If we’ve said it one, we’ve said it a thousand times… Fat DOESN’T make you fat!!! There have been several contradictory health / nutrition studies in the past few decades, serving to do nothing more than confuse the $@&% out of everybody… Leading to people just throwing in the towel and doing whatever they want to because “blah, blah, blah. Nobody knows anything anyway…”
Here’s a brief overview of what we’ve learned through our CF food challenges of the past:
It’s hard. Yep, it can be. Let’s move on.
Insulin spikes = bad. Keep that blood sugar steady and avoid the constant highs and lows associated with quick sugar rushes (and subsequent crashes, leaving you craving more).
Watch for the hidden sugar. It’s everywhere! Vitamin water? Not so much… Low fat? High sugar… New and improved? Doubtful…
Go clean and natural. It’s hard to hide additives in a head of lettuce or a carrot (though not impossible, and surely food companies are working on it at this very moment). Go natural / locally grown / non-processed / clean food! Know where your food comes from.
Or go organic. If you want to, it’s probably a great idea. But still know where it comes from! Did that organic, grass fed steak travel from Australia or Uruguay? …and how does it only cost $7.00? …and where do I get that plane ticket?
Or grow your own! What better way to reconnect with the earth and feel that much more self-sufficient than by digging in the dirt and watching food grow straight out of the ground?!?
Start small. Substitute fruit for candy, replace a soda with water, sub salad for fries at the restaurant. Sure, it’ll seem different at first, but is different inherently bad? I think not.
Don’t do it because everyone else is. Educate yourself about the hows and whys of dietary changes. You’ll understand what’s going on with your body and be more motivated to step away from the bad stuff…
It’s not a diet; it’s a lifestyle. “Diet” has become a dirty little word with temporary connotations. Avoid the hype and make the change.
Figure out what works for you. What works for someone else may not be your cup of tea, and that’s ok. Figure out what works for you (it may take weeks / months to figure out) and tweak it until it’s just right. Don’t make excuses and don’t give up. Just figure it out!
But if this is all a little overwhelming, just consider: everything in moderation! There’s nothing wrong with an occasional meal out or sweet treat from the store. Just don’t do it all the time. And chances are, if you’re eating clean, you’ll really notice the negative effects of putting junk into your body and be that much more likely avoid it the next time.
Ok, that’s enough of a brain dump for a Friday… Carry on!
**Reminder: Open House this Saturday from 9:30 - Noon. Do you have friends who are interested in learning more about CF, Spin, Fit U, etc? Bring them in, show them around, introduce them to your fellow CFers and our trainers! See yesterday’s post for more details**
Hero Week: Heroes Among Us will be this June 22-29, 2014. Plan accordingly to participate in as many Hero workouts as you can! Join CF in doing what we do best to honor others who have given more than we’ll ever truly understand.
Stay tuned to the Blog for the HW honor roll, updates (guests of honor?!?), and HW schedule changes.
Weekend instructors:
Thursday 5:30 PM - Carla
Friday 5:30 PM - Gretchen
Saturday 7 AM - Ed
Sunday 8 AM and 1 PM - John
May 31 OPEN HOUSE 930am-12pm For those who are interested in what Corps Fitness is all about and what we’ve been doing since 2004! The morning will include demonstrations and question/answers with our motivated group of instructors and participants. ((7 AM and 8:30 AM classes will be held at normal times 5/31))
Recruit a new CFer!!
- Anyone new who comes out to learn more about CF and completes a waiver while there will receive a FREE week of membership. If they go on to officially become a member of CF, they’ll receive 10% off their first membership purchase (punch card or unlimited).
- Any current CFer who recruits a new CFer who becomes a member will receive 1/2 OFF a month of unlimited membership OR their next punchcard purchase. Your recruit must name you on their completed waiver (limit 1 discount per current CFer, though of course you can always recruit more!)
Remembering the true meaning of Memorial Day this year. Thank you to all who have served.
THE FINAL INSPECTION
The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
‘Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?’
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
‘no, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.
I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.
I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears
If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
‘Step forward now, you Soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.’
~Author Unknown~
**8 AM cadence run, meeting at the Wyomissing pool parking lot (ready to STEP OFF at 8 AM). If you’ve never participated in a cadence run, it’s a fun time and highly recommended. We run through the highlands, approximately 3 miles at a 9-10 minute / mile pace.
**9 AM class at CF.
**8 PM MOONLIGHT MURPH with Kevin
It’s the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.
It’s the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.
It’s the Soldier, not the politician that ensures
Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It’s the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.
This Saturday 5/24, Dee from A Running Start will be talking @9:30 AM at CF . Come kick start spring and summer training with Dee’s info on proper footwear, running tips, training tips, etc, and stay for the Q&A session after! And, any CFers who participate are eligible for a 10% discount at ARS.
The next FREE Intro to CF class is this Saturday, 5/24 at 9:45 AM.
Memorial Day, 5/26, schedule:
- 8 AM cadence run, meeting at the Wyomissing pool parking lot (ready to STEP OFF at 8 AM). If you’ve never participated in a cadence run, it’s a fun time and highly recommended. We run through the highlands, approximately 3 miles at a 9-10 minute / mile pace.
- 9 AM class at CF.
- 8 PM MOONLIGHT MURPH with Kevin
Other upcoming events:
- Gary W Redner 5k Memorial Run 6/1/14. More info and registration available here.
- Hero Week Summer 2014 will be June 21-28. 8 days of grueling, high-intensity, no-excuses workouts honoring Heroes Among Us. Stay tuned for more info!
Day 21 of dips! Who’s still in?? Get your 21 in and don’t get behind! What improvements are you experiencing? Better stability, more strength, able to do a ring dip now rather than a box dip? Awesome!
On a separate but related note, the pull-up 50 DAY challenge is over… Who did all 50?? And some were oooohhh so close. You animals!
And a delayed shout out to everyone who completed the 30-day pull-up challenge!
Happy Wednesday… Pass it on…
Burpees!
Yet another article highlighting the perfection of this movement, along with several variations.
“the burpee remains an amazingly effective (if punishing) movement, and requires nothing more than your bodyweight and a little space.”
Pointers / Tips:
- “Don’t rest. Pace. If you stop [in the middle of your reps], it only takes longer to get going again. Most people need to stop because they’re going too fast, but the best thing you can do if you’re doing a lot of repetitions is to go “slow” and steady: Pick a pace you can maintain for however many burpees you need to do, and don’t stop. So if you only have to do five to 10 burpees, you can go a little faster. But if you’re doing 50 burpees, go slower so you can maintain a consistent pace.
- Feet go before hands. If you want to take a second off of your burpee, shoot your legs back before your hands hit the ground. When most of us first learn a burpee, we usually learn that our hands should hit the ground before we jump our feet back. But once you understand that basic movement, you can shoot your feet back before your hands land on the ground.
- Turn on robot mode. When you have a lot of burpees to do, stop thinking about how many burpees you have to do. Just go into robot mode. Approach each small movement one at a time: “drop to the floor,” “feet back,” “jump up,” etc. and repeat. Just slip into auto-pilot and keep counting. Thinking ahead too much gets you freaked out about how many you have left to do. Just keep moving and focusing on one movement at a time.
- Breathe! As much as you can, try to get into a rhythm with your breathing. Experiment with what works for you, recognizing that as you get more out of breath your rhythm will change slightly. But always try to keep your breathing as steady as possible.
- Avoid common faults. Many people fall prey to two faults. The first is arching the back to come out of the burpee, as if they were doing an upward dog pose. This can to an aching lower back. The second fault is losing range of motion. The chest should touch the floor, not just the belly button or pelvis. The hips need to open up all the way at the top when you jump. Try looking straight ahead as you stand up and jump — this can help you to remember to open your hips.”