Blog Archive

Remember our Theoretical Hierarchy of Athletic Development pyramid from the very 1st CrossFit Journal?  A version is included below.

Combining CrossFit training methodology with a diet of meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar brings “a jet stream of adaptation,” says CrossFit founder Greg Glassman.

In the pyramid Glassman created, nutrition is the foundation, with met-cons, gymnastics, weightlifting and throwing, and sport following.

Each level builds on the level below it. So if your nutrition sucks, the aspects above will not be where they optimally could be if your personal nutrition were more solid.

Further, here’s a great summary video from CrossFit HQ

Dr. Berardi has real experience with top level athletes and they each require different needs than the average CF’er and even their peers at the top.  They all do blood screens, adrenal profiling, and tweak their diet continuously.  Performance is a variable with nutrients and exercise only being part of the equation or puzzle.

The TRUTH is that most overweight people will experience major weight/fat loss and emotional/energy boost by eating a real, clean Paleo, Pescitarian (V w/ SeaFood), or even Vegan diet. It all goes back to that Real Food is better than processed food.  Some can tolerate dairy, grains and legumes better than others but that still doesn’t mean they’re nutritionally optimal.

The “Zone” is a commercialized business that just gives us a tool to vary Protein, Carbs & Fat ratios quite bluntly (it’s not that accurate). It bases their diet on the notion that balancing blood sugar levels & insulin as being the most important factor.  It’s high on the list but it’s not everything.  Gary Taubes (author of Good Calories Bad Calories, Why we get Fat, and now part of the Nutrition Science Initiative NuSI) is now updating his stance on the subject as well.  The best way to understand where we are at, what’s complicating our situation is to visit and read the latest articles at:

• Ancestral Health Society,
• MichaelPollan.com (see his cool new stuff on Tumblr/Flipboard and in the Atlantic last week on GMO’s http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-genetically-engineered-food/272931/)
• and NuSI

So back to simple nutrition – Say an athlete’s performance is declining – It could be over-training, or lack of sufficient calories, nutrients and rest, or due to outside stressors and undoubtably a host of a few of the things to the right.

Peak performance requires fine-tuning of many many variables, and probably has to be done and sequenced correctly for your individual situation.

Lets assume most of us are intermediate athletes.   The nutritional requirements aren’t much different from a student who has chosen to be less active. We both have the same needs for a variety of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, about the same requirements for good fat, and surprisingly our protein requirement is only slightly higher as an athlete than that of the non-athlete.

The biggest and most important nutritional difference we have as an athlete is that our carbohydrate needs are generally going to be higher.  So vary them.  Carbs are an efficient energy source, which all athletes and active people rely upon.  Without adequate carbohydrate sources in the diet, you can “hit the wall” and find that overall, you just aren’t feeling up to par.  We all need the variety of good vitamins and minerals but also all the antioxidants and phytochemicals that fruits and vegetables nourish us with.

So, if your weekly activities are hockey, snowboarding, crossfit and surfing you’ll require a higher energy intake, meaning that you can eat more from all the food groups, and may even have extra room for foods usually thought of as empty calorie treats (more paleo desserts, a wine, a cookie or two, etc.).  But if your overweight, metabolically deranged and struggling with your fitness there is a intervention diet that you’ll need to learn more about.

TBear

Tuesday Workout  “2012 Open WOD #3″;
(10 Rounds)
15 Box Jump (24/20)
12 Push Press (115/75lbs)
9 Toes to Bar

One of my current projects is to help us all understand nutrition in an easier and more effective way.  The subject is vast (so bear with me today – it’s a longer post) but we’ll put together some foundational material and information to educate and give us a framework to move forward with food and nutrition discussions if you desire to go there.

It’s easy to get pulled in so many directions with regard to the latest trends and diets.  I know. This isn’t about that. This is about giving you a binder of researched tools that you can read, use and build upon. As well, there’s a lot of geeky testing stuff available to us that’ll give you a personal snapshot (real data) of your nutritional health.

I’m currently reading a book that explores all of the brown and green factors that are essential for burning body fat, from the influence of stress hormones and sex hormones, to thyroid function, insulin and even emotions.  The book isn’t just about fat loss… but is a guide that can help free you from that feeling of always having to focus on or worry about what you are (or not) eating and how much your going to exercise.

Many people want to know how to be able to burn fat while keeping muscle mass.  Right?

I would reckon that the majority of crossfitters inside our doors burn muscle mistakenly because they don’t understand the biochemistry going on inside themselves.  Do you think long cardio sessions are the way to a lean body?  Can be, but more and more studies show greater and more efficient benefits and results with high intensity exercise (HIIT).  Prof and others have shared multiple articles in the past that give us much better control of changing our body composition at faster rates. Maybe he can post the links to them again in the comments. Check here for 23 references that discuss HIIT.

Anyway, whether you are in great shape and happy with your body or whether you are carrying some extra pounds and want to change to something leaner and meaner, this book explains body fat burning chemistry in a simple, easy to understand way, which gives you the potential know how to break your fat burning situation.  So – we’ll get you to understand your personal situation, learn and gain some confidence with making better decisions and get better results.

So many people say they feel like their body betrays them even when they do make an effort.  Usually it’s because you overlooked some factors or co-factors in those puzzle pieces above and haven’t shared those things with your coach.

Remember our bodies are geared for survival and if weight isn’t coming off, it may be that there are hormonal signals shouting at your body to keep that fat there!  LIGHTS OUT is a great book that’ll help you understand that. Get it and read it 3 times.

If we learn how to change that signaling and experience not only the health benefits that come with fat loss (& don’t get carried away with your scale – water/muscle/organs/bone/digesting food and fat make up that number – Scales F**K with our heads – It’s always better to ask yourself “how do you currently look, feel and perform?”) but the really important things like:

• improved mood,
• better heart health and blood pressure,
• decreased risk of type 2 diabetes,
• better hormonal balance,
• less painful periods,
• improved fertility
• enhanced liver detoxification (Patty do you hear me?),

and so on…because most of our longevity goals are about moving towards optimum health and energy levels and being happy and kinder to ourselves throughout the day.

I think Easy or our friends at Choices said something to the effect that when we are kinder to ourselves, we tend to be kinder to others and rather than always having the worry of our weight or body size in the back of our mind ruling all of our choices or facilitating guilty feelings when we don’t make ideal choices, we are happier in ourselves and to those we love.

Optimum health has the potential to change a lot so stay tuned on the workshop details but here is what I’m thinking;

1. Lunch and Learns (once or twice a week)
2. Late Summer/Fall – a network of weekend classes with special guests from around the community (Patty and I will see if we can get the right presenters that are paving the new way regarding nutrition and health without any alternative profiteering motives)

Fun Stuff. Can’t wait to roll it out

(Tomorrow I’ll list a couple more books to add to your library)

Wednesday – get your best music compilation to me.  Contest will be for the best 30min playlist of music to listen to during your crossfit workout.

Tbear

 Lesson Plan for Monday, February 18th:

Warm-up:

20 box jumps
20 ring roll outs
20 roll to v-sit with forward reach

Mix and match those movements however you’d like.  Start out less intense on the box jumps but try to land as high and extended on the box as you can for your last 7 or 8 reps.

Tech:  Pressing Snatch Balance (3,3,3,3) with three breath pause at bottom.

Yet again, this is skill work and done for stability, not max load!  Hope you all are enjoying and getting better. 

Strength WoD:  Back Squat (10,10,10,10,10) + 20 L-pull-ups

Score is sum total of back squat weights.

The fourth annual Nutts Cup is going to be held on August 17th, 2013.

If you’re new to the community and don’t know what Nutts Cup is, it’s pretty much the most important event/day at CrossFit Vancouver each year.

To read more about the event and the history behind it, here is a CrossFIt Journal STORY and VIDEO about Nutts Cup 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Team selection in 2013:

Since we sold out in 6 hours last year – 45 teams registered – this year we’re going to have a two-fold qualification system that essentially starts NOW.

In the end, we will be selecting 30 teams to compete at the 2013 Cup. Teams will be made up of two men and one woman, as usual. 60 teams will have a chance to vie for those 30 spots. The 30 teams selected will be announced on June 15th, two months prior to the Cup.

Here’s the process for entering a team:

On February 28th, preliminary registration opens. It’s $60 to register, and that fee goes directly to Lt. Andrew Nuttall Youth at Risk Foundation (a not-for-profit that helps youth at risk through CrossFit). Registration and payment will happen right here on February 28th.

The first 60 teams who register and pay their $60 will be eligible for Nutts Cup selection. Selection will be based on the following two criteria:

1. 3 qualifying workouts to be released March 15th. You will have until May 31st to complete the workouts and submit your scores to Emily (punky@crossfit.ca). Details to come at a later date.

2. Andy Nutt’s motto in life was “Make a Difference….live life to the fullest” This is also why he joined the military and why he lost his life fighting for what he believed in. In light of this, we want YOU to make a difference. Each team will be asked to host a fundraiser of their own. All money raised by all 60 teams will go to prize money and to Lt. Andrew Nuttall Youth at Risk Foundation. This will also act as your entry fee. So the only money you personally have to put forth to compete is the initial $60 on February 28th (which amounts to $20 each).

Fundraising ideas are up to you. Be as creative as you like. You can host a small competition at your box, or host a Fran for Dollars or a 1,000-burpee challenge. Or maybe you want to step away from the physical realm of CrossFit and host a car wash, a trivia night, a garage sale, a talent show, or a 40-beer challenge or a Beer Mile (run a lap, chug a beer, times four). It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. It can be as simple as a Paleo Bake sale or a Crock Pot competition. And, of course, you’re welcome to be extravagant if you want.

The idea is to show that you care about something other than being a badass CrossFit athlete. We want real people competing at the Cup, people who give back to the community in a bigger way.

Make sure you document your fundraiser, so we can write about it. This can be done by submitting a 1-minute video, or simply by submitting a one paragraph write-up explaining what you did to raise funds along with a picture of your event to Emily (punky@crossfit.ca).

A bit about what you’re raising money for. Here’s a story that was on the community site about the Youth Warrior’s Program and the not-for-profit organization, The Lt. Andrew Nuttall Youth at Risk Foundation.

Team Selection:

1. 50 per cent is based on raw scored from the 3 qualifying workouts
2. 50 per cent is based on how much money you raise at your fundraiser

So, if you place 2nd on the workouts and 30th on the fundraiser you will accumulate 32 points. Teams with the lowest points get offered a spot at Nutts Cup.

Prize money:

We will release this at a later date, but we’re extending it this year – the top 5 teams will all receive prize money. Last year, we gave away $6000. It won’t be less than that this year!

Your job before February 28th:

Select the members of your team and start brainstorming about how you can not only be a physical specimen, but also about how you can contribute and give back for a greater cause.

Lesson Plan for Friday, February 15th:

Warm-up: 3 rounds

10 ring roll outs
10 kettle bell swings
10 glute bridges

Strength: Dead Lift

(5,5,5)

Three working sets of heavy fives.  Work up to a weight higher than you’ll use in the WoD.

WoD: Get a Grip

21-15-9

Dead Lift (255/155)
Toes to Bar

Lesson Plan for Saturday, February 16th:

Warm-up: Turkish Get-Up – max reps in 5 minutes (24kg, 16kg)

Tech: Warm-up WoD movements and set up stations

Partner WoD: 30 minute AMRAP

30 wall balls (20, 14)
20 burpee box jumps (24″, 20″)
10 strict pull-ups