Nutrition

CrossFitters know all about controlling insulin levels, and Chris Mason believes you can use that knowledge to produce big gains via a carefully planned post-workout insulin spike.

CrossFit athletes subject their bodies to a tremendous workload comprising high-intensity effort and significant training volume. The CrossFit way is incredibly taxing to the body—hence the great results—and places a huge strain on one’s recovery ability.

After an intense session in… Continue Reading

For under $350, Tony Budding and Rory McKernan travelled to Tuscon, Ariz., on the Southwest Airlines Ding program. In Tuscon they visited Jennifer Higgins and Carl Wells of CrossFit Works, and they also got a great meal out of the deal.

Higgins prepared lunch for the crew with local ingredients including ground beef, butternut squash, roasted chilli peppers and tomatoes. CrossFit Works emphasizes a combination of Zone and Paleo choices and recommends… Continue Reading

Tony Budding of CrossFit HQ joined Justin on Episode 100 of CrossFit Radio, webcast live at 6 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009.

2:21 CrossFit’s subject matter experts (SMEs) all bring something valuable to the table in terms of what CrossFitters can learn from them, and Tony Budding has had the privilege of meeting with SMEs from a variety of disciplines. Tony spoke about recently meeting Louie Simmons from Westside… Continue Reading

Before they do your Level 2 evaluation, HQ trainers Pat Sherwood, Adrian (Boz) Bozman and Chuck Carswell have to get in a good meal. On the road, that isn’t always easy unless your hotel room has a kitchenette—and even then it can be sketchy.

In Baltimore, Md., for a Level 2 at CrossFit Fort Meade, Sherwood hits the kitchen for a four-block Zone meal involving eggs, avocados and blueberries. Tailoring… Continue Reading

Four magic words key to the Zone Diet: “I can do that.”

Diets can be difficult, but they can be almost unbearable when they eliminate some of the foods you enjoy most. Dr. Barry Sears explains that the Zone Diet addresses this issue with flexibility that allows people to eat specific portions of their favorite foods so long as they balance protein, fat and carbohydrate intake.

Consistently moderate caloric intake with the appropriate… Continue Reading

Dr. Barry Sears has no problem with the Paleo Diet recommendation to only eat foods that were around 10,000 years ago. The creator of the Zone Diet takes issue only with the idea that you can eat unrestricted quantities of those foods.

“Ancient foods” are more compatible with our genes, but Dr. Sears contends that balancing fat, carbohydrates and protein is still critical to reducing inflammation and improving health. The strict Zone Diet is actually a… Continue Reading

Few people work out thinking they want to “reduce inflammation.” Most hit the gym to feel better, look better or increase performance. According to Dr. Barry Sears, what they’re really doing is reducing inflammation.

High-intensity exercise works to reduce inflammation, which in turn reduces fat storage and often produces chiselled abs and rippling pecs. Working out, however, isn’t enough. You need to go further upstream to combine a great workout program with a diet… Continue Reading

Pat Sherwood is one of CrossFit HQ’s top trainers and spends a lot of time on the road at CrossFit Level 1 and Level 2 certs. He’s also a great athlete who competed in the 2009 CrossFit Games. Proper nutrition is essential for optimizing performance. But how can that happen with so much time on the road?

This video is the seventh in a series in which we get up close and personal with Pat and his… Continue Reading