Our cells are the powerhouses which keep all the systems of the body running properly. The food you eat, the air your breathe, how old you are, how much exercise you get (or don't get)... all has a bearing on how your cells operate. Free Radicals seek to disrupt the entire system, and although their name sounds kinda cool, they can really mess you up.
Stress kills. We all know that. I have written many times about the subject, but there is a deeper and less measurable stress that can be hindering your athletic performance? Oxidative stress is caused by all manner of things but the results are the same to your cells. Oxidative stress is basically a thief, stealing electrons from molecules and leaving your cells with a pseudo 'black eye'. When cells are damaged, they cannot repair themselves and certainly are unable to replicate themselves. These are two VERY important functions that relate to Athletic performance.
Muscle Contraction and work completed are directly linked to your cells being healthy.
Free Radicals are broken down molecules. Down on their luck, they begin a chain reaction of stealing electrons if not brought back into check by proper nutrition, constant exercise, and good sleep. While Free Radicals are commonly associated with cancer and alzheimers, they can also be said to cause;
-foggy thoughts and fatigue,
-gray hair
-premature aging of the skin
-poor eyesight
-lack of sex drive and athletic performance
FREE and RADICAL are cool words... I use them a lot; but they should always be kept apart. Antioxidants have been touted as a way to combat the stress that hurts your body. Natural antioxidants like those found in Organic Produce are perfect. "Antioxidants" refers to the make up of the molecules. Antioxidants can give up an electron without becoming a 'Free Radical' and therefore keep the whole balance inside the cell.
Antioxidant supplements have NOT been shown to do much... Good Food is the best form of Antioxidants out there.
While Exercise can contribute to cell damage and Free Radicals in the body, consistent athletic training has been show to increase antioxidant defense. Therefore, it pays to be super active. Weekend warriors hurt more because they are not consistent and a week of soreness is the bodys way of saying, "Keep at It". For athletes that train hard and don't treat their bodies well on rest days, they are doing themselves a disservice. On rest days, you need to be mindful of everything you are putting in your body so as to help combat the effects of FREE RADICAL DAMAGE. Rest days don't mean, pound beers and eat like shit.
We are all pushing our bodies real hard during the CrossFit Games Opens. make sure you are paying attention to things like Free Radicals and keep your nutrition on point. If you are experiencing more than 2 days of soreness after a workout, you need to take a look at your lifestyle and see how you can tweet it. Stay conscious my friends and lets keep pushing for our most optimal self in 2017!
3/13
Baseline:
3X
10 Heavy KB Romanian deadlift
20 4Ct. Flutter Kicks
30 Plyo Plate Jumps **Quick Feet on and off the plate
Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Hip Bridge, Ankle Rotations, PNF Stretch, Squat W/ T Spine Rotations
Wall ball Warm Up for 3 Minutes.
Double Under Progression: (7:00)
-singles
-high jump Singles
-Cadence Drills W/ Singles and Doubles
-Spend 7 Minutes Working on Double Unders
WOD:
18 Min AMRAP
10 American KB Swings
20 Wall Ball Shots
30 Double Unders
3/14
Baseline:
:30 @ Each Movement X 2 Rounds
-Air Squats
-Partner Burpee High 5's
-Russian Twist
-jump Lunges
-Mtn Climbers
Spend 4 Minutes Dynamically Stretching the hip and Shoulder W/
-Samson Lunges
-Elbow To Instep
-Inchworm
-Wall CLimbs
Skill Development:
In 7 sets, Build to Heaviest 2RM Front Squat.
-balance and knee position
-speed out of the bottom
WOD:
3X
400m Run
20 Hand Release Push Ups
20 Knee TO Elbow
Cash Out:
3X
:45 Barbell Front Rack Hold 225/135
:20 L-Sit
3/15
Baseline:
Lat Band Mobility/ Bully Stretch/ Half Moon Stretch- Static
Dynamic- Banded Pull Aparts, Banded Press, Banded Pass Thru, Banded Good Mornings, Banded Hip Activation, Banded Squats
3X
10XBarbell Behind the neck press
10X Jumping Pull Ups
10X Tuck Jumps
WOD:
6X Go Every 3 Minutes (18 minutes)
12 DB Push Press 50/35
8 Burpee Pull Up
6 Box Jump Overs **cannot touch the box
Midline Stability: (10 Mins)
5X
:20 Superman
:20 Side PLank 'L'
:20 PlanK
:20 Side PLank 'R'
:20 Hollow Hold
:20 Rest
