CrossFit Games Widget

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Friday

Hey guys, tomorrow I'll be doing a WOD at around 2:30-3:00pm. If you feel like joining for a crazy good workout, come find me down in the weight room around that time.
The WOD will be:
1 Clean and Jerk (155lb)
1 Round of Cindy (5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 Squats)
2 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy
...and so on until...
10 Clean and Jerks
1 Round of Cindy

It'll be an awesome workout!
Here's a video of two elite CrossFit competitors doing it - http://library.crossfit.com/free/video/CFJ_Speal_SpealvsKhalipa.mov

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Thursday WOD - Eating for Performance and Health

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
Walking lunge, 100 ft or about 35 Lunges
50 Squats
25 Back extensions



Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, once said "There's not alot more than pullups that you can do to get more pullups." He was talking about eating smart. Nutrition is at least 50% of the performance game, so neglecting nutrition is the equivalent of learning only how to multiply, but not divide in a math class. Getting your diet in order is ESSENTIAL if you want to make decent progress in ANY fitness program. Here is a basic rundown of how to do it:



EAT (in order of magnitude):




  • Meat and vegetables
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Some fruit
  • Little starch (sweet potatoes and yams, skip the white potatoes)
  • NO SUGAR (This means no added sugar whatsoever, no honey, no agave nectar, no artificial sweeteners, no stevia, etc. You’re body often reacts to non-caloric sweeteners by releasing insulin, which we want to minimize)
Eat till satisfied, but know the difference between a mouth and a vacuum. Even with good foods, it’s possible to gain weight by eating too much, but this should rarely be a problem. It’s actually often difficult to eat enough, once you get adjusted.


AVOID (in order of importance)



  • All grains and grain products (wheat, barley, sorghum, bread, cereal, flour, etc)
  • Any gluten containing items (gluten comes from grains)
  • Legumes (includes beans of all kinds, peas, and peanuts)
  • Dairy*(milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc)
  • Processed oils and salad dressings (canola oil, peanut oil, soybean oil)
  • Limit fruit juice consumption (high amounts of sugar)
  • Limit processed meats (deli meats, pepperoni, etc)


* Butter is okay; heavy cream is alright, just don’t overdo it.


If you’re going to be eating from the salad bar, here are a few tips:



  • Fill up at least 1/3 of your plate/bowl with a quality protein (meat, eggs, fish, etc)
  • Fill up the rest with veggies and SOME fruit (a handful or less)
  • Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
  • Feel free to add some vinegar, but stay away from the prepared salad dressings.
  • Feel free to sprinkle some nuts or seeds on top
  • Salt and pepper is fine (spices are good), just moderate the salt.


For home, stock up on some good foods, so it’s easier to make the right choice when temptation strikes:



  • Eggs are a good, easy source of quality protein.
  • Chicken breast is pretty versatile, it can be baked, stir-fried, broiled, etc
  • Salmon - just delicious
  • Steak/hamburger (try to go for lean cuts unless it's grassfed)
  • Carrots and celery are a great choice when you need something crunchy to snack on.


One supplement I would HIGHLY recommend is fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids. Take about 5g EPA/DHA per day. (Here’s a calculator - http://whole9life.com/fish-oil/)


Get plenty of good quality sleep (8-9 hours), sleep affects a ton of things, including insulin sensitivity, stress hormone levels, and hunger, which are all interrelated. Also get plenty of sunshine, or supplement with 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day.


The first 2 to 3 weeks are going to suck. You may feel tired, with little energy. Keep working out, and stay with it. There’s no way around this adaptation period, stay strict for the first 4 weeks, make a date on the calendar, hold yourself to it. 




For lacto-vegetarians (vegetarian w/dairy): 
Replace the recommendations for meat with high quality protein-rich dairy foods(preferably fermented) like: full fat cottage cheese, hard cheeses, whey protein shakes, whole milk, and full fat yogurt(no sugar added).
You can still see good performance gains with dairy as the main source of protein, but may find it more difficult to get lean than with full Paleo. Stick with the rest of the recommendations on everything else.


Also, Paul Zavaglia(BW= about 200lbs) was the first one at Eastlake CrossFit to complete "King Kong," which consists of
3 rounds for time of:
1 455lb Deadlift
2 Muscleups
3 250lb Cleans
4 Handstand Pushups


Fluent in sarcasm...

Guys! Guys! I just found something so awesome! It helps you with those dang painful squats, and make sure that you don't have to go down all the way! Isn't that great?!


I don't know, do you guys think squats and lunges are too hard, and too painful?
I guess the guy below probably used this squat helper machine thingy too right?

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Wednesday WOD

WOD

3 X 5 Back Squat

-Then-

20 Deadlift
10 Push Jerk
16 Deadlift
8   Push Jerk
12 Deadlift
6   Push Jerk
8   Deadlift
4   Push Jerk
4   Deadlift
2   Push Jerk

Pick a weight that's reasonable for a set of about 20 reps Push Jerk, and use that for both the deadlift and the push jerk. (135/95# may be good)

Optional Sprint Work: 8 X 100m Sprints w/10X Rest Periods (Sprint takes 15 sec, rest 150 sec, or 2:30)

Post times and load used to comments

Rational Paleo

Here is a great post from Kurt Harris at Paleonu, a blog on various topics within nutrition and medicine. He talks about how many strict paleo followers are almost dogmatic in their approach to diet, demonizing ANY neolithic foods. He makes a very good argument for using rational, logical thinking in our approach to diet and nutrition.
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/3/28/the-only-reasonable-paleo-principle.html

Monday, April 26, 2010

FIELD TRIP!!!

Tomorrow, we'll be meeting at 5:00pm in the parking lot just behind Terry. We'll be carpooling over to Stoneway CrossFit for their 5:30 class. As for the WOD, I don't know, it'll be a surprise! Be there on time!!! I hope to see all of you guys there!

LECTINS!

Wikipedia (though it may not be a concrete source) is a great place for a jumping off point to finding more info about the topic you're looking for. They actually cover quite a bit about the dangers of lectins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectin#Toxicity
Check it out!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Monday WOD - "Beyond the Body" - What Makes CrossFit Women Hot

 


WOD
10 X 200m Sprints (1 lap around the outside of the top track)

Rest for 5X the time for the sprints. (Ex: Sprint takes 40sec, rest for 200 sec, or 3 min, 20 sec)

Optional WOD
AMRAP in 6 minutes of:
10 Toes-To-Bars
10 Handstand Pushups
10 Pistols (5 each leg)

"Beyond the Body" by Louis Hayes - A great article about CrossFit women.
http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_hayes_chicks.pdf

Friday, April 23, 2010

The Fuzz Speech - The Importance of Stretching and Myofascial Release

Hey guys, I found this great video that illustrates why we need to stay limber.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FtSP-tkSug&feature=player_embedded
You don't want to be all fuzzy, do you?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Third World Squat

Craig Weller over at T-Nation has written an excellent article. I highly recommend you read it, especially for those of you who have tight hips. http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_thirdworld_squat

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Thursday WOD - Intestinal Health

Hey guys, I'm going to try to start posting your performances in the comments for each day. This way you can keep track of your progress.

WOD

5 rounds for time of:
10 DB Thrusters (35lb DBs)
20 Situps, anchored
30 KB Swings (35lb)

Post times to comments.

Mark Sisson over at MDA had written a nice piece about digestive health. Take a look:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-up-with-your-gut-beneficial-bacteria-and-good-digestive-health/
As an addon, here's his guide to fermented foods:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fermented-foods-health/

Wednesday WOD

WOD

5 X 3 Press
5 X 5 Deadlift

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

CrossFitter Lingo

Rainier CrossFit had a good post explaining some of the most common acronyms used by CrossFitters!
http://www.rainiercrossfit.com/rainier_crossfit/2010/04/hspu.html

The Myth of Non-Functional Hypertrophy

An interesting article on the effects of training (take this with a grain of salt):
http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/nonfunctionalmyth.html

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tuesday WOD

WOD
(AMRAP in 3 min) X 5 of:
3 Power Cleans (135/95lbs)
6 Pushups
9 Squats
1:00 Rest between 3-min efforts.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Monday WOD - The Paleo Alphabet

WOD


Four rounds for time of:
Row 500 meters
Rest 3 minutes



Post times for each 500m.


Field Trip Update - Most people are available for Tuesday, so I'm going to see if we can do it at 5:00pm on Tuesday of next week. Everybody should come, it's free! We'll work out the logistics this week.


All these links are from Weekend Link Love over at Mark's Daily Apple:
You guys might get a kick outta this one:


The Paleo Alphabet by Paleo Princess
B is for Boobs! (yes, she goes there)


And another interesting one:
Comparison of Grass-fed and Grain-fed Beef and Dairy



Friday, April 16, 2010

Slippin' Through the Cracks

I know I have fallen into this at times, and to those I've failed to recognize for their undying effort, I am sorry.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Thursday WOD - Glucose vs Fructose

WOD

(AMRAP in 2 minutes) X 5 of:
10 Pushups
10 Situps
10 Squats

2:00 Rest in between efforts

Focus on speed, going all out during efforts. (WOD=Workout Of the Day; AMRAP=As Many Rounds/reps As Possible)
Post times to comments.

Hey guys! We've been invited to come train at my buddy's CrossFit gym, Stoneway CrossFit! We'll have to take a bus down there and back (unless you want to run, haha), and we'll try to do it at around 4:30 like normal. We'll all meet at Terry-Lander, the bus stop in front has a route right by Stoneway CF. I'd like all of you to get ahold of me either on facebook or my email (drew_5334@yahoo.com) and tell me all days you're available to do it.

Glucose vs Fructose

Different types of carbohydrate you consume will have different effects on your body hormonally, and it is important to know what these differences are, so you can make informed decisions in your nutrition and training. In short, sweet potatoes, yams, and other root vegetables/tubers(potatoes are not a root veggie, they are a nightshade) are a better choice for carbohydrate than fruit. This is because glucose better fills muscle glycogen, and retains insulin sensitivity than does fructose. Keep in mind that we should be eating a large amount of non-starchy vegetables as the majority source of carbs.

All carbohydrate is digested, absorbed, and then either used as energy, stored as glycogen, or stored as fat. Storage of fat typically happens only once the body's glycogen stores are topped off. Glycogen has two main storage sites, the liver, and the skeletal muscles.

Glucose and fructose are two sugars found very commonly in the diet. Fructose is commonly found in high amounts in fruit, and also makes up half of the mass in table sugar, the other half is glucose. Glucose is found in varying amounts in many carbohydrate sources, including fruit, vegetables(small amounts). The most concentrated form of glucose however, is in starch, which composes the majority of the carbohydrate content in potatoes, grains, and root vegetables like yams and sweet potatoes(that's right, potatoes are not a root vegetable, they're a 'nightshade'. Sweet potatoes aren't in the same family as potatoes, despite the name). Starch is made up of long strings of glucose molecules.

Glucose is the form which our body uses(also called blood sugar), and there is a certain level of glucose constantly circulating in our bodies. Our bodies keep this level within a very tight range because bad stuff happens when our blood sugar gets out of control, including damage to the blood vessels, and in extreme cases, medical emergencies. Insulin and glucagon play the two key roles in blood sugar regulation. Glucose itself, or from the breakdown of starch molecules, can be transported directly into the bloodstream to be used by the cells of the body.

Fructose must be first converted to glucose in the liver, before it can be used by the body. This is why it has a low glycemic index, which would usually be good, but in this case, is deceiving. Because fructose is broken down in the liver, it replenishes liver glycogen preferentially, rather than muscle glycogen.

The majority of our insulin sensitivity is based upon our liver glycogen levels. The problem with fructose is that by replenishing liver glycogen preferentially, much of our insulin sensitivity is lost. So less fuel is stored in the muscles and we become less insulin sensitive, two bad things for an athlete.

Liver glycogen can be both created and broken down to maintain blood sugar levels. Muscle glycogen, however can only be created, then used locally in the muscle. So, by eating foods like root veggies and tubers, that are still nutritionally dense(better than just a glucose drink), and have starch as their main energy component, we can optimally refuel our muscles, while preserving insulin sensitivity.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis
This is a condition in which the myoglobin(muscle protein) breaks down and enters the bloodstream. Myoglobin is toxic to the kidneys, so this can lead to serious complications of kidney failure, and sometimes even death.

Why am I talking about this? Because it can occur (though very rarely) after high-intensity exercise, such as CrossFit. This is why we as trainers make efforts to gradually introduce new trainees to increasing intensity, until they are acclimated to the intensity of CrossFit.
Here are a few things you can do to help avoid it as well:

  • Drink plenty of water before/after your workouts. This especially applies to the first few days of training.
  • Avoid heat after intense training sessions. Heat can exacerbate the release of myoglobin and make a case of rhabdo much worse. Again, this applies especially to the first few training days.
Here are a few things to look out for:
1. Pain out of proportion to the amount of soreness you would expect, often coming on much faster than you would expect after a workout, and often accompanied with weakness.

2. Swelling of the body part involved, either with or without pain.

3. Decreased urine output or dark urine. This is the scary one and the one that gets you admitted to the hospital. 



If you think you have rhabdo, get to a doctor and get checked out. It can get progressively worse for days before it gets better.


Here is a link that explains in in more detail: http://crossfitocmd.typepad.com/crossfit_ocmd/2007/11/rhabdomyolysis.html

Wednesday WOD - Carbohydrate Curve



WOD
5 X 5 Push Jerk
5 X AMRAP Strict Pullups

Mark Sisson over at Mark's Daily Apple has tons of great info on nutrition, as well as other topics related to health and performance. He has come up with a guide to carbohydrate consumption which I think really hits the nail on the head. I like to stay in the below 50g/day range, but that's because I've been there for a while and don't have access to sweet potatoes or yams (better than fruit, I'll discuss this soon). Anywhere from 50 to 150g  a day I would say will work for most people, with 150g/day being for high performing athletes that train hard for more than an hour and that are already pretty lean and/or for people trying to gain weight, as it will increase your appetite and allow for more variety. Either way, try to get most of your starchy carbs in IMMEDIATELY after your workout, to maximize insulin sensitivity.
Here's the link to his article: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/

Monday, April 12, 2010

Tuesday WOD

To Monday's class: Nice job today guys!

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time of:
Burpees
Deadlift (225/145lbs)
Broad Jumps (double the number above, in meters; eg. 20m, 18m...)

On the broad jumps, try to get at least 2m on each jump.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Monday WOD

WOD

3 rounds for time of:
10 Deadlift (275/185lbs)
50 Double-Unders

Post times to comments.

Double-Unders

Saturday, April 10, 2010

CrossFit 101 - What is CrossFit?





During the next few weeks, I will be going over the nuts and bolts of "What is CrossFit?" and other CrossFit fundamentals. This will give you insight to WHY we train the way we do. Let's start off with a big one: 

WHAT IS CROSSFIT?
This is a hard question to answer, especially in a short manner. You will no doubt be asked this question many times, and it helps to have a grasp of how CrossFit came to be. I couldn't possible do CrossFit's fundamentals justice, and so I will incorporate the help of some of the original documents. These texts are powerful and may change how you think about fitness and training forever.
The fundamentals of CrossFit can be found in the early CrossFit Journal articles, where various models and standards are laid out and where the core of CrossFit training stems from.

This week, your homework is to read: WHAT IS FITNESS

Friday, April 9, 2010

Tuesday training time added!

We will now be training at 4:30 on Tuesday, as well as Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Thursday WOD


In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on Feburary, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and one-year old son T.J.

WOD


"DT"
Five rounds for time of:
155 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155 pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155 pound Push jerk, 6 reps



'08 Champ Jason Khalipa - 6:16
Post time to comments

Wednesday WOD

Nicole Carrol in an Overhead Squat competition.

WOD
Find your 15-rep max on Overhead Squat.
          Elite goal: Bodyweight X 15
Then:
5X3 Snatch Balance

-and/or-

5X5 Back Squat
5X5 Press

The second option is for those that who are not proficient in the overhead squat. We will work on skill practice with air squats, front squats, and overhead squats with PVC or very light weight. Remember, MECHANICS-CONSISTENCY-INTENSITY (in that order) Building a solid base in the mechanics will benefit your performance in both the long run, and short run. Form is not redundant, correct mechanics provide the most efficient way to move a load, and therefore dramatically affects performance.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Kalsu

Robert warming up with some thrusters. Notice the active shoulders, as well as getting his head through.
Death by Thrusters - Johnathon Giang
Birthday Boy - Robert
Kalsu is one of the worst WODs I've ever done.
Everybody finished in a pretty good time. I didn't make sub-25, but I got sub-30 (28:54, not too shabby). A total of 100 - 135lb Thrusters and 145 Burpees. 

Monday, April 5, 2010

Tuesday - If you dare...

Tuesday, at 4:30, if you've got the guts, come and join my friends Johnathon and Robert and I while we tackle "Kalsu" to celebrate Robert's birthday.

"Kalsu"
Perform 100 Thrusters with 135lbs as quickly as possible, while performing 5 Burpees every minute, on-the-minute.

Warning: you must have been working out for at least the last week, with CrossFit-style training to join us in this WOD. It would be unsafe to do so otherwise.

If you don't want to do the workout, or can't because you aren't ready for it, feel free to come watch us suffer and help cheer us through the hell!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Monday WOD


CrossFit Main Site WOD:


Run 1600 meters
Rest 3 minutes
Run 1200 meters
Rest 2 minutes
Run 800 meters
Rest 1 minute
Run 400 meters



Post times to comments.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

What is your goat???


Today I rediscovered my own goat: Running. For those who don't know, we're not talking about the hoofed furry critters. We're talking about something every athlete has, a weakness, an Achilles heel, the movement which for some reason we struggle so much with. It can also be another kind of weakness, perhaps very tight hamstrings hold you back in the squat, or tight shoulders in overhead movements.
Our goats frustrate us, and they're not fun. For these reasons, many of us, myself included, will tend to avoid it, dreading when a workout comes around with our goat prominently displayed.
For the same reasons and more, however, we need to work on our goats. Frustrating us, we can only overcome this by concentrating amongst adversity. By the same methods it teaches us to become comfortable with pain, with being uncomfortable. Spending time on your goats offers many more benefits than trying to build on the areas you are already strong in. Your fitness is only as strong as your weakest link.

Take a look at what some others have to say about goats, then tell us:
WHAT IS YOUR GOAT?

Friday, April 2, 2010

Active Shoulders

Shoulders are moved up towards the ears.

This is a little add-on to yesterday's post in which I mentioned active shoulders. The shoulders should be active and engaged in many lifts and movements, including presses, the snatch, overhead squats, and handstands; if you're pushing or holding something overhead, you need to keep your shoulders active. This provides better balance and safety for the shoulder. Rainier CrossFit has a good post on the subject, so I'll send you their way.
Here is the link to a CrossFit Journal article mentioned in the post: The Lifting Shoulder (if the link doesn't work for you, click "Save page as..." to download it, it should work when you open the file)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Friday - Rest Day

Today is a choice between a complete rest day or some light gymnastic work. Practice your handstands, or if you are just learning to, practice kicking up into handstands. Play with some pseudo planche pushups (place your hands near your waist). Try some other stuff if you like, just take it EASY, this is purely skill practice. Focus on trying to focus(yes, somewhat redundant) and maintain balance. Make sure to keep active shoulders in the handstand (think about trying to raise your shoulders up towards your ears).

Hey guys, 4:30pm for training is looking like it could be a good alternative for people who's classes run a bit later than last quarter. Send me an email if this would not work for you and/or the 3:30pm time works better. Or, if another time would work better, let me know. We're trying to accommodate as many people as possible, and each one of  your feedback helps. Thanks!