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CrossFit BluePrint – Reasonable Doubt

Back to CrossFit’s Roots - What do you look for in a local competition?

In the day and age of most CrossFit competitions fighting for the biggest venue or largest sponsorship, it was great to have a competition bring CrossFit back to its roots.  Do not get me wrong; I loved competing at the Home Depot Center and the larger, more established “local” competitions like Summer Crush.  However, every once in a while, it is great to walk into a classic CrossFit Box and have to do burpees next to people’s smelly feet.

Though the competition might not have boasted the all-star line up that was in Palm Springs this same weekend, it was still fierce and many top competitors and long time training buddies where there.  Due to the intamiacy, the shit talking started early especially once the wods were released.  

At this competition, the programming was excellent.  They tested a nice range of CrossFit versatility so the top competitors came out on top.  Happily (in a sick, “learn from this” kind of way), the second wod was one of the toughest wods I have ever done in a competition.  However, they also did not beat us into the ground with movement after movement so as athletes, we stayed fresh the whole day.  Overall, the programming honored the classic CrossFit style programming and felt like a throwback to the old Aromas wods when I first started.

For a local competition at a box, the judging was excellent.  The problem of having judges being “too strict” is a great problem to have as I always have flashback of Jenny Orr “no repping” my Overhead Squats at Regionals.  The wod area was too small, too hot, and too dirty – which was PERFECT!  Putting together a competition like this one takes a huge amount of time and effort and CrossFit Blueprint pulled of a great achievement in creating an event that brought competitions back to its roots: grimy, loud, hot and fierce. 

Congrats to the winners Adrian and Rey who stole the show as well as my training partner Andy who continues his climb and finished in 4^th.  Thanks to all of I Am CrossFit and CrossFit South Miami for the huge number of supporters and FormulX for the endless supply of orange Gatorade and FormulX NR Chocolate.

 

Goal Setting Part 1

Goal Setting

It is important that you set goals for CrossFit and your training and eating.  I don’t mean this in the sake of the jolly college consular who says that you need goals to succeed.  I am saying that you need goals because they determine what you are to do in the present to determine the future.

If you have no goals when you come in to workout, you have no motivation or direction with your training.  If you consciously select a goal such as “lose weight,” you can now make decisions based on this goal.  For example:

Goal: Lean out

Tasks:  Make sure to lift heavy and lift often.  Nothing helps leaning out like heavy lifting.  Organize your diet into a form of paleo that features higher protein and higher fat while lowering carbohydrates.  This diet should be based manly on meats and vegetables and only include fruit and starch if it is truly needed to keep you sane.  Avoid any and all forms of liquid food since it will tell your body to gain weight.  An exception can be a low/zero carb protein shake post workout such as Formulx, SFH, or optimum nutrition.

Goal: Gain muscle

Tasks:  Lift heavy but also lift a lot.  Gaining muscle requires you to lift heavy as well as doing many reps of compound lifts like squats and pull-ups.  Eat, eat and eat.  Base your meals off of paleo but include “gaining weight friendly foods” such as whole milk, potatoes and tropical fruit.  Include liquid foods at least once or twice a day but try to make them at home where you can control the ingredients such as full fat yoghurt, berries, ice and protein powder versus a fake ingredient smoothie from Smoothie King. 

Goal:  Competitive CrossFitter

Tasks: Eat for performance.  You need to sub-divide your goals so you know what individually to work out.  For many people this is strength where you will need to do strength work at least 4-5x a week and lower the met-cons to under 2 and use plenty of accessory strength work.  Eat to perform so base most meals on paleo but include the “gaining weight friendly foods” mentioned above just to a lesser extent.  For information on what a workout program like this would be, contact the Rob Strength facebook page.

Goal: Long term health

Tasks: Eat a pretty much straight-up paleo diet combined with regular training 3-5x per week.  Make sure to mix up heavy weights with movements from gymnastics and accessing all mobility issues.  Aka our regular CrossFit prescription.

Define: Coje lo que es tuyo

Coje lo que es tuyo

Take what is yours.

“Coje lo que es tuyo” is a Cuban saying that translates to “take what is yours.”  A friend showed it to me and I started using this statement about a year ago before The 2011 CrossFit Games as a moniker to keep me motivated.  “Cojelo” has now been associated with myself and subsequently the Rob Strength Competition team.  However, what does the saying truly mean?

Nothing is free…

There is no entitlement to training.  Just because you used to be successful, does not mean that you can claim a victory.  In order for something to be “yours,” you need to have put in the hard work:  the hours in the gym sweating gallons of water, hours of time preparing meals aligned perfectly for your goals, hours of time giving up nights out in favor of a good night’s sleep so that you can wake up at 6am and go train, hours fixing your issues, devoting your free time to making sure your body is in top shape when it needs to be.

“Coje lo que es tuyo” needs to be the motivation behind training.  Northing is yours unless you put in the blood and sweat.  Every time you walk into the gym or are debating on whether to go or not, “cojelo” needs to remind you that hard work is what makes victory possible.

Once all the hard work is done, it is now time to perform.  No amount of hard work will compensate for poor performance.  There is a reason some people have great training numbers but poor performance out on the field.  “Cojelo” needs to fire you up as you walk out onto the floor of the competition and realize that it is now the time to put it all together AND TAKE WHAT IS YOURS.

Victory is right in front of you, the glory, the pride, and the respect.  All that is left is one jaw-dropping performance that propels you further ahead of the competition.  Now is the time to focus.  Do what you trained for but do it better.  Competition is tough so you MUST push beyond ALL PRIOR PERFORMANCES in order to take what is yours. 

Nothing is free…

Coje lo que es tuyo

32 One Line Tips for Competition

1.  Bring food that you know you can handle in any conditions.

2.  Make sure your food covers proteins, carbohydrates and fats such as hard boiled eggs, frozen berries and almond butter.

3.  Bring recovery products such as a bag of protein powder and some dried berries to consumer immediate post workout.

4.  Mix your recovery powder in a beverage in which you have used and tested before like chocolate whey in orange gatorade.

5.  Do NOT over consume coconut water since it is a gut irritant and will give you the runs.

6.  Continuously observe your hydration but consuming electrolytes and water to avoid bloating.

7.  Bring a change of clothes or at least a new shirt for each workout.

8.  Bring some extra sucks and shoes in case it rains.

9.  Make sure you have all your workout accessories in order such as gloves, tape, knee pads, shoes and jump rope.

10.  Bring your own tape: athletic tape, rock tape, under tape etc.

11.  Have an outline of what equipment you are going to need for each event and make sure you have tested out those specific movements with the equipment.

12.  If available, print off all the WODS and make notes on what you are going to do for each wod including rest periods and goals.

13.  Make sure you show up for every wod and know when and where you need to be.

14.  Try to have the schedule under control so you do not have to worry about it.

15.  Get into the same routine for each workout.

16.  Clear your head of distractions about 20 minutes before a workout and try to calm the extra emotions you will be feeling in front of the thousands of fans.

17.  No need to warm-up for an hour, focus on relaxing untill roughly 15 minutes before your heat.

18.  Do not over stretch: stretched muscles do not repsond as well to load so stretching for an hour before your wod will only hamper your performance.

19.  Have a set warm-up that you do before each event prepared ahead time.

20.  Make sure your warm-up targets the movements in the workout (hip flextion, upper body pull, external rotation etc)

21.  Check your body for little injuries after the workout.

22.  Fix your body after each workout with some massage, ice baths (yes, ice is good in certain conditions) or mobilization.

23.  Try to relax in between workouts by talking to family and friends.

24.  During wods, stay focused on the task at hand.

25.  Try not to get over whelmed with the crowd and the judges, stay in control of your own head.

26.  Use the crowd when you need to help you finish strong.

27.  Do not worry about anyone else besides yourself even if they are no-repping.

28.  Listen to your judge and do not argue no matter what happens.

29.  Just keeping squatting.

30.  Remember to breath.

31.  Smile.

32.  Have fun.

Lifting HEAVY, Leaning Out, Getting Big? Part 2.

Yesterdays post on leaning out was a hit.  Lifting heavy is essential for you to look good.  However, there are still a lot of odds and ends involved.  The following post will look into some of the variables involved.

1.  (Female) I still get somewhat big when I lift no matter what...

Unfortunately, some women have a hormone profile the predisposes them to larger muscles in certain areas.  The most common area women will put on some muscle as a result of heavy lifting are traps, arms and inner thighs.  My validity for this statement is by just observing the thousands of women I have coached in CrossFit on 2 different continents.

With this select group of women, the best option to maintain the most feminine profile possible is to CONTINUE TO LIFT HEAVY FOR EVEN LOWER REPS POSSIBLE.  Single efforts of heavy weight will be less likely to add weight to the "trouble" spots.  Remember, muscle growth is a result of HYPERTROPHY training which is determined by time under tension: the amount of time you spend under load.  Time under tension decreases with less reps so you will be less likely to gain extra muscle.

No matter what, some women will still gain some muscle.  In my opinion and many of my peers, I find a woman with some muscle A LOT more attractive than a super-skinny stick that looks like she will fall over in a stiff breeze.  If you fall into the category of women that will put on some muscle regardless of your exercise, remember that it is much better for you to lift weight than it is to not lift weight.  If you truely enjoy coming in and working out but you cannot escape your "friends" critiques of your new looks, it is probably time to find some friends that appreciate the new you.  

"Surround yourself with people that will help you promote excellence.  Doing anything else will hamper your own potential."

2.  Why does it have to be heavy?

Heavy is essential.  What is heavy? Pretty much the most that you can do without deviating your technique.  Why?  Near 1rm lifts cause the most muscle recruitment of any lift.  More muscle recruitment means that you are using more muscle and burning more calories.  Both of which are essential to lean out.

Doing heavy compound lifts like squatting and deadlifting will also stimulate testosterone and growth hormone production.  Both of these hormones are essential to rebuild your body every time you work out into a better functioning system.  Women naturally have less T and GH than men.  This is why women that lift heavy do not have the massive upper bodies that men have.  The origins of this difference is through thousands of years of evolution.  Women do not need as much T and GH in their system to function and advance.

3.  So as long as I lift heavy, I can eat garbage right?

False.  Look at Powerlifters.  Most of them eat garbage and lift heavy.  They are ridiculously strong and ridiculously big.  Any diet information from the likes of Dave Tate and Louie Simmons is perfect for becoming as strong as possible, but probably not good for leaning out.  A large majority of the prior posts have focused on the optimum diet for leaning out.  Those recommendations combined with lifting heavy is the best possible thing you can do for yourself to lean out.

Breakfast Options Post

5 In-depth tips

Back to Basics for Leaning Out

The #1 Most IMPORTANT Thing to lean out

The #1 Most IMPORTANT Thing to lean out

Lift.  Heavy.  Weights.  No “ifs,” “ands” or “buts.”  No matter what gender you are, male, female, or somewhere in the middle, the number one ingredient to lean out into god-like status is to lift heavy weights.

But won’t it make me big?

No, lifting lots and lots of reps at lower weights will make you big.  That is why body builders do as many reps as they can and then do even more.  That type of lifting elicits increased muscle damage within the muscle tissue, causing greater soreness and greater growth gains.  This type of training is called HYPERTROPHY training. 

On the other hand, lifting heavy for single reps will make your muscles more efficient.  Your muscles will adapt to the heavy lifting and type II muscle fibers will increase in concentration.  These muscles won’t necessarily get bigger, they will become better.

Allyson Felix - Track superstar, Great body, lifts heavy.

Umm…why?

Lifting heavy weights elicits a certain hormonal response within the body.  Achieving this hormonal response is best way to get your body into the “dream composition.”  Heavy, compound lifts stimulate your central nervous system.  Your central nervous system then sends your sex hormones into overdrive.  This stimulation is what helps you achieve the sexy cuts and muscle definition.

What are the best lifts?

Compound barbell lifts like the power clean, power snatch, squat, deadlift, push press, weighted pull-ups etc.  Performing these movements as heavy as you can at least 3-4x a week.

Ben Johnson - Known for his heavy lifts.  They made him lean, the supplements made him big.

How can I do this if I go to a CrossFit class?

Talk to your coaches.  Most will say it is all right if you go heavier but with fewer reps on certain workouts.  For example, if a workout is 3 rounds of 10 power cleans at 135/95lbs, 10 box jumps and 10 burpees, see if you can do 5 reps on the power clean but go heavier than you ever have before as long the technique is still good.

Is there evidence of this?

Look at all track stars from the Olympics.  They are all super lean.  The short distance sprinters especially are muscle-y and lean on the guy’s side and women like Jessica Ennis and Alyson Felix represent the women’s side.  Sprinters need to be explosive over short times so they do lots of heavy back squats and power cleans.

At the end of the day, make sure that your workout routine includes heavy compound lifts in the 1-6 rep range.

Jessica Ennis - 7 explosive events, needs efficient muscles.

Repost: 48 hours from competition

I posted this article in February before a weekend full of competitions in both Europe and the South East.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overall themes:

WOD - Your workouts for the week are going to be based on how important you consider the competition.  

Group A: If you truly are training for the games, then any other competition is truely just another training day for you and you should just throw in an extra rest day since the work load this weekend will be huge.  For example, I have my Team Members following a M/T work, W off, R (thursday) work, Friday off schedule whether they are doing normal Team Programming or the tampered program for group B.

Group B: Group B are athletes who are treating the competition as one of if not the most important competition of the year.  Run a slightly tampered program this week.  Light quick wods and 1-2 strength movements worked up to about 80-95% 1rm but only for a single and only 3 reps total.  Just enough to elicit a response to get you stronger and more prepared.  

FOOD - i start to cut back on heavy (paleo/primal) carbs around 2 days before a competition.  If i "carb load" it is earlier in the week.  Carb loading the night before makes me feel fat like a sloth.  I also cut out milk and cheese the week leading up.  Even if it is just a random competition like this, Ill be in a better state of mind without the dairy busting out of my gut.

MIND - get your stuff organized.  Physical things in place means that you dont have to worry about them.  Then focus on the mental.  What fuels you?  

Cause its fun? Then remember how much fun it is.  Go out there with a smile.  (Even if its an angry smile, see below)

Pride for the box? Think about all the hard work you and your peers have put in together and know that nothing that is coming is not prepared for.  You are ready.  

Sheer Nerves?  Deep breaths.  Relax.  Same thing as above, you are ready, you have prepared.  Nothing that they throw at you will be foreign even if it is a new movement.  You can handle it.

Proving Something?  Be relaxed.  I do best when I am relaxed.  It is just another wod.  Enjoy the festivities.  30min before, the headphones go on and I am in my own world.  The headphones help me keep everything in check: emotions especially.  Don't throw a bar at someone.

Anger? Ive said it before how much fun it is to wod with hate sometimes.  It works wonders for me but you gotta be able to control it.  Like i said, keep your emotions in check, but building up some sort of rage is my personal go to.  That gets my adrenaline going the best, but you have to be able to control it and realize that you cant be angry at judges or teammates.  HUGE DIFFERENCE.  Use it to get you ready and for that final push in the wods, but dont let it determine how you act. 

Personal example - I dont want to call people out, but at Summer Crush in Miami, Jeremy Thiel, the main guy behind SICFIT, the major sponsor for London Throwdown, came wearing a shirt that had a picture of Florida, with the Texas Lone Star Flag painted in it, and the words "Came and took it" around it.  Needless to say, I put that on my personal motivation board, and that is fuel for every SICFIT competition i will ever enter.  Thank you Jeremy for trying to "take it."  You failed.

 

Here is my schedule for the next 48h:

 

Schedule:

Thursday: 9am, T-48

Coffee - Ceramic Single Mug Today, Panama Esmeralda Beans from Diamond Mountain Estate.  Yeah, I'm serious about that.

10am, T-47

Breakfast - Meat and Nuts, consisting of 1 Buffalo burger and 8oz left over GF Beef Sirloin, Avocado

11am, T-46

Haircut (Look sharp, be sharp)

12pm, T-45

Grocery Shopping for last meals before and during the competition, shopping list includes dried fruit, eggs, chicken.  If only i could find lechon.

2pm, T-43

Lunch - Large piece of beef, lots of vegetables, top it off with fruit and lots of fat.  48h before competitions, i lower the carbs a little because it makes me feel lighter and faster.  Not too much though.  Instead of 8oz of potatoes for dinner, id do 4-6oz.

3pm, T-42

Pack my bags besides food.  All the essentials.  Having a packed bag a day early is a huge relief.  Check details for heats and accommodation.

5pm, T-40

Last training session before the competition.  Normally this would be a lighter olympic session where i would go up to about 80% of my lifts.  On the wednesday before the crossfit games, i clean and jerked up to 255 and snatched up to 175.  Nothing too strenuous on the body, but enough to make my body need to keep the hormone cycles in check and release some GH and Testosterone.  Followed it up with a minor workout. 10-1 of Burpee ball hops and Ball slams.

Today (February), Shelby has planned some squats and presses.  "Rehab" wod as he calls it.  My advice - do what you are best at.  Do it perfectly.  But only do it at 70-80%.  35-40h out of competition is the ideal time FOR ME.

6pm, T-39

Post Wod Mobility and Recovery meal.  Hit the niggles, make sure they are functional and where they need to be.  Hips, shoulders, ankles.  Do what you need to do.  Ask your local mobility expert if you can.

Food - Ill probably do a shake today.  With a stack of BCAA.  Stronger Faster Healthier Protein Powder with Charles Poliquin BCAA

Follow that up with some paleo mexican salad from Tortilla.  Lechon, salad leaves, peppers, sour cream, salsa 1, salsa 2, guacamole, love.  My favorite easy paleo meal.

8pm, T-37

Dinner - depends on the hunger levels after the mexican salad, but it will probably be beef or chicken with vegetables and fat.  Maybe finish it with some berries.

11pm, T-34

Sleep Hopefully

7-8am, T-25

Wake-up.  8h-8h30min is what works best for me.  Anything more, and i stay up late.  Anything less and I zzz during the day.  Need to be mentally sharp today to elbow my way on the tube.

9am, T-24

Breakfast, Coffee - probably meat and nuts again with the same fantastic coffee.

1pm, T-20

Lunch, Meat, Vegetables, top it off with a little fruit and shit load of fat

3pm, T-18

Travel.  Best to get in and settled early so I can relax when I'm there.  Organize everything and get ready for the next morning.  Make arrangements for bfast, cab, etc.  Ill bring my computer and just chill with it.  Maybe swim a little just to move around.  I don't want to be cooped up but I do want to be at the hotel.

7pm, T-14

Dinner for the ages.  The more competitions you do, the more you are able to be relaxed and just eat normally.  Nervous stomach = lack of energy the following day.  Time to load up.  Ribs, fish, potatoes, vegetables, water, water, water. More ribs.  Not too many carbs though.

9pm, T-12

Snack, if needed.  Probably just some chicken and fat.

10-11pm, T-10

Bed

7am, T-2

Arise, Shower, Dress, Bag is packed so no worrying.  Look sharp be sharp, brush the teeth, comb the hair etc.

7:30am, T-1.5h

Breakfast (2h before heat) - Eggs, some fruit, bacon, coffee, coffee, water, water

9am, T-0

30min before heat, smile, think about motivation board, and ready to go

 

Top Olympic moments and what you can learn from them

My Top Olympic Moments (that I saw on TV) and what to learn from them

Mo Farah – Never underestimate the home crowd

If you are a crossfitter that likes to compete, you will know that the crowd has a part to play in certain wods.  Whether it is amping you up for a heavy 1 rep max deadlift or helping you finish the last 10 toes to bar on a chipper, you need to be able to use the crowd to your advantage.  Do not deviate from the game plan.  It is easy to get sucked up in the atmosphere.  However, hold to your plan, and when it is time to make your move, open up your senses to the home crowd and dominate.

Jake Varner – Never give up on following your dream and equalling/surpassing your mentor

Jake Varner wanted to be like Cael Sanderson ever since Cael’s storied NCAA career (169-0, arguably best wrestler of all time).  When Cael won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Jake wanted to win gold sometime down the road.  Flash forward 8 years to London.  The final day of the Olympics.  U.S.A.’s last chance for gold.  Jake Varner has overcome some close calls and beasted others and now has a spot in the finals against the heavily favorite Ukrainian.  However, decades of hard work and 7 years under his mentor Cael gave Varner the drive to manhandle Valerie Andriitsev into a two period decision, giving him a gold medal.  Do not give up on your goals..  Find the people that best support your quest to conquer them.

4x100m Men’s Relay – Every single detail counts

The one event that left my mouth open forming that awkward “O” shape in front of the beaming television was the men’s 4x100m realy.  If you did not view this race live or on broadcast, you missed out on what was labelled the “greatest race of all time.”  The 4x100m is intense.  Each sprinter must be perfectly precise with every movement that one false step can cost you a medal or even the race.  The U.S. men and Jamaican men were neck and neck until Usain Bolt and Ryan Bailey got the baton.  If either team made one mistake or if the U.S. made one improvement, even a minor difference, the outcome of the race could have changed.  When performance counts, only accept perfection.  If you have put in the hard work, you can attain it.  Strive for it.

Usain Bolt – Don’t listen to the haters.  Shut them up with performance.

Usain Bolt probably had the largest number of critics coming into these Olympics.  They were critiquing his work ethic, his attitude, his social life, his priorities etc.  What did he do?  He didn’t listen because he knew what he had to do.  He worked hard as he works hard.  He won the 100m.  Then he won the 200m.  Then he won the 4x100m.  He partied with the women’s Swedish Handball team somewhere in between.  Shut up your haters with performance, not words.

Jessica Ennis and Allyson Felix – You can be beautiful and be champion

Jessica Ennis and Allyson Felix are two very beautiful women.  They are also two of the world’s best athletes.  Jessica Ennis won the heptathlon and Alyson Felix won the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m races.  These two women, among countless others, should be role models for a generation of women who think that looking good and being strong are mutually exclusive.  Both women are graceful and feminine while being fierce and powerful at the same time.  They carry themselves well in the public eye and speak intelligently.  Young women should strive to be like them.

Oscar Pistorius – F*** equality.  Conquer it with what you got.

One of the most popular athletes of the 2012 Games, Oscar Pistorius is famous for running with no legs.  A task anyone should receive credit for.  What makes Oscar so great is that he simply has not stopped.  Ever since he could do sports, he did sports.  He had to switch sports a few times but eventually settled on track and did not quit, he became one of the top 16 400m runners in the world.

London – You can pull any thing off

London.  Of course I have an affinity for the city I have spent 3 years of life living in.  However, seeing London excel in the spotlight really did bring a tear to my eye.  The many shots of the city showed my old stomping grounds from CrossFit Central London to Islington looking gallantly in the sun.  Though London seemed to have fewer major problems projected than past and future host cities, the inevitability of its failure seemed greater.  However, 2 weeks later, London dominated everything from travel to weather to screen shots.  The right preparation and the perfect team can pull off the impossible: providing an Olympics that overcame Beijing’s grandeur with simple elegance and perfection.

London at Dawn mere days before the big show

The Queen and James Bond – Legends do meet Legends

The opening ceremony included a short film clip that made any film fan delighted.  Seeing Agent 007 on screen with Her Majesty was surreal.  Two of, if not the most iconic Brits on stage together in the most unlikely pair.  Do not be afraid to think outside the box.

Andy Murray – Even the most invincible are vulnerable

A month ago, Andy Murray lost to Roger Federer at Wimbeldon.  A week ago, Andy Murray beat Roger Federer at Wimbeldon.  Up until that match, it seemed unlikely that Andy would ever have his moment in the spot light with Roger and Nadal constantly ahead of him.  However, perseverance pays off and he unseated the giant.

Gabby Douglas – Attitude

Gabby Douglas will be known for two things: her smile and her gold medal performance.  When you are a competitor at the highest level, it is essential to have a good attitude.  Gabby displayed those pearly whites after every performance.  When you are able to combine that positive attitude with a gold medal performance, you are truly on top of the world.

Men’s 10m Platform Dive – Performance under pressure

The men’s 10m platform was another jaw dropping performance.  Dive after dive had to be near perfect in order for each diver to jockey for the top position.  After 5 of 6 dives, 3 divers were within a few hundredths of a point.  Basically, the best dive won gold.  That is pressure.  The veteran from the U.S., David Boudia, was able to calm his nerves the best and take home gold.  Gather as much experience has you can and learn to excel under pressure.

Caster Semenya – Stay strong

Caster Semenya became world famous when it was required that she undergo sexual verification tests to prove that she is a woman.  After successful tests, Caster was allowed to run as a female.  However, that drama alone is enough to ruin any human spirit.  However, Caster overcame the ordeal and competed in the 800m at the Olympics, winning silver.  Stay strong through adversity. 

Robert Harting – Don’t be afraid to celebrate (if the time is right)

An internet search for Robert Harting’s celebration will show some home-videos showing the German discuss thrower’s antics after clinching his gold medal.  He sprinted around the track, ripped his shirt off, jumped over hurdles.  But hey, this was the Olympics.  4 years of work just for that one moment.  No better stage than on the Olympic Track in Stratford to let of some well earned steam.  

 

Make Mondays Easier

Most people do not like to spend a lot of time making breakfast.  This is especially true when you are making an omelet or a scramble and have to chop up the vegetables before you eat.  I find that you are much more likely to include a variety of vegetables in your breakfast if they are pre-chopped and already separated into zip lock bags or plastic containers.

Tip 1: Pre-chop your vegetables to make morning breakfast creation more efficient

The other benefit steming from pre-chopped vegetables is that people are more likely to increase their vegetable consumption throughout the day if they start off with a meal full of vegetables.  After a weekend, which generally has some relaxation of dietary habits, a breakfast full of vegetables will get you back on the right track by psychologically making you feel better and providing you with lots of vitamins and minerals and anti-oxidants found only in vegetables.

Tip 2: Put as many vegetables as you can handle in your breakfast

When it comes to lunch, I usually find myself craving a fresh salad.  The reason is that my vegetable consumption tends to decrease on the weekend.  I am merely just listening to what my body is asking for.  When the sound of spinach or arugula (rocket) or lettuce makes my mouth water, I know my vegetable consumption has been down and as a result, my levels of vitamins and minerals.

Tip 3:  Have a big salad for lunch to top up all the nutrient stores that were depleted over the weekend.

Monday is a day that sets the tone for the whole week.  If you have a great monday with a great training session and an even better diet, you are more likely to get more done during the week.  Use these tips to help you improve your mondays and have a productive, healthy week.

The Weekend - Avoiding Disaster

Everyone knows that disaster can happen on the weekends.  When it comes to long-term goals, it is important to make sure that the entire weekend does not turn into a glutton fest of goal hampering foods and activities.  This post details 4 quick tips to help you avoid disaster.

Remember: Friday 6pm – Sunday 11:59pm = 32% of the week.  If you are only diligent for 68%, that is a fail.

1.  Be active

The CrossFit moniker of “learn and play new sports” is great advice to help keep your weekend in check.  If you fill up Saturday or Sunday with activities such as swimming, yoga, biking, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, jet-skiing, rock climbing, hiking, golf, Frisbee, indoor or outdoor soccer, basketball etc you will keep your body in the athletic state that desires healthy food.  Also, try to go out with the whole group afterwards to a restaurant that serves paleo-friendly foods.  Ribs with a dry rub might not be perfect, but it is certainly better than pizza.

2.  Go in depth in your favorite sport

Instead of bouncing around a plethora of activities, pick your favorite one and get lessons and try to master it.  Not only will taking 2 weekend lessons a week hopefully give you motivation to excel at your new hobby, but it will also get you get interested in the community.  Find as many events such as competitions, seminars, certifications and get-togethers that you can and go to them all.

3.  Enter a competition

Most of the readers on this blog are CrossFitters.  Find a competition.  Enter it.  I know that most competitions end in a cheat meal but if you spend the whole weekend eating better, the damage will be less.  Also, a competition provides a short-term goal for many people that need a boost for the 2-4 weeks out of the event.

4.  Have a cook out

If you host your own cookout, you can be in control of most of the food present.  Give it a trendy theme like the “Caveman Cookout” or the “Environmentally Sustainable BBQ” and tell people to bring only local fruits and vegetables sides and source your meat from a local farm or butchers.