SPARTAN PERFORMANCE CROSSFIT SUFFOLK
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders
WOD Demo with CrossFit New England by Again Faster Equipment – video [wmv] [mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)
Apparently the information war on fitness, especially women's fitness, is being won by the ignorant, the amateurs and the people looking to sell something that's ineffective. I make this harsh assessment due to the comments I've been receiving from new-to-CrossFit-athletes and prospective athletes seeking details about how we train. Requests to have the training make them "toned" are coming from intelligent women who have bought into the nonsense on daytime television and women's magazines. It's not the fault of the ladies. I'm thankful that they are looking to improve their fitness. No, I blame the so-called experts spewing garbage to people who don't know better.
While the topic is one I don't mind discussing or writing about there is a plethora of articles to be found written by folks who have covered it quite well. What follows are some outstanding quotes related to the myth of "toning" and links to the entire articles they originate from.
To borrow the motto of the news website Infowars.com—because there's a war on for your mind–I offer you the ammunition to fight back against the snake-oil salesmen and the ignorant. Be sure to show the people in your lives that tell you how to train even though they don't train themselves. Be sure to show it to your friends who think they're training, but don't know any better. We can win this war one educated fitness enthusiast at a time!–George
"While some form of physical exercise will undoubtedly make you leaner, the unfortunate truth is that diet is the dominant factor controlling your body fat. Abs are made in the kitchen—not on an Abmat, a GHD machine, and certainly not on some contraption with cables. Yeah, that kind of sucks, but it’s true.
So how do you achieve the traditional notion of “muscle tone?” Simple: strength training and proper nutrition. I recommend a fitness program like CrossFit that will include a mix of heavy lifting and lighter, high-rep exercises in functional movements. That translates to larger muscles. For proper nutrition I recommend some flavor of low-carb eating coupled with high-quality foods that are minimally processed. Using the proportions of the Zone Diet with an emphasis on food quality from the Paleo Diet is an excellent place to start."—CrossFit Impulse, Lies, Damned Lies, And Muscle Tone
The fact is that aesthetics are best obtained from training for performance. It becomes very simple, if you want to look like a lean athlete (the standard most active women strive to emulate) you have to train like an athlete, and the unfortunate part is that most people lack the “sand” for that. Despite this unfortunate truth (most truths seem to fall into this category), the fitness industry continues to see appearances first, as though it is independent of performance. Appearance cannot be trained for. Think about it: I know how to make your squat stronger, but how do you program Bun Blaster sets and reps for a tight ass? I may be able to double your pull-ups in a month, but I don’t know how to give your back that V-Shape everyone craves without increasing your pull-ups. Every single aspect of programming for resistance training that works at all does so because it increases some aspect of performance, and appearance is a side effect of performance.—-Women, CrossFit, and Myths, Part 1, CrossFit 816 via CrossFit Oakland
"I’m sick and tired of telling women that lifting weights won’t make them “big ‘n bulky”, but it’s necessary because that myth is still thriving. I’ll keep this point short and simple – excess body fat is what makes women appear “bulky”, not having muscle. (Obvious exceptions are women who use anabolic steroids).
Strength training will allow you to build muscle, increase your metabolism, burn body fat, and ultimately help you achieve the lean and “toned” appearance you desire."—Nia Shanks, 11 Beginning Strength Training Tips For Women
"While you can lift weights to change your body, you're limited as to what you can really change about your muscles. In a nutshell, this is what your muscles can do:
1. Grow larger and/or stronger
2. Shrink smaller and/or get weaker"—Paige Waehner, Can You Really Tone Your Body?, About.com
1. You can't "tone" muscle. You can build muscle. You can lose muscle. Or your muscle can stay the same.
2. You can't "tone" fat. You can gain fat. You can lose fat. But you can't "tone" it.
The look that most people would describe as "toned" is ALWAYS a result of building muscle (or keeping the muscle you've got!) and losing fat…PERIOD. If you don't have muscle mass, you can lose fat but you'll just be a smaller version of what you are right now.—Nick Nilsson, Why Your Muscle Toning Workout Is A Myth
