Of Course.

I mean, did you honestly expect Lady Gaga to do yoga dressed in Lululemon stuff? Please.

(Source: Buzzfeed)

Wednesday's Workout

Our gym is closed for the rest of the week. The owner/coach is out of town, but he left us with WODs to complete in his absence. So before dawn, a couple of us met in the parking lot of the gym, rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, ready to do our homework.

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds:

• 20 Jumping Jacks
• 20 Jump Squats
• 2 100-meter sprints, increasing speed.

Metcon:

For time:

• 1K Run
• Recover for 3 minutes
• 1K Run

Results: 3:49 for the first 1K run, 3:51 for the second.

My jaws, hands and stomach were all clenched from the morning chill, and even the jump squats and all that sprinting couldn't get me warm. My legs felt like lead. By the end of the workout, I was drained -- but I must admit that I got one hell of a workout. It didn't look like much on paper, but I now know not to turn my nose up at sprinting down dark roads in the early hours of the morning.

This WOD didn't take long. When it was over, I drove home, changed into my PJs, and crawled back under the covers. It was still dark. I don't think my icy hands had yet defrosted when I drifted off to sleep.

New Balance Minimus

Is it spring of 2011 yet? Because I want a pair of these.

CrossFit Gyms: Your Mileage May Vary

(Photo: Amber Karnes)

ACE -- the American Council on Exercise -- has a lengthy write-up and assessment of CrossFit on its website. According to the author, Fabio Comana:

The consensus from two dozen individuals with whom I spoke, ranging from consumers who have participated in CrossFit training to Level 2 CrossFit trainers, is much in line with my own personal observations and impressions after performing several CrossFit workouts over the past two years:

• You can achieve great results.
• You may quit because the programming is too difficult.
• You can get hurt.

And on the whole, I agree with these three points. (Sure, I have nits to pick, but others have already done a bang-up job of critiquing the piece.)
Since starting CrossFit in June, my athletic performance has continued to steadily improve. My strength, power, speed -- all have seen remarkable gains. I don't know if I've made myself clear, but I love this stuff.

But have there been times when I've considered throwing in the towel? Hell, yes. CrossFit is extremely challenging -- sometimes to the point where I'm not sure I can face the music. There are certain WODs or exercises that I can't wait to tear into (e.g., bodyweight-focused ones), but there are days when I show up to class to discover that the workout involves rowing 2000 meters or cranking out some insane number of snatches, and I just want to turn around and head home. (To be honest, though, it's not like I didn't have similar feelings about Insanity.) Thankfully, the good days outnumber the bad ones -- and the bad ones have helped push me to shore up my weaknesses.

As for injury, I haven't yet experienced any (aside from a few minor scrapes, bruises and ass-rashes). But as many detractors of CrossFit are quick to point out, CrossFit thrives on a "garage gym" culture of working out at home, without supervision or instruction -- other than what is gleaned from the CrossFit Journal and various YouTube videos. And even if you join a CrossFit affiliate, the quality of the training can be wildly inconsistent. As Comana writes:

During my most recent visit to a CrossFit facility, I specifically asked the trainer to take me through the basics and to show me how CrossFit accommodates novice exercisers. I was fortunate to work with Trish Davis, a very diligent coach who was cognizant of the needs of a beginning exerciser. Davis led me through a beginner workout with discussion on substitutions. I was impressed with her coaching cues and instruction, and her ability to demonstrate options and progressions. 

However, I question whether she represents the coaching norm because during that same visit I observed two individuals working with a different coach performing “thrusters” and I was less than impressed with their poor technique and lack of cueing by the coach. While Davis’ skills and proficiencies as a coach where very evident, the menu and intensity I followed was still aggressive to the point where any individual demonstrating some level of dyskinesis would have to compensate to accomplish most of the dynamic movement patterns (warm-up) and exercises. 

I respect the fact that the CrossFit business model operates on affiliate centers, which makes it a logistical challenge for headquarters to ensure the highest quality of education and coaching at all centers, but if a business plans to deliver such a service, then they must be accountable for due diligence and ensuring the delivery of high-quality training at every location.

(Photo: Dain Sandoval)

This isn't a new critique; many have pointed out affiliate owners need only attend a weekend certification and pass a straightforward test. When it comes to quality control, there ain't much -- aside from market forces. And plenty of affiliate owners have expressed similar concerns. As Robb Wolf -- author of "The Paleo Solution" and a former CrossFit affiliate owner himself -- has said (in the same blog post in which he described being abruptly fired as CrossFit's Nutrition Cert guru):

The CrossFit community has seen monumental growth. In many cities there are 4-8 affiliates within literally eyesight of one another. Disparities in training, business systems and culture have raised significant anxieties for affiliate owners. What if all the prospective clients in an area are “turned off” to CrossFit by poor training or injury? What if something happened in a gym with a similar name and you are confused with that affiliate? 

CrossFit HQ’s stance on this topic has been an analogy of Starbucks and the fact there are “multiple Starbucks on some city corners." Indeed there are, but this is a ridiculous comparison. Starbucks is a centrally owned business with solid, consistent business practices. CrossFit affiliates are unregulated and highly variable from location to location. Anxiety about the quality of a neighbor that essentially SHARES your name is valid on the part of the affiliate owner. The HQ position: “quality will win out” provides remarkably little solace for those affiliates who have neighbors who have driven down prices and possibly alienated clients with poor training.

I happen to be lucky: When I started CrossFit, I happened to stumble into an affiliate where workouts are done under close supervision by a trainer who has tons of previous experience as an Olympic lifting coach, kettlebell instructor and pro athlete. Lots of emphasis is placed on proper form and safe technique. And because I work out at 5 in the morning, there are typically fewer than five of us in class, which means we get a ton of individualized attention. When our movements deteriorate, we get called out. Loudly.

But I sometimes wonder: What if I'd joined one of the other half-dozen CrossFit boxes within spitting distance of my home? How can a beginner figure out which CrossFit gym to join?

I understand that not everyone has a choice of CrossFit gyms. Some folks live in areas with just one -- or many none -- to choose from. (If you're stuck with a bad gym or none at all, you can certainly still CrossFit by stocking up your home gym, but you'll want to be hyper-diligent about learning proper techniques and not overloading yourself with reps or weights until you doing everything perfectly. Definitely do some serious reading about O-lifting, for example, before attempting any kind of heavy lifting.) But in plenty of places -- especially in metro areas in North America -- you can't throw a rock without hitting a CrossFit box. And choosing which one to join isn't easy.

Ideally, CrossFit HQ would implement a consistent audit program to regularly assess the quality of trainers and gyms that fly the CrossFit flag -- and then publish the results for all to see. But until pigs start flying out of my ass, we'll have to settle for the following:

• Read reviews and ask around. Check online for reviews. Yelp is a decent place to start, but you can also post questions on the CrossFit discussion forums about gyms. Or just ask around, and you may very well run across someone at work or in your neighborhood who does CrossFit workouts at a local affiliate. Find out what they think about the gym, the coaches, the community, the class sizes, the equipment -- and most importantly, the quality of the instruction.

• Talk to the coaches -- in person. Visit a box, and ask a coach or trainer about the programming and their experience. Does the box just follow the main site's random workouts? Does it subscribe to a Maximum Effort Black Box Model? What do they think about periodization? Does the gym offer an "on-ramp" program or beginner's classes? What nutritional approaches do they recommend? Do the coaches have training experience prior to doing CrossFit? What certifications do they have? What experience do they have with O-lifting or plyometrics or mobility or rowing or kettlebells? How long have they been doing CrossFit? And frankly, do they appear to be fit and healthy? Or do they look a little, well, soft?

• Try a workout. Not a full WOD (unless you're already an experienced CrossFitter) -- a beginner's workout. The point isn't to get killed; it's to see how the coach guides you through the routine. Does he or she offer the level of encouragement and prodding that motivates you? Does the coach offer instruction on safety, technique and form? Do you find the instruction specific and detailed enough to implement on the fly, or is the coach just yelling: "GO FASTER! MORE INTENSITY!"? Do you want to work out with this person, or punch 'em in the face?

• Shop around. There's a guy in my class who did a trial week with each of three different boxes before signing up with ours. He was able to assess for himself the quality of the coaching, as well as the physical spaces in which classes were held. (Do they have enough equipment? Where do they run? Where do they do wall-balls?) Most boxes will offer a daily or weekly rate, and by shopping around, you'll have the benefit of gaining some firsthand knowledge about the way the gym is run before making a longer-term commitment. (Speaking of longer-term commitments, almost all CrossFit gyms offer pay-as-you-go, month-to-month deals. If you find one that requires the same sort of "registration fees" and long-term contracts that are found in globo gyms, I'd recommend hightailing it out of there.)

These recommendations are obviously not rocket science, but if you're confused about which of several local boxes to join, figuring out the answer isn't always easy. Sadly, without CrossFit HQ taking a more active role in ensuring consistent quality across coaches and boxes, some patience and shoe leather are still required.

But it's well worth the time and effort. I couldn't be happier with my box. (I take that back: If we did a little less rowing, I'd probably be a tiny bit happier.)

Monday's Workout

Vacation's over.

Nausea hit me in the middle of our flight home last night, and despite trying to sleep it off, I still had a churning gut when I woke up at 4 o'clock (2 a.m. Maui time!) to get ready for my CrossFit class. I debated whether to go -- I didn't want to puke (or worse) in the middle of a workout -- but in the end, I decided to suck it up and head on out. (I know, I know -- bad move. M just walked by, read what I wrote above, and told me I'm sick in the head.)

Thankfully, I didn't barf, shit my pants or pass out. I kind of wanted to, though, given the workout that awaited us this morning.

Time Trials:

• 400 meter run
• 500 meter row
• 50 pull-ups
• 50 push-ups
• 50 Abmat sit-ups
• 50 air squats

No strength skill practice today -- just straight-up racing against the clock. We took a few minutes to catch our breath between "events," but the point was to establish a benchmark time on each with which to measure future attempts. To do so, however, meant pushing ourselves to go as hard and fast as possible.

With a bad gut and not enough sleep, this did not sound pleasant. And it wasn't.

Results:

• 400 meter run: 1:25
• 500 meter row: 1:47.2
• 50 pull-ups: 3:25
• 50 push-ups: 1:02
• 50 Abmat sit-ups: 1:16
• 50 air squats: 0:52

The row was the event that really killed me (as usual). Despite having to row just 500 meters, going at a dead sprint meant I spent everything in my tank. Unfortunately, when the needle hit "empty," I still had another 200 meters to go. I was flat on my back afterwards, legs and arms twitching. My pull-ups (the next task at hand) suffered as a result.

Thankfully, I recovered enough for the final three bodyweight movements. They're in my wheelhouse, and quickly becoming my favorite CrossFit exercises. Plus: Unlike some boxes, we have mats in our gym, so I am pleased to report that I am ass-rash free.

Upon finishing my workout today, I came home, changed back into my pajamas, and went back to sleep. How could I not?

(Photo: William Warby)

One Week (So Far...)

Since arriving on Maui a week ago, I've not only stayed Paleo (you can read about our meals on M's blog), but I've also managed to abstain from all artificial sweeteners. Despite a fridge packed with Coke Zeros and other sugar-free (but chemically-sweetened) drinks, and although I brought tons of chewing gum with me, I've kept on the straight and narrow.

(Yes, I've had a bit more fruit than usual, but I'm not sure if this is because I'm craving something sweet, or because I'm on vacation and the pineapple here is really awesome.)

I wonder how long this'll last...

Start Hoarding Your Chocolate

Looks like we're facing a worldwide cocoa shortage. Expensive chocolate'll still be around (and still be expensive), but in the future, the cheap stuff's going to be in short supply.

Thankfully, I barely touch the stuff, and M only occasionally splurges on the bars with 85%+ cacao content. But without cheap chocolate, how are we going to keep our kids in line?

(P.S.: I was going to use the Augustus Gloop photo above for this post, but aren't you glad I didn't?)

Friday's Workout

It's muggy here on Maui today. Perfect for a sweat-tastic workout.

Warm Up:
2 rounds:3 minutes jump rope

• 10 push-ups
• 10 air squats
• 10 pull-ups
• 30 lunges

Strength Skill:

• Overhead Squats (5 sets of 5)

Holy hell -- I'm weak. Granted, this is the first time I've practiced this move outside of a metcon, but even overhead squatting 65 pounds on the barbell was super-challenging. I felt like toppling over every time I descended into the squat, and had to force myself to focus on not turning my knees inward on each ascent. More practice is definitely needed.

Metcon:

For time:

• 15 Clean & Jerks
• 15 Plyo Box Jumps
• 12 Clean & Jerks
• 12 Plyo Box Jumps
• 9 Clean & Jerks
• 9 Plyo Box Jumps

This was a dead sprint. Result: 2:34.

Cash Out:

We flung some ropes around.

And I'm done!

Meat: So Calming

According to researchers at McGill University, "seeing meat makes people significantly less aggressive."

Frank Kachanoff, who studies evolution at the university’s department of psychology, had initially thought the presence of meat would provoke bloodlust, believing the response would have helped our primate ancestors hunt. But in fact, his research showed the reverse is true.

So whenever your blood pressure starts rising, stop, count to ten, and think of this incredibly soothing image:

(Photos: Splorp, Paul Keller)

Friends Make You Fat

Especially Monica.

But really: The people you hang with can drastically impact your body weight and fitness -- "as much as 40-70% percent." Check it.

(Source: Consumerist)