Home of CrossFit ATM, the first CrossFit in the Brazos Valley

Remember to bring your friends and family to the gym on Saturday for a Free community workout!! 

David. 

Power Snatch Heavy 1 Rep for today

Snatch Grip Deadlift 3×8

Then,

7 rounds of

7 KBS

7 Slam Balls

7 Push Ups

By Jack Gaines

For the past month I’ve decided to retry dairy, in particular milk, chocolate milk.  I used it as a post workout recovery tool (didn’t notice a significant difference, and I spent the majority of the month with a bum shoulder) and occasionally on my off-days to add extra calories.

Growing up I drank a ton of milk, ate a ton of cheese and yogurt, and I never missed a bowl of ice cream.  I was the same height that I am now and weighed 135 pounds until I was a senior in high school.  I didn’t have a weight gain problem with it, but I did have a serious acne problem.  When I started Paleo, dairy was the hardest thing for me to give up, but the acne was gone in about 2 weeks.  Any time since that I would try dairy, the acne would flare back up and I would get some nice sinus drainage (I also have a history of 2-3 sinus infections per year pre-Paleo).  Now, I can pinpoint the reason to avoid consuming dairy, and it makes a ton of sense.  First, it is highly inflammatory which can lead to the acne.  I have since noticed that when I have other foods that are inflammatory (what a coincidence…grains and legumes, the other food groups we tell you to avoid, and large amounts of nuts due to the high Omega-6 fats I assume) the acne tends to flare up.

One benefit of milk, if it comes from your species and you’re still wearing a diaper, is it has unique properties that build/boost your immune system.  These antibodies are species specific, are dependent on what microbials the mother has come in contact with, and they are in all milk.  When we drink cow’s milk, the antibodies don’t quite match up for us, but our bodies still recognize what their purpose is for.  This is usually the cause of the sinus drainage, and why parents would tell us not to drink milk when we were sick.

All of this has been flaring up in the past month, and since I love chocolate milk after a heavy squat day, I tried to ignore it.  Then spring happened, and thanks to the large amount of pollen and other allergens in the air, my nose has had a mind of its own.  Constant sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, and a sore throat have been daily occurrences.  I have not had problems with allergies the past 3 years since starting Paleo.  Based on all of the above, this experiment has failed.  I did not have improvements in my lifts that wouldn’t have been possible without milk.  Whenever you experiment, after a week or two, you have to ask yourself “Is this helping, hurting, or having a neutral effect on my HEALTH and/or PERFORMANCE.”    Health comes first and foremost, and then you can worry about performance.  Be honest with yourself and don’t let emotional connections to food cloud your decisions.

Follow Taylor’s lead and make sure to rest between sets, when a rest is given! 

Group Classes

Clean and Jerk Work

Then,

AMRAP 3 min

1 Power Clean

1 Front Squat

1 Push Press

1 Back Squat

Followed by,

50 Sit ups/GHD

Mobility Class Tonight! No Oly Class!

Brussel Sprout Hash with Eggs on Top!

Photo Credit

12 ounces Brussels sprouts
2 ounces thick-sliced bacon or pancetta
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
3 large eggs
kosher salt
cracked black pepper

Thinly slice Brussels sprouts. Set aside. In a medium to large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon or pancetta until crisp. Remove from pan.

To the bacon grease add the garlic and shallots and cook for 30 seconds before adding in the Brussels sprouts. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Sauté for 5 minutes until sprouts are tender. Add the bacon back in, and stir to combine and cook until sprouts start to brown on the edges, another 3-5 minutes. 

Create a slight well in the center of the pan. Add the butter if desired. Crack the eggs directly in the center and cook until the eggs are cooked through as desired. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Group Classes:

Take time to mobilize your shoulders today

Then,

Find your max weight strict pull up

Followed by,

4 x 400m Sprint!

Weightlifting:

Snatch Work

Clean/Jerk Work

While we touched a little on supplementation and how I am not always completely against it, there is truly a time and place for almost everything. There is also so much variation that needs to be considered with each person. What may work for me during my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, may not work for you. Also, what may work for you during one life situation maybe completely different during the next.

So, remember prior to supplementing, you need to have all of your ducks in a row. Supplements should never take the place of good lifestyle habits and they should never replace food. Your supplements should also be of high quality. Look at the label. Is it coated in soy, does it contain dairy, sugar, and any artificial crud? Just say NO, to these things, they are potentially counter-productive and a waste of money. This is not a post to tell you what to take and what not to take, it’s more of  a reminder that everyone maybe different in what they actually need. So, if you are playing around with the idea of supplementing, read here and here and here and here and then ask your coach!

The goal is to be in a place to where what you eat is sufficient for your nutritional needs. It is the most satisfying and cost effective way to be healthy, look good naked, and perform well (these are everyone’s goals, right ). When we live in a world where taking a pill is the norm, this process (for some) can seem to take too long.  Be patient with the process of healing and developing good lifestyle habits. It will be a lifelong reaping of rewards, not only in the health aspect of life, but in character development and self discipline. When you set goals for yourself and achieve those goals, without going the quick, cheep (in quality), and easy route, you develop character and perseverence. I know, for some, this may seem an extreme way of thinking… “It is only food, right?”. But with anything that you set to do in life and are patient with the process of developing and working hard towards, the rewards will penetrate deeper than what is seen and be long lasting.

Zach, working hard in his firefighter gear!!

Back Squat 1 RM  for today

Followed by,

3-5 Rounds, you choose your rounds based off of how you have been recovering

20 KB Swings

20 Pull Ups

20 Double Unders

This Saturday we will be hosting our monthly Bring a Friend Day at the Box! This is a free workout for anyone in the community, so spread the word and come to the gym for some fun!!!

Group Classes:

Heavy 1 Rep Power Clean for today

Followed by,

1000m Row

50 Thrusters

30 Box Jumps

Oly Class:

Snatch Heavy 1 Rep

Clean/Jerk Heavy 1Rep

Reminder: There are no classes today! Enjoy your weekend!!!

Don’t let this be you! I know life gets crazy sometimes, but there is really no reason to be stressed all of the time. Stress is absolutely counter productive to your goals! So, if you find yourself a little frazzled, like the dude above, you should consider some active de-stressing. One excellent way to de-stress is Val Smith’s yoga classes at BlackBox. They are offered M/W at 7:30pm and now there is a new addition to the mix! She will be holding a Tuesday yoga class at 9:00am, starting on the 10th!! I hope to see all your lovely faces present for some sweet time of active relaxing!

Nick.

Reminder: There are no classes tomorrow (Saturday due to the holiday, Enjoy your weekend!). And remember next week April 14th is Bring a Friend Day! Anyone in the community can come out to the gym for a workout!

5×3, 3×2, 2×1 Front Squat

Then 5 rounds of

10 KBS

20 Double Unders

200m Run

This recipe is from Rachel Supercinski. She has given us kale a few times from her garden and this seems like a pretty awesome way to munch on some green goodness! I hope you enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Kale Goodness
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
4-6 pieces of bacon, cut into bits (I use kitchen shears)
1 apple, chopped (I don’t bother peeling it)
6 large leaves of kale, cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions:
“Peel, chop into bite-sized cubes and de-seed your butternut squash. I find this to be the easiest if I microwave it for 2 minutes first. Otherwise, I almost cut my hand off or want to throw the squash out the window because peeling it is so difficult. You can either steam or boil your squash cubes until fork tender, but do not let them get mushy, though I have had that happen and it still tastes great.

While the squash is cooking, start the rest of the dish. In a large skillet, begin cooking your bacon pieces over medium high heat. When your bacon starts rendering some of its fat, add your onion and continue cooking, stirring every minute or so until the onion is very soft. Add in your chopped apple. After a few minutes, add in your cooked squash cubes. Stir everything well, and then stir in your kale. Continue stirring for a few minutes until your kale is softened and wilted. Serve immediately.”

Baby Bump Squatting at 27 weeks. 

Group Classes:

5×3, 4×2, 3×1 Snatch

Then 5 rounds of

2 Turkish get ups (each side = 4 total)

15 Wall Balls

Reminder: There is no Oly Class, Come to the Mobility class at 6:30pm!

Okay so you may know me at the gym as the anti-supplement “queen”. I guess with this post I wanted to clear some mis-conceptions on the matter of supplementation. Although I do believe that supplementation is not sustainable and it should not be used to replace what food can do, I do think there is a time and a place for “most” everything. There are many things to consider before we even recommend supplementing yourself with individual vitamins/minerals. If for some reason you are frustrated with your performance, your body composition, or even your health it is beneficial to take a step back and consider the whole picture.

1. Are you eating well or is this just a cop-out to a “quick fix”. If you do not want to make a change in what you put in your mouth, then supplementing will just be a band aid to what is truly going on beneath the surface. Your problems will surface again, maybe not immediately, but with time.

2. Are you sleeping well from 10pm-6am? Or is your sleep disrupted/postponed? If your issues are sleep in general (revisit #1 and if that is not able to work contact info@blackboxstrength.com).

3. How is your stress level? Are you actively trying to de-stress? Are you breathing? Are you actively seeking pleasurable things for your life?

4. Are you drinking enough water?

5. Are you moving/exercising properly? And are you actively pursuing recovery?

If these things are in order and there are still issues, there maybe grounds for some sort of supplementation. It is very interesting to see the different stages in our lives and how our body responds mentally, physically, and emotionally. And with changing times, things that we did before may not be completely adequate for what we are doing now. For example with change, most often stress is right around the corner. Even with all the de-stressing that we actively seek, stress can have an effect on our digestive system (remember: we are only as good as what we can digest) and end up throwing us for a loop.

We will touch on some supplemental things later, but for now I will leave you with this: Do you have issues you want resolved? Have you taken a set back and considered what maybe occurring in your life to cause these issues. Are you doing #1-5 on the list above? If you have all of your “apples in a row” and you are still not seeing the gains or health that you desire, contact Jordan@BlackBoxStrength.com.

It’s a new day, step outside and enjoy life! 

Group Classes:

Super Set the below:

5 Rounds

Weighted Pull Ups x 5

10 Bent over rows

2 min rest

Then

100 double unders

50 GHD/Sit Ups (divide these as needed, they are for completion)

Weightlifting:

If you haven’t noticed, the programming for the Oly class is a little different than last week. These next few weeks we will be focusing on the movement as a whole. This is a great time to attend the Oly class, especially if you are wanting to practice/gain more knowledge in the movements. 

Snatch Work

Clean and Jerk Work

I am a foodee by heart. Danny and I will splurge on dinner/lunch/breakfast every now and then, because it is very much worth it to us to have a pleasantly and deliciously full belly, even if it means our wallets are a little less than full . We really do just love food and we love sharing food with friends. I find it fascinating that food just has a way of bringing people together.

There are so many different reasons that people choose to eat. You can eat socially, emotionally, purposefully or non-purposefully, and/or for the mer pleasure that food brings. We started eating “paleo” about 4 years ago. Since we changed our eating habits, I have honestly never eaten better than I do now. The food tastes delicious, more so now than it did before. It maybe due to me actually learning how to cook or that my taste buds changed to actually taste food as it is (without all the added crud) or a combination of the two.

 So, today I wanted to share with you my favorite delicious paleo recipe websites. These are websites that I choose to go to when I need something gourmet or just freakin awesome. I hope you enjoy!

http://www.health-bent.com/ (top Choice!)

http://nomnompaleo.com/ (runner up!)

http://www.chowstalker.com/ (this one is good to see a lot of different bloggers/recipes at once)

http://www.thefoodee.com/ (this one is good to see a lot of different bloggers/recipes at once)

http://everydaypaleo.com/ (these are also really great!)

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/ (love this girl!)

Kelly K.

Power cleans 8×3

Then 10 Rounds of:

40 ft Bear Crawl

4 Pull Ups

Followed by,

3x 8-10 TTB/KTE

 April’s Bring a Friend Day has been moved to next Saturday, due to Easter Holiday this weekend!

Spread the word and bring your friends to the gym on April 14th at 10am for a FREE Workout!!! 

Group Classes:

Back Squat 5×3

Then 10 Rounds:

5 Box Jumps

50m Sprint

Weightlifting:

Snatch

Clean/Jerk

Barbell Ab RollOuts 3×8-10

Snatch Work – stay light and work on form. Good back angle and full hip extention.

Followed by,

1 mile Sprint

Then,

Tabata Sit Ups

Mobility Class doing the splits!

Shoulder Press

3×5, 2×3, 2×2

Then 5 round of:

10 Walking Lunges

40 Double Unders

Guys this is really fantastic! I used beef instead of chicken (it’s all that we had) and it turned out just as good! Enjoy!

Whole 9′s Steal This Meal:  The Best Chicken Fajitas Ever (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 – 2 lbs. of “pastured” organic chicken breast
• 1 medium jicama (peeled and sliced into strips)
• 2-3 ripe mango (peeled and sliced into chunks)
• 2-3 ripe avocado (sliced into quarters)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
• 1 orange bell pepper (sliced into strips)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into strips)
• 1 large sweet onion (sliced into strips)
• 2 heads of Bibb or Butter lettuce
• Cumin, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper (liberal amounts of each)
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped)

Directions:

• Trim and pound chicken with a meat tenderizer until all slices are a consistent thickness.
• Heat 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan (medium-high heat).
• Once the oil is hot, mix spices together and sprinkle half directly into the pan.
• Throw chicken on top of the spices, and sprinkle the other half of the spice mixture on top of the chicken.
• Allow each side to blacken and sear (about 1 minute) before flipping.
• When chicken is done, remove from pan and transfer to cutting board to slice into strips.
• In the same hot pan (with leftover spices), sauté the peppers and onions.
• Use the spatula to scrape blackened spices off the bottom of the pan, stir them right in with the veggies.
• When pepper and onion mixture is cooked to desired tenderness (3-5 minutes), remove from pan and transfer to serving dish.
• Fill the bottom of your plate with large leafs of lettuce.  Pile hot peppers and onion on top, surround with jicama, avocado and mango.
• Drop the chicken on top of the whole glorious pile, top with freshly chopped cilantro.

Dustin.

Group Classes:

Front Squat 5×3, 2×3, 2×2, 2×1, 1×1

Followed by,

10 to 1 alternating Power snatch and burpees

Olympic Lifting Class: Canceled, Come to the Mobility Class!

It was great to see everyone at the Nutrition Basics last night! Get ready, there is a challenge on the horizon! Remember, the times when life is craziest are the times when what you put into your mouth will either make you or break you. So, as life gets hectic the best thing you can do for your body is to eat good food!

Group Classes:

5 Sets:

7 Weighted Pull Ups

10 Broad Jumps

2 min Rest

Then,

20 Turkish get ups

Followed by,

5 min plank

Weightlifting:

Snatch Work

Clean Work

Squat Heavy 3×3