PROGRESS = HAPPINESS

Progress Equals Happiness. I'm sure we can all agree on that. Now, here are the questions I pose to anyone reading this:

"Are you progressing towards your goals?"

"Are you truly happy with where you're at?"

These goals may range from increasing motivation and drive at the workplace, to improving performance during workouts, to being able to enjoy time with family and friends thanks to a new-found energy and enthusiasm. If you had to take a second to think about your response, chances are you're at a stand-still. Now, for the BIG question:

"What are you willing to do to progress and ultimately reach your goals?"

In an effort to continue my personal and professional progress while helping others reach their goals, I am offering my services as a quality, knowledgeable, enthusiastic Level 2 CrossFit Coach and Personal Trainer to anyone looking to make progress. It is my personal belief that a quality exercise program(i.e. CrossFit) is a powerful and effective tool you can implement into your life to initiate change and progress, which as we now know, equals HAPPINESS!

So, spread the word!!!
Talk to your family members, friends, and co-workers. Create a group with one or two others, and make a commitment to yourself and to those in your group to progress!
Be ready to:

1. Be held accountable for your success.
2. Be empowered by an increased physical and mental strength.
3. Walk away from each session with useful, effective knowledge of proper nutrition and overall fitness.
4. Work hard for it!

This will not be easy. Remember, all good things require hard work. BUT, if you are ready to make progress in your life and achieve your goals, I look forward to the opportunity to assist your efforts.

Training prices for a Group of 3(more bang for your buck!) are as follows:

• 4sessions/week - $35/person/week
• 3sessions/week - $40/person/week
• 2sessions/week - $45/person/week
• 1session/week - $50/person/week

1-on-1 sessions and 2 person group trainings are also available.
Please contact me with any questions.

970.397.8719
travisholley@crossfitcentral.com
http://travisholley.blogspot.com/

Something to Think About

The WOD for the CrossFit Central ".com" class yesterday was 7 sets of 1 rep of deadlift.(watch this great deadlift video intro. by Coach Glassman). I was excited to deadlift heavy again! It had been a long time since my last max effort one rep. During the class, I watched others perform their intense, methodical pre-lift rituals, and I felt inspired to blog about the deadlift itself and all of it's finer details that make the movement special.

There is something primal about picking up heavy stuff....and, if it's heavy enough, grunting and yelling while doing so. It takes us back to a time when we were absolutely dependant on our own strength rather than hydraulic jacks, ropes and pulleys, or ramps. If we wanted to move it, we had to be able to pick it up. This primal self-reliance has a powerful and potent result on not only the body, but more importantly, the mind.

We all know that when the deadlift is performed correctly, it is one of the most beneficial exercises we have. What many of don't know is the benefit the lift offers for us mentally. That is today's topic.

Think back to your most memorable deadlift effort. Remember the quiet nervousness as you stepped up to the barbell? Remember the rush you got when you felt the barbell slightly bow as you initiated your pull and the plates slowly lifted off the floor? Do you remember mentally battling with yourself during the long, slow repetition, wondering, "is this weight too much", or "maybe I should quit"? BUT you did NOT quit! You continued to work through the uncertainty and discomfort, and, ultimately, you stood tall with weight in hand. At the time, you probably didn't recognize all of the "inner-workings" of that lift. You most likely didn't realize how important it was for you to fight through that lift. It was a stepping stone on the path to self-improvement and self-empowerment. Congratulations!

On the surface, the deadlift seems simple, right? "Stand up with the weight". But now that we have reviewed all of the lift's underlying complexities, I challenge you to make a comparison between the deadlift and your life. This may be a stretch for some of you to comprehend, but for those of you that live CrossFit like I do, you know what I am getting at. Life is uncertain and, at times, uncomfortable. But the desire to complete the task at hand must outweigh the feelings of doubt and discomfort.

I bet you never knew how important deadlifting was!

A Little Something to Keep Me Going.

Yesterday, after returning home from our WOD, we decided that some chicken sounded like just the right thing to refuel. Crystal has an amazing chicken dish that we call Italian Chicken. It is super simple and relatively quick to prepare, which makes this dish a perfect post-WOD or late dinner meal. Basically, it is a paleo-friendly chicken parmesan, which, as all of you hopefully know by now, means NO breading! The one factor that will make or break this dish, in my opinion, is the marinara sauce that you use. We recently found a delicious, paleo-friendly(does have a little salt) sauce called Rao's Homemade Tomato and Basil. Whole Foods is the only place that we know of that carries it, but you might keep your eyes open. I'm tellin' everyone right now, it's AMAZING! I could probably stick a straw directly in the jar and go to town....don't judge me. After 22 days of a STRICT 30-day paleo challenge, the little things are definitely important to enjoy.

Anyway, here is the simple recipe:

2 Chicken Breasts(preferably organic)
1/2 jar of Rao's Homemade Tomato and Basil

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees


• Chicken goes in the oven for 20min.


• Pour 1/2 of Rao's sauce over chicken and continue baking for 10 more minutes.


• Serve with more veggies and some fat source, and ENJOY!

Gettin' Better

FYI...This will be my first blog post EVER! So we will see how this turns out. 3...2...1...GO!

I have been incorporated in the CrossFit Central environment for 2 weeks now, and all I can say is WOW! On a daily basis I find myself impressed by those of you that make-up the CFC community - coaches, staff, and athletes. The CFC coaches that I have worked with so far are simply put, gifted. Each time I'm around to shadow, I pick up something new that will ultimately make my coaching that much stronger...when the time comes. The CFC staff is constantly moving and staying busy, which I find to be a great sign for CFC as a company. If they are constantly busy, good things must be happening! And finally, the athletes. It has been my experience that crossfitters are always an intense, passionate, and driven group, and I have not been disappointed by the CFC athletes. The effort put forth motivates me as a coach to step up my game to continually challenge all of you fire-breathers!

As my first personal challenge, I am working towards becoming "bigger". This is not to say I want to gain mass, but rather, a larger persona. I have always been a fairly reserved individual, even more so prior to becoming a CrossFit coach nearly 3 years ago. This is a weakness of mine that I consciously have to work at to improve. Anyone that has stepped foot inside CFC would agree that it is hard not to notice the "BIG" personalities of all the CFC coaches - this is what I am going for. CrossFit always has a funny way of spotlighting an individual's weaknesses...It is up to the individual to either strive for self-improvement, or simply be "OK" with a known weakness.

So here's to getting better every day!