WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON PERFORMANCE QUEST FITNESS & ATHLETICS' BLOG

A collection of websites, articles, blog posts, videos, comments, studies, etc. from other forerunners in the areas of performance that will be covered, along with my own rants, raves, thoughts and ideas about selected topics. Also this blog serves as a showcase of the accomplishments and achievements of the hard-working athletes of Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics Teams With Other Coaches For Increased Learning And Performance

MONDAY, JUNE 4TH, 2012
Open Class...See Note Below (9:00am or 5:30pm)

PERFORMANCE QUEST FITNESS & ATHLETICS TO TEAM WITH OTHER COACHES TO ENHANCE YOUR WROKOUT EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING QUALITY

In an effort to make you better, Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics is excited to inform you that we have teamed up with Atwell Strength and Conditioning as well as Chris Thomas Strength and Conditioning in order to provide a more thorough training program. The addition of each of these coaches will allow for more specialized training in the different disciplines that are offered.

Olympic Lifting hopeful, Jordan Atwell posesses a wealth of knowledge with the Olympic lifts and is a former high school football all-star and D-II football player. Jordan's main focus is on making you strong and explosive.

Chris Thomas (CT) has played professional football AND baseball, and is a football coach at the semi-pro level. Chris specializes in developing athletes as individuals, noting and improving each athlete's strengths and weaknesses in their training and mentally preparing them for the next level of competition. Having consistently played the positions that require speed throughout his athletic career, Chris is a master at footwork, speed, quickness and agility and this will be his focus.
And, as you already know from training with me, my strength is developing an increased work capacity. I will train you how to take that increased strength and explosiveness, quickness and speed, and sustain it for longer than one short burst at a time. Additionally, I bring to the table a solid understanding of performance nutrition as well as mobility and recovery.
The combination of these athletic prowesses and our ability to not overextend ourselves as coaches will prove to develop what is the single greatest strength and conditioning program in the area. Honestly, if you're not training with us...good luck!

Here's the press release on Redding Barbell Club's site with more of the details:
Know of any junior high, high school, or college athletes that need training? Or are you a regular crossfitter that wants to get stronger and more explosive without losing all conditioning? Crossfit Redding/Redding Barbell is offering a full summer strength and conditioning program for football, basketball, baseball, CrossFit, volleyball, track, etc athletes. Headed by trainers Chris "CT" Thomas, Justin Cascarina and Jordan Atwell this program features a full two hour session including mobility work, weightlifting, powerlifting, speed and agility work. Come get trained by the best athlete trainers in the north state. Two sessions open: 9am-11am and 5:30pm-7:30pm with an option to open up second morning class 11am-1pm if need be. Cost is $150 per month and workouts will be Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri.
If you have any further questions about the changes being made or about the program in general, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone (530)356-4339 (i DO receive texts) or by shooting me an email (address below).
Coach Justin

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

SIGN UP NOW!!!

THURSDAY, MAY 31ST, 2012
No Classes

There will be no classes today as I prepare to give my "Eat To Perform" workshop with Doc. Rob Smith tonight at 7:30pm. Please register and attend this workshop in place of CrossFit training for today. Thank you and I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sign Up Before It's Too Late!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30TH, 2012
Open Class 4:00pm / 5:00pm


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Monday, May 28, 2012

Sign Up For My Workshop

MONDAY, MAY 28TH, 2012
Open Class 5:00pm


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Sign Up For My Eat To Perform Workshop

FRIDAY, MAY 25TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com
THURSDAY, MAY 24TH, 2012
Open Class 11:00am / 3:00pm / 5:30pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 Open Class 3:00pm NOTE: I apologize for the limited class options today. If you are unable to make it in today please come in another day later this week. Coach Justin PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Sunday, May 20, 2012

CrossFit Redding Shows Up To Play

MONDAY, MAY 21ST, 2012
Open Class 6:00pm / 7:00pm

After a long, gruelling, but exciting weekend at the NorCal CrossFit Regionals competition your CrossFit Redding Competition Team finished 6th place overall. This was out of 110 teams that began the competition back in March during the open. I'm very proud of my team and am already looking forward to next year. Hopefully I'll get some pictures from the weekend to put up soon.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

How To Follow The Northern California CrossFit Regionals

THURSDAY, MAY 17TH, 2012
No Classes

Tomorrow kicks off the 1st of 3 days of the Northern California CrossFit Regional competition. CrossFit Redding is sending a very hopeful team as well as two individual athletes, one in the men's division (Victor Dowell) and one in the women's division (Stephanie Smith).

At this time I am not sure if there will be a live stream of the competition but I will keep you updated here as well as on facebook so you can support from home. Right now here are the best resources I know of to keep you connected with the action.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONALS
Here you will find links to the current leaderboards, social media updates, recap videos, highlights and more.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EVENT DETAILS
Here you will need to scroll down past the highlight videos and the "Leaderboard" to get to the event details, which will give you the times of the workout heats. Note that you may need to click the "expand" button to view all times for the day. Notice that 10:00am kicks off the weekend with the 1st team workout and the 2nd team workout is not until 1:24pm. (I'll be in the afternoon heats just in case you were wondering).

Thanks to everyone for your support and I'll be looking forward to getting back to our workouts on Monday next week.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A Prelude To Cooking Oils

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 6:00pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Thursday/Friday/Saturday as I will be making my way down to San Jose to compete in the NorCal Regionals with the rest of the CrossFit Redding Affiliate athletes and coaches. I will keep you posted as to whether the regional will be broadcast live or not.

Here's a common question I get all the time - "Which oils should I cook with and which ones shouldn't I cook with?" Another is, "which oils should I eat or not eat...not necessarily cook with or not, just consume?"

Below is an article to get you started.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com
TUESDAY, MAY 15TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Thursday/Friday/Saturday as I will be making my way down to San Jose to compete in the NorCal Regionals with the rest of the CrossFit Redding Affiliate athletes and coaches. I will keep you posted as to whether the regional will be broadcast live or not.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Something To Chew On

MONDAY, MAY 14TH, 2012
Open Class 6:00pm / 7:00pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Thursday/Friday/Saturday as I will be making my way down to San Jose to compete in the NorCal Regionals with the rest of the CrossFit Redding Affiliate athletes and coaches. I will keep you posted as to whether the regional will be broadcast live or not.

Now consider this...after watching Mat Lalonde's video from the last post as well as Robb Wolf's video from three posts before, which do you think is more effective and why?

Think about if you had to convince your Mom / Grandma / Grandpa / best friend / brother or sister / coworker / etc. Not to say that either of these experts couldn't talk to anyone on any level, because they both can, but which do you think would resonate with the general majority of people? Maybe even yourself?

What does this mean to you?

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Science Behind The Paleolithic Diet

FRIDAY, MAY 11TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 4:00pm

This interview with Mat Lalonde is more-or-less a follow-up, somewhat in contrast, of Wednesday's video with Robb Wolf. Mat does a very eloquent justice to his thought process and delivers a clear understanding of nutritional science that I would strive for each and every one of us to possess. Though I would say that his justifications for the support of the "Paleo Diet" aren't necessarily going to be seen as sensational as those that I've heard in the past, I would say that they make even more sense than those that are maybe a little more sensational. Mat does a great job picking apart the faulty logic of many of the Paleo Diet supporters while still supporting the diet and it's fundamental tenants.
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Metabolic Conditioning Glossary

THURSDAY, MAY 10TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 7:00pm

Check out this gem. It's a quick read from one of the very first CrossFit Journals.

METABOLIC CONDITIONING GLOSSARY

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

How Evolutionary Science Saved Robb Wolf's Life

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH, 2012
Open Class 4:00pm / 5:00pm

Please go to "WE WANT PALEO" and input your email and zip code if you haven't already.

Normally, I don't prefer posting videos that are this long. However, I watched the dang thing three times yesterday and find it extremely interesting. I think you will as well. Set aside some time and check it out.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, May 7, 2012

3 Great Articles For You

TUESDAY, MAY 8TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 4:30pm / 5:30pm

THE ANTI-AGING SUPERFOOD, AVOCADO

CONSUMPTION OF FAST FOOD AND BAKED GOODS INCREASES RISK OF DEPRESSION 50%

FOUR GREAT REASONS TO EAT ORGANIC, GRASS-FED BEEF

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Please Sign Up For "We Want Paleo!"

MONDAY, MAY 7TH, 2012
Open Class 4:00pm

Going to restaurants can be quite a challenge for a well-educated health nut and it's quite the experience for those who accompany a "Paleo-eater" as well. Sure there are plenty of Paleo-esque options on many restaurant's menus but most have some underlying goodies that are not required to be disclosed. For example, many restaurants order their steaks, chicken breasts, fish, etc. preseasoned. So when I ask for a steak with no seasoning or salt on it the typical response I hear from my waiter/ress is, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do about the seasoning. It comes pre-packaged with it already marinated in. Damn! Every time I know that I'm going to lose sleep over how bad I feel for the next couple of nights and my workouts are going to severely suffer throughout the next week. And of course if I ask what is in the marinade I'm just wasting my time, the waiter's/resse's time as well as those who are with me because I'll be damned if anyone in the restaurant actually knows what goes into the seasoning (think MSG, artificial sweetners, anti-caking agents, artificial colors, soy, salt and it's associated quantity, etc).

Furthermore, many establishments cook thier foods in soy oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or worse! Do you think they just happen to have a tub of coconut oil, sesame oil, ghee, or tallow sitting there for people upon request?

For those of you who have truly given this whole Paleo schtick a sincere effort know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't tried to go Paleo or only did it half-heartedly this may sound a little drastic, but I assure you that when you do eat a strict Paleo diet this stuff really does matter. If you are in the second group here, there is a whole other level of "feeling good" that you have yet to experience and I encourage you to do so.

Whether you ever plan to eat a healthy, nutritious Paleo (or some variation of) Diet or not, please do your part to effect change in the way Americans eat and the choices you/we have. Not only will people have healthier options at restaurants, but at the supermarkets as well. If change can be made in dining establishments, people will become more educated and conscious with regards to what is healthy and what is not healthy and this will positively trickle into other arenas beyond the restaurants.

PLEASE go to "We Want Paleo" by Paleo Plan and enter your email and zip code.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

If You're Not M-WODding...You're Wrong!

THURSDAY, MAY 3RD, 2012
Open Class 5:30pm / 7:00pm

Check out my CrossFit mentor, Kelly Starrett, laying down the law...


And then these...just for fun

So...Paleo will not kill you?
Are we fighting or promoting diabetes here?
And I know we've all been here...
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, April 30, 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Milestone Reached AND The Story Of Fran

THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 7:00pm

Today one of our most comitted athletes accomplished what has been an elusive milestone. Check out this photo of Brock's 135 lb snatch. Great job big guy.
Coach Justin

Monday, April 23, 2012

Shasta vs. Enterprise...Anyone Wanna' Go?

TUESDAY, APRIL 24TH, 2012
NO OPEN CLASSES

If anyone is interested you are more than welcome to come along with me and cheer on Performance Quest Athletes for both the Enterprise AND Shasta High School baseball teams as they face off against one another today at 4:00pm at Enterprise High School.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, April 22, 2012

How Great Leaders Inspire Action

MONDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 7:00pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

THURSDAY, APRIL 19TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 7:00pm

NOTE: There will be no classes tomorrow (Friday). Classes will resume as usual on Monday.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

This Is A MUST READ!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

NOTE: There will be no classes Friday this week.

Here is an article EVERYONE should read. This article does one of the best jobs that I've ever seen summing what a healthy lifestyle means all up in a page or two. If you need a quick education on some of the physiology of the article then head on over to Google or Wikipedia and search what you don't know or feel that it might be important to understand. Having an understanding of this article, in my opinion, is invaluable.

Again, this is a MUST READ!


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, April 16, 2012

The Paleo Diet: How Do I Convince Someone To Try It?

TUESDAY, APRIL 17TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

This blog post on Robb Wolf's website is all to resounding of how I've begun to sound these days. In fact, just this last weekend I had virtually the same discussion, word-for-word, with my mom regarding my grandpa and his RA. You'll see this part under the "Be Here Now" portion of the blog post.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Say Hello!

MONDAY, APRIL 16TH, 2012
Open Class 5:30pm / 7:00pm

Yesterday my girlfriend and I did a little social "experiment" to determine the general friendliness of people. On our 3-mile run around Country Heights, a very "homey", nonthreatening neighborhood, we waved to every car that went by and said, "hello" to every person that we ran by. Guess how many responses we got? NOT A SINGLE ONE! And there were easily a couple dozen test subjects for this "experiment" ranging in ages from probably 8 years old to 70 years old. Now I understand the whole "never talk to strangers" lectures that we all get from our parents when we're younger so I can see why the little ones not saying anything fits...and I might understand a little bit more if I were running alone and all of the people I passed and said hi to were women who didn't want to make any sort of contact (which is sad that this is even an issue, but it is what it is). But I was running with my girlfriend...and I even had my shirt on!

Your homework is to wave and say hello to at least 5 people that you have never met before.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Friday, April 13, 2012

Mrs. USA 2011 Shannon Ford

FRIDAY, APRIL 13TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 4:30pm

Coming up in the next few posts I will be linking you to some interesting articles from Robb Wolf's website. You know I'm a big fan of the stuff he and his staff put into words so...here's the first. MRS. USA 2011 SHANNON FORD.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Why Chewing Gum Isn't Great For Your Health

THURSDAY, APRIL 12TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 4:30pm / 5:30pm
Volleyball / Baseball Class 7:00pm

This is an interesting take on the matter. See if you can find any rebuttal to these claims. Which do you believe? WHY CHEWING GUM ISN'T GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

What About These?

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11TH, 2012
Open Class 5:30pm

METABOLIC SYNDROME (AKA: SYNDROME X DISEASE)

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, April 9, 2012

Do You Know Anyone With Any Of These Life-Threatening Diseases?

TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2012
Open Class 11:00am / 3:00pm / 4:30pm / 5:30pm

The list of autoimmune diseases is relatively vast expanding to over 80 diseases. Check out the list below and see if you know anyone with any of these conditions. Chances are you do. Chances are it's controllable if not curable. Chances are they haven't been cured yet and if an attempt has been made it has probably only made them worse. Chances are you actually know how to do it yourself...read AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, April 8, 2012

MONDAY, APRIL 9TH, 2012
Open Class 5:30pm / 8:00pm
Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Foundations

FRIDAY, APRIL 6TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm

Do you know why you train the way you train at Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics / CrossFit Redding? Do you know why what you do is SO effective? Begin to understand a little bit here...FOUNDATIONS

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Are You About To Pull Your Hamstring?

THURSDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm
Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Do Any Of These Catch Your Eye?

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

One of my favorite websites, www.naturalnews.com, has a whole slew of articles posted today that I would like to send your way - and, since I can't decide on just one of them for you to read through, I'm going to post links to all of them and see what catches your eye...

Medical Insanity: Babies Now Being Treated With Dangerous Diabetes Drugs BEFORE They're Even Born.

78 Percent Increase In Childhood Autism Over Past Decade Coincides With Sharp Uptick In Vaccination Schedules

The Moral Collapse Of Western Medicine

Baby Receives Cocktail Of Seven Vaccines, Loses Ability To Speak, Recovers With Homeopathic Shock Remedies

Still Looking For A Cure To Allergies? Ayurveda Offers An Alternative Solution

Antidepressant Drug Sales Plummet As Patents Expire And Patients Flee To Safer Alternatives

"Pink Slime" Is Now Found In 70 Percent Of The Ground Beef At Our Grocers

Eliminating Gluten From The Diet Can Relieve Brain Fog (Mental Confusion)

Health Basics: The 11 Most Toxic Vaccine Ingredients And Their Side Effects

Vitamin D Prevents Breast Cancer

Sleep Duration Directly Linked To Heart Disease Risk

There are plenty of other noteworthy articles that I ended up reading but not posting on my blog that you might find interesting. Check out www.naturalnews.com to see if any catch your eye?

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, April 2, 2012

Paleo Grocery Shopping On A Budget And ...

TUESDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

This might be interesting for those of you trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a budget. On the surface, yes, eating clean looks a whole heck of a lot cheaper than eating junk but when we get down to it eating clean may pay off in dividends in the long run. Furthermore, it may actually be just as inexpensive on a day-to-day basis as well. Check it out...PALEO GROCERY SHOPPING ON A BUDGET.

Also, while I was cruising around Robb Wolf's new and improved website I found a blog post that hits home having dealt with this issue with several of my friends and clients in the past with astounding success. Just read the article and you'll know what I'm talking about. HOW NUTRITION AFFECTS ...???

Man! It's like this stuff really works!

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com


MONDAY, APRIL 2ND, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH, 2012

Open Class 3:00pm / 4:30pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com
THURSDAY, MARCH 29TH, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 6:30pm / 8:30pm
Foothill Volleyball 7:30pm

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com





Wednesday, March 28, 2012

GO...

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2012

Open Class - GO TO OLYMPIC LIFTING AT 5:30PM!
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

NOTE: Wednesday's classes will be canceled this week. However, Jordan will still be holding his Olympic lifting class this Wednesday at 5:30pm. Please feel free to drop in and attend this invaluable class.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Gain Weight By "Going Diet"

MONDAY, MARCH 26TH, 2012

Open Class 5:30pm / 8:00pm

Foothill Volleyball Class 7:00pm


NOTE: CrossFit Redding is going to Regionals! Out of the 102 teams that competed in the Northern California Region the top 30 get to move on to the next level. CrossFit Redding placed 8th out of 102 teams and is the only team in the top 13 not located in the Bay Area. Furthermore, our showing in the open place us 59th in the world out of 1,774 teams! Obviously I am very proud of CrossFit Redding's accomplishments, but I am also posting this to let you know that if you are interested in attending the Regionals and seeing what the competition is all about we need to put together a hotel room or two as soon as possible. This is not going to be a small event and the rooms in the city will fill up quickly. The regionals will be held on May 18th-20th at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds in San Jose. Let me know by Tuesday if you are interested in attending so we can book the rooms by the end of the week at the latest.

Take a look at this article from the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine regarding artificial sweetners. This is one of the better articles I've read in a while...

GAIN WEIGHT BY "GOING DIET?" ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS AND THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF SUGAR CRAVINGS

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, March 22, 2012

YOU Are Invited...

FRIDAY, MARCH 23RD, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

Tomorrow brings to a close a grueling 5 weeks of CrossFit Sectionals Open competition and to celebrate CrossFit Redding's success CFR is hosting a BBQ for its' members as well as their friends and family. Straight from their website...

We will be judging the Final Open WOD 12.5 from 10am-2pm, so around 1pm we'll fire up the BBQ and have a good old CFR party. Feel free to bring your favorite pot luck dish to help the festivities. We encourage you to bring friends and family to watch the Open and hang out with the CFR family afterwards.

Hope to see you there.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cole And Taylor Swing Away

THURSDAY, MARCH 22ND, 2012
Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 8:00pm

Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm
Coach Justin PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Mad At CrossFit

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21ST, 2012
Open Class 5:30pm

NOTE: Due to scheduled baseball and softball games, the 8:00pm Open Class is going to be moved to Thursday night this week.

I don't want this to be your story...this is why I do what I do.

MAD AT CROSSFIT
Mad at CrossFitSometimes I get mad at you, CrossFit. Why weren’t you around when I was 15? I wonder what type of athlete I would be right now if I found you at that age. What would I be like if I hadn’t been stuck in the same routine year after year? Back then, my biggest concern was my bench press. I virtually ignored many, many other muscle groups. Why didn’t you come along and hit me in the head and tell me how to REALLY become fit!?

When you were founded, why didn’t you come and knock on my door right away? Why were you so quiet and hard to find? You were out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows, weren’t you? You were there and I didn’t even know it. It’s frustrating to think about.

These days, we see you on television with CrossFit Games coverage. We see you in commercials during big sporting events like the NFL playoffs. I see you in commercials WITH NFL superstars. I keep hearing the names of famous people who find you and fall in love with you instantly. I see you in stores and all over the internet.

Why weren’t you so friendly and loud and visible a decade ago?

But, I eventually found you and I guess that’s all that matters. We have A LOT of catching up to do.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, March 19, 2012

Overhead Squat/Snatch Prep

TUESDAY, MARCH 20TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

This has been coming up a bit. Take a look...
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Schedule Changes 'Til May

MONDAY, MARCH 19TH, 2012


Open Class 5:30pm / 8:00pm

Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm

NOTE: Please bear with me folks as I am having to make some unforseen changes to my regular schedule until the end of the school year (beginning of May). As of right now it looks like I won't be able to have class earlier than 5:30pm on Monday's and Wednesday's but I should still be able to hold my regular schedule on Tuesday's, Thursday's and Friday's. I appreciate your patience.

Coach Justin

Friday, March 16, 2012

SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH, 2012

Open Class 2:00pm



NOTE: If you still need/want to complete the CrossFit Sectionals Open Workout 12.4 please be at the gym between the hours of 10am and 2:00pm to be judged.

Coach Justin

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Yikes! What Are You Cooking With?

FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm


It seems like it's not very often anymore that something I am doing and consider healthy is brought to my attention that shocks me and makes me seriously concerned about what it is that I am doing. With all of the research I do into health topics, as well as all of the people I come in contact with who relay everything they've heard before, it does feel like I've "heard it all". I know this is not true and that information is always changing but nevertheless it doesn't seem like there's much.

My goal going into writing this blog for you today was to educate you on the dangers of cookware - particularly teflon. As a result I got schooled on the dangers of cast iron, which is the only thing I cook with.

Now, like with any other information that I come across or that is presented to me, I have some more looking-into to do before I form a solid opinion about it, but I'm going to present just a couple of the video(s) I've recently watched last night and see if you do your own research and form your own opinion. Of course, if you've been following my posts for any length of time, you know that I always encourage you to take ANYTHING I present you with and look into it further as well. Don't simply "take my word for it".

The first video below shocked me because, like I mentioned, I only cook with cast iron. The second video was not so shocking to me but it very well might be to you, so please check it out. With that, I would like to note that the recommendations that the guy in the second video is making are not impossible. I have literally only used a microwave no more than a handful of times since 2008 and I only used it because I got lazy.

Make the comittment to yourself to proactively look into these topics that directly affect you and implement necessary changes. Your life depends on it!
Furthermore, please use the follow-up videos that YouTube recommends to further learn about these topics as well as possibly explore additionaly topics that may concern you or affect your life.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Vitamin D...Yet Again!

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm

You know how I'm always going on and on about the importance and the benefits of Vitamin D? Well, here are a couple of videos that support that.

If you're really interested in looking up more information about it just go to YouTube and search "Vitamin D". This search also works well in Google as well as Google Scholar.

Happy Living,

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Sunday, March 11, 2012

You Are A Ticking Time Bomb

MONDAY, MARCH 12TH, 2012

Open Class - 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 8:00pm

Foothill Volleyball - 7:00pm



NOTE: Beginning today, Performance Qeust will be hosting a late night class on Monday's and Wednesday's util the end of the school year. Monday's will be held at 8:00pm and Wednesday's at 7:00pm. This class is meant to accommodate those athletes who currently have other comittments during the earlier "open class" times.


With all of the foods we eat today and with all of the additives that are added to the foods we eat, it's just a matter of time before we end up with some sort of horrible disease or illness. In all honesty, our bodies are meant to be healthy all the way through a long life span. We are not supposed to die from things like cancer, heart disease, syndrome-X diseases, diabetes, etc. By not eating meat and other foods that are sustainably farmed you are playing Russian Roulette with your life.


One of my biggest gripes is when people say, "Oh Justin, what's just this one time going to hurt you to eat this (insert food here)". Honestly, besides the fact that whatever food it is that people have to convince me to eat will ruin my stomach for a minimum of the next 10 days, every bite I take is taking time off of my life! Sounds a bit dramatic I'm sure. But it's not a joke. Every choice you make can either improve your quality of life or decrease it. I can't quantify how much time each bit or plate of "poor quality food" will decrease your life expectancy, but I'm confident that it does to some degree. It might only be seconds for a cupcake...but then again, it could very well be minutes too! All I know is that it all adds up to days, years, and unfortunately decades off of our lives and the lives of the ones we love.
With that, I'm asking you to be proactive with your health and it's associated decision-making. Lead by example. You can't tell your Mom that she needs to be really strict on a diet or exercise program and not "toe the line" yourself. Think about it, would you listen to what I said as intently if I were a fat couch potatoe who only came into the gym to work and never worked out or to teach you about nutrition as I ate a brownie? I'm guessing not. And you guys are a big motivator for me. I don't necessarily expect you to live your life exactly the way I live mine but I do expect you to pick up on certain aspects of it.


I consider myself a leader and, as such, my goal is to make you a leader as well. There's a quote by the great Mahatma Gandhi that states, "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him...We need not wait to see what others do."

Though there apparently is no reliable documented evidence that Gandhi actually said these following words, he is also credited with stating the more commonly known form of the above quote, which has been simplified, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."


With either of these quotes, Gandhi is telling us that personal and social transformation go hand in hand.


So start by reading the following article and then by making incremental but consistent positive changes in your life. Those little changes will start to have a massive impact on you and those around you. I know because I see it in you every day...ARE YOU REALLY WHAT YOU EAT?

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Saturday, March 10, 2012

SATURDAY, MARCH 10TH, 2012

Open Class 1:00pm


NOTE: If you still need to do the sectionals open WOD 12.3 come in at 12:00pm.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Washboard Abs On A High-Fat Diet, No Ab Workouts And No Cardio?

FRIDAY, MARCH 9TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm


I had a conversation today with several of my new, young, aspiring CrossFit athletes about how to get abs and of course my first reaction was to talk about diet. Not only until I had briefly covered the diet portion of this question did I begin to talk about developing abdominal strength and definition. Of course this was quite the "overshare" of an answer for what these particular athletes wanted but I am just the messenger. I don't write the rules.


This blog post from Mark's Daily Apple outlines our conversation virtually ver-batum...WASHBOARD ABS ON A HIGH-FAT DIET, NO AB WORKOUTS AND NO CARDIO?
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Does Doing CrossFit Make You A CrossFitter?

THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH, 2012


Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm



Workout 12.3 of the CrossFit Sectionals Open has been posted. Go to the link to check out what the workout is and what the standards are.

DOES DOING CROSSFIT MAKE YOU A CROSSFITTER?

Yes, you come in and do CrossFit workouts twice a week, thrice a week, four times a week. But do you know who Jason Khalipa is? Do you know who Chris Spealler is? What about Pat Barber, Graham Holmber, Annie Sakamoto, Josh Everett, Mikko Salo, Kristan Clever, Annie Thorisdottir, Rich Froning Jr., Brian MacKenzie, Kelly Starrett, John Welbourn, Adrian Bozman, Mike Burgener? Have you ever heard of K-Star, B-Mac, Manimal, The Iceland Princess, J.E. (all of these people were listed with full names in the previous sentence)? Do you know who Greg Glassman is? Do you know who Pukie is?

Let's put this all in perspective. Basketball players, baseball players, football players, soccer players, volleyball players, track athletes - pick a sport, any sport - the athletes who play these sports at any level all have their favorite players. Ask a 6-year-old tee-ball player who they want to hit like when they play and they'll rattle off a name or two before you can blink. Same for pop warner football players or elementary school basketball players. This trend progresses as we get older too. Talk to a high school athlete about their favorite athletes and they can tell you every last detail about whomever that is. From their season stats to their stats from the game the ngiht before to their shoe size and music selection when they work out. And, even when we get older and mature into the "beer leagues" and fantasy leagues, we still have our pick of whom we imagine we are playing like as we trip over our own two feet or wildly throw an errant ball into the stands or our own team's dugout.

This is not to say that all of these sports don't have their recreational players as well who do not take it nearly as seriously as "competitive" athletes do. But I guess that's what I'm asking you. Are you a weekend warrior CrossFit participant or are you a CrossFitter? If you're a CrossFitter that has aspirations of some day making CrossFit your sport, or if you simply want to get better at CrossFit in general, then these should be names that at least ring a bell. In the group of people that I most associate with, these names are all to common. Why? Because we want to get better, so we emmerse ourselves in videos, in journals, in blogs and pictures of none other than these people because they are the ones who are going to teach us the things that we need to know to improve our game.

Why is it so important for pro's and non-pro's alike to have someone to look up to and admire? Because they are the true definition of role models. They are the best at what they do and as amateur athletes we spend great amounts of time watching, studying, mimicking, and practicing every last routine or move of our role models to become better ourselves. These people define a level that we have not yet achieved and are striving to reach.

Honestly, these people are not difficult to find. Punch any of the names above into Google and you get more information on these athletes than you could read. Quickly cruising around on CrossFit's "main site", http://www.crossfit.com/ you can find many of these people in demonstration videos within 2 minutes. And, in the same vein, how often do you check http://www.crossfit.com/ (aka: "main site" or ".com" (dot com))? Do you have your subscription to the CrossFit Journal? I would bet good money that virtually every competitor who makes it to the regional level of the CrossFit competition and the CrossFit Games answers would be, "daily" and "are you fracking kidding me!".

What about you? How often do you tune into my blog (for more than just to look at that day's class times)? How often do you frequent ".com"? Do you have your journal subscription? Who's your favorite CrossFitter?

Coach Justin

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Friday, March 2, 2012

SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2012

Open Class 12:30pm


NOTE: If you still need to do the CrossFit Games Sectionals Open workout 12.2 please be at the gym by 12:30pm.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Preparing For The Reebok CrossFit Games Sectionals Open Workout 12.2

FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

Wednesday marked the kickoff of the second Reebok CrossFit Games Sectionals Open workout. For full details of the workout click here...Workout 12.2. Essentially this workout consists of 10 minutes of snatches. In order to prepare for the upcoming task check out the two videos below of one of the best Olympic lifters in the country Jon North. Jon competes for team USA and CrossFit Redding has had the priveledge of having him drop by a couple times to coach some of us on the fine tuned skills of Olympic lifting.

I also highly suggest you watch the video contained within the link above that briefs the workout and shows a demonstration of the 2011 Fittest Man On Earth, Rich Froning Jr., completing the workout with the 2011 Sectionals Open Champion Dan Bailey.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Sitting Is Toxic

THURSDAY, MARCH 1ST, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm

Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm


NOTE: I know there are a handful of you who have already expressed your interest in cruising down to Chico State this Saturday to watch the Northern Section Basketball Championship games. The schedule is wrapping up to look like this - I'm not able to leave any earlier than 1:00pm but the Foothill vs Enterprise game doesn't begin until 4:15pm so there shouldn't be any problem there. If we leave by 2:00pm that should give us plenty of time to comfortably drive down and be a little early. Also, since we're there I am probably going to want to hang around and watch the Division 2 boys game between Shasta and Chico (I'm assuming it's Chico anyways) at 7:45.



Sitting is a subject that I've been hammering home to you lately because it's been so painstakingly obvious how much it's been negatively effecting my life and my performance. The effects I'm realizing from sitting include the tight psoas, which will be mentioned below in the video, as well as a locking of the hips and associated low back pain (read "The Psoas: Is It Killing Your Back"). Over the course of the past month or two I've been making a concerted effort to not sit as much. Whenever I'm at the computer I'm standing or kneeling. This effort has made a huge difference in how I feel. If I sit for too long throughout the day I am not able to perform my workouts afterward. However, when I refrain from this dreaded position I feel up to any challenge throughout the day.

And I know that I am not the only one recognizing the effects of sitting. Within the past few months I have had a handful of you disclose to me your concern for how you feel when you stand after sitting for a period of time. This is the real deal folks and I can feel it ruining my life when I sit and it will ruin yours too.

Initially, when I tell people to stop sitting, they start in with, "Oh coach, I know I should stop watching TV as much. Or, I know I should be more active on my off days." That's totally not it at all. If you are CrossFitting just a couple times a week you are, in general, being pretty active by my standards. CrossFit is demanding right?

The fact of the matter is that sitting, in and of itself, IS THE DEVIL! (See The Waterboy). Sitting not only causes pain and discomfort, it also hinders your ability to become organizationally set up for a movement, limits mobility, and negates your ability to place yourself into posturally correct positions, which all result in a performance decline. Watch the video clip below and check out why...

When you're done watching the video clip click on this link - http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/02/why-sitting-wrecks-your-mad-hip-action.html - and read the brief, one paragraph, explanation that K-Star has written as an intro. It's worth your time.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

In Search Of The Perfect Human Diet

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm / 6:30pm


"Health is not convenient, but it's not half as inconvenient as a fatal illness."

Step 1: Watch the trailer below

Step 2: Get as excited about this as I did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Step 3: Start planning your favorite paleo dish so when I receive the copy that I just ordered we can watch it together as a group over dinner.

Step 4: Become knowledgeable

Step 5: Lead by example

Step 6: Improve the lives of those you care about along with yours

Step 7: Be happy

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Monday, February 27, 2012

I'm A Fat Kid At Heart

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm


IF there's anyone who wants to go to the Foothill Boys Varsity basketball PLAYOFF game tonight at 7:00pm. Let me know. I'll be going and am looking for a crew to go support my team with me. This will possibly be their last home game as they will (assuming they win tonight against Las Plumas) play Saturday at Chico State for the Section Championship...which leads me to my next question. Is there anyone who might wanna roll down to Chico State with me this Saturday and catch some local championship basketball? Let me know asap in case I need to figure out rides/seating arrangements. Still fuzzy on Saturday's details but I'll update you as soon as I have them (hopefully by tomorrow's post).


LATELY there's been a lot of comparison between Performance Quest athletes and CrossFit Redding athletes alike about who has the chubbiest baby or who was the chubbiest baby. I figured I'd throw my Adonis-like figure into the mix and maybe give you guys a good chuckle. When I tell you that I had to work EXTREMELY hard to become athletic I'm not lying. With "cheeks" like these there's not a whole lot of athleticism that comes equipped with the standard package. It took years of performance enhancement work and modifications to not only do what I do today, but to just be able to do a single pull-up for God's sake.And I didn't lose this "baby fat" until late in 7th grade!
My family nickname while growing up was "Moose" since you were wondering. Yes, for all the obvious reasons.


Coach-Fat-Kid-At-Heart-Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Making A Claim As The Most Important Factor Of Health And Fitness

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2012
Open Class 3:00pm / 4:00pm
Foothill Volleyball 5:00pm


If you don't think sleep is much of a player in your health and your performance think again. Sleep is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the 4 most influential factors when considering health and performance. The other two being exercise and nutrition.

But wait Coach! That's only 3 factors. What's the 4th? The 4th is stress, which is a culmination of a magnitude of factors. Of this magnitude I feel that sleep, nutrition and exercise are several of the most important. Though I didn't necessarily list them in order of importance here I do feel that sleep may very well be at the top of this brief list.


Below is a great article by my good friend Robb Wolf on the subject. Note that it is definitely worth your time to click on and read the link contained within the first paragraph of the article title "BBC piece on sleep".


SLEEP! SLEEP! SLEEP! HOW ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING AND CORTISOL IMPACT ZZZ'S


Also, congratulations to Anna who posted a great score for the first CrossFit Sectionals Open workout 12.1 with a total of 105 burpees in 7 minutes!


Check out the guy who holds the number one spot in the world with a score of 161 burpees in 7 minutes!!! Superhuman...
Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Friday, February 24, 2012

Bloody Aftermath

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2012

Open Class 9:30am / 2:30pm


NOTE: I will be at the gym at 2:00pm for anyone who wants me to judge their workout (Click link and see below for details). It is only 7 minutes in its entirety so if you show up by 2:00pm I will be able to get you in before class at 2:30pm. If you are not able to make it by 2:00pm and still want to do the workout then show up right after class at 3:30pm or text me and let me know what time works best for you and we will see what we can work out.
Congratulations to those Performance Quest Athletes that have already signed up and posted their scores for the first CrossFit Games Sectionals workout. I wasn't able to conjure up any pictures of the athletes in the heat of battle because I was their judge for the workout but I was able to capture the aftermath of at least one of them.

Performance Quest Fitness & Athletic's intern, Aaron, pushed himself to the limit and posted an impressive score of 103 burpees in 7 minutes! As Aaron found out, a good score does not come without a cost...
Brock and Chad also posted scores yesterday, each at 77 reps for the workout. Way to go guys. I can't tell you how much your efforts toward your own goals as well as those of Team CrossFit Redding mean to me. All of your scores will help us make it to the regional round of competition.

For those of you who've not signed up yet it's not too late! If you're interested in competing you have until Sunday at 5:00pm to register, complete your workout and submit your score. I will be at the gym Sunday for you to do workout 12.1 if you are not able to make it Saturday.

To register for the CrossFit Sectionals Workouts go to the CrossFit Games Website and click on the red "Sign In" link on the top right hand side of the page.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Mobility WOD

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2012

Open Class 4:30pm / 5:30pm


NOTE: I am apparently doing the 1st CrossFit Sectionals Open WOD today at 3:00pm! If anyone is interested in coming and cheering me on through this workout, or if you would like to participate in 7 minutes of max rep burpees please feel free to stop by. I would greatly appreciate your support.

And again, I can't overemphasize enough the importance of recovery. Check out this mobility post from http://www.mobilitywod.com/ and then go check out the website this video came from. There's a new video posted every day that you should be following.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

It Is Time

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, 2012

Gainer's Class 3:00pm

Open Class 5:00pm / 6:00pm

Foothill Volleyball 7:00pm

(I command you to read this in your most baddest 300 movie trailer voice)...

And so "IT" has begun. Upon entering the gym today you will notice a different smell, a different hue, a different urgency. The time where mere mortals "de-scare" themselves and are said to be "un-scared" (haha Lucy...your turn!) is upon us. The time where "human" no longer suffices and superhuman becomes the norm. The time where pain no longer exists. The time where you have to look deep inside your soul and ask yourself, "am I willing to die for my workout?" Yes...it is that time.

That's right...CrossFit competition season has dawned and with it will emerge performances and feats that you have never seen before and that you would never have thought possible. All year the people whom you surround yourself with every day at CrossFit Redding train for this season. For the chance to prove themselves and enshrine their name in the annals of CrossFit.

Last night, at 5:00pm, CrossFit HQ (HeadQuarters) made the first strike by posting the first of five challenges that are to be completed over the course of the next five weeks. These workouts will be performed by thousands upon thousands of people around the world and you have the opportunity to do them yourself!

Ok, seriously now. I can't keep this up anymore. I know I'm having way to much fun with this and you're most likely just rolling your eyes.

The CrossFit Sectionals (Open) competition kicks off today and you can register to compete and help the CrossFit Redding team improve their standing to make it to the CrossFit NorCal Regionals and hopefully move on to the CrossFit Games. We need as many people in our gym to sign up and post scores as possible. There will be one workout posted each of the next five Wednesday's at The CrossFit Games Website for you to complete. You must sign up at The CrossFit Games Registration Page by Sunday afternoon to compete.

And, the way I see it...you might as well sign up and be a part of this experience. Not becuase there's nothing like it (which there's not) but because I will be programming these workouts into your training weeks over the course of the next five weeks anyways!

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Check out this video Reebok CrossFit has put together to introduce the open and the games...

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com