Who’s Who:  Matt B.

Posted by Shawn on July 29, 2010 - Posted in News There are 6 comments, Add yours!

So where do I start with Matt?
I guess with his most recent accomplishments. The man has made the board on two different WOD’s in the past few weeks, turning an 8:11 on “Helen” and knocking out 22 LEGIT rounds of “Cindy.” Also since joining level 2 a few months back he has continued to get stronger, in fact we worked heavy singles in back squat and Matt was putting up 230lbs.  This is very impressive considering the fact he struggled with 165lbs in sets just a few months back.

A couple other fun facts about Matt: he wants to do a finisher after every workout and he gets frustrated when his “prowler sled” gets stuck in park. (That is a inside joke, but if you ask him he will tell you all about it)

Check out these photos of Matt crushing the “prowler” and rocking some perfect burpees!

How were you introduced to NorCal Strength and Conditioning?
I was first introduced to NorCal by my lovely woman Christina Burke.  I came in early in October of last year to watch one of Robb’s Paleo talks and saw people working out and I was hooked instantly.

Favorite WOD/lift:
I would have said Helen because I always wanted to dominate a workout with 400m runs in it, but after getting smashed into the ground by it I would say Angie would now be my favorite.  Something about doing 100 reps of my favorite body weight movements!

I have always wanted...:
To eat Bread?  Damn almost forgot what it tastes like....

1 word people use to describe me:
Un-flexible!  But I am working on it Andy!

Outside of the gym I like to:
Hike and hang out with my beautiful lady Christina!

Three things you would ALWAYS find in my fridge:
Eggs, chicken, and some sort of coconut stuff…

Something nobody knows about me or would be surprised to know about me:
If you asked me where I am from I would just smile at you showing you all my teeth…

Favorite physical activity outside of NorCal Strength and Conditioning:
Running and hiking

Favorite place to eat in Chico:
La Cocina Economica now that Shawn and John F. told me about it.  The restaurant is so inexpensive and tastes great!

Song that gets me pumped up for a workout:
Bullet for my Valentine : Tears Don’t Fall

The last thing you ate:
Sweet Potato chips!  Love em!

Proudest accomplishment:
Graduating with my masters degree in Exercise Physiology.

6 Month goal:
To be an ultimate badass in fitness and dominate every named workout!  (be on the board for most of them!)

If you could invite ANYBODY (currently alive or not) over for dinner, who would you invite?  Why?
I would invite Michael Johnson.  He was one of the best 200m and 400m runners in the world.  I would love to be able to just do one running workout with him.

Favorite work out attire:
“Athlete” NorCal T-shirt and my Hurley Phantom shorts.  I would love to borrow Fish’s pink socks…

Check out a few pics of Matt with his favorite people!  His twin brother, and his favorite lady !

Coconut Milk Ice Cream!

Posted by Natalie on July 28, 2010 - Posted in Recipes There are 9 comments, Add yours!

Being dairy free AND indulging in the classic summer time treat...ICE CREAM, can be tricky!  I’ve been playing around with making homemade coconut ice cream with just coconut milk and no other dairy products. The beauty is that the recipe is really quite simple, and the result is delicious and completely satisfies my craving!  Check out my favorite recipe so far! 

Vanilla Ice Cream, with Coconut Milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cups sugar
2 cans coconut milk (19 oz can)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
a dash of salt

In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks. Slowly add sugar until fully blended.  In a slow stream, add coconut milk and continue to mix thoroughly.  Add vanilla and salt.  I used an older electric ice cream machine that I picked up several years ago at a garage sale for $5 (It has been one of the best garage sale finds ever!).  If you have the version that requires you to freeze the inside container prior to use, you may need to make a smaller batch. I also used Mae Ploy brand coconut milk from ‘Cash and Carry’.  Most brands you buy at the market will only be a 13.5 oz can so be sure to adjust your recipe accordingly.

Freeze following your machine’s instructions. 

Eat immediately!!  If you have left overs it will become very hard in the freezer. So--that means you should invite all your friends and neighbors over to insure that you can finish the batch in one sitting!

A few modifications I made in the following batches:
I cut the sugar in half and added 2 pints of fresh pureed strawberries.  VERY tasty! 
I also used the whole egg instead of just yolk.  This resulted in a little bit lighter (airy?) texture.

My favorite way to enjoy...a scoop layered on top of slices of a juicy peach! 

Congrats to Leslie and Jhoana…Another Nor Cal couple ties the knot!

Posted by Andy on July 27, 2010 - Posted in News There are 4 comments, Add yours!

On Saturday, our own Leslie Ball and Jhoana Dela Cruz tied the knot, but not before stopping by the gym on Friday for one last workout.

Leslie and Jhoana have been training with us since April--and have been working hard to get stronger and improve endurance.  These two tend to come to the AM classes, where conversations can go from Harley riding to the Twighlight Saga.  One never knows what a 6AM class might bring.  Ask Leslie who his favorite Twilight character is...he has a little crush!

Check out Leslie and Jhoana lovingly competing with each other on some push-ups and Prowler sprints.  Congratulations on your new life together!

Save Silver Dollar BMX!

Posted by Chrissy on July 26, 2010 - Posted in News There is 1 comment, Add yours!

On Friday, July 16th, a few of our NorCal trainers went to a benefit dinner/fundraiser for Silver Dollar BMX.

If you are like me....you might be asking “What the heck is that?” I know what BMX is...however, I honestly have never seen it nor did I know that Chico has one of the premier tracks in Northern California. Silver Dollar BMX is a local, non-profit, volunteer-run BMX track where kids and adults can ride and race. Currently, Silver Dollar BMX is working hard to build a new track. Building this new track is going to take even more volunteers, donations, and sponsors! If you are interested in helping, please click Jeff Letlow, who you may recognize from the gym! Jeff is one of many volunteers at the track, and his family has been very active in the BMX community. Check out a few pictures from Friday evening as well as a BMX race pictures that Mark Irons took out at the Silver Dollar BMX track.

Local Organic Chickens

Posted by Chrissy on July 23, 2010 - Posted in News There is 1 comment, Add yours!

Ever since “Food Inc.” I have been on the search for local organic free range chicken and finally I found some at our local farmers market.

Wookey Ranch ”Better-than-Organic" whole chickens are still in good supply. These birds are raised outside on green pasture and fed CCOF certified organic grain and mineral supplement. Green pasture, freedom to move, and having clean, on-the-farm processing are what make these birds “Better-than-Organic”! Below are a few dates and locations of the farmers markets Wookey Ranch will be at with locally grown organic chicken. Be sure to stop by their booth and check it out!

July 24th - Downtown
July 31st - North Valley Plaza

Nancy R.  Success is measured on the inside and out!

Posted by admin on July 22, 2010 - Posted in News There are 7 comments, Add yours!

After a year, I posted a ‘before-and-after’ photo on Facebook as a tribute and ‘thank you’ to NorCal Strength & Conditioning and especially, to my trainer Natalie Taylor.  An immediate string of comments followed (among my favorites, of course:  ‘You are my inspiration’ and ‘Wow!  You are amazing’) until I had to reply, “If only you could see the changes on the INSIDE!”

One comment, “I admire your hard work” got me to thinking.  The hard work wasn’t learning (and loving) the Paleo way of eating.  The hard work wasn’t just trying to complete a workout (thank goodness for Natalie’s modifications!) The hard work wasn’t to make sure I ate breakfast every day (Natalie’s first goal for me!) The hard work wasn’t even to dead lift 100 lbs (which I was willing to try) or run 400 meters (about which I wasn’t very willing) . . . okay, 100 wall balls is still pretty tough, but it’s hard fun!

The hardest work was putting aside all fears (about not being able to stick to it) and reservations (should I be investing so much $ and time in this when I didn’t have much of either?); the hardest work was making the decision to commit to the 12 sessions of personal training!

I was 56 years old and had struggled with some pretty significant losses in the preceding few years.  Stoically handling whatever came my way (or so I thought), doing whatever needed to be done, along with ‘fighting genetics’ and a growing need for ‘comfort’, and I hadn’t been taking very good care of myself!  Somehow all those losses managed to translate into pounds piled on, a growing list of physical complaints, and I wasn’t any fun anymore!  I knew I needed to do something, but I just couldn’t face another failure!  And man, I wasn’t sure I could survive without the comfort foods!

Teacher, Trainer, Coach, and Problem Solver Natalie Taylor made me an offer I couldn’t refuse—pay now, with a discount, and start in 6 weeks when things slow down—making the decision a little bit easier (and the first of many accommodations).  She asked about my goals, explained what to expect, emailed me, came to talk with me, and invited me to the gym to check it out.  She did everything she could do to address my fears and reservations personally, optimistically, and patiently.  She focused on my goal of ‘feeling better’ and ‘being able to do things I used to do’.  Somewhat reluctantly, but with determination, I signed up to meet with Natalie twice a week for six weeks of personal training. 

The hard work—of making that decision—has resulted in a year (so far) of hard fun with Natalie leading the way!  Sure, some of the changes are obvious (size 14 to size 4, sometimes a 2, and I even bought a couple of bikinis this summer!), but I didn’t do this to lose weight, really, I did it to feel better, strong, and able.  So check out the photo of me doing a frog stand this summer on the beach with my daughter and grandson!  (Next summer, I plan to be turning cartwheels!)

Natalie continues to help me set goals and reach them.  She is so knowledgeable about the body, movement, and nutrition, and takes the time to share what the women in my workout group want to know.  She’s so enthusiastic that I even cook now!  (Those who’ve known me over the years know that’s HUGE!) I am a walking (sometimes, jumping) effervescent advertisement for NorCal Strength & Conditioning: everyone there is skilled, positive, and supportive, but Natalie Taylor is my inspiration!

And man, I’m not sure I can survive without the energy and pure joy of hard fun!

--Nancy R.  June 2010

Another Friedland?…whew…It’s a Girl!

Posted by Katie on July 21, 2010 - Posted in News There are 7 comments, Add yours!

On July 19th at 8pm, Melissa Friedland gave birth to beautiful London Valentine. She was born weighing 9lbs, 3oz and everything went smoothly. 

Melissa trained up until the last minute before giving birth on Monday. The doctors were even impressed by how strong her legs were (She’s got an amazing backsquat )! The moms-to-be at NorCal have gotten an earful about the benefits of training while you’re pregnant, and I’m sure all would agree that training has helped them during pregnancy and delivery. While training Melissa we listened to her body and modified things accordingly. Melissa went into her pregnancy in great shape, so we were able to stick to most of the movements that she was already doing, and usually modified just the intensity. Congratulations to the Friedland family!

Check out Melissa in one of her last training sessions...and one of adorable baby London!

New faces…fresh from the On-Ramp

Posted by Natalie on July 20, 2010 - Posted in News There are 3 comments, Add yours!

We just finished our summer On-Ramp and would like to welcome a few new folks to our classes! 

They put up with Shawn and I for four hot weeks...and now they’ll be dropping into the Elements and Low Intensity classes.  Given their rockin’ Day 12 times---this crew will be right at home in the regular classes.  This group picked up new movements so quickly--that Shawn and I were able to actually end class on time for once . We even had a couple of folks get their kipping pull-ups before the end of the four weeks!  They were definitely a fun group to teach.

Check out their times (and perfect body row form!) below. 

Happy Birthday Justin M.

Posted by Chrissy on July 19, 2010 - Posted in News There are 2 comments, Add yours!

Friday’s 12:00pm class got down and dirty in honor of Justin’s 34th birthday. Here was Justin’s much anticipated birthday workout: 

As a team they were to complete:

34 slams
200m run with their slam ball
Tire Flip all the way down to the end of the green fence,
Run back into the gym and do 34 burpees (as a team),
Row 64 calories
Run back to tire; flip tire back to start
34 burpees as a team

Happy Birthday Justin!! I hope the workout was everything you dreamed it would be . Check out a few pictures of Justin and the 12:00pm crew the came to celebrate with him!

Who’s Who:  Deanna R.

Posted by Chrissy on July 16, 2010 - Posted in News There are 12 comments, Add yours!

Deanna is one of my personal training clients that also drops into a Low Intensity class from time to time. She has also played a very active role in our NorCal S&C community helping out with the Guiness Record attempt, Paleo potluck and more. Deanna is a genuinely kind-hearted person who loves life and life’s adventures. Here is a little more in depth look at Deanna. Enjoy!

How were you introduced to NorCal Strength and Conditioning?
John Fragoso...and I learned about John via Fleet Feet (Thanks John! )

Favorite WOD/lift:
Not sure how to answer this.  I am just gonna say what I like:
Rope climb, lunges, overhead lifts, rowing, push ups, & most anything involving the rings and gymnastics.

I have always wanted to.....
Go to Egypt!  Have horses again on my own land, sky dive, learn Italian - really, live and study Italian for a bit in Italy.  Have my own rockin’ food garden (veggies, herbs, fruit trees etc.), be lean, strong and fit.

One word people use to describe me:
Hmmmm- it’s been a while since I heard this but something like - strong (in character) I think I’ve heard that one the most.

Outside of the gym I like to:
Dance!!!!!!  Meditate, communicate w/ friends & family (phone, email, FB etc.) hike, love my dog, watch movies, and eat!  I also love listening to live music of any kind, drink coffee, work at my job, and travel anywhere especially internationally!

Three things you would ALWAYS find in my fridge:
Veggies, eggs, oil

Something nobody knows about me or would be surprised to know about me:
I’ve seen Elvis, I speak German and taught German-high school and college, I live on 16 acres in the woods. I can get REALLY drunk.  Most of my friends have at some point seen this side of me .  I traveled to the Nevada Desert with no plan or destination just headed that direction and fasted for 10 days on my own camping out near an Indian reservation.  I built a sweat lodge and sat in a cave for two days watching the sun go by and the moon go by. I traveled to the middle East by myself (Amman, Jordan) the year after 9/11 to meditate ... and more ...but some things I don’t want everyone to know

Favorite physical activity outside of NorCal Strength and Conditioning:
Dancing - I do it full on!  Hiking with my doggie, skiing, oh DUH!  SEX!

Favorite places to eat in Chico:
Raw Bar, Cafe Coda, Sin of Cortez, Grilla Bites

The song that gets me pumped to work out:
GONE by Montgomery Gentry (a lot of rocking songs by MG)
Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy - Big & Rich
She’s Country - Jason Aldean

Proudest accomplishment so far (in the gym)?
Rope Climb

6 month goals:
5 legit pull ups, good & confident running speed, to lean out, a 10 sec. REALLY good L-Sit - feet up high above the bars.

If you could invite ANYBODY (currently alive or not) over for dinner, who would you invite? Why?

Well, Jesus would be cool - I’m not a Christian or even religious but he was a super cool dude! Absolutely. He’d be easy to host - so loving and accepting and I know I’d feel awesome in his presence. Just his being here would be a blessing and healing.

Favorite work out attire:
What I wear - uhhh sweat pants that have a nice cut, tighter T-shirt that forms to my body preferably with a little cleavage, and a sports bra. Workout clothes that are not over the top (bright colors-look at me etc.) but are feminine.