Started as a maverick gym in Santa Cruz, CrossFit has spread worldwide, becoming the principal strength & conditioning program for police academies and tactical op's teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, & hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. Why? Because CrossFit works...FAST.
CrossFit delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. CrossFit's specialty is not specializing. Daily life, like many sports and professions, (and even combat) requires broad levels of fitness. CrossFit's program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind.
Click Here and Here for two great articles if you think CrossFit is too hard for you or beyond your ability.
To find out more about the principles and belief behind CrossFit, click here.
081119 WEDNESDAY "Filthy Fifty" and Anne's Birthday!
Anne (left of Jamie and Ryan "aka DEATH") had one small request for her birthday. . . the FILTHY FIFTY! (and NO she is not fifty years old. . . she's something like 29 I believe - jj)
(Scaling option: The "Dirty Thirty" is another option for scaling - instead of just using reduced weights for the different exercises. If you don't think you can finish the full "Fifty" workout in 40 minutes or less, you should think about using this option).
Video: The most powerful person on Earth (unless you know someone with 261 "horsepower").
There you have it folks. . .don't eat processed food, and possibly drink melted butter, eat raw mutton, and have sex 15 times a day. . . and don't sleep from birth. Seems easy to me -jj
After eight years, the researchers found no difference among the groups in the incidence of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure or angina. And taking the vitamins did not reduce the need for cardiac revascularization, a surgical operation to restore adequate blood flow to the heart.
Stavros and Jeremy do "Jason" at CrossFit Santa Clara (Jason Khalipa's affiliate) while Issiah (aka "Zay Zay") cheers us on. We didn't beat Jason or "Andy" (17:54!) but DCF was well represented.
Workout: "The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Post rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.
From CrossFit.com:
Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, "The Chiefs" have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities. As the induction process for newly selected Chief Petty Officers is now underway throughout the US Navy, we thought it appropriate to inaugurate "The Chief" in honor and recognition of all past and present CPOs. Thanks to them and their families for their self-sacrifice, ability to adapt, tireless dedication to mission and devotion to country.
A study of almost 360,000 people from nine European countries found waist size a "powerful indicator" of risk.
Each extra 2ins (5cm) raised the chance of early death by between 13% and 17%. . .
At the extremes, men with waists exceeding 47ins (119cm) had a doubled rate of death compared with those with waists under 31.5ins (80cm), and a similar statistic was found when women with waists over 39ins (99cm) were compared to those under 25.5ins (64.7cm).
An increase in risk of death could be plotted every time the belt was let out by another two inches - for two people with the same BMI, every additional 2ins (5cm) on their waistband added up to a 17% increase in risk for men, and 13% for women.
Eric loves burpees. Especially when you have to jump 12" every time.
Workout - 5 rounds for time:
30 Double Unders
20 Kettlebell Swings (54lb, 35lb, 26lb)
100m Waiter Walks (see picture below), 54b, 35lb, 26lb dumbbell or kettlebell (should be the same weight as the kb swings). Alternate arms as needed, but no forward motion unless the arm is locked out overhead.
Post time to comments.
Dan John leads CFHQ through some waiter walks back in the day.
Tests on mice showed that reducing excess levels of the acid lessened animals' memory problems and behavioural changes.
Writing in Nature Neuroscience, the team said fatty acid levels could be controlled through diet or drugs. . .
Scientists from Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the University of California looked at fatty acids in the brains of normal mice and compared them with those in mice genetically engineered to have an Alzheimer's-like condition.
They identified raised levels of a fatty acid called arachidonic acid in the brains of the Alzheimer's mice.
You may literally have to add it to your to-do list, but scheduling a good night's sleep could be one of the smartest health priorities you set. It's not just daytime drowsiness you risk when shortchanging yourself on your seven to eight hours. Possible health consequences of getting too little or poor sleep can involve the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. In addition to letting life get in the way of good sleep, between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorder—insomnia or sleep apnea, say—that affects daily functioning and impinges on health. Consider the research . . .
Jeremy goes in for some tire flips while Stavros provides encouragement (and Jamie and Jax yell from the sidelines).
Workout:
With a continuously running clock, perform 1 sumo deadlift high pull the first minute, 2 sumo deadlift high pulls the second minute, and continue adding one rep each minute until you can no longer complete the allotted reps in the minute.
The weight should be fairly heavy. If you are unsure about the weight, intermediate/advanced men should use approximately half their body weight, intermediate/advanced women should use about 1/3rd.
Post weight used and number of complete minutes and additional reps to comments.
I have been following the Palaeolithic lifestyle for nearly a year now. You may know it as the ‘caveman diet’, although this does not do justice to the concept.
The premise is that by eating what our ancestors ate and exercising as they exercised, we optimise our health and fitness. Since they ate like this and exercised like this for hundreds of thousands of years, natural selection dictates that our bodies will be designed to function best under those conditions. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
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The "Big Girls Don't Cry" Competition is THIS SUNDAY. Please post below if you are going to be able to swing by and cheer some of our own as we compete against other top CrossFitters! (There is also a few open slots, so let me know if you are interested).
"For those of you who don’t know, I sit on the board as a medical advisor for a local non-profit melanoma foundation, SCARF. SCARF was founded in honor of Sherri Tennant, a nurse who worked with us at Diablo Valley Oncology. She was an amazing and courageous woman who unfortunately lost her battle with melanoma in 2006. SCARF’s mission is to educate the community about prevention and early detection of melanoma. Rocco’s pizzeria is hosting a fundraiser for SCARF on Thursday, October 23rd. All you have to do is either dine in or order take out from Rocco’s anytime on the 23rd, mention SCARF, and 25% of the net proceeds go to our NPO. I will be there most of the evening, eating pizza, probably drinking beer, and pretending to watch the world series…I would LOVE to see all of you. Please bring family and friends!"
If you don't come to the Shed tonight, I expect you to swing by Rocco's and support such a good cause. If you do come to the Shed, I expect you all to have some post workout nutrition at Roccos. DON'T FORGET TO MENTION SCARF! -jj
I was involved in a discussion recently where the statement of “red meat causes colon cancer” was spoken. Figuring that to be a gross over generalization, I decided to do some sleuthing and see what the record shows regarding red meat and colon cancer. I meandered over to Google, typed in “red meat” and came up with a screen full of search results. Of the first five hits, four are irrelevant (a comic strip called “Red Meat” and a honky tonk band called…”Red Meat”) and the fifth is to Wikipedia. . .
081003 FRIDAY "Sarah Does Kelly For Her Birthday!"
Trainer Sarah (green tank, tattoos) leading the "Girls Class" through 400m of walking lunge hell! As a birthday gift, Sarah wanted to do "Kelly" so . . .
Workout: "Kelly". . .
but instead of 30 reps box jumps and 30 reps of wall ball, we are going to do 33 reps of each because it is her birthday.
Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. More specifically, the study revealed that pain signals originating in arthritic joints, and the biochemical processing of those signals as they reach the spinal cord, worsen and expand arthritis. In addition, researchers found that nerve pathways carrying pain signals transfer inflammation from arthritic joints to the spine and back again, causing disease at both ends. . .
So as I see it, stay active and take your fish oil to prevent pain and inflammation in the first place. -jj
Post thoughts to comments (and no jokes about Sarah's age and arthritis).
From Roger Harrell and Andres De la Rosa and CrossFit Marin:
The gymnastics seminar on Sunday September 21st was a lot of fun and we had a great time! We wanted everyone to experience a little of what it’s like to be in a real gymnastics program so it was a bit of a whirlwind, especially since we actually got in at least a little bit of all the events. This time the format will be a little bit different. . .
Click "Continue Reading Below for Details".
"First off, Roger will run a 1.5 hour trainer’s seminar from 3:30pm-5pm with Russell “The Gremlin” Bruel and myself as assistant coaches. The material covered will include teaching ring progressions, including skin-the cat and lever progressions as well as spotting forward rolls and press to shoulder stand on rings. On floor we will be covering handstand progressions and drills. The focus here is teaching how to teach these skills.
Subsequently, I will be running another gymnastics workshop/class from 5:30-8:30pm. The emphasis here is to actually be in an intense CrossFit adult gymnastics class and while rookies and noobs are welcome, we will try to progress past the basic movements into beginner and intermediate skills. This time we’re not going to try to hit every event, but rather get into more depth on three events for the course of the class. The events covered will be floor (with a focus on back tumbling and back handsprings), parallel bars (swings, handstands, back up rises and pirouettes, and intermediate skills if appropriate), and rings (basic swing, press shoulder stand/handstand, crosses, back up rises and shoot supports, aka birdie-ups if appropriate). One of my personal projects in CrossFit is to get CrossFiters doing shoot supports on rings. I am especially curious to see who is going to be the first female CrossFiter to get one. The prerequisites involve good swing technique, spacial awareness while rotating, a strong support on rings, and explosive abdominal strength. Jolie Gentry has been coming to our gymnastics classes on Mondays, so she might be the one to do it first, but I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody else comes to our seminars and beats her to it. If you want to see a video of what it is check out this link to Roger’s gymnastics resource site: http://www.drillsandskills.com/video/display?path=ria007.mpg. The gymnast in the video does a really nice one. It’s really NOT as hard as it looks. I got one on my first or second try, (it was a long time ago, I can’t remember precisely) and if I can do it, you certainly will be able to!
Lastly, we will have our open skill request session from 8:30-9pm. If there is enough interest, we might even stay later than that. Last seminar, Chris Stroud from One World and Jason Khalipa from CrossFit Santa Clara took advantage of the open skill request session to work on their back-flip technique. They got spotted through some pretty descent ones! What particular gymnastics skill do you want to nail down?
Here is the pricing schedule for this Session:
Trainer’s session 3:30-5pm: $60
Gymnastics workshop 5:30-8:30pm: $60
If you sign up for both: $100 > save $20!
The address is:
300 Piedmont Ave, suite 604
San Bruno, CA, 94066
We are planning on keeping the coach to student ratio at about 1:8; we only have 3 committed coaches currently, so that’s only 24 slots. There was a waiting list of people that wanted to come to the last seminar but weren’t able to because it filled up, but will be attending this one, so there is a chance that this one might fill up as well. Please let me know right away if you are coming. I do apologize about the extremely late notice. I got injured last week which negatively impacted my productivity and I failed to get this out. I hope to see you guys there, and if you have any questions feel free to call or e-mail me.
P.S.: It’s CrossFit Marin’s 2nd birthday, so if you’d like to hang out afterwards and stay for some pound cake, (40% butter Fat, 40% Protein, urr a little bit of sugar.) we’d love your company! My parents can bake some exquisite deserts!
. . .Why does this matter? It matters whether you care about competing or whether you don't.
If you care about competing, then you want to make sure that you're on a level playing field and that the competition is fair. If I were to challenge someone to a 400m run and then run 300m while my competitor runs 400m, then our performances aren't really comparable (to say nothing of the fact that I cheated). In the same vein, if I challenge someone to max number of push presses in one minute, and then proceed to do push jerks while my competitor does push presses, then once again, our performances are not comparable. It's apples and oranges. I wanna level the playing field.
If you don't care about competing, but you do care about making improvements in the movements we do, then you'll want to take note of our movement standards as well. If you have it as a goal to squat 250 lbs, you'll want to know what the correct bottom of a squat is so that you can get it. If you load 250 lbs on the bar and then go down into a half-squat and come back up, then you really haven't done a squat. . .
Mike really lays it out nice in this article. I couldn't have said it better myself. -jj
Dr. Ron Rosedale talks about common cholesterol myths. (The video is a little quirky, as it is an audio discussion pasted over some film footage, but the talking points are great).
Donna hitting the 8' mark during her fight gone bad wall ball.
Workout:
Workout: "Elevation"
In 20 minutes, try to accumulate as many feet of "Elevation" as possible using the following exercises. Next to each exercise is the number we used for distance at the SHED. If you are doing this at on your own, you may change the values to what you have to work with. We also gave two different scores based upon height (over 6 foot is on the left, under 6 foot is on the right).
Rope Climb: 6 foot and up = 11 / 6 foot and under = 12
Muscle Up (bar or rings): 5 / 4
Pull Up: 2.5 / 2
Ring Dip: 2 / 1.5
Box Jump (same for both heights): big box = 3, med box = 2, small box = 1
Step ups (same for both heights): big box = 1.5, med box = 1, small box = 0.5
Post total number of "Feet" accumulated in the 20 minutes.
. . .For those wondering what role testosterone plays in the body, here are just a few of the irritations brought about by this hormone: enhanced libido, increased energy, increased production of red blood cells and protection against osteoporosis. And who would want all of that stuff? Not me! Read on to learn the ways you can make sure you keep your testosterone levels as low as possible, ensuring a lack of sex drive and low energy levels. . .
By studying the participants recruited, researchers focused on the complex mechanism of inflammation. It is known how a chronic inflammatory state represents a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, from myocardial infarction to stroke, just to mention the major diseases. Keeping the inflammation process un-der control has become a major issue for prevention programs and C reactive protein turned out to be one of the most promising markers, detectable by a simple blood test.
. . . people having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced." The 17% average reduction observed may appear quite small, but it is enough to decrease the risk of cardio-vascular disease for one third in women and one fourth in men. It is undoubtedly a remarkable outcome".
Chocolate amounts are critical. "We are talking of a moderate consumption. The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts the beneficial effect tends to disappear".
Scientists studied a gene called TOR, which regulates cell growth and plays a role in the development of cancer. "In C. elegans, the tiny roundworm that our lab studies, as well as some other animals, a loss of TOR has been shown to slow aging. Our work with C. elegans reveals that TOR depends on a second gene called pha4/FoxA to control the aging process," says study co-author Susan Mango, PhD, HCI investigator and professor in the University of Utah Department of Oncological Sciences.
The study also reveals calorie restriction plays a role in how these genes work. "When there's lots of food, TOR gets active, which decreases the action of pha4/FoxA down the line, and that in turn shortens the lifespan of C. elegans," says Mango. "When there's little food, there's little TOR and more pha4/FoxA, and that results in a longer lifespan." In short, a low calorie diet can affect the TOR and pha4/FoxA genes in worms, slowing the progression of aging.
New 6am Firebreathers Alan and Nancy just got engaged last Friday! They are doing weighted lunge walks to prepare for their walk down the aisle next year. CONGRATS GUYS!
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
Row 500m
20 lunge steps with 35lb dumbells
15 ring dips
10 hollow rocks
Post number of rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
Jeff Tucker explaining "Hollow Rocks" and the "Hollow Position" in relation to the hand stand (again):
. . .The researchers found increasing amounts of iron in the muscle cells of aging rats fed a typical unrestricted diet. The older the rats got, the more iron accumulated in the mitochondria and the more damage was done to its RNA and DNA. Rats of the same ages that were kept on a calorie-restricted diet — about 60 percent of the food typically ingested — seemed to maintain more normal iron levels in mitochondria, the researchers reported. . .
. . .The problem occurs when metals such as iron accumulate in the mitochondria and react with oxygen. Iron can change the chemical structure of oxygen, triggering its metamorphosis into a free radical, an unstable atom that can upset the delicate balance inside the mitochondria. . .
(Now I hope they do an iron test on aging rats using the Intermittent Fasting protocol and compare them to these results. -jj)
And for those of you who haven't been around long enough. . . it is time to choose your three benchmarks to be completed before the end of the year. The requirements are that you choose at least one for each category:
Then work as hard as you can to achieve that goal by the end of the year.
Post them here if you haven't got them listed on one of the older posts already. Do it now. It is important that you do it publicly. We will encourage and help you.
You have got to the end of the year to get them done, so don't cheap out and pick easy stuff. Go big, but realistic. You will be amazed what you can accomplish with a deadline (as opposed to a 'resolution')
Some volunteers were asked to complete three 50-minute sessions a week of moderate physical activity, such as walking, for 24 weeks. Others were not asked to increase their exercise levels.
At the end of the study, the people in the exercise group achieved better scores in tests of their cognitive function, and lower scores in tests to determine signs of dementia.
Follow-up showed that the benefits persisted for at least another 12 months after the exercise programme was stopped.
Banning the use of lifts and escalators led to better fitness, less body fat, trimmer waistlines and a drop in blood pressure, a study of 69 people found.
This translates to a 15% cut in the risk of dying prematurely from any cause, calculate the University of Geneva team.
080831 SUNDAY "FGB Fundraiser team website is up!"
Jasmine nailed her first kipping pull up last week (you can see by the expression on her face that it took a lot of concentration).
Workout:
Perform 1 thruster the first minute, 2 thrusters the second minute, 3 thrusters the third minute and so on until you can no longer complete the number of thrusters in the allotted minute.
The carcinogen affected the activity of some 2,200 genes in the animals' esophagus in only one week, but 460 of those genes were restored to normal activity in animals that consumed freeze-dried black raspberry powder as part of their diet during the exposure.
Below is a link to the Diablo CrossFit Fight Gone Bad Team web page. People wishing to participate at The Shed should register on the 'Athletes for a Cure' website and sign up for the DCF team.
Do it right away so you can invite lots of your friends and family to contribute to the cause. Spectators for the fundraiser are encouraged and there will be prizes and food as well as the event itself.
Make sure you mark your calendar on Saturday, September 27th!
"The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged, and potentially you consume more," Dr Andrews said. . .
"A diet rich in carbohydrate and sugar that has become more and more prevalent in modern societies over the last 20-30 years has placed so much strain on our bodies that it's leading to premature cell deterioration," Dr Andrews said. . .
(I do think it is interesting that the 21 year old "man" has been using steroids for a "while", and as far as muscle mass goes, it doesn't look like was actually that big. But it is bad news when you mess with your endocrine system. . . also, the pictures are pretty graphic, you have been warned -jj)
Let’s start with disease. We’ll start with The Big C, cancer, the second-leading cause of death in the United States. All of the studies I found were in rats and mice, but we have to remember that IF is still an emerging science. In our rodent friends, cell proliferation rates are lowered by 25% caloric restriction, but not as much as by Alternate Day Fasting. A report on another study showed that a 5% reduction in calories, but only being fed every other day, also reduced cell proliferation rates.
"Disturbing a woman's instinctive attraction to genetically different men could result in difficulties when trying to conceive, an increased risk of miscarriage and long intervals between pregnancies. Passing on a lack of diverse genes to a child could also weaken their immune system. . ."
"After reviewing 30 studies carried out worldwide over periods ranging from one to 60 years, the Dutch professor said the effects of happiness on longevity were "comparable to that of smoking or not".
That special flair for feeling good, he said, could lengthen life by between 7.5 and 10 years. . ."
Last time, we started looking at the physiological effects of fasting. I first looked at it from the perspective of energy production. As we saw, fasting has several effects on hormones, such as glucagon, epinephrine, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). These hormonal effects allow the body to tap into its stored energy reserves so you can keep on trucking. Today, I want to look at a few additional hormonal effects. Part of the problem we run into is that studies thus far have been done on long-term fasting of multiple days, whereas we’re more interested in the short-term effects of Intermittent Fasting. So we’re going to have to do some educated theorizing. . .
. . .If we look at growth hormone (hGH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), we also see increases during fasting. As Robb pointed out, these two hormones “are crucial in actions such as tissue repair, hypertrophy, DNA repair, lypolysis, and, to some degree, strength.” That seems to bode well for those of us engaged in intense activity and could explain why so many people report improved workout recovery while IFing. And while IGF has been linked to some forms of cancer, animals tested on IF protocols have shown increased IGF levels, but decreased levels of disease. . .
Matt E and Sean P giving it all up on the Newbie WOD Squats.
Workout:
1 pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the second minute, 3 pull ups the third minute. . . go for as many rounds as possible until you can't do the number of pull ups required in the allotted minute for that round.
Advanced: start with 45lbs added, then drop to 20lbs when you can't keep up, then go do no weight added.
The work tracked 500 older runners for more than 20 years, comparing them to a similar group of non-runners. All were in their 50s at the start of the study.
Nineteen years into the study, 34% of the non-runners had died compared to only 15% of the runners. . ..
Running not only appeared to slow the rate of heart and artery related deaths, but was also associated with fewer early deaths from cancer, neurological disease, infections and other causes.
And there was no evidence that runners were more likely to suffer osteoarthritis or need total knee replacements than non-runners - something scientists have feared. . .
This month's (Issue 43 for August 2008) Performance Menu has a great article on POSE running. Be sure to check it out! (Click the link on the right --->)
Bryan and Shannon S. (doing Single Arm Snatches above) will be representing Diablo CrossFit this weekend on their 100 mile bike ride (with over 8000 ft of elevation!) wearing their new DCF T-shirts. Be sure to ask them how it was when they get back next week.
"Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found the brain's appetite center uses fat for fuel by involving oxygen free radicals—molecules associated with aging and neurodegeneration. . ."
"In contrast to the accepted view, the brain does use fat as fuel," said Horvath. "Our study shows that the minute-by-minute control of appetite is regulated by free radicals, implying that if you interfere with free radicals, you may affect eating and satiety. . ."
The results also imply, added Horvath, "that each time a feeling of fullness or satiety is reached during a meal, you may be chipping away some time from your maximum lifespan as the most free radicals are produced when satiety-promoting brain cells are active."
Another clue to the lifespan and health benefits of Intermittent Fasting? -jj
The men with the highest levels of psychological distress were 2.2 times more likely to develop the condition than those with the lowest levels.
Further analysis showed the link was independent of other factors including age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, smoking, physical activity and socio-economic background.
In the women assessed in the same study, there was no increased risk of diabetes in those with high levels of psychological distress.
The men with the highest levels of psychological distress were 2.2 times more likely to develop the condition than those with the lowest levels.
Further analysis showed the link was independent of other factors including age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, smoking, physical activity and socio-economic background.
In the women assessed in the same study, there was no increased risk of diabetes in those with high levels of psychological distress.
Some of our evening class "Team 1800" doing the 'walking lunges of death' workout (a workout with over 400m of weighted walking lunges).
Workout - This one is great when you don't have any equipment (such as when you are in a hotel, in a waiting room, incarcerated, etc), but you want to work on strength and not just push ups and air squats.
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
5 one legged squats (aka pistols) right leg
5 one legged squats (aka pistols) left leg
5 handstand push ups
Use a wall (counter top, etc) for balance or assistance on the pistols. And a wall for balance on the HSPUs.
. . .
In a study published in January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that regular use of Medicare-sponsored health club benefits was associated with lower long-term health care costs. Researchers determined that Silver Sneakers members who went to the gym two or more times a week over two years averaged at least $1,252 less in health care costs than those who visited a gym less than once a week over the same period.
Click 'Continue Reading' below for entire article.
By Maureen McKinney
Four years ago, Andrew Dancy, 80, received a card in the mail advertising a free gym membership through his Medicare provider, Humana, and the Silver Sneakers Fitness Program. Dancy, who had never belonged to a gym, absentmindedly added the mailer to a stack of papers on a kitchen shelf.
A few months later, after his wife of 52 years died, Dancy was wandering around the house when he saw the edge of the card sticking out of the pile.
"I pulled the card out, saw that it wasn't expired and thought, 'Well, I guess I'll give this a try,'" Dancy says. "I must have kept that card for a reason."
After a brief tour of the YMCA near his home in Cicero, Ill., just outside Chicago, Dancy began attending Silver Sneakers group fitness classes and exercising in the center's upstairs weight room. It wasn't easy, Dancy says, but after a few visits, he was hooked.
For many, it's the first time
Silver Sneakers is just one of the many programs aimed at the growing senior fitness market. The company partners with more than 40 Medicare health plans and Medicare Supplement Providers nationwide, which then offer the program to their members at no additional cost aside from their premiums, says Tricia Grayson, director of external communications for Silver Sneakers.
The average age of participants is 73, and 57% of those say they have never had a gym membership before joining, says Jennifer Fitzgerald, Silver Sneakers' account manager. After joining, 68% of members say they are exercising for 30 minutes at a time, three or more days per week.
In a study published in January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that regular use of Medicare-sponsored health club benefits was associated with lower long-term health care costs. Researchers determined that Silver Sneakers members who went to the gym two or more times a week over two years averaged at least $1,252 less in health care costs than those who visited a gym less than once a week over the same period.
"The insurance industry and other large organizations are focusing much more energy on preventive maintenance like this," says Cheryl Green, director of fitness and wellness at the Pav YMCA in Berwyn, Ill., where Dancy works out.
"Seniors who exercise often don't need to go to the doctor as much. They can come here and spend time with their peers, and then they feel better able to do things like grocery shop for themselves. They're also more committed to the program because they realize how precious their quality of life is."
Although the Silver Sneakers Fitness Program has been around since the early '90s, interest has been increasing steadily in recent years, Grayson says. In the past year, enrollment in the program grew by 32%, and participation also rose by 25%, she says. "We expanded into 24 new markets in 2008 and 27 new markets in 2007."
Personal trainers are taking notice, says Janie Clark, president of the American Senior Fitness Association, which specializes in education and certification for senior personal trainers. "When we started in the early 1990s, personal training for anyone was still very rare, and it was basically unheard of for seniors," Clark says. "Now we're getting calls from senior centers and gyms, clamoring for specialized trainers and information about the correct activity choices, equipment and recruitment."
Several factors are behind the shift, Clark says. For one, research has demonstrated the importance of regular exercise for seniors.
"Twenty years ago, personal trainers were afraid to do any kind of real, strenuous training with older adults," she says. "They were so cautious that the exercises they were doing were often not even effective."
Now, after much-needed research, Clark says, it is more widely known that strength training improves seniors' cardiovascular health and can help prevent falls. As older adults become better educated about the benefits of exercise, they also seek out programs on their own, Clark says.
"They want to be independent for as long as they can be, and they know that physical fitness is a big part of that."
Something to look forward to
Staying independent was a motivating factor for Dancy, who says he has increased strength and mobility after three years of frequent exercise. Now he wakes up before the sun rises just so he can be waiting when the fitness center opens its doors at a quarter to six. He is at the YMCA for an hour and a half each day, seven days a week, he says.
"It's something I look forward to," says Dancy, who also enjoys the social benefits of going to the gym. "It got me out of the house and now, I feel like I can get around easier and faster than a lot of people who are quite a bit younger than me. I feel like a spring chicken."
Carry, Chanda, Jimmy and Mark spend some time on the floor after today's WOD.
Workout:
4 rounds for time.
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (135lb men, 95 women)
10 Floor wipers to each side (20 total) use the same bar as above.
10 Floor circles (5 clockwise, and 5 counter clockwise)
10 Walking lunges each leg (20 total) 45lb dumbbells men, 25lb dbs women
. . .an individual who was dying at 40 years of age brought himself to a state of good health in less than one year, and through the careful exercise of self-control prolonged his life to 102 years of age with the full preservation of all his faculties to the very end. The living of each day was a joy in his life at all times.
Omega-3 fatty acids — found in salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit — provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia, said Gómez-Pinilla, a member of UCLA's Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center. . .
"Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia," he said. "A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory.". . .
Preliminary results from a study in England show that school performance improved among a group of students receiving omega-3 fatty acids. In an Australian study, 396 children between the ages 6 and 12 who were given a drink with omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients (iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamins A, B6, B12 and C) showed higher scores on tests measuring verbal intelligence and learning and memory after six months and one year than a control group of students who did not receive the nutritional drink. This study was also conducted with 394 children in Indonesia. . .
A long-term study that included more than 100 years of birth, death, health and genealogical records for 300 Swedish families in an isolated village showed that an individual's risk for diabetes and early death increased if his or her paternal grandparents grew up in times of food abundance rather than food shortage.
"Evidence indicates that what you eat can affect your grandchildren's brain molecules and synapses," Gómez-Pinilla said. "We are trying to find the molecular basis to explain this."
Controlled meal-skipping or intermittent caloric restriction might provide health benefits, he said.
Excess calories can reduce the flexibility of synapses and increase the vulnerability of cells to damage by causing the formation of free radicals. Moderate caloric restriction could protect the brain by reducing oxidative damage to cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, Gómez-Pinilla said. . .
In patients with major depression and schizophrenia, levels of a signaling molecule known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, are reduced. Antidepressants elevate BDNF levels, and most treatments for depression and schizophrenia stimulate BDNF. Here, too, omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial, as is the curry spice curcumin, which has been shown to reduce memory deficits in animal models of Alzheimer's disease and brain trauma. BDNF is most abundant in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus — brain areas associated with cognitive and metabolic regulation.
The high consumption of curcumin in India may contribute to the low prevalence of Alzheimer's disease on the subcontinent. . .
+++REMINDER: The Shed will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the CF Games. Anyone who would like to meet us there will receive a free workout.+++
Sheriff Bryan had to stop by and give Jorgy (above) and Rick (below) speeding tickets. . .
For doing "Fran" in sub 3 minutes and the "Filthy Fifty" in sub 14 minutes!!! F-ing Strong work guys!
Load up on your good cholesterol to avoid Alzheimer's
The researchers found that people with low levels of HDL were 53% more likely to suffer memory loss compared with the people with the highest levels of HDL.
Jimmy and Brian dominating with the 20lb weight vests.
Workout:
5 rounds:
1 minute max reps weighted pull ups (20lb vest or 45lb dumbell)
1 minute max reps OHS (65lb or 115lb)
200m sprint timed
1 minute rest
Add up total reps for the pull ups and OHS, add up all the seconds from the sprints. Divide reps by seconds for score. Post total reps, total seconds, and score to comments.
Another key study finding is that men with more robust rest/activity rhythms had much lower mortality rates. Having greater levels of activity during the day and/or lower levels of activity during the night (better sleep quality) are characteristics of robust rhythms.
According to the results, when bedtimes were restricted to five-and-a-half hours study subjects consumed more energy from snacks. The carbohydrate content of ingested snacks also increased for this group.
The authors concluded that factors such as longer exposure to an environment with unlimited access to food and changes in reward seeking and motivation may underlie the increased consumption of snacks associated with recurrent bedtime curtailment.
The researchers found that bright light lessened cognitive deterioration by a relative 5 percent, reduced depressive symptoms by a relative 19 percent and diminished the gradual increase in functional limitations by a relative 53 percent.
Melatonin reduced the time to fall asleep by a relative 19 percent and increased total sleep duration by 6 percent, but adversely affected caregiver ratings of withdrawn behavior and mood expressions. The addition of bright light improved the adverse effect on mood. In combination with bright light, melatonin reduced aggressive behavior by a relative 9 percent.
*** TUES. 8AM CLASS CANCELED, MUAY THAI CANCELED THURS & SATURDAY *** (Luca is getting a much needed vacation).
Quote of the week: "I would say 'that the only easy day was yesterday', but I know that I won't be sore from yesterday until tomorrow."
Workout:
Power Snatch 1 rep
Overhead Squat 2 rep
Start at a moderate weight (50%-70% of your approximate OHS max), add increments of 10 lbs (if you can power snatch more than 95) or increments of 5 lbs until failure. Back off one increment and perform as many OHS as possible with that weight.
Dustin came to the Shed a little early for his workout and decided that he would try for a muscle up again. He cranked one out first try (and then did more later): ANIMAL.
Workout:
30 Muscle Ups for time.
(If you cannot do muscle ups, do 60 weighted pull ups with 20 lbs added, and 60 ring dips with 20 lbs added. Doing them on the rings is preferred).
Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.
Those exceeding government limits — 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women. . .
To reach its goals of shrinking the overweight population by 10 percent over the next four years and 25 percent over the next seven years, the government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets. . .
What Jenny is doing with the box over Jorgy's head, we can only guess.
Workout: Hill Sprints
Find the steepest hill you can find (the DCF hill works great, but a nice sand dune would be even better). Mark off 30 meters.
Perform 10 runs up the hill with a 2 minute rest and a walk back down after each sprint.
Post total time to comments.
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A better angle on our BBQ! Everybody (including DCF babies) is on camera! Nice horns, gang!
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Article: Brief, Intense Exercise Can Benefit The Heart, Study Shows
Short bursts of high intensity sprints--known to benefit muscle and improve exercise performance--can improve the function and structure of blood vessels, in particular arteries that deliver blood to our muscles and heart, according to new research from McMaster University. . .
"As we age, the arteries become stiffer and tend to lose their ability to dilate, and these effects contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease," says Maureen MacDonald, academic advisor and an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "More detrimental is the effect that blood vessel stiffening has on the heart, which has to circulate blood".
The research compared individuals who completed interval training using 30-second "all-out" sprints three days a week to a group who completed between 40 and 60 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling five days a week.
It found that six weeks of intense sprint interval exercise training improves the structure and function of arteries as much as traditional and longer endurance exercise with larger time commitment. . .
"Our studies have convinced us that there is a lot of variation in the population in these enzymes, and a lot of it affects function, and a lot of it is responsive to vitamins," Marini said. "I wouldn't be surprised if everybody is going to require a different optimal dose of vitamins based on their genetic makeup, based upon the kind of variance they are harboring in vitamin-dependent enzymes." . . .
"Our soldiers, like top athletes, operate under extreme conditions that may well be limited by their physiology," Rine said. "We're now working with the defense department to identify variants of enzymes that are remediable, and ultimately hope to identify troops that have these variants and test whether performance can be enhanced by appropriate supplementation." . . .
Since this experiment, the researchers have found 30 other variants of the MTHFR enzyme and tested about 15 of them, "and more than half interfere with the function of the enzyme, producing a hundred-fold range of enzyme activity. The majority of these can be either partially or completely restored to normal activity by adding more folate. And that is a surprise," Rine said. . .
Most scientists think that harmful mutations are disfavored by evolution, but Rine pointed out that this applies only to mutations that affect reproductive fitness. Mutations that affect our health in later years are not efficiently removed by evolution and may remain in our genome forever. . .
"There are over 600 human enzymes that use vitamins or minerals as cofactors, and this study reports just what we found by studying one of them," Rine said. "What this means is that, even if the odds of an individual having a defect in one gene is low, with 600 genes, we are all likely to have some mutations that limit one or more of our enzymes."
The subtle effects of variation in enzyme activity may well account for conflicting results of some clinical trials, including the confusing data on the effect of vitamin supplements, he noted. In the future, the enzyme profile of research subjects will have to be taken into account in analyzing the outcome of clinical trials. . .
I refuse to become one of the walking undead. The unwell. The quitters, the complainers, the crybabies. Those who say “Oh, well, I’m fat” and just accept it. Those who don't even try. Those who won’t get off the couch and on the road to anything but the drive-through. I am so done with them.
"Doing a job that is intellectually demanding creates thinking abilities that pay dividends into retirement -- regardless of intelligence or years of education, according to new research from the Duke University Medical Center."
In short. . .never stop learning, never stop challenging yourself. -jj
080423 WEDNESDAY "Jax", a couple birthdays, and the FF Challenge
Jimmy and JJ represent.
Workout: "Jax"
Not technically one of the ladies or one of the heroes, we dubbed this workout after the heroic effort that my son Jax is putting my wife through on her last legs of pregnancy.
All exercises completed with 20lb weight vest.
1 minute ring push ups
1 minute power clean 135 lbs
1 minute box jumps
1 minute rest
"Perls said the secret to a long life is now believed to be a mix of genetics and environmental factors such as health habits. He said his research on about 1,500 centenarians hints at another factor that may protect people from illnesses such as heart attacks and stroke - they appear not to dwell on stressful events.
"They seem to manage their stress better than the rest of us," he said. "
Speaking of Birthdays, today is Team 0600 Kelly's Birthday! She opted to use her birthday to get some 'all too important' sleep, but we can't wait to see her Friday.
The Toughest Two Minutes
by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
Dubbed "the toughest two minutes in sports" by ESPN, the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is tailor-made for CrossFitters. The participants, all active firefighters, scale a five-story tower with a 45-pound high-rise pack, pull a second pack up from the ground, rocket back down the tower, and hit every step en route. Picking up a 9-pound plastic hammer, they drive a 160-pound slug three feet along a skid. Abandoning this setup, the firefighters sprint through a serpentine course, pick up a charged fire hose, and drag it thirty feet through a pair of saloon doors. Pulling a handle, they unleash a jet of water on a circular target.
Ten feet distant, 175 pounds of dead weight waits for rescue. Grabbing the man-sized dummy around the torso, the firefighters backpedal fifty feet to the finish line, collapsing to the ground to the sound of a buzzer. The best athletes run the course in under 1:30.
"Thirty-six men and women, between 60 and 78 years of age (average age 65), were randomly assigned to daily dosages of either ibuprofen (such as that in Adv
