CrossFit is NOT a 6 week challenge!

I'm sure you have seen tons of "6 week challenges" for weight loss, body fat loss, get tone and fit,  blah blah, etc. etc.... They are everywhere and appear to have your best interest in mind. It goes something like, pay a big pile of cash for an accountability coach, a meal plan and work out 3+ times/week. Great! Sign me up! Fix me in 6 weeks. These are simply lies. Sorry not sorry.

Ok, ok...  some of these challenges are legit and someone has their bank account and your well being and best interest in mind.  AND...  It's ok to START there, it truly is! As a matter of fact that's a great place to start. You put some skin in the game with the pile of cash (you may or may not get it back) and now you've sparked a fire under your butt. You feel more motivated than ever (you've got cash on the line) and engaged because someone is helping you stay accountable.  But what happens when the challege ends. So let's say you feel and look better. Well, now what? 

Here's the most important part. Are you ready?  Simple! IT CAN'T END there. So if you are motivated by a 6 week challnege and think its going to be life altering, GO FOR IT! Just be sure to realize and be honest with yourself that you can not un-do years of things like being sedentary and eating poorly in just 6 weeks. It takes hard work, long term consistent commitment, learning and being open minded, experimenting, trying and failing and trying again. It takes dedication, sacrifice, determination, drive and more. 

So when you are ready to make a permanent shift in your lifestyle, don't worry... (It's not all or nothing)  here are a few things to consider. You will need to become your own accountability coach and plan your schedule to keep the workouts up. Eat well, sleep and hydrate even though no one is watching (well except Santa, of course).

And so now I begin to tell you that when you are ready to take a step, come and take the Warrior's Path.  At Warrior's Path CrossFit we are ordinary people performing extraordinary things and we welcome you.  We welcome you to not only feel and look better, have more energy, strengthen your bones, decrease your chance for chronic disease, make new friends, test yourself, learn about yourself, become better at life, better in your relationships, feel confident and so much more. It's magic and it's here for you. Take the first step and give it a shot. 

An apple and 10 wall balls a day keep the Doctor away!

Coach Pat said do the movements and put forth 75% effort. You have 5 minutes to get it done. I picked up my 14# wall ball at 4 min 55 sec. I knew I wouldn't finish in the time domain. Just then he shouted "keep moving until your finished, complete all the movements!" I finished at 5:21 That was round one of three. We were to do it again, same movements with added effort each round. I counted each pull as I pressed my feet as hard as I could into the rowing machine. Focused on pulling strong and breathing, anxious to get off the rower and pick up my barbell. Man, how I love the barbell. I surprise myself even now thinking about it. Each rep count I feel butterflies. Butterflies of joy and excitement to get back to the bar. It's getting harder and harder to breathe but I still keep moving. I paced it better the second time and somehow finished in 5:06. Now I still have to do it again. One more time at 100% effort. Standing there,  trying to catch my breath and thinking where can I improve? How can I shave off any time from this? Where did the rest time go? 10 seconds... 3, 2, 1.. Here goes everything. I moved as efficient as possible. Broke up the barbell movements and the kb swings in effort to not get too out of breath. Swung my arms as hard as possible in the box jumps. As I picked up the wall ball for the final of the seven movements, the clock read 4:40. I didn't see what anyone else was doing. I was totally in my zone and finished in 5:04. Whew! 2 seconds faster than the previous round. I felt the buzzing in my head and my body was a bit trembly. I just lay there for a minute overwhelmed with pride and accomplishment.

Afterward, I stood up. A sweat outline imprinted the shape of my back on the floor.  Wow that was fun! It's moments like this one that reinforce my decision to make this a priority in my life. I only wish other people experience this feeling within themselves. The buzz that ignites a desire to be a better person, to take care of myself and encourage others to do so as well.

It's funny that CPJ said today "do 10 wall balls and eat an apple every day for the rest of your life. You'll live better and longer" I believe this to be true.

I stopped at Shop Rite on the way home from the gym. Why is there a bench in the bread aisle? As I thought about the bench and it's odd placement a man sat down on the bench. At first I was curious why he would take the load off in the bread aisle. That's when it occurred to me! He needed to take a rest! Slightly annoyed by this and increasingly saddened as I thought about it more and more. I realize the man on the bench could probably not do any wall balls never mind 10 of them and he most likely would never even try.

Before you become the man on the bench in the bread aisle, start with an apple a day. When that is so easy and you do it without any thought, then try a few wall balls. As the wall balls become easier and easier increase the quantity to a minimum of 10. Then do it every single day.

10 Things You Didn't Know Proper Hydration Could Do For You

10 Things You Didn’t Know Proper Hydration Could Do For You

•Hydration
•Spartan Training
•Spartan Race

We all know that it is important to drink plenty of water, but do you know why? I’ll be honest; I didn’t know until recently, but I was amazed at how much it made sense.

By SGX Coach Kris Perry-Tedesco
We all know that it is important to drink plenty of water, but do you know why? I’ll be honest: I didn’t know until recently, when I started doing some research to answer some of the questions that came up in my SGX classes. (I’m the coach.) Believe me when I say that I was amazed at the reasons why hydration helps us. Here’s what I found.

-1- Water promotes brain function.
Your brain consists of about 85% water. It makes sense, then, that if the body becomes dehydrated, the brain is going to suffer. Dehydration affects memory, concentration and coordination. The lack of water actually causes the neurons to shrink, which disrupts hormones and neurotransmitters as well as the brain’s ability to communicate with other organs. If a Spartan is always learning, the brain must be sharp and ready to focus.

-2- Water is essential for circulation.
The human body consists of between 65% and 75% water, depending on your body composition. Water is crucial for the body’s ability to maintain proper blood flow, which transports oxygen to all of its cells. In addition to transporting oxygen, blood takes carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs, from which it leaves when we exhale. This means that if you’re not hydrated, your blood is not going to work as well. This is obviously not good, especially during long endurance events.

-3- Water keeps your skin healthy.
Every month, your outer layer of skin regenerates itself. This means you can see the positive effects of drinking enough water after about a month. (Some people report “glowing.”)  But that’s not the most important part. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and requires water to regenerate new cells. If your skin doesn’t regenerate, cuts and wounds won’t heal. In addition, the skin can become dry and less elastic if it is dehydrated. This year, everyone is talking about commitment…How about we #commit to healthier skin by carrying a water bottle with you every day?

-4- Water keeps your muscles healthy.
I bet you’re starting to see a pattern. Turns out the muscles are like the brain, the blood, and the skin; they work better when the body is properly hydrated. Hydration keeps the joints and cartilage lubricated, providing better support for your muscles. Dehydration often results in muscle cramps and a decrease in performance. 

-5- Water helps us to digest food.
Drinking water before and during a meal can help to dissolve chewed food and help it pass through the digestive tract. Water also helps to flush toxins from the body and to relieve constipation. Not even the healthiest FOD can overcome the effects of poor hydration. Drink up!

-6- Water will energize you.
Remember what I said in #2? Because hydration helps your blood to transport more oxygen and nutrients to your cells and organs, your organs will not have to work as hard to—well, to keep you alive.
I can explain this with a question: have you ever tried to go for a run on a full stomach? My guess is that you have, and that you didn’t like it. This is because, after you eat, all of the blood rushes to your stomach to help it to break down food. Less blood is available to fuel your legs. Therefore, your legs feel more tired. Being well hydrated means that your blood will work better, which means that you will digest food better, which means that you will have more energy. 

-7- Water helps to regulate body temperature.
Do you know why your face gets red after you exercise? Because your body generates heat when it moves. To keep from overheating, your body sends warm blood into the skin. At the same time, your body produces sweat, which cools your body as it evaporates. This, in turn, cools the blood, which cools you. However, this can’t happen if your blood isn’t working efficiently, or if your body can’t produce sweat. Both of those processes take lots of water.

-8- Water keeps you in shape.
I don’t mean that it takes the place of exercise and good food. I mean that water is an excellent training tool. Whether you’re swimming laps in a pool or lifting your body out of the water by hoisting yourself onto the dock or the side of the pool, water is a great place to practice your obstacle skills.

-9- Water decreases stress.
Becoming only mildly dehydrated can cause a spike in cortisol production. Cortisol is our chief stress hormone and can cause an increase of sugars in the bloodstream. This means that hydrating can help to keep cortisol levels down and keep your blood sugar at a healthy level.

-10- Water therapy can help you to heal faster.
Water therapy, ice baths for example, can rejuvenate the muscles. Hot springs or hot tubs, on the other hand, can be soothing and relaxing. Dunk tanks or sensory deprivation tanks can be amazing for meditation and self-exploration. But these are just the beginning. Take a walk along the beach and feel the waves wash over your feet….

What should you do?
I think that the answer is clear. The best thing you can do for your body and mind is to hydrate every day. Your future Spartan self will thank your current Spartan self for choosing to #commit to hydration and living the Spartan lifestyle.

Cheers! Aroo!

Join Kris’s Spartan SGX training programs or find a Spartan SGX coach near you.

The Green Mind Project Offers

The Green Mind Project Do you want to feel vibrant healthy and better than ever? Are you looking for sustainable lifestyle changes? Do you want to loose weight and/or gain muscle? Are you thinking about starting a new fitness regime and don’t know where to start? Do you feel like you don’t know how to fit healthy changes into your hectic day? Are you struggling with meal planning or prep? The Green Mind Project will help you with a variety of sustainable lifestyle modifications to gain vitality, stamina, health and fitness • Organic shopping on a budget • Quick healthy meal plans for busy families • How to make the most of your time cooking • 21 day sugar detox program • Techniques to become more active • Couch to 5k or Spartan sprint • Spartan sgx training classes • Bridal boot camp programs • Crossfit coaching • Mobility with methodical movements • Breath therapy and more TheGreenMindProject.com TheGreenMindProject@Gmail.com -holistic Health Coach–

Sharing is Caring

I want to share something that I consider to be quite personal.  Although it was a discussion on a podcast which is a public forum it still feels like Rich and Julie were speaking to me. So below I will share the email that I sent to them and a link to a podcast where they discussed my question. These two are very near and dear to my heart. This couple has inspired me in so many ways I just couldn't thank them enough.... Here's my email to them
"Hi Rich and Julie,

First I'd like to say how I truly appreciate your podcast! The energy and vibes you transcend to me is invaluable and I really can't thank you enough. I listen during my commute which is long and tiresome but you help me get through. 

Anyway, over the past few years I have found myself changing in so many ways. My journey started in a similar fashion as many others. I quit smoking in effort to get healthier and found myself packing on the pounds. So I began an exercise routine at home. When that became boring, after a few years, it ultimately lead me to finding a local running club and I have since joined CrossFit. My eating habits have become mainly plant based and I've been listening to audio books, which is how I found you. Some books are health and fitness related and some are personal development and spiritual growth. Last year I got my CrossFit level 1 which enables me to coach CrossFit which I have recently started to do on a part time basis. I currently study nutrition and am enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition which is an online course. 

My current job is something that is no longer in alignment with my belief system but it is the main source of income, medical benefits and retirement planning for myself and my family. I am miserable at this current place and no longer want to be there. I have an opportunity to do a few other things that are jobs that resonate with where I'd like to go and I realize the "if you take a leap of faith the universe will catch you" concept. I really feel that I am there but it's very scary. Any advice on how to know when it's this right time? My fear is not being able to provide for my family but I am visualizing being in a new place. Thanks for reading this! 

With Love and Gratitude,

Kris "

And here's the link to the podcast #RRP episode 143 "The Warrior Path and Leaping Into Faith"

http://www.richroll.com/podcast/ask-me-anything-143/