Photo courtesy TomC

The Ultimate Painkiller

Often times, during daily struggles and strife, we are so tempted to quit.  How strong is your tolerance for problems in life’s many struggles?  With so many things weighing heavy on our shoulders these days, our tolerance is tested. The Sweat Shop WODs test us daily.  It builds the mental fortitude to conquer struggles and push through pain.  We want to see every struggle, suffering and the workout of the day as an opportunity to breakthrough and not bail out.

More importantly, we go through this TOGETHER. This is another great reason why a Crossfit gym is better than the lonely, self-motivating Globo Gyms.

Dr. Steven M. Platek, believes that the camaraderie in CrossFit can get you through the nastiest WOD. In this article, He draws some science and social history that shows us why pushing through pain “together” in a workout is easier to alleviate than doing so alone.

In the article,

“ We embrace the feeling of team support, and when our support system is threatened, our brains respond using the same exact systems as those used when we are physically injured. This occurs in order to motivate us to get back into the group.”

In my 2 weeks at the Sweat Shop, I’ve noticed this camaraderie. How do you not get pumped up when you are dog tired, sweaty, wanting to quit, and hearing Tammy yell, “Come on push it!! Let’s Go!” at the top of her lungs. KEEP IT UP!!

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Tuesday’s WOD:

21 Wall Balls
21 Pullups
21 Box Jumps
403m Run

15 Wall Balls
15 Pullups
15 Box Jumps
200m Run

9 Wall Balls
9 Pullups
9 Box Jumps
50 Double Unders

results:

If anyone is interested in ordering equipment for their personal use at home let me know by this Friday.  I’ll be placing an order for rubber bumper plates, kettlebells, dumbbells, and iron plates, if you are interested in any of those items let me know, as I can likely get them at a discounted price.  For any other items you may like, I can direct you to a website where you can order them, as I don’t receive a discount on other items.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Deadlift
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 500m Row
25 Pushups (with release)
403m Run

results:

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Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am
“Fight Gone Bad”

1 minute at each station
Wall Balls
Summo Deadlift High Pull
Box Jumps
Push Press
Row (Calories)

REST for 1 minute
REPEAT for 3 Rounds

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10:00am
A.) Snatch
1-1-1-1-1

B.) 8 minutes to complete:
400m Run
Overhead Squats for REPS
400m Run

results:

Affiliate Throwdown – San Francisco – Summer 2009 – Photo by TomC

Courtesy of CrossFit Fort Vancouver:

12 Ways CrossFit Has Changed My Life

by Peggy Rollens

During the Academy, Adam told me that I was the “Anti-CrossFit” because my idea of a good workout was to go long and steady, and my diet consisted mainly of carbohydrates with little protein.  I was so uncoordinated that I couldn’t even do an air squat right!  Well, since the Academy, I can honestly say that CrossFit has changed my life.  Here’s how…

1. My husband’s new nickname for me is “Pineknot.”
2. I no longer tell myself that I can eat whatever I want as long as I’m working out and not gaining weight.  I now carry around a package of beef jerky in my purse and occasionally eat my spaghetti sauce over cauliflower instead of pasta.  (I’m still trying to learn to eat vegetables for breakfast!)
3. When I’m doing work around the house, I now try to use my left arm as much as possible because I know it’s weaker than my right.
4. I still don’t have any tattoos, but I am kinda proud of the calluses on my hands and the scars on my shins from missed box jumps.
5. I’m vain now about my arm muscles.  People often stop me in public and ask where I work out.  One woman pointed to my arms and asked, “Are you a runner?”  I think I must have looked at her like she was crazy.
6. I never knew how much more difficult it is to do a sit-up with your legs butterflied.  After decades of trying different styles of sit-ups, finally, one that’s actually effective!
7. In high school, one of my track teammates told me that I had “sausage” legs because my quads were relatively big for a distance runner.  Now I’m not as self-conscious about my “sausage” legs–if I had “bird” legs, I wouldn’t be able to squat as much weight!
8. I can do stuff now I was never able to do as a kid:  climb a rope, hang from a bar, and jump rope.  The saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is wrong!
9. I never knew that giving a challenge a name like “Fran” or “Annie” can turn exercise into a motivating personal vendetta.
   
10. I’ve remembered that it’s important to keep heroes in mind and to help the less fortunate, and how exhilarating it is to be part of a team.
    
11. I can’t believe what I’ve achieved in a year at CrossFit Fort Vancouver.  I may not be Navy Seal material, but sometimes I sure feel like a Navy Seal.
12. I’m actually kind of excited now to turn 50.  Four and a half years and counting!  Just enough time to dial in my double-unders!

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Legitness of the Week

Brandon 18lb. weighted strict muscle up!
Josh rides the ‘short bus’ all the way to PR’ville – 210×1 Overhead Squat!

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Thursday’s WOD:

“Barbara”
5 Rounds

20 Pullups
30 Pushups
40 Situps
50 Squats

results:

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Friday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

4 Minutes to complete:

403m Run
Max Reps Bench Press (1 Set)
Max Reps Front Squats (before time expires)

REST 3 minutes between rounds

results:

Eggs have been one of the most popular and prized foods for most of our history. They are incorporated in thousands of recipes and can be cooked in several ways. Unfortunately, for years, there has been a consensus that eggs are bad for your health because they contain high levels of cholesterol. This has led many health organizations to recommend restricting dietary cholesterol, which includes limiting or eliminating eggs. However, newer research indicates that eggs may not raise blood cholesterol, and that they contain many heart-healthy vitamins and nutrients. This article, provided by our bay area’s own Berkeley Wellness Letter, points out what exactly is in an egg and how they may be beneficial to your health such as increasing satiety improving eye health. It also points out several professionally conducted studies that show no link between egg consumption and heart disease.

From the article:

A pivotal study from Harvard in 1999, of nearly 120,000 men and women, found no association between eggs—up to one a day—and heart disease, except in people with diabetes. Nor did it find a link between eggs and strokes. Studies since then have similarly vindicated eggs, including a Japanese study of more than 90,000 middle-aged people in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006, and a study in 2007 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which both found no link between frequent egg consumption and heart disease. In light of these findings, recommendations about eggs have changed over the years, and cholesterol guidelines, in general, are also being rethought.

Read full article here:

Look, eggs are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, which make them a great post-Crossfit snack (You may see Nabil cracking an egg on the Sweatshop door while you are warming up your deadlifts). Boil them and avoid the salt, butter, and extra side-dishes that accompany eggs. It’s best to buy them at local farmers markets. The best eggs are usually free-range or certified organic, which means they’re from hens that get daily exercise and get fed antibiotic-free foods.

Enjoy your egg hunting!

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) 3 Rounds Max Pullups
REST 3 minutes between rounds

B.) As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes:
10 KB Swings
10 Pushups

C.) Tabata Squats
score is the lowest of 8 sets

results:

After one and a half years of being a one-man-show, CrossFit Sweat Shop is ready to welcome a second coach.  James Barber, aka JB, will be coaching classes at the Shop very soon.  Members who have been training with me since my days at Velocity Sports Performance are very familiar with JB, as he was one of the Performance coaches while he was a completing his undergraduate in Kinesiology at Saint Mary’s College.  He then went on to receive his Masters in Kinesiology from Cal Poly.  While at Cal Poly, James also taught, and was a teacher assistant for several classes including biomechanics.  He has become an expert on the body, how it moves, how it functions, as well as the effects of dietary supplementation.  JB’s Master’s thesis was on the effects of creatine supplementation; the results he found are interesting, if you are curious, just ask him about it.  As a person, James is mature and driven, far beyond his age, as an athlete he is one of the most diverse and athletic individuals I’ve met.  Starting tomorrow, James will begin his regular contribution to the blog, touching on all sorts of topics.  Lastly, if you enjoyed the deadlift workout on Tuesday (Joel), you can thank JB, as it was an original that he put together.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

400m Row
10 Deadlifts

403m Run
10 Deadlifts

400m Row
10 Deadlifts

403m Run
10 Deadlifts

results:

Barefoot running is gaining in popularity.  Both Cameron and Alex have a pair of Vibram running “shoes” and seem to enjoy them.  Check out the posts on barefoot running from CrossFit London, or ask Alex and Cameron what they think next time you see them in the gym.

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Monday’s WOD:

15 Burpees
then 4 Rounds of:
15 Push Press
15 Box Jumps
15 Pullups

finish with (1) 403m run

results:

The 20 for $20 in 20 double under challenge came to an end on Monday with only two people stepping up and taking $20 from me.  Josh and Nik both improved their double under skills and each made the quickest $20 ever.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am

800m Run
21 Pullups
21 Wall Balls
21 Knees to Elbow
35m Overhead Walking Lunge (45#/25#)
15 Pullups
15 Wall Balls
15 Knees to Elbow
200m Run

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10:00am Class

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

Weighted Pullup
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 3 Rounds
2 1/2 minutes to complete:

200m Run
15 Wall Balls
Row for CALORIES

REST 2 minutes between rounds

results: