Sotts press
5 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
With a partner complete as many reps of the following barbell complex as possible in eight minutes:
Snatch grip deadlift, 95# (65#)
Hang power snatch
Overhead squat
Snatch balance
1 person works while the other rests, 1 complex per person.
Post loads and reps to BTWB
TODAY- Luke’s Goal Setting class will be at 1:30 pm. Come hear about how to set positive, realistic, and achievable goals for yourself. Sign up on MBO.
SATURDAY- Courtney is hosting a free Nutrition Lecture. All are welcome to attend and learn about eating for health and eating for performance. Sign up on MBO.
Genetic Endowments – By Chris slaughter
Every once in a while we see a “freak of nature” or someone who was born with a genetic mutation that was significantly favorable. Eero Mantyranta was a world champion cross country skier. He was born with bone marrow that overproduced red blood cells by about 65% compared to average humans. This gave him an incredible aerobic capacity. Donald Thomas was a high jumper and had super long Achilles tendons (similar to a kangaroo). He won the world championships in high jump after less than a year of training because he was genetically born with extremely long Achilles tendons which made his vertical leap unbelievable. Kenya and Ethiopian runners have a higher percentage of bodyweight at torso vs limbs (that’s why they look really skinny). Weight at the end of extremities has to move a big distance and that requires a lot more energy than moving small parts around and keeping most of the mass (the torso) not moving in relation very much. This is speculated as a physiological adaptation over centuries so that the body cools easily (think volume of limbs vs. surface area, a linear increase vs. squared) and it makes them incredibly efficient runners. Baseball players have much better than 20/20 vision (about 90% of them better than 20/15). When’s the last time you saw a baseball player wearing prescription glasses? It is also allowed for baseball players to have surgical procedures to drastically improve vision (and basically expected now). It’s also allowed by MLB to have surgery to entirely replace tendons in throwing arms.
The Contention of Level Playing Field
Is it fair to have genetic dispositions? Does fairness matter? Is that an intrinsic part of human competition or should the field be leveled? Think about it, everyone has the same level of neurological capacity, muscular and stamina capacity. Wouldn’t everyone finish and perform the exact same? It would come down only to who wanted it more. Genetics give us a base of who we are; and in some cases limit us. This is why people feel the need to turn to performance enhancers. But what if in basketball it’s now acceptable to surgically replace the Achilles tendon even though there is nothing wrong with it to give higher vertical jumps. What if in Olympic weightlifting, bones lengths are modified for optimum bar path. What if in CrossFit gene therapy is legally used to increase red blood cell count and hormone excretion levels to build muscle? What do you guys think?
Want a nice little snack post WOD today? Stop by Tender Belly @ 3200 Larimer St from 11:30-2:30 pm for some tasty treats at their food cart. www.tenderbelly.com
