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Posted by michael stanwyck :
Thursday, Mar 01, 2012
An old client of mine has been suffering on and off with severe ulcerative colitis for several years now. In the last year and a half, it became so bad that for long periods of time (read: weeks), he was not able to eat food or even drink water. Emergency room visits were a regular occurrence. All traditionally accepted treatment routes, including steroids for the severe inflammation, as well as others, including leukemia medication and targeted immune-system suppressors, were now failing at a rate of 100%. Holistic treatments didn't fare any better.
He came to me some time ago and told me that he was determined to get off all of his medication and beat this thing. Could I help with nutrition? I was excited! I laid out a plan that removed any and all inflammatory and possibly allergy-inducing foods from his diet. Basically paleo, and then some, combined with massive amounts of fish oil. What happened? Nothing. Nada. Zip. I know we were all expecting a magical, fairy-tale paleo-induced miracle. But this had become an auto-immune nightmare and his body was under siege by it's own defenses no matter what he ate.
What we do with exercise and nutrition can cause amazing transformations in people's health, their fitness and their well-being. But there can sometimes be a tendency to lose perspective and think that it can work miracles, cure anything. Never would I tell you that nutritional intervention isn't fundamentally critical in your health -- it certainly will continue to be in his -- and that food isn't the most profoundly effective medicine you have for the prevention of disease. But there is also a time when we get beyond what food and exercise can cure on its own.
My friend ended up having his entire colon removed surgically. And if you think that I didn't want as much as anyone else for it to have been otherwise, you'd be wrong. But this was long overdue. This was a life or death decision. His body was attacking his colon, it was perpetually inflamed beyond measure, and he couldn't absorb nutrients or water. No colon, no inflammation. No inflammation, and a normal life is now possible. For him, surgery was the measure of last resort, and he had reached the last resort.
So use these tools -- nutrition, CrossFit, fish oil -- for what they are good for: prevention, becoming strong, building yourself up, and reversing possibly years of abuse and neglect. But be careful when you start to expect miracles from them. Be responsible in your own life for what we actually know about them. Being realistic about what your tools are good for is extremely powerful on the road to sickness or wellness.
Today's Workout
CrossFit Games Open WOD 12.2
Proceed through the sequence below, completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
30 Snatches, 75/45
30 Snatches, 135/75
30 Snatches, 165/100
As many Snatches as possible, 210/120
Posted by Becca Borawski :
Wednesday, Feb 29, 2012
So, maybe it turns out I actually do need to sleep after all.
Yeah, I know, last week I told you I don't drink Diet Coke anymore, this week I'm telling you I actually need sleep. It's Bizarro-Becca time, clearly.
It turns out living with someone with good health habits can actually be pretty handy. My boyfriend requires a lot of sleep, and we're still in the phase of our relationship where we prefer to be in the same room together as opposed to not. (I'd like to think this phase is permanent. He's pretty cool.) So, when he goes to bed, I get in bed, too. I tend to sleep less than him. I wake up in the middle of the night for a little while. Or I get up early. He coaches at 5:30am three mornings a week, though, so I don't always wake up earlier than him. I take magnesium every night and it helps me sleep more solidly than in the past. And, as I mentioned, I doubt the lack of Diet Coke is unrelated to my new-found ability to sleep.
And strangely, the other week he was away, and I stayed up until midnight, and got up early for work...and felt sluggish and horrible all that day.
"Huh," I thought. "Is this how I used to feel?" Did I just not know any better? Maybe I didn't even know what it felt like to be not-tired. Or maybe my life here in Portland just suits me better and I make a practice of not doing a million things all at once, as I used to, and I just don't need to stay awake for so many hours anymore. Maybe I'm happy and satisfied and the wheels don't have to be turning through the dark. Maybe less is more after all.
And maybe, just maybe, our physical, mental, and emotional healths are all inextricably tied.
Today's Workout
Deadlift
Find your 1 RM
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012
The weekly challenge in the Whole Life Challenge this week is to get 7 hours of sleep per night (or accumulated total including naps). I thought it was interesting that very recently, two articles came out regarding sleep... one, a report from BBC News about the myth of the 8-hour sleep, and another Robb Wolf's take on the article. Both are fascinating and recommended reading.
For me, I know I feel better when I get 7-9 hours of sleep every night in a dark room. I also know that with the number of distractions in the evening in my life (most involve Facebook, email and great TV shows), my tendency is to NOT get 7-9 hours, rather 5-6. And it makes a huge difference in my vitality. What about you? Does this weekly challenge have an impact on you? Is it difficult? Do you feel better with 7+ hours of good sleep?
Today's Workout
For time:
Pyramid from 1 - 8 - 1 reps of:
Dead Hang Pull Ups
DB Floor Press, 55/40
Front Squats, 135/95
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Monday, Feb 27, 2012
How do you know the CrossFit Games Open season has started at CFLA? Every week on Saturday afternoons around 5pm, at the conclusion of the Games Open WOD, if you are within a 1 block radius of 3201 Santa Monica Blvd, you'll hear this strage, loud, and spirited chant...
Join us!
Today's Workout
For time:
27 Kettlebell Swings (32/20)
300m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings
300m Run
15 Kettlebell Swings
300m Run
9 Kettlebell Swings
300m Run
6 Kettlebell Swings
300m Run
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Thursday, Feb 23, 2012
You know the workout is AMRAP Burpees. You KNOW you will be going into the "pain cave" during this one. Some of you did it today. Here's my question: "What thoughts do you predict (or did) will go through your mind en-route to 7 minutes?
Here's my answer (and this is a prediction since I haven't done it yet): "Do you really need to be doing this?" and "You know, you could quit any time and get out of this ridiculous pain! Go ahead... Quit! This is silly anyway!"
By the way - if you're looking for a way to improve and fine-tune your burpees, check out this one from Carl Paoli (thanks, Sam).
Today's Workout
Dynamic Deadlifts - 12 x 3
- use chains or rubber bands
- wght on bar - 50-60% of 1RM
---------------------------------
Complete as many rounds as possible in 7 minutes of:
4 Pull ups
8 Push Ups
16 V-ups
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Thursday, Feb 23, 2012
Last year Team CFLA had an incredible year. We made it to Regionals by the slightest of margins (last place in the Open)... and then took Regionals by storm, finishing in 3rd place and earning a spot to the 2011 CrossFit Games. None of that would have been possible without the amazing support of our community... including participation in the Open WODS. Well, IT'S THAT TIME!
TODAY (and Saturday at 3pm) is YOUR CHANCE to join us. There are almost 60,000 people world-wide registered for the 2012 Open. 60,000! Guess how many have a shot at going to Regionals... about 3%. So this is NOT about entering to win. It's about putting yourself on the playing field, at risk, for 5 weeks. Seeing how you stack up on a world-wide playing field. It's the BEST $20 you can spend this week.
But to participate, you have to do it now. They won't take entries after this week. So go to http://games.crossfit.com/, click the red "register" button on the right. Sign up, then join Team CrossFit LA. If you're coming to the gym today, you're going to do the WOD anyway... might as well make it count!
Today's Workout
CrossFit Games Open WOD 12.1
Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
Burpees
Click here for a complete description... these don't look quite like the burpees you've done before.
