Pmenu Issue 01

7/29/2019 Pmenu Issue 01

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PUBLISHER

CrossFit NorCalRobb WolfNicki Violetti

DESIGN

Greg Everett

www.greg-everett.com

COVER

Nicole CarrolPhoto by Robb Wolf

BACKISSUES

Backissues are available atwww.crossfitnorcal.com

THE PERFORMANCE MENU

is published monthly anddistributed exclusively to sub-

scribers by CrossFit NorCal.Yearly subscriptions can bepurchased for $25.00. Visitwww.crossfitnorcal.com formore information.

CROSSFIT NORCAL

PO Box 5501Chico, CA 95927www.crossfitnorcal.com

INTRODUCTION

3 Publisher Robb Wolf welcomes readers toThe Performance Menu

FEATURES

11 (R)Evolutionary FitnessAn interview with Professor Art De Vany

18 The Queda De RinsAn introduction to Capoeira strength moves

REGULARS5 Recipes for Health & Performance

New ways to feed yourself for optimumhealth and athletic performance

9 Breakfast: Conundrum of ChampionsMore new ways to start your day
http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.greg-everett.com/http://www.greg-everett.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/http://www.greg-everett.com/http://www.greg-everett.com/http://www.crossfitnorcal.com/


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ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2005 3

Welcome to The Performance Menu! Our mis-

sion is to help you optimize performance,

health and longevity by providing the best in-

formation and support pertaining to nutrition

and training. Foundational to this mission

will be practical, time-efficient recipes that

are friendly to Paleo, Zone, and cyclic low

carb approaches. These recipes will bridge the

gap between the theoreticalknowing what to

eatand the practicalhow to actually do it.

Even armed with the

guidelines from the

October 2002 issue

of the CrossFit Jour-

nal Eat meat and

vegetables, nuts and

seeds, some fruit,

little starch and no

sugar... there still

exists the challenge

of implementation.

How does an active

individual prepare

tasty, healthy meals

in a time-efficient

manner? Stated an-

other way, How do

we turn nutrition

guidelines into hot

meals that fuel eliteathleticism?

The Performance

Menu will tackle

the implementation

challenge by consis-

tently offering fresh

ideas to assist you

Benefits of a Zone / Paleo Diet

. Increased insulin sensitivity

. Body composition improvement

. Increased antioxidant intake

. Sustained energy throughout the day

. Decreased inflammation

. Improved recovery

in your lifestyle of health and fitness. We have

adopted a unique position: All of our recipes

will be Paleo in compositiongrain, dairy

and legume freeand for those following the

Zone, we will provide nutritional breakdowns

in blocks.

In addition to recipes, we will feature inter-

views, advice, and commentary from experts

in a variety of fields. We will explore, debate,

and challenge many ideas

and methodologies central

to health and performance.

Why Paleo?

Some may argue that it is

unnecessary to adopt a Pa-

leo approach to nutrition for

optimum health and perfor-

mance. We strongly disagree.

In simple terms, we are the

product of our genetic heri-

tage. As such, we are ill-

equipped to deal with foods

which did not exist until re-

cently in our collective past.

The Neolithic foods (grains,

dairy, legumes) are prob-

lematic for many with re-

gards to glycemic load andinsulin tolerance, as well

as gastrointestinal irritation

and general autoimmune is-

sues. This is to say nothing

of high fructose corn syrup,

trans fats and highly pro-

cessed Frankenfoods that

make for an alarming frac-

INTRODUCTION

World-Class Kitchen

You likely have all you need to prepare the

recipes we will be featuring. There are,

however, a few essential items that speed

the culinary process:

.CleaverThin bladed Asian style

.Chef knifeA good quality knife will lasta lifetime. Find one that fits your handcomfortably.

.Slow cookerIf you want a hot dinnerwaiting for you when you get home from

work, you want one of these..Pressure cookerStainless steel. Read

the instructions carefully!.Food scale.Blender


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tion of modern dietary intake. These foods im-

part high caloric content at the expense of nu-

tritional value. They are inadequate for health

maintenance, let alone elite performance. It is

our contention that the Neolithic foods pose a

problem to anyone, given sufficient exposure.

We will explore topics such as acid base bal-

ance, glycemic load and autoimmunity in fu-

ture issues. For an exhaustive resource, please

see Professor Lauren Cordains highly infor-

mative website www.thepaleodiet.com.

In The Zone, Or In A Rut?

Out of the darkness of the high-carb, low-fat

chicanery a voice of reason appeared. Barry

Sears Enter the Zone is perhaps the best sin-

gle volume currently available on the topic

of nutrition. Nowhere else can we find hor-

monal control, our evolutionary past, caloric

restriction, and inflammation so accessibly

explained. The Zone can be simplicity per-

sonified and has been foundational in the

achievements of many of the CrossFit super-

stars.

Although it need not be the case, the Zone can

also lead to a highly monotonous diet. Oat-

meal with an egg white omelet for breakfast,

and cottage cheese, apples and macadamia

nuts for three of the five recommended meals

seem all to often to be the norm. While eas-

ily measured into the appropriate blocks we

find the situation woefully lacking in variety,

and perhaps one of the reasons for the lack of

long-term adherence for all but the most dedi-

cated of individuals. Not to belabor the point,

but this also flies in the face of our Paleolithic

perspective, both with regard to meal content

and food variety.

Seasonality and Locality

We would like to put forth the concepts of sea-

sonality and locality. Perhaps not imperative

for elite-level performance, they are central to

a Paleolithic and nutrient diverse diet. In the

past, seasonality forced the issue of variety.

Spring fruits were simply not available year-

round. The easiest way to avoid the monotony

of supermarkets is to partake of the abundance

to be found at local farmers markets. Here

we find produce quality impossible to locate

elsewhere. In addition, the seasonal fare that

is offered will eliminate taste-bud boredom.

Essential Components of a Hormonally Intelligent Paleo Diet

Frequent small meals: 4-5 throughout the day

Protein: Palm-sized portion at every meal. Buy a food scale & find out how little 4-5 oz really is.

Keep carbohydrate consumption to vegetables and fruits: Choose in season and local where

possible.

Eliminate processed foods: Although obvious when considering the food exclusions for a Paleo

diet, it merits mention if only for eradicating confusion. Processed foods contain trans fats, high

fructose corn syrup, and refined carbohydrates. They do not promote health and in no way en-

hance performance.


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Winter Fruit Salad

Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

.1 medium blood orange

.1 medium ruby red grapefruit

.1 medium Fuji apple

.1 medium Valencia orange.1 handful of fresh mint

. cup pecans

.Juice from lime

. tsp cinnamon

Makes ~ 6 Cups

Preparation

Coarsely chop pecans and set aside. Peelorange, blood orange, and grapefruit andseparate into slices. The grapefruit will re-quire some extra effort to remove the thickcortex. Chop each slice into fifths and

place in bowl. Cut apple into eighths andthen cut into smaller bite-sized pieces.Add to bowl. Mince the mint and add tosalad. Add pecans, drizzle with lime juiceand sprinkle with cinnamon. Mix and en-joy!

Zone Blocks

Salad contains: 8 blocks carbohydrate, 4

blocks fat. 1.5 Cups contains 2 carb blocksand 1 fat block.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This is a great tasting substitute for tradi-tional mashed potatoes. We recommend

using a pressure cooker for the sake ofsaving time, although steaming is a viableoption as well. The amount of garlic weuse is fairly moderate. For extreme garliclovers add as much as you desire. If yourenot combating vampires one may certainlyreduce the prescribed amount.

TimePressure cooker: 10 minutes

Steaming: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

.1 large head of cauliflower

.8-12 cloves of garlic

.Olive oil

.Black pepper and sea salt totaste

RECIPES FOR PERFORMANCE


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Preparation

Trim green leaves from cauliflower headand set aside. The leaves are not neededfor this recipe, but dont throw them away!They are both tasty and nutritious and area great side vegetable.

Cut cauliflower into florets and place inpressure cooker or steamer. Peel garliccloves and add to cauliflower. No needto chop or mince the garlic as it will bemashed later. If using a pressure cookeradd to cup of water. Cook caulifloweruntil slightly soft. This will be 3-5 min-utes in a pressure cooker, 5-10 minutes ifsteaming.

One may use a hand-held potato masheror electric beaters (for a creamier consis-tency) to mash. Add black pepper, sea saltand olive oil as desired.

Zone blocks

Every 200g of raw cauliflower yields 1Zone carbohydrate block. Pre-weigh cauli-flower to determine number of carb blocksin entire batch. Use olive oil to meet yourfat block requirements, 1/3 tsp = 1 fat

block. We have found that approximate-ly 1 cup of finished mashed caulifloweryields 1 carb block.


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Preparation

Drain water from salmon and discard.Place the salmon in a mixing bowl. Usinga coffee grinder or food processor, grindalmonds to a rough paste-like consistencyand add to bowl. Add eggs, pepper andsea salt. Mix thoroughly.

Heat a non-stick skil-let with a little olive

oil. Measure 4.75 ozor a rounded cup ofsalmon mixture andform into a patty ap-prox 4.5 in diameter(1/2 inch thick). Placein skillet and cookon medium heat for 5minutes per side or un-

Wild Alaskan Performance Patty

Time

20 minutes

Ingredients.1 can Wild Alaskan salmon.36 almonds (roughly

a rounded cup;or substitute 1 TbspAlmond butter)

.3 eggs.Black pepper

.Dash of sea salt

Yields ~ 2 cups of pat-ty mixture (4 medium-sized patties)

WILD ALASKAN SALMON

Comprised of lean protein and significantamounts of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and

DHA, Wild Alaskan canned salmon (WAS)

makes for a great quick meal. Factor in the

ease and versatility and it instantly becomes

a favorite. Whether a main course, or a quick

snack on the go, WAS has saved the day onnumerous occasions. Other reasons we love

it: affordable, easily accessible and portable!

WAS can be enjoyed straight from the can oratop a bed of mixed greens. Included here are

a main dish, two salads, and a breakfast reci-

pe, all of which can be prepared and ready toeat in less than twenty minutes.

Where to cast your net

Those of you fortunate enough to live near aTrader Joes may take advantage of their pri-vate label WAS which sells for $1.99/14.75oz. can. For those of you counting Zoneblocks, this is sufficient protein for two 4-block Zone meals.

If Trader Joes has yet to make it to a townnear you, fear not! We have discovered a

product equal in every way, Icy Point brandWAS. This product is available at our localRite Aid drugstore, however one may findit at quite a number of locations (see www.oceanbeauty.com).
http://www.oceanbeauty.com/http://www.oceanbeauty.com/http://www.oceanbeauty.com/http://www.oceanbeauty.com/


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til golden brown.

Zone blocks

Total recipe yields: 12 blocks protein, 18blocks fat.

1/6 cup = 1 block protein, 3 blocks fat1/3 cup = 2 blocks protein, 6 blocks fat1/2 cup = 3 blocks protein, 9 blocks fat2/3 cup = 4 blocks protein, 12 blocks fat

We have constructed this recipe to reflecta 3X Athletes Zone fat content. You mayadjust this number up or down by alteringthe quantity of almonds.

Curried Performance Patty

Prepare as above, but add tsp of your fa-vorite curry powder and omit pepper andsea salt. Let us know what other seasoningvariations you discover on this theme!

Sesame & GingerSalmon Salad

Time

10 mins

Ingredients

.1 can Wild Alaskan salmon

.1 head cabbage, red or green

.Ginger, 2 long finger

.Juice from 1 lemon.Toasted sesame oil

Preparation

Finely chop cabbage (or shred in foodprocessor) and place in large bowl. Minceginger and add to cabbage. Add lemonjuice to preserve freshness. Drain salmon

and add to bowl. Mix thoroughly. Addtoasted sesame oil to taste.

Zone blocks

Prepare cabbage as above. Mix cabbage,salmon and sesame oil on a per-meal ba-

sis. When serving keep in mind that 2cups cabbage = 1 block carbohydrate and1.5 oz salmon = 1 block protein. 1/3 tspsesame oil = 1 block fat.

Art De Vanys Lunch Salad

Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

.1 can Trader Joes Alaskan Salmon

.Lettuce

.Raw vegetables (cabbage, broccoli,cauliflower, etc)

.Garlic

.Fresh spices (ginger, basil, cilantro)

.Olive oil

.Balsamic vinegarPreparation

Chop lettuce and vegetables. Add gar-lic and other spices as desired. Top withsalmon and dress with olive oil and bal-samic vinegar.

Zone blocks

2 cups of raw vegetables, lettuce, etc = 1block carbohydrate. 1.5 oz salmon = 1block protein. Construct salad to suit yourcarb needs and add appropriate quantityof salmon to meet protein block require-ments.


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THE CONUNDRUM OF CHAMPIONS

Everybody knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Despite this awareness,however, it seems to simultaneously be the most challenging, especially for the Paleo adherent.Grain-based cereals abound and flour- and sugar-laden pastries tempt us from behind glasscounters as we order our morning coffee. Just getting out of bed, showered, dressed and to workon time is difficult enough; How does one make time for breakfast, let alone prepare somethinghealthy that will provide the energy to sustain an active day?

Breakfast is important for all, but for the athlete who depends on physical performance, it is para-mount. As such, breakfast ideas and suggestions will be an ongoing feature of this journal.

Being winter, we find it fitting to offer a Paleo version of traditional hot cereal. Warm, nourishing,and satisfying, when accompanied by the appropriate lean protein, this cereal will be founda-tional for your high-energy day.

Unless you are on the Athletes Zone with increased fat blocks this may be a bit fat intensive.For those following a cyclic low carb plan this may be your dream accompaniment to a salmonscramble. A double batch may be made and stored in the refrigerator for use throughout theweek.

Nutty Hot Cereal

Time

10 mins

Ingredients

.1 cup almonds or pecans.1 medium sized apple, quartered.1 Tbsp cinnamon (This will helpincrease insulin sensitivity)

.1 cup water

Makes 2 cups

Preparation

Place all ingredients in blender and pu-ree. Pour into medium sized saucepan.You may need to rinse the blender withan additional cup of water to get all thecereal. Bring to a boil. Reduce tempera-ture immediately and allow to simmer for5 minutes covered. If thicker consistencyis desired, allow to simmer longer.

Zone blocks

48 blocks fat, 2 blocks carbs. cup = 6 blocks fat, carb cup 12 blocks fat, block carbs

BREAKFAST


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Wild Alaskan Scramble

Time

10 mins

Ingredients

. can wild Alaskan salmon.2 eggs

Preparation

Add salmon to a non-stick skillet with adash of olive oil. Mash and break up thesalmon such that it forms a thin uniformlayer on the bottom of the skillet. Cook forabout 2 minutes. Beat the eggs and add to

skillet. Stir gently and consistently untildone.

Fresh vegetables may be added to the

scramble for color, flavor and nutrientcontent. Be sure to start the vegetables firstand cook the water down a bit to avoid arunny scramble.

Zone Blocks

Construct a Zone scramble according toyour protein block needs. 1 egg or 2 eggwhites = 1 block protein, as does 1.5 ozsalmon. We have tinkered with a plethoraof ratios ranging from a predominantlysalmon scramble to a predominantly eggscramble. All are delicious. Here is an ex-ample of a 3 block salmon scramble:

1.5 oz salmon1 egg2 egg whites

Keep in mind that one whole egg also pro-vides 2 blocks fat.


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Like most truly complex endeavors, it ishard to identify a turning point or a keyinspiration or insight. There are so manyintertwined layers of science, learning,experience and so many different fieldsinvolved that I dont know at what pointthey came together. Nonetheless, key ele-ments are my interests in complex systems(which was integral to my understandingof power law behavior and intermittency

as components of human action) and myinterest in evolution. My training as aneconomist was extremely helpful since itgave me the perspective required to un-derstand how a decentralized system allo-

cates scarce resourcesin the self-organizedhuman physiology.My interests in ge-netics and cognition

also came into playas it led me to appre-ciate the key role ofgene expression andhow diet and activityalter what the genesexpress.

At the Institute forMathematical Behav-

ioral Sciences, mytrue home for the lastfifteen years of my ca-reer, I was surround-

ed by cognitive scientists, brain scientists,mathematicians, statisticians, geneticists,

biologists, and information scientists.These all come into play in evolutionaryfitness.

An Interview with Professor Art De Vany

by Robb Wolf

Professor Arthur De Vany is ProfessorEmeritus of Economics and Mathemati-cal Behavioral Sciences at the Universityof California, Irvine. He has conductedgroundbreaking research in many areas ofeconomics, but is perhaps most noted forhis work concerning decentralized, non-

linear systems. Professor De Vany is anaccomplished athlete with an extensive

background that ranges from Olympicweightlifting to professional baseball. Asearly as 1995, Professor De Vany had syn-thesized a holistic ap-proach to health andfitness that he calledEvolutionary Fitness.Many people current-

ly involved with theCrossFit community,including me, cantrace their own fit-ness odyssey back toProfessor De VanysEvolutionary Fitness.We are profoundlygrateful to ProfessorDe Vany for sharing

with us his work andinsights.

Would you please elaborate on how youcame to form your ideas about Evolution-ary Fitness?

I would have to say that it just happened.

(R)EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS


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I truly began living the Evolutionary Fit-ness Way in about 1985 when I startedcooking more at home to make our mealsmore healthful. My wife is a Type I dia-

betic and by monitoring her blood glucosewe found many foods tended to promotehigh blood sugar. As we cut them back, we

began to eat a more plant-based diet withleaner meats. I began to cook with colorand texture as my guides and the resultswere terrific. Lots of fresh spices withtheir high antioxidant content, and lots offiber and variety.

I then began to rethink my training. I beganworking out more in the manner of, say, aMike Mentzer or Hitter. But, that wasntenough; it took too much time and was tir-ing. I experimented, relying on Astrandswonderful text and my understanding ofpower law variation to find a more naturalway to balance intensity with variety. Theanswer was the intermittent pattern thatis typical of all playful activity: wild ani-mals exhibit power law variation in activ-ity (proven by monitors placed on fish andwild animals), and most sports like tennisand baseball are also power law distrib-

uted activities.

Would you please describe the Evolution-ary Fitness lifestyle and explain how thisapproach might benefit performance andlongevity?

Power law variation and intermittencymean that you dont live in a narrow fre-quency range: you do activities that are

all over the map, with no typical orstandard activity. You have intense burstsof activity and lots of languid, easy mo-ments. Modern life is a stressor, with toomuch standard activity and not enoughvariety or true peace. Remember, our spe-cies never had more than they could carryas possessions, yet they had the wholeoutdoors and the gifts of nature constantly

before them. Our minds are not made forthe standardization of life and the questof possessions; they can never bring truepeace for that reason.The mental peace that comes with thisrealization is powerful. An evolutionaryperspective is truly supportive: I often

laugh at myself for trying accomplishtoo much and tell myself that is just mygenes talking. Remember, we are aliveonly because we carry the genes that gotus here and they care only about theirown reproduction. Thus, as males, we domany dangerous, demonstrative thingsin our youth, primarily to enhance theprospects of reproducing and sending ourgenes into the next generation. Women aresusceptible to this as well, though it mani-fests itself in different ways.

As to longevity, an active lean body trans-lates into a peaceful, playful lifeway and apowerful mind. Few people seem to real-ize that mind and body are one; there is noreality to Cartesian dualism. For example,children do not learn to speak if they areconfined in such a way that they do notunderstand the force mechanics of move-

ment, nor can they learn math unless theysense the physical relationships amongthings through movement. A healthy mindis the first requisite to longevity. A lean,muscular body prevents the brain from

becoming resistant to the action of insulinand keeps it healthy and well-nourished.It keeps stress hormones, which are neu-rotoxic and cause diminished brain mass,at bay.

Body composition is one of the best predic-tors of longevity. Our male ancestors hadabout 11% body fat. Females were closerto 15%, just near the boundary where theymay or may not be able to conceive. Thiskept population growth within bounds,along with other natural hazards. Thus,females had far fewer ovulations than a


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modern female and aged less rapidly be-cause nothing ages as much as reproduc-tion. A lean, muscular body, say 6 to 10%for a modern male and up to 17% for afemale promotes low insulin levels, a keyhormone in aging. I am aging at a slow rate(I think) because my insulin is so low it

is outside the range for the lab. Low bodyfat also guarantees low blood fats, most ofwhich come from a persons own abdomi-nal fat rather than from their diet. But, it is

body composition, not just body fat that isthe issue; one must have the right balanceof muscle to fat to promote the hormonedrives that keep you young and your brainwell balanced and nourished. Your mus-cle is also part of your immune system (itfunctions as a reservoir of protein to pro-liferate killer cells when needed).

Would you please explain the concept ofpower laws with regard to training?

First, recall that a power law is a distribu-tion of frequencies over intensities. Such adistribution implies that the most intenseactivities are few, but very high in exer-tion. The low intensity activities are the

bulk of your activities, including rest andeasy walking. I do a lot of easy walking asmany scientists do; Einstein and Darwinare notable examples. So did Dorian Yateswhen he was Mr. Olympia. For hunter-gatherers, walking is the predominate ac-tivity, by far. Modern life leaves too littleof this languid, easy, Im not going any-where kind of activity.

Second, there is no typical activity with apower law so things are not compressedinto a narrow frequency range: all scales ofactivity occur with diminishing frequencyat the higher intensities.

Third, the high intensities are really veryhigh, but their frequency is low. Again,this is far outside the Normal distribution

modern life seems to encourage. If youlook at hunter-gatherers again, you findthat they expend about 2 to 2.5 times their

basal metabolic rate in a day, most of thisin a few intense bursts on the order of 10 ormore metabolic equivalents. Office work-ers expend about 1.2 METS (equivalents of

their basal metabolic rate). The hormonedrives are vastly different for office work-er or hunter-gatherer. The HG has highertestosterone, growth hormone, and lowerstress hormone. Office Worker has manylow level threats to which he/she cannotmake a fight or flight response, and thuscarries a stress accumulation that cannot

be relieved. The HG has a higher threatthreshold and does need the fight or flightresponse now and then. Still stressful, butthe stress is periodically relieved throughaction with a consequent quenching ofthe adverse hormone profile induced bystress.

Routinized, lower intensity activities,even jogging, train the natural chaos out ofthe human heartbeat, making it less adapt-able to stress. This pattern holds broadlyfor other physiological systems too.

If you want to read the research literaturethat investigates the ideas regarding powerlaw training, do a search for intermittenttraining. You will find that it is very effec-tive and has been studied by sophisticatedscientists. This research is much harder todo than what one finds in investigationsof aerobic training. That is because aero-

bic training is steady-state and the equa-

tions are easy to handle because they dealwith equilibrium conditions. Intermittent,power law training is far-from-equilibri-um training and much harder to analyze,as no steady state equations exist for in-tense activities that can only be sustainedin brief bursts.

It is not wrong to suggest that aerobic,


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steady state training is often taken to bethe norm for training because it is studiedmost. And it is studied most because thatis what researchers know how to do. Thefar more effective intermittent training islittle known because the research is hard-er to do. So, it is the old drunkard prob-

lem: when asked why he was looking forhis lost car keys under the street lamp, thedrunkard replied, Because that is wherethe light is. Aerobic training is heavilystudied because that is where the steadystate holds. It really is nonsense. The hu-man body is a far-from-equilibrium openenergy system to which a steady stateanalysis simply does not hold. Such anobvious point, but it took me a long timeto figure it out and see why a lot of pub-lished research has an aerobic bias to it.

Do you see a departure between the re-quirements in preparing for elite athleti-cism versus the demands faced by our Pa-leolithic ancestors?

Only in the way skill enters into it mightthere be a difference. Some sports requiresuch a high level of skill that they require

many repetitive movements. It is knownthat hunter-gatherers also practiced agreat deal. For example, young Eskimosused to be taught to throw at an early ageand even had their shoulders stretched sothey could throw harpoons from a seatedposition with great force and accuracy. Nomodern person compares to the skill andendurance of ancient Eskimos in kayakingor spearing. Iroquois Indians easily out-

lifted American soldiers in tests devisedby a physiologist. Of course, that was inthe 19th Century. Things are differentnow.

Few modern athletes will have the visionor bone density of our ancestors; hunter-gathers have been noted for their abilityto see the moons of Jupiter by naked eye,

to tolerate 50 degree temperatures nakedwithout shivering, and to bite throughiron nails. Their hearing and balance areexquisite. Remarkably, members of tribesexpress an almost pure type; they aresimilar in appearance and stature becausethey express their genes truly, without

the alterations among modern humansthat are caused by vastly different dietsand lifeways. Moderns have altered geneexpression greatly because we do thingsthat vastly alter the messages our genesreceive; hence, there is a very large dif-ference among modern humans relativeto the ancestral past. This would indicatethat some modern humans might be betterat some sports, owing to the large varia-tion in types, but it also says that any ran-domly selected ancestor would be betterat almost any physical task than a modernhuman.

One ethnologist visiting a tribe found thatnearly all the males in the tribe could outsprint him even though he was a collegesub-11 second sprinter. One of the gamesin another tribe consists of teams of menhoisting huge logs over their heads and

running as far as they can go. Men of allages participate. I have seen, on film, aNew Guinea male who looks like an ath-letic Mike Mentzer; he had muscles on hismuscles according to the speaker on thefilm. He made his living climbing greattrees hunting sloth and other tree-dwell-ing animals. To see him go up a huge tree,fearlessly and effortlessly was mind-alter-ing.

Your alactic and hierarchal sets are quiteunique and have been found by many to

be very effective. Would you please ex-plain to our readers what they are, whyyou like them, and share some examplesof practical implementation?


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The hierarchical sets, one set of 15, one of8 and another of 4 with increasing weightand increasing speed with no rest in be-tween, are meant to go up the fiber hierar-chy from slow to type II and I fast twitchfibers (the latter the fastest). The idea isto drop out the slower fibers with lighter

weight and higher reps in the early sets,leaving the fastest, highest force type 1 fi-bers to carry all the load at the end. Thelast set also emphasizes the descendingphase of the movement because eccen-tric movements preferentially hit the FTfibers. In addition, huge amounts of lacticacid are produced, a well-known promoterof growth hormone (GH). In addition, thegenes in the muscle fibers sense the sig-nal of acid or oxygen to determine whetherto make fast myosin chains or slow ones.The lactic acid promotes gene expressionfor fast fibers. Oxygen promotes slow fiberexpression. This makes sense, doesnt it,

because something has to tell the musclehow to develop and it has to be a local sig-nal, right there in that muscle fiber. Thisis an example of a decentralized signalthat much of my economic research dealswith.

It is this gene expression signaling processthat hierarchical sets are designed to ex-ploit. This process also explains how aero-

bic exercise promotes slow twitch muscledevelopment and not FT development.

Alactic sets are a- or non-lactate promot-ing. They are done as a single rep, puttingthe bar down, resting 5 or 10 seconds and

then doing another rep. This goes on for 2to 8 reps. Doing a heavy weight just one repdoes not produce lactic acid. But, it doesuse up the phosphates that fire the FT fi-

ber. The 5 to 10 second pause between repstrains the ability of the muscle to regener-ate the phosphates that fuel the FT fiber.So, you are training your recovery abilityin response to intense effort. This is ac-

tually the key to endurance in many highintensity sports; it is quick recovery fromintense moves, not aerobic endurance thatcounts in these sports. In addition, afterthe first rep in multiple rep sets a lot of theenergy is supplied by tendon and muscleelasticity, so these reps are not as intense

as the first one. It is always the first repthat is hardest in most exercises becauseyou are starting a dead weight. So, alacticsets are extremely challenging and that isgood. Finally, single reps let you handlevery heavy weight without fear of failureand they stabilize the joints because of thestatic starting position.

In light of Evolutionary Fitness, whatare your thoughts as to why brief, in-tense workouts elicit impressive gains instrength, power and endurance?

This is the pattern of activity to which thehuman genome is adapted. Through all ofour evolutionary past, human physiologyand metabolism adapted to a pattern of in-termittency and fight or flight response. Itcould not have been otherwise until theadvent of agricultural only 10,000 years

ago. This is the pattern of activity that pro-motes the true expression of the humangenome and produces the optimal bodycomposition of our ancestors. To live oth-erwise is to cause the evolutionarily adapt-ed genetic information to be expressed inunhealthful ways. Much has been made ofthe so-called thrifty gene as a cause ofmodern obesity. This is a genotype adapt-ed to episodes of starvation that conserves

energy and causes weight gain in a nutri-tion abundant modern world. I think thisis turning evolution on its head. Humansare an active genotype, as activity was es-sential and obligatory to the acquisitionof food. A prone-to-fat, thrifty genotypewould not survive this environment andwould be reproductively less successfulthan an active genotype.


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So, modern humans may fail to achievethe activity to which the active genotypeencoded by evolution in their genes isadapted. The result is faulty gene expres-sion, obesity, and ill health. When food isabundant at virtually no energy cost, thetie between activity and nutrition is bro-

ken. Activity declines and energy intakeincreases; that is, the real thrifty genotypeand gene expression is altered adversely.

Dr. William Kraemer of PennsylvaniaState University has noted an inordinateneuroendocrine response from move-ments such as squats, deadlifts, and theOlympic lifts, particularly when they areperformed at very high intensity. From anevolutionary perspective, why might this

be? How do you feel we might best capi-talize on this phenomenon to obtain opti-mal health and elite athleticism?

It is the Growth Hormone which the move-ments trigger as well as the whole bodycoordination under maximal neural stim-ulation. Each type of muscle fiber has aneural threshold that must be exceeded tofire. The slow twitch fiber has the lowest

thresholds, the fast twitch I (if that is thedesignation you use) is next, and the high-est threshold fast twitch II fibers fire last.These movements go right up the fiber hi-erarchy and trigger all the thresholds.

Many of our readers have noted an abil-ity to gain lean muscle mass while con-suming what would appear to be a calo-rie-deficient diet (Paleo/Zone). You have

alluded to similar phenomenon withEvolutionary Fitness. Could you help ourreaders to understand some of the mecha-nisms possibly at play here?

Remember, caloric deficit is a steady stateconcept. Humans are almost never in ca-loric balance at a point in time, it is onlythrough integrating moments of positive

and negative balance over a longer timeperiod that any kind of caloric balance isachieved. So, caloric balance is an averag-ing concept that does not apply to shorterintervals of time. It happens that whenyou fast and engage in intense activity ofvery brief duration you signal the body to

conserve protein. The signal is a high levelof GH, which can promote a redirection ofthe bodys resources to retain and developits protein pools. Remember, protein cir-culates through the body, in and out, andthe pool goes up and down. It is possibleto take in less food and still deposit pro-tein in muscle if you lower the rate of pro-tein wastage. This is the role of GH: it isa strong signal to conserve protein and tomobilize fat for use as an energy source.Evolutionary times would require justthis mechanism. Fasting triggers a main-tenance function: fat is burned for energyand protein is strictly preserved unless itis required to produce glucose (gluconeo-genesis) to fuel the brain.

Would you comment on intermittent fast-ing and its effect on health and longev-ity? Do you feel that intermittent fasting

is completely at odds with achieving op-timum performance or can it be success-fully integrated with a high-level trainingprogram?

Intermittent fasting triggers protein spar-ing maintenance and gene expression thatunderlines repair processes. Fasting alsotriggers brief flows of stressor hormones,which make the body more adaptable to

stress. Fasting in the context of activity onan intermittent basis has all the benefits ofchronic fasting without its downside.

What are your thoughts on pre- and post-workout nutrition?

Before the workout, an empty stomach tomaximize GH production. After, I eat a


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normal meal (Paleo style) no sooner thanan hour later. Usually, I hike, walk or shoot

baskets after a workout. Absolutely do notdrink gainer drinks or other high glucosesupplements (they all are high in glucose).The sugar shuts down the GH responsetoo early and we have already seen that

muscle grows in a high GH environment,even in the face of brief caloric deficit.Body builders tend to have high insulinlevels, even with their muscle mass soak-ing up the glucose. Partly, they promotethis to grow and may even inject insulinto grow more. But, there is an awfully highrate of cancer among body builders andthe longevity, though hard to judge since Ican find no studies of it, seems rather low.Remember, things that make muscle grow,like high IGF1, 2, 3 and 4 levels also makecancer cells grow more rapidly. Cancer isjust a maverick cell that doesnt obey the

bodys messages to cease.

Please describe a day in the life, train-ing, meals, play, etc?

There is no typical day. There is some pat-tern, but lots of variety. Since I am now

retired, it is almost not fair to describe myday and hard to do as well since I do what-ever I wish. Presently, I am working outthree days a week in order to rehabilitatesome old injuries from sports. I am alsoworking on core stability and dynamic sta-

bility and balance. Until the injuries ceaseto interfere with heavy lifting, I am doingfairly light weights but at a high pace andclose to failure. I am using a trainer for the

first time to check my form as my injurieshave caused me to lose some form and it ishelpful to have another eye to watch for aloss of form. He is very good and a sticklerfor form. It is nice to have someone helpme do negatives in safety as I thrive onthem. I am a primarily fast twitch meso-morph and respond well to eccentrics.

Do you have a favorite Paleo-friendly rec-ipe to share with our readers?

Probably my lunch salad is my favorite. Acan of Trader Joes Alaskan Salmon overa bed of lettuce, fresh spices, plenty ofgarlic and raw vegetables such as red cab-

bage, broccoli, and or cauliflower. I use ol-ive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing.These vegetables are not only cancer fight-ing, but they also block DHT (the pros-tate promoting metabolite of testosterone)and conserve testosterone by preventingit from being converted to estrogen. Re-member, what you put in is not necessar-ily what you get. Inject testosterone andyou get more estrogen and a shut down oftestosterone production.

Finally, is there a timeline for the comple-tion of Evolutionary Fitness?

Well, no. I have my doubts about how itmight sell. If I do finish, which this inter-view is encouraging me to do, it will be toput this message out there.

Arthur De Vany

Professor Emeritus, Economics and Math-

ematical Behavioral Sciences

University of California, Irvine

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/econ/personnel/

devany/devany.html

Special thanks to Mike Minium, Greg Glassman,

and Dan John for help preparing these excellent

questions.
http://www.socsci.uci.edu/econ/personnel/devany/devany.htmlhttp://www.socsci.uci.edu/econ/personnel/devany/devany.htmlhttp://www.socsci.uci.edu/econ/personnel/devany/devany.htmlhttp://www.socsci.uci.edu/econ/personnel/devany/devany.html


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AN INTRODUCTION TO CAPOEIRA STRENGTH MOVESTHE QUEDA DE RINS

As part of using a lot of different tools,from various disciplines, and thus tryingto achieve a more complete understand-ing and activation of human movement, Iwill present today a very old static posi-tion strength move, later to become partof some dynamic movement sequences,called Queda De Rins (pronounced Keda-

Ji-Hins). The QDR is part of the basic floor

work in Capoeiratraining, althoughtoday you can see itused in a lot of othersport-art disciplineslike karate, breakdancing, etc... Someof these were influ-enced by Capoeira,during the late 1970s,

when it first came tothe US.

Capoeira is an afro-Brazilian martial artmore than 500 yearsold. It was created

by the African slavesbrought to Brazil bythe Portuguese to work

the land. The slaveshad different back-grounds and camefrom lots of differenttribes, each with itsown unique rituals,games, musical instru-ments and even fight-ing styles. Through a

complex process of integration and mix-ture of those different African rituals, aprocess no one truly understands, Capoei-ra was created. Capoeira has gone througha lot of changes during its estimated 500+years of existence, being both a traditionalart as well as part of the open, change-welcoming way of the Brazilian people.Today, Capoeira is practiced worldwide,

with schools all overthe US, Europe, Asia,Africa, Australia, andeven Israel.

The Queda De Rins

The meaning of Que-da De Rins in Portu-

guese is fall of thekidneysthis is dueto the positioning ofone of the elbows be-ing in line with thekidneys, and its useas a save from be-ing taken down onyour ass in some situ-ations. The Queda De

Rins is actually a verybasic Capoeira move,which originated inthe traditional Ca-poeira styleCa-poeira Angola. It isusually used as partof the Capoeira Flo-reioa low, floor


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moving flow of movements used to get toa strategic advantage, or just for the sakeof artistic beauty. The basic static holdingQDR is only used for learning purposes,as later in the Capoeira training you startincorporating it as soon as possible intodynamic movement, passing through it,

without stopping the flow.

Starting Out

The QDR is a three contact point balancemove (Like a head stand), advancing laterto a two contact point move only. (Like ahandstand)

Stage I

Flex your strong arm, creating a 90-degreeangle, while keeping it close to your body.Most people have their elbows just abovethe oblique muscles. Now take the elbowa bit inside the body, closer to center line,

but keep the hand pointing straight ahead,with an extended, semi-supinated wrist.

Take the other hand

and put it abovethe extended wrist,pushing the armand elbow into your

body, without let-ting the elbow slip

sideways. The most important thing hereis the 90-degree angle, which will allowthe force from your other hand and lateryour body weight to transfer up/down the

lower arm, providing a support.

Stage II

Maintaining the last stage position, standnear a wall, and position your hand on it,maintaining the 90-degree angle betweenthe wall and your arm. Your fingers shouldpoint to the side. Add the other hand, al-

most at the same height on the wall, butjust a bit higher, the fingers should pointto the other side of the first hand.

Put your headhigher on the wallcompleting a trian-

gle base of support,keeping your headturned to the sideof the higher hand.You have just com-pleted a QDR onthe wall; This po-sitioning should later be duplicated accu-rately on the floor.

Push off and on the wall 10-15 times, be-fore releasing, and make sure you under-stand the correct positioning of each of thethree contact points.

Stage III

Squatting low onyour heels, put yourhand on the floor be-side you, not too far

away, with the fin-gers pointing back.Start descendingwith the body side-ways, using yourarm, until the exactcontact point of the

body-elbow fromthe last two stages isachieved.

Add the other handfurther to the sideand a bit forwardto your first hand,while descendingwith the head be-tween those twocontact points, and


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to the back, those creating a triangle. Onceyou are secured in your new base of sup-port, try getting first the further leg up inthe air, while bringing the knee toward thespace created between your three contactpoints.

Once one leg is up there, try bringing theother one close to it, creating a closed po-sition. This is the simplest QDR, and theeasier version. We call it Queda Fechada(closed QDR), because of the leg position-ing.

Conclusion

Well, thats it! This is the basic QDR posi-tion, and the easiest one to learn. Further,more advanced positions and dynamicmovements going in and out of the QDRare the following stages in the trainingevolution of this position.

Some points to consider:

* Due to a strong external rotation in theshoulder joint, make sure your shouldersare well warmed up before starting toplay with the QDR.

* If you cant seem to get the legs upthere, try bouncing in and out of the po-sition, while trying to correct your triangle

base of support.

* For the ones who succeeded with thebasic QDR, you can try the following posi-tions, shown in the photos, like the onehanded QDR and the flag QDR without thehead support.

Future articles will show some dynamicsequences using the QDR as transitionpoint in some strength-coordination-bal-ance movements.

Ido Portal has been practicing Capoeira for almost ten years now. He is part of the first generation

of Capoeiristas (Capoeira practioners) in Israel, and one of those responsible for taking this art

into the publics attention, participating in shows, TV commercials, newspaper articles in Israel,

Brazil and world-wide. (http://www.neviot.co.il/mpeg/naviot-45.mpg)

By trying to achieve optimal results in his Capoeira training, a few years ago Ido entered a newpath of exploration of the human anatomy, physiology, nutrition and the training process. He has

participated in formal studies, getting his Strength & Conditioning certificate as well as a Nutrition

Advisor certificate, although he credits his knowledge mainly to his own exploration and research,

influenced by the worlds leading experts in fitness and sports training.

Last July Ido opened up his two floor training facility in the port city of Haifa, Israel, where he con-

ducts training, workshops and sports activities, using Martial Arts, Capoeira, and a well equipped

professional strength training facility.
http://www.neviot.co.il/mpeg/naviot-45.mpghttp://www.neviot.co.il/mpeg/naviot-45.mpg


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