Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

 

Oh Happy Day



Quote of the Day

Guilty Pleasures - CrossFit vs. Strength

This past year has been dedicated to focusing on and building a strength foundation.  During this past year, I did multiple strength cycles, and I loved it.  Initially it was very hard to go from a CrossFit gym to a lifting gym.  I had to sit on the bench and rest?  What?  Silly now, but the concept of being seated and resting was foreign to me.  The strength cycles were hard, they pushed me mentally and physically, they challenged me, I cried, experienced a multitude of frustrations, and all the while and eventually...acquired results.  This past month, I have committed back to CrossFit.  Now I am having the opposite feeling again!  I am questioning myself and my training, just like I did when I focused on lifting and getting stronger.  Now I am feeling lost for not being on a regimented strength program.  Really lost!  I absolutely love the camaraderie that CrossFit offers!  And fortunately at CrossFit Amundson, he programs strength days throughout the week...but...I am lost!  I am really however, enjoying conditioning again and getting my booty kicked by a workout.  In a perfect world, I guess I would be able to strength train in the morning and condition in the evening, but I am working...so how to remedy this dilemma....I am not yet quite sure.  Still searching....and feeling guilty while doing so...

Monday Musing

Me Against Me

Quotes Quotes Quotes

This an absolute favorite....

"Calm seas never make great captains."

Wow, Sore Glutes!

This was the WOD from Monday at CrossFit Amundson

For time:
Run 800 meters
15 left-legged pistols
15 right-legged pistols
25 push-ups/HSPU
12 left-legged pistols
12 right-legged pistols
25 push-ups/HSPU
9 right-legged pistols
9 left legged pistols
25 push-ups/HSPU
Run 800 meters

For our advanced Athlete’s, make your "Pistol" a one-legged squat with Kettlebell or dumbbell and make the push-up a handstand push-up. We’ll have plenty of great variations of the “Pistol” so come ready for a challenging workout.  - CrossFit Amundson

This is Megan, being AWESOME at the Santa Cruz CrossFit Affiliate Cup 2012

This workout was really fun, challenging, and nasty...all in one!  I used a 5 lb plate in my hand for a counter balance, as well I placed my squatting heel of my foot on a five pound plate to create a wedge.  This was a tip I took from the amazing and strong Megan!  This workout seamed to range in time from 15 minutes or so Rxd or not to 22 minutes or so Rxd or not.  My time was 17:12!  I was pretty stoked.  In addition, I did a mix of HSPU and push-ups.

Adrenal Fatigue

Below is some great information from Robb Wolf's website on adrenal fatigue:


Symptoms of an Altered Adrenal Profile

• fatigue
• inability to recover appropriately from exercise (you should feel tired post-workout for MAYBE 20-30 minutes, then you should feel just fine – if you are dragging for hours or the rest of the day, you overdid it!)
• headaches with physical or mental stress
• weak immune system & allergies
• slow to start in the morning
• gastric ulcers
• afternoon headaches
• feeling full or bloated
• craving sweets, caffeine or cigarettes
• blurred vision
• unstable behavior
• becoming shaky or light-headed if meals are missed or delayed
• cannot stay asleep or cannot fall asleep
• dizziness when moving from sitting to standing or lying to standing
• transient spells of dizziness
• asthma
• hemorrhoids, varicose veins (source: Kharrazian)

What can you do about it?

Lifestyle:

• SLEEP!
• Avoid draining people or situations. Learn to say NO to things!
• Do not over-train: (training vs draining, working out vs working IN, READ: Paul Chek’s book “How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy” for more on this)
• Do restorative exercises: see Paul Chek’s book – listed above – Qigong, meditation, restorative breathing, walking, very light/restorative yoga. Depending on your status, if you are going to lift weights, keep it moderate weight and low reps- not high intensity over long periods of time.
• Whenever you are not enjoying your life, assess whether you can:

1. change the situation

2. change yourself to fit the situation

3. leave the situation

• Keep a gratitude list.
• Play! With family, friends, pets.
• Read: “Are you driving your life or is your life driving you?”

Diet:

• A well-balanced (for you!) Paleo diet – focus on quality proteins and fats, add starch pre and/or post workout as-needed for energy and recovery
• A variety of organic vegetables and fruit
• EFAs (omega 3 fatty acids) to manage inflammation and quiet the loop that feeds into higher cortisol production
• Add mineral sea salt to food / water
• Balanced meals – judge your “success” by how you feel entering your next meal (starving, shaky, low blood sugar?!)
• Supplements & Nutrients in your food on which to focus:
• Vitamin C – Citrus, strawberries, kiwi, cruciferous vegetables and green leafy vegetables are good food sources. This potent antioxidant has been shown to induce an anti-inflammatory response to prolonged exercise and stress and mitigates the rise of cortisol and subjective response to physiological stress in human studies. Generally a high-dose supplementation is recommended short-term and to bowel-tolerance. (Life Extension, 17)
• Vitamin B5 (or only a complex as noted below) – Helps to activate the adrenal glands and deficiency results in adrenal inefficiencies characterized by “fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, nausea and abdominal discomfort.” (Life Extension, 17)
• Vitamin B Complex– Liver, meat, seafood (wild/pasture raised, grass-fed sources), seeds, mushrooms are good food sources. All B vitamins are critical for the entire adrenal cascade – lower your dosage with recovery and focus only on foods. (Bauman, 2010) (Wilson, 199)
• Magnesium Glycinate or Malate - Green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (also tahihi) salmon and halibut are good food sources. Magnesium is “essential to the production of the enzymes and the energy necessary for the adrenal cascades
• Omega 3 – Fatty cold water fish: salmon, mackeral, herring, some tunas, etc. are good food sources. In supplemental form, fermented cod liver oil from GreenPasture.org is the one that I recommend.

Just Another Reason Why I Heart OCCF

There was a great blog post today on the Orange Coast CrossFit website about rest and recovery.  Check it out below:

 

The alarm clock goes off and those first movements of the day are always the worst. The aftermath of the previous day or days WOD’s are apparent…everything hurts! Does this ever go away? I would love to tell you yes but that has not been my experience. On the other hand your body fat % is dropping, your work capacity is increasing, and regardless if the aches and pains you are continually transforming your body into a well oiled machine capable of achieving things either not thought possible or not reached in a very long time. I was talking with Coach Fisher and he said, “Every morning I tell myself I am quitting CrossFit. Then I start moving around and my knees start to warm up and my body begins the process of loosing up.” I laugh being able to emphasize with his pain. But after hobbling to the coffee pot or hot shower my body start to come back alive and the aches and pains subside.

We put our bodies to the physical limitations each and everyday and for this we are punished and rewarded. Awkwardly enough if I go to long without experiencing these feelings, meaning I haven’t caught a WOD in a few days I don’t feel right. It’s a sadistic game of pain and suffering for physical results that until now have been unattainable.

So here are some tips to rejuvenate the beat up body:

1. Sometimes we simply need an extra day of rest. CrossFit prescribes a 3 day on 1 day off routine. Take an extra day off or only do 2 days on 1 day of. For the beginner I recommend an every other day approach for your first month before stringing series of WOD’s together.

2. We live by the ocean. Use it! There is something about that majestic mass of water that promotes healing of torn hands to rejuvenation of joints and muscles.

3. Buy 10lbs of ice and fill up your bathtub with cold water and the ice. Sit in it for 15-20 mins unbroken. Instant relief. Before football games in college I would always sit in the ice bath the night before the game to get my legs back from the weeks worth of practice. It works!

4. STRETCH! The re elongating of the muscles will break up lactate acid (the soreness you feel) and increase the blood circulation to promote faster recovery. Yoga falls in this category.

5. COOL DOWN! The intense workouts leaves our bodies with deposits of lactate acid and a simple slow 400m jog will help break those deposits up. Follow with some static stretching and those joints won’t be so inflamed in the morning.

6. Make sure you are giving your muscles what they need to repair theirselves. That could be a post-recovery drink or simply eating the appropriate foods after your WOD. Your body has around a 20 min window to replace certain nutrients and other items that are used during the WOD. While not exactly paleo the post-workout shake has numerous benefits such as convenience and proper balance of these crucial nutrients the body needs. Coach Joe has posted a couple excellent blogs on supplementation over the last few weeks.

7. SLEEP! It is hard to get 8+ hrs of sleep in today’s fast pace always on the go environment, trust me I know. As I’m writing this blog I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night and I can feel the effects it has on my recovery. When we sleep is where we repair our torn muscles. Do your best to get enough rest.

8. We all like to have fun and you have to have a life outside of CrossFit. But if you stay out to 2-3am partying then you are depriving yourself of much needed rest. It is not my place to tell you how to spend your time outside of the box. But partying past moderation and achieving even mediocre results to not go hand and hand. Plus think of the savings of skipping a couple $300 bar tabs a month.

9. ART (Active Release Treatment) or a sports massage goes a long way on relaxing the muscles and tension that builds up over time. We have a ART specialist that is willing to give discounts to OCCF members and there are numerous $20/hr massage parlors in Westminster, Garden Grove, and even HB. While these are not sports massages they are well worth the $20 and do loosen some of the knots up. If you can afford a real sports massage usually $100+\hr they are amazing and you usually can have an ideal where a certain problem is stemming from.

10. Anti-Inflammatories. Taking a Motrin or Aleve will help temporary with the ache and pains.

Such a great blog post!  Thanks OCCF! :)


For an additional resource on recovery check out the book called, Lights Out.

Good Times in Santa Cruz at CrossFit Amundson with the Ceo/Founder of RX STAR, Aly Willier

So much fun doing Helen at CrossFit Amundson 

with the Ceo/Founder of RX STAR, Aly Willier. 

Aly coached us through Helen, using goal setting

 through performance tactics to achieve results; it was rad! 

Believe it or not, it made me actually kind of love Helen <3!

To learn more about RX STAR, click on the link below:

RX STAR

 

 

 

 

Reducing Calories for Weight Loss

As I have entered into the Paleo Challenge at my gym to lose body fat, for the first time ever, I have forced myself to really take this whole understanding calories thing seriously.  Actually, never understood it before at all.  This was largely influenced by the hydrostatic dunk tank test that evaluates body weight and lean body mass that was done at my gym at the beginning of the month.

This has forced me to do some research and look at nutrition in a different way.  Paleo schmaleo, but if you have no idea how many calories you should be consuming or your BMR, then how can you attempt to plot out a successful plan for body fat loss?

Today, I came across this great post from fitness author and guru, Brad Pilon.  Click on the link below to read further.

Brad Pilon

Paleo Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Visit Delicious by Dre

While there are many versions of the Paleo Pumpkin Protein Pancakes...here's one to try:

Paleo Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup egg whites
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 scoop vanilla egg white protein powder (or whatever vanilla protein powder your little heart desires if you are not strictly paleo)
• 2 tbsp organic milled flax
• 2 tbsp organic agave (or stevia)

Spices:

• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

instructions:

• stir in/dissolve the pumpkin into the egg whites & add the agave
• mix dry ingredients separately & add to the wet ingredients
• heat pan or griddle on medium low heat and coat with organic coconut oil or coconut oil spray
• using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter onto your cooking surface
• once it bubbles up, use a spatula to flip it over & cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 min on the other side

"When i cook these on a pan, i put the pancakes on a piece of foil in the oven on warm as soon as each one is finished so they are all hot & fresh when i’m ready to eat them!
this time around, not only did my husband shovel an entire pancake into his mouth in two bites, but he then asked how long he had to wait for me to take a picture of it before he could eat the rest! :)
nom. nom. nom." - Courtesy of www.foodgawker.com

To see more great gluten free recipies, visit Delicious by Dre.

Crazy for Coconut

I'm Going to Show You How Great I Am

Check out this amazing video!  I have had the fortunate opportunity to share this with my students...

I'm Going to Show You How Great I Am

C2B Pull-Ups, aka Chest to Bar Pull-Ups

So this summer, after my adventures with Mel Mel in South America...I spent some more time with Mel Mel down in Newport Beach...over a week in Newport...a week at Orange Coast CrossFit, and a weekend at The Games.  Life was unbelievable....I even did Bikram Yoga in Costa Mesa at College of India at The Camp!  Love their studio...

Anywho, this summer...I could not for the life of me...do chest to bar pull-ups.  I remember training with two friends, and they were surprised that I couldn't do them, for how "advanced" I was, quote.

So last night in my training schedule, my coach had programed 35 C2B pull-ups...I didn't know if I could even get one!...so here's what happened...I got one...I flew up high and hit my chest!  I was so stoked...but I didn't get just one...I did a total of 40 C2B pull-ups!  No, not strung together...in small sets...let me have my moment, a PR is a PR, especially going from NO C2B pull-ups!  So so stoked!  Had more in me too :)

This came with regular weekly strict pull-up practice...usually totals of 35, now I do pull-ups twice a week, plus ring pull-ups, etc.

This could not come at a better time too...the week had been extremely trying on my soul after a disastorous and toxic work related meeting...

Love that quote I found...it's perfect...


Programming by Jocelyn Forest, Co-Owner with her husband, Kyle Haynes @ Santa Cruz Strength




I'm a Writer...It's Official

My love for writing has finally taken on an official role....

Check out the following story I did on pro-snowboarder, CrossFitter, and RX-STAR founder, Aly Willier...on crossfit.com!

She is so inspiring to me and her life style and mindset is beyond words.  I love her!

Click on the link below:

Pro Snowboarder Avoids Hip Replacement Through CrossFit

Although the original story has so much more detail and the official editing phase cut it way down...it's still a phenomenal story.

There is also an outstanding video on her inspirational story...

Click on the link below:


Aly Willier Overcoming Obstacles

To learn more about Aly Willier, check out RX STARS.

Cheers!

Aly Willier - Pro-Snowboarder

CLEANS



CLEAN TECHNIQUE
PHOTO BY JOCELYN FOREST
SANTA CRUZ STRENGTH

Fancy that!

Just two weeks ago, I finally had a break through on my cleans, which transferred over as well to the snatch!

Breakthrough in a Nutshell:
Do you ever notice how Olympic lifters rock back into their heels in the set up position, right before the lift?

This is key.

I have been watching and observing my amazing friend lifters...they all are pretty amaZeballs, and they all ROCK back in their heels before the lift!

So what does this do?!

This rocking back into the heels creates tension on the bar...it loads the hamstrings and glutes!

This is so essential! Without it, you are extremely limited.

Now, it's a matter of dialing in on that technique, getting comfortable under heavy loads, and getting strong as hell!

Hope this helps!

xoxo

When Good Things Happen to Good People

Last week when I was at work, I sat there thinking...I need to make more money! This is ridiculous...I went back to school and earned my Master's Degree...I have my admin credential...Maybe it's time to buck up and see what's out there.

So I began my search. I could earn $20,000 more dollars using my admin. credential! What was I thinking, what had I been waiting for? So I searched and searched. I highlighted a solid handful of prospective jobs...I'm open minded. Some jobs were "over the hill", which means on the other side of the mountain...outside of Santa Cruz and into San Jose. The commute wouldn't be bad...I commute anyway from Watsonville to The West Side everyday anyway...(The West Side of Santa Cruz).

Then I checked my inbox on my Facebook page...Low and behold I had a brief email from "Joe", asking me if I'd be interested in writing for CrossFit.com! I couldn't believe it! There I had been, worrying, ready to take action, when this opportunity literally fell into my lap! I was so stoked!

This was total irony...or coincidence, or serendipity! He doesn't know I have a blog, and actually totally love to write! So serendipity it is!

This is where I thank myself for all of the networking and positive relationships I have built with other people. I truly believe that you reep the seeds you sow, and here I was reaping some seeds. So blessed!