Wellness and fitness thoughtfully combined.

Gained 11 Pounds — And Why I’m Proud of It By Coach Marina, Blue House Fitness Hey y’all — Coach Marina here! I want to share a piece of my journey at Blue House over the last four years. Specifically, my strength journey, how my body has changed, and why I’m celebrating the fact that I’ve gained 11 pounds. Yes — gained. Strength With Purpose Everyone walks through the Blue House doors for a different reason. My reason? To get strong and live long. I have two daughters — ages 3 and 5 — and my training is about keeping up with them, playing with them, and showing them what’s possible. I want them to see that lifting heavy and taking care of your body isn’t just for men or athletes — it’s for anyone who wants to live a bold, capable life. Gaining Muscle, Not Shrinking When I started back in March 2021, I did an InBody scan. I recently did another one in June 2025 — and the numbers blew me away. Weight gained: +11 lbs Muscle mass increased: 55.6 → 66.1 lbs Lean body mass: 100.3 → 116.6 lbs Body fat % decreased: 23.2% → 17.5% Basal metabolic rate: 1352 → 1512 calories/day These numbers represent years of work, discipline, food, rest, and lifting heavy — and I’m so proud of that. There’s a myth that women will “bulk up” overnight if they lift. That’s not how it works. It takes intentional effort, smart programming, and eating enough. Muscle = Longevity I’m 39 now. And I’m not just chasing aesthetics — I’m building a foundation for my 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. Muscle mass improves: Metabolism Posture Bone density Immunity Blood pressure Sleep Energy Confidence And that’s not me talking — it’s science. Dr. Stacy Sims' book Next Level has been a huge influence for me, along with Nourish by Sarah Bis and The Hormone Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden. They all back up the importance of eating, training, and lifting for resilience — especially for women approaching menopause. Eat to Gain, Eat to Live Let’s be real: I love food. I have the privilege of eating foods that fuel me and bring me joy. Here's what a day might look like: Protein coffee (with milk, protein, creatine) Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter, eggs, greens Snacks: Yogurt, hemp seeds, nuts, berries Lunch: Quinoa, chickpeas, kale, beets Afternoon fuel: Chicken meatballs, cheese, cashews Dinner: my fave — beef & cabbage stir fry Nutrition isn’t about restriction. It’s about fueling your body for strength. The Mental Side Lifting heavy hasn’t just changed my body — it’s transformed my mental health. When life feels chaotic, the gym gives me peace and purpose. If you’re feeling tired, stuck, or low — I can’t recommend lifting enough. It will change your life. Yes, I Am An Athlete This August, I’m competing. And yes, I’ve had moments of doubt — but now I’m in a place of gratitude. I get to throw down with amazing athletes because I am one. This body — this 11-pounds-heavier, 11-pounds-stronger body — gets to do hard things. And that’s something I never take for granted. Final Thoughts: Do It for You Life is wild. We’re juggling work, kids, parents, stress. But the moment you say, I matter — and show up for yourself — everything changes. Lift to live long. Eat to feel strong. Don’t fear the scale — build the life you want. I’m proud of every ounce of muscle I’ve gained. And I hope you’ll start (or continue) your own journey too. Come see us at Blue House. Let’s get strong together. Want help starting your strength journey? Let’s chat. 💙

How to Get Better at Gymnastics for CrossFit: The 5-Step Framework By Anton Fero, CrossFit Level 3 Coach | Blue House Fitness Most CrossFit athletes want to improve their gymnastics—whether that means getting your first muscle-up, stringing together handstand push-ups, or simply surviving workouts like Fran and Diane. But too often, athletes jump into high-skill movements during workouts without a clear plan for how to actually build capacity. If you’re frustrated that your gymnastics skills haven’t improved, you’re probably skipping steps. There’s a better way. Let’s break down the five essential steps to getting better at gymnastics in CrossFit—built from years of coaching and athlete development at Blue House Fitness. Step 1: Strength First Before anything else, you need to ask yourself: Are you strong enough to do the movement? No amount of skill drills or technique work will get you a pull-up if you don’t have the raw pulling strength. You can’t finesse your way into a handstand push-up or bar muscle-up without the baseline strength to support your body. At Blue House, we use gymnastic strength training to build this foundation. That includes things like: Ring rows Push-ups Tempo work Controlled progressions "Don’t trip on 5x5 of ring rows. They’re gold." If you’re still in this phase, own it. This is where the real work starts. Step 2: Efficiency Over Technique Once you’re strong enough, the next step is to become more efficient. Efficiency means doing the same work with less energy—not necessarily prettier, just smarter. Let’s say you’ve got your first bar muscle-up, but it’s a messy “chicken wing.” That tells us you’ve got the strength, but not yet the control or rhythm. Now it’s time to refine. Coaches often use the word "technique," but what we really mean is movement economy. Can you do this movement repeatedly without wasting energy? Step 3: Build Your Volume Tolerance Every movement has a volume threshold that shows up in workouts: Bar muscle-ups: ~50 Strict HSPUs: ~50 Toes-to-bar or chest-to-bar: 100–120 Double-unders: ~500 Can you hit those numbers? If not, start with volume accumulation work using EMOMs or EOMOMs: “1 bar muscle-up every minute for 10 minutes. Then 2. Then 3. Work up to 50.” This phase is about getting your reps in—without interference—so you build stamina without form breakdown. Step 4: Increase Your Density Now that you can handle the volume, it’s time to compress it. Density refers to how many reps you can do per set or round. Example progressions: 5 sets of 10 unbroken reps 3 sets of 15 unbroken reps This phase eliminates rest between reps. It preps you for real workouts, where movements don’t come spaced out nicely every minute. You're building capacity under fatigue—without adding other variables yet. Step 5: Add Intensity (Interference) Now you’re strong. You’re efficient. You have volume and density. Time to layer in CrossFit intensity—that means interference from movements like: Thrusters GHD sit-ups Rowing or Assault bike Burpees or wall balls A sample workout: Minute 1: 15-cal bike Minute 2: 5 bar muscle-ups Repeat for 12 minutes This simulates the reality of Metcons—when your grip is fried, your heart rate is spiked, and you still need to perform. This is where most people want to start—but it's the final step for a reason. “Most athletes are doing Step 5, but skipping Steps 1 through 4—and that’s why they’re stuck.” What This Looks Like in Practice One of our athletes reflects on her own journey: “Before I joined Blue House, I wasn’t doing push-ups or ring rows. I couldn’t do a muscle-up. Now I can do multiple bar muscle-ups, and we’re working on ring muscle-ups next. All the EOMs and strength training really worked.” Once you’ve built the volume, then we can add complexity—like combinations that challenge your personal weaknesses (e.g., GHDs into bar muscle-ups, which might fatigue your core and ruin your kip). This isn’t just about gymnastics—it’s about becoming a better athlete overall. Final Thoughts: The Blueprint for Progress If you’re not improving your gymnastics, you’re likely skipping a phase (or three). Here’s the path: Strength — Can you move your body under control? Efficiency — Can you do it with less effort? Volume — Can you do enough reps to match a typical test? Density — Can you handle large unbroken sets? Intensity — Can you perform under fatigue and interference? “It’s not about trying harder. It’s about training smarter.” Once you build this foundation, you'll enter workouts and think, "Holy crap… this feels easy." And that’s exactly where we want you. Need Help With Your Gymnastics Training? Send us a message—we’d love to coach you through it. Blue House Fitness Train with purpose. Progress with intention.