America wants November to be here soon!

Welcome to the first installment in what is hopefully going to be an ongoing series in this blog.  It has come to my attention from multiple sources that the inevitable will take place.  Most people aren’t prepared for it, hell, most people live their lives just waiting for someone to pick them off – no training, no advanced thought, no escape routes, weapon choices, survival skills etc.  I had no idea at our Grand Opening when Mig’s handed me a shirt –  that the back would actually be filled with truth.  Ladies and gentlemen, it’s not a matter or if, just a matter of when…the Zombie Apocalypse happens.

Today’s Zombie Protection Tip from “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks.

-         The human body if cared for and trained properly, is the greatest weapon on earth.  Americans are notorious for their bad diet, lack of exercise, and relentless fetish for labor saving technology.  As recognizable as the term, “couch potato” is, a more accurate term would be “cattle”: fat, lazy, listless, and ready to be eaten.  Weapon No. 1, the biological tool that is our body, can and must be transformed from prey to predator.  Obey a strict diet and physical fitness regimen.  Study and master at least one martial art.  Make sure its emphasis is on escaping holds rather than delivering blows.  Knowing how to slip from a zombie’s clutches is the single most important skill that you can possess when you find yourself in close combat.”

There you have it folks.  We’re already ahead of the curve! 

Today’s Workout:
“Jeremy”
21-15-9 Reps of
Overhead Squats (95#/65)
Burpees

Kate giving Fran a run for her money!

Miguel asked a good question on Tuesday with regards to weight loss while on Paleo.  CFV’s Colin Jenkins, who many of you know recommended that Miguel start adding to his immediate post workout snack and this got me thinking.  After a little bit of research on Robb Wolf’s site (for those of you who are new to CrossFit, Robb Wolf leads the CF Nutrition Seminars www.robbwolf.com ) and found this post workout meal of Rob’s.
“I used ~ 50g of Whey protein from a brand called Isoflex. It’s a mix of whey protein isolate, hydrosolates, glutamine peptides, some insulin sensitizers and other goodies. I ran with a vanilla flavor that is sweetened with sucralose. To this I added about ¼ can of coconut milk (legit Thai coconut milk…hardly any English on the can, not Whitey watered-down crap!) and 2 heaping tablespoons of coco powder. I shot this concoction down as soon as I wrapped up my CrossFit Football or ME-Black Box session. Recovery was good as in I was not particularly sore and miraculously, I started to lean out again, especially when I upped my fish oil to about 15g/day (Kirkland brand). Overall I was getting in less than 50g of carbs per day and feeling pretty damn good. Strength was solid, short met-cons were “ok” and I started to look like someone who “strength trained”. 
(http://robbwolf.com/?p=634)
Do any of you have a favorite post workout snack that you’d be willing to share? Post to comments!

Today’s Workout:
1-1-1-1-1 Snatches

Fielding on his way to an awesome Fran P.R!

Counting Reps – by The Claw 

I suspect at least some of you share my dilemma: When doing hard workouts, such as Fran, I sometimes lose count of reps. Here’s a simple idea that might help.
Crossfit counts reps in basically one of two ways: One, some workouts include a fixed number of reps, such as in Fran, with 21, 15, and 9. The second type workout is AMRAP, without a fixed number of reps. The main problem that arises out of fixed rep workouts is that, not only do you have to keep count, but you have to remember the number to reps. Believe it or not, this can get complicated when under great physical strain.
My simple idea is that when we do fixed rep workouts such as Fran, count backwards! And when counting variable rep workouts, such as AMRAP, count forwards.
The wisdom of this became apparent to me during the Fran trials last Saturday. I counted my own reps down from 21 and had no problems keeping count. Then I volunteered to count Traver’s effort, and I lost count! And I wasn’t even under any physical exertion at that point! (Fortunately, Eric was keeping track too, so Traver did the correct number of reps.)
So, I suggest when we count fixed rep workouts, such as Fran, we start with the first rep at 21, go down, and when we do rep one, we know we’re done. And when doing AMRAP, when time is up, just yell out the last number in your head.

Today’s Workout: “I Am Unbreakable” (borrowed from CFV)

One time through for time: All reps should be completed straight.  If you miss a rep, start the movement over!

20 DB Thrusters (35#/ 15#)
20 Pull ups
20 Sit ups
20 Double Unders
20 Push ups
20 KB Swings

Christina making fast friends with Fran!

In a recent CNN article I came across the following quote with regards to our social networks and the effects that they have on us.

“If a mutual friend becomes obese, it nearly triples a person’s risk of becoming obese,” the book said. Even geography doesn’t matter; you’re still at risk for gaining weight if a friend 1,000 miles away gets bigger. Why is that? Obesity seems to spread in networks because of behavioral imitation — you copy what people close to you are doing — and shared expectations called “norms,” the authors said. When you see people close to you gaining weight, that makes you readjust your own idea of what is an acceptable body size.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/08/social.networks.connected/index.html

Nearly triples the risk of becoming obese! Wow, that’s pretty heavy.  I wonder what effect we as CrossFitters have on the community around us then? I know that I have a few friends that have taken the plunge and joined CF gyms and now their lives are just as action packed as ours are.  Have you found that your friends are getting in better shape or eating in a more healthy fashion since you’ve become a CrossFitter?  Do tell.

Today’s Workout:
”Badger”
3 Rounds for Time of:
30 Squat Cleans (135#/95#)
30 Pull ups
800 M Run

Jim treating Fran like a dishonest corporation!!

One of the first and still most frequently asked questions that Eric and I have to field as coaches is not about diet or form or programming or technique, it is, “Who the heck is The Claw?!”.  Jim showed up to our gym before we were even close to being a gym, I think that the first time that I shook his hand I was covered in paint and dust and literally said, “Nice to meet you sir, OH WOW, YOU’RE THE CLAW!” Since then I’ve come to realize that there are 3 things in life that I hope to never have to do:

1)     Get sued by someone who is being represented by the Claw.

2)     Find myself at a poker table playing against the Claw.

3)     Try to win an argument with the Claw about who is luckier to be married to their spouse.

Many of you just see the times and numbers that Jim puts up since he is one of our most consistent 6am’ers, but you don’t know the rest of the story.  Jim is the type of student that never complains, no matter how hard the workout is or how beat up he is personally and would rather the conversation be about how well everyone else did in an event than about his own success.  If the workout calls for a 175-pound overhead squat, and his P.R is only 100 pounds – Jim will try it at least once!  He’s always there to lend encouragement to other students, is always willing to push himself to the limit and is an unbelievable asset to our community.  When he’s not at 209 Anacapa busting his butt, Jim is out in the world representing the little guy and making sure that fair is fair.  Jim, we couldn’t be happier that you’re on our side!  Congratulations on a 1:37 time drop in your Fran time last weekend and thank you for all that you bring to CPC! 

Today’s Workout:
Press 1-1-1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5

Post Fran smiles from the crew!

Saturday was AWESOME! I know that I throw that word around a lot, but only because it’s so damn appropriate.  Eric and I both were completely overjoyed at the end of yesterday’s Fran finals.  We’ve watched you all work so so hard over the last 8 weeks, we’ve watched you learn how to kip, go from green bands to blue bands to no bands, go from knee push ups to toe push ups, chose Rx weights over lighter weights, compete in the Central Coast Challenge and most importantly, come together as a team.  Every single one of you made a significant time drop yesterday and we hope that you realize just how far you’ve all come.  Congratulations to everyone that showed up yesterday, be it to give Fran a run for her money for the first time or to show her just how much stronger and faster you’ve become.

Today’s Workout:
5 Rounds For Time:
7 Continual Reps Without Putting the Bar Down
Power Clean to
Front Squat to
Push Press to
Back Squat to
Push Press

Phil and River all smiles after a great workout!

You’ve all probably felt the chill in the air, especially those of you who brave our 6am classes!  The seasons are definitely changing and temperature swings are going to be more common.  This is also the time when colds start spreading around and people inevitably end up sick (especially those of you that either have or work with children).  What’s an easy way to keep healthy during the turn of the seasons?  Wash your hands – often! The CDC released a report showing that proper hand washing nearly halved the incidence of pneumonia-related infections in children under five worldwide. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children under five globally, so the fact that something as simple as proper hand washing can have such a staggering impact is important. Not many people realize that the human influenza virus can survive on surfaces for a surprising two to eight hours, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, a recent FDA study reveals that proper hand washing can stop up to one half of all food borne illnesses, such as E.coli and salmonella. The statistics speak for themselves: people who wash their hands at least four times a day experience 24% fewer sick days from colds, flu and the like, and 51% fewer sick days due to stomach ailments.  Wash your paws folks! 

Today’s Workout: 
AMRAP 20 Minutes
5 Handstand Pushups
30 Walking Lunges

Courtney pressing hard!

We’re now 1 week and 1 day into the Paleo Challenge and wanted to check in with everyone to see how they’re doing.  Personally, I will say that I miss 5 Hour Energy drinks and a few other foods, but on the whole feel really good.  I did have one incident yesterday morning at Jiujitsu where I got into a position that I’ve been in oh, probably, 5,000 times before and literally my mind just went blank.  Completely blank!  I literally had no idea what to do next and just stared at my opponent dumbfounded. This is similar to getting into your car and just looking at the ignition and steering wheel and not really knowing what to do from there!  (Slightly less than awesome.)  Anyone have any good stories to share on their experiences so far?  Good or bad, let’s hear em. 

Today’s Workout:
3-3-3 Power Cleans|
Followed by 3 Rounds For Time of:
10 Burpees
10 Pull ups

Jeff ready to rock and roll at the Gathering!

Thank you Lalanne Fitness for passing this on to us!

Tips for Paleo Diet Grocery Shopping:

Eating Paleo is really easy once you make the decision and get the hang of it. Below are some suggestions that can help make your shopping and food preparation easier, and some ideas that can help when you’re dining out or traveling!

READ LABELS…
Buy foods that contain no grains, legumes (beans and peanuts), dairy products, salt, yeast (baked goods, pickled foods, vinegar, fermented foods, and fermented beverages), processed sugars, starchy root vegetables (potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes), or added fats (except for permitted oils in limited quantities).

MEATS:
Purchase grass-fed meat when possible (it’s leaner than grain-fed). “Natural” is no guarantee that it is range-fed or not pumped with antibiotics. Check with the butcher. When you purchase wild meat from specialty stores, it didn’t come from the wild, but from a ranch or farm where animals graze freely. If you want wild meat, you’ll have to hunt it yourself.

POULTRY:
Purchase free-range chickens, when possible, rather than broiler. These can be found in many up-scale or health-oriented supermarkets.

TURKEY:
Turkey breast is one of the least expensive, best sources of lean meat (more lean than game-meat).

PORK:
Purchase natural-grown or free-range pork, if possible. Lean pork tenderloin is leaner than chicken.

FISH:
Buy your fish last so it does not spoil by sitting in your cart. Ideally, buy fish that is not farmed or canned.

NUTS:
Purchase raw, unsalted nuts. They come into season late summer, early fall. If you buy hulled nuts, sometimes they are coated with trans-fat oils to increase shelf life, READ THE LABEL. Walnuts have the best omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and are your best choice for a snack food. Other nuts should be considered garnishes, and not eaten in quantity.

OILS:
The best oils are low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, with a low omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio. Best oils: olive, avocado, walnut, flax, mustard seed (found in stores specializing in India cuisine), and perilla oil (found in stores specializing in Korean/Chinese food) do not use flax or perilla oil for cooking. Worst oils: peanut, soybean oil, and wheat germ.

SPICES:
Spice mixes, designed to take the place of salt, are fine. However, CHECK THE LABELS and avoid if the spice contains yeast, cornstarch, hydrolyzed wheat proteins or other grain and legume products.

Today’s Workout:
8 X 100 M Sprints
90 Seconds Rest Between Rounds