Make It Yours

So after my little introduction a couple weeks back, all hell seem to break loose in the life department and I found myself busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest! Anyways, it has calmed  down now to a dull roar, and I thought that I would share something with you this haily evening. I don't think haily is a word, but holy cow was it just coming down out there.


As there will be many new athletes starting up at Crossfit Most, and there is already some smashing workouts in the Swagar's Gay-rage, (gay rage means garage, only happier, if you did not know:) I thought I would share a really important little secret everyone should know. 


This little secret helps out with everything in life, from activities to eating and so on.


So listen up. A wise man once told me that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth, so we should do twice as much listening as talking. That was not the secret, but good info none the less!


So here is the real juiciness......... MAKE IT YOURS.

There is many people that take on all sorts of things in life, but quite often do it for reasons that are not necessarily close to the heart. For someone else, or for some other hollow reason.


When you embark on new journeys in life, whatever they may be, make sure that you are doing them for you. 


It is always cool to let someone inspire you to do something, but always insure that you, your brain, and your heart are on board 100%. I have seen it a multitude of times when someone takes on something, and for whatever reason, has not fully invested their self into it, and they fail or give up. Even if it is something that would make them better as a person, without there entire being on board, they never come out on top.


When you truly believe in something and why it is that you are doing it, it takes the work out of it, almost. You feel attached to it, and every small little gain is worth all the hard work put into it. That not eating that candy bar was truly awesome! And you know you will be better for it. That struggling through those last ten push ups, even though everything in your body was telling you to stop, will make you stronger for tomorrow. That going out for a walk first thing in the AM, rather than checking out Facebook for all the happening events that occurred while you slept, is a much more productive way to start your day.


All the choices that you have to make regarding your new journey will be easier and met with a positive state of mind, because you REALLY want to do it for you. You want it. You have decided to do it, and there is nothing on this planet that can stop a person once they have their mind made up. Nothing.


Have a read of this quote if you have a second. It was written by a gentleman that spoke at a eulogy for an individual that I hold up high on a pedestal, as someone that we should all aspire to be like.

"What is beauty? Is beauty a pretty face, a nice smile, flowing hair, nice skin? Not to me, it's not. To me beauty is living life to higher standards, stronger morals and ethics and believing in them, whether people tell you you're right or wrong. 

Beauty is not wasting a day. Beauty is noticing life's little intricacies and taking time out of your busy day to really enjoy those little intricacies. 

Beauty is being real, being genuine, being pure with no facade—what you see is what you get. Beauty is expanding your mind, always seeking knowledge, not being content, always going after something and challenging yourself.…

I believe that to really honor Pat, we should all challenge ourselves. No more I'm going to do this or I'm going to do that. Do it. 

As Pat would say, probably, 'Get off your ass and do it.' 

Why, you ask, should we honor him this way? 

Because that's what Pat did his whole life."

Take that to the bank and make whatever you do throughout life yours.


Cheers,
AJ

Happiness and such!

Hi everyone! It's Christina here! Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Something amazing has occurred to me. It's unreal how the little actions we choose to do, or not do, in our daily life effects us to the core. 


This past couple weeks I've had some very center shifting realizations, when I choose to live an active, healthy life I am a happier person. I know this may be hard for those of you who have always been active to understand, but for someone like me who hasn't always been active, it is life changing.


Now as a busy mom of 3, believe me, there's not much sitting around. My house is always being cleaned and I'm always running laundry up and down the stairs but I'm talking about going swimming and heading to the mountains for a hike. Those kinds of activities just seemed exhausting to me. I'm going to be very honest, often times I felt jealousy when I saw others living the active life that I didn't think I was capable of living! Now I should mention, I've tried lifestyle changes in the past but I've never felt the happiness I feel now.


 About 6 years ago right now, after the birth of my first child, I decided to get a personal trainer. He was a great personal trainer, I lost about 30 lbs in 12 weeks and was stronger than I probably had ever been but I can say wholeheartedly I hated every minute. He told me that if I stopped working out that I would miss it and I can say with great certainty he was wrong! Ha! At the end of my sessions with him I found out I was pregnant with my second child and I remember one of my biggest feelings was one of relief because it was my "out" from having to workout (or at least it was an excuse I could be happy with). Other the next 6 years I tired many different weight lose attempts and nothing felt life changing.


Nothing felt like it was something I could do forever ... Nothing until now! Right now I'm not even putting a lot of focus on my weight but focusing on how I'm feeling. As I stood talking with Coach Swagar yesterday she said something that really hit home for me:


She told me she was teaching me to be able to live an active life on my own! I can say I'm getting to a point where I can do a really good workout by myself. That's a big accomplishment for me and I'm so grateful to Coach Swagar for helping me get to this place!

Last Friday morning I did a early morning work out with my workout buddy Carina. It was a hard one! It was a 20 min AMRAP and I really had to push. I did well and felt a lot of accomplishment from it but when I got home I went upstairs to my bedroom where Greg was and I sat on the bed and just started crying ... Like real, ugly, crying!


Greg was confused as I had just told him how good the workout was and to be honest I was just as confused. I told him I thought part of it was a realization of the long road I have ahead but I also told him that I'm not scared or discouraged by it. I very much embrace that I have a long journey ahead and I never want my journey to end! When the weight road ends I want to make a turn on a new road to a new place!


I texted Coach Swagar and told her what was going on, that I was crying for no apparent reason but couldn't stop it. She told me to feel what I need to feel, cry if I need to cry and just go with it. Friday ended up being a great day and after an amazing weekend with friends I had an awesome Monday morning workout! I came home from that workout feeling amazing and bouncing off the walls with excitement! It seems everyday is a new adventure. I find myself more willing to try new things and be more spontaneous (although I still have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be).

Life is good and I'm excited for more! Next post I promises to add a picture or two! :)

Acknowledging the Small Things!

Hey everyone it's Christina here.  I've had some great accomplishments this past week and I can't wait to share them with you.


Staying Committed:
Last week I was a volunteer a summer camp that my kids attended. I'm happy to report, that despite a busy schedule and needing to be at camp for 8:30, I managed to do all of my workouts! In the past, this would have been a perfect excuse for me to miss a week of workouts. I would use any excuse I could to get out of exercise! Last week with help from others I was able to make it happen and I had the drive to do it!! I feel great accomplishment in that. I would be lying if I told you there wasn't a little voice in my head saying "oh this is just the honeymoon phase ... You'll hate it again" but I push those thoughts out as soon as I think them and enjoy it for what it is now. Enjoying it is key for me! I enjoy the way I feel, I enjoy the relationships I'm developing and I'm enjoying the energy and confidence I'm feeling! Thank you Coach Swagar for getting up early with me all last week and a special shout out to my amazing husband, Greg, who sacrificed 3 nights sleep so I could accomplish my goals.


Moving out of My Comfort Zone:
 I really got out of my comfort zone this past weekend! We had one of our best friends come to visit us from Toronto and she surprised us with tickets to go see Joe Rogan at the Jack Singer (he was in Calgary for the UFC fight and for those of you who don't know he's also a comedian ... I had no idea! Ha!). Let me tell you, it brought out an interesting crowd! Joe Rogan kicked 4 guys out from the stage for continually heckling him and as we were leaving the auditorium, there was a full on fist fight in the theater! It was crazy (remember I don't get out much so this was some craziness for me). So there are several reasons this got me out of my comfort zone. First, the show was at 10:30pm, I know that probably seems silly to list as getting out of my comfort zone but it was! Other than going to see Greg play with one of his bands once in a while, I am usually in my bed by 8pm. These past 6 years have been pretty routine so that was very different for me. Second, not knowing where we were going I wore a dress, it was a casual dress with a denim jacket but if I had known where we were going I probably would have worn something different. The accomplishment in that is even though most everyone was in jeans and t-shirts I felt totally comfortable in my own skin and that was a great feeling! Saturday night I went to see a movie that started at 10:55pm which again was totally not something I would normally do because to be totally honest, I've always been a pansy!!! It was great for me to do some things out of the ordinary for me and I feel better for it and worth the tired couple days that followed!


Feelings, not Numbers
Lastly, I've decided to take the scale out of my life for the next 3 months. This is big for me. I've always used the numbers on the scale to "track my success" or beat myself up for not doing well enough, so I'm going to focus on other ways to track my success. I'm going to use measurements, I'm going to pay attention to how my clothes fit, I'm going to listen to what others tell me and most importantly I'm going to pay attention to  HOW I FEEL!! When I'm taking care of myself by eating healthy, being active and taking time for myself, I will shed the weight I've been carrying for too long ! This is definitely different for me but I'm up for the challenge! I feel good about doing things differently than I have in the past and I think this will be a good change.


Accepting Change
 I used to be so afraid of change. Just 3 months ago I felt so helpless. I felt like I just had to accept what was and try to be happy with it. I wasn't really living and I wasn't taking care of myself. I know now that it's never too late to make changes! These small accomplishments I have each week are so freeing! I can honestly say I never want to go back to where I was. I know I'll come across road blocks along the way, but I also know I'll get past them and continue on this journey that will never be over and always changing ... Finally understanding that is the most freeing revelation of all!


Until next time! Christina

Back On Track With Corrective Exercise

Back On Track With Corrective Exercise

Bent over a crumpled female athlete crying on the ground, I said, with an assertive tone “ you need to stop crossfiting, it should not be painful.” Then I got a plastic bag and ran outside and put some snow in it so that she could ice her back.

This athlete soon became my first corrective exercise client and my dear friend. She has helped me develop a keen eye and a dedication to form and correct movement. From that day on I dove into learning more about how to help people correct their imbalances and bad biomechanics.

My new passion for form and correct movement became a curse. I would watch CrossFitters move, picking out weaknesses and improper patterns. I saw so many clients that should not have been doing what they were doing. It truly opened my mind to form leads function and one of my many Swagarisms of “ just because you can do it, does not mean you should”.

I will introduce my crumpled female athlete, Carina Huggins. She had been a CrossFitter for a year before she fell to the pain.  Her problems were vast from a motor vehicle accident she was in two years prior to CrossFit. From the accident, she had developed problematic muscle imbalances and extensive compensations. Carina had multiple pain areas and structural imbalances. Her road to corrective movement was going to be long, so I sat down with her rehabilitative team and made a plan.

Pain management was our first battle and EDCUATION on what she needed to be doing to stop this pain.

Education was a big part of the first months with Carina. She is a very intelligent person who wanted to know what we were doing and why. So we needed to educate her and inform her every step of the way.

This is now a philosophy that I maintain for all my clients. If you take the time to educate them as to how and why you are doing things they are more likely to succeed. However, it is a choice. Many people want the quick fix the magic pill. Sorry to say, but there is no pill or magic when it comes to Corrective Exercise. It is a long process.  It takes time and hard work, discipline and attention to detail. It takes motivation and internal strength. This lends to another Swagarism “Rome was not built in a day.”

Coach Swagar

We Have Different Stories, but We Are In the Same Place

Hello Everyone! It's Christina here. 

Yesterday I was at the CrossFit MOST facebook page and blog reading some of the post and articles of others sharing their stories and something pretty profound hit me.

I realized how different we all are.

I read an article from The Windsor Star newspaper about Aaron Johnson. I haven't met Aaron yet but in the article he talks about being a firefighter. He mentioned how CrossFit is a great fit for training for his job.

A couple hours later I read a post by Hilary. 

Hilary has helped coach me in this past 6 weeks and is now also my friend, her post is absolutely inspiring. Her story is nothing like Aaron's story and my story is completely different from both of their stories!

What I love most is that we all have very different pasts and our goals are just as different, yet here we are, brought together by this thing called CrossFit! In Aaron's blog post he talks a lot about the CrossFit community being amazing and he's absolutely right! I love the people I've met and I love training with these amazing people by my side! I find them so motivating and their encouragement is genuine! 

This morning Coach Swagar put myself and Hilary through an awesome workout! I felt stronger and more motivated training with Hilary by my side! Hilary is amazing! She is so strong and pushes so hard!! Watching her give me something to work towards!

Carina came to do her workout as I had to leave and I was disappointed to not be able to stay and cheer her on! Carina is also a huge motivator for me! She always knows just what to say to encourage me.

I feel so blessed to know Hilary and Carina.  It was Coach Swagar and CrossFit that brought us together. When I saw todays WOD I can't lie ... for a moment I though "there's no way" but I didn't hang onto that for long. The best part was not only did I do it, I felt strong doing it! For the first time in my life I find myself craving exercise and active living! I find myself challenging myself when 3 months ago I would have always taken the easy road! 

Now don't get me wrong, I still have bad moments and even days! I had to buy some new capris yesterday and I felt discouraged! I hated the size I had to buy and felt angry. There was a small (very small) part of my brain that went back to that negative thinking "why did you let yourself get here" and "why are you bothering to even try to change, it's never going to happen!". Let me tell you, I squashed those thoughts very quickly!! In the past that event (buying clothes), could have ruined my day ... but not yesterday! I came home and talked to Greg (my awesome husband) about how it felt buying those new pants and that really helped.

Yesterday I really focused on the idea that this is going to be a slow process but it's going to last FOREVER! In the past many of my "lifestyle changes" a.k.a. Crash exercise/diet regimen's, were fast process and results and not maintainable.

CrossFit is sustainable for me! I enjoy it, I look forward to it and I can feel positive change that I never want to end. For the first time I don't see this as a way to lose weight and be done with it.

Once I'm down to a healthy weight I'll have new goals to achieve and continually better myself! Now that I have a handle on my exercise I feel it's time to focus a little more on my diet, but that is for another post!! HA! 

From Supermodel to Fighter and CrossFitter

 

Hi there! My name is Hilary and I am fortunate enough to have been asked by Jenn and Dave to contribute to their blog.  I am currently finishing my internship under Jenn to complete my Diploma in Exercise and Wellness, so along with my own athletic and personal journeys, I would like to share the unique perspective of learning from and being mentored by Coach Swagar.  For my first post, I would like to offer a brief intro to my story and where I am at currently to better frame the path I am on and the person I am striving to become. 

On High Fashion

I spent my key developmental years working as a high fashion model, scouted at the young and impressionable age of thirteen.  Luckily I have great parents who had instilled in me strong values, which kept me out of trouble for the most part.  However, by the time of my ‘retirement’ at age twenty, I had accumulated a nice little collection of neuroses; I was struggling with bulimia, substance use, depression, and paralyzing anxiety, and had no understanding of my true worth as a person.  I was completely incapable of making even the simplest decision on my own, as I didn’t trust my own judgment.  I decided to go back to school, and after upgrading my sciences and receiving some pretty spectacular psychotherapy, dabbled in psychology, sciences, and nursing.  I was hanging in there pretty ok, but was still tormented by my lack of purpose and worth. 

On Kick Boxing & CrossFitting
At the time I was still seeking any new means to make myself ever thinner, and with that goal in mind, I decided to try kickboxing.  What I encountered at my first kickboxing class could not have been farther from the fat burn I was seeking.  Instantly my body was redrafted with new purpose, no longer esteemed on its aesthetic principles, but rather celebrated through the fundamental splendor of functional athletic movement.  Where before I worshipped a wilted, weakened physique, I now hungered after muscle.  As a model, comments on the increasing size of my arms or shapeliness of my thighs would have shattered the carefully constructed image I believed I inhabited.  However, as an athlete, these spoke to newfound capacities to kick harder, punch faster, and push past my previous physical limits.  After just under year of training I took my first kickboxing fight and was hooked.  I am now preparing to debut in mixed martial arts, and have aspirations of fighting at a championship level. 

For me, the technical martial training is the easy part.  Because I have only recently undergone the transformation into an athlete, the mental toughness and will to undergo strenuous physical exertion is where I encounter my greatest struggles.  What I love most about CrossFit  (which I am still very new to) is the same thing that I hold most dearly about martial arts: I am constantly having to confront my weaknesses.  This body of mine has already proven itself to be capable of things I never dreamt possible, instead it’s my mind that limits me.  I was honestly the last person you ever would have thought capable of doing a pushup, let alone chasing elite athleticism in the name of stepping into a cage to challenge another person fist-to-face.  I have found that my greatest opponent is not to be found in the ring but in the mirror, and I am discovering my ability to wage war.  Where I seek to go, there is no faking it; I must continually allow my weaknesses to be exposed and chipped away.  And I do, everyday.  Every time I choke back tears of fear or frustration in the ring, or swallow the rising panic and drowning sensation mid-Fran, and pick the bar up again. ;)

REAL Tips for Eating Paleo (or Clean)

There are many useful tips on the Internet, but some you don't come along until you are firmly entrenched in the Paleo / Paleo Template / Zone / Eating Clean lifestyle.  

Here, the CrossfitMOST team offers up some of the most useful things they learnt over many epic meal times

1.) You can’t rush it in the morning.  You are setting up your meals & nutrition for the day.  Many of us allow an hour for prepping & cooking food for the day.  

2.) Don’t rely on genius or copious amounts of caffeine in the morning for meal inspiration.  Be prepared + inspired + motivated by a few bookmarked Crossfit / Paleo / Lifestyle blogs.  

3.) Invest in a variety of sizes of lock lid glass containers; you may have more cooked foods with sauces or oils in them – nobody likes their gym clothes covered in their lunch sauces in their bag.  

4.) There are some great lunchboxes out there, but shipping to Canada is pricey (let us know if you find these in Canada!) http://www.planetbox.com/

5.) Always make double or triple portions that you can save for later; otherwise cooking and prepping food two to three times a day makes for a lot of work.

6.) Buy your nuts, seeds and meats bulk to save a bunch of cash.  Freeze them down.  Buy them already frozen to save extra $$.  

7.) Shop often for vegetables - keep it fresh.  With Meats & Fats taken care of, fruits and veggies will make for quick, easy and inexpensive shopping trips.  

8.) Make the effort to use a new paleo recipe at least twice a week  - unless you like routine, or you want to stay at the grilled meat and steamed vegetables stage (gets old fast). Some of our favourites:

Health-Bent http://www.health-bent.com/

Foodee http://www.foodee.com/

PaleOMG http://www.paleomg.com/

Everyday Paleohttp://everydaypaleo.com/

9.) Invest in a good set of spices.  The Silk Road Spice Merchant in Inglewood is a great source of unique spices.  www.silkroadspices.ca/  Avenue has a great article on buying Spices and Calgary vendors also: http://www.avenuecalgary.com/articles/the-best-spices-in-calgary.  Also check out the bulk bins at Community Health.

10.) Learn how to prepare the three top pasta / grain substitutes:  Zucchinni noodles, Spaghetti Squash & Cauliflower Rice.  

Ps - Yes, we like texting each other pictures of our meals.  

Coaching CrossFit - Coaching Models

 

Coaching Models           

A coaching model is a framework, it does not tell you how to coach but rather it's the underlying structure that you can use. It is your underlying strategy, so that you can deal with any situation that arises.

Not one model is correct and learning from many has a definite advantage.

Why are there so many coaching models?

Coaching integrates many fields of knowledge, It is vital that you look at and find a model that matches your Philosophy and Values.

What do most coaching models have in common?

Most coaching models share some things in common:

• The establishment of a relationship that's built on trust, open communication.
• The formulation of client-based, agreed upon goals and expectations.
• A deep questioning and learning dynamic in relation to people's goals.

By learning and understanding each model's commonalities, you can then integrate and effectively create your own model and approach.

Not one model, but many...

A lot of coaches will get stuck when trying to come up with their own model. Fitting what you have learned about your values into a model takes time and effort. I suggest looking at other models and mapping one to your strengths and values.

Creating a model from scratch is extremely difficult and besides, given the very nature of the changing circumstances you'll be faced with while coaching, it is key to keep your model progressive and new, so learn from others in your field.

Is there a better approach?

Yes, there is.

A much better approach to doing it from scratch would be searching for best practices from other models, understanding what works, and adapting what you've learned from experience and bringing it all together in a planned response.


Next Blog I will give you some insight on how to develop the framework for your coaching model.


Coach Swagar

CrossFit MOST Community: Aaron Johnson

What’s shakin’? My name is Aaron Johnson. 



Jenn and Dave have asked me to chat a little bit about life, living, and G rated loving on their Blog page for their new Crossfit Box. Crossfit MOST. That being said, please do not take anything I say as their words. They are being dreamt up in my noggin’, and therefore are my words. Although I do hope that they agree on some of it.

(There, my warning shots have been fired! Please take cover.)

I figured I would just start out quickly today by sharing with you how I met the Swagars. From there I will post randomly about the 3 topics mentioned above, and many of my personal experiences that I feel may give you a little insight on how to deal with them if you happen to find yourself in similar circumstances. So if you have any questions or comments, please do leave them, as I love feedback.

Okay, let us get this party started.

When people ask me what Crossfit is all about? Or what makes it so good? A few things rattle through my gray matter like an old trusty locomotive. Crossfit’s definition is one. “Constantly Varied Functional Movements, executed at high intensity.” “It is just F*@king awesome and honestly life changing.”  is two. Actually that is probably the first thingJ and just the way I like to speakJ (sorry if it offends you) And the list goes on and on. Anyone that knows me, or has even met me for that matter, quickly finds out that I love to chat, and tend to let one story lead into another with no real direction of where it first was intended. I think that it is caused by my mouth starting to talk before my brain has had a chance to react, or even process what I am saying. Point proven.

Anyhoo. Of all the things that go choo chooing through my brain, the one that sticks out the most to me, and probably why I hold Crossfit so close to my heart, is the community. You will here it again and again from everyone that is involved with it. Sure it is a fabulous way to stay in shape and maintain a healthy body for years to come. And sure it has a competitive outlet with the Crossfit Games side of things, if that is something you choose to do. But the real meat and potatoes of it, or at least in my opinion, is the community.

As defined by Dictionary.com

com·mu·ni·ty [kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

noun, plural com·mu·ni·ties.

a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by the ): the business community; the community of scholars.

This community is like extended family. I will dive into this whole “community” topic on another post, but wanted to use it as a segue into how I met David (Dave as I call himJ) and Jenn (Swags) Swagar. And their beauty of a family I might add.

Like most great relationships throughout life, my relationship with the Swagars has been very organic. From initially meeting Jenn at CFAI and then being introduced to Dave a short time after, our friendship has grown into something that is quite dear to me. Not only do we share the same passion for fitness and maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but also the same morals and values when it comes to life in general. That life is precious and helping people out is far more important than making a buck. That family and friends are the true treasures in life, and the moments that we can spend with them are what make this life worth living. That taking the time to improve someone else’s life, while expecting nothing in return, improves who you are and makes the world a better place. That time is precious, and to spend it doing things that are truly meaningful to you.

Since initially meeting both of them, I have “spent” many hours over a couple drinks and food (more food than drinks for sure!) Chatting about all sorts of topics that interest us, long boarding or going for a run with Dave, being educated on the human body and proper movement, or just having a good laugh over something that was funny and then realizing it is 2am and we all should be in bed. Perhaps that is why it was so funnyJ All I have to say about the time I have spent with them, is that is was “time well spent.”

Wishing you both, Dave and Jenn, all the best with your new box/business, and I feel privileged to be along for the ride.

CrossFit MOST Community: Christina

Hi Everyone! It's Christina here and I'm really excited to be posting my first blog post here on the CrossFit MOST blog! Here's a little about my story! The past 10 years I've struggled so much with my weight. My husband and I welcomed 3 kids in 3 years and it kept me very busy and often times burnt out and not taking care of myself. 


I've tried MANY different things to lose weight and sometimes it worked but they never worked long term. This past January (2012), Jenn told me she would help me train a couple days a week. Being the pleaser I am I said "Oh yes, that's great! Sure we can do that!" 


But in my head I was thinking "OVER MY DEAD BODY"! The honest truth was CrossFit scared the crap out of me! All I'd ever seen was these amazing athletes doing crazy lifting and there was no way I could ever do that ... or so I thought! 

In May I was going to Chicago for 9 days to attend my long time best friends Graduation from Optometry School and then drive back from Chicago to Calgary with her. I felt so much anxiety around this trip. I was worried about leaving my kids, I was worried about being away from my husband. I was so frustrated that this wonderful trip had turned into a looming date I had anxiety about. If I'm being really honest I was also worried about my size, how uncomfortable the plane ride would be, what activities we'd be doing in Chicago and would I be able to do them. Finally May 11th I reached a breaking point and sent Jenn an email and told to her everything I was feeling. 


I told her that I was nervous about working with her, I shared how I've tried to lose weight and failed so many time the past 10 years and I was scared to fail again. I told her about my anxiety about my upcoming trip and I told her that I was sick and tired of feeling the way I felt.  We met the following week and made a plan and let me tell you, Coach Swagar and CrossFit are changing my life. 


For the first time in my life I find myself looking forward to my training days! I was so worried I wouldn't be able to do the workouts but Coach Swagar modifies them so that they are attainable for me. I can tell you there is nothing I love better than finishing my workout, dripping with sweat and feeling empowered! The trip to Chicago and that was very much the start of the new me. I had a wonderful time away with my best friend and I enjoyed my time away from my kids and husband and being able to focus on me. I'm a new person in many ways!  The days I exercise I feel better than the days I don't. I try to do something everyday, especially if I wake up feeling grumpy, which tends to happen now and then ;)

The past couple months I've had some pretty awesome "Firsts", here are a few:

My first time on a bicycle in 16 years (I've got a photo of it thanks to Coach Swagar)!

My first CrossFit class!!  Coach Swagar and David took me to CrossFit Flatehead in Kalispell, Montana with Coach Buford where I did my first ever back swquats and overhead overhead press and got my first 


CrossFit T-shirt (it was a big day and I was super excited about my first class!)

My first time wearing a dress to a bar ever!

My first time swimming at a pool with my kids and husband! I can't lie this one was a hard one for me but I did it and had a GREAT time! Can't wait to do it again!

I'll be posting more "Firsts" as my journey continues

Coach Swagar's Coaching Philosophies

Coaching Philosophies

2011 Canadian Interuniversity Sport - National Finals -  Silver Medalist Team

There are many different ways to approach coaching athletes. One thing you need to define as a coach is YOUR philosophy. This can be very difficult for a new coach. The question is - do you actually know yourself well enough to understand what your core values and methods are?


A coaching philosophy that is well thought out clarifies many aspects of the coach's delivery and presents a consistent and positive message to the athletes being coached. One of the strongest benefits arising from a consistent and sincere approach to coaching is TRUST. A strong bond between coach and athlete leads to higher levels of commitment and athletic performance. 

What is Your Philosophy?

Coach Swagar's Philosophy.

To open minds and hearts in order to enhance performance by growing righteous values within.  This fosters integrity and enables focus on one’s maximum effort on a daily basis. This is the only pure way to live an honest and fulfilling life.

Try to define your Coaching Philosophy. It will take time and a lot of brainstorming. Write down key words that mean something to you. Ask former and current athletes. Talk to other coaches and see what their approach may be. You don't need to reinvent the wheel.  Identify other coaches whose methods, philosophies, or approaches you respect and use their expertise and experience to help you craft your philosophy. Your philosophy may change over time and with different roles and athletes. I would recommend revisiting your philosophy periodically to stay true to yourself and your athletes.  Remember, life's journey is a continual evolution and growth of thought and knowledge.


Coach Swagar

Welcome to the CrossFit MOST Blog!

Welcome to the CrossFit MOST blog.

We are excited to announce that we are Calgary's newest CrossFit Affiliate opening in Fall 2012!

We are an evidence based, community-focused training facility offering Corrective Exercise and CrossFit classes.  Our community is diverse:  From families to individuals, from those new to the sport, to high performance and professional athletes.

All are welcome in our tightly knit community that is dedicated to empowerment and growth.

Stay tuned to the Blog, Facebook and our Twitter feed @CrossFitMost - we will be tweeting live from the CROSSFIT GAMES.

We have many announcements, guest posts and updates in the weeks ahead.