VEGging Out and More

Coach Amy’s latest post on the CrossFit Kids Raleigh blog includes information on a food-conscious 9-year old who is making big changes through her blog posts.

I am not a big fan of the ‘news,’ never have been, but recently I have been feeling the need to reconnect a little and have started reading Good News: People Are Awesome. Last week, the blog of a student from Scotland was featured. 9-year old Martha Payne, pen name VEG – which stands for Veritas Ex Gustu, truth from tasting in Latin – blogs regularly about the contents of her school lunch. VEG offers a health rating, tastiness rating, number of hairs on her lunch plate rating, and a few more. She receives photos of other students’ school lunches from all over the world. The variations in food type, coloring, and portion size are remarkable.

The response to VEG’s efforts has been incredible. Only two weeks after she began blogging, her school’s principal called a conference with her father, explained that VEG’s blog was less than good publicity for the school, and began instituting changes. VEG has received praise from healthy meals/obesity prevention activist Jamie Oliver, and several others for her simple, creative, and amazingly affective approach. To read more check out http://neverseconds.blogspot.com/ or http://www.good.is/post/people-are-awesome-how-a-9-year-old-girl-s-food-blog-forced-healthier-lunch-options.

VEG’s idea, her attention to the day to day has lead to improved meal choices at her school (unlimited salad bar, fruits, and veggies). Basically, VEG dissected or broke down her lunch. She understands that certain food groups and proper proportions constitute complete or balanced meals. CrossFit Kids is not different. Like VEG with her lunches, CrossFit Kids Raleigh and CrossFit encourages you to break down, really think about your movement. How does what you learn in CrossFit Kids and CrossFit apply to your day to day routine: playing, lifting, sports training, mobility?

The message is this, we break it down to build it up, improve it. Attention to detail and form is the only way to get better, lift heavier, run faster, maximize power output. This week’s take away for the kids is to think about the push press, this month’s movement of the month, and when in one’s daily routine this movement is or might be used. Pay attention to the details and like VEG, great things may result.

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Off With the Calluses!

I have had several athletes ask about how to prevent their calluses from tearing. Well folks, the keys are maintenance, form and creativity.

1. Use a pumice stone after you shower or while showering to remove dead skin. You want to remove the extra bumps in your grip if you can.

2. Moisturize. Dry hands are more likely to tear.

3. Check how you are gripping the pull-up bar. You shouldn’t be gripping with your palm.

4. You can make your own hand wraps by following the chart below. You will need some quality athletic tape. It is worth the extra $1 to buy the higher quality stuff, like Ace or Mueller. Title Boxing also sells great boxing tape, which I have found to last a long time and not come off when I sweat.

Endurance Program

The endurance program has not gone away. Be patient wise warriors of strength. There are some awesome plans in the works. It will be worth the wait.

Setting that PR

Also, I appreciate all of the hard work you guys have been dishing out. Here is an awesome example of how much progress you have all made – PR’s were all over the whiteboard today. Seriously?! I mean come on! You guys are putting in the work and the numbers are showing it. If you haven’t been keeping track of your lifts – START NOW! Get a WODbook or a journal and starting writing it down. Don’t know what I am talking about? Ask a coach or ask a fellow athlete – you know, the one who is walking around with a pen, book and calculator. Know your numbers. Not only will you get a huge smile after realize you set a new personal record (PR), but you also know your stuff when it comes to lifting heavy weights and someone asks you how much you can back squat. Knowledge is power people!

Also, help out your PR with proper barbell loading. Check out the image below. FYI: NEVER drop an empty barbell (dumbbell or kettle bell while we are on the subject) unless you are about to injure yourself. The bearings inside the bars that make them spin are sensitive and will break.