nickymagblog-blog

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First: this #WOD was brutal. But it was a perfect way to spend my Monday. Getting my ass kicked and proving I'm stronger than the little red devil on my shoulder telling me I can't do it!! 👹💪🏻 Second: I've decided to start doing more running/bike/rowing to condition my body for #MURPH at the end of the month. I wanted to check my mile time and see where I was at. Last time I remember running a mile straight I was at a 14-ish minute mile. Today I surprised myself and ran under 13!! Still have work to do but so happy I'm improving even though I haven't gone running in over a year. 🏃🏻🏃🏻 I guess this #crossfit thing actual does work at making you more fit. Who woulda thought?! .... @goldenphoenixcfsouth @goldenphoenixcf @crossfit #health #healthy #motivation #dedication #motivated #dedicated #healthiswealth #gettingstronger #workout #weightloss #fatloss (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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--Saturday Smiles!!-- 1. WOD ala @uniquelyme_23 ✅ 2. Extra work!! ✅ 3. Backsquat PR! (So close to 300#) ✅ 4. Fitness with friends ✅ Thanks again @uniquelyme_23 @loritravs @clnegative @karipearcecrossfit @i_own_the_camaro & @d_cat12 for continuing to make @goldenphoenixcfsouth my happy place! Now... enjoying the rest of my day off with some delicious food!! NOOOOOM! Oh... & of course, some Colombian Roast. Duh. ------ #progress #fatloss #weightloss #dedicated #motivated #dedication #motivation #rp #rpstrength #food #coffee #wawa #wawaislife #wod #workout #crossfit #goldenphoenixcfsouth (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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My grand return to fitness! • On vacation, @joemag59 and I did WOD's programmed by my coach @jmashh that were killer. But, there is nothing like being within the four walls of @goldenphoenixcfsouth. It's absolutely killer and the energy just makes you want to beast out. So today?? 3 WODs, 800M run, and started CUT 2 of RP. • Pray for me? 😇👼🏻 @rpstrength @goldenphoenixcf @crossfit #crossfit #dedicated #motivated #wod #workout #backatit #motivation #dedication #healthy #weightloss #fatloss #progress (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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This is what I'd like to call a 25# PR! • This guy... he couldn't Overhead Squat a PVC pipe before. He struggles with overhead everything. And today?! 100. Fucking. Pounds. Thanks so much to the coaching at @goldenphoenixcfsouth for pushing me to do better, knowing that I CAN do better, and always being the best hype men and women out there!! #bleedgold • Special shout out to @loritravs for inspiration, motivation, and for catching that tiny victory dance at the end of this clip! #crossfit #investinyourself #weightloss #healthylifestyle #goldenphoenixcf #goldenphoenixcfsouth #wod #strength #rpstrength #workout #healthy #motivated #motivation #dedicated #dedication #pr #progress (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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This is what I'd like to call, NOT #alternativefacts. ---- Take care of yourself. You have one body, one life. Make sure you get to live it to the fullest. ---- #health #wellness #fitness #motivated #motivation #dedicated #dedication #rpstrength #fatloss #goldenphoenixcfsouth #goldenphoenixcf #healthy #healthylifestyle #weightloss #fatloss #investinyourself @goldenphoenixcfsouth @goldenphoenixcf @rpstrength

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Thank @i_own_the_camaro for coaching us through a great partner WOD this morning! AND, for competing my super hero outfit with one of @goldenphoenixcf & @goldenphoenixcfsouth 's very own superhero's bandana's!! • Then, when you're on the fence about doing some of the listed "Extra Work" and @karipearcecrossfit says "Do it!" ... well, you fucking do it! • Great day at Golden Phoenix South! Now, if I'm repping the TMNT, they're pretty fit and enjoy the occasional pizza... so pizza=fit...? But is pizza #rp friendly?? Asking for a friend.... 😊🍕 • @rpstrength @crossfit @crossfitgames #crossfit #motivated #dedicated #macros #motivation #dedication #workout #wod #tmnt #goldenphoenixcf #goldenphoenixcfsouth #healthy #rpstrength #weightloss #weightlifting #wellness #fitness #fitspiration (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FExNx7PETHg)

Check out this promotional video I did about my story and journey in fitness!! Featuring my old gym, Crossfit Press On located in Bloomfield, NJ and my current coach of my new gym Golden Phoenix Crossfit (two locations: Edison, NJ and Mountainside, NJ!!  -------------------------------- @crossfit @crossfitgames

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Is Passion a Problem...?

Hey guys.  This one is kinda long, but bear with me..... ______________________________ So like... have you ever asked yourself, “Am I too passionate?” Lately, I’ve been asking myself that A LOT. 

When you’re a kid, trying to figure out the world, what you want to do with your life, no one tells you, “Just get a job, work, make a living, and then die.” At least, that wasn’t the conversations that I had growing up.  People said things like, “What are you passionate about? Find that thing and follow your dreams. Follow your passions.���  Teachers, advisors, friends, family (if you’re lucky, like I am) all tell you to follow that dream and pursue it.  But, what if you think you know what that thing is? You THINK it’s ONE thing, and it turns out that it’s not. It’s not just one thing you love to do, that brings you joy and fulfillment.  There are many things that would bring you that--that sense of fulfillment.

This is my current conundrum.

I’ve spent my whole life growing up singing and performing. That’s what I wanted to do, still want to do every damn day I wake up in the morning.  It was a dream since I was a little kid and saw my first Broadway show, Beauty & the Beast. As a tubby, weird little child, I thought putting on a costume, becoming something else would be fun--an escape from the day to day, and the plus side was getting to showcase my voice. Singing has been and always will be the thing that makes my stomach flutter, my heart race. I pursued that dream, made it a reality for a few years, but then performing became less of a dream and more of a nightmare.  Even that seems like too harsh of a way to put it but I can’t think of any other words to describe it.  I became tired, the rigamarole of auditions became taxing, the “No’s” heard started to sting more, and the “Yes’” became too far and few between.  I started to hate it... and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want something that had brought me so much joy and light, to turn to sadness and darkness.  

On my journey, I’ve also taken strides in getting healthier.  I started working out, learning about nutrition, reading everything I could to better myself physically.  My family has a history of health issues and I didn’t want that life for me, I want something better. I’ve lost, at this point 80+ lbs, and I’m getting stronger and smarter about my health every day.  My health and wellness journey inspired my father to get moving and since then he has ran 1/2 marathons, 5Ks, and lost around 70-80 lbs as well. I joined a crossfit gym (if you’re in Bloomfield, NJ check them out here: @CrossfitPressOn ) and one day a coach there approached me and said “I think  you’d make a great coach. Your passion, your drive, and the way you support those around you ins inspiring.” Hm... Maybe, but I’m not going to go and change everything just because one person says something to me...  But then... one day talking to a cousin of mine about my journey she said, “Have you thought about a career in nutrition?”  NUTRITION? ME? ...why not? I love learning about different health trends, reading up on whats new, using myself as the experiment to test out all these trends for my knowledge.  I looked into the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, an online program to become a health coach.  Maybe I could start my own business becoming a health coach, start food blog, be like one of these people I follow on Instagram or Facebook who make it work, and if I went to get my CF Level 1 cert....  But is that another career where, I’m passionate about it, but its so unstable, it may be a lot of energy, time and money put out for little return, and now that I’m getting older (approaching 30) that scares me. (as a side note, I’ve since moved gyms because I’ve moved and I LOVE my new spot, @GoldenPhoenixCrossfit.)

And thats where, teaching comes in.  Another thing you may not know about me is that I’ve worked with kids before with theater, performed in interactive children’s theater, and I love how excited kids get to learn from their elders.  When I was applying to colleges I thought, “I would love to dual major in English Education and Theatre Performance!”  But, one person said maybe that wasn’t a great idea, and the young impressionable mind I was, I just followed my dream of theatre.  If I could meet 17 year old Nick and kick him in the shin so that he would just wise up and do what HE WANTS TO DO.... I digress.  Now, I’m starting a program to become a K-8 New Jersey Certified English teacher.  It’s going to be a process but it’s going to be so worth it.  I’m going to have stability, I’m going to have normal work hours, and a normal schedule. I’m going to be able to plan my future and not rely on whether or not I’ve got a dinner shift at my restaurant job on the night where all my friends or family are getting together. I can start saving for house, family, all the “grown up things” that I’ve always wanted.  I realized, that those are the things I’m passionate about now. That I’m... hashtagADULTING as the kids say.  

So, back to my original question: is passion a problem? Do we spend so much time following our dreams and is that time wasted? My takeaway: not at all.  In all these years I’ve learned so much about myself, experienced things I NEVER thought I would, laughed, cried, traveled.. I’ve lived a life, and a pretty good one at that.  Passion is never the problem.  Passion is the force that leads you to live the fullest life available to you, so you should ALWAYS follow it. Whether I start performing again, become that health coach or trainer or start teaching, I will make sure to instill that sentiment in those that surround me.  A life without passion, doing what’s expected of you, just “going through the motions” isn’t a life at all. 

All my best,  Nick 

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Meal Prep for the next few days of work!! Took me all day, I used every pot, pan, spatula, lid, etc in my kitchen. But I got so much accomplished, have tons of left overs, and feel like I'm set up for success!! Here we go! _____________________________ @goldenphoenixcfsouth @goldenphoenixcf @rpstrength @skinnytaste _____________________________ #mealprep #motivated #dedicated #goldenphoenixcf #instafood #weightloss #weightlossjourney #strength #skinnytaste

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I Open at the Close...

2017 Open is Over!

These 5 weeks of the 2017 Crossfit Open have taught me a lot about myself. How to push through the pain. How to fall and to get back up. How to laugh at myself.  How to accept defeat and learn from them.  How to realize how far I’ve come, and how far I have to go.  How to be intense, but in the end, to have fun. 

For me, the open was more about learning that I’m not the fittest, not the strongest, but I work hard. I work hard for where I am. I make the choice everyday to show up. And I’m proud of that. And I’m excited for what the 2018 Open will bring... maybe an Rx division?? WHO KNOWS!  And now, I leave you with a quote from Harry Potter, that rings true for what I learned this open... and is the inspiration for a upcoming tattoo idea I have because, I’m a nerd. Loud and proud nerd. (I told you in the first post this blog would be random, all over, and reach all different people...) “It does not do to dwell on dreams, and forget to live...”  --Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone I have dreams and I haven’t reached them yet. Dwelling on the fact that I haven’t reached them yet will get me no where.  Moving forward towards better health and wellness, towards a better job, a brighter future is not a linear path.  It is inevitable that you will have ups and downs, and thats why you have to live your life day-to-day, face it head on.   Just keep moving forward. 

Best Always,  Nick

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Crossfit Open WOD -- 17.4 •••••••••••••••••••• After seeing that 17.4 was a repeat WOD and then watching it live Thursday night I came up with a game plan. Talked it over with my coach and we figured out the best plan of attack. My only goal for this workout was to make it to the push-up section and let Jesus take the wheel from that point on. •••••••••••••••••••••• Well, not only did I make it to the push-ups but I was able to bang out 17 Reps! So much better than I had ever anticipated. I'm so proud of myself and coming from 17.2/3 where I got my ass handed to me, it felt so fucking good! Thanks so much to the support from my fellow WOD partners (@startld !!) and to the amazing sister team of @jmashh and @cris_4714 for their support! Crossfit is more than barbells, more than box jumps--it's about that community! So proud to be a part of this one! ••••••••••••••••••••• 📸 (TL): WOD & Gameplan | (CL): Progress!! | (BL): Overall reps! 😊 | (R): Directly after aka hot mess express ••••••••••••••••••••• @goldenphoenixcfsouth @goldenphoenixcf @crossfitgames @crossfit #crossfitopen2017 #crossfit #goldenphoenixcf #intheopen #wod #workout #dedicated #motivated #proud (at Golden Phoenix CrossFit South)

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17.3 & What it Taught Me

So today I’ve got a free second to sit down, clear my thoughts, and put them out to the blogosphere.  Today’s post is going to be about Cross Fit, the Games, and my experiences in my first open, so if that’s not your thing, that’s cool! If it is your thing... 17.3?! Am I right? Let me start at the beginning... For, what is now going to be a decade, Cross Fit HQ, primarily Dave Castro, have created what we know as “The CrossFit Games.” The games are where some of the fittest on the planet come to compete for the title of fittest on earth/world.  It’s also the time where young folk like me, sitting on my couch after taking a crossfit class, can watch the games and get inspired.  These people put their bodies through the ringer while supporting their fellow competitors along the way.  As someone who grew up in the arts, who never felt like “part of the team” when he played recreational sports, can say this is the only “sport” where the support feels genuine.  I experience it from my own classes I take at my current gym--Golden Phoenix CrossFit South--whether I’m first to finish or last, everyone is cheering you on, motivating you, supporting you, and only cares that you get to the other side and don’t give up on yourself. It’s a truly magical experience (I bet no one has used the term “magical” to describe a crossfit class before.) 

Before one gets to the games they must compete in a regional competition, and before that, there is “The Open.”  The Open is open (teehee) to literally everyone and anyone who wants to join.  There has usually only been an “Rx” version--meaning you do the movements prescribed as they are, and that’s it--but, this year they have added a SCALED division where some of the movements have been modified. This year, feeling like trying something new, and since I’m all about that scaled life right now, I decided to join my first open.  The Open is a 5 week process with workouts being announced by Dave Castro on Thursday nights, and then you have until the following Monday to complete and post your score on the crossfit games website.  I’ll be honest, I’m usually a sweating, breathless mess at the end of class, so I was quite nervous to be doing this open.  

17.1 The workout was rough.  Dumbbell snatches & burpee box jumps (which, I literally had just gotten my FIRST box jump the day before.) It was rough, but I did much better than I thought, moved pretty quickly for a 270 lb tipster, and jumped on that box every time! 

17.2 50 foot lunges with 2-35lb dumbbells in a front rack position and then hanging knees to chest, & then chin-over-bar pull-ups.  Didn’t get to far in this workout because I’m still working on my pull-up strength.  But I didn’t feel too bad about it because, I worked as hard as I could, and when I got to those pull-ups I got some practice time in with every attempt I made. 

17.3 Squat snatches and jumping chin-over-bar pull-ups.  This is the first workout I tried twice.  17.1/2 I decided would be one and done, but 17.3 hit me hard.  I thought after the first time I completed it that maybe I could have done more, maybe there was more gas in the tank.  So my first attempt was Friday morning and I made my second attempt yesterday morning and got the exact same score.  At first I was quite down on myself, but then my coach said to me, “That only shows you that you gave it your all both times.  You left everything you had on the table.” 

4+ years ago, Nick Magliocco, at 355 lbs (and climbing) would NEVER have even thought about joining a cross fit gym.  Now, I’m taking part in a world wide  open “competition” where people who are the elites in fitness and then people like me are completing the same WODs (workout of the day.) Every day I show up, every day I grab that barbell, every time I’m gasping for breath just means I’ve made one more step forward.  You can’t judge yourself on what those have done before you, or what some might do after you. They’re not you, they don't narrate your story--you do. That’s what crossfit has done for me; not only have I been taking my health back in control and breaking through plateaus that I haven’t been able to break on my own, but its allowed me to narrate my own story again. 

Here’s to 17.4 and the rest of the Open!! To those competing, keep showing up, doing the work, leaving it all on the table!! To those unsure about what this whole CrossFit thing is, maybe give it a shot? Find a local gym, meet the people, take a beginners course.  Crossfit is more than “picking things up and putting them down,” it’s about community, a community that will be there for you for every PR & every failure.  The first community in the fitness world where I’ve felt like I belonged, just because I showed up to do the work. So, show up. Show up for your self. All my best,  Nick

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To Whom it May Concern,

Hey there. I’ve had a ton of these blogs before.  Some were long lasting. Some were “One-Post-Wonders.”  I want this blog to be different.  So a little about me to get you started:  My name is Nick.  I’m a 29 year old Italian-American and I’m still a work in progress. I recently had to move back home to my family home because... things.  I’m a singer... actor....waiter....teacher...? Again, work in process. Speaking of teacher, I’ll soon be starting the process to get my CE (Certificate of Eligibility) to teach English at the K-8 level.  I’m tubby but have been moving towards better health for 4+ years. Down 80ish lbs from 355lbs.  I hail from New Jersey. I enjoy Cross-Fit as my form of exercise. I like to cook.  I like to meet new people.   I like to be supportive.  I like to be supported.  I’m a son, a brother, a friend.  I’m human--so sometimes, MOST TIMES, I make mistakes. 

I plan for this blog to be taken day-by-day, because that’s how my life is currently.  What you can expect from this blog? TRUTH. Days are bad, days are good, because guess what? Life is not perfect--and I’m far from it myself. So let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery together.  All my best, Nick