Tag Archives: CFCC BCCC

Tuesday, 5/1/12

30 Apr

We are running a new challenge for the CFCC BCCC!  Take a picture of a meal and write a recipe to send to me at erin@crossfitcc.com – the 3 best recipes and 3 worst recipes will win.  The winners will win dinner and instruction with the one and only Arrus Farmer who will be feeding you all and counselors Meghan and Abbey.  Among the instruction will be the following items: Perfect Steak, Braised Pork, Easy Fish, Getting the most out of Roasting a Whole Chicken, Tony Oil Salad, Southern Greens, and Ginger Infused Sweet Potatoes.  You will learn SO much – and all at the price of submitting your picture and recipe! Turn in your recipes by Friday, May 11th at midnight to win.

Arrus is taking you on a trip to Reading Terminal Market to learn about how to pick your proteins, greens, and carbohydrates at 8am this Saturday (meet at the gym) and also next Saturday (5/12/12) at 8am.  Why 8am? Because that’s the only way you’ll get the best, and learn the most without being distracted by tourists.  Skills for picking things out at the Terminal do transfer to your normal every day supermarket – so get some shut-eye early on Friday and come out on Saturday to learn how to navigate a place you’ll be every week if you know what’s good for you!

What happens to your body when you carb binge!

Beefy, Refreshing, AND BCCC approved – Lettuce Wraps from NomNomPaleo.

Do you keep a workout log?  If not, you SHOULD.  Here’s one place to Register for one. You’ll have to put your Workout Log as “new thread” under that section.  From there, just post whenever you do what you’ve done and it’s easy to search through the years to see how you’ve improved.  You can also use the “subscribed threads” feature to follow OTHER members of CFCC such as: Angie Marfisi, Coach Liz Edmonds, Reid Hurley, Original CFCCer Dave Lishego, Tara Garlinghouse, Todd Lane (in Ireland!), Melanie Lane (in Ireland!), Hunter Blackmore, David Wisniewski, Eileen Horgan, Rachel Miller, Jonah Detofsky, Shana McCarron, Meghan Ramos, Arrus Farmer, Rachel Baratz, Karis Yusavitz, Coach Sammy, Tony Kas (in Texas!), Jpap, and Coach Erin (moi!)  If you start a log – let me know!  I will gladly check it out when I can and also post it on a page I’m working on that has a list of CFCC logs – keeping track of where you’ve been is not only convenient for training purposes but also for encouragement on days when you’re not getting where you want to go as quickly as you would like!  No matter HOW you log – you SHOULD be logging!

CROGA at 630-715am and CONDITIONING at 715-8am.
ELEMENTS with ERIN at 7a, 530pm, and 7pm.
GYMNASTICS at 730pm.
ADVANCED CLASS at 6pm.

———————————–

ADVANCED CLASS:

MOVEMENT PREP: Coach’s Choice, 15 minutes.
SKILL WORK: The Muscle-Up, use the cage if rings are still not hung at this point, it will not be in use. Use a strict muscle-up if you are scared of the pull-up bar – or if you are lucky, and tall. Otherwise, feel free to use this time to work up to a max triple on the ring dip.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING:

From the mainpage: http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/008323.html

Eight rounds for max reps of:
Muscle-ups, 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
135 pound Clean and jerk, 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds

95lbs. for women on the C and J. If no, muscle-ups, use a ring dip.
————————————

CONDITIONING:

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Foam Roll, 5 minutes.
MOBILITY: Coach’s Choice, 2 minutes.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: the CFE WOD for tomorrow: Row: 4x500m, rest 3:00 mins between each repeat – after all this, for every second off of your best time, complete strict pullups (pronated grip). Example: if your best time is 1:52 and my worst was 2:12, I’d complete 20 strict pull-ups before leaving.

————————————–

GYMNASTICS: 

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: lax ball shoulders, 2 minutes; lax ball hip flexors, 2 minutes
MOBILITY: band overhead stretch, 1 minute each side
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 3 rounds of: 10 seconds of cat stretch, 10 seconds of wrist stretch, 5 straddle seated leg-lifts, 5 piked seated leg lifts, 10 arm swings, 10 hip swings, 10 leg swings
POSTURE & STABILITY: hollow hold, 1 minute
SKILL #1: single-arm handstand
SKILL #2: pistol
METABOLIC CONDITIONING:
For Time:
20 handstand thigh slaps (10 each side)
20 rolling pistols (10 each side)
20 knees-to-elbows
15 handstand thigh slaps
15 rolling pistols
15 knees-to-elbows
10 handstand thigh slaps
10 rolling pistols
10 knees-to-elbows
5 handstand thigh slaps
5 rolling pistols
5 knees-to-elbows

———————————–

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: 

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Lax Ball Glutes/High Hamstring, 2 minutes. Lax Ball Shoulders, 2 minutes.
MOBILITY: Partner Assisted Thoracic Extension, 1 minute. Band Pec Stretch, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: Skill Work with the Single Arm Snatch, 5 minutes to try multiple implements/loads to see which one you’d like to use for the metcon later. The Kettlebell Snatch will not be taught but if you have used it before and would prefer it for the metcon you may use it.
STRENGTH: Snatch, work up to a peak of 1. For those who have not been Snatching throughout the cycle, Overhead Squatting or Snatch Balancing may be used.
*** the 6am and 7am classes must take place entirely in the Oly Area ***
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: 5 rounds of: 30 seconds of Single Arm Snatch, Weak Arm. 30 seconds of Single Arm Snatch, Strong Arm. 30 seconds of rest. Pick your load and implement (kettlebell, dumbbell, barbell, etc.) Your score is your total number of reps.

A little reminder.  You have to want it.

(Ignore the poor range of motion)

EVERYTHING you need to know about the latest Nutrition Seminar and how to enter the CFCC BCCC.

22 Apr

Before you address the rest, if you’re interested in seeing some physical results of past challenges, and my progress from about 2 years ago (I really should update!) check out the links below!

MY PROGRESS Again, I should update! I now compete in the 58kg class for Olympic Weightlifting (when I am competing) and walk around at about 135lbs. while NOT eating bread or other gluten-containing substances except for on EXTREMELY rare occasions (like, if my 8 year old cousin bakes me cookies, I may try one and live – but usually, this situation is never a problem).  I literally don’t own a pair of normal pants from over 2 years ago because they fall off me (and that’s just embarrassing).  I’ve found that cutting out gluten entirely for me (in spite of still eating some dairy, chocolate, and having wine and cider *some* of the time) has helped my body composition, moods, sleep, strength, conditioning, digestion, skin, and I haven’t felt deprived at all. Feeling good is important to me, and REALLY worth it. :)

CFCC BCCC Results, January 2012.

CFCC BCCC Results, August 2011.

CFCC BCCC Results, May 2011.

CFCC BCCC Results, September 2010.

What you will need for THIS CFCC BCCC :)

-A BEFORE Measure Date and an AFTER Measure Date.  Before, we will be measuring on Thursday and Friday of NEXT week.  Specific times will be announced to members who have already emailed me – if you haven’t emailed me yet at erin@crossfitcc.com – do it now!  After, we will be measuring for most on June 7th and June 8th (that’ll be 41 and 42 days from the 28th of April, respectively.)  You do NOT need to be present for the entirety of the challenge if you would only like to be involved for part of it and get measured early.

-A goal.  And it would be nice if this was both strength and body composition related.

-A swimsuit, unless of course you opt to pose for your before and after pictures in something else (you are allowed to – but this is, the swimsuit edition).

-A check with the equivalent amount for whichever version (see below) you’d prefer.

-A food log – here’s a sample template, but any medium is fine. You will food log for the ENTIRETY of the CFCC BCCC, but if you can start one now, that’s even better. It is really helpful to keep track of the following: food, amount, time eaten, observations on feelings before and after.  Sleep and Training are also good to include on your log.

-Upon your measurements, a signed consent form (you know we are not docs, etc.)

-Optional attendance (some for an additional fee or given as a prize) to a SLEW of helpful events along the way: a trip to Wyebrook Farm, Yoga Seminar, Shopping Trips, Hiking, Goal Setting Seminars, Paleo Potlucks, Recipe Sharing, and more!

VIRTUAL ($50): Email contact with the team of consultants (myself, Meghan Ramos, and Abbey Sangmeister) and measurements before and after. You are still required to submit a food log and weekly, changes will be required of you! Eligibility for the grand prize and prizes/workshops along the way.

IN PERSON ($100): In addition to email contact, 4 1/2 hour meetings to go over your food log and discuss changes, questions, theories behind alterations – if you have a preference on a consultant – feel free to ask! Measurements before and after.  Eligibility for the grand prize/workshops along the way.

Whether you’re doing this challenge and you haven’t been to the Nutrition Seminar, or whether you’ve been to five Nutrition Seminars – start the challenge off right by taking a look at the outline below.  Knowing the “why” behind the strategies we use during the challenge is empowering and a lot more motivating than just doing something “just because”.  Links to articles, podcasts, and videos pertaining to specific topics are shown after you’ve seen the whole picture.

WHAT DOES FOOD DO?  HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?

-Depression – a huge series of articles on all things related, from Chris Kresser
-Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival – a quick read, and an indispensable resource… FIRST you’ll think it’s CRAZY, then you’ll be VERY concerned that the author is RIGHT.
-Sex, Lies, and Menopause – also an INCREDIBLE read – but more for women than men.
-So much awesome information about food and mood, from Dr. Emily Deans.

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?  WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH BODY COMPOSITION?

A basic definition from Wikipedia.

A basic definition of Paleo. (the truncated version of the below)

For those of you who want to skip the details and get right to the WHAT CAN I EAT PART: a Quick Start Guide.

AN ORDER OF OPERATIONS FOR QUELLING INFLAMMATION – start at the top, work your way down.  The more you avoid certain things at the top, the closer you are to knowing what happens when your body is recovering at its best.  The more you your body recovers, the better you feel and the better you are at achieving any number of life and performance goals that are important to you.

EAT WHOLE FOODS: the less that your body has to work twice as hard to recognize and “dissect” a food intro pieces it can handle, the more likely you are to digest it easily and therefore not waste energy or valuable defense mechanisms in dealing with a food.  Here’s a more thorough blurb on “whole foods” as a foundation of a healthy diet. What are whole foods?  Check out this list or, take a cue from many a paleo grocery shopper and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store: eat nothing from a box or package – that is, if it doesn’t have a face, or if you literally can’t imagine growing it and eating it yourself, you probably shouldn’t be eating it in the first place.

AVOID GLUTEN: if there’s one thing that I would actually BEG you to try if you never have, it would be to give up gluten in your diet.  If you must know why – there’s a whole HOST of actual reasons…(the below scratches the surface) but if you don’t need to know why, just DO IT and see what happens.  

AVOID SEED OILS: seed oils are processed at extremely high temperatures which causes them to oxidize and become highly inflammatory once digested.  Saturated Fats are actually some of the most stable fats you can digest.  The more stable the fat, the less likely your chances of incurring cellular damage as a result of having ingested it.  No, you shouldn’t start swigging bacon fat, but yes, you should begin to examine the truth behind what fat is and how too much of it can create a caloric binge, too little of it can cause the hormones that are most responsible for keeping you well to rebel, and the wrong kind altogether may just be the principal cause of heart disease in our nation today.

AVOID NON GLUTEN GRAINS: Once you’re good on living a life without gluten, you can move on and attempt to examine whether or not some of the non-gluten grains are a good idea.  Most find that a few are ok, and many are not.

  • Rice – the lowdown on this is that most are fine to digest it, and some even NEED it in lieu of potatoes, and other commonly “ok” paleo dense carb sources… if a lean body composition is your primary goal you may want to examine your intake – that said, here are some helpful thoughts:

- How Bad is Rice Really? From Mark’s Daily Apple.
- The White Rice Question – full of great links to other thoughts on practical uses for white rice in a diet.

  • Corn - Corn is Not a Vegetable from Mark’s Daily Apple.  Super-sweet, super-modified, and pretty devoid of any substantial nutritional content, corn just isn’t worth it.  It’s not the devil, but it’s not really worth TRYING to include in your diet for any reason at all.
  • Alternative to Grains: including a question about quinoa, and the fact that being healthy does not always equate with being “low carb”, healthy carb choices are important for many athletes!

AVOID CHEMICAL SWEETENERS: Once you’ve eliminated things that are potentially pretty harmful to your gut as they are, it’s time to take a look at your sugar intake (and by extension, your insulin levels).  As weird as it sounds, fake sugar is the first step.  If you’re reading this with a can of diet coke in hand, fear not: people have lived through where you are to where you can be – and they have not suffered for it.

AVOID SUGAR: This is a tough one, but be aware that sugar can take many forms: glucose in vegetables, fructose in fruits, lactose in milk, etc.  Weening yourself off of a constant stream of sugar (note: it’s not that we NEVER want you to have a sweet thing in your life!) may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but in the end, it MUST be done for optimal health, and is something that MOST of you will find entirely fine after the first few weeks of struggle, and HUGELY relevant in the fight for feeling and looking your best.

  • What is insulin resistance? a video by Robb Wolf.  Why does sugar withdrawal happen?  Why do sweet potatoes suddenly taste SO sweet when you’re not dumping 15 sugars in your coffee(s)?
  • The Definitive Guide to Sugar from Mark’s Daily Apple.
  • How Sugar can Suppress Your Immune System, I’d be willing to bet this is REALLY why we get sick around the holidays!
  • What does all of this have to do with diabetes?
  • It could be a really great idea (for more than just lean body composition purposes) to lay off the fruit. Learn more here - and yes the video linked in the article is FOREVER long, but it is actually REALLY fascinating if you have the time.
  • Sugar, Sugar, Sugar – how sugar hides in your foods, from Whole9.
  • Sugar Tantrums – your body is going to do EVERYTHING it can to get sugar because it’s the EASIEST fuel we burn, don’t let it happen!

AVOID LEGUMES: It’s at the end of the list because it’s not the END of the WORLD if you eat peas.  In fact, you may feel worse after eating brussel sprouts than you do after eating peas… but that’s a WHOLE other ballgame.  If you have come this far and you are curious about what being at your best is really like, the BIG legumes are below.

AVOID DAIRY: For those of you who were fortunate enough to be able to digest lactose, I congratulate you on being able to have fun at various dairy-ridden parties as a kid.  Many of you, are in my camp, and find that dairy, no matter which way you swing it, isn’t your friend.  If you’ve come this far you’re used to the idea of just trying things to see if they help, KNOWING in full that you can keep putting heavenly full fat grass-fed cream in your coffee for years to come should you choose to do so. 

COMMON CONCERNS AND MYTHS:

1. Meat Consumption vs. No Meat Consumption. No matter who you are or how you eat, I can pretty much guarantee you there’s a very good chance that you could do better: more protein of some kind, less sugar in some way, more high quality meat in more meals, and/or less cooking with oils that irritate you and cause your recovery to drop. Here are some thoughts from those wiser than I:

2. Cholesterol? Fat Intake? Heart Disease? OH MY!  For most of us – these three topics seem to be irrevocably linked – the truth of the matter is that many of us have GROSSLY misunderstood each of them.  The resources below are extremely helpful, and if you have questions or concerns about this in the immediate or long-term sense, OR if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, it’s important for you know your way around this topic.
3. What am I going to eat? (Answer: you HAVE to cook) 
4. Cost?
5. Fasting?
 6. What if I want to grow?
  • You HAVE to train.  And hard.  And in some cases, more frequently or harder than others. You HAVE to eat, most likely WAY more than you’re currently eating…and usually liquid (whey protein included, and straight up dairy for those who aren’t sensitive to it) and in some cases, you have to stop eating sometimes, and then eat a WHOLE lot.  The trick is, you ALSO have to rest – only just enough, but not too much.  Yup, mass gain is VERY tricky – but it CAN be done!
  • Clean Mass Gain from Whole9 – get ready to eat tapioca!!!
  • Robb Wolf’s experience with Mass Gain
  • Choose your training WISELY(read, STOP chasing the sexy metcon) – you may be the way you are, but be patient, start by learning what to do for 40 days… and BIG things will happen over time (from Eric Cressey – these before and after shots are AMAZING.)
  • Can you be leaner, stronger, and faster at the same time?  It depends on where you’re starting from – but this is an interesting account from Jocelyn Forest.
7. How am I going to get enough calcium if I don’t have dairy?
8. Supplements?
9. Must I live without coffee? Chocolate? ALCOHOL???

10. How do I fuel appropriately for workouts and after? The real answer is that it really depends on the time that you train and what your goals are.  Here are some good places to start:

  • If you are training and feeling extremely sluggish while training, say, in the a.m. or after work, there’s a good chance that you might need to have something small and carb-ey before training – your work output should be better because of this.  Good examples of easily-digested, pre-workout food would be a coconut water – (my FAVORITE is TasteNirvana which can be found at this store on Walnut in the VERY back, in a green glass bottle), and, if you’re not worried about fructose in general for body composition purposes, something simple like a banana works as well.  If you’re not off coffee for other reasons (see above), it’s not a bad idea to have a bit before training – green tea works as an alternative to this too.
  • Fasted Training, though often thought as being the exact opposite of what you’d want to do, can be an awesome tool for body composition.  We run sessions that work particularly well for this in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday (our Conditioning only sessions).  These are sessions that range in intensity and volume but are generally low enough in volume that if you wanted to, you could attend regular classes later and still be good to go on the strength portion of your training.  If you are just recently acclimating yourself to new habits in eating or in training, fasting should NOT be the first habit you start and should be limited to only one day a week at first.
  • Generally, if you don’t mind the sluggishness of a morning or an after work workout, this is all you’ll need: BCAAs will greatly assist in your recovery ability, especially if you are not training in a “fed” state. You should be slightly hungry before you take them and then train. If you don’t want to wait for the TrueProtein kind, you can always walk to VitaminShoppe and get some.  10g/5-10g (M/F) 15 minutes both before and after your workout. IN WATER. They will taste bitter. It’s worth it. Try using crystallized lime or lemon to mask the taste.  More info on BCAAs is here - they are NOT animal derived, but are chemically created amino acids (the stuff that makes up protein and aids in muscle metabolism, growth, etc.)

11. What is SEX WITH YOUR PANTS ON? Read this.  You’ll understand.

12. How much food is too much? How do I know how much lean body mass I’m trying to support?

    • There are some details about how to determine body fat here, along with some suggestions on just how much you need.  Basically, it’s .8-1g of PRO per pound of LEAN (NOT TOTAL) bodyweight, at least 50g of FAT a day – and sometimes more -, and anywhere from 100-150g of CHO today depending on your size/activitylevel/goals.
    • Then there’s the bod pod – the only ACTUALLY accurate method for measuring body fat to muscle mass ratios, and exactly WHERE you are holding these respectively.  Here’s a word from Emily Tunney on this:

University of the Sciences owns one of only 3 Bod Pods in the tri-state area. If you’re not familiar with the Bod Pod, it’s a contraption that measures total weight, body fat percentage, and resting heart rate. And it’s the most accurate technology for taking these measurements that currently exists (which is why I could imagine that someone like Record would want to use it!).

The Bod Pod is available to the public for $35 per person, or $25 per person for a group of 5 or more. It only takes about 15 minutes to complete the test and anyone who is interested can contact William Rebman to schedule a time. I am told he has some evening hours available.

I may be interested in doing this this time around – so let your consultant know if you’d like to plan to make this happen!

Thursday, 4/5/12

4 Apr

Why is Gluten Not a Good Idea? – to hear the low down on more CrossFit-ey Nutrition Schticks – come to the Nutrition Seminar on Wednesday, April 18th, 6-730pm. (registration will open on Mindbody tomorrow (Thursday) – but this is FREE for members and a HUGE part of your CrossFit life!) The next CFCC Body Composition Change Challenge starts on the Monday after that, April 23rd – going to the Nutrition Seminar is definitely an unofficial prerequisite so SAVE THE DATE!

Give Yourself a Chance to Get Good at Something – an awesome post from an amazing woman I met while in San Francisco this weekend. I’ve often said that I’m on the “five year plan” when it comes to owning and operating an affiliate and it’s now coming on almost 5 years that I’ve been doing just that and I STILL don’t feel like I do it well enough! Athletically, I can’t imagine EVER being satisfied with where I am – but that’s half the fun, enjoying the process of “getting good at something” – so, allow yourself the chance to start out with little so you can gain a lot!

SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Lax Ball Shoulders, 3 minutes.
MOBILITY: Band Assisted Hamstring Stretch (try bent and unbent knee), 1 minute each side. Wall Quad Stretch, 1 minute each side. Pigeon Pose, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: for 3 minutes, arm swings, leg swings, hip swings – as needed.
SKILL WORK: To be completed before it’s time for your heat or after you’ve already completed the below. Attempt your best UNBROKEN set of double unders, if you don’t “have” double unders, practice single unders to be better at double unders.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING:
“CHRISTINE” 3 Rounds For Time: 500m Row 12 Deadlift (BW – if bodyweight is not an fast option for you, scale to 50% of your max) 21 Box Jumps (24″/20″)

*if necessary be prepared to go in heats.

MORE GREAT STUFF from Kelly Starrett of MobilityWod.com

Ask Erin: training and diet as a newbie?

21 Mar

Recently received this question in my inbox and thought the answers I gave might be helpful for most of you to see! Of course, there’s always a LOT to say when someone asks a question about anything training or nutrition-related – but I do find that paralysis by analysis helps no one – simplify your goals, simplify your strategy for getting there, and you’re more likely to actually DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.  If you have a question about anything CFCC-related, always feel free to email me at erin@crossfitcc.com – and THANKS to the member who allowed me to pass their question along!

Even for superheroes, making food choices can be tough... especially when there's a lot of EVERYTHING always around... and usually RIGHT where you can get it!

Hey Erin – based on your blog post this evening, I was wondering if we could chat or if you could give me some pointers as to how to use CrossFit to achieve fat loss/ slim down (I.e., how many sessions per week, how I should be eating, etc.).

Dear, ________.

Thanks for emailing!

As far as fat loss/slim down stuff goes – this is TECHNICALLY not programming :)  but I’m happy to get you started in the right direction and you are very right in assuming that the two (what you do, and what you eat) go hand-in-hand when it comes to the majority of people’s goals in coming to CrossFit.

To frame my technical note there – I work as a nutritional consultant during three seasons of the year at CFCC and although this sounds very fancy, it’s really not. We run challenges called CFCC Body Change Composition Challenges (BCCC – because acronyms that are hard to say are SO much more fun) and these involve a big group of CFCCers trying to do something different with their diets for just 30 days.  There’s a small fee to be a part of it but that’s mostly because there are some sweet prizes to be had at the end for the two people that make the biggest change, AND because you get 4 private consulting sessions where-in for a half hour you get a food log reviewed and all your questions answered – depending on your needs sometimes you are literally emailed a “menu” for the week.

The next challenge takes place near the end of April and you will CERTAINLY hear a lot about it then.  All that said, until then, my advice would be this if you are looking to take a step in the right direction in letting Crossfit make the biggest change for you:

1. Train at least 5 days a week- but make sure that you are as rested as you can be when you do train these sessions (so, SLEEP!)  If you work a pretty sedentary job your body will see changes just from doing this alone.  You will also acclimate yourself to the pace of CrossFit very quickly and see gains in performance and in body composition ASAP.  It doesn’t ACTUALLY matter that much at this stage whether the 5 sessions you attend a week are yoga, Olympic Lifting, or a regular session. What matters is that you GO.  So if there’s a day when you feel more sore… go to Yoga/Mobility.

2. Start to learn as much as you can about the paleo and/or primal diet. And if that’s a little too confusing for now – at least try a whole two weeks of cutting gluten out of your diet. While there are lots of other things that you can do to make a change in body composition – this one is probably the single-most immediately important one you can change – AND it’s hard enough on it’s own that it’ll take some practice.  This means…

  • beginning to order your burger without the bun (but for now, fries are ok)
  • getting the wings (yes, probably still breaded but not nearly as “bready” as pizza) instead of the pizza. Save the ever-hallowed pizza for nights when you REALLY know it’s going to be worth eating.
  • instead of having pasta when you’re out, you can have something rice based, or maybe potato based, or maybe just meat with vegetables!
  • breakfast will need to be a little more creative than cereal or bagels.  Try some of these ideas out.  Or just buy jerky and fruit or nuts from Trader Joe’s.
  • You will need to plan to have lunch be something OTHER than a sandwich – and this means, if you don’t like salads – you may need to start packing your lunch!  Fear not – there are so many tasty and VERY easy to prepare options. You may even find that you save a little money off of not buying food out.
  • possibly switching from beer to hard liquor (haha!).  Really though, even if you LIMIT your beer to 1-3 drinks, you’ll be better off if you are currently drinking more than that on multiple nights over the weekend.
3. Ask a lot of questions about all of this as you begin – practically every CFCCer who has been here for longer than a month already has some sense of what all of this is like and how it works for them.  The best plan is the one that works for you.

CFCC BCCC Winners!

29 Feb

This past challenge was another game changer – this time, for over 30 participants who, over the course of just 30 days, dramatically changed their health, body composition, and subsequently, their performance!

I could not be happier with the results of the last challenge – everyone learned a lot and put in a ton of work to get the changes they did.  With the growth of this part of CFCC, the prizes have increased! This time around I decided to give out two first place prizes (each receiving $100 gift cards to Lululemon, a stash of Primal Pacs, and a terrific pair of CFCC socks), two second place prizes ($50 gift card), and two third place prizes ($50 gift card).  And of course, the real prize, is knowing you’ve created this incredible change in yourself!

You’ll find, as I did, that excellence boils down to a simple truth: you’ve got to reject where you are before you can get where you’re going. You’ve got to be better than you were yesterday.

-Jon Gilson

More than anything, I feel that this challenge has shown me the importance of the personalization of this process for our membership base – EVERY person is different and requires a different psychological and physiological approach.  There is no cookie cutter way to make change for everyone and ultimately, it is YOUR body that will dictate what is best for YOU.

It is for this reason that the CFCC Body Composition Change Challenge is tailored to every individual’s experience and goals. Each week members are required to track their food in a medium they can choose (and boy, do they choose some interesting mediums!) and to report to me at a weekly half-hour meeting.  We tweak things for the next week and in some cases even talk through the grocery-shopping and cooking process for the week.  We measure at the beginning and we measure at the end – and all we look to do is get closer to their goals at the end than we were at the beginning.

This is a very personal undertaking for many of those who enter the challenge and so, every one of them should be congratulated for doing something that millions of people in America or completing afraid to do: change!  And now, without further ado, I give you… the WINNERS!

(for their privacy, I’m not listing their names – most of you know who they are!)

FIRST PLACE WINNERS: 

In 30 days, JH lost a grand total of nearly 18lbs, including over 3 inches at the navel, and about an inch and a half through the chest.  Remarkably, his workouts have not suffered and instead his upper body strength has also remained.  Additionally, he has grown a better beard :)

 

1) What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
One of my favorite things to eat was the surf and turf lettuce tacos from nom nom paleo. Another dinner was the chipotle lime salmon from elana’s pantry.

2) What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
It is very easy to find great substitutes for the foods that you love and it is a lot of fun to cook new things.

3) What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
Try everything, it probably won’t hurt.

4) What will you eat now that you can?
I am not a hundred percent sure yet but there is a good chance it is either going to be some delicious type of pasta or a very large sandwich with a beer or two.

DQ started the challenge honestly never eating enough and struggling to figure out exactly how eating differently would work with her limited experience in the kitchen.  Fortunately, her positive attitude and creativity led her to a winning spot!  In 30 days she dropped almost 11lbs. She lost nearly two inches (1 3/4″) around her waist and an inch and a quarter at the hip.  She also dropped a quarter of an inch in her arms while they are at rest.  She did all of this while still drinking whiskey amaretto and going out with friends – as many on the challenge will tell you, this is the hardest part of the game!  

1. What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
My favorite meal probably the beef and broccoli recipe I got from Erin – but meatza comes in close second.

2. What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
Most importantly this challenge was a lesson in self-discipline for me. I learned how to control my impulses and felt how empowering it was to do that.

3. What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
To someone starting the advice I would give is “cook!” Making meals for yourself is incredibly rewarding (you feel productive and have fun) and makes eating on plan so much easier.

4. What will you eat now that you can?
Eating paleo most of the time and maybe a little bit of primal – with regards to cheese, but honestly almond milk is delicious and I don’t think I’ll go back to drinking cow’s milk.

SECOND PLACE WINNERS:

AS came into the challenge with a solid plan of her own that was often very consistent.  She wanted to do the challenge to see what a month of really strict eating could do for her.  Surprisingly, the biggest benefits AS experienced were understanding exactly how much food was necessary for her, and what kinds of paleo foods would alter her body composition the most.  She lost less than 3lbs. in weight but as we often see in the challenge, the scale is the LEAST of or concerns and instead, a convenient side effect.  She lost almost an entire inch at her waist and more than two inches (!!!) around her waist.  The icing on the (paleo) cake was certainly that she also lost a half inch in her arms as well.  I really think her pictures and her progress are truly amazing and a GREAT example of the fact that sometimes, when you want to know more about what works for you, simple “paleo” needs work!

1. What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
Breakfast was my favorite meal: Roasted asparagus, 3 egg scramble with zucchini and red peppers, Plantains
The other meal was an incredible mushroom and beef stew, Kale chips, roasted brussel sprouts

2. What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
I learned about some new snack options including coconut chips and very yummy kale chips.
I learned what needed to be tweaked while allowing the wisdom of my body to guide me as well both energetically and emotionally. I can’t believe how much I don’t want sugary foods!!! Icky sweet. I didn’t eat many sweets before, but now I want them even less.
I also learned what it takes for my particular body to change composition in a purposeful way.

3. What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
It may all seem extreme and crazy, but it truly is great having more energy and clarity of mind. Making gradual changes over time can help the new eating habits evolve-it need not be a revolution-all a once change. Have fun with internet resources and recipes for great food and desserts.

4. What will you eat now that you can?
Nothing earth shattering-no pigging out! I will stay pretty much with how I have been eating. I will eat a gluten free scone now and again, a little dairy here and there and a bit more fruit than when I was on the challenge. The challenge wasn’t difficult for me since I had already been eating in the pale/primal life style. It was just some of the tweaking and new foods to add that Erin suggested that was fun that I will continue to eat.

JR came to the CFCC BCCC from an internationally-competitive athletic background with a very typical “female athlete” diet, i.e. there’s some beer, there’s a lot of turkey for some reason, there’s the occasional salad, and breakfast is either skipped or REALLY small.  Oh, and there’s diet coke.  ALWAYS diet coke.  I was so excited to see the changes she was able to make in this small amount of time.  JR’s strength and conditioning numbers have continued to improve throughout her month and with the right tools under her belt, I’m sure they’ll only continue along that vein.  She lost about 7lbs., an inch and a half around her waist, a quarter of an inch around her hips, and I think it REALLY shows.

1. What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
Favorite meal- Probably chard or kale cooked in bacon fat and chicken apple sausage.   Pretty basic I guess but I can’t believe something as tasty as chicken apple sausage exists and I had never had it before.

2. What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
The main things I took from this challenge are that 1.) I actually like vegetables once I discovered all those leafy greens and ways to cook them  2.) I feel wayyy better and have more energy when I don’t drink diet coke- or pour a crap load of Splenda (or “the devil” as I believe Avener called it) in my coffee and 3) I definitely didn’t eat enough protein prior to this challenge and eating enough helped curb my hunger like whoa.

3. What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
If you are starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time, get rid of all the stuff you used to eat and stay stocked with the healthy stuff.  It makes decision-making a lot easier.  And basically just do whatever Erin says. (haha, thanks, Joey!)

4. What will you eat now that you can?
Cutting out alcohol, nuts and dark chocolate the last week made the most dramatic difference in body composition, but those are a few things I don’t really want to live without, namely the alcohol.  Just kidding.  But seriously.  It’s good to know I can cut it out when I need to but life isn’t as fun without the occasional drink or chocolate!

THIRD PLACE WINNERS:

LS’s goal during the challenge above all else was to feel better!  As a result we attempted to let her body take it’s natural course on body composition and focused principally on not worrying too much about caloric restriction of any kind.  It’s interesting then, that her body responded by still altering in body composition as a nice side effect to her feeling a lot better altogether – even though she was sick during the course of the challenge!  Additionally, she is former vegetarian who has just begun to eat sustainably-raised and humanely slaughtered proteins – this makes making choices harder!  I’m proud to say she has dropped more than 7lbs., lost two inches around her waist, and almost two inches around her hips, and a 1/2 inch around her arms. That’s a tremendous difference coming along with feeling a LOT better!

1. What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
In terms of something that was easy and satisfying, I was happy to eat a lot of chicken sausage (various flavors) plus kale chips (my favorite!) and a sweet potato. I also liked making fajita chicken from the fajita spice mix you can get from Penzey’s spices.
2. What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
I learned what foods I can eat that don’t make me sick. This is really great for me because I’ve been struggling with what Erin calls “leaky gut” for years. Now I know that if I eat meat, eggs, leafy greens and sweet potatoes or squash (maybe with some berries and coconut), then I won’t get sick, and this is pretty much awesome. I also learned that I like I lot of things that I wouldn’t have eaten 6 months ago! I was vegetarian for 12 years until around last October, so the idea of buying stuff like chicken feet for broth was pretty strange.
3. What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
I think the key to being successful at changing your diet is finding a couple of easy, quick meals that you like and are satisfying. There’s lots of cookbooks out there with lots of recipes, and most of them are great for a weekend meal but often not so great as something to make when you get home from work at 7 and are starving and didn’t really plan ahead. That’s why I have a freezer full of different kinds of sausage–it doesn’t have to be thawed for you to cook it so you can make it in a hurry.
4. What will you eat now that you can? 
Lattes! Honestly I haven’t changed much yet, because I have to figure out what foods I don’t get along with, and that’s kind of a long process. But I have been having the occasional latte (which fortunately seem to be okay in moderation).
I kind of feel like our final winner almost needs no introduction – you can tell she’s CHANGED and every time she walks into the gym I feel like I hear someone else notice.  CB is a second-timer when it comes to the CFCC BCCC and this time around she wanted to really dedicate herself to being as strict as possible in order to see the most dramatic changes possible.  It wasn’t easy, but I’d say she REALLY achieved her goal!  She lost over 7lbs., an inch and a quarter around her waist, and an inch in her hips.  Changes like this over just 30 days are just REALLY fun to watch and obviously, as you can tell by her smile, pretty fun to experience too. :)

1. What was your favorite meal to eat during the thirty days of the CFCC BCCC?
Breakfasts! I always had two eggs over easy with some type of green (usually spinach) and either one large link of chicken sausage OR 3-4 ounces of smoked salmon.

2. What, if anything, did you learn during this CFCC BCCC?
The difference that small changes make when you’re very consistent with them – and that you really can do anything for 30 days.  Also, that you’ll be completely screwed if, say, you order a bridesmaid’s dress in august to fit your largest measurement, and then have to wear it in february after going through two BCCCs. The sales associate at priscilla of boston recommended that I buy a size 14 based on my measurements at the time – I had that dress taken in FOUR INCHES in the bust and as much as possible in the waist at the beginning of february. When I wore it on February 11, it was still far too big. I ended up trading dresses with a bridesmaid whose size 8 wasn’t working for her – and the unaltered size 8 was still at least a size too big. Thankfully I got through the day with no wardrobe malfunctions.

#crossfitproblems

3. What would you say to someone who was starting CFCC-style nutrition for the first time?
Listen to your coaches, do what they say, and stop thinking that you’re special and “can’t” do this – you can, and it’s worth it.

4. What will you eat now that you can?
The same stuff I ate on the challenge, with the following additions: cream in my coffee every day, instead of just on weekends, and welcoming dark chocolate back into my life with open arms (about 1/2 ounce to an ounce four times a week or so…except for that time on saturday night i ate an entire bar for dinner. whatever).

SO, WHEN THE NEXT CFCC BCCC ROLLS AROUND – don’t wait around for all the great changes – SIGN UP, and watch ‘em happen!

Thursday, 2/16/12

15 Feb

I really like podcasts, and I really liked this one, about Commitment Devices – or, the tool we use in our 30-day Challenge.  Check it out!

ADVANCED CLASS FOLKS!  Please do not forget that there is an Advanced Class Field Trip to CrossFit 1Force on Saturday to play with Strongman Stuff!  We’ll meet at the gym at noon, carpool over, and be back by 3pm.

“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.” ― Denis Waitley

Be the first one to comment on the blog and tell me the names of five people in this picture and you will win a pair of free CFCC socks! (CFCC MEMBERS ONLY!)

Handstands at High Noon!

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Foam Roll Hips, 5 minutes.  Lax Ball Shoulders, 5 minutes.
MOBILITY: Wall Assisted 90/90, 1 minute each side. Wall Quad Stretch, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 5 Perfect Burpees (see video here) go as slow as you need to!, then 3 attempts, complete 10 burpees as fast as possible. Rest as needed between attempts. Maybe don’t start out too fast if you’re not feeling too awake/too activated yet.
STRENGTH: Pronated Grip Pull-up, up to a peak of 1.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: The last time we did Brenton!
“BRENTON”

Five rounds of:
Bear crawl 100 feet
Standing broad-jump, 100 feet

Do three Burpees after every five broad-jumps. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

*There is a 15 minute cap on this workout.

Compare time to: Kevin Montoya 8:01 (20lb vest), Dave Leys 9:15 (20lb vest), Lucas Zepeda10:16 (20lb vest), Laurie Galassi 11:20 (18lb belt), Pat Sherwood 14:00 (20lb armor).

Thursday, 2/9/12

8 Feb

22 people are signed up. I’m not sure what you’re waiting for exactly… but you should SIGN UP FOR THE CROSSFIT OPEN!

An answer on our Facebook Page about the CrossFit Open:

Your team score for every workout is done one workout at a time. The team score is tallied from the top 3 men and the top 3 women on the team and how they rank relative to everyone else in the region. So, because there could be a max clean and jerk (the heaviest load)  in 10 minutes workout I’d make (haha) Jim Rutter sign up now. For ONE of your results to count, you must have posted at least one valid rep of every workout (of 5 total workouts) in the Open. So, Jim could help us out by elevating the average score of the top 3 men and top 3 women for one workout only if he completed at least 1 rep of the other 4 workouts. 

If you are completing the workouts and not doing incredibly well in a relative sense you don’t hurt the gym at all. On the other hand, if one of those workouts happens to be right in your niche and you do very, very well (one of the top 3 scores) then you’re REALLY helping the gym get to the next level of the competition. Since we never know what the workouts will be ahead of time – there’s a good chance of a very random member of the team REALLY helping the whole team! Remember,  you lose nothing by entering the competition for the sheer curiosity of seeing where you end up!

As far as scaling goes, we will do that if you’d like to be doing a workout at the same rate as everyone else, but as noted above – the only reps that count are the valid ones. All that said, you never know what the workouts will be – so if the workout is “Fran” and you’re ok with 65lb. thrusters but can’t do pull-ups, no big deal! You’re still putting up a score and keeping yourself valid for the rest of the competition. 

I hope all of this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions!

For those of you who are just finishing up your CFCC BCCC – please take a look at this series of articles for more advice on how to take what you’ve learned into a very sustainable next few months!

Lemon Lamb Meatballs - YOWZA these would be great with some zucchini noodles or Greek Salad!

Thai Pork Burgers – a VIDEO!

Crispy Shiitake Mushrooms – so simple, and beautiful! GREAT snacks.

If you're short, you've got to jump hard to get the ball where it needs to go.

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: As needed for 3 minutes.
MOBILITY: Gastroc/Soleus Stretch, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes either 1 pull-up, 2 pull-ups, or 3 pull-ups. Supinated Grip. With PVC, 10 Overhead Squats, 10 Steps of a Prisoner Lunge, 10 Jumping Split Squats.
STRENGTH: Jerk from the Rack, (Push, or Split), up to a single every week. Those with testy shoulders should choose to Press or Push Press instead of Jerk. If you haven’t spent a cycle Pressing at CFCC, you should stick with the press.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: For time, 21-15-9 reps of: Overhead Squat (95/65/45), Wallball (20/14/10).

*Are you really good at Wallballs? Sub out the regular Wallball for the 2-fer.

Don’t know what a 2-fer is? Check it out.

Last call for the CFCC BCCC and details for participants!

8 Jan
Still keen on getting involved?  By Monday evening at 9pm an email from YOU needs to be in our inbox.  After that – there are no more entries!  Get in touch with us at crossfitcc@gmail.com if you’re still interested!
The requirements for the BCCC (Body Composition Change Challenge) are as follows:
1. We need to schedule a weekly meeting – you can tell me what times generally work best for you and we’ll figure out a time.
2. At the weekly meeting I require a food log.  It doesn’t have to be super complicated but it should tell me what you ate, how much, when, and how you felt before or after.  You don’t have to make it super complicated if that’s not your style, but you can also use any medium you like to record your food intake. I’ve seen blogs, photos on phones, pie charts (no names mentioned :cough: :cough: DAFFY), but if you’re looking for an easy template – this is for you – and from Diane of Balanced Bites – an awesome resource!
3. At every meeting we’ll review your food log, look back to your goals for the 30 days, and try to make some changes in the next week that can get you closer to where you want to be. Every week is different and completely tailored to your needs!
4. We will weigh, measure, and take pictures of you at your first meeting (if you weren’t available to come by on the weekend), and we’ll do this again at the end of the challenge.  Everyone wins in that everyone always ends up learning a lot in the end AND seeing noticeable changes in their body composition and performance – but TWO very lucky people (and sometimes three) end up winning the big prize at the end of the rainbow (No, really.  There is a prize, and it doesn’t suck!)
5. The cost is $50 and you can pay in cash or check.  Outside of the challenge support like this is valued at $100 – so it’s kind of nice to do not only WITH others, but at a discount!
6. Ideally, you will have attended the Nutrition Seminar this past week… but if you haven’t, I will expect you to be familiar with the following video and Quick Start Guide and Useful Guides.  These are excellent resources and part of the challenge is to let knowledge (both theoretical and practical) change your mind!
7. There’s a Facebook Group for Recipe Sharing, Problem Solving, Lamenting and Rejoicing – go here to be part of it all!
If you’re still interested, let me know!  If I can answer any more questions, just ask!

What’s the deal with the Nutrition-ey Challenge Stuff?

3 Jan

Four members of the last CFCC BCCC show off their food logs!

Here’s what you need to know about how CFCC is helping YOU to move into 2012 at your best:

This Wednesday (that’s right, today) there’s a Nutrition Seminar happening INSTEAD of classes at 630pm.  Why are we doing this INSTEAD of classes?  Because what you eat affects your mood, your body composition (whether you want to be leaner, or whether you want to gain muscle mass), and both of these things affect whether or not you will show up to class and how you will perform when you get there!  YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

We want you to be at your best and that means giving you the whole picture of what optimal health and performance is like – and that’s not just training!  Remember, you can’t out-train a bad diet and we’re not about lying to the people we like most in Philadelphia!

What specifically are we going to talk about?

A quick recap of my personal experience with Paleo/Primal eating.

- what I know from experience

- what I will definitely NOT be assuming I know in today’s time.

- people who know more than me :)

Goal Setting: what does Nutrition have to do with training and health?

A comparison between what I eat (Paleo/Primal) vs. what is recommended for me by Conventional Wisdom.

- Insulin Regulation and what it has to do with Body Composition.

- Label Reading and WHAT FOOD IS MADE OF

Common Concerns about the Paleo Diet and a brief review of the phases CFCC has had with this:

Fat intake – fact vs. fiction

Cholesterol and Heart Disease – do I get both if I eat seafood???

Grains, Potatoes, Nuts, and Legumes – are they really the devil?

Is Dairy really scary?

So how do you know if any of these things are affecting you or not?

- What digestion is really supposed to be like – and what it’s not.

- How the phases of BCCC (CFCC’s Body Change Composition Challenge) work for most.

How to eat real, whole, food. :)

- for health, for fat loss, for mass gain, for optimal recovery.

- three go-to paleo meals —> EMERGENCY PROTEIN!

The Take-Home Pyramid.

Open Question and Answer Time.

Saturday, 10/22/11

21 Oct

If you decide to come along for tomorrow’s Olympic Lifting competition we’ll be meeting at the gym at 715am. If you decide to come along later, don’t forget that the address to the place is here - and we’ll be there until about 5pm. If you’re not sure if you should go, email me! After I lift I’ll have my phone on me. Also, if you’re planning on heading over, please post to the Facebook Wall so others can catch a ride with you!

Due to the competition there is no Intro to Olympic Lifting this Saturday.

In light of the workout below, refresh your knowledge of what to do with your CrossFit paws.

An easy one-pot recipe worth making on the weekends for the week, Paleo Zucchini Goulash!

Enough food to feed an army, or just you, all week long! A One-Pot Wonder: Chicken in the Pot

Really tasty looking EMERGENCY PROTEIN: Sesame Ginger Pork

Southern Style Collard Greens (the best way to make collards!) – Go ahead, buy the ham hock for this one!  You won’t regret it!

Alyssa and Tara go rx'd (as prescribed) in Thursday's workout.

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: As needed until 10 past.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 15 seconds with each: Cat Camel, Heel Pressdowns, Spiderman Steps, Leg Swings, Hip Swings, Arm Swings
SKILL WORK: Review of the American Kettlebell Swing
TRIO WOD: Team EVA.

“Eva”

Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
2 pood Kettlebell swing, 30 reps
30 Pull-ups

Only one partner may be working at a time. One 300m run (SHORT LOOP!) is completed by one partner, the other 300m run is completed by the other partner, and the last 300m run is completed by the third partner. The total run per round is scaled up to 900m. You may switch the order of who runs or works first as needed throughout the workout. You may not complete the movements out of order. Every member of the team must do at least 1 rep of all the movements in every round.

Scores from Tuesday, Handstand Walking Day

ON RAMP with Liz at 10am:

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Until 10 past, Foam Roll and/or PVC Roll as needed.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 10 reps of each: Cat Camel, Adductor Mobs, Spiderman Steps, Squat to Stand, Glute Bridges, Plate Assisted Good Mornings, Band Assisted Pull-up.
SKILL WORK: Russian Kettlebell Swing
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: 5 rounds for time of: Short Loop Run, 20 Good Plate Weighted Good Mornings (45/25), 10 Pull-ups

CROSSFIT ENDURANCE with Liz at 11am.

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