Get Fit contestants practice new stretches, discuss half-way mark in challenge
Randy Cantrell, Doug Crouse, and Zach Hixson are doing burpee broad jumps during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Doug Crouse is seen doing a pigeon stretch during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Alexandra Griffith is seen doing a burpee broad jump during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Ray Newhouse Jr. is seen doing a pigeon stretch during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Jason Tungate discusses stretches with the contestants during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Donna Galderisi, Alexandra Griffith and Kathy Reed are shown doing a burpee broad jump during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Donna Galderisi is seen doing a burpee broad jump during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixon is seen doing a burpee broad jump during week 6 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
With just about half of the Get Fit challenge under their belts, the nine challengers are adding new stretches to their arsenals, and recently discussed changes to their well-being and nutrition spreadsheets.
CrossFit U-Town gym owner Jason Tungate assigned each contestant a spreadsheet to track their carb, protein and fat intake and the biofeedback associated with it, including mental ability and sleep quality. He told the challengers several weeks ago that he’d change their target numbers based on their biofeedback, and did so for two contestants this week.
Jason said Randy Cantrell and Zach Hixson would benefit from the adjusted targets, and said he might also adjust other contestant spreadsheets as well.
During a group discussion, Hixson noted that he struggles with his protein numbers, as they’re always high. Ray Newhouse Jr. also expressed his concern for always being over his protein target, while he also has trouble hitting the fats target.
Kathy Reed said her carb targets were better, though she’s still working on hitting her protein targets.
“I have trouble getting my protein,” said contestant Donna Galderisi. Tungate’s wife, Amy, suggested protein shakes.
Jason implored them to track their nutrition and biofeedback on a regular basis so that he can best help them and understand their fitness journey.
Amy added that she regularly drinks a protein shake before bed, noting that it helps with repairs during the night.
The group also discussed the overall reactions to CrossFit and Get Fit in general, to which they all responded positively.
Newhouse commented on it being a “community,” adding that it’s encouraging.
“We want you to get better,” Jason said.
Following their conversations, the contestants hit the mats to go over several new stretches that would help with hip mobility.
“If you spend a lot of time at your desk, or in the car, your hips will be tight,” Jason said, talking in particular about the psoas muscle, which wraps from the vertebral column to the pelvis.
By placing the knee and shin against the wall and pulling the opposite leg up to kneel, Amy said the seemingly awkward stretch really works that often tight muscle.
Amy also reminded contestants to stretch for two minutes.
“The first minute of stretching usually hurts. Breathe through it,” she said.
“Find where it hurts more and start there,” Jason added. “Go to where you’re having the problems.”
Jason said it gives you a better overhead position for when you might be doing presses later on.
A 15-minute workout followed, during which contestants did as many reps as they could with the following pattern: burpee broad jump down the mats then 20 squats, and the burpee broad jumps back up the mat with 20 situps.
“The longer you jump, the less burpees you have to do,” Jason said with a laugh.
By the time the 15 minutes were up, the contestants were breathing heavily and remained prone on the floor after their last situp.