« January 2009 | Main | March 2009 »
Meg Calpin got her first pullup today!
(Meg is in the front of this photo. Colleen is in the back.. Meg and Colleen are friends. I'm not sure how long that is gonna last, especially since Meg is improving so quickly and might start beating Colleen in WODs. And soaping her car. Anyway.. )
Colleen and Jim
Push Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps Post loads to comments. Yes this is accurate. We switched Thursday's and Friday's WOD around. Enjoy! Sam "Sticky Buns" Oropeza “Some people are afraid of what they might find if they try to analyze themselves too much, but you have to crawl into your wounds to discover where your fears are. Once the bleeding starts, the cleansing can begin.” -Tori Amos
This Saturday, February 28, at 8pm we invite everyone to an informal social night at Barnaby's in Aston. Located at 5501 Pennell Road, Media, PA 19063, the restaurant provides a good environment for us to hang out and drink to someone's birthday!
We're starting a new monthly newsletter here at CFDV. We'll send you a once or twice monthly digest of happenings around our gym and future events. Please subscribe below if you'd like to receive a copy. If you're a CFDV member or have corresponded with us before, chances are we've already signed you up. :)
|
The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain teaches a basic understanding of eating like a caveman or cavewoman. The Paleo Diet is based on the diet of our hunter-gatherer Paleolithic ancestors: lean meat and fish, fresh fruit, and nonstarchy vegetables. When the book says to eat those things, it means pretty strict adherence to the dietary prescription.
The book begins with an explanation of the Paleodiet and why it is different from other low-carb diets. Cordain contends that the Paleo diet is a lifestyle change and not a fad diet (all diet books say this). The Paleo diet falls somewhere between the Zone Diet (easiest) and the Atkins Diet (hardest) to follow long term. The Zone is easiest because anything can be zoned. The Atkins Diet is the most difficult, because a mostly animal diet can become unpalatable after a while. The Paleo Diet falls in between because there are no portion prescriptions, like there are in the Zone, but unlike the Zone, there are rather strict prescriptions for what foods should be eaten. This range of what can be eaten in is larger than that prescribed by the Atkins diet.
The book does a good job of describing the various diseases that a Paleo diet can prevent and heal. Cordain explains that food is the the most basic medicine that we can use to rid ourselves of the diseases of society, ie. those caused by eating a diet based on high carbohydrates."Syndrome X" sums up the most dangerous of these diseases: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and Dyslipidemia (low HDL, high LDL and triglycerides). One of my criticisms of the book that it does not go into enough of the specifics as to how the diet will help heal these diseases.
The book next moves into its best written and most interesting part, a section on what to eat. The diet calls for eating lean meats and discusses how the meat that Paleo cavemen would have eaten would have not been salted and would not contain the high saturated fat levels that we are accustomed to eating today. Game and organ meat came from lean wild animals, while today we eat fatty, grain-fed animals. The book gives great suggestions for acquiring lean, "range-fed" traditional meats in your local grocery store, and also provides some businesses where one can buy more exotic meats. The book describes recommendations as far as fruits and vegetables, though I think it could have done a better job of emphasizing non-starchy vegetables and educating people on the dangers of eating mostly starchy vegetables.The explanation of which nuts and oils to eat brings up an interesting point on Omega 3 vs Omega 6 ratios. Turns out that we are getting way too much Omega 6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) in our diets vs Omega 3 EFAs. Too many Omega 6s may actually be harmful, causing chronic inflammation, so we need to focus on fat sources that will afford us the lowest ratio of Omega 3s to 6s. For nuts, walnuts are best, for oils, flaxseed oil is best.
Another interesting point of the book is the consideration of net acid/alkaline balance of a diet. Some foods such as protein and salt create a net acid balance in the body. The body will need to balance out the acid with akalines either from diet (fruits and vegetables) or with calcium and other minerals from bones. Over time, net diet acidity can lead to loss of bone and tooth density, so Cordain recommends avoiding salt entirely, and eating ample fruits and vegetables.
I appreciated the recipes section. Recipes allow people to think outside of the typical "piece of meat and plateful of vegetables" mentality. There are alot of seafood recipes that may be hard to follow if you can't afford nice seafood, or don't know where to get it, but overall the book does a good job of providing a variety of do-able dishes.
My major criticism of the book is that it reads too much like a diet book. Cordain describes "levels" for the diet, which are simply meal plans with scheduled cheat days. Anytime an author describes cheating, you are reading a diet book. Also, any time that an author has a section on exercise that just seems tacked on, you know you are reading a diet book; there is such a section in this book. The book is also peppered with "success stories," such as those from Melissa and Jack. Cordain could have benefited from taking these parts out of the book, giving more anthropological evidence validating the diet, and also discussing more clinical trials of the diet.
For the best Crossfit resource on Paleo dieting, start with the FAQ on Robb Wolf's Blog. Wolf has worked with Cordain in the past and is a great resource for all things Paleo. Robb also runs the CF Nutrition Cert.
Post questions about the Paleo diet, or about nutrition in general. Also sound off if you've read the book and have anything to add.
For time: Post time to comments. Our very own Dan Amico. BEAST! “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear... And when it is gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear is gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” -Frank Herbert
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 21 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 18 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 15 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 12 reps
"Joshie" Complete three rounds for time of: Post time to comments. These are squat not power snatches. Dumbbell Snatch...[wmv] “It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.” -Anthony Robbins
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
21 L Pull-ups
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
21 L Pull-ups
Don't forget about our Elements Seminar- March 7. This is a great opportunity for those of you out there who are wondering what Crossfit is all about, and for those of you are looking for additional technique work. Rob and I will be methodically coaching the participants through the basics of Crossfit, and we will conclude with short workout. Sign up here and sound off in comments if you are coming.
Squat clean 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Post loads to comments.
Guys,
I received the following email from Josh at CrossFit Apex today. Please comment if you're fairly sure you want to go and will have the dough. It'll be around $600.. More info on the CrossFit Gymnastics Cert can be found here.
Thanks!
Hi Guys and Gals,
I am sending an email about a possible
CrossFit Gymnastics Certification w/ Jeff Tucker that we may be hosting
at our box in Hatfield, PA. I was curious if we could get a possible
headcount of some people that may be interested in attending this Cert.
We not sure of the dates however we are looking somewhere around late
Spring or early Summer months. If you give me an idea of some numbers
that may be interested I would greatly appreciate it. Hope all of you
are doing well and CrossFitting hard. Hope to see some of you again
soon and hope to meet some of you in the near future.
Josh Wagner
CrossFit APEX
Congratulations to CFDV'ers Dan D'Egidio, Trish Eller, Michelle Collier, Matt Smith and Tripp Tyner. These guys all attended the CrossFit cert at Malvern Prep this weekend and are now Level One Certified. Bravo!
If you look closely, you can find some of our Apex friends too.. Tanya, Josh, Mike, Scrappy, Keith and Molly. Bravo 2!
and... 
On March 7, Crossfit Delaware Valley will present its first elements seminar. We will begin at 10 am and rotate between lecture and movement for about four hours, concluding with a short workout. Lecture will cover the basic topics of "What is Fitness?" and "What is Crossfit?". We will use lecture and group training to teach the 9 basic movements of Crossfit: squat, front squat, overhead squat, press, push press, push jerk, deadlift, sumo deadlift high-pull, and the medicine ball clean. We will spend most of the time drilling each movement at low intensity with strict attention to form.
This is a great opportunity for athletes of all abilities. If you have never Crossfitted before, sign up. If you have CFed before and want to perfect your technique, sign up.
Questions? email us at: crossfitdelawarevalley@gmail.com
Here's a great article from our friends over at Mark's Daily Apple. Seems like the researchers are starting to agree about Paleo-style eating. PSHAW!
Breaking news out of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published online at pubmed.gov comes this abstract:
Frassetto LA, Schloetter M, Mietus-Synder M, Morris RC Jr, Sebastian A.
1Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Background:The contemporary American diet figures centrally in the
pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases-’diseases of civilization’.
We investigated in humans whether a diet similar to that consumed by
our preagricultural hunter-gatherer ancestors (that is, a paleolithic
type diet) confers health benefits.Methods:We performed an outpatient,
metabolically controlled study, in nine nonobese sedentary healthy
volunteers, ensuring no weight loss by daily weight.
Read more here.
A little about Tom (or 'Muscle', as he's known around the gym):
I'm a Human Resources professional from El Paso, TX. I recently relocated to the Delaware Valley due to a new job opportunity.
I began CF in El Paso, TX in April 2008 and continued here at CFDV beginning September 2008. I am grateful to CrossFit El Paso for providing me a solid foundation and skills that enabled me to have an easy transition here at CFDV. I am also grateful to CFDV for the solid coaching, encouragement and intense environment that has enabled me to become a stronger athlete.
I began CF at a point in my life when I was having to deal with several life challenges. CF provided me with the outlet to release stress and provided me with a keen focus to solving problems. Each WOD is like a life challenge. You don't really know what to expect and strategy isn't always effective. You have to learn to physically and mentally deal with the task at hand, overcome barriers and finish strong. As the feeling of fatigue sets in, it becomes a defining moment to continue to blast through a WOD.
CF also provides a unique challenge from a skills perspective. Your strengths come into play only to be challenged by your weaknesses. It is this experience that allows you to begin to understand your weaknesses and most importantly train them.
My 2009 CF goals are to continue to improve my athletic abilities by (1) being consistent in my attendance (2) learning and enhancing my skill work (3) working on my running endurance (4) Zone Diet (5) consistently setting new PR's (6) CrossFit Level 1 certification and (7) having fun.
The fierce competitiveness and motivation from fellow CF'ers are what make CFDV my favorite place to be everyday. Here's to the next WOD and putting on quality muscle!
Deadlift 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps Post loads to comments. Any workout which doesn't involve a certain minimum of danger or responsibility does not improve the body - it just wears it out. ~Norman Mailer
On Saturday March 14th, Delaware Valley CrossFit will host a Personal Defense ReadinessTM seminar from 10am-2pmish led by Steve Wakefoose, a certified PDRTM and S.P.E.A.R system instructor. The PDRTM program is based on Tony Blauer's S.P.E.A.R system. The S.P.E.A.R. system is the first genetically and behaviorally inspired self-defense system of its kind. By fully integrating the body's reflexive and instinctive survival mechanisms, the Personal Defense ReadinessTM system becomes the easiest, most natural, and thus most-efficacious method of self-defense. Regardless of prior experience, this course will increase your chances of personal protection significantly.
[Zach's note: We had Steve in a few months ago, and I say that his was the best seminar we've hosted at our box to date. I strongly encourage you to come and bring several friends and family members. This seminar offers a lot of practical information and drills that are scalable to everyone.]
To sign up, please visit our store link here. The seminar will start at 11am and will run approximately 4 hours. Bring lunch and comfortable clothing. If you need a workout, stop by at 10am for our regular group WOD.
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of: Post rounds and fractions of rounds completed to comments. Medicine Ball Cleans...[wmv][mov] "My strong point, if I have a strong point, is performance. I always do more than I say. I always produce more than I promise." -Richard Nixon
Row 250 meters
Sumo deadlift highpull 95 pounds, 21 reps
Pull-ups 15 reps
Yesterday we played host to 50 area CrossFitters hailing from ours and three other Philly-area affiliates:
CrossFit Apex
CrossFit KOP
CrossFit Platoon Fitness
Individual and group WODs were held and everyone worked very, very hard. As usual, the spirit of friendly competition and camaraderie was evident across the gym floor. We have a TON of pictures, and you can find a small sampling here. Please check the Keystone Affiliate Challenge blog for more pictures throughout the week, as well as results for the workouts.
If you were a competitor, please leave your comments on the day in the blog. Thanks, and hope to see everyone again soon!
Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps
Post loads to comments.
Here's a quick profile on Helen White. Helen joined CFDV in December and has seen some big gains since she started (she's modest, trust me!). Enjoy!
I joined CrossFit in early December 2008. My connection is Mary Martin. I saw Mary in November and commented on how great she looked. I asked what she was doing and she told me a little about CrossFit.
I've been an active member of the Community YMCA for years and routinely worked out 5-6 days a week. Most of the work was cardio though I'd make lame attempts at strength training now and again. I've always struggled with my weight and have gained and lost, lost and gained the same 15-20 pounds over and over again. Essentially, I was working out to maintain my 15 pounds overweight!
This last summer was bad - I put on about 10 pounds. I was uncomfortable, my clothes didn't fit right and I just felt fat. As a woman in my 40's (OK, late 40's), it's more difficult to take weight off, especially in the stomach area. Though I continued with my routine at the Y, I was getting nowhere. Enter CrossFit.
I contacted Mary for more information about what she was doing and she put me in touch with Rob. We arranged an initial visit to CFDV where I thought I'd stop in, take a look around and maybe get a brochure or something. Next thing I know, Rob has me doing squats, pull ups, push ups and rowing. I wasn't sure who was more nuts - him or me! But, there was something about CFDV that intrigued me. I signed up for a 10 pack session to get a better feel for what it was all about.
I'm a casual athlete at best (bar league softball, bowling) and have really never had any intense type of training. The WOD's are challenging and, well, downright scary. I never thought I'd have the capacity to participate much less complete the work outs. The encouragement and competitive spirit of the CFDV community is awesome. I've not experienced anything like that before.
I came into CFDV with some specific weight loss goals and, in the short time I've been there, have started to see results. I've even seen some improvement in my abilities. One of the things I like about CFDV is the willingness to scale WOD's to an individuals ability. There's so much more satisfaction in completing a work out at a level you can, than being frustrated trying to do something you can't. The attention provided by the trainers at CFDV make the experience even better.
So far, the overall experience at CFDV has been fabulous. I look forward to learning more, increasing my abilities and achieving the weight loss I have in mind.
30 Muscle-ups for time
Post time to comments.
If you cannot do the muscle-ups do 120 pull-ups and 120 dips.
Anthony Viggiani- A good friend and great Marine.
It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. ~Author Unknown
"Kelly"
Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Box jump, 24 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
Post time to comments
L-hold (L-sit)...[wmv]
“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.” Tom Krause
Recent Comments