Must, Get, Stronger!!!

Sicfit Austins Oly Strength Classes are working there way to greatness! The new month has started and we have already set new PR's in the Snatch and working for more.

6:15am Oly Strength class working grip and power

I've said it once and I'll say it again, we are working for POWER and STRENGTH which will make an Olympic lifter better and more proficient in the lift's.

Be EXPLOSIVE

Do you have the mental fortitude to crush a 15min. AMRAP geared towards explosive power derived from the hips and quads? Then, followed by skill work and some heavy lifting?Hmmm......these lady's and gents do.

Brett set a new PR this fine morning

Classes are as followed:

6:45Am M/W

5:15PM M/W

6:15PM M/W

For more info contact me at www.zacharythiel@sicfitaustin.com

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Oly/Strength Class

So many of you know, or may not know, that Sicfit Austin offers an Olympic/ Strength Training program. I am proud to say that I head this program up and write the programming. Many of you who know me know that throwing heavy things around is my passion, what I would consider my specialty and what I love doing.

The boys getting a little warm up workout in

The best way to describe the class is that it is a hybrid Olympic skill training and strength and conditioning class. So to me it's the best of both worlds. The strength training portion of the class is geared to power and speed. The short workouts will help teach you to be explosive through the hips, legs and will force you to use strong mid line stabilization and will last no longer than 15 minutes. The strength met cons will often have sand bag work from running with them to pushing them over the head. Not to mention sleds and sledge hammers. The Sicfit Austin Gym has a wide variety of fun tools to use and help build strength and power which are key to Olympic weight lifting.

Now that your good and warm we move to the heavy lifting and the skill work. We will do some form of squat one time a week in class be it over head, back or front and it will be heavy. You will get strong!

Working the over head squat

The skill work is obviously geared to the two Olympic lifts, Clean and Jerk and the Snatch. There is a wide variety of ways to build these skills and to get strong at the same time and we do them all.

Over the past year and a half I have learned much and have been taught by some outstanding and very skilled athletes in the world of Olympic lifting and strength and conditioning. At the same time I am teaching you guys and gals I am learning myself and my passion has gone through the roof. If you are interested in more info or have any questions concerning the classes you can contact me at zacharythiel@sicfitaustin.com. The class time are also posted at Sicfit Austin under the Olympic Weightlifting.

Learning the Split Jerk

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Aww Yeah, Here It Is

Here it is! New PR Clean & Jerk. #265! A BIG thanks to Elliot Schrock for putting this video together and just taking the time to do it. I know he's a busy guy, so thank you brother.

Zach Thiel from CrossFit Central on Vimeo.

Refer to the bottom of my Liberation blog post for some background info and pics that Ingrid took of the first PR. My goal is a #300 clean and with this new Clean & Jerk PR I now have a new goal for it. #275! We will see what happens.

Feel free to criticize and coach me up so I can reach my new goal sooner rather than later.

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Liberation

LIBERATOR

*To set free, as from oppression, confinement, or foreign control

*Liberation, the freeing of a place from a tyrannic regime.

This past week my brother Jeremy asked us coaches to come up with a mission statement or a sentence that told our purpose. Over the week I thought long and hard and came up with a word: Liberator

I had to separate myself from my coaching at the gym and all of our athletes and think of the big picture. Why was I put on this earth, what is my purpose given to me by the Creator.

It's no coincidence to me that I am here on this earth at this time in history. Not that I am the next Jesus Christ or anything, but people are hungry for knowledge and know that something is amiss. All my life I knew that I was going to be a leader of something and I believe that I am at the place I am supposed to be. More than ever people want to be liberated from lethargic boring lives. People were created to be free. Free from an inactive lifestyle, a mundane boring office job, from poisonous processed foods, and free from the television set's that decay and destroy the mind. Crossfit's the instrument, you are the player and I'm the drum major.

Not only am I here to help liberate you from your bondage, but I am fighting to lift chains off my own back. To me this goes way further that crossfit. I know some of you probably wonder why I post political articles at the bottom of my blog, and some who read them may think, man this guy's into weired stuff. I just want you to think outside the box. To liberate yourself from the mainstream and think maybe there is a different truth out there. I find myself seeking the truth all the time in all kinds of different places and I just happen to share them with all of you. I would like to think this blog is a place for you all to get a glimpse of my life from out side Crossfit Central and on a personal level. I can be brash, rude and obnoxious sometimes and from what I understand I have earned a interesting reputation from a lot of the athletes in the gym. Some of these things are what hold me back from becoming a level 10 coach and I MUST LIBERATE MYSELF from them! I am open to all and any opinions on how to do that.

And now on to some fitness!

This past Friday I needed to work on some Oly lifts and when for some heavy Clean & Jerks.

3x1 90% of my max lift

Which happen to be #255 at the time, so my three lifts where #230

After knocking thous three lifts out I thought hey let's go for a PR!

And I just happened to have my camera on hand.

So I loaded #260 on the bar and here are the results.

Not to shabby I thought. Then Elliot Schrock walked in and happened to ask me what I was doing and I let him know with a smile on my face that I just set a new C&J PR. He asked if I would like for him to shoot some video of me doing it again and I happily obliged him. But to make it interesting I added a little more weight to the bar and thought why not #265. Video footage coming soon.

I hope you boy's and girls are enjoying the new blog and look for more tabs at the top to be coming soon. I want to be at that level 10 coaching scale and all of your input will help me get there faster so don't be shy!

Dumbing Down Society Part 3: How to Reverse it's Effects

The first two parts of this series describes the negative effects that some commonly consumed chemicals have on the body and brain. This third and final part looks at some natural ways to keep the brain healthy and provides tips to rid the body of dangerous substances. In other words, how to fight back against the dumbing down of society!

Knowledge Is A Good Thing

The cert. crew sweating it up post WOD.

So this past weekend, several other of the Central coaches and I had the privilege to attend a Crossfit Football Certification. Hands down without a doubt it was the best certification that I have ever attended. The knowledge of Head Coach John Welbourn and the other coaches assisting him with the cert. were by far the most experienced and informed coaches I have ever been around.

Myself and John Welbourn

Not only have these guys been around a plethora of crossfiters but they are sought out and recruited for their training experience by professional athletes from NFL Football, professional track, and professional swimmers alike. If you didn' t know, John Welbourn was a pro football player for 9 years with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He participated in the 08 Crossfit Games and owns Crossfit Balboa in Newport Beach, California. I had the privilege of spending some time with John and picking is brain about his life in the NFL and coaching the football certs. He is top notch and has been around some of the most sought after doctors, nutritionist and trainers out there. Basically his life would be a wet dream for any crossfiter out there!

Coach Raphael Ruiz putting us through killer stretches

One of John's crew was Raphael Ruiz who owns 1441 S&C in Tampa, Florida. The wealth of experience and programing that he brings to the table is second to none. The insane stretching and warm ups this guy brought to the table was absolutely crazy and painful. He has worked with guys coming out of college prepping for the NFL combine and pro soccer players associated with MLS.

Let me just sum it up like this, this was the most legit experienced group of coaches I believe I have ever been around. I feel lucky to have been pushed, shouted at and taught by this group of people. I will take what I learned from these guys and implement it into my programing for you guys. Over the past year the wealth of knowledge that I have gained through the certs. that I have been through and implemented into my small group training and my Oly/Strength and Conditioning classes has made me excited. It has brought a passion to my training that I never thought possible and I am proud to be able to pass it on to you guy's and gals.

So, with all that said thanks to John, Raphael, Ben and Katy of the Crossfit Football crew for your hard work and leaving the friendly and not nearly as hot confines of southern California.

Central crew with the football crew. Typical Big Mike!

Dumbing Down Society Part 1: Foods, Beverages and Meds

Australian TV Exposes Fluoride as Poison

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Guess where you fluoride comes from? China!

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Training For Power

Karen on her way to a new clean PR!

You have your people that train to look good, your people that train for their sport and people that train to be strong and powerful just for the f@#k of it. I have the privilege of being around a group of people that have sought me out to be trained in the art of power. I know many of you have heard of our new SicFit Austin Gym and all the cool toys we have there. This group of people get to utilize huge tires, Olympic weightlifting platforms, sledge hammers, and lovely canvas bags full of gravel. Oh yes, and kegs (but not full of beer kegs)!

Working the hanging DB muscle snatch.

Over the past year I have grown as a coach and my knowledge of different training styles has vastly improved. Some of you may say that we aren't really even crossfiting. I don't time them so we aren't really keeping score. I just simply write a list of exercises that promote power and skill and tell them to have at it. I let them rest when they need and don't expect them to go 150 miles an hour but because of their crossfit back ground they now how to push it. And we are seeing great results! New PR's, new pant sizes and goals met. I am grateful that I have a group of willing athletes that let me absolutely obliterate them. IF you like what you see, IF you are looking for a new experience with your training contact me. I love seeing people exceed their expectations and blow their own minds with their gains. I would love to help.

This Saturday at the SicFit Austin Gym we are putting on a friendly little competition. The workouts will be announced that morning and they will be fun!!!! Come test your skills and let's get it on!!

You can register here at the SicFit Austin site but do it quick. Only 2o spots availible.

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Getting Better Everyday!

For the past two weeks some of the coaches and members of the Affiliate Team have started following James Fitzgerald's (OPT) Big Dogs Training, which is set up to prepare Crossfit athletes for the 2011 Crossfit Games. If you aren't familiar with OPT you should check out his site and do a little research on him. His programing is meticulously put together and he is also a legend inside the world of Crossfit.

Since starting his programming my body has been absolutely obliterated in one of the best ways possible. The workouts thus far have been focused mainly on strength training with a ton of Olympic weightlifting, which happens to be one of my favorite things, and some wicked met cons that are exactly what I need.

So, with the addition of the speed training I've been doing over the past two months (of which I have lost six pounds since starting) and OPT's Big Dog Training, I can only imagine where I am going to be over the next eight months to a year. Although I really have no aspirations of competing in the Crossfit Games as an individual, I would love to be on he Affiliate team next year. So, with that said I'll keep you guy's and gals posted on how things are going.

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"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. "
Thomas Jefferson

Athlete Of The Week

This past Monday SicFit Austin bad ass Lory set a new clean PR (personal record) for her self at #110. She was oh so close to #115 but her front squat keep it away. I have nothing but good and great things to say about Lory. I have coached her now for close to six months and she never complains, always shows up, and works her tail off! She has dedicated herself to learning the Olympic weightlifting lifts and gaining strength and she is well on her way to achieving her goals. One goal is to be able to join the Garage Gym as RX class which requires all the workouts to be done as prescribed. In other words no scaling! She is well on her way. Keep up the good work Lory!

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Olympic Lifting Rules!!

Jess working on snatch progression.

This past weekend a group of motivated and awesome individuals got to get together at the new SicFit Austin gym for some Olympic weightlifting. Myself and Coach Big Mike put a group of 21 Crossfiters through the snatch progression and the clean and jerk. We had a great time and much needed practice was dealt out. The SicFit Austin gym offers three class times two days a week for Olympic weightlifting and strength biased training. If you have any questions about the classes and what they in tell please don't hesitate to email me at zacharythiel@sicfitaustin.com

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Everyone Needs A Coach (Even Coaches)

Coach Nate putting Carey and I to work!

For the past two months my big sis Carey and I have sought the expertise of speed coach Nate Turner to help program and kick our everliving butts into shape. Carey for the 10' Games, and for me, well let's just say there are many things I need to work on to become a better athlete and a better coach. Speed training being one of them. When you have another set of eyes and opinions to counter your own I think it helps humble you and helps you to see things about your training in a different light. It's also nice for someone else to do the programing and thinking for you for a change. One other thing it does for me as a coach is that it gives me ideas for new things to bring to the table for my athletes. To keep things fresh so to speak.

Relentless bootcamp coach Stacey Lashley letting me put her through the grind twice a week.

I think it also speaks volumes about a coach who can be humble enough to admit that they don't know everything about fitness and certain aspects of training. You have to be willing to give the keys to another coach for their own style of personal training. I have had the privilege to be coached by fantastic coaches and to coach fantastic coaches. It keeps things fresh and there is someone there to help push you and to hold you to an expectation. It also seems like if a good coach is coaching you they always know just how far to push you, when to call you back and when to not push it quite so hard. If I hadn't had another coach that I respected tell me that, I would have continued training myself the way that I was and would have continued to be constantly been injured. So a personal coach can do more for you than just help you get into shape, they can also save you from a therapist and constant nagging injuries.

Coach Zack Evan-Esh, great man a great coach

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Our Home, Our Fortress

We have built our fortress with sweat and blood. We have fortified its walls with tools of strength and skill. Those who enter these walls do so with the knowledge that nothing will be gained without pain and sacrifice. Those who leave it leave with the knowledge that they are one step closer to reaching their full human potential. We have gathered but a small tribe of willing individuals who dare to eschew the normal thought and practices of an ordinary life, and we continue to seek more who are of the same warrior mentality.

“Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied.” - Alexander the Great’s Chief Physician

***SICFIT Austin’s first Olympic Lifting Seminar will be held this Saturday, June 12th from 9:00 – 10:30 AM at SICFIT Austin, 5126 Burnet Road. There are only a handful of spots left — sign up here before the seminar is SOLD OUT.***

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