Our current training block features dead stop training, a technique that helps build raw strength by eliminating momentum and stretch reflex from your lifts.

What is Dead Stop Training?
Dead stop training involves starting every rep from a complete stop at the bottom of the movement. No bounce, no momentum, just pure effort. By forcing you to generate power from a dead stop, this technique can build serious strength without requiring maximum loads. This method is also great for improving your lifting technique as all your reps essentially become singles instead of continuous touch and go efforts. With each rep now it's own standalone masterpiece you have more opportunities to focus on setup, form and control.
The goal is to perform every rep as perfectly as possible.

The Dead Stop Shoulder Press
Today, we’re putting this technique to work with dead stop shoulder presses. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• Pause at the bottom: After each rep, let the bar settle for 1-2 seconds. Your hands stay on the bar, but no sneaky bouncing or rushing to the next rep.
• Stay tight: Don’t let your body relax completely during the pause. Keep your core braced, glutes engaged, and tension throughout your body. This helps maintain stability and prevents over-extension of your lower back.
• Push through: Without the usual bounce to help, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to press that bar overhead.

At CrossFit Anam we’re not just about exercising, we’re about changing lives. Our mission is simple: to help you live a longer, happier, and healthier life through our coach-led fitness programs.
As a CrossFit affiliate for almost 12 years, we have been able to help over a thousand people improve their lives. We know that if you give CrossFit just 24 hours then a bit of magic starts to happen, regardless of your age or fitness level.
 
We love being a CrossFit gym because CrossFit works - better than any other fitness program on the planet. But we aren’t like other gyms. At CrossFit Anam, our version of CrossFit is more about quality than competition: the quality of your movement, the quality of your experience and the quality of your life. 
 
Why Choose Us?

• Fun & Effective Workouts: Our workouts are different every day to keep things exciting and prevent boredom. Workouts aren’t work when you enjoy them.
• Expert Coaching: Every class is led by experienced coaches who tailor workouts to your goals & fitness level. We don't make you fit the workout; we make the workout fit you.
• Supportive Community: Join a friendly, welcoming family where you work out with people, not just beside them.

 
Our Promise
We believe fitness should be a source of joy, not stress. Exercise should be a celebration of what your body can do - not punishment for what you ate.
 
Your gym should make you happy. When you enjoy going to your gym, it helps everything else fall into place.

Come and see what makes us different.

Today, we’re taking on our first benchmark workout of 2025: The CrossFit Total.

This iconic workout is a comprehensive test of functional strength, combining your heaviest lifts in the Back Squat, Shoulder Press, and Deadlift - arguably the three most effective movements for building and measuring strength.
For our members who participated in this workout back on August 27, 2024, today’s session offers an excellent opportunity to compare results and assess how their strength has evolved. Even if this is your first time completing the Total, it provides a valuable starting point for future benchmarks.

It’s More Than Just a Strength Test
The CrossFit Total isn't just about the numbers however, it’s about pushing boundaries, learning from the challenge, and setting yourself up for success in 2025. It can prove a really powerful tool to help you reach new levels of fitness and performance:

💪 Tests Your Raw Strength: The Back Squat, Shoulder Press & Deadlift are three foundational lifts that measure your total body strength and functional capacity.
📈 Track Your Progress: Regularly performing the CrossFit Total allows you to benchmark your performance over time.
⚡ Build Mental Resilience: Testing 1RMs isn’t just about physical strength - it challenges your mental fortitude, focus, and ability to perform under pressure.
🔍 Identify Weak Points: The CrossFit Total highlights areas for growth, whether it’s improving leg strength, trunk stability, or upper body pressing power.
🏆 Lay a Strong Foundation for Performance: Strength improvements in these three lifts translate to better performance across all aspects of CrossFit, from Olympic lifting and gymnastics to metcons and endurance workouts.

Looking Ahead: New Strength Cycle 📅
Next week, we’ll be launching a new 7-week strength cycle designed to build on today's results and to help prepare for the Open. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new programming block!
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Celebration of Strength
The CrossFit Total isn’t just about lifting heavy - it’s a celebration of your strength, progress, and commitment to improvement. Whether you’re establishing a baseline or setting new personal records, today’s workout is an excellent opportunity to start the year on a high note.

Health is not a sprint.

Health is not your weight or bodyfat percentage.
Health is not a 'Shred'.

Health is about sustaining fitness throughout your lifetime and having fun doing it.

The goal is not to be the thinnest version of yourself.
The goal is to be the happiest & healthiest version of yourself.

Our mission is helping people live longer, happier, and healthier lives through our coach-led fitness programs.
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Come join us.
https://www.crossfitanam.com/get-started.html

Welcome to October!
This month's high level focus will be on pressing technique and shoulder health.
​Technique is how we successfully complete a movement.
​Regardless of how long you have been doing CrossFit, we drill & refine technique in every single class, with everyone practicing the fundamentals of each movement in that day's workout.
We know that Technique is everything, that you will not make significant progress without it and more importantly, you will not be safe in trying.
We will also place a priority on strict strength and incorporating shoulder health circuits into several classes throughout the month!

​After a fun month of benchmarks and testing, in September we are returning to CrossFit's theoretical hierarchy of athletic development with a focus on improving our conditioning capacity.
​In parallel we will also seek to improve our squat mechanics and capacity across all variations.
The majority of CrossFit workouts are metabolic anyway, but compared to normal, September will deliver a larger handful of longer and higher rep workouts and include numerous opportunities to refine our squat.
This week will kick the month off in style with 3 long workouts and 5 different squat variations to practice.
Stay tuned...

We are pleased to announce that Drew Lupton has been appointed as the new General Manager of CrossFit Anam!

Drew brings with him a wealth of fitness experience and we are pleased to welcome him as a full-time member of our team.

Within his new role, Drew will be responsible for maintaining and improving how the gym operates with oversight of staff, facilities, equipment & programs and helping improve our member experience.

Drew will also have lead CrossFit coaching responsibilities so will definitely be kept busy!

Good luck Drew!

Two thousand, six hundred.
That's the number.
2,600 early mornings
2,600 whiteboard briefs
2,600 warm ups
2,600 workouts
2,600 cool downs

2,600 times, our main woman and mother of CFA, Carmel McCann, has attended CrossFit Anam
For context, CrossFit HQ emailed us very recently to let us know that a man in his 70s in America had completed his 1000th CrossFit session. Very impressive!

Of course, this made us think of Carmel and we couldn't help but wonder how many sessions she'd completed. After a little bit of digging, we pulled together her numbers and there we have it. 2,600.
Yer man in America has a bit of catching up to do!

In 2013, when we first opened, Carmel had just turned 61 years of age. For an average of 5 classes per week, for 11 years on the trot, Carmel has now hit a record of 2600 classes, just this week
When it's broken down, that is an unbelievable statistic, especially when you factor Covid closures into it
She is now 72, and not only is she fitter than she's ever been, she's fitter than most people we know and showing absolutely no signs of slowing down!

We've preached this before but, CrossFit = Longevity. There is no doubt about it.

We hit another milestone this week too - for the first time ever, we had three generations taking part in the same CrossFit class.
Carmel, Eilis and young Alice!

It just so happens that 2,600 is also the exact number of grandchildren that Carmel has, so we've no doubt there will be plenty more of the 3rd generation joining her for workouts very soon
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Thank you for your loyalty, commitment, hard work and good examples, Carmel.
CFA would not exist without you, literally!

​Yesterday, we were delighted to present "the best looking" McCloskeys (according to Phelim ) with a cheque for £1,620 for the Air Ambulance
Once again, a huge thanks to everyone who came to take part and donate to our 'WOD For Adrian' fundraiser. We are blown away by the support from many people far and wide! We have a wonderful community.
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Thanks also to the McCloskey family for gifting us a fantastic limited edition 'Run For Adrian' framed shirt.
It will take pride of place in CFA

Building and maintaining muscle mass is important but we don’t overlook the benefits that protein has on our health.
Higher protein diets have shown to improve satiety which has a positive impact on body composition therefore improved markers of health.

Breakfast is one meal that most people struggle with to get a good serving of protein in. Mostly due to the fact that most breakfast items are typically carb heavy - which is good for energy but it’s a different macro altogether and we still need protein.

Pay some attention to your breakfast, plan in a 20-30g protein serving to increase your overall daily protein intake.

It doesn’t have to be complicated - eat a high protein yoghurt after your oats or have a protein shake with some fruit if time is a challenge.

Have a chat with Caoimhe if you need any help with this!