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November
To Eat, or Not to Eat?
For decades now, the egg has been frowned upon for its high levels of cholesterol, linking it to heart disease and high blood pressure. Recently, it is the egg yolk that has been under attack for herein lies the evil culprit: cholesterol. Its bad reputation is displayed on food labels and restaurant menus claiming their egg white scramble is a "heart-healthy" choice. But is it true that the dietary cholesterol from egg yolks go straight to your heart? Like most foods, eggs are comprised of particles that can be highly nutritious and others that may cause harm. It is overly simplistic to say eat this, don't eat that. Instead, do some of your own research and compare the data to see what works best for you.
The nutritional facts shown above were taken from the USDA website, a useful site when searching for some hard data. The nutrition facts provide general information on food content and may be all you need while doing your own investigating. Here are some things we can determine about the egg (yolk and all) just by looking at its nutritional profile:
100g or about 2 Whole eggs contain:
A healthy array of fats.
All of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, and E.
Almost all of the vitamin B12 and B6 are in the yolk.
The Calcium, Zinc and Phosphorus are also concentrated in the yolk.
When comparing the nutritional content of the whole egg to just the egg white, it is apparent that the best choice is to eat the whole thing.
More on the Yolk
In The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods author Michael Murray points out that egg yolks are one of the few foods naturally containing vitamin D. Furthermore, egg yolk is a good source of lecithin, an emulsifier of fat that improves fat digestion. It is best to cook it soft boiled or poached to ensure that you aren't getting oxidized forms of cholesterol or Lipid-peroxides.
More on Cholesterol
The latest research has begun to debunk the cholesterol myth, which is good news for us egg-lovers! The bottom line is that it isn't necessarily the eggs that are the culprit but other factors such as high levels of saturated fat and insulin that may be causing an overproduction of cholesterol. Researchers are finding that cholesterol production in the body isn't a result of dietary cholesterol after all, and are instead looking to excessive carbohydrate consumption and inadequate fat and protein which elevates insulin in the blood. To read more on this visit June Russell's website. Furthermore, research suggests that eating whole eggs may not only be okay, but it may actually improve your blood lipid (cholesterol) profile!
In northern Mexico, an area in which the diet contains a high amount of fat because of its reliance on low-cost meat products and tortillas made with hydrogenated oils, coronary artery disease is common. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers evaluated the effects of daily consumption of whole eggs on the ratio of LDL (bad) cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol, and phenotype (the way an individual's genetic possibilities are actually expressed) in 54 children (8-12 years old) from this region. A month of eating 2 eggs daily, not only did not worsen the children's ratio of LDL:HDL, which remained the same, but the size of their LDL cholesterol increased--a very beneficial change since larger LDL is much less atherogenic (likely to promote atherosclerosis) than the smaller LDL subfractions. Among children who originally had the high-risk LDL phenotype B, 15% shifted to the low-risk LDL phenotype A after just one month of eating whole eggs. (www.whfoods.org)
Not all eggs are created equal, they are only as healthy the hen. Here are some things to look for:
1) Organic, Vegetarian-fed. Just because it's vegetarian fed, it doesn't mean that its food isn't gmo & pesticide-free. Also buying Organic will ensure that you are not getting eggs loaded with antibiotics, which are often used by some producers to treat sick chickens.
2)Cage-free and local. Eggs are best fresh and why not support local business if you can. Chickens that are free to move about not only have healthier body compositions but they get to munch on real food like worms and bugs. Look for the cartons with United Egg Producers and American Humane Association logos, which indicate that producers met strict standards that require more cage space and better ventilation.
3) Look for Omega-3 enriched. These eggs contain higher levels of Omega-3 essential fatty acids because the hens are fed flaxseed and marine algae. The Omega 3s are in the yolk though, so eat that yolk!
Still an egg-white kinda guy/gal? Share what led you to this decision.
Another Dynamic Stretching Video
Here's another nice video of a dynamic warm-up being done by Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics:
This one is longer than the one we posted last week, and these are the type of mobility exercises you should be doing every day you come in to work out. The good ol' 15-second repertoire of neck circles and arm-waving just doesn't cut it.
Watch the video and incorporate these exercises into your daily warm-up, if you haven't already done so.
Are there other dynamic warm-up movements you include in your warm-up?
Prather Ranch Beef Delivery Day!
Prather Ranch Meat available at the Ferry Building SF, Lake Merritt Farmer's Market (Sat), and Temescal Farmer's Market (Sun).
Beef posse take note: the Prather beef will be available for pick-up at Crossfit Oakland from 6:00PM to 7:30PM on Friday,December 5th. Scott will have marrow and knuckle bones available to purchase a la carte.
Bon apetit!
On Prather Ranch from Food and Wine magazine:
At Prather, animals are allowed to mature for 16 months or more—almost twice as long as typical beef cattle. In their final weeks, they’re fed a fine-tuned mixture of grains, all of them organic, none of them corn (which can play havoc with bovine digestion). read more:
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/a-carnivores-cookout-at-prather-ranch
Props to Scott V. for making the cow purchase possible!
Team Workouts
In the spirit of the CrossFit Games, we're ushering in the holiday season with a team workout for tomorrow's rest day. This will be the first of what we hope will be many team workouts.
Team workouts are a great way to engage in a little friendly competition. And just like with our standard CF workouts, they offer plenty of variety. They run the gamut in terms of how many athletes per team, the length of workout, the exercises used, etc.
Tomorrow's workout places a strong emphasis on near-peak power output. In other words, this is a fairly high-load, short-duration workout.
Tomorrow's Team Workout:
3 Rounds for Time:
3 back squats
6 thrusters
9 burpees
The workout will be done in relay fashion, using two-person teams. So teammate 1 starts off, goes through all 3 squats, all 6 thrusters, and all 9 burpees. The moment teammate 1 finishes the ninth burpee, teammate 2 then jumps in and goes through the same sequence (thus allowing teammate 1 to recover a bit, resting until teammate 2 is done with his round). After teammate 2 finishes his ninth burpee, it's back to teammate 1. This sequence continues until both teammates have finished 3 rounds each.
For those of you who are looking for a good show, MJJ and Manwell have challenged Brandon and Connor to this workout. They'll be going during the 10am class tomorrow and the weights they'll be using are 275# for the back squats and 175# for the thrusters.
Any betting types out there? Any prognosticators? Let us hear it in comments.
And who else will join in on the Team Workout fun? Pick a weight that's challenging and get to it!
The Berkeley Fire Department Academy
The recruits just after Fight Gone Bad
Rowing for Calories
CrossFit Oakland is proud to be a part this year's Berkeley Fire Department Academy in which eleven recruits have undergone rigorous physical training, comprehensive classroom work, as well as manipulative training with hoses, ladders, water supply, hazardous materials, wildland firefighting, emergency medical services, confined space operations, auto extrication, live fire training, rope rescue and Berkeley geography. The current Academy has trained for 11 weeks, and will graduate mid-December!
The new firefighter-paramedics remain on probation for 24 months before they become permanent employees of the City of Berkeley. During probation, the fire fighters must complete a 6-month, 12-month and 18-month examination.
Congrats to the 2008 BFD Academy to comments.
Bobby Hutton Memorial Benefit Nov 29-Dec 6
I wanted to draw some attention to two of our CFOers who are also artists: Nicole and Sham.
Both will be showing their work at the Luggage Store Gallery from November 29 through December 6, as part of the Bobby Hutton Memorial Benefit.
The opening reception is this Saturday, Nov 29 from 8pm to 10pm. It would be great to see a lot of CFOers there supporting our in-house artists, as well as the other artists who are showing their work (there are a ton of them!). If you can't make the opening reception, fear not, the gallery is open Wed-Sat from 12pm to 5pm.
For more information on the Bobby Hutton Memorial Benefit, go here:
***UPDATE ON ANGELA'S CLEAN CLINIC DEC 13***
So far we have the following people registered for Angela's clinic on Saturday, Dec 13: Sherrill, Michael G, and Leigh. Three spots are still available.
Dynamic Stretching
Prevailing wisdom among coaches and kinesiology researches these days posits dynamic stretching as the superior way to prepare the body for rigorous athletic movement. The Scorpion, bear crawls, straight leg marches, and handwalks are a few of the dynamic stretches we use at CFO that send what researchers call “an excitatory message to perform†to the muscles in your body.
A good CrossFit warm-up will do a few things: loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, utilize movement patterns that mirror those used in the WOD, and warm the core temperature of your body. The static warm-up stretches we were taught in grade school (touching your toes for 20-30 seconds) as young athletes may actually hinder our athletic performance, and according to current research, make us weaker!
Dynamic Stretching Routine from Catalyst Athletics:
http://www.cathletics.com/exercises/videos/dromsDemo.mov
PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL BE CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING DAY!
Post your favorite dynamic stretch to comments.
Dig In!
As we gear up for the biggest meal of the year, let's remember to keep things in perspective, folks. This is a time for giving thanks and sharing a meal with the ones closest to you. Frequently, the spirit of Thanksgiving day becomes clouded by the stresses of cooking and crowded supermarkets. This year, resist letting the minor details of the holiday get you down and take joy in the preparation and most importantly, in devouring every bite of your Thanksgiving day feast! Whether you are a devout Zoner or just someone who cares about their health, this is not the time to push away your grandmother's candied yams. This doesn't mean you have to make yourself sick, but it's important to appreciate the time and love that goes into all the dishes at your table. Don't let ANY silly diet goal get in the way of taking part in a family tradition and a day of celebration. After all, it is only one meal.
Let Thanksgiving also serve as a reminder to us that eating is a sacred act. Preparing and eating meals at home and with the ones you love can be sort of stress-reliever in your busy life. Making a warm, tasty dinner at the end of a hectic day is a great way to unwind and get your mind off work. Instead of just popping something into the microwave, buy a cookbook or look up your favorite dish online and try out it out at home. Then share your dish with your family or invite a friend over to enjoy it with you. Just doing this once a week can make a huge difference in your life. Cooking your own food is the best way to nourish your body and your friends will love you, too!
There are many things to be thankful for this year; share them in the comments. Or post your favorite Thanksgiving day dish and recipe.
CFO Olympic Lifting Sunday Sessions
Just a reminder on the heels of today's clean-and-jerk workout, if you're looking for slightly more instruction than Dimas's coach was giving him in the video clip above, remember that every Sunday we have an Olympic lifting session from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, led by our USA Weightlifting club coach, Angela Lim.
The cost to drop in on a session is $20.
And just for the record, that's a 468-lb clean-and-jerk.
Cow Share
The wheels are in motion for our group cow-share! The ETA for our 40lb boxes of beef is Friday, December 5th. Scott, from Prather Ranch, will bring knuckle and marrow bones for those of you who want to buy them a la carte ($3.50/lb) on the same day the boxes are delivered.
Please note that we will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day!
Post a Thanksgiving WOD that requires no equipment to comments.
Davey's Finisher
We captured Davey messing around last weekend, and showing us various pulling- and climbing-related skills, as he went through his post-WOD finisher. Watch as he traverses the room without ever touching the ground!
Next time, throw in the bachar ladder, though, Davey. You goin' soft on us or something?
Props to Davey and his creative finisher in comments. Also, let's suggest how he might top it (hip pullovers?) in version two.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE!!!!
CFO Upcoming Events and Schedule Changes
F.U.E.L. (Feeding U Energy for Life) SEMINAR: SATURDAY December 6th, 2008 from 11am-1pm
As much as it pains us to admit, even with the world's greatest training program at CFO, you won't see changes in body composition, health or performance without addressing how you eat. The majority of our top performers follow various forms of "clean eating" - ask around!
Our F.U.E.L. seminar will cover everything from the science of food (the why) to what you should eat for your individual body type (the how).
Cost = $100/person or $150/family (Lunch is provided). To R.S.V.P. call (510) 595-9348 or email us at www.info@crossfitoakland.comor sign up on the Community Board (by the jump ropes)!
CLEAN CLINIC with Angela Lim
Sunday, December 13th from 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Angela will focus solely on the Clean, one of the two Olympic Lifts. The clinic will include one or two models who have placed in recent local and national Olympic Weightlifting competitions. Besides performing the lift itself, participants will be taken through a series of specific warm-up and stretching exercises in addition to being provided with videotape analysis and feedback. Please come prepared to provide totals for your max front squat, max dead lift and max hang squat clean.
Cost = $75 per/participant. Participation will be limited to the first 6 participants to provide a check, cash, or online payment to CFO. Please also sign up on the Community Board near the jump ropes. We will confirm entry into the class by posting the names of the participants on the CFO website the week of the Clinic.
TRANSBAY HOLIDAY WORKOUT & PARTY! Wednesday, December 17th, Starting @ 6pm with a special Holiday WOD. Crossfit San Francisco will be hosting a Holiday Workout and Party at the Sports Basement located at 610 Old Mason St in the Presidio, San Francisco. This is a wonderful opportunity to schmooze with like-minded crossfitters and check out the CFSF facility and clientele. RSVP to Mike or Nicole.
CFO HOLIDAY COCKTAIL PARTY! Saturday, December 20th @ 6pm
The Okumus will be hosting the CFO Holiday Party at their Oakland home. This elegant soiree will be catered by our very own Lance V. Come by and raise a glass of Holiday cheer and celebrate the season in style.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE CHANGES!!
THANKSGIVING DAY- CLOSED
DAY After Thankgiving - Weekend Schedule (9am, 10am, 4pm ONLY)
CHRISTMAS DAY - CLOSED
DAY After Christmas - Weekend Schedule (9am, 10am, 4pm ONLY)
NEW YEAR'S EVE - Regular AM classes, 4pm class replaces 5pm, 6pm & 7pm (no evening classes)
NEW YEAR'S DAY - CLOSED
DAY After NEW YEAR'S - Weekend Schedule (9am, 10am, 4pm ONLY)
Fitness in Three Moves
Thought experiment for you:
If you could pick three and only three exercises that best represent a broad and general fitness (and also, as a result, give you the greatest likelihood of acquiring that broad and general level of fitness), what would they be?
Consider the ability to use these exercises across broad time and modal domains (in other words, you should be able to use them for development of peak power or strength, as well as for metabolic conditioning).
Give your exercises and their reason for inclusion.
More Ross!
Ross Enamait comes up in most of our meandering conversations about intensity, strength and general jaw-dropping training techniques. Needless to say, he is muse and inspiration to many of us! Ross is an athlete, author, and trainer. He operates a strength and conditioning business in his home state of Connecticut and works primarily with athletes from combat sporting events such as boxing and the mixed martial arts.
For more from Ross: http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/
Who inspires your athleticism? Tell us about your fitness muse in comments.
Breaking the Fast
Breakfast has long been hailed as the most important meal of the day. After a long night of fasting it's important to refuel your body with a big, hearty meal first thing in the morning. While you've been snoozing all night, your body's busy performing maintenance and repairs. So, although you may not feel hungry, you shouldn't deprive yourself of this opportunity to start your day off right. Think about it, when else do you go for a period of 8-12 hours without eating? A healthy, balanced meal in the morning helps to stabilize blood sugar and provides your body with the nutrients it needs to function optimally. And if that's not enough motivation, eating breakfast has been shown to prevent overeating at later meals. CrossFitters beware that skipping out on breakfast can cause your body to break down your own hard-earned muscle for energy in a process called "gluconeogenesis." So, do your body good by eating within an hour of waking. A good, solid breakfast should include a balance of protein, healthy fat, and carbs (preferably from nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit).
Check out this NY Times piece on the importance of eating breakfast to stave off weight gain.
Here are a few ideas for getting your morning off to a good start.
Here's what I had for breakfast today:
2 WHOLE eggs (including yolk; please don't miss out on the most nutritious part of the egg...more on this in a later post!)
3 slices of bacon (a little indulgence on my part, not recommended for daily consumption)
3 cups asparagus
1/2 a yellow onion
1 small serving of jicama and raspberry salad
[In a large frying pan, combine the onion, asparagus and eggs, in this order until fully cooked.]
No time to cook? Try a smoothie, they are quick, easy and delicious! You can get really creative with the flavors by mixing in different types of fruits, nuts or greens.
Here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes:
1 cup goat's milk Kefir
1/2 cup frozen berries
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp brewers yeast
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp ground Flaxseed
2 tbsp chocolate flavored whey protein powder
This vitamin-packed smoothie is loaded with all the right fixings and the best part is it tastes more like dessert than breakfast!
Post your breakfast recipes to comments.
Good Food, Good Times
Thanks to all who showed up for tonight's Zone Support dinner. It was great fun, even if the conversation occasionally drifted toward discussion of Oprah and women's fashion.
Food for thought:
Which factor is more important in one's diet: insulin management or protein intake?
Zone Support Group Dinner: Tomorrow Night @ 6p.m.
COME AND EAT!
We will be gathering together once again to enjoy the yummy culinary creations of fellow CrossFitters interested in nutritious Zone-inspired dishes. Sam has graciously offered his house as the venue for the next potluck. Please bring a dish to share along with copies of the recipe (10-15).
Sam's Address:
2701 Park Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606
Cross Street is Spruce, kitty-corner from Dave's Liquor
6p.m.
What are you bringing to share? Post to comments.
COW SHARE UPDATE: PLEASE READ!
Note: We will front the money, but I need EVERYONES money by 11/21. Make checks payable to CrossFit Oakland. $220/person
From Scott V of Prather Ranch:
Hey Nicole, wow what a great surprise. I'm going to try to do everything I can to be sure that this process is as clear and easy as possible for everyone involved.
So, first of all, your message said that 12 people are interested in 40 lbs. of meat each. That makes 480 lbs. total. That amount is a whole beef and brings you to a nicely discounted price of $5.50/lb. bringing the total price for the beef to $2640. That means each person in the group is into it for $220. Now I know that everyone is already sold on the idea, but I think it's worth mentioning that this is a pretty smokin' deal given that our ground beef ordinarily sells for $5.99/lb. and our ribeyes are $19.99/lb. so that's pretty cool. What does 40 pounds of meat look like? Everyone should expect to get one cardboard box that measures 28" long, 16" wide, and 10" deep chock full of meat. this is not a quantity of meat that should require the purchase of a chest freezer, but it is an amount that will probably fill the ordinary kitchen freezer. The stats on the beef are that it will be a certified organic beef, certified humanely raised and handled, and dry aged for 21 days, yummy. Regarding the knuckle and marrow bones, I will have those with me when I deliver the beef and people can buy them "a la carte" at a 15% discount off the retail price which is $3.99/lb.
I have 12 people Total on the list (Angela, Leigh, Brian, Lance, Mike M, Mike G, Joe, Kim, Stas, Sabrina, Joe, Nicole). Please let me know if you don't want to take part ASAP!
In WOD We Trust
Tomorrow's WOD, courtesy of CrossFit
Over the past several months, we've been extremely heartened to see the fitness level of so many of our members increase. Along the way, though, we've too often neglected the genius, and lack of bias, of the main-site WOD programming, which in the past has been the quickest path to the broad-based level of fitness to which we aspire.
To be honest, we've done this because it's been so exciting to see you all strut your stuff and show us what you're made of. But everyone has blind spots and weaknesses. And it's only through tackling the main-site WODs that you get a clear sense of what you're made of, and what you aren't.
As such, we're recommitting to give the main-site WODs their just due.
Beginning Monday, everyone will be doing the main-site WOD as written in group classes, with the following exceptions:
* The Fundamentals workout will remain in place, posted right alongside the WOD every day.
* Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (only!) will still be reserved for you to train the strength lifts and Olympic lifts.
* Main-site rest days will still be relatively free-form and the perfect opportunity for you to scratch any fitness-related itch you may have.
* Substitutions and alternatives will be provided if you're incapable of performing any of the moves of the workout, due to injury or physical limitation. The time domain of the WOD will remain intact, however.
In addition, we'll be piloting an open-gym hour in late 2008 or early 2009, so stay tuned.
Post your thoughts to comments.
Steer for Sale!
We are wondering if any among you are interested in cost sharing a steer (~$2,400). Not to ride or lasso, to eat! We have found an excellent farm that will slaughter, cut, and package an entire Steer. That's a lot of meat, so be sure you have the freezer space!
Let us know if your interested, here: info@crossfitoakland.com
Post your opinion of a group steer share to comments.
Body Fat Testing November 18
Just a quick reminder: we'll be having the folks from Body Fat Test at our gym next Tuesday, Nov 18 from 12pm to 8pm.
If you want to sign up for the body fat test, talk to Mike or Nicole. The cost is $49.
***Day 3 of the Double-Under Challenge is tomorrow!***
Getting to Know Your Gut Part II
There is a clear and strong connection between the foods we eat and how we feel, both physically and emotionally. A day of eating garbage will typically leave you feeling like garbage. Yet when we eat well, we feel pretty darn good. Thus, nourishing our bodies with REAL food is undeniably the key to improving overall health. Unfortunately there are times when eating the right kinds of foods just simply is not enough.
While you may think you are doing your body good, what happens after you've taken that last bite is just as important, if not more important than what you put in your mouth. The following tips will help you get the most out of your food through proper digestion:
1. Chill out! Most people have extremely busy lives that are jam-packed with activities, leaving very little time to prepare and enjoy meals. Instead, people are devouring breakfast while they are weaving in and out of traffic, inhaling lunch in between emails, and then grabbing dinner from a drive-thru window at the end of the day. Eating like this can have some seriously damaging effects on your body on many levels. Moreover, stressful eating habits inhibit the digestion process by blocking the production of hydrochloric acid and the enzymes necessary to break down your food. How can your digestive system do its job when you are putting additional constraints on your body? Eating should be a pleasurable experience from which you find comfort and ease. So make an effort to find the time to relax and enjoy your meals.
2. Chew, chew, chew! Ever wonder why your mouth begins to water when you get a whiff of yummy food? Your brain is signaling your mouth to release salivary enzymes to prep it for digestion. As you chew food you are breaking it down into smaller particles and mixing it with salivary enzymes that will jump start the digestive process. Thoroughly chewing your food facilitates digestion in the stomach; the more broken down your food is, the less work the stomach has to do. Once it leaves the stomach, it enters the small intestine where your body absorbs the nutrients from the food. In order to fully absorb these nutrients it is absolutely imperative that you not only eat the right foods but that you slow down to chew, chew, chew! Also, don't wash your food down with tons of water. Too much liquid during a meal dilutes hydrochloric acid and inhibits digestion. So, relish the taste of each bite and thoroughly chew it before you swallow. What's the use of investing the time and money on good food if you aren't going to benefit from the nutrients in the foods?
3. Eat foods that support digestion. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of fiber, which aids digestion. The natural fermentation of insoluble fibers in the large intestine helps maintain a healthy ph balance in the body and produces the short-chain fatty acids needed for a healthy colon. Your "transit time," or the time it takes for your body to digest, absorb and eliminate food, depends heavily on the amount of fiber in your diet. A healthy transit time is between 18-24 hours. A slow transit time is anything beyond 30 hours and is a sign of insufficient fiber and/or water. Foods such as kale, spinach and flax provide plenty of fiber and should be eaten regularly along with lots of water, for optimal gut health.
***Reminder: Today is the first day of the Double Under Challenge! Do 1 double under today!
Kilimanjaro Anyone?
Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base, and is additionally the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view of the surrounding plains.
This is an initial query to see if any of you CrossFitters are interested in doing a Kilimanjaro climb in December 2009. A year will give all those interested in going a chance to save the money and mentally (and physically) prepare for the climb! The plan is to go for about 10 days, spending a week on the mountain and a few days post-climb on safari at Masai Mara game park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masai_Mara).
Post if you're interested to comments.
More on the Double-Under Challenge
There have been a few questions, suggestions, and comments since we made our post on the 30-day double-under challenge yesterday.
Here are some clarifications:
* A double-under is considered consecutive when no single jumps are performed in between doubles.
* You have as many attempts during the day as you want or need to hit your target number of consecutive double-unders.
* There are three levels of challenge:
- Fundamental: You're able to do one legitimate double-under at the end of the thirty days.
- Intermediate: You're able to do ten consecutive double-unders at the end of the thirty days.
- Advanced: You're able to do thirty consecutive double-unders at the end of the thirty days.
And for the super advanced out there, simply perform some multiple of the target double-unders for that day. For example, a 5x or 6x multiple would be really challenging even for the staunchest of double-under fiends. A 5x multiple would mean that you do 5 double-unders on the first day, 10 on the second day, 15 on the third day, etc.
Most of all, remember that this challenge is really about diligent practice of a skill. It doesn't take much time to get some solid skill practice in during the day. And the more time you spend practicing something, the better you get (with a few exceptions, I'm sure).
And that's the real lesson here.
30 Day Double-Under Challenge!
We are going to begin our Double-Under Challenge on Monday, November 10th. We will do one double-under on day one and add one each day until we get to 30 consecutive double-unders on the 30th day!
Here are the Challenge Rules:
1. All of your double-unders should be completed consecutively.
2. If you miss a day, you have to make up all the missed double unders the following day.
3. If you don't start the challenge with us on Monday, you can "buy-in" at any time by doing ALL the missed day's double unders on your first day.
4. Any double-unders you complete during your regular workout or warm-up will not count towards the day's Challenge.
Prizes go to the CFO athletes who complete 30 consecutive double-unders on the 30th day!
Who's in? Post to comments.
An Education in Shoulder Function
A few photos from Kelly's shoulder (formerly shoulder and hip) seminar tonight.
Just want to send a big thank you to Kelly for coming over to our side of the bay and giving an outstanding seminar on shoulder function, health, and therapy. I think movement prep will become a key word around our gym for everyone who participated in the seminar tonight.
We wanted to have Kelly cover shoulder and hips tonight, but we simply didn't have enough time to get to hips. We will have Kelly back again in early December to cover hip function and therapy. In the meantime, hit Kelly up if you're having issues around your hips (hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes). He can be reached at kelly@stoneclinic.com. Make sure to reference CrossFit Oakland in the subject line.
***FIGHT GONE BAD T-SHIRTS***
We received everyone's Fight Gone Bad t-shirts. Please come pick up yours as soon as possible. Talk to Mike, Nicole, or one of the other trainers so that we can get you your shirt.
Shoulder and Hip Health: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5th!
November 5th, 6p.m. to 7:30p.m.
THERE WILL BE NO 6PM CLASS! HOWEVER, WE WILL MAKE TIME FOR A SHORT 30 MINUTE CLASS AT 7:30!! WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE TRY TO MAKE THIS SEMINAR!!
Once again, we will be hosting a seminar on hip and shoulder health with Kelly Starrett of San Fransisco CrossFit and the Stone Clinic. Kelly will be discussing:
Anatomy for Jocks
Hip Extension and Shoulder Stability: What is it and how to train for it.
Recurring Problems: Possible culprits and cures
Going Heavy and Moving Ballistically: Technique Tips
Kelly is one of the original CrossFit affiliate owners, a brilliant trainer, and a doctor of physical therapy. Kelly's own background as an athlete and coach includes paddling whitewater slalom canoe on the U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team and paddling as a member of the U.S. Whitewater Rafting Team, where he won two national titles and competed in two world championships. Kelly is the founder and director of Liquid Camp, a week-long whitewater kayaking camp for teens living with HIV/AIDS.
This seminar is FREE to all CrossFit Oakland members. Don't miss it!
Post questions for Kelly to comments.
Even the NY Times Gets it Right Once in a While
For careful readers of our CFO blog comments, you'll notice that Papa Brad already stole my thunder, but be that as it may, the NY Times had a nice article over the weekend (surprisingly enough) about the benefits of dynamic movement prior to a workout, and saving the static stretches for post-workout (which many of you need to do, by the way!).
There are exercise descriptions as well as a video in the full article, titled "Stretching The Truth." Many of the movements, if not all, will be familiar to any of you who've hung around CFO for a bit.
Read the article!
***PROPS TO TAMI: QUEEN KONG WORKOUT UNVEILED FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION***
In case you haven't already seen, Tami got some major exposure tonight on the CF main site for her Queen Kong performance. Check out the video and give some props to Tami!
Getting to Know Your Gut
In case you haven't noticed, it is officially cold season, people! It is during times like these when we call upon our immune systems the most. A strong, healthy immune system will help ward off the bacteria that cause us to get sick. But with so many products claiming to help boost the immune system, it's no wonder why people are constantly sick. So, which one of the following products do you turn to in your time of need?
The answer is the sauerkraut! Surprised? Well, did you know that the gut houses 2/3 of the body's immune system? The Gut-Associated Lymphatic Tissue (GALT) is a physical, chemical and immunological barrier that provides the body with an incredible defense against the toxins that we are exposed to daily. There are more bacteria living in the digestive tract than there are cells in the body. Among its tasks, "friendly bacteria" also known as intestinal flora, prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms and fight disease. Cultured foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and yogurt are loaded with live "friendly" bacteria. Eating these foods will help ensure that your body's immune defense is in tip-top shape this season.
What experience, if any, have you had with cultured foods?
Welcome Shannon and Tony!
We always like to hear about how people found CrossFit and CrossFit Oakland in particular. Tony told us that the seed was planted many years ago when as a child he would watch his mother devoutly follow Jack LaLanne's fitness program on T.V.. Year's later, he read an article about the opening of LaLanne Fitness in San Fransisco and begin his hunt for an affiliate closer to home. Lucky for us he found CFO! Tony said that despite a delayed response on our part, he persevered and now, like his mother, is devoutly following the WOD's with his partner Shannon!
Shannon and Tony are also the owners a About Face and Body on College Avenue--check them out for a post WOD clean up!
http://www.aboutfaceandbody.net/welcome.html
How did you find CFO? What was your first experience like? Post to comments.
