Is this you during the holidays?

It’s crunch time.  There are just 5 days left till Christmas.  5!  Are you stressing?  I’m sure most of you would agree that the Holiday season can be quite stressful.  Parties, buying presents, traveling, extra traffic, family gatherings, all can add unwanted stress.  It’s also when most people fall off the wagon and give in to their sugar temptations, indulge in excess amounts of alcohol, and munch on the processed, easy to grab snacks rather than eat a healthy, wholesome meal.  However, all those empty calories are sure to add up and will only add to your stress levels, not to mention make you sluggish while you try to complete your laundry list of tasks to get done.

Here are a few tips from an article I read on PsychologyToday.com to help minimize your holiday stress:

- Get moving. Perhaps one of the best ways to overcome stress during the holidays or any other time is to exercise regularly. Research shows that physical activity not boosts your fitness and energy levels but can also elevate your moods. In addition, exercise has been found to reduce anger, tension, fatigue and confusion. Despite the many demands on your time, this is not the season to stop exercising.

- Go for real foods mostly. Inevitably, at this time of year, you’ll be tempted with sugary, empty-calorie “treats” just about wherever you go. But to be your most energetic, focused and happy self, it’s best to eat foods that grow on trees or on the ground (vegetables and fruits) and to choose healthy fats (such as olive oil and flax seeds), lean protein (such as fish and organic chicken), nuts and seeds.

- Prepare “Nice To Do For Me” and “Need to Do For You” lists. Writing down all that you have to do during the holidays will help you realize how do-able your tasks are. Be realistic as to what you put on your lists. Then start tackling one item from each list in turn. For example, after buying gifts for your mom or significant other, take time to work out, too. By alternating between lists, you won’t feel deprived, because you’re being good to yourself.

These are just a few suggestions, the rest can be read here.  It should be noted that not all of the tips are ideal, particularly the one that condones taking “polite portions” of comfort foods.  You are an adult.  You really should know how to politely and firmly decline something you don’t want by now.

WOD 12.20.2013

Push Press 3 x 3

5 rounds, 9min cap

• 5 Push Jerks (75%-ish of push press weight; no racks, no split jerks)
• 10 Pull ups
• 30 Air squats

It’s that time of year again when we leave the comforts of our home boxes and head home for the holidays.  As I’ve spoken with some of you throughout the week, you’ll be traveling around the nation to celebrate Christmas festivities with your families from Florida to Washington, NorCal to Austin, DC to San Diego.  Some of you may also try to get a WOD in at some point over the Christmas break.  With so many CrossFit gyms opening up around the world, you might even be lucky enough to have one close to you.  You’re even luckier if the programming isn’t focused on breaking you but that’s a whole other topic of discussion.  For those of you opting to do a WOD on your own, whether at home, in a hotel gym, or at some other fitness club, this is where the fun begins.  When you’re here at Intrepid, you don’t think twice about doing thrusters, or box jumps, or burpees.  Yet, if you were to do these same movements outside of the box, you might get some quizzical stares.

The CF Journal had a recent Thanksgiving post that detailed comical situations that CrossFitters had endured over the holidays from being quizzed about their dietary habits to being asked to slice the turkey because the electric knife broke.  I could easily identify with many of the stories in the post just on a day to day basis since I travel for work.  I’ve had co-workers (usually my male pilots) try to engage me in a arm wrestling match, ask me to flex, do a double take when they see how many plates I have in front of me at breakfast.  At times, it can be funny and at others it’s just downright annoying.  With my family, it’s also the same.  While my younger cousins admire my strength, my aunts will tell me to be careful because the weights are too heavy and I can get hurt.  It’s cute.  Kinda.

The point is you may encounter a bit of questioning about CrossFit, your diet, maybe even your bruises and/or calloused hands.  Take a stab at explaining it to them.  Some may already have it in their heads, that CrossFit is a cult but some will have an open mind.  And to those that just stand there astounded, mouth agape, brows furrowed, just shrug and smile.

WOD 12.13.2013

Press 3 x 5

AMRAP 9

• 4 Pullovers (sub 8 chin ups)
• 12 Ball slams
• 24 Double Unders

Happy Birthday Coach Alia!

Tomorrow we have our in house olympic lifting meet. For most of you this will be your first time lifting according to USAW standards. You might be nervous and understandably so. It is definitely nerve racking standing on the platform by yourself in front of a crowd, let alone your peers. The pressure is on. The bar is loaded for your first attempt, your name is called. You take a deep breath, chalk up, and step out on to the platform. The room grows quiet and you can hear your own heart beat. The clock is ticking, counting down the seconds you have to complete your lift. Quiet your mind. Quiet the doubts. Quiet the failed attempts. EMBRACE THIS MOMENT. It is yours. Ignore the crowd. It’s just you and the bar. See that successful lift in your head and feel the strength rise within you.  Some of you may hit a new PR and in that case, you’ll feel on top of your game.  Standing tall, standing proud to achieve that goal.  On the other hand, some of you may fail.  The weight of the bar might have been too much, today.  But take that fail and learn from it.  Was it technique?  Too high of a jump in weight? Do you need to work on front squats to drive yourself out of the bottom of the squat clean?  Is your lack of shoulder mobility preventing you from getting your personal best in a snatch?  Whatever the case may be, whether you PR or fail, you got out there.  You left it all on the platform and that’s no easy feat.

Here’s a pretty awesome video that highlights a few olympic lifters to get you pumped for tomorrow.

WOD 12.06.2013

“Cindy”

AMRAP 20min

• 5 Pull ups
• 10 Push ups
• 15 Squats

So you’re filled to the brim with turkey but still have lots of leftovers.  What do you do with it all?  Personally, I make turkey soup using the carcass but here are a few recipes from Mark’s Daily Apple to change up the flavors.

Hearty Turkey and Mixed Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 cup cooked asparagus, chopped

2 cups left over turkey, shredded

4 eggs

½ cup fresh parmesan, grated

Click here for the directions.

Turkey and Spicy Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

¾ cup olive oil

2 lbs fresh okra

3 large onions, chopped

2 large green peppers, chopped

6 stalks of celery, chopped

½ pound andouille or kielbasa sausage, chopped into bite-sized pieces (try to make sure you get the good stuff)

Turkey broth (Obtained by boiling the carcass. If you don’t plan on doing this, you can substitute a quart of chicken broth)

½ pound leftover turkey

3 lbs shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 can tomato sauce

Salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

2 Bay leaves

Click here for the directions.

WOD 11.29.2013

Jerk 3 x 2

Then, 5 Rounds not for time

• 5 Deadlifts (285/173)
• 10 Strict handstand pushups

Zombies, Run! is a running app for iPhones and Android devices.  It’s been out for a little while but I just recently tried it out.  Now, I’m not a fan of running by any means but this app actually makes running fun.  I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I need all the help I can get to make me want to run.  At one point in my life, running was great.  It helped clear my head and gave me a sense of peace.  Not really the case anymore.  So when I discovered something I’m interested in (zombies) combined with something i’m not keen on (running), I decided to check it out.

This app takes you through a post-zombie apocalyptic world where you are Runner 5.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to collect supplies for Abel Township.  Throughout your ventures beyond the Abel Township walls, you face zombies that will chase after you forcing you to sprint to stay alive.  As you run your missions, the story continues to unfold providing more information on the truth behind the Zombie Apocalypse.

So how does it all work?  Depending on the type of run you want to do, you can set it up for a 30min run or an hour run, you can set it up for Race Mode to do a 5k, 10k, or even a 20k.  In Airdrop Mode, you can even set your own points on a real-world map and the app will create a “supply run” mission for you.  The app will also integrate the music on your device as well as keep track of your time/distance run to keep you aware of your progress.  If you aren’t a fan of being chased by zombies (Chicken!), you can even disable the Zombie Chase feature.  But where’s the fun in that???  Besides, having a few sprint intervals in your runs will help boost your lung capacity.

If you need a little motivating to get out and run, I recommend giving this app a shot.  It’s $3.99 for the app but for me, it was well worth it.

WOD 11.22.2013

Back Squat 3 x 5

Then, 4 rounds for time:

• 30 Double unders
• 20 Wall balls
• 10 Toes to bar

Courtesy of musclesused.com

If you’ve been attending classes within the past month or so, you may have noticed the coaches focusing on specific muscles during the warm-ups, the rhomboids.  You may have gone through new drills, or new variations on old drills, in trying to target those specific muscles especially on days where we bench press or have an overhead lift.

As defined by wisegeek.com:

The rhomboid muscle is a skeletal muscle located in the upper back and connects the spine with the scapula, or shoulder blade. The rhomboid muscle is so named due to its rhomboid, or diamond-like, shape. There are two types of rhomboid muscle, the rhomboid major and rhomboid minor, which contract and relax to move the shoulder blades.

Rhomboids are important postural muscles in the mid/upper back that squeeze the shoulder blades together and provide stability for the shoulder complex.  They are especially important in stabilizing the shoulders in an overhead lift, like a snatch or overhead squat.  When the rhomboids aren’t turned on, it’s easy for the shoulders to round forward thereby placing more stress on our elbows and wrists to keep the bar from falling forward.

Outside of the gym, when people sit at a desk for prolonged periods of time, the rhomboids tend to weaken as the shoulders round forward.  Is this you???  Have you noticed your posture makes you look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame?  Funny as it may be, it’s also terrible for your lifts and for you, in general.

So, relax the traps, lift that chest, tighten up your abdominals, and pull your shoulder blades back.  When you get to the gym, remain conscious of the rhomboids when we do our warm up with band pull-aparts, ring rows, push ups, or the like.  It’s a use it or lose it muscle which weakens with disuse.  So don’t lose it!

WOD 11.15.2013

Dead Lift 1 x 5

Then, for time:

• 500m Run
• 50KB Snatches
• 500m Run

Courtesy of Wall Street Journal

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, they make note of the quiet change being made to food product labels that use the term “natural”.  In the natural food movement, major brands saw an increase in sales among products labeled “all natural” and ran with it changing labels on everything from juices to potato chips.  However, within the past year, multiple false advertising lawsuits have hit these major brands as consumers have challenged the loose term “all natural”.

One of the problems is that the FDA does not have a legal definition of the term “natural”.  The guidelines in place describe “natural” as nothing artificial or synthetic, including food colorings.  Yet within these lawsuits, they are alleging several products that are labeled “natural” actually contain GMOs and other additives.  The best part is that consumers are winning some of these lawsuits!  Big brands are having to backpedal their way out of their misleading labels.  However, even as some big brands have stopped using the “all natural” phrase in their labeling, they are still coming up with ways to entice you, the consumer, by using new terms like “simple” “simply” “homestyle” and  ”from the farm”.  You can see why it is so important to read your labels.  Be the informed consumer!

Read the full article here.

For more on label reading see Alia’s post Natural Flavor or Marcus’ post Label Readin’ Redux.

WOD 11.08.2013

Jerk 3 x 3

Then AMRAP 4:

• 4 Burpee shuttle runs
• 8 Box jumps
• 8 Ball slams

Rest 1 min

Then AMRAP 4:

• 4 Burpee shuttle runs
• 8 Kettlebell swings
• 8 Sit ups

Rest 1 min

Then AMRAP 4:

• 4 Burpee shuttle runs
• 8 Squats
• 8 Push ups

* Burpee shuttle run = Burpee no jump/clap, run across gym 15m

Today we have a special guest roast, er post, from Tyler S. in honor of Mulligan’s birthday.  Look out Mulligan, that’s not a bus…that’s a train coming your way!  Happy birthday Mulligan!  

For those of you that don’t know Daniel, He is a 4pm-er most days. He can beast on WODs with the best of ‘em and I find myself chasing down his times at 5pm pretty much every day. I even get the advantage of having a time to try and beat. Still, I’d say the grudge match is about 50-50. Nice and healthy competition for one of the oldest bro-mances around. We have been friends since we were 13 and I was recently the best man in his wedding this past August. I thought about completely decimating him in a roast but I felt that he was undeserving as I got to embarrass him pretty good in my best man speech a few months ago. That being said, his wife, Kylie, has no reservations about backing the bus right over her husband. I thought for this, I would go out of the box for a typical birthday post, and shoot Kylie a few questions that would let everyone familiarize themselves with the birthday boy…..

T: Kylie, at the gym your husband is known as quite the rebel biker (scooter/motorcycle/chopper…same difference), how does it feel to be a ole’ lady or so they say of a bad-ass scooter rider?

K: We like to use the hog on date nights, usually Friday’s to El Gringo in Hermosa. We look more ridiculous than Harry and Lloyd, matching helmets and all. Teeth chattering in the wind, honking the horn at oncoming traffic, we fill our bellies with burritos and plenty of chips and salsa but we better return home before 8:00 to catch Dateline on NBC, Daniel’s favorite murder mystery show! But at 9, lights out so Daniel can get a full 10 hours of beauty sleep. If I decide to stay awake in the living room to continue watching a show, Daniel whines for me to come to bed because he can’t fall asleep without her. His exact words…” Baaaaaaaaaabe!!! I can’t fall asleep without you, I neeeeeeed you, can you come to bed?”

T: Hmmm, a true man’s man. Let’s talk about his dog, Harley. I think everyone might imagine Daniel to have a big, muscular, working class dog. Maybe a mastiff, or pit-bull. However, as a fellow <10 pound dog owner myself, I can’t disagree with his choice in canine companions. Tell us about Daniel and his best friend.

K: Daniel is Harley’s “Papa”. Not only does he have a very special voice and tone that he uses with his dog, but he has his own language for his adored pup as well. Every day before Daniel leaves for the gym, he says to Harley in the most endearing voice,”Babies, Papa’s going to go to the gym, but I’ll be back soon and then Papa will take you for the longest walks to go see your puppy friends.” I come home each day to find them spooning on the couch together under a blanket.

T: Speaking of naps….Your husband might be the undisputed world champion of naps. The guy can pass out with the best of ‘em. Good thing he doesn’t snore, right?

K: Daniel is narcoleptic. He even makes sure to organize his days in a way that he can fit a nap in. He falls asleep usually with sports absolutely blaring on the TV. I once took a video of his snoring because it was so bad I thought I could submit it to America’s Funniest Home Videos. In the video I successfully plugged his nose and closed his mouth, cutting off all air access. Once I let go, he let out the loudest snore and slept away, NEVER once flinching or waking up!

T: Last but not least, Daniel is a real movie buff/TV junkie. He’s an expert in Breaking Bad, Homeland, Walking Dead, The Wire and all the classic must-see shows. Also he just despises ESPN and really doesn’t watch sports all right?????

K: Daniel HATES watching movies, The guy can’t sit still and is afraid to go to the theater, he has a legitimate phobia of movie theater seats and fears he will get head lice or some disease. I, on the other hand, love going to the movies and usually beg him once or twice a year to go see one. If that happens, he will wear a hat and hoodie covering all parts of his head and will open the doors with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. (T: I agree, BTW, I even tuck my shirt into my pants to seal off everything) The only thing he enjoys watching on TV is Dateline, College Football, The Lakers, Dodgers, Raiders, and occasionally American Idol because he likes to make fun of the people who can’t sing.

(Thanks Kylie)

Daniel- Happy Birthday bro. One day, when we are old and gray. We will watch sports and take naps all day long.

Morgan: Waldo
Jeff: Barney & Knight (two classes, two costumes!)
Marcus: Heisenberg
David & Saulo: Los Cholos
Nathalia: 50 Shades of Grey
Mike C: Ace Ventura
Nat & Kristen: Bacon & Eggs
Cicely: Bridezilla
Avelyne: Pensatucky

Vote for your favorite costume in comments below (write ins accepted as well). The winner(s) with the most votes will have a prize coming their way! Check out all the photos here.

WOD 11.01.2013

Hang Power Snatch 3 x 3

Then, 3 Rounds for time:

• 5 High box jumps
• 10 Handstand pushups
• 400m Run
• Rest 1 min

For those of you who have been here a while, you may remember Dan as a noontime regular.   Then, the family moved north for just a short (read: too long of a) time.  Well now, the Akers family is back in the ES ‘hood. If you were at Intrepid Games this year, you might have been lucky enough to see him in action.  You would have marveled at how this superb athlete tore through the agility course.  I know I did!  However, if you blinked, you would have missed him.  He was that fast!  Dan ended up taking 3rd in the Men’s Open Division.  And to think he initially signed up for the Master’s!  Happy Birthday Dan!  You are an inspiration to us all!  

The following is a sweet tribute from Dan’s wife, Alicia:

October 25th marks Dan’s 41nd birthday. In honor of the amazing husband (and father) that he is, here is a post dedicated especially to him.

Top 10 reasons Dan is a special person:

1. He makes me happy. Every day.

2. He is a good dancer. Really. Just put on some James Brown and move aside!

3. He is a good singer-Ask Mason and he’ll tell you that ‘dada’ sings him to him every day!

4. He is not a quitter and won’t let you quit either. Be warned!

5. He never asks for anything. Even on his birthday.

6. I love his faith. I don’t mean his religion. I mean his faith. That we’ll have the things we need no matter how bleak it may look at the moment.

7. He’s a ninja! A black belt in judo, taekwondo and karate ….. My ninja!

8. He hurries home from work to spend time with Mason.

9. He’s a contrast of opposites. Tough as nails on the outside, with a soft gooey center.

10. He can fix anything, or if he can’t, he will learn how and then fix it.

I send my love and birthday wishes to one of the best persons I know, who is a best friend and has given me the best possible time in my life. You are a gift to both Mason and I. Moments spent with you become beautiful memories as you have made our life a treasurable gift! Happy birthday!

WOD 10.25.2013

Dead Lift 1 x 5

Then, 4 Rounds:

• 7 Power cleans (135/95)
• 7 Handstand pushups (sub 14 PSU)

OR

4 Rounds:

• 3 Squat cleans (225/148)
• 9 Handstand pushups

If you’ve followed our posts long enough, you know that we try to be as “green” as possible at our gym.  We encourage recycling, using reusable water bottles, posted on the disposal of electronic waste as well as hazardous household waste, and the list goes on and on…  With that said, I’d like to talk to you about 2 eco friendly lunchtime tools to keep your lunches fresh.

The first is the Salad Shaker from Fit & Fresh (shown below).  I picked this up over the weekend to try to carry a few more greens with me on my local trips.  I used to toss a Ziploc bag of spinach in my bag along with a few other fixings and would squeeze lemon on it as a “dressing”  but my greens would get crushed in my lunch bag, leaving my greens wilted. This past week I used the salad shaker and was pleased with the results.  My salad stayed fresh and it was still chilled after 4 hours.  The Salad Shaker is a decent size that holds 4 cups and fits well in my lunch bag.  It comes with a built in freezer pack that snaps into place under the lid as well as a spoon and fork on top of the lid. The container is BPA free and the freezer pack is non-toxic.

The 2nd lunch container I purchased over the weekend is made by LexNGo and for me the main selling point was that it was collapsible. Once you’ve eaten your lunch, the container collapses down to 1/2 the size to save space.  The container I purchased also came with its’ own “spork” built in to the lid.  The lunch box is made of BPA-free silicone and is also bacteria resistant.  My only gripe about this container is that since it is designed to collapse, I wouldn’t recommend storing foods that can be easily bruised, like avocados.

Both of these lunch containers were purchased from HomeGoods but can be found online and in various sizes.  I’ve also heard really good things about the stainless steel bento style boxes with locking lids but have yet to purchase any.  If you have a reusable lunch container that you found works well, please post to comments and share your finds.  With any of the aforementioned lunch containers, the message stays the same, reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the use of disposable containers.

On another note, we’d like to wish our 3 teams participating in the Randy Simmons Fitness Challenge lots of luck  this weekend!  Have fun guys and we can’t wait to hear about the results!

WOD 10.18.2013

Dead Lift 1 x 5

Then, 3 rounds:

• 3 Power cleans (80%)
• 5 High box jumps

Rest 2 min.

Then, 3 rounds:

• 240m run
• 3 Rope climbs