Mentors and Motivation

There are a few people and places that we would like to thank for the role they played in helping make The Shop what it is today...

Gym Jones for the original inspiration and for starting us down the path to self improvement thru self destruction and introspection. If it wasn't for the first and classic set of Gym Jones black and white videos it would have never been nearly as easy to convince the original members of The Shop to get involved in this type of training. Gym Jones has remained a constant source of motivation, knowledge, and ideas since our inception. Thanks goes to Mark Twight and all involved with that project for blazing a new trail.

Paper Street Gymnasium for helping to get this site started. If it wasn't for Bruce's recommendation that we start a blog The Shop may have never progressed the way it did. Bruce is a true student of form, technique, and health. His advice and answers have been a priceless resource when it comes to questions regarding movements and nutrition. We've collaborated in the past and plan to do more in the future. Not to mention that he designed us a logo that we're all extremely proud of.

CrossFit Jax for playing the most instrumental role in the development of our programming. Always unique, innovative, and ever changing their workouts are not only original but engaging, difficult, and complex. Since viewing the "Transformers" Video CF JAX has also played the role of motivator. Those clips are so much more than a workout video, it's an incredible piece of art mixed with the display of physical prowess and originality. Their continued motivation, high standards with regards to technique within the movements, and their ability to extract an athlete's full potential thru efficiency sets CF JAX apart.

324 for being the epitome of creativity, the king of form, execution, and perfection, and for cutting through the brush and undergrowth to lead the way in a dark and uncharted forest. The amount of information one can obtain from Solista and company rivals any other site we've found. Between the videos and links, explanation and analysis of programming, and all the theory and motivation one could ever ask for you must be careful how deep you dig. At 324 "work" is taken to a new level where only those who are fully capable of taking on anything should even consider testing themselves. With their sights set on "world domination" there is no room for error, lack of focus, or consistency.

Mountain Athlete for furthering the idea of "Grinding" through a workout and coming out the other side mentally tougher with a feeling of pure accomplishment. Thanks to Rob Shaul we were introduced to movements like the Curtis P, Mutant Maker, and Mr. Spectacular. The "exercise" section is an incredible resource and tool that we constantly refer back to. There's something unique about the Mountain Athlete approach to programming that makes a person feel (and be) tougher than if they skipped the long endurance type training altogether.

CrossFit for truly helping us understand what “fitness” is about and supplying the basic pattern for which we use as a template in our daily lives:

"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports."
- Greg Glassman, CrossFit founder