Week 7: End of Mentorship

At CrossFit Tolero, things were simple.  You walked into the box and everything an athlete would need is there for them to have a productive workout.  With this just opening up it was a learning curve for everyone as no one had ever opened up their own business.  Things have worked out well for Shane and CrossFit Tolero as each week there seems to be an increase in the amount of members the box has.  This is good for CrossFit Tolero as it gives Shane an idea how far and how big CrossFit Tolero can become.  Shane wanted to open CrossFit Tolero as he understands what CrossFit has done for him and he wants to help anyone that he can.  There is no intention of making a profit off of it, as it is a hobby of Shanes, expanding into a bigger building and holding more classes down the road is ideal.

                                          (Thor teaching Iron Man the Turkish Get Up)

Through word of mouth CrossFit Tolero has grown and it is starting to catch on around the area as there seems to be more individuals who know or have heard of either CrossFit or CrossFit Tolero.  Shane was an excellent mentor to learn from as he was always there to help and give guidance and motivation when needed.  If there was ever any question I had about CrossFit or a form on a movement, Shane was always able to explain it and show why it is done a certain way.  When athletes would get down on themselves for not being able to do something Shane always was there to help them push forward.  Shane has a unique way of motivating athletes as he does not yell and scream, he talks and speaks to each athlete in a way that motivates them to keep on pushing.  During workouts when athletes get tired you will hear Shane say "take 3 deep breathes and go."  Even though it is a short statement you will see the athletes refocus and go after a few short breathes. 

My expectations for this mentorship were met.  I learned a lot about how I like to help people train and how I prefer to market a certain business.  Being active was an important part for me when doing this mentorship.  Going around to different marketing networks and businesses was fun and it was nice to meet these new networks and how they preferred to do different things when wanting to help promote CrossFit Tolero.  This mentorship has influenced me to continue to want to stay in marketing and stay active with CrossFit and continue learning from anyone I can about CrossFit and continue to work on getting certifications as it provides me with the opportunity to help train an even wider amount athletes.

CrossFit Tolero

My mentorship with CrossFit Tolero has been taking place since the middle of December of 2011.  Initially helping with getting all the materials ready to open on January 2nd, 2012.  CrossFit Tolero is located in North East, Wyoming in Gillette.  At this time there are four trainers in all, who help the athletes prepare for their workouts of the day.  During this mentorship I was responsible for going around local businesses and promoting CrossFit Tolero.  This mentorship also involved watching and helping owner/mentor Shane Welter with going over the proper forms and the movements for the workouts of the day.  Keeping athletes motivated during their workouts is important and learning how to approach each athlete is different from the next. 


Shane Welter has been doing CrossFit for close to 10 years and has a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to physical fitness and health.  Shane in October of 2011 became a certified level 1 trainer for CrossFit as he was preparing to take his hobby to the next level by opening up his own CrossFit box.  CrossFit Tolero got its name from Shane as the term "Tolero" fit well with the mindset of any CrossFit WOD, as for any WOD an athlete must endure, pain, and suffer through any WOD.  Shane is a trainer and co-owner of CrossFit Tolero as he got into business with a friend who also has been doing CrossFit for a few years.


During the mentorship I helped each of the owners with each WOD and explaining the overall terminology of what CrossFit is.  Speaking with the athletes on a normal basis is important and being able to explain why and how certain movements are done when the athletes have any questions on why each WOD is different from the next.  When CrossFit Tolero first opened I stayed in contact with local marketing networks in helping promote the opening of the box and on how staying healthy should be important to anyone.


CrossFit Tolero is open Monday through Saturday.  Athletes who are members are able to come to as many classes as they want there is no limit to how many they attend.  Working hours for CrossFit Tolero for:

 Monday through Friday:

• 5:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m
• 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays:

• 9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

As there is no dress code for CrossFit Tolero, most athletes and trainers where some type of loose clothing, shoes, and pending weather possibly a beanie.  Dress code really depends on the comfortability of the individual themselves.  This is a non-profit organization as it was created to help others who have a passion for bettering themselves in any way, shape, or form.  At CrossFit Tolero we are there to help and do what we can to make sure that the athletes are getting what they want out of the business.


While doing a mentorship with CrossFit Tolero, I want to get a better understanding of CrossFit and what it has to offer others and myself.  Work towards teaching others around me the ways of CrossFit.  I personally feel better when I explain and show an athlete how to do a certain movement and why it is done that why and in return they are able not only to do the functional movement themselves they can explain to others why it is done that way.  Teaching is an important part of CrossFit when athletes come to any WOD, they hopefully will learn something new.  Through this type of training athletes will hopefully get the feeling that they could also become trainers themselves as they understand and know what to do.  Antoher learning experience is to see what it takes to start up a business and work on it from the ground up and to see the progress of the business from where it originally started has been good.  As there have been good and bad days each day it is amazing to see each and every athlete who comes to CrossFit Tolero ready to go for whatever the WOD has to offer them.

Week 6: Marketing CrossFit Tolero

CrossFit itself has been a growing brand since its initial start by Greg Glassman.  Now in 2012, individual's sitting at home watching their televisions can see a variety of commercials promoting the "New Sport of Fitness Has Arrived."  While this is good for CrossFit, Inc. many individual's are unsure how to get involved with a local box in their community.  At this time their are two CrossFit affiliate boxes in Gillette, Wyoming.  The first one to come to Gillette was CrossFit Gillette, and as stated in a previous blog CrossFit Tolero is the second as it opened on January 2, 2012. 

Through the first couple of months since the opening of CrossFit Tolero there has been a large amount of new clientele.  CrossFit Tolero has benefitted from providing good services to their athletes and those same athletes have spread the word around the community about what CrossFit has done for them.  Competition is still there as it is in all sports.  With the increase in popularity of CrossFit itself the competition of competing boxes will only increase.  The competition will rise as more boxes will be built around the world in various locations and each box will be competiting for individuals' to donate their time and money for support.  As each box is different from the next separating oneself from the competition is needed.  With increase in popularity and branding a box is able to bring in more athletes which in turn brings in a higher revenue stream which will allow the box itself to grow and to purchase more equipment.  Understanding the bigger picture for the business of CrossFit Tolero calls for recognition of the possible limitations of growth in money, time spent at the box by athletes, marketing networks, selling of CrossFit Tolero merchandise, and various sponsors.

CrossFit Tolero has placed various flyers, programs, and has contacted a variety of companies around the area to help promote the new CrossFit box.  It has worked out well as athletes at the box have been willing to help promote CrossFit Tolero by passing out these flyers, programs, and have spoken to anyone and everyone they can about why they keep coming back for more pain and suffering from the workouts of the day (WOD) they get from the box.  Advertising through CrossFit Tolero athletes themselves is great publicity for the business as each athlete has their own story on what drives them to come back.  Some come for health, friendly competition, and some come for the community that CrossFit itself builds.  Everyone has the passion for CrossFit that is one thing that everyone who truly wants to do it has.  While at first athletes come to just do the workout and in just a few short weeks they are doing everything they can to learn more and more about the sport. 

CrossFit Tolero has enjoyed the growth they have seen and have been in the talks with Basin Radio Network one of the larger radio networks in the Wyoming area.  Basin Radio Network would provide CrossFit Tolero a wider network to reach around the Gillette area.  Some of the negotiations that have taken place have been about what radio station to put CrossFit Tolero on.  The selection of which radio network is important as advertising to the right audience could be very beneficial to CrossFit Tolero as they could reach aplenty of individual's who are interested in living a healthy lifestyle.

Week 5: CrossFit Filthy Fifty

The Filthy Fifty is no joke it is a workout that pushes any athlete through multiple stages of wanting to stop.  Through the first few excercises athletes feel good about what they are doing and they think they can do the workout as long as they would like then comes the 50 walking lunges.  While the athlete feels as though the first 4 to 6 walking lunges are ok it is the next 46 to 44 lunges that they have to worry about.  As the athlete gets halfway through the walking lunges they start notcing their legs and mid section start to become weak.  With sweat dropping from their forehead the athletes push forward and prepare to take a break after the lunges.  Once done with the lunges the athletes take a few deep breaths and the trainers and other athletes cheer them on to continue and to keep pushing as the next step in the Filthy Fifty is knees to elbows.

Knees to elbos is a movement where an athlete hangs from a pull up bar and raise their knees to their elbows.  While the movement seems easy to manuever, many athletes hang there and try to reach their knees as high as they can and after about 15 to 20 their arms and their hand grip starts to become weak.  This starts t ocuase a problems as the athlete starts to have a difficult time holding onto the pull up bar which inturn makes it difficult to do knees to bar.  As the athletes push through the athlete next to them is pushing them along to push themselves harder than they normally would intend on doing.  Working to improve themselves and push themselves is what many strive to do in CrossFit. 

As the athletes are tired from hanging on the pull up bar from knees to elbows they now have to push themselves even harder as they move to 50 push press at 45 pounds.  While 45 pounds does not seem to be a lot of weight for many athletes after going through the beginning stages of the Filthy Fifty, their mental toughness starts to come into play and they question how much longer is this pain going to last.  As they struggle with the last few push presses, the sense of relief starts to kick in as they are able to move onto the next workout.  The GHD back extensions while the athletes go to the GHD machine it is a time for them to push themselves as during their workout their hamstrings and back will start to become fatigued and as now with each movement the sweat is being flung through the air creating a straight line of sweat on the mats lying beneath them.  

The final three workouts involve using the whole entire body as the next stage in the Filthy Fifty is the dreaded wall balls.  This is where an athlete takes a weighted medicine ball and has to toss the ball from 8 to 10 feet above a line.  With each catch of the medicine ball the athlete gets down in a squat tosses the ball in the air to only recatch the ball and do it again and continue the process over and over.  As the athletes push forward they have burpees and double unders to look forward to.  As the athletes start their burpees their bodies hit the floor and sweat angels start to form.  As their legs and arms start to tremble they have to deal with trying to keep rhythm and finish the last excercise with double unders.  This is an excercise that could cause bruises and pain to any athlete who is unaware of what they are about to get themselves into.  Those double unders with each swoop of the jump rope come closer to closer with each rapid swing.  Athletes arms and legs start to tremble and within the next few seconds the jump rope hits their shins and within seconds bruises start to accumulate across various parts of their bodies.  With all the stinging from the jump rope the athlete continues to push themselves as they know they have pushed themselves to be better and that is only a few things that the Filthy Fifty brings to all.

Week 4: Squat Technique

One of the functional movements that CrossFit teaches is the squat.  The squat is one of the nine functional movements that is involved in just about any Workout of the Day (WOD).  A squat movement is important and necessary for any individual's own physical growth.  This movement is done on a daily basis by nearly everyone in the world.  That is a reason why CrossFit is able to work for everyone because the movements taught and done during a WOD can be reproduced in everyone's normal daily activity.  If these functional movements are not done that individual has a higher risk of losing a simple functional movement.  Not doing a functional movement is worse than doing a funcitonal movement as long as that individual is working with proper technique.  While anyone is susceptible to injury, working on improving technique can decrease the likelihood of an injury occurring. 

Doing squats can help an individual's own athletic ability, and help improve their own mobility, and strength in their hips, back, and kness if done properly.  If an individual has a knee injury once healthy and the mobility is there they can start working on rehabilitating that knee with doing squats.  The squat will help the knees build up strength and mobility so that individual is able to regain their natural movement without the pain and agony of not performing this movement after an injury.  This is also the same if an individual were to hurt their back or hips.  The squat movement is not rocket science or was it produced by some trainer it is a natural movement and should be done.

While at the bottom of the squat an individual is at the intended sitting position.  If someone is ever over in Russia they may see individual's on the side of the street sitting in a deep squatting position within a group of people.  This position was intended for a natural sitting position not a chair.  How an individual moves from the bottom of the squat to rising up to the top and finishing with standing up is a natural movement and method for any squat.  The hip extension in the squat is an all around good natural human movement.  Working towards an explosive hip movement will help with stabilizing the finishing movements in a squat. 

There are different forms of squats that are performed in CrossFit WODs.  One of those is the air squat which is a squat that is done without any weight other than that of an individual's own body weight.  The back squat is another form of squats where an individual places some type of weight on their back.  A front squat is where the individual holds the weight in front of them in a racked position.  One of the final squats is the overhead squat where an individual holds the weight over their head in a controlled manner.

How to Squat:

1.  Start with the feet about shoulder width apart and slightly toed out.
2.  Keep you head up looking slightly above parallel.
3.  Don't look down at all; ground is in peripheral vision only.
4.  Accentuate the normal arch of the lumbar curve and then pull the excess arch out with the abs.
5.  Keep the midsection very tight.
6.  Send you butt back and down.
7.  Your knees track over the line of the foot.
8.  Don't let the knees roll inside the foot.
9.  Keep as much pressure on the heels as possible.
10.  Stay off of the balls of the feet.
11.  Delay the knees forward travel as much as possible.
12.  Lift your arms out and up as you descend.
13.  Keep your torso elongated.
14.  Send hands as far away from your butt as possible.
15.  In picture, the ear does not move forward during the squat, it travels straight down.
16.  Don't let the squat just sink, but pull yourself down with your hip flexors.
17.  Don't let the lumbar curve surrender as you settle into the bottom.
18.  Stop when the fold of the hip is below the knee-break parallel with the thigh.
19.  Squeeze glutes and hamstrings and rise without any leaning forward or shifting of balance.
20.  Return on the exact same path as you descended.
21.  Use every bit of musculature you can; there is no part of the body uninvolved.
22.  On rising, without moving the feet, exert pressure to the outside of your feet as though you were trying to separate the ground beneath you.
23.  At the top of the stroke stand as tall as you possibly can.

Reference:  www.crossfitjournal.com

Week 3: Any Age Any Body

CrossFit has grown with the idea, concepts, and training methods based around Greg Glassman the founder of CrossFit, Inc. in 2000.  Greg Glassman openedhis first box in 1995 in Santa Cruz, California.  Glassman creating a program that has helped mold the minds and bodies of the athletes of CrossFit all over the world.  Each athlete having their own individuality of what CrossFit means or what CrossFit has done for them.  This is the one true sport that everyone can do.  This is one of the reasons CrossFit has caught on in the past decade as everyone has their own style and desire on what they want to get out of doing CrossFit. 

While going to Denver, Colorado to get my level 1 certification to be a trainer; I learned this sport is truly for everyone.  This became apparent when the trainers of CrossFit box spoke about an athlete who was in their 70's doing CrossFit workouts, this individual who was older also had parkinson's disease.  To me all I could think about was how does someone in their 70's and with parkinson's do CrossFit workouts, it was simple by scaling the workouts to what that individual was able to do.  As I found out that athlete used a PVC pipe for their workouts and everyone saw progressions in that athletes functional body movement and physical capacity from when they first started.  This is a reason why CrossFit is for everyone and why there should be no excuses on why someone is not able to be active and live a somewhat healthy lifestyle.

Week 2: Getting everyone involved

After a few consecutive hard workouts of the day (WOD), athletes from all over come out to join in the festivties of CrossFit Tolero's Saturday WOD.  Every Saturday for existing and new athletes is a day of a good relaxing WOD and a time when they are able to work on the different nine functional movements of CrossFit.

9 Functional Movements of CrossFit

• Air Squat
• Front Squat
• Overhead Squat
• Shoulder Press
• Push Press
• Push Jerk
• Deadlift
• Sumo Deadlift High Pull
• Medicine Ball Clean

These are the nine funcitonal movements of CrossFit and each WOD is based around these types of movements.  Have functional movements in every WOD is important as it provides movements that everyone is capable of doing.  CrossFit has been created to work from everyone from a toddler beginning to walk to the older generations who do not get much physical activity.  CrossFit is for everyone as each WOD and movment is scaled to what pushes that individual.  Everyone is different and that is how CrossFit works.  One person maybe able to lift twice their weight or the PVC pipe taht has been made.  It does not matter as long as that athlete is trying and pushing themselves and improving that is some things as a trainer we look for. 

CrossFit brings a sense of community to each box.  Everyone cheers each other on from start to finish and everyone is happy for each others successes.  That is what CrossFit brings, some may come and go although those who enjoy the atmosphere and those who want to better themselves they keep on coming back for more.  Each day is a new suprise for every WOD.  To see the faces on each athletes face as they walk in and see the board for the days WOD, you see their hearts drop just a little.  When they first see the board the first thought usually is oh this workout will not be so bad.  Then the buzzer sounds and within the first few reps they wonder what have they gotten themselves into.  Once it is all said and done the relief sets in and they are proud of what they have accomplished as they have proved to themselves that they are able to do something that at one time seemed highly unlikely.

On this Saturday we get to introduce the nine functional movements to these athletes.  This is an important part of our training as we can teach the basic movements and proper form.  CrossFit is not like other weight programs where an individual perfects one movement, CrossFit is a fitness program that athletes work to improve each movement.  Perfection is someting many wish to obtain however will not succeed as each movement or rep can be improved in some way.  CrossFit is focused around the entire body and not just a certain body part.  The exitement builds of not knowing what to expect each and everyday at the box.

While working on these nine functional movements we see the athletes going through the motion and they themselves do not know what type of workout they are about to get themselves into.  Going through these nine functional movements does not sound like much of a workout to many looking in from the outside however, once they get in the circle and go through the form with a PVC who knows how many times, their body starts to hurt and the sweat starts to come rolling off their skin.  The movements become part of the challenge as these are movements that individuals do not and are normally not critiqued on during a day to day basis this is what makes the teaching part of the nine functional movements so interesting as those athletes get a workout with just a PVC pipe.  While the PVC pipe could weigh anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds moving that piece of material numerous times is exhausting.  Once the trainers feel comfortable that the athlete has the basic movement down they are then able to move on to the next step.

Week 1: Opening of CrossFit Tolero

On January 2nd, 2012 the doors officially opened for CrossFit Tolero.  With the first day getting ready to start the box was open for anyone to join in on the festivities.  While walking into CrossFit Tolero at the start of the 2012 year, New Years resolutions were about start and be tested.  With the mats on the ground, the cage ready to go, the weights ready, and chalk in the bucket the time has come to see sweat, blood, and some tears. 

The first official work out for CrossFit Tolero is "Baseline." 

• Baseline Requirements
• 500 Meter Row
• 40 Body Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Pull Ups
• For Time

Athletes starring at the clock counting down from 10, and the start of the beeping at 3, 2, 1 and go.  Athletes start out at a fast pace from the start of the beginning of the "Baseline" workout as they have been doing it their whole lives.  The first two athletes hit 150 meters and their row speed starts to slow as now they feel the burning sensation in their leagues and deep breaths start to ensue.

After a few minutes the athletes are done with rowing and ready to start with the 40 body squats.  With their legs tired and sweat dripping from their foreheads, they got 100 more movements to go through before they can yell "Time" meaning the end of the workout for them.  As the competition stands beside them the object of wanting to continue drives them to push themselves harder knowing with each and every rep they are one closer to being done.  You see the relief in the athletes eyes as they finish up the 40 body squats and they are moving on to the next excercise 30 sit ups. 


While they think in their mind that 30 sit ups will be a walk through and time to catch their breaths they get to 10 and they start to struggle, they keep on pushing as they know their counterpart is not stopping either with each repetition.  Once done, on to the 20 chest to floor push ups, the two competitors start off evenly paced and get 3 push ups each, before each allow their knees to touch the floor.  Now the athletes are on the floor gasping for air trying to consume as much oxygen as possible they drudge on in joyful pain knowing they are bettering themselves.  Finally they have reached the final stage of the excercise 10 pull ups and they get to relax. 

The two athletes go to the cage each gasping for air their legs, arms, and lungs burning and sweat falling from their bodies.  The prepare themselves to finish the workout and they start doing 1 pull up and.....they stop their arms no longer have the individual strength to pull themselves up without help.  Trainers come over to assist putting the rubber bands on the athletes legs to help assist them with finishing their final stage of the excercise.  With each pull up you notice it is getting harder and harder and each one.  Trainers yell 1 more and your done, the athletes start grunting as now their entire bodies are exhausted and they reach that final pull up and with little to no breath whisper "Time," meaning the end of their workout and time to recoop.  The two first athletes find themselves lying on their backs on the floor mats breathing hard and sweating all over.  After a few minutes of catching their breaths the athletes get up with a sweat angel of their body imprint left from the pain and sweat that they just suffered through.  They have accomplished the ultimate goal of pushing themselves in a manner that will want them to continue the next day and the next.  They have succeeded.

CrossFit Tolero Mentorship

CrossFit Tolero is located in Gillette, Wyoming and the doors opened on January 2nd, 2012.  Tolero is Latin and means to bear, endure, support, sustain, and suffer.  The owners believed this would be a good fit to an affiliated CrossFit box.  A box is what CrossFit calls their affiliations, or what others outside of the CrossFit world would call a gym.  CrossFit has expanded its image and brand all across the world.  Reebok is the main sponsor of CrossFit as now there are commercials on ESPN promoting that the "New Sport of Fitness Has Arrived."  These commercials are based around the Reebok Zig Technology shoes that Reebok produces.


CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains.

• Cardiovascular Endurance
• Respiratory Endurance
• Stamina
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Power
• Speed
• Coordination
• Agility
• Balance

CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program that combines a wide variety of functional movements into a timed or scored workout.  The CrossFit Program was developed to enhance an individual's competency at all physical tasks.  Our athlete are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges.  This fitness is demanded of military and police personnel, firefighters, and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess.  CrossFit has proven effective in these areas.

Aside from the breadth or totality of fitness, the CrossFit program is distinctive, if not unique.  It focuses on maximizing neuroendocrine response, developing power, cross-training with multiple training modalities by using constantly varied functional movements and developing successful nutritional strategies mainly based around the Zone or Paleo diets.

Our athletes are trained to bike, run, swim, and row at short, middle, and long distances guaranteeing exposure and competency in each of the three main metabolic pathways.  We train our athletes in gymnastics from rudimentary to advanced movements garnering great capacity at controlling the body both dynamically and statically while maximizing strength to weight ratio and flexibility.  We also place a heavy emphasis on Olympic Weightlifting having seen this sport's unique ability to develop an athletes' explosive pwer, control of external objects, and mastery of critical motor recruitment patterns.  Overall we encourage and assist our athletes to explore a variety of sports as a vehicle to express and apply their fitness (Adapted from "Foundations"-CrossFit Journal, Glassman).