Husky CF Club

All things must come to an end...

2011-05-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awesome training with you guys for the last two years. Today marks the end of my teaching classes at the IMA. I will leave this blog up, and depending on your guys' responses, I might begin posting workouts each day on here.

I will hopefully be working as a trainer up at Lynnwood CrossFit(aka Local's Gym) this summer. Local's Gym is a top-notch gym, the best I've ever been to in fact, which is why I wanted to intern there in the first place. They have an amazing community, great trainers with tons of experience, and an incredible place with plenty of good equipment, including stuff for gymnastics, olympic weightlifting(bars, bumpers, platforms, boxes, etc), strongman (atlas stones, logs, sandbags, very heavy dumbells, etc), powerlifting (bands, chains, monolith squat racks, etc).

I may be able to set up a time where you guys can come up and train for free, after paying a $35/month membership fee to use the gym. I'll keep you guys updated on that.

Change of Class Schedule: No more Thursday classes

2011-04-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Because very few people show up on Thursdays for training, I am canceling Thursday classes until further notice. I'm sorry if this inconveniences anyone.

Spring Quarter begins!

2011-03-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Welcome back to training, we're going to hit the ground running. Starting Monday, March 28th, we'll be training again at 5:30pm at the IMA. See you there!

Robb Wolf Talks at Chico State

2011-03-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Robb Wolf gives a great talk on how the evolution applies to medicine and nutrition. A great intro to the why's of the Paleo Diet.

This is a need to see! Click the link!

http://rce.csuchico.edu/Mediasite/Viewer/?peid=b25c9f0075fc4320898afc0b1bc9f644

Guest Post: My Experience with Type 1 Diabetes and The Paleo Diet

2011-02-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

The week Kyp was diagnosed

In response to my asking if he would talk to some relatives of mine who are dealing with Type 1 Diabetes, a friend of mine, Kyp Kotzikas, went above and beyond, and chronicled his entire experience in detail, and shared it with the world.

Here, is his story:

My Experience with Type 1 Diabetes and The Paleo Diet

Hello,

My name is Kyp and I am a type 1 diabetic born on the 5th of May 1990 and diagnosed early August 2009.

I consider myself to be a friend of Drew Barquist's and he has asked me to write in regards to how eating a low carb paleo diet has helped me with my type 1 diabetes.

I guess I'll start from the beginning.

August 2009. Over the course of the past nine months I had changed from a chubby 102 kilogram teenager who plays too many video games and ate too many Big Macs to several months later becoming a muscular and active (6 gym sessions per week) 92 kilogram young man who thought that by adhering to the nutritional recommendations I was doing everything in my power to achieve an enlightened state of health whilst simultaneously continuing to lean out to a further six months later becoming a frail and disturbingly lean 70 kilogram male who looked like he needed to be sat down, force fed and watched to ensure he did not try to regurgitate what he had just swallowed.

I had been losing weight at a steady pace, somewhere in the vicinity of none at all to half a kilo per week until June. Once June hit my weight began to drop at an alarming rate, anywhere from 1 to 2 and a half kilos per week. Me being me I put this down to my increased effort with my highly intensive physical labour in the mornings, eating a ‘healthy’ diet full of whole grains, milk for calcium and protein, lots of potatoes and pasta in the evenings with some red or white meat, and an increased frequency of cardio vascular exercise. I was drinking gallons of water per day which I thought was due to the amount of exercise I was doing and I had began to grow increasingly tired in the evenings so I was slowly going to bed earlier and earlier getting an extra 2 to 2 and a half hours of sleep per night. I would wake constantly (every hour on the hour) and need to urinate. I would drink a half a glass of water and go back to sleep thinking nothing more of it as I thought that water is simply good for the body and the more you can drink the better.

August 2009 rolled around and my parents had invited myself to go on a week long holiday with them to Fiji. I was exhausted from exerting myself so hard with work (or so at the time I thought was the reason) and took them up on their offer. On the flight over I drunk something like four cans of coke (it was holiday time so I was relaxing on the diet and enjoying myself) and a bottle or two of water. My parents commented on the amount of liquid I was consuming with my father even telling me it was disgusting whilst having a dirty look on his face.

I had an unquenchable thirst.

If losing 30 kilograms in nine months with the majority of it coming in the past several wasn’t clue enough this certainly should have been.

We arrived at our hotel in Fiji. I had my own room and I started going to town on the ice cream, burgers and fries whilst having pina colada or two. After a day or two, food started to taste rotten, I still could not quench my thirst and I had lost all appetite. It was at this stage my mother asked if I’d like her to book me an appointment with a doctor. I agreed and the first available time was two or three days away.

I continued to try to force food down my throat as it tasted more and more rotten. I was growing increasingly exhausted despite being on holiday and I was still unable to quench my thirst.

The last night before the doctor’s appointment rolled around and it was HORRIBLE. I would wake every couple of hours with crippling stomach cramps. Now I’ve never broken a bone or had a tattoo or anything but these things were some of the worst pain I’d ever felt. I would wake in the pitch black and end up rolling off of my bed onto the floor due to not being able to get a break. These things were killing me. I have no idea why they happened. They’d never done so before and they never have since so I never bothered asking.

Morning time came and my father came to get me to take me to the doctor. I was unable to walk at this stage from being so weak so I had one arm over his shoulder whilst I slowly hobbled out to reception so we could get a taxi.

We arrived at the doctors and I had to be wheel chaired in at this stage. I sat waiting in the lobby until it was my turn to see the doctor. We discussed with them the symptoms and they then put an IV drip into my arm. Oh my god!! I don’t know if it actually works this way but I could just feel my arm being refreshed slowly upwards from the point at which it was inserted. The doctor then told me I had type 1 diabetes. At this stage I didn’t care. Just keep the damn drip in!!

They then put me into an ambulance and took me to their hospital where I had to wait some more. This place was FILTHY. Dirt everywhere, blood dripping all over the floor, no real privacy.

I got put into a room there where my parents waited with me. The nurse came and asked me to give her a urine sample (testing for ketones I suspect?) which I did. I laid back down and slept for I believe what was an hour or two which was absolutely great for me but must have been a rather nerve wrecking time for my parents as I don’t believe any of us knew what diabetes actually was at this stage.

The doctor finally came through, explained to us what diabetes is and how to manage it and that there is no known cause, preventative action or cure for it. “It could be genetic or it could just be something in the wind.”

We got back to the hotel what must have been that afternoon and I had the best sleep of my life. My father came and woke me for dinner, gave me my injection and then I was out to it for another 15 or so hours. I awoke hungry, without thirst and, thanks to the medication the doctors had given me for a tongue infection I’d contracted (apparently due in part to the diabetes), able to breath without a rotten taste in my mouth.

Fast forward six months I was back up to a healthy and muscular 82 kilos. I had put on 10 kilo of muscle in that first six weeks after being diagnosed and things were starting to look good. I began to eat OSM bars (because they gave one third of all your recommended daily requirements of nutrients), Subway twice a day (because bread is a staple food so it must be good for you), and changing my weetbix for rolled oats (because whole grains are healthy right?). The diabetic clinic called me a “star patient” due to my exercising six days per week and following such a healthy diet coupled in fact with my rigorous high frequency of injections and low volume of insulin.

Then I found CrossFit.

CrossFit would be what I would consider to be a revolution in exercise. No more two to three hour gym sessions. No more doing cardio 5 times per week for 45 minutes to 2 hours at a time. No more arm curls. No more leg press. No more machines.

No, CrossFit was different. All these exercises I’d been told was dangerous I was being taught. They taught me how to clean. They taught me how to snatch. They taught me how to jerk. They taught me how to squat, and I mean REALLY squat. No more of this knee bending, no further than parallel stuff (as if I ever got anywhere close!). We were going RIGHT down. Hips bellow parallel, toes pointed out, arms and chest up, tight lumbar curve and pushing the knees outward whilst always being able to wiggle our toes due to having the “weight through the heels”.

CrossFit was all about being ready for the unknown and the unknowable. About increasing you work capacity and your power out put over short periods of time as well as longer periods of time. And it did this by giving you a constant variety of functional movements, teaching you the mechanics of such movements to the point you can do them consistently and then increasing the intensity to a high, unsustainable level. You had to learn not to be afraid of failure. If you fail, so what? You have nothing to prove to anybody but yourself. Just throw the weight on the bar and see what happens. See if you can’t do another rep before dropping off the pull up bar. See if you can’t run that little bit faster, or do fifty unbroken double-unders instead of five sets of ten.

CrossFit changed my perspective on a lot of things in life. Things weren’t as black and white as what I had been led to believe and this caused me to open my eyes and mind to all sides of any given story.

Enter Paleo.

There was a top tier of athletes starting to emerge at the CrossFit box I was currently attending and we were getting through some work, but as is the case with all aspects of my life I always want to be the best so I started researching the top CrossFit athletes in the world and what they were eating to fuel their efforts. I found a common link amongst many of them that they were eating this thing called ‘Paleo’. “What’s a ‘Paleo’?” I wondered so I googled it. Turns out that this was the way cavemen ate in Paleolithic times. “But cavemen lived short brutish lives did they not?” Yes they did and this was due in part to the fact that you either hunt or you be hunted. You break a leg from falling off a cliff and you might as well be dead. There were no hospitals back then. There were no doctors. And there was nobody telling them they should be eating “healthy whole grains and plenty of calcium” everyday.

Our Paleolithic ancestors were strong, tall, lean and muscular. They had minimal signs, if any; of the many diseases we now face today. Why? Because there were no legumes back then. There was no dairy, and there were certainly no grains. It wasn’t until the advent of agriculture that the problems of these many diseases started to become apparent. The things we consider staples in our diet today (breads, cereals, pastas, milk, potatoes) just weren’t around until agriculture. We became too smart for our own good and as such the likes of our agricultural ancestors began to shrink in size. The density of their bones was so much less and the likes of tooth cavities became so much more frequent.

So what does this have to do with me? Well I then googled ‘Paleo Diabetes Type 1’ and came across a site and a post from a man by the name of Robb Wolf. It read

“Robb,

I emailed you about a month or so ago. I just want to give you an update on my situation: I’ve lost about 15-20lbs. I’ve taken no insulin for 5 weeks and I’m type 1 Diabetic!. Because of my strict paleo diet(gluten and dairy free) my a1c is not going to be much higher than when I was taking crap load of insulin. My glucose has really stabilized in the low 100s (100-125) and I haven’t had a low at all during this time nor have I had extreme highs like when I was taking so much insulin. My blood pressure has dropped tremendously and my Internist thinks that my pancreas has jumped started again, because even when I have had a cheat meal my blood is responding in a completely different manner. We are going to do a c-peptide test again. I’ve also started to incorporate better sleeping patterns (trying to get 9-10 hours) and my fasting glucose is even better (lower) than before.”

http://robbwolf.com/2008/09/17/paleo-vs-type-1-diabetes/

I now had every reason to start and no reason not to. So I gave it a go. And as is always the case with myself, I threw myself straight into the deep end. Beef sausages with salad and olive oil for breakfast. Lamb chops and almonds for mid morning meal. Steak and almonds for lunch. Protein shake with banana both pre and post workout. Chicken breast with salad and olive oil for dinner.

Monday to Friday. Minimal insulin requirements, increased energy levels and sense of awareness, and several kilograms of weight loss.

Saturday morning. I finish training. Take my half a unit of insulin to account for the banana I’m about to consume. Half an hour late I’m hypoglycaemic. Take another banana. Ten minutes later still hypo. Consume another banana. Ten minutes later still hypo. One more banana. Ten minutes later my blood glucose has returned to a more level and I start to get excited with the prospect that I may have just had a remission in my supposedly incurable Type 1 diabetes.

Since then I have increased my work output dramatically, my numbers with the lifts are going up and my weight seems to be steady at a healthy, muscular and lean 83kg whilst being 6’

Now I’m not saying that I am cured. Nor am I saying that everybody will get the same results (Robb Wolf stating that only 5% of his Type 1 Diabetic patients see a return in pancreatic function). What I am saying is that so long as I adhere to the conditions of a Paleolithic diet (Grain, Dairy and Legume free), train with a smart amount of frequency (Four to Five times per week. Anything more begins to become a bit much) and get good amounts of sleep (aiming for 8 – 9 and a half hours per night in a pitch black room) then my pancreas seems to produce insulin and prevent me from having to depend upon external sources.

I have strayed from this diet in the past and sometimes my pancreas stops creating insulin for a week, other times it has stopped for several months on end (the most recent case being the longest). My pancreas has of two days ago started to create insulin again and this time I am not going to abuse it by experimenting with different foods to the extent and volume I have in the past. One thing I have noticed with myself though is that my body HATES the sweetener ‘Malitol’ and I will be trying to stay away from this at all costs (It is a major ingredient in a lot of sugar free items along with ‘Sorbitol’)

All I can recommend for others is to just try it for thirty days, see how you look, feel and perform and go from there. It’s not a hard diet, you just don’t eat specific things. And hey, if you come to find that it works for you then that’s great, if not, then all you’ve missed out on is specific foods for thirty days.

What have you got to lose?

http://robbwolf.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Monday, MLK Day - No Class/Helen Fundraiser

2011-01-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we won't be having class, but we're back on Tuesday!

Check out this video from the Helen Fundraiser I attended on Saturday at Lynnwood CrossFit. This little girl shows the true spirit of CrossFit!

http://vimeo.com/18861048

Thursday WOD - Wrestling Practice

2011-01-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Warmup

Jogging

Sprints

Forward Rolls

Cartwheels

Handsprings

Handstand Walking

Knee Slides

Stretching

Skills

Stance (square or split)

Shots (single-leg/highcrotch, double-leg, sweep single)

Finishes (single to double leg finish, straight double finish, sweep finishes)

Arm Drag to Trip

5 minutes of live wrestling at the end.

Wednesday WOD

2011-01-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Deadlift

WOD - "Thruster Heaven"
AMRAP in 7 min of:
DB Thrusters (35lb)

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Pigeon Pose - 2 min/side
Paleo Chair(aka Third World Squat) - 2 min

Phosphatidylserine, Phosphatidylcholine, and Other Phospholipids - Why You Need to be Eating Organ Meats Regularly

2011-01-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

The Other, Other Red Meat...

Organ meats have been much neglected in our society. Most cultures around the world make good use of the internal organs of the animals they consume. In fact, organ meats are often the most prized part of the animal, and for good reason. The Inuit would actually prefer the organ meats, feeding the leanest muscle meat to their dogs. Westerners have in a large part lost the taste for these great parts of the animals, and I'm going to explain why you should change this, not only for health and money, but for performance! (Which is truly all we really care about, right?) Hot, dirty, nasty performance as K-Starr would say!

To look at the nutrition content of each type of organ meat, click the links!

Health

Organ meats are the most nutrient dense tissue in an animal! These babies are like a multivitamin! Liver is a nutrient heavy-weight, boasting a great source of copper, iron, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, all B-vitamins, and phosphatidylcholine. Kidneys are incredibly high in vitamins and minerals as well, similar to liver! Heart, though not as concentrated as liver, still offers up a great nutrition profile similar in content to liver and has the benefit of having the highest phosphatidylserine content outside the brain. Sweetbreads (thymus and pancreas) offer a similar nutrition profile to heart, with the exception of being very high in vitamin C; just 3 oz will fill the RDA for vitamin C!

Finance

Organ meats are cheap! Because of the public's general attitude towards them, organ meats often sell for much less than their muscle counterparts. I've often found chicken hearts for half the price of ground beef, pound for pound. With the decreased price, and increased nutrient density, you get much more nutritional bang-for-your-buck.

Performance

Phospholipids are molecules that compose the largest part of cellular membrane in our cells. New interest in increasingly being focused on the phospholipids that we consume because of their potential benefits in nearly every area of our body.

Phosphatidylcholine(PC) for example, is a vital phospholipid that makes up as much as 90% of the cellular membrane at birth, dropping to as low as 10% in the elderly. It is an important nutrient for the production of acetylcholine, the prominent neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system. Indeed, administration of PC has shown to improve acetylcholine levels and memory in mice with dementia.

It's also important in the sports arena. Studies have shown that choline levels drop up to 40% in response to sustained strenuous exercise, and administration of PC beforehand stops this decrease. Theories are nice, but does PC actually improve performance?

Yes. In various studies performed on athletes, PC administration significantly reduced time to recovery significantly. In a study in which participants ran 10 miles, those in the PC group ran it in about 5 minutes less time than those in the control group (153.7 vs 158.9 min). About two grams per day may be an adequate dose.

Phosphatidylserine(PS) has been studied to a further extent than has phosphatidylcholine, and has shown many benefits. Particularly interesting is it's effect on preventing overtraining.

Overtraining is a serious roadblock to performance and health, and occurs when the training load becomes more than the body can recover from. With the onset of overtraining, cortisol levels increase, testosterone levels decrease, the resting and submaximal heart rate increases, soreness increases, and performance suffers; performance progress often stops and/or reverses.

PS administration has been shown to almost completely suppress the cortisol release that is usually seen in exercise. Lower cortisol levels means less muscle breakdown and a better environment for musclular growth and repair. In another study, PS supplementation increased the time to exhaustion by 29% compared to controls, a very large increase. In another, subjects performing intense weight-training reported much less soreness and better overall sense of well-being compared to placebo.

In a study on intermittent sprint performance, those who received PS performed significantly better compared to the control group. PS has also shown benefits in mental clarity, reduced stress response to acute stressors, and overall improvements in feelings of wellbeing.

Organ meats and eggs are the richest sources of these phospholipids, muscle meats and plant foods are poor sources in comparison.

Here is a great resource on selecting, buying, and preparing organ meats.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/organ-meats/

As to my personal experience, I've had beef and chicken liver, chicken heart, turkey and goose kidneys, heart, and liver. Liver has a kind of pasty texture, is best cooked lightly, until just done, and served with other foods, so that the flavors mesh together well, I've had success with liver and eggs, as well as liver and ground beef. Heart is delicious all by itself, sauteeing it, they are a bit chewy and taste like sausage. Kidney has an interesting texture and is a bit chewy. I look forward to trying new kinds like sweetbreads, which are supposed to be sweet tasting, rather than savory.

Tuesday WOD

2011-01-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Push-Press

WOD
6 X 200m Sprints
120 sec rest between efforts

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Calf Stretch - 1 min/side
Hamstring Stretch 1 min/side

Monday WOD

2011-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I just wanted you to know in advance, on Thursday, we'll be doing some training in the sport of wrestling. I will go over the basics of movement, scoring, etc and if we have time, we'll get some wrestling matches going on!

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Front Squat
3 X 15 Hollow-Rocks between FS sets

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
15 DB Hang Power Cleans (50#/35#)
15 Burpees

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Calf Stretch - 1 min/side

Thursday WOD

2011-01-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

WOD
Gymnastics Skills Practice:
Hollow Body Position
Kipping Pullups
L-Sits
Handstands
Cartwheels
Round-Offs
Hand-Balancing Work

Wednesday WOD

2011-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Deadlift
3 X AMRAP Hanging Leg Raises

WOD
21-15-9 for time of:
KB Swings (53#/35#)
Burpees
GHD Situps

MWOD
2:00 of Hamstring Stretch
4:00 of Paleo Chair (aka Third World Squat)
1:00 per side of Hip Capsule Work

Tuesday WOD

2011-01-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Press
3 X 80% AMRAP Pullups

WOD
5 rds for time of:
5 DB Push Press
10 Pushups
10 Squats

MWOD
2:00 per side of Calf Stretch
2:00 per side of Couch Stretch
1:00 per side of Overhead Mobility Work

Monday WOD - Annnnnd we're back!

2011-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great winter break, and enjoyed the time off with your families and friends! We're kicking things off right away. Class is back in session!

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Back Squat
3 X 20sec Hollow Rock in between Back Squat sets.

WOD
6 rounds for reps of:
20 sec AMRAP Lunges
10 sec Rest
20 sec AMRAP Pushups
10 sec Rest

MWOD
2:00 per side of Hamstring Stretch
2:00 per side of Pigeon Pose
1:00 per side of Couch Stretch

Increased intestinal permeability may lead directly to increased hunger, and a higher bodyfat setpoint.

2010-12-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's Part 3 in the Body Fat Setpoint series, Stephan lays out his theory about how leptin resistance occurs, and how that affect out body fat setpoint. It's a little bit dense, so I decided to summarize it to the best of my ability here, as well as incorporate some of my own thoughts:

Increased intestinal permeability allows inflammatory substances, such as LPS* (lipopolysaccharide), to cross the gut barrier into our body.
The inflammatory substances irritate many tissues, including the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the main site of leptin's action. Leptin is a hormone which causes increases in energy expenditure and reduced appetite.
Irritation of the hypothalamus causes it to become leptin resistant, which means that the energy-increasing/appetite-suppressing effects of leptin are blocked. We get more tired and hungry.
There are many things that are known to increase gut permeability: gluten, lectins from grains, legumes, and nightshades(tomato/potato/eggplant), certain substances in dairy, alcohol, capsaicin(hot peppers), saponins, abnormal gut flora, omega 3:6 imbalance, and much more.
A paleo diet eliminates nearly all of these offending substances, which helps improve gut barrier integrity.

*Lipopolysaccharide is produced by gram-negative bacteria, and is one of the main component that the immune system uses to recognize these pathogens. LPS causes a strong activation of the immune system.

Body Fat Setpoint by Stephan Guyenet

2010-12-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I hope you're all having a great winter break! I just wanted to share with you a series of articles, written by a fellow husky! He is a graduate student who received his Ph.D in neurobiology from the UW in 2009.

His name is Stephan Guyenet, and he is the writer of Whole Health Source. His posts are some of the most thought-provoking and interesting that I have read, and he takes a very objective and scientific approach to health, all while keeping posts readable and interesting.

Below is a series in which Stephan discusses the concept of our body's set point, what might affect it, and how to change it. I hope you guys read and enjoy it.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Body Fat Setpoint
Body Fat Setpoint Part 2: Mechanisms of Fat Gain
Body Fat Setpoint Part 3: Dietary Causes of Obesity
Body Fat Setpoint Part 4: Changing the Setpoint

Finals Week/Winter Break WODs

2010-12-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, we won't be having training this week due to finals. Study hard, ace your finals, and have an amazing Winter Break! Enjoy the time off, but try to stay active, don't let all of your hard-earned progress go to waste just because you're not going to classes for two weeks.

To help you stay active over the break, here are some WODs that require no equipment, and can be done anywhere! There are also some more WODs at the end that require some basic equipment such as a pullup bar, dumbells, or jump rope. If you don't have a timer, don't worry about it, just do it as fast as you can! Do a workout every other day or so

100 Burpees for time.


3 rds for time of:
50 Squats
400m Run

For time:
100 Pushups
100 Situps
100 Squats


AMRAP in 10 min of:
10 Broad Jumps
Run 100m


3 rounds for time of:
25 Situps
25 Squats
25 Pushups
25 Lunges


AMRAP in 10 min of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats


With dumbells you think you could do about 30 cleans (ground to shoulder) straight with...

21-15-9 reps for time of:
DB Clean and Jerks (ground to overhead)
Burpees


100 Man-Makers* for time w/ light weight (10-20lb DBs)

*How to do a Man-Maker


"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
Double-Unders*
Situps

*(If you can't do double-unders, do 150-120-90-60-30 singles with a jump rope instead, leaving situps as is.)

Don't be afraid to modify these workouts, or make up your own! Just get to it!

Wednesday WOD

2010-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
Deadlift - Work up to a one rep max.

WOD
5 rounds for time of:
10 Burpees
10 Medicine Ball Cleans (20#)

MWOD
Thoracic Myofascial Release - 4 min
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Couch Stretch - 1 min/side

Tuesday WOD

2010-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
Press - Work up to a one rep max.
Pullups - Max reps in a single set.

WOD
For time:
Run 1 mile.

MWOD
Calf Stretch - 2 min/side
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side

Monday WOD

2010-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD

Back Squat - Work up to a one rep max.

WOD

21-15-9 for time of:

Burpees

KB Swings (55lb)

MWOD

Couch Stretch - 2 min/side

Hamstring Stretch - 1 min/side

Pigeon Pose - 2 min/side

Thursday WOD

2010-12-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Skill Practice
Hang Power Cleans

WOD
AMRAP in 12 min of:
250m Row
20 DB Presses (35# DB's)

MWOD
Thoracic MF Release - 2 min/side
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Pigeon Pose - 2 min/side

Tuesday WOD - Blair Morrison on Fitness, Character, and Failure

2010-11-30T21:37:00.001-08:00

Please read this free article from the CrossFit Journal by Blair Morrison. He provides some great insight and wisdom that can benefit anyone.

Blair Morrison on Fitness, Character, and Failure

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Press
3 X 80% Max Rep Pullups

WOD
6 rounds for times of:
1 Lap (~180m)
2:00 Rest

MWOD
Calf Stretch - 2 min/side
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side

Monday WOD

2010-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are all rested up and ready to hit it hard again! Only two and a half weeks or so until Winter Break, so give it your all!

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Front Squat

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
2 rds of Cindy (5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 15 Squats)
5 Clean and Push-Press (135#)

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Pigeon Pose - 1 min/side

Tuesday WOD - Snow Day

2010-11-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
Build the biggest snowman possible in 1 hour.

WOD
AMRAP in 4 hours:
Sled 100m
Throw 20 Snowballs
10 Snow Angels

MWOD
Stretch out in a warm blanket, or in front of a warm fire, with a good book, and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, cocoa, or spiced cider. :)

Enjoy your snow day, and have an amazing Thanksgiving!

Monday WOD

2010-11-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Back Squat

WOD
AMRAP in 8 min of:
250m Row
80 ft Walking Lunges w/ 45# plate overhead

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Pigeon Pose - 1 min/side

Thursday WOD

2010-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Bench Press
3 X 80% Max Rep Pullups

WOD
6 rds for times of:
Sprint 1 Lap (~190m)
Rest 2:00

Time each sprint and add up times at the end.

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side

Wednesday WOD

2010-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Deadlift
3 X 5 AMRAP Strict TTB's

WOD
21-15-9 of:
Burpees
Situps
DB Clean and Jerks (35# DBs)

MWOD
Paleo Chair - 4 min
Hip Capsule Work - 1 min/side
Pigeon Pose - 2 min/side

Tuesday WOD

2010-11-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Push Jerk
3 X 80% Max Rep Pullups

WOD
5 rounds for time of:
5 Pullups(strict)
10 Pistols
15 Pushups

MWOD
Overhead Shoulder Mobility - 3 min
Paleo Chair - 3 min
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side

Monday WOD

2010-11-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Front Squat

WOD
AMRAP in 8 min of:
4 DB Presses (50# DBs)
8 KB Swings (50#)
12 GHD Situps

MWOD
Paleo Chair - 6 min
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side

Tuesday WOD

2010-11-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Press

WOD
4 rds for reps of:
1:00 Tabata Squats
1:00 Tabata Pushups

MWOD
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Paleo Chair - 2 min

Monday WOD

2010-11-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Back Squat

WOD
AMRAP in 8 min of:
15 DB Thrusters (35#)
15 Pullups or Ring Rows

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Overhead Shoulder Mobilization - 2 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 1 min/side

Wednesday WOD

2010-11-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
Deadlift 3 X 5
Between sets, complete 10 strict Toes-To-Bar, no kip, smooth movement.

WOD
5 rounds for time of:
10 DB Push Press (30# DB's)
10 Windmills (30#)
10 Burpees

MWOD
Paleo Chair - 2 min
Mobilize Overhead Shoulder Position - 2 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side

Tuesday WOD

2010-11-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
Bench Press 3 X 5
Press 3 X 5

WOD
5 rds for time of:
Run 2 laps
2:00 rest

MWOD
Psoas MF Release w/lacrosse ball - 1 min/side
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side
Calf Stretch - 2 min/side

Monday WOD

2010-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
Back Squat 3 X 5

WOD
Tabata Squats
alternated with (1 min, then switch)
Tabata Lunges

MWOD
Badass Pigeon - 2 min/leg
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/leg
Calf Stretch - 1 min/leg

Thursday WOD - Form Matters...

2010-10-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a great post from CrossFit Charlottesville that explains why form is so important. There is so much truth in this article, and I hope you will all read it.

Form Matters - Do It Right or Don't Do It At All

WOD
AMRAP in 8 min of:
10 Pushups
10 Russian Twists (25lb plate, 10 per side)
10 Ring Rows

MWOD
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Calf Stretch - 2 min/side
Overhead Shoulder Stretch - 2 min/side - Like this ---> MobilityWOD

Wednesday WOD

2010-10-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Deadlift
3 X 10 Strict Toes-to-Bars

WOD
Tabata Row (for calories)
30 sec rest (to get off of rower)
AMRAP Situps in 3:00

Score is total calories plus half the number of situps completed. Post scores to comments!

MWOD
Hip Capsule Work - 2 min/side - On soft surface on hands and knees, place most of the weight onto one knee and try to stick your femur out through your butt. Free style with it a bit, moving your hips to both sides, finding where there is restriction and focusing there; don't let your pelvis rotate down though, keep it horizontal.
Hamstring Stretch - 4 min/side - Exploring the inside and outside, see what's tightest, and work there.

Tuesday WOD

2010-10-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Press
3 X 80% Max Rep Pullups

WOD
6 X 200m Sprints
2:00 Rest between efforts

MWOD
Psoas MF Release - 1 min/side
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/side
Couch Stretch - 2 min/side

Monday WOD - Banana peels, plant defenses, and saponins...

2010-10-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

How saponins destroy cell membranes.

So what do banana peels and saponins have to do with health or peformance? Well bananas are surely a delicious way to get some carbs after a tough workout, but there are surely better choices like yams, sweet potatoes, and other tubers, right? But why are we talking about their peels, and what the heck are saponins?

Banana peels offer a great example of how plants have evolved chemical protection mechanisms for lack of physical protection(plants can't run away from animals, and they can't fight back physically, except for thorns and such).

On ThePaleoDiet.com, a reader stumbled upon the nutrient content of banana peels, was amazed at the rich nutrient profile, and posed a question asking for more information about the nutrition of banana peels.

At first glance, it looks like banana peels are the holy grail of nutrient density, eating only 50g of banana peel would provide you with 3900mg of potassium(110% RDA), 1200mg of sodium, 30 mg of iron(200%), 960mg of calcium(80%), and 3800mg of manganese(78,000%).

Sounds great right? To paraphrase from Dr. Cordain's response, however: the devil is in the details. The banana peel serves to protect the fruit from physical damage, and more importantly, from predators (birds, mammals, insects, etc) and pathogens (fungi, bacteria, etc).

The banana inside contains the reproductive material, it's seeds, which have to eventually make it into the ground intact and unharmed, so that they can produce offspring of the original plant. If the seeds are destroyed, then the banana plant could not reproduce, and would become extinct. However, the banana plant, as all other plants, has developed an evolutionary strategy involving chemical defense that allows it to survive and reproduce.

Banana peels contain a number of toxic substances to ward off predation and infection by bacteria and fungi. These substances are called antinutrients, and we have touched on a few of them in particular in the past, such as phytate, and lectins. Here's a new one though that banana peels, as well as legumes, potatoes and other nightshades, and grains contain in high quantities: Saponins.

Saponins are a class of compounds that have a lipid-soluble side, and a water-soluble side, giving them unique characteristics. They derive their name from their tendency to produce soap-like foaming when mixed with water. They are often bitter, and act in many ways to deter plant predation. What gives banana peels the bitter taste is that they contain 8 times the safe concentration limit of saponins (24mg/g).

Saponins also have toxic effects on ALL cells. They cause the membranes of all living cells to breakdown, killing the cells. If saponins are consumed in large enough quantities, saponins rapidly breakdown the cells lining the intestine, and enter blood circulation where they can destroy the membranes of red blood cells, which can cause death.

This is not simple theory either, in experiments with animals, even low doses of banana peel extract added to their normal food caused damage to their red and white blood cells, severely impaired growth, and strongly inhibited the production of thyroid hormone, necessary for a healthy metabolic rate.

To sum it up: Don't eat your banana peels, and don't eat grains or legumes either.

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Front Squat

WOD
15-12-9 of:
DB Clean & Jerk (50lb DB's)
Burpees

MWOD
Wide Squat Stretch - 2 min
Calf Stretch - 2 min/leg
Hamstring Stretch - 2 min/leg

Wednesday WOD

2010-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
Deadlift 3 X 5
3 X Max L-Sit

WOD
AMRAP in 3 min of:
10 Hollow Rocks or V-Ups
10 Pushups
Rest 2 min
Row as far as possible in 3:00.

MWOD
Keg Drill w/foam roller - 2 min
Wide Squat Drill - 2 min
Hip Myofascial Release w/lacrosse ball - 2 min/side
Calf Myofascial Release w/lacrosse ball or partner - 1min/side

Tuesday WOD - Why Squat?

2010-10-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

Why we squat...

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Push Jerk
3 X 80% Max Rep Pullups

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
10 Broad Jumps
20 Walking Lunges
30 Squats

MWOD
Couch Stretch - 2 min/leg
External Hip Rotation 1 min/leg
Paleo Chair - 4 min

Monday WOD

2010-10-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Back Squat

WOD

3 rounds for reps of:
AMRAP in 2 minutes of:
10 Situps
10 Squats
10 Pushups
Rest 1 min

MWOD
Hamstring Stretch - 2min/leg Contract-Relax
External Hip Rotation - 3 min/leg Contract-Relax

Thursday WOD

2010-10-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today, we'll be skipping the Strength WOD so we can work on mobility work longer after the WOD.

WOD
We'll be running on the track above the IMA today. We will run from one corner, to the next, doing 10-1 descending Burpees at each corner.
Example:
Run
10 Burpees
Run
9 Burpees
Run....

MWOD
Test: Squat with hands together overhead, as high as possible

Stretch Hip flexion and knee extension (hamstrings) 2 min / leg
Wide Squat Hip Mobility 2 min
Psoas MF Release 1 min/side
Stretch Foot Dorsiflexion (calf) 2 min/ leg
Couch Stretch - 2 min/leg

Retest: Squat with overhead hand reach

Wednesday WOD

2010-10-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Deadlift

WOD
Hang Power Clean to Front Squat Ladder
Pick a weight that is around 2/3 your one rep max (or estimated max). Perform 1 rep the first minute, 2 reps the second, and on until failure to complete required reps within one minute.

MWOD
Couch Stretch -2 min per side
Paleo Chair - 6 min.

Tuesday WOD

2010-10-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Push Press

WOD
6 X 200m Sprints

MWOD
4 Minutes in Paleo Chair
2 min Thoracic Spine Mobilization with Lacrosse ball per side
1 min Psoas mobilizing each side

Monday WOD - Thruster Heaven

2010-10-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Front Squat

WOD
AMRAP in 7 minutes of:
DB Thrusters (35lb DBs)

MWOD
2 min Front Rack Stretch/side
1 minute Freestyling hip mobility (ala pigeon pose on box/bench), then 2 minutes contract-relax bellybutton over foot, each hip (3 min/hip).

Get comfortable with uncomfortable...

2010-10-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, once said that "The greatest adaptation to CrossFit takes place between the ears."

Intensity has been shown as the single independent variable most associated with positive adaptations to training, and CrossFit supplies plenty of it. Or does it?

CrossFit provides the opportunity for you to push yourself to your own limits and past. The work however, is in your hands, to continually push harder, endure more pain, and push past the urge to quit, to slow down, to set that bar down and take a breather.

Intensity hurts, even a newbie to CrossFit can tell you that. But it is in the most painful moments of a workout, when your lungs are burning, when your muscles are on fire, and you feel like you're suffocating, that the greatest benefit of CrossFit training is borne.

The pain of intensity is unlike any other pain. It's not like a headache from which you cannot escape, it's not the pain of a broken bone, it is one the athlete themselves have created, and are sustaining themselves. It's a pain that you could easily end by quitting, by giving up and laying down. However, it is this unique quality that builds the resolution, determinedness, and mental strength in those individuals that make up their minds to keep pushing.

CrossFit training develops the ability to get comfortable with pain, with the uncomfortable.

So the next time you are in the darkest part of your workout, when you feel like you're suffocating, like your entire body is on fire, and everything in the world says you should stop, remember, and tell yourself:

"This is the moment I become stronger."

Then pick up that weight again and refuse to quit! This is CrossFit at it's best, and it is a truly awe-inspiring moment, whether it occurs during a two minute Fran, or a fifteen minute one.

Thursday WOD - Money in the bank...

2010-10-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

I'd like to compare training and performance to buying a car. Stay with me here for a sec, alright, this actually makes some sense.

I like to think of everything we do outside of the training itself as deposits in a bank. You do some foam rolling, there's some cash, eat right, big deposit in your account, make sure you get plenty of sleep and avoid stress, big bonus check from the boss.

Now, training is where you spend the money. A great training program is like finding a great quality car at a decent price, a lot of bang for your buck, you'll get great results for the effort put in. A ill-prepared program is like finding a slightly used car at a new car price, not a lot of value there, and a lot of effort wasted.

Now, if you don't invest in your account, by doing the right stuff such as sleeping, stretching, mobility work, minimizing stress, and taking care of everything else outside of training, you won't be able to afford the great results even if you find the great deal/program.

So my challenge to you is: How much money can you put in the bank?

Alright, my rant's over, to la entraînement!

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Bench Press

WOD
AMRAP in 2 min of:
Burpees

Rest 2 min

AMRAP in 2 min of
10 Pushups Unbroken
10 KB Swings Unbroken

Rest 2 min

Row as far as possible in 2 min.

MWOD
Squat - 6 min
Couch Stretch - 4 min (2min/side)

Wednesday WOD

2010-10-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Strength WOD
Deadlift 3 X 5

WOD
5 rds for time of:
10 DB Push Press (35#/20#)
10 Windmills (35#/20#, 5/side)
10 Burpees

MWOD
6 min in Squat position
4 min Couch Stretch (2 min/leg, freestyling)

Tuesday WOD - Releasing your parking brake...

2010-10-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about muscles and fascia. Each muscle in your body is encased in a sheath of fibrous tissue called fascia. In a perfect situation, the layers of fascia allow muscles to slide easily over each other without any restriction. The layers of fascia are interconnected throughout your body, uninterrupted from head to toe, so tightness in one area can show up in other places.

However, nearly none of us live in this perfect condition. Every night, when you sleep, or even for periods of time in which you don't move for a long time (airplanes, car rides, etc), tiny fibers develop between your muscles and fascia, taking away that perfect gliding action. Hard training actually accelerates this process of this "fuzz" generation.

Gill Hedley provides a great visual to explain this phenomenon.

So why does this matter?

Well, the increased friction in your muscles means you have to work harder to get the same amount of work done. It also will hinder your flexibility, and therefore your ability to get into the proper positions and express your power effectively. After a while, it can also hurt! You know those knots you get in muscles? Those are adhesions in the myofascial tissue. Your body is a Corvette, and we need to take off these parking brakes!

So what's a brother to do?

Let me introduce you to the humble lacrosse ball. It may not look like much, but it can be a vicious enemy and admirable friend at the same time. It's like that brutally honest friend that gives you the kick in the pants you need to do what you know you should.

The lacrosse ball is a very useful tool in myofascial release, or working out the fuzz. There are many ways in which it can be used, but the generally principle is:

1. Find where you're tight

2. Stick the ball there

3. Roll around on it

4. Don't make a private face...you'll know what I mean.

By rolling around on the lacrosse ball, you are gradually breaking up adhesions in the myofascial tissues, and this will be painful, especially at first. Most people are much tighter than they know and should start slowly and somewhat gently.

Another technique that is rather useful for working on a concentrated adhesion (knot) is:

1. With the ball on the knot, contract that muscle hard for 5 seconds

2. Relax for 10 seconds

3. Repeat 6 times, or until adhesion is broken up.

Strength WOD
Alternating:
Press 3 X 5
Rest 90 seconds
3 X 75% Max Rep Strict Pullups or 3 X 10 Ring Rows (Example: If your max is 20 pullups, you will attempt to do 15 for each set)
Rest 90 Seconds

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
20 Squat Jumps
20 seconds L-Sit or 30 Laying Leg Raises
10 Pullups or Ring Rows

MWOD
Thoracic Spine Mobilization w/lacrosse ball(4 min per side)
Psoas Myofascial Release w/lacrosse ball(1 min per side)

Monday WOD - The beginning of a new era...

2010-10-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

An overview of the squat, specifically the Front Squat, High-Bar Back Squat, and Low-Bar Back Squat

Welcome back performance junkies! It's the first WOD of the new school year! The workout below will be likely the new format for the foreseeable future. I understand that is may take some time to get used to, and the training sessions may run slightly longer at first, but you will reap the benefits from smarter training. My understanding and knowledge of training, nutrition, performance, etc is always evolving and expanding, as should yours.

To start off the new training year, at the bottom of this post is a clip with some advice that you would be smart to apply to not only your workouts, but to the rest of your life as well, anytime you are faced with a difficult situation. Try it out next time you want to quit during a tough workout, tell yourself that you're going to keep going, that you're gonna get this next rep. I think you'll be surprised at how much of your limitations are in your head.

Strength WOD
3 X 5 Back Squat

WOD
Tabata Squats
Tabata Pushups

MWOD
Couch Stretch (4 min each leg)

The Greatest Adaptation

New year, new training!

2010-09-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome back fellow Husky CrossFitters!

I hope you're ready to start training, because we'll be having our first class of the new year this Monday, October 4th. Like last year, we'll be meeting down at the IMA, at the bottom of the stairs just past the card checker. Please, invite your friends!

The new class time will be at 5:30pm Monday-Thursday.

This year, we'll be doing things a tad bit differently, but for good reason. This year, we'll be incorporating a lot more dedicated strength training, along with more mobility work. The mobility work will include teaching you guys how to stay nimble on your own, because you have 23 hours in the rest of the day which influence your health and performance a great deal.

I'm hoping to organize some fun stuff for us this year, so make sure you don't miss out!

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

2010-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to remind you that Robb Wolf's new book, The Paleo Solution will be released on the 16th. Robb Wolf has been providing the Paleo and CrossFit communities with easy access to great information over the years, and his new book promises to offer the same quality. He covers not only nutrition, but also training, sleep, supplements, specific illnesses, and more. This is a must-have for anyone trying to optimize their performance, or anyone competing in sport of any kind. It also makes a great present for family members with health issues, or fellow athletes!

The next blog you NEED to add to your daily "to-do list"

2010-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

K-STARR

Kelly Starrett, the San Franciscan king of pain, misery, and performance-enhancing mobility work, has created something that will help EVERY SINGLE athlete out there. He has created the MOBILITY WOD! This is a short mobility routine, that is posted every day. Every day it's new, and he will systematically work through and correct your tight and wonky business. Check it out. Put a shortcut to it. Hell, make it your internet browser's main page! STRETCH YOUR STUFF!

Mobility WOD

Smoking Candy Cigarettes

2010-08-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

All those recipes for "paleo pancakes", "paleo cupcakes", and "paleo bread" seem great right? Or are we really just fooling ourselves by sprinkling sugar on crap, metaphorically speaking. Paleonu blogger Kurt Harris has a good article that addresses the act of making neolithic foods "paleo". Perhaps we should rethink recreating those foods we used to crave so much, or at least save them for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. Check it out.

Smoking Candy Cigarettes by Kurt Harris

Great resource for nutrition and health!

2010-07-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long. I've recently stumbled upon a incredibly useful collection of blogs and websites and knew I had to share it! It covers many categories, from Paleo to Weston A. Price nutrition perspectives, to food activism, miscellaneous and local resource info sites. The page details each category, as well as gives a brief description of each website or blog. This is definitely a page to bookmark!

Eat This: The Ultimate Food Resource Guide

Getting Back to Nature - Natural Movements

2010-07-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a great video by The Strength Box, which demonstrates some fun and playful movements. One thing we don't get enough of as adults is PLAY. How often do you just go and climb around and crawl around on stuff? Trees, walls, hedges, stuff we used to climb all the time as kids. Our society seems to discourage this kind of behavior in adults these days, but why? Playing is good for your mind AND body, you get to have fun while building capacity in balance, coordination, and agility, three oft-neglected areas of fitness. So get out there, rebel against society's ignorance, and climb a tree, explore the outdoors, and play like you used to when you were a kid! But most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Nutrition Series: The Basics - Lipoproteins

2010-07-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the next installment of the Nutrition Series! It may help to revisit the last post in this series, about cholesterol. This one explains a bit about how lipids are carried around in our bodies, and with topics like HDL and LDL abounding in the media, it can be beneficial to know a bit about these hard working molecules that have been indiscriminately labeled good and bad, respectively.

THE BASICS - LIPOPROTEINS

A chylomicron; ApoA, B, C, and E are apolipoproteins, T (Triacylglycerol); C (Cholesterol); green (Phospholipids)

Lipoproteins are complexes of phospholipids and apolipoproteins, as shown in the picture above. Lipoproteins play a hugely important role in the body, by facilitating the transport of non-water soluble triglycerides, cholesterol, and cholesterol esters in the aqueous(water based) environment of our bloodstream. These lipoprotein particles are classified by their density and size, with larger and less dense lipoproteins consisting of more fat than protein. Some of the largest particles may be up to 200 times the size of the smallest ones, but even the the largest, chylomicrons, can only be about 1/20th the width of the thinnest human hair.

Here are the various classifications of lipoproteins, in order from largest/least dense to smallest/most dense:

Chylomicrons are created by the enterocytes in the small intestine. Enterocytes function to absorb nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract. Chylomicrons carry exogenous(created outside the body) sources of lipids, absorbed by enterocytes, to the liver, heart, adipocytes(fat storage cells), and skeletal muscles. After they’ve unloaded their contents, the remnants of these particles are recycled by the liver into VLDL.

(VLDL) Very Low Density Lipoprotein particles are created by the liver and carry endogenous(created within the body) products to peripheral tissues. As triglycerides from VLDL are deposited into the cells of tissues, it becomes an IDL particle.

(IDL) Intermediate Density Lipoprotein are either recycled by the liver, or deposit more lipids and become LDL particles.

(LDL) Low Density Lipoprotein, or the so called “bad cholesterol”, has the role of transferring the relatively large amount of cholesterol and cholesterol esters to peripheral tissues. There are varying sizes of LDL particles, and only the smaller, denser LDL particles have been associated with heart disease.

(HDL) High Density Lipoprotein, often called “good cholesterol”, carries excess cholesterol from cells back to the liver, to be metabolized into bile acids and salts.

Together, HDL and LDL maintain the cholesterol balance of the body, with LDL transferring cholesterol to cells, and HDL carrying cholesterol from cells.

The image below demonstrates the differences between small and large LDL particles, and shows the metabolism of lipoprotein particles in general as well. (LPL stands for lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme which hydrolyzes lipids in lipoproteins)

Sun Exposure - Why you SHOULDN'T slather on the sunscreen

2010-07-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Michael Eades posted some excellent articles on the ridiculousness of most dermatologists recommendations about sun exposure nowadays. Many dermatologists will recommend you wear sunscreen when you go out into the sun for a long period of time. However, the large majority of the population has been shown to be significantly vitamin D deficient, a deficiency which has been linked to increased breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Here are the articles, I highly recommend you read them, and then go enjoy the sunshine we should be getting the rest of the week!

Sunshine Superman

Heliophobe Madness

The cover of "The Paleolithic Solution" has been finalized!

2010-07-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Robb Wolf''s book is due out in September, and I HIGHLY recommend you buy multiple copies! This book is going to be an incredibly intelligent and thorough guide to diet, as well as training!

Freedom

2010-06-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

"The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." ~Thucydides

"In this country we are very lucky. Sure we all bitch and complain about the powers that be, which in my opinion is warranted, but bottom line is we are very very lucky. We all have the freedom to do as we please. To be who we want to be, to say what we want to say, and to become whatever we want to be. Sure there are always obstacles to surmount but those are mostly in our heads. Every person in this country..."

Read the rest at http://anotherlevelfitness.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/06/freedom.html.

Nutrition Series: The Basics - Cholesterol

2010-06-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! Sorry this one took so long guys, but I had to do a lot of researching on some subjects on my own to get a better understanding of them before writing.

THE BASICS - CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is a waxy lipid that acts as the starting material for the production of steroid hormones, bile acids and salts, and vitamin D synthesis. It also is an important molecule used for the repair and maintenance of cell membranes, where it helps maintain membrane fluidity.

Hormones are very important chemicals in our bodies, altogether they form a system of intercellular communication. Hormones are very powerful, and required only in small amounts to induce their effects on the targeted area. Hormones regulate everything from digestion to electrolyte levels, to brain function, to tissue repair or breakdown, and everything in between; hormones are how the complex system of organs and tissues that is our body communicates and functions properly.

(Above - the pathways for synthesis of some important steroid hormones)

Steroid hormones include: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, and progestagens.

Glucocorticoids are hormones, secreted in the adrenal cortex, and have two main areas of influence, the immune system and metabolism, but they also play a role in arousal/cognition, and fetal development. Their effects on the immune system include an up-regulation of anti-inflammatory proteins, and a down-regulation of pro-inflammatory proteins. The net effect is a reduction in inflammation. Glucocorticoids have a catabolic effect on the body’s metabolism, which means that rather than storing energy, tissues are broken down to be used for energy. The specific mechanisms glucocorticoids stimulate are: increased gluconeogenesis, mobilization of amino acids from extrahepatic(other than liver) tissues, inhibition of glucose uptake by muscle and adipose tissue, and stimulation of fat breakdown(lipolysis). The most important glucocorticoid is cortisol.

Mineralocorticoids regulate electrolyte and water balance in the body primarily by acting on the kidneys. The primary mineralocorticoid is aldosterone, though progesterone and deoxycorticosterone also exhibit mineralocorticoid effects.

Androgens are generally known as the male sex hormones, in that they stimulate the development of male characteristics. They still do appear in females, but to a much lesser degree. The particularly well known androgens include testosterone and dihydrotestosterone(DHT).

Estrogens are steroid hormones that stimulate the development of feminine characteristics, as well as play an important role in regulating the estrous cycle. They are created by enzymes that convert androgens to estrogens. The primary estrogens in women are estradiol(most present in non-pregnant females), estriol(produced during pregnancy), and estrone(produced during menopause).
Progestagens, along with estrogens, act to regulate the menstrual cycle and estrous cycles.

Bile salts and acids are produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. The term bile salt refers to a molecule that is composed of a bile acid and either glycine or taurine. Their main function is to facilitate the formation of micelles, which helps the body process dietary fat. Because fat and water do not mix, micelles are necessary for lipids and fat-soluble vitamins to dissolve in aqueous(water based) solutions.

(Above - cross-sectional view of structures that can be formed by phospholipids in an aqueous solution)

Vitamin D3(cholecalciferol) synthesis occurs in the skin, where 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted into cholecalciferol. Cholecalciferol is then carried through the blood to the liver, where it is converted to calcidiol, which in turn may be converted to calcitriol(the active form of vitamin D) by monocyte-macrophages or the kidneys.

The repair and maintenance of cell membranes requires cholesterol. Cholesterol typically makes up about 20% of the mass of the cellular membranes, with smaller amounts included in the organelles inside of cells. Cholesterol lends some structure to cell membranes, allowing them a certain degree of rigidity. Without cholesterol, the membrane would be much too fluid, and would be much too permeable to certain molecules. In addition to providing structure to cell membranes, cholesterol also keeps them fluid, by helping to separate phospholipids and keeping fatty acid chains from merging and crystallizing.

Lipid raft organisation, region (1) is standard lipid bilayer, while region (2) is a lipid raft.

Cholesterol, along with sphingolipids, also plays an important role in anchoring functional proteins in the cell membrane. These two substances form lipid rafts, These proteins perform many functions such as controlling the travel of substances in and out of cells, attaching to other cells, communicating with other cells, or responding to hormones from other cells. Lipid rafts form a more solid area in which these proteins reside.

Nutrition Series: The Basics - Lipids

2010-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here's the third part in the ongoing Nutrition Series! I realize there are a lot of links contained in each article, and these can help, but are not required, to further your understanding of the material. I encourage you to click on the links whenever slightly curious, they contain interesting and pertinent information relating to the information being presented. Enjoy!

THE BASICS - LIPIDS

Lipids include a variety of molecules that are either hydrophobic(water fearing - these molecules repel water) or amphiphilic(both water and lipid loving - these typically have both a hydrophilic side and a lipophilic side). Lipids include a broad range of molecules, but the groups that are most pertinent to the discussion of nutrition are triglycerides.

A triglyceride molecule is composed of three fatty acid chains connected to a glycerol molecule. Triglycerides make up the majority of animal fats as well as vegetable oils.

(A saturated fatty acid, myristic acid, notice the lack of double bonds)

(A monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, notice the single double bond that creates the bent shape)

Fatty acids are characterized as either saturated or unsaturated, based on the presence of double bonds in their structure. If the molecule contains no double bonds it is said to be saturated, otherwise it is unsaturated to some degree. Double bonds reduce the number of hydrogens on each carbon. These different structures provide different chemical properties such as melting point, lipid peroxidation potential, etc. In general, the more double bonds(the more unsaturated) a fat has, the greater its tendency to oxidize and the lower its melting point.

Lipid peroxidation is the oxidative degradation of lipids, and results in a chain reaction that continues creating free fatty acid radicals until either two radicals meet, or the cycle is terminated by an anti-oxidant. Free fatty acid radicals can cause significant damage to cell membranes, as well as create end products that may be mutagenic and carcinogenic.

Saturated Fatty Acids(SFA) - These fatty acids contain no double bonds, and as such are fully saturated with hydrogen. Saturated fats have a relatively high melting point, and are resistant to oxidation, making them preferable for high-heat cooking. SFA’s include: Lauric acid, Myristic acid, Palmitic acid, Stearic acid, and Archidic acid. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.

(above is shown the change that occurs during hydrogenation of a MUFA to a trans fat)

Trans-Fatty Acids(TFA) - These unsaturated fats with the characteristic “trans” configuration. Trans-fatty acids include both natural and artificial fatty acids. The two natural trans fats, found mostly in grass-fed beef and dairy, are Vaccenic acid and Conjugated Linoleic acids(CLA). These two fats are highly anti-carcinogenic(against cancer), in fact, CLA(specifically rumenic acid) is one of the most potent anti-cancer compounds known to man. Vaccenic acid is converted to rumenic acid by enzymes within the body. These two fats also have antiatherogenic(against atherosclerosis) effects, and positive effects on body composition. Artificial fatty acids, such as Elaidic acid are created by the process of partial hydrogenation, and have been associated with cancer, heart disease, and a myriad of other negative effects. Artificially created trans fats are solid, but malleable, at room temperature.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids(MUFA) - these fats contain a single double bond, and have a higher melting point than polyunsaturated fats(PUFA), but a lower melting point than saturated fats. Likewise, they have a lipid peroxidation potential in between PUFA’s and SFA’s. Oleic acid is the most prominent MUFA found in olive oil and also in human adipose tissue. These fats are considered generally healthy. At room temperature, these fats are liquid, but they will solidify at refrigerator temperatures.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids(PUFA) are those that contain 2 or more double bonds. These fats have the lowest melting point, and are the most susceptible to lipid peroxidation. They are liquid even at below 0°C. The main types of PUFA are omega-3’s and omega-6’s, but there are also some PUFA’s in the Omega-9 fatty acid group. Both omega-3's and omega-6's are essential fats, and must be obtained in sufficient amounts through our diet. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in our diet influence the level of inflammation in our body by their effect in the production of eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that are made from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and they play a large role in regulating inflammation and immunity.

Important Omega-3 fatty acids include: Alpha Linoleic acid(ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid(DHA). Omega-3 fatty acids tend to produce less inflammatory eicosanoids than omega-6’s do. It should be noted that EPA and DHA are the active forms in which our body uses omega-3’s, and conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA is very inefficient (~5% for EPA); EPA and DHA can interconvert. Some rich sources of these fatty acids include: flax seed oil(ALA), fatty fish(EPA/DHA), and algae(DHA). Below is a diagram of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid structures.

Important Omega-6 fatty acids include: Linoleic acid (LA) and Arachidonic acid(AA), . Omega-6’s tend to produce more inflammatory eicosanoids than omega-3’s do. Some rich sources of these fatty acids include: Grains, seeds, nuts, grain-fed meat, and vegetable oils. However, Gamma Linolenic acid(GLA) and Dihomo-Gamma-Linolenic acid(DGLA) play a role in reducing inflammation. Borage oil, primrose oil, spirulina, and hemp seed oil are good sources of GLA.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

2010-06-17T11:20:00.001-07:00

Important! The address of this blog will be changing soon, probably to "www.huskycfclub.blogspot.com". I'll keep you guys updated on facebook.

Nutrition Series: The Basics - Amino Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes

2010-06-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

(pictured is a space-filling model of myoglobin, a protein found in muscle tissue)

THE BASICS - AMINO ACIDS, PROTEINS, AND ENZYMES

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They connect to each other in long chains to form proteins, which take the form of very complex shapes, with many bends and folds.

There are 22 amino acids that comprise the proteins in our cells.

These can be subdivided into

Essential/non-essential - there are 8 amino acids considered essential, in that they can not be produced by our bodies and must be obtained through the diet. However, certain essential amino acids can be synthesized from certain non-essential ones. Also, in certain populations, non-essential amino acids become essential because of some type of disease or disorder; these amino acids are considered conditionally essential.

Essential Amino Acids: Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine

Non-essential: Alanine, Aspartate(aka aspartic acid), Glutamate(aka glutamic acid), Pyrrolysine*, Selenocysteine* (*unclassified)

Conditionally Essential: Histidine, Tyrosine, Arginine, Cysteine, Glutamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, and Asparagine.

Amino acids can also be characterized as either glucogenic, ketogenic or both. Glucogenic describes those amino acids that can be converted to glucose through gluconeogenesis. Ketogenic amino acids are those that can produce ketones through the process of ketogenesis.

Glucogenic Amino Acids: Glycine, Serine, Valine, Histidine, Arginine, Cysteine, Proline, Alanine, Glutamate, Glutamine, Aspartate, Asparagine, and Methionine.

Both glucogenic or ketogenic: Isoleucine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan.

Ketogenic Amino Acids: Leucine and Lysine.

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze(or increase the rate of) chemical reactions. Most enzyme reaction rates are millions of times faster than comparable un-catalyzed rates.

Nutrition Series: The Basics - Carbohydrates

2010-06-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, over the next few months, I will be going through a nutrition series that will hopefully cover much of the important stuff in nutrition. I will be basing the format on Mat Lalonde's lecture, explaining it, and adding to/modifying it where needed. We'll begin with the basics, going over the fundamentals of nutritional science, and next we'll get into two theories of nutrition: the fat hypothesis and the carbohydrate hypothesis. Let's get started!

THE BASICS - CARBOHYDRATES

There are two basic categories of nutrients: macronutrients, and micronutrients. Macronutrients are further categorized into carbohydrate, protein, and fat and are what our body derives energy from. Micronutrients are what we know as vitamins and minerals and do not supply any calories.

Essential nutrients are substances which are required by for normal body functioning, but which can not be synthesized by the body at all, or in sufficient amounts, and thus must be obtained from the diet. Essential nutrients include: vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. Oxygen and water are also required.

Non-essential nutrients are those that are not required to obtain through diet, but that may have significant impact on health status. Carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals fit into this category. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, the body can synthesize carbohydrates as needed in the body through a process called gluconeogenesis(this will be discussed in a later post). Dietary fiber may be beneficial in the digestive process, and phytochemicals are being increasingly looked at for treating various ailments and for their other health benefits.

Carbohydrates are what we commonly refer to as sugars and are generally divided into 4 categories: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Oligosaccharides, and Polysaccharides.

A monosaccharide is a single isolated carbohydrate molecule, that is not linked to any other carbohydrate. They are often referred to as simple sugars. Examples include: glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, and ribose.

A disaccharide is two carbohydrate molecules linked by a glycosidic bond. Some common examples are sucrose(glucose+fructose; also known as table sugar), lactose (glucose+galactose; found in milk), and maltose (glucose+glucose; commonly formed when brewing alcohol).

Oligosaccharides generally contain anywhere from 3 to 9 carbohydrate molecules, though the exact number at which it should be called a polysaccharide really doesn’t matter. Oligosaccharides can only be partially digested by humans, and play a role in maintaining gut flora, which is why they are commonly used as prebiotics. The two common oligosaccharides used as prebiotics are: fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin. FOS are found in various vegetables and fruits, but is found in highest concentrations in the Jerusalem artichoke. Inulin is found in many of the same plants as FOS, but is not found in fruit to a large extent.

Polysaccharides are chains of carbohydrate molecules composed of 10 or more monosaccharides. Common examples include storage forms such as starches and glycogen, as well as structural forms like cellulose (aka insoluble fiber). Starch is composed of long chains of glucose molecules, and are the found in all plants, albeit with radically varying degrees of carbohydrate density. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in animals, and is stored mainly in the liver and muscles, and to a very small extent, in the kidneys.

The Paleo Diet Newsletter

2010-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, recently, I've been receiving some very interesting and pertinent information about the consumption of nightshades, which includes various plants such as potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. I've been receiving this free of charge from The Paleo Diet Newsletter, by Loren Cordain, one of the foremost experts on the paleo diet. I highly recommend you guys subscribe to his weekly newsletter. It's free, and there are often quite interesting articles sent out. Sometime in the future, I'll write up a piece on nightshades, combining the information from Dr. Cordain's article, as well as knowledge from the Nutrition Seminar with Mathieu Lalonde. I would also highly recommend Mat Lalonde's seminar, for those of you who would like to get into the finer details, as well as those who simply want a good basic understanding of why the paleo diet works so well.

Vitamin D

2010-06-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday WOD

2010-06-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

10 rounds for time of:
5 Tire Flips
100m Run

Post times to comments.

Monday WOD

2010-06-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

WOD
"Fran"
21-15-9 for time of:
95lb Thrusters
Pullups

Well guys, this is it! Finals week! We'll be training on Monday and Tuesday, but I'm leaving for the summer on Wednesday. Good luck with all of your final exams!

Sports Drinks - The Good, The Bad, and The Sugar

2010-06-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are used in athletics at almost any level in an effort to replace carbohydrate, electrolytes and other nutrients, and generally come in three varieties : Isotonic, Hypertonic, and Hypotonic. Isotonic drinks, the most common, have concentrations of electrolytes and sugar at levels found in the body, whereas hypertonic and hypotonic have levels above and below, respectively.

Sports drinks can be useful for preventing water intoxication, which occurs when too much water is consumed and the electrolyte concentration of the blood drops. This is a potentially lethal condition, but it takes very large amounts to reach dangerous levels.

New research has also revealed a bit about how our brain keeps a throttle on how hard we can push. After bicycling to exhaustion, participants in the study were given a mouthful of a sugar or artificially sweetened solution then spat it out. Compared to controls, they were able to ride for quite a bit further immediately. It seems as though the brain may limit energy output by what the body's perceived energy status is. Sports drinks may have a place in reducing fatigue during exercise.

There are however some inaccuracies about sports drinks that need to be addressed. The claim that they prevent cramps by way of electrolyte replenishment is not substantiated by science. In fact, this review of the studies looking at cramps in runners found no connection between cramping and electrolyte status. They concluded that neurological changes associated with fatigue and often over-reaching by athletes may be a more likely cause.

The requirements of athletes differs greatly by sport, and not all athletes will benefit from sports drinks during competition. Sports drinks should only be used during competition or very hard training for athletes in glycogen dependent sports. Regular use of sports drinks outside of these scenarios can lead to insulin resistance, fat gain, and other manifestations of metabolic derangement. Athletes that perform in relatively high intensity sports for long or medium duration may require more carbohydrate to fuel training than pure endurance or strength athletes. Rather than sports drinks though, they should strive to consume their carbohydrate in the form of nutrient and antioxidant dense sources like yams, sweet potatoes, other root vegetables and squash. Even these athletes will likely do well with carbohydrate comprising 40% or less of their caloric intake. They will do better to keep carbohydrate levels moderate, then very low 5 days out from competition, then carb-load the last 2 days before competition, resulting in extremely full glycogen stores.

Strength athletes have relatively little need for full glycogen stores, and so do not need sports drinks, though protein shakes MAY be of some benefit. Ultra-endurance athletes will do best to be fat adapted, and so may benefit from a relatively low carbohydrate diet, except in the few days prior to competition. Sports drinks can benefit your performance in competition, but use them sparingly, as the costs often outweigh the benefits.

Paleo in a Nutshell Parts One and Two

2010-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Paleo in a Nutshell Part One: Food

Paleo in a Nutshell Part Two: Excercise

Thursday WOD

2010-06-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

WOD

AMRAP in 10 min of:
200m Row
10 Pushups
20 Pullups

Post rounds completed to comments.

Wednesday WOD - Bacteria can make you smarter and happier?

2010-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

WOD

Back Squat:
5 reps at 65% max
3 reps at 75% max
1+ rep at 85% max

2 X 10 Overhead Lunges
2 X 10 Front Squat
2 X 10 Overhead Squat

For the 1+, complete as many reps as you can for that weight.
Post loads and reps completed to comments.

A recent study done on rats shows that certain bacteria can actually influence the brain and make us smarter and happier. These bacteria, naturally occurring in the soil and carried through the air, can improve cognition and mood, another great reason to get out and enjoy nature in the great state of Washington!
http://news.discovery.com/human/can-bacteria-make-you-smarter.html

Tuesday WOD

2010-05-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

WOD (depending on the weather...)
5 rounds for time:
5 Clean and Jerks (155/105#)
10 Burpees
or
5 rounds for time:
5 Tire Flip (large tire)
10 Burpees

If it's nice, we'll all meet at the regular place, then head out to the field behind Husky Stadium.

The Butterfly Kip

2010-05-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

Here's a nice explanation of the Butterfly Kipping Pullup from Chris Spealler at CrossFit Park City.

Monday - No Class

2010-05-29T23:33:00.001-07:00

Class is canceled for Monday, so enjoy your three-day weekend, and we'll hit it on Tuesday.

Thursday WOD

2010-05-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

WOD
5 rounds for time of:
5 Overhead Squats (95/65#)
10 Overhead Lunges (95/65#)
15 Shoulder-to-Overhead (95/65#)

Post times to comments.

Wednesday WOD - NSAIDs Effects on Soft Tissue Recovery

2010-05-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

WOD
5, 5, 5, 5, 5 Back Squat
3 X AMRAP Strict Pullups

Post loads and reps to comments.

NSAIDs Effects on Soft Tissue Recovery
NSAIDs, or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, are commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation associated with sports injuries and also often as fever reducers. They generally work by reducing prostaglandin synthesis, and thus lowering inflammation. Some common NSAIDs are aspirin, naproxen(Aleve), and ibuprofen(Advil, Motrin).
NSAIDs should NOT be used for injuries however, and knowledgeable sports medicine physicians know this, because of their dramatic effects on tissue healing. NSAIDs stop the inflammatory healing process required for wounds to heal and studies have shown this effect is dramatic. In one study mentioned in the link below, the breaking strength of a tendons treated with an NSAID was only 30% of that of the control group's tendons not treated with NSAIDs 6 weeks after injury. Other studies have found similar results with ibuprofen, showing a 300% DECREASE in tendon strength at four weeks. You can read up more on this by clicking on the link below:
NSAIDs Hamper Ligament and Tendon Healing
NSAIDs also shouldn't be used for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) for the same reason, they stop the repair process, and have actually been banned in some Eastern European countries' sports programs because they halt the adaptation process that occurs from training.
Instead, for acute treatment of injuries, ice for 20 minute intervals, with at least 20 min in between(don't use heat for at least the first 3 days) and rest the injured area for a day or so. Then, depending on the severity of the injury, start adding movement to mobilize the tissues again and start building strength back into it. Start back slowly, but START, don't think an ankle sprain gives you a free ride to lay in bed for a week. Get back in the gym and either work on other weaknesses you have or work on strengthening and helping recover the injured area, preferably both.

Tuesday WOD - NW Regional Women's Competition Video

2010-05-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time of:
Toes To Bar
Pullups
1 trip of 60' Sled Push @ Bodyweight each round

Completely different WOD than yesterday's crusher, so you guys should be fine! Awesome job on the Hotel WOD, it was brutal, but you guys really pushed it!

Also, you guys should check out the NW Regional Women's Competition! Rory did a great job, took 9th overall, and is featured quite a few times in the video. The men's competition video is likely coming soon.

Monday WOD

2010-05-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

WOD (see link below)
For time:
100 DB Power clean and thrusters (35lb DB's)
5 Burpees every minute on the minute

WOD Video

Post times to comments.

Thursday WOD

2010-05-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

WOD
For Time:
20 Push Jerks (185/125lbs)
40 Burpees

Post times to comments

Wednesday WOD - Ketosis: What is it and how does it work?

2010-05-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

WOD
"CrossFit Total"
1 rep Squat max, 3 attempts
1 rep Press max, 3 attempts
1 rep Deadlift max, 3 attempts

Warm up to the weight first, then attempt your maxes. Post loads to comments.

Ketosis: What is it and how does it work?
Ketosis is a state in which your body produces chemicals called ketones, which are an alternative fuel source to glucose for many bodily tissues. Typically this occurs during starvation, when the body uses gluconeogenesis to convert muscle tissue protein to glucose in the liver, in the body's effort to save muscle tissue. By substituting ketones, which are made from fat, for glucose in fueling much of the body's systems, there is less of a need to convert muscle protein into glucose, thereby preserving muscle mass.
Ketosis has also been shown as a possible treatment for cancer, because cancer cells cannot metabolize ketones as well for energy as the rest of the body, they need glucose. Ketogenic diets have shown promise for slowing, stopping and even reversing the growth of tumors.
Dr. Michael Eades has written an excellent post drawing out how ketosis works in better detail and why it is the best state to be in if you want to lose fat while preserving muscle mass. He also provides instructions on how to use ketosis to your advantage. In the second post, Dr. Eades explains how ketosis helps our cells clear out cellular debris, helping to prevent the buildups of junk proteins within cells, which is a contributing factor to aging.
Metabolism and Ketosis
Ketosis Cleans Our Cells
Here is a paper from Nutrition and Metabolism showing that low-carb diets do not necessarily reduce performance in athletes.
Ketogenic Diets and Physical Peformance

Tuesday WOD

2010-05-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

WOD
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10 for time of:
Double-unders (or 3X singles)
Situps

Post times to comments.

IMPORTANT

2010-05-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

In my class on Evolutionary Medicine today, we acquired limited time access to some great videos and lectures. I've found two lectures on the Paleolithic Diet by Professor Boyd Eaton, one of the more knowledgeable people on the subject of nutrition and our ancestral past. I'd like you to watch one or both of them, they're very informative and will give you a very coherent idea of why many CrossFit athletes eat a Paleo/Primal diet. It's a very limited time deal, so watch them as soon as possible, I don't know if they'll be available tomorrow! Username: Washington
Password: member
Here are the links to the pages:
http://hstalks.com/main/browse_talk_info.php?talk_id=142&series_id=20&c=252
http://hstalks.com/main/browse_talk_info.php?talk_id=142&series_id=20&c=252

P.S. After watching the first and part of the second, I've realized that these are almost the same video at the beginning, so feel free to skip until you find the new material in the second video.

Monday WOD - Northwest Regional CrossFit Competition Recap

2010-05-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

WOD
"Deadly Burp"
5 rounds for time of:
5 Deadlift (275/185#)
10 Burpees

Post times to comments.

This was a crazy weekend, that's for sure. The Mt. Baker CrossFit team gave it our all, and that's what we came to do. 37 teams competed this weekend, representing affiliates from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Utah, and Nevada.
Day 1 - Saturday
The first affiliate event was a relay of rowing and running. Each team got one rower, and each of the four athletes had to row 50 calories, then in the same order that they rowed, each team member had to run 800m, one at a time until they all finished. Everybody worked hard, and Luke finished it out with a great sprint. We came in with a time of 18:11, in 27th place.
The second affiliate event was a team chipper. Each team member had to do at least 5 reps of each excercise, but anyone could complete the muscleups at the end. As a team we had to complete:
120 Burpees
120 Pullups
120 Overhead Squats (95/65#)
120 Axle Deadlifts (213/123#)
-then
20 Muscleups
Troy and I were the guys in this workout, and we started by alternating between our selves between pullups and burpees. This way we didn't have to change weights as often, and we finished our pullups before any other team in our heat. Troy started getting intermittent cramps halfway into the workout, but he kept pushing through the reps. When we got to the rings, neither the girls or Troy could get any muscleups, so I completed the 20, in 2-3 rep sets. Despite the obstacles, we still managed to finish in 17:39, in 24th place. This bumped us up to 25th overall.
Day 2 - Sunday
The third and final affiliate event was a short one, but an interesting and ultimately pretty fun one. It consisted of a two-person clean & jerk for as many repetitions as possible in 90 seconds, with the weight of the bar at 275lbs for men, and 185lbs for women. The two women went first and completed a noteworthy 12 reps in 90 seconds (some of the other teams got only 15 reps, men and women combined!). After quickly adding 90lbs, it was our turn. When the timer started, we set a pace that was smooth and fast, but as time went on shoulders got fatigued and we slowed down. Regardless, we kept a great pace and got 19 repetitions (just one short of what we were shooting for!) Our total of 31 reps put us at 4th place in that event.
When we checked online, at first it had us at 7th overall, and we were pretty happy with that, but then, when the rankings were posted on the wall, we were 5th! This was a mistake unfortunately, and we actually ended up in 19th place. It was a great weekend, and I can't wait to train with all my team members again soon!

Wednesday WOD

2010-05-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

WOD

3 X AMRAP Pullups
-Then-
5 rounds of:
30 yd Suicide Sprint (to the 10-yd and back, 20-yd and back, 30-yd and back)
Rest 3 minutes

Tuesday WOD

2010-05-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds for time of:
7 Deadlift (225/155#)
30 Squats
7 Handstand Pushups

Scale as needed. Post time to comments

Some Crazy Acrobatics

2010-05-10T08:25:00.001-07:00

Monday WOD

2010-05-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

WOD (compare to 4/14/10)

(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.

2010-05-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to tell everybody, we've made it to 1000 views!

Thursday WOD - These strawberries taste like pineapple!

2010-05-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pineberries! I wanna try some...

WOD

3 rounds for time of:
60 ft Sled Push @ Bodyweight

20 Double Unders (or 60 singles)

10 Strict Pullups

Post time to comments

That topic above about pineberries was just for fun. Now here's some good info from Mark Sisson at Mark's Daily Apple:

The Definitive Guide to Sugar

Wednesday WOD - Clean and Jerk Technique

2010-05-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

WOD

Wednesday, we will be practicing and refining our Clean & Jerk technique. For those that are already experienced, you can work up to a one rep max. Otherwise, we'll be working with very light weights, and good technique, before possibly upping the weight. Come ready to learn!

I'll leave you with an interesting series on running technique:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/01/running-technique.html

Tuesday WOD

2010-05-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

WOD
5 X 250m Row
3 X 500m Row
1 X 1000m Row
Rest 3 min between efforts.

P.S. Slight change, we'll be rowing, not running tomorrow.

Monday WOD - An Article on Sleep (It's more important than you think)

2010-05-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

WOD

"DT"
5 rounds for time of:
12 Deadlifts (155/105#)
9 Hang Power Cleans (155/105#)
6 Push Jerks (155/105#)

More sleep improves performance in athletes
http://paleochix.com/?p=1544

Friday

2010-04-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

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

Thursday WOD - Eating for Performance and Health

2010-04-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

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?

Wednesday WOD

2010-04-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

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