CFMTL

Thank You

Posted by Tommy on May 20, 2013 in CFMTL | 1 comment

I just wanted to send out a huge thank you to everyone who held down the fort while I was in Boston.  Those close to me know that changing the schedule to open gym and not being around to oversee it really made me uncomfortable.  I must put a big thank you to Dana Spera, Maggie, and Larry for telling me not to worry and running the open gyms.  Also, thanks to everyone who couldn’t come to Boston, but showed their support through Facebook and text messages.  I know Dana was feeling the love all weekend.

I have been getting many questions about the move recently and I am as excited for it as everyone else, but I don’t have any concrete information on when or even where we are moving to just yet (don’t worry it will be really close to our current spot).  Remember, what makes this place so great isn’t the equipment or the size of the space we are working in, but the people that are here everyday.  Some of my favorite days are when space is tight, or we are running in heats to have enough equipment and people go out of there way to make sure everyone gets in a great workout.  I truly believe if we can keep that kind of environment, the gym will be exactly what we all want it to be.

For now, it is back to putting in work.  The 5:30 AM and Noon class will now be running Monday through Friday.

Don’t forget that our Disney themed Lift Heavy Shit Night will be June 4th.  For June 4th, everyone is encouraged to come at night, but we will be running all our morning classes (5:30 to Noon).  At night we will be running 3 heats this time -  4 PM, 530 PM, and 7 PM.  We will be running a deload for the next 2 weeks, then a testing week during the first week of June.  Expect to Olympic lift in some fashion (squat, clean, jerk, snatch) everyday the next 2 weeks.

I also am putting together a partner competition that will take place in June.  It will be open to everyone (including other gyms) and should be a good time.  I hope to have the information posted this week.

Also Don sent me this message this morning.  I figured you guys would enjoy it.

Brian, Megan, Tilley and a fan going HAAAMMM city during Regionals. Dana was not the only one killing it this weekend.

Regionals – 2 Days Away

Posted by danap on May 15, 2013 in CFMTL | 3 comments

Ahhhh! Regionals are just two days away.  I can’t believe how quickly this weekend has gotten here.  After the Open, it felt like this weekend was forever away and now I am packing my bags to head to Boston.

Northeast Regionals 2013
Reebok Headquarters

Many of you have asked if I am excited.  Excited is definitely one of the emotions I feel but I am also anxious, extremely nervous, fired up and a whole bunch more.  I am just ready to go.  Last year just being at Regionals was already such a big accomplishment (it was my first Crossfit competition) that my goal was to survive all the minimum requirements in order to be able to participate in all five workouts before the cut.  This time around, with more experience, my expectations of myself are even higher making it a little more nerve wrecking.  I have to keep reminding myself, that there is no reason to be nervous because if I go out and do the best I can, that is all I can ask for.  I know how to do the movements, I already know each workout is going to suck (which workout doesn’t suck), I know it is going to hurt, I know it is FUN, my body feels good and I know what I have to do so I have to step on that field, give it all I got, and just do it. (I sound like a Nike ad)

As far as training this week, I did a pretty tough workout on Sunday but nothing that would make me too sore.  This workout included some movements that I will have to perform at Regionals.  I took off Monday.  Tuesday I did a light workout with the last two moves that I thought I needed practice on.  Today, Wednesday, will be a rest day with a lot of mobility especially since I will be sitting in a car for 5 hours tomorrow.  And Thursday will be an extremely light day with body weight movements in my hotel room just to get moving and the heart rate up a little bit.  Friday morning is go time!!!  Below are the workouts I will have to do (just in case any of you want to try a few).

Regionals WODS 2013

I actually like all of these workouts.  Yes, they are going to be extremely difficult but they are all 100% Crossfit. No gimmicks. I have mixed emotions about Friday’s workouts.  I don’t LOVE any of these movements but I also don’t HATE them so I just have to get past them.  Saturday, however, is going to SUCK and that is all I have to say about that. And Sunday is my day.  I like all of those movements and feel the most confident in them.   Can’t wait for that day.

Unfortunately there is no way to watch Regionals from home.  They will however have a live streaming of the final workout on Sunday.  I think it is only the final women and men’s heats so hopefully I can make it to that and you can all watch.  The leaderboard on the Games website will constantly be updated if you want to keep track of the standings.  And I’m sure everyone will be posting on facebook.  Next week’s blog post will be about my experience so look out for that one.

I want to finish by thanking all of you for your constant support.  There is no way I would be where I am at today without all of you.  Thank you for the kind words.  Thank you for buying shirts.  Thank you for traveling to Boston to come watch.  Thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be.  Thank you for making this experience so much fun because otherwise it is super easy to forget that part. So THANK YOU!!

Reppin’ CFMTL!!
(Thanks Tina!)

Calcium

Posted by james on May 7, 2013 in CFMTL | 3 comments

When I first started on the paleo diet my mother (a nurse of +25 years) was concerned that I would not be getting enough dietary calcium after cutting out the dairy.  I grew up drinking a ton of milk and taking a multivitamin, but ideally you can get the same amount of micronutrients from your diet alone.  Leafy greens like kale, spinach and arugula and the like are great sources of calcium and also contain many of the co-minerals that are necessary for proper absorption and metabolism of calcium.  Broccoli is another great vegetable source of calcium.  Almonds are a good source of calcium, but a better option would be sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.  Salmon also has significant levels of calcium, as do canned whole sardines but be careful how much you eat because canned fish can contain elevated mercury levels.  Although I don’t anticipate many people clearing the supermarket shelves of packed sardines after reading this post.  Finally if you’re looking for something sweeter, oranges and figs have the highest levels of calcium in the fruit department but significantly lower than their veggie counterparts.  Dairy is obviously a great source of calcium but it resides in a paleo grey area.  For those trying to lose weight or with lactose intolerance it should definitely be avoided.  If these are not concerns of yours then I would suggest raw or fermented, full-fat dairy over a tall glass of milk.  Grass fed yogurt and butter are great kitchen staples, and I’ve grown accustomed to drinking kefir and eating chèvre (fermented milk and goat cheese).

yummy

I love kale, but some people find it mind-numbingly boring, so here are a few ways to make it a little more interesting:

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3082537932/quick-and-simple-stir-fried-kale-and-bacon

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/18128850657/pressure-cooker-braised-kale-and-carrots

Calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, and it is the most abundant mineral in the human body, but it also serves as c coenzyme for clotting factors and a signaling ion for muscle contraction and some hormones.  You can only effectively absorb 500 milligrams or less of calcium at a time, and that is if you have the proper levels of Vitamin D to go with it.  This is why it is far more effective to get your minerals from your food instead of from a pill.  If your doctor recommends taking additional calcium supplementation to aid aging or weakened skeletal structure, be sure you take it when you eat as this will greatly aid absorption.

Athlete Profile – Rachel Pinkstone Marx

Posted by Tommy on May 6, 2013 in Announcements, CFMTL | 2 comments

This weeks athlete profile is on our favorite yogi and singer – Rach!  I love Rachel’s bubbly personality that comes out during class, and she always is having fun.  If you haven’t gotten a chance to see any of her plays at the Eagle Theatre, you are missing out as she is also a phenomenal singer.  She has almost been here for a year and things are really starting to come together as she looks great and she has been tackling workouts as RX’d on a pretty consistent basis.  Here’s to another year of kicking ass!

The Basics: Home town, current town, occupation, age?

My Road to Regionals

Posted by danap on May 2, 2013 in CFMTL | 6 comments

Hey guys!!  Sorry I have been slacking with my blog posts.  Training for Regionals has been going very well.  I have just completed two weeks of two-a-days.  Now it’s time to taper down a bit.  Don’t go getting any ideas.  I often get asked how often I work out.  I, like majority of you, work out 5 days a week with one workout per day.  Training for Regionals this year and last is the only time I have done two-a-days.  A lot of you have asked Tommy and I about doing two-a-days and it is not recommended.  Doing this is not only physically taxing but mentally as well.  The only reason I am doing them is to prepare myself for the volume I will be experiencing over a three-day period.

Over the course of the last two weeks, I have had my ups and downs (mostly up, I think, so that is awesome).  My workouts consisted of the WOD for that day that you all did plus another that would fatigue my body so I could get use to pushing through the soreness/tiredness. I also have done more than the prescribed class weight because for some reason they think it is a good idea to make EVERYTHING HEAVY at Regionals.   I must say, I felt WAY better this go around then I did last.  Last year at Regionals the first workout was Diane (21-15-9: Deadlifts @155 and Handstand Pushups).  I performed this in 6:50ish.  During my training I did Diane again (I know I know), this time as my third workout in three days, and PRed by 2 mins.  My new time was 4:54.  Also, I had to snatch a 70 pound dumbbell quite a few times last year at Regionals.  I was able to get my right arm first try each time, but I wasn’t as lucky with my left.  I definitely had a lot of “No Reps”.  Tommy had me do these again as one of my training exercises and I had no failed attempts.  While these are a couple of the improvements I have had, the past couple of weeks also allowed us to see some areas where I can improve like stringing muscle-ups together, ring dips (hate these), and fatigued double unders to name a few. Having some experience with all of this is definitely coming into play.

Now Regionals are just about two weeks away and the nerves are starting to set in.  I honestly just want it to be here NOW.  The workouts will be announced May 8^th (I think I read).  I will post those next week.  Last, make sure all of you who plan to attend purchase your tickets.  The link below is where can go to get those.

Northeast Regionals Tickets

I’m cramping up!

Posted by james on Apr 29, 2013 in CFMTL | 3 comments

We’ve all said it; everyone in the gym is no stranger to muscle fatigue.  That tight, nagging soreness rears its ugly head mid way through a workout and screams at us to stop moving.  These symptoms usually are chalked up to lactic acid building up in the muscles, but if anyone’s curiosity gets the better of them by all means read on.  We’re going to examine the details of what’s happening in your muscles on a cellular and molecular level (big surprise James) and discuss some ways to treat and potentially prevent the aforementioned pain.

Lactic acid, rarely referred to as milk acid, is a carboxylic acid made up of three carbon, six hydrogen and three oxygen molecules.  Very boring I know, but what’s important about the molecule is that it has the ability to dissolve in water and will lose a proton in solution.  This means that our bodies can use lactic acid to create either pyruvate (used in the Krebs cycle) or glucose via gluconeogenesis in the liver.  Lactic acid is a necessary chemical compound for our everyday function, especially during strenuous exercise.  However if this molecule builds up in the cells faster than our bodies can process it, then we enter acidosis.  During intense exercise, the body goes into anaerobic glycolysis because there is not enough oxygen in the muscles.  This results in an increase of hydrogen atoms and an increased pH level in the tissues and bloodstream.   Although there are differing theories as to how this proton spike occurs, most hold lactic acid at least partially responsible for acidosis.  Once oxygenation is restored, the pain goes away.

I pure straight hate you, but god damn it do I respect you

Contrary to popular belief, lactic acid is not responsible for the muscle soreness felt days after working out.  Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is still being studied, but scientists believe it’s related to physical cellular damage and perhaps the release of various metabolites into surrounding tissues.   Lactic acid doesn’t remain in the tissues for all that long, and you get the associated pain response to prevent the body’s pH from spiraling out of control by warning you when your muscles aren’t getting enough oxygen.  If you stop working, take a standing eight count and control your breathing, the cramps should go away.  Personally I always get a cramp on my right side right around my last two ribs.  For years I thought this was because there wasn’t enough air in my lungs when in reality it is my liver fighting to eat up the lactic acid building in my bloodstream.  Your body is an incredible machine that knows when things are starting to go wrong, and you should always listen to what it tells you.  If you’re ever struggling in a WOD and something starts to seize up, add ten seconds to your time and breathe deeply.  Recently I’ve noticed that I tend to hold my breath when doing ring dips and thrusters.  When you’re concentrating on a million faults in your technique, sometimes other systems fail so pay attention to your breathing next time you encounter a movement that you find more mentally challenging.  Oxygen is your friend and it is nearly impossible to have too much, unless you’re subject to a government experiment forcing you to breathe 100% O₂ under nearly four times atmospheric pressure (this actually happened).  As for that three day pain caused by DOMS, be sure to attend Larry’s myofascial release clinics coming up this Wednesday.

I’m sure he’s fine