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.