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December
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Ekundayo finishing "Barbara"
************************We will be running a regular schedule tomorrow********************
New Year's Day 9a.m. and 10a.m. classes only, followed by a FREE Community Day Workout at 11a.m. for all of you who want to come in and get a taste of CFO!!!!
Also, on New Year's Day, we will be having a Spicy Wing Contest (BYOB) at 3pm.
EVERYONEis welcome to come!
Post reflections on the CFO community to comments.
Happy Birthday, Melissa!
Melissa celebrating her birthday with a few other familiar faces from CFO
Melissa, who many of you know as one of CFO's most consistent athletes (with plenty to show for her consistent effort: kipping pull-ups, a vastly improved overhead squat, and the ability to do push-ups 'til the cows come home, to name just a few), had her birthday this past Thursday.
And tonight she celebrated it at Pizzaiolo.
Happy birthday, Melissa!
Post birthday wishes to Melissa and a creative caption for the photo above to comments (notice Annie with a huge wad of cash in hand).
New Year's Resolutions
"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year's Day in modern America was not always January 1.
A little history on our upcoming holiday:
ANCIENT NEW YEARS
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.
During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.
NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.
Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.
The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.
Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.
The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.
FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.
At CFO, we will use good old spicy chicken wings and beer, and for your pagan enjoyment will have (and keep) our New Year's Resolution board for all to see!
OUR NEW YEAR'S DAY PARTY WILL BE FROM 3P.M. TO ?--BRING A DISH TO SHARE (PREFERABLY SPICY CHICKEN WINGS) AND YOUR FAVORITE LIBATION TO TOAST YOUR FELLOW COMRADES IN FITNESS IN 2008! ALL ARE WELCOME...
Post your CF related (or non-related if you feel like sharing) New Year resolutions to comments.
And the winner is...
(Our apologies to Michael for the old picture; we'll get an updated photo of him within the next couple of days.)
...Michael Gardner by a landslide! It wasn't even close.
As many of you know from Nicole's post last month, Michael set a goal of getting a muscle-up by his birthday on May 30, 2008, which is still 6 months away.
Well today, in front of a nice little crowd at the 5pm class, Michael got his first muscle-up (unfortunately, I didn't have my camera on hand)! And he made it look so easy.
In addition to getting his first muscle-up way ahead of schedule, Michael also wins the bet that we had. Instead of getting a free month of training, though, Michael has asked that we donate his winnings to a charity of our choice.
(And just so you all know, Michael's progress has been accelerated by really tightening up his diet; he started zoning a couple months ago and it's made a huge impact on his fitness level.)
Check back in on the blog in a couple of days; we'll put together a video of him getting his second muscle-up.
For now, though, let's congratulate Michael on his great achievement in comments.
New in 2008!
Jen of the Berkeley Fire Department
In the new year (sometime mid-January) we will be offering a Firefighters' CrossFit class at 8:30 a.m. (Monday thru Friday) for all of our Berkeley and Oakland Firefighters who are interested in training immediately following their shift change.
We are always open to hearing what other class times may be useful for all of our members. If there are enough people who are interested we can always give it a try!
Post your new CFO class times wish list to comments.
New Year's Day Reminder
Mmmmm...hot wings!
Just a quick reminder, everyone: we're having a hot wings party at CFO on New Year's (Jan 1) beginning at 5pm. Bring your best plate of wings and join us for lots of wings and beer as we usher in the new year.
In addition, we'll be holding a free Community Day Workout at 11am on the 1st. Also take note that we'll be running our weekend schedule (9am and 10am only).
And finally...Merry Christmas to all!
Survivor Girl: Zone Meal by Any Means Necessary
This morning as the temperature dropped to 25 degrees F and the gail winds blew six foot icicles from the trees around our rural cabin the lights began to blink on and off and then, darkness all around. No power. No heat, and more importantly, with four young children in my care--no stove to cook breakfast! With stomachs rumbling and blood sugar quickly dropping, I summoned my inner Survivor Girl and whipped up a Zone breakfast on the dying embers of our fire saving us all from eminent starvation!
Post your tall tale survivor stories to comments. And Merry Christmas everyone!
Zone Meal By Any Means Necessary
Final Product: Scambled Eggs, Dried Thai Chili, Hunk-o-Avocado, and an Asian Pear
Even Saturated Fat is All Right
Mmmm...butter
I was recently reading Dr. Michael Eades's (of Protein Power fame) blog, where he linked to a great article on saturated fat.
After giving a brief history on how saturated fat originally came to be seen as the evil cause of heart disease, the article goes on to discuss two key points:
1. The science that shows saturated fat intake leads to heart disease is incredibly weak, and at best, the two are correlated (and that's being generous).
2. Saturated fat intake can actually lead to a reduction in the typical heart disease risk factors (HDL/LDL ratio or triglyceride levels, depending on which measure you prefer).
(It also briefly explains how a high-carb diet can lead to the high triglyceride levels, but that's a story for another post.)
But don't just take my word for it. Read the full article here.
The Rope Climb
Rope Climbing is a very simple exercise, in fact it is probably the simplest exercise you can find. Rope climbing has been one of the favorite exercises of combat athletes all over the world for centuries. Many historians agree that rope climbing is the earliest form of gymnastics equipment ever used and ancient ropes have been unearthed from several sites in Ancient Greece.
Rope climbing is one of the most effective ways to strengthen the entire body and develop functional strength. The climb comes up every now and again in our WODs, but is still, in our opinion, an under-utilized piece of equipment at CFO. So next rest day give this nice "density training" with rope climbs a try.
Set a timer for 10-minutes. Challenge yourself to climb the rope as many times as possible during this timeframe. You may be surprised how difficult it is!
Post your experience to comments.
A CF Christmas Present?
If you could buy yourself just one CrossFit-related gift (something pertaining to exercise or diet), what would it be?
Post your answer to comments.
Welcome to CFO!
Journey and Sierra, delivered to CFO via the yummy Pizzaiolo in Temescal (where they both work) under the influence of Mrs. Annie Vought-Vermiere (dedicated CF proselytizer and Pizzaiolo patron), are now well on their way to becoming fire-breathing-kipping pull-up -having-eye-of the-tiger CF ATHLETES! We expect great things from these two, and are happy to have them training at CFO.
What advice would you give to a new CF athlete to help them have a long and happy CF career? Post your sage-words to comments.
Pizzaiolo Restaurant (yum,yum--grilled sardines and pizza!!!)
5008 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609
http://pizzaiolooakland.com/
******WE WILL BE CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY*******FREE COMMUNITY DAY WORKOUT ON JANUARY 1ST AT 11A.M.***********************************
Mmmmm...Poached Eggs!
4 delicious poached eggs (with lots of olive oil)
I just received an awesome early Christmas gift and couldn't wait to give it a test run. I got an egg poacher and did 4 eggs for breakfast this morning. Poaching the eggs to a soft boil (where the egg white is firm but the yolk is runny) is just about the best way to go in terms of taste and health benefits (you don't want the fat in the yolk to be oxidized by overheating it).
Throw these eggs over a piece of toast with some prosciutto and voila, you've got one tasty breakfast.
Read up on the health benefits of eggs:
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92
Post to comments your favorite protein source.
Mental Tricks!
Tamara's Bodyweight Bench Press
The New York Times recently featured and article on dissociation and athletic performance. Dissociation as defined by Wikipedia is a state of acute mental decompensation in which certain thoughts, emotions, sensations, and/or memories are compartmentalized because they are too overwhelming for the conscious mind to integrate.
Dr. Morgan, who tested the method in research studies, said he was inspired by a story, reported by an anthropologist that, he suspects, is apocryphal. It involves Tibetan monks who reportedly ran 300 miles in 30 hours, an average pace of six minutes a mile. Their mental trick was to fixate on a distant object, like a mountain peak, and put their breathing in synchrony with their locomotion. Every time a foot hit the ground they would also repeat a mantra.
So Dr. Morgan and his colleagues instructed runners to say “down†to themselves every time a foot went down. They were also to choose an object and stare at it while running on a treadmill and to breathe in sync with their steps. The result, Dr. Morgan said, was that the runners using the monks’ strategy had a statistically significant increase in endurance, doing much better than members of a control group who ran in their usual way.
Going hard on Fran? In the third round of five round chipper? Going for PRs on the Crossfit Total? What specific mental strategies do you use to get your best performances?
Full Article Here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/health/nutrition/06Best.html?pagewanted=2&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/K/Kolata,%20Gina
CFO Holiday Schedule
Please take note of our holiday schedule:
Christmas Eve (Mon, Dec 24): Weekend schedule (9am & 10am)
Christmas Day (Tue, Dec 25): Closed
New Year's Eve (Mon, Dec 31): Normal weekday schedule
New Year's Day (Tue, Jan 1): Weekend schedule (9am & 10am) plus Wing Cook-Off starting at 5pm
Wing and Beer Cookoff at CFO!
THE SECRET INGREDIENT:
FINGER LICKIN' GOOD:
We discovered that more than a few of you are spicy wing fans, and we thought it a swell idea to have a SPICY CHICKEN WING COOKOFF on New Year's Day (evening) at CFO! For the purists among you, we will have created a very 2008 WOD for your enjoyment!
If you're interested in participating as a cook, post to comments.
Facts and Fallacies of Fitness: Cardiovascular Fundamentals
I'm in the middle of reading Facts and Fallacies of Fitness by Mel Siff. It was first published about a decade ago and still stands as a masterwork in terms of debunking just about every pop fitness myth or half-truth out there.
Many of the fallacies Siff exposes will be familiar to most of you who train with us, but nonetheless bear repeating.
So without further adieu, here are the fallacies that Siff lists (and builds a case against with solid data and logic) related to cardiovascular fundamentals (these all appear on page 6):
* A major cause of heart disease is lack of adequate aerobic exercise.
* Aerobic exercise is the most effective form of cardiovascular training.
* Cardiovascular exercise is the most effective way of reducing bodyfat.
* Aerobic training is excellent for reducing overall stress in the body.
* Aerobic exercise is an excellent form of cross-training for all sport.
* Exercising above the aerobic threshold causes oxygen debt.
* One should never exercise above a training heart rate of about 80% of one's maximum.
* Continuous long duration exercise offers the best form of cardiovascular conditioning.
* Cardiovascular training is the only form of exercise that produces endorphins.
* Cardiovascular training plays a major role in determining performance in most sports.
* Anaerobic training plays no significant role in improving cardiovascular performance.
Post any bones of contention you have with these fallacies to comments.
EARLY MORNING STUDS!
Firefigthers Nero, Wilson, Avera and Holmes with Dr. Doug
This was taken just minutes after the WOD that will go down in CF history as a brutal test of mental endurance (5 Rounds 21 SDHP/21 Thrusters @ 75#). That WOD seemed to make an impression on our CFO community and was categorized as "character building" by most, and "downright f**king horrible" by others.
Let's do it again!
Post your least favorite WOD to comments.
The Numbers Don't Mean Squat
The standard laid out for proper back squat depth in Starting Strength by Rip and Kilgore
[I'll apologize upfront if I offend anyone here; unfortunately every once in a while I have to put on my Mean Mike hat and get down to business.]
Nicole and I were appalled at the large number of CFO athletes who failed to get proper depth during the back squat workout when the sets counted (i.e., when we started to get into heavy singles). By our estimation, nearly 50% of those who walked through the gym doors failed to get to full depth on all five of the singles.
Make no mistake, we're not just pointing fingers at those going short on the back squats; it's as much a failure in coaching as anything and we definitely take our share of the blame for not being emphatic enough about the importance of full depth. That will soon change.
Also, while we're being clear, this is not directed at those who are not capable (due to inflexibility or otherwise) of achieving full depth at present. This is aimed at those who can achieve full depth but for whatever reason do not.
Enough of my preamble...
To paraphrase Mark Rippetoe (someone who knows a lot more about these matters than I), the purpose of barbell training is to get stronger, not to see how much weight we can lift. This concept should direct your entire training outlook.
Squatting, while a wonderful exercise in and of itself, when done to proper depth (as in the picture above, the crease of the hip is below the patella), is so much more than simply sitting down and then standing up with weight on your back. A properly executed back squat teaches you how to use the stretch reflex to drive your hips out of the hole. This has tremendous carryover into just about any activity that has a power production requirement. And simply put, if you're not utilizing that stored elastic energy out of the bottom of the squat, you're not squatting (you might as well just do box squats and dispense with the elastic loading that occurs in a back squat to proper depth).
Furthermore, this requirement of proper depth doesn't end with the back squat. If you care about benchmark workouts like Fran, where the thrusters only count if you go down to full depth, or being able to perform the heaviest clean you can (and you need to catch the bar in a full squat to pull off that feat), then you damn sure better care about getting down and out of the hole in your back squats.
If you can perform an empty-bar set of five to proper depth, you have all the tools you need to become a good back squatter. So get to work, get depth, and do it right. And for crying out loud, quit worrying about the numbers.
And one other side note and some food for thought: the athletes who put up the biggest squat numbers were the ones who went to full depth. Do you think that's a coincidence?
Congrats, Alec!
Alec after squatting 215# during today's back squat workout
We wanted to send a quick shout out to CFO newcomer Alec for the huge improvement over his previous back squat PR today. He last squatted a couple of weeks ago in the CrossFit Total and managed to get 185# for the first time.
Today he blew that old mark out of the water, though, and squatted 215#--a huge improvement. Way to go, Alec!
Post props to Alec in comments.
Feed the Soul, Rest the Body
KEY INGREDIENTS TO A SUSTAINABLE AND FIT LIFE:
1. The PLANNED weekly cheat meal.
2. Rest. Anyway, anyhow.
Take it from Mini, he knows.
MIKE'S FAVORITE CHEAT MEAL
POWER NAPPER
Post your favorite "cheat" meal to comments.
Another CFO Wager
Annie (front right) swinging a kettlebell at CFO version 1.0
Long-time CFOer Annie Vought is back in action this Thursday, only this time there are some stakes involved. She's been so consumed with school (she's in the Mills College graduate art program) that she wanted a little extra motivation.
So here it is:
If she sticks to the 3-on/1-off schedule for the next thirty days (upon her return this Thursday), she'll win a dinner and drinks at Cesar on me.
Post inspirational words for Annie in comments.
Health or Hype?
The question: The organic apple or the conventionally grown local one?
It turns out to be a frustratingly layered choice, one that implicates many other questions: What's the most efficient way to grow food for all? Should farms be big or small, family- or corporate-run? How do your choices affect the planet? What tastes better? Are organic foods safe? More nutritious? Better for the environment?
Post your thoughts to comments.
Organic vs. Traditional Farming 101:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
Business Week:http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_42/b4005001.htm
The Most Useful Moves
A beautiful kipping pull-up video from the good folks at CrossFit HQ
I've recently fallen in love all over again with the kipping pull-up (okay, I admit it, it's pretty geeky to fall in love with a CF move, but what the heck, I'm a CF geek). I've taken to throwing in sets of kipping pull-ups throughout the day, just working the move. It's one of the most beautiful demonstrations of core-to-extremity movement we have, with the impetus of the move originating in the hip (core) and culminating with the arms (extremity).
It's also why the clean-and-jerk is one of my favorite moves (again, a powerful hip extension starts it all).
In fact, if I could do only three moves from the CF repertoire (and thank goodness we don't have to limit ourselves to only three), they would be the kipping pull-up, the clean-and-jerk, and the squat (especially the back squat, but any squat--loaded or not--will do).
You could run the entire gamut of beneficial physical adaptations with these three moves, whether you're interested in limit strength or peak power (max load), metabolic conditioning (higher reps, shorter rest, or both at submaximal loads), or any sort of blend of these adaptations. In fact, you could likely program with just these three moves and have more than enough variety and breadth of adaptation to keep you going for a good month, if not more.
But enough rambling...post your own list of the three most useful CF moves, along with your rationale for selecting them, to comments.
Skill Assessments at CFO!
HMMMM Guess who? Guess How?
Yet another Skill Assessement Day is upon us! We will be doing Skill Assessments on the next rest day: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH and will be testing a handful of movements from our Skill Level Assessments! We do this every few months so that members, both new and old can have a clear understanding of where they are and where they want to go. We also use these days as an opportunity to develop clear and attainable 1, 3 and 6 month goals!
Who among you has CF New Year's resolutions? Post to comments.
One Tough Workout
From left to right: Connor, Candace, Brandon, Max, Steven, Melissa, and Daniel
Some of our 6pm regulars, pictured above, showed up to take on today's WOD from the national site:
Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
75 pound Sumo deadlift high-pull, 21 reps
75 pound Thruster, 21 reps
It was a rough one, to put it mildly. In fact, a few who did it said that it was one of the more difficult workouts they'd ever done. Or at the very least, rougher than it appeared on paper.
Post to comments the roughest WOD you've ever done.
Get Well Soon!
Shira Yaziv--capoeirista and CF athlete who is fondly known at CFO as the Princess of Power had an appendectomy a few nights ago. Shira, we are sending you love and hope that your recovery is quick and complete!
Post your health-inducing comments for Shira to comments.
Give the Gift of Gym Time
If you know someone that's been thinking about getting started on a program of health and fitness, take note:
We'll be offering a CFO holiday package that includes the following:
* 4 Intro Sessions
* 1 Month of Unlimited Group Classes
* 1 Nutrition Counseling Session
* 1 CFO T-Shirt
The cost of this package is $425 (the normal value is $484).
This can be purchased online (starting Thursday, December 6) or paid for with cash or check (made out to CrossFit Oakland).
Contact us at 510-595-9348 or info@crossfitoakland.com for more details.
Parkour Re-Visited!
Long, but worth watching!
Parkour
(sometimes abbreviated to PK) or l'art du déplacement (English: the art of displacement) is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls — and can be practiced in both rural and urban areas.
A while back, we tried to arrange a Parkour seminar but were unable to get the requisite 10 people necessary to get the instructor to CFO. We are hoping that these jaw-dropping Traceurs will inspire us once again to make a CFO-hosted Parkour seminar happen!
There are several local groups that gather the next "Jam" is:
When: Sat. December 15th.
Where: Meet at the large pillar in the center of Union Square.
Who: Everyone welcome. (New and Experienced)
Check out SF Parkour for more info:
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/index.php
Post to comments if you'd be interested in participating in a Parkour seminar at CFO!
More Than a Gym
A few images from our holiday get-together at Luka's
Just wanted to give a big thanks to all you who turned up at Luka's last night (and there were a lot of you!). It makes Nicole and me feel extremely grateful to be associated with so many wonderful people. You've made CFO so much more than just a gym.
Community Day Success
We had a great turn out for our Community Day Workout--we were able to introduce some fundamental movements to about 20 people who were getting a taste of CrossFit. Thanks to Lau and Connie, newly minted CF trainers, for taking on the coaching! We plan on holding another Community Day in January 2008.
Here is what we did:
Run 200 m
100 Squats
Run 200 m
200 Pull Ups
Run 200
150 Shoulder Presses
Run 200 M
Great Job Everyone, Tamara will receive the gift for bringing the most people to participate!
Post your impressions of CF to comments.
Don't Miss Our December 1 Events
Just a reminder...we have two major happenings tomorrow, December 1:
At 11am we have our free community workout going on at CFO.
And then at 6pm we have our holiday get-together at Luka's Taproom and Lounge. Rumor has it we even have a pool room or two reserved!
Hope to see a big turnout at both events!
