Congratulations to Dain and Shannon!

Posted by Natalie on September 02, 2010 - Posted in News There is 1 comment, Add yours!

Dain (one of our crazy 6AM clients...click here for his Who’s Who) and his wife are the proud parents of a healthy baby girl!

After over 24 hours of labor, and a little help from modern medicine, Olive Paige greeted the world on Saturday, August 21st weighing in at almost 9 lbs! 

Everyone is home, happy and healthy...and Dain even managed to make an appearance this week at 6AM.  I’m guessing he was already awake!
In Dain’s words “this is without a doubt the happiest moment in our lives.” We all can’t be happier for the Sandoval Family!

And who’s that....hmmm...another Nor Cal Client happened to jump in that picture!  Apparently he’s had his hand in multiple Nor Cal deliveries lately! 

Two New Faces!

Posted by Chrissy on September 01, 2010 - Posted in News There is 1 comment, Add yours!

A warm welcome to Mark and Janae who just completed the morning On Ramp Class!

Both Mark and Janae shaved over 4 minutes off their Day 1 time and will be joining Elements classes this week! Check out a few pictures of these two as they crush the Day 12 workout!
Know somebody that would be perfect for our On-Ramp class?  Ask a trainer for client referral cards to take advantage of our referral incentives today!

September On Ramps:
AM and PM classes starting Monday 9/13!

Get your Mobility WOD on!

Posted by Andy on August 31, 2010 - Posted in News There are no comments, Add yours!

Our good friend Kelly Starrett recently started posting a daily mobility WOD to help each of us learn how to systematically address our joint mobility issues. 

Consider adding this to your daily program and enjoy the improved performance that comes from better movement.

Check out a recent post on hip extension (aka “The Death Stretch).  Notice the variations that he uses to improve efficacy of the stretch.

Sausage and Beef with Coconut Milk

Posted by Katie on August 30, 2010 - Posted in Recipes There are 2 comments, Add yours!

Need a simple breakfast idea? I’m sure to those who are getting tired of eggs, this will be a nice change! Just a reminder: It is OK to have meat and vegetables for breakfast!!! Especially when it makes your life easier by creating meals for the rest of the week. This was originally from Andy D. (yes, he actually has a few recipes of his own!), but I have made a few modifications. 

Ingredients:
Ground sausage (I use the stuff from our lil pig farm)
Ground beef or bison (preferably grass fed)
Handful or two of Chopped mushrooms
About 1/4 cup of coconut milk
Bunch of asparagus, cut in 2 inch pieces
Pepper to taste (I love the finely ground stuff from Trader Joe’s)

Brown the ground sausage and beef. Once it is cooked to your liking, add the mushrooms. If there aren’t enough juices to cook the mushrooms, add some coconut oil. While this is cooking, steam the asparagus in the microwave for 2-4 minutes. Once the mushrooms become tender, add pepper and the coconut milk. Let this cook down for a bit until the coconut milk has thickened; about two minutes. Server over bed of steamed asparagus. Enjoy!

For those of you who were wondering what the original, master chef, Andy D. came up with; it was made with beef and then he added coconut milk. He would then serve it over a bed of steamed broccoli. I will also do this, but I really like adding the sausage. Either way these are fast easy meals that are also delicious! Don’t forget that you can cook up extra of this and pack it for lunch.

What to drink?!

Posted by Katie on August 27, 2010 - Posted in News There are 11 comments, Add yours!

What do you drink? And no, Beth B., I’m not talking about on a Saturday night in Chico!

I’m talking about your regular daily fluid intake!  Of course there is sugar free, calorie free water...but sometimes we all want something a little bit more! You may have read my blog on sodas...so we won’t even get into why those shouldn’t be on your list!  I’m talking about drinks that are delicious, yet not packed full of sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors, and dyes! I’ve tried quite a bit of teas, flavored water, and coffees, but here are a list of my faves:

*Trader Joe’s mineral water- especially the lime
*Pellegrino
*Cold Brew Ice tea- I consume so much tea because of this! Celestial has a good berry flavor.
*Tea Java- Pre-made/Packed ice tea
*Cafe La Lave espresso
*Hazel nut creme coffee beans- I pick these up from Costco, and they are made by a San Francisco company.
*Starbucks- I often get the passion fruit ice tea or green tea without sweetener. Usually, I go for any iced tea from coffee shops. Same with the Americanos, I can never go wrong with either of these.

I also enjoy many hot teas, but haven’t found anything that I’m absolutely in love with. Plus, I always like things on the go, and most of the above can be taken anywhere and/or picked up in most grocery stores.

What are some of your favorite drinks?

Happy Birthday Mark B!

Posted by Chrissy on August 26, 2010 - Posted in News There are 4 comments, Add yours!

Thursday, August 19th Mark B. turned 54!! 

In honor of Mark and our gym tradition, of course, special treatment was in order! Mark was able to receive special attention to improve his mobility, flexibility and even his golf swing! In the spirit of turning 54 Mark completed and 800m Run then 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 of Knees to Elbows and Wall Balls! Happy Birthday Mark, you have made some incredible progress over the last few months! Can’t wait to see what you can accomplish this year. Check out a few pictures of Mark Thursday morning!!

Baby Claire!

Posted by Natalie on August 25, 2010 - Posted in News There are 5 comments, Add yours!

You’d think that kipping pull ups and walking lunges might have helped speed up the birthing process…

Not in this case!  Becka was in the gym working out nearly every day...but Baby Claire was too comfy on the inside to want to arrive any earlier then planned! 

So, despite Becka’s attempts--Claire Felicity arrived right on time--and we all can’t be more happy to welcome her to the NorCal family.
Becka and Claire Felicity are both doing well and at home adjusting to new sleep schedules, feeding times....and in Becka’s words “lots of frickin’ laundry!’. 

My question is....how long before little Claire is whipping out kipping pull-ups?!

Consistency is key to success, but it takes planning to stay consistent!!

Posted by Katie on August 24, 2010 - Posted in News There are 10 comments, Add yours!

One of the hardest things for folks to wrap their brain around is that eating well requires a little bit of preparation!  But that doesn’t mean it needs to take you HOURS every day to prepare your meals.

It takes effort to always have fresh food on hand! It takes prep work, thought, and a little time. We know this...and we’ve also heard all the excuses! The prep work may be a hassle, but in the end you will feel better, look better, and even save some money.

So, get out the crock pot, buy some full chickens, and loads of veggies and start cooking in bulk to save you time throughout the week. We have posted tons of recipes for everyone to follow, but in the end it comes down to prioritizing. Cook extra one night, then eat for a few days. Have hard boiled eggs, cooked chicken, fruit, and veggies in your fridge at all times! It is always a good idea to have things in the fridge. This will set you up for success and help guide you to better choices.

Take a few minutes this weekend to plan!  That’s how Lyle K. stays consistent!  He made his way through his shopping list at Costco...came home and repackaged the bulk items into a more user friendly amount.  Presto!  Meals in minutes!  When you take the time at the beginning of the week or month to shop, organize, and store food, you are rewarded with quick prep time for days to come.  When you have quality food on hand--you are less likely to make poor food choices and more likely to eat at home (which means saving money). Lyle is ready for 2 weeks of meals!

Here is a picture of Ryan’s fridge. You can clearly see that he has prepped himself well for success. Ryan S. has tupperware containers full of salad, and when he’s ready to eat he grabs the salad and adds fresh cooked meat to them. This is a great idea and saves loads of time! Great job Ryan, your prep work is paying off with your performance and physique!

Having prepared food on hand always pays off, whether that be for you to meet your body composition goals, your mass gain goals, health goals, performance goals, or overall well-being goals. Whatever it may be, get out the tri-tips, and whole chickens, and get cookin!!

What is your favorite time-saving food prep tip?  Share your ideas!

Who’s Who: Beth Berry

Posted by Nicki on August 23, 2010 - Posted in
There are 13 comments, Add yours!

If you’ve been around the gym for any length of time you know Beth Berry!  Beth is one of our rockstar Level 1 athletes as well as an integral part of our little group of diehard Oly lifters. (Yes, it may seem crazy, but some folks do prefer to Snatch and Clean and Jerk over doing wods like Helen or Karen!)

She has also admitted plans to start a NorCal Mojito book club....stay tuned for more info on that one Read on!  You’ll likely learn some new stuff about this fabulous young lady!

Who first introduced you to NorCal Strength and Conditioning and what was your first impression?
Margaret, my roommate for last 6 years brought me down to the gym 3 years ago in August. My first impression was that Nicki was insane, because she told me that Subway and Diet coke were not healthy and I felt like my world was closing in.  And then the workout almost killed me.  But I came back.  I was skeptical because it was so different than anything I had ever heard of or done.

Favorite Lift:
Deadlift and Clean and Jerk. My favorite WOD is DT...it has both Deadlifts and Cleans. I like workouts where I can be in one spot

What are you most proud of?
That I’m healthy.  I’m proud that I made the decision to change the way I eat and the way I train.  Even though it’s hard to stay disciplined I’ve made it a priority for 3 years.  And I know that no matter hard it is, or how competitive the workouts are, I’m always welcome and always supported. There are always people cheering me on.

Check out Beth’s typical dinner in her ‘pre-healthy’ days!

Something that nobody knows or would be surprised to learn about you:
3 things: I’ve traveled internationally almost every year since I was 10.
I was an avid collector of Archie comics.
And I was a huge fan of Bette Midler. I even sent her an invitation to my bat mitzvah.  But she didn’t come.

Favorite song to workout to:
Move, Shake, Drop by DJ Laz

Favorite place to eat in Chico:
Thai Basil

6 month goal:
I just started my new job so I will have been working for 6 months...I hope that I will have helped a lot of people as well as be stronger and faster than I am right now.  And I hope to get Becka to drink boxed wine and LIKE IT!!!

What activities do you enjoy when you aren’t training?
I like to read (currently The Girl Who Played with Fire series), take walks, hike, and go on bike rides. And I like to try to beat Travis at horse, but he always cheats. I like to travel and plan full blown itineraries of future trips I want to go on.  And then there’s reality tv

Tell us about your Deborah Downer t-shirt:
There was an incident at Sushi when I first met Sean Bradley.  I was very sober and he got increasingly drunk and very very loud.  And I kept telling him to shut up because he was offending everyone around us.  And he called me Deborah Downer.  And I told him if he ever called me that again it would be over.  And then he made me a t-shirt and it’s now my nickname. I still like him, so I guess he called my bluff.

You were giving Cassie some Snatch advice the other night, would you share that with all the aspiring Oly lifters out there?
Becky C once told me to repeat M**** F**** (sorry not PG13) 3 times in your head before you approach the bar.  It really works.

A lot of folks in the gym are reading the Stieg Larsson trilogy. If you could hang out with Lisbeth Salander what would you want to do?

I would want to travel with her.  She is someone who can slip into different societies so easily, it would be really fun to go anywhere on a whim.  And I would have her hack into Robb’s computer and make the forward to his book all about me

Just for kicks I dug around in our photo archives from 3 years ago and found this funny pic of Beth attempting to levitate mid-dumbbell clean

Use what your Momma (and her Momma, and her Momma, and her Momma…) gave you!

Posted by Natalie on August 20, 2010 - Posted in News There are 4 comments, Add yours!

Guest Contributor:  Jenny L.

Most of us here at Norcal Strength and Conditioning are eating or striving to eat primarily a paleo diet…or “caveman” diet.  Now, when I think about cavemen eating I picture the stereotypical big, hairy, naked guy ripping raw meat from a bone with his teeth and crouched down barefoot lapping fresh stream water from his cupped hands. (Ed. Note:  hmmm...this brings back images of Robb W. at the 5 year anniversary party...)

Thankfully when eating a Paleolithic diet in a Neolithic world, we are much more equipped to surviving and succeeding.  We don’t have to labor for hours to get food and we don’t have to eat it raw anymore!  The human species has grown mentally and developed ways of preparing food to make it tastier and easier to digest than ever before.  Starting with the discovery of fire, then the invention of tools (knives, pots/pans), and finally to our modern day of food processors, ovens, gas grills, etc., we no longer have to work though the blood, sweat and tears to feed ourselves and we can eat our food cooked just the way we like it.

There’s debate of it being better to eat a raw food diet because when food is cooked we may lose some of the vitamins and minerals.  To some degree-- that may be true--but the benefits of cooking our food far outweigh the minor nutrient loss.  Raw food is harder to digest and therefore more energy is required.  Studies have shown that raw food dieters often suffer from chronic energy deficiency.  Cooked food on the other hand is easier to digest. For example, muscle (or meat) is wrapped up in collagen (connective tissue) and is very hard to break down raw.  But, when heated it turns into a jelly-like substance and can be digested much easier. The protein itself is broken down a bit as well, also making it easier to digest.

So, let’s use the skills our ancestors worked so hard to ‘invent’ and pass on to us!  Cook your food! It looks better, tastes better, and IS better.

Click here to hear a quick NPR audio link.