09/10/13 Tuesday / Training for Fat Loss Article

TUESDAY 9/10

SKILL:

SHOULDER PRESS

1 x 10 @ 50%   1 x 8 @  60%   2 x 5 @ 75%      2 x 3 @ 85%

WOD:

10 MIN AMRAP

20 WALL BALLS

10 RING DIPS

Training for Fat Loss
We've spent the better part of a decade earning a living by training clients and working with athletes. In that time, the biggest misconceptions that we have seen over and over have been related to training for fat loss. We hate to generalize, but most women (and some men) believe that they should avoid all weight training and only perform “cardio” and abdominal exercises to get their ideal physique. We see this manifest in our group classes in the form of going through the motions during the strength portion and then only focusing on the conditioning portion of the workout – and often followed up by a few sets of sit-ups or something similar. My guess is that if you are guilty of this approach, you probably haven’t seen very good results with it. Maybe you lost a few pounds initially, but now you have plateaued and you may have even gained a pound or two. This faulty approach is perpetuated by novice trainers, workout routines published in “fitness” magazines, and a few common exercise myths.

The hour or so you spend in the gym accounts for a very small portion of your daily caloric expenditure. Unless you are a professional athlete that trains and practices for several hours each day, the large majority of your daily caloric expenditure comes from your Basal Metabolic Rate (or BMR), the calories burned to sustain your bodily functions on a daily basis. One of the most effective ways of increasing your BMR is through increasing the amount of lean muscle mass on your body. This is, of course, only achievable through weight training, preferably in the form of deadlifts, squats, presses, and other multi-joint, compound movements. You see, for every pound of lean muscle that you add, you will burn approximately 50 calories more per day. That might not sound like much but keep in mind if you swap out 5 pounds of fat for 5 pounds of muscle, you will burn close to 300 extra calories a day before you even hit the gym. Furthermore, intense weight training results in an after burn effect where your metabolism is elevated for up to 38 hours after your training session. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, and you can read more about it  here. Doing cardio alone will only decrease your BMR as time goes on. This turns into an uphill battle as your BMR keeps dropping, you’ll need to increase the amount of cardio you do to create the same deficit. Without weight training, you’ll lose muscle which will actually account for some weight loss, and you might even lose a few pounds of fat if your diet is decent, but it’s unlikely you will achieve (or maintain) the level of fat loss you desire.

“Won’t weights make me bulky?”
Getting big and muscular is very hard to do. Just ask any average male. It takes years of hard work, the right training program, and a lot of food . . . it just doesn't happen by accident. Weight training will add a few pounds of needed lean body mass which will in turn make you leaner and give you a better looking physique. Women simply don’t have the levels of testosterone needed to support the type of muscle growth you fear. Unless you are taking anabolic steroids, gaining too much muscle is probably the least of your worries. And if you are taking steroids, gaining muscle is still probably the least of your issues.

“Marathon runners are skinny, shouldn't I run to become thinner?”
That makes as much sense as playing basketball to get taller. This logical fallacy is commonplace in fitness as many people are quick to make hasty generalizations. In any sport, genetics certainly play an important role. The best runners are thin because skinny people make for better runners. Just as the best basketball players are tall, the best runners are thin. In fact, many people who take up running end up “skinny fat”, a physique denoted by a lack of lean muscle mass and often accompanied by a noticeable amount of fat or “doughy” appearance. These people are known to complain about being unable to lose the last the few pounds of fat around their midsection while sipping on a fruit smoothie or over a lunch of whole grain pasta.

“So how do I go about increasing my lean body mass and improving my body composition?”
Definitely focus on the strength component in our group workouts. If you want to get more experienced with lifting, consider signing up for our Technique Classes or Competition Team Training group. You’ll focus on the core lifts, increasing strength, lean body mass, and overall performance. Many of the clients in the Technique Classes have leaned out while getting stronger at the same time. Also, look into signing up for a nutritional consult. You’ll get some useful instruction on how to dial in your nutrition so that you can improve your body composition and performance with a sustainable approach.

Take a look at your current approach to training and be honest about how well it has worked for you. If you are less than 100% satisfied with your results, I hope you’ll consider our recommendations. And as always, feel free to consult any of your Sweat Factory coaches if you need further guidance.

Fat Burn; Getting More bang for your Buck

Getting More Bang for Your Buck

As we have explained before, the notion of the fat-burning zone is a misunderstood concept, and that a higher intensity of exercise yields more results than a low-intensity session (when we look at it from the caloric expenditure standpoint). If fat loss is one of your goals, caloric intake and expenditure is something you should be mindful of, and burning more calories during exercise will help to increase that expenditure and subsequent weight loss. But since the majority of our workouts at Sweat Factory fall under 20 minutes, many may think that doing longer steady-state cardio work might be the best way to really accelerate their fat loss. It is true that an hour on the treadmill may indeed burn more calories than some heavy lifting followed by “Helen,” but you will reach that conclusion only if you look at a very small piece of the whole picture.

To understand this, we need to address the concept of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. Oxygen consumption serves as an approximation of your metabolic rate, and therefore how many calories you are burning in a given period of time. EPOC, then, is the effect seen following exercise in which the body is burning more oxygen (and more calories) for a period of time anywhere from a few minutes to more than a day. This results in an elevated metabolism and creates what  we call an ‘afterburn.’ A study performed in 2002 at Ohio University found that following heavy resistance training circuits, EPOC was significantly elevated over baseline for 38 hours.

Using this data, let’s go back to that treadmill example. Suppose the machine tells you that you burned 300 calories in your hour spent on the treadmill. EPOC occurs as a result of aerobic training as well, but the magnitude and duration of the increase is less than that seen with resistance or interval training. Now let’s say that at the same time you were on the hamster wheel, your friend did the aforementioned heavy lifting followed by Helen. It’s likely that he didn’t burn as many calories as you in his exercise session, but let’s now look at the whole picture, i.e. all of the time following the workout. If your friend worked hard enough to bump his EPOC up to where he’s burning a paltry eight additional calories per hour, 38 hours later when his oxygen consumption returns to normal, he’s burned more calories than you, and he accomplished it in a much shorter workout. And then think of how it would affect him if he went and worked out the next day too! Would EPOC go even higher? It is not certain whether EPOC is cumulative, but even without an additive affect, the benefits are easy to see. Would you rather be burning more calories in the 23 hours a day you’re not at Sweat Factory, or just burning the same old amount as usual in the 23 hours you’re not at a traditional gym (not to mention that you’d only be running and not developing your strength, flexibility, accuracy, etc.)?

If you have a weight loss goal, don’t resist your strength work. Stick to the program and talk to your coaches about making minor modifications to your fitness and nutrition programs to help you achieve your results most efficiently.

Benchmark Monday "HELEN" 9/09/13

SKILL:

FRONT SQUATS

1 x 5 @ 50%      1 x 5 @ 60%    3 x 3 @ 75%

   

WOD: Benchmark Monday

"HELEN"

3RFT

400M

21 KETTLEBELL SWINGS 53/35

12 PULL UPS

Quite a few members have been wondering the difference between  Kettlebell swings and proper extension.   American Swings, Russian Swings or a hybrid.

Let’s take a look at the traditional American and Russian swings first, and then talk about how to determine which of those is best for you, or if there is a hybrid option that might work better.

The Russian Swing
The Russian swing starts with the kettlebell just below the groin (above the knees) and is swung to chest level – approximately a 90-degree angle to the torso. The movement is short, brisk and compact. It is a hip-hinge movement, with roughly 20-degrees (or less) of flexion at the knee. The power of the swing is generated from the hips while the spine is held perfectly stable and neutral. At the apex of the swing, the bell is at chest level, and the athlete’s glutes are contracted, quads are engaged (pulling the knees up), belly is rock solid and braced for impact, and lats are actively pulling the shoulders away from the ears. Additionally, the Russian swing should be performed with rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing – filling the abdomen on the downswing and forcefully expelling through the teeth, while bracing the belly, at the top of the swing.

The American Swing
The American swing should differ from the traditional Russian swing only in the finish position. The mechanics of the swing itself should be identical – the bell should pass just below the groin, there should be no more than 20 degrees of knee flexion, the hips should generate the power, the glutes should contract hard, the quads should engage to pull the knees up, and the belly should be rock solid. The difference is simply that the athlete will allow the force produced on the kettlebell to carry it all the way overhead so that the bottom of the kettlebell is directly over the ears, shoulders, hips and ankles. Note, athletes should not be increasing the amount of knee flexion (turning the movement into a squat), nor should they be lifting the kettlebell with their deltoids to assist it into the overhead position. The force is still generated solely by the hip drive, and if optimal force is produced by the hips the athlete will likely have to decelerate the kettlebell as it approaches its apex.

The Russian Swing Must Come First!
The first thing to understand is that the Russian swing must be the foundational movement. The American swing is a progression the builds from the foundation of the Russian swing. If you cannot perform Russian swings well, you will not perform American swings well. Attempting to jump straight to American swings without a solid understanding of the Russian swing often creates poor habits, like squatting through the movement or pulling up on the kettlebell with the traps and deltoids. So, we must start by mastering the short, concise, powerful Russian swing before attempting to move on to the American swing . . . or a hybrid.

My Hips Are Strong and My Swing is Solid . . . Can I Go Overhead?
My chief concern when training an athlete is to determine whether they can perform the assigned movements with perfect, virtuous mechanics. Without regard to the particular movement we are talking about, there are a few mechanical principles from which we should almost never deviate. Most notably, our movements should sequence in a wave of contraction from core to extremity, and we should be able to maintain a fixed (and typically neutral) posture.

Many athletes lack the mobility to achieve the range of motion required by the American swing. Restrictions in their thoracic spine and shoulder girdle often prevent them from raising their arms straight overhead with a completely fixed and neutral spine. These athletes typically compensate for their insufficient mobility by over-extending at the thoracic-lumbar junction. The example on the left demonstrates over-extension. You can see that compared to the photo on the right, Nichole’s ribcage is elevated and there is excessive curve at her lumbar spine.

The answer to the question of whether you can or should be going overhead with your kettlebell swings is not one that we can answer from afar. That answer depends entirely on whether you have three things:

1. The thoracic mobility to achieve the finishing position without overextending at the lumbar spine.
2. The midline stability and coordination to achieve the finishing position without overextending at the lumbar spine.
3. The discipline to achieve the finishing position without overextending at the lumbar spine.

It doesn’t take much for an experienced coach to determine whether an athlete meets the first two requirements . . . the answer to the third question will be answered once the athlete is challenged to maintain good mechanics despite gasping for air and fighting off fatigue. Here is a quick little tool to help you determine whether the overhead/American swing is right for you.

Step 1 – Lay down on your back with your chin and spine in a neutral position and your hands down at your sides.

Step 2 – Squeeze your bum and belly and at belly button level interlock your thumbs with your knuckles lined up – mimicking the position of your hands on the kettlebell.

Step 3 – Have a partner place their hand between your back and floor. (If you train alone, you can also stage your camera on the floor beside you and videotape this drill.) It’s likely (desirable, in fact) that there will be some space between your lower back and the floor. The more impressive your glute development (think Olympic-caliber sprinter), the larger that gap between back and floor will be.

Step 4 – Slowly begin to raise your hands from hip level to chest and eventually overhead until your knuckles touch the ground. Your partner will be there to determine if you change positions at any point. If the pressure on their hand decreases as you raise your arms (i.e., the space between your back and the floor increases) they will stop you. That is the height to which you should swing the kettlebell until you improve your thoracic mobility and/or midline stability.

This is a PASS at the standard Russian swing height.

This is a PASS at the hybrid swing height.

This is a FAIL at the American swing height.

The Hybrid Swing (Russican?)
I hope and assume that you all are able to pass chest level without losing a neutral spine position. But I am also guessing that not all of you got to the overhead position before you started to hinge and compensate with your spine. That point between Russian and American just before you start to lose your stable midline and neutral spine position is your unique version of the hybrid swing.

In our group sessions at Sweat Factory , we will often suggest that most of our athletes swing the kettlebell to eyebrow height. This hybrid swing allows us to provide a common standard that can be met by the vast majority of our athletes. If the coach can see the athlete’s eyes under the bell, they’ve met the standard. It’s a compromise position that we have taken in group coaching, but for athletes training for competition, I want to see them swinging the kettlebell as high as they can without sacrificing good movement, a neutral spine and stable midline.

The Quick and Dirty Conclusion
You all might have a slightly different swing height for TRAINING. I am ok with that. If you’re training for health and fitness, determine which swing better fits your training goals for the given day, with the understanding that whichever method you choose must be performed with perfect mechanics.

For athletes out there looking to compete in the sport of CrossFit, I suggest swinging to the height that makes the most sense for you and your possible mobility restrictions until just a few weeks prior to the competition season. It will not take long to make the adjustment to American swings, and you will have enjoyed many months of training good mechanics. You will also buy yourself many months to work on your mobility so that when the competition season comes around you can repeat our little test and hit the full range on an American swing with perfect mechanics.

Saturday Fun Day! 09/07/13

      Skill: 800 M Run / Technique for Cleans from Hang

      WOD:  5 Min AMRAP

                5 Pull Ups

                5 Push Ups

                5 Sit Ups

 Rest 2 Minutes after last Round    

                4 Minute AMRAP

                Cleans from Hang Position  95/65 

 Rest 2 Minutes after last round

                3 RFT

                15 Burpees

                400 M Run / Jump Over obstacle wall 

               on the way to the trail !!  Woooo Hooooo

               10 Box Jumps  24/20

                          ~SFC Tid bit of the day~

 Risk vs. reward. When it comes to human movement, what will you risk in body positioning to get what you want? Let’s take a rounded spine while deadlifting as a example. Maybe Rich Fronning is trying to win the CrossFit Games, and he realizes on his last workout of 405# deadlifts that if he allows his back to round because he is fatigued, he will finish first and win his heat, and possibly the Games. He risks damage to various tissues and bones, but… It may be worth it to him. Maybe a baseball pitcher knows that with a tweak of his technique, he can get his 93 m.p.h. fastball up to a 97 m.p.h fastball. In doing so, he secures himself a multi-million dollar contract, even though he knows he’s probably going to need Tommy John Surgery in the next 5-10 years. The risk may be worth it to him. Now lets say YOU are doing a workout with deadlifts. Will you choose the weight you can manage, or the weight you want to use? What’s your risk vs. reward? The risk is you herniate a disk, pull a muscle in your back, or even scrape your shin!! The reward is… you finish a workout. Is the risk worth it to you? Now I realize we are competitive as a group. We take our lives and what we achieve seriously. Remember, though, that it’s just workout. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. The poor positioning that you practice in one movement will transfer over to another.
2. Sacrificing good form will eat away at potential benefits of the exercise you are performing.
3. Your bad form is a ticking time bomb. You may get away with it unscathed today. Eventually though, it will manifest itself by way of pain.This is the tricky one. If we don’t feel the consequences immediately, the risk we’re taking may not seem like a risk at all.

 These are the choices we must make. Every choice we make, in fact, has a risk vs. reward equation to it. So what are you willing to gamble to get the result you want? 

Information for this post was referenced from the book Becoming A Supple Leopard, by Kelly Starrett. 

Mighty Shoulders and arms! 09/06/13

Skill: Strict Shoulder Press
1 x 10 @ 50%

1 x 8 @ 60% 

3 x 5 @ 75%
 

WOD: 7 Min AMRAP 

10 Goblet Squats

10 Sumo Dead Lifts

10 Kettlebell Swings

Are you Ready for some Football!! 9/05/13

SKILL:

Skill: Deadlifts to 3 Rep Max and 4x3

 

WOD: Courtesy of Brian Wright

"Are you Ready for some Football!!!!!!"

                     4 Quarters of ( RFT)

         4 Thrusters   95/65

         4 Burpees over Bar

        4 Slam Balls 20/10

         4 Pull Ups

        25 yards pulling Tire forward

       25 yards pulling backward  ( simulating back pedal)

                     "Overtime"

       Push Ups to Failure, every push up takes a

        second off your time. 

Wed 9/4/13

 

SKILL:

warm up to your 70% max then start this progression

Back Squat: 1X4@70%, 1X4@75%, 1X4@80%, 1X4@85%

 – rest 2:00

go over technique for front squats and push jerks

 

WOD:

AMRAP 8 min:

15 Front Squats

RTG 135/95   RX 95/6512

T2B

9 Push Jerks

RTG 135/95   RX 95/65