Onward & Upward: “Supplements”

It’s Transition Week!  AKA a week between training cycles intended to allow time for our bodies to recover from the previous cycle.  You will notice that loads are lighter than usual, intensity should be dialed back and we are focusing on different energy systems to give our central nervous system a break.

As an athlete, it’s important to recognize that ‘Transition Week’ is only a piece of the recovery puzzle.  While we generally think that we are building hard earned muscles inside the box, the reality is the process of muscle recovery and muscle building occurs between the time you’ve left the box and the time you return.  It is imperative that you have a strong recovery plan in place, through the form of supplementation, food and rest.

While food should always be your primary source for nutrients, supplements play an important part in providing the right building blocks for muscle repair and growth due to their fast rate of absorption.  We personally take Fish Oil, Magnesium and Vitamin D daily to aid in our recovery.  Together these supplements do everything from maintaining heart health and immune function to reducing fatigue.  Here’s a run down of each of them:

OMEGA 3s (FISH OIL)

Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which offer numerous health benefits including keeping your heart, brain and eyes in good working order. Most importantly, fish oil decreases inflammation in the muscle and enhances body composition. Inflammation in the body is not only damaging for ones health, but severely impacts your ability to recover, lose fat and build muscle. By getting the optimal percentage of your dietary fat from fish oil, you will reduce muscle inflammation and improve oxygen delivery, allowing your muscles to recover faster.

MAGNESIUM (with ZINC AND VITAMIN B6)

Not only will magnesium allow you to sleep like a baby through its ability to relax muscles, but it is another critical supplement to help speed up recovery. Incorporating magnesium into your diet will help you improve muscle function, maintain electrolyte balance and reduce fatigue. Combining magnesium with zinc and vitamin B6 will have an even greater reaction in the body, as they have extremely high immune system values.

VITAMIN D3

While we naturally get Vitamin D from the sun, 57% of the American adult population is deficient.  Vitamin D is involved in so many physiological functions and maintains our health in so many different ways that, once you start to count its benefits, you might begin to wonder if there’s anything this vitamin doesn’t do. It helps us absorb calcium – which, in turn, affects bone development and growth, nerve signaling, immune function, blood pressure, and even muscle strength and mass, especially as we get older.

Take some time this week to reflect on your recovery plan.  Are you getting adequate sleep, proper nutrition and supplementation to support your body’s recovery?  If you are interested in adding these supplements into your recovery plan, let us know!  We stock Puori and SFH supplements.  We personally prefer the 30-day supply packs of O3, M3 & D3 from Puori simply for the convenience factor!

Onward and Upward : “Bucket List”

This blog was originally posted back in January of 2014. We wanted to share this again, as we have had many people join our community over these last 7 years who might not know our origins. Our backstory from when C2 was originally created in our home garage in 2013. Many workouts and community events have occurred since then, but our mission remains the same: To serve each and everyone of you to the best of our ability each day.

Enjoy….

 

I remember the moment I met Mike.  For those of you who haven’t heard our story, let me fill you in. Mike and I lived in the same apartment complex with a small community workout center.  I went there everyday, sometimes twice, to run on the treadmill (I know, I know…) After seeing each other there a few times and then being introduced by a mutual friend, Mike decided he would run with me.  A few months and 20-something pounds later, he could not keep up the “I like to run” front, and finally asked me out on a date. (Just for the record, Mike hates to run and hasn’t run with me since!)

 

Three years and many hours spent in globo-gyms later, we were married.  Shortly after,  we created a bucket list together. On it we listed places we wanted to travel, children we hoped to have, and near the top was owning a gym. And now, eight years after creating that list together, we are thrilled that CrossFit Cornelius is not only a check off our bucket list, but a shared passion and life dream.

 

As we open our doors for the first time to our new community of athletes, we think it’s important to create a bucket list for our box, our community and our future. We plan to revisit this list often, checking things off and adding new goals.
So, here goes.
  1.  As owners and coaches, we hope to inspire others to work hard and reach goals that they set for themselves, inside and outside of the box.
  2. We will build a box that represents all that we love and believe in, and where our members will always be our number one priority.
  3. Create and facilitate an inclusive community of athletes, from all walks of life, who empower and support each other to reach their goals.
  4. Build a box that people can’t wait to get to everyday.
  5. Never, ever stop learning. Our coaches will constantly research and take part in certifications and seminars to deliver the best CrossFit experience possible to C2.  We will also host seminars in the box for our members on nutrition, Olympic lifting, endurance, etc.
  6. Make memories and laugh a lot.

 

To be continued…

 

As you read C2’s bucket list, we hope it will inspire you to revisit or create one of your own.  We can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for each of you and we can’t wait to help you reach your goals!

 

#onwardandupward

 

-Kristin & Mike

Onward and Upward: Mindset & Performance

How Your Mindset Affects Performance

There is a lot going on when you step on to that lifting platform or competition floor. Some days you feel strong and focused. Others you can’t quite seem able to connect the dots. You feel slow and foggy or the weight feels heavy.

The mind and body are in constant fluctuation. Our thoughts can instantly change our physiology. Just think of a time when your were made or scared. Your muscles tensed, heart rate quickened, and pupils dilated ready to react.

And the converse is just as true. Our body influences our mental state and thoughts. Think about how chill and carefree you feel after a long walk in nature or how amped you get when exercising or dancing to your favorite song.

Controlling the stressors and other stimuli in your environment is essential when it comes to controlling your mind and body for performance. Stress can have significant impact on performance and can seriously get in the way of your competitive goals if you don’t have a strategy to manage it.

Let’s take a look at why stress is so damaging to performance and some key strategies to combat it…

The Cortisol/Testosterone Relationship

A study of 109 male olympic weightlifters was set up to determine the effects of cortisol as a moderator of the relationship between testosterone and performance in olympic lifting. The study measured pre and post levels of serum cortisol and testosterone to see if there was any effect on performance. It turns out that pre-competition levels of cortisol or testosterone had a significant effect on olympic weightlifting performance. The inverse relationship between testosterone and cortisol shows that the level of stress an athlete experiences before training or competition can significantly impact their testosterone levels and subsequent performance.

Whoop Dee Doo. But what does it all mean Basil?!

Getting stressed about before a competition or intense training session is a surefire way to negatively impact performance. There are several techniques you can utilize to prepare your mind making it an asset rather than a liability. Top athletes all develop their mental game through practices involving goal setting, visualization, and routines.

“The Ultimate Measure Of A Man Is Not Where He Stands In Moments Of Comfort And Convenience, But Where He Stands At Times Of Challenge And Controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is essential to achieving any specific outcome you want in life. When you focus on a specific outcome your mind will constantly be searching for ways to bring the object of focus into being. That can be for the good or the bad. Say you are a weightlifter competing in your first meet. You should set a goal involving the successful completion of a lift at a weight you feel optimistic you can hit. When you set this metric for success you will be determined to achieve the outcome and take confident action towards achieving it. Odds are you will outperform your goal and be able to raise the bar for your next meet.

Visualization

Visualization is the formation of a mental image. As an athlete you want to visualize a successful outcome you desire. Picture yourself achieving your goals with as much detail as possible. From the clothes you are wearing to the sound of the crowd. The way you move, powerful and strong. The sweat on your brow and the heartbeat in your chest. When you get to gameday it will feel like you’ve been there before. Visualization of success also lends itself to positive self talk that will reinforce your mindset and confidence when it comes to competition.

Routines

Routines are extremely useful when it comes to athletes and performance. They help reduce decision fatigue and providing fewer distractions and less to think about on game day. Decide ahead of time your warmup, clothing, equipment, music, and anything else you would use in competition. Practice with it and make it comfortable and familiar. One important consideration with routines is not to get too superstitious or hung up on these items being responsible for your success. You and only you are responsible for your success. Not your lucky sneakers…

If you want to accomplish your goals working with a professional coach is one of the best ways to develop a strategy and system for results. If you want to work with someone to help you create a game plan for your fitness goals get in touch with one of our qualified coaches for a free consult and discussion on how we can help you!

Talk to one of our world class coaches today!

WOD 4.10

When you get into a good rhythm at the gym, it can be challenging to keep momentum during periods when you cannot be in the gym.  With the holiday season quickly approaching (I saw Christmas lights at Target already….) here are 10 workouts you can crush at home, your parents, in-laws…wherever the wind takes you!

  1. 10 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

20 double unders/40 singles

100m run

 

  1.  10 rounds

5 burpees

10 push-ups

15 squats

  1.  2 rounds

50 squats

50 situps

40 double unders/80 singles

40 lunges

30 push-ups

30 double unders/singles

 

  1.  10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Burpees

Situps

 

  1.  12 minute amrap

200m run

15 squats

15 push-ups

 

  1.  7 min burpees

 

  1.   4 rounds

20 squats

15 push-ups

1 v-ups

 

  1.  4 rounds

1 min each

Shuttle run

Lunges

Burpees

1 min rest at the end of each round

 

   

  1.  14m AMRAP

22 lunges

10 push-ups

15 sit-ups

 

  1.  20 push-ups

40 burpees

20 squats

30 burpees

20 lunges (Left+Right=1 lunge)

20 burpees

20 broad jumps

10 burpees

 

Looking forward to cooler weather and sweatpants,

Kimberly