I recently read a post from Crossfit Works in Tuscon, Arizona. I'm not sure which of the owners wrote it but I think it's spot on and decided to post it for everyone to read. If you've ever questions whether you're a "Real Crossfitter" , been disappointed with a performance or have gotten frustrated because you couldn't get something right away, than this is for you.

I wanted to have a go at answering this question because I hear people say all the time, “I can’t do pull ups, so I’m not a Real CrossFitter.” or “I can’t do the workout on the board as is, so I’m not yet a Real CrossFitter.” or “I could never be like the people on the main site, so I’ll never be a Real CrossFitter.” The first quality of Real CrossFitters is that they do Constantly Varied, Functional Movements performed at High Intensity. Have you come to a couple of our workouts? Then you are (or have been) a Real CrossFitter. Have you stayed after a workout and tried to get a little higher on the pull up bar? Then you are a Real CrossFitter. Have you been coming for weeks and months even though it hurts and you are sore and you feel like you will be sick when you are in the middle of a workout? Then you are a Real CrossFitter. Have you stuck with something that was your nemesis until you got some, like a set of 5 unbroken pushups? Then you are a Real CrossFitter. Have you found yourself telling completely uninterested people you hardly know about your workout? Real CrossFitter. Have you called us later in the day after your workout to see if anyone beat your time? Real CrossFitter. Do you say, at the end of your workout, “This is the hardest thing I have ever done.” and then you make an appointment to come back in a day or two? Very Real. Have you started your first set of blisters? Real. Have you used your body for things you never imagined you could? Real deal. There is no magic achievement or level of performance or body fat percentage that makes you a Real CrossFitter. Showing up, giving it your all, struggling, succeeding, being disappointed, getting excited and working to improve your accuracy, agility, coordination, balance, flexibility, endurance, stamina, strength, speed and power makes you a Real CrossFitter. Our, your, gym is packed full of Real CrossFitters. Awesome.


Crank it up a notch!

Workout of the Day
Broken Grace: Squat Cleans and Jerks
10 Squat Cleans
200m Run
10 Jerks
200m Run
10 Squat Clean and Jerks
200m Run
10 Squat Cleans
200m Run
10 Jerks

The most effective fitness and conditioning program in the world to improve:

> Endurance
> Stamina
> Strength
> Flexibility
> Power
> Speed
> Coordination
> Agility
> Balance
> Accuracy

Crossfit turns fitness into sport. Workouts are intense, exciting, personally challenging, and will push you to be your absolute best! Each day you will focus on being stronger and moving faster and more efficiently than the day before. And your scores will prove it.

Crossfit workouts are used by professional athletes, as well as police and military special operations units, champion martial artists, and others to achieve dramatic improvements in performance across a range of sports and activities.

All of our workouts scale to any ability level. Whatever shape you're starting from, you'll be able to jump right in!

Why try Crossfit? Its simple. Results!

Workout of the Day
Deadlifts
5-5-3-3-1-1

Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you feel tired throughout the day? Read this article, 6 Natural Tips for Deep Sleep which I came across the other day from Dr. Mao, Yahoo! Health Expert for Alternative Medicine. There are some good tips for improving your sleep without taking pills. Although, I don't agree with eating the grains at dinner or not eating before bed. You should have a small snack before bed, it helps the body replenish important nutrients.



Workout of the Day
Thrusters(95/65)
Sit-ups
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time.
Sit

The Crossfit games are coming up in July and currently around the world Regional Qualifiers are being held. Last Saturday, I headed over to Potomac Crossfit in Arlington, VA where they were holding a practice session for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic qualifier. They have some serious athletes over there. We did the two WOD's that they were using the same day down under at the Australia qualifier. The were both hard as hell. Crossfit has become an extremely competitive sport and this year's games should bring out some serious elite athletes. Here's a video from the Australian qualifier from CFX. Enjoy.



Workout of the Day
These are the two workouts with did at PTC, similar to the Aussie Regional. Choose one.

Workout 1
3 Rounds of
10 Squat Cleans (135/95)
15 Rind Dips
20 Kettle Bell Swings (24kg/16kg)

Workout 2
21-15-9
Burpees
Pull-ups (Chest to bar)
500 M Row after each round

Gatorade markets it's product to athletes claiming a need to replace lost electrolytes. However, there are numerous studies that prove additional electrolytes in beverages have no positive effect.
Because sweat is hypotonic to the body fluids, the concentration of electrolytes in the blood and other body fluids actually increases during exercise and makes the body fluids hypertonic. Thus, electrolyte replacement during exercise is not necessary. In a recent study of cyclists who exercised for 90 minutes at 60 percent VO2 max, Sanders and others concluded that a 40 millimole sodium solution, compared to plain water, may not be of much advantage to athletes who practice normal fluid replacement during such exercise task. Several studies have reported that even during strenuous prolonged exercise with high levels of sweat losses, like marathon running for several hours, water alone is the recommended fluid replacement to help maintain electrolyte balance, although added carbohydrates may provide some needed energy. - Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport, Mevlin H. Williams.

The key to staying properly hydrated during workouts is to consistently consume enough water throughout the day. Be careful of sport drinks, they promise more than they're worth and have a lot of sugar. With all that sugar, sports drinks are just as bad as soda. In a related article, a new studyhas found that sport drinks can be bad for the teeth.



Workout of the Day
3 Rounds for time of:
400 m Run
95/65 Thurster x 15
Burpees x 15