Hey Everyone,

I know most of you have heard me go on and on (and on) about the benefits of Paleo.  Today I'm going to talk about Paleo from a slightly different angle.  

When you eat a balanced paleo diet of (preferably) grass fed meats, dense leafy veggies, quality fats, and some fruit and nuts, your blood sugar will naturally balance out and remain even throughout the day.  This in turn should keep you feeling full longer and in turn will give you constant energy throughout the day.

The problem most people (myself included) run into when they first start paleo is they switch from one sugar source to another.  Most commonly, from breads and grains to fruits and nuts.  It can be so easy to grab a bunch of fruit for a snack and before you know it, you've eaten an entire pound of grapes within 20 minutes.  When I first switched over to a paleo diet 2 years ago, I went from sugary cereals, all sorts of breads to giant fruit smoothies everyday.  With the amount of fructose I was consuming on a daily basis, I'm surprised I lost any weight at all.  

While omitting grains, dairy, and legumes from you diet will do wonders for your health, that doesn't necessarily give you the license to take down a pound of bacon, a giant fruit smoothie, and a huge bag of nuts all in one sitting (or even one day or week).  The main goal for adopting a paleo diet in the beginning is to get your blood sugar stable.  The typical western diet of whole grains, fruits, and even some starchy veggies are a huge reason why we're facing such an 'epidemic' of obesity.  It's the constant eating of carbs that spikes blood sugar only to send it crashing down again, leaving anyone who eats this way starving for more sugar.

Another pitfall that I see a lot of people struggling with are what I call either paleo cheats or franken-paleo meals.  This category includes the foods that aren't paleo to begin with but have been hacked together to create a paleo-ified version such as: muffins, ice cream, and even though I posted one the other week, pizza.  Here at the gym, I know most of us are familiar with the paleo muffin.  Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional paleo muffin or cupcake, but the key word being occasional.  While foods like these are infinitely healthier for you than their traditional counterparts, that still doesn't mean you should think 'oh it's paleo so I can eat them with reckless abandon'.  It is very common for someone to come and tell me that paleo isn't working and in fact they have gained weight when they were trying to lose some only to find out that they are mainlining sugar and treats in a different form.  You should view these foods as what they are: occasional treats or indulgences and not as every day foods.  By doing so, you will have less and less sugar cravings over time which in turn means your blood sugar is finally stabilizing and you're moving in the right direction for optimal health.

If you have any questions on how to get started on paleo or even how much is too much in terms of paleo cheats and such, feel free to shoot me an email and we can set up a consult to get your nutrition dialed in for you.  sean@dogtowncrossfit.com

Recipe of the week: Braised Short Ribs

~ Coach Sean (Seamus)

P.S.

Just as a follow up, for those of you who read my post last week about sleep and of it's utmost importance, ESPN just published an article about the benefits of sleep and performance here.  

Hello DogTowner’s,

This week’s topic will be about tracking your progress in the gym. This is a very important element of your CrossFit training that many athletes neglect. Tracking your progress allows a trainee to systematically determine if they are reaching their desired fitness goals, and advancing as an athlete.

Why Track Your Progress?

Keeping track of your progress at DogTown will hold you accountable. Just as Coach Sean may ask you to keep a food journal if you have diet/nutritional goals, keeping an updated fitness log will hold you accountable. What color gymnastics band did you use when you first started at DogTown CrossFit? What band were you using one month into your training? With a busy life outside of the gym, we don’t expect you to memorize this stuff. Just record it in a fitness journal so you can hold yourself accountable. Are you really making progress? Maybe you are making more progress than you give yourself credit for! You won’t really know until you start recording the information.

Where To Track Your Progress?

Most athletes currently tracking their progress at DogTown use one of two methods: a paper and pencil notepad, or a website (www.beyondthewhiteboard.com). If you would like to use the online tool, ask one of the owners, and they will send you an invite to join. I personally use a small notepad and pen to track my progress. I keep it in my backpack that I bring to the gym everyday.

When To Track Your Progress?

The sooner-the-better. You should be recording the results of your workout as quickly as you can. This will prevent you from forgetting what weight you were lifting in set two of the five set Deadlift workout. It will also prevent you from forgetting the time you completed that four round Met Con in that almost made you sick.

How To Track Your Progress?

So how do you track your progress in order to keep yourself accountable at DogTown? I start by recording the date at the top of my notepad page. This gives me a point of reference when I look back into my logs to see what kind of weight I was able to lift during different points in my fitness career. I will record any skills that I practiced before my workout. I will not record the warm up movements. If the daily workout included an Olympic Lift, I will record the lift, I will record the rep scheme (5 sets of 3 reps for example), I will record the weight I lifted during each set. I will also include any attempts that I failed (could not complete the full range of motion). It is a good idea to record how you were feeling. No need to write a diary here. A simple, “Not feeling great”, or “Tired”, or “Feeling Good”. Trust me, you will never remember how you were feeling six months ago when you were back squatting.

I use the same method when recording the results of a Met Con. I record the workout. The weights I used during the workout. And the time I completed the workout in. For example:

4 rounds for time of:

300m row

15 KB swings; 24kg

20 Push Press; 40#

9:38 min.

Recording the weights you used during the workout is very important. That is key to knowing if you are making progress or not at DogTown. Sometimes it’s more important than recording your workout time.

There is one more topic to review when discussing how to track your progress. In CrossFit, as many of you are aware, there are workouts that repeat themselves over and over again. CrossFit refers to these workouts as Benchmark Workouts. They are given names (“Fran”, “Barbara”, “Cindy”…) to make their programming universal to all CrossFit athletes. Keeping a record of your progress of these specific workouts is important as a CrossFitter. When did you stop scaling “Fran” and attempt all the pull ups without the assistance of a band? When did you use a 45lb barbell for “Jackie”? These workouts are considered Benchmark Workouts for a reason.

If you have not attempted, even a scaled version, of any of the Benchmark Workouts, come to Sunday Open Gym and get a baseline result. They are a great measuring tool for you as a CrossFit athlete.

Let me know of you have any questions about Tracking Progress next time you see me at the gym.

Coach Mike

Hey Everyone,

I know I've been hammering away at the importance of proper training (not over training) and recovery.  And today is no different.  I'm going to talk about the one piece of the recovery puzzle that if you don't do, all sorts of problems can arise.  I know that I've been talking quite a lot lately about overtraining and keeping an eye on cortisol levels and you may be training, eating, and resting smart, but there are other stressors in our life from work, home, family, friends etc.  If you're not taking time to get proper sleep, your cortisol could still be chronically elevated.  It's through quality sleep that our bodies truly repair themselves and lower cortisol throughout.    

Sleep is so important and yet, it's often the last component people address (if at all) is proper sleep.  Robb Wolf said it best in his eBook: "You need to get your sleep in order and get your stress levels managed . Otherwise you can eat perfectly, and exercise intelligently and lack of sleep and too much stress will totally cock-block your progress.  Period ." ~ Robb Wolf's 30 Day Total Transformation

Think about this: Only one night of missed sleep is enough to make you insulin resistant as a Type 2 diabetic.  Know how bad you feel after 1 night of missed sleep?  Imagine that feeling everyday and you're in the shoes of a diabetic.  Robb also goes on to say: "When you neglect sleep or have poor sleep quality, it registers as a significant stressor to your body . It makes you immune compromised, chubby, forgetful, and crazy ."

My biggest tip for getting a better night's sleep.  Turn off ALL electronics, including house lights at least an hour before you plan to be asleep.  False light, especially lights from LED sources stimulate your brain and trick it into thinking it's still day time and NOT time for sleep.  Ever notice when you're checking facebook/email/etc immediately before you close your eyes for sleep and you see flashing colors?  That's the stimulation left over from checking your electronics and it seriously hinders your ability to get quality sleep.

Do yourself a favor, skip watching the trash TV (do you REALLY care who does something ridiculous on the Jersey Shore?) and focus on getting some good quality sleep over the next few weeks.  Your health, mood, alertness, performance, progress in the gym will all improve and you'll be a lot better off.

Recipe of the week: Perfect Poached Eggs

~ Coach Sean (Seamus)

Hello DogTowner’s,

This week’s topic will be about the next phase in this year’s CrossFit Games competition season. As many of you are aware of, last Friday was the fifth and final workout of the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Open (Phase 1 of the competition series to find the fittest people in the world).

For some members of DogTown CrossFit, this was the first time participating in a competitive sport for many years (maybe ever!). Hopefully, you were able to take away some valuable information about your current level of fitness. Whether you officially registered for this year’s CrossFit Open, or simply performed the workouts with the Friday classes, there is plenty to take away from the last five weeks…

Were you able to push through the 7 minutes of Burpees in Workout 1? Or do you need to focus on increasing your muscle stamina and aerobic capacity? In Workout 2, was the weight required for the Snatch just too much for you? Maybe you should invest some time in our Tuesday night Olympic Lifting classes? You will learn the proper form required to begin lifting heavier loads. Workout 3 was an 18 minute AMRAP. Stamina and muscle endurance was key to scoring well. Also, Toes-To-Bar was one of the three elements required. If they gave you trouble, attending our Thursday night Gymnastics classes will reinforce the correct body position in order to perform the Toe-To-Bar with greater efficiency. Workout 4 was brutal. Let’s face it. 150 wall balls? After that though, the workout became technical and skill based: Double Unders and Muscle Ups. These are two elements that keep CrossFitters up at night. Keep practicing your double unders during class. Ask a coach for help. Invest in a jump rope that fits your body type. Practice the muscle up progressions the coaches have set up. Also, attending our Gymnastics class will be very beneficial in learning this difficult skill. Workout 5, aka “The Fran Ladder”, was the gift that kept on giving. It was a repeat from last year’s Open competition. Two classic CrossFit movements (Thruster and Pull Up) designed to test strength, muscle endurance, and power output. If pull ups are still an Achilles’ heel of yours, talk to a coach. You should be progressing through the colored gymnastics bands and on your way to pulling your chin over the bar.

A special note about a few athletes (and close friends of DogTown) in regards to the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Open:

The DogTown CrossFit Team finished the five week Open competition ranked 5^th in our region (Southern California)! This means we have qualified to participate in the next round of the competition series known as “Regionals”. This will take place the weekend of May 11-13 at the Pomona Fairplex. The women of DogTown CrossFit had an amazing showing this year, with three placing in the top 50 in all of Southern California (Val Voboril #7 and #53 in the world, Liz Burns #40, and April White #47). Please help support Team DogTown in the gym as they train for this upcoming event. Also, please come out and support our athletes in Pomona as they attempt to qualify for the World Championships held at the Home Depot Center this summer.

A note about a close friend of DogTown, who many of you see training during our classes, Lindsey Valenzuela. She finished #5 in Southern California and #30 in the world after the five week Open competition. She will be competing as an Individual athlete at Regionals.

For most of us at DogTown CrossFit, it’s back to normal regarding training routines and programming. But that doesn’t mean you should stop competing and improving your skills as an athlete. Fitness is a journey. Pick a skill or a movement that proved to be a weakness during the last 5 weeks and get better at it! Ask for help. Attend one of our specialty classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The 2013 CrossFit Open competition is only 11 months away…

Coach Mike

Hey Everyone,

This past week a lot of you have been asking me specific questions about what I like to call 'paleo gray areas' and whether or not specific foods are ok or even legit when following the paleo diet.  Most commonly these have to do with the dairy food group.   Dairy is always a tricky thing for me to tell you whether or not you can eat it.  Like a lot of things, it depends completely on you, the individual whether or not you should consume dairy.  There are many determining factors

• what are your goals? 
• are you trying to lean out? 
• or put on muscle mass?  
• are you trying to boost your workout performance?  
• are you striving to acheive maximum health and longevity?  
• are you lactose intolerant or sensitive?  
• do you have digestion issues?
• are you insulin resistant?  

All of these things matter and should be taken into account when thinking about adding dairy back into your diet.

If you're new to paleo or just starting out, I HIGHLY recommend that you forego all dairy for the initial 30-60 days.  Let your body completely reset itself before you start adding food groups in.  I know there are some products out there like greek yogurt, that even the paleo 'gurus' endorse.  But, I know they aren't talking about consuming that right away.  If you take the time to let your body reset for 30-60 days, it may just surprise you that you may in fact have a food sensitivity you were previously unaware of.  It happened to me.  After years of consuming any and all dairy under the sun, after switching to a paleo lifestyle, I discovered that I, indeed have a slight sensitivity to dairy.  However, that's not to say you will have a reaction one way or the other, but until you eliminate dairy for a given period of time, you won't be able to tell.

If you have any detailed questions whether or not dairy is right for you, or paleo in general, please feel free to shoot me an email and we can get you a consult to ask any and all questions you may have.  sean@dogtowncrossfit.com

Recipe of the Week: Ketogenic Primal Pizza

~Coach Sean (Seamus)

Hello DogTowner’s,

This week’s topic will be about proper equipment for the gym. The following comments are only suggestions. Do not feel obligated to immediately purchase any of the items. Also, I am not sponsored by any of the manufacturers of the products listed below. I use them because I feel they contribute to my own success at DogTown.

Proper equipment is important for many reasons. A few examples would be:

1. Appropriate shoes for the appropriate workout – running shoes for running. Weightlifting shoes for lifting weights.
2. Correctly sized jump rope – using a jump rope that is too long or too short will make learning double unders nearly impossible.
3. Wrist wraps or athletic tape – adding a level of stability to your wrists will make learning the front rack position or overhead squat much more comfortable.

Having access to your own, individualized gym equipment is less about safety and more about personal comfort. There is rarely a one-size-fits-all product out there that every athlete can agree on. However, finding proper gym equipment that works for you will make learning movements and progressing as an athlete more efficient and enjoyable.

Footwear

Coaching almost all of the new members at DogTown CrossFit, and working with my private clients, I see some pretty interesting footwear that people wear to the gym. Without getting too scientific, a general rule of thumb regarding workout shoes is this: The flatter, less cushioned, the better. Air pockets are not good. One inch of cushioned material between your foot and the ground is not good. It may feel good, but you are actually doing more damage than good to your joints. More cushion in your shoes usually results in more of a heel strike in your gait (walking pattern). This negatively impacts your ankle joint, which negatively impacts your knee joint, which negatively impacts your hip joint, which can have negative impacts on your back and even your neck.

Also, flat and minimal cushioned shoes allow for more power and energy to be generated during athletic movements. Think about the deadlift. When your are driving your feet through the floor, and standing up with your weighted barbell, if you are wearing shoes with lots of cushion, some of your energy is not getting to the floor/lifting platform. It is getting lost in the cushion of your shoes. This is why some athletes wear weightlifting shoes. Not only do they have very little cushion, their soles are made of cork or some other hard material. This allows for better stability and greater power production, which are keys to proper weightlifting.

Most of the major shoe brands have started to capitalize on the minimalist shoe movement. You can see a pretty good representation at DogTown. Brands such as New Balance, Innov-8, and Nike have many different options. As for weightlifting shoes: Adidas, Rogue, and VS Athletic are good brands to look into.  Obviously, Reebok has products in both of the aforementioned shoe categories.

Jump Rope

CrossFit athletes can be pretty particular about the type of jump rope they use when performing a workout where double unders are required. A properly fitted jump rope can make the stress of learning/performing double unders much more manageable. To match a jump rope to your body size, do the following: Choose a jump rope. Stand on the center of the rope with one foot. Hold each one of the handles with each one of our hands. Pull the rope tight. The handles should be right around your armpits. If the handles are too high or too low, the jump rope is not a good size for you. Thus, learning/performing double unders will be more difficult than they already are!

As with footwear, there are many brands to choose from. Brands like Rogue and RX Jump Ropes are popular in the CrossFit community. RX Jump Ropes actually allow you to measure and order a jump rope designed specifically to your body type.

As for the style of jump rope, that is a personal preference. Some athletes prefer a thin, lighter rope. Some athletes prefer a heavier rope. It all depends on what makes the athlete comfortable, and what allows them to perform well in a workout.

Footwear and Jump Ropes are the tip of the iceberg regarding proper gym equipment. Some equipment simply requires the use of common sense (wear shorts and shirts that fit). Some equipment requires the use of trial and error (some brands of shoes are more comfortable to me than others). One of the great, positive benefits of being apart of the CrossFit community, is being able to share your equipment discoveries with other CrossFitters. Just remember, proper equipment is about personal comfort. Find what products work for you.

Let me know if I can help with any future gym equipment decisions.

Coach Mike

Hey Everyone!

This past weekend I had the great privilege and fortune to attend Paleo f(x) Ancestral Momentum in Austin Texas.  While I learned a TON of useful information regarding my own special interests in Paleo, I was also able to soak up a lot of great stuff for you all as well.

The event was full of who's who in the paleo world, from the all knowing and all powerful, Robb Wolf to Mark Sisson to Chris Kresser to Dr Jack Kruse to James OPT Fitzgerald (the winner of the first CrossFit Games) and many many others.  There were Dr.'s, Dietitians, Fitness professionals, nutritionists, neurosurgeons and even a former US Ski Team member, all of whom came together to get out the message of how to implement the paleo/ancestral lifestyle for health and longevity.

Each panelist had their own unique perspective on a number of topics but the main thing that I was able to take away, is that for most people, the number one reason we don't hit our ultimate goals is that we don't recover properly.  As I've said before, we don't get stronger/faster/more powerful while we're in the gym.  We get all of those things through proper nutrition and recovery AFTER breaking our bodies down in the gym.  I know I've covered this topic before in earlier posts and I tend to hammer it home a lot in consults as well, but this was really drilled into me all weekend at Paleo f(x) so I'm bringing it up again.

If you feel too beat up to come in and hit a WOD hard, please, take a day off or if you do come in, just come in to mobilize and roll out.  Otherwise, you run the risk of adrenal fatigue, or injury and you'll be out for longer than just an extra day here or there.  It's our job as coaches to keep you safe in the gym but we can't possibly know every little thing that is happening with you physically.  This isn't about being lazy, listen to what your body is telling you and rest when you need to.  Take a rest day, get some sleep, and maintain your nutrition.  I promise, you'll be a lot healthier for it.

Recipe of the week: Smoked Paprika Tri Tip

~Coach Sean (Seamus)

Hello DogTowner’s,

This week’s topic will be another discussion on gym etiquette and gym safety. As the number of members at DogTown CrossFit grows, so does the need to reinforce proper gym safety.

If you read no further, please remember to at least use common sense while at DogTown. I am always available to politely remind any and all who need a common sense refresher.

In light of a few recent close calls, and one notable really close call (so good to see Kettlebelle “Belle” Noble back in the gym), it appears a discussion on dropping weights and other gym objects needs to transpire.

Who Should Drop Weights?

No one. That is the easy answer. No one should be dropping any gym object unless you or someone else is in danger. This includes: barbells with bumper plates, kettlebells, medicine balls, dumbbells, PVC pipes, etc.

If you can’t properly lower the object back to the ground, you have no business picking it up in the first place. With that being said, if you have a relatively high level of experience working with gym objects (barbells with bumper plates for example), there is a time and place where dropping them is acceptable.

When Should You Drop Weights?

There are a few circumstances that warrant an athlete to drop the object they are lifting. Number one on the list: to prevent an injury or prevent an emergency from occurring. This is where common sense should take over. If you are back squatting and something doesn’t feel right (your back, knee, etc.) ditch the bar in the appropriate manner and live to lift another day. This goes for whatever object you are lifting. If you feel your body, or another trainees’ body is in danger, drop the object to help prevent an emergency.

If you are experienced with lifting and dropping gym objects, there is another circumstance to review. I’m sure many of you have seen athletes drop a barbell with plates and then pick it right up again to continue their set of repetitions. This tactic is used to conserve energy and muscle strength. The lowering of an object is known as the eccentric portion of the given movements’ range of motion. This is the time when the muscle is under the greatest tension and stress. To relieve some of that tension and stress, some athletes will forgo lowering the object (barbell) to the ground, and instead drop the weight from it’s elevated position.

How Should You Drop Weights?

1. Barbells – these should never be dropped without bumper plates on either side. Period. With bumper plates attached, lower the bar down, in a controlled manner, keeping the bar as close to you as safety allows. We use the phrase “follow the bar down”. This means drop the bar, but use your hands to guide the barbell down and make sure it doesn’t jump away from you after it makes contact with the ground. This stuff takes practice! Most of you know, that dropping a barbell with 10lb or 15lb bumper plates on either side can be difficult to control. Because of this, you need to use extra caution when your class size is large.
2. Dumbbells – these should not be dropped from any height that is above your knees. They have the tendency after hitting the ground to jump in random directions. I have seen many close calls during workouts where an athlete will finish an overhead press and let their dumbbells fall from the sky without any regard to where they will land. Your workout time is of no concern to the person you may hit with your dumbbell. Follow your dumbbells to the ground just like you follow your barbells to the ground.
3. Kettlebells – these should not be dropped from any height. Unless you are preventing an emergency, kettlebells should be lowered to the ground in a controlled motion. There is a proper way to begin your swing, and a proper way to end your swing. Letting go of your kettlebell mid-air is not part of that process.

Where Should You Drop Weights?

If you have reached this point in the blog post, and feel comfortable with when and how to drop weights, then let’s quickly discuss where it is appropriate to drop them.

First, where should you not drop weights. We do not drop objects on the wooden lifting platforms. They are designed to be flat. Dumbbells and other objects can dent and scratch the platforms. Second, and more importantly, we do not drop weights near other athletes, visitors, coaches, owners, animals, etc. Safety is the number one concern at DogTown CrossFit. We spend an enormous amount of time teaching our members how to safely execute the many lifts and movements performed at the gym. The last thing we want to see is a trainee being careless with an object that has the potential to injure anyone inside the walls of the gym.

To conclude, please use common sense when you enter the doors at DogTown. Be aware that heavy objects will be moving all around you. Be aware that people will be moving all around you. It is the responsibility of every member to control their bodies and the objects their bodies are lifting. Look out for one another and continue to make DogTown CrossFit the greatest, and safest, gym in the world!!

If you would like a review of any of the above information, please ask the next time you see me at the gym.

Coach Mike

Hey Guys,

Today's post is about the importance of keeping logs of your progress.  Progress logs are of great use to let you know where you're stalling and where you're making great gains in your progress.  They give you the ability to pinpoint what, if anything, is holding you back, or helping you excel with your goals.  I know every member of the gym gets an invite to the website beyondthewhiteboard.com in order to keep track of all workouts we do here and to keep track of lifts, workout times/weights and so on.  I know some of you use this website and some of you prefer a physical log book to keep track of all of your stats.  I'm not here to tell you which is better than the other, as far as I'm concerned, as long as you are keeping track, whatever method you use, I'm great with and highly encourage you to keep it up.  

One thing that I notice more often than not is that most people who keep track of their workout information, completely disregard that of their food, sleep, mood, body composition logs.  You keep track of your lifts, Fran time, workouts etc. why not keep track of your food, sleep, mood progress?  If you're stalling and you don't know why and you're not keeping track of other factors like these, you won't know where to start.  The same goes for if you're making great progress, all you know is that SOMETHING is working but there is no possible way you can be sure as to what that is.

I highly urge everyone to keep track of what you're eating each meal, how much sleep you get each night including what time you go to bed and what time you wake up, how rested you feel, what your mood is like during the day etc.  These are all just a few variables that can have a dramatic impact not only on your health, but on your performance in the gym as well.

You're doing all this hard work by eating right, training smart, and everything else, why not take an extra couple minutes of each day a keep track of the small details so you are able to maximize your efforts?

Recipe of the week: Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

~Coach Sean (Seamus)

Hello DogTowners,

This week’s topic is focused on Aerobic vs Anaerobic training. I’ll define these terms and discuss how both training models affect your fitness results at DogTown CrossFit.

CrossFit headquarters defines fitness using three standards:

1. You are as fit as you are competent in each of the ten general physical skills (they are written on the big white board above the bumper plates)
2. Your ability to perform well at any task (movement or workout), known or unknown, compared to other athletes (we call this general physical preparedness)
3. Your competency and ability to train in each of the three metabolic pathways (Phosphagen, Glycolytic, Oxidative)

The third standard of fitness is what I will focus on today. There are three metabolic pathways that provide energy for all human movement. The Phosphagen pathway is used during high power activities. This pathway provides energy for only about 10 seconds. If more time is needed to complete an activity, energy is derived from the Glycolytic pathway. This pathway provides energy for moderately powered activities that last up to several minutes. The third pathway, the Oxidative pathway, provides energy for low powered activities lasting in excess of several minutes.

So what does all this mean to you as a trainee at DogTown?

When the coaches program your workouts, one of the factors they consider is which metabolic pathways will your bodies use throughout the workout.

The first two pathways (Phosphagen and Glycolytic) are known as Anaerobic. The third pathway (Oxidative) is known as Aerobic.

An activity is considered Anaerobic if the majority of the energy used to perform the movement is generated in the absence of oxygen. These are activities lasting less than two minutes and involve moderate to high power output. Examples include a 300m row, 20 squats, or 10 push ups.

An activity is considered Aerobic if the majority of the energy used to perform a movement is derived from oxygen and/or the breakdown of food. These are activities lasting longer than three minutes and involve low power output. Examples include a 1- mile run, bicycle riding at the beach, and reading a book on the couch.

If you are reading this, I know that you CrossFit. And if you CrossFit, you know that the vast majority of your workouts do not resemble riding your bike at the beach or reading a book on your couch. The intensity is a little more extreme during your workouts at DogTown.

There is a reason for this level of intensity. It gets trainees positive fitness results. Here’s why:

Aerobic training benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. Sounds good, right? But training at a low intensity for a long duration will lead to negative fitness adaptations. Decreased muscle mass/tone, decreased strength, decreased speed, and a decrease in power output to name a few. Aerobic activity actually decreases a trainees Anaerobic capacity.

Think back to when you first started CrossFit. Remember how out of shape you felt? (or still do if you’re new!) One of the reasons you were out of shape and CrossFit kicked your butt was because of the way you were training. Over time, low intensity for high duration, staying in the Oxidative pathway, Aerobic training will negatively affect your fitness.

Anaerobic training also benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. However, it is unique it its capacity to dramatically improve power, strength, speed, and muscle mass/tone. Training at a high intensity for short intervals has a positive affect on overall fitness. One of the greatest attributes to Anaerobic training is how it can positively affect a trainees Aerobic capacity. That’s right, not only do you improve your power output, but you can increase your ability to perform well during longer duration activities.

Now that you know some of the exercise science behind your training, why would you train anywhere else but DogTown CrossFit??!!

As usual, I’ll be at the gym if you have any questions.

Coach Mike