SARAH GETS STRONG *

Three studies illustrating Why you should ABSOLUTELY care about BCAA’s (branched chain amino acids)..

1) BCAA’s aid in muscle recovery, protein synthesis, and the prevention of DOMs (i.e., delayed onset muscle soreness).

• “It has been reported that BCAA supplementation before exercise attenuates the breakdown of muscle proteins during exercise in humans and that leucine strongly promotes protein synthesis in skeletal muscle in humans and rats, suggesting that a BCAA supplement may attenuate muscle damage induced by exercise and promote recovery from the damage.”
  
  — Excerpt taken from the review, “Nutraceutical Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acids on Skeletal Muscle” (PDF may be accessed here, courtesy of the Journal of Nutrition).
   
                                  
  
  
• I also suggest reading “Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle during Exercise”, a review that further explains the relationship between exercise and BCAA supplementation (with special emphasis on BCAA catabolism, or “the breakdown of molecules into smaller molecules”). PDF found here.

2) BCAA’s decrease the likelihood of becoming obese.

• “Higher dietary BCAA intake is associated with lower prevalence of overweight status/obesity among apparently healthy middle-aged adults.”
  
  — Excerpt taken from the study, “Higher Branched-Chain Amino Acid Intake Is Associated with a Lower Prevalence of Being Overweight or Obese in Middle-Aged East Asian and Western Adults” (abstract may be accessed here, courtesy of the Journal of Nutrition). 

Coconut Oil… get some!

Really awesome info about coconut oil, as illustrated by the Health By Hamilton blog:

• “The oil is easily absorbed into tissue and cells, making it very good for cellular repair. Unlike polyunsaturated fats, which drive cholesterol into the cells, making them rigid and inflexible (while giving the false impression of lowering cholesterol in a healthy way), the coconut oil is mostly saturated fat and causes no damage to cells or tissue.  Its medium-chain fatty acids are easily absorbed into cells making them strong and flexible.
  
  
• It is the perfect fat for regulating metabolism while nourishing the body and increasing strength.
  
  
• It contains medium-chain fatty acids in the form of lauric and capric acid.  Lauric acid forms into monolaurin in the body. Research has shown that yeast problems, ringworm and giardia (a common parasite) have been inactivated or killed by monolaurin.  It has been recognized for its anitviral properties, which occur through its ability to disrupt the lipid membranes of viruses, including the HIV virus and herpes.  It is also antibacterial and antimicrobial. Monolaurin is not found in the human body and must be supplied by diet. Capric acid, which forms into monocaprin in the body, is another medium-chain fatty acid with additional supporting benefits.”
  
  

                                          

Strength: 2 Weakness: 1

When going head-to-head with our weaknesses, it may be difficult to visualize our strengths as being “one-up”. We will always have something to work on, our suck lists are ever-growing and, unfortunately… not every day is going to be a good one.

Despite my ego wanting a nice stroking once in a while, I have finally come to terms with this imperfection. Yes, I know; it seems as though I stumble upon this personal revelation on almost a monthly basis. Remember that this is a learning process. However, with each passing incident, I find that acceptance becomes easier, and moving on from it, actually, uh… happens. 

For example, this morning our class did “Flight Simulator” (i.e., 5-10-15-20-25…40-45-50 bursts of unbroken double-unders- and then back down again). Oy vey. I’de say that my double-unders are a little below average, but I am always able to get at least 15-20 of them unbroken. This morning, well… let’s just say I only got to 10. Talk about being broken hearted.

But, see.. therein lies the problem. One cannot become broken-hearted.

                     
                                             6 unbroken reps @ 215.. couldn’t do THAT 4 months ago!

I felt that way during the workout and it destroyed me entirely. Especially when involving double-unders, you just have to keep it together. End of story.

This may have been my biggest weakness of the day, and of course, felt a lot heavier compared to the weight of my potential strengths..

But, I have been feeling strong and fully, positively encompassed within my CrossFit training. It has truly been a beautiful experience. Dumbell presses, butterfly pullup practice, handstand holds, max rep weighted squats… focusing on strength and skill, rather than ONLY my straight-up WOD times/totals, has turned my training around. I’ve been attending Albany CrossFit’s competitor’s classes and, without a doubt, have gotten stronger and more clear headed because of it (I mean.. as clear headed as I could be).

Therefore, missing some double-unders will not be the bane of my existence.

Remember the score..

Strength: 2
Weakness: 1

Release that inner beast!

(also today’s post on AlbanyCrossFit.com— check it out!)

You already know that CrossFit can bring you to an all-new, ass kicking level of strength and functionality (i.e., you can do a backsquat, power-clean, and deadlift now—holler!). You now come in as much as possible because you can’t get enough of it. You read about it daily. You post about it on Facebook (don’t eventry and deny it, either— I see those status updates). 

All around, you’re a junkie just like the rest of us. 

But… it’s OK.

Actually, it’s more than OK. Haven’t you heard? This is a fabulous addiction! Identify your progress and be proud of yourself—- you’ve come a long way. Even for those who have just finished Elements, you’ve also come a long way. Think back: as far as exercise is concerned, what were you doing a month ago? 

…Exactly. Be proud of yourself! 

So, now that you’ve realized your dedication, and that you’ve come a long way both physically and mentally, it’s time to take your training to the next level. I think you’re ready. 

It’s time to release your inner beast. 

You have it in you— we all do. Go heavier. Use thinner bands. Make easy movements harder. Take it upon yourself, as a responsible, goal-oriented athlete, to make it suck alittle bit more… on purpose. 

“Uh, on purpose?” You cry. “Why the F-ing F would I WANT to do that?!” 

Once you feel a movement or weight becomes too comfortable, the only way to get stronger is to make ituncomfortable. For example, if your burpees or pullups are feeling “easy”, try doing 50 of them while wearing the 20lb vest (or drop to a thinner band). If you’re speedy with 55lb thrusters during Fran, hit it RX’d with 65lbs. It’ll suck, but you will find yourself a lot stronger because of it…

Trust me.

Do you CrossFit at your job?

                                            I welcome Court Club members with a handstand hold & basset hound… :)

What are you running from?

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this is not meant to hurt feelings, but rather, open eyes. I am illustrating my opinion with brutal honesty and zero political correction with support from scientific evidence. Reader’s discretion is advised.

(Also today’s post for AlbanyCrossFit.com— check it out!)

Now that you’ve found CrossFit, what athletes do you consider to be the healthiest, functional, and most fit? I’m talking about pure physical aptitudecompletely independent of nutrition (I know, I know, they go hand in hand—but for a moment, try and separate the two). 

…Well?

In my opinion, the most physically fit individual is capable of doing any functional movement at any given moment. This includes swimming, lifting heavy weights over long AND short distances, running sprints, climbing rope, etc.  

So… what doesn’t this include (even in the “etc”)?

Marathon runners.

But wait a second… why not? I mean, they are able to run… and run… and…. run….

Probably—however, the human race has not evolved to run 30+ miles at once (i.e., is that really functional?). Not only do some studies illustrate that marathon running is damaging to the heart, but marathon runners (or runners in general) also have a high potential to lose a considerable amount of muscle mass… especially if their diets aren’t legitimate and they aren’t doing enough (or correct) supplemental lifting. 

                                          

                         So, in terms of functionality… strength wins. Sorry, but losing muscle does not.

In terms of heart damage, if you are not an experienced runner (that is, aerobically trained), MRI data shows that “lack of real aerobic fitness may directly impact the ways the heart organizes itself to survive the stress of marathon running”, resulting in damage that may last for up to 3 months¹. 

“Duh”, you’re thinking. But check this out: even for experienced marathon runners, heart damage is likely. A study conducted in the UK by Liverpool John Moores University and the Countess of Chester Hospital concluded the following:

             “This study suggests that running continuously over 50 or 100 miles may not be good for the heart. 96 percent of the finishers developed a significant increase in cardiac Troponin I, which can be an indicator of heart muscle damage — and 12 percent showed signs suggestive of significant cardiac damage. They also developed significant electrical changes on their ECGs and, in some cases, quite bizarre changes. However, there was no proven correlation between the changes in cardiac Troponin I and the ECG changes.” ²

Please be assured that I am not trying to skew your participation in a 5k or the NYC marathon— we should all want to try a new challenge once in a while. My point of view is simply that one should not specialize or engage only in long distance running. The benefits do not outweigh the costs, especially when it comes to overall strength and functionality. 

Just keepin’ it real…  :)


REFERENCES:

1) ScienceDaily. “Marathons Damage the Hearts of Less Fit Runners for Up to Three Months, MRI Data Suggest”. Oct 25^th 2010.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025005836.htm. 

2) ScienceDaily. “Ultra-Endurance Running May Not Be Good for the Heart, Study Suggests”. Aug 31^st, 2010.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100831073517.htm.

FAIR AND BALANCED?

(this was my post for yesterday’s blog at AlbanyCrossFit.com, highlighting a topic I thought to be very appropriate… especially following the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show. Ha!)

Fair and Balanced? OK, good—that got your attention. 

But don’t worry; I’m not going on a political rampage regarding FOX News vs. MSNBC. Gross. I actually want to highlight something maybe a little more controversial and infinitely more important in the grand scheme of things. Things as in, oh I don’t know, your life, health and overall well-being. That sort of stuff.

So, what do I mean by “Fair and Balanced”? 

I’m actually talking about nutrition (of course) and the average American’s view on “balancing” their fat and carbohydrate consumption. Or, rather… 

Their imbalance.

Think back. Before you found CrossFit and talked to Caleb, Austin, Kevin, and Jason about diet, what were your thoughts on fat, carbohydrate, and overall food consumption? Did you believe that eating less fat would make you thinner and/or healthier (because we ALL KNOW that merely being skinny does not equate to health, right? ..RIGHT!?) Did you believe that eating bread, pasta, and whole grain were the better alternative to red meat because red meat causes heart disease? That eating food in general had the potential to make you larger than life and that you should control it at all costs?

It’s OK, you could admit it. I remember thinking it too. 

But, things are different now, and I absolutely urge you to remember this.You’ve found, now, a beautifully intense and physically taxing workout regimen that needs to be fueled accordingly. Fats such as avocados, nuts, coconut/olive oils and certain seeds are necessary for nourishment and also utilized during your workouts. Not to mention they’re incredibly healthy. The same goes for carbohydrates (with the main source coming from fruits and vegetables, only). I’m not going to go into the science of nutrition because both myself and Austin have blogs dedicated to such—rather, I want you to understand that to grow in CrossFit, get stronger, be happier and ultimately healthier, your diet needs to be fair and balanced. You cannot starve yourself of necessary macronutrients (i.e., fats) because the media is ass-backwards. Eating less to be uneccesarily skinny is not healthy. Haven’t we’ve covered this already? 

Strong is sexy, and again, we all have the potential to make it happen.

Don’t sell yourself short.  

Pineapple-Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole!

The Paleo Potato Pina-Colada, if you will.

…OK. Not really at all, actually. 

This was, however, a wonderfully successful side dish experiment (illustrated by my darling boyfriend’s inhalation of the entire platter.. i.e., the best compliment ever!) Makes a perfect side to just about anything and gives you super healthy carbs while satisfying your sweet tooth. You can also add maraschino cherries depending on how Paleo or dessert-like you want this to be.. ahem.. 

                    


PINEAPPLE-COCONUT SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

• 3 LARGE sweet potatoes, baked, peeled, and mashed
  
• 1 container of Dole pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice (or equivalent; NOT syrup)
• 1 container of Dole peach slices in 100% peach juice (or equivalent; NOT syrup)
• 1 bag of unsweetened coconut shreds
• Barlean’s cold pressed coconut oil 
   

DIRECTIONS:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a generous amount of Barlean’s coconut oil (about 1 table spoon) all over a casserole dish suitable for baking. Leave some chunks of coconut oil un-spread. I use Barlean’s cold-pressed coconut oil because it actually tastes good to eat on it’s own (but not a lot, obviously). 

2) Place the 3 baked, peeled, and mashed sweet potatoes in the casserole dish (if you are unsure how to bake a potato: poke holes all around the potato and heat in microwave until soft enough to mash). Mix around in dish to distribute coconut oil chunks evenly.
  

3) Mix in a generous amount (probably the whole container) of the pineapple chunks and about half of the container’s juice (or as much to your liking). Mix. 

4) Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the unsweetened coconut shreds. Mix. 

5) Place as many peach slices as you like to the top of the casserole (as they will caramelize nicely while baking).  

6) Put in oven and bake until peaches are caramelized and/or the internal temperature of casserole is piping hot. 

ENJOY!