You want to get bigger and stronger, huh? Well, you gotta work, eat and rest. That’s pretty much it. We’re going to support you guys who are wanting to do this by putting you (and everyone at CFW) on a linear loaded strength cycle. If you’re wanting to gain some size, we’ve got to tweak your metcons (cardio) a bit and have you go shorter and heavier. For those who are still looking for GPP (general physical preparedness), I want you to keep going on the strength cycle but don’t eat to support the growth. That plus regular metcons will keep you guys and gals tracking right along for weight loss and fitness. Hit it hard and have fun.
So, if you’re still reading this, I’m assuming you’re wanting to get bigger and/or stronger. OK, let’s do it. I’ll emphasize again- you gotta work, eat and rest. Your focus in the gym should be on the heavier days- Mon/Wed/Fri WODs. We’ll adapt your metcons up to support your goal. The programming is pretty simple. 3 sets of 5 on major lifts like back squat, press/ bench press, deadlift, and clean.
The eating part is up to you. Eating to support weight gain takes some effort. The easiest way is to add milk. If you can handle dairy, the trade off is worth it for promoting muscle growth. Other than than, increasing protein intake plus adding sweet potatoes is another approach. Read this- Power Athlete Diet- and do what it says.
Supplements that I would recommend would be pretty simple- whey protein, BCAAs and creatine monohydrate. Not being a fan of artificial sweetners, I’m a little picky about what brands I choose.
Protein
Here are a few good protein mixes- Stronger Faster Healthier Recovery (available online), Bluebonnet Whey (available at Anne’s in Waxahachie), or Designer Whey (I believe the vanilla is the only one w/o artificial sweetners- available at HEB or GNC).
BCAAs
I just use the GNC brand powdered BCAAs. Tip- it tastes like JUNK! That’s why they put so many flavors and sweetners in these. I mix mine in a little chocolate milk pre and post WOD.
Creatine
Again, I just use the GNC brand powdered Creatine Monohydrate. It’s a powder that doesn’t dissolve all the way into liquid. Make sure you’re staying well hydrated if you’re taking this supplement.
As far as amounts go, here’s the scoop-
30-40g of Protein Post Workout
5g BCAAs Pre & Post Workout
5g Creatine Pre & Post Workout
Your post workout protein drink does not constitute a meal. Remember to eat within an hour of finishing. Keep it simple, don’t break the bank. Train hard. Eat more. Rest well. Then do it over and over.
For more info on strength adaptations, here’s an article I wrote a while back.
***The following is nonsense. Please do not take any of this advice (at least the advice before the disclaimer). Check with your doctor before beginning any weight loss or exercise program.***
Want to LOSE WEIGHT and GET IN SHAPE??!!!
Of course you do!! Lucky for you, you found us!!!
The APPLE-A-DAY+ WEIGHT LOSS SYSTEM!!
If you’re ready to get back into your skinny jeans and hit da clubs…then do what we say!!!
Here’s what you need-
500 apples (organic if your budget allows)
A juicer
The ability to eat 500 apples in a week.
That’s it!! That’s all we got. Just eat some dang apples. You’ll be skinny in no time.
Disclaimer- The author of this post does not believe you should eat 500 apples in a week. As a juice or whole. What you really need is a sensible diet in which you eat protein at every meal along with colorful fruits and veggies, lots of leafy greens and good fats- avocado, coconut, and olive oil.
If you’re wanting to lose weight, stick with the veggies and limit your fruit intake. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Don’t watch tv/ play on your phone/ sit at the computer while you eat. Add in a smart work out plan and get adequate rest.
Obviously the above apple post is nonsense. Who would do that? Well…there are lots of people trying to lose weight and using unsafe measures like eating only one food for days to weeks at a time, taking pills, starving themselves, and using supplements with less than safe ingredients. Much of the time, this is unnecessary and results in quickly losing weight only to gain it back. Since the weight didn’t get put on overnight, it’s not going to be gone in a week. And if it does, I’m going to guess that whatever you did wasn’t the healthiest choice.
Moral? There’s a BIG difference in being HEALTHY and being SKINNY. We know the difference when we see it. Do super skinny models generally look healthy? No. In my opinion (hey it’s my blog) CrossFit women look fit, healthy and capable of hard work. Big arms, you say? Not every woman bulks up doing CF. Have you seen Kara? How many guys can she beat at pull ups, muscle ups and handstand push ups (but it’s not a competition). A healthy body is one that is strong and fueled well. It can do daily tasks demanded of it with relative ease. Do you have that kind of body?
The Next Big Thing?
Eat Good Food
Work Out With Purpose
Recover/ Rest
Do It Again
Those are the steps to reach your goal. Go get it, my friends!
OMG! OMG! OMG!You need to make these muffins. Like yesterday!
Seriously, they are good. They can definitely satisfy a sweet tooth and fill you up at the same time. Grab one along with some protein to start your day!
Carrot Banana Muffins
This recipe makes about 12 muffins, but leftovers can be frozen for quick use at another time. Serving size is two muffins for breakfast or one muffin for a snack.
Ingredients:
2 cups Almond flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tbs Cinnamon
1 cup Pitted dates
3 Ripe Bananas
3 Eggs
1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Coconut oil
1 1/2 cups Carrots, shredded
3/4 cup Walnuts, finely chopped
12 Muffin paper liners
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and blend until completely combined.
5. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.
7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
T is also for T…aka Coach T…aka the female winner of the first LTC in 2010. Here’s what she has to say about the LTC:
“Two years ago, I won the Lean Turkey Challenge by losing 18 pounds and 4 inches off my waist. It was the most successful weight loss program I have ever been a part of. I have been begging for coach to bring it back ever since. You see, the “whole 30’s” work for some but not for me. I like structure, I like measurable numbers and I LOVE competing. The structure of the Lean Turkey Challenge is perfect for me. The buy in creates an emotional investment. The food logs create accountability. The challenge with others creates the ability to say “no”. Best of all, the kick butt prize at the end is what has me coming back for more this year.
The program is set up to help you achieve your goals. Coach works with you individually to tweak your meals to honor those goals. The blog helps every turkey talk through any cravings we are having as well as provide each other with recipes to use for success. I am looking forward to LTC 2.0 (as I am calling it) to see what great offers are available to us through our nutrition partners. I am also super excited to do it with lots of newbies from the box. This program will jump start your new addiction to living healthy.
Warning: the prize really does rock and I am playing to win again. Game on turkeys! Let’s do this!”
T this past summer.
Speaking of prizes, here’s what we’re playing for:
Not Dwight Howard. This is Rich Froning displaying midline stability of his abs along with a massive amount of shoulder strength.
Years ago I was working out with a personal trainer and I told him that I wanted shoulders like this guy I saw at the gym. They weren’t massive but they were cut, well developed and looked a lot like the basketball player, Dwight Howard’s. He told me, “That’s genetic.” At the time I was really bummed out by that revelation. I was disappointed that I’d be stuck with my shoulders that were chunky but undeveloped. Armed with this knowledge, I continued on with my steady diet of curls and bent over rows.
Guess what?
It wasn’t true. My shoulders were in there. I’ve found them over the last few years. Know what else I found? My abs.
Yep, I’ve got shoulders and abs. And so do you.
The problem is this- they’re underdeveloped and covered. The exercises I was doing with my trainer were not what I needed to develop the muscles. And believe me, I trained HARD! Many days I could barely move after an intense session. There were days and days of not being able to use my arms or legs. It was tough! But there were a few things missing for me to really see the improvement I wanted- attention to diet, heavy weights overhead (press variations, overhead squat, HSPU) and midline stabilization.
What I got instead were- crunches, leg lifts, bench press, lat-pull downs and rows. And on the diet side, I was carb-ing up like every day was a marathon- pasta, rice, bread, tortillas.
Three things-
1) Shoulders respond to the load placed on them and grow/define accordingly. If you’re grabbing a pink neoprene covered dumbbell and doing sets of 7s- press, lateral raises, front raises, etc. you may not be helping your shoulders come out. (BTW this was something I would do and feel a wicked shoulder burn- torture- yes,results- not so much). Overhead lifting benefits you as a functional movement (one that you’ll really do in daily life) and helps to build insanely strong shoulders and core muscles.
2) The abs are core stabilizers, not trunk flexors. So all those crunches you’re doing…I’m not going to say they’re worthless, but…they’re definitely not doing what you think they’re doing. A strong core is important when lifting weights. Midline stabilization (aka bracing the core under load) is what helps to strengthen your abs. A deadlift is much more effective in strengthening the core than are crunches and sit ups.
3) Abs (and shoulders or any other muscle) are not going to be seen if your body fat percentage is high.
Not Rich Froning. This is Chris Biles aka Coach pre CrossFit in 2001
So do you want your abs and shoulders to pop out? Paleo HARD! Work HARD!
That’s it! Simple but not easy. Eating meat, veggies & fruit, good fats (avocado, coconut- in many forms, olive oil, nuts & seeds) is where it’s at for weight loss. Eat enough to support your workout/ energy level and you’ll see results in no time!
Want results faster??!!
Cut the fruit. That’s right. Get all your carbs in the form of veggies. Morning-Noon-Night. Meat, veggies and fat. This may sound boring but there are tons of ways to spice it up. Pick one form of each and throw them together in different mixtures with different spices. Done!
What about working hard? It’s called CrossFit. But you’re already doing that, right? No skipping WODs. No cherry-picking. Come in and do the WODs you like. Come in and do the WODs you don’t like. Smile like you’re crazy through all of it because, friend, you’re getting the best, toughest, most well thought out training in Ellis county!
Take away- IT’S NOT GENETIC! You CAN have the body you want if you follow the simple steps above. It’s not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is!
Today my family is planning out what to eat for next week. If you were at Fuel 101, you heard Jeanye say that she’s a big picture person. She makes sure she has some good staples (meats, veggies, and fats), preps a few favorite recipes ahead of time and then fills it in as she goes. I’m kind of the same way. I like to square away my meat situation (my fav and most important thing on my list). After that, I’ll decide on some veggies of choice and fats to go with them.
Planning and prepping ahead will definitely save you time during a busy week. And isn’t that what we all have trouble with? Time.
Big picture for me- Again- meat. I’ll fire up the grill tomorrow and multitask. Chicken thighs, hamburger patties and chicken stuffed bacon wrapped jalapenos will go on.
Tonight we’ll have salmon and I’ll get enough to do salmon patties with the leftover fish.
We picked up our veggies from our CSA and have plenty of good stuff to go along with the above meat.
I’ll either cook meats and/or veggies in a fat like olive or coconut oil or have something like almonds, macadamias, coconut milk or avocados in the mix.
Pick some up in the Asian food aisle.
Breakfast for me tends to be the same-ish during the week- eggs or bacon or omelet (eggs/bacon/onion/sauteed spinach is my fav) along with a smoothie typically 1 banana, 1 cup OJ, 1/4 to 1/2 can of coconut milk and ice. On the weekend, I have time for fun stuff like banana pancakes or eggs cooked in half a bell pepper. (I’ll see if Britt will post the banana pancakes recipe and I’ll put up the bell pepper eggs up tomorrow when I do them).
I know the week can get busy, especially if you’ve got a family, but planning and prepping can help you be successful in your quest for better nutrition.
As a parent, I believe it is imperative that I set the tone for my child’s health and well-being. I can help build up or tear down. I can set up and establish good foundations or I can let them build their bodies with what they see fit- Cheetos & snowcones anyone?
Eating healthy benefits your whole family. Start now. If you have kids, they are watching and it really does matter.
Check out what author and Paleo guru, Robb Wolf, has to say about Kids Nutrition.
If you want to learn more, make sure you’re at CFW tonight for FUEL 101!
It really all goes hand in hand- eating, sleeping, working out, recovery. Mess one up and you’ve got problems in the others.
Especially if your idea of eating is limiting calories or eating pseudo-foods that have been made out of 25 synthetic chemicals.
The very definition of a calorie is a unit of heat or energy. A lot of people cut them out like crazy and wonder why they have no energy for their day. It takes more than 500-1000 calories to fuel most bodies- whether you “feel” hungry or not due to what ever flavor of the month hormone or appetite suppressant pill you’re on.
Your best bet is real food. Simple ingredients. Protein in the form of beef, fish, chicken, or pork. Carbs in the form of fruits and veggies (more veggies and less fruit if you’re trying to lose weight). And fat, yes fat. Good fats include avocado, coconut (oil, chips, milk), olive oil, nuts and seeds (don’t go nuts with these though).
Fuel matters. Come learn more about how to fuel your machine for health, wellness and performance:
I’m so glad that my sports drink is gluten free. That does beg the question though, “Are some of them not gluten free?” And if so, “Why not?”
Let me first clear up a few points about my sports drink- Electrolyte Fuel System from First Endurance. First of all, I don’t make any money by telling you about it. Maybe I should work on changing that… I’m not saying it’s wrong to make money off a product but it certainly does cloud judgement in some instances. One might look over a few not so awesome ingredients to make a buck and think, “It’s not too bad.” I’ll just let you decide on that one. Secondly, I only take it after an effort that lasts an hour or more. That doesn’t mean warm up for 15 minutes, workout for 30 minutes and cool down for 15 minutes. No. An hour. Solid. I use EFS for efforts on the bike or running. I use it as a recovery drink to refuel muscle glycogen. That’s fancy terminology for- getting the right type of sugar (glucose that’s stored as glycogen) back into my muscles to be ready for my next workout.
I first used this drink last year on a trek from Waxahachie to Lubbock, TX by bike- 365 miles in 5 days with my brother. I recently used it at the Texas Independence Relay. I will use it again for the Great Return Trip to Lubbock of 2012 in a couple of weeks. This stuff works great! It’s got a TON of electrolytes and it’s easy on my stomach (man I gotta work on distributing it).
Here’s the dealio-
If you’re drinking a sports-recovery-energy-whatever drink that has fructose or high fructose corn syrup as it’s carbohydrate calories (ie energy source), then you’re not using the right fuel to replace what you’ve lost. You may benefit by getting some electrolytes and a kick from the caffeine or B vitamins but you’re not fueling well for your next effort.
If you’re drinking a sports-recovery-energy-whatever drink that has no calories (ie sweetened with artificial sweetners) then you’re definitely not getting any recovery value from this concoction. Again you may have some stimulants in the mix to give you that “wicked awesome boost” but at some point you’re going to have to come to grips with the fact that you still have a rather child-like obsession with sweet stuff.
My contention here is- What’s the point? What’s the value? If you’re just wanting something to drink, fine. But don’t swig these pricey, bunk (imho) drinks and think you’re doing your body any favors. The very fact that you’re either drinking an “energy drink” or “recovery drink” that has little to no nutritional value suggests that you may be better off drinking the water out of our new dehumidifier at the box. We’ve postulated that it probably tastes like socks but I bet the sodium content is high.
What about gluten? Well, many main stream “thirst quenchers” have modified food starch in them. These starches increase shelf life and enhance texture. Neither of which suggest it’s healthy for you.
So what should you drink?
Water mostly. Tea or coffee (americano with heavy cream for me) is a much better choice than a Red Bull or Monster, nutritionally speaking. I eat an overall Paleo diet but I do include dairy. Here’s where I get my milk- Campbell Classic Dairy. Yes, raw milk. I don’t suggest everyone do it but that’s a topic for another time.
Here’s the take home- If you’re working out at CFW (or anywhere for that matter) more than likely you don’t need much more than water to fuel your efforts. In fact, swigging G Prime is more than likely adding to the cortisol-insulin-inflammation issues that are causing you to pack on the pounds. Drink water all day. Drink coffee or tea (in small to moderate amounts) in the morning. If you do a strength workout- eat meat and veggies post workout and/or a protein shake or milk (if consuming dairy). If you do a cardio effort- eat something starchy- baked sweet potato or carrots. If it’s a long cardio effort- consider a high quality recovery drink.
