June 15, 2010
Wednesday - June 16, 2010
The Rosten Clan does some rowing (not shown, third generation Rosten: Kai). We can only hope that Kai's photogenic skills are as good as Darren and Jarred's.
Workout: Front Squats
3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
For those of you who have been paying attention, we have been doing a lot of front squats over the last few weeks. Today is the day to go as heavy as you can. If you are intermediate/advanced, feel free to go for a 1 rep max, everyone else should stick to a 3 rep max.
Metabolic Conditioning Workout: Death by 10m going prone.
Start by laying chest down on the ground. The first minute stand up and sprint 10 meters. The second minute stand up and run 10m, lay down, then stand up and run 10m. The third minute stand up and run 10m and lay down three times. Continue until you are not able to complete the allotted number of 10m intervals with the lay downs before the minute is up. Your chest must be on the floor at the start of each minute.
Record total number of rounds completed, plus any additional 10 m sprints completed as part of a partial final round.
Log your results online by clicking here.
The month is half over, have you made your attempts at the "Challenge of the Month (ChOM)"? Remember that the winners not only get a prize, they also get to choose the music for the gym when they are in class! (so if you don't like the music, you'd better start practicing).
JJ's new favorite blog: The Healthy Skeptic
Chris Kresser's site is full of great general info, specific research, and videos. Thanks to Amy for letting me know about it! (She reads blogs faster than I take fish oil pills. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:33 PM | Comments (12)
May 25, 2010
Wednesday - May 26, 2010
Some of the DCF crew that turned out for the CrossFit Sweatshop partner workout on Saturday. Stavros and Shannon (bottom left) came in for a close second in the under 80 (combined age) class. Dean and Hylie (bottom right) got first place for the over 80 class!
Workout: Back Squats
3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
Metabolic Conditioning Workout: "Annie"
50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10
Abmat sit ups
Double Unders (Intermediate: count all attempts, Novice: only attempt half of the reps)
Record total time.
Log your results online by clicking here.
Article from the NYT: Sugars affect cholesterol in a bad way.
Gymnastics Seminar at CrossFit Marin, Sat. June 5th!
Go to either the Trainer's gymnastics seminar from 9:00am-12:00pm, or the Athlete's seminar from 12:30-3:00. Or go to both and learn the intricacies of these movements and get in more practice as well as guidance and practical application during the Athete's seminar.
Info for the Trainer's Seminar is here, and the Athlete's Seminar is here
The trainer's seminar is $75, and the athlete's seminar is $40. Attend both for $100. This price is only available until May 27th at which time the price for the trainer's seminar goes up to $90.
Send an email at roger@crossfitmarin.com or call (415) 200-7874 to register.
(Roger and Andre who run CF Marin are legit! If you have time, you should consider attending. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:37 AM | Comments (35)
May 14, 2010
Saturday - May, 2010
Big Dave visits Kerrianne Dickson winner of ladies NJ and NY sectional and owner of Bernardsville and Morristown CF's while back east.
Workout: Front Squats
3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
Metabolic Conditioning Workout:
Surprise Mini Metcon!
(Beyond the whiteboard will be updated later).
Log your results online by clicking here.
Article: More evidence that fats are good for you.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:36 PM | Comments (5)
March 31, 2010
Thursday - Apr 1, 2010
Stavros at sunrise before the Oceanside 70.3 Half Ironman.
Click 'Continue Reading' at the bottom of the post to see Stavros' Race report.
Workout: Overhead Squat
3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 (that is seven sets of 3)
Metabolic Conditioning Workout: "Death by 10 meters Going Prone"
Start by laying chest down on the ground. The first minute stand up and sprint 10 meters. The second minute stand up and run 10m, lay down, then stand up and run 10m. The third minute stand up and run 10m and lay down three times total. Continue until you are not able to complete the allotted number of 10m intervals with the lay downs before the minute is up. Your chest must be on the floor at the start of each minute.
Record total number of rounds completed, plus any additional 10 m sprints completed as part of a partial final round.
Log your results online by clicking here.
Article from Slate.com: The War on Fat is Making Us Sicker.
". . .The link between carbohydrates and heart disease is also supported by LDL particle data. In a 2008 study published in Nutrition Research, researchers reported that subjects who followed high-fat, low-carb diets for eight weeks experienced a 46 percent drop in blood concentrations of small LDL particles, while those who followed a high-carb, low-fat diet experienced a 36 percent spike in them. What's more, processed carbohydrates lower "good" HDL cholesterol, whereas saturated fat increases it. . ."
Click here for complete article.
(Thanks to Rodil for finding that one. His good cholesterol could beat is 'very' bad VLDL cholesterol in a softball match even if 3/4 of them didn't even show up. -jj)
Race Report From Stavros:
"On Saturday, March 27th, I competed in the Oceanside 70.3 which was my first Half-Ironman triathlon. I signed up for this race in October, and have been training with it in mind ever since. Unfortunately, I ended the 2009 race season on a sour note. A poor race at the Tri-For-Real in September left me wondering if this was the right sport for me. I quickly put that by the wayside and began focusing on Oceanside. I knew I had to work to do on the bike, and so my “off-season” was spent on the bike trainer, and junction rides on Mt. Diablo, needless to say there wasn't much of a break in training.
Race day came quickly, as they always do, but especially this one. I was lucky enough to sneak in a race a few weeks earlier at the Stanford Triathlon. This helped in a few ways, I was exposed to cold saltwater, wore a full wetsuit (versus a “farmers” suit that I normally wear), and I was able to have some success and build confidence coming into Oceanside. I travelled down to the race on Thursday with a couple good friends who were racing also. We settled in to the hotel, then a short run to the expo to register and pick up our packets. First thing I noticed was what a big operation this race was. Two huge areas devoted entirely to sponsors and gear. Not to mention the full-fledged bike shop in case you needed some repairs. We scanned through the booths, picked up a few last minute things, then headed back. Shortly after that was dinner, then bedtime. Friday seemed to move quite a bit faster than the day before. I barely remember what we did, besides about an hour ride, then an ocean swim later to get acclimated. I'm glad I went in the water, it wasn't near as cold as I thought. I'd be fine in my wetsuit and double-swim cap. Friday night dinner was AWESOME! We found a place called “Capozzoli's” in Oceanside. It was an excellent Italian restaurant. I had meatballs over broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms...yum! Now the battle begun, trying to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. We got back to the hotel by 6:30 or so, and I had to dial in my bike. I filled water bottles, laid out GU's, taped on an extra tire, CO2's, quick fill, etc, also got bib numbers applied, clothing ready and a final check on the bike. Quick side note, I planned on riding a Zipp 404 wheel in the rear, but found out via the Zipp rep at the expo that the wheel was not safe to ride. Luckily we had brought a disc wheel, so I had that on my bike for the race, there would be a lot of firsts on race day! Now it was time to attempt to sleep. Let's just say it didn't happen quickly, or easily. I'm guessing I slept from 11:30 until 3:30, at best. Besides that, I was in and out of sleep. Oh well, who the heck can sleep the night before a race!?
Race day morning went pretty well, we got to the racks at about 6:20, which was just about as late as we could have. Luckily we did some asking around the day before and found out the racks were all marked, so we had a spot whenever we showed up. Some of the other athletes weren't too happy I wedged my bike in there after theirs, but we worked it out. Set up transition area, trying to keep it simple. Shoes, glasses, helmet, hat, minimal clutter. I put some extra GU's out in case I needed to grab them for the run. The first heat went off at around 6:40, which still left over an hour for mine to leave (7:48). My age-group, 30-34M, was the LAST to go in this race, and my heat was the last of the race. For me, this was a good thing. I'd be passing a lot of people during the race, versus getting passed all the time. I knew this would help with the mental aspect during the race. My goals were simple for this race; 1st goal- FINISH, 2nd goal- stay within my limits on the swim and bike, go for it on the run, 3rd goal- sub 6 hours. Being my first Half-IM, I tried not to have too many expectations, and to be honest...I had NO idea what to expect! They called for my heat to line up, and this was it, race time.
The 1.2 mile swim started about 100m into the middle of the marina. I lined up with about 100 of my closest friends, and waited for the gun to go off. It was surreal at that point, so much going on, music, cheering, swimmers finishing and exiting next to us before we even start. I had looked at the swim course the day before, and that helped on visualizing what was ahead, but nothing is the same as the actual race. The gun went off, and I slowly proceeded. They stated the water temp was 59F, but it felt great to me. The buoys were about 100m apart, and I just concentrated on loosening up for the first few, then getting into a rhythm out to the turn around. The biggest problem I encountered was running into people and spotting the route back in. The sun was glaring and made it hard to see where to go. I ended up following the rocks and that helped. Ended up following some feet for the last 200m or so to the swim exit. So many volunteers helping us out of the water, it was amazing. Made my way up the dock, crossed the timing mat and looked at my watch, 36:54 total time for the 1.2 mile swim, avg 1:54/100m. Not blazing speed, but middle of the pack and best of all, I felt great.
T1 was very long, we had at least a 200m run from the swim exit to the transition area. The carpet path was crowded with people, so I ran on the left and passed quite a few. I think my bare feet paid the price though. Got to my bike with the top off my suit off, peeled off the rest pretty quickly. Threw on my bib number, sunglasses and helmet. I opted for socks, given the length and weather, then put on bike shoes. Now it was off to the LONG run to the bike start. My rack was literally the furthest from the start, this made for another long run, total time, 3:52.
The 56 mile bike was the most intimidating aspect going into this race. I've had, to put it lightly, numerous bike issues in the past few months as I've tried to nail down a TT bike, and get it fitted/working properly. The good news is it all came together within the past couple weeks. I hopped on my Kuota Kalibur and got moving. I quickly slowed things down and got my bearings. I was amped from the swim and transition still, and needed to remember, I'd be on this thing for nearly 3 hours. I found a gear I liked, then shifted one gear up, to speed up my cadence and continue to loosen up. I quickly started passing people, with felt great. I also was going back and forth with some fellow age-groupers, which meant I was right about where I should be. Mile 10 came quickly, I was feeling good. I had set my timer to go every 20 minutes to remind me to eat and hydrate. I also had some salt tabs to go along with the other stuff. Mile 20 and 25 felt good, bike was cruising along, I was staying in the TT position except to eat/hydrate. This was already a HUGE success for me, normally I'm fidgety and uncomfortable, not today though. Around this time, I was feeling on the end of my left aero bar, and noticed bare wire. I thought to myself , “not normal”. I did a bit more feeling around and figured out that my front derailleur cable had shredded up, and was inoperable. Two things passed through my mind, first, at least I'm stuck in big chain ring! Secondly, I'm grateful for this Mt. Diablo big-chainring sessions (thanks Jan!), I would only let this be a minor hiccup, and couldn't spend much time thinking about it. There was no way to solve it on the race course, so time to let it go. Quickly after that, we hit the first hill. It was STEEP! I got out of the saddle for a bit, but then decided too much energy would be wasted grinding this out in a 53t chain ring. Time to get off the bike and run up the hill. So, I did that, and got some strange looks. Got to the top of the hill, not to tired, hopped on, and headed down. Lots of rollers, some good TT position and speed. Two more good size hills, not as steep though, so I stayed on the bike but was grinding out of the saddle, no other option. At one point the wind kicked up fiercely, and I just laughed about being on a disc for the first time. Luckily I have 185lbs to keep me grounded on the bike, otherwise I might have floated away (seriously, the wind was bad). The final 10-15 miles went well, a nice downhill that had the disc sounding like a locomotive. We came back into Oceanside harbor, down the short steep hill into the bike end, and into the transition area. Another long line of people entering, but my rack was near the back, which was a good thing for this portion. I was feeling great at this point, a bit tired, no major cramping, and ready to keep going. Total time for the bike, 2:50, which put me just about 20 mph/avg for the ride. I was very happy with that time.
T2 went incredibly smooth, bike shoes off, running shoes on, helmet/glasses off, hat on, and I was out of there! No need for food, I had 2 stuffed in my Tri jersey. Total time, 1:35.
The 13.1 mile run was two loops near the beach in Oceanside. The course was actually fairly hilly, and all on concrete, which my feet weren't to happy about. I went out nice and easy at a 7:45 pace on the first mile. Right about 1.5 miles, everything changed, my whole body tightened up and both calfs and quads started cramping. Uh-oh, I had to stop right away. I started to panic a bit, but quickly just stretched out and got back running. I knew I'd loosen up if I kept going, and I did at about mile 3. I started feeling much better and looted every aid station I could find! Water, gatorade, a banana, an orange slices, and especially those sponges, everything they had helped. I got to the first turn around and legs felt okay, not great, but I was still on a decent pace. My goal for the run portion was to be within 10 minutes of my half-marathon time of 1:37, I knew it would be a challenge to do that today, but I was going to give it my all. I reached the halfway mark and was starting to feel very fatigued. Luckily at that point I started running with another guy in my AG who was at a similar pace. We chatted small talk while we could to distract each other from the pain. We had 10k left, and were going to run it together. He was a great guy from Calgary, Canada. I may have talked him into joining FoMo! Anyways, at the last turn around, we had roughly a 5k left, and we were both gassed but kept pushing each other forward. It felt great to cross the bridge near the finish, and head down the straight away. We literally crossed the line at the same time, it was a cool moment for sure! I Total time for the run was 1:47, which was a 8:10/mile pace.
Total time for the race, 5:19. This put me in the top 1/3 in my AG, and top 1/4 overall. I was blown away when I crossed the finish line. I had doubts that I would be able to finish the race, much less meet my goals. It was incredibly encouraging as always to see all the Forward Motion racers out there sporting their colors and flying through the course! A huge thank you to the FoMo race club and my gym, Diablo Crossfit, for the unparalleled training environment. I'm resting up, soaking it all in, and excited for whats next! I would highly recommend Oceanside 70.3 for your first IM experience, it was amazing start to finish! The drive home was long, but a double-double and a shake from In-N-Out made it go by much quicker!"
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:41 PM | Comments (12)
February 17, 2010
Thursday - Feb 18, 2010
Cabby has no problem with "Tower Balls" (14' wall balls).
Workout: For time.
21 - 15 - 9 repetitions
Plus penalty burpees*
Power Clean (Advanced: 155lb, Intermediate: 105lbs, Novice: 75lbs)
Chest to bar pull ups (Intermediate: do 12, 9 and 6 reps instead, Novice: use bands).
*For each rest in the set (dropping or letting go of the bar in the set of cleans, or dropping off the bar for pull ups for example) you have to do one penalty burpee at the end of the workout. There is no burpee penalty in between exercises or sets. (So make sure you 'rest smart'!)
Log your results online by clicking here.
Primal Nutrition Challenge Collected Articles.
In case you haven't been able to download it from the Primal Nutrition Challenge Google Group (check it out, a lot of people have been keeping good food logs). I have included it here. This is a collection of notes and tips for helping everyone succeed with their nutrition goals.
Primal Nutrition Challenge Collected Articles - PDF (right click, "save link as" is probably best)
Also - it is a REQUIREMENT to maintain a food log. If we do not see food logs from you at the end of the week, you forfeit your chance of winning. You do not have to update everyday if you do not want to, but we do need to see a full week of food logs each week.
Article: Building Fit Minds Under Stress
. . ."Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness," Jha said. "Working memory is an important feature of mind-fitness. Not only does it safeguard against distraction and emotional reactivity, but it also provides a mental workspace to ensure quick-and-considered decisions and action plans. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes." . . .
Click here for complete article.
Special Classes Today
Free Kettlebell Class with David Cohn at 11am.
Shopping for Primal/Paleo Foods with Mountain - Tonight at 6pm. Click here to sign up.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:18 PM | Comments (13)
January 29, 2010
Saturday - Jan 30, 2010
Adam attempts some weighted push ups.
Workout: Deadlifts
3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3
Metabolic Conditioning Workout:
Row 2000m or as far as possible in 8 minutes.
Record time for 2k, or total meters in 8 minutes
Log your results online by clicking here.
Article: Low Carb Diets More Effective at Lowering Blood Pressure than a Low Fat Diet with Weight Loss Drugs.
". . . Nearly half (47 percent) of patients in the low-carbohydrate group had their blood pressure medication decreased or discontinued while only 21 percent of the orlistat plus low-fat diet group experienced a reduction in medication use.
Systolic blood pressure dropped considerably in the low-carbohydrate group when compared to the orlistat plus low-fat diet group.
"I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies, but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat," . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Click here for an abstract of the study.
Now we know that High Carb. Low Fat diets lower total LDLs, but we also know that it is the smaller denser LDLs we have to worry about not just the total LDLs. We also know that a High Carb Low Fat Diet will increase the number of the "very bad" smaller denser LDLs while lowering that total LDL count. (read about all that here on Dr. Eades' site).
The other problem is that when they usually "measure" LDLs they are usually doing a "calculation" based upon a formula (it is expensive to test LDLs directly), and that this formula does not work when an individual's triglycerides are below 100 (very common in Low Carb diets).
The real question about the study above, is how they "measured" the LDLs, if they did it using the Friedewald method. I'd bet money that if they measured LDLs directly, not only would they have found that blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A improved (as shown on the study!), but the ratio of LDLs would have improved as well. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:35 PM | Comments (3)
November 9, 2009
Tuesday - Nov. 10, 2009 - "Fight Gone Bad"
Dante does bar muscle ups almost as easy as some people do pull ups!
Workout: "Fight Gone Bad!"
Three rounds of the following five stations - one minute per station. 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 men, 14lb women, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds men / 55lbs women (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds men / 55lbs women (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. The order of the exercises cannot be changed, but the athlete can start anywhere on the list they wish.
Remember to use a partner to judge form and count reps. Record reps for each round and total reps.
Specialty Clinic this Thursday at 7pm: Kettlebells
- Learn the basics of kettlebell handling
- Grip placement
- How not to bang your wrist on cleans and snatches
- The more effective swing
- 'Alternative' exercises you can do with a kb
Sign up in our Member Access area by clicking here!
Future Skills Clinics:
Thurs, Nov. 19 at 7pm: The Snatch
Thurs, Dec. 3 at 7pm: Rings
BONUS:
Monday, Nov 23 at 6pm: "How to eat Paleo/Primal Through the Holidays" (aka how not to gain the 'holiday 15').
Recipe worth trying: Baconnaise (mayonnaise made from bacon fat). (but skip the canola oil and go with olive or other nut oil. -jj)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:43 PM | Comments (25)
November 4, 2009
Thursday - Nov. 5, 2009
Craig and Julie duke it out. . . I am not sure over what, but it looks like Craig is winning.
Workout: Front Squats
5, 5, 5, 5 ,5
Record loads used each round.
Metabolic conditioning workout: "Fran light"
For time: 21-15-9
Thrusters (men: 45lbs, women: 33lbs)
Pull ups (sub 2x jumping pull ups if you can't do more than 15 kipping pull ups in a row).
Record total time.
Great video I found out about through Robb Wolf's blog (who in turn found out about it on Dr. Eades' blog. It is a long video, but much like the last one on sugar. It is a great video! Make sure to check out Dr Eades' blog for a great breakdown and his take on the video.
Watch the video in a larger format here.
Specialty Clinic Tonight at 7pm: Double Unders
There is still space left to learn how to master double unders, but this class may fill up.
Sign up now by clicking here!
Don't forget that Roger Harrell from CrossFit Marin is having a series of Gymnastics workshops on this Saturday - Including one geared toward trainers, one geared toward intermediate athletes, and one for beginners. Reserve your spot on their site, and post to comments if you plan on going (maybe you can carpool with other DCFers!)
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 9:03 PM | Comments (20)
October 27, 2009
091028 Wednesday "Max Effort Test Day"
"100 mile Suzie" and "Rooney" hammering out some reps on the boxes during the Combat Conditioning class.
Workout: After a liberal warm up, perform as many of the following tests as desired -
400m run
500m row
Max push ups in a minute
Max sit ups in a minute (abmat, feet anchored if desired)
Tabata Squats
Max consecutive pull ups
Max weight from the floor to overhead
200m farmer carry (October Challenge)
Use a partner to count reps and keep time. DO NOT TRY AND DO ALL IN ONE DAY. Try to complete at least 2 - 3 within the hour.
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Specialty Skills Clinic: Rowing - Thursday Evening!
October 29th at 7:00 - 8:00 PM at The Shed
Proper rowing technique can improve your efficiency on the C2 Rower and dramatically reduce your rowing times. At this skills clinic, we'll show you:
> The proper position for "the catch"
> Correct back angle for the pull
> "Fast hands"
> How to read the C2 Monitor for improved performance
> How to manage Stroke Per Minute pacing
> Drills and tips for improving your stroke and speed
If you've already purchased your Skills Clinic Series, you can reserve your space here.
If you haven't purchased your Skills Clinic Series, just click here.
Space is limited to the number of C2 Rowers (8).
Future Skills Clinics:
Nov. 5: Double Unders
Nov. 12: Kettle Bells
Nov. 19: The Snatch
Dec. 3: Rings
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Article from Timothy Ferris: Gout - The missing chapter from the book 'Good Calories, Bad Calories'
". . .Moreover, the prevalence of gout seems to have doubled over the last quarter century, coincident (perhaps not coincidentally) with the reported increase in obesity, and it may have increased five- or even six-fold since the 1950s, although a large portion of that increase may be due to the aging of the population.(2) . . .
. . .This is another potentially harmful effect of fructose that post-dates the official reports exonerating sugar in the diet. And it is yet another mechanism by which sugar and high fructose corn syrup could be a particularly unhealthy combination. The glucose in these sugars would raise insulin levels, which in turn would raise blood pressure by inhibiting the kidney’s secretion of sodium and by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, as we discussed in an earlier chapter, and the fructose would do it independently by raising uric acid levels and so damaging the kidney directly. If this were the case, which has never been tested, it would potentially explain the common association of gout and hypertension and even of diabetes and hypertension. . . "
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:59 PM | Comments (25)
September 21, 2009
090922 Tuesday
Amy comes down hard off the obstacle and looses at least one balloon. Mountain is hot on her heels.
Workout: Five rounds for time of:
95 pound Hang Power Snatch, 15 reps,
Run 400 meters.
Scaling: Scale down the weight (65lbs for women), or even better, scale down the reps. Go heavier and only do 10 reps (or even 8).
Record total time.
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Article: Supplementation of DHA (like fish oil) boosts cognitive development in infants.
. . . "However, our results clearly suggest that feeding infants formula supplemented with high concentrations of DHA provides beneficial effects on cognitive development. Furthermore, because infants who display superior performance on the means-end problem-solving task tend to have superior IQ and vocabulary later in childhood, it's possible that the beneficial effects of DHA extend well beyond infancy." . . .
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:36 PM | Comments (29)
September 17, 2009
090918 Friday "Game Day"
+++Softball Tonight in Danville. Don't miss this epic battle between DCF and Diablo CrossFit!+++
Meg R doing Box Jumps while 3(?) months pregnant! Congratulations Darren and Meg (aka "Strong Mommy Meg")!
What might Meg be doing incorrectly in this photo? (trainers keep it to yourselves)
Olympic Weightlifting Warm Up: Snatch Balance 3 sets of 10. Stay light, go deep. Add weight if you can handle the load with good form.
Workout:As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.
Run 400m
20 Virtual Shoveling Reps* (men use empty bar plus 45lbs on one side, women use empty bar plus 25lbs on one side).
Record total rounds.
*A virtual shoveling rep is moving the bumper plate on the one end of the olympic bar over a parallette and back to the starting position. Switch sides (which hand is in front) as often as you'd like.
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Article: "7 Reasons to Eat More Fat" from Timothy Ferris (Dr. Eades x 2 actually)
Some of the highlights:
- Lower abdominal fat.
- Improved Cardiovascular Health
- Research has shown that when women diet, those eating the greatest percentage of the total fat in their diets as saturated fat lose the most weight.
- Stronger bones (Saturated fat is required for calcium to be effectively incorporated into bone).
- Adding saturated fat to the diet has been shown in medical research to encourage the liver cells to dump their fat content.
- Improved lung function (and lower asthma problems)
- Stronger immune system.
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:07 PM | Comments (44)
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 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 16, 2009
090817 MONDAY
Nick and Paula visit CrossFit Las Vegas for a workout.
Workout: Thruster
5, 5, 5, 5. 5
Record Loads used.
Conditioning Workout:
Surprise workout that will probably include: box jumps, clapping push ups (on knees if you have to), knees to elbows, and double unders.
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Article: "No evidence that consumption of dairy or animal products increases breast cancer risk"
". . . "These studies highlight two very important points," said American Society for Nutrition Spokesperson Shelley McGuire, PhD. "First we all need to remember that there are really no such things as 'bad' foods. Second, observational studies that show associations between diet and health need to be considered with a proverbial grain of salt. These studies clearly provide additional and strong evidence that consumption of meat and dairy products by women does not, by itself, increase breast cancer risk. Further, moderate and mindful consumption of these foods can be very important in attaining optimal nutrition for most women who often do not consume sufficient iron and calcium." . . ."
Click here for complete article.
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We still have tickets for the Pure Pankration fights this Thursday night! (8pm in San Francisco) Email jeremy@diablocrossfit.com if you are interested in going.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:10 PM | Comments (12)
August 13, 2009
090814 FRIDAY
Shelby Tancredi (age 9?) Robert and Carrie's daughter rowed 4000meters for a $1 one night at the gym while her parents worked out. She rowed for almost 30 minutes while her parents were in class. She wanted to do something, so Craig put her on the rower thinking she'd last a minute or two - (Like Craig!) He gave her a couple pointers and she was off, with awesome form. Mark walked over 15 minutes later and she was at 2000m - so he offered her a $1 to get to 4000m. She ended up with blisters on her heels because she had no socks. She also didn't want to stop at 4k.
The Tancredi's moved here from Sacramento - they lived in a tough neighborhood and Shelby stayed indoors all the time. Her weight ballooned to over 100 pounds and was considered obese by her doctor. They moved to WC and she started going outdoors - losing 20lbs in 3 months. She probably lost 5 more during that row!
Workout: As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
25 Wall ball (men 20lb/10ft, women 14lb/10 ft)
25m Weighted lunges (men 25lbs in each hand, women 15lbs in each hand) Use Dumbbells or bumper plates.
Row 250m
Rest 1 minute
Post number of rounds completed (if you get to the end of the row by the end of the time, count it as a full round).
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Video from Jon Gilson at Again Faster: Wall Balls
Wall Ball Shots from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
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Article: Fatty foods affect memory and exercise
". . . Then half the rats were switched to high-fat rat chow (comprised of 55 percent fat), while the remaining rats stayed on their regular chow (which had 7.5 percent fat). After four days, the rats eating the fatty chow began to falter on the maze test — all of them did worse than when they were on their regular chow. On average, the rats on the fatty diet found only five treats before making a mistake. The rats who stayed with their regular food continued the same high level of performance on the maze, finding six or more treats before making a mistake.
Half of the rats had also been trained to run on a treadmill. After only a few days on the high-fat diet, the rats performed 30 percent worse on the treadmill. After five days of testing, the treadmill performance of the rats eating fatty foods had declined by half. . ."
Click here for complete article.
The problem with headlines and studies like this is that people jump to conclusions! Here is some of the fine print. . . The information on the rat food:
"Low-fat rat chow (a standard formula for lab rats)
7.5% fat, 17.5% protein, 75% carb
The fatty acid composition was 19% saturated fatty acids, 18% monounsaturated fatty acids, 62% polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 6% omega-3.
The high-fat rat chow
55% fat, 29% protein, 16% carb
The fatty acid composition was 27% saturated fatty acid, 48% monounsaturated fatty acid and 25% polyunsaturated fatty acid."
Zero omega-3s and not even close to enough carbohydrates to support endurance efforts (the only efforts they tested). This is less "high fat diet" and more "complete crap diet". This also doesn't take into account the human body's ability to shift to a "fat burning" mode versus a carbohydrate based energy system.
Bottom line, we know that in order to excel in health and fitness you must eat copious amounts of fat (the healthier the better) while still eating enough carbohydrates and protein. The performance numbers don't lie (no matter how the rats feel). -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 5:12 PM | Comments (19)
August 7, 2009
090808 SATURDAY "Filthy Fifty"
+++Kickball Tournament Today!+++
+++"Fran for Cash" Today!+++
+++UFC Fight Night at the Gym Tonight at 7pm!+++
Hector knows how to get to full extension with his shoulders (and so should you)!
Workout:
For time:
50 Box jumps 24 (inch box),
50 Jumping pull-ups,
50 Kettlebell swings (1 pood, 35lbs),
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 and Beyond the Whiteboard.
BEGINNERS - if you have never done this workout before you are required to do the "Dirty Thirty" first (30 repetitions of every exercise). Once you have completed the 30 rep version, you can then complete the full version at a later date.
Modifying for a large class - For this workout to be considered "Rx'ed" it must be completed in order, but the next best thing is to do all the movements in the order at which equipment becomes available up to the last two (burpees and D.U.s). Those must be completed last.
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Website - Our own Judy Phillips has created a great resource for locals looking for smarter food choices:
Weston A. Price East Bay Area: http://wapfeastbay.ning.com/
"Welcome to the Tri-Valley Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which encompasses Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore and beyond. We are a non-profit organization connecting like-minded individuals to farmers and other sources dedicated to supplying nutrient-dense foods for our tables by educating, learning and community activism. Our goal is to provide you with accurate nutrition instruction, support a number of movements that contribute to this objective including organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, and prepared and nurturing therapies. As the Tri-Valley Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, we promote the work of the Foundation at the local level. . ."
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 3:26 PM | Comments (25)
July 15, 2009
090716 THURSDAY "Goodbye Prashant and Shilpa!"
Shilpa (and Prashant practicing bar levitation in the background) will be leaving us. Today is their last day!
Olympic weightlifting warm up: 30 medicine ball cleans. Take your time (use a few sets if needed) and really practice dropping quickly.
Workout (We came up with this workout for them):
2 rounds of:
10 Pull ups
20 lunges (alternating R, L for 10 each leg)
1 Rope climb
30 Double unders
Rest 1 minute
2 rounds of:
10 Pull ups
20 lunges
1 Rope climb
30 Double unders
Rest 1 minute
2 rounds of:
10 Pull ups
20 lunges
1 Rope climb
30 Double unders
Post total time to comments (include minute rests).
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Article: Chef Alan from Chevy's tells us how to eat Paleo at Chevy's:
(Here is a video of Alan talking about the fresh foods and dishes at Chevy's. For what it's worth, Alan is also over 20lbs lighter than when this video was made because of of his Paleo food choices - Nice Job Alan!)
Now on to the Paleo Stuff, From Alan:
"Ok, so for eating at Chevys paleo, I'll start by telling you what I eat religiously. Almost every day I eat at lunch at Chevys and I cross between three main items. . .
(click continue reading below for complete article.)
Fajita Salad, it's tossed table side, you get a choice of chicken, steak, carnitas, or shrimp. I usually go with anything but carnitas and usually double the protein. Must be ordered without cheese (jack and cotija), and no tortilla strips. It comes with 3oz chipotle apple vinaigrette and that is made with olive/canola oil blend or you can go with fat free salsa vinaigrette (salsa, vinegar, honey)
Santa Fe Chopped salad with salsa vinaigrette, must be ordered with no blue cheese, no bacon and no roasted corn salsa. So, basically you are getting romaine, avocado, chicken and roasted peppers. Pretty good actually. I usually order extra chicken and avo.
Fajitas.....any type, chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon, or carnitas. Always order...no beans, no rice, no tortillas, no sour cream (ask for extra pico and guac, it's free), NO CORN STUFF (tamalito), everyone loves it but it is Baaaad for you, shortening, butter, margarine, whole milk, sugar, corn, corn meal, flour. All the enemy.
We also have a vegetable medley that we serve as a veg fajita. green beans, broccoli, roasted garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, red bell peppers and carrots. Ok, so pick out the carrots and order this as a side veg and say "no butter please".
I always order, every day, a side of guacamole no cotija cheese on top please, and tortilla soup, no tortilla strips, cheese, or corn salsa.
NEVER chips but always salsa.
If you know Paleo and aren't afraid to bug your server with a ton of questions, we have found it really easy to eat Paleo out at our favorite places. I know I have an advantage being a chef, but with a few basic cooking principle "know hows" like steaming and grilling (and knowing that most kitchens are happy to create items using menu products) you can eat anywhere."
-Alan Skversky
Thanks a bunch for that input Alan! I know that the coaches at DCF order Chevy's take out all the time. Now maybe we can start a new trend with many other 'paleo diners' out there. And I leave you with Nick repping the "horns" at the Chevy's in Gilroy at the 2009 CrossFit Games. -jj
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 6:45 PM | Comments (34)
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 18, 2009
090619 FRIDAY
15 people doing "Cindy". No problem.
Workout:
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Handstand push-ups 5 reps (full ROM shoulders to hands on Parallettes)
Bench press 135 pounds, 10 reps (sub incline push ups on Parallettes)
Push press 95/65 pounds, 15 reps
Dips 20 reps
Post number of rounds completed to comments.
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Article: From Mark's Daily Apple.
Yet another Primal Primer: Animal Fats
"Animal fats have recently been implicated as the cause of heart disease, obesity and, in a roundabout convoluted stretch of logic, global warming. If you let health officials tell it, they’re pure evil. Reviled, shunned, and lambasted by the general public (thanks to less-then-sterling endorsements by health officials), animal fats have really gotten a bad rap.
It wasn’t always this way.
No, for hundreds of thousands of years, animal fats played a huge role in the human diet – whether it was Grok going straight for the fatty organs and tossing the lean muscle meat to the dogs, Prometheus making a meager sacrifice to the gods more appealing by draping it in swathes of fat, or Mom cooking with real butter instead of margarine. But you already knew that. I don’t have to sell you guys on the beauty of animal fat . . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:29 PM | Comments (20)
June 13, 2009
090614 SUNDAY "Congratuation Laci and Andrew" and "Nasty Girls"
Congratulations to Andrew and Laci for graduating on Saturday. And DOUBLE Congrats to Laci because today is her BIRTHDAY!
Workout: "Nasty Girls" (yes "again" we are committed to doing the CrossFit.com workouts for at least a week. And yes, we still expect an improvement from last week).
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. Then compare your results to CrossFit.com or Beyond the Whiteboard.
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Article:
Even moderately restricted carbohydrate diets keep people feel full longer.
". . . In a standard American diet, according to Gower, 55 percent of daily calories consumed come from carbohydrates: sugars, starches and fiber. The control diet used in their study contained 55 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, in contrast to their "moderate-carb diet" which was 43 percent of calories from carbohydrates. The moderate-carb diet had more fat than their control diet—39 percent versus 27 percent of calories—so that protein intake could be the same percentage. The researchers matched the protein intake of both diets studied (18 percent of calories) because protein may influence both satiety ("fullness") and insulin secretion. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 8:16 PM | Comments (12)
June 3, 2009
090603 WEDNESDAY
Jesse will be leaving us eventually, he just got his Navy Commission! Congratulations Jesse!
Workout:
5 rounds for time.
10 Deadlifts (225 men, 185 women, or whatever weight can be lifted safely).
Run 400m
Post time to comments.
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Article:
Nutrition and health of agriculturists vs hunter gatherers.
". . .The anthropological record of early man clearly shows health took a nosedive when populations made the switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture. It takes a physical anthropologist about two seconds to look at a skeleton unearthed from an archeological site to tell if the owner of that skeleton was a hunter-gatherer or an agriculturist.
Unlike the Egyptian mummy data, there is usually no soft tissue material left when remains of early man are found. But the skeletal remains of hunter-gatherers show them to be much healthier than agriculturalists. Hunter-gatherers had better bones, had no signs of iron-deficiency anemia, no signs of infection, few (if any) dental cavities, fewer signs of arthritis and were in general larger and more robust than their agriculture-following contemporaries. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 12:31 AM | Comments (39)
June 1, 2009
090602 TUESDAY "Filthy Fifty"
Julie D will be another one of the ladies on DCF's Affiliate Cup Team.
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:
Omega Fatty Acid Balance Can Alter Immunity And Gene Expression
". . .Anthropological evidence suggests that human ancestors maintained a 2:1 w6/w3 ratio for much of history, but in Western countries today the ratio has spiked to as high as 10:1. Since these omega fatty acids can be converted into inflammatory molecules, this dietary change is believed to also disrupt the proper balance of pro- and anti- inflammatory agents, resulting in increased systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of problems including asthma, allergies, diabetes, and arthritis.
Floyd Chilton and colleagues wanted to examine whether theses fatty acids might have other effects, and developed a dietary intervention strategy in which 27 healthy humans were fed a controlled diet mimicking the w6/w3 ratios of early humans over 5 weeks. They then looked at the gene levels of immune signals and cytokines (protein immune messengers), that impact autoimmunity and allergy in blood cells and found that many key signaling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signaling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Our very own Alex Rollin has been doing well playing for the Gary Southshore "Railcats"
It looks like he is currently ranked third in the Northern league! (click here to see his stats)
Great job Alex! We can't wait to have you back.
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 10:58 PM | Comments (35)
May 12, 2009
090513 WEDNESDAY
"Super" Bryan and "Super" Shannon will be leaving us to move to Colorado soon. Make sure you say goodbye. (click here if you want details about their going away party this Saturday).
Workout:
Front Squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Post loads to comments.
Bonus mini-metcon to follow.
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Article:
Eating fish, nuts and olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of age-related blindness.
". . .After adjusting for age, sex and smoking, eating one serving of fish per week was associated with a 31 percent lower risk of developing early AMD. The association was stronger among individuals with a lower intake of linoleic acid, an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in vegetable oils. Eating one to two servings of nuts per week was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of early AMD.
"In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that increased intake of omega-three polyunsaturated fatty acids and regular consumption of fish and/or nuts in the diet may protect against the development of early AMD," the authors write. These fatty acids may protect the eyes by preventing the buildup of plaque in the arteries or reducing inflammation, blood vessel formation and oxygen-related cell damage in the retina. . ."
Click here for complete article.
Post thoughts to comments (if you can see the keyboard. -jj).
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 11:58 PM | Comments (24)
May 3, 2009
090504 MONDAY "Darren Takes Second Place at the Regionals!"
Darren clearing the last turn of the 3rd workout. (You can see Jorgy cheering in the background).
Find Julie D checking Darren's pull ups in this one.
Congratulations to D-Roe for taking second place at the NorCal Qualifiers!
Workout:
Back Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Post loads to comments.
Bonus mini metcon to follow.
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Article:
Dietary fat triggers long term memory formation
"UC Irvine researchers have found that eating fat-rich foods triggers the formation of long-term memories of that activity. The study adds to their recent work linking dietary fats to appetite control and may herald new approaches for treating obesity and other eating disorders. . ."
Click here for complete article.
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Gymnastics and Parkour Seminar this weekend. Don't forget to sign up with jeremy@diablocrossfit.com to reserve a spot!
Posted by Jeremy Jones at 7:39 PM | Comments (34)
