Bodyweight or Bust

Are these bodyweight movements really that Important?

No matter what gym you are part of you probably hear your coach constantly blab about the importance of your push ups, squats and pull ups and how they translate to “the more exciting movements”

If your coach is not putting as much emphasis, if not more, on the body weight movements we might have a problem. I could literally write a 200 page book on the importance of these movements. However, I do not have a publisher or the funds to do so. So a one page blog will have to do.

The three most important reasons are the:

  • Habits it develops (good and bad)
  • Standards
  • Looks

HABITS

Body weight movements are the foundation. There is no denying that. The air squat is the foundation of all our other squats, the push up is the foundation of all our press movements and the pull up is the foundation of most of our gymnastic movements. Because of this the most important reason for taking pride in these movements and doing them right is the habits they develop. Many times, body weight movements are looked at as easier than weighted or more complex movements. And for those who have mastered these movements they are easier. (Yes there are some of y’all out there who have not mastered all of your body weight movements yet.) Because they are looked at as easier  we have higher repetitions in our body weight movements. Now this is good and bad.

For person A who takes their time, keeps their body weight movements pretty, and upholds standards, it is a time to continue to engraine good movement patterns. If i have a workout with 200 air squats and i squat all the way down, stand all the way up, drive my knees out over my toes and keep my chest nice and high, then when I get to my 1RM back squat my body will remember these patterns and continue to execute them at a more complex movement.

Now I have personally seen numerous examples of the opposite. If you are doing air squats, and your core is broken and chest is literally down, then don’t be shocked or disappointed when the first thing to happen in your heavy barbell squats is your hips rise, chest comes down and if you actually miss the light, you miss it on your toes leaning forward. The same goes for push ups; if you never lock out your elbows doing push ups then why do you think it’s so hard for you to kick upside down or lock out a handstand push up.

Instead of treating them like they mean nothing, treat them like the most important part of your workout.

Because honestly they are.

On my favorite days (Snatch and Clean and Jerk) one of the most important parts of my warm up are those first air squats I take before I grab my favorite barbell. Those set the tone for the rest of my day. Just because the body weight movements are deemed as “easier” does not mean that there is no standard to uphold.

STANDARDS

Which brings me to my next point: standards. I always notice how everyone wants to know the cool standards of all the cool movements in the open and our super fun CrossFit workouts, but some of us kinda just yawn and go about our business when it’s time to uphold standards on squats, pull ups and push ups.

So let me address them all. 🙂

First of all, there are rules to everything. If you are not upholding the standards, sure you are making it harder on yourself and hindering your more advanced movements, but you are also breaking the rules and doing reps that don’t count. In my opinion squats are easy, squat all the way down while keeping your chest nice and high. If you actually have trouble with depth grab a ball to squat to and don’t forget to keep your entire foot glued to the ground.

Next. On my pull-ups, kipping included, your chin should be clearly above the bar. You should be pulling enough for you and everyone around you to clearly see that. If you have been doing pull ups for a while now and you are still “hungry hungry hippoing” at the top then you need to rest, stop doing so many in a row and fix that. If we are linking the reps together, for heaven’s sake lock your arms out at the bottom before you tear a bicep or get rhabdo.

Push ups, my favorite, and because they are my favorite I may or may not have the most to say about them. For starters, please keep your lower body private parts off of the floor. Of course you can’t get your chest to the floor because your genitalia are in the way. Squeeze your belly button to the sky and make sure your hips descend at the same time your chest does. If your chest, I literally mean your actual chest muscles and not your tummy, cannot make it to the ground then we have to take a step back and correct that. Just as many hips and genitalia I see on the floor, I see equal or more booties being left in the sky. It’s great that your p and d are not touching the ground but remember everything needs to come down and go up as a unit. You cannot leave your other half up there in the air. Lastly, lock your elbows out ladies and gents. If you do not, you are training the muscle to not go through is proper range of motion. So when you do movements where locked out elbows are required, ie: upside down, your body is going to be looking at you like “nah bruh not happening”.

LOOK PRETTY

For the sake of your attention span, I will stop with the standards and address my last point. If you practice good habits with the body weight movements and uphold the standards then they look pretty. Yes I said it, pretty. We all like to look good and working out is no exception. All movements look worse when standards are not upheld, and this is especially true for air squats, push ups, and pull ups. So if for no other reason, do these movements correctly so that you look good while working out.

I hope this did not sound like a scolding or a rant. It honestly is not. When a coach gives you a cue about your body weight movements it’s because we want the best for you. Telling you to slow down, do less reps, or fully complete the movement is not because we want to hold you back or make your time longer.

We legitimately care about you and the standards.

You would not buy a beautiful three story house for you and your family that was built on a foundation of straws and sticks. You want a strong foundation for your future, something that will last, and something that will keep you safe. Look at the three little pigs fairytale. Which house was hardest for the wolf to blow down? The straw house, easiest to build, the stick house which was a little better but still a shortcut, or the brick house, which took the longest but in the end withstood the most and kept that little pig safe.

Coach Selby

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MARYRUTH O’NEAL

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

As a largely uncoordinated child, I spent much of my youth with broken bones, missing teeth and injured pride as I stumbled awkwardly through team sports like basketball, soccer and softball. Quite inexplicably, I made the cheer squad in my freshman year of college, but quit after just one season and made no further athletic pursuits while in school. Perhaps fubsy young writers were meant to focus solely on their English degrees and grand notions for a publishing future.

But something unexpected happened in 2007. I caught wind of the Nike+iPod Sports Kit that Nike had released not one year earlier. For reasons I can no longer recall, I decided that this fitness technology (a then-little-used phrase) deserved space in my life. I purchased my first pair of running shoes, along with the Nike+ sensor kit, and started apprehensively pounding pavement.

Spoiler alert: I was not a great runner. But I was consistent. (And, blessedly, I discovered I wasn’t quite so uncoordinated as I’d once been.) I built up mileage, ran my first 10k, lost nearly 70 pounds, and found a new sense of empowerment that led to more confident choices in every aspect of my life. While I grew as an athlete, I also grew as a professional, accelerating in my career as a writer, and as a risk-taker, at one point even pausing my career to pursue a culinary degree.

There is no question that physical feats and even the smallest measure of athletic prowess can inspire boldness in seemingly unrelated endeavors. I have rediscovered this truth throughout my adult life, and I have witnessed in others the transformative impact of leaning into an athletic identity, no matter how we define it for ourselves.

This is what I live for as a coach: Helping everyone I meet recognize and embrace not only their athletic potential but also the broad impact of training and growing that potential. We all have a different starting line, but I am proud to coach at a gym that believes in meeting every member where they are. Whether you have spent your whole life identifying as an athlete or denying all along that you possess any physical prowess, there is a starting line for you at Bluprint and it leads to a journey that is utterly worth the undertaking.

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Bachelors in English/Communication
Bluprint Professional Coach Development Program
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

DEVLIN MURDOCK

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

Rowing is a sport that can show you just how strong you are and just how hard you can push yourself. Just when you don’t think you can go any more, you find that little bit extra. When you challenge yourself in rowing, all the other challenges you face seem to pale in comparison. I can’t count the number of times I have been met with an obstacle in life and found confidence in my ability to overcome that obstacle stemmed directly from pushing myself in the sport of rowing. I want to help you find your outer limits and then break through them.

Originally a soccer player, Devlin started rowing to keep in shape in the soccer offseason. Training indoors throughout the winter months in Connecticut, by the time Devlin had made it through a full season of scholastic soccer and club rowing he had won a district championship (soccer) and a national championship (rowing) and was faced with a decision. Several medals and accolades later, Devlin finished his four years at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA as a national champion, a three year varsity letter winner, a captain of the Men’s Rowing team, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Devlin moved to Chicago in 2012 to see about a girl (to whom he is now married) and became the Programs Manager of Recovery on Water, a rowing team for patients and survivors of breast cancer in 2015.”

CERTIFICATIONS

CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
BS Physics (Saint Joseph’s University)
USRowing Level 2 Certified Coach
Cancer and Exercise Specialist Training Certified
Bluprint Fitness Professional Coach Development Program

JAVI TIRADO

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

Growth happens when you willingly put yourself in an uncomfortable position. This statement guided me towards Bluprint and since joining this awesome community I’ve been in a constant state of discomfort, which has led to so much growth. 

I played baseball since I was 4 years old up until my sophomore year of college. When I stopped playing, I found the gym to be a place of solitude. It was where I felt my best. I started my fitness journey with traditional weight training. I spent most of my undergraduate and graduate student years working out in this fashion and at various points felt like I wasn’t doing enough. When I moved back to Chicago, I knew something had to change. I needed to be challenged. I needed to be held accountable. I needed community. & I needed something that fit into my schedule. 

I found bluprint during the pandemic and immediately felt at home. This place changed my perspective on health and fitness and I knew after a few months of joining I wanted more. After 8 months of being a BP athlete, I stepped into the coaching arena. Coaching brings me joy. It’s where I get to bridge my passion for teaching and learning with fitness. I’m grateful to be a part of this community and to be working with you all.

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CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
Bluprint Fitness Professional Coach Development Program

EMILY WAUER

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a Strength Coach one day. Born and raised in Downers Grove Illinois, I was raised playing any sport that involved a ball and contact with my brother’s and cousin. In highschool, I chose to focus on soccer and went on to play on the inaugural team at the University of Illinois of Chicago where I completed a degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science and a Minor in Nutrition.

My soccer career came to a close after I endured my second ACL & Meniscus tear playing semi-professionally for the Chicago Red Stars Reserves. After I re-gained enough strength after surgery, I knew I needed a gym that had the ultimate programming that could feed my competitive spirit, help me build strength and endurance while staying injury-free. Those standards have been far exceeded ever since and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the team to take what I have learned to coach athletes from all ages and levels of fitness.

In addition to coaching at BluPrint, I am a software Sales Representative and can understand how hard it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle working a 8-5pm+ corporate job. BluPrint will be the gym to take the thinking out of workout plans, hold you accountable to making 3-5 classes a week, help you achieve the body you never thought you could and most importantly keep you injury free while doing so!

CERTIFICATIONS

BA Kinesiology Exercise Science with a Minor in Nutrition (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Sports Recovery Specialist (Chicago Recovery Room)
Parisi Speed Coach (Parisi Speed School)
Mental Health Advocate

MARGARET DRISI

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

I’ve always loved a good challenge. Growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago, I dabbled in team sports and gymnastics, but I didn’t find my passion for personal fitness until the end of college. I started challenging myself with 5ks, “Insanity” workouts, and Tough Mudders and slowly moved on to Spartan races, half marathons, and full marathons. One day I told a friend, “I could never run a marathon!” and the next day I signed up for the 2015 Chicago Marathon. I hated thinking I couldn’t do something. My first marathon was my first experience with following a training plan. I learned that my body – all of our bodies – can do incredible things with consistency and a plan. Six years later, I still love following a fitness plan and seeing the results of my hard work. I became a coach because I want to help other people find that same success and feel proud of the work they’ve put in. I love fitness, but I’m nerdy about nutrition. I earned my “nutrition coach certification” from Working Against Gravity this year and am excited to see how this new knowledge can help me serve others.

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CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
WAG Certified Nutrition Coach
Bluprint Fitness Professional Coach Development Program

LINDSAY WADE

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, I grew up doing as many sports and activities as my parents would allow. As I got older, I became a competitive sprinter, swimmer, cheerleader and dancer and later ventured into long distance running and yoga. Discovering Bluprint was life-changing. I can confidently say I’m in the best shape of my life thanks to this gym and its coaches. Being part of this crew has also led to amazing friends and an overall healthier routine.

When I’m not at the gym, I spend most of my free time volunteering at Chicago Animal Care and Control, playing trivia, going to music festivals/concerts, traveling, and hanging with my husband and pup.

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CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
Bluprint Professional Coach Development Program
MAT (National Louis University)

JANELLE DYCE

COACH

BIOGRAPHY

Growing up in New England I was always surrounded by sports, we were always watching sports or playing sports. Basketball and soccer were my personal favorites and I played them up through high school.

After high school, I knew I wanted to go to a university where I could watch big time athletes play and that took me to University of Florida – Go Gators! I studied Business Administration and minored in Health Science Education. After graduating in 2008, I stayed in “The Swamp” and got a job at the local gym – Gainesville Health and Fitness. After a couple years in the customer service side, I became a NASM Personal Trainer which was one of the most influential and important decisions of my life.

Fitness has always been a huge part of who I am and I wanted to share that with other athletes by inspiring people to lead healthier lives. Shortly after becoming a Personal Trainer, I was eager to learn more about how nutrition maximized the results we strived for in the gym. I received my Precision Nutrition Level 1 to enhance my nutritional understanding. After many years of personal training under my belt I met Byron and we continued to push and grow together as fitness professionals. We got our L1 CrossFit Certifications (and a few years later our Level 2) and made the move to Chicago to pursue taking over a CrossFit Gym called RowFit.

We re-branded, moved down the street, and continued to grow into the Bluprint Fitness we are today. We will continue to grow through constant learning, always striving to be the best we can be for our FitFam – the Blu Cru. I am committed to thoughtfully and safely building up my athletes by meeting them where they are at on their fitness journey and motivating them to become the best versions of themselves. I promise to always practice what I preach, lead by example, and empower my athletes with  thoughtful and educated coaching.

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CrossFit Specialty Courses
Gymnastics
Mobility
National Association of Sports Medicine – Certified Personal Trainer (NASM)
Precision Nutrition Level 1
Kettlebell Concepts Level 2 Trainer (KBC)
BA Business Administration/Minor & Specialization in Health Science Education (University of Florida)
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COACH

BIOGRAPHY

My goal is to educate and inspire communities to improve their quality of life by creating a Bluprint for success. Health & fitness are my passion and I want to accompany athletes along their journey to better health and performance.

Byron was destined for a love of health & fitness from an early age, being the son of an Olympic runner. He spent his childhood playing outdoors and getting involved in as many sports as possible. Byron settled into his “athletic niche” when he entered high school, directing his focus on football and weightlifting, where he competed at a high level. He then spent his freshman year as a walk-on with the University of Florida football team until he decided he wanted to focus his energy on school & business. Byron has spent the last 6 years in the fitness field.

CERTIFICATIONS

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
CrossFit Specialty Courses
Powerlifting Trainer
Mobility Trainer
USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach (USAW)
National Association of Sports Medicine – Certified Personal Trainer (NASM)
Kettlebell Concepts Level 2 Trainer (KBC)
AA in Accounting (Santa Fe College)
BA in Business
Administration (University of Florida)
CPR-AED

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