Overtraining

How do you know if you are overtraining?  How do you know if you need to lay off your workouts for a while?  Here are some simple tips that I borrowed from Mark Sisson's website, Mark's Daily Apple.  Mark Sisson has 8 simple tips that you can use as a guide. 

1. You  fail to complete normal workouts.

He is not talking about normal failure.  He's talking about failure to lift the weights you usually lift, or run the way you usually run. It's about REGRESSION. If you’re actively getting weaker, slower, and your stamina is getting worse despite regular exercise, you’re probably training too much.  Pushing yourself to higher weights and failing at those is a normal part of progression, but if you’re unable to lift weights that you could before without any problems then you may be overtrained.

2. You lose leaness while exercising more.

 It’s all about the hormones. Sometimes, working out too much can actually cause muscle wasting and make you fat.  Your hormonal balance has been tipped. Your testosterone:cortisol ratio is off. Generally speaking, a positive T:C ratio means more muscle and less fat.  But a negative ratio means you’re either training too much, sleeping too little, or both. Too much cortisol will increase insulin resistance and fat storage especially around the abdomen. If you have been training super hard and your definition is disappearing then you may be overtraining.

3. You’re working out hard EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Odds are you are not a genetic freak that can lift heavy, sprint fast, and perform metabolic conditioning  every day of the week and recover like Wolverine.  Most people who maintain such a hectic physical schedule will not recover (this is where most of us are). Performance suffers, health deteriorates, and everything that you have worked to achieve will be compromised.  What he is saying is that if you are not Wolverine or a professional athlete, then training to this intensity will most likely lead to overtraining.

4. You feel restless, excitable, and unable to sleep in your down time.

When you overtrain, your sympathetic nervous system (your fight or flight system) dominates. Symptoms include hyperexcitability, restlessness, and an inability to focus even while at rest or on your off day. Your sleep is generally disturbed , recovery slows, and your resting heart rate stays elevated. In simple words, your body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by incresasing your sympathetic stress system’s activity levels.

5. You’re primarily an endurance athlete, and you feel overly fatigued, sluggish, and useless.

Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic (fight or flight) overtraining.  Too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining. Parasympathetic (the oposite of fight or flight) overtraining causes decreased testosterone levels, increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat. Mark explains this by stating "being fit enough to run ten miles doesn’t mean that you now have to do it every day."  Take the time to rest, take some off days.  Be smart about your training and you can avoid overtraining.

6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt.

If you are sore beyond normal, if your joints are painful to the point that you cannot walk or move them without wincing then you may have overtrained.  if it takes you a week to reocover from one WOD then you may have trained too hard.  Listen to your body. Respect it.  It will be good back to you.

7. You’re suddenly getting sick more often.

What if you’re eating right, getting plenty of sun, and getting eight hours of solid sleep each night, but you find yourself still getting sick?  Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining. It is the natural progression for many athletes looking to improve their performance by working harder and longer. If you’ve recently increased your exercise output, and find yourself feeling sick or run down keep in mind that it may be a sign of overtraining.

8. You feel like crap hours and days after a big workout.

One of the benefits of exercise is the post-workout feeling of wellness the rush of endorphins that leave you feeling awesome. We all love it. Post-workout DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is completely normal, but feeling like death (mentally and physically) is not especially if it leaves you feeling like never working out again.  Exercise is supposed to elevate your mood and leave you feeling good.  If it’s having a negative effect on your mood, it’s probably too much.

 There is a difference between training hard and overtraining.  Keep training hard but keep track of how you feel during and after your workouts.  Using your journal is a good way to keep track.  When writing down your times and weights add a note about how you felt coming into the workout and how you feel afterwards. 

For the people in my 5:30 class, I have looked through some of your journals and have noticed that only Zim is doing this.  I would like to see everyone doing this.  Trust me it will help you see changes in your workouts.  It will help you to see where improvements can be made.  If you need a reminder read my blog about journaling.

EPOC

When you begin your workout, your body demands more oxygen than you have in reserve meaning that your body is now in an oxygen deficit. This is why you start to breathe faster and deeper (it's your body's way of getting more oxygen).

Excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is the measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity. It is intended to erase the body's oxygen debt.

This is important because EPOC is used during recovery to restore the body to homeostasis (normal function), rebalance hormones, replenish fuel stores, cellular repair and anabolism (muscle growth) to name a few. This process requires more fuel. Where does that fuel come from? It comes from the breakdown of fatty acids (fat stores) in your body.

This process starts soon after your workout is complete and can last up to 24hrs after your workout depending on the intensity and duration. What does all of this mean for you?

For those of you that are looking to lose weight... this is where it happens. High intensity interval training with weights (ex: CF) leads to better fat loss. This does not mean that you will get "huge" and muscle bound. It does mean that as you build muscle you burn fat. So... bump up the intensity and get to work.

Journal It

As a trainer I can only do so much for you. I tell you to sleep, ice, eat well, correct your form, foam roll, stretch, etc. Have you ever wondered why you aren't making the progress that you think you should? Was it because you were stressed out over something happening in your life? Was it because you skipped breakfast and lunch because you were so busy and couldn't find time? Was it because you just couldn't sleep the night before? Wouldn't it be nice to "go back" and see what was happening? Now you can make that happen.

If you have hit a plateau in your training then it is time to find out why. How do you do this? Take a look back at your log book. Most of us only write down what our 1RM is or our 5RM for any given lift. Some of us even go as far as to write down the workout that we did and our time or number of rounds. If you are not even doing this.... then it's time to take the next step. It is a good idea to get into the habit of following these next few steps.

When you are making notes in your log book start adding these few things...

1. How well did you sleep the night before?

2. How good was your diet before the WOD?

3. How did you feel (emotionally) before you started the WOD? (drained,amped, depressed, etc)

4. How was your H2O intake for the day?

Rate these things on a scale of 1-10. 10 being the best things could have been. Make some notes even. These notes are strictly for you. When you hit that "plateau" these notes will help you figure out what is causing the problem.

For example, I started doing this myself and I found that most of the time that I didn't get a new PR or do as well as I should have, it was because I didn't sleep well the night before. I probably could have figured this out without writing it down every workout, but it helps to see a trend. It helps to see where you were mentally. By keeping your workout log this way you can also see whether or not you are overtraining. It is also a good way to hold yourself accountable with your food intake. By writing things down you have to take responsibility for the things you do and it helps keep you in check.

Be Smart About Your Training

There is nothing like killing a WOD! There is nothing like walking away knowing you pushed yourself beyond where you thought you could never be. I encourage each and every one of you to push yourself to this limit and beyond, however....there is a catch.

In our spirit of competitiveness and personal drive we forget some very important things.


FORM, FORM, FORM!!! I can't say it enough... FORM, FORM, FORM!!!


There is nothing that I love to see more than someone hit a new PR or get the top score for the day but it should not come at the price of an injury. Do not sacrifice your back, shoulder, knees, hips etc simply because you chose to throw good form out the window for a stellar time or heavier weight.


Take the time to practice perfect form. You have all heard the saying... "Perfect practice makes perfect play" right? This is what I am talking about. We all have weaknesses. Focus on fixing the weaknesses and you see that your strengths are that much stronger. Focus on perfect form and you will see that you can lift more with less effort.


It's not that your trainer is trying to prevent you from being a rock star, we just want you to be the rock start with the best form. Good form = less injury = bigger, better, and stronger faster. So, if your trainer happens to mention something about your form I ask you to investigate what is it that caused poor form? Was it that you just weren't focused or you were lifting more than you could safely handle?


To do a workout prescribed is an awesome feeling but you are cheating yourself if you are not doing each exercise in full range of motion. (which by the way means that you are not doing the WOD prescribed) You are cheating yourself if you are using poor form as well. You are increasing your chance of becoming injured to the point where you will not be able to work out at all.


There is no substitute for perfect form! Trust me.... better form = bigger, stronger, and faster with less effort. If your problem is not being able to achieve full range of motion, then using heavier weights is not the answer. Perfect form assumes that you are able to achieve full range of motion for the exercise to start with. If you are unable to do this... then lighten the load, drop the ego and perfect your form. If you were able to lift the heavy weight with poor form, then you will only be able to lift more weight (eventually) with perfect form....

Train What You Suck At

There is no better feeling than coming in to the gym and seeing that the WOD was made just for you and that you are going to nail it!


If we continuously train only those things that we feel comfortable with or are good at, then we will only be good at those certain things. What this means for you.... dread for the next WOD because you know that things are constantly varied and that "Your WOD" or anything close won't be back around for a while.

Train at what you suck at! Nobody likes to look bad or clumsy but guess what.... you have to to get better. You can't run without learning to walk first. If you want to shorten the clumsy bad times then practice what you suck at more often.


Find your trainer... ask for advice, ask for progressions, or just do it on your own. DO IT!!! You will find that the more you train at the things you suck at, the less time you spend actually sucking at them. Every time you work on a skill.... you get better. Better at more skills means that you are less afraid of more WODs.


I hated double unders! Couldn't do one to save my life when I first started crossfit. I worked on them occasionally but because I got so frustrated and angry, I would throw my jump rope and walk away to go do something else. I only got more frustrated instead of better. One day I decided that I would incorporate double unders into my warm up every WOD. Very frustrating, but I kept with it. After a couple weeks I was stringing a few of them together. Then before I knew it.... I was doing 10, 15, now 20 at a time. I still practice them but now I'm not worried when them come up in a WOD. I know that I can do them...and believe me... they are so much easier than doing tuck jumps.


So... train at what you suck at! Push yourself, get better, become adaptable and you will see that it gets much easier the more you do it! You just have to start. Know this... you are not the only one around that is working on the skills that you are.

The Crossfit Hierarchy. How Solid is Your Foundation?

In the world of crossfit, you are considered "fit" if you are proficient or posses all 10 of the fitness domains. You are unfit if you lack any of the 10 domains.

What are they you ask? They are: endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, speed, power, coordination, agility, accuracy and balance.

The first 4 domains (endurance, stamina, strength, and flexibility) are the physical changes. This comes from doing the WOD's while perfecting form and range of motion. The last 4 (coordination, agility, accuracy and balance) are neurological changes developed from the programming. Speed and power arise from the combination of the other 8 domains. Speed and power outputs are a direct result of your physical and neurological adaptations.

Now that you know the 10 domains of fitness, here is the hierarchy.

1) Diet- Eating a good diet gives your body the necessary elements that it needs to perform optimally. If you feed your machine crap, your body will not be able to perform it's best and you most likely will not feel well. If you feed your machine whole healthy food, then you lay a foundation for your body to perform it's best and you feel good and recover better.

2) Metabolic Conditioning- Training for endurance and stamina allows for your body to build a capacity in each of the 3 metabolic pathways. (aerobic, lactic acid, and phospho-creatine) The more you train this, the more adaptable your body becomes and the easier the transition is for your body between the three pathways.


3) Gymnastics- Training in gymnastics allows you to establish a foundation in flexibility and body control. (balance, accuracy, agility, flexibility, and coordination)

4) Weightlifting and throwing- Training with weights builds strength. Having the ability to control objects in various movement planes makes us stronger.


5) Sport- This is the application of "Fitness" into a competitive atmosphere where there are more randomized movements and skill mastery.

I hope that you can see that there is a natural progression to crossfit. Each tier builds on the next. Even though it is random and constantly varied..... there is still a method and progression to achieving maximum power output. If you are lacking in any of these 10 domains... but want to lift more, heavier and faster, then think first about this hierarchy. How solid is your foundation?

Rolling into Recovery

Foam rolling, also called self myofacial release (SMR) is something that you hear frequently in the gym. Here is why...

The idea is to seek out the tender spots in your muscles (trigger points or knots) then roll over them to massage them out, relieve pain, pressure and inflammation. It works like massage therapy. Think of your muscles like a shoelace. It has a certain length to it. When you get a knot in it, the shoelace is shortened. You have to work out the knot to restore the natural length. The same goes for your muscles. Sometimes stretching is not what you need. By working out the knots in your muscles, you restore the muscle to the original length making it more pliable and functional.


There are a couple of techniques that you can use:

1) Keep a continuous roll over the trigger point to massage the area.

2) Find the trigger point and hold pressure to that area for 20-30 sec.

Either way works just fine. Apply only as much pressure as you can tolerate and build up the amount of time that you spend doing it.

When to do it:

You can foam roll anytime. There is no such thing as too much. Doing it before a workout can help warm up your muscles and work out the tight sore areas leading to a more effective workout. After a workout can help prevent sore muscles. The first time you use this technique it may be a little painful. Stick with it. Once you are past the first few weeks it gets easier and more comfortable. The better foam rolling feels and the less it hurts means that you have better quality muscle tissue now.

Benefits:


If you still need more benefits than better quality muscle tissue and less pain.... then here are a few added benefits to foam rolling:

• the compression causes nerves to relax


• loosens the muscles making them more pliable and functional


• increases blood flow (more blood flow=faster recovery and toxin release)


• alleviates soreness and helps recovery

Roll your way to better recovery and muscle function.

Contrast Showers

Intense exercise causes microtrauma (small tears) in the muscle tissue. This is what causes your soreness after a WOD. This delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs between 24-72 hours after exercise. This damage is not all bad though... the damage stimulates your muscle cell activity helping it to repair and strengthen the muscle.

How to deal with DOMS varies among experts. Some say that you should just rest, some say ice baths, contrast showers or heat. Every elite athlete has their own way to deal with DOMS. The more I read, the more I see that athletes swear by ice baths and contrast showers. So... I put it to the test.

I have been taking contrast showers for about 3 months now and have noticed that my recovery has been shorter. My muscles don't stay as sore for as long and not to mention.... it leaves me feeling invigorated afterwards. And who doesn't want that?

There is a term used in India called "Ishnan". This is the point at which the body creates the temperature that can beat off the coldness of water on its own. This happens when the capillaries open with the onset of cold water and close during the course of the cold shower. At this point blood rushes back to flush the organs and glands allowing them to renew themselves.

This is important because it is half of the theory behind contrast showers and what they do for you. The hot water brings blood to the tissues feeding the muscles with nutrients and oxygen. The cold water forces the blood back to the organs taking with it all of the waste products like lactic acid. By alternating between hot and cold you are speeding up your circulation and ultimately your recovery as well.

How do you do this?

There are several different suggestions on the length of time for each hot/cold session as well as cycles to use. What most of the literature I have read says and what I have found works best for me is 3-5 cycles of 90 seconds of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water. Start with warm water to get your body used to the temp, then go to hot water first and always end your shower with cold water.

The benefits to contrast showers are increased circulation, elimination of toxins and wastes from your muscles, and reduced DOMS. Give it a try! I love it!

It's Getting Hot in Here

OK, so you have noticed that Arizona is getting a little warmer these days like a desert should be. I say.... FINALLY!!!

For those of you that have been acclimatized to air conditioning it is time to step outside of your comfort zone. Crossfit is about pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone to become more adaptable to your environment. There are crossfit gyms all over this country that only train outdoors. Yep... that's right, in the wind, sun, rain, etc.

What if your house was on fire and the fire dept just couldn't come save you because it was just too hot outside?

Do you think that in Iraq our service men/women only work to defend our country when it's a comfortable 75 degrees outside with shade trees?

I know that some of you are probably saying that these two scenarios don't relate to you but my point is this....

Crossfit is about becoming adaptable to any situation. We live in the desert... adapt to it. Training in the heat for an hour is good for you. Consider it a detox. If you are just in the gym to become more "fit" then remember that part of being "fit" is training your body to be adaptable to anything.

There is just no way around it!!! It's uncomfortable at first, just suck it up. Train to be adaptable and your body will thank you for it.

Do Something Worthy

I'm Back! Sorry for the slacking regarding the blog, but I have great news! I am giving away great prizes. The prizes will be things like t-shirts, burpees, runs of 400m or less, or whatever I feel like giving away.

Here's how it works:

1) Do something worthy! Get a new PR, achieve a goal from the list that I have, have perfect attendance for at least 3 weeks, etc. This is subject to my approval.

2) Take your prize and cash it in during any WOD with that given exercise.

3) You still get a nice break during a WOD and you still get credit for it.

4) If more than one person is "cashing in" during the same WOD, then we will have to work something out at that time. (There is only so much I can do at one time and still coach you)

For example, Liz won 25 burpees the other day for getting her 1st muscle up (and it was on her birthday) Congratulations! The next time burpees come up in a WOD, all she has to do is say, "Andres I want you to do 25 of my burpees today." I will do them during the WOD and she gets to take a break.

Sounds awesome right? That's because it is!!! So... work hard, achieve some goals and make some new PR's..... I AM WATCHING YOU!

P.S. Good luck to everyone that is competing this weekend. It will be fun.

Injuries, Goals and Frustrations

I have just a couple of things to comment on...

1. So we are at our 3 month mark. Congratulations to Jessica for achieving all of her 3 month goals! To the rest of you.... some of you have met only some of your goals. Don't worry, you now have a longer 6 month goal list! I have taken the liberty to adding what was not done at 3 months to your 6 month list for you. (you can thank me later) We have some work to do.

2. Welcome back Danielle and congratulations on finishing your Death March.

3. Congratulations to Liz for a stellar job at sectionals this past weekend she took 19th place!

4. I want everyone to come out to the gym this Saturday at 10am to cheer on Lori and Danielle as they complete the women's get some challenge.

5. Welcome to Amanda, Zim and Iyana to the class. Amanda we will miss you for the 2 weeks that you will be gone. Make sure you get soem workouts in. :) Zim and Iyana..... Where are you? Don't make me come to your house to find you.....

Now for the meat of it....

Crossfit gives us many opportunities to challenge ourselves not only physically but mentally as well. There will be times when the mental game turns emotional leaving you frustrated or angry.

This is especially true when coming off of an injury. I am coming off of a back injury and have not been able to work out like I used to. I feel that I have lost almost all of the gains that I had made. This has been extremely frustrating!!

The mental game will sneak up on you at some point no matter who you are. The important thing to remember is that you need to keep pushing on. Don't become complacent and settle, instead face the challenge and get better. Set backs will happen. Frustration and anger will happen. Just keep moving forward.

If your frustration is not meeting your goals.... don't worry. It will now be your 4 month goal, or maybe your 5 month goal... My point is...DON'T GIVE UP!

Belay On!

This is Ryan L from the 5:30 class. He is fairly new to crossfit, works very hard and has already made several PR's that I think even suprised himself. Among many other hobbies and interests, Ryan loves to go rock climbing and has invited me to go along several times.

In an attempt to venture out of the crossfit gym, I took Ryan up on an invitation to go rock climbing. We drove up to Mt. Lemon with Robert, another friend of his, hiked a small ways to the bottom of the largest mountain in Arizona (at least that's how it felt when I started climbing it) and the rest is history. It was so much fun! Ryan says that we only climbed about 90 feet in the air, but I'm sure by how hard my heart was pumping and the dizziness from lack of oxygen we had to be at least 1000 feet in the air. Ok, so the dizziness was probably more from me hyperventillating but I'm willing to debate that.

The views are amazing when you finally calm down enough to look around which I was able to do by the third climb. I wish that I had taken the camera up there so that you could see the views that I saw... well better yet, maybe you should give it a try. When you follow the rules, rock climbing is probably one of the safest sports there is. Did I mention... great workout for your arms too? Want to work on your grip strength and improve your lifts? Try rock climbing! There is also something to be said for the amount of mental toughness it takes to do this sport.

Anyway, last weekend was a blast and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks Ryan for the coaching and the experience.

Common Traits

It might seem a little weird that I am posting a picture of Mr. Olympia but I want to make a point about training. Jay Cutler has won back the title of Mr. Olympia after a tough loss in 2008. Even though us crossfitters do not strive to be muscle bound and flex our muscles in such a way as a bodybuilder, we do share something in common. It doesn't matter what your goal is....your training has to be intense, it has to be focused, you have to be commited and you have to push through the hard times. Elite athletes in every sport share these common traits.

Everyone should carry these same traits whether you are elite or not. It doesn't matter what you are doing in life, you should still go after the things you want with intensity ( a never say die and I don't want to be second attitude), be focused about your goals (I want to lose 10lbs, not I want to lose weight), and be committed (even if you slip up and fall off the paleo wagon....get back on with the next meal).

So, no matter what your sport or what your goal is, live like you are an elite athlete. Challenge yourself, push your limits and notice the difference.

What a Challenge!

This past Saturday was the Women's Get Some Challenge. What an impressive day to see all of the women that were participating give everything they have (even suprising some of themselves with what they could really do with an all out effort). Not to mention any names or anything but Jessica....9 push ups with strict form? You told me that you didn't even think you could do one! Awesome job!

Now for the really hard work. How committed are you to beating your previous scores? 8 weeks may seem like a long time, but it will sneak up on you in a hurry. If you really want to make improvements then you have to put in some extra work. This means that you will have to do some homework.

Think plank holds while watching TV, think sit ups during comercials, think handstand holds while waiting in lines... (just kidding). There are many things that you can do to improve your strength and endurance for the body weight exercises at home. The answers are out there, just ask the questions.

Again, great job to all of the women that participated Saturday, you all were amazing!

Are You Dialed In?

The other day while looking for something totally unrelated, I found some of my old diet and workout journals. As I was flipping through the pages I noticed just how bad my diet was and how hard I made my workouts to be. I was severely malnourished. I was eating the typical "healthy diet" that included breads (whole grain of course), milk, not to many vegetables, lots of protein (mostly in the form of shakes), and stayed as far away from fat as possible.

Even though it looked like I was making good progress with my fitness there was something missing and I still had not met my personal goals with body composition, I wasn't sleeping well, my recovery was not the best it could have been and more days than not, I felt sluggish. I also noticed that I missed several workouts because I was sick or too sore. I thought that exercise was supposed to keep you healthy and strong.

When I moved to Tucson, I met Jen and was introduced to crossfit. I was hooked from the start. Coming from the belief that to be strong and healthy you had to spend hours working at it, I'm so happy to know that I can get a better workout in 20min or less than I ever did spending 2 hours in a gym. Constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements sure beat the hell out of the long boring routines that I was used to. Jen also introduced me to the Paleo diet which I have to admit was a little hard at first (what??? give up bread and peanut butter?), but now I can't even imagine another way of eating. I dialed in my diet and exercise routine which was now much more simple than before.

As I kept reading through my journals I noticed something.... as my diet changed, so did my performance. I was feeling better, lifting more and had better recovery. I also noticed that I was not missing workouts because I was sick. This was not a coincidence. Good nutrition is the foundation of health and wellness. Since I changed my way of eating I have achieved my goal and feel great.

Whatever your goals are... whether it is to hit a new PR, lose that extra weight, just be healthy and fit etc... take an honest look at your nutrition. Are you dialed in? Are you doing everything that you can to achieve your goals?

Do what I did. Start asking yourself before you eat that "cheat" meal or wash it down with the soda or tequila (my personal favorite)...." is this going to get me closer to my goal?" Your desire to get to your goals has to be stronger than the excuses you use.

Use the resources that you have at the gym. Look for the upcoming seminar on Paleo eating that Jen is giving. A great start to better nutrition.

How To Handle the "Gremlins"

Besides not feeding them after midnight or exposing them to light, let's talk about how to keep the Gremlins in check at all times.

First, "Gremlins" are those internal thoughts that tells us that we can't be successful, pursue dreams, get that new promotion, can't change, etc. Everyone (this includes myself) has this internal voice and it often distorts opportunities that come our way. It prevents change, makes us victims, robs us of choices, links facts with judgements about ourselves, and creates enormous challenges that can stop us from potential growth. Gremlins are very sneaky... we hear them as statements like, "I can't do that because I'm not strong enough, smart enough, fit enough...." etc.

Learn to hear your gremlin's voice and move beyond it. A gremlins voice is disempowering it makes you feel bad, unsure, and that things are impossible or that you are not good enough. Your gremlin doesn't stop with just one simple judgement either. It validates that judgement with a perspective about some aspect of your life. Your true voice on the other hand is capable of making a neutral observation of your surroundings and feelings without linking them to judgement. This should lead you to a direction or decision that gives you a feeling of empowerment, happiness, fulfillment, etc. Learn to hear the two voices... this leads you to your CHOICE.

Look at your situation from a different perspective and then make your choice. You now will be consciously making a decision rather than just accepting the gremlins point of view. Consciously decide to silence the gremlin, take a chance and achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. Don't think that this happens in one day. You have to make an effort everyday. I can tell you from experience that there are some days that these nasty gremlins get the best of you. It's ok. Just recognize it and move past it the next time. They key here is that you learn to recognize the gremlin and then silence it.

When Shannon first started at Crossfitworks, she told me that she couldn't run. She had every excuse in the book for me on why she couldn't. Last Thursday Shannon faced her gremlin and completed her first 1 mile run. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I have read all of the goals that my group has given me and I want to say that they are all achievable. All my girls.... sign up for the women's challenge, and you are halfway to your goals. The sign up starts Jan 18th. I better see all of your names on the list! Ryan, you and I are going to attack your goals fiercely and get you in top shape for those mountains. Elijah... we are gonna hit yours hard too (Don't question the technique, just trust me.) Brenda, where the hell are you?

"Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable." ~Emily Guay

Greasing the Groove

"One of the most crucial strength skills is 'staying tight'. The emphasis on speed comprimises the tension." ~Pavel

In the spirit of the "Women-get-some-challenge", I want to talk about a little something called "greasing the groove". I learned about this while reading "The Naked Warrior" by Pavel. He talks about working on body weight exercises (pull ups, push ups, pistols, etc) continuously throughout the day to improve your strength. A good guideline is to do half of the reps that you could do if you were to give everything you have.


This philosophy is aimed at pure strength. Strength is a skill! The point is to not do more than 5-10 reps each time, but doing those reps in the hardest variation possible for you. For example: If you can only do 5 push ups on your toes, then only do 2 push ups about 4-5 times a day. If you are still doing push ups on your knees but want to do them on your toes then try getting 10 chest to floor knee push ups before attempting 1 push up on your toes. For you guys that can do push ups like they are nothing.... your challenge is to do the hardest variation possible. Let that be clapping push ups, ring push ups and my favorite.... one armed push ups! Yeah!

Sounds simple right? It is! But I can still hear some of you saying.... "but when will I find the time?" Answer: nothing gets your day started better than push ups right out of bed, your blood will be pumping, you are ready to get your coffee and your day has started! How about when you come in to work out? Try to come in a little early and do a couple. When you get home from your awesome workout, try a couple more. Get the idea? Just a couple extra everyday will give you better results and get you closer to your goals.

This works for pull ups too! Don't have a pull up bar at home? Run out and get one, or you could just come in early before a workout and try 1 or 2. If you still use the bands, try working on negatives. This is when you jump up to the bar and slowly lower yourself down over about a 5 second count. Before you know it.... you will be band free!

I am hoping to see all of my girls join in the challenge the sign up for this awesome event is January 18th. Lori, Danielle, Renee, Shannon, Janice, you all rock! Ryan, don't let this challenge leave you feeling left out I got your back. We are gonna hit your goals hard! Brenda where the hell are you?

For everyone else, come on and get with it... Grease the Groove!