No big blog post today…be glad to know!

CrossFit’s hierachy of needs. Everything is better (workouts, sleep, recovery, injuries, health) when you eat well!

\”The Foundation is Nutrition\”

What with all the squat therapy and….just general squatting..maybe you wondered why we do it….A LOT!!

\”Just Squat\”- Glassman

He’ll hate me for doing this… but in case you ever wondered how he got in to it, and see a little of what he does on his travels…take a look! Shame they got the affiliate name wrong though..doh!

Meet Karl Steadman

Omar’s Birthday WOD;

7 rounds for time;

5 box jump (32″/28″)
18 STOH (40kg/30kg)
30 double unders

At some point during the WOD, you have to also run 800m (either in one go, as 2*400m, or 4*200m).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMAR!!

Spend 15 minutes on squat therapy or the hollow position (hollow rocks, perfect ring or bar dips)

5 rounds;

Run 400m
50 squats

Stretch

In a 15 minute window, go as heavy as possible on the following complex (without putting the bar down);
1 Shoulder Press
3 Push Press
5 Push Jerk

Rest 5 minutes

Then, on the minute every minute;
Backsquat 2-2-2-2-2-2-2

Stretch

Lee’s Birthday WOD:

AMRAP in 8 minutes;
13 Lunge walk steps
12 Knees to Elbows
5 Hang Power Clean (60kg/40kg)

Rest 3 minutes

AMRAP in 8 minutes;
13 Lateral burpees (over the bar from the above AMRAP)
12 Kettlebell swings (24kg/16kg)
5 HSPU

Stretch

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUPAFLY!

Squat therapy – spend 15 mins against the wall

30-20-10
Wall ball (10kg/10′, 6kg/8′)
Burpees

Stretch

WoD:

“Angie”

100 Pull Ups
100 Press Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

CrossFit bodies and how they are built!

“I don’t want to get too bulky” ….(the girls)

“I wanna get big and hench”. (the boys)

Sound familiar? Two common things you’ll hear from people possibly debating CrossFit and strength training in general. There is often some misnomers as to the type of physique CrossFit will create so this week we’ll try to arm you with some info to bat at people to clarify what will possibly happen with good eating and kick ass training in CrossFit.

CrossFit has attracted people from many different paths, disciplines and sports and we have to remember that their physiques have predominantly been sculpted (or not as the case may be) from years of training, eating and supplementing..pre-CrossFit. To me there is a difference between a CrossFit created physique and a Men’s Fitness/fitness model body stereotype. People see the athletes at the CrossFit Games and assume those bodies were purely the product of CrossFit. On the most part….it’s a wrong assumption to have, and wrong coat tail to jump on, as in Russell Berger’s journal article ‘Form Follows Function’. In it, there are some amazing shots of the best athletes from the last CrossFit Games held at Aromas and he uses them as evidence of the kind of body CrossFit produces. He conveniently overlooks the possible years of bodybuilding style hypertrophy, created in the time before CrossFit or their S & C enlightenment.  Where sets of 8-15 reps ruled and the gun size was all consuming…and hell maybe even a syringe of something in the butt cheek haha!

I know what you’re thinking…HYPERTROPHY???? I hear that word a lot but not quite sure..errr…hmmm. In a nutshell, it’s the changes in growth and the size of muscle cells prior to things such as weight training.

Ok, so we have two types of muscle hypertrophy that go on that can give different aesthetics where physique is concerned.

SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase in the volume of the non-contractile muscle cell fluid, sarcoplasm. This fluid accounts for 25-30% of the muscle’s size. Although the cross sectional area of the muscle increases, the density of muscle fibers per unit area decreases, and there is no increase in muscular strength (2). This type of hypertrophy is mainly a result of high rep, “bodybuilder-type” training (3).

MYOFIBRILLAR HYPERTROPHY

http://www.ColinMcNulty.com/

(Colin McNulty- one of the few physiques I know created purely by CrossFit/Olympic Weightlifting and good nutrition. Colin went from zero activity for years.. to the above…shame no before pic eh)

Myofibrillar hypertrophy, on the other hand, is an enlargement of the muscle fiber as it gains more myofibrils, which contract and generate tension in the muscle. With this type of hypertrophy, the area density of myofibrils increases and there is a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength (2). This type of hypertrophy is best accomplished by training with heavy weights for low reps (3).

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/52-why-all-muscle-was-not-created-equal.html

In plain English and dumbed down..we’ve got one that promotes SIZE and DEFINITION of muscles but with limited strength gains! The other…. promotes FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH and is the prime area CrossFitters work within. Yes there is shape and size but it can be a bit more subtle than that produced by sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

Another consideration is genetics and your possible SOMATOTYPE FRAME (ectomorphs/mesomorphs/endomorphs) and your dominant MUSCLE FIBRE TYPES. Below are two links that go into these elements. The second link on Olympic Weightlifting and aesthetics is a REALLY good read!

One last thing…and this is for the ladies that seem to think they put on muscle mass really easy or will do if they do CrossFit. Women, cannot produce naturally, the amounts of testosterone required to support excessive sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (bulky muscle). Also, distorted views of what ‘getting too big’ is exactly… are a worry. Definition in your triceps or traps does not signify bulky bodybuilder type muscle. Athletic is how you will look. In my personal experience this is something that appears to be a bigger concern with women and how they are perceived by other women. What men deem ‘too big’ and what women do are two very different perspectives that continue to surprise me! This is one score where ladies cannot point the finger at men for a change. It’s up to these ladies to empower themselves and not associate athleticism with a lack of femininity!

Off you go now kids…and put the world to rights on what CrossFit may make you look like NAKED!!!

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/body-type-training-are-we-slaves-to-our-body-type-genes-39798

http://www.daveearleeliteperformance.com/post/12120885118/olympic-weightlifting-and-aesthetics-part-i

WoD: “Jerry”
Run 1 mile
Row 2k
Run 1 mile

A1 – Clean grip Bench Press 5-5-5-5-5, Rest 2 minutes.
A2 – Max rep Ground to Overhead in 60 seconds, Rest 2 minutes.

B – 3 sets of max rep Deadhang Pull Ups, Rest 60 secs.