Welcome to District 7 of the Crossfit Cypress Hunger Games Performance
Challenge!
The next several weeks promise to be a challenging yet
rewarding experience for all of us. I
look forward to working alongside all of you as we encourage one another to fight
towards our individual goals, and we can all look forward to kicking a little ass so we finish the challenge not only fitter, but richer too!!!
So with that, let’s talk about goals…
I imagine each one of us has a primary goal we are aiming
for, be it fat loss, improving a particular exercise, tackling a personal
obstacle, or simply becoming a better all-around Crossfitter. Beyond that primary goal, I encourage
everyone to do an honest self-assessment with your own personal level as a
Crossfitter. An excellent guideline for
this is the Crossfit Seattle Athletic Levels that start on page 130 in the CFC
WOD Books or are available at: http://crossfitseattle.com/knowledge/athletic-skill-levels
Utilizing this resource gives you an idea of where you excel
and what areas need to be brought up to become a better-rounded athlete. And being a well-rounded athlete allows you
to progress to new levels.
Additionally, while good as a starting point, do not become
too “hung up” on arbitrarily chosen numbers for your goal. Your body has an optimal genetic “sweet spot”
and it may, or may not, align with your specific numerical goal. If you see your numbers moving in the “wrong”
direction, it could potentially lead you to make changes that are detrimental
to your performance. The best bet is to
base your training on a solid foundation and see how you look, feel, and
perform – I bet you will be surprised with the results!
So let’s close by talking about that foundation…
Any fitness program will only be marginally effective
without a sound basis of nutrition and recovery, and food is the absolute rock
the house is built on. When it comes to
eating, be it Zone, Paleo, Zone Paleo or another nutritional plan one follows,
the simple fact is it must provide an ample supply of fuel to meet the work
demands you place on your body and enough nutrients to aid the recovery of that
work. Additionally, you must remain
adequately hydrated at all times – aim for ½ oz per pound of body weight as a
starting point and add from there.
You must rest and recover!
Too often we get caught up in the “If
three WODs are good, then six must be better” mentality. Again, it is a simple fact that your body’s
physiology improves during the RECOVERY portions of your life. That’s right; your body strengthens and
builds itself in response to, not during, your workouts so you must take time
to rest. This includes getting
sufficient sleep (aim for 8-9 hours per night), interspersing recovery days
with workout days, and a preventative routine of stretching and mobility
exercises.
My aim is to use this Blog and provide a thought-provoking
article each week of the challenge as well as a District 7 Facebook page
for us to help keep each other informed and motivated. Also, be sure you let each of us know how we
best can help you reach your goals.
Again, I look forward to working alongside each of you!
3, 2, 1...GO!
Chris
