WEEKLY NEWS FROM TJ's GYM
Spring has sprung, which means all sorts of opportunities for us to support our local schools via auctions and program support. We are always proud to contribute to the youth of our community!
Message from TJ:
This week we have a message written by Coach Arielle about the CrossFit Open at our gyms. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
This year was a really special year. Like every year, the CrossFit Games Open started at the end of February, and like every year it ended in March. This year, however, I had the opportunity to watch members of our amazing TJ's Gym community compete each week against the clock. Since the birth of the CrossFit Games Open, we have heard the inspiring stories of people in gyms around the world accomplishing firsts of all kinds, whether they be strength, skill, or mindset related. These stories may seem far fetched, like they could happen anywhere, but not as likely that it’ll happen to you. Whether or not you got your first toes-to-bar or used the RX dumbbell weight in 18.1, PR-ed your clean in 18.2a, got your first double-unders or muscle ups in 18.3, got your first handstand push up in 18.4, or your first chest-to-bar-pull-up in 18.5, you completed five weeks of putting yourself out of your comfort zone, and you did it alongside other members of your community.
As if competing with the world and yourself wasn’t enough, our community went head-to-head against members of their rival locations in the TJs community. With champions from each gym selected each week to represent their community, the Championship Belt traveled (mostly between Corte Madera and Mill Valley--spoiler alert: the belt ends up in San Rafael!), proudly displayed in the winning location each week. Organizing these competitors, keeping track of scorecards, and keeping spirits high was no small feat and required a lot of love and patience. Because of this, we extend a huge Thank You to our Team Captains, Ed Alvarado and Ham Kipp (Team Corte Madera), Luke Maher and Chris Ford (Team Mill Valley), and Charles Hodges (Team San Rafael). You guys showed up every weekend early, stayed until closing, and made sure everyone that needed one had a judge. If it weren’t for you, the Open would not have been as huge of a success as it was this year!
I’m speaking for myself as the coach of some of you, but I know that all of your coaches here at TJ'ss Gym are so proud of all of your hard work. Here are just a few of the many highlights of the past five weeks:
Like Father, Like Son- Tom and Haydn Fischer competed head-to-head every Thursday evening, immediately following the Open announcement for that week, pushing Haydn past his comfort zone with each workout to ensure his full effort.
Pull Me Up, Buttercup- Congratulations to all of our members who got pull-ups (jumping/kipping/chest-to-bar) this Open season! To name a few, Susan Akram, Lora Good, Rachel Reid, Tracy Lee, Veronique Grenon, the list goes on and on! And Dan Schrauth got his first muscle up! Sheryl Hausman, in her 60's, did not one, but 35 kipping pull-ups in one of the workouts--amazing!
Upside Down, You Turn Me- In Week 4, we were tasked with handstand push-ups and handstand walks accompanying a heavy barbell, which put most of you way out of your comfort zone. Huge shoutout to all of our members who chose to challenge themselves by getting upside down, whether in the scaled division with bear crawls, or in the RX division with handstand push-ups. To name a few, Bob “Jersey Bob” Kelly not only learned how to kick up to the wall minutes prior to the workout, he got his first, second, and third handstand push-ups after deadlifting his 185-pound barbell and making it look like 45 pounds.
While the Open proved to be challenging, you all showed unbelievable grace and determination each week as you showed up, warmed up, and attacked each week’s workout. You let your weaknesses be exposed, and you’ve already started on a plan with your coach to tackle them and come back stronger next year- mentally and physically- and with more skills in your toolbox. If you haven’t talked with a coach about your Open experience, please share it with us! As your coaches, we are here to support you, in life and in CrossFit. When you have help and you set your mind to it, you can not only achieve your goals, but you can surpass them, moving on to bigger and better things. You were meant to do great things, whether that be in the gym or in your real life. Let the challenges of the Open reflect the challenges in your life that you were able to forge through and come out at the end stronger. ~Coach Arielle
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Amy Blackburn takes the final week of our intra-gym competition!
Amy is a thruster machine and one of the most formidable athletes to ever wear a TJ's Gym shirt. It comes as no surprise that she brought the Champion Belt home for Team San Rafael this final week of the Open! Congrats to Amy, shown here being judged by TJ in her amazing effort. She earned a 98.50 percentile score WORLDWIDE in her age group in the Rx Division. That is NO joke! Amy is moving on to a new age group next year, which means she will be the youngest, instead of the oldest in her group. Dare we say she has a shot at qualifying for the CrossFit Games if she decides to go for it?
*We will announce the overall gym winner and prizes in next week's blog!
Tomorrow, 3/30, is your LAST DAY to order a TJ’s Gym zip hoodie!
Pre-order closes March 30th and we won’t have extras. Unisex sizing. Order up if you are unsure. Just go HERE TO ORDER NOW.
TJ’s Gym Lifestyle & Accountability Program (LAP) is now an ONGOING Offering!
Change your life NOW. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? (Read More...)
Want to change your life? Our 6-week program with TJ is a great jump start. You can start any time. Over the course of the first six weeks of your journey, you will work closely with TJ to get yourself on track to actually achieving some of your most important goals. After the six weeks, you'll have an opportunity to continue with the next level of the program, or go on your way with the tools and plans you've created.
Email Jessica@tjsgym.com to register TODAY!
Final Two days to win Whole Foods gift cards in our TJ's Gym + Whole Foods Instagram Contest!
Don't forget to show us in photos what makes our TJ's community so great! We’ve partnered up with @wholefoodsmarin to reward your commitment to fitness and community, and our ten favorite photos will each win a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card!
The rules are simple:
*Hashtag any fitness-related photo with #TJsGymLifestyle and follow both @tjsgyms and @wholefoodsmarin.
*Photos must be taken during the month of March and hashtagged by 3/31.
*Each individual can enter up to 10 photos. *Contestants agree to allow @tjsgyms and @wholefoodsmarin to repost entry photos with credit on their Instagram channels.
Winners will be announced the week of April 2nd. To be eligible, contestants must be active members of TJ's Gym and follow both @tjsgyms and @wholefoodsmarin at the time of posting and winner selection.
This contest is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm they are 18+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
It's Never too Late to Get that teen/tween in your life moving!
Our Spring Session started on Monday, March 5th.
Find out more about our ongoing Teen/Tween program...Read more...
Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register for the session.
SOCIAL MEDIA
If you're on Facebook, please request to join the TJ's Gym Members Facebook Page (current, active members) for all of our most up-to-date announcements and offerings. You can also follow us @tjsgyms on Instagram.
