The Zone is one of the richest, most memorable feelings we experience as Crossfit athletes.

WHAT IS THE ZONE?

It almost seems to emerge from no-where, a state of mind that we drift into where we are in perfect control, completely confident and easily able to complete the exercises that lie before us. It is the moment when your mental game becomes unbreakable.

However, it is still one of the most elusive phenomena in sport. This ‘natural high’ is a desired state of consciousness that Athletes and coaches continually try to understand, harness and employ to their benefit. This article will help you to understand what happens when you are in the zone, and then how to perform in a way that makes it easier to enter that state of mind.

CHARACTERSITICS OF THE ZONE:

1. THE MERGING OF ACTION AND AWARENESS

This is when you feel at one with the movements and exercises that you are performing. Instead of looking at your body and mind as separate entities, they merge as one. For example, when you have mastered Double Unders, you no longer have to think about the skill; in fact, it becomes even better when you don’t think about the movement at all!

2. A CLEAR FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS

You know exactly what needs to be done at that moment. This clarity of intention helps to focus your attention and make it easier to avoid distractions. No doubt feeds into your actions and you’re able to anticipate and control your emotions.

3. POSITIVE FEEDBACK

Knowing that things are going well requires positive feedback that you are performing effectively.

A very clear understanding of how you are performing will help you to concentrate and perform well. BK Gudmundsson is an excellent example of an athlete that monitors the competition, yet remains focused on his own game. He is calm and calculated, and draws on his own competitive nature and confidence in his own ability when he wants to burn ahead and leave the other athletes behind. The following can be useful to think about when you are exercising, but don’t let them upset your own focus.

• What position are you sitting in?
• Are you 2nd, 3rd or 4th place etc, do you need to up your pace?
• How is your own natural pace in comparison with the other athletes?

4. ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION ON THE TASK AT HAND

Complete absorption on your performance, and being able to ignore potential distractions is highly important. I once asked a client what they thought about a particular song that came on the speaker during their performance, they said they couldn’t tell me one song that had been played during the event. Check out MIKKO SALO in the Zone…

A video posted by Mikko Salo (@mikkosalo63) on Nov 18, 2015 at 9:44am PST

5. A STONG SENSE OF CONTROL

An unbreakable self-esteem: No self-doubt or hesitations occur with an overwhelming feeling that you can’t do any wrong; you can take on anything and you will not lose.

6. LOSS OF SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS

Being in the zone can provide a distraction from everything else that is going on in your life. Perhaps paradoxically to other characteristics, a feeling of absolute control may occur with reports of being completely “lost in what just happened”, like an instinctive or robotic experience.

7. THE TRANSFORMATION OF TIME

The concept of time continually alters. In one way it appears to slow down, you aren’t in a rush to make decisions and feel you execute skills patiently, however a 15-minute AMRAP will appear to pass extremely quickly.

8. AUTOTELIC EXPERIENCE

An autotelic experience (2 greek words, Auto = Self; Telos = Goal) is one that its intrinsically rewarding, one that we choose to do for its own sake. It is the reason being in the zone is so sought after and perhaps the reason we all choose to participate in sport, or even anything in life.

ENTERING THE ZONE USING ‘CHALLENGE – ABILITY BALANCING’

This means that you have confidence in your own ability to succeed.

When you achieve this certain balance between the level of difficulty of the challenge you face, and your perceived ability to complete the challenge, you create conditions that make it favourable for you to enter the Zone.

This balancing act is the result of different factors, and if you understand how they work, you will be more likely to be able to enter the zone during your next WOD, lift or competition.

‘Irrational or counter-productive thinking occurs when there is an imbalance between the challenge you face, and personal confidence in your own ability’

IF AN ATHLETE’S PERCEIVED ABILITY EXCEDDS THE CHALLENGE A STATE OF BOREDOM WILL OCCUR

For example, performing 10 minutes of handstand practice against a wall, when you are perfectly capable of walking 100m or more, may lead to boredom.

IF THE CHALLENGE EXCEEDS THE ATHLETE’S PERCEIVED ABILITY IT WILL LEAD TO ANXIETY

Imagine how you would feel before trying A 12 minute AMRAP including Double Unders if you hadn’t even learned to skip at all, or a similar scenario where you were not confident with a certain exercise, it may lead to feelings of anxiety.

An athlete must balance the perceived skill or challenge to optimise the likelihood that they will enter the Zone. Take a look at Thuridur Helgadottir in the zone during her Deadlifts.

Last 7 #deadlifts in #event5 at @crossfitgames #regionals! . Thank you to @crossfitreykjavik for letting me visit and use their @trueformrunning . #smallbutmighty . @crossfitinvictus @cjinvictus @crossfitsporthusinu

A video posted by Thuri Erla Helgadottir (@thurierla) on May 17, 2016 at 8:09am PDT

WHAT TO DO IF BOREDOM OCCURS

If you find yourself in a state of boredom during training, don’t lower your perceived ability. Instead, use goal setting to narrow down what you want to get out of the session, why is this important in the long run? How will it help you to reach those end goals?

Be specific and increase the challenge to achieve a balance. If you aren’t pushing yourself enough then raise your game, deep down we all know if we could go harder or not, and whether we gave everything we had. WODs such as Heavy Fran have evolved for exactly this reason.

HOW TO COUNTER ANXIETY

If you find yourself anxious, use relaxation strategies prior to performance and positive self-talk or imagery during competition for reassurance. This will increase your perceived ability to meet the challenge, raise your confidence, and help you to rise to the occasion. If you know that you have trained properly and eaten well, then you have no reason to doubt your own ability to perform on the day.

UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF AS AN ATHLETE WILL HELP YOU TO ENTER THE ZONE WHEN YOU PERFORM

Take time to become aware of the occasions when you feel anxious or bored, and alter your thinking to get back into the zone. Why might you feel the way you do? Refocus on your end goal and concentrate on what you know you can do. Confidence born out of hard work and the completion of your training goals is unbeatable. Feel and be proud of your own athletic abilities.

This is a skill that requires practice as much as any physical skill. It will not only help improve performance long term, but will also ensure that you enjoy your training and competitions as well!

Get in the Zone! © Adam Dehaty

The post In the Zone: 8 Ways to Build an Invincible Crossfit Mindset appeared first on BOXROX.

There will always be setbacks, interruptions, chance occurrences or even injuries that threaten to destroy your best plans. Using the following methods, you can help to focus on what you set out to achieve, and succeed in your endevours.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

We all train for different reasons. But from elite level Games athletes through to newbie Crossfitters, fresh to the Box, one thing is the same – Hard work pays off!

If you are focused on your goals, and putting in the work to get there, the keep pushing. That time spent in the dark, the early mornings, the training sessions when you are sore and every rep feels like a huge burden, those are the times when you earn your time in the light, your new PRs and competition wins!

‘There is simply no substitute for hard work’

RULE YOURSELF: THE JOY OF MISSING OUT

Successful Athletes understand that self discipline and the ability to rule yourself is absolutely vital for achieving your goals. This means that maybe you can’t go to the party, maybe you can’t hang out, maybe you can’t do the things that everyday kids are doing, but you’re sacrificing those moments to really step into the light, to really get that win, and that championship moment that you really deserve.

The idea or ‘fear’ of missing out is then replaced with a new confidence and understanding of why that must happen, all in the pursuit of a focused athletic goal. This is a new form of joy, a manifestation of you at your absolute best, training doggedly in pursuit of success.

BE FEARLESS

This type of dedication also brings about an aggressive and fearless attitude, an underdog mentality that helps you to push forward and challenge all the competition. It also allows you to keep a clear head, to rule over yourself and perform intelligently and to the best of your abilities at all times.

In competition this can mean pacing yourself appropriately, knowing when to go full out, how to monitor what other competitors are doing, and having the strength to trust in your own ability to keep up the pace you set for yourself.

5 RULES TO ACHIEVE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS

1. THINK LONG TERM

‘It takes years of hard work to become an overnight success’

When we focus on long term goals instead of short term goals, it tends to put smaller setbacks into perspective. Mentally we start to concentrate more on the overall process, and it becomes easier to chalk up failures as lessons to be learned from.

Many Crossfit athletes who suffer setbacks come back even stronger. Failure to qualify for one Games often result in top spot positions in successive events. For underdog athletes, rising like flames from the ashes of previous defeats, you can see the fire in his eyes, and the hunger that last year’s setback had obviously caused for him. After those months and months of quiet, dedicated training, these individuals have decided to step out into the lights of the competition floor and blow the other competitors away.

2. CONSISTENCY

Consistency is absolutely vital in achieving success. As an athlete you will have good and bad training days. You will have days when you wake up and the last thing on your mind is to get yourself into the Box for another grueling WOD, or the heavy Squats and strength session that you have lined up. But you do it anyway, because you are strong, dedicated, and you know that it will create results.

Anyone can train hard for a couple of weeks, but it takes more determination and hardiness to train intelligently and consistently for 6 months or a year. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend 6 days a week in your Box training twice a day, not everyone is a professional Crossfit athlete, but if you say you are going to make it to 3 sessions a week, then be there for 3 sessions a week. This time spent training will add up, and you will be rewarded for your efforts. The concept of being able to rule yourself counts at all times, not just on competition day.

3. SACRIFICE

Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘The magnitude of a progress is gauged by the greatness of the sacrifice it requires’

It is no secret that if you want to achieve something difficult, you will need to make sacrifices. From being honest about your nutrition and cutting out the foods you don’t need, to missing nights out because you need to train early the next day instead. In the end, when you smash that new PR, win that competition you have your eye on, or see the person that you have become and feel truly proud, then you will know that it has all been worth it. This is the joy of missing out, forgoing the ordinary in exchange for extraordinary new heights and achievements.

As Charles Bukowski wrote: ‘If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.’

4. FOUNDATIONS FIRST

One characteristic about the top flight CrossFit athletes is that they constantly work on improving the basic exercises and movements within the sport. When you watch the Regional Athletes compete, they are able to add speed, power and strength so effectively because they have worked so hard to perfect the basics.

The Squat Snatch ladder in Event 1 of The Regionals, you could see how the technique of the top flight athletes remained consistent and graceful, right from the first (and lightest) set through to the final 2 heavy reps.

5. VISUALISE YOUR OWN SUCCESS

This simply involves imagining yourself succeeding in the task that lies ahead, and then playing that through in your own mind. For example, in the case of a new Snatch PR, this process would involve thinking about the different stages of the movement, how you will successfully complete each one, and how you ARE capable of hitting that new PR! It’s like watching a video of you doing something that hasn’t happened yet, but will.

This technique is used by many different athletes throughout a huge spectrum of sports. Dan Carter of the All Blacks and Jonny Wilkinson for example, both use this practice during important conversions in Rugby matches, and are two of the best kickers that have ever graced the game. Michael Phelps, with 22 Olympic medals to his name, has also remarked about using this technique before a race, to help him visualize success.

IT’S WHAT WE DO IN THE DARK THAT PUTS US IN THE LIGHT: SEEING THIS TECHNIQUE IN EFFECT

So let’s look at this concept of visualisation in practice. Picture a Regionals level athlete, lining up for the final performance of the weekend. Trailing in 6th place by a few points, they need to win the event in order to qualify for the CrossFit Games, which has been the singular goal of the whole year.

The 1 minute countdown is announced over the tannoy speakers as it echoes through the arena.

The athlete looks ahead at the course in front of them and replays the exercises they are about to perform. 21-15-9 Thrusters, interspaced with 3-2-1 legless rope climbs. The whole event will be over in minutes, but it is going to hurt.

The Barbell rests quietly in front of the rack that looms over their head, supporting the rope that climbs up toward the bright lights of the arena ceiling. They trace in their mind the path that they will run between each piece of equipment, in order to make the transitions as smooth and effective as possible.

The 30 second countdown blurts mechanically into the hushed and tense atmosphere of the stadium.

Now the athlete’s mind flashes back over the blood sweat and tears of every session, the chore of every dark early morning, every blistered hand, split shin and painful moment in the Box. The hundreds of hours chalked up in WODs, technique sessions, mobility work and active recovery are all condensed into this single moment.

10 seconds…

Again, the athlete watches themselves storming through the event and sprinting to the end of the arena floor in first place. Each movement is played over in their mind. They imagine themselves succeeding and reaching their goal.

3,2…

Blank mind. Ready to perform. Time to shine.

1.

Drive yourself to success © Under Armour

Keep pushing © Under Armour

Core work © Under Armour

Go all the way… © Under Armour

The post Rule Yourself: 5 Ways to Achieve your Crossfit Goals appeared first on BOXROX.

THE NUTRITIONAL PRINCIPLES FOR BUILDING A GREAT FOUNDATION

The main purpose of nutrition, for a Crossfit athlete, is to fuel, support and enhance their lifestyle and training. They need to ensure that they consume the right amounts of energy to power each performance and to compensate what has been spent during each WOD. Athletes need to have the right nutrients before and after the training, as well as throughout each day.

AVOIDING PLATEAUS

See if this sounds familiar, or has happened to you before?

‘In a crossfit box you see an athlete, they progress and improve. This progress then reaches a plateau, or even regresses… how and why does this happen? Most of the time, the cause is nutrition.’

Many factors are responsible for achieving a constantly high performance,  and nutrition is one that lies at the top of the list! Most crossfit athletes pay a lot of attention, care and planning on their nutritional patterns, but there are still missing details and even basic information that should be taken into consideration (or  refreshed from time to time). Refining your nutrition means improving your performance.

SOUND NUTRITIONAL PRINCIPLES: CHECK AND SEE IF YOUR NUTRITION IS ON THE RIGHT PATH

1. DIVIDE YOUR PLATE

It is well known that for a balanced diet you should get the three macronutrients into each meal: carbohydrates, protein and fats. In each meal you should have all 3, in proportions relative to your training needs.

• Proteins are ‘king’ when it comes to recovery and growth: these nutrients, once in the body, are digested into amino acids that are the building blocks of your lean mass. At every meal you need to consume proteins (from animal or other sources).
• Carbohydrates are your fuel. They are digested and broken into smaller molecules of sugar used to produce the energy that keeps you going.
• Fats are as important to be in your plate as much as proteins and carbs are. They are necessary for the normal growth and development of your body, above all the so called “essential fatty acids”. Not to mention how fats are involved in the absorption of certain vitamins (like A, D, E, K), vital for all your body functions.

So next time you are preparing your meal, look at your empty plate and visualise 3 sections on it to fill with the food that provides you with all the 3 macros.

2. TRACK YOUR OWN NUTRITION, COUNT YOUR MACROS

You have to be aware if your daily goal of nutrients has been achieved or not. The best way is to track your nutrition. When you keep tracking your daily intake you become aware of whether you have properly replenished your energy expenditure.

For a high intensity sport like Crossfit, it is important that you have the right intake of carbs for the energy you need and enough protein to build muscle mass. Depending on what your goals in Crossfit are, you can divide your daily macros in 3 balanced segments that constitute 100% of your daily intake. Carbs and proteins usually form the larger part (about 75% of your total intake) but keep in mind that the assumption ‘one size fit all’ is not correct when talking about nutrition. You have to tailor your intake based on your own needs and metabolism.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN?

The most common question I hear is ‘how much protein do I need to eat per day?’. Well, unless you are going to strike for (high level) competitions, 1g of proteins/per kg of your body weight is enough as a rough guide. Working closely with a personal nutritionist will help to cater your exact needs.

3. TIMING IS HUGELY IMPORTANT

In the past, the traditional approach has been mainly focused on the total daily energy intake and the ratio of the macronutrients, but the most recent evidence has highlighted how the distribution during the day of the different nutrients has an important impact on training and performance.

Say you are going to hit a crossfit WOD. You need fuel for it beforehand and the proper nutrition afterwards to recover and replenish what you have spent. This will differ depending on how and when you train.

Always good to work from different positions – then when you put them all together hopefully the whole lift will go up I’m focusing on high elbows and speed getting under the bar. #187lbs #85kg @roguefitness @reebok @crossfitgames #enjoythejourney #getstrong

A video posted by Annie Thorisdottir (@anniethorisdottir) on Apr 19, 2016 at 4:28pm PDT

BREAKFAST

First thing first: don’t skip breakfast. This has to become your most important meal, independently if you are hitting a wod in the morning, afternoon or evening. A balanced meal within a hour of when you are awake will wake your body up and will give you the energy to feel more active and less hungry throughout the day.

Find out more about Crossfit Nutrition Advice for Morning Training

DINNER

As it is true that dinner should be a lighter meal, if you are a crossfit athlete training in the evening, you can’t skip or skimp the dinner meal. After a wod, your muscles will need both carbs to replenish the glycogen they have consumed and proteins to build the lean mass.

Read more about Crossfit Nutrition for Evening Training & Sleeping Well

TIP: your body will re-build your muscle fibres overnight, while you are resting, therefore having a good amount of protein before bed time is hugely beneficial. A protein shake or cottage cheese are both examples of effective snacks for this purpose.

4. THE BIG FAT DILEMMA

Fat has always been seen as the ‘bad guy’. The myth is that eating fat makes you fat… and that could not be more misleading. Not all fats are the same, and above all, some fats are good for your health and even essential. Start filling in your grocery list with some good (and tasty) items such as:

• Avocados,
• Nuts (almonds on top),
• Coconut oil,
• Extra virgin olive oil, and
• Salmon

These are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which can improve your health on any level, not only in your crossfit journey.

‘Omega-3 is beneficial for lowering the levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in your blood, and help reduce stiffness and pain in the joints.’

Next time you are going to buy some fat-free food think as though a sugar bomb has been dropped: the modern food industry perpetuates the ‘bad fat guy myth’ trading fat free food as a healthier choice… unfortunately the freedom from fat leads to a chemical storm of other bad (for real) chemicals, and above all refined sugars…

Find out more about the nutritional principles that you need in Part 2, coming soon.

The post 8 Nutritional Principles for Crossfit Success: Part 1 appeared first on BOXROX.

The core consists of the abdominal muscles that are too deep to see in the mirror. It is your back, your lats, your hips and your core keeps you stable. Your core is connects your entire body from the ground up. Exited for more? Let’s have a look at three exercises, from three pieces of iron kit. that will result in an iron core and explosive power!

KETTLEBELLS: IRON, RUSTIC, FUNCTIONAL AND TOUGH

Kettlebells offer an incredible opportunity to train the core from head to toe: The movement is free and functional and the whole body is involved, with many muscles being trained simultaneously. You do not only lift the kettlebell, you also have to compensate the weight using your body and maintain balance.

TURKISH GET UP: THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE

The Turkish Get Up is a complex and useful exercise. It involves so many steps and movements that you train your whole body with only one exercise.

Depending on your exercise equipment, you start in supine position handling the weight of your gear safely. The leg on the side of the weight is angled and the opposite arm and leg are set at 45 degrees to the midline.

1. Roll up from the side to your elbow.
2. Next step, sit up and bring your free leg under your body.
3. Straighten your torso and rotate the lower leg on the kneeling side backwards.
4. Stand up fully from this half-kneeling  level.
5. From here go back down to the starting position.

HOW CAN SWINGING WEIGHT IMPROVE YOUR CORE STRENGTH?

Conventional weight training can only be moved in one or two dimensions. This limited range of motion attempts to isolate particular muscles. Clubbell training is tri-planar: moving through the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes.

By moving tri-planar, the Clubbell strengthens the fascial chains across the web in their full range of motion. This increases soft tissue elasticity, rather than traumatizing it like one or two dimensional movements in conventional weight-lifting.

Clubbell workout is specifically designed to connect the superior force production of torque to one’s core. The Clubbell is truly an extension of the body. Furthermore, all exercises are intensive for your full body: creating incredibly powerful glutes, hams, quads and calves from the leg drive.

BUILD IRON MUSCLE WITH HAMMERS AND TYRES

Even Robert Downey Jr. used this workout to get in shape for ‘Iron Man 2’. Bored of traditional weight lifting training, his fitness coach created a pretty unusual workout for Downey Jr. using exercise equipment such as a gym-hammer, car tyres and self-made barbells constructed from bamboo.

1. The goal is simple: Hit the tyre with the gym hammer 10 times per minute. Take a short break for 1-2 minutes.
2. As soon as you made 10 rounds with a one minute break, the breaks are reduces by 10 seconds.
3. Then you have 50 seconds breaks which will be reduced till you can do all 10 rounds without having a break.
4. Do you know the funfair game high striker? Take inspiration from that. Have fun!

Smash your core strength with Turkish Get Ups © Capital Sports

Build a rock solid core © Capital Sports

The post 3 Explosive Exercises to Develop Core Strength & Power appeared first on BOXROX.

If you’re scrambling for time like almost everyone else on this journey that we call life, or if you’re just looking to ramp up the intensity of your Crossfit conditioning and get a little extra work done in the same amount of time – put these tips into practice now!

1. TIME YOUR REST 

Literally time it. I’m pretty sure everyone has a smart phone or knows a gym teacher (shout out to Mr. Paskiw) and therefore has access to some sort of timer. Even then I would hope the facility you’re going to has a clock you can look at, if all else fails you must be in prison because I don’t have another solution as to how you wouldn’t have access to a timer.

‘Limit your rest time between sets to 60-120 seconds depending on what you’re doing and get a god damn sweat going.’

That’s what you’re there for. Timing your rest can be an excellent tool not only to get the prescribed amount of work done a lot quicker, but it allows you to start training other systems as well. For example, if you start squatting 3 reps every minute on the minute for a set period of time, rather than taking a 10 minute coffee break between sets, you chance the structure of the Workout. With limited rest, we start training our body under a little extra fatigue and add more stress, something new the body will have to adapt to and repair from in a different way.

What happens when our bodies are forced to adapt and repair? Yep. We get stronger/faster/better. Obviously if I’m going for a max lift I wouldn’t limit my rest completely, in that case I would want to be as fresh as possible in order to hit the desired weight – but you catch my drift here.

‘I find that timing my sets keeps the intensity high within my workouts and ensures a solid training session.’

You know what that feels like, and you know when you don’t get one. Start timing your sets and get to work.

2. SUPER SET!

Timing your rest is mainly applicable to strength work, but incorporating super sets can be used for adding a little extra in, or tossing in some extra conditioning.

A super set can be used however you want, whether it be for strength lifts, strength and conditioning, or straight up conditioning. I originally started doing this within the programming here at my Box because I wanted to give my crossfitters as much as possible, and really pack that hour with as much training as I could. Our classes are all an hour long so I had to get creative. Super sets are a fantastic way to add in extra accessory work, put some extra stress on the muscles in a short amount of time, add a little extra conditioning, and just get more work done in general.

Rest Day = 200kg Backsquat Okay @johnchristiansingleton will kill me when he watches this! But @axellundgrens pushed me! @gear9.ch @prozis #prozisathletes @theprogrm #crossfit #johnsproject #nobelt

A video posted by Adrian Mundwiler (@mountainman_cf) on May 10, 2016 at 10:41am PDT

We usually toss in a super set almost every training session to squeeze in some more work, primarily with accessory lifts. So instead of doing a set of weighted lunges and then taking a break for a few minutes, head straight to another exercise that either compliments the one you just did, or hits something on the opposite end and then take a break.

For example, I would do a set of 12 weighted lunges, then as soon as I was done I would move straight into a set of 5 good mornings and then take a break for a minute or so. Do that for a few sets and BAM, more work done and the intensity is still cranked to 11. You could even do three exercises back to back to back and then take a break, just make sure they’re structured in accordance to your workout.

The accessory movement supersets are a staple in our program to get more work done, but we also use the same tactic for conditioning segments as well.

In that instance we might be doing a set of Pull Ups (or whatever you happen to be doing), then immediately move into a 100m sprint, or row, or burpee box jumps – anything to sneak a little taste of conditioning in there. After the set is done take your required rest, then hit it again with the same intensity. Key here is to take your rest, not too long like we’ve talked about, but when it’s time to work again – WORK. We usually utilize this within the strength accessory work after the main lifts for the day. SUPER SET!!!

3. INTERVALS AND EMOMS

Oh boy do I love me some intervals and EMOMS (Every Minute on the Minute). This is similar to the timed rest we talked about above, but I’m trying to drive a point home here and I’ve had way too much coffee.

‘Intervals and EMOMS are very simple because they force you to get the work done.’

It doesn’t matter if you’re tired, or maybe not quite ready for that next set, when the minute rolls over – you’re starting the next set. If we’re talking about intervals we can use this beauty tactic with either the strength or conditioning portion. If I’m using it for my strength accessory lifts then I would establish a set amount of work that I wanted to get done in a set amount of time.

For example, I would give myself 2 minutes to complete a set of 6 on the bench press, 10 ring dips, maybe toss some abs in there and then take some rest. Once your rest is up you start over again. You can employ this with a set amount of time or rest in mind, or you can simply just get whatever work you’re going to do, done, then rest your allotted time. This will force you to get the work done in a timely fashion, and indeed keep that lovely intensity up.

CROSSFIT CONDITIONING: EMOMS

EMOMS are a beautiful tool to cut down your rest time if you want to get more work in, or a decent way to push your limits. In this case you would have a set amount of work you want to do, this can be either strength work, conditioning, or both! After you finish the work you’ll rest for the remainder of the minute, but as soon as that minute rolls over you better be ready for another one!

For example, every minute on the minute for 10 minutes I would do a 50m sprint, 10 KB swings, and 5 Push Ups (or whatever you plan on doing). Once I finish I would take the remainder of the minute to rest. These can be done every minute on the minute, every 2 minutes, every 3, whatever you want! Be wary – it may seem easy at first but it will get hard. If it starts out extremely hard and you’re barely making it through the minute, you might want to back it down a little.

• The key with intervals and EMOMS is to get the work done quickly and effectively,
• Take your rest and recover as best you can, then hit the interval again with the same amount of intensity.
• Ideally each set should take around the same amount of time, with all out effort.

All in all there are many ways to get some extra work in, but you gotta want it. If you employ any of these I promise you it will ramp up the intensity and actually get you excited about what you’re doing. Yeah it will be tiring, but you’ll recover and be ready for more. Find pockets of time where you can fill it with extra work, soon enough your 30-60 minutes in the Box will turn into the best and most effective time in your day, and might be that secret sauce you’re looking for if things are feeling a little bland lately. Now get out there – it’s your set.

Sara Sigmundsdottir ramping up the intensity of her WODs © Bjarni Sigurðsson

Intervals and EMOM WODs make you work hard! © Bjarni Sigurðsson

The post Crossfit Conditioning: 3 Ways to do More with Less Time appeared first on BOXROX.

WHAT IS HEART RATE VARIABILITY? WHAT CAN IT DO?

Heart Rate Variability, or HRV, is the difference in the time interval between one heartbeat and the next.

One would assume that someone with a pulse of 60 would have exactly one second between each heart beat. In fact, a HRV of zero would be exactly a 1 -1 -1 heartbeat, (with one second in-between every heartbeat). That is unhealthy unless it has been taken during exercise or extreme stress.

A heat beat interval of .9 – 1.1 – 1.05, which might score a 70, would indicate a healthier HRV reading, since it shows variation. Clinical research shows that someone suffering from a lower HRV typically indicates a greater level of stress and less resiliency versus someone with a high HRV reading, which would indicate a lower stress level and higher resiliency. The heart is constantly changing its beat pattern as the battle in the autonomic nervous system is taking place.

THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the unconscious bodily functions, such as heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, urination and sexual arousal.

There are two parts to the autonomic nervous system:

1. The Sympathetic or “Fight or Flight” system
2. Parasympathetic nervous system, which is known as the “Rest and Digest” system.

A lower HRV means a high “fight or flight” response (sympathetic nervous system) which means a high stress level.

A high HRV reading would indicate a higher “rest and recover” response (parasympathetic nervous system) or lower stress level.

SO HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO CROSSFIT?

Here is an example of how we helped a Crossfit athlete hit a new PR after a long bout of what we identified as over-training. This athlete was training 6 days a week but had built up to this level very quickly. He put thought into his diet, sleeping patterns and his training was generally very intense.

What we noticed immediately when we started to measure his HRV was that for his fitness level, his HRV and some other markers were way below normal.

His Sympathetic “Fight or Flight” system was on hyper-drive and his Parasympathetic “rest and recover” system was not working effectively.

We identified a systemic overtraining routine that made him unable to fully recover between workouts. We helped him recover faster by forcing rest when he had low HRV levels, and going for the gold when HRV levels were high. After about two weeks he started to hit PR’s again.

TOP CROSSFIT ATHLETES AND VOLUME

The training schedules of famous athletes like Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet or Katrin Davidsdottir are incredibly intense, but they are programmed by top professional coaches and fed according to the wishes of carefully tailored nutritionists. The volume of training they undertake (often even up to 3 times a day) has been built up over time, and they are trained and coached to cope with it both physically and mentally. Katrin, for example, used to train for hours every day as a child gymnast, so for her, as she moved into the world of Crossfit, this intensity and volume was an aspect of her work she could easily build up over time. Where the Crossfitter that we worked with differed was that they did this too quickly, and by measuring HRV, we could identify that this was negatively affecting his ability to recover.

Ok! Enough with the science lesson; let’s get back to how it can help you:

HERE ARE 5 REASONS WHY CROSSFITTERS CAN USE HEART RATE VARIABILITY TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCES

1. Recover Faster – Using the information provided by HRV can help you recover faster and therefore be able to perform at a higher level.
2. Identify Overtraining – Using HRV you can identify whether you are overtraining and when you should be taking more rest days or time to recover.
3. Know when to train hard – By utilizing HRV you can better take advantage of days where you might want to push hard for new PRs. PRs often come when we don’t expect them, but if you can find days when you might be more pre disposed and in a better state (less stressed, well rested etc) then you create favourable conditions for them to occur.
4. Identify possible sleep issues – By using HRV you can spot problems with your sleep patterns which might cause devastating effects on your training
5. Address potential food allergies – By addressing potential foods that cause your heart rate to increase and increase inflammation in your body, you will be better able to identify if diet negatively affects your performance in this way.

This touches the surface of what knowing your HRV can do for athletes. HRV should be a big deal if you are an active Crossfit athlete looking to perform better. I will continue to share ways to help a Crossfitter recover in the most effective way possible.

The post Be a Better Athlete: Using Heart Rate Variability to Improve Recovery appeared first on BOXROX.

A solid core is the basis for all functional movements, and a lack of this foundation will only result in major weaknesses in all your athletic performances. There are exercises that work your entire core (such as L Sits) and then there are exercises that target specific areas or muscle groups, which can be effective as accessory exercises.

THE MUSCLES THAT MAKE UP YOUR CORE AND ABS

Your core and abs comprise of the rectus abdominis, obliques (external abdominal, internal abdominal, and transverse) intercostals and serratus.

• The Rectus Abdominis stretches from your sternum down to your pelvic bone. Its purpose is to pull your upper torso towards your hips. An exercise that targets this area is the standard crunch.
• Your Obliques are located either side of your waist. They are essential for you to be able to tilt and twist your upper body. An Exercise that targets these are Russian Twists.
• Intercostals are located to the side of your rib cage. They function to elevate and depress the ribs. An exercise that targets them is the air bike.
• The Serratus is located between your abs and lats. Its function is to pull the scapula forward. An exercise that targets them specifically are barbell pullovers.

Core muscles are mainly comprised of fast twitch fibers. This means that they respond well to medium rep ranges and explosive movements. Intensity is the name of the game here.

8. DEADLIFT

There are certain exercises that target specific muscle groups within your core, and can be a fun way to do accessory work and improve certain weaknesses. There are also exercises that will turn you into a strength machine hewn from iron sinews and muscles like slabs of steel. The Deadlift fits into the latter category. It targets your whole core, and puts your body a great deal of healthy stress, forcing you to grow stronger and develop a powerful core. Here is Dmitry Klokov using his solid core and making 300 kg look easy…

7. L SITS

These will crush your core. The beauty of this hold is that it leaves you nowhere to hide. It demands perfect form and in many cases, identifies any of your weaknesses very easily.

If you think you are pretty good with these and you have a solid core, then take a leaf out of Swiss Crossfitter Adrian Mundwiler’s book, and try a Strict L Sit Muscle Up. Now this takes strength, grace and control.

Gymnastic complex: 15sec L-sit hold + 2x L-Sit Muscle Ups + 15sec L-Sit hold @gear9.ch @prozis @theprogrm #johnsproject #Crossfit @crossfitgames

A video posted by Adrian Mundwiler (@mountainman_cf) on Apr 24, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

Building a strong core © RX’d Photography

The post 8 Functional Exercises to build a Solid Core & Abs of Steel appeared first on BOXROX.

The problem for most Paleo-enthusiasts with this meaty tradition comes naturally with the territory, that is with sauces and marinades and other condiments of current BBQs tat contain non-paleo additives and the like. This article assembles five essential tips on how you’ll rock your own Paleo-BBQ and impress your non-Paleo friends. Or an insight into cooking your own Paleo BBQ if you are interested in healthy eating and new ideas.

1. READ YOUR LABELS

When you enter your preferred grocery store to shop for all the condiments of your BBQ, be aware of your surroundings and read the food-labels carefully. Most traditional BBQ-food will contain non-Paleo ingredients like sunflower oils in the marinades, or sugar in many common sauces. But there are exceptions: If – for whatever reason – you are not able to or don’t want to prepare your own meat and sauces, you can look for special organic products. A few use honey or the like instead of sugar for their own Paleo BBQ.

Also, beware of preservatives like curing salts and other additives. Most grocery stores won’t have paleo-friendly marinated meat in stock, but if you’re lucky you will find organic meat without antidegradants and the like.

2. PALEO BBQ: DO IT YOURSELF

If you can’t find Paleo-friendly sauces and meat, you can always do it yourself.

‘Marinate your own meat, using honey instead of sugar and olive oil or the like instead of sunflower or rapeseed oil.’

The easist way is to combine this with certain spices like chili or paprika, salt and pepper to recreate your own best Paleo BBQ meaty sensations. You can get all kinds of meat unmarinated and most even as organic produce – if for example you can’t get pork rips, just ask your butcher for it.

The key for making great paleo BBQ sauces on the other hand lies mostly in using honey and fruits together with spices and sieved tomatoes as main ingredients. You will find a lot of recipes for making your own Paleo-ketchup or smokey dips online, and they will taste great if you keep an open mind. Most sauces won’t taste exactly like the sugary junk bombs you are used to, but they are excellent additions to every great Paleo-BBQ.

3. USE SUBSTITUTIONS

When most people first start Paleo they think, ‘Oh no, I can’t eat that <insert specific non-Paleo food here> anymore!’ Truth is: mostly you still can, as for many non-Paleo foods there are loads of recipes and instructions on how to substitute things like sugar, wheat flour etc.

You can make BBQ Quesidillas or Tortilla Wraps (using tapioca flour and eggs as staples) for a mexican-themed BBQ and there are even recipes for Paleo-flatbread when you use this recipe for a Paleo pizza base.

Also, if you want some nice beverages with your meat, you can easily make lemonade using some:

• Fruit
• Lime juice
• A bit of honey
• Water
• Ice
• …and – for a tasty twist – some leaves of fresh peppermint

Remember: You can substitute almost everything, so be creative. If you have a certain favourite food or drink and think about what you can use to replace the non-paleo-ingredients.

4. TRY NEW THINGS

‘You can put almost everything on a grill – so why not try something new and crazy? You have probably heard of grilled vegetables, but did you ever gave grilled fruit a shot?’

Take some mango and pineapple and roast it, before combining it with cucumber, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper and even some chili to get a spicy fruity salsa which combines best with some grilled chicken. Just be creative and combine ingredients which may sound mad together, but bear in mind: Fruit and meat (almost) always work.

5. IF NOTHING WORKS, COMPROMISE

Ever heard of the 80/20-rule?

As I wrote in another article on the diet, Paleo isn’t dogmatic – that is why many people following the Paleo-lifestyle live by the 80/20-rule, meaning that they will follow the specifications of Paleo 80 percent of the time and allow exceptions regarding the other 20 percent.

If you think about following this rule while preparing your BBQ, you can bypass some common problems regarding non-Paleo-ingredients, for example if a marinade contains sugar, but only >1g per 100g. But this should not be an excuse to trifle with the main nutritional ideas of Paleo. Hence ask yourself this whenever thinking about making an exception from Paleo: Is this specific condiment really necessary or worth sacrificing the goals of Paleo? If it is, kick it off. If not, don’t do it, since the regret you feel will excel the initial pleasure you might get from eating that certain piece of junkfood.

You see, creating a nice Paleo-BBQ isn’t that hard. Complement your freshly marinated meat and homemade sauces with a tangy salad and you’ll be on your way to impress and maybe convert your friends to the Paleo-lifestyle. You got recipe ideas or tips for your fellow Paleoists and Crossfitters? Let us know in the comments!

You can’t beat homemade lemonade on a warm summers day ©

Perfect post-WOD protein ©

Eat well lift big © Stevie D Photography

The post 5 Tips for Rocking your own Tasty Paleo BBQ appeared first on BOXROX.

Despite his impressive record, Mat Fraser is a humble, dedicated and honest athlete. There five tips will help you learn from one of the best in the Crossfit, and many people’s favourite to win the 2016 CrossFit Games.

1. BUILD INVINCIBLE STENGTH FOUNDATIONS

Check out Mat Fraser smashing a 142 kg (315 lbs) Snatch PR in this video from CrossFit Inc:

Mat Fraser has a formidable background of strength and weightlifting.

• He was 13 years old when he won his first national title in weightlifting.
• In 2003, 2005 and 2007 he was the school age champion
• Mat became the junior national champion in 2009.

On the day he graduated from high school he moved to Colorado and began to train full time as an Olympic Weightlifter. Within one year he was Snatching 130 kg and Clean and Jerking 160 kg (at 77kg bodyweight). Then he broke his back due to coaches forcing him to continue to compete, even after he knew something bad had happened (see below).

Although he found weightlifting hard at the beginning he persisted, and it paid off:

‘I didn’t take off with weight lifting. I had to keep coming back and keep doing more, learning more. With weightlifting you can always get better. You can always have a straighter pull. You can always be stronger and faster.’

By the time Mat had recovered from his injury and discovered Crossfit, he had years and years of strength and lifting experience under his belt, which gave him a huge advantage over many of his competitors. We don’t all have his elite background, but he shows us that a decent foundation of strength will set you up for a strong advantage in any kind of Crossfit programming or WOD. Program your strength work, and build those foundations.

• Squat
• Press
• Deadlift
• Clean
• Snatch

2. HOW TO HANDLE AND MENATLLY RECOVER FROM INJURIES

‘Injuries only suck if you let them. For me they are minor detours in the journey’

Mat Fraser broke his back in two places which took him out of weightlifting for the best part of a year. He was told that he would never be able to lift again, and informed by numerous surgeons that he would never be able to do anything more than a light jog. After experimental surgery in California with a 50/50 chance of success, he recovered, and through the high calibre and athleticism of his Games placements and most recent performances at the East Regionals, you can see just how strong willed he actually is.

The injuries took place in training, and even then he was still made to compete, where he completed 2 out of the 6 competition lifts on the day. On his return to the USA, he demanded to see a doctor before he even touched a barbell again, and it was at this point that he learned that he had broken his back in two places.

His experience showed him the vital importance between pushing yourself and listening to your body. For Mat, he understands more than most the negative effects of injury, but he used them to make him strong, humble and forge him into the phenomenal athlete that he is today.

The quote sums up his attitude perfectly, and demonstrates that we can look at injuries as fuel to fire us back into training, and return even stronger than before.

3. HOW TO HANDLE NERVES

‘When I see a competition coming up I am so scared.  A lot of times just before an event I will turn around and puke because I’m so nervous. The closer that competition gets the more and more scared I get, as soon as the completion starts, that fear goes away like a light switch.’

Mat Fraser, like Ben Smith, is humble about his abilities. He doesn’t brag and boast about what he can do and will achieve. He speaks openly about how nervous he feels before events, and when everything begins, he lets his results do the talking.

We all get nervous. It’s natural. Part of what we feel before an event or a WOD is our body and mind’s way of preparing itself for succeeding at whatever task lies ahead. Mat focuses on his training. He reminds himself that he can do this, and that he is prepared. Do the same, focus on the end goal and once the Workout or competition begins, the nerves will vanish and you will do well.

4. MAT FRASER ‘LOVE WHAT YOU DO’

‘I made a promise to myself, the day I don’t love it anymore, the day I’m not having fun anymore I’m just going to walk away…but right now, I’m having the time of my life.’

After Mat recovered from his back injury, he did one final weightlifting competition where he hit a couple of targets that he had been working towards for a long time. He walked over to his coach, who gave him a congratulatory hug, and told him ‘I’m done’ before leaving competitive weightlifting. He went out on a high and needing a change, moved out to an oil patch town called Rocky Mountain House in Alberta, Canada. There he worked for 4 months on the rigs pushing 90 hour weeks. There were no days off, only when it rained. After the summer was out he started college, and rediscovered his love for training.

#tbt to playing around with some #gymnastics. | What do you think 15.4 will bring us? Something heavy would be nice! ! ! @Nike #JustDoIt #Nike @NikeTraining #NikeTraining @RedLinegr #redlinegear #toetheline @killcliff #kcbarbellclub #killcliff @paleopowermeals #ppm @fuelforfireperformance #fuelforfire @nfsports_ #nfsports @crossfit #crossfit @CrossfitGames #CrossfitGames #gynasty #flip #15point4 #15.4

A video posted by Mathew Fraser (@mathewfras) on Mar 19, 2015 at 7:17am PDT

Taking time away made him miss training, and it was at this point that he discovered Crossfit. Everything slotted into place and his passion for sport was rekindled. He shows us that it is so important to remind yourself why you have chosen to do this.

There are only a select few people in the world with a realistic chance of winning the CrossFit Games (if that’s your goal then go for it!) but whatever your personal goals, if you can combine your passion and motivation, then you will be a strong, tough and unstoppable athlete! Passion is a powerful motivator, and Fraser exemplifies this exceptionally well.

Getting ready for the throw down this weekend @crossfitfree 325 clean complex #redlinegear #toetheline #clean #crossfit #nfsports_ #paleopowermeals

A video posted by Mathew Fraser (@mathewfras) on Apr 10, 2014 at 9:46am PDT

5. DON’T REST ON PAST VICTORIES

‘Last year was last year. I don’t get extra points for what happened last year. This year, who knows what will happen?’

2014 was Mat Fraser’s rookie year at the CrossFit Games and he took 2^nd place. A year later he took the same spot, and he is many people’s favourite to win the crown of Fittest Man in the World this year. Despite this impressive track record and all the hype, he keeps his head down and stays focused. He shows how important it is to:

• Keep your mind on your own performances
• Use past achievements be milestones to beat
• Always remember that you can always get better

Mat Fraser: ‘What am I going to do tomorrow that’s going to make me better’

So what do you think? Can Mat Fraser take the top spot at the CrossFit Games this year? I look forward to hearing your comments.

Back and even better than before © Pinimg

The post 5 Crossfit lessons to learn from Mat Fraser appeared first on BOXROX.

10. LAUREN FISHER

Lauren Fisher stormed her way to a well deserved 1^st place finish at the Californian Regionals. With her great attitude, talent and fierce work ethic, she is always an exciting athlete to watch. This girl can lift as well! Check these videos out if you need any proof:

Games training in full effect. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Today I built up to a 230lb dead stop front squat in my new sneaker tights. Thanks @nikewomen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #MissionGetStrongerLegs #AllTheSquats #GamesTraining

A video posted by Lauren Fisher (@laurenfisher) on Jun 1, 2016 at 6:11pm PDT

9. SHEILA BARDEN

Sheila took 1^st place at the Central Regional, and is known for her distinctive style of wearing mismatched shoes when she trains and competes. From Omaha Nebraska she lives by the philosophy that ‘love wins’, and trains outside at parks in order to break up her 6 – 8 hour training days.

Hey @thedavecastro, thanks A little interval @crossfitgames Regional Nate to end my Saturday session. I don’t get too excited about competition WODs, because anything can happen out on that competition floor, but this Hero WOD really does make my heart happy ❤️ #StrictIsMyFavorite #HeroWOD

A video posted by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on May 7, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT

8. EMILY BRIDGERS

1^st Place at the Atlantic Regionals, this Georgia born lady dominated with three first place finishes. A Crossfit veteran, Emily tackles everything with a big smile and a firm determination to succeed. She is an exceptionally well rounded athlete, she takes events and WODs in her stride.

250 jerk followed by an epic PR attempt at 255! Next time… @reebok @progenex @fitaid @performasleep @purestrength_co @eliteness_movement

A video posted by Emily Bridgers (@emilybridgers) on Apr 23, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

7. MEG REARDON

‘Progress is a process’

Meg finished 3^rd at the Atlantic Regionals, and put in a series of gutsy performances to earn her spot at the CrossFit Games. She mixes up her training by getting out into the big outdoors for open water lake swimming, trail running and kayaking.

A video posted by Meg Reardon (@megg_a_tron) on Jun 7, 2016 at 11:59am PDT

6. JAIME HAGIYA

Jamie is a former professional basketball player, despite standing only 5’3” tall! She remarks that it is her competitive spirit that drives her forwards to succeed, even in the face of difficult odds. She balances coaching, gym ownership and training, and says that her advice for athletes that are beginning their journey into competitive Crossfit is to ‘be open and try to learn as much as possible’

A video posted by Jamie Hagiya (@jamiejoyce2) on Jun 13, 2016 at 10:53pm PDT

5. STACIE TOVAR

6 x CrossFit Games competitior, Stacie is going back to Carson this year after a solid 2^nd place finish at the Central Regional. Stacie is a great role model and advocate for the positive impact on body image that Crossfit is causing. She had this to say in reply to a few idiots on social media that tried to body shame her.

‘I’m proud of the ladies who are owning it — the muscles and the thickness. We are inspiring young girls and young women all over the world to be healthier.

The negative comments I still see on social media only add fuel to my fire. What caused self-doubt for me in the beginning now gives me a great sense of pride, accomplishment and purpose. I am passionate about building a positive body image and ending body-shaming.’

‘I hate to burst your bubble, insecure people on the other end of those rude comments, but strong is the new sexy, and strength is the new beautiful. I’m a healthy, confident, fit and perfectly capable female.’

4. BROOKE WELLS

At only 20 years old Brooke is an incredible sportswomen, and already a 2x Games Athlete! Check out her positive attitude, dedicated work ethic and strength in these training videos.

3. KARI PEARCE

4^th in the East Regionals and 21^st fittest female in the world, Kari is one strong woman! She is an accomplished gymnast and, coupled with her strength and experience, make her a great all round athlete – exactly what you need to be to become a great Crossfitter.

I’ve set a goal for myself to get a press to handstand back. Found this drill on @cfgymnastics! I remember doing this on a physioball for gymnastics. It’s a great one! #gymnasts #crossfitgirls #handstand #goals #newskills #bbv #pumpedlikepearce #girlswithmuscle #strength #workout #fitaid

A video posted by Kari Pearce (@pumpedlikepearce) on Apr 22, 2016 at 1:28pm PDT

2. INSPIRING CROSSFIT GIRLS: ALEXIS JOHNSON

A PHD student in Maths, she had a background in gymnastics before she moved into Crossfit. After becoming exceptionally skinny and obsessing over what she was eating, she got into Crossfit and loved it. She then made a life decision to commit to her training before making it to the Regionals! After not managing to perform as well as she hoped in 2015, and not feeling as if she belonged on the arena floor with other prestigious athletes such as Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet, she completely transformed her sense of confidence and took the 3^rd place in the South Regional this year!

1. BROOKE ENCE

Fan favourite Brooke unfortunately failed to qualify for this year’s CrossFit Games after winning the Californian Regional in 2015. Check out her journey in this documentary about her and Josh Bridges from CrossFit Inc.

#Badassbeauty © Sheila Barden

Awesome athlete, inspiring individual © Stacie Tovar

The post Strong is the new Sexy: 10 Inspiring Crossfit Girls from the USA appeared first on BOXROX.

ARE YOUR THRIVING OR SURVIVING?

Undoubtedly there are going to be sessions where you feel less than 100%. But this shouldn’t be a regular occurrence. Ask yourself these few questions:

• Do you feel like you need a stimulant (coffee or pre-workout) to get you through your session?
• Are you excited to train?
• When was the last time you trained without any muscle soreness?
• Are you improving as an athlete? More weight on the bar, better WOD times or PR’s?

Training should be enjoyable, you should be making progress (no matter what area) and you shouldn’t need “a boost” to get you through. Some muscle soreness is inevitable but training through pain won’t allow your body to grow and regenerate.

Now ask yourself these questions about things outside of the gym

• Are you sleeping well? Are you falling asleep quickly, staying asleep and waking feeling refreshed?
• Are you performing well at your job?
• Is your family / social life negatively affecting by your training?
• How many times have you been ill in the past 3 months?

Life outside of the gym is often an area that is overlooked when talking about performance. Everyone talks about how much they snatched or how they smashed a hero workout. The gym is maybe 4-8 hours of your week? How about the other 160? If the negative aspects of training start to become a regular occurrence then you need to listen to your body. Lets identify some strategies to help guide you on improving your recovery.

CONSTANTLY VARIED

This is an essential part of Crossfit. Everyone loves chucking some heavy weight around but mixing up your sessions and including some ‘active recovery’ can help. I am not saying that you need to stop going to the gym but maybe talk to your coach and mix things up. Do some low intensity mobility or skill work.

NUTRITION

Nutrition can be a double edged sword. Get it right and you can accelerate your recovery allowing you to train more often and at a higher intensity – boom…more gainz – or it can prevent you from ever reaching your goals. Remember everything you eat is either taking you closer to your goals or moving you further away. Number one thing to do – FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. This is essential. Protein porridge is my go to breakfast but for some of my clients it makes them feel bloated. Don’t follow someone else’s plan – evolve your own.

‘Some simple advice that you can follow is keep protein intake consistent, increase carbohydrates on training days and increase fats on non training days. Carbohydrates to replenish muscle and liver glycogen, fats to help cellular regeneration and lower muscle soreness.’

For further info check out these articles on 5 world class basics of CrossFit nutrition, 10 superfoods for CrossFitters, Nutrition for morning training & Nutrition for evening training.

MUSCLE SORENESS

Feel like you need some rope to get out of your chair or go down stairs? Muscle soreness is something that everyone has experienced. It is not conditionally essential for making gainz but a little is always good to know that you are constantly trying to improve.

If you keep training even when sore you do not allow the muscle cells to repair. If you do not allow for this regeneration you can become that person who trains everyday but doesn’t get any better…you know that person? Is that person you? This can be due to not allowing for any growth and repair. If you have to go to the gym or train everyday then speak to your coach and mix things up. For example do some strict upper body work if you have smashed your legs the day before. Although I would recommend taking a day off and do something outside the gym that you enjoy. This will help you to come back thriving, wanting to train hard, opposed to just surviving the session and slogging through.

NERVOUS SYSTEM

Understanding how the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) work in unison will help with improving your recovery.

The SNS is the “fight or flight” system and is catabolic. It mobilises the body’s resources to deal with stressful situations. The PNS is anabolic and helps the body rest, digest and recover.  What we would like is to spend the majority of time in the PNS, ideally only using the SNS for true life-threatening emergencies (and some Crossfit). However, the body interprets all stress (mental and physical) as a reason to activate the SNS.  If we continually bombard the body, pushing it to become SNS dominant we are not allowing for growth, repair and regeneration. Our environment outside of the gym can be a huge contributor to this. It is imperative you try to strike a balance – work hard, play hard but structure in some down time. Low intensity activities that you derive real pleasure from. This will shift the body to a more PNS dominant state.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOVERY

If the questions above highlighted some negative issues then you need to start being more aware of your recovery strategies. As with anything you can’t expect to just ‘wing it’ and achieve great results. There needs to be some structure.

The post The Importance of Recovery: Are you Thriving or Surviving? appeared first on BOXROX.

WODS AT HOME

Crossfit at home poses more complications than just equipment (see my last article about building up your own backyard box).  One of the great advantages of being a member at an affiliate is knowing your coaches have been through, at least, a CFL1. This means they have been taught a lil sumptin about programing, which is worth its weight in gold.  However, we don’t all have this luxury. Fret not! With the interweb, twenty minutes a week, and some honesty, anyone can program their workouts properly, safely, and keep up with their mates.

STEP 1: SET A REALISTIC AND OBTAINABLE GOAL!!!

I cannot stress this enough. Training without a goal  is basically sweating for the sake of sweating.  Are you looking to get strong like Mat Fraser or speed up thru metcons like Dan Bailey? Goals will help you focus and put your improvements in perspective.

STEP 2: EQUIPMENT

Take stock of what equipment you have at your disposal. Barbells, plates, kettlebells, rings, etc. Some movements require certain gear and you cant do muscle ups if you dont have a bar.

STEP 3: FINDING A WOD

Check the crossfit.com main site for the WoD. Now you don’t have to follow this religiously, but it is well rounded and makes sure you don’t cherry pick movements. Check out the WODdirectory on BOXROX for a full list of WODs to try as well, including all the Hero workouts, the Girls and old Crossfit Open, Regional and Games Workouts.

STEP 4: IDENTIFY YOUR WEAKNESSES

Now this is a hard one, be honest and write down your strengths and weaknesses. Check your ego at the door here because this step will make or break you.

STEP 5: TIME

Check the clock! I don’t mean the stopwatch or countdown clock. I mean be honest with how much time you can devote to training allowing for things like weather, other commitments, and life in general.

STEP 6: RESEARCH

Use the net and check out what out what boxes and other sites have to offer. Barbellshrugged and catalystathletics have amazing programs for strength for free, and a lot of boxes post their WODs in their websites or social media.

STEP 7: MAKE YOUR BATTLE PLAN AND WRITE IT DOWN

If you’ve been honest with yourself, and done your homework, there’s no reason you can’t program your workouts effectively.

Here are a few rules and tips, in no particular order, which I’ve learned, and now pass on to you.

Tip one: BE SAFE! I say again. BE SAFE! Without a second set if eyes on what you’re doing means you are open to injury without anyone to help when you get into trouble. So again I scream. BE SAFE!

Tip two: Breakdown your workout into three segments. Warm up, then strength, then metcon. Its a classic tried and true layout and most boxes follow this for a reason.

Tip three: Don’t program a heavy emphasis on your weakness and go light on your strengths. Program around your weakness with quality in mind. Meaning don’t program 50 strict pull ups if you have problems with 20 of em! Program your 20 but make sure they’re clean.

Tip four: Balance is key to make gainz! Push vs pull, heavy vs light, ying vs yang. Fran works because of a push movement (thrusters) and a pull movement (pullups). Think of this when programming.

Tip five: Get silly wit it. Heroes and girls or weird complexes. Shocking your workout will super charge your gains and gives you something to remember with pride!

Tip six: Video your movements and watch them back with friends or check them against reputable videos from the web or YouTube.  Better yet, post your videos to your own channel and open them up to comments and suggestions.  Facebook and Twitter are also great places to upload your videos.

Tip seven: Keep all your workouts logged so you can go back and repeat them some time later.  This will show you how you’ve improved and give you a true metric to gauge your self with. This is a cornerstone of Crossfit.

There you go. Keep some of this in mind when training at home, you’ll find your workouts become more effective, more fun, and more about you.

The post 7 Steps to Programming Perfect WODs at Home appeared first on BOXROX.

The better we get, the more mindful we have to be of the factors influencing our training: Going the extra mile and lifting performance to an Elite level requires more than just a good workout plan.

‘If your diet isn’t on par with your training, you’ll never reach your full athletic potential.’

At best, you’ll run into a brick wall. At worst, you’ll run yourself into the ground.

1. NUTRITION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE

Recognising that the foods you eat are the groundwork to your athletic performance is the first step in finding a diet that is just as effective and efficient as your WODs.

A Diet that Works in your Favour.

Training hard may be the obvious King in building strength and fitness, but nutrition is Queen. Demanding more from your body, pushing its limits in your workouts, will always be where you create growth. But it’s just as important to give back to your body; nourish it and supply the necessary nutrients for energy, recovery and progress. Nutrition is the subtle force in the background that allows you to succeed.

So when King (training) and Queen (nutrition) go hand in hand, they will make your body a reigning force to be reckoned with.

2. SMALL CHANGES = BIG DIFFERENCES OVER TIME

On the journey to becoming the best athlete you can be, even the little tweaks and changes that seem insignificant at first can have a lasting impact. Finding the diet that fits your individual goals and needs is a work in progress, and it’s not about being perfect from day one. Rather, it is about consistency: Sticking to the basics, listening to your body and being open about adjustments.

Sooner than you think, small sacrifices will turn into good habits and become tipping points for breaking big Personal Records. They may even give you the edge during competitions, whether that’s in the Meridian Regionals like Adrian Mundwiler below, or your local Box.

A video posted by Adrian Mundwiler (@mountainman_cf) on May 9, 2016 at 10:43am PDT

3. GOOD NUTRITION: A SIGN OF SELF RESPECT

In the end, it all comes down to adopting a certain stance towards your diet. Take pride in the things you do every step of the way; demand more than just the ordinary in order to achieve the extraordinary. Quality is key, when you’ve established what you should be eating, being attentive of how these foods are produced and having high standards is a natural consequence of valuing yourself. Look for the best quality you can find.

Yes, it is possible to survive on junk, to ignore the question of where and how your groceries and food have been produced. Yet what separates the successful from the unsuccessful is a definitive approach towards themselves and their environment- a conscious effort to make good choices and strive for constant improvement.

4. NUTRITIONAL TIPS FROM CROSSFIT GAMES ATHLETE ADRIAN MUNDWILER (THE MOUNTAIN MAN)

When it comes to building a solid nutritional foundation, as always, it pays to look to the best for advice: The athletes competing at the Crossfit Regionals are among the fittest individuals on the Planet.

The Swiss Mountain man and foodspring athlete Adrian Mundwiler competed in his first Open and Regionals this year, and managed to qualify for the CrossFit Games by finishing in 4^th place: An incredible achievement by anyone’s standards!

Hey Adrian, do you follow a special diet?

No. I know what my body needs to perform well. I try to eat as much as I can. When you train 4-6h a day you have to refill your body with enough food. I also love to eat pizza and ice cream etc. 

A video posted by Adrian Mundwiler (@mountainman_cf) on Apr 24, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

You performed so well at the Meridian Regionals, what did your diet look like over this intensive 3 day period in Madrid?

 It’s hard for me to get in enough food during competitions – I always ate a big breakfast consisting of eggs, bread, bananas and greek yogurt with honey. During the day I mostly ate small portions of sweet potato, broccoli and chicken or steak. In the evenings I usually ate the same foods as during the day. Because it was so hard to get enough food in during the day I drank a lot of protein shakes.

What supplements do you take in order to perform:

• Morning: Protein shake
• Before training: Pre workout or amino drinks
• After training: Protein shake with carbs
• Evening: Protein shake with carbs and creatin.

Do you think it is important these days for a Games level athlete to work with a specialised nutritionist?

In my opinion it isn’t. I know what is good for my body and what I need to perform well. But everyone is different.

How are you preparing your training for the Games?

I am in Boston for 2 weeks at Reebok Crossfit One and then I am going to California to train with Sara Sigmundsdottir, Sam Briggs and Lukas Esslinger and the coaches John Singleton (the program) and Erik lau Kellner (weightlifting101). 

The Games will be a new and well deserved experience for you, what are you most looking forward to?

It’s hard to pick one thing. I just think the whole 5 days of competing will be an awesome new experience and knowing how hard I worked to get here just let’s me enjoy it even more!

Make training King and nutrtion Queen © foodspring

Simple but effective © foodspring

recovery time! © foodspring

The Mountain man training in his natural habitat, the Swiss Alps © Adrian Mundwiler

The post Training is King, Nutrition is Queen: So Rule a Great Kingdom appeared first on BOXROX.

In Part 1 of the 8 Nutritional Principles for Crossfit Success, we discussed the following four areas.

1. Divide your plate
2. Track your nutrition
3. Timing
4. The big fat dilemma

Now we will concentrate on the final 4 principles that will help you to become a better athlete and live a healthier lifestyle.

5. DRINK, DRINK…AND DRINK

Drink a lot… of water! Experts all around the world highlight that drinking about 1.5 L of water per day is necessary for your health, but why is it so important? And above all, why for an athlete is it even more important to keep your body hydrated?

Sweating during an intense WOD is thirsty work. But what really is important to understand is that a balanced level of hydration should be maintained all day long. Our body is mainly composed of water, and it is absolutely essential for optimal performance.

In addition, more water in means more water out. The more water you drink, the more ‘accumulated’ water will be flushed out, detoxifying your body. And, as we are Crossfitters, it is good to know that having your body properly hydrated increases energy levels, relieves fatigue and prevents cramps… So keep on drinking!

6. SUPPLEMENTS: YES? NO?

‘It is important to underline that nutrition is the foundation for your Crossfit performance’

Despite the debate around supplements, there is no ‘rule’ on which supplement is a ‘must have’ or not.
Saying that, if you talk with other Crossfitters, you will get many common answers about the benefits of BCAA (Branch chained amino acids), vitamin D, vitamin C, fish oil (for the omega 3 intake) and magnesium.

On average, these are the most widely consumed supplements. However, each nutritional approach should be tailor-made and personal.

• Extra vitamin D can be useful if you live in a country without much sunlight.
• BCAAs are popular and widely used since, being amino acids, they provide a positive impact for the building of muscle fibres.
• Protein Powder can also be highly useful throughout strength cycles, when you need to pack in high quantities of protein to replenish your muscles and allow for growth.

7. FAILING TO ‘FOOD PREP’ IS PREPARING TO FAIL

‘An important ally for your nutritional success is to start planning and preparing your meals in advance.’

It can be hard at the beginning, but preparing your food for the days to come will give you the chance to put attention and thought behind what you are going to eat.

With the appropriate food-prep attitude, you understand if you are balancing all the nutrients you need both before and after your training. You will avoid ‘starvation’ moments, and be much less likely to choose poor quality foods.

A video posted by Samantha Briggs (@bicepslikebriggs) on Jun 13, 2016 at 1:34pm PDT

TIP:  Use your rest day(s) for meal prepping, so you will be ready for the rest of the week.

8. DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT RESTRICTIONS, YOU ARE HUMAN AFTER ALL

Now that you are aware and ready to focus on your nutrition to boost your performance in every WOD, it’s normal to think ‘if I go off track, will I spoil all my efforts?’

You are a Crossfitter, committed and dedicated. You know that nutrition is key as much the training itself. But, despite transforming into ‘beast mode’ during each WOD, you are still human. You also have to enjoy your Crossfit path and not feeling like you are ‘punishing’ yourself all the time for no reward.

First of all, healthy and balanced nutrition should be enjoyable and tasty. Ask around your fellow Crossfitters for new recipes and dishes that they cook, in order to keep things exciting. Besides, having your favorite burger or giant ice cream once in a while is part of the process. Share your reward with your Crossfit friends. No one understands better than them a well deserved cheat meal from time to time!

NUTRITIONAL SUCCESS

After all these words, we couldn’t agree more with Mr. Glassman that nutrition is the base for all  performance and should reside as the foundation for his pyramid of fitness.

When you put these 8 principles into effect, your Crossfit performances will improve and you will fall in love with the wider process to achieve your goals. Adjusting your nutritional intake will not seem like an obligation, it will become fun, and something that you will not want to live without.

Nutrition is the base of performance ©

Hydration is vital for top performance © RX’d Photography

The post 8 Nutritional Principles for Crossfit Success: Part 2 appeared first on BOXROX.

Hey Andrea Berggren, and congratulations on your performance in the Meridian Regionals. You are now officially “The most improved athlete”!

Tell us briefly who you are?

Hi and thank you! My name is Andrea Berggren and I’m a consultant in Economics. In September I will begin a new journey towards a PhD in Health Economics. My athletic background is horseback riding and I used to compete in showjumping. I’ve also been a decent runner but these days I spend my most of my training hours at my home box, Vagnhallen CrossFit in Gothenburg.

• Previous Crossfit Experience?
• 33rd at European Regionals 2014
• 1st Torso Twisted 2014 (with Karin Dike)
• 2 time Gothenburg Throwdown Champion
• 12th Athlete Games 2016

You finished the Open in 32nd place and almost got the last spot. What was your expectations of the Regionals?

Open was very stressful for me. I did not do Open 2015 because of an injury so I really wanted to come back with a bang and prove to myself that I belonged among the top dogs once again. I spent way too much time on social media which was not beneficial.

Once I qualified my goal was met. Therefore, I could relax more and let go of any expectations for Regionals. When they released the WOD:s I did them and set a goal for every one based on what I knew I could do, and what I’ve done in training. I got my gear on and got the job done! I also stayed off the social media and focused on what I could do rather than what other competitors did.

YES I know it’s summer and YES I would love to be at the beach. Instead, we work our asses off inside. Hard work pays #crossfitgames #RoadtoRegionals @thetrainingplan // #thetrainingplan @northernspirit // #seeyouinMadrid @fitaidnordic // #fitaidnordic #teamfitaid @budofitnessgbg // #budofitness #blackline @hjartatsjuiceri // #hjärtatsjuiceri @vagnhallencrossfit // #vagnhallencrossfit

A video posted by Andrea Berggren (@andrea.berggren) on May 8, 2016 at 6:30am PDT

Finishing day 2 you were in top 10. What were your thoughts for day 3?

It was a bit surreal. Day 1 was alright for me but day 2 went really well. Going into day 3 I was very nervous. The chipper was heavy and I didn’t want to be the last one on the floor. I knew I could finish the workout if I kept to my pace, so I decided not to stress but rather relax and trust the work that I’ve been putting in leading up to Regionals.

As coach Jami Tikkanen said: ‘The hay is in the barn.’

I made up my mind to enjoy this experience and it was an honor to be on the same floor as those ladies that I really admire.

Favourite moment of the Regionals?

The entire weekend was amazing but two moments stood out:

In event 5 the crowd was really fired up by an amazing performance by Samantha Briggs. When I got to the final reps of the deadlift I was really fatigued from the TrueForm run and all the GHD:s. However, when I picked up the barbell the crowd started to count my reps out loud. I did all 7 unbroken, which I’ve never done in practice.

‘The other moment was running onto the floor in the final heat of the last event. The entire crowd stood up cheering and the atmosphere was fantastic. I will never forget that feeling!’

Future goals?

Since I’m starting a PhD this autumn, the studies have to be my number one priority. That being said, I love competing in CrossFit and I know I have more to give. I will compete in Torso twisted with my Northern Spirit sister Sara Armanius in September. After that I will train as hard as time allows for the 2017 season. The goal is to be back in Madrid 2017, in team or Individual. It would be amazing to go to Carson in team one day!

A video posted by Andrea Berggren (@andrea.berggren) on Jun 18, 2016 at 7:43am PDT

If you could decide next years opening WOD for regionals, how would it look like?

I like to suffer. It would look something like:

• 25 min AMRAP
• 40 wallballs
• 30 CTB
• 20 cal Assualt Bike
• 10 Ring MU
• 5 Rope Climbs, 15 ft

Check out Andrea’s Car Pull!

A video posted by Andrea Berggren (@andrea.berggren) on Jun 11, 2016 at 3:30am PDT

Andrea with fellow Northern Spirit Athlete Sara Armanius © Andrea Berggren

Meridian Regionals Ice bath and leaderboard © Andrea Berggren

Always pushing, always improving © Andrea Berggren

The post Andrea Berggren: Regionals Success and the Power of the Community appeared first on BOXROX.

We all know that completing a Hero WOD is more that just a workout. Next time you take one on, think about the brave man behind the name.

MURPH HERO WOD

• For time
• 1 mile run
• 100 Pull Ups
• 200 Push Ups
• 300 Squats
• 1 mile run
• (wearing a 20lb weighted vest)

NAVY LIEUTENANT MICHAEL PATRICK MURPHY

• Born: May 7^th 1976, Smithtown, Long Island, New York
• Died: June 28^th 2005, Kunar Province, Afghanistan
• SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE
• Michael P. “Murph” Murphy was a United States Navy Seal officer.

Born and raised in Suffolk County, NY he graduated the Pennsylvania State University in political science and philosophy in 1998. In September 2000 “Murph” joined the Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. In January 2001 he started training for the NAVY SEALS and became a member of the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE (SDVT-1) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After participating in several operations in Qatar and Djibuti. In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE as officer in charge of Alpha Platoon and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In the Night 27^th of June 2005, Murphy led a four-man reconnaissance team on a mission against Taliban Leader Ahmad Shah. The Operation Red Wing was a counter-insurgent mission including, alongside Murphy, also Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL)Marcus Luttrell.

The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local goat herders, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban.

A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia. The enemy had the SEALs outnumbered. They also had terrain advantage. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. The firefight continued relentlessly as the overwhelming militia forced the team deeper into a ravine.

Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountain’s steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Approximately 45 minutes into the fight, pinned down by overwhelming forces, Dietz, the communications petty officer, sought open air to place a distress call back to the base. But before he could, he was shot in the hand, the blast shattering his thumb.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Bravery for his team

After Murphy called for help, an MH-47 Chinook helicopter loaded with reinforcements was dispatched to rescue the team, but was shot down with an RPG, killing all 16 personnel aboard; eight SEALs and eight service members from the 160th SOAR.

Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson were killed in the action. An estimated 35 Taliban were also killed. Luttrell was the only American survivor and was eventually rescued, after several days of wandering the mountain and being protected by the people of an Afghan village. All three of Murphy’s men were awarded the Navy’s second-highest honor, the Navy Cross, for their part in the battle. Their team is the most decorated Navy SEAL team in history.

TNG snatch triples at 115 kg from todays morning session in the @weightlifting_101 camp. Video didnt fit as well as I wanted but still..

A video posted by Björgvin K. Guðmundsson (@bk_gudmundsson) on Apr 8, 2016 at 4:56am PDT

BK Gudmundsson won Murph at the 2015 CrossFit Games. Have you ever seen ‘Lone Survivor’?  You will definitely watch it with new eyes by understanding that it is the Story of Murphy´s Team.

NATE HERO WOD

• 20 Min AMRAP
• 2 Muscle Ups
• 4 Handstand Push-Ups
• 8 Kettlebell Swings (32/ 24kg)

If you watched the CrossFit Games Regionals 2016 you will have noticed the ‘Regional Nate’ Hero WOD.

REGIONAL NATE HERO WOD

• 10 rounds. 20 min cap
• 4 Strict Muscle Ups
• 7 Strict HSPU
• 12 Kettlebell Snatches (32 / 24 kg)

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER NATE HARDY

• Born: December 28^th, 1978, Cape Cod/Massachusetts
• Died: February 4^th, 2008, Iraq.
• United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group

Nate Hardy was born December 28th, 1978 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He grew up in Washington and Pennsylvania and his family settled in New Hampshire in 1988. It was in high school where Nate, a star soccer and lacrosse player, made the decision to join the Navy and become a SEAL immediately after graduation.

THE NAVY, A FAMILY TRADITION

Nate joined the Navy in 1997, following in the footsteps of his two grandfathers, both Navy veterans. After graduating from BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition) in May of 1998 with class 221, he was subsequently assigned to SEAL Team 8 out of Virginia Beach where he served from 1998 until attending DEVGRUs Green Team (United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group) selection course in 2007.

During Nate’s first deployment with DEVGRU, as an assaulter during a typical nighttime direct action raid in Iraq against an Al-Qaeda cell, Nate was the second man on the stack to enter the enemy-held building. Upon breaching, Nate and the lead man, Mike Koch, were engaged by enemy small arms fire.

Cody Andersen breaks the world record time for Regional Nate in 18.07

Mike and Nate were immediately hit. Mortally wounded, Nate engaged and killed the enemy fighters while dragging his wounded teammate to safety. In his final moments, Nate held on to life long enough to pull Koch to safety. He died that night of February 4th, 2008 with his brother-in-arms Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch at his side. As they fought and died side-by-side, Mike and Nate are buried side-by-side to each other at Arlington National Cemetery.

You can find an extensive list of all the Hero WODs in our WOD Directory

Michael Patrick Murphy © Michael Patrick Murphy

Nate Hardy © Nate Hardy

The post The Men behind each Hero WOD: Murph and Nate appeared first on BOXROX.

As many of you might have seen, Gatorz Eyewear was represented at the CrossFit Games Meridian Regionals in Madrid on May 27-29. They also presented events no. 1 and 2. on day 1. If you caught the after show of the live announcement of 16.5 during the Open this year, you witnessed CrossFit Games Director Dave Castro tackle the workout outside in the sun of Northern California. Adorning his head and shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun’s rays was a pair of Gatorz sunglasses. These patented aluminum sunglasses are worn by athletes and members of the US armed forces.

Gatorz was founded in 1991 with the goal of creating a product that was different from the competition in a large marketplace. Most sunglass companies use plastic and just few quality parts to cut costs:

‘Gatorz decided to create their frames from 7075 billet aluminum—which is the same stuff that’s used to build planes.’

Over the years and with a lot of trial and customer feedback, the crew at Gatorz developed a 22-step method to bend, cut and mold the sheet aluminum to create the pair of sunglasses. Each pair takes three weeks to make and is produced entirely in the USA.  The result is a high quality product that you can literally adjust to fit your face. It won’t fall or move around when you’re engaged in high-intensity outdoor activities, like sky-diving and Crossfit for example.

GATORZ AND SKYDIVING

“One of our niche markets that’s important to us is skydiving,” says Jan Larsson, CEO of Gatorz Eyewear Europe. “You can wear our glasses when you skydive, and they’re not going to break under all the resistance that comes with jumping out of an airplane.” Gatorz’ popularity among skydivers found its way to the airborne divisions of US Special Forces. This included members of the Navy SEALS who skydive as part of their training and for recreational purposes. Once one SEAL fell in love with Gatorz sunglasses, word spread quickly. Now the company enjoys a close partnership with the elite US force. Seeing as Castro himself was a SEAL prior to his journey into CrossFit, it’s no wonder that he started wearing Gatorz sunglasses long before the brand decided to sponsor the 2016 CrossFit Games.

RUGGEDNESS AND PERFORMANCE UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS

Many Games athletes (including Neal Maddox) already use Gatorz glasses when training outside. They take advantage of the dual-riveted hinge design that keeps the shades on their face when running, moving a barbell or climbing up a rope. For their part, the Gatorz team recognized the opportunity to align with a growing community of high-intensity, fitness oriented people in Crossfit. “Our sunglasses do well under pressure. When it comes to performance, we dominate,” says Larsson. “One of our tag lines is: ‘There is no substitute’. That really comes into play with the functional fitness industry. These are elite athletes. The fact that many former and current military members train in Crossfit provided a nice blend for us. So we saw that is a great community to support.”

COMMITTED TO THE CROSSFIT GAMES

Gatorz is committing further to their involvement with CrossFit by sponsoring the 2016 CrossFit Games. “We saw CrossFit as an emerging market that’s doing very well, and everything that encompasses the functional fitness industry falls right into our wheelhouse,” says Larsson. We’re proud to support the CrossFit community and these amazing athletes through our sponsorship. The dedication and spirit found within this community aligns perfectly with what Gatorz stands for as a brand. Our goal is to provide products and support not just for the elite CrossFit Games athletes, but for all members of the CrossFit community living this positive health and fitness lifestyle inside and outside the Box.”

“We’re excited to have Gatorz on board as a sponsor of the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games,” said Steve Weiss, Corporate Development for CrossFit, Inc.

“Gatorz glasses are well known for their emphasis on ruggedness and performance under extreme conditions, making them a natural fit with the CrossFit Games and CrossFit community.”

Gatorz Eyewear would like to congratulate every competitor who made it to the finals and to thank those who fought well but did not make it this year. We wish all of you who is going to USA all the best and good luck at The Games in July.

Josh Bridges hitting it hard in his Backyard Box © Gatorz

Hanging out with Rory McKernan © Gatorz

Gatorz in the Crossfit community © Gatorz

CrossFit Games Athlete Neal Maddox storming through hills sprints © Neal Maddox

The post Gatorz: Ruggedness and Performance under Extreme Conditions appeared first on BOXROX.

The weather is starting to warm-up now, especially here in Phoenix! Without proper hydration levels many aspects of your performance become hugely affected, for example:

‘A 2% loss of fluid can result in decreased athletic performance by 10-20%.’

Water is used for cooling the body, so a lack of hydration can lead to fatigue, which of course, affects performance. Dehydration of 3% can lead to physiologic dysfunction and increase the chances of a CrossFitter developing an exertional heat illness (i.e. heat cramps, heat exhaustion, even heat stroke).

Water should be your main source of hydration. It can be sparkling and even flavored. But be careful that nothing unhealthy has been added, such as artificial ingredients and flavours.  Soda, juice and other ‘soft’ drinks should be avoided since your body won’t allow those liquids to help with hydration until after it processes the soda or excess sugar.

HYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTES

Electrolytes are also necessary for hydration. Most people don’t know it, but you can drink too much water. If all you do is drink water and never supplement with electrolytes, you will deplete your electrolytes stores and that can throw your sodium levels out of balance. If over hydration continues, you might develop hyponatremia (low sodium levels), which can lead to cramping, seizures, nausea and vomiting. So, make sure you supplement your diet with electrolytes, unless you are already eating processed food, which already contain high levels of sodium. I use Salt Sticks and/or pink Himalayan salt sea salt to supplement my electrolytes.

Proper hydration leads to:

• weight-loss
• better brain function
• more energy (resulting in better workouts!)

It also helps to prevent:

• hypertension
• diabetes
• arthritis
• constipation
• headaches among other ailments

There are endless benefits to drinking water, and big disadvantages to not drinking enough. 

5 TIPS FOR PROPER HYDRATION:

1. START YOUR DAY WITH WATER

Drink 2 glasses of water first thing in the morning. By drinking 2 glasses of water when you wake up, you are essentially lubricating your machine (body) and getting things ‘flowing’.

2. HAVE A DAILY GOAL

Set a goal each day for how much you are going to drink. Determine whether you are going to have a hard training day or a lighter one and adjust accordingly. Carry a water bottle and try to drink at least 100 ounces a day, especially in the summer if you are outside a lot or planning to do a hard workout.

3. ADD ELECTROLYTES

Add electrolytes to your water. It can be as easy as adding some pink Himalayan salt to your water, or if you have been very active, add electrolyte mixes such as Salt Stick. Coconut water, for example, can add taste and electrolytes into your diet.

4. CARRY A WATER BOTTLE

Carry water with you, wherever you go. Most of us are busy all day and moving from place to place. Carrying a water bottle will help you to remember to drink.

5. HYDRATE PRIOR TO WORKING OUT

Drink cold water prior to working out. It helps restore hydration levels to your body, improves the performance of your workout, and helps lower your body temperature. This allows you to perform at a higher level before your core body temperature starts to rise.

By following these 5 simple steps to improve your hydration, you will be better prepared for a great WOD, and you will increase your ability to perform well.

Stay hydrated and smash those PRs! © RX’d Photography

Drink water and stay at the top of your game! © RX’d Photography

Good hydration = Solid performance © RX’d Photography

The post 5 Vital Tips for Improving your Hydration appeared first on BOXROX.

Hey Christmas Abbott, so what are you up to currently?

Just finished a solid session of training at my Box, Invoke! I’m eating then heading back this evening to cheer on the other athletes.

You’re on a NASCAR pit-crew, CrossFit Level 1 seminar staff member, a CrossFit box owner, a coach and a competitor in Crossfit and Olympic weightlifting. What drives you to do things like that, which are not so typical for a woman?

It didn’t all happen at once. It was a slow process of just doing something I discovered that I loved, fitness and Crossfit. Passion opens doors to life and through that discovery I have been blessed to show people they can create their own blueprint for their life! Woman or man, people need passion to thrive! I love fitness and business so all of these ‘jobs’ are perfect for me.

‘Woman or man, people need passion to thrive!’

When you were a kid, were you more of a tomboy kind of girl, who hung out with the boys, or a girly one who played with barbies and teddy bears?

I was the girl who wore my Easter dress for as long as I could fit in it while building forts out of sticks and mud and playing War with the neighbours. I was always girly and a little rough around the edges.

How did you find out about Crossfit? Did you do any other sports prior to it?

I wasn’t an athlete growing up so when I discovered Crossfit – while I was working in Iraq as a civilian contractor – I was beyond de-conditioned! It hurt and was hard, but I had fun every time I trained and fell in love immediately. It terrified and excited me equally every day.

Tell us about the competitions that you’ve taken part in?

I competed in the USA Weightlifting Nationals and will attend the US Open in December. These are Olympic Weightlifting competitions that are highly competitive. I will also do some Crossfit competitions, runs and other events.

Crossfit is a lot about being competitive. What’s your opinion on that? Where do you draw the line between healthy striving and risking too much?

The ‘competition’ is with yourself and pushing to do more than you believe you can. It’s a positive competitive atmosphere if you allow it to be. It’s not calling someone out and saying you’re going to beat them. You have to be aware of the technique and threshold, which are simply proper form for safety and understanding how to scale a workout properly to get the best results. This responsibility falls on coaches as well as the athletes. You can do too much within anything, not just Crossfit.

‘The “competition” is with yourself and pushing to do more than you believe you can.’

What do you think makes a great Crossfit coach? What kind of an attitude do you have towards your team/clients?

Great coaches understand the physical and mental threshold of an athlete they are working with. They are able to communicate to them in the most efficient way in order to get the best results.

Coaches aren’t just ‘fitness teachers’, they are also life coaches! You should trust and rely on your them to guide you in the safest way. The best coaches are personally invested but expect more. Myself and my team of coaches lean heavy on the positive but tough approach. We celebrate the small accomplishments but gently push for more. The majority of people respond best through personal understanding and positive reassurance. We call this praise. Last but not least, we make it fun and not so serious! If you are having fun then you are getting an additional benefit from the program.

First weight in a while! Dealing with some hitches here and there and still working through some issues but overall happy to be throwing a barbell around today! Make today YOURS! @cfinvoke @badassbodydiet #christmasabbott #teamchristmas

A video posted by Christmas (@christmasabbott) on Jun 1, 2016 at 8:51am PDT

Did you go through any injuries during all those years of doing Crossfit? What are the lessons you learnt through them?

Every sport has injuries, period. I was in Crossfit almost 8 years before I injured myself and I knew what I was doing was beyond my own ability, but I did it anyway and got injured.

It was in a competition and I knew I crossed-over my limits. Lesson learned: listen to your body and your coach. Do your own research on Crossfit and the movements to learn more. If you do get injured, understand what went wrong and don’t let it derail you from the program.

Lesson from Christmas Abbott: listen to your body and your coach.

What’s the philosophy behind your nutrition? Can you give us an example of your daily diet?

I eat foods that balance one another and lots of small meals. I drink a lot of water and never ‘go hungry’ during the day. I’ll save all the details for the book!

That squat life love. ❤️ @badassbodydiet #relentlesslife #christmasabbott #bafassbodydiet #girlswholift #hustleit #missboss

A video posted by Christmas (@christmasabbott) on Jan 28, 2016 at 10:45am PST

What does your regular daily schedule look like?

It varies. Usually, from Monday to Friday I teach the 6am class, eat and then train in the morning. Afternoons are slotted for Invoke Operations Admin duties mixed with preparing for my Christmas Abbott Workshops, weekend events or any other project I am working on, meetings or think sessions. I will sometimes train again in the evening but only once or twice a week. Usually I’m around Invoke and watching the other athletes play. After that I’ll have a dinner and later some quiet time before bed. Weekends are usually a travel time for me when I do events, workshops or competitions. I travel almost every weekend.

It’s obvious you are enjoying your life to the fullest. Did you had any setbacks in the past, that motivated you to really started living?

Life is a one-time opportunity and I want to take all I can out of it. It’s a beautiful thing and I can’t get enough of it! I believe working in Iraq was eye opening for me on so many levels and now I live with that blessing every day. I discovered a gift that I need to share with the world!

A lot of people are really into Crossfit today, but don’t understand that the process of getting into top shape is long and slow. What`s your message for them?

Be patient with the gains. Have fun with it and don’t take it so seriously. It is a program for life – current and the long run so enjoy it. Your body is different than everyone else’s, so don’t be so hard on yourself when you don’t perform to their level. Always celebrate the small accomplishments with full enthusiasm. These are the pebbles that move a mountain over time.

Christmas Abbott, thank you and good luck with your future endeavours.

The post Strong is Sexy: Christmas Abbott on Confidence, Training and Nutrition appeared first on BOXROX.

WHAT IS YOUR CORE AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

To put it simply, without a strong core, you will suffer in all areas of your athletic performances.

Your core is comprised of the rectus abdominis, obliques (external abdominal, internal abdominal, and transverse) intercostals and serratus muscles. These work together as an interconnected system.

• The Rectus Abdominis stretches from your sternum down to your pelvic bone. Its purpose is to pull your upper torso towards your hips.
• Your Obliques are located either side of your waist. They are essential for you to be able to tilt and twist your upper body.
• Intercostals are located to the side of your rib cage. They function to elevate and depress the ribs.
• The Serratus is located between your abs and lats. Its function is to pull the scapula forward.

5 CABLE EXERCISES TO BUILD A POWERFUL CORE

The following 5 exercises each work your core in a slightly different way.

1. STANDING CABLE WOODCHOPS

This exercise with a Finnlo Maximum Hammer Kraftstation FT2 will tax your obliques, and the diagonal and far reaching range of motion forces your core to work under stress throughout the entire movement.

Technique:

• Stand side on with the cable, which needs to be positioned in the highest position possible. Take the handle with one hand and take a full step away. Keep tension on the cable.
• Make sure to stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Now grip the handle with both hands.
• Pull the cable in one fluid motion across your body in front of you to end just past your knees.
• Make sure to rotate your torso, keep your arms straight and your core tight throughout the entire movement.
• Slowly reverse the movement to return the cable back to its starting position.

2. STANDING CABLE LIFT

Standing Cable Lifts work in much the same way as Standing Cable Woodchops. Except that where Woodchops work from top to bottom in a diagonal movement, Cable lifts simply go the other way, from bottom to top.

Technique:

• Repeat the steps above, instead start with the cable in the lowest position.
• Keep your core tight and bend your knees at the starting position.
• Pull the cable diagonally in front of you: from low to high.

3. SEATED CABLE CRUNCH

A different take on a classic exercise. The Kneeling Cable Crunch enables you to load as much weight as you like, and target your rectus abdominis directly as well as your core with the Finnlo Maximum Hammer Kraftstation M1.

Technique:

• Allow enough room for your entire torso to bend forwards as if you were praying.
• Grip the handle with both hands above your head.
• Breathe in, tighten your core, then use your entire midline to pull the weight downwards in one fluid motion.
• Don’t use your hands or arms to gain any additional pull on the cable.
• Once you have reached full depth at the bottom of the movement slowly return to the starting position.

4. KNEELING CABLE CRUNCH WITH OBLIQUE TWISTS

Same as above, but the twist will also engage your obliques, and stress your core in a new way.

Technique:

• Adopt the same starting position as a Kneeling Cable Crunch in front of the Hammer Kaftstation.
• Begin the movement in the same way.
• During the pull, twist your torso, and bring one elbow down towards the opposite knee.
• Return to the starting position, and with the next rep twist in the other direction. Alternate throughout each set.

5. RUSSIAN TWISTS WITH CABLE

Russian twists in all their variations are a great way to destroy your core and strengthen it significantly.

Technique:

• Stand facing the Cable pulley.
• Set the cable at the height of your belly button.
• Grip the handle with both hands.
• Keeping your arms outstretched in front of you, twist your core and pull to the left hand side. Only use your arms to hold the handle, generate all the force by tightening your core.
• Stay tight and return to the starting position. Now repeat to the right side. With each movement, twist to 90 degrees.

PLANES OF MOTION

To further understand just how important your core is, and to contextualize these cable exercises, it’s important to understand the different ways in which we move.

Human movement is divided into 3 planes of motion. Specific exercises may move through one or two planes of motion, but the core is a complex group of interconnected muscles that often requires movement and control throughout a variety of exercises and basic, everyday tasks.

THE CORONAL PLANE

This plane divides the body into front and back and involve sideways movements, think of lateral lunges as an example of this.

THE SAGITTAL PLANE 

Think about the exercises you do. Squats, thrusters, deadlifts, clean and jerks, pull-ups, handstand push-ups. In all these movements the weight is transferred up and down along a straight line. All these movements occur along the sagittal plane. The sagittal plane divides the body into two symmetrical halves – left and right.

THE TRANSVERSE PLANE

The final plane is the transverse plane, which divides the body into top and bottom halves. We move along this plane when we twist and turn our bodies, like when we look around before crossing the street.

Many of the exercises in Crossfit happen along the sagittal plane, and the transverse plane is a movement that does not occur as frequently as in other sports such as swimming or rugby. Whether your goal is general fitness, functional strength, or athletic achievement, you should always train along all planes.

The Core Cable exercises from above that involve twisting (such as the Woodchops) all train the Transverse Plain.

Ignoring the transverse plane means muscles like the abdominis obliques are neglected. These muscles are part of the core and provide stability, which in turn allows you to generate greater power and forceful movement. Strong oblique muscles also decrease the chance of injury, as they stop the trunk from over rotating or weakening.

WODS TO ATTACK YOUR CORE

So now it’s time to put the theory into practice. Try these following WODs and post your times to let us know how you did.

3 Rounds for time

• 400 m run
• 50 x Standing Cable Woodchops (25 each side)
• 20 x Toes to Bar
• 25 x Kneeling Cable Crunch
• 30 seconds L Sit Hold

15 Minute AMRAP

• 50 Wall Balls
• 30 Kneeling Cable Crunches
• 15 Kettlebell Swings 24 / 18 kg

12 Minute AMRAP

• 10 Deadlifts (70% 1RM)
• 20 Toes to Bar
• 30 Kneeling Cable Crunches with Oblique Twists
• 40 Woodchops
• 50 GHD Back Extensions

Conditioning for the core © Hammer

Strengthening the obliques © Hammer

Core strength is essential for great athletic ability © Hammer

Smash your core © Hammer

The 3 planes of motion © Machine Design

Your core is the foundation that allows you to move and perform many different functional exercises © RX’d Photography

Build a strong core © Hammer

The post 5 Cable Exercises and WODs to Build a Powerful Core appeared first on BOXROX.