FITBOMB

Bacon Tampons

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Who knew you could stop nosebleeds with "bacon tampons"?

Four doctors at Detroit Medical Center in Michigan treated a child who had a rare hereditary disorder that causes prolonged nose bleeding by using what they called a "nasal tampon" made out of "cured salted pork," the Guardian reports. The so-called bacon tampon "stopped nasal hemorrhage promptly, effectively, and without sequelae [negative consequences]," they write in the January 2012 issue of the Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology.

[Source]

Empire State Building WOD

2012-01-26T07:46:00.001-08:00

Where to next?

I Don't Remember Being This Awesome In Eighth Grade

2012-01-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

She's 13 and holds 8 weightlifting records. Plus, she CrossFits. And eats Paleo.

In addition, she wears "BACON" socks by Gumball Poodle (which, incidentally, also made Nom Nom Paleo's socks).

In contrast, my eighth grade year was devoted to sticking baseball cards in protective plastic sheets and fighting the good fight against acne.

Wednesday's Workout

2012-01-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

Interesting.

Instead of our third Wednesday of pistols, we were treated to a longer metcon today. Over the past couple of weeks, the coaches at CrossFit Palo Alto have been deviating from the routine; rather than strictly adhering to the template of a three-week strength skill cycle followed by one week of longer metcons, everything's getting blended together. It's not random, but it's definitely getting more varied.

On today's menu:

In 6 minutes, run 400 meters, then as many rounds as possible of 5 pull-ups, 9 kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg), and 13 squats.

Rest 1 minute, then repeat the cycle.

Rest 1 more minute, then repeat the cycle once more.

Score = Total number of rounds and reps.

The pull-ups went by in a flash, and my short little legs pumped out the squats in quick succession. In fact, I loved everything except the running; try as I might, I couldn't get my feet to turn over as fast as I would've liked. Still, this WOD was sufficiently Cindy-like to put a big smile on my face, even when I was flat on my back post-workout.

Result: 10 rounds + 14 reps as RXed.

Monday's Workout

2012-01-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Holy moly, I'm tired. Forgive the brevity of tonight's post; I'm drifting in and out of consciousness at the moment.

Strength Skill:

Thrusters (5-3-3-1-1)

I love max effort work. Despite some lingering achiness from the weekend, the thrusters felt good.

Metcon:

Total cumulative reps (and calories on the erg):
Tabata calorie row (6 rounds)
Rest 30 seconds
Tabata ring push-ups (6 rounds)
Rest 30 seconds
Tabata shuttle runs
Rest 30 seconds
Tabata ring rows (6 rounds)

Again: I'm tired. This workout may have had something to do with it.

The running and rowing were fine. The ring push-ups and ring rows? Ha!

Total score: 184 as RXed.

Passing out now.

Catalyst Athletics Weightlifting Seminar: Day 2

2012-01-22T23:07:00.000-08:00

The boys spent the night at their grandparents' last night, so we weren't awakened at 7 a.m. this morning by shouting and running down the hall. Instead, we had the rare luxury of sleeping in...until 7:15. Yes, sleep is paramount, but there was no way we were going to be late to Day 2 of the lifting seminar at Catalyst Athletics. After M whipped up a quick breakfast, we packed our lunches and hitched a ride with Kristen to the gym.

As the rest of the CrossFit Palo Alto gang trickled in, we got loose and stretchy.

And then it was time to get started. We did a quick review of the snatch progressions we learned yesterday, and then dove right into jerks. I was eager to learn how to split jerk today; the only time I'd ever attempted it before was about a year-and-a-half ago, and I had no idea what I was doing. If I remember correctly, I promptly fell over and was told to stick with power jerks.

Before getting to split jerks today, however, we went through a number of progressions -- push presses from behind the neck, push presses from the rack position, tall power jerks, jerk balances -- all of which we got to practice until we found our groove.

And before lunch, I found myself split jerking. Yes, it was with an empty bar, but simply sticking the technique made me feel accomplished. I did my best to get the bar overhead with aggression and confidence, and with a few pointers from Greg, Aimee, and Steve, I successfully performed my first split jerks.

After lunch, Greg covered various clean progressions until we were cleaning from off the floor. And by mid-afternoon, we were cleaning and jerking with weight.

Graeme and I paired up all weekend, which was awesome; he has exacting form, and I picked up a lot just by watching him lift. The trainers frequently stopped by to scrutinize our technique and to offer encouragement and guidance. I was amazed by their ability to instantly diagnose and adjust my sloppy form with just a few words and cues.

Despite using light weights, we probably ended up doing hundreds of reps over the course of the weekend. With fifteen minutes left before the end of the day, I was spent. But what the hell -- I decided to do one more.

It was ugly as sin. But hey: I didn't fall over. Progress!

Catalyst Athletics Olympic Weightlifting Seminar: Day 1

2012-01-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

I’ve been looking forward to the Olympic weightlifting seminar at Catalyst Athletics for months.

It wasn’t until 2010 that I first encountered barbell snatches, cleans, and jerks. When I started working out at CrossFit Palo Alto, I was lucky to have Tim -- an experienced Oly lifter -- patiently coach me through various progressions until I was able to perform these movements safely. But we do a lot more than just Olympic lifting at our 5 a.m. classes, and I was eager to devote an entire weekend to honing my form and getting better at this stuff.

As luck would have it, we live less than 15 minutes away from Catalyst Athletics -- home of Greg and Aimee Everett, two of the most insanely accomplished and knowledgeable Olympic lifters and coaches in the country.

Greg’s the co-founder of The Performance Menu, and the author of Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches -- THE book to buy if you’re at all interested in learning to lift. I’ve had a copy of it on my nightstand for over a year. (It’s not just that I’m a slow reader; the book is incredibly comprehensive and packed with information.) In addition, Greg is Robb Wolf’s co-host on the Paleo Solution podcast; if you’re a listener, you know he’s one hell of a smart, engaging, and dryly funny guy.

As for Aimee, she’s not just an inexplicably huge fan of Britney Spears and Tori Spelling -- she also happens to be the 2007 U.S. Women's National Weightlifting Champion. M and I have spent entire mornings watching Aimee’s videos on YouTube before picking our jaws back up off the floor. From my recent correspondence with Aimee (I helped design some graphics for her new business), it was clear to me that I’d like her a lot. After all, she has the same (gross) sense of humor and potty mouth as my wife. (Which also explains why M is always doubled over laughing when she’s tweeting back and forth with Aimee.)

A few months back, after listening to Trish’s glowing report about her experiences at the last Catalyst weightlifting seminar, I couldn’t wait to sign up. Ultimately, a dozen of us from CrossFit Palo Alto -- including M and me -- registered for the two-day workshop.

With our kids spending the weekend at their grandparents and a key deadline met for M’s soon-to-be-released Nom Nom Paleo project, we were free to spend a super-romantic weekend lifting barbells. (Did I mention that as of today, M and I have been together for 19 years?)

The first day of the seminar was singularly focused on learning the various progressions to a full snatch. After we warmed up in the morning, Greg took us through a couple of static stretches to help mobilize our ankles and hip flexors.(My favorite: “Russian Baby Makers.” They make my hips hurt so good.)

We then spent a good portion of the morning on establishing a proper squat position, maintaining even weight distribution across the feet, breathing, and other basics. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to focus on each of these techniques, and to practice them until our muscle memories kicked in. Although we covered a ton of stuff, it all clicked into place like little LEGO pieces, one brick building upon another.

The importance of the hook grip was drummed into me yet again. Without it, you can’t maintain full control of the barbell during the second pull of the snatch (and clean). Tim has repeatedly reminded me to use the hook grip, but I haven’t consistently done so because, well...it’s uncomfortable. But as Greg pointed out today, it’ll never feel comfortable until and unless I stick with it for a while, so I guess I’m just going to have to suck it up like a big boy (and ice my hands until they get the hang of this painfully awkward grip).

The rest of the day was a blur as we worked on progression after progression: Overhead squats, snatch balances, muscle snatches, snatch deadlifts. We worked to establish our mid-hang positions, and I learned a number of useful cues from the Catalyst coaches, including my favorite: “J-Lo butt.” (Aimee was telling me to stick my butt out more -- and keep my knees back -- at the start of the second pull.)

At the end of the day, we got some plates on the barbells and practiced snatches from the floor. The name of the game was good, solid form, and although I was beat, I did my best to suck less than usual. I was a bit wobbly and only managed to snatch 40kg, but I ended the day with a big smile on my face and a lot of tips to incorporate into my training.

I soaked up as much as I could, but I have a feeling I’m not going to retain as much as I’d like. Today was like drinking out of a fire hydrant -- but boy, was I thirsty.

I can't wait 'til tomorrow.

[UPDATED: Day 2 recap is here.]

Wednesday's Workout: Shoot Me Now

2012-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

Pistols and Annie -- a lethal combination.

Strength Skill:

Pistols (5-5-3-3-1)

Still working on my left leg. I think I'm going to start from scratch, and try to move through all the progressions from my left side until it can do everything my right can do.

Metcon:

"Annie" - for time:

50 double-unders
50 Abmat sit-ups
40 double-unders
40 Abmat sit-ups
30 double-unders
30 Abmat sit-ups
20 double-unders
20 Abmat sit-ups
10 double-unders
10 Abmat sit-ups

Just a few months ago, I finished Annie in 9:11, and it felt great. Today? Not so much.

I wish I could blame my crappy performance on my jump rope. Before the WOD began, I pulled my Buddy Lee rope out of my gym bag and saw a big crack in the middle of the plastic cable. M's Buddy Lee rope snapped in two last week, and it looked like mine was about to do the same. I quickly wrapped some athletic tape around it and got in position for the start of the workout, but realized that my rope wouldn't unwind. It was coiled around like a curly fry.

To be perfectly honest, though, my jump rope wasn't the problem. I know this because my first, third, and final sets of double-unders went entirely smoothly. With the exception of a hitch in my step early in my first set, I went unbroken on all of those rounds.

So ultimately, the rope wasn't to blame for my frustratingly awful second and fourth sets of double-unders. For whatever reason (mental? physical?), I couldn't rip out more than a few at a time, and kept snagging my right foot on the rope. The more I tripped, the more flustered I got, and the more flustered I got, the more I tripped.

Result: 10:20 as RXed. Yup -- I lost over a minute on my Annie time.

Ugh.

Moderation and Personal Responsibility Have Worked Out Well For Paula Deen

2012-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

“The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she's proud of the fact that her food is fucking bad for you. I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it is okay to eat food that is killing us. Plus, her food sucks."

-Anthony Bourdain

Remember when I wrote about the speculation that Paula Deen is secretly diabetic? Speculate no more!

This morning, the 64-year-old Deen announced to Al Roker that she has Type 2 diabetes, and admitted that she’s been hiding this secret for three years “because I had to figure out things in my own head.”

Deen appears to have been waiting for an opportunity to monetize her diagnosis. She’s inked a deal with Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant that provides her with diabetes medication. Deen announced today that she and her family are going to start appearing in ads for the company.

But aside from pushing drugs, Deen’s not planning to make any dietary changes, other than curbing her sweet tea addiction.

When asked about whether she will make a change in how she cooks on her show, “Paula’s Best Dishes,” Deen didn't give a direct answer, instead encouraging viewers to practice moderation.

“Here’s the thing, you know, I’ve always encouraged moderation,” she said. “On my show, you know, I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes, but I tell people 'in moderation... You can have that little piece of pie ...'"

"I have always eaten in moderation," she said. "You know, people see me on TV two or three times a day and they see me cooking all these wonderfully Southern, fattening dishes. That’s only 30 days out of 365," she said. "And it’s for entertainment. And people have to be responsible. Like I told Oprah a few years ago, honey, I’m your cook, not your doctor. You are going to have to be responsible for yourself."

Oh, yes. Moderation and personal responsibility have worked out REALLY WELL for Deen. After all, thanks to diabetes, she's landed a lucrative deal with Novo Nordisk! She can still eat "that little piece" of Savannah High Apple Pie as long as she gets free insulin and Victoza injections from a pharmaceutical company! And best of all, she can continue to reap the benefits of peddling ridiculously unhealthy food while admonishing her fans to "be responsible for yourself" and gobble down pills! WIN-WIN!

Let’s be real: Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Regularly chowing on sugar -- whether in the form of Twinkies or Deen’s Deep-Fried Cheesecake, causes insulin resistance and keeps glucose in the bloodstream -- which in turn forces the pancreas to crank out even more insulin to deal with the blood sugar, which in turn causes more insulin resistance, and on and on. The vicious cycle doesn’t end as long as we continue to poison ourselves with sugar. Taking drugs doesn’t fix the underlying problem; it just manages the symptoms.

(Want more information about the sugar-diabetes connection? Read this article over at Mark’s Daily Apple, or check out my Paleo guide.)

I don't think Deen's "the worst, most dangerous person in America," but she can’t simply be dismissed as a kook with a taste for gross food, either. She has a large following, and is prominent enough to influence hordes of television-viewing home cooks -- many of whom are the primary food gatekeepers for their families. By announcing that diabetes can and should be handled with drugs rather than dietary changes, Deen’s made herself the willfully oblivious poster child for America’s diabetes problem.

[Source: MSNBC, Nom Nom Paleo]

Anybody Can Do Anything

2012-01-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

I love working out at CrossFit Palo Alto before the sun is up. I love getting stronger and faster. I love learning new skills. I love the competition, and watching elite athletes go beast mode at the Games. But the thing I love most about CrossFit are the people who do it, from my fellow 5 a.m. nutjobs to Maddy at Saratoga High School, who DOES. NOT. QUIT.

"Anybody can do anything" indeed.

Monday's Workout

2012-01-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

It was freezing cold this morning, but I got warm fast.

Strength Skill:

Thrusters (5-5-3-3-1)

I paired up with Jay today, and managed to work my way up to 135 pounds (my bodyweight). Still, I didn't match my previous PR -- and I think I had a bit left in the tank. I guess we'll see how much I can put up next week. Jay's looking strong, too -- it was his first day back in a while, but he got a lot of weight overhead.

Metcon:

4 rounds for time:

250-meter row
10 Games-standard push-ups
10 box jumps (20")
10 deadlifts (225lbs / 155lbs)

A few months ago, I decided to stop pushing myself to go RXed on heavy, high-rep deadlift WODs. Back in August, I cranked out close to 50 deadlifts at 245 pounds during a metcon, and literally saw stars. I wrote that I was "damned proud" of finishing the workout in under 25 minutes -- but that was before my back seized up. And then in October, after chasing a deadlift PR, I tore a muscle in my lower back. I love deadlifts, and I want to work at getting at them, but right now, I need to be smart about this. I can still challenge myself with a gut-puncher of a workout without going RXed and possibly putting myself out of commission -- right?

Well...I can't say I wasn't tempted to put 225 pounds on the barbell today. I think there's something wrong with me.

Thankfully, I snapped out of it. I put on 165 instead, figuring that the rowing would be bad enough.

And it was.

On the plus side, I got through everything unbroken. On the minus side, I still felt like I'd been hit by a truck afterwards.

Result: 9:54.

"The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived"

2012-01-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

Football fans: Watch for the new Reebok CrossFit commercial during the Giants-Packers NFC divisional playoff game tomorrow.

You've got to hand it to Reebok -- the company's throwing itself into its partnership with CrossFit. AdAge just ran a piece on Reebok's new marketing campaign for CrossFit, and it's full of interesting tidbits. The ones that jumped out at me:

In April, Reebok's opening "a combined gym and store location on Fifth Avenue in New York."

Reebok plans to "outfit shipping containers as mobile CrossFit gyms and deliver them to 50 locations around the world, as a means of encouraging people to try CrossFit."

"The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived" campaign will be Reebok's main marketing push for 2012, [Reebok marketing VP Viktoria] Wallner said. It will also highlight other Reebok products, such as RealFlex, ZigTech and EasyTone." (EasyTone? As part of "The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived" campaign? Really?)

What do you think? Awesome? Or worrisome? And how long before Kenny Powers adds his two cents about the sport of fitness not being a "real sport"?

[Source: AdAge, CNBC]

Friday's Workout

2012-01-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

There’s something to be said about doing a hundred medicine ball cleans. And that something is: “Ouch.”

I’m getting ahead of myself.

Strength Skill:

Handstand Pushups (5-5-5-5-5)

I love these. That is all.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 10 minutes;

20 medicine ball cleans (20lbs / 14lbs)
20 Abmat sit-ups

This looked easy. It wasn’t.

I felt great through the first couple of rounds -- but by the time I was midway through the third round, my quads were on fire. The lactic acid was searing my thighs from the inside out. Keeping my legs bent through 20 sit-ups was impossible -- I had to kick them out a few times to relieve the burn.

I felt like this guy:

Mark and I did the WOD next to each other, and we fought to a draw through the first four rounds. He whipped through the cleans, and I sped through the sit-ups. We took breaks at the same times, and when I saw him reach down and pick up his med ball, I knew it was time to pick mine up as well.

My plan was to try to sprint past him in the final round, but I ran out of gas, and Mark somehow managed to pick up speed and smoke me by 8 reps. He’s a beast, ladies and gentlemen.

Result: 5 rounds + 2 reps as RXed.

After the workout, Tim asked, “how was it?”

My response: “That felt just like a 2K row.” And I hate 2K rows.

Vegan Bodybuilding?

2012-01-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

Our buddy Kevin pointed me to a recent piece in The New York Times about vegan bodybuilders. According to the article, the website veganbodybuilding.com has "more than 5,000 registered users," and vegan bodybuilders have been a "steady, small presence" in the International Natural Bodybuilding Association for years.

This is fascinating. Bodybuilding's not my thing, so I can't profess much knowledge about bodybuilders' diets -- but developing muscle on a vegan diet can't be easy.

“Is it possible to be a good bodybuilder and be a vegan? Yes,” said Jose Antonio, the chief executive of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. “But is it ideal? No.”

Vegan bodybuilders may face challenges getting sufficient amino acids, found in meats, Antonio said, adding that although protein can be found in vegetables and nuts, they must be consumed in greater quantities to get the same amount as their counterparts in meat. “The amount of rice and beans you need to eat would fill up a Mexican restaurant,” he said.

Other nutritionists and bodybuilders have argued that a disciplined vegan diet, consisting of things like hemp-based protein supplements, peanut butter, nuts, vegetables and legumes, can yield similar, if not better, results than a meat- or dairy-filled diet. Carefully monitored, vegans can get the same amount of protein with less fat or toxins, they argue. (For a midafternoon snack, [bodybuilder Jimi] Sitko sometimes eats 10 bananas.)

What? Rice? Beans? Peanut butter? And just how does eating 10 bananas provide a bodybuilder with "the same amount of protein with less fat or toxins"?

Of course, there are a good number of athletic folks who say they're thriving on vegan diets (see, e.g., the Old Spice Guy, Mike Tyson, elite ultrarunner Scott Jurek, the folks in the vegan and vegetarian CrossFitters' Facebook group, etc.). While I'm sure many of them choose veganism primarily due to ethical or environmental beliefs (which I won't bother to address again here, other than to point to Lierre Keith's book) -- some also attribute their fitness and athletic successes to veganism itself. But isn't it just as likely (if not more) that these athletes have accomplished their physical achievements despite their veganism? I wonder how much better they'd perform if they started eating some animals.

On the plus side: More meat for me, I guess.

Wednesday's Workout

2012-01-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

Strength Skill:

Pistols (5-5-5-3-3)

The same old story: I can crank out endless pistols on my right leg, and fall on my ass when I attempt 'em on my left -- unless I'm clutching a kettlebell as a counterbalance. I've always figured that this points to a strength imbalance, but after chatting with the Terminator this morning, I'm starting to think that a lack of flexibility in my left ankle could also be contributing to my utter suckitude when it comes to pistols on my left side.

More to work on, I guess.

Metcon:

5 rounds for time:

9 one-armed dumbbell deadlifts (each arm) (45lbs / 35lbs)
6 one-armed dumbbell snatches (each arm) (45lbs / 35lbs)
3 one-armed dumbbell overhead squats (45lbs / 35lbs)

This looked simple enough. As I warmed up, I found that the deadlifts and snatches were definitely doable with 45 pounds. But then I tried to squat while holding a dumbbell overhead with my left hand. That, my friends, was not easy. Feeling the strain across my back as my torso twisted on the way down into the hole, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the RXed OHS weight. Instead, I went down to 30 pounds.

It was probably a little too light for me. I ended up whipping through the workout without pausing at all (except briefly to switch hands when necessary) -- though the Terminator still smoked me as usual. While the workout was more difficult than I'd originally anticipated, and the overhead squats remained the most challenging, I think I could've gone a tad heavier. C'est la vie.

Result: 7:14.

Monday's Workout

2012-01-09T22:40:00.000-08:00

Let's get right to it.

Strength Skill:

Thrusters (5-5-5-3-3)

I stuck with relatively light weights today -- I'm no Danny Nichols -- but I was happy to work on my form. It's been a half-year since we worked on thrusters as a strength skill, and I certainly need the practice. I'm feeling a little rusty. Maybe I'll spend some time this week working on thruster mobility. Then again, maybe I'll just get more sleep.

Metcon:

"Helen" -- 3 rounds for time:

Run 400 meters
21 overhead kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
12 pull-ups

I hung back on the first 400-meter run, figuring I'd conserve some energy for the later rounds. Big mistake. Even though I got through all the kettlebell swings and pull-ups pretty much unbroken (until the final round, when I lost my grip on the pull-up bar with a few reps remaining), I didn't PR. We've done Helen many times before, so I should've remembered that this WOD's a relatively short one; there's no point in leaving gas in the tank.

Even worse? I've made this same mistake before.

Result: 10:15 as RXed. Faster than my previous Helen time, but slower than my PR. Hopefully, I'll remember to go all-out from the start next time.

Tired. Must. Go. To. Sleep.

Seven Signs of the Foodpocalypse

2012-01-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

1. Darth Vader Burgers -- soon available in France and Belgium!

2. Chicken & Waffle Wings -- because how else are you going to eat chicken and waffles in the car?

3. Bacon Soda -- swine plus sugar water equals yum!

4. Mountain Dew -- it dissolves rats!

5. Dulche de Leche Cheerios -- they're "naturally flavored" with caramel!

6. Chocolate Covered Totino's Pizza Rolls -- because why the hell not?

7. SPAM Mints -- for hot dates who love Hormel products.

Not everyone's trying to eat healthier this January, I guess.

Friday's Workout: Feeling Chipper?

2012-01-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

A long chipper today -- and I almost managed to complete it as RXed. But almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and not CrossFit.

For time:

100 air squats
80 overhead kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
60 walking lunges holding a bumper plate overhead (45lbs / 35lbs)
40 toes to bar
20 headless horsemen - a variation on kettlebell palm presses) (24kg / 16kg)

The air squats felt fantastic. I got through all of them unbroken, and quickly transitioned to the kettlebell swings.

The swings felt a little less awesome. Swinging the 24-kilogram kettlebell, I managed to only get through 25 reps before having to take a breather. After that, I didn't manage more than 15 swings in a row before having to set down the kettlebell and wheeze.

The walking lunges were exhausting. After the squats and swings, my legs were like jelly, and my brain turned to mush, too. I was keeping track of my lunges by counting backwards from 60, and with 12 left, Tim asked me which rep I was on. I tried to do the math in my head: 60 - 12 = ?

"51," I sputtered. "Uh, wait, no -- um, 48?"

The toes-to-bar weren't horrible, but then came the headless horsemen. I'd performed this movement in a WOD once before, back when I had a bad back. I didn't try the RXed weight of 24 kilograms that time, and I didn't think I could do so today -- especially after fifteen minutes of an ass-kicking chipper. On the other hand, all that stood between me and the completion of an RXed workout was 20 one-armed ground-to-overheads. How hard could that be?

Pretty hard, it turns out. I couldn't do it. After several attempts, I think I managed just one completed rep at 24 kilograms with my right arm, but I used my left hand to support the handle of the kettlebell. Clearly, the quest for RX today was going to be futile, so I traded in my kettlebell for a lighter one (I had a 16 kilogram kettlebell on standby) and finished the WOD. So close, and yet so far.

Result: 18:49.

No More Sugarcoating

2012-01-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Georgia Children’s Health Alliance is running an ad campaign against childhood obesity called Strong4Life, which recently ignited a firestorm of controversy.

The print ads depict glum-looking overweight kids with captions like "He has his father's eyes, his laugh, and maybe even his diabetes," "Fat kids become fat adults," and "Fat prevention begins at home. And the buffet line."

And the videos in the ad campaign are equally stark and in-your-face, like this one:

Some folks have reacted with outrage, arguing that the ads will backfire because they "might actually make people feel worse" about being overweight. (This quote's from Marsha Davis, child obesity prevention researcher from the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health.)

As the L.A. Times pointed out, the Strong4Life Facebook page is filled with comments from horrified parents like this one:

"Horrible! As a 42 year old woman who struggled with anorexia as a teen and now a mother of a 6 year old girl who is taller and thicker than the average children her age and gets picked on by all ages including adults with inappropriate comments you have no idea obviously of the damage this will do with the ad. You will hurt more than you help. Self esteem is built with smiles and no pointing."

Others say that the ad campaign fails to offer any solutions -- other than to shame kids into losing weight.

But the Strong4Life campaign has responded with cold, hard statistics. Children are getting fatter -- and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of American kids today are overweight or obese. Georgia ranks second in the U.S. for childhood obesity, with over 1 million overweight kids.

Strong4Life's position is that the fight against childhood obesity needs to start with awareness. As Linda Matzigkeit, senior vice president of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta told the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “We felt like we needed a very arresting, abrupt campaign that said: ‘Hey, Georgia! Wake up. This is a problem."

The organization’s research found that 50 percent of people surveyed didn’t recognize childhood obesity as a problem. What’s more, 75 percent of parents with overweight kids didn’t acknowledge their child as having a weight issue.

I agree that an awareness campaign isn't enough -- pointing out a problem does no good without offering concrete solutions. But as a first step, perhaps a cold splash of water in the face is exactly what's needed here. After all, the whole "self esteem is built with smiles" thing clearly isn't working.

Then again, without parents injecting their kids with mega-doses of self-esteem, we'd be bereft of awesome reality shows that feature pint-sized beauty queens from Georgia:

The video above is kind of scary-awesome. (Emphasis on "scary.") My favorite line: "A dolla makes me holla, honey-boo-boo!"

What say you? Are these ads unduly harsh and cruel? Or just what the doctor ordered?

Wednesday's Workout

2012-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I faced a barbell-intensive WOD at the gym, so I was half-hoping we'd get one thrown at us this morning. Note to self: Be careful what you wish for.

5 rounds for time (or AMRAP in 20 minutes):

15 deadlifts (135lbs / 95lbs)
12 hang power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
9 front squats (135lbs / 95lbs)
6 jerks (135lbs / 95lbs)

There was no way I was going to attempt over 200 lifts at my bodyweight, so I opted for the women's RXed weight.

As the WOD began, I wondered whether I should've put more weight on the bar; the deadlifts and cleans felt light, and I was getting through the sets unbroken. But a few minutes in, all thoughts of adding weight were banished. Ninety-five pounds was plenty for me, thankyouverymuch -- especially since I couldn't let the barbell come crashing down from overhead. (Our class was once again reminded that we aren't allowed to drop our weights -- our neighbors need their beauty sleep.)

The cleans were the most challenging for me; with my hands in a hook grip, I had trouble readjusting my fingers on the bar without lowering the bar (ever-so-gently) to the floor. Also: My forearms were on fire. By the fourth round, I was seriously lagging.

Result: 18:13.

(But it was fun.)

A Resolution Is Just A Fancy Word for "Goal."

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

According to USA.gov, the ten most popular New Year's Resolutions are as follows:

Drink Less Alcohol
Eat Healthy Food
Get a Better Education
Get a Better Job
Get Fit
Lose Weight
Manage Debt
Manage Stress
Quit Smoking
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Save Money
Take a Trip
Volunteer to Help Others

More than half of them are health-related, which tells you that: (1) People know they're in piss-poor shape, and (2) they know something has to be done about it. But the problem, it seems, is that folks aren't sure how to achieve their goals. According to University of Minnesota psychology professor Marti Hope Gonzalez, research indicates that 80 percent of those who make New Year's Resolutions fail to keep them past February -- only to start over again the following January.

Ten years ago, a study published in American Psychologist termed this cycle of futility the "False Hope Syndrome" -- a phenomenon "particularly common among those who resolve to lose weight" due to “unrealistic goals and a misunderstanding of [their] own behavior.”

So what's the answer? How can we set goals and actually achieve them?

My thoughts:

Be reasonable. All goals -- not just resolutions -- should be S.M.A.R.T: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Simply saying that you want to "get healthier" isn't going to give you any metrics by which you can track progress or hold yourself accountable. Instead, set milestones and deadlines to check up on your incremental progress. And don't go crazy with unattainable resolutions -- otherwise, you'll rob yourself of the satisfaction you'll feel when you hit your goals.

Focus on behaviors and actions, not results. A resolution like “I wanna drop 30 pounds” or "I wanna deadlift 3 times my bodyweight" offers you no path to success. Instead, make a checklist of concrete, doable actions that’ll put you in the right direction -- like "I'm cutting sugar from my diet for the next 21 days" or "I'm signing my ass up for a 100-burpee challenge."

Do some research. So what if Gwyneth Paltrow eats nothing but twigs and does hundreds of reps of 3-pound lifts? And who cares if Rich Froning subsists on a diet of chocolate milk, protein shakes, and peanut butter and jelly? Blindly copying others won't transform you into a skinny movie star or the Fittest Man on the Planet. Before you set a goal, consider whether it's something that's actually likely to do you (or others) some good.

Tell people about your goals. It's all too easy to let yourself off the hook. If no one knows about your goals, no one'll get on your butt about sticking to them. But if you're serious about your resolutions, yell it from the mountaintops. (Or, more realistically, Facebook.) You don't have to be annoying about it, but make sure your support system of friends and family are aware that you're marching towards a goal so they can: (1) help you; (2) understand why you're not eating bread all of a sudden; (3) kick your ass if you try to give up. Plus, I've found that one of the greatest motivators is peer pressure (a.k.a. public shaming.)

Make it fun. If it's not enjoyable, it's not sustainable. Want to know why people don't stick to super-restrictive diets? Because they feel deprived. And why don't folks keep going to the globo-gym after January? Because endlessly climbing a StairMaster in slow motion is mind-numbing. So devise ways to keep things fun and interesting -- whether it's by using a kick-ass iPhone app to track your weight loss progress or by joining a running group.

Lastly, don't save your resolutions for January. Who says you can only set personal goals once per annum? Keep setting short- and long-term goals for yourself throughout the year, and work to methodically check 'em off the list.

Go to it, people.

Monday's Workout: Gunk Removal

2012-01-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

When the alarm clock went off this morning, I pulled the covers over my head and debated whether to go to the 5 a.m. class. My entire body is still aching from Saturday's Murph-fest; my chest, back, arms, and thighs feel like they've been whacked repeatedly with a blunt instrument. On the other hand, there's nothing like a good, hard workout to get me mobilized again. In Tim's words, "it'll get the gunk out."

So off I went.

Not surprisingly, even the warm-up was painful today. My squats and push-ups were hilariously awful, and brought out soreness in places that were entirely new to me.

And then Tim wrote the workout on the board.

5 rounds for time:

Row 500 meters
Run 400 meters

Oh, hell to the no.

My rowing is bad enough when I'm fresh, so I knew I was in for a smackdown. And I was right. The first few rounds were tolerable, but by the fourth round, I was toast. My quads were out of juice, and my arms refused to pull. I got through the final two rounds, but I was running on fumes. I certainly got the gunk out -- but I did it sloooowly.

When I shuffled back from the final 400 meter run, I didn't melodramatically collapse to the floor (as per my usual practice) -- mostly because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get back up again.

Result: 22:36 as RXed.

New Year's Murph

2011-12-31T22:39:00.000-08:00

For weeks, I'd been looking forward to revisiting Murph, the CrossFit "Hero" WOD named for a Navy lieutenant killed in Afghanistan. I've done Murph twice before -- on New Year's Day and Memorial Day this year -- and developed a special love for this grinder of a WOD:

For time:

1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1 mile run

The one-mile runs must bookend the workout, but the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats can be broken up in whatever manner you choose. I've typically done 20 rounds of Cindy -- 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats -- and intended to do the same today.

CrossFit Palo Alto was packed this morning for New Year's Murph -- so much so that the 9 a.m. session had to be split into two heats so that there'd be enough pull-up bar space for everyone. I was in the second heat, and paced impatiently while the first wave took off running.

When I finally got going, I took off on a dead sprint. The first mile felt great; I hadn't exercised in a few days, and I enjoyed stretching my legs. Likewise, my six or seven rounds of Cindy flew by without any problems. My pull-ups and push-ups were fast and fluid, and I was cranking out air squats as fast as I could.

My pull-ups and squats remained strong throughout the workout, but my push-ups broke down sooner than expected. I'm used to being able to get through a good 10 to 12 rounds of Cindy before my arms turn to jelly, but before I was halfway through the WOD, I hit a wall. Suddenly, I couldn't perform more than a handful of push-ups at a time, so I ended up changing my approach. Instead of doing 10 consecutive push-ups in Cindy-like fashion, I started breaking them up: 5 push-ups, then 15 air squats, then back on the ground to finish the push-ups.

I need to be more like this little guy:

When I got back on my feet to complete my final one-mile run, my dead arms dangled loosely at my sides. The last half-mile was painful -- I had a side stitch (which I never, ever get), and stopped to double over a few times. Ugh.

Result: 41:30 as RXed -- three minutes slower than my previous effort. I still love Murph for its bodyweight-focused movements, and I had a fantastic time working out with some of my favorite people at CrossFit Palo Alto -- but I'm a bit disappointed in my time.

Thankfully, there's always next year. And next year starts tomorrow.

Wednesday's Workout

2011-12-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

Another fun one today.

Strength Skill:

Overhead Squats (3-3-3-1-1)

I missed last week's OHS practice, so I was looking forward to today's session. Overhead squats are quickly becoming one of my favorite full-body movements -- it demands flexibility, strength, and stability, and forces me to stay mindful of proper posture. And although we don't do overhead squats very often, I've seen progress every time we revisit them, which makes me want to come back for more.

Plus: I got to wear my new Reebok Olys today while squatting -- and it's all about the shoes. (By the way, they actually felt a bit too spongy for my taste; I think I'm going to remove the inserts to see if that helps.)

Before today, I think my heaviest overhead squat was 105 pounds. But I was feeling pretty good this morning at the gym, and ended up with a new PR of 125 pounds. It was on my last set, and there wasn't enough time to shoot for more. Still, I felt like there was still a little left in the tank, and I really wanted to try overhead squatting my bodyweight. After class (and CoffeeWOD), I came home and did it in my garage, cranking out a 135 pound OHS. Yay for me.

Metcon:

20 Russian (chest-high) kettlebell swings (32kg / 24kg)
20 knees-to-elbows
1 lap of badger crawls
15 Russian (chest-high) kettlebell swings (32kg / 24kg)
15 knees-to-elbows
1 lap of badger crawls
10 Russian (chest-high) kettlebell swings (32kg / 24kg)
10 knees-to-elbows
1 lap of badger crawls
5 Russian (chest-high) kettlebell swings (32kg / 24kg)
5 knees-to-elbows
1 lap of badger crawls

In CrossFit Palo Alto parlance, a badger crawl is a modified bear crawl using bent (rather than straight) legs and arms. (I know some folks do bear crawls with bent legs and arms already -- if that's the case with you, then badger crawls are synonymous with your version of bear crawls.) For today's WOD, each lap of badger crawls consisted of going down the length of the gym and back.

I discovered that I can scamper pretty quickly when on all fours -- probably because I have short, stubby legs that keep me close to the ground. The badger crawls were also a welcome respite from the forearm-numbing swings and KTEs.

Result: 5:58 as RXed.

Reebok Oly Shoes: First Impression

2011-12-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days since my Reebok CrossFit Oly shoes arrived, but I haven't yet worked out in them.

Part of me doesn't want to even put them on -- I'd rather just look at them lovingly, and keep them in mint condition forever. But that's just my inner nerdy baseball card / comic book collector talking. The other part of me can't wait to get these suckers on my feet and into the gym.

This afternoon, I broke the shoes out of the box and gave 'em a good once-over.

The Reebok Oly shoe feels a lot lighter than most other weightlifting shoes, owing largely to a heel made of injected thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rather than wood. I'm guessing the triangular indentations in the heel cut the shoes' weight even further, though I can't say I'm a huge fan of the resulting zigzag design. (It reminds me too much of the barfy-looking outsoles on the Reebok Zigs.)

That said, the vamp of the shoe is extremely soft and flexible. The tread/score lines on the front of the sole underscore the emphasis on free forefoot movement. Combined with the lightness of the shoe (mine weighed just 13.8 ounces -- yes, I checked), I'm guessing these suckers'll do just fine in a WOD that pairs Oly lifts with box jumps or double-unders.

My pair fit well right out of the box -- and not just because the shoe features a nicely-padded collar and a snug heel counter. Reebok appears to have fixed the sizing problem it had a few months ago. (As you may recall, the yellow Nanos sold at the Games ran about one size too big.)

Another issue I had with the prototype Nanos were that the laces were too short. Reebok appears to have addressed that concern as well:

Actually, this photo shows both pairs of laces -- red and black -- that came with the shoe. The red ones are snazzy, but I think I'm going to stick with the black ones.

And let's not forget about the custom-fitting U-Form shoe lining. As with the Nanos, you can bake the Oly shoes in the oven at 200°F for 3 minutes and then put them on. As they cool, the lining of the shoes will mold to the shape of your feet. This may be the closest thing to a perfect-fitting weightlifting shoe on the market.

Mine are now baked and ready to go.

By the way, it's a little thing, but I love that the little U-Form tab on the sides turn red when the shoes have been baked. (They turn black again once the shoes cool down.)

I know that not everyone's sold on plastic heels over wood ones, and I'll probably stick with my wooden-heeled Adidas weightlifting shoes when I'm focusing on my lifts. But for CrossFit WODs that combine Olympic lifts with jumping around or hanging off a pull-up bar, this flexible, lightweight shoe certainly looks promising. I'll report back once I've had a chance to test drive them a bit more.

[Previously: My review of the Reebok CrossFit Nanos]

Multitasking

2011-12-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

When she wasn't stirring a pot on the stove today, this is what M was up to in the kitchen:

Monday's Workout

2011-12-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back in the gym -- even if it was at 5 a.m. the morning after Christmas. But don't look at me like I'm crazy; I wasn't the only nutjob at CrossFit Palo Alto before the crack of dawn despite not having to work today. Four others showed up for class (and for CoffeeWOD afterwards).

Okay, maybe we're all crazy.

Strength Skill:

Deadlifts (3-3-3-1-1)

I had a shot at matching my previous PR today, but failed to hoist the bar off the ground. I could've given it another yank, but although my back's feeling fine these days, I thought better of it. Good thing, too -- I needed the gas in my tank for today's metcon.

Metcon:

3 rounds for time:

50 double-unders
30 air squats
15 pull-ups

This looked easy when Tim wrote it on the whiteboard, and for the first round, it was. Most of our metcon workouts are designed to be 10 to 15 minutes long, but after flying through the initial round set of double-unders, air squats and pull-ups in 2 minutes, I thought to myself: I have a shot at finishing sub-7.

But in the second round, I had to take breaks after every dozen double-unders or so, and my pull-ups weren't unbroken. It took 3 minutes to finish that round.

Still, it was the last set of double-unders that did me in. My forearms felt numb from the one-two punch of pull-ups and rope-flinging, and my feet began snagging on the slowing rope. It took a whopping FOUR minutes to complete the final round.

Result: 9:14 as RXed.

A-Team Oly Shoes

2011-12-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

Look what came in the mail while we were in Mexico:

Reebok CrossFit Oly Shoes!

I'm going to have a hard time wearing these without this running through my head.

Thursday's Workout: Family WOD

2011-12-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

On this warm Mexican morning, "Death by Burpees" sounded like a good idea.

Here's how it works: Start a timer, and with a continuously running clock, perform one burpee at the start of the first minute, two burpees at the start of the second, three burpees at the start of the third minute, and so on. You're done when you can't finish your required number of burpees in a minute's time.

Once again, the kids decided to work out with us. Big-O went full-on beast mode...

...as did Lil-O.

M got through 10 solid rounds of burpees before tapping out.

I managed to eke out 15 rounds before collapsing.

The last time I did "Death by Burpees," I failed to complete fourteen rounds, so I was pretty happy about today's PR.

So happy, in fact, that I decided to indulge in some heavy-duty taco consumption.

Mmm...tacos...

Link Dump

2011-12-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

I was going to post about my workout today, but that would require that I actually work out.

Instead, I've just been hanging out with the family and eating insane amounts of meat while on vacation here in Cabo (and plugging along on some extracurricular homework for Nom Nom Paleo). I did, however, gather a bunch of interesting reads for you to chew on:

This op-ed piece in The Atlantic's been making the rounds. Three longtime vegetarians and vegans discuss how they came to understand that eating meat and other animal products is not only healthful, but also ethically and environmentally sound. Read it here.

According to the New York Times, coffee can boost your athletic performance by "enabl[ing] more forceful muscular contractions and delay[ing] fatigue.” CoffeeWOD, anyone?

You should already be reading all of the sites featured in Outside Magazine's list of the blogosphere's top ten fitness blogs -- especially MobilityWOD, Conditioning Research, and RunBlogger.

Is Bob Harper really going to be putting his "Biggest Loser" team on a CrossFit-focused training regimen next season? I might actually have to start watching the show again.

Serious Eats recently posted Pat LaFrieda's video responses to readers' meat-related questions. Good stuff -- especially if you're interested in butchery.

I enjoyed the crap out of this post on Lift Big Eat Big: "10 Excuses For Not Exercising & Why They Are Horsesh*t."

Health Tip of the Day: Do not eat cocaine out of your brother's butt.

Bye for now.

Monday's Workout: Cabo San Lucas

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

We're in Cabo San Lucas for the week, and we're planning on eating like rabid wolves this week, so to kick things off right, the entire family decided to work out on the balcony this morning (minus the three-year-old, who was wandering around somewhere, munching on a scrambled egg and playing with his LEGOs).

M got cranking on her double-unders...

...and air squats...

...while Big-O got his mobility on.

I wish I could squat as comfortably as he can.

I decided to dash off a quick home-brewed WOD:

50 double-unders, and then 5 rounds for time of:

5 handstand push-ups...

(Whoops -- nip slip.)

10 pistols...

...and 15 sit-ups.

As you can see, Big-O decided to go rip off his shirt and join in the fun.

Result: 9:13. I cooled down with another 50 double-unders.

And then we proceeded to eat, swim, and do a whole lotta nothin'. (We did eat some worms, though. M'll do all the food-related play-by-play over at Nom Nom Paleo.)

Don't you love it when people bore you to death with their vacation photos?

Friday's Workout

2011-12-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

I know you've been waiting with bated breath, so before I conk out, here's a quick recap of today's WOD.

Strength Skill:

Strict Pull-ups (5-5-5)
Kipping Pull-ups (10-10-10)

I enjoy pull-ups, so this was a pleasant way to start the morning. At Tim's suggestion, I finished by practicing some chest-to-bar pull-ups. They felt a little awkward at first, but got a lot easier once I wrapped my thumbs around the top of the bar.

Metcon:

2 rounds for time:

22 see-saw presses (45lbs / 30lbs)
Run 400 meters
22 box jumps (24" / 20")
Run 400 meters

Back when we last did this workout in August, I wrote that 35-pound dumbbells were too light for me. So today, I hoisted a pair of 40-pound dumbbells -- and ended up finishing almost two minutes slower than I did a few months ago.

Ugh.

Result: 13:06.

Wednesday's Workout: Balls to the Wall

2011-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Medicine balls. Why'd it have to be medicine balls?

But first:

Overhead Squats (5-5-5-3-3)

These felt great this morning. It's been a few months since we last practiced overhead squats, but I felt strong and stable through my midline. I kept it light and easy today, but I'm hoping to establish a new PR later in this cycle.

Metcon:

50 double unders
21 wallball shots
21 medicine ball cleans
21 medicine ball sit-ups
15 wallball shots
15 medicine ball cleans
15 medicine ball sit-ups
9 wallball shots
9 medicine ball cleans
9 medicine ball sit-ups
50 double unders

The first set of double-unders flew by. The final set? Not so much. And in between, the wallballs kicked the snot out of me. I wasn't bothered by the med ball sit-ups, but the cleans were tougher than I expected -- probably because I was still reeling from the wallballs.

It's a good reminder that something as simple as a stuffed ball can be a brutally effective training tool.

Result: 11:42 as RXed.

Reebok's E-Commerce DNF

2011-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about Reebok, but you can't say it doesn't own up to its mistakes.

The Reebok CrossFit Facebook page lit up this morning with complaints from folks who tried desperately to buy the newly-offered Oly shoes before they sell out, but failed due to system issues on Reebok's end. Some apparently spent hours on Reebok's site, trying in vain to purchase the shoes. (I was able to get through without any problems, but it looks I was one of the lucky ones.)

The silver lining for Reebok? The demand for its CrossFit shoes is off the charts. Clearly, there are plenty of us who need shoes to match our Kool-Aid mustaches.

Monday's Workout

2011-12-12T23:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a little exhausted. Work has been crazy, and the holidays (and multiple birthdays in our family) have ratcheted up my stress levels. Vacation's still a week away, and my to-do list is as long as my arm. To top it off, M and I have been insanely busy cooking up some Nom Nom Paleo-related stuff. But I'm keeping my priorities straight: Come Monday morning, I'm at CrossFit Palo Alto.

Strength Skill:

Deadlifts (5-5-5-3-3)

My back's feeling fine, but given how I felt just a few weeks ago, I was much more tentative than usual. Rather than shooting aggressively for a new PR, I started light and stayed light, lifting just a fraction of my personal best. I'll eventually work my way back up, but for now, I'm going to play it safe, and settle for watching my classmates set new benchmarks. (Jake's new deadlift PR: 405 pounds!)

Metcon:

Row 500 meters
50 air squats
40 Games standard push-ups
30 overhead kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
20 pull-ups
10 toes-to-bar

Despite my antipathy for the erg, the 500-meter row wasn't too bad. I quickly settled into a steady rhythm, and finished with enough pep in my step to get through the air squats unbroken. (High five!) The push-ups proved to be a bigger challenge; try as I might, I couldn't string together all 40 in a row. I had to break the last 15 or so into mini-sets of a few at a time.

The kettlebell swings weren't any easier, but I was determined to blaze through 'em. After 20 or so, I desperately wanted to drop the kettlebell, but didn't. I hit my goal of 30 swings in a row -- but as I grabbed the pull-up bar, fully intending to crank out the last two exercises, I realized that MY GRIP STRENGTH WAS GONE.

As a result, the pull-ups took a bit longer than usual, and so did the toes-to-bar. My forearms were on fire by the end of the WOD.

Result: 9:07 as RXed.

Later in the day, I popped into a local health center for a much-needed massage. My masseuse spent a good chunk of time on my forearms, kneading them with her (insanely strong) hands and knuckles.

"Your hands and wrists and forearms are all knotted up," she said. "You're spending too much time at the computer. Try doing some exercise -- it might help."

Haw, haw.

The Single Best Thing We Can Do For Our Health?

2011-12-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

A fun and engaging video about the benefits of exercise:

Still, I'd argue that sleep is paramount...

[Source]

Friday's Workout

2011-12-09T23:10:00.001-08:00

Ouch.

For time:

30 thrusters (135lbs / 95lbs)
Run 1 mile

"Go heavier than your Fran weight," Tim called out as we got ready. "Challenge yourself. These should be heavy enough that you can't go unbroken for more than five reps."

So I did as he said -- but just barely. Instead of my Fran weight of 95 pounds, I threw two teeny-tiny change plates on the bar and went all the way up to 105. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, Fran is enough of an asskicker.

I got through the first eight thrusters just fine, but as expected, the rest came in sputtering mini-sets of just a few reps at a time. And certainly, I wouldn't have won any points for style or technique. But I got through 'em, and the run in the frigid morning darkness was almost an afterthought.

Result: 13:52.

Wednesday's Workout

2011-12-07T12:57:00.001-08:00

It was freezing at 5 a.m. -- at least by Northern Californian standards -- but it didn't take long for us to get warm.

AMRAP in 20 minutes:

15 pull-ups
20 kettlebell walking lunges (24kg / 16kg)
25 Abmat sit-ups
200-meter row

Before we started, I was convinced the row would be my undoing. Although 200 meters ain't much, I harbor an almost irrational hatred for the erg, and figured the rowing would destroy my legs and leave me gasping for breath.

Wrong. The kettlebell walking lunges -- something I dismissed as a cakewalk -- was what made my thighs feel like they were going to explode.

We were instructed to carry the kettlebell in whatever position we wanted, so I tried a one-handed farmer's walk grip and a goblet grip, but neither felt comfortable, and I felt off-balance the whole time. Next time, I'm going to experiment with hoisting it on my shoulder. And if all else fails, I'm sticking the damned thing in a backpack and wearing it.

Still, this WOD flew by. I love Abmat sit-ups (especially when my ass crack doesn't split open and bleed). And despite my less-than-fresh grip, I got through the pull-ups quickly enough. (They weren't very pretty, though. Afterwards, Tim coached me to try keeping a level gaze next time to keep from giving myself whiplash.) I treated the rowing as "active rest," so it was surprisingly bearable.

Result: 5 rounds + 7 reps as RXed.

At the end of the 20 minutes, I was on the floor, rolling around and feeling my heart try to pound its way out of my chest.

It felt great.

Smoking Can Make Your Nipples Fall Off

2011-12-07T12:48:00.001-08:00

Need one more reason to stop smoking cigarettes?

From Dr. Anthony Youn's recent post on CNN Health:

In my memoir “In Stitches,” I told the story of a smoker whose nipples turned purple while undergoing a breast lift surgery. Purple is the precursor to black. Black is the precursor to falling off. To save the patient -- and her nipples -- we turned to the only treatment available.

We went medieval.

We used leeches.

[Source]

Monday's Workout

2011-12-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

For a good ten minutes after I woke up yesterday morning, I lay snug under the covers, contemplating whether to play hooky. But after missing Friday's class, there was no way I was going to skip another workout -- especially now that the fog of the past couple of weeks is finally starting to lift from my head.

By the time I pulled into CrossFit Palo Alto's parking lot, I was ready to dive into whatever WOD awaited us. The bracing chill of the pre-dawn air made me want to move. After our warmup, Tim wrote the workout on the board.

AMRAP in 20 minutes:

15 wallballs (20lbs / 14lbs)
30 kettlebell snatches (24kg / 16kg)
60 double-unders

I can do these movements, and I can handle the RXed weights. So now that I've been injury-free for a few weeks, there's really no reason not to tackle this WOD with gusto, right?

Unfortunately, I hadn't considered:

How exhausting it might be to try to string all these gut-busting exercises together for 20 minutes straight;
How damned heavy a kettlebell can get after dozens and dozens of snatches; or
Whether my back might seize up in the middle of launching a big iron ball above my head.

It took me 10 minutes to get through the first two rounds, but they were decent. I felt fresh at the wallball station, and the double-unders didn't give me too much trouble. The kettlebell snatches were more challenging -- especially when I used my weaker left arm -- and they took forever, but I managed to slog through them.

The third round, however, was hell. After a sluggish set of wallball shots, I picked up the kettlebell and pounded out more snatches. The reps came slowly, and by the end, I found myself struggling to crank out more than a couple at a time. With four left reps remaining in the set, I decided to push hard and finish them all at once. But as I snatched the kettlebell up and over my head for the last rep, I felt an all-too-familiar twinge in my lower back.

Did I re-tear my back muscle? Or was it just fatigue?

I shook it off. The double-unders didn't bother me, so I kept going. I started my fourth round at the wallball station, and felt better. But as I finished my wallball reps, the twinge came back. Uh, oh.

Tim saw the concern on my face, and asked what was up. "My back again," I mumbled as I bent down to pick up the kettlebell.

"Then don't be an idiot," Tim cautioned.

He was right. (Obviously.) After 90 kettlebell snatches, I was done. There was still a minute-and-a-half left on the clock, but I wasn't about to risk re-injuring my back just to post a few more reps, so I stopped. Raising a white flag can be an ego blow, but sometimes, it's the only reasonable thing to do.

Result: 3 rounds + 15 reps as RXed -- but I DNFed.

Today, I feel absolutely fine. My back is sore, but so is the rest of my body -- and there's none of the telltale pain that accompanied my previous injury. Normally, I'm not a big fan of quitting, but there's no doubt in my mind that it was the best thing I could have done for myself.

CrossFit: One of America's 25 Hottest Brands

2011-12-04T20:22:00.001-08:00

Yup -- AdAge recently named CrossFit one of America's hottest 25 brands (along with "My Little Pony," pickle juice, and pads for light bladder leakage).

The most eye-opening line in the article: CrossFit expects to grow to "30,000 affiliates in five years."

Yowza.

[Source]

Just So You Know, We Don't All Wear Gas Masks To The Post Office

2011-12-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

My pal J-Ho recently circulated the best news article I've read in a long, long time: On Tuesday, Long Hoang, a nursing student here in the San Francisco Bay Area, touched off a full-scale emergency at a busy San Jose post office.

How, you ask?

By wearing what appeared to be a gas mask and body armor, running to the post office, and trying to jam an oversized package down a mailbox.

Not surprisingly, someone called the authorities, and the post office was shut down for four hours while the area was combed by San Jose Police's bomb squad, the Fire Department's hazardous materials unit, and a team from the U.S. Postal Inspector's Office. They even brought in a robot to blow up the package that Hoang was seen stuffing into the mailbox.

Here's the story, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News:

About 12 weeks ago, Hoang became an avid follower of the CrossFit exercise regimen, which he said, exuberantly, combines "this really creative combination of weight lifting, gymnastics and rowing." He wears the mask to simulate high-altitude training. Hoang, who is 5 feet 4 inches, said he's lost at least 20 pounds, and is now 142 pounds.

Many neighbors in the area frequently spot him running in his gear, doing squats and lunges at corners while he waits for the light to turn green.

As Hoang tells the story, he mistakenly received a package of calendars at his home, and thought he'd mail them back to the proper recipient while on an exercise run. The package didn't fit the first time in the mail box, he said, so he had to fold it up and try a second time.

I love how the reporter made sure to characterize Hoang's "exuberance" for CrossFit, as if it weren't already obvious from the guy's choice of workout apparel.

Wednesday's Workout

2011-11-30T20:40:00.001-08:00

After a week of tossing and turning, I finally managed to get a decent night's sleep last night. I woke up at 4:20 a.m. feeling like I could tackle the world -- but it turned out I couldn't even manage to tackle heavy front squats.

Strength Skill:

Front Squats (5-3-3-1-1)

Try as I might to hit or exceed my PR, I failed to front squat even 10 pounds below my previous best. This is another groove that needs grease. (But then again, all my grooves could use some greasing.)

Metcon:

100 double-unders
1K row
800-meter run

I usually hate cardio-heavy metcons, but after Monday's grip-killer, I was relieved not to see any pull-ups or toes-to-bar on the menu. And to be honest, I'm starting to look forward to double-unders now that I can string 'em together with some consistency. This morning, I didn't get tripped up until after I'd cranked out over 40 double-unders, and the rest didn't take long to complete. Then, it was just a matter of doggedly slogging through the rowing and the running.

Result: 10:17 as RXed.

Another Reason to Be Leery of Tofu

2011-11-30T20:31:00.001-08:00

Tofu fans, beware.

From Monday's edition of The Oregonian:

Just after 8:15 p.m. fire crews were called to an apartment building in the 300 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue in the heart of Old Town.

"When they arrived they found a woman sitting outside crying," Corah said. "She said there'd been an explosion and she was upset. She had a slight burn on her left hand, but was otherwise not hurt."

The woman told investigators was cooking tofu and had rinsed out the pan with water when there was explosion. The blast was so powerful that it blew a 4 by 6 window out of the building and onto the street, Corah said.

[Source]

Monday's Workout

2011-11-28T21:18:00.001-08:00

This morning was all about knockin' off the rust, as Tim would say.

Strength Skill:

Kettlebell Snatches (Each arm: 5-5-8-8-10-10)

Although we kicked off the week with almost a hundred kettlebell snatches, breaking them up into bite-sized sets of 10 to 20 reps helped a lot. This movement is starting to feel natural; the pull-and-punch technique seems to be working for me -- though I need to work on hinging at the hips more and squatting less.

Metcon:

"Sumo Fran" - a.k.a. Fran but with SDHPs instead of thrusters.

For time:

21 sumo deadlift high pulls (95lbs / 65lbs)
21 pull-ups
15 sumo deadlift high pulls (95lbs / 65lbs)
15 pull-ups
9 sumo deadlift high pulls (95lbs / 65lbs)
9 pull-ups

Result: 5:49 as RXed.

Hoo, boy. My grip was completely gone by the second round of SDHPs. I didn't even manage to go unbroken on my final two rounds of pull-ups. And I finished 14 seconds slower than I did the last time we encountered this little lady.

Regardless, it felt incredibly satisfying to finally get off my ass and release some stress. I just gotta do it a little faster next time.

Priorities

2011-11-28T14:35:00.001-08:00

I'm back. Thanks, everyone, for your kind notes, comments, and emails.

The past week has been surreal, but we're doing our best to keep things normal for our kids, and to settle back into a routine. Still, there are moments when I catch myself enjoying a giggle with the boys or exchanging jibes with M, and it suddenly hits me that my cousin isn't able to enjoy these simple pleasures anymore. I'm now keenly aware of how lucky I am to be able to hug my kids, and how I've taken it for granted that I'll always be able to do so.

Naturally, I've been reassessing my priorities. Don't worry -- I'll continue to ~~obsessively blog~~ bore you to death about health, fitness and nutrition. But I also recognize that there are more important things in this life. Hopefully, you do, too, and will forgive me for spending a little less time blogging and a little more time on other pursuits.

Anyway, I know you didn't visit this site for a dose of pathos. It'll take time for our family to grieve and find closure, but that'll happen behind the scenes. Going forward, I'll do my best to keep future posts focused on happier business. Stay tuned!

Uh...What's Going On Here?

2011-11-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

It appears that American game shows have nothing on India's "Let's Get Ready."

[Source]

My Cousin Anna

2011-11-24T07:27:00.001-08:00

Note: This post is a little different. I'll return to the regularly scheduled programming soon.

My cousin Anna arrived in this world four months after I was born. We were the first of our paternal grandparents' eight grandchildren, and we naturally paired off according to age: me and Anna, Roger and Gary, Daphne and David (and once the rest of us were older, Hillary and Sara).

Anna, Roger, Me

We spent our afternoons in our parents' Chinese restaurant, where we made fortresses with cardboard boxes, played baseball in the parking lot, concocted our own signature (read: inedible) dishes in the kitchen, watched Tom & Jerry on the TV set in the back room, snuck out to the dining room to fill up on root beer from the soda fountain, and generally got in the way of the adults. We traveled in a pack -- roving around downtown in search of candy, baseball cards, ice cream, and -- in summertime -- fireworks from the temporarily-erected wooden shack down the street.

In the evenings, my grandmother would take us home, where we'd raise even more holy terror. Between snacks and bath time, we'd transform the couches into trampolines, coffee tables into crayon-streaked spaceships, and Gary into a doily-covered, lipstick-wearing girl. We skated around the driveway, threw shoes into the toilet, and filmed our own Weird Al Yankovic music videos.

On Tuesdays -- my aunt's night off -- my grandmother would get a reprieve. Anna's and Gary's mom would treat us to dinner at their house, where we'd play with Gary's truck collection and settle down in the front of the TV for new episodes of "Laverne & Shirley" and "Happy Days."

We were a fearsomely tight little gang. And we were more like siblings than cousins.

Anna & Me, Dancing on Countertops

Being the same age, Anna and I were particularly close as children. As the oldest, we were the first to venture to preschool, which we hated. (Our parents would drive up to find us sitting on the schoolhouse porch, holding hands and bawling.) We learned to ride bikes together, and confided in each other about our first-grade crushes (I was going to marry my buddy Jennifer, and she was going to run off with the oh-so-dreamy A.J.). I got Superman Underoos and she got Wonder Woman ones. We were best friends.

At the same time, Anna and I were incredibly competitive with one another, too -- in school, at piano, in commanding the hearts and minds of our younger cousins. For years, in our house, the phrase "Why can't you be more like Anna?" was as commonly heard as "Good morning." Anna and I weren't siblings, but the sibling rivalry was always there.

As we got older, Anna and I drifted apart. We went to different high schools, hung out with different people, developed different interests and views. After college and law school, I moved to San Francisco -- just 45 minutes away from the rest of my cousins, but enough distance between us to limit our interactions to family dinners and special occasions. Then came marriage, kids, and more work. Facebook became the primary means of staying in touch -- and I've always been terrible about updating my Facebook status.

Me, My Pop, & Anna

As adults with young families of our own, Anna and I didn't see each other often. And there were plenty of things we disagreed on -- everything from politics to Prius drivers (she had a less-than-favorable opinion of them, and I happen to be one). But through Anna's whole life, certain constants remained: She was fiercely intelligent, confident, talented, assertive, protective, and loyal. From afar, I admired her dedication to running (she was a marathoner), her success in business, and her passion for her family. Anna and her husband Josh have an incredibly charming and happy-go-lucky little boy, Ryan. He just turned three, and is one of the awesomest little dudes I know. Anna absolutely adored him.

On Tuesday, Anna was scheduled to deliver her second baby. She had regularly updated her Facebook status throughout her pregnancy, so we knew she'd been put on bed rest, and was eagerly anticipating the birth of Ryan's little brother. Her last update was a little after 4 p.m., when she wrote: "Ahhhh... Epidural..."

That night, Anna passed away unexpectedly from complications of childbirth.

I still feel like I can't breathe.

Anna's beautiful baby boy is still in the NICU, but appears to be improving. When I saw him on Tuesday night, my heart broke. He looks so much like his mommy.

Meat Cupcakes

2011-11-22T21:50:00.001-08:00

As much as I enjoy eating animals, a cupcake made of meat holds no appeal for me.

As Ian Chillag of NPR put it: "That'd be a really good dessert for your kid's surprise party, if you didn't like your kid."

[Source]

Tuesday's Workout

2011-11-22T21:32:00.001-08:00

I'm crazy busy trying to juggle a bunch of projects -- some work related, some not -- but I managed to squeeze in a half-hour of lifting this evening. (It helps that the kids are spending the night with grandma and grandpa -- no hour-long bedtime ritual tonight!)

After a quick warm-up on the erg, I dove into Day Two of the Whole9's version of the Power to the People protocol, following this formula for both deadlifts and strict presses:

Set 1: +5lbs from Day One, 3-5 reps
Set 2: 90% of Set 1, 3-5 reps

In particular, the deadlifts -- albeit light -- feel great. I'm doing my best to nail my form, making sure that my butt doesn't rise ahead of the rest of my body, and keeping my head and neck in line with my spine. Also, I'm trying to be slow and deliberate in my movements, both to increase time under tension as well as to train my brain and grease the groove.

Afterwards, I practiced some power cleans and squat cleans, and cooled down with two short sets of ring dips.

And that's all, folks!