Wine Country CrossFit

I’ve received a few emails lately from members who are really worried about the fact that the number on the scale seems to have stopped moving.  Invariably, these emails include things like: I’m wearing smaller pants, setting new PRs, and feeling great, but the scale isn’t moving.

I know that it is tough advice to hear, but it is time that you got rid of your old friend (or foe) the bathroom scale.  This judgemental little piece of home gadgetry is one of the biggest farces on the planet.  Sadly this machine tells us nothing.  Here’s an example:  Terrell Owens (Even if you don’t like football, you know who he is, right?) weighs in at 224lbs and looks like this:How many middle age out of shape people do you know who weigh around 200lbs?  The scale views these two the same.  What’s the difference?  Muscle!!!

At Wine Country CrossFit we do a ton of strength training.  Strength is probably the most important thing that we do.  I know everyone loves a good suffering metcon, but I’m sorry, that metcon won’t get you the results that adding more strength to your body will.  While you are building this strength you are developing muscle and that muscle has weight, which will show up on a scale.  The great thing about that muscle is that is sits in all of the places that we think look so nice (Hello J-Lo booty!) rather than accumulate like fat where we don’t want it.  This is a basic explanation as to why our pants size might drop while our weight stays the same.  You have lost the beer belly, and replaced it with some toned shoulders and strong legs.  And remember to “tone”, the word that everyone seems to like to use to describe as their goal, requires that there be muscle plus lack of fat, not lack of fat alone.  Otherwise you wind up looking like Kate Moss (yuck).

So, get in the gym, get your Paleo down strict, lift some heavy stuff, and forget what that scale says.  I promise you’ll like what you see in the mirror.

-Ryan

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Friday’s WOD:

Box Squats for Speed:

Warm athletes up to approx 65-70% of 1rm back squat and then perform 12 sets of 2 box squats on the minute.
The goal is speed on the bar.

Seated Box Jumps For Height

As time allows: box plyometrics