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Did you know that a little bit of stress can actually maximize your performance?

IF you’ve ever been in a flow state and totally lost track of time immersed in the task at hand you know know how astounding it can be to snap out of it. You were so focused that you couldn’t worry about your bills, external relationships, and the little worries in life.

It turns out that time spent in a flow state is one of the highest corollaries to a fulfilling life. The more time you spend in flow the happier you are. It also turns out that flow is the best way to get good at a particular skill- assuming the activity meets some key criteria. 

The Yerkes Dodson Law examines how as arousal increases so does performance. Being pushed slightly beyond your comfort zone you get hooked. Locked in flow you will continue to push yourself, just barely keeping up with the challenge that is inches from your grasp. They even assigned a specific value to the degree of difficulty. If the level of the challenge is approximately 4% greater than your current skill you will be most likely to get into a flow state.

If you think about great athletes, musicians, artists and other high performing individuals you will see countless examples of them rising to the occasion. Completing the game winning drive as they march their team down the field and scoring with just seconds left on the clock. Playing a guitar lick faster and faster immersed in sweat and the roar of the crowd. These folks are locked into what they are doing to a place that is beyond what conscious mind and ego can interfere with. They are fully present and immersed in the task at hand.

It is important to find the thresholds in your life where you can push yourself and grow. If you feel like a task is too easy you will quickly lose interest and find yourself bored. If it is too difficult, you will feel like it’s hopeless and not actually give your best effort. Find the challenge that is engaging and challenging yet attainable if you truly want to get the most out of yourself!

 

4 Hacks to a better night’s sleep

Hey there motivated individual! I have a new challenge for you. Guess what? It’s harder than any whole-food-eating, gallon-of-water-drinking, couch-to-5k challenge you’ve ever tried.

Not only that, but if you complete it successfully I promise you’ll never want to stop.

That’s why I’m challenging you to 1 month of restful nights sleep!

So why is that so hard? Because for some reason our culture idolizes the overworked, overtired, puffy-eyed stories of grinding day in and day out with insufficient sleep. We seem to overvalue sacrifice and undervalue our bodies. Not only that, but I think we all forget what it feels like to operate as our 100% rested and ready to go selves. I promise that if you invest in your rest you’ll never want to go without it again.

Let’s dig into some techniques to help us prepare for an awesome night’s sleep!

1.Optimize Your Environment
Do more of this:

Make it dark

Our bodies sleep cycle is regulated by a hormone called Melatonin, produced in the Pineal gland. Melatonin is released as the day grows dark and tells our bodies to begin shutting down. Any exposure of our bodies to light will reduce the release of Melatonin and could potentially disrupt the sleep cycle. Try blackout curtains, removing any sources of light in the bedroom, or even a sleep mask to really turn out the lights!

Turn down the thermostat

As drowsy as it makes us to sit by the fire, it actually isn’t ideal to be in a hot environment for a good night’s rest. According to Dr. Peter Attia, “the lowering of our body temperature at night is a cue for our brains that it’s time to go to sleep and increases the proportion of time we’re in delta-wave (translation: deep) sleep.” So what’s the ideal temperature? Most studies show that 68 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for sleep.

Don’t do that!:

•  Checking email before bed
  Technology and sleep appear to be mortal enemies. A very “neither can live while the other survives,” Harry Potter/Lord Voldemort type of scenario. Staring at a screen make our bodies think we still need to be alert, active, and ready for action. AKA not drowsy, calm, or relaxed. Best practice: No screens in the bedroom. Turn off phones, computers, and television 30-60 minutes before bedtime to let your body know it’s time to shut down.

2. Smart Consumption
Do more of this:

• Eat protein before bed.
  To ensure a restful night of sleep it is important to be aware of how we’re fueling our bodies throughout the day. Some studies have shown that eating a high protein snack before bed
  resulted in significantly fewer wake episodes compared to carbohydrate-based snacks or a placebo. Try a protein shake, a late night omelette, or some greek yogurt and peanut butter to fuel your slumber.

Don’t do that!:

• Drink coffee after 12pm.
  Caffeine can have seriously disrupting effects on your sleep. Try to avoid alcohol, tea, and any beverages that alter your state, dehydrate, or have you running to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

3. Develop a Routine:
Do more of this:

• Set a bedtime alarm.
  We are creatures of habit and our routines have a profound effect on how our bodies behave. By scheduling out a bedtime routine each night our bodies will be primed for a great night of sleep. Try setting a bedtime alarm 8 or 9 hours before you wish to wake up. This is the cue to start your bedtime routine. Put your cellphone away, take care of your bathroom business, and settle down in bed with a fictional book or a journal to reflect on your day.
  Pro tip: If you have pet get them in a routine that helps you stay on track!

Don’t do that!:

• Wait until you’re tired.
  Consistency is king when it comes to a good night’s sleep. If you want to wake up rested you have to exercise the discipline to shut down at a reasonable hour each night. Whether it’s turning off the TV or signing out of work emails, it has to be an active choice. If you continue to stimulate your mind, it won’t be able to recognize that it has to shut down for the night.

4. Use your physiology to unwind
Do more of this:

• Stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
  Our bodies respond to the environment and are always in one of two modes.
  1) Sympathetic aka “Fight or Flight”
  2) Parasympathetic aka “Rest and Digest”

We can hack our parasympathetic nervous system to initiate the healing benefits of our rest and digest state. Try taking a hot bath before bed, gently massaging or foam rolling your muscles, or practicing long slow deep breathing.

Don’t do that!:

• Strenuous Exercise
  Exercise is incredible and will often help promote a deeper sleep. However don’t try to squeeze your workout in too close to bedtime. Training will ramp up your bodies Fight or Flight response and it may take some time to wind down after the fact. Try to wrap up your workout 2 hours before bed and you’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time.

We’d love to meet you and chat more about your goals! Schedule a Consult with us!

5 Reasons to get STRONG

Fitness trends come and go and most fall to the wayside for good reason. Most programs fail to produce consistent results. It’s a wonder why so many folks stray away from what is tried and true when it comes to exercise programs…

“The rule is: the basics are the basic, and you can’t beat the basics” -Charles Poliquin

Despite what your goals may be, every individual can benefit from physical resistance training. Not only that, but the health benefits extend far beyond your short term fitness goals. Regardless of why you train, let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should incorporate strength training into your fitness regimen.

• 1. Training for strength produces results.

Whatever your goals, muscle will help you get there. Some companies in the fitness industry has made a fortune around buzzwords like “tone”, “lift”, and “sculpt.” The problem is there’s no way to measure those loose terms. If you want to change your body composition there is only the ability to gain or lose muscle while simultaneously gaining or losing fat. If you are looking for the most efficient way to do make a change then strength training is your best option.

Strength training, or physical resistance training, can be defined as a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. When you gain muscle you increase your bodies basal metabolism (the amount of calories you burn each day before factoring in physical activity). It’s kind of like putting a bigger engine in a car. The car is capable of moving faster or pulling a heavier load (more muscle), but it also uses more fuel (fat) whether it’s cruising down the freeway or idling in the driveway. Strength training helps us “tone” through this muscle gain/fat loss trade.

• 2. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” -Peter Drucker

Training for strength provides a clear path for success. You can set training goals that are specific, measurable, and produce desired outcomes. A good coach will help you design a plan towards these goals with checkpoints along the way. Your strength training program is a road map to success with clear directions. Sets, reps, and weights lifted safely through the full range of motion are the signals that you’re on track. Many people find that a more detailed plan helps them stay motivated as they experience progress.

• 3. Age gracefully with more muscle mass.

As we get older strength training is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Physical independence is a key factor in a great quality of life. A comprehensive study of strength training has been proven to:

• Improve motor function
• Lower resting heart rate
• Increase stamina
• Prevent sarcopenia (age related muscle loss)
• Improve bone mineral density
• Prevent and help rehab injuries

Functional strength training will be an asset in daily life too. From picking up grandchildren or bags of groceries to climbing stairs with confidence.

• 4. You’ll experience epic brain gains.

Did you know that lifting weights can strengthen your brain just as much as it does your body?

Dr. Yorgi Mavros from the University of Sydney has found that high‐intensity physical resistance training (PRT) results in significant improvements in cognitive function, muscle strength, and aerobic capacity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Adults who followed a resistance training routine in addition to cognitive training performed significantly better than control groups on a series of mental tests. A couple key factors to note:

1. The participants exercised 2x/ week working to at least 80% of their peak strength.
2. The benefits lasted one year after the exercise prescription had ended.

What does that mean? According to Yorgi, “The stronger people became, the greater the benefit for their brain.” Let that sink in for a minute. You actually grow your brain by training to become stronger! It makes me wonder if Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity in between heavy sets of back squats…

• 5. Strong moms have healthy babies.

During pregnancy, the question always arises of what does fitness look like for this stage of life? With so much on the line, it’s important to consult with a doctor before beginning any fitness routine. Luckily, there is a tremendous amount to be gained by incorporating a strength training routine under normal circumstances. Resistance training can help alleviate symptoms and improve health outcomes for the mother and child. According to the Mayo Clinic, women who follow a consistent strength training routine during pregnancy can experience:

• Reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling
• Boosted mood and energy levels
• Better sleep
• Prevent excess weight gain
• Maintain levels of muscle strength and endurance
• Reduced incidence of gestational diabetes

Not only that but women who train during pregnancy report enhanced body image and better psychological well-being!

We would love to have you in and chat further on how we can help!  Schedule a Complementary Consult/No Sweat Intro Here!

Who struggles with drinking enough water throughout the day? Probably all of us. The old notion that 8 cups a day is good enough is probably inaccurate for all of you reading this article. The Mayo Clinic actually recommends 125 ounces for males and 91 ounces for females. They also say that a person that exercises needs even more hydration due to sweating during a workout. The rule of thumb that I have always gone by is trying to drink near my body weight in ounces per day especially when it’s on a days that I am training.

So why increase your water intake? There’s way more science to it, here’s what water actually does:

• Filters out toxins.
• Lubricates your joints.
• Hydrates and increases the overall function of your tissues and organs.
• Helps regulate your internal temperature.
• Your body is made up of water, in turn, needs to constantly replenish what it releases.
• Proper hydration keeps the intensity up in your workouts.
• And most importantly of all, because your mom said so.

Lack of water throughout your day can lead to many things like lack of sweating, dizziness, muscle cramping, weakness and even heat stroke/heat exhaustion in more severe cases.

What are some quick helpful tips to increase your water intake?

• Drink all of your water from a container that allows you to view the ounces. A Blender Bottle or a Nalgene Bottle works great! For those of you that seriously struggle with water intake, they even make Smart Water bottles that link to your smart phone to help keep you on track with reminders. You could always go OG gym rat on the bit and use a gallon water jug – Put lines on it showing how much you need to drink by a certain time of the day.
• There are a number of apps out there to help you track your intake as well such as: My Water Balance, My Fitness Pal or WaterMinder. Of course, these all rely on you actually documenting it in the app.
• If you are truly trying to increase your intake of water, try to avoid relying on using a generic plastic cup in the cafeteria – that’s not an easy way of tracking H2O.
• Drink a glass of water in the morning before you down that caffeinated greatness. Plus, for every cup of coffee, it is recommended to increase your water intake.
• Ditch the Coke at lunch and substitute it for a sparkling water. If sparkling water is known as the “Taste of disappointment” to you, try putting in some lemon, lime, or cucumber.
• Eat vegetables and fruits with higher water content.

The bottom line is that you have to make healthy choices on a daily basis to increase your water intake.  There’s nothing wrong with choosing to have a different beverage – moderation is key.

For more information from the experts, check out this read!

1. I won’t “fit” in.

When you show up to a CrossFit gym, you’ll find a different scene than the one you saw on television. Guess what else? You might be farther along in your fitness journey than other people attending the class…

It’s surprising, but one of the biggest factors keeping people from the gym is not being as fit as they want to be. What a catch-22! So, before you rule yourself out from being able to complete the Workout of the Day (or “WOD” in CrossFit lingo) let’s try to view the situation with fresh eyes.

As CrossFit has grown in popularity you’ve seen the well-muscled men and women of the CrossFit Games. As you watch them run, jump, and hoist tremendous weights overhead you think to yourself “I could never do that.”

So, what do you need to do? Reach out to us at CrossFit Osiris and see what it’s like. Like in the popular romantic comedy, Hitch, when the date doctor played by Will Smith teaches his client to move in for a kiss. The man moves in 90% of the distance and lets the woman come in for the final 10%. That’s where CrossFit is going to meet you. By opening the door, you will have access to a supportive and accepting community.

Our coaches will help you “scale” to give a similar workout as those athletes on TV. The difference will be with lighter weights, shorter duration, or fewer repetitions. Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses, but they are always there for each other.

2. CrossFit will make me too big/bulky.

Getting too muscular is a common fear that many women have when they deliberate strength training programs. Developing bigger muscles is a process called hypertrophy. Hypertrophy will occur with a consistent resistance training routine. Training volume, caloric consumption, and hormones all play an important role in the growth of new muscle. Any person you see that appears to muscular may spend as much time training as you do at your full-time job. With that said, it’s one piece of the puzzle and most likely won’t happen on accident.

Most athletes find that lose inches in all the right places even with increased muscle. Clothes fit better, they have a healthy appetite, and even look better naked!

3. Don’t a lot of people who do CrossFit get injured?

Do people get injured participating in CrossFit. Yes.

They also get injured while jogging, moving furniture, walking their dogs, and shaving their legs in the shower. Injuries come from a lack of focus, preparation, or by not listening to our bodies. In fact, the injury incidence in CrossFit fits into a category with most other recreational training activities.

The functional movements used in CrossFit model the movements we complete in everyday life. Practicing fundamental movement patterns reduces the risk of injury and helps us become more confident and competent. A quick internet search will show you the tremendous success stories of individuals who have used CrossFit to overcome past injuries and debilitating diseases.

4. CrossFit will make me worse at my sport.

If you have concerns, talk to a us!  We have trainers with experience in your sport of choice; football, baseball, triathlon, golf, and snowboarding athletes all can use the CrossFit method. CrossFit can support their sport with workouts built around the various stages of their competitive season.

CrossFit is “constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.” It is a system of general physical preparedness (GPP). Being more prepared can benefit all athletes as they adapt to and overcome the rigors of their sport.

CrossFit is also designed to increase work capacity. Moving loads that are heavier, moving them faster, or moving them farther are all examples of increased work capacity. A football player who can perform more work will be stronger on each play he participates in. Increased work capacity will help an individual and team succeed in any sport!

Wanna give it a go??  Schedule your Free Complimentary Consult today!

What’s All this Talk About the CrossFit Open?

The CrossFit Open is a worldwide competition comprised of five challenging workouts released over five weeks. Scores are ranked regionally and worldwide. Top athletes in the Open come one step closer to a chance at making the Reebok CrossFit Games. In other words, The Open is a playoff series in route to find the fittest people on earth.

Sounds exciting and intimidating all at the same time, doesn’t it? The best news – Crossfit Osiris will be hosting a special event each week so you, yes you, can also participate in the workouts released.

For those of you who are new to The Open, or those who have competed before, I’ve put together a few reasons why you should participate in this year’s CrossFit Open.

1. It’s a personal challenge. Sure, The Open ends with finding the fittest alive, but it begins with people from all over the globe giving it their all. There are options for all levels: scaled, as Rx, and everything in between. Each week we’re presented with movements, some arranged in ways we may never have faced before. And so, this format gives us the opportunity to challenge ourselves in ways we have never done before. Let’s face it, we can’t all be the fittest alive – nor is that the goal for many of us. We can, however, be the best versions of ourselves. And in facing a challenge like The Open, we better ourselves in ways only pushing our limits can provide.
2. It’s a motivating tool. Because each workout is standardized and tracked, it’s an easy way to measure yourself from year to year. Will you get that pull-up this year? Or how about that muscle up you’ve been striving for? Everyone likes progress. It’s rewarding to look back at what you’ve done in the past and find where you’ve improved over time.
3. It’s a lot of fun! At Osiris, we’ve setup our in-house event called “Friday Night Lights” to throw-down the prescribed workout each week. Aside from individual goals and achievements, this event brings together our best supporters – each other – to complete and cheer alongside one another. This event is community by every definition of the word. Each athlete completes the workout at their own level (did I mention at their own level?) with an individual judge and a room full of encouragement. From personal experience, it’s an unmatched feeling of self-confidence and accomplishment. The workout may be intense, but the environment is like no other.

The only way to truly experience The Open and to gain all of its benefits is to experience it yourself. It’s challenging, it’s motivating and most importantly it’s a lot of fun – we hope to see you at the upcoming Friday Night Lights!

-Coach Andrew

I don’t know about you, but it’s been my personal experience that this time of year does damage to any healthy routines.  Any progress I’ve made prior comes to a screeching halt.  Here are a few simple strategies I will be implementing this winter to make it my best yet!  

Weekly Prep – Often, I’ll find myself in trouble if I just ‘go with the flow’.  Unhealthy treats will slowly creep into the house.  A workout will get skipped here or there.  Many hours of TV will be watched.  This winter, I’m going to make a weekly written plan.  Planning the week ahead will be a helpful tool to stay on track and control what I do.  I’m going to dedicate time each week to plan my meals and activity.  At the beginning of each week I’ll create a menu of healthy meals and a schedule to stay active.  This will certainly include what Osiris classes I can attend, but also activities to do outside the gym.  I love being outside, but tend to be more active during warmer months.  This winter I’m going to find ways to get out more!  Snow shoeing and cross-country skiing are among the top of my list.  Getting things down on paper and on purpose will set me up for success.  It will give me a solid outline to follow, making it less likely to fall off the wagon.  

Sleep – We all know sleep is important.  It’s easy for me to keep a consistent sleep cycle during the spring/summer.  Go to sleep when the sun goes down, and wake up when the sun comes up.  Simple.  Not so much in the winter.  With the shorter days and longer nights, it’s typical to leave the house and get home in the dark.  Because of the perpetual darkness I lose track of time and tend to stay up later into the night.  To conquer sleep this winter I’m going to set a consistent sleep schedule.  I’m going to shoot for 8 hours a night.  My alarm doesn’t change, so that means having an earlier bedtime.  They say turning off the TV and putting down your phone an hour before bedtime helps.  This means bed by 10pm, TV off by 9 pm.  With that quiet hour before bed, I’ll have extra time to catch up on stretching/mobility work!  Maybe even read a good book!  

Accountability – One great thing about CrossFit Osiris is community!  We’re all great resources to learn from and our community is a natural support system.  Accountability means much more when it’s coming from someone else.  Having an accountability partner for support, someone in your corner, is a fantastic way stay on track and achieve goals.  I signed up for a crossfit competition at the end of January, and without blinking an eye I gained two awesome teammates to motivate me to live well and train hard.  Good news is, you don’t have to sign up for a competition to find accountability.  It’s as simple as finding one friend or coach to stand in your corner.  Even if it’s a quick weekly conversation about progress, what’s working and not working, you’ll have someone on your side to help get you to where you want to be!

So, these are things I will be focusing on over the next few months.  Winters are long here, but that doesn’t mean I have to lose progress.  I hope these ideas help you stay on track with your goals as well.  I’m going to be more intentional this season, and I hope you join me!

-Coach Andrew

Let me preface this by saying, what you are about to read is not a new idea or concept that I came up on goal setting. It is simply what I have observed and read from successful people in life.  They have used all of these concepts to help them successfully reach their goals.

Let’s start off by defining the word “goal”.  John C. Maxwell defines it perfectly: “Goals are the impetus of success. Goals give us direction, target and destination.” Let’s take a moment to breaking that down.

          What the heck does impetus mean? Impetus is “the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.”

          What does direction mean? Direction is “the management or guidance of someone or something.”

          What does target mean? Target is “an objective or result toward which efforts are directed.”

          What does destination mean? Destination comes from the Latin word destinare, meaning “determine, appoint, choose, make firm or fast.”

So in other words, Goals are the force that makes something happen more quickly.  Goals give us the management and guidance, the objective we direct our efforts towards and the determination of where we go.

That’s a really cute quote, Nick, but how do I properly set a goal? Oh, well I am really glad that you asked! You are going to need to do the following baby steps in order to properly set your goals.

Baby Step #1 – Make your goals specific. Your goals need to identify exactly what you want to accomplish in as much detail as possible.

          Bad example: I want to lose weight.
          Good example: I want to lose 15 pounds by the end of January before I go on vacation with my family.

Baby Step #2 – Make your goals measurable. How can you track your progress and know that you’ve reached your goal?

          Bad example: Increase my power clean.
          Good example: Increase my power clean by 25 pounds.

Baby Step #3 – Make your goals attainable. Be real with yourself – is qualifying for the 2018 CrossFit Regionals realistic for you when you come into the box one day a week? Maybe a more realistic goal would be to start getting into the gym three days a week with an end goal to participating in the 2018 Granite Games. My point being, it should stretch you out of your comfort zone, but you need to be realistic with yourself.

Baby Step #4 – Make your goal actionable. Use action verbs to start your goal.

          Bad example: Be better at running.
          Good example: Improve my running, so that I can run a sub 8 minute mile.

Baby Step #5 – Give your goal a deadline. Every successful goal setter needs to know when they are going to accomplish their goal by. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a sense of urgency.

          Bad example: Completed 50 unbroken double-unders.
          Good example: Completed 50 unbroken double-unders by December 31st, 2018.
       

Baby Step #6 – Write your goals down and review them often. Statistics show that you are highly more likely to hit your goals when you actually have them written down somewhere.

January 1st is going to be here before you know it. Everyone has that “one” goal that has never been acted upon. You set it every year and nothing changes. Why not change that this year?

I challenge you to do something different this year. This doesn’t just apply to CrossFit, this is how you can succeed and set goals in all areas of your life: Health Goals, Money Goals, Family Goals, Career Goals, Spiritual Goals, Reading Goals and so many more.

Any one of your CrossFit Osiris coaches would be MORE THEN WILLING to sit down with you to help you get some 2018 goals down on paper.

Here is to your future success!

Coach Nick