March 30th,2012 Wod:
Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of the following rep scheme: 100 pound Thruster, 3 reps 3 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 6 reps 6 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 9 reps 9 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 12 reps 12 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 15 reps 15 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 18 reps 18 Chest to bar Pull-ups 100 pound Thruster, 21 reps 21 Chest to bar Pull-ups...
This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 21, go on to 24. If you complete 24, go on to 27, etc.
For a downloadable PDF of the workout, click here.
CrossFit Games Open 12.5 workout instructions - video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]
Five Reasons Why Anaerobic Exercise is more Beneficial than Aerobic Exercise
In my previous article entitled Physiology 101: Anaerobic Training Adaptations, I briefly discussed the basic difference between anaerobic exercise and aerobic exercise. Since my aim in this article is to highlight anaerobic exercise but not to the point of disregarding aerobic exercise, I find it very important to get deeper in my explanation and offer a stricter and precise definition.
The reason why I want to address this issue is the fact that a lot of controversial notes has been written with respect to whether or not anaerobic exercise is more beneficial than aerobic exercise. In fact, the seeming opposition between the anaerobic exercise and aerobic exercise is the cause of confusion rather than the proper understanding of their respective benefits. Although both have unique beneficial contribution to our entire well-being, my primary objective in this blog post is to show that anaerobic exercises have more benefits than aerobic exercises.
The following are the five (5) reasons why anaerobic exercises are more beneficial compared to aerobic exercises.
1. Fat Burning
Aerobic exercise heavily relies on oxygen to keep you going in your exercises like jogging, swimming or running. Fat is burned during the workout but note yourmetabolism retreats back to normal after an aerobic bout of exercise within two hours. Meaning, you stop burning fat! In anaerobic exercise like weight lifting (such as bench press, pull-ups or leg press), the body does not rely on oxygen to fuel your workout but on the stored glycogen (sugar) in your body. Even though you burn sugar during the workout, the metabolism shifts during recovery and burns fat on the off days. During your recovery days the body been shown to burn FAT up to 36 hours post workout! That’s not a bad deal if you your goal is to lose weight, tone up, and achieve the body you deserve!
2. TIME MANAGEMENT
When it comes to high intensity workouts, anaerobic stands out because you can perform high-burning calorie exercises (like dead lifts, shoulder press or thrusters) in a short period of time, while in aerobic exercises you need to condition your system to survive for a 60-minute non-stop dance session. On the other hand you could think about training for 20 minutes using anaerobic conditioning, which could achieve the same results in half the time! Who doesn’t want to achieve better results in half the time?
3. BOREDOM
Although both requires you to spend plenty of energy to fuel your workout, aerobic exercise requires you to develop endurance precisely so that you can compete against yourself or else you will not be able to complete a single set of 60-minute stationary biking session. In anaerobic, all you need is enough strength to complete a whole body workout for just 20 – 45 minutes! The workouts are typically never the same in order to continually shock the body, which is good for achieving muscular adaptations, avoiding plateaus, and avoiding boredom! Your choice: 60 minutes on the treadmill or constantly varied workouts for optimal results! If you don’t know how to achieve constantly varied workouts, I would suggest speaking with a fitness professional.
4. Metabolism
Popularity has it that aerobic exercise can burn more calories than anaerobic exercise. The truth is that anaerobic exercise burns more calories than aerobic exercise on a ratio of 5 to 1 or as high as 7 to 1. In fact, anaerobic exercise can burn fat 100% post workout, while aerobic exercise can only burn 0% fat and worst it can also burn your muscle for up to 25% post workout! Not a good choice if you are aiming to build lean muscles, and get rid of those frustrating flabby areas! Remember, you can burn FAT up to 36 hours after a good anaerobic exercise plan.
Just a random fact about metabolism: on average, 1 lb of muscle burns up to 50 cal. Imagine if you gained 10 lbs of lean muscle? That would be an additional 500 calories you burn per day! That’s how fat is burned 24/7 and the number one secret to maintaining a fit body!
5. TOTAL BODY ADAPTATIONS
While aerobic exercise is generally good for blood circulation, the transportation of oxygen in the body and the reduction of blood pressure, it is shown that anaerobic exercise can help you build strength, get stronger bones, and develop muscle mass as well as boost your aerobic capacity. On the contrary, aerobic exercise can negatively affect the anaerobic training capacity.
Though anaerobic can have many great benefits, not all individuals are suited for anaerobic exercise. It’s generally less comfortable compared to aerobic activity. Need help finding a fitness program that suits your needs? If you have any questions how to constantly vary your workout routine for optimal results, please leave a message in the contact tab on this website!