Andrew, Ryan, Jake, and Nick reviewing the basics of the back squat with dowels.

Despite previous concerns that children would not benefit from strength training or that the risk of injury was too great, more doctors, coaches, and exercise scientists agree that strength training can be a safe and effective method of conditioning for children. One of the primary “scares” of youth strength training is that it is dangerous and will stunt a child’s growth. In the several years I have studied Kinesiology, I have yet to come across any legitimate evidence that supports the claims that youth strength training is dangerous and detrimental. Conversely, when instructed correctly, strength training programs for youth may be very beneficial. Early exposure to strength training allows young athletes to perform strength exercises correctly and safely. This will only benefit them as they grow older and enter intensified strength and conditioning programs in high school and college down the road. Check out this article by Bill Star, who debunks some youth strength training myths and highlights the real hidden benefits from a properly instructed youth strength program.

From the article:

The concept of sparing a child from doing anything strenuous is now very prevalent in this country. Just walking a few blocks to catch the school bus is out of the question. There’s no mystery to me why the country is facing an epidemic in the form of obese young people: we have encouraged them to be lazy.

What parents need to understand is that by helping their children get started on some sort of strength-training program, they greatly reduce the odds of them getting seriously hurt when playing any sport. Stronger legs help stabilize the ankles and knees. Stronger shoulders keep the shoulders, arms and elbows from harm, and a stronger back can mean the difference between getting up after a violent impact and being carried off the field on a stretcher.

Strength is a valuable asset at any age. Consider the infant before he becomes a toddler. What does he do a lot before he actually toddles? He squats—and perfectly, I might add. The squatting eventually makes his legs strong enough to support him, and he takes his first steps. This is the beginning of the bell curve, and strength is the most important factor in movement throughout life. At the far end of the curve, the octogenarian, after hip-replacement surgery, has to gain enough strength in her legs before she can walk again.

Read full post here.

___________

Wednesday’s WOD:

500m Row

4 Rounds of:
10 Front Squats
12 Pullups
200m Run

Finish: 50 Double Unders

results:

___________

***Reminder: Nathan’s gym CrossFit Adventure will be showing Food, Inc. at 7pm tomorrow Friday, Oct. 1 as part of their soft grand opening. Free healthy snacks and healthy information will be provided. Check CrossFitAdventure.com for details and directions.***

Get your popcorn ready! Nathan’s new gym, CrossFit Adventure, is hosting a free movie night as part of their soft opening this weekend. They will be showing Food, Inc. at 7pm this Friday, Oct. 1. They will be providing a variety of healthy snacks. For more information and location, check out their website at www.crossfitadventure.com.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

_____________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

A) Deadlift
1-1-1-1-1-1

B) 403m Run
15 Pushups (release at bottom)
50 KB Swings
403m Run
* 3 Burpees for every break on KB Swing

results:

As you all may know, Diabetes is a serious, costly disease that is growing rapidly in adults throughout the United States. Unfortunately, our society has clung to drug treatments rather than lifestyle modifications to combat this deadly disease. Although some drugs do indeed “treat” some of the major complications of diabetes, many people still succumb to diabetes over time because they fail to make healthy lifestyle changes.   Newer research suggests that since current drug treatments for diabetes remain inadequate, prevention through lifestyle modification (DIET AND EXERCISE) has shown to be more effective. Check out this article that compared the health and quality of life benefits of lifestyle modification versus a popular diabetes drug.

From the article:

The incidence of diabetes was reduced by 58 percent with the lifestyle diet and exercise intervention and by 31 percent with metformin, as compared with placebo. The lifestyle intervention was particularly effective, with one case of diabetes prevented per seven persons treated for three years. Thus, it should also be possible to delay or prevent the development of complications, substantially reducing the individual and public health burden of diabetes.

Read full article here.

Here is more evidence that having a healthy diet and getting off the couch and exercising can be more beneficial in not only the prevention of diabetes but improving overall quality of life.

_____________________

Monday’s WOD:

4 Rounds
10 Thrusters
15 Knees to Elbow
20 Box jumps
200m Run

results:

Plyometric Pushups – Justin has a good balance of competitiveness and sensibility

Many of you may have noticed, James and I rarely write or announce what a prescribed (Rx’d) weight for any particular workout is.  This is because we feel that often times people will try to perform a workout with weight that is much too heavy for them.  Instead, when we design workouts, we have an idea of approximately how long the workout should take.  Then, bearing this in mind, along with the demonstrated strength level of any particular member, we take time during the warm up to help members select a weight that will elicit the desired effect from the workout.  Selecting a weight that is too heavy, and thus dramatically extending the length of a workout, will often times change the workout entirely.  The inverse of this also holds true.

Equally important, regardless of weight, is proper form and full range of motion.  There is no better way to reduce the efficiency of a workout, impede your overall progress, and increase your risk of injury, than by sacrificing form or range of motion, in the interest of time or weight.  Hundreds of pullups can be performed, but if the chin is not FULLY clearing the bar, very little progress will be made.  Squats are the same, lots of strength can be developed above parallel, however, this will do nothing when the athlete is required to drop below parallel during a heavy clean, snatch, or even thruster.

When learning a new movement, especially one that requires skill, proper weight selection becomes even more important.  Poorly executed cleans, snatches, and overhead squats, regardless of how much weight is lifted, will do very little for overall progress.  James and I are extremely passionate about teaching, and we want, more than anything, to see progress from our members.  Sometimes that means we may recommend, urge, insist, demand, you use a lighter weight… don’t take offense to it, our goal is your long-term improvement.  There are times when we may recommend you use a heavier weight, this is the case when we see that you are demonstrating excellent form with the warm up weight, as well as, we as trainers, have a good understanding of what the demands are for that particular workout.  Lastly, I hope everyone realizes what a great asset it is to be a members at a CrossFit gym that has just two trainers, that know you well, and are able to help determine what will yield the best workout for you.

_____________________

Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am

A.) 21-15-9
KB Swings
Burpees
Pullups

B.) 403m Run
REST 2 minutes
403m Run

_______

10:00am

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

B.) 3 Sets Max Reps Ring Dips

C.) 403m Run
REST 2 minutes
403m Run

results:

We talk over and over about the physical and psychological benefits that come from CrossFit, but sometimes we overlook the positive effects a program like CrossFit can have on the community. Just like many after school programs and sports, CrossFit can be a great “getaway” for individuals who live in unfavorable household or neighborhood environments. Check out this video of Steve’s Club, a CrossFit affiliate in one of the USA’s most dangerous cities (Camden, NJ). The founder, Steve, initially started his CrossFit to help keep at risk kids off the streets.

The benefits from CrossFit push far beyond physical adaptations. At the Sweat Shop, regardless of the pain from the WOD, there lies some comfort in that you are working out together. This sense of community is the recipe for success when striving to make a true healthy lifestyle change in whatever situation you may be in.  Whether it’s getting 1 hour to blow off steam, getting away from the daily struggles of life, or simply just hanging out with buddies at the shop, I’m happy to know that I have the Sweat Shop to turn to.

_______________

Legitness of the Week

Jessica Overhead Squat PR 110×3
Lones Overhead Squat PR 105×3
Mike B. Overhead Squat PR 115×3
Tina Overhead Squat PR 70×3
Rob P. Overhead Squat PR 85×3
Michelle Overhead Squat PR 70×3
Donna Overhead Squat PR 73×3
Matt Overhead Squat PR 145×3
Valerie Overhead Squat PR 40×3
Eric Overhead Squat PR 130×3
Dave Overhead Squat PR 105×3
Brian O. Overhead Squat PR 135×3
Nik Overhead Squat PR 205×3
James G. Overhead Squat PR 60×3
Justin gets first muscle up, then gets 26 muscle ups in Tuesday’s WOD
Vanessa 69 consecuetive double unders (Sweat Shop Record)

_____________

A) Plyometric Pushup (Max Height)

B) Bench Press
3-3-3-3

C) “6 Minute Cindy”
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

results:

_____________________

Thursday’s WOD:

800m Run
18 DB Squat Clean and Press Overhead
50 Double Unders
50 Situps
800m Run
18 DB Squat Clean and Press Overhead

results:

Aaron swings a kettlebell at the Lyon St. stairs last fall

Great health is about more than just exercise and eating right.  A recent post from Mark’s Daily Apple address this to some detail.

Excerpt:

But my journey didn’t stop at diet. It wasn’t enough. My physical activity had to change, too: resistance training; sprints; hikes, walks, and other long, easy movements; and a marked de-emphasis on Chronic Cardio.

Then I started thinking about sunlight. I’d always felt better when I had a bit of a tan going, and sunny days are invariably happy days, so maybe there was something happening to our physiology. Maybe it wasn’t just “psychological.” This suspicion was confirmed by the production of vitamin D in our skin in response to sunlight. Hmm.

This really got me thinking. Sunlight, nutrition, exercise – what do they have in common? They’re all environmental factors. Bear with me. You’ve got to think about these things a little differently that usual; the classic connotation of “environment” refers to one’s physical surroundings; stuff like trees, buildings, forests, the composition of the atmosphere, or climate. But really, if you’re going to be technical about it, environment refers to an organism’s temporal, physical, spatial, cultural, nutritive, hormonal, and psychological surroundings. Anything that affects or impacts an organism’s physiological or emotional development can be said to be an environmental factor.

Check out the full post here.

_____________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

3 Rounds

constantly running clock
1 minute at each station

5 Burpees
Power Cleans for REPS

5 Burpees
Wall Balls for REPS

5 Burpees
Pullups for REPS

5 Burpees
Box Jumps for REPS

REST 2 minutes after completing entire round

results:

photo courtesy TomC

CrossFit is both a training modality and a sport. As a training modality, we can improve the real-world physical capacity of folks from any walk of life. As a sport, we can compete for fun, or we can compete for the title of “fittest.” The CrossFit Games are the world championships of our sport, so we title the winners the Fittest on Earth.

Using a single CrossFit workout as a sport is pretty simple. Put the names up on the whiteboard. Allow scaling, which is a form of handicapping, or not. Pre-register any excuses, or not. Set the terms of the workout and go. The winner is he or she who finishes first, with the most rounds and reps, or who lifts the most weight.

Combining multiple workouts into an integrated CrossFit competition is more complicated. Because every workout is different, combining them in a fair way is rarely a simple, straightforward process. We’ve been experimenting with this in the Games for four years now. This article is a philosophical look into what it means to test fitness as a sport.

Read full article here.

_____________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

“Nate”

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
2 Muscle Ups
4 Handstand Pushups
8 KB Swings

results:

As everyone probably knows, the fall season in San Francisco is quite nice, and since we got cheated out of a summer here in the East Bay, let us look forward to fall by taking a field trip to the city for a session on the Lion St. stairs.  We’ll be leaving from the Sweat Shop at 9am sharp this Sunday morning.  Feel free to meet us at the gym to carpool or follow, or you can meet us at the stairs in SF (click here for directions).  For additional “fun”, the kettlebells will be making an appearance at the stairs, and perhaps some other items!

______________________

Monday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squats
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 7 minutes to complete:
400m run (flat course)
As many Overhead Squats as possible (60-70% of Max from workout A.)
400m run (flat course)

*1 burpee penalty for every second over 7 minutes*

results:

Foam Party Coming Soon to the Sweat Shop!  No, not that type of foam party, we’re talking about a foam rolling session.  Self myofascial release is a great way to improve range of motion.  Although pre-workout foam rolling is ideal, we are going to start by dedicating some time at the end of certain workouts specifically for foam rolling.  This will give James and I an opportunity to show everyone how to foam roll different parts of the body, as well as how and where to use the different implements we have at the Sweat Shop (smooth foam rollers, ridged foam roller, foam ball, and lacrosse balls).

_____________________

Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am

“Helen”
3 Rounds
403m Run
21 KB Swings
12 Pullups

_____________

10:00am

A.) Thruster
1-1-1-1-1

B.) 3 Rounds
300m Row
5 Tire Flips
2 Rope Climbs

*finish with (1) set of 15 Burpees

results:

3 1/2 years old.  Perfectly executed box jump.  Get some.

You all may know that prevalence of overweight and obese kids and teens has more than doubled over the past 30 years. Although diet is the primary contributer to this epidemic, another important reason for this is that children are becoming less active. Besides enjoying the regular health benefits of exercise such as stronger muscles and bones, lower blood pressure, and lowering the risk for diabetes, kids who are physically fit have shown to be smarter than those who are not active. Here is an article by Gretchen Reynolds from the New York Times, that highlights several published studies on children that show that exercise may lead to physiological changes in the brain which may translate to better performance in the classroom.

From the article:
“Fit children have shown to have a significantly larger basal ganglia, a key part of the brain that aids in maintaining attention and “executive control,” or the ability to coordinate actions and thoughts crisply”.

Read the full post here.

____________________
Legitness of the Week

Donna Squat Clean PR 72×2/Deadlift PR 150×3
Katherine Squat Clean PR 70×3/Deadlift PR 125×4
Jessica Squat Clean PR 95×3/Deadlift PR 205×3
Ellie Squat Clean PR 105×3/Deadlift PR 190×3
Justin Squat Clean PR 175×3
Kasi Squat Clean PR 75×2
Dave Squat Clean PR 125×3
Heejin Squat Clean PR 45×3
Josh Squat Clean PR 215×3
Christin Squat Clean PR 85×3
Nik Squat Clean PR 205×3
Tina Deadlift PR 135×3
Michelle Deadlift PR 140×3
Rob P. Deadlift PR 330×3
Mike B. Deadlift PR 285×3
Lucinda Deadlift PR 130×3
Jin Deadlift PR 300×3
Lones Deadlift 235×3 (Sweat Shop Record)
Jin beer + 2 WOD’s = Front Squat PR
Aaron coming back from 1 month off and smoking Nasty Girls WOD
With only 1 previous muscle up, Charlie does all muscle ups Rx’d on Nasty Girls
Kristin gets her first muscle up, only second female at the Sweat Shop to get it.
Josh redeeming his ZOOKED performance on Thursday with beastly squat clean and jerk performance on friday.

_____________________

Friday’s WOD:

4 Rounds for time

7 Squat Clean & Jerk
18 KB Swings
200m Run

results:

_____________________

Thursday’s WOD:

4 Rounds for time

10 Hang Squat Cleans
2 Rope Climbs
20 Box Jumps

results:

Kelly Starrett, owner of San Francisco CrossFit, has been hard at work on his latest project, Mobility WOD.  Each day he posts a “workout” intended to increase mobility and range of motion, each workout even has a corresponding video.  The exercises are meant to be done in conjunction with your normal CrossFit workouts.  Check out the video above on maintaining properly functioning Achilles tendons.

_____________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

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

B.) Double Unders / Knees to Elbow
40 / 20
30 / 15
20 / 10
10 / 5

results:

This week will being doing several workouts that have cleans in them.  Cleans and snatches are highly technical movements that not only require a lot of practice (think years), but they should also be practiced frequently in order to become proficient.  Although CrossFit is great because the exercises and workouts vary each day, this approach is not ideal when trying to learn and gain competency in a new movement, especially when that movement is as technical as the clean.

I first saw the above video about 4 years ago.  Anyone who attempted Tuesday’s workout can understand how challenging this workout really is.  Craziest of all is that the girls in the video are doing strict muscle ups!  (Please note the soundtrack for the video contains profanity)

_______________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Skill Development
Hang Power Clean

B.) “Nasty Girls”

3 Rounds
50 Squats
7 Muscle Ups
10 Hang Clean

C.) 500m Row

results:

The term “Active Shoulder” (CrossFit Journal Sept. 2005 (37):13). has been used to quite effectively describe the proper motion of an overhead press—in short, when the shoulder girdle muscles, starting with a concen- tric contraction of the traps, end up supporting the weight in a way that places a balanced load over the scapulae, thereby protecting the soft tissue of the joint from impingement. Since I find that concept of the active shoulder very useful in teaching the press and its variations, as well as the snatch and the overhead squat, it always made me wonder: Is there was an equivalent concept available for cleaning up the problems associated with the squat?  Well, it turns out that there is. And just for the sake of making a nice little pattern, I call it the “Active Hip.”

Read full article here.

______________________

Monday’s WOD:

A.) Squat Clean
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 2 minutes:
70m Sprint
Pullups for REPS

2 minutes:
70m Sprint Box Jumps for REPS

2 minutes:
70m Sprint
Wall Balls for REPS

1 minute:
70m Sprint
Burpees for REPS

results:

Despite the obvious humor, this video is actually pretty legit.  Unfortunately, there are personal training certifying organizations that stress the importance of the feet being pointed exactly straight forward.  Click here and check out the NASM’s Overhead Squat assessment.  It’s interesting to note that although toes out is the first thing to look for during the assessment, they also state that toes out does not correlate to faulty movement patterns.  Anyone who has done a squat, especially a weighted overhead squat will feel the inefficiency and limitations associated with keeping the feet pointed straight ahead.  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on what is actually going on with the femur and hip relationship when the feet are pointed straight ahead.

Thanks to CJ for sending me the video.  One should also note that CJ has a great squat, and he is asian.

_____________________

Saturday’s WOD:

9:00am

800m Run

22 Push Press
22 Burpees
10 Strict Pullups

16 Push Press
16 Burpees
10 Strict Pullups

10 Push Press
10 Burpees
10 Strict Pullups

403m Run

__________

10:00am

A.) Front Squat
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 400m Row
20 Double Squat Wall Balls
200m Run
80 Double Unders
10 Burpees

results: