Today's workout is 7 rounds for time of: 7 Burpees and 7 Cleans @ 135/95lbs.
Post Times to comments.
Mom
10 years ago
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
10 Minutes of Hell............
Today's workout is As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
5 Chest to bar pull ups, 10 30/15lb Dumbbell push press, and 15 24/20in Box Jumps.
Post rounds to comments.
If you have a topic you would like covered during rest days feel free to ask in the comment section.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Row, row, row your boat...
Today is a choice workout.
Row a 2K or 5 x 500m intervals at a damper setting of 4.
When rowing the intervals use a work to rest ratio of 2:1. So if it takes you 1:30 to row 500m then you only get to rest for 45 seconds. Post times to comments.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Rest Day Topic; Shoulder Injury AC Joint
The two bones are attached by the acromioclavicular (AC) ligament. There are several other ligaments which can be of importance in AC joint injuries, including the coracoclavicular (CC) ligament (divided into conoid and trapezoid sections) which joins the clavicle to the coracoid process, another forward protuding part of the scapula, slightly below and to the inside of the acromion. A third ligament is the coracoacromial ligament which attaches the acromion process to the coracoid process, although it is rarely involved in this type of injury.The most common way of injuring the AC joint is by landing on the shoulder, elbow, or onto an outstretched hand.
Symptoms include:
Pain at the end of the collar bone
Pain may feel widespread throughout the shoulder until the initial pain resolves, following this it is more likely to be a very specific site of pain over the joint itself Swelling often occurs
Depending on the extent of the injury a step-deformity may be visible. This is an obvious lump where the joint has been disrupted and is visible on more severe injuries Pain on moving the shoulder, especially when trying to raise the arms above shoulder height AC joint injuries are graded from 1-6 using the Rockwood scale which classifies injuries in relation to the extent of ligament damage and the space between the acromion and clavicle, as shown in the pictures opposite. Grade 1 is a simple sprain to the AC joint, grade 2 involves rupture of the AC ligament and grade 3 rupture of both AC and CC ligaments which often results in a superior displacement. From this point onwards the scale and grade of injury depends on the degree of displacement of the clavicle.
Grade 4 involves posterior displacement and grade 5 superior displacement, to a greater degree than grade 3, with an increase in coracoclavicular space by 3-5 times the norm. A step deformity may be apparent with grade 3, 4 & 5 injuries. Grade 6 (not shown) involves full rupture of both AC and CC ligaments with the clavicle being displaced inferiorly.
Treatment
What can the athlete do?
Rest and apply ice in the early stage
Immobilise the shoulder in a sling to ease pain by taking the weight of the arm
See a Sports Injury Specialist or Doctor
What can a Sports Injury Specialist or Doctor do?
Tape the joint into the correct position to assist with healing. You may need to be taped for 2-3 weeks
Apply ultrasound for minor injuries, or TENS for pain relief in more severe cases
Prescribe Anti-inflammatory (such as ibuprofen) medication to reduce pain and inflammation.
Advise on rehabilitation exercises
Surgery if required (usually grades 4-6)
WARNING - If this injury is neglected and allowed to heal out of place this could increase the wear and tear on your joint causing you problems in the future
Symptoms include:
Pain at the end of the collar bone
Pain may feel widespread throughout the shoulder until the initial pain resolves, following this it is more likely to be a very specific site of pain over the joint itself Swelling often occurs
Depending on the extent of the injury a step-deformity may be visible. This is an obvious lump where the joint has been disrupted and is visible on more severe injuries Pain on moving the shoulder, especially when trying to raise the arms above shoulder height AC joint injuries are graded from 1-6 using the Rockwood scale which classifies injuries in relation to the extent of ligament damage and the space between the acromion and clavicle, as shown in the pictures opposite. Grade 1 is a simple sprain to the AC joint, grade 2 involves rupture of the AC ligament and grade 3 rupture of both AC and CC ligaments which often results in a superior displacement. From this point onwards the scale and grade of injury depends on the degree of displacement of the clavicle.
Grade 4 involves posterior displacement and grade 5 superior displacement, to a greater degree than grade 3, with an increase in coracoclavicular space by 3-5 times the norm. A step deformity may be apparent with grade 3, 4 & 5 injuries. Grade 6 (not shown) involves full rupture of both AC and CC ligaments with the clavicle being displaced inferiorly.
Treatment
What can the athlete do?
Rest and apply ice in the early stage
Immobilise the shoulder in a sling to ease pain by taking the weight of the arm
See a Sports Injury Specialist or Doctor
What can a Sports Injury Specialist or Doctor do?
Tape the joint into the correct position to assist with healing. You may need to be taped for 2-3 weeks
Apply ultrasound for minor injuries, or TENS for pain relief in more severe cases
Prescribe Anti-inflammatory (such as ibuprofen) medication to reduce pain and inflammation.
Advise on rehabilitation exercises
Surgery if required (usually grades 4-6)
WARNING - If this injury is neglected and allowed to heal out of place this could increase the wear and tear on your joint causing you problems in the future
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Cindy....
Today's workout is As Many Rounds As Possible in a time limit of 20 minutes.
Beginners: AMRAP in 10 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Intermediate: AMRAP in 15 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Advanced: AMRAP in 20 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Also great job by all the folks that showed up for Fight Gone Bad at CrossFit Asia today....
Beginners: AMRAP in 10 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Intermediate: AMRAP in 15 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Advanced: AMRAP in 20 minutes of; 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats
Also great job by all the folks that showed up for Fight Gone Bad at CrossFit Asia today....
Friday, September 25, 2009
Dipping and Running
Dips and a run....
Beginner: 3 rds for time of: 10 bar dips and 400m run
Intermediate: 4 rds for time of: 15 bar dips and 400m run
Advanced: 5 rds for time of: 15 ring dips and 400m run
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Shoulder Press
Today's workout is the Shoulder Press.
Shoulder Press 5-5-5-3-3-3
The reps of 5 should be around 60% to 65% of your 1RM. The reps of 3 should be around 75% to 80% of your 1RM. During this workout prepare yourself mentally to move heavy weight.
Some tips to remember when executing the shoulder press;
Stance= hip width
hands just outside the shoulders
tight midsection
elbows down and in front of the bar
full grip, thumbs aroud the bar
drive through the heels, keep the whole body rigid
Shoulder Press 5-5-5-3-3-3
The reps of 5 should be around 60% to 65% of your 1RM. The reps of 3 should be around 75% to 80% of your 1RM. During this workout prepare yourself mentally to move heavy weight.
Some tips to remember when executing the shoulder press;
Stance= hip width
hands just outside the shoulders
tight midsection
elbows down and in front of the bar
full grip, thumbs aroud the bar
drive through the heels, keep the whole body rigid
Rest Day Topic; Dynamic v.s. Static Stretching.....
STATIC STRETCHING
Many coaches advocate the use of static stretching prior to exercise. Static stretching involves reaching forward to a point of tension and holding the stretch. Static stretching has been used through out the years for two main reasons: injury prevention and performance enhancement. (1) Does static stretching prior to activity achieve the goals of injury prevention and performance enhancement? Research has shown that static stretching can be detrimental to performance and doesn’t necessarily lead to decreases in injury. Below are a few studies done on the topic of static stretching:
Rod Pope an army physiotherapist in Australia, recently carried out a wide study to assess the relationship between static stretching and injury prevention. Pope monitored over 1600 recruits over the course of a year in randomised controlled trials. He found no differences in the occurrence of injury between those recruits who statically stretched and those who did not. (1, 2)
“Gleim & McHugh (1997), would also challenge the premise that stretching, or indeed increased flexibility, reduces the risk of injury” (1,3)
New research has shown that static stretching decreases eccentric strength for up to an hour after the stretch. Static stretching has been shown to decrease muscle strength by up to 9% for 60 minutes following the stretch and decrease eccentric strength by 7% followed by a specific hamstring stretch. (4)
Rosenbaum and Hennig showed that static stretching reduced peak force by 5% and the rate of force production by 8%. This study was about Achilles tendon reflex activity. (5)
Gerard van der poel stated that static stretching caused a specific decrease in the specific coordination of explosive movements. (4)
Three 15-second stretches of the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles reduced the peak vertical velocity of a vertical jump in the majority of subjects (Knudson et al. 2000). (6,7)
Moscov (1993) found that there is no relationship between static flexibility and dynamic flexibility. This suggests that an increased static range of motion may not be translated into functional, sport-specific flexibility, which is largely dynamic in most sporting situations (1)
Static based stretching programs seem best suited following an activity. (8)
Many coaches advocate the use of static stretching prior to exercise. Static stretching involves reaching forward to a point of tension and holding the stretch. Static stretching has been used through out the years for two main reasons: injury prevention and performance enhancement. (1) Does static stretching prior to activity achieve the goals of injury prevention and performance enhancement? Research has shown that static stretching can be detrimental to performance and doesn’t necessarily lead to decreases in injury. Below are a few studies done on the topic of static stretching:
Rod Pope an army physiotherapist in Australia, recently carried out a wide study to assess the relationship between static stretching and injury prevention. Pope monitored over 1600 recruits over the course of a year in randomised controlled trials. He found no differences in the occurrence of injury between those recruits who statically stretched and those who did not. (1, 2)
“Gleim & McHugh (1997), would also challenge the premise that stretching, or indeed increased flexibility, reduces the risk of injury” (1,3)
New research has shown that static stretching decreases eccentric strength for up to an hour after the stretch. Static stretching has been shown to decrease muscle strength by up to 9% for 60 minutes following the stretch and decrease eccentric strength by 7% followed by a specific hamstring stretch. (4)
Rosenbaum and Hennig showed that static stretching reduced peak force by 5% and the rate of force production by 8%. This study was about Achilles tendon reflex activity. (5)
Gerard van der poel stated that static stretching caused a specific decrease in the specific coordination of explosive movements. (4)
Three 15-second stretches of the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles reduced the peak vertical velocity of a vertical jump in the majority of subjects (Knudson et al. 2000). (6,7)
Moscov (1993) found that there is no relationship between static flexibility and dynamic flexibility. This suggests that an increased static range of motion may not be translated into functional, sport-specific flexibility, which is largely dynamic in most sporting situations (1)
Static based stretching programs seem best suited following an activity. (8)
DYNAMIC STRETCHING
Many of the best strength coaches support the use of dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching consists of functional based exercises which use sport specific movements to prepare the body for movement. (8) “Dynamic stretching, according to Kurz, "involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body beyond its range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. (9) Several professional coaches, authors and studies have supported or shown the effectiveness of dynamic stretching. Below are a few examples of support for dynamic stretching:
Mike Boyle uses a dynamic warm-up with his athletes. He goes through about 26000 workouts over the course of a summer. In 2002 he did not have one major muscle pull that required medical attention. (10)
Flexibility is speed specific. There are two kinds of stretch receptors, one measures magnitude and speed and the other measures magnitude only. Static flexibility improves static flexibility and dynamic flexibility improves dynamic flexibility which is why it doesn’t make sense to static stretch prior to dynamic activity. There is considerable but not complete transfer of static stretching to dynamic stretching(11)
One author compared a team that dynamically stretched to a team that static stretched. The team that dynamically stretched had fewer injuries. (8)
There are few sports where achieving static flexibility is advantageous to success in the sport. Therefore according to the principle of specificity it would seem to be more advantageous to perform a dynamic warm-up which more resembles the activity of the sport.(12)
Dynamic Flexibility increases core temperature, muscle temperature, elongates the muscles, stimulates the nervous system, and helps decrease the chance of injury. (13)
Another author showed that dynamic stretching does increase flexibility. (11)
Many of the best strength coaches support the use of dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching consists of functional based exercises which use sport specific movements to prepare the body for movement. (8) “Dynamic stretching, according to Kurz, "involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body beyond its range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. (9) Several professional coaches, authors and studies have supported or shown the effectiveness of dynamic stretching. Below are a few examples of support for dynamic stretching:
Mike Boyle uses a dynamic warm-up with his athletes. He goes through about 26000 workouts over the course of a summer. In 2002 he did not have one major muscle pull that required medical attention. (10)
Flexibility is speed specific. There are two kinds of stretch receptors, one measures magnitude and speed and the other measures magnitude only. Static flexibility improves static flexibility and dynamic flexibility improves dynamic flexibility which is why it doesn’t make sense to static stretch prior to dynamic activity. There is considerable but not complete transfer of static stretching to dynamic stretching(11)
One author compared a team that dynamically stretched to a team that static stretched. The team that dynamically stretched had fewer injuries. (8)
There are few sports where achieving static flexibility is advantageous to success in the sport. Therefore according to the principle of specificity it would seem to be more advantageous to perform a dynamic warm-up which more resembles the activity of the sport.(12)
Dynamic Flexibility increases core temperature, muscle temperature, elongates the muscles, stimulates the nervous system, and helps decrease the chance of injury. (13)
Another author showed that dynamic stretching does increase flexibility. (11)
As coaches, trainers and parents we all want our athletes to lower their incidence of injury and increase performance. Dynamic flexibility has been used successfully by trainers and coaches to increase flexibility and possibly lower the incidence of injury. It is the job of the coach or trainer to pick the method they feel is best suited for the sport and athletes. The above evidence suggests the possibility that static stretching prior to activity is not the best solution. Static stretching doesn’t necessarily lead to a decrease in injury and but may actually decrease performance. If one purpose of the warm-up is to warm-up the body, wouldn’t static stretching actually cool the body down? If static stretching is not the solution to a pre-game warm-up what is? Dynamic stretching.
A sports performance program could look like this:
Beginning- Dynamic warm up
Middle- Actual workout
End- Cool down/static stretching
A sports performance program could look like this:
Beginning- Dynamic warm up
Middle- Actual workout
End- Cool down/static stretching
1. www.pponline.co.uk, So what about dynamic flexibility.
2. Rod Pope, 'Skip the warm-up,' New Scientist, 164(2214), p. 23
3. Gleim & McHugh (1997), 'Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and performance,' Sports Medicine, 24(5), pp. 289-299.
4. Mick Critchell, Warm ups for soccer a Dynamic approach, page 5.
5. Rosenbaum, D. and E. M. Hennig. 1995. The influence of stretching and warm-up exercises on Achilles tendon reflex activity. Journal of Sport Sciences vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 481–90.
6. Knudson, D., K. Bennet, R. Corn, D. Leick, and C. Smith. 2000. Acute Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical Jump. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport vol. 71, no. 1 (Supplement), p. A-30.
7. Tomas Kurz, www.scienceofsports.com,
8. Mann, Douglas, Jones Margaret 1999: Guidelines to the implementation of a dynamic stretching routine, Strength and Conditioning Journal:Vol 21 No 6 pp53-55
9. www.cmcrossroads.com
10. Boyle, Mike, Functional Training for Sports, pg 29
11. Kurz, Tomas, Science of Sports Training, page 236
12. Hendrick, Allen, Dynamic Flexibility training, Strength and conditioning Journal, Vol 22 no 5, Pgs 33-38.
13. Frederick Gregory 2001 Baseball Part 1 Dynamic Flexibility, Strength and conditioning Journal Vol 23 No 1 Pages 21-30.
2. Rod Pope, 'Skip the warm-up,' New Scientist, 164(2214), p. 23
3. Gleim & McHugh (1997), 'Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and performance,' Sports Medicine, 24(5), pp. 289-299.
4. Mick Critchell, Warm ups for soccer a Dynamic approach, page 5.
5. Rosenbaum, D. and E. M. Hennig. 1995. The influence of stretching and warm-up exercises on Achilles tendon reflex activity. Journal of Sport Sciences vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 481–90.
6. Knudson, D., K. Bennet, R. Corn, D. Leick, and C. Smith. 2000. Acute Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical Jump. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport vol. 71, no. 1 (Supplement), p. A-30.
7. Tomas Kurz, www.scienceofsports.com,
8. Mann, Douglas, Jones Margaret 1999: Guidelines to the implementation of a dynamic stretching routine, Strength and Conditioning Journal:Vol 21 No 6 pp53-55
9. www.cmcrossroads.com
10. Boyle, Mike, Functional Training for Sports, pg 29
11. Kurz, Tomas, Science of Sports Training, page 236
12. Hendrick, Allen, Dynamic Flexibility training, Strength and conditioning Journal, Vol 22 no 5, Pgs 33-38.
13. Frederick Gregory 2001 Baseball Part 1 Dynamic Flexibility, Strength and conditioning Journal Vol 23 No 1 Pages 21-30.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Getting outside your comfort zone......
Today's workout will challenge you mentally as much as physically. Prepare mentally for this endurance workout.
Beginner: 800m run, 25 kettlebell/Dumbell Swings 40lbs, and 15 pull ups
Intermediate: 1600m run(1 mile), 35 kettlebell/dumbell swings 40lbs, and 20 pull ups
Advanced: 2400m run( 1.5 miles), 50 kettlebell/dumbbell swings 50lbs, and 30 pull ups
Monday, September 21, 2009
Dead Lift and Push Ups
Complete 5 rds for time of: 10 Dead Lifts and 20 Push ups
Beginners dead lift weight is 135lbs
Intermediate weight is 185lbs
Advanced weight is 225lbs
Post times to comments.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Speed Work......
Today we will work on speed. To get faster you don't run longer you have to work on your turnover rate and efficiency of running. Here is my theory on speed;
- Speed is a skill
- Speed training is a all year event
- Repetition, repetition, repetition
- Have a generalised approach to speed training
- Relative body strength = How strong you are for how much you weigh.
So today's workout is 4 x 400m runs. You only get 90 secs of rest between runs. Your goal is to keep your times +/- 3 to 4 secs of each other.
Post times to comments.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Rest Day Topic; Dinning out Zone friendly
Many of the excuses we trainers get why people cant stay on the Zone start with I eat out a lot. Eating out a lot is not an excuse. So to dispel that rumor here are some dinning out tips for staying Zone friendly and some popular choice restaurants with healthy choices.
Zone Rules for Dining Out
1. Never eat the rolls. If you’re going to eat carbohydrates, save it for dessert.
2. Always choose a low-fat protein entree and ask to replace any starches or grains with extra vegetables.
3. While waiting for dinner, have a glass of water
4. If the low-fat protein you order is significantly greater than the size of your palm, take the excess home.
5. Determine whether the carbohydrates on your plate are favorable or unfavorable. If you’re eating favorable carbohydrates, have double the volume of carbohydrates compared to the protein portion.
6. If dining out is not complete without dessert, then don’t eat any carbohydrates during the meal. Order whatever you want for dessert, but eat only half.
Arby’s
Breakfast Croissant with ham cheese and egg. Discard top portion of the croissant and eat open-faced
Regular roast beef sandwich with light mayo, garden salad with fat-free Italian dressing. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Grilled chicken deluxe on wheat bread. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
French dip deluxe on wheat bread. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Burger King
Croissantwich with eggs and cheese. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Chicken or Shrimp Salad with grape tomatoes, baby carrots, red onions and cucumbers
BK broiler without mayo. Remove one-fourth of the bun
Dunkin’ Donuts
Sausage, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich
Ham, egg, and cheese English muffin sandwich. Discard top portion and eat open-faced
Jack in the Box (Ask if salads below can be made with low-fat dressing)
Breakfast Jack and a piece of string cheese (that you brought from home)
Greek salad
Asian chicken salad
Chicken club salad
Southwest chicken salad
Chicken fajita pita, a piece of fruit
Southwest pita, a piece of fruit
Small hamburger with cheese
KFC
Chicken breast sandwich (no skin or breading) with a side order of green beans and side order of Cole slaw
Oven roasted chicken sandwich (no sauce) with a side of Cole slaw. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Tender roast sandwich with a side of Cole slaw. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Long John Silver’s
1 piece of baked cod, 1 hush puppy, vinegar and hot sauce
10 pieces of battered shrimp, no side orders
1 piece of baked cod, 2 orders of Cole slaw
Ultimate fish sandwich, no sides. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
McDonald’s
Egg McMuffin or Sausage McMuffin with egg
2 orders of scrambled eggs with cheese, English muffin
1 regular hamburger with double meat, garden salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette
Chicken McGrill Sandwich, garden salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Grilled chicken and bacon ranch salad, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Grilled chicken California Cobb, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Pizza Hut
Large slice of hand-tossed style pizza or a medium slice of pan pizza topped with cheese and any one of the following ingredients: chicken, supreme, ham, and a garden salad with light ranch dressing
2 large slices of hand-tossed style pizza or a medium slice of pan pizza topped with cheese and any one of the following ingredients: chicken, supreme, ham. Remove topping from one slice and place it on the other. Discard remaining crust. Garden salad with light ranch dressing
Quiznos
Sierra smoked turkey (small). Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Honey bourbon chicken (small) on wheat bread. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Turkey light (small) on wheat bread. Discard top portion of the bread and eat open-faced
Bowl of chili, garden salad with light dressing
Subway
Chicken bacon ranch wrap
Turkey breast and bacon melt wrap
Turkey breast and ham wrap
Mediterranean chicken salad
Classic club salad
Grilled chicken and baby spinach salad
Taco Bell
2 soft chicken tacos
Taco salad without the shell, extra order of guacamole
Chicken or steak enchito
2 soft tacos supreme with chicken
Wendy’s (Ask if salads can be made with low-fat dressings)
1 junior cheeseburger, no bun, side order of Mandarin oranges
Homestyle chicken strips salad
Mandarin chicken salad
Chili, small for women and large for men
Junior cheeseburger, spring mix salad
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tabata Work.....
Today is a challenging workout. On a treadmill put the incline up to 9.5% and the speed on no lower than 6.5mph and no higher than 8.0mph. Now for 20 seconds you will run with the treadmill, after 20 seconds you will rest for 10 seconds. You will repeat this for a total of 8 rounds. This is only 4 minutes of work, but it will change your mind about 4 minute workouts. Try hard not to have to hold on to the rail in the front. For safety when you get back on for your 20 seconds hold on to the side rails until you get going on the treadmill....
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Testing your metabolic limits.......
AMRAP(As Many Rounds As Possible) Work out.
Beginners: 10 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Intermediate: 15 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Advanced: 20 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Count how many times that you go through each exercise. ex. 10 pull ups and 10 swings equal one round.
Post rounds completed to comments.
Beginners: 10 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Intermediate: 15 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Advanced: 20 minutes of: 10 pull ups and 10 kettlebell/dumbell swings
Count how many times that you go through each exercise. ex. 10 pull ups and 10 swings equal one round.
Post rounds completed to comments.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Back Squat......
Today's workout: Back Squat 5 x 5 work at around 60%- 65% of 1RM
* Note you should rest any where between 2-4 minutes between sets(5 reps, rest, 5 reps etc..).
Tips to remember when executing the back squat;
Stance shoulder width
Send butt back and down
Knees track over feet
Keep chest up
Head neutral
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Rest Day Topic: High Cholesterol
Today I want to address a subject that is a serious subject in the African American community, High Cholesterol which leads to coronary heart disease(COH). For generations African Americans have had serious problems with high cholesterol problems. A lot of the times these problems can be directly linked to our diet and nutrition, but here are some more of the factors linked to this deadly disease in our community. Please feel free to post comments.
High Cholesterol
Out of all of the risk factors for heart disease, high cholesterol risk factors are probably one of the easier ones to modify. High cholesterol levels, especially if left undiagnosed, can deposit on the walls of your arteries through a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis forms a waxy plaque on the walls of arteries and can limit blood flow to vital organs and tissues. Many factors can place you at risk for high cholesterol. Although most of these factors can be modified through changing your lifestyle, some risk factors cannot be changed.
The following circumstances are risk factors associated with high cholesterol levels:
•Poor diet – A diet high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats and low in fiber is a recipe for high cholesterol levels. If you want to keep your cholesterol levels low, be sure to eat foods that are low in fat and high in soluble fiber. Examples of foods to include in your diet include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, since these foods are high in fiber and other nutrients needed by your body. Some foods you may want to avoid include chips, pastries, cookies, and other sweets. These generally contain foods that are high in saturated fats, which can raise your cholesterol levels.
•Sedentary lifestyle – Sitting in front of the television or computer scores no points when it comes to keeping your cholesterol low. Exercise -– whether it is aerobic or low impact –- is the key in lowering your risk of having high cholesterol.
•Age – Your age also matters when it comes to your risk of having high cholesterol levels. The older you get, your risk of having high cholesterol increases.
•Smoking – If you are smoking, quit now. This can lower your good cholesterol levels (HDL) and raise your total cholesterol levels.
•Your Family Tree – High cholesterol levels can be inherited, too. Knowing your family history can also give you a good idea of whether or not you are at risk of having high cholesterol levels. Do you have a mother, a father, or a sibling with high cholesterol levels? Have you had a male first-degree relative under 45 years of age, or a female first-degree relative under 55 years of age, diagnosed with coronary heart disease? If so, you could be at risk of having high cholesterol levels.
•Your Gender – Being male or female can also make a difference in your risk of having high cholesterol levels. Hormone levels can also influence your cholesterol levels. For instance, females are at highest risk of high cholesterol levels during pregnancy and after menopause due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone.
•Disease Management – Certain diseases could also place you at risk of having high cholesterol levels. These conditions include diabetes and certain thyroid conditions. By managing these conditions, you could also help lower your cholesterol levels.
High Cholesterol
Out of all of the risk factors for heart disease, high cholesterol risk factors are probably one of the easier ones to modify. High cholesterol levels, especially if left undiagnosed, can deposit on the walls of your arteries through a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis forms a waxy plaque on the walls of arteries and can limit blood flow to vital organs and tissues. Many factors can place you at risk for high cholesterol. Although most of these factors can be modified through changing your lifestyle, some risk factors cannot be changed.
The following circumstances are risk factors associated with high cholesterol levels:
•Poor diet – A diet high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats and low in fiber is a recipe for high cholesterol levels. If you want to keep your cholesterol levels low, be sure to eat foods that are low in fat and high in soluble fiber. Examples of foods to include in your diet include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, since these foods are high in fiber and other nutrients needed by your body. Some foods you may want to avoid include chips, pastries, cookies, and other sweets. These generally contain foods that are high in saturated fats, which can raise your cholesterol levels.
•Sedentary lifestyle – Sitting in front of the television or computer scores no points when it comes to keeping your cholesterol low. Exercise -– whether it is aerobic or low impact –- is the key in lowering your risk of having high cholesterol.
•Age – Your age also matters when it comes to your risk of having high cholesterol levels. The older you get, your risk of having high cholesterol increases.
•Smoking – If you are smoking, quit now. This can lower your good cholesterol levels (HDL) and raise your total cholesterol levels.
•Your Family Tree – High cholesterol levels can be inherited, too. Knowing your family history can also give you a good idea of whether or not you are at risk of having high cholesterol levels. Do you have a mother, a father, or a sibling with high cholesterol levels? Have you had a male first-degree relative under 45 years of age, or a female first-degree relative under 55 years of age, diagnosed with coronary heart disease? If so, you could be at risk of having high cholesterol levels.
•Your Gender – Being male or female can also make a difference in your risk of having high cholesterol levels. Hormone levels can also influence your cholesterol levels. For instance, females are at highest risk of high cholesterol levels during pregnancy and after menopause due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone.
•Disease Management – Certain diseases could also place you at risk of having high cholesterol levels. These conditions include diabetes and certain thyroid conditions. By managing these conditions, you could also help lower your cholesterol levels.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Got Legs?
Beginner: 2 rds for time of: 400m run, 50 lunges, 50 squats
Intermediate: 3 rds for time of: 400m run, 50 lunges, 50 squats
Advanced: 4 rds for time of: 400m run, 50 lunges, 50 squats
Post times to comments.
Intermediate: 3 rds for time of: 400m run, 50 lunges, 50 squats
Advanced: 4 rds for time of: 400m run, 50 lunges, 50 squats
Post times to comments.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Power Outtage
Due to the power being out yesterday I spent the day down at the CrossFit Level 1 Cert... Back to business today.
Today's workout is:
Beginners: 3rds for time of: 25 air squats , 8 pull ups
Intermediate: 4rds for time of: 25 air squats, 8 pull ups
Advanced: 5rds for time of: 25 air squats, 10 pull ups
Post times to comments
Today's workout is:
Beginners: 3rds for time of: 25 air squats , 8 pull ups
Intermediate: 4rds for time of: 25 air squats, 8 pull ups
Advanced: 5rds for time of: 25 air squats, 10 pull ups
Post times to comments
Friday, September 11, 2009
Picking up heavy s**t!!!!
"There is nothing more functional than picking up heavy s**t off the ground." Mark Rippetoe
Dead Lift 5 x 3 ( 3,3,3,3,3) Five sets of 3 reps 70% to 75% of your 1 rep max (RM).
The things to remember when preforming the Dead Lift:
Keep the your weight in your heels.
back arched/lumbar curve locked in
shoulders slightly in front of the bar
bar in contact with the shins
arms locked out
hips and shoulders rise together
head neutral
Dead Lift 5 x 3 ( 3,3,3,3,3) Five sets of 3 reps 70% to 75% of your 1 rep max (RM).
The things to remember when preforming the Dead Lift:
Keep the your weight in your heels.
back arched/lumbar curve locked in
shoulders slightly in front of the bar
bar in contact with the shins
arms locked out
hips and shoulders rise together
head neutral
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rest Day... Zoning Your Kitchen
Today is a rest day, but I wanted to talk about diet and nutrition today. No matter your physical ability without a proper diet you only limit your potential. So you have to find a way to lock in your nutrition. Here are some helpful tips....
ZONING YOUR KITCHEN
WHAT TO REMOVE FROM YOUR KITCHEN
Out of sight, out of mouth and mind. That’s Dr. Sears’ feeling about most grains and starches. Grab any processed starch you can find (breakfast cereals, flour, crackers, pasta, bread, bagels, muffins, cookies, cake, breadsticks, granola bars, and so on) and put all these products into a trash bag. Fill another trash bag with traditional starches like rice, potatoes, and grains. But you can keep barley and steel-cut oats if you have them on hand. Now look in your pantry to see if you have products rich in sugar, such as fruit rollups, chocolate, or candy. Put these in a bag as well. Now scour your kitchen for dangerous fats: butter, margarine, Crisco, lard, and most important, vegetable oils such as soybean, corn safflower and sunflower. Don’t even try to save them, just throw them out. Now take all these bags with unopened high glycemic-load products to the local food bank. As hard as it may be to remove these foods from your kitchen, your body will thank you later. These items are the worst offenders when it comes to raising insulin levels and increasing silent inflammation. These fall into the category of either high glycemic-load carbohydrates or pro-inflammatory fats. They are, literally, poison to your future wellness.
WHAT TO ADD TO YOUR KITCHEN
Your kitchen might be looking a little bare at this point. Not to worry. You are about to fill it up again—this time with low glycemic-load carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables. You’ll also add the right kinds of protein and fat.
CARBOHYDRATES
People usually buy fresh produce with the best of intentions, but time usually conspires against them. Salad greens wilt, berries become moldy, peaches become mushy, and we often end up throwing our money in the garbage. The easiest way around this is to simply buy only two or three days’ worth of produce at a time. Good idea, but highly unlikely in today’s world with its growing time constraints. Instead, stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables. Not only are they less expensive than fresh items, but also they are surprisingly more nutritious. This is because only the ripest fruits and vegetables are frozen. What’s more, they are frozen soon after harvesting, which seals in their vitamins and phytochemicals. Fresh produce, on the other hand, will lose many of these nutrients when it is transported and stored. Canned fruits and vegetables are more problematic. You have to avoid any that are floating in sweetened syrups, which are added during the canning process. (The high sugar content reduces bacterial growth.) Also, canned produce often contains a much lower vitamin content than frozen produce. Nonetheless, they still make a better choice for Zone carbohydrates than the high glycemic-load carbohydrates that you donated to the local food bank.
Protein
Look for low-fat sources of protein and buy them in serving-size portions. It’s easy to purchase too much protein, which means you’re likely to eat more than you need. Let the butcher at the supermarket become your ally. If all the meat, chicken, or fish you can find is packed in 2-pound bundles, ask the butcher to repackage it in eight l/4-pound packages. Keep one of the packages in the refrigerator, and freeze the other seven. Or, buy in bulk to save money and repackage the meat in smaller portions yourself using freezer bags. Once you use one of the packages in the refrigerator, immediately replace it with one from the freezer. This type of portion control reduces the likelihood of thawing out too much protein (and eating too much), or worse, not having any protein (because you don’t want to thaw a huge package). You can apply the same trick to low-fat deli meats. Just have the butcher put a piece of wax paper between every ¼ pound of deli meat. Eggs are a great source of protein that come in convenient portion-control sizes. Let me emphasize that I’m talking about egg whites, not egg yolks, which are rich in pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (AA). For omelets and scrambled eggs, you may want to buy an inexpensive egg separator, or you can buy egg substitutes, such as Eggbbeaters. If you eat hard-boiled eggs, make sure to eat only the white and discard the yolk. Packaged portion like low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, and canned tuna, salmon, and sardines are also great sources of low-fat protein. They provide you readily accessible sources of low-fat protein with easy-to-control portions. For vegan meals, purchase soy protein products like tofu, tempeh, or soy imitation-meat products. You can also purchase a pure protein powder (isolated whey protein tastes the best) that can be used to make Zone smoothie shakes with mixed berries or added carbohydrates such as oatmeal on the side to give you the correct protein-to-carbohydrate balance you need to maintain long-term blood glucose control. Having easily accessible protein sources is key to staying in the Zone because it stimulates the release of glucagons, which helps stabilize blood glucose levels. In order to maintain stable insulin levels, you need to eat before you get hungry, or within a minute or two of feeling those first hunger pangs. Opening a can of tuna or grabbing a hard-boiled egg white from your fridge mixed with some precut low glycemic-load carbohydrates and a drizzle of olive oil can make an easy-to-prepare a meal in less than two minutes. Keeping hunger at bay by controlling your blood glucose levels is the key to staving off cravings for high glycemic-load carbohydrates like bagels, cookies, and cake.
Fat
Last but not least, you have to stock your kitchen with the right kinds of fat. You’ve already gotten rid of the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, which increase levels of silent inflammation, by throwing out the vegetable oils. Removing saturated fat from your diet is just plain common sense. Now you have to increase your supply of monounsaturated fats. You should buy a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil (for dressings & seasonings) and refined olive oil (for cooking). You should also keep a stock of nuts: slivered almonds, pine nuts, & chopped cashews are all great for making pestos or topping salads. Keep at least one avocado in your fridge for slicing into salads. All of these foods are great sources of monounsaturated fats.
ZONING YOUR KITCHEN
WHAT TO REMOVE FROM YOUR KITCHEN
Out of sight, out of mouth and mind. That’s Dr. Sears’ feeling about most grains and starches. Grab any processed starch you can find (breakfast cereals, flour, crackers, pasta, bread, bagels, muffins, cookies, cake, breadsticks, granola bars, and so on) and put all these products into a trash bag. Fill another trash bag with traditional starches like rice, potatoes, and grains. But you can keep barley and steel-cut oats if you have them on hand. Now look in your pantry to see if you have products rich in sugar, such as fruit rollups, chocolate, or candy. Put these in a bag as well. Now scour your kitchen for dangerous fats: butter, margarine, Crisco, lard, and most important, vegetable oils such as soybean, corn safflower and sunflower. Don’t even try to save them, just throw them out. Now take all these bags with unopened high glycemic-load products to the local food bank. As hard as it may be to remove these foods from your kitchen, your body will thank you later. These items are the worst offenders when it comes to raising insulin levels and increasing silent inflammation. These fall into the category of either high glycemic-load carbohydrates or pro-inflammatory fats. They are, literally, poison to your future wellness.
WHAT TO ADD TO YOUR KITCHEN
Your kitchen might be looking a little bare at this point. Not to worry. You are about to fill it up again—this time with low glycemic-load carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables. You’ll also add the right kinds of protein and fat.
CARBOHYDRATES
People usually buy fresh produce with the best of intentions, but time usually conspires against them. Salad greens wilt, berries become moldy, peaches become mushy, and we often end up throwing our money in the garbage. The easiest way around this is to simply buy only two or three days’ worth of produce at a time. Good idea, but highly unlikely in today’s world with its growing time constraints. Instead, stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables. Not only are they less expensive than fresh items, but also they are surprisingly more nutritious. This is because only the ripest fruits and vegetables are frozen. What’s more, they are frozen soon after harvesting, which seals in their vitamins and phytochemicals. Fresh produce, on the other hand, will lose many of these nutrients when it is transported and stored. Canned fruits and vegetables are more problematic. You have to avoid any that are floating in sweetened syrups, which are added during the canning process. (The high sugar content reduces bacterial growth.) Also, canned produce often contains a much lower vitamin content than frozen produce. Nonetheless, they still make a better choice for Zone carbohydrates than the high glycemic-load carbohydrates that you donated to the local food bank.
Protein
Look for low-fat sources of protein and buy them in serving-size portions. It’s easy to purchase too much protein, which means you’re likely to eat more than you need. Let the butcher at the supermarket become your ally. If all the meat, chicken, or fish you can find is packed in 2-pound bundles, ask the butcher to repackage it in eight l/4-pound packages. Keep one of the packages in the refrigerator, and freeze the other seven. Or, buy in bulk to save money and repackage the meat in smaller portions yourself using freezer bags. Once you use one of the packages in the refrigerator, immediately replace it with one from the freezer. This type of portion control reduces the likelihood of thawing out too much protein (and eating too much), or worse, not having any protein (because you don’t want to thaw a huge package). You can apply the same trick to low-fat deli meats. Just have the butcher put a piece of wax paper between every ¼ pound of deli meat. Eggs are a great source of protein that come in convenient portion-control sizes. Let me emphasize that I’m talking about egg whites, not egg yolks, which are rich in pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (AA). For omelets and scrambled eggs, you may want to buy an inexpensive egg separator, or you can buy egg substitutes, such as Eggbbeaters. If you eat hard-boiled eggs, make sure to eat only the white and discard the yolk. Packaged portion like low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, and canned tuna, salmon, and sardines are also great sources of low-fat protein. They provide you readily accessible sources of low-fat protein with easy-to-control portions. For vegan meals, purchase soy protein products like tofu, tempeh, or soy imitation-meat products. You can also purchase a pure protein powder (isolated whey protein tastes the best) that can be used to make Zone smoothie shakes with mixed berries or added carbohydrates such as oatmeal on the side to give you the correct protein-to-carbohydrate balance you need to maintain long-term blood glucose control. Having easily accessible protein sources is key to staying in the Zone because it stimulates the release of glucagons, which helps stabilize blood glucose levels. In order to maintain stable insulin levels, you need to eat before you get hungry, or within a minute or two of feeling those first hunger pangs. Opening a can of tuna or grabbing a hard-boiled egg white from your fridge mixed with some precut low glycemic-load carbohydrates and a drizzle of olive oil can make an easy-to-prepare a meal in less than two minutes. Keeping hunger at bay by controlling your blood glucose levels is the key to staving off cravings for high glycemic-load carbohydrates like bagels, cookies, and cake.
Fat
Last but not least, you have to stock your kitchen with the right kinds of fat. You’ve already gotten rid of the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, which increase levels of silent inflammation, by throwing out the vegetable oils. Removing saturated fat from your diet is just plain common sense. Now you have to increase your supply of monounsaturated fats. You should buy a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil (for dressings & seasonings) and refined olive oil (for cooking). You should also keep a stock of nuts: slivered almonds, pine nuts, & chopped cashews are all great for making pestos or topping salads. Keep at least one avocado in your fridge for slicing into salads. All of these foods are great sources of monounsaturated fats.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
"Baby Barbara"
Beginners: 2 rounds through of: 10 pull ups( chin over the bar by kipping, jumping, or dead hang), 15 push ups(regular or on knees), 20 sit ups, 25 air squats(just using your body weight)
Intermediate: 3 rounds through of: 10 pull ups, 15 push ups, 20 sit ups, 25 air squats
Advanced: 5 rounds through of: 10 pull ups, 15 push ups, 20 sit ups, 25 air squats
Once you finish each round you get 2 minutes to rest before starting the next round. So after the last squat you have 2 minutes before starting the pull ups. This should challenge you metabolically more than it should cahllenge your muscular endurance. Post times to comments.
Intermediate: 3 rounds through of: 10 pull ups, 15 push ups, 20 sit ups, 25 air squats
Advanced: 5 rounds through of: 10 pull ups, 15 push ups, 20 sit ups, 25 air squats
Once you finish each round you get 2 minutes to rest before starting the next round. So after the last squat you have 2 minutes before starting the pull ups. This should challenge you metabolically more than it should cahllenge your muscular endurance. Post times to comments.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Get your run on....
Every morning a gazelle wakes up knowing it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will die. A lion wakes up knowing it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. Whether your a gazelle or a lion when the sun comes up your a** better be running....
Beginner: Run 800 meters for time.
Intermediate: Run 1 mile for time.
Advanced: Run 3 miles for time.
Post times to comments.
Helpful link www.mcmillanrunning.com
Beginner: Run 800 meters for time.
Intermediate: Run 1 mile for time.
Advanced: Run 3 miles for time.
Post times to comments.
Helpful link www.mcmillanrunning.com
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fitness Assessment Day....
Today I want you to assess you fitness level to figure what category you fall into? So with a continuously running clock you will perform for time: 400m run or 500m row (if doing this in a gym and using a treadmill, move the incline to 1.5% and keep the speed at a comfortable pace for you.), 20 push ups(on your knees is acceptable), 10 pull ups(jumping and kipping are acceptable), 20 squats(using just your body weight), 10 box jumps(jump onto a box you feel comfortable with). Post your times to comments.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Part 4 of "What is CrossFit"
Power
Power is defined as the “time rate of doing work.” It has often been said that in sport speed is king. At CrossFit “power” is the undisputed king of performance. Power is in simplest terms, “hard and fast.” Jumping, punching, throwing, and
sprinting are all measures of power. Increasing your ability to produce power is necessary and nearly sufficient to elite athleticism. Additionally, power is the definition of intensity, which in turn has been linked to nearly every positive
aspect of fitness. Increases in strength, performance, muscle mass, and bone density all arise in proportion to the intensity of exercise. And again, intensity is defined as power. Power is one of the four defining themes of the CrossFit Program. Power development is an ever-present aspect of the CrossFit Daily Workout.
Cross-Training
Cross training is typically defined as participating in multiple sports. At CrossFit we take a much broader view of the term. We view cross training as exceeding the normal parameters of the regular demands of your sport or training. The CrossFit Program recognizes functional, metabolic, and modal cross training. That is we regularly train past the normal motions, metabolic pathways, and modes or sports common to the athlete’s sport or exercise regimen. We are unique and again distinctive to the extent that we adhere to and program within this context.
If you remember the CrossFit objective of providing a broad based fitness that provides maximal competency in all adaptive capacities, cross training, or training outside of the athletes normal or regular demands is a given. The CrossFit coaching staff had long ago noticed that athletes are weakest at the margins of their exposure for almost every measurable parameter. For instance, if you only cycle between five to seven miles at each training effort you
will test weak at less than five and greater than seven miles. This is true for range of motion, load, rest, intensity, and power, etc. The CrossFit workouts are engineered to expand the margins of exposure as broad as function and capacity will allow. Cross training is one of the four CrossFit defining themes.
Functional Movements
There are movements that mimic motor recruitment patterns that are found in everyday life. Others are somewhat unique to the gym. Squatting is standing from a seated position; deadlifting is picking any object off the ground.They are both functional movements. Leg extension and leg curl both have no equivalent in nature and are in turn nonfunctional movements. The bulk of isolation movements are non-functional movements. By contrast the compound or multi-joint movements are functional. Natural movement typically involves the movement of multiple joints for every
activity. The importance of functional movements is primarily two-fold. First of all the functional movements are mechanically sound and therefore safe, and secondly they are the movements that elicit a high neuroendocrine response. CrossFit has managed a stable of elite athletes and dramatically enhanced their performance exclusively with functional movements. The superiority of training with functional movements is clearly apparent with any athlete within weeks of their incorporation.
The soundness and efficacy of functional movement is so profound that exercising without them is by comparison a colossal waste of time. For this reason functional movement is one of the four dominant CrossFit themes.
Diet
The CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows:
Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load. Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load. Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load. Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.
What should I eat?
In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all circumspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.
The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition
Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refinedor processed carbohydrate. Search “google” or “Alta Vista” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with the CrossFit prescription.
What Foods should I avoid?
Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The CrossFit prescription is a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.
Caloric Restriction and Longevity
Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake. “Caloric
Restriction” is another fruitful area for Internet search. The CrossFit prescription is consistent with this research. The CrossFit prescription allows a reduced caloric intake and yet still provides ample nutrition for rigorous activity.
Power is defined as the “time rate of doing work.” It has often been said that in sport speed is king. At CrossFit “power” is the undisputed king of performance. Power is in simplest terms, “hard and fast.” Jumping, punching, throwing, and
sprinting are all measures of power. Increasing your ability to produce power is necessary and nearly sufficient to elite athleticism. Additionally, power is the definition of intensity, which in turn has been linked to nearly every positive
aspect of fitness. Increases in strength, performance, muscle mass, and bone density all arise in proportion to the intensity of exercise. And again, intensity is defined as power. Power is one of the four defining themes of the CrossFit Program. Power development is an ever-present aspect of the CrossFit Daily Workout.
Cross-Training
Cross training is typically defined as participating in multiple sports. At CrossFit we take a much broader view of the term. We view cross training as exceeding the normal parameters of the regular demands of your sport or training. The CrossFit Program recognizes functional, metabolic, and modal cross training. That is we regularly train past the normal motions, metabolic pathways, and modes or sports common to the athlete’s sport or exercise regimen. We are unique and again distinctive to the extent that we adhere to and program within this context.
If you remember the CrossFit objective of providing a broad based fitness that provides maximal competency in all adaptive capacities, cross training, or training outside of the athletes normal or regular demands is a given. The CrossFit coaching staff had long ago noticed that athletes are weakest at the margins of their exposure for almost every measurable parameter. For instance, if you only cycle between five to seven miles at each training effort you
will test weak at less than five and greater than seven miles. This is true for range of motion, load, rest, intensity, and power, etc. The CrossFit workouts are engineered to expand the margins of exposure as broad as function and capacity will allow. Cross training is one of the four CrossFit defining themes.
Functional Movements
There are movements that mimic motor recruitment patterns that are found in everyday life. Others are somewhat unique to the gym. Squatting is standing from a seated position; deadlifting is picking any object off the ground.They are both functional movements. Leg extension and leg curl both have no equivalent in nature and are in turn nonfunctional movements. The bulk of isolation movements are non-functional movements. By contrast the compound or multi-joint movements are functional. Natural movement typically involves the movement of multiple joints for every
activity. The importance of functional movements is primarily two-fold. First of all the functional movements are mechanically sound and therefore safe, and secondly they are the movements that elicit a high neuroendocrine response. CrossFit has managed a stable of elite athletes and dramatically enhanced their performance exclusively with functional movements. The superiority of training with functional movements is clearly apparent with any athlete within weeks of their incorporation.
The soundness and efficacy of functional movement is so profound that exercising without them is by comparison a colossal waste of time. For this reason functional movement is one of the four dominant CrossFit themes.
Diet
The CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows:
Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load. Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load. Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load. Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.
What should I eat?
In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all circumspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.
The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition
Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refinedor processed carbohydrate. Search “google” or “Alta Vista” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with the CrossFit prescription.
What Foods should I avoid?
Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The CrossFit prescription is a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.
Caloric Restriction and Longevity
Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake. “Caloric
Restriction” is another fruitful area for Internet search. The CrossFit prescription is consistent with this research. The CrossFit prescription allows a reduced caloric intake and yet still provides ample nutrition for rigorous activity.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Part 3 of "What is CrossFit"?
“Fringe Athletes”
There is a near universal misconception that long distance athletes are fitter that their short distance counterparts. The triathlete, cyclist, and marathoner are often regarded as among the fittest athletes on earth. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. The endurance athlete has trained long past any cardiovascular health benefit and has lost ground in strength, speed, and power, typically does nothing for coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy and possesses little
more than average flexibility. This is hardly the stuff of elite athleticism. The CrossFit athlete, remember, has trained and practiced for optimal physical competence in all ten physical skills (cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina,
flexibility, strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy). The excessive aerobic volume of the endurance athlete’s training has cost him in speed, power, and strength to the point where his athletic competency
has been compromised. No triathlete is in ideal shape to wrestle, box, pole-vault, sprint, play any ball sport, fight fires, or do police work. Each of these requires a fitness level far beyond the needs of the endurance athlete. None of this
suggests that being a marathoner, triathlete or other endurance athlete is a bad thing; just don’t believe that training as a long distance athlete gives you the fitness that is prerequisite to many sports. CrossFit considers the Sumo
Wrestler, triathlete, marathoner, and power lifter to be “fringe athletes” in that their fitness demands are so specialized as to be inconsistent with the adaptations that give maximum competency at all physical challenges. Elite strength
and conditioning is a compromise between each of the ten physical adaptations. Endurance athletes do not balance that compromise.
Aerobics and Anaerobics
There are three main energy systems that fuel all human activity. Almost all changes that occur in the body due to exercise are related to the demands placed on these energy systems. Furthermore, the efficacy of any given fitness regimen may largely be tied to its ability to elicit an adequate stimulus for change within these three energy systems. Energy is derived aerobically when oxygen is utilized to metabolize substrates derived from food and liberates energy. An activity is termed aerobic when the majority of energy needed is derived aerobically. These activities are usually greater than ninety seconds in duration and involve low to moderate power output or intensity. Examples of aerobic activity include running on the treadmill for twenty minutes, swimming a mile, and watching TV. Energy is derived anaerobically when energy is liberated from substrates in the absence of oxygen. Activities are considered anaerobic when the majority of the energy needed is derived anaerobically. These activities are of less than two minutes in duration and involve moderate to high power output or intensity. There are two such anaerobic
systems, the phosphagen system and the lactic acid system. Examples of anaerobic activity include running a 100-meter sprint, squatting, and doing pull-ups.
Our main purpose here is to discuss how anaerobic and aerobic training support performance variables like strength, power, speed, and endurance. We also support the contention that total conditioning and optimal health necessitates
training each of the physiological systems in a systematic fashion.
It warrants mention that in any activity all three energy systems are utilized though one may dominate. The interplay of these systems can be complex, yet a simple examination of the characteristics of aerobic vs. anaerobic training
can prove useful. Aerobic training benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. This is certainly of significant benefit. Aerobic conditioning allows us to engage in moderate/low power output for extended period of time. This is valuable
for many sports. Athletes engaging in excessive aerobic training witness decreases in muscle mass, strength, speed, and power. It is not uncommon to find marathoners with a vertical leap of several inches and a bench press well below
average for most athletes. Aerobic activity has a pronounced tendency to decrease anaerobic capacity. This does not bode well for athletes or the individual interested in total conditioning or optimal health. Anaerobic activity also benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. Anaerobic activity is unique in its
capacity to dramatically improve power, speed, strength, and muscle mass. Anaerobic conditioning allows us to exert tremendous forces over a very brief time. Perhaps the aspect of anaerobic conditioning that bears greatest consideration is that anaerobic conditioning will not adversely affect aerobic capacity! In fact, properly structured, anaerobic activity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without the muscle wasting consistent with high volume aerobic exercise!
Basketball, football, gymnastics, boxing, track and field events under one mile, soccer, swimming events under 400 yards, volleyball, wrestling, and weightlifting are all sports that require the majority of training time spent in anaerobic
activity. Long distance and ultra-endurance running, cross-country skiing, and 1500+ yard swimming are all sports that require aerobic training at levels that produce results unacceptable to other athletes or individuals concerned with
total conditioning or optimal health. The CrossFit approach is to judiciously balance anaerobic and aerobic exercise in a manner that is consistent with
the athlete’s goals. Our exercise prescriptions adhere to proper specificity, progression, variation, and recovery to optimize adaptations.
The Olympic Lifts, a.k.a., Weightlifting
There are two Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch. Mastery of these lifts develops the squat, deadlift, powerclean, and split jerk while integrating them into a single movement of unequaled value in all of strength and conditioning. The Olympic lifters are without a doubt the world’s strongest athletes.
These lifts train athletes to effectively activate more muscle fibers more rapidly than through any other modality of training. The explosiveness that results from this training is of vital necessity to every sport. Practicing the Olympic lifts teaches one to apply force to muscle groups in proper sequence, i.e., from the center of the body to its extremities (core to extremity). Learning this vital technical lesson benefits all athletes who need to impart force to another person or object as is commonly required in nearly all sports. In addition to learning to impart explosive forces, the clean and jerk and snatch condition the body to receive such forces from another moving body both safely and effectively.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the Olympic lifts unique capacity to develop strength, muscle, power, speed, coordination, vertical leap, muscular endurance, bone strength, and the physical capacity to withstand stress. It is also
worth mentioning that the Olympic lifts are the only lifts shown to increase maximum oxygen uptake, the most important marker for cardiovascular fitness.
Sadly, the Olympic lifts are seldom seen in the commercial fitness community
because of their inherently complex and technical nature. CrossFit makes
them available to anyone with the patience and persistence to learn.
Gymnastics
The extraordinary value of gymnastics as a training modality lies in its
reliance on the body’s own weight as the sole source of resistance. This
places a unique premium on the improvement of strength to weight ratio.
Unlike other strength training modalities gymnastics and calisthenics allow
for increases in strength only while increasing strength to weight ratio!
Gymnastics develops pull-ups, squats, lunges, jumping, push-ups, and numerous presses to handstand, scales, and holds. These skills are unrivaled in their benefit to the physique as evident in any competitive gymnast. As important as the capacity of this modality is for strength development it is without a doubt the ultimate approach to improving coordination, balance, agility, accuracy, and flexibility. Through the use of numerous presses, handstands, scales, and other floor work the gymnast’s training greatly enhances kinesthetic sense. The variety of movements available for inclusion in this modality probably exceeds the number of exercises known to all non-gymnastic sport! The rich variety here contributes substantially to the CrossFit program’s ability to inspire great athletic confidence and prowess. For a combination of strength, flexibility, well-developed physique, coordination, balance, accuracy, and agility the gymnast has no equal in the sports world. The inclusion of this training modality is absurdly absent from nearly all training programs.
Routines
There is no ideal routine! In fact, the chief value of any routine lies in abandoning it for another. The CrossFit ideal is to train for any contingency. The obvious implication is that this is possible only if there is a tremendously varied, if not randomized, quality to the breadth of stimulus. It is in this sense that the CrossFit Program is a core strength and conditioning program. Anything else is sport specific training not core strength and conditioning. Any routine, no matter how complete, contains within its omissions the parameters for which there will be no adaptation. The breadth of adaptation will exactly match the breadth of the stimulus. For this reason the CrossFit program embraces short, middle, and long distance metabolic conditioning, low, moderate, and heavy load assignment. We encourage creative and continuously varied compositions that tax physiological functions against every realistically conceivable combination of stressors. This is the stuff of surviving fights and fires. Developing a fitness that is varied yet complete defines the very art of strength and conditioning coaching.
This is not a comforting message in an age where scientific certainty and specialization confer authority and expertise. Yet, the reality of performance enhancement cares not one wit for trend or authority. The CrossFit Program’s success in elevating the performance of world-class athletes lies clearly in demanding of our athletes total and complete physical competence. No routine takes us there.
There is a near universal misconception that long distance athletes are fitter that their short distance counterparts. The triathlete, cyclist, and marathoner are often regarded as among the fittest athletes on earth. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. The endurance athlete has trained long past any cardiovascular health benefit and has lost ground in strength, speed, and power, typically does nothing for coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy and possesses little
more than average flexibility. This is hardly the stuff of elite athleticism. The CrossFit athlete, remember, has trained and practiced for optimal physical competence in all ten physical skills (cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina,
flexibility, strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy). The excessive aerobic volume of the endurance athlete’s training has cost him in speed, power, and strength to the point where his athletic competency
has been compromised. No triathlete is in ideal shape to wrestle, box, pole-vault, sprint, play any ball sport, fight fires, or do police work. Each of these requires a fitness level far beyond the needs of the endurance athlete. None of this
suggests that being a marathoner, triathlete or other endurance athlete is a bad thing; just don’t believe that training as a long distance athlete gives you the fitness that is prerequisite to many sports. CrossFit considers the Sumo
Wrestler, triathlete, marathoner, and power lifter to be “fringe athletes” in that their fitness demands are so specialized as to be inconsistent with the adaptations that give maximum competency at all physical challenges. Elite strength
and conditioning is a compromise between each of the ten physical adaptations. Endurance athletes do not balance that compromise.
Aerobics and Anaerobics
There are three main energy systems that fuel all human activity. Almost all changes that occur in the body due to exercise are related to the demands placed on these energy systems. Furthermore, the efficacy of any given fitness regimen may largely be tied to its ability to elicit an adequate stimulus for change within these three energy systems. Energy is derived aerobically when oxygen is utilized to metabolize substrates derived from food and liberates energy. An activity is termed aerobic when the majority of energy needed is derived aerobically. These activities are usually greater than ninety seconds in duration and involve low to moderate power output or intensity. Examples of aerobic activity include running on the treadmill for twenty minutes, swimming a mile, and watching TV. Energy is derived anaerobically when energy is liberated from substrates in the absence of oxygen. Activities are considered anaerobic when the majority of the energy needed is derived anaerobically. These activities are of less than two minutes in duration and involve moderate to high power output or intensity. There are two such anaerobic
systems, the phosphagen system and the lactic acid system. Examples of anaerobic activity include running a 100-meter sprint, squatting, and doing pull-ups.
Our main purpose here is to discuss how anaerobic and aerobic training support performance variables like strength, power, speed, and endurance. We also support the contention that total conditioning and optimal health necessitates
training each of the physiological systems in a systematic fashion.
It warrants mention that in any activity all three energy systems are utilized though one may dominate. The interplay of these systems can be complex, yet a simple examination of the characteristics of aerobic vs. anaerobic training
can prove useful. Aerobic training benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. This is certainly of significant benefit. Aerobic conditioning allows us to engage in moderate/low power output for extended period of time. This is valuable
for many sports. Athletes engaging in excessive aerobic training witness decreases in muscle mass, strength, speed, and power. It is not uncommon to find marathoners with a vertical leap of several inches and a bench press well below
average for most athletes. Aerobic activity has a pronounced tendency to decrease anaerobic capacity. This does not bode well for athletes or the individual interested in total conditioning or optimal health. Anaerobic activity also benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. Anaerobic activity is unique in its
capacity to dramatically improve power, speed, strength, and muscle mass. Anaerobic conditioning allows us to exert tremendous forces over a very brief time. Perhaps the aspect of anaerobic conditioning that bears greatest consideration is that anaerobic conditioning will not adversely affect aerobic capacity! In fact, properly structured, anaerobic activity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without the muscle wasting consistent with high volume aerobic exercise!
Basketball, football, gymnastics, boxing, track and field events under one mile, soccer, swimming events under 400 yards, volleyball, wrestling, and weightlifting are all sports that require the majority of training time spent in anaerobic
activity. Long distance and ultra-endurance running, cross-country skiing, and 1500+ yard swimming are all sports that require aerobic training at levels that produce results unacceptable to other athletes or individuals concerned with
total conditioning or optimal health. The CrossFit approach is to judiciously balance anaerobic and aerobic exercise in a manner that is consistent with
the athlete’s goals. Our exercise prescriptions adhere to proper specificity, progression, variation, and recovery to optimize adaptations.
The Olympic Lifts, a.k.a., Weightlifting
There are two Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch. Mastery of these lifts develops the squat, deadlift, powerclean, and split jerk while integrating them into a single movement of unequaled value in all of strength and conditioning. The Olympic lifters are without a doubt the world’s strongest athletes.
These lifts train athletes to effectively activate more muscle fibers more rapidly than through any other modality of training. The explosiveness that results from this training is of vital necessity to every sport. Practicing the Olympic lifts teaches one to apply force to muscle groups in proper sequence, i.e., from the center of the body to its extremities (core to extremity). Learning this vital technical lesson benefits all athletes who need to impart force to another person or object as is commonly required in nearly all sports. In addition to learning to impart explosive forces, the clean and jerk and snatch condition the body to receive such forces from another moving body both safely and effectively.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the Olympic lifts unique capacity to develop strength, muscle, power, speed, coordination, vertical leap, muscular endurance, bone strength, and the physical capacity to withstand stress. It is also
worth mentioning that the Olympic lifts are the only lifts shown to increase maximum oxygen uptake, the most important marker for cardiovascular fitness.
Sadly, the Olympic lifts are seldom seen in the commercial fitness community
because of their inherently complex and technical nature. CrossFit makes
them available to anyone with the patience and persistence to learn.
Gymnastics
The extraordinary value of gymnastics as a training modality lies in its
reliance on the body’s own weight as the sole source of resistance. This
places a unique premium on the improvement of strength to weight ratio.
Unlike other strength training modalities gymnastics and calisthenics allow
for increases in strength only while increasing strength to weight ratio!
Gymnastics develops pull-ups, squats, lunges, jumping, push-ups, and numerous presses to handstand, scales, and holds. These skills are unrivaled in their benefit to the physique as evident in any competitive gymnast. As important as the capacity of this modality is for strength development it is without a doubt the ultimate approach to improving coordination, balance, agility, accuracy, and flexibility. Through the use of numerous presses, handstands, scales, and other floor work the gymnast’s training greatly enhances kinesthetic sense. The variety of movements available for inclusion in this modality probably exceeds the number of exercises known to all non-gymnastic sport! The rich variety here contributes substantially to the CrossFit program’s ability to inspire great athletic confidence and prowess. For a combination of strength, flexibility, well-developed physique, coordination, balance, accuracy, and agility the gymnast has no equal in the sports world. The inclusion of this training modality is absurdly absent from nearly all training programs.
Routines
There is no ideal routine! In fact, the chief value of any routine lies in abandoning it for another. The CrossFit ideal is to train for any contingency. The obvious implication is that this is possible only if there is a tremendously varied, if not randomized, quality to the breadth of stimulus. It is in this sense that the CrossFit Program is a core strength and conditioning program. Anything else is sport specific training not core strength and conditioning. Any routine, no matter how complete, contains within its omissions the parameters for which there will be no adaptation. The breadth of adaptation will exactly match the breadth of the stimulus. For this reason the CrossFit program embraces short, middle, and long distance metabolic conditioning, low, moderate, and heavy load assignment. We encourage creative and continuously varied compositions that tax physiological functions against every realistically conceivable combination of stressors. This is the stuff of surviving fights and fires. Developing a fitness that is varied yet complete defines the very art of strength and conditioning coaching.
This is not a comforting message in an age where scientific certainty and specialization confer authority and expertise. Yet, the reality of performance enhancement cares not one wit for trend or authority. The CrossFit Program’s success in elevating the performance of world-class athletes lies clearly in demanding of our athletes total and complete physical competence. No routine takes us there.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Part 2 of What is CrossFit?
Who has benefited from CrossFit?
Many professional and elite athletes are participating in the CrossFit Program. Prizefighters,cyclists, surfers, skiers, tennis players, triathletes and others competing at the highest levels are using the CrossFit approach to advance their core strength and conditioning, but that’s not all. CrossFit has tested its methods on the sedentary, overweight, pathological, and elderly and found that these special populations met the same success as our stable of athletes. We call this “bracketing”. If our program works for Olympic Skiers and overweight, sedentary
homemakers then it will work for you.
Your current regimen
If your current routine looks somewhat like what we’ve described as typical of the fitness magazines and gyms don’t despair. Any exercise is better than none, and you’ve not wasted your time. In fact, the aerobic exercise that you’ve
been doing is an essential foundation to fitness and the isolation movements have given you some degree of strength. You are in good company; we have found that some of the world’s best athletes were sorely lacking in their core
strength and conditioning. It’s hard to believe but many elite athletes have achieved international success and are still far from their potential because they have not had the benefit of state-of-the-art coaching methods
Just what is a “core strength and conditioning” program? CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program in two distinct senses. First, we are a core strength and
conditioning program in the sense that the fitness we develop is foundational to all other athletic needs. This is the same sense in which the university courses required of a particular major are called the “core curriculum”. This is the
stuff that everyone needs. Second, we are a “core” strength and conditioning program in the literal sense meaning the center of something. Much of our work focuses on the major functional axis of the human body, the extension and flexion, of the hips and extension, flexion, and rotation of the torso or trunk. The primacy of core strength and conditioning in this sense is supported by the simple observation that powerful hip extension alone is necessary and nearly sufficient for elite athletic performance. That is, our experience has been that no one without the capacity for
powerful hip extension enjoys great athletic prowess and nearly everyone we’ve met with that capacity was a great athlete. Running, jumping, punching and throwing all originate at the core. At CrossFit we endeavor to develop our
athletes from the inside out, from core to extremity, which is by the way how good functional movements recruit muscle, from the core to the extremities.
Can I enjoy optimal health without being an athlete?
No! Athletes experience a protection from the ravages of aging and disease that non-athletes never find. For instance, 80-year-old athletes are stronger than non-athletes in their prime at 25 years old. If you think that strength
isn’t important consider that strength loss is what puts people in nursing homes. Athletes have greater bone density, stronger immune systems, less coronary heart disease, reduced cancer risk, fewer strokes, and less depression than non-athletes.
What is an athlete?
According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring strength, agility, or stamina”. The CrossFit definition of an athlete is a bit tighter. The CrossFit definition of an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in strength, power, balance and agility, flexibility, and endurance”. The CrossFit model holds “fitness”, “health”, and “athleticism” as strongly overlapping constructs. For most purposes they can be seen as equivalents. What if I don’t want to be an athlete; I just want to be healthy? You’re in luck. We hear this often, but the truth is that fitness, wellness, and pathology (sickness) are measures of the
same entity, your health. There are a multitude of measurable parameters that can be ordered from sick (pathological) to well (normal) to fit (better than normal). These include but are not limited to blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate,
body fat, muscle mass, flexibility, and strength. It seems as though all of the body functions that can go awry have states that are pathological, normal, and exceptional and that elite athletes typically show these parameters in the
exceptional range. The CrossFit view is that fitness and health are the same thing. It is also interesting to notice that the health professional maintains your health with drugs and surgery each with potentially undesirable side effect whereas the CrossFit Coach typically achieves a superior result always with “side benefit” vs. side effect.
What is the CrossFit method?
The CrossFit method is to establish a hierarchy of effort and concern that builds as follows: Diet - lays the molecular foundations for fitness and health.
Metabolic Conditioning - builds capacity in each of three metabolic pathways, beginning with aerobic, then lactic acid, and then phosphocreatine pathways.
Gymnastics - establishes functional capacity for body control and range of motion.
Weightlifting and throwing - develop ability to control external objects and produce power. Sport - applies fitness in competitive atmosphere with more randomized movements and skill mastery.
Examples of CrossFit exercises
Biking, running, swimming, and rowing in an endless variety of drills. The clean&jerk, snatch, squat, deadlift, push-press, bench-press, and power-clean. Jumping, medicine ball throws and catches, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, handstands, presses to handstand, pirouettes, kips, cartwheels, muscle-ups, sit-ups, scales, and holds. We make regular use of bikes, the track, rowing shells and ergometers, Olympic weight sets, rings, parallel bars, free exercise mat, horizontal bar, plyometrics boxes, medicine balls, and jump rope. There isn’t a strength and conditioning program anywhere that works with a greater diversity of tools, modalities, and drills.
What if I don’t have time for all of this?
It is a common sentiment to feel that because of the obligations of career and family that you don’t have the time to become as fit as you might like. Here’s the good news: world class, age group strength and conditioning is obtainable
through an hour a day six days per week of training. It turns out that the intensity of training that optimizes physical conditioning is not sustainable past forty-five minutes to an hour. Athletes that train for hours a day are developing skill
or training for sports that include adaptations inconsistent with elite strength and conditioning. Past one hour, more is not better!
Many professional and elite athletes are participating in the CrossFit Program. Prizefighters,cyclists, surfers, skiers, tennis players, triathletes and others competing at the highest levels are using the CrossFit approach to advance their core strength and conditioning, but that’s not all. CrossFit has tested its methods on the sedentary, overweight, pathological, and elderly and found that these special populations met the same success as our stable of athletes. We call this “bracketing”. If our program works for Olympic Skiers and overweight, sedentary
homemakers then it will work for you.
Your current regimen
If your current routine looks somewhat like what we’ve described as typical of the fitness magazines and gyms don’t despair. Any exercise is better than none, and you’ve not wasted your time. In fact, the aerobic exercise that you’ve
been doing is an essential foundation to fitness and the isolation movements have given you some degree of strength. You are in good company; we have found that some of the world’s best athletes were sorely lacking in their core
strength and conditioning. It’s hard to believe but many elite athletes have achieved international success and are still far from their potential because they have not had the benefit of state-of-the-art coaching methods
Just what is a “core strength and conditioning” program? CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program in two distinct senses. First, we are a core strength and
conditioning program in the sense that the fitness we develop is foundational to all other athletic needs. This is the same sense in which the university courses required of a particular major are called the “core curriculum”. This is the
stuff that everyone needs. Second, we are a “core” strength and conditioning program in the literal sense meaning the center of something. Much of our work focuses on the major functional axis of the human body, the extension and flexion, of the hips and extension, flexion, and rotation of the torso or trunk. The primacy of core strength and conditioning in this sense is supported by the simple observation that powerful hip extension alone is necessary and nearly sufficient for elite athletic performance. That is, our experience has been that no one without the capacity for
powerful hip extension enjoys great athletic prowess and nearly everyone we’ve met with that capacity was a great athlete. Running, jumping, punching and throwing all originate at the core. At CrossFit we endeavor to develop our
athletes from the inside out, from core to extremity, which is by the way how good functional movements recruit muscle, from the core to the extremities.
Can I enjoy optimal health without being an athlete?
No! Athletes experience a protection from the ravages of aging and disease that non-athletes never find. For instance, 80-year-old athletes are stronger than non-athletes in their prime at 25 years old. If you think that strength
isn’t important consider that strength loss is what puts people in nursing homes. Athletes have greater bone density, stronger immune systems, less coronary heart disease, reduced cancer risk, fewer strokes, and less depression than non-athletes.
What is an athlete?
According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring strength, agility, or stamina”. The CrossFit definition of an athlete is a bit tighter. The CrossFit definition of an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in strength, power, balance and agility, flexibility, and endurance”. The CrossFit model holds “fitness”, “health”, and “athleticism” as strongly overlapping constructs. For most purposes they can be seen as equivalents. What if I don’t want to be an athlete; I just want to be healthy? You’re in luck. We hear this often, but the truth is that fitness, wellness, and pathology (sickness) are measures of the
same entity, your health. There are a multitude of measurable parameters that can be ordered from sick (pathological) to well (normal) to fit (better than normal). These include but are not limited to blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate,
body fat, muscle mass, flexibility, and strength. It seems as though all of the body functions that can go awry have states that are pathological, normal, and exceptional and that elite athletes typically show these parameters in the
exceptional range. The CrossFit view is that fitness and health are the same thing. It is also interesting to notice that the health professional maintains your health with drugs and surgery each with potentially undesirable side effect whereas the CrossFit Coach typically achieves a superior result always with “side benefit” vs. side effect.
What is the CrossFit method?
The CrossFit method is to establish a hierarchy of effort and concern that builds as follows: Diet - lays the molecular foundations for fitness and health.
Metabolic Conditioning - builds capacity in each of three metabolic pathways, beginning with aerobic, then lactic acid, and then phosphocreatine pathways.
Gymnastics - establishes functional capacity for body control and range of motion.
Weightlifting and throwing - develop ability to control external objects and produce power. Sport - applies fitness in competitive atmosphere with more randomized movements and skill mastery.
Examples of CrossFit exercises
Biking, running, swimming, and rowing in an endless variety of drills. The clean&jerk, snatch, squat, deadlift, push-press, bench-press, and power-clean. Jumping, medicine ball throws and catches, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, handstands, presses to handstand, pirouettes, kips, cartwheels, muscle-ups, sit-ups, scales, and holds. We make regular use of bikes, the track, rowing shells and ergometers, Olympic weight sets, rings, parallel bars, free exercise mat, horizontal bar, plyometrics boxes, medicine balls, and jump rope. There isn’t a strength and conditioning program anywhere that works with a greater diversity of tools, modalities, and drills.
What if I don’t have time for all of this?
It is a common sentiment to feel that because of the obligations of career and family that you don’t have the time to become as fit as you might like. Here’s the good news: world class, age group strength and conditioning is obtainable
through an hour a day six days per week of training. It turns out that the intensity of training that optimizes physical conditioning is not sustainable past forty-five minutes to an hour. Athletes that train for hours a day are developing skill
or training for sports that include adaptations inconsistent with elite strength and conditioning. Past one hour, more is not better!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Warming you up for the Forthcoming.......
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program. We have designed our program to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible. CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory
endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. The CrossFit Program was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Our athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. This fitness is demanded
of military and police personnel, firefighters, and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess. CrossFit has proven effective in these arenas. Aside from the breadth or totality of fitness the CrossFit Program seeks, our program is distinctive, if not unique, in its focus on maximizing neuroendocrine response, developing power, cross-training with multiple training modalities, constant training and practice with functional movements, and the development of successful diet strategies. Our athletes are trained to bike, run, swim, and row at short, middle, and long distances guaranteeing exposure and competency in each of the three main metabolic pathways. We train our athletes in gymnastics from rudimentary to advanced movements garnering great capacity at controlling the body both dynamically and statically while maximizing strength to weight ratio and flexibility. We also place a heavy emphasis on Olympic Weightlifting having seen this sport’s unique ability to develop an athletes’ explosive power, control of external objects, and mastery of critical motor recruitment patterns. And finally we encourage and assist our athletes to explore a variety of sports as a vehicle to express and apply their fitness.
An effective approach
In gyms and health clubs throughout the world the typical workout consists of isolation movements and extended aerobic sessions. The fitness community from trainers to the magazines has the exercising public believing that lateral raises, curls, leg extensions, sit-ups and the like combined with 20-40 minute stints on the stationary bike or treadmill are going to lead to some kind of great fitness. Well, at CrossFit we work exclusively with compound movements and shorter high intensity
cardiovascular sessions. We have replaced the lateral raise with push press, the curl with pull-ups, and the leg extension with squats. For every long distance effort our athletes will do five or six at short distance. Why? Because compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio is radically more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. Startlingly, this is not a matter of opinion but solid irrefutable scientific fact and yet the marginally effective old ways persist and are nearly universal. Our approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite training programs associated with major university athletic teams and professional sports. CrossFit endeavors to bring state-of-the-art coaching
techniques to the general public and athlete who haven’t access to current technologies, research, and coaching methods
Is this for me?
Absolutely! Your needs and the Olympic athlete’s differ by degree not kind. Increased power, strength, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, flexibility, stamina, coordination, agility, balance, and coordination are each important to
the world’s best athletes and to our grandparents. The amazing truth is that the very same methods that elicit optimal response in the Olympic or professional athlete will optimize the same response in the elderly. Of course, we can’t load your grandmother with the same squatting weight that we’d assign an Olympic skier, but they both need to squat. In fact, squatting is essential to maintaining functional independence and improving fitness. Squatting is just one example of a movement that is universally valuable and essential yet rarely taught to any but the most advanced of athletes. This is a tragedy. Through painstakingly thorough coaching and incremental load assignment CrossFit has been able to teach anyone who can care for themselves to perform safely and with maximum efficacy the same
movements typically utilized by professional coaches in elite and certainly exclusive environments.
Continued tomorrow Part 2 of the Foundations of CrossFit
CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program. We have designed our program to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible. CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory
endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. The CrossFit Program was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Our athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. This fitness is demanded
of military and police personnel, firefighters, and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess. CrossFit has proven effective in these arenas. Aside from the breadth or totality of fitness the CrossFit Program seeks, our program is distinctive, if not unique, in its focus on maximizing neuroendocrine response, developing power, cross-training with multiple training modalities, constant training and practice with functional movements, and the development of successful diet strategies. Our athletes are trained to bike, run, swim, and row at short, middle, and long distances guaranteeing exposure and competency in each of the three main metabolic pathways. We train our athletes in gymnastics from rudimentary to advanced movements garnering great capacity at controlling the body both dynamically and statically while maximizing strength to weight ratio and flexibility. We also place a heavy emphasis on Olympic Weightlifting having seen this sport’s unique ability to develop an athletes’ explosive power, control of external objects, and mastery of critical motor recruitment patterns. And finally we encourage and assist our athletes to explore a variety of sports as a vehicle to express and apply their fitness.
An effective approach
In gyms and health clubs throughout the world the typical workout consists of isolation movements and extended aerobic sessions. The fitness community from trainers to the magazines has the exercising public believing that lateral raises, curls, leg extensions, sit-ups and the like combined with 20-40 minute stints on the stationary bike or treadmill are going to lead to some kind of great fitness. Well, at CrossFit we work exclusively with compound movements and shorter high intensity
cardiovascular sessions. We have replaced the lateral raise with push press, the curl with pull-ups, and the leg extension with squats. For every long distance effort our athletes will do five or six at short distance. Why? Because compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio is radically more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. Startlingly, this is not a matter of opinion but solid irrefutable scientific fact and yet the marginally effective old ways persist and are nearly universal. Our approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite training programs associated with major university athletic teams and professional sports. CrossFit endeavors to bring state-of-the-art coaching
techniques to the general public and athlete who haven’t access to current technologies, research, and coaching methods
Is this for me?
Absolutely! Your needs and the Olympic athlete’s differ by degree not kind. Increased power, strength, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, flexibility, stamina, coordination, agility, balance, and coordination are each important to
the world’s best athletes and to our grandparents. The amazing truth is that the very same methods that elicit optimal response in the Olympic or professional athlete will optimize the same response in the elderly. Of course, we can’t load your grandmother with the same squatting weight that we’d assign an Olympic skier, but they both need to squat. In fact, squatting is essential to maintaining functional independence and improving fitness. Squatting is just one example of a movement that is universally valuable and essential yet rarely taught to any but the most advanced of athletes. This is a tragedy. Through painstakingly thorough coaching and incremental load assignment CrossFit has been able to teach anyone who can care for themselves to perform safely and with maximum efficacy the same
movements typically utilized by professional coaches in elite and certainly exclusive environments.
Continued tomorrow Part 2 of the Foundations of CrossFit
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Stay Tuned
Coming Monday I will start posting workouts for beginners, intermediate, and advanced athletes. The workouts will be scaleable to anyone, and easy to follow. You will need minimal equipment for these workouts. I will also discuss diet and nutrition, rest and recovery, and overall health and fitness.... Whether your a experienced athlete, housewife, soccer mom, grandparent, lawyer, or weekend warrior you will be able to do these workouts.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Workouts
I have been getting request from friends and family members to give them a workout plan to get them in shape... Part of me wants to tell them to follow the CrossFit main site, but when I started CrossFit I was training alone without trainer supervision and my technique was off on a lot of movements. Learning those bad habits were hard to unlearn when I started training under a affiliate. So I don't want them to go through the same thing. So from here on out I'm going to start posting workouts here on this site. The schedule will mirror CrossFit to a degree, but not fully. I will post a beginner, intermediate, and advanced workout for the day. I will start this next Monday so stay tuned. To my cousin Juan Brown down at Indiana University I will email you, your workouts.
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