Science is Hot: Fat Loss Edition

This is the second post is our "Science is Hot" series, featuring Mathieu Lalonde, a chemist with a lifelong interest in nutrition and human performance. As a reminder, Matt obtained his bachelor's degree in science with a concentration in chemistry from the University of Ottawa (Canada), and a PhD in organic chemistry at Harvard University. He is currently pursuing post-doctoral studies in inorganic chemistry at Harvard. (Translation: Matt is scary Smart.) In addition, Matt has a real gift for translating complicated and highly technical concepts into practical, applicable advice tailored specifically for CrossFit athletes.

Our first Science is Hot post came from some conversations I had with Matt while hanging out at the Science Exercise Certification in January. Over the course of the next few weeks, that post received more hits than any other entry in the history of this blog. Because of the response, and as a result of the huge number of questions I've been responding to lately about performance, nutrition and fat loss, the second post in this series deals specifically with that subject.

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Let’s talk about fat loss. Isn’t it just a matter of “calories in, calories out?”

“Calories in, calories out” belongs on the shelf of flawed hypotheses, right next to “a calorie is just a calorie”. Gary Taubes does a good job of debunking these myths in his book entitled 'Good Calories Bad Calories'. The "calories in, calories out" hypothesis arises from the application of thermodynamics to the human body. Energy conservation tells you that:

ΔE= Ein – Eout

Where ΔE is the change in energy, Ein is the energy intake (typically in units of calories), and Eout is energy expenditure. From this simple equation, it appears that weight loss should occur if energy expenditure exceeds energy intake. In other words, a caloric deficit (i.e. ΔE is negative) must be created in order for weight loss to occur. Wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple?

The problem with “calories in, calories out” is that Ein and Eout are assumed to be independent variables - that you can reduce Ein without changing Eout. In reality, the two variables are somewhat dependent. For example, if an individual consumes an amount of calories that is near or below starvation levels, the individual's basal metabolism will decrease in an attempt to conserve energy. In this case, reducing Ein led to compensatory decrease in Eout. (This is why diet and exercise are such a powerful combination; exercise allows one to increase Eout.)

But even then, things aren’t that simple, right?

Right. Treating the human body like a motor completely ignores all of endocrinology; the hormones involved in the mechanisms of energy storage and release. Therein lies the real flaw of the “calories in, calories out” hypothesis. When endocrinology is ignored, it is easy to think that fat people are fat because they don't exercise or they eat too much. For some folks, that is true. But for people with metabolic syndrome who suffer from chronically elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance, the opposite is true. Taubes' genius lies in the fact that he was able to properly identify the cause and the effect. If someone has chronically elevated insulin levels or insulin resistance, fat stores are not accessible for energy. In this case, fat people don't exercise because they are fat, or eat too much because they are fat. Obesity is the cause; lethargy and hunger are the effect. Everything gets turned on its head.

So what about “a calorie is a calorie”?

"A calorie is a calorie" is simply incorrect because it also ignores endocrinology; in this case the food’s effect on human hormones. The source of the calories is just as important, if not more, than the total number of calories itself. A common cause of insulin resistance and elevated levels of insulin in the bloodstream is excess consumption of refined carbohydrates. If individuals with chronic insulin resistance try to lose weight by simply cutting calories or exercising without changing their diet, they will end up losing muscle mass as opposed to fat. On the other hand, if someone with a diet consisting mainly of insulin-spiking foods (sugar, starch, bread, dairy, etc..) switches to a diet consisting mainly of lean meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar, no grains, no dairy, no legumes ("Paleo"), then weight loss may occur even if the diets are isocaloric (i.e. have the same amount of calories).

This becomes apparent when high-carbohydrate low-fat diets are compared to isocaloric high-fat low-carbohydrate diets. People on 1,500 calorie high-fat, low carbohydrate diets lose weight and feel better than people on the same calorie high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. In fact, cases of severe dementia as the result of 1,500-calorie low-fat high-carbohydrate diets have been documented, while people on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet have excellent biomarkers of mental and physical health.

Why is a higher fat diet so important if you’re trying to lose body fat?

Fat makes it much easier to live on a caloric deficit. The consumption of fat causes the release of various compounds that tell your brain you are no longer hungry. Fat consumption also changes the expression of a gene that synthesizes adropin, which plays a role in energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism.

In addition, fat consumption triggers the release of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine, which inhibits food intake, and foods that are high in fat also have a much lower insulin response when compared to foods high in carbohydrates. This is why Robb Wolf recommends cutting out carb blocks and replacing them with fat blocks for people who are always hungry on the Zone. Not only does subbing fat for carbs prevent hunger, but it also increases the caloric content of the diet.

Fat is also responsible for the synthesis of a variety of hormones. Interestingly, it has been shown that high fat diets have a vitamin sparing effect compared to high carbohydrate diets. Most importantly, as long as fat is available for fuel, the body will not catabolize muscle for energy. So the consumption of fat also has a muscle sparing effect.

But we do need SOME carbs.

Yes. Ideally, one would only want to consume enough complex carbohydrates to be able to perform optimally during exercise, with the remainder of the calories consisting of protein and fat. Eating only as many complex carbohydrates as absolutely necessary is especially true if the carbohydrates are coming from insulin spiking sources such as bread. (You shouldn’t have to worry about your intake of vegetables, however.)

So what’s going on with CrossFitters who write to me, saying they CrossFit 3/1 and are only eating 1,400 calories a day… and STILL don’t seem to be losing fat?

There could be a lot going on here. First and foremost, what are these CrossFitters eating? If it’s high carb, low fat, then I’m not surprised. If they are eating Paleo (meat, vegetables, low fruit, with plenty of healthy fats), then the problem might be elevated cortisol levels due to too much stress. Stressors include one or a combination of too few calories (i.e. starvation), too much exercise, not enough sleep, as well as a variety of other work or life related factors.

Assume a CrossFitter is already on a solid Paleo diet. How do they know if they need to eat MORE or LESS to jump-start fat loss?

It all depends on how much they were eating to begin with – this one is trial and error. If they were eating too much, caloric restriction might see them leaning out and performance could improve. If they were eating the right amount of food and cut more calories, they might get sluggish and become more likely to over train (or under recover). The problem isn’t necessarily one of basal metabolism, which tends to slow down when a significant caloric deficit is created, but rather of energy stores. If food intake is insufficient for replenishment of muscle and liver glycogen, intense bouts of exercise such as CrossFit may become somewhat more challenging. That is because the amount of glycogen used by the body increases with the intensity of the exercise. The glycogen stores of someone on a low calorie diet may not be able to supply sufficient quantities of glucose to maintain a high level of intensity for the duration of the workout. The same can be said of individuals who have to resort to a very low carbohydrate diet (i.e. just meat and vegetables) in order to lose body fat.

Low glycogen stores aside, burning fat for energy (Krebs cycle) requires more oxygen than burning glucose. When oxygen demand is high, such as during most CrossFit workouts, the body will shift energy sources in order to use oxygen as efficiently as possible. If glucose, from glycogen, is not available, fat will be burned for fuel… but less oxygen will be available to the muscle. (As an aside, the purpose of a post workout meal consisting of complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes is to replenish spent glycogen stores.)

So if you’re eating to lean out, can you still maintain performance? Or is there always a trade-off?

It depends on food quantity and quality. If you have a small caloric deficit, your performance might actually improve as you lose body fat. This has been shown time and again by many who follow ‘The Zone Diet’ or ‘Paleo/Zone’. Unfortunately, ‘The Zone Diet’ doesn’t work for everybody. In the case, a ketogenic cyclic-low-carbohydrate diet is typically the way to go. Decreased performance is almost a guarantee here, however, given that the point of the diet is to deplete glycogen stores to allow fat to be burned for fuel. The cyclic nature means that you gorge on complex carbohydrates at specific meals and specific times in order to replenish spent glycogen stores. A male CrossFitter on a Paleo diet with an already low body fat level between 10% and 15% can further decrease his body fat level with a ketogenic cyclic low carb diet, but performances will suffer to some extent. You can find a great description of a CLC diet in Rob Faigin’s Natural Hormonal Enhancement.

How do I figure out how much I need to eat to cut body fat without sacrificing muscle?

If you exercise regularly and your protein consumption is adequate for the amount of exercise that you perform, it is unlikely that you will lose a significant amount of muscle mass. The amount of food required will be found through trial and error, sticking with each “phase” for two weeks to one month before evaluating the effectiveness and making changes. Exercising during this whole process is key. Here is what I would recommend.

1. Use the Zone Calculator to determine your protein intake. Have protein at every meal to meet this intake and use lean meat (preferably grass-fed), fish and sea food, poultry and wild game as well as eggs as your main sources of protein.

2. Eliminate highly refined and sugar laden foods from your diet. Replace some of the calories with foods containing good fats like olives, avocados, coconut, nuts and seeds.

3. Eliminate foods made from grains or grain-like substances (such as buckwheat). Breads, cereals and pasta are the number one targets here.

4. Eliminate dairy.

5. Eliminate legumes.

6. Eliminate dried fruit and fruit juice. Try to eat more vegetables than fruit. If you eat fruit, make it fresh fruit.

7. If you are down to lean meat, eggs, fish and seafood, poultry, vegetables and good fats and still not losing body fat, then slowly cut the calories from fat until you start to lose weight.

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In summary, food quality ("Paleo") is both the most important factor in your diet - and also where you'll see the most bang for your buck. Fat is your friend. The Black Box is important - get your quality in line, then start playing around with quantity and macronutrient proportions. Change things one at a time, so you'll know what's working and what isn't. And recognize that for most of us, in the quest for fat loss and the perfect six pack, at some point, there ARE performance trade-offs.

Post any follow-up questions to comments. Matt will do his best to answer them, but is leaving on Friday for the Eastern Canadian Qualifiers. If I can, I'll pick up where he left off, or I'll recruit Dallas to help out (since almost everything I know about diet and nutrition, I first learned from him).

Best of luck this weekend, Matt, and thanks for dropping more of your Science-y genius on us.

Easy for you to say

As you know, I've been talking about diet an awful lot lately. I'm posting my thoughts here, responding to emails and doing some nutritional coaching for a few folks. I'm in danger of becoming the "Eat More Girl", I'm afraid, as it seems like that's what I start 90% of my conversations with. But I honestly wouldn't be giving out that advice if the Adidas Sambas didn't fit.

People are responding positively, especially when they take my advice and it works. But I'm also getting a little bit of the, "Easy for you to say..." too. As in, "Easy for you to say, you're already lean." Or, "Easy for you to say, you're not trying to lose weight." So I'd like to set one thing straight here, and hopefully provide a little tough love inspiration.

This diet stuff was NOT easy for me to say. I did not start off with the perfect diet, I did not start off lean, and I did NOT start off strong. I started off, as Dallas puts it, "Really weak and skinny fat". My muscles were non-existent, I thought 10# dumbbells were heavy and believed bagels with light cream cheese to be a good breakfast food. Getting started on a diet that would support CrossFit was NOT easy for me, nor is it going to be easy for YOU. In general, your diet is HARD WORK. It requires constant attention, evaluation, refinement. It requires research, education, dedication. And it requires the patience of a hungry, cranky, information-overloaded saint.

I started improving my diet in small steps. At Dallas' urging, I began eating vegetables, tried to get in more regular meals and upped my overall calories. I hung out there for a while, until that felt comfortable and I started to feel and see some positive effects. That motivated me to do some more research, and ask Dallas for more help. I started eating more "real" food, started cutting back on the grains and sugars and began to eat some good fat. Making those quality improvements led to fast results... but I had so much success (dropping fat and building muscle) that I became a little overzealous. I got mixed up in all that Zone Gone Bad nonsense and backslid for a few months. I was eating too little and training too hard, and I got scary skinny and lost a bunch of strength. NOT the progress we were looking for.

I regrouped, and started over. Grains, sugars and dairy - gone. More vegetables. LOTS more fat. My quality was dialed in, but I was a little off in my proportions. I was eating too much fat, and after a month, I started getting soft. But my lifts were better, and I felt better, so I stayed there until I rid my brain of its "six pack" obsession. Then, I started experimenting again. I cut my fat back a little, upped my protein and started slowly cutting back on carbs. I hung out there for a while, tweaking my proportions gradually. I leaned out a little, and continued to gain strength.

Then, I started bonking on some workouts, and noticed some energy flags throughout the day. So I started adding more fat (again), and implementing IF a few days a week. I played with my meal times and fast times, made sure I got all my calories in every day and hung out there for a while. (Noticing a trend here?) IF seemed to pull it all together. My lifts kept getting better, I was happier with my new, more filled-out frame and my energy was super consistent all day. I stayed there for a LONG time.

But, of course, there is no stasis. My body continued to change - more muscle, more weight - and eventually, my gym performance showed me that my food intake and macronutrient proportion were no longer "ideal". Time to rework it... again. My latest plan includes more fat, higher quality protein, a reduction of IF days, and the introduction of a higher carb post-workout meal. I'm a week into it, and will stay here for another week or two and see how things go.

See where I'm going with this? None of this has been "easy". It's hard work, and an awful lot of effort. I black box on myself CONSTANTLY, to figure out what's going to work and what isn't. There are so many factors - dairy or no dairy? More fat or more carbs? More calories, or less calories? It can, and frequently does, get overwhelming, and it would be so much easier to throw up my hands and just EAT. But my diet allows me to perform, and be healthy, and be fit, so I put in the constant effort.

If you CrossFit, you are no stranger to hard work and effort. A few months ago, I wrote about putting that same hard work and effort into your recovery... and today, I'm writing about putting it into your DIET. I'm not saying you have to weigh and measure, track and analyze. But I am saying you need to educate yourself, be patient and be prepared for an awful lot of trial and error before you find the exact combination that works for you. And even then, be prepared to repeat the cycle ad nauseam, because things are always changing.

I'm happy to answer your questions, and REALLY happy to be able to help you skip some of the mistakes I made with my own diet by pointing you in a better direction. But as for any of this being "easy for me to say", I assure you, there's a lot of grief, frustration and more than a few mistakes behind every last piece of advice I'm dropping on you. But I'll also say this... When you get it right, and things just click, it's like you won the lottery. So stick with it. Be patient. Keep experimenting, slowly, tweaking one thing at a time. You'll get there. And when you do, for a while at least, it WILL feel easy.

Hot Chicks Doing Pull-Ups: Laney and Rachel

I've got a ton of video on deck, but today I'm going to feature just two very special hot chicks doing pull-ups... lots of 'em.

Laney Coyne is a CrossFitter, Parkourista (how cool does that sound?) and trainer from Portland, OR. She found my blog and linked back to me, which is how I found her blog, where she says: "... (got some) inspiration from my new favorite pseudo-friend (basically, a girl I came across online, she has no idea that I exist, but I wish we were friends) Melissa Byers and her blog Byers Gets Diesel." I thought that was hilarious, because that's pretty much how I felt about all MY fitness girl-crushes (like the fabulous Fawn Friday). So I got in touch with Laney and now we are friends for real.

Laney sent me this note, after my first "Hot Chicks" post: "What up sister~ Love the post on hot chicks doing pullups... the ladies definitely deserve props for accomplishing this! As a trainer I strive to make women believe that getting their pullup is possible! When I started CrossFit in October 2007 I could do one very lame semi-strict deadhang pullup. Last month I tested my max and did 9. Yep 9. I was stoked. Here's a video of my second max set that same day - taken at CrossFit Portland - and I did 8."

Check her hotness below...rock on, Laney-girl!



Next up, we have a girl I've been a fan of for quite some time, and not just because her boyfriend (Brian DeGennaro) is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Rachel Izzo is a CrossFitter turned Oly chick who's been blogging about her training - and making the tough transition to Olympic lifting - since May 2008. (Her site is titled, "Rizzzzo's World. Workouts. Mostly Oly ones. Unless I'm bad and do CrossFit.") Rachel drops some serious Girl Power inspiration on a daily basis, snatching, cleaning and jerking weights that I can only dream about. But when she heard about my CrossFit "Hot Chicks" series, she sent me this note:

"Hey! So I was inspired by your dead-hang post and decided to do a max set today. First set I did 10 (only 6 of which were caught on video) and because of the failed video attempt, I did another set of 10. This is my second set of 10 (which was recorded!). An all-time record for me!"

This makes me proud and jealous all at the same time. My goal is ONE set of ten... watch Rachel make her second set of the day look EASY.



More Hot Chicks Doing Dead Hangs to come, so stay tuned.

I'll take that

Dallas and I spent last Sunday working the barbell snatch with EvaClaire (EC) Synkowski, of CrossFit Boston. This was my first exposure to snatches, besides the 15 minute PVC tutorial I got at my Level 1 Cert. Dallas is way further along, but still hadn't received much formal coaching. We have been working our Olympic lifting a lot lately, though. It's Dallas' first love, and the 603 programming is going to have a heavy Oly slant. And I've found that I really like the explosive nature of the lifts - coming from kettlebells, I like to use my hips. So Dallas and I have been meeting once a week to work on the lifts, starting with my cleans.

Dallas has a plan of action to get me proficient with cleans, but he warned me that we can't enact the plan all at once. I can only handle a few cues at a time, a few corrections at a time, and certainly a limited number of lifts before I move past the point of improved performance and into burnout. So Dallas has me work on one thing at a time, and deliberately overlooks certain form flaws for the sake of the overall plan. I sometimes have difficulty being patient, because I like to learn everything - and do it well - all at once. But with a new movement - and certainly a movement as complicated as an Olympic lift - I understand that you have to focus on form elements a few at a time. So I kind of understood where he was going, and I was more than willing to play along and just do what he told me. But after training with EC, I really understand why good coaches create this kind of a training plan for their beginners.

EC had us warm up to the full snatch with a TON of assistance drills. She kept saying, "I know this is boring, but stay with me". Far from boring, these drills were getting our bodies and brains ready for the bigger pulls ahead. Working with just PVC pipe, we drilled the overhead squat, pressing snatch balance, heaving snatch balance, snatch balance and the full Burgener warm-up. This took almost an hour, and helped with both our confidence and muscle memory when we finally started working from the hang and the floor.

Once we put some weight on the bar, we took turns pulling two or three attempts while EC provided feedback. Her cues were great - she would review the cue, and then give us a few short words to help us remember. Like with keeping the bar close - she'd talk about why I wanted to do that, and show me how I could do that better, and then right before my next pull, she'd throw out one of her favorite Coach B. cues, "Feel the steel!" Those cues stuck with me, and each pull improved. But what really stayed with me were the comments she would make outside of specific cues. When we executed a solid lift, she would say things like, "I'll take that," or "Yeah, that'll do." She didn't say that on every attempt, but I seemed to hear it on all the lifts that felt good. That specific feedback brings me right back to my original point... a good coach has a long-term plan of action, and will sacrifice short-term elements for the sake of the big picture.

EC's comments conveyed a very specific message - what you are doing isn't perfect, but I'm happy with where you are for your current level of training. And that is as much as a good coach can ask for with a beginner and a new movement. I wouldn't expect to get all the finer points down right away, and I would hope my coach wouldn't expect that of me either. And yet I've had experiences with trainers in my past life (pre-CrossFit) that continue to provide criticism after criticism, in an effort (I assume) to do just that - make me perfect. It's is an impossibility, and all it does is frustrate both the trainee and the coach. I've also been trained by some who, in an effort to make me feel good about my efforts, provide nothing BUT positive encouragement. "Great job, that's perfect, yes!" Uh... pretty sure my third snatch ever wasn't actually "perfect", and unless you tell me what to focus on next, it sure isn't going to get any better. So that approach doesn't work for me either.

EC's feedback and comments struck the perfect balance between direction, encouragement and realism. I knew what I was supposed to be focusing on based on her cues, I was happy to be making improvements, and I felt like EC was happy with my progress... but no one was blowing air up my skirt, making me think I was some kind of snatching prodigy. And it helped me understand why having a plan - and keeping the big picture in mind - is the sign of a really good coach. Coaches like EC and Dallas will sacrifice some of the short term finer points to promote the big picture. They provide honest feedback to keep me encouraged and confident without falsely inflating my sense of abilities. And they keep me moving towards virtuosity by adding elements one at a time, in a careful and structured manner.

I'm posting my first attempts at the barbell snatch here, as a starting point to measure my progress. Hopefully a few months from now, I'll be able to post something that shows much improved form and heavier weights. But for now - just watch the video and admire my snatch. (Come on, I've been SO good up until now...) What I'm saying is, no feedback or criticism on my form, please. My coaches are good, and they've got a solid plan in place for me, and I trust them to get me there. So while this video doesn't show perfect technique... EC says she'll take it. And if EC will take it, I sure as hell will.

The Bacon Diaries, Part II

This is the second post in my series of Delicious Things You Can Do With Bacon. This week, we're focusing on vegetables. See, I've talked to a lot of you recently about your diets. And one thing I'm hearing from a lot of people is that you don't really like vegetables. To which I reply, "Yes, you do. You just have to find a different way to prepare your vegetables." So last week, I experimented with a recipe involving one of my new favorite vegetables - Brussels sprouts.

There may be no other vegetable out there with as bad a rap as Brussels sprouts. They're constantly referenced as the dreaded food that kids refuse to eat. And far as produce goes, they are just about the farthest thing from sexy. Eggplant are soft and luscious, tomatoes are plump and juicy, peppers are hot and spicy... But Brussels sprouts are small, and plain, and boring looking. Plus they can taste and smell bitter if you cook them wrong.

But there's a lot of good to be had in that tiny little package. They're a cruciferous vegetable of the cabbage family, related to collard greens and kale. (Also decidedly un-sexy foods.) They contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber, and are believed to protect against colon cancer. But they're easy to overlook amongst all the bigger, colorful vegetables, and you probably don't know how to prepare them anyway. So you avoid them. And I'm here to tell you that you are totally missing out.

Last week, I roasted a pound of Brussels sprouts with some pine nuts and... wait for it... crispy bacon. And ate the whole thing in two sittings, it was so delicious. Here's the general recipe - you can decide on the amounts. Just be careful not to overcook the sprouts. When overcooked, they release a sulfuric taste and smell - that's the bitterness that you hear about. Just saute them until they're a bit tender, and if your kitchen starts to smell like burning, yank 'em from the heat fast.

INGREDIENTS

• Bacon
• Butter
• Pine nuts
• Brussels sprouts

DIRECTIONS

• Cook the bacon until it's crispy. Set aside.
• Leave a thin coating of bacon grease in the pan. Throw in some butter and pine nuts, stir until browned.
• Add Brussels sprouts and cook over medium heat until sprouts are tender, 5-10 minutes.
• Crumble bacon over the top before serving, salt and pepper to taste.

I eat one new vegetable a month - something I've never tried before. And surprisingly, if I prepare them just right, there really isn't a veggie out there that I don't like. So this week, it's your turn. Try some Brussels sprouts and let me know how they turn out. I mean, seeing as everything is better with bacon, I'm kind of certain you'll dig 'em.

And as soon as Dallas and I decide we've had enough of our super-strict Paleo thing, those bacon cookies that Melicious posted are SO next on deck.

This is my actual delicious bowl... half of it, anyway. A pound is a LOT of Brussels sprouts.

The Sunday snatch

Back from a super fun weekend in Boston, doing lots of affiliate tramping and CrossFit stuff. I got back late last night, so here's a quick update and a preview of fun things to come on the blog this week.

• We had dinner with Mathieu Lalonde (Science is Hot) on Friday night, and got caught up on his training and diet and qualifiers prep. We also got a sweet tour of his labs at Harvard. I think I'm still high from all the ether. We also talked a lot about diet and nutrition, as I wanted to do a follow-up to his last interview. I received so many comments from people trying to lean out and drop fat that I focused mostly on that topic. It will take me a while to compile our discussion, but I hope to have it up by the end of the week.

• Spent Sunday morning hanging out at CrossFit New England with Ben Bergeron and Heather Keenan, and some out of town guests (Jay Ross, Micah MacBeth and their friend Holly) from Philly. Jay was in my KB cert in NYC, and his crew is in the process of affiliating right now. I see a Philly road trip in my future... We also watched Heather run a CrossFit Kids class. I don't normally like kids, but I REALLY like kids who power snatch and drag tires. It was super fun to watch, and something I'd love to implement at some point waaaay down the line with our box.

• Headed over to CrossFit Boston in the afternoon to meet up with Zach Singer, from CrossFit NYC. Zach was also in my NYC KB cert, and we kept in touch. He's been having some problems with his shoulder and back lately, so he drove up to hang with some Boston friends, get in some training and (primarily) have Dallas work his PT magic. They spent about an hour evaluating his issues and working rehab drills. I'm lucky to have a physical therapist as my trainer and affiliate partner. Which means our 603 trainees (and trainees by proxy, like Zach) are lucky, too.
  

• And finally, the Main Event... Dallas and I spent two hours working on snatches with EC Synkowski, of CrossFit Boston. I had yet to learn to snatch, but I'd been working my clean and jerks hard. EC promised that after snatching, the cleans would come easy. We hit all kinds of progressions and training drills before moving to the bar. I worked up to 40#, and Zach was nice enough to take lots of pictures and video. More on my Olympic snatching later this week.
  

Please take note of how CAREFUL I was to phrase that last bullet point. While snatch jokes never get old, EC complimenting my snatch is NOT the point of this post. Although she did, at one point. Which was pretty awesome. Also, those hand prints on her pants are her own. That's our story, at least.

Hot Chicks Doing Pull-Ups: The Urban Edition

I can't tell you how many emails I've received since the "Hot Chicks Doing Pull-Ups" post. I now have footage of dozens of fit ladies doing gorgeous dead hangs... everything from chin-ups to overhand, from weighted pull-ups to ten rep PRs. Because I have so many clips, and because hot chicks doing pull-ups is just SO FLIPPIN' COOL, I'll be featuring these videos over the next few weeks on the blog. If you've sent me a video or a link, it WILL go up. I'll do my best to give you a heads-up, too.

Today, however, is special. Today, I get to feature my sister Kelly and HER pull-ups. Kelly (of Spicy Goulash! fame) has been really getting into CrossFit, both on her own and at CrossFit Brooklyn. She's getting leaner, stronger and approaching some of my strength maxes in an alarmingly quick fashion. Kelly got her first dead hang pull-up while home training with me in February 2009, and has been working a grease-the-groove style program that got her up to FIVE in just a few months. She credits both her obsessive compulsive disorder and myopic fitness goals to increasing her numbers so quickly. "Plus," she says, "I like to do things that boys can do. And that my sister can do." When Kelly read the 'Hot Chicks' post, she wrote to me right away.

Kelly: I’m trying to find the courage to get someone to take video of me doing pull-ups at the gym. I desperately want to be on your blog kicking that pull-up-bar’s ass.

Me: Oh my god. That would be the POST OF THE CENTURY. Here's what you do. Bend over to "tie your shoe" and grab the first guy who leers at you. Tell him that you are about to make internet blog history by being the hottest girl ever featured on Byers Gets Diesel. And then you give him the camera and tell him not to drool on it. Seriously, get that shit on tape and SEND IT TO ME ASAP.

The very next day...

Kelly: I shot two videos for you. In one video I rock five pull-ups, but I fight hard for the last one. It looks like a mash-up of restless leg syndrome and a bad case of Tourette's. In the other video I do four, but they're all legit. Also, I’d like my own write-up. I don’t want to be bucketed in with other hot chicks doing pull-ups. As your sister, I have a genetic right to my own post.

You got it, sister. Now, I reviewed both videos... she DID do five, but we at CrossFit 603 generally discourage kicking like an epileptic kangaroo to get your chin over the bar. So here's Kelly Urban, my FAVORITE hot chick, doing four gorgeous dead hang pull-ups. And check out those guns. I guess this answers the, "So what do you do for biceps?" question, huh?



Thanks to all who have sent videos and links. I'll be proud to feature 'em here. And Kelly... start working that overhand grip now. Ha.

Eat more.

I’ve been talking diet and nutrition a lot lately. Now, I’m not a nutritionist. I have no background in food science (is that even real?) and I have no track record of coaching athletes to elite status. None of the above, just so we’re clear. But through trial and error, I’ve made my own diet work pretty well, and I’ve helped a few friends tweak their diets with good results.

The sum of my diet advice to almost everyone who asks for it comes down to two little words. Eat more. This is especially true of women. I don’t know how the hell some of you are up and walking around – never mind CrossFitting – on the tiny amount of food you are consuming on a daily basis. (Which is another post entirely.) But it can be hard to wrap your head around the idea that you need to eat more and train less, when all your naughty little instincts are telling you to do the exact opposite. So today, I want to tell you a story about one such CrossFitter, and what happened when she started eating more. Like, a LOT more.

Becky Strahan is a CrossFitter and yoga instructor from Plano, TX. She was training three days a week at CrossFit Richardson, and teaches five yoga classes week. She’s built a lot like me – tall, small build, leans out quickly and good at met-con, but has a hard time putting on muscle and building strength. Becky wanted to take her CrossFit performance to the next level, and gets great coaching from John Marshall (owner of CF Richardson), but she wasn't sure how to get her diet where it needed to be. She tried just plain eating more, but felt a little lost with what to eat, and exactly how much, and when.

So two weeks ago (after making sure John was okay with me helping out), I began working with Becky on her diet. We started with her food journal - she journals everything, which made my job really easy. I was able to look back through her food intake for the last few weeks and see what she’s been eating, and when, and how much. And immediately, I spotted the problem. Becky was eating pretty clean, high quality, good food. But on a good day, she was still only eating about half of what she needed to. My first official correspondence as her nutrition coach started off like this:

“Hi Becky! You are not eating enough. At all.”

Not the most scientific – or specific – response, but it got my point across. Before we started tweaking her exact proportions or making picky food choices, we needed to up her intake. Significantly. So much so that I thought she’d balk when I told her where I wanted to her to be. But I soon discovered that Becky is one determined woman. She read all four pages of my instructions, studied our new plan, wrote back with four more pages of questions… and then immediately got down to the business of eating.

I told her she’d have to be patient, because I wanted to stick with this plan for two weeks before reevaluating. I warned her that she might feel worse before she felt better, given how significantly we were shifting both her quantity of food and proportion of macronutrients. We talked about her training – John was on board with her doing more strength work and less light-weight met-con. And we had one final rule... no scales, and no body composition measurements. All I wanted were her stats from the gym, and how she was feeling during the day.

In the last two weeks, Becky has reported the following:

• A push-press PR, up 5#
• A kipping pull-up PR with the light assistance band – 10 consecutive, in the middle of “Helen”, no less
• Her first Fran, sub-7:00, with only a light assistance band
• A 40 second PR on the CF Richardson Baseline WOD
• A new 5x5 back squat max, at her previous 3 rep max
  

That's right... with excellent coaching from John, the weight that she was only able to move THREE times during her last squat workout, she moved FIVE times last week. REPEATEDLY. Holla!

On top of these measurable performance improvements, Becky also writes, “I notice this week that I’m itching to go to CrossFit today, even though it’s my rest day. In many previous weeks, by Wednesday I’m tired, about to drop, and ready for a break. So that’s really different. Also, I’m noticing my soreness is dramatically less since we’ve changed my eating. On every workout I’ve been stronger in some aspect… either lifted more weight, gotten more unbroken pull-ups, or a faster time… something was improved and nothing decreased. And I've been training CrossFit five days a week instead of three! With that, it seems I’d certainly be sore, but I’m just not. A little tight and tired in places, but definitely not the ridiculously sore, barely able to walk stuff that I’ve had the previous few weeks. Overall, I think my recovery has improved dramatically. Yay!”

Now, I can't PROVE that eating more is the direct link to these performance and recovery improvements. And two weeks doesn't make a trend. But I can say that so far, we have changed only one major thing with Becky’s diet - quantity of food. And her performance has improved. And she’s feeling better, which, although subjective, is certainly significant. I share this story, with Becky’s permission, because I’ve been telling so many of you that you need to eat MORE. And that good things – performance gains, fat loss, busting through training plateaus – are all possible, probable even, when you up your intake. Becky’s story is, I hope, an example of the good things that come when you are properly fueling your body for the tasks at hand.

Congratulations to Becky for kicking so much booty these past two weeks, and props to John and CrossFit Richardson for coaching her through some awesome PRs. Stay tuned for more on Becky's progress in the coming weeks, too. Now go eat something. Yes, you.

Nobody told me there was gonna be math

Yesterday was the first day of the 603's new programming. Dallas sent me a preview of the week on Friday. I didn't even get all the way through Monday's workout before I was swearing at him. See, my programming is pretty good. He taught me well. But he just puts things together in a manner that I wouldn't even consider. In fact, there are some workouts that I look at and think, "I don't get that at ALL". Then I try to do it, and THEN I get it. He's really, really good.

Day one was nothing but overhead squats. These, in general, are at the top of my Goat List, but I was at least excited to work on some more strength stuff. Until I read these two little words... "for time". Ah, crap. From the CrossFit 603 site:

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"Overhead squat (OHS) a total of 20 x your body weight (BW), for time.

For example, at a BW of 180#, that’s 80 reps with a 45# bar, or 20 reps with 180#, or any combination in between. Sorry for the complex math (no, not really). Here’s the equation: (20 x body weight) / OHS weight = # Reps. Do ‘em. Fast. Record BW, weight on the bar, and time."

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Damn. At a body weight of 135#, that means I have to move 2,700#. I was planning on hitting a few reps here and a few there, working up to the last few reps at my previous 1RM. But clearly, that wasn't going to get me done with this workout fast, so I had to rethink. See, the weight I move is going to be the same no matter what rep scheme I use. I can move 45# x 60, or I can move 65# x 40. Either way, it's still 2,700 pounds, but I have to figure out how to do that in the most efficient manner. Which means I can't work with a weight that I'm going to dump a bunch of times... but I also can't work with a weight so light I have to do a stupid number of reps to get through. As Gant put it, "If you lower the reps, the weights get too high. If you lower the weight, the time under tension is too high." The part of my brain that handles math and logic hurts.

Despite giving this some consideration up front, I still didn't play this one right. I knew I should have stuck with just the bar, because I knew I could do sets of 10-12 at that weight with little rest in between. (Gant agrees, saying, "Between 8-12 reps is a good target... 4 sets of 10 is a good scheme for something like this.") But I decided to start at 50#, thinking 5# isn't enough weight to make much of a difference. Wrong. I got through 17 reps at 50#, and it took me around 4:00. I was doing 5-6 at a time, but with the overhead squat, every time you stop, the "get the bar back up there" process is both time consuming and physically tiring. Finally, I took time to drop the plates and started working with just the bar. And the remaining 41 reps went just as fast as the first 17.

I finished in just over 9:00, but if I did this workout again tomorrow, I would cut my time in half, just knowing how to play it. And it's a good lesson to learn, because we're going to have a LOT of these types of workouts in our programming. I'm not sure what to call them. They're for time, but not really a met-con, because rarely will cardio capacity be your limiting factor. They're muscularly fatiguing, but not pure strength work, because you have to create a manageable, sustainable load for yourself. It's certainly not a brand new concept, as CrossFit programs these types of workouts as well. But I've never worked the Main Page, so this is kind of a new challenge for me. High five, Constantly Varied.

If you're looking for something to do this week, give this one a shot. You can find the full program (including today's buy-in and cash out) on the 603 site. Let us know how you do - and what your strategy was going into it. As for me, I still moved 2,700 pounds overhead squatting, so I'm okay with a little bit of strategy melt-down. But you can bet your booty that the next time this one comes up (and it WILL come up again) I'll be ready.


My OHS form still needs serious werk...

Hot Chicks Doing Pull-Ups

Since my Got Pull-Up post, I've received a LOT of emails from women, sharing their own pull-up adventures. I've been thrilled to hear so many "first" stories - I know my first dead hang is still, to this very day, my proudest CrossFit accomplishment. I've been telling these ladies, "Send me a video so I can show you off on my blog". So today, I bring you the first installment of Byers Presents: Hot Chicks Doing Dead Hang Pull-Ups.

First up is Marianne Urbanski, from Meriden, CT. Here, Marianne does not one, but TWO gorgeous, overhand grip dead hangs. She wrote on the CrossFit Boards, "Now I will continue to work these to develop my strength and continue to use the kipping pull-ups in the workouts... I look forward to developing my strength with the dead hang so I can do ALL the workouts as Rx'd". Rock on, sister.



Next up is Katie Emery, from CrossFit Portland. Katie made a video charting her pull-up progress. She wrote, "I wanted to let you know I enjoyed your post about pull-ups. You make some great points that I hope to use with clients at our affiliate, CrossFit Portland. I also wanted to send you a video we put together. I got my first dead hang pull-up in January. What a feeling!" I love the happy dance at the end... hot stuff, Katie!



And finally, CrossFit 603'er and Lakes Region Fitness owner Andrea Byron got her first dead hang pull-up during our Saturday class. In fact, she did two! No video, but this is clearly chin over bar. I see lots of pull-ups in Andrea's future, and plenty more girls (and guys) joining the 603 Pull-Up Club.



Are you a hot chick with a solid dead hang? (That's full extension to chin over bar, ladies... but feel free to choose your own grip.) Send pictures or a video, and I'll make you famous-ish. And congrats to Marianne, Katie and Andrea!

Wordpress and CSS, bitches

I finally feel like I'm getting a huge chunk of my life back, and it could NOT have come soon enough. Getting CrossFit 603 up and running has been my whole life for the last six weeks, and the most time consuming thing of all, at least in the beginning, was creating our web site.

The 603 site was the bane of my existence for a solid month. Servers, databases, FTPs, CSS and PHP. Graphics, templates, sidebars and widgets. And Wordpress. Frickin' Wordpress. But I slaved away on the thing for nights on end, because our web site was the most important non-training project we had on deck. After all, as an affiliate owner, your web site often makes your very first impression. And people have short attention spans these days - you only have a few seconds to capture their interest and keep them hanging on your page. Plus I expect my 603'ers to check the site every single day... so they'd better like what they see.

Your web site should be clean, simple, easy to read and easy to navigate. It should be functionally efficient, properly coded for search engines and workable across all browsers. And it should look HOT. It should reflect your affiliate's culture, your attitude, your personality. But all of this magic has to be created through a bunch of coded letters, numbers and symbols that might as well be Cyrillic, for all I know. No wonder so many of us need help.

I could have paid someone to help me, but I'm stubborn. And, at times, Dumb. I was insistent on figuring it all out all by myself... which is why the site took about fourteen times as long to create as it probably should have. And why I found myself on the CrossFit Boards early one morning, begging someone on the Wordpress thread to help me with the LAST THREE THINGS I wanted to do but could NOT figure out.

Enter Adam Kayce, the Wordpress Man and my personal high-tech hero.

In about 30 minutes, Adam had fixed all three site flaws - things I had been trying to figure out for weeks. And he gave me a bunch of good recommendations about site improvements, code fixes, widgets and plug-ins. I wish I had talked to him in the beginning... I would have saved myself an awful lot of late nights.

Adam and I have since been talking about his idea for a Wordpress virtual class, JUST for CrossFitters who need to build a web site (either for their affiliate or for their own personal use). I thought it was a great idea, and since he helped me fix my site up so quickly and effectively, I am happy to spread the word about Adam's CSS kung-fu to my fellow CrossFitters. Check it out below - the next class starts on April 22nd.

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Is the idea of having, managing, or creating a website—or (gulp) hiring someone to create a website for you—a bit overwhelming? Well, if it's not, it should be.

If you want to have a great site that your clients, friends, or fellow CrossFitters actually enjoy using, WordPress is a great way to go about it. The problem is, knowing how to tweak it to be the site of your dreams can be harder than a 250 pound split snatch.

Not any more.

You don't have to settle for an ugly site. Or a simple one. Or a stock template that everyone's sister is using to broadcast her love of American Girl.

By taking the essential principles of CrossFit (say it with me... "Constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity!") and using them to teach web design and development principles, you can learn how to be your own website expert, and save the endless back-and-forth, endless sinkhole of money that goes along with relying on a designer.

This next round of WebFit, which starts on April 22, is open only to CrossFitters. That way we can specifically address the needs and concerns of CrossFit sites, with a population that speaks the same language. (It doesn't matter if you're an affiliate owner, trainer, or enthusiast... as long as you CrossFit, you're good to go.)

Interested? Curious? Check out http://monkatwork.com/webfit/ for more details.

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So for those of you thinking about hiring someone to help you with your web site... talk to Adam. He'll get you up and running, and teach you how to keep it up all by your own educated self.

It's Byers GETS Diesel, guys...

My CrossFit Radio interview is up on the CFJ. I just finished listening to it myself. (I had a morbid curiosity that I had to satisfy... not that that there was anything I could have done tonight about sounding like a total moron on Monday.)

Gant says I don't sound as retardedly Yankee as he might have imagined. Jenna says I don't sound ANYTHING like she imagined. And I don't think I sound like myself at ALL. But aside from the voice, it turns out it really was as fun an interview as I remembered. Those guys run a good program, and I enjoyed the variety of topics we ended up talking about. I especially appreciated how much time they gave to my CFJ article. That discussion was important to me, especially given how many emails and comments I received from those who identified with what I wrote. Neil let me jump on my soapbox about women, body image and diet for a good 20 minutes, and I'm grateful to them for letting me have at it.

I am not, however, grateful for the number of people who are now referring to me as an "itty, bitty thing". Knock it off. And since either Neil or JJ (I'm not sure who) overstated my max deadlift in a public forum... when I finally DO pull 225#, you're having me back on the show to talk about it. Yes, you are.

Push the button, Neil.

I want triple digits

I got to work my hang power cleans with Dallas again over the weekend. He had me pulling from the high hang this time, though. I couldn't get my head around how to get all that weight up without closing my hip a ton. Suffice it to say for the first 10 minutes or so, none of them went. By the end of the day, though, I realized this was exactly what I needed to dial in on my form. Smart guy, Dallas.

My high hang set-up position needed constant correction. I keep starting with my hips too far back, which means as soon as I pull, the bar comes away from my body. Which is why the last time I practiced these on my own, my boss asked if I had, perhaps, been strangled on the way to the office. Dammit. It's hard to meet the bar when the bar is a foot out in front of you.

Once I pulled it all together, these went MUCH better than the last session. In fact, I totally discovered mad love for the high hang. I worked up to 85# pretty fast, and was happy when he threw another 10# on the bar. I mean, 95# is only 10# shy of my 1RM SQUAT clean, pulling from the FLOOR. At this rate, I'll have my bodyweight clean by the end of summer for sure.

So for the most part, 95# went solid. What helped me the most was filming one of my fails. Dallas made me see that I was getting PLENTY of height on the bar, I just wasn't getting underneath it. As soon as I figured that out, they ALL went. I pulled about 7 singles, five of which we got on video. Some are more squat than power, but I was super happy with the progress we made. Three weeks ago, 75# from the hang wouldn't go. And last week, only half my reps at 85# went. So I'll take a 10# PR any day.

Video below, and thanks for all the good tips last time. EC, I'm practicing HARD for next weekend.

Byers gets anxiety

Well, it's finally happening. The day I've been dreading since Dallas and I decided to affiliate. The day I knew was coming, but have been desperately trying to put off by any means necessary for the last three weeks.

Starting on Monday, Dallas will be in charge of the CrossFit 603 programming. Which means starting on Monday, Dallas will be in charge of MY programming.

Back in November 2008, I did a four week "Hard Routine", designed to test my mental fortitude and crank my diet and training up a notch. I went without booze, I went without caffeine, I went without maple syrup. And I trained hard, working all my goats and hitting all the things I normally want to avoid. Yet in my wrap-up post, I came to the conclusion that my H.R. still wasn't really that H. Why? Because I still had control over my own programming. Which, apparently, is the most important thing in my fitness priorities. I can give up cheat food and drink, train twice as hard, even work exercises I hate... as long as I still have the final say in what I do every morning.

I'm not sure why the idea of Dallas taking over my workouts gives me such anxiety. The fact that he has been helping me develop my own programming for three years should provide a good deal of comfort, right? It's not like he's going to come out with these retarded workouts, the likes of which I've never seen before. I mean, my stuff IS his stuff, which means it should feel like business as usual. And the fact that he knows my strengths and weaknesses, goals and goats should make me excited about the days to come. I'll finally be hitting my weak areas in a structured fashion - getting fitter, faster. And finally, he'll be programming based on our collective ideas - what we want our CrossFit to look like. Focused on strength. Kettlebells, gymnastics and lots of Oly. Keep it simple. Hit it hard. Based on that, I should be happy to do whatever he tells me to do.

Even now, when he gives me the occasional workout assignment, I do it. Exactly as he tells me, no complaints, no deviations. And it's fun to do something a little different, and I am always better off for having done what my Trainer told me to do. But, see... now I have to do that EVERY DAY. So if I wake up and he wants gymnastics, I get upside-down. If he wants us to met-con when I prefer to deadlift... too bad. If he programs a 7K row... I'm going to curse his name for 30 minutes straight, but I WILL ROW. I simply have to do what he tells me, for the sake of my fitness. Because that's what it comes down to... having the mental fortitude to successfully power through every workout, every day, even if I don't want to.

So maybe this is the piece of my training that's been missing. Testing my mental toughness, and being able to kick ass every day, regardless of what comes up on deck. Working through self-doubt, not having the option to scale, sub or flat out disregard my own previously designed workout. Maybe this is what is going to push my training - and my fitness - to the next level. Which brings me back, again, to Constantly Varied. Hi, C.V. I know I've been ignoring you like an annoying little sister trying to sit with me and my friends in the cafeteria at Nashua High, but as of Monday, you're about to get a total teen makeover AND be voted Prom Queen. So things are really looking up for you.

Look for Dallas' WODs starting next Monday, on the 603 site. Until then... me and the 603 will be playing with EVERYTHING I LOVE TO DO. So if our programming looks a little special right now - lots of 1RM attempts, tons of gymnastics and kettlebells, and more double-unders and pistols than anyone should rightfully be expected to do... well, now you know why. Enjoy. I know I will.

CrossFit Radio, take two

I'll be on CrossFit Radio again tonight (Monday, April 6th). Listen live, or wait for the MP3.... wait, there WILL be an MP3, right? The last time I was interviewed, the recording mysteriously disappeared. I think it's because during our chat, Neil admitted to having a man-crush on Vin Diesel. (Clearly, you don't want something like THAT getting out.) Regardless, Justin and Neil promised there would be no technical glitches this time around.

We'll be talking about my recent CFJ article, the opening of CrossFit 603 and a variety of fun blog-related topics. The show streams at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST), but for those of you East Coasters who don't stay up that late (um, ME), the download is usually available within a day or two.

The Bacon Diaries, Part I

I think this is going to be the first of a series of posts revolving around delicious things you can do with bacon. I mean, don't you think bacon deserves its own tag on the blog?

We went to a party not too long ago, while my friend Jenn was in the middle of her 30 day "No Sugar, No Grains" challenge. I wanted to bring something that she could eat... and enjoy. I decided to pull together some bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with almonds and goat cheese.

If I left a plate full of crack in the middle of (insert name of street in your town or a neighboring city that is rumored to play host to drug dealers - it could be any street, really) those rocks STILL wouldn't have gone as fast as these little numbers.

Here's the recipe-ish. I estimated quantities as best as I could, as Kelly and I just bought a ton of bacon and dates and went to town. Bake, drool and enjoy.

• 1 pound of bacon, slices cut in half
• 1 pound of dates (pitted - you may have to do this yourself)
• Almonds (either slivered or sliced)
• Goat cheese
  

Pit the dates. Stuff them with just a few almond slivers/slices and a little bit of goat cheese. Kind of smush the date around the filling so it doesn't spill out when you cook them. Wrap the whole thing in a half-slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick.

Arrange on a rack with a tray underneath, so they don't end up sitting in grease. Bake at 400 degrees, until bacon starts to get crispy. (I think this was around 25 minutes, but don't quote me.) Serve hot or cold, if they last that long.

Got anything delicious involving bacon? Send it. Like, literally send it to me. Overnight it if you have to, because bacon is best eaten fresh. (Or you can just post recipes to comments, I guess.)

Caution - this image is practically porn.

All Your Goats Are Belong to Us

When I first started adding the terms "Buy-in" and "Cash out" to my workouts, I got a lot of questions about what those terms really meant. I explained the meaning behind the phrases, and their practical application, in this blog post last month.

The terms, and the concepts, seem to have caught on with others. My original explanation was linked on a few other CF Affiliate sites last month, and just this week, CrossFit Copenhagen posted a forum article on the cash out. Although again, I can't translate anything but the words "CF chick" and "skillz drillz". (Anyone besides my "Spicy Goulash" sister care to assist?) And then, my friend Bob Guere from CrossFit California City did a NICE little write-up on the subject.

Bob adopted the concept way back when he first started stalking my blog. (His words, not mine. You can't stalk the willing.) And he liked it so much that once he affiliated, he worked the buy-in and cash out into his own affiliate programming. Bob's article explains his take on the method, and why he and his CrossFitters have had so much success with it.

Check out "What's Your Goat? Defending the Buy-In, Cash-Out Model" on at CrossFit California City. And drop a comment - have you started working this model into your own programming? What are some of your favorite buy-ins, or cash outs? ('Cause if they're good, I'll steal them.) How has practicing your skill work translated to the rest of your CrossFitting?

Big thanks to Bob for allowing me to repost his article. Best of luck to you and Kerry with CrossFit California City!

L-Sit holds... one of my FAVORITE cash outs.

April Fool's, someecards style

Happy April 1st. We'll return to our regularly scheduled postings on Thursday.