Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

And Good Luck to Ryan “6-Pack” Lapadat on his quest to set Guiness world records and raise funds for kids hospital

Check him out or donate to the cause

http://6packlapadat.com/

You’ll see Ryan hanging out in the corner of the gym deadlifting for hours at a time – He’s not crazy (well he might be…) he’s getting ready for another World Record attempt July 15th/16th In Hamilton.

Congratulations Team Knot a Breast!

Congratulations to our favorite Dragon Boat team – Team Knot A Breat – new number 1 in the world international champion Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Team!  You guys have Trained so hard and worked so long to earn such success!  Great Job – Now get out there and celebrate!

Dynamic Stretching

This article was taken from: www.yaledailynews.com

Dynamic stretching

By Monica Mark
Staff Reporter

Play almost any sport at any level and chances are you will be called to stretch beforehand. The typical routine is well-known and widespread: Reach for your toes, hold the stretch for 10 or 15 or 30 seconds, release and move on to another muscle. It warms you up, limbers you up and gets you ready for tough competition, right? Not at all, according to the results of a recent study by kinesiology researchers — a study which does not appear to have taken the Yale athletic community by surprise. Staff reporter Monica Mark investigates.

Dynamic stretching improves athletic performance.

Static stretches — stretching exercises that elongate the muscles, performed while the body is at rest — are likely not beneficial to a warm-up routine at all and could actually be dangerous, according to the research headed by scientists at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The study, which the New York Times featured in a recent article entitled “Stretching: The Truth”, instructed participants to perform static hamstring and quadriceps stretches and then measured their muscles’ power output. The results showed static stretching produces less-than-desirable results: In fact, less force was generated from leg muscles after a static stretching regime than from muscles that were not stretched at all.

Dr. Peter Jokl, director of Yale’s Sports Medicine Center, said that it is true that static stretching may weaken muscles in the short-run. But he does not necessarily agree that it is “dangerous,” as the article claimed.

“They were talking about weakening the muscles — meaning how much power they can produce,” he said of the study’s authors. “Say you wanted to produce maximum force out of your muscles. If you disconnect links by overstretching, you can weaken the muscle in terms of how much horsepower, so to speak, you can produce.”

The primary function of a warm-up should be to increase body temperature, according to Jokl. Warm muscles use oxygen and stored energy more efficiently and can withstand more force.

“Connective tissue is like Tupperware,” he said. “If you put one in the fridge it gets stiff. When you run it under hot water, it’s more pliable.”

Increasing blood flow — another effect of warming up — also makes muscles more flexible, he added.

Experts recommend light jogging or comparable aerobic activity as a way to start a solid warm-up routine. The warm-up should last from five to 10 minutes, which will raise the body temperature between two to three degrees Fahrenheit, according to Jokl. However, the athlete should be careful to avoid too intense of a warm-up, which can itself lead to muscle strain or other injuries, he explained. Even if you do avoid injury, a burnout of a warm-upcan have a second unpleasant side effect: It could simply wear you out.

But, Jokl added, “The study overdramatized the idea that traditional stretching may not be good for you.”

Overdramatized or not, within Yale athletics, static stretching as a stand-alone warm-up went the way of leg warmers as fashionable workout gear a long time ago.

“This info is not new,” Richard Kaplan, assistant athletic trainer at Yale, said of the pitfalls of static stretching. “We have already instituted a ‘dynamic workout’ … with most of our teams and reserve the static stretching for right before our cool-down period.”

Indeed, dynamic stretching has taken the place of static stretching in many collegiate environments, though the latter still reigns supreme in amateur athletics. (Dynamic stretching is a process in which the muscles are stretched while moving — including squats, lunges, or the “Spider-Man,” which requires the athlete to get down on all fours and crawl as though he or she were climbing a wall.)

“We do a full dynamic warm-up,” Yale track and field head coach David Shoehalter said of the team’s pre-practice routine, “I’ve been coaching now for 20 years and have been doing dynamic warm-ups the entire time.”

In response to the claim that static stretching is dangerous, he added, “I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous, but it’s not helpful, and it can lead to injury.”

Alina Liao ’09, a member of the gymnastics team, said she was also skeptical of the idea that static stretches are dangerous if they are performed properly and at the right time.

“I’ve never seen anyone injured directly from static stretching,” she said in an e-mail message. “I don’t think it’s particularly harmful unless you do an extreme amount of static stretching immediately before active exercise.”

Still, according to Shoehalter, static stretching is problematic for reasons beyond muscle weakening.

While he says dynamic warm-ups wake up your nervous system, “static stretching sends the message to your brain that your muscles are done.”

“So the message the brain is getting is ‘All right, I’m finished,” he said, “and then all of the sudden, there you are redlining it, which can lead to muscle strains or pulls.”

But that’s is not to say static stretching should be nixed altogether.

Within the Yale track and field program, Shoehalter said, athletes perform an extensive static stretching routine following workouts, as opposed to preceding them.

Liao, whose warm-up routine includes both dynamic movements such as leg swings and static stretches like splits, also emphasized static stretching still has a place in a safe and healthy workout.

“Static stretching still might be important for preventing muscle tears or strains,” she said. “Especially as a gymnast, if my muscles are not already fully stretched and thus ready for the flexibility my sport demands, I certainly risk tearing a muscle.”

In the end, it may be more a question of power than of peril.

“More so than static stretching leading to injuries,” Shoehalter emphasized, “dynamic stretching enhances the ability to perform at high levels.”

In other words, static stretches won’t necessarily hurt you, but they won’t provide the performance boost of their dynamic counterparts — and could leave you sore and your muscles strained if used in lieu of an aerobic warm-up.

So if this research isn’t really new at all, then why are so many people outside the world of collegiate athletics hearing of it for the first time? Why is dynamic stretching such a well-kept secret?

“It’s hard to say,” Shoehalter said. “It’s kind of an ‘old-habits-die-hard’ situation. I think static stretching is the old school way of doing things, but if you look at any kind of major collegiate track program, they’re doing full dynamic warm-ups.”

Having come from amateur athletic environments, Shoehalter continued, many athletes have never been exposed to dynamic stretching, so when the warm-up is over, they ask why they haven’t yet had the chance to stretch.

“You just kind of have to change what they think is stretching,” he said. “You have to change their perception of what actually works.”

Sugar is the Devil…

Yep that’s right Sugar is evil.  It will mess you up, hinder your recovery, and let you down just when you need energy.  Sadly the average North American eats 21 tablespoons!!! of added sugar each day.  That’s 3 times the upper limit set by the American Heart and Stroke Foundation, and way – way – more than anyone needs to consume.

Here are some problems with Sugar:

1. It has zero nutritional value – zilch – nada – zip
2. It displaces other foods that actually have nutritional value
3. It spikes blood sugar levels and therefore insulin
4. By spiking Insulin it disturbs the rest of the bodies hormone balance
5. It leads to an increased likelihood of obesity (it makes you fat and tired – no good)
6. It leads to energy crashes – get all pumped up on sugar – crash 20 minutes later – eat more sugar, etc, etc…

Here are some words to avoid on your food labels (although even better would be food without labels – like fresh produce, meats, etc and making your own home cooked non-processed food):

• Sugar
• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Glucose
• Sucralose
• Corn Syrop (probably the WORST offender)
• Sugar alcholols
• basically anything ending in a …ose

So the basic rule of thumb is eat REAL food not processed “food”, read nutritional labels, and avoid the really bad choices like Pop (at approx 12-13 tablespoons of sugar per can).  Remember to keep your meals balanced – 30% Protein, 30% Good Fats, 40% favorable Carbs.

Sugar = Bad!

Active Release Therapy – ART

What happens when you drink a coke…

I know most of you have heard me say over and over that nutrition is the foundation of your performance.  I also understand how ingrained many of our nutritonal habits can be.  Here is a very interesting article on the physiological effects of drinking a can of Coke.  It’s kind of scary.

What Happens when you drink COKE

Enjoy!  (just not with a coke…)

The Importance of Recovery

WOW – Alchemy CrossFit just keeps growing and you guys keep excelling and exceeding your expectations of what can be accomplished in such a short time!  You all really inspire us – your dedication, drive, and passion motivate us every day.

Last article I wrote a bit about Intensity – and how it is vital – but that proper mechanics, consistently demonstrated were the foundation that intensity must be built on.  Now, when you start adding intensity you will get sore, your body will adapt, you will get stronger, faster, more agile, etc.  In other words, you will improve the 10 physical skills, and in so doing your overall fitness.  However, these changes, for the most part, don’t happen in the gym, during your workout.  They occur as you recover.  There are a few essential components to recovery, and these apply whether you are recovering from a workout, or from an acute injury.

Rest: Without rest you can not and will not recover.  Your body has a finite amount of resources available.  If you don’t give yourself time to recharge, when you are not further breaking down muscle tissues and depleting glycogen and glucose stores, you will eventually crash – first by plateauing, and then by actually seeing a decrease in your performance.  Practically this means take at least 1 day off of training every week – the more you train, and the longer you have been training, the more you can train every week – but you always need some rest.  Rest does not need to be sitting on the couch doing nothing.  Active rest is actually superior for recovery.  Go for a hike, play pick up basketball, do some skill work, find something active and fun.  Fun is essential here – mental and emotional fatigue can be as detrimental to your performance as physical fatigue.

Sleep: Contrary to popular opinion you need sleep.  You will not function at a high level while running on 3-5 hours a night.  Sleep, especially REM sleep, is the most efficient time for your body to rebuild and replenish.  If you short yourself on sleep, your performance will suffer – there are no exceptions.  That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do what you normally do, workout, etc – just that you are performing at a sub-optimal level.  HERE is a short article on some of the health effects of lack of sleep.

Food: Proper nutrition is another key to efficient recovery.  It makes sense – you wouldn’t try to fuel a race car with  contaminated gas – eating poorly is the same thing. We recommend the Zone as far as nutritional plans go.  Each meal should consist of 40% Carbohydrates (complex carbs such as veggies are best), 30% Protein, and 30% good Fats.  What I have seen going over members nutrition logs is that people chronically under-ingest protein.  Check out this article from the CrossFit Journal for more info and a sample meal plan.

Water: You would be hard pressed to drink too much water.  I have never met anyone who could drink even remotely enough water to be harmful, but I’ve met hundreds of people who are chronically dehydrated.  Water makes up the largest proportion of our cells, and is essential to proper digestion, cooling, and energy production.  It is very possible to lose 2 or more pounds of water in a workout (about a liter). You need to replace it to ensure proper and efficient recovery.  Also, thirst is not a good gauge of your hydration status – by the time you are thirsty during a workout it is too late.  You need to drink water on a consistent basis so you come into the workout hydrated, and rehydrate afterwords.

There are also a few things that can greatly aid in your recovery efforts.

Ice: Ice is the single most effective way to decrease inflammation – it has negligible side effects, unlike NSAID’s (non steroidal anti-inflammatory meds such as IBUPROFEN for example).  It is cheap, readily available, and has been used for centuries if not millenia.  If something hurts -ICE it. 10 minutes on with at least 20 minutes off.    HERE is an interesting article on the use of ice for therapy and recovery.

Stretching/Mobility Work: Moving your sore muscles through their natural range of motion is essential to reducing the amount and duration of muscle soreness.  Stretching will not prevent or reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) but the increased blood flow from active mobility work will help.  Stretching after exercise is essential to maintain and/or increase the joints range of motion. For example, if you are sore from heavy squats, go for a walk and do some air squats, if you’re  sore from push ups, do some arm circles, walk vigorously with your arms, and do some wall or knee push ups.

Massage/ART: Massage can help loosen tight muscles, aid in relaxing muscles, increase your body awareness, and encourage and increase blood flow which helps remove lactic acid and other waste products.  ART (a soft tissue technique) can help break up scar tissue and adhesions, allowing your muscles to function as intended.

Remember, if you have any questions, ask us – we are here to help you meet and exceed your goals!

Mechanics – Consistency – THEN Intensity

We have had an absolutely amazing, outstanding, exceptional first month!  Thank you to all our members who make up our great community here at Alchemy CrossFit Hamilton.  You all continue to amaze me with your dedication, support for each other, and desire to thrive and help each other thrive!  You are all really committed to building your extraordinary.

Now, to really get the most out of your training you have to follow a system (in our case CrossFit) because without a system you’re just wasting your time.  SO lets talk about an important part of the CrossFit System – Intensity.  Intensity is awesome – it is where the magic is, it is where you will see the exceptional results we all desire, BUT it will also hurt you and set you back if you don’t progress wisely.  I know there is a huge desire and incentive to get the fastest time, lift the most weight – whatever.  but to do so at the expense of proper mechanics will seriously impede you in the long term.

Start with MECHANICS.  Do the movements properly, do them through full range of motion, with proper posture and form.  Master your fundamentals – I guarantee that none of us have truly mastered all the fundamentals – there is always room to improve.  Once you are able to CONSISTENTLY perform a movement with proper MECHANICS then, and only then are you ready to increase the INTENSITY.

This DOES NOT mean be a huge slacker.  just because you are working on mechanics and consistency does not mean you should not be working hard – if anything getting proper mechanics takes MORE not less effort.  Scale your workouts to fit your current level – If you don’t know how ask us, that’s why we are here.  If you are not clear on an exercise -if you struggle with something – GET OUR HELP.  We will spend as much time as you are willing to invest in order to ensure you learn and improve.  Challenge yourself to improve every moment of every day.  DO NOT BE CONTENT WITH MEDIOCRITY.  I have never heard of anyone saying at the end of their life – “I wish I hadn’t been as good at something as I was..”

When you walk in the door – Bring a Positive Mental Attitude and BE AWESOME!  you all are.

Fun with the Slackline

As we all know (your cue to nod…) Balance is one of the 10 fundamental physical skills we are developing here at Alchemy CrossFit, Hamilton Ontario.  Working on a Slackline is a great way to develpo balance – with the added bonus of being really fun!  There is a wealth of information available about Slacklining on the web; here are a few good sources.

Slackline.com

WikiHow’s Article

Currently no one has made the full length (the record is missing by 1 step)   come on in and try your luck.

CrossFit Warm Ups

CrossFit Warm-Up # 1:

Complete 10-15 reps of each exercise

3 rounds total.

1. Samson Stretch
2. Shoulder Stretch
3. Torso Twists
4. Squats (overhead)
5. Sit ups
6. Supermans
7. Dips
8. Pull ups
9. Squat Thrusts
10. Cleans

CrossFit Warm-up # 2:

Complete 10-15 reps of each exercise

3 rounds total.

1. Super Stretch
2. Skin the Cat
3. Wall Ball
4. Hanging Knees to Elbows
5. GHD Back Extensions
6. Handstand push ups
7. Muscle ups
8. Sprawls
9. Snatch

Next Page »