A Social Butterfly's Guide to Keeping Your Diet in Check
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Some friends and family members can bring out the worst in you, especially when it comes to tempting you to break your diet at gatherings. Being social and adhering to a healthy diet are both good qualities, so don't let them offset each other. One easy way to tamp down cravings is to eat throughout the day. If you go into a party hungry, you're far more likely to faceplant into the fondue. Showing up with some food (and water) in your system will help you control your cravings. [RELATED1] When you do fuel up before a party, opt for foods that contain high amounts of fiber and healthy fats. Almonds, for example, contain plenty of both, and they'll help you feel full for far longer. And don’t think of parties as the Last Supper—we eat and celebrate all year. Have a little bite of everything want so you can taste it, remember to savor it, and chew slowly. Fitness via Muscle & Fitness http://ift.tt/2zjtGBz February 24, 2018 at 07:18AM
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3 Ways to Enjoy Drinking Alcohol Without Getting Fat
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While we certainly won't bash boozing with the boys, there is a way to do so intelligently—and so it won't undo all the work you did in the gym prior to your drinking session. Keep the following in mind before your night out:
[RELATED1] [RELATED2] Fitness via Muscle & Fitness http://ift.tt/2zjtGBz February 24, 2018 at 07:18AM
Training Tips for When You're On the Go
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Jenner Images / Getty
Trust us, we understand the sanctity of your home gym. But for almost all of us, there will be times—for work, for familial obligations, or otherwise—when we simply can't get there. After a few days of inactivity, one can often get pretty irritable and frustrated if they don't get a decent workout in. However, there are ways to ensure that you'll always be able to get a pretty good sweat going regardless of where you are. 1. Carry a training bag full of tools—bands, Fat Gripz, a jump rope, and an ab wheel—so you can work out in a small space or an ill-equipped gym. Bands can be looped around machines or even attached to your weights. Fat Gripz make light dumbbells harder to hold. A jump rope and an ab wheel speak for themselves. [RELATED1] If you make an effort to have one or two of these versatile pieces of equipment on hand, you'll be able to make the most out of a tricky workout dilemma. 2. If you find yourself short on time while away, consider combining your cardio with your weight training. All that really means is reducing your rest time and performing more circuits. You can guarantee your heart will be beating out of your chest, and you’ll be triggering the potential for plenty of fat loss, too. [RELATED2] This advice comes courtesy of Lee Boyce, C.P.T., a strength coach based in Toronto and the operator of Boyce Training Systems. Fitness via Muscle & Fitness http://ift.tt/2zjtGBz February 24, 2018 at 07:18AM
By the Numbers: 2017 World Weightlifting Championships Analysis
http://ift.tt/2otvNMd The 2017 Worlds are now history. With 10 of the sport’s superpowers absent, there were bound to be some interesting side stories. I covered some of the highlights in this space previously, but now I would like to look at the stats behind the stories. There were 358 athletes who competed in Los Angeles; 202 men and 156 women spread over eight bodyweight categories each, including the new 90kg women’s category. Let’s look at some ratios that may tell a story or two, starting with the ratio of the two lifts to one another.
Snatch to Jerk RatioIn decades past, the ideal ratio of snatch to clean and jerk was around 78%, give or take a percent or so. Looking at all of the competitors, we see that the average this year is up slightly, to 80.5%. This continues a trend that started some years ago.
An extra 2% might not sound like much, but it will add 5kg on a 200 total. That still may not sound like much, but it has to be remembered that competitions are extremely tight. This extra margin can mean the difference between medalling and being an also-ran. If a lifter’s snatch lags, it means a major deficit that has to be overcome in the jerk. That will not always be possible, since the days of one-lift specialists are over. One has to be good at both, or else they are just handicapping themselves in a tight competition. Here is what the various sex-bodyweight categories did:
This all points to the constant need to perfect technique, especially in the snatch. The snatch is more important now, due to the change in the final placing rules. Lifters can no longer win on lighter bodyweight; they have to lift more, or at least lift the same amount, sooner. The better one’s snatch, the less one will need to jerk in order to make a certain total. Anyone who snatched less that still wants to win will have to jerk more. That situation is psychologically more difficult for any lifter. It’s better to have a nice cushion going into the more demanding clean and jerk.
How the Snatch Fell BehindOf special interest is the new world record 220kg snatch made by super heavy Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia. Compared with his 257kg clean and jerk, he scores 85.6%, very high for any category, but especially a super. Back in the heyday of the immortal Vasily Alexeev, now a solid four decades ago, he did 187.5kg and 256kg, both world records at the time. The snatch has moved a full 32.5 kilos, while the jerk has stagnated.
This leads us to question the apparent asymmetric progress. Some can be explained by the lack of attention given to the snatch before 1972. Back then, there were three events in a weightlifting competition: the clean and press, the snatch, and the clean and jerk. It was very economical for Alexeev and others to concentrate on the press and jerk in training, since one would follow in the other’s slipstream. The snatch took a lot of work to produce less improvement. Since the press was eliminated, the big men can no longer rely on starting the contest with a big press. Today, you have to make do with a big snatch to start, so that lift had to be improved for anyone to stay in the running. That is the “numerator reason” for the ratio improvement.
Now let’s look at the “denominator reason.” Lasha won with room to spare, only jerking 257kg. Few doubted that he could have done more, if need be. He had the contest wrapped up with apparently conservative attempts. If he could have put up a 265kg jerk, that would have given him an 83% ratio, closer to the modern standard.
This directs us to look at Lasha’s height. While I do not have an exact height for him, he appears to be taller than many supers. Taller lifters (i.e., high height-to-weight ratios) tend to do relatively better in the snatch, due to torque-driven leverage. More compact lifters will not snatch so much, in most cases. So while Talakhadze looks good for more in the jerk, I am not sure he will do as well as a stockier lifter would. As the world has renewed hope for seeing that elusive 600lb jerk, it is not at all certain that the big Georgian will be the one to eventually do it.
Successful AttemptsCoaches always advise lifters to total first, and then to get as many successful lifts in as possible. Too many lifters seem to think they might as well start high. Though some risk-takers are successful with this approach, the result is often either a bomb-out, or only two successful lifts. Once a lifter has missed a lift, he or she is over a barrel. They have to try the same lift again, while the memory of failing with it is still fresh. Even if their second attempt is successful, they now only have one lift left to make up any deficits.
Contrast this with the lifter who starts somewhat more conservatively, but is successful. Their second attempt will then go much easier, while they bask in the glow of success. A third attempt at a PR will then have a better chance of success. Does this approach actually work? Here is what happened at the worlds:
The stats above show this clearly. All is what would be expected. A large percentage of lifters make their first attempt. They need to get on the board first, before they can think of placing. Second attempts are less successful, barely over half. By the time the third attempt rolls around, lifters are taking a shot at a PR, or close to it. This, combined with the stress of world competition, results in a lot of misses. Others will miss while gambling on making up deficits. This is especially true in the clean and jerk. The contest is nearly over, so more risks must be taken if the previous lifts didn`t go as planned.
There were 942 lifts attempted in the entire competition. 460 of them (52%) were successful. This proves the adage that half of all lifts will be failures. Things get more interesting when we break them down by sex. We find that women attempted 438 lifts and made 266 of them (60.7%), while the men made 224 out of 504 attempts (44.4%). It would appear that the male fields, being deeper, resulted in the men having to take more risks in their attempt choices. They would be tempted to start higher, and so would miss more often. Women could take things a tiny bit easier.
How Much Did the Suspensions Affect Results?With ten leading countries absent, it was inevitable that medals would be won with significantly lower totals, at least in some categories. I wanted to know what the winners’ totals were, as a percentage of the world records. I also thought it would be interesting to look at the 10th place finishers, as an indicator of the competitiveness of the field as a whole. In normal years, winners would be close to the 100% level, but in 2017, they showed the following results:
We see that the female winners averaged 88.3% of the world records, while the 10th place finishers hit only 76%. Men fared better, with their winners averaging 94.4%. These are significant differences. Some of those who won in LA cannot hope to duplicate their placings when the sanctioned nations return. Needless to say, this leaves aside the drug issue, but that is a whole other speculative discussion.
The Bomb SquadIn weightlifting, you get to attempt three snatches and three clean and jerks. You either are successful in lifting the weight to the referees’ satisfaction, or you aren’t (a “miss”). Three misses on one of the lifts eliminates you from the competition. This is called “bombing out” by the lifting community. This of course is something lifters want to avoid, but it is also something that will happen every so often.
While lifters try to start their three attempts low enough to ensure success, success does not always happen. Lifters may have an off day, resulting in a miss even at a lighter weight. At other times, a lifter will be overconfident and start too high, then suffer three misses. Finally, some lifters may be in a position where some risks have to be taken, perhaps in order to qualify for another, more important event (e.g., Olympic Trials). The lifter has to start high, and then often misses, but this is seen as a necessary risk.
In a world championship, there will always be a number of bombers. In Los Angeles, 26 men (14.8%) bombed, while 19 women (13.9%) failed to total. These percentages are a bit high, but not unusual at Worlds. Opportunities are seen by some, so risks have to be taken. The result is often disappointment, but that is part of the game.
As an aside, powerlifting has far fewer bombers. This is due to the speed and precision needed for the Olympic lifts, compared to the power lifts. When pulling off the platform, it is easy to get outside the groove and end up with a miss. As noted, half of all attempts do indeed miss. Powerlifting moves at a slower, more deliberate speed, a speed where corrections can often me made in mid-lift, hence fewer misses and fewer bomb-outs.
All in all, there were not too many surprises this year, even with the multiple absences. Lifting behavior is the same world over, often transcending national culture. At the same time, the future of weightlifting is a bit uncertain. Until that distant shore is reached, we can only take one year at a time. Before we know it, it will be time for the 2018 Worlds, and it will all start again. 2017’s winners have to start all over again in their quest for glory. With all the suspensions, they cannot even be sure who their competitors will be. That makes everything difficult for them, but for us superannuated lifters, that will make it all the more exciting. Fitness via Breaking Muscle http://ift.tt/1hdUh1E February 23, 2018 at 01:47PM
Quick Tips for Open WOD 18.1
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This year’s CrossFit Open kicked off on February 22, with WOD 18.1 and will continue through to March 26, ending with WOD 18.5. As each Open WOD is announced, I will be providing you with the same briefing I give the athletes at my gym, Precision Crossfit. This immediate feedback will arm you with valuable strategies and tips to help you make the most of your efforts and score your best possible performance in these WODs.
As I have always said, aiming for success in the Open is not just for top-tier athletes. It’s also a great way to build benchmarks and goals into your year-round training. Even if you are not going to go on to higher levels of competition, completing the Open WODs each year gives you performance data you can use to chart your progress and evaluate your programming going forward.
Open WOD 18.1Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:
The Rx dumbbell weights are 50 lbs. for men and 35 lbs. for women. Additional scalings, movement standards, and more are available on the official CrossFit Open 18.1 page.
How to Approach WOD 18.1The main issue with this WOD is grip. From hanging on the bar to the hang cleans to the rower — there’s just no clear way to rest your grip. And, at 20 minutes, most of us will begin to feel it long before the end of the WOD is in sight.
The first place to look for grip relief is with toes-to-bar. Once you begin to tire, you can switch to singles and give your hands a quick shake between reps. With the dumbbells, there’s hardly any way to get relief, except putting the dumbbell down to switch arms. If you do this, however, be sure to just shake your hands out quick and get back to it. As I discuss in the video, transition time is important in this WOD. Last, try your best to manage grip on the rower. It’s not easy, but the quicker you can get to your target calories, the less time you have to spend holding onto the handle.
Another key to success with this WOD is to minimize transition time — set up your workout area for maximum efficiency and the quickest possible transitions. You want to rank as high as possible, and a single second can put you up or down dozens, maybe even hundreds, of places.
Last, you need to find an optimal, sustainable pace. Go too fast, and you'll tank. Go too slow and you'll score lower than you should. I've covered the important understanding and managing your heart rate in workouts and competitions before. Here, with a 20-minute WOD, you really want to push to the edge, yet be careful not to go over the edge. Knowing and maintaining your target zone is a great way to maximize your efforts in this WOD.
I also want to remind you to refer to the techniques shown in my earlier technique instructions for competition workouts for the CrossFit Open. In particular, you should review the video on bodyweight exercises called The Final Four; it covers the essentials of efficiently cycling of gymnastics. It should prove helpful to you, especially when you get to the point where you're cycling single repetitions on toes-to-bar.
In summary, this WOD is about three things: grip, transitions, and sustaining an ideal pace. So, check out my athlete briefing and start this year's CrossFit Open with a score you can be proud of! Fitness via Breaking Muscle http://ift.tt/1hdUh1E February 23, 2018 at 01:47PM
The 5 best grains and beans for weight loss
http://ift.tt/2GGussW Not all carbs are bad. Sure, a shortstack for breakfast, bread bowl with soup for lunch, and mountain of gnocchi for dinner—on repeat—is gonna give you a doughy silhouette. But wholesome carbs, when eaten at the right time and in the right amounts, can contribute to a lean physique—fuel your brain and muscles with necessary energy. [RELATED1] In fact, wholesome whole grains are perfect for athletes who need sustained energy or average guys looking to beat the midday munchies. Keep reading for five of the best sources of quality carbs. And if you're still not convinced, read all the reasons you shouldn't cut carbs.
Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/2u0SmvI February 23, 2018 at 12:08PM
Avocado toast with spicy egg and cucumber
http://ift.tt/2GGqwbE Everybody loves avocado toast—the brunch staple is so popular, in fact, that it's practically become synonymous with Millennials (whether deserved or not). But while a critic could certainly take exception to avocado toast's popularity, it's hard to argue with its nutritional profile, especially when it's topped with an egg. The egg provides muscle-building amino acids, while you’ll get a whole lot of healthy fat from the avocado and the egg yolk. Make sure to get 100% whole grain bread in order to get those important whole grains, too. If one toast isn’t filling enough for lunch, then double the recipe. Nutrition (per serving) Calories: 218; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Protein: 11g: Carbohydrates: 16g; Sugar: 3g; Fiber: 5g; Cholesterol: 187mg; Sodium: 475mg Recipe and photo by Katie Cavuto, M.S., R.D., of Nourish.Breathe.Thrive.
1
Ingredients
1 slice of whole grain bread, toasted (I like Healthfull Bread Nuts and Seeds)
1/4 avocado, mashed
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
3 cucumber slices
1/4 tsp chili oil
Lime zest
Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it
Spread mashed avocado onto toast. Top with egg slices and cucumber slices. Drizzle with chili oil. Season with lime zest, salt and pepper.
Cook Time:
0
Prep Time:
10
Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/2u0SmvI February 23, 2018 at 11:47AM
Subversive Fitness: Day 309 Of 360
http://ift.tt/2HHP3hQ Day 309 Of 360Press: 3 x 5 @ (up to) 80% of 2RM 1 x 10 @ 50%, each with full 2/1000 in lock-out
Rest as needed between sets. If sets require interruption at the chosen weight, or range of motion fails, make as minor an adjustment as needed and complete the next uninterrupted and at full-range. When the scheme is listed as “3 x 5″, it always refers to “Sets” x “Reps”. Reminder: Sound position always governs weight.
Then:
Dumbbell box jump: 5 x 5 @ challenging in each set
Each set should be difficult, violent, and positionally sound; Adjust weight by round as needed to achieve desired work.
Today, max jump height is 15″ W, 20″ M. Stay tall and upright, and do not allow the chosen weight to break posture/unwind bracing in the take-off or landing; soft equals sketchy.
And then, as quickly as possible, 5 rounds of:
1 rep “Hollow position complex” (4 360 sit-up + 4 V-up + 4 Rocking chair= 1 rep) 15 Box jump 150 Jumprope
No designated rest here. Focus on quality, consistent movement, and make yourself work.
Hollow position complex: Goal is the completion of each rep (12 movements) without breaking position. Today, if needed, rest no more than 20 sec. between each rep.
Box jump: Height is scaled to ability, and should pose a challenge for 15 reps.
And then, “Time under tension”:
25 Dowel partial pull-over + 25 cat/ cow stretch
Partial pull-over is active cool-down, and should be performed in organized positions- only pull dowel over to point of position break, maintain a brief hold, and repeat. The goal is opening up the upper body after a challenging pressing/ posture day, and improving the position for next time. Fitness via Breaking Muscle http://ift.tt/1GxgPEe February 23, 2018 at 09:39AM
The 13 Men and Women to Watch at WWE Elimination Chamber
http://ift.tt/2BIMifz Fitness via Muscle & Fitness http://ift.tt/2zjtGBz February 23, 2018 at 07:17AM
Get the Spring Issue of 'Muscle & Fitness Hers' on Newsstands Now
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Per Bernal
In the spring edition of Muscle & Fitness Hers, fitness star Christmas Abbott shares a killer bodyweight circuit to help you torch calories and build a lean physique. The CrossFit competitor and author of The Badass Life and The Badass Body Diet has inspired thousands of women to be more confident in their bodies' appearances and abilities. It's no walk in the park, but Abbott's 20-minute workout will quickly get your blood pumping and muscles firing on all cylinders for a calorie-burning, full-body blast that's both fun and effective. You'll also find other unique and proven approaches for sculpting a lean physique and getting in optimal shape this spring. Our 7-Day Challenge is designed to reboot your motivation and fast-track your success with a weeklong diet and workout plan that gets serious results. Give it your all for the full seven days and you'll be amazed at the progress you'll have made in such a short period of time. And for those looking to firm up specific body parts, our Tone Your Zones feature will help you get strong, sleek abs and tight glutes with targeted training. If time is of the essence when it comes to your training, you'll appreciate our feature on compound moves, which will enable you to do more in less time with exercises that target up to three muscle groups at once. You'll also find some super-efficient superset routines that'll keep your heart rate elevated as you quickly move from one muscle-chiseling exercise to the next. And, of course, we also shine a spotlight on your diet with a variety of nutrition news, tips, and healthy recipes to keep your physique looking absolutely stellar this spring. With a bevy of other training techniques and inspiration to maximize your performance, the spring issue serves up everything you'll need to get the fitness results you want. Get the new issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers on newsstands now!Fitness via Muscle & Fitness http://ift.tt/2zjtGBz February 23, 2018 at 07:17AM |
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