CrossFit truly is for everyone.  However, due to it’s recent explosion in popularity, the competitions have become quite exclusive.  And rightfully so, competitions to determine the fittest humans will absolutely exclude the majority of the population.  However, there is an ever growing  population of extraordinarily fit individuals that should still be able to enjoy the excitement of c0mpetitions.

The CrossFit Sweat Shop Masters Event is ONLY open to men and women ages 40 and up.  Here are the details:

Date:  Saturday October 24th

Time:  Registration 9am
                Athletes Briefing 9:30am
                Workouts begin 10:00am

Location:  CrossFit Sweat Shop – 1401 Autocenter Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Entry Fee:  $35 (online registration closes Thursday 10/22/09 at midnight)

Late Registration:  $50 (day of competition)

Field Limit:  45 participants TOTAL

Prize:  1st Place Male $300
               1st Place Female $300
*Prize money WILL increase if field reaches capacity.

Workout #1 Run
Workout #2 Strength Event
Workout #3Metcon

Complete details of each of the workouts, as well as the scoring system, will be released soon.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Front Squats
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 2 Rounds
8 Squat Cleans
10 Pushups

then (1) 403m run

results:

Rob Medsger with excellent overhead squat form

CrossFit Sweat Shop is not only home to people of all ages and fitness levels from Walnut Creek and the surronding areas, it’s also a gym that many personal trainers hold a memberships at.  The level of instruction, combined with the supportive group environment make CrossFit Sweat Shop the ideal gym for beginners, as well as those that fitness is their career!  I myself, before opening the Sweat Shop in Walnut Creek, was the Sports Performance Director for Velocity Sports Performance in Concord, and also worked at another top gym in Walnut Creek.  And although I lived less than 2 miles from each of the gyms I worked at, I paid for a membership at CrossFit Oakland, and would drive there several times a week because of the superior instruction, and the supportive and challenging environment.

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Friday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

403m Run
15 Deadlifts
20 KB Swings

results:

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Saturday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

10 Hang Power Snatch
5 Overhead Squat
10 Pushups
1 Rope Ascent (or SA ring row modification)

results:

Lastly, I just wanted to say how proud I am of EVERYONE that trained on Saturday.  Most people had little to no experience with the Snatch, but after the skill development portion of the class everyone did an awesome job maintaining excellent technique during a short, but challenging workout.  It’s sessions like that, that get me so excited and remind me how thankful I am to be involved with such an inspiring group of people.  Thanks everyone, keep up the great work!!

This is awesome.  The corn industry is obviously concerned about people educating themselves on the health risks of high fructose corn syrup.  They developed an ad campaign and a site to try and tame people’s concerns about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup.  The campaign trys to exploit the fact that people are hearing that HFCS is bad, but most average americans can’t explain why it’s bad.  A repeated theme in the campaign is that it, (HFCS) is natural because it comes from corn… so it is fine.  Corn may be natural, however, the processes that creates HFCS is by no means natural or happens in “nature”.  Add to that the fact that corn is in so many food products, is a genetically modified crop, and gets hit with lots of pesticides and you’ve got a product you may want to reconsider ingesting.

Check out the ad campaign here.

Don’t be one of the uneducated idiots played by the actors in the ad campaign.  A study published earlier this year from the University of California Berkeley showed that compared to glucose, fructose had the following effects.

1) Four-fold greater intra-abdominal fat accumulation

2) 13.9% increase in LDL cholesterol, doubled Apoprotein B

3) 44.9% increase in small LDL, 3-fold more than glucose

4) Increased postprandial triglycerides 99.2%.

Other studies have shown that fructose:

–Increases uric acid–No longer is red meat the cause for increased uric acid; fructose has taken its place. Uric acid may act as an independent coronary risk factor and increases high blood pressure and kidney disease.

–Induces insulin resistance, the situation that creates diabetes

–Increases glycation (fructose linked to proteins) and protein cross-linking, processes that underlie atherosclerosis, liver disease, and cataracts.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com

If you want to learn more, the study is published in it’s entirety here.

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Thursday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squats
7-7-7

B.) 100 Burpees
*every minute perform 3 strict pullups (or most challenging pullup variation you are capable of)

results:

Catalyst Athletics down in Sunnyvale has a great website that among other things, includes some delicous and healthy recipes.  This chicken apples salad is quick, easy, and taste great.  Below are the ingredients.  Check out the website here.

Time:  25 minutes

• 6 oz chicken
• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/2 Grannysmith apple
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste
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Wednesday’s WOD:

7 minutes to complete:

(1) 403m Run
Max Reps Body Weight Bench Press (or pushups)
Max Pullups

REPEAT for 4 Rounds

results:

Aside from getting you in great shape.  CrossFit can very likely save your life.  Lifting weights isn’t just for guys trying to get buff and stare at themselves in the mirror.  Check out this story of a woman who was attacked in her house.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

Round 1:

3 minutes to perform 350 meter row, then as many reps as possible of the following exercises, 1 set at a time w/ 90 seconds rest b/t sets:

1.) Pushups
2.) Wall Balls
3.) Knees to Elbow
4.) Box Jumps

Round 2:

Same format, only 90 seconds to complete 200 meter row

results:

Nick and Jake (ages 9), prepare to do battle on the rower.

Whether you are a child or an adult, everyone is able to train quite a bit harder when they train alongside others.  That is just one of the principals that makes training at a CrossFit gym so effective.  A study was just released that proves this theory.

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2009) — A study of Oxford rowers has shown that members of a team who exercised together were able to tolerate twice as much pain as when they trained on their own.

Read the full article here.

Another opportunity to train alongside others, and for a great cause, is a 5K fun run/walk put on by the United Mt. Diablo Ahtletic Foundation.  As many of you likely know, funding was cut for the athletic programs of many Walnut Creek, Concord and Pleasant Hill schools, including:  Clayton Valley, College Park, Mt. Diablo, Concord, Northgate, and Ygnacio Valley high schools.  The 5K, being held at 9am on October 18th at Newhall Community Park will help raise money to fund the programs at these schools.  Flyers for the 5K are available at CrossFit Sweat Shop, or you can download the registration form here.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) 3 minutes to complete 15 Burpees and 15 Squats, then as many reps as possible of Push Jerks.  REST 2 minutes, REPEAT 3 rounds.

B.) 3 minutes to complete 15 Box Jumps and 15 Pushups, then as many reps as possible of Deadlifts.  REST 2 minutes, REPEAT 3 rounds.

results:

CrossFit Sweat Shop’s members don’t just drag themselves into the gym two to three times per week.  Many of them get out there an take advantage of their increasing fitness levels by competing in various events.  Pictured above are Doug, Carolyn, and Nathan, just before finishing an 8 hour adventure race in Tahoe a few weeks back.

Congratulations to the following Sweat Shop members and friends who just completed the San Jose Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon:

• Jon
• Krista
• Ollie
• Lisa
• Carolyn
• Darcy

I apologize if I missed anyone else.

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Friday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squats
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 2 Rounds

15 Overhead Squats
403m Run

results:
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Saturday’s WOD:

A.) Broad jump from the gym to the fence in as few a jumps as possible

B.) # of broad jumps determines how many reps you do of each of the following exercises:

3 Rounds

Deadlifts
KB Swings
Box Jumps
Wall Balls
Knees to Elbow
Burpees

results:

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Sunday’s Challenge Workout:

Lake Anza Workout

followed by,

“Elizabeth”

Since the workouts were of different lengths, Aaron developed an formula to measure the results, and declare an overall winner.  Basically, least amount of corn wins.

I took a quick picture at the top of the ridge, the turn around point for the run.  As you can see Aaron is on his way back down, and Nathan is already half down.  I was in last.

results:

So the Sweat Shop is on Yelp, big deal.  Really though, without the input of the gym members it’s a fairly useless tool.  So here is what I have to offer.  Go to the CrossFit Sweat Shop listing on Yelp.  Write a review.  Be honest.  The person that writes the most creative review will be awarded their choice of one of the following:

• Design a workout of the day that will be done by all the groups for that day.  The workout will also be named after it’s creator.
• CrossFit Sweat Shop t-shirt
• The opportunity to design and put me through a 5 minute “Who’s Your Daddy?” workout
• 1 month free membership (non-members)

If your creative juices aren’t flowing, but you still appreciate the Sweat Shop, feel free to write a review just because.  Thanks!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/crossfit-sweat-shop-walnut-creek

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Thursday’s WOD:

5 Rounds

15 Back Squats
20 KB Swings
Max Pullups

REST 3 minutes between rounds

results:

While many people are still sleeping, the 6am crew is up in the gym just working on their fitness.  Who’s your witness?

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Wednesday’s WOD:

7 Rounds

5 Squat Clean
(2) 35 meter sprints
7 Pullups

results:

CrossFit Sweat Shop Walnut Creek, CA