Here’s a really good and informative post on why grains are no good.

All grains – things like oatmeal, pasta, breads and cereals – have two things in common. They are calorically dense, and nutritionally meager. A small portion of grains packs a whopping amount of calories, almost all in the form of carbohydrates. All those calories, however, contain a miserly amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals). Compare the calories, carbohydrates and vitamin profile of two large slices of whole grain bread (100 grams) to one cup of chopped, cooked broccoli (184 grams – nearly twice the mass). (Nutritional stats from NutritionData.com)

Note that we’re not saying there is nothing good to be found in grains. They do contain vitamins and minerals in various proportions and amounts. But the serious down sides of grains far outweigh any potential health benefits. Bottom line – there is NOTHING found in grains that you can’t get from a better source with NO down sides (like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds).

Read full post here at Whole9

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Legitness of the Week

Vanessa 200×1 Back Squat (Sweat Shop Record)
Jessica 140×5 Back Squat (PR)
Katherine 100×5 (PR)
Tammy 130×1 Clean (PR)
Ellie 115×1 Clean (PR)
CJ 215×1 Clean (PR)
Eric 130×1 Clean (PR)

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Thursday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

3 minutes to complete:
300m Row
12 Thrusters
10 Knees to Elbow
Double Unders for REPS

REST 2 minutes between rounds

results:

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Friday’s WOD:

A,) Clean
1-1-1-1-1

B.) 3 Rounds
2 minutes to complete:
200m Run
7 Power Cleans
Burpees for REPS

REST 30 seconds between rounds

results:

It’s great that everyone is staying hydrated during and after their workouts, however, as responsible citizens of planet earth let’s try remember to bring a refillable water bottle or canteen, and only use the cups in the event we forget to bring a bottle to the gym.  Let’s reduce our already profound impact on our beautiful planet…. not to mention I just paid out $40 to Josh and Nik yesterday for hitting 20 consecutive double unders and I could use a break in cup cost.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

Alternating TABATA

Wall Ball
Deadlift

Ring Dips
Squats

*20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest
*alternate b/t first two exercises until completing 8 sets of each, then move on to next two exercises

results:

CrossFit Oakland trainer, and photographer, TomC, recently wrote about holding your breath and it’s importance during heavy lifting.  Check it out.

Of paramount importance when training with barbells is maintaining the spine’s normal anatomical position. What is normal? When you stand up straight, your spine will assume something of an S-shape if viewed from the side. Near your shoulders, your spine traces the top of the S and demonstrates what is called kyphotic curvature. Your lower back also has a curve, or an arch, referred to as a lordotic curvature. This is normal anatomical position. For the purposes of this article, we are primarily interested in the lower back and keeping it in this extended, normal position when lifting weights.

Read full post here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

15 minutes to perform:

(1) 403m Run, then:
As many rounds as possible of:
7 Summo Deadlift High Pull
9 Pushups
11 Box Jumps

results:

Look familiar?

In case you haven’t noticed,  many of the warm up exercises change day-to-day, however, these exercises remain constant.  The good morning not only stretches your hamstring, but more importantly is a daily reminder of how to achieve extension of the lumbar spine, as well as pushing the hips back, both of which are aspects of the deadlift and back squat.  Overhead squats done with a dowel aren’t meant to tax the legs.  Active arms and shoulders during a loaded overhead squat is an absolutely critical part of a successful lift.  Performing them daily with a dowel is a good way to reinforce the necessary recruitment of the upper back, shoulders, and arms necessary when overhead squatting with weight.  The snatch balance not only teaches athletes to move aggressively under a bar, in preparation for receiving a snatch, but when performed correctly will also reinforce the active arms and shoulders necessary for overhead squatting, and especially the active arms and shoulders necessary for receiving a dynamic load when performing a snatch.  Performing these three movements as a part of every warm up helps ingrain proper technique, but only when performed correctly.  Take the time, do them right.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 21-15-9
KB Swings
Pullups
Double Unders

results:

What looks to be a fun event will be taking place next month in Jack London Square in Oakland.  A description from their website:

Eat Real Festival was founded in 2008 by a group of people who believe that delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food should be celebrated through an annual food festival.

We know that today’s eaters are concerned about how to spend their food dollar yet are also increasingly interested in learning about how food choices can contribute to a healthier environment and stronger communities. By using fresh and local ingredients (and their amazing flavors), Eat Real aims to show how easy it can be to support a regional food system by bringing farmers, food producers and eaters together. We’re very excited to be supporting more than 200 businesses and organizations.

Chris G.’s company, More Beer, that sells the necessary items, and educates on home brewing as well as coffee roasting, will also have a booth at the festival.

Check the Eat Real website for complete details.

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Legitness of the Week

Jessica 125×1 Front Squat (PR)
Tammy 150×1 Front Squat (PR)
Vanessa 155×1 Front Squat (PR)
Nik 255×1 Front Squat (PR)
Don B. 265×1 Front Squat (PR)
Terin 90×5 Overhead Squat (PR)
Ellie 100×5 Overhead Squat (PR)
John M. 235×5 Overhead Squat (PR)
Cameron 155×5 Overhead Squat (PR)
Josh 190×1 Overhead Squat (PR)
Helen 14:42 “Nancy” Rx’d (Sweat Shop Record)
Jin repeats his first ever Sweat Shop workout on Monday, this time with an 18# weight vest instead of a red band, improves his time, and doesn’t vomit afterwards!

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Saturday’s WOD:

9:00AM class

“Nancy”

5 Rounds
403m Run
15 Overhead Squats

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10:00AM class

A.) Bench Press
5-5-5-5

B.) 4 minutes to complete:
500m Row
Double Unders for REPS

results:

Vanessa and the rest of Team Lululemon enjoying wall balls

What is CrossFit?

Video ( Mac / Windows )

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Thursday’s WOD:

6 Clean & Jerks
250m Row

6 Clean & Jerks
2 Rope Ascents

6 Clean & Jerks
25 KB Swings

6 Clean & Jerks
25 Box Jumps

6 Clean & Jerks
25 Box Jumps

6 Clean & Jerks
403m Run

results:

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Friday’s  WOD:

“Air Force”

20 Thrusters
20 Summo Deadlift High Pull
20 Push Press
20 Overhead Squats
20 Front Squats

*every minute on the minute perform 4 Burpees

results:

Photo courtesy CrossFit.com

The CrossFit Games have come a long way in just a couple of years, from the dusty ranch in Aromas, to the Home Depot Center in LA, in HD video!  Check out the final heat of women doing the opening workout:

9-7-5 Reps
Muscle Up
Squat Snatch (95#)

Check out the video  Windows / Mac

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) 1 Rep Max Front Squat

B.) 21 Front Squats
21 Pullups
1 Mile Run
21 Overhead Squats

results:

Nathan, co-owner of CrossFit Adventure in Concord, Sweat Shop member, and proud owner of a Forma Gym t-shirt (as seen above), will be coaching the classes at the Sweat Shop on Thursday evening and Friday morning of this week.  Be sure to give Nate props for having the fastest time for the competition at CrossFit Burn in Pacheco this past Saturday!

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Tuesday’s WOD:

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

B.) 500m Row
9 Handstand Pushups
21 Box Jumps

7 Handstand Pushups
15 Box Jumps

5 Handstand Pushups
9 Box Jumps

results:

Here is a great video sent to me by Tom (a.k.a. Hound Hustle), which shows some great displays of strength, and some creative exercises that can be done in a park, or jail yard.

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Monday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

403m Run
10 Pullups
20 Pushups
30 Squats

results:

Chris W., relative newcomer to CrossFit Sweat Shop, will be performing his 2nd show on Monday July 26th at The Marsh Theater in San Francisco.  The performance is a solo act that focuses on how the events on September 11th affected those that experienced it from afar- via TV screens, word of mouth the internet, etc.  Check out complete details here.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am Class

A.) Thruster
2-2-2-2-2

B.) 8 minutes to complete:
403m Run
As many thruster reps as possible,
then one more 403m run before time expires

10:00am Class

A.) Snatch
2-2-2-2-2

B.) As many rounds as possible in 9 minutes:
2 Muscle Ups
5 Power Cleans (185/105)
100m Sprint

results:

Dr Spencer Wells is a geneticist, anthropologist and explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society.

In a new book, Pandora’s Seed, he charts the unforeseen costs of farming, which began to transform society 10,000 years ago, but brought with it illnesses such as diabetes and obesity.

Read article here.

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Legitness of the Week

Kristin 9:29 “Helen” Rx’d
Charlie 215×3 Back Squat (PR)
Joe 200×3 Back Squat (PR)
Jim D. 205×3 Back Squat (PR)
Jessica 140×3 Back Squat (PR)
Mike S. 185×3 Back Squat (PR)
Ellie 150×3 Back Squat (PR)
Katherine 95×3 Back Squat (PR)
Liz 185×2 Back Squat (PR)
Tammy 175×2 Back Squat (PR)
Alexa 110×3 Back Squat (PR)
Brandon MUSCLE UP!
Al shows up for Saturday morning’s workout with his own weight vest!

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Thursday’s WOD:

A.) For time: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Front Squat
Pullups

B.) 2 Rounds
2 minutes to complete:
403m Run
Burpees for REPS
REST 3 minutes between rounds

results:

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Friday’s WOD:

21 Deadlifts
800m Run

15 Deadlifts
800m Run

9 Deadlifts
800 Run

results:

Good luck to all of our friends from CrossFit Oakland who will be competing at the CrossFit Games this weekend, including Brandon (son of Mike & Lones) as well as Candace, picture above.

The 2010 CrossFit Games are going on this weekend down in LA.  Check the history of this exponentionally growing event.

See video here.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

5 Rounds

3 1/2 minutes to complete:
250m Row
12 Ring Dips
12 Box Jumps
Wall Balls for REPS

results:

Aside from health claims that are rarely, if ever, backed by scientific data, the idea of engineering “health” foods is a bit silly. This excerpt from a Forbes article sums it up nicely.

Added omega-3 fatty acids don’t make Sara Lee’s Soft & Smooth Plus white bread into a health food. Extra bacteria don’t cancel out the sugar in the yogurt. “People should be getting nutrition from real foods, not from foods that are artificially modified to give supposed health benefits,” says University of Wisconsin cardiologist James Stein.

Read full article here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

Max Rep Ring Pushups

B.) 500m Row
15 Toes to Bar
200m Run

results:

Initially posted last year, this is worth re-posting:

Here is an eye opening presentation on sugar from Robert Lustig MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics.  I first saw it about 2 weeks ago on the CrossFit Oakland comment section, and have since seen it on the Diablo CrossFit and CrossFit Oakland main page.  The reason I mention this is because it brings me great pride to be involved in a community that truly cares for the health and well-being of it’s members.  CrossFit clearly isn’t just a bunch of meatheads that just push barbells and do pullups.

The video is 90 minutes, so break it up in a couple of parts, or wait until you get to work next week and are having a case of the Mondays.  Seriously, this video is worth watching, the quality of information shared in this presentation is something you would have to pay big bucks for, and/or endure 4 years of school at UCSF.

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Monday’s WOD:

“Helen”

3 Rounds

403m Run
21 KB Swings
12 Pullups

results: