What will be the hottest Fitness trends this summer?

May 22, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

So with the CrossFit Games Tickets sold out in less than a couple of hours, who can guess what the hottest thing in fitness will be this Summer? No longer is boot-camp, spin class or Zumba top of the tree, there is a new king in town. This king is all about high intensity, constantly varied and functional movement. While some initial doubters might have questioned the staying power, there is no doubt it is changing the way we workout forever.

 

This month, Forbes Magazine took a look at the Five Hottest Fitness Trends we should all be checking out this summer.

 

Enter CrossFit…

Source: CrossFit Games

 It’s all about the CrossFit Games

With the CrossFit Open now in the books, Regionals taking place throughout the month and the ultimate 2013 CrossFit Games are scheduled for late July. An amazing schedule of CrossFit awaits us. For those who thought CrossFit was merely a fad and would pass, all signs point towards GO! The sport continues to grow stronger with the recent Open qualifications experiencing record numbers, close to 150,000 worldwide. Those lucky enough to make it through Regionals to the games will be featured on ESPN2 competing for a $250,000 Grand Prize and lucrative endorsements.  The workouts will test athletes across a broad range of skills, strength and endurance whilst pushing them beyond their mental barriers.

 

A new box and a modern obstacle course

Not only did CrossFit take top spot, two of the remaining four events also related to CrossFit. With a New York feel, the expansion of one of the hottest West Coast Gym’s moving into new territory in Chelsea, New York City is all full of hype. The West Hollywood institution hosts the likes of Bob Harper and Max Greenfield and are looking to make a splash.

 

Also featured in the top five is the new aged marathon CrossFitter’s love to compete in, the Spartan Race. Modern obstacle courses are all the rage, backed by big name fitness companies, competitors comprised of a high percentage of CrossFitter’s climbing walls, evading electrified barbed wire fences all whilst embraced in mud.

 

Rounding it out

Whilst we cannot forget the other two events rounding out the top five. The Battle of Indoor Cycling Supremacy in New York, together with the Big Apple’s introduction of Bike Sharing across the city. A sure win for residents and tourists alike.

 

Now, don’t forget to tune into the upcoming CrossFit Season with one eye on our Blonyx Athletes, or you might just miss out on that next conversation at the water cooler!

 

- Andy at Blonyx

 

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidtao/2013/05/05/5-must-watch-fitness-trends-for-the-summer/

Regionals Week One

May 21, 2013 by Andy Lee | 0 comments

Mayer off to California!

The Big news coming out of Week One of the CrossFit Regionals was the phenomenal effort of Blonyx Athlete Travis Mayer. After outlining his strategy last week, Mayer stated the key was to be “consistent, and not too inconsistent”. He remained true to his word, finishing the majority of the events in the Top 10, with the highlight being a 5.22 Jackie time in Event One.

 

Mayer will be one of three new faces heading to Carson, California in July this year after qualifying second position. One point behind winner ZA Anderson, and 8 points clear of third placed Daniel Petro. Mayer edged out previous CrossFit Games competitors Chase Daniels, Brandon Phillips and Guido Trinidad to book his place.

 

After a strong performance all weekend, Mayer worked his way into pole position going into Event 7, the final workout. Despite a nervous wait for all the results to finalize,  a seventh place finish in the rope climb, sprint and squat clean triplet was enough to secure a place on the podium and his ticket to the CrossFit Games.

 

 

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Interview with Next Generation Elite Athlete: Travis Mayer

May 13, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 2 Comments

Training and the CrossFit Open

For Travis Mayer, Blonyx Athlete and Head Coach of CrossFit Silos, competing at the upcoming South East Regionals in Palm Beach, Florida represents something special. Injuring his L-5 vertebra in last year’s Open, Mayer has taken the necessary time off to recover and build towards achieving his goal of qualifying for Regionals. While one goal has been achieved, the allure of the CrossFit Games still awaits.

 

A training day in the schedule of Mayer involves taking the morning classes at CrossFit Silos in Alpharetta, Georgia, followed by a training session, then another in the evening. Most weeks also involve one complete rest day; usually Monday with Thursday being more of an active rest. “A light swim, row, run or air dyne for 20 minutes at 65%. A little easy and not so taxing on the body” he says.

 

Placing 15th in the South East Region, Mayer’s approach was ‘one and done’, firmly geared towards peaking for Regionals. “You don’t get repeats at Regionals. My main focus was getting there and then doing 100%. If you do well in the Open while you were getting destroyed in training, you know you are going to do well”.

 

Crushing the CrossFit Open

Mental Aspect

The mental aspect plays an important role in Mayer’s approach. “CrossFit is 80% mental. Whoever can push their body to the next level, to that uncomfortable place, something magical is going to happen. I always think; keep going, don’t stop. Three, two, one; that is my rest and I am back on it”.

 

With a background in Motocross riding, Mayer has carried across his toughness to great effect, “Racing Motocross, you have to learn how to be positive. You could go out, get hurt and you would just have to come back. That helps translate into CrossFit. You get into that uncomfortable place, so much in your body says to stop” says Mayer.

 

OC Throwdown

“I never really did too many big competitions, a bit of local stuff”. Recently teaming up with Optimum Performance Training (‘OPT’) under the tutelage of Coach Max El-Hag, Mayer wanted to do a larger event before Regionals just to see how he stacked up against other competitive athletes. What better place to do this than at the 2013 OC Throwdown in Costa Mesa, California with the likes of NorCal’s Neil Maddox and SoCal’s Kenneth Leverich, together with 15 other Games athletes. “I took it one workout at a time and placed third” recounts Mayer. “I wanted to finish top five, but going into that second day I realised I could finish top three, so I was pretty stoked about that”.

 

With arguably his greatest achievement in the sport to date, Mayer actively experienced the training schedule and peaking strategies specific for this event. These factors will hopefully translate into success later this month, “I know I can do really well if I dial everything in”.

 

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How much are they improving? (infographic)

May 8, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 1 Comment

From humble beginnings of the 2007 CrossFit Games, the sport of CrossFit continues to evolve at a phenomenal rate. In driving the popularity of the sport forward, credit must be given to the athletes themselves who each year, continue to raise the level of competition to unprecedented heights.

 

With more than 110,000 athletes taking part in the 2013 CrossFit Open, a comparison between the Top 10 Men and Women and their 2012 counterparts was undertaken to identify just how far CrossFit has advanced. Across a range of key strength standards, the favorite movement of athletes “The Snatch” saw the greatest progression. Men put 4.85% increase to average 259 pounds, while the women gained a massive 5.70% on the 2012 numbers to hit an average of 153lbs.

 

Numbers surged across the board with all lifts; the Clean & Jerk, Deadlift and Back Squat all seeing solid gains. Not only did athletes experience improvements in strength, performance of 2013 also surpassed that of 2012 with Men improving their Open Workout benchmarks by 4.17% and Women 1.67%.

 

With athletes training year-round,it is amazing to identify the significant improvements achieved in just one year. Athletes continue to get stronger, faster and push the boundaries of physical capacity.

 

With 2013 CrossFit Regionals and Games just around the corner, what heroic feats can we expect?

 

Watch this space…

Source: Boxlife Magazine

Who is off to Regionals? Team Blonyx and 13.5!

April 9, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

With the throwdown of a FRAN style ladder AMRAP, Blonyx athletes completed the fifth and final workout of the CrossFit Games Open in 13.5. Competitors took center stage completing a couplet of Thrusters and Chest-to-Bar pull ups, testing not only physical but also mental capabilities with the introduction of a bonus time cap for successful athletes.

 

Next Stop….Regionals!

Source: Games.CrossFit.com

Source: Games.CrossFit.com

 

For many, this was their last chance to stake their claim at their respective Regionals. In pursuit of a berth in the 2013 CrossFit Games in California,  Noah Pester did not disappoint. Posting 160 reps to take the honors for the men, booking a place at North West Regionals with sixth place. Completing an outstanding performance in the Open, Jenn Jones finished with 147 reps holding onto 1st place in South Central and a lofty 26th position overall. Both Nate Schrader and Travis Mayer brought it home with 156 reps, Schrader finishing in 4th position in Mid Atlantic and Mayer 15th in South East, booking their spot at Regionals. There is no doubting the quality of  Blair Morrison from CrossFit Anywhere, hitting 142 reps on his way to 26th position and Northern Californian Regionals. Completing a solid Open season, Joshua Page scored 139 reps consolidating 6th place and a trip to North Central Regionals to represent Reckless CrossFit.

Third straight title?

Source: Games.CrossFit.com

Going One, Two in the Canada West Masters category were Gord “Caveman” MacKinnon and Troy Straith. The men from CrossFit BC threw down, achieving 120 and 79 reps respectively and will be attending Regionals together, with 2011 and 2012 CrossFit Games Champion MacKinnon in particular gunning for a third straight Masters title.

 

Pole Position!

Source: Games.CrossFit.Com

Continuing her ascent, Alicia Connors of CrossFit Taranis topped the leader board in Canada West with 139 reps to place 48th overall. Only a single rep behind was Next Generation Elite athlete Bridget Ahlfield achieving 138, who will be looking forward to representing CrossFit Fairfield at Regionals after her 18th placing. Not to be denied, Owner and Head Coach of CrossFit Vise Ricky Frausto surged through 135 reps and into the Top 200 in North Central, while team man Lamar Aldridge of Team FTF put it all on the line with 89 completed reps to close out 13.5.

 

 

Team Blonyx attack 13.4!

April 2, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

CrossFit Games Open Workout 13.4 is now in the books with Team Blonyx athletes completing an ascending ladder of the Olympic clean and jerk coupled with gymnastic toes to bar.

 jp1

Leading the way

Joshua Page continues to lead the pack, returning 112 repetitions in the 7 minute AMRAP. Page of Reckless CrossFit remains 3rd in North Central and moves up to 29th in the overall standings. Alicia Connors of CrossFit Taranis topped 13.4 in the Women’s category, smashing out 102 repetitions rocketing her into 1st place in Canada West Region and 31st overall.

 

Moving on up

Fresh from his strong showing last week, Noah Pester pumped out 107 reps, moving up to 7th place in North West, while CrossFit Anywhere athlete Blair Morrison muscled through 109 reps leaping into 20th position in the notorious Nor Cal Region. See just how Morrison did it here.

 

Best of the rest

Jenn Jones continues to dominate hitting triple figures in 13.4, holding onto 1st place in South Central with an amazing 21st position overall. Ricky Frausto also cracked the tonne with a score of 100, as did Lamar Aldridge from CrossFit FTF recording a competitive 101 in the Northern California Region. Next Generation Elite athlete Bridget Ahlfield from CrossFit Fairfield moves her up to 21st in North Central. Proving he is back and better than ever, Travis Mayer from CrossFit Silos posted 105 reps and now sits 12th in the South East Region. The legend that is Gord “Caveman” MacKinnon posted up a mammoth 104 reps consolidating his assailing lead in both the Canada West Region and overall Masters category.

 

With one workout remaining, athletes have one more opportunity to mark their place in their respective Regions on their way to the 2013 CrossFit Games in California.

 

 

Can Sport Save Mankind?

March 28, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

The “sport” of CrossFit is more than something we do. Its a community of people. Communities are teams that can potentially make a much bigger impact on society, but does this matter?

Looking at sport as a whole (see the below info graphic) it is clear that it is a phenomenon that can have massive impact on society on a global scale. As the CrossFit community grows its going to be interesting how this will impact society. With great power comes great responsibility.

Can-sports-save-mankind

Infographic by: bestshowticketslasvegas.com

Bloynx athletes hit CrossFit Games Open Workout 13.3!

March 25, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

Rocketing up the Rankings

noah-pester-thumb

Noah Pester pushed through an immense 288 repetitions of Wall Balls, Double Unders and Muscle Ups rocketing to the top of Team Bloynx for CrossFit Games Workout 13.3. The CrossFit Marysville product now moves inside the Top Ten into 9th place in North West Region looking to rival his past efforts and compete in the 2013 CrossFit Games.  Showing no signs of slowing down, Jenn Jones continues to lead the way with another stand out performance achieving 264 reps. Jones now sits 1st in her South Central Region and 9th on the worldwide leaderboard, ahead of seasoned competitors Rebecca Voigt and Annie Thorisdottor. It looks like the time put in at CrossFit EaDo in Houston, Texas is working wonders for a successful 2013 season.

 

Here come the Regionals

josh-page-thumb

Backing up his efforts in both 13.1 and 13.2, Bloynx Next Generation (NGE) Team Athlete Josh Page hit a total of 270 reps in 13.3. Looking to consolidate his position on the podium, Page is currently ranked 2nd in North Central Region and 30th overall. The head trainer and owner of Reckless CrossFit in Plano, Illinois continues to keep 2012 CrossFit Games Open Champion Dan Bailey at bay who sits two places behind overall. With a great start to the Open, Top Ten contender Page is well on his way to reach his goals with first step to qualify for 2013 Regionals.

 

Gord “Caveman” Mackinnon of CrossFit BC showed why he is still number one in the Masters Division, topping his Canada West Region and the worldwide standings, posting a dominant 254 reps. MacKinnon is well on his way to a three-peat, looking to add the 2013 crown to his overflowing trophy cabinet next to his 2011 and 2012 championships.

CrossFit Games athlete Nate Schrader surged up the leaderboard in the Mid Atlantic Region in week three of the CrossFit Open, posting a score of 267 and now sits 8th. The man from Iron Forged CrossFit in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina looks set to back up his 12th place in 2012 and 14th place in 2011 in the CrossFit games by taking his competitive endeavors to Regionals.

 

Across the Board

alicia-connors-thumbTwo time CrossFit Games competitor Alicia Connors looks set to achieve a place at Regionals, amassing a score 257 consolidating her position of 2nd in Canada West Region and an amazing 36th overall. With just two workouts left, Connors is set to do CrossFit Taranis proud with a place on the podium as she strives for a spot at the 2013 CrossFit Games in California.

 

The man from CrossFit Vise in Iowa, Ricky Frausto proved he could once again throwdown, achieving a total of 250 while Bridget Ahlfield moved up to 23rd in North Central with 253 leading the way for CrossFit FairField. Blair Morrison of CrossFit Anywhere built on his first two performances and put in another strong showing of 263 and now sits 25th in the tough Nor Cal Region.

 

 

The CrossFit Girls. An info graphic for your wall

March 14, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

Infographics are a great source of information. On occasion we come across one that displays information so well, it should be up on the CrossFit gym wall rather than on the screen. This is one of them. An ode to the girls!

 The_CrossFit_Girls

This awesome info graphic displaying the benchmark CrossFit Workout series “The Girls” provides a great, quick instructional guide that every CrossFiter should have on hand. Get it up on your wall!

 

Blonyx athletes take on 13.1

March 13, 2013 by Blonyx admin | 0 comments

Chart Toppers

JennJones

 

Jenn Jones topped the Blonyx team with a massive 204 reps and taking 8th in the world just above Camile.

She was followed by an out of this world performance by new Blonyx Next Generation Elite (NGE) team athlete Josh Page from Reckless CrossFit taking 9th in the world above the likes of Dan Bailey and Mikko Salo

New  recruit and two times games winner (Masters Division) Gord “Caveman” Mackinnon also showed us just how dominant he is on the masters circuit by taking 2nd in the world with 165 reps. Anything Froning can do Gord can do too!

 

The 190 club

New NGE recruits Jamie Hagiya and Bridget Ahlfield both got 190 reps, placing them 20th in Socal and 18th in North Central respectively. Both a step closer to regionals. Our very own wonder woman Alicia Connors also hit 190 leaving her in 5th in Western Canada where her beau Steve Howell threw down with 173, just because he can.
Travis Mayer is back after placing 3rd at this year’s OC Throwdown by taking 5th in the South East with 190.

The All Rounders

Noah Pester demonstrated just how much his strength has increased over this last year by throwing up 176 and taking 18th in the NW region. Nate Schrader came in at 40th in North Central region with 173 after recovering from illness whereas Ricky Frausto, our man at CrossFit Vise, hit 161, NGE recruit Lamar Aldridge hit 164 and our man on the road Blair Morrison hit 166 and is placed 86th in the notorious Norcal region.