20140808 Friday Finds

Does anyone else get really excited when it is “Back to School” season? I went into Target the other day looking for a blank journal and was more giddy seeing the displays of crisp notebooks and perfectly-sharpened crayons and virgin markers.  I have not taken a class in (dang!) over four years, but it was always one of my most favorite times of the year growing up. Ah, nostalgia.

Few awesome things happening over in my world:

1. Went to a Crossfit wedding! Well, it wasn’t Crossfit-themed or anything other than their cake, but the couple works out at my gym and it was just perfect. And since it is a rare occasion I put any effort into my hair or makeup, I took full advantage of dolling up.
2. Since following Eat to Perform, most of my go-to paleo-desserts no longer fit in line, and I have to opt for high-carb, low-fat options. Darn. I made a crazy carb-loaded banana loaf (with oats, sans sugar) for post-workout snacking. I prefer the taste and texture of Civilized Caveman’s paleo banana bread, but I love banana bread so will keep playing around with different recipes!
3. Bulletproof coffee. I was resistant in trying, but after consistently listening to Bullet Proof Executive Radio, I tried it. And I’m on day 5 and am a huge fan! Check out this site to learn more about it, but basically coffee + coconut oil + unsalted grass-fed butter = tasty, metabolism-boosting, cognitive function increasing deliciousness.

As far as workouts, I have some good news/bad news going on which I’ll talk about next week. It’s one of those “closing one door and opening up a window” revelations.. more to come!

And now.. some of of my Friday Finds for you!

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News/Blogs:

Lady Lifter Spotlight: Once upon a time ago, I featured a new lady lifter each week on my blog, proving that it does not matter what age you are, what sport you are into, or what skill level you are, you can still be a lady that loves to lift! I am re-opening applications to be featured, so check out the past spotlights and apply or nominate a friend to be next! (Looking at my image below, I think it needs a little refreshing, too.. I’m a bit bigger than I was back when!).

We All Train for the Games: I’ve passively followed Jonathan on Twitter for awhile and just checked out his blog today and stumbled upon a recent article on how we are all training for the Crossfit Games. “Not everyone in the CrossFit community has hopes of competing at the Games, but we all train. Each person has their own goals and aspirations that reach beyond the gym, but we all train.”

Why I Kicked an Athlete Out Of My Box: This post went a bit viral last week, and honestly, a lot of times I see posts shared over and over, I don’t even both reading. But, I do recommend this one. Read it. If you are an athlete, listen to your body. If you are a coach, hold yourself accountable.

New Products:

NewGrip “Gloves”: One of the biggest complaints with new lifters, and even seasoned ones, is the demise of their once baby-soft hands. While I have plenty of tips to share on proper handcare in the future, I am typically one to opt out of any sort of aids in preventing the callouses from forming. I am opposed to using gloves and the thought of wearing something on my hands is just not practical. When I was approached by Ryan of NewGrip, I was a bit hesitant to do a review on the product since I have a pretty firm stance on letting your hands become accustomed to the bar on their own, but kept an open mind.

I took a look at their website which admittedly looked a bit cheesy, and had quite a bit of an As Seen On TV! infomercial feel (edit: as of when I posted this, they updated the site to something sooo much better!),  but the thoroughness provided on their site was endless. The target market is pretty much anyone, from vegans to musicians to Crossfitters to powerlifters to bodybuilders, with clearly specified uses for each. As someone who does Crossfit and frequently has her hands abused, I was very much intrigued by the idea of the New Grip gloves” I had previously used FitFour but didn’t like the restriction and loss of grip from wearing gloves when doing movements like pull-ups or toes-to-bar, and just felt uncomfortable wearing them any other time.

I tried these out for multiple WODs, and they worked well until it got really sweaty. I am not a fan of anything on my palms when I perspirate (often will tear off homemade pull-up wraps, too, in the middle of a WOD), so stuck to testing these on strength or skill movements, rather than fast-paced workouts. However, I did get good use of them with my increasing number of strict pull-ups that I have been working on after I had a tear from Murph, and have used the velcro wrist straps often during Oly lifting or anything overhead.

I am still not a huge fan of using the “gloves” during metcons and for me, it is just not a product I would use everyday, but for anyone who is considering using gloves, I would highly recommend giving these a try over traditional gloves. You can keep up with them online, on Facebook, or Twitter!

Discounts and Deals:

Quick confession time here. I don’t own anything Reebok other than my Oly Lifters (nor do I own Lulu.. does that make me a bad Crossfitter?). Well, at least, I was a Nano-virgin until last week.. don’t worry- you’ll hear all about them soon!

However… I have seen some awesome Reebok deals lately and know there are many of you that love them, so be sure to grab this one (excludes gift cards and custom swag), ending Sunday, August 10, 2014!!

$25 off $90, ending Sunda using code “BTS14”!

I have put off buying into the whole Nano-craze for so long, but it maybe something I need to keep on my radar when more deals come out..

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Your turn..

Do you get excited as I do when it’s back to school season?
What is your favorite item to bake? Or baked good to eat if someone else bakes it?
Do you doll up everyday for work, school, or pleasure? Or save it for special occasions?
Gloves/no gloves?
Nanos? Inov8s?  What is your workout shoe of choice?

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