Don't forget to register for the OPT "Big Dawg Challenge" September 25th. Registration closes September 18th so register soon. I want everyone at C.O.P to participate, all skill levels welcome. Our brothers and sisters form the "North" (North Van) CrossFit Lions will be joining us at C.O.P to participate in the days events. We will all hang afterwards and enjoy food and drink .
Also the $5.00 registration fee goes to the "Dawg dish" to help Big Dawg athletes who may not be able to compete due to their financial situation 100% proceeds from the fund will go towards those athletes that represent the Big Dawg family, wish to compete and simply need some financial help.
Have a great weekend.
Thu
02
Sep
2010
Closed for the Long Weekend
Another great week guys and gals.
We are open gym on Friday as usual, so if you have missed a workout this week, today's the day to make it up.
We will be closed this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the long weekend. So see you Tuesday, have a great and safe long weekend.
Big Dawg competitions have traditionally been and will maintain its goal of being a gathering place for folks to compete together or online against one another based on prescribed fitness workouts.
They have been and will continue to be built so that anyone can do them anywhere with the basics. Only expectations are honesty in movement standards and a willingness to help other athletes. For live events the gathering has traditionally been judged by other competitors - i.e. counting reps, watching movements, etc...to keep the camaraderie high. We only expect full effort.
The scoring will be as elaborate as posting your times and scores on the blog and we'll go from there US and International Dawgs register here Canadian Dawgs register here Registration closes September 18,2010
Look for other locations in the upcoming weeks that will be hosting the live events as it will give others a chance to compete within a group setting and have some fun with other Dawgs. If you're interested in hosting a comp contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
A big congratulations to Craig Campbell who's wife gave birth to a beautiful 6lb 14 oz baby boy named Maxwell (his friends in the baby ward call him Big Max ) on Sunday.
This is a great time of the season to set some new goals and get back into the "groove" in terms of your training.
Making progress in the gym is a function of both short and long-term “dips and rebounds.” From a short-term perspective, we impose a significant stress (“dip”) on the central nervous system, muscles, endocrine system, and a host of other systems in our bodies every time we train. Depending on the degree of stress, our bodies may require anywhere from several minutes to several days before a comparable effort can be attempted (“rebound”).
All athletes need some type of deloading phase to ensure long term gains are met.
So If your summer was kinda of a "deloading" phase, don't despair , now it's time to get back to C.O.P full time and rise to the next level.
The next several months there is plenty to train for (as if your health isn't enough). We will be hosting the OPT "Big Dawg Challenge" Sept 25th , shortly after that there is an event in Victoria open for all CrossFiter's to compete (serious or just for fun) hang out, meet other great people in the community. And shortly after that in the new year, the CrossFit B.C Sectional qualifier's.
We have a lot of great talent at C.O.P, some already fully blossomed, some now just starting too, these events are open for all to enjoy, by entering these events either for fun or competition is irrelevant, you will learn a lot about yourself, meet new people, and be better for the whole experience.
In the next couple of weeks, we will add an earlier Saturday a.m class for athletes who are interested in competing.
C.O.P's favorite super hero Nick "Supah" Baric has once again defied the test of time winning the 4th race of the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series ( Clydesdale division over 200#) in Whistler this past weekend.
Email from Nick......
Hi Brad,
"Well...I have returned from Whistler after the 4th race of the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series. It went really really fantastic!
I won my division again! Clydesdale (over 200lbs)
Official time was 1hr 26min 07sec....my pace was 8:08/km
Elevation was at 6000 ft. I couldn't believe how much harder it was to draw air, the heart sure got its work out that day lol.
This race, the legs felt strong the whole way! The terrain was craaazy! Hit snow in some parts, shale rock, immensely steep grades and large boulders.
Super happy and proud how all the training that I do at the gym has benefited me with the performance levels I am achieving.
One more race to go in a month! I'm considering attempting the 23 km half marathon at Buntzen Lake in sept. The final challenge of the year! (for now lol)
Anyway, here's a pic from the top of the mountain post race!
See you in da gym!
Cheers, Neek"
Congratulations and keep up the great work , you are a true inspiration
For those of you who aren’t interested in reading the entire post, let me summarize: The 3 key components of seeing progress, regardless of your goals, are training, nutrition and recovery.
Obviously, more than a few people are talking about training on “teh Interwebz” these days. And of the course, over the past decade, nutrition is getting more and more coverage as well.
The question I have is this: Why aren’t we talking about recovery?
And along those same lines, why aren’t we talking more about sleep?
Regardless of whether your goal in training is fat loss, building muscle, getting stronger, or dominating kids in the athletic arena, enhancing the quality and quantity of your sleep can provide huge dividends.
Let’s examine the key components of getting a good night’s sleep.
Developing a Routine
The first step to getting more rest is developing a routine. Just like you have a routine when you get ready to head to work or school in the morning, you need a routine to ensure that you optimize your sleep each and every night.
Here are a random collection of tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over the years to develop my own routine:
Take a shower or bath before bed.
While I’m sure some of you are averse to showering twice per day, this second cleansing not only warms up your body and tissues, but also can help you relax. It also leads seamlessly into the next step.
Do some static stretching.
While I’m sure I’ll get lambasted for this one, I still feel there’s a role for static stretching in most people’s programs. The key is stretching the appropriate muscle groups; specifically, the ones that are almost always chronically short and/or stiff. The major players to include here are the hip flexors (especially rectus femoris and TFL), the pecs, the lats, etc.
Find something quality to read and read it!
Reading is another step in the process that allows us to relax. I find that the longer I read, the better I sleep.
The argument then becomes, what do you read? Tim Ferriss of the 4-Hour Work Week would recommend fiction. Unfortunately, this is one of the only times I can’t agree with Tim, and I’m fully ready to admit it may just be me.
The few times I’ve tried to read fiction prior to bed, next thing I know it’s 2 or 3 in the morning and I’m still reading. If it’s good fiction, it’s generally hard to put down!
In contrast, I prefer something within my trade immediately before bed. If you opt for personal development and/or fiction, do that for 15-30 minutes early on, and then finish off with something a little less engaging.
Minimize caffeine and booze.
Many experts would recommend minimizing caffeine after 2 pm, and I’d whole-heartedly agree. According to IFAST intern extraordinaire Eric Oetter, caffeine has a 9-hour half life, so a better recommendation might be to ingest caffeine no later than 9 hours before you hit the sack.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, while booze might make it easier to fall asleep (think back to college for a moment here), it’s generally not conducive to deep, restful sleep.
Get rid of the technology!
Let me begin by admitting this is one tip that I’ve had issues with in the past myself.
Put away your iPhone, PDA, laptop, TV, etc. and actually do the other things that I’ve recommended. Constantly staying “plugged in” is a sure-fire way that your brain stays engaged and turned on, when you should be relaxing.
If need be, consider placing your electronic devices somewhere else in your house entirely if they become an issue. I can tell you from experience there’s nothing worse than getting an angry or important e-mail right before bed!
Perform the “brain dump.”
I actually heard the term “brain dump” several years ago in an interview between Nate Green and Bill Hartman. The concept is simple: When you have a bunch of ideas bouncing around in your head, it’s very difficult to relax.
Instead, either immediately before bed or as part of your winding-down ritual, perform a brain dump where you get everything out of your head. This could be e-mails you have to type, calls you need to make, creative ideas, etc.
You can write them down, e-mail them to yourself, whatever. Just get those ideas out of your head ASAP! You’ll not only be more organized, but your brain will actually help you sort this info out as you sleep, helping you become more productive.
Go to bed and wake-up at the same time daily.
This one isn’t earth shattering, but how many of you actually do it? When you get-up at 8 am one day, 5 am the next, and maybe 11 am on weekends, your body has no clue what’s going on.
Try and go to bed and wake-up at the same time everyday. Getting in a routine will help dial your body in and maximize the benefits of your sleep.
Optimizing the Environment
Now that you’ve created a bedtime ritual, it’s time to really dial in your sleeping environment.
Find a comfortable temperature to sleep in.
There’s nothing worse than trying to sleep in an environment that’s either too hot or too cold. I can’t tell you what exactly works for you, but chances are you already know about the right temperature for you to sleep in.
When in doubt, I can tell you this – it’s better to sleep in a room that’s more on the cool side than on the hot side. If you’ve ever been buried in the covers during the winter months with no desire to come out, you probably have a good idea of what I’m talking about!
Luke...Come to the dark side.
This one is simple: Get your sleeping environment as dark as possible. No TV’s on in the background, bright clocks, night-lights, etc. The darker your room, the easier it will be for you to fall, and more importantly stay asleep. It may be helpful to invest in some seriously dark window treatments* to help keep the rays out early in the AM as well.
*Who says a meathead can’t be sophisticated? I just worked the term “window treatments” into my blog. GET IT!!!
Use some "white noise."
“White noise” is another simple tool to help you get, and stay, asleep longer. Good choices here are a fan, sounds from a sleep machine, etc. Not too much to say on this one.
Clean sheets
It may sound a little corny, but you know how good clean sheets feel? Yeah, me too. Wash your sheets from time-to-time – you’ll thank me!
Improving Sleep while Traveling
If you guys are anything like me, you travel from time-to-time. The problem is, you never know what you’re getting into every time you travel! Some hotels are quiet, dark, and relaxing. Others, it’s like the Frat Party from Animal House is on your level each and every night!
You can’t necessarily choose your neighbors, but here are a few tips that have worked well for me in the past.
Get it Dark!
Just like before, the darker the better. When I first get to a hotel I do my best to check out the blinds and see if I can fully cover the windows.
Another tip that works well is placing a towel under the door. It may sound insignificant, but the amount of light that comes in from under your door can seriously influence your sleep.
White noise
White noise shows up on the list again here. Obviously, if your room has a fan either on the ceiling or in the bathroom, that’s a definite bonus.
No fans? No problem! If you have an iPhone check out the “White Noise” app. When I was staying at the hotel for the RKC in 2009, this was a lifesaver. You can choose from tons of different sounds, including rainfall, thunderstorms, and even an oscillating fan!
Stick with the routine whenever possible!
Obviously sticking with your routine can be challenging when you’re on the road, but the closer you stick to your routine regardless of travel, time changes, etc., can go a long way to feeling great and enjoying your travel that much more.
Advanced Techniques
So we’ve covered your pre-sleep routine, how to set-up your environment to catch maximal snoozes, and even some tips for better sleeping while travel. All we have left to cover is a few advanced techniques that some of you may be interested in.
The following techniques are things I used much more frequently when I was competing in sports, especially when I was competing heavily in powerlifting. For those of you who are competitive or who take your training very seriously, I can’t recommend these highly enough.
Progressive relaxation
Progressive relaxation is a very simple technique that I find works great for minimizing muscle tension and enhancing relaxation.
Lie on your back, and starting with your feet, progressively contract and relax individual muscle groups. For instance, start with the following:
Flex your feet for 5 seconds, and then relax for 5 seconds.
Plantarflex your ankle for 5 seconds, and then relax for 5 seconds.
Dorsiflex your ankle for 5 seconds, and then relax for 5 seconds.
Flex your quads for 5 seconds, and then relax for 5 seconds.
Continue this pattern throughout all the major muscle groups, making sure to emphasize the muscles of the face and hands (to areas where we store a lot of tension).
Following your progressive relaxation, place one hand on your belly and the opposite hand on your chest. Take in a full deep breath through your nose, and try to make sure that the hand on your belly moves faster and higher than the hand on your chest.
I will typically do this for 5 repetitions, with each inhalation and exhalation taking about 10 seconds.
Visualization
The final step in our puzzle is visualization. Every great athlete/performer likely does visualization in some sense, so the following is simply my interpretation of how I use visualization.
I remember reading an article by bodybuilder Robbie Robinson back in the day about dead lifting, and he mentioned that his deadlifting workout started the day before he trained. That’s how serious he took visualization in his training process.
If I’m preparing for a squat workout, I would think about every aspect of said workout: What I’m going to wear, the drive to the gym, my warm-up process, how the bar feels in my hands and on my back, how I set-up, perform the repetitions, etc.
The more realistic and detailed you can make your visualization, the better it will help you in the long-run.
"Corrective" sleeping
Normally, I love to explain in depth why I do things the way I do. This is the exception to the rule – you’ll have to take my word for this one!
If you sleep on your left side (right hip is towards the ceiling) sleep with a small pillow in between your knees and your knees/hips flexed.
If you sleep on your right side (left hip is towards the ceiling), sleep with a small pillow in between your ankles and your knees/hips flexed.
I’m sure you’re impressed that I just wrote over 2000 words on the topic of sleep, but it really is that important. I sincerely hope you’ll try out some of these techniques to aid in taking your sleep to the next level.
However, I’m sure I forgot something along the way. Anything you guys would like to add? If so, be sure to leave your thoughts in the “Comments” section below!
Start A --------------------------- 40 m ------------------------- B Finish
Partner A- sled pull forward sprint 40 m, Partner B waits at Finish, then strips 1 plate off and overhead lunges back to start, while partner A pulls sled sprinting backwards to start. Men 45#plates x 2, women 25# plates x 2 + 10# x 1
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