As we begin the 2012 Body Composition Challenge I want to take a moment to go over some key points in order to help with your success.  Please take the time to read this and I hope you find it helpful.  I’d like everyone to note the Challenge date change…we will begin on January 9th and Fitness Wave has been scheduled for January 13th 3:30 – 7:00 pm.  Please sign up in advance for your appointment time.  I’d like everyone to start researching Zone & Paleo and start eliminating some of the bad foods beginning January 1st.  Also, we need to take at least 3 “before” photo’s prior to January 13th, please arrange this with Robin.

First, it is important for everyone to get dunked and know what their current body composition is even if you choose not to participate in the challenge.  I hear athletes at the gym talking, saying they don’t want to know because they haven’t been eating properly and recently gained weight. It's not about your weight; it’s about your body fat.  Body weight is an indicator and can affect our health but management of our body fat is more significant and must be looked at throughout the year. Much of the fat stored in our body is not visible to the eye.  It is hard for us to gauge how much we are carrying around because some fat can be stored in the muscles.  If you are trying to build muscle and lose fat you should be tested periodically to ensure that your current fitness regimen (i.e. CrossFit 2-3 times a week with no changes to diet) is working to your satisfaction and if not how can you change it (i.e. CrossFit 3-4 times a week and different eating habits).

Once you have your confidential body composition results start planning your strategy.  Some of our athletes want to put on more lean muscle mass and gain weight without the need to lose any body fat.  Most of us will want to shed some fat and add lean muscle mass.  By attacking body fat through exercise and proper diet we will be able to attain our goals.  For some it may take longer than just 6-weeks but this challenge will help get everyone motivated & started on the right path to a healthier lifestyle.

Some people want to lose weight and only care about what the scale says. That’s the wrong focus for this challenge. Throw out your scale! A fit, lean person weighs more than an unfit, non-muscular person of the same height and frame. This is because muscle is much more dense than fat.  A pound of fat is going to appear much larger than a pound of muscle! A lean person at 165 pounds looks a lot smaller than a "non-lean" person of the same weight.  So, the scale is not our friend.  I highly encourage everyone to get their body composition testing done so you know the breakdown.

A lot of people believe all they have to do is just reduce their caloric intake and not exercise …WRONG and WRONG…you need to exercise to stay healthy, maintain energy levels and prevent lean muscle loss! To lean out and get the shape we so desire we MUST cut out processed foods, high sugar foods, fast foods and eat healthy and not worry too much about starving our bodies and yes, we have to EXERCISE.  If you were to go on a 600 calorie diet then obviously you will lose weight but the problem with that is your not only losing weight but much of it will be lean muscle mass and when you go back to your unhealthy pattern of eating, you will regain the fat but not necessarily the lean muscle.  This doesn’t work.  Therefore, really make an attempt to try a different eating lifestyle even if you ease in to it.  Remember, this change can be as minor as no more fast foods or if you do stop by In N Out order a hamburger or double-double, protein style (lettuce wrap instead of bun) and eliminate the fries.  These are the changes that will help in your success.

The focus has to be on reducing body fat by encouraging your metabolism to use the stored energy in your fat cells. You do this by maintaining or ramping up your exercise regimen and reducing your sugar, carbohydrate and starch consumption. Only good carbohydrates are necessary and are in the forms of vegetables and fruits.  Oh, and of course, you MUST give up alcohol because it is sugar which is a bad carbohydrate and it slows our metabolism.  We can have a cheat meal once or twice a week.  As long as you stick to your healthy eating habit (40 30 30, zone, paleo or modified) 80% of the time you will still see great results and reap the benefits.

Bottom line, stay away from:  sugar, grains, wheat, bread, rice, candy, potatoes, pasta, beans & sodas (both diet and regular).  If you stay away from the above items and exercise you will see results quickly!  Eat more nuts, seeds, fruits & vegetables along with meat. Drink PLENTY of water and get 8 hours of sleep every night!!

Where do you begin…first, if you want a better body composition you need to choose a diet (this is not a bad word, it’s your way of eating) that you feel comfortable with and know you’ll be able to succeed on it and hopefully it’ll remain with you after the challenge.  Then, you’ll need to exercise at the aerobic & anaerobic thresholds for at least 10 minutes 4 or 5 days a week (this is the WOD time and not including the warm-up or strength portion).

I have been told that we all have six packs under our belly fat; well, now it’s time to call it out of hiding. The less body fat we have, the more efficient we will function assuming proper eating habits and as an added bonus the more toned we will look.

This is not meant to be medical advice – I’m just mentioning different healthy eating alternatives to you.  Do your homework and choose what is best for you or talk with your physician!

Paleo 

Jeff has adopted paleo eating habits along with other athletes at the gym and they seem happy with it.  Robb Wolf’s book “The Paleo Solution” is a good starting point.  Mark Sisson has taken paleo and added variations to it (some dairy), for more information you can read his book “The Primal Blueprint”.  You can get a lot of recipes on-line just Google paleo recipes. On our website is Tiff Hoffner & her sister’s blog The Cavegirl Dish.  She has yummy recipes in the archive sections.  We also have recipes in our facebook Crossfit Orange County group under Docs.  If you are not part of this group or do not have face book let me know and I’ll e-mail the recipe’s to you.  Here is another link for 30 Nights of Paleo Crockpot Recipes http://hollywouldifshecould.net/2011/11/a-month-of-paleo-crockpot-recipes/

Since Jeff doesn’t want to lose fat and just gain muscle, his caloric consumption will not change.  He is going to focus on increasing protein intake, ramping up his strength & conditioning and will also be incorporating good fish oil (Stronger Faster Healthier brand).

Zone 

Some of you might want to give Zone a try, visit zone.com to find out more information on it.  This is Dr. Sears and it is based on the correct ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fats and the release of the hormone-insulin to maintain homeostasis.  We have daily meal planners that I can e-mail if you are interested in this type of meal plan for the challenge. You can also purchase many Zone Books to read or research it on the web.

40 30 30

Basically, this is the same concept of Zone.  I like it because I do not have to count blocks which I find time consuming and frustrating.  The author of 40 30 30 was one of Dr. Sears lead researchers on the zone eating plan so they are very similar…just no counting blocks.  Both Zone and 40 30 30 allow you to eat some grains and dairy, although in very limited quantities. If you feel that you will be unable to give up 100% grains & dairy then one of these plans may be the right choice for you.  I have meal planners for both and will e-mail them to you upon request. Or you can start the first half of the challenge doing this and then ending with Paleo.

Paleo Zone

This is the same concept of Zone (40% carbs 30% protein 30% fat) but only Paleo friendly food (no dairy and no grains).

Modified 

Don’t think it’s possible to be on such a strict eating plan - then just commit to giving up some of the bad foods mentioned above.  Such as, if you go for lunch at a fast food place throw the bun away or at least one half of it and stay away from the French fries and drink water not soda! You too will see improvements. Therefore, everyone can participate with their own choice of healthy eating habits.

Fish Oil

High grade Omega 3 (refined) Fatty Acid is the most important supplement.  Fact: Our body can not make Omega 3 only found through diet and we are all deficient.  The best product will be expensive but has the right balance between EPA & DHA. The health benefits (well documented and researched) include: increased HDL (good) cholesterol, decrease triglyceride (bad) chol., decrease heart disease (also endorsed by American Heart Association), decrease prostate & esp. colon cancer risk , increase insulin sensitivity (good for fat loss). All the mentioned diseases are caused by inflammatory conditions.  Omega 3's is the #1 ally against inflammation.  This is why everyone should be on a good high grade (refined) omega 3 fish oil.  The refining process gets rid of contamination such as mercury and aluminum that is found in fish due to pollution and this is an important factor when choosing the right oil.  We do have good strong fish oil at the gym but you can also research and find other brands you'd prefer.

At the end of the challenge, Fitness Wave will come back and another body composition test will be performed!  The winner of the kitty will be the person with the best body composition changes which means it’s not necessarily about who lost the most weight because some of that could be muscle mass…we want to increase muscle mass and drop body fat and of course some pounds will be lost. Please remember to eat your protein so you do not drop lean muscle mass!!

Any questions, contact Robin at the gym or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Remember to let me know which plan you are choosing to be on so we can compare the overall results!  If anyone would like a log book to document their daily diet and workouts in, one of our members (Cindy) made one and I can have them copied ($15 cost) but need to know in advance.  Cindy is also willing to hold weekly meetings to discuss progress and share recipe ideas.  We will get this coordinated very soon!

I am excited to begin this and please keep me on track everyday and I’ll do the same!!

Aerobics and Anaerobic

(Taken From CF Manual Pg 8 of 94)

There are three main energy systems that fuel all human activity. Almost all changes that occur in the body due to exercise are related to the demands placed on these energy systems. Furthermore, the efficacy of any given fitness regimen may largely be tied to its ability to elicit an adequate stimulus for change within these three energy systems.

Energy is derived aerobically when oxygen is utilized to metabolize substrates derived from food and liberates energy. An activity is termed aerobic when the majority of energy needed is derived aerobically. These activities are usually greater than ninety seconds in duration and involve low to moderate power output or intensity.  Examples of aerobic activity include running on the treadmill for twenty minutes, swimming a mile, and watching TV.

Energy is derived anaerobically when energy is liberated from substrates in the absence of oxygen. Activities are considered anaerobic when the majority of the energy needed is derived anaerobically. These activities are of less than two minutes in duration and involve moderate

to high power output or intensity. There are two such anaerobic systems, the phosphagen system and the lactic acid system. Examples of anaerobic activity include running a 100-meter sprint, squatting, and doing pull-ups.

Our main purpose here is to discuss how anaerobic and aerobic training support performance variables like strength, power, speed, and endurance. We also support the contention that total conditioning and optimal health necessitates training each of the physiological systems in a systematic fashion.

It warrants mention that in any activity all three energy systems are utilized though one may dominate. The interplay of these systems can be complex, yet a simple examination of the characteristics of aerobic vs. anaerobic training can prove useful.

Aerobic training benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. This is certainly of significant benefit.  Aerobic conditioning allows us to engage in moderate/low power output for extended period of time. This is valuable for many sports. Athletes engaging in excessive

aerobic training witness decreases in muscle mass, strength, speed, and power. It is not uncommon to find marathoners with a vertical leap of several inches and a bench press well below average for most athletes.  Aerobic activity has a pronounced tendency to decrease

anaerobic capacity. This does not bode well for athletes or the individual interested in total conditioning or optimal health.

Anaerobic activity also benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body fat. Anaerobic activity is unique in its capacity to dramatically improve power, speed, strength, and muscle mass. Anaerobic conditioning allows us to exert tremendous forces over a very brief time.  Perhaps the aspect of anaerobic conditioning that bears greatest consideration is that anaerobic conditioning will not adversely affect aerobic capacity! In fact, properly structured, anaerobic activity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without the muscle wasting consistent with high volume aerobic exercise!

Basketball, football, gymnastics, boxing, track and field events under one mile, soccer, swimming events under 400 yards, volleyball, wrestling, and weightlifting are all sports that require the majority of training time spent in anaerobic activity. Long distance and ultra-endurance running, cross-country skiing, and 1500+ yard swimming are all sports that require aerobic training at levels that produce results unacceptable to other athletes or individuals concerned with total conditioning or optimal health.

The CrossFit approach is to judiciously balance anaerobic and aerobic exercise in a manner that is consistent with the athlete’s goals. Our exercise prescriptions adhere to proper specificity, progression, variation, and recovery to optimize adaptations.

Why Hydrostatic (Underwater) Body Fat Testing?

As body fat testing, rather than simple scale weight, has become "the standard" in this new millennium, Hydrostatic Testing (Underwater Weighing) has become universally regarded by industry experts as the "Gold Standard" in body fat testing. Renowned author and fitness expert Covert Bailey, in the phenomenal best seller "Fit or Fat", states: "That hydrostatic testing (underwater immersion) is the most accurate method for body fat determination."

FitnessWave's hydrostatic method uses a two component model which separates the body in two distinct pieces:

1. Bone, muscle, and connective tissue collectively known as lean mass sinks (More Dense than Water).
2. Body Fat-floats (Less Dense than Water).

By obtaining your land weight and water weight (based on buoyancy) our specialized computer program can scientifically calculate your body fat as a percentage of your total weight. The ordinary land scale cannot tell you if weight loss is muscle or fat, while getting dunked with FitnessWave can tell you to the ounce of what took place with you body during your weight loss regiment.

Clinically speaking, the hydrostatic testing method has been around for over 50 years and is based on Archimedes principle which states "that when a body is submerged in water, there is a buoyant counter force equal to the weight of the water which is displaced". Again, because bone and muscle are denser than water, a person with a larger percentage of lean body mass will weigh more in the water and ultimately have a lower body fat percentage versus someone with less lean muscle mass. A person with more body fat will be lighter in water because body fat floats and lean tissue, muscle, connective tissue, bones, etc. sink.