Staci and I are pleased to announce the newest member of our coaching team, retired U.S. Marine Corp. Gunnery Sergeant Bob Taylor. We ran into Bob shortly after returning from vacation early last month. I have known Bob for about 20 years and trained with him in Hapkido for a few years while he served as the local Marine Corps recruiter in Lakewood. He has a rare CrossFit Military Ops Level 2 Trainer Certification, making him highly qualified to coach at CrossFit Cleveland.
Bob will be following our “Intern Path” over the next several weeks so I can make certain I tone his style of training down to a level suitable for our civilian membership. Bob has a unique way of motivating people to do more than they think they are capable of on their own. Bob is a great guy and quite the badass. When he and I trained together, sparring and grappling matches usually ended up a little bloody. Now you know why I feel the need to tone him down a bit.
Please make Bob feel welcomed at the gym. Look for his picture at the bottom of this email. He’ll be with me at all morning classes on Friday, starting at 5:00am, and also all Saturday morning. Bob and his wife Tammy live in Olmstead Township with their 2 teenaged boys on a small produce farm complex with a large flock of free range chickens.
30-MINUTE HANDSTAND HOLD CHALLENGE:
Starting tomorrow, we’re starting a month-long Handstand Hold Challenge. The goal is to spend 30 minutes total in a handstand hold throughout the month. This comes out to an average of 1 minute per day, and can be done in as many sets as you need, upside down against a wall. You’ll find that you’ll increase your hold times as the days and weeks progress. We’ll have several options available as progressions to allow you to build the upper body strength and stability necessary for handstand holds.
We’ll have a scoreboard at the gym for you to record and update your totals during the month. We’ll have a prize for the longest holds for both men and women. 30 minutes is minimum to qualify, there is no max or limit. There is also a “Jacked Version” of this Challenge, to add an equal amount of time hanging from a bar. For each minute of handstand hold you accumulate, you’ll match it with one minute of combined bar hang. I am doing this one, who’s with me?
