8 Reasons. Intramural time. CEO fanboy. Affiliate$. Eat Small. Be Happy. The Week Ahead 2.13.23

Click for a cool message from Diablo members!

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.”  Leo Tolstoy

8 REASONS TO DO THE OPEN

1. Experience the adrenaline rush of competition.
So many of us have never felt what it was like to compete in sports during our youth. Maybe you weren’t the “athletic kid” growing up. Sure, you probably had plenty of extracurriculars, but the feeling of going head-to-head with your peers on a physical playing field is one that must be experienced firsthand. And, there’s no better place to step outside your comfort zone than within the familiar walls of Diablo.

2. Meet & support your fellow Diablo Community Members
We all know this is so much more than just a gym. We get to know each other. We make friends. We cheer for each other by name. But what about the members on opposite schedules from yours? Get to know the early risers, the night owls, the weekend warriors. Our Friday Night Lights event is basically one big mixer, full of all the people with whom you share at least one very important interest. And, at 5:30PM, Diablo Competition athletes will put on a show as they try to qualify for the next level of competition!

3. Break through mental and physical barriers.
Can’t do double-unders? Never touched your toes to a bar before? Get ready to astound yourself. The Open has a way of drawing us out of our self-imposed shells and showing us what we’re truly capable of. Plus, there’s no cherry picking during the Open. Those movements we may subconsciously–or not so subconsciously–avoid won’t be denied, and being forced to face them head on can open new doors for our fitness. And remember, the Scaled Open is just as much fun!

4. You’re signing up for 3 weeks of challenging yourself, proving your mettle, and having a blast. 
It’s not just a workout, it’s preparing for the unknown, checking the leaderboard for your score, stepping onto the same virtual playing field as the fittest in the world and, cheering for our Diablo athletes who are making this their life goal.

5. See your coaches walk the walk.
Wish you could witness your favorite coach go HAM in the WOD or pit yourself neck-and-neck against them? Maybe you want to return the favor for all the times they’ve shouted encouragement in the midst of a particularly gross workout. Here’s your chance! Most of our Coaches will be doing the Open again this year! 

6. Because you’re good enough.
The beauty of the Open is that it truly is for everyone and includes scaled and fundamentals divisions. 
And every year, the most thrilling moments of the Open–the ones that live on vividly in our memories–belong to those who achieve their first pull up, double under, Toes-to-bar or handstand pushup – or PR on a barbell lift.

7. It just might inspire you–or YOU might inspire others.
No matter which end of the fitness spectrum you currently find yourself on, I guarantee that if you show up and pour your all into the week’s WOD, people will notice. You may find yourself with your very own cheering section. FNL is further proof that we WANT each other to succeed, and that success is measured on a scale completely unique to each of us.

8. This is a journey, and we’re on it together.
You work out with each other nearly every day. You’ve been there through the PRs, the benchmarks, even the setbacks. It’s only fitting to be there for each other now, even if you opt to take on the role of official spectator or cheerleader. 

Regardless of how long you’ve been CrossFitting or your (perceived) ability level, hopefully one of the reasons rings true for you, and you take it to heart when we say, “Yes, the Open is for everyone!” The magic that unfolds within Diablo’s walls must be experienced to be believed. Whatever your reasons, we sincerely hope you’ll be there with us as we carry on this awesome tradition of celebrating the spirit of competition and community.

Click Here To Register For The Open

OH SH*T, THE CEO LISTENED TO OUR PODCAST!  Coach Jamie Lee and I produce a podcast every Monday morning mostly based on content in this email. However, 2 weeks ago, we delved into our assessment of the West Coast Affiliate owners meeting including the CEO’s presentation on CrossFit’s mission & business objectives. Much to my surprise I received an email later in the week from the CEO, Don Faul, thanking me for my comments and constructive criticisms. He acknowledge some data errors and made a point to clarify. To be honest, I was humbled and impressed by his gracious and thoughtful response. It was a class act. Don Faul has his hands full and has already had an impressive influence on the organization, especially media content and other support for affiliates.  CrossFit’s growth goals are aggressive, and the new owners have high expectations – but, Don is unfazed and resolute in his conviction that CrossFit will become the leading authority and company in the health & fitness space. We’re in agreement on that.

Check out our PRsAllDay Podcast on YouTubeSpotify, and Apple Podcasts

4 DAYS – AND THE INTRAMURAL OPEN BEGINS!  We’re going to make the Open a little more exciting by bringing back our “Intramural Open” Competition! Everyone competing in the Open will be “drafted” onto a team – we have 3 teams this year.  Teams will be awarded points each week for several categories: athletes completing the workout, athletes at FNL, top Open, Masters, Scaled & Fundamental performances, PRs, and Spirit of the Open. We’ll post results every Monday! So, get ready for some trash-talkin’ and uniform-wearing good times. This is going to be epic.

Click here for full details on our 2023 Intramural Open

TWEET OF THE WEEK:  If you need motivation to stop a habit of eating crappy foods or drinking alcohol:

  • multiply your avg. daily consumption by 365
  • visualize the total number of items (beers, lattes, donuts etc) in a small room
  • imagine what that does to your body & health

THE WEEK AHEAD:  
February Progressions: 1. Squats. 2. Push Press. Skill: Accessory Strength

CRAIG’S LIST: 

Podcast: The Real Cost of Owning a CrossFit Affiliate – The Sevan Podcast. Sevan can be a bit crude, but he’s brilliant at eliciting great commentary from his guests. Chris Cooper is a CF Owner and more importantly, the owner of Two-Brain Business – the largest and most successful gym consultant business in the CrossFit world. He is a friend and damn good business consultant. If you ever wanted to know the numbers of a CF affiliate – and how to make them better – watch this one. And if you’re a struggling affiliate owner, sign up with Two-Brain!

Study: Large Portion Sizes Lead To A Substantial Increase In Overall Food Intake – Men and women were given normal food portions or 50% larger portions for 11 consecutive days in the lab. The larger portions led to a substantial (+423kcal/day) increase in food intake, with no diminishment of the effect after 11 days. While this may seem obvious, most people might assume that when portions are larger, we self-manage calories by not eating as many helpings – or only a part of the portion. Unfortunately, if it’s in front of us, we eat it.

85 Year Harvard Study: The #1 Thing That Makes Us Happy In Life and Live Longer  – What’s your guess?

Make it an awesome week!

Craig