This week’s question is more is more of a discussion that I have been engaging in with fellow CrossFitters.  Several friends have mentioned an interest in competing in sectional competitions. They often ask if I think they are ready and how they should prepare.  I have noticed in recent visits to CrossFit affiliates that several athletes have posted the goal of qualifying for Regionals.

My advice is generally the same. If competition is something you think you will enjoy or competition motivates you – then go for it.  The key word in this being “you”.  To compete is a personal choice, one that only you can make for yourself.  We all have different reasons for wanting to compete, I ask you to think about your reasons, and ensure that they are your own.

Being ready is a relative term. Everyone that enters the sectionals is not going to be a CrossFit beast, for example, they don’t all have 3 minute Fran times.  Sectionals  are an opportunity for local athletes to get together, have a great time, and compete. Ready is a state of mind, and ready has to do with self confidence. My opinion is that if you are injury free and have been training consistently – then you are ready.

I am not saying that everyone that trains 5 days a week should be competing.  I have recently come across some guidelines for making a decision that I feel are pretty good.  The below guidelines are from the 2010 CrossFit Games SoCal sectional Facebook page:

FEMALE ATHLETES: On the fence about whether to compete? Wondering whether your times for various workouts in the “ballpark”? We compiled a list of crossfit workouts and their times/scores to help you make the decision: Helen – 8:30 – 11:45; Jackie – 7:00 – 10:58; Filthy 50 – 24:00 – 34:00; Fight Gone Bad – 250-350;… Nancy – 13:00 – 17:00. If your times are in those ranges, what are you waiting for… SIGN UP!

In addition, I would say that you should be able to complete all of the benchmark workouts with rx’d weights.  If you are not quite there yet, I recommend that you contact your local sectional host and find out if scaling is allowed.

Most importantly, focus on the journey and not the destination. Qualifying for Regionals has many variables outside of your control. Set goals that you can quantify as you progress and that are completely independent of the performance of others.  For example – I would like to have a 4 minute Fran, 21 minute 5K and 800lb CrossFit Total by the time Regionals comes around.  This will allow you to have a tangible, valid measure of your success that is based on your personal growth.

Regardless, good luck in your pursuit!

This winter many of us will battle seasonal colds or flu. This week’s question has to do with working out when you are sick.

” I have been battling an upper respiratory infection for much of January. There are days that I feel like I can workout and days that I can’t.  Are there any rules that I should follow about working out when I am sick? “

The general rule of thumb is that if a cold is below your neck (in your chest) that you should avoid rigorous activity.  If respiration is compromised due to alveolar inflammation or restriction you should take it easy and not exacerbate the condition. Intense activity can actually worsen the condition as it is possible for fluid to accumulate in the lungs.  If your symptoms are severe or last longer than a week, I advise you to see a doctor.

Use the guidelines below to help you make a sound decision when you are sick

Do not exercise if:

1. You are running a fever

2. Your breathing is compromised at rest

3. You are feeling lightheaded or dizzy

4. You are dehydrated

5. Your body is telling you to rest

You may exercise if:

1. Your cold symptoms are entirely above the neck (a  head cold)

2. You are able to to simple tasks without becoming short of breath

3. Exercise makes you feel better  and does not exacerbate symptoms such as coughing

4. You are well rested and hydrated

In short, use your judgment.  If you have difficulty breathing climbing a flight of stairs, you should rest.  Chances are that if you take a couple of days rest, you will be able to come back faster and closer to 100%. Pushing through illness may prolong it by increasing the stress on your immune system.

If you exercise when you are sick, pull back the intensity.  View exercise as a therapeutic intervention to increase blood flow and circulation.  Within a few days you will be back to setting PR’s.

Please continue to send your questions to info@gillianmounsey.com

Next week’s question will be about training for sectional and regional competitions.

This week’s question concerns pull ups.

“I have been crossfitting for 4 months and am still working on getting a pull-up.  I have seen it come faster for some of the other women in class. I can almost kip my chin over the bar once but I am no where close to having a dead hang pull-up. How can I improve my pull-ups?  Also, is it bad to start kipping pull-ups before being able to do a strict one?”

The answer to this question is simple in response but requires effort on your part.  To get better at pull-ups you must do pull-ups. The best way to attack this skill is to address it in a variety of ways depending on the workout.

1.  If the workout mandates high volume pull-ups, consider using a band for assistance. The band allows you to develop strength through a full range of motion. Once you can string 10 or more pull-ups together in the band, opt for a lighter band. Jumping pull-ups are great  as a metabolic and functional movement but they do not develop strength at the bottom range (the part where you jump through).

2. Incorporate pull-ups into your workout as a skill in the warm-up when your body is fresh.   Additionally, incorporate pull-ups after the workout.  Sometimes when you are fatigued, your body becomes efficient at the kip to save energy.

3. Make a habit of jumping up on every pull-up bar that you pass by and giving it a shot.  Hang one in a doorway at home and try one everytime you walk in and out of the room (I’m serious, this is how I got good at pull-ups as a kid).

4. Practice negatives.  Either jump your chin over the bar or have a partner assist you to get your chin over the bar.  Lower yourself slowly till you achieve full elbow lockout.  3 sets of 3 to 5 consecutive reps is a great place to start.

5. Partner assisted pull ups is one of the best ways to learn a dead-hang pull-up. Hang with your ankles crossed behind you and have a partner cup your feet and assist you – ensure that you do as much of the work as possible.  The partner should allow you to do the negative on your own.

6. Play a game. Make pull-ups fun by turning them into a challenge. A good example is to grab a deck of cards with another 2-3 people.  Go through the deck doing the number that you draw on the card.  Let all of the face cards represent a single pull-up. Let the red cards represent kipping pull-ups and the black cards dead hangs. Have a friend spot you if you need it on the dead hangs and use a band for the kipping pull-ups.

To answer the second question, no , kipping pull-ups are not “bad” or dangerous before you have a dead-hang pull-up.  The beauty of a functional movement such as a pull-up is that if you are not ready or strong enough to do one, you simply won’t be able to.  Practice both as they will mutually help one another. It is imperative to understand that one is a strict upper body strength movement and the other uses momentum and timing.

My best advice is to practice as many types of pull-ups as possible.  You will be less likely to develop overuse injuries and you will continue to grow as an athlete.

The final two major factors contributing to the storage of abdominal fat are stress and lack of adequate sleep.  High stress and/or insufficient or interrupted sleep raises cortisol levels.  When cortisol levels are raised, it is difficult to lose abdominal fat even on a caloricly restricted diet.  Many experts suggest 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep for optimal health and recovery. While uninterrupted sleep may be difficult to achieve, (such as in the case of having an infant at home), there are variables that we can control.

Try following these simple steps to ensure the best sleeping environment:

1. No televisions in the bedroom.

2. Have a small balanced snack 60-90 minutes before bed.

3.  Set and abide by a bedtime.

4. Limit alcohol intake or abstain.

5. Cut back on caffeine, especially late in the day.

6. Remove all light sources.

With regard to stress, most of you reading this blog are on the right path.  Exercise is one of the very best stress relievers.  However, stress comes from a variety of sources (beyond my area of expertise) and often requires a major overhaul of your lifestyle.  If you suffer from high stress levels that are beyond your ability to control, I recommend that you seek help from a trained professional.

In conclusion, we cannot specifically target belly fat but we can optimize the ability of the body to lose fat from the abdominal region by keeping cortisol levels down.  Fat loss comes from creating an energy deficit which should be achieved through a combination of diet and exercise.  Adding muscle through weight training is like adding fuel to your metabolic fire.

Diet is the most important variable when trying to lose belly fat.  Exercise takes a close second.

The best way to talk about exercise is by debunking some common myths.

Myth 1 – Doing lots of cardio at a low to moderate intensity will burn body fat.

While it is true that you will burn calories while doing cardio and utilize a large percentage of free fatty acids in comparison to carbohydrate during low intensity work, total number of calories expended is what counts for fat loss.  Basically, you can walk a mile in 15 mins and burn 100 calories or run a mile in 8 minutes and burn the same 100 calories.  Which is more efficient?

Myth 2 – The more volume of exercise that I do, the more fat that I will lose.

Frequent bouts of high intensity exercise of short to moderate duration will provide the most optimal hormonal balance in your body. Constant variation is key to keeping your metabolism revved up, but remember to never let your body get used to routine. Excessive volume raises cortisol levels, and cortisol is the hormone responsible for storage of abdominal fat.  When choosing an exercise, choose quality over quantity.

Myth 3 – I will get bulky or look fatter if I weight train. I should try to get lean first by doing cardio then add weights to tone up.

This could not be further from the truth, if you want to lose fat, weight training is essential. The simple science is that weight training builds muscle.  Muscle is active tissue and burns lots of calories–even at rest–thereby increasing your metabolism. Also, muscle is far denser than fat, 5 pounds of muscle takes up only about a third of the space that 5 pounds of fat takes up.  You will not “bulk up” unless your caloric intake substantially exceeds your output.

Myth 4- If I do 10,000 crunches a day I will have a washboard stomach.

Sorry to disappoint you but the shape of your abdominal musculature is pre-determined by genetics. The only way too see these muscles is by having a low body fat percentage.  If your percentage of body fat is high there is no amount of work that will show your abdominals.

Isolation exercises such as crunches provide little bang for the buck.  Your exercise program should be composed primarily of functional movements where large amounts of your body mass are used. For instance, a squat demands far more energy (think calories) than a crunch.  All functional movements require us to use our core to stabilize.  A simple guide is this -  the larger the distance moved, the more work you performed.  More work= greater caloric expenditure.

It all boils down to the following: To lose belly fat you must incorporate weight training into your fitness routine.  The bulk of your training should be high intensity of relative short duration. Routine is the enemy as it allows the body to become efficient, thus it utilizes less energy to accomplish the same task. Next time you think of doing crunches get down and do some squats and push-ups instead.

The first question of the week is one that I get asked so frequently that I feel compelled to share it with you.  Please post your thoughts to comments.

” I work out regularly and I follow a healthy diet, but I cannot get rid of the fat around my middle. The rest of my body is fairly lean and trim but I have a belly that won’t go away.  Can I reduce my belly fat without losing too much weight from everywhere else?”

I always smile and chuckle before answering this question.  I know that the person on the other end does not want to hear what I am about to say.  The short answer is no.  Spot reduction is not possible (without surgical intervention). Training the area by doing high volume abdominal exercise will not make the “belly” smaller or flatter.  Doing 10,000 crunches a day will not give you a flat stomach.

However (now for the long answer), there are 4 things to examine if you want to lose fat around your belly. When all of these variables are in check, you can and will lose belly fat – with consistent hard work, lifestyle adjustments, and diligent diet adherence.  These 4 critical variables are diet, exercise, stress, and sleep/rest.  Other factors that contribute to the appearance of a protruding or distended abdomen are weak core musculature (transverse abdominals to be specific) and poor posture.

For the sake of brevity, I will address these variables over the next 3 blog entries.

DIET – The MOST important factor

10 rules to lose fat:

1. Know what you are consuming – the only way you really know what you are eating is to keep a detailed journal. Learn to read food labels.  Track your portions. Log your total daily quantity consumed (this could be in the form of blocks, calories, points, etc.).  Remember to include liquid calories as well.

2. To maximize fat loss you should be eating just under what you are expending. The ONLY way to lose fat is by creating a caloric deficit.  This is pure scientific fact. This deficit should be achieved by a combination of reduced caloric intake AND exercise. If you restrict calories too much, your body will more readily give up muscle and will hold on to fat.  In short, your body will believe that it is being starved and store fat much like a bear does before hibernating for the winter. Maximizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss is a slow process. A good recommendation would be to reduce your intake by 250 to 5oo calories a day below what you are currently taking in.

3. Choose and stick to a plan that helps you track your intake.  There are many great “diets” out there that work. You should either choose one, combine a few, or design your own written plan. The Zone, South Beach, Weight Watchers, and Paleo are all viable, healthy options.  The key is consistency – pick one that you like. Think of it as a lifestyle change as opposed to a diet.

4.Keep your blood sugar in check by eating small frequent meals that are balanced in macro nutrients.  This will keep your metabolism up and prevent insulin spikes. Frequent meals keep your body from entering starvation mode.  When the body is in starvation mode, it stores fat.

5. Reduce your sugar intake by cutting out refined foods.  Fat (other than trans or saturated) is NOT the enemy, sugar is the enemy. Avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup.  Cut back on refined bread, cereal, rice and pasta.

6. Cut back on processed food – Sodium retains water (not to mention all of the chemical preservatives are bad for you). Some people, women especially, are sodium sensitive.

7. Eliminate foods that cause digestive issues and abdominal bloating.  Many people have sensitivities or intolerance to wheat, gluten, dairy and/or alcohol.  Try eliminating these foods one at a time and monitoring the results.  If you eliminate all of them together, you may not know what was causing the abdominal bloat.

8. Drink plenty of water.  Staying hydrated helps to flush toxins and reduce fluid retention. Hydration is a must for your metabolism to function optimally.

9. Eliminate diet soda – artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause chemical reactions similar to real sugar laden soda.  Additionally, these beverages contain phenylalanine which (in large quantities) may leach calcium from your bones.

10. Start now, not on Monday. Every time you eat is an opportunity to make a heatlhy choice.  If you mess up, you are only one meal away from being on track.  Avoid falling off the wagon by preparing your meals in advance and carrying emergency snacks with you. You are more likely to overeat when you are starving.

The primary reason that I have started this blog is to interact with the community. As a health and fitness professional, I take great pride in sharing with you my knowledge and experience.  My wish is that each of you will pass this knowledge on in a meaningful way and help someone else.

Beginning this week, I will be answering one question a week on my blog. I will choose the questions that appeal to the broadest audience to answer in this public forum. I encourage you to ask questions about injuries, programming, specific skills, health, performance or even a specific challenge that you may be facing with a client.   It is my hope that these questions and answers will begin a dialogue that we can all learn from.

If you have a question, please send an email to me at info@gillianmounsey.com and specify “Question of the Week” in the subject line. Your identity will be kept confidential.

Please stay tuned for the first “Question of the Week” that I will be answering this Friday (1/15/10).