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“Eat Real Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.” (2/5)

Missed Part 1?

Read about our 2017 Nutrition Challenge and register here.

What do we really mean by this?

It’s sounds really easy to follow, but is it? In today’s GO! GO! GO! society it’s hard to slow down and pay attention to what we’re really doing.

In yesterday’s post I put up a brUTE Strength podcast discussing 10 things people can do to be consistent. Look that up for tips about staying consistent with the following.

Green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and sausage

EAT REAL FOOD

Nutrient-rich food should be perishable: fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh meats, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, etc.

If you shop around the perimeter of the grocery store you’ll find most of these foods. The aisles contain food-like products (created by science!) that are usually processed and filled full of preservatives and fillers.

Broccoli, sweet potato “pasta”, and grilled chicken

NOT TOO MUCH

Americans tend to overeat. For some, the “eat until you’re stuffed” concept still exists long after high school athletics. You are now an adult who spends the majority of your day stressed out and sitting.

Our guidelines are simple. We use an eyeball method: look at the size of your hand. When building a meal, the protein source should be the size and thickness of your palm. Starches like potatoes, rice, or pasta should also be the size and thickness of your palm. Fill the rest of your plate with vegetables. Cook or dress your food with a healthy fat.

If your t-shirt size is a medium or small then eat 3 plates a day. If large or larger then eat 4 plates a day.

No snacks. Do not “get stuffed.” Do not go for seconds.

“Primalaya” contains many vegetables of many colors. EAT THE RAINBOW!

MOSTLY PLANTS

Most adults do not get enough greens in their systems. These carbs also contain the micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) that are necessary to support healthy body systems. When veggies aren’t a staple of someone’s diet we can see why all these vitamin & mineral supplements are constantly being advertised and sold by the boatload. It’s “easier” to fill in the blanks and take pills for some rather than take the time to show the body some respect and eat cleanly.

Fresh produce is best, but frozen works in a pinch. Buy locally and eat what’s in season.

As we progress through the next couple of weeks we will go in depth with each of these philosophies.

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There is magic in the air – it’s Fall!

Fall is here! Chilly mornings. Warm hoodies. Wool socks. Raindrops on… everything. Pretty leaves. Pumpkins. Short days. Bike lights. Coffee, lots of Coffee. While the weather is encouraging you stay inside, we challenge you to do the opposite! It’s a great time to begin moving with us. Bring your workouts indoors, we can help!

Try it! We are offering a free Community CrossFit class this Saturday (10/7) at 12PM!

This is a free, no obligation class. All levels welcome! Come in to sweat, join for the community!

Depending on your fitness level our Community CrossFit Class can be ‘just sweaty’ or ‘super tough’. We’ll guide you through it. You can RSVP on our online scheduling system, or just show up!

 Our last Foundations On-Ramp Course of 2017 will run October 17th through November 11th. The full course is 12 classes, 4-weeks. Click here for details.

Already an FCF Athlete? Refer a friend and earn a $25 credit for you and your friend! Details here.

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CFTS 17.4: Double Hundo

Victor, Leah, Teddy, Matija J, and Kathy G just hanging out

We’ll be doing a lot of focused hanging work for the month of October. Benefits of hanging work, via Ido Portal:

1. Shoulder/elbow/wrist health and the recovery of the lost ‘overhead reach’ range – promoting optimal range and making use of the upper body as it was designed to be used. By simply allowing gravity to ‘do its thing’ in the passive work or “fighting it” in the active work – one can send a very intense adaptation producing signal into one’s structure. I wonder if we implement hanging work throughout our lives, from young age and into old age and without taking too large of a break what would be the results over the now lost ‘overhead reach’ range and shoulder injury rates.I suspect we would have little need to ‘stretch our shoulders’ any further. Of course shoulder integrity, elbow and wrist/hand/finger health can benefit tremendously from daily hanging as well. (See added section below on the subject)

2. Lead up to pulling work, climbing and more advanced patterns. Hanging sits at the base of those patterns, just like standing does for walking. A deficiency in hanging work will become evident at a certain stage – some get stuck early unable to develop even a single chin up. (very common female problem)

3. Active hang work is especially important tool in certain advanced phases and scenarios – as a plateau breaker for advanced pullers approaching the One Arm Chin Up for example.

4. Grip Strength and Grip Endurance. If you cant grip it – you cant manipulate it/yourself. We have grown weaker all over due to the lack in physical demands in our daily lives. Grip is no different.

5. Creating ‘Terminology’ for future complexity. Hanging work creates awareness and a language of positions that can be later used to put together sophisticated pieces of movement in a variety of scenarios from gymnastics to parkour to tree climbing to rock climbing and more. It is a tool for improvisation and play.

ARTICLES

+ The Foundation is Nutrition – FCF

CrossFit WOD for Tuesday 10/3

in teams of two, for time:
100 calorie row
100 toes-to-bar

muscle-up development

Post time to whiteboard!

HellaFit WOD

Our take on bootcamp workouts, this class challenges you for the entire hour with a blend of strength and conditioning that works all the major muscle groups and focuses on functional movement. HellaFit will get you #hellasweaty while having #hellafun!

CompEx WOD

team sled work

in teams, for time:
40 rope climbs
80 sandbag situps
120 ring dips
160 pistols

Two people working at a time. Perform in any order.

special exercises

Gymnastics Strength WOD

crawling, gatherings, foam rolling, back conditioning, posterior chain stretching, handstands, bodybuilding

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The Foundation is Nutrition (1/5)

Starting next week we will start our Fall Nutrition Challenge where #1 goal is consistency. Can you be accountable to us and track each meal using a good ol’ journal pen + paper, electronic, or otherwise, social media, pictures, etc. Can you have integrity with yourself and treat your body to a new level of respect?

Our plan is simple and it follows the simple guideline written out by author Michael Pollan:

 

Tired of not making progress in your times and lifts? Are you dependent on your morning coffee because of grogginess, lack of sleep (recovery!), and lack of clarity? You’ve already become a more-enlightened mover by taking the time to learn and perform CrossFit. Now we apply it to eating!

Clean nutrition is as simple as something like this:

We want a focus on quality first, quantity second, and then the rest of the rulesets of many popular nutrition plans can come into play. If this is new to you, or your relationship with food is complicated, then let’s keep it simple.

Read more

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Box Sqwaaaaats

KB demonstrates sitting on a box near Vicky B, but this is not a box squat.

This first week of October we start off with some heavily-influenced-by-the-course-I-attended-this-weekend strength work, two classic CrossFit benchmarks, two of the Team Series events, a deadlift max, and rowing workout.

Also we will be sharing a lot of information about our Fall Nutritional Challenge which begins next week! Some of our experienced athletes are starting on some of their nutrition plans now, but we’ll help out all those who are new to the foundation that is nutrition!

CrossFit WOD for Monday 10/2

box squat 10×1

+ special exercises for the hamstrings/glutes, and abs!

Post heaviest squat to whiteboard!

Olympic Weightlifting WOD – Week 4 of 7, Day 1 of 3

snatch complex, pause squats

Kettlebell WOD

Primal mobility

Getup and single arm swing focus

Simple and sinister related finisher

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