Wednesday 5/1/19

WOD

For 20 Minutes Every 2 Minutes:
3 Hang Power Snatch.
Just below the knee and
build in weight.

 Tuesday Night Musings with Coach Preston. 

Check yourself before you wreck yourself: A hypocritical rant by me that may apply to YOU.

Cortisol – the “Stress Hormone”, the Silent Killer, the Maker of all that is E-VIL.

What is Cortisol though? It is a steroid hormone that naturally occurs in the body. It is often called the Stress Hormone because it is secreted from the adrenal cortex in times of stress. That doesn’t only mean prom date and money issues, but any stress that you put your body through. A long walk in the sun without proper hydration can stress your body. Not eating enough or often enough will put you in a state of stress. Not enough sleep. Exercising too much. Working long hours and Watching Game of Thrones can even get you there:) 

There is a ton of stressful stuff, and we all need to manage it better. For the sake of this being a blog post on a CrossFit website, let’s stick to exercise for the most part. I know, I know, everyone would much rather go into Game of Thrones, but Mason and the rest of you binge watching, popcorn inhaling savages, are going to have to do that on your own time

So what does Cortisol do in the body? Well, it keeps us alive. It helps us get up in the morning. It helps your body deal with life’s traumas. So, it isn’t all bad. In fact, it is 100% necessary. But just because it is necessary, doesn’t mean you can’t have too much … like wall balls – necessary for fitness, but Karen can suck it……Seriously!

Now if your body has too much Cortisol, too often, then things get hairy and scary. Which, like myself, a lot of us are toeing that line. Kids, stressful jobs, kids, money, working out 4+ times per week, in-laws, kids. It all adds up and can make that cortisol boil over. When it does, with its catabolic nature, it breaks down muscle tissue and can even start breaking down organs in extreme long-term cases

And, yes, if your stress isn’t managed, your exercise may be doing you more harm than good. You’re breaking down muscle tissue in workouts and elevated cortisol is making it worse and hindering the recovery process. 

So with that being said, STOP EXERCISI………ha ha almost had ya. No, don’t stop exercising. Get your ass in the MF’n gym CT Fletcher style and show Karen she ain’t got shit……on the days where you feel rested and recovered. 

When you feel like shit, you’re tired, stressed out and getting your ass kicked by elevated cortisol, maybe it would be a better idea to take a rest day. Go get a massage, take a nap, do some Romwoddo some yardwork, come into Helo and foam roll or do some moderate cardio. And while you are doing that, relax your mind, think happy thoughts and let those Corti-Kill levels chill out. Also, make sure you are not starving yourself, that you are well hydrated, getting 7-9hrs of sleep, not sweating the small stuff and then see where your fitness takes you. 

 Kill Corti-Kill

• Sleep 7-9 hours a night
• Stay hydrated – remember that bodyweight in oz. 
• Eat enough and eat often enough for your body
• Don’t sweat the small stuff
• If you need extra help, supplements can be effective as well. https://anabolicmen.com/cortisol-lowering-supplements/
• Do things like yoga, massage, meditation or anything that helps your mind relax.

Thanks for reading!!

Sincerely,

Coach Preston 

earh