Fri. June 25

Strict "Dumb Fran"

21,15,9:

Dumbell Thrusters
Strict Pullups (No Kipping)
_________________________
*marksdailyapple.com
Testosterone

If you’ve been reading recently you know I’ve been on a hormone kick recently. That sexy looking molecule to the right and the hormone du jour: testosterone. Testosterone is the principal anabolic and sex hormone in humans, responsible for sexual desire and function, muscular hypertrophy, densification of bones, and hair growth. Compared to females, males famously produce about ten times the amount of testosterone, but females are far more sensitive to its effects. Though testosterone is largely responsible for those traits and characteristics that are considered “masculine” – physical strength, body hair, dominance, and virility – both sexes require it for proper sexual and physical development. In mammals, males secrete it primarily from the testicles (about 95% of the total amount, in fact) and women secrete it from the ovaries. A modicum is produced in the adrenal glands in both sexes.

Testosterone plays an important role throughout every stage of a person’s life:

Prenatally, testosterone – along with dihydrotestosterone, a more potent anabolic hormone – is partly responsible for the formation of the male genitalia. It helps determine gender identity (with society bringing up the rear later in life, of course) and it spurs development of the prostate and seminal vesicles.

In early infancy, boys’ testosterone levels rise, almost to puberty levels, only to plummet at 4-6 months. We’re still not entirely sure what the rise means and what all that testosterone is doing, but it’s definitely doing something. One theory is that the brain is being “masculinized.”

Immediately prior to puberty, testosterone begins to rise in both boys and girls. Childhood is departing, replaced by budding pubic hair, the beginnings of body odor, growth spurts, oily hair and skin, and that ridiculous peach fuzz above the lips that every eleven year-old male tries to cultivate and claim as facial hair. Bones mature and the arm pits grow hair.

During puberty, testosterone enjoys a massive increase. Most of you reading this probably recall those awkward, exciting change-filled times: new odors, inconvenient fluctuations in the functionality and appearance of certain organs, strange new outlooks on the opposite sex. Good times. Thanks, testosterone!

In adults, testosterone’s effects on growth and development have largely manifested and maintenance becomes its province. Libido is preserved for both men and women and erection strength and frequency are regulated by testosterone. Muscles resist wasting thanks to T (and even grow larger).

I would be remiss if I failed to mention testosterone’s chief antagonist: cortisol. Cortisol, as you know, is one of the stress, fight-or-flight hormones. It kept us alive and our wits about us under short-term life-or-death situations for much of our evolution. Unfortunately, when cortisol is constantly elevated – as it often is in the sleep-deprived and chronically-stressed – testosterone is muted. Cortisol is catabolic (breaks tissue down), while testosterone is anabolic. Excessive levels of cortisol produce insulin resistance, fat gain, and muscle wasting, while testosterone promotes muscular hypertrophy and lean mass gains. Cortisol contributes to metabolic syndrome, while testosterone helps alleviate it.

Ironically, serum testosterone status seems to predict the cortisol response of people faced with victory or defeat. High T men and women who “lost” released more cortisol, the stress hormone; when they “won,” less cortisol was released. Low T folks’ cortisol changes did not depend on winning or losing. I guess that’s a downside to high T levels, technically, but it’s to be expected. I’m reminded of the Jimmy Cliff classic, “The bigger they come, the harder they fall”.

Low serum concentrations of testosterone are also independently associated with higher mortality rates in men, even when you consider other risk factors and preexisting health conditions.

Testosterone is important in the formation of bones, as I mentioned earlier, but it’s also crucial for the maintenance of bone density, especially in the elderly.

Testosterone aids in protein synthesis, effectively helping rebuild muscle fibers with amino acids. It can preserve existing mass or build upon it, creating more.

So, testosterone is important, and even vital, if you want to build (and keep) strong bones and muscles, maintain a healthy, active sex life, and live long and well into old age – but how do we make sure we’re making enough?

In 1889, a Harvard University professor by the name of Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard injected himself with a “rejuvenating elixir” containing the extract of dog and guinea pig testicle, reporting increased vigor and feelings of well-being. Traditional Chinese herbalists would often prescribe dried tiger’s penis for impotence, and ancient Greek Olympians feasted on goat and lamb testicles to boost stamina and athletic performance. Clearly, even before testosterone was specifically identified, the ancients (and not-so-ancients) knew that the loins were involved in vigor, strength, and stamina.

Their (our) fixation on consumption of genitalia and genitalia extractions to correct deficiencies in strength, vigor, sexual stamina, and general “well-being” sounds intuitive, in a folksy, endearing sort of way. Does it make sense to eat bull testicles to restore one’s manhood and increase available testosterone?

Not really. Testosterone doesn’t pool up in one’s testicles. It’s not a static reservoir waiting in reserve to be disseminated throughout the body. It’s a hormone that the testicles (in men) and ovaries (in women) produce. That mouthful of fluid you got when biting into a roasted sheep’s testicle on your Greek vacation wasn’t pure, liquid testosterone – sorry. In order to get testosterone, you have to produce it (or inject it, but that’s an entirely different post) endogenously. And if you want to manipulate the amount of testosterone you have available, you can do it the same way you manipulate other hormones, like insulin, leptin, growth hormone, and cortisol. You tinker with your diet, your exercise, and your basic daily lifestyle.
Lift Heavy Things

Resistance training is a potent stimulant of testosterone production, so be sure to lift heavy things every now and again. If you want to tinker even further, messing around with rest intervals between sets can stimulate different hormonal responses. In one study, resting 90 seconds between squat and bench press sets boosted post-workout T levels the most, followed by rest periods of 120 seconds. Resting 60 seconds increased growth hormone the most and T the least.
Sprint

In young men, a short six-second bout of sprinting increased serum total testosterone levels. Levels remained elevated during recovery. Interestingly, testosterone was also correlated with lactate levels in the blood. It would be even more interesting to know if any training that causes lactate levels to rise would also increase testosterone.
Avoid Excessive Cortisol

Since cortisol antagonizes and reduces free testosterone levels, and stress promotes the release of cortisol, avoiding stress becomes crucial for maintaining or boosting T levels. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep, every night (which in and of itself increases testosterone levels). Avoid overtraining, especially in the Chronic Cardio arena, which may affect T levels and reproductive function. And be sure to take time to chill out and relax (read a book, go for a walk, play).
Get Sun, or Take Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D, already associated with bone and muscular strength, also positively correlates with testosterone levels in men. Back in February, the vitamin D/T link got a decent amount of media attention.
Eat Clean, Pastured Animal Products

Toxic substances called dioxins have been shown to interfere with the male reproductive system, including production of testosterone. While concentrated sources of dioxins include Agent Orange (which I’m sure you’re already avoiding), we obtain most of our dietary dioxins through conventionally-raised animal products, especially animal fats and dairy (dioxins accumulate in fat). If you’re going to be eating fatty cuts of meat or using dairy, try to go for pastured, grass-fed animals to reduce your exposure and lessen the negative impact on your testosterone levels.
Eat Saturated and Monounsaturated Fat

A low-fat, high-fiber diet reduced serum and free testosterone levels in middle-aged men. T usage wasn’t affected, but T production was reduced. Another look at male athletes found that both saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and cholesterol intakes were positively correlated with resting testosterone levels. PUFA intake was barely associated with increased levels.
Avoid Foods that Regularly Spike Your Blood Glucose Levels

Researchers found that 75 grams of pure glucose – and the resultant spike in blood sugar – was enough to drop testosterone levels by as much as 25% in a random grouping of healthy, prediabetic, and diabetic men. Now keep in mind how rapidly many SAD carb choices (pasta, cereal, bread, etc) convert to glucose upon digestion…
Get Adequate Zinc Intake

A zinc deficiency predicts lowered testosterone in men (eat your shellfish), but heroic supplementary doses of the mineral don’t boost T levels beyond normal in men with adequate dietary intake.

All in all, testosterone is an incredibly important hormone for health, longevity, and vitality – in both men and women. Leading a Primal life, free of excessive stress and peppered with smart, intense workouts, full of healthy animal fats and plenty of vitamin D, should be enough to promote adequate amounts of testosterone coursing through your veins. It may sound a bit redundant at times (advice: live Primal!), but what can you do when a common, uniting thread seems to run through almost every aspect of human health. It almost writes itself.

Thurs. June 24

Push Press
3-3-1-3

then

10 Min of Skill Work
Pick From:
Muscle Ups
Handstand Push Ups
Turkish Get-Ups

Wed. June 23

"Cindy"

20 Min AMRAP:
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Air Squats

Tues. June 22

Back Squat
5-3-1

then

10 Min AMRAP:
5 Burpees
5 Barbell Rollouts (this is similar to abwheel, rollout start kneeling with a straight torso, hips can not be up in the air, touch chest to floor then return to top)

Mon. June 21

Deadlift
3-3-3

then

5 RFT:
10 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
3 Deadlifts (at 80% of your 3RM)
__________________________

Nutritional Supplements: What are you 'supplementing?"

http://paleochix.com/?p=2095

Fri. June 18

Thruster
1-1-1-1-1

then

For 10 minutes, sprint 100 meters every minute, on the minute.

Distance is from the back door to the end of the building. Bring a stop watch so you can time yourself.

Thurs. June 17

Warm Up:
50 KB Swings

For Time:
Row 500m
50 Pull Ups
50 Wall Ball
50 Push Ups
50 K2E's

Wed. June 16

Warm Up:
25 Burpees

then

12 Min AMRAP:
5 Overhead Squats (95/65)
10 SDHP (95/65)
_________________________
marksdailyapple.com

Primal Preparations for the Post Apocalypse

With oil spreading across the surface of the ocean, the world economy teetering on a precipice, and the Real Housewives of New Jersey premiering on Bravo, it’s not a stretch to believe the end of times are coming. While several companies will sell you kits for the occasion, usually they amount to a four thousand dollar credit card bill and a truckload of rice and oats. Rice and oats are no good for the low-carber, or for anyone wishing to avoid the all-too-common emaciated look of apocalypse survival. Thus, to wind down the week with something a little light-hearted (and what’s more light-hearted than the end of the world as we know it), the Worker Bees have come up with a Primal-approved list of supplies to ease the transition through the fall of modern civilization. Be it global warming, the rapture, or a zombie outbreak, get ready to stock up your bomb shelters! (NOTE: Bomb shelters have been on the decline since the late 1950’s when scientists figured out that six inches of concrete won’t stop a twenty mile wave of cell-melting nuclear radiation. If you have no bomb shelter, a basement will suffice).

First a few non-potables, the most important being…

1. Friends. More important than food. More important than weapons. If there’s one thing evolution, ancient history, and modern horror movies have taught us, people survive in groups. Unlike the blood-thirsty mutants surrounding your village, you don’t have eyes in the back of your head. Having friends to watch your back, to take the night watch, to drag you to safety and to pull out the bullet, is the one thing you really can’t live without. And no fair-weather friends. Golfing buddies, “frenemies,” and people who poke you on Facebook don’t count. You need people in your Dunbar’s circle. The type of friends who would risk life and limb to preserve your spot in line at the premier of Sex and the City 2. The type of friends who would forgive you for farting in a closed elevator. Humans have a capacity to attain roughly one hundred fifty such close friends, and while you may not need all hundred fifty, it’s good to have at least five. Friends won’t store well in a basement, but you’ll want to keep a fresh supply within a twenty mile radius.

2. A Dog. Basically a small, fast friend with a good sense of smell. Dogs will alert you of approaching lycanthropes, and if the situation is dire, a dog makes for a quick protein-filled emergency meal.

3. Knives: steak, butcher, bowie, and spork. Knives are the weapon of choice for the Hell-World survivalist. Much preferable to guns, a knife will never run out of bullets. Whether separating a homunculus from its limbs or carving a wooden doll for the creepy little clairvoyant girl, knives get the job done. The spork has been included for eating efficiency and style. It’s a modern culinary blasphemy that fine cutlery may include fourteen various sizes and shapes of utensil, and yet not one spork.

4. A Vacuum Sealer. Oxygen is the enemy of longevity. Whether fruit, meat, or the remains of a favorite cat, the less air it touches, the longer it’s going to last. While most modern vacuum sealers are powered, you’ll want to find a non-electric sealer for the low-tech times to come.

5. Emergency Kit. Most kits include a variety of bandages, tweezers, ibuprofen, matches, and flares. Flares aren’t really useful so much as aesthetically impressive when fighting crime underwater, measuring how a deep a cave goes, or distracting dinosaurs at Jurassic Park. By the way, if your post apocalypse is overrun with dinosaurs, you might as well kiss yourself goodbye.
The Grocery List

Toss the kids into the Voyager and bring along a hand truck, because it’s time to hit Costco! The key words are “calorically dense.” The more calories per cubic inch of food, the better. And now, the list of approved foods…

1. Water. You may be able to survive a month after the food runs out, but you’ll be dead in three days without water. While eight glasses a day isn’t necessary, a quart of water a day works as a rule of thumb. That comes out to roughly 100 gallons of water a year. And don’t you dare buy Dasani. Aside from the environmental footprint of wasted plastic bottles, and the fact that you’d be lining the wallets of Coca-Cola executives, purchasing 100 gallons worth of 20oz water bottles would require a second mortgage. The best option is to buy a couple 50 gallon plastic drums and fill them with good old tap. And make sure to get the air-tight barrels. As the old saying goes, “An unkempt water drum makes for a hotbed of mosquitoes… and/or a sentient face eating slime monster.”

2. Sardines. Loaded with omega 3s, an amazing source of fat and protein, you want the ones in olive oil, not in water. Sardines should compromise the base of your daily diet. They can be mashed into a salad, eaten raw, or even cooked in a soup. Anchovies and canned tuna (again, in oil, not water) also work.

3. Jerky: Beef, Salmon, Venison, Quail, Turkey, Aardvark, basically any meat you can dry out. DIY Jerky is the best route, though it may only last six months if you don’t vacuum seal it. If you choose store-bought jerky, go for dry, unflavored, or peppered jerky. Avoid “Teriyaki” and similar flavors as they typically contain unnecessary quantities of HFCS. And remember, a SlimJim is not jerky, it’s mechanically separated chicken parts mixed in a corn oil emulsion.

4. Pemmican. Pemmican is Eskimo for “meat wad.” Learn how to make your own as a travel snack for the long days spent on the tundras of a world climate-changed to an endless Winnipeg.

5. Canned Fruits and Vegetables. While canned goods last for decades, fruits and veggies are a luxury considering the relatively low macronutrient density. If a pickle only has eight calories, you’d need an Ark full of pickles to survive for a year. Pick nutrient dense canned goods; spinach, tomatoes, pumpkin, and pineapple are fine choices. Avoid fruits canned in syrup, canned corn (not a vegetable), and canned asparagus, which is just plain nasty.

6. Nuts. Nuts won’t keep as long as canned goods, though nut butters can stay edible for more than a year. A large jar of almond butter may contain over 3000 calories.

7. Coconut Milk/Cream. In the calorie-dense department, this stuff really takes the cake. At 700 calories a can, it’ll keep you energized for days. And because so many people have sent in emails on the subject… no, coconut milk is not a dairy product; and no, you cannot milk a coconut by squeezing its teats. Coconuts have no teats.

8. Olives. Canned olives don’t have the zing of fresh Kalamata olives, but they still contain healthy fat, and they go well with the piles of sardines and anchovies you just purchased. A hundred cans will do.

9. Vodka. It’s not strictly Primal, but it disinfects, it’s flammable, it can be traded for goods, and you just bought a hundred cans of olives, so why not mix a few martinis?

10. Vitamins. Scurvy is not fun. Not even for pirates. Goiters aren’t very pleasant either. Jaundice. No. Not fun.

11. Herbs, Spices, Salt, Tabasco. Herbs are cheap, and while they will go stale after about 18 months, a little fennel can go long way for flavor. Considering the massive amounts of coconut milk you’ll be consuming, investing in a heavy supply of curry powder is also suggested. And Tabasco is included on the list because, frankly, a world without Tabasco is its own Hell on Earth.

12. Sugary Drinks and Sodas. Whatever version of doomed future you may be living through, there are bound to be a few self-aware robots vying for world domination. And whether the robots disguise themselves as former Austrian body builders or colorful 18 wheelers, you can bet they’ll be bullet proof. Enter soda. As anyone who has ever owned a laptop or blackberry will attest, no electronic device can survive a direct spill from a can of sugary soda. If the machine’s wires don’t short circuit immediately, it’s only a matter of time before nearby ants creep in to suck at the corn syrup laden innards of a mean robot who will most certainly not “be back”.

13. Ant Farm. Ants are a great source of protein. Or you can unleash them on a Coke-soaked terminator.

14. Cheetos. The orange coating on Cheetos permanently bonds to many surfaces, perfect for marking trails, unsafe buildings, or members of the group infected with mind-control parasites.

15. Quaker Low Fat Rice Cakes. Though scientifically proven to be inedible, Quaker low fat rice cakes do have many of the same properties as Styrofoam. Soaked in gasoline for a week, they work as a kind of poor man’s napalm, a great defense against hordes of wayward bikers and rapscallions.

As useful as this grocery list may be, it is only a temporary fix. The average person may eat close to a million calories a year. Most people don’t have enough basement or money for an extra year’s worth of groceries. Or a decade’s worth. Stocking up for a lifetime is impossible, but stocking up for the time it takes you do adapt – to re-adapt - to a primitive hunter-gatherer lifestyle is possible. In the future, money will be worthless. Good looks won’t get you by if the zombie only wants you for your brains. Only healthy, Primal lifestyle habits will carry a person through the hardest times.

No one ever said living through the fall of man would be easy. But in the mean time, with a little know how, the right tools, a basement full of calorie dense, fatty foods, and a few good friends, you’ll have everything you need to make your living nightmare a dream come true.

Thanks for reading, everyone. If you found this article highly informative and took it very seriously you might like these, too. Enjoy!

Tues. June 15

Warm Up:
Row 500m

then

21,15,9:
Pull Ups
ABMAT
Handstand Push Ups
_________________________
Alone in the Wild -- With a Gun

http://liveprimal.com/2009/09/alone-in-the-wild-with-a-gun/

Mon. June 14

Warm Up:
25 Air Squats
25 Push Ups
25 Sit Ups

WOD:
3 Min AMRAP
Deadlift (135/95), Must show open fingers on each hand at the bottom of each deadlift to prevent bouncing
rest 1 min
3 Min AMRAP
Thrusters (135/95)
rest 1 min
3 Min AMRAP
Power Cleans (135/95)

Total Reps for Score

*This is the first WOD from last year's Oktoberfest. Click the link on the right of the blog to watch the video.

Fri. June 11

Warm Up:
3 Min Jumprope

Power Cleans
1-1-1-1-1

then

Death By Power Cleans (135/95)
Do 1 Power Clean the first minute, 2 the second, 3 the third... Until you can no longer complete the amount of power cleans that corresponds to the minute.

Thurs. June 10

Warm Up:
30 Jumping Air Squats

Front Squat
3-3-3-3-3

then

7 Min AMRAP:

20 Box Jumps
20 Push Ups

Wed. June 9

Warm Up:
50 Med Ball Deadlifts

Deadlift
1-1-1-1-1

then

3 Min AMRAP:
KB Swings (53/35)
__________________________
marksdailyapple.com

How to Quit Grains

Yes, they’re inextricably woven into nearly every aspect of our society. Dietary staple, cultural icon, sentimental fodder, patriotic symbol: it’s impossible to get away from them. However, just because they’re ubiquitous in our social environment doesn’t mean they deserve a place on your dinner plate. You know the multitude of reasons to quit grains. How about some strategies for kicking them to the curb?

As much as I condone, cajole and attempt to convince people to give up grains for the sake of their health, I’m not oblivious to the fact that dumping grains can be a tough and sometimes lonely slog. It’s not just the cultural thing either. For most people, physiological and habitual forces are the most demanding aspects. You’ve likely hard the term “carboholic” (used mostly in magazines and Oprah confessions for humorous, normalizing purposes), but there’s genuine truth there. Although I’m not equating the ravages of alcoholism and drug addiction with carb cravings, hard science has something to say about the physiological compulsion associated with dietary sugar and carbs (PDF).

Understanding the physical and mental impulse shouldn’t set the stage for making excuses (i.e. the carboholic joke). Though it can take some forethought and commitment, giving up grains is wholly, entirely possible and crucial to both your short-term vitality and long-term health. Ready to jump? Let’s go.
1. Study up and load up (on non-grain delicacies).

Cookbooks (I can suggest a fantastic one, actually), MDA recipes, and countless other sources can prove to you once and for all that there is life after bread. Get thee to the grocery store and stock up on the best, most appetizing Primal goodies you can find. Plan those first weeks out of the Primal starting gate to be as luxuriously delectable and indulgent as your imagination allows.
2. Know what to expect.

As immense as the rewards are, there are issues to contend with. Initially, there may be the carb cravings (usually less dramatic if you’ve already been cutting down for some weeks) and the infamous “low carb flu.” Read up on these and check out other Grokkers’ experiences. It will help you put these passing symptoms in perspective. Beyond the first few weeks, there are more “big picture” issues to address. Because we live in the culinary culture we do, cutting out grains can mean more than changing your lunch. Family barbeques and holiday menus will need tweaking. Maybe you’ll need a script for annoying family members’ digs. Once you’ve made the transition and are enjoying the advantages, I’ll bet you won’t be complaining, however….
3. Get the rest of your physiological house in order.

Think twice about undertaking this if you’re constantly burning the midnight oil, getting no exercise, and your stress level is spiraling out of control. These aren’t the best circumstances to bring to carb withdrawal. Now, this isn’t to say your life has to be perfectly ordered and stable in order for you to be successful giving up grains. Adopting a healthier diet that allows for more stable energy throughout the day can actually help you tame the other pressures in your life. Nonetheless, you’ll likely have an easier time giving up grains if you can go at the endeavor with a little more sleep and a little more emotional focus. If life is too crazy to be contained at the moment, just take it slowly.
4. Plan the logistics.

When you’re rushing out the door in the morning, kids arguing, papers flying and blood pressure rising, you’re not exactly primed to make the most rational choices. Lay out your full day’s menu. Keep Primal foods at the forefront of your cabinets. Make shopping lists and Primal backup alternatives in case you forget to take the meat out of the freezer. Anticipate the stumbling blocks (e.g. party cake at the office or the kids’ playdate) and have something Primal on hand (not a Special K shake).

If you live with grain eaters, divide cabinet spaces and come up with a plan ahead of time. Will you be making meals for them? Work out the details and come to agreements. Keeping the peace will help you stay on track.
5. Make your motivation manifest.

Have a motivation board or journal you turn to. When you’re pining after that coffee cake you’re your mother-in-law brought over, it can both remind you why you’re doing this and how far you’ve already come. (Then throw it away after she leaves.) Use whatever language or imagery speaks to you. A former Marine friend had some interesting phrasing to keep himself on the path – some of the most colorful profanity I’ve ever seen on Post-Its all over his house. No judging here. Whatever works!

6. Do it your way. Take it slowly or go cold turkey.

Although going gradually might help some people, others prefer to pull the band-aid quickly and definitely. Don’t apologize or second guess your intuition. You know how you operate. Eliminate one grain at a time or banish all grains at the outset: the end result is the same.
7. Positive Self Talk

Sit down in front of a mirror periodically and tell yourself you’re “good enough, smart enough and doggone….” Humor goes a long way, folks.
8. Join a support group.

No foolin’ here. In fact, I’d most highly recommend our charming group here. Have you visited the forum? I never cease to be impressed by the good will and good sense offered amongst fellow Grokkers. Make use of their experience. Learn from them. Turn to them. By all means, read the posts, but be a part of the community as well. A kind or encouraging response can make all the difference on a bad day. Besides, they know where to get the grain patch.
9. Pamper yourself.

If there was ever a time to indulge yourself a little, make it these early weeks. Beyond eating well, plan a light and enjoyable week for yourself. Spa visit? Hike in the park? Great Primal dinner to celebrate your new endeavor with friends? Whatever you’ve been waiting to do, do it.
10. Have patience with yourself (and the process).

If you fall off the horse, just dust your butt off and get back on. No sulking, no self-deprecating. Accept it as a temporary divergence and just do the next right thing for yourself. Then go kick an ear of sweet corn around the yard.

Tues. June 8

Press (Strict Shoulder Press, No Hip Pop)
3-3-3-3-3

then

4 RFT:
10 Push Press (95/65)
10 Pull Ups

Mon. June 7

STRENGTH WEEK!!!

We will be focusing on top end limit strength this week. The WODs will be comprised of a strength movement, and you will attempt to find your max lift weight on that given movement. Rep schemes will be 5-5-5-5-5 (5 by 5), 3-3-3-3-3 (3 by 5), or 1-1-1-1-1 (1 by 5). The plan is to find either your 5,3, or 1 rep max, and you will have five attempts to do so.

This is not an opportunity to take it easy. You should place as much effort into those lifts as you would... say... Cindy. Or Fran. If you're not sweating and breathing hard, you went too light and easy.

If you've never attempted some of these lifts heavy, or if you're new, we'll work with you on technique first. Go heavy or go home! Enjoy.

Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5

then

Max Air Squats in 3 Minutes (use a ball and touch every rep, extend hips fully at the top.

Sat. June 5

Teams of 3, one person woks at a time:

Carry all 3 45# plates from start to each station,
1st Station, 100 Double Unders, 200 Single Unders,
2nd Station, 100 Burpees,
3rd Station Run One Building Lap,
Repeat in Reverse.

*All 3 plates must reach each station before work can begin. Team must finish completely before WOD is over.

Fri. June 4

21,15,9 of:

Med Ball Cleans/Ball Slams
Lateral Burpees

Thurs. June 3

4 Deadlifts (155/115)
40 Air Squats
6 Deadlifts
30 Air Squats
8 Deadlifts
20 Air Squats
10 Deadlifts
10 Air Squats
________________________
SB:
Front Squats
5-4-3-2-1
Press
3-3-3-3-3

Wed. June 2

4 RFT:

4 Laps, Waiter's Walk (53/35) around Mezzanine
8 Wall Walks (intermediate), Wall Walk w/Handstand Push Up (Advanced)
12 SDHP (53/35)
14 Box Jumps
___________________________
marksdailyapple.com

Deconstructing Vitamin D

Before phototropic plants began bending toward sunlight, before jellyfish developed ocelli, the light-sensing organs that allow them to distinguish between up (sunlight) and down, before the bikini-clad beach denizens began tanning en masse, and before the first house cat followed the sliver of sunlight around the room all afternoon, our primitive, microscopic marine forebears were flourishing by converting the sun’s energy into chemical energy usable by biological life. You’re probably aware of photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae, and other organisms do it and produce byproducts like oxygen, but even the unicellular archaea that do not produce oxygen utilize sunlight for energy. And if you aren’t obtaining energy directly from the sun, you’re probably eating the organisms that do. Either way, sunlight directly or indirectly supports all life (well, except for the chemoautotrophs living in deep sea hydrothermal vents feeding off of inorganic energy sources like iron, ammonia, or sulfur).

Humans don’t directly consume sunlight, though. We aren’t breatharians or walking, talking photosynthesizers. Sunlight might feel good and it might brighten up our moods, but we don’t consume it for metabolic sustenance. It does, however, provide the raw material for the 7- dehydrocholesterol in our skin to manufacture the ever-important vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol.

For some organisms, like the naked mole rat with its natural, “preferred” vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D is unimportant. But for most, including man, vitamin D is vital. You might even say it’s the most important vitamin of all. It’s not really even a vitamin, in fact; it’s a secesteroid, a hormonal precursor that closely resembles steroids like cortisol, testosterone, and cholesterol. Most vitamins are exogenous and stem from outside sources. Vitamin D is a different sort of “vitamin.” We mammals make it in-house.

Vitamin D is essential to us. As an equatorial people, we homo sapiens all spent well over half our collective development time bathed in tropical sun, almost year-round. Those of us who flitted off to the South Pacific and other equatorial regions got plenty of the stuff, too. Northerners even developed fair skin with less melanin, which maximized their ability to produce vitamin D from less sunlight. We’ve clearly evolved with the availability of sunlight – and therefore vitamin D3 – as a central stressor to our development.

As you know, the Primal Blueprint is about looking for that perfect storm of evolutionary concordance and modern scientific confirmation. I try to find the eye of the storm and stay there. When it moves, I move with it.

To evaluate whether a food or nutrient or behavior is suitable or not, I:

1. Check out the anthropological records. I look at the historical legacy and ask some questions. Is there evolutionary precedent? Did our ancestors have regular, spotty, or zero access? Clearly, we did, having spent the bulk of our evolution on the equator with regular access to sunlight.
2. Check out the current science and ask more questions. What does the epidemiology show? Are there any randomized controlled trials on the subject? Were they animal studies or human? There is quite a bit of data. Here’s a small taste, and I’ll address more of it tomorrow.

Vitamin D checks out on all levels. We’re not just talking about some exogenous substance which our ancestors may have occasionally come across and which may confer benefits, like bone marrow or polyphenols. This is vitamin D, the active form of which – called calcitriol – is produced in our livers in response to cholecalciferol derived from UV-B radiation. That’s sunlight, a resource readily available to our equatorial ancestors, the importance of which is indicated by the presence of naturally-occurring vitamin D receptors in the body’s cells.

Our bodies clearly consider it essential, but why? What does it do?

* It regulates the levels of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream, and it promotes the mineralization and growth of bones, working together with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin K2. Severe deficiency can cause rickets.
* It plays a massive role in the immune response, activating and “arming” the killer T-cells for defense against infections and bacteria.
* It modulates the expression of genes that regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, suggesting a potential role in cancer incidence. Epidemiology suggests links between vitamin D deficiency and most cancers, including breast, colorectal, and pretty much all the big ones.
* It reduces systemic, chronic inflammation.

For something as readily available on any given sunny day, it’s also, surprisingly, in short supply these days. We’re told to avoid the sun at all costs or, if we absolutely must venture out into the light, to apply a layer of sunscreen so thick and physically impregnable that an equal amount of something as inert as lite mayo would be just as effective. Between office jobs without a view, window panes that allow UV-A but not UV-B rays, fleshy embarrassed physiques that never see the light, chubby kids who wear t-shirts to go swimming, and even widespread burqa usage in certain regions, humans just aren’t giving their skin enough opportunities to create vitamin D3. And if it’s an essentiality, it’s probably best to provide your body plenty of opportunities to make (or consume) it.

But what’s the best way? Sun? Supplements? Diet?

Tues. June 1

15 Min AMRAP:

5 Burpees
10 Overhead Squats (95/65)
15 ABMAT
__________________________
SB:
Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5
Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3
__________________________
Cucumber Citrus Cubes
http://paleotron.blogspot.com/2010/05/cucumber-citrus-cubes.html

Fri. May 28

10 RFT:

10 KB Cleans (5 each arm)
10 Thrusters (45)
_________________________

We will be closed Saturday and Next Monday for Memorial Day Weekend. See you on Tuesday, June 1.

Thurs. May 27

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 of:

Burpees
Pull Ups
_________________________
Nutrition 101: The Basics That Will Keep You Healthy

http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/06/04/nutrition-101-the-one-rule-to-remember/

Wed. May 26

Run 530m (1 Bldg. Lap)
50 Box Jumps
50 Wall Ball
50 Lunges (each leg)
Row 500m
_________________________
SB:
Front Squat
5-5-3-3-1
Press
5-5-3-3-1

Tues. May 25

30,25,20,15,10,5 of:

Deadlift (135/95)
KB Swings (53/35)
_________________________
marksdailyapple.com

How to Maintain Shoulder Mobility and Scapular Stability

More than perhaps any other joint in our bodies, the shoulders demand close and careful attention. We use them on a daily basis and they travel a wide-ranging path; it’s in our best interest to assure that the path is the one of least resistance.

The tricky thing about maintaining good shoulder function is that it doesn’t just require strong deltoids or big traps. Those are important for moving big weight and being strong enough to handle anything life throws at you, but real shoulder function – pain-free, unimpeded shoulder function – depends on certain supporting muscles and joints of which most people are simply unaware. I mean, did you realize just how integral the scapular are? And because the shoulders’ function seems relatively straightforward and because we can work out for years without lending serious thought to how our joints move and work, now’s the time to start thinking about proper joint function before it’s too late.

What I’m trying to say is this: you may be neglecting your shoulders and putting them at risk, even if you focus on only the classic multi-joint, compound exercises, like overhead presses and pull-ups, and even if you’re using good form. It’s difficult to admit this to ourselves, but doing the right things the right way may not be enough if we’ve lived regular lives hunched over keyboards, sitting in chairs, wearing shoes, and emulating incorrect posture (masquerading as good posture). Modern nutrition and fitness advice, coupled with the mundane realities of everyday life (chairs, shoes, eight hour workdays, etc) (unwittingly) has the effect of undoing millions of years of evolutionary pressures. It’s true that we’re born with predispositions – toward certain foods, movement patterns, joint articulations – but a few dozen years of doing precisely the opposite sets us on a different path. Deviating from that path is difficult, but it must be done.

I’m of the opinion that everyone should be doing shoulder mobility and stability work, even if you’re otherwise totally healthy and pain-free. Shoulder issues have the nasty tendency to develop gradually due to a deficiency. They don’t always happen immediately (unless we’re talking acute trauma like dislocations or sudden tears); as you read this, shoulder pain could be welling up beneath the surface, growing strength and gearing up to burst through and manifest as a conscious debilitating sidelining injury. Get on the prehab now, not after it happens. You know how it goes: better safe than sorry, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and any other bit of folk wisdom elevating careful prudence and preparedness over convenient short sightedness. And if you’re suffering from shoulder pain or poor mobility and stability, by all means, get on the rehab!
Self-evaluation

First, evaluate yourself. Stand up straight and relaxed – just assume your normal stance and posture. Grab two long, straight items to hold in each hand. Pencils, pens, rulers, sticks will all work. It’s got to be straight is all. Hold them in your fists and let your hands drop by your sides. Again, relax.

Your items should be pointing straight ahead. They should form an angle perpendicular to your body. If they’re angling inward, your shoulders are slumping forward, and you probably need to work on your scapular retraction.

Next, raise both arms as if you were waving goodbye. Your hands should be about ear height, and your elbow should be bent around 90 degrees. Maintaining that arm position, push your arms and elbows back by retracting your scapula. Ideally, both arms should go back equal distances. If one arm lags behind, you probably need extra work on that side.

I’m going to do drill recommendations a little differently than I have in past mobility posts. Before, I listed various exercises one could do to help with joint mobility, but there exists a totally free, public domain shoulder rehab program that gets rave reviews from pretty much everyone: the Diesel Crew Shoulder Rehab Protocol (Video).

This is the essential program for anyone currently suffering from, worrying about, or speculating on the development of shoulder issues. It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s all laid out for the user. It follows a seven day schedule. If you’re injured and taking time off, do what you can without causing pain. If you’re otherwise healthy and looking to shore up your shoulders, do the drills after your workouts. Once your shoulders are feeling better, don’t stop the drills altogether. Keep doing them, perhaps on a truncated schedule, but make sure you maintain your shoulder health.

Of course, not everyone requires the DC protocol. I would advise everyone to at least sample the routine, and even go through the full seven day cycle once in awhile to keep things fresh and fluid. I do like some other shoulder drills. The DC protocol can be a bit time-consuming, and I’m pretty pleased with my shoulder function, so I’m okay with basic maintenance. A few good ones:
Basic Maintenance Drills
Scapular Wall Slides (Video)

Stand with your back to the wall and your feet about eight inches away from it. Lean back into the wall and maintain contact between the wall and your head, hips, and back. With your hands over your head, press your forearms against the wall, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slide your arms up the wall. Maintain contact the entire time.
Scapular Push-Ups (Video)

Get in the “up” push-up position: straight arms, tight core, straight legs. Retract your scapula, then protract it. (Tighten your shoulder blades, then spread them apart.) Keep your arms straight the whole time. Range of motion will be extremely short in this exercise.
Shoulder Dislocates (Video)

Using a flexible band, a broomstick, a piece of rope, a ribbon, a sedate pet snake, or even a dog leash, hold both ends with straight, locked arms. Starting at your hips, bring the band (or whatever you’re using) behind your head until you reach your hips on the other side while keeping those arms straight. At this point, you can go back the way you came, but I find going forward hurts the shoulders, so I just bring it back over with bent arms and go backwards again with straight arms. Your choice. Just avoid pain. Do shoulder dislocates as part of a rehab program or as a dynamic warm-up to loosen up your shoulders.
Tips for Avoiding Shoulder Issues
Scapular Retraction During Bench Press

This is essential. You’ve got to create the shelf when you press. Tighten your shoulder blades, have a buddy help lift the bar off the supports, and maintain the tight shoulder blades for the duration of the set. Too many people neglect this essential portion of the bench press. It helps to arch your lower back a bit (which is why you see the experts arching during the bench).
Scapular Retraction During Rows

Same goes for rows. If you’re doing bent over barbell rows, keep your scapular retraction going during both the concentric and eccentric motions of the lift. Everyone retracts the scapula during the concentric portion, but most protract the scapula at the end of the eccentric. Don’t. Instead, maintain those tight shoulder blades at the bottom. Straighten your arms, but do not let your shoulder blades drift forward, too.
Avoid the Wrong Types of Movements

Avoid upright rows. They are almost universally bad for your rotator cuffs, and they don’t work anything you can’t reach with better lifts. Besides, hoisting heavy weights up to your shoulders while standing by using just your upper body is ridiculous and inefficient; the hips are far better at propelling weights up to the clean position.

Another common mistake is doing lateral raises with your arms directly at the sides. I doubt most of us are even doing lateral raises (I find them unnecessary, but bodybuilding types will find them useful). This is unnatural and can pinch your rotator cuff. Instead, move your arms forward about 30 degrees and lift them that way.

You might also avoid the bench press altogether if you can’t seem to avoid shoulder pain. You could do floor presses or weighted push-ups instead.
Avoid Pain

Soreness is okay. Pain is not. Avoid the movements that cause pain in your shoulders.

Oh, and you’ll want to maintain good thoracic mobility, too.

Mon. May 24

21,15,9:

Push Press (115/85)
Rind Dips
Push Ups
_________________________
SB:

Back Squat
5-5-3-1
Deadlift
5-5-3-1

then

50 Push Ups
50 Air Squats

Fri. May 21

4 RFT:

18 Front Squat (95/65)
15 Box Jumps
12 Thrusters (95/65)
9 Knees to Elbows

Thurs. May 20

20 Min AMRAP:

10 Push Ups
10 Pull Ups
10 Jumping Air Squats
_________________________
8 Ways to Stay Motivated

http://paleotron.blogspot.com/2010/05/8-ways-to-stay-motivated.html

Wed. May 19

"Grace"
30 Clean and Jerk (135/95)
for time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvOVNJOrQRs
__________________________

SB:

Front Squat
3-3-3
3 Sets of 10 @ 50% of 3RM
Press
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

then

50 Pullups for time

Tues. May 18

40 SDHP (53/35)
40 Press (65/45)
Run 1 Mile (2 lot laps)
40 Press
40 SDHP
_________________________
marksdailyapple.com
How to Improve Wrist and Ankle Mobility

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-improve-wrist-and-ankle-mobility/

Mon. May 17

Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

then

7 Min AMRAP:

6 KB Swings (heavier than your normal heavy bell)
9 Push Ups
12 Air Squats
__________________________
SB:

Deadlift
3-3-3
then
1-10-1-20 (go for 1 RM, then perform 10 reps at 80% of 1 RM, followed by another 1 RM, which will be less than previous 1 RM, then perform 20 reps at 70%)
Back Squat
5-5-5, 3 sets of 10 at 75% of 5 RM
__________________________
How to Get Stronger
By: Tony Schwartz

http://www.athleticmusclebuilding.com/how-to-get-stronger.html

Sat. May 15

5 RFT:
40 Doubleunders
20 GHD Sit Ups or 40 ABMAT
10 Handstand Push Ups

Fri. May 14

OPEN GYM!

Come in and work on any lifts, gymnastics, or weak points you want.

__________________________________
marksdailyapple.com

8 Signs You Are Overtraining

When you spend some time among the ever-growing circle of evolutionary-based health writers, thinkers, bloggers, and doctors, you notice a curious thing happening. Conventional Wisdom is becoming turned on its head. Saturated fat is generally healthy and excessive endurance training is generally unhealthy become the presiding narratives. Grains are either unnecessary or have the tendency to attack the gut lining, even guts with “clinically undetectable levels of sensitivity.” You don’t need six square meals a day to keep your metabolism up and running, after all; one or two a day will do just fine.

Less is more – as far as exercise goes – is becoming another accepted truth, especially when you understand that 80% of your body composition is determined by how you eat.

If you dial the diet in (Primal Blueprint, of course), you just don’t need to “burn off” tons of excess calories with a lot of hard work. Yet many people are still tied to that assumption and ride that fine line between training enough to maximize strength and unnecessarily reaching too far. Overtraining is a very real danger for those engaged in physical culture. In fact, while the majority of this country (and of many others) suffers from a massive physical activity deficit, a sizeable portion of my readers faces the opposite danger. Understanding exactly how much to exercise can be tricky. No activity is worse than some, while too much may be worse than none at all. The ideal lies somewhere in between – though not necessarily in the middle, but rather smack dab in the “just enough” section. Can “just enough” be quantified? Perhaps it could be quantified using a battery of round-the-clock tests and measurements of anabolic and catabolic hormones, various serum concentrations, lactate build-up, cortisol:testosterone ratios, etc, but that would be expensive, unwieldy, and completely individualized. These types of objective measurements, ironically, would be more subjective than anything else; you couldn’t accurately extrapolate an overtraining threshold for the entire population from a single trainee’s results.

People are unique. Sure, nutritional requirements for human physiology adhere to a set of overarching principles, yet a single, universally specific macronutrient profile cannot be nailed down for all humans. In the end, each of us must craft his or her own identity, plan, regimen, and discover his or her own weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and sensitivities. In short, we must each become our own test subject (as well as astute observer) if we wish to optimize our health and our fitness. The concept of overtraining is similar. There’s a clinical definition – a state of chronic fatigue, depression, and underperformance that persists despite rest – and there’s a more general, working definition – a basic imbalance between work and recovery. Overtraining can also be highly personal and goal-dependent. Overtraining might describe anytime your training is working against you, and where adding more of it makes the problem worse. If you want to avoid overtraining, there are some grand, overarching principles to follow, but you’ll also want to pay attention to certain personal, entirely subjective cues.

What follows is my basic list of signs that indicate you may be overtraining. Some are objective measures, while others derive from my own personal experiences with overtraining. There are overlaps, and I’ve probably missed more than a few, but I’m confident what’s listed will be invaluable to anyone who trains, and trains hard.
1. You repeatedly fail to complete your normal workout.

I’m not talking about normal failure. Some people train to failure as a rule, and that’s fine. I’m talking failure to lift the weights you usually lift, run the hill sprints you usually run, and complete the hike you normally complete. Regression. If you’re actively getting weaker, slower, and your stamina is deteriorating despite regular exercise, you’re probably training too much. Note, though, that this isn’t the same as deloading. Pushing yourself to higher weights and failing at those is a normal part of progression, but if you’re unable to lift weights that you formerly handled with relative ease, you may be overtrained.
2. You’re losing leanness despite increased exercise.

If losing fat was as easy as burning calories by increasing work output, overtraining would never result in fat gain – but that isn’t the case. It’s about the hormones. Sometimes, working out too much can actually cause muscle wasting and fat deposition. You’re “burning calories,” probably more than ever before, but it’s predominantly glucose/glycogen and precious muscle tissue. Net effect: you’re getting less lean. The hormonal balance has been tipped. You’ve been overtraining, and the all-important testosterone:cortisol ratio is lopsided. Generally speaking, a positive T:C ratio means more muscle and less fat, while a negative ratio means you’re either training too much, sleeping too little, or some combination of the two. Either way, too much cortisol will increase insulin resistance and fat deposition, especially around the midsection. Have you been working out like a madman only to see your definition decrease? You’re probably overtraining.
3. You’re lifting/sprinting/HIITing hard every single day.

The odd genetic freak could conceivably lift heavy, sprint fast, and engage in metabolic conditioning nearly every day of the week and adequately recover, without suffering ill effects. Chances are, however, you are not a genetic freak with Wolverine’s healing factor. Most people who maintain such a hectic physical schedule will not recover (especially if they have a family and/or a job). Performance will suffer, health will deteriorate, and everything they’ve worked to achieve will be compromised. Many professional athletes can practice for hours a day every day and see incredible results (especially if they are using performance enhancing substances), but you’re not a professional, are you?
4. You’re primarily an anaerobic/power/explosive/strength athlete, and you feel restless, excitable, and unable to sleep in your down time.

When a sprinter or a power athlete overtrains, the sympathetic nervous system dominates. Symptoms include hyperexcitability, restlessness, and an inability to focus (especially on athletic performance), even while at rest or on your off day. Sleep is generally disturbed in sympathetic-dominant overtrained athletes, recovery slows, and the resting heart rate remains elevated. Simply put, the body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by heightening the sympathetic stress system’s activity levels. Most PBers who overtrain will see their sympathetic nervous system afflicted, simply because they lean toward the high-intensity, power, strength side.
5. You’re primarily an endurance athlete, and you feel overly fatigued, sluggish, and useless.

Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic overtraining; too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining, which is characterized by decreased testosterone levels, increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat. While I tend to advise against any appreciable amount of endurance training, chronic fatigue remains an issue worthy of repeating. Being fit enough to run ten miles doesn’t mean that you now have to do it every day.
6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt.

I’m unaware of any clinical tests that can identify overuse injuries specifically caused by overtraining, but don’t you think that pain in your knee might be an indication that you should reassess how you exercise that knee? In the lifts, limb pain can either be DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) or it can indicate poor technique or improper form; DOMS is a natural response that should go away in a day or two, while poor form is more serious and can be linked to overuse or overtraining. With regard to endurance training, if you creak, you wince at every step, and you dread staircases, it may be that you’ve run too far or too hard for too long. The danger here is that your daily endorphin high has over-ridden your natural pain receptors. You should probably listen to them more acutely. I tuned them out for longer than I should have and it cost me my career as a marathoner (so I got that going for me, which is nice).
7. You’re suddenly falling ill a lot more often.

Many things can compromise your immune system. Dietary changes (especially increased sugar intake), lack of Vitamin D/sunlight, poor sleep habits, mental stress are all usual suspects, but what if those are all locked in and stable? What if you’re eating right, getting plenty of sun, and enjoying a regular eight hours of solid sleep each night, but you find yourself getting sick? Nothing too serious, mind you. A nagging cough here, a little sniffle or two there, some congestion and a headache, perhaps. These were fairly normal before you went Primal, but they’ve returned. Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining. It’s an easy trap to fall into, simply because it’s often the natural progression for many accomplished athletes or trainees looking to increase their work or improve their performance: work harder, work longer. If you’ve recently increased your exercise output, keep track of those early morning sore throats and sneezes. Any increases may indicate a poor immune system brought on by overtraining.
8. You feel like crap the hours and days after a big workout.

Once you get into the swing of things, one of the great benefits of exercise is the post-workout feeling of wellness. You’ve got the big, immediate, heady rush of endorphins during and right after a session, followed by that luxurious, warm glow that infuses your mind and body for hours (and even days). It’s the best feeling, isn’t it? We all love it. What if that glow never comes, though? What if instead of feeling energetic and enriched after a workout, you feel sketchy and uncomfortable? As I said before, post-workout DOMS is completely normal, but feeling like death (mentally and physically) is not. Exercise generally elevates mood; if it’s having a negative effect on your mood, it’s probably too much.

Thurs. May 13

30,20,10:

Deadlifts (225/155)
Box Jumps
Dumbell Push Press or KB Push Press (kettlebell held upside down)
___________________________

Fish oil and the real cost of health
By Robb Wolf | March 25, 2009

I had a comment in the Red Meat, Global warming post that asked me to describe how the various health care systems stack-up. This, in response to my statement that socialized medicine tends to become a serious mess. My response to that question, instead of weighing the merits of the US system vs say the Canadain system, was to point out that veterinary medicine is a pretty good example of what the real costs of medicine are when we do not have a 3rd payer system inflating costs. Here is that response:

Sure V-
Veternary medicine. it reflects the REAL costs of treatment, people pay as they go, even in installments and there is not a sense that one should get treatment for free. What about the poor? I have never seen a vet that did not have some sliding fee scales or who did not do some percentage of free work for folks who actually are in significant need.

(Interestingly, they CAN do this because their business is profitable, they WANT to do this because of a deep sense of compassion…hence their chosen profession. Perhaps this will be the case for human medicine one day…)

V- This is almost comical. but you are wanting me to compare one fucked up system (ours in the US) with another fucked up system (lets say the UK or Canada) this is the same path to endlessly chasing one’s tail as comparing the french diet with the american diet…one might be slightly better than the other, both are woefully sub-optimal.

The direction health care is going would be like home insurance that covers your light-bulbs and lawn maintenance or auto insurance that covers gas and oil. The purpose of insurance SHOULD be to offset catastrophic occurrences. If medical insurance was like this, then we paid out of pocket for health maintenance…ya know, the REAL cost, the system would be like auto insurance. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but its infinitely better than medical insurance…interestingly, it got BETTER when one was allowed to shop around and find the best policy for YOU. You know…that free market stuff again. Also, no one is talking about an “auto-insurance” crisis. Why? because it’s market based and it works.

Here is an irony that ties into the earlier global warming post. Glaxosmithklien unleashed Lovaza last year. For those unfamiliar with the product, it is a PRESCRIPTION fish oil. Andy Deas sent me this link to Dr. William Davis’ blog. Dr. Davis has a great analysis of the situation which boils down to this: Prescription Lovaza is $3360/year for the recommended dosage, Costco’s Kirkland brand (which I’ve recommended for over 5 years…Brad and I put their QA/QC department through the ringer….their product is legit) is $150/year for the same amount of EPA/DHA.

As Dr. Davis points out, Lovaza is a prescription and thus eligible for insurance reimbursement. He also points out that those costs do not disappear, we all take it in the fanny. If people had to pay out of pocket (or from a Health Savings Account) they would REALLY want to know why they should pay $3360/year vs $150/year. The bullshit of “Lovaza is a prescription drug which has been studied and is USDA approved” sounds pretty hollow when you look at the disparity in price. Especially when there are thousands of studies showing significant health benefit from fish oil, none of which happened to be Lovaza.

You know what would be funny? to get glazosmithklein to go kick the collective asses of the people saying fish oil is not as effective for health as was thought (all the while changing tactics and talking about sustainability). Let big pharma go after the anti-fishoil-nutters while we promote grassfed meat, single payer medicine and lululemon pants for all hot women (lululemon is scientifically proven to make averages asses look amazing, amazing asses almost too good to view).

Adendum:

I forgot that Andy sent a follow-up post from Dr. Davis. I get some fishy comments that I can not figure out if they are spam or something like this…an industry shill who is trying to shed some doubt on the obvious.

The product thing is interesting…I want to sell a book off this blog, perhaps a DVD or two at some point. We’ve had a food product in the works for YEARS. I’d like to develop and sell that. Perhaps one day I will have some kind of fish oil offered from the site and in the gym, but I’ll never hype that product as the end-all. There are no magic pills or solutions (well…unless you can hit a pharmacy in central America…ohhhh winstrol…). I’m not super familiar with Dr. Davis but he seems like a pretty stand-up guy. He appears to send his patients to Costco to get their fish oil…what I like about that is you are paying the person for their expertise/coaching. Not an overhyped, overpriced product. If you recall I love open markets, I’m all for people making money but I have serious issues with entities that prety on peoples fears and ignorance to make a buck.

Wed. May 12

"Angie"

100 Pull Ups
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Air Squats
____________________________
SB:

Front Squat
3-3-3-1-1
Press
3-3-3-1-1

then

Take 65% of 1 Rep Max on Press
Do: 3 Min AMRAP with that weight.
____________________________
marksdailyapple.com

Primal Primer: Prebiotics

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/prebiotics/

selection from the above article...

What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are, quite simply, indigestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and maintenance of beneficial gut microbiota. I suppose “indigestible by humans” is more accurate, because they are being digested – just not by our host digestive system (about 90% of prebiotic fiber makes it through the small intestine intact). Instead, it’s those oft-thankless, microbial workhorses of our colons doing all the work while we reap the benefits. They are getting free meals, so don’t feel too bad about putting them to work.

So you could say that prebiotics are food for your flora, those living organisms that contribute to our health and well being. For our intents and purposes, prebiotics are classified as soluble fiber. Conversely, insoluble fiber is the stuff that the human digestive system – neither host cells nor gut flora – cannot process nor digest, instead acting as a lubricant stimulant for our bowels (literally tearing our insides up, prompting the release of natural lubricant to speed up processing and limit damage). When most people discuss the so-called benefits of dietary fiber, they’re talking about insoluble fiber’s effect on stool passage and volume. Yeah, it speeds up the process and makes for bigger toilet paper bills. But I’m not interested in mere bulking agents. I’m interested in soluble fiber, in the type of fiber that our gut flora can actually consume and ferment. I’m talking inulin and oligofructose, along with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and other oligosaccharides. Pectin, too, appears to have some prebiotic potential, but inulin and oligofructose are the big ones. Of course, all of these can be obtained by adhering to the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid and eating a few servings of vegetables and fruits each day.

Researchers distinguish between long chain, short chain, and full spectrum prebiotics. Inulin is a long chain prebiotic fiber; long chain prebiotics contain 9-64 links per saccharide molecule and are digested more slowly, providing food for bacteria in the left side of the colon. Oligofructose is a short chain prebiotic, containing 2-8 links per saccharide molecule and fermenting in the right side of the colon, considerably faster. A full spectrum prebiotic supplement would be something like oligofructose-enriched inulin (OEI), which contains all possible saccharide links.

Tues. May 11

For Time:

30 Air Squats
30 Med Ball Deadlifts
30 Wall Ball
30 Toes to Bar
30 Push Ups
30 Ring Pull Ups (or sub ring rows)

_____________________________
paleochix.com

http://paleochix.com/?p=1620

Mon. May 10

"Fran"

21,15,9:
Thrusters (95/65)
Pull Ups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ27XzR3HJc

___________________________
Strength Bias:

Deadlift
3-3-3-3-3
Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

then

100 ABMAT for time.

Sat. May 8

4 RFT:

20 Push Ups
Sprint 50m
20 KB Swings (53/35)
Sprint 50m
20 Push Ups
Sprint 100m
20 Push Ups
Sprint 50m
20 SDHP (53/35)
Sprint 50m
20 Push Ups
Sprint 100m

Fri. May 7

3 Rounds, 1 Minute Stations:
Overhead Plate Lunge (45/25)
SDHP (53/35)
Pull Ups
Dumbell Squats

rest 1 min between rounds,
total reps for score.
_____________________________
*marksdailyapple.com
The Definitive Guide To Sugar

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sugar/

Thurs. May 6

Run 1 Mile (3 building laps)
20 Burpees
30 Box Jumps
40 ABMAT
____________________________
Strength Bias:
Front Squat
5-5-5-5-5
Press
5-5-5-5-5

then

5 Min AMRAP:
10 GHD Sit Ups
10 Back Ext.
______________________________
THE BEGINNER’S DILEMMA: NOT JUST FOR BEGINNERS

Article courtesy of CrossFit Evolution Newsletter

Of course we love it when people new to crossfit training find us and start training, all excited, ready to go right away. What we don’t like, is when the beginner gets frustrated because they can’t: do a push-up, a snatch, do a movement correctly, go faster, do more, be less tired, lift heavier… etc. Sometimes, they just get overwhelmed learning “all there is to know”. Just remember, we don’t expect you to get it all and right away. Even the best professional lifters still get coached, and they have to practice and train all the time. You are no different, in that respect.

Practice. Practice. And then go practice some more.
Correct form and movement is essential to crossfit training. This means learning and repeating movements over and over until you always get it right. This takes time. While trying to learn the body dynamics involved in the front squat, now is not the time to load up some weight. If so, it is a sure path to injury or at the very least, disappointment.

We may start with a stick or empty 15, 33 or 45 lb bar. If the form is not sufficient, there is no point going faster or heavier. There are many, many movements to learn at our gym and you must learn to do them all correctly. Good news: many exercises are related and of similar concepts. This is because our exercises are functional and involve universal motor recruitment patterns. This will make your task not so daunting.

Consistency Leads to Speed
Now that the movement is embedded in your muscle/mind memory, it’s time to start moving faster. As you do, you’ll notice that some form deteriorates. That is normal and is okay as long as it’s within an acceptable range (don’t worry, we got our eye on you, and we’ll let you know). If it is acceptable, you’ll progress to the next level, if not… you’ll be told to slow down and correct the movement deficiencies. Your training at CrossFit Evolution is not just about getting the workout done in the fastest time. It’s also about correct form and proper reps (no cheating, cause you’re just cheating your fitness level). Do it, do it right, and then do it faster.

Bring on the Weight
Now you’re ready to load up. The amount of the load is directly dependent upon your form and of course, your strength. Once the form goes, you don’t get to add more weight just for the sake of lifting more. We are here to help you become better and that means injury free and progressed properly with your performance improvement in mind. Your vanity and ego can stay at home. Your “trash-talking” and playfulness are welcome. Bring it on!

Keep in mind that sometimes the training stimulus for the day may be to elicit a particular response. Maybe you can do the super heavy Rx weight, but our planned 15 minute workout will turn into a 1 hour slugfest. You’ll become frustrated or possibly injured, may be told to stop (and then you’ll really be pissed), or maybe you just won’t be able to train for a couple days. Remember the first thing I listed? This was a planned 15 minute workout. To take anymore than twice as long as expected, doesn’t produce any desired outcome that we may be looking for, for your performance improvements. I think we fill up the hour well enough without going into any overtime.

Conclusion
Stick to mastering the fundamentals or basics first. Want it spelled out? I want perfect push-ups with chest touching the floor and full extension at the top. I want perfect pull-ups with the chin over the bar and full extension at the bottom. I want perfect squats with the chest pulled upright, the arch clearly visible and tight, and breaking parallel without the pelvis dipping under.

We constantly strive to introduce everyone to more complex movements in bite size pieces, often. So don’t worry, you are not going to miss anything just because you’re new. Everyone gets exposure, the level of that exposure, just like the workouts, will be scaled individually.

Trying to speed up your advancement on your own will increase the chance of injury, delay performance improvements, and blunt the rate of return on your efforts. Why would you want to do that? You put your trust and money into us to coach you, so let us do it.

Rules for the Hardened Crossfitter
Even the ones who have been around can fall prey to the Beginner’s Dilemma. Be watchful.

* Leave the ego at home
* Sometimes you hit it with everything you’ve got, and sometimes you’ve got to scale it down.
* Going heavy is only cool if you don’t injure yourself in the process
* Watch your reps and be sure of your count
* Full range of motion required, slow down and do it right!
* Always seek to improve your technique, trust me, you still need work.
* Go fast, but don’t get sloppy.
* Biggest Pet Peeve: lack of full range of motion. You know what it is and you know what doesn’t cut it. Man-up!! Do it right. Stop being a girly-man.
* And for the ladies that do it… stop trying to prove that you are not the weaker sex. You are. Get over it. Focus on getting better, focus on improving.

Wed. May 5

23,18,12 of:

Wall Ball
KB Swings (53/35)
Handstand Push Ups
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How to Regain and Maintain Hip Mobility

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-regain-and-maintain-hip-mobility/

Tues. May 4, Back Open

"Cindy"
20 Min AMRAP:
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Air Squats

Strength Bias:
Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5
Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5

then

100 Push Ups for time

Closed Mon. May 3

We will be closed until Tuesday. Hopefully everything will dry out tomorrow. If you need help, post what you need to comments with your contact info and we'll do what we can. Stay safe.

Sat. May 1

"Task Priority FGB"
Three rounds for time of:
Push Press 20 reps (75/53)
Sumo Deadlift High Pull 20 reps (75/53)
Wall Ball 20 reps (20/14)
Box Jump 20 reps
Row 20 calories