It's been said before and will be said again, I have an addictive personality. I discover something, fall in love with it, and then consume it with abandon. This reflects across all aspects of my life. Along with this comes an on or off issue. If I fall out of love or make a conscious decision to abstain it's gone or stops until I decide otherwise. This creates other problems such as having a realistic perspective on the present situation. I recently went back to school and this had a massive impact on my spare time. Coaching at Crossfit London had to stop while I found the time to study. Study time also ate into my training time. Not training, for me, has an impact on my emotional state. The positive effects of physical exercise on mood and self esteem are well documented. But if you have a personality such as mine it can lead to bingeing. A word we see in red top dailies but normally in conjunction with some teenager antics or shock survey about the state of our youth.
Where am I going with this? After a a not too short but long enough period of inactivity I decided to make a concerted effort to get back in the gym and put a whole months schedule together to provide structure and inspiration. You would think being an experienced coach I would consider things such as the relevant loss of conditioning and strength, age and current general wellness. But honest and independent thinking about yourself is hard. It is a psychological fact that we exaggerate our own achievements and struggle to give a realistic statement about our current potential. Look at PB's we record them and refer to them and measure our achievement by them but be honest how many actually reflect your present status. If we measured our age in PB's (year 30 being the best, or any age in the prime band) we would soon recognise that we are inevitably moving away from our best.
So having completely ignored any rational thought about how to approach my return to the gym I enthusiastically jumped in the deep end and started sprinting, while wearing a 10kg vest. I think that is a suitably stupid analogy. By the end of the week I was wonderfully sore all over and feeling proud I had worked hard. The following week the pain arrived. It started with a stiffness in both shoulders in the morning. It felt like The muscles around my shoulder girdle were in permanent contraction and I was loosing mobility. Sleeping at night was fast becoming a real issue, painfully an issue I could not lie on my sides and had to sleep motionless on my back. Lack of sleep was making me a very grumpy bear.
I applied the classic cure all method of rest, ibuprofen, do nothing and wait. Writing this down is like saying it out loud. I cannot believe how stupid I have been. Would I advise a client to do this? No! Why would I treat myself so badly. With the other issues mentioned above perhaps I have self loathing issues too! Anyway after about 3 months (yes really) I went to see an Osteopath who also happens to be a friend. I already had a good idea my left shoulder had impingement issues, my right shoulder similar but worse and different. In fact we suspected a tear in my right shoulder the pain was that sickening and I have a very high pain threshold, as most men do.
Byron has an almost superhuman ability to look at you and tell you what is wrong (OK it's years of experience and training but still always impresses me) and then poke the affected area with an acute accuracy. After my first treatment I could feel the tension lifting in my shoulders, the muscles relaxing. The inflammation would remain but I was now treating this and it would reduce. Immediately afterwards I had a very strange experience where I felt absolutely exhausted and actually struggled to get home where I just crashed out. This was explained as my moving from a near permanent fight or flight state into a rest and digest state. Just over a month of treatments complimented by re-hab in the gym I am ready to return to training, Crossfit that is. I have been able to run and maybe I will write about my return to distance running another day.
I am still recovering and have lost a lot, possibly all of my conditioning and massive amount of my shoulder mobility. I am still sore and tender in spots but massively improved. I am following a mobility program and about to start a simple strength program this week. My conditioning side at the moment is focused on running speed drills with a sub 6' 45" minute mile for 5k's or less and sub 7'30" for over 10k's. Fast dynamic shoulder movement is still not possible but it is getting better.
I do not write enough in this blog or maybe I do who am I to judge that? But I do intend to share my experience of getting back to Crossfit in the hope that it can both encourage and advise others. Today is day one. Standby, 3,2,1.......
Friday, June 28, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Ten Things Crossfit Did For Me
I have just given up my regular Saturday classes at Crossfit London. Two plus years of great coaching experiences. This time away has given me time to reflect on what I have taken away from all this. To follow is a refined list of some the best and by no means the complete list and to quote a popular TV show in no particular order.
1. HIPS. Before Crossfit I thought my hips were for holding up my jeans and showing off my dance floor prowess. Despite a junior athletic back ground I never realised their massive importance in explosive movement such as the long and triple jumps. If I only knew that back then. Come to think of it none of my coaches seem to recognise this either! Training focused on mono structural, isolated weight training, leaning towards hypertrophy and practicing the phases. Not once did we ever consider the explosive importance of my hips. Madness!
2. SQUAT. Functional movement why do so many people train solely for aesthetics, hobbies/sports but never consider being fit for life. Apart from the services Crossfit is the only regime that considers functional fitness. I look at my full time job and they consider a brisk shuttle walk as a reasonable standard and we always conduct our self defence lessons in training kit rather than what we actually work in. The squat is a classic functional movement simply getting out of your chair, preparing to jump, setting up to lift objects/people the list is nigh on endless. It has so many training applications too, body weight, weighted, kettle bell swings, box jumps, olympic lifts and so on. Get squatting its an essential foundation to all your fitness needs.
3. REAL FITNESS. In athletics we have five strands to fitness, Strength, Skill, Suppleness, Speed and Stamina. In Crossfit they have taken this further; Strength, Power, Endurance, Stamina, Skill, Agility, Flexibility, Balance, Accuracy and Coordination. Now arguably the five "S"s do cover these but Crossfits ten domains high lights the detail and details are important for total fitness. If you want to be able to claim that we produce the fittest people in the world then attention to all aspects is required. A friend of mine recently stated that Tri-athletes are the fittest people in the world and oft claimed title but if you compare them to the above ten domains they do fall short, in my opinion.
4. NEW SKILLS. I could go to any globo gym and learn a new skill. I could learn to rumba to music with others while holding a 3 foot weighted bar, I could learn to grape vine and step up and down in time to music or learn how to jab, hook and front kick to music too. Instead I went to Crossfit and learned how to squat (correctly), snatch, push jerk, dead lift (correctly), clean, muscle ups, hand stands (one handed too), back tucks, back levers, kipping and learned how to coach properly too. All to music but not necessarily in time. When I say these things out loud I sound awesome!
5. MENTAL FORTITUDE. I often say this but it cannot be said enough this should be number eleven on the list of fitness domains. By exposing myself to the intensity of Crossfit in a very short time I was able to take a minute plus, off of my 10k time. Simply by knowing I could push harder by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. No other general population fitness system offers this outside of high end competition.
6. THE PEOPLE. We love being Crossfitters, we love to be stared at, talked about, even hated, it makes us feel even more apart from the perceived dullness of normality. We also love training together, helping and supporting each other, hanging out together, sharing our thoughts and experiences for the greater good, welcoming new people and talking to the inquisitive. We also love taking our tops off, wearing impossibly short shorts and doing hand stands at any given opportunity. Why not?
7. COACHING. I touched on this earlier before Crossfit I was a Physical Training Instructor and coached other disciplines too. But Crossfit has taken my coaching ability to a whole new level. Its not just the courses and the seminars, but the people you are surrounded by. The coaches are of such a high standard, their knowledge, enthusiasm and patience matched with a personal interest in your success makes them a fantastic resource. Then there are the coached, they are such a willing audience, hard working and committed they are joy to coach and only help you to grow with confidence. It is the perfect recipe for coaching development.
8. QUALITY . Coach wrote an essay some time ago about virtuosity, you should read it. I have learned there is no substitute for quality of movement. You should always be honest whether its range of movement, reps counted, performed correctly and safely. Never feel pressured to complete a WOD as Rx'd. If your not capable you know you will cheat on the ROM or drop a rep or two or take so long that you will have lost all intensity or all or a combination of these. Never sacrifice true reps for time. With consistent quality training you will Rx nearly all the WODS one day. Along side this you need quality nutrition, simple clean foods, along with quality rest and recovery. Patience is a virtuosity.
9. INTELLIGENT TRAINING. This follows on from the above but always, always be realistic with your goals. Unrealistic training is not clever and leads to disappointment and possibly injury. Realistic or intelligent training will set you up for success and in the main keep you injury free. Training is NOT risk free. But a strain or sprain is better than a herniated disc or torn shoulder. Agreed?
10. REAL STRENGTH TRAINING. In the past I thought I lifted big weights, bicep curling, lateral shoulders, cable tricep extensions all done for tons of sets of reps of ten. Read Starting Strength its not a massive book and its all simple and straight forward with lots of pictures so there is no excuse. Compound movements, lift heavy, linear strength program based on your 1RM. It does not have to get much more complicated than that. And remember its all about doing nothing and the biscuits. ;-)
1. HIPS. Before Crossfit I thought my hips were for holding up my jeans and showing off my dance floor prowess. Despite a junior athletic back ground I never realised their massive importance in explosive movement such as the long and triple jumps. If I only knew that back then. Come to think of it none of my coaches seem to recognise this either! Training focused on mono structural, isolated weight training, leaning towards hypertrophy and practicing the phases. Not once did we ever consider the explosive importance of my hips. Madness!
2. SQUAT. Functional movement why do so many people train solely for aesthetics, hobbies/sports but never consider being fit for life. Apart from the services Crossfit is the only regime that considers functional fitness. I look at my full time job and they consider a brisk shuttle walk as a reasonable standard and we always conduct our self defence lessons in training kit rather than what we actually work in. The squat is a classic functional movement simply getting out of your chair, preparing to jump, setting up to lift objects/people the list is nigh on endless. It has so many training applications too, body weight, weighted, kettle bell swings, box jumps, olympic lifts and so on. Get squatting its an essential foundation to all your fitness needs.
3. REAL FITNESS. In athletics we have five strands to fitness, Strength, Skill, Suppleness, Speed and Stamina. In Crossfit they have taken this further; Strength, Power, Endurance, Stamina, Skill, Agility, Flexibility, Balance, Accuracy and Coordination. Now arguably the five "S"s do cover these but Crossfits ten domains high lights the detail and details are important for total fitness. If you want to be able to claim that we produce the fittest people in the world then attention to all aspects is required. A friend of mine recently stated that Tri-athletes are the fittest people in the world and oft claimed title but if you compare them to the above ten domains they do fall short, in my opinion.
4. NEW SKILLS. I could go to any globo gym and learn a new skill. I could learn to rumba to music with others while holding a 3 foot weighted bar, I could learn to grape vine and step up and down in time to music or learn how to jab, hook and front kick to music too. Instead I went to Crossfit and learned how to squat (correctly), snatch, push jerk, dead lift (correctly), clean, muscle ups, hand stands (one handed too), back tucks, back levers, kipping and learned how to coach properly too. All to music but not necessarily in time. When I say these things out loud I sound awesome!
5. MENTAL FORTITUDE. I often say this but it cannot be said enough this should be number eleven on the list of fitness domains. By exposing myself to the intensity of Crossfit in a very short time I was able to take a minute plus, off of my 10k time. Simply by knowing I could push harder by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. No other general population fitness system offers this outside of high end competition.
6. THE PEOPLE. We love being Crossfitters, we love to be stared at, talked about, even hated, it makes us feel even more apart from the perceived dullness of normality. We also love training together, helping and supporting each other, hanging out together, sharing our thoughts and experiences for the greater good, welcoming new people and talking to the inquisitive. We also love taking our tops off, wearing impossibly short shorts and doing hand stands at any given opportunity. Why not?
7. COACHING. I touched on this earlier before Crossfit I was a Physical Training Instructor and coached other disciplines too. But Crossfit has taken my coaching ability to a whole new level. Its not just the courses and the seminars, but the people you are surrounded by. The coaches are of such a high standard, their knowledge, enthusiasm and patience matched with a personal interest in your success makes them a fantastic resource. Then there are the coached, they are such a willing audience, hard working and committed they are joy to coach and only help you to grow with confidence. It is the perfect recipe for coaching development.
8. QUALITY . Coach wrote an essay some time ago about virtuosity, you should read it. I have learned there is no substitute for quality of movement. You should always be honest whether its range of movement, reps counted, performed correctly and safely. Never feel pressured to complete a WOD as Rx'd. If your not capable you know you will cheat on the ROM or drop a rep or two or take so long that you will have lost all intensity or all or a combination of these. Never sacrifice true reps for time. With consistent quality training you will Rx nearly all the WODS one day. Along side this you need quality nutrition, simple clean foods, along with quality rest and recovery. Patience is a virtuosity.
9. INTELLIGENT TRAINING. This follows on from the above but always, always be realistic with your goals. Unrealistic training is not clever and leads to disappointment and possibly injury. Realistic or intelligent training will set you up for success and in the main keep you injury free. Training is NOT risk free. But a strain or sprain is better than a herniated disc or torn shoulder. Agreed?
10. REAL STRENGTH TRAINING. In the past I thought I lifted big weights, bicep curling, lateral shoulders, cable tricep extensions all done for tons of sets of reps of ten. Read Starting Strength its not a massive book and its all simple and straight forward with lots of pictures so there is no excuse. Compound movements, lift heavy, linear strength program based on your 1RM. It does not have to get much more complicated than that. And remember its all about doing nothing and the biscuits. ;-)
Saturday, June 16, 2012
My Smolov Experience
I have never been big and never will be. My genetics have dictated that I will have a slight frame, quick when I was young and good at endurance when I got older. But this has never stopped me training to be strong. Pound for pound I consider myself above average when I am in good shape. But I have always had a rubbish back squat. Never really analysed it just never paid them any attention. I can plead guilty to benching hard and heavy then running 5 miles in 30 minutes. That will affect the make up of the leg muscles. Crossfit introduced me to real strength training. Heavy, really heavy, with an intensity that makes you feel dizzy and not wanting to do another set. With this I saw my numbers creep up to new PB's but when trying the Crossfit Total my back squat was always the weakest. I could bench more than I could back squat!
Lately I have eased off the intensity in the metcons and have been experimenting with intervals and training cycles. More of that in a future post. My latest trial was the Smolov back squat routine. Having recognised there was plenty of room for improvement it seemed a natural decision to commit to this and I do not use the word commit lightly. Its 13 weeks of lifting heavy and perfecting your technique. The web is swimming in sites, forums and blogs about this routine. Keywords linked to this are intensity, blood, guts, vomit and big results. It sounds almost cartoon like. So you have to keep a balanced mind about this. One of the most consistent quotes is that big lifters can add 20-30kg to their 1RM while smaller lifters can add 5-15kg.
The routine is spread over 13 weeks. You start by establishing your current 1RM. Then you are taken through the introductory microcycle. This includes certain stretches aimed at improving your squat. Improving your squat is so very important. Lets face it any lift can be improved with perfect technique. So get it right at the start then you can maximise your results. You then progress to 4 weeks base mesocycle. You are taken on an ever progressive heavier squat. The sets are high and the reps low, but you can end up doing up to 35 reps in a session. At the end of this you revisit your 1 rep max. I started with 90kg (told you I was rubbish) and PBed with 98.5kg. I was hoping for more and on reflection I was too cautious and took too long to start hitting heavy singles and did not take enough rest between attempts. I took five attempts but really three would have suited me better. Lifting heavy on your limits is exhausting.
After this you enter your new 1RM into your spreadsheet and the next two phases are calculated. The next phase is called the switching microcyle. This I found really odd. It is a mixture of 1 rep squat negatives, light power cleans and heavy box squats. Lets look at each one and try to understand their relevance. The heavy negatives, in my case were up to 10kg over my new 1RM. Its really odd loading up a bar on your back that feels heavier than anything you have ever lifted and knowing you will not be able to get back up. You ideally need a good squat cage for this I did not at the time and practised bailing out at the bottom by throwing the bar back and me rocking forward. It actually was not too difficult and made a spectacular noise as I was using iron plates! The eccentric phase of the muscle is twice as strong as the concentric, we see negatives used a lot in teaching strict pull ups and press ups with great results. The strange thing with the squat is that the rear posterior chain contract both in flexion and extension, Lombards paradox. But just having that amount of weight on your back soon became not a problem. The power cleans, to me, these just seemed like light relief from all that squatting! You move through a dead lift and snap the hips open with a little dip landing cleaning the bar. Speed seemed to be the important element here. Box squats, these are all over training cycles these days but they were new to me. It seemed to be about a momentary relaxing of the rear posterior chain then explosively engaging them to get up off the box. This phase to me was all about training muscles to be used under super loads and coaching your nervous system to recruit those muscle groups, which is a massive part of lifting heavy.
The final phase is the intense mesocylce. This looks like a hotchpotch collection of single sets of 3 and 4 reps with multiple sets of 3, 4 and 5 reps. But basically its a structured warm up towards lifting heavy. The numbers can be intimidating towards the end you are lifting for multiple reps and sets just under your new 1RM. You are lifting 3 days a week. I always took 2 days off between day 2 and 3. I found the sessions exhausting. I had been resting 3-5 minutes between sets in earlier sessions but now I was happy to rest up to 10 minutes! Andrew Stemler said to me the secret to good strength training is doing nothing! He is so right. It was common to finish a set and immediately have to sit down, dizzy. I could feel my heart pounding like I had just run 800meters flat out and this could take up to 3 minutes to calm down. Intense! Towards the end I started contemplating what my new 1RM could be. You can doubt whether you could add another 10kg. I got an early indication when rushing through a session and instead of squatting 80kg for 3 reps I loaded the bar with 100kg. At the time I thought I must be really tired and then recounted the discs. This was a massive boost for me and clear sign of good things to come.
You finish with an easy week and then a weeks rest then it is time to revisit the 1RM. I was wrongly training in a gym without a squat cage and had to rely on a friend spotting me. This did affect my confidence but I failed at 112.5kg and ended with a new PB of 110kg, a massive 20kg increase.
Lessons learnt. It is well established if you want to get good at something do more of it. This routine ticks that box by the bucket load. Do not take too long before hitting your 1RM lifts, they are massively depleting. Rest, rest, and rest some more between sets. Train in a cage, feeling safe is essential when lifting heavy, you do not want to be distracted. I was asked did this effect my other training. Well I stopped all metcon and only practised bodyweight stuff as part of my warms ups. I did not lose any size improved my lower body flexibility and getting back into the WODS did not prove too difficult. Heavy squats hit every muscle in the body, especially the facial muscles, they hit the nervous system and create an oxygen debt that takes time to recover from, while working your core stability like nothing else.
If you have the time and facilities this routine requires then I can only recommend it. There are alternatives out there and most strength routines are based around cycles of increasing intensity combined with recovery periods. Is it the best strength routine? I simply cannot answer that. Are squats the best strength movement? Yes.
You can find the spreadsheet here. CLICK
Lately I have eased off the intensity in the metcons and have been experimenting with intervals and training cycles. More of that in a future post. My latest trial was the Smolov back squat routine. Having recognised there was plenty of room for improvement it seemed a natural decision to commit to this and I do not use the word commit lightly. Its 13 weeks of lifting heavy and perfecting your technique. The web is swimming in sites, forums and blogs about this routine. Keywords linked to this are intensity, blood, guts, vomit and big results. It sounds almost cartoon like. So you have to keep a balanced mind about this. One of the most consistent quotes is that big lifters can add 20-30kg to their 1RM while smaller lifters can add 5-15kg.
The routine is spread over 13 weeks. You start by establishing your current 1RM. Then you are taken through the introductory microcycle. This includes certain stretches aimed at improving your squat. Improving your squat is so very important. Lets face it any lift can be improved with perfect technique. So get it right at the start then you can maximise your results. You then progress to 4 weeks base mesocycle. You are taken on an ever progressive heavier squat. The sets are high and the reps low, but you can end up doing up to 35 reps in a session. At the end of this you revisit your 1 rep max. I started with 90kg (told you I was rubbish) and PBed with 98.5kg. I was hoping for more and on reflection I was too cautious and took too long to start hitting heavy singles and did not take enough rest between attempts. I took five attempts but really three would have suited me better. Lifting heavy on your limits is exhausting.
After this you enter your new 1RM into your spreadsheet and the next two phases are calculated. The next phase is called the switching microcyle. This I found really odd. It is a mixture of 1 rep squat negatives, light power cleans and heavy box squats. Lets look at each one and try to understand their relevance. The heavy negatives, in my case were up to 10kg over my new 1RM. Its really odd loading up a bar on your back that feels heavier than anything you have ever lifted and knowing you will not be able to get back up. You ideally need a good squat cage for this I did not at the time and practised bailing out at the bottom by throwing the bar back and me rocking forward. It actually was not too difficult and made a spectacular noise as I was using iron plates! The eccentric phase of the muscle is twice as strong as the concentric, we see negatives used a lot in teaching strict pull ups and press ups with great results. The strange thing with the squat is that the rear posterior chain contract both in flexion and extension, Lombards paradox. But just having that amount of weight on your back soon became not a problem. The power cleans, to me, these just seemed like light relief from all that squatting! You move through a dead lift and snap the hips open with a little dip landing cleaning the bar. Speed seemed to be the important element here. Box squats, these are all over training cycles these days but they were new to me. It seemed to be about a momentary relaxing of the rear posterior chain then explosively engaging them to get up off the box. This phase to me was all about training muscles to be used under super loads and coaching your nervous system to recruit those muscle groups, which is a massive part of lifting heavy.
The final phase is the intense mesocylce. This looks like a hotchpotch collection of single sets of 3 and 4 reps with multiple sets of 3, 4 and 5 reps. But basically its a structured warm up towards lifting heavy. The numbers can be intimidating towards the end you are lifting for multiple reps and sets just under your new 1RM. You are lifting 3 days a week. I always took 2 days off between day 2 and 3. I found the sessions exhausting. I had been resting 3-5 minutes between sets in earlier sessions but now I was happy to rest up to 10 minutes! Andrew Stemler said to me the secret to good strength training is doing nothing! He is so right. It was common to finish a set and immediately have to sit down, dizzy. I could feel my heart pounding like I had just run 800meters flat out and this could take up to 3 minutes to calm down. Intense! Towards the end I started contemplating what my new 1RM could be. You can doubt whether you could add another 10kg. I got an early indication when rushing through a session and instead of squatting 80kg for 3 reps I loaded the bar with 100kg. At the time I thought I must be really tired and then recounted the discs. This was a massive boost for me and clear sign of good things to come.
You finish with an easy week and then a weeks rest then it is time to revisit the 1RM. I was wrongly training in a gym without a squat cage and had to rely on a friend spotting me. This did affect my confidence but I failed at 112.5kg and ended with a new PB of 110kg, a massive 20kg increase.
Lessons learnt. It is well established if you want to get good at something do more of it. This routine ticks that box by the bucket load. Do not take too long before hitting your 1RM lifts, they are massively depleting. Rest, rest, and rest some more between sets. Train in a cage, feeling safe is essential when lifting heavy, you do not want to be distracted. I was asked did this effect my other training. Well I stopped all metcon and only practised bodyweight stuff as part of my warms ups. I did not lose any size improved my lower body flexibility and getting back into the WODS did not prove too difficult. Heavy squats hit every muscle in the body, especially the facial muscles, they hit the nervous system and create an oxygen debt that takes time to recover from, while working your core stability like nothing else.
If you have the time and facilities this routine requires then I can only recommend it. There are alternatives out there and most strength routines are based around cycles of increasing intensity combined with recovery periods. Is it the best strength routine? I simply cannot answer that. Are squats the best strength movement? Yes.
You can find the spreadsheet here. CLICK
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Diary Of A Caveman
The “CrossfitLondon UK Lent/Palaeo/Zone/Try somethingdifferent diet challenge” lasted from 22nd February to the first weekend in April a not too insignificant amount of time. People were invited to choose a diet and try their best for the period of Lent. Lent being the traditional Christian period of abstinence other periods of abstinence are available and in fact there was nothing religious about the challenge. Although people do get very Evangelical and often preach about such subjects. The challenge started with a weigh-in, measurements taken along with some calliper and body fat composition measuring and the obligatory before photographs.
I opted for a Palaeo style diet it seemed the hardest challenge to do and therefore the most appealing and rewarding, in my eyes. I have had it pointed out to me that I am an extreme character, all or nothing, no in between. On reflection I have to agree. I did not make the measuring and weighing. But I knew I was carrying surplus pounds my size 30 jeans were struggling and I could see the changes in my body composition.
On my diet I cut out rice, pasta, bread, milk, cheese, other dairy, cereals, beans, tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate and all types of deserts and greatly reduced potatoes (maybe once a week). I had one weekend off for a pre planned birthday party. The first couple of days I was exhausted and in bed by 9pm asleep! I put this down to the zero caffeine but my girlfriend pointed out that I should check my calorie count. I had been consuming only 1200 calories a day. I should be at least double that. I addressed that by eating loads between meals. The Zone diet would have avoided this.
A typical day would look like this:
Breakfast; 3 egg omelette with some sort of meat, usually chorizo.
Lunch; meat usually chicken, fruit usually berries, sardines, banana.
Dinner, meat or fish loads of either salad or vegetables.
I drank nearly exclusively only water for the whole period. If I cheated it was orange juice.
I snacked on nuts, fruit and seeds constantly.
I decided not to do all that alternative Palaeo substitutes. Palaeo pancakes, palaeo muffins, palaeo cup cakes, palaeo ice cream etc. In my eyes it’s cheating. Austere is where it’s at.
So what were my experiences?
Well you have to constantly plan and think about your food and look for alternatives. Pop into Pizza Express and look at the menu! When eating out I found myself asking for alternatives and or leaving food on my plate. Which I hate doing. Going out with friends and watching them getting drunk was odd. It made me feel strangely superior and in control and saved me a small fortune. I have lost weight and my jeans fit me again (sigh of relief) on the training side I have not been following my usual program as I am currently experimenting with the Smolov squat routine, probably poor timing but I seem to be making progress. Look out for a future post on this. I feel great generally, sleep really well and I too have noticed improved dental hygiene I guess it’s the lack of tannin and sugar. Plus I have also noticed my shoulder inflammation issues have gone. I did/do have low days when I wanted that chocolate fudge cake and a nice coffee after a good meal but I am very stubborn and always got passed it. If I craved something sweet, a chilled orange did the job just great.
What changes will I keep?
Tea and coffee definitely will be massively reduced I was a 10 cup a day man sometimes. I substituted mugs of hot water, strangely comforting. Alcohol too (although not 10 cups a day!) my extreme personality meant that when I drank, I got on it! I like not feeling shit, sorry Janie (I will come back to that later). I already had cut or greatly reduced bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and will continue with this. Plus my desire to end every meal with a desert has been conquered too.
What are the lessons?
Very early on I came to realise that Palaeo’ was a misnomer. I am a bit of an amateur anthropologist and already had some understanding of what Palaeolithic man lived like and more importantly what we do not know. I intended to write extensively on this but you can read about it here instead and more here too. Both excellent articles.
But just to summarise most vegetables if not all on your plate are “man made” that is they have been selectively grown and harvested to produce something that is disease resistant, looks pretty and tastes good. Most wild vegetables don’t comply. In fact they taste bitter and foul, its part of their survival system. Where as, wild fruit are pretty and taste good, they need to be, so that they are consumed in order to reproduce. The idea of meat everyday would not be realistic, even every week. Hunter gatherers are opportunistic and seasonal.
Palaeo’ man and woman eat to survive we eat to enjoy and thrive often way beyond what could be considered normal. Athletes whether Crossfitters, bodybuilders, soldiers, etc, take their bodies and smash them to pieces and rebuild them to improve. These adaptations constantly require huge amounts of nutrient dense foods, Palaeo’ man would not have this luxury.
But there is a massive amount of ever growing evidence that starchy grains are not good for us and that sugar is the problem and not fat. I use these terms in their broadest definitions. These poor choices are not helped when dieticians and governmental bodies along with associated educators are still harping on about the high carb’ low fat diets. Food for thought, take a look at this.
I have learnt a lot about myself and peoples perceptions of me. I was amazed at how many people would say “Diet!? But you don’t need to lose any weight” I have mentioned this in other posts but people instantly associate the word diet with weight loss. I think this says a lot about our culture. Diet obviously is not just about weight loss. I have also learned that those close to you often regard the changes that you make as slightly negative and view them from a point of view of “How will this affect me?” I have learned that I can go out and socialise and have fun without alcohol, some find this worrying, interesting…
Monday, February 20, 2012
Diet-The simple truth, Or How I See It
The word diet comes from the Greek, meaning "way of life" The Vegetarians are a good example. The word vegetarian comes from the Latin to be lively and vigorous.Their early beginnings identified diet was only a part of living a healthy life. Naturist place an importance on being relieved of the burden of clothes and enjoying outdoor sports and activities, very Paleo. So what am I saying. Those who know me will know I am not a big fan of the diet, supplement or nutrition industry. It full of BS and self serving quacks. This too applies to aspects of the fitness industry.
I recently bumped into a friend at work. He is a qualified PTI with a services back ground. We got talking about our own training and diet and got to comparing notes. He has recently come on board the good ship Crossfit and has been looking at the zone diet and other low starchy carbohydrate options. He has recently been working with a colleague looking to get fitter and lose some weight. They will not mind if I describe them both as old school. So diet was not high on the list of things to change, at least not radically. So maybe cut out some alcohol, snacks and puddings but increase the aerobic training particularly pounding the pavement. Now most will see some results especially if you are new to exercise. The body has an amazing way of responding to such early stimulus. However they both have an extensive background in being and staying fit. So were a little surprised to find that they were not getting the results they wanted and expected.
A review led to some research and Crossfit and Zone/Paleo were discovered. A short stint on a low starchy carbohydrate diet after a period of adjustment led to some very encouraging results. Energy levels changed for the better and the excess weight soon shifted. It was even discovered that the time in the gym could be reduced and the same results could still be enjoyed.
Their experiences have led me to review my diet. I believe I have hit a time in my life where I cannot rely on just good genetics to save me from my excesses. And I do like my excesses! Since summer 2011 I have noticed changes. Its no coincidence to say I have also changed jobs, moved in with my girlfriend and spend less time in the gym. But I have experienced phases like this before and not paid dearly for it, alas no longer. Diet IS a massive part of my wellness now so it was with some relief when Andrew of Crossfit London UK organised the 40 day Zone/Paleo Lent Challenge. This was my chance to hold hands with other passengers and soak up the shared experience and make changes.
I will being trying my utmost to be strict Paleo'. Has it got a face? Zoneing is too much hassle in my eyes, I don't even own a cup! I even considered doing one meal a day with snacks either side apparently this would have been normalish, but the odd day of no food was also normal! So instead I am going to eat small and regular but ultimately clean. Dairy, tea and Guinness will be missed but its only 40 days! I will be posting regularly on Crossfit London UK and also by twitter @Spikeyfruit. My girlfriend is also joining in so I am excited about that. But we will declare the 25th February as an amnesty, its her birthday party.
By the end we hope to have a great opensource resource of recipes, answers, experiences and results, both good and bad. Now I am off to gather some firewood. But first some pancakes.
I recently bumped into a friend at work. He is a qualified PTI with a services back ground. We got talking about our own training and diet and got to comparing notes. He has recently come on board the good ship Crossfit and has been looking at the zone diet and other low starchy carbohydrate options. He has recently been working with a colleague looking to get fitter and lose some weight. They will not mind if I describe them both as old school. So diet was not high on the list of things to change, at least not radically. So maybe cut out some alcohol, snacks and puddings but increase the aerobic training particularly pounding the pavement. Now most will see some results especially if you are new to exercise. The body has an amazing way of responding to such early stimulus. However they both have an extensive background in being and staying fit. So were a little surprised to find that they were not getting the results they wanted and expected.
A review led to some research and Crossfit and Zone/Paleo were discovered. A short stint on a low starchy carbohydrate diet after a period of adjustment led to some very encouraging results. Energy levels changed for the better and the excess weight soon shifted. It was even discovered that the time in the gym could be reduced and the same results could still be enjoyed.
Their experiences have led me to review my diet. I believe I have hit a time in my life where I cannot rely on just good genetics to save me from my excesses. And I do like my excesses! Since summer 2011 I have noticed changes. Its no coincidence to say I have also changed jobs, moved in with my girlfriend and spend less time in the gym. But I have experienced phases like this before and not paid dearly for it, alas no longer. Diet IS a massive part of my wellness now so it was with some relief when Andrew of Crossfit London UK organised the 40 day Zone/Paleo Lent Challenge. This was my chance to hold hands with other passengers and soak up the shared experience and make changes.
I will being trying my utmost to be strict Paleo'. Has it got a face? Zoneing is too much hassle in my eyes, I don't even own a cup! I even considered doing one meal a day with snacks either side apparently this would have been normalish, but the odd day of no food was also normal! So instead I am going to eat small and regular but ultimately clean. Dairy, tea and Guinness will be missed but its only 40 days! I will be posting regularly on Crossfit London UK and also by twitter @Spikeyfruit. My girlfriend is also joining in so I am excited about that. But we will declare the 25th February as an amnesty, its her birthday party.
By the end we hope to have a great opensource resource of recipes, answers, experiences and results, both good and bad. Now I am off to gather some firewood. But first some pancakes.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Those Three Little Letters
I moved jobs about a year ago it was the same kind of work just the other side of London
I was soon in the gym doing my Crossfit thing. Lets face it, it gets you noticed and if we are honest we kind of like that. We are different and revel in it. But I never conduct myself with an air of superiority. I love to talk about Crossfit but only if asked and I never preach. But you must have noticed how gym monkeys can be a little anti. Often making statements about things they have no knowledge of. “Those pull ups are cheating” How often do you hear that? Or sometimes the reverse, they will make a statement in support of something but will not be able to explain why it gets their support.
I saw a colleague stood in front of the mirror performing a forearm exercise. Arms locked out in front at shoulder height with a plate dangling from a string attached to a thick piece of dowel. He slowly rotated the dowel to wind up the plate. He was pulling faces and gritting his teeth. He was working hard at the exercise. I wanted to know why he positioned his arms where he did was it different, harder or easier with the elbows bent and fixed at the sides or above or behind the head? He said he did not know and that he just did what he was instructed. But it was the tone that amazed me. He was dismissive, perhaps he was busy, but I think he felt he was being criticised but I was not, definitely not. I was intrigued by the mechanics.
I have often given a little advice, mainly on safety, or on where I think they could benefit, I am a qualified PT after all. It is my job. However, having asked and attempted to understand I soon realised I was getting no where. Later I did a little research, good old Google, I came up with lots of alternatives but generally pointed towards performing the exercise just like I had witnessed. But why!? Any way I emailed off a few links to my friend and titled them food for thought. A mutual friend then reported back to me that the forearm exerciser had been criticising Crossfit. In the spirit of a good wind up I emailed a response to his criticism. It was like throwing a grenade. I did actually try to address his issue but also with a sense of humour. The response was a rant.
The argument centred on Crossfit does not make you big, not bigger, but big. Well, yes and no, I think is the right answer? I have seen some real big blokes in a Crossfit gym and I have seen some already big blokes get bigger. We are amazingly visual creatures. Massive amounts of our responses are affected by visual stimulus, colours, shapes, sizes and body language. Did you know that 55% of communication is body language? How does this affect us? Well if we only ever measure our improvements with our eyes then surely we are on the road to disappointment. We can measure our health with lowered blood pressure, heart rates, improved energy levels, endurance, strength, power, flexibility…Wait a minute that sounds familiar! But does the typical narcissistic trainer give any of these more than a casual thought?
Pick up any fitness industry magazine off the shelf and bam you will be hit with one visual statement after another. A bombardment of perceived perfect bodies, huge muscled men and slim toned women. On the whole does this help to inspire, encourage, motivate or does it ultimately have a negative impact? Do people see achieving anything less than front cover man/woman as failure? Will this ultimately deflate and deter you, having led you down a path of wasted time, effort and money? Where is the balance? You will find some if you really go looking for it. Success stories are sprinkled in some magazines but on the whole it is a constant flow of subliminal brain washing, money spinning, product endorsing, fantastical dirge.
Crossfit does a lot of things right. But this whole examination got me thinking about how people are constantly measuring Crossfit success by whether the WOD was “Rx’d or not. This cannot be good for everyone. I am constantly being asked what is the required weight? Well the first requirement is to be able to perform the movement with excellent form. How many times have we seen people perform ugly reps just because they want to write “Rx’d”? I think this can be a big problem; it too can lead to wasted time and effort and of course injury. This then reflects badly on us. Crossfit is scaleable but some how this gets forgotten. I believe “Rx’d” is our version of the front cover man/woman. A suggestion of what is expected and what is perfection, the ONLY standard. We have to be aware of this, because it is NOT the only standard and it is not perfection. It is a goal for some but not for all.
So what is the lesson? Well size is not everything (heard that before) well not for everyone any way. Standards of movement should be broadly applicable and standards of weight should be more specifically applicable.
Friday, September 16, 2011
What Is The Truth
Well I seem to find less and less time to update this blog but at least I am not filling it with trivia, I hope. I have been away from Crossfit London for about four weeks and took a break from training the body and focussed on training the mind. In my breaks from studying I relaxed by reading a book called Bad Science written by Ben Goldacre. If you only read one book this year read this one. It was originally published back in 2005 but has been updated and re published. Ben is a qualified medical doctor who writes for the Guardian among other things. he has a fantastic scientific rational mind that can be described as a Mr Spock with a sense of humour.
The book takes a look at consumerism, journalism, quackism and other isms. It closely examines how we are regularly deceived by the world of nutrition (ism) and the close links between the daily press industry and the self promoting world of magic pills, supplements, powders, power drinks etc.
It educates you on the facts of the health and beauty industry how real independent research should be conducted and how the stats from these can be manipulated. Read it!
It got me thinking about how this applies to me and my position in the fitness industry and Crossfit. We all know people who buy vitamins, protein powders, creatine supplements, energy drinks, anti-oxidants (these actually increase your chances of dying!) shit, I have to admit to doing nearly all the above. I now use FHW. I can now say with some considerable confidence you have been wasting your money.
All these products are promoted with a "research shows" banner of some description. This research will be funded by the industry and promoted within industry related press and when you read it in the daily press as a news feature it will have been published on the back of the idea that the press business model must publish stories targeted at their advertisers target consumers. The story will have ticked boxes such as "magic pill" and "miracle effect" What chance do we have?
Well, believe nothing. Ask questions, lots of questions. Come to understand what real research is. Cold, dispassionate and totally focussed on the truth. Whether it supports a hypothesis or not. Oh and totally open for peer review. Visit the Cochrane website, simply fascinating. Crossfit people talk a lot about diets, this is a massive industry, Zoneing, Paleo fish oil supplements etc. I guarantee that all the literature you read about this will be tainted by the selfish need to self promote.
I will even go on to question what real research has been done regarding our training methods. Do we produce the fittest people in the world? I have seen quite a few experts who were Crossfit HQ flavour of the month disappear off the scene. I have seen evidence of this because they question certain methods. I have no doubt that Crossfit can produce massive amounts of anecdotal evidence about the positives, but real research? We as humans are the worst at self criticism we always overstate opinions of ourselves, find casual relationships between things that do not exist and spot patterns when there are none.
Now I am not lnocking Crossfit I love it, I have experienced the benefits of following this regime but there is some serious bullshit out there and we can be guilty of this. The lesson today is be mindful of this, doubt everything and looked to be proved right or wrong.
The book takes a look at consumerism, journalism, quackism and other isms. It closely examines how we are regularly deceived by the world of nutrition (ism) and the close links between the daily press industry and the self promoting world of magic pills, supplements, powders, power drinks etc.
It educates you on the facts of the health and beauty industry how real independent research should be conducted and how the stats from these can be manipulated. Read it!
It got me thinking about how this applies to me and my position in the fitness industry and Crossfit. We all know people who buy vitamins, protein powders, creatine supplements, energy drinks, anti-oxidants (these actually increase your chances of dying!) shit, I have to admit to doing nearly all the above. I now use FHW. I can now say with some considerable confidence you have been wasting your money.
All these products are promoted with a "research shows" banner of some description. This research will be funded by the industry and promoted within industry related press and when you read it in the daily press as a news feature it will have been published on the back of the idea that the press business model must publish stories targeted at their advertisers target consumers. The story will have ticked boxes such as "magic pill" and "miracle effect" What chance do we have?
Well, believe nothing. Ask questions, lots of questions. Come to understand what real research is. Cold, dispassionate and totally focussed on the truth. Whether it supports a hypothesis or not. Oh and totally open for peer review. Visit the Cochrane website, simply fascinating. Crossfit people talk a lot about diets, this is a massive industry, Zoneing, Paleo fish oil supplements etc. I guarantee that all the literature you read about this will be tainted by the selfish need to self promote.
I will even go on to question what real research has been done regarding our training methods. Do we produce the fittest people in the world? I have seen quite a few experts who were Crossfit HQ flavour of the month disappear off the scene. I have seen evidence of this because they question certain methods. I have no doubt that Crossfit can produce massive amounts of anecdotal evidence about the positives, but real research? We as humans are the worst at self criticism we always overstate opinions of ourselves, find casual relationships between things that do not exist and spot patterns when there are none.
Now I am not lnocking Crossfit I love it, I have experienced the benefits of following this regime but there is some serious bullshit out there and we can be guilty of this. The lesson today is be mindful of this, doubt everything and looked to be proved right or wrong.
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