October 2009

We're going to be starting a CrossFit Games Prep class this Saturday at 11am.

The schedule for the CFGP class is as follows:

Tuesdays at 6pm
Thursdays at 6pm
Saturdays at 11am

This class is open to anyone who's interested in competing for Team CFO or as an individual in the CF Games (either in a sectional qualifier, a regional qualifier, or the masters competition at the Games).

These classes will focus on shoring up individual weaknesses, building on strength, and providing an ever-increasing metabolic challenge as the Games get closer.

This Saturday's class will kick off with a brief meeting and will be followed with a team workout.

If you're even a little bit on the fence about competing in the Games, I highly encourage you to come and check out the class.

Jo Ann Arnold, mommy, massage therapist, tai chi practitioner and super bad-ass weightlifter will be doing massage therapy at CFO next Thursday, October 15th from 1p.m. to 4p.m.  Jo Ann is a master at integrating traditional shiatsu, deep tissue, Swedish and trigger point massage techniques. She specializes in deeper work and can work with people who are in the process of injury rehab. 

Jo Ann has had her practice for 8 years and works with athletes of every discipline. She is amazing!

Her rates are:

30 minutes for $50

60 minutes for $90

90 minutes for $125

Check the sign-up sheet at CFO to get on her schedule next Thursday.

ALSO!

Dawn will be holding a FREE stretching seminar on Saturday, October 10th from 11a.m. to noon focusing on shoulders. 

We're excited and pleased to announce that we'll be hosting a CrossFit Football certification seminar at CFO on December 5 & 6.  We've been big fans of CF Football's purpose and workouts since its inception, and the opportunity to host one of their certification seminars was an opportunity we couldn't let pass.

If you know anyone who is a coach in football, rugby, or even lacrosse, please give them a heads-up about this certification.

Here's a sample agenda for the two days:  CF Football Certification Outline

You can find the link to register for the CFF cert on the left-hand side of our blog, or you can just go here.

Our very own, bounce-back-from-pregnancy-like-a-champ, Dawn Miller, will be offering up her expertise on stretching the shoulders tomorrow at 11a.m.! This class is FREE to all CFO members.

Tami finishing her C&J at the Cal Strength Open (photo courtesy of Catalyst Athletics)

The Bad Girl Open will be taking place next Sunday, October 18 at FIT Barbell Club in Los Altos, CA.  All the action kicks off at 11am.

Stephanie, Audra, and Tamara will be competing.  It would be great if we could get a CFO contingent there to cheer them on.  Talk to them and find out when they're going (lighter weight classes go first, heavier weight classes go later), and then show up and show your support!

Lance's Cooking Demo

Here's the menu for Lance's cooking demo tomorrow:

Braised romano beans in adobo
Long-cooked broccoli hash
Roast rosemary sweet potatoes
Crispy chickpeas
Poached free-range chicken & stock

There are still a few spots available for Lance's cooking demo; email us if you're interested in joining us!

Miss eating piles of pasta?  Me too.  Spaghetti squash is the perfect substitute for those days when all you would kill for a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.  It is also a great way to get kids and picky eaters to eat vegetables.  Spaghetti squash gets its name because when the flesh is cooked it separates into what looks like conventional spaghetti.  It has a mild flavor similar to plain pasta.  Spaghetti squash strands can be used in recipes to replace pasta, such as in a salad. Or simply serve it as you would traditional spaghetti adding tomato sauce or pesto.  My favorite way to eat it is with butter and a little parmesan cheese.  

Nutritional Highlights:  This squash has a low glycemic index and is loaded with vitamins, making it a more healthy alternative to plain old spaghetti.  Winter squash, such as this spaghetti variety, is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), folate, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, pantothenic acid and manganese. 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash has only 10g of carbohydrates and 2g of fiber.

Buying & Storing:  Spaghetti Squash are at their best from October to November when they are in season.  This squash ranges from 4-8 pounds in weight.  Ripe Spaghetti squash is pale yellow and firm.  Avoid squash that appears bruised and that are green in color.  It can be stored at room temperature for about a month.   

How to Prepare:   Like a potato, take a knife and pierce the squash in several places and place it on a cookie sheet. Bake squash at 375 degrees for approximately 1 hour.  While it's baking begin preparing your pasta sauce.  Once the squash is cooked, set it aside and let it cool for about 15 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle take a large knife and cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into strands.  Add your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy!

Lance and Benny (who grilled a mean tri-tip) at work.

Yesterday afternoon we convened around the stove and cutting board to watch and learn from Lance as he worked his magic in the kitchen!  Over the course of three hours we learned to cook (and then ate):

• A Poached Chicken/Chicken Stock
• Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato
• Chipotle Braised Romando Beans in Adobo Sauce
• Broccoli and Chick Pea Hash
• Baked Late-Summer Chunky Tomato Sauce
• Chimihurri
• Herb Infused Tri-Tip Roast

Lance took us through all phases of preparation and cooking all the while offering up tips and suggestions for food prep along with basic cutting techniques, tools to have on hand, oil usage, oven temperatures  etc.  It was an excellent afternoon of good food and essential information, we all came away armed with recipes (all converted to Zone proportions) to contemplate and try ourselves.   If more people are interested we will schedule another class before year end--let us know in comments and we'll get to work on a date!

Learn to cook quick and simple recipes for healthy living and better Crossfitting!

Robyn hamming it up with tactical gear on

Tell friends, tell family, tell enemies:  This Saturday, October 17th, we're having a free Community Day workout.  All the fun begins at 11am. 

Robyn and Dawn will be running everyone through a workout that will be matched to the fitness level of every participant.  If you're looking for a stern challenge, this workout will be for you.  If you're looking for a gentle introduction to CrossFit training, then this workout will also be for you.  If you're somewhere in between, then you can do this workout, too.

Don't be shy, show up and bring lots of people with you.

Saturday, October 17th at 11am.  5741 Doyle Street.

WHO'S IN?

Darby getting after a box jump at 6am

Reminders about upcoming events:

Saturday, Oct 17 at 11am:  Free Community Day Workout right here at CFO.  Everyone is welcome.

Sunday, Oct 18 beginning at 11am:  The Bad Girl Open.  Come support Audra, Stephanie, and Tamara (among the many other female lifters putting it on the line) compete in Olympic weightlifting.  Full details here (including directions).

Friday, Oct 23:  Lee's 50th Birthday (followed by a party at his house the following day beginning at 3pm)!  We'll be doing the Filthy 50 in honor of him throughout the whole day.  But if you wanna join him, come at 5pm.

That's it for now.  There are some big events happening on the 24th as well, but we'll serve up some reminders about those next week.

Community Day Tomorrow, Free for all who want to check out CrossFit Oakland. Invite your friends and family and turn them onto a lifetime of fitness!  

Luz at the top of a push press midway through Fight Gone Bad

This one's going way off-topic, so consider yourself warned.

I was recently catching up on some economics reading, because reading about economics is SO MUCH FUN.  I was reading about game theory, and some example of various prisoner's dilemmas.  And that got me to thinking even more.

So without further ado, here's a little social science experiment, and it's interactive, since comments will be used (or not used, as it may turn out) as the means for assessing the outcome of our own little prisoner's dilemma.

Here are the rules:

1. If you stay silent over the next 24 hours and this post ends up with 0 (zero) comments, you'll be doing 25 burpees during your group class warm-up on Tuesday, October 20.  That's a pretty manageable number, and if stretched out over a few minutes, it's practically a walk in the park.  A pretty good deal, eh?
2. If at the end of 24 hours, this post has 100 or more comments, the author of this post, yours truly, will do 25 burpees at the 5pm class on Tuesday, October 20.
3. If you fall even 1 comment short of 100 (99 or less), you'll do 50 burpees during your group class warm-up on Tuesday, October 20.
4. For a comment to count, it must be at least two sentences long.
5. Each sentence must contain at least two words.
6. Each sentence must contain at least one noun and one verb.
7. Duplicate comments will not count toward the total comment count.
8. Duplicate sentences will not count.
9. Questions about the rules, and any follow-up answers, will not count toward the total comment count.
10. The 24-hour period will expire at 11pm PST on Sunday, October 18.

Game on!

Reminder:

The Bad Girl Open starts tomorrow at 11am.  Let's get out there and show the ladies some support.  Audra begins at 11am, Stephanie begins at 1pm, and Tamara begins at 4pm.

And while we're at it, I like to start another challenge. For the next ten days I challenge you to eat vegetables with every meal. Everyone that reads this blog knows that greens are the foundation of a healthy diet. These wonder foods are packed with nutrients that help regulate hormones and improve energy. Unfortunately, many of these nutrients are lost during workouts, which is why it is especially important to make sure we get adequate veggies in our diet. So, if you're ready to take your fitness to the next level, then join me for a 10-day vegetable challenge!

The challenge is simple. For ten days you must eat at least one serving of vegetables at each meal and snack. We'll use the USDA's definition of a serving size. The United States Department of Agriculture sets a serving size for vegetables to be equal to about one-half cup. Greens like spinach and lettuce have a serving size equal to one full cup.

Oh and one more thing:  Mini has pledged to do 5 burpees for every person that successfully completes all 10 days.

Who's up for the challenge? Post to comments.

Manwell about to get 5 reps.

High Bar. Weightlifters put the bar high on their traps on Olympic Squats. Just below the neck. Putting the bar high increases the distance bar to hips. This has several implications:

• More torque on your lower back.
• More upright position compared to low bar.
• Easier to squat deep.
• Hips & quads evenly emphasized.
• Less maximal weight.
• Easier on your shoulders if you’re inflexible.

Low Bar. Low bar is used by most CrossFitters & recommended by Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength. The bar rests below the bone on top of your shoulder-blades. Low bar decreases the distance of bar to hips. Consequences:

• Less torque on your lower back.
• More leaning forward.
• Posterior Chain emphasis. More hips, less quads.
• Greater maximal weights can be used.

Have you tried both?  If so, which do you prefer and why?  Post to comments.