A rare sighting, Luke doing mobility instead of abs and wearing a shirt…
Strength Specific Seminar Silver Level information:
We wanted to make sure to get you one more note to make sure you have a chance to sign up for the Strength Specific Seminars Silver Level Seminar at CrossFit Verve Monday, September 2nd!
We debuted the Silver Level in May at CrossFit Evolve and it was a huge success for everyone who attended. At the Silver Level you receive:
Small group discussion on the finer points of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pull of each of the lifts.
Tips on how to program assistance exercises for individual athletes
Coaching exercises for coaches and personalized exercises for competitive athletes
Written exam and explanation of questions and their correct answers
Complimentary weightlifting straps
Strength Specific Seminars Silver Level t-shirt
Personalized Silver Level certificate
You must have attended the Bronze Level or have a CrossFit coaching certification to attend the Silver Level. So, if you have friends you'd like to bring along, remember we offer group discounts!
Just follow this link to sign up just like you did for the Bronze Level and we hope to see you soon!
Lev getting inverted during the team WOD on Saturday
So how did everyone do last week with the CrossFit Total? Did you see any gains? Do you feel stronger? Luke says he looks bigger, I don't see it but I'll have to take his word for it. I mean he is shirtless a lot so he must be noticing gains.
Well for the next 6 weeks we are going to be doing any Olympic biased programs on Monday and Thursday designed to increase the strength and specifically correlate to stronger Snatch numbers and fast movement in the Snatch.
Monday will focus on squat based movements and Thursday will be speed/power related. Same rules as the previous cycle, we want you to be present as much as possible over the next six weeks on Monday and Thursday to really see the effectiveness of the program and to reap the benefits of the programming.
Let us know if you have any questions and remember we have plenty of open gym hours should you not be able to make it to a class but still want to follow the program.
Row 1500m
50 Deadlift, 185# (125#)
30m Handstand Walk (Partners can assist in walk by open palm guiding legs)
30 Bar Muscle Ups (Partners can help)
50 Hang Power Clean 155# (105#) (use same bar have to take weight off)
Row 750 Meters ( 1 Partners has to hold the 155lb in front rack while 1 person rows and 1 person rests)
Post loads to comments and BTWB Kent finding his way around the gym "light weight!!!”
3 Min As many reps as possible
10 Burpee Box Jumps 24"/20"
20 Pull ups
30 Air Squats
40 Toes to Bar
50 Wall Balls
60 KB Swings 24kg/16kg
70 Double Unders
Rest 3 Min
6 Min As many reps as possible
10 Burpee Box Jumps 24"/20"
20 Pull ups
30 Air Squats
40 Toes to Bar
50 Wall Balls
60 KB Swings 24kg/16kg
70 Double Unders
Rest 3 Mins
For time:
10 Burpee Box Jumps 24"/20"
20 Pull ups
30 Air Squats
40 Toes to Bar
50 Wall Balls
60 KB Swings 24kg/16kg
70 Double Unders
Building on the post from earlier this week, more great information from the mind of Poliquin.
Fact #4: Sitting all day is extremely bad for you. Research shows that people who sit for more than 6 hours a day have greater risk of kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and premature death.
Not Fact #4: You can counter the ills of sitting all day by working out regularly.
Unfortunately, this is not so. Research into the effects of having a sedentary desk job show two key points:
1) Within a population that exercises at a vigorous intensity a few days a week, the amount of time spent being inactive is dramatic and not significantly lessened by regular workouts.
2) In just 20 minutes of sitting, your blood sugar and insulin can get out of whack. A little longer and oxygen saturation of the muscles drops and gene activity decreases, which directly influences protein synthesis and the clearance of waste from cells.
Fact #5: Whey protein rules for building muscle in conjunction with resistance training. It is “fast” digesting, making the amino acids available quickly for protein uptake into muscle for maximal gains. It has a superior amino acid profile of all protein sources, and it raises the most important antioxidant, glutathione, which is only produced inside the body to fight off disease.
Not Fact#5: Casein should always be taken with whey because it is slowly digested, triggering protein synthesis for a longer period after exercise.
Casein is highly allergenic. Will everyone who tries it have a problem? No, but when compared side-by-side with whey, it produces inferior results in terms of body composition. It’s not necessary or superior, and most people will do best without it.
Fact #6: Eating a high-protein, low-carb diet of whole foods can help you lose fat. High-protein, low-carb eating may be more effective and sustainable for more people than a low calorie or low-fat diet. It’s a scientific fact that high-protein, low-carb diets are effective for decreasing body fat because they help sustain lean mass and metabolic rate (calories burned at rest).
Lie #6: High-protein, low-carb diets are dangerous and don’t work.
Lie! Saying they don’t work is blatant disregard of the evidence. Same goes with saying they are dangerous.
Among the lies about high-protein diets are that they damage healthy kidneys, cause ketoacidosis, cause nutrient deficiencies, cause bone loss, and will cause poor brain function. The truth is, if you prepare a high-protein, low-carb whole foods eating plan, you may find that you have more energy, better health, and enjoy eating delicious meals!
Josh Grimm putting the finishing touches on his 1000 lbs CrossFit Total
All right folks, you asked, and I’m here to answer (or at least make a valiant effort at doing so). Got this question in the inbox:
“Personally, I'm never clear on when to choose to wear a weight belt. Some times I hear that you never should, so that as you increase in weight you are making everything in your body strong enough to lift. Some times I hear that you should only if you already have back problems, etc. Sometimes I hear that it always helps you lift heavier and so it's a good thing. I wouldn't mind having a take on the issue by one of the Verve trainers.”
First let’s address what a weight belt is NOT: a weight belt is not worn to secure your back and it is not worn if you have an injured back in an attempt to make sure it doesn’t hurt or get injured further. “A weight belt's main function is to add support from the front by increasing abdominal pressure. . . a lifting belt provides a wall for your abs to push against.” A pretty enticing statement, might mean more if I also tell you how a weigh belt works: “When you need to move something heavy you take a big breath, push or pull while holding your breath, and only exhale after completing the movement. This technique—known as the Valsalva Maneuver— is used when performing certain exercises at near-maximal effort. Holding your breath against a closed glottis while increasing your thoracic abdominal pressure braces you, and allows you to lift more weight. You'd never see a powerlifter squatting 600 pounds while slowly breathing out. When you inhale, pressure increases in your thoracic cavity; this pressure is further increased when you flex your abs. In this regard, the muscles of your abdomen serve chiefly to apply pressure to the anterior side of your spine, attempting to balance the forces produced by the extensors on the backside. In other words, this pressure keeps you from being crushed by the weight when you squat. The back muscles apply force, position and support to the spine from the back while the abdominal wall and increased abdominal pressure from a deep breath support it from the front. A weight belt's main function is to add support from the front by increasing abdominal pressure.”
So a weight belt is there to aid with support that we already get from our core muscles. Which brings up the next point of when, then, do I wear a belt? Answering this question personally I do not wear a belt unless I am working in the 85-90% or greater range of my 1 RM. Reason being I do not need the reminder of a weight belt at lighter weights to maintain a stabilized core. In the same article quoted above it states by the author, “In my opinion, a weight belt is only necessary during near the max attempts on compound lifts. You shouldn't wear a belt with loads that you can easily support—below 90% of your one rep max on big, barbell lifts.” So yeah, I’m basically putting out there I was right.
All quotes are from an article titled “Lessons In Weight Belts: How And Why To Use Them.”Click here to read the full article, which I highly recommend. I hope this helps.
If you have any other questions send an email my way @ courtney@crossfitverve.com, I’ll try to hook you up. Put the phrase “FoSho knows best “ in the subject line so I know what I’m getting myself into. And stayed tuned for next week when I single handedly debunk the myth that you will never be as strong as you were after a surgery.
Some rings, some chalk, you have yourself a workout.
Here are some good tips from Mr. Charles Polequin; things we can all agree on.
Fact #1: Omega-3 Fats are “healthy fats” that are essential for the body to function properly. Get EPA and DHA in your diet every day—the most accepted source is fish oil and wild fish.
Lie #1: Canola oil is a great “heart healthy” fat that you should use regularly.
Not so! Canola goes through rather incredible processing before it makes it into the bottle—it’s heated, washed, and treated with the chemical hexane. It also has a poor omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Avoid canola!
Fact #2: HIT (High-Intensity Training) can help you lose fat.HIT programs favor the use of the anaerobic energy system, burning a lot calories fast, raising metabolism during the recovery period, and building muscle.
HIT training has also been found to convey the following benefits: better brain function, depression prevention, better pain management, improved circulation and lung function, lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, and decreased chronic inflammation.
Not Fact #2: Aerobic training can help you lose weight and everyone should do it regularly.
If you enjoy aerobic training, please don’t let this deter you. The point is that if you are doing it to lose fat or improve health, it’s not your best choice.
According to scientist Stephen Boutcher, “The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible.” Boutcher looks at the short- to moderate-term uselessness of aerobic exercise for fat loss, whereas longer surveys show it can actually lead to weight gain.
A 2006 study that tracked runners for 9 years showed that most of them gained fat and increased waist circumference. Only those who tripled their weekly mileage from 16 km/week to 64 km/week lost weight.
Fact #3: Squats are an excellent exercise and everyone should be doing some form of them. They work the whole body and studies show squatting can produce major functional benefits: better mobility, faster walking speed, better bone strength, stronger core musculature, faster running speed, greater vertical jump height, and better athletic performance.
Lie #3: Squats are dangerous and will damage the knees and spine.
Lie! Squats are not dangerous if you do them correctly. In fact, squatting is a natural motion performed by our ancestors on a regular basis. We evolved from people who didn’t have chairs and spent their days moving heavy stuff and tending crops and they needed to squat to accomplish these tasks.
In addition, a number of studies show squats can optimally strengthen the entire thigh and hip musculature so as to prevent knee pain and dysfunction. Depending on training status, you may need to start with unilateral split squats instead of barbell squats—but the same principles apply to unilateral squats as to barbell back squats: Go all way the down!
From Healthy Living.com
How to Get Rid of Excess Lactic Acid in Muscles
by John Casteele
During exercise and other strenuous activity, lactic acid is produced as a byproduct of the process that the body uses to create energy. Long thought to be detrimental, lactic acid is now understood to be a temporary energy source that the body uses when there isn't enough oxygen in the blood for standard energy production. Lactic acid does create an acidic environment in the muscles when it builds up, however, and the body can take up to an hour or longer to remove it naturally. It's possible to speed the removal process with gentle exercise.
Exercise or perform other strenuous activity until you feel that you can no longer keep going and your muscles become tired. The body will burn some lactic acid to produce energy during this period, typically sustaining itself for several minutes before it can no longer produce enough energy to maintain the current needs of the muscles. Your body will produce lactic acid during this exercise, but as you continue to push yourself to this point, each time you exercise your body will begin to adapt to the stress of your activities as well. Over time, this will result in a more efficient use of oxygen during exercise, a faster lactic acid burn rate and a greater overall tolerance to lactic acid buildup.
Cool down through exercise instead of simply stopping once you reach the point that you're too tired to continue your previous activity. Use light, continuous exercises such as walking for five to 10 minutes to allow your body temperature, breathing and heart rate to return to normal. The continued contractions of your muscles during the cooldown period will regulate blood circulation as well, preventing blood from pooling in the muscles and allowing fresh blood to flush out lactic acid and muscle-waste products.
Perform static stretching exercises for five to 10 minutes after you've completed your primary cooldown exercises, holding each stretch for at least 10 seconds. This will continue working your muscles to flush out additional lactic acid and may also improve your overall flexibility while reducing your likelihood of suffering a sports-related injury.
Drink water and eat easy-to-digest foods that are high in nutrients such as fruits or protein bars once you've completed your cooldown exercises and stretching. This helps to ensure that you're not dehydrated, providing your body with the fluids it needs to continue flushing lactic acid from your muscles. The nutrition and protein that you take in will also help with the healing and recovery of your muscles after exercise.
Since we all finish workouts at different times and can't always do this as a group, make sure to take some time to continue moving around, do some stretching, drink plenty of water, and have some sort of post workout recovery meal or drink.
Okay folks today is the day to see what gains we've made since we started the now ending strength cycle. It's been a great 6 weeks with some cool workouts. Legless rope climbs and sled drags? Was that not a blast? We've been programming movements that are designed to increase absolute strength and today we'll see how well you've done. If you've been consistent for the 6 weeks we should see some amazing "Total" increases.
On Thursday we will be starting our Olympic cycle. We will test the two Olympic lifts to give us a baseline of where we are starting and then on Monday and Thursdays we will be programming movements and workouts designed to improve our Olympic Total numbers.
Post your "Total" numbers to the comments and be sure to let the coach, that is writing your numbers on the board, know of any PR's. Look forward to seeing some great improvements.
As many reps as possible in 5 minutes of: 7 Med-ball cleans 20# (14#)
7 Lateral jumps 24" (20")
Rest 1 minute As many reps as possible in 3 minutes of: 7 Med-ball cleans 20# (14#)
7 Lateral jumps 24" (20")
Rest 1 minute As many reps as possible in 1 minute of: 7 Med-ball cleans 20# (14#)
7 Lateral jumps 24" (20")
Sarah D getting ready to pull weight off the ground…
Around the office I've been seeing a lot of coconut butter, whether in jars or in individual packets that are store bought. I've never tried the stuff personally but I know it seems to be the IT butter right now. From Health.com here are 5 ways to use coconut butter.
Blended into smoothies
Like coconut oil, coconut butter has a ton of health benefits, including that it might help you lose weight. Thanks to some seriously satisfying fat, consuming coconut butter makes you feel full, so you consume fewer calories later on, which is why I like adding a couple of tablespoons to my smoothies to help ward off my hunger between meals. Here’s one of my favorite smoothie recipes: 2 tbsp coconut butter, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk,1 handful of fresh spinach, 1 tbsp honey, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
With fruit
One of my favorite ways to eat coconut butter is with fruit, such as sliced banana or fresh blueberries. I just add a spoonful to my fruit bowl and eat it together. Having a little bit of coconut butter with my fruit keeps for satisfied for much longer than eating fruit alone. It’s a great addition to a fruit cup at breakfast or paired with sliced fruit after dinner as dessert.
Spread on toast or English muffins
Coconut butter is so delicious on toast or an English muffin. I spread it just like I would nut butter, and the warmth of the bread slightly melts the coconut butter, which makes it soft and gooey and even more wonderful. I love to layer slices of banana on top of my coconut butter for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.
Melted and drizzled
When heated, coconut butter becomes a thick, creamy sauce that is easily drizzled over and stirred into a variety of foods. A few delicious ways to enjoy melted and drizzled coconut butter: in a bowl of oatmeal, swirled into mashed sweet potatoes, or over ice cream. Melted coconut butter adds a subtle, sweet flavor as well as satiety to whatever you are eating.
Mixed into no-bake cookies
At room temperature, coconut butter is soft (similar to nut butter). But when it’s refrigerated, it hardens, which makes it a perfect ingredient for no-bake, dessert recipes, such as this one for No-Bake Almond Joy Cookies. The combination of flavors reminds me of an Almond Joy candy bar. It’s the perfect summer treat.
Although some might not be the healthiest of options, they all sound delicious. Moderation people, moderation. The above was taken from Health.com and a a delicious food blog. Check out Health.com and the following blog; Carrotsncake.com.
Brad Petersen showing us the results of his hard workBrad Petersen showing us the results of his hard workBrad Petersen showing us the results of his hard work
Last week the trainers got an email in our inbox with the subject line "CF gets RESULTS!". Brad Petersen, one of Verve's members, shared with us a visual of the results of his very hard work over the last 6 mos. Brad joined Verve in January of this year and he hit the ground running. He finished his foundations at the same time our nutrition challenge started, that's when his first set of pictures were taken. I thought Brad's story was one that a lot of us could appreciate, so I asked his permission to share his journey with you. Here we go. . .
Brad, how did you eat and workout before you joined Verve in January?
Before joining Verve and starting on the path to wellness, I had given very little thought to how I was fueling my body. Activities such as hiking, biking, snowboarding, and riding motocross burnt enough calories that any dietary concern seemed unnecessary. Unfortunately, these activities came to a screeching halt in late January of 2012 when I suffered from a bad motocross accident that left me with a shattered collar bone, a broken leg, and all the ligaments in my ankle torn. Two surgeries and months of rehab got me mobile again, but exercise as I had known it was not possible. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, hamburgers, french fries, biscuits 'n' gravy, and burritos were all a regular part of my diet. It didn't take long for this perfect storm of poor nutrition and no exercise to deliver me a fat gut and high cholesterol to boot. After hearing numerous testimonials from friends about how great crossfit is, I decided to give it a go.
Brad, I know you travel a lot for work, how did you manage your nutrition during the challenge and how do you manage it now?
I had just finished foundations when the nutrition challenge began, so both the crossfit movements and the paleo diet were foreign to me. This challenge, I approached with realistic expectations, which helped me manage this new lifestyle both at home and while traveling. Since I don't have the discipline to weigh food zoning was out of the question; instead I identified some problems in my diet such as fast food, excessive carbs, and large irregular meals. Grocery shopping became a lot more interesting, a sandwich and bag of chips for lunch became a 1/4lb of deli meat wrapped with peppers and mustard, an apple, and a handful of almonds. My success is not complicated, I followed a few simple rules to make this challenge more feasible: no fast food, no bread or dairy, and no fried food or pasta. What seemed difficult at first became habitual. For work I travel 2-3 weeks each month. Aside from the occasional cheat meal, I've remained fairly committed to the paleo diet and the simple rules I practiced during the nutrition challenge. How could I not continue, in 6 weeks I dropped 10lbs and nearly 5% body fat.
How often do you come to Verve? Do you keep the same workout consistency when you travel? When I'm lucky enough to be in Denver, I'm at Verve 5-6 days per week. The top notch training I receive at Verve gave me the confidence to walk into any box as a visitor and know that I can perform any movement. Fortunately my travels take me to places with excellent crossfit affiliates, I've become a regular at Chris Spealler's box in Park City, and various locations throughout the states. Thanks to the global crossfit community I'm able to maintain 5-6 WOD's per week even while traveling. Occasionally I do find myself in BFE, when that happens I get creative and design a workout using what I have (I always travel with my jump rope).
Brad, would you tell us some of the gains you have made with your performances in the WODs over the last 6 mos? My max clean has improved from 135lbs. to 165lbs. Back Squat from 185 to 225lbs. Non-existent muscle ups to now Rx'ing a workout with 30 muscle ups and 150 wall balls, this one I'm quite proud of. Additionally, body weight movements I've seen a significant improvement, no longer do I find myself gasping for air after completing just 5 pull ups; on a good day with fresh hands I can manage 25-30 unbroken kipping. Also, with push ups, sit ups, and wall balls I've noticed improvement, which I credit to enhanced recovery and endurance gained from everyday crossfit workouts.
What is your greatest CrossFit accomplishment in the past 6 mos?
When I first started CF getting a six-pack was my biggest goal, never in my life have I had one so it seemed to be the ultimate goal. Plus, who the hell doesn't want a six pack? After six months of hard ass work if I clench every muscle in my body and cough at the same time while squinting my eyes a six pack is almost visible! The reality, and more significant than superficial abs, is that CrossFit and my stubborn determination not to fail facilitated a full recovery from an injury that kept me from walking for 4 months. Inside the gym my biggest accomplishment is any PR regardless of the movement, outside the gym I consider my greatest accomplishment having the endurance to backpack 10 miles with a 60lb pack and then summit two of the states most challenging 14'ers in one day.
The biggest point of me sharing Brad's story is not just to show how hard work gets results, I think you all already know that. But also to show that the journey to results takes hard work. Seems silly, I just said the same thing but backwards. You have to recognize all your hard work in the gym will only get you so far, a good diet will get you the rest of the way. Having a good diet takes effort, consistency, and determination to stick with it at even the most inconventient times.
Congratulations on all your hard work Brad. You look amazing but better yet you feel amazing. Here's to a long, healthy, active life!!
