From 2015 until just this week CrossFit Empower was open for classes every single day without fail.  Christmas Day, we were open.  New Year’s Day too.  365 days a year (366 on leap years).  So you can imagine how much it hurt to close our doors Tuesday.  But even without gym access we’re determined to continue delivering classes.  Let it not be said that our coaching team ever took a day off from serving your fitness needs!

No surprise then that despite current circumstances, we have no intention of putting a halt to our ambitious 20 in 2020 Challenge.  You will continue to get credit for every Outside-the-Box WOD you attend.  And if you’re trapped at home or outside the country, you will get credit for every Stay-at-Home WOD you complete.  Simply document the workout, the date and your results and send them to me [email protected] subject Line “20 in 2020 Challenge” on March 31st and you will get credit for each day you trained!

Wondering why our gym is closed?  Not sure why we’re so insistent that our Outside-the-Box attendees maintain a minimum 2 metres safe distance from one another?  Do you suspect this whole thing is overblown because you don’t even know anyone who is sick?  Here’s a video to help explain why we’re taking this very seriously and trying to adopt a proactive approach to slowing transmission in our community:

Thanks everyone who has entertained us with videos of your Stay-at-Home WODs!  Keep on posting them, we miss you and it’s great to see you suffering along at home with us.  And thanks to everyone joining us for our WOD Outside-the-Box.  What a fantastic turn out!  Wednesday morning 8 Empower athletes braved the darkness at 6am and were rewarded with the whole tennis court to themselves!  5pm we had 20 registered members attend and they brought friends and family to participate with them so we flooded McBride Park with a total of 27 participants!

Stay-at-Home/Outside-the-Box WOD Friday March 20th

Warm Up
20 calf raises
20 Samson Lunges
20 Air Squats
10 Push Ups

Tech
Lunge
Thruster
Box Jump

WOD
4 rounds:
50ft Lunge
30 Wall Balls
30 Box Jumps

Scaling:
1. Lunges: If you can’t measure out 50ft or don’t have the space, do lunges in place.  For most of you 50ft will be between 10-20 lunges (it’s 14 for me).  Pick the appropriate number and do those in place each round.
2. Wall Balls: If you don’t have a wall ball, dumbbell thrusters are a great substitute.  No dumbbell, break out that backpack again, pack it to an appropriate weight, and do some backpack thrusters like HeeHee in our Outside-the-Box demo video.
3. Box Jumps: No safe object to jump up to?  Throw that backpack down and start jumping over it.  Safety tip: straps down so your feet don’t get caught in them.

Cool Down
Roll Shoulders forward and backward
Quad Stretch
Samson Stretch
Dragon Pose/Pigeon Pose
Downward Dog/Walk the Dog

Saturday: Beware The Tower
For our Home WODers Saturday will be a rest day but for those of you who join us for the Outside-the-Box WOD it will be anything but!  In fact, Saturday is going to be the kind of fun, brutally gruelling WOD that we could never do inside a gym.  As ever, everyone is welcome but newcomers and children may find this one a bit tough, it is not for the faint of heart!

Any guess where Saturday’s WOD might be?  Register tonight before 7pm and we’ll send you detailed instructions on how to find us for your Saturday mystery WOD.  It’s going to be epic!

Nothing is so serious that we shouldn’t laugh at it and ourselves just a little bit.  COVID or not, we’re none of us making it out of this life alive anyhow.  Be safe.  Take precautions.  But never lose your sense of humour!