friday, august 15
A.
5 sets:
snatch high pull + snatch
B.
3 sets of 5 reps snatch deadlifts (3131)
C.
“16.3”
7 min amrap:
10 power snatches (75/55)
3 BMUs (scaled = 5 CTB pull-ups)
Thursday
A.
incline bench press - build to a 2RM
B.
2 drop sets of max reps at 75% of part A weight
C.
18 min amrap:
at 0:00, 6:00 and 12:00, perform 400m run (as a buy in)
then in time remaining, amrap:
“25.1”
3 lateral burpees over the DB
3 DB hang clean-to-overheads (50/35)
12 lunge steps (unweighted - like in the open wod)
*After completing each round, add 3 reps to the burpees and hang clean-to-overheads.
Not Just CrossFit: Why Our San Francisco Gym also Offers the Best Private Training, Too
When people hear about our gym, the first thing they often think is CrossFit in San Francisco — and yes, we’re proud to be one of the city’s top CrossFit communities. But here’s the thing: we’re not just CrossFit.
We also offer world-class private training in a very private and spacious facility that’s tailored to your unique goals, schedule, and fitness level. Whether you’re a complete beginner, returning from injury, or an experienced athlete chasing specific performance goals, our personal training in San Francisco gives you the focused attention and custom programming you need.
Why Choose Private Training in San Francisco?
Our private training program is designed for people who want:
One-on-one attention from an expert coach
A much more private and spacious environment
Customized workouts that fit your body, goals, and preferences
Flexible scheduling that works around your busy life
A safe and supportive environment to progress at your own pace
Unlike generic big-box gyms, our private sessions aren’t just about counting reps. Your coach will assess your movement patterns, track your progress, and continually adjust your plan so you see results faster and more efficiently.
The Best of Both Worlds: CrossFit + Personal Training
You don’t have to choose between CrossFit classes and personal training — many of our members combine them. Private sessions can help you:
Refine your technique before joining group workouts
Focus on skill development (like pull-ups, Olympic lifts, or double-unders)
Build strength and confidence in a more private setting
Recover and rebuild post-injury with tailored mobility and strength work
Private Training for Every Goal
Our San Francisco personal training clients come to us for all kinds of reasons:
Weight loss and body composition changes
Strength training and muscle building
Endurance and conditioning for sports or events
Improving mobility and flexibility
General health, energy, and longevity
No matter your starting point, our coaches meet you where you are — and push you just enough to keep you progressing.
Why Our Private Training Stands Out in San Francisco
Expert coaches with years of experience and multiple certifications
A huge clean, well-equipped facility in the heart of San Francisco
Programs designed around your goals, not a one-size-fits-all template
A friendly, supportive community that keeps you motivated
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re searching for private training in San Francisco or looking for a gym that offers more than just CrossFit, we’d love to meet you. Book a free consultation today and discover how we can help you look, feel, and perform your best.
More Muscle = Better Blood Sugar and Why That Matters for Everyone, Even if You Don’t Have Diabetes
When most people think about building muscle, they focus on strength, tone, and how their body looks. But there’s a powerful, less-talked-about benefit: muscle plays a big role in keeping your blood sugar stable.
how Muscle Helps Regulate Blood Sugar
Muscle tissue acts like a sponge for glucose (sugar) in your blood. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose, which your muscles can absorb and store for energy. The more muscle you have, the more storage capacity you have — which means your body can clear sugar from the blood more efficiently.
Strength training makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin (the hormone that moves sugar into your cells), reducing your risk of blood sugar spikes after meals.
Why Stable Blood Sugar Matters (Even if You Don’t Have Diabetes)
Chronic high blood sugar — even without a diabetes diagnosis — can quietly damage your health over time. Here’s what it can lead to:
Increased inflammation – Linked to joint pain, autoimmune flares, and chronic diseases.
Blood vessel damage – Raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Nerve damage – Causing tingling, numbness, or burning sensations.
Vision issues – Blurry vision or early eye disease.
Energy crashes – Roller-coaster fatigue, brain fog, and irritability.
Hormone disruption – Affecting stress, reproductive, and metabolic hormones.
Skin problems – Slower wound healing, more infections, and skin darkening.
The Takeaway
Whether you’re lifting heavy or doing bodyweight strength work, building muscle isn’t just about aesthetics or athleticism — it’s an investment in your long-term health. Your muscles help keep your blood sugar steady, your energy levels stable, and your risk for chronic disease lower.
wednesday, august 12
A.
6 sets:
2 tempo pause front squats
B.
for time:
20 Back Squats (155/105)
250/200m row
15 Back Squats
500/400m row
10 Back Squats
1000/800m row
Why Swapping Fat for Muscle Makes You Smaller, Not Bulkier
There’s a common fear many women have about strength training:
“If I lift weights, I’m going to get bulky.”
Let’s clear this up right now—building muscle will not automatically turn you into a bodybuilder. In fact, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you’ll actually look smaller, more toned, and more defined.
Here’s why:
Muscle vs. Fat: Same Weight, Different Size
A pound is a pound, whether it’s fat or muscle—but they take up very different amounts of space in your body.
Fat is fluffy, soft, and takes up more volume.
Muscle is dense, compact, and firm.
So if you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, the scale might not budge—but your clothes will fit better, and you’ll look leaner. Think of it like swapping a pillow for a brick—they weigh the same, but one is clearly smaller and more solid.
The Benefits of More Muscle
When you build lean muscle:
You shrink in size while becoming more firm and sculpted.
Your metabolism speeds up, helping you burn more calories at rest.
You become stronger, which makes everything from grocery runs to workouts easier.
Your body shape changes in a way that looks healthy and athletic, not bulky.
Why CrossFit Is Perfect for This
CrossFit isn’t about “bulking up”—it’s about building functional strength through constantly varied, high-intensity workouts that combine weightlifting, cardio, and bodyweight movements.
In a typical week of CrossFit, you’ll:
Lift heavy enough to stimulate muscle growth without excessive size gain.
Burn calories during and after your workout thanks to high-intensity intervals.
Build a body that’s lean, firm, and capable.
And unlike endless cardio, which can sometimes burn muscle along with fat, CrossFit helps protect and grow lean mass while you lose fat—so the inches come off, but the strength stays.
The Takeaway
If your goal is to be smaller, firmer, and stronger, replacing fat with muscle is the way to go. It’s not about the number on the scale—it’s about body composition.
CrossFit is one of the most effective, time-efficient ways to make that transformation happen. And the best part? You’ll see it not just in the mirror, but in the way you move, feel, and live
tuesday, august 12
A.
5 sets:
1 segmented clean deadlift (3131) + 1 clean deadlift
B.
for time:
15 CTB pull-ups
21 power cleans (135/95) (scaled 95/65)
75 DUs
15 CTB pull-ups
15 power cleans (185/125) (scaled 115/75)
75 DUs
15 CTB pull-ups
9 power cleans (205/145) (scaled 135/95)
75 DUs
monday, august 11
A.
6 sets: 2 push jerks
B.
5 sets, each for time, one set every 3 mins:
200m run (Rx+ 300m)
12 TTB
6 power jerks (155/105)
friday, august 8
for time:
1200/1000-900/800-600/500-300/250m row
24-18-12-6 burpees over the erg
24-18-12-6 power cleans (135/95)
24-18-12-6 TTB
Bench pressing isn’t just for bros. Here’s why we love it
bench pressing isn't just for building a big chest or setting PRs on the platform. For everyone, including women, incorporating regular bench pressing into your training brings a range of physical, athletic, and confidence-based benefits:
Top Benefits of Bench Pressing for Women
1. Upper Body Strength & Balance
Many women focus on lower body strength (squats, lunges), but the bench press helps balance the body by developing the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Strong upper body = better posture, easier everyday tasks (like lifting or carrying), and fewer injuries.
2. Toned Arms & Shoulders
Regular pressing helps build lean muscle in your triceps and deltoids — key areas for a defined upper body.
Unlike endless reps of light dumbbells, bench pressing delivers real strength and shape.
3. Boosts Confidence & Empowerment
Lifting heavy weights, especially upper body, can feel intimidating at first — but once you start progressing, it’s incredibly empowering.
It's common to see women build mental resilience and self-assurance as they conquer weights they once thought were off-limits.
4. Improved Athletic Performance
Bench press supports overall upper body power, which translates to sports like swimming, tennis, martial arts, and even running (strong arms improve arm drive and running economy).
5. Supports Other Lifts & Movements
A stronger chest and triceps will help with push-ups, handstands, dips, and jerks in CrossFit or other training.
It also protects your shoulders during heavy squats or carries by stabilizing the upper body.
6. Bone Health
Like other compound lifts, bench pressing is load-bearing, which supports bone density — especially important for women to prevent osteoporosis.
7. Metabolic Benefits
Engaging large upper body muscle groups helps boost your metabolism, especially when done with progressive overload and proper recovery.
TLDR:
Bench pressing isn't just a "bro lift." It's a powerful tool for women who want to get stronger, look toned, feel confident, and become more athletic — in and out of the gym.
thursday, august 7
A.
3x3, 3x2 incline bench press
single arm DB row x 8 reps/arm
B.
12 min amrap:
1-2-3-4-5-6… burpee CTB pull-up (Rx+ burpee BMU)
2-4-6-8-10-12-14… STO (115/75, Rx+ 135/95)
100m run after each round
Why Lifting Weights Burns More Calories Than You Think
Cardio Burns Calories — But Lifting Keeps Burning for Days
We’ve all been there: drenched in sweat after a cardio session, watching our fitness trackers rack up calories. It feels like you’ve just torched a ton of fat. And you probably did — during that workout.
But here’s the truth: if you’re only focusing on how many calories you burn during a workout, you’re missing the bigger picture. Especially when it comes to lifting weights.
Cardio Burns Now. Lifting Burns Later (and Longer).
Cardio is great — it builds endurance, improves heart health, and definitely has its place. But once you step off the treadmill or bike, your calorie burn drops dramatically.
Strength training and CrossFit are different.
When you lift weights like we do in CrossFit, especially heavy ones, you’re creating tiny micro-tears in your muscle tissue. Your body now has a job to do: repair, rebuild, and come back stronger. That repair process takes energy — a lot of it — and can last for 24 to 72 hours post-workout.
This phenomenon is known as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), or more simply, the afterburn effect. Your body is literally burning calories at an elevated rate long after your lifting session ends.
Real Talk: More Muscle = Higher Metabolism
Muscle is metabolically active. That means the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn — even while you’re sitting at your desk, sleeping, or binging Netflix. Cardio alone won’t build that kind of muscle mass. But strength training will.
The Bottom Line
Yes, cardio torches calories in the moment. But lifting weights builds a body that burns calories all the time.
If you want to lose fat, build lean muscle, and boost your metabolism for the long haul — don’t just lift. Lift heavy. Then let your body do the work.
wednesday, august 6
A.
5 sets:
2 tempo pause front squat (32X1) + 1 rep no tempo or pause
B.
for time:
350/300m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
50 WBS (scaled - 35 reps)
350/300m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
40 front rack lunges (135/95) (scaled - 30 reps)
350/300m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
50 WBS (scaled - 35 reps)
350/300m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
tuesday, august 5
A.
5 sets:
1 segmented clean deadlift (3131) + 2 clean deadlifts
B.
5 sets, each for time, one set every 3 mins:
200m run (Rx+ 300m)
6 power cleans (185/125)
6 burpees over the bar
monday, august 4
A.
12 mins to build to a tough single push press, not necessarily a 1RM
B.
2 sets of max reps push press at 75% of part A
C.
3 minutes of max reps wall walks,
then,
at 3:00, complete for time:
30 single DB STO (50/35, Rx+ 70/50) (switch arms/petition reps as desired)
40 DUs
30 TTB
40 DUs
20 single DB STO
40 DUs
30 TTB
40 DUs
10 single DB STO
friday, august 1
A.
2 sets: segmented snatch deadlift + snatch pull + tall snatch + OHS
snatch skills & drills
B.
for time:
34 burpee buy in (Happy Bday Julia!!)
immediately into:
“running Isabel”-ish
5 rounds of:
200m run
6 snatches (155/105)
thursday, july 31
A.
5 sets:
incline bench press x 3 reps
single arm bent over DB row x 8 reps/arm
B.
3 sets:
90s to complete: 45 DUs + Max Reps Wall Walks
90s rest
90s to complete: 45 DUs + max reps hang power C&J (95/65)
90s rest
score = total WWs and total C&J
Why We LIFT Heavy WEIGHT and don’t Just focus on Light & Endless Reps
It’s no secret that we’re fans of lifting heavy over here at CFGG. Heavy lifting, which is easier to do with barbells that can be loaded up as compared to DBs, are the foundation of real strength. When we load up the barbell, we’re not just building muscle — we’re reinforcing bone density, improving joint stability, increasing power output, and tapping into long-term strength gains.
High-volume light dumbbell squats for example have their place, but they won’t deliver the same hormonal, neurological, or structural adaptations that heavy barbell work does. Heavy squats teach your body to produce force, not just survive fatigue. They make you stronger — period and they have benefits that you simply cannot replicate without the barbell. Today we’re squatting to achieve:
Strong glutes and legs
Core strength and resilience
Athletic performance
Lifelong durability
and yes, to look good naked
So yes, we squat HEAVY every week. Safely. Consistently. Intentionally.
wednesday, july 30
A.
5 sets:
2 tempo pause front squats (32X1) + 2 reps no tempo or pause
B.
for time:
800/650m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
30 front rack lunge steps (135/95)
500/400m row or ski or (or equivalent echo bike)
30 back squats
800/650m row or ski (or equivalent echo bike)
tuesday, july 29
A.
5 sets:
1 segmented clean deadlift (3131) + 3 clean deadlifts
B.
5 sets, each set for time, one set every 3 mins:
Rx
200m run
12 TTB
6 double DB devils press (45/25)
Rx+
300m run
12 TTB
6 double DB devils press (50/35)