13FEB12 Best Shape Of Your Life Day 01
Strength Workout of the Day: Back Squat 8-8-6-6
Workout Of the Day: 3 rounds for time of:
12 Deadlifts 225 lbs
24 Bar Facing Burpees
Guerrilla Nutrition
Just what exactly is a Guerrilla? How many of us actually know? How many of us think it’s a big hairy mammal that lives in the jungle? Well, that my friends, is NOT a Guerrilla. A Guerrilla is a revolutionary, a rebel, someone looking to make a major change in something. Are you a Guerrilla?
With the kickoff of The Best Shape of Your Life Challenge, I challenge you to be a Guerrilla. Be a revolutionary, be a rebel, make major changes…especially in your nutrition. Will it be difficult? Yes, but isn’t anything worth fighting for difficult? What does it say on our whiteboard, what do you read every time you come in for the WOD? “Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.”
There are going to be people who don’t approve of what you’re doing. There will be those who try to sidetrack you and deter your success, ignore them. This is about you and your choices. This isn’t about doing something because some Paleo guru like Robb Wolf told you to. No matter what, you make the ultimate choice about your nutrition, your life.
Every meal planned, every meal prepared, every bite taken should be with thought and purpose. “Will this meal help me reach my ultimate goal?” If the answer is “No,” then you need to re-evaluate. And give some thought to exactly that, what is your ultimate goal; what is your “Why?” It will be different for all of us, and that’s okay. Some of us simply want six pack abs, others have a significant amount of weight to lose in order to eliminate disease and find wellness…and fitness. Maybe you want to be around when your kids are grown, and have their own children. Whatever it is doesn’t matter, it’s yours…but you’ll never get there if you don’t fight.
So start today, be a Guerilla…be a revolutionary, a rebel, make major changes. You owe it to yourself.
I leave you today with a healthier, Paleo version of a traditional Valentine’s Day treat!
Recipe of the Week
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Ingredients:
Chocolate:
1 cup coconut oil
Scant 3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cherries:
4-5oz frozen cherries
1/4 cup raw honey
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 drops almond extract
1.5 tsp arrowroot powder
1.5 tsp water
1) Heat cherries, honey, vanilla & almond extracts in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer.
2) Combine arrowroot powder & water in a small bowl to form a paste.
3) Raise heat and add arrowroot paste to cherry mixture, stir until thickened.
4) Remove from heat, chill in refrigerator.
Next
1) Melt coconut oil in small saucepan over low heat
2) Whisk in cocoa powder, honey & vanilla until combined.
Then
1) Line 2 mini muffin pans, or 1 large muffin pan with paper liners.
2) Spoon a small amount of chocolate into muffin cups swirling the chocolate up onto the sides. Only use 1/2 of the chocolate. Place pan(s) in freezer for 15 minutes.
3) Remove pans from freezer. Spoon a small amount of cherry mixture on top of chocolate layer. Freeze 15 minutes.
3) Spoon remaining chocolate over cherry mixture. Freeze 15 minutes.
Enjoy! These should be stored in the freezer, and papers peeled away carefully or the layers may split.
06FEB12 Guerrilla CrossFit Monday WOD
Strength Workout Of the Day: Back Squat 10-8-6-6-6 @ 60%/65%/70%/75%/80%
Workout Of the Day: 6 rounds for time of:
10 Front Squats 135 lbs
20 Push-up (hand release)
The Skinny on Fat, Part II: Fat as fuel
I think it would be safe to assume that most people believe that carbohydrates are the best source of energy or fuel for the human body. That’s why marathon runners “carb up” with pasta before a big race, right? Well, in today’s post I am going to counter that belief and propose that indeed, carbohydrates are not the body’s preferred fuel but rather fat.
Glucose from the breakdown of carbohydrates is not the preferred fuel of skeletal muscle (you know, those things that move your body), fat is, even when the body is at rest. Sure, if you give the body a never-ending supply of carbohydrates then the body will hum along and burn those up just fine and dandy….probably because that’s all you’re offering it. But, the truth of the matter is, muscles prefer fat as fuel and run more efficiently on it, even cardiac muscle (that’s your heart!). Guess what else? The brain also runs just fine on fat! Maybe even optimally! Entire civilizations have existed for ages on what is practically a zero-carb diet. Think about this: there is actually no requirement for any “essential dietary carbohydrates” in human nutrition.
Ok, so now hopefully you’re getting the picture, fat is a better fuel than carbs. But since everyone is so hung up carbs (dare I say, addicted?), you’re probably wondering how many carbs you should eat a day. If you are in a weight-loss phase, about 50-100 grams a day. For weight maintenance, 100-150 grams a day.
Recipe of the Week
Paleo Bread
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ cup golden flaxseed meal (the jury is out on if it’s Paleo, take it or leave)
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1. Place almond flour, coconut flour, flax, salt and baking soda in a food processor
2. Pulse ingredients together
3. Pulse in eggs, oil, honey and vinegar
4. Pour batter into a greased 7.5″ x 3.5″ Loaf Pan (small or petite loaf pan)
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes
6. Cool and serve
30JAN12 Guerrilla CrossFit knows Squat
Strength Workout Of the Day: Back Squat (low bar)
1×10@60%
1X8 @70%
1X6 @75%
1X4 @80% 2 mins between sets
Workout Of the Day: Seven rounds of:
35 Double-unders 1 Snatch
Make one snatch attempt per round.
The Skinny on Fat
As you make your way through your Paleo journey, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of emphasis is place on dietary fat. In fact, you have probably been encouraged to eat more fat than ever! You might be asking yourself “why?” “I thought fat made me fat.” Well, here’s the skinny on fat, in a nutshell (pun intended).
First things first, you must rid yourself of the thought that fat is evil; this idea is based upon 50-year- old, poorly done research. Now here’s the good news, all that yummy fat is actually good for you!!!
Monounsaturated fats like those in nuts, avocado and olive oil can lower cholesterol and reduced risk of atherosclerosis. Polyunsaturated fats are a little tricky; those found in cold water fish such a salmon are high in omega 3 fatty acids, whereas those in processed vegetable oils are high in omega 6 fatty acids. For optimal health, we should strive to consume a greater quantity of omega 3 vs. omega 6 fatty acids. By consuming too many omega 6 fatty acids in relation to your omega 3 fatty acids, you increase your risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Good reason to take your fish oil supplement daily!
To make it easier here is a list of good healthy fat sources:
Coconut oil
Ghee (made from grass-fed butter)
Animal fats from grass-fed animals
Olive Oil (best for cold use only)
Avocado & Avocado Oil
Nuts & nut butters (sparingly, some are high in omega 6)
Next week’s topic: The Skinny on Fat, Part II, why fat is a better fuel for the body than carbohydrate
Recipe of the Week
By popular demand…
Breakfast Bars
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup almond flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup coconut oil (melted to a liquid)
¼ cup raw organic honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almond slivers
¼ cup raisins
1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and vanilla
3. Stir dry ingredients into wet
4. Mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers and raisins
5. Grease an 8×8 inch Pyrex baking dish with coconut oil
6. Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with water to help pat the dough down evenly
7. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes
Recipe courtesy of www.elanaspantry.com
The Best Shape of Your Life Challenge!
The Best Shape of Your Life Challenge will run from February 13th to March 25th!
You Can Read All Further Information About The Challenge And Register Here:
Once you register you will be emailed everything else you need to know.
Are you up for the challenge?
09JAN12 Guerrilla CrossFit Monday WOD
Workout Of the Day: The Air Force WOD
20 Thrusters, (95/65)
20 Sumo Deadlift High-pulls, (95/65)
20 Push Jerks, (95/65)
20 Overhead Squats, (95/65
20 Front Squats, (95/65)
Each athlete must do four burpees at the beginning of every minute before moving on to the barbell work. The athlete is allowed to move to the next barbell skill once an he/she has completed all 20 reps. If the minute clock beeps during a repetition the athlete will complete their rep and then start their four burpees. There is a 20 minute cap.
Why no grains? (And legumes)
Let’s try and keep this really simple, because it could be easy to get really confused on this one!
Very simply, grains and legumes (including soy) contain a protein called lectin, which is also referred to as an anti-nutrient (sounds delightful, doesn’t it?). The primary function of lectin in a plant is protection. When a predator consumes the plant, the lectin will cause intestinal distress to deter the predator from eating the plant again. Anyone ever get bloated or gassy from a big serving of beans? Lectins can also cause an autoimmune response when consumed by humans, which causes in short, the body to attack itself. To make matters worse these lectins can also damage the walls of the intestines which can then prevent the absorption of nutrients the body needs, hence anti-nutrient. We could talk all day and night about lectins and why grains and legumes can make us ill, and get super scientific with it….but we’ll save that for another day. In short, don’t eat them, they’ll make you sick J
Cauliflower Rice
Steam one head of cauliflower in a steamer/rice cooker or in a stock pot with a steam basket until fork tender.
While the cauliflower is steaming sauté some finely chopped celery and onion over medium heat in about 2 Tbsp. Coconut oil.
When the cauliflower is tender, use a potato masher or ricer to mash the cauliflower down to a rice-like texture, stir in the celery and onions , any other desired spices (get creative) and a little sea salt.
Voila! An awesome grain substitute, I think you’ll be surprised.
03JAN12 Guerrilla CrossFit | Fort Wayne Strength and Conditioning WOD
Workout Of the Day: 15min AMRAP
Ladder up every round – i.e. 1 of each movement, then 2, then 3, etc…
Box Jump (24 in.)
Push-up
Walking Lunge
Finisher: Push Press 1rep Max
“Let’s start at the very beginning…”
“…a very good place to start.”
What is Paleo?
Paleo is generally considered to be the imitation of the diet/lifestyle of our Paleolithic ancestors, the hunter/gatherers. We are not trying to copy exactly what they ate and how they lived, which would be close to impossible in today’s society, but rather reap some of the physical benefits of such a simplistic way of eating.
What to eat:
Meats, nuts, seeds, vegetables, seasonal fruits, some starch (such as sweet potato or yam), and healthy fats. Generally, foods that would have been easily accessible to our ancestors.
What not to eat:
Grains, legumes (including peanuts), sugars/sweets, alcohol, and dairy products. These items would not have been readily available to our ancestors and can in fact make us ill.
My other suggestions:
- Try to have a fat and a protein at every meal, then round it out with vegetables.
- Drink lots of water
- Keep heavy/high starches like sweet potatoes or yams, and fruit for the post-WOD period.
Recipe of the week:
Egg Cups
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 6 slices bacon
- Finely chopped veggies
- Coconut oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil (I like to use a jumbo muffin tin). Use bacon slices to line the inside of the muffin cup, cutting in half if need. In a bowl, combine eggs and veggies with a whisk. Pour mixture into muffin tin. Bake 25 min or until centers are firm.
