Diablo Añejo: (top) Alessandra Pichelli, Cole Gravitt, (bottom) Beth Stankevich, Jackson Miller
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” Bruce Lee
LAZY IS IN OUR DNA Our early ancestors did not exercise. In fact, the only energy expenditure by early man was likely spent hunting, gathering, fighting, reproducing and creating a safe, comfortable habitat. Excess energy expenditure would have created a need for more food, which was a risky venture (i.e., injury or more energy use). Thus, it is very likely that our early ancestors rested as much as possible when work was not absolutely necessary. Rest allows for healing. Rest does not burn as many calories. The desire to rest is in our DNA.
Unfortunately, civilization advances have surpassed our biological capacities. Calories are incredibly accessible. And, daily life is far less physically demanding. But, the desire to rest and avoid physical effort is still hardwired into our brain. We avoid even the easiest of physical tasks: standing at our desks instead of sitting, going for a walk after dinner, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing 10 push ups every morning…
So what is the solution to living in a modern world with ancient DNA? I think the solution is “grit” – mental toughness. We have to fight the urge to “rest” and keep ourselves active throughout the day: standing desks, walks, random bodyweight exercises. We need to also exercise & lift with intensity 3-4x a week. Doing these things will improve our metabolic engines, burning energy instead of storing it.
Next week, I’ll share some tips & ideas for daily activities to create a calorie deficit.
ITS TEAM-TIME AT DIABLO The CFG Team competition has always been a big deal at Diablo. For many years, Diablo’s teams were a major presence at the Regionals & Games (6x!). Our athlete community loves the team environment – and our Diablo community loves to support them. This year, the second stage of the Games is the online Quarterfinals. In North America, 80 teams will move on to the SemiFinals (in-person comp). Añejo finished the Open in 187th in N.A., so they have some work to do. But, it’s important to note, ALL teams may only use 4 athletes for the Quarterfinals (vs. the Open which allowed unlimited athletes to contribute to team scores). This is a game-changer for Diablo, who’s team of 4 includes a 9-time CFG Indy athlete (Alessandra), another CFG Team athlete (Beth) and two men (Jackson & Cole) who are getting better, literally every week since the Open. This is going to be exciting!
Team workouts will be announced on Thursday this week and must be completed by Sunday at 12PM. We’ll announce workout times so fam, fans & friends can come watch!
BRIAN KASTLE – AN OG GONE In last week’s email, I talked about the sudden passing of my friend & CrossFit OG, Bryan Kastl. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help support his wife (& best friend) Lesha and their young son Bodhi. You can find the GoFundMe here. And, Bryan’s friends created a memorial workout to honor Bryan and his legacy. I’ll be doing the workout this week:
> “BK WOD” – 3 Rounds (Family of 3)
DOB: 12/23/70
• 2 Cleans (115/185)
• 23cal Row
• 70 Kettlebell Swings #35/53
Cash out:
• 51 DB snatch (50/35) (Bryan’s age)
QUARTER FINAL UPDATE:
- DONE: Individual Quarterfinals (Top 10% in the Region): Mar 24-27
- NEXT: Team Quarterfinals (Top 25% in Region): Apr 7-10
- Masters/Teens (Top 10% in World): Apr 21-24
TWEET OF THE WEEK: My old boss said: “don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to read about in the newspaper.”
Today’s advice: “don’t do anything that would make a good meme.”
WORKOUTS – April Focus: Base & Balance (Newsletter / Calendar)
- Primary Strength: Deadlift
- Secondary: Back Squat + DB Floor Press
- Skill: Balance
The week ahead:
- Mon: Back Squat 4×8. Metcon: Amrap 8min – 6 Burpee + C2B Pullup, 12/18c Bike
- Tue: Skill: Scales. Metcon: 8 Lunges, 12 Box Jumps, 16 DB Snatch #35/50
- Wed: Amrap 16m – 8 HSC, 8HSPU, 400m Run, 10 T2B #75/115
- Thu: Deadlift 8-6-4 x 2. Metcon: Amrap 9min – 6 Burpees, 10 KB Swings, 12/18c Bike
- Fri: 4x Amrap 3min + 1min Rest – 12 Pull ups + 12OHS. Buy in: 20c/30c Row. #65/95
- Sat: 21-18-15-12-9 – Burp over Box, DB HPClean + 50-40-30-20-10 DUs. #35/50
- Sun: FT – 5 BMU, 10 WB, 10 BMU, 20 WB, 15 BMU, 30 WB, 20 BMU, 40 WB
CRAIG’S LIST (Stuff I’m Reading, Hearing, Watching, Using or Buying)
Apple TV: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey – Samuel L. Jackson stars in this miniseries about an elderly man experiencing rapid mental decline due to dementia. He lives in an impoverished neighborhood and his nephew is his only caretaker. After taking an experimental drug, his memories flood back and reveal an incredible background and create a very captivating drama with his relatives. You’ll burn through this series very fast.
The Secret Lives of Customers, David Scott Duncan – Listening to this on Audible, almost done. It’s a quick “read”. This book was recommended by my friend, CF Livermore owner, Matt Souza. This is an examination of “why” repeat customers return to a business. The case study in the book is a coffee chain approaching their IPO. I’m enjoying this one because the main driver for customer retention is the “community” feeling in the coffee shops – not easily sustained. This is a very good read for anyone who works or owns a service business.
NYT: Does Moderate Drinking Protect Your Heart? I’ll summarize: NO. Kinda bummed about this one. Conventional wisdom says a glass of wine a night is beneficial for the heart. But, a recent UK study of more than 400,000 participants showed no measurable benefit. And, to make matters more depressing: data also shows that even 1 drink a night detrimentally impacts sleep quality. What to do? Limit your drinking days, for sure.
Sleep is Good for the Brain, What About Napping? A recent study looked at the relationship between napping and Alzheimer’s disease over 14 years. Researchers found that the progression of Alzheimer’s disease led to more napping, and also that people who napped a lot were at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Which begs the question, nap or no nap? Experts say: limit yourself to 1 nap a day no longer than 30 minutes – so that you do not impact sleep quality at night.
Make it an awesome week!
Craig
