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Strength is…

Strength is more than being able to lift the most weight. It is more than being able to do any number pull-ups or push-ups. Strength is more than being the first to finish the workout.

Strength is being able to make it up the stairs with your groceries. Strength is being able to carry your own bag through the airport. Strength is keeping up with your kids, grandkids, dog, siblings, friends, whomever. Strength is giving it a try even if you might fail. Strength is setting goals and continuously working toward them, even when they seem impossible.

What is your strength? Let us help you find it.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” -Mahatma Gandhi

The Prep at CrossFit Austin || July 6

{Details & Registration}

“The Prep” is designed to introduce new clients to the fundamentals and essential movements often seen in our group classes. The Prep is a course that teaches proper movement, recovery, mobility strategies, and a crash course on nutrition & lifestyle. This beginners program ultimately gives our clients the tools to make their time at CrossFit Austin life changing. We’re not just movers and shakers at CrossFit Austin – we’re thinkers, too. Producing athletes that train smart, work hard and also know their stuff is what we’re all about.

July 6 – July 31

Monday, Wednesday, & Friday at 5:30 am
OR
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 6:30 pm

Group Prep: $200
Private Prep: $300

The first official day of summer has arrived. As our bodies adapt to the heat and humidity that this season brings us, you hear your coaches tell you to make sure you are drinking plenty of water. What is “plenty”? Why is it so important?

Many of us know that water comprises the majority of our body. So making sure that we are consuming an appropriate amount of this clear, flavorless liquid is a no-brainer requirement for optimal health. Now, imagine yourself this summer hiking the Greenbelt, completing your WOD, or sitting by pool/river/lake for countless hours…without any water. Thirsty thoughts? Thirst is often thought of as an alert for the beginnings of dehydration. According to Merriam-Webster, dehydration is defined as;

Dehydration– an abnormal depletion of body fluids

I don’t think anyone would argue that the aforementioned activities could bring on the onset of dehydration without appropriate measures being taken. Most of us have heard the 6-8, 8oz. cups of water per day as the standard for water consumption. Yes, this is standard. However, just as our nutritional fingerprint differs from individual to individual, so should our water intake. We all come in different shapes and sizes and participate at different levels in vastly different activities. Additionally, depending on our current state of health, some systems are more efficient than others at regulating the needs of said activities. Without throwing specific recommendations out there for person A, weighing ‘x’ amount at such and such height yada-yada ya…here are some dehydration indicators to be aware this summer to help you key in on your health, thus your performance, as it pertains to water intake.

A few symptoms have been identified as;

• Little to no urine, or dark yellow/amber hued urine
• Headaches
• Dizziness/lightheadedness
• Dry mouth
• Confusion

Conversely, proper hydration helps eliminate the chances of these occurring, and can aid us in;

• Regulating core body temperature
• Lubricating our joints
• Keeping our kidneys and liver healthy by flushing out toxins and eliminating waste
• Helps carry oxygen and nutrients to our cells and tissues

Are there other sources to help me stay hydrated other than JUST water? Yes. Although here, water is king, here are a few other ways to sneak in the liquid. Fruits and vegetables contain small amounts of h2o, as well as their juices. Keep in mind that the juices may have unwanted calories due to added sugars. Coffee and teas also contain water, but caffeine can act as a diuretic and lead to frequent urination and counter our purpose.

All in all, plan and prepare for your daily activities.

• Be aware of your environment (heat and humidity) and what your body is telling you
• Keep a mental note of your previous 12-24 hours of water intake
• Keeping a water bottle with you throughout your day will help you monitor your water consumption
• Adjust your consumption as needed to fit your daily activity level

“Mama said Gatorade is the devil”

Train smart, live smart,

-Coach Garland

When many of you read Coach Leigh’s Achilles article you might have been wondering what the best way to “prep” the Achilles might be, or how to increase ankle/calf mobility in general. Well, here are some answers!

 

Bev – Total: 100K (220) Snatch: 42K (92.4) Clean & Jerk: 58K (127.6) PR**

Leah – Total:110K (242) Snatch: 46K (101.2)  Clean & Jerk: 64K (140.8) meet PR**

Nick – Total: 225K (495) Snatch: 100K (220) Clean and Jerk: 125 (275)

Wes – Total: 267K (587.4) Snatch: 119K (261.8) Clean and Jerk: 148K (325.6)

Did you think we weren’t going to address this after top Games’ athlete, Julie Foucher, tore her achilles while doing box jumps this past weekend? 😉 To avoid sounding cliché, I won’t jump on every anti-high rep box jump bandwagon.  What I will do is shed light on the anatomical side of things and why this tends to be a consistent topic of discussion. Time to get nerdy and anatomical with y’all! 😉

Let’s look at the movement itself. A box jump is a plyometric exercise where there’s a powerful eccentric contraction (lengthening) quickly followed by a concentric contraction (shortening). When we land, The Achilles tendon is in the eccentric phase. It’s being stretched at the same time the calf muscles are contracting. The lengthening phase (eccentric) of the Achilles stores energy for the start of the next jump.

The acceleration of lengthening/shortening of muscles under stress is what helps the effectiveness of plyometric exercises and developing strength. It’s also what makes them risky based on the degree at which the muscle and tendon are being tensed. The role of the Achilles tendon during a box jump can be compared to a rubber band. When stretched it stores energy that it uses to return back to its shortened state. Pull too hard and it snaps.

Most exercises create small tears inside tendons. Nothing to be scared of as this is how we build strength. However, in the case of the Achilles, high rep box jumps can cause injuries because the repetitiveness of eccentric loading causes enough micro tears that it no longer has the strength to absorb the forces; leading to a macro tear or complete rupture of the tendon.

I’m certainly not here to tell you to stop rebounding off the floor. We’re adults, you can make that decision. However, I can shed light on where you fall.

If you have:

• Poor ankle mobility (stiff ankles or limited calf flexibility)—stick with the jump up, step down method. You’ll thank us.
• Foot pronation (ankle collapses inward and you aren’t working in a straight line)—again, step down method until we find a way to develop better ankle stability.
• Trained frequently w/ explosive movements and haven’t allowed enough time for rest (i.e. sore/tight calves, tenderness in ankle)—think carefully about rebounding. It may be a good idea to give more time to recover with the step down method.

If your goals include:

• Day to day health and fitness—by all means, if they’re in a workout, STEP DOWN. You’ll gain more from it and will certainly decrease this risk.
• Improving movement quality—go with the step up/down method. Better glute engagement and overall positioning
• Competing—you can’t avoid these in your training but use progression here. Smaller boxes to train rebounding but use as strength sets. You should never use these in workouts if you haven’t built the strength to handle the force the rebounding places on the Achilles. If you’ve been competing for a while, use them as conditioning sets between exercises but never under fatigue/towards the end of a workout. I’d save rebounding for game day.

The Achilles is a tricky beast as no one is sure why it starts to degenerate. It gives no signs and even well trained athletes are at risk for rupture. But with proper training and understanding your own movement patterns, you can certainly minimize your risk for this. Yes, it’s a one in a million injury but it has become the ‘Achilles heel’ ☺ within the crossfit world. I’d like for all our members to have healthy ones!

Train smart, live smarter, CFA!
–Coach Leigh