🏋️‍♂️ 10 cheat foods that actually boost performance

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Here’s what we’ve got on the penultimate day of February (this year):

• Are kids today weaker than in past generations?

• An interview with CrossFitter Haley Adams

• 10 “unhealthy” foods to boost performance

Research

The Kids Lack Might 

Here’s one for the boomers: All those years you spent talking about how horrible kids are these days might have some merit (at least in this one respect).

According to a recent study, today’s children have fallen behind previous generations of youngsters in key physical metrics like strength and coordination.

While not citing the gradual removal of PE from America’s schools or doing any specific field research and instead focusing on macro-data compilations, the scientists don’t think all is lost for little Gen Z Johnny. That’s because the authors also examined existing studies to identify what types of physical activity are best suited to preventing poor health later in life.

Whether you want to gloat from your rocking chair while cable news blares through the window or actually want to help future generations, this article can be your gateway into physical culture.

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CrossFit

Adams Returns

When CrossFit star Haley Adams announced that she would not be competing in the 2023 Games season last year, she had no intention of calling it a career. But she knew that something needed to change.

Having taken the national CrossFit scene seriously since she was 14, Adams decided that she needed a break to get her mind right after she feared the sport was completely taking over her identity. After taking a step back, linking up with some new coaches, and learning to find joy in her training again, Adams is officially back in the saddle and ready to return to the highest level of competition. 

We recently caught up with Adams to talk about her year away from CrossFit, and she revealed some fascinating details behind her hiatus, saying, “I was having all these mini breakdowns, and I didn’t want to be in the gym. I was doing a ton of lifting, so my body was hurting so badly.”

Read the whole interview below.

Nutrition

Go Ahead and Cheat

Sometimes, when you are plotting your diet as points on an X-axis of “health” and a Y-axis of “performance,” the lines diverge more greatly than you had imagined.

Eating “clean” 100 percent of the time might not allow athletes complete freedom of expression in their chosen sport. In fact, this list of the 10 best “unhealthy” foods contains “cheat meals” that have been used by some of the best that sports have to offer.

Your doctor would never prescribe pancakes for optimum bodily health, but you’ve definitely heard all about powerlifters smashing a couple of short stacks as part of their pre-workout routine. You might even catch some strongman tossing back donuts in the middle of an arduous four-hour training session.

This food is to be used like a guided missile system, not an all-out nuclear attack. But if you can use this list strategically, you might be on the path to world domination.

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Everything Else

Chalk Up

• Just a reminder that the Morning Chalk Up newsletter is now officially a part of BarBend. If you’re looking for a daily dose of the best CrossFit content on the web, sign up here. 

• In a bygone era, the sport of Nordic Walking may have involved some Vikings pillaging their way around a poorly defended monastery. But in the 21st century, it refers to a butt-kicking workout anyone can use to get fit and find some fresh air.

• One thing has remained constant in this kooky, ever-changing world of ours: the dumbbell shoulder press is still the premium way to light up your delts and improve overhead strength. Learn to do it the right way.