Wes, dominating a pistol with a 2-pood

There are some types of lingo I speak which I love and other types I have not relished having to use.

Hawaiian pidgin: love. “Ho brah, I like foh take my slippah off and heetchu ovah da head.” (Translation: Oh man would I like to take my flip-flop off and slap you upside the head).

Corporate speak: dislike. “I think our status deck for design phase passes the sniff-test, but wanted to make our scope slide more robust per our team pow-wow yesterday. Ping me so we can noodle on this one further and reach out the right stakeholders before COB Fri.” (Translation: some bullsh*t).

CrossFit being a lifestyle to some degree for most, we naturally develop our own culture, slang, expressions and stories that go with. We throw around terms that are loaded with shared experiences. If you were to take the average person off the street and have them listen in to a class or even an On-Ramp discussion, they might be confused. Rightly so, several people have asked to see a post on acronyms and CF lingo.

My favorite are the verbs we use to describe how we feel before/during/after a WOD such as “My legs are smoked” and the personification we give to our bodies/body parts such as, “That last round of dips my shoulders were like, ‘F*** this.”‘

Another of my favorites because of how loaded a term it is — ‘globo-gym’. Many of us have heard or read Forrest share a version of his thoughts on 24-hour ‘Fitness’ or what kind of fitness we’re working on. ‘Globo-gym’ is a pejorative that pops up that conjures our shared memories of crowded, dirty ‘fitness’ facilities (Gold’s/Bally’s/24Hr) full of isolation and cardio machines, rubbing shoulders with Cosmo-mag and MuscleMilk-toting body builders and skinny-fat people with barely a sweat stain on them, and finally finding our way to a CrossFit and a ‘box’ to call our own.

I compiled a Google Docs list here of common terms and abbreviations used in conversation, on the whiteboard, and elsewhere compiled from some affiliate sites (Crossfit.com, Snoridge, Ipswich, Connection). This list is mostly pertaining to the exercises, not nutrition, but I’ll add to it over time.

I also found some funny CrossFit phrases in my blog post researching process that I thought I’d share here. Post to comments other lingo you like or funny quotes you’ve heard from crossfitters.

You know you’re a CrossFitter when…

• You tell a woman after the workout, “You’re a freaking beast!”, and she wholeheartly says “Thank you!”
• Your wedding registry includes bumper plates.
• You don’t own a tractor but you own tractor tires.
• Helping people move homes turns into a metcon WOD.
• You pick your cubicle at work because of its hand-stand practice potential.

And my favorite form of comedy, the satire. Always good to be able to laugh at yourself!

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Don’t forget to sign up for the Nutrition 101 seminar Sat 8/7 11a-2p, brunch included. Learn all the basics and how to support and amplify all the work you do in the gym with your fuel. Class is capped at 20. If you can’t sign up online, contact Remy.

Workout of the Day 7/28/2010

A.      2 total minutes of perfect parallette L-sit hold.

*Parallete hold should be a 90 degree angle between torso and legs with legs slightly above parallel with ground. See photo.

*Break up however you want. You can do sets of 5 second holds or 30 second holds. Make sure the form is perfect and rest as needed.

B.      150 Box Jumps for time (24/18)

7 Toes to bar on the minute

CrossFit is more than just a fitness program, it’s a community of people. We work hard to make sure that as CFSB grows, we still keep that small community feel. We rarely ask you to do things outside the gym, but we feel that these things are important.

1. Comment on the blog posts – We spend a lot of time writing the blog posts each day. Our only validation of what we are writing is useful, is your feedback. Don’t worry, it’s not like an evite where you have to come up with a witty comment, just a quick 2 cents would be great. Help our egos a little bit.
2. Take before/progress pictures – Nobody like to be reminded of the parts of their body that they don’t like, but it’s a great motivator to take before and progress pictures along the way. Aesthetics are not an indicator of fitness, but they are a motivator. You do CrossFit and your body will change. Take the time and take pictures every 4-6 weeks.
3. Write us testimonials – If you’re happy with what we’ve been doing for you, write us and let us know. If you’re unhappy, write us and let us know. Hell, just write us something. We love to hear from you, so don’t be shy and give us some sugar.
4. Sign up for the seminars – We plan the seminars for your benefit. We want you to learn the basics of the Paleo diet and mobility. If you don’t go, we won’t have them. The seminars are meant to help you along the path of fitness. Don’t sell yourself short, sign up for our seminars.
5. Come to social events – Most of you don’t have any problems coming to social events. There are some of you who have yet to come to one. The social events are a lot of fun and it’s nice to meet some of the people outside of a sweaty breathless hour in a cement box.

Workout of the Day 7/22/2010

A. Snatch Balance 2-2-2-2

B. 5 Rounds
10 Deadlifts (225/155)
40M Sprint (to the end of the parking lot and back)
20 Push-ups (chest to deck)
40M Sprint

2 Cool 2 Cowpool

CrossFit boxes across the world are communities where people seek to help each other attain fitness goals. As they evolve, fitness goals tend to become reliant upon more than just training. We flourish partly due to relationships with members as a form of motivation and fun. If you’re progressing, you’re flourishing more also thanks to your evolving relationship with other inputs such as nutrition.

Many CrossFit boxes have programs where a bunch of members go in on a purchase of an animal or half an animal from a local farm which supplies them with a variety of meat cuts and parts to eat (and learn about) over the course of a few months. Buying a whole animal (a pig, or bison, for example) from a local farm is very affordable and the process quite transparent. Many boxes also have CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce drop-offs.

I’ll be organizing the purchase of hopefully a pig and part of a bison soon. If you’re interested in learning more about these, email me!

Also, Sat. August 7^th post-WOD will be the next Nutrition Seminar - sign up here. Check out Mariessa’s review of the first and ask around to those who have been to find out just how useful (and tasty) people have found past seminars. Cost: $35, includes brunch.

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Why don’t I eat Vons grade-A t-bone steaks, Costco value-pak New York strip or farmed salmon? Well, that one’s easy. Aside from these meats looking very little like what they do/did in nature, the lack of sanitation and food safety measures in place in the meat packing industry (similar to the standards in place for the oil industry) alone would be enough to turn me away. Then consider that the actual content of the meat (hormones, antibiotics, pesticide), and lack thereof (protein and micronutrients) is pretty abysmal. Next, the fatty acid profile of the fat in the meat is far from one we ought to be eating (about 6:1 omega-6 to omega-3 in the fat of conventionally grown meat). Add to that the environmental and social hazards of the way 99% of meat is now produced, and that the alternative is affordable, and there’s no reason to eat conventionally produced meat.

Cody wants in on a bison bad, do you?

Check out these essential articles to understand some more.

• The Problems with Conventionally Raised Beef (MDA)
• Changes in Cattle Husbandry and Feeding Practices since the Industrial Revolution (Cordain)
• Another reason to eat grass-fed beef (Eades)
• Affording Organics (MDA)
• Salmon: Factory Farm vs. Wild (MDA)

CSA’s and Farmer’s Markets

Short of growing your own produce (for another post – here’s one from MDA) and meat, farmer’s markets and CSAs are the best sources of meats and produce since they are seasonal and are produced via methods that yield among the most highest micronutrient content. Conventionally grown meat and produce, even aside from potentially harmful contaminants such as hormones, antibiotics and pesticide, have micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) content that is comparatively much poorer than those grown on smaller farms and using methods standard for those that produce for farmer’s markets and CSA’s.

Farmer’s markets in LA are abundant and offer enough meat and produce to keep the paleo eater happy and experimenting year-round. Farmer’s markets allow small local farmers to bring product directly to customers without a middleman which results often in lower prices. The fact that the produce is seasonal and local means the produce is riper when picked and has reduced transportation time, both of which result in higher micronutrient content (not to mention the lower impact of reduced transport, avoiding the major social/environmental costs of giant grocery chains and their waste while supporting local agriculture). Check out this MDA post and video on how to shop a farmer’s market.

Baxter, my puppy crush/desktop picture. I wouldn't eat you Baxter, no I wouldn't, nuh-uh.

CSAs are organized buying groups that purchase from a few local farms (usually more ‘local’ than some farms at a farmer’s market). The closest pick-up CSA that I’m aware of benefits and is organized by Madison & Lincoln School CSA which sources from Tanaka Farms in Irvine which I recently tried out. For $25 I got enough produce for three people for about a week. The only drawback is that you get whatever is delivered, no choice in content and is loaded in summer months with stuff I don’t eat in large quantity (tomatoes, corn, eggplant). There are other CSAs in our area as well as a veggie delivery company called L.O.V.E.

As meat goes, our local farmers markets vary in their meat supply. The Torrance farmers market sells perhaps the largest variety of grass-fed meat including bison from Lindner Bison which is near Six Flags Magic Mountain (I smell a field trip… buffalo and roller coasters). Redondo/Hermosa/Manhattan Beach farmer’s markets have fish-sellers, but grass-fed meats are supplied only by one seller – Gourmets On Wheels which you must order from via email on Sunday nights. There’s always Whole Foods, but the seasonality, locality, and freshness compared is a little more variable.

Check out the Nutrition Resources page for a list of farmers markets near us with their times and locations. Go here for a complete list for LA.

Easy-bake Busy Night Bison

“Yes, caveman really did eat that much meat” I find myself saying pretty often to people. Check out an easy to read one from MDA. And here’s a recipe I often resort to when pressed for time.Preheat oven to 350 and let bison come to room temperature. Pour 1/2c citrus juice into a large casserole dish. Place 1.5 lbs bison sliced 1/2″ thick in dish, prick with knife several times. Sprinkle liberally: garlic powder, parsley, lemon pepper. A little less liberally, but still a good amount: oregano, cinnamon, all spice, coriander. Much less liberally: cayenne pepper. Bake 25 min uncovered or until internal temp is 155, cover and let stand for 5 min.

Grace by Arbel + Shira from Arbel Meidav on Vimeo.

Workout of the Day 7/21/2010

A. Split Jerk 1-1-1-1-1

B. AMRAP 12
3 Bar muscle ups
9 Jumping backsquats (65/45)
15 Weighted sit-ups (10/25)

*Scale the muscle ups with the bands if you don’t have a bar muscle up. If you don’t have pull-ups without the band yet, sub 3 pull-ups and 3 push-ups for each muscle up. For the weighted sit-ups use an abmat and a plate.

Phat.

Fat is the bomb in my book. While this Fat post is long, it’s important, so hopefully it doesn’t bomb. It’s the final part in the 3-part “How Much” series (pt. 1: CHO, pt. 2: Pro). I chose to get down to brass tacks rather than get into the science of dietary or body fat in this post. Check out the take-homes in each part if you don’t want to read the whole thing. You can also check out this paleo shopping guide Excel spreadsheet that is in progress, here. You’ll also soon be able to sign up online for the next Nutrition Seminar Sat 8/7 @ 11am.

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Even more than carbohydrate, fat is perhaps the touchiest nutrition topic out there. Bundle that up with people’s perceptions of body fat and self-worth, that’s some sensitive sh*t. I actually decided to change the landing page picture for this very reason to a dude (it came down to Wes, Jon and Vinny since you couldn’t pinch them if you tried, though I haven’t tried. Don’t feel bad if I didn’t name you, please, no seriously, don’t get on the scale, c’mon now…).

Fat has some of the biggest misinformation bombs out there. Why the contention? Well, from a consumer perspective the majority of messaging we receive tells us: 1) Fat should be minimized overall especially if you want to be skinny (who cares about fit?), 2) certain types of fats (the ones I’m about to tell you are health/performance/longevity-promoting) are deadly, and 3) suggestively, since the other kinds of fats (the ones I’m about to tell you are deadly) are everywhere then they must be healthy.

People get all hot and fussy when you mess with their carbs. They get even fussier when you tell them to not only throw their Quaker Oats, peanut butter, and whole grain pasta in the garbage because they’re mostly empty calories, nearly void of absorbable micronutrients and full of ‘poisons’ (lectins, anti-nutrients), but also to start cooking with (grass-fed) beef tallow, ghee and coconut oil, to keep the yolks, eat whole avocados, and keep the nuts/nut butters to a minimum.

The fats available to us in normal grocery stores and in almost all restaurants are of abysmal quality (various vegetable/bean oils, grain/corn-fed animal fat). If it’s literally everywhere, could it be that bad? (The answer is yes – it’s everywhere because it’s subsidized and dirt cheap). Let’s say after you understood why or just that these fats are abysmal you chose to stop cooking/buying them for your home. You’d get rid of the canola oil, the vegetable shortening, anything containing those (most bottled/canned condiments, pretty much anything with shelf life and other products). Then you’d need to replace them with high quality fats. Unfortunately, you can’t find grass-fed butter, tallow, ghee, or coconut oil in Vons, Albertsons or Ralph’s, only at Whole Foods, Sprouts, cheaply in bulk online, or by making it yourself (tallow, ghee).

Matt W's imitation of Vinny's Matt

The saturated fat, let alone general fat myths about health run so rampant and unchecked in popular media and in medical practice that even if high quality fats were more available, most consumers (judging from their popularity) would opt for ridiculous ‘heart-healthy’ fat-free products like this. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had or that I have witnessed via my ADA-approved (USDA/food industry-backed) training in my RD program with people who say their doctors/RD told them to eat less meat, more grains, and less fat (i.e. to follow the USDA Food Pyramid) in order to reduce their cholesterol/body fat/blood pressure/arterial plaques/triglycerides… believe me when I say it’s depressing.

What is hopeful is those who, usually via their own research, via CrossFit, or via researchers or research groups, find the evolutionary way of eating (paleo) and figure out for themselves that the opposite works much better (eating high-quality meat, vegetables, fruits and fats in a ratio that occur in nature and seasonally). Countless examples abound on CrossFit websites of individuals doing a paleo challenge or Whole 30 and turning around each of those biomarkers (not to mention performance markers) and sustaining them.

I’m going to summarize my recommendations for you. As always these recommendations come from part first-hand research, part second-hand research from researchers, research institutions, performance nutrition experts such as Robb Wolf, Dr. Eades, MDA, etc.

Fat and happiness

Fat, aside from tasting delicious, results in satiety signals in brain that make us feel satisfied, full, and happy. Sugar does the opposite; after it’s quickly metabolized — removed from your blood stream and stored as body fat (if not used in exercise immediately) — strong hunger sensations ensue. Fat on the other hand leaves you satisfied and causes no insulin/blood sugar spike/crash.

I have seen many treats (paleo muffins, paleo pancakes paleo ice cream, paleo cookies) grace the blog comments and many a Facebook wall that, albeit technically paleo, entirely miss the point of eating in an evolutionary, paleo way, especially if eaten regularly. These treats tend to be quite high in sugar. What is ‘the point’? Among the big ones: to restore insulin sensitivity and a health-promoting ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in your diet (and eventually your body).

What’s wrong with many of these treats on a regular basis? Your body’s systems see little difference between Chips Ahoy and Paleo Treats or your latest agave/molasses/raw honey/date/banana-based paleo muffin. Insulin sensitivity being the key to fixing all kinds of health issues and promoting longevity, a paleo source of concentrated sugar (while slightly more nutrient dense than a refined carbohydrate equivalent) is metabolically just as bad.

Add to this that most of these paleo treat recipes call for copious amounts of nut butter high in omega-6 fats. Most nuts are very high in omega-6 – an essential fatty acid that should be at about a 1:1 or better ratio favoring omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA – abundant in cold water fish, grass-fed meats). While some nuts may have omega-3 in them, compared to omega-6, it’s nearly negligible. Now, mash them up in a concentrated format that’s easy to eat and tastes like heaven, and you have something potentially dangerous. Also, many may make the mistake of using abysmally low-quality oils in the recipe (canola, vegetable oil which often contain already oxidized fats, and even trans fats despite labeling) or an otherwise good oil at high temperature causing it to oxidize (olive oil for example).

Why does this belong in the fat discussion? Because if you want to get on the bus headed for optimal performance, fat loss, longevity, any of that, I can confidently summarize that you ought to learn to quell your sugar tantrums (and subsequent insulin spike and blood sugar crashes), sweet tooth and dessert habits with high-quality fat. Sugary paleo goodies, dried fruit, or even some fresh fruits (the extremely high-GL, sugary tropical ones, enormous apples, oranges, etc.) should be for rare treats.

Take Homes:

• Limit paleo treats high in sugar and omega-6-dense fats (nut/butters) to once in a while
• Check out this post on sugar tooth tantrums from Whole 9
• Limit your intake of nut butters and nuts as a small fraction of your total fat intake
• Use high quality oils in your treats (and in cooking in general) – tropical oils, animal fats
• Don’t limit your fat intake from whole animal/plant sources; eat these to satiety and then, if you still want something sweet, choose wisely
• Check out the suggestions for fatty sweet-tooth-managing

Dietary fat and body fat

Why and where you store it and how to get rid of excess body fat (and why you ought to) is not uncomplicated but it’s certainly not as simple as ‘calories in, calories out’ or dietary percentages of fat. Probably around 80 or so percent of whether/how your body stories too much fat, especially in the mid-section is due to insulin mis/management: too much refined or high glycemic-load (GL) carbohydrate intake. The other 20% or so is due to other related lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, cortisol, lack of nutrient-dense foods (meats, vegetables).

When you’re eating low levels of CHO (50-150g/day based on activity levels) from nutrient dense (mostly vegetable) sources and your fat intake is from high-quality (low omega-6) sources (mostly high-quality animal products and suitable cooking/non-cooking oils), how much fat you eat as it relates to body fat will become a non-issue (more than likely you’ll struggle to get enough of these types to fuel your activities) and your focus will shift to tinkering with your post-workout carbohydrate/protein (PWO nutrition posts here and here) to help you recover better.

Take-homes:

• A couple great articles from Whole 9’s Science is Hot series: One about cortisol management for crossfitters and another about fat loss.
• Here’s a great summary video featuring Dr. Eades about the documentary Fathead

Protein sources of fat

All animal products will contain fat, but any animal’s fat (even lean meats have some and it adds up over time) will reflect the foods the animal was fed or grazed on. If we were to analyze the nutritional facts of the average American’s meat (human meat), it would be pretty toxic – high in omega-6’s, probably plenty of heavy metals and dioxins – reflecting the food they ate (low quality oils, animals fed high-omega-6 diets, and fish and produce tainted with all kinds of metals, toxins and pesticides). The same goes for the animals you eat. 100% grass-fed animals produce both meat and dairy products with low levels of omega-6 and high levels of omega-3 and many other types of fatty acids that are extremely beneficial to health, muscle growth, metabolism, and more.

Take Homes:

• Don’t skimp on cheap meat (more reasons why); buy 100% grass-fed
• If you can’t get 100% grass-fed, go for lean cuts (usually cheaper) and use high-quality cooking oils and supplement with omega-3 EPA+DHA fish oil (which you should be doing anyway)
• Vary the sources of protein you eat: eat fatty meats, eat lean meats, eat organ meats, eat it all, especially if it’s from a 100% grass-fed animal. Variety ensures you get a variety of micronutrients and fatty acids.

How-to

Meats & Eggs

A variety of meats should be on your plate each week, preferably grass-fed (see above). Eggs are amazing, easy, healthy (please eat the yolks! Take home on saturated fat as part of a paleo diet = very good; as part of a diet high in refined carbs and crappy oils = bad). Here’s a really great overview of animal fats from MDA.

Produce

Coconut and avocados should be staples of your fatty cache. Coconut milk (full fat) should be a staple of your cooking, and a fresh batch of avocados should be always cycling through your paper bag on the counter ripening. Coconut milk chilled with some cinnamon is a great sweet-tooth-killer. Coconut milk in the ice cube trays: blending possibilities endless.

Oils

• For cooking: animal fats (grass-fed ghee, tallow), coconut, palm oil, grapeseed oil
• Not for cooking, but healthy: olive oil, walnut oil
• Look for expeller-pressed — a mechanical rather than heat process used in processing
• Check out MDA’s useful links: Guide to oils, Oils and heat, Tropical Oils

Nuts

• Lowest omega-6 content by far are macadamia nuts; eat nuts in moderation
• Here’s a great post from MDA with omega-6 content and other great info

Cheap and convenient ideas

• $1.80 Unsweetened coconut shreds from Sprouts: 19g fat, 7g CHO in a 1/4c
• $2.49 Trader Joe’s sardines packed in olive oil are amazing (don’t turn your nose up till you’ve tried them); pour over a spinach salad with a splash of balsamic and some fresh herbs. 26g protein, 17g fat in a tin
• $1.49 Trader Joe’s tuna packed in olive oil – 26g protein, 17g fat in a can
• $9/lb Raw mac nuts from Sprouts (10% off if bought in bulk – roast them yourself and freeze)
• Whole free-range chicken/chicken parts /other meat + 1-2 cans coconut milk (curry powder optional) in the slow cooker… heaven.

DIY Condiments

Condiments are hard to find that are free of low-quality oils, corn syrup, other added sugars, gluten, and other crap. Here are some awesome DIY condiment recipes from MDA: DIY salad dressings, Condiment recipes

Workout of the Day 7/15/2010

A. Double under skill work

Rebecca and Heather partying because they're patriots

We’re very fortunate that we have a pretty socially active CrossFit. This weekend is going to be packed with festivities. July 4^th in Hermosa Beach is nothing short of epic. It’s like an 80’s beach party mixed with House Party 2 with a hint of 90’s PCU. Here is a list of things to do this weekend.

Friday Night

Vinny will be throwing a July 4^th weekend kickoff. Supposedly, you are supposed to wear high tops and bikinis. He says there will be flip cup and beer pong (whatever happened to quarters and asshole?). Bring your friends and they can get with our friends and we can be friends.

When: Friday July 2, 2010 4:00PM-2:00AM
Where: 19 Ninth Street, Hermosa Beach

To their defense, it WAS 8AM.

Saturday

After the morning WOD, we will be out at the beach again playing volleyball. Bring your A-game or any kind of game you may have and come play with us. We’ve done it the past two weekends and had a great time. Why stop now?

When: Saturday July 3, 2010 11AM
Where: Somewhere between 25^th-31^st Street in Hermosa

Bring: Your favorite beer, a bag of ice, sun screen, water, snack

Sunday – Happy Birthday, America

It’s still not too late to sign up for the Hermosa Beach Iron man. It consists of a mile sand run, short paddle and chugging a 6-pack. It starts at 10AM. Then it’s fun all day as Sergio (AKA The Situation) will have two kegs buried in the sand in an undisclosed location somewhere in South Hermosa. Constance will also be having a 4^th of July party at her place to kick the day off right.

When: Sunday July 4, 2010 10:30AM
Where: 2150 Beach Drive #A, Hermosa Beach
Bring: A backpack, some Advil, as much drink as you can fit

Let me know if I’m forgetting anyone’s party. Hope to see everyone hanging out this weekend.

Sergio showing off his July 4th camoflage.

Workout of the Day 7/1/2010

A. Pendlay Row 4-4-4

(video courtesy of Catalyst Athletics)

B. For time:
12 Front Squats
21 Kettlebell Swings
200M Run
9 Front Squats
15 Kettlebell Swings
200M Run
6 Front Squats
9 Kettlebell Swings
200M Run
9 Front Squats
15 Kettlebell Swings
200M Run
12 Front Squats
21 Kettlebell Swings
200M Run

Athlete Spotlight: Shira

Shira won CFSB’s 2^nd annual Paleo Challenge and cash prize by an impressive margin, thanks largely to her approach to the Challenge, to CrossFit and perhaps to life in general. 

I had to Google Shira’s favorite motivational WOD phrase “By the power of Grayskull!” (post your favorite to comments, please). I found that it’s the activation phrase required for Adam Prince of Eternia to perform a transformation sequence into his He-Man’s superhero alter-ego. How appropriate. To me, Shira sounds like a superhero name, so when Arbel introduced his little sister to me at the Holiday party I kind of chuckled to myself in my head (or was it audible?) thinking it was a cool name (or maybe I said so…).

The three of us chatted at the party and Arbel and I talked mostly about CrossFit which seemed to bore Shira a little (unfathomable). I asked her when she was going to join (not ‘if’) and she laughed at first then realized I was serious. She didn’t seem to find it encouraging that her brother was one of CFSB’s finest and really didn’t seem too into the idea, trying to shut me up perhaps with a final, “Maybe, we’ll see” or something like that. Looking back on it, I think she may have thought I was drunk (little did Shira know then she had just had a unicorn sighting – drunk Remy). Well, it took her a few months, but she made her way to an April on-ramp class.  

Fast-forward to  8 weeks ago around the end of Week 1 of the Paleo Challenge, Shira asked me about quantifying her intake of macronutrients (CHO, Pro and Fat—next week’s topic), what were optimal sources of food and quantities for leaning out while staying satisfied, kicking ass and hitting PRs. She got a leg up on the competition by sitting down with me for a few minutes sometime during Week 2 of the Challenge to figure out a good starting point for her. She took my blog posts and advice and put them straight to work. She experimented with cooking, and made steady, simple adjustments, an approach that paid big dividends.  

Her food log was impressive: nutrient dense, full of variety, DLG’s and high-quality fats, with smart and well-planned cheats. Her performance in the gym over the 8-week challenge was, well, if any of you have worked out with her, you know she gets down to business, focusing on technique and working on her goats a little after each class. ‘Shira’ in Hebrew means poetry or song. Shira’s double-unders could easily be CrossFit poetry in motion, as anyone would agree having seen the girl jump.  

She takes care of herself before and after with stretching. She manages to let loose when she needs and not take anything too seriously. Having a job and life, Shira is a great example of how to make somewhat major life adjustments (exercise in joining and adapting to CFSB and a new lifestyle/diet) effectively and gracefully. Have a look at her comments below and take a page out of Shira’s evolving paleo playbook.  

Name: Shira
Age: 27
Fran time: 9:25
Deadlift 1RM: 220
Favorite WOD song(s): anything Kid Cudi
Favorite motivational phrase you like shouted at you while working out: By the power of Grayskull!  

Q: How long have you been a member at CFSB?
A: 2+ months.  

Q: What is your day job?
A: Operations Specialist at the Rubicon Project.  

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Dancing, Snowboarding, Volleyball, Playing Pool, Chilling at the beach.  

Q: What is your athletic background?
A: I ran a half marathon about 4 years ago and have been working out ever since on a regular basis. I belonged to a variety of gyms and completed one cycle of P90X.  

Q: What is your proudest achievement?
A: It’s a toss up between finishing the half marathon and seeing my results after this Paleo Challenge. Both events in those moments were equally amazing and motivating.  

Q: What is your most desired goal?
A: To have a rock hard body!!!!!  

Q: If stuck on an island, what would be the three workouts/lifts you would bring with you and why?
A: Annie for the double unders that I love so much which in turn would keep my spirits up. Jackie because if I ever find a way to get off the island, having the endurance to row a bunch would come in handy.  And finally the Power Clean because you never know when you’re going to need to lift some heavy ass shit to survive!  

Q: Have you ever farted during a WOD?
A: Duh, who hasn’t…I’m just sneaky!  

Q: What is cooler than a ninja?
A: Bruce Lee  

Q: What coach do you hate the most?
A: Mariessa because she always makes me keep working when I just want to give up, but I guess that’s why I love her also!  

Q: Why do you CrossFit?
A: To get on Survivor before Arbel!!  

Q: Any advice for someone thinking about trying CrossFit or someone who has just started?
A: Suck it up and just do it! Seriously though, I’d say to ask lots of questions, focus on your technique and get out of your comfort zone.  

Q: Favorite place to eat?
A: Arbel’s after Remy has worked her magic.   

Shira, gettin' some!

Notes from Shira on going paleo…

Being on the Paleo diet for 8 weeks was pretty amazing but there were several bumps along the way. The first couple of weeks I overloaded on fruit and lara bars while struggling to get enough DLG’s in my daily regimen. My appetite increased and keeping moderate portions was the last thing on my mind. 

My body measurements didn’t change much after those 2 weeks, so I learned about using the Zone block method (with Remy’s help, of course!) to see if that would do the trick. It was complicated and very time consuming to keep track of, but after a couple of weeks it became second nature. The same goes for keeping the food log but having that to refer back to is very helpful. That extra time spent paying close attention to what and how much I was eating during every meal or snack was really the key to seeing significant results. 

Social outings became my time to be creative and figure out how I could work with what was in front of me. To my surprise, more times than not the meal I ordered was amazing, healthy, and most importantly Paleo. Also, being the only sober person out reminded me how funny drunk people are! Not drinking was easier than I thought it would be, especially with some comic relief.  

At the end of the 8 weeks, I noticed many positive results; a smaller waist, toned arms, a perky butt, smooth, clearer skin to name a few. Even more, my improvement in the WODs over these weeks was pretty sick. I went from a 1RM Deadlift of 148 in Week 1 to 220 the last week. I couldn’t believe it!  

As a whole, being on the Paleo diet is a major commitment that coincides with the same dedication you put in every day when showing up for a WOD. When you put the two together, it truly is amazing what can be accomplished and how great you feel as a result. I love it and can’t wait to see what’s next! 

Congrats to everyone who participated in the Paleo Challenge and look forward to the next Challenge with your feedback incorporated.

Mark your calendars… the next Nutrition 101 Seminar will be Saturday August 7th post-WOD.

Raw kale avo-pesto salad

4 ripe avocados
1 large bunch kale
2 large bunches basil
1/3 c pine nuts
2T EVOO
1/2 t salt
1 t lemon pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c lemon juice  

Toast pine nuts on low in a pan until golden brown. Clean, de-stem, and tear up into small pieces the bunch of kale, and put into a very large bowl. De-stem the basil, and chiffonade (chop real small) all the basil leaves and add to bowl. Half 4 avocados, criss-cross cut them and scoop out with a spoon into bowl, add EVOO and lemon juice. Massage vigorously with hands, squeezing the mixture between hands with your nice barbell grip. Crush garlic and add along with the cooled pine nuts, lemon pepper and salt and mix evenly throughout the salad. Enjoy!  

Workout of the Day 6/23/2010

A.  Press 3-3-3

B.   21 Ring Dips
21 Burpees
300M Run
15 Ring Dips
15 Burpees
300M Run
9 Ring Dips
9 Burpees
300M Run

• First Aid:
  • We will be creating a designated First Aid area with supplies and equipment.
  • In July one of our members, Allyson, will be certifying all coaches in First Aid and CPR.
  • She will also be helping us purchase and certify us to use an AED.

• Equipment:
  • New equipment to be purchased for the 2^nd side of our box:
    1. 10- 45 lb plates
    2. 12-25 lb plates
    3. 12-10 lb plates
    4. 3 Men’s bars
    5. 3 Women’s bars
    6. Spring Clips
    7. Wooden rings
  • General use equipment:
    1. Rowers
    2. Glute-Ham Device (GHD)
    3. Hang our two climbing ropes

• Programming
  • Trust the programming
  • Designed for the athlete to peak before a milestone WOD (Hero/Girl)
  • If you have questions concerning a specific week’s WODs, talk with Forrest
• Transition times between classes
  • Up to the coach to move the classes along
  • Up to the athlete to be on time
  • Please perform your post WOD stretching/foam rolling on the other side if possible.
  • If you happen to be in the gym during the next class’ PVC instruction, please keep your voices down out of respect for the athletes/coaches.
  • We may instate cutoff times for some WODs to help with the flow.
• Warm-ups
  • Generally people are happy with the variety
  • People, however, miss the “group” feel of the old warm-ups
• Signing up for classes online
  • Trying our best to stay away from sign-ups
  • Due to some class sizes, sign-ups maybe necessary
  • When/If we do start sign-ups
    1. We will have a kick off meeting or post with instructions
    2. We will instate a $5-$10 penalty for signing up and then skipping
    3. We will have a waiting list. If you are on the waiting list, and then get into the class; you will receive a text message notification
• Safety
  • Concerns about safety in the gym during both A and B portions of the WOD
    1. General setup
    2. Dropping bars
    3. Transitioning between stations
  • Up to the coach to explain safety setup during the instruction
  • Up to both coaches and athletes to carry out safety during the WODs
• PVC Instruction
  • Coach’s responsibility to explain
    1. How to dump weight
    2. Common mistakes
    3. Possible injuries/prevention
  • Athlete’s responsibility to carry out as much as possible
• Coach’s roles
  • Clearly identify lead coach
  • Clearly identify assistant coach
• Coaches work out
  • Try not to start doing your own WODs
  • Important to workout in regular classes
    1. Earn client’s respect
    2. Gives you a chance to fix any form issues

• Parking
  • If CFSB lot is full, try 5t St.
  • Usually open spots on 6^th St.
  • Please do not double park in lot
• Class expansion possibilities
  • CFSB has 70-80 people in classes per day
  • Sundays
    1. NLP training focus for next 8 weeks
    2. Potentially designated as a hero/girl/makeup WOD
    3. Must be considered in programming
  • 8pm class
  • Endurance focus class 2x/week
• Potential Certifications or Clinics at CFSB
  • Rowing
  • Olympic Lifting
  • Flexibility/mobility
  • Kipping/Pullup
  • Running
• Dual meets with other boxes
  • First with Paradiso CF next weekend at CFSB – 9am
    1. Mixed team WOD
    2. Day at the beach following WOD – volleyball, etc.
  • Possible challenges with other gyms in the future.
• CFSB Finances
  • Healthy
  • Able to comfortably pay rent
  • Padding to buy more equipment
  • Expansion
    1. Remove wall between rooms
    2. Add shower – future
• Torrance Branch
  • 3-6 months out
  • Near Honda just off of Torrance Blvd
  • 3000 sq ft, cheaper rent
  • Will have locker rooms
  • Dual memberships (Torrance/Hermosa)
  • CF Kids program
• Attitude
  • Continue to introduce yourself to new clients
  • Continue to be receiving to any and all who come into our box
• Pics
  • Generally good feedback concerning pics on Flickr
  • A good means of form analysis
• Filming – Form analysis
  • Working to instate monthly or quarterly filming/review sessions
  • Will aid in form improvement especially on more complex movements
• Technology
  • Working with Dan U. to improve the technology at CFSB
• Social
  • More monthly outings, not just happy hours
  • Forrest, please send Nicole updated list of clients
• Forrest
  • People wish you to be seen working out more – good chance
  • People wish you to be seen going out more – lesser chance
  • The two are inversely related

CFSB will continue to host Town Hall meetings on a quarterly basis. Please attend and have your voice heard. We will only improve with your suggestions. Your training experience will only improve with your suggestions. If you do decide to show up with Starbucks, Jamba Juice or the like; please bring enough to share.

Workout of the Day 6/14/2010

A. “Fran”
21-15-9
Thrusters (95/65)
Pull-Ups
Compare to 2/15/2010

B. Pick a skill to work on (i.e. ring dips, muscle ups, double unders, handstand push-ups, pull-ups)

Tonto showing how excited he is to meet new people

Gyms have rules. We are no exception, only that our rules are a little different. Instead of no dropping weights, we encourage you to drop weights so you don’t get injured. We encourage intensity in the form of yelling, grunting and sweating. We make you go the full range of motion and we keep you accountable. One of my favorite rules is also the highest penalized: Introduce yourself to everyone new. Penalty = 30 burpees per person.

This rule, above all others, differentiates us from all the globo gyms and other fitness studios. I always wondered why people in gyms always had to be such dicks. I used to be one of those dicks. I hated everyone in the gym including but not limited to crazy guy, steroid high school kid with beard, make-up girl, elliptical girl, old stinky guy, weird lift guy, fanny pack grunting guy, break dancer bro and is-that-a-guy-or-a-girl guygirl. No wonder I was a dick and no wonder I didn’t want to introduce myself to them.

Alex shows us the most comfortable position post WOD.

Our gym is different. From the outside it’s intimidating. People lifting weights over their head, carrying sandbags, flipping tires and swinging from bars. People visit us apprehensively like it’s the haunted mansion at Disneyland. They have preconceived notions that they are going to look dumb or embarrass themselves. All of that is diffused with just a few people introducing themselves. You make new people feel welcome just as someone made you feel welcome on your first day.

My first day of CrossFit, everyone was so nice. It felt like they were too nice, like they were getting ready to kidnap me and harvest my organs. Luckily they didn’t. I felt excited to go back to the next class and motivated to get fit. I wasn’t afraid of looking silly or people making fun of me (to my face anyway), but my experience could have been different.

Now compare that to your first time at CrossFit South Bay. How was it different? Introducing yourself to everyone is the beginning to making us all better by strengthening our CFSB family. It removes the fear of embarrassment and lets people focus on getting fit. A lot of you have even said that you have even started to introduce yourself outside the gym. Newsflash: You’re supposed to introduce yourself to new people.

I understand some of you just aren’t the outgoing type and that’s totally fine, but you better damn well be the burpee type because you’re gonna be doing a lot of them.

Reminder the Town Hall meeting will be after the 9AM class this Saturday. It will be informal and we will discuss future plans for CFSB and you will have a say in upcoming improvements.

Workout of the Day 6/11/2010

A. 500M Row max effort x 2

B. 10 Clean & Jerk (135/85)
20 Double Unders
8 Clean & Jerk
20 Double Unders
6 Clean & Jerk
20 Double Unders
4 Clean & Jerk
20 Double Unders
2 Clean & Jerk
20 Double Unders

*Cleans are full squat cleans. Perform the double unders unbroken. If you plan to do this Rx then every time you break your double unders, you stop and do 3 burpees before continuing. Scale this workout down by doing the burpees every other time or not at all if you can’t string together double unders.

Some of my most valuable life lessons were learned as a young boy. I took Kenpo karate from ages 6 to 11 and felt like I got pretty good at it. My first competition was when I was 10 and I got my ass kicked. Then I started playing football and was naturally good at it. I played pop warner for three years and got MVP and made the all-stars. Then I went to high school and got moved up to JV as a freshman and got flattened by a bunch of juniors who somehow had facial hair (which I still don’t have as a 31 year old man). I was in honors classes in high school and never had to study and then went to college and got my first F in calculus, which was my strongest subject. I’ve been served my fair share of humble pie in my life and I I know there is plenty more to come.

Remy and I attended the CrossFit gymnastics cert last weekend and we both realized that we weren’t as fit as we thought we were. Remy apparently has a sucky “strength prowess” (don’t ask her about it, it’s a touchy subject) and I apparently have no control over my own body. We left the cert a little more humble, but more importantly, motivated to get better.

Getting outside of your comfort zone isn’t easy, but it’s something we all need to do to get better. In CrossFit, we get comfortable with a certain weight, a certain kettlebell or a certain pull-up bar. Build upon your successes in workouts and begin to push yourself outside your comfort zone and to the next level. Begin holding yourself to a higher standard in form and technique. The humility isn’t going to taste very nice, but it will make you a better person. I’ve noticed a lot of you starting to really mature as CrossFitters and start to up the weights while keeping the full range of motion. You’ve started to get sets done unbroken and string multiple double unders together and hit those pull-ups and overhead squat more weight. We coaches are extremely proud of all of you. Keep up the good work and keep pushing yourselves outside of your comfort zones.

Welcome On-Ramp

Welcome the On-Rampers when you see them. They just started last night and have a damn good class. This group is going to give the rest of us a run for our money. The classes are starting to sell out a month in advance so if you have people who want to sign up, make sure they do it soon.

LA Rugby Fundraiser

There will be a special fundraiser tonight for the LA Rugby club at Sharkeez in Manhattan Beach at 8:30PM. One of their teammates was playing volleyball this weekend and had a stroke and is critical condition. He is part of our CFSB family and we need to support him. For more information contact Gabe.

Coaches Prep & Town Hall

Last week was a very successful coaches’ prep meeting. We had a little over 13 people show up and got great feedback. We will do it again this Thursday at 6PM and cover an Oly lift, the role of a coach and scaling. We are planning on having the town hall meeting this Saturday after the morning WOD, unless most people can’t make it. We will take as long as you want to cover any topics you may have questions on.

WOD 6/8/2010

A. Back Squat 10-20-30

Perform each set unbroken and rest between rounds as needed. Pick weights for each round that will be relatively heavy. You may rest with the bar on your back, but if you have to rack it or dump the weight, mark it as a fail and move on to the next round. An example weight scheme may be 225, 185, 135. 15 minutes to complete.

B. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Thrusters (95/65)
Knees to Elbows
Burpees