The Monthly Catch - January 2025

Mandy Brezina • January 2, 2025

HAPPY 2025!

WRITTEN by MANDY BREZINA

As we kick off 2025, we wanted to take the time to thank you for an amazing 2024. 2024 was our first full year in our current space, so we used the year to focus on making it really feel like home!

We had another amazing year living our value of Generosity by supporting our community through fundraisers supporting organizations such as the Pathfinders for Autism and the Catch a Lift Fund, where we raised well over $5k throughout the year for our community. We’re excited to see that support continue through 2025.

Our members embraced consistency and this year we had the largest committed club list, where we saw 45 people get to the gym 15 or more times in a month. We had 21 people on the annual committed list, where they made it on the committed club list 11 out of 12 month or for 200+ classes. Seven of those 21 made it 12/12 months. BCCFers - you rocked it! We cannot wait to see what you can do in 2025!

We’re so thankful for our strong community - Blue Crab CrossFit truly is not only a second home for us, but our second family. THANK YOU!

The Committed Corner

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! We’ll be doing the drawing on the 3rd this month!

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.

What to Expect in January

Starting this year off strong with our IGNITE phase (Jan-Feb-Mar)! In this first phase of 2025, we will be focusing on Preparing for the Open & Higher RPE Workouts . In January, we kick off our first strength cycle of the year focusing on tempo work for the Front Squat and Deadlift! The cycle starts with a test of 1-Rep heavy efforts for both lifts then moves into a 6-week work-up using various tempos. This is going to keep athletes under tension for longer, getting them stronger and more confident with different positions of the lifts!

The beginning of a new year also brings around the CF Open. The key to success in the Open is exposure to those style workouts. With this in mind we will see (1) historic Open workout each week in January to get ready for the 2025 workouts! In addition, the Open almost always tests different skills and we will help athletes prepare for those tests. In the programming, we will see at least (1) skill session per week dedicated towards some of those ‘trickier’ Open movements to help athletes build more skills and more confidence.

Lastly, we will see our testing workout for Phase 1 of this year’s programming, Fight Gone Bad! Each phase will have its own testing workout that will be tested and retested. Throughout each Phase we will continue to see other big name workouts but the Phase test/retest will be something that we want all athletes to pay attention to. We believe this will feel less cluttered each month and really allow athletes to focus on crushing their retest! We are excited to kick off 2025 – so let’s get to work!

January Programming Monthly Highlights

(2x/ Week) Tempo Strength Sessions

(1x/ Week) Throwback CF Open Workout

(1x/ Week) Skill Practice for CF OPEN

(1x/ Week) Optional Partner Workout

(1x/ Month) Hero Workout

(1x/ Month) Classic Workout: Cindy/ Mary

(1x/ Month) Benchmark Workout: Fight Gone Bad

Tempo Strength Cycle - Front Squat & Deadlift (1/6-2/21)

Week 1 – Test 1RM Front Squat & Deadlift

Week 2 – 5x4 (32X1) FS / (31X1) DL

Week 3 – 5x3 (31X1) FS / (31X1) DL

Week 4 – 5x2 (21X1) FS / (21X1) DL

Week 5 – 5x1 (20X1) FS / (20X1) DL

Week 6 – Deload

Week 7 – Retest

January Athlete of the Month

Congratulations to our first Athlete of the Month for 2025 - Jason Gargan!

Ever since moving to Maryland and joining BCCF, Jason has been a shining example of consistency while balancing a very busy work and travel schedule with having his hands full with the kiddos!

We hope that you enjoy his great story below! Thank you, Jason, for being such a great role model and athlete for us!

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

Born and raised in Danvers, MA (formerly known as Salem Village, famous for the Witch Trials). I was an athlete at a young age and played almost every sport. My main was soccer, which I still play today. I was the youngest black belt in my old dojo at 10 years old. I also was part of varsity track, focusing mostly on hurdles (ranked fourth in my county).

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?

In 2013, After a six month course (United States Weapons School, aka Top Gun), of up to 19 hour days, I was the heaviest I have even been in my life (about 30 lbs higher than my average). One of my classmates invited me to his garage to start doing CrossFit with him. So for about three months, before I moved again, I learned all the basics and generally liked it... but returned to general weight lifting and playing sports to stay fit. It wasn't until Mica (0730's favorite Gargan) decided to try it in summer 2021 that I joined a box... and got hooked. While I felt like I lost muscle in the beginning, I felt the strongest I've ever felt and I didn't hurt as much. After three years of consistent work, I am much stronger, leaner, and healthier. Adding in playability and foam rolling, I also feel the best I have in my adult life at 45.

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

I really want to conquer the muscle up... it seems like it's the accumulation of all the different workouts into one big challenge. I also will be taking on a new and intense job in June, so I'll have to figure out how to stay consistent.

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

I have six kids (three are adults, one adopted kid is a senior in high school, and the two little guys that do kid's CrossFit in elementary school. I have a lot of interests but not a ton of time to fit them all in. I roast coffee beans. I brew my own beer. I'll play a video game if I have some time. As previously mentioned, I still play soccer... which I played professionally in Iceland back in 2004/05. Favorite band is Tool.

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

Read the book Atomic Habits if you're lacking the motivation to stay consistent... otherwise, the results will motivate you.

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Previous WODs

The Monthly Catch - February 2025

By Mandy Brezina • February 1, 2025

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