Will Lifting Weights Make Girls Manly?

Ben has us going to CrossFit 6 times a week now! I have always been an all or nothing type of athlete, but this is HARD. I’ve done the only running thing, the elliptical thing, P90X, kick boxing – you name it. Since I began CrossFit a little over 3 weeks ago, I have began to feel stronger than I’ve ever felt before– a lot stronger. It began to concern me that I was advancing in heavy lifting so quickly… so our smart (and oh-so-classy) Crossfit instructor put me to silence when I asked the same question most girls ask when starting to lift heavy weights. I asked him if I continued to lift heavier, would I begin to look manly - He looked at me with a serious face and stated very matter of factly, “A girl will look like a manly bodybuilder from lifting  weights the day I start to grow big titties …”

I stifled a giggle, and looked around to see if anyone else heard him mention his muscle bound body growing boobs. Apparently I was the only 20-something year old going on 12.

Well then why do we see so many gym crazed girls look SO manly? Supplements, steroids, unbalanced (natural or injected) testosterone levels. All the research I have found has reassured me that this is the reason.

Guys are made with a different chemical/hormone make up than girls (no surprise there!). To the girls who argue that girls can be or will one day be faster or stronger than guys – give it up, it will never naturally happen. Testosterone (among other manly hormones) causes facial hair growth, all over body hair (no thanks), an Adam’s Apple, a deep voice, need I mention their 5^th extremity (?!), and the potential for awesome physical ability.  Girls, we have the potential for awesome physical ability as well, but on an equally proportionate scale to that of guys.

Though many people claim it is, I am not yet convinced that CrossFit can be a stand alone workout routine for women who want to be very toned and lean. Yes, it takes time and I know I am getting stronger, but I am having a hard time giving up the calorie blasting, 30+ minute runs I used to go on that made me lean. I have not yet run over 1 mile in any given WOD. Then again, being fit is about 70% diet, 30% workout. Time will surely tell!

White vs Dark Meat: Buffalo Wings

So Ben's FAVORITE restaurant is Buffalo Wild Wings... and as we all know - there is nothing healthy about that restaurant! A few weeks ago, we totally caved and went and ate wings. The result of that meal was totally unexpected. We never anticipated that our minds and bodies could be so out of sync. We felt miserable all day after eating out - so we figured there must be a better way to enjoy this so beloved meal.

I have to admit I have always been pretty weary of dark/thigh meat. So, I decided to research the true difference between the cuts of meat. Here is what I found: Breast or "white" meat is the part of the chicken that performs the least amount of work. The dark meat is located in the wings and thighs where the chicken walks, hops, runs, flies - whatever. These hard working muscle groups contain a high density of proteins called myoglobins, which help transport oxygen to the muscles. Due to the myoglobins, dark meat contains higher (between 2-3x!) iron, zinc, omega 3 and omega 6, amino acids.

Often when you buy dark meat, it comes with the skin still on. Dark meat gets a bad wrap due to its' high fat content. All in all, dark meat without the skin is slightly higher in fat (5.5g vs 2g in 118g of meat), calories (137cal vs 130cal in 118g of meat), and slightly lower in protein (22.4g vs 27g in 118g of meat). Now, we aren't saying drop the white meat for dark - but hey, if you love wings or drumsticks - definitely incorporate it in your meal rotation! We certainly have...

We set off to create the perfect wings recipe - and compared to all the borrowed receipts we've tried - everyone loves' Ben's best. It's perfectly Paleo, minus the Frank's Hot Sauce.

Yep - broiled, not fried. There's not even butter added to these. 

Ben's (Healthy!) Wing Recipe:

- Skinless Chicken Wings

- 1 bottle of Franks RedHot Buffalo Sauce*

- 2-4 heads of garlic, minced

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Garlic Salt to taste

Turn the broiler on HIGH. Lay the wings on an oven pan, and lightly brush each one with olive oil. Broil the wings on both sides until they are lightly golden (we wanted to get the crispy-ish texture as if they were fried). While they are broiling, mix together the Franks, minced garlic, and garlic salt in a bowl. Once the wings are done, remove from heat and dip each one into the Frank's mixture. Place all the wings back on the pan and broil again for only a few minutes - just until the sauce begins to dry onto the wings. 

If you're fat content conscious, broil the wings on a baking rack on top of a pan, to drain all the fat, instead of letting the wings sit and soak back up all the fatty juices.

*For those of you who like to eat clean and raw - I was a little hesitant about the Frank's sauce - but actually it is pretty good. We have a saying at Revolution Foods - "We like chefs in chef coats, not chefs in lab coats...". A good rule of thumb is that if you can't pronounce one of the ingredients in something, it's probably not good for your body. The ingredients in the sauce are: Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Natural Butter Type Flavor And Garlic Powder. I know xanthan gum is an ingredient must for sauces, so I let that one slide - but I am still a little leery about the "butter flavor" - although it does say natural. The wording of ingredients and labeling is so political, I will have to look into it some more! Frank's also do not have msg or gluten in it - sweet!

PS I (Brooke) am on my 3rd week/14th day of Crossfit! Ben now has us going 6 days a week. Yikes. I am having daily conversations about my concerns of gaining too much weight/muscle/etc... So far, I've collected and researched some pretty good insight...

A First Impression is Lasting...

... which is typically true in almost every situation. Think about it - if you don't like a guy or girl on your first date, you probably won't be looking for a second. If a movie sucks, you definitely won't be eager to see its' sequel. If you blow an interview - I know for a fact there isn't going to be a second chance. If y'all could meet us, Ben would probably woo you with his handmade pico, and cook you up a well seasoned jalepeno lemon broiled salmon filet. He would probably invite you to workout at our Crossfit gym - and maybe even share one of his gluten-free beers, if he likes you. I'd laugh pretty loud, drink a little wine, sound a little Southern (although I was born in Orange County), and probably try to calculate how many ounces of salmon you should have based off of your current body type, nutrients consumed earlier that day, and activity level. Call us crazy - we love what we do.

Luckily, Ben and I have a wide variety of interests - and we both love to learn and regurgitate all of our hard earned research (research or obsessiveness... not sure which one it truly is!). Ben, for example, is a phenomenal Crossfitter. He was a high school athlete who had offers to play at D2 colleges, but growing up with an Aggie family and having a huge emphasis on education, he hung his cleats. Focusing on school paid off - but last year he decided his competitive days are not over. He picked up Crossfit down in Corpus Christi - learned the Paleo ways - and now can give almost any Crossfit coach a run for their money! Ben obsesses over details - and will be a lifelong student. Like his 4.0 science GPA, he aims for nothing less than perfection. He wears the goofy toe shoes - and has perfect Olympic lifting form - we will definitely be posting videos for everyone interested in this expertise!

A few weeks before our wedding I pretty much ruined my knee. I mangled some cartilage in my knee and can no longer run long distance. After we got married, Ben talked me into Crossfit. He lost 30lbs (his body went from football player mass muscle to lean and dense muscle mass), so I figured I would give it a try and see how it worked. I've never done an Olympic lift before (don't those lifts make girls bulky?!), but I have my degree in nutrition and am a nutrition educator for an amazing company here in Houston that is based out of Oakland, CA. My company provides healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack to (mostly) charter schools. We serve around 15,000 meals a day! My position is an account manager and nutrition educator for this awesome company - Revolution Foods. Check out www.revolutionfoods.com!  I believe in my company with my whole heart - I eat, breathe, and live quality food. I know the ins and outs of food - I can basically look at almost any food and estimate its' caloric and nutrient content (such a shame when we eat out!). I didn't grow up cooking a whole lot, but Ben did (I know, I am a LUCKY girl!). I write detailed meal plans (down to every last tablespoon) and budget for our food, and Ben cooks it all up. I think we are a pretty great team. Everyday we are learning how to better communicate with each other - being a newlywed is no piece of cake!