pwr

Chicken McNuggets

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/chicken-nuggets-how-bad-are-they

 

Most people know that chicken mcnuggets are nasty mcnasty.  Just reading the above story makes me cringe.

continueing the california strength theme

 

 

Friday Training

Firebreathers WoD with Dell

20 Min Amrap

Buy in:

5 rnds

5 Deadlifts 150kg (330lbs)

10 Hurdle Ups 24"

15 GHD Situps

THEN in the remaining time:

4 Shoulder to Overhead 80kg (175lbs)

6 Pullups

8 Back Extensions

10 Steps Walking lunges with 2x24kg KB

Not sure exactly on the break down.  I think i finished the first part in the 7 or 8 minute range.  Dell was ahead by about half a round on that one.  The AMRAP part, i know i completed 5 rounds, most likely completed 6 rounds + 4 S2O + 6 PU +8 BE...

a great wod programmed by lorna

Non-Paleo Desires - Blue Berry Yoghurt & Rice Krispies

No, not combined.  But since I have been sick, Ive only really been hungry for some of the comfort foods. Water Crackers, Sprite, Oatmeal, Chicken Noodle Soup, Rice Krispie cereal, Yoghurt etc.

Why do we (me) crave non-paleo foods when we are sick?

After talking to Bri, Clare and Lara, they felt that the ease of digestion of these white, simple foods are the reason why we crave them.  Saltine Crackers are easy on the stomach, they dont have a lump of indigestible cellulose like vegetables or largely acidic like animal meat, so it is the food that we gravitate towards when sick.

But what about the notion that paleo foods are better for digestion?

I guess the take away message here is that paleo foods are better for healthy digestion.  For a few days, the only stuff i new would digest well were the non paleo crackers and sprite.  This isnt really a ground breaking piece of educational literature, i just found it interesting that in a time when my treasured digestive system felt as vulnerable as a gringo in overtown, i would require the foods i have tried so hard to eliminate from my repertoire.

 

 

 

 

"thats a 170 kilo push press by donny shankle..." dayum

note: the California Strength guys (bottom video) have a much less circular (more vertical) bar path on the 3rd pull then the Catalyst Athletics lifters.  I try to lift more like the CS guys in terms of technique since my technique was refined by Pendlay (the CS coach).  Thoughts?

 

Training!! Woooo + i felt better after, who would have thought

Workout: Strength
2x20 Squat @ 75Kg
3x10 Jump Squat 
2x5 Tuck Jump 
 

Then: 
KB Swing: 
15 reps @ 24Kg
15 reps @ 24Kg
10 reps @ 32Kg
10 reps @ 32Kg
8 reps @ 40Kg
 

Then: 
Front Squat: 
10 reps @ 75Kg 
2x5 @ 80Kg
 

Then: 
3x Front Squat @ 70Kg +
5x 30" Box Jump 
Six Sets 

no rest, but not for time.

Then:
20 Squats as per previous discussion @ 130Kg

Then:
Cool Down

There are no rest days? To what extent

 

First of all, I have been sick since the weekend so no training and no posting since i really didn't want to be vertical at all.  Lots of TV and cinematic adventures.  However, to get something posted, here is a common saying:

THERE ARE NO REST DAYS

This saying can be taking to the extreme.  Wodding for an hour or 2 every single day.  Not good.  This post will look at some suggestions I have had over what to do on your rest day.  Options include:

Swimming (Dellus West, BSmitty, Steve P)

Breathing Exercises (Steve P)

100 Turkish Get ups (Mark Gough via someone...)

Running

The positives and negatives:

Swimming

The positives of swimming is that is low impact conditioning on a rest day and can be beneficial to grease up the body on a rest day in a low gravity environment.  This allows your body to loosen up and hit ranges of motion not normally experienced on a rest day without many destructive forces.  Negatives would be if you don't swim right, it is still possible to obtain an overuse injury.  Also, since still is a type of training, there is a possibility that your body wont fully recover anyway

Breathing

There are some breathing apparatuses (apparati?) out there which help promote lung function.  I haven't tried it yet but Steve says it has really helped him.  Don't go to hard and pass out, but other than that, i am not too sure on negatives so comment on this if you have any thoughts

100 Turkish Get Ups

The TGU is a great exercise to get your whole body moving through a range of motion with resistance.  When done right, TGU buildtremendous stability and aid in shoulder and hip function.  However, it is a moderately difficult exercise so make sure it is done right if you are using it as a recovery exercise.

Running

Different movement, same story.  You have to be able to run correctly to reap the benefits of using it as a recovery tool.  Benefits include getting the body moving and warming up all those sliding surfaces but the repetitive impact is more prominent than in the other 3 exercises.  Benefits of running are more psychological for me than anything else.  Whether it is a morning run on South Beach or a dreary 5k through the Borough of Islington, my mind feels better afterwards, not so much my ankles. 

Overall, rest days should focus on resting.  If you can add benefits to resting by implementing any of these exercises, go ahead and give it a try.  Keep in mind, that the more workload you do during the week, the more important it is to take part in a full rest day.

Friday Firebreathers

6 People joined up tonight for a pretty packed event with Matt, Marene, Steggles, Gregg, Eloy and myself taking part in a quick one.

50 Air Squats
25 Push Press 50kg
50 Sit-ups
25 Front Squat 50kg
50 Cal Row
25 Deadlifts 80kg

then finish with 5rnds
5 KBS 40kg
5 Burpees

10:26

 

The AM session:

Warm-UP:
10 KB Squats 2x32kg
30m Lunge
10 Swings
10 Push press each arm
2 rounds

Strength:
Front Squat 1x15@50kg
Bulgarian Split Squat 1x15 each leg @50kg
Bulgarian Split Squat - 4x8 each leg @ 50kg 

Back Squat 1x20 @ 125kg
3 big breaths between each rep
took 2min34 seconds to do that set.  Thats crazy long time under tension.  That is also my fran time which i find funny.

Finisher
6x40 Sled Pulls
Dead Hang Fat Grip Pullups 

Give "the easy" ones a shot

Those of you in at IACF and co, have you ever done the free 9am saturday wod?  Have you done it recently?  I guarantee that it will be a massive "mess you up" kind of workout cause you will be able to push yourself that much harder now.  There is no reason why you cant do any of those movements for a minute each and then rotate.  Same with CF Central London.  When was the last time any of the regulars joined the elements for a wod?  Those arnt easy.  They are doable for everyone, which is their point, but the harder you go, the harder they become.

Last night, Jon programmed for me a conditioning finisher that is very similar to a lot of the stuff that we are doing with the elements program.  30 seconds on, 30 seconds off on a bunch of movements.  Some holding the rest in a not so rest position.  It hurt.  A lot.  Try what I did as a finsiher one time if you dont want to do an entire class.  You dont need much equipment.  Just something roughly 15-25/30-55lbs to press overhead.  Even better if its dumbbells.

 

 

 

Thursday
Ride/Row 10 min @ easy pace to warm up 

Row - 2316m, feet unstrapped at 5 damper

Then: 
Barbell Complex: 
6x Narrow Grip Snatch + 
6x Push Press + 
6x Front Squat + 
6x Bent-over Row + 
6x Straight-leg Deadlift + 
6x Clean Hi-Pull 
One Set each @ 40Kg, 50Kg, 60Kg

first one took 1:31, then 1:29, then 2:30 .

Fun stuff for sure

Then: 

5x OHS @ 40Kg + 
100m Sprint 8% incline + 
5x OHS @ 50Kg + 
100m Sprint 8% incline  + 
5x OHS @ 60Kg + 
100m Sprint 8% incline + 
3x OHS @ 70Kg + 
100m Sprint 8% incline  + 
3x ... CONTINUE INCREASING WEIGHT UNTIL FAILURE

I managed 2 reps at 100kg, and the tried again and failed.  First time overhead squatting since DWF over halloween.  I am happy with it for that reason only.

 
Then: 
4x 30/30 Burpee (“rest” in plank [on elbows]) 
Rest one minute 
4x 30/30 Frog Hop (actual rest) 
Rest one minute 
4x 30/30 Push Press (“rest” in overhead hold) 
Rest one minute 
4x 30/30 Split Jump (actual rest) 

yeah, this sucked.

Then: 
Cool down

abs and Glute/Gastroc/Ham developer 

Running and Swimming

Running and Swimming are two favorite past times among the general populations.  Pre CrossFit Games (#WSE) most (elite aka everyone) crossfitters felt that swimming and running were two things that really weren't a part of the programming for elitism.  Well, not really to that extreme but there definitely was a lot of anti-running talk on the crossfit forums of old.  Stuff like "I saw someone jogging today.  They looked weak.  I wanted to ask them what their fran time is."  Yeah, stuff like that.  The 2011 Games changed that with the swimming / intro of tri-athlete-esq events.  

Are crossfitters really changing their habits?  Not sure.  However, you cant just jump right into two other sports if you haven't had practice with them.  That's where CFCL's swimming coach comes into play in the form of Lee Forster and the CrossFit Endurance team lead by Jon Shelby.  2 guys that can teach all of our crew how to move our body over terrain or in water.

With the proper technique so that no repetititve use injuries occur, swimming and running are both great activities to add into the training program.  Super Osteopath Dell classifies them as extra engine work with swimming especially good since it doesn't put a pounding on your body.  Same with running.  Long runs always help with at least clearing your mind.  If you push the pace too, you also get experience on moving your body for an extended amount of time.  Though not popular and few and far between, long wods do come up.  If you have never done a 40min AMRAP or intend to, go for a 10k.  At least then you will know what its like to move for that long.

I realize that this post doesnt have the most direction.  Overall, adding proper technique to swimming and running just adds something else that you can do to keep you from getting bored and to add more variety to your training.  Especially if you are training a lot and need to get out of the gym.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Training

Circuit 1

Bench Press 40,50,60,70,80,90,100,110,120kg
KBS 24kg
Row 2x16kg
Swing to Pull 2x16kg
Press 32kg

Last set was doubles at 120kg.  We had a set up so that we were starting from 90degree angles at our elbows.

FInisher
50x PLank Pullover 15kg 
100x Poor Mans GHD
50x PLank Pullover 15kg

4-3-2 Reps of 190kg Lock Out Back Squat + Bands on set #2. 

Get better, without injury

Sending you over to, once again, Rudy from Outlaw for some knowledge.

http://outlawcoach.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/120118/#comments

 

Tuesday AM training:

Tuesday
Warm Up 

Then: 
3x10 KB Good Morning (KB behind neck) @+32Kg
3x10 KB Straight-leg Deadlift @40Kg (Each hand)

Then: 
4x8 KB Clean & One-arm One-leg Press @+32Kg
2 reps in each possible position, (KB Clean done on two feet) 

Then: 
10x One Leg DL @ 40Kg (Each hand)+ (10 total singles on each side however you can get there) 

Then: 
6x2 DL @ 40Kg+ (Each hand)

Then: 
2x3min Row (15sec Hard/15sec "Less Hard") 

Easier day since Wednesday night is going to suck.  Or so I have been told.  Last time i was told a night was going to suck, my glutes almost exploded.  

Building...Building...for 20??

A recent post on the site of the month (insult maybe, site of the year? potentially ground breaking site?) The Outlaw Way mentioned something that, paraphrased is as follows:

If you alter your training for local competitions and you intend to win the games, you have messed up your priorities.

Boom.  Let the knowledge settle a little.  Yes this seems easy to agree with, but how many actually do it?  I know that I have been at fault for this a few times where Im hoping to peak at a competition instead of just training and having it be a training day.  The worst is when you let it get in the way of your deeper programming.  Awesome, you have a great new strength program you want to try.. but.. you stop to work on your engine for (Insert Local Competition Here) and all the progress goes to shit.  Dont let it.  Establish your goals based on priority if you want.

1. Win the CrossFit Games.  when?  when i am ready
2. do whatever training it takes to do to win the crossfit games.  when? all the time
3. Stay healthy, continue to make progress
4. Do well in all other competitions

Those are my goals.  So that means my planning for an indefinite time until i am ready.  Does that mean i am not going to enter until I feel i am ready? No.  But it does mean that i wont focus my peaking too early if it messes up my long term planning.  Case and point is the open.  I didnt do as well as i liked in the Open last year but come end of summer when i continued to get better by focusing on getting better, not on the open, i ended up doing pretty well at Summer Crush.

Maybe your goal is to be top 60 at the open.  This is a very respectable goal and will take a lot of hard work to achieve this if you werent in the top 60 last year.  So plan for it.  make it goal #1.  You will see that you get better really quick.  When this goal is achieved, maybe your goals will become more long term.  Just stick with the plan.

 

discussion: does crossfit.com have a plan?

 

Monday Training:

Warm Up
3 x 10 KB squats with 2x32kg KB

2 x 30m Lunge forward/backward with 2x32kg KB

2 x 30m Craw forward/backward with 2x32kg KB

Complex:
10 Swings
10 Figure 8s F-B
10 Figure 8s B-F
10 Goblet Squats
10 Swings
10 Halos
10 Halos other way
10 Right Hand Swings
10 Left Hand Swings

32kg KB
had to set it down and use a 24kg for the halos

Fixing Shit:
4rnds
50 Step Ups w/2x40kg KB
2min Hold in Rack w/2x40kg KB

I got 3 rounds before it was time to move on.

Finisher:
10x100m Row
1 min rest

Kept all below 20seconds and about half below 19 seconds.  Tried to get to a 1:28 pace as quick as i could and hold it.  Damper in the high 4s

Overused phrase: learn and play new sports.  this is my favorite sport

  

 

 

Competition every week?

The title of this post "Competition every week" is something that defines crossfit as greg glassman defines it.  His claim that men will die for points pushes crossfitters to the limit every single day and achieves the best results.  Itensity to the max, or at least 80% as the level 1 certs say.

However, this is one of the most critiqued aspects of crossfit or it should be if it isnt (by that i mean, people who dislike CF should bring up people who are "Wod Drunk" as defined by Freddy Camacho back in 2010).  Basically, pushing yourself past a limit if you are not able to handle it is probably one of the most destructive things you can do to your body and a way to bring negative light onto exercising crossfit style.  When form breaks, and you cant respond to cues to fix it, you have pushed a limit that should not be pushed.

When is the most common time for this? Well, according to Glassman, it should be every day.  However, you see it most in competitions that include some of the newer crossfitters.  People pushing themselves past a limit.  There are positives and negatives.  Obviously the positive is the realization of what they can really do.  Termed "competition maximums" in the literature.  While the negtives are injury and harm.  

There is a time and a place for competition.  And it is not everyday, it is not every weekend.  There are times to reap the benefits of being pushed beyond your capabilities.  But to do this day in and day out is destructive.  

This isnt black and white.  Example A.  Rich Froning has his training partners that push him on all his wods.  But i can bet you that he pushes himself harder than a normal person, BUT he refraines from becoming wod drunk.  Being able to find that middle ground, the fine line between pushing too hard or not hard enough to reap the most benefits without hurting yourself takes time and understanding, especially of ones own body.  Most Fridays, we have a wod at CF Central London called fire brether fridays where the top exercisers from our gym are invited to participate.  The wods are pretty damn tough.  Competition tough.  And the competition is tough.  With 3-4 people that are potentil regionals competitiors every week.   The most importnt skill to learn though is finding tht level that you can push yourself at the hardest without harm.

 

Firebrether wods:

1) 9-15-21

Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pull 55kg
Toes to bar

2) 6 Amraps, 2 min each, 1 min rest between

7 Thrusters 45kg
7 Box Jumps 24"
7 HR Pushups

3) 150 KBS t 32kg

15 situps every time you drop it

Dell won wod 1.  Absolutley manhandling the toes 2 bar in the final round.  I came in second about 10 seconds behind him followed by Matt and Lamber.  this was a nice twist on the classic wod.  My grip went and caused me to slow but it is something that i m working on in my training.

I won wod 2 with a total of 12rnds even.  I was 15 or so reps ahead of Dell and a round and a half in front of Lamber and Matt.  THis wod messed us up.

I won wod 3.  We were all thinking 10 swings and then drop and do the situps.  When i got to 10 swings, i thought I can do 1 more so i did 11 swings untill 77 and then broke up the remainders in 13s-16s.  

Im sore in the hammies and the quads and the shoulders and chest a little.  But nothing too bad.  Good day. 

 

How many times should i eat a day?

Simplified with  a little explanation:

Eat when you are hungry.

As long as you are ready with a paleo/primal or similar foods and put it in somewhat balanced proportions.  You should be set to go.  

A little bit more:  Eat a meal based off of meat and vegetables with good fats from either the animal protein or from some other source (my favorites always being avocado, olives and coconuts) with some fruit thrown in there as an afterthought if you need it, and you will be satiated until further notice.  

6 times  a day? I personally feel that that statement is false.  However, what is not false is that eating 6x a day is hard to do.  Who has time for that?  I dont, so dont worry about it.  Just have less, but slightly larger meals.  If you need a snack, plan for one. Poliquin talks about his just-in-case snack jar which is the typical nuts and seeds with some fruit + some amino acid pills (like the idea, havnt tried it yet).  But remember, its tough to eat nuts and dried fruit in moderation, so if you are really hungry, you might as well go find a real meal.

Wht bout when planning goes wrong?  I notice if i didnt eat enough about 16-20 hours after it happened.  I call it the insatiable hunger and it usually resorts to me eating large quantities of primal goodies like Nakd bars which are the Larabar equivalent in the UK, or cheese, or nuts and seeds.  Im talking like 2000 calorie servings of nuts and seeds or cheese here.  yeah.  damn.  Not moderation.  How to avoid this? 1) Eat full balanced meals always.  no go? 2) have a safety protein and vegetable with you at all times.  not possible? 3) know where there are restaurants where you can get protein and and moderately 'heavy' (eg veg, not salad) carb quick.  ehhh? 4) find a middle ground or a safety.  Whether this is chugging water or a whole milk latte, or white americano, or greek yogurt with nuts, seeds, berries and 100% dark chocolate, find something that will keep you off the block of cheese or the large bag of cashews and raisins or 12 larabars.