CrossFit: Ass-Kicking Made Simple

I recently discovered CrossFit, a training methodology that focuses on functional workouts that differ every day. The principles and exercises are simple, but the result is powerful. Instead of my usual weight lifting routine, I've been using the CrossFit "Workout of the Day" (WOD) twice a week. My ideal week is as follows:

• Monday: CrossFit WOD
• Tuesday: Swim
• Wednesday: Run (CrossFitEndurance WOD)
• Thursday: Swim
• Friday: CrossFit WOD
• Sat/Sun: Long Bike Ride + Run (Brick)

The WODs are "scalable", i.e. they can be adapted for any level of fitness. For example, I usually lift about 3/4 of the weight suggested on the WOD.

I've found that my endurance has maintained while I've gotten stronger over the past months. CrossFit has a number of "affiliate" gyms, but I can do all of the workouts at my local university gym.

It's worth noting that a lot of CrossFitters are very vocal about their belief in the methodology, to a degree that some call "cultish". However I think they are a good group of people and anything that motivates people to workout and get in shape is good with me.

On a similar topic, I saw a post on Zen Habits today about getting in shape with minimal equiptment. The suggested exercises (pushups, pullups, "burpees", etc) are very reminiscant of CrossFit, and would make a great introduction for those who don't want to jump right into the WOD. Here's the full post link:

Minimalist Fitness: How to Get In Lean Shape With Little or No Equipment

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Coffee and Stretching

I came across two interesting articles in the New York Times this week that are relevant for athletes, and one of them focuses on my favorite vice: Coffee. Forget alcohol and dark chocolate, I’ve tried to stop drinking coffee a handful of times with zero success. According to the NYT article, this might be OK after all.

While the article doesn’t break any new ground, it claims to give the definitive answer on coffee’s health effects, and clarify the conflicting evidence. Here are some highlights:

So even a Starbucks grande, with 330 milligrams of caffeine, will not send you to a bathroom any sooner than if you drank 16 ounces of pure water. Drinks containing usual doses of caffeine are hydrating and, like water, contribute to the body’s daily water needs.

’Contrary to common belief,’ concluded cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco, there is ‘little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk’ of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms.

In an international review of 66 studies last year, scientists found coffee drinking had little if any effect on the risk of developing pancreatic or kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do have half the risk of developing liver cancer.

For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates.

Here’s a bummer. Although caffeine speeds up metabolism, with 100 milligrams burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated.

In summary: Coffee helps you stay hydrated, and it might be good for your liver! It looks like I can keep all of my vices! Read the whole article here:

Sorting Out Coffee’s Contradictions

The second article is about stretching: Does it do more harm than good? While the author doesn’t provide an answer, she points to a number of studies being done on the subject.

In the past I’ve done yoga and found it helpful with overall flexibility, but I can’t say it helped my athletic performance. I still have my foam roller, which I use at least once a month after a long ride or a long run. This feels good and helps to get out the knots, but I don’t use it after every workout.

My take on the matter is that I stretch when I’m sore, or after workouts that are especially taxing, and other than that I don’t stretch much.

Here’s the link to the full article:

Is Stretching All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

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First Post Ever

I'll update this blog with training, thoughts, articles, and rants on any of the following:

- Cycling
- Triathlon
- CrossFit
- Other Sports
- Camping
- Hiking
- Environment
- Economy
- Health
- Food
- Beer
- Wine
- Coffee
- Music
- Zen

...plus anything else that catches my eye or sparks my interest.