One of the predominant reasons people join CrossFit Simsbury is to "get stronger". Below we will discuss three main components you need to build muscle, and following that, we'll discuss three common pitfalls that prevent people from building muscle and achieving that goal. How to Build Muscle 1. You must lift weights! The human body responds to stimulus. In order for the body to give the response of building muscle, the stimulus must be lifting weights. Cardio and bodywei

In a blog a couple of weeks ago, I highlighted a few ways to improve nutrition for your kids’. While another blog on nutrition and teens may seem redundant, I assure you it’s not. It’s no secret that social media is a dominating force in our society. As adults we struggle with what we are seeing on Facebook and Instagram, as we compare and contrast it to our own reality and often (admittedly or not) feel inferior when it may not match up to the social media standards of perfe

We know meal prep is essential to good nutrition and seeing success in goals of weight loss or performance. When I begin working with clients, I often hear, “I start off doing really well, and then I have a busy weekend, miss my meal prep and fall off my plan.” I’m sure this resonates with many of you. Weekends are BUSY. In the space between Friday evening and Sunday night, you’re catching up on things you could not accomplish during the week, seeing friends and family, takin

If I had to guess, I’d say about 90% of people feel relief when Friday rolls around. It’s the end of a long week, you have a few days to rest/recover/catch up and often times there’s something fun on the calendar - sporting events, parties, date night, etc. What is not to love?! In working with many people on optimizing their nutrition, one thing is very clear about weekends: they have the ability to make or break your nutrition. Another way you might look at this, is that th

You may have heard the statistic that one out of every three adults is obese. This is scary. What’s even scarier is that one in five children is obese. Childhood obesity is an epidemic that’s spiraling out of control and it goes far beyond aesthetics; obesity in children predisposes them to the same chronic diseases that plague adults-diabetes (YES in kids!!!), heart disease, joint issues, sleep apnea, etc. The good news is, that you-as a parent-can take control of this. Whil

Happy Saturday everyone! Superbowl Sunday is tomorrow! This means many of you are either hosting or heading to a party to watch the big game. The following are some great options for appetizers you can make so that there are healthy options available: **TOP RECOMMENDATION**-Buffalo Chicken Dip from Skinnytaste Get this started when you wake up tomorrow so it’s ready for game time!! Ingredients: 1 lb skinless chicken breasts, 4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese-softened, 1 c fat-fr

When it comes to nutrition, the myths are countless; eggs are bad for you because they’re high in cholesterol, eating carbs makes you gain weight, peanuts should be avoided, Gluten-free is healthier, snacking is bad. While all of these are false, today we’re going to address the last one; is snacking bad? The answer, as you might have guessed by now, is NO-not when done properly! You may have heard me make the correlation between your metabolism and a fire. You want to be ad

If you’ve been in the box for a while, you’ve probably seen somebody doing some squats off to the side of the class. When you ask them what they are doing, they reply “I’m on a squat program!” … But what does that even mean? Strength Programs 101 What is a strength program? A strength program is a dedicated lifting prescription with the goal of getting you stronger. Most programs last about 3 months For example, a back squat program may look like this: Why is a strength progr

How is it the day after Thanksgiving already?! The community at CrossFit Simsbury has been crushing it over the past few months. From PRs to weight loss, muscle gains to meeting performance goals; it’s clear that the group of individuals working out at CFS is hungry for success in and out of the gym. Historically, many people fall off track this time of year. Nutrition goes down the tubes, alcohol consumption is up, workouts become fewer and further between, and before yo

Nutrition is the foundation of fitness. You’ve all heard us talk about this; probably more over the last several months than ever before; why? Because we are seeing people achieve their goals faster than they ever anticipated with the right nutrition, and we’ve experienced it ourselves. We have exciting news when it comes to nutrition at CFS. In an effort to improve nutrition coaching services, bring you all more content, and gain more tools to help create sustainable resu

When it comes to nutrition, what excuses do you find yourself using that derail efforts to stay on track? A common one I hear is; “It’s just hard to stay consistent…” It’s true; making healthy choices on a consistent basis and staying on track with your health and wellness goals IS hard. It is ok to feel this way. However, rather than staying stuck with these excuses, I have a challenge for you. If you find yourself making this excuse, make a list of the things that

We’ve all heard the gimmicks or seen the ads; “Loose weight fast!” “Beach ready without leaving your couch!” The truth is, there is no fast or easy way to become the healthiest version of yourself. It takes time, proper nutrition and fitness. That being said, each and every day is an investment in your health. There are things you can do today, that will inch you closer to your goals, and have a profound effect on you long term. Will you see a dramatic difference in the

I have been doing Renaissance Periodization (RP) method of nutrition for probably about 2 years. This will have been my second time doing a “cut”, otherwise known as a fat loss cycle. The following paragraph is about RP. If you are familiar with it, go ahead and skip through to the lessons learned. If you are unfamiliar with RP, here is a quick breakdown of how it works. You purchase a template from them based on your sex, weight, and goal (fat loss or muscle gain). You

A common question among fitness enthusiasts, "Does Cardio Kill My Gains?" and people usually fall into one of three categories: I enjoy cardio and the results it brings I enjoy cardio but feel it makes me weaker I hate cardio and it kills my gains My opinion – if you fall into category 2 or 3, your nutrition is most likely the culprit. Cardio is not to blame for losing strength. It is not fueling your body properly that is the culprit, and thus your body responds by robbing

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is jam packed with family events, holiday shopping, decorating, work functions, gym functions (December 9th everyone!!!!), lots of traveling and cramming as much holiday spirit into 7 weeks as you can. For some, ok-many, this time of year is also synonymous with loosing sight of goals, overeating, weight gain, over-indulgence, and as a result, regret come January 1. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Take

One of the most common questions I get is "What do you eat?" This post will showcase one entire day of eating from the time I woke up to bedtime. Before jumping into each meal, some important notes: - I am 6'2" and 212lbs - I follow Renaissance Periodization - I am currently massing (trying to aid muscle building through a surplus of calories) - Currently on "Mass 3" - This day was considered "Light" training Meal 1 6oz Protein / 30g Fat / 0 Carbs 5 eggs + 1 slice cheese + 2

This blog is geared towards those just starting CrossFit, or those that are just jumping into deeper nutrition gains. One of the more common questions we get is “What should I eat before/after my workout?” Lets break it down based on when you workout. 5am or 6am Class Option A: Nothing before. Many prefer to workout on an empty stomach. When you finish your workout, crush a protein shake with 20g protein and have a banana*. Go home, get ready for work, and then have a bi

Health is often taken for granted until you are sick or hurt, and then you’ll do anything to get healthy again. By being a member of CrossFit Simsbury, you have already taken a big step towards prioritizing your fitness. But overall health often involves factors not at the gym as well. We all have goals, that’s a given. The specifics range widely. Some are trying to climb the corporate ladder. Or maybe it’s to finish their first marathon or PR their back squat. For othe