I happened to be in Los Angeles this weekend and popped into the Fitness Expo that was taking place at the convention center. The schedule offered some interesting sounding lectures and events that I didn’t have the time to attend but I walked the floor where the vendors and a few fitness competitions were set up. There was a large MMA contingent offering training guides and gear; an Olympic weightlifting competition where I saw Sean Waxman (of Waxman’s gym, who puts on excellent Oly weightlifting seminars; waxmansgym.com for more info) and some of his athletes; a power-lifting competition where I observed a humongous individual bench-press some ungodly amount of weight (he was surrounded by five spotters, the bar was bending); there was a strongman’s challenge scheduled for later in the day; a kids wrestling competition and kids and teens CrossFit competitions. These vendors and competitions were interesting because we incorporate many of the same exercises, techniques and training methods in our programming.

These displays were tucked in with a large number of supplements, “fitness” gadgets like the Flexibar (seems to be the same concept as the Shake a weight; less innuendo when operating) and programming options like Sexercise (innuendo intended) that contribute to a huge amount of information and misinformation about fitness. Obviously, in the fitness world all programs are not created equal and many programs and products are absolute nonsense. Most of the folks I saw at the convention at least appeared to be fit. Many of them probably understand or unwittingly know the true secret to success is consistency and discipline in diet and working-out. -Tony

Today’s SOS workout was very demanding on the entire body.  There was a point (about halfway through the workout) when just about everyone started to hit the “wall”.  When this happens, you start taking longer rests and staring at the bar.  The pain/burn kicked in and your body told you, “I don’t want to squat anymore”.  It’s no fun getting to that point.  To avoid hitting the “wall”, we have got to learn to pace ourselves throughout workouts.  When we come into the gym and see a workout that’s “For Time”, that doesn’t mean you have to haul ass as soon as you hear “3,2,1″.  Especially when there’s a lot of work to be done.  Instead, you should break it down and think about what YOU’RE capable of doing.  For some it may be 20 unbroken reps and for others it could be 5.  Whichever it may be, we have got to keep ourselves honest and remember that the technique is most important.  If you are smart about how you pace yourselves on each movement throughout a workout, then you shouldn’t ever hit the “wall”.  That being said, pacing is not an excuse to take frequent long periods of rest.  Your rest period has ALWAYS got to be shorter then your work period.  When you come in to the gym this week, try to find a solid pace that you can hold onto for the entire workout.  If you ever have any questions on how to pace or help with pacing, ask any coach.  Train hard, Eat clean, Rest easy.

-Will

Some healthy recipes I think you all would enjoy.  Who says eating healthy has to taste bad… try these out!!

FRIED CHICKEN STRIPS

Courtesy of Sara.

1 TBSP SEA SALT

1 TSP GARLIC POWDER

1/2 TSP BLACK PEPPER

3 WHOLE EGGS

1/3 CuP OF WATER

1/2 HOT SAUCE

2 CUPS OF ALMOND FLOUR

1 TSP BLACK PEPPER

4 CHICKEN BREASTS (I cut them into 3/4″ strips)

COCONUT OIL

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350*
2. THROW IN COUPLE LARGE SPOONS OF COCONUT OIL TO A SKILLET TO COVER MORE OR LESS ABOUT A 1/3 INCH. YOU WANT THIS COCONUT OIL TO GET VERY HOT…
3. WHILE YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE OIL TO GET HOT, MIX THE ALMOND FLOUR AND 1 TSP OF PEPPER IN A LARGE BOWL.
4. COMBINE THE SEA SALT, GARLIC POWDER AND 1/2 TSP OF BLACK PEPPER IN A SMALL BOWL (THIS WILL BE THE SEASONING FOR THE CHICKEN) BLEND SPRINKLE BOTH SIDES OF THE CHICKEN. YOU WILL HAVE LEFTOVER SEASONING -NO WORRIES
5. NOW MIX THE EGGS, WATER AND HOT SAUCE IN A MEDIUM BOWL. ONE BY ONE, DUNK THE CHICKEN IN THE EGG MIXTURE THEN ROLL IT IN ALMOND FLOUR MIXTURE. I PUT THE CHICKEN ON PAPER PLATE FOR TRANSFER
6. DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SKILLET, WORK IN BATCHES, FRY EACH SIDE FOR 2 MINUTES, THEN TRANSFER TO A COOKING SHEET OR COOLING RACK
7. BAKE  FOR 30 MINUTES IN A BAKING PAN
8. SERVED IT UP WITH SOME VEGGIES.. I WILL BE USING SWEET POTATOES, WITH A LITTLE COCONUT OIL.

ENJOY EVERYONE!!

PULLED PORK TOSTADAS

Recipe courtesy of wheatfreeandglutenfreebreadrecipe.blogspot.com.

Makes 6 tostadas with leftover salsa and pork (3-4 servings).

Ingredients
Pork

guacamolePreparation 

Don’t these look good?!

1. Place pork in a large crock pot, fat side up. Add water and season generously with sea salt.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Remove any bones and chunks of fat. Use two forks to pull the pork. Reserve some of the juices and let the pork marinade in the juice until you are ready to serve.
4. In the meantime, prepare the simple salsa and guacamole. They have similar ingredients and are quick to put together at the same time.
5. To make tostada shells, combine almond flour, sea salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add eggs and 1 tsp olive oil and mix thoroughly with a spoon until a nice dough forms. If it seems dry, keep stirring for a bit. If needed, add just a touch of water.
6. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each piece into a ball. One at a time, place each dough ball between two sheets of parchment and press with the palm of your hand until you form about an 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick circle.
7. Warm 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Fry each tostada, one at a time, in the hot oil for about 30-40 seconds on each side. Transfer to a double layer of paper towels to drain.
8. To serve, place 1-2 tostadas on each plate, top with pulled pork and garnish liberally with salsa and guacamole.

Grilled Vegetables with Walnut Dressing

Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, June 2010.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/3 inch planks.
1/2 lb mushrooms, stemmed
1 lb thick asparagus, tough ends snapped off
1 red onion, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup walnuts
1 small shallot
1 Tbsp loosely packed thyme leaves
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

Zucchini planks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat gas grill to medium high.
2. Spread the walnuts in a shallow baking pan and toast for about 12 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool completely.
3. Brush zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, and onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables (in batches, if necessary), turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer grilled vegetables to serving platter and keep warm.
4. Transfer toasted walnuts to food processor. Add shallot, thyme, lemon juice and lemon zest and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. With the processor running, drizzle olive oil into the walnut mixture. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle over the vegetables.

I see it happen all the time (I do it to myself). It happens when you are approaching the gym, when you are looking at the WOD on the board, during the WOD, and even when you’re almost done with the WOD. Hitting the “panic button” puts your body in high stress situation and may cause you to lock up. The only way to get through the panic is to control your breathing and focus on why you are going through this pain. In the end you are doing this for yourself, for your health, for your life! Be proud of what you are doing here and feel accomplished every day! Avoid hitting the “panic button” and tough it out! You got it in you!

-Tim