Jun 12

ONSDAGSBLOGGEN HGSD - Hinderløype/BQQ/Games Night ; Bench Press & Berty ; Been Called

During the evolution of CrossFit, its core methodology, also called "the kernel," has remained the same. But some details have evolved. One example of this evolution is the general nutritional advice. The basis of "Eat meats, fish and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat." has been unchanged since the early 2000s and remains at the basis of the pyramid of development of CrossFit athletes.

However, how this is applied in real life has evolved. We have seen the days of the zone diet (always matching a certain amount of carbohydrates with a certain amount of protein in any meal), Whole30, Paleo, and even a high fat/low carb trend. One of my favorite nutritionists is E.C. Synkowski, found online @optimizemenutrition (the other is Jennifer Broxterman, online @nutrition_rx), and she hit the nail on the head with a post last week.

Could/Should you eat more fruits and veggies? Probably yes.

Could/Should you eat less junk? Probably yes.

("Junk food" does not exist; it's either junk or food, but not both)

Another thing that has evolved is that Crossfit has started a Medical Society. A gathering of healthcare providers is united in their conviction that the combination of eating healthy and doing intense training can improve health and prevent many lifestyle diseases. (Yes, of course, I jumped on the train and signed up on the first day!). The exciting thing here is that they took the original definition of Crossfit and added a very important few words to the end of it to highlight its possible impact on mental health. "Constantly varied, functional movements, executed at relatively high intensity in a community."

That brings us to last Saturday when we hosted a social event with the now traditional hinderløyope, BBQ, and Games Night. I couldn't stop grinning when I walked in the doors just past 15:00 to see a collection of our early birds entirely in control of rigging the room so that young and old, very fit or beginning to get fitter, could challenge themselves on an obstacle course. I asked them if they could use any of my help, but they were 100% in control and hit it home. Proud coach! Jarl Vidar said, "We have done this three years in a row, so now it is a tradition." Point noted.

Between a mild rain shower, we lit the BBQ and took some time to socialize and share food. After that, we split up into teams to play some games and do a quiz. I'm glad and thankful for everybody to bring their vivacious energy and contributions to this day and evening. Some even made it into the wee hours of the night! It might seem like a simple social gathering, but those are the things that work!

Monday: Bench Press 80% & "Berty"

On Monday, we got back to training. Like all the teenage boys in gyms worldwide, we started with the bench press. At 80%, this takes a fair bit of effort but should be technically sound. But after that, man! Those wall walks definitely will catch up with you at some point. Our workout, "Berty," had a bunch of them combined with everybody's favorite burpees.

Luckily, Thomas was very smiley after giving the logo in Room 3 a fresh paint job on Monday. Please do your wall walks and handstand push-ups on a different wall part to protect this logo. Tuesday morning, the first shoe marks were on it again, so I guess we will return to refreshing the paint sometime soon.

The Seniors enjoy their workout so much that they collectively show up 20 minutes before the training starts to ensure they get time to talk and have at least one cup of coffee. The power of training in a community once again. We love it 😻!

Tuesday: "Been Called"

The relatively high-intensity part of Crossfit's definition was highlighted on Tuesday, where in an EMOM style, we skied, practiced the L-sit, set fire to our thighs, and got our choice of a gymnastic skill to practice. It's fun to see people improve in such a short time span and showcase their skills.