Huge apologies for the delay on this, it’s been a tough call to pick the winners.
Due to how close it was among the top contenders, we have 6 winners, with 2 showing an edge to take first prize, and then 2 runners up for both men and women. All 6 of these people did an excellent job and made some changes that were tough for them, to some great results. Congrats!
Men:
Women:
Marie
Danny
Next Saturday, September 25, we’ll be hosting the Fight Gone Bad charity event. This event is open to anyone, as a free event. However, we do ask that that you register on the fight gone bad website, and make an effort at raising some money for the charity, even if it’s just a few dollars.
The event kicks off at 10 am. Non-members should start arriving at 9:30 to fill out paperwork and go over the rules and exercises in the workout. Also if you’re not a current member, please email info@crossfit-orlando.com with your full name to register.
The Saturday intro class and 1030 class are cancelled, but any member is welcome to participate in the Fight Gone Bad workout at 10. The 8:00 class will still take place.
Grillout – We’ll be firing up the grill for post-workout refreshments and socializing. We’ll have some of Rosa’s Burgers, but everyone’s encouraged to bring some paleo-friendly dishes.
Teams are as follows. First person in the list is suggested team lead, each team is welcome to pick another as they see fit. Team lead will help organize the group, collect and turn in food logs each week, and serve as a contact point for the group.
(There’s also a permalink to this team list for the duration of the challenge under the “nutrition” menu.)
Kevin rocking out on Back Squats
Hello members! This past nutrition challenge is the second one since our gym opened back in November. Not only did we have more participation from members this time around, but it was clear that the additional nutrition focus helped people stay on track, better their performance, and feel happier and healthier overall. Additionally, the challenge enabled members to discuss progress before and after class, and added to a cohesive feeling of community, which is very important to us here at CrossFit Orlando!
Okay, enough small talk…onto the results! In order of votes, here are the following individuals who placed 1-5 in this Paleo challenge.
1. Kevin Kuryliw (The winner!)
2. Cole Oliver
3. Michelle Allegra
4. Lori Schwartzerg
5. Kasey Sirianni
As one can easily tell, we have two of our very own trainers (Kevin and Lori) on the list of top five for this challenge! What a cool thing, and surely inspiring because they obviously practice what they preach! The whole reason we allowed trainers in the challenge this time was because, simply put, they are inspired by all of you! Just as people tend to achieve greater results by being a part of challenge which embodies accountability, comradeship, and helpful advice, so too do the trainers benefit by being a part of the competition. . .watching you all work hard every day inspires the trainers to pursue their own performance and health goals.
Kevin, the winner of this challenge, dropped 10.8 pounds, reduced body fat by 3.4%, increased lean muscle, and made huge gains in terms of PR’s on WOD’s and lifts. Also, he reached specific goals such as improving endurance, conquering handstand pushups, and achieving his target on snatches! Kevin has been helping us all work our tails off these past few months, and it truly has been great seeing him reach some of his very own goals! And even though he is, yes, a trainer here . . .he unquestionably deserves some recognition for his achievements on this challenge! Since Kevin is a trainer, he will not be winning the free unlimited month membership, however he will be receiving some spare T-shirts and a Rosa’s Farm Foods gift certificate. Great job, Kevin!
Next on the list was Mr. Cole Oliver, pulling in at #2. Cole has been a dedicated member, rocking it out on the WOD’s daily. It must also be mentioned that, for the majority of this challenge, Cole was sporting a boot after finding out he had a stress fracture in his foot from running. Instead of sitting this challenge out, he persevered and made it through all workouts, still managing to flop on the ground after each one as a result of pushing himself so hard. Cole lost 12.6 pounds, reduced body fat by 3.9%, and killed his old “Jackie” time by completing it over 2 minutes earlier than his original time. Cole also stayed very true to Paleo which undoubtedly helped him reach his goals all while in the midst of working through a period of injury. Cole sets a good example for all of us . . .no excuses! And since Kevin is a trainer and will not get a free month of training, a month of free classes goes to our good friend, Cole! Congrats!
Rolling in at #3 was Ms. Michelle Allegra! Michelle has been an amazing contributor to Crossfit Orlando, has brought many of her friends this way, and is always advocating for the benefits of CrossFit training and nutrition mentalities. Michelle brings great energy, passion, and hard work to each WOD. Michelle made huge improvements during this challenge. . .losing 6.6 pounds, reducing body fat by 2.2%, and is now sporting an even more obvious 6 pack! Body composition goals aside, Michelle is also Rx’ing most workouts now, her times are improving on all of her WOD’s, and her strength on lifts is increasing each day. Great work, Michelle!
The individual coming in at #4 is our incredible owner and trainer, Lori Schwartzberg! We all know her well, since she helps us push ourselves to our limits, supports us when we are confused or need a boost, and is always there for any and all information regarding nutrition, smart training, and supplementation. So, during this challenge, it is clear how hard Lori personally worked to achieve her own goals, in the midst of helping us all reach our own. Lori dropped 10 pounds, decreased body fat by 2.9%, improved her CrossFit Total WoD by 20 pounds, and improved in all areas of strength, endurance, and power. Thanks, Lori, for all that you do each day! Also, congratulations on your great success during this challenge!
Finally, coming in at #5 is Ms. Kasey Sirianni! Kasey brings enthusiasm, encouragement, personality, and love to everything she does. CrossFit is no exception, and she proved that during this challenge. Kasey worked extremely hard to maintain a Paleo way of eating, stayed consistent with workouts, and reached various performance, body composition, and health goals. Kasey dropped 6.2 pounds, decreased body fat by 1.9%, and is now able to do pullups band-free (one of her performance goals). Great work, Kasey!
While the top 5 have been highlighted in the aforementioned paragraphs, let that not detract from the great efforts and achievements that resulted with everyone else who participated in this Paleo/Zone challenge. Big applause goes out to Elyse, Dylan, Sam D., Scott, Sam A., Tommy, Lisa and Paul O’Grady, Renee, Brian H., Wade, Theresa, John G., Kate, E’lan, Brian and Laura Waterfield, and Nikki K.! It takes guts and commitment to sign up for the challenge, to stay with it each day, and to make it a part of your life. Those who stuck with it have acknowledged how a Paleo way of eating makes them feel better, healthier, happier, and helps in performance and day-to-day living. We encourage all of you, and all the rest of our members, to give Paleo a try, or continue your commitment, to this lifestyle. Trust us, you will feel better, more energized, have more stable moods, and be healthier inside and out!
We have received a plethora of questions regarding when we will be starting our next Paleo Challenge. The next challenge will be slightly different in format, but stay tuned and we’ll be announcing it soon.
Once again, congratulations to our second Paleo Challenge winner, Kevin Kuryliw! Another congrats goes out to our runner-ups–Cole, Michelle, Lori, and Kasey, and for all of those who participated in this challenge. Also, thank you to everyone else who supported participants, despite not taking part in the challenge this go around. While this challenge may be over, keep up the momentum and let us know what we can do to help support your efforts in achieving balance and health, and continuing on with solid nutrition and improved performance.
As many of you have heard, CrossFit-Orlando recently hosted the CrossFit Rowing Foundations Certification. Angela Hart, a competitive rower since 1981 and a scholastic, collegiate, masters and Junior National level rowing coach, did us a great pleasure by serving as head instructor for the Concept II Rowing Certification at our home away from home (CrossFit-Orlando). The participants who attended gained an abundance of information regarding the science, technique, and overall functionality behind the rowing stroke, both on the rowing machine (ergometer) and the water itself. Among the participants were Lori Schwartzberg, Kevin Kuryliw, Jay Hollencamp, Laura Waterfield, and other trainers and members from CrossFit affiliates across the state of Florida.
Some things learned:
Power Ratio (PR=Average Watts/Body Weight in pounds) -Preferred method to calculate overall pull in relation to one’s body weight. For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds, and who has an average wattage of 150, is pulling their exact weight. This is helpful to know when thinking about rowing on the water. The person who can pull their own weight, or more, will likely make the boat go faster, and their teammates will be happier knowing that they do not have to pull their own weight plus a teammate’s extra weight. So, while doing workouts on the rowing machine, set your screen to show Watts/Average Watts and see how hard you are really pulling. Ideally, you should try to keep your average watts AT or ABOVE your present body weight.
Force Curve-This refers to a graphic representation of an individual’s stroke in reference to overall connection and momentum. You can find this graph on the rower by pulling up the main screen and setting your display to show the Kg, Lb graph. After taking just one pull, you are able to see an entire breakdown of the front and back end of your rowing stroke. Ideally, you want your force curve to be smooth. A bump or divot in the back end of the graph reveals a disconnection in the back muscles and the arms. A divot in the front end of the stoke shows a disconnection between the power application in the legs and power application in the body. Basically, the goal is to get your curve to resemble a normal bell-shaped curve with no breaks in the line. In order to do this, you must make sure to keep continuous pressure through the leg drive and arm pull into the body without any breaks in momentum.
Damper Setting-We have had numerous people question the craziness that exists on the side of the rowing machine, that is, the damper settings that you can change which range from 1-10. Many people believe that the damper setting controls the “resistance” of the rowing machine. In fact, this is not the case at all. The rower will work only as hard as you, the athlete, are willing to pull. A good way to think about the damper is to imagine the gear on a bicycle. Some people like to move their legs at a faster cadence while others like a slower drag on the wheel. Given these two different modalities, it is still possible for these two athletes to cross a finish line at the same time. With rowing, the same principles apply. A damper setting of 10 may work for some, while a damper of 4 may work better for someone else. No real generalizations can be made to specify which one will be most effective for you. The best thing to do is to experiment with the settings during warm-up or if there is time remaining in a shorter class. See which setting works best for your level of strength, endurance, cadence, etc.
Rowing on the Water-For the second day, Angela brought us out to Lake Fairview for some on-the-water training. We utilized the foundational techniques that we learned the day prior during the rowing machine training and attempted to transfer this practical experience onto the water. We had an amazing time, and got to spend an entire day out in the fresh air and with good company.
Suffice to say that the CrossFit Rowing Certification was a complete success. It was great to learn more about the basics of the rowing machine, the stroke from catch to finish, and to be able to transfer that knowledge and practice onto the water. Rowing is such an incredible sport, and we encourage each of you to practice on the rowing machine and ask as many questions as possible. Learning to be effective on the rower will improve your times in workouts, help build strength and endurance, and will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment.
On a side note, a few of us are interested in setting up a potential CrossFit-Orlando rowing boat that will launch out of the Orlando Rowing Club’s boathouse on Lake Fairview (Lee Road). For anyone interested in participating, please feel free to speak with Lori, Kevin, or Laura.
