Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wednesday 31, March 2010

It is our skill day so, today I want you all to work on variations of your pull ups. If you have kipping down, try some butterfly, or L-pull ups - if you are using a band YOU WILL NOT USE one today! Get on the bar, swing and play around with it until you feel more comfortable. You never know when you will come in, and the box of bands will be hidden!

Metcon:
3x
200m sprint
400m sprint
600m run

Your rest time between rounds is the amount of time it took you to complete the prior run.

Tuesday 30, March 2010

Strength:

Front squats
3-3-3-3-3
Push Press
3-3-3-3-3

Metcon:
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Push ups
1 arm snatch 25% of body weight
Knees to elbows
1 tire flip per round!

JACKIE is the HERO of the day, she flipped and flipped and flipped on her second to last round she went for the bigger tire, got it up, it went back down, knocked her over - but she got up finished the workout, and did another tire flip!
True Power!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Why we men and WOMAN SHOULD lift weights!

If you lift weights, have you ever wondered whether you're doing it right? Specifically, are you lifting enough weight? According to a study done by the University of Michigan, many of us aren't. Researchers took beginners (both men and women) through a series of moves, allowing them to choose their own weight. After assessing their 1 rep max (the general standard for choosing weight), they determined that most chose a weight well below what was needed to stimulate muscle growth.
Are you guilty of going too light? If so, you may not be seeing the results you'd like. Learn more about why lifting heavier weights could change your entire body.

Why Lifting Heavy is the Key to Weight Loss

You know that losing fat involves increasing your metabolism. What you may not know is that muscle plays a huge role in raising metabolism. A pound of muscle burns about 10-20 calories a day while a pound of fat burns 5 calories. That means any growth in your muscle tissue is going to help you burn more calories all day long. In fact, strength training has all kinds of great effects on your body like:

•Increasing resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories, even while at rest.
•Making you lean and slim--muscle takes up less space than fat so, the more you have, the slimmer you are
•Strengthening bones and connective tissue, which can protect your body from injuries in daily life
•Enhancing balance and stability
•Building confidence and self-esteem
However...this only works if you're using enough weight to stimulate that muscle growth. In other words, if you can lift the weights you've chosen (for most exercises) more than 16-20 times, you might not see the kind of fat loss you would if you increased your weight.

So, why don't we lift more weight? For some, lifting weights is scary, especially if you've never done it before.
It feels weird. The goal of weight training, if you didn't know, is to lift as much weight as you possibly can (with good form!) for the number of reps you've chosen. In daily life, we typically don't push ourselves to fatigue in anything we do, so this idea may not only feel foreign, it may feel downright miserable. That's one reason it's best for beginners to gradually work towards that.
Fear of injury. Because our muscles burn when we challenge them with resistance, people often feel they're injuring themselves when they lift. And injury can be a real fear for beginners since injury can occur if you max out before your body is ready for it. Taking it slow while still challenging your body will help protect you from injury.
Confusion. When you haven't lifted weights before, you may not know what's too heavy and what's too light. It may take some time to get a feel for your body and what it can handle.
Fear of getting bulky. There's still a tired old myth running around that men should lift heavy and women should lift light to avoid getting big and bulky. Women hear this: Lifting heavy weights will NOT make you huge--you simply don't have the testosterone levels to build big muscles. Lifting heavy weights WILL help you lose fat.
Fear of pain. The other thing about lifting weights is the psychological factor. The discomfort level associated with training to fatigue is pretty high...if you haven't lifted weights before, you may not be able to overcome that discomfort enough to lift as heavy as you're capable of. Again, this is one reason it's best to err on the side of caution (if you need to), while always working towards more challenge and more weight.
These fears often keep people lifting the same amount of weight for weeks, months or even years. Most of these fears are unfounded, if you take time to ease into a weight training program and work (slowly) towards the muscle fatigue that will make your muscles grow.

How Much Should You Be Lifting?

For weight loss, science has found that lifting between 60-80% of your 1 rep max is the best way to stimulate muscle growth, which is what helps you lose fat. The problem is that most of us don't think much about how much weight we need, much less going through the process of figuring out 1 rep max for every exercise we're doing. In fact, I see many gym-goers lifting the same weights week after week, which is just one way to keep your body from changing.

The important thing to remember when it comes to strength training is that you must give you your muscles more weight than they can handle--that's how muscles grow. The challenge of lifting heavy is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one and, if you haven't pushed your body's limits in a while, just the act of lifting weights may be all you can handle. If you're consistent with a basic program and build a solid foundation of strength, you'll be ready for the next step--lifting heavy and pushing your muscles to their limits. You'll be amazed at the changes in your body.

Source:

Glass, Stephen C. Effect of a Learning Trial on Self-Selected Resistance Training Load. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 22(3):1025-1029, May 2008.

WOMAN!!!!!!!!!! Read this and watch this!!! See anything in common with us at BBCF - YEAP we do the same lifts, and these girls are kicking some ass!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbF1AwPlIYE

I don't know about you, but I'm getting rather tired of all the stereotypical nonsense surrounding women and weight training.

"Deadlifts? No, no. That's a man's exercise; we don't want to hurt ourselves now do we? You better stick to this here butt blaster instead. Don't go too heavy now; that'll just make you big and bulky like those female bodybuilders. If you want to 'tone up,' you need to go for the 'burn' with high reps and just a little bit of weight. Okay, now over to the hip adductor machine. This one is great for targeting and toning up those inner thighs."

And as if the abundance of misinformation spouted out by the average lay person regarding women and weight training isn't enough, these words actually came from the mouth of a "certified" personal trainer. A man's exercise? What the heck is that? Are women so incompetent and weak that they can't manage to conduct exercises with barbells and dumbbells or something? Higher reps to tone up? Big and bulky?

Man, I wanted to clock this guy; however, instead of "laying the smack down" on his misinformed butt, I decided to write this article instead. Let's take a look at how a woman should train and at the same time dispel some of the common misconceptions regarding female trainees:

A desirable female physique is one that can only be achieved by moving some serious iron in the weight room! But what about all the talk about weight training making women big and bulky? First, it is physiologically impossible for you as a woman to put on large amounts of muscle mass; you're body's hormonal makeup is not one that will allow you to do so.

God never intended for women to look like men (go figure), so he made the chemistry of each gender's respective bodies different. Regardless of how you train, how often you train, how much protein you eat, etc, you're not going to even come close to the big, bulky physique of a female bodybuilder.

It will not happen. That look is only obtainable by one means: steroids. Because their natural hormonal profiles would never allow them to get that "big," they resort to changing their body's chemistry through the use of illegal drugs. Secondly, if the right training method is chosen, the hypertrophic (growth) response to resistance training can be even further reduced. This brings us to our next point.

Training in higher rep ranges promotes more sarcoplasmic (fluid) hypertrophy, which in turn yields a "softer" pumped look. If you want to be hard, firm, tight, etc, the latter is certainly not the way to go. The second aspect of a muscles' tone is neurogenic tone, or the tone that is expressed when movements or contractions occur. Again, lower rep training comes out on top as training with heavy loads will increase the sensitivity of alpha and gamma motor neurons, thus increasing neurogenic tone when conducting even the simplest of movements (i.e. walking, extending your arm to point, etc).

Finally, as alluded to in point number one, training with heavy loads and low volume (sets x reps) is the best way to get hard and strong, but not big. Muscular hypertrophy is generally a response to a high volume work output; therefore, by keeping the sets and reps low with heavy training, you won't have to fear getting overly big (this really isn't even an issue due to the physiological reasons mentioned earlier).
It's not important that you move big weights; what is important is that you are selecting and lifting loads that are heavy for you. Over time, you will get stronger and the poundage you can handle will increase. So, for you as a female trainee, a "heavy" load can be defined as a weight that you can lift in good form for 3-6 repetitions. This is in agreement with the recommendations of Canadian strength coach Christian Thibaudeau as he notes, "Women do not have the capacity to recruit as many motor units as men do.

As such, they'll need 1-2 more reps to fully stimulate their muscles. So when training for strength, a man should use between 1 and 5 reps while a woman will benefit more from doing 3-6 reps. Also, most women will need to perform 1-2 more sets of an exercise to achieve the same degree of stimulation as a man, once again because of their lower motor unit activation."

Source:

Joel Marion, Editor-in-Chief of Rugged Magazine

Monday, March 29, 2010

NFL player follows Paleo/Caveman Diet


Some of you who have been following the Paleo way of life for a while may already know this, and or even saw the guy in real life a few years back when we held a nutrition cert at the old location. Let me tell you, there is nothing more intimidating than a professional football player the size of this man, who made the only comment I remember vividly from the cert - "I eat bone marrow."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5021601

John Welborn also has two different websites I love to look at and they are:

http://www.socalsc.com

and

http://www.crossfitfootball.com

Monday 29, March 2010


Good day to you all! Hope the weekend treated you well, and your ready to start the week off with some good strong technical lifts and a great metcon!

Strength:

Squat snatch - this lift I REALLY want YOU to focus on the DEPTH of your SQUAT! Meaning, if you have to go lighter, get your butt down in the hole! As your weights get heavier you need to feel comfortable in this position, or your PR will never be had!
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2
Hang Cleans - HEAVYYYY
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Metcon:
600m run 65-75%
10 squats
400m run 75-85%
20 squats
200m sprint 100%
30 squats
400m run 75-85%
40 squats
600m run 65-75%
50 squats

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Saturday 27, March 2010

We did a Saturday team workout today, it was one of those fly by the seat of my pants workouts, and it looked like it did a great job of a fully ass kicked workout.

4 rounds
400 m run
21 kettlebell swings
12 burpees
4 tire flips
10 med ball partner sit ups

SO, run the 400 m together, one of you will sing while the other does burpees, then you will switch. Then flip the tire 4 times back and forth to one another, then on the ground for 10 med ball partner sit ups!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Friday 26, March 2010

Friday - Friday - Friday!!!

Ending the workout week for most of you with not only a choice on your workout preference, but a tabata!!! How much do I love tabata's you ask?
{-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
(that would be my arm span)

Workout A:
Back squat
5-5-5
Strict press
5-5-5
Snatch grip deadlifts
3-2-1-1-1
metcon:
Tabata row - 4 minutes of shear joy!!! Dont't forget the burpees if you dont reach 100m each round.

Workout B:
Snatch grip deadlifts
3-2-1-1-1
metcon:
Tabata - body weight deadlifts, push ups, kettlebell swings

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Thursday 25, March 2010

So I was thinking in my sicken stooper yesterday that I may change up the procession of movements and their days again, but that wont be till next week and it will be a surprise tooooo. :)

Strength:
Squat cleans - work on depth on these reps, this is more skill than PR
3-3-3-3-3
Power Snatch - By far one of themost advanced moves we do in here, get dirty with these lifts today. If you fall on your ass while trying to get the new PR then you know you are doing great!
2-2-2-2-2

Metcon:
5x
5 power squat cleans 75/55kg
7 pull ups
9 box jumps 24/20inch

Wednesday 24, March 2010

Sorry for the delayed posting these last few weeks - Charter is coming out today to fix our Internet, so I will back in commission for the regular posting. Had to get a new computer (thanks to the 13 year old in the house) then the Internet had to be re-worked or something to the new laptop...

So, we are going to change the name of Wednesday if you guys are not going to show up, it will now be called skills day with some running or rowing in there. HAHA! Get your butts in here on Wednesday and work on your level of endurance - for those of you that are newer I may dislike running, but spring is here and summer is just around the corner....

Metcon:
4 x
400m run
400 jump ropes
400m row

It is a great lung burner, and the calves may start to burn like a fire never to be quenched, keep it up and you will get through it.

Paleo Cookies!!! Yummy!

Got an email from Steve Cornell with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol - he follows our blog (how cool is that) anyway asked for the receipe we have for our Paleo cookies - so here it is for you all once again, and if you make some don't forget your poor sick coach. :-) That would be me....

Paleo Cookies

Paleo Cookies
Ingredients

2 cups raw honey (Mothers Market has some excellent raw organic honey)
2 cups ground walnuts (grind them in food processor)
4 cups ground almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit (raisins or cranberries)
*** 3 Scoops of Whey Protein totalling 150 grams of Protein if desired***
Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease cookie sheet ( I use Pam spray)
Warm honey in sauces pan until melted and cool slightly
Place the ground nuts and cinnamon (Protein Powder) in a large bowl and mix together
Pour melted honey onto nut mixture and stir until well blended
Stir in dried fruit
Place the mixture onto cookie sheet and spread it evenly to meet all edges
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
I let cool in pan for at least 2 hours to set and then cut in to squares. If you can let it sit over night the cookies come out really nice.
It is helpful to put the squares into muffin papers or on wax paper for the obvious sticky consistency of the cookie.
When we did the math we found the cookies lacked enough protein to be Zone friendly. If you want to experiment add Whey Protein Powder to the mix and up the protein for a more Zone friendly snack.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tuesday 23, March 2010

Ready for some Olympic lifting today? Heck yes - Oly lifts are the shizisnell (haha I make me laugh)!

Strength:

Snatch - techinque work or lighter
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2
Clean and jerk - heavy
3-3-3-3-3

Metcon:

Jackie All Jacked Up
AMRAP 15 min
250m row
20 thrusters 20kg/15kg
10 pull ups
*if your feeling real good wear a 25 pound vest.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Monday 22, March 2010

HAPPPPPPPYYYYY MONDAYYYYY!!!!

Hi guys!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend - mine was great (never long enough from the "day job" but always tooooo long from you guys!)

Strength:

Back squats
5-5-5
Bench press
5-5-5

Metcon:

Nancy (you will love her I promise)
5x
15 overhead squats (go lighter to get the full depth)
400m run

Friday, March 19, 2010

Friday 19, March 2010

Happy Friday everyone - great job on a great week.
WE had a HUGE record day on Tuesday of this week with 91 people through our CrossFit gym!
AWESOME and THANK YOU!
You are all what makes us the BEST CrossFit gym in town, and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Back to the you pick Friday:

Workout A:

Overhead squats
3-3-3-3-3
Deadlifts - HEAVY shooting for new PR
3-2-1-1-1
Snake Eyes = 10 HSPU/1 thruster, 9 HSPU/2 thrusters (always equals 11)
HSPU
1 arm dumbbell thrusters 40/20lbs (switch arm every round)

Workout B:

Deadlifts (nope your not getting out of them - ESSENTIAL part of helping your body become stronger, leaner, faster, and fitter)
3-2-1-1-1
Blackjack
HSPU = 20 HSPU/1 thruster, 19 HSPU/2 thrusters (always equals 21)
1 arm dumbbell thrusters 45/25lbs (switch arem every round)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Thursday 18, March 2010

Back on track with our Oly lifts today, and we all love our Oly lifts!!!

Warm up is short and sweet with our Bergner transition, and then on to snatch and clenas. Metcon is one we have not done in a while, and is just a good 15-20 min workout on those basic foundation skills we all need to work on.

Strength:
Snatch
5-5-5-5-5 light skill work
Power Cleans
3-3-3-3-3 heavy and hard

Metcon:
Easy Deck of Cards (6-7-10am class) sorry guys my bad!
Hearts = burpees
Joker = pull ups
Diamonds = squats
Clubs = push ups
Spades = sit ups

Deck of Cards - (4-6pm) sorry guys my bad!
Same basic movements above EXCEPT
Aces = 11 burpee pull ups
Jokers = 400m run

Its the luck of the draw on this one, going from one movement to the next. Try to get throught the whole deck in about 20 monutes.

Does cutting calories result in weight loss???

I have some 'quick and dirty' math for you that will really help
explain why sometimes some people simply don't get the weight
loss results that you would expect.

Here is a hypothetical situation for you...

Your basal metabolic rate is 1,500 calories (Remember, this is just
an example I'm not saying that YOUR BMR is exactly 1,500).

If you include your daily exercise, and the costs of eating, your
total daily energy Expenditure is 2,200 Calories per day.

This is the amount of calories you burn each day.

Now, in this hypothetical situation, you've decided that you want to
lose some weight.

You read around on the internet and discover that if you eat 500
less calories per day, over the course of a week, you should lose 1
pound of fat.

So you give it a try.

You count your calories meticulously. With precision that would
make NASA engineers jealous.

You know for an absolute FACT that you ate 500 less calories EVERY
SINGLE DAY.

But you still didn't lose weight.

What gives?

Did you slow down your metabolism?

Is your metabolism broken?

even worse...did you enter Starvation mode?

Actually.... It's none of the above.

You've been eating 2,900 Calories for the past year (part of the
reason you are trying to lose weight in the first place)

2,900 -500 = 2,400

Bottom line: Even with you're new diet, YOU ARE STILL OVEREATING BY
200 CALORIES!!!

This is why the old saying 'eat 500 less calories to lose weight'
doesn't work....because it's not a complete sentence.

it should be:

"Eat 500 less calories per day THEN YOU BURN".

I know it seems overly simple, but this example may help a lot of
people who are struggling to lose weight.

The amount you need to eat is probably a lot less then you think. Brad Pilion

So, with that "dirty" math - what are we to do??? Cutting calories makes sense - sure, but what about the calories we are putting in? Even if you figure out what calories your eating daily, what calories you should be eating daily - if those calories are poor quality food choices, will you loose the weight?

Maybe in theory yes - will you look the way you want? NO! With poor food choices, like high in sugar, over processed grains, and processed crap in general, you will just become a term I love "Skinny Fat".

I know I know EWWWWWW right? Well let's get on the path to "Fit and beautiful" or for my men out there "Ripped and hot"!

EAT:Meats
Nuts and seed
Veggies
Fruit
NO sugar
NO starch

Exercise:
Daily be it CrossFit, an active recovery day, playing with the kids outside, what ever it is - be ACTIVE DAILY!

Such simple steps to help your life be healthy, happy, fit, and if your looking for it (which most of us are) HOT no matter what age you are!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wednesday 17, March 2010

It is middle of the week - and we are on our "Endurance" part of the week. :-) We love it we love it!!!

Strength:
Skill work today - so pick a move and work on some technique...

Metcon:
4 x
800m run
2 min rest
or
1000m row
2 min rest

Scoring each rounds time!!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tuesday 16, March 2010

Great day - looks like (should I say it, should I say it?) warm weather is coming...
I know if it snows tomorrow it is all my fault.

Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5
Push press
5-5-5
3 sets of max chin ups

Metcon:
Death by Kettlebells
(sounds bad but it is fun!!!!)
Every minute on the minute heavy swings going up by two per minute.

1 min = 2 swings
2 min = 4 swings
3 min = 6 swings
and on and on until you can not complete the amount of swings per minute.

Monday, March 15, 2010

CrossFit Mom's - IT IS OK to CF while Pregnant!




You know you are out there - you know you look AMAZING - you know CrossFit is perfectly OK for you through out your pregnancy!!!

No - you didn't know this??? Well keep reading and check out the link at the end, for all you mama's, mama's to be and the people who think "oh dear gawd, what is that woman doing?"

1st Trimester:
Do’s and Don’ts
In the first trimester, there are only a few things to be careful of. For most women, it is OK to lie on the back until the 12 week mark, so you can still do sit ups. If you were already doing CrossFit before you became pregnant, you should still be able to do most of the exercises. However, I would recommend dropping weights on Olympic lifts and things like kettlebell swings. 40-50% of your max seems to work for most women. Your blood volume increases when you become pregnant, so trying to keep your heart rate at 140 bpm when exercising doesn’t allow you to do much. Rather than focusing on heart rate, pay attention to your breathing. You should still be able to talk while you’re working out. This is a time for strengthening not intensity. Don’t work out until the point of exhaustion and don’t get over-heated. You don’t want your core temperature to get too high. Make sure you rest between rounds or exercises, drink water before, during and after your workout, and as always, check with your doctor before beginning any type of exercise program.
2nd Trimester:
Do's and Don'ts
In the 2nd trimester, more changes in your body begin to occur, and workouts need to be adjusted accordingly. First, no more exercises that require lying on the back. The uterus is large enough to cut off blood supply to the baby, so alternate core exercises will need to be implemented. Do push ups until you can't any more, then move to wall push ups. You'll still feel those abs working! Kipping pull-ups will probably start to become uncomfortable so switching to rings rows would be an alternative. This would also be the time to switch from box jumps to step ups. All of your joints are looser due to the relaxin hormone, so ballistic exercises should wait. Olympic lifting should be modified to minimal at this point. Some women are still comfortable doing the lifts with very light weight, but this is not for everyone. Front squat, back squat and overhead squat with an empty bar or even PVC will still be enough work, but you don't want to squat below 90 degrees. Shoulder press and push press are excellent at working the upper body. Rowing, walking and good mornings are all exercises that should feel comfortable to you, and help keep those hips and back strong! Remember to check with your doctor before participating in any exercise program.

3rd Trimester:
Do’s and Don’ts
In the 3rd trimester, there are a lot of changes. Your growing belly will be in your way for a lot of exercises. If you were still able to do push ups in your 2nd trimester, you will probably have to go to the wall now. When you squat, it should only be bodyweight squats and not past 90 degrees. Push press and shoulder press are still good exercises, but don’t go too heavy. If you can still row, go for it. It works a lot of muscles. Keep walking, and doing good mornings, and do step ups on either the 20” or 12” box, whichever your body will allow. Do farmer’s walk, lunges (not too deep) and ring rows. Don’t forget to rest, drink your water and make sure your doctor ok’s your exercise program.

Monday 15, March 2010




Well it is that time again - you know it, you love it, you will destroy your last number!!!

Fight Gone Bad!!!!!
3 rounds - each round lasting 5 minutes with a 1 minute rest between. You will perform each of the movements below for an ongoing total per round - for a total score at the end of the third round.

Row - calories
Wall ball 20/16lb
Sumo deadlift high pull 35/22.75kg
Box jumps 20inch
Push press 35/22.75kg
I love this freaking WOD!

Saturday 13, March 2010

Great day!

We had Coach Ord from BrassRing Fitness at 7am, and on till noon or so - as always he is amazing. For those of you who do not know Coach, please check out his website at

http://www.brassringfitness.com/

Nutrition info meeting was a huge turn out as well - so glad so many of you wanted to listen to me ramble. HAHA. No really - thank you for wanting to continue to make a change for the better with your life. You all did so great on the workout, and then the nutrition stuff as well. If you have any questions or comments - PLEASE always feel free to ask!

Workout for the day was a leg burner:

4 rounds
400m run
50 squats

Friday, March 12, 2010

Reminder!!!!


NO 9am class on Saturday


4pm class is a go with the Nutrition information as well!!!!

Friday 12, March 2010

So, today and I guess Friday's from here on out for a while I am giving you the choice on strength or metcon.

Some of you want a little less strength so between Wednesday and Friday, and then no strength on the weekends I think you should be OK. :-)

With that being said here are your choices for today!!

Strength:
Back squat
5-5-5
Bench press
5-5-5
Deadlifts
1-1-1-1-1
followed by a short but sweet 100 push ups for time!

OR

Metcon:
4x
3 strict pull ups
5 right arm kb snatch
5 left arm kb snatch
400m run

Love this Stuff!

I would love to take the kudos for this post, but I can't. :( It comes from a page I love to visit called Fitness Spotlight - see the link below. It is how I try to live my life, and how I try to promote you to live yours! You will see my little comments below after the main point - so much of this I have done tried and not been delivered the results I am now. I eat better, exercise less, and look great - my family is healthy and happy, and I now enjoy life instead of dreading it, because I couldn't get to the gym that day for 4 hours, and can't go out and eat - there is just to much fat in restaurant foods. All I have to say now is HAHAHAHAHAHAHA my life rules!

  • Push ups are the best upper body workout designed….no machine can replace that…you don’t need any equipment and you can do them anywhere. (we love push ups)
  • It’s easy to become a certified trainer (as I have seen overweight people become certified)….it’s not easy to work as one full time (hence a high turnover rate in many clubs) (been there done that - if you look better than your trainer may be a clue)
  • Diet is 85% of where results come from…..for muscle and fat loss. Many don’t focus here enough.
  • Working out too much doesn’t lead to good results….hence most people are still struggling after years of hard effort and little return. (go back to your old Globo gym, and look at that one person on that same piece of equipment they are always on - change??)
  • Most people do not lift heavy enough to make stronger muscles. (lift heavy and hard - you will love the results, and the benefits are endless)
  • It’s never too late to build muscle….and is more important as we grow older. (so important - ladies you will not get bulky I promise)
  • The only real cure is prevention….don’t get sick in the first place otherwise you may be in for a long road back to health. (It's never to late to take care of yourself - eat, sleep, be active = health!)
  • If you eat whole foods that have been around for 1000s of years, you probably don’t have to worry about counting calories! (MMMMM meat, nuts and seeds, veggies, and fruit!)
  • Sugar is not our friend!!! (as much as you may enjoy it - break the habit!)
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup is making people fat and sick! (can I add it is just CRAP for you!)
  • The biggest 2 threats to our health are inflammation (silent and chronic) and insulin resistance. (Exercise and diet make these things GO AWAY!)
  • Our dependence on gyms to workout may be keeping people fat….as walking down a street and push ups in your home are free everyday…but people are not seeing it that way. (if you can't make it to the "gym" get off your couch at home for 20 minutes, at work on your break take 10 mins do some squats, walk the block - active people = HEALTH!)
  • If I had to pick one sport for a child to start with it would be gymnastics, the strength/speed/balance/body control they will learn can be applied to any sport down the road. (until reading this I never thought of it - but very true, got little ones give them that first step to a life that is surrounded by health and not video games)
  • I hate to jog….I love to run (well this one I got nothing on, we all know my take - hahaha)
  • Never listen to any advertising telling you what is healthy….as they are just trying to sell you something (and it is never cheap!)
  • There is no such thing as spot reduction…but there is a great business in selling that concept (Ab-reclining chair anyone?) (damn I wish they would of made millions off me!)
  • The fittest people I know keep active daily doing what they enjoy (see a pattern active active active)
  • Fitness and Muscle magazines never got me any real results (I have tried IT ALL - and let me tell you again life now is GREAT and I don't even look at those magazines anymore = they make you feel bad!)
  • Supplements were are waste of alot of money for me (AMEN!)
  • The best performance enhancing thing I know of….is a cup of coffee 30min before a workout/playing sports. (new to the coffee thing - but I am loving it)
  • To build muscle, throw away your Whey protein and eat more steak and eggs (MMMMMM meat!)
  • More people are taking muscle building hormones than will ever admit to you (square jaw, back acne, woman looks like man, man can't wipe his own ass - yeap steroids!)
  • The best way to lose weight for most is lower carbohydrate eating/cycling (I think no processed carbs at all is best - if it comes in a box or bag don't eat it!)
  • I was skipping breakfast long before I ever found out about IF (Intermittent fasting ladies and gentleman - love it)
  • It’s alot easier to stay fit and strong….once you get there (becomes as easy as getting up in the morning - maybe that was a bad play on words, sometimes getting out of bed is a struggle, 5 more minutes.)
  • Meat and Fat are my friends (can I stress again MMMMMM meat and now fat!)
  • Muscle size does not tell a person’s real strength (just because a guy looks huge - means nothing pound for pound one of the strongest men I know is Chandler!)
  • Muscle size is mostly glycogen and water (water fills those subcutaneous areas - we look bigger/fuller)
  • Whole foods can never be replaced by a multi-vitamin (don't care what your Juice Plus pills say - eat veggies and fruit while taking them if you must.)
  • Most people need some Fish Oil to control inflammation (Thank the heavens for Fish Oil - it truly works wonders)
  • Most mental disorders may be solved with a diet of no sugar/higher fats (esp DHA from fish oil) (I believe mental disorders, ADHD, OCD, and a shit load of the "conditions" that they say are wrong with our youth as well can be overcome with a lifestyle that does not include McDonald's daily! Your kids should be active and rambunctious - they are kids!)
  • Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day (IF during this time)
  • Eating 6x a day provides no metabolic advantage for losing weight than 2-3x a day…it’s still about calories and blood sugar/insulin control. (I spent years preparing my 6 x a day food, my day, my workout times around my meals - really??? CRAP again, keep your insulin levels at their natural hormonal balance, eat to satisfy and nourish not to explode!)
  • Mainstream media is 5 years behind research studies….research studies are 10 years behind what people are already doing for health and results. (So true a big reason I try to give you all my knowledge and anyone else I know who enjoys our way of life!)
  • The eat low-fat advice was the biggest health disaster in the last 30 years. (FAT is good - good fat is good, nuts, avocados, olive oil - MMMMMM)
  • The greatest learning experience was helping people with autoimmune/arthritis to get healthier…..I never got more appreciation for my own health and how important prevention really is. (Prevention - we have to take it seriously and do it now, sometimes we wake up and can't get out of bed - have emergency back surgery - and end up on disability at 55.)
  • The saddest thing to see is someone crippled by a potentially preventable disease while they are young which keeps them from doing simple daily activities and on multiple medications. (Meds = I have always tried to stay as free from them as possible, my child as well - I feel that you keep pumping them in and they mask the true problems, that can be fixed.)
  • I was 215 lbs in college and thought I was big and had muscles….now at a much leaner and defined 185lbs I know I was more fat than muscles back then. (Men - ego, some woman - ego, big muscles do not make you fit!)
  • I can still keep up with the 21 yr old hockey players…..I just am a little more sore the next day now…. (HAHAHA Mel - FMP days)
  • Mountain biking is fun….snapping off my derailer and making it a single speed is even more fun (Mountains intimidate me on a bike, but I understand from biking the single speed good comment!)
  • The smartest trainer I know does not have a website or best selling ebook….as he is too busy training real clients. (Well, does a blog count - cuz I rock. LOL)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar is the only medicine I take if I feel sick (Going to try this - I just increase my fat when I don't feel well!)
  • I can go up and down up to 10lbs in a week depending on glycogen and water balance. (Ladies really listen to this - GET OFF THE SCALE!)
  • The first big amount of lbs you lose in the first week dieting is mostly water (If you loose 10 lbs in a week - be happy but know that will not be the case next week - it took years to get there, and may take months to get it all off. But we will DO IT!)
  • If you want to get better at running….you run…..at biking…you bike…….at a sport…you play that sport. (Practice does not make perfect, - what is perfect to you?? But damn you will be AWESOME!)
  • I know a professional athlete making millions and a star on his team…yet he can’t do a pull up…but he doesn’t need to. (Everyone needs to do a pull up!)
  • There is no one right way for anything…..as 20 different ways can get you results… (Try them and find the one for you, I will give you all the guidance in the world, and it comes from years of experience, and years of experience from people I trust to the ends. We will find the way that is yours!)
  • 80/20 rule is so true…..80% of your results come from just 20% of the exercises, 20% of the food in supermarkets, and spending 20% of your time working out. (Meaning active, clean foods, life is good!)
  • Results are just the simple yet important things done on a consistent basis. (You want it - come get it! It is yours for the taking if you truly want it, and to truly get it you have to be consistent and dedicated!)
  • Losing more than 2lbs a week is probably not all fat (NOPE - don't forget we retain water)
  • Gaining more than 2lbs a week is probably not all muscle (NOPE - muscle holds water, the supplements people take hold water)
  • All diets fail over the long run….but lifestyle changes last (I try to not use the word diet - you will hear me say it, but not as in the 4 letter word diet - in the fact that we are setting out to change your life style and make you the fittest healthiest you may of ever been.)
  • All diets books are saying the same thing in general…they just make a new way to present it (Very few of them say what I like to hear - It is OK to eat anything our ancestors could of killed or picked - that is all!!!!)
  • Bill Phillips was a marketing genius (Body For Life guy)
  • There is nothing new in health and fitness…..just ideas that resurface that are long forgotten (The squat we do today is the same squat they did 40 years ago - deep and heavy! Squats cure cancer - just ask me!)
  • Fads are created to sell more specialized equipment/gear, lifting/throwing something heavy and running fast has been around for 100s of years and still works (Ahhhh the truth of it all!)
  • Want a strong “core”? Lift something heavy over your head and walk around trying to stabilize it…the motivation to not drop it on your head will work wonders (anyone up for 400m over head walking lunges)
  • There should be a law against selling any dumbbells less than 5lbs….or ones in neon colors (Unless you are giving them to your 3-5 year old because he/she wants to do thrusters like mom or dad! )
  • If your trainer can not get you to lose weight, fire him/her. You are not paying for his/her company or excuses….go find someone who can deliver or knows how to get results. (I spent thousands of dollars on trainers over the years - all I wanted after I had met certain goals was a tighter higher butt.... What gave that to me? Not the trainer who said we wont do squats at all - your legs just get to big, or the trainer that said run 7 miles a day - nope, it was a CrossFitter telling me to put that bar on my back and squat until my hips dropped below my knees - hip crease... Is my butt perfect - again what is perfect - nah, but I do love it a lot more than ever before!)
  • Squatting to parallel will only give you weak hamstrings and lead to more knee issues….you should be able to go down like you were going to pick something off the ground….as that is the reason our bodies were designed to squat (YES - squats rule! If we are not to that depth yet, we will be it takes a while to over come flexibility, and weakness but it will happen!)
  • The best thing anyone can do for their health/results is to just try new things…see how their body adapts and responds…and learn how to take total control no matter life may throw at them in the future (Adapts - we want response, change, fitness and health)
  • Blogging is more effort than I would ever imagine….but I enjoy sharing what I know. (Yes, I hope you all know how much I love trying to get you the info you need - so if I miss something always ask me - I am here for you to take any knowledge I have or can find for you!)
  • If you like what I write…the best thing you can do is help spread the word…so others can start improving their health and fitness too. (website below - ENJOY)

http://www.fitnessspotlight.com

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thursday 11, March 2010

So, I am wondering after last nights 6pm class turnout if I have some cherry pickers on my hands??? If I posted burpees for an hour today would no one show?

You will notice a few changes in the programming and the warm-ups etc in the next few days so please make note - on Olympic lift days our warm up will consist of the Burgener Warm Up only, any other "stuff" you may want to do to get warm, try to get there a few minutes early. On power strength days we will have a normal warm up, no Burgener, and continue on as RX'D. There will be NO strength on Wednesday - just skill work and a metcon. Trying to get this cut down to an hour across the board as I know some of you have lives outside the gym. :)

Strength:
Snatch
1-1-1-1-1 heavy
Squat Clean and Jerk
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 light skill work

Metcon:
Death by Thrusters
5 thrusters every minute for 10 minutes. Will equal a total of 50 thrusters at the end.
60/40kg RX'D
50/30kg Intermediate
42.5/22.5kg Foundation

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Wednesday 10, March 2010

So, as it always happens this time of year I program a run and Mother Nature feels sorry for you guys - and it SNOWS!!!

Well, looking outside now - morning classes either got off easy or not, because they rowed a 5k.

Afternoon class - depending on the size - you wont be as lucky. HAHAHA

Mid week with new strength efforts, we are going to take it easy on the lifting part and work on some skills. The skills this week are your choice, be it HSPU, double unders, L-sits, whatever or even a hodge podge of it all. Take about 10 to 15 minutes to work on these then we are off to a 5k run or row!

See ya all there!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Amazing Sites - off of another Amazing Site Robb Wolf

This page is great - the links are endless, the answers are easy to get, and I am so happy to see the Paleo life style spread!!!

http://evfit.com/

Here is another one - (don't let the first pic scare you - I know its called a "prison curl" it works those muscles called biceps) None the less anyone who looks that amazing at 72 - beautiful wife included can do a seated curl.

http://www.arthurdevany.com/


This one was not on Robb's page -at least I didn't see it, but the recipes and articles are COOL!

http://www.paleodietreader.com/

Tuesday 9, March 2010


Well, everyone was so shocked with how "easy" we all got off on a Monday, that I had to come in on a Tuesday and show ya all how it is done at BBCF. :-) hahaha

Strength:
Front squats
3-3-3-3-3

Strict press
3-3-3-3-3

Metcon:
10 rounds
5 turkish get-ups 25% of body weight
10 DARC kettlebell swings ( 1 arm swing catching it in air at peak of swing with the other hand and backand forth)
200m sprint

25 min time limit set for this WOD.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Monday 8, March 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting our new strength sets this week - basically we will still be doing the same lifts, just in a different day/rep scheme. Researched the benefits of combining our "power lifts" with our Olympic lifts, and here is the newest greatest program for you guys to continue gaining strength, on all of our lifts.

Strength:

Clean and jerk (heavy)
1-1-1-1-1
Snatch (light skill work)
3-3-3-3-3

Metcon:

Annie
50-40-30-20-10
Double unders (triple for single jumps)
Sit ups

Saturday 6, March 2010

Beautiful day for a "filthy" WOD

Filthy Fifty

50 Box jumps 24 (inch box),
50 Jumping pull-ups,
50 Kettlebell swings (1 pood),
Walking Lunge 50 steps,
50 Knees to elbows,
50 Push press (45 pounds),
50 Back extensions,
50 Wall ball shots (20 pound ball),
50 Burpees,
50 Double unders

Yeahhhhhh!! This is a great workout - enjoy have fun and work your hardest.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Friday 5, March 2010

It is the day that starts the weekend - what are your plans for the evening??

Hopefully - a nice strength set, with some skill work and a metcon fall into play some where in those plans ;0)

Strength:

Snatch
hahahahaha Jason came in at 6am this morning so I have no idea what the rep scheme is.

Double under skill work

Metcon:
3 rounds
12 body weight dead lifts
24 knees to elbows
50m farmers carry 32kg each hand

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thursday 4, March 2010

So the day before TGIF - I know your all a little tired, and you may be thinking another day another WOD, almost at the weekend a "rest" day for some of us, a "recovery" day for others, but don't get to ahead of yourself - we still have tomorrow.

Strength:
Back squats (yes, more squats)
3-3-3-3-3
Bench press
3-3-3

Metcon:
AMRAP 15 minutes
4 clapping push ups / 8 push ups
8 kettlebell swings 32/20kg
12 goblet squats (same weight as swings)

Check out the last few days on the main page at the videos from the sectionals this past weekend, Travis and I show up a few times, but you can see what we were doing for sure!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Wednesday 3, March 2010

Well after a body weight WOD like we had yesterday I thought I would add in some weight today, with a little body weight....

Strength:
Push jerk
3-3-3-3-3

10 mins pull up work - skill time work on kipping, remove bands, butterfly, strict whatever lets get the entire gym using that pull up cage.

Metcon:
7x
7 hang squat cleans starting at 42.5/30kg
7 handstand push ups
1 min rest between rounds -
this rest is used to add 5kg to your bar every round, so men will end at 72.5kg and woman will end at 60kg.
***DO NOT put the bar down during your 7 reps - if you do it is a penalty to be added at the end of your workout 7 burpees for every time you "put" the bar down during your 7 reps.

Your score will be total time (including burpees) total weight and total burpees.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday 2, March 2010

Sadly to say once again we start this week with a new Hero WOD...
We will continue with strength, and our normal warm-up but will drop our Burgener warm-up for today to make sure we have the time to complete our Hero..

Strength:
Deadlifts
1-1-1-1-1
do one or two warm up reps then shoot for your max and maybe then some.

Metcon:

"War Frank"
3X
25 Muscle-ups - sub with 25 pull ups and 25 dips
100 Squats
35 GHD situps - sub with K2E and or weighted med ball sit-ups
Marine Captain Warren A. Frank, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died November 25, 2008 while supporting combat operations in Ninewa province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaision Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. He is survived by his wife, Allison, and daughters Sophia Lynn and Isabella Grace.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Monday 1, March 2010

Helllllloooo my family of CrossFitters!!!!

Missed you all this weekend - so much so that we have a WOD from this weekend. ;0)

Strength:

Back Squats
5-5-5
Push Press
5-5-5

Metcon:

4 rounds
750m row
30 double unders
15 burpees
25 minute time limit for men / 30 for woman

Sectionals this past weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS TRAVIS COOMBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a long hard fight for Travis, but he came out in 14th place to continue on to the Qualifiers in Washington May 17th 2010!!!!

Travis came in fighting, and continued all the way through to his last WOD on Sunday, which may have been the hardest (we thought) for him, and he DESTROYED it like he did the other WOD's before.

Travis I am so proud of you, as I know the rest of the BBCF family is! AMAZING performance, and so proud that I could be a part of it to watch the events take place!!!

The sectionals them selves were an eye opening experience for us little CrossFitters from Reno, Nevada - in good ways and maybe some ways we did not expect. Overall an amazing experience shared with even more amazing family members - Travis, Ryan, and Evan - I am with you always!

THANK YOU TO THESE GUYS, AND TO THE ENTIRE BBCF FAMILY - we could feel your well wishes all the way in Ogden Utah!!!!