It’s the beauty of CrossFit, yet the idea of scaling a workout is often seen as a negative.

But, it shouldn’t be. Being able to scale any movement is what makes CrossFit so accessible and what allows elite athletes to complete the Workout of the Day (WOD) alongside beginners.

So why does scaling fill so many of us with horror?

The obvious answer is competitiveness. However, it’s important to remember that getting ‘RX’ on the whiteboard isn’t everything.

There’s a whole host of reasons why you might want or need to scale a workout. Whether it’s because the weight is too heavy, you’re coming back from an injury or you haven’t quite mastered a movement yet (we’re looking at you double unders), scaling a workout can actually be incredibly beneficial.

There should be absolutely no shame in scaling any CrossFit workout. After all, it’s better to be moving than not.

It’s also important to ensure that before...

Summer is here and while we all may be rejoicing at getting to crack open our summer wardrobe and enjoy the heat, there’s one thing most of us are forgetting… to stay hydrated.

Water is important. 60% of the human body is made up of water and dehydration can lead to us feeling tired, cause headaches and give us bad skin.

Experts recommend drinking a minimum of two litres of water per day but in hot weather and when we’re exercising, this becomes even more important as we sweat more and so it become essential for us to replace the fluids lost.

‘But water is boring!’

‘I’ll need the loo every five minutes!’

‘I don’t know how to drink that much water!’

We know staying on top of hydration is hard and so here’s some simple tips to help you increase your water intake and in turn, increase your performance and boost your mood. 

1. Start the day right

...

You’ve worked hard all year. You’ve eaten well, you’ve trained hard and finally the time has come to show off all that hard work because you’re off on holiday! But there’s one thing holding you back - can you really just let go after all those months? What if that two-week all inclusive undoes all that hard work?

Here’s the thing - it won’t! We promise you. It’s important that you can on holiday and enjoy yourself.

Remember, it’s totally fine to take a break from eating well and exercising every now and again. After all, you want to enjoy your holiday and remember the experiences you had - not the fact you were miserable because you were still calorie counting.

But, if the thought of going two weeks without the gym is too much to bear, here’s some ‘travel WODS’ - the perfect holiday workouts – long enough to keep you going but short enough to keep your toe in.

1. ‘Annie’

...

We’ve welcomed a number of babies to the CrossFit Pendle family over the past few years, so we thought it about time we shared a few tips about exercising while pregnant, in case you’re the next in line ;)

First things first, LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY– we can only offer our general advice

First Trimester (up to 3 months)

Little may change as far as your training’s concerned and exercises such as sit-ups and bench press may still be performed should you feel comfortable doing them. As many women choose not to announce their news until after their 12 week scan, no one but you will know, so it may be worth having a quiet word with the coach if you are concerned about any movements. You can trust that we will not share this information with anyone; it’s certainly not our news to share!

If you’ve been doing CrossFit regularly to this point, you can likely continue to use your regular weights—but again, it depends on how you feel. Max effort lifts...

True team spirit was back in play at CrossFit Pendle as we held our third Only The Brave competition, to great acclaim.

Athletes from around the UK arrived at CrossFit Pendle over the weekend to take part in the competition and they were certainly put through their paces!

Taking place over three days, the event had four varying standards so that everyone, no matter what scale, could take part.

CrossFit Pendle owner, Mike Rawson, said: “It really was an incredible event and the atmosphere was electric throughout.

“We pride ourselves on our community spirit at the gym and the weekend was great proof of that community with so many of our members competing, supporting or helping out with judging and scoring.

“Competitors from other CrossFit gyms were warmly welcomed by our own members and they too commented on the atmosphere which made the weekend a success.”

The gym was proud to claim nine of the 21 podium places available over the weekend; one gold, six...

Hands up, who’s guilty of this? Do a gruelling workout, collapse on the floor mumbling ‘never again’ then heading straight to the car to drive home.

Did you forget something? YOU DIDN'T STRETCH!

Yep, a lot of us are guilty of neglecting what should be very much part and parcel of your gym session.

You may get away with it for a while, but all of a sudden, those niggling aches and twinges become noticeable injuries; many of which end in unnecessary and time-consuming surgery and recovery time.

Got your attention? Yes, it is sooooo important to stretch pre and post workout in order to keep your muscles flexible and strong.

Here’s 5 good reasons why:

1. Improves circulation

During an intense workout, your body is pumping more blood around the body and to the heart. Stretching helps cool down the body and return your heartbeat back to a normal pace. It also helps breaks down the lactic acid that has been built up in your muscles during exercise, which means less...

There is much emphasis today on mindfulness, wellbeing and happiness there’s not a day goes by when you don’t see a quote which reads something like this:

While we may simply scroll past a variety of positive quotes every day, there is a lot we can take from such messages; the key thing for us is that exercise makes you happier.

And here are 6 very good reasons why:

1. It releases happy chemicals

And that chemical is dopamine, AKA the ‘feel good hormone’. Dopamine is associated with feelings of euphoria, bliss, motivation, and concentration. What’s the best way to increase dopamine production? You guessed it; exercise.

As we get older, we begin to lose our stores of dopamine which is why it is so important to restock the store as much as possible.

Happy chemicals = happy you

2. It reduces stress

We’ve all had those days when we drag our asses to the gym after a shocking day at work, tired, grumpy and not feeling up for a...

Getting a good night's sleep is so important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising. Yet, we’re all busier than ever and a good night’s sleep seems like just a fond, distant memory.

Well maybe it’s time to redress the balance and here’s 10 good reasons why:

1. Not getting quality sleep can make you fat

It’s a proven fact that people with short or interrupted sleep patterns tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep. So, you may think that going to bed at midnight and hoping out of bed to attend the gym at 6am makes you a champion; but it doesn’t, it can potentially make you fat.

2. Good sleep = less calories

Sleep deprivation reduces the level of the hormone that regulates hunger and appetite; hence the appetite goes up and we all know how easy it is to grab a ‘sugar hug’ when tired; whether a latte, doughnut, or sometimes both!

3. Helps improve concentration...

Many people don’t realise the importance of drinking enough water and the effect it can have on our health, eating habits and weight loss.

Yes, we all start the day with good intentions, but lack of sleep, back-to-back meetings and always on the move, what do we reach for? Caffeine…and lots of it, in whatever form!

Water is sidelined, ignored, with excuses that ‘too much will mean I’m always in the loo and I don’t have time for that’ commonplace.

But if any of these symptoms sound far too familiar, it may well be time you reconnected with your clear, uncomplicated friend:

‘I have a constant headache’

‘I feel so lethargic’

‘I can’t be bothered when I get to the gym’

‘I don’t sleep’

‘My skin’s terrible’

Have you met my friend WATER?!

Yep, often if you dig a little deeper into someone’s lifestyle, water is all too often lacking; odd when you consider that every cell,...

Dear mainstream gym,

I’m sorry to choose Valentine’s Day to tell you this, but the thing is…I’ve found someone else and we just hit it off.

For a while now I’ve felt that you just don’t get me. I turn up, we go through the motions and then I leave again feeling, well, a bit deflated, I’ll be honest.

I keep willing you to make a change, challenge me and spur me into action, but, you never do. I don’t think you care anymore.

I felt something was missing… that spark and passion, the need to come and see you every day.

Sadly, as time goes on I just keep making excuses not to visit you.

It was during these times that I found myself looking for something new; and I’m sorry to tell you that I think I’ve finally found ‘the one’.

It’s called CrossFit – yes I know what you’re thinking; it’s just a crush, a whim, it’ll never last, but I seriously think it will.

I can’t wait to...