It's Barbells for Boobs week around these parts y'all, and to celebrate we are sitting down with the lady bosses from three of Huntsville's finest CrossFit gyms. Sarah Longshore from CrossFit Madison, Katie Campbell from CrossFit Empire South, and Willa Cummings from Hampton Cove CrossFit are all joining forces on Saturday, October 20 from 4:00 to 8:00 at Hampton Cove CrossFit for this year's Barbells for Boobs event. They tell us why this event is so important to them and what makes it so special. And just in case you are worried that this episode could be a little too serious, don't worry! We bring back word associations and it's boobies themed. You're welcome.

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Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Event Sign Up

Barbells For Boobs Team Donation Site

Hampton Cove CrossFit

CrossFit Empire South

CrossFit Madison

Clearview Cancer Institute Huntsville

Shannon Gray Photography

We are thrilled to finally bring you our episode with the team behind Mayhem on the Mountain, one of the most anticipated CrossFit events in Alabama. We were able to spend some time chatting with Rebecca Blackmon - gym manager, Cory Jackson - event coordinator of Mayhem on the Mountain, and Rich Pennino - owner of Quad Vestavia. They give us the bird's eye view of what it is like to compete in, set up, break down, clean up, judge, plan, and program for a fitness competition. Oh yeah...and Rebecca is adorable and likes to laugh as much as we do, PLUS she was officially not afraid of us when we stalked her at Sand Mountain Throwdown...so there's that.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care. Type in code STRENGTH at checkout to receive 15% off you order!!!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Quad Vestavia

Forge Vestavia

Mayhem on the Mountain

Sand Mountain Throwdown

CrossFit 256

Wright Equipment

Hampton Cove CrossFit

Guys...is this even real life?? We present to you our interview with the one and only Margaux Alvarez! If you watched her outstanding performance in the marathon row of the 2018 CrossFit Games and you found yourself wondering what was going through her mind, then this episode is for you! We ask her ALL about that event. Then we find out her thoughts on the recent changes to the Games, and she gives us insight into the wines she makes and the lifestyle she leads...she basically gives us the meaning of life. This woman has got things figured out, and we are still beyond grateful that she agreed to chat with us.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care!! Use code STRENGTH at checkout to receive 15% off your order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Margaux Alvarez IG

The Vine Yard CrossFit

The Vine Yard Wine

Girls Gone WOD episode with Greg Glassman

CF622

This week we are joined by Todd McCullough of TMAC Fitness. He is the creator of the online fitness program that combines 20 minute HIIT style workouts, healthy eating, and a mindfulness practice. It is this final piece that we think makes his program truly unique. He guides folks through a 5 minute, 4 part meditation practice that turns on the parasympathetic nervous system and helps you connect with a spiritual practice that will take you through your day. 

We totally geek out with him on this subject, and how you can bring it into your own daily workout the next time you hit up the gym. We discuss why bringing mindfulness into your exercise routine is so important, how meditation is like a muscle, how meditation might just help you achieve your physical goals, and how it can help build greater connections with each other inside the gym. Lauren and Todd discuss why and how they have been attempting to break up with technology and then Todd leads us through his 5 minute meditation live on the show!

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Handcare!! Use code STRENGTH to receive 15% off your entire order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

TMAC Fitness use code WHOLE30 to get an entire month of TMAC workouts for free!!

TMAC Meditation on YouTube

TMAC on IG

How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price

We recently had the honor to chat with the fittest woman in America and 6th place overall finisher at the 2018 CrossFit Games, Kari Pearce! We absolutely LOVED our conversation with her. She is adorable and full of energy and had us giggling the entire time. We discuss the recent changes to the Games and her gameplan, we get her insider perspective on the Chaos event of the 2018 Games, find out why she feels it is important to train without an ego, what she thinks about her role in the movement that is changing how girls feel about their bodies, and then Amy sits back and enjoys hearing Lauren totally geek out with Kari about music in the gym.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care. Type in code STRENGTH at checkout for 15% off your order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Kari Pearce Instagram

Pearce Pointers

Chelsey Hughes Episode

Barbeller

Hampton Cove CrossFit

This week we are sitting down with Erinn Gordon, a Board Certified Holistic Health Care practitioner. She gives presentations and workshops on health and wellness, and works one on one (both in person and virtually) with folks of all ages in all areas of health with both preventative and natural healing methods. In this episode we specifically discuss CBD oil and it's benefits, the reasons why eating more plants and real foods will optimize your health, and some practical ways that you can get more plants in your diet and optimize their absorption.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Handcare. Type in code STRENGTH at checkout to receive 15% off your order.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Erinn's Website

Erinn's FB page

True CBD Oil

Tower Garden

Consumer Lab

Juice Plus

Just Thrive Probiotic

Health Force Superfoods

We are absolutely honored and grateful to be able to share this interview with you guys today. Matt Miller is a local Board-Certified Counselor and Coach primarily working with high achieving professionals in the fitness community, healthcare fields, and other high performance professions. He has a national roster of entrepreneurs, business owners, CrossFit coaches, and world-class athletes, who work with him on developing their emotional intelligence, and all things relative to mental toughness, grit, focus, and interpersonal relationships.

We discussed the importance of mindset in the gym, why what we do inside the gym impacts our lives outside the gym so profoundly, what to do when the movement or lift that always seems to get the better of you shows up in a WOD, and the healing powers CrossFit and the community have on people who are recovering from addictions.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care. Type in code STRENGTH  at checkout to receive 15% off your order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Matt Miller

Rocket City Digital

Tony Robbins Posture Hack

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

CrossFit Huntsville

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Milton Anthony on CrossFit Radio

Reps4Recovery

Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron

Links for those looking for help with addiction and recovery:

National AA

Huntsville, Al AA

National NA

Huntsville, Al NA

Celebrate Recovery

End Heroin Huntsville Walk

Another week, another amazing little CrossFit box interviewed. Get ready to fall in love with CrossFit Guntersville. We dropped in and had a chat with five of their members as well as owners, Katie and Kyle Stapler, about the magic that can happen when some amazing folks get together to workout hard. Plus! Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a very special announcement!

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Handcare. Type in code STRENGTH at checkout to receive 15% off your order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

CrossFit Guntersville FB

Lean Kitchen Co. Guntersville

WOD Crashing with Chet Graves and CrossFit256

Sand Mountain Throw Down

The Magic in All of Us with Barbell VooDoo

If we've said it once, we've said it a hundred times, that the community of CrossFit is a very powerful and special thing. We are finding out that this rings true in every little nook and cranny of the greater CrossFit world. In this episode, we traveled down to Anniston, Alabama to Model City CrossFit. When we reached out to owner, Tad Carter, he immediately agreed to have us down to visit, and nearly every single member showed up to work out with us that day. Which is just the way Tad wanted it because he said there is no way he would agree to do an interview without his members present. This is a tiny little gym, but you would never know it if you dropped in on a Saturday morning like we did. These folks have huge personalities and even bigger hearts. From the moment you walk in, you truly do feel like family. We cannot thank them enough for the hospitality they showed us, and we are beyond thrilled to introduce you to this precious box.

You can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care! Type in code STRENGTH at check out to receive 15% off your order!

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Model City CrossFit IG

Model City CrossFit FB

Sand Mountain Throw Down

Hampton Cove CrossFit

We are thrilled to announce that you can support our podcast by supporting SandBar Hand Care!!! Use the code STRENGTH at checkout to receive 15% off your order!!!!

Well this week's episode is just a DELIGHT. We are back "home" on the Hampton Cove CrossFit couch to chat with OG member Rachel Sandmeier! She is unapologetically strong, quick to laugh, and funny as hell. She gives us her secret for getting strong (spoiler: it is both super easy and super hard), dishes on how she really feels about her husband's bromance with HCCF owner, Jon Cummings, and gives us the lowdown on her experience with Weight Watchers. And in true Strength Outside the Box fashion, we spend a good portion of the episode laughing...especially when Rachel spills the beans on how she likes to sneak up and surprise folks in the gym who don't already know how strong she is.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

SandBar Hand Care

Hampton Cove CrossFit

Weight Watchers

El Nino - The Interview with Jon Cummings

Rachel Sandmeier FB