Defining ‘Crossfit’ & Laying The Groundwork

Crossfit’s philosophy is that when it comes to fitness, the generalist is greater than the specialist. Your average weightlifter may be stronger than the average joe, but make them run a 800m dash and their heart will be beating through their chest. That’s not good. Conversely, a Tae-bo allstar may have great aerobic capacities but also might be able to count their vertical with their fingers or pop a lat attempting a pull-up. That’s not good either.

The main goal of Crossfit is to optimize performance across ten different attributes of fitness: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. The first four are seen through physical changes, the last four seen through neurological changes, with power and speed being a combination of both. It’s human nature to do only what you’re good at. Crossfit is all about getting people out of their comfort zones because that’s where all the great results are seen. The most tangible explanation of Crossfit fitness would involve an old lady pulling random fitness objectives out of a rotating bingo thingamajig (Sprint up a hill holding a heavy med ball, row 500m then deadlift 185 lbs 15 times, et cetera & the other infinite combinations) As the speed and number of exercises from the bingo machine that one is able to clobber increases, so does their overall fitness level.

The official straightforward definition of Crossfit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. Another way of looking at it is performing natural movements while generating the most power with new stimuli each workout. The root of it all is obtaining the highest quality of life for the longest period of time. There’s a wonderful simplicity in that statement and a breath of fresh air from all the ubiquitous acai-fat-burning, ab-master-blasters, and eight-week-rex-kwon do infomercials that are floating around the internets.

Everyone I explain a Crossfit workout to thinks “That sounds like too much for me to handle!” but Crossfit is universally scalable and therefore built for everyone. It’s all about being as intense as possible relative to the abilities of the person performing the workout. For example, the Crossfit Workout “Chelsea” consists of five pullups, ten pushups, and fifteen squats performed every minute, on the minute, for thirty minutes. So where Mr. Muscles would do the workout as it is prescribed, someone not as fit might go for fifteen minutes or knock the reps down to 3-6-9. Grandma Moses could substitute ring or high inverted rows, push-ups on knees or a bench, and step-ups or squats while holding on to something stable. These workouts are built to kick some ass but this is a great thing in a fitness world where currently comfort reigns supreme. I always love hearing someone say “I could go for hours on the elliptical!” and then seeing that same person be completely juiced after slamming a ten pound medicine ball on the ground for twenty seconds. This is where Crossfit comes in. Plus the workouts are available for free at the main site with a 3 days on/1 off rotation.

Crossfit’s World Class Fitness in 100 Words breaks all this info down into something easily digestible (taken from windycitycrossfit.com):

* Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

* Regularly learn and play new sports!

For those craving a more in depth look at Crossfit’s definition of fitness and fun graphics check out this free article from the Crossfit journal

Learning The Ropes & Super High Quality Trainers

The trainer quality at the certification was amazing. Our lunch break looked like they were about to start filming the sequel to ‘300′ along with Jillian Michael’s younger sister on hand. The information they were presenting was light years ahead of traditional fitness ideology. My fitness training for the “Globo gym” I worked at consisted of two fifty-something ex-bodybuilders talking about proper machine technique, fiber intake recommendations, and how to sell a heart rate monitor for over a week. Vomit…

The foundational movements focused on were the squat, deadlift, and overhead press; all of which goes back to the original natural human movement basis. Everyone sits down, stands up (squats), picks up and carries items (deadlift and press) on a daily basis. The group started with a PVC pipe for the movements which was surprisingly effective and taxing after several repetitions and static holds. These were then progressed into two more complex movements for each original one – the front and overhead squat, the sumo deadlift high pull and medicine ball clean, and the push press and jerk. After all these movements were practiced we watched demos of hip extensions, back extensions, and sit-ups on the glute ham developer (GHD). Crossfit is a big fan of the GHD as well as midline stabilization and posterior chain engagement since they know that’s where the fitness magic happens. Later we practiced snatching with the PVC, kipping pull-ups, and the muscle-up – a pullup going into a dip on the gymnastic rings – some serious strength and stabilization needed for those guys…

‘Fun’ Workouts & Eye-Opening Efforts

At the end of day one the first workout we did was a slight tweak on Crossfit’s “Fight Gone Bad”. Fight Gone Bad consists of three rounds of:

Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
Box jump: 20″ box (Reps)
Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
Row: calories (Calories)

Each for one minute, clock doesn’t stop between exercises, and you get a one minute break before restarting the circuit. Add up your reps from all exercises and calories from rowing for your final number score. Unfortunately they were short two rowing machines, which I’m fond of, so burpees were substituted in, which no one is fond of. Incredible workout even though my shoulders were completely shot everytime I got to the wall-ball station since I began at the push press.

Day two we got to business early and did a workout called Apollo 13. Simple yet brutally effective requiring only a partner, 35 pound kettlebell, 20 pound med ball, and a roughly 100-yard oval. One person starts swinging the kettlebell all the way up, arms slightly past the ear while the other person runs the circle while carrying the deceivingly heavy med ball with partners trading the bell for the ball everytime around the circle. The catch is every minute, on the minute the group had to shout “Hell Yeah!” then drop down and do five chest to ground pushups otherwise potential future penalties would be enforced. This went on for ten minutes. When time was called and the volume of our Hell Yeah’s were deemed satisfactory.

After experiencing my first two legitimate crossfit workouts I realized I needed to crank it up to 11 when Crossfitting on my own. The Neuroendocrinological responses (Hormonal & Nervous System Changes for those who aren’t fans of 21 letter words) that elicit rapid results are correlated with these intense bouts of exercise. I was also convinced of Crossfit’s competitive atmosphere and recording every workout as means to continuous motivation. I vaguely remember running a 6:35 mile in high school and being happy when I did eight reps while working in with a smug rugby player’s squat max in college. Pleasant memories but not very relevant or motivating. Having a hundred and ten pound competitor of the fairer sex with workout scores nipping at your own was also very effective for keeping one’s butt in gear.

The level one weekend was an incredible experience, very exciting and humbling at the same time. When a former navy seal says he had to check his ego at the door and reassess his range of motion chances are there’s a lot of work to be done. I have to thank all the trainers for helping me shrug off just about all the remaining meathead philosophies I had left in my noggin. Swapping these two days for every high school students semester of ‘Health Class’ would probably make the world a little more pleasant to live in. Try a few of the workouts on your own or better yet find a Crossfit gym and stop in for a freebie workout. & if you didn’t recognize me from my twitter I’m the guy in the group photo with the fashionable scalene sweat triangle, blinking like a champion, smack in the middle.

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11 Bands, 11 Albums, 36 Songs. These tunes are for when you need to move around some heavy iron in your quest to be harder, better, faster, & stronger. At the end of the list you’ll discover the most effective places for finding even more music to keep your workout fresh and exciting. Tweekend is my personal favorite album but aside from that there is no particular order for the song or band placement on the list. The Amazon MP3 Widgets include all three recommended songs on them so make sure to shuffle through them to test what’s best for your own workout.
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The Crystal Method

Best Songs: Conversations, Suffocate, Slow Chemical

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The Best Place To Continue The Search – Action Movie and Video Game Soundtracks. Both spend thousands of dollars trying to figure out the best music to get your blood pumping so you should steal their efforts and use those tunes in the gym. It’s like having your very own hundred thousand dollar workout. Here are some of my favorites from the last decade.

Check Out These Three Posts For The Ten Best Workout Tunes Of All Time.

The Top Three Workout Songs
Numbers Four, Five, & Six
The Final Four of The Top Ten

Still Craving More? Check Out Additional Intense Tunes and Beats For Other Workout Intensities In The Intelligent Workout Playlist Section Over Here.

Matcha |Antioxidants Galore| - A tea that is unique to Japan, one cup of matcha is said to have nearly ten cups worth of the nutrition from regular green tea. Earthy, robust, and old school. This is what the ancient Japanese monks used to drink. They would scoff at today’s fruit infused hybrids. It’s how green tea is meant to be done.

Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind, and has about half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. It is also packed with EGCG, a catechin with strong cancer fighting properties – equivalent to the amount in a whopping 137 cups of normal green tea. It is frequently found in powdered form which can be mixed very easily – green tea kefir or ice cream anyone? It is even recommended to add a dash to your toothpaste or shampoo. It is so healthy and versatile you can literally shower in this stuff.

Yerba Mate |Mental Focus| - This tea comes from a small tree grown in the sub-tropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. In several sections of South America it beats out coffee as the national drink of choice. It is enjoyed so intensely some consider it to be the ‘Drink of the Gods’ but it actually translates to ‘cup herb’ since it is shared by a group from a gourd when served in a traditional setting. Yerba Mate has more antioxidants than regular green tea along with potassium and B vitamins. Yerba mate also contains theophylline, theobromine, and a third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. This unique blend is what creates what many mate drinkers describe as a focused energy that puts them in a zone of mental clarity.

Cherry Juice |Recovery Pro| - Enjoyed since prehistoric times, several studies have shown the nutritional benefits of tart cherries. The main source of their nutritive strength comes from anthocyanins. These guys are the reason for their red coloring and also their beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Studies using rats supplementing with these compounds also showed less increase of body fat on a high fat diet as well as lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Tart cherries also contain natural melatonin so benefits of deeper sleep may occur. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of George Washington’s cherry tree would beat the snot out of blueberries, pomegranates, and even those countless acai berry products that are popping up everywhere. They are little red miracle workers when it comes to the recovery process.

Whey Protein |Superb Supplement| - You can read my full post right here on why I’m infatuated with whey protein. In a nutshell it’s an incredible value & convenience, fast acting & nutritious, and has the highest biological value / usability of any food.

Coconut Oil |Packed With MCTs| - This section comes from fellow fitness buff and blogger Skyler Tanner, very intelligent worker-outer, check out his clever insights at SkylerTanner.com

“So what in the hey are MCTs? MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, though in the scared-of-all-things-cholesterol-related media you’ll sometimes see it put as medium chain fatty acids, which make up an MCT. Great. So why is it special? MCTs are taken into the liver without any modification (long chain and very long chain fatty acids require modifications for digestion and energy use). They don’t require any bile salts to digest. They are burned preferentially in the mitochondria over LCFAs. There is evidence suggesting that fat loss is accelerated in the short term using MCTs because of the increased thermic effect of food.

How I like to go about using MCTs is by using coconut oil for any cooking application. It has a wonderful smell and adds a great flavor to popcorn. Because of the bile salt component I mentioned above, one could use MCTs when starting a lower carbohydrate diet, as I’ve experienced subjectively improved energy and I know I’m not alone in this regard.”

Other potential benefits include boosting the immune system and normalizing thyroid function. A tablespoon of coconut oil in a protein shake or going through the trouble of getting the lime in the coconut would be well worth the health benefits.

Even More Intelligent Beverage Blends -

Club Soda & Casein Protein -Casein protein found in cottage cheese is essentially the opposite of whey as it is slowly released over a period of seven hours. Casein protein powder usually doesn’t taste too pleasant but when I mixed a banana flavor with some orange club soda I created my own little sparkling stale dreamsicle. It was still way better than mixing it with plain water. You could also try mixing other supplements with club soda or try carbonated water to give your hydration levels a fresh boost.

Low Sodium V8 & Instant Coffee - I had to hit the weights posthaste and wanted to sneak a few quick milligrams of caffeine to bolster my workout. I grabbed some old instant coffee, saw the low sodium V8, and then stirred. Not half bad… The veggies covered up most of the flavor, it went down easy, and I had a great workout. Try anytime you’re looking for a no hassle pick-me-up.

Whey Protein with Cherry Juice - Combining two intelligent beverages together? Brilliant! I drink this mix about 30-45 minutes before hitting the weight room and experience an obvious increase in strength and recovery when having this ChocoCherry preworkout shooter.

Yerba Mate with Matcha - The daily benefit of having a matcha mate would be remarkable – This Matcha is the best on Amazon and mixes well with everything.

Other great brands to start with are Guayaki’s Yerba Mate, CherryPharm’s Cherry Juice, Nutiva’s Coconut Oil, and Optimum Nutrition’s Whey Protein - their new platinum powder is superb.

Any more secret fitness concoctions out there? Will Pickle and Prune Juice be the next liquid fitness craze? I’d steer clear of any P & PJ cleanse ads for now.

While initially thought of as an eccentric for advocating weight training he stifled critics with his amazing feats of fitness. At age 42 he set a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on the television show You Asked For It. At age 60 he swam for the second time from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf while handcuffed and he upped the ante by towing a 1,000-pound boat across the distance. He is still going strong at age 95 and advocating the same fitness knowledge that he presented on his television show from the early fifties. Jack LaLanne is a living fitness legend. Don’t miss his incredible bodyweight mastery and priceless fitness wisdom in the videos below.

Eugen Sandow born in 1867. No heart rate monitors, protein powders, weight machines, or cardio equipment.

Modern Man Is Conditioned To Expect Instant Gratification But Any Success Or Triumph Realized Quickly, With Only Marginal Effort Is Necessarily Shallow. Meaningful Achievement Takes Time, Hard Work, Persistence, Patience, Proper Intent And Constant Self-Awareness … Hard, Intelligent Work Speeds Us Along The Path. Neurotic Obsession And Compulsion May Steepen The Trajectory But Usually Lead To Illness And Injury. In The End, The Process Takes As Long As It Takes — You Can’t Push The River. We Are In It For The Long Haul. – Mark Twight

This old school fitness chart is in Jeffery Gitomer’s Platinum Book. It was originally from The Primer, a sales training guide written over a century ago. It is simple, elegant, and brilliant. Arnold had an article a few years ago discussing his intense calf training. Forty Five minute workouts, four times a week. He would eventually be able to lift over half a ton in the standing calf raise. How long was Arnold’s journey to great calves? The average six to twelve week program you see in every magazine? He said it took him around six-hundred hours over the course of three years. That kind of crazy talk isn’t going to sell very many magazines. Deadlift four hundred pounds with a sprinkle of creatine, erase a decade of bad habits with a ten week program. That’s the stuff that sells some supplements.

The Truth Of The Matter Is That You Always Know The Right Thing To Do. The Hard Part is Doing It. -Norman Schwarzkopf

All the latest and greatest cutting edge programs break down to a few core principles. They trancend time and technology. It just takes some common sense and self-discipline to make it happen. Eat Right, Exercise, Sleep Tight, Repeat For Life.

Another huge dietary difference aside from quality was quantity. The portion sizes were way smaller than anything served here. Instead of two huge items you would see in America there were five or six things to eat. So as opposed to a Big Mac, Large Fry, and a Coke you would have two large shrimps, a tiny bowl of salad, a tiny bowl of miso soup, a small serving of rice, a few veggies, and water or tea. Even at the fast food burger joints where we are willing to settle for two tasteless beef patties they would have one delicious burger at an equal or lesser cost. Less total food, greater marginal enjoyment with every bite, and no love handles to boot. Poor Love Handles…

Beats The Pants off of McDonald’s & Burger King

Another intriguing health aspect of Japan was the lack of gyms. Tokyo is Vying with Mexico City as the biggest city in the world with around forty million people but I never came across a single gym throughout all my hours of walking. Surprisingly without all those gyms I saw roughly nine fat people total when I was over there and their BMIs were probably hovering around a thirty at best.

Out of the Nine Chubby People I saw one had to be blocking my picture of the Geishas. I hope she doesn’t read my blog… & Who needs a gym when you can hang off the side of random stacks of bricks? 8 Minute Abs Japanese Style.

If I had crossed paths with the same amount of people in America I’m sure the percent difference in body fat would be tremendous. Everyone in Japan already appears fairly fit so there is much less of a demand for all the businesses and products promoting weight loss. In the States there are so many overweight individuals that there has to be the market to match which ends up coming over the top with all the body sculpting hubbub and diet pill bull pucky.

I taught them ‘Steal The Bacon’ so they can stay fit for life with out a gym membership. I also hope to get fifty percent of the profits when it becomes a cultural explosion.

I met my friend Dave in Japan who told me that the gyms there are excellent but carry a high premium. Having a car in Japan is also much more costly so it is easy to see why people rely on walking and the efficient train system to move about. To be fair to Americans they did have more ’skinny fat’ (low total weight yet higher body fat percentage) people walking around. They solved this dilemma with an intriguing market of body shaping and slendering underpants.

Who needs to workout when you can buy a boneless belt and padded underwear for buff buttocks?

The one large negative health aspect in Japan was the relatively high smoking rate. Around 30% of Japanese adults are smokers compared to 20% in most other industrialized nations. I’m sure there are several other factors going into that equation such as a very low incidence of drug and alcohol abuse but it still seemed silly to be breathing in that junk like every restaurant was a Denny’s from the 80s. I suppose it is a decent trade-off for the lack of fat bottoms and drug usage.

My friend Dave excited to speed recovery with his new massager. Apparently Coke Zero gives you wild health when in Japan. I was sold

Japan was a fantastic time – even the weather seemed to know I was visiting. I gained a fresh appreciation for walking, hiking, and not being so particular about my protein intake. I also acquired a taste for seaweed packets, they came with my favorite power breakfast, and Matcha – a delicious type of green tea – keep your eyes peeled for it.

For Your Consideration, Some Things To Take Away from the Japanese Culture Would Be To:

-Eat Higher Quality Food In Smaller Portions While Drinking Only Water or Tea

-Drive Less and Walk More Frequently. Be More Efficient Yet Learn To Slow Down.

-But Don’t Smoke Or Substitute A Daily Set of Bodyweight Squats For Undergarmets With Ass Pads.

The Intelligent Workout is relaxing in Japan. Ubiquituous vending machines, no soda in most fast food restaurants, and very few obese individuals. I will report all of my findings and intriguing cultural differences in fitness when I get back to the states. Until then enjoy my workout song of choice for the last three weeks.

Adrenaline as a Means to a Six-Pack. Back in mid-summer I had the luxury of stopping an intruder from knocking down my back door. Thankfully it was relatively uneventful but needless to say my adrenaline was at an all time high for the decade and my body was buzzing for about three hours. My workout energy that night was paltry in comparison to the events earlier in the day. One may be able to burn a substantial number of calories by skydiving all day long. It makes sense that competitive athletes would burn more calories than a relaxed one doing the same amount of work. It is unlikely to find an overweight extreme sports enthusiast – or on a side note – someone who is elderly and obese. Food for thought.

Fat Suit Day. When I started lifting weights it was a full body – day on, day off routine. I noticed gymnasts who focused on repetitive body weight movements for extended periods of time were usually very cut. Some people wear weighted vests for their workout but what if you wore the dang thing all day long. The body is extremely adaptable. Wearing it to bed might even cause an improvement in breathing habits. Adding even 10% of your weight could create some impressive gains to your birthday suit.

Internal Abdominal Stretch. It’s good to relax into a stretch after your workout so why not eat your self into a stretch after your workout? The abdominals are a unique muscle since more you eat and drink the more your belly muscles are going to protrude and stretch. Stuffing your stomach post workout and the occasional belt buster of a meal could potentially add that eight pack. Drinking an extra quart of liquid post workout could help put the finishing touches to a washboard stomach.

UnderWorkout For Your Health It seems whenever I have tried to add a sizeable addition to my workout schedule it never sticks. I wanted to give yoga a shot three days a week but after a week that quickly dropped to once a month. I got overtly excited to start running a few years ago so I ran hard for five miles every day for a week but I quickly became bored and injured soon after. However, when I tacked a ten minute cardio session on at the end of my weight workout it worked like a charm. My ten minute dynamic stretching routine in the morning has also stuck around for the long haul. The hard part is creating a habit so fostering that by batching it all together or keeping it simple with short workouts is a surefire way for long term gains.

#7 – Song 2 By Blur

WOO-HOO. It’s hard to top tempo changes of Song 2. With a cadence of 15 seconds off – 15 on – 15 off – 25 on – 15 off – 30 on, it is setup for some increasingly brutal intervals. Great for cardio intervals, timing a 90 rest period, & kicking your own butt cheeks in general.

#8 – Lateralus By Tool

When I’m in the weight room it is one of the few times I get that zen-like concentration of being in the zone and having only one task in mind. Pick-up the bar – Put it back down. Lateralus helps me get to that state of mind as soon as I walk into the gym. I press play as soon as I start my warm-up and then at seven minutes it finishes with two minutes of pure energy. Hard to find a better way to ignite.

#9 – Forest By System of A Down

Most of System’s songs are solid workout beats. Serj Tankian could sing the alphabet and it would be worthy to workout with. But until that track is released Forest is the top System of a Down song to lift with.

#10 – The Winner By The Crystal Method

I love working out with Crystal Method, especially their Tweekend Album. The Winner always invokes images of a crazy motorcycle duel on the freeway for me. Another video online synched it with atomic bomb testing in the 50s. Motorcycle duels, atomic bombs dropping, what image does it put in your head? Either way you’re in store for some powerful training.

What tunes round out your top ten songs for working out strong?

Make sure not to miss out on the Original Six -> The Top Three Workout Songs & Numbers Four, Five, & Six.