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Part 2: Homeostasis & exercise

by Instructor Training Program member Uran
In Part 2 of the Homeostasis blog series, we discussed the effect of diet on your body’s ability to regulate the metabolic condition. When your body fails to respond appropriately to your nutritional consumption, your metabolic systems shift out of balance, which can lead to all sorts of endocrine disorders. Today, we’re talking about something fun…
Something all of us in the CFM community share: a love of exercise.
Exercise, in all its forms, has a largely positive effect on the body. When you work out, you expend energy which sets off a series of reactions to try and maintain homeostasis. Your body knows it needs to get more oxygen to create new energy and sustain the increased activity level, and it does this in two ways.
First, your breathing rate increases to allow you to introduce oxygen to the bloodstream at a faster rate. Second, the increase of oxygen in the bloodstream prompts your heart to beat faster in order to deliver all that extra oxygen to your cells.
Why is this awesome?
By getting more oxygen into your lungs and then into your bloodstream, you exercise your heart, which in turn allows it to beat slower and with less effort. In the same way that repeated exercise in the gym relates to improved performance, repeated exercise for your heart causes it to work more efficiently and have more time to relax, thus lowering your blood pressure. So, come in, break a sweat, and feel even better about it than you already do.
And don’t forget that food and sleep are also major factors in helping your body maintain the stable condition it wants to be in. Help yourself out and give your body the tools to succeed.

photo-24Kerry and Tripp on wall balls and roll outs!

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: Open Gym- Lis
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Cassie
8p: Open Gym- Cassie
8:15p: Yoga- Samantha

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A1. Dumbbell external rotation: 3 sets of 10 (ea arm)
A2. Ring rows (2-second pause at top): 3 set of 10, rest :30
B. Back squat: 3 at 70% of one-rep max, 3 @ 80%, 3 @ 90% (3:00 rest between sets)
C. 10 minutes max effort: Row for meters, AirDyne for calories, jump rope singles or double unders

And coming tomorrow…

“Angie” – complete for time:
100 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups
100 squats

Holiday Travel Workout

100 burpees for time

THURS 12.5.13 Homeostasis & Exercise Read More »

Part 2: Homeostasis & food

by Instructor Training Program member Uran

In yesterday’s post, I talked about the effect of sleep on your body’s ability to maintain a stable condition.
When you don’t provide your body with enough rest and recovery, hormonal imbalances occur, resulting in weight gain, lackluster skin, and decreased muscle growth.
Nearly as important as rest is the role your diet plays in aiding your ability to stay in homeostasis.
Metabolism plays a big role in maintaining homeostasis. In the simplest terms, you can think of your metabolism as a fire. The quality of food you eat can be thought of as sawdust or logs that are thrown on the fire.
Things that produce a very quick insulin response or spike in blood sugar, such as sweets or heavily processed foods, are like sawdust being tossed into the fire. They create a big flash for a few seconds and then nada.
Good-quality, whole foods, on the other hand, are more akin to a log. They burn nice and consistently for a long period of time, providing sustained energy, rather than energy spikes and crashes that cause your body to overcompensate to regulate your blood sugar.
When your homeostatic balance becomes disrupted and stays that way, problems can occur. Your pancreas can become over-taxed from working extra hard on blood-sugar regulation due to consumption of less than stellar foods. Your cells can become resistant to insulin.
In any case, extended periods of metabolic imbalance in the body can lead to obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and thyroid dysfunction.
Be kind to your body and give it the fuel it needs. Sure, this isn’t the time of year when many people are focused on nutrition, but don’t forget nutrition coaching is included with every CFM membership.
If you’d like us to take a look at a three-day food log for you and offer some feedback, contact us and we’ll send you details on what to track for us, so we can teach you how to optimize your health and make better gains in the box!
Stay tuned for final part of the series where I’ll discuss the relationship between exercise and homeostasis.

1470157_10151811206526732_1755383100_nJason (front), Jared & Scott D on barbell roll outs.

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Rebecca
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Rebecca
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
11a: Yoga- Amy
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Raul
8p: Open Gym- Raul

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A1. Bench Press: 3 at 70% of your one-rep max, 3 @ 80%, 3 @ 90%
A2. Dips: 3 x 10 (1 min rest)
B. Complete 5 one-minute rounds:
You have one minute to complete the following:
5 thrusters 95/65
Max rep rope climbs
*Rest 1 min between rounds

And coming tomorrow…

A1. Dumbbell external rotation: 3 sets of 10 (ea arm)
A2. Ring rows (2-second pause at top): 3 set of 10, rest :30
B. Back squat: 3 at 70% of one-rep max, 3 @ 80%, 3 @ 90% (3:00 rest between sets)
C. 10 minutes max effort: Row for meters, AirDyne for calories, jump rope singles or double unders

Holiday Travel Workout

As many rounds & reps as possible in 20 minutes:
10 hollow rocks
10 supermans
10 mountain climbers

WED 12.4.13 Homeostasis & Food Read More »

Homeostasis & sleep

by Instructor Training Program member Uran

Homeostasis is your body’s ability to maintain healthy function, regardless of what’s going on in the external environment.
Everything from insulin response when you eat to shivering when you’re cold are a result of the body’s ever-present desire to maintain stability.
But the body’s ability to stay in homeostasis can be affected by external factors. When not given the proper tools, it will lose the battle to finding its molecular center, resulting in illness or disease.
So how can you help the biological cause?
Start by working on your sleep.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. If you check out my site, you will learn that excess cortisol can lead to various problems in male as well as female hormones, resulting in hormonal imbalances.
In excess quantities, cortisol can lead to weight gain, but it can also break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps your skin looking smooth and wrinkle-free.
Sleep deprivation can also stop the body from releasing enough human growth hormone. Because the human growth hormone helps increase muscle mass and strengthen bones, you’re actually working against all your hard work at the gym by robbing yourself of sleep.
To add fuel to the weight gain fire, lack of sleep can also affect the peptides that regulate your appetite, causing you to feel more hungry throughout the day.
So do yourself and your body a favor and sleep seven to nine hours a night in a cool, dark room, and stay tuned for Part 2 when we’ll discuss homeostasis and nutrition. If you find it hard to fall asleep at night and end up taking longer naps during the day, you might want to reverse that cycle with morning coffee. If that does not help, taking smart pills like Modafinil that you can get on will definitely help.

imageCongrats on all the November PRs (personal records)! Let’s finish 2013 strong with lots more in December!

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym – Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
8p: Open Gym- Lis

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Clean: 3-2-1-3-2-1
B. Complete 10 rounds for time:
10 wall balls
10 barbell rollouts

And coming tomorrow…

A1. Bench Press: 3 at 70% of your one-rep max, 3 @ 80%, 3 @ 90%
A2. Dips: 3 x 10 (1 min rest)
B. Complete 5 one-minute rounds:
You have one minute to complete the following:
5 thrusters 95/65
Max rep rope climbs
*Rest 1 min between rounds

Holiday Travel Workout

5 rounds for time:
Bear crawl 50 meters
Burpee broad jump 50 meters

TUES 12.3.13 Homeostasis & sleep Read More »

Set your December goals!

Get to the box this week & add your goals to the whiteboard. Remember to track your new PR’s throughout the month too!
imageDan, Alison, Lee H, Arielle, Lee M, Bridget & Lis celebrating Bridget’s b-day

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Rebecca
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Rebecca
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Ben
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Ben
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
8p: Open Gym- Lis

Workout of the Day (WOD)

Overhead Squat: 2 RM, 1 x max reps @ 80% of 2 RM
B. Complete 7 rounds for time:
20 steps Walking Lunges w/ DB/KB overhead (10 steps holding weight in L arm overhead, 10 steps holding in R arm overhead)
3 reps – Push Up + Wall Climb

And coming tomorrow…

A. Clean 3-2-1-3-2-1
B. Complete 10 rounds for time:
10 wall balls
10 Barbell Rollouts

Holiday Travel Workout

10 rounds:
Sprint 100 meters
Rest 1 minute

MON 12.2.13 Happy December! Read More »

Indulge a little too much yesterday?

Many people are waking up this morning feeling a little puffy, groggy, achy, hungover, etc, etc…So here are some ideas to help you get out of the post-Thanksgiving funk:
1. Get back on track with a healthy breakfast!
2. Get moving – do our holiday travel WOD or get to the box for the noon class today. Or just go for a walk, do some yoga, play with your dog/family, etc.
3. Drink more water – hydrating will help flush toxins from your system and reenergize you. Ever seen a plant wilt when it needs watering… we need it too!
4. Seasonal allergies? There are lots of natural remedies for seasonal allergies – try drinking the juice of one lemon mixed with warm water before bed & upon waking. Rinse your nasal passages with a neti-pot. And CUT OUT DAIRY (that’s the single biggest thing that eased my allergies and digestive problems. TRY IT!)
photo-22Burpees!

Weekend Schedule:

Friday – 12n Hero WOD with Tirzah
Saturday – 10a Team WOD with Carlos
Sunday – 12n CrossFit with Carlos
1-2p Open Gym with Carlos
6p Yoga with Monica

Workout of the Day (WOD)

“Tommy V”
21 thrusters 115/80#
12 rope climb
15 thruster
9 rope climb
9 thruster
6 rope climb

And coming tomorrow…

In teams of 4, complete 4 rounds*
Teammate 1 starts on wall climbs, then moves to power cleans. Teammate 2 can’t start wall climbs until Teammate 1 moves to power cleans. Teammate 3 must wait until Teammate 2 moves to power cleans to start wall climbs, and so on.
3 wall climbs
10 power cleans 95/65
20 box jumps 24/20
30 sit ups
40 double unders (or 120 singles)

Holiday Travel Workout

As many rounds & reps as possible in 15 minutes:
5 push ups
10 sit ups
15 squats

FRI 11.29.13 Seasonal detox Read More »

Happy Thanksgiving!

CFM is closed today so our team can celebrate the holiday with loved ones. We’re grateful for the entire CFM community today and every day. Enjoy your day & we’ll see you back at the box tomorrow!

turkey-on-crossfit

Weekend Schedule:

Thursday – closed
Friday – 12n Hero WOD with Tirzah
Saturday – 10a Team WOD with Carlos
Sunday – 12n CrossFit with Carlos
1-2p Open Gym with Carlos
6p Yoga with Monica

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Workout

Turkey Trot:
Run two miles…one forward, one backward. Alternate as often as you like, but half the distance is in reverse (safety tip: do this on a track if you can…if you’re on public streets, run w a buddy so you can take turns spotting for/guiding each other)

And coming Friday…

“Tommy V”
21 thrusters 115/80#
12 Rope Climb
15 Thruster
9 Rope Climb
9 Thruster
6 Rope Climb

THURS 11.28.13 – CFM is closed today Read More »

Holiday schedule

Don’t forget we’ll have a limited schedule the next few days to give our team some time off to enjoy Thanksgiving!
Wed: No 7p class, no 8p Open Gym
Thurs: No classes… eat up then TURKEY TROT!
Fri: 12n Hero WOD w Tirzah
Sat: 10a Team WOD
Sun: Back to regular schedule – 12n CrossFit & 1p Open Gym w Carlos, then 6p Yoga w Monica

photo-21Dave & Dick with modified L-sits

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
11a: Yoga- Amy
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Tirzah
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Tirzah

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 work-ups
B. 5 rounds for time:
15 Pull ups
20 Kettlebell swings, 53/35#
25 Wall Balls 20/14#

Holiday Travel Workout

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rounds:
Burpees
Between each round of burpees, do a 20-second plank hold

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Workout

Turkey Trot:
Run two miles…one forward, one backward. Alternate as often as you like, but half the distance is in reverse (safety tip: do this on a track if you can…if you’re on public streets, run w a buddy so you can take turns spotting for/guiding each other)

And coming Friday…

“Tommy V”
21 thrusters 115/80#
12 Rope Climb
15 Thruster
9 Rope Climb
9 Thruster
6 Rope Climb

WED 11.27.13 Holiday schedule Read More »

The 1000-rep Rule

Next time you’re frustrated about your Olympic-lifting form, consider this… The fine peeps at Catalyst Athletics insist you practice & practice to get the first perfect rep, AND THEN, you have 999 more to become an expert. So work hard & enjoy the journey! Check it out: Http://www.catalystathletics.com/blog/blog.php?blogID=1798
photo-20Justin R crushing overhead squats!

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym – Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Tirzah
8p: Open Gym- Tirzah

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Clean & Jerk: 2-2-2
B. 4 rounds for time:
2 handstand push ups – (Rx+: deficit HSPU. Hands on parallettes or additional plates)
4 muscle ups (Scaled: jumping muscle up or 4 dips, 4 pull ups each round)
6 hang squat cleans, 185/135

And coming tomorrow…

A. Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 – work ups
B. 5 rounds for time:
15 Pull ups
20 Kettlebell swings, 53/35
25 Wall Balls 20/14″

Holiday Travel Workout

3 rounds for time:
10 squats
10 walking lunges
10 jump squats
10 jumping lunges

TUES 11.26.13 The 1,000 Rep Rule Read More »

No excuse not to exercise!

Every year Americans complain about the weight they put on over the holidays.
CROSSFIT MIDTOWN: LET’S NOT BE THOSE PEOPLE!!!
We know the holidays can be hectic with travel, family visits, holiday parties, end-of-year stress at work, and just chaos in general. And we know the cold weather makes you want to cuddle up in sweatpants and WHO REALLY CARES IF I PUT ON A FEW POUNDS SINCE IT’S COVERED UP IN LAYERS???
I do. I care. I want you all to be as fit on January 1 as you are now, the week before Thanksgiving.
So in addition to the regular workout of the day (WOD) posted on the blog (the one we’ll do in class at the gym each day), our holiday gift to you*, CFMers, is 30 days of Holiday Travel Workouts… every day, M-F, for the rest of the year, we’ll be posting a Holiday Travel Workout for you to do on the road…in the hotel gym…in Nana’s living room…back home on your old stomping grounds…WHEREVER!
Post a pic or video of your travel workout to Instagram and tag @crossfitmidtown. On Monday, January 6th, we’ll pick the best one and award the winner a $50 pro shop gift certificate.
Cha. Ching.
*Our holiday gift to you is actually the bitchin’ CrossFitMas party we’re throwing here in the gym on Friday, December 13th (7-10p). Don’t miss it
imageCongrats to CFM students Tripp & Hannah who got engaged last week!

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: Open Gym- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Ben
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Ben
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Tirzah
8p: Open Gym- Tirzah

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Back squat work ups 5 sets of 5
B. As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes:
7 overhead squats (50% 1 rep max)
7 burpees
7 push ups

And coming tomorrow…

A. Clean & Jerk: 2-2-2
B. 4 rounds for time:
2 handstand push ups – (Rx+: deficit HSPU. Hands on parallettes or additional plates)
4 muscle ups (Scaled: jumping muscle up or 4 dips, 4 pull ups each round)
6 hang squat cleans, 185/135

Holiday Travel Workout

Run/walk for 30 minutes Every 3 minutes, stop and do 10 push ups.

MON 11.25.13 Holiday Travel Workouts Read More »

Stay on track through the Holidays: Part 2

By Coach Beka
As promised, here are some of my favorite recipes for this time of year. Share your favorite recipes in the comments!
Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash
Primal Cauliflower Casserole (not strict paleo)
Apple Pie Tartlets
Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Paleo Stuffing (scroll down to second recipe)

photo-19Tripp, Levy & Cassie with the chin-over-bar hold in yesterday’s WOD.

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: Open Gym- Tirzah
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: All Levels CrossFit- Jim
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Cassie
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Cassie

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. 10 minutes goat work
B. Fran-ish
21-15-9:
One Arm (right) Dumbbell/kettlebell Thrusters
One Arm (left) DB/KB Thrusters
Pull Ups

And coming tomorrow…

Lift for Life is a fundraiser workout raising money for those in the Philippines devastated by Typhoon Yolanda. If you feel moved to donate to the cause, there is a link below.
Lift for Life: “Yolanda”
BUY IN: 100 Double unders (sub 200 singles)
As many rounds & reps as possible in 24 minutes:
11 burpees
7 ground to overhead
13 back squats
CASH OUT: 100 Double unders (sub 200 singles)

100 double unders in the beginning represents the evacuation prior to Yolanda. The 24-minute AMRAP represents when Yolanda hit, and ravaged the Philippines for 24 hours. We end with 100 double unders, to represent the persevering endurance of the recovery/relief efforts.
DONATE

Sunday

The 12n class will do a special hero WOD in memory of Alex Viola
From Coach Dyer: Staff Sgt. Alex Anthony Viola was killed in action on November 17, 2013 by an improvised explosive device in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Alex is survived by his parents and sister. I never met Alex, but I understand that he was a badass in the gym and in life. Hats off to the good people at Proving Grounds DGA for creating this workout in his honor. Please come to the gym on Sunday and give it everything you have.
“Alex”
Row 1000 meters
Power Snatch x 20 (155/110)
Burpee (over the bar) x 60
Power Snatch x 20
Row 1000 meters

FRI 11.22.13 Paleo Thanksgiving recipes Read More »

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