February Paleo Challenge!

Hey Folks -

Margaret here. Sheena and I are going to be heading up the February Paleo Challenge for those of you who are interested. And you should all be interested. Cause it's gonna be awesome!

What is paleo? Paleo is the trendy diet name for eating real, whole foods that humans have been eating for 20,000 years. What are those foods? Meat and eggs (grass-fed and pastured preferably!), vegetables (non-starchy), fruit, seeds and nuts. As simple as that. True paleo diets are not concerned with the AMOUNT of food that you are eating but the QUALITY of food.

What is this paleo challenge all about? It's about taking your fitness, health and general well being to the next level. Where ever that may be for you. We want you to set realistic (but still challenging!) diet goals for yourself and stick with them for a month. Maybe the first step is just eating whole foods - cutting out processed foods and cooking with real ingredients. Have you considered cutting out grains? How about sugar? How about grains AND sugar? Have you already done both of those things and are looking to try to do strict paleo and cut out dairy, alcohol and starchy veggies too? Maybe you were at 80% paleo and you want to try 100% paleo for a month. Maybe you were at 50% paleo and want to try 80% paleo. Where ever you are - figure out a way to make this challenge an actual challenge for you!
Want to learn more about Paleo (and Paleo-modifications)?  Check out this post.  What Kind of Paleo are You?  Or check out Sheena's post with the "Paleo in a Nutshell movie."


What to do - How to start - and best of all - How to win!

1.  Set a goal for yourself. Make it a challenge - but make sure it's something attainable for you. Send Sheena and me an email to let us know what that goal is. It would also help if you gave us a brief idea of where you are starting from - What is your current diet like? (Margaret: margaret.kloster@gmail.com, Sheena: sjcamagong@gmail.com)
2. Pay up! If you want to be in the running for a prize at the end then give us (or Andrew) $20 the next time you are at the box.
3. Say Cheese! Take a before picture (optional). A great time to do this would be at the Grand Opening party (you're coming, right??) 
4. Document that shit. Start eating healthy and document it! We started a members blog for us all to document what we are eating on a daily basis. I posted a sample blog post. Check it out - it's so simple. If you want to participate we will add you as a contributor to the blog - you just need a gmail account. This will allow us to be able to see how well you are doing in keeping with your goals and will help with the judging. Just attach a label of your initials to everyone of your blog posts so we can track you - We will help keep you accountable! Here is the url for the members block - bookmark it - http://fcfpaleo.blogspot.com/  If you want your food log to be more private - you can keep your own blog or paper diary and share it with just the judges.  Whatever you are most comfortable with!
5. Ask for support and support each other. Have questions? Shoot us an email. Need tips on how to get past the sugar blues? Let us know! Did you just make something really awesome for dinner that was easy and paleo? Snap a picture and send us the recipe. We'll share it on the blog.
6. Stick to it! It's only 28 days! If you set an appropriate goal for yourself and stick with it then you have a real shot of winning - but really - everyone wins, right?? :)

If you can't start on February 1st (I know this is short notice) - no problem! Jump in whenever you can - but still try to go for 28 days. We will pick winners when everyone is done with their 28 days.

So let's do it!  We've already got a few people on board.  Andrew V. said he's up for it.  Cedric is going big or going home.  AB is even gonna do it!Sheena and I are going strict paleo - no grains, sugar, dairy, processed crap or alcohol! (Except I'm going to allow myself to eat whatever the hell I want to on Super Bowl Sunday!), Additionally I'm cutting out coffee. We are going big, but we really want to encourage you to do ANYthing that is going to get you closer to being the healthiest person you can be!


The prizes will depend on how many people participate and buy in, but we'd like to be able to have a couple prizes, maybe with different categories etc. so everyone has a chance to win, no matter what your specific goal is.  We plan on having gift certificates to health food stores, restaurants and fish oil supplements for winners! We will keep you posted on the judging part as we see who is participating and what people's goals are. The more people that buy in - the better the prizes will be!

Come on people. February is the shortest month of the year! No excuses!  Links to get you started and motivated!
Shopping at costco and wondering what to pick up? Check out what's in Cavegirl's shopping cart.

Feeling like experimenting? Check out Girl Gone Primal's recipe index

Have a craving to eat out - but are nervous about sticking with your diet goals? Check out What's In What You Eat? It's specific to Seattle!



If you want more info - please please email us. There's loads of info out there and we can help!

Box jumps again?!

It's been a tough week, I know. Conan O'Brien said this on his final Tonight Show episode:

"But if you work really hard and you're really kind amazing things will happen in your life"

You already know the deal. We are forging a physically and mentally tougher you. No struggle, no progress, right?!

Your choice.

WOD

"JACKIE"

for time:

1000m row

50 thrusters, 20kg

30 pullups

This workout is a "sprint". Go hard and fast each and every rep until your done.

OR

"CED IS DEAD" aka Cedric's Birthday workout

for time:

1 mile run

then 4 rds of:

27 k2e

27 burpees

27 wall ball shots, 20#/14#

27 kb swings, 24kg/16kg

27 double unders

Finisher:

1 muscle-up or progressions

1 handstand pushup or progressions

1 max vertical jump

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Sheena got her first two unassisted consecutive kipping pullups yesterday. Margaret finally got her rhythm down for her blue-band kipping pullups. We've had 2 people get their first muscle-ups this month and Brian wanted in on the fun. On Wednesday he joined the Muscle-Up Club:

Foundation CrossFit: Brian's first muscle-up from ABueno on Vimeo.
WED 27JAN2010

Congratulations Brian!

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GRAND OPENING ON SUNDAY! Normal 11am workout on Saturday.

Another Bell Ringer

WOD

Using 90% of your 1RM Press, perform a Press every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.

"21"

for time:
20 pushups, 1 situp
19 pushups, 2 situps
18 pushups, 3 situps
17 pushups, 4 situps
16 pushups, 5 situps
15 pushups, 6 situps
14 pushups, 7 situps
13 pushups, 8 situps
12 pushups, 9 situps
11 pushups, 10 situps
10 pushups, 11 situps
9 pushups, 12 situps
8 pushups, 13 situps
7 pushups, 14 situps
6 pushups, 15 situps
5 pushups, 16 situps
4 pushups, 17 situps
3 pushups, 18 situps
2 pushups, 19 situps
1 pushup, 20 situps

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Welcome to the club Kevin!

"Sound practical judgement, along with a fantastic work ethic, unrelenting commitment, and high pain tolerance will usually make you a better athlete, coach, spouse, parent, professional, or Jedi Knight. So file down your calluses and get to work, and may the force be with you."

Performace Journal - Issue 60, January 2010

A Bunch of CFers

WOD

It's another workout from the "A Bunch of CrossFitters" crew. This particular one coming from SnoRidge CrossFit:

"PENALTY BOX"

Every minute on the minute perform 10 box jumps (24"/20") and max rep Overhead Squats (35kg/25kg). After completing 10 box jumps use the remaining time in that minute to perform max reps of overheads squats. Each sixty seconds you must stop to perform 10 box jumps. Stop when you complete 100 overhead squats.

Your score is the number of box jumps and time required to get to 100 total Overhead Squats.

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Our GRAND OPENING is this Sunday! Are you coming? Have you spread the word? Bring friends? Family? Coworkers?

from that

to this

It will be a great time!  If you've been lurking on the blog and haven't seen the great new workout space, this is the time to do it.  And if you're one of our current clients, use this opportunity to show it off to your friends!   The gym is looking better than ever and there will be music and FOOD.  And...Tony will is in town for a week and plans to get some workouts in with all of you!

Speaking of which, what are YOU bringing?

Another one in the M-U Club!

Congrats!


Max's First Muscle-Up from ABueno on Vimeo.
Monday 25JAN2010 @ Foundation CrossFit

Max finally completes his first muscle-up. He's been really working on it for about a month, but another goal's in the bag!

What could YOU accomplish in one month?

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WOD

Hang Power Snatch 1-1-1

Rest 5 min

Overhead Squat 5-5-5

then

4 rds for time:
15 k2e
20 situps

learning the swing

Our Schedule

This week (and on) we will move to the following:

click to embiggen.

Thinking about making Tuesdays at 6pm a Group Orientation for newer folks and for your friends to check out what we do!

Please post feedback in comments.

Uh oh!

If you drive, please do not park in the lot as we do not own any of those spots. They are reserved for other businesses. Please park along 11th Ave.

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WOD

"FILTHY FIFTIES"
for time:
50 box jumps, 24"/20"
50 jumping pullups
50 kb swings, 16kg/12kg
50 walking lunges
50 knees-to-elbows
50 push presses, 20kg/15kg
50 back extensions
50 wall ball shots, 20lbs/14lbs
50 burpees
50 double unders

compare to 23DEC2009.

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CrossFit Surf City did an Athlete Profile on Tony!

Athlete Profile for Tony Lau

 Age:  31

How long have you been Crossfitting for?  1.5 years

How did you find out about Crossfit? 
I was pulled in by my roommate Jay, who has always found new motivations to stay fit and healthy.  After a week of CrossFit, I was hooked.  Today I am lifting more weight and moving faster than ever before.

Favorite WOD or movement: 
Thrusters & burpees!

How do you like to spend your free time? Hobbies?

Sometimes it seems like I've got too many things going on - photography, snowboarding, hiking, biking.  CrossFit has given me the confidence to try out new sports and activities, as well as many adventure and endurance races!

 Career:
1) Aerospace Engineer, The Boeing Company
2) Owner & CEO, Foundation CrossFit
3) Freelance photographer, bartender, etc.

Favorite Zone Food:
Steak & Eggs Benedict (yes, Zone can be delicious!)

Favorite Restaurant:
BOA Steakhouse, or any steakhouse for that matter.

Biggest personal accomplishment from Crossfit or goal you hope to achieve because of Crossfit:

CrossFit has motivated me to learn more about health and fitness as it relates to overall wellness.  I have been inspired by CrossFit so much that I have taken the opportunity to spread the mantra of fitness as a way of life.  I recently opened a CrossFit gym in Seattle, WA with a very good trainer and business partner.  (This way I can help people in two cities at once!) We hope to encourage many people to use CrossFit's functional fitness program to sustain a vigorous, healthy, and rewarding life.  After all, that is my take on CrossFit - it is FITNESS FOR LIFE.

Favorite song to workout to:
Velocity by Extended Famm

Anything else you would like to say about Crossfit/ personal quote:

The most rewarding part about practicing and training CrossFit is bringing out the "Can Do" attitude in people and myself.  That one moment - getting your first pullup, completing your first double-under, or hitting your personal best at weightlifting - opens up a multitude of paths to achievement that have been shut off for so long.  With CrossFit there has been a remarkable improvement in people's lives, and I hope to see those achievements keep piling up for everyone, including myself.

If you are not part of the CrossFit Surf City community (or Foundation CrossFit for those of you in Seattle), you should definitely check it out!

Kapowski

SKILL

Muscle-ups and progressions.

WOD

"KELLY"
5 rds for time:
400m run
30 box jumps, 24"/20"
30 wall ball shots, 20#/14#

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Forget about those protein shakes- we now sell Primal Pacs at the gym! Amazing paleo post-workout meals made in Seattle by a CrossFitter that come in two sizes: 55g and 110g. (What a long sentence!) These bad boys contain grass-fed beef jerky, mangoes, marcona almonds, cranberries and macadamia nuts. Nutritional info (for Zoners too):

• CHO 14g (2.5 blocks)
• Pro 26g (3.5 blocks)
• Fat 37g (12 blocks)

Very comparable to Paleo Kits, with mango instead of strawberries, but the jerky is amazing easy to chew and it's local business. We have beef and a few elk pacs available. Matt, the maker of these tasty treats, says he'll have turkey soon. Ask me about them, buy a couple to keep on hand, at work or at home and enjoy!

This windmill also provides energy

Not to mention usage of

• Deltoids and latissimus dorsi for increased shoulder stability. Yay mobility!
• Obliques, transverse abdominis, and all the erector spinae for an amazingly strong midline.
• The rest of the posterior chain such as the glutes and hamstrings.

It's prehab/rehab for the shoulder joints, provides us strength through a greater range of motion, proper balance and better coordination. Athletes from all sports can benefit from this movement (I'm talking to you Dave!).

the two-handed version, courtesy Stephen

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WOD

AMRAP in 15 min:
100 yard dash
10 windmills

Dumbell < Kettlebell < Barbell.

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ROD

Ginger Almonds

Recipe by Alton Brown, Food Network


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 dried arbol chile, stemmed and broken into small pieces
• 1 pound whole natural almonds (Note from Andrew: BUY RAW)
• 1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Combine the ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the arbol chile and cook, stirring frequently, until the chile begins to give off an aroma, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently until lightly toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook until reduced slightly and the pan looks dry, approximately 1 minute. Immediately remove the nuts to the large bowl and toss with the ginger mixture.

Spread the coated nuts into a single layer on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan to a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes or until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

P-Chain!

How are your pulling movements?

I think I've been neglecting your 'other' pulling motions since we've been in this newer box. Running a business is grueling (but awesome , fufilling and rewarding as well!) and I haven't been paying attention to the programming as much as I should. What I'm saying is expect more from classes. I call them 'finishers' (for those who have been with me since the beginning). We're going to address where we need improvement as a gym and we're going to get stronger. Go faster.

We'll start with our posterior chain.

The posterior chain is a muscle group created by the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, upper back and shoulders. They allow of extension of the body as well as pulling items closer to the body, or the body pulling towards an external object. They also provide much needed stabilization- "Pinch the Penny" saves a lot of your exercises from deteriorating, right?

Within the next month you might see more stiff-legged deadlifts, zercher squats, arch-hollow snaps, kettlebell movement, romanian deadlifts, windmills, rack pulls/clean pulls/snatch pulls, etc. Oh the possibilities (=

The following is video of a 44 year old woman doing a buttload of (quasi-strict) pullups.

Regardless of form, the video is still amazing. There is no doubt she's strong.

Inspired, anyone?

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WOD

Squat Clean 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Use the Burgener Warm-Up beforehand. Hang Power Cleans if you're not confident with your squat, or if you have less than a few hours experience "under the bar".

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QOD

The whole history of progress of human liberty

Shows that all concessions

Yet made to her august claims

Have been born of earnest struggle.

If there is no struggle

There is no progress.

Those who profess to favor freedom,

And yet deprecate agitation,

Are men [and women] who want crops

Without plowing up the ground,

They want rain

Without thunder and lightning.

They want the ocean

Without the awful roar of its waters.

This struggle may be a moral one;

Or it may be a physical one;

Or it may be both moral and physical;

But it must be a struggle.

...

Frederick Douglass, 1857

Saturday Afternoon

Nutrition Lecture with Coach Dave Werner at CrossFit Seattle this Saturday at 1:30pm. It is open to everyone.

The 12 Days of CrossFit 2009, CrossFit Seattle

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WOD

5 rds for time:
400m run
21 kb swings, 24kg/16kg
12 pullups

What's your best "HELEN" time?

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Do you listen to Robb Wolf's podcast The Paleolithic Solution?

picture courtesy CFFootball

You can download the mp3s or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. It's highly recommended- there's a wealth of knowledge regarding Paleo nutrition and the Primal lifestyle in these. Check it (show notes and all) out here.


Bonus:
Compare Fish Oil brands here!

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

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WOD

for time:
21 deadlifts, 100kg/60kg
42 wall ball shots, 20lbs/14lbs

15 deadlifts

30 wall ball shots

9 deadlifts

18 wall ball shots

compare to 12NOV2009.

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AOD:

The New Age Cavemen and the City - NY Times

LIKE many New York bachelors, John Durant tries to keep his apartment presentable — just in case he should ever bring home a future Mrs. Durant. He shares the fifth-floor walk-up with three of his buddies, but the place is tidy and he never forgets to water the plants.

Enlarge This Image

Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times

NEW ICE AGE Meat storage for John Durant's paleo diet.

The one thing that Mr. Durant worries might spook a female guest is his most recent purchase: a three-foot-tall refrigerated meat locker that sits in a corner of his living room. That is where he keeps his organ meat and deer ribs.
Mr. Durant, 26, who works in online advertising, is part of a small New York subculture whose members seek good health through a selective return to the habits of their Paleolithic ancestors.
Or as he and some of his friends describe themselves, they are cavemen.
The caveman lifestyle, in Mr. Durant’s interpretation, involves eating large quantities of meat and then fasting between meals to approximate the lean times that his distant ancestors faced between hunts. Vegetables and fruit are fine, but he avoids foods like bread that were unavailable before the invention of agriculture. Mr. Durant believes the human body evolved for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and his goal is to wean himself off what he sees as many millenniums of bad habits.

Read the rest here.

Not "Tabitha" or "Ciabatta"

WOD

"TABATA THIS!"

tabata intervals of:

• pullups
• pushups
• squats
• situps
• rower

One-minute rotation & rest period between the exercises. Please update your scores on the PR Board!

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It's another Tasty Tuesday! Coach Dave will be doing a Nutrition Lecture at CrossFit Seattle this Saturday. We'll be there- wanna join?

What a squat.

How would you rate this squat on a scale from 1 to 10?

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WOD

10 rds for time:

run to mail drop box on 11th & Pike

10 man makers, 1/3 BW

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We'll be open during our normal hours on Monday.

Laid out

Phil's smiling. He obviously didn't work hard enough. Who else is ready to rock tomorrow's 11am Saturday morning WOD?!

Who's ready to preorder a sweatshirt and tee?

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WOD

"ANGIE"

for time:
100 pullups
100 pushups
100 situps
100 squats

compare to 20NOV2009


 

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from Mark's Daily Apple.

An Open Letter to Taco Bell

by Mark Sisson

Dear Taco Bell,


It has come to my attention that you have recently created a Drive-Thru Diet. You are clearly taking bold new steps to change the way Americans view healthy eating, so I am writing this letter to express my gratitude and enthusiasm and to offer insight for further improvement.


I first noticed your “Drive-Thru Diet” ad on a billboard outside of a childrens’ extra-curricular learning studio in west Los Angeles. Ever the inquiring mind, I visited Tacobell.com for some heavy research. I read Christine Dougherty’s 80 word story about losing 50 lbs over 2 years with Taco Bell. Very convincing. Then I watched TV personality Chris Rose interview four paid actors, and every single actor praised Taco Bell’s seven healthy Fresco menu items. Next I learned from registered dietitian Ruth Carey that some food choices are nutritionally better than others. These people clearly weren’t lying. The Drive-Thru Diet looked legitimate, so I decided to make a Frescolution. I hit a road block when attempting to fill out my pledge. The form required me to fill out “what I know.” I attempted to write, “I live a healthy lifestyle based on the 10 immutable Primal laws validated by two million years of human evolution…,” but Taco Bell overrode that with, “My idea of exercise involves the all-you-can-eat buffet marathon.” Oh well, I suppose what I know isn’t nearly as important as eating Taco Bell Fresco menu items.



So here I am, having soaked up the thorough and detailed information on your website, almost ready to embark on my two year plan of eating Taco Bell food every day. However, I have a few simple questions before starting such an exciting, healthy journey.


First, I am slightly confused by the math of calorie reduction. I understand that a Fresco taco is 20 calories less than a regular taco (kudos for that feat of engineering!). If I am trying to reduce my daily consumption by 500 calories by eating Fresco tacos rather than regular tacos, does that mean I need to eat 25 Fresco tacos a day? (20 calorie reduction x 25 = 500 calorie reduction). That means I need to eat roughly six tacos a meal, including, of course, fourthmeal. Speaking of which…


I am still trying to work out the logistics of fourthmeal. If I eat fourthmeal after midnight, is it technically firstmeal? In calculating daily calories, which day does fourthmeal count for? If I eat fourthmeal at the stroke of midnight, does it count for both days or neither? And also, if I eat fourthmeal every day, when do I sleep?


Finally, what exactly did Christine eat? If I know the combination of Taco Bell choices she made, I would feel much more confident moving forward. Did she keep a food log?


Once you have answered my questions, I will be delighted to fulfill my Frescolution.


Additionally, while I have no criticism of your company or your dietary philosophy, I do see room for improvement in your quest to convert American eaters into healthy decision makers. Below, I’ve listed a few possible menu adjustments…


1. A “Sans Queso!”option





After close scrutiny of your seven Fresco menu items, I discovered the secret to your revolutionary way of creating healthy foods: You replace the cheese with tomatoes. I’m no food lab scientist, but with careful engineering it seems you could apply the Cheese Removal Principle to not just seven menu items, but to every single product you offer. Call it “Sans Queso!” and you’ve got an entire menu full of super-healthy foods. Want a healthy Mexican pizza? Sans Qeuso! it. Sans queso! that volcano nachos and you’ve turned a 1,000 calorie item into a 920 calorie health food. It’s not a reduction of quantity, it’s an upgrade of health. You can even charge an extra thirty cents to Sans Queso! a food. The new anti-supersize.


2. A calorie total at purchase – All your food items have calorie amounts the same as they have prices. How hard would it be to include a function on the cash register that adds up the total calories of the foods purchased and prints it on the receipt? Heck, take it a step further and tell the customer directly, “Your total is $8.76 and your calorie total is 2,400. Would you like to Sans Queso! your meal for an extra thirty cents?” Bam. Satisfied customer, more profit, and less wasted ingredients. Is that genius or what?


3. Salsa – I’m not one to make rude accusations, but it does occur to me that you are a Mexican restaurant without a salsa bar. I do respect your little border sauce packets of modified food starch, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, onion juice, and xantham gum, but including a secondary option of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and tomatillas could improve both taste and the amount of nutrients your customers consume. So get yourself a salsa bar. People like salsa and they like bars, it’s a win-win.


4. An “UnFried Salad” – The traditional Taco Bell Mexican salad sits in an edible bowl of fried enriched bleached flour and corn. That fried bowl sits in a second, plastic bowl. I suggest removing the edible bowl and placing the salad directly into the plastic bowl. You may have concerns about the way customers will react to this “one bowl” concept. The problem can be solved easily by using a “do not eat this bowl” warning label. Fill the plastic bowl with a bed of lettuce, grilled chicken, salsa from your newly installed salsa bar, and a couple slices of avocado (the fresh kind, not the green stuff I’ve seen your employees squeeze out of a caulking gun) That’s a healthy menu item if ever there was one. Sans Queso! that salad for thirty cents and make it even healthier.


5. Water – I can’t help but notice the 32 oz cup of Diet Pepsi that accompanies all the pictures of your Fresco menu foods. Have you considered creating a 32 oz cup that says, “Water!” I’ve never seen a fast food water cup before. Taco Bell could be the first.


6. Rename all products according to the Gordita methodology





I’d never heard of a Gordita before you added one to your menu. I had to pull out the old translation dictionary to learn that “gordita” is Spanish for “chubby.” What a brilliant concept! Right there in the name of the food you’ve included a warning for how the food will make you look and feel. I love it! You should rename other menu items to include similar warnings. A nacho bell grande could be called an “estomago grande,” a caramel empanada could be a “caramel diabetica,” and a mexican pizza could simply be “El Diarrea.”


7. A weekly taco limit – Like the bartender who cuts off the alcoholic, set a hard limit on the number of tacos a customer can buy. Consult Ruth Carey, your registered dietitian, and figure out how many tacos a week someone must eat to remain healthy. Never sell a customer more than that number.
Last, but certainly not least…


8. TELL PEOPLE WHERE YOUR MEAT COMES FROM – Consumers are fickle, skeptical doubters, and I’m sure you’ve heard some of the rumors and urban legends surrounding the origins of your meat. To jog your memory, there have been claims that your meat is of lower quality than dog food meat; that it contains feces; that there are fingernail fragments, human blood, ash, worm, copper wire residue, cellophane, and bits of Jimmy Hoffa floating around in your meat. While I’m fairly certain these accusations are false, I was unable to find any information on your website as to meat origin and quality. I even called your hotline, with no further success. Why not replace one of the 3 giant 5 layer burrito posters on each store using the third to show a picture of the grass fed, grass finished cows that I’m sure you use to make those burritos.


I do realize making these changes may take a small upfront investment. Because I feel as responsible for America’s health as I’m sure you do, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. If you make all eight of the suggested changes, I will donate $10,000 to a charity of your choice (perhaps the American Diabetes Association?). Thank you for reading my letter and for creating a diet that does not require me to leave my car. Maybe one day you will take the next step by creating a “Delivery Diet” so I won’t have to leave my house.


Yours in good health,


Mark Sisson


Read the original article here.

Speaking of yesterday's WOD

Whoa nelly!

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WOD

Every minute on the minute for 15 minutes:
Press, using your 5RM weight.

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AOD

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Many in the mainstream hear the word “fast” and immediately think “starvation”. Heck, I used to think that way too until I started to dig deeper and understand more about how the body works (and was designed to survive all this time).

Nowadays we are sold on the idea that we need to eat more often in order to have a faster metabolism, but as disputed in the past articles we know that is not true. Sadly most mainstream diets sell best when they are complicated, because you have to buy a book (or additional supplements/bars/shakes) in order to make it work. Something simple will never make a ton of money in additional sales, because there will be nothing else to continually buy (except food).

But let’s take a quick overview of what scientists and researchers already know about the connection between eating and living longer/healthier.

Read the rest here.

Taking preorders now!

We're now taking pre-orders for new merchandise!

We have decided on a new slogan in addition to our current "It Hurts So Good" - "The Finest 20 Minutes of Your Day!" It would be great to have you represent YOUR gym with this fresh logo, especially with the Grand Opening creeping up. If you are interested in ordering a new t-shirt or hoodie, we are taking pre-orders throughout the week until next Tuesday, Jan 19th.

Check out the apparel and info here:

• Adult T-Shirt
• Women's Crew Neck T-shirt
• Adult Sweatshirt (Pullover hoodie)

By prepaying you will be able to customize your shirt/hoodie. We will need your size, color, and preferred slogan (one on each item).

• "It Hurts So Good"
• "The Finest 20 Minutes of Your Day"

Brand new, comfortable t-shirts:  $20
Warm, soft hoodies:  $40
Representing your hard work and wearing something you're proud of:  Priceless.

;)

Send your preorder information to sheena@foundationcrossfit.com, or find me at the gym!

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WOD

"PUKIE BREWSTER"

for time:
150 burpees

Chest to ground then a 6" jump beyond your highest standing reach.

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AOD

"Shoes, Sitting and Lower Body Dysfunctions"

Shoes and sitting. Two things that are ubiquitous in modern society.

There has been recent media sensationalization of the detrimental effects of shoes. However, there has not been a lot on sitting other than upper body postural issues. Do these two things really have that much of an impact on our lives? Or is it just athletes?

Unfortunately, most information out right now does not look specifically at the effects that injuries have on the body as a system. Rather, most of the solutions to problems tend to focus on only reducing the pain or alleviating the problem at one joint specifically.

Read the rest by clicking the link above.

A word about breathing

Do it.

Let's look past his terrible technique and focus on the subject at hand. Dude passed out. Why?

• Lack of oxygen.
• Unnecessarily long war cry following a heavy, heavy, grinding lift.

Okay, that might be it. I don't wish negative things upon people, but damn if he didn't deserve to pass out for a second... a shame he did that so close to that rack of dumbbells.

So let's stress the importance of the video: BREATHE. We don't take kindly to folks who don't like to breathe. And to those too arrogant and egotistical about training.

What we teach at Foundation CrossFit:  Mechanics, Consistency, then Intensity.

We've had 0 people pass out in here. Please, let's keep it that way!

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WOD

for time:
100 double unders
50 db snatches
100 double unders

Go heavy. Full extension, full squat on the snatch.

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Sheena's Corner

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan has been added to my list of books to read this year. Andrew picked it up yesterday and it looks like a quick one. Anybody want to start an FCF Book Club?

A few rules (and reminders) from Pollan:

Part One: What Should I Eat?

• Eat food.
• Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
• Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.
• Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.
• Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.
• Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.
• Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
• If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.
• Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. Buy your snacks at the farmers' market.
• It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

Are you getting enough sleep? We've all heard it before, sleep gives you more energy throughout the day. What happens after a quick power nap? Read a quick article here on how sleep is just as important as nutrition, when it comes to staying healthy.

What is Garfield dreaming about? Squats? Sprints? SDHP? Snatches?

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ROD

I LOVE EGGS. I LOVE MARINARA. Look at this recipe I found last week.

Among parents, about the greatest endorsement for any recipe is “kids love it!” Thankfully, that’s true of one of my family’s favorites.

Who needs pasta, anyway?

Eggs poached in marinara sauce are the way to go! They may not look “pretty,” but they take mere minutes to prepare. And they’re delicious.

Some recipes are so simple they should hardly be called recipes. This is one of those. But for all you recipe lovers, I present:

Eggs Poached in Marinara

The Players

• As many eggs from pastured hens as you want to serve.
• At least 1 c. of marinara or other favorite pasta sauce per egg.

The How-To

In a deep dish skillet bring marinara sauce to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low so that the sauce is no longer bubbling. With a spoon, create “slots” for your eggs — tiny indentations in the marinara that will act like “bowls” in the sauce and hold your eggs in their places. Crack open one egg per slot. It should look something like this:

Now for the truly difficult part. Cover the skillet with your lid and be patient. Cook eggs until they reach your desired consistency. I personally love them with runny yolks, but my kiddos love them cooked hard.

Spoon eggs and a generous portion of sauce into serving bowls. Enjoy!

This post is participating in today’s Fight Back Friday carnival hosted right here at Food Renegade. Go check it out for more recipes, anecdotes, and stories relating to REAL (sustainable, organic, local, traditional) foods.

DELICIOUS.

I'll See You Tonight!

Foundations 4 tonight! Oh the joys of running and lunging. Dress for rain!

Miles, Miche, and Jana

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WOD

5 rds for max reps:
front squat, 3/4 BW
knees-to-elbows

compare to 2009 1117

Rest no less than 3 min, no longer than 5 min. Make your front squat count: elbows up, strong back, get low in the hole.

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CrossFit: making every man and woman a spiderman.

Mornings this week

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we will have all 6am and 9am classes for you early birds. Get your crack-of-dawn fitness on!

Please RSVP with Andrew.

Share the Load Saturday!

Free tomorrow? Come by the gym at 3pm in workout clothes. We're having a photoshoot for some print advertising! Call or text Andrew for details!

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WOD

"TABATA FIGHT GONE BAD"

Tabata protocol (20 sec work, 10 sec rest, eight times) for five exercises:

• wall ball, 20lbs/14lbs
• box jumps, 24"/20"
• SDHP, 32kg/20kg
• push press, 35kg/20kg
• row (for calories)

I didn't look up HQ's protocol for this workout, but I gave y'all an extra one-minute rest & rotation break. I guess it wasn't necessary (;

EJ, Elizabeth and Chris throwing up them med balls

Although some people literally rested:

TFGB is too easy for Margaret

Elbows high & outside: Rachel needs a heavier weight!

Sheena's shirt says it all.

Who put 100% into their work today? Cedric actually jumped out of his shoes with his last wall ball interval:

One of the next Member of the Month nominees definitely had to be in today's attendance..

the Samson Stretch: Brady, Adrian, Philip

Jake's "Before"

Jake's "After"

Plus Mateo was there!

CrossFit Games 2025?

Great effort by everyone today. You really pushed yourselves to the limit. I couldn't be more proud to be your trainer. Even though today you had a sub:

Sr. Andres Good

Keep up the awesome work.

Today's crew

TONIGHT!

We're going to have a blast tonight supporting our own at the 2010 Seattle Invitationals.

Nate recently caught some press. Check it out. See y'all tonight!

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Wow. Shall I order 10 of these? I can hold off on the rowers until March or so. We definitely want these in for the Grand Opening!

All jokes aside, REALLY?! The sad part is that I'm sure these are selling like hotcakes to those uninformed and misinformed. Let's help educate the public! Spread the knowledge...

THERE IS NO SPOT REDUCTION!

conversely (oddly enough)..

THERE IS NO SPOT ENHANCEMENT!

Without surgery of course.

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WOD

"CINDY"
amrap in 20 min:
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats

or

"MARY"
amrap in 20 min:
5 hspu
10 pistols, alternating
15 pullups

compare to 2009 1221.

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QOD

Do televised advertisements for fitness products work?

P90X anyone? This actually brought a lot of people to CrossFit. Even knowing what I've been doing with my life for the past 5 years, my uncle ordered a Total Gym two months ago. You know what he does with it now? (Hint: a bunch of clothes end up on top of it). Spend that money on one CrossFit personal training session and

Have you ever bought some exercise equipment because of an infomercial? How about an exercise program?

OUR Paleo Challenge officially starts on Feb 1st

Mark your calendars now. $25 buy-in. Winner gets the pot for their respective gender.

Retired NFL Guard Touts Paleo

Former NFL guard John Welbourn eats like a caveman, and he’s happy to share information about how good that feels.

Welbourn follows a Paleo diet, which aims to mimic what our earliest ancestors ate. Cavemen and women were hunters and gatherers, eating what they could find or kill. Meat, seafood, fruit and nuts were their regular diet. There were no chemicals, nothing artificial in their food.

Those who follow the Paleo diet believe that it’s more natural. They claim that it naturally regulates hormone and insulin levels. They feel more energy.

John Welbourn believes in it so much that he’s co-founded a mail order company, Paleo Brands, Inc., that supplies gourmet freeze-dried Paleo meals.

via livestrong.com

John Welbourn owns and runs CrossFit Balboa and brainchild of CrossFit Football. He was also an attendee at my CF Lvl 1 Cert!

Where's Waldo?

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WOD

"LYNNE"
5 rds for max reps:
bench press, BW
pullups

compare to 2009 1203.

Jason & Adrian

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QOD

Double unders, turkish get-ups, bench pressing... Are there any movements that we, as a gym, don't do as often? Is there some huge chink in our "fitness armor" that needs to be filled?

What skills or movements would you like to improve upon in the future? Post to comments.