Just thought I would throw this picture in there. This is Brian Mackenzie's CrossFit Newport Beach shirt. I like it alot.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Proud of My Mom
Last Friday May 23 I'm pretty sure I saw my Mom do her best workout to date. She has been working with me three days a week since March of '07. She has accomplished things that neither her or I thought she would be able to do when we started. Actually to be perfectly honest I thought overtime she would make some good progress and get some movements down pretty good, but not like this and not as fast as she did. Of course I'm harder on her than I am on anyone else. She doesn't mind. I don't allow her to be afraid of attempting the things that I ask her to do. She has certainly proven to be quite the trooper and is a thousand times more athletic at 54 than she has ever been at any pointin her life. I am very proud of her especially seeing where she started. She worked hard from the very start and works harder and harder everytime she's in the door. She rarely wants to be done. She'll often tell me after a workout that she is going to run a 400 and I just tell her "ok, go for it" looking at her like why on earth would you want to go for a run after what you just did. She comes back after more time than it would take to do a 400 and tells me "I decided to do an 800 instead." She is sick like the rest of us crossfitters there is no doubt. Many of you have been seeing her on Sundays in class recently and she will be heading to more classes throughout the weeks and seeing me a little bit less. I'm letting out the reigns a bit. Look out for Rita D, she's on the loose.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Deadlift Video
The Deadlift from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
Training Log: Catch Up
5/25/08
More running drills during the Running and Endurance Cert.
4 200m runs (videoed for critique)
My running skill improved greatly along with everyone elses from the beginning of day 1 to the end of day 2. On day one during one stride it took me 3 frames to get to my figure 4 stance with my landing foot beneath my center of base, my foot spent a total of 6 frames on the ground, and 3 frames with no feet on the ground. The other things wrong with my stride was a heel strike with my front foot as opposed to ball of foot and then my leg extending out the back as opposed to pulling up off the ground quickly. We are looking for faster turnover. Foot on the ground for much shorter time and foot under center as fast as possible. Add a lean at the ankle not the hip and you have a fast more engergy efficient stride.
On day 2 it only took 1 frame for my landing foot to pass under center(day 1: 3 frames), my foot spent 3.5 frames on the ground(day 1: 6 frames), and my air time was up to 5 frames(day 1: 3 frames). Other things that improved was no premature heel strike and no extension and push out the back. Brian and Carl were great coaches. It was impressive what they could accomplish with all of us in just two days. Oh, and that 1 frame under center is considered elite. But to put that in perspective, that was only over a 200m distance. I could not maintain that kind of turnover for much longer a distance. Michael Johnson the world record holder in the 200m maintains a 3/4 frame turnover for 400m and I'm sure for even longer.
I think you guys will enjoy learning this running technique, but be patient with it because much like o-lifting and everything else we do, it takes alot of practice and understanding. REPS, REPS, REPS... There is only one way the body is meant to move itself, move weight and run functionally. This Pose running style is the way the human body mechanically works with gravity to its benefit as opposed to working against it. Makes sense to work with gravity considering its a constant force on our bodies. It takes alot of energy to oppose it.
ps_ Best cert. I have been to to date!
5/26/08
Murph
1 mile run
100 pullups
200 pushups
300 squats
1 mile run
35:05 first mile 6:25
Everyone did awesome with this workout. It was really fun doing it with everyone and fun to watch everyone git it there absolute best.
5/27/08
I wanted to do a 5x5 press at 115# like I did the last time I pressed. It turned into a 5x4 press at 115#. My press just wasn't feeling as strong. It could have had something to do with all the pullups and pushups in Murph. We will see what happens next time I press. I will attempt a 5x5 at 115# again.
5/28/08
REST DAY
5/29/08
5x3 Front Squat
245# same weight as my last front squat set
5x3 Split Jerk
up to 185# more of a practice than a legit split jerk strength set.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Endurance Cert.
Day 1 of the Running and Endurance Certification has been really great. We've learned alot and Brian and Carl are awesome instructors. You will surely hear more about this in the future this is a quick post before I go out and drink with the other Cert goers. And don't worry we will all be workingon our running technique in our future training. Yay!
Training Log
5/24/08
(am)
4x 400m runs (not timed, but videoed for technique breakdown)
(noon) lunchtime workout with about four others
225# back squat with a running clock, 1 rep first minute, 2 reps 2nd minute and so on....
9 mins completed, did not try for minute 10, 9 was struggle enough. Next closest guy failed during minute 8. Good workout for anyone who would want to try it during open gym at whatever weight is appropriate for you. By the way I did the math and that wound up being 45 back squats at 225# in 9 minutes. We will see how my body responds that workload.
(pm)
running technique drills/practice and then:
Helen
3 rounds
400m run
21 kb swings 53#
12 pullups
9:11 not a pr, but it was my second best time to 8:42 (maybe those squats had something to do with it, or the 4 400m runs in the morning, or I think it's because my pr time was done in Beverly where there is no incline in the road. I blame the incline and so can the rest of you Topsfielders ;)
It was a good long day, now like I said, off for some drinks at Bostonville Grill. Go C's!
Training Log
5/24/08
(am)
4x 400m runs (not timed, but videoed for technique breakdown)
(noon) lunchtime workout with about four others
225# back squat with a running clock, 1 rep first minute, 2 reps 2nd minute and so on....
9 mins completed, did not try for minute 10, 9 was struggle enough. Next closest guy failed during minute 8. Good workout for anyone who would want to try it during open gym at whatever weight is appropriate for you. By the way I did the math and that wound up being 45 back squats at 225# in 9 minutes. We will see how my body responds that workload.
(pm)
running technique drills/practice and then:
Helen
3 rounds
400m run
21 kb swings 53#
12 pullups
9:11 not a pr, but it was my second best time to 8:42 (maybe those squats had something to do with it, or the 4 400m runs in the morning, or I think it's because my pr time was done in Beverly where there is no incline in the road. I blame the incline and so can the rest of you Topsfielders ;)
It was a good long day, now like I said, off for some drinks at Bostonville Grill. Go C's!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Fran
Training Log
5/22/08
Fran
21-15-9
thruster 95#
pullups
3:54
on 2/26/08 3:54
Did Fran today on a whim. Didn't do it with the idea of really pushing myself or with a goal of beating my last time. Turns out I didn't have to work as hard to get the same time as three months ago. Well actually I did the exact same amount of work and produced the same power output since I did it in the same amount of time. The difference was how I felt during and more so how I felt after the last rep. I wasn't rolling around on the floor looking for breathes and praying for the burn in my legs, forearms and lungs to fade fast. Instead I dropped off the bar staying on my feet and thinking, "huh... same time as last time." And it didn't feel like the same effort as before. I had a little burning in my chest, but that was about it other than some light panting. Not a better time, but I mark that as progress in my book. Especially since my first rx'd Fran was 8:00 in early winter of '07. My first crossfit wod, first day in the door was Fran (August '06). I used a 45# bar and did about 20 pullups out of the total 45, and the rest jumping. Don't remember if I finished her. Still hate her to this day.
PS - Still not looking forward to Murph. Haven't done it since my second week doing crossfit. My time was 61:?? There were alot of jumping pullups in that workout and the whole thing was a huge struggle. While everyone else was doing two squats a second, I was doing one squat every two seconds. The wod never felt good. The whole time I was trying real hard not to hurl, seriously. You all will do much better, seriously. See ya'll out there.
5/22/08
Fran
21-15-9
thruster 95#
pullups
3:54
on 2/26/08 3:54
Did Fran today on a whim. Didn't do it with the idea of really pushing myself or with a goal of beating my last time. Turns out I didn't have to work as hard to get the same time as three months ago. Well actually I did the exact same amount of work and produced the same power output since I did it in the same amount of time. The difference was how I felt during and more so how I felt after the last rep. I wasn't rolling around on the floor looking for breathes and praying for the burn in my legs, forearms and lungs to fade fast. Instead I dropped off the bar staying on my feet and thinking, "huh... same time as last time." And it didn't feel like the same effort as before. I had a little burning in my chest, but that was about it other than some light panting. Not a better time, but I mark that as progress in my book. Especially since my first rx'd Fran was 8:00 in early winter of '07. My first crossfit wod, first day in the door was Fran (August '06). I used a 45# bar and did about 20 pullups out of the total 45, and the rest jumping. Don't remember if I finished her. Still hate her to this day.
PS - Still not looking forward to Murph. Haven't done it since my second week doing crossfit. My time was 61:?? There were alot of jumping pullups in that workout and the whole thing was a huge struggle. While everyone else was doing two squats a second, I was doing one squat every two seconds. The wod never felt good. The whole time I was trying real hard not to hurl, seriously. You all will do much better, seriously. See ya'll out there.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New Videos Coming Soon
Training Log
5/21/08
NSC WOD
10 Rounds
10 deadlifts 135#
15 pushups
11:43
I like this wod because it's a great opportunity for me to work on my pushups which is a big weakness of mine when it comes to high reps. The problem with the workout is that every 12 seconds im back to struggling with pushups. Already at round #3 I need to do the pushups in multiple sets. It's the only way I can do the wod and still maintain descent form and always full range of motion. If I can't do that then I don't care about the time.
This afternoon I traveled back into the city to do a couple more videos for Jon Gilson of AgainFaster.com. The first video was on the deadlift and I got some good work in up to 455#. The second video right after was on the split jerk. Strange coincidence that both of those were part of our classes today. Anyway, I worked up to 205# for the video. Keep an eye out for the two videos within the next week. Let's see how they come out. Again, feel free to bust my balls for my stellar on camera presence. And I'll just tell you to go F yourself :). Just playin'. Enjoy!
5/21/08
NSC WOD
10 Rounds
10 deadlifts 135#
15 pushups
11:43
I like this wod because it's a great opportunity for me to work on my pushups which is a big weakness of mine when it comes to high reps. The problem with the workout is that every 12 seconds im back to struggling with pushups. Already at round #3 I need to do the pushups in multiple sets. It's the only way I can do the wod and still maintain descent form and always full range of motion. If I can't do that then I don't care about the time.
This afternoon I traveled back into the city to do a couple more videos for Jon Gilson of AgainFaster.com. The first video was on the deadlift and I got some good work in up to 455#. The second video right after was on the split jerk. Strange coincidence that both of those were part of our classes today. Anyway, I worked up to 205# for the video. Keep an eye out for the two videos within the next week. Let's see how they come out. Again, feel free to bust my balls for my stellar on camera presence. And I'll just tell you to go F yourself :). Just playin'. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
MEMBER NEWS: Joe Rapuano aka Rap-Dog
Hey Greg!
I just thought I would give you an update regarding the Kancamagus Hillclimb TT that I raced in this past Saturday. This race starts on the Conway, NH side of the Kanc and climbs just over 21 miles up to the pass at 2850 feet. The weather looked sketchy on the drive up, but started to clear and became sunny and in the mid 50's by start time. I felt good the whole ride and was able to ride on my big ring for the majority of the first 15 miles of the race. The pain really starts at approx mile 16, where the 5 miles of climbing at a 5-7% grade starts to bite into your legs.
While there was a headwind, I was still able to ride well on the climb and felt strong. I was able to finish with a time of 1:24:08, which was 3:50 faster than last year! This placed me 20th out of 74 racers in my division. The winning time in my division was 1:11:09, which is cookin' on this course!
I really feel that the Crossfit workouts played a big role in improving my core strength and mental toughness to ride hard the whole race, especially the long 5 miles of climbing to the finish.
As with every workout, there needs to be an element of fun. After about a 10 min break and enjoying the scenery at the top, the fun really begins with a fast ride back down to the bottom. The corners really come at you fast at 52 mph and I was able to let loose as there was very little traffic. I hooked up with another group of riders and we rode pace line the rest of the way at 28-30 mph.
Thanks for the support at the gym Greg!
Joe Rapuano
If anyone is interested, Steve B. sent me this video of Michael Pollan the author of The Omnivore's Dilema. It's long, but very interesting to hear the author of such an intriguing book. Don't mind the kid that introduces him, that part of the video is short. Thanks for sending this my way Steve.
Training Log
5/20/08
5x5 Front Squat
245#
on 5/13/08 5x3 front squat at 245#, on 5/6/08 5x5 front squat at 225#
I forgot what I did on my last 5x5 front squat. I guessed wrong with 245#. I was thinking of my 5x3 weight. I should have done 235# for 5x5. My 4th set I only did 3 reps. 3rd rep was a real challenge and it felt weak. So I rested up and finished strong on the 5th set. I will keep working at 245# for my 5x5 front squat until it feels strong and my form sures up.
I just thought I would give you an update regarding the Kancamagus Hillclimb TT that I raced in this past Saturday. This race starts on the Conway, NH side of the Kanc and climbs just over 21 miles up to the pass at 2850 feet. The weather looked sketchy on the drive up, but started to clear and became sunny and in the mid 50's by start time. I felt good the whole ride and was able to ride on my big ring for the majority of the first 15 miles of the race. The pain really starts at approx mile 16, where the 5 miles of climbing at a 5-7% grade starts to bite into your legs.
While there was a headwind, I was still able to ride well on the climb and felt strong. I was able to finish with a time of 1:24:08, which was 3:50 faster than last year! This placed me 20th out of 74 racers in my division. The winning time in my division was 1:11:09, which is cookin' on this course!
I really feel that the Crossfit workouts played a big role in improving my core strength and mental toughness to ride hard the whole race, especially the long 5 miles of climbing to the finish.
As with every workout, there needs to be an element of fun. After about a 10 min break and enjoying the scenery at the top, the fun really begins with a fast ride back down to the bottom. The corners really come at you fast at 52 mph and I was able to let loose as there was very little traffic. I hooked up with another group of riders and we rode pace line the rest of the way at 28-30 mph.
Thanks for the support at the gym Greg!
Joe Rapuano
If anyone is interested, Steve B. sent me this video of Michael Pollan the author of The Omnivore's Dilema. It's long, but very interesting to hear the author of such an intriguing book. Don't mind the kid that introduces him, that part of the video is short. Thanks for sending this my way Steve.
Training Log
5/20/08
5x5 Front Squat
245#
on 5/13/08 5x3 front squat at 245#, on 5/6/08 5x5 front squat at 225#
I forgot what I did on my last 5x5 front squat. I guessed wrong with 245#. I was thinking of my 5x3 weight. I should have done 235# for 5x5. My 4th set I only did 3 reps. 3rd rep was a real challenge and it felt weak. So I rested up and finished strong on the 5th set. I will keep working at 245# for my 5x5 front squat until it feels strong and my form sures up.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Rips!
You all know what these feel like.... ouch! See training log for the wod that did this to my hand. Thanks Brent....
Training Log
5/19/08
KB Jerk L/R 53#__KB Snatch L/R 53#
10__1
9__2
8__3
7__4
6__5
5__6
4__7
3__8
2__9(rip on rep #2 of 9)
1__10
23:00
number of reps are for each hand not total for both. Brent and Dawn killed this wod. Brent 10:51? and Dawn 12?? Don't worry about how long it took me, I tend to take my time when I am struggling with technique. It's been a while since I've snatched KBs. It showed.
5x5 Press
115#
on 5/5/08 105#
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Steve Prefontaine ("Pre"): The Ultimate Competitor
"During his brief 24-year life-span, Steve Prefontaine grew from hometown hero(Coos Bay, Oregon), to record-setting college phenomenon(University of Oregon), to internationally acclaimed track star(1972 Olypmics, Munich). In a similar span of years since his death in 1975, Pre has become the stuff of enduring legend.
His rare combination of talent, discipline, determination, and star-quality with a human touch made Pre the idol of those he called "his people" — the devoted fans who came to watch him run and entered into the performance with roars of encouragement, "Go Pre!"'
His rare combination of talent, discipline, determination, and star-quality with a human touch made Pre the idol of those he called "his people" — the devoted fans who came to watch him run and entered into the performance with roars of encouragement, "Go Pre!"'
Personal Records
1,500 meters, 3:38.1, 28 June 1973, Helsinki, Finland
1,500 meters, 3:38.1, 28 June 1973, Helsinki, Finland
2,000 meters, 5:01.4, 9 May 1975, Coos Bay, Oregon
3,000 meters, 7:42.6, 2 July 1974, Milan, Italy
5,000 meters, 13:21.87, 26 June 1974, Helsinki, Finland
5,000 meters (H.S.), 13:39.6, 1969
10,000 meters, 27:43.6, 27 April 1974, Eugene, Oregon
1 mile, 3:54.6, 20 June 1973, Eugene, Oregon
2 miles, 8:18.29, 18 July 1974
3 miles, 12:51.4, 8 June 1974, Eugene, Oregon
6 miles, 26:51.8, 27 April 1974
Pre Quotes
"How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'You're too small Pre', 'You're not fast enough Pre', 'Give up your foolish dream Steve'. But they forgot something, I HAVE TO WIN."
"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Nobody is going to win a 5,000 meter race after running an easy 2 miles. Not with me. If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself."
"Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it."
"I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it."
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
"Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."
"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." (Does this one sound familiar or relate to any other crossfitters out there?)
Training Log
5/17/08
Saturday's NSC Team WOD
Partnered with Bill Levacchia (our resident marathoner)
9 rounds for me and Bill was on his 10th (great work Bill!)
5x5 Back Squat 250#
Snatch practice up to 175#
Friday, May 16, 2008
Sorry, Just the Training Log Today
Training Log
5/16/08
deadlift 205# / push jerk 105#
20/2
18/4
16/6
14/8
12/10
10/12
8/14
6/16
4/18
2/20
18:34
on 2/7/08 25:47
I did this workout with Brent and Dawn both times. We all dramatically improved since February.
Dawn's weights for this WOD; deadlift 145# / push jerk 65# or 75#?. Feb. time 28:00, May time 23:06.
Brent's time was most significant in change. Feb. time 52:13, May time 20:30. The dude has been crossfitting hardcore since this workout and note the rediculous improvement in time. The biggest difference for him from then to now is his jerk strength. I'm sure he's been getting plenty extra practice pumps.. I mean reps in at home.
5/16/08
deadlift 205# / push jerk 105#
20/2
18/4
16/6
14/8
12/10
10/12
8/14
6/16
4/18
2/20
18:34
on 2/7/08 25:47
I did this workout with Brent and Dawn both times. We all dramatically improved since February.
Dawn's weights for this WOD; deadlift 145# / push jerk 65# or 75#?. Feb. time 28:00, May time 23:06.
Brent's time was most significant in change. Feb. time 52:13, May time 20:30. The dude has been crossfitting hardcore since this workout and note the rediculous improvement in time. The biggest difference for him from then to now is his jerk strength. I'm sure he's been getting plenty extra practice pumps.. I mean reps in at home.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Gregg Spiro has let me borrow a book he has read that he described as being "fascinating." The book is called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, written by Michael Pollan. I have just recently began reading the book and am already intrigued by it. Some of the information in the book I already know to some extent, but I expect to find out much more and not too mention it so far appears to be a very well written book.
Here is an editorial review of Michael Pollans best seller that I found on Amazon.com from The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com.
"In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes about how our food is grown -- what it is, in fact, that we are eating. The book is really three in one: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both as big business and on a relatively small farm; and the third, what it is like to hunt and gather food for oneself. And each section culminates in a meal -- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and pork, foraged from the wild.
The first section is a wake-up call for anyone who has ever been hungry. In the United States, Pollan makes clear, we're mostly fed by two things: corn and oil. We may not sit down to bowls of yummy petroleum, but almost everything we eat has used enormous amounts of fossil fuels to get to our tables. Oil products are part of the fertilizers that feed plants, the pesticides that keep insects away from them, the fuels used by the trains and trucks that transport them across the country, and the packaging in which they're wrapped. We're addicted to oil, and we really like to eat.
Oil underlines Pollan's story about agribusiness, but corn is its focus. American cattle fatten on corn. Corn also feeds poultry, pigs and sheep, even farmed fish. But that's just the beginning. In addition to dairy products from corn-fed cows and eggs from corn-fed chickens, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup make up key ingredients in prepared foods. High-fructose corn syrup sweetens everything from juice to toothpaste. Even the alcohol in beer is corn-based. Corn is in everything from frozen yogurt to ketchup, from mayonnaise and mustard to hot dogs and bologna, from salad dressings to vitamin pills. "Tell me what you eat," said the French gastronomist Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, "and I will tell you what you are." We're corn.
Each bushel of industrial corn grown, Pollan notes, uses the equivalent of up to a third of a gallon of oil. Some of the oil products evaporate and acidify rain; some seep into the water table; some wash into rivers, affecting drinking water and poisoning marine ecosystems. The industrial logic also means vast farms that grow only corn. When the price of corn drops, the solution, the farmer hopes, is to plant more corn for next year. The paradoxical result? While farmers earn less, there's an over-supply of cheap corn, and that means finding ever more ways to use it up.
Is eating all this corn good for us? Who knows? We think we've tamed nature, but we're just beginning to learn about all that we don't yet know. Ships were once provided with plenty of food, but sailors got scurvy because they needed vitamin C. We're sailing on the same sea, thinking we're eating well but still discovering nutrients in our food that we hadn't known were there -- that we don't yet know we need.
We've lost touch with the natural loops of farming, in which livestock and crops are connected in mutually beneficial circles. Pollan discusses the alternatives to industrial farming, but these two long (and occasionally self-indulgent) sections lack the focus and intensity -- the anger beneath the surface -- of the first. He spends a week at Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley, a farm that works with nature, rather than despite it. Salatin calls himself a grass farmer, though his farm produces cows, chickens, eggs and corn. But everything begins with the grass: The cows nibble at it at the precise moment when it's at its sweetest and are moved from pasture to pasture to keep the grass at its best height. Their droppings fertilize the grass, and the cycle is under way. There's a kind of lyrical symmetry to everything that happens on this farm. Even the final slaughtering of chickens is done quickly and humanely, in the open air. It isn't pleasant, but compared to the way cattle are fattened and slaughtered in meat industry feedlots and slaughterhouses, it is remarkably reasonable.
We needn't learn how to shoot our own pigs, as Pollan does; there's hope in other ways -- farmers' markets, the Slow Food movement, restaurants supplied by local farms. To Pollan, the omnivore's dilemma is twofold: what we choose to eat ("What should we have for dinner?" he asks in the opening sentence of his book) and how we let that food be produced. His book is an eater's manifesto, and he touches on a vast array of subjects, from food fads and taboos to our avoidance of not only our food's animality, but also our own. Along the way, he is alert to his own emotions and thoughts, to see how they affect what he does and what he eats, to learn more and to explain what he knows. His approach is steeped in honesty and self-awareness. His cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling. Be careful of your dinner!
Reviewed by Bunny Crumpacker Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition."
As I read more I will post much of the mind blowing information I gather. Stay tuned! If you find this topic to be very interesting, then I recommend purchasing and reading the book yourself.
Training Log
5/15/08
5x3 Overhead Squat
3x 135#
3x 145#
3x 155#
3x 165#
3x 170#
I planned on a 5x3 of overhead squats at 145#, but the overheads felt better than I thought they would so I went up each set.
Here is an editorial review of Michael Pollans best seller that I found on Amazon.com from The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com.
"In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes about how our food is grown -- what it is, in fact, that we are eating. The book is really three in one: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both as big business and on a relatively small farm; and the third, what it is like to hunt and gather food for oneself. And each section culminates in a meal -- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and pork, foraged from the wild.
The first section is a wake-up call for anyone who has ever been hungry. In the United States, Pollan makes clear, we're mostly fed by two things: corn and oil. We may not sit down to bowls of yummy petroleum, but almost everything we eat has used enormous amounts of fossil fuels to get to our tables. Oil products are part of the fertilizers that feed plants, the pesticides that keep insects away from them, the fuels used by the trains and trucks that transport them across the country, and the packaging in which they're wrapped. We're addicted to oil, and we really like to eat.
Oil underlines Pollan's story about agribusiness, but corn is its focus. American cattle fatten on corn. Corn also feeds poultry, pigs and sheep, even farmed fish. But that's just the beginning. In addition to dairy products from corn-fed cows and eggs from corn-fed chickens, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup make up key ingredients in prepared foods. High-fructose corn syrup sweetens everything from juice to toothpaste. Even the alcohol in beer is corn-based. Corn is in everything from frozen yogurt to ketchup, from mayonnaise and mustard to hot dogs and bologna, from salad dressings to vitamin pills. "Tell me what you eat," said the French gastronomist Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, "and I will tell you what you are." We're corn.
Each bushel of industrial corn grown, Pollan notes, uses the equivalent of up to a third of a gallon of oil. Some of the oil products evaporate and acidify rain; some seep into the water table; some wash into rivers, affecting drinking water and poisoning marine ecosystems. The industrial logic also means vast farms that grow only corn. When the price of corn drops, the solution, the farmer hopes, is to plant more corn for next year. The paradoxical result? While farmers earn less, there's an over-supply of cheap corn, and that means finding ever more ways to use it up.
Is eating all this corn good for us? Who knows? We think we've tamed nature, but we're just beginning to learn about all that we don't yet know. Ships were once provided with plenty of food, but sailors got scurvy because they needed vitamin C. We're sailing on the same sea, thinking we're eating well but still discovering nutrients in our food that we hadn't known were there -- that we don't yet know we need.
We've lost touch with the natural loops of farming, in which livestock and crops are connected in mutually beneficial circles. Pollan discusses the alternatives to industrial farming, but these two long (and occasionally self-indulgent) sections lack the focus and intensity -- the anger beneath the surface -- of the first. He spends a week at Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley, a farm that works with nature, rather than despite it. Salatin calls himself a grass farmer, though his farm produces cows, chickens, eggs and corn. But everything begins with the grass: The cows nibble at it at the precise moment when it's at its sweetest and are moved from pasture to pasture to keep the grass at its best height. Their droppings fertilize the grass, and the cycle is under way. There's a kind of lyrical symmetry to everything that happens on this farm. Even the final slaughtering of chickens is done quickly and humanely, in the open air. It isn't pleasant, but compared to the way cattle are fattened and slaughtered in meat industry feedlots and slaughterhouses, it is remarkably reasonable.
We needn't learn how to shoot our own pigs, as Pollan does; there's hope in other ways -- farmers' markets, the Slow Food movement, restaurants supplied by local farms. To Pollan, the omnivore's dilemma is twofold: what we choose to eat ("What should we have for dinner?" he asks in the opening sentence of his book) and how we let that food be produced. His book is an eater's manifesto, and he touches on a vast array of subjects, from food fads and taboos to our avoidance of not only our food's animality, but also our own. Along the way, he is alert to his own emotions and thoughts, to see how they affect what he does and what he eats, to learn more and to explain what he knows. His approach is steeped in honesty and self-awareness. His cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling. Be careful of your dinner!
Reviewed by Bunny Crumpacker Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition."
As I read more I will post much of the mind blowing information I gather. Stay tuned! If you find this topic to be very interesting, then I recommend purchasing and reading the book yourself.
Training Log
5/15/08
5x3 Overhead Squat
3x 135#
3x 145#
3x 155#
3x 165#
3x 170#
I planned on a 5x3 of overhead squats at 145#, but the overheads felt better than I thought they would so I went up each set.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Member Meeting
See you all at the meeting tonight! 6:30pm in Topsfield
Training Log
5/14/08
4 Rounds with a 20# weight vest
10 ring dips
10 pullups
10 ring pushups
15 squat jumps w. 45# bar (no weight vest)
20:30
My first round took 2:50 without alot of intensity. As you can tell by the final time, it was way down hill from there, and I most certainly was unable to move with much intensity through the final 3 rounds. This was a strength building WOD, so I was pretty much forced to take my time.
Training Log
5/14/08
4 Rounds with a 20# weight vest
10 ring dips
10 pullups
10 ring pushups
15 squat jumps w. 45# bar (no weight vest)
20:30
My first round took 2:50 without alot of intensity. As you can tell by the final time, it was way down hill from there, and I most certainly was unable to move with much intensity through the final 3 rounds. This was a strength building WOD, so I was pretty much forced to take my time.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Foam Rolling
I had to post this after seeing it. This actually made me shout outloud and cringe.
And this picture of Youk is touching.
Why Use a Foam Roller
You can improve your function in less than 10 minutes a day. Doesn‘t that sound nice? Perform self-myofascial release techniques on a foam roller, and you’ll improve body composition, flexibility, function, performance, and reduce injuries. You’ll be massaging away restrictions to normal soft-tissue extensibility. The best part is you can do all this in the convenience of your own home, or use one of the foam rollers provided at the gym.
Self-myofascial release (SMR) on a foam roller works thanks to the principle known as autogenic inhibition. If you haven’t heard of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) it is a mechanoreceptor found at the muscle-tendon junction. It is very sensitive to changes in tension in the muscle. When tension increases to the point of high risk of injury (i.e. tendon rupture), the Golgi Tendon Organ intelligently stimulates muscle spindles to relax the muscle. This auto-response is autogenic inhibition. The GTO doesn’t just protect us from injuries, but it also plays a role in making proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching techniques highly effective. It's also well accepted that muscles need to not only be strong, but pliable as well. It's important to have strength and optimal function through a full range of motion. While stretching will improve the length of the muscle, SMR and massage work to adjust the tone of the muscle.
Traditional stretching techniques simply cause increases in muscle length. SMR on a foam roller, offers the same benefits plus the breakdown of soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue. SMR on the foam roller offers an effective, inexpensive, and convenient way to both reduce adhesion and scar tissue accumulation and eliminate what's already present each day. Understand that just like stretching, foam rolling won’t show dramatic improvements overnight; you'll need to be consistent with it.
If you’re not sure how to use a foam roller, just ask one of the coaches at the gym and we will be happy to show you. Also feel free to ask a fellow member as many of them have had experience with foam rolling.
SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE HELPS
Correct muscle imbalances
Joint range of motion
Muscle soreness & relieves joint stress
Neuromuscular hypertonicity
Extensibility of musculotendinous junction
Neuromuscular efficiency
Maintain normal functional muscular length
Training Log
5/13/08
5x3 Front Squat 245# on 5/6/08, 5x5 225#
3x3 Press 120# on 4/25/08 115#
3x3 Push Press 160# on 4/25/08 155#
And this picture of Youk is touching.
Why Use a Foam Roller
You can improve your function in less than 10 minutes a day. Doesn‘t that sound nice? Perform self-myofascial release techniques on a foam roller, and you’ll improve body composition, flexibility, function, performance, and reduce injuries. You’ll be massaging away restrictions to normal soft-tissue extensibility. The best part is you can do all this in the convenience of your own home, or use one of the foam rollers provided at the gym.
Self-myofascial release (SMR) on a foam roller works thanks to the principle known as autogenic inhibition. If you haven’t heard of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) it is a mechanoreceptor found at the muscle-tendon junction. It is very sensitive to changes in tension in the muscle. When tension increases to the point of high risk of injury (i.e. tendon rupture), the Golgi Tendon Organ intelligently stimulates muscle spindles to relax the muscle. This auto-response is autogenic inhibition. The GTO doesn’t just protect us from injuries, but it also plays a role in making proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching techniques highly effective. It's also well accepted that muscles need to not only be strong, but pliable as well. It's important to have strength and optimal function through a full range of motion. While stretching will improve the length of the muscle, SMR and massage work to adjust the tone of the muscle.
Traditional stretching techniques simply cause increases in muscle length. SMR on a foam roller, offers the same benefits plus the breakdown of soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue. SMR on the foam roller offers an effective, inexpensive, and convenient way to both reduce adhesion and scar tissue accumulation and eliminate what's already present each day. Understand that just like stretching, foam rolling won’t show dramatic improvements overnight; you'll need to be consistent with it.
If you’re not sure how to use a foam roller, just ask one of the coaches at the gym and we will be happy to show you. Also feel free to ask a fellow member as many of them have had experience with foam rolling.
SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE HELPS
Correct muscle imbalances
Joint range of motion
Muscle soreness & relieves joint stress
Neuromuscular hypertonicity
Extensibility of musculotendinous junction
Neuromuscular efficiency
Maintain normal functional muscular length
Training Log
5/13/08
5x3 Front Squat 245# on 5/6/08, 5x5 225#
3x3 Press 120# on 4/25/08 115#
3x3 Push Press 160# on 4/25/08 155#
Monday, May 12, 2008
An Addiction to Winning
If you look up the words Champion, Winner, Teammate, Leader... in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Bill Russell next to each one. There is no greater champion in the history of team sports than Bill Russell. Check out these stats. Russell's USF(University of San Fransisco), Olympic and Celtics teams were a near perfect 28-2 in win or go home games. USF was 9-0 in two NCAA tournaments, the U.S. was 2-0 in Olympic elimination games and the Celtics were 17-2, including 10-0 in game 7's and 1-0 in a fifth game of a best-of-five series. The guy was clutch and led his team by doing all the little things. He was a big man on the court and was larger than life to the city of Boston. He was the glue that held those championship teams togeather. In his last game, Russell had 21 rebounds and held Wilt Chamberlain to 18 points, the same guy who once scored 100 points in a single game. The Celtics won the game over the Lakers 108-106. Russell's 11th NBA Championship in 13 years.
Here is the list of Russell's Championship years with the C's and his MVP seasons: NBA Champion (1957, '59, '60, '61, '62, '63, '64, '65, '66, '68, '69); NBA MVP (1958, '61, '62, '63, '65). Don't worry, your eyes don't deceive you, he and the Celtics won 8 NBA Titles in a row and he was MVP of the league 3 years straight. Bill Russell was clearly the cornerstone of the Celtics Dynasty that still to this day is the winningest franchise in NBA history with 16 championships, and is third behind the Yankees(26) and Montreal Canadiens(23) in all of professional team sports.
A couple more fun facts on Bill Russell is he had 12 consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds. Once he had
51 rebounds in a game and 49 in two others. WOW!
Training Log
5/12/08
(NSC WOD)
Box Jump(24") - Situps - Handstand Pushups
10 - 15 - 1
9 - 15 - 2
8 - 15 - 3
7 - 15 - 4
6 - 15 - 5
5 - 15 - 6
4 - 15 - 7
3 - 15 - 8
2 - 15 - 9
1 - 15 - 10
22:20
Handstand pushups take me a good while, eventually just a couple at a time. I definitely should do more of them, more often.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
C'mon C's, Win One on the Road!
Celtics Must Find A Way to Win Away
article by Christopher L. Gasper
Globe Staff
Training Log
5/10/08
"Tommy V."
21 thrusters 115#
12 rope climbs
15 thrusters 115#
9 rope climbs
9 thrusters 115#
6 rope climbs
21:21
Friday, May 9, 2008
DUMBELLS
Brendan from CrossFit HQ and one of the owners of CrossFit North Santa Cruz wrote an article about dumbell training last month on his blog. Thought I would share it with you guys so you can further understand why they are so important to any training program even though we all prefer to use barbells.
DUMBELLS!!!! I want to stress the value of training with them to everyone who is reading this. First off, lets talk about variance. The list of movements that can be done working with these old and too many times forgotten tools is endless. Even just one set of dumbells is good enough to create many super effective training regimens with plenty of variance. Since most of our gyms are equipped with a with a wide range of sizes to work with I believe they are good enough without anything else to create the fittest most powerful athletes on earth. The versatility is what sets them apart. Throw them, catch them, swing them, use them single arm. They are great for combining complex movements together like the "burpee squat clean thruster". Have you ever tried that one? OMG! It's the sh?t.
Another reason to use dumbells is the relentless demand they put on training stability. Strengthening our ability to stabilize loads is undeniably crucial to athletic development. Going overhead with dumbells, especially when doing it single arm is dominant over barbell training for the mission of creating unmatched control. ( keep in mind that overhead is more than a locked out elbow, its a shoulder shoulder shoved up into your ear.) Single arm dumbell snatches, single and double arm overhead walking lunges, single arm and double arm clean and jerks are great ways to combine fully engaged stability efforts with all out functional mobility. This bleeds right in with how dumbells may also be victorious when it comes to developing midline stabilization ( our term for core strength). The extra amount of engagement demanded upon us to control loads overhead when single arm defeats the barbell. What about both arms overhead with dumbells? You think this is easier? Hardly. The multilateral planes in which the dumbells must be controlled are there regardless of the double arm and are the reason why everybody especially athletes need to with them. In sport, life, combat, and everywhere our bodies move in all planes and we must train our bodies to prepare for these demands.
I am in no way saying that dumbells are better than barbells, I love barbells. The ability to lift much heavier loads come with barbell training. That reason alone makes barbell training indispensable. What I am saying is make sure to include dumbells as a huge part of your program. Don't forget about them. Don't be afraid to go heavy. Never use weights you are unable to control without proper mechanics but go as heavy as you can being able to.
Training Log
5/9/08
(I planned on doing a 5x3 OHS, but I'm having forearm troubles in my right arm. So I didn't do nothing. I modified.)
Back Squat
5x5 255# on 5/2/08 245#
As you can see, looking back at this week, I did alot of strength work. During most of April I did alot of high intensity metcons and caught up on some Benchmark WODs that I missed while dealing with injuries and illness during Feb. and March.(note: I did not completely shut down my training during this period of injury/illness, I modified around it for WODs and practiced what I could).
I planned this week to be strength heavy with 2-3 metcons where I pushed really hard. You can't expect to give each WOD your best effort 5 plus times a week, every week. Just give it what you got that day and be happy that you still put forth a great effort, even though it may not have been your best to date.
I plan on keeping up with my strength work over the next few weeks and see how I feel. If my body responds well I will probably keep it up well into the summer months. I will also try to put alot of work in on my o-lifting. 2-3 metcon efforts a week should help sustain my conditioning level, while not negatively impacting my strength gains.
DUMBELLS!!!! I want to stress the value of training with them to everyone who is reading this. First off, lets talk about variance. The list of movements that can be done working with these old and too many times forgotten tools is endless. Even just one set of dumbells is good enough to create many super effective training regimens with plenty of variance. Since most of our gyms are equipped with a with a wide range of sizes to work with I believe they are good enough without anything else to create the fittest most powerful athletes on earth. The versatility is what sets them apart. Throw them, catch them, swing them, use them single arm. They are great for combining complex movements together like the "burpee squat clean thruster". Have you ever tried that one? OMG! It's the sh?t.
Another reason to use dumbells is the relentless demand they put on training stability. Strengthening our ability to stabilize loads is undeniably crucial to athletic development. Going overhead with dumbells, especially when doing it single arm is dominant over barbell training for the mission of creating unmatched control. ( keep in mind that overhead is more than a locked out elbow, its a shoulder shoulder shoved up into your ear.) Single arm dumbell snatches, single and double arm overhead walking lunges, single arm and double arm clean and jerks are great ways to combine fully engaged stability efforts with all out functional mobility. This bleeds right in with how dumbells may also be victorious when it comes to developing midline stabilization ( our term for core strength). The extra amount of engagement demanded upon us to control loads overhead when single arm defeats the barbell. What about both arms overhead with dumbells? You think this is easier? Hardly. The multilateral planes in which the dumbells must be controlled are there regardless of the double arm and are the reason why everybody especially athletes need to with them. In sport, life, combat, and everywhere our bodies move in all planes and we must train our bodies to prepare for these demands.
I am in no way saying that dumbells are better than barbells, I love barbells. The ability to lift much heavier loads come with barbell training. That reason alone makes barbell training indispensable. What I am saying is make sure to include dumbells as a huge part of your program. Don't forget about them. Don't be afraid to go heavy. Never use weights you are unable to control without proper mechanics but go as heavy as you can being able to.
Training Log
5/9/08
(I planned on doing a 5x3 OHS, but I'm having forearm troubles in my right arm. So I didn't do nothing. I modified.)
Back Squat
5x5 255# on 5/2/08 245#
As you can see, looking back at this week, I did alot of strength work. During most of April I did alot of high intensity metcons and caught up on some Benchmark WODs that I missed while dealing with injuries and illness during Feb. and March.(note: I did not completely shut down my training during this period of injury/illness, I modified around it for WODs and practiced what I could).
I planned this week to be strength heavy with 2-3 metcons where I pushed really hard. You can't expect to give each WOD your best effort 5 plus times a week, every week. Just give it what you got that day and be happy that you still put forth a great effort, even though it may not have been your best to date.
I plan on keeping up with my strength work over the next few weeks and see how I feel. If my body responds well I will probably keep it up well into the summer months. I will also try to put alot of work in on my o-lifting. 2-3 metcon efforts a week should help sustain my conditioning level, while not negatively impacting my strength gains.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
RAP-DOG!
Joe Rapuano sent me this email yesterday. I loved every bit of it. I had to share it with the rest of you. This is why I love what we do at North Shore CrossFit. Awesome people with great aspirations, and nothing more satisfying than actual RESULTS!!!!
Hey Greg,
Thanks for the email. I am definitely feeling stronger this spring. Some of the more prominent things I am noticing is I have pretty much wiped out any back pain associated with cycling. What used to happen every spring is I would start training harder and develop lower back pain to the point where I would have to back off my training plan. I really believe that all of the workouts at the gym have strengthened my core and have allowed me to utilize my muscle groups more efficiently. In retrospect, I was probably relying on my lower back to take too much work load when riding hard as my core was weaker.
I also have noticed that I can apply some of the principles from the workouts while riding. For instance, on the more shallow and gradual hill climbs, I set myself on the bike similar to the squat and dead lift position vs.. a more hunched over position. I notice I can get more power, speed and no back pain!
I have a big race on May 17, so I have been intensifying my rides. Last night I rode a 24 mile course with 5 good climbs and was able to go faster than ever before. I rode it in 1:16:30, which was an average of 18.75 mph. I have ridden this same course in 1:18-1:19 before, but that was late in the season after logging lots of miles.
I also notice that I am able to recover faster after hard efforts and I attribute this to the workouts at the gym. The fast, intense workouts help to develop faster recovery, much like doing intervals.
I think the one final benefit is more psychological. The atmosphere at the gym is very conducive to pushing yourself and not giving up. I think the competitive spirit really goes a long way and is positive reinforcement. I would have to say the workouts I enjoy the most are doing a number of rounds within a time frame, especially the 20 min long ones, as these are a lot more like the efforts in a cyclocross race (except the races are 40-45 min).
I'm looking forward to the good weather as I can work on the next thing I need improvement on and hate--that is running. There is a lot of running in 'cross and I would like to get faster and improve recovery time.
Thanks for asking and I look forward to working with you--Joe
By the way, the heavy bag that Joe Rap is carrying in the picture is about 14olbs. heavier than the bike he has to carry during sections of his races. If you like money, I'd bet on the Rap-Dog.
Training Log
5/8/08
(am)
Max Deadlift
warm up
5x 135#
5x 225#
3x 315#
2x 385#
1x 435#
1x 485# (current max)
(6/07 max 525#)
I fully admit that I made too big of jumps after my reps at 385#. I would never recommend or allow a client or member to do the same. It's not safe. It was partly laziness by me. But I also have alot of experience with heavy deadlifts, and a good sense of what my body can handle.
(pm)
(NSC WOD)
Tabata Mania (w. a 20# weight vest)
squats 132 reps
sdhp 75# 61 reps
pullups 56 reps
situps (no w.v.) 80 reps
pushups 47 reps
total reps 376
First WOD with my new weight vest that has the potential for 40#. Figure I will slowly work my way up to the full 40#. I did better than I thought I would with the 20 extra pounds on my body.
Hey Greg,
Thanks for the email. I am definitely feeling stronger this spring. Some of the more prominent things I am noticing is I have pretty much wiped out any back pain associated with cycling. What used to happen every spring is I would start training harder and develop lower back pain to the point where I would have to back off my training plan. I really believe that all of the workouts at the gym have strengthened my core and have allowed me to utilize my muscle groups more efficiently. In retrospect, I was probably relying on my lower back to take too much work load when riding hard as my core was weaker.
I also have noticed that I can apply some of the principles from the workouts while riding. For instance, on the more shallow and gradual hill climbs, I set myself on the bike similar to the squat and dead lift position vs.. a more hunched over position. I notice I can get more power, speed and no back pain!
I have a big race on May 17, so I have been intensifying my rides. Last night I rode a 24 mile course with 5 good climbs and was able to go faster than ever before. I rode it in 1:16:30, which was an average of 18.75 mph. I have ridden this same course in 1:18-1:19 before, but that was late in the season after logging lots of miles.
I also notice that I am able to recover faster after hard efforts and I attribute this to the workouts at the gym. The fast, intense workouts help to develop faster recovery, much like doing intervals.
I think the one final benefit is more psychological. The atmosphere at the gym is very conducive to pushing yourself and not giving up. I think the competitive spirit really goes a long way and is positive reinforcement. I would have to say the workouts I enjoy the most are doing a number of rounds within a time frame, especially the 20 min long ones, as these are a lot more like the efforts in a cyclocross race (except the races are 40-45 min).
I'm looking forward to the good weather as I can work on the next thing I need improvement on and hate--that is running. There is a lot of running in 'cross and I would like to get faster and improve recovery time.
Thanks for asking and I look forward to working with you--Joe
By the way, the heavy bag that Joe Rap is carrying in the picture is about 14olbs. heavier than the bike he has to carry during sections of his races. If you like money, I'd bet on the Rap-Dog.
Training Log
5/8/08
(am)
Max Deadlift
warm up
5x 135#
5x 225#
3x 315#
2x 385#
1x 435#
1x 485# (current max)
(6/07 max 525#)
I fully admit that I made too big of jumps after my reps at 385#. I would never recommend or allow a client or member to do the same. It's not safe. It was partly laziness by me. But I also have alot of experience with heavy deadlifts, and a good sense of what my body can handle.
(pm)
(NSC WOD)
Tabata Mania (w. a 20# weight vest)
squats 132 reps
sdhp 75# 61 reps
pullups 56 reps
situps (no w.v.) 80 reps
pushups 47 reps
total reps 376
First WOD with my new weight vest that has the potential for 40#. Figure I will slowly work my way up to the full 40#. I did better than I thought I would with the 20 extra pounds on my body.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Muscle Up
Last week I went to Crossfit Boston to help out a friend of ours with an instructional muscle up video. I didn't have to do anything, but muscke ups. Jon Gilson is the intructor in the video. He is a CrossFit Coach at Crossfit Boston where they forge wicked elite fitness. Jon also has his own crossfit affiliate called Again Faster. This video is off againfaster.com where Jon writes great articles, posts intructional videos, like this one, and sells equipment.
Don't worry, as you watch this video, feel free to make fun. We don't take ourselves as serious as it may seem.
Achieving the Muscle-up from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
I hung around after the filming to visit with Neal Thompson, owner of Crossfit Boston, and Eva Claire Synkowski an, instructor at Crossfit Boston.
Neal is a big dude.
E.C. is a tall chick.
I nabbed this article from Crossfit Boston. It was posted a couple days ago.
Diet/Nutrition Myths: Eggs, Egg Whites, HighCholesterol, and A Healthy Diet
Don't Be A Victim of the Two Greatest Egg Lies Ever Told
By EMohrman, published Jun 19, 2007
In the vastly spanning arena of publicly-circulated diet, health, and nutrition myths, eggs really--sorry, I can't
resist--take a beating. People believe eggs are an unhealthy diet choice, that eggs will give them high cholesterol, ultimately that eggs should be drastically limited in or omitted from a healthy diet. None of this is true, yet most people unhesitatingly repeat such nutrition misinformation. It's classic rumor-mill syndrome, and it penetrates all areas of diet, health, and nutrition information. Don't believe me? Certainly the greatest example is the mass delusion that Vitamin C will help with a cold. That was an unfounded conjecture--rejected from the beginning by the medical and nutrition communities--made 40 years ago by chemist Linus Pauling. Despite two Nobel Prizes (Chemistry and Peace), he has always been considered, in academic circles, a nutrition quack. His Vitamin C claim has yet to be supported by any evidence, and has actually been refuted by many tests. Pauling also said a large quantity of Vitamin C in the diet has profound benefits for preventing and treating cancer. Ironically, despite his and his wife's long-term heavy regimen, she died of stomach cancer and he of prostate cancer that metastasized to his liver. Yes, nutrition lies lead amazing lives.
read full article.
I eat eggs for breakfast, on average, 5 days a week. What can I say, I like eggs.
My brother in law showed me this video on youtube yesturday. It's a guy imitating batting stances of Red Sox players over the years. Some of these are real funny and they are all pretty much right on.
Training Log
Wednesday 5/8/08
10 kb jerks L, 2pood (70#)
switch
10 kb jerks R, 2pood
rest 1 min
7 kb jerks L, 2pood
switch
7 kb jerks R, 2pood
rest 1 min
4 kb jerks L, 2pood
switch
4 kb jerks R, 2pood
6 consecutive muscle ups (4 strict)
rest 2 mins
4 consecutive muscle ups (2 strict)
rest 2 mins
3 consecutive muscle ups (1 strict)
rest 2 mins
3 consecutive muscle ups (all kip)
rest 1 min
2 consecutive muscle ups (kip)
rest
arms were pretty smoked!
Don't worry, as you watch this video, feel free to make fun. We don't take ourselves as serious as it may seem.
Achieving the Muscle-up from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.
I hung around after the filming to visit with Neal Thompson, owner of Crossfit Boston, and Eva Claire Synkowski an, instructor at Crossfit Boston.
Neal is a big dude.
E.C. is a tall chick.
I nabbed this article from Crossfit Boston. It was posted a couple days ago.
Diet/Nutrition Myths: Eggs, Egg Whites, HighCholesterol, and A Healthy Diet
Don't Be A Victim of the Two Greatest Egg Lies Ever Told
By EMohrman, published Jun 19, 2007
In the vastly spanning arena of publicly-circulated diet, health, and nutrition myths, eggs really--sorry, I can't
resist--take a beating. People believe eggs are an unhealthy diet choice, that eggs will give them high cholesterol, ultimately that eggs should be drastically limited in or omitted from a healthy diet. None of this is true, yet most people unhesitatingly repeat such nutrition misinformation. It's classic rumor-mill syndrome, and it penetrates all areas of diet, health, and nutrition information. Don't believe me? Certainly the greatest example is the mass delusion that Vitamin C will help with a cold. That was an unfounded conjecture--rejected from the beginning by the medical and nutrition communities--made 40 years ago by chemist Linus Pauling. Despite two Nobel Prizes (Chemistry and Peace), he has always been considered, in academic circles, a nutrition quack. His Vitamin C claim has yet to be supported by any evidence, and has actually been refuted by many tests. Pauling also said a large quantity of Vitamin C in the diet has profound benefits for preventing and treating cancer. Ironically, despite his and his wife's long-term heavy regimen, she died of stomach cancer and he of prostate cancer that metastasized to his liver. Yes, nutrition lies lead amazing lives.
read full article.
I eat eggs for breakfast, on average, 5 days a week. What can I say, I like eggs.
PS- This picture was not staged, it's how my eggs fell in the pan this morning, and the yoke on the bottom just so happened to break. It made me laugh when I saw it.
My brother in law showed me this video on youtube yesturday. It's a guy imitating batting stances of Red Sox players over the years. Some of these are real funny and they are all pretty much right on.
Training Log
Wednesday 5/8/08
10 kb jerks L, 2pood (70#)
switch
10 kb jerks R, 2pood
rest 1 min
7 kb jerks L, 2pood
switch
7 kb jerks R, 2pood
rest 1 min
4 kb jerks L, 2pood
switch
4 kb jerks R, 2pood
6 consecutive muscle ups (4 strict)
rest 2 mins
4 consecutive muscle ups (2 strict)
rest 2 mins
3 consecutive muscle ups (1 strict)
rest 2 mins
3 consecutive muscle ups (all kip)
rest 1 min
2 consecutive muscle ups (kip)
rest
arms were pretty smoked!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Press Behind the Neck
Yesterday I did presses from behind the neck as I warmed up to my standard 5x5 shoulder press set. Pressing from behind the neck is beneficial just like the shoulder press from the front rack position, in that it develops arm and shoulder strength. That may be obvious, but what it also benefits is the development of balance and awareness of holding a load overhead. The behind the neck press moves vertically from the shoulders straight to the overhead lockout position. What was avoided by pressing from behind the neck is the negotiation of moving the bar from the front rack around the head and face. For this reason behind the neck is a great place for novices to start when learning the press, with very light weight of course, maybe just a pvc pipe. Less skill is required when not having to avoid the head and it also helps with finding the overhead position where the barbell is slightly behind the ears, therefore putting the center of gravity (COG) over the heels. Your head should be neutral and eyes focused straight ahead. That is a solid finish position anytime weight is overhead. Push presses and jerks can also be done from behind the neck. All of which can also be done with a snatch grip(wide), as opposed to a clean grip(just outside shoulders).
I find when I press from behind the neck, I can't do as much weight as from the front. This is because from behind the neck, the chest has little to no involvement when initiating the press. Clearly three groups of muscles; shoulders, arms and chest can get more weight up than just two; shoulders and arms. Behind the neck presses will help in building the posterior chain strength of shoulders and arms for the press.
Of course with all these movements the core(mid line) is as important as any other area of the body. The extremities can't move nearly as much weight or as efficient without a solid mid line, but that goes without saying. The core is always being worked when engaging in full body movements. Stabilization of the mid line is key.
I find when I press from behind the neck, I can't do as much weight as from the front. This is because from behind the neck, the chest has little to no involvement when initiating the press. Clearly three groups of muscles; shoulders, arms and chest can get more weight up than just two; shoulders and arms. Behind the neck presses will help in building the posterior chain strength of shoulders and arms for the press.
Of course with all these movements the core(mid line) is as important as any other area of the body. The extremities can't move nearly as much weight or as efficient without a solid mid line, but that goes without saying. The core is always being worked when engaging in full body movements. Stabilization of the mid line is key.
NSC Member News
Tom and Arlene Dacey have been coming to the gym since March. They, like every other person who sticks with the program for more than a couple weeks, have been making outsanding progress. Tom is 68 years old, when he started he coudn't do five pushups without feeling like throwing up. Now we can't keep the guy off the monkey bars or from flipping him self upside down to a handstand on the wall. Now lets talk about Arlene. Just a few weeks ago she took a nasty spill down some stairs. That same week, all bumped and bruised, sure enough she was back in the gym and ready to do whatever she could, working around her injuries. She's almost at a full recovery and never gave up a day of training. The Dacey's are just an example of all the awesome members at North Shore CrossFit. It's a pleasure working with every one of you.
Tom doing his best monkey impression.
Training Log
Tuesday 5/6/08
5x5 Front Squat 225# on 4/18/08 215#
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10
double unders
situps
5:41
Monday, May 5, 2008
Cinco de Mayo
It's Cinco de Mayo, get drunk with some monkeys in the Carribean.
These monkeys are hammered by the end of this video. Cheers!
My Training Log
Monday 5/5/08
(am)
warm up
10 presses from behind neck 45#
7 presses from behind 75#
4 presses from behind 95#
5x5 press(front) 105# on 3/29/08 95#
2min rest between sets
(pm)
(Today's NSC WOD)
5 Rounds
15 kb swings 53#
15 db thrusters 35#
15 box jumps
12:12
NSC Member News
I love my 6am people, you guys bust ass every morning. Why would today be any different.
This is Ellen K. who travels 40 mins just to get her butt wooped at the 6am class. She wasn't feeling great today, but she pushed hard to the end and survived. Barely!
These monkeys are hammered by the end of this video. Cheers!
My Training Log
Monday 5/5/08
(am)
warm up
10 presses from behind neck 45#
7 presses from behind 75#
4 presses from behind 95#
5x5 press(front) 105# on 3/29/08 95#
2min rest between sets
(pm)
(Today's NSC WOD)
5 Rounds
15 kb swings 53#
15 db thrusters 35#
15 box jumps
12:12
NSC Member News
I love my 6am people, you guys bust ass every morning. Why would today be any different.
This is Ellen K. who travels 40 mins just to get her butt wooped at the 6am class. She wasn't feeling great today, but she pushed hard to the end and survived. Barely!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Introducing My Blog
Welcome!
In this blog there will be many different topics covered in all aspects of sport, competition, fitness and wellness.(Oh and I can't forget fun and humor). All these bases will be covered with articles and videos I find, thoughts I have on any subject, and anything that may be helpful to the progress of all athletes. Including a few good laughs every now and then. This blog is nothing without you, the athletes' participation. Comments, opinions and suggestions are all welcome. Just remember to keep it real, keep it kind and of course fun.
I will also keep a daily training log of my activity in the gym. Feel free to ask questions about my training or choose to ignore it if it does not interest you. Hopefully, in some way, monitoring my training log can be helpful to you or provoke good quesitons and thought about your own training.
I hope all of you find some enjoyment in this blog and find it to be knowledgeable. I will try to keep things fresh, fun and diverse.
In the spirit of this past Monday's skill: box jumps, I have a few video links I have seen before on youtube that are amazing to watch. As part of my inaugural post, and my favorite thing to do, JUMP, enjoy these freak-like athletes.
In this blog there will be many different topics covered in all aspects of sport, competition, fitness and wellness.(Oh and I can't forget fun and humor). All these bases will be covered with articles and videos I find, thoughts I have on any subject, and anything that may be helpful to the progress of all athletes. Including a few good laughs every now and then. This blog is nothing without you, the athletes' participation. Comments, opinions and suggestions are all welcome. Just remember to keep it real, keep it kind and of course fun.
I will also keep a daily training log of my activity in the gym. Feel free to ask questions about my training or choose to ignore it if it does not interest you. Hopefully, in some way, monitoring my training log can be helpful to you or provoke good quesitons and thought about your own training.
I hope all of you find some enjoyment in this blog and find it to be knowledgeable. I will try to keep things fresh, fun and diverse.
In the spirit of this past Monday's skill: box jumps, I have a few video links I have seen before on youtube that are amazing to watch. As part of my inaugural post, and my favorite thing to do, JUMP, enjoy these freak-like athletes.
I have to thank Gregg Spiro for this first video.
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