CrossFit South Rockland

Monday, December 31, 2018

AMRAP Fitness 2018 Wrap up




Monday 12/31New Year's Eve




Warm up 
Combo Activation
Overhead banded circles
External rotations
Band walks (Lateral & FWD/REV)

Barbell complex #3
Deadlift/ Back squat/ Good morning/ Press from behind the neck/ Front squat/ Press from the front/ Thruster

Skill 
Squat clean thruster

WOD
8 minute AMRAP
Squat clean thruster

(w/.75 body weight m/body weight)

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Excuses - we all make them

Excuses - we all make them

When it comes to nutrition, what excuses do you find yourself using that derail efforts to stay on track?

A common one I hear is… and confession, something that I find myself saying… “Its just hard to stay consistent…”

Making healthy choices on a consistent basis, and staying on track with your health and wellness goals is hard. That is true. It is ok to feel like this is hard.

Rather than staying stuck with these excuses, my challenge for you, if you find yourself making this excuse, is to make a list of things that are hard. Your list may look something like this:

Losing weight
Meal prepping and working out on a consistent basis - longer than a month
Logging food - either paper or on Myfitnesspal
Doing strength sessions
Staying committed to long-term goals

The next step of this challenge is to find the counter argument to these excuses. What else is hard?

Chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes
Fatigue from eating processed foods
Losing strength and endurance from not working out regularly, or staying committed to an exercise program
Walking up the stairs and being out of breath
Feeling a lack of accomplishment

Next time you find yourself making the excuse of what is hard, examine your list. What is truly hard? In the moment, your effort may feel difficult, but take a moment to reflect on the big picture, and reshape your thoughts. What are things you can do TODAY to stay committed to your long-term health and wellness goals? When you change your thinking, you have the power to change your life, make consistent healthy choices, and ultimately achieve long-term goals and long-term health.


Ivette Johnsen
Nutrition Coach
Healthy Steps Nutrition

www.healthystepsnutrition.com

12/29 Hero Saturday

U.S. Air Force Major Lucas "Gaza" Gruenther, of Twain Harte, California, died Jan. 28, 2013, when his F-16 jet went down in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy. Gruenther was in the 555th Fighter Squadron where he served as an F-16 Flight Lead for the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. Gruenther is survived by his wife, Cassy; daughter, Serene, born just a week after his death; parents, Romel Mathias and Joseph Malin; brother and sister-in-law, Alex and Britton; brother, Chance Hildreth; grandmothers, Melba Mathias and Brigitta Gruenther; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his grandfathers, Robert Mathis and Col. Donald Gruenther.

Partner KB Warm up #3
Ping pong the following
3 reps
KB shuttle
KB single arm swing
KB clean (R/L)
KB snatch (R/L)
KB release
KB wall ball sub

Skill
Movement standards 

WOD
Gaza
5-Rounds for time:
35 Kettlebell Swings, 1.5 pood
30 Push-ups
25 Pull-ups
20 Box Jumps, 30"
1-Mile Run

Friday, December 28, 2018

Sean's Fitness Journey




My fitness journey began when I was about 19 years old.  Growing up I played hockey and baseball, then picked up boxing in my early 20's.  I saw lifting and cardio as way to get better off of the ice and off of the field.  Because of sports, my introduction to the gym has become permanent.  

Like many others, I feel guilty if I don't go to the gym, for what I consider to be a productive amount of times per week.  There is a mental aspect, physical aspect and sense of gratification that keeps me loyal to working out.  Now, if I could only incorporate my discipline in working out and transfer it to my eating habits, I'd be cooking with rocket fuel. I can eat more ice cream and chocolate, than most overweight people. This is something I'm working on in the 2nd part of my fitness journey.

Part II of this play currently takes place at Vision Sports.  It is here, where I first saw the "hoodie people", walking into the back of the gym and wondered; "What are those losers up to?"  I'd walk back there from time to time and sneak a peak at people collapsing from exhaustion, " Do I want that type of pain in my life and I want to pay someone to give it to me?"  

Well that someone is Ray Traitz and that challenge was AMRAP Fitness.  Ray along with his wife, Coach Nataliya, and Robin, run a tight ship and the truth is, CrossFit is a hell of a workout! Ray and Sue are committed 100% to bettering everyone that walks into their gym. It has helped me be more physically fit at work. 

I am a fireman.  Climbing up stairs with "X" amount of weight and gear, getting to your destination, and then starting your job is a tiring process.  Everyone, at this point, in my line of work gets out breath.  It is also at this point, before the real part of my job begins, that I can catch some of that breath back and recover a little for the task at hand.  

Crossfit is a total body workout. It will highlight your deficiencies and make you better, when the effort is made. I've experienced this at work and at the gym.  When I'm hitting on all cylinders there is tangible, positive difference. When I'm sputtering around and being loose with my eating, the difference swings in the other direction. Not good!    

The camaraderie and intensity of the workout is why I am at AMRAP Fitness.  I have a lot of respect for the effort that goes into this gym. Getting back to my earlier point about eating habits.  Ray has incorporated quarterly eating challenges into the routine of the gym.  This is were I need to improve most. To become more consistent with the way I eat, combined with this intense form of working out, will garner the most results. 

I have seen it in myself and I have seen it in others, and it is quite noticeable when you make that commitment. I am thankful for walking into AMRAP Fitness three years ago.  The coaching, the attention to detail, the advice and community focus makes this hobby of mine, that I started when I was 19 years old, that much more gratifying.   

Finally, I would encourage anyone who's thinking about joining CrossFit to give it a try and see if it works for you.  You'll never know unless you try, and you just might find the benefits of this decision popping up in ways that you would never have expected.

Sean 2E

12/28 Friday



Warm up 
800m run 

Dodge ball

Skill 
Movement standards 

WOD
Ski 1 minute MAX effort
2 minutes rest
Row 1 minute MAX effort
2 minutes rest
Air bike 1 minute MAX effort

Thursday, December 27, 2018

12/27 Thursday


MB Warm up #3
3x 10 reps
MB shuttle 40m
MB rotations
MB shuttle 40m
MB sit ups
MB shuttle 40m
Partner wall ball shots

Skill
Movement standards

Partner WOD
25 minute ping pong
7 TTB
14 Box jumps w/20” m/24”
14 Wall ball shots
14 KBS w/35# m/53#

GoFit
MB Warm up #3
3x 10 reps
MB shuttle 40m
MB rotations
MB shuttle 40m
MB sit ups
MB shuttle 40m
Partner wall ball shots

Skill
Movement standards

WOD
5x
30:30
-TTB
-Box jumps w/20” m/24”
-Wall ball shots
-KBS w/35# m/53#


Wednesday, December 26, 2018

12/26 Wednesday


Peg board Warm up
800m run
Peg Board complex
Round robin fashion
-Pull 10 second hold x3
-Single arm hangs 5 seconds each arm x 5
-Stagger pull ups 3 each side
-Hang with peg pull
-Pull + 5 weight shift

Tabata B2B squats

Skill
DB full snatch

WOD
3 rounds for time:
2x peg board climb 10’
16 DB full snatch w/30# m/50#
1K row

Monday, December 24, 2018

12/24 Christmas Eve





Warm Up & Skill
Movement standards 

WOD
12 days of Christmas
1- Clean & Jerk (225/155#)
2- Muscle Ups
3- Box Jumps (30/24)
4- Hang Squat Snatch (115/75#)
5- Bar Facing Burpees
6- Push Press (115/75#)
7- Pistols (Alternating)
8- Toe to Bar
9- Wall Ball (20/14#)
10- C2B Pull ups
11- HSPU
12- Front Squats (225/155#)




Saturday, December 22, 2018

Health Benefits of Garlic


Garlic (Allium sativum), is used widely as a flavoring in cooking, but it has also been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history; it has been taken to prevent and treat a wide range of conditions and diseases. Garlic belongs to the genus Allium and is closely related to the onion, rakkyo (an onion found in Asia), scallion, chive, leek, and shallot. It has been used by humans for thousands of years and was used in Ancient Egypt for both culinary purposes and its health and therapeutic benefits.
History
Garlic has been used all over the world for thousands of years. Records indicate that garlic was in use when the Giza pyramids were built, about 5,000 years ago.
Richard S. Rivlin wrote in the Journal of Nutrition that the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (circa. 460-370 BC), known today as "the father of Western medicine," prescribed garlic for a wide range of conditions and illnesses. Hippocrates promoted the use of garlic for treating respiratory problems, parasites, poor digestion, and fatigue.
The original Olympic athletes in Ancient Greece were given garlic - possibly the earliest example of "performance enhancing" agents used in sports.
From Ancient Egypt, garlic spread to the advanced ancient civilizations of the Indus Valley (Pakistan and western India today). From there, it made its way to China. According to experts at Kew Gardens, England's royal botanical center of excellence, the people of ancient India valued the therapeutic properties of garlic and also thought it to be an aphrodisiac. The upper classes avoided garlic because they despised its strong odor, while monks, "...widows, adolescents, and those who had taken up a vow or were fasting, could not eat garlic because of its stimulant quality."
Throughout history in the Middle East, East Asia, and Nepal, garlic has been used to treat bronchitis, hypertension (high blood pressure), TB (tuberculosis), liver disorders, dysentery, flatulence, colic, intestinal worms, rheumatism, diabetes, and fevers.

Nutrition
Calorie for calorie, garlic is incredibly nutritious.
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of garlic contains:
  • Manganese: 23% of the RDA
  • Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA
  • Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA
  • Selenium: 6% of the RDA
  • Fiber: 0.6 grams
  • Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1
Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything you need. This comes with 42 calories, 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.

Health Benefits
Eating garlic regularly is not only good for us; it has been linked to reducing or even helping to prevent four of the major causes of death worldwideincluding heart disease, stroke, cancer and infections. The National Cancer Institute does not recommend any dietary supplement for cancer prevention, but it does recognize garlic as one of several vegetables with potential anticancer properties. 
Heart Disease
Probably the most amazing characteristic of garlic is that it’s been shown to help reverse early heart disease by removing plaque buildup in arteries. A 2016 randomized, double-blind study published in the Journal of Nutrition involved 55 patients, aged 40 to 75 years, who had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. The results of the study showed that aged garlic extract effectively reduced plaque in coronary arteries (the arteries supplying blood to the heart) for patients with metabolic syndrome.

Cancer
Allium vegetables, especially garlic and onions, and their bioactive sulfur compounds are believed to have effects at each stage of cancer formation and affect many biological processes that modify cancer risk. 

In the words of the NIH National Cancer Institute, “Several population studies show an association between increased intake of garlic and reduced risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and breast.” It also includes an answer to a very key question: How can garlic act to prevent cancer? The National Cancer Institute explains that “protective effects from garlic may arise from its antibacterial properties or from its ability to block the formation of cancer-causing substances, halt the activation of cancer-causing substances, enhance DNA repair, reduce cell proliferation, or induce cell death.”

Common cold
A team of researchers from St. Joseph Family Medicine Residency, Indiana, carried out a study titled "Treatment of the Common Cold in Children and Adults," published in American Family Physician. They reported that "Prophylactic use of garlic may decrease the frequency of colds in adults, but has no effect on duration of symptoms." Prophylactic use means using it regularly to prevent disease. Though there is some research to suggest that raw garlic has the most benefits, other studies have looked at overall allium intake, both raw and cooked, and have found benefits. Therefore, you can enjoy garlic in a variety of ways to reap its advantages.

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). 
As people age, their arteries tend to lose their ability to stretch and flex. Garlic seems to reduce this effect. Taking a specific garlic powder supplement (Allicor, INAT-Farma, Moscow, Russia) twice daily for 24 months seems to reduce how much hardening of the arteries progresses. Higher doses of this product seem to provide more benefits in women than men when taken over a four year period. Research with other products containing garlic along with other ingredients (Kyolic, Total Heart Health, Formula 108, Wakunga) have also shown benefits.
Diabetes
Garlic seems to modestly reduce pre-meal blood sugar levels in people with or without diabetes. It seems to work best in people with diabetes, especially if it is taken for at least 3 months. It’s not known if garlic reduces post-meal blood sugar levels or HbA1c levels.

High cholesterol
While not all research agrees, the most reliable evidence suggests that taking garlic can reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, "bad" cholesterol) by a small amount in people with high cholesterol levels. Garlic appears to work best if taken daily for more than 8 weeks. However, taking garlic doesn't help increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, "good" cholesterol) or lower levels of other blood fats called triglycerides.

High blood pressure
Taking garlic by mouth seems to reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number) by about 7-9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by about 4-6 mmHg in people with high blood pressure.

May Help Prevent Alzheimer's disease and DementiaGarlic contains antioxidants that support the body's protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. High doses of garlic supplements have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans, as well as significantly reduce oxidative stress in those with high blood pressure.
The combined effects on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as the antioxidant properties, may reduce the risk of common brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

May Help You Live Longer
The potential effects of garlic on longevity are basically impossible to prove in humans.
But given the beneficial effects on important risk factors like blood pressure, it makes sense that garlic could help you live longer.
The fact that it can fight infectious disease is also an important factor, because these are common causes of death, especially in the elderly or people with dysfunctional immune systems.

May Improve Bone Health
No human studies have measured the effects of garlic on bone loss. However, rodent studies have shown that it can minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen in females. One study in menopausal women found that a daily dose of dry garlic extract (equal to 2 grams of raw garlic) significantly decreased a marker of estrogen deficiency. This suggests that this supplement may have beneficial effects on bone health in women. Foods like garlic and onions may also have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.

Garlic and the Immune System
Not surprisingly the presence of all these antioxidants in garlic have a very positive effect on the immune system in general and can therefore protect the body against all types of bacterial and viral attacks. Research has recently even shown it to have an inhibiting effect on MSRA which is currently reeking such havoc in U.K. hospitals.
Garlic also acts as a good cold medication, decongestant and expectorant. It is a surprisingly good source of vitamins C, B6 and the minerals selenium and manganese all of which have long been associated with immune system boosting as well as other benefits.

Athletic Performance Might Be Improved With Garlic Supplements
Garlic was one of the earliest "performance enhancing" substances. It was traditionally used in ancient cultures to reduce fatigue and enhance the work capacity of laborers. Most notably, it was given to Olympic athletes in ancient Greece.
Rodent studies have shown that garlic helps with exercise performance, but very few human studies have been done. People with heart disease who took garlic oil for 6 weeks had a 12% reduction in peak heart rate and better exercise capacity. However, a study on nine competitive cyclists found no performance benefits. Other studies suggest that exercise-induced fatigue may be reduced with garlic.

Anti-inflammatory Properties
Did you know that garlic is also a powerful anti-inflammatory? Specifically, garlic oil is noted as a potent treatment for sore muscles and painfully inflamed joints when the oil is massaged directly into the affected area. Research published in the journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology, outlined the short-term effects of raw garlic extracts for reducing inflammation, due to the pro-inflammatory cytokines in raw garlic. The study showed positive outcomes, but cautions that heating garlic extracts lowered the anti-inflammatory prowess.

Garlic Home Remedies
  • Sore Throat: Garlic is an invaluable medicine for asthma, hoarseness, coughs, difficulty of breathing, and most other disorders of the lungs, being of particular virtue in chronic bronchitis, on account of its powers of promoting expectoration.
  • Asthma: An older remedy for asthma, that was most popular, is a syrup of Garlic, made by boiling the garlic bulbs till soft and adding an equal quantity of vinegar to the water in which they have been boiled, and then sugared and boiled down to a syrup. The syrup is then poured over the boiled garlic bulbs, which have been allowed to dry meanwhile, and kept in a jar. Each morning a bulb or two should be taken, with a spoonful of the syrup.
  • Ear Infections: Wrap a small piece of garlic in some tissue, and insert it into the ear. Leave it there overnight if possible. Pain is almost immediately removed and the infection tends to start clearing up overnight.
  • Scratchy Throat: Put a small slice of garlic in your mouth and suck on it for 10-15 minutes. You can put it between your teeth and cheek, then scratch it with your teeth a little to help stimulate juice from the garlic slice. This juice slides down your throat and removes the pain.
  • Insect Bites: Garlic can heal the pain caused by insect bites like those of scorpions and centipedes. The juice of fresh garlic mixed with salt can be applied to bruises, sprains and ringworms.
  • Colds: At the first sign of a cold, chop up 4 cloves of raw garlic and eat or use it as a garnish in soups etc.
  • Toothache: Cut raw garlic and rub the cut edge on the tooth and gums a couple of times a day to stop toothache.
  • Warts: Take fresh garlic cloves and crush them, apply to warts until they disappear.
  • Garlic Breath Tip: Crush a clove or two onto a dessert spoon then add olive oil and down the hatch. You get the benefits of raw garlic with none of the breath issues.
  • Sinuses: Melt some butter and add minced garlic cloves, spread on toast and eat.
  • Herpes: Take a garlic clove and cut in half. Eat one half and take the other half and rub into the affected areas. 
  • Rashes: Use raw garlic juice on rashes and bug bites, it stops the itching immediately.
  • Coughs: 8 to 10 of garlic juice mixed with 2 TBLS of honey four times a day cures a persistent cough.
  • Tonsillitis: Peel a clove of garlic and cut them in half lengthwise. Boil for a couple of minutes in about 1.5 cup water and add a pinch of salt, teaspoon of butter, a pinch of pepper and sprinkle with nutmeg.
  • Bloating - Constipation: Cut a garlic clove into small pieces. Swallow them all in one go with a little water to cure bloating, stomach cramps and constipation.
  • Asthma Cure: 10 drops of garlic juice with 2 teaspoon of honey cures asthma.
Nataliya Olifer






References