Intermittent fasting... SIKE!

Posted: Thursday, September 30, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0


Workout of the Day


Find 1 rep max for strict press.

5 rounds for time:
1 Press 90% of 1 RM
1 Strict Pull Up
1 Press 90% of 1 RM
3 Strict Pull Ups
1 Press 90% of 1 RM
5 Strict Pull Ups

*Compare from July 14th*


Interesting fat study... I stole this from CF Football... Dietary Intake of Saturated Fatty Acids

Pretty impressive!

Visit sicfit.com for more Videos

Gymnastics movements II?

Posted: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the day

Pre-game
20 rep max back squat

Party:
Ten rounds of ten reps:
Deadlift 135
Pushups

After party:
20 rep max back squat

* 20 rep max back squat should be UNBROKEN. Since the pre-game set might be under your true 20 rep max, the after-party set should be about right*


Remember a little while when I had a quick pointless rant on gymnastic movements? I think I mentioned something on how they don't have to be constantly varied? I'm probably repeating myself and am entirely too lazy to read my own previous post. But building onto that, I believe gymnastic movements need not to be constantly varied, but constantly practiced. See, gymnastic movements are extremely difficult to be good at. What better way to get good at em than practice them! Why do we do gymnastic movements in workouts? Why do they pertain to the wrestler? Coordination,accuracy, flexibility, and body awareness! Wrestlers get put in all sorts of pretzel looking positions so joint flexibility is important: it may decrease risk of injury. Body awareness is self explanatory. All and all gymnastics help wrestlers tremendously with defense. Having the flexibility and mastering body control can get you out of a lot of sticky situations. Be prepared to see more gymnastic movements!
Also, on days that a WOD is not posted you should be working on weaknesses or goin heavy on an O-lift or even hitting a nice met-con if your little heart desires.

Stole this from undergroundstrengthgym.com... I need to get a poster of this!

Intermittent fasting, BCAAs and caffeine III

Posted: Friday, September 24, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

5 rounds for time:

"Burpee Complex"

5-4-3-2-1
Burpee Deadlift
Burpee Power Clean
Burpee Front Squat
Burpee Press

Each complete round of movements is 1 rep. For example: 1 deadlift + 1 power clean + front squat + clean and jerk = 1 rep, so perform that 5 times for the first set, 4 for the second set, etc. The workout is not for time, just max weight. Keeping your hands in contact with the bar, perform a burpee before each lift. Hands are only allowed to re-grip.
*Time priority: round of 5- 2: 30 mins, 4-2:00, 3- 1:30, 2- 1:00, 1- :30 seconds. If you do not finish in the allotted time frame, a 10 burpee long jump penalty will be enforced for each offense!

Intermittent fasting yesterday was no bueno. This was the first time where I felt so hazy that I had to break my fast at hour 15. Though I did not feel lethargic, i had a lot disorientation. Constant dizzy spells, light headedness (not sure if thats a word), and I kept losing my train of thought. Now lets break down the variables. They were very identical to last week: massive amount of caffeine (around 500mg), lack of sleep, and BCAAs. Differences: I had more caffeine this week, a little less sleep, and... I think that is it. Although my source of caffeine probably had a big factor, I think the factor that had the greatest impact was my lack of sleep. Last week I had a few days of 6-7 hours that night. This week I have been on 3-5hours, with the night before the fast being at about 4. I was feeling lethargic throughout the week because of it, so caffeine was necessary for my existence. Fasting definitely kept that light headed feeling going, as my body was already a complete shitwreck. However, I have had a history of fasting, because of wrestling, so fasting isn't anything new for my body. I think the combo of lack of sleep and trying to overcompensate it by taking in an absurd amount of caffeine gave me that "1,2 punch". The fasting was more like insult to injury. I think I may lay off of the intermittent fasting for a bit or I will try it again but with a full nights rest. Will keep you updated!

Stay classy,

Coach A.


Bear complex... same style as Burpee complex

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOP9J7QPwI

Intermittent fasting, weight cutting, and performance

Posted: Thursday, September 23, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
1

Workout of the Day

Each movement for time:

100 Kettebell swings 70/53lbs.

Rest 3 minutes

100 Box Jumps 30/24”

Rest 3 minutes

100 Pullups


Can you believe it is already Thursday?! Man, time is flying by. Today’s WOD is pretty wacky, kind of a little experiment. Speaking of experiments, today is a nice day for some intermittent fasting. Like last week, I am going on an 18 hour fast with 3 doses of BCAAs and sleep deprivation (which was not done on purpose). Last week, I hypothesized that energy levels and yadi yada where at decent levels because of triggering or “tricking” my body into releasing my survival hormones. This week I will be under just about the same variables, so lets see if I can yield similar results. The WOD I will be doing today is extremely similar to last weeks. I want to see if I will yield similar results, which I think I will. Why am I doing this? Well, there are a few reasons: The main reason is to educate my wrestlers on the effects of fasting, feeding, and proper weight cutting. Throughout high school, I was a big weight cutter. As a lightweight, I regularly cut anywhere from 15-20lbs. Wrestlers know this is a sufficient amount of weight to cut for a lightweight with low bf%. Just to clarify, my “walk around” weight was 15-20lbs heavier then my competition weight. Anyway, my point is that I do not want my athletes to follow my route. I was uneducated, undisciplined and reckless with my weight. If I went into details on my extremely dangerous weight cutting methods you would be shocked that I am still alive. What does this have to do with fasting? Believe it or not, there is a proper way to cut weight and fasting to do so. I can only hypothesize on the proper way to fast and keep energy levels at decent levels. See why I am using myself as an experiment? I am a practice what you preach kind of individual, so there ya go! BReeZe.


Stay classy,


Coach A.



Paleo Solution- Complete

Posted: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

Deadlift 5-3-1-1-1

5 rounds for time:

5 Deadlifts @ 60% of 1RM
10 Burpees

G'day everyone! This is the first time in a few weeks that I don't feel like a caffeine induced zombie. Yes, the devil has been knocking on my door again. I am back on my addiction: caffeine. With this new hectic schedule, it is extremely difficult to get a sufficient amount of rest so I have to take in a cup of Joe to survive the day. No worries, I only limit myself to two cups per day :) Anyways, I actually got a full 7 hrs of sleep and am feeling fantastic because of it!
On other news, I am done reading Robb Wolf's book, "The Paleo Solution". The book has done a tremendous job of informing the reader everything behind Paleolithic nutrition. Some of the stuff seems a little far fetched, but I believe this way of eating to be the most beneficial and efficient way of eating whether your an elite athlete, disgustingly obese, or your average Joe. I highly recommend this book, especially over "The Paleo Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes". I have read both and although they are both good reads, unless you have a sciencey (made up word, I know) it can be hard to follow. I am trying to find some time to finish my Paleo On-ramp as well as a PowerPoint that I will have up for download on the site. I cannot make any promises on when I will have that complete, maybe a month or two.

Stay classy,

Coach A.

New schedule calls for some adjustments

Posted: Monday, September 20, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Due to the hectic schedule of life and Invictus Wrestling starting back up, CrossFit class schedule is changing up. Class will now be 3 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Classes run opposite days of wrestling for obvious reasons. With this being the case I can go one of two ways on this. I could either till post WODs daily, which will be most likely my own personal workouts. OR just post the WODs the 3 days a week I run my classes, since I originally created this blog for that purpose. As of right now, it looks like I will just be posting WODs Tueday, Thursday, and Friday. It makes more sense for me and stays true to my programming for my athletes. It may look like I sometimes throw random shit on here for a workout, but trust me there is actually SOME periodization (scary word) and theory put behind each workout. I don't just throw random things together and hope for the best. Checkout CrossFit Westchester for WODs if your blood is still itching. Anyhow, I will be on here tomorrow for the post. I hate Mondays...

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Intermittent fasting, BCAAs and caffeine II

Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

For time, max reps:

Thruster, 65/45lbs.
Rest 5 minutes
Thruster, 95/65lbs.
Rest 5 minutes
Thruster, 135/95lbs.

*This is not a continuous clock. Each set is until failure and will be timed to calculate power output*

A few weeks ago I experimented with intermittent fasting + BCAAs + caffeine. As noted before the effects were not favorable. A few factors that may have included this were sleep quality and fiber supplementation and... I can't think of the other one at the moment. Either one or a combination of the factors could have most definitely effected the hormonal release I was intending. Last time, I attempted a strength workout with good energy levels but my strength and power output felt like that of an infant. This time, I did a short strength met-con with a TON of caffeine, no fiber supplement, an even longer intermittent fast (on an empty stomach)and 6 hours of sleep. Energy levels were pretty decent, despite the lack of sleep. My performance was much better this time around. Strength and power felt good and overall met-con was average. The only con was I did feel a bit "burnt out" during the hang cleans, kind of like an empty gas tank. This was probable due to low glycogen stores and my body not quite being in a ketogenic state, so my metabolic engine was... I guess confused. Overall, I think the caffeine helped with mental clarity, and the fasting mixed with the lack of sleep may have tricked my body into a "fight or flight" response. I will be sure to do this again with the same variables except next time with a decent amount of sleep. Time to get back to work!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

Complete 5 rounds for time of:

3 Push Jerks or Split Jerks 155 lbs
6 Pull Ups
9 Push Ups

Courtesy of CF Football

I promise I will post some updates when I get my life figured out!

Posted: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

Front Squat 5-5-5-5-5

9 Hang Power Cleans 185 lbs
15 Toes to Bar
6 Hang Power Cleans 185 lbs
15 Toes to Bar
3 Hang Power Cleans 185 lbs
15 Toes to Bar

Courtesy of CF-Football

True story. I'm really going to have some good posts soon! I am just trying to catch up on some much needed sleep and still adjusting to my new schedule, which leaves my BARELY any down time (unless I want to sacrifice the little sleep I already get). Today is an intermittent fasting today for me. This time I am going on a longer fast (18 + hours) and working out on the fast. Just kind of curious to see if I can trick my body into going into "flight or fight" mode. I don't even know by what means even gave me this idea that it was possible, because I don't know if it is. I may have read it somewhere? Idk... Will keep ya updated! BReeZe!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Some footage from the Fall Face-off competition this past weekend!

Drained...

Posted: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

"Tabata Wrestler"

Stand-ups
Pushups
Ball slams
Sprawl

OKAY, so I am pretty drained right now. Last night I only got about 4 1/2 hours of sleep, worked all day, hit a little WOD, and then ran a few CrossFit classes. On the a non-whiny note, I purchased the "Paleo Solution", by Robb Wolf. So far its pretty entertaining and has some good stuff in it. I suggest picking it up. BReeZe!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Gotta love sprints and kettlebell swings on a nice hot day!

Fall face-off recap

Posted: Monday, September 13, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

"The Seven"

Seven rounds for time of:
7 Handstand push-ups
135 pound Thruster, 7 reps
7 Knees to elbows
245 pound Deadlift, 7 reps
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
7 Pull-ups


*Scale 65,95,115lbs respectively for thrusters and 155, 185, 215lbs. for deadlifts*

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to judge at CrossFit Albany's Fall Face-off competition. It was a great experience for myself and my affiliate, CrossFit Westchester. Our athlete's did a tremendous job, placing 13th out of 45 teams! Chris, the CFW owner, and I did not think we were going to do as well as we did. The girls stepped it up big time on the chipper workout, they made me so proud!

It was awesome seeing my buddies, Caleb and Sarah, compete for their affiliate team. They both were awesome and represented the home team with a 3rd place finish at the event. I really enjoyed the programming for the event. The workouts were challenging and really emphasized the saying "you are only as strong as your weakest link". The biggest difference between the top teams really came down to who had the fittest women. The competition was split into teams of 4, two men and two women. The men for the most part were all very efficient and close in terms of fitness. The gap in fitness for the women was huge. There were a pack of low-end fit women and high end, fire breathing women; there was no in-between.


Overhead squats- 10 Coach A- 0


Can gymnastic bias workouts be routine?

Posted: Friday, September 10, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

Overhead Squat 5-5-5-5-5

For time: 21-15-9 reps

225lbs. Back Squat
Ring Dips

OR scale: 60% of 1RM for back squat and sequence the ring dips to 15-9-6

So yesterday I was thinking of ways to improve the athletic capacities of my athletes, which happen to be wrestlers. Sure O-lifts, powerlifts, met-cons, etc are beneficial to the weekend warrior and the elite athlete. Gymnastics is something that is very overlooked in the world of sports. Maintaining proper body control is a huge advantage in a sport like wrestling. Knowing where you are on the mat at all times, having great flexibility, and unmatched core endurance can really get you out of sticky situations in a match. With that being said, I am going to start focusing on more gymnastic movements to establish this. My athletes already possess good enough strength and power. However, basic body weight movements can sometimes be a challenge. Looking at the way the Russians wrestle is a great example as to why being part gymnast can better than being stronger or more technically sound than your opponent... Anyway, I have a lot of things to do today so I will follow up on this post on Monday. I'll be over at CrossFit Albany for the weekend to judge the Fall Face-off competition. BReeZe!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

CrossFit- exposed!

Posted: Thursday, September 9, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0


Workout of the Day


1- Clean 75% of 1RM
5 Pull Ups, 10 Push Ups, 15 Air Squats or 1 round of Cindy

I am writing this a day early as I know I will be sleeping until early afternoon. I will definitely be enjoying my next few days off of work, I am still not used to waking up this early! With that being said, I will probably post a lot less and just provide a WOD. My new schedule is absolutely hectic, I'm going to have trouble finding time to workout myself. Anyhow, check out this article I stumbled on discussing an unbiased truth about CrossFit. The author did a sweet job on the article, so check it out!
The Truth About CrossFit

At work... on the run! No post

Posted: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0


Workout of the Day

Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5

"Diane"
21-15-9
225lbs. Deadlift
HSPU

* Scale appropriately. Use about 50-55% of 1RM for deadlift and 3,6,9 sequence for HSPU

My first day of being a real person

Posted: Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

AMRAP 20 mins:
5- Thrusters 65/95lbs.
7- Hang power cleans 65/95lbs.
10- SDHP 65/95lbs.


This post is going to be short and sweet, as I am approaching my first day of being a real teacher. Today is just conferences and tomorrow I get to meet the kiddies. Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution, comes out in a few days! Pretty stoked, so I can finally have my little "Paleo On-Ramp" guide donzo. Being that I am in such a rush, no new news today. Except for I am intermittent fasting + caffeine + BCAAs today. No fiber supplement. I'll post how that works out tomorrow with maybe something semi-interesting. Wish me luck! BReeZe.

Stay classy,

Coach A.


The future of my P.E. classes!

Carb hangovers suck!

Posted: Monday, September 6, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
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Workout of the Day

For time:

Shuttle sprints:
1o,20,30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100 yards

*Run to the 10 yard line and back, then run to the 20 yard line and back, etc*

Happy labor day! I am writing this on Sunday because I plan to sleep until mid-afternoon today. The weekend was very fun, but exhausting. Saturday I ate entirely too many refined carbs in the form of brownies, cookies, donuts, pizza bagels, pasta, and taquidos. I had the WORST carb hangover of my life. Yes, I said carb hangover. It is a real legit thing. I woke up at 6am Sunday morning because I felt so sick and had to puke. I still feel like total crap. That is the last time I ever eat that much junk again! I think tomorrow calls for some intermittent fasting and some laxatives in an attempt to get this crap out of my system. That's all I got for today... BReeZe!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Amazing song!

Intermittent fasting, BCAAs, and caffeine

Posted: Friday, September 3, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

AMRAP in 12 minutes:

10- KB swings 35/53/70lbs.
20 yard shuttle run (that means run to the 20 and back)


Every now and then I like to play around with something that is called "intermittent fasting". These are short fasts, usually between 15-18 hours long and have numerous health benefits which include:

  • Reduced blood glucose and insulin levels (markers of improved health)
  • Increased fatty acid oxidation
  • Maintenance of lean mass (muscle)
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Reduced oxidative damage
  • Increased cellular stress resistance (esp of heart and brain)
  • Decreased risks associated with degenerative diseases of aging (cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, Alzheimers
Not to mention helps you get a bit leaner. Anyway, I do this about once a week or so just to see how it effects my body, mood, performance, etc. The past two intermittent fasts have yielded great results in performance. I normally fast, take my BCAAs pre-workout, and some black coffee. However, on Wednesday something odd happened. During the day and before my workout my energy levels were up, I felt good. I decided to do clean and jerks to find a 1rm for my WOD. Though my energy levels were up, my strength was absolutely shot. Something did not feel right. Energy up, form felt amateur, and my power simply was not there. The only thing that I had done differently was take a fiber supplement that morning to clean out the system. I doubt that had anything to do with it... or maybe it did... Overall, I am going to continue the fast again, minus the fiber supplement to see if it was in fact fiber inhibiting digestion?

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Just straight up cool
Visit sicfit.com for more Videos


P.S. Dave and other CF-Westchester goons... remember to bring in dues for tomorrow! (just for you Dave)

CrossFit Terrorism

Posted: Thursday, September 2, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
1

Workout of the Day

Overhead Squat 5-5-5-5-5
Weighted Pullup 5-5-5-5-5
Snatch 5-5-5-5-5

Before I begin this rant, I love CrossFit. I think its undoubtedly the best fitness approach in existence. It may not be perfect, but who says you can't tailor it more specifically towards your individual needs/goals? CrossFit is somewhat of a fitness cult. Crossfitters love talking about CrossFit for hours on end, searching and posting cool videos etc. But something really annoying and detrimental has been going around the CrossFit community. Its like a CrossFit bacteria has plagued many people, especially newbies. What I am trying to get here are what I call "CrossFit Robots".
CrossFit Robots are the annoying CrossFitters that really make you want to tell them to stfu. They talk about it so much that you literally want rip out their voice box. They post entirely too many videos, statuses, or other CrossFit related things. Its annoying to the point that you want to de-friend them on facebook because you cannot stand to see another CrossFit type post on your news feed. These are also the people who avoid certain foods and beverages like the plague 24/7. Not that this is at all a bad thing, but depriving yourself of a cheeseburger at a BBQ, reunion, or any social event is just odd. One may be able to spot one of these CrossFit Robots at a CrossFit gym, CrossFit event, or even better, a CrossFit after party! These people are generally socially awkward, or at least appear to be when they refuse to eat or drink something that is non-paleo. Now the top tier of these CrossFit Robots are the extremist. The robot figure heads. They preach and press it on the world, they would probably even drink their own urine if Greg Glassman himself said it would improve their "Fran" time. These people I classify as CrossFit Terrorists. They are the small percentage of absolutely brainwashed CrossFitters who are absolutely set on CrossFit ways that anything opposing is offensive. A CrossFit terrorist reading this will be extremely offended and attempt to justify their actions with a witty health excuse and pray to the CrossFit gods to have me burned at the stake.
If any CrossFit Robots or Terrorist are reading this, have a cheeseburger every now and then. Have a celebratory beverage with some friends on a Friday night. Read up on other fitness/nutrition related things that aren't in the CrossFit realm. Open your mind. Take a week or two from CrossFit and enjoy your life.
I just had to go on a little rant because these people just urke me. As a CrossFit trainer and Paleo eater myself, I just find it extremely odd for people to center their lives around it. Sacrificing the joys of life, whether they be unhealthy or not. You only live once, so make the best of it.

Stay classy,

Coach A.

The USDA Food Pyramid is a coloring book of bullshit

Posted: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by InvictusCoach in
0

Workout of the Day

Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5

For time:
21-15-9 reps

SDHP- 65/95/135lbs.
Push press- 65/95/135lbs.

*This WOD should not take you more than 4 minutes. It is meant to be a nice lung burner.

Ever take a look at the USDA Food Pyramid? Both the old and new suck. I guess the USDA thought they were doing a fantastic job by adding exercise and whole grains to their pot of disaster. Since the food pyramid has been out we have gone fatter and fatter at society. Sure, we are overall less active than we were 10 and 20 years ago but I don't think that is the root of the problem. I would say the average American actually follows the food pyramid guidelines minus the fruits and vegetables (ironically the most important part). That means the average American is getting enough servings of grains, meats, and diary per day. If we are following the food pyramid correctly, as most Americans are, then WHY THE HELL ARE WE SO FAT AS A SOCIETY?! O wait... I no! Lets check out this scenario. Take out grains from the food pyramid, make sure you are eating your fruits and vegetables and lets see what happens. AMERICA: wake up! You do not need grains to get fiber and small amount of nutrients that grains provide. You will get plenty from natural food sources, without inflammatory and anti-nutrient issues that come along with consuming grains. Believe it are not, this is common knowledge among top nutritionist. So why are grains still on the pyramid? Simple, its bad for the economy. Picture how many thousands and thousands of people would be out of a job if the truth was out and people stayed away from cereal, bread, pasta, rice, etc. Big companies would be forced to lay off workers because production would be extremely slow. The only thing the food pyramid has done is set us up for a life long battle with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and all sorts of inflammatory problems. Do yourself a favor and don't listen to anyone who gives you nutrition advice based off of the food pyramid. Whether they are "professionals" in the field or not, they are clearly either uneducated and/or blind and/or retarted. OK... I think I'm done with my rant... BReeZe!

Stay classy,

Coach A.

Hey kids look! Its a coloring book on how to get fat and get preventable disease!