MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Friday.

Don't forget that Monday's workout will be at the new place...2434 Progress Dr. It's exactly 1 minle north of the old location.

Also, be prepared this week for questions pertaining to the Theoretical Hierarchy of Development, straight out of What Is Fitness.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2010

NO CLASS

NOTE: Monday's workout will be held at CrossFit Redding's new location...2434 Progress Drive.

What Is Fitness? Make sure you know what the Theoretical Hierarchy of Development looks like for Monday.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class on Friday and for next Monday's workout (November 1st) you can find us at 2434 Progress Drive.


Make sure you're up on your info...What is Fitness?

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, 2010

NO CLASS

NOTE: There will be no class on Friday. Also note that as of next Monday, November 1st, the location of CrossFit Redding will be changing to 2434 Progress Dr.

Also, don't forget to read up...What Is Fitness?


A picture from the vault...the CFR Coaches and T-Money messing around at Whiskeytown just over 2 years ago.

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Happy Birthday Emily!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Friday and the article that you need to read to answer any and all upcoming questions can be found here: What Is Fitness? Also, in light of the recent developement that CrossFit Redding will be moving locations this Friday, October 29th, so to will Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics. Beginning next Monday, November 1st, you'll find us at a new location 2434 Progress Drive.

Today was the birthday of one of our very bright and talented young athletes, Emily. Emily is a softball pitching phenom from Hamilton City High School. Did you know that Emily was second in California in strikeouts last year! As a Junior! I'm looking forward to great things for Emily this year on the rubber as well as in the future.

I hear Emily's pretty darned talented on the basketball court and volleyball court as well.

In honor of Emily's 17th birthday a celebratory workout was put together in her name. Went like this:

STOKIE

Perform 1 round Every Minute On The Minute (EMOTM) for 17 minutes of:

1 round is equal to:

1 Deadlift (at 75% of 1 rep max)

7 wallball shots

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

I Do Declare...What Is Fitness?

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Friday.

I Do Declare...If you do CrossFit and you haven't read the following article then you cannot call yourself a CrossFitter. Simple as that.

This is something ALL of you NEED to grasp. And, in light of getting long-winded about the importance of it (as is typically customary of me) I'm simply going to demonstrate the importance by issuing "pop quizzes", starting very soon. I'll give you several days to read the article and stew over it a bit but then you need to be prepared to not only walk the walk but talk the talk as well.

Rest assured, there will be some stiff penalties for wrong answers.

What Is Fitness?

Now that you've read What Is Fitness? you should have a solid understanding of the compounding athletic abilities that are required to jump onto a platform of maximum height. Many of you will understand this having done it previously yourselves. Some of you may not have thought about the separate entities that you called upon in order to complete the task though. For many, this seemingly non-intensive workout makes you sorer than even the most hellish of workouts that we've ever done together! Why is that?

Interesting concept to think about huh?

I'm not going to answer this one for you now, however I will state that the athletic ability required to complete the simple task of jumping onto a platform is surprisingly high. This test not only draws from a magnificent jumping ability but also from the athlete's flexibility, coordination and balance.

So, out of the 10 General Physical Skills, this task requires power, flexibility, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy! And a fervent case could be made for both strength and speed. Strength is certainly going to aid in the development of power and the speed of your flexibility or the time it takes you to place yourself into your most flexible position as it relates to the hips is going to carry either dire consequences or bountiful success with this task.

Take a look at the Foothill High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team competently performing all of the aforementioned. After witnessing the leaping capability of the team this week I'm expecting some high-flying action during the games. Should be a great time watching these guys play this year.

Check out these amazing pictures!

And the two guys who both cleared a whopping 60"!
Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2010

NO CLASS

There was a great few days of workouts this week guys. Keep up the hard work. It's definitely paying off in your performance.


Take a look at what I'm talkin' about.

Check out the POWER and EXPLOSIVENESS from our stud prodigy Gio.

Cameron increased all of his lifts and now boasts a 345 lb. back squat and 205 lb. power clean!

Blake also improved 5 of 5 lifts for the day.

Here we have Natalie, our "prodigy in skirts". Check out the shirt!

How would you sum up the day Phil?

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday.

Here's something my trusty chiropractor, Dr. Rob Smith of Discover Life Chiropractic, sent me. He knows that I find this stuff uber interesting and I think you will too. Amost all, if not all of us know someone with this condition. I can think of at least a dozen just while writing this brief stint of an intro. It's a very serious condition as you'll most-definitely be able to gather from the article.

HOW MUCH DOES YOUR HEAD WEIGH?

Isn't it amazing how interconnected our body systems are?

I know that you hear me talk about this all the time (typically relating it to musculoskeletal issues and how one joint/movement fault/tight muscle affects what's directly above and below said problem and the continuing downstream/upstream effects that can result from a single issue...for more on this topic see: Improved Performance Is Only 2mins. Away: Part II) but this one even goes into how your gastrointestinal, cardiorespiratory, and nervous systems are affected by seemingly one single postural deficiency. Whoda' thunk that how much you poop throughout the day could be affected by the postion of your head!

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

You Can't Push The River

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 2010

NO CLASS

NOTE: There will be no class Friday.

The Way It Is

Modern man is conditioned to expect instant gratification, but any success or triumph realized quickly, with only marginal effort is necessarily shallow. Meaningful achievement takes time, hard work, persistence, patience, proper intent and constant self-awareness. The path to such success is punctuated by failure, consolidation and renewed effort. It is wet with the tears of emotional breakdown. Personal reconstruction is art. Discovering one's self, one's talent and ambition, and learning how to express it is a creative process so may not be rushed. What's the hurry? Pressure to succeed according to a particular timeline comes from outside. If the goal is personal, selfish self-improvement; then there is no schedule, no deadline. One's rate of progress is influenced by the intensity used to address the task. Hard, intelligent work speeds us along the path. Neurotic obsession and compulsion may steepen the trajectory but usually leads to illness and injury. In the end, the process takes as long as it takes -

You can't push the river!

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

P.S. I know I said I'd have the pictures of the workout up tonight but my computer is not wanting to upload them so I'll get them up as soon as I can figure things out.

The Food Pyramid Hoax

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2010
6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Friday.

CHECK THIS OUT!

"The agenda of the USDA food pyramid is to expand markets for agricultural products and support international economic development"

The Food Pyramid Hoax!

By Arturo Fioribello

San Diego Diet and Exercise Examiner

You might remember as a kid, seeing the food pyramid and learning how to eat each day from different food groups. You may have saw it on the back of a cereal box, learned it in school, or learned it from your parents. You remember, right? It was Bread & Cereal group 6-11 servings, Fruit Group 2-4 servings, Vegetables 3-5 servings, Dairy 2-3 servings, Meat/Fish 2-3 servings, Fat & Oils use sparingly. Through time, most of America became obese and people wondered why?

So, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) creates a new pyramid, because they got the old one wrong. Everyone is allowed mistakes, right? Not in this case. Let's back up a bit.

Anytime we look at a fact, we must look at the source, in this case, the USDA. The USDA is the sanctioning body on what we should eat- why the USDA? Does it make sense the Bread & Cereal group had 6-11 servings? You think there was a bit of self-interest in this? Afterall, 95% of human history existed without eating bread, so why is that our focus? Why is the USDA in charge of my food pyramid, when they clearly state on their website that the USDA's strategic plan is to "expand markets for agricultural products and support international economic development."

Should we even pay attention to this new food pyramid, now? If you want to expand agricultural markets for economic development... at the expense of your health.

If you're clueless on how to eat after reading this, take a look at a few of these diets. You may find that this is how healthy people eat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo_diet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_diet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_food_diet

(They're wikipedia'ed for easy reference)

FOOD PYRAMID COMPARISON

Notice any differences?

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, 2010

6:30pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Why CrossFit Ruined My Life...And Will Ruin Yours Too

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, 2010

No Class

NOTE: There will be no class this Thursday. The next class will meet this Friday at 5:30pm.

Why CrossFit Ruined My Life


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Thursday and class will be held at 5:30pm instead of 6:30pm on Friday.

You HAVE to read this...The Iron by Henry Rollins


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Wednesday or Thursday and Friday's class will be at 5:30pm instead of 6:30pm.

Thanks for hangin' in there with me until the end of volleyball season when the workout schedule can normalize.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2010

No Class

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

You SUCK As A Man!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2010

No Class

NOTE: Check back tomorrow (Friday) for an update on a possible Saturday class.

Men, or likelihoods thereof, you will most-likely have one of two responses to this article. Either you will laugh your tail off in complete agreement or you will get enraged that someone is finally calling you out the way you should be called out.

Women, you will now have something else to either throw in your man's face or to be grateful for, knowing that Dr. Sekula was not talking about yours.

You SUCK As a Man

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Paleo Diet Recipes For YOU

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday.

Seems like every day I get people asking for more recipes or that they're getting bored with their meals. This, even after I show them the amazing "meal generator" tactic taught by Robb Wolf that proves you don't have to eat the same meal for hundreds of years if you plan it right. Nevertheless, I can understand that some of you want a little more flare when it comes to your cooking and your palate. So here are several more great references dedicated to Paleo recipes.

Take it upon yourself to make the changes that are required to lead a healthy life folks. I wish I could hold your hand every step of the way and cook every meal for you, but you know as well as I do that this is just unrealistic (or comes with an excessively steep price tag that will require a career shift on my part). I've given you and am giving you all the tools you need to do it yourself...so DO IT! No one is going to do it for you. Don't make any more excuses. Just go for it and reap the benefits that you can't even dream of.

#1. I was extremely pleased to find a 30-day meal plan in the back of Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution (Shame on you if you haven't ordered this book yet). This meal plan is incredibly thorough and extremely varied in the meal selection. At the end of each week there is also a "cookbook" that gives you the recipes and instructions for the meals that aren't straight forward. GET THIS BOOK!

#2. This next resource is a blog, upkept by an amazing success story out of Nor Cal Strength and Conditioning. The success story's name is Sarah who proves that, even while being an incredibly busy mother of three, a wife, and a Fitness Coach, she is still able to make herself and her family a priority by providing the most nutritious and life-sustaining food to them. She gives frequent recipes that can be found at http://www.everydaypaleo.com/.

#3. Here is another blog that I stumbled upon after Googling "Paleo Recipes". You might be interested to find that they feature a recipe titled "Paleo Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream" that sounds absolutely amazing. You can find this recipe and many others at http://www.paleodietlifestyle.com/.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness.blogspot.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Some Common Myths That AREN'T TRUE!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 2010

6:30pm

Every day we hear of health measures we are supposed to be taking that have skewed research and contain useless jargon that has weak support at best or alternative motives driving the message ($). Some of these merely catch on for a little while and are considered fads, but some of them cause a paradigm shift and can last for decades. The ones I'm talking about are the ones that affect your health and lead you to do what you think is healthy but, in all actuality, is deteriorting your health as well as the health of your loved ones. So, in this "not so politically correct" post I'm going to spell some of them out for you here. I'm not going to go into detail on why I'm making these claims. If you would like to take matters into your own hands and do the research for yourself I'd be more than willing to point you in the right direction. If not, I ask that you simply trust me on these because I have already done the research myself and they are no-brainers.

1. Grains and cereals are healthy, good for you, and part of a balanced diet.

2. Everything is okay in moderation (quality over quantity on this one folks).

3. Fat will make you fat (even saturated fat has been found to be healthy for you now...this one can get a little in-depth however)

4. Low-fat, high-carb diets are healthy (government sure screwed up on this one and people are still paying for it with their lives)

5. Cholesterol in food causes high cholesterol in the body (we now know that breads, cereals, pastas, oats, wheat, flour, grains, etc. cause high cholesterol...sorry Cheerios)

6. Fat-Free products are good/better for you (Nope! They're packed with sugars, artificial sweetners, and a host of other processed and shelf-life extending junk...also refer to #3).

7. Soy is good and healthy (I'm about to start drop-kicking people in the face about this one just to make it easier on myself and I'm not going to address this now because I don't want you to have to sit here and read this post for another couple of hours)

8. Vegetarianism/Veganism is good and healthy (same as soy but even more rediculous and infuriating. I understand there are a number of reasons why vegetarians are vegetarians but if it's because it's healthy...that's a drop-kick to the face and if it's because you don't agree with the way animals are raised and treated then buy the meat of the ones that are treated humanely. Grass-fed and free-range animals live a much happier existense and are MUCH healthier for it. By purchasing these meats you will not only be taking healthy protein sources into your body when you consume them but you will be making a vote every time you're at the grocery store for how you would like the animals you eat to be treated. Vegetarians who are so just because they don't like the cruelty to animals have effectively stripped themselves of their voice by not voting with their purchases. They are seen as neutral and, ultimately, as a non-factor.)

9. Beans and grains are a good source of fiber (compared to the same quantities of fruits and vegetables this is just not true. Plus with fruits and vegetables you don't get all of the harmful, poisonous, cancerous, and overall just disease-generating components as you do from grains and beans)

10. Arch supports and orthotics are good for your feet (Yeah, until you have to have knee surgery, a hip replacement and you blow out your back because of them...but don't worry...your doctor will blame it on something else, like your excess weight from eating too much fat!)

11. Squats are bad for your knees (this one is laughable. People who tell you this obviously don't understand that you have to perform a squat to get down onto and stand up from the easy chair or the porcelain god (the toilet). They also don't understand how to properly perform a squat and/or the mechanisms with which a well executed squat is physiologically soundly performed. If you ever encounter someone who recommends you don't do squats anymore because they are somehow bad for you, do as Robb Wolf suggests and tell them not to worry, you have switched to a much safer movement called a "sit-to-stand".)

That's it for now, but my head is constantly racing with these, so there's more to come.

How does Foothill High School Boys Varsity Basketball always seem to have the extra edge they need when it counts most?

Even Coach Grooms has been getting in on the action

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: Make sure you don't miss Friday's post on Marlon's amazing feat!

Here's an example day of my food intake for weight gain.

Remember, I'm not a "hard-gainer" and for those of you that are, you can start out by eating this much as well as drinking your GOMAD and seeing what happens. If you don't gain any weight the first week you'll need to start upping your calories by eating another meal throughout the day or eating more with each meal.

Breakfast
5 each - Whole Eggs, Omega-3 Enriched
5 slices - Bacon, low sodium
3 oz. - Cheese, pepperjack
1 each - Pear
1 each - Orange
1/2 cup - Salsa, chipotle
2 handfuls - Almonds, raw
1/4 gallon - Whole Milk, lactose free
2 tablets - Digestive Enzymes (NOW Super Enzymes)
4 softgels - Fish Oil (Kirkland Signature...Costco Brand)
10,000IU - Vitamin D3

Lunch
8 oz - Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
1/2 each - Bell Pepper, sauteed
1/2 each - Onion, sauteed
4 spears - Asparagus
1/2 each - Avocado
1/4 gallon - Whole Milk, lactose free
2 tablets - Digestive Enzymes (NOW Super Enzymes)
4 softgels - Fish Oil (Kirkland Signature...Costco Brand)

Post-Workout
1/2 gallon - Whole Milk, lactose free

Dinner #1
10 oz. - Turkey Burger
1 whole - Yellow Squash, steamed
2 each - Celery Stalks, steamed
1 cup - Strawberries
1/2 each - Avocado
2 tablets - Digestive Enzymes (NOW Super Enzymes)
4 softgels - Fish Oil (Kirkland Signature...Costco Brand)

Dinner #2
8 oz. - Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
1 heart - Romain Lettuce
30 each - Grapes
4 spears - Asparagus
1/2 each - Cucumber
1 handful - Pecans, halves
3-4 tbsp - Olive Oil
1-2 tbsp - Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablets - Digestive Enzymes (NOW Super Enzymes)
4 softgels - Fish Oil (Kirkland Signature...Costco Brand)

PROGRESS TO DATE:
STARTING DATE: Monday, Sept. 20th (201.4 lbs/7.4% bodyfat)
TODAY: Sunday, October 3rd (212 lbs/8.2% bodyfat)

Check out Cameron just after hitting a 405 Deadlift PR (I was too busy yelling to get a picture of him actually holding the bar but rest assured, he nailed it)...

And Conner as he hammers out his previous 1 RM for a set of 5!

Coach Justin PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Marlon Doesn't Touch A Bike And Competes In A 50-Mile Uphill Race!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, 2010
NO CLASS

INTRODUCTION: This past weekend I received this text..."Jusin, just wanted to thank you for the training. I would have never been able to do it without your help. 50 miles of uphill, no bike training. My friends were impressed. See you Tuesday."

BACKSTORY:This past week one of my beloved families made their way to Mexico to watch "Pops" compete in a 50-mile bike race...all uphill!

"Pops'" name is Marlon and, without even being able to remember the last time he was on a bike, he jumped on and went for it.

Wait a minute...

You mean he had been planning on doing this race and he didn't train massive amounts of hours on his bike? What in the world was he thinking?

Well, you see, Marlon is an avid Performance Quest Athlete who's addiction lands him in grueling workouts anywhere from 3 to 5 times a week. He has been training for this race for some time now (without getting on his bike) and yeah, I even mentioned that he might want to jump on his bike and take if for a spin. I figured he should at least ride it around the block to make sure he still knew how to mount and pedal one of those things since he literally couldn't remember the last time he'd been on one. But eh. He trusted in the training and it paid off for him. Much to the surprise of his friends (a gang of biking enthusiasts) he did well, keeping up with and finishing alongside them!

And, the coolest part about the whole thing (at least for me)...was the point at the end of the text where he said, "See you Tuesday." That's correct, he was right back in the gym when he got home hammering out a 5 rep max of 275#! Tell me, how many people do you know (outside of the Performance Quest classes) who can not only complete, but excel in 50 miles of uphill and come back to lift 275# for 5 consecutive reps just a couple days later? I'm guessin' not too many. Welcome to elite athletics!

Here are some pictures of Marlon and his family bustin' out some deadlifts.

Marlon Hittin' his 275# 5RM

Gio (13 yrs. old) cranks out a 155# deadlift for 5 reps!

Natalie (11 yrs. old) puts up a 5 rep max of 115#!

April nails 135# for 5!

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com