Group Classes:
Back Squat: 5X5
15X5 Partner Burpees *One partner works while the other rests
400 m recovery run
Stretch, mobility work
Weightlifting:
Back squat: 3X5 @ 85%
4X1 Snatch @ 80%
4X1 Clean and Jerk
Latest News
Come to Brunch!
Just a reminder to come to brunch Sunday at 930am at the Cafe de Morchat 706 Inwood, Bryan! Bring something yummy (gluten free, please)!
Clean and Jerk Practice
4 Rounds
60 seconds of Power Clean
60 seconds of Box Jumps
60 seconds of Rowing for Calories
60 seconds of Rest
Recap of BlackBox Happenings!
Just a recap of things to come and things that are happening now at the gym!
- BlackBox Clean Competition, February 18th! Anyone in the community can participate so pass along the info! Sign up here (go to events tab to complete the sign up!)
- Sunday Brunch, 930am at Cafe de Morchat
- Check into the BlackBox Facebook page 10 times and receive $5 to the BB store
- Hot showers at the gym are available for all!
- BlackBox Ribbon Cutting, 11:30am February 7th!
Donny and Danny’s idea of a good time (3,000m).
Front Squat
5×3
Followed by,
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Pull Ups
Wall Ball
Sit Ups
Showers for everyone!
Okay, so there are officially no excuses for not attending a group class! Our classes last no longer than an hour/day AND now we have hot water for the shower! Anyone can allot 45min to 1hour for working out and about 15-30min to get ready, right! So, feel free to enjoy a nice hot shower or cold (which is better for recovery) after your workout!
Lauren, Zach, and Jordan checking into BlackBox on FB with their smart phones!
Group Classes:
Push Press
5×3
Followed by,
5 Rounds
15 KB Swings
30 Double Unders
Then,
Side Planks max x3 each side
Weightlifting:
Snatch: 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%
Clean & Jerk: 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%
4X10 Burpees
BlackBox Clean Competition!!!
BlackBox Strength & Conditioning will be hosting our first clean competition! It will be February 18th, here in College Station (lifting starts around 10am). Everyone will have 3 attempts at the clean. It is $20/person for competitors. There will be food, heavy weights thrown around, and cash prizes! The winners will be decided based on the Sinclair Formula. This will take into account how much you lift based on how much you weigh.
We want this to be a way to introduce the Olympic lift to the community, while having a lot of fun! Whither you are lifting, supporting your friends, or just hanging around for a good time; we hope you can come out! If you have any questions, please let me know! Also, please forward this on to anyone who may be interested.
In order to sign up, click the following link, go to the EVENTS tab, and sign up for the Clean Competition!
Group Classes:
Back, Forward, and Lateral Lunges 5×2 (each leg/direction)
Followed by,
800m Sprint x1
400m Sprint x2
200m Sprint x3
1:1 Recovery
Then,
Prone Cobra
90 Seconds up, 45 Seconds Rest
Weightlifting:
Power Snatch: 5X2 @ 75%
Power Clean: 5X2 @ 75%
3X10 reverse hyperextensions
Brunch and a Recipe!
This weekend we will be having our BlackBox Brunch!!! Bring good, REAL food (you know what this means, don’t bring anything stupid 
). The brunch will start at 930am and will be held at Cafe de Morchat (706 Inwood, Bryan).
Recipe of the week:
Fun-Burgers! From Everydaypaleo.com
You know, the thing I like about this recipe, is that you can have your burger fix and still eat well!
2 lbs grass fed ground beef
Sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste
5 eggs, fried 10 bacon strips
4 sweet potatoes, grated
Lettuce mix, sliced dill pickles and tomato slices
Mix the ground beef and spices together and form into hamburger patties and set aside. Fry the bacon, remove from the pan and set aside. Shred the sweet potatoes in a food processor or with a cheese grater. Fry the grated sweet potatoes in some of the bacon grease. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, pan fry your burgers, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the burgers from the pan, set aside and fry the eggs in some grass fed butter or coconut oil. Pile all of the ingredients on top of each other and ENJOY!!
Gladys.
4 Rounds
4-6 Strict Weighted Pull Ups
4 Step Ups (each leg)
Rest 90 seconds
Followed by,
5 Rounds
2 TGU (each arm)
10 Burpess
10 Facebook Check ins for $5 in BlackBox Store money!
Okay everyone! There has been an amendment to our newsletter announcement: We are offering FREE BlackBox Store money to people who check into BlackBox on their smart phone. This store money will go toward any BB items (such as t-shirts, hoodies… we will be getting more BB items in, such as water bottles, wrist bands, hats and more!…). The previous statement was 25 check ins for $5. BUT for this month and the month of February we will be doing 10 check ins for $5! So, start checking into our BlackBox Facebook Page on your smart phone when you come to the gym and get some BB store money!
Group classes:
Power Snatch
5×3
Followed by,
5 Rounds
5 Deadlift
10 Box Jumps
200m Sprints
Then,
Max Planks x3
Weightlifting:
Back Squat: 5X3 @ 85%
Pocket Snatch: 5X2 @ 70%
Front Squat: 3X2 @ 85%
The Science of Muscle Confusion?
By: Marshall Lowy, B.S. M.S. PHD M.D. Rocket Scientist. Genius. Blackbox Trainer
How did this term become scientific? You hear it everywhere now. After you hit a plateau in your training, you should keep your muscles guessing and confuse them. What exactly is the science behind this? The theory is just plain stupid! When did Tony Wharton (creator of P90X) become a scientist? There are exercises that should be written in stone and NEVER stop doing. The most important off the top of my head are the squat, pull up and push up. You can of course scale them to your level of fitness. If you keep a steady diet of these 3 exercises, you have nothing to worry about. Your muscles will not be confused, they will thank you for giving them what they need! Why do you want to confuse your muscles? The whole idea is just convoluted and wrong. Hitting a plateau in your training means you should evaluate your diet, mindset, and intensity during training. Sometimes deciding for yourself that you are tired of lifting the same weight and to add weight is ALL you need to do. Keeping a variety in your training is a great thing, but calling it muscle confusion strikes an irritated nerve in my chest that got really inflamed just now. Now that is confusing!
In closing, do not confuse anything about your training. You have enough during your day that will confuse you. Stick to the basics and look within when you hit a plateau. Ask your trainers, we are smarter than we let you think.
Group Classes:
Snatch Heavy 1 Rep
Followed by,
“Isabell”
30 Snatches for time
Share your goals on the Goal Board!
This week we have talked a little about setting some goals for this New Year. You can go here to read more and to here. I know that reflection and goal setting can be a difficult task, especially at the thought of failing. Most of the time, the biggest cause of avoidance or procrastination of establishing some sort of goal, is that the task of actually achieving those goals (when large enough) can seem daunting.
I want to encourage you in this process to push forward. Even if the task seems unimaginable, you need to start somewhere. If you never begin the process, you will never be closer to where you want to be. When the task seems too daunting, break up that task into little tasks. There can be a main goal and smaller goals to help you achieve success more often. When we have a big unreachable goal that’s exactly what it feels like, big and unreachable. When we see success in the small things, it really does make the unreachable seem within grasp.
Placing smaller, directional goals towards what you really want helps to put momentum to your words.
So, this week we have set up a goal board in the gym. Any goals that you want to share, please come and pin your goals to the board (they do not need to be fitness related). They don’t even need to be the smaller, directional tasks that will push you toward that goal. They can be your main goal, but do be aware, you will most likely get asked “How are you going to achieve this?”.
We want to encourage growth in all areas of your life. Sometimes, people have an idea of what they want, but don’t know how to go about achieving it. If it is fitness, lifestyle, nutrition we can help you come up with a plan for the things you desire. Even if it is not apart of one of those categories, there are a lot of really wise people in this BlackBox community. Who, I bet, could help direct you toward the things you desire.
Group Classes:
Front Squat
5×3
Followed by,
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Wall Ball
KTE or TTB if you are feeling frisky.
Then,
3×6-10 Back Extensions
Making time for your health
By Josh Becker
Everyday we make time for countless activities, and it seems like working out is a chore that we struggle to make time for. Your health should be the first thought when you wake up and carried with you through out the day, not only does this mean in your nutrition, but also in your workouts and recovery. With this new year, make your health a top priority in your day, plan workouts into your schedule (instead of it being an afterthought) and make time for recovery (stretching, yoga, Epsom salt baths, etc). I know you will be pleasantly surprised on how your stress will decrease, sleep will increase, and daily life will improve. Cheers to a new year!!
Bob.
Group Classes:
6-8×2 Split Jerk
Followed by,
3 Rounds
15 Walking Lunges (30 total)
15 Box Jumps
400m Sprint
Weightlifting:
Snatch: 77%, 82%, 85%, 87%, 90%
Clean and Jerk: 77%, 82%, 85%, 87%, 90%
3X10 knees to elbows
Mobility:
False Grip work
Thoracic mobilizations
Recipe of the week!
Breakfast Casserole, by Health-Bent.com
This recipe is wonderfully delicious! I added avocado slices and salsa to the casserole
- 1 lb fresh chorizo or breakfast sausage
- 8 eggs
- 3 small yukon gold potatoes or 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 1 small can diced green chilies
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Using a sharp knife, slit the backs of your sausages and remove the casing from the meat. Put the meat in a skillet, over medium-high heat and break the sausage into crumble size. Cook until browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and reserve. Add the potatoes to the sausage grease (which you have meticulously left in the skillet and not with the reserved sausage). Let them cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sausage, potatoes, and green chilies. Pour into an oven-safe glass or ceramic dish. I used a 9×9 Pyrex. Bake until the eggs are set, about 20 minutes.
Group classes:
1 Power Snatch + 2 OHS
5×1+2
Followed by,
5 Rounds
40 Double Unders
10 Pull Ups
Weightlifting:
- Hang Snatch: 5X2 @ 77%
- Hang Clean: 5X2 @ 80%
- Weighted planks 3X1 minute
Mental Toughness
By Josh Becker
Looking around the gym, I’ve started to notice a trend that disappoints me. I’ve started to see people giving up on themselves mid-workout. It’s not that the weight is to heavy or the rep count is to great, it is simply the lack of mental toughness.
So, what is mental toughness? Mental toughness is pushing through a workout when everything inside you is telling you to quit. I understand we all take breaks or get discouraged when we do our met cons (conditioning part of the workout). This is normal. What I am referring to is when I see someone stop mid-workout and tell me they can’t finish.
We all have our off days, but no matter how hard the workout, if you push to finish you will be amazed at what your body can accomplish. The feeling of fulfillment after a mental battle is euphoric and I encourage you to strive for this feeling. So when your brain is saying quit or slowdown or I’m tired, take 3 deep breaths and then push on, push harder than you ever have and you will be amazed at what goals you can reach or what limits you break.
Group Classes:
5 Rounds
5 Strict Pull Ups
5 Broad Jumps (continuous and explosive)
Followed by,
“Buster”
21-15-9
Thrusters (if you are feeling frisky, use some dumbbells )
Burpees
1.2.2012 : HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
This month we will be starting a goal board. If you have not read this blog post please go and do that now! You can consider this somewhat of a “challenge” at the gym. Everyone’s goals are very different, but within this community we all want you to be successful in your endeavors.
With your goal writing, they must be specific and measurable and with a timeline. They must also be realistic. If you dreams are grand, break the dream up into sequences that you can achieve over time! Take this week to really think about the things you desire, in ALL 7 areas (physical, financial, career, spiritual, social, family, and intellectual). If you would rather skip one of these, I’ll be honest, that’s probably a good sign you need to reflect a little longer on that aspect of your life.
Once you have your goals listed out on a paper (or on whatever, I know you creative folks can come up with some fun stuff) give it to your trainer or tack it up on the goal board. We will have it hanging up by this Friday, so you have plenty of time to reflect!
We as a community at BlackBox want to press you toward your goals. EVEN if they have nothing to do with fitness or health, you matter and we want to see you succeed at all the things you do. If you don’t feel comfortable posting all your goals, post a few that you are okay with sharing and that you would like more encouragement towards.
Diaz.
Group Classes:
Power Clean
5-6 x 2 Heavy
Followed by,
7 Rounds
10 KB Swings (heavier than normal)
100m Sprint
Recovery walk back to KB ~ 45-60 Seconds
Weightlifting:
Snatch Heavy
Clean & Jerk Heavy
