CrossFit East Bay WOD @ BIW 100707
WOD 100707
150 Double-Unders
75 Burpees
100 Double-Unders
50 Burpees
50 Double-Unders
25 Burpees
Post time pain to comments.
Why All Women Should Lift Weights by Maximus Lewin
I
- don't want big muscles
- only want to "tone" or "lengthen" their muscles
- don't want to "look like a man"
These concerns are baseless and can lead to women neglecting one of the most effective tools for preventing osteoporosis, and maintaining optimum health. To begin with, unless a woman is off the charts in terms of ability to develop muscle, she will not be able to gain significant muscle mass, even should she want to, without truly Herculean (or Amazonian) effort. Women generally do not have enough Testosterone to support large muscles. There are, of course, exceptions such as Olympic Sprinter Marion Jones (above, far left), but even an athlete so gifted as she in ability to gain muscle mass felt the need to chemically enhance her testosterone levels. So we see that getting big muscles is not a concern, nor should it stop women from lifting weights.
The idea that muscles can be "toned" or "lengthened" by special or unique exercises is false. Despite the claims of some Yoga and Pilates practitioners, this is not possible. The shape of one's muscles, and, hence, limbs and torso, is the product of three things:
- Genetic shape of the muscles
- amount of muscle mass
- amount of "inert metabolic material" (fat)
You were born with muscles which have the same basic shape they do now, and they will continue to have that shape your whole life. This can easily be seen by looking at a few people's calves. Some have an insertion point high on the leg, and therefore look round and more muscular. Others have a lower insertion point, and look longer and leaner. There is no way to change this. However, you can add some muscle mass which will make your limbs look fuller and more shapely, which brings us to our last point. No matter how shapely or toned your muscles are, if they are covered in a thick layer of fat, they won't have much definition. Women generally should maintain 14-22% bodyfat for a combination of optimum health, athleticism and aesthetics. Just as too much fat is unhealthy and aesthetically undesirable too little will detract from health, athletic ability and a pleasing shape.
Thinking that lifting weights will make you "look like a man" is misguided. Perhaps, if you try really, really hard, you might after some years of effort develop a look like Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2", Demi Moore in "GI Jane" or Angela Basset in just about anything. Would that be so bad?
Lifting weights is a wonderful health-giving activity for all people, and that includes all women. It builds bone density, prevents osteoporosis, burns calories up to 24 hours after you have finished doing it and contributes to overall health and prevents decrepitude. You would like to be able to walk when you get older right?
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You should just post pictures of how beautiful we are and that would convince those clients. I mean, I don't know how the boys even finish their workouts with us around.
Actually Nina, AJ was the only one who finished today. The rest of us were too distracted. Obviously I would have finished the workout otherwise.
Well, AJ obviously has laser-like focus to not be distracted by the women of Crossfit East Bay. Sweat, chalk, torn hands, crazy hair, make-up melting off. So. Sexy.
So Brandon, that's why you decided to turn around before we started the thrusters...
On a more serious note: Max, do you have body fat calipers?
We need a women of crossfit calender. Obviously.
I have a fairly accurate bodyfat measuring scale - I'm also fairly good at eying people.
There is a Women of CF calendar. I have it as well.
I attribute the ability to finish despite the plethora of otherworldly beauties to a heightened sense of focus. The best way I can explain it is with this golden quote.
"When i turn my head around, its like a switch goes on...I'm like this truck...I'm like a machine"
What can't sly do?
Over the top!
"Tell you the truth, the truck is, uh, you know, the most important thing for me. I... I don't really... it doesn't matter if I, uh, become the champion or anything. That's, that's not the most important... I... I need this truck"
Press:
111x5
119x3
135x9
Predictor = 175#
No time for dark side hypertrophy today.
29:31
Painful in the moment, yes, but it loosened me up nicely from yesterday's workout.
Jessica - Yes, I was trying to eliminate distractions, and I still DNF'd!
1) 6:30am - 6mi trail run, steep hills, moderate pace
2) 6pm - DU/burpees, 31:23
Had a big fail today and kind of forgot to eat between 9am and 4pm...oops. That didn't end well. I might have to eat breakfast twice tomorrow.
37:14 RX
i hate burpees!
DNF: some people hate burpees...I love them and hate DU's. It took me like 45 minutes to do 75 DU's at which point I stopped and did 100 burpees and called it a night.
Does anyone want a pair of gymnastics rings? I am ordering some for myself and the vendor offers a 10% discount for orders of 3 or more. That works out to about $65 per (plus any tax and shipping). Let me know by the end of this Friday. I will place the order and collect payment on delivery.
http://www.ringtraining.com/cgi-bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=maximuslewin
23:29 Rx
I think I could drop a minute or two with a rope with bearings.
22:14 RX. I took some whipping all over my arms but my Buddy Lee rope was not harmed.
45ish Rx.....can't do double unders so I did an extra 200 at the second class. Took me another 14ish minutes. I would do thrusters over double unders any day.
Scott,
doron has two pairs of olympic rings... that's right two pairs! one of them is his travel set (lighter). They are fantastic! Before setting them up at home, I couldn't do a muscle up and my max rep ring dip was 2-3.
Hey Scott. I want a pair of gymnastic rings.
As for the workout, 40:40RX. burpees suck.
42:26, one-at-a-time DUs
35:18 RX