Myth Busting: 5 Excuses for Not Working Out

Are you sitting there thinking that you can’t workout.  Here are 5 excuses that we hear for not working out and why they are just that, excuses.

I’m not fit enough:  Everybody has to start somewhere.  No matter if you are coming off of P90x and looking for to take things to the next level or are still sitting on the couch and looking to lose weight, CrossFit works for you.  At Overland Park CrossFit, our coaches strive to program every workout in a manner that allows modifications for each and every individual athlete, so everyone from the most athletic to those just starting out can get a great workout.

I don’t know how:  Perfect, we do.  At Overland Park CrossFit, we have coaches for every class.  We are here to help you with each and every move in a workout, each and every every step of the way.  If you’ve never done it before, we will show you how.  If you need assistance during a workout, we will make sure you are progressing safely and efficiently so you get the most out of your effort!  The beauty of CrossFit is that everything is scalable so you can start at the place that is right for you and keep progressing.  If you ever have a question, just ask!

I tried but then I lost motivation:  That’s because you didn’t have a group to push you.  If you haven’t done CrossFit before, you probably don’t get it yet, but we are a close group of people who work together towards a healthier lifestyle.  You can’t help but make new friends.  You don’t want to get that text from your workout asking, “Where are you? We missed you today!”

I don’t need to lose weight:  Fitness isn’t just about weight loss.  Living a fitness-oriented lifestyle decreases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, lowers blood pressure, decreases your cholesterol, and prevents osteoporosis.  Everyone needs to be fit.

I just don’t like to:  Our brand of working out is a lot different than what you might be used to.  Beyond that, CrossFit isn’t just about exercise.  We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: It’s about living a healthier, more complete life, and It’s about the community!  We have fun at CrossFit.  We laugh, joke, try new things, and share in each other’s accomplishments.  If you don’t believe me, come try it out!

Kipping it Real with Tony!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. July’s Athlete of the Month is Tony Long.  Tony was chosen because of his awesome work ethic in the gym!  He shows up consistently, stays late to do accessory work, and all that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!  Learn more below about Tony!

  1. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

This is a workout and I don’t think I need to stay in bootcamp! Then I ended up throwing up at the next bootcamp class and decided I should stay in bootcamp for a little longer.

  1. What has been your favorite workout?

Fat Amy Gets Fit. It was the first actual Crossfit workout I did when I started in January.

  1. What is your favorite cheat meal?

The All Meat Pizza from Imo’s Pizza or any Milk Shake from anywhere that sells them :).

  1. Where do you work?     

I have been a real estate agent for the last 14 years. I run my own real estate team Long Real Estate. We are the #1 Keller Williams team in the KC Metro.

  1. What do you like to do outside of work?

In the very little free time I have, I love to hang with my 2 girls, my wife Tara and our 10 month old daughter Lucy Grace! I also have a motorcycle that I try and ride as much as I can.

6. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

When you get started and you see everyone lifting heavier weight then you or finishing workouts faster then you use that as motivation and something to work towards. Set monthly goals for yourself inside and outside of CrossFit. Don’t be shy, introduce yourself to people and also ask the coaches for help.  Get your butt to CrossFit, no matter what the workout is show up and try your best, and then stay after and do the accessory work, Cody puts it there for a reason and you will see gains from doing it. Last but not least come to 5:30am CrossFit class its what all the cool kids are doing.

  1. What is your favorite lift?

Probably overhead squat because I could not even overhead squat the bar when I got started and now I am slowly increasing weight and my form is getting a lot better.

  1. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

I have 2. Being able to do 5 strict HSPU’s consistently and finally being able to do some RX workouts.

 

  1. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

I have lost 25 pounds, I have so much more energy throughout the day, and my eating habits have totally changed for the better.  I want to truly thank the coaches that have pushed me and helped me to get to where I am right now. I am in the best shape of my life and I still have a long ways to go. I also want to thank my 5:30am crew, I look forward to seeing you guys every morning and I appreciate the friendships that have been made.

  1. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

Competing with Angie Hickox in the Summer Swolstace. It was a goal of mine to compete in a CrossFit competition within 6 months of starting CrossFit.

Source:  Photo credit to Valerie Anderson

 

  1. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?
In life, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar.  In CrossFit, Muscle Ups!!! I will accomplish this before the end of the year!

If Regina George Met Black Betty

If you thought Regina George was mean, then you clearly haven’t met Overland Park CrossFit’s “Black Betty”.  Black Betty was the first assault bike we ever bought and then slowly her “crew” of additional assault bikes grew.  They look harmless enough right?  I mean most of parents in the 70’s & 80’s owned some type of stationary bike or airdyne.  Let’s be serious, even Jane Fonda was talking while riding it in her leg warmers.  But then again, Jane Fonda was an unstoppable fitness queen, and those bikes are no joke!

In all seriousness, assault bikes are a great addition to an athletes programming.  The bikes are equipped to provide Tabata training to help increase your overall aerobic capacity.  They are a great substitute for rowing, running, swimming, etc..  But there is no hiding on that assault bike!  Every drip of sweat is earned and rest is begged for as this machine works your entire body including your mind.  Just like in CrossFit you learn to work through the pain and find what you are capable of.

Now, we don’t want assault bikes to get a bad rap!  Yes, they can rock your world, and give you one hell of a workout, but they can also be used for recovery and rehabilitation.  It can be a safe haven for those with injuries providing a no impact exercise.  It can also aid in recovery for not only an injury but on your rest days.  On rest days, you may not be doing a high intensity workout, but you need to keep your blood pumping to those muscles you have torn down that need to rebuild.  You’d be surprised how a cool down on the assault bike will drastically help with your recovery and decrease how sore you could be the next day.

Whether you are looking for a workout that will leave you on your back at the end or just for a nice recovery ride, we recommend you jumping on Black Betty & crew and seeing what they’ve got to offer!  They might even get you singing “Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)”.

Post-Workout Nutrition: What Is It and Why Should I Care?

The importance of post-exercise nutrition often gets overlooked. It is easy to think that when the clock runs out after a hard workout that signals the end of the benefits that you will reap from your exercise.  The focus on recovery post-workout will allow for better recovery by decreased soreness, less fatigue and lethargy and an increase in performance in future workouts.

The post-workout window is often thought of as the most important part of nutrient timing. Mainly for the reason that after exercise, a significant portion of stored fuels in your body in the form of glycogen and amino acids, are depleted. Therefore, consuming proper nutrients will allow you to restore your energy reserves and initiate muscle tissue rebuilding.

Post workout carbs are also required to facilitate sodium absorption in the gut after a sweaty workout that leaves you in need to replace electrolytes. Sandra Fowkes Godek, a doctorate in exercise physiology and director of the Heat Illness Evaluation Avoidance and Treatment (HEAT) Institute at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, explains the need for carbohydrates for electrolyte replacement and proper hydration balance “If you drink a special high-sodium beverage to replace electrolytes, it’s essential to pair that drink with carbohydrates. Gatorade’s carbohydrate content is 6 percent—not enough to facilitate sodium absorption. A true sodium-replacement drink is anywhere from 10 or 12 percent carbohydrate. Without a carbohydrate, the majority of the salt you put in your stomach ends up in the toilet within two hours because your body has a protective mechanism against a (mass) of salt”.

Most recovery drinks have low carbohydrates and high sugar content. An ideal recovery drink should have protein with carbohydrates for proper post workout recovery. Combining protein with fast acting easily digested carbohydrates quickly replenishes glycogen levels and acts as a catalyst carrying nutrients that were lost during training.

Need ideas on how to get these post workout carbs? Driven Nutrition offers a great post workout recovery product, “POST WOD” that combines a 1:1 ratio of protein (20 grams) and carbohydrates (20 grams) that can facilitate proper recovery. Other alternatives include protein bars with a good amount of carbohydrates (~20 grams) or a serving of fruit (1 cup of blueberries is ~20 grams of carbohydrates).

Understanding post workout nutrition leads to better recovery and allows you to know what your body needs to achieve to be more effective inside the gym.

References

  • Top 5 Hydration Myths Busted. Hilary Achauer. The Crossfit Journal, May 5 2017.
  • PostWod, Recovery Salvation just in time for the Open! Sean McQueary. Driven Coaches Newsletter. Feb 22, 2017.
  • American College of Sports Medicine; American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada. (2009). Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 709-731.
  • Cordain, L., & Friel, J. (2005). The Paleo Diet for Athletes. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Inc.
  • Aragon, A., & Schoenfeld, B. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society for Sports Nutrition; 10: 5.

Don’t Be a Hero

Every now and then, we have people call and ask if we have a sauna.  Our typical answer is “Yes, it’s available May through August” ;).  As with many CrossFit gyms, at Overland Park CrossFit we only turn on the air conditioner when the temperature gets excessive for the safety of our members.  In saying that, there are still many days when it’s not quite hot enough for AC so you will most likely leave in a pool of sweat.  Due to everyone’s body regulating their temperatures differently, we want to go over a few things to look out for during this summer heat because elevated temperature and physical activity are the perfect mix for heatstroke, and ain’t nobody got time for that!

Nausea – You may feel sick to the stomach with an inclination to vomit.

Confusion – Heatstroke can cause confusion, slurred speech and even seizures.

Hot Skin – As your body temperature elevates, you skin may feel hot to the touch.

High Body Temperature – A body temperature of greater than 104F is one of the first signs of heatstroke.

Racing Heart Rate – As you continue to physically exert yourself, you heart rate can continue to rise to a very high level.

If you feel any of these, or just don’t feel right, the first thing to do is stop your physical activity and try to cool down.  If you continue to have symptoms, here are some additional things you can do to reduce the signs of heatstroke.

Use Evaporative Cooling – Stand near one of the fans while misting your body with water.  This will cause the water to evaporate, which will cool the skin.

Apply Ice Packs – If you are still having issues cooling your body, you can place ice packs on your body, specifically to your neck, back and armpits to help cool.

Go To The Hospital – If you continue to have issues, you should seek medical attention from a doctor.

As you should always do, try and keep yourself hydrated and be cautious if you have an elevated risk of heatstroke from a previously diagnosed medical condition or medication.  Heatstroke is very serious and can cause organ failure and even death.  If you are showing symptoms, don’t be a hero, listen to your body, try to cool yourself down and stop working out.

Post Workout Nutrition

This post is meant for people who work out hard and train as athletes. This is not meant for the people who use the elliptical in the gym simply to burn calories. Proper post-workout nutrition can speed muscle recovery and increase performance in future workouts; and I’m not talking supplements.

There was a study done on post workout recovery nutrition with Marines in basic training. This study compared recruits that received 100 calories of post-exercise nutrition including 8 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat to recruits that received a placebo. The recruits that received the post workout nutrition immediately after exercise had significantly less perceived muscle soreness, 33% less medical visits, 37% less muscle and joint related clinic visits, and 83% less medical visits for heat exhaustion, not to mention 28% less medical visits due to viruses and infection (Flakoll et al. 2004). Proper post workout nutrition can not only assist in recovery but also support the immune system.

An athlete has a window of about 30-45 minutes post workout to take advantage of optimal nutrient absorption for recovery. Specific post workout recovery needs are highly dependent on the workout that was done. Long cardio sessions need more carbohydrates to recover and weight lifting increases the need for post workout protein. So what does that mean for a person who does Crossfit? After a typical daily Crossfit workout that includes weight training and a WOD 100-250 calories should be sufficient. If you are doing longer workouts or multiple events you may adjust the amounts. The Zone ratio of macronutrients of 40/30/30 fits well for typical post workout needs.

For those people that are doing the nutrition challenge, this is where your personal goals are very relevant. If you are trying to lose weight, this post workout snack/meal would be one of the 5 meals on plan. If you are trying to increase strength/ performance, the decision would be up to you whether you want to add an extra snack into your day and increase your caloric intake or include your post workout as one of the 5 meals/snacks on plan. It does not take a lot of calories to achieve benefits post workout, the Marines in the study only had 100 calories post workout.

Post workout is one of the times where higher glycemic index foods can be very beneficial; one of the goals of post workout nutrition is to get easily digestible nutrients in the bloodstream quickly after the workout. Whole food examples of a post workout snack can include: a hardboiled egg and a piece of fruit, or a Greek yogurt, or even some banana and a small amount of peanut butter. If you like protein shakes, add a banana to your shake or drink it with a carbohydrate on the side.

Quick tip: If you choose to eat yogurt be very careful to read the nutritional facts on yogurt, many yogurts have a lot of added sugar or artificial sweeteners. One popular yogurt has 26 grams of sugar in a 6oz container.

Flakoll,P., T. Judy, K. Flinn, C. Carr, and S. Flinn. 2004. Postexercise protein supplementation improves health and muscle soreness during basic military training in Marine recruits. J Appl Physiol 96(3):951- 956; http://jap.physiology.org/content/96/3/951.

Kipping it Real with Susan!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. June’s Athlete of the Month is Susan Johnson. Susan was chosen because of her commitment and dedication within the gym as well as her involvement within the community! We loved how Susan dove head first into the Open this year and brought a ton of spirit! Susan brings 100% every day at the gym.  Learn more below about Susan!

  1. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

Ouch…but see you all tomorrow!

  1. What has been your favorite workout?

Anything with a “name”.

  1. What is your favorite cheat meal?

McDonald’s! 🙂

  1. Where do you work?     

I’m a Kindergarten teacher at Frontier School of Innovation.

  1. What do you like to do outside of work?

Spend time with my family, especially my nieces and nephews!

  1. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Drink the Kool-Aid people, you’re going to love it!

  1. What is your favorite lift?

I just love (most) anything with the barbell! If I had to pick one it would probably be a squat clean.

  1. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

Anything in the gymnastics category…I WILL get that first pull up though!

  1. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

I’m finally starting to get a little more confidence to try new things or put a little more weight on the bar. It’s a great feeling!

  1. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

Honestly, just continuing to show up is my proudest accomplishment. CrossFit is hard and a lot of the movements can be discouraging when the people next to you are killin’ it and you’re still hanging out in scaled city. But I’m not stopping..like I said drink the Kool-Aid!

  1. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

Visit all 50 states!

Energy Systems – What Are They? Why Do I Care?

Have you ever thought about what are you trying to gain by doing the workout that you are doing?  Each of the workouts that we program have a specific intent, which differs based on the time, weights, and movements in the workout.  The intents of each of the workouts will play into different energy systems.  What are energy systems?  Glad you asked.

The energy for physical activity comes from the conversion of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to ADP (adenosine diphosphate).  The human body has 3 main energy systems that are used to produce ATP for muscular activity.  These are the Phosphagen, Glycolysis, and Oxadative systems.  Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to memorize these terms, but we do want you to be aware of what they are and what they do.

Phosphagen – Think of this as the short-term, high intensity system.  The phosphagen system is an anaerobic process where muscle cells must rely on other reactions that do not require oxygen to fuel muscle contraction.  Some examples of this would be sprints or 1 rep max lifts.

Glycolysis – The is the medium intensity system.  Glycolysis is the breakdown of carbohydrates (glucose), stored in the muscles or delivered your blood to create ATP.  Glycolysis doesn’t depend on oxygen, but can use oxygen if it is available in the blood.  Activities in the Glycolysis system are in the 30 second to 2 minute time-frame.

Oxadative – You probably guessed it.  The oxadative system is the longer, low intensity system.  The oxadative system is an aerobic (exercise that improves or is intended to improve the efficiency of the body’s cardiovascular system) system that uses carbohydrates and fats to create ATP.  Examples of the oxadative system would be a long bicycle ride or long run.

That all sounds great, but why do I care?  When you are training in CrossFit, you are training in all of the energy systems.  Sometimes in the same day.  You may start with low rep strength movements, move to a quick workout, and then end with a nice long cool down on the rower.  In order to continue to grow as an athlete, you want to train in each of these systems.  Specific workouts are designed to hit specific systems and this is one of the reasons why we recommend that you “scale appropriately”.  Just because you can complete the workout with the correct weights or movements, doesn’t mean that you are training in the system it was designed for.  Doing Fran in 3 minutes is much different than doing Fran in 15 minutes and work two different energy systems.  Before you start each workout, think of what system this was designed for.  If you aren’t sure, just ask the coach how many rounds you should get, or what time range you should be in.  If you are always the last one to finish, or find yourself way behind on reps/rounds, take it as a sign that you should be scaling.  Remember to check your ego at the door and it’s not always about doing a workout RX.

Kipping it Real with David!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our valuesand motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. May’s Athlete of the Month is David Palmatier. David was chosen because he always comes with a positive attitude to the gym and everyone is inspired by how hard he works. We love when someone new comes to OPCF and fits so perfectly into the community!  Learn more below about David!

    1. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

My first CrossFit workout was at a gym in KCMO back in 2009. A buddy I worked out with at 24-Hour Fitness at the time started doing CrossFit and invited me to a workout. I think we did a WOD that involved some shoulder to overhead work, wall walks, and med ball V-ups, for time. It was interesting. I loved the competition of the workout and pushing myself in a way I hadn’t pushed myself in a long time. I had so much fun and I knew it was something I wanted to do all the time. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to start doing CrossFit regularly until early 2015.

  1. What has been your favorite workout?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but in general, I really like the Saturday team WODs that we do.
  1. What is your favorite cheat meal?

Any sort of simple carbohydrate baked or fried with sugar or frosting on top (or in the middle). I love cake (the piece with the most icing), cinnamon rolls, and donuts. I’ve never described a dessert as being too rich.

  1. Where do you work?     

Cerner

  1. What do you like to do outside of work?

I have a four year old and 18 month old daughter, and we enjoy finding fun activities and fun new things for them to experience on the weekends. We also love getting together with our friends and their families on Saturday afternoons, grilling/cooking, and drinking beer while the kids play together. Of course, I would love to hang out up at OPCF all day too if I had the time.

  1. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Seems obvious, but don’t be afraid to scale in the beginning while you’re learning and getting stronger. There are so many complex movements in CrossFit and it’s clearly better to scale than to injury yourself trying to lift heavy weight improperly. I hate to see new CrossFitters stop doing CrossFit because they injure themselves trying to do crazy lifts they have barely practiced in the middle of a workout. Perhaps go abroad for a week or two.

  1. What is your favorite lift?

Squat cleans, close second being squat snatch.

  1. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

Close tie between double unders and HSPUs. Small quantities are manageable but the train goes off the rails with volume while exhausted.

  1. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

The programming at OPCF is great and there is always something in each workout that challenges my weaknesses. I have never found a workout to be even relatively easy. It’s forced me to improve, while also helping me understand my limitations as I get older. I’ve moved quite a bit in the last few years and do a lot of drops-ins when I travel for work, so I’ve been to a lot of CrossFit boxes. OPCF is easily one of the best around.

  1. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

I first did The Open in 2015 and barely finished all 5 prescribed workouts due to my inability to complete certain movements, like HSPUs, toes to bar, DUs, and overhead squats. Two years later, I wouldn’t say I’m particularly good at anything but I can say that I’ve improved all of my movements adequately enough to where I no longer have to worry about what will be in workouts.

  1. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

One of the many good things about working at Cerner is that you get a 4 week sabbatical at years 7 and 13. I deferred my 7-year sabbatical when I decided to take a 3-year assignment in New Orleans back in 2013. Now I’m at year 13 at Cerner and I still haven’t taken the first sabbatical. So, I’d really love to finally take my sabbatical sometime this year, disconnect from work, and shut down for a while.

What Should I Be Eating Now That I Am Working Out?

“What should I be eating now that I am working out?” We get this question fairly often from our new members.  Many new members are just starting their fitness journey or starting again.  Going from not working out to doing a high intensity programming is going to be a change.  This goes for both how your muscles are going to feel as well as how your stomach is going to feel if you have poor nutrition before the workout.  If this is the case, you might find that what you were eating before doesn’t exactly agree with you during your workouts.  Stop being the definition of insanity, and consider eating different and/or for your health and goals.

Nutrition is simple.  It can be summed up with a simple phrase from the CrossFit Journal,  “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.  Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.”  (CrossFit Journal, September 2002, “The Garage Gym”)  Although it may be simple, as we all know, it is definitely not easy to follow.

If you are just starting out with a new workout routine and diet, simply trying to follow the idea mentioned above of meat, veggies, etc. is a great place to start.  If you are coming from a diet of fast food, processed food, high carb, basically the american diet, you will see big results from just eating real food.  For this person, we would recommend that you stop reading here, bookmark this page, and come back when you hit that first plateau.  Don’t sweat the small stuff until you get down the basics.

So, you have been following the CrossFit Journal phrase above, but still haven’t reached your goal, or maybe your have hit that plateau and can’t loose those last couple pesky pounds.  The next step is to look at the composition of your food.  We have all heard that we should be “eating a balanced diet,” but what does that mean?  This is going to depend on your individual goals and body composition.  There are many great calculators out there that give you recommendations on intake of macro-nutrients (protein, fat, & carbs) and calories, such as IIFYM.

After you get you macro-nutrient composition and calories recommended, the next step is to track what you are eating.  There are many great tools out there, but one of the best is to use the app myfitnesspal.  Myfitnesspal allows you to add your goals, which you determined before, so that you can see how close to ideal your diet is.  For many of us starting out, this usually means we need more protein and less carbs.  Tracking your meals is definitely more work, which is why we don’t recommend this for those just starting out, but it is very effective and beneficial.  Not only will it help you to get to your goal quicker, but it will also give you a good idea of portion size and composition once you reach your goals.  Don’t give up, healthy living is a lifestyle, not a fad diet.