Beginners Fitness: Medicine Balls
Welcome to the third week of the Spring 2013 Beginners Fitness series!
You can catch up on Beginners Fitness & Beginners Fitness: All About Kettlebells, or some other recent health & fitness-related posts – Guest Post: Women’s Health, Guest Post: Fashion of the Fitness World, Guest Post: Food & The Daily Battle, {Guest Post} Interview With A Trainer & {Guest Post} A CrossFit Year.
Another one of my favorite pieces of equipment at the gym are medicine balls – They’re versatile and since they can be used to work so many different muscle groups you can put together an entire workout using them.
Workouts:
If you’re starting a workout regime for the first time and consider yourself to be a beginner than you need to be sure to ease into a new exercise routine – Start with one workout a week plus walking, then two, and so forth.
Choosing your weight is one of the most important parts of a medicine ball workout – You want to be tired by the end of each set so don’t start with the heaviest weight you can pick up. You can also change weights for different moves – For example using a heavier ball for squats and a lighter one for core exercises.
[1.] Day One:
Warm Up: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
- Squats {ShapeFit’s Medicine Ball Squats} Three rounds of 10-12 squats
- Sit n’ Reach {Pumps & Iron’s Sit n’ Reach – Halfway down the page} Three rounds of 10-12
- Medicine Ball Slam {Women’s Health’s Medicine Ball Slam} Three rounds of 10-12 rounds
Warm Down: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
*Reading Materials – Medicine Ball Workout from Mark’s Daily Apple
[2.] Day Two: Core Core Core!
Warm Up: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
- Lunge With Rotation {Sport Medicine’s Core Exercise – Lunge With Medicine Ball} 10 per side
- Russian Twists {Workout Box’s Medicine Ball Russian Twists} 10 per side
- Wall Sit Twists {Women Health’s Wall Sit With Rotation} 10 per side
Warm Down: 10-15 minutes of intervals on a machine of your choosing {See the suggestions under Warm Up}
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
*Reading Materials – Increase Your Strength and Athleticism with Medicine Ball Training
Nutrition:
In the past two posts we’ve talked about healthy eating, how to replace unhealthy snacks with more nutrition options, and I suggested cooking as an alternative to eating out. Today I want to talk a little about fueling your workout – What you eat before a workout gives you energy and keeps your body hydrated & nourished while you put stress on it.
- Shape’s What to Eat Before Working Out and When to Eat It
- Prevention’s What to Eat Before and After Workouts
These are interesting articles and while they both highlight the importance of properly fueling your workouts they aren’t identical in their recommendations. Each body is different and it’s going to take some trial and error to find the perfect workout fuel for your body!
Homework:
Rest days and stretching and/or foam rolling are an important part of working out. If you have the stamina to workout 7 days a week that’s admirable – But don’t! By not giving your body time to heal and rest you’re undoing all of your hard work. Check out The No Meat Athlete’s rolling tutorial to get you started – Foam Rolling.
Having a busy Spring? That’s no excuse to skip your workouts! You can easily do body weight circuits featuring moves like push-ups, squats, and sit-ups from a hotel room or utilize the hotel pool or drop-in deals for gyms & studios. Bonus? Getting in a workout after a flight can help you fight jetlag! Read Mod City Mag’s Working Out While Traveling to give you some tips & suggestions for your next trip.
Disclaimer: I am not a trainer, doctor, or dietitian nor do I have any certifications associated with physical fitness or nutrition. Prior to making any dramatic changes to your fitness routine or diet you should consult a physician.
If you want more MCLV you can find me on these platforms:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moicontrelavie
- Twitter: @moicontrelavie
- Instagram: @moicontrelavie
- Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mclv/
{Guest Post} A CrossFit Year
Welcome to another Fitness Friday post – Today we get to hear about the overall life improvements and health benefits of adding consistent weight training to your workout regime. This is also a great reminder that you get what you put into your workout regime – No pain no gain!
A few notes to get you started:
(1) In CrossFit there are benchmark/progress testing workouts that are completed periodically – Hero workouts named after fallen heroes and workouts named after the badass ladies who coined them. Fran is one of these workouts, you can find a description here:
A workout consisting of two relatively simple movements, Fran is a decreasing pyramid of thrusters (barbell beginning in a full squat position and ending in a fully locked out overhead position) and pull-ups. The rep scheme is: 21/15/9 of alternating thrusters (at 95 lbs, ‘prescribed’) and pull-ups.
(2) On Ramp is a series of introductory classes that anyone new to a CrossFit gym will be required to go through – They gauge your proficiency in various lifts so that you can learn all requisite movements, from Olympic lifting to gymnastics, before beginning your first CrossFit “WoD” (workout of the day).
(3) Kyle’s current gym is Cap City Strength & Conditioning and while this is a barbell gym everyone is competing in the CrossFit Open – So far Kyle has done GREAT in the first two WODs and will be attempting 13.3 tomorrow!
If you’d like to learn more of the basics behind CrossFit check out my Do You… CrossFit? & My Personal CrossFit posts, and you can get more background the Paleo diet in Guest Post: The Paleo Lifestyle.
Though I suppose many (or perhaps just some, I’m really not that terribly famous) of you reading this may already know me – The Fauxhawk, the moniker “Asian Kyle,” the non-stop posts on Facebook and Instagram on anything and everything Paleo/CrossFit/denim/etc. – My name is Kyle Chin. A bit of history about fitness and me: In my youth, I ran 5Ks and 10Ks throughout middle school with my parents – Purely for the fun of it. Yes, I was strange even then. Then in high school I joined Cross Country and Track & Field to pursue more competitive running & racing. The thrill of racing and making the Varsity team was a great head rush, but the loneliness of trekking mile after mile – Often solo – Didn’t provide the ‘team’ or ‘family’ atmosphere that I craved and that would push me harder and farther. So I tapered off the running, started hitting the weight room for something different, but nothing really stuck. That was my junior year in high school, 2005, and I was 115 lbs.
Fast forward 6 years – And 35lbs – It was 2011 and I was nearing 150 lbs. College had been a whirlwind of fun, but revolved largely around the freedom to cook, eat, and of course drink – Whatever I wanted. I found a new passion in cooking during college – Roasted leg of lamb with gravy from the drippings served with homemade mashed potatoes loaded with butter and heavy cream along with maybe a veggie – And cooking for one meant either tons of leftovers and frozen portions for later or… Gorging myself so as not to waste any of that delectable goodness. So for four years I cooked and ate whatever I wanted, with no attention paid to portion sizes, calories, saturated fats or any of that nutritional mumbo-jumbo. I went from a size 28 fitting loosely to a size 32. I also lost all desire to work out, I tried to hit the gym or the trail but was either too self-conscious to stay out for long or too lazy to stay on track for any length of time – In short, I was a mess of self-loathing and depression that needed a ‘push’ in the right direction.
After graduating college I moved back to NorCal. Luckily, I landed an internship which turned into a job. Long story short – A co-worker of mine, Christina, asked me if I wanted to try to find something like CrossFit to try so that we could get fit. We both had been running and going to 24 Hour sporadically, but we were both looking for that ‘it’ factor to really motivate us. So we tried a free Saturday workout at a local CrossFit box – And that, as they say, was our first drink of the Kool-aid that is CrossFit.
{2006 to 2008 to 2013}
That was March 2012.
As I write this it is March 2013 – A year after starting CrossFit – And my life has changed in so many (amazing) ways. I still remember it clearly – One of the first day after nine sessions of On Ramp – Fran. Anyone who’s heard of CrossFit has heard the whispers of the dreaded “Fran cough” and the other “CrossFit ladies,” so I was more than just a little worried. Our coach’s advice to not be scared to scale rang loudly in my head and I decided to drop 20 lbs off the ‘prescribed’ weight and do my pull-ups with the assistance of a band. Eight minutes later and I was done and I felt like a million bucks – Nothing hurt too badly and I wasn’t terribly out of breath – I thought to myself “CrossFit isn’t so bad!” And then I turned to my coach who looked at me and said nonchalantly “Kyle, you never get to use that band again.” (A few months later when I did Fran again, it took me around the same time – 7 min and change – But I assure you I’ve never been so exhausted as I was in the ensuing days. The Fran cough, the soreness, and my ego being taken down a few notches). And since then I’ve fought through so many amazing (*cough* horrible) workouts – The “Filthy Fifty”, “The Seven,” “Murph,” to name a few, and after every one I swore I felt near death and thought I was going to die. But the next day – Or maybe two or three later – I was back in the box for more punishment.
And then several months ago I found my addiction, competition. The largest NorCal competition is the SacTown Throwdown and I was lucky enough to make the team for my box and had the opportunity to compete for the first time in January. Over the course of 8 hours, our four-person team competed in 5 separate workouts that tested our bodies, minds and resolve. At the end of the first day, I found myself exhausted, bruised and loving every (excruciating) minute of it – The competitive spirit within me knew that CrossFit provided a healthy, friendly outlet to compete with amazing athletes who loved pushing themselves as hard as I did. The adrenaline and team/family atmosphere around the competition was so amazing and I knew then that I had found my passion with people I truly loved.
To say that I’ve fallen in love with CrossFit and the Paleo lifestyle is an understatement. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you I probably overdo it a bit online and at any opportunity in a conversation, but my enthusiasm stems only from how wonderfully my life changed because of CrossFit and the amazing family I’ve come to know throughout the past year. So here I stand a year after starting CrossFit – Back to a 28 size waist, a lean 135 lbs, and in the best shape of my life.
Thank you Kyle for your interesting & thoughtful piece, it’s great to see how weight training & CrossFit have had such a positive influence on your life. As someone who has been able to witness part of your transformation I can really attest to both your dedication and enthusiasm!
Have you tried CrossFit or weightlifting? What’s your go-to workout for Spring?
Beginners Fitness: Kettlebells
Welcome to Week II of the new Spring 2013 Beginners Fitness series!
You can catch up on Beginners Fitness Week I or enjoy some other recent health & fitness-related posts – Guest Post: Women’s Health, Guest Post: Fashion of the Fitness World, Guest Post: Food & The Daily Battle & {Guest Post} Interview With A Trainer.
Workouts:
Since this is just Week Two of this new fitness regime we’re going to keep the total number of workouts at two for another week – You want to ease into any changes in your activity level to avoid injuries or overworking yourself. If you feel like you’re ready to go beyond two, feel free to add one of the workouts from last week’s list – Beginners Fitness.
A great piece of gym equipment that I highly recommend is the kettlebell. It’s a very versatile piece since you can use them in a gym setting or at home/outside. Definitely a good investment.
[1.] Day One:
Warm Up: 5 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
- Kettlebell Swings {Kettlebells Workouts’s Teaching Points for The Kettlebell Swing} Three rounds of 10-15 swings – #1 thing to keep in mind is your form & to be careful of your back!!!
- Goblet Squats {Men’s Health’s Goblet Squats} Three rounds of 10-15 squats
Warm Down: 5-10 minutes of intervals on a machine of your choosing {See the suggestions under Warm Up}
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
*Reading Materials – 22 Kick Ass Kettlebell Exercises from Greatist.com
[2.] Day Two: {Longer Workout}
Warm Up: 10 minutes of walking or light cardio
- Walking lunges {Kettlebell Workout Spot’s How To Do A Kettlebell Walking Lunge} Three rounds of 10 lunges on each leg
- Kettlebell Row {Exercise.com’s Kettlebell Rows} Three rounds of 10 rows for each arm
Warm Down: 10-15 minutes of intervals on a machine of your choosing {See the suggestions under Warm Up}
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
*Reading Materials – Total Body Toning With Kettlebells from Women’s Health
Nutrition:
In the last post I suggested that you try cutting some of the processed foods out of your diet and cooking more, were you able to give that a try? Changing your routine and breaking habits is one of the hardest things that you can do, but knowing that you’re making strides towards improving your health and increasing your life expectancy should help motivate you.
Here are a few more snack alternatives to not only help you GET COOKING, but also so that you can still enjoy some tasty snacks without reaching for processed or sugary store-bought treats:
- I crave salty foods, especially when I’m under stress, so these Oven Fries from The Wannabe Chef are the perfect thing to reach for. Bonus points for using a sweet potato!
- Do you crave a sweet treat in the afternoons? Give these Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars from OhSheGlows a try next time you get peckish. You can also freeze them and then you’ll have a great treat whenever you want it!
Homework:
We talked about stress last time – Now that you’re aware of how important controlling stress is for your health, what are you doing to help combat it? Yoga is a much-loved stress reducer, but if you’re not up for a class there are still some moves that you can try out at home – Om Alone: At-Home Yoga Workout.
One of the best things that you can do for your health and one of the most powerful daily changes you can make is adding walking to your life. Check out this post on the benefits of walking {Guest Post: Low-Intensity Fasted Cardio} and this piece from Prevention Magazine – News Pulse: What A Simple Walk Can Do.
Disclaimer: I am not a trainer, doctor, or dietitian nor do I have any certifications associated with physical fitness or nutrition. Prior to making any dramatic changes to your fitness routine or diet you should consult a physician.
Want more Moi Contre La Vie? You can find me on these platforms:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moicontrelavie
- Twitter: @moicontrelavie
- Instagram: @moicontrelavie
- Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mclv/
{Guest Post} Food & The Daily Battle
Welcome to Part II of the Women’s Health series here on Moi Contre La Vie. Today we’re going to hear more from Megan of Kaia F.I.T. Sacramento on the daily struggle to eat well. If you’re new to this series be sure to check out Megan’s bio {Guest Post: Women’s Health} and her previous post – Fashion of the Fitness World.
Part 2: Food… The Daily Battle
I love ice cream, especially cookies & cream. I love cheeseburgers and extra crispy french fries. I can put down a serious amount of pizza. I love crafty cocktails and champagne. I worked in fine dining restaurants for 10 years and was privileged to indulge in some amazing dishes and glasses of wine…
But now I work in the fitness industry. And I constantly try to balance my view of food… Fuel or Delicious Goodness? My answer is both.
The majority of the time, on the day-to-day, food is fuel. Looking at it that way leads me to eating cleaner, leaner, and healthier. I view myself like a machine and if I want to run properly, perform well in my workouts, and feel energetic all day, I need to provide myself with the best fuel available.
I personally feel the best when I eat multiple times throughout the day, always beginning with breakfast. I feel great when I eat lean meat and eggs, lots of veggies and greens, and fresh fruit. I like nuts and trail mix for snacks and dried fruit for dessert. Avoiding the starchy carbs, dairy, and sugar is essential to feeling good.
However, coming from the restaurant industry, I love nothing more than a nice dinner out. I appreciate a perfectly cooked noodle and a salty piece of pork belly. And I absolutely love home-made ice cream and cookies at my mom’s house. These are the good things in life.
So, how do I balance it? When do I decide to devour a sandwich and when do I stick to a salad full of veggies? I practice MODERATION. I try to stick to healthy ‘fuel’ most of the time. When I treat myself to ‘carbs’ and sugar, I view it just that way… As a TREAT. I think it’s better that way anyway. I feel like crap when I eat sugar and bread days in a row and I stop appreciating it.
Everyone has to make their choices, each and every day. But awareness is where it all begins. If you never go without bread, dairy, sugar, alcohol, etc., how will you ever know how you feel without it?
Our go-to detox at Kaia FIT is 7 days without the following:
- All starchy ‘carbs’ (bread, tortillas, rice, potatoes, etc.)
- Sugar over 9g per serving (besides sugar naturally found in fruits/veggies)
- Alcohol
- Dairy
- Processed Foods (if you can’t pronounce something on the label, avoid it!)
Eating clean is a great feeling and I highly recommend letting yourself experience it. And remember, “All things in moderation, including moderation.”
A big thank you to Megan for this great insight into her way of thinking about nutrition. It’s very easy to get into patterns of binging or restricting, so avoid all the negative side effects of both of those ways of eating and try practicing moderation as Megan has suggested.
What’s your personal approach to your daily diet?
MCLV Style: Embellish Me
Fun accessories and embellished pieces are a great way to take a basic look to a new level. So next time you’re putting together a nighttime look be creative and layer on the extras!
{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Pleated Leather Skirt – The Limited, Embellished Top – Zara, Oxblood Knit Tights – DKNY via Bloomingdales, Spike Embellished Heels – The Limited, Black Patent Clutch – MICHAEL Michael Kors via Nordstrom, Ring – BCBG Max Azria & Bracelet – Forever 21}
{You can view this outfit on Lookbook.nu and Pose}
{Check out outtakes from this shoot here – Just log into Facebook to view}
This outfit could have just been black skirt + black top but with the addition of brightly colored tights, an embellished collar, fun jewelry, and spiked heels it’s a more one-of-a-kind look. But I did discover that the downside of this too-cute pleated faux leather skirt from The Limited is that it wrinkles sooooo easily. And quickly. Thus the absence of straight-on shots!
What’s your favorite fun extra this Winter or the piece you’re most excited to try out?
MCLV Style: Lazy Stripes
Sometimes what a girl needs is layers. And lots of them. This was a look that I threw together for a CrossFit competition a few weeks ago – The keys for that kind of day are :(1) Comfortable, (2) Easy to move in, and (3) Warm! The third ended up being especially important as the venue had a huge open door and it started raining when we first got there!
{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Striped Sweater Tunic – H&M, Leggings – Forever 21, Cropped Blazer – Banana Republic, Studded Ankle Boots – C Label via Piperlime, Patent Satchel – Express, Skull Pendant – Asos, and Bracelets – H&M, Asos & JewelMint}
{You can view this outfit on Lookbook.nu and Pose}
{Check out outtakes from this shoot here – Just log into Facebook to view}
I have a confession to make. This blazer is one of the oldest {non-heirloom} pieces in my closet. My mother bought it for me SEVEN years ago when she took me on a shopping trip to equip me for interviewing and starting my first post-collegiate job. When people say “classic” or “investment piece” this, my friends, is what they’re referring to!
Do you have any classic, it’ll-always-be-in-style pieces in your wardrobe? What’s your favorite investment piece that you’ve bought over the years?
Beginner Fitness
In 2012 a reader came to me with a simple request – Could I help her ease into a workout routine that would put her on the path to overall better health? I documented a part of the process in the following series of posts – Want To Achieve Gym Goddess Status?, Part II, Part III, Part IV & Part V.
I’ve recently received a similar request and thought that 2013 would be a great time to share some of the details with my readers again because I think it’s such a worthwhile topic and achieving better health is widespread goal. I’m sure there have been countless New Years Resolutions related to this so why not get started on your path to health and happiness now?
In addition to providing short beginners workouts for the next few weeks, I’ll be recommending reading and do my best to keep you all motivated and inspired – Which is half the battle.
Workouts:
You want to ease into a new workout regime regardless of your current level of fitness, however if you’re not currently working out, attending classes, and/or running on a regular basis I would suggest starting with one or two small workouts a week and gradually increase to 3-5 as you start improving and feeling stronger.
Let’s start Week One with two short workouts to get us in the mood:
Day One
Warm Up: 5 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
- Elbow plank {Mark’s Daily Apple’s How-To: Proper Plank Technique} Hold for 10 seconds, relax, return to plank & repeat – 3 rounds of holding for 10 seconds
- Walking lunges {FitSugar’s Back to Basics: Walking Forward Lunge} 3 rounds of 10 lunges on each knee
- Plie Squats {Women’s Health Magazine’s Plie Squats} 3 rounds of 10 squats
Warm Down: 5-10 minutes of intervals on a machine of your choosing {See the suggestions under Warm Up}
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
*My recommendation is to turn this into a mini circuit workout – After your warm up do one set of planks, one set of lunges, and one set of squats, then repeat the process a second and third time to complete the circuit before your warm down.
Day Two
Warm Up: 5 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
- Reverse Lunges {FitSugar’s Back to Basics: Stationary Reverse Lunge} 3 rounds of 10 lunges on each knee
- Crunches {Dummies.com’s How To Do Crunches} 3 rounds of 20 – Be sure to watch your form & keep your chin & elbows UP form is important w/ this move
- Leg Lifts {Shape Magazine’s Double-Leg Lower & Lift} 3 rounds of 20
Warm Down: 5-10 minutes of cardio {Walking quickly, jogging/running, elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, stair climber…}
Nutrition:
Following diets, participating in cleanses, and going through detox programs are interesting ways to find out how your body responds to things, but they’re not a way of life. Learning to eat well & make smart food choices on a daily basis is going to do much more for you than any short-term healthy eating “fix.”
Depending on your typical diet transitioning to a clean eating regime can seem pretty daunting, so to make the switch more manageable I’ll just recommend a few tips and suggest some things to cut out of your diet each week.
To start, it’s time to get cooking! Your first goal should be to cut out packaged, processed, and pre-made food from your diet. Don’t panic! That doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to order Chinese again or never enjoy a handful of chips in the future, but if you want to transition to a clean diet the first step is to eliminate all of these types of foods. So your mission for the next two weeks is to start giving up anything processed, stop hitting the drive-through, and spend more time in the kitchen and less time at restaurants.
Here are a few alternatives:
- If you like chips or salty other snacks – Try raw almonds, butter-free air popped popcorn, or baby carrots w/ hummus
- If you crave the beta-endorphin rush of sugary treats, baked goods, or candy – Switch these high calorie picks for fresh fruit, natural almond butter, or homemade sweet treats like Choosing Raw’s Cinnamon Caramelized Cauliflower or Maple Cinnamon Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Homework:
Understanding why you feel the way that you feel and how to improve your health is important. Anyone can blindly follow instructions, but learning about health, nutrition, and your body will help you for your entire life.
So with the goal of educating yourself and expanding your horizons here are some interesting articles you might enjoy:
- Healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts & seeds {in moderation} are an important part of a healthy diet. Learn more about this subject by reading Natalie Jill Fitness’s Eating Fat Will NOT Make You Fat…
- One of the things that impacts your health almost as much as nutrition and fitness is stress. You need to pay attention not only to how much stress you have in your life, but how you deal with it – How Stress Affects the Body.
So what do you think of this new series? Are these topics and the information I provided above interesting and relevant to your life?
Disclaimer: I am not a trainer, doctor, or dietitian nor do I have any certifications associated with physical fitness or nutrition. I’m merely an enthusiast {and former athlete} who reads & does research daily and has worked out alone or with coaches & trainers since the age of 6. I am lucky enough to have access to a handful of blogs, websites, and trainers to answer my questions though. Prior to making any dramatic changes to your fitness routine or diet I suggest that you consult a physician.
For more inspiration, my daily workout routines, and more Moi Contre La Vie you can find me on these platforms:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moicontrelavie
- Twitter: @moicontrelavie
- Instagram: @moicontrelavie
- Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mclv/
Guest Post: Women’s Health
Raise your hand if your New Years Resolutions – officially or unofficially – include anything similar to these:
- Eat healthier
- Go to the gym more frequently
- Lose weight
- Get in better shape
That’s what I thought.
So with all of our ambitious and health-oriented resolutions in mind I’m planning a few new series during 2013 to help motivate and educate us with regard to health, fitness & nutrition – (1) A series of guest posts from people in the health & fitness industries, (2) A Beginners Fitness series w/ reading materials, workouts, and nutritional information for you to consider, and (3) A series of posts documenting the trials & tribulations I face while attempting the Whole 30 program at the beginning of 2013.
To help get us started with Fitness Friday & put us in a healthy, motivated mindset so we can start 2013 at our best, I’d like to welcome Megan:
My name is Megan and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to guest blog for Moi Contre La Vie! When I was asked to write a few pieces for this blog, I found myself a little dumbfounded, searching for a topic interesting and worthy enough of the site. It surprised me that I felt this way since I blog at least three times a week on my own!
I manage and coach at an all-women’s gym called Kaia FIT Sacramento. I write 3-4 pieces a week for our website and find my inspiration from the amazing women of our gym community. I realized this inspiration fits perfectly in with the concept of Moi Contre La Vie and my blog topic was staring right at me the whole time!
At the top of the Moi Contre La Vie site it reads, “Celebrating Fashion, Food and Fitness,” and these are three of my favorite things! I will be writing a 3-part series on these topics and how they relate to my life as a fitness trainer and how they affect the women I’m surrounded by. Before my first post, however, I thought I’d share a little about myself and how I came to be where I am.
I’m 26 and married to an amazing man named Nick. Nick is a CrossFit trainer and ultra-runner. His passion for fitness, health and science has been one of my favorite parts about him since we met and I owe much of my success in the fitness world to him.
I was always an ‘active’ person… Dabbling in yoga and running, hitting spin classes at 24 hour fitness if I didn’t get off work at the restaurant too late the night before. You know, the typical college girl routine.
But none of it was ever enough. I loved the feeling of working out. Not the feeling AFTER a workout… But the terrible, breathless, burning feeling DURING it. And I know I wanted to feel it with more intensity.
Enter Kaia FIT.
A friend of mine started at Kaia FIT Sacramento as soon as they opened their doors and was absolutely loving it. Never mind her amazing results physically, her entire attitude and outlook on health and fitness had changed! I knew I had to give it a try….
And I never looked back. After a few months I went to certification and began coaching. A year later I’m managing the joint and have made it my full-time career!
Coming up: Fashion… Of the fitness world!
Thank you so much for the introduction Megan – We’re all looking forward to reading your next post. If you have any specific questions that you’d like Megan to answer please let me know!
Shenanigans
As I’m sure you’ve already picked up, I’m a big fan of Fall in general and Halloween in particular {Fall Fabulousness, All Hallow’s Eve & October Round-Up}. This year I was lucky enough to attend two fabulous Halloween parties in Sacramento as well as act as American River CrossFit’s team photograph for CrossFit West Sac’s charity Breast Cancer competition.
This year I was excited to dress up twice, the first time as Wendy from Peter Pan in a vintage yellow nightgown and the second time as The Black Dahlia in a fabulous little black dress that my friend made.
But don’t worry, I’m not the only one who dressed up for Halloween this year. Bones dressed up as a CHICKEN! Again. Clearly it’s his favorite costume, doesn’t he look enthusiastic?
{Mammograms In Action – Barbells For Boobs}
And the day before Halloween I watched the exciting Barbells For Boobs charity CrossFit competition which included every shade of pink known to man and even Jessica Rabbit in a stunning red gown.
How was your Halloween? What did you dress up as? What was the best costume that you saw?
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Are you a fan of metallics? They can be a great way to spice up a look for Fall or make an outfit nighttime-ready – Style File: Metallics.
Black and white is one of my favorite color schemes, it’s chic and really stylish and you can spice it up really easily with a splash of color – Street Style Update: Black & White Outfits @ New York, Milan & Paris Fashion Weeks.
If you’re in the market for a sweet dessert-inspired necklace why not support an amazing cause? She’s The First sponsors girls’ education in the developing world and has created a too cute cupcake necklace to further their cause – She’s the First Tie-Dye Cupcake Necklace.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the recent remakes from the movies to the BBC & US-based TV series. Clearl I’m not the only one as Apartment Therapy put together a great list of Sherlock Holmes-inspired home decor – Get This Look: BBC’s Sherlock.
Healthy & Fitness:
Do you track your daily food intake? While it can see daunting to keep track of every single thing that you put in your mouth over the course of the day, it can be a useful and informative project. Commonly people over – or under – estimate their intake of calories, fat, protein, fiber, and vitamins & nutrients. Over the years I’ve tried a handful of programs – From Slimkicker to Livestrong to the My Fitness Pal app (for Android!) that my boyfriend recommends to his CrossFit clients. I highly recommend giving this a try, you may be surprised by what you find out!
I can’t live without music in my day-to-day life and I REALLY can’t live without music at the gym. If I forget my headphones or don’t charge my mp3 player, odds are I’ll skip my workout. So finding new tunes for my fitness sessions is essential – Whether they’re new tracks on the airwaves or I’m rediscovering CDs from my youth.
- Workout Playlist: Pop Music
- Shayk Your Booty: Irinia Shayk’s Poppin’ Playlist
- Harley Viera-Newton Has Your Summer Playlist Covered
We’re heading into the holiday stretch now and with all the family gatherings, social events, and holiday festivities on the horizon, why not make a healthy eating plan that’ll allow you to not only show up to everything looking fabulous, but also feeling great? Check out The No Meat Athlete’s 10 Simple Guidelines for Eating Healthier than Ever and get inspired!
Shopping at your local Whole Foods or health food store can be a daunting prospect – There’s a reason they call it Whole Paycheck! So why not get some advice & tips to arm yourself before your next trip? Prevention’s Smart Buys At The Health Food Store.
If you’re anything like me, you’re always in the mood to try something new in the fitness arena. From boxing & pilates to running & yoga, I’m always interested in finding new ways to keep myself interested and to keep my body from plateauing. Classes at the gym or local Y can be a great option and with endless choices to pick from learning a little about them in advance can’t hurt. So read on – TRX: 6 Things to Know Before Trying a Class.
The Man Behind The Camera
Other than my dear friend Liz, the remainder of the MCLV Personal Style photographs are taken by the current boyfriend Sean. He has written a guest post for us in the past and trained me in the ways of CrossFit, but has never been featured on the blog for his fashion prowess before.
That is, until today.
True, he spends the majority of his waking hours in workout clothes, but when he does deign to put on street clothes, he has a great personal style.
When we initially met in our senior year of high school he was extremely preppy – Polo shirts, button downs, and wool or cashmere collared coats. But over the years his style relaxed, becoming more and more low-key, and when we got back together two years ago he wore very little other than t-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops.
But miracle of miracles, over the last two years his sense of style has begun evolving again. And more than that, he has actually started to enjoy clothes and fashion more, like he did when he was younger. Now he shops online, asks for advice on putting together pieces in his wardrobe & picking things out, and genuinely has an interest in shopping and expanding his wardrobe.
These days he prefers to keep his daily look low-key and minimal, and primarily wears black, white, and navy. Jeans are usually his preference and he traditionally pairs them with a Lacoste Pima V-Neck, a button down, or a Polo shirt. As for brands, we’ve found that the shirts that fit him best are Express for Men and Lacoste, they both have slim fit versions that work well for his frame.
When it comes to shoes he’s tried virtually everything, from boots to slip-ons to boat shoes to loafers. He loves slip ons and its all I can do to make sure he doesn’t wear his rubber soled slippers out of the house. The most worn pair of shoes he has are his tan, lace-up Banana Republic loafers, but he did just get a new pair of slip-on boat shoes that are very versatile.
They can even be worn with pink!
And a style post wouldn’t be complete without mentioned his creativity, he picked a kick-ass Halloween costume last year that suited him quite well despite being an incredibly last-minute choice – The Travelocity Gnome! 🙂
In the mood for more? Check out my Let’s Hear It For The Boys post filled with tips, ideas, and inspiration for putting together a complete and stylish wardrobe.
What do you like most on the men in your life? Are there certain styles that appeal to you more than others? When it comes to mens accessories, do you think less is more?
Guest Post: The Paleo Lifestyle
I’m a strong believer that each body has different needs and requirements. From allergies and intolerances, to dietary preferences, to work and sleep habits. Both our lives and our bodies dictate how we should fuel ourselves, and listening to your body is something that you need to learn to do. And that’s why I believe in trying different diets. Not diets as in crash diets – diets as in lifestyle changes that allow you to experience different ways of eating, that give you the opportunity to discover the best and healthiest lifestyle for yourself.
Personally I’ve tried a number of different diets and excluded various foods over the years, from high raw to mostly vegan to gluten-free. I want to feel my best every day – I want to sleep well, wake up rested & not need caffeine to open my eyes, have energy throughout the day, not suffer from headaches, and be alert & able to concentrate. And believe me when I say that it can be a long journey of trial and error to determine what foods will give you all of that.
Today I’m here to introduce Kyle Lawlor, one of the co-authors of the Tumblr blog Eat. Drink. Paleo – Two foodies who fell in love and are now transitioning to a Paleo lifestyle. If you look up “Paleo Diet” in wikipedia or check out the Paleo Diet website you can get a full list of do’s and don’ts, what you can and can’t eat, and why the Paleo supporters think that their lifestyle is the best choice out there. But what those websites won’t/can’t/don’t tell you is how this lifestyle will make you feel, how hard the transition is, what the noticeable benefits and downsides are, and how you will feel on a daily basis.
But Kyle can.
This is his story of discovering Paleo eating, making the transition, joining CrossFit, and how those choices have affected his daily life and outlook:
My journey to a healthy paleo lifestyle has taken far longer than I wish it would. I look back and kick myself for not doing this sooner but as is constant with me, I have to do everything in my own time or I will never stick to anything. I came across the Paleo Lifestyle when I joined American River CrossFit in July 2011. At the time I weighed 280lbs and I still (unfortunately) stand only 5’8 ½”. I was out of shape. I was constantly out of breath from even the simplest of tasks. I didn’t sleep well. I snored like a band saw. And worst of all, I looked terrible! When I started at CrossFit it was terrible. My body hadn’t felt so sore since JV Spring Training for football. My quads hurt, my back was tight, and my shoulders felt like they would drop off at any moment. The funny thing is that at first, a lot of what I was doing in CrossFit was just moving myself. My first month involved very little weight training, except for my own 280lbs. But I stuck with it and kept going. Soon I started seeing improvements. My clothes began fitting better and the pain I felt after workouts transitioned into soreness. The only problem was that my gut didn’t go anywhere and the scale hadn’t changed much. The reason was a simple one, one that I never really shared with neither my trainers at the Box nor my girlfriend, Rochelle. Every night after attending the 6pm class at ARCFIT and working my ass off I would stop at Wendy’s or Taco Bell on my way home and demolish a couple bucks worth of fake food before pulling into my drive way. THEN I would go inside and eat the dinner Rochelle would have prepared for us. To understand why I did this we need to take a quick trip down memory lane.
Fast forward to February 2012! I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and it changes my life. I had been living a 20% Paleo lifestyle at best while trying to work my ass off at CrossFit. Unfortunately, as we are fond of saying at ARCFIT “you can’t out train a shit diet”. It is so incredibly true! Somehow I expected that if I worked out an hour a day twice a week that gave me permission to eat whatever the hell I wanted. February was a great month for me because it was the start of a lot of life changes for me. The first was the 30 day Paleo challenge Rochelle and I began. We cut out all the grain, all the dairy, all the sugar and all the legumes. And at first it was awesome! NOT! It sucked! But, after the first week and a half all the cravings were gone. Then the amazing things started happening. I began feeling better. I was sleeping the whole night through with much less snoring then before (much to Rochelle’s delight), my pants started literally falling off of me because they were too big, and not to get gross but my bowel movements were noticeably healthier and less frequent than I was accustomed. All in all, my body was beginning to heal the wrongs I had done to it for 24 years.
What I have come to realize over the last year, specifically in the last 4 months, is that through taking care of myself I have become a happier person. 6 months ago, someone who knew me well might consider me a good friend but hateful of just about everyone else on the planet, and that’s putting it mildly. To be plain, I had been unhappy with my life for the past few years, and despite being moderately intelligent I could not see that the problem was staring back at me every time I went to McDonald’s for breakfast, Jack in the Box for lunch and perhaps Taco Bell for dinner. These foods had a hold on me. If I’m honest, I’d say they still do. While I rarely, if ever, crave some kind of fake burger from a fast food joint, I know that if I succumb to weakness at any time and have one I will be hooked once again.
When Rochelle and I began the 30 day Challenge in February, I didn’t think it would stick. I figured I would find someway of returning to old habits. However, since we decided to eat only the foods listed in the 30 Day sample menus I was stuck. I would actually have to follow the rules on this one and see where I could go.
My life is much different now. I do my best to go to the gym 5 days a week and I don’t drink as often or as much as I used to. I wake up at 6:30am, which is early when you consider the fact that I don’t have to be at work until 10am every day. I look at the WOD (Workout Of the Day in CrossFit speak), weigh myself, prepare myself to leave the house and head to the gym for the 7am class. When I get to the gym I feel like hell. My body and mind haven’t quite adjusted to being upright yet, there’s usually loud music on and in a couple of minutes someone I consider a friend is going to tell me to go run around the building, row 1000 meters, do pushups, or wall balls, or air squats, double-unders, burpees, and what the hell go run around the building again. At that point I’m warmed up. My morning headache is gone, my back has loosened up, and my hips are just about opened to where I need them to be in order to do whatever is planned for the day. Depending on the program I’m on there will be skill work before the WOD (ie pull ups or muscle ups) or weight lifting and then the WOD. I do my best on skill work and WODs, sometimes do a second WOD, foam roll, then drive home. The maximum amount of time I am ever at the gym is 2 hours, and those are days when I’m bored and Rochelle hasn’t given me a honey do list while I’m off on a weekday.
Time for some real honesty. Life happens, accept you may eat off diet and adjust accordingly (ie work your ass off the rest of the week) Sometimes you’re at your mom’s place and she’s making spaghetti and meatballs. You clean the plate and ask for seconds. Also, sometimes you’re in a hurry and forget your lunch. Does that mean you get to hit up McDonald’s for a Big Mac? NO! Think smarter. Is there a Thai restaurant near your work? If so, do what Rochelle does when she forgets lunch, call them up, order a red curry with beef, no rice, go back to your desk and eat something delicious and most likely entirely paleo. No Thai place? Craving fake Mexican food? Chipotle. I know, it is all that is wrong with this country but sometimes you want to eat fake Mexican food. A burrito bowl with no rice and beans will do the trick. Smile and ask politely for the person behind the counter to hook you up on peppers and onions. You like real Mexican food? Fine, hit up that taqueria by your work and grab a half pound of carnitas with a side of guac. No, you don’t need to order the rice, beans or tortillas! And finally, what about a good old American hamburger? All I can say God bless In N Out and Habit burger for lettuce wrapping their burgers, they can be a life saver! Have I done all these things? Yep! Am I proud of it? Not really, but I’m still going to eat and live my life. The difference is now when I eat things that are absolutely terrible for me, my mentality is different. Gone are the days when pasta made me think wistful thoughts of Rome. Now all I can think about is how much I just poisoned my body and how soon I can get it out of me. Funny how much things can change in 4 months.
My girlfriend and I constantly talk about how different my life has become in the last 4 months, none of it negative, and the one thing we always point out is that it started with my nutrition. When I got serious my life got better. Now I don’t usually like to look to the divine in such moments, but the timing sure is coincidental.
Please note that this is a shortened version of Kyle’s article, you can see the unabridged version here which includes great recipes and more details about Paleo eating.
Please note that neither Kyle nor I are a doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist. I recommend speaking with a professional prior to making any dramatic changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise regime to ensure that any changes you make are done safely.
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
If you follow me on Twitter you’ve probably picked up on my serious girl crush on The Man Repeller – Her site is clever, witty, and she’s just as fashion obsessed as I am. Maybe even more so. And today’s she’s here with a phenomenal Do It Yourself project for all you fashion lovers out there – DIY: Fancy Footwear.
Don’t you want bows?
Refinery 29 doesn’t want us to forget about all the stylish mom’s out there, check out their post on stylish moms in NYC – 8 Ultra Cool Moms Show Off Their Killer Style.
If your city is starting to heat up you’re probably in the mood for some tips on warm weather dressing. The Little White Dress is always a great option and here are some oh-so-tempting versions to try out: 14 Little White Dresses You’ll Live In All Summer.
Calling all bun heads! If you’re looking for some new hairstyles to keep your Summer looks interesting check out Refinery 29’s Give Tired Bunds A Twist With These 4 Fresh Styles.
If Coachella just whet your apetitite and you’re going to get geared up for more concerts and music festivals as the weather warms up, you’ve got to check out The Festival Tracker – The Ultimate Guide to Music Festival Fashion and Style. Bonnaroo anyone?
Health/Fitness:
Were you brave enough to sign up for a race this year? Do you have some 2012 New Years Resolutions that you still haven’t reached? Check out The Blog of Impossible Things’ The Women’s Guide To A Triathlon or watch David Kirsch and Heidi Klum’s video How To Train On A Treadmill for some needed motivation and inspiration!
Searching for healthy snack ideas or a great energy boost for before your daily workout? Look no further! 100-calorie snack: Dairy-free chocolate almond butter chews ready in five minutes.
Concerns surrounding the physical and mental consequences of chronic stress have increased over the last few years – weight gain, diabetes, depression. Are you taking it seriously? Read Chris Kresser’s Are You In Stress Denial?
Interested in the new CrossFit trend but hesitant to head to a gym for an introductory class? Take a look at FitSugar’s Three CrossFit Workouts Anyone Can Do to get you started!’
Are you fan of spices? Check out the Whole 9 Life’s Spice Hound 100 Spices Whole 30 Approved. There are some GREAT ideas here.
Barefoot running was all the rage during 2011, due in part to the success of Christopher McDougall’s Born To Run, but what about barefoot walking? Take a look at FitSugar’s Three Ways Walkers Can Benefit From Barefoot Walking and learn more on the subject.
Speaking of Born To Run, if you read it you probably got as interested in chia seeds as I did. Here are a few articles on these phenomenal little seeds
- One Green Planet – Chia Seeds: Health Benefits, Tips and Recipes
- The No Meat Athlete – Tarahumara Pinole and Chia
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Looking for a pretty new up do for the Spring & Summer weddings you’re attending or participating in? Refinery 29 has you covered with their 3 Pretty ‘Dos For Wedding Season.
Not sure what to keep in your closet and what to donate? Miranda Kerr’s stylist tells us just how to Spring clean this season – Modelinia.
Or if you’re interested in jumping on the ombre train, Fashion Fazer has you covered – Ombre and Dip-Dye Hair.
Love that collar necklace? Ya, me too. Check out Fashion Love Affaires for her DIY Diaries: In All My Glittery Goodness.
I’ve clearly shown that I’m a fan of Olivia Palermo’s personal style, I did Style File posts on her adorable polka dot maxi skirt AND her chic outfit for the menswear shows last fall. She recently started a blog and I wanted to share her little piece on closet organization – Glam Tip: Keep Off-Season Clothes Fresh.
Refinery 29 doesn’t want to see your old college sweats or your ratty t-shirts at the gym. Ever. Chic Gym Gear To Replace Your Sweats. Its time!
Are you in the mood for ladylike glitz and glamour this Spring? Me too. From Elie Saab to Christian Dior, Cristina’s got you covered. Read on!
Health/Fitness:
Did you sign up for a race to meet a New Years Resolution and get so busy and distracted this Spring that you’ve hardly started to train? Read the No Meat Athlete’s 3 Steps to Planning the Perfect Running Getaway to Re-energize Your Training or Stuck Running on a Treadmill? Make the Most of It with These 3 Workouts.
Not sure when to nosh? What about which foods will be best for you? Check out Fit Bottomed Girls’ Foods to Fuel You– A helpful list of what foods will help fuel you before, during, and after your exercise sessions, Women’s Health’s Eating Well: The Best Fitness Foods for Women, and OhSheGlow’s 3 Ready-in-a-Jiffy Warm Weather Snack Recipes!
Not sure which oils to use for what? Read through Wake Up World’s 160 Uses For Coconut Oil.
If your Spring has been anything like mine you’re a busy busy bee. Don’t let that get in the way of staying healthy and meeting your fitness goals though, these mini workouts will keep you motivated:
- A 10-Minute ‘Move Confidently’ Workout from Fit Bottomed Girls & Dove
- A 10 Minute Full-Body CrossFit Workout from FitSugar
- A Pound Melting Pilates Workout from Women’s Health
- 10 Crunch-Free Moves for Killer Abs from Shape
Or check out all my links over at A Healthy Mentality!
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Need a tutorial on mixing colors for Spring? Cristina’s Blog has the goods – Mixing Colours… Blue & Yellow.
If you love glamour and a slinky, retro vibe you’re bound to be a fan of Russian stylist, photographer, and designer Uliana Sergienko. Couture et Cuisine has a collection of phenomenal pictures of her here for your viewing pleasure.
If you’re in the market for a new girl crush I highly suggest checking out Modelinia’s Elisa Sednaoui Continues to Reign as Our #1 Girl Crush or Vogue UK’s catwalk piece on the stunning Jourdan Dunn. So hard to choose!
Curious what the fashion industry is up to between the shows? Here are some of the recent events and launches: The New Museum’s 35th Anniversary Gala, The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Dinner, H&M’s 2012 Conscious Collection hit stores 12 April 2012, get a tour of Rachel Roy’s office, The 9th Annual New Yorkers for Children event, and, as I’m sure you’ve heard, Raf Simons from Jil Sander has replaced the disgraced John Galliano at Christian Dior.
Check out this casual, cool look from Coachella queen Kate Bosworth on Frugal Fashionista to get you in the mood for the music festival. If you need for inspiration read my Hippie 2012 Breakdown for everything you’ll need for Coachella!
Health/Fitness:
Marion Nestle is an author, professor & nutritional expert who has written books, chaired government committees, and writes a column for the San Francisco Chronicle. Her blog, Food Politics, always has great posts on food, nutrition, grocery shopping, farming, buying organic, meat processing… I highly recommend checking out the following pieces:
- USA Today interview on Why Calories Count
- Nutritionist’s Notebook: Caffeine Cravings
- “Pink Slime:” Some questions about what’s really at stake
- The Dilemma of Pink Slime: Cost or Culture?
I found myself nodding along to Choosing Raw’s Building a Better Snack: Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Snack Bars. Sometimes you want something quick and easy to snack on, but when you read the ingredients in products you realize that there are very limited healthy processed options. Making your own snack bars (or energy bites) are great options! Next week I’ll be sharing my energy bite recipe or you can try Choosing Raw’s Super Speedy, No Bake Omega-3 Vegan Snack Bars, Hungry Hungry Hippie’s Peanut Banana Oatmeal Bars, or OhSheGlow’s Homemade Banana Bread Larabars.
7 April Superfoods from The Huffington Post – All in green and red!
Still looking for great breakfast ideas for Spring? I’ve shared overnight oats recipes and smoothiesgalore, what about breakfast porridge? Check out Chatelaine’s Gluten-free recipe: Sweet breakfast porridge with fresh toppings.
Have you read about or tried intermittent fasting? These are both interesting reads: Dr Michael Eades, M.D.’s Could intermittent fasting or caloric restriction make the heart more resistant to damage? and Stop Eat Stop.
Do you workout with your significant other? Do you want to…? I suggest taking a look at Rachel Wilkerson’s piece Living In Sin: How CrossFit Has Helped My Relationship, Holly Would If She’s Could’s CrossFit Love: How Sharing Fitness Has Improved My Relationship, or my post Health & Your Relationship.
Health & Your Relationship
When I read Rachel Wilkerson’s How CrossFit Has Helped My Relationship it got me thinking.
A lot.
Rachel said that by encouraging her boyfriend to take up a healthy hobby – in this instance CrossFit – their relationship ultimately benefited despite the fact that in the end it actually meant less alone time. I have no trouble at all believing this. In my experience, if there’s a substantial disconnect between how much two people value health & nutrition in their lives it can potentially lead to problems down the road.
I don’t believe that you need have all the same views, do the same workouts, or approach food the same way. But if only one person takes their health seriously and devotes time, energy, and effort to maintaining said health, the other individual may become resentful, jealous, threatened etc. Or things can go the other way around and as one person becomes healthier and more fit they begin to pity, worry about, and/or neglect their partner.
Take a look at this piece by the Primal Parent entitled When Good Health Destroys a Marriage. It’s written from the perspective of a woman who changed her diet and was feeling her best, while her husband was… Not. Ultimately their marriage couldn’t survive because she has a strong, well-tested belief in the importance of good health & nutrition, and refused to settle for someone who couldn’t – or wouldn’t – put forth the effort to investigate improving his own health.
{Kyle & Rochelle – The authors of Eat Drink Paleo}
If you can find someone who shares your views, that’s fantastic – like my friend Kyle & his lady-love who write the oh-so-entertaining Eat. Drink. Paleo – Two foodies who fell in love and are now transitioning to a paleo lifestyle. But at a minimum you need to show an interest in the other’s routines and goals, and be able to talk about and share your successes and failures.
Take my relationship for example, on the surface my boyfriend and I have virtually opposite views on all facets of fitness and nutrition:
- He eats an incredibly regimented high protein, low carb diet composed primarily of chicken, eggs, and vegetables which he tracks on a daily basis. I eat a mostly vegan, gluten-free, high raw diet.
- He does intermittent fasting – meaning that he doesn’t eat until early afternoon & only eats three meals a day. While I eat at least every two hours after my 4am wakeup time.
- He follows a lifting schedule & does CrossFit-style workouts that leave him wheezing, covered in bruises, scrapes, and rope burns, and stress his nervous system for days. I run, do circuit workouts & go to Pilates, martial arts & boxing classes.
- His ultimate goal with his work outs and eating regime is to retain & increase strength while dropping body fat. I’m only interested in being healthy and not having daily back pain.
Pretty different, right? But the truth is that those are fairly superficial differences – underneath it all we’re both incredibly passionate about health and fitness, and that’s what really matters.
We love going for walks & hikes, cooking, eating, going to the farmer’s market, and planning our meals and workouts for the week, and most of all, we love debating our positions on these topics. If you looked through our emails, Facebook messages, Tweets, and text logs you’d find photos of our meals, new recipes to try, books to add to our Amazon basket, articles to read, great blogs we’ve found, documentaries & movies to add to our Netflix queue, and questions about what we’ve eaten, what workouts we’ve done, and how far we’ve walked that day.
Every day.
{Hers vs His}
It doesn’t matter that we’re not spending our days doing the same things, what matters is that we both approach our lives with a profound respect for our bodies, what we put them through, and how we fuel them. Yes, we debate topics like veganism versus paleo eating, different types of fat, which oils to use in cooking, fasting, detox programs & cleanses, and strength training. Yes, sometimes I question his sanity when he comes home with his hands shredded from doing hundreds of pull-ups or muscle-ups or toes-to-bars. But mostly, we just talk about it.
Our shared passion for health and nutrition was not what brought us together 12 years ago, nor is it what has kept up together, but it does give us something to talk about and share every single day. And because it’s important to us both, we appreciate the other’s routines and ambitions, even though they’re different.
Like Rachel said:
One more lovely side effect of the fitness revival: Eric and I are back to bonding through nerdy, fitness-related conversations. (We’re also bonding over our sore muscles.) I’m really enjoying little things like talking about our workouts and progress, discussing an article about diet or exercise, trying new healthy foods together, or going shoe shopping for new athletic shoes.
You don’t need to be 100% in sync with your partner, you just need to be with someone who has the same appreciation and respect for health and fitness as you do. Added bonus if it becomes something that you can share and bond over!
Friday Links + Giveaway Fun
Before we get down to the Friday Links, I want to remind everyone to submit an entry for the Spring 2012 MCLV Giveaway! It’s easy to enter, just pick one of the four ways to enter listed in the Giveaway post, and you could win a $50 gift certificate to Bloomingdale’s. Just tell me what you’re looking forward to for Spring…
Good luck!
Health/Fitness:
Do you like to have a cup of coffee before your morning workout? Read Christopher Williams’s article on the Robb Wolf blog Caffeine & Performance about the relationship between physical performance and your daily caffeine consumption.
Need some new ideas for healthy breakfasts? OhSheGlows has the goods, from desserty goodness like Chocolate Cake Batter Overnight Oats (OH YUM) to fresh Spring produce filled Blueberry Vanilla Banana Soft Serve Overnight Oats.
Have you tried nutritional yeast yet? Personally I like to use it instead of cheese as a topping when I cook and love it in vegan cheese sauces, but it has even more uses. Interested in learning more? Check out One Green Planet’s Nutritional Yeast: Health Benefits, Tips & Recipes.
With the new Reebok backing, CrossFit is becoming even more mainstream. Are you interested in learning how CrossFit style workouts can potentially improve your health and tone your body? (You can even see my experiences here: Do you… CrossFit? My Personal CrossFit & How To Survive A CrossFit Meet)
- Carrots ‘n’ Cake – How 3 Months of CrossFit Changed My Body
- Holly Would If She Could – Discomfort & the Oboe Principle
- FitSugar’s Everything You Need To Know About CrossFit
Don’t have time for a full HIIT or Tabata cardio workout? Still hit the gym, jumping rope is a phenomenal workout and only takes minutes! Check out Jackie Warner’s 5 Favorite Jump Rope Moves from FitSugar.
Fashion:
Not sure what bag to invest in for Spring? FabSugar and Refinery 29 both have a gorgeous list of options for you – from Phillip Lim and Diane Von Furstenberg to Club Monaco and Zara.
Brave enough to try printed pants for Spring? Mama’s A Rolling Stone has done the leg work for you – Top Buys: Printed Jeans. Need some more convincing? See how Olivia Palermo and Jessica Alba make this trend work oh-so-well for them.
I found Refinery 29’s 29 of Fashion’s Biggest Mysteries, Solved! pretty interesting to read. From reality show myths debunked to background on prints, fashion insiders and brands.
In the mood for some more DIY? Check out this super easy & stylish decoupage tray from Refinery 29.
While I’ve never seen The Rachel Zoe Project, I do have to say that I love Rachel’s styling for clients as well as her personal style. Check out FabSugar’s segment: In Dress Distress? Rachel Zoe Answers Your Most Frequently Asked Styling Questions.
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Interested in the Paleo dieting craze that’s especially popular in CrossFit circles but intimidated by the all of the meat cooking? Try reading Whole 9 Life’s Paleo Nutrition For Vegetarians and Vegans.
Want to make sure that you’re getting all of the necessary nutrients each day and choosing the healthiest foods that you can? Check out The Organic Authority’s list of The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods On Earth or even FitSugar’s 5 Ways To Green Up With Spirulina.
Trying to boost your immune system as the season of colds is upon us? Read Peta Prime’s Eat Avocados, Fight Off Superbugs?
Sleeping trouble? Are there lights on in your bedroom? Cell phone, computer, DVD player… Read Sleep, Sleep, Sleep! How artificial lighting and cortisol impact zzz’s
Not a fan of mid-day workouts? They might improve your performance at work! The New York Times: How Exercise Fuels the Brain.
Fashion:
Boys, are you in the mood to mix up your standard suit & tie look? Check out Fashion Indie’s The Craziest Bow Ties You’ll See or Refinery 29’s Brad Gorseki editorial for tips & ideas. And if you’re in the mood for a little retro dressing, check out Details Magazine’s How To Dress Like Jake Ryan From Sixteen Candles for some 80’s prep tips.
Did you enjoy the DIY ideas in this Links You’ll Love edition? Check out The Stylist’s DIY Tuxedo Pants or Freckles In April’s DIY Knockoff Chanel Pants.
I’m a HUGE proponent of the day clutch & I’m loving the photos that FabSugar posted from the Paris Fall 2012 shows. Need that first one!
How to Survive a CrossFit Meet
This past weekend was the 2012 LaLanne Fitness Garage Games Kickoff. An all-day CrossFit event Saturday at LaLanne Fitness in San Francisco and the first big competition of the season for my boyfriend and his teammates from American River CrossFit in Sacramento.
After last year’s introduction to the joys of CrossFit competitions – the Fittest of the Sierra’s in South Lake Tahoe was the 1st big competition I attended – I wanted to share my advice & lifesaving tips on how best to survive one of these high intensity, rowdy, crowded events.
(1) What To Bring:
- Bring food – Lots of it. These kids can EAT, so pack unprocessed, lean meats, cheeses & nuts for snacking between workouts.
- A close second on the must have list is booze. You’ll need it and so will they. Trust me. These are work hard, play hard types and blowing off steam immediately after a brutal competition is a MUST.
- Water! I can promise you that a giant water bottle will come in handy. This weekend all three competitors ended up using my Nalgene which had to be refilled every 5 minutes.
- Camera – The biggest issues that I’ve had photo-wise is that the athletes are moving so quickly that in some cases the pictures are blurry or the camera doesn’t reset quickly enough to capture the next shot. As much as I love my Canon, this season I invested in a little HD video camera that also takes stills. Success!
(2) What To Expect:
- Lots of people – These are busy, crowded events and in addition to lots of competitors, you’ll be surrounded by members of the hosting team and tons of spectators. Expect to be bumped or asked to move to accommodate events.
- No place to sit – In some cases events will be outdoors and you’ll have bleachers to sit on, but primarily the events are indoors and you’ll be standing pressed against a wall, craning to see over the heads of the other spectators.
- A fast-paced environment – With large numbers of competitors and a handful of workouts to get through, the organizers may be rushing to get through the events. Some workouts can be “blink and you miss them” short so keep an eye on your competitor to make sure that you see everything.
- LOUD and offensively bad music. This weekend was bad. R&B bad.
(3) What To Do Afterwards:
- Plan to go out – You’d think everyone would be beyond exhausted after a day full of crazy workouts, but my experience has been that the adrenaline is still pumping and they have a few more hours of energy left in them.
- Head straight to a restaurant, trust me when I say they’ll be ready for a big meal. And if they’re paleo-people I’d pick a restaurant in advance to make sure that the menu is acceptable.
- Make sure that the restaurant you’re going to has a bar. Your competitors will definitely want a drink. Or two. Or three.
I can’t recommend checking out one of these events enough – they’re exciting and fun to watch, never a dull moment.
P.S. Ladies, in case you need some more incentive, the shirts come off about a fourth of the way through. I’m just saying.
Best of 2011
As I was doing my daily blog reading this morning I stumbled upon quite a few 2011 recap & “best of” type of posts. I found that they were really fun to read because it let me get the author’s opinion on things I may have missed over the course of the last year – which was especially fun when it came to the blogs that I only recently discovered.
So in that spirit I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites from 2011:
Fashion
- Best Red Carpet Style – Zoe Saldana & Diane Kruger. Sorry, can’t narrow it down further, it goes against nature to pick between these two.
- Favorite Newcomer – Amber Heard & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. They share a certain poise and both favor glamorous, ladylike gowns on the red carpet, which I love. (And I am not at all upset or jealous that Rosie is dating Jason Statham. I swear.)
- Go-to Fashion Blog – I hate to narrow this down to a single site since I’ve discovered some really great ones this year, but I’d have to say that the most entertaining one I read is Tom & Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated. I’ve had to outlaw it at work because I can’t stop laughing at their commentary.
- Best Trend – Bright, minimalist Calvin Klein gowns
- Favorite Collaboration – Karl Lagerfeld for Macy’s Impulse
Fitness
- Favorite Blog – The Fitnessista is a great website with motivating posts & booty busting workouts, I’ve cited it a lot in my Gym Goddess series.
- Favorite Apparatus – Medicine balls! There are an endless number of great workouts that you can do to emphasize different muscle groups and you can even do them with limited space which is great if you don’t want an expensive gym membership or if you travel a lot.
- Best New Workout You Tried – I’m going to have to go with CrossFit. My boyfriend is an instructor so with some not-so-gentle urging I gave CrossFit a try, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t taken an intro class I highly recommend it. It can be intimidating at first, but it’s challenging, intense and a great atmosphere if you’re competitive and like to push yourself.
- Best Magazine – I adore Women’s Health. They have creative ideas for workouts, pick great, inspirational women to feature and I love the fun little facts & cute workout gear they include every month.
Food
- Favorite Recipe – Vegan Mac n’ Cheese made from butternut squash & ANY of Evan’s desserts over at The Wannabe Chef. Seriously, check out his site, he has any type of recipe you could want – vegan, paleo, gluten-free…
- Best New Ingredient – 2011 was the year of coconut milk! Not only is it high in phosphorus, potassium and iron, its delicious in everything from smoothies to veggies to curries. Yum. (Yes Sean, you were right)
- New Find – Lollihop (which I promise you a full post on in the next week or so!)
- Favorite Blog – Hungry Hungry Hippie & Oh She Glows
- Best Books – I can’t pick just one! The Kind Diet, Peas & Thank You, I Am Grateful and Clean were some of the bests though.
What are you favorite new finds of 2011?
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more new and exciting in 2012! 🙂
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Are you getting back into the kitchen after a busy Fall? Want to make more home cooked meals and stay out of pricey restaurants? Want to eat healthier food? Here are some tips & tricks of the trade to get you back into the kitchen and up to speed.
- How to Roast Veggies – From Hungy Hungy Hippie
- How to Roast Garlic – From OhSheGlows
- How to Build a Meal Sized Salad – From Choosing Raw
- How to Get Started – From Choosing Raw
- How to Peel a Butternut Squash – From Healthful Pursuit
- How to Cook Tofu – From Hungy Hungry Hippie
Spicy Chipotle Shells & Cheez from Happy Healthy Life – I’m making this as soon as humanly possible, I love recipes that use chipotle and I love mac n’ cheese!
Are you intimidated by Kettlebells? It might be time to face your fears – 7 Reasons to Try Kettlebells Now & The Super Slimmer You Haven’t Tried from Prevention.com. You can also read about my experience and check out some beginners exercises with them here.
In the mood for some winter comfort food? How about red enchiladas? How about healthy red enchiladas? Thought so. 🙂 Hungry Hungry Hippie has you covered!
Fashion:
Ready for a gorgeous Winter Wonderland? Check out Tatler’s Russian-themed spread over at TLo. I LOVE the way they styled the Armani (pictured above) – you can’t even tell that it’s the same dress!
Kate Bosworth’s Mulberry look at a recent Chateau Marmont event was picture perfect, low-key elegance with a hippie twist. Army green dress, studded pumps and an adorable boho twisted hairstyle. FabSugar covered the look here and WhoWhatWear covered it here.
You may not think of Heidi Klum when you think of budget shopping, but the Project Runway host has some tips to share.
Jessica Hart Debuts Her Capsule Collection with Pencey – Seriously cute dresses and easy separates that can be thrown together for breezy, summery looks. Soft fabrics, floral prints, fun cuts – See the collection here.
Do you love headbands, graceful updoes, chic pony tails? WhoWhatWear has some great Holiday Hair Accessoriesto help you create the best looks this holiday season, or you can check out Fashionology’s 7 Holiday Hair Ideas Straight from the Runways.
My Personal CrossFit
This past weekend I suffered through an introductory CrossFit session with my boyfriend as the slave master. Since neither gasping for air nor achy muscles are conducive to photograph taking, only a few pictures were taken.
The scene of the crime, American River CrossFit in Sacramento.
I was so optimistic and full of hope before we started…
The session began with an introduction to lifting form and basic weightlifting apparatuses. First on the docket?
Kettlebells!
Despite their unassuming name and demeanor these little “bells” are, in my humble opinion, quite evil. Saturday’s workout included goblet squats (which I think should be renamed goblin squats, but I digress) and kettlebell swings. After learning the basics of these two exercises, I was given the following warm up:
3 rounds of:
- 3 burpees
- 6 Goblet squats
- 9 Kettlebell swings
The next portion of the workout was devoted to mastering back squats, which according to my back squat-obsessed boyfriend, are the most important exercise to include in your workouts.
* Note: Ladies, if you’re worried that working with weights will add unwanted bulk to your frame, please don’t be. Weights are a great way to not only stimulate your metabolism, but are key in staving off weak bones and diseases like osteoporosis. Here’s a great article that walks you through the benefits of weights and may help alleviate some of your fears – Everyday Paleo: Women and Muscle.
So after working on my form – chest up, chin up, knees in line with feet – I was given a mini back squat workout of 3 rounds of 10, squatting just the bar. The suggestion (I use the word “suggestion” loosely as this was essentially a demand) was to incorporate back squats at least twice a week going forward, Mondays 5×5 & Wednesdays 3×10.
Next up was pull ups. SHUDDER. So I realize my pull up fears are somewhat unfounded, but hanging from that cold metal bar always manages to suck out my confidence. I’ve been practicing on the Gravitron at my work gym, but was informed Saturday that negative pull ups are actually the best way to prepare your body for this exercise, which entails jumping up to the bar and slooooowly lowering yourself down. After a handful of pathetic pull up attempts and half a dozen negative pull ups I practiced kipping with a band, the small chest forward swinging motion definitely helps you to capitalize on your momentum to complete the pull up.
And was I done after all that? Nope… That was, apparently, all just a warm up. Next came the following short circuit workout:
3 rounds of:
- 30 jump rope single jumps
- 20 box jumps
- 10 squatting wall balls (8 lbs/10 feet)
I was red-faced and shaking with muscle fatigue by the end of this torturous hour, which sadly was only a fraction of how I would come to feel in 24 hours.
Was the workout intense and exhausting? Yes. Am I sore? Yes. Am I concerned that my boyfriend hates me little bit because he did that to me? Yes. Am I counting the days until my next attempt? ABSOLUTELY.
Guest Post: Low-Intensity Fasted Cardio
For Moi Contre La Vie’s first guest post please welcome Sean, a certified CrossFit instructor and self-taught health & nutrition guru, who will be discussing low-intensity fasted cardio. When he first mentioned this topic to me I thought it was extraordinarily interesting and immediately pounced on him to put it into writing.
{Yes – That’s Sean}
Enjoy!
For quite some time, i have prided myself in being physically capable of overcoming demanding physical challenges at will. Whether it be lifting heavy weights, running long distances, or some other overtly masculine challenge. For this reason, i use to laugh at myself when i was humbled by seemingly simple tasks, which in my goal of attaining general physical athleticism, i would overlook. This was never more apparent than when i would visit places like San Francisco where walking for an afternoon, yes walking, would leave me feeling beaten down and exhausted (my tiny girlfriend waiting for me to pant my way up every hill was demoralizing in itself). Little did I realize, that in neglecting one of the most fundamental forms of human locomotion, I was passing up a potent and extremely valuable health and fitness tool. One that requires a little time and very little effort.
Living in a place like San Francisco, where walking is a valid method of transportation, is dramatically different from than the suburbs in which i reside. Here, i can not think of a single person that walks, or even rides a bike, outside of the specific purpose of getting exercise. Funny enough, i know overweight people who will ride their bike for two hours straight when it is exercise, but when it comes to the half-mile commute to work or the store, the only option is the SUV. Not to say that i was any different, it is a habit that you learn.
Then, a few months back, I found an article discussing the topic of low-intensity fasted cardio exercise to augment training for gymnast. (I have a strange fascination with gymnastics training methods, the level of skill and strength required for basic competency is astonishing). The highlight of the topic was how low-intensity fasted cardio was a simple and effective way to keep fat off a gymnast, whilst not compromising their performance in the gym and permitting them to eat more. I thought this was very interesting and saw no reason why it would not be just as useful for anyone who was interested in a simple method of losing stubborn fat (who isn’t?).
First off, what is low-intensity fasted cardio? The “fasted” part of the equation should not be taken in any extreme sense of the word. Your body will begin to enter a fasted state about four to five hours after you eat. It takes about that long for your body to either use the nutrients you have eaten or store them. By this time you body begins using alternative sources of fuel which are derived primarily from your liver and increased metabolization of fat. Since most people do not eat while they sleep, they will generally wake up with blood rich in metabolized fat ready to be used for energy (There are numerous other steps in there, but that’s the basics). When you eat first thing in the morning, your body essentially reverses this process, turning to the more energy rich food and re-storing the fats you metabolized. Just because you freed the stored fat (metabolized) doesn’t mean you actually use (oxidize) it. So there is an optimal time (when you wake up or if you want to not eat for a while) for your body to access your stores of fat. This is where the bit about walking comes into play.
Pairing fasting with low-intensity cardio (low-intensity cardio can be just about any steady state exercise that doesn’t require you to breathe heavily – i.e. walking) is an easy way to capitalize on the metabolized fat that i just described. Why walk, when you can do more work in less time by running or some other higher intensity exercise? One, walking is easier to do consistently, especially when you don’t think of it as exercise. I walk to get coffee or to by food for the day, not to work out. For some reason, turning it into a necessity (I must have coffee) changes the walking from an option to a requirement. This makes doing it everyday easy. Second, fat is not the most efficient form of energy for your body to use. Once you begin to cross over into moderate to higher intensity exercise your body’s ability to meet your energy demands through fat metabolism isn’t adequate. It will generally turn to other richer sources of energy like muscle tissue.
First, thank you for the guest post. Second, and more importantly, thank you for calling me tiny. 🙂
While squeezing in some walking time is always good for you, whether you treat it as exercise or just need some time to yourself, low-intensity fasted cardio seems like an extremely beneficial activity to try on for size. I’ll confess, while I don’t read traditional dieting books, I will read almost any silly book that talks about French women and their approach to food {French Women Don’t Get Fat, Two Lipsticks and a Lover, A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl…} The number one tip all of these books give you is: WALK! The French walk everywhere. If there’s a choice between taking the stairs or an elevator, they take the stairs. They walk to work, they walk to the market, they walk around their cities and towns rather than driving. In my mind this reinforces the benefits of walking and illustrates how the French maintain their slim figures.
Can’t go through the drive through if you’re walking!
Sean usually walks to the store in the morning or walks for a few miles along the river with his roommate, which sounds to me like an ideal way to start to the day. Unfortunately with a 4:30am start time for my days a leisurely stroll isn’t in the cards, however I have been lucky enough to live less than two miles from work for the last few years so I usually walk to the office, weather permitting.
So keep Sean’s advice in mind and hit the pavement or trail to burn off some fat in the am before treating yourself to a healthy breakfast.
Do you… CrossFit?
Do you have a short attention span? Are you bored with the classes offered at your gym? Are you a highly competitive individual? Do you like to keep things interesting? Than CrossFit might be just what you need to shake up your workout routine.
In case you’re not familiar with this workout craze, here’s a short summary from the official CrossFit website:
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.
Or in the words of CrossFit founder Greg Glassman:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.”
I feel I should warn you, CrossFit is an intense program not for the faint of heart.
I’m not going to lie. I couldn’t raise my arms after my first introductory session. This was especially devastating considering I was told I don’t know how to do proper push-ups and my pull-ups were a joke.
Words hurt you know!
From what I’ve seen, the major pros of CrossFit are: (1) The duration of the workouts. These sweat sessions will be brutal, but short (direct & to the point, thank you very much). You can absolutely fit one in mid-day, no excuses, and head back to work or school with a rosy glow. (2) You will not get bored! Each day’s WOD (workout of the day) is different, focusing on different strengths and keeping you interested and challenged. (3) I would say that the factor that has struck me the most about CrossFit is the sense of community. The individuals who regularly attend a gym (aka box) develop a close bond and are exceptionally supportive of one another. The family that sweats, toils & bleeds together, stays together!
While the cons are few and far between, I will say that the “tenets of CrossFit” such as the Paleo diet, while not required, are highly touted and recommended. As a vegan, obviously that’s not a feasible program for me, but I take personal affront at the idea that sweet potatoes should be eliminated from anyones diet (note: only strict paleo disciples exclude tubers entirely, while those following a modified paleo diet may choose to continue eating them).
The other concern that I’ve heard voiced about CrossFit is, unfortunately, the cost. While most gyms offer a free introductory class and low one-off drop in session fees, monthly membership can be steep (between $120 and $200 depending on the gym).
I was honored to attend the Fittest of the Sierra’s tournament at the South Tahoe CrossFit center with the American River CrossFit team this past weekend. While I’m sure I could have annihilated the competition should I have joined the festivities (I kid, I kid), I was there solely in an observatory capacity. (Maybe I can be a water girl?)
As a former athlete I have to admit that I have missed the meet-environment and Saturday brought back a lot of memories. The collective energy, the anticipation, the excitement simmering under the surface, and yes, I even missed the smell of chalk.
This competition was an absolute blast to witness. The workouts were intense and merciless, but the atmosphere was enthusiastic and positive, with teams supporting one another and genuinely having a great time. There was a DJ, plenty of dancing (I’m talking to you Trevor) and tons of food. Not to mention some stunning displays of athleticism and sheer determination that left me gaping. One of the highlights for me was watching the women’s snatch (how to do a snatch lift) when the entire gym full of people screamed and shouted encouragements as one competitor struggled from a stance on both of her knees, finally pushing herself up to her feet to complete the lift. The crowd went wild.
Unfortunately the stress of CrossFit competitions can be very hard on the body and mind, as evidenced below:
BEFORE
AFTER (No, that is not a mug shot and yes, we took him out for beer and pizza afterwards. In public. You are welcome South Lake Tahoe.)
I’d like to thank the South Tahoe CrossFit organization for hosting an amazing competition and the American River CrossFit team for letting me tag along on their adventure. Congratulations to all of the competitors, you all did an amazing job!
Moi Contre La Vie 