Walnut Crossfit

Attractive women lifting large amounts of weight…need I say more!

There he is 28 lbs lighter and still losing weight!

I am very proud and pleased to share with you our latest Body Transformation winner, Ray Tabizon. Ray, lost 28lbs and 5 1/2 inches off his waist in 6 weeks. If you speak with Ray, he will be the first to share with you that this is only the beginning of his health and fitness journey. He shares that he is going to lose some more weight, increase his endurance, work on his form and technique with all the various lifts we do, etc., etc..I asked Ray about his experience on the challenge and this is what he had to say.

Why did you enter the challenge? I wanted to jump start my fitness goal and to help me stay motivated
How did you stay so committed? Once I was committed I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to stay focused and do the best I could. It helped when people would tell me that they can see a difference in my over all appearance. So I knew it was working. So, then I just wanted to win. It wasn’t about the prize, it was about pushing myself and see how my body would react.
What were you toughest challenges? Maybe the first 2 weeks of keeping to my diet was the toughest. But slowly I lost the temptations and desires for the bad foods and eventually it became normal to follow my new eating method.
Where do you see yourself in 6 months? I see myself committed to doing this for life. Hopefully I will be closer to my physical goal in 6 months.

Please join me in congratulating Ray on this enormous accomplishment. I look forward to helping and watching Ray become a better Ray, one day at a time.

Name: JR

Age: 28

Profession: Registered Nurse

How long have you been a member at WCF? 5 Months

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?

CrossFit has impacted my life in ways I could have never imagined. Before CrossFit I was overweight, on anti-hypertensive medication, suffering from gastric reflux daily, and having difficulty doing everyday tasks like going up multiple flights of stairs or even getting out of my car. All of that is done now, I discontinued my blood pressure medications and I am able to move around and enjoy life without carrying sandbags around my waist. When I started my fitness journey I weighed 280 lbs. and now currently down to around 210-215 lbs. I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt in my life! I have more strength and endurance than I’ve ever had. My lifestyle has taken a drastic change from the foods I eat to my everyday activity level. I’ve gone from literally lying in bed all day watching TV until I had to go to work to working out daily and participating in activities such as hiking and 5K runs, which was unheard of until now.

What is your athletic background? My athletic background is non-existent unless you count video games. Yes I’m a geek I actually used to play video games competitively in a ranked league.

Favorite WOD: I like benchmarks like ‘Fran’ because you get to see your progress. It’s a love/hate type of thing.

Favorite Lift: Deadlift

Least Favorite WOD: Anything with a lengthy run

Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squats

What are your proudest CrossFit achievements? Being able to do an unassisted pull-up. Hey, it’s a big deal when you were as big as I was.

Name one goal and/or personal record you would like to accomplish through CrossFit? Like many of my WCF brothers and sisters get a muscle up! And one day hopefully get to a level that’s worthy of competing.

Any advice for someone thinking about trying CrossFit or someone who has just started? If you’re like how I was before, which was a professional couch potato you might think you can’t ever possibly do CrossFit. Honestly, in the beginning I was scared to come to class every day. I would be in class just trying to survive and make it through the workouts. I needed to make sure my confidence and ego were in the right place so I wouldn’t beat myself up for being the slowest or weakest person in the class. It will suck at first but if you stay persistent and push yourself it’s rewarding and the WOD’s start becoming fun.  The thing I love most about CrossFit and specifically about Walnut CrossFit are the people there, the coaches and fellow CrossFitters are awesome! Everyone’s so encouraging and friendly. Those are the type of people you want around you when you’re breathing for dear life or about to vomit during or after a workout. Anyone can be successful in CrossFit no matter what your athletic background or fitness level. You just have to believe in yourself and will yourself to a better healthier you. Shout outs to the (P) ost – WOD Squad!

Favorite place to eat? Any good Japanese or Peruvian restaurant

Favorite cheat meal? Japanese – Sushi or Peruvian – Lomo Saltado

‎”If you raise your standards but don’t really believe you can meet them, you’ve already sabotaged yourself. You won’t even try; you’ll be lacking the sense of certainty that allows you to tap the deepest capacity that’s within you… Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what’s possible and impossible and what we can and can not do. They shape every action, every thought and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives.”

– Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins, page 24

Last Saturdays 9:30am class

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

I know I can.

How many “I think I can’s” until you get to “I know I can”? What does it take? How many double unders, snatches, back squats, or handstand attempts? If you’re not there, what’s stopping you? Once you know you can, what then? Look around. Take inventory. Do a systems check. Look for the next hill in view that turns your stomach in knots and gives you butterflies, and takes you right back to “I think I can”.

About 3 1/2 years ago, at the age of 69, I was fretting because I couldn’t pick up my 13-pound granddaughter. I figured that in order to get her into my lap, I would have to wait until she could climb there! My police officer son, who keeps fit, strong, and happy with CrossFit, urged me to contact Coach Greg Glassman because he wanted a life-altering best for his mom. That contact and his unspoken confidence that I wasn’t “too old” were some of my son’s sweetest gifts to me, especially because the gift goes on and on every day!

A couple of weeks later I walked into a world foreign to me. Actually, I paced up and down in front trying to figure out what I was getting myself into as I surreptitiously glanced in the window of a somewhat daunting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu center where Coach Glassman, in those early days, had a little rectangle of CrossFit floor space where he and Lauren worked their magic. I finally made it through the door after Coach noticed me loitering outside! On that day I developed a bond with the Gravitron (with lots of help) and could squat only with poor form, and only to the highest plyometric box. Sit-ups followed the squats, and by the time I had done five sit-ups, I knew that one of the components of my quads had given up… actually failed! My first workout was over! When I informed Coach that I couldn’t do one more sit-up, there followed the only time in my now long acquaintance with him, that I found him speechless, if you can imagine that!

I was back the next week. In the days, weeks, and years that followed, my reps and weights increased and, as I strengthened and learned technique, minutes and seconds fell away on my 2K rowing times. But the bonus is that I can now pick up my granddaughter and, now at 4 years old, she weighs a whole lot more!

An aggravating physical “disability” is one of my own youthful making. My terrible “round shouldered” posture is the result of my life-time effort to be shorter and maybe even to hear what’s going on down there! This posture, as you can probably visualize, makes it impossible for me to do some things with perfect form, in that I can’t lock my arms straight up. Rather, they angle forward resulting in a not so pretty push press, thruster, or an attempt to swing a weight in an arc. However, I get the job done and it benefits me greatly, even though it isn’t perfect.

Other things, such as a simple common cold, or a bout with the flu or the dastardly “shingles,” will set an elderly person back more than it would a young person. But one needs to not get discouraged, keep the lungs moving through it all, pick it up, and get back at it or, lucky me, get that call from Coach: “I’m declaring rehab over. Get in here!” Give up? Never!

The elderly obviously don’t have the potential reflexes, balance, or strength of a young person. However, CrossFit workouts do improve every one of those functions. I feel strong and, if I concentrate, can even achieve a little straighter posture. My bone density reads “Normal Young” now, and, in a world where few people notice an old lady, I enjoy the genuine acceptance, youthful camaraderie, encouragement, celebration, and love that permeate the CrossFit world.

Courtesy of CrossFit.com

Today is the final day to weigh in for the Body Transformation Challenge. Please check in with Coach Robert or Rosie.  Once again, I am extremely proud of those who have already weighed in. We have seen some amazing results that last couple of days. Great job everyone!

This group represented Walnut CrossFit proudly!

Great job to those who came out to Anaheim this last weekend to compete in a friendly CrossFit competition. Everyone did exceptionally well. It also appears that everyone who came out this last weekend caught the “competition bug”. Everyone shared that they could not wait until the next competition. I will do my best to notify everyone of upcoming events/competitions so that everyone can see how fun these really are. Thanks to those who came out to support and cheer on our box.

John was our very 1st Body Transformation Challenege Winner.

So you have resisted all the temptations, been working your butt off here at the box, and now its time to step on the scale to see those numbers in your favor. The coaches here at Walnut CrossFit are so proud of  all of you for stepping up and taking on this challenge. Even if you didn’t do as well as you would have liked, you took a step in the right direction and now have a better understanding of what you need to do.

All those who are participating must weigh in today, Tuesday or Wednesday with Coach Rob or Rosie.