Eat, Pray, Run

"Athletes train and eat, they don’t exercise and diet."

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:28:17 +0800

“Athletes train and eat, they don’t exercise and diet.”

- Phil Stevens (via levanna)

Strength before Skill

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:19:11 +0800

As a newbie CrossFitter, seeing people do kipping and butterfly pull ups is amazing. Especially butterfly pull ups because they’re just beautiful to watch. I can’t do a single strict pull up to save my life and I admit I’ve been working on my kipping pull ups instead, but I haven’t had as much success as I would’ve liked.

Reading this article changed my mind and convinced me of the importance of having strength before skill, especially for such a dynamic movement as the kipping pull up.

"You say you “lose motivation” in the gym – that’s an easy cure. FIND A REAL REASON to train, not..."

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:20:44 +0800

“You say you “lose motivation” in the gym – that’s an easy cure. FIND A REAL REASON to train, not something that is cosmetic. Vikings never gave a shit how they looked when they swung the axe, only that the axe landed hard and with purpose.”

- Jim Wendler (via betterthanweakness)

Sneaky paleo

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 20:39:13 +0800

You know how non-paleo peeps get instantly turned off when they ask you why you don’t eat grains, sugar and dairy and you say that those are not part of the paleo diet? Inevitably, their next question is, “So what do you eat??” My answer: “Everything else!”

And now, whenever it’s my turn to prepare Sunday lunch for my family, I conveniently forget to mention that it’s “paleo” (they have such an aversion for a diet that excludes grains) — because it’s just food! Normal, people food.

Kill Fat Me: Perspective.

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 02:25:10 +0800

Kill Fat Me: Perspective. :

killfatme:

I like watching the pros lift. It inspires me. I learn from their technique. It pushes me to want to be better and lift more. But, I do have to keep reminding myself of one thing: They are pros.

I can’t get discouraged when I’m not putting up numbers like they are. Lifting is what they do for…

Words of wisdom.

"I don't like cleaning balls..."

Wed, 29 May 2013 21:13:17 +0800

Just one of the many things you say at CrossFit that are not acceptable in the outside world.

fubarbell: The body likes to follow the path of least...

Tue, 28 May 2013 00:49:15 +0800

fubarbell:

The body likes to follow the path of least resistance. Don’t believe me? Stand tall, keep your shins ram rod vertical and bend over by pushing your hips back like you are trying to touch a wall behind you. If you did this correctly, you should feel an overwhelming tightness, aka stretch, in your hamstrings. Now stay there. It gets expensive after a while doesn’t it? Imagine now if you had a barbell loaded with “insert BIG number here” and still had to maintain this position. Got the point?

The newer you are to loading systems of the body, the more difficult it will be to properly execute and maintain. The muscles simply haven’t spent enough time under tension and are consequently weak and fatigue easily.

This stretch you feel is the loading necessary to generate power for launching a heavy load high enough so you can elicit stealth like speed to get underneath the bar. And so as a new weightlifter, what do you do? You shift out early (rushing the bar) or you simply don’t shift back (not loading) because it makes the weight feel “heavier” and and you “weaker”. The performing result is what I call a “standing straight jump” with the barbell.

Never fear. All this can be remedied. To remediate this takes time, a conscious effort to keep pushing back into tension, and lots of practice. One thing to help guide you along the way will be to remember that in weightlifting we actually want to follow the path of most resistance. For, like in life, the harder path traveled will often be the more rewarding path.

#FuBarbell #weightlifting #crossfit #crossfitgirls #Oly #Olympic #Olympicweightlifting #usaw #snatch #clean #cleanandjerk #technique #inspiration #motivation #instagramfitness #fitspo

I’m so glad I’m following Diane Fu.

“I only date guys in better shape than me.” (from...

Mon, 27 May 2013 17:25:07 +0800

“I only date guys in better shape than me.” (from PostSecret.com)

Deja WOD

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:22:40 +0800

That surreal feeling you’ve done this WOD before. You don’t remember exactly how it went, just that it didn’t end well.

Want to be good at Oly?

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:08:14 +0800

Want to be good at Oly?:

Great tips for weightlifting newbies like me.

Also, I might be just a tad bit in love with Chad Vaughn. Especially after watching his super slow mo C&J video countless times.

What is an inadvertent compliment?

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:07:26 +0800

Your mom telling you disapprovingly that your arms are like Michelle Obama’s. Yay!

Thanks, mom. And thank you, CrossFit!

Post-WOD remorse

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:49:37 +0800

That uneasy feeling right after a workout that you could’ve — and should’ve — pushed harder and gone heavier.

fubarbell: @mattzery asks: what do you do to help athletes who...

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:59:53 +0800

fubarbell:

@mattzery asks: what do you do to help athletes who have trouble keeping the bar in close coming out of their second pull?

This common fault can can be a result of a few things:
1. A strong hip drive with a weak leg drive at the finish of the second pull.
2. Letting the elbows get too far behind the bar.
3. Too much tension in the arms.

To help remedy this, make sure the arms are relaxed at the start during the set-up. Cue the athlete to keep the elbows turned out and cue them to keep their elbows over the wrist/barbell as they come through their second pull into their third pull. At the finish of the second pull, as the hips are pushing forward towards the bar, the athlete’s heels must be pushing firm into the platform to keep the trajectory of the barbell moving upward and not forward.

Some drills to help correct this movement pattern are snatch high pulls and muscle snatches to encourage proper leg drive with follow through of the arms.

#FuBarbell #weightlifting #crossfit #crossfitgirls #Oly #Olympic #Olympicweightlifting #usaw #snatch #clean #cleanandjerk #technique #inspiration #motivation #instagramfitness #fitspo

fubarbell: The Overhead Squat: Feet - Roughly shoulder width...

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:26:52 +0800

fubarbell:

The Overhead Squat:

Feet - Roughly shoulder width apart with the toes angled out 5-20 degrees.

Hips - Hips open allowing the body to sit to full depth in the hole.

Trunk - Relatively upright and stacked over the hips and feet.

Shoulders - Externally rotated with the shoulder blades slightly retracted and rotated upwards to actively resist depression.

Arms - Elbows locked out with the palms facing up using a wide grip (snatch grip preferably) to support the bar.

Head - Slightly forward to allow the shoulders to support the weight with the eyes looking to the horizon or higher.

#FuBarbell #weightlifting #crossfit #crossfitgirls #Oly #Olympic #Olympicweightlifting #usaw #snatch #clean #cleanandjerk #technique #inspiration #motivation #instagramfitness #fitspo

I love me some OHS.

Why our food is making us fat

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:25:55 +0800

Why our food is making us fat:

An eye-opener. Long read but worth your while.

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:28:10 +0800

Rick Scarpulla: Re-Order Your Priorities. Strength First, Then Cardio!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:44:35 +0800

Rick Scarpulla: Re-Order Your Priorities. Strength First, Then Cardio!:

Excerpt:

“Cardio shape is quickly gained and begins to diminish just as quickly. In only a few weeks you can get in decent aerobic conditioning. Equivalent strength gains take much longer to build, but they also hang around much longer after you slow down or stop focusing on them as a priority.”

Date a girl who CrossFits

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:20:24 +0800

Date a girl who wakes up every morning excited and nervous about going to the box and taking on another WOD. She knows she isn’t going to get a PR or the best score everyday, but you can be sure she’s not afraid of hard work (and burpees).

Date a girl whose goal is to be strong. She’s competitive and will want to beat you at every workout and you might be tempted to let her, but she’ll know it and will not like you for it. Instead, go to the box with her, attend the same class, and help her reach her goals. Hand her the PVC pipe and warm up together. In between warm up sets, you’ll see her face light up while talking about watching mobility tips on YouTube, or seeing Speal beat Holmberg on 13.4.

A girl who has calluses on her hands is not afraid of imperfection and a little pain. After all, she got those calluses from working on her pull ups and toes to bar. Don’t be fooled, though. She may have rough hands but those rough hands still need to be held.

Date a girl who isn’t afraid to sweat. She’s glad there aren’t any mirrors in the box. She’s not looking to be complimented on her beauty but she will reward you with a beaming smile when you compliment her on her form. When she’s on beast mode, she doesn’t care about how she looks because she’s focused on making every rep count. This is the moment when nothing else exists but herself and the bar. Don’t be afraid if she roars like a lioness when she hits a new PR - just go over and give her a high five or a hug (if you dare).

A woman who does CrossFit loves her body. You will not hear her whining about her thick thighs. On the contrary, the bigger her quads, the better. Tell her she’s got thunder thighs and she’ll thank you.

Find a girl who can eat as much as, if not more than, you can. All the better if she loves meat and vegetables, and knows that fat doesn’t make you fat. When you go on a date, she will order for herself. She will eat with lady-like gusto and you will realize that this is a girl who knows how to appreciate everything life has to offer - provided it’s paleo, of course.

You will love that she idolizes women who can front squat, back squat, and snatch twice their body weight, women who never give up, women who have the mental tenacity to keep going when the road gets rough. She appreciates the years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears that those athletes poured into their craft. She doesn’t believe in quick fixes because she knows that success doesn’t involve magic tricks - just a ton of hard work and dedication.

Date a girl who cheers on her competitors. One who isn’t afraid that her boxmate will finish first or does more reps than her. One who actually wants her friends to do better than her. Her boxmates are her second family so you may have to go through them first if you want to get with her.

The only time you may yell at her is during WODs when you see her struggling to crank out another rep, when she’s breathing so hard she feels like passing out, when she thinks she might have to bail because she cannot come up from her squat. She will loathe you intensely for it during that moment, but later on she will thank you and you’ll both have a good laugh about it.

She knows it’s okay to pause when WODs or life gets too difficult, but she also knows how to forge on. And this is what you will find most beautiful about her. CrossFit may be a big part of her life, but she can always make room for the right guy.

***

I wrote this when I remembered all the great things I read in The Bull Runner’s Date a Girl Who Runs. And I thought, why not Date a Girl Who CrossFits too? I also posted this on my Blogger blog.

yoyoweightnomore: Pretty much a reality.. Watch me get fab and...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:30:52 +0800

yoyoweightnomore:

Pretty much a reality.. Watch me get fab and be jealous lol

Story of my life.

CrossFit never fails to save the day.

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 23:15:55 +0800

CrossFit never fails to save the day.