Is it possible that 2.3 million years ago, when we, as humans, developed the capacity to eat meat with tools, that we got smarter as a result? According to recent research by evolutionary anthropologists, (see article / audio from NPR -) this may just be the case. Is it ever something we will know as fact? Probably not. But I am of the belief that if it was good for my caveman ancestors, it is probably good for me today. I know this is a controversial subject with meat eaters and vegetarians alike… so lets hear it… what do you think?
CrossFit has a unique ability to raise a person’s anxiety level, even before starting a workout. I remember when I first started CrossFit , I would start getting nervous hours before class time. Sometimes I would feel nauseous, other times I would just constantly feel like I had to use the bathroom. My heart rate would go up and I would feel energized, but anxious. I joke about it, referring to it as a “fight or flight” response, but that really is what is happening. Our bodies know under times of stress to focus more on the important things – like dilating our eyes to take in our surroundings, opening our throat and nostrils wider to bring in more oxygen, and putting our digestive system on hold. Our critical thinking and judgment system are also put aside and our primal instincts left in control. With all that in place, we can assess and act quickly and effectively.
…unless of course critical thinking is actually required. What if you play a sport and even if you are tired and getting pushed around you still have to make judgments about the plays? What if you are in law enforcement or a fire fighter and you have to be able to make decisions under physical and mental stress? Or what if there is an earthquake and you have to make critical life saving decisions for your family, while your fight or flight response is in full effect? Or maybe you just want to be able to correctly add up the weights on your bar after a workout!
One way to practice critical thinking under stress is to throw it into the middle of your workouts. Law enforcement personnel do this to practice fine motor skills and the ability to effectively fire a gun while under less than optimal physical conditions, for us it can show up less dramatically — like a good game of CrossFit Concentration.
My name is Erica Ramirez, wife to Walnut Crossfit member Hector Ramirez. I am a mother of three children under 4 1/2 years of age, and work full-time. Time is of the essence and I can’t fit anything else in my schedule, so I was looking for an exercise program which would help reclaim my pre-pregnancy body! I was invited by my sister and Walnut Crossfit member Darlene Gallegos to try-out the best high intense workout known to all as Crossfit! During my first work-out, I puked. According to Robert, puking is considered a “badge of honor!”. Two months later into Crossfit Training, I have dropped 2 dress sizes, 7 lbs., and building much needed definition on my body. The results are incredible and the feeling is optimal!
You got to love WalnutCrossfit! Thanks Robert!
Here’s another great video showing what we do in CrossFit. It makes you wanna get to the gym and kick some ass. My apologies in advance for some of the lyrics being used in the background music. I didn’t pick the music. Enjoy!
So much has been made of meal frequency. Plenty of old school and new school trainers recommend eating small meals, every 2 hours in order to keep the metabolic furnace “stoked” and burning calories all day long. Another oldie, but goodie is “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” If you want to lose weight, don’t skip breakfast because it gets your engine running right off the bat. Research has shown that these strategies may be no more effective than 3 squares a day or waiting until lunch to get started. Many in the fitness world are now discovering something completely new – intermittent fasting, or IF for short. Small scale and anecdotal research shows that IF may be an effective and powerful tool not only for burning fat but also for building muscle. A study from 2007 divided dieters into 2 groups – one eating one meal per day and one eating three with equivalent calories and showed that the group eating only one meal lost more bodyweight and body fat and gained more lean muscle tissue. There may be other health and cognitive benefits as well, decreasing inflammation and increasing neuro-plasticity or the ability to learn and form new neural connections. This article summarizes some of the practices and benefits that are currently understood. There are caveats, for sure. Those with hypoglycemia may not benefit from reducing meal frequency, but all other things being equal, do you see a benefit for yourself?
Congrats to Jose on his 455LB Deadlift. New WCF record.
Congratulations to everyone yesterday who hit new PR’s(Personal Records) on their Deadlift. Everyone broke their previous record! For those of you that did this for the first time, I am confident you will exceed those numbers very soon.
Sometimes I joke with students about the fact that when we run into each other outside of the gym, in our regular clothes and regular lives, that we do not recognize each other at first. It is funny…but there is also something amazing about that. When you walk into the gym, you are stripping yourself of the uniform of the outside world. Your clothes, your job and all the things you have going on out there cease to matter. I don’t call you doctor or sir and I have no picture of who you should or shouldn’t be. Your gym clothes are the uniform of nothingness and none of us know who you are.
And yet, we know exactly who you are. In the space of nothing that the gym becomes, you become exactly who you truly are inside. We get to know you, not because of your car or your mortgage, not because of your education or your spouse, but because of your heart and your dedication, your sweat and your tears. We have the privilege to bear witness to the little glow inside you, striving to get out and shine, in the safe space inside these walls. On the blank slate, in the empty space, you get to be you.
Matt hitting a PR(Personal Record) on the Front Squat
This may seem like a silly question, but have you ever stopped to wonder why thin people aren’t fat? A BBC documentary looked at obesity from that angle to determine if naturally thin people could eat themselves fat given a completely unrestricted allowance of calories. A study was performed and a 1967 Vermont prison experiment that attempted the same was looked at as well. What they discovered was interesting. Some people who are naturally thin couldn’t increase their bodyweight by more than 18% even with a calorie intake of 10,000 calories a day! Among the findings, they believe that appetite has a genetic basis and that the number of fat cells has a direct relationship to obesity in that each individual cell signals you to eat and store energy, and that your number of fat cells will never decrease. Take a look at this article from the inhuman experiment to read more and watch a clip. Does this mean weight loss is a lost cause for some? What has your experience been? Are you naturally thin or naturally heavy? Have you broken through what seemed like an insurmountable barrier in weight loss? Post to comments.
