That’s a lot of fitness!

Box Brief:
Congratulations to all of our AMAZING Apollo ladies!  And a special shout out to The Sturdy Girls for winning the entire event.

The first week of the No Sugar Challenge is in the books!  I hope everyone has learned as much as I have about sugar and how prevalent it can be in your diet.  We’ve discussed in some detail the harmful physical effects excessive sugar can have on you.  So this week’s article is focusing more on the negative psychological effect sugar is proving to have on our society.  Research is now linking an abundance of sugar to fatigue, anxiety, and depression.  This Sunday’s post is Sweet and Low by Brittany Saline.

 This recipe is a personal favorite of mine.  If you like jalapeno poppers you’re going to love this variation.  Here is the recipe and video for Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers.

…

10 Minute Clock:
21 Power cleans (95/65)
21 HSPU
18 Power cleans (135/95)
18 HSPU
15 Power cleans (185/115)
15 HSPU
12 Power cleans (205/135)
12 HSPU
Max Power cleans (225/155)

Box Brief:
There are still a few spots available for the weightlifting clinic this Saturday at 11:30am.  Cost is $20 and the class is amazingly educational.

Also this Saturday we have a few teams competing in Girls Gone RX at This is Crossfit.  Stop by and cheer our Apollo ladies on!

Eating Out on the No Sugar Challenge:
Ahead of time:
1. Search Yelp or Google for “Organic” or “Local” restaurants. Smaller, local restaurants are generally more accommodating to substitutions or customization than larger chains.
2. Research the menu online before going. Most restaurants have their menus online but do a terrible job about posting the ingredients.
3. Call ahead and ask questions about items that you’re not sure of. A lot of times you aren’t the first person that called about a sugar free diet. They might have some suggestions.
4. Pack your own small bottle of dressing or coconut aminos.

Ordering:
1. Be firm but nice about your requests. Say things like, “Would it be possible…?” or “I’d love it if…”
2. Avoid any seasonings, sauces and dressings. Almost all of these will fail the sugar test. You’re better off using your own homemade dressing and using salt and pepper from the table to add flavor.
3. If you didn’t bring your own dressing you can always request individual bottles of olive oil and vinegar and some fresh lemon to use instead. This would be great with salads, vegetables, or meat.
4. Avoid Bread! Yes there are breads that do not have sugar in the ingredients but you just can’t be sure when eating out. Better safe than sorry.
5. Omelets are often infused with milk that contain sugar and or pancake batter to make them fluffier. Request shelled eggs, or order them poached.

Warm up fun!

Mel T

6 Rounds:
3:00 minute run for max meters
:45 second rest

Bench Press:
5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5

Box Brief:
If you have a watch to keep track of time feel free to bring it tomorrow!

The 6:30am class is officially on the schedule Monday thru Friday! That goes into effect tomorrow.

…

Chelsea

“Fight Gone Bad”
3 Rounds: 1 minute at each station
Wall balls
SDLHP
Box jumps
Push press
Row for calories
1 Minute Rest

Box Brief:
The weightlifting clinic is this Saturday at 11:30am. The cost is $20 and it normally last about two hours. Sign up sheet is at the whiteboard!

We also have teams competing in Girls Gone RX this Saturday at This Is Crossfit.  Feel free to stop by and show your support to our Apollo ladies!

….

Cody

Back Squat:
5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5

Box Brief:
Tired of black coffee? Try adding compliant coconut milk, homemade almond milk, or add cinnamon and vanilla beans to the brew.

Some of us really like our yogurts but need a little bit of flavor in each bit. Try throwing some frozen (unsweetened) fruit into your yogurt and wait a few minutes for it to thaw out. Voila!

Looking for an easy snack to take on the go? Try out Larabars! You can find these at most stores. Be careful! Most (but not all) varieties of Larabars are acceptable during our Sugar Free Challenge.

One of the most frequent questions we’ve been asked since the introduction of the No Sugar Challenge is, “What protein powder can I use?” Well here you go…click here! You can also purchase this locally at One Stop Nutrition (Decatur and 215) or at the Vitamin Shop (Durango and 215).

…

Hazel & Elliott

4 Rounds:
40 Double-unders
20 Ring push-ups
20 Pull-ups

Box Brief:
Girls Gone RX is this Saturday at This Is Crossfit. We have a few teams competing so come out and show your support!

Keep your eyes peeled throughout the week for new and interesting articles related to our No Sugar Challenge.

…

Box Brief:
So begins our No Sugar Challenge!  I believe we are all up to the task and I can’t wait to see the effects it has on everyone participating.  The article I’ve chosen for this week discusses the positive effects you feel from eliminating sugar in your diet.  It also cites a great deal of research that is proving more and more how detrimental sugar can be to a healthy lifestyle.  I hope you enjoy Addicts and Anecdotes by Emily Beers.

I wanted to post some meal suggestions to go along with this Sunday’s blog.  I have an article I reference for my own meals all the time.  Here is the disclaimers I will throw out before you read it though.  It’s written for the purpose of a “zone diet” but I wouldn’t get too fixated on that.  It has some great meal ideas that I hope will make your shopping and food prepping a little easier for the first week of our challenge.  Click here for some awesome meal ideas!

I have this video that I really enjoy, of course it’s nutrition related but honestly what better time?  For a lot of us (myself included) we try to make a healthy diet more complicated than it needs to be.  Now this isn’t to promote one diet over another but rather to remind us how simple it can be to eat healthy and enjoy the process at the same time.

Brian

Overhead Squats:
2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 2

For Time:
21 Calorie row
15 Snatches (115/80)
9 Bar facing burpees
15 Thrusters (115/80)
21 Calorie row

Box Brief:
Thanks to everyone who brought their friends for us to torture!

The No Sugar Challenge starts this Sunday, May 1st.  The details have been posted on the Apollo Members Page.  If you’re not yet a member of the page let one of the coaches know so we can invite you.

Someone is happy…