinders for Autism: Their resource center is the cornerstone of our efforts to serve Maryland families by providing timely, accurate autism-specific information and resources; respond personally to inquiries via phone/email/Facebook, and distribute monthly PFA Tips articles. Pathfinders for Autism is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, therefore all contributions are tax deductible.

CrossFit experience not required! All are welcome! The workout is a five minute workout and we'll have a variety of options available for all regardless of what level you are at in your fitness journey!

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Previous WODs

The Monthly Catch - February 2025

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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!

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