With the upcoming Paleo challenge going on in the box, I have some thoughts on competitor nutrition I’d like to share and hopefully strike up a discussion.ย The Paleo challenge is great for the masses.ย The average American diet typically lacks whole nutritious foods and instead is composed of processed foods and an abundant amount of sugar. In consequence, the deficiency of vitamins and nutrients results in bodily processes not performing to their full potential.ย Also, the excess sugar consumed contributes to the few extra lbs the average Joe has stored away as fat.
The Paleo challenge helps to get people back to eating real nutritious foods so they can function properly and efficiently.ย It also enables body fat loss by reducing much of the unnecessary/outrageous carbohydrate (mainly sugar) intake regularly consumed in the American diet.ย Dietary carbohydrate is essentially used as energy and in it’s absence, or lack there of, we are able to instead pull from fat stores to produce energy,
With that saying, strict Paleo might be a good option if you have typically struggle with body weight movemetns and have a few extra lbs to lose but probably not the best option if you are already have a lower body fat composition and have limited fat stores to pull energy from.ย Yes, you are still taking in carbs in the Paleo diet via fruits and veggies but due to the type of work load competitors require, this often isn’t enough for the hard gainers/low body fat composition/those wishing to gain strength types out there.
Instead, a modified version of Paleo may be useful for some, where we are still getting our vitamin and mineral fix by eating whole nutritious foods for most of the day but in addition we sneak in some yummy, calorie dense, high-sugar carbs post resistance training.ย The vitamins and minerals are there to enable our bodies to function properly at a high level and the extra calories allow us to feed our muscles so we can grow big and strong instead of wasting away to nothingness.
What I am getting at here is along the same lines of Carb Back Loading (CBL).ย There has also been much discussion about CBL and why using some of the concepts may be helpful in certain cases. Let’s go over the basics of CBL, per my understanding, with a Paleo-ish spin.ย CBL is essentially an intermittent fasting program where you restrict high glycemic carbs in the early part of your day so your body is in a fat burning state (ketosis).ย You actually aren’t even supposed to eat breakfast upon waking, instead you drink coffee to stave off hunger and add whey isolate to your coffee to prevent the break down of muscle tissue.ย A few hours after your coffee and before your resistance training all the nutritious Paleo foods come into play, mainly meat, eggs, fish and lots of veggies!ย Post resistance exercise, (non limited to a post workout shake) especially later in the evening, extra high gycemic caloric-ly dense carbs are added in to restore muscle glycogen so that your muscles grow full and strong and are prepared for the next bout of training. ย in the CBL prescription, these fast digesting carbs can come in the form of baked goods, pizza, white rice, etc.. but the less processed and the more easily digestible, the better. ย If you can’t get your head around eating these foods, it may be worth trying some more high glycemic paleo foods instead.
How does this even make sense?ย The theory is that heavy resistance training enables glut transformers in muscle cells to be sent to the cellular surface to soak up glucose, while also dis-enabling the glut transformers in fat cells.ย In turn, most simple carbs taken in post resistance training will make their way into muscle cells instead of fat cells.ย Also, by limiting food in the early part of the day, especially carbs, we are able to use them more efficiently when reintroduced at night (intermittent fasting).ย Simple carbs as opposed to slow carbs (beans, etc..) are suggested at night, as the digestion of slow carbs actually interrupt important processes that happen overnight such as the release of growth hormone,etc.ย If all this checks out, it would equal big strong muscles without the love handles.
I am not saying that this is the way to go for everyone or anyone but it is definitely grounds for more discussion. ย Either way, now is the time to tinker with your diet and see what works for you. ย The average person consumes a lot less but they also do a lot less. ย It may be worth introducing non-paleo foods such as milk, cheese, baked goods, etc… and see what kind of positive/negative effects they have for you and your perfomance. ย There are a bunch of toasties currently testing out some of the CBL concepts and tinkering with their diets.ย Hopefully they can weight in on what is working or not working for them…..
Warm-up
Run 200m then
5-4-3-2-1
Pistols on each leg and strict t2b
* add a light weight where able.
Strength
1. High Bar Squat with bands
3-2-1-1-1-2-3
2. Back Rack Support –
3 holds at 3-5 seconds @ 100 โ 120% of your 1RM Back Squat
The bar should be set at a height just below the athleteโs shoulders. Lift the bar straight up from the rack and step out as if you were going to back squat the weight. Hold the torso tightly for 3-5 seconds and then walk the weight back in.
3. Barbell Step Ups (24/20)
3×5 on each leg
*Drive through the mid-foot and keep the chest up.
WOD
10 minute AMRAP
Heavy sled pushes.
Partner a pushes 20seconds
Partner b pushes 20 seconds
Partner c pushes 20 seconds for 10 rounds.
You choose the weight, it should be heavy enough where you have to walk with it, keep the feet on the ground. If you have 2 partners go 20 on 10 off for 10 sets.
If you are doing to Paleo Challenge and/or would rather retest โFranโ to see where you are at โ talk to the coach and jump in with the general class.
Ca$H Out
10-8-6-4-2 of strict t2b. Rest as much time as necessary between sets. Add weight where possible.
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