The blog is a bit behind on stuff what with new programs launching and the LFPB Challenge gearing up, but here’s something really cool. It’s CFSBK member and photographer Robert C. giving a TEDx talk called “Is a Robot Standing Between You and Your Next Job?” It’s a very cool and informative video. Congrats, Robert! 

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Coach KHarpz is in Miami this weekend for Wodapalooza! Here’s a transmission from the Sunshine State:

“Looking forward to throwing down as an Intermediate Individual at this year’s Wodapalooza! Couldn’t be more thankful for all of you and the supportive crew that is coming down to watch! A couple of people have asked, so if you want to spectate from afar, here are the ways you can locate me on the livestream, especially if you want to see what I look like cleaning a sandbag in a swim cap and goggles on Saturday, : 1) Download the WZA phone app. My schedule will be posted under Intermediate individual directed to this link below. There will be a livestream option on the site as well as through the app. 2) You can also access the schedule and livestream from the website. 3) If I know more info I’ll post details about heat times to the blog! STAY WARM FOLKS!”

Kick some ass, Katie! You can follow Katie’s ass kicking on the WZA leaderboard.

2. Save the date: The CFSBK Community Potluck goes down on Saturday, February 3rd! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. See the event page for details.

4. We also heard from Constance T. this week! See you soon, Constance!

5. We just passed 6,000 followers on Instagram. Thanks for helping us reach this milestone! We still need your help reaching 5,000 followers on Facebook, so smash that “like” button to help your favorite gym out!

6. Our next Brazilian jiu-jitsu cycle with Callie Brennan starts this weekend. There are a limited number of spots in each class, so get on it! Details are in yesterday’s post

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | NFR Work
How to Conquer Your Fear of Trying New Things NY Mag
Handstand Like a Boss Athlete Daily

Power Snatch

Every Other Minute on the Minute x 16 Minutes (8 reps):
Mid-Hang Power Snatch + Power Snatch

Build up to a heavy single on the complex.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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21 Minutes Not for Rounds:
200′ Single-Arm Front Rack Walk (each arm)
16 Wall-Facing Shoulder Taps (or 4 Wall Walks)

Post work to comments.

Our next Brazilian jiu-jitsu cycle with Callie Brennan (pictured right) starts this Sunday. There are a limited number of spots in each class, so get on it!

Sign Up for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at CFSBK!

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a full-contact grappling style that prioritizes strategy over brute force. Literally translating to the “soft
“or “pliable” (jiu) “style” (jitsu), it is often thought of as the chess of martial arts. BJJ is, at its core, a self-defense system that employs positional advantages, joint locks, and chokes to defend against an opponent or attacker in an assertive and elegant manner. You needn’t be stronger than your opponent to subdue them, which makes BJJ one of the most practical and effective martial arts for all ages and sizes. There is no striking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a submission grappling art based on efficiency of movement, leverage, and timing.

The Level 1 Cycle is your jiu-jitsu starter pack. The course is geared towards anyone intrigued by BJJ but unsure where to begin, anyone who wants to become better acquainted with dynamic movement on the ground, and anyone who could use a review to jump back into it.

In Level 2, we will build on concepts and vocabulary of movement from the various positions with a larger portion of class-time dedicated to progressive resistance drilling, positional sparring, and straight sparring. If you have grappling experience from the past, you are welcome to jump into the Level 2 course!

Course Details

These will be 4-week courses with 1 class per week. Classes will cover the basic body mechanics and techniques used in jiu-jitsu. Come dressed in standard work out garb (leggings, spats, shorts that won’t fall off) and be advised that the sweat you leave with may not be your own. No zippers, no claws, no jewelry!

By the end of the course, you will be at the point where you can walk into a live-sparring jiu-jitsu class without reservation.

Schedule

Level 1 (January 14th – February 4th)

Sundays, 3:30pm – 5pm

Level 2 (January 14th – February 4th)

Sundays, 2:00pm – 3:30pm

Pricing

1 class per week for 4 weeks: $100

Register here!

About the Coach

Callie Brennan is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Team Fabio Clemente. Callie has been training and competing for the past 7 years. She began teaching beginner and intermediate students under the guidance of Pan American champion Babs Olusanmokun and multiple time World and Pan American champion Dominyka Obelenyte.

Callie has competed locally and internationally winning gold at American Nationals as a white belt, the Montreal IBJJF Open at blue belt, and New York IBJJF Open at purple belt in her weight. She also medaled in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials at blue belt.

Callie recently founded Rag Doll Camps with her training partner and coach, Dominyka Obelenyte, with a mission to close the gender gap in the sport. She also teaches privately.

She initially began CrossFit to supplement her jiu-jitsu practice, and she is looking forward to sharing it with the CFSBK community!

Feel free to contact Callie directly with any questions!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Back Squat | Row, DB Push Press
Learning to Actively Pull Under the Bar Catalyst Athletics
Why You Should Add Crawling to Your Warm-Up and Workout Routine BarBend

Another cool photo from Thomas H.’s recent set

Perfection Is the Enemy of Good Enough

By David Osorio

Originally posted on 1.11.16

As the Look Feel Perform Better Challenge enters full swing, many of you are diligently working to count your macros and make better decisions at the checkout line and in front of the fridge. We commend your diligence and are here to support your efforts in the online forums, during the bimonthly nutrition lectures, and in person around the gym.

But a public service announcement, perhaps even a warning, is warranted at this early stage of the Challenge. This Challenge is three months long—about as long as a college semester—and the reality is that motivation can wax and wane over a period of this length. The New Year finds everyone on their best behavior, feeling impervious to temptation and carefully planning each and every meal. And then you know how it goes: things get complicated. Life happens. You’re starving after a long, brutal day at work and end up grabbing a couple slices of pizza on the way home.

Remember not to lose sight of the forest for the trees. What’s important is your cumulative effort. Overarching trends—not any particular day, night, and certainly not a single meal—will be the key to making sustainable changes and ultimately looking, feeling, and performing better.

Changing your nutritional habits is like practicing free throws. On different days, because of different circumstances, your success rate will fluctuate. A bad day where you missed 30 shots out of 50 doesn’t negate the next day, when you creep up to a 90% success rate. If you’re out there, practicing and putting in the work, the sum of your efforts will add up to a higher average success rate, which is what we all want.

Maybe you didn’t get any points today. Maybe you went over by 30 grams on your fat intake. Maybe you had a few slices of pizza and a couple of beers with your friends last night. The world won’t end! There are far more important questions to ask yourself. Are you eating cleaner overall and making more intentional decisions than you were last month? After a couple of weeks, is it getting easier to look at meals and assess how they’ll fit into the bigger picture of your goals? Do you have more “go-to” healthy meals that you enjoy and have become staples of your diet? Do you feel better than you did before you started the Challenge?

In these first couple of weeks, take a moment to remind yourself why you’re doing this and what you’d like to say you accomplished three months from now. It probably won’t be something like, “I didn’t eat a single grain of sugar.” It should be something more like, “I learned how powerful nutrition can be and can confidently say that I’m healthier and happier than I was before I started.”

Are you doing LFPB this year or have you done it in the past? If so, what is the biggest challenge and how did you deal with it?
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Yesterday’s Results Board: HSPUs / DBSSRDL | Double-Unders, Hand Release Push-Ups, Pull-Ups
We’d Love to Link You to This Website But It’s Impossible The Outline
Picking a Gym: Do They Respect You? Breaking Muscle

Handstand Push-Up / Dumbbell Split-Stance Romanian Deadlift Superset*

Performance
A1) Tempo (40×1) Handstand Push-Up:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add a few reps to last week. These should all be sub-max sets, adding a deficit if you’re able to. Full range of motion, no AbMats. No crashing or resting on your head! Perform the reps strict if you can. You can kip the concentric if you must, but keep true to the tempo on the eccentric through the full range of motion and do not crash or rest on your head.

A2) Dumbbell Split-Stance RDL:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week.

Fitness
A1) Tempo (40×1) Seated Dumbbell Press:
5 x 5-8 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week. Optional: Perform a Kick-Up to the wall with a few second hold immediately after each set of Presses.

A2) Dumbbell Split-Stance RDL:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week.

*Warm up and then perform a set of Handstand Push-Ups, followed by a set of DB Split-Stance Single-Leg RDLs. Repeat for 5 work sets of each, resting about a minute between movements. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses.

Post loads/reps to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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Every Minute on the Minute x 10:
20 Double-Unders
10/7 Hand Release Push-Ups
5 Pull-Ups

Post work to comments.

Mer-Bear’s award-winning pie from last year

Save the Date and Get Cookin’ for the Community Potluck on February 3rd!

We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm! This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come.

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge… animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, whole grains, and dairy are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Captain Osorio himself!
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE. Bring your kiddos!
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail our Events Coordinator Danae M. at events [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let her know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page!

We can’t wait to see you there!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rack Jerk | Front Squats, Toes-to-Bars
How I Made Peace with My Appetite Girls Gone Strong
How to Create Motivation (Even When It’s Not New Years) XPT

Rack Jerk

Performance
5 x 1

Fitness
5 x 3 

Warm up and perform sets across at 90-100% of Week 1‘s best successful lift. The goal is consistent reps, not PR attempts or press outs.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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AMRAP 9 Minutes:
3 Front Squats 205/145
9 Toes-to-Bars

The Front Squat come off the floor and should be heavy but unbroken. First rep can be a full Squat Clean. Sub Hanging Leg or Knee Raises for Toes-to-Bars as needed.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Is Greg preparing for his new role as Sub-Zero in the next Mortal Kombat movie or just getting ready to go outside? | Photo by Thomas H. 

Today: Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A, “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (today at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

Akoto O. on Injury and Functional Fitness

Akoto O. hasn’t been around the gym lately because of an ankle injury. She recently send us a nice message updating us on her status and letting us know how CrossFit has prepared her to deal with this setback:

Many members have reached out to me to offer well wishes, words of encouragement, meals, books and Netflix recs! Colleen, who missed a big chunk of her own workout by staying by my side when I fell that Saturday, has even offered to be my open gym partner when I return. What a special, kind community you all have fostered. I am lucky to call CFSBK my fitness home.

Now, forgive this portion of the rant, but I gotta give a shout out to functional fitness:

I have strict instructions to not put any weight on my right ankle. In physical therapy, before I was discharged, as the therapist showed me how lift and lower myself on to the bed, couch, toilet, etc., I thought, “Oh, just like seated Pistol progressions.”

Using a walker is kinda sorta like holding myself up on the Matador.

Hopping around on one leg: one-legged Single-Unders!

The other day I was home alone and I had to bend down and pick up an object: Single-Leg Deadlift!

Point is, there is nothing I need to do to get around safely that I can’t do. All of this feels familiar to me in some way, and because of that, I feel wholly prepared to get through the next few months. Doctors, nurses and therapists have all remarked on my strength and stamina. I owe that to CFSBK, both to the grade-A instruction I’ve received in class over the last 4.5 years and to the things I’ve had the freedom (and equipment) to work on in open gym.

As for an update on my ankle and recovery: Compound fracture dislocation. Surgery went well. The pain is surprisingly manageable. Worst part: my sleep is trash. Best part: I get to track my macros with home cooked meals everyday, but I don’t have to deal with the tyranny of dirty dishes (thanks Mom). I especially don’t miss washing tupperware. Hashtag blessed.

My mother, who is a retired nurse and a phenomenal cook, just happened to be in town when all of this happened, so she’s extended her stay and will be with me at least until the new year. Also, insurance fully covers visiting nurses and physical therapists. Silver linings, ya’ll. I’m in good hands.

Doctor says no regular commuting until February, which is when I plan to come back to the gym, so I’ll see you all then.

Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times.

We miss you, Ko! Heal fast!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Wodurday
“Bring Sally Up” Pull-Up Challenge BarBend
The Messy Facts About Diet and Inflammation Scientific American

At 0:00…

3 Rounds For Time:
20 Calories Rowed
20 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9

At 12:00

3 Rounds For Time:
15 Power Cleans 115/80
15 Burpees

The Power Clean should be light/medium for you. The Burpees happen behind and lateral to the bar, no jump over.

At 24:00

Every Minute on the Minute x 10 (5 ea):
Minutes 0, 2, 4, 6, 8: 45 Second Hollow Hold Minutes
1, 3, 5, 7, 9 : 45 Second Reverse Plank

Tuck the Hollow or bend your knees on the Plank as needed to hold for 45 seconds.

Post work to comments.

If a medicine ball falls in the gym, and nobody’s there to catch it, does it count as a rep? (Probably not.) | Photo by Thomas H. 

TOMORROW: Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A, “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (tomorrow at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Clean and Jerks 2.27x Her Bodyweight hookgrip (video)
What Is “Starting Strength”? Starting Strength

Phil S. gets after some rope climbs. Check out more of Thomas H.’s recent photos here! 

Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A: “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (this Sunday, January 7th at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Hey, speaking of the LFPB Challenge, today is the last day to sign up and/or complete all your Pre-challenge stuff! See yesterday’s post for a handy checklist.

2. Coaches KHarpz and Chris Fox recently wrote pieces for our buds at Beyond the Whiteboard. Check out Coach Fox‘s “Older, Fitter: You’re Not as Old as You’re Gonna Be,”  the first in a series of posts that will reveal some of his knowledge about training older athletes. Coach KHarpz penned the latest installment in her continuing series detailing her quest to qualify for regionals,“Massing SZN: I Command You to Grow!” They’re both great weekend reads!

3. What’s all the good stuff for sale in the fridge, and how can it help you reach your fitness goals? Everything you need to know is in Wednesday’s post!

4. Save the date for the CFSBK Community Potluck on February 3rd! This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the LFPB Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together.

5. We’re very close to 5,000 likes on Facebook and 6,000 followers on Instagram. If you already follow us, thank you! If not, smash that like button to help your favorite gym!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | DB Deadlifts, DB Thrusters
The Catch: Weightlifting’s Most Complicated Movement Breaking Muscle
Exercise Alters Our Microbiome. Is That One Reason It’s So Good for Us? NY Times

Touch-and-Go Power Snatch

Every Other Minute on the Minute x 14 (8 sets):
At Minutes 0, 2: 7 Touch-and-Go Power Snatches
At Minutes 4, 6: 5 Touch-and-Go Power Snatches
At Minutes 8, 10: 3 Touch-and-Go Power Snatches
At Minutes 12, 14: 7 Touch-and-Go Power Snatches

Each set should be heavy for the rep range. These should be true touch-and-go without the need for the barbell to be resting in the hang on the way down. If you’re newer to the lift, then focus more on maintaining good positions and a close bar path than on hanging on to the bar, and do sets of quick bailed singles as needed.

This is a repeat of exposure 4 from this cycle.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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For Time:
15-12-9-6-3
Dumbbell Deadlifts 50/35
Dumbbell Thrusters 50/35

Post time and Rx to comments.

Evidence that there was a time not so long ago when it wasn’t below freezing on Degraw Street. We’re open today and mostly running on a normal schedule. Any cancellations will be listed in the News and Notes section below! 

THE LOOK, FEEL, PERFORM BETTER CHALLENGE CHECKLIST!

The Look, Feel Perform Better Challenge started Monday, but there’s still time to sign up! By participating in the Challenge, you’ll get daily accountability alongside fellow CFSBKers and the support of the coaching staff. Learn how to make nutrition work for you, and maybe also get some abs in time for beach season. Whether you’ve already signed up or plan to sign up, be sure to complete the following steps by January 5th in order to participate and be eligible for prizes:

• Sign your name on the big list in the community area of the gym.
• Sign up for payment ($30 per month for the three-month program) at the front desk or in the online store.
• Answer a few brief questions and submit your “before” photos according to the guidelines on the Look, Feel, Perform Better website. These entries are private will not be published or seen by anyone other than us without your consent. You can access the 2018 LFPB Challenge Entry Form HERE.
  
• Perform the Test WOD (today!) and record your results.
• Enter points earned daily on the spreadsheet to track how well you’re complying with the guidelines.
• Complete your Post-Challenge submission by 3/28/18 at the end of the challenge.
• Optional: Attend the bi-monthly LFPB Q&A Info Sessions on Sundays at 1pm in the Annex at CFSBK. Each one will have a brief topical lecture followed by a Q&A. (1/7, 1/21, 2/4, 2/18, 3/4, and 3/18).

Save the date for the CFSBK Community Potluck on February 3rd! This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the LFPB Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together.

News and Notes

• Hey, so we’re very close to 5,000 likes on Facebook and 6,000 followers on Instagram. Smash that like button to help your favorite gym!
• Missing something? Check out the goods from our latest lost and found dump, and be sure to claim your items before we donate them to CHIPS.
• This afternoon’s CrossFit Teens class is cancelled. 

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Back Squat | Burpee Box Jumps, Bar Muscle-Ups
The Super Bowl of Japanese Wrestling Is Worth Losing Sleep to Watch The Outline
Unfiltered Fervor: The Rush to Get Off the Water Grid NY Times

Tempo Back Squat (32X1)

6 x 2

Heavier than last week. Should be challenging but not too much of a grind out of the hole. Use spotters if you’re not 110% sure of your reps.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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3 Rounds
AMRAP 3 Minutes:
10 Burpee Box Jumps 24/20
5 Bar Muscle-Ups or Chest-to-Bar Pull Ups

Rest 3 minutes between rounds. Begin each round with the Burpee Box Jumps. Sub Jumping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups as needed.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Like everything else at CFSBK, the big fridge next to the front desk is very well organized. But it’s not just pretty to look at! It’s also full of the best supplements and pre/post-workout snacks around. In this new video, Captain Osorio talks about some of the Puori stuff we carry. Below, Coach Fox goes into a little more depth and explains why you might want to introduce these into your routine. Tag team effort! 

What’s in the Fridge?

By Chris Fox

Puori O3

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. You’ve probably heard that you need more omega-3s but might not have heard just why. They have an anti-inflammatory effect and help your body maintain normal heart function as well as normal brain function and vision. One dose of Puori O3 is equal to 99g of wild salmon. If fatty fish isn’t always on your plate, you may want to add some fish oil to your daily regimen. Puori O3 is sourced exclusively from wild anchovies, responsibly caught in the south Pacific Ocean. Since these fish are low on the food chain, they don’t accumulate toxins and heavy metals like larger fish such as cod, salmon and tuna. Puori’s O3 is consistently awarded 5/5 stars from IFOS for freshness, stability and purity. These softgels don’t have the fishy taste or smell that you can get with some fish oils—it has a fresh lemon taste. The dark capsules protect the fish oil from light to avoid oxidation and keep them fresh. We recommend taking them with a meal. Puori takes the extra step to get O3 back to natural triglycerides (once purified) so that your body can use the omega-3s faster and without side effects like the dreaded fish burps.

Puori M3

Magnesium is an important mineral that helps muscles to contract and function properly. Studies show that 48% of the population gets less than they need. Each dose of Puori M3 contains the same magnesium as 380g of spinach or 111g of almonds. Are you eating that many nuts or greens every day? Puori M3 combines organic forms of the minerals Magnesium and Zinc. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, involved in more than 300 processes and critical to good health. Zinc is an essential mineral involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism including immune function. Some micronutrients, especially calcium, can interfere with the absorption of magnesium. Avoid taking your M3 supplement with foods rich in calcium like dairy products. Alcohol has also been shown to lessen M3’s effects when taken with it. Try to take M3 30 minutes before bedtime or after a workout on an empty stomach to get the full benefit of your supplement.

Puori D3

Vitamin D! Your immune system, muscles, and bones need it to function normally. Yet deficiencies of vitamin D are common because many people don’t get enough exposure to sunlight or food containing vitamin D. D3 helps your body to absorb calcium and maintain normal bones. Puori D3 is derived from purified sheep’s lanolin and is the form of vitamin D3 that the sun stimulates in our body. The softgels also contain organic, virgin coconut oil to ensure solubility, since D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is best to take your vitamin D with a meal. The amount of vitamin D you can get from the sun alone depends on time of day, geographical latitude, the color of your skin and the amount of skin you expose to sunlight. You produce most vitamin D in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky, and the closer to the equator you live the easier it is to produce vitamin D from sunlight. For example, in Florida your body can produce vitamin D most of the year, while in New York or Boston you can’t produce much vitamin D from November through March. The more melanin you have the darker your skin color, which works just like sunscreen regarding UVB exposure.

Puori Synboitics SB3

Probiotics! Provides at least 13 billion good bacteria from two of the worlds most well researched bacterial strains (Bifidobacterium BB-12® and Lactobacillus fermentum PCC®). Packed with fiber to help the bacteria thrive in the intestine and vitamin C to support immune function. Did you know that your gastrointestinal tract is home to 100 trillion bacteria? Scientists now agree that “good bacteria” are essential to human health, providing a first line of defense from pathogens and unwanted germs. No need to worry about refrigerating—each dose is in an individual pack that contains freeze-dried powder so you can take it wherever you go. With a fresh cranberry taste and natural sweetness from the prebiotic fibers, it’s great mixed in a smoothie or straight from the packet. Take your SB3 supplement 30 minutes before eating or with a meal.

Isopure Zero Carb

Ready-to-drink whey protein isolate! Your body needs protein to recover from exercise, and protein is the main nutrient you should be sure to include in your diet as an athletic person. Your muscles, bones, and immune system are all made up of proteins. Zero Carb is a clear (non-milky) lactose-free and gluten-free, ready to drink product that provides 40g of 100% pure whey protein isolate per bottle and only 160 calories. Useful pre-workout if you haven’t eaten a meal for a few hours prior to training, and/or post workout if you won’t be eating for a while. Bonus points if combined with a piece of fruit for some carbs.

Optimum Nutrition Cake Bites

A convenient, tasty, high protein snack bar! The protein in the three small cakes come from milk and whey isolate. With around 225 calories, 20 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fat, these can be a convenient pre or post-training snack/small meal.

RX Bar

Another convenient snack bar, made from all natural ingredients! Made from egg whites, nuts, and dates, these bars are dairy, soy, and gluten free with no artificial colors, flavors, or fillers. At around 200 calories, 25 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fat, these can be a convenient pre or post-training snack/small meal.

Do I need to take supplements?

No, not at all. You can certainly get all of these nutrients from a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle. Supplements are convenience products and simply make it easier to ensure you’re getting these nutrients on a regular basis. They should always be considered as an addition to an already healthy diet, and cannot make up for an unhealthy lifestyle.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
How Old Is Your Muscle-Up? CrossFit Journal
Dave Castro Drops First Hint for 2018 CrossFit Open BarBend