September 28, 2009
090929 Tuesday 1/2 "Hansen"
DCF invades the Nutrition Certification seminar in CrossFit Monrovia. From left to right, Jordan (standing a little close to. . .), Jimmy (backward sunglasses dude), Kelly (I'm making a Jimmy and Robb 'manwitch'), Robb ("The Man") Wolf, Kate ("I'm a chemist and even I don't want to do the Zone diet"), Nick (aka "Ni-Jo"), Matt (6am rowing fiend), Scott ("Evan Almighty stole my image and I want royalties"). Click here for a slightly blurry group shot with more 'horns'.
Feel free to ask them for any nutritional advice from now on! I also expect all of them to post their favorite Robb Wolf quotes to the comments section.
Workout (in Honor of Bryn's Marine Husband returning home from Iraq): "1/2 Hansen"
5 rounds for time.
15 reps, 70lb Kettlebell swing (men) 53lb Kb swing women.
15 Burpees
30 abmat sit ups (or 15 GHD sit-ups)
Marine Staff Sgt Daniel Hansen died February 14th in Farah Providence, Afghanistan when an IED he was working on detonated. Daniel is survived by his mother Sheryll, his father Delbert, his younger sister Katie, and his twin brother Matthew (also a Marine).
(for ADVANCED DCFers who have a lot of time only - 45 minute time limit): Full "Hansen"
Five rounds.
30 reps, 70lb Kettlebell swing (men) 53lb Kb swing women.
30 Burpees
30 GHD sit-ups
Record total time.
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Article: "Apple a day keeps the calories at bay?"
". . . Before lunch, the participants were given either nothing, 1½ medium peeled, cut-up apples (about 125 calories), or a similar caloric amount of applesauce, apple juice with added fiber or apple juice without fiber. About 15 minutes later, participants were served an entree of cheese tortellini and tomato sauce.
Participants who had the raw apple consumed 187 fewer calories than at the meals when they had applesauce, juice or nothing. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Don't get me wrong, I love apples. But first of all, 60 or so calories is not that much of a difference for eating a snack 15 minutes before the meal (it makes sense you'd eat less because you'd feel full sooner). Second, 5 weeks of cheese tortellini and tomato sauce for lunch 7 days a week would get very old - maybe that is why they ate less calories! -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:49 PM | Comments (18)
September 24, 2009
090925 Friday
The Diablotron spawns another in Poulsbo Washington! Kitsap CrossFit was able to use our designs to come up with their own pull up structure called the "Diablotron PNW" (for Pacific North West)
Workout: Deadlifts
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Record loads used for each round
Metabolic Conditioning Workout: As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes
5 burpees
10 Kb swings (men 53lbs, women 35lbs)
Record number of rounds completed.
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Article from Mark's Daily Apple: "The poop on squatting"
". . . I’ve always been one to pull up a stool, have a seat, and ruminate on the past. Learn from what our ancestors did. They made mistakes, sure, but they also made great strides, and to simply wipe that history clean and discard the wisdom contained therein is foolish. If we do that, we risk flushing vital information down the toilet. This is of course old news to most of our regular readers, who take the concept to heart, especially in regards to evolutionary diet and fitness. With every fiber of our being, we pattern our behavior after our ancestral history, because that’s when the formative years of human evolution occurred. Homo sapiens have been eating certain things and exercising a certain way for hundreds of thousands of years, and it doesn’t make sense to mess with a good thing. . ."
Click here for complete article.
(Now I know why Nick and Darren always have to run to the john before a workout. -jj)
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DJ Docto and Dustin Stephens from Diablo CrossFit will be fighting this Saturday in Antioch!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:49 PM | Comments (17)
September 13, 2009
090914 Monday
Diablo CrossFit not only has enough motivated people for one softball team . . . It has enough people for TWO! ("Diablo CrossFit"(top) beat "DCF" (bottom) 12 - 10 last Friday at the first game of the season! Only time will tell which team will come out on top).
Workout: Back Squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Record loads used for each round.
Metabolic Conditioning Workout: Surprise mini metcon brought to you by your trainer.
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Article: Scientists report adulthood body size and cancer risk.
". . .Their results suggested that being overweight in older adulthood was associated with increased prostate cancer risk among white and Native Hawaiian men, but a decreased risk among Japanese men. While excessive weight gain between younger and older adulthood was observed to increase the risk of advanced and high-grade prostate cancers in white men and increase the risk of localized and low-grade disease in black men, it appeared to decrease the risk of localized prostate cancer in Japanese men. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:49 PM | Comments (10)
August 24, 2009
090825 Tuesday
Congratulations to Mike and Tristin who were just married on Saturday! (click on the photo to enlarge it).
Workout: "2 Minute Defense"
5 rounds at 135lbs men, 85lbs women -
1 Power Clean
3 Hang Squat Cleans
2 Jerks
200 Foot run
Rest 2 minutes.
Then. . .5 rounds at 135lbs men, 85lbs women -
1 Power Clean
3 Hang Squat Cleans
2 Jerks
200 Foot run
Notice it says "foot" not meters. Scale the bar weight as needed for proper form.
Post total time.
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Article from Dr. Mike Eades: "Vitamin D-bate D-bunked."
". . .Of course the Vitamin D Council spokesperson is going to heartily disagree (and rightfully so) because it takes much more than that if there is no sun exposure. (The Vitamin D Council recommends somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 IU per day, followed up with blood tests for levels.) Now RK has the other side of the debate because the Vitamin D Council obliges.
However, the Vitamin D Council disagrees: “If one regularly avoids sunlight exposure…to obtain this amount from milk, one would have to drink 50 glasses. With a multivitamin, more than 10 tablets would be necessary. Neither is advisable.”. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Upcoming Events:
"Beverage Mile" competition and barbecue Monday, September 7th (Labor Day). No concrete start times yet. A discussion as to maybe there should be a 5th drink thrown in after the 4th 400m run. Thoughts?
"Fight Gone Bad" Fundraiser for Prostate Cancer Research and the Wounded Warrior Project. Saturday, September 26th.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 5:19 PM | Comments (28)
August 22, 2009
090823 Sunday "Diablo's Shame"
Nancy makes sure to show Lauren S (one of our latest Newbies) how the 6am class operates (by sneaking up behind, and passing her during lunges).
Workout: "Diablo's Shame"
Back in November of 07 CrossFit One World and Diablo CrossFit went head to head in an impromptu lunch workout. Freddie and Jolie beat Craig and I handily (although there is some debate on the number of additional reps completed by the DCF crew. . . and yes we are sore losers).
The original workout was completed as a team workout where only one person at a time is allowed to do that particular exercise, but the exercises can be completed in any order the team wants.
Original - 2 person team, completed for time:
12 rope climbs
50 thrusters with dumbbells totaling 1/2 body weight
100 deadlifts with body weight
Pick a partner who has similar body weight, or pick who's weight will be used for thrusters, and who's weight will be used for deadlifts.
Post total time. Compare to your "Diablo's Shame" singles time if you have one.
(I heard there was a video of the original competition on the internet somewhere. . . but I can't seem to find it. . . of course I didn't look too hard.
The moral to the story is that our affiliate team stomped them at the Games this year. All is now right in the universe. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:22 PM | Comments (12)
August 17, 2009
090818 TUESDAY
Kristine B. wearing her "Don't blow your WOD ('Workout of the day') on the first Jerk. . . Blowing your WOD is never a good thing. Shirt from American River CrossFit - Nice one guys!
Workout: NorCal Games Qualifier workout A
500m Row
30 Burpees
10 Shoulder-to-Overhead (165 lbs men, 95 lbs women)*
Post total time.
*Must be picked up from the ground -no racks- but cleaning the bar each rep is not necessary. Jerks from behind the neck okay.
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Article: "Carnitine for insulin resistance and diabetes"
". . .We can make carnitine but it is estimated that about 75% of our carnitine reserve comes from our diet. Carnitine is mostly stored in muscle tissue (meat) which means that vegetarians do not take in dietary carnitine. However, a healthy vegetarian diet is low fat and therefore vegetarians require much less carnitine. . . "
Click here for complete article.
My question is that how much carnitine is in what meats, and if you eat enough meat (as all good "Primal" eaters should), is there still a benefit to supplementing? -jj
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Upcoming Events
"Pure Pankration" fights Thursday, August 20th
"48oz Mile" competition and Barbecue Monday, September 7th (Labor Day)
"Fight Gone Bad" Fundraiser for Prostate Cancer Research and the Wounded Warrior Project. Saturday, September 26th. (Fight Gone Bad official site, FGB NorCal Site)
- Should we host the Fundraiser at DCF or should we bring a team to CrossFit Oakland? Post to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:46 PM | Comments (23)
August 7, 2009
090807 FRIDAY
Craig and Darren . . . Action figures?
Workout: Deadlifts
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
Bonus Mini Metcon:
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
10 box jumps (24 inch)
10 sit ups
5 DB push presses with right arm (45lb men, 25lb women)
5 DB push presses with left arm (45lb men, 25lb women)
Post number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article: Beetroot juice is a new performance enhancer?
". . . After drinking beetroot juice the group was able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes - 92 seconds longer than when they were given the placebo.
This would translate into an approximate 2% reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Kate A's video of the 2009 CrossFit games.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:10 AM | Comments (19)
August 4, 2009
090805 WEDNESDAY "Elizabeth" or "Lizzy"
Gratuitous Baby Shot. (Jax loves the gym)
Olympic Weightlifting Warm Up: Romanian Deadlift. 3 sets of 8. Keep the lumbar tight and use those hamstrings. Go light and feel the stretch each rep.
Workout: "Elizabeth"
For time.
21, 15, 9
Squat cleans, 135 lbs men, 85 lbs women
Ring Dips
OR
"Lizzie" From (CrossFit Football)
For time.
12, 9, 6, 3
Power Cleans 185 lbs men, 115 women
Ring Dips
Post chosen workout and time to comments.
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EVENT:
Diablo CrossFit is sponsoring another Pure Pankration Fight Thursday, Aug 20th!
Tickets are $20. Talk to JJ for to get 'em. Last time there were hardly any DCFers there. This time I want to show some pride!
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Article: Depression And Inflammation Linked To Pain In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
". . .According to this study, the inflammation and depression each independently increased the likelihood of severe pain. The combined effects of high CRP levels and depression predicted severe pain even more strongly. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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"Beyond the Whiteboard" is now paid for by DCF!
That means if you are a member of DCF, your subscription to BTWB is paid for - AS LONG AS - you use it. I went through and cleared out anyone who didn't have any posts, or only had a few from more than 2 or 3 weeks ago. We must pay for this service by the user, so we will only be keeping people who actually use the service.
Enjoy!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:43 PM | Comments (55)
August 2, 2009
090803 MONDAY "NEW SCHEDULE STARTS TODAY!"
Craig coaches the class on some of the more advanced features of the Concept 2 rowing machines.
Workout: Overhead Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post Loads to comments.
Coach's Corner: If this is a new lift for you, resist the urge to go heavy too soon. Keep it light and practice extra reps. Maintaining "Active Shoulders" is crucial.
Mini Metcon:
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
10 burpees
3 weighted pull ups (men 25lbs, women 15lbs, or use a smaller band if you are still working on kipping pull ups).
Post number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article: Saturated fat is healthy? "The definitive guide to saturated fat." (from Mark's Daily Apple).
"It’s probably the one thing that prevents people from fully buying into the Primal Blueprint. Almost anyone can agree with the basic tenets – eating more vegetables, choosing only clean, organic meats, and getting plenty of sleep and exercise is fairly acceptable to the mainstream notion of good nutrition. The concept of Grok and a lifestyle based on evolutionary biology can be a harder sell, but anyone who’s familiar with (and accepts) the basics of human evolution tends to agree (whether they follow through and adopt the lifestyle is another question), at least intellectually. But saturated fat? People have this weird conditioned response to the very phrase.
“But what about all that saturated fat? Aren’t you worried about clogging up your arteries?” . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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New Schedule Starts Today!
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On a more somber note, an occasional DCFer and good friend, Ed T. is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for nasal pharynx cancer. Our thoughts and Prayers go out to him and his struggle. We know that he will dominate this challenge like he dominates his CrossFit workouts.
Click here to go to his blog chronicling his journey.
Hurry up and whoop this cancer thing buddy - we miss you!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:00 PM | Comments (20)
July 22, 2009
090722 WEDNESDAY
Running with the medicine ball looks like a ball of fun for all involved.
Olympic Weightlifting Warm Up: Strict press 5 reps. Push press 5 reps. Push Jerk 5 reps. Split jerk 5 reps. Start with the PVC or empty bar. Use the same weight for all sets. Try again with more weight if you feel comfortable with the movement.
Workout:
10 rounds for time.
10 pull ups
10 ring dips
Scale this workout down by doing less reps and using a harder band than you'd normally use (i.e. use a smaller band and do 10 sets of 5). This is a MUCH better way to scale for pull ups and ring dips than using more assistance and doing all 100 repetitions. Also, if you can do 10 - 15 repetitions in a row (without the bands for example), don't even think about using a band for this workout.
Post time to comments.
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Article: Stressed out parents may up asthma risk
". . . As expected, children exposed to more air pollution had a higher risk of asthma, but this risk was further increased if their parents were stressed and described their lives as "unpredictable", "uncontrollable" or "overwhelming". . . "
Click here for complete article.
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Make sure you email jeremy@diablocrossfit.com if you would like to go to the Concept 2 Rowing seminar this weekend at DCF. Space is limited, so reserve your spot right away! Go to our "Upcoming Events" page for more details.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:14 AM | Comments (21)
July 17, 2009
090718 SATURDAY
Jamie, Jeremy and Ducky wearing their horns at the games.
Workout:
3 Rounds for time.
24 feet of broad jumps*. Count the number of repetitions needed to complete the distance.
Perform 2 kettlebell swings for every broad jumps used. (men use 53lbs, women use 44lbs)
Perform 3 ring push ups for every broad jumps used.
Perform 4 abmat sit ups for every broad jumps used.
Post time to comments.
*A broad jump is performed by jumping forward with both feet together. No running or stepping allowed. To measure the distance, use the tiles in the gym, they are 4' by 6', or a tape measure.
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Article: Stress and depression worsen childhood asthma.
". . .The study involved 90 children with asthma, aged 7-17. Forty-five asthmatic children with symptoms of depression were compared with 45 asthmatic children without symptoms of depression. Both groups viewed scary, sad (death) and happy scenes from the movie E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.
All children wore electrodes to collect data on heart and respiratory function, which showed the level of activation and reactivity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The researchers assessed airway function before the movie, after the death scene and after the movie.
"The depressed group consistently showed greater parasympathetic activation along with decreased sympathetic activation in response to the emotional provocations – a pattern that would have a detrimental effect on the airways," said Miller. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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The Firefighter Combat Challenge (and Chili cook off) is this weekend in Fremont. Go cheer on Jeff Leonard (who just placed 15th at the CrossFit Games) and Deya (occational DCF visitor and Delta CrossFit member)
Here is a video of CrossFitter Brandon Cunningham doing the Challenge in 1:22.
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EVENTS
July 25th (Next weekend!) - Rowing clinic at Diablo CrossFit. 11am, $75 for DCFers, $85 for non DCFers. Look at our events page for more details.
August 1st - Olympic Weightlifting Clinic with Angela Lim at Diablo CrossFit. 11am, $75 for DCFers, $85 for non DCFers. Look at our events page for more details.
August 22 & 23 - CrossFit One World will be hosting a "Running and Endurance" certification. Sarah and I have both done it and we highly recommend it, especially for those athletes looking to combine endurance sports and CrossFit. Cost is $595. $495 for LE/MIL/FIRE Click here to register.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:03 PM | Comments (8)
July 13, 2009
090714 TUESDAY
Jeff Leonard - 15th fittest man on the planet (and occasional DCFer).
Olympic weightlifting warm up: Power clean to front squat, 10 reps, 3 sets. Keep it light and add weight each set if you feel comfortable. Catch the power clean in a partial squat, pause, then go down to full squat (don't stand all the way up after the power clean, then go down into squat). Make sure to warm up and stretch out your wrists.
Workout: For time.
1000m Row
21 Ring Dips
500m Row
15 Ring Dips
250m Row
9 Ring Dips
Post time to comments.
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Article: "Sporting News" Covers the 2009 CrossFit Games.
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Article: Elevated insulin linked to increased breast cancer risk.
". . .After dividing the participants into three groups based on their insulin levels, the researchers found that women in the upper third for insulin level were more than twice as likely to develop breast cancer compared with women in bottom third for insulin level. The association between insulin level and breast cancer risk was even stronger for those women who had not received treatment in the clinical trial (i.e., the placebo participants) or were in the observational component: women in the upper third for insulin level had a more than three-fold increased risk for breast cancer compared with those in the bottom third.
Notably, the link between elevated insulin level and breast cancer was strongest among lean women and weakest among obese women (who, in general, have higher insulin levels compared with lean women). "This finding is potentially important because it indicates that, in postmenopausal women, insulin may be a risk factor for breast cancer that is independent of obesity," . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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This Thursday Night!
JJ will be cornering James Erickson at the Pure Pankration Fights. Tickets are $20, talk to JJ (we might even be able to get you a deal).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:23 PM | Comments (21)
July 12, 2009
090713 MONDAY "Darren Rosten - 39th fittest man on the planet!"
Darren Rosten - 39th fittest man on the planet.
Workout:
Snatch
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Beginners work muscle snatch. More experienced lifters can try power snatches or squat snatches. Letting go of the bar before completing 3 reps counts as a failed set.
Post loads to comments.
Bonus mini metcon to follow.
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Article: "Oral/body inflammatory connection explained"
"Is your head where your heart is? It may be now. A strong connection between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been suggested in recent clinical studies. As many as 75 percent of adults in the United States have been affected by periodontal disease and an estimated 80.7 million adults (1 out of every 3) have been a victim of CVD in 2006 according to the American Heart Association. From the 80.7 million adults in the United States, 38.2 million are less than 60 years of age, which is almost 50 percent. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:18 PM | Comments (40)
July 9, 2009
090710 FRIDAY
+++3pm classes will be canceled this weekend due to the games. But don't worry, I'll be posting workouts you can do at home so if you can't make the morning classes you can still get a workout in! Olympic lifting class and Muay Thai is canceled this weekend as well.+++
Setting up for the 2009 CrossFit Games - Notice where everyone's eyes will be.
Workout:
Strict Press
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Post loads to comments.
Bonus Mini Metcon To follow.
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Article: Another study showing a reduced diet thwarts aging and disease.
"Writing today in the journal Science, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital reports that a nutritious but reduced-calorie diet blunts aging and significantly delays the onset of such age-related disorders as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy. . .
Click here for complete article.
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Video: I don't think these monkeys are taking advantage of the whole life extension / reduced disease thing.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:03 PM | Comments (21)
July 8, 2009
090709 THURSDAY "Farewell to Jesse!"
+++3pm classes will be canceled this weekend due to the games. But don't worry, I'll be posting workouts you can do at home so if you can't make the morning classes you can still get a workout in! Olympic lifting class and Muay Thai is canceled this weekend as well.+++
Tomorrow is Jesse's last day with us (Friday)! Yet another DCFer is joining the Navy! Farewell and Fair winds Sailor.
Olympic Weightlifting Warm Up: Pressing Snatch Balance, 10 reps. Snatch Balance, 10 reps. Heaving Snatch Balance, 10 reps. Start light, add some weight if you feel comfortable, but don't go heavy.
Workout: Team Murph (Per Jesse's request - he wanted do 'team' because it would be more competitive and "fun").
Teams of two will complete one "Murph" (by dividing the work between them)
For time.
Run 1 mile
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Run 1 mile
Use a 20lb weight vest if one is available (you'll have to trade with your partner).
One teammate works out while the other rests. The work can be divided between each teammate as desired, but all the reps must be completed before moving on to the next exercise! That means all 100 of the pull ups must be completed before moving on to push ups, etc.
Post time to comments.
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This weekend CrossFit fans from around the world will converge on the Ranch in Aromas for the CrossFit Games to watch some of the world’s most fit athletes vie for the title of Fittest Athlete in The World. Certainly, many other sports and venues can claim to have the fittest athletes, but only one contest is completely dedicated to producing the fittest athlete across broad time and modal domains: The CrossFit Games.
Now in its third year, the CrossFit Games has grown from an “anyone can enter” type venue, to a global contest of qualifying events that produced the best CrossFit athletes from around the world. If you haven’t already visitied the CrossFit Games site, then go immediately and preview the amazing athletes who qualified for this incredible event. Male athlete accomplishments incude Chris Spealler’s 106 consecutive pull-ups, Jerome Perryman’s 606lb deadlift, Bionic’s sub-2minute Fran and more! The women include Caity Matter, former pro-basketball player, with a Clean & Jerk PR of 190lbs, Cyndi Frieling with a 365lb dead lift, Gillian Mounsey with a 128lb press and 28 rounds of Cindy. These incredible people will go head to head in FIVE events on Saturday!
Diablo CrossFit’s Darren Rosten (Check out his profile by clicking here.) qualified for the Games by placing 2nd overall in arguably one of the strongest regions in on the planet. His 1st place finish in the grueling final event was one of the most exciting, hair-raising, emotional athletic feats I’ve ever witnessed.
Diablo CrossFit’s newest member, Jeffrey Leonard, will be competing in the Games as well. Jeffrey placed first overall at the NorCal Regional Event and will be competing in the FireFighter Challenge (his 1st love!) the week following the Games! Jeff is an incredibly strong athlete with fantastic Olympic lifts. Check out his profile by clicking here.
And here is a video of Jeff doing "Isabel" at DCF last week:
If you can’t come and cheer Darren & Jeffrey on, then stay tuned to the CF Games website for live updates or listen in to CF Radio for their live broadcasts from the Games. http://games2009.crossfit.com/thegames/radio-at-the-games.html
The CrossFit Games is also the site for the Affiliate Cup Challenge – awarded to the best Affiliate Team in the world. 99 Teams of 4 -6 athletes (at least two women!) will be competing on Friday and Sunday for the bragging rights to the most fit affiliate in the world. At Diablo CrossFit, with so many awesome athletes capable of participating, we held an Affiliate Team Competition to determine our participants. After 3 brutal workouts completed in two days,
Diablo CrossFit’s Awesome Affiliate Team is:
Josh Jorgensen aka "Jorgy"
Jeremy Jones aka "JJ"
Mike Penland
Yvonne Howard
"J Dizzle"
Carry Warner
J-Dizzle is literally recovering from knee surgery one week ago. Yvonne is nursing a shoulder impingement that has limited her range of motion. Both say they are up to the battle this weekend.
They have been training together now for about four weeks, attempting to prepare for whatever might come their way in Friday’s three workouts! Sunday will determine the overall champion.
Come cheer your DCF Affiliate team on Friday and hang with some cool CrossFit people from around the world. If you think our DCF community is cool – wait until you meet CrossFit people from everywhere else. The competition is amazing, the people are friendly, the athletes are unbelievable and the event is a blast.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:14 PM | Comments (35)
July 6, 2009
090707 TUESDAY "Helen"
Darren prepares for the Games; smile on his face, trashcan at the ready.
Olympic lifting warm up: Hang power clean from the mid thigh, 10 reps. Hang power clean from just above the knee, 10 reps. Hang power clean from below the knee, 10 reps. Keep it light. Use the same weight every round. Rest between sets. Make sure to pause at the bottom of the catch (don't just stand right up after catching the weight).
Workout: "Helen"
3 rounds for time.
400m run
21 kettlebell swings (54lb men, 35lb women).
12 pull ups
Post time to comments.
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"Participating in team sports is associated with a reduced likelihood of youths becoming established smokers, according to a new report. However, exposure to movie smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of established smoking in both team sport participants and nonparticipants. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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We will be open different hours this weekend due to the CrossFit Games - Be sure to check back to see exactly what schedule changes are happening.
Remember to email laci.jackson@gmail.com if you plan on attending. We are organizing things like carpooling, food, etc.
Right now we are looking for folding tables, another BBQ, and some kind of carpet we can put down. to stay out of the dirt.
Events are starting at 9am on Friday. The Affiliate Cup teams will do 3 workouts. Darren and Jeff will be completing as many as 5 workouts on Saturday. The top athletes for each day will go on to do additional workouts on Sunday. . .
I predict it is going to be a CrossFit Massacre. Bodies strewn about. Blood. Tears. Cheering. Totally Epic.
Read more about the formats here: CrossFit Games Site - Scoring and Structure.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:39 PM | Comments (45)
July 3, 2009
090704 SATURDAY "Griff"
+++Class at 10am Today! No class at 3pm.+++
Happy Fourth of July!
Workout: "Griff"
In honor of USAF SSgt Travis L. Griffin, 28, who was killed April 3, 2008 in the Rasheed district of Baghdad by an IED strike to his vehicle. Travis is survived by his son Elijah.
First posted 9 June 2008.
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Ripped, literally: as in the muscles of some new recruits to the fad of fitness bootcamps.
". . . But as the morning progressed and the workout intensified, something didn't feel right. It hurt too much. Maybe it was the repeated strain on her wrist, which had seven pins in it from a previous injury, or maybe it was jumping from high platforms into squats, but Kahn soon began to wonder whether fitness bootcamp could land her in the hospital. Even though she was new, instructors had hardly asked about prior injuries and offered no novice modifications for the exercises. . ."
Click here for complete article.
For what it is worth - We hold CrossFit San Francisco in the highest regard. This inaccurate and non-factual article seems to look for a shock factor rather than provide any real information or advice. There are few gyms that I would recommend higher than CFSF. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:44 PM | Comments (19)
June 30, 2009
090701 WEDNESDAY "Happy Birthday Stav!"
Happy Birthday Stavros! (and No, he is not 400 - or 40 for that matter).
Olympic Weightlifting warm up.
Workout: 4 rounds for time.
Run 400m
Rest 2 minutes
Post 400m times for each round to comments.
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Article (I guess I better post it because I had a bunch of people email me! Don't get me wrong though, I do like it when people email me good articles. -jj):
Can you get fit in 6 minutes a week?
“. . .There was a time when the scientific literature suggested that the only way to achieve endurance was through endurance-type activities,” such as long runs or bike rides or, perhaps, six-hour swims, . . . Gibala and his colleagues had a group of college students, who were healthy but not athletes, ride a stationary bike at a sustainable pace for between 90 and 120 minutes. Another set of students grunted through a series of short, strenuous intervals: 20 to 30 seconds of cycling at the highest intensity the riders could stand. After resting for four minutes, the students pedaled hard again for another 20 to 30 seconds, repeating the cycle four to six times (depending on how much each person could stand), “for a total of two to three minutes of very intense exercise per training session,” Gibala says.
Each of the two groups exercised three times a week. After two weeks, both groups showed almost identical increases in their endurance (as measured in a stationary bicycle time trial), even though the one group had exercised for six to nine minutes per week, and the other about five hours. Additionally, molecular changes that signal increased fitness were evident equally in both groups. “The number and size of the mitochondria within the muscles” of the students had increased significantly, Gibala says, a change that, before this work, had been associated almost exclusively with prolonged endurance training. Since mitochondria enable muscle cells to use oxygen to create energy, “changes in the volume of the mitochondria can have a big impact on endurance performance.” In other words, six minutes or so a week of hard exercise (plus the time spent warming up, cooling down, and resting between the bouts of intense work) had proven to be as good as multiple hours of working out for achieving fitness. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:00 PM | Comments (71)
June 24, 2009
090625 THURSDAY "Happy Birthday Donna!"
Everyone wish Donna a Happy Birthday (Donna cleaning at the Catalyst Athletics Olympic Weightlifting Seminar)
Workout:
For time:
50 Sit-ups,
50 Double-unders,
50 Sit-ups,
Walking Lunge, 50 steps,
50 Sit-ups,
50 Burpees,
50 Sit-ups.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
". . .Early settlements in the Fertile Crescent between 9,000 and 10,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, created a completely new environment for any wild animals that were sufficiently flexible and inquisitive (or scared and hungry) to exploit it. The house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, was one such creature. Archaeologists have found remains of this rodent, which originated in the Indian subcontinent, among the first human stores of wild grain from Israel, which date to around 10,000 years ago. The house mice could not compete well with the local wild mice outside, but by moving into people’s homes and silos, they thrived. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Donna is also a "Diablo CrossFit Mentor" - Someone who has gone ahead to become CrossFit Level One Certified. You find out all the different DCF mentors and more about what it means to be a 'Mentor' on our Trainer Page.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:37 PM | Comments (35)
June 22, 2009
090623 TUESDAY "Fran"
Russ, Tami, Carry, and Holly get certified at Aromas! (Look for the horns)
Workout: "Fran"
21 - 15 - 9
Thrusters (95/65)
Pull Ups
Post time to comments.
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Article: From Dr. Eades' Blog "Protein Power"
Low-carbohydrate diets increase LDL: debunking the myth
" . . .This week sees the publication of yet another study showing the superiority of the low-carbohydrate diet as compared to the low-fat diet. This study, published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, demonstrates that subjects following the low-carb diet experience a decrease in triglyceride levels and an increase in HDL-cholesterol (HDL) levels; and that these changes are accompanied by a minor increase in LDL-cholesterol (LDL), which prompts the authors to issue a caveat. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:18 PM | Comments (31)
June 15, 2009
090616 TUESDAY
Kristine, Meg and Tami avoid rope burn with a little bit of preparation.
Workout: Rest Day.
Yes, you read that correctly - REST DAY.
Classes will go on as usual. You can come in and make up a workout you missed, or do a workout assigned by the trainer for that class.
"Resting" is a critical part of training. Read the article below for more details on resting and how many days per week you should be training.
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Article: "Training Volume"
One important yet often overlooked part of physical training is “Rest”. The ratio of days working out to days resting is usually referred to as “Training Volume”. Having a good training to rest ratio will ensure that you are making the progress and gains desired at a good pace while not overdoing it and suffering from slowed performances, injury and illness.
CrossFit is unique in that the workouts are so short compared to other training methods, people have a hard time grasping what is a good Training Volume for them. Many neophyte CrossFitters get so enthralled with the program and/or with getting better (or at least not sucking so bad), that they start coming 5, 6, and even 7 days a week! More is not better when it comes to the highly demanding workouts that CrossFit administers. It is easy to overdue, and the side effects can be glaring and even subtle.
How much training you can handle is primarily based upon your “out of the gym” habits; your sleep, nutrition, stretching/massage, baseline activity levels, etc. The more sleep you get, the better you eat, and better you handle everyday stress, the more often you will be able to train and make progress. Age and genetics can also play a roll, but these things are generally fixed for any individual, and once determined change little over time.
Below (and above) is a chart showing a few of the recommended training day schemes on a weekly basis. The first options are where we direct most new CrossFitters to start. If their bodies can handle that amount of Training Volume and they would like more training days per week, we recommend using the additional calendars listed. . .
The general concept is simple; spread the training and rest days throughout the week as much as possible, try to avoid having more than 2 rest days in a row, and more than 3 work days in a row.
The most training per week we recommend is the “3 on 1 off” regimen at the bottom of the chart. This type of training routine is about the maximum of what anyone can handle for any length of time, and it is also assumed that a rest ‘week’ or half intensity ‘week’ be used every 6 – 8 weeks.
Remember that if you have been training hard and your performances have plateaued, or even decreased, something needs to change. The most common reason we see performance dip with beginners is Over training (aka Under recovery).
Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Note in your journal how you feel so that you can reference it later.
Post your schedule to comments.
-jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:30 PM | Comments (15)
June 4, 2009
090604 THURSDAY "Nasty Girls"
Carry spots Holly through some Muscle Ups.
Workout: "Nasty Girls"
3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats,
7 Muscle-ups (sub 3 sets of 7 chest to bar pull ups and 7 ring dips for each round of M/us).
10 Hang power cleans, 135lb men, 95lb women)
Post time to comments and/or Beyond the Whiteboard
Download a video of Annie, Eva and Nicole doing the original "Nasty Girls" workout here.
And here is a video of the People at Petranek's in LA doing the workout:
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Article:
Glucose metabilism linked to violent crimes in alcohol intoxicants.
"A Finnish study now finds that low glycogen level – which means non-oxidative glucose metabolism – predicts forthcoming violent offending among antisocial violent offender males in a prospective 8-year follow-up study. . . "
Click here for complete article.
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CROSSFIT GAMES LODGING AND SHUTTLE INFO. (including special rates!)
(Click 'Continue Reading' below for details)
From Deana at CrossFit:
SHUTTLE SERVICE FROM THESE HOTELS TO CROSSFIT EVENT
$15.00 A DAY - $40.00 FOR THREE DAYS PER PERSON - contact info below
'Gilroy Hilton Garden Inn'
6070 Monterey Rd., Gilroy, California 95020
Attn: Stacie Vuksanaj, Sales Coordinator
Front desk 408-842-5138 Fax 408-840-7022
Special Code - CrossFit
Contact hotel for room rates
Zone Breakfast $10.95
www.hgigilroy.com
Many DCFers are staying at the Motel 6 below
'Motel 6'
6110 Monterey Rd., Gilroy, California
Attn: Maria Zarazua, General Manager
Front desk 408-842-6061 Fax 408-842-6020
www.motel6.com
Special Code - CrossFit
Special Rates: $53.99 Thursday - $71.99 Friday & Saturday does not include Breakfast
Marina (Next to Del Monte Beach, Marina)
'Best Western - Beach Dunes Inn'
3290 Dunes Rd., Marina, California 93933
Res 800-550-0055 Front Desk 831-883-0300
www.beachdunesinn.com
Special Code: CrossFit
Special Rate: $129.00 +tax Double includes Breakfast
'Quality Inn & Suites'
3280 Dunes Rd., Marina, California 93933
Res 800-550-0055 Front Desk 831-384-1800
Special Code: CrossFit
Special Rate: $109.00 + tax Single $129.00+ tax Double includes Breakfast
www.qualityinnmarina.com
'Sanctuary Beach Resorts'
3295 Dunes Rd., Marina, California 93933
Attn: Jeff Perrine Sr. Sales Manager
Front desk 831-883-9478 fax 831-883-9477
www.TheSanctuaryBeachResort.com
Special Code: crossfitsbr
Special Rate: (1King - Sofa) Dunes View DXL $249.00,
(1King -Sofa) Dunes View Suite $296.00
(1 King) Ocean View Suite $341.00
(1King- Sofa) Ocean View Suite $377.00
Breakfast is available, in room only at $10.00 per meal.
Reservations can be making on line at TheSanctuaryBeachResort.com or by calling 831-883-9478
'Comfort Inn & Suites' Marina
140 Reservation Road, Marina, California 93933 USA
Email: gm.ca569@choicehotels.com
Front desk 831-883-4000 fax 831-883-4001
www.comfortinn.com/hotel-marina-california-CA569
Special Code: 1501
Special Rate: $148.99 Single & Double (minimum - 2adults 2 children / +$10.00 per person over minimum) includes Breakfast
'Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites'
189 Seaside Circle, Marina, California 93933
Front desk 831-884-2500 fax 831-884-2510
www.marinahie.com
Special Code: CrossFit/At Your Service Premier Event Planning
Special rate: $149.00 Single & Double includes Breakfast
Salinas
'Courtyard Marriott'
17225 El Rancho Way, Salinas, California
Reservations: 831-775-0491
Special Code: CrossFit
Special Rate: $149.99 Single and Double includes Breakfast
www.courtyardmarriottsalinas
"Residence Inn, Salinas"
17215 El Rancho Way, Salinas, California
Reservations: 831-755-0410
Special Code: CrossFit
Special Rate: $159.00 Studio and 1 Bedroom Suites includes Breakfast
www.residenceinnmarriottsalinas
'Laurel Inn Motel & Conference Center'
801 W Laurel Drive, Salinas, California s
Reservations: 831-449-2474
Special code: CrossFit
Special rate: $86.00 -1 bd. King or Queen includes Breakfast
www.laurelinnmotelsalinas
As your destination management company "At Your Service Premier Event Planning" will be coordinating hotel shuttle service from hotel listed above. To order your shuttle passes call (831)625-5363 24/7. $15.00 per day or $40.00 for a 3 day pass, per person. (Limited parking on site). We will also be arranging discounts on hotel room rates, local restaurants, shopping, and various other discounts for members of the CrossFit Community to enjoy. Discounted hotel room rates please refer to the "Special Code" Listed above.
In contacting any of the afore mention hotels and referring to the Special Code any member of the CrossFit Community will received the Special Rate listed. These special rates will only be held until June 20th or until all the rooms are sold out.
In addition "At Your Service Premier Event Planning" offers airport pickups and drop off @discounts to CrossFit Community Members on all national and international flights. For more information or to make travel / accommodations call 831-625-5363 or visit us on line at www.travelays.com.
Victoria Ann Grillo
Sales and Event Coordinator
Monterey Limousine
At Your Service Travel & Transportation
P.O. Box 1024
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
831-625-5363, Fax 831-622-9010
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:17 AM | Comments (44)
May 28, 2009
090529 FRIDAY
Kevin rocks his "Irish Yoga" shirt. See what Kevin said about his first few months at DCF below:
'In February after a blood test my doctor told me if I didn't change my lifestyle I could develop NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a life threatening condition). ALT, the enzyme in your blood that tests for this, was 64 on my blood test (with a normal range being 36 or below). I also had unmeasurable triglycerides and high cholesterol.
Yesterday I had to go back for a follow up blood test and my ALT was 35 (or normal) my total cholesterol went from high to normal, a 20% reduction, my triglycerides went from unmeasurable to high, but a 45% reduction, my good cholesterol was raised and LDL (bad cholesterol) lowered. My physician was amazed at the progress.
Basically I've been going to crossfit 3 days a week for 8 weeks and following the diet principles of the paleo plan, fasting when I can, and drinking a glass of red wine every day. I can't wait to go back and get another test in 6 months to see if my Triglycerides are normal as well. You guys are literally, "lifesavers" thanks for helping me live a healthier life.' - Kevin
Workout: Thruster Ladder
With a continuously running clock, perform one thruster the first minute, two thrusters the second minute, etc. Continue until you cannot perform the allotted number of thrusters in one minute.
Prescribed weight for Men is 115lbs
Women use 75lbs
Scale up or down as necessary.
Post loads and number of round completed to comments.
Compare performances with April 10th by clicking here.
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Are you using "Beyond The Whiteboard" yet?
You should definitely think about using this awesome resource for tracking your performances, and plotting your path to total fitness DOMINATION.
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Article:
"How David Beat Goliath" by Malcom Gladwell
". . .When they finally arrived at Aqaba, Lawrence’s band of several hundred warriors killed or captured twelve hundred Turks, and lost only two men. The Turks simply did not think that their opponent would be mad enough to come at them from the desert. This was Lawrence’s great insight. David can beat Goliath by substituting effort for ability—and substituting effort for ability turns out to be a winning formula for underdogs in all walks of life, including little blond-haired girls on the basketball court. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Announcements:
- New Calendar starting June 1st! (don't worry we've changed little)
- New pricing staring June 1st (only for new members, if you are current with DCF, you are 'grandfathered in')
- CPR certification seminar will be rescheduled for June
- Olympic Weightlifting Seminars coming to the "The Shed" soon!
- Rowing clinic coming soon as well.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:42 PM | Comments (24)
May 19, 2009
090520 WEDNESDAY
Jimmy G, Eva Twardokens from CrossFit Santa Cruz Central, Rookie from CrossFit Endurance, Jeremy Jones, and Justin Lascek from CrossFit Witichta Falls at the CrossFit Football Certification seminar (and yes, Justin is wearing a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" t-shirt).
Workout:
4 rounds for time.
Run 400m
Rest 2 minutes
Record each rounds time to comments.
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Article:
". . .According to the Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now, some children with autism cannot properly digest gluten. Instead of passing through the digestive system, the protein breaks down into peptides that leak into the bloodstream of children with ASDs and trigger an opiatelike effect in the brain. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments (and if you avoid Gluten).
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Workout C posted to "Continue Reading" Below
For time:
200 Meter Punching bag shoulder run (85lbs -large bag- men, 50lbs -small bag- women)
50 chest to bar Pull ups
100 meter sled drag, using black and red rope, 44lb/26lb kb inside sled, must put rope over shoulder
200 Farmer carry (45lbs men, 35lbs women)
75 Box Jumps
100 meter tire flips (Big tire men, Medium tire women)
100 meter sled drag, using black and red rope, 44lb kb inside sled, must put rope over shoulder
100 Air Squats
200 Meter Punching bag shoulder run (85lbs -large bag- men, 50lbs -small bag- women)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:20 PM | Comments (19)
May 17, 2009
090517 MONDAY "DCF is CrossFit Football Certified!"
Jeremy Jones and Jimmy Greninger at the very first CrossFit FootBall Certification Seminar at CrossFit Balboa
Workout - Rocky Mountain Qualifier #2
3 rounds for time of:
10 Chest-to-Bar Pullups
10 Front Squats, 165 lbs (105 lbs for women)
10 Burpees
Post Time To Comments. Compare times to Rocky Mtn. Qualifier: Men & Women
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Article: President's Council on Physical Fitness Launches New National Adult Fitness Test
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) launched its new national Adult Fitness Test. The online self-test, available at www.adultfitnesstest.org, measures overall fitness levels by assessing aerobic fitness, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition. Read more here.
Editor's note: It's really easy to be incredibly cynical of this test. It's also quite sad just how pathetically out of shape Americans are. So, we have to start somewhere and I give the Administration credit for initiating the evaluation process.
Posted by Craig at 8:57 PM | Comments (31)
May 7, 2009
090508 FRIDAY
+++Olympic Lifting and 3pm CrossFit canceled this Saturday for Gymnastics Seminar+++
Stavros in the starting position of a clean during the NorCal Qualifiers.
Also. . .
Stavros cheering on Darren at the final event While Kenny Castro drives (another great photo from Tom Campitelli, you can find more of his work from the event here.)
Workout:
For time, going to failure each set:
100 total pull ups
100 total GHD sit ups (sub 150 abmat sit ups for people who cannot do full extension)
Failure on pull ups is any time your feet touch the floor, or you let go of the bar. Failure on GHDs or sit ups is pausing of any kind (you must be moving continuously). Alternate between exercises.
Post time, and total number of sets used to complete the workout to comments.
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Not heard on the video when D-Roe gave Angel the 'Five' -
"C'mon. We're going to the Games baby!"
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Article from The Life Spotlight:
Which is Better Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners?
". . .Yes, you read that right…”sugar is okay”. I politely informed him that there was nothing “okay” about sugar, which he argued adamantly against.* Luckily, he gave me an idea for another post…this one!
So which is worse: sweeteners or artificial sweeteners? And is either “okay”? . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:30 PM | Comments (26)
May 4, 2009
090505 TUESDAY
Jorgy get's ready to start his heat.
Workout:
As Many reps as possible in 10 minutes.
Muscle Ups (3 sub chest to bar pull ups and 3 ring dips for each muscle up if you can't do muscle ups)
"Ground to Shoulder" (for example power cleans) Male: 185#, Female: 105#
Post score to comments.
See the results from the Qualifiers by clicking here.
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Article:
"In a study of 7746 French male civil servants the researchers found that men whose heart rate increased the most during mild mental stress just before an exercise test had twice the risk of dying of a sudden heart attack in later life than men whose heart rate did not increase as much. The study is the first to discover this association and since taking a patient’s pulse is an easy and inexpensive procedure, it suggests a way of identifying people who may be at increased risk. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:45 PM | Comments (25)
April 28, 2009
090429 WEDNESDAY "Rowing Relay Races"
+++DCF CLOSED THIS WEEKEND FOR NORCAL QUALIFIERS - Everyone should head down to Aromas and Cheer on your fellow DCFers!+++
I have been asked what the globe was for when people were looking at our pictures online. We use it for chalk. And EVERYONE knows to put their hands INSIDE of the globe to apply chalk right? (i.e. don't pull the chalk out of the globe and dust up the gym).
Workout: Rowing Relay Races
For time, With teams of 3 people.
Row 500m, rotate to next teammate in succession.
Repeat until all teammates have rowed 4 times. The clock does not stop while athletes change out. Post each 500m time to comments, as well as total team time.
(If working out by yourself, substitute 3 minutes of rest between sets. If working out with only one partner -a team of two people- sub in 1.5 minutes of rest for the missing teammate).
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Videos: Jon Gilson From Again Faster talks about rowing
The Concept2 Rower - Part 2 from Jon Gilson on Vimeo.
The Concept2 PM3 Monitor from Jon Gilson on Vimeo.
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Recipe: "Spinach Bread" from Mark's Daily Apple
(super easy and about 20-30 minutes of total cooking time. . .hey, that's faster than regular bread! -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:16 PM | Comments (25)
April 27, 2009
090428 TUESDAY "Goodbye for now Alex"
+++CLASS AT DCF CLOSED THIS WEEKEND - Everyone should come to the Qualifiers to cheer on our fellow DCFers+++
Alex will be leaving DCF for a spell while he plays Baseball in Indiana. He plans on resuming coaching upon his return (in approximately 5 months or so).
Workout: (Alex would have really liked this workout)
For time.
Run 800m
15 Thrusters (135lbs men, 95lb women, or less if needed)
Run 400m
12 Thrusters
Run 200m
9 Thrusters
Run 100m
Thrusters must start from the floor every set (don't use racks).
Post time to comments.
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Article from Jon Gilson at "Again Faster":
Ian Carver: A better way (implementing CrossFit in Law Enforcement departments).
". . .In Patrol you go from zero to 60. You're out talking to somebody and the next thing you know it's a foot pursuit and you're going over fences and then you're getting in a fist fight. That exact scenario happened to me prior to me leaving there one day. That was really a changing life for me was getting into a fight with a guy that I chased for a long time, getting stuck in a backyard with him and just being in a literal toe-to-toe fist fight for about a minute and a half straight until the first units got there. . .
. . .Win or lose law enforcement combat in public, it’s not go home as the loser. It's you don't go home. And that right there, with him latched onto my gun, grabbing for my gun in that backyard and me doing all I could to fight this guy off and keep myself safe was the catalyst for me to go, "Okay, this is not the right way to train. There's got to be a better way. I know it's out there somewhere. Now what do I do?" . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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EVENTS:
May 2nd & 3rd is the NorCal Regional Qualifiers (that is this weekend folks!).
Directions to Aromas can be found by clicking here.
Please post to comments if you are looking for someone to carpool with.
May 9th is the Gymnastics and Parkour Workshop at Diablo CrossFit.
YOU MUST RESERVE YOUR SPOT AHEAD OF TIME. Email jeremy@diablocrossfit.com if you plan on attending.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:58 PM | Comments (15)
April 26, 2009
090427 MONDAY
Max Aita and Martin Pashov from California Strength visited DCF last week to help the DCF crew with some power clean practice.
Workout:
Power Cleans
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Touch and go on the floor each set. Letting go of the bar, or resting with the bar on the ground counts as a termination of a set.
Post loads to comments.
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Video: Martin Pashov clean and jerks 405 at Diablo CrossFit.
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Article from the "Life Spotlight"
Marketing Lies: There is no such thing as healthy sugar
". . .Simple; we want to believe it. We want to believe that we can “have our cake and eat it too”. That is, we want to think that we can get that sweet sensation without destroying our bodies. Unfortunately, it’s not true. Along with trans fats, sugar is the worst thing you can put in your body. . . "
click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:25 PM | Comments (31)
April 25, 2009
090426 SUNDAY
Uhh. . . no comment.
Workout: Pull up ladder
1 pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the second minute, 3 pull ups the third minute. . . continue until you cannot complete the number of pull ups in the 60 seconds allotted.
Post number of rounds completed plus additional pull ups completed to comments.
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POSE method of running clinic today!
"In order to excel at any sport and to avoid being injured you need to learn proper technique. Running is no different and yet most running instruction consists of "Run this far" and "Run with this intensity". Very few running coaches actually teach you how to run. At our running clinic you will learn HOW to run. Tim Hill, your clinic coach, is Northern California's only POSE Method of Running coach."
Click here to sign up ($75 per participant).
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Article: Even modest exercise can reduce negative effects of body fat.
. . . "Scientists now know that obesity is associated with a low-grade systemic inflammation. Obese people have higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), which are produced and secreted by fat tissue. This inflammation then triggers the systemic diseases linked with metabolic syndrome, such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease," he said. . .
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:22 PM | Comments (7)
April 23, 2009
090423 THURSDAY
Who wouldn't enjoy a morning with your friends, a medicine ball, and a course to run around?
Workout:
SoCal Regional Qualifier No 3.
For Time:
2k Row
Followed by six rounds of:
20 Box Jumps (24"/20")
10 Wall Balls (20lb/14lb - BOTH TO 10 FT TARGET if possible ladies)
If you are not sure if you can complete the above workout in less than 30 minutes (or if you are new), complete the 1/2 Qualifier (1k row, 10 box jumps, 5 wall ball)
Post time to comments. (and you know the drill, you can look up your 'virtual/theoretical' placement here for men and here for women).
And before people start looking into it too far, in my experience your 'theoretical' time at your home gym is probably anywhere from 5 - 15% faster than what it would be in competition (due to the lack of stress, stringent judging, etc).
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Article:
Witnessing Violence Affects Kids Health
"School-aged children who witness violence in urban communities show symptoms of post-traumatic stress. They also suffer physiological effects with a disruption to their normal cortisol production pattern during the day, which may have long-term negative effects on their health. . ."
Click here for complete article.
(I wonder how much television and video game violence affects kids health as well. -jj)
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:34 AM | Comments (19)
April 21, 2009
090422 WEDNESDAY
Diablo CrossFit gets a new freezer (and the bullies at the gym try to stuff Darren in it).
Workout:
SoCal Regional Qualifier No. 2
3 Rounds for time of:
450m Run (run the wide loop on the way out and on the way in to add the extra distance)
30 Overhead Squats x 95#men, 65# women, or less in order to do the squat with proper depth
Post time to comments (and where you would have placed by clicking here for men's rankings and here for women's rankings).
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Article from "Mark's Daily Apple"
Did Humans evolve to be long distance runners?
". . .Most anthropologists would agree we didn’t evolve to swim. We learned how to make our way through water without drowning and we do it pretty effectively for a land mammal. That doesn’t make it natural or adaptive. Similarly, I say we learned to run marathons when we had the luxury of unlimited carbohydrates. That doesn’t make it adaptive or natural. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Videos:
Found these on CrossFit One World today (I couldn't find them on Monday when we did jerks).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:51 PM | Comments (30)
April 14, 2009
090415 WEDNESDAY
Meg flies up the rope.
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
Run 400m
2 rope climbs (15 foot ascent)
10 ring dips
Post rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Why that big meal just made you hungry
". . . This happens in part because refined carbohydrates raise blood-sugar levels, setting up an insulin surge that drives blood sugar down again, causing rebound hunger. That insulin spike also interferes with leptin, the hormone secreted by fat cells that should tell the body to stop eating. Obese people have loads of leptin, but it either doesn't get to the brain, or the brain becomes resistant to it. "This is not a failure of willpower, it's a physical mechanism," Dr. Aronne writes. The body also becomes resistant to insulin, setting the stage for diabetes.
Other researchers have described similar phenomena. An article in this month's Medical Hypothesis argues that for some people, refined foods with high sugar and carbohydrate content can be just as addictive as tobacco and alcohol. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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The Norcal Regional Qualifiers are looking for volunteers! If you aren't already competing, you should seriously consider signing up to help run the event (it is a great way to get on the 'inside' of all the fun stuff going on behind the scenes).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:21 PM | Comments (24)
April 11, 2009
090412 SUNDAY "Happy Easter"
+++Schedule as usual today!+++
Macy completing her first workout for the second time 3 months later. . . and killing it.
Workout:
Tabata Sumo Deadlift High Pull (95# men, 65# women)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata L sit (count total seconds feet are off the floor)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Kettlebell swings (2pood men, 1.5pood women)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata box jumps or step ups - choose one and use it for the entire interval (24" men, 20" women)
A "Tabata" is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds (4 minutes total). Complete as many reps as possible in 20 seconds. Your 'score' is the lowest number of reps completed in any 20 second interval. Write your score down for each exercise during the rest interval.
Post reps for each exercise as well as total reps completed to comments.
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Article:
Sleep: Spring cleaning for the brain.
". . . Sleep — by allowing synaptic downscaling — saves energy, space and material, and clears away unnecessary "noise" from the previous day, the researchers believe. The fresh brain is then ready to learn again in the morning.
The researchers — Giorgio Gilestro, Giulio Tononi and Chiara Cirelli, of the Center for Sleep and Consciousness — found that levels of proteins that carry messages in the synapses (or junctions) between neurons drop by 30 to 40 percent during sleep. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Registration for the Nutrition Workshop is CLOSED. Hopefully we can have another one in the near future for those who missed this one. (and believe me, after seeing the results from the people who go to this one, you'll won't want to miss the next one. -jj)
Registration for the Gymnastics and Parkour Workshop is still $60 until the end of the day today (then it will be $75 from tomorrow forward).
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CrossFit Solano and CrossFit Vallejo raised over $13,000 for the fallen Oakland Police officers! Click Here to see CF Solano's comments about the event.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:31 PM | Comments (11)
April 9, 2009
090410 FRIDAY
+++Sprint Practice at DVC at 11:30am, see below for details.+++
Andrew demonstrates perfect form for bailing out of an overhead lift. Herm from CrossFit Los Altos judges his form intently.
Workout:
With a continuously running clock, perform one thruster the first minute, two thrusters the second minute, etc. Continue until you cannot perform the allotted number of thrusters in one minute.
Men use 115lbs
Women use 75lbs
Scale up or down as necessary.
Post loads and number of round completed to comments.
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Article:
For ADHD it is better to teach skills rather than prescribe pills.
"The results, published in the March issue of Clinical Psychology Review, found that teaching parents and teachers how to respond when children do things the right way -- as well as when they display harmful or aggressive behavior -- is effective, and in some cases more effective, than medication for ADHD. . . "
Click here for complete article.
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Diablo CrossFit's Elite Scholastic Althletics Program has it's own class!
3:30pm Monday - Friday is our special ESA class for young athletes. Contact us by emailing info@diablocrossfit.com to reserve a slot for your student athlete or team today.
"It pays to finish first!"
The Gymnastics Seminar will be $75 for those who sign up after Sunday. Sign up now for $60!
Track training 11:30 at DVC track.
Jan Maynard will be leading a track workout. We'll time everyone in the mile, and 400m, if they're interested. Or just come out and run. If it's rainy, we'll scrap it. If not, we'll see you there!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:47 PM | Comments (14)
April 6, 2009
090406 TUESDAY "Gymnastics Workshop May 9th"
Mike P. doing his part for the team farmer carry sprints.
Workout:
Back Squat.
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
Bonus mini metcon to follow.
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Article:
Difference In Fat Storage May Explain Lower Rate Of Liver Disease In African-Americans
"Where different ethnic groups store fat in their bodies may account for differences in the likelihood they'll develop insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Events:
-Oakland PD Memorial WOD at CrossFit Solano Saturday. Heats start at 8am, so you will still have plenty of time to get stuff done the rest of the day. Post to comments if you plan on going
-Introduction to Elite Nutrition Workshop NEXT Tuesday night from 7pm - 9pm (NOT tonight!). . . If we get enough people, Stavros said he would wear his mullet and new shorts.
-Norcal CrossFit Qualifier is May 2nd and 3rd! Mark your calendar, start getting good sleep now. Post to comments if you have already signed up. If you haven't yet - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?
NEW EVENT! Gymnastics Workshop/Seminar Saturday May 9th from 2 - 6pm!
The very skilled Roger Harrel and Andres De La Rosa from CrossFit Marin (these are the guys who pioneered the 'CrossFit Gymnastics Certs') will be coming to DCF to do a Basic Gymnastics and Parkour Workshop. This seminar will be for all skill levels and abilities, so don't be afraid to come down and get some stellar instruction from the specialists!
For more information go to our Events Page. And sign up by emailing jeremy@diablocrossfit.com Space is limited, so you should probably sign up right away to reserve your spot!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:20 PM | Comments (24)
April 5, 2009
090406 MONDAY "Running Angie"
+++Diablo CrossFit Open Full Time Today!+++
Holly, Shannon and Carry after the "Brickyard" race Sunday (not pictured, Mountain, Hylie and Tami). After some recent comments they decided to only wear their numbers.
Admit it. You enlarged the photo.
Workout: "Running Angie"
For time.
100 pull ups
Run 400m
100 push ups
Run 400m
100 sit ups
Run 400m
100 squats
Run 400m
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Infant weight gain linked to childhood obesity
". . ."There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children's risk of later obesity," says lead author Elsie Taveras, assistant professor in the HMS Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and co-director of the One Step Ahead clinic, a pediatric overweight prevention program at Children's Hospital Boston. "The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences." . . ."
Click here for complete article
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Make sure you sign up for "Introduction to Elite Nutrition Workshop" by emailing jeremy@diablocrossfit.com or stavros@diablocrossfit.com.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:05 PM | Comments (30)
April 4, 2009
090404 SATURDAY "Fight Gone Bad"
+++Throwdown at CrossFit Santa Clara Today!+++
Sarah takes the class outside for some burpees (YAY!)
Workout: "Fight Gone Bad"
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Post total score to comments.
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Diablo CrossFit mourns the loss of Professional Firefighter Capt. John Nunes.
Contra Costa Fire Department Looses Capt. John Nunes to Leukemia.
Memorial services for Brother John Nunes will be held at the Hope Center Covenant Church located at 2275 Morello Avenue, Pleasant Hill, CA 94530 at 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 4.
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Video: our very own Alan talking about his 'other' passion - Food.
(WARNING - this video will probably make you hungry)
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Introduction to Elite Nutrition Workshop - Tuesday April 14th!
7pm - 9pm. $10 for DCFers, $20 for non members. Pre-Registration required (email jeremy@diablocrossfit.com or stavros@diablocrossfit.com) to register.
This workshop will cover the 'meat and potatoes' (pun intended) of HOW to actually implement "elite" nutrition habits into your daily life. Topics to be covered: Overview of the Paleo diet and the Zone, Tupperware (learn it, love it, use it), healthy cooking at home, how/where to shop, what to buy. . . and more!
Some sample foods will be provided, as well as some handouts to take home.
We look forward to showing you how to take your health and performance to the next level.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:30 AM | Comments (14)
April 2, 2009
090403 FRIDAY - BIG NEWS!
Why is D-Roe so sad? Because he won't have the gym all to himself during the middle of the day anymore. . .Starting Monday April 6th,
Diablo CrossFIt will be open from 6am until 8pm EVERY WEEKDAY!
That's right folks, the gym will be officially OPEN all the times of the day (even when there isn't any classes going on). That means if you want to come down to get a workout in, practice some pull ups, hang out, surf the net (we do have free Wi Fi), read from our free library, use our microwave, take nap. . . or whatever - now you can!
Does that mean you can come and workout whenever you want? Technically it does, but this type of training is more for intermediate to advanced athletes who don't mind working out by themselves. We still prefer that everyone "gets some" at our stellar classes whenever possible!
Workout:
Deadlift
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Bonus mini metcon to follow.
Post loads to comments.
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Other BIG NEWS. . .
Monday, April 6th we are also launching the "Diablo CrossFit Elite Scholastic Athletics Program"
Diablo CrossFit E.S.A.
Professional Conditioning and Fitness Training for Amateur Athletes.
Every CrossFitter who played sports in their youth regularly makes the observation "If I only had CrossFit when I was young!" Now, Diablo CrossFit has developed a special program for highschool and collegiate athletes to "Get the CrossFit edge", like we all wish we had.
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And there is even more BIG NEWS to come. So make sure you back with us over the next few days and we'll make sure to keep you posted.
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Weekend Events:
'Throwdown' at CrossFit Santa Clara this Saturday. Be there before 11am. Free to enter. Spectators welcome! Even if you don't have a team just show up.
Google Map to CF Santa Clara Click Here.
(it's not even an hour away!)
Bike Ride with Jan. Meet outside the gym at 7:45am. It is a 'no drop' ride, so come out and have fun!
Bring your friends to CrossFit on Sunday! As usual, our 10am class is free for all new people, so bring them down and change their lives! If you don't know anyone yet, just come down anyway. Our dedicated coaches will take good care of you.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:05 PM | Comments (35)
April 1, 2009
090402 THURSDAY
". . .And 7pm is only for pimps, playas, and procrastinators" - Prashant N. 7pm class regular.
Workout: For time.
100 squats
4 rope climbs (15' ascent, use of feet encouraged)
75 squats
3 rope climbs
50 squats
2 rope climbs
25 squats
1 rope climb
Post time to comments.
Scaling: Two 'rope lay downs' in lieu of rope climbs, or 'rope assisted pull ups' x 10 per rope climb. Air squats can also be cut in half if needed.
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Article:
Sleep problems linked to suicide.
". . .People with two or more symptoms of insomnia were 2.6 times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those whose sleep was not disturbed.
Early morning waking was the single trait most strongly linked to suicidal behaviour. . .
Experts have suggested that a lack of sleep might affect the way the brain works, leading to poor judgement and less ability to control impulses. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Oakland Police Fund Raiser at CrossFit Solano, Saturday April 11th.
Post to comments if you are thinking about attending.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:50 PM | Comments (48)
March 31, 2009
090401 WEDNESDAY
Travis always has great shirts.
Workout:
Strict Press
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Bonus Mini Metcon to follow.
Post loads to comments.
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Article:
"The Hoops Whisperer" - Lawyer becomes NBA's most sought after trainer
". . .Mr. Ravin's goal is to create so much chaos and stress on a player during workouts that the physical game becomes less cerebral and more automatic. He uses a combination of humbling psychological tactics and exhausting, unorthodox and sometimes spontaneous drills. He's been known to fire tennis balls at players while they're dribbling or make them stare straight ahead while dribbling two balls in each hand in uneven rhythms and walking from side to side.
In one particularly exhausting drill, Mr. Ravin throws 25 balls, one at a time, in different directions. The player's job is to catch them after only one bounce and then shoot. . ."
Click here for complete article.
(Sounds a lot like CrossFit to me. . . now where did I put that tennis ball trainer. . . -jj)
Post thoughts to comments.
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Affiliate Throwdown at CrossFit Santa Clara this Saturday!
Post to comments if you are interested in going (it is time the rest of the CF world gets to see some DCFers outside of their habitat).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:42 PM | Comments (52)
March 29, 2009
090330 MONDAY
Our Diablo CrossFit Bank of America Climb Team that raised $2,557 for lung cancer research: Craig, Yvonne, Lauren, Adam and Tami.
Most of the team made it to the top in about 10 minutes. Exact results posted below.
Workout:
Front Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
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"Climb California" Results, out of 1086 Climbers, DCF definitely excelled.
DCF Results:
Craig H.: 10:10. 40th overall. 10th in 40 - 49 age group.
Adam M: 10:46 61st overall. 16th in 20 - 29 age group.
Lauren L: 10:51(!) 67th overall. 6th OVERALL WOMEN!! 3rd in 20 -29 age group!
Yvonne: 11:05 (!) 71st overall. 9th OVERALL WOMEN! 2nd in 40-49 age group!
Tami L: 11:56 (!!) 141 overall. 1st in 50 - 59 AGE GROUP!!
Results by age group, click here.
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Article:
Optimal Running Speed Associated With Evolution Of Early Human Hunting Strategies
". . .The result debunks the long-standing view that running has the same metabolic cost per unit of time no matter the speed — in other words, that the energy needed to run a given distance is the same whether sprinting or jogging. Though sprinting feels more demanding in the short term, the longer time and continued exertion required to cover a set distance at a slower pace were thought to balance out the difference in metabolic cost, says Karen Steudel, a zoology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:25 PM | Comments (34)
March 27, 2009
090328 SATURDAY "OPD" Hero workout
Oakland Police Department Memorial Workout:
"OPD"
For time.
Run 400m
40 deadlifts @ 275#/185#
40 box jumps @ 24"
40 push presses @ 115#/85#
Run 400m
Scale as necessary. Post time to comments.
Please head out to CrossFit Oakland if you plan on working out between the hours of 9am and 11am and you'd like to pay your respects with people from all over the bay area. If you can't make it out there, you can come to DCF and do the workout here with our regular class. We will be accepting donations for the officer's families here as well.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:02 PM | Comments (9)
March 26, 2009
090327 FRIDAY "Elizabeth"
+++Oly and Muay Thai Canceled Tomorrow! (10am and 3pm class as usual)+++
Jan (center, in red) leads a group of cyclists back from one of his Saturday rides. The riders leave every Saturday at 7:45am from the DCF parking lot.
Workout: "Elizabeth"
For time.
21 - 15 - 9 reps
135lb squat cleans (sub 95, 65 or even a medicine ball if form work is needed)
Ring dips
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Another nail in the coffin for high fructose corn syrup: "Fructose metabolism in the brain increases food intake and obesity"
". . .M. Daniel Lane and co-workers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have now pulled together work, largely in their laboratory (many papers beginning in 2000), dealing with the role of malonyl-CoA in the signaling system in the brain (specifically the hypothalamus) that has inputs into the higher brain centers that determine feeding behavior, most notably appetite. Two papers in the journal PNAS in 2007 and 2008 showed that glucose and fructose act quite differently in the brain (hypothalamus) - glucose decreasing food intake and fructose increasing food intake. Both of these sugars signal in the brain through the malonyl-CoA signaling pathway and have inverse effects on food intake. . ."
Click here for the complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Events This Saturday!:
- Diablo CrossFit Ladies Night starts at Manora's, then moves over to the Holy Cow across the street. Email Yvonne if you'd like to attend.
- Don't forget to sponsor one of our 'Stair Climbers' climbing the Bank of America Building Tomorrow to raise money for Lung Cancer research.
- Also (for those of you not going to the San Francisco climb), CrossFit Oakland is hosting a fund raising event for the 4 Oakland Police Officers killed last weekend (Sgt Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt Daniel Sakai, and Sgt Ervin Romans), The event will go from 9a.m. to 11a.m at CrossFit Oakland.
Please post to comments if you wish to go (so we can arrange a carpool).
If you can't make it and would just like to donate some money. We are collecting at the gym. Just give a check or cash to any trainer and we'll make sure it gets to the families of the fallen officers.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:41 PM | Comments (29)
080326 THURSDAY
Remember that Luca's Muay Thai class is open to all DCFers. No experience necessary!
Workout:
6 rounds for time.
24 Double Unders
12 "L" pull ups
If you cannot do "L" pull ups, do 10 assisted pull ups and accumulate 20 seconds of "L Hangs" each round. An "L Hang" is completed by hanging on the bar and pointing your legs parallel to the ground creating an "L" shape. If this is too challenging, bend the knees so that only the thighs are parallel to the ground (shins pointing straight down).
Post time to comments.
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Special Event at CrossFit Oakland this Saturday:
March 28th, from 9a.m. to 11a.m. CrossFit Oakland will honor the lives of Sgt Mark Dunakin , Officer John Hege, Sgt Daniel Sakai, and Sgt Ervin Romans. They will be doing a Hero WOD called "OPD" and asking that every participant donate a minimum of $10 to help the families of the slain officers.
If you want to donate directly to the trust funds that have been established:
Three trust funds have been set up to help the families of three of the slain officers. Checks can be made out to Dunakin Children's Family Trust, Romans Children's Family Trust and Sakai Family Trust. The checks can be mailed to the Oakland Police Officers Association, Attn: Renee Hassna, 555 Fifth St,, Oakland CA 94607.
Wire transfers can be made directly to Merrill Lynch accounts for the three families: Dunakin Children's Family Trust, a/c #204-04065; Romans Children's Family Trust, a/c #204-04066; Sakai Family Trust, a/c #204-04064.
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Article:
"Hunger Hormones" affected by poor sleep.
". . .On the face of it, a decreased level of ghrelin would seem to inhibit weight gain; it is an increase in ghrelin, after all, that stimulates appetite. But Motivala compared his findings with other, earlier studies on sleep deprivation and speculates that a switch may occur during the day: Sleep loss leads to increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, a "double whammy" that stimulates appetite. Motivala is currently working on a study to examine this switch. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 1:54 AM | Comments (47)
March 24, 2009
090325 WEDNESDAY "Helen"
Holly's dog Odin visits Diablo CrossFit.
Workout: "Helen"
3 rounds for time.
400m run
21 Kettlebell swings (54lbs, 44lbs)
12 pull ups
Post time to comments.
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New Event: DCF Ladies' Night! (and no it doesn't involve any of the CrossFit 'Girls')
Saturday, March 28th all DCF women are invited to come out to San Fran for a night of dinner, dancing and figurative debauchery at the "Holy Cow".
8:00 pm at a Thai restaurant located across the street from the Holy Cow, then over to the 'Cow' for drinks and dancing. Post to comments if you plan on going, or contact Vickie by clicking here.
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Article:
Robb Wolf nails all the points at once regarding the "Red meat causes cancer" rubbish and "Fish oil fad hurts the environment" B.S. (as well as many others).
Click here for the complete awesome complete article.
(After reading these articles separately over the last few weeks, and seeing Robb's response. . .as always. . .Robb is SO my hero. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:34 PM | Comments (53)
March 17, 2009
090318 WEDNESDAY "The Chief" and "Test yo' Skillz"
Up, over, down, back up, back over and down the Diablotron pull up ladder. Part of the DCF "Royal Rumble" Qualifier.
Workout: "The Chief" (last prescribed at The Shed Nov 14th, 2008 - and it looks like a lot of old scores are on that posting. -jj )
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. Start over with Power Cleans each cycle.
Total up rounds and fractions of rounds for each cycle. Post total rounds and number of 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.
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Article:
Stress so bad it hurts -- Really
". . .Psychological stress can turn into physical pain and illness in a number of ways. One is the body's primitive "fight-or-flight" mechanism. When the brain senses a threat, it activates the sympathetic nervous system and signals the adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones that prime the body for action. Together, they make the muscles tense up, the digestive tract slow down, blood vessels constrict and the heart beat faster.
That's all very useful for outrunning a mastodon. But when the threat is a tanking stock portfolio or an impending layoff, the state of alarm can last indefinitely. Muscles stay tense and contracted, which can make for migraine headaches, clenched jaws, knots in the neck and shoulders, and pangs in the lower back. Some of those body parts are already under pressure from long hours at the computer, restless sleep, grinding teeth and poor posture. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts (from your brain or even your "gut brain") to comments.
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CrossFit Seattle (previously known as CrossFit North) came up with a great set of parameters for measuring a CrossFitter's overall abilities and ranking them into levels.
Download file">Click here for a PDF file with a spreadsheet for all the major components Click here for the Skill Levels 'Frequently Asked Questions'
Then CrossFit Toronto came up with this niftey little multiple choice style test that gives you a graphical representation of where you stand.
Most intermediate CFers should be able to go through this test and know (if not guesstimate) where they are at.
See my original one from back in Nov 2006 vs my estimation of March 2009 below:
November 2006 (originally posted here)
March 2009:
A perfectly 'well rounded' athlete (pun intended), will have a perfectly round bubble corresponding to their fitness level (from beginner to elite, or Level 1 - Level 4). You can see that my chart has changed somewhat. It looks as though my pushing ability has gone down, many of my other attributes have gone up or stayed the same. My 'Hips' and my 'Speed' made the biggest improvements (most likely these are related).
What is your strongest attribute? What do you need the most work on?
Post results to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:36 PM | Comments (26)
March 14, 2009
090315 SUNDAY
Diablo CrossFit Royal Rumble II.
Workout: 1/2 "Fight Gone Murph"
For time:
800m Row
25 walll ball (20lb/10ft or 14lb/8ft)
50 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75lb / 55lb)
75 Push Press (75lb / 55lb)
100 Box Jumps (20")
(Partition reps as needed)
800m row
Post time to comments.
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Elites can scale up to the full "Fight Gone Murph"
1600m Row
50 walll ball (20lb/10ft or 14lb/8ft)
100 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75lb / 55lb)
150 Push Press (75lb / 55lb)
200 Box Jumps (20")
(Partition reps as needed)
1600m row
Post time to comments.
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Royal Rumble Round up.
Diablo CrossFit's Darren, Stavros, Carry and JJ placed 1st.
D-Roe completed the "Qualifier" in 4:34. Which left 20:26 for the team to complete as many rounds as possible for team workout. The team completed 5 rounds plus10 overhead anyhow, and 10 power cleans.
CrossFit Oakland Placed Second.
Nabil completed the "Qualifier" in 5:26. Which left 19:34 for the the team to complete as many rounds as possible for the team workout. The team completed 5 rounds plus 10 overhead anyhow.
Team "Comfort" (CrossFit East Bay) and Team "Los Banditos" (another DCF team) tied for 3rd with 4 rounds, plus 10 overhead anyhow, 10 power cleans, 10 deadlifts, 5 med ball bulls-eyes, and one 100m slosh pipe trip.
Please post thoughts, criticisms, and general comments to 'comments'.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:24 PM | Comments (10)
March 13, 2009
090314 SATURDAY "ROYAL RUMBLE AT THE SHED!"
+++ROYAL RUMBLE Starts at 11am. Heats will be chosen by the order at which the teams show up, fill out waivers, and turn them in!+++
Is Mark leading the class through a stretching exercise, or is it a group torture session?
Workout (for our standard classes - not the Rumble):
"Rumble of One"
As Many Rounds as Possible in 20 minutes:
10 reps "overhead anyhow" (135 or scaled down as needed)
10 reps Power Clean (use same weight as above)
10 reps deadlift (use same weight as above)
5 "Medicine Ball Bull's-Eyes", run out and retrieve ball each time. Misses don't count
100m slosh pipe cradle carry (sub 32lb slosh pipe or 33lb barbell as needed)
100m 45lb dumbbell "Suitcase Carry" (one handed) or "Partner Keg Carry" (if a partner and a keg is available).
Post number of rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
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ROYAL RUMBLE WORKOUT!
Prior to working out, each team will be required to:
1. Show up. In its entirety.
2. Sign waivers.
3. Staple them together.
4. Write the name of your team at the top.
5. Turn the stack into one of our staff.
6. At that point they will be able to choose which heat their "Qualifier" goes through as well as which heat their team goes through.
This means that the earlier and more organized your team is, the bigger the advantage you will have.
If you do not have a complete team. Still come as early as possible and sign a waiver. We will assign teams to the best of our ability.
There will be two workouts. A "Qualifier" and the "Team Workout".
Each team will choose one person to go through the "Qualifier" workout listed below. Their time will then be deducted from the team's "As Many Rounds As Possible in 25 minutes" time. The athlete chosen is expected to compete with the team as well as do the "Qualifier".
"Qualifier" Workout (For time):
1. Pull Up Plyo ladder, over and back, no feet. Must start and end with both hands on the lowest bar.
----- a. Feet touch ground or part of 'Diablotron' for support: 1 minute penalty
----- b. DNF: 3 minute penalty
2. 500m row
3. Olympic Bar ‘Flag Carry’ 100m (pick up and take off rack each time)
----- a. 1 minute penalty first drop or touching the handle at all
----- b. 2 drops = DNF and 3 minute penalty
4. Step over hurdles, run around cone, step over hurtles
5. Crawl under hurdles, run around cone, crawl under hurdles
6. Strict press 95lbs 10 reps
----- a. Scaled down: 65lbs 10 reps: 1 minute penalty
7. Sprint 200m
After the teams have had their chosen athlete complete the qualifier, they will complete the "Team Workout":
As Many Rounds As Possible In 25 minutes minus their "Qualifier" time.
Team Workout: "Royal Rumble Part Deux"
1. 10 reps “Overhead Anyhow” 95lbs, change weights
2. 10 reps Power Clean 135lbs, change weights
3. 10 reps Deadlift 205, change weights
4. 5 “Medicine Ball Bull’s-eyes (Rx - 14lb ball, Scaled – 10lb)
----- a. Only shots that make it in the 'bulls-eye' count
----- b. Run out and retrieve ball each time
5. 100m “Cradle Carry” slosh pipe (Rx - 50lb, 10’, 4” diameter, Scaled – 32lb)
----- a. Pipe touches the ground during carry = 5 burpees
6. 100m “Partner Keg Carry” (two person carry, one hand each)
----- a. Rx: 95lbs
----- b. Scaled: 65lbs
Rounds and fractions of rounds will be counted rounding down to the nearest exercise completed.
GENERAL RULES:
1. One person works out at a time.
2. Each athlete must complete the movement once they have started (no changing out during a set).
3. The exercises must be completed in order (no jumping around).
4. The entire team must stay together (no setting up equipment separate from the team, or leaving a team member lying down somewhere, etc). Basically the team must stay within 10' of the event they are working on.
5. If a judge says a rep doesn't count. It doesn't, try again. If you do two more failed reps, you have to DO THE ENTIRE SET OVER AGAIN. Or have one of your teammates step in and do it for you. (aka the "3 strikes" rule).
6. No scaling is allowed for team to take 'Overall Winner'.
7. Equipment will be on a 'first come first serve basis' so if there is not enough equipment, get in line.
8. Breaking any equipment, fixtures, walls, cars, etc. may be grounds for disqualification.
9. Rules subject to change at the event (don't get bent about it, this is a free, 'for fun' event).
Water will be available for free, but PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CUP/BOTTLE!
Beer will be available for a small fee.
Shirts and free beer (the best kind) will be awarded to the winning team.
Rise To the Challenge, and lets have a good time!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:50 PM | Comments (5)
March 12, 2009
090313 FRIDAY "Griff"
+++ROYAL RUMBLE TOMORROW!+++
Are "partner double unders" as stupid as they sound?
Yes.
Yes they are. (don't forget to wear a helmet . . .and a mouth piece).
And No, they will not be included at the Royal Rumble this weekend.
Workout: "Griff"
In honor of USAF SSgt Travis L. Griffin, 28, who was killed April 3, 2008 in the Rasheed district of Baghdad by an IED strike to his vehicle. Travis is survived by his son Elijah.
First posted 9 June 2008.
For time.
Run 800m
Run 400m backwards
Run 800m
Run 400m backwards
Post time to comments.
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Royal Rumble Tomorrow at DCF! 11am SHARP.
Have you secured your place by emailing your team roster support@diablocrossfit.com? You can still come if you haven't, but it will make things run a lot more smoothly (and we'd really appreciate it).
Frequently asked Royal Rumble Questions:
"Do I have to be an advanced CrossFitter to participate?"
-No. We like to structure our Rumbles just like our classes: 'Broad, general, and inclusive'. We will have scaled versions for most levels of fitness, as well as ways for the rest of your team to help "carry the load" so to speak.
"Do we have to have a full team of 4 with at least one female and/or one male?"
-No. We will figure out a way to let you participate (probably by matching you up with CFers from other gyms).
"What is the workout?"
-The workout is the "unknown and the unknowable." It is not any CF workout you have done, it will have movements you have never completed, and it will be posted Friday night before midnight.
"Is there any charge to participate?"
-No charge for participants. The only requirement is that you have to be from a CrossFit affiliate (or email us otherwise). There will be a nominal fee for beer, and if we wrangle up some grub, there might be a charge for that.
"Are there any prizes?"
-Shirts for the winning team. And all the beer you can drink until the keg is gone (hey, 'to the winners go the spoils'). And there are hotels nearby if you can't produce a designated driver (i.e. no sleeping at the gym, without written permission from me, unless I am already asleep there. . .then you can wake me up and ask).
Any more questions can be sent to support@diablocrossfit.com.
RISE TO THE CHALLENGE!
Post your ideal Rumble WOD requests to comments. . . not that it matters, but it might be interesting. (For example, "Captains of Crush" gripper #2, muscle ups, and handstand walking, and I'd OWN IT -jj)
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"Jan's Bike Ride" will start at DCF at 7:45, and "Jan's Trail Run" at 2:45 as usual this Saturday.
Click here for the post with more details.
Our regularly scheduled 3pm class will also be happening as planned.
Unfortunately "Olympic Lifting" is Canceled.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:28 PM | Comments (14)
March 9, 2009
090310 TUESDAY "Happy Birthday Margaret H, Andrew L, Travis and Matt B's Twins"
Craig and Yvonne with John Welbourn of CrossFit Balboa
(John's shirt reads: "I wish I knew how to quit you. - CrossFit Brokeback Mountain). Not in this picture, Maximilian Mormont & Gillian Formaneck.
Congratulations to Matt B and his wife who just had twins on Saturday (Matt is so dedicated to training, he even made it into the gym for back squats yesterday).
Make sure you congratulate him!
Workout (for Margaret and Andrew's birthday):
400m walking lunges for time.
(scale to 200m or even 100m if needed).
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Don't listen to the "Corn Refiners Association" hype
New study finds missing link between high fructose corn syrup and insulin resistance.
. . ."Fructose is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose is and in the process can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease," he continued. NAFLD in turn leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type II diabetes. . .
Click here for complete article.
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ZONING UPDATE
The Zoning Commission will be meeting tomorrow at 7:30pm at the same place as last time. We have asked for an extension to weigh our options. Hopefully the only thing that will be happening at the meeting is the granting of an extension.
Attendance is not mandatory.
That being said. Please feel free to attend if you already planned on going and/or you have nothing else going on (we could use some ears in the house just in case).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:09 PM | Comments (21)
March 5, 2009
090306 FRIDAY
Dean is hitting his first Triathlon this season at Stanford this Saturday (we know he'll do great).
Workout:
Power Clean
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Post loads to comments.
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Pleasant Hill Meeting Back On! (Sorry for the confusion).
Tuesday, March 10th. Same place, same time as before (7:30pm P.H. City Hall).
No comments from us, but we will still get to hear the discussion and the answer from the Planning Commission.
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Muay Thai Seminars the next two weekends with Luca's trainer Doc Docto:
1. Sunday in Antioch 8 March 2009 from 1pm to 3pm.
2. Saturday in Sacramento 14 March 2009 from NOON to 3pm.
This weekend's flyer:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Article:
Diet high in saturated fat may reduce allergic reactions
. . ."We certainly would not advocate eating a high fat diet because of its link to obesity implications and numerous health implications such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes."
(Arrgh! Just when I thought I had found a mainstream article touting the benefits of a high fat diet, they throw that statement right at the end. How can the scientists who did this study be so damn ignorant? -jj)
Click here for complete article
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:26 PM | Comments (22)
March 4, 2009
090305 THURSDAY
How Yvonne got her foot stuck in the rings. . . we may never know . . . (good thing she is flexible).
Workout: "Michael"
Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups
Post time to comments.
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Video:
I'd hire her as a trainer. -jj
(Kaela helping coach at CrossFit Solano)
Our Youngest Coach from DJ on Vimeo.
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EVENTS in March:
- The city of Pleasant Hill has put our issue on hold for now (click here for details)
- March 14 is Diablo CrossFit's next Royal Rumble! 11:00am, teams of 4. It is Free, but you must pre-register at support@diablocrossfit.com! This includes Diablo CrossFitters. So we know how many people are coming (more details on our events page). We also need volunteers to help run the event ('helpers' will be paid in food and beer), please email if you are interested.
- We have not had many people sign up for the California Climb event on March 28th. If you can't make it, please donate to one of our esteemed members who has decided to climb 52 stories of the 'Bank of America Building' to raise money for lung cancer research! Click here for the team page
Don't forget that people who make it to the top of the building get to enjoy free massages, food and drinks at the Carnelian Room Restaurant. So if you are interested please sign up right away!
Event details (like start times, how to get guest passes to the Carnelian Room, age group categories, and how to win team trophies) can be found here. I think we have a shot at 'fastest team' if we get enough people to go!
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Article:
Is one diet as good another? This study says 'No' and tells you why.
". . .Although both plans were equal in calories, half the group followed a moderate-protein diet (40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, 30% fat) while the other followed a diet based on USDA's food-guide pyramid (55% carbohydrates, 15% protein, 15% fat). . .
. . .Although the amount of weight lost in both groups was similar, at 4 months participants in the protein group had lost 22 percent more body fat than members of the food-pyramid group. At 12 months, the moderate-protein dieters had lost 38 percent more body fat."The additional protein helped dieters preserve muscle. That's important for long-term weight loss because muscle burns calories—if you lose muscle, and you used to be able to consume 2,000 calories without gaining weight, you'll find that now you can only eat, say, 1,800 calories without weight gain," he said. . .
. . .The protein diet was easier to follow and maintain long-term, with 64 percent of the moderate-protein dieters completing the study compared to 45 percent of dieters using the high-carbohydrate diet, Layman said.
"Subjects on the moderate-protein diet reported that they weren't as interested in snacks or desserts, and they didn't have food cravings. When you eat protein, you feel full longer," he said. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Do you eat a diet of more than 40% protein? (i.e. the "Zone") Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:43 PM | Comments (25)
March 2, 2009
090302 TUESDAY
+++Bike rides and Trail Runs every Saturday! See below for details.+++
On Friday, Diablo CrossFit had close to 20 people do "Murph" as prescribed. With more than 5 20lb weight vests, I never expected there to be a time when there would be a line for people waiting to do "Murph" (Bryan, Jesse, Craig-wearing a weighted belt, Shannon-raising the roof, and Holly).
Workout:
30 muscle ups for time.
If you cannot do a muscle up, perform 90 "chest to bar" pull ups and 90 "shoulders touching rings" dips. Partition the reps as needed.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Unhappy children end up Un-well in later life.
Researchers found those described as "miserable" or "unhappy" by teachers were five times more likely to be off work through ill-health in middle age.They said these children were also likely to be more prone to depression.
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Saturday Bike Rides and Trail Runs!
With the help of our resident Triathlon Guru: Jan Maynard, Diablo CrossFit is going to be helping host and organize training for Triathlons for those DCFers who are interested. It is also a fun way for us to get some additional variety in our training by doing some swimming, cycling, and running outside of the gym.
Bike Rides
From Jan:
"This will be a weekly ride leaving from DCF at 8:00 sharp try to be there by 7:45. All levels welcome. It will be a "no drop ride" meaning you will not ride alone. We will start with shorter rides and work are way up in mileage through out the next couple months so that everyone can become comfortable riding in a group. If there is rain in the forecast please check the DCF web page the evening before in case the ride is canceled due to torrential down poor. Be safe and wear proper bike attire (helmet).
This week we will be riding up to the turnout on Cummings Sky Way. This ride has a couple of easy to moderate climbs and once you get on to Alhambra there is very little car traffic. There is no water at the turn around so make sure that you carry enough water and nutrition to get you trough a 2 hour ride. It is 25 miles round trip from DCF. Please email Jan directly if you are interested in coming out so that he has a idea of who is coming. See you all out there."
Click here for a Google map of the route
Trail Runs
From Jan:
"We will meet at the corner of Stage dr. and Reliez Valley Rd. at 2:45 and the run will start at 3:00pm. The loop is 6 miles of very hilly running, I will be keeping the group together. This run will likely take 1:30 min to complete and is 90% on trail. There is water 3 1/2 miles into the run. I will be running rain or shine every Saturday that I am in town. Any one that can run close to 6 miles are welcome, your pace doesn't matter."
Click here to see the trail loop.
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The "Tri for Fun" is a series of Triathlons in the Pleasanton area that many beginner and intermediate Triathletes enter. Some of you might remember that Stavros entered last year and fairly well (with little to no 'Triathlon' training).
Here are the details:
Tri for fun #1 6/20/09
Tri for fun #2 7/18/09
Tri for fun #3 8/15/09 http://onyourmarkevents.com/TriForFunInfo.htm
Tri For Real 9/20/09 http://onyourmarkevents.com/TriForRealInfo.htm
Post to comments if you are interested in the weekly rides, trail runs or doing some Triathlons this year.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:44 PM | Comments (23)
March 1, 2009
090302 MONDAY
Julie D. just scored over 250 on a MENs Rx Fight Gone Bad!
Workout:
Power Snatch - 3, 3 reps
Snatch Grip Deadlift - 3, 3 reps
Clean Grip Deadlift (aka conventional deadlift) - 3, 3 reps
Sumo Deadlift - 3, 3 reps
Add weight for each set. Each exercise should also allow significantly more weight to be used than the last exercise.
Post weights used to comments.
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Article:
Health campaigns that promote exercise may cause people to eat more
(maybe that is why so many couch potatoes who watch sports are overweight - jj)
Post thoughts to comments.
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Norcal Team competition at CrossFit Silicon Valley this Saturday, March 7th at 12 noon.
2140 Bering Dr.
San Jose, CA. 95131
(click here for google map).
(remember - Royal Rumble at DCF on March 14th)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:43 PM | Comments (10)
February 28, 2009
090301 SUNDAY
A family that rows together, grows together (The Zuckermans).
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.
30 Box Jumps (24" box)
20 GHD sit ups (or sub abmat sit ups)
100' Farmer Carries (53lb kbs)
Post number of rounds plus fractions of rounds to comments.
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A great observation by Boz of CrossFit San Francisco.
Consider this from Malcom Gladwell's research:
". . .a German team of psychologists published a similar study. They had a group of subjects look at cartoons, either while holding a pen between their lips--an action that made it impossible to contract either of the two major smiling muscles, the risorius and the zygomatic major-- or while holding a pen clenched between their teeth, which had the opposite effect and forced them to smile. The people with the pen between their teeth found the cartoons much funnier. Emotion doesn't just go from the inside out. It goes from the outside in. What's more, neither the subjects "assuming the position" nor the people with pens in their teeth knew they were making expressions of emotion. In the facial-feedback system, an expression you do not even know that you have can create an emotion you did not choose to feel. . ."
So next time you are facing a tough workout either alone or with a group. Don't fret the workout, just laugh at craziness of doing it. When suffering through it, grin with delight. You might just like the workouts even more than you already do.
And even if you don't. . . others around you might.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:26 PM | Comments (6)
February 26, 2009
080227 FRIDAY "Rhodes' Farwell Murph"
+++Muay Thai Canceled Saturday for Dustin's Fight in Antioch+++
Rhodes is leaving for the Navy this weekend. He was going to do "Murph" as his last workout, I decided that we should all do it with him as a nice 'send off'. Stick around in the evening for an impromptu going away party.
Workout: "Murph"
First posted on CrossFit.com 18 August 2005
Run 1 mile
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Run 1 mile
All completed with a 20lb weight vest for time.
Pull ups, push ups and squats can be split up and mixed as much as desired. The runs may not.
Post time to comments.
Scaling: You might try a "Half" Murph without the weight vest. (0.5 miles, 50 pull ups, etc) or even a Half Murph with the 20lb weight vest.
Some classes may even do "Team Murph" where two participants team up and one person goes while the other person rests.
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BAY AREA ROYAL RUMBLE highlighted on the CrossFit Games Site!
(with the epic photo of Ron and Chris carrying the tire).
Interesting discussion on form going on there. Check it out.
Thanks again to Big Dave for putting together the video(s):
Long Version:
DCF Royal Rumble Jan 2009 from David Denglere on Vimeo.
Short Version (under 3 minutes):
CrossFit RR Short HD from David Denglere on Vimeo.
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Have you checked out our "Events Page" lately?
Diablo CrossFit is putting together a team of athletes to raise money for the California Lung Association by getting sponsors to pay for you to race to the 52 stories to the top of the Bank of America Building.
Sign up to enter or sponsor Team DCF here.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:35 PM | Comments (22)
080226 THURSDAY "Josh"
+++ Muay Thai canceled this Saturday for Dustin's Fight+++
See our very own Dustin Stephens Fight in a kickboxing "Smoker" this Saturday. See below for details.
Workout: "Josh"
For time -
95 pound Overhead squat, 21 reps
42 Pull-ups
95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
30 Pull-ups
95 pound Overhead squat, 9 reps
18 Pull-ups
Post time to comments.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The fights are at Guila Hawaiian Kajukenbo:
4389 Hillcrest Ave. Antioch, CA. 94531
(at Wildhorse Rd. by 7eleven)
The fights should start around 10am, but we don't know exactly when Dustin will fight.
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Article: From the "Life Spotlight"
Get your vitamin D checked (why and how).
". . .So it’s glaringly obvious that vitamin D has a huge impact on health. Given that, it’s important to know what your vitamin D status is. Enter D-Action - “A Consortium of Scientists, Institutions and Individuals Committed to Solving the Worldwide Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic”. Basically, you sign up, they send you a vitamin D test kit, and you send it back to get your reading. It’s part of a 5-year long study and is cheap. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:41 AM | Comments (14)
February 24, 2009
090225 WEDNESDAY - We're not done yet!
Diablo CrossFit preparing to present to the Pleasant Hill Planning Commission.
Workout:
5 rounds for time
10 ring dips
15 wall ball (20lb 10ft target or 14lb 8ft target).
20 double unders
Post time to comments
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Commission Verdict: Not enough information.
After a long discussion, and a passionate showing by DCFers. The Pleasant Hill Commission has decided to wait for more information to make a decision. - Remember that the Commission's job was to take all "Fitness Studios" into account, Not just Diablo CrossFit.
We would like to graciously thank the 50 + members who were able to attend the meeting that ran for almost 3 hours (ending around 10:15pm), especially those who came forward to speak on our behalf.
I am confident in saying that even Craig, Rob and myself did not expect the outpouring of community support that was presented (let alone the Planning Commission and the Planning Staff). Once again I am humbled by this community.
Our fight is not over. We will be soliciting the help of our members to help us compile more data and information so that the Planning Commission can make an informed decision at their meeting on March 10th.
If you'd like to help please email us at info@diablocrossfit.com.
You can also post your comments about the meeting to comments below.
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Article:
A drink a day increases cancer risk in women.
" . . .Overall, alcohol is to blame for about 13% of breast, liver, rectum, mouth and throat cancers, the researchers say.They estimate that about 5,000 cases of breast cancer in the UK - 11% of the 45,000 cases diagnosed each year - can be attributed to women's consumption of alcohol. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:16 PM | Comments (16)
February 23, 2009
090224 TUESDAY - Zone Text Change Meeting Today! and "FRAN"
+++ 7pm Class Canceled Tonight! Come to the meeting instead (see below) +++
Mel, Laura and Jasmine Clean and Jerk during "Grace" (These ladies went from being afraid to pick these weights off the ground, to putting the same weight overhead 30 times in minutes).
Workout: "Fran"
21 - 15 - 9
Thrusters (95lbs / 65lbs)
Pull Ups
Post time to comments.
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Today is the day!
7:30pm SHARP at the City Council Building (100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, Ca - Map Below).
If you are going straight there you will want to take the Monument exit (from either direction). If coming from the Concord/Martinez area, you'll want to take Gregory straight from the freeway. If you come from the Walnut Creek direction you'll want to take the Monument exit, turn left, then right on Contra Costa Blvd.
The building is on the left after "Michael's" (also on the left). Look for Trelany Road. You can park off of Trelany Road or possibly the Michael's parking lot. If you miss Trelany, hang a left at Cleveland and you make your next immediate left which will also be Trelany.
We will meet at the gym and head over to the meeting at 7pm for those who want to carpool (people who want to workout before will have enough time to if they arrive for the 6pm class - possibly 6:30).
Overflow parking will probably work best in the "Micheal's" and "Bed Bath and Beyond" parking lot.
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Article:
Cholesterol 'reducing' drugs (statins) may also reduce brain functions
"Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor in the department of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, says the results of his study show that drugs that inhibit the liver from making cholesterol may also keep the brain from making cholesterol, which is vital to efficient brain function.
"If you deprive cholesterol from the brain, then you directly affect the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters," said Shin. "Neurotransmitters affect the data-processing and memory functions. In other words -- how smart you are and how well you remember things." . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:28 PM | Comments (18)
February 22, 2009
090223 MONDAY
Some of the ladies at the "DCF Family Dinner" at Chevy's in Pleasant Hill (Jamie, Yvonne, Vicky, Donna, and Kelly).
Workout:
Back Squat:
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
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Article:
"Eating your veggies" doesn't mean what it used to.
"If the economy isn't grim enough for you, just check out the February issue of the Journal of HortScience, which contains a report on the sorry state of American fruits and veggies. Apparently produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days, it also contains fewer nutrients . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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TUESDAY NIGHT - People interested in carpooling to the Planning Commission Meeting are meeting at the gym at 7pm SHARP. Everyone else who plans on going to the meeting directly, be there by 7:30.
Address: 100 Gregory Ln. Pleasant Hill, Ca
Specific directions and map will be posted tomorrow.
We really need your support! If you are a public servant, please wear your uniform. If not, just come as you are. We really appreciate anybody who can come down.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:24 PM | Comments (18)
February 18, 2009
090219 THURSDAY "Grace"
Abby makes sure that JJ and Daren are okay after "GI Jane"
Workout: "Grace"
30 reps clean and jerk (or overhead anyhow) for time. 135lbs is Rx'ed, but you can use any weight that is challenging.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Dr. Eades gives some good examples of the paleo diet improving health
". . .The Paleolithic era refers to that period of history of the genus Homo, which began more than 2 million years ago and ran until the Neolithic period started circa 10,000 years ago. The Neolithic era dates to the time when early man set down roots both literally and figuratively when he started to cultivate plants for food and domesticate animals. The Paleolithic era ends and the Neolithic era begins with the advent of agriculture. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Rumble at CrossFit Oakland this Weekend (Saturday) at 11am.
And here is the complete "Rumble" schedule for the future:
Sat Feb 21: CrossFit Oakland
Sat Mar 7: CrossFit Silicon Valley
Sat Mar 14: Diablo CrossFit
Sat Apr 4: CrossFit Santa Clara
Sat May 9: CrossFit San Francisco
Sat May 30: CrossFit One World
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:39 PM | Comments (17)
February 12, 2009
090213 FRIDAY "GI Jane"
+++NEW WEEKEND CLASSES ADDED! SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 3pm class every weekend! (get your workout in before going out to party that night -or- sleep in after being out late)+++
Functional Fitness warm up (Dave carries Matt).
Workout: "GI Jane"
100 burpee pull ups for time.
Chest hits the deck and chin over the bar every time.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
From my new favorite CrossFit Blog - John Welborn's CrossFit Balboa
". . .A 2001 study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that coffee has significantly more total antioxidant activity than cocoa, green tea, black tea, or herbal tea. And a study published in 2006 concluded that coffee "...may inhibit inflammation and therefore reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other inflammatory diseases in postmenopausal women.". . ."
Click here for complete article.
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DCF's very own Tami and Justine show you how to make beef jerky at home with just a regular oven:
You can expect more nutrition videos and articles from Diablo CrossFit in the future. So stay tuned!
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Monday around noon we plan on having a workout, then going around to the surrounding homes to get a census (see: petition) of what the neighbors think of having a gym in the Light Industrial part of Pleasant Hill.
We will provide the workout, forms, and possibly lunch. So if you can make it down (it is President's Day after all) please let us know.
And keep writing those emails!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:17 PM | Comments (13)
February 11, 2009
090212 THURSDAY "One Bar Linda"
Nancy, Dave, Marnie, and Michelle (part of "Team 6am")
Workout:"One Bar Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Ring dips: +1/4 body weight
Weighted Dead hang Pull Ups: +1/8
Post time to comments.
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A few eggs a day will keep the doctor away: "Eating less eggs has no effect on cholesterol"
"A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health. . . "
Click here for complete article.
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Our prayers go out to Moises (local Alameda Cop and Long time DCFer) who will be going into surgery today to repair his torn pec (from grappling. . . not CrossFit!)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keep the letters coming!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:38 PM | Comments (9)
090211 WEDNESDAY "AMRAP 1/2 Kelly"
Mark leads the class through 'Overhead Walk' form (no he is not threatening to 'Hulk Smash' the dbs) to Stephanie, Carry, Strong Meg, Laci, Vikki (hiding behind Mark), Yvonne, Jasmine, Miles and Bryan.
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
200m run
25 box jumps (24in box for advanced, 20in intermediate, 12 in box beginner)
25 wall balls (20lb/10ft advanced, 14lb/10ft intermediate, 10lb/8ft beginner)
Post number of rounds, and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
Compare your total number of repetions completed to your last "Kelly" score.
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Article:
Pentagon Reports that US troops obesity doubles since 2003
". . .From 1998 to 2002, the number of servicemembers diagnosed as overweight remained s teady at about one or two out of 100. But those numbers increased after 2003, according to the study, and today nearly one in 20 are diagnosed as clinically overweight.
There may be even more overweight troops than the report shows, Kilpatrick said, because the study includes only servicemembers diagnosed as overweight during a visit with a doctor. The actual percentage of troops who are found to be overweight during fitness trials could be higher, he said . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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"Letter of the Day"
In our quest for assistance to prove to the city of Pleasant Hill that a zoning text change is good idea for all, we will try and highlight some of the letters you guys send in here on the website.
Today's is from Ron L:
" This in regards to the Pleasant Hill planning commissions zoning hearing affecting Diablo Crossfit. My name is Ron Lorensen I am an active member of Diablo Crossfit. I would like to see the zoning rules amended to include small business like Diablo Crossfit in light industrial parks. In the time that I have been a member I have seen no negative impacts that DCF has or could have or be having on the park. I do not understand the what the commissions real concerns are . Fitness facilities located within industrial zones are not uncommon. I have lifted weights for over 25 years and have worked out at many fitness facilities located in industrial zones, so this is not a unique situation! . . ."
Click "Continue Reading" below for the rest of the letter.
And don't forget to write your letter to support@diablocrossfit.com today!
" We are also in a time where economies throughout the nation are on the decline from the federal down to the local level. Small businesses such as DCF are often the 1st impacted. But in DCF's case it is having a positive experience at its current location. I see this as a win win situation for both the city of Pleasant Hill and DCF. I live in Crockett and have no real reason to go to Pleasant Hill with the exception of using the DCF facility. Many times after my workouts I have stopped and shopped at other Pleasant Hill businesses, Starbucks, Healthy Feet and Barnes and Nobles to name a few. So the city makes more revenue from the location of the DCF facility. My amount might be small but it all adds up over time.I don't speak for Jeremy here but would suggest that members of the board visit the DCF facility and see it for what it really is. A family oriented fitness center where not only is functional fitness is attained but a positive character as well. Lets work together to make this a win, win situation for not only DCF and the city but for its members as well."
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:02 PM | Comments (7)
February 9, 2009
090210 TUESDAY "Helen"
Jorgy and Yvonne. Winners of the Diablo CrossFit vs MMA Jacked Rumble on Saturday.
Workout "Helen"
3 rounds for time.
400m Run
21 kettlebell swings (1.5 pood, 53lbs)
12 pull ups
Scale up by using a weight vest, or using a heavier kettlebell and doing weighted pull ups.
Post time to comments.
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Diablo CrossFit is facing a formidable battle in the form of a zoning issue with the City of Pleasant Hill. Despite receiving a business license to operate, we recently learned that "Fitness Studios" (as we are defined) are not permissible in the Light Industrial Zone of Pleasant Hill.
Needless to say, we are devastated, embarrassed and angry. But, in DCF style, we will overcome this challenge. And, we urgently need your help.
We filed for a "Zone Text Amendment" with PH which simply means that if passed, the city would only have to change the text of the zoning requirements to include "Fitness Studios" as acceptable business in LI with a Business Permit or a Conditional Use Permit (i.e, Fitness Studios can operate in LI with certain restrictions). The Planning Commission of Pleasant Hill will meet on Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30 PM, to evaluate our amendment. The meeting is open to the public. The Commission will read the recommendation of the Planning Staff and ask for any input from the public. Once they hear opinions, the Planning Commission will decide whether or not to pass this matter forward to the City Council for approval or decline our request all together. If the matter is elevated to the CIty Council, there will be another meeting to vote on this matter.
Here's where we need your help:
1. We are required to provide any letters or emails of support for our business to the Planning Commission by February 18th. If you'd like to voice your support, please send an email to: support@diablocrossfit.com. Letters can be addressed to: Diablo CrossFit, 2447 Estand Way, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523. Emails and letters should indicate your relationship (member, friend, neighbor, resident), what DCF means to you and, why you think DCF should be part of the community.
2. Please come to the Planning Commission meeting on February 24th at the Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory. If you are a Firefighter, Paramedic, Police Officer or member of
the Armed Services, please wear your uniform. This is a very influential meeting and the more people we have on our side, the better. Be prepared to say a few words if called upon by the Planning Commission - just about your support for DCF and our value to the community.
Thank you for any help you can provide.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:38 PM | Comments (20)
February 5, 2009
090206 FRIDAY "Filthy Fifty"
Nancy is a pro when it comes to scaling the rope.
Workout: "Filthy Fifty"
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
Post time to comments.
(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).
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Article:
Melissa Byers of "Byers Gets Diesel" fame has a great article that (with the help of Mathieu Lalonde) 'dumbs down' some the science behind the nutrition plans we push at DCF (The 'Paleo Diet' and "The Zone").
"The fourth member of our group this weekend was Mathieu Lalonde, from Cambridge, MA. In Matt's own words, "I have no background in nutrition and exercise. I'm a chemist with a lifelong interest in nutrition and human performance. My background allows me to understand the nutrition and exercise literature that I delve into as a hobby. I obtained my bachelor's degree in science with a concentration in chemistry from the University of Ottawa (Canada). I then obtained my PhD in organic chemistry at Harvard University. I am currently pursuing post-doctoral studies in inorganic chemistry at Harvard." (Translation: Matt is scary Smart.) . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:01 PM | Comments (4)
February 2, 2009
090203 TUESDAY
Our very own Jorgy takes home the Fish Tournament Bass from CrossFit One World (see it in our lobby right now). Rodil rocks the 'diablo' shirt in the background.
Mike Mathers (original DCFer and now CF Solano / Diablo CrossFitter) is leaving for Korea soon. He won't be living in the States for at least a few years.
(pic not really SFW, but still pretty funny)
A going away party for "Ruiner" is tonight at CrossFit Solano: "On 3 Feb 09, we will be sending Mike "Ruiner" off with a celebration after the 630pm class. Please bring your own sodas, beer or other beverages. Pizza will be provided but we ask that if you partake to please pitch in $5. Also, if you would like to bring a desert or other dish, you are more than welcome to. The event is open to all CrossFitters and their families."
Workout:
6 Rounds of
400m run
2 mintute rest
Post times to comments.
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Article:
Banning sugar makes kids smarter?
". . . standardized test scores increased 15 percent at the school within the first year of the program. She said discipline problems decreased by 23 percent. Student health has improved and obesity at the school has been virtually eliminated. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:20 PM | Comments (13)
January 30, 2009
090131 SATURDAY "Mike's 30th"
It is Mike's 30th Birthday!
Workout: "Mike's 30th"
3 rounds for time
10 man makers (35lb / 25lb / 15lb)
10 turkish get ups (use same weight dumbbell as above)
10 pull ups
10 wall ball (10' target 20lb ball, 8' target 14lb ball)
Post time to comments.
(Everyone be sure to thank Mike for the workout).
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Article:
Mark Sisson give some 'primal' comfort food suggestions.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:45 PM | Comments (8)
January 28, 2009
090129 THURSDAY
Vikki hits the 400m loop hard during the 0600 class.
Workout:
For time.
21 'Chest to bar' pull ups (use a band if needed to get full ROM)
21 'Chest to floor' burpees
15 'Chest to bar' pull ups
15 'Chest to floor' burpees
9 'Chest to bar' pull ups
9 'Chest to floor' burpees
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Brief, High Intensity Interval Training may Thwart Diabetes
As little as three minutes of high-intensity exercise every other day may help sedentary people ward off diabetes, results of a small clinical study suggested. . .
Click here for compete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Don't miss "Doc" Docto's seminar in Martinez Feb 7th! (This one of the guys that trained Luca - so you know he doesn't get more legit than that)
Check our Events Page for details about the "Fish Tournament" at CrossFit One World on Saturday!
Also - This Sunday's 'special' event will be a 'Paleo Pot Luck' for those wanting to participate. Please bring your favorite Paleo or Zone dish with the recipe to share. Hopefully we can make this "Recipe Taste and Swap" a regular occurrence at DCF. Talk to or email jj for details.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:31 PM | Comments (12)
January 27, 2009
090128 WEDNESDAY
Andrew not only sleeps during his pull ups, he has also takes a mean set of pictures. See his pictures from the Royal Rumble on our Flickr account.
Workout:
4 rounds for time
Run 400m
50 squats.
Post time to comments.
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Video: From Jon Gilson's Again Faster - Double Unders
Double Unders from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
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Article:
Cutting calories can boost memory.
". . .They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly. . . "
Click here for complete article.
(Now if we can get a good study comparing Caloric Restriction, Intermittent Fasting, and Regular 'Diets', we'd be on to something. -jj)
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:25 PM | Comments (10)
January 26, 2009
090127 TUESDAY "Number 2"
Ron and Chris finishing the overhead tire carry during Saturday's workout (Ron looks kinda evil and ready for more, Chris. . . not so much).
Workout: "Number 2"
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
10 wall ball (20lb ball, 10 ft target or 14lb ball 8 foot target)
10 sumo deadlift high pull (95lb, 53, 35 or 26 depending on skill)
10 ring dips (or ring push ups)
10 double unders
Compare to September 19th, 2008
Post number of rounds and fractions of rounds to comments.
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Video: CrossFit Oakland's Mike Minium interviews Jason Khalipa (CrossFit Santa Clara) and Tamara Holms (also from CrossFit Oakland) in front of DCF.
The Nor Cal Regional registration is OPEN! Click here to go to the website and register to compete.
"To register, you'll need to use the Google Checkout button at the upper right-hand side of the [regional qualifier] blog.You'll receive an email confirmation once your order has been placed, as well as a shipping confirmation email once we charge your credit card or debit card. We won't be physically shipping you anything, but this email will serve as confirmation of your registration.
The registration fee is $75 through the end of February. Beginning March 1, the fee will increase to $100. So get in while the getting's good!
(And in case you're wondering, you will be getting a t-shirt.)
If you have any questions about registration, contact us at NorCalCFRegionals@gmail.com."
Post to comments if you are registered or plan to register and/or come just to watch (and cheer DCFers on).
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Article:
'Best Life' magazine presents a pretty in depth look at Omega-3s.
". . .We are, it is often--and accurately—said, what we eat. Recent diet trends, from Atkins to South Beach, have put the emphasis on upping our intake of protein or cutting out carbohydrates. Meanwhile, cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats have been stigmatized, leading to the belief that waging a total war on fat is the best way to get a slimmer waistline and a longer life. But fats are as crucial to a healthy body as protein is; they end up holstered into the heart, protecting organs, and building the cells of the brain, an organ that is itself 60 percent fat. The key to good health lies not in ruthlessly striking fat from our diets, but in eating the best possible fats for our bodies. And a growing chorus of nutritionists agrees that those fats are omega-3s. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Don't forget about CrossFit One World's Fish Tournament this Saturday (There will even be a jumper house for the kids, and a keg for the 'big' kids).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:37 PM | Comments (20)
January 24, 2009
090125 SUNDAY "Royal Rumble Roundup"
"A few" spectators gather to watch heat 1 of DCF's first 'Royal Rumble'.
RESULTS FROM THE RUMBLE POSTED TO "Continue Reading" Below.
Workout:
Tabata double unders (count attempts if you can't DU yet, otherwise only count what you make)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata push ups
Rest 1 minute
Tabata L Sit (count seconds*)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata squats
A 'Tabata' is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times (4 minutes total per exercise). Your "score" for each exercise is the lowest number of reps in any single round.
*For L sits, watch the clock closely and score for each round is how many seconds you keep your feet up. Pace yourself, if you can't maintain an 'L' for a single second at the end, your score will be zero.
Post scores for each exercise as well as your total.
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Royal Rumble Round Up.
I wouldn't say that the event went without a hitch, but I think it went pretty damn good for about a week of planning (actually . . . only about a day of planning). We had visitors from CrossFit Oakland, CrossFit Solano, CrossFit Unlimited, CrossFit One World (Will) and CrossFit Santa Clara (home of the 'rump of death'). About 56 people competed in all (14 teams of 3 - 5 people).
What were your experiences? What recommendations do you have? What was your favorite moment?
Post answers and thoughts to comments.
Pictures should be up on our Flickr account soon. Stay tuned for a video in the future as well!
Team layout and members:
Royal Rumble Results thrown upon the big screen:
I am not quite sure I understand them myself. Hopefully the comments below provide some clarity!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:29 PM | Comments (13)
January 23, 2009
090124 SATURDAY "CrossFit Royal Rumble" Today!
Hardway Bryan squat cleans a 'healthy' amount while Mark decides to bail out of his lift.
Workout: "Diablo CrossFit Royal Rumble"
Teams of 3 - 5 people (1 women required, 2 preferred)
The number of people on a team determines how many reps of each exercise will be performed.
For each teammate the team must complete the following exercises:
1 Rope Climb
1 400m Run with Weight Vest
50 Deadlifts x 225lb men / 145lb women
50 Pull Ups
50 Thrusters x 95lb men / 65lb women
50 Box Jumps 24"men / 20"women
50m overhead team tire carry (two people required per carry)
For example, a team of four people will have to perform:
4 Rope Climbs
4 400m Runs with Weight Vest
200 Deadlifts x 225lb men / 145lb women
200 Pull Ups
200 Thrusters x 95lb men / 65lb women
200 Box Jumps 24"men / 20"women
200m overhead team tire carry (two people required per carry)
"Rumble" rules:
- The teammates can split up the exercises amongst each other as they see fit.
- Only two teammates can be exercising at any time.
- Exercises must be completed in sets of 10 before rotating between teammates.
Post team time to comments (or if playing along alone, personal time to comments).
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"Rumble" Details:
'DCF' Regulars can come to the 10am class to get a crack at this workout before our guests arrive. If you want to be on a team to compete against the other gyms, you will have to wait until 11 at the earliest.
Visitors should start arriving at 10:30. We'll try and start heats at 11:30.
(click here for our events page).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:49 PM | Comments (29)
January 15, 2009
090116 FRIDAY
Stavros representing DCF at CrossFit 2008 Affiliate Cup winners (and awesome hosts): CrossFit Oakland.
Workout:
4 rounds for time
500m Row
15 strict presses (115lbs - for advanced, 75lb, or 45lb)
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Midlife coffee and tea consumption decreases risk of late life dementia.
. . .At the midlife examination, the consumption of coffee and tea was assessed with a previously validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Coffee drinking was categorized into three groups: 0-2 cups (low), 3-5 cups (moderate) and >5 cups (high) per day. Further, the question concerning tea consumption was dichotomized into those not drinking tea (0 cup/day) vs. those drinking tea (≥1 cup/day).The study found that coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk for dementia and AD later in life compared to those drinking no or only little coffee. The lowest risk (65% decreased) was found among moderate coffee drinkers (drinking 3-5 cups of coffee/day). Adjustments for various confounders did not change the results. Tea drinking was relatively uncommon and was not associated with dementia/AD. . .
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:14 PM | Comments (10)
January 13, 2009
090114 WEDNESDAY
This picture is from the old gym, but Jan's facial expression was just too hard to pass up. Jan definitely knows how to "GET SOME".
Workout:
After a 'healthy' warm up, choose a pull up movement (Kipping pull up, band pull up, jumping pull up, etc) and perform 10 repetitions every minute for as long as you can complete all 10 reps in the allotted minute.
Post total number of pull ups completed to comments.
GREAT video on kipping pull ups from Again Faster by Robb Wolf: part 1
The Kipping Pullup - Part One from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
Part 2.
The Kipping Pullup - Part Two from Jon Gilson on Vimeo.
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Article:
". . . Diet stumbling blocks… The eternal question for a lot of people, I know. But the lucky thing is this: the Primal Blueprint isn’t another diet. It’s a way of eating for life. Nonetheless, it is (or can be) a major transition for most people. As I’ve said in the past, eating PB-style totally goes against the grain (yeah, yeah - unavoidable pun) in our society. In a culture of bread, bakeries, chips, popcorn, pasta, rice and potatoes at every turn, it takes a real turnabout in thinking as well as eating. Initially, the concept of the PB may feel restrictive to someone who’s had a lifetime’s worth of sandwiches, pizza, fast food, etc. But if you can get past the ingrained (O.K. - last one, I promise) mindset, you’re good to go. It’s why it’s crucial (as we’ve said in the past) that you focus not on what you’re giving up but what you’re taking on - the change you’re welcoming into your diet and lifestyle. Once people stop carrying the torch for the habitual/comfort foods, they see that the PB actually opens up their diet to a world of possibilities (as well as energy, satiety, etc.) that the old foods could never match. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:36 PM | Comments (26)
January 12, 2009
090113 TUESDAY "The extent of my neurosis"
The extent of my neurosis.
(I drew these concept drawings in early December, about 3 weeks before we started moving into our new gym. -jj)
Workout:
6 rounds.
Run 400m
Rest 2 minutes.
Post times for each round to comments.
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Article:
Can Antioxidants do more harm than good?
'Conditioning Research' has a couple of new studies that might make you think twice about taking your special "antioxidant blend". . .
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:54 PM | Comments (24)
January 8, 2009
090109 FRIDAY
Sarah's first class at the new digs.
Workout:
For time:
Run 800m
100 push ups
Run 400m
100 sit ups
Run 200m
50 push ups
Run 100m
50 sit ups
Post time to comments.
(compare to November 8th by clicking - 081108 by clicking here, or October 6th - 081006 -by clicking here)
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Article
A very timely "primal" bar from Mark Sisson's Daily Apple:
". . .So with that, we went to our unofficial Mark’s Daily Apple kitchen to put it to the test! There were a couple of missteps (and even one small toasting incident that could have constituted a fire!) but we think we’ve finally nailed it.The following is the new and improved official Mark’s Daily Apple Primal Energy Bar: . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Ice Fishing Tourney #2 at CrossFit One World January 31st!
(The newer model Concept II rowing machines have a "Fish Game" on them, and apparently it is a blast to play).
Last time we had a single DCFer in attendance, and he reported a smashing good time. This time it would be great to have a whole contingent of DCFers go (then we can carpool with a DD).
From Freddy: "Buy in for the tournament is $10. Winner takes the pot (minus 10% awarded to the highest scorer of the tournament).
Sign-ups start at 6:00 pm. Brackets start forming at 6:45 pm. The single elimination tournament begins at 7:00 pm. There will be a jumper for kids and a keg of beer for the adults. We request everyone bring something simple for a potluck dinner.
Come out for a good time even if you choose not to go fishing!"
Post to comments if you are interested in going.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:47 PM | Comments (17)
January 7, 2009
090108 THURSDAY
Mountain coaching a personal training session near the "Monkey Bars of the Apocalypse".
Workout:
With a continuously running clock perform one Sumo Deadlift High Pull the first minute, 2 SDHPs the second minute, 3 SDHPs the third minute. . . etc. Continue until you are no longer able to do the number of prescribed SDHPs in the allotted minute.
Rx'ed weight is 135lbs for elites, 95lbs for intermediates and 65 (or less) for beginners. But don't think that lighter is "easier" on this one.
Post number of rounds, and number of reps into your final round to comments.
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Videos from "Good Eats". Alton Brown nails the Carbohydrate / Fat / Protein breakdown explanation (at 2:57 of part 1) and the horrible ingredients of an 'off the shelf' bar at the beginning of part 2, but misses a lot of other points throughout (vilification of fat, etc). Not to mention his 'bars' all have gluten and/or soy in them (granted the video is more than a few years old, so I will cut him some slack).
DCF favorite Robb Wolf introduced a great recipe for 'pemmican' in one of the early issues of the Performance Menu.
'Steve's Club' in also has "Paleokits" - organic, free range beef jerky, nuts, seeds and berries in exact zone proportions. Proceeds go to supporting 'Steve's Club' a non-profit organization devoted to kids with 'an excess of life challenges' in the Camden, New Jersey area. Buy direct from them if you want to support a good cause.
Post to comments if you would like to see some Paleokits at DCF.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:31 PM | Comments (15)
January 6, 2009
090107 WEDNESDAY "Name the Pull Up Bar Thingy Contest"
By popular demand, another photo of the "Crazy Pull Up Thingy" (Thanks to a few of the Sunday class attendees for posing).
What should we call it? Post your ideas to comments. Winner will be provided a DCF sticker as well as a special 'gift'.
Workout:
4 rounds for time.
15 GHD sit ups (sub: 30 abmat sit ups)
Row 500m
Post time to comments.
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'Thunderdome' Stats:
Approximate cost of steel: $1,600
Days to complete by one talented welder (Damen Nikolakakis): 5.5
Approximate number of people able to do full kipping pull ups at one time: 28+
Different bar heights: 6', 6'8", 7'3, 7'10" 8'3", 12' (for rings).
Bar diameters: 1" and 1.3" (1 inch sch 80 pipe).
Pictures of some concept models as well as some Google Sketch up Models of the original concept (actual structure differed slightly from this design):
Google Sketchup Files: Diablo CrossFit Pull up structure 1
Diablo CrossFit Pull up structure 2
Download Google Sketchup for free by clicking here.
The actual structure ended up a little different than the one shown in Google Sketchup. I'd like to modify it to resemble the final design. . . when I have time. More detailed pictures will be up on our flickr account soon. Email questions to jeremy@diablocrossfit.com or post them to comments.
***UPDATE*** We decided to name it: The "Diablotron". And detailed pictures can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/diablocrossfit/sets/72157613018044277/
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:06 PM | Comments (24)
December 25, 2008
081226 FRIDAY "Fight Gone Bad"
Crime scene or typical post WOD position? You decide.
Workout: "Fight Gone Bad"
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Video: From CrossFit Bellingham during the "Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser"
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:34 PM | Comments (9)
December 23, 2008
081224 WEDNESDAY "Angie"
+++HOLIDAY SCHEDULE!!+++
Christmas Eve: Wednesday, December 24th - Class at 6am, 9:30 and 10:30. Open gym and evening classes canceled.
Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25th - NO CLASSES
New Year's Eve: Wednesday, December 31st - Class at 6am, 9:30 and 10:30. Open gym and evening classes canceled.
New Year's Day: Thursday, January 1st - COME HELP US MOVE TO OUR NEW GYM at 10am! Moving/Partying expected to last until the early evening (3 - 4).
Muay Thai is also Canceled for the next two Saturdays!
1030 turnout for "McFlurry." Notable visitors are Liz from CrossFit San Diego (who knew Miguel personally) gray tank top in the center, Herm aka "Quads" from CF Los Altos (baldy below Liz), Will. . . who doesn't know how to make diablo horns apparently (actually he is repping the CF One World sign, totally legit) red pants next to Herm, our own Big Dave on the far left, who worked the video camera the whole time, and Rick from CF Santa Clara (and also an original DCFer) behind Liz.
Thanks for coming out and showing us a good time everyone!
Workout: "Angie"
For time:
100 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups
100 squats
Complete all 100 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Scientists show how Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, etc combat cancer.
". . ."These vegetables contain compounds called isothiocyanates which we believe to be responsible for the cancer-preventive and anti-carcinogenic activities in these vegetables. Broccoli and broccoli sprouts have the highest amount of the isothiocyanates. . ."
Click here for complete article.
(So make sure you grab some broccoli on the appetizer tray at the before the Christmas Dinner -jj).
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:31 PM | Comments (6)
December 16, 2008
081217 WEDNESDAY "Badger"
Jimmy a few months into CrossFit on the left, about a year later on the right (and time for some new shorts!)
Workout: "Badger"
3 rounds for time.
95 pound Squat clean, 30 reps
30 Pull-ups
Run 800 meters
Post time to comments.
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Article from Dough Chapman at Hyperfit USA.
"We first started doing CrossFit back in late 2004 and affiliated in early 2005. The single greatest innovation the program advocated was the time clock. The clock measures what each specific workout is and creates a unique performance data point. I introduced the concept to my clients to help them shift perspective on training. The paradigm shift was profound, and resulted in shifting the training from not just working hard; we were working very hard, and being able to measure their specific performance in every workout. . .. . .Definition of a Clock Whore: Person who is so obsessed with beating the clock/others that they will prostitute themselves and sacrifice important and vital components of training such as range of motion, repetitions or other performance metrics for a "better" time. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:58 PM | Comments (16)
December 8, 2008
081209 TUESDAY "Michael"
Oh yes. A new "Shed" is coming. . .January 1st.
Workout: "Michael"
3 rounds for time.
800m run
50 back extensions
50 sit ups
Post time to comments.
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DCF Exclusive! Article From Diablo CrossFit's own Mark Lind:
After the couple weeks ago's posting on fish oil and cod liver oil, I happened to be at both Whole Foods and Costco in the same day. I also happened to have a pen and paper handy, so I decided to see about pricing of fish oil. Things to consider when doing comparisons... since Fish Oil is not a "drug", there is no standard "dose" like there is with something like Ibuprofin, so you can't compare "per serving" on different labels. In addition, some fish oil is purified to remove most of the non Omega-3 elements. This makes total volume of fish oil an invalid comparison (some fish oil has more Omega-3 per ml than others).
When reading labels for comparison purposes, it's important to normalize to the amount of EPA, DHA and "other" Omega-3s you get per serving, then calculate: the total servings in the container multiplied by the total omega-3 per serving to get grams of Omega-3 in the container you are buying. Divide the price for the container by this number to come up with the omega-3 per dollar figure.
Another thing to consider when comparing prices is the "fish burp" element. I have been paying up and taking high grade liquid fish oil for several months (I drink it straight--the fancy lemon flavored stuff), and I have never had a fish burp. I have heard that cheaper oils (both liquid and capsules) have a higher fish burp component to them. You can also purchase enteric coated capsules so the fish oil doesn't get let out until it passes your stomach (making fish burps impossible since burps come from your tummy). I am not sure if enteric coating interferes with absorption, however (anyone seen any studies on this?)
Lastly, consider the convenience factor. Transporting and keeping capsules around is very handy, although there's a big difference between taking 17 capsules per day and taking 5 per day (to get your 5g Omega-3 per day we'll use as a reference).
All that said, here are the numbers...
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:04 PM | Comments (28)
December 4, 2008
081205 FRIDAY "Nancy"
Not only does Gwen's 3 year old daughter Jada throw down a mean game face. . . she can also bust out burpees faster than her mom (who is pretty darn fast).
Workout: "Nancy"
5 rounds for time:
400 meter run
15 Overhead squats (use 95lbs, 65lbs, 45lbs, or a stick - whatever you can handle with proper form)
Post times to comments.
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Article by Robb Wolf at CrossFit Norcal
(Holiday) "Aftermath"
"We had an interesting consensus amongst most of our clients today: “I Feel Like Shit”. These folks have been eating a clean, paleo-esque diet for anywhere from one to several months and have been feeling and performing great. Then Thanksgiving happened.These folks added in a a bunch of wheat in the form of bread and stuffing, mashed potatoes, deserts of every imaginable variety...a goodly bit of booze (makes dealing with family easier...so I’ve heard) and today was pretty damn rough. It’s an interesting lesson because these folks were not sick on their previous food of good protein, fats, fruits and veggies. They feel like hell from the good-ol grains and carbs the food pyramid is built on. Interesting, no? Here were the common complaints. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Observation from yesterday's article:
From the article: "Founded in 1983, Bally operates 347 facilities nationwide that serve at least 3.1 million customers."
3,100,000 customers divided by 347 facilities is about 8,933 clients per gym.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:40 PM | Comments (14)
December 3, 2008
081204 THURSDAY "Barbara"
'Handyman' Nick counts reps for Brodie.
Workout: "Barbara"
5 rounds, Each round for time:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Air Squats
Rest 3 minutes in between each round.
Post time for each of 5 rounds and total time to comments.
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Article:
"Bally's Total (BANKRUPT) Fitness" . . .Again! (Click for complete article).
Failing economy or "Fitness Regime Change" ? Post thoughts to comments.
(my observation using 'Google Trends')
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:48 PM | Comments (15)
December 1, 2008
081202 TUESDAY
Rodil, Stavros, Herm from CrossFit Los Altos, and Darren enjoy some post "Helen" beer on Sunday.
And now Herm (a certified badass doing Helen with a 20lb weight vest and 70lb kb) will now also be known as "Quads".
Workout:
Power Clean
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Touch the floor and go between reps (no resting with the bar on the floor). Go as heavy as possible. Post loads to comments.
Coach Rip discusses the bar position during the jump:
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Article:
More wisdom from "The IF Life": Things your personal trainer won't tell you
"Having been a trainer myself for years and years I can tell you that I have met some great smart trainers, and some I’m not even sure how they got certified. Most people seem to trust their trainers 100% when it comes to advice on how to get into shape, yet isn’t the information only as good as the source it comes from. Some trainers may have a Masters in exercise physiology, some may have no formal background in fitness. While a degree is one thing, experience and the ability to get results is another. Much like a nutritionist who went to school to learn about nutrition, yet may also tell you to follow the food pyramid, eat 10 servings of grains all day and eating 6x a day is the best way to speed up your metabolism (which we already know is not true from the posts about the science of meal frequency Part I and Part II). Trainers are also in the business of training, so there is incentive to keeping people around month after month. So here are some things that you may not be getting from your trainer….but need to know. . ."
Read the complete article here.
Post thoughts to comments (and notify me immediately if and DCF trainer commits these offenses. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:18 PM | Comments (8)
November 28, 2008
081129 SATURDAY "Fight Gone Bad"
Alex eats 225lb thrusters for breakfast (usually at 6am).
Workout: "Fight Gone Bad"
n this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Post score to comments.
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Article:
Holiday Crime Prevention Tips from CrossFit Alpha (By Chris Drewry)
The holidays are upon us. A time for reflection, thanksgiving, family, and merriment. This season of the year empowers some of us with a sense of giving and charity, but for others it can embolden them to commit acts of violence and wickedness. Unfortunately, crime doesn't take a holiday. In fact, it often spikes during the holidays.One of the more common crimes is the personal attack. Be it in the form of a robbery or assault, this is one of the most pervasive encroachments of our personal security that can occur, and can often scar victims emotionally and mentally. Especially when it occurs this time of year.
The question that begs to be answered it this: How can we reduce our chances of becoming a victim to a personal attack if we are alone? . . .
Click here for complete article
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:18 PM | Comments (6)
November 27, 2008
081128 FRIDAY "Versus" and Turkey Trot round up
+++NEW SCHEDULE STARTING MONDAY! See below for details+++
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
Friday: 10am
Saturday: 10am
Sunday: 10am
Our "Turkey Trot" crew taking off at the beginning of the race with their "Turkeys" (Medicine balls ranging from 6 - 20 lbs).
Click Continue Reading for more photos.
Workout: "Versus"
Each athlete will pick one person to compete against. While person 'A' runs 400m, person 'B' will complete as many rounds as possible of:
10 Dumbbell Thrusters (45lbs or 25lbs)
20 abmat sit ups (use dumbbells to anchor feet if desired)
When person 'A' returns, person 'B' must leave immediately to complete their next 400m run.
Each 'opponent' will make 4 laps. When returning from your run start back where you left off (i.e. 7 thrusters completed before running means that you would complete the next 3 before doing sit ups).
The winner of the match is the person who completes the most rounds while their opponent is running.
Post who your opponent was and number of rounds completed to comments.
(If you don't have a partner, you can compete against yourself by timing your runs, then doing as many rounds as possible in the time you did your first run in after each lap).
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New Schedule:
We have added some new class times as well as modified some class times. Please note the primary differences:
-There is now class EVERY WEEKDAY at 9:30 and 10:30am.
-Evening Classes are ON THE HOUR.
-Sundays are "BRING YOUR FRIENDS" day. Sundays are free to all people looking to get started in CrossFit. So it is a great time to bring a friend!
-Muay Thai Kickboxing is open to all DCF members (no extra charge for Muay Thai)!
Turkey Trot 2008 photos:
Parking lot congregation of 'wackjobs' who want to run a muddy hill on Thanksgiving.
The team hoist their "Turkeys" in preparation of the ascent.
The gap widens from the beginning.
Jason comes in for a strong finish with one of the heavier "Turkeys"
Hardway Bryan pounds away at the muddy slope, "Turkey" at the ready.
Donna shouldering her "Turkey" for the final push.
Jenny V, enthusiastically crossing the finishline. . .without her "Turkey"!
Tanya, carrying Jenny V.'s "Turkey" . . . and laughing it off (with gunz like those, apparently carrying a medicine ball up 600' of muddy elevation is child's play).
Chuck P. cresting the final peak.
1st place: Jan Maynard (third person from the left). . . not sure of his time because I didn't get there until much later. Mountain Krauss (fifth person from the left) came in 2nd (or so they tell me because I came in about 8th).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:18 PM | Comments (8)
November 26, 2008
081127 "Thanksgiving" and a Birthday of sorts
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
Thurs: 8am at Briones Park (see Below)
Friday: 10am
Saturday: 10am
Sunday: 10am
NEXT WEEK: NEW SCHEDULE STARTING MONDAY DECEMBER 1st!
I am not sure exactly when Diablo CrossFit was 'conceived' but I do know that our first post hit the "interwebs" on November 27th 2005.
I guess that would make this our 3rd Birthday!
Click Here to see a summarized progression of how we have grown!
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Workout: DCF "Unofficial" Turkey Trot
Time: 8AM Meet & Greet we'll start up the hill no later than 8:30
Place: Lafayette, Hwy 24 & Pleasant Valley Road - Briones Park SE Parking Lot*
We'll be running to the top (and there might be a surprise or two thrown in for good measure), then walking (unless you want to run).
RSVP to the 'comments' link below so we know how many to plan for.
Bring:
Trail Shoes (if you got ‘em)
Water
Wrist stopwatch
*Directions: Hwy 24 to Pleasant Hill Rd Exit. North on Pleasant Hill Rd. ½ mile. Briones parking lot is on your left (no turns possible). Proceed on Pleasant Valley to stoplight at SpringHill Rd -make a U-Turn and entrance will be 100’ on the right.
Course Information: Running Map (click for course map)
This is a smooth crushed gravel 8’ wide trail with a 600’ net elevation climb over 1.13 miles. The 1st ½ mile is a gradual climb with some flat spots – a nice warm up. The 2nd half mile is laced with several steep pitches and deceptive “tops” forcing that extra push.
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Article:
Click "Continue Reading Below"
Leave a comment about your first visit to The Shed.
Our first workouts were at my garage in Concord. Sadly I don't have any photos of those workouts. I do have some pictures of our park workouts though:
First Park Workout with the three partners:
Our first 'regular' home Larkey Park:
Rob doing ball slams and box jumps off of park benches:
Craig doing sit ups in the grass:
JJ the leaf blower:
After getting run off of the park, and having the sprinklers hit us too many times, we finally decided to get a 'box' of our own (and you can read about some of our park infractions here.)
First two "Shed Photos:
And apparently, December 8th 2006th is when we moved into "The Shed".
The first 'good' pic of Stavros:
Our first video:
It was cold and lonely back then:
Second video (with some pretty sketchy form and, apparently, I didn't own any workout pants):
Our first Shirt:
The first pic of Darren doing what he does best. . .sitting & watching.
Classes fill up and we start to add evening classes (not to mention we begin to get more equipment):
Luca's first action shot:
Sarah doing Fran her first time:
Rick and Jorgy make their first appearance:
Our classes grew even more:
Darren and Stav return to working out at the Shed:
Our favorite photo of Jorgy and Rick:
A pull up bar and white boards get added (circa August 2007):
Jimmy (and Kelly) come along:
In October of 2007 things really started to take off:
More people get Certified:
Our first 'Open House' goes well (as does our second set of shirts):
Although these shirts didn't sell too well:
Possibly Nate and Carry's first photo?
"Hardway" Bryan's first appearance (read about it here).
First sign (and a lot of records on the whiteboard):
Jax Jones is born April 30th, 2008 (Had to throw that one in there):
Mark jerking his way to success:
By Memorial Day 2008, our numbers (and family members) had grown even more:
Shirt number 3 (or was it 4?):
In early July, we brought one of the largest contingents of CrossFitters from any one gym (over 30 spectators total):
Mid July, JJ goes full time running the gym and has a swinging good time:
Some of our most 'Legit' regulars on Labor Day:
As of November, we are outgrowing our little "Shed" (in a good way):
Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane. . .And thank you all for being a part of my dream.
I have a lot to be thankful for, but first I'd like to thank all my friends at Diablo CrossFit. If it weren't for you people, I wouldn't have the best job in the world.
I love all you guys and gals. I can't wait to head off into future as we make DCF one of the best places to train at in the world!
-jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:13 PM | Comments (14)
November 21, 2008
081122 SATURDAY and Turkey Trot Details
The sun goes down during the 5pm class.
Workout:
2 partners working as a team. 1 person works out at a time, the other provides encouragement and counts reps. You'll want to trade off as soon as the person who is working out gets tired. Each athlete needs to get at least 5 repetitions in for each exercise each round (no "hogging the movements")
60 double unders (share the rope if you have to)
40 push presses with 95lb or 65lb barbell
100m walking lunges with 25lb dbs or 15lb dbs
As many rounds as possible in 30 minutes.
(If doing it by yourself, do half the reps/distance as many rounds as possible in 20 min).
Post number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Does eating Omega-3s lower violent behavior?
. . .Consider, for example, a study conducted by researchers in Finland. They tested prisoners convicted of violent crimes and found that they had lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary, healthy subjects. Why? Omega-3's foster the growth of neurons in the brain's frontal cortex, the bit of gray matter that controls impulsive behavior. Having enough of these fatty acids may keep violent impulses in check. Violent criminals may not be the only ones who would benefit from more fatty acids in their diet. In a recent double-blind trial, when omega-3's were given to people with a history of substance abuse, the symptoms of "anger" fell by 50 percent. . .
Click 'Continue Reading' below for full article.
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DCF "Unofficial" Turkey Trot Details:
Date: Thu, Nov 27
Time: 8AM Meet & Greet we'll start up the hill no later than 8:30
Place: Lafayette, Hwy 24 & Pleasant Valley Road - Briones Park SE Parking Lot*
We'll be running to the top (and there might be a surprise or two thrown in for good measure), then walking (unless you want to run).
RSVP to the 'comments' link below so we know how many to plan for.
Bring:
Trail Shoes (if you got ‘em)
Water
Wrist stopwatch
*Directions: Hwy 24 to Pleasant Valley Rd Exit. North on Pleasant Valley Rd. ½ mile. Briones parking lot is on your left (no turns possible). Proceed on Pleasant Valley to stoplight at SpringHill Rd -make a U-Turn and entrance will be 100’ on the right.
Course Information: Running Map (click for course map)
This is a smooth crushed gravel 8’ wide trail with a 600’ net elevation climb over 1.13 miles. The 1st ½ mile is a gradual climb with some flat spots – a nice warm up. The 2nd half mile is laced with several steep pitches and deceptive “tops” forcing that extra push.
New York Times Magazine
April 16, 2006
Idea Lab
Does Eating Salmon Lower the Murder Rate?
By STEPHEN MIHM
Most prisons are notorious for the quality of their cuisine (pretty poor) and the behavior of their residents (pretty violent). They are therefore ideal locations to test a novel hypothesis: that violent aggression is largely a product of poor nutrition. Toward that end, researchers are studying whether inmates become less violent when put on a diet rich in vitamins and in the fatty acids found in seafood.
Could a salmon steak and a side of spinach really help curb violence, not just in prison but everywhere? In 2001, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a senior clinical investigator at the National Institutes of Health, published a study, provocatively titled "Seafood Consumption and Homicide Mortality," that found a correlation between a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids (most often obtained from fish) and lower murder rates.
Of course, seeing a correlation between fatty acids and nonviolence doesn't necessarily prove that fatty acids inhibit violence. Bernard Gesch, a senior research scientist at Oxford University, set out to show that better nutrition does, in fact, decrease violence. He enrolled 231 volunteers at a British prison in his study; one-half received a placebo, while the other half received fatty acids and other supplements. Over time, the antisocial behavior (as measured by assaults and other violations) of the inmates who had been given the supplements dropped by more than a third relative to their previous records. The control group showed little change. Gesch published his results in 2002 and plans to start a larger study later this year. Similar trials are already under way in Holland and Norway.
What would it mean if we found a clear link between diet and violent behavior? To start with, it might challenge the notion that violence is a product of free will. "But how do you exercise that free will without using your brain?" Gesch asks. "And how, exactly, is the brain going to work properly without an adequate nutrient supply?" The belief that people choose to be violent may be irrelevant if the brain isn't firing on all cylinders. This may especially be the case for impulsive acts of violence, which are less a choice than a failure to rein in one's worst instincts.
Consider, for example, a study conducted by researchers in Finland. They tested prisoners convicted of violent crimes and found that they had lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary, healthy subjects. Why? Omega-3's foster the growth of neurons in the brain's frontal cortex, the bit of gray matter that controls impulsive behavior. Having enough of these fatty acids may keep violent impulses in check. Violent criminals may not be the only ones who would benefit from more fatty acids in their diet. In a recent double-blind trial, when omega-3's were given to people with a history of substance abuse, the symptoms of "anger" fell by 50 percent.
Of course, omega-3's are widely hailed these days as a miracle substance, credited with boosting health in dozens of ways. But Gesch warns against what he calls "silver bullets." The state of the evidence, he says, "doesn't allow us to pinpoint which dietary fat is responsible for changes in behavior." In his new study, he will look into whether several interdependent nutrients may play a role.
Gesch further adds that we shouldn't expect nutrition alone to banish violent behavior. "The brain needs to be nourished in two ways. It needs to be educated, and it needs nutrients. Both social and physical factors are important." Simply throwing fish and vegetables at violent criminals is unlikely to have a lasting effect on its own.
Caveats aside, there's something that many people may find unnerving about the idea of curing violent behavior by changing what people eat. It threatens to let criminals evade responsibility for their actions. Think, for example, of the infamous "Twinkie defense," in which an accused murderer's lawyer suggested that junk food was partly to blame for his client's compromised mental state. More controversial, perhaps, is the brave-new-world idea of using diet to enforce docility and conformity to the rules, a sort of state-sponsored version of that timeless parental demand to children everywhere: "Eat your vegetables."
Then again, we already live in a society in which parents have resorted to drugs like Ritalin to quell unwanted outbursts and impulsive behavior. And when you approach it from that perspective, changing what people eat may not be so radical after all.
Stephen Mihm teaches history at the University of Georgia.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:53 PM | Comments (19)
November 19, 2008
081120 THURSDAY
Just about 2/3 of the stuff currently in our little "Shed".
Workout:
With a continuously running clock, complete 1 pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the second minute, 3 pull ups the third minute. . . until you can no longer complete the required number of pull ups in the allotted minute.
Post number of rounds completed and number of pull ups finished in the last round to comments.
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Article:
. . . The Case Against CrossFitA closer look at this controversial workout program
by Charles Poliquin
“The best program is the one you’re not using,” is one of my favorite axioms. I say this because I’ve never believed that there is one perfect workout system. The high-intensity training methods of the late Arthur Jones work…for a time. Strongman training works…for at time. And weightlifting and powerlifting methods work…for a time. Variety, whether it be correcting a lack of it or too much of it, is one of the keys to making continual progress with your training and achieving your goals. And that brings up the topic of CrossFit, Inc. TM.
If you Google the words “Poliquin” and “CrossFit,” you’ll find that there has been a considerable amount of discussion about my recent comments on another website about this method of training. Although my intent was to make a few general comments about what I thought of this method of training - and throw in a few wisecracks in the process - it’s obvious that a more in-depth discussion about CrossFit is in order. So, here it is. . .
Read the complete article here.
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Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:34 PM | Comments (10)
November 18, 2008
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)
Workout: "The Filthy Fifty"
Check 080819 for the last time we did it at DCF
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
Post time to comments.
(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).
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Article:
Lifespan varies between European countries, but so does the number of "good" years after 50.
Lead researcher Professor Carol Jagger, from Leicester University, said: "What we have here, for the very first time, is data we can really compare."And it really questions whether the countries with the longest life expectancies are the healthiest.
"In the case of the UK, we are looking pretty average, but slightly better than our life expectancy figures suggest."
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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
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:14 PM | Comments (20)
November 16, 2008
081117 MONDAY
Bryan (aka "Hardway") went to his level I CrossFit certification this weekend (make sure you congratulate him and ask about his experience).
Workout:
Overhead Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
Annie and Nicole discuss Overhead Squats:
Nicole Carrol talks about her 15 OHS with bodyweight:
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Article from Malcom Gladwell:
. . .At sixteen, he made a visit to Wall Street, keeping an eye out for a "nice-looking, tall building," as he later recalled. He picked 43 Exchange Place, where he started at the top floor and worked his way down, asking at every office, "Want a boy?" By the end of the day, he had reached the third-floor offices of a small brokerage house. There were no openings. He returned to the brokerage house the next morning. He lied that he was told to come back, and bluffed himself into a job assisting the janitor, for three dollars a week. The small brokerage house was Goldman Sachs. . .
Read entire article here.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:38 PM | Comments (17)
November 14, 2008
081115 SATURDAY "Nate's Last WOD"
+++Workday Tomorrow after the 10am class. Come help make the Shed nice, clean and organized before the weather changes+++
+++Interested in a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot at Acalanes Park? Post it in comments. If enough people are interested you can expect a resurrection of our old tradition.+++
Meg shows hubby Darren how to do air squats correctly.
Workout: "Nate's Last WOD"
4 Rounds for Time
400m run
15 Pull Ups
15 SDHP (115, 95, or 65lbs)
15 Burpees
15 GHD Sit Ups
Post time to comments.
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Articles:
Just How Important is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Because the body can create its own vitamin D, it is technically not a vitamin, but a pro-hormone, a precursor to the hormones the body needs to function. Vitamin D has no active role in the body other than to be converted to usable hormones by the liver and kidneys.This vitamin (we’ll stick with vitamin since that’s how it’s known commonly) is responsible for maintaining blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, growing bone, and shoring up the immune system. Let’s have a look at a few of the issues that are caused by a vitamin D deficiency.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:49 PM | Comments (12)
November 13, 2008
081114 FRIDAY "The Chief"
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.
Bionic and Heinz do "The Chief" at CrossFit Hardcore
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Article:
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.
Click here for entire article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:56 PM | Comments (15)
November 12, 2008
081113 THURSDAY
+++MUAY THAI CANCELED THIS SATURDAY+++
+++FREE MUAY THAI WORKSHOP TODAY AT 430 PM! COME DOWN AND TRY IT OUT+++
Mountain, Tami, Emily and Julie all suffer under Sarah's (standing) tutelage.
Workout:
Strict press to failure
Push press to failure
Push jerk to failure
Use 135, 95, 65 or any weight at or near your 3 rep strict press max. Increase weight each round if needed. Rest between sets as needed. Do not rest the weight on the racks between exercises.
3 rounds. Post weight and reps for each round to comments.
Videos:
Greg Amundson demonstrates the Press, Push Press, and Push Jerk:
Coach Glassman discusses the Push Jerk.
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Article:
Text messaging may help children fight off obesity
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:26 PM | Comments (4)
November 10, 2008
081111 "Veteran's Day" Murph
+++ NO SCHEDULE CHANGE - SO COME HONOR OUR VETS BY SWEATING IT OUT AT THE SHED+++
Sweat demon at The Shed courtesy of a CrossFit NSC shirt.
Workout: In honor of all past and present Veterans - "Murph"
In memory of Metal of Honor recipient Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it 'Body Armor.' From here on it will be referred to as 'Murph' in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
First posted on CrossFit.com 18 August 2005
Run 1 mile
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Run 1 mile
All completed with a 20lb weight vest for time.
Pull ups, push ups and squats can be split up and mixed as much as desired. The runs may not.
Post time to comments.
Scaling: You might try a "Half" Murph without the weight vest. (0.5 miles, 50 pull ups, etc) or even a Half Murph with the 20lb weight vest.
Video: Interview with Marcus Luttrell, best friend of Micheal Murphy and author of "Lone Survivor", a book about his personal story of Operation Red Wing - The operation where Lt Micheal Murphy lost his life.
Skip to 4:15 if you only want hear more about the heroic final actions of the Lt.
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"The Law of the Vital Few" by Keith Wittenstein
"
"Coach Greg Glassman has said, "We work with a cast of about thirty exercises where about fifteen account for 80% of the workouts. The cast of characters that comprise our routines are so potent in increasing strength from head to toe that regular exposure to any of them nearly guarantees improvements in the others. Improve your deadlift, bench, and pull-ups and your squat, dips, and rope climb will come up. The neuro-endocrine response of the major lifts is so potent that they alone will increase your strength measured by any other exercise so that seemingly infrequent exposures to some exercises is not a certain disadvantage." (powerathletesmag)When I read this it made me think of something else I had read. "The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population. It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., "80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients."
Read more here:
http://crossfitvirtuosity.com/blogs/articles/305-the-law-of-the-vital-few
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:32 PM | Comments (11)
November 9, 2008
081110 MONDAY
Mike, Kassie, Chris, Ramon, Shane, and Emily hit it hard.
Workout:
Back Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads used each round to comments.
Video by Coach Rip, "Intro to the Squat":
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Article From 'Power Athlete's Mag':
Interview with Coach Greg Glassman By Tyler Hass
Greg Glassman is the founder of CrossFit, an exciting training protocol and way of life that is rapidly gaining popularity in a wide variety of sports. He also publishes the CrossFit Journal. I am excited to offer a free issue to all of the readers of Girevik Magazine, entitled "What is fitness?". It is an incredible read and will surely change and challenge your views on the topic. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:16 PM | Comments (12)
November 7, 2008
081108 SATURDAY
The elusive Craig. The slave driver behind the 'Suffer on Saturday' class (with Jenny V and Jasmine outside 'enjoying' the class)
Workout:
For time:
Run 800m
100 push ups
Run 400m
100 sit ups
Run 200m
50 push ups
Run 100m
50 sit ups
Post time to comments.
(compare to October 6th - 081006 -by clicking here)
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A GREAT article from Robb Wolf at CrossFit Norcal summarizing why we take the stance on nutrition that we do:
NorCal Nutrition: Are We Crazy?
You might have noticed that the nutrition approach we recommend at CrossFit NorCal is a bit...oh, shall I say, contrarian? Where the USDA, AMA and the rest of the Government sponsored entities recommend grains and legumes as the base of the diet, we recommend lean meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.That’s crazy, right? aren’t we going to die from heart disease and cancer if we eat meat? How will we ever get fiber if we don’t eat grains!? I mean, fruit and veggies...what have they got to offer?! I’m being fecetious here, I hope you get that. I do understand our recommendations fly in the face of what we are told to eat from nearly every source you can find...what’s the deal? Well...the deal is, our nutritional approach, a diet the attempts to emulate that of our paleolithic ancestors, is without a doubt the best route to optimized performance and health. Big claim? Yep, but easy to back up. Folks start with us, tweak their food, then look, feel and perform better. Every measurable bio-marker such as cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure improve...depression resolves. It just works, because this is the way we are wired to eat. But hey, what the hell do I know? I’m just the crazy guy in the shed telling people to do weird stuff like sleep more, take fish oil and increase their protein intake. How could I possibly be right about this? Well...here are a few interesting things for y’all to consider . . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:39 PM | Comments (6)
November 3, 2008
081104 TUESDAY
Trying to coordinate a 'group shot' in a crowded bar halfway through the night is never an easy task.
Can anyone list who is in this photo from the gym, and what their costumes are?
DCF Workout:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2 and 1 reps for time of:
Burpees
Sit ups
Pull ups
Post time to comments.
Burpee Demo Video with Zack Pine and Eva T (two of my heroes):
CrossFit Mainpage:
Rest Day
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Article:
The skinny on "Post Workout Nutrition" From Robb Wolf.
The idea of a PWO meal containing carbs (and protein) is to take advantage of a period of time in which the muscles are particularly insulin sensitive. We can fly nutrients into the muscle “under the radar” via a mechanism called “non insulin mediated glucose transport”. Amino acids are also taken in during this time and may play a synergistic role in both glycogen repletion but also decreasing inflammation that accompanies hard training. Said another way, you recover from exertion faster. So, what should ya eat? . . .
Click here for the full article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:23 PM | Comments (16)
October 31, 2008
081101 SATURDAY
Austin from CrossFit Unlimited posted this photo to their website. We can't wait to have him come out and do a workout at our gym soon.
Here is also a video of the competition with some DCFers in the background:
Workout: For time -
5 muscle ups (or 15 pull ups and 15 ring dips)
2000m row
5 muscle ups
Post time to comments.
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Article:
'Light Drinking' no risk to baby
The University College London team classed "light" drinking as up to two drinks a week throughout pregnancy.The study of 12,500 three-year-olds even found a lower risk of some problems in children of such drinkers. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 5:22 PM | Comments (7)
October 27, 2008
081028 TUESDAY "JT"
We can thank Mike M for this one.
Workout: "JT"
In honor of Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan June 2005. (First posted 6 July 2005)
21 - 15 - 9 rep/rounds for time,
Handstand Push Ups (or leg assisted HSPUs, band assisted, or Dumbbell overhead press)
Ring Dips (or band assisted, fixed bar, or bench dips)
Push Ups (or knee push ups, or box push ups)
Post time to comments.
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Article (for those of you who haven't already caught it):
MSN - CrossFit: The Fast Furious Workout Craze
If your gym suddenly looks like a cross between a gymnastics studio and a Marine Corps boot camp, chances are it's offering CrossFit classes. This fitness craze that's swept the nation in recent years was developed by a former gymnast in Santa Cruz, California, named Greg Glassman. The grassroots movement started with Glassman's rudimentary Web site on which he posted a daily workout routine (officially known as the "workout of the day" or simply the "WOD"). A dedicated following of police officers, firefighters and military types soon discovered the workouts, and from there, the wave just kept growing. Now, CrossFitters (as devotees are called) number in the thousands, and gyms across the country are offering this intense workout program. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
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Our Halloween Party is just a few days away! Have you got your costume yet? I already know that Trainer Nate is going as a character from a movie that involves, bowling balls, painted toenails, and a very important rug.
A prize will be awarded to the first person to guess who he is going to be (and if you already know you are disqualified).
Post your costume to comments (unless you want it to be a surprise, then you should drop a hint).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:12 PM | Comments (17)
October 26, 2008
081027 MONDAY
Holly squat jumps while Dustin. . . I don't know what Dustin is doing.
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Squat Jump (full squat: crease of hip below knee cap, to jump: touch target 12" above reach)
20 Sit ups
30 Double Unders
Post number of rounds and fractions of the last round completed to comments.
Video:
Anthony Bainbridge from CrossFit Federicton doing Tabata squat jumps (Hint: he and Jodi are badasses):
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Article:
From Mike O'Donnell's "IF Life"
Keeping an 'Energy' Log for Daily Success
There are days which we feel full of energy, happy, love life…and then sometimes there are days in which we may feel down, tired, depressed, or just uninspired. I think most of us would like more of days full of great energy and outlook, so what can we do? Well one thing is we need to see what in our lives is actually helping to give us that happiness, energy, positive outlook and also to see what is not. We need to become aware in our moments of positive and negative energies to see what is really influencing them. Only from that can we define what factors are important to us, and which ones we need to just let go of.How do we do that? Well we keep an energy log/journal. Try it for a couple weeks and you may be surprised at the results. . .
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:14 PM | Comments (8)
October 19, 2008
081020 MONDAY
"A Few" DCFers encourage 'Super Bryan' while he tackles Karen.
Workout (From the CrossFit Mothership):
Complete as many rounds as possible 20 minutes of:
95 pound Thruster, 5 reps
95 pound Hang Powercleans, 7 reps
95 pound Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 10 reps
Post rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Fatty Acids link to Alzheimers
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.
Post thoughts to comments.
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BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY CHALLENGE RESULTS!
JJ - First (actually . . . 6th overall)
Jorgy - Second (7th overall)
Stavros - Third (9th overall)
Super Bryan - Fourth (12th overall)
Super Shannon - First (about 5th for overall women)
Here is a link to a picture of the overall scores (although it is somewhat blurry):
Big Girls Don't Cry Challenge 2008 Results
(and here is another copy that is might be clearer)
Here is a listing of the results:
Men:
Place Name FRAN KAREN GRACE TOTAL
1 Jason Khalipa 0:02:23 0:05:08 0:01:49 0:09:20
3 Brandon Banks 0:03:26 0:06:31 0:02:00 0:11:57
2 Daniel Hester 0:03:12 0:07:09 0:01:49 0:12:10
4 Tyler Begiebing 0:04:25 0:06:39 0:02:13 0:13:17
5 Herm Blancaflor 0:03:09 0:08:20 0:01:59 0:13:28
6 Jeremy Jones 0:03:18 0:08:03 0:02:55 0:14:16
7 Josh Jorgensen 0:03:59 0:07:23 0:04:30 0:15:52
8 Jason Feudale 0:03:48 0:08:31 0:03:50 0:16:09
9 Stavros Kalorgirou 0:04:07 0:08:21 0:04:02 0:16:30
10 Paul Perez 0:05:39 0:08:31 0:02:55 0:17:05
11 Anthony Camacho 0:05:19 0:08:39 0:03:10 0:17:08
12 Bryan Stornetta 0:04:45 0:07:55 0:04:38 0:17:18
13 Chris Stroud 0:04:13 0:09:08 0:04:30 0:17:51
14 Lucas Robinson 0:07:48 0:07:36 0:03:08 0:18:32
15 Armando Arroyo 0:04:39 0:10:00 0:03:53 0:18:32
16 Dave Cohodes 0:05:34 0:09:29 0:04:06 0:19:09
17 Kirk Wu 0:06:48 0:08:23 0:04:21 0:19:32
18 Josh Johnson 0:05:21 0:08:37 0:06:31 0:20:29
19 Dalbir Atwal 0:06:58 0:09:55 0:04:29 0:21:22
20 Jason Luk 0:05:31 134 DNF 0:05:51 #VALUE!
21 Gary Neil 0:07:34 146 DNF 0:05:12 #VALUE!
22 Connor Banks 0:03:51 0:07:06 DNF #VALUE!
23 Bruce Kaabipour 0:09:05 130 DNF 0:07:11 #VALUE!
24 Dan Hay 0:09:33 127 DNF 0:09:47 #VALUE!
25 Larry Pastor DNF 109 DNF 0:09:05 #VALUE!
Women:
Place Name FRAN KAREN GRACE TOTAL
1 Candace Hamilton 0:03:27 0:08:34 0:03:31 0:15:32
2 Michaela Xavier 0:05:04 0:07:50 0:04:46 0:17:40
3 Jenn Carlos 0:05:09 137 DNF 0:05:18 #VALUE!
4 Breanne Feudale 0:05:05 103 DNF 0:05:14 #VALUE!
5 Shannon Storneta 0:08:13 127 DNF 0:06:38 #VALUE!
6 Stef O'Brien 0:08:27 137 DNF 0:07:08 #VALUE!
7 Smita Jandaur 0:08:46 143 DNF 0:08:48 #VALUE!
8 Ritu Riyat DNF 133 DNF 0:04:49 scaled #VALUE!
9 Carmen Mendez 0:07:32 103 DNF Scaled 0:05:51 Scaled #VALUE!
10 Veronica Vellanueva 0:07:28 Scaled 79 DNF Scaled 0:04:57 Scaled #VALUE!
11 Jan Areepitak DNF 72 DNF 28 DNF #VALUE!
12 Christine Dacanay DNF 114 DNF 0:6:38 Scaled #VALUE!
NICE JOB DCF!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:06 PM | Comments (12)
October 16, 2008
081017 FRIDAY "Quarter Gone Bad"
From left to right - Yvonne, Liz, Mountain, Sarah, Jaz's friend, Vicky, and Jamie behind the rower. These ladies know how to party.
Workout: "Quarter Gone Bad"
5 rounds for total reps of:
135 pound Thruster, 15 seconds
Rest 45 Seconds
50 pound Weighted pull-up, 15 seconds
Rest 45 Seconds
Burpees, 15 seconds
Rest 45 seconds
(Thruster load can be scaled down, and weighted pull ups can be scaled down to strict or band pull ups if needed)
Post total number of reps to comments.
Video: Quarter Gone Bad in action
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Article:
10 REALLY good reasons why you shouldn't miss out on sleep.
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 . . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:29 PM | Comments (7)
October 15, 2008
081016 THURSDAY
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.
Sumo Deadlift High Pull Video:
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Article from the Fitness Spotlight:
Do our ancestors tell us everything we need to know about diet and health?
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).
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Local Fundraiser Today!
Rocco's Pizza and Beer for a Purpose:
Download Flyer Here: Download file
From Michelle Rooney:
"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
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:27 PM | Comments (6)
October 14, 2008
081015 WEDNESDAY
Our very own Stavros and Darren are down fighting the fires in LA (as well as DCFer Julie D, and others - not shown obviously). Stay safe down there everyone!
Workout:
As Many Rounds as Possible in 20 minutes:
5 Handstand push ups (head below your hands at the bottom if possible)
10 knees to elbows
20 double unders
Post rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
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Pictures from the "Raw Center for Strength" Fitness and Health Expo are up in our Flickr Page!
Here are a few highlights:
Darren Scored the best of the DCFers with a 12:32 (the top scorer Donny Shankle got 12:08, and he had completed a form of the course before). You can also see DCF'er Chris W watching in the background.
And yes. . . you might have already seen the trophy at the Shed. You are looking at the 2008 RAW Center for Strength Hotdog eating champion - Jeremy Jones. CrossFit prepares you for everything.
And here is a video of the final "eat off" of two hotdogs as fast as you can (to break a 3-way tie):
More Pictures and Videos can be found here.
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Here is also a bonus Video of California Strength's Martin Pashov Cleaning and 'nearly' jerking 200 Kilos (440lbs) after a brief warm up (i.e. he did it as a quick demo). Martin is lifts in the 105K weight class (230lbs)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:19 PM | Comments (7)
October 13, 2008
081014 WEDNESDAY
Mark, JJ and Darren all competed in a fitness event hosted by the "Raw" Gym here in Walnut Creek. Pics and an article should be up soon.
Workout:
5 rounds for time:
10 Overhead squats (95lbs)
15 Kettlebell swings (1.5 pood, 54lbs)
20 Wall ball (20lb ball, 10ft target)
Post time to comments.
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Article from Scott Kustes at "Modern Forager":
Does Red Meat Cause Colon Cancer
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. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
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Diablo CrossFit Halloween Party!
DCF is co-sponsoring a very 'exclusive' Halloween party on Friday Oct 31st at "Class" (1321 Locust St). The party will run from 7pm to midnight.
More details to follow soon (a lot of promises today huh? -jj)
Download file">Download Flyer by clicking here.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:42 PM | Comments (7)
October 9, 2008
081010 FRIDAY "Mr. Joshua"
Nate did so many wall balls this week, his head exploded.
Workout:
Deadlift 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Warm up with lighter loads first. Go for your 3 rep max. Post loads to comments.
Video - Coach Glassman introduces the Deadlift:
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And unfortunately from CrossFit.com we have another Hero Workout (not to be completed the same day as the Deadlifts):
SO1 Joshua Thomas Harris, 36, drowned during combat operations, August 30th 2008 in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents Dr. Sam and Evelyn Harris, his brother Ranchor and twin sister Kiki.
"Mr. Joshua"
Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Glute-ham sit-ups
250 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
Post time to comments.
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Click here for the 'Ask Coach Rip Forum' (Thanks CF NYC for the link)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:19 PM | Comments (4)
October 7, 2008
081008 WEDNESDAY "Ryan" and "Bradley"
Maplewood, Missouri Firefighter, Ryan Hummert, 22, was killed by sniper fire July 21st 2008 when he stepped off his fire truck responding to a call. He is survived by his parents Andrew and Jackie Hummert.
Full article here.
"Ryan"
Five rounds for time of:
7 Muscle-ups
21 Burpees
Post time to comments.
Each burpee terminates with a jump one foot above max standing reach.
"Moody, an eight-year veteran, was headed north on Marina Bay Parkway at 8:05 a.m. Saturday, answering an officer's call for more help during an assault call, when he lost control of his Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser and slammed sideways into a light pole near Regatta Boulevard"
In honor of our local hero, those people who cannot do muscle ups, we will dub this scaled version:
"Bradley"
Five rounds for time of:
21 pull ups
21 dips
21 Burpees
Post time to comments.
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From Keith Wittenstein "The 100-Day Pull Up Challenge"
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:44 PM | Comments (9)
October 6, 2008
081007 TUESDAY "Jackie"
Super Bryan rows while Super Shannon counts calories. Darren rows in the background while Rodil make sure Darren's form is correct.
Bryan, Shannon, Darren, Stav, Mo, Carry, Craig and Jeremy will all be competing in the "Big Girls Don't Cry" Challenge at CrossFit Unlimited.
The event is Sunday the 19th, and we expect all available DCF regulars to make an appearance, so mark your calendars now! REPRESENT!
Workout "Jackie":
For time:
1000 meter row
50 Thrusters (45 lbs)
30 Pull-ups
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Air pollution linked to appendicitis
Previous studies have shown that air pollution may promote other disease states through inflammation, and the researchers said this was the most likely explanation for their finding. . .. . .it was possible that air pollution had an impact on blood flow in the gut which in theory could make obstruction of the neck of the appendix more likely.
However, he said any impact was likely to be more longer term, with prolonged periods of air pollution possibly causing dehydration, which might raise the risk of damage to the appendix.
Post thoughts to comments.
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Video:
Ankle exercising with Dick Harzell and the Jump Stretch Bands:
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:08 PM | Comments (9)
October 2, 2008
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.
5 rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
33 box jump, 24 inch box
33 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball (10' target men, 8' target women)
Post time (and birthday congratulations) to 'comments'.
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Article:
New study proves that pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain is the cause of arthritis.
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).
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GYMNASTICS WORKSHOP THIS WEEKEND!
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!
-Andres De la Rosa
Co-Founder, CrossFitMarin
Phone #: 415.260.0043
www.CrossFitMarin.com
Amadraeus@CrossFitMarin.com"
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:55 PM | Comments (16)
081002 THURSDAY
Dave hammers out some wall ball during his FGB performance.
Workout: "Push Up Annie"
Complete 50-40-30-20-10 rep rounds of the following exercises for time:
Double Unders
Abmat Sit ups
Push ups
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Performance Standards and Form by Mike Minium at CrossFit Oakland
. . .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
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Video - recently featured on The IF life:
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).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:32 AM | Comments (22)
September 29, 2008
080930 TUESDAY "Elevation"
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.
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Article from Scott Kustes at Modern Forager:
Eight ways to lower your testosterone
. . .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. . .
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CrossFit One World does "Century Gone Bad". I am so jealous.
(Video may not be WSFS. . . I guess it depends how your work feels about people doing pull ups, drinking beer, and yes, vomiting.)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:12 PM | Comments (20)
September 26, 2008
080927 SATURDAY "FIGHT GONE BAD III" TODAY!
+++MUAY THAI CANCELED TODAY! CLASS AT 10am STILL ON!+++
The Event starts at 11:00am and will go to approximately 2pm. Bring your friends and family, this event is open to the public!
Ramon takes a quick breath while doing box jumps. Remember that it is usually a good idea to rest on top of the box as opposed to on the ground. This makes the starting rep of your next set easier.
Workout: "Fight Gone Bad"
1. Wall-ball, 8 ft target (Reps)
2. Deadlift high-pull (Reps)
3. Box jump (Reps)
4. Push-press (Reps)
5. Row (Calories)
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This event calls for 3 rounds. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of 'rotate,' the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
1. Class A: Standard Men = 75 lb PP and High Pull, 20lb Wall Ball and 20in Box
2. Class B: Modified Men/Standard Women = 55 lb PP and High Pull, 14lb Wall Ball and 20in Box
3. Class C: Intermediate = 35 lb PP and High Pull, 8lb Wall Ball and 20in Box (step ups are okay)
4. Class D: Beginner/Kids = 15lb PP and High Pull, 4lb Wall Ball (can be lowered 2in from standard height) and 10in Box
Post score to comments.
Video: Fight Gone Bad Explained at CFHQ
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Article:
Hamstrung by Keith Wittenstein Crossfit Virtuosity
"Probably the most common condition that hinders athletic performance is tight hamstrings. Short tight hamstrings impede athletic performance in one simple but important way: they restrict the closing of the hip joint, i.e. they limit the anterior tilt of the pelvis. This restriction on the movement of the pelvis results in the muscles of the lower back taking up the slack. The negative impact is twofold: 1) the range of motion of the hips is restricted which reduces the power that can be produced by the hips; and 2) the lower back is put into flexion and thus susceptible to injury."
Read the rest here: http://crossfitvirtuosity.com/blogs/articles/244-hamstrung
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:52 PM | Comments (10)
September 18, 2008
080918 THURSDAY
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):
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Article:
Cutting calories could limit muscle wasting in later years
. . .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)
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:18 AM | Comments (4)
September 14, 2008
080915 MONDAY
Stavros (Top) and Darren (Bottom) at the top of 'Cracked Crag' in the Desolation wilderness, doing a workout. . . at elevation 8500 ft.
Workout:
10, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4
Back Squat
Weighted Ring Dips
Alternate between each movement. Post loads to comments.
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Article from Jon Gilson at Again Faster:
. . .Score-motivated performance is not an unspeakable evil, but awareness of its potential to hurt long term development is a must. Unless there are medals, money, or everlasting glory at stake, it is wise to conduct every exercise with the ferocity of a midsummer hurricane. You might burn out today, but you won’t for long. . .
Read full article here: Managing your way to mediocrity
Post thoughts to comments.
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Don't forget that the Fight Gone Bad III Fundraiser is in less than 2 weeks!
I think some people are worried about competing (that they need to be "CrossFit Studs" to compete). There is no reason to be worried. The goal is to raise as much money as possible for Prostate cancer research and the Wounded Warrior Project. . . your FGB performance related to everyone one else has very little to do with that. Please sign up, recruit your friends and family to sponsor you, and get a great workout in for a great cause.
Remember, space is limited for competitors (not necessarily for spectators), so sign up right away.
Everyone else should donate to the gym or to your favorite athlete (or you can donate to the one who has the least amount of donations. . . I am sure they won't mind).
Diablo CrossFit Team Website (click here)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:05 PM | Comments (11)
September 13, 2008
080913 SATURDAY
Ever wonder how Craig gets that body of his. . . Mickey D's.
Workout:
4 Rounds for time:
500m row
25 GHD sit ups
Post time to comments.
Video - Coach Glassman covers the elements of the Glute Ham Developer (GHD) sit up (Nicole Carrol models):
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Article:
Men are 'unhappy' with their bodies
"We know that 1 in 20 young people suffer from some degree of disordered eating and that at least 15% of them are men and yet that's a tip of an iceberg," he said."There are men who have problems with compulsive exercise and excessive bodybuilding who have an illness, but we haven't defined them. Our definitions of illness have been focused on women, rather than men."
I wonder if dieting for 'Linda' counts as an eating disorder. . . -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:57 AM | Comments (6)
September 9, 2008
080910 WEDNESDAY
Margaret sets a personal record at the deadlift in Sarah's 10am "Girls Class" (140lbs I believe).
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes,
100m sprint
100m of : 10 walking lunges then 10 broad jumps repeated for the entire distance
30 push press (45lb dumbbells)
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Videos: High Fructose Corn Syrup isn't that bad (apparently). If you believe everything you see on TV.
For some of the real scoop on High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), check out this link from Dr. Eades' Site:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/high-fructose-corn-syrup-follies/
So fact one, we know were eating more sugar in general and more fructose in particular. We also know that fructose is metabolized differently than other sugars. Glucose, for example, can be used as is by virtually every cell in the body; fructose can only be metabolized in the liver (and in sperm cells). If we eat too much glucose, the metabolic process stores it away as glycogen–if we eat too much fructose, our livers convert it to fat and, typically, store it in the liver. Why? Because glucose metabolism is tightly controlled and fructose, in simple terms, jumps the main control point in the sugar metabolism pathway. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
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Article from Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity:
A couple of years ago my now-fiancée, Erin, told me I should read this book, "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. Tharp is one of the most prolific and acclaimed choreographers of all time. I thought the book sounded interesting and I would eventually get around to reading it. Well I finally did get around to reading it and it is amazing. I wish I had read it a couple of years ago when Erin first told me about it.There is a lot of information in this book that appeals to me as a former musician and a current writer/blogger. However, there is also a lot of information that appeals to me as an athlete and coach. Being creative, according to Tharp, is about forming good habits and rituals. Being creative is about work and consistency and skill. These traits are no less important for athletes and coaches, in my opinion. . .
Click Here for complete Article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:50 PM | Comments (6)
September 8, 2008
080909 TUESDAY "Rowing with the girls"
Abby Kalogirou (bottom) shows Paula and Christine good rower form.
Workout:
(for those of you who missed it)
"Rowing With The Girls"
Row 500m with "Fran"
21 Thrusters 95
21 Pull Ups
Rest 1 min
Row 500m with "Helen"
21 KB Swings (1.5p)
12 Pull Ups
Rest 1 min
Row 500m with "Nancy"
15 Overhead Squats 95
9 Pull ups
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Exercise blunts 'fat gene effect'
They found that while the expected link between the number of copies of FTO carried and increased body mass index could be seen in less active volunteers, that link was broken once in those who recorded high levels of activity - equivalent to three to four hours of moderately intensive activity.Dr Soren Snitker, who led the research, said: "Our results strongly suggest that the increased risk of obesity due to genetic susceptibility can be blunted through physical activity.
"Some of the genes shown to cause obesity in our modern environment may not have had this effect a few centuries ago when most people's lives were similar to that of present-day Amish farmers."
Post Thoughts to comments.
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GYMNASTICS WORKSHOP!
Many of you have commented that they would love to experience some extra gymnastics work. Now is your chance.
Andres "Tortuga" De La Rosa from Crossfit Marin is running a 'workshop' in our area. Read his comments for info:
I will be hosting/coaching a Gymnastics and Parkour Seminar on Sunday, September 21st from 5:30pm-8:30pm with an optional “skill request session” from 8:30pm-9pm at Gymtowne Gymnastics in San Bruno, California. The skill levels of gymnastics will range from complete and utter noobies, to intermediate athletes (a “noob” is considered a level or two below a “rookie” and has perhaps never done a roll in his/her life- so no excuses!). I will have several guest coaches in attendance, including CrossFit Marin’s Roger Harrell, the gymnastics writer for CrossFit, and Russell Bruel, our resident “Kinesthetic Freak”.Attendance will be limited to 32 athletes, as we wish to have a coach to student ratio equal to or better than 1:8. There will be three or four head coaches and a couple of junior coaches. Among the events covered will be floor (basic gymnastics positions, skills, and tumbling), pommel horse (mainly swinging elements and leg cuts), beam(basic jumps, mounts, & balance drills), bars and rings (swings, glide-kips, back-hip circles, strength moves), parallel bars (swings, walks, kips, etc), vault (run, hurdle, squat-ons, handsprings), and basic parkour (shoulder rolls, side/speed/Kong vaults).
Gymtowne Gymnastics features approximately 9,300sq ft of space and gymnastics equipment, including but not limited to a full size gymnastics floor, vault runway, 5 beams, 2 ring towers, 3 uneven bars, 2 High bars, 3 sets of parallel bars, and a couple of pommel horses. Attached are a few images from the first official CrossFit Gymnastics certification coached by Roger Harrell at Gymtowne in March 2008, illustrating some of the equipment available and skills to be covered.
Please email us if you are a regular and we might be able to broker a deal for a cheaper rate (the cost is $100 if you are not from an affiliate). Do it right away otherwise we may not be able to help you out. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:32 PM | Comments (8)
September 7, 2008
080908 MONDAY
Darren Rosten with Tony Budding at the CrossFit Cert at CrossFit One World (Jeremy and Jax Jones visiting Sunday afternoon on the right).
Darren was paying close attention to Adrian Bozman's lecture on CF programming (seriously, I had to get his attention so that he would give me the horns for the photo).
Darren repping the horns in the middle again. You can also see old DCF regulars Burton and Charmane (Char is on Burton's shoulders) as well as Dustin Joseph in the crowd as well (all in the center pic). We hope to see you all again at the Shed soon!
Workout: "Grace"
135 lb Clean and Jerk, 30 reps for time.
(Power cleans and push presses allowed: i.e. "overhead anyhow")
Post time to comments.
Video: Crossfit Signature Workout Grace... 135 lb Clean and Press performed in Austin TX
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Quote:
“I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.
You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.
Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.
And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.
You died when you refused to stand up for right.
You died when you refused to stand up for truth.
You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the sermon “But, If Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:40 PM | Comments (8)
September 6, 2008
080907 SUNDAY
Instead of "Where's Waldo?" we have "Where's the Horns?"
Workout:
Tabata kettlebell swings (53lb kb men, 35lb kb women)
1 minute rest
Tabata Thrusters (35lb dbs men, 25lb dbs women)
1 minute rest
Tabata hill sprints
A Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 intervals (totaling 4 minutes). Score each exercise by using the lowest number of repetitions completed in any single 20 second interval. For hill sprints count total laps completed for the entire Tabata interval (all 4 minutes).
Post scores for each exercise as well as total score to comments.
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Article:
Performance Enhancing Drugs for the Brain?
In April, the prestigious journal Nature reported that one-fourth of the 1,400 people responding to an informal survey admitted they had taken drugs for nonmedical reasons to improve their concentration or memory. The medicines included Ritalin, a stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; Provigil, for sleep disorders; and so-called beta blockers for cardiac arrhythmia.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:29 PM | Comments (5)
September 5, 2008
080906 SATURDAY "Linda"
Stav gets the Labor Day gluttons for punishment ready for their weekend pain.
CF Main Workout: "Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Bench press: body weight
Clean: 3/4 body weight
Set up three bars and storm through for time.
DCF Workout: "Rowing With The Girls"
Row 500m with "Fran"
21 Thrusters 95/65
21 Pull Ups
Rest 1 min
Row 500m with "Helen"
21 KB Swings (1.5p/1p)
12 Pull Ups
Rest 1 min
Row 500m with "Nancy"
15 Overhead Squats 95/65
9 Pull ups
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Coach Rippetoe on the Bench Press
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Article:
Team sports blamed for the gap between 'athletes' and 'obese'
An over-emphasis on competitive team sports in schools is being blamed for "marginalising" the wider efforts to promote physical exercise.Research from Loughborough University suggests that healthy individual exercise is losing out because PE teachers want to focus on team games.
This means that pupils are not learning about personal exercises such as aerobics and pilates, say researchers.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:40 PM | Comments (14)
September 4, 2008
080905 FRIDAY
Steve from CrossFit Marina (in Huntington Beach) made sure our Luca had a good time on Labor day (and what Luca is looking at, we can only guess).
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
10 Handstand push ups (or modified versions if needed)
30 box jumps (20 inch box)
Post number of rounds to comments.
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Article:
Exercise helps with memory function
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.
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Fasting Articles from Scott Kustes at Modern Forager
What happens to your body when you fast Part 5 - Exercising and Rest
What happens to your body when you fast - Q and A
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:51 PM | Comments (11)
September 3, 2008
080904 THURSDAY "FGB III Details"
We had a great turnout for our Labor Day class. Results are posted on Monday's post. Nice work everyone.
Workout: "The Exercise" (inspired by Coach Dan John)
Hang Power Snatch, Overhead Squat
5,5,5,5,5
Work up to your 5 rep max
Post loads to comments.
Sage Burgener demonstrates some Power Snatches:
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Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser Details below. . .
Diablo CrossFit Team Website (click here)
Copied directly from the the Fight Gone Bad III website, you can find out rules, weights, scaling, how to get a shirt, and how to win our gym $2500 in equipment!
Also, here is the
Athletes for Cure Donation Printable PDF Form for people to use for their family and friends who don't know what the 'interweb' is.
Click "Continue Reading" below:
Fight Gone Bad III Fundraiser "Rules of Engagement"
* The CrossFit workout will be 'Fight Gone Bad'. In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This event calls for 3 rounds. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of 'rotate,' the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball, 8 ft target (Reps)
2. Deadlift high-pull (Reps)
3. Box jump (Reps)
4. Push-press (Reps)
5. Row (Calories)
* To compete in the workout, all participants must complete each of the following:
1. Register with their local CrossFit Affiliate Center by Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2. Register with Athletes for a Cure at http://athletes.kintera.org/crossfit08 by Wednesday, September 24, 2008
3. Raise $150 or more in pledges by 5 pm PDT on Saturday, September 27, 2008
4. All donations counting toward the awards must be received by 5 pm PDT September 29, 2008.
* The four divisions are:
1. Class A: Standard Men = 75 lb PP and High Pull, 20lb Wall Ball and 20in Box
2. Class B: Modified Men/Standard Women = 55 lb PP and High Pull, 14lb Wall Ball and 20in Box
3. Class C: Intermediate = 35 lb PP and High Pull, 8lb Wall Ball and 20in Box (step ups are okay)
4. Class D: Beginner/Kids = 15lb PP and High Pull, 4lb Wall Ball (can be lowered 2in from standard height) and 10in Box
Awards
* Any participant who raises $150 or more will receive an official event T-shirt.
* High Score Individual Awards: Highest score in each division (male and female)
o Top 3 national scorers in each division will receive a Custom Sterling Silver, Hand-Stamped Dog Tags set with the winner's name and facility on one tag and their score, location and FGB III on the other tag, with a sterling chain.
o Each facility must designate one male and one female as their potential high scorer in each division. These will be the participants in the scoring division.
o Facility owners of the winning high scorers will also receive Custom Sterling Silver, Hand-Stamped Dog Tags.
o To be eligible for the individual scoring award the facility must submit an uploaded YouTube video of the designated scorer's September 27th FGB no later than 7 days post event, and email the link to FGB3@athletesforacure.org. Winners will be judged by an anonymous panel of Crossfit judges. Any potential winner who fails to meet the Crossfit standards for FGB will be ineligible for awards.
* Highest Fundraising Facility Awards
o More than 25 participants: $2500 gift certificate to Bigger, Faster, Stronger
o 25 participants or LESS: $2500 gift certificate to Bigger, Faster, Stronger
o If a smaller club raises more funds than the larger highest fundraising facility, we will grant them the entire $5000!
o Any owner of a facility that raises more than $10,000 will also receive Custom Sterling Silver, Hand-Stamped Dog Tags.
* Last year’s highest fundraising facilities were:
o More than 25 Participants: Petranek Fitness- $35,872.69
o 25 Participants or Less: CrossFit Boston - $28,795.00
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:48 PM | Comments (6)
September 2, 2008
080903 WEDNESDAY "Nicole"
+++No Muay Thai This Thursday!+++
Our very on Mark Lind just got back from the CrossFit Kids Certification run by Mikki and Jeff Martin (left and center spots).
Workout:
"Nicole"
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
Run 400m
Max reps pull ups
Post number of pull ups each round to comments.
CrossFit explaining the kipping pull up Video:
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Article:
Taking the stairs may prolong life
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.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:08 PM | Comments (7)
August 31, 2008
080901 MONDAY - Happy Labor Day
++ NEW CLASS SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER!! ++
From left to right: Brian Nesmith, Jeremy Jones, Jax Jones (being held), and the great Dan John at the 2008 Highland Games in Pleasanton.
Dan imparting some wisdom upon Jax and I:
And this is me enjoying some Haggis:
Workout: "Manual Labor"
Perform as many rounds as possible in 30 minutes of:
100m Farmer Carry (45lb dumbbells for men, 25lb dbs for women)
20 Sledge Hammer swings (16lb sledge for men, 10lb sledge for women)
20 Virtual Shoveling over 1' barrier (45lb bar +45lb plate for men, 25lb plate for women)
50m tire flip (men - large tire, women - smaller tire)
50m sled drag (tire sled on asphalt, men - 53lb, women - 35lb)
Post rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Children in Great Britain are rewarded at Fitness Camp.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:36 PM | Comments (9)
August 30, 2008
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.
advanced: 135lb, intermediate: 95lb, beginner: 65lbs
Post load used and number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Blackberries slow cancer by altering hundreds of genes
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.
Post thoughts to comments.
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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.
Athletes for a Cure Website for Diablo CrossFit Link
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!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:24 PM | Comments (13)
August 29, 2008
080830 SATURDAY "New Clock"
+++NO MUAY THAI TODAY!+++
+++TODAY's 12:00h CFIT CLASS & 13:00h OLY CLASS ARE ON!!+++
+++SUNDAY: 12:00h CROSSFIT CLASS!+++
+++LABOR DAY: 10:00h CROSSFIT CLASS ONLY!!+++
Everyone needs to thank Dave (second from left) for getting DCF a nice new digital timer/clock. No more mini stop watches for class. It should be easy for everyone to see where they are at every class workout.
Workout:
Deadlift 10, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4
Strict Press: 10, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4
Alternate between exercises. Each set should be heavy enough to be near failure.
Post loads to comments.
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143rd Scottish Highland Games This Weekend at the Alameda Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
Post below if you went or plan on going.
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Article:
Study: Vibration 'exercise' slows weight gain.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:35 PM | Comments (2)
August 28, 2008
080829 FRIDAY
Hardway Bryan, Carry, and Rhodes throwing some DCF horns while wearing their 20lb weight vests before Murph.
(and below is Carry completing "Murph" as prescribed - all 100 pull ups and push ups with the 20lb weight vest on - not to mention the 2 miles of running and 300 squats).
Workout:
4 rounds-
Row 500m
3 minute rest
Post times to comments.
Rowing Technique Video:
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Article:
Largest food festival in American History is coming to San Francisco this weekend:
"Slow Food Nation celebrates good, clean and fair food"
"The majority of Slow Food Nation events will be held in two locations— San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza and Fort Mason Center. For those on a budget, Civic Center Plaza is the place to go. In the center of the plaza is the Victory Garden, a beautifully designed edible art project that serves as the anchor for a bustling marketplace of sustainable food vendors. Throughout the weekend, a free stage will feature a variety of dance, music, poetry, and theatre performances.But the heart of the Slow Food Nation weekend will be found several blocks away, at Fort Mason Center, home to 15 Taste Pavilions. A collection of food demonstration and tasting centers, the Taste Pavilions will showcase a wide range of American food and drink — from heirloom hams to handmade ice cream. Admission is $65 for adults ($45 for 21 and under) for a four-hour lunch or dinner tasting experience."
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Article from Mary Rigney at CrossFit Rockwall:
"Consistency is possibly the most important part of an exercise program. Even if you use the best exercise program in existence (i.e. CrossFit) and give 100% effort when you work out, if you're only doing it once a month it will have little effect on your overall health and fitness. Additionally, you must have consistency before intensity. If you are not consistent enough to get to the point where you can add intensity, you are really missing out on results..."
Read more here: http://crossfitrockwall.typepad.com/crossfit_rockwall/consistency.html
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:35 PM | Comments (16)
August 27, 2008
080828 THURSDAY
+++NO MUAY THAI THIS SATURDAY+++
+++MONDAY - LABOR DAY - Will have special "holiday" hours. . . stay tuned+++
Jimmy throwing some wall ball under the morning sun and The Shed sign.
Workout:
3 rounds for time:
40 Wall Ball (20lb ball, 10' target)
40 Sumo Deadlift high pull (95lbs, 65lbs)
200m run
Post time to comments.
Video: The sumo deadlift high pull (SDHP) in action -
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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27th FIGHT GONE BAD FUNDRAISER!!!
We plan on having another barbecue, as well as hosting the fundraiser so mark your calendars.
We are recommending that everyone wishing to participate get "sponsored" by their friends, family and co-workers. The 'average' donation rates will be $0.10 per point up to $1.00 per point. Hopefully we can get some forms made for you to recruit people.
Details Here.
Please leave a comment below if you wish to participate.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:55 PM | Comments (16)
August 25, 2008
080826 TUESDAY
Rhodes and Hardway Bryan doing knees to elbows.
Workout:
Overhead Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
First two sets should be moderate weight (70% and 80% of your 5 rep max) the last three sets should be near or at your 5 rep max.
Post loads to comments.
Eva Twardokens doing some Overhead Squats and showing safe form and techniques:
Nicole Carrol's attempt at overhead squatting her bodyweight 15 times:
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Scientists discover that leptin may help Type I diabetics
The mechanism of leptin's glucose-lowering action appears to involve the suppression of glucagon, a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises glucose levels. Normally, glucagon is released when the glucose, or sugar, level in the blood is low. In insulin deficiency, however, glucagon levels are inappropriately high and cause the liver to release excessive amounts of glucose into the bloodstream. This action is opposed by insulin, which tells the body's cells to remove sugar from the bloodstream. . .Dr. Yu said the research team hypothesizes that leptin combats diabetes not only be suppressing glucagon's action on the liver, but also by boosting the insulin-like actions of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), a hormone that promotes growth and mimics insulin.
"One of the things that happens when a child gets type 1 diabetes is their growth is stunted until they're given insulin," Dr. Unger said. "The same is true with these mice. However, we found that if you take a diabetic rat that's not receiving insulin and make it hyperleptinemic, it almost catches up growthwise."
Post Thoughts to Comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:44 PM | Comments (4)
August 24, 2008
080825 MONDAY "Murph"
This is Olive during her warm up (you should see her workout weight).
Workout: "Murph" (same as the CrossFit Mothership)
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Killer Carbs - Scientist finds a link between aging and overeating
"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. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:36 PM | Comments (23)
080824 SUNDAY "Jimmy's 33rd Birthday"
Rhodes uses the keg as a base for his ring push ups (another picture of a keg? - gasp!)
Workout: "Jimmy's 33rd Birthday" (actually it was on Friday)
Ring push ups with 20 or 40lbs weight vest added.
175lb power cleans
Perform 33 reps of both exercises as fast as possible (mix the order any way desired).
Post time to comments.
Video of Nicole Carrol playing around with ring push ups:
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Article:
Steroids cause serious skin side effect in 21 year old man
(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)
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Article:
Positive thinkers may decrease cancer risk
But the researchers admitted that women were questioned after their diagnosis, which might significantly change their outlook on life.
(I would expect it would change their outlook on life significantly. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:26 AM | Comments (4)
August 22, 2008
080823 SATURDAY
JJ and Darren repping out some one arm keg swings with our 95lb keg.
Videos Jeremy and Darren in action:
Workout:
Back Squat 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Weighted Pull Up 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Alternate between exercises. Add weight each round.
Post loads to comments.
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Article from Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity:
I've got to hand it to you Part 4
Whether you are doing Gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, Crossfit, or manual labor, your hands take a beating. Your hands and wrists are susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, strains, sprains and all sorts of trauma. Doing some or all of the following things can help keep you injury-free and prevent your training from getting derailed. . .
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Some of the pictures from the Friends and Family day have been uploaded.
Check them out on our Flickr Page here.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:17 PM | Comments (12)
August 21, 2008
080822 Friday
The pre-WOD procrastination.
Workout:
5 Rounds
1 minute Row (count Calories)
1 minute push press (115# men, 75# women)
1 minute rest
Post total calories/reps to comments
Push Press instructional video from Nicole Carrol and Annie Sakimoto
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Article from Scott Kustes at Modern Forager:
Part 4 What happens to you when you fast: Healing and longevity.
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.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:19 PM | Comments (8)
August 20, 2008
080821 THURSDAY "Helen"
"Hardway" Bryan is telling Anne that something is wrong with her rowing form, can you guess what it is?
"Helen"
Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups
Or "Fat Helen" (completed with 20 lb - or 40 lb weight vest)
Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups
Post type of Helen, and time to comments.
Sub 7 minute "Helen" by OPT (James Fitzgerald):
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Article from Mike OD at The IF Life:
The biggest workout mistakes people make and what to do about them
(Many of these don't apply to the regulars at The Shed, but simple-and-effective wisdom like this is just too hard not to forward. -jj)
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:47 PM | Comments (17)
August 19, 2008
080820 WEDNDESDAY "How Many Makimbas?"
Darren and Jeremy (your's truly) giving the horns after the 4 x 400m runs workout.
Workout:
Perform as many "Makimbas" in 20 minutes as possible:
1 Makimba =
3 rounds, 15 - 10 - 5 reps of
10lb dumbells (or more if you can handle it)
Burpees
Air squats
Post Number of Makimba's to comments.
Be careful you don't get Rhabdomyolysis.
Click here for CrossFit Kids doing a single Makimba Video
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"Hump Day" Article:
Contraceptive Pill May Affect Women's Partner Choice
"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. . ."
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Article:
Happiness the Key to Longer Life
"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. . ."
Post Thoughts To Comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:18 PM | Comments (9)
August 18, 2008
080819 TUESDAY
Stavros posted a 1:05:15 in a sprint distance Triathlon with ZERO training. Way to represent DCF Stav!
'It felt good to be passing guys on $5000 bikes.' - Stavros
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Workout:
Snatch grip deadlift 3, 3
Clean grip deadlift 3, 3
Mixed grip deadlift 3, 3
Sumo deadlift 3, 3
Each set should be your (or near your) 3 rep max for that particular deadlift variation.
Post loads to comments.
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'Bravest' students do not cheat
I wonder if the people who are attracted to CrossFit are also the minority of 'brave' people. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:28 PM | Comments (13)
August 12, 2008
080813 WEDNESDAY "Anne's Testimonial"
Anne's testimonial:
"What has Crossfit done for me?
Well, yes, I've lost 50 lbs and 3-4 clothing sizes, so buying a new wardrobe has been fun. . .
But not having to go to a chiropractor for back and neck pains is even better.
There's pain in Crossfit, for sure, but the kind you earn and feel good about...the pain of accomplishment. See, it's not just about looking cute, it's about feeling amazing.
Feeling lighter, faster, more agile...getting my reflexes back!
At 37, I thought my aches and pains and slowness were from getting old. Nope, it's from carrying around what is the equivalent of kindergardener, all the time. Now, at 38, I feel healthier and fitter than when I was in my 20's, and my 19 year old daughter can barely keep up.
There are many things I love about Crossfit but the first thing is that there are no limits.
You think you've hit a limit and you come back a week or 2 later and you go even further or faster. I told people I did 600 squats total the past week and they looked at me like I'm insane...and I'm thinking "I could have done more".
The other thing I love most about Crossfit is that I'm never alone.
I've taken classes at other gyms and there can be 50 people in a room, but we weren't working together or helping each other or challenging each other. Not so with Crossfit...whoever is there that day is cheering you on and pushing you, or they may be the person you are trying to beat...total interaction.
Anyway, thank you JJ, for introducing me to a better living...and to being better to myself!"
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Workout:
"FrAnnie"
21 - 15 - 9 reps for time
Thrusters
Pull ups
Double Unders
Abmat Sit ups
Post time to comments.
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Article from Scott Kustes' Website "Modern Forager"
Part 1: What Happens To Your Body When You Fast? - Energy Production
As you know, I’m a big fan of intermittent fasting, but this is an area of it that I’ve never really looked at. I’m going to break this into several posts because there’s a lot going on here and I don’t want to burden everyone with a novella. Today, we’ll look at how the body handles energy production during the fasting period, a good starting point given that, when you get down to it, an energy source and water are the only two requirements for the body to operate. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:52 PM | Comments (18)
August 9, 2008
080810 SUNDAY
+++DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR "FRIENDS AND FAMILY" DAY ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, PLEASE POST IF YOU ARE COMING AND WHAT YOU CAN BRING+++
There comes a time in every CrossFitter's life when you've gotta ask yourself: "What the HELL I AM I DOING?!" (For Dan, this came fairly early as he completed the Filthy Fifty as Rx'ed his first time! - NICE WORK).
You can see by Dan's expression that he is very happy with his decision.
Workout:
Health lift (aka "Deadlift")
5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
Post loads to comments.
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Video from Crossfit regarding the Health lift
Can you name all the "CrossFit Original Allstars" that appear in this video?
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Article (I know it isn't "hump day" but this article is too important for all you cyclists to pass up -jj)
No-nose bicycle seats improve penile sensation and erectile function
An innovative study appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine examined, for the first time, if noseless bicycle saddles would be an effective intervention for alleviating deleterious health effects, erectile dysfunction and groin numbness, caused by bicycling on the traditional saddle with a protruding nose extension. Results from this study may be useful for the estimated 5 million recreational cyclists to alleviate perineal discomfort and maintain sexual health. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 5:38 PM | Comments (4)
August 7, 2008
080808 FRIDAY "J.T."
Now is the time to bring all your friends and family to The Shed. Bring anyone who will come, especially the people who are on the cusp of getting started.
It is also going to be a going away party for Trainer Rick H. He is leaving us to go to school in San Jose (although secretly I think he might be trying to 'transfer' to CF unlimited or Jason Khalipa's affiliate - i.e. he has a man crush on him).
Workout: "J.T."
21 - 15 - 9
Handstand Push ups
Ring Dips
Push ups
Post time to comments.
Video of Annie Sakamoto from CrossFit Santa Cruz Central doing J.T.(she's my hero):
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Article from Scott Kustes at Modern Forager
What is a paradox? French, Atkins, and Inuit
. . . I tell you that story to tell you this one. One lady had not heard of the French Paradox, so I explained it as, “the nonsense notion that it’s the red wine that protects the French from disease due to their high-fat diet.” One girl asked, “And why is it nonsense?” in a humorous way. I replied, “We can go there if you want, but this isn’t really the place.” Anywho, we moved on with the discussion of wine and the beverage industry as a whole. But let’s discuss the French Paradox. . .
Post thoughts in comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:59 PM | Comments (10)
080807 THURSDAY "2 Minute Defense"
"Travmeister" goes head to head with the workout "2 minute defense"
Workout: "2 Minute Defense"
5 rounds at 135lbs -
1 Power Clean
3 Hang Squat Cleans
2 Jerks
200 Foot run
Then rest 2 minutes
Then. . .5 rounds at 135lbs -
1 Power Clean
3 Hang Squat Cleans
2 Jerks
200 Foot run
Post total time to comments.
Video from CrossFit HQ of Pat Barber doing this WOD:
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Another Great Article from Mary Rigney at CrossFit Rockwall
Eat More, Weigh Less
I'm not eating much, I'm hungry, and I'm not losing weight.
If you've ever tried to lose weight, you've probably been in that dilemma before. What gives? It's time to take a look at what you're eating, rather than how much. You'll be surprised by how many calories some "small" meals contain. Let's compare a typical day of meals and see where you are missing out. . .
Read complete CrossFit Rockwall food article here.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:51 AM | Comments (10)
August 5, 2008
080806 WEDNESDAY "FITHY FIFTY"
I don't know about everyone else, but I totally agree with Matt B's shirt.
Workout: The "Filthy Fifty"
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
Post time to comments.
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Article From Mary Rigney at CrossFit Rockwell:
Power = Intensity = Results
"In CrossFit, the goal is to move large loads, long distance, quickly. But, which of those variable is most important - the load, the distance or the time? Is it better to be faster with a lighter load? Or move a heavier load more slowly? It all depends on your goals, but if you really want to push your limits, keep an eye on your power output. Let's do some theoretical calculations..."
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:02 PM | Comments (19)
August 4, 2008
080805 TUESDAY
As promised, Bryan and Shannon Stornetta sported their Diablo CrossFit shirts around camp after their 100mile race. And from the pictures below, who would question how "normal" most CrossFitters are?
(Shannon said she was too tired for a freestanding handstand)
(Bryan just looks like this most of the time, but I don't know why he is wearing a towel? -jj)
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Thrusters (125lbs, 95lbs or 65lbs depending on skill and bodyweight)
15 Kettlebell swings (70lbs, 54lbs, or 35lbs depending on skill and bodyweight)
20 Double unders
Post total rounds and fractions for rounds completed (as well as weights used) to comments.
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Article:
Another article from Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity.
"It is important to remember that torn calluses are an injury. Whenever you have an injury, you must give it time to heal. Altering your training to focus on lower body exercises is the preferred course of action. However, sometimes competition and personal factors makes it necessary for athletes to train or compete with an injured hand. What are you going to do to protect your hands and keep from aggravating the injury? Wear gloves? No way!"
Click here for the full article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:43 PM | Comments (10)
August 3, 2008
080804 MONDAY
It has been a week or two since we have seen the Wolfman. Where has he gone?
Workout:
Deadlift
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (that's 10 sets of 3). Keep adding weight each round.
Post Max load to comments.
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Article:
Obesity prevention efforts should begin at age 2
"More research is needed to determine the causes of early obesity including "information on family history and the dietary and exercise habits in infancy,"
Exercise habits in infancy!? That is just ridiculous. How about the dietary habits of the parents! -jj
Post Thoughts to Comments.
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FGB III is set for Saturday, September 27, 2008
Athletes For a Cure and the Wounded Warrior Project: Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser
Here is more Fight Gone Bad Videos from previous year fundraisers: Click here
Are you interested in participating at DCF?
Please post in comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:56 PM | Comments (8)
July 31, 2008
080801 FRIDAY
Kevin is one of our younger fire breathers that slays WODs daily (and you wouldn't realized how young he is if you only saw his workout times).
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
1 deadlift, 1push press, 1 back squat
2 deadlifts, 2 push presses, 2 back squats
3 deadlifts, 3 push presses, 3 back squats. . .and so on.
Post number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article:
Exercise Pills Increase Stamina (no, not the pills that fill everyone's spam box.)
"Almost no-one gets the recommended 40 minutes to an hour per day of exercise - for these people, if there was a way to mimic exercise, it would make the quality of exercise they do more efficient."
40 minutes to an hour a day!? Where did they get that statistic? That is a lot of working out. -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
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Some of you might have noticed a little link in the upper left of the main page that says "DCF Records". Go up and find it. . .good.
Logs It All is a website for logging things, and they have a whole database for CrossFit workouts (the ones that reoccur like the Girls and Heroes, as well as each and every CFmainpage one that shows up). Bill Patton who runs logs it all even posts the top 20 in the comments section many times a 'regular' shows up on the CrossFit mainpage.
For example from "Helen" on Tuesday:
median all (391 reporting):10:30
median women (29 reporting): 12:11
top 20 all:
Position Total Time Gender Approx. Age Bodyweight CF Gym Affiliation
[1] damon stewart 7 mins 10 secs M 31 168 WasatchCrossfit.com
[2] Ricky Frausto 7 mins 11 secs M 30 150 CrossFit Omaha
[3] Phillip (Raze) Pound 7 mins 24 secs M 25 245 The Body Lab
[4] Darren Ellis 7 mins 30 secs M 33 174 CrossfitNZ
[5] brendan gilliam 7 mins 35 secs M 31 190 Crossfit North Santa Cruz
[6] Tyson Patrick 7 mins 44 secs M 22 172
[7] Stavros Kalogirou 7 mins 44 secs M 32 180 Diablo Crossfit
[8] Darren Rosten 7 mins 47 secs M 28 213 Diablo Crossfit
[9] Jonathan Burns 7 mins 49 secs M 30 205 Northwest Crossfit
[10] josh jorgensen 7 mins 51 secs M 20 195 diablo crossfi
Notice anything?
We are doing pretty good, but I want to blow up Logs It All with Diablo CrossFit athletes. So go get an account, and make sure you update it when you do one of the workouts available there.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:23 PM | Comments (5)
July 30, 2008
080731 THURSDAY
Our very own Moises represented DCF at his department's Sheriff's Challenge and placed 5th out of 30 (with a pulled hamstring on the last 1.5mile run)! Nice work Mo (he promised us pics soon).
Workout:
5 rounds for time,
200m run
20 pull ups
20 box jumps
20 push ups
20 knees to elbows
Post time to comments.
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Zen Habits has a great post on how to reclaim your time:
“The really efficient laborer will be found not to crowd his day with work, but will saunter to his task surrounded by a wide halo of ease and leisure.” - Henry David Thoreau
Are there a hundred different things you wish you could do with your life someday — anything from exercising to meditation or yoga to writing that novel you always wished you could write to reading more to relaxing and watching the sunrise?But perhaps you never have the time, like most people.
The truth is, we all have the same amount of time, and it’s finite and in great demand. But some of us have made the time for doing the things we love doing, and others have allowed the constant demands and pressures and responsibilities of life to dictate their days. . .
Click Here to read the article
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:17 PM | Comments (9)
July 29, 2008
080729 TUESDAY
Brian St. does some dumbbell burpees (are those tears or sweat).
Workout:
50 Dumbbell burpees* for time (45lb dbs men, 25lb dbs women)
*hold dumbbells at side, drop dbs to deck, kick legs back, do a push up, bring legs in, stand up (with proper lower back form!), power clean weight to shoulders, push press dbs overhead, rinse repeat.
Post time to comments.
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Another article from Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity:
Your relationship with food is the most important determinant of your longterm well-being. The first thing that you should think about when you want to make a change in your life is your diet. Nutrition is the foundation of the development of an athlete and of humans in general. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:36 AM | Comments (7)
July 26, 2008
080727 SUNDAY "Helen"
Have you been to the "Girls Class" yet? If you are a woman or a girl, and you can make time on Monday, Wednesday or Friday at 10am, you shouldn't miss this class with our first rate trainer Sarah.
Workout: "Helen"
3 rounds for time.
400 meter run
1.5 pood Kettlebell swing x 21
Pull-ups 12 reps
or you can try "Fat Helen"
3 rounds for time.
100 meter sled drag
2 pood (72lb) Kettlebell swing x 21
35lb weighted Pull-ups 12 reps
Post workout choosen and time to comments.
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Another DCF Shirt from around the CrossFit Community:
Send pictures of you sporting your DCF shirt everywhere (working out, checking out the website, drinking, helping your favorite charity, etc) and we'll try and post them.
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The wrong bras during exercise can damage breasts
They said that during exercise, breasts move up to 21cm (8.26inches), up and down, in and out and side to side - but most bras just limit vertical movement. . .The research team has tested about 50 bra designs on hundreds of women during the past three years. . .
Post thoughts to comments (ladies).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:28 PM | Comments (18)
July 25, 2008
080726 SATURDAY
Dustin doing some Parkour in last Saturday's Class (notice the large boxes for vaulting in the photo as well).
Workout:
Back Squat
5,5,5,5,5
Weighted Dip
5,5,5,5,5
Alternate between exercises. Add weight each round until you reach your 5 rep max.
Post loads to comments.
Then a few rounds of : "CrossFit Golf" from BTB Fitness
(Everyone can thank Mark L for the new game).
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Article:
Rock Drummers need the stamina of top athletes
. . .He found that during a performance, his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats a minute, peaking at 190, levels comparable to other top athletes. . .
. . He said: "Footballers can normally expect to play 40 to 50 games a year - but in one 12 month period, Clem played 90-minute sets at 100 concerts."Footballer find playing a Champions League game once every two weeks a drain, but these guys are doing it every day when they are on tour. . .
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:01 PM | Comments (2)
July 24, 2008
080725 FRIDAY "Shootfighting Summit Next Weekend"
Rodil represent'n at the Robb Wolf Nutrition Cert in San Francisco (Hint: Look for the DCF Horns gang sign).
Workout: Fran (or her Fat sister)
"Fran"
Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups
OR
"FAT Fran" (done with a 20 lb weight vest)
Three rounds, 16-12- and 8 reps, for time of:
115 pound Thruster
Pull-ups
Post which lady and time to comments.
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Article:
Olympians pick the "perfect" athlete
“The perfect athlete is any athlete who has the drive, the desire to participate and the will to achieve and succeed,” says gymnast Olga Korbut, who won four Olympic gold medals and two silver medals for the Soviet Union at the 1972 Munich Games and the 1976 Montreal Games. “Everyone who has ever tried out for their school team, was lucky enough to put on a uniform, participated in intramural activities, or just went onto the field, the court or the arena and gave it their all – no matter the outcome – is the perfect athlete.”
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Event: Shootfighting Summit - August 1, 2, 3
ISFA Shootfighting Summit II - MMA / Mixed Martial Arts Training Seminar with Shootfighting founder Yoshiaki FujiwaraTrain with the worlds best in the martial arts, and founders of modern mixed martial arts ( MMA ) in a 3 day camp! Your instructors are: From Japan, Yoshiaki Fujiwara (Carl Gotch's 1 protoge and the instructor of names like Bart Vale (UWF, PWFG & ISFA), Shamrock (UFC), Suzuki & Funaki (Pancrase), Takeda (Rings), etc.) and Yuki Ishikawa (Pride & Battlearts). From Florida, Bart Vale. ISFA Sr. Instructor and host Robert Yard. Pre-Register at any of the Tracy's Karate Studios located in Davis, Vacaville, Fairfield or Vallejo, CA.
For more info go to www.tracyskaratestudios.com or www.myspace.com/tracyskaratestudios
You can also talk to me directly (in person or via email) and I can try and get you a deal (there is already discounts for Law Enforcement Officers that I know I can help you get). -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:35 PM | Comments (12)
July 12, 2008
080713 SUNDAY
Stav explodes off the line at the starting horn.
Workout:
Run 400m (the steeper the better).
2 minute rest
6 rounds for time.
Post time to comments.
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Article by Keith Wittenstein at CrossFit Virtuosity
10 Ways to Perfect Your Pullup!
Doing pullups is hard and if you cannot do a pullup, you are not alone. Many people complain that they cannot do a pullup and therefore resign themselves to never doing one. However, learning to do a pullup is just a few steps away. All you need is some time and some effort and a good coach. Here are 10 things you should do to perfect your pullup. . .
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:05 PM | Comments (1)
July 11, 2008
080712 SATURDAY "GRIP SOME" and Shed Music
Rodil not only did a great job of cheering on 'Team Firebreathers' at the CrossFit Games, he also won the drawing for a set Ironmind Vulcan Racks! (and nice work with the DCF shirt and devil horns).
Ironmind is a great company that makes great products. In the past I bought two books by John Brookfield from them, and when they were at the games I went ahead and picked up two of their "Captains of Crush" Grippers (Number 1:140lbs and Number 2:195lbs). Craig liked them so much he picked up another Number 1 for The Shed! Try to close the thing when you get a chance. You'll earn a new respect for grip strength and the people who can close the Number 3 (at 280lbs), and the four people in the world who can close the Number 4 (with a skull crushing 365lbs)!
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Workout: "GRIP SOME!"
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
10 snatch grip deadlifts 185 lbs for men, 135 lbs for women
10 knees to elbows
1 rope climb (15 feet)
200m farmer carry 45lb dumbbells for men, 35 for women
Post rounds and fractions of rounds to comments.
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Shed Music - This is your chance to listen to what you want.
Please post in comments some songs you wish to hear at The Shed when you are working out. I need artist, and song (and version if there is multiple versions). Just the artist or album won't work.
If the songs are appropriate, I will purchase them to play at The Shed while everyone is working out.
If you don't make any requests, you can't complain about what comes on during your workout.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:53 PM | Comments (5)
July 10, 2008
080711 FRIDAY "Interval Elizabeth"
Diablo CrossFit sure had a lot of kids to cheer them on at the CrossFit Games (this isn't even all of them).
Workout: "Interval Elizabeth"
5 rounds for time:
1 minute squat cleans with 155lbs (men) 100lbs (women)
1 minute ring dips
1 minute rest
Post total reps to comments.
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Video:
The next class to come to The Shed?
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Article:
Being fat can lower your sperm count.
Simple biology fluke, or evolution at work? -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:05 PM | Comments (3)
July 9, 2008
080710 THURSDAY
Rick halfway through his deadlift burpee heat at the 2008 CrossFit Games. This picture shows some of the spectators cheering him on, but there are still more on both sides.
And here is a picture of Rick during one of his ice baths in the freezer truck (You can tell he really likes it in the right hand photo).
Lose your Breakfast with Luca:
Push Jerk
3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1
Find your one rep max and post your weight
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So, to all of you who participated or just went as a spectator, what did you get out of the games?
I had a ton of fun and met some interesting people, I met the current world record holder for max push-ups, I met another Italian Crossfitter, a woman from Florida (she made me so proud); all the big names from OPT to Speal to Dutch and all the old timers who started this thing and made what it is today, fromCoach to Nicole, from Annie and Brendan to Rob.
The games for me were more than just the people competing, it was meeting other Crossfitters, sharing ideas, talking about what motivates us to keep killing our bodies on the WODs, what you want out of it, and so forth.
I was amazed by the size of this year event, how big it's gotten already, how many sponsors are on the bandwagon, and how surprised Coach still is of the success of CrossFit.
Did you like everything? Did you expect more, or less?
Post your thoughts:
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Article:
Click here for a great article about how Biofuel caused the world's current food crisis.
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BONUS - our own Carry Werner made the CrossFit Mainpage Today!
Posted by at 9:30 PM | Comments (16)
July 8, 2008
080709 WEDNESDAY "CrossFit Total"
Jorgy in the middle of the 155lb squat clean and jerk workout at the games.
Workout: CrossFit Total (Click here for an article description)
Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep
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Video:
Below is a video with CrossFit Games Champion Jason Khalipa performing the Clean and Jerk workout and taking the title.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:11 PM | Comments (17)
July 7, 2008
080708 TUESDAY
Ok so the results are out, we know who the best of the best are, but what about the rest, are they not worth mentioning? What about the stories withing the story, what about our own Carry Warner,for example she never did Deadlift 185#, not even once, before the games, she did it 25 times.
What about Stavros Kalogirou, he ripped every single one of his calluses of both hands and still kept going on the pull-ups bar, slipping on his own blood.
Yes it was great to see OPT in action or Jolie, but I had more fun watching the rest grinding it out and achieve P.R.s
the look on their faces as they finished the work. Every one gave 110%, and I think they all got something back, some personal accomplishment, some training tips,some ideas, for sure some great memories, to bring back to their boxes and start building on it for the next year's games.
I for once already can't wait.
Lose your Breakfast with Luca:
In honor of the games lets do our on scaled version of them
21 Thrusters (95#,65#)
21 Pull-Ups (chest to the bar)
1 min rest
3 Rounds for time of
5 Deadlifts (275#, 185#)
10 Burpees (your thighs and chest must touch the floor, and you must clap your hands while in the air)
1 min rest
800m run
Post times and comments.
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Article:
Doing this one simple thing made people loose TWICE as much weight as dieters who didn't do it. Can you guess what it is?
"The study involved people from four U.S. cities: Portland, Oregon; Baltimore, Maryland; Durham, North Carolina; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their average weight loss was about 13 pounds (6 kg). But those ________________ six or seven days a week lost about 18 pounds (8 kg) compared to 9 pounds (4 kg) for those not _____________________..The average age of people in the study was 55."
Posted by at 9:30 PM | Comments (12)
July 3, 2008
080704 "Happy Independence Day"
+++THE SHED WILL BE CLOSED FRI, SAT, SUN+++
Stavros and Darren will be kicking ass at the games in Diablo CrossFit's Honor this weekend.
Friday July 4th 9am workout:
"Thrusters and pull ups" aka "Snooty Fran"
21-15-9
Chest hitting bar pull ups (aka "chest ups")
Thrusters
Both exercises should be performed using the standards from the CrossFit Games.
Post time to comments.
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Directions to the Games:
FOR CORRECT DIRECTIONS TO THE GAMES AND TURN BY TURN PICTURES CLICK HERE
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:31 PM | Comments (16)
July 1, 2008
080702 WEDNESDAY
+++GO TO THE CROSSFIT GAMES BLOG FOR COMPETITION DETAILS WED NIGHT+++
+++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!
Workout: 2 rounds for time,
50 doubleunders
40 pull ups
30 lunge steps with two dumbbells (alternating R,L) women: 25lb dbs, men: 45lb dbs
20 Deadlifts, women: 135, men: 225
10 Handstand push ups.
Post time to comments.
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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.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:21 PM | Comments (19)
June 29, 2008
080630 MONDAY
+++DCF CLOSED THIS WEEKEND! FRI, SAT, SUN (we will all be at the CF Games).+++
Mark (behind the camera) and Jimmy (on the left) got to go to CrossFit One World this weekend to get their Level I certifications. CF All Star, and generally all around nice guy, Adrian Bozeman from CrossFit San Francisco (center left with horns) is one of the trainers who dishes out the info (and the pain) at the certs. And Toby the rowing phenom from Sacramento's Fourth Power Fitness (making me look like a midget) on the right.
Workout:
Newbie WOD
400m run
10 pull ups
20 push ups
30 sit ups
40 squats
For time. Then:
Overhead Squat
5,5,5,5,5
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Article:
Higher coffee consumption associated with lower liver cancer risk.
The researchers noted a significant inverse association between coffee drinking and the risk of primary liver cancer. They found that the multivariable hazards ratio of liver cancer dropped for each group that drank more coffee. It fell from 1.00, to .66, to .44, to .38 to .32 respectively. "The biological mechanisms behind the association of coffee consumption with the risk of liver cancer are not known," the authors point out.
I know that a bunch of the coaches at DCF are glad to see information like this. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:46 PM | Comments (10)
June 27, 2008
080628 SATURDAY
+++SHIRTS ARE IN!!!, TALK TO JORGY+++
Jimmy (shown above right after a recent visit from Pukie the Clown) is getting his CrossFit Level I Certification Today!
Workout:
Sled Drags (what helped bring Pukie on in the picture above)
50m Tire Sled Drag with 45lbs weight added
2 minutes rest
8 rounds
Post total time to comments.
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They will be selling the "Hopper Deck" at the games.
It might just be the coolest thing to hit playing cards since the "Asshole" drinking came out (and will generally produce just as much vomiting).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:22 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2008
080627 FRIDAY "JT"
Nikala (on right) is halfway through the burpees on the "Filthy Fifty" recently. Nikala just moved down to San Diego, and we expect her to show the SoCal affiliates how we do it at The Shed.
Workout: "JT"
Complete 21-15-9 reps rounds for time of:
Handstand push-ups
Ring dips
Push-ups
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Video:
HSPU variations:
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The CrossFit Games is fast approaching. What will you eat?
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:12 PM | Comments (12)
June 22, 2008
080623 MONDAY
Carry Overhead Squatting the Slosh Pipe.
Carry will be representing DCF at the CrossFit games. If you aren't going to make it to the games, make sure you wish her luck (and stay out of her way when she's training, she'll run you over).
Workout: Rotate through each exercise, add weight each round as needed.
Back Squat 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Strict Press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Deadlift 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Post loads to comments.
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Articles:
Vitamin D evidence
"Studies increasingly are suggesting the value of vitamin D – often known as the sunshine vitamin, because that’s one way you can obtain it – in everything from bone metabolism to maintaining muscle strength, immune function, reducing hypertension and possibly even playing a role in prevention of cancer and autoimmune disease. "
Sun / Vit D to help fight heart failure
"About 5.3 million Americans have heart failure, a progressive, disabling condition in which the heart becomes enlarged as it is forced to work harder and harder, making it a challenge even to perform normal daily activities. Many people with heart disease or poorly controlled high blood pressure go on to experience a form of heart failure called congestive heart failure, in which the heart's inability to pump blood around the body causes weakness and fluid build-up in lungs and limbs. Many people with heart failure, who tend to be older, have been found to be deficient in vitamin D. . .
The new heart insights add to the growing awareness that widespread vitamin D deficiency—thought to affect one-third to one-half of U.S. adults middle-aged and older—may be putting people at greater risk of many common diseases. Pharmaceutical companies are developing anti-cancer drugs using vitamin D analogs, which are synthetic compounds that produce vitamin D's effects. There's also increasing interest in using vitamin D or its analogs to treat autoimmune disorders. . ."
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:53 PM | Comments (7)
June 21, 2008
080622 SUNDAY Coach Rut's "Box Jumping Bear"
I color matched my outfit to go with the mold on the tire (because I am thoughtful like that). -jj
Workout: "Box Jumping Bear"
From "The Fitness Conduit" (Coach Rutman's phenomenal site)
1 Round for Time
30 Box Jumps
-7 DB Circuits of:
5 Dumbbell Deadlift
5 Dumbbell Hang Clean
5 Dumbbell Front Squat/Push Press (aka-Thrusters)
30 Box Jumps
Loading equals 45% of bodyweight. New students should adjust down load and/or rounds of dumbbell work.
Video and review of the generic "Dumbbell Bear" can be found on Coach Rut's site HERE
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Coach Rutman's DVD's are chock full of good info, covering everything from unlimited dumbbell training tips, workouts, food, warm ups, and so much more.
You can find his stuff here on the Performance Menu site. Or by clicking on the link in the right side bar.
(Don't worry about buying from them, their safe. Robb and Greg know that I'll throw dumbbells at their heads when they are not looking if anyone has any problems - and not one of the rubber coated ones either -jj).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:35 PM | Comments (6)
June 20, 2008
080621 SATURDAY "Anne = Legit"
Anne joined the DCF crew less than a year ago (left). This year she decided to run in the Camp Pendleton Mud Run on June 7th (right). Can you see a difference?
In the next week or so you can expect a full testimonial from Anne, and where those 50 lbs went.
Are you ready to be our next success story?
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Workout: 4 rounds for time
10 squat cleans (95lb, women, 135lbs men)
10 ring dips
200m sprint
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Personally, I think we are going to find out who the world's greatest athletes in the world are on July 5 and 6th at the CrossFit Games. . . But this article is interesting none-the-less (although I don't know about their judge selection). -jj
World's Greatest Athlete? From the Wall Street Journal
"We gave the performance stats and achievement records of 79 male athletes to a panel of 5 judges, and asked them to rank the competitors based on six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness. The final category examined success—records held and victories—as well as competitiveness, based on the sport's popularity."
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:08 PM | Comments (10)
June 19, 2008
080619 FRIDAY "Fight Gone Bad"
Rodil gets his burpee on in the hot hot Shed. GET SOME!
Workout:
"Fight Gone Bad"
Move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Post score to comments.
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COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND:
Don't forget to go to the CrossFit Unlimited Competition this Sunday, starting at 10am in Milpitas. DCF will have a few people competing and we "donated" a few of our favorite workouts that they are going to put in the hopper.
Not to mention the Barbecue!
Post below if you plan on making it out.
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Article from 60 in 3:
"Health on the Run: How to stay healthy while traveling"
One of the challenges we face in trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, is what to do when traveling. How do we eat healthy when we’re limited to airport food and business dinners? How do we keep up our exercise routine when we’re on a plane most of the day or in meetings?
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:26 PM | Comments (12)
June 16, 2008
080617 TUESDAY "Correct Map to the Games"
++== NO 8AM CF TODAY, NO MUAY-THAI THU AND SAT. BACK NEXT WEEK! ==++
The address for the CrossFit Games site is 275 Dunbarton Rd, Aromas CA 95004, but Mapquest and Google maps have send you to the wrong side of the Freeway (The correct side is the eastern side).
Long,Lat coordinates are: 36.841238, -121.631807
Here is a map from the San Jose Airport to the actual site:
If you'd like to get directions from your house, click here and change the starting destination to where you'll be leaving from. For example it is approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes from The Shed.
Google is so damn thorough (and a little scary), they even have a 'street view' of the site!
(Click 'continue reading' below if you want to see turn my turn photos from HWY 101).
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Workout:
"Fran -tastic!"
3 rounds, rest 2 minutes in-between rounds
Max number of thrusters (115lb men, 75lb women)
Max pull ups
Post numbers to comments.
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Article:
"To determine how ghrelin affects mood, Dr. Zigman and his colleagues restricted the food intake of laboratory mice for 10 days. This caused their ghrelin levels to quadruple. As compared to the control mice, which were allowed free access to food, the calorie-restricted mice displayed decreased levels of anxiety and depression when subjected to mazes and other standard behavior tests for depression and anxiety.
. . .Until modern times, the one common human experience was securing enough food to prevent starvation. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors needed to be as calm and collected as possible when it was time to venture out in search of food, or risk becoming dinner themselves, Dr. Zigman said, adding that the anti-anxiety effects of hunger-induced ghrelin may have provided a survival advantage."
I definitely feel more focused and less stressed when practicing regular "Intermittent Fasting" bouts (16 - 20 hour fasts, approx 3 times a week). I also wonder if the hormone ghrelin plays some part in the greatly increased lifespan that caloric restriction provides. For example, the single greatest factor agreed upon when talking about people living past the century mark is stress - or lack thereof. -jj
Discuss in comments
If coming from the NORTH, when you see the Barn on the left, get in the left lane.
Turn Left Here:
View Larger Map
If coming from the SOUTH, Turn right here:
View Larger Map
Continue on Dunbarton Rd:
And another shot from the road:
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:50 PM | Comments (8)
June 13, 2008
080614 SATURDAY
Raw power:
Craig is training for the Concept II race at the games. He is trying to be able to row a 2:50 or less 1000m sprint. Currently he can pull a sub 3:10, which is in the top 20 rankings (and WELL into the 90th percentile at 3:18.4) According to the Concept 2 website, the #1 time is 2:50.5 - The equivalent of two 1 minute 25 second, 500m sprints back to back.
I think he has it in him. Everyone should ask him how his training is going. -jj
Workout:
Four 500m sprints on the erg (rower).
Rest between sprints as needed.
Post times to comments.
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Videos:
Angela Hart Discusses the common flaws of rowing on the Concept 2 erg:
"Johnathan" rows a 1:18 500m at "NW CrossFit"
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:37 PM | Comments (4)
June 12, 2008
0810613 "Friday the 13th" - "Lucky 13"
Tire + plywood + rope + harness = a kneeling good time (and a great sled for about $20 including the harness!)
Workout: "Lucky 13"
13 reps of the following 13 exercises
1. Deadlift (95lbs)
2. Hang Power clean (95lbs)
3. Front squat (95lbs)
4. Push Press (95lbs)
5. Back squat (95lbs)
6. Pull ups
7. GHD sit ups
8. Wall ball
9. KB swings
10. 10 meter sprint (180 degree direction change every time)
11. Knees to elbows
12. Box jumps
13. 45lb Turkish get ups (alternating hands as needed)
Post time (and how lucky you feel afterward) to comments.
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Jax Jones - Future DCF Trainer?
(I think he is starting to take after Rick)
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Articles:
Beware of 'odd' protuberances in the gym:
Viagra improves endurance athlete performance at altitude
And similarly there may be "No crying in Baseball", but there are erections:
Professional Athletes use Viagra for sports performance
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:52 PM | Comments (18)
June 10, 2008
080610 WEDNESDAY "Uncle Rhabdo"
Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious and life threatening condition that has the potential to sideline any CrossFit athlete. With a little experience, a little knowledge, and a little self control, the threat Rhabdomyolysis presents can be avoided if not completely negated.
The 'very simple' explanation is that "Rhabdo" is caused when muscle destruction causes the release of chemicals (broken down muscle components) into the blood stream. This muscle breakdown can be caused by exercise or even injury to muscles (such as in a car accident). The kidneys (that filter the blood) are overwhelmed, and soon fail. Extreme discomfort, a hospital visit, and/or death can follow.
CrossFit has a unique relationship with Rhabdo due to to the fact that it's appearance in any kind of 'fitness' environment was previously unheard of. After a few cases appeared during CF's early years (and many more cases since), "Uncle Rhabdo" (Pukie's angrier, darker cousin) is still an important threat to any CrossFit gym.
Below are two articles that were provided in the CrossFit Journal about Rhabdomyolysis.
CrossFit Journal 33, May 2005 "Killer Workouts" PDF article
CrossFit Journal 38, Oct 2005 "Rhabdo" PDF article
Any CrossFit workout of sufficient intensity has the possibility of inducing Rhabdo to some degree, but the following factors seem to play the biggest roll.
1. Negative contractions (i.e. eccentric movements) - anything with an abundance of 'decelerating weight receiving' activities done at with high repetitions such as burpees, jumping pull ups, etc. Eccentric movements tend to cause more muscle soreness than other movements, so this can be your guide.
2. Ego - The drive to beat a fellow gym member or to best some score can sometimes cause an athlete to ignore the 'inner voice' that warns that you might need to hold back today. Generally it takes a certain type of person to drive far enough past your comfort zone to enter into muscle destroying territory. That being said, at CrossFit we challenge our comfort zone and our egos every workout. The good news is that with regular CF training, your experience and your body's conditioning will lessen the possibility of Rhabdo. The bad news is that people who used to be in 'great' shape before coming to CrossFit, or have long ago participated in sports that demanded the mental fortitude for maximum output are in the most danger. These people have generally developed a mental pushing force that far exceeds their bodies current capabilities. They will need to be 'reined' in by more experienced CF players.
3. Heat - Warm weather and humid weather also play a roll. When working out on extremely hot days, try to stay as cool as possible (shade, etc), and pay more attention to intensity.
4. Dehydration - Due to either a lack of water, or a night of heavy drinking before, can also lead to muscle breakdown. Drink your water. Be extra careful working out hard after a night of '12 oz curls'.
Symptoms (when to get worried):The primary symptoms observed by athletes are generally
Muscle fatigue (fairly normal after a CF workout)
Extreme muscle soreness (somewhat normal after a CF workout)
"Tea" or pink colored urine (BINGO)
With the third symptom being the most telltale, and the time you should think about calling the hospital. The second symptom will need to be judged based upon 'how sore' you think you are. And the first symptom isn't much to work with because it is all too common after a good hard CF workout.
When you do go in for blood/urine examination, make sure you tell them that you suspect Rhabdomyolysis - otherwise it may take many hours for the doctor to figure out exactly what is wrong with you (as that Rhabdo isn't common from working out). Depending on the severity (we are fairly confident that many CF athletes have experience mild forms of Rhabdo without even knowing it), you may be in the hospital for a couple days to weeks. And you may not be able to train for weeks or months. Either way, you can expect a loss hard earned performance and muscle mass.
Be careful with "Uncle Rhabdo". Watch your intensity on hot days, drink water, and make sure that you keep your ego in check. As with any time you risk serious injury, it is better to err on the side of caution than to loose not only the future time training, but also dozens of hours already spent in the gym.
-jj
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Workout:
Overhead Squat
5,5,5,5,5
At weight each set. Post loads used to comments.
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A short Video Article about, CrossFit, New Jersey CrossFit (aka CrossFit Jersey Shore) and Rhabdo.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/special_reports&id=6173089
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:50 PM | Comments (9)
June 8, 2008
080609 MONDAY "Griff"
Dueling L Sit competition.
Workout:
"Griff"
For time:
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Post time to comments.
In honor of USAF SSgt Travis L. Griffin, 28, who was killed April 3, 2008 in the Rasheed district of Baghdad by an IED strike to his vehicle. Travis is survived by his son Elijah.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:56 PM | Comments (7)
June 6, 2008
080606 FRIDAY "Fran on Friday"
Andres from CrossFit Marin showing the DCF crew some Parkour basics. Parkour has been dubbed "street gymnastics" but it is so much more than that. Not only is it extremely functional, it is also a ton of fun.
Workout:
"Fran"
21 - 15 - 9 Rep rounds for time:
65lb Thrusters (women), 95lb Thrusters (men)
Pull ups
Post time to comments.
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Video:
Your usual Parkour Training session at CrossFit Marin
You can have Roger or Andres and crew come do a special seminar at your gym, or you can head out to their facility for some HIGHLY skilled gymnastics and/or Parkour training (ask Craig about the quality of Roger's instruction, and anyone else in the picture above about Andres' great coaching abilities).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:37 AM | Comments (17)
June 1, 2008
080602 MONDAY
Friday September 22nd, 2006. Larkey Park, the original home of Diablo CrossFit. Craig is in the middle of Fran in this photo. The next day, he went to the CrossFit certification Seminar and had to do Fran again.
We don't have Craig's time, but my time is posted (and my complaints about the early time as usual) Here.
More interestingly Craig's comments about the cert the following post - Here.
Workout:
Fran:
21 - 15 - 9 rep rounds for time
95# thrusters
Pull ups.
Post time to comments.
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What spurs this nostalgia you might ask. . . the video posted on the CF mainpage of the disassembly of the original CrossFit Mecca in Santa Cruz (found here).
You can read my comment posted to the CrossFit site in the "continue reading" link below.
Finally watched the video. I was putting it off. I was afraid it might be like watching a friend's last moments, or at the very least the last chapter in a phenomenal book.
It did bring a tear to my eye, but at the same time I am so happy for what that place accomplished. So happy for the impact that original 1000 sq feet had on my own life. So happy that now I have the opportunity to spread this CrossFit thing to the masses.
To me, the original CFHQ will always have a special place in my memories. And thanks to the efforts by people like Tony B, we all will have the videos to remind us how truly historic that place was (and we can point the generations to come to the same place we learned).
The closing represents the closing of a certain chapter of CrossFit, but the simple fact that it was time to close - also means that it is time to move onward. The closing isn't so much a ending, but a milestone in the evolution of this amazing endeavor. It is almost like reaching that sub 3 Fran, double bodyweight deadlift, or first pull up for that matter. . . A notable moment to celebrate, not something to be sad over. It is just the beginning.
I can't wait to close my Box because we have outgrown it.
-jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:37 PM | Comments (17)
080601 SUNDAY
Carry and Bryan can crank out pull ups like nobody's business. When was the last time you tried for max pull ups?
Workout:
3 rounds. 3 minutes rest in-between rounds
Maximum pull ups to failure
Maximum ring dips to failure
Post reps to comments.
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This article is another from Jon Gilson at Again Faster.
Dedication
by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
You think you know pain, but you have no idea. The heart thumping, chest expanding, lactic acid burn of your last workout was a walk through the meadow.
Somewhere, there's a guy who did it in half the time it took you. He suffered. Plasma forced its way into his lungs, causing him to hack on repeat. He choked down bile halfway through, and ended on his back, pupils dilated to the size of dimes....
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 5:48 AM | Comments (3)
May 30, 2008
080531 SATURDAY
Mike and Jorgy team lifting the big tire. . . Yes it took a few tries.
Workout:
4 rounds
500m Row
125 press to failure, push press to failure, push jerk to failure
rest 1 minute
Post row times and total number of presses to comments.
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Great Article from Lisabeth Darsh at Crossfit Watertown:
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.
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:11 PM | Comments (8)
May 21, 2008
ANNOUNCEMENTS - BA Throwdown, Memorial Day Challenge, etc
This Saturday May 24th at 10:00 am is the
BAY AREA AFFILIATE THROWDOWN!!!!
Hosted by our brethren at CrossFit Oakland
Words from the hosts: "For the Throwdown this Saturday, we'll be doing a live drawing and creating the workout on the spot. It will involve a gymnastics move, a weightlifting move, and a run of a length to be determined. Oh, and we'll draw the number of rounds and reps, too!
Also, we'll be having a beer-and-barbecue celebration afterwards as well, so even if you don't wanna take part in the Throwdown, come by for some good food and drink. We're asking that everyone contribute $5 to the pot to cover food and alcohol expenses."
Post to comments if you plan on competing, or even if you'd like to attend just to watch and meet some people from other affiliates!
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Monday May 26th:
"TREVOR MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE"
Memorial Day at The Shed, Time: 11:00am (unless voted otherwise).
Details here at CrossFit Orange County
From their site:
CrossFit Affiliates, Fire, Police, and Military around the globe will come together to remember the fallen, and to support our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, neighbors, and friends who are in harms way each and every day.
Four member teams will come together for the Trevor Win'E Memorial Day Challenge to participate in a team CrossFit style workout and donate (each team entry fee pays for one cooling vest for folks on the front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan). This workout fundraiser is to support all heroes in our military. The event will be held at a CrossFit affiliate site near you. (Ask your nearest affiliate for more info).
The Donation to participate is $200 per team of four (so, $50 each).
The workout named "Trevor" is:
300 Pull-ups then,
400 Push-ups then,
500 Sit-ups then,
600 Squats
This is a timed team event, so these are accumulative reps. Only two members of the team can be exercising at a time.
Watch the Video here for the "Trevor Workout Demo" executed by the CrossFit Santa Cruz Trainers
CLICK HERE to watch the KABC Channel 7 News story for the 2008 Trevor Challenge at OCFA in Irvine
Please confirm participation in the comments section so we know how many people are willing spill their sweat for those who spill their blood for us. Checks must be made payable to the Trevor Win E Memorial.
(NOTE: The Shed's regularly scheduled classes will be different on Monday due to the Holiday. Please check our Google Calendar ).
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July 5-6, Aromas, Ca
CROSSFIT GAMES
The Games are fast approaching and for those of you who are thinking of signing up and have been delaying. . . NOW IS THE TIME!!!
I have it from a good source that they are going to close registration to to the sheer number of competitors (CrossFit Oakland).
To help spur the those of you that are lagging, consider this. . .
EVERYONE FROM THE SHED WHO ENTERS WILL GET ONE MONTH OF UNLIMITED CLASSES FREE.
Yes, basically that means that if you register by June 13th, you can go to the shed for the entire month just for entering in the games (for those of you too lazy to look at the registration link on the right, the games cost $75 to enter - so basically you get to train as well as enter the games for less than our normal monthly cost).
ENTER NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:45 AM | Comments (18)
May 2, 2008
080502 FRIDAY
Diablo CrossFit Welcomes The Newest J.J.:
Jax Jones, 7lbs 10oz, 21.5in. Born 13:17h., Wednesday, April 30th!
Congratulations Jeremy and Jamie!
Workout: "Jax"
(JJ created this wod a week ago in honor of the punishment Jax was giving Jaime)
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
5 rounds for time.
Post total reps completed to comments.
Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM | Comments (21)
April 28, 2008
080428 MONDAY
Jimmy and Tito get hammered at 0630.
Workout:
As many times as possible in 20 minutes:
200m run
20 sledge hammer swings
20 wall ball shots 20/10
20 kettle bell swings 53/35
Post rounds and fractions of rounds to comments.
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Article by George Rutherford, assistant trainer at SECT CrossFit in Baltic, CT.
"The Intimidation Factor - Getting THAT person to reach their potential"
CrossFit: It ain't your Grandma's workout…but it can be! All over the world, people are opening CrossFit studios/gyms/dungeons for a variety of reasons. For some, it's to simply have a place to workout without judgment. For some it's a way to bring in others for the purpose of fostering and expanding the community. For others though, CrossFit is not just a lifestyle, but also a livelihood.
Finish reading this article at http://www.sectcrossfit.com/2008/04/intimidation-factor-getting-that-person.html
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:45 AM | Comments (9)
April 25, 2008
080426 SATURDAY
Rick crying because he doesn't get his picture on the site often enough.
Workout:
10 rounds of:
100m sprint
2 minutes rest
Post fastest, slowest and total time to comments.
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Article from Jon Gilson:
A Case for the Upright Squat
by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
The upright squat—hips under the shoulders, back arched, weight on the heels—requires tremendous strength, stability, and motor control. It's less-than-upright cousin, the powerlifting squat, requires the same, although it puts the hips behind the shoulders and the torso at a forward angle.
There is no question that the powerlifting squat allows athletes to move greater loads. Simple observation adequately proves this point. The end goal of the powerlifter—to put up the biggest total possible—is borne out again and again using this method.
Nonetheless, my athletes are taught to strive for a perfectly upright torso, bypassing the weight-bearing advantages of the powerlifting squat. The reason is transferability.
Click here to continue reading. (http://www.againfaster.com/articles/a-case-for-the-upright-squat.html).
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:20 PM | Comments (11)
080425 FRIDAY
The Shed - December 2006 left, December 2007 right. . . what will 2008 bring?
Workout: "Ab Purgatory"
Accumulate 2 minutes of L-sit time. Each time you rest from the L-sit, perform
10 Glute Ham Sit ups
10 Knees to Elbows
10 Abmat situps
Post total time and number of rest periods to comments.
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Article from Lisabeth Darsh at CrossFit Watertown
The odds of me winning the CrossFit Albany East Coast Challenge are really, really small . . . but I’m going. I’m realistic about my chances as a fortyish female in very good (but not killer Kelly Moore-ish) shape. I’ll probably finish far away from the winners, just like I do in most triathlons and a good portion of the running and mountain bike races I enter. Where I finish never has anything to do with why I signed up in the first place. I am only peripherally competing against other people: mostly, I am competing against myself. It’s no different than having at the WOD: the others make me go faster just by the fact of them being there, and it’s nice to beat them, but the goal is to beat myself. Matt Williams, the baseball player, put it this way: “It’s not between me and the pitcher. It’s between me and the ball. . .”
Full article here: http://crossfitwatertown.typepad.com/index/2008/04/are-you-the-man.html
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Video from Jon Gilson at Again Faster
Fixing the Squat from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:54 AM | Comments (13)
April 22, 2008
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
5 rounds for time.
Post total reps completed to comments.
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"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. "
Post thoughts to comments.
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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.
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CrossFit Affiliate Article:
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.
Click here to continue reading. (Link: http://www.againfaster.com/articles/the-toughest-two-minutes.html)
Brandon Cunningham from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:34 PM | Comments (10)
April 11, 2008
080412 SATURDAY "Fight Club"
No more grappling at the shed. So my suggestion is we start a fight club, or we can just go to Luca's Muay Thai class (Tuesday and Thursday 7:30-8:30pm and Saturday 10:00-11:00am)
Saturday Noon SEAL Fit
Do a circuit of 1 minute of exercise followed by 1 minute rest for 5 rounds of:
Kettlebell Swings 44#
Sit ups
Burpees
Push Press 65#
Wall Ball
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Article on Crossfit From the New York Times-God's Workout
Video- Brenden doing a workout, with crossfit there are no worries about getting buff, but it is a byproduct of the workouts.
Posted by at 11:20 PM | Comments (5)
April 2, 2008
080403 THURSDAY MORNING
ATHLETE PROFILE: CARRY WARNER
Carry has been CrossFitting for 3 1/2 months, she's already a monster in the gym
she brought her CFT up to 400, she dropped over 4 min on her Fran
Her goals for this year are:
20 Pull ups (consecutive)...."I think I can do 14 on a good day"
Body Weight Clean (yikes)...."haven't even come close to trying"
Filthy Fifty sub 30Min..."no comment"
And she's going to participate in the CrossFit games this summer
Favorite exercise: Pull ups (because I could never do them before!)
Least Favorite exercise: Running (but I'm working on it and it's getting better.....slowly)
Favorite work out: Muay Thai...even though my leg has an ugly bruise :)
Thanks Carry, it's fun working out with you, keep up the good work
Lose your breakfast with Luca:
For time:
BW DL 15-12-9-6-3
Pull Ups 30-24-18-12-6
Rope 5-4-3-2-1
Post time and comments
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There's been a lot of questions about energy drinks and they safety read some bad stories about it, you'll think twice before taking them energy drinks.
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Somewhat motivational.
Posted by at 8:30 PM | Comments (11)
March 27, 2008
080328 FRIDAY
Sometimes that Wall Ball target just seems so far away.
Workout:
5 rounds
Back Squat 5 reps
Rope Climb 3 reps (15')
Post time and loads used for back squat to comments.
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Article:
More evidence that the Resveratrol in Red wine is good for you and bad for cancer.
Happy Friday, now go have some red wine (or grape juice).
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More powerful words from Lisabeth Darsh at CrossFit Watertown.
Did you hear the story about the guy who died doing CrossFit? It's true. He didn't go hard enough on "Helen" so his trainer killed him.
All joking aside, CrossFit is one intense MoFo. Usually, your trainer is motivating you to work harder, faster, and stronger and, usually, she/he is right. As CrossFit trainers, intensity is one of our obsessions, along with pull-ups, squats, thrusters, and any of ten thousand other ways to ahem,inflict pain,ahemhelp you to achieve your fitness goals. (Although, like the wonderful t-shirt over at Training Anarchy reminds us: "Obsession is what lazy people call dedication.") We push you to go harder because the simple fact of life is that most people don't go hard enough. Yet we also understand health, recovery, and the human body; so we know that, despite all our clamoring and exhortations, you simply cannot CrossFit at the same intensity each day, no more so than you can breathe the exact same number of breaths each day. (And we've tried counting, believe us. Although it wasn't exactly a full day. We had to get some pull-ups in. And we're really not that obsessive-compulsive.) . . .
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:27 PM | Comments (5)
March 24, 2008
080325 TUESDAY
TUESDAY MORNING
Oh the fun we have at the Shed
Lose your Breakfast with Luca:
4 Rounds for time of:
10 Turkish Get Up/Lunge, Lunge/ Lie Down(5 each arm 20%BW)
10 DB Power Cleans(20%BW)
400m Run
Post time and comments
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It's official low fat diets are wrongRead the article here
"Low-fat diets didn’t reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer or invasive breast cancer, according to three large studies published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers divided 48,835 women into two groups based on diet-- one group with 19,541 women consumed a low fat diet and the other group with 29,294 women consumed their usual diets -- and followed the women for 8.1 years."
". . . Politically correct dietary theory, for example, postulates that high-fat diets -- particularly diets high in animal and saturated fats – can raise cholesterol levels to unhealthy levels. But in the much-vaunted Framingham Heart Study involving 5,200 men and women who have been extensively studied in over 1,000 published reports since 1948, high cholesterol levels were not associated with increased heart disease risk after age 47.
After age 47, in fact, those whose cholesterol went down had the highest risk of a heart attack. “For each 1 mg/dl drop of cholesterol there was an 11 percent increase in coronary and total mortality,” reported the study's authors."
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The 7 people at Monday's 0600 class was already a blur of motion before sunrise. What were you doing?
Workout:
As many times as possible, complete the following exercises
20 sledge hammer swings (15lb men / 10lb women)
20 dumbbell push presses (35lb men / 15lb women)
100m dumbbell farmer walk (45lb men / 30lb women)
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"God's Workout" - By Virginia Heffernan (a non CrossFiter).
"The superfit walk among us. They saunter or strut, depending on whether they’re showcasing their magnificent agility or their oxlike strength. They ignore the chatter in the health media over treadmill technique and pedometer steps. They scoff even at seemingly rigorous practices like Mysore Ashtanga yoga and marathon training. They are America’s self-styled fitness elite, adherents of a punishing online exercise regime called CrossFit, which orders its followers to cultivate a distinctly martial — not to say paranoid — ideal of “physical preparedness. . .”
And Lisabeth Darsh owner/trainer from CrossFit Watertown has already issued a response:
CrossFit: Preparing for Imagined Moments of Heroism
"Let’s hope that Virginia Heffernan is right and we’re wrong. Let’s hope, like she writes in her New York Times article (God's Workout), that we CrossFitters are preparing for "an imagined moment of heroism that may never come." May all of our efforts at achieving a fighting level of General Physical Preparedness (GPP) just be the result of succumbing to ridiculous hyperbole designed to make us buy into Greg Glassman’s crazy dream of bringing people home alive. Let’s hope (outside of the military, fire, and law enforcement personnel among us) that we civilians and desk jockeys never once have to use physical strength to survive in this world.
That’s a big hope. . ."
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:09 PM | Comments (13)
March 22, 2008
080323 SUNDAY "HAPPY EASTER"
Brian Nesmith returned to The Shed for an early morning Fight Gone Bad workout this week. It was good to have him back even if it was only temporary. We expect big things from Brian in the future as he starts his own affiliate!
Workout:
Go hunt easter eggs (or the easter bunny). Whichever suits you best.
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Article:
The Aussies know a few things about dental care apparently.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:51 PM | Comments (7)
March 21, 2008
080322 SATURDAY
Eric and Bryan show two different methods for modifiying the Hand Stand Push Up (HSPU). Eric on the left is using his knees, and Brian on the right is only on his toes. Keeping the hips above the shoulders and the torso as vertical as possible is key.
Workout:
Snatch
3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
After warming up with pvc and light loads, start at approximately 60% of your 1 rep max and add weight each round if possible.
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This article is from Lisabeth Darsh from CrossFit Watertown, and it is just so damn good I had to post it here in it's entirety. -jj
Most of us are not Marines or Navy SEALs. Not all of us are cops or firefighters. Most of us don’t live heroic lives or even talk about bravery in any real context. We know little of real need, and less of sacrifice. Instead of facing danger daily, most of us face boredom daily; there is too much of everything in America. We have wants and large appetites. Discipline is relegated to putting half a teaspoon of sugar in our tea, or buying a smaller car to save on gas, or skipping dessert. Like it or not, this is modern-day America. We are not warriors. Yet, within our microcosm of daily abundance, we CrossFit. We willingly subject ourselves to a rigorous, demanding program that brings us to our knees. Why?
Why CrossFit? Why not just go to a globo-gym and use the cupholder on the elliptical and watch the mindless television on the treadmill and push ourselves only as hard as we feel like? Why not take the easy path? Why subject ourselves to an hour of agony each day, alone in our garages, or in a group at an affiliate, driven by some crazed trainer who asks questions like, “Doesn’t that suck?” And when we gasp, “Yes!” she laughs and hoots, “Faster!” Why take the sweat-soaked, muscle-aching, tear-producing, hand-tremoring path of pain and perseverance that goes by the name CrossFit?
Because we must. Because CrossFit hurts. Because it makes us cry. Because it really sucks. Because it is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. Because it is the easiest thing we’ve ever had to do. Because we hate it. Because we love it. Because, ultimately, we want to know what courage really is. Because, in all of our time on this planet, we have never once put our lives on the line and learned what it really, really means to be afraid and step forward anyway. Because in the darkest depths of our workouts, in the minute of greatest pain, in that last ten Burpees of the Filthy Fifty, in the last Clean of “Linda”, in that airless, starry moment when we place one foot over the edge of the cliff and walk forward to see if the very clouds themselves will hold us up, in that moment – that moment alone -- we are truly alive.
Matraca Berg sang it best: “Leap. And a net will appear.” That net is us – the person we didn’t know we could be, the warrior within, the conqueror unleashed – that very part of us that forces perseverance, that demands discipline, no matter the consequences. CrossFit brings us to that place inside of ourselves.
In this plush, overfed part of the world that we live in, CrossFit strips us to the bone and lets us see the very marrow of our souls. And what lies there, inside of us, is not always pretty. Sometimes it is a bitter heart, or a quitter’s attitude, or a cheater’s nature. It is raw and revealed and naked. But it is us. It is who we are, who we were, and, most importantly, who we will be if we do not work harder. In that realization of our own inadequacies, however, lies our very salvation. For, within the confines of the Workout of the Day, if we’re lucky, in that moment of dedication and drive, in that frenzy of encouragement, support, and love for our fellow CrossFitters, we also catch a glimpse of our very best selves – and, if we’re observant, we see it in others too. Through our CrossFitting efforts, we see who we could become, with a little more effort, a little more honesty, and a little more courage. Just like a faster 5K time, that better self is within our grasp; if we try hard enough, if we do the work, if we believe. Try. Work. Believe.
This is the true challenge: to use CrossFit to become a better person, not just at CrossFit, but in life. Allow CrossFit to awaken that warrior within and then use this force to make a difference. How do we do this? By not settling for the easy option. By not using the phrase “good enough.” By learning to use -- to live -- words like “serve” and “sacrifice” and “community.” By doing the right thing. Always. Even when it hurts the most. Especially when it hurts the most. By living our lives so that thorough examination of our actions reveals only character, prudence, and honor. By living as a warrior should. Now, more than ever, in this overindulgent society of ours, we need warriors. We cannot continue to expect our warrior class – our Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, cops, and firefighters – to bear the entire burden of protecting the very fabric of our society. We all, in small ways, must do what we can in our communities to uphold values like honesty and justice and responsibility. We must be warriors in our hearts, willing to fight for what is right, and to face the enemy, even when the enemy is us. When we CrossFit, maybe in some small way, we take that first step toward mentally joining the warrior class. And then, hopefully, we take another step. Hopefully, we inspire those around us to join us in what could be described as a crusade for a better society, a better nation, and a better world. The future really is in our hands.
Leap. And the net will appear.
Lisabeth Darsh
CrossFit Watertown
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:12 PM | Comments (9)
March 13, 2008
080314 FRIDAY
***0600 FRIDAY MORNING CLASS CANCELED THIS WEEK (MARCH 14th)***
Jorgy loves the Concept 2 rowing erg.
Workout:
Deadlift
5,3,3,2,2,2,1,1,1,1
Post loads to comments.
Afterward - practice handstands.
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Article(s):
Are you taking your Fish Oil pills?
At DCF we do feel that natural foods are the best way to go, and any supplementation is ancillary with few exceptions. One of them is Fish Oil, or more specifically Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
Why are our diets so lacking? First of all, if you eat wild tuna, mackerel, sardines and salmon regularly (almost every day) you probably aren't lacking. These fish are full of 'fish oil' (hence the name). But if you also eat wild game meat (Buffalo, Elk, Deer, etc) you are probably in the clear as well. Grass fed beef also is a winner when it comes to Omega-3s. These meats are are not fed with grain or corn, therefore their meat is has about the same amount of Omega-3s as the fish!
You read that correctly. Grass fed beef and wild game meat is full of the best type of fat, and is probably as healthy as eating fish. So if you aren't a big fish fan, start ordering buffalo instead, and get to Trader Joe's for some pretty decent grass fed beef. Coincidentally, our hunter-gatherer (see genetic) ancestors only had access to wild fish and game, therefore their diets were chock full of these good fats.
All that being said, fish and grass fed beef are hard to get every day. And if you don't cook and eat grass fed beef right away it can take on that "gamey" flavor everyone hates. That is where Fish Oil Pills come in. Go out, buy some fish oil pills and take a few with every meal. Reap the rewards without dealing with "fishiness" or "gameyness".
Today's articles focus on Omega-3s and brain function, but the benefits don't stop there. Look through the archives for a ton of more articles on Fish Oil and Omega-3s.
Typical low Omega 3 diet of Americans place kids brains at risk
Fish Oils could protect the brain from decline
Omega 3's protect against Parkinsons, study says
Eating Fish, Omega-3s, fruit and veggies lowers risk of memory problems
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:52 PM | Comments (5)
March 12, 2008
031308 THURSDAY MORNING and "Tommy V"
***FRIDAY 0600 CLASS CANCELED THIS WEEK ***
The Shed's a great place to hang out with common minded friends
Lose your Breakfast with Luca:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Box Jumps
Push ups
Squats
Chair dips
Lunges
Post times and comments
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Hormonally intelligent exercise A great article a must read for all CrossFitters. Check it out
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Motivational poster of the day
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*UPDATE*
Sadly, there is another Hero Workout:
"Tommy V"
For time:
115 pound Thruster, 21 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 12 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 9 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 9 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 6 ascents
Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, Minnesota, died in a training accident in Arizona, on Feb. 13.
We're asking the CrossFit community to make donations to the "Thomas J. Valentine Memorial Fund" in care of the Navy Federal Credit Union, Building 200, FTC Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, VA, 23461.
Posted by at 8:30 PM | Comments (7)
March 4, 2008
080305 WEDNESDAY "Filthy Fifty"
Darren left a puddle at the Shed so big it didn't go away after 4 hours (after we disinfected the floor). He also just completed "Linda" as prescribed at 215 bodyweight! (322 deadlift, 215 bench, and 162.5 clean) STRONG WORK.
Workout:
"Filthy Fifty"
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
Post time to comments.
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Video: You're never too old to start. You're never too old to lift. You're never too old to kick ass.
Now shut up and go lift.
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Article(s):
Exercise linked to lowered stroke risk
“This study is the first to suggest that there may be a significant independent association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and fatal and nonfatal stroke in men and nonfatal stroke in women,”
"Men in the top quartile (25 percent) of CRF level had a 40 percent lower relative risk of stroke compared to men in the lowest quartile."
"Among women, those in the higher CRF level had a 43 percent lower relative risk than those in the lowest fitness level."
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For more information about training into the "golden years" be sure to check out Clarance Bass' website (it is on our "Friends" list for a reason!)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:27 PM | Comments (14)
February 29, 2008
080301 SATURDAY
Mo and Jimmy crank out Fran.
Workout:
5 rounds for time of:
* 7 pull-ups
* 7 thrusters (75#)
* 7 burpees
(This one comes from the "Ass Whooping Chronicles" posted on the CF mainpage)
Post time to comments.
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Article:
How the media disses low-carb diets from Dr. Eades
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Woman's Weightlifting Athens Olympics:
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(a great article from Lisabeth Darsh at CrossFit Watertown)
"Why Not Roar?"
"I’m a woman and I’m confused: I love CrossFit even though, according to the dominant theories on women and competition, I should not. CrossFit, with its quasi-military culture, posting of standings, and inherent performance-oriented hierarchy should make me want to run screaming in the other direction toward some scrapbooking club or, at least, a nail salon. (Lucky for me, I don’t like either place. In fact, I’d rather have my nails pulled out than endure another vacuous conversation centering on hair or nails or whether somebody’s butt looks big in a pair of jeans.) CrossFit is a competitive beast. We grunt, lift heavy weights, talk about “snatches” and, when someone fails to meet our standards, we call them the pejorative term for a kitty. I’m not certain this is what our grandmothers would call “normal” behavior for women. . ." (Click the link above for the full article.)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:47 PM | Comments (6)
February 22, 2008
080223 SATURDAY
Jon Gilson from 'Again Faster' is on the left of the picture above and he writes some damn good articles for his website. Read his latest rant below.
Workout:
Overhead Squat: 3,3,3,3,3
Front Squat: 3,3,3,3,3
Back Squat: 3,3,3,3,3
Do all the OHS then all the FS then all the BS. The weight should go up each set, approaching failure on the last round of the exercise. (hint, the weight should go up as you change exercises as well).
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CrossFit Article:
"My love for the medical establishment continues. I went to my annual
physical last Wednesday, looking for a clean bill of health and a referral.
Instead, I got orders to check my blood pressure five times a day and an
uninformed dismissal of my referral request.
I have no doubt that my doctor is a well-intentioned man. He'd have to be,
considering the way he dresses himself. Picture this: thirty-something,
5'11", one hundred and fifty pounds, night-vision pale, dressed in a ratty
blue oxford, a two-sizes-too-big checkered jacket, and olive slacks hemmed
for an impending flood.
Clearly, this is a man more concerned with the practice of medicine than
making the cover of GQ, a fact that I found reassuring—for approximately
five minutes. . ."
by Jon Gilson of Again Faster
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Audio Downloads:
Jerry Hill, head coach from CrossFit Old Town in Alexandria VA asks the question “If your athletes life depended on getting in top-shape in record time what would be the most important thing you would do?”
Jason Brown http://jerryhillfitness.com/blog/?p=15
Mark Rippetoe http://jerryhillfitness.com/blog/?p=16
Gregg Everett http://jerryhillfitness.com/blog/?p=17
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:01 PM | Comments (8)
February 21, 2008
080222 FRIDAY *Updated* - Josh
Jimmy snuggles up to the bar after "The Bear" bar complex.
Workout:
Classic from the CrossFit Mothership (and especially good if you don't have any equipment).
4 rounds for time:
Run 400m
50 squats
Post time to comments.
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Articles:
Fit elderly boosts survival rates
"Scientists found 70-year-olds who take regular exercise, eat well, and do not smoke greatly increase their chance of living until 90.
The researchers estimate that longevity is only at most 30% down to our genes - the rest is down to lifestyle factors. . .
----ODDS OF LIVING TO 90---
No risk factors: (Non-smoker, normal blood pressure, normal weight, no diabetes, regular exerciser): 54%
One risk factor:
Sedentary lifestyle: 44%
High blood pressure: 36%
Obese: 26%
Smoker: 22%
Three risk factors (for instance, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and diabetes): 14%
All five risk factors: 4%
(All odds for a 70-year-old man)"
Why exercise gets harder with age
"Dr Gerald Shulman, who led the research, said: "The message is that, with ageing, the AMPK pathway has reduced activity."
He said this meant a person would have to work harder when trying to maintain the same benefits from exercise as they did when they were young.
"AMPK activity in our skeletal muscle is probably a good thing because it activation stimulates glucose uptake, increases fat oxidation [fat burning], and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis [production]," he said.
Dr Shulman added that the reduction could be a contributing factor to the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes because of its effect on fat burning and mitochondria production."
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Video: Crazy French Soccer Stunts
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*Updated*
Today is the one year anniversary of the death of SSG Joshua Hager. He was killed Thursday February 22 2007 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
In honor of Josh's life and all sheepdogs who 'put it out on the line', an alternate to the workout posted above (or in addition to), can be completed by those who choose.
"Josh"
95 pound Overhead squat, 21 reps
42 Pull-ups
95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
30 Pull-ups
95 pound Overhead squat, 9 reps
18 Pull-ups
For time.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:54 PM | Comments (4)
February 19, 2008
080220 WEDNESDAY
JJ at Motor City CrossFit
Wednesday SEAL training
5 rounds for time of:
15 Dumbell Clean and Jerk (40lb dumbells)
15 Pull ups
Run 400 meters or row 500 meters
Post times, weights, and comments about JJ to comments.
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Download a Podcast of Mark Rippetoe- Rippetoe Audio>
"Coach Rip" is a pillar in the CrossFit community as well as the owner an operator of CrossFit Wichita Falls. His no bullshit coaching and life lessons have made him a favorite at Diablo CrossFit for a long time.
Don't forget to check out his books at The Aasgaard Company.
Posted by at 6:00 PM | Comments (8)
February 13, 2008
080213 WEDNESDAY Addition - "Randy"
Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member was killed February 6 2008 in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Simmons' wife and two children.
"Randy"
75 pound Power snatch, 75 reps for time.
Post time to comments.
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Donations are being collected for Randal Simmons and his fellow SWAT officer, James Veenstra, who was wounded in the same incident. If you would like to donate, please follow this link:
https://www.lapfcu.org/news/community_corner.html
Click "Continue Reading" below for more information about Officer Simmons' life, and heroic sacrifice.
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Another hero down.
Another life saved.
Another tear in my eye.
Another workout braved.
RIP Officer Simmons. Thank you.
Officer saw his work as a calling
Randal Simmons' Christianity informed his life, both on and off the police force, colleagues say.
By Jill Leovy and Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 8, 2008
Patrolling Watts one day years ago, Los Angeles Police Capt. James Craig spotted a van in the street with a crowd of children gathered around.
The van's occupant looked familiar. It was his former partner, Officer Randal Simmons, a rising star, in plain clothes and off-duty, doing what few other cops would do: He was trolling the same neighborhoods where he usually made arrests, looking for children to mentor as part of a church ministry.
As Craig watched, he noticed that Simmons knew the children's first names, their personal struggles and their problems with gangs.
It was a typical effort by an officer for whom police work was more than just a job. The calling extended into the rest of his life -- from mentoring youth in South Los Angeles to charity efforts.
"Passionate about the job and passionate about making a difference in the community" is how Craig described him.
Simmons had been on the police force 27 years, 20 of them in SWAT, when he was mortally wounded early Thursday morning after he and other SWAT team members broke through the front door of a San Fernando Valley home where a gunman had killed family members. Police said they entered the home believing wounded people might be inside and others could be at risk of being shot and killed.
Simmons, 51, had tried as a young man for a career as a professional football player and was active in Police Department sports leagues, playing for the Centurions, the LAPD's football club, and running in charity races. "He was a very outgoing guy, always smiling, always a kind word for everyone," said LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck.
On the job, the father of two -- a son, 15, and daughter, 13 -- stood out for his kindness and steady temperament. Simmons, originally from New York City, was the son of a minister, according to his former partner, retired LAPD Det. Gregory Grant. Simmons graduated from Fairfax High School in 1974, where he ran varsity track, Los Angeles Unified School District officials said.
He studied criminology at Washington State University, and wore No. 17 as a cornerback in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His final year, he was a varsity starter, according to the university's sports information office.
Although Simmons was the strongest guy on the team, able to bench-press more than 400 pounds, his friend and college teammate Greg Sykes remembers with a laugh that Simmons "couldn't catch a ball to save his life."
Teammates would joke that the ball would hit Simmons anywhere but his hands, Sykes said.
After college, Simmons was briefly a Dallas Cowboys hopeful, friends said. But his pro football dreams were cut short by an injury, and he turned to police work. In 1981, he was assigned as a probationary officer to the LAPD's Pacific Division, one of three African American probationers in the region at that time, Craig said.
Later, he worked in the South Bureau's gang squad, known then as CRASH.
Grant said Simmons was a physically imposing officer -- "an Adonis" -- known for his superb physical fitness, for connecting with people and for maintaining his calm. Size alone was not the reason he had so few confrontations on the job. "We just talked to people. We had them laughing on the way to jail," Grant said. "He was really able to communicate with people -- able to extract information from unwilling people. He made them comfortable, and put humanity into it."
When he encountered resistance, he appealed to people's sense of right and wrong, Grant said. Only the most pathological suspects did not respond, he said.
Simmons also worked as an officer in the LAPD's 77th Street Division, the high-crime precinct that covers Hyde Park and part of the Crenshaw area, and as a vice officer in the Southeast Division in Watts in the 1980s, Craig said. During that stint, Simmons was shot and suffered a minor injury, Craig said. When Simmons was promoted to SWAT, one of the department's most elite and highly coveted jobs, his calm negotiating style stood out in standoffs with suspects in high-pressure hostage situations.
Rick Massa, Simmons' longtime SWAT team partner and colleague, recalled Simmons' cool head under fire during a hostage negotiation in 1992.
Officers were trying to rescue a maid held captive at an airport hotel by religious zealot Rollen Frederick Stewart, better known as Rainbow Man, for the multicolored wigs he wore at televised sporting events. Massa said he couldn't get through to Stewart, so he called on Simmons.
Simmons chatted with Stewart for hours, dissecting the meaning of various biblical passages from morning through the evening, buying officers precious time to formulate a plan and rescue the hotel employee.
One of his assignments in SWAT was to be the contact person for charity efforts, including an annual toy drive at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital south of downtown.
He was "not only incredibly friendly, but really interested in being of service. You could tell," said Jeffrey Klein, former head of fundraising for Orthopaedic Hospital, now with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.
Simmons' Christian faith was central to his character. Friends recalled him gently prodding them to go to church, to "get right with God."
He prodded them about health matters too, telling them to drink soy milk and offering workout pointers. At 51, said Det. Donald Payne, a football friend, he looked 31. "Some people defy time," he said.
Simmons was helping his church, Glory Christian Fellowship International in Carson, build a gymnasium, and would head straight for the facility after working out, Massa said.
With the church's support, he worked off-hours mentoring youth in South Los Angeles, Craig said.
His youth ministry absorbed his off-hours, said his SWAT partner of seven years, Officer James Hart, 48.
On Sunday mornings, he picked up children from the Hacienda Village and Avalon Gardens housing developments, and drove them to services at Glory Christian. Hart recalled working crime-suppression patrols in the Avalon Gardens area. Simmons would ask, "James, you mind if I go check on my babies?" And they would drive over to visit some of the children he ministered to. "It was amazing, they would see him, and all these kids would just light up and yell, 'Randy! Randy!' "
Simmons excelled at making arrests, Hart said. On patrol, the two men were "like sharks," Hart said, observing, waiting -- homing in on a drug deal here, a stolen car there.
They disagreed on some subjects -- Simmons' devotion to the Raiders, for instance -- but in action, they were in sync, communicating in their own secret code of Judo terms.
In the gym, a few days ago, Hart recalled Simmons striding in wearing a blue beanie, white shirt and black high-tops with no socks.
To his co-workers, he looked like a jailbird. And they were merciless.
"I gotta suspect right here outta Folsom!" Hart announced. "Hey, what's your CDC number?" Simmons laughed and played along.
Hart was at home when he got the phone call summoning him to the hospital. Simmons was already dead.
"He was just a beautiful personality. I never had a brother, an older brother, but he was truly my brother," Hart said. "Randy would say, even about this man who cost him his life, 'Pray for him.' "
With 20 years on the job, he could have easily retired, colleagues said, but chose not to because he liked the work.
At the same time, he was a devoted family man.
His marriage, to Lisa, over some two decades impressed colleagues in a profession notorious for destroying relationships, Grant said.
Grant recalled Simmons on his wedding day. The athletic, confident, muscular police officer had a whole different mien at the altar, he said.
"He was trembling, tears running off his chin," Grant recalled.
Simmons is survived by his wife, his two children, his parents and other family members.
jill.leovy@latimes.com
andrew.blankstein @latimes.com
Times staff writers Susannah Rosenblatt and Sam Farmer contributed to this report.
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Randal Simmons, LAPD veteran killed in action
by Kevin Roderick
SWAT team veteran Randal Simmons, left, was killed this morning during a shootout with a suspect in the Valley community of Winnetka. He is the first member of the Special Weapons and Tactics team to die in action since the unit's inception in 1971. He is described as a 51-year-old father of two.
Officer James Veenstra, also 51, was wounded in the same operation and has undergone surgery at Northridge Medical Center. "The surgery was successful," said Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell. The surgeon said later that damage to Veenstra's jaw is substantial and that reconstructive surgery will be needed. Both officers had been with SWAT for more than 20 years. Veenstra is married to LAPD captain Michelle Veenstra.
In total five people have died, including the gunman. The house where the incident occurred caught fire, but the blaze has been put out. "It was a tragedy what happened out there, but it could have been much worse," McDonnell said just now at news conference on the scene.
According to accounts, the gunman barricaded himself in a house on Welby Way after calling 911 last night about 9 pm to say he had killed three relatives. Shortly after midnight he fired at officers who entered the home, hitting Simmons and Veenstra. The wounded officers were extracted and taken to the hospital, while one of the other gunman's other victims also was removed but died at the scene. Attempts to contact the gunman and negotiate were fruitless, so tear gas was used sometime after 5 am. After a woman ran from the home, the LAPD began dismantling the structure to look for the suspect. He exchanged more gunfire with police, and after the explosion of a flash-bang grenade and a further encounter of some kind, he was pronounced dead at the scene. McDonnell was not clear at the 8:20 am news conference how the gunman died.
"It's a sad day in the City of Los Angeles to have lost an officer," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at the scene. Chief William Bratton was in Vancouver at a conference of police chiefs but boarded a flight for Los Angeles this morning. He is scheduled to attend a noon news conference at the hospital.
"The members of the Los Angeles Police Department are deeply saddened this morning having lost a member of their family. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of these two brave officers," LAPD spokesman Lieutenant Ruben De La Torre posted on the department news blog.
Tim Sands, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League: "Officer Randal Simmons was a good friend, loyal partner and an exemplary officer. He was proud to be a member of LAPD SWAT, despite the risks that came with that assignment, and today that bravery cost him his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family members, who lost a good man. Our thoughts and prayers are also with Officer James Veenstra who is recovering from surgery, and his family, including his wife, Captain Michelle Veenstra."
The last LAPD officer killed in the line of duty was Landon Dorris, who was struck by a car on Riverside Drive during a routine traffic investigation on Oct. 22, 2006.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:25 AM | Comments (2)
February 12, 2008
080213 WEDNESDAY "Nate"
Unfortunately, CrossFit has another Hero workout.
"Nate"
Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:
2 Muscle-ups
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings
Post rounds completed to comments.
Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy was killed Sunday February 4th during combat operations in Iraq. Nate is survived by his wife, Mindi, and his infant son Parker.
We're asking the CrossFit community to make donations to the "Nate Hardy Memorial Fund" in care of the Navy Federal Credit Union, Building 200, FTC Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, VA, 23461.
Click "Continue Reading" Below for more information about Nate's background.
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Article:
Brian one of our coaches now starting his own branch a ways south of Mt Diablo has been helping with the wrestling team of McNair High School. Now McNair Has it's first league championship.
Congrats McNair, and Congrats Brian!
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From: CAROL SHEA PORTER: HONORING THE LIFE OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER NATHAN H. HARDY 02/07/08
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and sacrifice of a patriot, Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy of Durham, New Hampshire, who was killed in action on Monday, February 4, while serving with the Navy SEALs in Iraq. Nate died doing what he loved. He loved our great country, and his life serves as an example to my State of New Hampshire and to our country.
We also honor the bravery and sacrifice of Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch of State College, Pennsylvania, who was killed alongside Nate in Iraq on Monday. They were brothers in arms and will not be forgotten.
After graduating from Oyster River High School in Durham, New Hampshire, Nate enlisted in the Navy on November 4, 1997, with the ambition to become a Navy SEAL. He graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in January 1998 and in the same month entered Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training in Coronado, California, Class 221.
Nate was a stellar SEAL, and he lived the life of a SEAL each day. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service Deployment Awards, NATO Medal, the Expert Rifle Medal, and the Sharpshooter Pistol Medal.
Beyond being a remarkable SEAL, Nate was a loving husband, a happy new father, a dedicated son, a loyal friend, and a role model to many in New Hampshire and across the country. Nate embodied the ethic of Cincinnatus who, when called upon to serve and defend Rome, gave all of his effort and determination; but when conflict ended, he returned home to enjoy his family and friends. He did not glorify himself as a hero, because true heroes do no such thing. He was as humble as he was brave.
Like Nate, I graduated from Oyster River High School in Durham. Ours is a close-knit community and Nate and his family have played an integral role in its unique camaraderie. I've spoken to many of his friends, and it's clear they will always miss him, but each will carry a piece of him forever. Because he had a passion for so many varied interests, including sports, art, books and music, Nate touched people in different ways. Each one of his circles of friends has a unique perspective on Nate that they call their own because of his eclectic interests. All of them, though, will always feel his love, celebrate his life, and remember his great passion for living.
In addition to his friends, Nate leaves behind his brother, Ben; his mother, Donna, an administrative assistant at the University of New Hampshire; his father, Steve, a professor at UNH; his wife, Mindi; and 7-month-old son, Parker. The community was called upon to support the Hardy family when their eldest son, Josh, died after waging a long battle against cancer in 1993. The Hardys showed courage at that time, and Durham rallied to their support. The community is ready to support them again at this time, united by the memories of this remarkable young man.
Mindi and Parker are especially in our hearts at this time and will always be, even after the immediate pain recedes.
Down the street from this hallowed floor is the Department of Veterans Affairs. On its side stand President Lincoln's words: ``To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.''
Our patriot, Nate, bore the battle and the people who cared so deeply about Nate will now care for Mindi and Parker. Friends and family will share stories with his wife and son, stories that they will carry in their hearts forever. Parker will know not only that his father was brave, but that his father was a good man, a man of character and conviction.
Nate Hardy enriched our New Hampshire and our country. We were blessed to have him, even for such a short while. May he rest in peace, and may his family find comfort in knowing that he was loved and respected by all.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2008
080208 FRIDAY
This main website for the graphic is Weight.com. I found it on Ross Enamait's training blog
Workout: (from Eva T's blog)
Run one mile, stop every minute to do 20 air squats.
Post time and number of squats to comments.
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There is a new CrossFit Box in Santa Cruz, brought to you by Eva, Annie, Michele, Robb, and Jim!
With a line up like that, you can expect more big things in the Mecca of CrossFit.
Crossfit Santa Cruz Central.com
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And since Eva's many talents include breaking records, hearts, and plaque buildup. . here is a tooth related article:
Treating your periodontal pockets will help your pocketbook
"Researchers found that cumulative health care costs were 21% higher for those patients with severe periodontal disease than those with no periodontal disease."
Maybe we can start getting the major healthcare providers to start taking dental into account (for their own sake). -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:55 PM | Comments (4)
January 29, 2008
080130 WEDNESDAY
Myself at CrossFit Newport Beach attending the first CrossFit Running and Endurance Seminar, with Jeff Alexander in the background teaching some basics of Trigger Point Therapy.
Promo video for CrossFit Newport Beach:
Great facility, awesome staff.
Workout:
Run six 400m timing each run individually. Rest 1.5 minutes between intervals. Try and maintain the most consistant times.
Post times to comments.
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This article from Mike E.was posted on Sunday, but I wanted to highlight it a little more thoroughly. - Nutrition and Physical Performance from four gold medalists.
Below I pulled out just some of the gems that we also promote. It is remarkable what you can find with literally more than 100 years of gold medal athletic training information.
Excerpts from Billy Mills (1964 Olympic games gold medalist in the 10k - 28:24.4 - the first American to win a gold in the 10k, and a feat that nobody in the western hemisphere has repeated)
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"Know your desires, know yourself, and succeed."
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I incorporated seven components into my training: 1) endurance activities, 2) speed endurance work, 3) sheer speed training, 4) strength training, 5) recovery and rest, 6) focus, and 7) visualization.
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. . .On the basis of my test results, this doctor suggested that I follow a diet higher in protein than my regular dietary pattern. I followed his advice and started taking 75–100 grams of powdered protein supplement daily. At that time I weighed approximately 150 pounds. I believed at the time that I could not get enough protein from my regular diet and that I had to supplement it with powdered protein.
At the time I was taking this high protein supplement, also followed a very simple, traditional, Lakota (Sioux) four- day dietary cycle. Elders on the reservation had told me: ‘‘Billy, why
don’t you do this; this is what we did in the old days. We would eat something from the air, the next day something from the water, the next day something on the ground, and the fourth day something from inside the ground.’’ The Lakota Elders also suggested that I include a color plan with my food pattern that represented earth colors: brown, green, red and yellow foods, they said, would provide me with the best diet. Their advice, of course, meant that I consumed a wide variety of of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.
After following this dietary plan, I observed that my physical and mental toughness increased. My ability to focus on athletic goals—the Olympics—became unbelievable, and my spiritual strength and spiritual empowerment increased many times over and provided me with mental toughness.
__________________________
Excerpts from Bruce Baumgartner (possibly the greatest wrestler in American history with 13 metals in Olympic and world competition)
My belief is primarily in my training. Currently, I train using a three-day cycle. I will have three hard days, when I practice twice a day. On each of these three days I will include in my training weight lifting and cardiovascular activities, which for me means bicycling or Air Dyne, rowing, running and stepping machines. In the aftenoon I do several types of combative wrestling for 30 - 40 minutes.
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Although I take dietary supplements, I believe that it is best to obtain nutrients from the foods that I eat.
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If you talk to most competitive athletes, you discover what is best for your body and what works for you. There is no specific key that fits each athlete in the country, no one specific regimen or specific diet that would work for all.
__________________________________
Excerpts from Nicole Haislett (won 3 Olympic golds in 1992 as well as winning golds at the World Swimming Championships, the Goodwill Games, and is a NCAA record holder).
Swimming is a sport in which one cannot rely on distance (i.e., actual number of laps completed in the pool) to loose weight. Most people in the general public beIlieve that swimmers do not have any problem with weight or nutrition, because swimmers train hard. It is true that competitive swimmers will train for up to six hours per day, at least four hours ‘‘churning’’ water during the hardest part of the season. People would expect, therefore, that swimmers burn lots of calories, but there is an interesting issue: elite, competitive swimmers become so very efficient at swimming that their bodies do not respond easily to weight reduction.
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So I really had no actual recovery in swimming except for Sunday. As a result my teammates and I were always ‘‘broken-down,’’ always experiencing muscle fatigue, soreness and tightness in the legs, and other complaints.
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Since that time I have not had a soft drink since.
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Then I participated in the Olympic trials in 1992, and I remember that members of the women’s team at Stanford University followed a program developed by a doctor Sears, and they were eating Biosyn Bars and following his dietary plan. The Stanford team did very well that year, and five women made the Olympic team and broke several records at the trials. Their performance opened my eyes and I thought that I should at least become involved in their approach.
___________________________________
Excerpts from Alfred Oerter (He is the only athlete -EVER- to win four gold medals at four successive Olympiads. And would have won a fifth consecutive if the U.S. hadn't boycotted the 1980 Moscow games).
You take a great risk in inviting somebody that was born in New York City, who lived on the lower East Side, to talk about nutrition. I believe in nutrition and I truly treat my body as a temple.
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I started all this a very long time ago. I was very fortunate to have an eccentric uncle. This man, by most standards, was truly eccentric. When I was 15 years of age he introduced me to things such as brewer’s yeast, desiccated liver and rose hips.
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Throughout my life I have not believed very many people.
If I believed one of my coaches in 1956 when I made my first Olympic team, I probably would not have even medaled at Melbourne. I received a letter from this coach that said . . . look . . . I don’t want you discus throwers, you big, heavy guys, going anywhere near a weight room. I don’t want you lifting weights.
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This presented a problem because I started lifting weights when I was eight years old in New York City. The weights were interesting and exciting. All the old-line immigrant families brought weights over with them, from the Old Country, things of strength, things to lift, things to play with. My buddies and I would go down into the basements of the old tenements in New York, and we would start playing with all that stuff. Our sport was lifting, and it was a strength thing. Lifting was not a complement to another sport. You lifted and you enjoyed it just for what it was.
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What I am really saying is this: there is a certain common sense that must be obeyed. In athletic competition you cannot look at all of the teaching and all of the learning only—it comes down to the athlete.I have thrown the discus 470,000 times in my life, give or take a few thousand. Not one throw has ever been perfect, and probably 400,000 of those throws were in a meditative state. I would begin a training session and would throw and throw. After an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, there is fatigue and pain. It enters your mind and you wake up in this intense focus environment, only to realize that there may be ten or fifteen people gathered about the area where you have been throwing, and you never realized that they had approached and were watching.
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Competition in the Olympic Games and in all athletics is an intensely personal activity. Trainers and physicians, nutritionists and physiologists have to teach their athletes to become self-sufficient.
___________________________________
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:10 PM | Comments (1)
January 25, 2008
090126 SATURDAY
DCF's JJ with Matt from Motor City CrossFit where he did the following workout:
12 - 9 - 6
Rep rounds for time of:
Burpee squat clean thrusters (45lbs)
Weighted pull ups (40lbs)
Post time and loads (if modified) to comments.
(aftermath)
With Matt's "encouragement" I was able to finish in sub 10. . . with 9:59:66.
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Article:
Staying active and moderate drinking healthier than abstaining
"Non-drinkers consumed less than one drink a week, moderate drinkers had between 1-14 drinks a week, and heavy drinkers drank 15 or more a week."
"Within each level of physical activity, non-drinkers had a 30-31 per cent higher risk of IHD compared to moderate drinkers. However, non-drinkers who had a moderate or high level of physical activity had a reduced risk of IHD of 31 and 33 per cent respectively compared to physically inactive non-drinkers. People who drank at least one drink a week and were physically active had a 44-50 per cent lower risk of IHD compared to physically inactive non-drinkers."
I have been saying this all along! -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:34 PM | Comments (2)
January 18, 2008
080119 SATURDAY
OPT gettin his sub sevin minute "Helen"
12:00 Navy SEAL Training
"Helen"
3 Rounds
Run 400 Meters
21 Kettlebell Swings 1.5 pood
12 Pull Ups
And for the really dedicated SEAL candidates...
Run 1 Mile
2 Rounds
Run 400 Meters
21 Kettlebell Swings 1.5 pood
12 Pull Ups
Run 1 Mile
1 Round
Run 400 Meters
21 Kettlebell Swings
12 Pull Ups
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Article:
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Video: Freddy Does 30 Muscle Ups For Time. The Same Freddy That Kicked Our Asses In The WOD "Diablo's Shame"
Bonus Video: 151 jump ropes in 30 seconds. Damn.
Posted by at 8:30 PM | Comments (10)
January 15, 2008
080116 WEDNESDAY
CrossFit Games METACON workout:
Row 1 K
Five rounds of:
25 Pull-ups
135 pound Push jerk, 7 reps
Post time to comments. (there is a 20 minute time cap)
Click here for a PDF of the results from the first annual "CrossFit Games"
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Article:
The US is in a "Baby Boomlet"
Is there a direct correlation to the increased births and the propagation of CrossFit? . . . (and does everyone else hate the word "boomlet" as much as I do?) -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:36 PM | Comments (3)
January 14, 2008
080115 TUESDAY
Push press video filmed at CrossFit Santa Cruz
Lose your Breakfast with Luca:
For Time:
100 Push Presses 45#
row 500m
75 Push Presses 45#
row 500m
50 Push Presses 45#
row 500m
25 Push Presses 45#
row 500m
Killer shoulders work-out, Jackie's style
Post results to comments
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Article:
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by at 8:30 PM | Comments (2)
January 9, 2008
080110 THURSDAY "Diablo's Shame"
Back in November of 07 CrossFit One World and Diablo CrossFit went head to head in an impromptu lunch workout. Freddie and Jolie beat Craig and I handily (although there is some debate on the number of additional reps completed by the DCF crew. . . and yes we are sore loosers).
The original workout was completed as a team workout where only one person at a time is allowed to do that particular exercise, but the exercises can be completed in any order the team wants.
Original - 2 person team, completed for time:
12 rope climbs
50 thrusters with dumbells totaling bodyweight
100 deadlifts with bodyweight
Here is the epic video:
To make this workout for one person we cut the reps in half and call it
"Diablo's Shame" - For time:
6 rope climbs
25 thrusters with dumbells totaling half bodyweight
50 deadlifts with bodyweight
If your rope breaks like ours did (see below), then sub 60 pull ups for the rope climbs.
Post time to comments.
Our rope was attached to a sheet metal beam using multiple loops of nylon tubing (2100lbs test strength). The nylon was abraded by the beam and it snapped when I was about half way up. Other than some bumps and bruises from the fall, the metal 'eye' at the top shredded my thumb (as well as spraining it pretty good). I guess I am just lucky the thing didn't hit me in the face.
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Article:
"On 1 Jan 2008 I walked 6.5 miles in freezing weather"
It is interesting how a little bit of competition can get people moving, and coming from a CrossFit background, I totally understand where this guy is coming from (as should the rest of you CFers). "Men will die for points."
I applaud Nike not for the device (not very revolutionary), but for adding the competition aspect. Great idea, and something that the Concept 2 rowing people have been doing for years. Check out the Concept 2 website for details. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:51 PM | Comments (5)
January 4, 2008
080104 FRIDAY
Brian steams things up at 0600.
"Micro" Workout - 2 rounds for time:
500m row
5 right, 5 left kettlebell power cleans and strict press (1.5pood - or 55lb dumbell)
Then set your goals for 2008. Some of the most popular accomplishments chosen at The Shed are:
Strength:
CrossFit Total (CFT) of 1000+ lbs
15 overhead squats with bodyweight
Gymnasics:
3 consecutive muscle ups
40 or 50 (or more) consecutive pull ups
L sit times of 1min+
Metacon:
Sub 3 minute Fran
Fight Gone Bad scores of well over 300
Murph as Rx'ed in sub 45 minute times
After the "micro wod" dedicate some time to working on one (or more)of your goals.
The clock is ticking.
Post Micro WOD time and goal practiced to comments.
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Video: CrossFit intensity. Coach Glassman discusses intensity with clips from a certification seminar at CrossFit One World (if you look closely you can see DCF trainer Brian getting some during FGB).
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Article:
Naps more effective than caffeine in young people
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:42 AM | Comments (4)
December 31, 2007
071231 Monday
One of my personal goals for 2008 is 15 overhead squats with my bodyweight (approx 210lbs). Here is a video of Nicole Carrol (CF Champion Chicka) pulling it off.
Workout:
Read Post 071228 FRIDAY "Benchmarks" and write down your goals.
Stop procrastinating.
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The "BBC Three" is putting on two television shows trying to answer one question: Can Fat People Hunt?
It says that the teens will be with the bushmen for one month. It doesn't say for the adults. One month isn't very long, but it will be interesting to find out the results nonetheless. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 2:24 PM | Comments (4)
December 28, 2007
071228 FRIDAY "Benchmarks"
++ SPECIAL WOD TONIGHT: "In-N-Out Helen" 1800hrs. ++
("In-N-Out Helen" stems from our colleagues at CrossFit Los Altos doing "In-N-Out Fran"):
Email "info (at) diablocrossfit" if you want to participate (so we know how many burgers to get).
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0600 Workout:
"Diane"
21 - 15 - 9 for time:
Deadlift 225 lbs
Handstand push ups
Alternate workout:
"Jason"
For time:
100 Squats
5 Muscle-ups
75 Squats
10 Muscle-ups
50 Squats
15 Muscle-ups
25 Squats
20 Muscle-ups
"S01 (SEAL) Jason Dale Lewis was killed by an IED while conducting combat operations in Southern Baghdad July 6, 2007. We name this workout "Jason" in honor of his life, family, and courage."
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An example of an original benchmark.
The year is coming to a close. Did you finish your goals? Did you stick to your 'resolutions' for 2007?
You can read my thoughts on 'resolutions' from my post last year:
070103 Wednesday - New Year, More changes
In brief. . . now is not the time to make plans like "I want to eat healthier this year." or "I am going to loose a few pounds." These are undefinable, impossible to track, and easy to fudge.
Now is the time to say things like "I am going to eat less than 10g of refined carbs a day from now on." and "I will lose 10 lbs of 'Fat' without loosing muscle mass." In contrast, these are clear, easy to track, and black and white. Either you accomplished them or you didn't. Either you made clear progress, or you didn't.
Physical progression is not tracked by time, it is evaluated based upon accomplishments and performance.
Just because you have been "CrossFitting" for a year doesn't mean you are a better athlete than when you started. Improvements in performance of desired tasks means that you are a better athlete.
December's "Girls and Heroes" marathon has been part of this process. By attempting these benchmark workouts, even for your first time, you have now set a point to track progress. A point to improve or a reference to loose ground.
Now we are going to go a step further. For 2008 we are asking all DCFers to come up with at least 3 goals for 2008.
One strength based (examples include, a double bodyweight deadlift, CrossFit Total of 1000, etc)
One gymnastics based (examples include, an L-sit duration, a number of consecutive pull ups, etc)
One metabolic conditioning based (examples include a sub 9 min "Helen", or "Murph" as Rx'ed, etc)
You are not limited to 3 choices. Many of us at The Shed have more than three goals to accomplish before big stopwatch signals "TIME!" for the end of the year. Think of 2008 as one big "Workout of the Year" (WOY) and you have only 365 days to finish your benchmarks.
Choose wisely, and don't be afraid to choose something big. If you "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. "
The final part of setting benchmarks with us is that you have to announce them publicly. So you have to post them here, or write them on the white board at The Shed. We are all in this together, and we will rely on each other for help and encouragement (as well as some reminding).
So post your goals for 2008 "WOY" in the comments section, and prepare to celebrate your victory as each one is smashed.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:34 AM | Comments (113)
December 18, 2007
071218 WEDNESDAY "Badger"
This morning Aaron read an excerpt from "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrel's book about Operation Redwing and the story how Lt. Michael Murphy ("Murph") was killed in Afganistan.
It is important to remember that the Hero workouts are not just devastating workouts. They are homages to great warriors who lost their lives fighting for their country. It is with deep regret that Diablo CrossFit presents a new Hero to honor:
"Badger"
Complete three rounds for time of:
95 pound Squat clean, 30 reps
30 Pull-ups
Run 800 meters
Post time to comments.
In honor of Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark Carter, 27, of Virginia Beach, VA who was killed in Iraq last week.
Go here for more information about CPO Mark Carter, and click "Continue Reading" below for some comments about Mark Carter from the CrossFit comments page.
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." General Patton (thanks to Brian McGlynn for the quote)
Now get out there and kick some ass for Mark "Badger" Carter.
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Health Article:
Fitness Level, not body fat, may be stronger predictor of longevity
SEAL chief killed in Iraq, Navy says
Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 14, 2007 12:03:13 EST
A Virginia-based SEAL who received two Bronze Stars with “V” devices was killed Tuesday in Iraq, according to a Navy release.
Chief Special Warfare Operator Mark Thomas Carter, 27, of Fallbrook, Calif., was killed in enemy action somewhere in Iraq. Carter was with Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron 2, based in Virginia Beach, Va.
Carter joined the Navy in 1998, according to Navy records, and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL school the next year. He was assigned to SEAL Team 3, based at Naval Base Coronado, Calif., then SEAL Team 7.
In April 2004, Carter was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck, Va., according to information provided by Navy Personnel Command. That group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6, is an ultra-secretive unit that reports to Joint Special Operations Command, which includes Delta Force.
He received his current assignment in July 2006. Carter was selected for chief earlier this year.
“I am honored to serve with and lead men and women like Chief Mark Carter. He was an outstanding SEAL, teammate, and great American,” Carter’s commanding officer, who was not named, said in a statement. “On behalf of my command, I extend my condolences and heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. His ultimate sacrifice, the most noble act for any American warrior, is our tragic loss, and I urge those who knew him to honor his life, in the best way we know how.”
In addition to his Bronze Star, Carter received a Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” device, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Combat Action Ribbons, and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, among other decorations.
“Losing any of the warriors serving in Naval Special Warfare is a significant loss, but losing a chief petty officer makes that loss even tougher,” said Lt. David Luckett, Naval Special Warfare Group 2 spokesman. “Like so many of his brothers in the SEAL community, Chief Carter lived the SEAL Code, and his actions on and off the battlefield embodied everything noble about serving in the Navy and in Naval Special Warfare.”
Carter is survived by his father, mother, three brothers and four sisters.
From the CrossFit Comments Page:
"badger was one of the most humble, kindest respectable down to earth team guys i've ever met and worked with. he was one of the first people to expose and introduce me to crossfit. i can vividly remember waking up and starting my day off and hearing the rev of the c2 or the slamming of home-made balls or the dragging and pulling of weighted tires...then to see badger sweating his ass off with his earphones plugged in and zoned out. that was over a year ago and seems like yesterday that i just saw him. godspeed bro and thanks for everything. it was an honor and my pleasure to have worked for you and with you...rip and my prayers are with your family and everyone else in tacdevron 2.
sk1 russell"
"While I join everyone else in wishing Godspeed to CPO Carter, I also wanted to point out (assuming the caption is correct) that the man made E-7 by the age of 27...
That should say quite a bit about the man.
AH"
"It's hard reading through all these comments, my eyes keep welling up. #16 AH said it, not only did Carter put on Chief by 27, he did it in 9 years, and all that time in the teams. He was assigned to DEV GRU and had two bronze stars with Valor devices. This SEAL was amazing. I always find it ironic that the best among us are the ones who volunteer to put themselves between our safety and those who would destroy it. Thank you, all of you who are out there keeping us safe. God bless you Chief, I hope He is welcoming you with open arms.
HooYah Chief Carter!
adamulm"
Posted by Craig at 9:57 AM | Comments (9)
December 7, 2007
071207 FRIDAY
JJ and the "FRICK'N" Tire. (I have a love/hate relationship with that damn tire. -jj)
Workout:
0700
"Jackie"
1000 meter row
50 thrusters 45#
30 pull ups
CFHQ
"Lynne"
5 Rounds
Body Weight Bench Press
Max Pull-Ups
Rest As Needed In Between Rounds
Post Times and Weights To Comments
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Article:
UCSC Rugby Team Starts Crossfit
Posted by at 10:11 AM | Comments (4)
December 5, 2007
071205 WEDNESDAY "Kelly"
Craig "blowing off" a little steam post Kelly this morning.
Workout:
"Kelly"
5 rounds for time:
400m run
30 box jumps (24" box)
30 wall ball shots (20lb ball 10 ft)
Post time to comments.
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Video:
Here is a recent video from Mike's Gym (Coach Burgener's Gym) from the American Open in Birmingham Alabama as well as some bonus training stuff at the end.
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Articles:
Link between Marathon Runners and Skin Cancer
Signs of brain shrinkage in soccer players
and Art De Vany's Top Ten Reasons Not To Run Marathons
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:40 AM | Comments (11)
December 4, 2007
071204 TUESDAY
Brian attempts a 42 inch box jump.
_____________
Tuesday Evening 1900
5 x 5 front squat
Post weights to comments
Tuesday Morning 08:00 Wod with Luca
Today's WOD was a MURDER!!!:
21-18-15-12-9 reps for time of:
Deadlift
Hang Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Jerk
The rules are: you can chose your weight , you can rest in between sets
but you cannot drop the bar during sets, if you do you start from the top of the set.
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Low Carb Diet Reduces Inflammation and Blood Saturated Fat
Post thoughts to comments.
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CrossFit Allstar and otherwise heroic Fem Fatal Eva T has come out with her own calendar.
With Eva being a bona fide CrossFit hottie as well as a performance idol to many aspiring women, I expect this calendar to fly from the shelves and be in CF gyms small and large across the globe.
You can order it here at the Aasgaard Company Website (a GREAT source for materials such as Coach Rippetoe's books as well as much much more).
Posted by at 9:19 AM | Comments (10)
November 19, 2007
071119 MONDAY
A group of attendees "Get Some!" with a WOD at our Open House on Sunday (More Pictures after the jump).
Workout:
4 rounds for time:
500m row
20 Wall Balls
20 Kettle Bell Swings
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Pilot Program helps boost senors' activity levels and quality of life
Post thoughts to comments.
Photos from the Open House
Just getting set up.
Brian tries for a 42" box jump again right after a rather spectacular attempt that resulted in a few minor injuries.
Group Photo of the DCF Trainers as well as Mike Minium from CrossFit Oakland (center with brown cap) and Dion from CrossFit Napa (kneeling and wearing white).
Brian and Rick starting the first round of the "This Is Just Stupid" workout (aka Willie G.).
Brian beginning to take his eventual stout lead (after which Craig followed with an even greater lead) and crushing Rick and Jorgy's team.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 1:34 PM | Comments (4)
November 15, 2007
071115 THURSDAY
Anne with good 'high and outside' elbow technique on the Sumo Deadlift High Pull.
Workout (from the CrossFit Mothership Yesterday):
"Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Bench press: body weight
Clean: 3/4 body weight
Set up three bars and storm through for time.
(here is a video of Nicole from CF Santa Cruz doing Linda)
Post time to comments.
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Article(s):
I am going to declare today "Breast Day" here at DCF with three articles related to breast FEEDING (I don't know what the rest of you were thinking about . . . you bunch of gutter minded . . . ) -jj
Breast Feeding Babies Offers Them Long Term Heart Health Benefits
Breast Fed Babies Breathe Easier
Breast Feeding Cuts food allergy risk
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See Luca's 0800 WOD after the Jump below.
wOD With Luca 08:00
Even if Rick was late he still came, I like the idea of arriving on time for class I still like the fact
that he came after work, I had started my Linda by then, but in between my huffing and puffing I was able to dispense his W.O.D., good reason to rest eheh
5 Rounds for time of:
15DL(135#)
400m Run
We had some fun see you on Tuesday Morning
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 1:11 PM | Comments (3)
November 8, 2007
OPEN HOUSE!
For all of you gym rats and garage hermits waiting in the wings. . . NOW is the time to get all your lazy butts to Diablo CrossFit. If you have been standing idly by, waiting for a time to check us out (without drawing too much attention to yourself), this is the event to do it at.
For all of the regulars (and not-so-regulars), this is a change to bring your family and friends to have a look at uber-hardcore gym known as "The Shed".
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 4:37 PM | Comments (5)
November 6, 2007
071106 TUESDAY
Craig & Jeremy on the bookends with Freddy and Jolie from CrossFit OneWorld - shortly after a "friendly" affiliate challenge wod at this weekend's CrossFit Certification. Freddy & Jolie kicked our butts (more on that in comments)! CrossFit One World is in Union City and is hosting a Stretching Seminar on Saturday, Nov 10 @ 1:00PM. Visit their site for details.
CrossFit WOD: BackSquat 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Post loads to comments.
DCF WOD - Luca
For time:
Box Jumps 25-20-15-10-5
Kettlebell Swings 15-15-15-15-15 (20kg)
PushPress 5-10-15-20-25 (65lb)
Complete one set of Box Jumps, move to KB Swings for one set, then one set of PP, repeat.
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Freddy & Jolie at CrossFit One World (Union City) challenged Jeremy and Craig to a wod during a lunch break at the Santa Cruz Certification.
DCF vs CFOW
Each team must complete the following:
12 Rope Climbs
50 Dumbell Thrusters - 1/2 Body Weight
100 Deadlifts - Body Weight
Team members may not do same exercise at same time.
CFOW spanked us! I confess a weakness in the rope climb (I did 4 and ripped up my hands - JJ did 8 - thx buddy). We nailed the Deads, but think there was a miscount (not enough to give us victory). Brutal wod, nonetheless - it took me at least 45mins to recover. Freddy and Jolie are metcon badasses!.
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So, which fat is good fat?
Article: Out With the Trans Fats, In With a Whole Lot of Others
By Julie Jargon, Wall Street Journal, Nov 6, 2007
Food companies are scrambling to replace trans fat in everything from french fries to cookies, but health experts worry that what's good for the nation's heart might be bad for its waistline.
HEALTH JOURNAL, WSJ: November 6, 2007
Out With the Trans Fats, In With a Whole Lot of Others
By JULIE JARGON
Food companies are scrambling to replace trans fat in everything from french fries to cookies, but health experts worry that what's good for the nation's heart might be bad for its waistline.
Trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. The resulting ingredient, known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, is what makes french fries crispy and croissants flaky. But trans fat's effect on cholesterol -- it raises the bad kind and lowers the good -- has made it a food-industry villain.
Ever since the Food and Drug Administration required food companies to disclose the amount of trans fat in their products last year, the industry has been searching for replacement ingredients. Kraft Foods Inc., the world's second-largest food manufacturer by revenue, has removed trans fat from numerous products, including Oreo cookies, Wheat Thins crackers and Jell-O pudding snacks. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay has eliminated trans fat from all of its chips.
So what's going in food instead of trans fat? Some food makers are going back to ingredients high in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. In Kellogg's Eggo blueberry waffles, for example, trans fats have been replaced with palm oil and palm kernel oil, while Oreos now contain "palm oil and/or canola oil."
Kraft says that while the saturated fat content of Oreos is higher, the overall fat content is the same, at 7 grams per serving. "The effort wasn't just about removing trans fat, but about keeping the nutrition profile the same," says spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati.
Thuy-An Wilkins, a spokeswoman for Kellogg, says the company has removed the trans fat in most of its products without increasing the amount of saturated fat, but it's still "a work in progress."
Other products are achieving trans-fat-free status through interesterification, a process in which fatty acids are redistributed on a fat molecule to make liquid fats behave more like solid fats. Products made with interesterified fat include Promise Buttery Spread and Enova cooking oil. Unilever, the maker of Promise, conducted its own study 10 years ago that found no adverse effects from food made with interesterified fat, says Doug Balentine, Unilever's director of nutrition sciences for the Americas.
But other nutrition experts say not enough is known about the safety of interesterified fat. There was little interest in researching the ingredient until the recent push for trans-fat alternatives. David Baer, a research physiologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, says his own research has studied only blended fats, and offers no insights on interesterified fats specifically. "We're interested in trying to figure out the health effects," he says. "The nutrition community is puzzled by what might be the most healthful alternative to trans fat."
K.C. Hayes, director of the Foster Biomedical Research Lab at Brandeis University, says that while the ingredient is in relatively few products now, its use may grow before the health-care community fully understands its impact. Dr. Hayes, who conducted a small study funded by the palm-oil industry that did find negative health effects from interesterified fats, says, "The point is, we should know more before we go off trans fat and onto something else."
The American Heart Association recommends replacing trans fat with monounsaturated fats, which are found in olive, canola, peanut and sunflower oils, or with the polyunsaturated fats found in soybean, corn and safflower oils. For instance, a lot of the chicken sold at KFC is now fried in a type of soybean oil, and McDonald's in the U.S. is switching to a proprietary blend of canola, soybean and corn oils for its french fries.
The biggest danger of the trans-fat swap-out could be that consumers will eat more junk food because they think it's healthier. For one thing, zero doesn't necessarily mean zero. Products can still have up to half a gram of trans fat and carry a "zero trans fat per serving" label. So if someone eats more than a serving of cookies, they could still be consuming a few grams of trans fat.
Posted by Craig at 9:56 AM | Comments (3)
November 5, 2007
071105 MONDAY - Back From Certification!
+++ OUR NEW SCHEDULE STARTS TODAY - PLEASE SEE OUR CALENDAR +++
Diablo CrossFit was well represented at the Certification Seminar at the brand new North Santa Cruz CrossFit (NSC) facility in Scotts Valley. Surrounding the devilish vixens Nicole and Eva are Josh, Jeremy, Craig, Luca, Rick and Brian (from left to right). See more pictures of the AMAZING NSC facility after the jump.
0600h WOD
21 Kettlebell Swings (men 1p / girls 35lb)
21 Ring Push Ups
1 Rope Climb
15 Kettlebell Swings
15 Ring Push Ups
1 Rope Climb
9 Kettlebell Swings
9 Ring Push Ups
1 Rope Climb
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Post thoughts to comments.
North Santa Cruz CrossFit Facility Pictures:
Unfortunately (for you) the pictures do not quite do it justice. There is still a lot you can't see in the photos (such as all the rowers, rings, ropes, and a lot of things that don't begin with "r"). Check out the video tours on the CrossFit Affiliate page for a more thorough tour (November 4th and November 5th postings).
Posted by Craig at 10:32 AM | Comments (6)
October 29, 2007
071029 MONDAY
Jimmy, enjoying his Maui vacation (CrossFit Maui). What kinda nut drives 45 minutes in the middle of a Maui vacation/conference to do a brutal CrossFit wod? Diablo CrossFit nuts. Hurry back Jimmy & Kellie.
0600h WOD
A scaled version of the CF main site's Sunday brutal wod, for time:
50 Ring Dips
400m Run
50 Push Ups
400m Run
50 Press (men 75#, ladies #45)
Post time to comments.
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Article:
The crazy Japanese are at it again,
Seven Metabolic Samurai
I have to admit, it is pretty hardcore that someone died on the show, and the rest of them just kept going. -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
Posted by Craig at 9:42 AM | Comments (4)
October 13, 2007
071013 SATURDAY
Eric loves cleans.
0730 MetaBlast WOD
Rowing Intervals
7 Rounds of 500m Row
Rest 90 seconds in between rnd 1-4
Rest 60 seconds in between rnd 5-7
Calculate average row time and total time and post to comments.
0815 Power WOD
Overhead Squats 5, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 (max weight)
if there's still gas in the tank:
Back Squat 3, 3, 3, 3 (max weight)
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Questions about how to set your C2 rower for best performance? Click Here
Concept 2 has a very nice web page just for CrossFitters: C2 & CrossFit
Posted by Craig at 3:56 PM
October 12, 2007
071012 FRIDAY - "Honoring Murph"
Lt. Michael Murphy was recently awarded The Medal of Honor - the 1st for combat in Afghanistan. Murph was an avid CrossFitter. A "Hero" workout was created in his honor and is today's CF wod. Read more about Murph and his SEAL Team below. MURPH
0600h WOD: Honoring Murph
For time:
800m Run
50 Pull Ups
100 Push Ups
200 Squats
800m Run
Post time to comments.
Note: This is about 1/2 of an actual Murph wod. We'll get there soon!
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Article: SEAL to get posthumous Medal of Honor
By Frank Eltman, Associated Press Writer
News Fuze
Article Launched:10/11/2007 02:05:20 PM PDT
GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—A Navy SEAL who was killed while leading a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan will receive the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue on Long Island, is the first Medal of Honor recipient for combat in Afghanistan, the Navy said in a statement Thursday.
In late June 2005, Murphy led a four-man reconnaissance mission east of Asadabad trying to find a key Taliban leader in advance of a mission to capture or destroy the local militia leadership. Taliban sympathizers alerted fighters to the SEALs' positions, and the four men were quickly outnumbered and came under fire, the Navy said.
GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—A Navy SEAL who was killed while leading a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan will receive the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue on Long Island, is the first Medal of Honor recipient for combat in Afghanistan, the Navy said in a statement Thursday.
In late June 2005, Murphy led a four-man reconnaissance mission east of Asadabad trying to find a key Taliban leader in advance of a mission to capture or destroy the local militia leadership. Taliban sympathizers alerted fighters to the SEALs' positions, and the four men were quickly outnumbered and came under fire, the Navy said.
Even after being wounded, Murphy crawled into the open to make a radio call for help and still continued to fight, the Navy said. The call ultimately allowed the rescue of one wounded SEAL and the recoveries of the bodies of Murphy and two others killed in the firefight.
President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Murphy's parents at the White House on Oct. 22.
"I think it is a public recognition of what we knew about Michael, of his intensity, his focus, his devout loyalty to home and family, his country and especially to his SEAL teammates and the SEAL community," Murphy's father, Daniel Murphy told Newsday for a story published on its Web site.
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for valor in action against an enemy force. Murphy is the fourth Navy SEAL to receive the medal and the first since Vietnam.
The other two SEALs killed in the Afghan firefight, Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo., and Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif., previously received the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor.
A U.S. helicopter that went to rescue the SEALs was shot down by enemy fire; 16 SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed in the crash.
The entire battle resulted in the worst single-day loss of life for Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II.
Two Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously in the Iraq war.
Posted by Craig at 10:37 AM | Comments (3)
October 11, 2007
071011 THURSDAY
Rex, co-owner of CrossFit San Jose stopped by the Shed yesterday. Rex is just back from Iraq where he served with Naval Special Warfare. Rex showed some love by dropping off a few CFSJ t-shirts. Thanks, Buddy. You're welcome anytime. And, thanks for your service. Read about Rex and his cool facility at www.crossfitsj.com.
0800h WOD: Get Up, Stand Up
With a 35lb Dumbell, complete the following for time:
25 Turkish Get-Ups - Right Hand
25 One Hand Dumbell Snatches - Right Hand
25 Turkish Get Ups - Left Hand
25 One Hand Dumbell Snatches - Left Hand
Post time to comments.
The Turkish Get Up is an excellent full-body exercise that demands strength, balance, and agility. There is quite a bit of technique involved, so before you try these watch these:
Posted by Craig at 9:58 AM | Comments (3)
August 1, 2007
070801 Wednesday
Josh N doing a straight legged dead lift (maybe with a little too much knee bend at the start, but not bad).
I tend to follow Coach Rippetoe's opinion on the SLDL and the differences between a SLDL and a "Romanian Deadlift" (from the CrossFit comment archive on August 26, 2006)
"If anybody's interested in my take on the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a stiff-legged deadlift:
The RDL starts at the hang, usually out of the rack if one's available, or off of blocks.
The SLDL starts on the floor, like a deadlift.
The RDL focuses on the lower back, and as such it only goes down as deep as hamstring flexibility will allow the low back to stay in solid extension. Most people stop above mid-shin.
The SLDL focuses on the glutes/hams, essentially a deadlift without the quads. Rock solid low back extension off the floor is not possible for most people of normal flexibility.
The RDL requires that the bar be pushed back into the thighs and legs as the shoulder stays in front of the bar. In the RDL, the butt goes back, the bar goes back, the knees go back, and the shoulders go forward.
The SLDL pulls off the floor and comes up the shins close, but not right on them, because that would require the knees to be bent. It is locked out at the top like a normal deadlift.
The RDL starts and stops with the knees unlocked, because the quads don't move - it's all hamstring and low back.
The SLDL locks everything out at the top." - Coach Rippetoe
Workout:
Quick warm up workout with max reps in 6 minutes of dumbbell/kettlebell burpees (one dumbbell, alternate sides, bring DB full extension overhead instead of jumping).
Then:
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Straight Legged Deadlifts.
post results to comments.
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Article:
Breaking up workouts may burn fat faster
(The article comments that they exercised at 60 percent of their max level of exertion, could it be that after a rest, they could do more work at 60 percent (i.e. exert more power)? At least more research is moving toward disproving LSD type of exercise for fat burning. -jj)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breaking up an exercise session, by adding a rest period in between, may boost a workout's fat-burning efficiency, a team of Japanese and Danish researchers reports. . . (Click continue Reading for the rest of the article)
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NEWS FLASH
Bally's Total Fitness Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
I wonder if their "membership declines and too much debt" has anything to do with the number of CF affiliates coming online in the last few years as well as the rising cost of those pretty chrome machines.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breaking up an exercise session, by adding a rest period in between, may boost a workout's fat-burning efficiency, a team of Japanese and Danish researchers reports
When men exercised for two 30-minute stretches, taking a 20-minute rest break in between, they burned more fat than when they exercised for a single 60-minute session, and then rested afterward, Dr. Kazushige Goto of the University of Tokyo and colleagues found.
Current recommendations on exercise for preventing or treating obesity emphasize longer exercise sessions, Goto and his team note in the Journal of Applied Physiology. But there is evidence that following one exercise session with another workout may increase fat metabolism, they add.
To investigate, the researchers had seven healthy men complete one long workout and then two shorter workouts on exercise bicycles, measuring several different indicators of fat metabolism. All exercised at 60 percent of their maximum level of exertion.
When the men performed the two shorter exercise sessions, their blood levels of free fatty acids and other substances rose during the rest period, indicating greater fat metabolism. Levels of these substances also were higher during an hour-long rest period after the two-part exercise session.
Greater fat metabolism was recorded during each of the rest periods in the two-part session than during the rest period following the single, longer workout.
The men also showed lower levels of insulin and blood glucose during the second phase of the two-part exercise session.
While the proportion of total calories burned did not differ between the two workouts, fat represented nearly 77 percent of the calories burned in the recovery period after the two-part exercise session, compared with about 56 percent of calories burned in the recovery period after the single long exercise session.
Although a single bout of prolonged exercise is often performed in response to a physician's advice to exercise more, exercising for the same amount of time but with rest periods in between may be more effective, especially for sedentary or overweight individuals, the researchers conclude.
SOURCE: Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2007.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:05 AM | Comments (7)
July 9, 2007
070709 MONDAY
Lucky Luca at the CrossFit Certification in Santa Cruz last weekend. See his comments below.
The DCF Mile:
Overhead Squats (45lb) x 50
Run 400m
Slam Balls (20lb) x 50
Run 400m
Pull Ups x 50
Run 400m
Knees to Elbows x 50
Run 400m
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Luca's comments from the certificaion:
GREAT! GREAT! GREAT! Thant's all I can say about my certification, great people, great atmosphere, unbelievable amount of knowledge, if I was hooked before I'm now even more hooked on this stuff. Two pictures that summarized my week-end, the Nasty Girls, and my score on a tweaked Helen: 600m run plus the swings and pull-ups. I hope Diablo Crossfit was well represented.
Luca was in the top 10 for the modified Helen. Way to go man!!
Posted by Craig at 8:16 AM | Comments (8)
June 28, 2007
070628 THURSDAY
Today is a special day for CrossFit. Two years ago today the United States lost some great warriors fighting in Afghanistan. Mike Murphy, Jeff Taylor, Mike McGreevy, Danny Dietz, San Healy, Erik Kristensen, James Suh, Matt Axelson, Shane Patton, Jeff Lucas, Jacques Fontan as well as the air crew from the helicopter that went down.
The first three individuals were avid CrossFitters and have workouts named after them.
"Murph"
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
(For time)
"Michael"
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups
(3 rounds For time)
"J.T."
Handstand push-ups
Ring dips
Push-ups
(21-15-9 rep/rounds For time)
Pick one of the workouts from above and post your results to comments.
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For a great book on this day, look for "The Sole Survivor" by Marcus Lattrell. There is a summary article about it here:
The Washington Post article: The Sole Survivor
Interview with the Author:
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May we never forget the sacrifices of our warriors past and present. May we always honor them and the loved ones they left behind. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:47 AM | Comments (7)
June 25, 2007
070625 MONDAY
Craig attended the Cross Fit Olympic Lifting Certification in Vista this weekend!
Today's wod comes from CrossFit Iowa, in memory of Sean Wissink, Des Moines Police Dept., recently killed in the line of duty:
For Time:
The Sean 400 meter (which means 800 meters)
50 wall ball shots
50 push ups
50 kettlebell swings
50 box jumps
50 double unders (or 250 singles)
"Sean was an avid CrossFitter and as team leader of the Des Moines PD Metro S.T.A.R. Tactical Unit, Sean had used CrossFit as a PT standard with his team. One of the jokes that goes about Sean was that he had measured out 400 meters in one direction to do a 400 meter run but made his guys run there and back making it 800 meters. They call it the "Sean 400". He was notorious for his boistrous laugh. Sean was a very tall lean fit guy. He had just helped us arrest numerous suspects the night before he was killed."
-Tim and Angie Starmer, CrossFit IOWA
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Coach Mike Burgener, the Olympic Lifting Coach for the CrossFit Oly Certification gave two volunteers a little chipper to test their mettle:
One minute of Jumping Squats with 45lb bar (feet must leave the floor!). Best: 55.
One minute of Seated Shoulder Press with a 45lb bar (legs extended on floor). Best 51.
Watch the torture session here: Seated Shoulder Press
Posted by Craig at 8:50 AM | Comments (3)
April 24, 2007
070424 Tuesday with "Lynne"
Craig grinds through Lynne.
LYNNE
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups
Post reps for both exercises in all rounds.
Nice work tonight Anne & Nate!
Watch Brendan at CFHQ knock out 200+!! LYNNE 200
Posted by robarnum at 8:07 PM | Comments (4)
April 5, 2007
070415 Thursday
++ Next SHED Session, Tonight @1900h ++
HAVE YOU READ YOUR CROSSFIT JOURNAL THIS MONTH??
Appropriate Rest Between Interval Sets By Energy System Focus
The above chart was taken from an article entitled, "Rest and Recovery in Interval-Based Exercise," CrossFit Journal, April 2007, Issue 56. Tony Leyland, Senior Lecturer at the School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, is the author.
In this excellent article, Tony describes appropriate rest periods for interval training for all three metabolic pathways (& muscle types). I have been using intervals for more than 20 years for powerlifting and endurance running, operating on instinct and coaching input for recovery times. This article debunks many of my preconceived notions about recovery time and identifies correct rest periods by intended training focus: power, strength recovery, or cardiovascular endurance.
In short, the above article is brilliant in my humble opinion. I will not print it here, but will display a couple cool charts on energy consumption and commentary on muscle fiber types. The CrossFit Journal is only $25 per YEAR. The above article is worth $25 or more alone.
If you have not yet subscribed, please do so by clicking on the above chart. Your $25 helps support CrossFit's vast resource of free information, coaching videos, pictures, and website.
This is a fantastic chart really demonstrating your body's energy sources for physical exertion as it correlates to time. Keep in mind that this chart assumes MAXIMUM power outputs. In other words, if you get out of your chair and walk to the door for 10 seconds, your body will use the oxidative system, which could last for hours. A full sprint for 10 seconds will use the phosphagen system to maximize muscular effort (power).
Finally, here's what Tony has to say about appropriate interval rest periods for training muscle groups:
"So I am going to simplify things considerably here. There are three types of fibers:
• Type 2b fast-twitch fibers are recruited for very short duration high intensity bursts of power such as maximal and near-maximal lifts and sprints. These fibers produce high force levels quickly but they fatigue quickly also.
• Type 2a fast-twitch fibers are more fatigue-resistant than type 2b fibers but cannot produce force quite as rapidly. They are used more in sustained power activities like sprinting 400m or doing repeated lifts with a weight below your maximum (but not very light weights).
• Type 1 slow-twitch fibers are used in lower intensity exercises like light resistance work aimed at muscular endurance and long duration aerobic activities like running 5K and 10K.
So now you have a sense of what energy system and muscle fibers you are using, how long you should recover between exercise bouts? The answer depends on which energy system you are stressing and the purpose of your training that day. This is why rest periods are not always specified in exact terms in the WOD."
Read the CrossFit Journal.
Posted by Craig at 9:57 AM | Comments (2)
January 19, 2007
070119 "Farwell Gone Bad!"
Stavros says goodbye to Devil Duck.
He is leaving us for a while to complete the training course a the Sacramento Fire Academy (one of the toughest I hear). He should be stopping by periodically to get a workout in or to say hello.
Hopefully we were able to give him a little edge when he enters the CrossFit training now being used at the Sacramento Fire Academy.
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Workout: FIGHT GONE BAD!
(From the CrossFit FAQs page).
"In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 8 ft target. (Reps)
2. Deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete's must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point."
We did 3 rounds. If you think your tough enough, you can try a 10' wall ball target and 85lb SDHP like some of the guys did today (do to a slight clerical error).
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Article:
Following Wednesday's article, I wanted to throw out a cancer prevention method that most people neglect . . . flossing.
Gum disease linked with pancreatic cancer in study
"They found that men who had periodontal disease had a 63 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than men with healthy teeth and gums. Men who lost teeth within the past four years were especially likely to develop pancreatic cancer, they reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. . ."
"Most convincing was our finding that never-smokers (with gum disease) had a two-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer," said Dominique Michaud of the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study. . ."
"Nonetheless, this study is not proof, Michaud said.
"More research is needed both to confirm this finding in other populations and also to explore the role of inflammation in this particular cancer," she said. . ."
I do like it when the researchers admit that the study doesn't prove anything, just that there is some kind of relation.
I don't know about everyone else, but I am going to start carrying floss on me more often. I already started flossing more after hearing about it from Coach Dan John, and then Super Athlete / Dental Hygienist / Everyone's Favorite Exercise Model - Eva Twardokens wrote an article about it in the Performance Menu.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:09 AM | Comments (5)