“What will inevitably doom a physical training program and dilute a coach’s efficacy is a lack of commitment to fundamentals.” Greg Glassman, “Fundamentals, Virtuosity, and Mastery” – An Open Letter to CrossFit Trainers VIRTUOSITY VS INTENSITY It is exciting to be at or near the top of the leaderboard in class, on SugarWod, in a competition or, most of all, in the Open. But, as top CrossFit competitors have learned, being at the top also means being under the spotlight – with high expectations for repeat performances AND scrutiny for quality of movement. Have seen an Andrew Hiller video? An incidental conflict of CrossFit is the necessity of intensity AND an emphasis on virtuosity of movement. Increased intensity generally yields greater fitness returns – in all modalities. Unfortunately, increased intensity also comes at the expense of virtuosity, usually in range of motion and sometimes in repetition volume. At Diablo, and other CrossFit affiliates, movement virtuosity trumps intensity (strength and speed). Focusing on virtuosity reduces the likelihood of injury due to improper at the gym and especially, in everyday life. So what impresses your CrossFit coach in class? Impeccable form and range of motion. So, don’t stress about the leaderboard. Focus on virtuosity, then ramp up your intensity. PODCASTS HAVE PEAKED How do you know when the podcast trend has peaked? When your gym starts one. Coach Jamie Lee (PRsAllDay CEO) and I have launched a weekly podcast basically stealing the format of this email. We talk programming, CrossFit, events, and other interesting topics for our community and the CF affiliate community. We’ll be live every Monday at 8:30AM ish – on PRsAllDay’s YouTube and on Diablo’s FB page. Our first one went off without too many hitches – broadcast to our member community. Feedback welcome-ish. GORUCK TURKEY TROT Start Rucking Now! Our 16 Annual “Totally Unofficial Turkey Trot” is going to be special! This year we’re teaming up with GoRuck to add a little weight to the journey. “Rucking” is simply walking with a weighted pack – usually 20 – 50 lbs. The benefits are amazing: core strength with significantly more calories burned than walking and less impact on joints than running. (Check out this Peter Attia Podcast for all the benefits). Rucking is the primary fitness methodology of choice for military around the world – for centuries. If you’re just starting out, use any backpack and add 10-20lbs and walk for 1-3mi. About 15 minutes in, you’ll start feeling it – and especially the next day. AMAZING GRACE On Saturday, Oct 29th, Diablo is hosting our annual charity fundraiser benefitting a local charity of choice in need of our support. This year all proceeds will benefit our friends, The Phoenix – National Sober Active Community – an amazing non-profit which provides fitness focused community support for substance abuse recovery. Heats are now OPEN for an early registration donation of $25. Just go to Oct 29th on your Diablo App. Thank you! TWEET OF THE WEEK: The two biggest reasons we cannot cure chronic disease: THE WEEK AHEAD: Check SugarWod For Daily Workouts – October Calendar & Newsletter
CRAIG’S LIST: Cool Thing: Bike Rack for Pick Up Truck – I admire common sense engineering Podcast: Peter Attia w/ Michael Easter, Author “The Comfort Crisis” – This is essentially a 1 hour summary of the Comfort Crisis book – and an excellent interview. Peter gets right to the key points for improving our health by getting uncomfortable, getting out into nature, limiting exposure to technology, eating better, the power of rucking and more. Loved this, especially since I just finished Michael Easter’s book. Podcast: CF CEO Don Faul Interview – This is one of the bet interviews of the new CF CEO Don Faul. He gives some good insight to what he’s learned so far about the organization and where he intends to focus the company in the near future. Article / Study: 10,000 Steps: Reduce Cancer & Cardiovascular Disease Risk – Taking up to 10k steps every day may be associated with a reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality, as well as the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Article/Study: Stop Eating Late! – This is kinda obvious, but one of the biggest challenges for all of us. I dropped almost 15 pounds primarily by stopping eating at 7PM and not starting until 9AM. New research suggests eating early and within a 10-hour window is healthier. Make it an awesome week! Craig |
