Live to Give
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
– Theo Von
Deep Squats (Thoughts)
Thank you for reviews like the following on Yelp. I would love to hear your CrossFit story and I know that it would help someone else. Please share with me in an email or with a Google/Yelp review.
“PUT YOUR FITNESS ON AUTOPILOT. I have been going to CFPA for 2.5 years, starting when some students were still working out in masks. I probably missed only a few days from my usual 3x week schedule. CFPA is a neighborhood gym, but I see folks commuting to it from all across the Bay Area. I recommend the gym as a great way to put your fitness/strength training on autopilot.
JUST SHOW UP. You sign up for a recurring schedule (2 or 3 times a week, always the same time) and just show up. It becomes a habit. You don’t need to negotiate with yourself whether you feel like going to the gym today. It’s on the calendar. If you could not make the time due to an occasional conflict, schedule a makeup, that easy. Then, when you show up, you do what the coach says. The coach takes care of picking activities – you don’t need to keep track whether it’s a cardio day or a leg day. They mix and match in a way that challenges all parts of your body over time. You don’t need to think anymore (and sometimes I even snooze a little, but never when the coach explains the workout 😉 ). The best place to snooze is on the rowing machine. If I needed to do more thinking at the gym after a long day at work, I would have avoided going there.
PERSONALIZED FOR ANY LEVEL OF FITNESS. The coach takes care of ensuring you don’t hurt yourself and explains every move every time: the correct ways of doing it, ways of messing it up, and ways to scale down. The coach offers options to scale things down (make them easier but still challenging you in a way that you are working up skills and strength to eventually get that move right — for example, a pull-up, handstand walking or touching toes to bar). It sounds completely impossible but I know I will be able to do those things. I feel close to making a pull-up as time goes by. Meanwhile, because the level of challenge is so personalized (all the options and tools to choose from, and no pressure), you get a very diverse and inclusive environment – surrounded by folks with all levels of fitness, pregnant moms, folks discovering the joy of fitness, professional athletes – sharing the floor.
WARM AND FUN COMMUNITY. The coach makes the time fly by offering a mix of chatter, humor, “Self-help Bookstore” wisdom, and “Silicon Valley Gossip”. It’s almost like going to a happy hour (or a kids birthday where you chat with other parents), only you also get the benefits of staying and becoming more fit and no sugar-induced tantrum to manage afterwards. Throughout the year, this gym will organize community events such as Christmas parties, holiday hikes, and special workouts for days like Memorial Day, New Year, 4th of July. That’s when it feels even more like happy hour, with potluck and such, and dozens of gym members that seem to have raised their kids while going to the gym. And alongside those “dinosaurs,” you always have a handful of members who visit the area for a summer internship at Stanford or even a work trip from out of state. Makes it very easy to get started and blend in right away.
Now I just need to put my nutrition on autopilot, and I am set for life.”
See you in class.
Tim
What’s Going On?
NorCal Classic CrossFit Games Qualifier
In-Person Viewing Field Trip
Sacramento, CA
June 8, 2025
Carpool leaves CFPA at 8am.
Contact Coach Andrew for details and tickets.
[email protected]
Spring’s Teen Class
Who: Boys and Girls aged 12-17
Dates: March 4 – April 24th
When: Tuesdays/Thursdays at 4pm
*Email [email protected] to sign up*
CFPA Thorne Supplement Store
Overheard in Class:
“I’ve got a guy for that.”
Timfluencing
The Go-Giver by: Burg and Mann
The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman.
Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving—putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to their lives—ultimately leads to unexpected returns.
Tim’s Takeaway: I first read this book over 13 years ago and it changed my life for the better. The lessons are timeless and warrant review on a regular basis. These may be new ideas to you or a good reminder on how to be a better person before you do anything else. It’s a quick read/listen and more than worth your time. Click on the image above to get the video summary.
