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Ten Things That Will Happen When you Start CrossFit

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CrossFit is taking over. Chances are above average there is at least one Box within five miles of your house, and another getting ready to open. It is taking over because it works. It is a holistic approach to fitness that incorporates strength, cardio, flexibility, nutrition, and a bunch of other good stuff.

Thinking about starting? You should if you want any of the following to happen:

10) You will be Excited/Nervous/Apprehensive

Everybody had a first day and had the same feelings. It is the same as the first day of school or your first day at a new job. Most of the members are nice and are welcoming. Every place has one or two who aren’t friendly and that’s fine. Find the ones who are and hang out with them. Surround yourself with good people and good things happen.

9) Finishing Last is OK

Everybody finishes last at least once. I still do. It is part of learning. Try not to sacrifice form for time. Scaling is a good thing. The trainer will be able to help determine the right weight or the right substitute. It takes time and lots of practice to get better, however it does happen! Push yourself at every WOD. Always give 100%.

8) Getting Beat Up

No, not by the bully. Muscles that you didn’t even know you had will hurt. You will get strains, pulls, pops, tweaks, cracks, and creeks. Knees, ankles, and shoulders will be swollen and sore. It is part of the fun. There is a difference between good hurt and bad pain. Talk to your trainer and let them know what is happening. They can make recommendations. Stretching and ice packs are your friend. I have one on my knee right now.

7) These Workouts are HARD……and Rewarding

I started at a local gym when I was 16. Basic lifting with some cardio. I did that for fifteen years before I started CrossFit. I do not remember having a workout so difficult that I laid on the floor flat on my back, unable to catch my breath. Now it happens two or three times a week.

6) Make some very good Friends

We have met so many great people at CrossFit, we don’t remember what it was like before we met them. They become your support group. Everyone is going through the same WOD’s together, so you better cheer each other on.

5) Paying more Attention to what you eat

Good stuff in, good stuff out. Whole Life Challenge, Whole Thirty, Paleo, Zone, etc. Ten to one your local Box will host nutritional seminars or have a challenge which will help you eat better. Once you eat better, you will perform better.

4) Competitiveness

After a few weeks the competition gene will kick in. It’s natural. We aren’t that long out of the caves. Our ancestors called competition “survival”. This can be a blessing and a curse all in one. Try to compete only against yourself for a while. Competing against the elite athletes is a sure-fire path to disappointment. Set realistic goals and expectations.

3) Going all in

It can easily become obsessive. The gear, shoes, clothing, food, etc. It’s a great cult! Some people CrossFit to get better at other sports and some CrossFit to get better at CrossFit. It doesn’t matter. Doing CrossFit properly and eating better will make your more healthy and improve your quality of life. Give it a few months before you drop two bills on the Romaleos. They help however they are pricey.

It won’t take long before all of your family and friends know you are a CrossFitter. It will be plastered on your Facebook page and it’s all you’ll talk about. It is fine.

2) Surprise, You’re a Beast

Things that you immediately thought you couldn’t do, you will do, and it will feel awesome. You will start repping out heavy dead lifts, squatting more than you weigh, and then following it up with a run or getting on the rower. Double Unders will become second nature. Yanking lbs over your head while in a full squat, otherwise known as the snatch, will get easy. Alright, easier.

1) Why did I Wait so Long to try CrossFit?

I don’t know. Why did you?

You will notice improvements in any sports you play. Also in your professional and personal life. I am sure you have heard “get your head right and your body will follow.” The opposite is true as well. Get your body right and your head will follow. No sense in getting in shape before you try CrossFit. Just try it.

I hope you decide to take advantage of the free session offered by CrossFit boxes. It is well worth it!

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First Week Back

This week was my first week back and the kickoff of Whole Life Challenge, so it was a double whammy!

For those of you who are not familiar with WLC, it’s well worth it. It is an eight week program where exercise, mobility work, and perfect nutrition are the goals. It can be challenging, however it is well worth it. I lost about 10 lbs the last time, unfortunately I found it again. These things happen.

Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, some fruit, and good fats like coconut and avocado.

None of this:

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Lots of This:

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I published a blog not too long ago about Paleo. It can be expensive, time consuming, and frustrating, however if it was easy, it wouldn’t be any fun! Work with me people.

The first couple of days are the hardest because your body is clearing itself of a drug. It it is similar to other withdrawals. Speaking of which, please watch Flight if you have not already. Wow. Your body is addicted to sugar and when you take it away, your body wants it again. You will survive. You will get through it. You will feel better and perform better.

It was great to get back to CrossFit this week. Working out in a regular gym is fine but it’s not the same. I definitely pushed myself harder and got a much higher caliber of a workout. As proof, I am having a tough time walking today. Quality time with the roller is needed.

First Wod:
Nicole
20 min AMRAP
500 M Row
AMRAP pull ups

I subbed rowing for running and got six rounds and forty two pull ups. I was pretty beat afterwards. It felt great.

Second WOD:
Six Rounds
10 BW Bench Press
30 Slam Balls
100 ft BW stone carry

I scaled this down and kept the bench press weights between 185 and 205. Subbed 20 squats for slam balls and used a 115 lb. stone. I didn’t record the time. I was just glad to be done!

Third WOD:
Five Rounds
10 reps of 185 lb dead lift
15 Wall Balls

I subbed 135lbs and did the wall balls. TIme was 9:50.

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January is Almost Over….

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Which means less people in the gym! It was actually empty the past two days which I think was the result of our unseasonably warm streak. People took to the trails and streets for running and biking.

It also means the Whole Life Challenge is right around the corner. I strongly suggest you enter the competition. It’s $45.00 but you will learn a lot about yourself. It is worth it!

I have not been getting to the pool in the afternoon so the cardio has been lacking. I plan on going his afternoon. As usual, the goal is not to drown, and not to drink more than a gallon of pool water. I don’t remember swimming being so difficult or so tiring.

Tuesday’s WOD:

Rep Count: 7, 5, 3, 3, 1

Shoulder Press

Weight: 135, 145, 155, 165, 175

Three Rounds:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Wednesday:

Rep Count:
10, 7, 5, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Weight: 135, 185, 225, 225, 225, 245, 245

Three Rounds:
5 pull ups
10 dips
15 sit ups

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A Week of Rest and Cleared to get Back at it!

I had my physical therapy evaluation on Friday and I was cleared to do CrossFit, on a scaled basis. Still no running, box jumps, for which my shins are thankful, no heavy snatches, etc. To say I am happy is an understatement. I need to take it easy and not try and blow the doors off. It took me four days to recover from Angie. That was kind of dumb. My Patella tendon was very angry with me. I really don’t know why. 100 squats isn’t that many.

Saturday CrossFit Evaluation:

Following is the rep scheme I used to get sense of where I was with my lifts, and of course, how much they would hurt. I can tell that I am close to back where I started. Squats aren’t deep enough and I am still reverse curling the cleans. It will get better, and hopefully quickly.

3, 3, 5, 5, 7

Squats and Dead Lifts: 135lbs
Front Squats, Push Jerks, Hang Cleans: 95lbs
KB Swings: 50lbs

Surprisingly everything felt good, just very tight. Need to get on the roller and the field hockey ball.

Sunday Funday WOD:

Five Rounds:

5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats
500 meter row

I did it a regular gym and the rowers were in a different part of the gym so people were looking at me like I had three heads. Actually, that happens often and not just in the gym.

Sunday Cooking:

With the exception of bagels on Friday and cocktails on Saturday, we have stuck to 100% Paleo 85% of the time. It definitely makes it easier to prepare the week’s breakfasts and lunches ahead of time, otherwise I’ll fall right off the wagon, and they won’t let me back on. Repeat offender.

Breakfast:

15 eggs
2lbs spicy turkey sausage
Big box of baby spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Coconut oil

I usually have a either oven roasted squash or sweet potatoes with the egg and sausage medley. It tastes great and it keeps well in the fridge in a big tupperware container.

Lunch:
Roast
Coated in Montreal steak seasoning
Garlic cloves
Carrots
Celery

Usually have another vegetable like green beans or peas. It’s so easy to put it in the Crock Pot and forget about, Eight hours later you have lunch for the week.

Need to get some snack ideas. I get hungry at 10:00am and 3:00pm without fail. Probably pick up a couple packets of tuna, almonds, and some apples. Good times.

Have fun out there.

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Wow, I Got Old Quick!

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We did Angie on Sunday at CrossFit Everlast and I am still pretty beat up. We are going on three days here! What happened? I know….I turned 36, that’s what happened. Time flies when you love craft beers!

Went to rehab last night for my knee, which is doing well, it’s just sore. They started me on box jumps which felt great. Everything is super tight so lots of stretching today.

I am skipping the gym today for the sake of recuperation. Swimming at lunch which usually helps because: 1) the water is cold as hell, which means it’ s like ice, and 2) you can stretch while swimming, in particular my lats are a little angry right now.

1200 yards
16 lengths
8 lengths
4 x 4 lengths
4 x 2 lengths

link for those of you are interested in swimming a mile: Click Here

Alright, time to go to work. Have fun out there.

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So, You are Thinking About Going Paleo

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You have taken the plunge and are Nano deep in CrossFit. You have taken a sip of the Kool-Aid and are now ready to go all in! It’s time to go Paleo.

Primal Paleo Beginnings:

So, literally the beginning of Paleo is from our primate cave dwelling ancestors. Think paleolithic era….see the connection? Animal fur coats, spears, horrible BO. You’ve got the idea. This period lasted for roughly 2.5 million years and supposedly our ancestors were stronger, with bigger brains, and suffered less disease. It came to an end roughly 10,000 years ago with the agricultural movement; i.e. processed food.See Here

What is Paleo?

Eat lean meat, poultry, fish, seafood, vegetables, some fruit, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like avocado and animal fats. Don’t trim that steak! Stay away from dairy, starch, processed sugar and processed carbohydrates, legumes (means beans and peanuts people), and sadly alcohol. Nothing is perfect.

What does it Do?

What happens about an hour after you eat a big serving of pasta or bread? You get hungry again, right? It doesn’t make sense considering you just consumed more than enough calories to get you through a few hours. Spikes in blood sugar cause the feeling and the mood swings, etc. that come with it. A Paleo diet stabalizes your blood sugar and some other helpful things as well. Check them out here

Paleo and CrossFit:

CrossFit Approved version here. I am not sure if CrossFit Headquarters fully sponsors Paleo or not. I thought I had read a few things about them moving to Zone. All I know is the best CrossFit athletes I know follow the Paleo eating plan. Want to be successful? Study those who are successful, and then copy the hell out of them, tweaking only what you need to make it better for you.

First Week:

Usually sucks. High grocery bill. Spend all day cooking. Need to buy enough tupperware for a family of eight. Then there is the detox. Sugar is a drug. What happens when a drug addict goes without a fix, minus knocking over a gas station? They come down hard. The same is true here. When your body goes without sugar, it craves sugar, and it results in irritability, headaches, stomach pains in some cases. Is it worth it? Hell yes! That crap is no good for you! Stop eating it.

High Grocery Bill:

It’s not cheap to eat healthy. One of the keys to the agricultural age we referenced earlier was to make it easier for people to get food. How did we do that? By processing everything and in turn removing many of the nutrients or just using plain crap to begin with. Animals were taken from the fields and stored in commercialized farms where they were fed hormones and god knows what else to fatten them up more quickly. You can imagine how that ends. Garbage in, garbage out. It is expensive to eat healthy however you are investing in your health. How can you make it more affordable?

Buy in bulk. Find a local butcher and see if you can go in with family or friends from the gym. That makes it easier for meat. Another option is Costco. It might not be grass fed but it is cheaper than what you pay in the grocery store.

Farmer’s Market or Farm Co-op. Again this is a great opportunity to split with family or friends and as our society is beginning to recognize the importance of a better diet, more of these are popping up. A quick Google search is usually all it takes to find one near you.

Preparation:

Fail to plan and plan to fail. Planning meals ahead of time is pretty much a necessity. It is also a great way to save a few bucks by planning your meals around what is on sale at the grocery store. Kylie is the queen of planning meals. Kylie is my wife and partner in crime.

It does take more time to make meals and prepare breakfast and lunch for the work week, however it is very worth the investment. There are hundreds of websites and cook books with meal ideas. Take advantage of the wealth of information that is available on the Internet. It’s more than just games and Facebook.

Detox:

It sucks. You’ll get through it. Just remember that if you cave and eat some junk, you’ll have to start the detox process again. I’ve done it quite a few times. Fall off the wagon and then just get right back on!

Second Week and Forward:

You will notice that your joints don’t hurt as much and you will have more energy. You will also probably sleep better as well. All pretty good benefits. Your workouts will be better and you will generally “feel” better. Friends have stated they no longer get headaches like they used to, etc.

Following are a couple of links that are really helpful including the Whole Life Challenge which is a great way to get started. By tracking your score daily and journaling, you are keeping yourself more accountable.

Whole9

Whole Life Challenge

paleOMG

Have fun out there.

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CrossFit Everlast; Grand Opening,…ANGIE.

Today is the grand opening of CrossFit Everlast. We are heading to the 10am class which is everybody’s favorite WOD….Angie. Good times all around. For those of you who have not experienced Angie, lucky dogs:

100 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups
100 squats

You have to finish the pull ups to move on to the push ups, and so on.

Today was a lot of fun. Great turn out and I’ll share any photos that are posted on Facebook. My time was 28 minutes and change. I’ll take it.

It’s a great facility with a kid’s room, strength area, rowers, airdynes, stones, Viper Press, etc. There wasn’t anything missing. Great coaches with Bret, Zach, Ryan, Toni, and Rae. Our friends from Uberfit were also on site.

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Seven Weeks After ACL Surgery

I’m done. I’ve had it. I am ready to get back to normal and get back to CrossFitting. Being a globo gym goer sucks. Alright, in all seriousness I am happy and fortunate that my knee is coming along really well and I am able to do quite a bit of stuff. Box jumps, running, snatches, etc. are still a ways away, however it could be a lot worse!

What was it like?

The first week consisted of:

  • sit in chair
  • elevate leg
  • ice knee
  • flex quad
  • lay on bed
  • eleveate leg
  • ice knee
  • flex quad

Luckily the pain wasn’t bad. The day after the surgery was the worst, as is expected because the anaesthesia wore off, as did the fun pain meds the nurse gave me afterwards. I don’t know what they were, but they were GOOD! I was off the percocet after three days and off the crutches after seven days.

Rehab:

I started rehab five days after the surgery, three days a week for six weeks. Then twice a week for four weeks, then once a week for four more weeks, and then as needed. My recommendation is to find a smaller place where you work with only one physical therapist. I think that would be a better experience. The rehab is challenging. Many of the exercises look easy. Only when you try one do you realize you have zippy for strength in your leg and it’s unstable as all hell. Good times. Do your exercises no matter what. The more often you do them, the sooner you regain strength and the sooner you are back to normal.

Gym Time:

After three weeks i was cleared to go back to the gym and do upper body stuff. Nothing that involved my knee. So I did some bench presses, shoulder work, curls, etc. but decided they really wouldn’t help me get back to CrossFit so I focused on bodyweight exercises like push ups, sit ups, dips, and pull ups. I was also cleared to swim which was a bonus. After the fourth week I was ok’d to do dead lifts and squats, but nothing over 150 lbs. I was also cleared to do leg presses and calve raises.

What’s Left?

My next appointment is the first week in March and at that point I should be allowed to start jogging which I am looking forward too, surprisingly. I know it sounds weird considering how often I vocalize my previous opposition to running. I am really looking forward to running again. Weird.

I also have to continue to work on strengthening the muscles around the knee to increase stability. Lots of band work, muscle flexing, standing on one leg….fun, fun, fun.

I plan on going back to CrossFit the middle of February which will be three months post op. I will not be able to do box jumps or high impact lifts like snatches but I will be able to do the majority of the movements, just not heavy. I am really ready to be back at it. I miss the people and the competition. It will also coincide withy he start of Whole Life Challenge, round two.

My advice is to get it done as soon as it happens. I waited twelve years and that was probably a bad idea. I caused damage to other parts of my knee because of it.