Crossfit Zone Victoria BC, Vancouver Island

We all know that familiar feeling:  you’ve already eaten, but you’re still feeling inexplicably peckish. Logically, you know that you’ve eaten enough food for now…perhaps even the day!  Yet you still can’t stop thinking about hunting after some sort of snack. You know that technically you shouldn’t be, but you are:  you’re still hungry!

This feeling can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to increase your lean body mass.  But you’ll be interested to know that one such explanation for this persistent hunger has more to do with human evolution than with a lack of will power or discipline.

“It isn’t easy to lose weight because our bodies conspire against us,” says Dr. Tony Goldstone, a medical doctor and endocrinologist at Imperial College, London, who studies obesity, appetite, and the hormones involved. Dr. Goldstone tells us that every time we lose weight, our bodies kick in to try and prevent us losing any more!  Hunger is simply a biological reflex, and out of our control.

In our distant past as early humans, finding food was far less simple than going down to the store.  Getting enough to eat was a daily struggle, and the focal point for much of existence.  So, mechanisms developed, mediated by chemical messengers in our body, to drive our behaviour towards finding food.  We have bodies that were built in an age of scarcity, so the same drives and desires to eat as though food is hard to come by still exist, even though we now live in an age of plenty.

From that gnawing feeling in your gut to your thoughts of cravings, hunger exists for a reason:  it is your body’s way of telling you that you need to give it more energy.  If we never felt hungry, we wouldn’t survive!  And the key to the way we feel lies in our hormones.

You’re already familiar with serotonin, which is involved in happiness and depression, and you know all about estrogen and testosterone, our body’s sex hormones.  Here is another hormone you should know about: ghrelin.  Ghrelin is a key hormone involved in appetite regulation.  Simply put: it’s the chemical that makes you feel hungry, slows metabolism, and decreases the body’s ability to burn fat.  Ghrelin levels in the blood spike before meals and drop afterward.  If you haven’t eaten enough, your stomach releases ghrelin, which travels to your brain and makes you think of food. 

(**Interesting side note: I read a study where people who were given ghrelin injections felt voraciously hungry, and, when turned loose at a buffet, ate 30 percent more than they normally would!!  Fancy that.**)

But it gets more complicated, according to Dr. Goldstone.  Our bodies will produce more ghrelin if we are in more dire need of calories; such as if we haven’t eaten in a long time, or when we haven’t slept enough and need to boost our energy levels.  If people have not had enough sleep, or enough slow wave sleep, they will have even higher levels of ghrelin; therefore, sleep deprivation increases appetite.

Ghrelin levels are also jacked up by the body in times of stress!  This could help explain why so many of us in high stress jobs want to snack all the time, as counter intuitive as this may seem when working a job that is not physically demanding.

So what can we do about this hunger, given that we are as saddled as we are with biological constraints?  There are simple measures we can take by keeping our hormonal checks in mind.  Eat regularly, don’t skip meals, and always eat breakfast so you start off your day by restocking your depleted energy stores.  Try to eat foods that are richer in complex carbohydrates and try to avoid sugary food and drinks so you don’t have a big spike in sugar levels. Protein laden foods are helpful to satisfying your body’s needs!

Today’s Workout:

Buy-in: 2 rounds of - 5 inchworms, 10 situps, 15 squats (coaches use some of this time to get newbies up to speed if they are unfamiliar with the exercises in the WOD).

WOD: “Mini - Me”

This workout consists of two short metcons, both are scored for fastest time.  Combine the times of both workouts for your score.

Mini WOD 1 - 3 rounds for time of:

• 15 wallballs (14/20)
• 10 pullups

Zone 2 - assisted pullups, 10/14lb medicine balls

5-10 minutes rest (time for a second heat to go if there are lots of people)

Mini-WOD 2 - 2 rounds for time of:

• 500m row
• 20 double crunch
• 20 pushups

Zone 2 - scale to pushups from the knees

Cash-Out: Foam roll lower body with coach!

Gymnastics

Skills:

• Muscle-ups On Rings and Bar
  
• ( actual Gymnastics Kip on Bar/ On P-bars)
  
• Front Levers

WOD: TBA

Fresh and delicious!

It’s that time of year! Starting from the hot summer days through those cool early fall months, farmers markets are in full swing, selling a bounty of beautiful, fresh, local produce. Visiting a farmers market is a lovely weekend outing, but there are many other reasons to bypass the supermarket for your weekly fresh fruits and vegetables.

While grocery stores offer convenience, the absence of ’seasons’ (e.g. strawberries and tomatoes are available in the heart of winter and imported bananas sit on shelves year round) and rock bottom prices, why would anyone shop at a farmers market? Here are a few reasons.

1. Enjoy Better Tasting Food. First and foremost, the produce is un-beatably fresh. Forget buying veggies that sat in a refrigerated truck for three days to make their way across the country, or bringing home fruit that traveled across an ocean to reach your kitchen. Typically, produce at the farmers market was harvested at the last possible moment, at peak ripeness. The flavors, textures and colors are noticeably better compared with most supermarket produce.

2. Get More Nutrition for Your Money. Generally speaking, produce that is fresh and local is nutritionally superior to the fruits and veggies in many grocery stores. Many factors affect the nutrient quality of these foods, such as when the crop was harvested, how it was grown, how it was handled and processed, and how long it’s been sitting on the supermarket shelf. All of these factors can decrease nutrient quality. Farm-fresh food goes through fewer nutrient-diminishing steps and gets from the earth to your table sooner. This means it is probably richer in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (thanks to less transport, processing and storage time).

3. Support local business. When you shop at the farmers market, you’re keeping money in your own community, which helps create (and preserve) jobs and makes your hometown more economically stable. Your money goes directly to the farmer-not a middleman-so he can earn a better living. When buying at a grocery store, produce comes from commercial growers all over the country (and overseas). These growers earn about 25 cents of each dollar you spend. Put more of your money into your local farmers’ pockets (and in turn, into your local economy) by purchasing fruits and veggies from the market, where farmers keep 95% of what you spend after paying “rent” for their market booth.

4. Explore artisan, homemade and handmade products. You might not know that farmers markets usually sell a variety of items in addition to produce. At large and small markets alike, you just may find vendors who sell fresh-cut flowers, seedlings and plants, herbs, handmade soaps, jams and jellies, honey, eggs, meat, cheese and milk, baked goods (muffins, cookies, bread and more), canned salsa and tomato sauces, and much more! Farmers markets sometimes offer unusual or less common varieties of fruits and vegetables, too. It’s fun to experiment with produce you’ve never tasted.

When you’re used to supermarket steals, you might be surprised at the cost of food at a farmers market. Some items are priced comparably-or lower-than supermarket foods. In some cases, local produce is cheaper because it skipped all the shipping costs and the mark-up added by grocery stores. But that’s not always the case. Supermarkets deal in big volumes and with big commercial farms, which means they can depend on high volume to keep costs low. Your local farmers likely operate on a much smaller scale, running independent small businesses. While some items might cost more than at the store, many shoppers agree that what they’re paying for is worth the added cost.

Most farmers will price their fares competitively with the other vendors. You’ll likely see similar prices on tomatoes from every farmer, but organic produce might cost more, as will special varieties of foods. When you arrive, scope out the prices and variety at each stand before you buy to ensure that you get the best deal for your money. If several items, such as beans, tomatoes or apples are grouped together at one price, don’t be afraid to ask for a smaller amount than is bundled together; most farmers will be happy to accommodate you.

Finally, take your time! Enjoy your experience at the farmers market. Walk slowly, take in the sights and the people, enjoy the free samples, and look carefully and with gratitude at the beautiful foods produced by the farmers in your community.

Today’s Workout:

Buy-in: 4 rounds of - 1 deadlift, 1 hang power clean, 1 front squat.  Add weight each round.

WOD:  “Top Gun”

This WOD has 2 parts:

1. Build up to a 1RM in the clean over 6 attempts
2. 5 rounds of (30s max wallballs, 30s rest, 30s max burpees, 30s rest).  This means that each person will have 5 wallball scores and 5 burpee scores at the end of the WOD.
3. Add up your best single rep in the clean to the total of all your wallballs and burpees

Cash-out: Slow smooth funky movement - each class member contributes

Zone Gymnastics class at 7:30 -8:45pm:

Skills: Cart-wheels, Shoulder stands, Front & Back Levers

WOD: (20)V-Snaps, Push up pyramid, L-Sits up to 1:30

For more information click the link

http://crossfitzone.ca/gymnastics-zone

M-Train passed out after the Games

Has this happened to you lately?  You stayed up late last night to finish a project, then woke up groggy only to realize that you’d slept through the alarm clock.  In a rush, you skipped breakfast, then almost fell asleep in the middle of an important morning meeting.  It’s now mid-afternoon and, as you’re having yet another cup of coffee while stifling a yawn, you realize you’re practically sleep walking through your days.

You’re not the only one!  Nightly sleep for the average person has dropped dramatically.  According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), nearly half of all adults admit they sleep less so they have more time to work, or play.  Although most experts agree that the average adult needs eight hours, most of us tend to burn our candle at both ends.

But how do you get off this sleep deficit merry-go-round?  It’s easy for me to tell you to get more sleep, but what if you’re simply spending frustrating hours in bed tossing and turning, having trouble finding that elusive deep slumber?

Healthy sleep is every bit as valuable to your overall well-being as exercise and good nutrition.  Research shows that a lack of proper deep sleep undermines the body’s ability to fight off disease.  Perpetual sleepiness can reduce the quality and quantity of your work by a third, according to the NSF.  This would include your workouts!  If you’re having major problems in your sleep life, you probably should consult a doctor.  But for most of us who are having trouble sleeping, there’s a simple cure: exercise.  Working out regularly has been shown to reduce episodes of insomnia.  What’s more, it promotes improved sleep quality by producing smoother, more regular transitions between the cycles and phases of sleep.

Exercise lasting 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week generally results in better sleep and more energy.  You may have to find your own exercise rhythm– some people can exercise any time, while others do better if they work out in the morning or afternoon, not near bedtime.  But, vigorous exercise during the day and mild exercise before bedtime will not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily, but will increase the amount of time you spend in deepest sleep phase.

As if that wasn’t enough of a bonus, exercise offers many other mental benefits:

• Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that accumulates in your blood
• Sharpens your brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available
• Eases built-up muscular tension
• Strengthens and stimulates your heart and lungs
• Stimulates your nervous system
• Increases your production of endorphins, the substance which creates a sense of well-being and increases your body’s resistance to pain (helpful for WODs!)
• Stimulates release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement
• Increases deep sleep, as the brain compensates for physical stress

There’s no doubt about it: there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep!

Today’s Wokout:

Buy In - Max wallballs in 2 minutes

WOD - “Lynne”

Five rounds for max reps of:
Bench press
Pull-ups

Post reps for both exercises in all rounds.

Elite - Body weight (BW)

Zone 3 - 75 % BW

Zone 2 - 50 % BW, scale pullups as needed

Zone 1 - Scale as needed, assisted pullups

Cash Out- Group stretch

Running WOD

30 to 40 min tempo or hill run

Please post in the comments when and where you are doing your run if you would like people to join you!

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100 Day Burpee Challenge:

Burpees today: 45

Buy-in: 1035

Bring a friend, but not Erkel please!

CrossFit Zone is hosting our first “Bring a Friend Night” on Wednesday, January 6th at 6:30pm.  This is a chance for you to bring your friends and challenge them to a CrossFit workout.  This is open to everyone, not just members!  We will be holding a free class 4 times this month held every Wednesday.  Please arrive at the gym at 6:15pm to sign in.  There is limited space available, so please email admin@crossfitzone.ca to save your spot!

Special Notes:

• Please dress in layers, the gym can be a little cold before you are warmed up
• Bring a water bottle
• Please eat a minimum of 5 hours before, and no sooner than 2 hours prior to workout
• Please use street parking only
• Click this link for directions to the gym

Today’s Workout:

Buy In - Kettlebell Goblet Squats - 3 x 10 with a brief pause at the bottom to nail down your squat form and loosen up the joints! see video

WOD - “2 Scoops”

This is a 2-part wod, both parts count towards your score for the day.

Part 1:  4×6 Back squats - add weight each set until you hit your best weight for 6 reps
Part 2:  2 minutes at the following stations to accumulate as many total reps as possible:

• Wallball (20/14)
• Situps
• Pushups
• Double unders
• Knees to elbows
• Box Jumps (24/20)

Add weight from squats to total reps in the metcon to get your score.

Zone 3:  Scale to 14/10lb wallballs and KTE as needed

Zone 2: Scale double unders to single skips

Zone 1:  Scale box jumps to step ups, 1-2minutes at each station

Cash Out - Stretch

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100 Day Burpee Challenge:

Burpees today: 36

Buy-in: 696

Turts showing you what active recovery is all about!

Team,

We all know how much you guys love training. I see it in the smiles on your faces and undeniable excitement when you see things like 400m runs, burpees, thrusters, and wallball in the workouts… it’s impossible to hide it! All seriousness aside though, you guys DO like to train and you DO train hard.

CrossFit workouts done right are not just physically demanding but also emotionally and psychologically taxing. They are meant to be challenges that through your conquering of them, you gain strength of body and character. Sometimes we lose sight of that though and begin to work “through the motions” as opposed to putting forward our best effort on the day. The longer and more consistently you have been training, the more likely this is to happen. All of you have been training steadily and hard for the past few months and there have been weeks of incredibly difficult workouts.

The holiday season allows us some time to step back from the intensity and for our bodies and minds to rest and regenerate. The natural wonders that the colder weather brings (hopefully) open a whole new range of activity possibilities to us (skiing, snowshoeing, skating). Indoor options are also available, such as swimming, squash, climbing, and basketball.

CrossFit is all about being a well-rounded person, so take this time to try out different activities or some that you haven’t practiced in a while. It will be good for your body to experience different planes of motion and respond to different stimuli. It will also be good for your mind, allowing some distraction that through its difference refreshes your motivation and enjoyment of movement.

Be confident that your training inside our box transfers to a broad range of activities in the outside world. Rest, regenerate, enjoy the best of the season. You guys deserve it, and be assured that January will bring a new set of challenges for you to overcome.

All the best for the Holidays,
Turts

PLEASE NOTE:

CrossFit Zone will be closed from the afternoon of December 24th 2009  -  January 4th, 2010. We will be putting every athlete’s membership on hold for that period of time so that you don’t lose your sessions. We will re-open on Monday January 4th, 2010 with a new training schedule and new Apprentice coaches to enhance the great service that you receive at the Zone.  If you need your membership on hold longer that January 4th, please email us to add an extension.

We will be posting WOD’s over the week suggesting active recovery ideas, so make sure to check the website daily!

Thursday, December 24th Classes

• 7:00am - 8:00am
• 9:30am - 10:30am
• 12:15pm - 1:15pm
  

Today’s Workout:

Buy In - Review of what ‘Full Extension’ and ‘Full ROM’ means in the pullup and pushup. Then make sure you are nice and warm before the WOD begins with: 30 single skips, 15 double crunch, 20 single skips, 10 double crunch, 10 single skips, 5 double crunch.

WOD - Mash-it-up!

Round 1:

• Deadlift (135/185)
  
• Box Jumps (20/24)
  

Round 2:

• Kettlebell Swings (35/55)
  
• Pushups

Round 3:

• Push Jerk (65/95)
  
• Double unders

Alternate the following two exercises using Tabata interval’s timing for a total of 8 rounds of work. Score is the total number of reps. Rest 2 minutes between each round.

Zone 3: Scale DL to 95/135 and PJ to 55/75

Zone 2: Scale DL to 75/105; KB to 20/35; PJ to 45/55; sub single skips if neccessary

Zone 1: Scale all movements as needed

Cash Out - 100’s

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100 Day Burpee Challenge:

Burpees today: 21

Buy-in: 231