Day One of "Paleo My Way"

 

Welcome to our new nutrition endeavor. We say “our” because we want you to make permanent changes that will improve the quality of your life. We want you to be involved by sharing what you learn & by designing a program that will work for you & your personal circumstances.

We all know the basics of the Paleo/ Ketogenic style diet so we won’t go into too many details. If you have questions feel free to borrow one of the books in the Gym’s library or ask one of the coaches.

Here are the rules of the challenge:

-30 day Paleo Challenge. It starts April 1st, 2012 thru April 30th, 2012.

-Participants must blog daily. We don’t need details. Limit your comments to whether you met the rules you’ve set, your wod for the day & any changes you have noticed.

-Before the end of the challenge we want you to list a recipe you have enjoyed. No repeats so go ahead & experiment.

-You must participate in at least 14 wods at the gym during the month. No exceptions unless due to travel.

-Your introductory blog should outline what you are giving up along with two “sanity items”. This is your chance to tailor the program to your needs. It also puts the responsibility for the success on your shoulders. Take some time to figure out what you can’t or don’t want to live without for a month. Sanity items are what you feel will make the diet manageable. Choose wisely grasshopper. Sanity items CAN NOT be gluten products, high fructose corn syrup or Franken-foods. Also moderation is the key. In other words: A piece of chocolate a day it’s ok. A Snickers bar every night, not ok. Most condiments are now available without HFCS.

-Fish Oil and plenty of water are suggested. You choose when & how much.

-1 Cheat meal a week.

-Set up a goal & make it public. Ask yourself: What do I want to achieve with this effort? Be assertive & specific. You will know better than anyone else if it is really making a difference on your health, performance & appearance.

One of the Mid Atlantic's Finest

CrossFit Forward wants to give a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Kent Ingalls. Kent placed 30th in the Mid Atlantic Region (328 Worldwide) during the CrossFit Games Open. For anyone who doesn't know Kent, he is the definition of dedication and hard work. Last year after the CrossFit Games Open he made a decision that he was going to train hard, eat clean and do whatever it takes to get to the next level.

Kent kept his eyes on the prize and a year later he has done exactly that. In January Kent took 4th place at the Charlottesville SuperFit Games against some of the DMV's top athletes. (DMV=D.C., Maryland, Virginia area). Over the next few weeks he didn't let up at all. He kept his training in high gear in preparation for the CrossFit Games 2012 Open and his efforts were not in vain. 

Over 5 weeks, 5 unknown WODs were posted and completed by thousands of athletes worldwide. The leader boards were shaken up from week to week and the cream inevitably rose to the top. Kent earned a spot among the worlds fittest CrossFit athletes and it is going to be AMAZING to cheer him on. 60 men and 60 women from each region will fight it out from April 27-May 27th to earn a coveted spot at the CrossFit Games. 

The Mid Atlantic Regionals are going to be held May 4th - 6th at Prince George's County Field House in 

Landover, Maryland. It is only about 1 1/2 hours from Fredericksburg. Tickets can be purchased through the CrossFit Games  website. It is $25 for a 3 day pass or $10 for each individual day. This is a HUGE accomplishment and Kent and CrossFit Forward would greatly appreciate your support. Many of us are making a weekend trip out of it and getting hotel accommodations. Let Coach Lindsay know if you are interested in getting a room and she can give you the details. 

Once again we want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Kent! You are an amazing athlete, coach, owner and friend. We are all so lucky to have you in our life. You're an inspiration. You have EARNED this and should be extremely proud of yourself. Now go out there and DO WORK! 

Buck Furpees

The CrossFit Games Open WOD 12.1 took the CrossFit community by storm. Here are a few of my favorite images I saw during week 1...

The Bronze Medal goes to

The Most Interesting Man in the World takes home the silver

And the Gold Medal goes to Ryan Gosling 

7 minutes in Heaven my @$$

The CrossFit Games Open has officially kicked off and we have all put 12.1 behind us...THANK GOD! On Wednesday night we were all waiting anxiously for the first WOD to be announced. Repeatedly hitting refresh on the CrossFit Games site. At about 8:07 pm when the first WOD was announced I think it caught the CrossFit community completely off guard.

7 minute AMRAP...BURPEES

Yeah you read that right, 7 straight minutes of one of CrossFits most punishing movements. We may have been caught off guard but athletes across the world came together and did over 2 million burpees. That's the thing about CrossFitters, no matter how daunting the task we find a way to conquer it.

Over the weekend our very own CrossFit Forward and Rare CrossFit came together to complete WOD 1. Saturday morning bright and early we all crawled out of our nice warm beds, threw on some sneakers and headed out the door for a morning of glorious punishment. Adam and Lee were gracious enough to host Burpee Fest at their box. Although the task at hand was less than glamorous it was AMAZING to see all the Forward and Rare athletes together in one building. It was so great to workout together and cheer each other on.

I can't speak highly enough about the crew at Rare CrossFit. Every time we see them at events or elsewhere they treat us like family. We are so excited to be participating in the Open with them. It is going to be a FUN few weeks. Bring on 12.2!

This pic was taken at the very end. We had a FULL HOUSE! This was only about half of the people that showed up!

THE MAGIC HORMONE

Got this from Again Faster.  Here's the link and the article.

https://www.againfaster.com/en/blog/2012/01/02/bro-ing-out-magic-hormone/

Come on, admit it! The real reason you train is so you can get babes, lift heavy shit and one-up your counterparts. It’s in our DNA people, whether you like it or not. And if you have lost those desires, I'm willing to put it out there that your testosterone levels are kinda low. So put down the soy, take those Crocs off, and hear my call!

Testosterone elicits decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, a higher libido, better athletic performance and vigor for life--what broseph wouldn’t jump at that? Testosterone is the fountain of youth, the magic hormone we produce naturally that is the fuel for our muscle growth.

If we are training for a positive physiological adaptations, we need to be thinking about testosterone. So how can we maximize this? What types of activities and lifestyle habits both in and out of the gym can contribute to our NATURAL production of testosterone? I have compiled a list of the top tips to get the most out of your most important hormone:

LIFT HEAVY SHIZ

If your eyeballs are popping out, if your veins are trying to explode, if you feel as though you are going to either pass out or poop yourself after a lift, you are probably eliciting the magic hormone. Deadlifting and heavy squatting should be your staple when it come to training for testosterone production. These movements recruit a tremendous amount of musculature, both upper and lower body. When it comes down to creating that stimulus to elicit that neuroendocrine hormonal response from our training, you are not going to do better than these two movements. 1-20 reps, mix it up! Mess with the different energy pathways and time domains, as long as you feel like you're going to pop on that last rep. Keep the rest short and get back on the bar!

GET YO SLEEP

I LOVE SLEEP! I wish I could sleep 14 hour a day--but then I would be back in college. Sleep is fun and exciting, it reminds me of Christmas...I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring: PR’s, new toys? Who knows! I like to make sleep a ritual. I get into my jammies, brush my teeth and write down all the things I want to do in the next day. But sleep in also very important for your performance. Your testosterone levels can be decreased by up to 40% by a poor night's sleep. Tips to improve your quality of sleep
include:

-Keeping the room cool. A good sleeping environment should be neither too hot or cold. Go for optimum temperature for the best night's sleep.

-Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other chemicals that interfere with sleep patterns.

-Don’t stare at the clock. The more you think you need to get to sleep, the harder it will be.

-Take supplements that induce sleep — such as ZMA and Melatonin.

GET YOUR FATS

I lika da bacon. I thinka da bacon tasta gooood! Fats are not only tasty, but very anabolic. They give you a sense of satisfaction. Essential Fats are extremely important in testosterone production. Good sources for essential fats are nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts and nut butter as well as fish/cod liver oil. Fats are the most important macronutrient in increasing testosterone levels and good levels of fats are essential in promotion of testosterone levels.

Then there are the not so essential fats that I really love ending in acon, utter and ausage. While these are not the most favorable, I find them the most tasty!

HAVE LOTS OF SEX

Bow chicka wow wow! I don’t for sure know the meaning of life but I’m pretty sure sex is a major part of it. Sex plays an important role in testosterone, after all, testosterone is the primary sex hormone in males. It’s important to have intercourse at least once a week to keep a healthy level of testosterone and to keep your testosterone levels functioning properly.

It’s believed that a lack of sex can increase testosterone such as boxers do before a big fight. The effectiveness of that is yet to be proven--it’s more of a mental state of mind rather than playing any actually key function. Do it early...do it often...keep the Ms. happy!

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

Remember the good ole days when you could pick up a jump rope and playfully skip in the schoolyard. Or you and your friends taking turns swinging those long ropes for some double dutch. You didn't over think it. You didn't worry about perfect technique. You were relaxed. You enjoyed it. It was like second nature.

Now you have joined this cult and we are telling you to take this plastic torture device, swing it as quickly as possible and get the rope to pass under your feet 2 times for every 1 jump. Oh and by the way it is going to make you feel like someone kicked the wind out of you, it's possibly going to lash you to death, and one more thing....we are going to time you. 

Why in the hell would anyone want to put themselves through this? This can not be healthy?  It can't be that much more beneficial than single jumps?

To the contrary, there are TONS of benefits to adding double unders into your training program. There are few movements that can tax both of your energy systems fully (anaerobic and aerobic) while improving your nervous system at the same time. 

In theory it seems simple. "I can jump rope.  Really all I have to do it just spin the rope faster, right?" Unfortunately this is easier said than done. It requires alot of movement, timing, coordination and balance.  So this means that the best way to get better at double unders is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! 

Here are a few helpful tips and tricks to help you along this jump roping journey. 

1. Find a rope that works for you. A thin plastic rope that will spin quickly is ideal. You can get these types of ropes at a number of places but I recommend www.AgainFaster.com. This is where I got my rope and I love it. They are about $13. Very reasonably priced.
2. Make sure that your rope fits you. This is why I recommend getting your own rope. You can customize it to a length that will set you up for success.  When you step into the middle of the rope, the handles should come up to your armpits. Some prefer a little longer or a little shorter but straying too far from this will hinder your ability to be efficient. Also using the same rope all the time will give you a sense of consistency and ultimately help you become better.
3. Keep your weight on your toes. Yes, you heard me right. In CrossFit we put such a focus on weight in the heels but for this particular movement I WANT YOU ON YOUR TOES!!! Landing too hard or jumping flat footed is definitely going to hold you back.
4. Keep your head up. When you are looking down you begin to lean forward and this throws your entire body off balance. You want to remain in a stacked upright position at all times while jumping. 
5. Smaller jumps are best! This will eliminate unnecessary body movement and help you maintain balance. The key is to jump higher by springing off the balls of the feet. Don't lift the knees. Don't kick your feet back. Don't pike your feet forward. Although you may be able to perform some reps, these extra body movements will tire you quicker and certainly limit you in stringing multiples together. 
6. Turn the rope with your wrists. Use small fast turing motion. You are able to spin the rope much faster this way. Bigger circles using your arms will cause you to miss the jump more often than not. 
7. RELAX!! The worst thing you can do is become frustrated and tense up. I can promise you (because I have done it) that the moment you lose your head and become frustrated it's over. You will definitely not be able to do double unders with any sort of efficiency. 

By following these steps you will improve your ability to do double unders. However ultimately the responsibility is on you. Your coach or trainer can talk and teach until the grass fed cows come home but you have to be determined and continue to practice them all the time. You can do double unders everyday in some capacity without affecting your training program. So get out there and get to jumpin! 

Top Eleven Things You Need To Do To Get the Results You Want At The Gym

11) Stop trying to look like someone else. You will not override genetics without surgery.


10) Drink lots of water.


9) Show up to the gym at least four times a week.


8) Stop trying to out train your diet. You can’t.


7) Eat like a predator. Despite what you may have heard Lions don’t suffer from gout, Wolfs don’t need cholesterol meds & not often will you see an eagle on the ground recovering from a heart attack.


6) If you have to ask your coach: “should I go heavier today?” you already know the answer.


5) If you have significant weight or fat to loose stick to your diet RELIGIOUSLY for at least 3 weeks. It’s going to suck, deal with it. If you choose to cheat yourself at the very least own it. The quality of your diet is evident in your progress. Don’t waste your time lying.

4) Don’t try to tailor the program to what you think will work for you. If you had it figured out you probably would not be reading this. There is a lot of thought being put into every work out & every training cycle. I am sure you can find plenty of contradicting information on line regarding what you are told to do. If you sincerely agree with whatever it is some nameless, faceless individual posted on line you should seriously consider training with them instead.


3) Milk is for babies & calves. Unless you are either stick to meat & vegetables.


2) Consistency beats skill & talent every day of the week. This applies the same to what you eat, how much rest you get & how you train.


1) Strength will make you faster but speed won’t make you stronger.