Gravity Janes

Nicolé's at the Games - Wrap Up

2009-07-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

There is of course copious material on the CrossFit Games on their web site and elsewhere, so I'll limit my comments here to Nicolé's experience.

My previous posts from the scene were cryptic and a little dis-jointed I know (I was submitting them from my cell phone, typing onto a screen I couldn't even see in the bright sunlight), so I'll try and fill in some blanks here and give you my final thoughts on the event.

Saturday featured 5 events - some single-station movements and some circuits - intended to weed out the bottom tier of the field through 2 elimination rounds. As I previously mentioned, Nicolé survived both of those in spite of a single-rep deadlift event which is clearly not her strongest event. She did enough in the others to keep her in the game through the end of the day. The last event of the day was a wicked wall ball and barbell snatch combo in which half of the remaining women did not finish in the allotted time. No surprise; it was the end of a 9-hour day containing more work than most people get in a week. Nicolé came up a few reps short herself, and thus ended her run.

I can't tell you how proud I am of her and the effort that she gave to this competition. She was most of all smart. She used her experience and intelligence to every possible advantage. Next, she was prepared. No surprises (except for the sledgehammer station) and very little about the outcome that wasn't predictable based on the chosen work and her natural attributes. The only thing left then is heart. And she had it in truckloads. Willing to subject herself to high levels of discomfort for the goal. You have to admire that.

And I am proud of the work we did to get her there. That showed up as great technique and the fact that she exited the competition due to failing capacity and not injury. She is an extremely well-balanced athlete that deserved to be there.

I hope you will all let her know that you followed her adventure and are proud of the courage it took to participate in this merciless competition. She is deserving or our greatest respect and admiration.

8:22a

2009-07-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

The end of the day Saturday was a bit of a whirlwind, which explains the lack of posts until now. Here's a brief review of the last hours of the day:

The specifics of the final workout for Saturday came out at about 4P. I think the individuals that were making that decision were becoming concerned about the shear amount of work that had already been demanded of the competitors and the extraordinarily high level of competition, not to mention the waning day. It was decided that the final workout would be scaled back a bit, and the result was 3 rounds of wall ball (14#/20#, 30 reps) and barbell snatches (45#/75#, 30 reps). The other item of significance is that the wall ball targets were slightly higher than the previous standard, at about 11 feet.

They placed a cutoff time of 20 mins; a deadline which roughly half of the competitors couldn't meet (probably by design). The end of this workout would produce the final cut and reduce the field to 16 men and 16 women from an original field of 150 total.

Nicolé had survived 2 cuts to the field already, and was put up a great effort in this final workout. Time ran out on her with about 20 snatches remaining. This is where her Games competition would end.

I have much more to say about this experience and I will write more about it in a summary blog in the next day or so. But right now I knew that I needed to bring those of you who were following this blog all up to speed as soon as possible. We will be flying back together to Seattle on Sunday, and I'll be back in the gym as usual Monday morning.

3:57p

2009-07-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

The 3rd event is still running, so we're still a waya away from the final event of the day. And there's still some question about the event. We know it will consist of wall ball and barbell snatches, probably 5 rounds for time. But we do not know the rep count for each station. We do know that the snatch load is well within Nic's capacity, so her remaining stamina is the only issue. It has been long hard day already, but she's tough and my confidence in her is high. Her spirits are good.

3:08p

2009-07-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

4th event is done. Row / sledgehammer combo. She rocked. that's just a seat of the pants assessment and I don't have an official standing. She'll definitely finish out the day - then we'll see. Back soon.

12:55p

2009-07-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

3rd heat is done. Nic completed the sandbag run in 1:30. don't know how that will affect her standing yet. she was great. still healthy, but tired. She's already done more in 1 day than anyone should. 2 more heats. check back soon.

11:27a

2009-07-11T11:26:00.001-07:00

On the first heat Nic was nothing short of amazing. among the 70 or so fittest woman on the planet, Nic placed 13th.

The second event was a progressive deadlift. The rapid pace of the lifts makes this a relatively dangerous event. Nic's max to date is 242, and my biggest concern was getting her thru this event injury-free. I'm happy to say we did that. She lifted 225; a load that will drop her standing but leave her in good shape for what's coming.

Next up is a sandbag run - short but uphill. She'll carry 35#. This ought to be another strong event for her. More soon.

11:27a

2009-07-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

07:30a

2009-07-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

from my cell phone. ain't tech grand. Nic is in a pre-comp meeting. she's feeling good and ready to go. first event, a 5 mile trail run, is less than an hour away. More soon.

2009 CrossFit Games, 06:16PM

2009-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday is Nic's first day of competition, but today was not the relaxing day I had anticipated. First off, I had expected to post my first blog from the Games site earlier in the day. That plan was scrapped when we arrived on site and discovered that our base of operations was in a different location than I had been told. The new location had no power, and was lacking in amenities such as tables and chairs. Since I had no secure place to park the laptop, I opted to leave it tucked away in the car. Beyond that I got pressed into service almost immediately by Chef By Design - Nicolé's sponsor - as a grill master when their on site team staffing the food booth became overwhelmed by the crowds. Bottom line, no time for blog posts until now when I am safely back in the hotel room.

Nicolé's traveling entourage includes Steph Aardal, Greg Shugarts, Ceci Lauerman, and me. We arrived at the Games site at about noon, and I escorted Nic immediately to the registration tent. We then proceeded to the medical area to get her photographed and checked over. Her responsibilities for the day were then pretty much over. She spent the rest of the day wandering the site and learning more about her challenges tomorrow while Greg, Steph, and I staffed the BBQ grill for CBR.

Those challenges are now well known: a 7.4K trail run, graduated deadlifts to failure, a 500 meter row / sledgehammer task / 500 meter row combo, another 170 meter run with a 35# sandbag, and finally, a wall ball / barbell snatch couplet. More details on these tomorrow.

I'll try to update this blog from my cell phone if possible, but at the very least I'll provide my own perspective of the day for you at about this time tomorrow.

Picture above is an overview of one of the competition areas with Nic dead center of the picture in the striped shirt. See more photos here.

Wish her luck. And stay tuned.

Departure Day

2009-07-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

2009 CrossFit Games Report #1

This is departure day. In a couple of hours a small group of us will board a plane bound for California and, eventually, on to the Games site. I will use this space to provide reports back to the GJ community on a regular basis between now and Sunday. I will include pictures whenever possible.

It was in January of this year that Nicolé first discussed competing in the Games. Right now my thoughts are focused on how grateful I am that Nicol? has endured these several months of training injury free and on a continual upswing in performance. Her energy is good and she appears remarkably stress free.

I will quite content if she returns home on Sunday in the same condition - no matter what else happens. I'll post again when we arrive tonight.

How Much Is Too Little

2009-04-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the text of Dave's commentary from the CrossFit Radio show on 4/18/2009:

"I have learned many things as a CrossFit coach, among them that teaching people what they cannot do is far more powerful than teaching them what they can do. Put another way, people need to fail to grow.

There is a correlary in diet. Whether we are schooled in Zone or Paleo or some combination of the 2, we tend to fixate on our recommended units of food, in addition to the quality of our food and the macro-nutrient balance. Those of us that are diligent about diet and want to get it right are often the worst about ignoring another valuable diet variable.

Just like with exercise when we focus too much on what we can do - while neglecting to ever determine what we can't do - in diet, we focus on how much food is too much food but we never explore the benefits of knowing how much food is too little. Notice I didn't say we should actually eat too little, I said we should know how much is too little. But it is true that the only way to know that is to actually eat too little for at least a brief period of time.

The process for determining this is a little delicate, but definitely worth the effort.

The important concepts here that may be new to you are:

you must be in control of everything that you put in your mouth -
no mindless eating - not knowing how much food is too little is mindless

humans do best (i.e., perform better) with a quantity of food that is just this side of too little

Therefore, in addition to everything you know about diet and how to create a healthy one, add this to the list; continue to force your quantities down to a point that - however briefly - you know that you are eating too little food. You'll know it just like you know everything else about your health; your energy and your performance will begin to suffer. I trust you pay close attention to that. If you don't, here's yet another great reason to do that.

You'll want to repeat that process about once a year. When you do, you'll be surprised at how little food you need, and at how good you feel when you do it."

February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T06:57:00.001-08:00

Warm Up:

Row 2K

Workout:

A = 25 pull ups, 50 kettlebell swings, 75 sit ups

Squat Cleans, 50 (.25x - .5x bar)

Repeat A

Push Press, 6 min. (.5x)

Repeat A

Chest Presses, 60 (in 5 sets)

Repeat A

Why Chalk

2009-02-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

The text below is posted on the wall of Gravity Janes. I've been asked to post it here for easier reference.

"Used correctly, chalk is an aid to maintaining control of a load. However, chalk can actually compromise your work when used inappropriately.

Here's how you know when and how to use chalk.

Chalk is designed to aid grip integrity that is compromised by maximum loads or reps, skin that is tender from overuse, or where sweat may cause the grip to become slippery. This means that the use of chalk should be limited to addressing one of those problems, not just because it's there.

What most don't understand is that there is a distinct benefit to getting reps without chalk: you will be developing greater toughness that will assist that work in the future. The goal is to not need chalk, or at least need it rarely.

Therefore:

DO NOT...

...automatically head for the chalk bucket before your first rep. This behavior only demonstrates your lack of understanding about the value of chalk.

DO...

...delay the use of chalk until you absolutely need it to continue. This includes pull ups, deadlifts, and any kettlebell work.

...keep the chalk in the bucket. Shake and/or rub off all excess before you remove your hands from the bucket.

...clean up your chalk after the workout.

CHALK ASSISTS WITH...

Maximum loads
Maximum reps
Tender skin
Sweat that compromises grip

When you are asked why you are using chalk, be prepared to explain which of these problems you're addressing at that moment."

Answers from Dr. Sears

2009-02-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I was recently sent this brief Q & A with Barry Sears. I might quibble about the pasta and grain references, but the concepts here are sound. Thought you might enjoy hearing it from someone besides me for once.

Diet Myths Debunked by Dr. Sears

Dr. Barry Sears was recently asked several “True of False” questions from a well known diet blog. His replies are below.

If you eat food after 8 p.m., it will turn to fat.

FALSE: If you eat too many calories at any meal, the excess calories will be converted to fat for long-term storage. Many people tend to eat their largest meal of the day at dinner because they have either skipped meals or eaten meals that were too low in calories before eating dinner. As a result, they are more likely to store the excess calories at dinner as fat. The best strategy is to consume equal-sized meals throughout the day.

You have to exercise to lose weight.

FALSE: There are many good reasons to exercise (better endurance, more strength, reduced likelihood of diabetes and heart disease, feeling good about your self, etc.), but weight loss is not one of those. The extra calories expended in exercise are usually compensated by increased calorie intake to make up for the chemical energy used in exercise. Furthermore, the amount of calories expended during exercise is relatively small compared to benefits of calorie restriction of about 500 calories per day. That being said, exercise is a great way to maintain weight after your desired weight loss has been achieved.

Pasta and bread will make you fat

TRUE and FALSE: Pasta and bread eaten in moderation (especially when combined with non-starchy vegetables and low-fat protein) at a meal, will not dramatically increase insulin levels. It is excess insulin that makes you fat and keeps you fat. However, eating excessive amounts of pasta or bread at any meal will increase insulin that will increase weight gain. A moderate amount of bread or pasta would be one piece of bread or ¼ cup of cooked pasta at any one meal. For individuals who are genetically predisposed to making large amounts of insulin in response to carbohydrates, even these moderate amounts may be too much.

Eating small, frequent meals will boost your metabolism.

TRUE: The reason you eat is to produce adequate levels of the chemical called ATP that is required for survival and movement. The complex transformation of dietary calories into ATP is called metabolism. Any excess calories that can’t be transformed into ATP will usually be stored as fat. The secret of eating small meals is consistency, because if ATP levels drop too low you tend to over-consume calories at the next meal.

Drinking tons of water every day will wash away weight.

FALSE: Excess weight is really excess stored body fat. The only way to remove that is to lower insulin levels so the fat can leave the fat cells and be transformed into chemical energy. In order to keep the body hydrated, you should drink about one-half your weight in ounces of water per day. Unfortunately most Americans are poorly hydrated and that slows down the conversion of fat into ATP.

Kettlebell Cleans

2009-02-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

I put together a circuit yesterday that is worth repeating often. This circuit features double kettlebell cleans (2 kettlebells in unison) and that is the predominant work here. I've included 2 other stations around them to keep the intensity high. If you have a lot of experience with kb cleans this is the time to work with a new load. If you're relatively new to them, you'll get plenty of practice here. Enjoy.

Circuit -

Row, 300
Dbl KB Cleans, 30
Push Ups, 30

x3 (target = 12:00)

Preceed with some deadlifts or high-pulls.

Insane In The Brain

2009-01-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

Click here for your diet read for the day on Omega-6s

Warm Up:

Alt KB Swings, 40
KB Thrusters, 20/20
x 2

Workout:

Shoulder Press, 10 (load = .25x* - .5x)
KB Deadlift, 10 (load = .5x - 1x)
x 2

KB high 2-handed swings, 100 (standard swing load)

Shoulder Press, 10
KB Deadlift, 10
x 2

Pull Ups, 50 (asst = 10 continuous reps)

Shoulder Press, 10
KB Deadlift, 10
x 2

Sit Ups, 100 (any kind)

Shoulder Press, 10
KB Deadlift, 10
x 2

Squats, 100

* X = body weight

Food Is A Drug

2009-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

New workout:

Warm up with a 2K row; target 75% of PR.

Overhear bar hold. Support bar/plates locked out overhead for :30 x 4. Ramp up to maximum load.
Bar Clean, 10 / Pull Ups, 10; reps in 10 minutes (Clean load = .5x)
DB Squat Cleans, 50. Ramp load until form suffers.
Squats, 100. Air squats for time.

Diet Rule #3: Food Is A Drug

Many of you have heard me liken some foods to a low-grade heroin, but have you really taken it to heart. Have y ou really considered whether you might be addicted. I can guarantee you that if you regularly consume sugar, processed (or any) grains, and other high-glycemic carbohydrates, you are most likely addicted to them. To say you're not would be about as believable as the cigarette smoker who smokes everyday, but claims to be able to put them down at will.

Something you may not know is that you can also be addicted to a quantity of food. Most of us who are overfed are well aware of that fact, yet trying to cut down on portion size can be just as unsettling as putting down the cigarettes.

If you want to drop body fat you must address both the quality and quantity of your meals. Be in control. Or be controlled.

Double Kettlebell Cleans

2009-01-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

Double Kettlebell Cleans, 20 reps; m/16Kg, w/8Kg
Double Kettlebell Cleans, 20 reps; m/24Kg, w/12kg or 16Kg

Alternate the above stations for 4 rounds.

Plus, do 100 paralette push ups and 10 max length tuck sits.

Deadlifts

2009-01-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Get warm-up before beginning.

Deadlifts, 10 reps / Push Ups, 30 reps x 4
Load: 10rm
Hi-Pulls, 1 min / Wall Ball, 1 min;
alternate stations for 3 min, rest 1 min, alternate station for 3 minutes
Loads: hi-pulls = .5x, wall ball = m/20, w/10
Score = total reps
Dbl KB Cleans, 120
Loads: m/16Ks, w/12Ks
Score = time to completion

Selma

2009-01-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Overhead squats, 10 rm

Selma

Ab Mat 6 mins.

Do your workout in this order. Selma is a 3-round session of kettlebell snatches and pull-ups as follows:

Round 1 = 21 reps kb snatches, right hand; 21 reps kb snatches, left hand; 21 reps pull-ups
Round 2 = 15 reps kb snatches, right hand; 15 reps kb snatches, left hand; 15 reps pull-ups
Round 3 = 9 reps kb snatches, right hand; 9 reps kb snatches, left hand; 9 reps pull-ups

If you don't have an Ab Mat, any kind of sit up will do.

Diet Rule #2

Nothing else that you can do in your life: no amount of exercise, no pill, no positive thinking, no nothing - can undo the damage from a bad diet.

I hear all the time from otherwise intelligent people, "I'll just eat this piece of pie, and then work out an extra 15 minutes." Or, "why should I care about my diet, I exercise a lot."

If you have ever had similar thoughts, I hope that Rule #2 will change your thinking. The fact is that you can and will completely sabotage the goal of fitness with a poor diet.

You must first learn, and then practice, a perfectly supportive diet if your goal is fitness. Or, never ask why you're over-fat and under-performing.

Jackie

2009-01-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

Begin the workout with (6) 3-rep sets of deadlifts. Target your 3RM based on an old number, or a new one that you'd like to achieve. Work backwards in 6 increments to set your loads in increasing weights from the first set to the 6th. The 6th is where you'll attempt your target. Then -

Circuit "Jackie"

Row, 1K
Thruster, 50 reps (.5x)
Pull Ups, 30

Score = time to completion

Diet Rule #1

Before anything truly constructive can begin regarding your diet choices, an over-riding principle must be accepted. That principle is that diet can never have weight-loss as its primary goal. When weight loss is the primary goal of a diet, your path will inevitably stray from that of health.

I'm sure you know by now that weight loss can be achieved in numerous ways, but only one of them has prime health as an additional benefit. All of the others will stray from health in the pursuit of weight loss. You need only a pulse to have seen evidence of this somewhere in your experience, yet many of us continue to think that we're doing the same thing differently.

Human performance is the only constructive goal for your diet. When this is present, a lean body composition is inevitable, but the pursuit of it will never sacrifice your health. Please ponder this as you begin to change your diet choices and the truth of it will become more clear as your knowledge grows.

Push Jerks

2009-01-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Circuit -

Front Squats, 50
Row, 500 (meters completed divided by 10)
Push Jerks, 50
KB Swings, 50

Score = Reps in 45 mins. (i.e., 200 reps/round + partial round, if any)
Target = 600 (3 complete rounds)

Notes:

Push Jerks are off the shoulder behind the head
Score for interrupted row session is completed meters divided by 10
Push Jerk & KB load = .25x
Front Squat load = .5x

Dumbbell Clean & Thruster combo

2008-12-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

10 x 10 Pull Ups (10 hard reps, break up 10 sets over the course of the workout)
DB Cleans / Thruster; 6 min. (20 - 50 lb dbs)
Deadlift, 3 / Snatch, 12; x 6 (min dl load = 1x, min snatch load = .25x)

Power Cleans

2008-12-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

Tabata Circuit; :60/:30 x 3ea

Push Press; 45/65
DB Cleans; 40/60
Push Ups

Ab Mat Sit Ups, 100
Power Cleans, 50 (65 - 115#)

The Tabata circuit is scored on the least # of reps performed during any of the 9 segments. A good target is 25.

The ab mat sit ups can be combined with the power cleans for a timed circuit (target = 10 mins.), or performed separately with an emphasis on technique for the cleans and time for the sit ups.

Row 500m

2008-12-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

500m Row
Tabata Squats
Circuit: (kb loads = 16 / 32; box jumps = 18 / 30)
50 Kettlebell Swings
50 Box Jumps
50 Kettlebell Swings