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3D Street Mural Breaks The Guinness World Record

The Huffington Post 

The largest mural ever was completed Thursday, as part of the seventh annual Guinness World Records Day. British artists '3D Joe & Max,' with their incredible 3D street mural that measures a whopping 9,601 square feet, joined over 300,000 other people as they all attempted to break various records around the world.

Produced in collaboration with athletic brands Reebok and CrossFit, the massive optical illusion depicts a waterfall cascading into a deep gorge, making it look as though the members of the Reebok/CrossFit team are performing death-defying stunts. View the impressive mural below as well as a slideshow of behind-the-scenes footage and other cool 3D murals we found.

Reebok CrossFit and 3D Joe and Max have teamed up in an attempt to create the world’s largest 3D street artwork ever. The painting will be officially unveiled at London’s West India Quays, Canary Wharf, on Guinness World Records Day, Thursday 17th November. Here artist, Joe Hill, is captured marking up the image, which will measure a staggering 1000m”. Visit youtube.com/reebok for exclusive behind the scenes footage.

 

By: Reebok

 

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Maintaining Physical, Social and Mental Fitness for Peak Performance

This article from the Harvard Business Review struck me as a great reflection on CrossFit.  For those new to the concept of CrossFit, maybe those who are intimidate but intrigued, the following excerpts might help you see CrossFit better through the eyes of "We Train to Not Suck At Life" vs. so much of a "gym training that's too difficult for me" scope.  That is our intent and goal.  We expect that the things you learn in here will not stay in the gym as you leave our door, but that you will apply them to your life - physically enabling you to do more, interacting and reacting to new and varied social and mental situations more comfortably and confidently, stretching you and your experiences to places you didn't know existed for you.  Welcome to being comfortable with uncomfortable.

Whatever we give energy to, we give life to. For example, if we (even unintentionally) infuse negative energy, the brain reacts a certain way that reinforces a more unconstructive environment. Another more positive example is that if we focus on positive reinforcement of effort, process, and learning, we can create a growth mindset.

The counter perspective is that without purpose, intent, and energy, we leave outcomes much more to chance....
...with effort, energy, and practice, there is possibility for peak performance.  Leveraging energy most effectively requires fitness. We need to think about fitness in new ways to include mental fitness, social fitness, and physical fitness. Together, they integrated to provide the source of adaptive functioning.

Physical fitness refers to the keeping the body fit and operating at peak. Although it is impacted primarily by nutrition and movement, it is not about dieting and a strict exercise regimen. It is about eating the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times to sustain energy.

Social fitness refers to how we interact with others across situations. We are inherently social beings. In fact, the brain is wired to reinforce that social things motivate us in positive ways.  Social fitness refers to an individual's ability to speak and act on ones values in the face of situational pressure.

Without effort and energy directed toward understanding something that is unfamiliar or complex, the brain may substitute information when interpreting and acting on the information. The challenge is that we don't know when our interpretations are correct or wrong.

Social fitness creates stronger problem solving and collaboration capabilities. The "we" mindset also contributes to stronger collective intelligence which translated is the collective whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Ultimately this builds integration and contributes to resilience.

Mental fitness involves the following seven practices — some of which cross over into the physical and social domains: good night's sleep (7-8 hours is recommended), physical activity, focus, reflection, down time, connecting time, and play time.  These sources of energy build resiliency and drive peak performance.

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Women Don't Get BIG Doing CrossFit, They Get FIT

8 Reasons Why Women (Should) CrossFit

 

With all that CrossFit has done for me, I feel it’s my duty to relay the vast benefits on to others, women especially, if only to educate and inform. Having said that, if you have an aversion to hard work, read no further.  But if you love the adrenaline rush of hitting new PBs (personal bests), constantly challenging yourself with new exercises and techniques, and always improving your fitness level, read on.

Here are 8 reasons why you (or a woman you love) should give CrossFit a shot:

1)      It’s always challenging you to learn new exercises, so it keeps workouts fresh and exciting. Walking at an incline on the “dreadmill” 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week? No, thank you. There are more fun (and productive) things to be done!

2)      It strengthens your core (WITHOUT doing 200 reps a day of ab-specific work). CrossFit includes so many compound exercises that whether or not it’s your goal, you will build core strength. So, once you inevitably peel away fat you’ll have some amazing abs to show for it.

3)      It burns calories like crazy. Try doing one of the WODs (Workout of the Day) with running + compound lifts (like deadlifts, weighted squats, or cleans). It is not only exhausting but also brings you into a whole other realm of calorie burning. Workouts like this will keep you lean and mean.

4)      You’ll get more muscular. And I’m talking about the lean, athletic, fat-burning, awesome kind of muscular. Don’t believe me? Check out this video and try to argue otherwise. “Skinny fat” is nowhere to be seen.



5)      You will feel like the energizer bunny. I know, weird that exercising actually gives you energy, right? CrossFit is no exception.

6)      It increases confidence in the gym. I have worked out with so many women who are deathly self-conscious about entering the “men’s area” of the gym. You know, where all the barbells and plates are (aka, the good stuff). After you bite the bullet and tackle a few of the heavier CrossFit workouts you’ll never harbor that fear again.

7)      It increases confidence OUTSIDE of the gym. After completing a killer WOD, I can tell that my sense of accomplishment carries over into everyday life. I can tell that it does this for men as well as women.

8)      It’s an investment in your future. Like you, I don’t want to suffer from age related issues when I’m 50. I want my fitness level to bounce back as quickly as possible after any challenege. I want to continue to feel strong and powerful into my 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. If you do too, now is the time to make the investment.


PS…
Here are some more resources about Women & CrossFit:

http://games.crossfit.com/features/women-2011-reebok-crossfit-games

http://orangecoastcrossfit.com/crossfit-for-women/

http://blog.fitnesstown.ca/2010/07/01/why-women-need-crossfit/

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Finding Your True Self
    
     As another Halloween ends, the costumes and masks put away, I am reminded of a book called "Presentation of Self in Everyday Life". Written in 1959 by sociologist Erving Goffman, he compares our everyday lives to stage craft. By using this metaphor he keenly describes the multiple ways in which we present ourselves to different people (other actors) in different places (stages) at different times. This can, and does for many people, create a sense of interpersonal superficiality and emotional tension. If we are always playing multiple roles - as father, son, brother, mother, daughter, sister, co-worker, friend, boss, civilian, officer, student, teacher and so on - then when do we find time to unravel all of this and discover our true self? Or, to put it another way, is our true self defined through an amalgamation of all these roles?

     Some people have no trouble switching from one role to another. For many others, however, the process can be stressful. For example, we often hear of people "taking their work home with them". I once knew someone who was a police officer for 20 years who had this very problem; he couldn't make the switch from cop mode to family mode. To cope with all this, he became more cold and distant around the people he was once closest to.
    
     Goffman came to believe that the various roles, overtime, can take their toll as the "individual [increasingly] maintains a show before others that he himself does not believe." Eventually, "he can come to experience a special kind of alienation from self and a special kind of wariness of others." To prevent this from happening, Goffman suggested that we all need a cloak room for our various roles - a place to temporarily hang up our roles and seek a deeper meaning lying far beneath the superficial face-to-face interaction that dominates day-to-day life. For some of you that place might be at home spending time with your kids; for others it might be spending time with whomever you are closest to in this world; some will find it in volunteer work, religion or, if you're lucky enough, your job; and yet for others it might be found in the simple quietude of spending time alone, listening to music or hiking. The main point being, find the place where you feel you can really be, well, you. For me (and I assume for many of you reading this) that place has been in the box. During the middle of a workout I often do find a quiet place in my head, and for a brief moment all external worries evaporate. It is often easiest to find our truest self when the mind is not reaching into the past or concerned with the future, but only focused on the exact moment. It is somewhat paradoxical to say, but when we are less focused on our selves, this is when we are most in touch with who we really are.

     I am happy to say, CrossFit is like my second home. It is like a sanctuary in many ways. It is a place where egos get left at the door and people can just be themselves - no stage craft or acting here. In a society that is dominated by hedonistic individualism, it is a place where we all share a common focus and a mutual goal: to become the fittest athletes possible - both physically and mentally. Sometimes the best things in life are indeed the simplest.

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Approaches To A Successful Total

Because your attempts are limited for each movement, you want to maximize your potential without selling yourself short. Having a strategy for each lift starts with a thorough search of your logbook and notes taken after your last total. Knowing what you successfully lifted during your last total allows you an oportunity to develop a plan of attack for a new PR.

Theoretically, let's say your notes read: "Back squat - 300# (could have gone 10# heavier)". This gives you enough information to build your warm-up and initial attempts. Since we are shooting for a PR, let's build your warm-up sets/reps and initial attempts from our new PR down. When shooting for a 310# PR, build your warm-up and attempts like this:

3rd attempt: 310# (new PR!)
2nd attempt: 300# (old PR)
1st attempt: 290# (a guaranteed lift)
4th warm-up: 280#
3rd warm-up: 255#
2nd warm-up: 215#
1st warm-up: 155# x3

You can approach each movement with this method of building your warm-up reps and attempts from the top down. But let's say things aren't going as planned, you'll need to adapt your approach to be as successful as possible for the day. Suppose your 4th warm-up @ 280# felt heavier than it should, you'll need to modify your opening lift from 290# to something a bit lighter. You can modify as follows to still achieve a PR:

3rd attempt: 305# (new PR!)
2nd attempt: 295# (5# under PR)
1st attempt: 285# (modified opener)
4th warm-up: 280# (felt heavy, moved slow)
3rd warm-up: 255# (same)
2nd warm-up: 215# (same)
1st warm-up: 155# x3 (same)

What about if you miss a lift? Chances are, if you miss a lift it will be the 2nd or 3rd attempt. If you miss the 3rd, no big deal - you're only under your old PR by 5#. But if you miss 295#, your second attempt, don't be egotistical or greedy - drop a little weight and attempt to improve your lift even by a couple of pounds. Apply this method to each lift and maximize your Total for the day!

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Proper Technique Is The Key To Success

     Proper technique is essential during your daily warm-up, technique portion and building up to a heavy lift. It matters - all of it. Crappy form in the warm-up will affect how you perform those movements in a WOD. Back when we were building on pullups, pushups, situps and squats every day in our warm-up; our dedication to technique was evident in our WODs. That holds true for every movement you perform. If you don’t quite have the flexibility or you are injured, strive to hit correct form within your ability. Don’t hurt yourself or worsen your injury. My point: we are not asking for perfection. We are asking you to strive for perfection. This applies to technique for every movement we perform.

     If you allow yourself poor form in the warmup, you may be short changing your body. Warmups help increase your heart rate and get you moving, but they also strive to take your muscles and joints through a full range of motion (ROM) in preparation for the WOD. If you shorten your squat ROM, over time your lack of effort will be glaringly evident when you add weight and/or hit intensity. In the squat you must hit your full ROM at the top and bottom, contract your glutes, tighten your core, chest up, eyes forward for EVERY rep. Just because you don’t have a bar in your hands doesn’t mean you get to perform crappy reps. Practice correct form.

     When building up to your heavy lifts, perform the movement correctly. Let’s use the back squat as an example. While your coach is going over technique focus on details: elbows up and back, wrists straight, feel the bar wedged between your hands and your back, head/neck neutral, contract your glutes, tighten your core, take a deep breath, hit the bottom and top of your ROM. Do this for EVERY rep in the instructor-led technique session.

     After your technique focus, get an empty bar and do a few reps. Again, strive for perfection. Walk up to the rack and address the bar by getting your hands in the correct grip. Get your feet in squat position directly under the bar. Wedge the bar between your hands and back. Look at your wrists. Are they straight? Once you’re set, lift the bar off the rack. Take a couple of steps back away from the rack, take a deep breath, contract your glutes, tight core and perform as close to a perfect squat as possible. When you are finished with your set walk the bar forward and squat the bar back on the rack. Do this EVERY time. As you start to add weight to the bar, repeat the above process EVERY time. Get in the habit of constant correctness.

     When you get to your max range you want to think as little as possible. You really don’t want to be focusing on keeping your wrists straight when you are attempting your 1RM. You want to use your habit of lifting with perfect form to be natural, so you can focus on lifting the damn weight, and hitting your PR.

     This holds true for heavy lifts, Olympic lifts and kettlebell swings. In fact, whenever you pick up or put down a kettlebell, deadlift. This holds true for anything you wish to lift off the floor: keys, kids, groceries, bars, dog food, coolers, 12-pack. If you don’t develop the habit, there is a higher risk of injuring your back, knees, shoulders- you name it.

Do it right in the warm-up, technique session and building up to a heavy lift. Do it right every rep. Our sport is CrossFit. Practice how you play.

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