5 Stages of The Open. 3 Gens of CF. At Home CF. Dementia. AI Probs. Ultimate Supplement Guide – TWA 3.7.23

The taller the mountain, the less likely the journey.

OPTIMISM, ANXIETY, ACCEPTANCE, AWE & RELIEF: The 5 Stages of the Open for Affiliate Owners. Every year, a few months before the Open, I am filled with tremendous OPTIMISM – “this is going to be an incredible experience for our community and our competition athletes”. Then, as the Open gets closer, reality sinks in: creating an incredible experience requires planning, collaboration with coaches, staff & members, communication, education, marketing, promotion and more. ANXIETY begins to rise as each day passes: coordinating & scoring the intramural open, judge certifications, open registrations, re-dos, competition team selection, workout validations, Friday Night Lights plans, end of the Open party. Then, 23.1 is announced and our 1st Friday Night Lights goes off without a hitch. ACCEPTENCE sets in – we’re in this and we’re going to crush it! Coaches, staff and members combine to execute almost flawlessly. After every Friday Night Lights event – sooo many members jumped in to help run and clean up, that the events were almost effortless. And several times each night, there were incredible moments of athletic performance and community support that I was simply stopped to take it in – in absolute AWE. Finally, when Yvonne and I arrived home on Friday night after 23.3, we were hit with a waive of RELIEF: we did it! And, thanks to our team of coaches, staff and supportive members, the 2023 Open was arguably one of the best ever. Thank you for your passion and support.

3 GENERATIONS OF CROSSFIT.  Larry (80) & Christine (78) Michaelsen from Warrensberg, Missouri (pictured above) are the parents of Diablo members Matt & Hannah Michaelsen, and Grandparents to Sydney and Spencer. They have been CrossFitting for 6 years! Even more amazing: Larry proudly shared with me that 30 members of his family are CrossFitters and most are in the Open! During our conversation he took out his phone and showed me his text group labeled “Michaelsen Family Open” – set up so that they can cheer each other on and share stories. And, by the way, Larry and Christine sounded just like veteran CrossFitters when they expressed their only regret about CrossFit: “we wish we started sooner!”  

GET YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY STARTED AT HOME!  Last Sunday Night, Dave Castro pre-announced a new at-home, online CrossFit Start Up program on his YouTube Channel. The program is 12 total sessions, requires minimal equipment and is designed as an introductory program for anyone – especially those considering joining an affiliate. The cost is $149, but can be accessed for $0 using the code “getstarted“! The production quality is outstanding and the workouts are scalable and easy to understand, but also challenging. And at every level, the instructors encourage participants to reach out to their local affiliate. The program is in the “beta” stage, so this deal may not last! Pass it on to your friends or family who are thinking about CrossFit, but not yet ready to join an affiliate. 

TWEET OF THE WEEK:  The taller the mountain, the less likely the journey. And, the more amazing the summit.

• Mon: OHS. Metcon: FT: 12/15 Air Bike,  8 K2E, 30 Sit-ups, 8 K2E, 12/15 Air Bike
• Tue: Rope Climbs. Metcon: Amrap 7m – 6 DPress, 100m Farmer Carry, 35 DUs
• Wed: Elizabeth – 21-15-9 Squat Cleans & Ring Dips #95/135
• Thu: 5RFT – 450/500m Row, 9 STOH #95/135 
• Fri: Deadlift. Metcon: Amrap 8m – 5 Pull Ups, 8 DB Snatch, 12 Squats
• Sat: E3MOMx5 – Buy In: 100m FC. Then, Amrap: 12 BJs & 9 Wall Balls.
• Sun: 5RFT – 6 HPS & 12 BFB #95/135

• PODCAST: HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE REUCES RISK OF DEMENTIA? Is Alzheimers a vascular disease!?  This is an AMAZING discussion on dementia and vascular deterioration. Axel Montagne, PhD, on Solving Alzheimer’s and Dementia with Blood-Brain Barrier Repair. In the podcast, Dr. Patrick discusses the importance of high intensity exercise for the strengthening blood vessels – and reducing dementia risks. 
   
• ARTICLE: 11 Minutes of Daily Exercise Could Have A Positive Impact on Your Health – This news is based upon a study published in the British Journal of Medicine. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 200 studies involving a total of more than 30 million participants from around the world, who self-reported their activity levels for at least three years. The results are not surprising. Andy Galpin PhD, recently described a study in Japan that demonstrated improved health for participants who performed intense physical activity for just 20 seconds a day!
   
• ARTICLE – Peter Attia, MD.: Should We Be Freaked Out About Erythritol? “More hype than substance: erythritol and cardiovascular risk.”  This story received a ton of overage because erythritol is a very common artificial sweetener found in many processed foods – especially keto friendly ones. Erythritol is also naturally produced by our bodies. Dr. Attia examines the evidence and the conclusions and weighs in: more data is needed. In the meantime, choose real food – avoid processed.
   
• YT:  The Problem with AI – John Oliver (HBO): Artificial Intelligence. Comedy aside (and this is funny af), John Oliver uncovers some real problems with data bias and AI. Remember, AI’s “intelligence” source is internet content, which may or not be fact and, is biased by viewer volume. Example: the large majority of resumes are analyzed by AI first, thus anomalies or outliers might never be seen. 
   
• REPORT: More Than Half The World Will Be Overweight or Obese by 2035.  About 51% of the world’s population, or 4 billion people, could be overweight or have obesity – a 45% increase since 2020. On one hand, this is an incredible indication of our ability as humans to create ample food supplies to feed our world population. Unfortunately, on the other hand, related chronic diseases may contribute to our undoing as well. 
• !REPOST! PODCAST:  BEST SUPPLEMENT EDUCATION EVER! Guest Series | Dr. Andy Galpin: Optimal Nutrition & Supplementation for Fitness – This one may be the definitive podcast on supplements – what works, what doesn’t, how much should you take and more! Creatine, Vitamin D, BCAAs?, Beta Alanine…