Positivity Is Positively Infectious 

We’ve all been there. It’s Monday morning at 5:45am and you wish you were still asleep. You’re Struggling through the last round of a grueling 5 round WOD. You’re one of the last to finish and not only do you hate squat cleans, but you can also feel a raw spot forming on your hands and your back starts to tighten up. Your sweating buckets and letting the negative voices creep in, telling you to quit. You’re staring at the bar way too long before picking it up again. It’s just not your day.

You’re about to throw in the towel when you hear a single chant; “You got this (insert your name here)!”. Some positivity starts to trickle in. “10 reps and you’re done!” You are able to fight through the burning in your quads and pick back up that med-ball. “Don’t give up!” You don’t. You grit your teeth and grind it out, giving all you have, leaving everything out on the floor. Now you’re through and unconsciously making a new sweat angel on the floor. You get a couple of high fives or pats on the back or maybe even a “good effort!” from a fellow peer. The burn in your muscles starts to fade and you begin to think clearly again as new oxygen is flowing through your body. You made it through. You battled yourself and won. The hardest part of your day is now over. You are a part of the team.

CrossFit works. That’s no secret. Community is fuel to the fire that is CrossFit. Without community, things get a lot harder (and heavier). What I’m getting at is that the small things like peer support and cheering sometimes go overlooked. Hearing someone else gunning for you when you’re trying to finish up a WOD can make a world of difference. It will also make it that much easier for them to cheer you on when you’re having a tough time at the gym on any given day. We have been having more newbies at the gym recently, too. One of the best ways to introduce them to the EDCF community and make that uncomfortable feeling fade quicker is to be supportive. So step outside your comfort zone a little today and pick a person to cheer on. Get rowdy. Get loud. Make The Suck more bearable. Who knows? You might just make their day..

Think you’re man (or woman) enough for Ultimate Tak Ball?

There will be NO Friday evening classes tomorrow (3/23).

There will be a FREE Saturday morning class at 10am.

Members: Remember to record your workouts by clicking on the “Whiteboard” button up by the WOD for easy workout tracking in the future.

 

Charles C. has been committed to the paleo lifestyle and higher intensity workouts for quite some time now. As he will tell you himself, cutting fat and building muscle are the only side effects to look forward to.. And they say never trust a skinny chef.

Links and links and links:

Cold Thermogenesis 6: The Ancient Pathway <– crazy thoughts from a doc that just might work

My Leptin Perscription <– more from Dr. Kruse

Bulletproof Coffee <– think I’m gonna try this one tomorrow

Science, Pseudoscience, Nutritional Epidemiology, and Meat <– Taubes tackling the latest red meat scare

Now read people!

You talked. We listened! Now you can track your WOD results online. Having trouble remembering when we did a certain lift or workout? Now you can use the key movements in the WOD to search for it and know your time to beat before you step in the door. So please, when you get home at night or the next day, log in your WOD times by clicking ‘WOD RESULTS’ over here to the right. Knowing your progress is key!

Tim is one of the newest additions to the masters class, and also Trevor’s father. After a total knee replacement surgery, there wasn’t much hope of exercising again. He has proven that he’s still got it and now is moving faster than ever and feeling great. Tim is described most accurately with one word: resiliency. Keep up the good work Tim!

It’s all about the insulin.

Hyperinsulinemia – google it. Read about it. FEAR IT. It means “too much insulin”, which comes from what? Too much glucose (too many carbohydrates). A quick web search will link hyperinsulinemia to (drum roll): obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, high blood pressure, auto-immune disorders, and more fun and exciting modern diseases.

The Paleo Diet has one goal above all others: controlling insulin levels.

Ideally, insulin and glucagon work in harmony in our body – insulin stores energy, glucagon releases it. We never store more than we need before our next meal (avoiding those nasty love handles!) and it is released by the glucagon promoted by low blood sugar levels between meals. Unfortunately, the FDA’s food pyramid, putting grains and dairy as a staple of a “healthy diet” is one big fat lie and throws this entire balance out-of-whack. Eating an average meal of complex carbohydrates results in, on average, anywhere from 2-10 times as much insulin production as eating fruits and vegetables. Once we have too much insulin in our system, things really get out of control.

From Paleo Science 101 by Cliff Hodges.

Pictured: Chase and Kristen showing Helen what’s up.

Free Workout:

Saturday

10am (regular)

9am (over age 45)

Robin H. from the morning Masters class picks up 185lbs. This was her 4th set of a 5×5 deadlift. I took the video a little too soon as she moved up to 205lbs shortly after. Way to go Robin! I should also mention that fellow Masters class member Pam H. scored 75 burpees on the first open wod. These guys are getting stronger and faster everyday. If you know anyone over the age of 45 who is looking to start moving or make a life change, refer them our way.