Thursday, 11Mar10

Tabata Boxing   

A timed 1 min work / 15 sec rest / 1 min rest between each of the 2 rounds. The last 30 seconds of each exercise, the bag punchers, and only the bag punchers, will do a movement called out by the trainer.

• Jump squats w/ 9# body bar
• B-A-G
• Quick alternating step-ups
• Jumping  jack burpees
• B-A-G
• Hit Mitt w Juan
• 25# Plate front raise
• B-A-G
• KB suitcase Deadlifts
• Band punches to bag on ground
• B-A-G

Finding the Good in Sat Fats

By: Jordana Brown

March 9, 2010

What type of sat fat can aid in weight loss and boost metabolism? The kind you should add to your diet immediately.

In some schools of nutritional thought, good and bad rule. Fat is bad, carbs are good, and too much protein and too few carbs are dangerous. But a bodybuilder’s diet is more about shades of gray: Generally speaking, no one nutrient or food is all bad or all good. Sure, some things are more bad than others; for instance, it’s hard to find anything good about trans fats. But on the whole, a bodybuilding diet tends to be more forgiving.

Here’s a good example. Most people know saturated fats are bad…except they’re not. At least, not always. It’s true that sat fats are more likely to be deposited in fat stores – not to mention your arteries – but that’s more of an issue when a large proportion of your diet is made up of carbs.

In a low-carb diet, however, there’s room to eat more fat, since the calories you’re not getting from carbs have to be replaced somehow. We generally recommend you focus on healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, peanut butter and salmon, but there’s always room for a good steak, and every bodybuilder’s breakfast should include more than one egg.

Another reason mainstream advice on saturated fats is misguided is that not all sat fats are the same. In fact, some aren’t readily stored as fat and don’t contribute to heart disease risk. They’re called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) because their chemical structure is shorter in length than other fats, and they’re found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil.

MCTs’ size allows them to do things that other fats can’t, one of which is be directly absorbed into the bloodstream after ingestion. Most fats go through a slow, laborious digestion process before they can be burned or stored, but MCTs bypass all that. They also skip right past the steps other fats have to take to be transported into cells to be burned. The end result is that MCTs are burned as fuel much more readily than other kinds of fats, which means they’re less likely to join fat stores.

MCTs also exert an influence on bodyfat that goes beyond this quirk. In study after study, scientists have found that consuming MCTs is directly linked to a reduction of bodyfat and an increase in energy expenditure (metabolism). In a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, subjects who consumed 10 grams of MCTs at breakfast, lunch and dinner saw a greater increase in metabolism than subjects who consumed 10 grams of long-chain triglycerides, a type of fat found in olive and corn oils. Another study, published in Obesity Research, found that fat-burning increased and bodyfat decreased among subjects eating MCTs.

Despite all of MCTs’ apparent benefits, some doubt remains regarding their potentially deleterious effects on cardiovascular disease risk. They are, after all, saturated fats. Yet when scientists compared MCT oil consumption as part of a 16-week weight-loss diet with olive oil (which contains primarily healthy monounsaturated fats) consumption, they found no negative effect of either oil on blood glucose levels, cholesterol or blood pressure.

The upshot is that MCTs are enormously different from other saturated fats. Try taking 1 tablespoon of MCTs once a day, with food, and work up to 1-2 tablespoons 1-4 times per day.

Wednesday, 10Mar10

Fat Burner & Conditioner

6 rounds of 20 w / 10 sec rest

Complete all 6 rounds before moving on: Take 1 minute rest between each station

• Dynamic squats
• Reclines
• Single leg Jump rope (alternating between rounds)
• DB Lateral lunges with an Overhead Press
• Box Jumps
• One arm push-up on knees   

Let’s check on some CrossFitters and see what kind of work outs their doing these day’s:

Laurie Galassi and Dave Leys from CrossFit Santa Cruz do their WOD – video [wmv] [mov]

Can you hang like they do?

Tuesday, 09Mar10

Kettlebell Strength and Core Conditioning

Complete for time: 

Challenge yourself in this routine by going:  As Fast As Possible  &  As Heavy As Possible
30 Kettlebell swings
30 Sit-ups (Full)
25 Kettlebell swings
25 Sit-ups
20 Kettlebell Swings
20 Sit-ups
15 Kettlebell Swings
15 Sit-ups
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Sit-ups
5 Kettlebell Swings
5 Sit-ups

 Kettlebell swing   

  Sit-ups. Let’s do it !!!

Monday, 08Mar10

Day Class = 11:00am ROD

5 rounds of 40/20 on the 

• Jumping pull ups
• Dumbell push presses
• kettlebell clean/squat
• Mountain Climbers
• Rower

_____________________________________________

Strongman Monday Night         

6 rounds of 20 seocnds work/10 seconds rest at each station

Finish all 6 rounds before moving on.

Take 1 minute rest between each station

• Sandbag cleans / alt shoulders 
• Deadlifts w 155#
• Dbl Kettlebell swings
• Dbl KB Front Squats 
• 30 lb dumbell push press
• Tire Flip

Sunday, 07Mar10

R-E-S-T Day

 Results of yesterday’s workout;  Insanity Saturday

• Chris : 13:20
• Juan : 13:55
• Joe: 16:20
• Pauline: 17:04
• Tom: 18:26

These numbers in no way reflect who is better, but a PR (personal record). Our workouts and encouragement will make these numbers change so that future PR’s improve with continued participation in this program.

Here are a couple of interesting articles you should read.

“Aspirin: A Blockbuster Therapy for Breast Cancer Survivors?” by Dr. Bernadine Healy, US News and World Report.

“It’s Exercise in Disguise“ – CrossFit Kids at the Arnold, by Josh Jarman, The Columbus Dispatch.

Saturday, 06Mar10

Insanity Saturday

For time:
80 squats
40 Kettlebell swings
20 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row
64 squats
32 Kettlebell swings
16 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row
50 squats
24 Kettlebell swings
12 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row
32 squats
16 Kettlebell swings
8 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row
16 squats
6 Kettlebell swings
4 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row

  The boy’s at play 

   Cudo’s Nick!!!  When Nick first came to us he could not jump a 12″ Box. He was very frustrated watching all the other boy’s jumping boxes which were higher than he could jump. This was less than 6 weeks ago. Nick is a motivated athlete and with a lot of work he now can jump a 28″ box with air to spare, as seen in the picture. We couldn’t be happier with Nick’s progress and the progress of all of the boy’s of this class.

Friday, 05Mar10

Fit Friday

It’s about your GPP and how Nxt Level Performance can get you there! 

The Low Down on GPP Training

GPP stands for General Physical Preparedness. In easy-to-understand terms GPP can be defined as a preparedness phase, in which work capacity is increased to meet the demands of the upcoming program. All training is based on increased work capacity at some point. The type of GPP an individual will perform should be dictated by what they are trying to achieve. In other words, GPP should serve a purpose. Performing regular aerobics does not qualify. GPP focuses on all general aspects of training. It can help improve your cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, strength, speed, agility, power, balance, stamina, coordination and accuracy.

GPP exercises should revolve around incorporating as many muscles groups as possible. Integrated movements require multiple muscle groups to act together which in turn places a greater demand on the cardiovascular system. In addition, it will serve to increase the efficiency of various movement patterns (an increase in coordination will lead to an increase in strength levels). 

Just like big, basic compound movements are almost always more beneficial than sissy isolation exercises, GPP exercises should involve as many muscle groups as possible. Therefore, the cardiovascular demand will be greater and the performance of more muscle groups will increase. Exercises such as squat thrusts, medicine ball throws and squat jumps are excellent examples.

If you haven’t been performing any GPP exercises in your workout program, keep in mind that these exercises do not need to be performed to the point of nausea. Instead, stick to an intensity that keeps your heart rate between 65-75% of max heart rate for 10 minutes. Over time, increase the intensity, not the duration. The goal is to build up to 85% of max heart rate for 10 minutes straight. Any time frame longer than 10 minutes might start to eat away your hard-earned muscle.

GPP training is an excellent way to accelerate recovery from a previous workout and induce fat loss. You can either perform your GPP exercises at the beginning or end of workout. If fat loss is one of your goals, perform the GPP training after your strength training assault. Perform GPP training on your “off” days to accelerate recovery.

Training Gloves (Revised)

We suggested that you purchase the Everlast Gel Gloves  on yesterdays ROD. However, Gel Gloves  are not made to hit  heavey bags or target mitts.  Gel Gloves are a alternative to wraps are to be used underneath boxing gloves.

If you are looking for a glove that will allow you to hit heavy bags, target mitts  and perform movements that require you to remove the gloves,  I suggest that you purchase MMA gloves like the pair shown below.

Thursday, 04Mar10

Tabata Boxing

A timed 1 min work / 15 sec rest / 1 min rest between each of the 2 rounds. The last 30 seconds of each exercise, the bag punchers, and only the bag punchers, will do a movement called out by the trainer.

• Resisted Bear Crawl to cone
• Punching Bag
• Half Burpees
• Thrusters
• Punching Bag
• Freestyle Mitt (Juan)
• Reverse elbow plank hold  
• Punching Bag
• Heavy KB Swing
• Band Snap Downs
• Punching Bag

Training Gloves

During the Tabata Boxing we supply the hand wear for the punching bags. These gloves, though they are good training gloves, are not ideal for “Tabata Boxing”. During Tabata Boxing, we do other movements which require free hand movement. We find that most members are uncomfortable taking the boxing gloves on and off in order to meet the demands of the exersises and most find this cumbersome and frustrating.

We suggest that you purchase the Everlast Gel Gloves (see pic below). They are reasonably priced at your local sports or department store. It is more sanitary and less cumbersome, allowing for a more fluid transition through the exercises which allows for a more enjoyable workout. Just hit on one of the gloves below to locate a store where you can purchase these gloves.

       or       for more padding

Wednesday, 03Mar10

Repeat of Tuesdays ROD … Enjoy

Perform each movement in each triplet for 20 seconds non-stop for three rounds.

Complete one triplet, rest for 1:30 and move on to the next triplet and do the same.

Go through each triplet at least 2x’s.

Triplet #1

• Kettlebell clean R
• Kettlebell clean L
• Mountain climbers

Triplet #2

• Kettlebell high pulls
• Kettlebell thrusters
• Forearm to plank push-up

Triplet #3

• Air squats
• Half burpees
• Star jumps  

During the last three months we have been training the boys baseball team with positive results. Here are some of the cast.

 Alex     Michael    Kevin

 Tom    Nick            Tom

These guys have come a long way, and I feel sorry for their opponents this baseball season.

Tuesday, 02Mar10

Tuesday Triplets

Perform each movement in each triplet for 20 seconds non-stop for three rounds.

Complete one triplet, rest for 1:30 and move on to the next triplet and do the same.

Go through each triplet at least 2x’s.

Triplet #1

• Kettlebell clean R
• Kettlebell clean L
• Mountain climbers

Triplet #2

• Kettlebell high pulls
• Kettlebell thrusters
• Forearm to plank push-up

Triplet #3

• Air squats
• Half burpees
• Star jumps  

The Nxt Level Performance dietary suggestion is as follows:
 

Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load.
Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.

What Should I Eat?
In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.

The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition
Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. Search “Google” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with High Intensity Interval Training.

What Foods Should I Avoid?
Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.

What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The Nxt Level Performance recommends a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.

Caloric Restriction and Longevity
Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake. “Caloric Restriction” is another fruitful area for Internet search. The Nxt Level Performance recommendations are consistent with this research.