Thursday, November 26, 2015



 The guys next door at Assuage massage are a wealth of knowledge and they have been kind enough to contribute to our blog.


5 mins on the table with Pete
 

Let’s talk electrolytes… (Are you getting enough?)

Everyone has heard of them, but what are they and why are they so important?
To keep it simple and avoid getting too carried away in detailed chemistry, we will focus just on the SALT form of electrolytes for the purpose of this blog.
Definition: A substance that when dissolved in water makes an electrically conductive solution.
This electrical conduction is essential for all muscle contractions, but also many more important body functions.

One of the best examples of this Magnesium (Mg)
Here’s my top 7 list of problems associated with Magnesium deficiency (care of Charles Poliquin
12/15/2009).
Constipation. Constipation is a dead giveaway of magnesium deficiency, and the good news is that magnesium supplementation often eliminates constipation in patients. Normal digestion involves two to three soft bowel movements a day, but the average person has a hard bowel movement once every two days. As a bonus, improved transit time through the gastrointestinal tract is known to reduce the risk of a host of diseases, particularly colon cancer.
Fatigue. A classic sign of magnesium deficiency is poor energy levels. I’ve found that restoring magnesium levels in clients is always associated with increased energy levels. If you take magnesium before bed and you cannot fall asleep, it is a sign that you are extremely deficient in magnesium; therefore start taking it earlier in the day.
Inflammation. Ensuring optimal magnesium levels is one of the best ways to lower C-reactive proteins, an important inflammation marker. A recent study suggested that improving magnesium levels minimizes the risk of congestive heart failure.
Memory. Magnesium is essential for a great memory. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that magnesium regulates a key receptor in the brain that deals with memory and learning. They proposed the idea that maintaining proper magnesium in the cerebrospinal fluid is essential for maintaining the plasticity of synapses.
Sleep. The human nervous system is sent into sympathetic overdrive when it is magnesium deficient; and when the nervous system is too jacked up, it is hard to get restful sleep. The lack of sleep will also contribute to overtraining. Several studies have pointed out that a lack of magnesium can alter electrical activity in the brain, causing agitated sleep and frequent awakenings.
Stress. Magnesium is essential for the detoxification of cortisol. The more stress you have, regardless of the source, the more cortisol you have.
Central Obesity. Greater your magnesium level, the greater your HDL levels; and the lower your blood glucose, the lower your waist circumference.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Azza Mac loves a MAX day



Monday 23rd November


MAX Pause Back Squat
1 x 5 @ 50%
1 x 3 @ 60%
1 x 2 @ 70%
1 x 1 @ 80%
1 x 1 @ 90%
2 – 3 @ > 95%
Assistant Work – rest 1 minute between sets
Single Leg KB Deadlift (3 x 10)
Strict Toes to Bar (3 x 10)

Saturday 21st November

 3 rounds for time:
1 x Block Run
and 3 rounds: 4 Burpee Pull-ups 8 Deadlifts (60/40kg) 12 Wall Balls (9/6kg)

Friday 20th November

20 minute AMRAP:
Teams of 3:
50 Power Cleans (60/40kg)
40 Push Jerks (60/40kg)
30 Pull-ups
20 Toes to Bar
10 Prowler Lengths (30/15kg)

Thursday, November 19, 2015



Thursday 19th November

EMOM 18 minutes:
Minute 1: 2 Rope Climb
Minute 2: 6 Burpee Box Jumps
Minute 3: 10 Power Snatches (50/40kg)

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Wednesday 18th November

WG Bench Press 5 x 3

 Two Wise Men



Tuesday 17th November


10 rounds 1minute on/off:
24-21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Thrusters (42.5/30)
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Muscle-ups

Monday, November 16, 2015

 The Hayne Plane

Monday 16th November

HB Back Squat (Pause) 5 x 3

Saturday 14th November

30 minute AMRAP:
In Pairs:
20 Wallballs (9/6kg)
25 Power Snatches (50/30kg)
30 Knees to Elbows
200m Run
4 Rope Climbs

Friday, November 13, 2015

Friday 13th November

“Fran” 
21-15-9
Thrusters (42.5/30kg)
Pull-ups
For time.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Thursday 12th November

3 rounds for time:
20 KB Swings (32/24kg)
15 Pull-ups
10 OH Plate Lunges (20/15kg)
Big Block Run

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Wednesday 11th November

WG Bench Press 5 x 5

Tuesday 10th November

6 rounds
2 minutes on/off:
(70/50kg): 
7 Hang Power Cleans
7 Front Squats
7 Deadlifts
7 Bar Burpees

Monday, November 9, 2015

Monday 9th November

HB Pause Back Squat 5 x 5

Saturday 7th November

14 minute AMRAP:
]20 Slams (9/6kg)
15 Pull-ups
10 Power Cleans (70/45kg)
Big Block Run
REST 2 minutes
3 rounds: 1 minute:
Max Double Unders
Burpee Bar Jumps
Plate Twists (20/15kg)
Rest 

Friday 6th November

14 minute AMRAP:
4 Muscle-ups
8 Power Snatch (60/40kg)
12 Wallballs (9/6kg)

Thursday 5th November

4 RD
10 Deadlifts(60/40kg)
15 Push Press(60/40kg)
20 Abmat Sit-ups
25 Air Squats
100m Slam Ball Sprint
3 Rope Climbs

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Rule number 4, Bring your training diary

               We have only a few house rules to keep the gym running smoothly, wipe down your equipment, 3 burpees every minute you’re late (I slept in once 50 min late, times 3 = 150 times 2 for trainers = 300 burpees, haven’t slept in since!!) The one rule that I think is neglected a lot is: bring your training diary.
A basic part of crossfit is evidence based fitness. It’s what separates us from a spin or pump class or a group of mates lifting heavy stuff. What did you lift? how heavy? how fast? Repeat in 2/3 months, did you get better? If so great, continue on what you are doing or if not let’s look at why you didn’t. Was work stressful? Kids sport taking over? Or did you have multiple buck’s nights/weddings in that period? At least we can measure our results in the real world and not debate it with some keyboard warrior.
I know people come to the gym for many different reasons and some don’t really care what they lift but we, the coaches, get a massive kick out of someone ringing the PB bell. We enjoy your success probably more than our own.
When you first start crossfit you are hitting pb’s every cycle and are probably thinking at this rate you’re off to the Rio Olympics but then start to plateau off. Big Azza Mac, one of the real heavy hitters of the gym, is an excellent example of using his diary. When he first started even I had a bigger deadlift than him but soon he far surpassed that. He was getting 10kg plus pb’s every time he lifted, but after a while that slows down. He still gets pb’s now but 1kg a cycle, 271-272.5kg just recently, BOOM!! Now his choice of a diary is a ratty old exercise book but it works for him.
We have the iPads at the front that when you check in you can record your results as well. There are many apps around or just in your phone notes, whatever works for you. The level of your entries needs to be at minimum what you lifted and how fast and/or heavy it was. Extra data is up to you and like with most things the more you put in the more you get out. Data like how much quality sleep you got, if you failed was it a technique issue, or simply made too much of a jump up in weight and nutrition. Nutrition and sleep (or rest and recovery) are a massive subject to get covered at another time.
A diary also gives you perspective of how far you have come. During a big clean out recently I found my first crossfit training diary. The first wod was crossfit total, 1rm of back squat, strict press and deadlift. My numbers then were 130kg squat, 75kg press and 160kg deadlift. I thought I was strong then but compared to my all-time pb numbers they don’t come close. A 190kg squat, 85 kg press and 225 kg deadlift shows the program works.
For a conditioning reference about the 5th wod in my diary was ‘DT’. That is 5 rounds of 12 deadlift, 9 hang power clean and 6 push jerk all at 70kg. My time then was 22 minutes. I remember my grip failing (I knew nothing about hook grip, thanks Saccy) and thinking the weight was impossible to move. In tier 2 class just recently we did double DT so 10 rounds instead of 5. I was sub 15 minutes. I beat my old time even having to do double the work. Now I look at the guys and girls at the world games and they absolutely destroy me but that’s not who I am comparing myself to. I’m just trying to be better than I was yesterday. The only way to know this is to keep track of all your workouts. It doesn’t take long to do and at worst you get a laugh at yourself.
Hookgrip for life, KB.

Wednesday 4th November

E2MOM:
Strict Press 3-3-3-3-3
Push Press 2-2-2-2-2
Push Jerk 1-1-1-1-1

Tuesday 3rd November

5 rounds
3 minutes on/off:
15 Thrusters (40/30kg)
10 Box Jumps
5 Chest to Bar Pull-ups
100m Sprint

Monday, November 2, 2015

Monday 2nd November

E4MOM: Back Squat 5-15-3-15-2-15-1

Saturday 31st October

20 minute AMRAP:
5 Pull-ups
10 Burpee Box Jumps
15 Jumping Squats
200m Run