You are hereApril 2010
April 2010
Goodbye, March PR Board
Another month, another slew of PRs
Now that March has passed, the PR board has been wiped clean, ready for a new month of PRs. It didn't stay empty for long, however, as many of you PR'd in Grace today.
Here's to another month of PRs!
Corrective Exercises for Your Trapezius
You may or may not recall that I showed you some stretches for the traps last week. I am sorry to inform you that stretching will not necessarily fix your neck and shoulder problems. If you have a recurring pain in this area, it is likely that you have some kind of strength imbalance in the muscles that stabilize the shoulder girdle.
If the upper part of your trapezius is not as strong as the lower, your shoulder blades will flare as you press weight overhead. This means that the other stabilizing muscles are required to work harder to complete the lift. Over time, these muscles will tighten and eventually cause postural distortion and pain.
These exercises are meant to be done before you work out, sometime during your warm up. They should be done slowly, with attention focused on innervating the upper back muscles. Do each exercise 10 times, working up to two sets.
Prone Plank--Sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight in front of you. Place your hands next to your hips with your fingers pointed towards your feet. Firmly press your hands into the ground as you lift your hips from the floor. Bring your hips up so that your body is straight from your shoulders to your feet. You may walk your feet out a bit. Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. This exercise strengthens all of the posterior muscles while it stretches the pectoral muscles.
Expansion of Olympic Lifting Program
Jo Ann at the bottom of a snatch
Starting next week, there will be a couple of changes to the CFO Olympic lifting program.
The first one is that Jo Ann Arnold (who many of you already know) will be taking the reins from Angela, who after a couple of years of coaching fellow CFOers, will be transitioning to CF One World exclusively, due to work commitments down in the South Bay. We will miss Angela, but she'll most likely be dropping in from time to time to fill in for Jo Ann as needed.
The second change is that we'll be adding an additional Olympic lifting session during the week, and that will be Wednesday at 7:00pm.
So the new Olympic lifting schedule is as follows:
Wednesdays 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Sundays 1:30pm to 3:30pm
These sessions are offered on a drop-in basis; the cost is $20/session.
You Are What You Absorb
Most of us have heard the saying, "you are what you eat," but this statement is not entirely accurate. I recently read that the average person will consume 50 tons of food in their lifetime. That's a lot of food and a lot of $$$! In my opinion, there's no point in spending money on high-quality food and pricey supplements if your body is not able to use it. The key to obtaining the most from your food is adequate digestion.
Every day, the gastrointestinal tract is faced with the arduous task of breaking down the food that we eat and then assimilating it into the body. The body's food processor, the gastrointestinal tract, includes the mouth and salivary glands, the esophagus, stomach, the small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, and the gall bladder. Like a well-oiled machine, these parts work together to break down and use the food we eat. In order for this incredibly complex process to take place the body needs the proper nutrients, enzymes, and PH in the right amount at the right time. As you can imagine, this delicate process can become easily disrupted. External factors such as stress, food allergies, toxins, and poor eating habits can hamper digestion. And poor digestion means poor nutrient uptake and sub-optimal health.
Tips for Improving Digestion
- Chew, chew, and chew s'more. This may sound like a no-brainer but it's often overlooked. Try putting your fork down in between bites.
- Breathe. Stress inhibits digestion so relax and enjoy your meal.
- Limit liquids. Drinking too much water or any other liquid will dilute your stomach's digestive juices and impede digestion.
- Pucker up before you eat. Bitter foods like salad greens stimulate the gastric mucosa (stomach lining) to secrete the digestive juices needed to digest food properly (this is why salads are traditionally served before a meal). Try drinking 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or juice from 1/2 a lemon before a meal. This also helps the body to assimilate fats by stimulating the release of bile.
- Cut down on coffee. The caffeine, oils, and acids in coffee irritate the stomach lining, especially on an empty stomach.
- Remove provocative foods. You body will tell you what it like. Eliminate the foods that make you bloated, give you gas, or simply don't agree with you.
- Avoid overeating. Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of 1-2 large ones.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you sit down to enjoy a meal.
More on Myofacial Release: Trigger Point Therapy
A while back, I posted two videos about foam rolling the muscles in your legs (January 30th, if you want to go back and check them out). There are a few other resources for myofacial release instruction that I would like to share with you. Gentle pressure applied with a foam roller, the "Stick", a ball, or manually will release adhesions that develop in the fascia that restrict range of motion and possibly cause pain. I wanted to give you a little more information about how to use the lacrosse balls for myofacial release.
Essentially what you are doing with the ball is a form of "trigger point" therapy. Trigger points are tight and tender congested muscle spots that actually refer pain to other places in the muscle. Trigger points develop from some sort of trauma, stress, muscle overuse, or not stretching after using the muscle. Here is a chart of the trigger points on the front side of the body (from the official Trigger Point site):
When performing trigger point therapy on your self, it is important to take the time to do it properly. First you want to find the point with the ball. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, increase the pressure slowly. Do this for 2 minutes and then move onto the next point. In some cases, you will be on top of the ball (shoulder, hip flexors, calves, quads), while in others, you will be pressing the ball into the muscle manually (pecs, tibialis anterior, biceps).
Here is a a site where you can watch videos on how to do each of the muscles--calves, quads, hip flexors, shoulders, etc. Jeff Alexander has also written post workout release protocols for many Crossfit workouts. You can find them here.
The official Trigger Point site also has an article which goes over routines for running and cycling. You can also find the chart for the points on the back side of the body here.
NY Times Piece on Load and Rep Schemes
Moses channeling Bad Brad
Dawn forwarded me this NY Times article recently, and I thought it was worth sharing. Although the article's angle is centered around development of muscle tone (a somewhat nebulous concept, if you ask me), I think it's nice to see that the light-weights-for-high-reps scenario is being refuted in the popular press. The article does a nice job of pointing out that even if your goal is to lose weight (fat), you're better off lifting heavier weights for fewer reps; this scenario has a greater metabolic cost than the light-weights-for-high-reps alternative (lifting heavier weights will do a better job of disrupting homeostasis).
Read the article yourself and draw your own conclusion(s): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/health/06real.html?sudsredirect=true
Spring Cleaning
[Note: The following to-do list is something that may seem like old news to you, but it's a list I am planning to give out to the patients I counsel at West Berkeley Clinic. I thought you might find it helpful if you have a friend or family member in need of nutritional advice. The information below can be a good place to start.]
Spring is the air and it's that time of the year again! But spring cleaning isn't just about scrubbing the bathroom floors and re-organizing the clutter in the garage. Use this time to get rid of some junk that's keeping you from feeling your best. Eating pesticide-laden, overly processed foods puts a huge burden on the liver whose job it is to filter and detoxify everything we ingest. Get ready for the summer months ahead by giving your refrigerator and pantry a facelift this spring.
The Pantry:
The pantry is the area that usually needs the most work. The food we keep in the pantry is often food that doesn't spoil but this isn't necessarily a good thing.
- Throw away packaged foods that contain hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and sweeteners.
- Toss out foods that have ingredients you can't pronounce.
For example: crackers, cookies, cereals, cake mix, and pasta.
Replace them with: canned tuna/salmon, nuts, steel-cut oats, natural peanut butter, gluten-free crackers, brown rice and dry beans.
The Refrigerator:
The fridge can be a very spooky place. It's a dark, cold place that seems to be a black hole for food. Proceed with caution.
- Take everything out and purge anything that has exceeded its expiration date.
- Take a close look at the food labels on all sauces, dressings and dips at get rid of any that contain high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. You may be surprised at what you find.
- Toss out any moldy or stale produce.
Now that you have cleared up some space, fill your refrigerator with fresh food including eggs, lean meat, and lots of produce. If you don't buy organic here's how you can remove the pesticides from you fruits and veggies:
Fill the sink with cold water plus a few drops of PURE castille soap (available at most health food stores). Dip fruits and vegetables in the water, scrub with a brush/sponge and rinse.
Good luck and happy spring!
Where's the Beef?
A few of you have asked about placing another order for more Prather Ranch beef, so let's do a quick poll via comments. I haven't yet checked in with Scott from Prather Ranch, but we generally need about 15 or so people to make it happen.
When we get enough people, each person ends up with a 40-lb box of beef of varying cuts (not just ground beef) for about $6/pound. This is a great price when you consider you're getting multiple cuts, and the beef is organic and grass-fed.
Although 40 lbs of meat sounds overwhelming, most everyone will be able to fit all of the meat in a standard freezer. In addition, if 40 lbs still sounds like too much, you can split it with another person (this is the route many CFOers go).
So who's in? Say so in comments.
Strong Work, John and Jen!
John in mid-jump
This past Saturday, fellow CFOer John P ran the Golden Gate Headlands 7-miler, on a whim, along with his wife Jen (also a CFOer). Both of them did well in the race, and did no other training outside of CFO workouts. In fact, John finished 5th place overall and 1st place in his age group (although any of you who've done running-oriented metcons know that John is pretty quick on the runs). Not too shabby!
Here are the race results:
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=90749
Let's give it up for John and Jen in comments.
Athlete Spotlight: Jen P!
Jen Pope is our athlete spotlight this week. She typically works out in the morning, but you can catch her on the weekends and the occasional evening class. Jen and her husband John recently let us in on a bit of good news - they are expecting their first child this fall. Not surprising to anyone who has met her, Jen is not going to sit on the couch and eat bonbons as she awaits this epic arrival. Instead she plans to continue hitting the WODs with as few adjustments as are necessary. When I asked her about continuing to workout she said: "YES!!! Look how it worked out for Dawn. She's my CFO idol."
In addition to being the cutest little lady with child since, well, Dawn -- Jen is also strong and very determined. Do NOT tell her she cannot do something. She is quiet, yet ferocious as an athlete and it is really a joy to watch as she has continued to make steady and impressive progress in her strength and technique. I am sure that ferocity will continue as she gets closer and closer to welcoming her new son or daughter.
Post congratulations and baby advice to Jen.
Name: Jen Pope
Height: 5' 3.5"
Weight: Normally 117, these days 121+
Age: A few days older than Mikey
Q: How long have you been a member at CFO?
A: Initial classes in February 2009, member since March 2009
Q: What is your day job?
A: Fire Apparatus Engineer, soon to be Domestic Engineer
Q: What is your athletic background?
A: Non-existent! I was on a soccer team and a softball team as a kid - but I wouldn't actually say that I played either sport. I ran a marathon once - but didn't train for it. I enjoyed mountain biking until I put clip-in pedals on my bike. I got tired of falling so now I don't ride my bike. I took a snow board lesson the other day, but I didn't want to fall too hard so I stuck to the bunny slopes. I come from a long line of not very graceful, coordinated people - maybe the next generation will break that cycle!!!
Q: What is your favorite strength move?
A: Bench press, shoulder press, that kind of thing
Q: What is your favorite met-con?
A: Anything less than five rounds!
Q: What is your proudest achievement (CF)?
A: Getting John to not just pay gym dues, but to actually use the gym on a regular basis (and not just to shower after a run along the Embarcadero)
Q: What is your most desired goal (CF)?
A: Body weight bench press, muscle ups, chest to bar pull ups, explosion with my cleans, ... should I continue?
Rant or Rave: Rant: i wish CFO was closer to my house; Rave: I'm glad CFO is so close to the Doyle Street Cafe. Yumm!!!
Meaningful Stats:
I don't have my journal with me and don't know any numbers off the top of my head. i haven't done fran or FGB before. 185 for a 1RM DL sounds about right - is that decent?
Playoff Rugby Game This Saturday at Treasure Island
D-Sal in action on the rugby field
Many of you know D-Sal, Sam R, James, and Serban, who are all members of CFO, and also of the Berkeley Rugby Football Club (RFC). They have a playoff game this Saturday at 3pm, and it would be great if we could get a contingent of CFOers to the game to cheer them on. I'll be there and I expect to see others there as well.
The game will be taking place on Treasure Island. Here's a map for driving directions. And just to repeat, game time is 3pm.
The game is free of charge. And I'm told the field is dog- and kid-friendly, so the more the merrier. There's even a strong likelihood that free beer will be there for the taking.
Let's wish the RFC crew good luck in comments (and also use comments to arrange for carpooling over there).
Reminder: Community Day This Saturday April 24 at 11am!
Just a quick reminder...
We're holding our once-a-month free Community Day Workout this Saturday, April 24, beginning at 11am. Whether you have any experience with CrossFit Training or not, and regardless of your current fitness level, this is a workout for you (and for the fit ones out there, we can scale it up to make it plenty challenging!).
The one-hour session will include a warm-up, instruction on some of our basic movements, a workout utilizing those movements, and a cool-down.
Friends and family are welcome, so get the word out!
Athlete Spotlight - Kyle T!
Kyle T is our athlete spotlight this week. As a police officer, Kyle is what we call a "first responder". He's the guy that answers the call when someone is in trouble - big trouble. As much as all of our lives depend on our fitness level, there are many lives that depend on Kyle's. He and his brothers in blue (not to mention firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, etc.) need to be ready - because their physical reactions can literally save lives or catch a very bad individual and keep him or her from doing harm to others.
I, for one, am very grateful that Kyle is out there and even more pleased that he is at CFO getting stronger, faster and more fit so that he can protect and serve to the best of his ability. As with all of our first responders, he likes to fly under the radar and keep his badass-ness to himself. Kyle is way too modest in answering the questions below as he has been quietly dominating all of his own records, training with incredible consistency - especially considering that nasty swing shift - and losing 25 pounds while gaining a ton of strength. Those are very meaningful stats as far as I'm concerned.
Post birthday love and other thoughts on Kyle to comments.
Name: Kyle Thomas
Height: 6"00"
Weight: 207 naked this morning
Age: 39 years old until next week
Q: How long have you been a member at CFO?
A: Since June 2009
Q: What is your day job?
A: My day job is a Sergeant of Police at the Oakland Police Department. I work swing shift (3PM to 3AM) in East Oakland, after our budget crises hit. Before the budget crises hit, I was the supervisor and pilot for ARGUS, the OPD Helicopter. I still get to fly ARGUS on a limited basis, until our unit is reformed. This was one of my proudest accomplishments at OPD, becoming a pilot, following in my fathers footsteps, at least in being a pilot. I joined OPD after bumming around sailing boats, after I finished college - go Bears! It gives me a chance to work with lots of different people, drive fast, and scare myself half to death all while helping people. While often a thankless job (lawsuits, police funerals, & always being Monday morning quarterbacked), I cant imagine doing anything else, except working in a winery maybe.
Q: What is your athletic background?
A: I skied competitively in high school and college.
Q: What is your favorite strength move?
A: My favorite strength move is the dead lift for sure
Q: What is your favorite met-con?
A: My favorite met-con is - Umm none! Make that anything without OHS or pull ups.
Q: What is your proudest achievement (CF)?
A: Simply sticking with CFO, as I couldn't imagine liking working out as much as I do here!
Q: What is your most desired goal (CF)?
A: To hit 1000 lbs Total, I'm at 820 with some questionable form, but Moses is working on that for me.
Rant or Rave: No rant, only Raves for CFO and CrossFit which has certainly changed my life in a very meaningful way. I have certainly drunk the Kool-Aid, joined the cult and promote CrossFit to all who will listen, and some that don't.
Meaningful Stats:
No stats worth mentioning, but I'm getting there.
Happy Birthday, Nicole!
Saturday is Nicole's birthday. Let's wish her a happy birthday in comments (hopefully she'll check in from Copenhagen and see the CFO love)!
Free CFJ Video Lecture Series
Scott Connelly and Greg Glassman
I just finished watching the video lecture done by Scott Connelly (founder of Progenex, which is a sponsor of the CrossFit Games) on various topics related to hyperglycemia and insulin. I know, I know, spellbinding stuff. But seriously, the lecture is 90 minutes long, and well worth the view. A lot of the stuff you may already know, but you'll nonetheless come away with some new insights, I'm sure. At the very least, you'll develop an understanding of the central role insulin (and glucose) plays in weight management.
The lecture is broken up into three separate videos, each approximately 30 minutes long. These are big files, so I'd recommend saving them to your hard drive rather than streaming them.
You can get all three movies on the CrossFit Journal site, free of charge:
http://journal.crossfit.com/2010/04/insulin-body-weight-and-energy-production.tpl
Piri--what?
First of all, I would love it if you would post any stretching related questions into the comments for today so that I can answer them in later posts.
This week I would like to talk about the piriformis muscle. The piriformis is a small muscle located deep in your gluteal region (the buttocks). It, along with several other muscles, function to abduct and laterally rotate the femur (the leg). This means that the piriformis is actively stabilizing the hips while running and walking.
The piriformis can get tight from sitting too long, training without stretching afterwards, and faulty body mechanics (improper gait, poor posture, strength imbalances, etc). The sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis in many people, and when it gets tight, it can activate the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the lower back, the hip, and possibly down the entire leg.
Here is a quick treatment plan if you have a pain in your bottom:
First, foam roll your piriformis:
Start by sitting on the foam roller with your legs stretched in front of you. Place your right foot on your left knee. You may feel a stretch in the right glute. This is the area you want to roll. Turn on your side and roll back and forth slowly over this spot. Use a tennis ball for greater release.
Then, stretch the muscle:
Stand in front of a box that is level with your hip (this box is a little tall for Polly). Place your leg on top of the box as shown above. This may be enough stretch for you. If not, bend forward towards the box, keeping your chest out--don't round at the shoulders.
Or, do this yoga pose:
Begin on all fours, with your knees directly below your hips, and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist; at the same time angle your right shin under your torso and bring your right foot to the front of your left knee. The outside of your right shin will now rest on the floor. Slowly slide your left leg back, straightening the knee and descending the front of the thigh to the floor. Lower the outside of your right buttock to the floor. Position the right heel just in front of the left hip. From here there are many variations--relaxing over your leg, as Connor is demonstrating is the easiest variation.
Weekend Reminders
Just a couple quick reminders about happenings this weekend.
Saturday 4/10
At 3pm on Treasure Island, the Berkeley RFC rugby team (D-Sal and Sam R will be starting) will be competing in a playoff game. Let's get some CFO support for them!
Sunday 4/11
Join us for bowling at Albany Bowl, beginning at 4pm. Friends and family of all ages are welcome. And if you plan on bowling, please let us know ASAP because we have to let Albany Bowl know how many people will be bowling. Either say so in comments, reply on Facebook, or email us with your RSVP.
Enjoy Bread Again!
For anyone suffering from Celiac Disease or any type of gluten intolerance, giving up bread is perhaps the most difficult step in going gluten-free. However, the recent advances in testing has given rise to more people turning up with gluten issues creating a rapidly growing market for gluten-free products. Most stores have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon and are now selling a variety of gluten free foods, including gluten-free beer, pastas and breads.
If you are looking for a great gluten-free bread, I recommend:
Food for Life's Black Rice Bread, found in the frozen section at Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl and Trader Joe's. This bread does have yeast in it, but does not have gluten or refined sugars. It looks and really does tastes like regular bread and is especially yummy toasted with some organic peanut butter. This brand also makes a variety of other gluten-free products that I have yet to try.
What makes a product gluten-free:
1. It contains no wheat, rye, or barley grains.
2. It was batch tested for gluten and found to be less than 20 parts per million.
For more information on gluten, check out Catherine Czapp's article, Against The Grain, published on the Weston A. Price website, and Jodi Friedlander's Gluten Sensitivity: A Rising Concern on the Bauman College website, which provides lots of useful information on gluten.
Note: One point to remember, though, just so it's clear. Just because something is gluten-free, that doesn't mean you get a free pass to eat as much of it as you want. You still want the majority of your carbohydrate intake to come from vegetable matter (with a smattering here and there of fruit). While you don't have to worry about gluten with these great alternatives, you still need to be mindful of carbohydrates and their (varying) effect on insulin levels.
Post your favorite gluten-free gems to comments.
Tension in Your Trapezius?
The trapezius is a large flat muscle that extends from the skull and spinal column medially to the pectoral girdle laterally. It is the most superficial back muscle and covers the neck region and upper part of the trunk. The trapezius muscle acts to stabilize, elevate, adduct, and depress the scapula (shoulder blades), and extend, bend sideways and rotate the head.
I could spend a lot of time going over the anatomy of the shoulder girdle, but I do not think it will really help you. Let me just say that that if your trapezius gets tight, it can cause the dreaded neck "crick", burning shoulders, headaches, throbbing pain between the shoulder blades and more. Today I want to show you a few stretches for this muscle. Next week I will address some exercises that can help if you have a strength imbalance in the muscle (forward rounded shoulder are a result of weaker upper trap muscles, for example).
Here are some trapezius stretches (great after todays w.o.d.!). Hold each one 30-60 seconds.
Simply stand in a squatting position and grab onto a pole or door handle--something that you can put your weight on and pull away from. Keeping the arms straight and feet firmly planted, lean away.
Thanks, Justin!
Justin preparing to hang the climbing rope
A big thank-you to Justin, who put some serious time in at the gym today working on some much-needed improvements.
After it was all said and done, we now have another rope, three more rings hanging from the ceiling (bringing the total to five sets of rings hanging from the ceiling), and the good ol' Bachar ladder back in play (resurrected from our 39th Street days).
Let's thank Justin in comments!
Super Spice it!
Add a little spice into your life and discover the benefits of these powerful foods! For centuries herbs and spices have been used medicinally by many cultures around the world. For example, turmeric is widely used in Indian food for its anti-inflammatory properties and cinnamon is commonly used among diabetics to help stabilize blood sugar. Herbs and spices provide color and variety for any dish without packing on any extra calories. Experiment and enjoy!
Tips on Using Herbs & Spices:
- If you're trying to cut back on sugar, use warmer, sweet spices such as cinnamon, mint, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Use savory spices such as tarragon, dill, basil, black pepper, curry powder, garlic powder, and coriander in place of salt. These spices are especially useful for those with hypertension.
- Try roasting spices to bring out their flavors even more.
- Always add fresh herbs at the end of cooking, when taking the dish off of heat, or they will lose their flavor.
Buying and Storing:
- Store large quantities of dried herbs or spices in the freezer so they don’t lose their flavor and nutritional qualities.
- Buy whole spices. Whole spices come sealed neatly in their hulls and structures to keep them fresh. When they are ground, they oxidize and go "bad" quickly.
- Buy from the bulk bins so you can buy small amounts and use them while they are still fresh. This also allows you to try them out without committing to an entire bottle.
- Use a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder or a black-peppercorn hand grinder to grind whole spices. Remove the black peppercorns and fill the grinder with fresh spices.
- Keep them in airtight, glass containers to keep them fresh longer.
- Store your sealed spice containers in a dry cool place, away from your stove.
Additional Resources:
A Busy Cook's Guide to Spices by Linda Murdock
Herbs and Spices: the Cook’s Reference by Jill Norman
Acorn Squash Soup
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
4 cups organic chicken broth
1 cup organic buttermilk
1 medium acorn squash, cooked, peeled, and seeded
2 tsp. organic maple syrup
2 pinches nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
Pink Himalayan salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Which spices are staples in your house? Post to comments.
NorCal Open at TJ's Gym May 15
I want to give everyone a heads-up....
TJ's Gym will be hosting the NorCal Open Weightlifting Meet at their Novato facility on May 15 (just a little over two weeks away). There will be some familiar CFO faces competing (Joseph, Alex, and Brian R). I'd encourage anyone who's on the fence, or nervous about competing in an Olympic weightlifting competition, to give it a go!
At the very least, since the event is so close by, I'd like to encourage as many CFOers as possible to head out cheer everyone on to PRs. If you've never seen an Olympic weightlifting meet, this is your chance. Additionally, if you're brand new to the lifts, sometimes the best way to learn is by seeing others perform the lifts.
Full details on the meet can be found here:
Accommodations for CrossFit Regional Games May 8-9
The Residence Inn Irvine Spectrum
For those of you making the trip down to Irvine on May 7th, 8th, and 9th, I wanted to let you know where we'll be staying. We'll be setting up shop at the Residence Inn Irvine Spectrum.
The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from UC Irvine, where the individual and team competitions will be taking place on Sat May 8th and Sun May 9th. The masters competition will be taking place at CrossFit Ethos on Fri May 7 and UC Irvine on Sat May 8th (for more info on the masters competition, see this comment from the CrossFit Games site).
Stay tuned to this blog over the next couple of days for an announcement of the 6 CFOers who will be representing Team CrossFit Oakland!
Athlete Spotlight: Sam R!
Sam getting ready to pound on that poor tire
Our athlete spotlight this week turns with sadness and pride to shine brightly on Sam R who will be graduating U.C. Berkeley this Spring with a degree in History. This is a proud time for CFO as we launch Sam into the world to seek his fortune, but sad because he will be moving back to So Cal at the end of this week to pursue a career in, well, whatever field will pay him the big bucks!
Sam is a rough and tough rugby player and a real sweetheart. He typically comes in at Open Gym to do some crazy-ass CrossFit Football workout and it always truly amazing what he is able to accomplish. The other thing that is ultra-fascinating about Sam is the amount of calories he is able to consume during his waking hours and the crazy ways he accomplishes that. Ask him, seriously -- it is very compelling stuff.
Sam, we will miss having you around and hope your career search brings you back up north. Good luck and we wish you the very best during this time of commencement.
Post congratulations and calorie consumption inquiries to comments.
Name: Sam Robin
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 175
Age: 20
Q: How long have you been a member at CFO?
A: I dabbled in CrossFit Football starting about a year and a half ago and have been a member of CFO since October
Q: What is your day job?
A: Student at Cal, majoring in History. I'm graduating in a few weeks and I plan on going back to LA and getting a job.
Q: What is your athletic background?
A: Rugby for the last 4 years.
Q: What is your favorite strength move?
A: Dead-lifts! My short little body was made for them.
Q: What is your favorite met-con?
A: Elizabeth? Anything under 8 minutes.
Q: What is your proudest achievement (CF)?
A: Getting a muscle-up was pretty fantastic, as was dead-lifting 405 for the first time.
Q: What is your most desired goal (CF)?
A: 300 bench/400 squat/ 500 dead-lift is definitely a goal. Maybe taking the time to learn how to properly olympic lift and row one day
Rant or Rave: I just want to say that CFO has been amazing. I came in to this gym weak and clueless about fitness and diet. I'm just worried that I'll never find a gym as good as CFO anywhere else I go.
Meaningful Stats:
Dead-lift 390 x5, Bench Press 225 x 5, Press 152x5...I've spent a lot of time lifting and probably not enough on met-cons.
Go Get 'Em, Steve!
Steve setting up for a clean
I wanted to turn the spotlight on Steve P for just a moment. I'm not sure how many of you are aware, but in a little less than a month, Steve will be putting his skills to the test. He'll be competing in the Masters competition taking place on May 7-8 down in Irvine, CA.
Info on the Masters competition at the Southwest Regional:
http://games2010.crossfit.com/blog/2010/04/masters_workout_times/
Steve is always a pleasure to train or work out with (as I had the chance to do during today's noon class). He's super receptive to coaching and is highly consistent in his approach to training. And he has some of the prettiest kipping pull-ups in the gym, to boot. He's also been gearing up for the Masters competition for quite a bit of time now, throwing in some double days every now and then (where recovery allows for it).
Let's wish him luck in comments!
Rower Etiquette and the Low-Bar Back Squat
The video above is a little piece on returning the rower to its upright position after you're finished with it. And besides being an OCD thing, you're actually helping to extend the life of the Concept2 rower by taking tension out of the chain when you take the handle out of the holster before putting it back on the wall.
In Defense of the Low-Bar Back Squat
I came across this great piece on the Starting Strength website on the low-bar back squat and its carryover into other squats. In particular, the author of the article notes that the 70-lb increase in his low-bar back squat led to a 70-lb increase in his high-bar back squat and a 65-lb increase in his front squat. So in other words, for every pound he increased his low-bar back squat, there was basically a pound-for-pound increase in his other two squats (yes, slightly less in his front squat).
Give it a read and decide for yourself what type of squat you should be doing.
Full article: http://startingstrength.com/articles/powerlifting_year_one_gibson.pdf
Athlete Spotlight: Mini
Photo circa 1990 - last known photograph of M. Minium
This week the spotlight shines its light all the way to the top of our world as we pay homage to our aging-yet-fearless leader, Mini, on his birthday!
Unfortunately, due to his advancing years, Mike was unable to complete the form below with any kind of coherent answers, so let's lend him the support of this wonderful community and get it done for him.
Please choose to answer a question or contribute other pertinent information or stats. Post to comments along with birthday wishes.
And seriously, Mikey - we all think the world of you. Many happy returns and much whiskey on the rocks to you on your special day.
Rant or Rave:
Meaningful Stats:
Co-Ed Team Run Challenge at CF Sweat Shop May 22
I wanted to give you all a heads-up (courtesy of Steve D) on a fun workout that's coming up at CF Sweat Shop Saturday May 15th, beginning at 10am.
The workout is designed for a male/female team, with two divisions: combined age of under 80 and combined age of 80 and older.
Both teammates run a 1.2-mile run, and then finish with the man carrying the woman 700 meters. Each time the man has to put down the woman, the woman does 15 burpees and then they resume the run. Once the 700-meter carry is done with, the workout is done.
The entry fee is $10 per person, with a cash prize going to the top placing team in each division.
Let's get some CFOers involved!
Team CFO and Masters Workouts
Team CFO
Starting this year, we're putting together a year-round CFO team with the intent of maximizing our chances of doing well in the team competition at each year's CF Games (and the various competitions leading up to the Games--which seem to be ever-changing in format and layers of competition). The members of the team will be engaging in regular team workouts throughout the year, competing in affiliate throwdowns whenever they can, and in general busting their tails to represent CFO.
The following women and men are part of Team CFO.
Women:
Tamara
Candace
Polly
Lydia
Journey
Men:
Brandon
Manwell
Daniel
Dave K
Connor
Raphael
Freddy
The following six people, three men and three women (the max number of people we can take), will be going down to Irvine on May 8-9 to compete at the Regionals:
Brandon
Manwell
Daniel
Tamara
Candace
Polly
Updated Masters Info
They've now posted all three Masters workouts for the Regionals (take note, Steve P!). The first two will take place on Friday, May 7; the third will take place on Saturday, May 8.
Full workout details are here: http://games2010.crossfit.com/blog/2010/04/masters-workouts-announced-all-regionals/
The workouts are a classic combo: a short, high-power metcon (Helen with double-unders instead of runs), a 1rm effort, and a long bodyweight-only metcon (Cindy with chest-to-bar pull-ups).
Should be fun!
Community Day Workout Sat April 24 at 11am
We'll be holding our next Community Day workout on Saturday, April 24th, from 11am to 12pm.
Community Days are free to the public; no experience necessary. This one-hour class is designed to be fun and scalable to all ages and fitness levels. It includes a warm-up, instruction of basic movements,a great workout utilizing these movements, and a cool-down.
Friends and family are welcome; you need not be a member of CFO to participate, so spread the word and come on by!
