Blog

The internet dictates that you only share the pretty things, the greatest hits – not the gritty bits where you were wrong.

The pandemic provided us an opportunity fundamentally change and we’re leaning into that process. Over the past few months, I’ve (Wylie) had time to reflect along with our team on what we do in the gym and how we’ll grow going forward. 

The first step is pulling back the curtain a bit to share with you all some of the things that we (led by me – Wylie) didn’t do right, where we’re seeking to improve and restating our mission. As you’ll read, one of these is communicating better – so this is a start of that process. If you have any questions on these – please do reach out.

I’m intensely proud of our staff, you all and our responsibility to elevate what happens within our walls and how that impacts the much bigger life beyond them. Let’s get to work.

Mistake 1: Free 6-week programming templates work

I would see someone struggling to get pull ups. I’d say, “let me write you a free 6-week plan, no problem”. The problem is that person still wasn’t better at pull ups 6 weeks later (I wouldn’t even follow programs like this myself). It lacked assessment, understanding of what that person actually needed and literal buy-in. Those factors also made it harder for that athlete to trust later on when presented with other feedback. Athletes deserve custom solutions.

Mistake 2: Community is enough

Community is necessary and vital, but is not sufficient to run a functioning business. Environments must be inclusive and foster belonging, but also must provide opportunities to address and solve physical limitations. Our Coaching and knowledge must aspire to the same level and get the same attention. 

Mistake 3: Professional Coaches can make a living coaching group classes

Part-time, hourly wages cannot sustain the careers of professional Coaches (our industry has a terrible habit of assuming this). If we’re committed to offering professional Coaching services to members, we need in invest in the staff’s opportunity to earn a living, grow, gain knowledge and not depend on passion to be leaders.

Mistake 4: “Needs differ by degree, not kind”

Are there certain overall constants for a physically active life? Sure. However, specific issues require specific solutions. Otherwise, we’re wasting an athlete’s time and frustrating them when they see someone else doing a movement that they’re forced to scale. We can still love the energy of group training, while being smarter about its application and in the process help drive meaningful results.

Mistake 5: Focus on making class the happiest hour of their day

Classes must be fun, but the work done within them needs to empower and deliver actual results. Otherwise, the focus drifts towards playlists instead of positions and away from truly helping people achieve their true physical expression. Have a laugh, enjoy the ride, but make sure and know that it’s going somewhere purposeful.

Mistake 6: What worked before will always work

Your needs 6 weeks into training are different than at 6 months and at 6 years. We have to recognize that and work with athletes to embrace that journey. The saying goes.. when you start, “push ups make your legs stronger” – everything helps – but what about 18 months later as your body changes? Just like our bodies, our conversations must evolve and that can be such an exciting process!

Mistake 7: Not sharing this information

A long time ago, someone told me to write “who needs to know” at the top of my to-do list each week. Along the way, as things evolve, it can be easy to assume everyone “gets it” – this is wrong.

Sharing this list is a step on that path – sharing with you all how I’m excited what we’re doing is evolving into a truly special training experience. Each of these topics are key points that we’re committed to digging into in the coming year. Our gym, programs and staff training will be growing in exciting ways to step into solving these errors.

Our mission:

We help people subvert limitations and achieve their true physical expression.

Not just PR your back squat.

Not just improve your “Fran” time.

We’re here to use movement to solve problems and let you live your true physical expression. I couldn’t be more excited about that process. I’m grateful for your support as we grow. Thank you.

-Wylie

Recently, we heard an ad where Gatorade claimed its new water contained “Gatorade electrolytes”. That’s stupid, but also is an opportunity to talk about what electrolytes are and why you need them (especially this time of year).

Electrolytes are minerals (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium), which carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water. The charged ions set off electrical currents which let fluid pass in and out of your cells. Every process in your body depends on this taking place, so yea – they’re important, and no Gatorade – didn’t create them.

We get electrolytes from our food and drinks and we lose them via our sweat and urine. Though we lose more water than electrolytes from sweating  and we can lose enough to throw off our body processes (like muscle contractions, hence cramping).

Consuming a drink with (some) carbohydrates can help with fluid absorption, as well as enhancing endurance and glycogen synthesis (energy). Now, to pick on Gatorade again – the important thing here is SOME carbs – drinks are often sugar bombs, so be mindful of what you’re drinking.

Now that it’s hot out and you’re generally a more sweaty human – consider adding some electrolytes to your water bottle to help you feel better during and after your workout. We like Nuun tablets a lot, they’re easy to carry around, relatively inexpensive and don’t have added sugar. If you really need some more flavor – squeeze a lemon in there too, live a little for crying out loud. Enjoy!

Whether it’s wooder or water – you need more of it this time of year. Here’s why.

First of all we’re more water than anything else as water makes up about 60% of our body (babies are close to 75%!). Even those rock solid bones we have, over 20% water in them.

In your body, water works as a transporter in and out of your cells, it makes chemical reactions possible, lubricates joints and regulates our temperature when we sweat – so yea, it’s important.

What’s really remarkable is how little we need to lose through sweat and dehydration to start having a negative impact on our body.

A 1% loss of body water reduces aerobic endurance.

A 3% loss leads to reduced muscle endurance.

A 5% loss causes heat exhaustion, cramping and reduced mental capacity.

Now, yes – you can drink too much water as well and that has a host of issues associated with it, but generally – we find that folks are far more likely to be dehydrated. So how much should you be drinking?

If you’re a class-taking fitness person. Half a liter-to a full liter (16-32 ounces) over the hour of class is a good goal (bring a water bottle to class!). Then another half to full liter post workout. Try to add a half liter with meals. All told, hitting a daily total in ounces that equals the number of pounds you weigh is a good general goal for active people (you may need more).

A great way to start tracking is to get a water bottle like a Nalgene with markers on it, so you know what you’re actually drinking. Don’t refill it until it’s empty so you know how much you’re taking in. Also, starting your day drinking a full one before you drink coffee is a great start.

Electrolytes can help as well, especially this time of year, we like Nuun tablets as an affordable option that don’t also come with lots of additives and garbage in them. Remember, you’re basically a plant, drink some water! 

You’ve seen them, the bag chickens. You might also say “not for me.. I don’t eat chicken in a bag”. But then you also might house a pint of ice cream later on. You know what could have helped avoid that? The supermarket Rotisserie Chicken.
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One of the complicated things about nutrition is that we make it complicated. Let me explain. Often, there are easy and simple solutions – say, prepared even, right in front of us. In a bag. With handles. But instead.. We plan to make that six-course recipe we saw on the gram. Well, next stop and it’s 7:34pm and you’re having a real pickle of a time finding the motivation to make that balsamic reduction from the instagram recipe. In comes the siren song of the ice cream dinner from the freezer..
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We’ve done it, no shame. However, it doesn’t have to happen if we use some basics. The rotisserie chicken is cooked and ready to go. Depending on your needs – it’s a few servings of protein right there. Different cuts of the bird to mix it up even! Seriously, you don’t get that with a single piece of fish. It’s also an affordable option.
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Cut it up and toss into some salads for added protein. Eat a drumstick like you’re at the Ren Fair – there’s lots of options. All thanks to the often unfairly maligned Rotisserie chicken. Now – like any prepared food, freshness does matter in this case, so try to get one earlier in the day so you don’t get one that looks it spent the day at the shore. However, next time you’re stumped on meal planning or know you need an easy protein source (or 3), thank the unsung supermarket hero – the bag chicken and tell Ben and Jerry they have the night off.

Here’s some fuzzy math for you.

In training, percentages are often used as tools to indicate how hard a movement should be and therefore define its repeatability. If you want to snatch 100 pounds, we wouldn’t just put 100 on the bar and have you yank on it a million times, we’d first have you master technique and timing at lower weights and then increase with capability.

However, here’s the trick.. We forget this is and lower percentages seem lame. Telling your friends you worked on repeatable reps at a low weight doesn’t get nearly the acclaim or likes on the gram as a new personal record (i.e. 100%+). Yet, this is exactly how we get better and build personal records. Ironically though, it’s also where things are most likely to go wrong.

In warming up, we often won’t pay as close attention to those reps. 

“Sure, my back could have been tighter” and “yes – that bar got away a bit” – but the rep got there. “I’ll clean it up on the next (heavier) rep”. Ever been there? We have, absolutely. Injuries are a part of using your body. However, these reps, the seemingly easier practice reps can be disproportionately problematic or set up false expectations.

This is why most car accidents happen close to home. We’re assuming our internal auto-pilot is better than it really is in familiar environments. Turns out, we’re often wrong and simple tasks trip us up more than ones where we are required to fully focus. 

Let’s also be clear that percentages can be perceived effort as well. This is why we often program “a heavy set of ____”, then take a number based on that lift today for use in conditioning. 60% or 90% can be perceived effort, not just a number linked to a totally different environment months ago. If a functional movement is defined as offering the greatest repeatable expression of work capacity, than learning how to make 60% special is the absolute best way to also set up successful 90-100% in the future.

Next time you’re tempted to race up the heavy weight ladder, take a minute and give 60% some more love, your next shot at 90% will thank you.

We’ve all been there… Warmed up, preparing to start the workout, our arms-heavy-knees-weak-mom’s spaghetti moment. Coach starts the clock and it’s ON.

75 seconds later, we realize we’ve made a terrible mistake. Now what? The stages of workout grief; the denial, the bargaining, finally the acceptance… as we stare at a barbell with a heart-rate of 300. But what if there is a better way?

When we program workouts, the goal is to have you increase your work capacity – an unsexy way of saying “move things quicker than you could move those things last time”. To do that, conditioning workouts are time and task based.

“Time” means you have a time limiter on the work being done, the every minute on the minute format is a popular iteration of this idea. In that case, every 60s, you’re moving to another movement regardless of what you’ve done.

“Task” means you have a task to complete, but the time in which that is accomplished may vary from person to person. In these cases, we likely vary the load being used to keep athletes finishing in the same general time.

Improving work capacity requires repeatability and consistency. You don’t get more efficient by doing one rep, you gain efficiency by doing lots of reps. This is the case because your muscles require volume and time to build stamina, cardio endurance, strength and flexibility while your brain requires practice to learn coordination, balance, agility and accuracy and therefore gain efficiency. Repeatability gives you increased speed and power – otherwise knows as – you guessed it, more work capacity. If you blow up after 75s, we haven’t accomplished any of those things.

And now here’s where the beloved “AMRAP” – As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible comes in. For any workout longer than a few minutes (let’s say 3-4), you need a plan for pacing. Otherwise, you’re not training – you’re practicing blowing up – and that is the absolute least efficient way to get better at anything.

As many rounds as possible, really means as much work as possible. That   requires a plan and pacing so that your 15 min workout is actually useful, not leaving you crawling, crying and hoping that taking your shirt off will be the answer (we’ve tried, it doesn’t..). Next time, you see an AMRAP format workout – break it down into time intervals that you can repeat. This keeps the workout useful and you’ll actually get fitter.

Oh, and you’ll hang on to mom’s spaghetti. Marshall would be proud.

Eat with your hands! (Sorry, mom).

We get the question often of how to estimate the right quantities of macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) to have with a meal. Here’s an easy way to get a gauge and start building a better plate (and when dining out!).

1-2 palm sized portions of protein (thickness and overall size).

1-2 cupped hands portions of starchy carbs

1-2 closed fists of veggies and fruits

1-2 thumbs of fats (including liquids like dressings)

Note: don’t actually pack all your rice into your hand at the table like a maniac, this is a gauge to look at relative to your body size. Ok- moving on.

The 1-2 measurement is relative to size of the human. Larger humans generally need more food. Also, if you need to prioritize one source (like protein) – you can make adjustments this way. 

Next, make the combinations of those things as colorful as possible (tan is not a color when it comes to food, sorry, nor is the red in ketchup – bummer). Combine that plan in 3-4 meals/day along with 3/4 to 1:1 of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day and you’ve got a solid foundation.

Also note: at no point did this specify; vegan, carnivore, zone, intermittent fasting, keto, organic, free-range or whatever else. Just the basics.

Typically, only after an athlete (remember, yes – you are an athlete), is hitting these goals do we talk about supplemental shakes as whole food sources are ideal.

Start there, then listen to your body so you can learn how to fuel it 🔥

Feeling is always the goal, but when we lose or lack the ability to feel, numbers become a tool to relate to the world. When you begin training, you lack direct feeling because your sensory system is overloaded.

At the start, everything is new – you have to remember where the bar is in the gym, much less your start position for a lift. This makes the situation temporarily overwhelming and this is why we help prescribe weight, time and volume. This creates the ability for you to start to feel.

As your “athlete age” (the time spent doing a task) increases, you develop feeling, when a position can’t be held any longer, or a time interval can’t be met without accommodation. In a general physical prep program like our GPX classes – the goal is ultimately feel. The weight on the bar, the number of reps, the cadence of the workout – matches your intensity. This is where life-long fitness happens.

We want our athletes to be co-conspirators when we ask “what’s your plan today?”. You shouldn’t be robot always dependent on percentages, you should develop a feel for your body and then that tells you how heavy to make a given movement or moment. Maybe you slept 4 hours last night. Maybe you had a second glass of wine. How does that impact feeling? Then you aren’t dependent on a watch, band or phone – but you actually develop a connection with your body, rather than a purely transactional relationship.

Numbers provide concrete feedback, but they don’t tell the story of your whole self. This is the difference between a 3 rep max and a heavy set of 3 reps. One is dependent on previous experience related to an abstraction (3 rep max), one is dependent on your feeling (heavy set of 3). Both are valuable in the right context, feeling tells you which one. It’s why we ask you how you feel, not just what is on the bar.

Superior learning means reduction, not complexity. Learning when the 3 rep max is relevant and when a heavy 3 is the right move. 

Autonomy, not dependency. OPEX Founder and Fitness OG – James Fitzgerald once asked, “when did fitness become the business of creating dependent relationships?” 

Subvert robotic fitness, reclaim your body.

Why start with assessment?

Prior to a new athlete picking up any equipment, we always start with assessment. Why? Because otherwise, we might as well be Coaching with the lights off.

Often, folks come to us with a history of movements that don’t feel great.

“My knees hurt when I squat”

“I can’t press overhead on that side”

“I hate burpees” (full disclosure – there isn’t much we can do there).

Equally as often, when we then assess the full body – we find compensation taking place from areas not included in that inventory. A limited ankle can trigger a low back. A limited shoulder can irritate a knee. It’s all connected.

When we train, we use a principle of transferability using full body movements. Let’s explain. When you squat using a non-fixed weight like a barbell or dumbbell, you not only work your legs, but also your core, upper back, feet as well as improve balance and coordination. This is why assessment is so important. We need the whole picture because training with us isn’t isolated to one part of the body – we want to help you put all the pieces together for maximum full body fitness.

From there, we make a plan for you to improve those positions and as you learn new skills, because you’re an individual – not a group. That’s how you’ll build confidence and competence with our staff.

Oh and just maybe, you’ll even appreciate burpees. Message us to schedule a no-cost consult and assessment to learn more.