FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31ST, 2010

NO CLASS

HAPPY NEW YEAR...WANKERS!!!

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Did You Know If You Do CrossFit You Are Part Of A Cult...Seriously?

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30TH, 2010

6:30pm

That's right folks. A cult! And you are a volunteering participant. Seriously!

Ever heard the words, "Drink the Kool-Aid" at the gym? That's one of the favorite slogans of CrossFit.

Ok. Don't believe me? Let's turn to the definition of "cult" and see if what we do and what you sign up for fits the bill. This will be fun.

We'll begin by covering the definition of a "cult".

"CULT"

A cult is a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g. isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, etc.) designed to advance the goals of the group's leader(s).

1. People are put in physical or emotionally distressing situations...oh YEAH!
2. Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation...CrossFit!
3. They receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group...you better let me know if you feel any other way!
4. They get a new identity based on the group...well, at least some of you have nicknames!
5. They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives and the mainstream culture)...the fact that CrossFit is ALL you can talk about doesn't help your relationships...plus, many CrossFitters end up ditching thier friends who don't themselves convert...the people at CrossFit are just so much cooler than your old friends and honestly, if they don't become followers, you'll have NOTHING in common to talk about any more anyways.

A couple of the major differences between our cult, which is CrossFit, and other cults are that members of our secret society are considered "super"human, not "sub"human, and our cult was formed to enhance the functionings of our government and works closely with them on improving relevant deficiencies, not work against them.

Coach-Drink-Up-Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Why I Have Never Made A New Year's Resolution

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29TH, 2010

6:30pm

Care to learn why Coach Justin refuses to make a New Year's resolution...Self-Improvement Is Masturbation (I promise the article is not crude, this is just a relevant quote from a popular movie that ended up as the title)

As I sat in a living room circle at a friend's house Christmas night I realized that, as the conversation was flowing around the room, it would soon be my turn to tell everyone (about 20 people or so) my New Year's resolution. You see this was a "fun" game that one of the family members decided to kick off and have everyone in the room take turns telling their goals for 2011. As I sat there, with only six people left before having to make something up, I contemplated expressing my feelings on New Year's resolutions and making the whole mood turn extremely awkward in about 0.2 second.

However, my self-conscience, you know the good one with the wings and the halo that dwells on the left shoulder opposite the one with the horns and pitchfork on the right, got the best of me. And so, I made up some silly little New Year's resolution that appeased everyone present and kept the "game" on track. Now in no way am I ridiculing this family because it has happened every year no matter the family and I'm sure you've been in a situation very similar to mine. Heck! You may have been the one who initiated the "game".

Honestly, I've never been one to make a New Year's resolution and can't for the life of me remember ever seriously making one. To get a good sense of just why I don't make such resolutions check out this article by John Welbourne of CrossFit Football...Self-Improvement Is Masturbation

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

The Country's Big Low-Fat Message Backfired

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, 2010

6:30pm

The LA Times is getting it...ARE YOU! A Reversal on Carbs

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

If He Can Do It...

MONDAY, DECEMBER 27TH, 2010
6:30pm

A BIG THANK YOU to all of those who pitched in for my Christmas gift. It was very thoughtful of you and I really like my Under Armour pants...they fit perfect.

Need a little extra motivation before getting into the next workout? Check this out!


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: No class on Friday

Wit and Wisdom with Mark Rippetoe

On his book Starting Strength...

"And the book is not any more expensive in Australia than it is here except for the shipping, which is what you get for living in Australia"

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

BURPEES!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class Friday.

This is a quick and cool little calculation from Trident CrossFit. Really helps put burpees into perspective. See what you think.

Burpees

You love ‘em or you hate ‘em. Lets face it unless you are really demented they mostly suck – but why. From a physiology stand point it is damn near the most work you can do using your body weight. You full body weight goes all the way to the floor, back up in a plyometric move then a jump to move your entire bodyweight off the ground. Do the math – Work = Force x Distance and Force = Mass x Acceleration (I knew that Physics degree was going to be handy…). Let’s say your center of gravity is 4’6” off the ground and your weight 150lbs. Minimal effort to get to the ground (if you do it right) but it is not zero unless you want to crash at 32.2 feet/sec­2 – then 150lbs back up to 4’6” plus the jump, lets call it 5’ for round numbers and easy math. So with the effort to get your weight down safely and the thrust to get your feet under you (we’ll call that conservatively 50 ft/lbs of work) we are roughly now 200 lbs of work – so that is 1000 ft/lbs of work. Lets say you are cranking them out as fast as you can and you are getting one burpees every 3 seconds (fast but not unrealistic, you can get 2 per second pretty easy…) so in 60 seconds you get 20 burpees – 20*1000 ft/lbs = 20,000 ft/lbs of work in 1 minute – that is about 2/3hp and trust me that is HUGE! Just a small example – if you are on a road bike, level ground you would be going easily 25+ mph… If you want to check out power output for various exercise – here is a link...Work & Power Output Calculator

That is why burpees are tough – large load, over a long distance in a short amount of time. So what. The “so what” is that life rewards work done. Life rewards power output. And guess what 150 burpees for time builds besides power out put…mental toughness like you read about! That’s not all – they are useful for in life. Especially for Mil/LEO/Fire types – survival is fire and maneuver and that is what a burpee is – down fast then up fast move, back down before someone can see track and engage. The usefulness in sports is easy to see, you fall down in soccer, fall down in football — enter the burpee and you are back up and on your feet moving. Dive in volleyball, racquetball – same thing. Maybe you are at a bar trying to make an impression on someone and you trip – the burpee can be your salvation and total recovery of your cool points – ok maybe that’s a stretch but you get the idea.

So what do you think about burpees…post you thoughts / ideas…

Wit and Wisdom from Mark Rippetoe

"Yes, if you squat wrong it "fricks" things up. If you squat correctly, those same "fricked"-up things will un"frick" themselves."

- Mark Rippetoe

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21ST, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: No class this Friday

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: No class this Friday

Nutrition Directly Related to National Security

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday

With finals week upon me and my first test tomorrow I've been studying like a madman. I know, I know, big sigh for me right? Anyways, this means that I have to have something to keep me sane and Coach Rip seems to be the anecdote. Since we had a brief discussion about gloves at class last night I thought it fitting to inject Rippetoe's take on the matter...

"The only legitimate use for a glove is to cover an injury... A desire to prevent callous formation (possibly so as to not snag one's pantyhose) does not constitute a legitimate use."

-Coach Rippetoe

Don't like that one? Try this one on for size...

"If you insist on wearing gloves, make sure they match your purse."

-Coach Rippetoe

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Read Quote...Watch Video...Laugh...Learn

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 2010
6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday

Since starting CrossFit I have found a never-ending source of amusement in one of the leading strength and conditioning coaches in the country. His name is Mark Rippetoe and he has authored/co-authored a number of books, the most infamous I believe to be Starting Strength. To sum it up...he is good!

Anyways, he has a great sense of humor too that I feel like sharing with you from time to time instead of just enjoying it myself. Today I have a quote and a clip to go with it. If you read the quote it's funny enough, but listen to how Coach Rip speaks and then read it again. Even funnier! Today we are lucky enough that I found the clip where he actually says the quote. Nevertheless, you should read all of the future quotes as if he were saying them as well. Just makes them better.

Mark Rippetoe on calling "The Press", "The Shoulder Press":

"We just call it the press, because how could you press without the shoulders? You can leg press...but that's gay?"

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Prescription Drugs Now The Leading Cause Of Death In The US!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday.

A Brief Intro: "When The Cure Is Worse Than The Disease"
The average American, aged 19 to 64, now takes close to 12 prescription drugs every year!

The average senior typically fills over 31 prescriptions every year, and even children, between the ages of 0-18, are taking an average of close to 4 prescriptions annually.

But with all of these drugs, Americans are not walking around with stellar health.

Instead, chronic disease rates are rising and the latest study published in Health Affairs revealed that the United States now ranks 49th for male and female life expectancy worldwide, a ranking that has fallen sharply from fifth place in 1950.

At the same time that life expectancy has been declining at faster rates than many other industrialized nations, per capita health spending has been on the rise.

Specifically, U.S. per capita health spending rose at nearly twice the rate of other developed countries between 1970 and 2002, which means the U.S. spends more than twice the amount on health care as other developed nations.

Part of this spending is going toward the excessive and unnecessary use of prescription drugs, which as Reuters reported, Dr. Paul Griner of the University of Rochester estimated that unnecessary or inappropriate tests and procedures add up to about 20 percent of health care spending.

Read further to find out why prescription drugs are being touted as the leading cause of death in the US and what you can do to avoid this path...Prescription Drugs Make Your Health Worse.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Turkish Get-Ups ARE For You

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2010

NO CLASS, BUT...

If you're feeling up to it come on in and join me at CrossFit at 10:00am for Kevin's stretching class. This is an amazing class and something that I am going to start taking more advantage of.


Want to improve your ability to become a multifaceted athlete or to be prepared for the unkown and the unkowable? Learn the Turkish Get-Up. As odd as the name might be and unorthodox the movement might look, the function more than makes up for. This lift, made popular in the U.S. by the strongmen you see in those black and white pictures with unitards and handlebar moustaches, is quickly on the rise as one of the most popular lifts in many peoples programs. Those of you who train with me or in the same vecinity as me know that I am a BIG fan of the Turkish Get-Up.

Without going into fine detail and breaking down the movement into each of its components I will say that the movement's standards (at least when training with me) are that you begin with your shoulders on the floor, reach a full overhead standing position, and return to the starting position without dropping the weight. This can be done with any weighted object. Some of my favorite Turkish Get-Ups involve wrapping another person around your arm for weight! This guy below just did it with a 135 lb. barbell instead.

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Lecture From The Leader In The Paleo Diet

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2010
6:30pm

Here's a video clip of Professor Loren Cordain, PhD, author of The Paleo Diet and website http://www.thepaleodiet.com/.

This clip is part 7 of 7 and I believe it to be the one with the most inormation applicable in your life. I actually find the other 6 even more interesting but I like to geek out on the why behind the what. If you find part 7 interesting watch one, or two, or all of the other parts (each roughly 10mins.) and learn why the Paleo Diet promotes what it does.

View Parts 1-7 here: Talk To Me Johnny

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Accessing Your Intuition

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2010

6:30pm

Came across this little thought-provoking snippet today and thought I should share. Can you apply these concepts to your life? Do you see which may be a weakness and which may be a strength for you?

Here are a few practical tips to enhance our ability to access our intuition.

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

You Make Coach Proud

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2010
6:30pm

Yesterday proved to be a great strength workout across the board. I believe everyone PR'd in at least one lift and some decided to break a few gym records along the way! I was extremely happy with the way everyone lifted this Tuesday.

Lucy currently boasts a gym best Overhead Squat, Push Press, and Front Squat. In addition to all of this she also PR'd in her power clean. That's one heck of a day's work (Overhead Squat was last week).

Aaron's bench press is looking solid and his squats as well as his cleans are now lookin' very legit.

Phil PR'd in his Squat (though this is not a picture of his PR effort)

And Cameron (not pictured...sorry Bro) PR'd in his clean.

Also, make sure and help me welcome back Molly who recently signed to UNLV for softball on a full-ride scholarship after being forced to sit out her first two years of high school softball due to injury! Molly came to Performance Quest Athletics to prepare herself for competition after a couple years off and this past year Molly absolutely crushed her opponents on the diamond!

And, last but not least, also please help me in welcoming Joe. Joe comes to Performance Quest understanding the demands that the Fire Academy will place upon him in the upcoming months and is with us to prepare for anything and everything. On his inaugural day, Joe put up some impressive numbers that are sure to skyrocket in the coming workouts.

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.ccom

The Benefits Of Weight Training For Children

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 2010

6:30pm

This is a hot topic that I've been faced with lately and I'm sure at some point this topic is one that we are all faced with. Know how to answer it. Read here.

The Benefits of Weight Training For Children

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Harlan Carter and Performance Quest Athletes

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, 2010
6:30pm

Coach Justin

PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 2010

NO CLASS

NOTE: Next class will be Monday at 6:30pm.

Check back by Sunday for pictures of this past week's workouts and Performance Quest Fitness & Athletics' basketball athletes on the court.

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com

Achy Legs Can Be Fatal

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 2010

6:30pm

NOTE: There will be no class this Friday.

Wait! You mean those horrendous workouts where I can barely walk out of the gym and it takes everything I have to move my foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal can actually kill me? Well, if it's that difficult to get you foot to the brakes then yeah! Maybe they can. But that's not what I'm talkin' 'bout here.

I have a number of exciting articles I happened across the other day that I was really looking forward to sharing with you today. However, I came across another one last night that addresses an issue that I've been hearing about A LOT lately. Several weeks ago my favorite nursing student (you know...the one at Long Beach State) was grilling me on my general knowledge of stuff she'd learned and asked me if I could tell her how Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) caused someone to die of a heart attack. I replied, "I've actually never heard of it". According to the following article this is common. Following this recent exchange with said nursing student I've subsequently heard of several cases of people with symptoms of achey legs being rushed into the emergency room for open heart surgery. And all of the cases I've heard about have come from my family members who knew the person or worked with the person's wife/husband. So, I figured that if I have heard about PAD this frequently over the past couple of weeks maybe it is something to look into. Well I did and the numbers are staggering! Large enough that I'd have pretty good odds if I bet that this disease will affect you in some capacity or another.

Well, if something life-threatening was coming after me or someone I knew and I had a chance to read up on it you can bet that I'd jump at the opportunity. I'm assuming you will to. So, here ye be.

When Achy Legs Are A Warning

Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com