10.28.09

BACK SQUATS

5-5-5-5-5 reps

Watch video. For these squats, I want you guys to focus on controlling the down movement, taking about 3-5 seconds; then exploding up. I talked about the air squat on yesterday’s post…any deficiencies you may have in your air squat will be carried over and multiplied once you add weight…so remember to warm up with those pretty air squats!!

FOUR ROUNDS FOR TIME

400M Run
50 Squats

ELITE WOD

DISCLAIMER FOR TODAY’S ELITE WOD! ONLY COME TO THIS CLASS IF YOU CAN RX THE WEIGHT…If you cannot RX this WOD, then plan to attend the regular classes or foundations.

KATRINA

3 Rounds for Time
10 Squat Cleans 135# / 95#
10 Pull Ups C2B (if you can)
10 Kettlebell Swings 55# / 35#
10 Overhead Squats 95# / 65#
10 Burpees

FOUNDATIONS CLASS

Tonight at 7pm is the Foundations Class! If you are newer to CrossFit or want to work on your form…this is the class for you!

GREAT JOB…

Camilla! We are looking forward to seeing you back again very soon!

NEW CLASS TIMES

Starting next week we are adding a noon class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We are canceling the 10am on Friday. Check out the updated schedule here.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FIT

By Mark’s Daily Apple

fit-ness: The capacity of an organism to survive and transmit its genotype to reproductive offspring as compared to competing organisms. The ability to conduct oneself in physically demanding situations; to function effectively in emergencies; to display superior body composition and aptitude in matters of strength, cardiovascular capacity, power expression, reaction time, speed, agility, flexibility; to evince generally superior health and resistance to injury and disease

In Grok’s time, both definitions of fitness were inextricably linked. In fact, I’d argue a Paleolithic hominid organism’s reproductive fitness almost completely relied upon his physical fitness level, whereas today’s humans wield various currencies, both immaterial and tangible, that predict their reproductive fitness irrespective of their physical strength, stamina, or endurance. A person’s bank account, education, or employment status are all considered to be better predictors of reproductive fitness. The ability to whip out a debit card and pay for a cart full of groceries matters more than the ability to kill, butcher, and carry a deer. We pay monthly rent to a landlord rather than having to build a domicile out of heavy stones with our own two hands. With regard to reproductive fitness understand that evolution doesn’t so much care how strong you are or how fast you can run when all of your needs are met. Another way to illustrate this is to look at early examples of agrarian societies (e.g. Egyptians). You find that as soon as Homo sapiens had abundant sources of calories that were easy to cultivate and store (read grains) they became shorter, and exhibited bad teeth, decreased bone density and diseases that weren’t seen prior. The irony is that the cheap sources of calories that enabled us to easily reach reproductive age and eventually populate the world with billions upon billions of people is the root cause of modern man’s ill health and poor fitness. I could go on with examples, of course, but my main point is this: physical fitness no longer determines reproductive fitness. It has changed from requirement to elective. Being big, strong, fast, and agile is certainly beneficial to us (and even attractive to the opposite sex), but it isn’t necessary – let alone expected.

What, then, happens to our definition of physical fitness? If physical fitness is no longer a vital aspect of our essential humanness, what does it mean, exactly, to be fit?

I often talk about “functional fitness,” or fitness that enhances one’s ability to effectively function in a given environment. But that functionality is malleable, and the form it assumes is totally dependent on the environmental pressures being exerted. In other words, the required “functions” are always changing based on circumstance, and the “fitness” that allows these functions to be performed must change along with them.

I’ll give an example to illustrate my point. The body compositions of Roman gladiators were actually a far cry from those of the sub-10% BF, muscle-bound model-actors depicting them in movies; helped along by a diet high in barley and other grains, real Roman gladiators were sheathed in a substantial protective layer of visceral body fat. To us, they would have looked like your average CW-touting slob, but in reality, they possessed incredible functional fitness – it’s just that they existed in an extremely narrow environmental niche, wherein the right amount of adipose tissue protected against serious wounds without compromising one’s ability to swing a mace or thrust a trident. Thus, a functionally fit body composition, for the Roman gladiators, was pudgy, bulky, and dense. But were they fit, in the broader sense? They might survive the arena, but would they reach old age, or would the effects of a grain-based diet eventually catch up with them?

That opens up another can of worms: isn’t overall health an aspect of fitness? The gladiator example is an extreme one (heck, their entire fitness regimen was predicated upon the assumption that they would be bludgeoned, stabbed, and sliced on a regular basis; these guys weren’t exactly thinking about their long term health!), but the extreme endurance athlete might be more suitable and applicable. As you guys know, I used to be one of them, running a hundred miles a week and training for hours daily at my peak. And unlike the gladiators, I actually looked to be in great physical health. I had almost no body fat, an impeccable resting heart rate (38 bpm), a relatively high VO2 max and I qualified for the 1980 Olympic trials as a marathoner, but I wasn’t healthy. I was constantly sick, my joints ached, my feet hurt, and my body was inflamed from all the simple carbs I had to eat to support my training. For my environment niche (endurance training), yeah, I was fit, even functionally so. But in terms of that other, somewhat wider environmental niche, the one that encompasses health, happiness, longevity, physical strength, agility, power, and resistance to disease? I was a mess. I wasn’t fit at all. Grok would have kicked me out when he saw I couldn’t haul a hundred pounds of bison back to camp without wincing and complaining about my knees.

I think we have to include health in the definition of proper fitness, especially if we’re talking about Primal fitness. There’s no point to lifting twice your body weight, running a sub-6 minute mile, and doing twenty consecutive pull-ups if you aren’t going to live a long, full life. With that in mind, I think true physical fitness must be functional across a broad spectrum of environmental pressures – no highly specialized gladiators or marathoners allowed – while still promoting optimum health and longevity. And I’ll admit – I can’t think of a time period in which greater varieties of functional abilities were demanded than the thousands of years before agriculture. Grok and company were the ultimate practitioners of a type of functional fitness that encompassed most, if not all of the parameters laid out in the dictionary definition up above. Competent strength, power, speed, agility, balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance were essential attributes for our hunter-gatherer ancestors as they hunted, stalked, foraged, lifted, hauled, threw, climbed, and jumped. They were essential attributes for reproductive fitness and survival of the species.

Okay, but we don’t live in the Paleolithic anymore and, as I said earlier, we don’t have those same environmental pressures demanding we be able to jump high, run fast, and lift heavy things. How, then, has fitness changed from the theoretical past to the present?

Isn’t fitness, in an objective sense, entirely dependent on environment? If finances matter more than might, and education predicts success more often than does foot speed, does that render the old ideals of fitness irrelevant?

Or has the objectively ideal physical fitness remained the same? Just as our bodies do better when we eat, sleep, and mitigate stress like our Primal ancestors, do they also improve when we achieve Grok’s physical fitness? Is a balanced, measured, all-around competency suited for a wide range of environments and experiences the best marker for general fitness, regardless of financial status?

Is physical fitness truly necessary, or is it just another form of tourism?

I think you probably know my answers to all these questions. I’m eager to hear your thoughts, so hit me up with a comment. Thanks, everyone!

October 28, 2009 | Filed Under W.O.D.

Comments

57 Responses to “10.28.09”

ray on October 28th, 2009 8:46 am

3 amigos is the pic above! Joey leaning into a Tupac!
ray on October 28th, 2009 8:49 am

We’ll post details soon but the Sat after Turkey Day we are going to have another group wod.

“Toss yur Turkey Sat” Stay tuned….
Joey on October 28th, 2009 8:53 am

I’m way tanner than Ryan.
Joey on October 28th, 2009 8:54 am

No way Ray – That’s a perfectly executed round back burpee. I remember that wod. I totally blame our slow time on Diesel’s heart burn.
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 8:57 am

Shit, I may be there all night with the OHS. Wonderful…
Liz on October 28th, 2009 9:00 am

For the record, Dirty had a different piece of shit WOD this morning. Left me dropping F’bombs at 6:45 in the morning! SO FUN!
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 9:04 am

Liz, I am going to have a parade of F’bombs this evening. If anyone is offended by profane language, it is advised you do not attend the elite WOD.
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:05 am

Sorry Liz, that would be my programming that we might save for another day
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 9:07 am

OK, given identical black Ed Hardy t shirts, who would make a better Jon Gosselin for Halloween, Rey or Jonny??

If you look at the picture closely, while Joey is doing his impersonation of a boiled shrimp, I have moved on to the Irish Jog/Riverdance portion of the WOD….
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 9:20 am

B, how long did this take you last week?
Caroline on October 28th, 2009 9:25 am

does anyone have any good paleo recipes to share? i need some good suggestions!
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:26 am

I think 18 minutes?? I’d have to look at my card. C2B pull ups and I aren’t friends yet.
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:29 am

Funny that you ask Caroline! Ray and I had this for dinner:

http://stevepaleo.blogspot.com/2009/03/paleo-pork-chops.html

Except I subbed in roasted sweet potatoes with olive oil and sage instead of the apples and butternut squash. I took 2 sweet potatoes, peeled them and then cut them up into about 1-2 inch chunks. Tossed them with about 30 leaves of fresh sage (from the little garden) and about 3 TBSP olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Roasted those for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

I also served it with a small salad of endive, watercress, walnuts and a pear sliced up and tossed with walnut oil and champagne vinegar, salt and pepper.

Yes, I did say I tossed the salad…
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:30 am

Um…I also served it with a fab bottle of Stag’s Leap Petite Syrah…paired quite well
Rebecca on October 28th, 2009 9:33 am

Ew, chest to bar … B, is there some secret I’m missing to getting that high? Something we’re supposed to add to the kip to get farther up?
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 9:38 am

Becca, Tell ya what. If you do my OHS squats, ill take care of your C2B pull ups. Fair deal?
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:39 am

I suck at them…they just suck in general. I have played around with a reverse grip in one hand and that helps sometimes. I just have to kip super hard to get up there and then pull…it’s not pretty. I also find looking up at the ceiling helps sometimes, which is much different than I normally do in my pull ups.

I think they are highly overrated and dumb…
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 9:40 am

Mike D…HILARIOUS! Seriously, where do you come up with these things…”Joey doing his impersonation of a boiled shrimp”

HAPPY HUMP DAY!
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 9:42 am

Becka, it helps me, like B said, to just kip harder and put your chin higher to the ceiling (it helps you to lean back a little bit so you are closer to your chest).
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 9:47 am

I also find looking up at the ceiling helps sometimes, which is much different than I normally do

Can’t even add anything to this…..
Joey on October 28th, 2009 9:49 am

Becca, do some curls in the back with the 50 lbs dumbbell. Chest to bar ain’t no thang after that.
bridget on October 28th, 2009 9:51 am

I find I have a distinct disadvantage since my pull ups are like weighted pull ups with this caboose that follows me around
Caroline on October 28th, 2009 9:55 am

Thanks for the recipe B! sounds excellent!
Liz on October 28th, 2009 9:56 am

Becca – I can’t do these “Chest 2 Bar” pulls up that everyone is talking about – but I did learn something from Luam at the quals last year that having a wider grip may help too. It will shorten the distance that you have to go, ultimately helping you get higher and your chest to the bar.
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 9:59 am

real Roman gladiators were sheathed in a substantial protective layer of visceral body fat.

That’s it; I was just born 2000 years too late…
Joey on October 28th, 2009 10:00 am

You’re so 2000 and late…
Liz on October 28th, 2009 10:03 am

Hilarious Joey. Hilarious.
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 10:05 am

Bridget, Can I apply the 5 penalty burpees I did on Saturday to the last set of Burpees tonight??
bridget on October 28th, 2009 10:08 am

I think you can take those penalty burpees and pass them off to somebody else if you would like…kind of like passing out drinks in three man (or your drinking game of choice).
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 10:15 am

Give me those burpees Mike D, I’ll go “get off in a corner somewhere” and shred them
Joey on October 28th, 2009 10:17 am

shredd has two D’s…just like Pam Anderson.
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 10:18 am

Get pitted. So pitted.
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 10:24 am

I just think that, with all this rain, the sweat produced by burpees 25 through 30 may overwhelm the drainage systems, and CFPT is down near sea level….
Brandi Long on October 28th, 2009 10:25 am

Caroline, here are a couple of websites that I like to use:
http://cfscceat.blogspot.com/
http://stevepaleo.blogspot.com/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/
the third one is gluten free-not paleo but since she doesn’t use flour you can usually make her stuff with no modifications.
I also blog when I try something new and have several recipes on my site.
http://www.thepaleokitchen.blogspot.com/
Hope this helps!
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 10:29 am

My new hero…seriously?!!! This kid is 5…totally nuts how strong he is and a little scary. Thanks to Nick for sending me this gem of a video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PndJi2Sia2w&feature=player_embedded
bridget on October 28th, 2009 10:41 am

that kid is creepy
bridget on October 28th, 2009 10:41 am

his air squats suck too
Rebecca on October 28th, 2009 10:44 am

Taylor – I’ll definitely trade with you!

Everyone else – Thanks for your suggestions. Wide hands, wildly powerful kips, possible mixed grip … tonight is going to be interesting!
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 10:45 am

We should call his Dad and tell him to do 5 burpees for the bad air squats
Amy on October 28th, 2009 10:48 am

Brandi, I love your blog and thanks for the shout out on the brownies!!
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 10:49 am

Scale the weight fot that kid and we have the 2010 crossfit games champ.
bridget on October 28th, 2009 11:02 am

RV this is for you:

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/09Games_CrystalSandbag2.mov
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 11:12 am

I gotta give kudos to Brandi’s blog too! It’s really awesome and makes me SO HUNGRY everytime I look at it! MEEEEEE HUNNNGRRYYY
bridget on October 28th, 2009 11:27 am

I also made this breakie frittata over the weekend, which makes enough for leftovers. It’s not the best, but it’s pretty good and convenient:

8 eggs (whisked in a separate bowl)
2 spicy italian chicken sausage
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion chopped
spinach

In a large non stick pan, “grease” with olive oil. Make sure the olive oil is all over the pan. I used a paper towel to spread it evenly over the pan.

Over medium heat: saute the onions until they are translucent, then add shrooms. Saute until they are lightly brown and soft then add the sausage and handful of spinach (more depending on taste). Saute until the spinach is wilted.

Pour all of your eggs into the mixture and cook until it is solid. Be careful to not burn the bottom. Flip when it’s mostly done and brown the other side.

Note: I had to cut mine in half to flip it; it made it easier.
Mel Capt Team Awesome on October 28th, 2009 12:24 pm

OMG Sarah that video is scary- that is so bad for a developing child and around the 57 second mark he seriously freaks me out- those eyes with dark circles- like Fester from the adams family! I love the lil girl in the background- she is like umm who cares that you can do push ups on a bar- check out my sweet dance moves! A girl after my own heart
bridget on October 28th, 2009 12:39 pm

joey, you know what else is scary?? your costume
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 12:50 pm

I do have to give another shout out to Fresh Market across the street, for having healthy affordable rotisserie chicken, salmon, etc. for lunches and dinner. Easier to stay paleo when you have tasty options nearby.
Caroline on October 28th, 2009 1:15 pm

Thanks Brandi! I will check those out!
Nick "I'll run away and never come back" Black on October 28th, 2009 1:16 pm

is sex paleo?
Nick "I'll run away and never come back" Black on October 28th, 2009 1:17 pm

boardshorts without a shirt is still in
SaraH Mayor of Shortville on October 28th, 2009 1:23 pm

I believe tearing off your rips is considered MAD paleo
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 1:25 pm

Nick, I think with the Bette Midler tattoo on your chest, you are in the clear….
bridget on October 28th, 2009 1:55 pm

Another recipe for you from Casa de Murphy:

Chicken Tacos in the crock pot:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped up into small pieces (about 1.5 inches)
2 limes juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped coarsely
1 tsp each of:
cumin
oregano
thyme

1/2 tsp of:
paprika
cayenne pepper

Throw all of that in a crock pot for about 6 hours or so. Serve on corn tortillas (I like the ones from Whole Foods) with avocado slices and tomato chunks, chopped cilantro and fresh lime.

Using corn tortillas isn’t 100% paleo, but it’s better than the gluten bomb flour option. You can put this over lettuce with all the toppings for a true paleo version.

And if you had a bad day, serve it with a Paleo Friendly Margie…
SaraH on October 28th, 2009 2:40 pm

Omg omg omg!!! (Kenley tribute). Lady Gaga is coming to Atlanta Dec 28th to the Fox!!!
Rey worked with a bunch of hoodlums on on October 28th, 2009 3:20 pm

Mike…. Im going to be Doogie Houser for Halloween.

B, is it ok to do the morning WOD tonight?

Nick, I think Doggy style is the only position that’s Paleo
Taylor on October 28th, 2009 3:46 pm

Who all is doing the Elite WoD tonight? Big Mike?
Mike D, and I'm back from the Dead on October 28th, 2009 3:57 pm

I am in for the elite, although I am disappointed that Rey won’t be Jon Gosselin. We could get Jill to be Kate and be all set.