Winning!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

EIE Challenge Tip of the Day 16:  Anybody’s sleep thrown off from the time change?  Try “unplugging” from your phone, computer and any other electronic device an hour before bedtime.  The light from the display on your phones and ipads disrupts melatonin production which is important for a good night’s sleep!

Mobility:

DROM
Samson stretch, 1 minute each side
Overhead band distraction
Posterior chain flossing

Classic Strength:

5 x 3 High Bar Back Squat

-Rest no more than 2 minutes between sets

 Notes: Work up to a heavy set of 3 before your first ‘true’ set.  If you do not know what is heavy for you, increase the load each round.  This should be heavy enough that you need to take a second at the top of each rep to ensure good depth and form!

Advanced Strength:

High Bar Back Squat, rest 2 minutes between sets
1×5@ 80%
1X3 @ 85%
1X2 @ 90%
2X1 @ 95%

Conditioning:

5 Rounds for reps
1 Min 5 Power Cleans and Shoulder-to-Overhead for remainder of minute (155/105/75#)
1 Min ME Burpees

 Note: There is no rest between min efforts. You are continuously moving for all 10 minutes.  Perform Push Press, Push Jerk or Split Jerk for the shoulder to overhead portion.

Midline:

3 rounds
10 Strict Toes to Bar
45 sec Handstand Hold facing Wall or Plank

Notes: This is a chest-facing-wall handstand performed with ONLY the nose and toes of the athlete in contact with the wall. A common fault with this movement is placing the hands too far from the wall and resting the hips on the wall. Make sure they are no further than 5 inches from the wall. If you choose to hold plank, place your feet on a box and ensure that you remain tight and do not let your body sag or pike up.

I did a nutrition challenge once.  It was the only one I ever did   At the time,  it felt more like a “dare” which made it more appealing .  I began my crossfit journey thinking I was eating pretty “clean”, and not long after, I was asked if I knew what the zone diet was.  Back in the day, this was the crossfit “secret” to better performance and ripped abs.  I dabbled in the book “Enter the Zone” and didn’t need to get very far to accept the challenge presented to me.  The only rule was to adhere to the zone plan that dictated I weigh and measure all my meals sticking to a strict 11 “block” prescription (all you need to know is this wasn’t very much food).  Who knew 21 days could feel like an agonizing eternity?  The negatives far outweighed any positives and despite the fact I was looking better and feeling great in workouts, I was hungry all the time and never found a good groove with meal timing.  Some days I would be finished with my 11 blocks before 5pm.  I had to abandon my social life, but I was committed to sticking it out.  The thing is, before the first week was over, I knew this would not last.  I couldn’t possibly sustain this in the “real world”.  I knew the minute it was over I would more or less go back to what I had been doing.  My point is this, if you are feeling this way now, stop while you are ahead!  The point of our little 7 week self-experiment isn’t to grind it out to the end, but to discover what you can live with doing for a very long time!  Yes, I did the impossible for 3 weeks weighing and measuring and starving, but that’s where it ended with me.  If you feel like something you’re doing now isn’t going to have staying power, change it!  Stay curious and keep experimenting!