4-1 BENCHMARK WOD

From the Main site

For a front squat or clean, get the elbows up with the load to rest upon the shoulders rather than in the hands. When going overhead, the elbows drop but still maximize the surface area of the body under the bar to prevent the bar from sliding down the chest in the dip phase of the lift.

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“Jackie” 1000 meter row
Thruster 45 lbs (50 reps)
Pull-ups (30 reps)
For time

 

Warning: When you enter here your life will be different. Leave the problems and petty struggles of regular life behind. You are entering a place of achievement. You are entering a place where success is the norm, not the exception. You are entering a place to push yourself.

You are entering a place of personal growth. Learn about yourself through physical struggle. Transcend self-imposed limitations. Explore existence that forges a physically and mentally stronger person. Overcome limitations. Enter a place to push your abilities. Gain more capabilities every day. Sculpt your body and mind to a razor’s edge. The mind and body are one. Making the body strong forges the mind. If you enter here, you will be stronger.

Beware; when you leave here, the rest of the world will look different. Not because the world has changed, you will have changed. You will have pushed your limits and pushed on. You will move beyond the superficial and shallow. Confidence flows from capabilities. You will be more capable. You will be able to do more, more often.

You will have faced fears and overcome them: One workout at a time. You will work to master skills. You will have faced hardship and persevered where others have quit. When you look to your right and left during training, you will see people who are more like you in character than in most any other place in your life.

It is not something you can really talk about. People who have not gone through what you did, will not understand. It is hard to explain the passion to climb a mountain to someone who rides an escalator, treadmill or elliptical.

Acknowledgments to Hyperfit

3-31 WOD

Open Gym

Make up a workout you missed…. Stretch… Rollout… or work on your GOAT.

Read the below article on Paleo/Zone…

10 Ways our diet today differs radically from the diet that best suits our genesPosted on June 7, 2010 by julianne

Our genetic heritage and nutrition
We evolved as hunter gatherers and genetically our bodies run optimally when we eat in line with our genes. Would you feed a rabbit meat, or a lion grains? Many of today’s illnesses exist purely as a result of the mismatch between what we are designed to eat and how we actually eat.

Here are 10 key ways the standard diet today is dramatically different from that of Paleo / Hunter & Gatherer diets, how this affects our health and how we can correct each so that we eat in line with our genes to maximise health.

 

1. The Glycemic Load of today’s diet is far too high

The glycemic load of a meal is the blood glucose load from digested carbohydrates of that meal. Imagine you’ve just consumed 2 cups of rice – which when digested gets converted into 20 teaspoons of pure glucose. This floods your blood stream minutes after you eat it. Your blood sugar levels are now high (you literally have sweet blood). In order to reduce blood sugar and send it to the cells you release a gush of insulin. Neither high blood sugar – which damages the delicate lining of blood vessels and increases oxidative stress, nor high insulin – which causes inflammation and fat storage, are healthy.

Today’s diet is abundant in processed grains, sugars, starches and sweet fruits that simply did not exist in our past. A high glycemic load diet promotes hunger, cravings and overeating, and increases the risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, and acne.

By eating mainly non starch vegetables and fruit with minimal starchy food and no sugar, we dramatically lower blood sugar load. By including lean protein and good fats with each meal we get further blood sugar control.

2. The Fatty Acid Balance- our diets are now very high in Omega 6 and low in Omega 3, plus we have added chemically altered fats

Wild meats and plants have a much higher ratio of omega 3 fats (which are anti-inflammatory) to omega 6 fats (which increase inflammation) than farm raised, grain fed animals and poultry. Wild animal meat is also lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated fat. Today’s diet also contains an abundance of chemically extracted vegetable oils that are high in omega 6, and other chemically altered fats that increase heart disease. These fats are used widely in the food industry.

Paleo diets had a ratio of 2:1 omega 6 to Omega 3. Our diets today are around 10:1 or higher. Consequently we are producing an abundance of hormones that increase inflammation, especially silent inflammation, that cannot be felt, but over time increases risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. Omega 3 deficiency is also linked with mental health disease including ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression and hostility.

To mimic the fatty acid intake from wild meats we need to eat lean meat and add primarily monounsaturated oils to our diet (olive oil, raw nuts, avocado).  A small amount of good saturated fat such as coconut oil may be used. Most people, unless eating a lot of oily fish will not get adequate omega 3 without taking a supplement. I recommend buying omega 3 that has guaranteed purity.

Avoid chemically extracted vegetable oils which are too high in polyunsaturated omega 6. Totally cut out trans fats – a chemically altered fat found in fast food, commercial baking, deep fried food and peanut butter. Also cut out margarine as it contains the chemically altered interesterified fat, linked to increased insulin resistance. Don’t eat excess saturated fat especially from meat and dairy, as these increase LDL “bad” cholesterol.

3. The Macronutrient Balance-the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat has changed

Dr Cordain and his researchers have analysed the balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the diets of many different hunter and gatherer races, and found that protein was 19 – 35% calories, carbohydrate 22- 40% calories and fat 28 – 47% calories. Dr Barry Sears designed the Zone diet using an average ratio of 30% calories from protein, 40% from carbohydrates and 30% from fat. The typical US diet contains protein, 15.5%, carbohydrates, 49% and fat 34%.

By increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrate we decrease the risk of disease associated with high blood sugar, plus we get better appetite control and increased metabolic rate so weight loss is far easier.

By roughly following Zone diet ratios you will easily hit this balance. Another way to hit this ratio is to have a palm size of protein at each meal, plus a lot of non starch veggies, a piece of fruit, and a little olive oil, avocado or nuts.

4. Trace Nutrient Density – the amount of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in the food we eat today is very poor
In today’s world we are well fed yet undernourished. This is because the nutrient content of our most commonly eaten foods is extremely poor per calorie. White rice, bread, pasta and sugar are low or devoid of vitamins and minerals. Eating foods which mimic paleo choices mean that every calorie you eat is choc full of nutrients. Today’s dietary advice to eat lots of whole grains to get B vitamins is misplaced. When analysed and compared to fruits and veggies, cereal grains are B-vitamin lightweights. An average 1,000 calorie serving of mixed vegetables contain 19 times more folate, five times more vitamin B6, six times more vitamin B2 and two times more vitamin B1 than a comparable serving of eight mixed whole grains. On a calorie-by-calorie basis, the niacin content of lean meat and seafood is four times higher. By choosing lean meats, seafood, fruit and veggies, nuts and seeds, you will get a stack of minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants that far exceeds the recommended daily intake.

5. The Acid/Base Balance -every food reports to the kidneys as either acid or base, we now have a high acid load diet

 

Once digested foods either report to the kidney as acid or alkaline. Foods that increase acidity are protein, grains and salt laden foods. Fruit and vegetables are alkaline foods. When you have a high acid load diet, calcium is pulled from the bones to buffer it – leading to osteoporosis. It can also raise blood pressure and aggravate asthma. The average New Zealand diet today is predominantly acid forming, with inadequate alkaline forming fruit and veggies.

As protein is an essential nutrient, important for muscle repair and blood sugar control, you can’t reduce this. However you should avoid processed meat and cheese which contain large amounts of salt and increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Instead of choosing grain based carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice, choose vegetables and fruit. By using the Zone balance and getting 30 – 40 % of your calories from fruit and veggies you will get a net alkaline load. See this link for a chart of acid / alkaline foods. http://thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/acid.shtml

6. The Sodium/Potassium Balance – We eat far too much sodium and too little potassium

The imbalance in today’s diet of high sodium and low potassium promotes or aggravates diseases due to acid-base balance, as salt increases the net acid load to the kidneys. These diseases include high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, asthma, stroke, and certain forms of cancer. Excess salt in the diet also impairs sleep. A low salt diet can help you sleep better.

By cutting out processed & commercial foods and added salt, and eating potassium rich fruit and vegetables, this imbalance is corrected.

7. The Fibre Content – we eat a fibre poor diet

 

Fibre is absolutely essential to health and at least 13 illnesses can result when you don’t get enough fibre in your diet. The Paleo diet is naturally high in fibre because of it’s abundance of fruits and vegetables.  In fact it is 3 – 5 times higher than a typical American diet. Non starch vegetables contain 8 times more fibre calorie for calorie as whole grains. Common digestive problems typically disappear using Paleo food choices: constipation, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and gallbladder problems.

8. The addition of large amounts of Neolithic / gut irritant foods that did not exist in our diets in Paleo times

Grains, legumes (includes soy and peanuts), and dairy foods were not part of the ancestral diet and have a number of problems, they irritate the gut, interfere with digestion of food and absorption of minerals. 1 in 10 people are known to be sensitive to gluten and most don’t know it, they have sub optimal health such as brain fog, depression, bloating and indigestion. Cereal grains, legumes and dairy are suspected in auto-immune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Try cutting out these foods completely for a month to see if this makes a difference to your health.

9. We eat a chemical cocktail of additives

Today’s food – especially processed food has a plethora of chemical additives that did not exist even 200 years ago. Synthetic flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, colours, not to mention chlorine and other chemicals in water, and the leaching of plastics from packaging. These chemicals are being linked with a vast array of health issues like behaviour problems in children and decreased sperm count in men. Eat fresh, organic, in season, non packaged, non processed food wherever possible. If you use protein powders for convenience use pure whey or egg white, and if sweetened, use a brand such as Red8 that uses stevia (a natural herb) to sweeten.

9. We eat too much food

When humans had to chase down animals and forage far and wide for edible plant foods, there was no place for gluttony as procuring food consumed much time and energy. Today food is far too easy to come by and we are surrounded by it. Most of us use little time and energy to get the calories we need for fuel.

Obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, increased oxidative stress, inflammation, declining health and early death result from overeating.

By using the Zone protein prescription of .7 – 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass (this gives you the right amount of protein for muscle growth and repair) and balancing this with approximately 30% calories from fat and 40% from carbohydrates from nutrient rich food types, we reduce calories while providing a nutrient dense diet. In every animal tested from mice to chimpanzees calorie restriction plus nutrient density increases life span, but more importantly it decreases the slow decline of health – it keeps body and mind young and sprightly into very old age.

Bibliography

Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet. John Wiley& Sons, 2002

Sears, Barry. Enter The Zone. Regan Books, 1995

3-30 WOD

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” – Joseph Campbell

*From the Main Site… It’s the week 2 CrossFit Open WOD

Workout

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
9 Deadlifts (155lbs / 70kg)
12 Push-ups
15 Box jumps (24″)

Description

Deadlift
This is a traditional deadlift with the hands outside the knees. Sumo-deadlifts are not allowed. Starting at the floor, the barbell is lifted until hips and knees reach full extension with the shoulders behind the bar. The arms must be straight throughout.

Push-up

A straight body position must be maintained throughout. No snaking, sagging or pushing up from the knees. The elbows and shoulders must be locked out at the top with the feet no wider than shoulder width. At the bottom, the chest (nipple-line or above) must touch the floor and the hands must be lifted.

Box jump
This is a two-foot jump onto the box. The hips and knees must open fully at or above the height of standing on the box. Both feet must be on the box together at some point in the rep. You may jump down or step down but you must jump up. Stepping up is only permitted for the two elder Masters categories (55+), not for anyone else.

The below picture shows how everything is scaleable

3-29 WOD

* Pic was taken from the Main Site today. Next time we do thursters and we think they suck… remember this!

3 Rounds of Cindy (5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 15 Squats… If you are doing Jump Pullups do 2:1)

500 Meter Row

3 Rounds of Cindy

400 Meter Run

3 Rounds of Cindy

50 Double Unders 4:1

The below article is from the Whole 9 Blog. …. If you have questions about this diet, please ask!

In January, we received a note from Zack Finer, trainer at CrossFit Herzliya, the only CrossFit affiliate in Israel. (He’s featured in our header photo.) Zack wrote, “We are about a week into our first Whole30 program, and things are going great. One of my members just informed me that she finally fits into her pre-pregnancy pants for the first time in three years. There are no other CrossFit gyms in the country, so we are doing our best to set ourselves up as a center for overall fitness by giving our members the best access to exercise and nutrition information.”

While CrossFit Herzliya isn’t the first to take the Whole30 international, we are always fascinated by the idea of taking our US-based Whole30 program to a foreign country. We asked Zack for more information on what it’s like to run a program like Paleo and the Whole30 in Israel.

Zack’s Story

 

Omry Peled, owner of CrossFit Herzliya

As I said, we are the first and only CrossFit affiliate in Israel, both an honor and a very big responsibility. In December we were approaching our one year anniversary – a big milestone for any affiliate – and the time seemed better than ever to add another element to our program. I have always been a big advocate of Paleo nutrition, so I approached Omry Peled (CFH owner) with the idea of holding a nutrition seminar at the box, and following it with a month long challenge. Our seminar focused on whole, natural foods and the Paleo diet. Following the seminar, we introduced our first nutrition challenge. And when it came to giving our clients a clear picture of how to implement the Paleo diet, there was no better choice than to follow your Whole30 program.

We wanted to make sure our clients had the right kind of support throughout the program, so we created a group page on Facebook for our members. We designed the page so questions could be answered in a group setting, where everyone could benefit. We posted daily recipes and articles about nutrition, and required all members to post their weekly food logs. I wanted to make sure our clients had no excuses, and that they had all the support they needed to follow through with what could be one of the biggest changes they would make in their lives.

CrossFit Herzliya: Their Whole30 Program

Step one was to announce the nutrition seminar and schedule a date, easy enough. But this is where the work really started for myself; I knew enough about the Paleo lifestyle to keep myself satisfied, but now I really had to know my stuff if I was going to convince a room full of skeptics (including nutritionists and one of the trainers from the Biggest Loser Israel). Two resources proved most helpful at the time; Robb Wolf’s website and podcasts and Whole9′s Resources page.

You know when you try to explain something to a toddler, only to get the same response over and over, “But why?” Yeah… explaining Paleo is a lot like that, especially when people have been fed the low fat/high carb diet model most of their lives. The seminar went well, however, and as soon as the talk was over we announced the nutrition challenge, taken straight from the Whole30 (plus an extra 10 days, for good measure). I combined the resources from Whole9 with the tactics from Dave and Nancy Werner’s (Level4, CrossFit Seattle) “Spring Leaning” program back in Seattle. The idea of the program – 40 days of total support and gym-wide camaraderie, and no excuses to quit.

A word of advice… make sure you are out of arm’s reach when you tell an Israeli they can’t have hummus for the next 40 days.

We had 21 participants in all. All 21 stayed on the program for the full 40 days. And despite the initial week or two of, “This is too hard!” and “BUT WHAT DO I EAT!?” everyone got into the rhythm. People started cooking for themselves and their families while exploring with new foods and recipes. It seems pointless for me to tell you what happened, you’ve heard the story so many times before. PRs in the gym, more energy in the day, body composition changed at tremendous rates, and we had 21 very happy members.

The Results, and Dikla’s Story

It may sound cheesy, but even though only two of the challengers could go home with prize money, they were not the only winners. Everyone who participated saw improvements, not just in body composition, but overall health and well being. They realized that yes, it IS possible that the foods they were eating before were not as good for them as they had thought. There were also plenty of unexpected side effects (even for me). Two of our members, husband and wife, went into the challenge together. When I asked them what the biggest improvement was for them they answered, “We spend more time cooking with each other and our kids, and less time watching TV.” Needless to say, that made me smile.

This is a testimonial from Dikla, one of our two winners, about her Whole30 experience.

Dikla Oren, winner of the CF Herzliya Whole30 challenge

“My name is Dikla Oren, I am a 30 year old mother of two, Yoav (2.8yrs) and Libby (1.2yrs). I was very skeptical about the Paleo diet, I didn’t know how I could incorporate the program into my life. I work a full time job, raise two small children, and of course want to spend some time with my husband and a little time to myself (is it too much to ask?) I studied naturopathy and nutrition is very close to my heart. At the beginning it was very difficult for me to accept the different thinking regarding meat and fat, like most people I believed that they are bad for the heart and for the cholesterol levels.

Luckily my husband and I did it together, along with a devoted group of individuals from our box. 40 days of the Whole30 Paleo diet, no cheating. The beginning was hard!! Giving up the little things like coffee (don’t like it without milk), preparing food for a day at work, breakfast and lunch, preparing everything in advance, keeping a food log of everything I ate… plus taking care of the house do laundry, clean etc. It’s like having a second job!

But two weeks in, my life had already begun to change. I found a way to juggle my work, family, and health as if someone added more hours to the day, I’m full of energy and now I can’t wait for the evening to go to the box. My endorphins kicked in and I became addicted to sports, yes ME! It was shocking, only a few weeks earlier I found it impossible to run 600m without stopping multiple times, a few days ago I ran 3K and didn’t stop once!!

Now I pay attention to what I put into my body and I decided to give it the respect it deserves. After 40 days of the diet I saw my before and after photos and I was shocked by the changes.
In 40 days I went down by two pants sizes (a good excuse to buy a new wardrobe), my energy levels are soaring, my skin has never been better, I feel healthy and most importantly I’m smiling.

I feel that the healthy lifestyle my husband and I chose changed us and our children’s lives. To hear my son saying: “Mom are you going to do sport – look I also do sport” (as he shows me how he lifts his leg) or “Mom I eat healthy and I’m going to have muscles like Dad and you have”… These little things make me realize that we made the right choices. The challenge is over, but neither me nor my husband have any interest in going back to our old lifestyle. I won’t lie, there are times when I have soy milk with my coffee, or maybe something sweet. But there is no comparison to how I fueled my body before. I am healthy, happy, and feel like a new person!”

3-28 WOD

This pic was taken right after the 3rd event of the day…

100 Kettlebell Swings for time. You can stop to rest but if you let it out of your hand, you have to do 5 Burpees.

Rest 5 Minutes then

15-12-9-6-3

Front Squat

Push Press

Toe to Bar

* Courtesy of CrossFit West

My mother is an avid CrossFitter.  She trains upwards of five days a week and reads blogs and watches videos and goes to competitions. She has always been athletic and excelled in sports and various activities. She competed in the US Nationals for swimming when she was younger, and played ice hockey in the boys’ leagues (there weren’t any girls’ leagues) into her teenage years.

But, she never lifted weights. For most of her life, girls just didn’t do that kind of thing. If they did, it was pretty ineffective resistance ‘toning’ (see above, although it is a great pic).  Not heavy deadlifts and front squats, snatch balances and cleans, weighted pullups and toes-2-bars.

And here we come to one of the greatest benefits of the CrossFit movement.  CrossFit has made real training, such as the movements listed above for example, accessible to everyone. Prior to CrossFit, how many women (or men for that matter), outside of specialized programs in high schools and colleges, were being exposed to Olympic weightlifting? Powerlifting? Agility work? Gymnastics movements such as muscle ups and levers? Practically none, and even in those college programs it was often frowned upon.

Where did women in their sixties go a few short years ago to learn all those skills? Hah, no where. Snatch grip deadlifts for my mother? Split jerks? Overhead squats? Virtually unheard of. But CrossFit has changed all that. It has opened up whole new worlds to everyone, but especially to women and the middle aged and above.

But more than just making this kind of training accessible, CrossFit says you can do it. Old, young, male, female, athletic, not athletic, out of shape, in shape, whatever. It doesn’t matter, there is the attitude that you can do it. Squat snatches, pullups, resisted runs–you can do it.  No matter who you are, you can do it. How completely liberating is that.

Not only can you do it, but it is even expected of you.  At first this sort of freaks people out.  It scares them. Confronted with something they have never been told they could do, there is almost always the idea that “I could never do that“.  But that attitude changes. It steadily morphs into one of I can do it. Maybe not right now, but in a while, with perseverance. Because, all around you in the CrossFit gym there is the underlying attitude of you can do it. It is the most positive place most people have ever seen.

Not only can you do it, but the tools do help you do it are available. Stiff and inflexible? Try these stretches and mobility work. Overweight? How about this nutrition plan and this workout schedule. Weak? This back squat and power clean program will add some plates to the bar.  Knee pain getting off the couch? Let’s see you squat and, by the way, ever heard of myofascial release. Yes, you can do it and we will help.

There is always a lot of buzz about the CrossFit Games, star athletes, WOD times and weights, but I think you can do it is maybe the unsung hero of the CrossFit movement, because that great attitude, engendered with weights and lifts and pullup bars, starts in the CrossFit box and ends up in every aspect of your life.

You can do it.

Cache Valley Fitness Challenge

 

We had a great time at the Cache Valley Fitness Challenge at Bear River CrossFit in Preston. We want to thank Phil and his crew… what a great group of people and great facility.  We really felt like we were all there to have fun and push ourselves for one common goal… a better quality of life. With a community of people like we have at CrossFit it is impossible to fail because win or lose we are all willing to work our butts off and give it 100%.  We are greatful to have the CrossFit community in our life!

3-26 NO WORKOUT



My brother in law Danny getting after it!

Remember if you want something to do run 2.2 miles for time!

“The difference between one man and another is not mere ability: it is energy.” – Thomas Arnold

Read the below article about water. What do you think? Do you get enough water?

As you can imagine, any component that makes up 60 to 70 percent of our body weight has to be important when it comes to one’s body and health. Since the majority of our bodies are made up of water, it is constantly running through our blood, muscles, and joints, assisting in brain and lung functions. All the essential organs of our body require ample amounts of water in order to perform properly. Although we see it and use it everyday for multiple purposes, many individuals do not understand how important consuming water is to our overall health.

If you do not drink enough water there can be severe consequences. The most common negative effect of not consuming enough water is dehydration. When someone becomes dehydrated, their organs do not have the fluids they need in order to operate. This can cause many problems, sometimes quite severe, and may even lead to organ failure. Some signs of dehydration include dry mouth, headache, dizziness, weakness, or being lightheaded. Because dehydration has been a cause of death among many infants and elderly, it is important to remember all of these symptoms.

We all know we cannot breathe or live without air. What many of us did not know is that after air, water is the most important element in order to survive. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the majority of individuals do not drink enough water in order to maintain a good and healthy life. Our bodies’ lose large amounts of water on a daily basis just in normal activities. What activities am I referring to? Well, by just breathing, urinating, and sweating, our bodies are losing most of the water it uses in order to keep functioning. This is why it is important to replenish your body by drinking beverages or eating foods that contain water. Also, not only does water help our bodies maintain a normal body temperature, it helps carry oxygen to our blood cells as well as removing wastes from our bodies. Since every system in our bodies depends on water, consuming the right amount will help keep us all healthy. But, what exactly is the “right” amount?

As you have probably heard, many experts say one should consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Although this is a good estimate, the actual amount of water your body needs varies depending on the individual. Here are three aspects you should consider when figuring out how much water you should drink on a daily basis.

1. Your weight.
2. Physical activity (running, working out, or any activity).
3. The climate you live in.
 

Starting off with weight, it’s obvious that the more you weigh, the more water you should consume. Studies have shown that by drinking 50 to 75 percent of your body weight in ounces is an accurate amount. If you do not consider yourself an active person, then 50 percent would be more in your range. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should drink at least 60 ounces of water each day. However, if you work out daily or you are involved in other activities then you should drink more towards 75 percent of your body weight. You will need more water to keep your body hydrated. Although it is important to keep your body hydrated while you are exercising, it is also important to drink a full glass after you work out. Also keep in mind how much you sweat. Obviously the more you sweat, the more water your body is releasing. If this is the case, make sure to drink enough so you will not become dehydrated. Weather conditions you live in should also be taken into consideration. If you live in a hot or dry climate then you should drink an additional 16 ounces everyday. It is always important to remember these three things when determining the amount of water you should to drink daily.

In order to give your body the nutrients it needs it is essential to ensure you drink enough water each day. Drinking it all at once is not necessarily a good idea though. When you wake up in the morning, fill up a glass. This will even help you come awake if you are not a morning person! Throughout the day continue to drink glasses of water, before and after meals. If you are someone who does not necessarily enjoy the taste of water, then try adding some lemon or another fruit juice to give it some flavor. Make it special by using a pretty glass, and adding ice cubes. Have a small dish of fruit with your water and it becomes a treat!

Now that you know what to do, you can calculate the amount of water your body needs and begin living a healthy lifestyle!

3-25 WOD

* Please remember no class on Saturday 3-26. If you want to work out run 2.2 miles for time… We’ll compare!

We are going to do our Sat workout on Friday. It will have a part A and part B

 Part A – Tabata

Row for calories

Pull Ups

Box Jumps

Burpees

Rest 5 Min 

Part B – Med Ball Fun for time

x2

400 Meter Run/Walk with Ball

15 Med Ball Squat Cleans

15 Med Ball Push Ups

15 Wall Balls

*Courtesy of CFSCC Eat this!

I know we all have those kind of crazy evenings when cooking dinner just isn’t an option! Whatever the situation may be, it’s important to have quick resources on hand to get you through. When I shop at Costco, I always pick up some of their Smoked Pulled Pork (in the refrigerated section) for just such occasions. It’s simply made, pure ingredients, totally Paleo, and super tasty! It has saved dinner a number of times! (It can be kept frozen, too) I highly recommend this Paleo kitchen helper…

I served this Costco special with some sauteed cabbage. Again, this took very little time. (It was done by the time the pulled pork was heated and ready to serve).

Cabbage Saute: (I didn’t add any additional seasoning to the cabbage because the Pork is SO flavorful)

1 head cabbage

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 C sliced mushrooms

Heat oil in skillet and saute onions until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Now add sliced cabbage… keep tossing and stirring until fully cooked (about 5-8 minutes). Cover with a lid if you want it to cook down faster, too.

Serve cabbage on a plate and top with the pulled pork! An easy 10 minute dinner!

We all could use a little help in the kitchen once in awhile!

3-24 WOD

For a legit box jump your hips must travel at least as far as they would if you stood on the box. CrossFit Inc.

Make up day, stretch and roll or open gym. If you want to come by and work on those pull ups or doubles please do.

Sample Paleo/Zone Day

11 Block Day

 

Breakfast

 

 

½ C egg beaters (scrambled)

1 ½ C blueberries & raspberries

12 almonds

 

Snack

 

½ apple

1 tsp almond butter

1 oz. sliced deli turkey

 

Lunch

 

2 oz. grilled chicken breast

Salad… 1 C lettuce, 1 tomato, 4 Tbsp. avocado,

½ C mushrooms, ½ C celery & splash lemon juice

 

Snack

 

1 hardboiled egg

1 peach

2 macadamia nuts

 

Dinner

 

4 oz. grilled salmon

12 grilled asparagus spears

Salad… 1 C lettuce, 1 tomato, 2 T avocado,

& lemon juice

 

Dessert

 

1 C blueberries

¼ C lite coconut milk with 1 egg white whipped & topped with cinnamon

 

 

3-23 WOD

Back to Crazy Eights…

8 Min AMRAP

8 Push Press

8 Toe 2 Bar

2 Min Rest

8 Min AMRAP

8 Walking lunges with a plate overhead

8 Russian Swings

*Then if you want more… run 400 or row 500 for time

GET ENOUGH PROTEIN POST WORKOUT

Deborah Shulman, Ph.D
For Active.com

After exercise, it starts. The body begins the process of recovery, adapting and preparing for the next challenge.

There are two basic types of recovery. The first is the restoration of fuel supplies–the carbohydrates and fats that supply energy to the working muscle.

The second is adaptation, in which the structure and metabolic processes of the muscles are rebuilt and reinforced to be stronger and more efficient.

Different types of exercise will stimulate different types of adaptation. After a bout of endurance exercise, there is an increase in enzymes and structures for fat metabolism and better fatigue resistance.

After resistance training, there is an increase in strength and size of muscle fibers. Sprint training stimulates both. Enzymes and muscle fibers are made of protein.

Adaptation depends on an increase in protein synthesis–the making of new proteins. How much protein synthesis occurs after exercise depends on the balance between the breakdown and the building of proteins.

While hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone are released to support and enhance this process, this balance ultimately depends on nutrition.

To maximize athletic performance, the goal is to create an environment in your body between exercise sessions that minimizes the breakdown of protein and maximizes protein synthesis. This principle is also true for seniors embarking on a strength-training program.

Protein breakdown is the predominant process under stressful conditions like exercise–stress and fasting activates the release of cortisol, a catabolic hormone released to combat inflammation and break down proteins to amino acids that can be used for energy.

When cortisol is allowed to remain elevated after exercise, protein breakdown continues.

A common mistake among athletes is to refrain from eating after exercise either because they think that fat burning will continue at a higher rate or because their appetite is depressed.

It is better to eat and drink immediately after exercise, especially after prolonged or high-intensity workouts.

Sport drinks or foods that deliver high glycemic carbohydrates will stimulate an insulin response from the pancreas. Insulin counteracts cortisol and minimizes protein breakdown.

The combination of insulin and carbohydrate also increases glycogen storage in the muscle, which improves intensity and quality of subsequent training sessions. Consistent, high-quality training is how you get better.

In spite of the natural increase in testosterone and growth hormone after exercise, protein synthesis remains low. All the essential amino acids must be present in the muscle in order for proteins to be made.

After exercise, however, the limited availability of amino acids and energy will limit protein synthesis. A recent study found that addition of just 10 grams of protein to the post-exercise carbohydrate resulted in a net increase of protein uptake.

Take in about 20 grams of protein for an optimal response. You can easily accomplish this with a scoop of whey powder added to your post-exercise sports drink or smoothie.

Unfortunately, beer is not a good source of carbohydrate. Alcohol taken after exercise depresses testosterone secretion in men.

The amino acid glutamine also mitigates the catabolic effects of cortisol. In addition, glutamine is a potent stimulator of protein synthesis by increasing the pool of amino acids and encouraging hydration of the muscle cells.

High glutamine concentrations exert an osmotic effect, pulling water into the cell. Hydration is a powerful anabolic signal. Glutamine also stimulates testosterone and growth hormone secretion. Addition of 2 to 4 grams of glutamine to the post-exercise carbohydrate and protein cocktail will enhance recovery and lead to better training sessions.

Attention to nutrition must continue well past the immediate post-exercise period. Four hours after a bout of strength training, protein synthesis will be increased by 50 percent. After 24 hours, it is elevated by 109%. It doesn’t return to baseline until 36 to 48 hours later. Undernutrition will limit this process.

If the amino acids, vitamin, minerals and other building blocks aren’t there when they’re needed, the building stops. The result is sub-par adaptation to training.

Pay attention to your nutrition and hydration. Eat regularly spaced, balanced meals that deliver both high-quality protein and carbohydrate and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Maintain hydration by drinking at least 2 quarts of fluid per day.

How much daily protein a person needs depends on their training program. A weightlifter or body builder or an athlete that is still growing may need as much as 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

A runner, bicyclist, swimmer or soccer player would do well with 0.75 grams per pound. If the athlete is overweight, calculate protein needs based on goal body weight.

Most of the protein should be supplied by high-quality, whole food sources such as milk, beef, fish, eggs or chicken. Whole foods also supply essential nutrients necessary for basic health, sports performance and optimal utilization of protein.

When you leave the gym or playing field, get off your bike, out of the pool or off your feet, you’re not done. The nutrition that happens between training sessions will determine how well you do.