112919 Black Friday CrossFit gift guide

Friday Schedule- Noon, 4:30, 5:30

WOD- Row 14:00 for max meters

In the past I’ve written gift guides and if you go back a couple years into the blog catalog, you can still find some solid gifts to consider for your CrossFit friends and family. Every year, new stuff comes out and, shoot, it’s just fun to update you guys on the products I think are cool!

Along with studying nutrition and movement, I also do a fair share of researching different products in the fitness industry. For the most part these are products that I myself have invested in and found to be beneficial!

They love CrossFit and they’re a nerd like I am, what better gift is there than a book? One book that I’m really excited about is The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung MD. Fung does a great job of not pulling any punches with the medical language, but at the same time makes it an easy and understandable read. Obesity is a multifaceted disease and he does an awesome job illuminating America’s (and the larger scientific community’s) failure to successfully treat or cure obesity and the other diseases caused by it. When we know the actual mechanisms that cause it, we can attack it from multiple angles. It is a longish read, but had me hooked from cover to cover. $11.99 on Amazon

The other book I’m recommending this season is also a nutrition book that any of your keto friends would appreciate. Keto Answers by Dr. Anthony Gustin has been very helpful and informative in my personal exploration of ketosis. It’s written in a question and response format and can be read cover to cover or used to reference really common questions. If you have a question about keto, this book likely addresses it. $16.19 on Amazon

We all have an inflexible friend! We subscribe to two online mobility services actually and have seen benefits from both. ROM WOD is a Yin Yoga long-hold program. You can search routines based on the body parts you think you want to target and it’s constantly updated with a seemingly endless catalog and you can stream on your computer, smart tv, phone, or tablet. $13.95 a month.

The other app, GOWOD Mobility, offers personalized mobility routines. The some value comes from large catalog of stretches and smashes, but the real benefit is in the personalized routines that are based on your custom moblity score. Each month has a specific focus for your daily routine and you re-test to see your progress. You can also get personalized pre-workout or post-workout routines based on your own target areas. Very cool app. $9.99 a month— I think there’s a discount for the whole year.

I’ve bought a lot of cheap gymnastics grips in the past and they’ve never really panned out. Too slick, not enough coverage, uncomfortable. It wasn’t until I really treated myself to some quality grips that I really saw the benefit to a good set of grips. Of the major players, I really think the best gymnastic grips are made by Victory Grips. I own the stealth 3 finger grips and they’ve seen a lot of miles. All their grips come in multiple configurations for your preference. 2, 3, 4, and finger-less options. They have gender specific grips that are specific to men’s or women’s hands and as far as I believe, they were the first company in the space to truly understand how to best fit grips for the best use. Read the fitting instructions and I recommend the longer fit option. I’m pretty happy with my current pair, but have an eye on the Tactical line that is touted as the next-level in gymnastics grip. They sell-out regularly because they’re so popular. $45-$55.

We have lots of belts that anyone can use, but a belt can be a great gift as well. And even if someone already has a belt, they might love another type. I have a soft belt for Olympic lifting and heavy met-cons and a thick leather belt for power lifting or slower lifts. The soft belt I have is made by 2POOD. It’s comfortable and does the job. The thing I appreciate most is the easy and fast adjust-ability. I can’t be box jumping with some stiff leather belt, and I don’t wanna be fiddling with a pin finding a hole when I’m ready to start those heavy front squats after my box jumps! There are other brands that make a similar belt, but what you’re looking for in a soft metcon belt is one that doesn’t double back and has a single velcro closure. Also, you’re gonna want to spend $40+, we’ve found that the velcro on cheaper belts don’t last as long. $45-$63 from 2Pood. Really cool patterns and designs!

A sturdy leather belt is also an awesome gift idea. I don’t think Rogue still sells the belt I have, but the leather belt they do offer is pretty dang handsome! I recommend a single pin belt over a two pin belt just because it’s easier to use and adjust and provides just as much support as two pins. it should be the same width the entire way around and goes across your bellybutton. You’ll see leather belts with two pins that are thin in front and wide on the back, which are specifically for Olympic weightlifting, I wouldn’t recommended these because they take a long time to break in and a soft belt could serve the same purpose and would be more versatile. $89 on Rogue

Another great gift for a Keto friend is a product I use called LMNT Recharge. It’s a sodium and electrolyte supplement. As someone who trains and eats low-carb, I sweat and pee out a lot of sodium and that results in some pretty uncomfortable cramps. LMNT Recharge has 1000gm of sodium and is a tasty shotgun blast of sufficient electrolytes. $45 from LMNT or Amazon. Kind of spendy for a salt drink, but I like it.

Shoes— When buying CrossFit shoes for a family member, consider what they have, what they need, and what they want because in the CF shoes space there’s plenty of applications.

All-purpose WOD shoes: The Nike MetCon and the Reebok Nano lines are king. The workouts that have gymnastics and weightlifting impose the most beating on your shoes, which is the majority of what we do in CrossFit. Yes we run and do other things that a more comfortable running shoe would be beneficial, but for workouts with heavier loads and things like burpees and lunges, they’ll appreciate the durability and stability of the MetCon or Nano. The Nike MetCon is on it’s 5th version and the Nano on the 9th, so those current versions are the most expensive options, but the difference from the 4’s and 8’s is negligible honestly, so I’d choose their favorite color!

Running/Jumping/Agility: Nike Free X MetCon, Reebok Speed/Grace. These lines are great shoes and really really comfortable and awesome for running and jumping WOD’s. I personally love them for coaching and being on my feet for long stretches, but don’t often workout on them because they’re just a little less stable, and not nearly as durable as a MetCon or Nano. I’d consider these a second shoe, but they’re awesome if you want a second shoe!

Running: What do you get the person who has multiple WOD shoes? A pure running shoe is awesome, and i didn’t really ever consider the value until I bought a nice pair! It makes a world of difference, especially for people like me who only tolerate running. I’m certainly not a running shoe expert, but a cool experience would be a gift certificate to a true running store where they assess your gait and recommend a specific shoe.

Olympic weightlifting: As little as 6 years ago, options were limited and finding these shoes was a true task. now though there are tons of options. Pick a color or pick a price point and pull the trigger. Since they’re so specific, and we wear them maybe once or twice a week for a short amount of time, you really only need to spend as much money as you’re comfortable! We’re only trying to set personal records, so the difference between bargain Oly shoes and $$$$ shoes isn’t going to send you to the Olympics!

Finally, a really cool gift is something that I don’t have, but it’s on my map. A company called Whoop has come up with a product to monitor your recovery and sleep so you can potentially optimize your training. The Whoop Strap is a heart rate monitoring device that will tell you a lot of helpful diagnostics such as Daily Strain, Workout Strain, Calories Burned, and Sleep duration and quality. Use that information to try to pinpoint areas where you need to improve your recovery! it’s pretty spendy, and also requires a monthly subscription, but for the super CrossFit nerd, there’s a lot of potential value!