Our member spotlight is Eric!

Our member spotlight is Eric!

We would like to introduce everyone to our athlete of the month, Eric! Eric is die-hard in the 5am class and will only miss it if he is skiing down a mountain somewhere! What makes Eric really stand out to the coaches is his dedication to the process. He has shown us and the community what trusting the process can do and it’s amazing to watch. Additionally, Eric is always one of the hardest workers in the room. From pushing himself on an echo bike, to crushing running workouts, to seeing his sets of toes to bar get bigger, Eric is always exciting to watch! Thank you Eric for always giving it your all!
  1. When did you start at CrossFit Bangor:

My first day at CrossFit Bangor was onboarding with Daija on June 22, 2020.

  1. Proudest CrossFit accomplishment:

Sticking with movements I’ve had trouble executing properly, being stubborn and motivated to improve, and eventually reaching that point where I was rewarded by realizing how far I’ve come.

  1. Favorite lift, metcon, or both:

One of my favorite recent workouts has been “Battle Scars”

4. A movement or workout you’re hoping to improve this year:

I want to be ready and able to do Murph next spring with a vest.

5. Biggest surprise since starting at CrossFit Bangor:

The fantastic camaraderie experienced with both the wonderful athletes and coaches, and how that camaraderie has served to help motivate me to become a better athlete.

6. Advice for new members or friends who have yet to try CrossFit:

Channel any form of discouragement you might experience into motivation and it will pay off big.

7. Favorite Maine place to recommend to other members or visitors:

My favorite Maine place, just happens to be my favorite place in the world, Maine’s highest peak – summit of Mt. Katahdin. 

8. Non CrossFit interest(s):

I have a passion for alpine skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, biking, and running.  Of course those things are enjoyed even more when I get to do them with the two great women in my life, my daughter Natalie and my partner Rachael.

9. Additional thoughts you’d like to share!

CrossFit Bangor has been life changing, it’s hard to imagine not having it play a part in my lifestyle.

Personal Integrity in CrossFit

Personal Integrity in CrossFit

Personal Integrity in CrossFit

Cheating your reps (by miscounting or not doing all of the reps programmed) or not hitting movement standards during a workout is the big elephant in the CrossFit room and, unfortunately, it’s time we have that conversation.

Do your reps. Do ALL your reps. And do them properly.

Let me tell you why…

1)     DO WHAT YOUR COACHES TELL YOU TO DO

Believe it or not, there is a method to our madness and, whenever we program a workout for you, we have a desired stimulus and a certain total power output we want you to achieve. We would never program a 21-15-9 workout if we only wanted you to do 18-13-7 reps! Unless you are injured or have discussed with your coach your need to scale for another reason, you need to do the workout as it is written, not as it is easier to do. Listen to your coaches and do all your reps.

2)     YOUR IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AS AN ATHLETE

Following on from point 1, think you’ll become a top athlete if you only do half of the work programmed? Or think you’ll get stronger in your pull ups by counting your reps, even when you don’t get your chin above the bar? Think again. You won’t. You will only improve your fitness if you put in the hard work. Cheating your reps slashes your potential for gains. Nobody wants that.

3)     TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS

CrossFit is unique in that it is a measurable, observable and repeatable fitness. This is one of the reasons we ask you to keep track of your WOD results in TRIIB. In 6 months’ time, when you repeat a benchmark WOD or test your lifts, you can look back and see how much you’ve improved! But how are you going to know that you’ve actually improved if you only did a portion of the required reps? Or did the reps, but not to the movement standards? Don’t cheat yourself out of being able to celebrate your progress because you let your ego take over the workout.

4)     CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR AND LEAVE THE DRAMA AT HOME

I’m as competitive as the next CrossFitter and I’m a strong believer that friendly competition is healthy and makes training more enjoyable by giving you that extra push in a workout. However, fudging your reps in an attempt to get a top score and boost your ego is not friendly OR healthy. In all honesty, it just makes you look like a jerk. Don’t be a jerk.

5)     RESPECT

I’m certain that you all work hard in your jobs and daily life to attain the respect of your co-workers, bosses, friends, family and significant others. Why should your time in the gym be any different? In my humble opinion, you can win all the medals, trophies and podium finishes you like, but if you don’t have the respect of the athletes around you, you have nothing. I would rather finish last in a workout and retain the respect of my fellow athletes, than finish first knowing that people thought that I didn’t put in the work.

I have spent most of this blog talking about how cheating reps and movement standards affects you personally, but guess what? It’s not just about you. A loss of respect doesn’t just hurt you individually, it hurts the entire gym. It ruins the relationships we work hard to build, it tarnishes our image as a dedicated, passionate, and quality group and it breaks down the sense of trust built through the feeling that we are all in it together as a community. And as you know, community is the most important part of CrossFit. It’s the glue that holds it all in place.

We are your coaches and not your parents. We cannot (and will not) stand by your side and count every rep for you as it’s not fair to the other athletes that need our feedback and encouragement. We are relying on you to be diligent and honest. We know that, as you get fatigued in a workout, the basic act of counting is pretty damn challenging and sometimes miscounted reps are a genuine mistake. If you need a whiteboard to count your reps and rounds, grab one before the workout begins. Think you’ve only done 8 reps, but maybe you did 10? Do 2 more, just in case. Unsure of what the movement standards are or if you’ll be able to hit them for the entire workout? Get advice from your coach. IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOU A STRONGER ATHLETE IN THE LONG RUN.

I am proud of the group of athletes we have at CrossFit Bangor, impressed and humbled by the work you all put in, and love watching our community grow stronger with every day. Let’s keep that going by being honest with yourself and being honest with others.

Many thanks to CrossFit 1864 in London, England for permission to use and adapt their blog post “Honesty is the best policy: Counting Reps & Hitting Movement Standards”  from 2015. 

 

Our member spotlight is Bob William!

Our member spotlight is Bob William!

Everyone, meet Bob! Bob came to us in November 2021 and has completely embodied everything that we stand for at CrossFit Bangor. Bob is committed to routine and makes it work no matter what. Every metcon, lift, AMRAP or EMOM, Bob always works his hardest till the very last second. He is always smiling (even at 6am in the morning) and welcomes new peeps in the gym. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO AWESOME BOB!

1. When did you start at CrossFit Bangor: November 2021.

2. Proudest CrossFit accomplishment: Gaining the mobility to have my heals stay on the ground while back squatting.

3. Favorite lift, metcon, or both: Dead Lift

4. A movement or workout you’re hoping to improve this year: Toss up between Double Unders or Toes to Bar.

5. Biggest surprise since starting at CrossFit Bangor: Energy! I am drinking way less coffee than I was prior to joining the gym.

6. Advice for new members or friends who have yet to try CrossFit: Be consistent with your schedule, ask questions of the coaches and focus on form and not worry about the amount of weight your are lifting. 

7. Favorite Maine place to recommend to other members or visitors: Always enjoy being near the water. There is a small state park in Stockton Springs called Sandy Point. It has a great beach on the Penobscot River.

8. Non CrossFit interest(s). I enjoy spending time with my wife and 3 kids – right now mini golf and walks on the Brewer waterfront to start summer have been great, jogging, I like tackling home projects and relaxing near the water.

Our member spotlight is Laura Teis!

Our member spotlight is Laura Teis!

The coaches can not say enough great things about Laura! Laura always gives her best efforts, takes advice from her coaches, and makes everyone feel welcome in the gym. She is truly a blessing to have in class! Keep up the great work Laura!

1. When did you start at CrossFit Bangor: April 2021

2. Proudest CrossFit accomplishment: I am a pretty conservative person when attempting new exercises. Given that, my proudest moments are when I break through that barrier and try a new exercise and realize I can actually do it.  I always start slowly and work with the coaches, though, which helps build my confidence.

3. Favorite lift, metcon, or both: Deadlift!

4. A movement or workout you’re hoping to improve this year:  Any exercise which requires shoulder work, including pull ups.

5. Biggest surprise since starting at CrossFit Bangor:  That I could participate in what I thought was a type of workout that was beyond my skill set and age (I am 58).  I give much credit to the coaches at CrossFit Bangor as they are not only highly skilled athletes, they are also caring and considerate people.  I cannot emphasize enough the positive atmosphere of CrossFit Bangor – everyone is welcome no matter a person’s athletic abilities.

6. Advice for new members or friends who have yet to try CrossFit: Give yourself the permission to start slowly and develop good form.  Be patient and kind to yourself and try CrossFit for a year and work out at a level you are comfortable with.  CrossFit is adaptable to all fitness levels and the coaches offer tremendous support.

7. Favorite Maine place to recommend to other members or visitors:  Chimney Pond, Baxter State Park

8. Non CrossFit interest(s): Gardening, mineral hunting in Colorado, hiking, piano, biking, art

9. Additional thoughts you’d like to share!  Joining Bangor CrossFit has been one of the most important health decisions I have made in years.  The workouts are relatively short and intense and not only did my strength and mobility improve, but surprisingly my cardiovascular endurance also improved.

To be clear, though, my favorite part of any workout is being with the coaches and other CrossFit participants.

Our member spotlight is Rob Musinski!

Our member spotlight is Rob Musinski!

Our member spotlight is Rob Musinski! Rob has been crushing it in and out of the gym lately with his new DAD  strength! Rob has been working on his skills and it paid off. He had three fantastic Open workouts, which helped him lead his team to victory. A quote from one of the coaches captures Rob’s work ethic – “Rob has been working consistently very hard and challenging himself a lot lately. Making great improvements. I like it.”

 

1. When did you start at CrossFit Bangor:
I am pretty sure I started consistently coming to CFB around August of last year
2. Proudest CrossFit accomplishment:
My proudest accomplishment would have to be my progression to bigger sets of pull-ups unbroken
3. Favorite lift, metcon, or both: I
My favorite lift is the deadlift hands down and any metcon that involves pull ups, push-ups, deadlifts or toes to bar I try not to miss
4. A movement or workout you’re hoping to improve this year:
I am working on both building my power snatch and clean up and getting under the bar quicker
5. Biggest surprise since starting at CrossFit Bangor:
One day things just start to click if you’re consistent. You stop being really sore after every class and you start putting together longer sets of movements
6. Advice for new members or friends who have yet to try CrossFit:
My advice would be just come in and try it. Almost everyone’s perception of crossfit outside of the gym is from some goofy video they’ve seen when in reality it’s just everyday people trying to get better. You’ll have someone one who’s competitive next to someone who’s just doing modified sweat track and in between. There is no level of fitness you need to start you just need to start.
7. Favorite Maine place to recommend to other members or visitors:
I spent a lot of my young adult life living in Southern Maine, everyone needs to go to the great lost bear at some point for their incredible food menu. I also love going to Acadia and putting my fitness addiction to use in the real world
8. Non-CrossFit interest(s):
Hiking, running with my two dogs, going on walks with Katie and our son Cooper
9. Additional thoughts you’d like to share!
I absolutely love Crossfit Bangor and I’m super grateful I started working out here! It’s definitely helped change myself into a better person and I really enjoy being able to out perform the younger guys in the military
Cooking with Cherie – SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

Cooking with Cherie – SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

Hello!

Cherie here. For those of you who know me, you know that I love all things cooking and experimenting with foods. Another (maybe lessen known) fact is that I tend to excel at procrastination.

I was honored when Daija asked me to write something up for the blog about “healthy winter snacking.” So excited that I have had about a thousand different ideas roll through my head, only to allow my procrastination beast an equal number of opportunities to stall me from getting it out to all of you.

But FINALLY!! Here it is! This is a recipe I swiped from one food blogger that I enjoy – nomnompaleo. I have one of her cookbooks and I don’t think there is a recipe of hers that I have tried, and not enjoyed! Please check her out if you are looking for some inspiration.

Now on to the recipe –

SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

Ingredients

1 large orange flesh sweet potato

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup yellow onion, diced

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (soaked and drained)

1 tsp mild yellow curry powder, plus more to taste

1.5 tsp coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp sweet paprika

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 ° F
  2. Heat 2 cups water to boiling on the stove.
  3. Place raw cashews in a bowl and pour the hot water over them. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
  4. Poke the sweet potato with a paring knife or fork and lightly brush with extra virgin olive oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until soft.
  5. Pull the potato from the oven and allow to cool.
  6. Once potato is cooled, peel skin away and mash the flesh with a fork.
  7. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and saute onions until softened. Be sure to add a sprinkle of salt while they cook too.
  8. Once onions are softened, add the garlic and stir. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
  9. Drain the soaked cashews.
  10. Grab a blender or food processor and throw in the potato, onion mixture, the remaining 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, drained cashews, all the spices, and 1 tsp kosher salt.
  11. Blend for a minute or two, until dip becomes smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape down the sides a time or two, to make sure that everything gets incorporated.
  12. Serve with your favorite cut up vegetables and await all the praise and compliments you are sure to get from you friends and family!

 

Try this one out and please be sure to let me know what you think of it!! And I am curious…what do all of you like to snack on? What are your favorites? Have you tried a new recipe or ingredient lately that you were pleasantly surprised by? If so, please share your experiences here. I know I am always looking for something new and interesting, and I’m sure there are many other members in the same boat!

ALSO! What else would you like to see in the future on here?

Have a fantastic day everyone!