Why the Triad? I'll Explain
Because of Helen, Jackie, Cindy and Kelly. The classic Crossfit "Girls" that involve 3 different movements. Honestly, that's the reason I title my blogs like I do, because I like those workouts (and I hate the couplets) Plus, I rarely ever have more than 3 things going on upstairs at one time. No, not really. More like 4695 half-thoughts baked-out by fried neuro-synapses and too much caffeine. But I'm sticking with the first reason.
Ok, I know I promised someone a nice educational post about joint supplements like glucosamine, but it'll be a bit; I always get caught up in "compiling" info, because I'm afraid I'll miss a significant study. It'll happen, just like the Vitamin D post, the Fructose post, and Part Deux of why I hate(love) Crossfit. In good time.
Optimistic, even in a sea of stupidity
In the meantime, I have some quick sound-bites of semi-interesting sciencey goodness; I find both of these "optimistic", because I've stumbled across them on mainstream medical internet feeds. The blogs/websites I subscribe to, like the listing on the left, are out-of-the-box-thinker type sites; they basically kick conventional medicine and science in the balls on a daily basis. But sometimes, just sometimes, the mainstream surprises me: Red Wine, Microwaves, and Local Produce: Preventing cancer Through Our Diets
"The optimal approach [is] to consume vegetables grown within zero kilometers [of where you live], in the right season," he says, emphasizing that the way in which we prepare our food is also important." adding that "it's really important to promote microwaved and steamed cooking, two great techniques."
I like that---especially the part about consuming fruits and vegetables in the right season. I'm fairly sure NONE of my ancestors, which is a mix of English, Cree (great-great-great grandmother), Hungarian, German and (I just learned last night) Irish consumed bananas and oranges year-round. It's an intriguing concept that the Paleo community has picked up on.
Prof Giacosa also advocates the consumption of a glass or two of wine every day, as it contains "all the active principals of fruit, especially polyphenols a component of great significance because even the very colour of wine, the colour red or ruby, the flavours, the fragrances, are tied to specific compounds linked to polyphenols, themselves extremely beneficial to our organism."
Yeah well I'm not arguing with that, either. :) The rest of the article goes a little into the prevention vs treatment of cancer, which makes nothing but perfect sense. The microwave issue can get the folks that wear their tin-foil hats a little to tight all bent out of shape, but I find that more amusing than anything. Now if the mainstream would just pick up on reducing refined PUFAS, Vitamin D supplementation, and low-carb lifestyles...
Long-term consumption of a carbohydrate-restricted diet does not induce deleterious metabolic effects.
Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences Medical Research Center in Warsaw, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
Carbohydrate (CHO)-restricted diets have been recommended for weight loss and to prevent obesity, but their long-term effects have not been fully elucidated. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of long-term (>1 year) consumption of a low-CHO high-fat diet ("The optimal diet," developed by Dr Kwaśniewski referenced herein) on lipid profile, glycemic control, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy subjects. Of 31 "optimal" dieters enrolled in the study (17 women and 14 men, aged 51.7+/-16.6 years), 22 declared adherence to the diet for more than 3 years. Average energy intake and principal nutrients consumed were assessed from 6-day dietary records provided by the participants. In most dieters, concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate, free fatty acids, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol exceeded the upper limits of the reference ranges for nonstarved subjects. The metabolic profiles of most subjects were positive for several indicators, including relatively low concentrations of triacylglycerols, high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and normal ratios of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C and total cholesterol/HDL-C. In most subjects, plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, homocysteine, glycerol, and C-reactive protein were within reference ranges. Notably, in all but one subject, the homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance remained below the threshold for diagnosis of insulin resistance. These results indicate that long-term (>1 year) compliance with a low-CHO high-fat "optimal diet" does not induce deleterious metabolic effects and does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, as evidenced by maintenance of adequate glycemic control and relatively low values for conventional cardiovascular risk factors.
PMID: 19083495 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
The reason I posted this is that there's been a bit of a back-lash against low-carb lifestyles, with the common argument that "It'll mess up your metabolism". How improved body comp, better energy substrate use, reduced cardiovascular and cancer risk turns into a "messed up metabolism" is beyond me", but there's folks out there that truly think this.
So a while back I was fairly pumped up about my new OPT Log Book, but then made the super-novice mistake of leaving the cap loose on my water bottle and soaking everything inside my bag.
Well, it seems that karma shines on me in some weird and mystical way, because today I got my paws on one of CFLA's new Log books.
These turned out to be totally awesome! I was expecting a basic lined book with the CFLA logo, but what showed up was badass. In fact, if you look close....
...they are in the same format as OPTs logbooks. Except they are more baddass because they say "Globo Gym" and "Crossfit Lethbridge"
Co-branding is badass like an Olympic gymnast wrapped in kevlar and trained by ninjas. True Story.
CFLA, Sunday, Feb 7th, 4PM
5000m Row
19:18.6
This was self-redemption in the sweetest form of a PR; a few days earlier, this had come up in the CFLA programming. I've done my share of 5k rows before, with the last being in around Sept or so, with a time of 19.25. On Feb 3rd, Coach Fyfe and myself decided to take a crack at it at noon. Well, sleep deprivation + 5000m of rowing makes for a mental battle of epic magnitude, which I ended up losing at 2000m, and just said "f*ck it. I felt bad for leaving Dave to battle by himself, but I just didn't have it in me. It had been chewing on my mind ever since, so Sunday night before my nightshift it was throwdown time, and it went well, with a 7sec PR. I'll take it.
Solo accountability + proof of purchase.
Firehall #1, Monday, Feb 8th, 4:30PM
Had to blast from CFLA after coaching 11/12 for a fire-dept related meeting at 1:30, so I swung by the hall early to get a lil' sumtin'-sumtin' in before nightshift. No, not that, you sick sex-crazed freaks. I'm talkin' treadmill sprints and handstand pushups super-setted with strict pullups. Ha!
Treadmill 10x10 Sprints (10mph at 10% grade)
8 intervals@ 30seconds, recovery at 6.5mph
5 HSPU
10 Strict Pullups
1 min of static plank (on toes + elbows, "plank", and hold midline stability)
5 sets
CFLA, Tuesday, Feb 9th, 1PM
30 reps, The Ultimate Lift (Power clean to Push Press to Back Squat to Push Press), 105#
8:12
If you've ever made the mistake of asking me about compound lifts in metcons, or read THIS, point #4, specifically, then you know how I feel. Well, after putting two classes through it, I felt I was obligated, opinion aside, to do it myself.
There's some sore and raw spinous processes today. :) My stance hasn't changed on this, but I do have to admit, there was good overall full-body soreness when I rolled out of bed this morning, lol. Props to Coach G who pulled a 7 min time with 135#. Beastly.
CFLA, Wednesday, Feb 10th, 1PM
8 Rounds of:
250m row
20 Leg Raises
1 Min rest between intervals.
43.8s/45.0s/46.2s/46.2s/47.1s/46.8s/46.7s/46.8sUgly, painful, and so purely magnificent in it's acidosis-ness. After coaching (and witnessing) some truly epic effort at 11 and 12, I was chomping at the bit to do this. I have a love/hate thing with the C2 rower---it can be so brutally uncomfortable, but there is, without a doubt, not a single piece of fitness equipment that even comes close to touching it, in the "cardio" (I really dislike that term) category. Couple a home gym with a C2 and a squat rack, and you need nothing more.
After these 4 sessions, I'm taking tomorrow off. Maybe. ;)
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