Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow...

Tomorrow's Recess:



That's right, "Annie"!

50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:
Double-unders
Sit-ups

How did breakfast go this morning? Was it a success?

Book suggestion: "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. Debunks the false science behind the calories in-calories-out theory. Not all calories are created equal and get this--people don't get fat because they eat too much, they eat too much because they get fat. Could that be possible? I'll probably be discussing this topic in the near future, however, I highly recommend reading the book.

Monday Funday

Tomorrow's Recess:

10 lunges (each leg) with barbell on back
8 back squats
6 OHS
4 Front squats
2 Muscle snatches--this is a snatch from the waist. If you're not familiar with the muscle snatch, substitute 2 strict shoulder presses.

AMRAP in 20 minutes.

I will be using 75 lbs.

Time's up...

Imagine the Jeopardy countdown music (do..do do.do...do...do...do...dum dum). Hopefully you had some time to look up hyperplasia and learn how our muscles increase in size. In simple terms, hyperplasia is when the muscle fiber splits into multiple fibers. According Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, hyperplasia has been observed in animals, but has yet to be proved in humans. So, we will call hyperplasia a theory until proven (however, in E of S and C, it goes on to state that if hyperplasia does occur, it is extremely rare and only accounts for 10% of muscle growth...to me 10% is a huge number and you would think in order to throw a number like that out there, you would know whether or not hyperplasia actually takes place in our muscles...gotta love it).

Part B of our hyperplasia quiz is a little tricky because it really depends on whether you believe hyperplasia occurs or not. If you are a hyperplasia fan, then the answer would be both increase in muscle fiber size AND increase in number of muscle fibers. I don't want to get that technical, so for all intents and purposes the answer is A) size of muscle fiber increases.

Hope you all are prepared for some protein-packed breakfasts next week. Check our our turkey sausage recipe if you would like.

Photo Source

Real Results

I am going to make a bold statement (not that bold really); are you ready?...The most important part of a physical fitness program, BY FAR, is good nutrition. No matter how good the athlete's programming and dedication is, their results will be extremely limited by poor nutrition. Don't get me wrong, an athlete will see results by hitting it hard day after day with good workouts. However, the physical (visual) results and performance will skyrocket if a strong nutritional base is established. I have noticed significant results in my body and my performance since dialing in my nutrition (if it weren't for poor joints and genes, I would be ready for the CF games this Summer!).

I'm not going to get too detailed on diet in this post, but if you would like to learn more about results-oriented and sustainable nutrition, visit Vibrant Sexy Strong and Whole9.

Okay, with that being said, we are going to make this 4-Week Challenge a little more interesting come Monday. Starting Monday (through the rest of the challenge), follow this regimen for breakfast each morning to give you an edge in your performance and see even greater results at the the end of our 4 weeks (I'm going to try and keep it simple as possible):

1. Eat a lot of high density animal protein (without added sugars, preservatives, etc. if possible)
2. Eat a nutrient-dense vegetables (without added sugars, butter, etc.)
3. Eat some fruit (fresh without any added sugars, preservatives, etc.)
4. Eat a lot of healthy fats (avocados, coconut products, olives, nuts [no peanuts], seeds).

Foods to avoid: Grains and legumes of any sort, dairy, sugar, processed foods

Here's a sample breakfast:
1-3 turkey burgers/sausage (we make these ourselves--cheap and tasty plus you can make enough to last the whole week, so you don't have to make them every morning)
1-4 eggs
1/2 avocado
1 pear or banana

Take advantage of tomorrow and Sunday to prepare your breakfasts for the week. Also, remember to take before and after pics if you haven't already.

Tomorrow's Recess:

Run 1-mile
Skill Practice: OHS

Post time to comments.

Hyperplasia

Quiz.



Part A: What is Hyperplasia and do you believe it is fact or theory?

Part B: Do our muscles get bigger and stronger from
A) Increased muscle fiber size
B) Increased number of muscle fibers
C) Both increased muscle fiber size and increased number of muscle fibers

Winner deserves a cookie.

Tomorrow's Recess:

1 minute double-unders
30 second rest
1 minute box jumps (I will be jumping up 3 stairs; height will be about 22")
30 second rest
6 rounds

Post your total reps (3 single rope jumps count as one double-under rep)

4-Week Challenge

Today's Recess was a new re-beginning. I say that because I'm ready to work and motivated to improve my performance as an athlete, a coach, and a future CrossFit affiliate owner. I also say that because it's been a while since I have had a workout wind me like today's.

I wanted to start the first Recess Time with something difficult, but not discouraging and something that would be long(+/- 20:00 minute range) but not Murph long. I chose two huge weaknesses of mine (OHS and Push-ups) and one strength (DU's). Out of these three movements, I'm assuming you are able to choose at least one weakness and one strength (or at least one movement that you enjoy more than the others).

The purpose of today's recess was to introduce a 4-Week Challenge to improve our OHS, Push-ups, and DU's. During this 4-Week Challenge, Recess time will include workouts that focus on improving squat/core strength(specifically OH Squats), upper body endurance (push-ups), and conditioning and coordination (DU's). At the end of our 4-Week Challenge we will re-visit today's Recess to gauge our performance, the victor is the athlete who cuts off the most time...and to the victor goes the spoils (spoils to be determined, but it will be fit for a true gladiator).

Do you accept the challenge?

I'm looking forward to 2/23/11 (and every day in between); are you?

Tomorrow's Recess:

21-15-9
Thrusters (Front squat/push press hybrid)
Barbell rows
Run 200 meters between each set (example: 21 thrusters, 21 BB rows, Run 200 meters, so you will run a total of 600 meters).

Recess Time

When my grade-school classmates were asked what their favorite subject was, they always surprised me with their answer..."Math" said some, others said Science was their favorite, and others liked Social Studies. Uhhhh, duhhh..."anybody ever heard of Recess time", I would say to myself. I looked forward to Recess more than Christmas. Recess time was liberation from the "establishment", it was a bold demonstration of what our bodies were meant to do, and it was vital to my existence. When I got home from school and went out to play, my Mom would tell me to come home and do my homework. I told her I was doing my homework--Recess homework...and I meant it...I had to get ready for tomorrow's Recess time.

I still love Recess and I'm here to say--Recess isn't just for elementary school kids anymore. Recess doesn't have to end when we grow up and my mission is to bring back Recess...a time to escape the "establishment", a time to run, jump, throw, and lift heavy things--a time to do what our bodies were meant to do.

Tomorrow's Recess time:

20 OH Squats
20 push-ups
50 double-unders
5 rounds for time