Recently, I cut out yogurt from my diet and replaced it by eating eggs, and since yogurt was what I ate for breakfast every morning, I’m now eating a lot of eggs.  For quite a while now I’ve been purchasing free range, organic eggs, but this post, along with recommendations from Nathan, has convinced me to seek out pastured eggs.  Pastured eggs may be difficult to find in most stores, but Whole Foods in Walnut Creek does carry pastured eggs from Shelly’s Farm, a local Brentwood farm.  Thanks to the guys at Diablo CrossFit for the heads up on this post.

Excerpt:

I knew supermarket eggs were bad. The chickens are crowded in cages. They don’t even have room to move or turn around. They’re pumped with antibiotics and fed genetically modified feed. They’re sick and very unhealthy — which is why it’s so common to find salmonella with factory farm chickens and eggs.

So I always bought “organic” “free range” eggs. It was about a year and a half ago that I discovered truly pastured eggs. The definition of “free range” or “cage free” is that they give the chickens “access to the outdoors”. What does that mean? Uh, nothing. Do they really go outside? No, usually not. They’re crowded into large, windowless sheds and they rarely ever go outside.

They may be “organic” and “cage free” but these are not truly healthy birds. Since they’re not given antibiotics, they are very susceptible to disease. The people who work at these “big organic” chicken farms have to wear cleanroom suits when they go in to visit the birds.

Read full post here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

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

B.) As many rounds as possible in 9 minutes:
3 Muscle Ups
6 Burpees
12 Single Arm KB Squats

results:

Mufasa Mike has come a long way in terms of his strength, flexibility and overall fitness.  However, he has only scratched the surface of what he is truly capable of.

“If you’ve been doing CrossFit for any significant amount of time and you are stuck on something like not being able to do a pullup, always complaining about being sore, not “leaning out” or feel like you’re getting weaker…it most likely is a problem with your nutrition, alcohol intake, & sleep.”

Read full post here.

**I’ll be filling in at CrossFit Adventure on Wednesday for their 12:30pm class.  Any Sweat Shoppers who’d like to get a midday workout in come on by!  Also, we’ll be doing CrossFit Open Workout #6 at CrossFit Adventure at 1:30pm, immediately after the 12:30pm class.

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Monday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

15 Ring Dips
15 Deadlifts (225/155)
403m Run

results:

Many people who eat Paleo, find themselves consuming a lot of nuts for their fat source.  Consuming too many nuts however is not advised, not because of the total amount of fat, rather, the ratio of Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats.

Check out this informative post from a local nutrition educator, Diane Sanfilippo, which can be found on her great website, Balanced Bites.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Deadlift
2-2-2-2-2
*pause at the bottom of each rep

B.) 8 minute clock:
403m Run
12 Burpees
Max Reps Ground to Overhead (95/65)
403m Run

*burpee penalty for every second over 8 minutes

results:

One time Sweat Shop member, and long-time friend, Nathan “Natrone” Brammeier will be presenting a free seminar at CrossFit Adventure in Concord on Thursday April 14th from 6:30-8:00pm.  I strongly urge everyone to attend, as Nathan is a valuable resource of knowledge in regards to health and nutrition.

Mounting evidence shows that our unrelenting desire to lower cholesterol levels has only served to line the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies. It’s possible, in fact, that this campaign has been detrimental to our health by actually increasing the risks of coronary heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. This is the story of cholesterol and saturated fat that they don’t want you to hear. Nathan will follow this information with a natural, cost-effective approach to reach your optimum health.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squat
7-7-7-7-7

B.) 35m Overhead Walking Lunge w/ plate (45/25)
403m Run
35m Overhead Walking Lunge w/ plate
15 Burpees

results:

Anyone that has kids should definitely check out this post.  However, how the body reacts to certain foods doesn’t just pertain to kids, and it certainly doesn’t just pertain to conditions such as ADHD.  Even if you wouldn’t be classified as having ADHD, foods can most certainly affect our energy levels, mental clarity, sleep, etc.

Excerpt:

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. “In fact, they were flabbergasted,” Pelsser says.

“After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior,” she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. “It was so strange,” she says, “that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said.”

Read full article here.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

“Jen”

500m Row
30 Deadlifts (135/95)
60 Double Unders
25 Power Cleans (135/95)
40 Pushups
15 Thrusters (135/95)
20 Pullups
15 Burpees

results:

“Colombian Gold” or Enriched White Flour?

From the article:

Why are the grab-and-go packs of cookies and brownies next to the register? What need is fulfilled by serving soup bowls made of bread, with a mound of bread for dipping, and then offering more bread on the side? How come it’s noon and the couple behind me are eating bagels while the guy to my right is sawing into a cinnamon roll with a fork and a knife like it’s a steak?

The answer is that fast-burning carbohydrates—just like cocaine—give you a rush. As with blow, this rush can lead to cravings in your brain and intrusive thoughts when you go too long without a fix. But unlike cocaine, this stuff does more than rewire your neurological system. It will short-circuit your body. Your metabolism normally stockpiles energy so you can use it as fuel later. A diet flush with carbohydrates will reprogram your metabolism, locking your food away as unburnable fat. When you get hungry again you won’t crave anything but more of the same food that started you down the path to dependency.

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Weighted Pullup
5-5-5

B.) Power Elizabeth
21-15-9
Power Cleans (135/95)
Ring Dips

C.) Bottom to Bottom Tabata Air Squats
*8 sets
*20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
*REST AT BOTTOM OF SQUAT
*Score is lowest set completed

results:

Paleo diet, Art De Vany, Robb Wolf, and CrossFit, on ABC News.

Art De Vany, 73, is often called the “grandfather” of the Paleo movement. For De Vany, a workout includes pulling his Range Rover in his driveway.

He compared it to “hauling heavy bison out of a pit.”

Check out the video here.
Thanks to Eric for the heads up on the post.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

90 seconds MAX Row Calories
90 seconds MAX Reps Bench Press (155/95)
90 seconds MAX Reps Double Unders

*constantly running clock
REST 2 minutes after completing entire round
*Calories count is worth double

results:

Most of you are aware now that excessive carbohydrates, or any carbohydrates from refined sources, are bad for you.  This article does a great job explaining why.  However, when it explains to benefits of “high fat”, don’t mistake this for hot dogs and ice cream.  Plant source fats are ideal, as are those from high quality, organic, free-range meats and wild caught fish.  Below is an excerpt from a Los Angeles Times article, be sure to read the whole thing.

“Fat is not the problem,” says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases.”

It’s a confusing message. For years we’ve been fed the line that eating fat would make us fat and lead to chronic illnesses. “Dietary fat used to be public enemy No. 1,” says Dr. Edward Saltzman, associate professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. “Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar.”

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

5 Rounds

15 Back Squats (~55-60% 3RM)
20 KB Swings (53/35)
MAX REPS Pullups

REST 3 minutes
*rest begins as soon as you drop from pullup bar

results:

Check out this really informative post, recently done by our friend Nathan, from CrossFit Adventure.  The post, along with the video, explains some of the dangers of soy products, especially for youngsters that are being fed soy based formula.

A must read for everyone, check it out here.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9am

“Fight Gone Bad!”

3 Rounds
1 minute of each exercise, max reps

Wall Ball
Summo Deadlift High Pull
Box Jump
Push Press
Row for CALORIES

REST 1 minute after completing entire round

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10am

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

B.) 403m Run
50 Toes to Bar
*perform 5 burpees each time you drop from bar
*10 minute time limit

results:

Brian O. (a.k.a Boie) and James – Sadie Hawkins 2010

This Sunday, Jan. 23rd we will have an open gym session at 9:30am.  Open gym sessions allow for you to come in and do the workout posted, or work on any particular skill or exercise that you feel like you need to improve.  James and I will be participating in the workouts as well.  This will also be a great opportunity for any Sweat Shop women doing the Femme Fit competition to come in and see how it feels to do a few of the event workouts in succession.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) 15 minutes to work up to a 7 Rep Max on Overhead Squat

B.) 4 Rounds
25 KB Swings (53/35)
15 Ring Dips
403m Run

results:

Nathan co-owner of CrossFit Adventure in Concord

Our good friend Nathan will be giving a nutrition presentation that I strongly recommend Sweat Shop members attend.

Nutrition topics will cover how fats are healthy, balancing hormones and blood sugar, and modifications to the Paleo diet to make it more practical. Included will be your keys to success in living the healthy lifestyle you’ve wanted to reach the goals you’ve made for yourself.

The presentation starts at 6:45pm at CrossFit Burn in Pacheco on Tuesday, January 18. The presentation will last 60-90 minutes with a Q&A session to follow. So bring your notebooks and bring your questions!! Location can be found here.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9am

1600m Run
30 KB Swings (70/44)
30 Pullups
40 yd. Overhead Walking Lunge (45/25)
60 Double Unders

*1600m Run can be partitioned however you like

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10am

A.) Push Jerk
3-3-3-3-3

B.) For time:
10 Burpee Pullups
then 3 Rounds of:
20 Knees to Elbow
8 Burpee Box Jumps
200m Medball Carry

results:

If you haven’t heard, Femme Fit 2011, a competition for women of all levels is going to be held on Saturday Feb. 5th at CrossFit Sweat Shop.  With tons of support and gear from Title Nine, as well as workout programming by Mike Jenkins (MJ), this will without a doubt be an extremely fun event!  For those that have never done a competition, I can say from personal experience, that I’ve never walked away from an event, and wished I hadn’t done it.  Even the ones where I don’t perform that well (which is most of them).  More importantly, I leave each event more motivated, more confident, and more excited than ever to improve my fitness and continue to surpass my goals!

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Legitness of the Week

Overhead Squat PR’s
Donna C. 85×3
Lones 105×3
Mike B. 120×3
Donna D. 100×3
Monica 65×3
Justin 145×3
Melaney 70×3
Christin 75×3
Eric 145×3
Valerie 55×3
Joe W. 130×3
Aaron 235×3
JB 220×3

Deadlift PR’s
Lones 260×1 Deadlift (New Sweat Shop Record)
Patrick 455×1
Jessica 205×5
Lucinda 140×5
Monica 140×5
Joe S. 243×5
Dustin 180×5
Boie 319×5
Jon B. 270×5
Josh 400×5

Helen 35:29 “Murph” Rx’d
Jim D. 33:10 “Murph” Rx’d
Justin 8:54 “Helen” C2B (Sweat Shop Record)
Jessica 5 consecutive C2B pullups Goal Achieved
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Friday’s WOD:

“Inspired by Hiroshi”

15 Burpees
then 2 Rounds of:
15 Squat Cleans
15 Ring Dips

finish w/ 15 Burpees

results:

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Thursday’s WOD:

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

Strict Press
5-5-5-5-5

*alternate between deadlift and strict press

B.) “Row, Throw, Burp!”
500m Row
20 Wall Balls
15 Burpees

results:

I saw this clip a while ago on NBC. Although the staff and people that eat at this place are entertaining, it’s astonishing how fixated people are to unhealthy food. Even more intriguing, is that the restaurant has warning signs that their food may kill you…. and yet people continue to eat it. I’m sure many of you have had arguments around why people eat unhealthy. The most common excuses I hear are income and culture. When I see this clip, however, I feel people just don’t want to be told what to eat and do it out of rebellion….

What do you guys think? Is eating a “Quadruple Bypass Burger” in your culture or heritage?

Post thoughts to the comments section.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

Perform as many rounds as possible in 4 minutes:
12 KB Swings
10 Box Jumps
8 Pushups
6 KB Squats

*2-minute rest between rounds*

results:

My recent delivery of locally-grown, organic fruits and veggies.

For most folks, the hardest part about eating healthier is the burden of having to make repeated weekly trips to the grocery store.  Even more burdensome, having to survive to trip through the “Tenderloin” also known as the Walnut Creek Whole Foods parking lot. For those of you who still struggle with this, check out Farm Fresh to You. Farm Fresh to You is an Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) group that delivers organic, in-season fruits, veggies, and nuts grown from their farm, straight to your doorstep.

Although there are several CSA’s in the Bay Area, Farm Fresh is unique in that it allows you to:

• Pick and choose which fruits and veggies you want included or excluded in your delivery (simply online)
• Choose from various quantities of food in your delivery
• Choose the delivery frequency that fits you best: weekly, every other week, every 3rd or every 4th week delivery.

Farm Fresh also requires no commitment. Try it out once to see if you like it. I’ve been happy with my deliveries thus far. It makes eating healthier much easier and cooking way more exciting!!

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** Don’t forget to sign up for the upcoming grass-fed beef delivery from Prather Ranch. 1 Large box is $240. Delivery will be sometime in mid January.**

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squats
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 3 sets of max effort Muscle ups or Ring Dips

C.)
400m Row
403m Run
100 Double Unders

results: