- Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
- by amy
60 Day Challenge - Day 2
We've been doing a lot of skill work lately. I know that it can sometimes be boring and monotonous. But it is necessary to make us better athletes.
Do you have a perfect squat? How about your deadlift? Can you execute a 2x bodyweight clean? No?!? Well then, you (myself included) need practice. Take the opportunity during these warm up and skill session, to really drill proper movement. Slow things down, as is appropriate, and practice. If you've ever played a musical instrument, you know what I'm talking about. How about hitting a baseball/softball/golf ball? What about practicing that takedown over, and over, and over, and over again? It's all about practice.
Keep in mind that we're not neglecting strength, fitness, or work-capacity. We are working that in, while drilling the foundational movements. Don't just rush through the movements. Practice perfect form, and the results will follow!
This series of photos is of a lady from CrossFit Fly in Newport Beach, CA. This transformation took 6 weeks of Paleo eating and regular CF-ing. The amazing thing is that she actually didn't lose any weight. Both series of pics are at 138#. It's a great example of how losing 7# of fat and gaining 7# of musle drastically alters one's appearance. And of course she's able to do more, lift more, and enjoy life more!! WOW!
- Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
- by amy
60 Day Challenge - Day 1
There will be no evening classes on Thursday the 17th. Most folks will be either heading to the football game, or going home to watch it. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Here's a great blog post from one of my favorite website, Everydaypaleo.com by Jason Seib. Sarah Frogoso does a great job of explaining how to implement a paleo lifestyle in to a family setting. She's usually good for at least 2 recipes each week. The article What Paleo Isn't details just that, what paleo isn't, in the big picture realm. So many people think that "paleo" is a diet for the month, or that it's low carb, or that it's high protein. No, it's not ... necessarily. Jason does a great job explaining what's what!
Might as well jump!
- Monday, November 14th, 2011
- by amy
Tomorrow starts our 60 Day Bodyweight Challenge. This is a way for you, and your friends and family, to stay engaged during the Holiday season. It's pretty simple, and doesn't take any equipment. Your options are burpees or sit ups& push ups.
Here's how it works. On day one, you perform one rep (either one burpee OR one sit up and one push up). On day two you perform two reps. On day ten you perform ten reps. On day 20 you perform 20 reps. You don't need to perform all reps at one time - you can break them up. If you select sit ups & push ups, you must perform the assigned number of reps for each movement. That means that on day 20, for example, you need to do 20 sit ups AND 20 push ups.
Yes, you are responsible for all reps. That means that if you miss day 10, on day 11 you need to perform 21 reps (10+11=21). What it really boils down to is that you must not miss a day after day 25. Missing day 50 means that you'll be doing 101 reps on day 51 ... don't be that guy! And just so you know, New Year's Day is day 46 ... be careful! It my math is correct, you'll be performing 1830 reps over a 60 day period. Wow! I promise that we will be programming in some burpees, sit ups, and push ups in the latter stages of the challenge to help you chip away at your reps.
We'll post every weekday what day of the challenge it is, just as a reminder. Make sure you put your name and your selected movement up on the white board. A good time will be had by all, I'm sure!!
Also, we'll be having our annual Holiday Paleo Potluck part on Sunday, December 4th. Bring your best paleo yumminess to share, and we'll vote on best entree, best veggie, best salad, and best dessert. There was some good eating last year, and I'm sure the trend will continue this year! We'll provide plates, utensils, cups, and beverages (both adult and non-adult). Let us know if you'll be coming so we can have enough "support" equipment on hand!
The Long March
- Friday, November 11th, 2011
- by Carol
Today is Veteran's Day - a day to honor our 24.9 million veterans of the United States. Let the intensity of your workout be your thanks to all of those who have served, are currently serving and will serve in the future.
A healthier and tastier alternative to the old Green Bean Casserole! Take 1 lb. or so of fresh Brussels Sprouts and destem/wash/chop in half or quarters. Chop up a bunch of bacon and saute in a pan with a chopped onion/ a few cloves of minced garlic - add the sprouts/salt/pepper and cook until just tender. Next week - Paleo gravy!
No condensed soup here, friends!
- Thursday, November 10th, 2011
- by amy
We've gotten some new fish oil in for sale. While we really like the Stronger Faster Healthier fish oil, I think that the new offering is even better.
Optimal Nutritionals produces a fish oil that is tested and filtered for 250 contaminants and toxins. It is considered the "cleanest" fish oil available. Right now they're offering a Fundamental formula, which is a 30% fish oil product. The SFH fish oil is 50%. By the end of the year, ON will be offering a 60% Performance formula, and they have in the works an Elite Formula which is a 90% concentration.
Why the change, and why all the options? We've found a cleaner option, and that's good for every consumer! The different options are good as well, as some people aren't quite sold on the benefits of fish oil. Which then leads to price. While I can understand spending $50 on a bottle of fish oil, most people can't. The new ON Fundamental formula sells for $23 for 6.75oz. Here's a comparison of the two:
Optimal Nutritionals - 1.7g omega-3/tsp; $23/bottle; $0.34/g omega-3
SFH - 2.5g omega-3/tsp; $50/bottle; $0.33/g omega-3
We still have a good # of SFH available. We'll have a ready supply of ON available from now on. Taste tests are available ... just ask your coach!
- Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
- by amy
We've been stressing shoulder position a lot lately, specifically on pull up and push up form. One of my pet-peeves is crappy push up form. So when I stumbled across this post from Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics, it really caught my eye.
Greg prioritizes aspects of the movement, starting with posture, followed by range of motion, elbow orientation, and finally with resistance.
What this means is that you should be doing push ups from your knees if you can't maintain a plank, regardless of your ego. Also, if you can't touch your chest to the deck, you need some modifications ... period! Yes, this means you, mister Hen-Pecker, and miss Less-Than-90*.
The kicker in the article is the last paragraph. The push up isn't ostentatious, yet it shows your dedication to perfect movement.
The push-up is one of those things that when done well doesn’t draw much attention—it’s not a flashy feat of athleticism. However, in my opinion, how one performs a push-up is indicative of that individual’s athletic foundation, and possibly more importantly, how committed one is to excellence in movement and performance. Sloppy push-ups suggest to me a superficial interest in athleticism and a degree of laziness. Put a little attention and effort into the simple things and it will pay returns in the more complicated and interesting ones.
Watch out ... we'll be doing more push ups in the weeks to come. And only with good form!!
Weighted plank holds - a great way to improve your push up form! Nice work Amanda!
- Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
- by amy
CrossFit Oyster Point is hosting a partner CrossFit competition on February 18/19. All teams (man/man; woman/woman; man/woman) will be doing 5 WODs over 2 days. It's a $100 team entry fee, and the event is being held at the Hampton Convention Center.
Slots will be filling up pretty quickly, so if you're interested, sign up NOW. Let me know if you're interested, and I can forward you the email. If you're even entertaining the notion of doing this competition, do it! They're so much fun, and it'd be great to have a gaggle of CF Blacksburgers there representing! Jesse & I did SuperFit Team at RVA this summer, and I, along with others, did the individual SuperFit in Charlottesville, last winter. Both events were great - lots of fun, great way to meet like-minded folks, and an easy way to witness some really good athletes!
Getting ready for the SuperFit Final
- Monday, November 7th, 2011
- by amy
We'll be finalizing our sweatshirt order later this week. The order will be submitted to Integrity Signs on Friday, so if you'd like to show your CrossFit Blacksburg love on a hoodie this winter, now is the time!
Also, if you're purchasing product (eggs or fish oil), please make sure you write your name and what you grabbed on the sheet. It's easy to grab and forget.
Old school, literally
- Friday, November 4th, 2011
- by Carol
Time to arm yourself with the tools to have an enjoyable and healthy holiday season! Be ready to forage at parties, family gatherings and on the road. Look for clean protein sources and veggies - stay away from sweets, sauces and other junk - these foods have unknown origins and can derail your progress for weight loss or athletic performance. Stay on a good sleep schedule and drink plenty of water if you are doing any kind of air travel. The upcoming Friday posts will be dedicated to holiday foods...the first is my recipe for Paleo Pumpkin Pie - an easy dessert that is delicious and nutritious...next week, no more green bean casserole!
Photo: This Primal Life...my photo is buried in our computer somewhere...
Paleo Pumpkin Pie:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. pecans, slightly toasted and chopped finely - this will be the crust...
2 C. 100% pumpkin
1/2 C. coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 C. raw honey (watch the honey intake if you are still trying to lean out...)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1-2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 TBSP. coconut oil or butter
Directions
Melt the coconut oil or butter and mix into the chopped pecans. Press this mixture into a pie dish for the crust. Mix all other ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl. Pour over pecan crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the pie mixture is firm. Top with whole pecans for decoration halfway through baking. Whip some coconut milk and freeze it slightly as an alternative topping to ice cream or whipped cream.
- Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
- by amy
"The only other thing you really need to understand is how our bodies respond to training ... The human body adapts to stress. Throw us in ice-cold water every day and we’ll sprout subcutaneous fat for insulation; expose us to the desert sun and our skin will darken. What this means for getting in shape is that each week, you have to stress your body a little more than last time — lift a little heavier, run a little harder."
This is a quote from a recent Men's Journal article Everything You Know About Fitness Is a Lie. I strongly recommend that you read this article, as it is , at the core, what we do at CrossFit Blacksburg.
Adaptation happens when different stressors are in place. No wonder the 3x15 lateral raises aren't doing anything for you after 5 years of repetition!
Coach Glassman summed it up perfectly in "Fitness in 100 Words":
■ Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
■ Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.
■ Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
■ Regularly learn and play new sports.
Live It!!
Kelly adding some height - and getting way over it!
