Can you guess who is celebrating the big 5-0 today?

"Cindy"
20min AMRAP of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats

**This Challenge is open to all fitness levels.**

Prelims:
Saturday August 14th 9-11am
Entry Fee $30 ($20 goes into the "kitty" for prize money)

Finals:
Saturday Oct 9th 9am. Awards and BBQ to follow.

Men
Adv: RX'd
Int: 1" Band
Beg 13/4" Band, Push-Ups from Knees

Women
Adv: 1/2" Band, Toes
Int: 1' Band, Knees
Beg: 13/4" Band, Knees

Winner: Prizes for biggest improvement and fastest time.

Sign up at the gym.


Meryl and Amy showing true CrossFit spirit as they cheer on their fellow classmates on the last run of a tough WOD!

Reminder: Happy Hour Tonight at 5:30. Uncle Julio's Bethesda.

Workout of the Day
4 Rounds of

1min Box Jumps
1min Thrusters
1min Sit-Ups
1min Rest

6am crew was happy to be done with the Lumberjack 20!

So continuing from yesterday, systemic inflammation. Stick that one in to Google and you'll get about 12 and a half million hits. (really.)

As we begin to understand more and more about systemic inflammation, the people who study these things (and who are WAY smarter than me) are finding links to Cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, infertility, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, rashes, skin problems, asthma, allergies, depression, aches, pains, and the list goes on.

So low level of systemic inflammation seem to be a springboard to other, nastier, and more deadly issues. It follows logically, then, that if we reduce our systemic inflammation now, we may escape some of these things later. And later may be in 20 or 50 years, or next month.

So if one way to lower systemic inflammation is to have a healthy gut lining and you can do that by cutting out lectins, go ahead and GET THEM OUT NOW. Allow your body to heal and get to know what it feels like to have a quiet yet ready immune system that isn't in constant attack mode.
-Courtesy of Rainier CrossFit

Workout of the Day
Overhead Squats
3-3-2-2-1-1-1

Why? Here's just one (super simplified) little reason. OK, maybe 2.

First, grains are a super dense carb source and carbs in quantity cause insulin spike and crash.

Second, they contain a group of compounds called lectins, the most known is gluten and its a big, bad inflammatory lectin. The problem with lectins is that they are a rather large molecule and one that resists digestion in our bodies. The result is that the large, undigested molecules can cause damage to the lining of the intestines and actually kill intestinal cells. With that cell death can come little holes- 'perforations' in the intestines. Holes in the lining of the gut allow things to pass out of the intestine and into the blood. A lot of things, bad, unwanted things like partially digested food, bacteria, you name it. So this stuff that should be contained in a healthy, whole intestine is now free to roam about your body. But your immune system recognizes it as foreign and attacks it. Score one for the immune system. But your immune system works through a process of inflammation. Not the localized kind like an ankle sprain, but a low level, system wide inflammation that wrecks havoc on your heath.

More on systemic inflammation tomorrow.
Courtesy of Rainier CrossFit

Workout of the Day
Max Pull-ups
then:

21-15-9
Wall Ball
Kettle Bell Swings

then:
Max Pull-Ups

Reminder: Happy Hour. Friday Night at Uncle Julio's in Bethesda starting at 5:30pm.

Workout of the Day
30min AMRAP of:
400m Run
15 DB Thrusters
30 Double Unders