Category Archives: Challenge
CFS New Year Challenge Point System
With our new year challenge starting tomorrow here is an in-depth look at how you can accumulate points so you can win!
Earn 1 point per day by choosing the right foods to eat everytime you have a meal!
The CrossFit Methodology is
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar…and that’s exactly what we are going to do!
- Eat Meat-eat any and all meats.
- Eat as many different kinds of vegetables as you can! A good way to do this is pick a different 2-3 each week!
- Nuts and Seeds-just like vegetables try to vary these each week to get a different variety of nutrients
- Some Fruit-choose any and all fruits but try to limit to 2-3 fruits per day
- Little Starch-as it says little starch we are going to put a limit here for the kinds of starches and how much per day. POTATOES and RICE ONLY
- NO SUGAR-you heard that right! No sugar of any kind. This not only means no sugar in your coffee but also it means you must check your labels to see if their is any added sugar in anything you buy. It is amazing how many different foods have sugar in them. Be watchful!
Here is a great shopping list: Whole 30 Shopping List
Earn 1 point per day by eating in the right amount of foods each day
As well as eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar
You must keep intake levels that support exercise but not body fat.
What this means is we need to measure how much we eat. And there are a few ways we can do that for this challenge.
OPTION 1-Eye/Hand Method
3 Meals Per Day
1 Palm Size Protein
2 Handfuls Vegetables
1 Handful Fruit or Starch
1 Closed Fist of Nuts or 1/2-full Avocado or 1-2 Tablespoons Healthy Oil
Option 2-Zone Diet or Macros Diet
You will need a food scale, tablespoon, and measuring cup
Here is a great link to learn more about the Zone Diet
If you are interested in learning more about each of these diets…consult with the coach assigned to you for the challenge for help.
Earn 1 point by working out 5-6 days per week
You must workout at minimum at 3 CrossFit Saved Classes, the rest can be done using our at home workout list.
Supplements Allowed During Challenge
All Driven Nutrition Products
All Protein Shakes
All BCAAS
All Creatines
All PreWorkouts
Every supplement can only be taken before or after your workouts.
FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS CONSULT YOUR COACH ASSIGNED TO YOU!
Macro Challenge!!!
This time of year is especially tough with all the parties and foods available. So with that being said we are putting together a challenge like we have never done before!
We are doing an IF IT FITS YOUR MACROS CHALLENGE (IIFYM)!
Here’s how it works:
Step 1-You will select a goal
-Lose Weight
-Maintain Weight
-Gain Weight
Step 2-Based on your goal you will be given a specific number of grams of protein, carbs, and fat to hit each day.
Step 3-Eat whatever foods you like but just make sure you hit your numbers.
And that’s how the challenge works!
Now with that said…
It is always best to choose lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and healthy starches and fats as often as you can.
However, you will not be docked any points if you decide to have that cookie at the holiday party as long as you hit your prescribed grams of protein, carbs, and fat.
What do I do if I don’t understand IIFYM?
This is totally understandable because it can be a confusing thing if you have never been taught. With a little bit of teaching and some effort on your part you will find that it’s not too hard at all!
IIFYM Seminar
Saturday, November 10th at 10am
You will learn how to calculate your macros
How to track your macros
Q&A for specific questions
To further help you, the first week of the challenge will be a trial week for you to figure out how to work the app and hit your macro numbers exactly!
Trial Week
November 12th-18th
Start Date
November 19th
End Date
December 22nd
Buy in
$10
Point System
1 Point for within 10g of Protein
1 Point for within 10g of Carbs
1 Point for within 5g of Fat
1 Point for a Any Workout
Prizes
Anyone who scores over a 124 will receive a Custom Challenge T-Shirt for their efforts!
For more details be sure to be at the seminar this Saturday!
Fall Challenge Food List and More…
Goal Setting
This is not just a weight loss challenge. I encourage everyone to take the time now to set a goal for themselves. It does not have to be weight related. It could be performance based, commitment based, weight gain based, among other things.
Commitment
Signing up for a nutrition challenge is no easy task. It requires some mental toughness, and the ability to be able to think before we act. Some people come from a very deranged diet, where others will find this as a way to just clean up the little things they have let sneak back in. The best part of the challenge is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In fact, we will be in good company with support from a large community of people. Be compassionate with yourself and remember that we will make mistakes along the way. It is important to not let those mistakes define you, but rather help you bring awareness to some things that are harder for you than others.
On the Challenge
“Eat Meat and vegetables, Nuts and Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch, No Sugar. Keep intake levels that support exercise but not body fat.”
-Greg Glassman, 100 Words of Fitness
Our challenge this year is a little different but the same as it has been. We are going after food quality and food quality. Greg Glassman got it right when he said “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar.” And that is exactly what we are doing.
Here is our food list for the challenge. You will have a choice of eating your allotted trays or going with macros. Once you choose one you can not switch to the other for the duration of the challenge.
Supplements
Rule 1
If you are over 20% body fat for men and 24% body fat for women, supplements are off limits for you for the duration of the challenge.
Rule 2
If you are under 20% body fat for men and 24% body fat for women, you can have supplements but limited to before, during, or directly after training.
Whey Protein
BCAAs
Creatine
Post Wod Carb Shakes
Say NO to:
- All flours, almond flour, coconut flour
- All sweeteners-honey, agave nectar, stevia, coconut sugar, cocao
- Alcohol, juice, soda
- Dairy-cream in the coffee, cheeses, yogurt
- Corn and corn products
- Unnaturally processed condiments, dressings, sauces, marinades, or spices (read your labels)
- Dried fruit
- Legumes (peanuts, beans, soy)
- Gum
- Canola, vegetable, soybean, grapeseed oils
- All protein bars. Quest bars, paleo cookies, lara bars
- All sport supplements that are not directly before, during, or after training (if applicable)
Commonly asked, and are ok
- Deli Meats (no sugar added)
- Bacon (no sugar added)
- Rice, Quinoa, Sweet potato (In Moderation)(but no restaurant sweet potato fries)
- Balsamic vinegar (vinaigrettes commonly have added sugars)
- Coconut, olive, avocado, and nut oils
- Coconut milk, almond milk
- Grass-Fed butter, ghee, nutritional yeast, salt
- Green beans and peas
- Coffee and tea (no sugar added) seltzer water
- Chicken and beef broth/stock
- Mustards and hot sauces made with natural ingredients (no sugar added, no unhealthy oils)
Eating Out
This can be overwhelming at first, but most restaurants will have an option for meat and vegetables.
How do you win the Fall Challenge?
Lots of questions have been rolling in about the fall challenge and how you can win the $1000.
So here is the breakdown on how it’s going to go.
Step 1-Sign Up
Step 2-Baseline Test
The week of September 3rd to September 8th you will have a chance to get your body fat tested on the InBody Machine and also complete your baseline workout at the designated times.
Step 3-Pick a Nutrition Program
Option 1 is the tray option (easier to follow). Option 2 is to track your macros (requires some work).
Step 4-Earn Points
There are 3 ways to earn points in the challenge.
Nutrition Points
Option 1
Everyone will receive 2 trays when they sign up for the challenge.
The tray will have 3 sections: 2 small pockets and 1 large pocket.
Small Pocket 1-Fill with Protein from Food List
Small Pocket 2-Fill with Fruit or Starch from Food List
Large Pocket-Fill with Vegetables from Food List
For those UNDER 150lbs you will be required to eat 3 trays per day
For those OVER 150lbs you will be required to eat 4 trays per day.
Option 2
Track your Macros
Be within:
10g of your Protein
10g of your Carbohydrate
5g of your Fat
Your Macros will be calculated based off of your lean body mass when you weigh in.
**In both options you will be required to eat only quality foods from the food list and any foods that you eat that are outside of the food list will give you a 0 for Nutrition Points for that day**
Sleep Points
You must get 7 hours in one shot for sleep to earn a point. If you are in bed, lights out, screens off, 100% ready for and intending to sleep, count that time.
Workout Points
Earn up to 6 points a week for completing a CrossFit Saved Class or an At-Home-Workout from the blog.
(You may only count the day you workout, doing more than one workout in a day only counts for 1 point.)
STEP 5-Win
The winner will be chosen from 3 categories
Points
Earn the most points by keeping your nutrition, sleep, and exercise all on point!
Percent of Body Fat % Lost
Example
Athlete 1-goes from 50% body fat to 45% body fat. They lost 10%
Athlete 2-goes from 10% body fat to 9% body fat. They also lost 10%
They both would tie in that category. This makes it fair across the board for athletes looking to improve performance and athletes looking to lose weight. Both had to put in the same amount of work to get to the results they achieved.
Improvement on baseline workout
Achieve more reps than you did at the start of the challenge!
In later posts we will go over other specifics like the food list, supplements, foods to say no to, and other commonly asked questions!
Step 1-Discover the Whole30!
What is the Whole30?
Think of it as a short-term nutrition reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Whole30 Benefits
We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact—the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion.
Results
More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories. Also commonly reported: consistently high energy levels, improved athletic performance, better sleep, improved focus and mental clarity, and a sunnier disposition.
This was all taken from Step 1 of the Whole 30 website. And are the highlights of this article called Step 1-Discover The Whole30
I cannot stress enough how important it is to give this challenge all you got. The relationship we have with food in America is a bad one. And to get on the right track you have to take a complete u-turn from what is normal.
WE WILL EAT REAL FOOD
And that is the crux of this program. It is what will get you exactly what it is you are looking for. Whether it be weight loss, improved performance, or elite health.
Will it be easy? No
Will you learn a lot? Yes
And most importantly you will begin to develop habits that will set your health and fitness apart from what is plaguing our culture and that is 70% of Americans are suffering from chronic disease.
Workout of the Day
AMRAP 12
30 Double Unders
30 Air Squats
30 Knees to Elbows
CrossFit Open 18.3!!!
CrossFit Open 18.3
2 Rounds For Time
100 Double Unders
20 Overhead Squats
100 Double Unders
12 Ring Muscle Ups
100 Double Unders
20 DB Snatch
100 Double Unders
12 Bar Muscle Ups
Friday Night Lights 18.1!!!
Workout of the Day
CrossFit Open 18.1
AMRAP 20
8 Toes to Bar
10 DB Clean and Jerks
14/12 Calorie Row
CrossFit Saved Takes on Spartan Race!
At the end of fitness in 100 words put out by CrossFit founder Greg Glassman he says, “Regularly play and learn new sports.”
Hannah
We spend anywhere between 3-6 hours a week building our fitness and one of the best things about doing that is you get to express that fitness in many different ways…
Playing with your kids
Going on hikes
Playing in recreational sporting leagues
Fighting sabretooth tigers
Etc.
With that being said we are going to take on the Socal Beast and Sprint weekend presented by Big Bear Lake on May 19 and 20th!
BEAST
Saturday, May 19th
12-14 Miles
30-35 Obstacles
SPRINT
Sunday, May 20th
3-5 Miles
20-23 Obstacles
If you are interested in getting signed up the sooner you sign up the cheaper it is for your registration.
Here is a link to check it all out!
https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/3456/overview
We will be doing the afternoon sessions!
We will also be doing some extra training on every other Saturday at 10am for those who will be doing the race!
Workout of the Day
Every Minute on the Minute X 14 Minutes
Even-15 DB Power Clean + Push Press
Odd-15 Calorie Row
CrossFit Open Intramural Battle!
The CrossFit Open is back again!
For you seasoned CrossFitters who know what the Open is all about you know how fun it is and how amazing it is to see how hard you can push in a workout!
For those of you who don’t know what the CrossFit Open is this is the beginning stage to the CrossFit Games Season. People from other CrossFit gyms all around the world will be competing for fun, their affiliate family, for fitness, or to reach Regionals and potentially the CrossFit Games!
Megan
Every Friday from February 23rd to March 23rd CrossFit HQ releases a workout as a challenge to anyone willing to give it a try. What is amazing about this worldwide competition is you have people competing not only from different gyms, but different countries, different age groups, and different fitness levels to see where they place against the rest of the world!
For 99% of us this is about making it to the CrossFit Games but rather having fun and pushing others in our gym.
Diana
This year at CrossFit Saved we are doing something a little bit different… Not only are we going to be competing in the Open but we will also be building two teams in our gym and we are going to have a friendly battle against each other!
This is how it is going to work:
I will elect 2 Team Captains
We will divide everyone up into Open, Scaled, and Masters Division.
The captains and I will divide the teams up evenly and every Friday we will battle for 5 weeks against each other.
The losing team buys pizza on the last night (March 23rd) for the winning team!
This is our first time battling like this amongst ourselves for the CrossFit Open and it is going to be a great time!
Workout of the Day
3 Rounds For Time
400m Run
25 GHD Sit Ups
50 Front Rack Lunges
The CFS 2018 New Years Challenge
Welcome to the CFS 2018 New Year Challenge
Use this packet as a reference guide as well as a resource for some commonly asked questions! As always, feel free to email me at jonathan@crossfitsaved.com if you don’t find the answer to your questions here. In this packet we will focus on understanding the importance of eating high quality foods over the overly processed foods that fill the modern diets of many homes
Goal Setting
This is not just a weight loss challenge. I encourage everyone to take the time now to set a goal for themselves. It does not have to be weight related. It could be performance based, commitment based, weight gain based, among other things.
Commitment
Signing up for a nutrition challenge is no easy task. It requires some mental toughness, and the ability to be able to think before we act. Some people come from a very deranged diet, where others will find this as a way to just clean up the little things they have let sneak back in. The best part of the challenge is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In fact, we will be in good company with support from a large community of people. Be compassionate with yourself and remember that we will make mistakes along the way. It is important to not let those mistakes define you, but rather help you bring awareness to some things that are harder for you than others.
On the Challenge
“Eat Meat and vegetables, Nuts and Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch, No Sugar. Keep intake levels that support exercise but not body fat.”
-Greg Glassman, 100 Words of Fitness
The Point System
1 Point: Perfect day of eating.
Example: No cheats.
1 Point: Hitting your zone blocks for the day
Example: Weigh and Measure, Eyeball Method
1 Point: Working out at a CFS class
(no more than 5 points per week)
(open gym will not count)
The Prizes
The Most Improved Athlete will be determined by points, workout improvement, and body fat percentage drop.
The Best CrossFit Athlete will be determined by points, total reps, and lowest body fat percentage
1st Place:
Cash Prize (TBD)
2nd Place:
1 month membership to CFS
3rd Place:
$50 Driven Nutrition
The Basics
What Can I Eat?
- Lean meats-beef, veal, venison, lamb, chicken, bison, etc. (try to eat the grass-fed versions of these if at all possible)
- Fish-salmon, tilapia, bass, etc.
- Seafood
- Eggs-go for it
- Vegetables-don’t leave these out!
- Some fruit-berries and the less sugary fruits are best
- Nuts-in moderation and not peanuts
- Natural oils-olive, coconut and avocado
Say NO to:
- All flours, almond flour, coconut flour
- All sweeteners-honey, agave nectar, stevia, coconut sugar, cocao
- Alcohol, juice, soda
- Dairy-cream in the coffee, cheeses, yogurt
- Corn and corn products
- Unnaturally processed condiments, dressings, sauces, marinades, or spices (read your labels)
- Dried fruit
- Legumes (peanuts, beans, soy)
- Gum
- Canola, vegetable, soybean, grapeseed oils
- All protein bars. Quest bars, paleo cookies, lara bars
- All sport supplements that are not directly before, during, or after training
Commonly asked, and are ok
- Deli Meats (no sugar added)
- Bacon (no sugar added)
- Rice, Quinoa Sweet potato (but not restaurant sweet potato fries)(Moderation)
- Balsamic vinegar (vinaigrettes commonly have added sugars)
- Coconut, olive, avocado, and nut oils
- Coconut milk, almond milk
- Grass-Fed butter, ghee, nutritional yeast, salt
- Green beans and peas
- Coffee and tea (no sugar added) seltzer water
- Chicken and beef broth/stock
- Mustards and hot sauces made with natural ingredients (no sugar added, no unhealthy oils)
Pre/Post Workout Nutrition
Post workout nutrition is not an end all be all. It can definitely help speed recovery, especially if it will be awhile before your next meal. Ideally you want to keep your post workout meal very low in fat. Depending on the stimulus of the workout, your current goals, and your nutrition throughout the rest of the day, we can tailor pre/post workout nutrition for your goals.
Carbohydrates:
Want to lose body fat? Use the post workout window to get in some starch carbs (sweet potato, banana, etc.) and make the rest of your day moderate in dense carb sources.
Want to gain muscle? If your body fat is already low, you will need the extra starches to fuel your performance. Take advantage and include some simple pre-workout fuel as well as post workout recovery. Muscles need carbohydrates for energy. They are the primary source of fuel for explosive and speed drive performance.
Burning Fat for Fuel:
Those of your looking to lose weight have often heard of and maybe even experimented with low carbohydrate diets. This can be a great way to allow your body to learn to efficiently burn fat for fuel. Ideally this type of approach is good for long, oxidative work. This is what your are doing right now as your are reading this! It is also those long runs, and Crossfit Grinders lasting over 20 minutes. Most of what we do in Crossfit is very glycolytic (we burn carbohydrate for fuel first). It is possible to train your body to burn fat for fuel, but it does take some time, and some patience. I do not recommend this for people at a competitive level, but this can be effective for those people who follow the CFS workouts with little added sports or weight training.
Protein:
We need to get some protein back into the muscles to help jump start recovery. The leaner the protein, the faster your body can process it. This is why many folks have jumped on the protein shake bandwagon, it tastes good, it is easy to digest, and it gets the muscles into recovery mode before you even hit the shower. Other sources of protein could come from lean chicken, turkey, or egg whites.
Foods/Drinks that are OKAY Post Workout
- Whey Protein
- BCAAs
- Coconut Water
- Creatine
- Post Wod Carb Shakes
Eating Out
This can be overwhelming at first, but most restaurants will have an option for meat and veggies. Sweet potatoes are another good side dish, just make sure that they aren’t cut into slices, wedges, or crinkles and deep fried (AKA sweet potato fries)
Why?
Nutrient Dense Foods:
Foods that supply generous amounts of one or more nutrients compared to the number of calories they supply are called nutrient dense. Kale, for example, have a high nutrient density, because they provide many vitamins and minerals in proportion to their calories.
In simple terms, more BANG for your BUCK. Just take a look below!
**Antioxidants help to repair cells that have been damaged due to the chemical reaction caused by oxidation. They are found in nutrient dense foods! Want to look younger? Recover faster?
Insulin Regulation
“Carbohydrates…drive insulin, and insulin drives fat” -Gary Taubes
Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient, but the common diet is filled with entirely too many processed carbs versus the nutrient dense options that our bodies crave.
Insulin is a storage hormone. The more sugar we take in, the more insulin we produce to shuttle those carbohydrates for energy production. If we aren’t using them, guess what? They are stored and accumulate in our fat stores.
Inflammation
Antinutrients (found in grains primarily, but they are also found in other sources). Antinutrients are compounds that are produced by plants as a part of their defense mechanism. These compounds that protect plants from pesticides and chemicals in the soil, have a damaging effect to our gut, since we are unable to digest them. Antinutrients are able to bind to nutrients making them less absorbable by our bodies. This all leads to an inflammatory response. You might not notice anything immediately like a stomach ache or other GI distress, but the start of inflammation in the body has started and it doesn’t always stay in the gut. Symptoms can manifest throughout the body, ranging from headaches, mental fogginess, joint pain, and even the onset or exacerbation of autoimmune conditions.
Workout of the Day
For Time
5k Run
