This week at PPT and CFH

This was our first week of the fall, strength meso-cycle.  As most of you know, we're lifting heavier for the next 6-8 weeks in our preparation for the 2011 CrossFit games.  This is the first of two strength phases we will be in.  As we speak, one of our guest is designing a software program for us to try out which will create a periodized, strength & conditioning program based on individual goals.  There is so much that we want to do in the field of sports conditioning technology for the advancement of human health, longevity &  performance.   I firmly believe that our athletes are some of the best in Oregon, but I also believe that there is always room for improvement.  This is why periodization is so very important inside of a CrossFit affiliate.  There will be minimal or no progress with athletes without cycles of the overload principle.  Without the stimulus of overload, even an otherwise well-designed program greatly limits an athlete's ability to make improvements.

 Oh Duuude!  Ahhh Maaaan!  Guess who this is?

This week included two WODs that required our strength endurance, power out-put, cardiovascular endurance, balance, flexibility, & coordination.  Of course I am talking about "Angie" (cardiovascular endurance, flexibility) and "Seven" (strength endurance, power, balance, coordination).  The top Rx female finisher was Erin T. with a time of 39:39 and the top Rx male finisher was DFlood with a time of 52:37.  I don't think you would argue with me that this was just about the most difficult WOD we have ever done.    I'd post some pics, but I can not seem to upload them from my computer.  Sorry all, I'll try again soon.

Next week is the FGB5 event and our Tactical Strength & Conditioning Seminar with Hillsboro Fire and Rescue. Tell you friends and family to come in and either participate or just watch. It's 17 minutes of hell and we're all looking at posting new PR's. Come and see Hillsboro's Heros tough it out at our second annual event.  We will be starting at our regular time on Saturday at 6 AM and be running constant heats through 8:30 AM.  This is a fundraiser and a donation would be greatly appreciated. Please make you tax-deductible donation to The Wounded Warrior Fund, not PPT or CFH.

This is also the start of our "21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge".  This has been a huge historical success for us and we are welcoming quite a few new CrossFitters into the studio.  If you don't recognize someone, please extend warm welcome and let's try to make everyone feel at home.  Remember, they're not here because of us, they're here because of all of your awesome success, screaming testimonials & rockin bodies!

Pics coming soon, I hope!


 

Heart Rate Training Zone & CrossFit

HEART RATE TRAINING ZONES

Estimated Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)	True Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)	Resting Heart Rate (RHR)	Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) MHR - RHR
Male:  220 – age = Female:  226 – age =

Zone 1:  A great deal of research indicates that being active at 50-60% percent of your MHR consistently and for a total of 30 minutes on most days, reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases.

Lower Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 50%] + RHR =

Upper Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 60 %] + RHR =

Zone 2:  If your goal is to reduce body fat and you have been relatively inactive, you will need to train at a level of 60-70% of your MHR. 

Lower Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 60%] + RHR =

Upper Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 70 %] + RHR =

Zone 3: If your goal is to improve your cardio-vascular conditioning and metabolic conditioning, you should train within a zone of 70-80% of your MHR.  This is also a good zone for fat burning if you are already fairly fit. 

Lower Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 70%] + RHR =

Upper Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 80 %] + RHR =

Zone 4:  If you are in top shape and training for a sporting event, you might need to include some workouts that are 80-90%+ of your MHR.  This level of training is both physically and mentally demanding so it is not something you would do on a daily basis.  This zone is also a fat burning zone if you are extremely fit. 

Lower Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 80%] + RHR =

Upper Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 90 %] + RHR =

Zone 5:  This is the highest intensity training – 90-100% of your MHR.  You should only train at this level if you are extremely fit.  You can use this zone for high-intensity interval training & CrossFit.  Since fat loss is always dependant on total calories burned, a high volume of training (which can only be accomplished if you are very fit) in this zone can also be deemed a fat burning zone. 

Lower Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 90%] + RHR

=

Upper Target Heart Rate Zone = [HRR X 100 %] + RHR

=

Note:  Training in one or all of these zones can play a part

in your overall fitness program, depending on your individual goals.  

HEART RATE TRAINING ZONES

Does this diagram look familiar?  Ever seen it somewhere? 

Well, this chart, and others like it have been around for quite a long time in the fitness industry. Usually, they are found in Globe-O gyms across the country on treadmills and stair-steppers.  The message here is that if you keep your heart rate at a fairly low rate, e.g., 120-130 beats per minute if your in your 30’s, then you will be burning most of your calories from body fat.  However, if you elevate your heart rate any higher, then you’re working on “cardiovascular fitness,” or “peak athletic performance.”  How many people do you seen in Globe-O gyms working on peak athletic performance with their headsets on, watching ESPN or Days of Our Live? Not many.

     Although not perfect, this is a chart I believe to be much more efficient for our purposes.  This chart details a large target heart rate zone, above the fat burning zone. This is where the confusion lies and where people are misguided through no fault of their own.

We are in our fat burning state for 90% of the day.  This zone is called the “oxidative” or “aerobic” zone. When we are at a relatively low intensity in a workout, or are even sitting at Starbucks, walking in the mall, even pulling weeds in our back yard, we are in the fat burning “oxidative “ zone.  A few researchers (true story) were sitting next to each other on a plane and said “Hey, it looks like the lower the heart rate, the   

more body fat is used as an energy substrate (fuel).  Let’s recommend training at a low heart rate if a person’s goal is to lose body fat! “  This is exactly why so many people are on pieces of cardio equipment to lost body fat while closely monitoring their heart rate and maintaining it as a low rate.  Although it is certainly better than sitting on the couch while drinking a grande caramel machiado, it’s an inefficient usage of time, calories and money for most people. 

One of the reasons that our CrossFit classes are so popular is due to the outstanding results that our guests continue to have via high intensity training.   If most of you in our classes were to wear a heart rate monitor, you would see that your heart rate is WAY above the fat burning zone.  Fat simply cannot break down fast enough to supply your body with enough fuel in time when surviving through Chelsey or Barbara.  However it does supply a LAEGE PORTION of calories.  The remaining calories, which can break down very quickly, come from muscle glycogen and blood glucose (sugars).  AFTER the workout, 24-48 hours is the key difference with high intensity training.

Imagine surviving through some of our WODs like this week.  This last Tuesday was “Angie”.  Most of you probably burned upwards of 500-600 calories in 25-30 minutes.  Your body had to rebuild and recover after this WOD and required a load of fuel to do so.   For the next 24-48 hours, your body was constantly going through breakdown (catabolic) and building (anabolic) reactions.  Your metabolism was on FIYA!  A metabolism on FIYA! increases your OXIDATIVE or aerobic, FAT BURNING STATE.  You will burn more calories in a 24-48 hour period of time in a high intensity strength & conditioning program than you will on a cardiovascular program. You will also have much more lean muscle mass, a denser skeletal frame, a stronger core and superior neuromuscular reactive/propioceptive system.

Providing not just fitness, but also fitness education.

www.PacPersonalTraining.com  l info@PacPersonalTraining.com Hillsboro: 2074 NW Aloclek Dr. S. 411l 503.747.7317 l Fax: 503.747.0657

Your Pacific Personal Training & CrossFit Hillsboro Staff

Now start training for the 2011 Warrior Dash! 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159523330730769

Yogahhhhh....

Many of you may be aware that I (Shelly) have just returned from a wonderful weekend in Hood River where I completed my YogaFit Level 1 Certification.

Let me give you a little history about me and yoga.  (Dead silence...)

That's right;  aside from a few DVD workouts during my last pregnancy 3 years ago, yoga and I do not go very far back.  

Being the ferocious exerciser that I am, loving to sweat, and get my heart racing (running, kickboxing, CrossFit), I was never very intrigued by yoga.  Seemed like a waste of time- too easy.  

I am here to tell you, I was wrong on so many levels.  Yoga, I apologize for everything I ever said about you!  Please forgive me.  

Every BODY can benefit from yoga.  What an eye-opening experience this weekend proved to be.  I am so very excited to begin incorporating yoga into my life and to introduce it to you!

No matter your physical level or abilities, yoga can be for YOU.  Yoga will enhance whatever it is you are doing now in your life to stay fit and active.  Yoga is as much, if not more, mental than it is physical.  

Segue:  Do you realize how important stress management is to your weight loss success?  Do you know how fabulous yoga can be for stress management?  If you don't believe me, take it from Beth Shaw, founder and creator of YogaFit.

(Stay tuned for announcements on our addition of Yoga to our class schedule)

Managing Stress Through Yoga by Beth Shaw

As many of us our returning from summer vacation and transitioning from the carefree summer into the fall, it is important for us to have ways to cope with the stress of everyday life.  Fretting over paying the bills, keeping your job, nailing those last-minute deadlines, maybe even keeping your kids out of trouble? It's impossible to be impervious to the trials and tribulations of everyday strife. Here's how yoga helps.

Managing personal daily stresses is easier if you can identify the symptoms (rapid heart rate, flushed face, breathlessness), witness them without reacting, and then release the stress or the prime source of stress. Stress management is the daily process of letting go of tension stored in the body and mind. Without this letting go process, we become candidates for ulcers, heart attacks, migraines and premature aging. All caused, in part, by stress.

In this busy information society, we are constantly bombarded by external stimuli. A well-rounded stress management program can help tune out the exterior world, and allow the participant to drop inside their bodies, and find a place of stillness with the relaxing sound of your breath. We learn to increase the probability of desired moods and feelings through newfound and heightened self-awareness, while simultaneously decreasing more negative states of anxiety.

Stress management techniques performed in a yoga class or exercise DVD, such as deep breathing and holding postures longer and rhythmically (even listening to calming music) allows you to discover and explore how you individually hold emotions, thoughts and experiences in your body. These techniques (even walking your dog or meditating before getting out of bed in the morning) also allow you to tune into different moods, feelings, attitudes, and states of consciousness beside the low-grade stress levels that most people operate under.  Excessive levels of toxin-producing stress can also result in an extended period of hormonal “Flight or Fight Syndrome” which can, over time, tax the adrenal glands and cause sleeplessness, fatigue and even weight gain.
 
Combating stress is a daily endeavor and you can use yoga postures sprinkled liberally throughout our day to do this. Remember: It's the little things we do that cumulatively add up to excellent mind-and-body health. Here at YogaFit, we consider yoga practice to be a form yet another form of technology for getting back in touch with our true essence. Consistent practice--even in 5-minute bursts throughout the day --can bring you back to remembering the health and wholeness that is your natural state of being. Yoga, when broken down to its most simple form is breathing and feeling.  Through this breathing and feeling we learn to control our more negative reactions to events and people.  It is neither the events nor the people in your life that provide the most substantial stressors but the way in which you react to them.  

Stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad, of course. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. In fact, a stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you often find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. Starting today, you can protect yourself by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects:

° Financial problems
° During major life changes
° Tense work situation
° Relationship difficulties
° Children and family issues
°  Too busy and overscheduled lifestyle
° Unrealistic expectations at work and at home
° Perfectionism or even chronic pessimism

YOGA FOR PHYSICAL STRESS: Yoga massages the skeletal system, which supports bone mass and growth while taking the stress away from the supporting muscles and tendons. Yoga mechanically removes tension from the muscles through stretching. Steady even yoga breathing reduces stress levels in the body, which is most often accompanied by rapid, shallow breathing Yoga encourages deep diaphragmatic breathing, activating a relaxation response. Yoga also massages the internal organs reducing high blood pressure, stress in the cardiovascular system at the level of the heart, arteries and blood. The nerve pathways are massaged and stretched through yoga practice, conducting messages throughout the body.

Of course, yoga also strengthens all major muscle groups and greatly enhances flexibility and injury prevention as well.

YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL ANXIETY: Emotionally, the body believes what the mind believes. Affirmations about peace, calm, and tranquility, along with positive imagery, are conveyed to the nervous system. Yoga brings greater patience to relationships with other people, work life, home life and all relationships. As you begin to explore these relationships more, you'll see which interactions genuinely support you in moving towards calmness. As you become more relaxed through yoga, you'll release addictive behaviors, which are often mistakenly used to relieve stress. Yoga brings awareness to the emotional blocks that limit your experience of life.  Your perception of life has been conditioned by our experiences and sometimes we close ourselves off from feelings and emotions. Through yoga we all learn to bring awareness to all parts of ourselves with the understanding that through integration, we come to a natural place of balance.  Many of our stressful habit patterns are conditioned. Yoga teaches a whole set of patterns which are helpful in reducing stress every single day.

Daily Yoga For Stress: Poses that Zap Tension Away

Either do a couple different several times within a day, or you may link them together for a longer session:


1. Chest expansion (anti-aging, mood-elevating and expanding, great for postural muscles and flexibility)
From a standing position bring arms behind back and interlace fingers. Draw arms away from the body at the same time draw shoulders down and back. Open the heart center and breath deeply into lungs. Activate the back muscles and close your eyes. Hold for ten deep breaths and make sure and exhale fully. Repeat several times throughout the day.

2.  Seated spinal twist (aids digestion, improves internal organ function, stretches the mid-back and waistline)
From a seated position with legs extended, draw right knee into towards body and wrap left arm around bent leg, looking over right shoulder. Hold for five deep slow breaths, and then repeat on other side sitting up very straight and tall. Use your arm in back as leverage on the floor to twist deeper on each exhale. After 5 to 10 breaths, switch sides and repeat.

3.  Knees to chest (soothes anxiety and stomach upset almost instantly) Lie back on your mat and gently draw both knees into your chest, pressing hands underneath the knees lightly to deepen your stretch. Rock slowly from one side of the outer back to the other, massaging the organs and spine for 10 long, deep breaths.

4.  Lying down spinal twist (relieves mid-to-lower back and neck discomfort) From knees to chest position above, keep right knee into chest, and slowly extend left leg straight, toes pointed. Draw right knee over straight leg towards floor and then gently look over right shoulder. Breathe into your lower low back. Don’t force or push any deeper until your smooth indicates you to do so. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths and then switch sides. This comprehensive stretch is ideal to do after running, walking or any cardio session to allow muscles and heart rate to recover.

5. Inversions such as Shoulderstand or supported Headstand (anti-aging poses, great for jet lag, hangovers and tension headaches, helps center and balance your thoughts)

From knees to chest position above, support your low back with both hands, then engage the belly to draw legs over head and then slowly towards the sky one by one. Keep your abs, back and hips engaged as you fully extend legs to sky keeping feet flexed and leg muscles firm. Keep your neck and upper back stationary at all times, do not look around at all. Hold for 10 breaths and close your eyes if you can. Release slowly by bringing legs overhead and rolling out one vertebra at a time. Return to knees to chest position to stabilize the back muscles, regulate your breath and realign the spine.

Hillsboro Woman Loses 100 Pounds!

She committed herself to turning her life around, and In just over a year, 24 year old Kristin Baehr is 100 lbs. lighter thanks to healthy eating and CrossFit workouts.

"Last year I decided that I should really get my health and weight on track", said Kristin in April 2010. At that point she was already 87lbs. lighter, and just 13 pounds away from her goal.

In May '09, at an all-time high of 270lbs, Kristin began attending classes at CrossFit Hillsboro one day per week. After a few months of that, she decided she was ready for more and since then, has consistently committed to 5-8 classes/week. "Classes were the hardest, most gut-wrenching workouts I'd ever heard of, and they actually wanted me to participate! I thought they were crazy. Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me."
From June to September, Kristin lost approximately 40 pounds and went from a size 22 to an 18/16, with her short-term goal to reach under 200lbs. by Christmas '09 (a weight she says she hasn't seen since 9th grade).
"Not only does Pacific Personal Training/CrossFit Hillsboro work your butt off, they also help you out a lot with nutritional information by occasionally holding workshops or just talking to you about it in a workout. They were always available for me and I really appreciate that about them."
Kristin has inspired many of her co-workers to attend classes with her as well.

Watching Kristin transform her life has been absolutely awe-inspiring to us and to her fellow CrossFitters. She never misses a day and gives 100% to each workout. She has reached an amazing milestone and gives hope to our guests everyday that anything is possible when you set your mind to it.

Way to go, KBAEHR!  You are an amazing woman.