Essential carbohydrates

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Carbs have been getting bad rap over the past decade. Various dietary religions have gone as far as to eliminate them completely because “protein and fat are essential for surviving, carbs aren’t”. Well no, you can survive without carbs just fine. The problem is, we’re not looking for survival are we? I don’t think anyone in the western world has really paid much attention to just surviving for the past few centuries.

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So what are carbs essential for? Getting strong and building muscle. While cutting carbs is a great way to drop some fat, you need carbs to build muscle and get stronger.

You don’t need to eat tons of carbs, but I’d recommend that you get at the very least 100g a day. If you’re not getting a whole lot of carbs, make sure to split them up before and after your workout. If you’re getting a lot of carbs, I’d avoid big servings of carbs throughout the day, as it’ll often leave you sluggish. This is also the reason I don’t recommend having carb-heavy breakfasts. Last time I did that myself, I ended up having to take a nap before 9am. With carbs there’s a fine balance between getting energized and sluggish, so experiment a bit and try to find your sweet spot.

Personally the only time of day I’ll have more than ~100g carbs is at dinner (6pm). I’ve tried having 800g+ of pasta in one giant meal from around 9-10pm and I slept like shit that night. As mentioned above I’ve also had to take a nap within a couple of hours after waking up. For me carbs are a bit like alcohol like that – large amounts will make me fall right asleep, but I’ll sleep like shit. I don’t know the reason for this and I don’t really care about it to be honest as there’s no reason to eat such an insane amount at night (only reason I did it was because I was on a specific protocol in preparation for Copenhagen Marathon in 2010).

A few quick pointers on how to eat carbs:

  • Eat complex carbs.
  • Spread your carbs throughout the day, but get a little more after training.
  • Protein is the cornerstone of any meal – always eat carbs with protein.

People practicing paleo often have a hard time getting carbs (which is one of the primary reasons I think paleo is silly). Getting just a minimal amount of carbs (~100g) will make a huge difference on recovery, muscle growth, strength gains and overall energy. I’ve done paleo myself and you will get used to the low carbs (if you’re doing a classic paleo). That doesn’t make it optimal. Make it a priority to get some carbs. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, quinoa, rice, oats and wholegrain bread are all good source of carbs. If you don’t eat any of the above (or some) because you’re doing paleo, I suggest you read this post (in danish).

So yea, carbs are good if you like to build strength and muscle and even while dieting, a small amount will let you hold on to your precious muscle better and boost your recovery. I really don’t see why you’d go super low carb at all.

Have a great weekend. :)

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The Deck of Death

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I actually hate that name with a passion, though I like the idea on a couple of levels.

First, let me explain what it is:

I took a deck of cards and wrote a whole bunch of stuff on them. Whenever I have an extra ten minutes and some energy after training, I draw a card. So what’s on those cards? for me it’s a combination of mobility, cardio and weakpoint training.

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This accomplishes two things – you identify your weakpoints and feel like you address them (by putting them on the cards) AND you actually address them, albeit at random. Ideally you’d draw a card after each workout. Over time you will end up addressing the things you prioritize in your deck.

These are the guidelines I follow for all cards:

  • No more than 10 minutes tops.
  • No heavy loading. Preferably bodyweight stuff.
  • Easy to recover from, so no “how many lunges kan you do in ten minutes” card.
  • No strength work.

What I did was split the deck according to priorities. Some of you might want to have 50% mobility, 30% prehab and 20% cardio, while others would use other ratios. Analyze how your time would be best spent, and split the cards accordingly. You might have to use the same exercises on more than one card if you have a specific issue.

Just for inspiration, I’ll list my categories and a couple of sample cards from them:

1. Cardio (25%): 1k C2 for time (though I’ve trashed this card as my psoas doesn’t like the rower). 10x 30s on/30s off KB swings/burpees.

2. Wellness (40%): 10 min foamroll. Sumo groin mob and split stretch against wall.

3. Weakpoints(35%): 5×10 biceps/triceps. 5 sets of abs and grip.

If you’re a CFer you could throw in some cards with skills on them. Remember to keep it light. This could be 10 minutes of handstand/pistols practice.

This is a fun little way to help you identify and address weakpoints, though the base format is obviously a bit random. In the perfect world, you’d put down all your issues and address them in a methodical way, but for most people the element of surprise in the cards keeps them entertained. :)

Have a great one. <3

Europe CrossFit Regionals recap

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It’s been a hectic weekend out in Ballerup. Though I primarily followed the team competition, most of my observations are pretty general in nature. Here we go.

1. Weightlifting played a lesser role this year compared to last year. The OHS ladder is more of a CF-thing than a weightlifting thing. Last year had the snatch ladder, the big chipper and the heavy hang cleans. This year’s event 6 uses an axle which pretty much kills proper weightlifting technique. The event was great though.

How do I feel about this? Personally I like it. CF was moving in a direction where olympic weightlifting was by far the most important part. Oxana Slivenko proved to all of us that even a great weightlifter isn’t good enough allround.

Everything was pretty straight forward this year, which actually makes strategy play a bigger role. The team competition was more individual in nature, which I don’t really like – I’d like teamwork to play a bigger role.

2. Pullups. Chest to bar pullups. You need to be able to do them. Well.

3. The individual competition not only has two more events, but all of the events had more work or heavier weights. This seems a bit off to me, as you’d expect the teams to have more specialized athletes that should be able to handle the harder workouts. As it has been up to now, the individual competitors are expected to do everything better than each of the three guys on the teams. Case in point: second day. Pretty much all of guys that did well in event 4 dropped down in event 5, probably because of the sheer amount of reps in event 4.

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4. Muscle-ups will continue to be a part of CF. Get them! :)

5. Last year everything was pretty much on time. This year? Not so much. Even the first event on Sunday was delayed. Annoying.

6. As a spectator there are too many irrelevant competitors. About 20 per category would be plenty. In the team category the first 3-5 teams were in a league of their own. The teams from 15 and down were just not good enough. Cutoffs after day one would work as The Opens often have suspicious performances.

7. Somebody needs to burn down the kinesio-tape factory. Seeing judges taped up made me vomit a little bit.

8. The crowd… I’m pretty sure Danish crown prince Wisbech appreciated the support in event 6 (where he shaved off more than two minutes of his previous best). The crowd at these events are just amazing. To say it gave me goosebumps would be an understatement.

9. I didn’t taste the food but it looked pretty good. I wasn’t too happy about having to pay 50kr for a double latte though. Overall the food seemed more affordable this year.

10. The amount of volunteers is just mind blowing. The scale of the setup as well. It’s like a well-oiled machine just cruising along.

The judges were fair and supportive... :)

The judges were fair and supportive… :)

Personally I really like events that are unconventional in nature, though still require skill and strategy. The axle event is a great example of this. At the other end of the spectrum there are events like #4 which was just silly for the individuals. It was extremely boring to watch as well, especially the women.

I really hope they’re not gonna program anything silly for the Games, though experience tells me they will.

Thanks for a great weekend in Ballerup. <3

Recovery techniques

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There are three main things to focus on when it comes to recovery. Sleep, food and water. I’d say optimizing those three factors will get you 80-90% of the results. The suggestions in this post are just ways to build on the foundation, but as always focus on the big things first.

With that out of the way, here are some quick ways to get back into business after a hard days training or competition. These are listed in no particular order:

  1. Horse liniment. This is a mentholatum based muscle rub. It has a bit of a heating and cooling effect at the same time. It’s a good way to get the blood flowing a little bit. Good for sore muscles.
  2. Light (LIGHT!) training to get the blood flowing. I’m talking really light here – and empty barbell is plenty for most people. Preferably with a sled to avoid more trauma. Going for a walk will do this too though not as effectively.
  3. Epsom salt bath. Somewhat expensive. Soothing and relaxing. Will help on muscles soreness as well, probably because of the warm water moreso than the salts.
  4. Light foamrolling. Again getting the blood flowing is the goal. You shouldn’t be mashing your muscles into a pulp (for now).
  5. Meditation. Mental recovery. This is important.
  6. Sauna alternated with cold baths. It feels like I’m repeating myself. This will increase bloodflow and help you work up a good sweat. Obviously make sure you rehydrate as hydration is one of the three big ones (remember?).
  7. Light massage. The key is to stimulate bloodflow (duh) without causing any additional pain/discomfort and without messing too much with muscle tonus.
  8. Acupuncture. I don’t use this myself since I don’t have access to a physiotherapist, but I know quite a few people that like it.
  9. Kinesio ta…. Nah. I’d rather draw happy faces with a magic marker. <3

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You know what? Watching a Rocky movie and eating a big steak would be pretty good too. Nothing beats good food and rest. Mental as well as physical. Get away from the computer, turn off the cellphone, go sit in a park if the weather is nice. Drink plenty of water, eat plenty of carbs, proteins and good fats and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

The secret to building muscle

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Today I’m gonna reveal a secret to you. You’ve probably read that there is no secret – maybe I’ve even posted this myself in the past. Well, I was lying – whoever told you that was lying. Robbing you of progress, sending your muscle-building quest on a detour.

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You gotta promise me to keep this to yourself. Actually thinking about it, I’d rather you shared the link to this post with your friends.

Short rests make for an instant gratification in the mirror. Getting a good pump going is like cocaine though – you’ll feel amazing for about 10-15 minutes, then you’re gonna need another hit. Before you know, you’ll be running around trying to pump up ten times a day. That’s not what we’re looking for. While getting a good pump going can be great, it’s not the super secret.

The secret is setting rep PRs in the 5-15(+) rep range.

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It’s really that simple. Adding weight to the bar in the big lifts will transform your physique as long as you get plenty of food in you. While getting your 1RM up will definitely do the same thing, you might as well stick to the higher rep ranges (unless you’re competing in powerlifting/weightlifting). Less CNS impact, less weight (meaning less risk of injury) and a higher potential for hypertrophy. What’s not to like? Only downside is that you don’t get to test your strength all the time… Oh wait – but you do. Adding 10kg to a 5RM means you got stronger. Beating rep maxes is just as good as beating a 1RM – actually it’s better if your goal is to add size.

Whether you’ve added 10kg or 3 reps to your 5RM, you got stronger – you increased the potential for building muscle. Now go eat some good food and grow!

Instead of always obsessing about 1RMs if you’re training for size and strength – what you can do for a heavy triple, a set of five or eight is more important. Obviously though increasing your 1RM will increase your 8RM as well, but specializing in one or the other will make a difference over time. Most people really have no reason to go lower than 3 rep sets.

Regionals do’s and don’ts

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So you’ve qualified for the Regionals and you’re wondering what to pack. I’ve come up with a few things that I’d label essentials – some of them might already be on your list, and some might not. On top of that, I’ll provide a short list of do’s and don’ts for when you’re at the venue.

Packing list:

  1. Ipod with good music. Bonus tip: download a 5-15 minute guided meditation/relaxation mp3/app. Use it.
  2. Food. Do not count on the shops at the venue. Make sure your food is calorie dense and low-GI carb heavy. You have plenty of time to refuel between events. Carbs are good! :)
  3. Plenty of spare clothes. Shower after each event. Being fresh and clean will make you feel better. A shower will help you wind down after the events as well.
  4. Horse liniment (if you got some) or just a basic heating liniment. I’ve got three different kinds myself and I use the horse liniment (mentholatum based) – it’s great for increasing blood flow to sore muscles while recovering. Heating rub for use right before events.
  5. Vaseline or something similar to put on hands between events.

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On to what you should and shouldn’t be doing while you’re there.

Don’ts:

  1. Socialize too much. There’ll be tons of people you know there, but socializing can be emotionally draining. Wait until the afterparty.
  2. Use pre-WO products. You’ll crash hard and might underperform in the second event of the day. Pre-WO supplements also contain caffeine which will increase your heart rate. This obviously goes for coffee too.
  3. Walk around too much between events. Depending on who you are, naps may be a good thing.
  4. Get too aggressive massages.
  5. Make plans in the evenings. Eat well, relax and go to bed early. Sushi is great pre-competition food. Prepare food ahead and/or get take out (not junk!) – spend your time chilling with family and relaxing.
  6. Bitch at the refs. No explanation needed. Focus on you.

Do’s:

  1. Get to bed early and wake up early starting today. No later than 6 am if you’re competing at 9-10ish am. Earlier would be better.
  2. Meditate right after showering after each event. Remember the ipod?
  3. Focus on your team (if you’re competing as a team) and not the people that came to watch. We want to see you perform well, not chit-chat.
  4. Get light massages if possible.
  5. Use the athlete’s area. It’s (lol duh) for athletes only, so you wont have to deal with people wanting to chat.
  6. Warm up properly – spend at least 30 minutes. This will prepare your body and your mind for the event.
  7. Remember you spent a year preparing for those three days. Focus.
  8. Win! :)

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Building a foundation

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You gotta start from the bottom, bro.

Rooney would call this “earning your exercises”, others would call it general physical preparedness or paying your dues. I call it building a foundation. I haven’t invented that in any way, shape or form – it’s probably been used a billion times before. Who cares. A big and solid foundation is essential no matter what you’re building.

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How do you build a solid foundation? You start off with the big time-tested building blocks. The squats, the deadlifts, the presses and the rows. Get the basic lifts up to a decent level before you even let the word weakpoint into your vocabulary. A decent strength foundation is essential whether you’re training for hypertrophy or performance.

For me personally I’d rather just build foundation for the next ten years. I don’t really care about symmetry, weakpoints or any of that, as long as I’m strong and injury-free. Still working on those two by the way. :)

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So what’s the point? Pay your dues, earn your exercises and build your foundation. Spending ~70% of your training time on compound lifts for two to three years will get you to a reasonable level (spend another 15-20 on cardio and the last 10-15 on isolation). Although I’d suggest working the shit out of the compound lifts for all of your training career, I’d say you’ve earned your lean-away-one-arm-cable-lateral if you’ve squatted your ass off for three years. I’m still convinced working the press will lead to better gains as well as more man points, but who am I to judge?

Do all the silly little exercises and use all the fancy specialization programs you can think of. I know I did. That’s why I’m writing this post – if I can save just one person from going through the stupid resultless shit I went through, it’d be well worth it.

Build yourself a big fucking mansion. Start from the ground up. There’s plenty of time to worry about what colors you want to paint the windows later on.