Resources on Crossfit Methodology and Training

I've blogged about Crossfit before.  I have yet to join a box (mostly for financial reasons), however I do incorporate two or three Crossfit workouts a week into my schedule.  Aside from the shear invigorating pain that a WOD can give you, I am a big fan of the foundational thinking and concepts behind Crossfit training.

I love the "World-Class Fitness in 100 Words" of the Crossfit mentality:

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. 

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. 

Regularly learn and play new sports.

One of the things that I love about Crossfit is that it is structured to allow me to constantly challenge myself.  The scoring, timing and scheduling always provides an opportunity for me to measurably improve performance.

Anyways, I could spend a lot of time trying to explain the methodology, however I'll leave it to Crossfit pioneer Greg Glassman in his article, "What is Fitness?"

The Biggest Loser and PALA

I watched an episode of "The Biggest Loser" the other night.  This happened to be the one where the contestants had an opportunity to visit the White House and meet The First Lady.  First off - I've always been a major fan of Mrs. Obama's movements and passion for better health amongst our youth.  Part of the episode was a plug for one of the program's that she's advocating regarding health and fitness.

PALA, or the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, is a way for individuals and families to participate with thousands of others who are trying to be more active.  The concept is simple: for 5 days a week, you are to engage in 30 minutes of exercise (for adults - youth is 60 minutes).  You track and log your activity and progress and are awarded points for activity.  The amount of points you earn allow you to qualify for different levels of the award.  

It's a simple concept which has been used previously, but it's fun to see it gaining such support from the White House.  My wife and I decided that we would sign our family up last night to encourage not only ourselves, but our children (specifically our 3-year old) to be more active.

P.S. If you want a fun personality to follow on social networks like Twitter and Instagram, @mytrainerbob, Bob Harper is great.

Excited for The Dirty Dash

Maybe I just haven't been conscious to it prior, but it amazes me how many more "runs" have popped up in the last couple of years.  I feel like people have become more conscious of health and fitness in the last couple of years and runs and races have followed.  What has been exciting and fun about this, is the amount of "out-of-the-box" events that have risen up.

Mud runs have become a craze and I'm happy to say that I'll be running in The Dirty Dash this June.  If you haven't heard about it, check this video out.

It's probably the dirtiest (and potentially the funnest) 10K I'll ever tackle.  Needless to say...I'm pretty stoked.  More on this later.

Back at it. Blogging that is.

Wow. I'm a slacker. The two of you who read this blog (analytics can be so depressing sometimes) are probably thinking, "this knucklehead is probably 20 lbs heavier now." Touché.

I a happy to report however, that my offline pursuits have been much more diligent than my online pursuits. These past few months have yielded great results (despite a setback during the holidays due to good food in Hawaii). I have lost 15-20 lbs and am now in the 230s (a place that I haven't been in a few years). My nutrition is much better than it was a few months ago, activity levels are up and all trends seem to point to continued results (as long as I don't get dumb).

There is much to tell, but not much time tonight (my iPad actually deleted an entire post that I just wrote). I bow to be better. Much more coming soon.

Squats - Such Good Pain

I did a leg workout today that included the trifecta of squats: 3x10 of overhead squats, front squats and back squats. The weights were pretty decent rounding out my 9th set at 315 for back squats. It's funny, working out my legs wasn't a priority for me a few years ago. I always rationalized that my legs would get a workout running and playing sports. Leg workouts have become an integral part of my workouts recently. Here's three reasons why:

1. Many leg workouts require good core strength - and by lifting heavy legs, I am able to build my core as well. Movements like the squat trifecta require good balance to execute them right. Building that balance had been great for my core.

2. Legs are such a large muscle group - and the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn while at rest. Working out my legs has become an important part of my weight loss plan.

3. The burn feels so good - there's something satisfying about a good muscle burn. Call me crazy, but it's something I love.

I know that many shy away from consistent and tough leg workouts. In my experience, they're great for muscle building, weight loss and overall fitness.

Saturday Morning Runs

We recently picked up a Bob running stroller from my brother. We took it out this morning with our boys. It was so much fun and it felt great to be exercising together.

We decided that this is going to be a saturday morning tradition until the snow comes. Being active as a family is a great way for us to stay healthy and grow together.

Today's workout - 9.9.2011

Great workout today. I did a Crossfit WOD I've been meaning to so for about two weeks now. A buddy of mine, who's been sick for a few weeks, made it today and it was great to workout with him again.

Here's what we did:
5 rounds for time of -
15 deadlifts at 185
15 toes to bar
I completed the WOD in 17:30...the toes to bar killed me.

Great day, good to be working out with friends. Off to play some volleyball with the brothers tonight.

What are you weekend plans?

On the Move

This is my first official post via the iPhone blogger app. This should be fun.

If you aren't aware, I'm a bit of an Internet geek. This app will be fun to post workouts and quick thoughts.

Looking forward to a lot more fun on the blog.

The Need to Eat Clean

Up front I'll state that this post isn't about the danger of processed foods, the injustice that fastfood companies have done to the health of our nation.  Although interesting topics, and probably ones that are worth consideration, I try to be a bit more simplistic in my eating values.

I've recently tried to be "cleaner" in my diet: more fruits and vegetables, less fried items, I'm trying to avoid candies and a lot of snacks (baked good is where I struggle the most), and smaller portions.  I know that there have been scientific and statistics that talk about this.  For me, however, it's simply about the way that my body feels.

I find that days that I'm not conscious about portions or about what I'm eating, I'm lethargic and don't feel optimal. 

Two A Days

A few months ago posted about wanting to add morning cardio sessions.  Well this past week, I actually did it.  Added sessions, along with a rededicated diet has resulted in about six lbs down this week.  Hopefully I'll stay consistent.  Wish me luck.