Just A Wall. GRIND! A Year in Review. Member Council. Misogi. Walk. Castro & Rome. TWA 12.30.24

A QUICK LOOK:

• GRIND.
• A Year In Review
• Diablo Member Council
• Misogi, Walk, Castro & Rome 

MORE FIT THAN 2024? GRIND.  I think it’s safe to say that everyone on this email distribution would enjoy finishing 2025 more fit than we are today. We enjoy fitness and respect CrossFit, particularly because it’s measurable, observable and repeatable. When we do CrossFit workouts, especially benchmarks like “Fran” or “Grace”, we know immediately if our fitness has improved… or not. 

So, how can we ensure a better year of fitness in 2025 (even if you had a great 2024)? Well, there’s a number of obvious solutions to take your fitness to the next level: improve nutrition, sleep and recovery and, increase your CrossFit workout frequency and intensity. If you need help (and a plan), then schedule a private training session with a good CrossFit coach and get an assessment and a plan for the year. 

For many of us, the key to a better 2025 is improvement in key skills or strength movements, ie, pull ups, double unders, muscle ups, Oly lifts, barbell cycling, running or push ups. Assuming you already have a reliable fitness plan that works for you and your schedule, ie, 3-5 days of CrossFit, then, you might just need to add a “grind.” The Grind is the boring, repetitive strength or skill accessory exercises that we know work, but we avoid doing. Every coach may favor different “grinds” to build strength or improve skills, but we all know: you have to grind to get the best results. 

So, here’s a list of “grinds” that I believe would benefit the majority of people reading my email. Just spend 15-30m to do 3-5 sets of 5-12 reps of one or two of these movements at least 3-5x a week – before your workout or, after. Mix ’em up or, change them out every few weeks, but hit them with some intensity. I guarantee improved overall fitness – and maybe a breakthrough on a lift or gymnastic movement – within a month. 

• GHD Situps  & GHD Glute/Ham Raises 
• Ring Rows (use a false grip!) & Ring Dips (all the way to your chest – banded is ok!)
• Strict Pull Ups (banded or, weighted)
• Hollow Rocks & Hollow Holds
• Dumbbell Strict Press
• 200m / 400m Running Repeats (Rest 2-4mins & hit ’em hard)

Add, the Grind to your 2025 sessions and you’ll surpass your 2024 with ease. Have fun! 
#itsup2us

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:  NEW YEARS WEEK 

• 12/31 Tue: NYE – Last Class 4:30P
• 1/1 Wed: NYD – 8A – 12PM.  Last Class 11A.
• 1/2> Thu: Back to normal!

WHAT A YEAR IT WAS!: 

• 50,547 member workouts in 2024, 69% in classes & hundreds of PRs 
• $9k+ contributed by members to employee Chris Pagano’s recovery fund after his devastating bike crash
• 217 Athletes Participated in the 2024 CFG Open, 59(!) Quarterfinal Athletes, 1 CFG  Masters Athlete (Yvonne)
• Amazing Grace success: $6,000 raised for for 3 North Carolina affiliates (CF Ashe, Summit CrossFit and CrossFit AVL)
• Our largest Thanksgiving Turkey “Ruck” in history: 120+

INTRODUCING OUR DIABLO MEMBER COUNCIL – I borrowed this idea from the CrossFit Affiliate Council, a group of 6 owners (including me) who meet monthly (Zoom) to give feedback to the CrossFit leadership team on their initiatives and on affiliate ideas & issues. Honestly, I was skeptical of the role, but quickly realized that our monthly meetings and frequent emails and texts have had a significant influence on the CrossFit leadership team. It makes sense – owners are the front line for everything CrossFit does.

So, for 2025, I launched the Diablo Member Council with 3 members who represent our morning, afternoon and evening crews as well as our OGs and even our competition athletes:

• Christy Lee, 5AM’r & OG. Member since 2010. Former Diablo CrossFit Team athlete & employee (Marketing & Events)
• Dean Quiambao, mostly afternoon. Member since 2013. Tom Jones Award winner 2022. Daughter Presley in Diablo Teen Program.
• Kendra Watters, evening, Rx+ Athlete. Member since 2021. Popular member – and arguably one of Diablo’s best competition athletes.  

We held our first “breakfast club” meeting last week and it was very enlightening for me! Our Member Council will advise us on member events, classes, clinics, facilities & equipment and more for 2025.