bluehousefitness

Why Working Hard Isn’t Enough for Long-Term Fitness

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:16:23 GMT

CrossFit for Longevity, Not Just Intensity

If you’ve been doing CrossFit for a while, you’ve probably felt it:

You’re working hard… but not really progressing. Workouts are intense. You leave tired. But your strength, conditioning, or movement quality isn’t improving the way you expected. That’s because intensity alone doesn’t create results.

The Problem With Traditional CrossFit Workouts

Many people fall into a cycle:

Show up.

Push hard.

Repeat.

This approach can work short term, but over time it often leads to:

Plateaus in strength and conditioning

Increased risk of injury

Burnout or inconsistency

Without structure and personalization, even the hardest workouts stop being effective.

What Actually Builds Sustainable Fitness

At its core, fitness is about adaptation.

And adaptation requires:

The right level of intensity

A balance between strength, conditioning, and recovery

A plan that evolves with you

This is where personalized CrossFit training makes the difference. Not every workout should feel like your hardest effort. Some days should focus on building strength. Others on movement quality or aerobic capacity. That’s how real progress happens.

CrossFit for Longevity, Not Just Intensity

If your goal is long-term health, your training needs to support it.

CrossFit for longevity means:

Training in a way you can sustain for years

Reducing injury risk through smart programming

Building strength and endurance gradually

Prioritizing consistency over burnout

The goal isn’t to feel exhausted after every workout. It’s to keep improving month after month.

A Smarter Approach to Progress

At Blue House Fitness, we focus on intentional, sustainable fitness.

That means:

Coaching based on your individual needs

Adjusting intensity so your body can actually recover

Tracking progress over time, not just day to day

Because the right workout—done at the right time—will always beat random intensity.

Ready for a More Sustainable Approach?

If you’re tired of working hard without seeing results, it might be time to train differently.

Focus on progress.

Train with intention.

Build something that lasts.

That’s how real fitness is built. Join us at Blue House.

YouTube Video

CrossFit is a Sport

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:40:58 GMT

CrossFit: Sport, Not Methodology

CrossFit is not a methodology. CrossFit is a sport.

And that distinction changes everything.

Why People Burn Out in CrossFit

Over the years, I’ve seen countless people fall in love with CrossFit—only to burn out and quit. They start strong, make progress, then suddenly hit a wall. Why?

Because they treat CrossFit as a training methodology rather than as a sport.

If you think about it, no one gets better at soccer by just playing games every day. Soccer players drill passing, practice set pieces, and build strength in the gym. Marathoners don’t just run marathons over and over; they train with intervals, long runs, tapering, and strength work.

Yet in CrossFit, most people just “play the game” every day: show up, hit the workout on the whiteboard, and hope for the best. That approach leads to plateaus, injuries, and burnout.

The Golf Club Lesson

A few years ago, I had a lesson with the head pro at my golf club. I asked him, “Why are all these people here? Are they just here for fun?”

He shook his head: “Everyone is here to get better. That’s the culture.”

It struck me—people weren’t just swinging clubs to pass time. They were working on putting, their mental game, their weaknesses. They wanted to improve.

Imagine if CrossFit boxes adopted that mindset. Instead of just hitting daily WODs, we’d actually train like athletes—with skill work, strength building, conditioning, and deliberate practice.

Sport vs. Training

Here’s the key:

Training is preparation.

Sport is testing.

In CrossFit, benchmark workouts like Fran, Jackie, or the Open are the tests. Everything else in the gym should be training designed to prepare you for those tests.

That means your training should include:

Strength work (yes, hypertrophy matters—get stronger to unlock gymnastics skills).

Aerobic base building (not everything needs to leave you on the floor).

Skill development (muscle-ups, double-unders, barbell cycling).

Competition exposure a few times per year to test your progress.

Not every day should feel like the CrossFit Games. In fact, it shouldn’t.

Longevity in the Sport

If you look at athletes with real longevity in CrossFit, you’ll notice they train differently. Brent Fikowski is a great example. He periodized his training, focused on weaknesses in the offseason, built muscle strategically, and only pushed intensity when it mattered.

Meanwhile, athletes (and everyday members) who try to “compete” every day? They flame out—physically and mentally.

The same principle applies to anyone who wants to improve in CrossFit, whether or not they’re chasing the Games.

The Bottom Line

CrossFit is awesome. It’s humbling, powerful, and fun. But it’s still a sport. And like any sport, if you want to get better, you need more than random workouts.

You need a plan. You need structure. You need to train like an athlete preparing for competition—not just someone showing up to sweat.

Because let’s be honest: CrossFit is way more fun when you’re good at it.

So if you want progress, stop pretending daily metcons are enough. Train with purpose. Treat CrossFit like the sport it is.

And if you need help, we’ve got you.

Hot take: CrossFit isn’t a methodology. It’s a sport.

Strength for Longevity

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 19:10:23 GMT

I Gained 11 Pounds — And Why I’m Proud of It

Gained 11 Pounds — And Why I’m Proud of It

By Coach Marina, Blue House Fitness

Hey y’all — Coach Marina here! I want to share a piece of my journey at Blue House over the last four years. Specifically, my strength journey, how my body has changed, and why I’m celebrating the fact that I’ve gained 11 pounds.

Yes — gained.

Strength With Purpose

Everyone walks through the Blue House doors for a different reason. My reason? To get strong and live long.

I have two daughters — ages 3 and 5 — and my training is about keeping up with them, playing with them, and showing them what’s possible. I want them to see that lifting heavy and taking care of your body isn’t just for men or athletes — it’s for anyone who wants to live a bold, capable life.

Gaining Muscle, Not Shrinking

When I started back in March 2021, I did an InBody scan. I recently did another one in June 2025 — and the numbers blew me away.

Weight gained: +11 lbs

Muscle mass increased: 55.6 → 66.1 lbs

Lean body mass: 100.3 → 116.6 lbs

Body fat % decreased: 23.2% → 17.5%

Basal metabolic rate: 1352 → 1512 calories/day

These numbers represent years of work, discipline, food, rest, and lifting heavy — and I’m so proud of that.

There’s a myth that women will “bulk up” overnight if they lift. That’s not how it works. It takes intentional effort, smart programming, and eating enough.

Muscle = Longevity

I’m 39 now. And I’m not just chasing aesthetics — I’m building a foundation for my 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Muscle mass improves:

Metabolism

Posture

Bone density

Immunity

Blood pressure

Sleep

Energy

Confidence

And that’s not me talking — it’s science. Dr. Stacy Sims' book Next Level has been a huge influence for me, along with Nourish by Sarah Bis and The Hormone Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden. They all back up the importance of eating, training, and lifting for resilience — especially for women approaching menopause.

Eat to Gain, Eat to Live

Let’s be real: I love food. I have the privilege of eating foods that fuel me and bring me joy. Here's what a day might look like:

Protein coffee (with milk, protein, creatine)

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter, eggs, greens

Snacks: Yogurt, hemp seeds, nuts, berries

Lunch: Quinoa, chickpeas, kale, beets

Afternoon fuel: Chicken meatballs, cheese, cashews

Dinner: my fave — beef & cabbage stir fry

Nutrition isn’t about restriction. It’s about fueling your body for strength.

The Mental Side

Lifting heavy hasn’t just changed my body — it’s transformed my mental health. When life feels chaotic, the gym gives me peace and purpose. If you’re feeling tired, stuck, or low — I can’t recommend lifting enough. It will change your life.

Yes, I Am An Athlete

This August, I’m competing. And yes, I’ve had moments of doubt — but now I’m in a place of gratitude. I get to throw down with amazing athletes because I am one.

This body — this 11-pounds-heavier, 11-pounds-stronger body — gets to do hard things. And that’s something I never take for granted.

Final Thoughts: Do It for You

Life is wild. We’re juggling work, kids, parents, stress. But the moment you say, I matter — and show up for yourself — everything changes.

Lift to live long.

Eat to feel strong.

Don’t fear the scale — build the life you want.

I’m proud of every ounce of muscle I’ve gained. And I hope you’ll start (or continue) your own journey too.

Come see us at Blue House. Let’s get strong together.

Want help starting your strength journey? Let’s chat. ��

Gymnastics Strength

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 22:03:08 GMT

Are you strong enough for gymnastics?

How to Get Better at Gymnastics for CrossFit: The 5-Step Framework

By Anton Fero, CrossFit Level 3 Coach | Blue House Fitness

Most CrossFit athletes want to improve their gymnastics—whether that means getting your first muscle-up, stringing together handstand push-ups, or simply surviving workouts like Fran and Diane. But too often, athletes jump into high-skill movements during workouts without a clear plan for how to actually build capacity.

If you’re frustrated that your gymnastics skills haven’t improved, you’re probably skipping steps. There’s a better way.

Let’s break down the five essential steps to getting better at gymnastics in CrossFit—built from years of coaching and athlete development at Blue House Fitness.

Step 1: Strength First

Before anything else, you need to ask yourself:

Are you strong enough to do the movement?

No amount of skill drills or technique work will get you a pull-up if you don’t have the raw pulling strength. You can’t finesse your way into a handstand push-up or bar muscle-up without the baseline strength to support your body.

At Blue House, we use gymnastic strength training to build this foundation. That includes things like:

Ring rows

Push-ups

Tempo work

Controlled progressions

"Don’t trip on 5x5 of ring rows. They’re gold."

If you’re still in this phase, own it. This is where the real work starts.

Step 2: Efficiency Over Technique

Once you’re strong enough, the next step is to become more efficient. Efficiency means doing the same work with less energy—not necessarily prettier, just smarter.

Let’s say you’ve got your first bar muscle-up, but it’s a messy “chicken wing.” That tells us you’ve got the strength, but not yet the control or rhythm. Now it’s time to refine.

Coaches often use the word "technique," but what we really mean is movement economy. Can you do this movement repeatedly without wasting energy?

Step 3: Build Your Volume Tolerance

Every movement has a volume threshold that shows up in workouts:

Bar muscle-ups: ~50

Strict HSPUs: ~50

Toes-to-bar or chest-to-bar: 100–120

Double-unders: ~500

Can you hit those numbers? If not, start with volume accumulation work using EMOMs or EOMOMs:

“1 bar muscle-up every minute for 10 minutes. Then 2. Then 3. Work up to 50.”

This phase is about getting your reps in—without interference—so you build stamina without form breakdown.

Step 4: Increase Your Density

Now that you can handle the volume, it’s time to compress it. Density refers to how many reps you can do per set or round.

Example progressions:

5 sets of 10 unbroken reps

3 sets of 15 unbroken reps

This phase eliminates rest between reps. It preps you for real workouts, where movements don’t come spaced out nicely every minute. You're building capacity under fatigue—without adding other variables yet.

Step 5: Add Intensity (Interference)

Now you’re strong. You’re efficient. You have volume and density.

Time to layer in CrossFit intensity—that means interference from movements like:

Thrusters

GHD sit-ups

Rowing or Assault bike

Burpees or wall balls

A sample workout:

Minute 1: 15-cal bike

Minute 2: 5 bar muscle-ups

Repeat for 12 minutes

This simulates the reality of Metcons—when your grip is fried, your heart rate is spiked, and you still need to perform. This is where most people want to start—but it's the final step for a reason.

“Most athletes are doing Step 5, but skipping Steps 1 through 4—and that’s why they’re stuck.”

What This Looks Like in Practice

One of our athletes reflects on her own journey:

“Before I joined Blue House, I wasn’t doing push-ups or ring rows. I couldn’t do a muscle-up. Now I can do multiple bar muscle-ups, and we’re working on ring muscle-ups next. All the EOMs and strength training really worked.”

Once you’ve built the volume, then we can add complexity—like combinations that challenge your personal weaknesses (e.g., GHDs into bar muscle-ups, which might fatigue your core and ruin your kip).

This isn’t just about gymnastics—it’s about becoming a better athlete overall.

Final Thoughts: The Blueprint for Progress

If you’re not improving your gymnastics, you’re likely skipping a phase (or three). Here’s the path:

Strength — Can you move your body under control?

Efficiency — Can you do it with less effort?

Volume — Can you do enough reps to match a typical test?

Density — Can you handle large unbroken sets?

Intensity — Can you perform under fatigue and interference?

“It’s not about trying harder. It’s about training smarter.”

Once you build this foundation, you'll enter workouts and think,

"Holy crap… this feels easy."

And that’s exactly where we want you.

Need Help With Your Gymnastics Training?

Send us a message—we’d love to coach you through it.

Blue House Fitness

Train with purpose. Progress with intention.

Rocky Balboa was Afraid too

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:32:05 GMT

Courage Isn’t the Absence of Fear, It’s a Choice

Remember Rocky Balboa? The legendary underdog who kept rising? Believe it or not, even Rocky was afraid. That’s the message in the latest motivational YouTube video from Blue House Fitness: courage isn’t about not feeling fear, it’s about what you do with it.

In the video, Anton kicks it off with exactly that: fear doesn’t vanish when you step up, it shows up. You see heroes like Rocky, but what you don’t see is the doubt. That tension between wanting to quit and knowing you can’t, that’s the real battleground.

Here's the truth...the real strength is deciding to move forward while afraid. It's not about false bravado or being fearless. It's about deciding that something bigger than fear, purpose, legacy, duty, drives your steps. As Rocky would say, it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving.

Successful people don’t wait until the fear disappears, they act anyway.

Normalize fear: It’s not a problem...it’s a feature.

Choose commitment daily: Big ideas survive because someone chose to take the next step when it mattered.

Leverage the fear: Channel it into urgency and clarity, not anxiety.

Form the muscle: Courage compounds. The more you choose in despite of fear, the more natural it gets.

At Blue House, we talk about this stuff. BH is much more than a gym, its place to become your best self. This isn’t motivational fluff; it's real strategy. We’re not here to avoid fear, we’re here to lead through it. Every rep, client conversation, system launch, when fear shows up, we choose anyway.

So next time you feel the knot in your stomach, remember: even champions like Rocky felt it too. But champions commit. Let that fear remind you: you’re close to growth. Now choose: will you step back, or step up?

Join the conversation: Subscribe on YouTube to stay locked into weekly mindset and movement strategies.

Take action: If a particular moment hit home, screenshot a quote and tag us.

Partner with us: Thinking bigger than fear? Let's build it, reach out for a consultation.

YOUTUBE VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuu2Q1m4nbs&t=81s

Weekly Food for Thought, 12/4/23

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:58:17 GMT

Why don’t we see more Strength AND Metcon days?
Depending on how long you have been doing CrossFit, or where you have trained before Blue House- you might be wondering why so many metcons, and why don’t we see more strength AND metcon days? It is in fact very common for affiliates to cram classes with a strength piece and a metcon piece in one short hour. Typically, this is not done because it is effective or a favorable form of training, it is done because that is what the people want…and we get it! Lifting weights is fun, and lifting before a metcon gives the feeling that you got a really good workout in. We love to do it from time to time- but not everyday, or even multiple times a week.

So why don’t we program more strength and metcon days? We’d love to share:

Theoretical Development of an Athlete aka The Pyramid
We’re bringing it back to the pyramid. Take a look below and notice where conditioning lies and where weightlifting lies. Conditioning is close to the base- lifting is almost at the peak. Does that mean lifting isn’t important? Not at all. However, it does show us where our priority and focus should lie. Metabolic Conditioning is the base because it has the greatest crossover and impact on our health and our fitness. It is the form of training that moves us along the “Sickness-Wellness-Fitness” continuum, and the form that has the most positive impact on our health biomarkers. It is also the form of training that gives us the greatest adaptation in our General Physical Preparedness (GPP). As Coach Glassman stated in the “ What is Fitness ” Article, “We don’t deliberately order these components but nature will. If you have a deficiency at any level of ‘the pyramid’ the components above will suffer.”

More volume is not always better
For the general population, the CrossFit prescription is to train once a day, 5-6 times per week. Our goal with CrossFit is to improve work capacity across broad time and modal domains with a single daily dose of constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity. When we begin the slippery slope of adding in strength pieces before metcons every day, we are chipping away at the most important piece of our training, INTENSITY. Therefore, we need to be selective about when/where we program strength and metcon days- and on those days, understand the priority is exactly that, to create an adaptation in that specific form of training. However, we recognize that this form of training is not ideal for maximizing intensity and therefore, does not fit within the CrossFit prescription on a daily basis.

We want to do what we do best, Coach!
We are constantly-varied believers and that means training all the things. As shared in Fitness in 100 words we “Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc., hard and fast. Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.“As Coaches, we are laser focused on improving form, technique and mechanics. When we cram class, we lose the ability to do our most important work- to coach! We believe that the community will be better served improving one small aspect of their training every day, instead of overworking athletes and losing focus on the task at hand. Because we have more time to teach and practice drills, you have the ability to hone in on those skills and master the basics. We love working with clients who take every moment of class, from the warm-up, to the cool-down, as an opportunity to learn and improve their movement and mechanics. This will serve you in the long run and create an increase in your strength and performance. To wrap things up, we do want to reiterate that we firmly believe strength training is an extremely important part of our programming That is why we strength train on an almost daily basis. It just looks a little different than hitting a 5×5 snatch before the WOD. Do we enjoy doing that from time to time? Hell yes! Just not every day

Weekly Food for Thought, 11/27/23

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:56:14 GMT

Protein: How to hit your targets and prioritize whole foods

We’ve been diving into one of our favorite nutrition topics the past few weeks- protein consumption. This week we want to wrap it up with some tips on hitting your targets and how to select the best sources of protein.

As a reminder, we recommend a target of .7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, your target would be roughly 105 grams/day. While this may seem like a large number, if you plan your day right, you can easily hit your targets.

The biggest shift we see most of our new nutrition clients make is learning to prioritize protein in every meal . We see a lot of clients who are surprised to see how low their protein consumption is, but when we look at their meals, it’s quite often that a true serving of protein isn’t consumed until dinner time. This is the downfall of skipping breakfast and snacking throughout the day. For this reason, the best place to start and our biggest tip to hitting your targets is….

Prioritize protein with breakfast.

If you can start your day with a serving of protein (20-30g) you are setting yourself up for massive success. Not only have you hacked away at your daily target, you are also fueling your body for the day ahead. Remember, protein helps satiate appetites and rebuild muscle. If you have had the experience of eating a carb centric breakfast only to be starving before lunch, adding a serving of protein to your plate may have made a big difference in keeping you fuller, longer and more focused on the task at hand.

Tip: to easily measure a serving of protein, you can use the palm of your hand.

Develop an understanding of optimal protein sources.

So breakfast and protein go hand in hand, now what? Does slathering peanut butter on a waffle count? What if I add a couple eggs to that plate?

Well, it’s a start. But it’s important to understand that not all protein sources are created equally. Food groups like nuts are mistakingly often thought to be high in protein, but are much higher in fats than protein itself, making it not a supportive option. Even food items like eggs are lower in protein than many people think (7g/egg). Choosing lean sources of protein are the best way to go. Foods like chicken, lean beef, white fish, egg whites, cottage cheese, tofu, plain greek yogurt and bean/legumes for our plant based friends are primarily protein based.

Here are some quick examples of typical serving sizes:

1 cup greek yogurt- 17g
4 oz chicken breast- 35 g
4 oz lean beef (85/15)- 29 g
4 oz tofu- 9g
4 oz tilapia- 30g
1/2 cup cottage cheese- 13g

We recommend a serving of protein (20-30g) with every meal. Ideally, we want to see people consuming 30-50g with every meal, but we understand this can be difficult for some people to do. This is where adding a high-quality protein powder will help cover the gap. We want to make it clear that whole foods over protein powder is always preferred. If you are consuming more than one protein shake per day, we would recommend adjusting your meals to prioritize more whole foods. Shakes are more of a supplement. They can be a wonderful tool to upping your intake, but stay focused on healthier ways to sneak more whole foods in your daily meals. Your body will thank you for it.

We love talking about protein, and we love working with nutrition clients! We see a lot of stigma around nutrition coaching in general, and while we recognize the harm that has been created from diet-culture, we believe equipping people with knowledge is the best way to empower them to break free from these harmful cycles. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out! We have some low-cost options designed to help you towards your long-term goals of health and longevity.

Weekly Food for Thought, 11/20/23

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:53:56 GMT

Last week we discussed the importance of protein consumption and what it does for our bodies. This week we are diving into how much of it we should eat on a daily basis.

Generally speaking, we recommend folks consume . 7 grams of protein per lb of body weight . Meaning, if you weigh 135 pounds, a good daily target would be around 95 grams of protein.

If you are new to tracking protein consumption, there are plenty of tools and ways to keep it simple and help you stay on target. We love MyFitnessPal as a handy macro log book. You can track either by reading the nutritional label or by weighing your food item of choice. Our biggest piece of advice is to stick with whatever method is sustainable for you and your lifestyle. That may mean a pen a paper for some of you, an app for our more tech savvy friends, and others might excel in creating and utilizing a spreadsheet. There’s no one wrong way to track- just do your best to keep it accurate and focus on eating whole foods (we’ll get into that more next week).

Until then, we are sharing a great podcast episode from one of our favorite Nutritionists, EC Synkowski.

Give it a listen and start hitting those targets!The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Weekly Food for Thought, 11/13/23

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:51:13 GMT

Protein- Your Best Friend

When guiding new nutrition clients, our starting point almost always involves focusing on the importance of protein. Many are surprised by how little protein they actually consume daily. Over the next few weeks, we’ll embark on an exploration of all things protein: its significance and functions in the body, recommended daily intake, the variety of protein sources, and strategies for success in meeting individual targets.

Why Protein?

Proper protein consumption is a cornerstone of overall health, for everyone. When it comes to your body’s optimal performance, it is the secret sauce ingredient.

Here are few reasons why proper protein intake is important, and how it can help you:

Muscle Maintenance and Growth:

Protein is essential for the repair, maintenance, and growth of muscles, making it vital for individuals engaged in physical activities or strength training, like CrossFit.

After intense physical exertion, muscles experience microscopic damage and strain. Protein steps in by providing the necessary amino acids, acting as the building blocks of muscle tissue, facilitating the repair and rebuilding of these microtears. This repair process is fundamental for preventing muscle breakdown and fostering overall muscle health.

Even during periods of rest, our muscles undergo continuous cycles of breakdown and synthesis. Adequate protein intake supports the maintenance phase, ensuring that the rate of muscle protein synthesis matches or exceeds the rate of breakdown. This balance helps to preserve existing muscle mass and prevent muscle wasting.

For those aiming to build muscle mass, protein is indispensable. Consuming protein-rich foods provides the surplus amino acids needed to stimulate muscle protein synthesis beyond what is required for maintenance. This surplus promotes muscle growth, resulting in increased muscle size and strength.

Hormone Regulation:

Protein is involved in the regulation of hormones, influencing metabolic processes, growth, and the body’s response to stress. Adequate protein intake will help to regulate essential hormones such as insulin, cortisol, HGH, leptin, thyroid, reproductive hormones and more. Research proves that maintaining a balanced and protein-rich diet can help support hormonal health and production.

Tissue Repair and Recovery:

Protein facilitates tissue repair and faster recovery, crucial for healing after injuries or intense physical activities. In the aftermath of intense physical activity, such as strength training or endurance exercises, muscles need time to recover. Protein plays a crucial role in this recovery phase by facilitating the repair of damaged muscle fibers and replenishing energy stores. This process not only supports immediate recovery but also prepares the muscles for subsequent challenges.

In short, consuming protein is not just about building muscles and it’s not just for gym bros (no offense to you gym bros out there); it’s a multifaceted nutrient that supports cellular functions, hormonal balance, weight management, and overall recovery. Ensuring an ample protein intake is a key step towards maintaining a healthy and thriving body.

Next week we’ll dive into protein targets and the variety of sources it comes in. Stay tuned!

Weekly Food for Thought, 11/6/23

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:49:32 GMT

Fitness in 100 Words

This is the fourth and final presentation from the Summit. Coach Christian walks us through “Fitness in 100 Words,” which was originally published in 2002 by Greg Glassman in the CrossFit Journal.

Fitness in 100 Words is our roadmap for success. If you ever find yourself feeling plateaued, or unsure where to focus, we encourage you to revisit this framework.

We hope you enjoy!

Blue House Weekly Updates, 11/6/23

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:47:45 GMT

Veteran’s Day Workout- Chad 1000x

We are participating in a special HERO WOD this Saturday alongside hundreds of CrossFit gyms across the world. We hope you can make it!

Sara Wilkinson, GORUCK , and CrossFit present the hero workout “CHAD” – in honor of Navy SEAL Chad Wilkinson who took his life on October 29, 2018 due to the effects of numerous deployments, several TBIs, blast wave injuries and PTSD. Our goal is to honor Chad’s life and legacy and to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

CHAD 1000X has brought together thousands of registered participants, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars raised since 2020, looking to be part of something greater than themselves. To not only bring awareness to the epidemic of suicide, particularly among veterans, but also to help be part of the solution through the support to the The Step Up Foundation and other veteran health initiatives.

This year, join us again in paying respect to Chad Wilkinson and all those who have been lost to suicide, while also committing to try to change the number. #CHAD1000X
Click here to read more

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule Adjusted Hours

Wednesday, November 22nd: Early closure at 12pm. 5:30am-10:30am classes as normal
Thursday, November 23rd: Closed
Friday, November 24th: 9am class, open gym 10am-noon

Farewell Coach Christian!

We have some sad news to share. Coach Christian is relocating back to the East Coast and will be leaving us next week. Christian joined the team last February and made an impression on our community almost immediately. We’ve enjoyed his leadership, friendship, his love for CrossFit and so much more. We’ve grown better as a team and a community by having him around and we’re dearly going to miss him. His last GPP classes will be this Wednesday. If he’s made an impact on you in any way, now is your chance to share that with him! Let’s send him off with love.

We hope to see you in the future, Christian. Best of luck in your ventures!The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Weekly Food for Thought, 10/30/23

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:43:34 GMT

Your Growing Edge

We’re excited to share the third video from the Blue House Summit. Coach Andrew Leslie shares his journey through the Himalayas and how he learned to push his limits while embracing the moment.

Blue House Weekly Updates, 10/30/23

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:41:52 GMT

Class Level Ups

We have received great feedback from many of you about our member recognition wall. If you haven’t seen them yet, we have patches placed out for everyone who has hit 100 or 300 classes. For those of you with 500 classes and above, special patches and prizes will be here soon.

At the start of every month, we’ll announce who leveled up their class attendance and celebrate all that amazing consistency. Keep it up!!

Blue House Accessory Programming

Are you ready to take your training to the next level? Introducing Blue House Accessory Programming. Designed to address your areas of weakness, improve performance and prevent injuries. These programs are meant to be done with your current class training plan, and will take 15-30 mins, 3x/week. We have training tracks for Aerobic Capacity, Gymnastics and Weightlifting.

Priced at $35/month, this service will accelerate your training and results, and help improve your overall standing in the CrossFit Open.

Interested in signing up? DM or email for more information.

Blue House Scholarship Fund

Thank you all for your continued support of our community Scholarship Fund. Our very own H.U.G committee (Help Us Grow) selected three new recipients to receive subsidized memberships over the next 3 months.

These scholarships are made possible through you! 100% of all late cancellation fees are funneled to the scholarship fund, and matched by Blue House to help fund community members in financial need. Thank you for your continued support.

P.S- did you need to cancel a reservation for an emergency, illness, bad night sleep etc? Email or Slack us and we’ll make sure you aren’t charged! No questions asked, ever.

Weekly Food for Thought

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:37:54 GMT

My Health & Wellness are Non Negotiable

We’re excited to share the second video from the Blue House Summit . Coach Marina shares her story about fighting against “hustle culture,” prioritizing mental and physical health, and creating space for things that bring joy.

Blue House Weekly Updates, 10/23/23

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:35:43 GMT

First Friday Mixers
We’re excited to kick off a fun, monthly community event. Join us the first Friday of every month after the 4:30pm class for a Potluck and hang out. Bring a dish or side to share, and a beverage of your choice. Family friendly and open to all. We’ll kick things off Friday, November 3rd and hang from 5:30-7:30. See you there!

BH Merch Fall Drop- LAST CALL TO PRE ORDER!
We are bringing the swag this season and have a full line up of shirts, sweaters, sweatshorts and sweatpants! These will ONLY be available through PRE ORDER and this your LAST WEEK to snag an item. We have a full rack in the gym with every size to try on. If you find something you like, write your info down on the pre order form located to the left of the rack. Get on it!

CrossFit Level 1 Seminar Recap
It was a busy weekend at the Blue House! We hosted our first CrossFit Level 1 Seminar, which was a big honor for us. Almost 30 people attended, including six of our own. Cross your fingers for Dana, Rachael, Mark, Nik and Sean as they await their test scores!

Unlock your HSA/FSA funds with our TrueMed Partnership
Your future payments may be eligible for reimbursement through HSA/FSA funds! TrueMed will handle all the intricacies of using your HSA/FSA funds on your behalf, making the entire process seamless and hassle-free. S

Weekly Food for Thought

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 23:33:07 GMT

Creating a Hedge Against Sickness
We’re excited to share the first video from the Blue House Summit . Coach Sam takes us through the Sickness, Wellness, Fitness continuum and shares how our fitness can create a buffer against the many unknowables in life.

Blue House Weekly Updates, 10/09/2023

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 23:30:18 GMT

BH Summit Recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Blue House Summit! We were so grateful for your presence, engagement and participation- and incredibly inspired by your goals! This was the embodiment of community. Learning together, working out, sharing a meal and most importantly, encouraging and uplifting each other. If you haven’t sent us your goals- feel free to DM us on Slack or reply to this email! We would love to support you and celebrate your accomplishments!

For those of you who were unable to attend, we will be releasing content over the upcoming weeks sharing snippets of what we discussed. This will be a yearly event for us, and something you’ll want to clear your calendar for!

BH Merch Fall Drop: PRE-ORDER NOW!

We are bringing the swag this season and have a full line up of shirts, sweaters, sweat shorts and sweatpants! These will ONLY be available through PRE-ORDER. We have a full rack in the gym with every size to try on. If you find something you like, write your info down on the pre order form located to the left of the rack. Get on it!

Blue House Scholarship Applications are LIVE

We will be making these scholarships available exclusively to members of Blue House, but we encourage friends/family and community members who may need financial assistance to reach out to us at hello@bluehousefitness.com to discuss other potential opportunities.

Unlock your HSA/FSA funds with our TrueMed Partnership

Your future payments may be eligible for reimbursement through HSA/FSA funds! TrueMed will handle all the intricacies of using your HSA/FSA funds on your behalf, making the entire process seamless and hassle-free.

Food for Thought:
The Role of Support & Community
TOGETHER WE GO FURTHER

We are wrapping up our four week series on Goal Setting. This week, we are talking about the role that community plays in your success. We say this a lot (and we even have it painted on our walls), Together We Go Further. Let’s unpack some of the layers behind this catchy phrase.

We live in an increasingly isolated society. Technology, social media, transportation etc. has given us the ability to be more connected than ever before, yet people are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness that is shortening life-span at an alarming rate.

A la c k of social-connection can increase risk of premature death by 60%.

If you joined us for the Summit, we discussed the importance of community. We talked about how we are less dependent than we have ever been on each other as neighbors, friends, family and community members- and as a result, more reliant on complete strangers than ever before.

One of the reasons we are so passionate about what we do is because of the trickle effect that takes place outside of our four walls. We’ve seen it time and time again, and 100% believe in the snowball effect that just a little bit of momentum can create over time. It changes individuals, changes their families, their communities, the way they invest in their relationships and big picture, it has the power to change the world around us.

We need each other. We need to learn to open up to one another, and to share what we are going through or struggling with. If this sounds scary- that’s because it is. Being vulnerable with someone takes courage. But if you can push through and get on the other side of that fear, you may be surprised at the outcome.

In the book “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown, she shares, “We associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.”

We are not a community where people go to unplug, or put in headphones and hope to avoid any/all interactions with other human beings. We are a community where we embrace connection and we embrace vulnerability. That means, showing up to workout after a long, frustrating day at the office and being okay not being okay, and trusting that the people around you and your Coach will hold space for you. That means reaching out on Slack to ask for help moving furniture, or accepting home cooked meals as you recover from surgery.

It also means sharing your goals with community members you trust and asking for accountability when you need it.

Here’s the cool thing about being vulnerable with your goals: studies show that publicly committing your goals to someone gives you at least a 65% chance of completing them. And having a specific accountability partner increases your chance of success to 95%.

You read that right. Simply having a specific person you share your goals with and periodically check in with will increase your rate of success to 95%.

Our challenge to the community is to find 1-2 members at the gym to share your goals with, maybe even form a small group. Check in with each other on a regular basis (weekly minimum) and support each other as you track your progress. There will be periods of time where things feel like they aren’t going anywhere at all, or maybe even back tracking, and it’s those exact moments where support from a friend will keep you pressing forward, and ultimately, reaching your destination.

If you aren’t quite ready for that yet, we would be happy to check in with you. Send us an email or shoot us a DM on Slack. We are here to support you!

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together

Start the qualification process here.