09.30.08

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps

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JWOD: 32 double squat wall balls. There is no minimum or maximum height for you to toss the ball- requirement is 2 full depth squats for one toss.

An apple a day…

I think just about every one of you has heard Ray or I ask you, “Did you have a snack before you came?” And we don’t mean lunch. Ideally you should be eating every 2-3 hours…eating regularly so you DON’T go hungry. WHAT? No hunger…yes, no hunger. The more you fuel your body, the steadier your hormone levels are…and your metabolism burns all day long. If you do it correctly, you won’t feel that feeling of hitting the wall that is common, especially during CrossFit workouts.

Eating pre-workout snack has been proven to improve your performance during workouts. Why? Because it helps to prevent that dip in blood sugar (insulin). Many of us have felt this…that angry feeling when you get so hungry, you get lightheaded, lose concentration, get the shakes. It also helps to fill up your muscles and liver carbohydrate storage, where energy is readily available for your body to consume during your workout. Besides, who wants to workout with their stomach growling? It’s very distracting!

“So, okay, I’ll have a snack, but WHAT do I eat?” Good question. To me, the word “snack” has such a negative connotation. As kids, we grew up thinking snacks were like treats! And treats typically are nothing that you want in a healthy diet…that is why they are called treats! Ditch the old school idea that a snack is a treat…a snack is a small meal now. So, no, chocolate and pretzels, not a good snack, sorry.

Everybody’s food preference is different, and your snacks should vary on a daily basis, if you can, as well. Ideally, you want to be sufficiently hydrated BEFORE you come to workout. Turns out that chugging water during a CrossFit workout is not going to get you hydrated, if you are already dehydrated, not to mention, it can actually cause a little stomach distress…some of us may have met Pukie after having too much water during a workout, or at least come close.

You’ll want a snack that contains some form of “complex” carbohydrate, apples are wonderful, blueberries, another favorite of mine, plums, oranges…all very yummy. Celery, tomatoes, asparagus (yes, it’s good raw too) are all great choices as well. You’ll also want to include a lean protein, but not too much, don’t eat a steak before you come in! Some of my favorites are Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (the small container), low fat cottage cheese, Part skim string cheese, or 1 ounce of low fat cheese or a handful (about 1/4 cup) of almonds.

“So what do YOU eat?” Typically my pre-workout snack is either 1/2 apple with 1 macadamia nut and 1 ounce of low fat cheese (this is from the Zone) or, most commonly, Fage 0% Greek Yogurt with 1/4 cup blueberries (buy frozen this time of year) and 1 TBSP of ground flax seeds, drizzled with a little honey. I’m a creature of habit and it’s easy for me to plan out my meals, so I don’t change my snacks up as much as I should.

What to avoid? You guessed it! Refined sugars, no candy, please :).

As you may have read yesterday…our nutrition journal/blog is coming soon! My goal is to have it up and running next month. This is going to be a FREE service to our members. We want to provide you with as much information as we can to help you reach your optimal health and wellness. So…keep those questions coming! Let us know what YOU want to know about!

Over the next few days we’ll get a little more in depth into some of the macronutrients that I’ve been talking about: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. And more in depth on those crazy hormones (no not the ones that cause havoc as a teenager, believe it or not, there are more hormones that just those) I’ve been talking about, insulin and glucagon and how they effect you. Hopefully a better understanding of how each of these hormones and macronutrients play together will help give you a better understanding of how foods effect you :)!

September 30, 2008 | Filed Under Nutrition, W.O.D.

Comments

5 Responses to “09.30.08”

Ryan on September 30th, 2008 10:01 am

Squat day, just what the Dr. ordered !
joe kitz on September 30th, 2008 10:14 am

Hmmmm…haven’t done squats outside of a Smith Machine in a while..
Todd on September 30th, 2008 10:25 am

Which one of your two won the 120 challenge yesterday?
Ryan on September 30th, 2008 10:42 am

Joe beat my ass – I couldnt finish the pullups- my right hand ripped in 3 spots. Ill have to get some gloves next time I do that one. i had to shower with my hand above my head last night and this morning thx crossfit!
bridget on September 30th, 2008 11:10 am

The CrossFit Gods listened to your request yesterday Ryan ! We’ll be sure to show you guys proper squat technique tonight before you go at it. It differs a lot from the typical smith machine squat, which is usually only about 1/2 squat.

Here is an article on the squat:
http://crossfitpeachtree.com/PDFs/SquatClinic_Dec02.pdf