311016 "The art of Loving Kindness"

As most of you know I spend most of my weekends up on the Tough Mudder Warm Up Stage. My goal is to motivate, inspire and generally develop an awareness of what the participants are about to engage in. One topic that resonates through each of my 30 Warm Up Speeches is, "Get to know your fellow runners." 

What I speak about is my desire for each participant to speak to and REALLY listen to the other runners on the course. The outcome is a greater undersanding of each other and subsequently, more compassion for each and everyone around them. Instead of pursuing personal goals of achievement; seeking to better someone else's experience, because, in turn your reward will be infinitely more fulfilling. 

So much of the human experience today is about quick and personal satisfaction. After a week spent in New York this is very apparent. Each soul seems to be rushing from place to place, never even raising an eye for the others a whom they cross paths with. What if just once during your day you just stopped, truly asked how someone was and what drives them to do what they do? I can tell you from meeting as many people as I have that the answers are absolutely astounding. 

Life is complex, painful, enlightening, tough, and blissful. The stories that define each of us are as unique as anything of our physical selves. Loving Kindness is a state of selfless being that really has more to do with being present than is does with being totally loving and kind at all times. 

Selfless living is tough for many. We worry about ourselves, our families, our debts. It happens. it is part of being human. Loving Kindness is like a vacation from that worry. To be present enough to smile graciously at another, give of yourself for another without the expectation of anything given back, and most importantly.... lending an open ear to another...

We all desire to feel like a part of something and to be heard. 

Living presently and selflessly can not only bring your mind and body into a space where you realize that you are truly a part of something. Practicing selfless actions bring joy to others and open your heart to the beauty around you. The Tough Mudder family has taught me much about the practice of loving kindness. I cannot count how many times I have simply placed my hand on a strangers shoulder, asked about the t-shirt they are wearing or why they are out running and then been totally blown away!!

If you are seeking a greater good, you don't necessarily need to go to a church and pray for it to come to you. All you have to do is ask a neighbor, a daughter, the guy on the subway... whomever. Listen, give and be transformed. This is path of Loving Kindness and though it may take work to do, the reward is greater happiness in the long run!

Baseline:
500m Row
Rotator Cuff Drills
Squat Flow

50X Push Ups

7 x romanian deadlift
7 x snatch high pull
7 x muscle snatch
7 x tempo overhead squat @ 23X1
7 x snatch balance
7 x power snatch to OHS (hold PSn receiving position each time, each rep little deeper)
7 x snatch pull under
7x hang (squat) snatch

WOD:
AMRAP 4
21-15-9
Squat Snatch 75/55
Burpee over Bar
Rest 4 mins
AMRAP 4
15-12-9
Squat Snatch 95/65
Burpee Over Bar
Rest 4 mins
AMRAP 4
12-9-6
Squat Snatch 115/75
Burpee Over bar
 

281016 "3 Things that should be staples in your breakfast"

Breakfast represents a new awakening, a new beginning. This applies both to your metabolism  but also for your hormones. Starting the day off right with a healthy breakfast will set you up for success the rest of the day. 

Now if you don't eat breakfast, we need to have a discussion about why that is. It could be schedule timing, it could be that your body doesn't want the food so early, there are a number of reasons that I have heard. I will just advise that if you are going to skip any meal of the day, don't let it be breakfast. 

During your sleep period your body systems (endocrine, musculo-skeletal, digestive) have had a chance to process the good nutrients you took in from the day before, expell the bad stuff and really reset the whole sha-bang. Breakfast is fuel for the systems to keep charging as your system activity gears up for the day ahead. 

Now for the keys to success in a good breakfast. Now I know you are immediately wanting me to lead off with, "Pancakes with syrup" or a "donut" but that shit is flat out not gonna happen. Rather I am going to give you 3 key items that should be in your breakfast.
1) Fat. Fat is Brain food. You want to be sharp, you want to get fired up, you need to be setting yourself up for success by eating oils, nuts, seeds, and fatty vegetables or protein sources. I am not saying you should eat a stick of butter each morning or down coconut oil by the gallon but you can sautée your food in it or cook your eggs in in or drizzle it over your veggies. A simple handful of nuts on the plate can mean a lot to keeping you blood sugar down and making sure that you are not "Jaba-the-hutting" granola bars at 10am thinking that you are super healthy!
2) Vegetables. Vegetables contain fiber. Fiber helps regulate the digestive system and aids your healthy bacteria in fighting off bad bacteria and things that can make you sick or inflamed. Fermented veggies like sauerkraut and kimchi are awesome because of the nutrient profiles and fiber but they also serve as probiotics as well!!!
3) Protein. Do you want little weenie arms and legs? I think you do not. I think that if you are reading this post right now there is a 99% chance that you already see the value in eating a complete protein with each meal or snack. Protein and amino acids are the building blocks for muscle tissue and help repair muscle that has been damaged by training. Eggs are classically a breakfast food but grass fed ground beef, sausage, fish... all are great protein sources that offer different benefits. 

There is no sugar added to a perfect breakfast. Whatever natural sugars that are in the vegetables that you consume are just enough to keep you going but not raise your blood sugar. And that my friends, is the key to setting yourself up for success in the AM! No sugar means no crash later. 

Healthy body=Healthy Life. Eat right and thrive. 

Baseline:

Lat Band Mobility/ Bully Stretch/ Banded Tricep Stretch

3X
250m Row
Rest 1:1

WOD:

400m Pinch PLate Farmer Carry 25/10
21-15-9
Hang Power Clean 135/95
Push Press
400 Pinch Plate Farmer Carry

SKill Development:

8X 4
Deficit Strict Handstand Push Ups 4/2"

271016 "Soda/Tobacco; Same or Different?"

Since the scientific community has gotten into the public ear about the epidemic of nutrition in the United States, the soda industry has quickly had a spotlight directed straight at it. 

Similarities between a previous pariah, the Tobacco industry, and the Soda Industry cannot be missed. There are of course;
1) Misleading public policy campaigns
2) Lobbying at the highest levels of government.
3) Scientific studies and claims that are biased.
4) Overwhelming scientific facts that are simply dismissed about both.

Yet the Soda Indistry continues to deny and promote lower sugar products and 'more natural' products while at the same time lobbying with the American Beverage Association to not levy such attacks against its funding bodies. 

CrossFit.com posted a very relevant article from Scientific American about the current state of this fight. 

Have you been hearing about this fight? The simple answer is NO. Public health has consistently taken a back seat in the public policy debate because the funding dollars are spread all over campaigns nationwide. 

As we continually stay conscious about our health and nutrition choices, you can think about this fact next time you think about reaching for any Sugar Sweeteend Beverage; money from the cost of that beverage is being used by comapanies and lobbyists top keep you in the dark about the harmful effects that soda is having on communities nationwide!

Baseline:

500m Row
25-15-10
Plate Hops
Push Ups

High Knee Pulls
Quad Pulls
Hip Swivel Kicks
Marching High Kicks
PLyo Steps
Fig 4 Drill
Carioca
Change Of Direction
Banded Buddy Pulls

Skill Development:
Gymnasty 10
:30 L Sit
:20 Chin Over Bar Hold
12 Pistol Squats (reverse Lunges)

WOD:
5 RFT
25m Bear Crawl
Sprint 100m
25 Pull Ups

 

261016 "Why 21-15-9 has worked in CrossFit"

I have made a life and career out of fitness. I am truly lucky and blessed. But the biggest impact on my fitness career has been discovering, coaching and competing in CrossFit. CrossFit did not invent anything in movement that humans have not seen before. What CrossFit did was perfect how the movements are used and to more importantly how to use rep ranges and intensity to deliver a physical product that has completely changed the way we see body composition and physical strength. 

Lets talk reps for a second. High reps Vs. Low Reps... What do you like more?. Which hurts more? How does using both make you feel? These are qualitative and quantitative observations that you should be watching and paying attention to in your training. 

Plain and simple Physiology and hypertorophy... Low Reps = Greater Strength W/ less focus on metabolic conditioning and body composition. High Reps= Greater overall muscular endurance and hypertrophy (Muscle Building). Less on absolute strength. 

So the goal is developing high strength and big gains and great body composition. Ok Go....

The truth is not that simple. Proper programming in CrossFit training has shown us the clearest path towards that middle ground though! Lets take a look at 21-15-9 for example. This rep scheme has been used for YEARS and has become a default rep scheme for total reps produced during exercise. By decreasing reps each round the athlete (you) are able to;
1) Keep intensity rather high, this benefits endurance and muscle building.
2) Use a variety of weights. Although the reps stay the same the programming can dictate stimulus by weighting the workout in various ways. Goping light will benefit muscle growth and going heavy still keeps the rep range in a strength building zone!

As you all know the proof is in consistency. By coming and crushing workouts each day you will be exposed to a variety of low intensity/ high strength days and high rep/muscle building days. The goal is to appreciate both. Which brings up my final point about body composition. 

Body Composition for males and females and the definition of beauty has literally been re-defined by the CrossFit method. CrossFitters walk taller and have better posture because our backs are strong and well developed. We all have great butts because we place a high value on full ROM exercises (especially squats). And that's just some external pieces; when you look at the insides of CrossFitters you notice that our training has also helped to dismiss common ailments and diseases that plague the general population. Amazing!

So it is one thing to get stoked on the workout, it is another thing to actually see what this process is doing for you. CrossFit is just a method, it needs your engine to move!

Baseline;
400m Run
10 Banded Pass Thru
10 Banded Trunk Twist
10 Banded Good Morning
10 Banded Squats
10 Squat-Banded Pass Thru
10 Squat- Banded Sotts Press
400m Run

Skill Development:
Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3
*Ascending

Snatch balance
10 Reps @ 60% of Heaviest OHS
- hold bottom for 3-5 seconds.

WOD:
10-1
Med ball Clean
Chest TO bar Pull Up

251016 "More Brain Gainz"

Have you ever seen the movie Limitless? 

Basically the main character is a washed up party guy who stubbles upon a miracle drug that enhances his brain function to the limits where he actually is able to do some pretty trip shit. The initial result is that he figures out the Stock Market, kiss it in all aspects of his life... only to completely unravel later in the movie and fall on his ass... 

Its pretty good.. but maybe thats just because I like Bradley Cooper. 

Either way we all want bigger brain gains. If you are a student writing essays or a professional adult who has a workload and meetings to contend with each day, there is always a need to ge a brain boost. Science has shown that the simple regiment of good nutrition, sleep and exercise are the keys to long term cognitive development and growth over the course of your life. Also not grinding yourself into the same rhythm each day with no deviation can really stunt the mind as you get older. 

Back in the 1970's brain chemistry and function made a real breakthrough. Scientists discovered a class of chemicals and amino acids that they called "Nootropics". While there was a lot of scientific criteria for outlining these chemicals there were some key points that each of these brain enhancing items had to have:
1) Had to boost cognitive function.
2) Were non toxic to the body.
3) Did not produce stimulant or depressive effects.
4) Should protect the brain and not harm it.

WOW! Sounds good right? Sign me up for this magic pill. But like all things supplemental there are some catches to taking these brain boosters. 
1) You have to consistently stay on them to increase the effect. You can't just take them one day and have them make you smarter for years to come. 
2) The long term use has not been studied. Although they are non-toxic for the brain and body.. no-one really knows what being on them for 30+ years would do to you??
3) Effects vary from person to person. 

Now where can you try these things. Well at every 7 eleven you can buy them usually in the form of energy drinks. Not all.. but a couple of them. Red Bull for instance is chalked full of Taurine which is a powerful Nootropic chemical. Taurine is also a vital amino acid that everyone should take. The problem with buying them in energy drink form is that the caffeine and sugar drown out the benefits, giving you a jittery high along with the confidence and cognitive benefits of the taurine. 

Brands Like ONNIT, made very popular recently after they began sponsoring action sport athletes and UFC fighters, make brain Nootropics that are very high quality. I personally have tried this brand and find that it works...OK. Once again I am not taking it every day so the benefits are marginal. But my good friend who was just finishing Nursing school took them every day and he said the results were amazing!! So you can try and find out for yourself.

Developing a mind without boundaries or opening your mind more and more is something that we all want and I believe need. As I have stated before, no supplement can replace good nutrition, sleep and exercise but if you are someone looking for a boost and are down to try something new.. go for it.. 

If you end up hacking the stock market like Bradley Cooper, just remember who got you on it!!

Baseline;

15 Banded Good Mornings
15 Banded Iron Cross
15 banded Hip Acitvation
15 Side Lunge
15 Jump Lunge
15 Burpees

Skill Development:
Sumo Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5
*Ascending

WOD:
2 Min Amrap
-rest 2 mins
4 Min AMRAP
-rest 2 Mins
6 Min AMRAP

15 V Ups
12 SDHP 95/65
9 KB Swing 70/53

*Each Amrap Starts from the the V ups.... This is a pacing workout. All out for 2 mins, 80% for 4 mins, and smooth and steady for 6 mins...

241016 "5 Superfoods you Should be eating"

There is a constant search for the holy grail in optimal nutrition. Believe me... Im seeking it!

The truth is that the nutrient profile, nutrient density and how each item was raised has so much to do with its effectiveness on your health and it 'full spectrum' list of benefits. But fear not my friends, there are amazing foods out there and I am going to give you 5 that you should definitely be eating.

1) Salmon. About a month ago I went so far as to say that if you ate nothing else for the rest of your life, Salmon should be that one thing. The reason is that we as human beings NEED everything that the salmon has to offer. From Fat to Vitamins, Salmon delivers life sustaining nutrients. As always when you are sourcing your Salmon or other proteins, go Organic, sustainable, wild-caught, and in Salmons case... cold water caught. 

2) Acai. This fruit gives us way more than a daily dose of carbohydrates and vitamin C. Acai doses us with a Hughes's source of fiber and iron... can you believe it... How about Calcium?? Can you believe that? Just like blueberries, the dark color is indicative of its high anti-oxidant potential. Acai is considered a superfood because it not only helps keep the Gut healthy and improves digression; even deeper into the blood stream Acai clears out bad cholesterol from the body and helps rebuild cells! 

3) Sweet Potato. What's not to like, right?? This starchy food acts nothing like some other Potatos that it is likened with. Sweet potatoes are natural sweet when cooked but do not effect your insulin levels. The Sweet Potato Nutrient profile begins with a ton of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Calcium. You should be into this as an athlete for its dense carbohydrate as well as the nutrients. There is really no drawback to having them every day in my opinion. 

4) Kale Holds a special place in my heart. Maybe its not your favorite leafy green but many in the medical world believe it is sent from Heaven to keep you healthy. Kale is also very trendy right now so beware of its GMO cousins. Just like many other leafy greens that offer very similar nutrients like spinich, collard greens, mustard greens, etc.; you need to buy organic and NON-GMO!

5) Almonds. Ready for magnesium, potassium, calcium, Vitamin A and a ton of healthy Fat??? Well you should be. Almonds are probably the hottest superfood on the market. I come from the almond growing capital of the world and I will tell you that the industry has planned it that way. Even if you don't like the nut you can buy the milk, oil, pulp, flour... whatever. Obviously the 'superness' of the food is in its original form that is chalked full of fiber and is a great choice for snacking in moderation. 

Superfood lists vary depending on who you talk to. This is just mine. Believe me when I tell you that in today's age of food labeling, Im sure there are people out there that say the Mc Donald's BIG MAC is a superfood. The industry has really loose limits on how things are classified. But if you look a the similarities and benefits of the foods I have listed, you will see a trend in nutrient density and fiber rich. 

So run over to your grocerie list and pencil these things in...

WOD:

"The Fighter"
3 mins of work @ each
1 Min Min Rest/ rotation

Burpee
Box Jump Overs 24/20
Push Press 75/55
Double Unders

*Cristin and I wrote this workout in 2011. It holds a special place in our hearts. Mahalo to all of you who have done it and remember doing it at GTCF!!

211016 "Barbells For Boobs"

The barbells for boobs foundation has been providing support and money to the cause of curing breast cancer and research into the disease. This saturday is the event which happens in crossfit gyms all over the country!

Cancer is a disease that has many faces and touches lives all around us. If not to donate money, participate in the event in onor of the strength that all survivors and people dealing with the disease display every day! In their honor we pay tribute. 

Baseline:

Hurdle Step over drill
Butt Kickers
side Lunge 180
Samson Stretch
High Skip
Plyo Step
Carioca
Groiners

Banded Buddy Pulls

WOD:
EMOM @ 0, 5, 10, 15
400m Run
Then AMRAP,
2/1 Rope Climbs
18 Mountain climbers
12 Box Jumps
8 PLyo Push Ups

201016 "Beet Juice"

I love beets. From the dark and rich color to the intense amount of fiber that makes up each taste orb of goodness; it is hard not to get fired up about this badass vegetable. 

Beets are perfect roasted and placed on salads and as a stand alone dish but they can also be used in the juicer to give you some serious health benefits. 

Beets naturally open blood vessels and provide nitrates that are transformed into NITRIC OXIDE which increases your bodies ability to utilize oxygen. In the running and endurance world, there is a big push for runners to consume beet juice to keep them in the fight for long periods of time without ill effects of other supplements. 

Beets help fight cancer by helping your body with polyphenols and other flavonoids. These important enzymes I have spoken about many times in relation to the anti-inflammatory process in the GUT. 

Finally the Liver and kidneys love beets in any form for their ability to detoxify the body. They act by flushing out the system and helping to create new red blood cells to cary nutrients and oxygen. 

Beet juice is simple and can be naturally sweet. Here is a great recipe that can simply be made with your home juicer:
1 Large (roasted) beet
1 medium green apple
3 Stalks of Celery.

This juice gives you your daily amount of Vitamin C and a good bit of fiber. Because it is an anti-inflammatory juice this would be good mixers with Collagen Powder for a Post- Workout juice!! Sounds Good Huh???!!!!

Be healthy and thrive my friends...

Baseline:
100m Med Ball Run
10 Med Ball Up and Over 'L"
10 Wall Ball
10 Med Ball Up and Over 'R'
10 Wall Ball

10X Partner Med Ball Pass Side to Side
10X Partner Med Ball Pass Up and Over
10 X  Partner Med Ball Pass Wood Chop

100m Buddy Carry

Pressing Movement Prep
-Strict Press
-Push Press
-Push Jerk

WOD:
10 Shoulder Press 115/75
15 OHS
20 Push Press
25 Front Squat
30 Push Jerk
35 Hang Power Clean

Midline Work:
25 Hip Extension
25 Strict Toes To bar
 

191016 "How much Protein is TOO Much?"

Exercise and building muscle is all about balance. You break it, food repairs it. The concept is called 'catabolism' (break down) or 'anabolism' (building) of muscle fibers. Protein plays a huge role in this process. A great question was posed to me about how much or how little you should be consuming in order for the good stuff to occur?...

Protein synthesis and more importantly the amino acid availability in your system really determines if your training works or not. Thats right... you can work out all you want but if your do not fed the machine with the right nutrients... its not going to amount to anything but burning of protein and muscle!!!! 

So lets talk protein. Protein has long been associated with muscle building. Bodybuilders and CrossFitters turn to the Protein in whole food form or in protein supplements to help rebuild muscle damage in training. The more protein you ingest the better right? If I keep eating it, Ill get massive right??? Well not so much. Here are a couple of things that happen when you consume too much protein:
1) Excessive protein consumption can damage the kidneys. The kidneys are our filtration system for the body and it is where excess protein ends up when it is not taken in by the Gut. Having the Kidneys work extra hard to filter the protein can cause damage to your kidneys. There are studies that are suggesting a link between renal failure and excess protein intake. So if you don't want dialysis later in life, keep your nutrition balanced.

2) Protein can be broken down for energy. Just as when we cut you all off from eating so many refined carbs, and you began to switch your body over to running on fats... the same goes for protein synthesis. If you eat too much protein, you run the risk of having your body search for protein to burn (including Muscle Protein) for fun to serve the body! Protein breakdown is detrimental to muscle building.

So what is the happy medium? How much protein is too much? 

Looking at most Protein supplements and the amount of protein taken in from normal meals, the happy medium is 20-50grams/ 3-5 times per day. My reasoning for this is as follows:
1) You need at least 20 grams of available protein and amino acids to turn your muscle building process "ON" in the body. It is like a light switch, you need to activate it after training and when your muscles need it. Once it is on, you are good... no need to overload the system.

2) Eating too much protein, too often will crate the glut of excess in the system that I spoke of earlier. This can be thought to clog the system and potentially do damage to your organs. Plus, you probably don't work out that much anyway so Protein is meant more for recovery than for performance. 

3) Going up to 50g of protein in your post workout meal (30mins- 2 hours) after training can optimize the bioavailability of amino acids and nutrients in the body. Be mindful that the 50 grams should be spread throughout a few different protein sources and not just in shakes or god awful dried out chicken breast!! YuCk!!

As with everything else, Protein is about balance. Eat, identify, note, adjust. This is the science of optimal performance. High quality is always better than ease or going cheap. Remember that food is fuel and the same applies to your supplements !

Baseline:
10X High Knee Pull
10X Quad Pull
10X Marching High Kick
10X Elbow To Instep
10X Samson Lunge W/ Pass Thru

Agility Ladder- 8 Passes Linear and Lateral
Arm Swing Drill -Pose
Wall Lean Drill- Pose

5X Jog 50m / Run 50 m
*rest :20 between Rounds

Conditioning:
EMOM 10
9/7 Burpee
Sprint 100m

Accessory Work:
Ring Dip
6X 7
Muscle Up/ Pull Through
5X3
 

181016 "Want Gainz? Chew More"

I will be the first to admit that I inhale my food. On a normal day I run around at warp speed on a calorie deficit and when I do get chance to eat (either sitting or standing); the task becomes less about consuming my fuel and more about seeing how much I can put in my mouth at one time! 

This morning I saw myself crushing my breakfast and downing my coffee when I began to wonder just what I was missing by doing this. After a quick search i found a great article that pretty much confirmed what i already supposed about eating tot fast. 

The link to the article is  HERE .

Im not going to summarize the article as I want you to read it yourself. What I will do is give you some important points to think about next time you are chewing. Chewing more can help you lose weight, absorb nutrients better and regulate hormone levels. 

It is simple to see that having larger food particles in your stomach and gut will bombard it and the result is going to be that the food gets passed right through and out. Chewing food also helps you eat slower, thereby aiding you in becoming more of a present human being... Living in the moment... See how I just brought that in....

The goal of optimal health begins in your mouth! Set yourself up for success and chew a few reps more. 

Baseline:
400m Run
Squat Flow
400m Run

Double Under Progression

Strength:
Pausing Backsquat
10X 2 @72-78%

Conditioning:

12 Min AMRAP
10X Man-eaters 40/30
40X Double Unders

171016 "4 ways Coffee boosts Performance"

Hey Coach! What do you take as a pre-workout?

Probably the second most popular question that I am asked... And the answer is coffee. That's it.. That's all. Aside from great nutrition and hydration, coffee helps increase my performance on a daily basis. 

In general, Coffee, and more directly caffeine is the most studied nutrition supplement in history. If you would stick your nose into any academic resource you will most likely find a section about caffeine and human physiology. So today I wanted to simplify the discussion, keep the science to a minimum (many of you appreciate) and make a claim for why coffee is a real benefit for your training and the ONLY pre-workout you will ever need.

1) Increases Metabolism. 
Coffee, as I mentioned before, contains about 75-200mg of caffeine per cup. Caffeine even without exercise creates  thermogenesis in your body. Thermogenesis is when your insides heat up and to do so, energy needs to get used. Since coffee does not boost your insulin levels like sugar does, Fat tends to get burned at a higher rate.  Combined with exercise, coffee helps keep your metabolism at peak levels throughout the day. This maintains a healthy bit of fat burning even hours after you leave the gym! 

2) Short Term Cognitive Function.
I have done a lot of research into whether coffee can boost lasting brain function. There is no doubt that when you have consumed coffee or tea that you feel 'fired up' a bit more than when you don't... This state of awareness helps increase your problem solving skills and overall ability to think clearly. For training, your ability to 'keep your head in the game' is a real benefit. CrossFit requires thinking and awareness in lifting as well as conditioning. Coffee has the ability to make your training sessions more focused. Although there is no definitive studies on it, there may be longer lasting cognitive benefits to coffee as well but the jury is still out!
3) Boosts oxygen to the muscles.
Coffee is what is called a 'Vaso-dialator'. This means that when you injest it, you blood vessels get bigger, allowing more blood to flow through them. Coffee is a stimulant. This stimulant has a bit more nutritional value than the rest but the pathology still works the same. When your blood vessels open up that means there is more blood that can be delivered to muscles; this means that more oxygen can be delivered to muscles. More blood and oxygen in the muscles means that you can push harder in strength training and run longer in conditioning. The 'burn' that makes you stop working is delayed and performance is increased!
4) Improves Gut health and inflammation.
You knew it was coming.... gut health.. My favorite.... Coffee is chalked full of anti-oxidants and flavonoids. While these may be less on your mind than other benefits that coffee can bring, your insides place it on the top of their list! Anti-oxidants in your blood system help keep you healthy from a cellular level. Keeping your cells from getting sick has a benefit throughout the body. Flavonoids are natural anti-inflammatories found in a ton of healthy whole food products. Coffee can keep inflammation at bay, thereby increasing your ability to recover both from a GUT level and muscular level!

As I said before, coffee and Tea are packed with 75-200mg of caffeine per cup so I would suggest that when you first try this supplement before training, you start small and not go fill tilt until you see how your body reacts. So... one cup to start.... not one whole pot of coffee!

To really feel the effects on your training, timing out when to take it is also important. I see so many people show up at the gym and then start to pound the pre-workout garbage. They are totally missing the mark. Coffee should be consumed 1 hour prior to training to allow it to be absorbed in the body. Also, Coffee (as well as other pre-workouts) increases the acidity of the body and so does exercise. Too much acidity can spell disaster on performance. Giving your body time to take in the caffeine and then normalize before strenuous exercise is very important. 

So good luck... Grab a cup and lets see you fired up in the gym tomorrow! 

Baseline:
500m Row
20m Carioca
20X Elbow To instep Stretch
5 X Wall Climb

7 x romanian deadlift
7 x snatch high pull
7 x muscle snatch
7 x tempo overhead squat
7 x snatch balance
7 x power snatch to OHS
7 x snatch pull under
7 x hang (squat) snatch

Skill Development:

 In 18 mins, Find your new Max Power Snatch>

*Focus on form and position. I am looking for high quality work here, not a big mess. Proper pull, proper landing. Rest as necessary between reps. 

Conditioning:
30-20-10
Power Snatch 75/55
Toes To bar

141016 "The World Sees the Need"

This week the New York Times published an article about the World Health Organization. 

The WHO is a watch dog group of scientists and policy makers that advise health policy for the world. With the uproar of certain groups, Like CrossFit and scientists worldwide, there is a push to tax Soda companies on the sale of sugar sweetened beverages. The goal is to put the money raised into curbing obesity and metabolic disease. 

Research, education and treatment are serious issues especially in our country. Sugar Sweeteend Beverages constitute a large part of what americans drink each day. From your Sugar laden Starbucks to straight up soda, this shit is killing us after than you think. 

For many years now the American Beverage Assocaition has been fighting the implementation of taxes on beverages. New York, California, and Pennsylvania are some of the main headliners in the fight against big soda. In fact, Pennsylvania finally passed a Soda tax this year that was initially set in motion over 10 years ago! The reason that the tax is so hard to implement is that the Lobby from the Soda industry is one of the strongest in the world of politics. I would even say it is stronger than Big Tobacco in their hay day! 

The fight is alive my friends! You have a choice each day to participate blindly to the poisoning of your body or you can simply choose to not buy into what is shoved in front of you. The choice is yours. Information is out there on obesity rates, metabolic conditions and health problems. Educate and stay conscious, remember that what you put in your body reflects in your performance. 

Baseline;

400m Run
Banded Good Mornings X15
Banded Iron Cross X 15
Banded Hip ActivationX 10
400m Run
Single Leg Med Ball Up and Over X12 (ea Leg)
Med Ball Shots X 12
Med Ball Russian TwistX 20

WOD:

12 Rounds For Time

6 Deadlift @ 225/135
1 Round of Cindy
(5 Pull Up/ 10 Push up/ 15 Air Squat)

131016 "6 Ways to recover Better"

6 ways to recover better:



Achieving optimal performance in sport has been something that I have been trying to hack all my life. Just as each day of training or each competition is different with new challenges, so is preparing for what I will need to put out and achieve. 

Constantly going back to the drawing board has become common place, trying to decide what to tweek and change. Over the past 8 years or so I have developed a recipe for success that does not begin on the competition floor but rather in the hours, days and months leading up to competition. It is not lifting weights or speed work, it is Recovery. 

Developing the tools for optimal recovery has been a game changer for athletes world wide; Balancing nutrition and supplementation, with timing and consistency. Here are 6 key ways that you can hack optimal recovery so that you can obtain optimal performance

1)      Magnesium Supplementation. 
In today’s convenience culture our foods are consistently depleted of vital minerals including magnesium. Although it is just as vital as other minerals like sodium and calcium, magnesium regularly gets overlooked. As a recovery mineral, it is utilized by the brain to maintain receptor cites. Inside muscle cells, magnesium plays a role in the metabolism of nutrients and works to relax the muscles after training. And of course, eating leafy greens, nuts and seeds are good for the gut; providing needed repair and fuel for our bodies after training. 
2)      Vitamin D Supplementation
Training and competition really beat your body up. Not only does is break down muscle and nerves but also your immune system. Making sure you are taking in adequate levels of Vitamin D will ensure that the vitamins and minerals you get from nutrition get metabolized. What's more, Vitamin D plays a big role in keeping you from getting sick after heavy bouts of training. Not just sunlight is going to give you enough. I suggest getting on a high quality Vitamin D supplement that is encapsulated in an oil like olive or fish to help with absorption.
3)      Finding a Whey Protein that works for you!
Whey Protein is going to give you and entire Amino Acid profile that you will not find in plat based products. Your BCAAs are essential for muscle re-growth and repair after training. The other important aspect of finding the right Whey Protein for your Gut is Hormonal balancing. So many athletes think that it is all about muscles and bones… its system wide! Hormones are what drive your muscles and performance. Whey Protein types offer different benefits so test out a few and find what makes you feel good!
4)      Creatine Supplementation.
I fought Creatine.. and creatine won. As a young man I put it off, only because of the negative things that I heard about it. And exactly the opposite thing happened when I began using it. Performance, intensity, strength gains all were heightened as well as my ability to recover. Creatine acts as a delivery system of sorts; moving vital nutrients to your muscles for repair and uptake before, during and after training. I consider it one of my essential recovery tools and it travels with me wherever I go! Find a creatine that works for you and your gut. Additionally, it is a very inexpensive way to boost your performance and metabolism without breaking the bank!
5)      Sleep!
Yes… I know you have heard it before. And still you like to brag to your friends about how LITTLE sleep you need and how you can just keep going. Well my friends you are dead wrong. Sleep is the time of our training day that matters more than your hours slaving on the training grounds. Muscle Recovery, hormone rebalancing, neurological rebuilding all happen during our sleep cycle. You should aim to get more than 7 hours in a pitch black room, cooled to around 68-73 degrees, and absolutely no computer or TV’s around. 
6)      Anti-inflammatory nutrition. 
Your nutrition is your FUEL for the days workout. Today in our culture, food is more about convenience than it is about quality. Carbohydrates in the form of processed grains and sugars are destroying our guts and creating a systemic inflammatory response from the brian to the organs. Recovery is not going to happen if we dump these things on an already stressed body. Aim for whole foods like Organic and NON-GMO Proteins, Veggies, Leafy Greens, Nuts, seeds and oils. Keep your nutrition simple and feel better in the long run. 

Hacking the recipe for recovery comes with time my friends. There is not one exact amount of each that will work for everyone and everyday. One thing that being an athlete for a long time has taught me is how to listen to my body. As I said before timing out Supplementation and being consistent with things like nutrition make it so you are not playing catch up. 

Keeping your focus on the goal helps. Hit your training hard and your recovery harder! Begin with this list and keep evolving. I will see you on the winners podium!

Baseline:
Banded Hip Distraction/ Banded Hip Flexor Stretch

3X
200m Run
15 Barbell Thruster
10 Reverse Lunges

Skill Development:
Gymnasty 12

5 Weighted Pull Up
3 Front Squats @ Body Weight
:25 Front Rack Hold

WOD:

EMOM 15
5 Rounds Of:
Min1- :30 Thruster @ 115/75
Min2- :30 Chest To Bar Pull Up
Min3- :30 sandbag Shuttle Run

*score is going to be total laps or reps in each exercise. Match or beat your baseline!

121016 "Performance in a bar"

Performance. When you need it, it should be there. As an athlete in training you should be fueling your body both before and after sessions. But the question “What Should I fuel with?”,  Comes up so often. 

On a basic level, the meals between meals and training sessions should mimic what your nutrition should look like on a whole. Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates in proportions that keep your body running properly without making you to weighted down or lethargic. 

I have done extensive sampling and research into all manner of protein bars as I find them very useful for either a pre-training boost, a competitive boost and a recovery essential. 

My findings are really all over the map and I can tell you that when it comes to protein bars, you get what you pay for. The FitJoy bar has become my go to for a number of different reasons and I want to give you a quick review of the product and some reasons why you should integrate it into your own nutrition plan. 

1)    Protein. All Companies claim to stuff their bars with Protein but only a few deliver a high quality product that can be fully utilized in the body. FitJoy bars are made with both a Whey Protein Concentrate and Whey Protein Isolate. This is important as your body receives the full amino acid complex that is not found when bars are made with one and not the other.
At 20 grams of high quality protein per bar, this is not only one of the highest on the market but also delivers on what will be supplied for muscle growth and recovery. 

2)    Carbohydrates are essential for recovery and give your body energy reserves to draw on when competition or training get really tough. Now what you will find in most protein bars is sugar, dextrose or god forbid… High Fructose Corn Syrup. Most bars give you a boost by spiking your insulin only to leave you super drained after training and nutritionally depleted.  
Fit Joy Bars pack in 24 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of dietary fiber to go with it. 
...Now bear with me for a moment while I dump a little nutrition science on you. 24 grams of carbs is one number… Everyone looks at this. But the Fiber within this carbohydrate content is something to raise a happy eyebrow to. Fiber by its nature is harder and slower for the body to digest which means that the result is sustained energy. 
And FitJoy is sweetened by Stevia!! Stevia is a ‘healthier’ sweetener much nicer on your insides than cane sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup. When your pancreas doesn't have to work hard to produce mass amounts of insulin to counteract cheap sugar substitutes you benefit and your blood sugar does not spike!

3)    Fat- Fat is essential from proper cognitive function and throughout the day you should be consuming good sources of fat. But not when you are just about to begin training or recovering from training. 
FitJoy bars keep Fat content low, only 7 grams or so. What Fat you do consume in the FitJoybar is high quality fat from the Whey and from Palm oil which delivers an even longer sustained energy without going overboard. 
If you have eaten a fatty meal right before or after a session you know what I am talking about… your Gut does not like it so much.. 

The last thing that sells me is the Gluten Free and GMO free ingredients. As you and I both want to fuel our body with the highest quality rocket fuel, FitJoy is a good… Fit. Products that are Gluten Free and GMO Free ensure that unwanted inflammation does not occur in our bodies. Inflammation can knock us out of training and competition as well as open the door to disease and injury. This sounds scary but its true!

FitJoy bars are on another level when it comes to protein bar nutrition. Enjoy a few for yourself and test them against the brands you enjoy now. I know you will see the difference. The ingredients alone will tell you. Train smart, train safe and eat well.. 

Baseline:
Lat Band Mobility/ Bully Stretch

4 Rounds for Quality
12 Single arm DB Press
12 Russian KB Swing
:20 single Arm Plank (ea Side)

WOD:
2X 10min AMRAP
*Partner WOD
Couplet #1
P1- Row 20 cals
P2- Max HSPU
Rest 3 mins
Couplet #2
P1- 40 Dubs
P2- 20 KB Snatch

*partners switch once their work is completed. 

111016 "Go ahead, Indulge"

I do my best to instruct you on just what NOT to eat most of the time...

Well tonight I want to tell you about three things that you can and SHOULD eat or drink to keep your GUT healthy. And we know from my writings that when the GUT is healthy, your body and mind are healthy!

1) Wine. Packed with Flavonoids that are produced by the plant and developed in the skin of the grape. These powerful anti-oxidants protect your cells against free radicals. This can be beneficial in beating cancer and cardiovascular disease.
2) Tea and Coffee. Polyphenols are abundant in both of these beverages and have been studied for years. What science tells us is that by helping to nourish our GUT microbiota, the downstream effects are life long and system wide. GUT bacteria influence how much inflammation occurs throughout the body so it is pretty damn important that you keep these little buggas happy.
3) Chocolate.. I can see a few of you smiling right now. Yep... Chocolate (pure dark chocolate not milk chocolate) can actually improve your sensitivity to insulin and keep your GUT bacteria in check. Flavonoids, anti-inflammatories, and better metabolism all from eating chocolate. 

So go ahead and indulge my friends. Life is meant to be lived and if you do things right, you can really enjoy the beauty of what nature has to offer. 

Baseline:
500m Row
20-15-10
Push Ups
Tuck Jumps

Lunge Flow

T Spine Mobility
10X W Waves
10X S Waves
10X Blackburns
10 X Squat W/ T spine Stretch

WOD:
For Time
45 Wall Ball
30 Box Jump Overs
20 Power Clean 135/95
30 Box Jump Overs
45 Wall Ball

Cash Out:
3X 15
HD Sit Up

101016 "2 Ways to naturally boost testosterone"

Get off your ass! 

Testosterone is the fountain of youth for men. We peak in our 30's and then slowly decline for a number of physiological reasons. This hormone is primal, helping fuel the Hunter in all men as we evolved. 

Modern day living is making it harder and harder to maintain healthy levels of testosterone and the consequences can lead to a number of problems, even cancer! Without going off the deep end with science, Ill just say that it effects you all the way down to the cells if your levels decline.

Here are two easy ways to boost your testosterone :
1) Get on a fish oil. High quality fish oil. Fish Oil reduces the oxidation of key metabolic processes and thereby keeps your cells and the neurons in your brain fully functioning.

2) Get off your ass! Stop Sitting so much. I have heard it said that 30 mins of sitting during the day can cut your daily testosterone production by 1/3. That is a big number. Getting up, moving, being active is the key to maintaining your healthy testosterone levels. 

Aging is inevitable but it can be done without the loss of your physical and cognitive strengths. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise will ensure you keep killing it in the gym and in your personal life!

Baseline:

400m run
10X Hip Swivel Kicks
10X Fire Hydrants
10X Banded Hip Activation
10X Elbow to instep
10X Squat THerapy
10X Side Lunge
10X Burpee

Strength Development:

Box Squat
5-5-5-5-5
*Ascending
-Today is week two of our squats introduction and strength development. For this I want a wide stance, box set so squats hit parallel, bar lower on the back, and a vertical shin in during the squat. Have fun

Conditioning:

EMOM 10
Odd: :45 Burpee Onto PLate :15 rest
Even: :45 Overhead Plate Lunge :15 rest
 

061016 "How old is too old"

Fitness, Nutrition, Health, Love.. Keep as much of these things in your life and you will live forever, right? Wel, today in the Journal Nature new findings are telling scientists that there may a limit to just how old you can be before the body just gives up...

The Journey towards immortality begins from an early age. The desire to experience every emotion, location, and person you can is uniquely human. We strive towards immortality in our health practices and especially in CrossFit.

Really! It is actually written in the CrossFit manual as a tenet of the methodology, "To create a hedge against decrepitude". And rightfully so... It sucks to get old. Things hurt, break, our mind slows down, some things just aren't that fun anymore. 

The article brings to bear just how far we have come in our pursuit of said immortality. We have been on a steady incline in age expectancy since the beginning of the 20th century. Including all the interventions that medicine is bringing forth, (i.e. Drugs and surgeries) our life expectancy here in the US reaches well above 90 years old! 

But by 90 are you just over it? We have to ask that question. I mean I have seen the pictures of those folks who are pushing 100 and they don't look that stoked. C'mon, shit is really falling apart by 100, it's just got to be. PLus you've probably outlived all of your friends and no young person wants to play cards with you anymore. Bummer. 

So what is it worth to you? How old do you think is too old? At some point will you just want to cash it in and go down for the long nap? 

Life expectancy is a quality vs. quantity situation. You make the call. A link to the article is HERE

 Baseline:

Roll Out calves for 2:00

10 X Leg Swing
10X High Knee Pull
10X Quad Pull
10X Squat Therapy
10X Hip Circles
10 X Bow and Bend
10X Side Lunges
10X Arm Circles
10X Shoulder Circles

1 min Jump Rope
1 Min Freestyle
1 Min Double Unders

WOD:

20 Min AMRAP
*With Partner

100 Wall Ball Shots
80 Double KB Push Press
60 Toes To bar
40 Pull Up
20 Overhead Squats 115/75
10 Front Squat *Each

*Complete 40 Double Unders Each after exercise.

051016 "Slowly but surely"

The message is spreading.... Our populations health has been pushed to the brink and there has to be some way to help pull in the reins and get folks back on track. 

In a perfect world I would hope that people would be as abreast in nutrition and health as they are in presidential politics but Im afraid that just simply will not happen. We live in a consumer culture where bright shiny packaging, catchy slogans and expediency rule the food world. Why cook something when you can grab and stuff your face with something that touts the benefits of a full days worth of nutrition!!

Well the FDA is making a tiny step in the right direction. They have agreed to take a top down look at food products and their claims of 'Healthy'. Recently I have seen this term on labels and literally laughed. Dietary guidelines have changed drastically in the last 5-10 years and what once was considered 'good for you' is probably now just a bunch of high fructose corn syrup wrapped around a low fiber food product. 

NPR just did an article you can read or listen to here, "FDA is Redefining the Term Healthy of Food Labels" 

While I may be frustrated with the lack of knowledge and the overall food coma that seems to have taken over the USA, I agree that Rome was not built in one day. To pull us back from the ledge is going to take time. Applauding the change that may happen is warranted; I just fear we will be colonizing Mars sooner than bringing down our obesity and diabetes problems!

Baseline:

Alternanting Tabata:
:20 work :10 Rest X 8
-Lateral Hurdle Drill
- Inch Worm W/ Push Up

Lunge Flow
Rotator Cuff drills

Snatch Warm Up
7x romanian deadlift
7 x snatch high pull
7 x muscle snatch
7X Sotts Press
7 x tempo overhead squat @ 23X1
7 x snatch balance
7 x power snatch to OHS
7 x snatch pull under
7 x hang (squat) snatch

WOD:

8 Min AMRAP

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,.....

Snatch @ 185/115
Clean and Jerk

* One of each, then two of each, then three of each... and so on. Look for quality of movement. 

041016 "Im Calling Bullshit"

While perusing my daily sites I came across an article that caught my eye. 

"The Best Time To Exercise if you want to lose weight"

The article describes a 2010 study where subjects were fed or not fed and then asked to exercise to measure their insulin tolerance. 

To sum up the article, the author talks VERY briefly about how the test was run and then vaguely lists the results of the study. In summary, the subjects that were given no food and then asked to exercise early in the morning showed the greatest insulin tolerance adaptation. The author summarized that this insulin tolerance resulted in greater weight loss. 

Now... I went and looked up the entire study that does have a lot of scientific information that is entirely relevant to the overall test and not so clear for a lay person to understand. There are some interesting insulin testing and muscle biopsies that were taken on the subjects that studied muscle cells and lipid profiles , very cool stuff but not for everyone. 

Where I have a problem is that the author clearly took the abstract (summary) of the study and made a clear statement that someone casually reading the article would take as fact. 

Dissemination of information in the nutrition world is reliant on the authors undersanding of the material and science. This is a huge problem in the world today when there is information coming at you from every direction, based on science, yet completely contradicory to the last thing you were told. 

This study does draw the correlation between insulin intolerance and weight gain but misses all the real science about what the subjects were fed, how they were asked to workout , and the REAL reason for the test in the first place! This drives me crazy as I have made i my life's mission to educate you all on relevant and prudent science to make your lives better. 

For the casual reader they are literally going to take away from the article that they need to starve themselves in the morning, workout first thing or else get fat and lazy. And this is simply not true. Nutrition science, CrossFit training, and modern medicine has shown that the metabolic process and healthy living can deliver a result for each person individually and do it in a healthy way. 

So.... Stick with me my friends. I will not steer you wrong and give you REAL solutions to optimal health. Please read all Nutrition, Fitness, and Health publications with clear and wide eyes. I am always here to answer questions and guide you along the way. 

Baseline:

EMOM 10
Even- Deadlift 10 Reps @275/155
Odd- Supine Ring Pull Up X 10 reps
          Or- Muscle Ups X3-5 reps

Conditioning:
5 RFT
12 Pull Up
12 Burpee To PLate
200m Sprint

Cash Out:
3X 15
GHDHE

031016 "Spinach, Leek, and White Bean Soup"

Im Feeling super 'Fall-ey'. That is my thinking is less about abundant fruit salads and more about the fall vegetables and hearty soups. I like these things not only for the diversity that it brings to my diet but for the relative ease of preparation . 

Today I want to give you guys a recipe that fulfills both the senses and your GUTS desire for satisfaction. It is a hearty soup that can be made with less or more carbs depending on your diet. I prefer this recipe with a bit more protein sometimes and more carbs sometimes.. The deal is that it fits your diet in whatever way you want. 

Spinach, Leek and White Bean Soup. WITH CHICKEN!

First take 3-4 Tablespoons of Coconut oil and add it to a pan. 
Then, Chop up 3-4 Leeks really well
Then, chop fine 2-3 Cloves of garlic.
Place these in the pan with the oil and sauté .

Secondly comes the Chicken Stock or Beef Broth. You will need about 40 oz of the home made stuff or you can go to the store and buy two of the large containers. I like homemade and I like to go big so that there is enough broth for the added grains. Add Broth to the saucepan.
Then, put 2 cans of ORGANIC white beans or cannellini beans into the mix. 
Then, 2 Bay Leaves
Then, Salt and Pepper (enough so that you can stir it in and see it all around)
Then, 2 Teaspoons of Cumin
Then, 2 Teaspoons of paprika (I like Pepper)

Third you must add the grains. I say grains because you can use a few different things. I have used Rice, I have used Quinoa, I have used Couscous. Whatever you are feeling, play with it. You will need about 1 to 1.5 cups of whatever you want. Feel out how much broth you have and how thick you want the soup. Let that cook until soft. 

Grill a few chicken breasts and chop them up for addition right before the meal is served. 
Once the grains are soft you can add in 2-3 cups of spinach or Kale depending on your flavor.. You call it. 

To keep the integrity of the greens in order, try to serve a couple minutes after putting them in or else they get kinda wilty (is that a word??). 

Cooking is all about having fun. Many people come up to me with literal fear in their eyes about what and how exactly to make food. Please calm down. Get creative, look beyond what you ALWAYS do and find out how mixing spices can really boost your recipes. Don't be afraid to fail in the kitchen, be afraid to not push yourself. There could be a lot of nutrition you are leaving... at the store. 

Baseline:

Skip 50m
Duck Walk 50m
High Knees 50m
Side Shuffle 50m
Jumping Jack Side Shuffle 50m
Skip 50m
Bounding 50m
Single Leg Bound 50m

Squat Flow

Skill Competency:
5 Rounds of Gymnasty Skills
10 Pistol Squat
15 GHDSU

WOD:
22 Min Partner AMRAP
Teams of 2-3
7 Rope Climb
10 Thruster 155/105
15 Power Clean
45 Cal Row
* Move In Conga Line Styl