Goal: Performance Improvement

Achievements: -5.25 lbs of body fat, +0.5 lbs of muscle, +50 lbs deadlift, +22 lbs back squat, -1:07 Helen time, +2 strict pull-ups (previously only with bands)

How she chose to spend her winnings: one month at Intrepid, $65 of J&J Grassfed Beef and the rest towards a shopping spree at Lululemon!

In her own words:

I have been doing Crossfit for almost a year now, and this was my first time participating in a challenge. Before even signing up for the challenge I learned exactly what I was going to be in for [doing a Whole30]. Finding out that I could not eat any dairy or grains and I was going to have to eat clean for 30 days, I knew it was going to take dedication and hard work. I am actually not an unhealthy person especially in the foods I eat — I mean I don’t like chocolate, I am not a dessert person, and I hate soda. I am however a junk food person. I love chips, and just snacking on whatever is in front of me.

Starting off, the first couple of weeks were the toughest, from drinking my coffee black, to planning out meals everyday, and I was feeling overwhelmed. After those first weeks, I started to get comfortable with cooking and planning ahead. It also helped to have someone beside me encouraging and eating the same things as I was. The hardest part for me was during the challenge was that I had many family birthdays. Going out to eat at restaurants was difficult, and of course not being able to drink alcohol! My plan was to eat clean for 30 days, then slowly start to introduce things like dairy back into my life. My performance goal was to get stronger.

Overall I am very pleased with my results in the gym, and my body. I never thought I would be able to do a strict pull up and now I can do 2 unbroken! My greatest PR was my deadlift, as I was able to pull 183 lbs. I felt so accomplished! I would definitely participate in another challenge, especially since now I know what to expect.

WOD 07.31.13

“WODShopper”
3 Rounds for time:

• Run 400m
• 20 Ball Slams

• Row 500m
• 20 Push Presses (115/75)

In teams of 2, one partner performs first couplet while other performs the second couplet, then switch. Repeat 2x.

Goal: Muscle Gain

Achievements: +5 lbs of muscle, -2 lbs fat, +60 lbs deadlift (estimated), +60 lbs back squat (estimated), -1:30 Helen time

How he chose to spend his winnings: one month of Brian’s Bowls, a shopping spree at Lululemon and the rest towards his Intrepid membership

In his own words:
This past February I walked in to a CrossFit gym for the first time, not having attempted 95% of the most common lifts and movements, let alone a structured nutrition challenge. I did have a rough outline of what I wanted to accomplish at Intrepid. My leg strength was nowhere near what I wanted it to be and my cardiovascular endurance was lacking from the monotonous [globogym] workouts. Additionally, I had an end goal in site to make considerable improvements in my fitness – the date of June 21st – the day I would be leaving for Mediterranean Europe to let some bad out. Speeding ahead to the Nutrition Challenge announcement the very next month (March), I saw this as a great opportunity to improve my diet and maintain it over a long period of time. Before Intrepid, I generally ate well –- no dessert, soda (except with alcohol), or trips down the cookie aisle at the grocery store.

The diet I chose for the challenge was Gluten Free, due to a number of reasons. First, Anna “Don’t touch my end rack” Napoli gave it a strong recommendation after her trial period leading up to her wedding. She felt less lethargic, had more energy at work, and noticed a lot less inflammation. Secondly, I wanted to continue with the diet beyond the Nutrition Challenge end date and hold steady through the end of summer. I figured going Gluten Free would be more manageable than Paleo or Whole 30 in this respect. Lastly, knowing that I only had to give up one source of alcohol (beer) and not ALL alcohol made my decision easier. But not that easy, because I knew I’d miss the sweet, sweet nectar.

As for the bad news, I had 3 cheat days: St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, Los Angeles Beer Fest, and Mama D’s for my birthday lunch from which I felt pretty crappy afterwards. My theory? The reintroduction of gluten after a long layoff.

In the end the nutrition challenge worked for me. I trained just two times a week, but ate well 7 days a week. I have improved my performance and carry with me less body fat. I’m more energized and productive throughout the day but most importantly, my girlfriend likes my abs.

WOD 07.17.13

Deadlift 1×5 or Wendler

4 Rounds NFT (Not For Time)
5 Good Mornings
170m Farmer’s Carry (or 30 yd heavy double barbell carry)
30 seconds Side Plank (each side)

Goal: Fat Loss

Achievements: -4.25 lbs of body fat, +4.25 lbs of muscle, +20 lbs deadlift, +20 lbs back squat, -2:23 Helen time with lighter band

Folks, please take note! Laura lost and gained the same amount of weight, so her scale would have told her she didn’t accomplish anything! This is why we tell you to throw out your scale as a measuring stick for your progress.

How she chose to spend her winnings:  one month at Intrepid and the rest towards a shopping spree at Lululemon!

In her own words:

I chose a gluten free diet with 3 days of paleo. The reason I didn’t do a strict Whole 30 is because I don’t eat meat with the exception of fish and thought it would be too difficult to eat enough within the limitations. I did however end up eating Whole30-compliant paleo at least 5 days a week/85% during the first half of the challenge. Another element I added was to not allow myself to skip meals. Since my goal was fat loss, I knew that my poor meal-skipping habits were training my body to hold onto excess fat, which contributed to a higher body fat % than I desired.

During the challenge I went grocery shopping quite frequently, 2-3 times a week, and cooked on a daily basis. I ate tons of veggies with salsa and guacamole as salad dressing and dip for everything. Fish was my main source of protein so I really had to cook all the time since it typically needs to be cooked to order. I ate tons of salmon since it was easy to make and any leftover from dinner can be eaten cold with salad the next day. I allowed myself white rice on non-paleo days which were usually days I came into Intrepid.

The second half of the challenge was difficult because I had many social commitments I had to attend but since I ate “clean” the majority of the time and went to the gym consistently, I was still seeing my waistline shrink as well as my strength increasing. By day 45, I was probably eating paleo 70% of the time. I definitely noticed that I felt better, with more energy on days I ate clean.

This challenge was really awesome and I’m glad it was a 90-day challenge vs only 30 days. It really helped make some of the changes become an everyday routine for me. I’ve gotten in the habit of not skipping meals and integrating much more fruits and veggies in my diet which has been consistent now post-challenge. I am also continuing to grocery shop and cook on a regular basis. I’ve seen such great results both from a fat loss standpoint as well as strength that although I allow myself outside of the “clean eating” boundaries sometimes, I strive to eat healthy & workout consistently to continue to improve, especially with summer bikini season right around the corner!

Reminder: Orders for the July delivery of J&J Grassfed Beef are due tonight by 11pm!

WOD 07.10.13

Bench 3×5 or Wendler 5/3/1

Then, 4 rounds for time:

• 10 Burpees
• 10 Pullups

Then,

• Run 800m

First, I would like to extend my thanks and congratulations to all who participated in the 2013 Nutrition Challenge. We saw some phenomenal changes for the better as well as some noteworthy PRs. These PRs ranged from faster times to heavier weights lifted or less assistance (bands) used!

When we embarked on this journey back in late February, we had a total of 48 participants (plus 4 trainers in their own separate bracket). Out of those 52 people, only 16 of them crossed the finish line by turning in their essay to me a little over two weeks ago.

How it was scored:

Each person was ranked in their respective category by their performance against three metrics — percentage of bodyfat lost, pounds of muscle gained and overall improvement in the benchmark workouts. These metrics were then weighted based on the goal category the person chose at the beginning.

What do the winners get?

Rather than going with a pre-chosen prize package, we have decided to let the winners allocate their winnings among some select partners. Winners may choose to get gift certificates or items from the following:

• J&J Grassfed Beef
• Brian’s Bowls
• SFH Fish Oil and Protein
• Trigger Point Kits
• …and at Ruth’s suggestion — Lululemon

Winner, Performance category — Ashley Baker

Over the course of the challenge, Ashley managed to increase her back squat by 22 lbs, her deadlift by 50 lbs, and shaved over a minute off her Helen time. In addition to this, she dropped an impressive 3.4% bodyfat and added a 1/2 lb of muscle! She also was able to knock out 2 strict pullups when she used to rely upon the bands.

Other noteworthy contenders in the Performance category: Tyler Swanson who put on just under a pound and a half of muscle while adding 40 lbs to his squat and 25 lbs to his deadlift. Tami Higa added 18 lbs to her squat and 40 to her deadlift. Pat Suesataya added 25 lbs to her deadlift and lost 4.6% bodyfat to boot!

Winner, Muscle Gain category — Tyler Brown

Tyler put on just under 5 lbs of muscle along with losing 1.5% bodyfat. This helped him to increase his deadlift and squat by an estimated 60 lbs. and he cut 1:30 off his Helen time.

Honorable mention goes to David Olivera, who added over 6 lbs of muscle and dropped 4.1% bodyfat at the same time. Nice job David!

Winner, Fat Loss category — Laura Sardo

Laura took the win for this heated category through her loss of 3.9% bodyfat while gaining 4.2 lbs of muscle and adding 20 lbs to both her squat and deadlift. She also cut her Helen time by 2:23 while also dropping from a blue to a purple band!

There were several other notables in this division — David Pynadath (who should have gone for muscle gain!) added over 5 lbs of muscle and put that to use on the weights, adding 10 lbs to press and squat and 50 lbs to his deadlift. Amanda Kammier lost 4.9% bodyfat, gained over a pound of muscle and shaved 39 seconds off her Helen — while using a heavier kettlebell! Tom Davoren lost 4.7% bodyfat, added 15 lbs to his deadlift and also cut his Helen time by 36 seconds.

Winner, Trainer category — Holley Dickmeyer

To borrow from Holley’s own post about her experience, she noticed “a huge improvement in my ability to recover from a heavy lift day or from a tough WOD.” She gained a pound of muscle, while eating substantially more than she had before. While she would have liked to have gained more muscle, she learned the valuable lesson that what she previously thought was enough food wasn’t even adequate to maintain her hard work. Now she knows how to attack this problem in the future!

Again, a huge congratulations to all the competitors in the 2013 Nutrition Challenge. There aren’t words to express how proud I was of the effort you all put into this challenge. I hope you found it worthwhile and I look forward to planning the next one!

WOD 07.03.13

Deadlift 1×5
Then,
AMRAP 9

• 5 Muscle Ups (sub Ring Dips or Pullovers)
• 7 Pistols
• 9 Box Jumps

This week we will be re-performing the same workouts and lifts we used as a baseline when we began. Meanwhile, I will be tabulating the data we have collected (baseline results, final results, dunks) and Ruth, Sean and I will determine the winners. There will be one winner from each category: fat loss, muscle gain and performance improvement.

The winners will get a prize package that will be in keeping with the new nutritional habits you have formed. To be eligible for final judging, you must meet the following three criteria:

1. Pre- and post-challenge dunk results
2. Completed both the baseline as well as final workouts
3. Write a short essay about your experience in the challenge — perhaps how it changed your life, what you took away from the experience and any changes you intend to keep going forward

Please be aware that portions of your essay may be used for future posts, but I will consult with you to ensure your comfort with what will be shared.

WOD 05.22.13

Press 1-1-1
Deadlift 1-1-1
Weighted Pull-up 1-1-1

I am a strong believer in learning from my mistakes. An added bonus is when you can add to your learning by paying attention to the mistakes others make as well. Ruth’s post yesterday delved into the variety of post-dunk reactions we observed on Monday. I wanted to address some of the mistakes I personally made, some of those I noticed others made and suggestions for future improvement.

For those that didn’t reach their goal or see as much progress as they had hoped, the common refrain I heard was that people wished the challenge was only 30 days. The idea of a binge diet and a sprint to the finish line was easier to tolerate than to actually make the changes a part of an ongoing lifestyle. During those first 30 days, many were on a Whole30 and the buzz in the gym was palpable. People were swapping recipes and tips and I was getting regular questions and comments.

Unfortunately, that all started to die off after day 31 when people were left to their own devices. It’s completely understandable that focus will wax and wane over that time but the entire point was to be able to pick yourself back up and get on track.

Everyone knew I was available to work with anyone in the challenge on their dietary quandaries. I mainly received questions about meal timing — and that was only in the first 30 days. After that? Crickets. Not one single contestant came to me with a food log to review. If you weren’t happy with your results, did you keep a food log on your own?

For future nutrition challenges (side note: we’re eyeing the fall for our next one), I will be bringing back mandatory food logs. I find that the act of logging your intake makes one truly reflect about what makes its way into their piehole. The community feel we had during those first 30 days can also help to stay on track. To help encourage that, we are tossing the idea of a couple of potlucks and possibly a Facebook group to swap recipes, post meal photos or even just vent about how hard you think the Whole30 is. (It really isn’t, but we’ll still let you vent.)

What changes do you think would have helped you in this challenge?

WOD 05.15.13

Deadlift 1×5

Partner WOD
AMRAP 20

• 5 Curtis P’s @ 70% BW
• Run 170m

Athlete performs one round while partner rests. Switch and repeat until 20 minute timecap. Score is total rounds completed.

*1 Curtis P. consists of a
-Power Clean
-1 Lunge on each leg
-1 Push Press

Today is May 1st and there are only a few days left in the Nutrition Challenge. While it may have seemed like an insurmountable length of time when we started, we are almost to the finish line!

As a reminder, the sign up sheet for the dunk tank is at the back of the gym, same location as it was for the initial dunks. Another note: please try your best to get dunked before you do the WOD. If for some reason that is not possible time wise, make use of our shower and rinse off so you aren’t fouling up the tank for everyone after you.

Some other bits of info Brian from the Body Fat Test truck wanted me to pass along:

WOD 05.01.13

Power Clean 3×3

AMRAP 12
5 Ground to Overhead (155/105)
15 Ball Slams

I’m sorry to cheat those of you that were expecting a full 12 week challenge as we will actually be going only 11 weeks. The final dunk will be Monday, May 13th so mark your calendars now! I wanted to make sure we wrapped the challenge before the Memorial Day weekend and this is the date that ended up working out.

With that in mind, we are at the halfway point now with roughly 5 1/2 weeks ahead of us. Be careful, as that time will pass before you know it! If you have been a little lax on your nutrition since finishing your Whole30 (or since the beginning?), now is the time to buckle down and finish strong!

Are you trying to improve performance? You should be working on goats, mobility and ensuring your recovery/sleep and nutrition are solid

Are you attempting to gain muscle? You should be eating plenty of protein. And then an extra helping or two. And probably some more after that. Recovery and sleep are still very important, but make sure you eat. Don’t c-block your muscle gain by burning your candle at both ends doing extra workouts. To paraphrase Schwarzenegger, “Never walk when you can ride, never stand when you can sit”. That means you want to put your energy toward your workout and maximize rest otherwise. Make sure you’re doing this!

Is your goal fat loss? Your nutrition should be paramount, followed by good recovery and consistency in your workouts. The words “cheat day” shouldn’t be part of your vocabulary, as an entire day spent running contrary to your nutrition plans is not doing you any favors. Choose your times to go nutritional off-roading wisely!

WOD 04.03.13

Power Clean 1-1-1

10 Double Unders
10 KB Snatches
20 Double Unders
20 KB Snatches
30 Double Unders
30 KB Snatches

Cash out 3 sets max strict pull ups. Rest approx 2 minutes or less between sets. Post total number.

Happy Birthday Andrea!!

Now that the Nutrition Challenge has officially started, I wanted to touch on a couple of things to keep in mind.  After the results of the body fat test some people asked how low they should get their body fat percentage.  The results were printed with a percentile scale on one side and a rating (essential fat, healthy range, good, fair, poor, and very poor).  Well, those of you scholastic types will look at the percentile scale and wish to be at the 90-99 percentile simply because it sounds like an elite number.  However, this is not a number that can be translated into a grade.

Instead start by understanding most men require 2.5-5% body fat and women require 10-13% in order to manage their basic functions and maintain proper hormone levels.  Wikipedia says this essential body fat “is the level below which physical and physiological health would be negatively affected…The leanest athletes typically compete at levels of about 6–13% for men or 14–20% for women.” This range accounts for different body types as some perform better with more body fat than others.

So what is ideal for you? Aim for a range in the athlete bracket above. Then take into account how you feel and perform.  If you start losing body fat and have a hard time gaining strength or feel you can’t recover well between workouts you may have discovered you don’t run as efficiently when you’re that lean.  Also assess what your main goal is.  Fat loss and strength gain may not go hand in hand sometimes, especially when you’re already on the leaner side.  I found I functioned better as a CrossFitter on the leaner end of the spectrum but as an Oly lifter I needed a bit more fat to keep up with the rigorous lifting.

Don’t just set your sights on losing body fat, strive to find your ideal body fat level to achieve your goal.

WOD 02.26.13

Power Clean 3×3

6 Prowler Runs

then, with a partner, complete:
4 Rounds
16 Total Tire Flips
32 Sledgehammer Strikes

Tis the last weekend before we begin our Nutrition Challenge on Monday, February 25.  If you haven’t already done so, use this weekend to clear out your refrigerators and pantries of all items that may tempt you to cheat.  Our veteran Whole 30 folks can tell you that if there’s (insert favorite cheat food here) anywhere in the house, you will be prone to failure.  Don’t set yourself up to be in that dilemma because all it takes is one moment of weakness or one rough day at work and you will convince yourself that you deserve that cheat.

Once you’ve cleared out the bad stuff, make a meal plan for your week.  If you prepare now, you’ll be less likely to starve from not knowing what to eat.  Make this challenge work for you and do the prep work.  Hit the market and stock up on meats, eggs, seasonings, oils, and nuts.  You can also pick up some fruits and veggies but I wouldn’t stockpile them unless you are planning on using them immediately.

If you are doing the Whole 30, peruse their website to get inspiration from other folks who have done the challenge.  You’ll find so many great resources on their site from recipes to testimonials to shopping guides.  If this is your first time doing the Whole 30, there is a fantastic post on a day-to-day guide of what to expect while on the Whole 30.  If you need something a little more in depth, you can purchase their book, “It Starts With Food.”

Take the time this weekend to prepare yourself for this challenge.  We want all of you to succeed but you will have to take the time to do your homework.  If you know you won’t have time during the week to cook, make your meals over the weekend and divide them into containers.  Yes, it can be that simple.  Just as you put so much hard work into your WODs, training day in and day out, put as much hard work into the food you consume and succeed in this challenge.

Reminder:  If you haven’t signed up for the Nutrition Q&A Seminar tomorrow at 11:30am with Marcus, please do so here.  It’s a great way to get all of your nutrition questions answered before the challenge starts on Monday.

WOD 02.22.2013

Deadlift 1 x 5

AMRAP 4min

• 7 handstand push ups
• 20 double unders

Rest 1 min

AMRAP 4min

• 7 pullups
• 20 ball slams

Rest 1 min

AMRAP 4min

• 7 dumbbell thrusters
• 50m run (to fence and back)