(Part 2) Top products from r/crossfit

Check out Paleoplan.com. They've got a two-week free trial, which should be enough to see if you like the service--it's $10/month to subscribe. The recipes are pretty good, and once you get the hang of it, you'll probably find that you're happier doing your own planning. Practical Paleo is a great resource and it has 30-day meal plans you can use. It's one of my favorite cookbooks. I'm sure the lovely folks in /r/paleo will also have some great suggestions for you.

Edit: grammar.

I bought a cheap vest for like 60$ (https://www.amazon.com/ZFOsports-40LBs-Adjustable-Weighted-Vest/dp/B002P60ZZC/) a year+ ago and wore it a few times to CF WODs and running at home in prep for Murph. After wearing it a few times, I noticed it was just very uncomfortable (I'm a small guy) and it was bouncing around too much. I tightened it as tight as possible and I just couldn't get it to feel right (too much bouncing which lead to burns/bruises from the straps on my shoulders). This same vest is sold under a dozen different companies/names/logos, so you should be able to find it. It uses sand-like bags as the weights. I sold this one to a friend at the gym when I got my new vest...

A couple of the people at my gym used another vest from Hyper (https://www.onnit.com/hyper-vest-pro/). So I checked theirs out at the gym and immediately purchased one for me. It was 3-4x as expensive, but man, it's like night-and-day difference. Super comfortable. The sizing works great for me. I can run all day wearing this vest. I used this during our Thanksgiving Day Murph and loved wearing the vest (didn't love the extra weight during push-ups but just because I suck at push-ups). In prep for Murph, I ran a mile per day for 30 days wearing the vest and I fell in love with the vest.

I use HRV myself, mostly as a sanity check to make sure I'm not overtraining and to track how workouts affect my smpathetic vs parasympathetic nervous system. I've heard good things about BioForce, but I it's pretty damn pricey and I already had a HR monitor. There are a handful of free apps that will do basically the same thing as BioForce without the added price, but may not be as in depth with the details of what is tracked. Check out Elite HRV, probably my favorite of the apps that I've tried. It's totally free, all you need for these apps is a bluetooth heart rate strap (can pick up a Polar one on Amazon for $50 - http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Sensor-BLE-BLK-M-XXL/dp/B007S088F4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459272728&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+heart+rate+strap)

> what nutrition system is the best for me?

Whichever one you can follow consistently the longest. Anyone can lose twenty pounds, but very few people can actually keep that weight off for a year or more.

A few people below are recommending calorie restriction with carb/protein/fat tracking. The IIFYM plan is a no brainer, but "moderation" sometimes doesn't work for people who have a relationship with food that goes beyond just calories.

Zone you really have to purchase the literature. Too much to cover in one comment, and to be honest the entire concept can really only be best explained by someone who has followed it for quite a bit of time. But don't dismiss it entirely. http://www.amazon.com/Enter-Zone-Dietary-Road-map/dp/0060391502/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412105600&sr=8-2&keywords=Zone+diet

Paleo is popular primarily because it works. There is quite a bit of flexibility in eating that way, but it is essentially low carb. Not unlike Atkins. You simply eat as much meat/veggies/fruit as you want, and leave out processed carbs entirely. http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412105648&sr=8-1&keywords=robb+wolf

Your best bet is to give each approach a few weeks before sticking to it or moving on.

Most of the time my advice on stuff like "What do I do to get ready for crossfit" is to just join up! But I understand the context here...

If you have an hour a day, I'd say just run... But not JUST jogging. Find somewhere you can set up 50m for sprinting. Or just figure the length of a street block.

Sprint the length of a block, rest for a minute. Then Sprint back, rest for a minute. Do that five or six times, then take a nice, steady 20 minute jog.

Also, buy yourself a jump rope and get really comfortable with it. One like this. You'll need one like it when you're actually doing crossfit, so you might as well grab one now!

I wouldn't worry about the weightlifting. Better to not go in with a bunch of bad habits. Just get a feel for those really short, high intensity intervals. And get yourself familiar with that jump rope!

Edit: Congrats on that school work load, young blood! Focus on school for now, plenty of time for crossfit!

I built mine from scratch for aroun $20 (minus cost of jigsaw). Heres how.

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Buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Reciprotools-RCT-A10-Reciprocating-Saw-Adapter/dp/B001CNHDR2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1TH3RD5RZNXDS&keywords=jigsaw+adapter+massager&qid=1554393001&s=gateway&sprefix=jigsaw+adapt%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-5

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Get desired balls. I used a lax and golf ball so I have two. Drill a hole about halfway into both the balls (its super easy). You want to use a drill bit that is about the size of a regular 2-3in bit youd put on your drill. Something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-Tough-Grip-5-Piece-2-in-2-Phillips-Shank-Screwdriver-Bit/999928876

You can pick up a pack of 4/5 for under $5. Make sure you get the ones with the hex end otherwise it wont fit in the attachement.

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Ok, Drill hole halfway thorugh ball, squirt some krazy glue in hole, hammer bit phillips head side IN, wait for it to set, then attach to the attachment and voila, you have just created it yourself.

I find that my new coach's look like a deer in headlights when I ask them to scale simple moves. You'd be shocked at hard this for some people (in least I am shocked.) You are referring to this book http://amzn.to/2kJBxy2 right? Do you (or anyone else that would like to chime in, please do) think it's better than Free+style http://amzn.to/2lgZ39l. I've taken crossfit gymnastics cert, but I like to have good references available for my coaches.

Speaking of which, here's a link to list of our favorite books.
https://www.sandandsteelfitness.com/top-personal-training-books-crossfit-nutrition/

Its funny, I've been reading up on this very topic lately in anticipation of buying one. I came across this thread on r/fitness and it shed some light on some things: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/47jgb0/most_accurate_heart_rate_monitor_device_for/d0ddzfb

Any model without a chest strap isn't going to be very accurate. The Polar Bluetooth seems to fit what I need it to be and its fairly cheap and has great reviews. Hope any of this helped!

Look up the black box summit. Effectively CF splintered over exactly that many years ago, with HQ sticking hard to the everything random line, and then affiliate gyms patting them on the head and going off to do their own thing with some combination of linear progression for strength and skills combined with metcon - so a more traditional S&C structuring. Some dropped all association with CF entirely after that and just started calling themselves S&C gyms.

If you do want to figure it out for yourself Practical Programming and Fit are probably good starters on doing your own programming. If not, then you can find more structured programming from Crossfit Football or affiliate sites rather than HQ, or get custom programming done for you from someone like OPT/Opexfit Training (CF Games first winner).

Sounds like you need some SMR (self myofascial release). Get a beastie ball (or lacrosse ball if you don't have access) and work it into the bottom of your calf muscle and the bottom of your foot. To get the calf, sit on the floor with your butt all the way back against the wall and place the ball under your calf. Work around until you find the painful knot then lean forward and keep pressure on it. For the bottom of the foot, take off your shoe and stand on it while holding onto the rack. Work it around your sole. Working both of these areas should give you some relief. (You can also stand on a rumble roller with no shoes to work your soles, just hold onto the rack!)

The other thing I would recommend is Penetrex. This stuff is really effective at relieving plantar and tendinitis issues.

I'm not familiar with the Fingertraps, but it might be worth checking out some different shoes if the above doesn't help resolve it. Good luck!

EDIT: Don't be afraid to rest! You'll probably want to avoid runs until it's felt better for a couple weeks else you risk aggravating it again. Swap rows for runs until it's had time to heal.

Really, you should play around with it and see how you feel. If you're a crossfitter, see what happens with your WOD times and PRs. I assume you're recording your efforts so you should already have a base.

Go for this book. He's not quite a crossfitter anymore (heh), but to ignore him as a resource would be downright silly.

http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313095660&sr=8-1

Also, his podcast is excellent. His most recent one had Mark Sisson and Mat LaLonde. It was REALLY good stuff.

Inov-8 lifters - they're super light with a great heel for lifting.
http://www.amazon.com/Inov-8-Mens-FastLift-Cross-Training-Shoe/dp/B00B7G6HGM

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002P60ZZC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496451469&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=zfosports+weighted+vest&dpPl=1&dpID=519WFXPYhCL&ref=plSrch

I have this vest and love it. Under $80 and the thing is tough. Comes with 40# worth of sand bags that can be adjusted in 5# increments and moved around according to your preference. It's a similar design to the MiR vests with half the cost. Plus if you have Prime free two day shipping.

My posture has improved immeasurably since I started. I didn't actually realise I had poor posture to begin with. Was one of the first things I got comments on; I now stand stand shoulders back, chest out, stomach in...almost at parade rest. This is not through some conscious effort on my part, either.

MobilityWOD is great, but there is an almost confusing number of youtube videos from Kelly Starrett that I personally use. I've addressed numerous little niggles and aches via these. I will add however that I regularly (monthly) visit a McTimoney chiro. That is something I will continue to do, Crossfit or not - 10/10, would do again.

I also highly recommend basic yoga, particularly in regards to what has happened to my increased ROM in hips, ankles and shoulders. I use http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-For-Beginners-Flexibility-Relaxation/dp/B0043LKPOI, mainly because of my prime subscription. 10-20 minute videos that I do before my morning coffee. Again, something else I would continue with regardless of crossfit.

Lastly, take a look at your seated position. I work in software development, so 10 odd hours in a desk chair is a common (daily lol) occurrence. I pay a lot of attention to how I sit at work.

Lastly, don't be afraid to scale, or to ask your coaches for scaling. Strength will come if you keep going - it's a marathon, not a sprint :)

I'm only a newbie myself, but I would HIGHLY recommend Starting Strength by Rippetoe. I know it's more of a powerlifting book, but he covers Power Cleans & Power Snatches, as well as Deadlifts & Squats. He has tons of cues and coaching tips for all of the movements. I also have Olympic Weightlifting by Everett that I will be reading next.

I hear ya brother! I am 43 and it's a constant battle.

I have found that if I use a mix of these two products...

http://www.aspercreme.com/pain-relieving-creme.html

and

https://www.amazon.com/Penetrex-Pain-Relief-Therapy-Experience/dp/B0026HDURA

....I am pretty good with keeping the soreness at bay.

Also, I will wear around the Bear Komplex lite knee sleeves for a few hours after a squat workout or something similar. Helps keep them warm and from stiffening up too bad...

https://www.amazon.com/Bear-KompleX-Knee-Compression-Sleeves/dp/B06XR9342D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8

Practical Programming for Strength Training by Mark Rippetoe http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-Rippetoe/dp/0982522754

Purposeful Primitive by Marty Gallagher http://www.amazon.com/Purposeful-Primitive-Primordial-Inevitable-Dramatic/dp/0938045717

Better than Steroids by Warren Willey http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Steroids-Warren-Willey/dp/1425103391

Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Stuart McGill http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Fitness-Performance-Stuart-McGill/dp/0973501804

I really like the Valeo belt for wods and olympic lifts. I've been using it for almost a year and its held up great.

I really liked Practical Paleo. I think costco carries it now or amazon :)
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Paleo-Customized-Whole-Foods-Lifestyle/dp/1936608758/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404443133

I have a belt which I use when we have decent weighted barbells in a wod that has a larger number of reps in a row of a particular movement(Grace, DT etc). I also use it during strength portion of class. This is the belt I use, it was cheap and has been effective
https://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Weightlifting-Flexible-Ultra-light-5-Inch/dp/B00074H7SC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496836660&sr=8-1&keywords=harbinger+weight+belt

OH WOW. I should have seen this coming.

The Amazon listing for the ReciproTool Adapter has... quite the list of "customers also purchased..." suggestions.

NSFW: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CNHDR2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=a03c8bf3-20&linkId=7d139999a5d1321736a0670020b022a0

Optimum Nutrition has gotten a lot of positive reviews and a lot of my Crossfit buddies recommended it. I'm on Day 3 of loading (shifted from 15g to 10g based on this thread) and it's fine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZEO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's fine to just stick to creatine monohydrate; it's cheap and readily available anywhere. Brand is irrelevant, although I personally get mine from Optimum Nutrition (600g for $20 on Amazon, which is about 4 month's worth). There are other forms of creatine, but they haven't been shown to be as reliable or effective for everyone, last time that I checked.

Dont waste your money.

This 10$ rope works just as good: http://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Discounts-Speed-Cable-10-Feet/dp/B00AQ6X9IS/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1413991727&sr=1-6&keywords=jump+rope

Free + Style by Carl Paoli http://www.amazon.com/Free-Style-Maximize-Performance-Movements/dp/1628600209?ie=UTF8&keywords=freestyle%20movement&qid=1464045956&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 book


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|Mexico|amazon.com.mx|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Australia|amazon.com.au|
|Italy|amazon.it|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

I liked it, but I did get sick of paying the monthly fee. I used amazon prime and found some yoga videos for free that essentially do the same thing, but not with the "box window dressing." http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Beginners-Strength-Flexibility-Relaxation/dp/B0043LKPOI/ref=sr_1_1/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=yoga&qid=1449760511&refinements=p_n_format_browse-bin%3A2650306011%2Cp_85%3A2470955011&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

Harbinger 23330 5-Inch Firm Fit Foam Core 3-Inch Strap Belt, Large (Black) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00074H7SC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pmyhAbVWAJE0A

Highly recommended. My wife is an oly lifter and she swears by it

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1623365627/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Another possibility: some people carry stress/tension in their low back.

I thought for the longest time I was injured. Started on improving how I handle work stress/emotions and my issues went away.

This book is helpful if you think that might be a cause: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Cut to the chase, my recommendation for a CHEAP but good belt is
https://www.amazon.com/Valeo-4-Inch-Performance-Profile-Belt/dp/B003H8R4A6
Less than $20.

Here's the way I see it- while I agree with mr largeleeinadquate in so far as the less gear the better/don't become dependent on your gear. I think there are definitely exceptions.

I take an issue with the wrist wrapping! Maybe because I'm fucking geriatric, but I have to wrap my wrist on heavy clean and jerk days (and ohp and snatches...) because if I don't, the next day my arthritic wrists are hamburger meat. If I wrap, much less inflammation, and then I can lift hard again the next day. That doesn't make my wrists weaker- it makes my body stronger.

Never used a weight belt before today. Wrecked my back a few weeks ago on heavy squats. Just a bad spasm but it sucked. In addition to stretches, rolling and lift exercise I bought this weight belt. A cheap one for sure because I wasn't sure it would be right for me. Hit my squats today, light at first but quickly went up in weight as this belt did what it was supposed to do- helped me keep a solid core. Absolutely no pain and felt strong as ever as I exceeded my target weight of 80% my 1RM for 5 sets of 3 reps. I. Love. This. Cheap. Ass. Belt.
Won't use it for every lift by a long shot. But if I'm going heavy or feel I need a form check, this is a new welcome piece of equipment. How can you go wrong at sub $20?

Tl;dr: you do you. Try this cheap ass weight belt.

• Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 book. The chapter is called 5/3/1 and Crossfit
  
  
  
• And a TNation Article
  
  Specifically the part:
  
  CrossFit breaks exercises down into three categories:
  
  
• Weight lifting: cleans, push presses, deadlifts, front squats — anything using added resistance.
  
• Gymnastic: dips, pull-ups, push-ups, box jumps — all done with body weight only.
  
• Monostructural: sprinting, skipping, rowing — continuous or intermittent movements that most of us would classify as "cardio."
  
  Next, there are three different workout templates:
  
  
• Singlet: just doing one of the above. Seven sets of deadlifts is an example of a singlet workout.
  
• Couplet: two of the above. Fran, which combines a weight-lifting exercise (thrusters) with a gymnastic exercise (pull-ups), is a couplet workout.
  
• Triplet: all three categories. An example might be a 400-meter run, 21 kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups.
  

To buy the By the Numbers book I think

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0990798542/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0980011116&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=02XV5BV04GE92RP0DGMF

I interviewed Noah Ohlsen and Katrin Davidsdottir for my podcast and both of them said this book helped their mental game a lot... http://www.amazon.com/The-Champions-Mind-Athletes-Thrive/dp/1623365627

For those not wanting to search and find some steamy stay at home mom book.... here is the book in reference: https://www.amazon.com/Numbers-Sean-Manseau/dp/0692475915/

Here's a link that isn't a mobile page.

I use this and it gets the job done for me

Even the worst injuries (broken femur) heal in 2 months or less, unless you're very old.
Chronic pain is psychosomatic. It's also universal. Everyone past age 30 has some kind of psychosomatic symptom, usually more than 1.

possibly this? I've seen froning use this brand, it's also what I use.

Never had a blow out, but that's probably because I'm either A. to weak or B. Doing it wrong