Skill
Max reps pull-ups
This will be more of a buy-in than a skill, but it's simple. You'll get on the bar and do as many pull-ups as you can without dropping off the bar. Sounds fun, right?!
WOD
Complete 4 rounds for time of:
2 gym lengths of overhead barbell walk, 135#/95#
12 back squats, 135#/95#
By now many of you have met Chris who has been with us over the last month. He came home on leave because he and his wife were expecting twins. Well, welcome Jackson and Kaylee! They arrived last week and are doing great. Unfortunately this means Chris' time with us will be coming to an end because he has to get back to the business of being a Marine. We'll just have to make the most of the few WODs he has left! Congratulations to the Lewis family!
Time Healthland published a list of America's 10 Most Popular Prescription Drugs. Here's a rundown of the top 10 and a general idea of what they treat:
10. Hydrochlorothiazide: treats high blood pressure.
9. Metformin HCL: treats diabetes.
8. Amoxicillin: antibiotic.
7. Azithromycin (Zithromax): antibiotic
6. Omeprazole (Prilosec): treats acid reflux
5. Amlodipine besylate (Norvasc): treats high blood pressure
4. Levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid): treats low functioning thyroid gland
3. Lisinopril: treats high blood pressure
2. Simvastatin (Zocor): treats high cholesterol
1. Hydrocodone w/ acetaminophen (Vicodin): used to treat pain
Do you see a trend on this list? 6 of the drugs treat conditions that can be directly impacted by nutrition and exercise: high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. What are the chances that the doctors who prescribe these drugs have their patients log their meals for a week, review what they're eating, and then have them make appropriate changes to their diet? Most people don't realize that they have the power to change some of these conditions themselves without the help of meds.
About 3 years ago I had my annual physical for work and my blood pressure was higher than it should have been. Re-checks over the coming months showed the same thing, an elevated BP in the range of pre-hypertension. Talking to family members, turns out all the men in my family had a history of high blood pressure, and all of them were on medications to deal with it. I was told that I too would need that medication just like everyone else did and there was nothing I could do about it. Speaking to my doc, I told him the situation and hecommented that if my BP remained high and headed to full on high blood pressure, I would have to consider meds to control it. There was no conversation regarding nutrition at all. I did not like my options, but I was pretty determined to not start a life-long course of meds and their side effects at 33 years old.
It was around that time that I really started to pay attention to how I fueled not only for my health, but for my performance, got things dialed in, and guess what? My BP dropped and has stayed really low. It was a conscious decision to not become a slave to the meds. Of course this doesn't work for all medical issues, but for some of the obvious ones, a lifestyle change can have a significant impact.
So what are your thoughts on this? It is pretty easy to take a pill rather than eat better and hit the gym several times a week. I have a pretty good idea where you all stand on this, but let's hear about your experiences!
