It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and we’ve got a few days of everyone’s favorite weather rolling in…cold and rainy. It’s a bit of a bummer, but at the same time, I’ll be able to get some much needed construction work done at the gym. Excited to have some new toys to play with very soon. It was good to be back home in Indianapolis the past week. I enjoyed a few days of catching up with family, friends, and even got a good training session in at my old climbing gym, Climb Time Indy. Nostalgia factor was in full effect.

Let’s get into the Bullet Points..

The Bullet Points

• 7 Ab Roll-Out Variations You Might Not Have Seen or Tried Before- Meghan Callaway

I’m a big fan of roll-outs. A bunch of variations exist, and the movement is a great way to train anti-extension and a strong trunk. I hadn’t seen most of these, and get ready, Crux members, as you’ll probably be seeing a few of these pop up in your programming in the near future..

• What Being an Army Ranger Taught Me About Getting Strong Using Only Bodyweight Exercises- Tom Coffey

Bodyweight training is a fantastic modality to  use if you’re short on time, equipment, or space. As you get stronger, it can be tricky to conceptualize ways to keep overloading yourself and continuing to build strength. Tom breaks down some principles you can apply to keep getting stronger, equipment free.

• Something Old is New Again: Refining Your Get Up- Brett Jones

The Turkish Get Up. A movement that both checks a lot of boxes, and is a staple in our programming here at Crux. In this article, Brett Jones breaks down a subtle tweak to the roll to elbow, and explores a way to bulletproof the bridge. I think these two concepts are some incredibly useful updates to the Get Up, and I’m psyched to start utilizing them.

The Brew

Galaxy Grove, Upland Brewing and Cigar City Brewing

I always make sure to grab a couple beers when I’m up in Indianapolis, especially a sour or two from Upland, a brewery based just south of Indy. This beer is a sour ale brewed with guavas and peaches. It pours a pale yellow with a bubbly white head and fills the room with aromas of peaches and guavas. The beer is very tropical and fruity on the nose. As for the taste, guavas lead the flavor on the tongue and peaches round it out. There’s not a lot of sourness in the flavor, but a decent amount of Brett funk, which definitely adds to the fruit forward character of this beer. I was expecting more sourness, as the fruity sour has definitely tended toward those in the recent beers I’ve had, but this is a pleasant surprise. Another good one from Upland.

What’s on Tap for the Future

• I’m excited to be hosting Betsy Collie, Senior StrongFirst Instructor, on January 12th for an 8-hour 1 day Kettlebell User Course. As an attendee, you’ll be taught the necessary skills, techniques, and principles of Kettlebell training that you’ll need to get stronger safely and effectively. If you are interested in more information, head here.

 

• I have a few spots open for distance coaching. If you’re in the market for a customized training plan that could include strength training, nutrition consultation, sport specific technical work, or any combination thereof, send me an email regarding distance coaching to get started or learn more.

 

That’s it for this edition. Catch ya next week.