March 2025
From the Desk of the Gorilla:
CrossFit Open, Swag, and the Purpose of the Grind
The CrossFit Open is here and it is a great opportunity to test your strength and skills against your friends and the rest of the CrossFit world! We’re making every Friday workout count, starting this week! But this isn’t just about workouts—it’s about style, history, and earning your stripes in the House of Gainz. Below are the weekly Friday workout themes! Come dressed to impress and give it your all!
Friday: Feb 28th, March 7th, and March 14 2025
If you don’t know what the Open is, click this link for more information: CrossFit Open 2025
🔥 Weekly Themes & Prizes
- Week 1: Silkies – Because more leg means more power.
- Week 2: Jorts – Denim never backs down.
- Week 3: Camo – Disappear into the grind.
To win, snap a pic, post it in the Facebook group, and let the people decide. The best-dressed and best Vintage CFI Swag each week will score prizes like:
🥚 Free egg delivery from Southard Farms
💰 $25 gift cards
The HOG: A Legacy Built by You
Every rep, every drop of sweat—it’s all part of something bigger than any one of us. Whether you train with the Sunrise Savages, the Brunch Bunch, or the Hollywood Classes, whether you’re here three days a week or six, your dedication doesn’t just impact you—it impacts your family, your community, and everyone who walks through these doors.
Fitness isn’t just about scores. It’s about being the strongest version of yourself so you can show up for the people who need you. It’s about setting the example, proving what’s possible, and building a tribe that thrives together. The House of Gainz is more than a gym—it’s a movement.
Check In: How’s 2025 Going?
Two months down—how’s it looking? Are you still locked in, or do you need a reset? Need an accountabiliabuddy? Need a plan? Don’t just drift—act. Talk to a coach. Talk to your battle buddy in class.
2025 is the year of accomplishment. I checked—it’s in the Tibetan calendar.
Let’s get after it.
-Steve
The Iron Pen
In mid-March our front squat cycle and the CrossFit Open will conclude and we will move on to a new strength cycle. Before we discuss it, first, some history: In fall 2024 our first strength cycle that I programmed was back squat: general full body and leg strength. Then we did a little bit of deadlift aimed at the same thing—total body strength. Next it was on to push press to build shoulder strength. Then front squat to build leg strength with an upright torso. And now, almost as if I planned this stuff, we put all that leg and shoulder strength to use during our next strength cycle: Push Jerk. This will add elements of speed, coordination, and skill to the strength we have already built. Moving heavy loads overhead is one of the hallmarks of strength, and the push jerk is the next stop on our journey to that destination. As usual, we will have our dedicated strength day on Mondays along with some accessory work.
In addition to our dedicated strength day on Mondays, you will see at least one additional split strength + conditioning day during the week. We will alternate weeks between 3-rep back squat and 3-rep deadlift, doing back squat one week, deadlift the next, and so on. For the coach’s time management and your body’s volume management, we will do only 6 sets on these days. You aren’t expected to achieve a 3-rep max in 6 sets. You’re expected to work up to a load that you respect, but don’t fear. Strength is a skill. You can’t build skills without practice.
Either Tuesday or Wednesday we will have a long conditioning day (20-30 minutes).
Thursdays will continue our skill & strength series with a focus on bar muscle ups. You’re all getting phenomenally strong in strict pullups and weighted pullups. Now you’re positioned well to learn bar muscle ups or refine your technique. Expect long EMOMs where you will do low reps of bar muscle ups or the progression coach finds you need to get there. Nobody in the history of strength training has done something fast and efficiently without first doing it slow and awkwardly.
Fridays are for classic CrossFit. Actually…all the days are classic CrossFit. Heavy days, long conditioning, learning new skills, short and intense workouts…reminds me a lot of the Level 1 manual.
On March 9th we spring forward to start Daylight Savings Time. That is terrible for the morning class, but wonderful for everyone else. That means plenty of daylight and warmth all the way through the 6pm class. Morning class, your daylight is coming. The time change just delays it by 90 days.
BTW, did I mention how awesome you guys are becoming at strict and weighted pullups? Do you realize how rare that is? How many normal gym-goers out there can do a pullup? How about a strict pullup? How many of them can add weight to it, in any variety? You guys are building rare and special strength here, and it warms my heart to see it.
Jeff