Come Out and Support Us!

The Central Southern Texas Sectionals are coming soon!!! The weekend of March 13th - 14th many CrossFit Central coaches, like yours truly, and clients will be competing in a grueling 2 day event at Camp Mabry here in the ATX. The top 30 bad ass men and women will go on to compete in the Regional CrossFit competition for a spot at the 2010 CrossFit Games! It should be a fun and exciting weekend for everyone! Click here to register as a spectator and kids under 12 get in FREE! They are also still in need of volunteers, so if you want to help out in this fun event and get to see it all for free contact georgianixon@crossfitcentral.com.

Two Weeks Left!

This past weekend Team Two got together for a nice little workout at the gym. I can only speak for my team when I say these people are serious! They have dedicated time and effort, and, in some cases, have drastically changed things about their diet. They have all seen great results in strength gains and changes in their bodies. They have also managed to work around their busy schedules and other things that life throws at them. So, my hats off to all the I Am Crossfitters! It has been a pleasure to be a part of the whole self competition and get to know all of my team.

(Lory powering through the Kettlebell swing)

What's all this about pH?

Do you ever feel like you are just a little bit off?? Well, for the last week or so that is how I feel!
Even after doing a lot of trial and error with my supplements and post work out food I know my body well enough to know that something is off. Incidentally, yesterday my sister Carey and I were talking about the effects of the pH of your body. After testing my body's pH, low and behold, I discovered that my body is extremely acidic! Damn! I'm sure some of you can relate to my love of meat, especially a big fat bloody steak, but unfortunately this is one of the contributors to being acidic.

Focus for the week:

• Instead of eating that extra serving of protein, go for the green stuff
• Cut down on caffeine intake
  
• Monday begin a cleanse

I'm no expert on the pH of your body, but I do understand that what makes your body more alkaline is the green, living stuff, so even if you fall off the veggie bandwagon occasionally get back on it. It will do your body good!

• pH of food list
• 12 reasons to avoid acids and stay alcaline

Strength and Conditioning

ATTN: this training program is Full! I am considering opening another time slot in the near future though, so if you are still interested contact me @ zacharythiel@crossfitcentral.com

Ladies and gentlemen, I am introducing an intensive eight week long small group strength and conditioning program. Some of you may know that I have a great passion for strength training and Olympic lifting, therefore I have decided to begin offering this opportunity to all CrossFit Central clients and non clients alike. The group will be limited to three people who are dedicated to meeting one time per week with me for and hour who want to improve on strength specific training and Olympic style strength training. The details are as follows:

*eight week program, every Friday at 6:45am
*working on strength gains through power lifting
*learning to improve on Olympic weightlifting through specific
drills
*learning proper weightlifting technique

Coach Jen Cardella has been training with
me over a month now. Look for her testimony of
skill and strength gains coming soon!!

If you are ready for strength gains and to improve your weightlifting and Olympic weightlifting technique get signed up now. These classes will begin Friday February 26th, will last eight weeks and is limited to three people. This will fill up fast so to get your spot or for more information contact me at zacharythiel@crossfitcentral.com

Testostrone, Vitamin A and Muscle Mass

It is well know that testosterone is the hormone that supports muscle growth. The levels vary from person to person, but maintaining testosterone levels naturally is one of the best ways to gain muscle mass. Actually, testosterone can also:

* Increase bone mineral density
* Thicken body hair and skin
* Improve sexual desire
* Boost energy
* Decrease irritability and depression
* Improve cognitive function

That being said, Vitamin A is essential in producing testosterone and for proper use of protein by our bodies. What many people may not know though, is that Vitamin A is not only depleted by a high intake of protein, but it is also necessary for the synthesis of new protein, which is the goal of someone who is trying to gain muscle mass. Therefore friends, if you are like me and want to efficiently gain and maintain muscle mass make sure to incorporate foods high in Vitamin A into your diet. Liver, egg yolks, butter from grass fed cows and cod liver oil are excellent sources!

I AM CROSSFIT Halfway Mark!

This past weekend marked the halfway point of I AM CROSSFIT! Myself and Coach Chris Hartwell got our teams together for a little bit of work. It was a fun and challenging workout to say the least. I know there have already been many goals achieved and many more on their way to being accomplished. I think it speaks volumes to the dedication and how serious all of you are taking this challenge. Many of us have friend's who don't understand that you don't want to go out and drink the night away because you have a team workout the next day. Or, they think you're crazy because you won't eat a certain thing or shop a certain way. I've been there and I'm sure many of you have too. So what I want all of you to do is tell me in the comment section what goals you have accomplished and where you are at on some other goals you made for I AM. Better yet, any goal you have accomplished in the past two moths that you set for yourself being crossfit or not. The new year has started off with a bang and I want everyone to know how you are adding to that BANG!!

Are you getting the Most out of your WOD's?

Lately I have been asked by a couple of people about post workout nutrition so I thought that I would share what I think. Most of the science that I go by is based on Loren Cordain, who is the author of The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes, as well as Rob Wolf who is a strength and conditioning coach and was a former research biochemist. I also rely upon trial and error with my own body because after all, we are all different and what works for one person does not necessarily work for all.

According to this article by Wolf, there are different approaches based on what kind of outcome you are looking for:

1. Low or No Carb Post Workout: Good for long term health benefits because it focuses on muscle recovery while limiting the effects of insulin. This is also good for someone who is trying to lean out and for the strength athlete. Although this is a good choice for strength training and most workouts, it is not as beneficial to use after long met-con WOD's when your glycogen, which gives you the GO, needs to be restored.

2. High Carb Post Workout: This is suggested to be used every 5-7 days or especially after a crazy taxing/long WOD. For you zone/paleoers he says use 1/4 of your daily protein blocks and 1/2 of your daily carb blocks post WOD. OPT says that he decides his post workout meal based on how much work he did and body fat.

In my opinion I think that you need to assess your own body, your diet, your goals and what kind of WOD you did. My favorite post workout fuel is Advocare's Muscle Gain, which has 25g protein, 6g carbs and 2g fat and I add a little extra fat. If I do a gruelling WOD I throw in some Post-Workout Recovery which has 12g protein, 38g carbs and 3g fat. They are fast, easy and taste damn good! Another major thing to point out for maximizing your workouts is getting adequate sleep, eating clean and drinking lots of water! If you are not feeling like you are getting the results you want take all of this into consideration and tweak your habits here and there. My bro Jeremy and CrossFit bad-ass swears by eating more FAT! You can also ask me or one of our many well informed crossfit coaches!

PRObiotics are my friends!

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".^[1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.




Probiotics, in my opinion, are one of those things that more is better. I try to consume as many foods with these healthy little immune boosting organisms as possible. Some ways that I get probiotics are through:

• Advocare's Probiotic Restore
• Kombucha tea
• Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw
• I haven't tried this yet, but you can make your own!
  

Probiotics are good for everyone to take young and old, but have been shown to help things like irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, diarrhea and Crohn's disease. Most importantly though, gut-dwelling bacteria keep pathogens (harmful microorganisms) in check, aid digestion and nutrient absorption, and contribute to immune function. Researched from here!