An Update!

So sorry no updates in quite a while.  Lift just got crazy, i was sick for a week, had a visitors in town for like three weeks in a row, and was busy working on a music project, starting to record my first cd.

In the fitness realm it looks like i may have an article published the Performance Menu soon, which is cool.  Its about integrating Brazillian juijitsu with outside strength and conditioning work that the regular 9-5, day jobber can handle.  It needed some pictures, so i got my grappling buddy Nathan and we took some pictures using Crossfit Portland’s crash pad.  It was fun to be able to thow each other as hard as we wanted.  Picking people up and slamming them is fun.

We definitely need to work with the crash pad more often.  Being able to take someone down is quite important.

There is another Crossfit Total coming up at Crossfit Portand this saturday.  I can’t believe its been more than a month since the last one, and i have prepared by doing more or less nothing in the past few weeks.  I had a program all planned out, then between being sick and all didnt up following most of it.  I was going to ditch out on the Total, but friends talked me into it, if for no other reason to see what i could do being under prepared.  So yesterday i went and squatted and pressed heavy.  Got an easy 280 on the squat, and almost got 140 on the press.  Not to far from what i got before, so i think for the Total i should at least be able to get the same lifts.  With the deadlift i mostly able to finish a speed cycle since the last total, so i am less concerned with that.  After this its back to a well rounded program for grappling, i am no powerlifter.

I promise to be better about updates and want to write up a bonch of topics that folks can actually implemet into their own exercise routines.

Anton

The value of deadlifting

This past weekend was a good example of regular deadlifting in the gym carrying over to outside the gym.  No, i didnt have to lift a car off someone.  But i did have to help my friends with a heavy couch.  Not that i am super strong or anything, but i was easily able to just bend down and pick my end, knowing that my lower back was strong.

I would encourage everyone to learn the deadlift.  All it requires in the way of equipment is an Olympic bar and some weight, and if its new to you not even that much weight is needed.  People are always selling olympic bars and weights cheap.  The deadlift works the entire body, and will help ensure strong legs, back, and grip.  Not to mention protection against osteoperosis.

Check out the Power Lifts section of the Crossfit.com FAQ for a bunch of great instructional videos on the deadlift.

Anton

Recent Crossfit Total

This past Saturday we had a Crossfit Total event at Crossfit Portland.  The Total is your combined weight lifted in the Squat, Standing Press, and Deadlift.  I squatted 300, pressed 140, and deadlifted 360.  The squat was a ten pound PR, but i have pressed 145 and deadlifted 375 in the past.  I just didnt have it on that day i guess.  I think my preperation leading up to the Total could have been better.  I maxed my deadlift to near to the event, which was probably not a good idea.

One thing i feel i need to work on with the deadlift is speed off the floor.  My second attempt was 380, and while i could break it off the floor, i just could  not get it much towards my knees.  I think the problem was trying to slowly squeeze it up, rather than grip and rip.  The next Total is towards of March, and in between i am going to work a speed cycle for my Deads.  It will look like this:

1-24: 15 singles @ 65% (on the minute)
1-31: 12 singles @ 70% (on the minute)
2-7: 10 singles @ 75% (on the minute)
2-14: 8 singles @ 80% (on the minute)
2-21: 6 singles @ 85% (on the minute)
2-28: 4 singles @ 90% (on the 3 minute)
3-7: 2 singles @ 95% (on the 5 minute)
3-14: 10 singles @ 65% (on the minute)
3-21 Crossfit total 2

I got the cycle from a fellow crossfitter at the gym, and i think he may have got it from Westside Barbell.

We’ll see how it goes.  My lifting for the squat and press will just be basic linear progression with some backoff weeks thrown in.

Anton

The Paleo Diet – Eat less

One of the things i have noticed on my Paleo Diet journey is that i tend to eat alot less.  Its a nice relief on our wallets and also just nice  not to be hungry all the time.  Previously when i would eat oatmeal, toast, or some other carb heavy item for breakfast i would be hungry at work an hour or two later.  My body was used to the insulin spike from the carbs.  Now some protien and fat for breakfast and i am set till lunch usually.  My breakfast the past few days has been 2 tbsp olive oil, some ground up sausage (on sale at New Seasons), a handful of onions and red peppers, two cups spinach, and two eggs.  Cook up the onions, peppers, and sausage, add the spinach, and when it wilts down a bit throw in the eggs.  Done and done.

As a result of eating less due to paleo foods one natually consumes less calories.  Paleo foods are also alot less calorically dense than standard american diet fare.  I am sure alot of you could down two whoppers no problem.  To eat that many calories in paleo foods you would have to be stuffing alot down your pie hole.

Anton

Nice Paleo Diet link

I came across this link off the main PaleoDiet.com page.

Paleo Diet Link

I think it offers alot of good concise information.  Perhaps something to show your friends who think you’re wierd for always eating meat and vegetables.

I still have some rough spots to smooth out, but i am doing much better with my eating.  Unfortunately beer and wine seem to give me a headache now, so i am not sure how much i will be drinking that.  Perhaps i will just stick to tequila…

Anton

Home Workouts

Home/Low Tech workouts are a favorite topic of mine. Before joining Crossfit i worked out alot at home or at the juijitsu gym after class. You don’t need alot to get in an effective workout, though it may take some more creativity and thinking due to lack of equipment.

I like to separate my workouts into two broad categories. Metabolic Conditioning(MetCon) or Strength work. Metcon are the workouts we do in Crossfit that leave you lying on the ground gasping for air afterward. These workouts are often a blend of cardio vascular work, muscular endurance and power. Strength workouts are where we are trying to lift heavy weights or do high resistance bodyweight movements. An example might be a heavy deadlift, a one legged squat, or a handstand push up. The goal here is to incraese muscular strength, so the repetitions are usually lower, and the pace is relaxed enough so you don’t feel like puking afterwards.

Met Cons

Creating a metcon workout at home is pretty easy. Pick a series of bodyweight movements and string them together. Perform for rounds or time. So for example:

10 Burpees
10 Push ups
10 Squats
10 Situps

Go through this 10 times resting as needed. How long does it take you? I am betting some of you could blaze through it pretty quickly. If that is to easy you could spice it up some.

10 Burpees
5/5 One armed push ups
10/10 Jumping lunges
10 V ups
10 rounds for time

For those of you who find regular push ups and squats easier this will provide more of challenge.

Strength Workouts

Creating strength workouts at home is a bit more challenging, but it can be done. I like to pick a few different exercises and seperate them in my head as pushing, pulling, or lower body. I’ll perform 3-4 sets of each exercise, making sure not to go failure in each set. Leave a few reps in the “tank”.

A beginner who can do 10 push ups max and 15 squats might do something like this.

Pushups x 6
Squats x 10
Table Rows x 6
Plank hold – aim for 30 seconds

Rest two minutes between exercises, and repeat the entire circuit 3-4 times. Table rows are fun. Lay down on the floor underneath the dinner table. (make sure its sturdy) Reach up and grab the edge with your palms facing you. So your upper body will be under the table and your lower body will be extended out beyond it. Pull yourself up till your face reaches the underside of the table. Strive to keep the body straight as a board.

Another good option for home pulling options is to get a door way pull up bar. They are cheap and fit most doorways. My mother in law got us an Irongym Pull up bar for Christmas, and its great. We attached a large pallet band to it, and now Katie can work her assisted chin ups, and i can do regular ones. Highly recommended.

Once one gets beyond a basic level the above strength workout will probably be to easy. We can spice it up just like the conditioning workout with harder movements. So something like the following.

One armed push ups x 6
One legged Squats 5/5
Chin ups on your new doorway pull up bar, do a few reps short of failure
Front plank 30 sec, left side plank 30 sec, right side plank 30 sec

Rest two minutes between exercises and do 3-4 rounds total.

As you can see putting together a home workout is easy, one just has to think outside the box a bit.

Anton

Why do i eat carbs

So its been snowing alot here in Portland, OR the past few days. I’m from Florida so its all kind of new to me, plus it does not usually snow here in the city. They don’t salt the roads or have that many ploughs, so alot of stores are shut down and folks are staying home.

There was not much food at home, so Katie and i went out with a friend to find something to eat.  Not many places were open, so we ended up at this cafe/bakery that had sandwhiches and soup.  I opted for a cuban sandwhich with chips and a cookie.

Why do i let myself eat things like that.  For most of the past few weeks i have been eating pretty much paleo, the usual lots of meat and vegetables and fats, with a sweet potatoe if i need the carbs after a workout.  I have been feeling pretty good and even find myself less hungry than i used to be.  Well i was halfway into my cuban sandwhich meal when i started getting a headache and a gnawing hunger inside, even though i was eating.  I finished my meal, and an hour later still feel kind of crappy.

Maybe this will be enough of a lesson to not eat this kind of stuff.  I think i am going to try and eat at home more.  All i want is meat and vegetables and fats, and its hard to get that kind of stuff at alot of places.  When we eat out its mostly either thai or mexican food, as its easy to find paleo friendly choices.

Anton

Workout and Food logs

In the past i have been less than disciplined about keeping food and workout logs. I’ll go strong for a while, then stop doing it and slack for a while now. But no more of that. With this whole trying to eat healthier thing i need some data if i can ever expect to draw any conclusions on what foods work for me. Paleo eating has been going ok, but on some days i will be ravenously hungry and other days feel fine. If i kept better track of my food i could look back and draw some conclusions to what i could be eating more or less of. I use fitday to track my food but am also keeping a google spreadsheet with my moods/feelings after each meal. For example this morning i was still starving after breakfast, could it be because last night i had some rice and beans with my mexican dish?

I find google docs pretty handy for keeping track of food, workouts, or whatever. You can access them from any computer that has an internet connection, and to me its better than having sheets of paper lying around.

If you are not keeping a log then find a method that works for you and start doing it. Looking back and knowing how you performed or felt in the past can help you program for the future.

Anton

Week 2 of Paleo Eating

So its been almost two weeks eating Paleo style. Meats, veggies, fats,  a bit of fruit, and no processed carbs.  Overall i would say i have felt pretty good.  The first few days were rough, headaches and a feeling of constant hunger, even though i had just eaten.  Probably due to the fact that during my bulking diet my blood sugar was always high from the carbs and crappy food i was eating.  Starting the Paleo plan i made sure to take in plenty of protien from meats and healthy fats from nut butter, olive oil and meat.  I have been trying to average 2500 cal a day and 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight in protien.

After a week of this i ended up at the Hawthorne Fish House with some friends, and was hungry.  Its a gluten free place, everything is fried in rice oil.  So i figured what the heck, and got a basket of chicken fingers and sweet potatoe fries (i don’t eat fish really).  Pretty tasty going down, but right after i felt a gnawing hunger in my stomach and just wanted to eat more, even though i had just consumed a bunch of food.  That was my reaction to all the carbs in my system after a week of being carb free.  And sweet potatoes are paleo approved.  Just not fried in rice oil.  So while the no gluten was definintely good, the carb bomb still was not.   I think the reason alot of this is hard for people in the beginning.  They are getting enough calories from Paleo food, but the body is used to that carb spike every few hours.  So after a few days of discipline you fall off the wagon and eat half a dozen doughnuts.  The key to this is eating plenty of fat and protien, which satiates your appetite.  And if you feel hungry wait half an hour.  Often that hunger is hormonal, as your body is craving the carbs.

After intense workouts or juijitsu sessions i make sure to take in plenty protien and often have a sweet potatoe, which minimally effects the blood sugar.  I like sweet potatoes, they are easy to nuke in the microwave and eat.

We’ll see how the rest of this goes.  After two weeks alot of people report they feel a mental fog being lifting and they have tons more energy.  Don’t think i have reached that point yet.  One thing i have noticed is my appetite the morning seems to have decreased.

Anton

Day 1 of Paleo Eating

Well i am back on a Paleo eating plan, unweighed and unmeasured for the moment.  I was dreading this after all the sugar and carbs i had been eating the past two months, but the first day was not awful.  Had three slices of bacon, three eggs and veggies for breakfast.  Pork carnitas with chard and green peppers in marinara sauce was my lunch.  For dinner it was chicken stir fry from New Seasons.  Over the course of the day i did feel some hunger and cravings, but plenty of fat from olives and nuts helped that.  Hopefully the next few days will be the same and then it can be smooth sailing.

Anton