Cameron bowing down to the exercise gods.  Depressed?  Not a chance!

Even though the workouts are tough, most people can testify that they feel much better, both mentally and physically after a challenging workout.  A Chicago CrossFit was recently featured in an article about the effects of exercise on depression symptoms.

Kevin said he generally works out five days a week, alternating between aerobic activity and strength training. He stays dedicated, even exercising during vacation in order to avoid feeling “vulnerable to depression.”

Check out the article and video, here.

 **PLEASE NOTE** This Saturday, June 19th 9:00am class only

_______________________

Friday’ sWOD:

5 Rounds

4oom Row
403m Run

REST 4 minutes between rounds

results:

_______________________

Saturday’s  WOD:

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

results:

 CrossFit NorCal Sectionals - photo by Tom Campitelli

More and more college athletes are using CrossFit to not only stay in shape, but to break records!  Here’s an article about a track athlete named Hallie Kuhlman who is breaking records as a freshman at Sharon Springs in Kansas.

Kuhlman fought shin splints nearly all spring, but her work in the weight room kept her fit. Ayers, who has won three state football titles, latched onto the CrossFit program several years ago. The program features intense workouts with little rest periods. It starts with heavy Olympic lifts and then ends with what Ayers calls a “finisher,” about 10 minutes of dumbbell swings, pull-ups, squats, lunges, hops and other exercises done as quickly as possible.

Read full article here.

________________________

Thursday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 18 minutes:

7 Deadlifts
7 Box Jumps
7 Pullups
7 Burpees

results:

In less than one year CJ has made quite a transformation, and although the training has played a primary role in improving his strength and overall fitness, CJ’s drastic reduction in body fat is a result of his change in dietary habits.  Ask him about it the next time you see him in the gym.

Here is an excellent article published in the CrossFit Journal that explains how controlling hormone levels is the key to modifying and/or maintaining a healthy body composition.

Many researchers have promoted numerous health benefits for low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, despite a disturbing lack of evidence to support their view.  In 1960, the American Heart Association jumped on board and decided low-fat diets are a healthy option.  The result is that, four decades later, the majority of the North American public believe the purported benefits of this diet are absolute fact.

The fact is that the food we eat elicits hormonal responses that determine how energy is stored in the body (i.e., in the form of body fat).  Basically, energy intake is not independent of energy expenditure, and the type of calories you eat does affect your energy output.  Energy intake and energy expenditure are dependent variables.  Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and easily digestible carbohydrates drive an insulin response and insulin drives fat storage.  Dietary fat, or even calorie quantity, is not the main culprit at all.

Read full article here.

**REMINDER**  This Saturday, May 22nd there will ONLY be ONE CLASS held at 8:30am due to the Co-Ed Run Event.

_______________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

2 1/2 minutes to complete:

15 Overhead Squats, then one of the following exercises for REPS:
Burpees
Box Jumps
Double Unders
Row (calories x 3)
Toes to Bar

-15 Overhead Squats will be performed each round, however, the exercise that is being performed for reps will change each time until all 5 rounds are complete.

REST 2 1/2 minutes between rounds

results:

Emily, perfecting her art skills while her dad, Bill, trains at the Sweat Shop

It’s great that people like Rachael Ray are working to get school lunches healthier for kids, and I understand it has to start with something, but if a key point is switching to whole wheat pasta for the macaroni and cheese, perhaps it’s best that if you have children, have them take a lunch that you prepare for them.

Ms. Ray, 41, who grew up in Ms. Gillibrand’s former Congressional district in northeast New York State, has made school nutrition something of a personal crusade. She has helped the New York City school system develop a healthier menu, creating a chicken taco dish for cafeterias using a whole wheat flatbread, roasted chicken and a ratatouille-style stew. Her latest coup was persuading the city’s schools to use whole wheat pasta in macaroni and cheese.

Read full article here.

_____________________

Monday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes:

7 Pushups
9 Knees to Elbow
11 Squats

Immediately followed by 9 minutes to score your 3 heaviest sets of 5 rep Deadlift

Immediately followed by as many rounds as possible in 7 minutes of:

7 Pushups
9 Knees to Elbow
11 Squats

results:

John receives a Russian Shower after completing his final workout during the NorCal Sectionals 

Everyone has heard that recovery is just as important as the exercise itself.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t give it more than a passing thought.  Recovery encompasses much more than giving yourself at least one or two days off from working out during the week.  Proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and stress managment, are all critical parts of recovery.  Putting an emphasis on comprehensive recovery isn’t just for those guys and girls who train hard, five days a week.  It’s just as important to someone who is committed to reaching their goals, even if they are only able to train two times per week.  Below is an excerpt from an article written by Robb Wolf:

As a CrossFitter you have likely been fatigued, sore and generally beat up at one time or another, or perhaps continuously!  This is a result of training.  What will largely determine the results you obtain from training is a multifaceted concept, recovery.  Adequate recovery allows for more training and ultimately improved performance.  In some respects recovery is the Night to our exercise Day (this analogy will be more true than we can imagine).  In exercise we release hormones, mount immune responses, cause inflammation and use things like glycogen and lipids for fuel.  Recovery complements this process.  Accelerating the things we want and mitigating the less desirable processes will provide more return on our exercise investment.

Read full article here.

_______________________
Friday’s WOD:

Every 2 minutes complete:

70m Sprint
5 Pullups
7 Thrusters
3 Burpees

Repeat for 10 Rounds

results:

_____________________

Saturday’s WOD:

4 Rounds
3 1/2 minutes to complete:

403m Run
15 Box Jumps
As many PUSHUP and SQUAT reps as possible (alternate between the two however you choose)

REST 90 seconds between rounds

resluts:

 CrossFit NorCal Sectionals (2010) Tom Campitelli Photography

Yet another study that shows the benefits of exercise.

A clear trend emerged: the men engaging in highly active leisure pursuits were significantly less likely to die than the men whose activities were entirely sedentary. What’s more, the improvement in mortality seen among the exercisers was equivalent to the higher survival rates of men who quit smoking

Read full article here.  Thanks again to Chris G. for this one!

_______________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 15 Deadlifts
20 Box Jumps
20 Pushups
403m Run
7 Deadlifts

results:

 Ellie during a moment of “reflection”

For goodness sake, lose the 3lb. dumbbells!  You lift phone books, grocery bags, and kids that are heavier than that.  Light weights, high reps to tone, and heavy weight low reps to gain mass, is a myth.  Lots people get their fitness knowledge by talking to the guy in the gym that has the biggest muscles.  They figure, “he must know a lot about fitness”, …”I’ll get his advice on x, y, or z, even though I don’t want to get big like that”.  Unfortunately, that really big guy doesn’t know much about fitness, he only knows about bodybuilding, and even worse, he gets his knowledge from bodybuilding magazines.  Bodybuilder’s only goal is to increase the size of their muscles for aesthetic purposes.  Strength and overall fitness are of no concern to a bodybuilder.  How others view the way he, or she, looks, is their primary motivation.  Unfortunately, this line of thinking, coupled with years of unproven fitness claims being made by guys and girls who just like to workout a lot, has lead to myths like lifting heavy weights makes you bulky.  Lifting heavy weights with functional, compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts and presses, stimulates the neuromuscular system, the result being an increase in strength.  There is little correlation between muscle strength and muscle size.  Lifting heavier weights also elicits a greater neuroendocrine response, which has a positive influence on our hormones.

For people who lift weights to tone up and slim down, experts say, a regimen that includes a combination of challenging weights and fewer repetitions can help significantly. In a 2002 study, for example, scientists looked at what happened when women performed various resistance exercises at different weights and repetitions (85 percent of their maximum ability for 8 reps, versus 45 percent for 15). Subjects lifting more weight fewer times burned more energy and had a greater metabolic boost after exercise.

Read full article here.  Thanks to Chris G. for sending me this article!

_______________________

Monday’s WOD:

“I Love Tabata”

20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest.  Alternate between the first two exercises in this format until you complete 8 sets of each.  Then move to the second two exercises with the same format.  Score total reps.

Pullups
KB Swings

Pushups
Box Jumps

results:

Rob P., Lones, Mike B. - March 2009

Running on a treadmill isn’t the same as running outside.  The same goes for spin classes and indoor cycle trainers.  If we lived in a colder climate, where snow during the winter months was common, then perhaps you may have trouble getting out for a run or bike ride.  Fortunately, we live in one of the most desirable climates in the world, and this allows us to enjoy the outdoors for all that it’s worth, including exercise.  Check out this article that talks about the pros and cons of substituting indoor training for the real thing.  

**REMINDER**  Due to NorCal Sectionals, there will only be a 10am class this Saturday, March 27th

_______________________

Monday’s WOD:

A.) Push Jerk
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 4 Rounds
200m Run
5 Clean & Jerks
10 Toes to Bar

results:

Here’s an excerpt from an informative post on Mark’s Daily Apple addressing the effects of light on your sleep, in particular, blue light.

Still, blue light is the low-hanging fruit, and there are some simple steps you can take to mitigate its late-night effect on your sleep.

• Keep electronics usage to a minimum or completely eliminate blue light (alarms, TVs, laptops) after dark.
• Go to sleep earlier.
• Use candlelight (read how a fellow MDA reader gave this a try for 30-days).
• Keep your room as dark as possible and your sleeping quarters pitch black.d
• Install F.lux (totally free) on your computer to cut down on blue light emissions.
• If you want to try a somewhat extreme experiment you could even wear orange safety glasses at night.

Read full article here.

_______________________

Legitness of the Week

Lones 190×5 Back Squat (PR)
Vanessa 195×5 Back Squat (Sweat Shop Record)
Alex 435×5 (Sweat Shop Record)
Jim M. 150×5 Back Squat (PR)
Brenna 5 consecutive pullups (March Goal exceeded)
Mark 20 consecutive pullups

_______________________

Thursday’s WOD:

Perform 1 Deadlift and 1 Burpee the first minute… 2 Deadlifts and 2 Burpees the second minute …. 3 Deadlfits and 3 Burpees the third minute…. etc, etc. up to 21 minutes.  When you reach a set that you are not able to complete all the Deadlifts and Burpees within the minute, drop back down to 2 Deadlifts and 2 Burpees and begin working your way back up.

Score is total Deadlifts from COMPLETED rounds only.  Deadlift weight is 65-70% of 5RM.

results:

Mercola.com recently posted an excellent interview with Loren Cordain, PhD, author of The Paleo Diet.

Robert Crayhon: What happened to our health when we switched from a hunter-gatherer diet to a grain-based one?

Loren Cordain: The fossil record indicates that early farmers, compared to their hunter-gatherer predecessors had a characteristic reduction in stature, an increase in infant mortality, a reduction in life span, an increased incidence of infectious diseases, an increase in iron deficiency anemia, an increased incidence of osteomalacia, porotic hyperostosis and other bone mineral disorders and an increase in the number of dental caries and enamel defects.

Early agriculture did not bring about increases in health, but rather the opposite. It has only been in the past 100 years or so with the advent of high tech, mechanized farming and animal husbandry that the trend has changed.

Read full interview here.

________________________

Monday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squats
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 25 Pushups
20 Pullups
15 Burpees
403m Run

results:

Check out this article that examines the possible risks associated with sitting for extended periods of time.

“As an example, consider lipoprotein lipase. This is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats; it’s produced by many tissues, including muscles. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems, including heart disease. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being flexed (for example, when the animal is standing up and ambling about). The implication is that when you sit, a crucial part of your metabolism slows down.”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Friday’s WOD:

Every 2 minutes for 20 minutes perform:

70m Sprint
7 Power Cleans
7 Burpees

results:

_______________________

Saturday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

403m Run
15 Toes to Bar
15 Box Jumps
10 Ring Dips

results:

Photo by Bob Rosato

 CrossFit is not only reaching the mainstream general public, it is now infiltrating mainstream athletics.  Thanks to Nik B. for sending me this article about the Florida Marlins using CrossFit to train their athletes.

“A general physical preparedness type of program will equip the player for whatever he may in encounter on the field of play, and if a baseball player is adequate in all three of CrossFit’s fitness standards, he will have a better chance to be injury-free and perform to his best ability throughout the long 162-game regular season—plus playoffs, hopefully!”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Thursday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 18 minutes:

7 Summo Deadlift High Pull
7 Pushups
7 Box Jumps
*the workout begins with (1) 403m run, and ends with (1) 403m run before the 18 minutes expires

results:

John M. - interval training with deadlifts and burpees 

Published last week in the Contra Costa Times, this article briefly explains the benefits that high intensity, interval training, has over traditional, long duration, low intensity workouts.  Although the article airs on the conservative side in regards to who should do interval training, it’s clear with the publication of this and other similar articles, awareness of CrossFit style training is becoming very popular for it’s effectiveness and functionality.  Big thanks to Mike S. for bringing the article to my attention.

A lot of the (benefits) from exercise are due to a stress response,” said Stephen Bailey, a sports sciences expert at the University of Exeter. “If you disturb your muscles, there’s an imbalance created and your body will start signaling pathways that result in adjustments.”

Bailey said intense bursts of exercise help the body to convert one type of muscle fiber into another type that uses oxygen more efficiently and is capable of exercising a lot longer. Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.

“You’ve exercised at such a high intensity that you’re going to create a massive disturbance in your muscles,” Bailey said.

That creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.

“This is definitely the way forward to save time on your exercise,” Nicholls said. “The results are worth it.”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 18 minutes:

12 KB Swings
12 Box Jumps
4ea. Single Arm KB Thruster
8 Pullups

results:

Not only does strength training help women look great, but below are three studies that show:

Exercise: In Women, Training for a Sharper Mind

Exercising to the End of Pregancy is Healthy for Baby and Mother

Weight Lifting May Help to Avert Lymph Problem

_______________________

Friday’s WOD:

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

B.) 50 KB Swings
2 Rope Ascents or 15 Pullups
50 KB Swings

results:

_______________________

Saturday’s WOD:

5 Rounds
2 1/2 minutes per round

15 Thrusters
10 Pullups
Burpees for REPS

REST 1 minute between rounds

results:

 Jogging has become quite popular over the years.  Many people consider jogging to be the ideal exercise for losing weight, and/or to get fit.  This is primarily fueled by the easy to misinterpret information, that long duration, and low intensity exercise is necessary to burn fat.  However, exercise as it relates to fat loss, has far less to do with calories in vs. calories out, virtually nothing to do with “fat burning zones”, and more to do with what the overall effect of the workout has on the body.  This is because balancing our hormone levels (insulin in particular) is far more important than our caloric expenditure vs. caloric intake.   Higher intensity workouts have a positive hormonal response on the body, much greater to that of a long duration, low intensity workout.  So how do you ratchet up the intensity of your workouts?  Functional movements, performed with little or no rest, is one way.  This could be in the form of pushups, pullups, squats, jumps, deadlifts, or sprints, just to name a few.

High intensity work isn’t just good for changes in body composition.  For those of you that insist that only distance running will get you better at distance running, check this out. 

ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2009) — “In a recent scientific study just published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Bangsbo and co-workers demonstrate that by reducing the volume of training by 25% and introducing the so-called speed endurance training (6-12 30-s sprint runs 3-4 times a week), endurance trained runners can improve not only short-term but also long-term performance.”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Friday’s WOD:

Every 2 minutes, for 20 minutes, perform:

70m Sprint
11 Summo Deadlift High Pull
7 Burpees

results:

________________________

Saturday’s WOD:

Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5

Press
3-3-3-3-3

*after warming up both exercises, alternate between the two, resting as needed to achieve maximal load

results:

Lones, faithful 6am regular, looking strong, and reducing her risk of breast cancer as she goes through this morning’s workout on her 56th birthday.

“With an estimated 182,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2008, breast cancer is recognized as the most common cancer affecting U.S. women,” says Dr. Tricia M Peters from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, who headed up an international team of researchers. Vigorous exercise has been hypothesized to reduce cancer risk for some time.”

Read full article here.

In case you were wondering, walking on the treadmill does not constitute vigorous activity.

_______________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

20 Summo Deadlift High Pull
15 Wall Balls
15 Knees to Elbow
*perform (4) 250m rows throughout workout

results:

Yet another great article that goes into more detail about why running shoes are bad for us.  Big thanks to Chris G. for sending me this article.

“Scientists have found that those who run barefoot, or in minimal footwear, tend to avoid “heel-striking,” and instead land on the ball of the foot or the middle of the foot. In so doing, these runners use the architecture of the foot and leg and some clever Newtonian physics to avoid hurtful and potentially damaging impacts, equivalent to two to three times body weight, that shod heel-strikers repeatedly experience.”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Friday’s WOD:

“Cindy”
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

results:

_______________________

Saturday’s WOD:

5 Rounds

2 1/2  minutes to complete:

7 Power Cleans
21 Wall Balls
Burpees for REPS

REST 1 minutes between rounds

Allison Belger, who placed 1st in the CrossFit Sweat Shop Masters Event in October 2009, recently wrote an article that was published in the CrossFit Journal.  It’s a great article that talks about what CrossFit is like for the 40 and up crowd.  It also includes her account of the three events she competed in at the Sweat Shop Masters Event.

“But CrossFit changes everything. It taps into those parts

of our psyches that house competitive instincts and fuel

our physical pursuits. It calls upon dormant hormones

and startles to awareness the athlete in all of us. With

each WOD, we are forced to decide how hard we will

push, how fast we will go, how much we will lift, how well

we will move. Unlike our contemporaries gliding on the

elliptical machines with magazines in hand, we cannot

go through the motions of our exercises while thinking

about something entirely unrelated.”

Read full article here.

_______________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

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

B.) 3 Rounds
21 Box Jumps
15 Knees to Elbow
9 Handstand Pushups

results:

De La Salle Varsity Soccer getting in some core work

A cool article was recently posted in the Monterey County Weekly.  Not only does it give some history about CrossFit Monterey, it also gives an interesting history overview of CrossFit, how it started, how its grown, and a possible look to the future.

excerpt from article:

“A website launch in 2001 allowed individuals to share CrossFit WODs and compare results, and helped colonize affiliates who were free to deploy whatever training translated to top performance. But only in the last few years has the expansion gotten explosive. In 2007, there were around 100 affiliates. Today, despite a less-than-ideal atmosphere for starting small businesses, there are more than 1,500.”

The article also quoted one CrossFit Monterey diehard as saying, “the only time I don’t love CrossFit, is the 20 minutes I’m doing.”

Read full article here.

______________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

“Fran”
21-15-9
Thrusters
Pullups

results:

Recently the New York Times featured an article on Paleo nutrition, and CrossFit even gets a mention.  Thanks to Connie from CrossFit Oakland for tipping me off to this article.  In true New York city fashion, it almost seems like the subjects of this article are to some degree drawn to the Paleo “lifestyle” to be part of a sub-culture.  But I suppose it’s not a terrible thing, if it’s healthy habits they are pursuing.  Whether we live on a farm or in a big city, we will never truly experience paleolithic life, but towards the end of the article, it does a good job of putting things in perspective.

Read full article here.

_______________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

5 Hang Cleans
7 Thrusters
9 Summo Deadlift High Pulls

results:

I’m going keep this one short and sweet.  Running shoes are less than ideal shoes for doing things like squats (front, back, overhead, body weight), deadlifts, cleans, jumps, walking, and running.  They have an elevated heel which changes the way your foot strikes the ground and it automatically puts you in a forward lean.  Most are also squishy which makes for a pretty unstable platform for your feet.  Less is more.  Get some shoes that are flat and have minimal cushioning.  If you are still convinced you need running shoes for running, so be it; at the very least keep a pair of flat bottom shoes in your car for strength workouts, or those that don’t involve running. 

From the article What Ruins Running:

It wasn’t a miracle, as Lieberman would explain; it was simple mechanics. He’s convinced our problems began the day we tried to out think nature and encased our feet in motion-controlling sneakers. Others agree. Gerard Hartmann, a physical therapist in Ireland who works with world record holder Paula Radcliffe and who is himself a Nike consultant, conceded years ago that deconditioned foot muscles were the biggest factor in injuries. He likened running shoes to a plaster cast that causes our feet to atrophy.

Read full article here.

371 people who just read this post are currently digging through their closet in search of NBA Jam for Sega Genesis.

______________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

“Fight Gone Bad”

3 Rounds
As many total reps as possible
1 minute at each station, with 1 minute rest between rounds

Wall Balls
Summo Deadlift High Pull
Box Jumps
Push Press
Row (calories)

results: