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March 31, 2007
Chocolate Milk: The New Sports Drink?
Thank you Jonathan for bringing this article to our attention!
(WebMD) During a 2004 Summer Olympics awash in controversies over steroids and supplements, one sportswriter wryly noticed that top American swimmer Michael Phelps was playing it safe -- he preferred to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast between races.
Now it appears that the six-time gold medalist may have been onto something. A new study shows that plain old chocolate milk may be as good -- or better -- than sports drinks like Gatorade at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise.
The study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, was small in scale; it was partially funded by the dairy industry. But dietitians say the study should help to counter the notion that high-tech, expensive supplements are better than whole foods when it comes to athletic performance. They also note that milk contains key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, in quantities that sports drinks can’t match.
continue reading:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/24/health/webmd/main1342839.shtml
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 4:51 PM | Comments (1)
March 30, 2007
How To Fail
Learning to fail is an important part of athletic endeavor. We will rarely succeed in pushing beyond our present limitations if we are unwilling to discover what our limits actually are.
For many of us "failure" is a dirty word, but in the case of weightlifting, going to failure is a good thing, as it ensures muscular adaptation.
In the case of the slow lifts (bench, squat, deadlift, press) going to failure can be frightening, especially if we have never gone past our limits. The importance of safety cannot be overstated. Before pushing to failure know your lift inside and out and work the movement with good form. It is better and safer to fail with good form than succeed with poor form.
This brief video shows failure in a heavy bench press with good form throughout, no panic, an attempt to pull off the lift before giving up, and, most important: a trusted and experienced spotter. Thanks Sam!
Post thoughts on failure to comments.
Posted by Max Lewin at 5:55 PM
March 29, 2007
Melissa & Vanessa
Melissa (left) & Vanessa (right) post-WOD
Melissa and Vanessa are a couple of our regular evening class participants. Both have come to us since the move to the new facility. And both are making great progress to boot.
Keep up the strong work, Melissa and Vanessa!
Posted by Max Lewin at 9:53 PM | Comments (5)
March 28, 2007
Learn How to Lift; Learn How to Run
Note: The Jim Schmitz Oly Lifting Clinic has sold out!
We're pleased to announce two clinics coming up in April that will be of great value to you.
Clinic #1
We're holding a POSE running clinic that's been tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 21 (time and location TBD). We're still putting together the particulars on this one but want to gauge interest and we also want to give you enough notice to get it on your calendar.
Clinic #2
SOLD OUT! NO MORE SPOTS AVAILABLE!
We're holding an Olympic lifting clinic with Jim Schmitz (three-time U.S. Olympic Team Coach) on Sunday, April 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (the 10:00 a.m. CF class will be canceled that day). The cost is $100 for CFO members and $125 for non-CFO members. In addition to three hours of instruction from Jim, you'll also receive Jim's DVD and training manual Olympic Style Weightlifting for the Beginner and Intermediate Weightlifter.
This first clinic with Jim will be limited to six participants, of which five spots still remain. We plan on offering more clinics in the future, and most likely will increase the number of participants at future clinics. For now, though, we're sticking with six spots.
Post to Comments whether you're interested in attending either of the clinics. For the Olympic lifting seminar, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure you post to Comments or send us an email (info@crossfitoakland.com) ASAP if you'd like to attend.
Posted by Mike Minium at 11:44 PM | Comments (2)
March 27, 2007
Athlete Spotlight: Kathrina Verzosa
Kathrina has been with CFO for a little less than 2 months and shared with us some very good news about the positive effects CF has had on her overall health. Kathrina's blood pressure has dropped from borderline hypertension to 120 over 76! AND she has lost 2 inches off her waist line!
Kathrina trains at CFO 4 to 5 times a week-- you can find her most days at 9 a.m...
The Soft Science of Dietary Fat:http://www.wsrcc.com/alison/fat/lowfatmyth.html
Come on Folks, don't let Type-Key keep you from posting--we miss the banter and it only takes a minute!
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 5:07 PM | Comments (5)
March 26, 2007
Do It Like That
Shira demonstrates a very nice Hang Power Clean.
Does astrology have predictive power?
Posted by Max Lewin at 9:14 PM | Comments (4)
March 25, 2007
Nicole Okumu, USAW Sports Performance Coach
Nicole finishing a deadlift
Congratulations to Nicole for getting her USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach certification! She learned last week that she passed the written exam and the certificate from USAW is on its way.
Next step: getting some CFO athletes together and entering them in an Olympic lifting meet!
Posted by Mike Minium at 9:49 PM | Comments (3)
March 24, 2007
CrossFit Oakland Grand Opening Party!!!
Mark your calendars cuz we are having a Grand Opening Party
SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH, 2007
4 P.M. TO 7 P.M.
DJs
CROSSFIT CONTESTS
RAFFLE
FUN!!!
Bring your friends and family!!!!!!
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 4:00 PM | Comments (2)
March 23, 2007
PAT Push-Presses 110 lbs
Pat I. Push-Presses 110 lbs! Nice!
There was a little discussion of "ear candling" at CFO the other day. Read below and judge for yourself.
Posted by Max Lewin at 4:49 PM
March 22, 2007
Maybe You, Too, Can Be a Ninja Warrior
Not much to say here other than sit back and enjoy.
This guy's a 34-year-old fisherman from Japan (with ridiculous grip strength!) and is only the second person to complete the final stage of the Ninja Warrior game show of the more than 500 contestants who've tried.
(And thanks to Sam L for initially posting the link to the video a couple days back.)
Post thoughts to Comments.
Posted by Mike Minium at 9:31 PM | Comments (2)
March 21, 2007
Oakland Fire Department Recruit Class #107
We had the honor of training the Oakland Fire Department Recruit Class #107 through a WOD early Tuesday morning.
3 ROUNDS:
400 Meter Run
15 Push Ups
15 Thrusters
Special thanks to Captain Adrian Shepard, Charles Lightfoot and Tamara Holmes for your eloquent testimonials about CrossFit and CFO.
We look forward to seeing the group again next Tuesday at 0700.
TEST OF COURAGE: THE MAKING OF A FIREFIGHTER, is a behind-the-scenes look at the trials and triumphs of a group of young men and women competing to become firefighters. Check it out:
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/testofcourage/story.html
Provide the names of four CFO members in the picture and win a CF T-shirt! Post to comments.
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 2:05 PM | Comments (3)
March 20, 2007
Super-speed DL
Our CFO camera could barley capture Justin deadlifting!
Posted by Max Lewin at 8:30 PM | Comments (1)
March 19, 2007
We Need Longer Bars!
Here is an interesting shot of Sam L. right before a successful 395 pound deadlift at a bodyweight of 185. A PR by 30 pounds! We might need longer bars, the collar barely fits!
Post recent PRs to comments.
Posted by Max Lewin at 2:43 PM | Comments (2)
March 18, 2007
Kandace Makes Progress with Pistols
A couple months ago Kandace wasn't able to get a pistol. Last week, she decided to give pistols another try...and got three per leg!
Way to go, Kandace!
Posted by Mike Minium at 11:12 PM | Comments (5)
March 17, 2007
Back to Basics
Nice work Dawn!
How are your basics coming along? Post thoughts, frustrations, and successes to comments...
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 10:05 PM | Comments (3)
The CrossFit "Position"
Jonathan and Tim Post workout at Lake Merritt last weekend.
What CrossFit workouts have left you feeling like this?
NYT article on Girl's Oly Lifting in Florida School System. Awesome.
Posted by Max Lewin at 6:05 PM | Comments (2)
March 15, 2007
Happy [Belated] Birthday Aminta!!!!!
The Early Morning Crew: Christal, Andrea, AMINTA, Joe, and Jennie
A very Happy Birthday to Aminta Mickles, long-time CFO athlete--whose dedication and positivity is a light for us all!
By the way, Aminta set a PR for today's WOD:
Deadlift 175# x 3!!!!!!!!!!
How old do you think Aminta is? Post guesstimations to comments.
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 2:44 PM | Comments (6)
March 14, 2007
A Little "Rest Day" Reading
As some of you know, every third day on the National CrossFit site is a "Rest Day" and a controversial article is generally posted. This can lead to some thought-provoking discussions, although some of the articles posted are of less than stellar quality. I came across the below article from Salon.com and decided to post it as a little experiment. The views therein do not necessarily reflect the views of CrossFit Oakland, or anyone associated with it.
Post thoughts to comments (please feel free to speak up if you think we should never do this again too).
Oprah's Ugly Secret
Posted by Max Lewin at 1:52 PM | Comments (5)
March 13, 2007
TypeKey & Comment Registration
Some of you may have noticed that we're now requiring registration with a service called TypeKey prior to commenting on a post.
Unfortunately, as our website has grown in popularity, we've also become popular with spammers, such that it's not unusual for me to spend an hour or two each day deleting spam comments (in the last couple of days I've had to delete ~500 spam comments per day).
The TypeKey registration process is relatively quick and easy. It requires you to register with a Member Name and Password, and then to validate your registration via email (so that TypeKey knows you're a real person). After you've done that, all you need to do is log in from the CFO Comments page (you don't even need to go to another site) prior to commenting. In fact, when you log in the first time, make sure you click the "Keep me signed in to TypeKey for two weeks" checkbox so that you only need to sign into your TypeKey account once every two weeks.
If you have any questions or concerns about the registration process, just send an email my way: info@crossfitoakland.com
I've posted a comment below. It's easy. If I can do it, anyone can!
Posted by Mike Minium at 12:27 PM | Comments (6)
March 12, 2007
What Motivates You?
In response to the question: How do you stay motivated? Charlie Moody (boxer) wrote:
I look in the mirror: if I see any trace of the sad, exhausted, pale, weak, fat, whipped wage-slave desk-jockey I used to be, I'm ready to lift some weight. I'm reminded of my sister (nothing personal), who's spent her life doing all the stuff other people want her to do, and all the stuff she figures she should do. A couple of weeks ago, she asked me with tears in her eyes when would it be her turn to have a life and do what she wants? All I could tell her was, "It'll be your turn when you get off the hamster wheel and take a fucking turn." It's up to you. No one else. You'll find the time to work out when you DECIDE you're gonna work out. You'll eat and rest and take care of yourself because you decide you deserve it, you need it, you want it, and NO ONE is going to keep you from it. Not even you. I'm a beginner, too, and no-one's gonna watch what I eat for me, no-one's gonna lift an ounce of my weight. I can make up any story I want about it, but stories are bullshit: I can be a warrior, or I can be a victim. For the warrior, no excuses; for the victim, only excuses.
What motivates your date with a WOD?
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 7:53 PM | Comments (9)
March 11, 2007
Getting Schooled by Jim Schmitz
Jim Schmitz being bookended by Mike and Nicole
Nicole and I had the privilege to learn from and train with Olympic weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz (Olympic team coach 1980, 1988, and 1992) as part of our USAW certification this weekend.
Coach Schmitz, as one would expect from a coach of his caliber, was outstanding. He coached Nicole and me through the snatch and clean-and-jerk to much success. He also set near-term targets for Nicole of 40kg in the snatch and 60kg in the C&J and 80kg in the snatch and 100kg in the C&J for me. I'll let you all do the math for the conversion to boring old pounds!
We want Coach Schmitz to come in and give a 3-hour Oly lifting clinic to CFO members.
Post to Comments whether you'd like to participate in the clinic and also post whether you'd like to participate as part of the CFO team in an upcoming Oly lifting competition.
Posted by Mike Minium at 7:52 PM | Comments (14)
March 10, 2007
Mile Of Misery
I'm moving this to the front. Based on how it was posted, I suspect not many people saw it.
Post thoughts and times to comments.
Posted by Max Lewin at 10:50 PM | Comments (3)
March 9, 2007
What About Cardio?
Charles Lightfoot
For those new to CrossFit--the absolute genius of the programming may not be immediately apparent. New athletes may wonder, "but what about cardio?"...
For those of you who have silently brooded, curiously wondered or just plain asked aloud, this is for you:
-Excerpt from CFJ Issue 22:
"The CrossFit approach to fitness has proven to be a highly effective general physical preparation for training and competition for ultra endurance (alpining), endurance (triathlon), power endurance (rugby and martial arts), power (skiing), and ultra-power (throwing and weightlifting events). In the domain of unknown/unknowable physical demands (police, military, fire personnel) the CrossFit approach to fitness is peerless. In every environment our athletes not only perform well they DO NOT GAS.
Summarizing, CrossFit trained athletes are prepared for the cardiorespiratory demands of any activity and traditional endurance athletes are not. This leads us to the inescapable conclusion that cardiorespiratory fitness possesses a breadth and depth, depth being the cardiorespiratory capacity and breadth its measure across multiple modalities."
CrossFit Journal, Issue Twenty-Two, is available for you to read at CFO. Ask and you shall receive.
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 8:01 PM
March 8, 2007
Lift Heavy & Fast, Stay Young
We captured this video footage of Molly Mehaffy, a Masters-level Olympic Weightlifting competitor, earlier today. Molly currently trains with us three days a week, in preparation for a forthcoming Masters competition.
Molly's proof-positive that lifting heavy and fast will keep you looking and feeling young. It's nearly impossible to believe that she's 57 years old (yes, I got Molly's permission to mention her age).
Keep up the strong work, Molly--you're an inspiration!
Posted by Mike Minium at 11:52 PM | Comments (22)
March 7, 2007
Closed This Weekend/Park Workout/Mud Run Workout
CROSSFIT OAKLAND WILL BE CLOSED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY (MARCH 10TH AND 11TH)
Nicole and Mike will be attending a two day certification at Velocity Sports in Dublin to become Sport Performance Coaches! We will be training with Jim Schmitz, US Olympic Weightlifing Team Coach 1980, 1988, and 1992. Jim is also the author of, Olympic-style Weightlifting for Beginner & Intermediate Weightlifters. Once completed, we will be able to begin our very own CFO Weightlifting Team and participate in club competitions!
Link to USA Weightlifting http://msbn.tv/USAVISION/displayPage.aspx?id=296">HERE.
Fear not, there is still opportunity to work out!
Saturday, March 10th 11 AM. Meet across from Gold's Gym, 600 Grand Ave, Oakland CA, at the pull-up bars. for an outdoor workout, rain or shine. This will be a full-intensity workout , so members or experienced CrossFitters only please! Free.
Sunday, March 11th 11 AM. Meet at Ocean Beach approximately one hundred yards due west of Judah and Great Higway for Mud Run training. Free. Shoes optional.
Brunch afterwards at the Sea Breeze Cafe.
3940 Judah Street
(at 44th Ave & 45th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 242-6022
(there are tables outside for your sweaty-running-clothes self, you'll be fine here).
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 1:00 PM | Comments (11)
March 6, 2007
Dumbbells Are Fun
We captured some footage of Kandace and Shira taking on a workout last week that involved dumbbell squat cleans, sit-ups, and dumbbell hang power snatches (among other exercises).
Way to go, Kandace and Shira!
Posted by Mike Minium at 11:51 PM | Comments (4)
March 5, 2007
The Front Squat
The front squat, one of our standard exercises, has many virtues. Among them:
The FS teaches the importance of remaining upright. The human leg is a third-class lever. To attain maximum mechanical advantage, using a third-class lever, the weight must stay over the fulcrum (hip), to avoid forming an extremely inefficient structure.
Put simply, if you allow the weight to come forward on a front squat, it will no longer be over your center of gravity. With a significant weight, this will make the lift impossible (or very difficult) to complete. Imagine a teeter-totter with one end twice as long as the other. While this is a First-class lever, the principle is the same, and it should be obvious you would want to be on the shorter end for maximum mechanical advantage. Another, perhaps more cogent example, would be the overhead squat. Since the load (the weight) is so far from the input force (the lever of the leg) you can really feel any deviation from directly overhead. The principle is the same here, but less pronounced.
We also like the front squat because it teaches part of the Clean & Jerk. Getting the bar "racked" on the shoulders is key. The weight is not held in the hands (no, not even a little bit), but rather rests on the declivity formed by the medial and anterior deltoids (easier to see on someone muscular). The fingers "babysit" the bar. They do not grip it (no, not even a little bit).
Finally the front squat teaches you to push through the heels, because if you don't you will come up on your toes as the bar pulls you forward (see above for why not to do this) and you will experience what we technically call a "yard sale".
Post poundages to comments.
Posted by Max Lewin at 11:51 PM | Comments (9)
March 4, 2007
Overhead Squatting 205 Lbs
Former CFOer Jim Lark came in for a visit last week to check out the new digs. While he was here, he managed to set a PR in the overhead squat, lifting 205# at a bodyweight of 170#.
Nice work, Jim!
Posted by Mike Minium at 11:57 PM | Comments (4)
March 3, 2007
CrossFitesque Oddities
Check out the video:
http://wmp.mainichi-msn.co.jp/MSN/2007/02/23/elephant.wmv
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (AP) -- New Yorker Ashrita Furman looked around for a record he could break, and settled on doing the most squat thrusts in one minute. Then he decided on a place -- the back of an elephant in northern Thailand...
full story here:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/22/squat.thrusts.ap/index.html?eref=rss_offbeat
Post your claim to fame to comments.
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 11:35 PM | Comments (12)
March 1, 2007
Skill Assessments at CFO!
Check it out! We're on the Community Blog from the National Site...
On February 17th and 18th we conducted Skill Assessments for the follwoing:
Squats
Static Hang/Rope Climb
Sit-Ups
Wall Ball/Thrusters
400m Run
500m Row
Pull-Ups
L-Sit
Knees-to-Chest
Kettlebell Swings/Kettlebell Snatches
Medicine Ball Cleans/Snatches/Cleans
If you didn't get a chance to make it then, please let us know and we can sneak a skill assessment in either before or after our regularly scheduled WOD!
Posted by Nicole Okumu at 9:30 PM | Comments (7)