Thursday, January 31, 2013 - Day 30 of New Year Challenge

Caramelized Coconut Chips

Workout Times: 5:30 and 6:30 PM

Warm-Up:
- Jog to street and back
- 2 Sets of 100 unbroken jump rope
- Joint mobility
- 1 Round Standard Warm-Up

Strength:
- Back Squats (reps and weight at the gym)

Conditioning:

5 Rounds -
- 50m Weighted Carry (135/95)
- 5 Hang Squat Cleans (135/95)
- 50m Weighted Carry (135/95)
- 5 Shoulder to Overhead (135/95)

Same weight throughout, start by carrying your bar to the second light pole, perform 5 hang squat cleans, carry your bar back to the basketball court, perform 5 shoulder to overhead...repeat 5 times.

Post food logs and detailed workout results to comments.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - Day 29 of New Year Challenge

Surf and Turf Lettuce Wraps

I Made those last night and they were a hit with Aaron, Lin, a friend that joined us for dinner, and me.  Don't leave the carrot off.

Workout Times: 5:30 and 6:30 PM

Warm-Up:

- Jog to road and back

- 1 Round Standard Warm-Up

Group Warm-Up:

- Burpees

Skill Work:

- Pull-Ups

Conditioning:

20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 -

- Walking Lunges

- Box Jumps (24/20)

- Push-Ups (hand release)

Post food logs and detailed workout results to comments.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - Day 28 of New Year Challenge

Crab Cakes with Wasabi Avacado Sauce

I read through a few day's food logs and some of you guys aren't eating near enough and more of you aren't eating enough protein.  The protein is your long-term fuel and will help satiate you more than any carbohydrates.  I would also try experimenting with healthy fats as snacks instead of sugary carbs (like graham crackers and fruit bowls).  Try avacado, olives, unsweetened coconut and macadamia nuts, etc...

Post food logs to comments.

Monday, January 28, 2013 - Day 27 of New Year Challenge

Chili Lime Chicken Wings

In honor of the super bowl this week I will post daily recipes for finger foods that would be great to serve at a party...like a super bowl party.

Read this article and thought you guys might be interested.  I'm a big fan of GSP and Dr. John Barardi of Precision Nutrition, so I was pretty excited to see that the two have been working together for a couple of years:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/01/27/eating-with-ufc-champion-georges-st-pierre-the-diet-he-used-to-transform-himself-2/#more-8913

We're only 3 weeks away from the test-out week, so there's not a lot of time to get stronger, faster, and leaner.  I'm going to continue to push you guys pretty hard at the gym, and I strongly encourage you to step it up on your nutrition if you haven't already.  3 weeks isn't a lot of time if we're talking about improving our performance only through workouts; however, it is plenty of time to make huge advances if you do a combination of working hard in the gym and going very strict on your nutrition.

BTW...I made the Venison Butternut Squash Chili from last Tuesday's Blog Post last night and it was excellent.  Though I will say that the smell is so incredible that it is probably affecting my taste.  The cinammon/paprika combination made the whole house smell awesome last night.  The chili will be even better today after sitting overnight.  I bought a good dutch oven style pot to start cooking these types of things in and it seems to have helped a lot. I ended up going with this one because the Le Creuset I wanted was a little out of my price range.

Today's Workout Times: 5:30 PM & 6:30 PM

Warm-Up:
- Jog to road and back
- 4 Sets of 75 unbroken singles or 25 unbroken double unders
- Joint mobility (be sure to include wrists for the heavy Push Presses)
- 1 Round of: 10 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 Sit-ups, 10 Supermans, and 10 Dips

then

Group Warm-Up:
- 4 x 30s on 20s off of Sit-Ups

then

Strength: Push Press (weights and reps at the gym)

then

Conditioning:

AMRAP in 5 Minutes -
- 3 Thrusters (115/85)
- 3 Burpees
- 50m Sprint

Rest 2 minutes and repeat

Post detailed workout results and food logs to comments.

Sunday, January 27, 2013 - Day 26 of New Year Challenge

Perfect Deadlift Setup

Post food logs to comments.

Saturday, January 26, 2013 - Day 25 of New Year Challenge

Had a good time judging for CFV's Forever Young Challenge on Saturday...excellent performance by huge variety of athletes.


Workout:

CrossFit's Helen

3 Rounds-
- 400m Run
- 21 Kettlebell Swings
- 12 Pull-Ups

Post workout results and food logs to comments.

Friday, January 25, 2013 - Day 24 of New Year Challenge

Baked Mustard Lime Chicken

Great job this week on the workouts, everyone.  We will have a workout tomorrow morning at 8 AM where anyone can make up strength workouts that they missed this week and do a short-medium length conditioning workout.

Here is the informaiton on the CrossFit Victorious' "Forever Young" Competition that I'm judging for tomorrow:

http://crossfitvictorious.com/forever-young-challenge/

It is being held at CrossFit Victorious in Tomball:

9421 FM 2920 St 10b
Tomball, TX 77375

The workouts start at 8 AM and will finish about 2:00 PM.

Post your food logs and any thoughts or questions to comments.

Thursday, January 24, 2013 - Day 23 of New Year Challenge

Butternut Squash Risotto

Great job on getting through these busy workouts guys.  Make sure you drink lots of water and stretch every time you think about it.  We still have a few weeks to go and Mary and I are going to continue to push you guys hard to get better.

Please don't let things like the timed jump ropes yesterday frustrate you...the purpose of those types of things is to help you find areas where you may need some additional work and to see how you do on a movement when you have the pressure of a time limit added.  We will continue to do that on Jump Ropes, and probably start doing it on Burpees and Sit-Ups in the next week as well.

Today's Workouts: 5:30 PM & 6:30 PM

Warm-Up:
- Jog to Road and Back
- 1 Round standard warm-up

then

Group Warm-Up:
Jump Rope Tournament

then

Strength:
Back Squat (Weights and Rep Schemes for Each individual will be available)

then

For Time:
30 - 20 - 10 -
- Burpees
- 1-Armed KB or DB Snatch (35/25)
- Sit-Ups

Post food logs, detailed workout results, and any thoughts or questions to comments.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - Day 22 of New Year Challenge

Moroccan Spiced Rubbed Salmon

Workout Times for Today: 5:30 PM & 6:30 PM

Warm-Up:
- Jog to Road and Back
- 1 Round Standard Warm-Up

Group Warm-Up (5 minutes after class start):
- 5 x 50 Timed UB Jump Rope Singles

then

Pull-Up Strength:
- 5 x 5 Weighted Pull-Overs on Bench
- 5 x 5 Barbell Rows
(alternate between both exercises)

then

AMRAP in 15 Minutes -
- 1 Full Gasser (to second light pole and back twice...approx 200 yds)
- 7 Ground to Overhead (135/95)
- 7 Box Jumps (30/24)

Post food logs, detailed workout results, and any thoughts or questions to comments.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 - Day 21 of New Year Challenge

Venison Butternut Squash Chili

Mobility WOD that applies to your thrusters:

Post food logs and any thoughts to comments.

Monday, January 21, 2013 - Day 20 of New Year Challenge

Crispy Carnitas

I've always wanted to try cooking carnitas at home and this is an excuse to go for it.  I just ordered this dutch oven to use for the braising: 7 Qt. Dutch Oven

We're about 3 weeks into the challenge and have a little over 30 days remaining.  This would be a great time to start a Whole30 if you aren't seeing the results you want with your current plan.

I'm feeling a ton better in just 3 weeks.  Mary and I ran a pretty tough 3 mile trail run last night and at the end I actually felt really good.  My clothes are fitting a lot better and my times are getting better every week in the workouts.  On top of that my allergies have gone away completely which is unheard of for me this time of year.

If you haven't noticed, we're working really hard at speeding up everyone's jump roping.  This would be an excellent time to order your own jump rope that is your size if you haven't already.  Here are a couple of options from cheap to "not so cheap".  All can be customized to your exact length and labeled with your name so that you don't have to worry about finding one that fits you anymore:

- Championship Freestyle Rope - $8.99

- Neptune Cable Rope - $14.99

- RX Jump Ropes - $35-45

The last one is what pastor, mary, nat, kim, gerald, and I use and is highly recommended.  If you need help ordering, watch the videos with how to size, and just ask Mary and I if you need help measuring or selecting your cable.

This week we're going to take the jump roping to the next level by having both penalties and positive reinforcement for jump rope performance in the warmups.  If you order a rope today you will probably have it in time for the Jump Rope Tournament on Thursday (hint...hint...wink...wink)...

Workout Times for This Week: 5:30 PM & 6:30 PM

Warm-Up -

- Jog to the road and back

- Perform 3 sets of 75 unbroken singles with a jump rope

- 1 Round Std Warm-Up

then

Group Sprint Work

then

Strength - Push Press (everyone's weights and reps will be at the gym)

then

For Time:

"5 Round Fran"

5 Rounds -

- 9 Thrusters (95/65)

- 9 Pull-Ups

This is just a slight modification to CrossFit's Fran (21-15-9) where we are doing the same amount of total reps, but split into 5 rounds.  The time it takes you to transition from thrusters to pull-ups and back will greatly influence your time in this one.

Post food logs, any thoughts on how you are feeling, what you are struggling with eating-wise, and detailed workout results.

Sunday, January 20, 2013 - Day 19 of New Year Challenge

Post food logs to comments.

Saturday, January 19, 2013 - Day 18 of New Year Challenge

1 round Standard Warm-Up

Then

Make up Strength

Then

For Time:
4 Rounds -
- 300m Sandbag Run
- 20m Walking Lunges with Sandbag
- 15 Ring Rows

Post food logs and workout results to comments.

Friday, January 18, 2013 - Day 17 of New Year Challenge

Stir Fried Kale and Bacon

Exciting News...New workout times!

From now through at least the end of the challenge this will be the schedule:

Monday - 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM
Wednesday - 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM
Thursday - 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM
Saturday - 8:00 AM

The Saturday workout will be an appropriate time to makeup any strength progressions you missed during the week.  However, if you made it to Mon, Weds, and Thurs, you are still welcome to come and get a fourth workout in for the week.  For the forseeable future we will not have a Sunday morning 6 AM workout.

Don't forgot about the mobility WOD's.:  www.mobilitywod.com

Post food logs and any thoughts to comments.

Thursday, January 17, 2013 - Day 16 of New Year Challenge

Southwest Shrimp Cakes

Today's Workout - 6:30 PM

Warm-Up Jog to the road and back

then

Complete 5 sets of 50 straight singles or 20 straight double-unders

then

2 Rounds of the Following Warm-Up:
- 15 Air Squats (form form form)
- 10 Push-Ups (full range of motion)
- 5 Dips
- 3 Pull-Up Negatives

then

Quad Stretch

then

Strength: Back Squat (we will have rep scheme and weights for each individual at the gym)

then

Against the Clock -
- Minute 1 (on the minute): Perform 1 Box Jump
- Minute 2: Perform 2 Power Cleans (135/95)
- M3: Perform 3 Box Jumps (30/24)
- M4: Perform 4 Power Cleans
.
.
.
Continue that pattern until you can no longer complete the prescribed reps within that minute.  Some can start on Power Cleans and some on Box Jumps to help stagger the equipment.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - Day 15 of New Year Challenge

Today's Workout - 6:30 PM

2 Rounds Standard Warm-Up

then

Strength - Push Press (Mary will have everyone's exact weights and rep scheme)

then

AMRAP in 20 Minutes:

10 Push-Ups
20 Sit-Ups
30 Sqats

Post workout results, food logs, and any thoughts to comments.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - Day 14 of New year Challenge

Tarragon Turkey Salad

Homework for Today (optional):

30 Burpees for Time

rest 3 minutes

30 Burpees for Time

Try to make the 2 sets the same time without gaming it.  Goal time should be somewhere around 90 seconds for each set.

Post food logs and results for the homework if you do it.  Drink lots of water today and do some mobility work to get ready for tomorrow night.

Monday, January 14, 2013 - Day 13 of New Year Challenge

Bo Kho (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew)

This just feels like stew weather...

Assuming the weather stays nasty we will be working out inside tonight.  If we end up outside I will probably tweak the workout a little bit.

Workout - 6:30 PM

Perform 30 unbroken Double Unders or 100 unbroken Singles.  If you fail...start over.

then

2 Rounds of the following Warm-Up:

(For the Squats and Push-Ups do 5 in extremely slow motion paying close attention to form and then steadily speed up until you get to 15. All squats must go to a med-ball, and all push-ups are hand release for the remainder of the challenge)

15 Squats (to med-ball)

15 Push-Ups (hand release)

15 Sit-Ups

15 Walking Lunges

then

After both rounds grab a partner and do some PNF on each other's hamstrings.  Coaches will demo.

then

Perform 3 x 5 Barbell Pull-Overs using an empty bar and a bench

then

For Time:

10 Rounds -

- Run down 1 hallway, up the stairs, across the upstairs hallway, down the other stairs, and run back to the front of the sanctuary down the opposite hall from where you started.

- 10 Kettlebell Swings (50/35)

- 10 Goblet Squats (50/35)

Post food logs, workout results, and any other thoughts to comments.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 - Day 12 of New Year Challenge

Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy

Post food logs to comments. Here's a recommended mobility WOD:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/09/seriously-do-this-yesterday-one-of-my-all-time-shoulder-fixes.html

Saturday, January 12, 2013 - Day 11 of New Year Challenge

Workout time - 8 AM

Post food logs to comments. Please post makeup workout results to their appropriate day.

Friday, January 11, 2013 - Day 10 of New Year Challenge

Jerk Inspired Pork Chop

Today's Workouts - 4:00 PM, 5:30 PM

2 Rounds Standard Warm-up

then

Workout 6: AMRAP in 2 Minutes - Burpees

then

Workout 7:

CrossFit's "Fran"

21 - 15 - 9 -

- Thrusters (95/65)

- Pull-Ups

then

Workout 8: Tabata Sit-Ups

Post food logs, workout results with details, and any other thoughts to comments.

Thursday, January 10, 2013 - Day 9 of New Year Challenge

Spicy Cauliflower

Weather looks great for us to resume our challenge workouts tonight.

Today's Times: 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM

Tomorrow's Times: 4:00 PM, 5:30 PM

We're going to try again with the same plan as yesterday -

2 Rounds Standard Warm-up

then

Workout 4: Find 1 RM Back Squat

then

Workout 5:

3 Rounds -
- 400m Run
- 15 Power Cleans (115/85)
- 15 Box Jumps (24/20)

Here's a good mobility wod to do before those heavy squats:

Post food log, results of workouts with details, and any thoughts you have about your nutrition, the workouts, the mobility wod's, etc... to comments.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - Day 8 of New Year Challenge

Basic Paleo Egg Muffins

Mary cooked these yesterday and said they were excellent and really easy to make.

Workout Cancelled due to weather

Here's another Mobility WOD for those of you that have done the first 2 and are looking for another.  If it were me I would do it after the workout tonight. before you go to bed.

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/silent-p-in-filet-very-paleo.html

Post results of workouts 4 and 5 with details, your food log, and any thoughts you have about any of it to comments.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013 - Day 7 of New Year Challenge

roasted winter squash with tahini and za’atar

Day 7 of the challenge!  You made it through a week of clean(er) eating.  I'm going to review the food logs over the next few days and will make recommendations to some of you.

Be sure to drink lots of water today and mix in a Mobility WOD.  These really will make an enormous difference on your recovery, injury prevention, and overall joint and tissue health.  Here's a recommended one:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/new-concept-and-homework.html

Post your food logs and any thoughts you have on the mobility wod's, eating, workouts, etc...

Get lots of rest tonight...tomorrow will be tough.

Monday, January 7, 2013 - Day 6 of New Year Challenge

Cocoa-Ancho Beef Ribs

2 Rounds Standard Warm-Up

Workout 1:

400m Run

Workout 2:

Push Press - Find 1RM

Workout 3 (For Time):

250 Singles

40 Squats

30 Sit-Ups

20 Push-Ups

10 Pull-Ups

Post food log and results from all 3 workouts to comments.  Make sure to post any modifications used on push-ups and pull-ups (including color of band).

Sunday, January 6, 2013 - Day 5 of New Year Challenge

Sweet Potato Soup w/ Bacon

Take it easy today, do a mobility wod, and drink lots of water.  This week is going to be pretty tough due to all of the workouts we have to squeeze in to 3 hours.

Post your food logs and any thoughts on the mobility wod's to comments.

Saturday, January 5, 2013 - Day 4 of New Year Challenge

Spicy Elk Chili (Or whatever meat you have on hand)

I'll post pics of good foods every day for the rest of the challenge.  You can click on the pic to take you to the recipe.

Weekend Homework:

Explore the MobilityWOD's.  Kelly Starrett (DPT) has been posting mobility workouts every day for over a year and has compiled a mountain of awesome information on keeping your joints and tissue healthy.  I would highly recommend starting with day 1 and working your way through the videos over the next few months.  They are not easy, but will make an enormous difference on your performance in the gym as well as how you feel day in and day out.  Here's a good one to start with.

Post your food logs and any thoughts to comments.



Friday, January 4, 2013 - Day 3 of New Year Challenge

Eggs over Sweet Potato Hash (Click on Pic for Recipe)

Some good recipe sites that specialize in Whole30 compatible foods:

- Whole9's Steal This Meal Series
- The Clothes Make the Girl
- NomNomPaleo
- Whole Life Eating
- The Foodee Project

I would highly recommend adding those to your favorites and checking them out from time to time.  Melissa Hartwig of Whole9 has a similar list of sites here: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/10-whole30-friendly-recipe-sites/

Post your food logs and check the blog Saturday morning for some weekend homework.

Thursday, January 3, 2013 - Day 2 of New Year Challenge

2 Rounds Standard Warm-Up

then

Review: Overhead Squat

then

For Time:

3 Rounds -

- 50m Bear Crawl
- 50m Broad Jump (perform 3 burpees every 5 jumps)
- 25 Sit-Ups

Post time, any mods, and food logs to comments.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - Day 1 of New Year Challenge

2 Rounds Standard Warm-Up

Then

Group Warm-Up

Then

For Time:

30 - 20 - 10 -
- Walking Lunges
- Kettlebell Swings
- Push-Ups

Post food log, time, KB weight, and any mods to comments.