CrossFit is not easy. Lifting heavy weights requires real physical output. Similarly, The Paleo Diet requires effort. You have to take control of the foods you eat by spending time in the kitchen. Acquiring basic cooking skills will go a long way to help you and your family live a healthier, happier, longer life! Find creative ways to enjoy this way of eating. I encourage you to try new foods and recipes as often as possible. Here's a Paleo Diet dessert Maribel loves to make...



Workout of the Day
Back Squat
Find your 1 Rep Max
Shoulder Press
Find your 1 Rep Max
-break
Row 2K for time!

PALEO RECIPE by Maribel
"Paleo Sorbet"
1 cup organic mixed berries
1 cup organic strawberries
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 scoop egg white protein
Blend well and serve immediately or freeze for later. Enjoy!

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."-Harriet Van Horne

ALYSSA is our "Student Athlete of the Week." She is very strong and has been kicking butt lately. Alyssa is a fitness professional and thinks of the Brickhouse as her 2nd home. She is loved by all of her classmates in the 9:30 crew and keeps them all in line. Keep it up girl, you're an inspiration!



ALYSSA standing out in a crowd of CrossFitters!

Workout of the Day
For time:
400 Walking Lunges

PALEO RECIPE
"Honey Nut Bars"-mypaleokitchen
Preheat oven to 350º and grease a 13x9 casserole dish with coconut oil.
Place the following nuts into a food processor, grind into a coarse nut flour.
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup almonds
Put into a medium sized bowl and stir in the following:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Melt in a small saucepan:
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup high quality coconut oil.
Pour honey/oil over the nut mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated with it. Press evenly into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool for 20 minutes, the very gently cut and remove bars and allow to cool on a plate. They will be crumbly but if they fall apart gently mold them back together. As they cool they will harden.

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."-Martin Luther King, Jr.

As part of The Paleo Diet, I recommend using lots of olive oil when eating lean meats, seafood and vegetables. It is high in monounsaturated which have proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. Another health benefit of olive oil seems to be its property to displace omega-6 fats, while not having any impact on omega-3 fats. This way, olive oil helps to build a more healthy balance between omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats. This stuff has also been linked to longevity and living a longer healthier life. Jeanne Calment, the "oldest person ever" says, she ascribed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to olive oil, which she said she poured on all her food and rubbed onto her skin. If you're running out to buy a big bottle of olive oil, here's a tip: "even though they may cost a little more, extra-virgin and virgin olive oils are produced without the use of heat or chemical treatments. As a result, they retain more of their heart healthy polyphenols than cheaper olive oils that have been refined and processed."(ehow.com)



Never afraid to push himself harder... JAMES picks it up a notch!

The No Grain Diet by Dr.Mercola (Published shortly after Dr.Cordain's book... "The Paleo Diet")

Workout of the Day
Tabata Squats
-break
Five rounds for time:
21 Bench Press 135/95#
Run 400m

PALEO RECIPE
"Olive Oil Roasted Eggplant with Lemon" -allrecipes.com
1 large eggplant
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters lengthwise. Cut each of those in half to make two shorter quarters. Place the eggplant onto the baking sheet with the skin side down. Brush each piece with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until softened and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot. Enjoy!

"I'd like to go to the Moon."-Jeanne Calment

Lately, I've been making an effort to feature our students in action doing a variety of things. Last week we saw TONY crush "GRACE" in 1 minute 15 seconds. Today we're watching COLIN do 100 double-unders in 59 seconds. Stay tuned for the next "Flip Video" of another inspiring performance at the Brickhouse!



This is essentially why I am no longer teaching The Zone Diet. Barry Sears has hung his hat on "quantity" of food and the subsequent Glycemic Load, rather than looking at FOOD QUALITY. There is little emphasis placed on Micronutrient and Fatty Acid Composition, Acid-Base Balance, Sodium-Potassium Ratio, Fiber or DIetary Lectins and Saponins (toxic plant proteins). THE PALEO DIET is not only about MACRONUTRIENT COMPOSITION (food quantity) in addition to the characteristics I just mentioned.

Workout of the Day
Snatch Balance
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
-break
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rep rounds for time:
Hang Power Snatch 95/65#
Back Squat

PALEO RECIPE
"Sunny Apple Salad"
2 medium red apples, diced
1 medium green apple, diced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
3 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate
In a bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!

"It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference."-Zig Ziglar

The other day, I got into a discussion with a prospective student about our program and how it can lead to some real life changes. I went on to explain that we provide fitness and nutrition coaching, specifically CrossFit and The Paleo Diet. This got me thinking about what "coaching" really is and why it is so important to the success of our students! Here's what I found as a definition of Coaching: "Coaching is a method of directing, instructing and training a person or group of people, with the aim to achieve some goal or develop specific skills. There are many ways to coach, types of coaching and methods to coaching. Sessions are typically one-on-one either in-person or over the telephone. Direction may include motivational speaking. Training may include seminars, workshops, and supervised practice." This Wikipedia definition matches the LALANNE FITNESS program to a "T" and describes exactly what it is we've been doing for the past 2 years. We're a small group CrossFit training program that helps each individual reach personal goals while developing fitness, nutrition and lifestyle skills. Training includes fitness and nutrition related seminars, workshops and classes which include supervised practice!



TY coaching a small group of students on the simple yet complex... PUSH-UP!

Workout of the Day
M.E. Box Squat
1, 1, 1, 1, 1
-break
"BETTY"
Five rounds for time
12 Push Press 135/95#
20 Box Jump 24"

PALEO RECIPE
"Dressing for Yard Salad"-Paleo Food Mall
1 Tbsp raw honey
1/3 cup lemon juice
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp minced fresh tarragon
2/3 cup olive oil
Dissolve honey in lemon juice. Add pepper and tarragon, and stir, and then add olive oil in a cruet. Shake vigorously to blend. You only need a few Tablespoonfuls for the salad, so save the rest of the dressing for later use. Enjoy!

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."-Mother Teresa

The 2010 CrossFit Games season is upon us. Because of the extraordinary success of the 09 Games, we have added another layer of qualifier. Last year, the Regionals were the starting point for potential competitors. This year, there will be 13 Regionals around the world that all take place in May. But unlike last year, you now have to qualify for the Regionals (with a few exceptions in continents with sparse populations of CrossFitters). Feeding these Regionals will be approximately 30 Sectional competitions, which will be open to anyone. The Sectionals will take place from mid-February to late March...FULL DETAILS

NorCal Sectional: March 27-28
Archbishop Mitty High School, 5000 Mitty Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129
California (North of San Luis Obispo County)
Regional Seeds: 20 men, 20 women

SouthWest Regional: May 8-9 (Tentative)
Location: Orange County, CA (Tentative)
California, Arizona, Hawaii
CrossFit Games Seeds: 4 men, 4 women

WILL is "seeing red" mid-HELEN.

LALANNE FITNESS OLYMPICS-CHALLENGE WINNERS:
Top Male Athlete: Alex Sinunu
Top Female Athlete: Molly Fuller
Overall Most Improved: Zack Toney
Most Improved Clean & Jerk: Laura Luppens
Most Improved 800m Run: Laura Luppens(current Student of the Week)
Most Improved Scaled 10 min. Cindy: Laura Luppens
Most Improved Rx 10 min. Cindy: Zack Toney

Honorable Mention: Tony Miranda

Workout of the Day
Turkish Get-Up
3 x max load
-break
Three rounds for time:
Run 400m
21 Sumo-Deadlift High-Pull 75/55#
12 Handstand Push-Up

PALEO RECIPE
"Paleo Cookies"-Paleo Foods
These cookies keep almost forever in a sealed container. Over time, they become softer and chewier.
2 cups raw honey
2 cups ground walnuts
4 cups almond
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup dried fruit chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Warm honey in a saucepan. Let mixture cool slightly. Sift together flour and spices. Place honey in mixing bowl; gradually add flour mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in dried chopped fruit. Roll dough about 1/4-inch thick on a floured board; cut into squares and rectangles with a pastry wheel or sharp knife. (If you prefer, you can also make drop cookies, dropping the dough by teaspoonful.) Bake ten minutes. Enjoy!

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action."-Tony Robbins