Thursday 080911

HAPPY B-DAY JB!

Workout
JB's Call
10-100M Sprints.
100% efforts for each!

56 Push-ups today!

Wednesday 080910

55 push-ups!

Warm-up
using 45 lbs bar
Pressing Snatch Balance x3 x3
Heaving Snatch Balance x3 x3
Snatch Balance + OHS x3 x3
Sotts Press x3 x3

Workout
Snatch
Reps are started on the minute
66%* x1 x5
71% x1 x5
76% x1 x5

Rest as needed between these sets

80%* x1
85% x1
88% x1
90% x1
92% x1
*Of 1RM

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Thursday 080807

Tuesday 080909

Rest, but do not forget your 54 push-ups today...

Red eye courtesy of my poor photo skills.

Monday 080908

Hey, it is football season, so let us put this one to the test. 53 Push-ups today. You can count the push-ups done during your burpees (yea burpees) toward your total, I know I will.

Workout
"Quarter Gone Bad"
Five rounds for total reps of:

135 pound Thruster for 15 seconds

Rest 45 Seconds

50 pound Weighted pull-up for 15 seconds

Rest 45 Seconds

Burpees for 15 seconds

Rest 45 seconds

Of course scale this workout. Shoot for UP TO 50% of BWT (M) / 30% of BWT (F) for the Thrusters and dead-hang pull-ups for scaling purposes

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Sunday 080413

Sunday 080907

52 Push-ups today (103 for me!)

Workout
Clean and Jerk:
Work up to 80% x1, 70% x1, 83% x1, 73% x1, 85% x1, 75% x1, 88% x1, 75% x1 notice the wave?

When complete, do FS (you are already warmed up) @ 80%-85% of your 1RM x1, x2, x3.

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Thursday 080717

Saturday 080906

American David!

51 Push-ups today

Team workout starts at 10:30 AM today.
50 - Thrusters (M75#/F35#)
50 - SDHP (M53# KB/F35# KB)
50 - Sit-ups
50 - Burpees (yea Burpees)
100M - "Suitcase Carry" (M53#/F35#)
50 - 1-Arm DB Snatch (M20#/F10#)
400M Runs with Medicine Ball (M20#/F8#)

Friday 080905

REST!

50 Push-ups today. We've made it half way! Congratulations, you have completed 1,275 push-ups to date.

Thursday 080904

49 Push-ups today! Look for changes after tomorrow in the BWT warm-ups

Here's a vid of CF Milwaukee's Multi Affiliate Competition


Workout
Chose 1 (one)
100 – Burpess (yea Burpees)
100 - OHS (60% of BWT)
100 - 2 pood KB Swings

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,414861,00.html

Alabama is rolling out a creative but controversial program that will subject its 37,527 state employees to possibly humiliating at-work weigh-ins and fat tests. If they tip the scales, they'll be given a choice: slim down or pay up.

The state is trying to solve two of its biggest problems — health insurance costs and obesity — in one fell swoop.

Beginning in 2010, Alabama, which has the second highest obesity rate in the country, will start charging all of its employees an extra $25 per month for health insurance. (Currently, single workers pay nothing; family plans cost $180 a month.)

But there's a way to avoid the fee: Get a check-up at an in-office "wellness center," where nurses will check for diabetes and hypertension and measure blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels and Body Mass Index (BMI).

The idea is to encourage employees to act responsibly, lose weight and lower their health care needs. But critics say it will humiliate and stigmatize obese employees and amounts to nothing short of a "fat tax."

A BMI test uses height and weight measurements to calculate the percentage of body fat in adult males and females. Alabama is using a BMI threshold of 35 — 30 is considered obese, by most medical standards — to determine who doesn't have to pay the automatic $25 deduction.

Health practitioners often factor in skinfold (fat) and waist circumference measurements while calculating a patient's BMI.
Does Alabama think you're fat? Take this humiliation-free BMI test online.
If you're deemed fit, you're exempt. But if you flunk the BMI exam, it's shape up or pay up. Obese workers will be required to see a doctor and will have to show proof of their attempt to lose weight.

The program is optional ... sort of. If you don't take the tests, you'll have to pay the $25 charge.
The $25-per-month fee is not the only way Alabama hopes to discourage bad health decisions by state employees, said the program's creator, William Ashmore, executive director of the Alabama State Employees' Insurance Board. Alabama already charges smokers a monthly $25 insurance fee.

"There are folks walking around with diabetes and hypertension that don't even know it, and it's just a matter of time before something catastrophic happens to them," Ashmore said. "If we can get people to manage their health, we'll have healthier employees and less healthcare costs."
He said employees with a BMI of 35 or higher cost the state 40 percent more than those with a BMI under 35, and the program will help in many ways. "This is not a fat tax," Ashmore said. "It's not punitive."

But that's exactly what critics are calling it: a punitive "fat tax" designed to stigmatize the obese by inappropriately — and possibly illegally — bringing weight into the workplace.
"This is a dreadful, dreadful policy," said Judith S. Stern, an obesity expert and nutrition professor at University of California at Davis. "Overweight and obese people, especially women, feel that their weight is private, and being weighed at work is like having a prostate exam in the hall. It's not appropriate."

Critics also say Alabama's program borders on discrimination by using obesity, which is medically categorized as a disease, as its benchmark.
"I think it discriminates against people with a disease — obesity is a disease," Stern said. "Would you charge more money if they had breast cancer?"

Alabama's program is a dangerous step on a very slippery slope, says Mark V. Pauly, professor of health care systems at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. "The unanswered question is, 'How much you want to do this?'" he said. "If you got lung cancer because you smoked, do we charge you a penalty there? What about couch potatoes? Do we put all the employees on treadmills?"

Medical and social considerations aside, other critics say it's just not going to work. "There's the thought that obese people are weak-willed, and if we charge them more they won't be as fat," Stern said. "This assumes they have control over what's involved, and often they don't."
And there's the cost factor. In its efforts to reduce heath care costs Alabama will spend an extra $1.6 million for health screenings and programs next year.

"From the viewpoint of the employer who provides health care and pension, this kind of cancels out," Pauly said. "What you lost on health care you get back in pension plan, because now these people are living longer."

Whatever the plan, a company's success in lowering health care costs and curbing obesity could depend entirely on how it's framed. Rewards tend to work better than punishment.
"It's possible to set these things up to look like more like carrots than sticks," Pauly said. "And people tend to respond better to carrots."

Alabama isn't alone in its struggle to cut costs and curb obesity. Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, according to a recent report from Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.

Clarian Health Partners, a hospital chain in Indiana, has taken a different approach. In 2009, they will start deducting money from the paychecks of workers who do not meet — and don't show efforts to meet — various health criteria. Smoking without trying to quit will cost $5; high glucose, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels will cost $5 each; a high Body Mass Index will cost $10.

This is also happening abroad. Japan is monitoring the waist measurements of its policyholders, according to official government websites. Citizens receive jury duty-like summonses to appear for measurements — and if they're too fat, their employer will be slapped with a hefty fine. The maximum waist size allowed for men is 33.5 inches and 35.4 inches for women.

It's unlikely that Japan's program will catch on stateside, but that doesn't mean Americans are off the hook. Alabama's so-called "fat tax" could just be the beginning of a trend.
"A lot of employers are talking about this," Pauly said. "There's the feeling that you have to do something. What you do then is a matter of design and discretion."

As for Alabama, Ashmore is sure that those who have their doubts will soon come around. He encourages workers to swing by his Montgomery office to pick up pamphlets about the program and to learn more about reducing their Body Mass Index.

But to get to his second-floor office they'll first have to make it past the Chick-Fil-A downstairs (average meal: 1,000 calories).

Wednesday 080903

48 Push-ups today. I'm doing 4 sets of 12...aren't you glad they are not Burpees (yea Burpees)

I HATE THIS WORKOUT!
"Kelly"
For time:
5 Rounds of

400M Run

30 - 24 Inch Box jump

30 - 20 Lbs Wall Ball Shots

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Tuesday 080304

Tuesday 080902

47 Push-ups today. I need to make up, 44, 45, 46 and 47-182 for me today!

Workout
CFT
CrossFit Total (CFT)1RM for:
Squat
Press
Dead lift

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Tuesday 080805

Monday 080901

REST!
46 Push-ups today!
Tomorrow
CFT!

Posted on Fri, Aug. 29, 2008
Modesto Olympian Erin Cafaro: From golden to foldin'
By RON AGOSTINI ragostini@modbee.com
last updated: August 29, 2008 06:20:03 AM
http://www.modbee.com/columnists/agostini/v-print/story/411421.html

USA's women's eight crew member Erin Cafaro of Modesto poses with her gold medal and the flag during an award ceremony at the Beijing Olympics. Cafaro credits her brother, J.D. Cafaro, with preparing her physically for the competition. - AP - Gregory Bull

Nastia Liukin was interviewed by Jay Leno. Shawn Johnson was cheered at the Democratic National Convention. Michael Phelps prepares to serve as host of "Saturday Night Live."
And what about Erin Cafaro, Modesto's Olympic gold medalist? She's doing her brother's laundry.

"Sibling love," she summarized Thursday from the San Francisco home of J.D. Cafaro, former Cal football player. "He helped me so much."
Cafaro, 25, calls herself the "happiest homeless person I know. I'm living off the dream right now."

Rowing never has commanded prime time and never will. Cafaro's Olympic odyssey was pure in scope and sincere in ambition. You don't get rich pulling oars through the water day by day and year by year. Her payoff in the end was about $160, the financial worth of a gold medal.
Not exactly a Wheaties box or seven-figure endorsement contract.

What you can achieve, however, is Olympic glory, which is priceless. For Cafaro, the graduate of Modesto High whose women's eight crew seized gold for the first time in 20 years, that's more than enough. She's the fourth Modestan to win an Olympic gold medal -- shot putter Wilbur "Moose" Thompson in 1948, javelin thrower Cy Young in 1952 and soccer player Tisha Venturini in 1996 are the others -- and only she knows, in painful intimate detail, the price paid along the way.

Cafaro has strewn parts of her life throughout the country. Boxes of her belongings remain at her parents' Modesto home. Other items are left at the team's training center in Princeton, N.J., and training sites in San Diego and Hawaii.

For now, Cafaro stays at the home of J.D., her unofficial coach and trainer. There is business to tend to and, yes, waiting through laundry spin cycles.
"J.D. said I'd have to work harder than anyone else," she said. "I was in great condition, thanks in part to him."

Cafaro believes her physical edge came from CrossFit, an elite fitness program favored by martial arts and police academies and world-class athletes. J.D. talked her into the workout regimen this year, when seven years of rowing reached its climax in Beijing.
See, Cafaro stands only 5 feet 8 inches (she fudged on all bios that list her at 5-10) and, from her seat on the bow, is the smallest member of the Olympic team, not counting coxswain Mary Whipple of Sacramento.

Making the team alone was daunting. Though Cafaro rowed to an NCAA title at Cal in 2005 and two world championships last year, she had yet to earn her seat on the Olympic women's eight, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Bumping out another worthy athlete was her only route to Beijing.

Which means she had to compensate size with strength.
"I got familiar with my pain threshold. I lost about 10 pounds, but my strength-to-weight ratio definitely increased," she said. "I make up for it (her size) with feistiness. I also can lift the same weights with the other girls."

When the team was set in June, it turned its target toward Romania, the three-time defending Olympic champion. Four years ago in Athens, the Romanians edged Turlock's Ali Cox and her women's eight teammates. In 1984, Team USA claimed its previous gold medal by upsetting Romania.

By now, you've probably read how Cafaro poured water from Lake Casitas -- the site of the Americans' victory in '84 -- on the fingers and legs of her teammates for good luck. And how Whipple showed a film of that long-ago triumph to her team before it departed for China.
Cafaro and Company didn't attend the opening ceremony because competition began only two days later. The fun would wait until later. Romania was the target.

While the crews sat still in the water, seconds before the start of the 2,000-meter final race, Cafaro was freshened by a quiet calm and confidence.

"I knew I had put in the work. Nobody else was going to be more fit than I was in that seat," she recalled. "I looked left and right and sized up everybody and felt, 'Ready to go.' I knew we would be fit and tough."

The Americans took charge seconds after the oars hit the water. They extended their lead through the halfway point and held off the Dutch, who edged the stunned Romanians for the silver. The usual post-race agony was accompanied by sheer joy.

"I do this for the satisfaction afterward. During it, you have to convince yourself you're not going to die," Cafaro said. "When you win, it makes it all worthwhile." Cafaro wore her gold medal during a party-filled second week. The team moved into the Olympic Village, attended the closing ceremony and finally discovered it had achieved a degree of fame. Introductions to 1992 Dream Team star Clyde Drexler and actor Vince Vaughn spiced Cafaro's Olympic experience.
"I asked Vince at the airport, 'Can I take your picture?' " she said. "He said, 'Sure, if I can take your picture.' "

Finally, Modesto's civic celebration to honor Cafaro this week was postponed. Why? Oprah Winfrey called. Yes, even rowing teams will reap a few spoils if the medal is golden. To make room for an appearance on Oprah's TV show, the city's Olympic festival is rescheduled for Sept. 8.

Perhaps by then, Cafaro will survey her road to Olympic history: the newspaper story about Cox that spurred her interest in rowing, the day in 1996 she first touched a gold medal won by Tisha Venturini and, this year, the home stretch where not even two broken ribs stalled her drive toward China.

"A junior rower from Marin asked me this week, 'When did you first dream about the Olympics?' " she said. "I never really had a dream about the Olympics, I just wanted to be the best at what I did on that day, and the next. Going for the Olympics just sort of happened."
Rest assured, Cafaro's journey was no accident, which is why she doesn't mind folding her brother's clothes.

Sunday 080831

45 push-ups today

Workout
3-5 Mile run...have fun run on a trail

Saturday 080830

44 Push-ups today!

Today's team workout starts at 10:15 AM. Get here early or you may get stuck with me as a team member!

Here's what I'm thinking...
Team-up!
4 person team complete the following for time:
400M run (teammate A)
500M row (teammate B)
100 - push-ups (might as well get them out of the way)
100- sit-ups
400M run (teammate C)
500M row (teammate D)
100 - box jumps
100 - SDHP (M53/F20 - use KBs)
400M run (teammate B)
500M row (teammate C)
100 - push presses
100 - KB swings
400M run (teammate D)
500M row (teammate A)
100 - lung steps
200 - Air squats

Friday 080829

Workout
Clean
Find a 1RM

Then:
7x
250M row
5-Burpees

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Sunday 080518

43 Push-ups today!

Thursday 080828

Happy B-Day Dad! I think of you everyday.

Warm-up Running drills
2x 15-25 meters of:
Skips
Crossovers
Side Shuffles
Carioca


Workout
2 - 50M sprints (100% effort)
2 - 100M sprints (70% effort)
1 - 200M sprint (70% effort)
2 - 50M sprints (100% effort)
slowly walk to the start of all sprints

42 push-ups today

Wednesday 080827

Workout:
21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, of:
35 lbs KB Swings
20 lbs Wall-Ball
KTEs (ok to use straps)

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 080112

41 push-ups today (81 for me)

Tuesday 080826

Workout
Weighted Pull-ups
5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1
Rack Jerk
5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Sunday 080810

40 Push-ups today

Monday 080825

Make sure you get today's 39 push-up in before the workout!

Workout
5 sets of 8-10 reps of:
60% of BWT OHS

Rest then
7 rounds for time of :

7 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls - 95 lbs (M), 65 lbs (F)
7 Box Jumps - 24 inches (M), 18 inches (F)

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Monday 080623

Sunday 080824

Rest!
Hey the Olympics are over. Time to get back to work!
Day 38 of the Push-up ladder challenge

Saturday 080823

Workout

Team-up!
2 person team complete the following for time:
400 M run (relay style)
50 - 225 lbs DL
50 - Ring dips
50 - Sit-ups
500M Row (relay style)
50 - Pull-ups
50 - 18 inch Box jumps
50 - Burpees


Partition the exercise as needed. If you are un-lucky enough to be on my team, plan on doing the last 3 exercises by yourself!


Do your 37 push-ups today!

Friday 080822

Workout
For time:
5 Rounds
250 Row
10 - BWT Bench Press
15 - 20 pound Wall Ball Shots

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Sunday 080224

Day 36 of the push-up challenge

Thursday 080821

Workout
For time:
2x
800M Run
25-50% of BWT FS
_______________________
Day 35 of the push-up challenge
_______________________

Wednesday 080820

DJ after setting new TFR for CFT!

Rest...but don't forget you CTD Push-ups. Day 34 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 595 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up. Tomorrow we get past 600!

Doc Rick, we know you do 30 everyday for a warm-up, how has the extra reps affected you

Tuesday 080819

Workout
DeadLift
4 x 4
80% of your 1RM for 4 sets of 4 reps

Then
5 rounds of "Cindy"

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080718

Day 33 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 561 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up. 1/3 done! - time wise that is, nearly 4500 push-ups still to go!

Monday 080818

Day 32 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 528 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up.

Workout
2 position snatch:
work up to 75% x2 x6 (floor and high hang)

Snatch pulls:
95% x3, 100%x3, +5 10 more lbs x3

Snatch shrugs:
100% + 20 lbs x5, + 20 lbs x5, + 20 lbs x5

Sunday 080817

Day 31 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 496 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up.

Workout
"Helen"
For time 3 rounds of:
Run 400 M/Row 500M
21 - 24k KB or 55 lbs dumbbell swings M/ 16k KB or 35 lbs dumbbells swings F
12 - Pull-ups

You know the drill...scale to your fitness level. Those that can not do 50 or 35 lbs+ lbs KB swings need to use less weight. If you are unable to complete an un-assisted pull-up, jumping pull-ups (at a 2 to 1 sub) are allowed

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 080607

Saturday 080816

Rest!
Day 30 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 465 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up.

Friday 080815

Day 29 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 435 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up.

Workout
3x
1:00 row
1:00 rest

2:00 row
2:00 rest

3:00 row
3:00 rest

These are genuine efforts - don't slack.

Thursday 080814

Workout
OHS - find your 1RM
I will do 95 x10 x2, 135 x8, 205 x5, 225 x1, 1 x max, 1 x max

Rest 5 minutes then:
500M Row x 2 @ sub 2:00 minute pace with 3 minute rest. Last effort go for PR.

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 080611

Day 28 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 406 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up. I forgot yesterday so I'm off to do 55 today.

Wednesday 080813

Workout
"Lynne" - Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups

For Lynne as rx'd, each "round" is 5 minutes long.
Start your BP on the minute, complete as many as possible without racking the weight. Once you have completed the BP, start your Pull-ups. Complete as many Pull-ups as possible (your set is complete once you release the bar). Now rest for what remains of the original 5 minutes (e.g. if it takes you 2 minutes to BP and do the Pull-ups, rest 3 minutes). Repeat 4 more time. Got it? (As an aside...do the exercise that you are weakest in first. E.g. for me, that of course means I do pull-ups before bench pressing)

Post reps for both exercises in all rounds
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 080528

Day 27 of the push-up challenge...if you are just starting do 378 CTD push-ups to to buy in/catch up. Tomorrow we break 400!

Tuesday 080812

I'm feeling old again! With the untimely deaths this past weekend of two influential entertainers, Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac, I was forced to think about how short life really is. Based on census data, the life span for a black man in America is 72 years. 72!...meaning I was middle aged at 36.

As such I continue to remain focus on my (and your) health. We need to continue to work hard to be there for our loved ones and to ensure we can enjoy our time here.



Isaac Hayes was known as Black Moses, Ike The Ripper and, later, Chef from TV's South Park. Like many I was introduced to his musical talents by listening to the sound track he created for the movie Shaft. While the movie was one of many in the 70's with a theme that seems VERY out of date by today's standards, the movie's music created by Isaac and his other recordings will live on for a long time.

If you have not had an opportunity, you should give the sound track a listen. I'm sure you have heard the Grammy winning title track - but the rest of the album (yes album) ushered in a whole new sound. It was one of the first "funk" albums and is full of what the old folks call "belly rubbing" music. The song won him a Grammy and two Oscars, for “Best Song” and “Best Score” in 1972. That same year he won a Grammy for his double album Black Moses.

Bernie Mac (born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957) is a two time Emmy Award-nominated American actor and comedian.

Mac was born in Chicago, Illinois and was raised by a single mother, Mary, who died of cancer when he was sixteen. He started his career was in high school, where he would put on shows for neighborhood kids in Chicago's south side. During his 20s he worked in a variety of jobs; he was a furniture mover, UPS agent and a bread delivery sales rep.

Go to youtube and watch him do his thing.

Warm-up
Running drills
2x 15-20 meters of:
Skips
Crossovers
Side Shuffles
Carioca

Workout
Med ball Throws and Calisthenics
Backwards Throws - 20 Push-ups
Side Throws - 20 Squats
Thruster Throws - 20 sit-ups

Day 26 of the push-up challenge. Are you up to date? If you are just starting you need 351 to buy in/catch up. I'm off to do my 75 (26 for today and 25+24 for the last 2 days I have missed).

Monday 080811

Workout
4x of:
10-135 lbs PCL
10-ring dips
400M run
2:00 rest

Time each round....
Day 25 of the push-up challenge. Are you up to date? If you are just starting you need 325 to buy in/catch up...

Sunday 080810

Day 24 of the push-up challenge. Are you up to date? If you are just starting you need 300 to buy in/catch up...

Workout
Dead Lift
5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1

Jerk
5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080418



Some kids should be on cholesterol drugs: study
Updated Mon. Jul. 7 2008 10:14 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Children eight years of age or older should be treated with cholesterol medication if they are found to have high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or so-called bad cholesterol, a new report says.

The new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is a drastic step toward preventing cardiovascular disease among at-risk children, including those with high cholesterol.
CTV medical consultant Dr. Marla Shapiro said the recommendation to medicate kids with cholesterol drugs should not come as a surprise, given the dramatic rise in obesity among children.

"We're at the point where a large, respected pediatric society, which happens to be the American Pediatric Society, is taking a stand and really saying that with the rising epidemic of obesity, we know that in youth and young children this will translate into premature heart disease and stroke in the years to come," Shapiro told CTV Newsnet.

The report recommends cholesterol-lowering drugs for:

• Children with LDL levels of 190 mg per decilitre or higher.
• Children with an LDL reading of 160 mg per decilitre or higher, along with two heart disease risk factors in addition to a family history of early heart disease.
• Children with a reading of 130 mg per decilitre of LDL in addition to having diabetes.
  

The report says that cholesterol screening should be done after the age of two, but before the age of 10.

The recommendations are found in a report by the AAP, entitled Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood. It is published in the July issue of Pediatrics.
While the report has been issued by American doctors, physicians in Canada say the results apply to all children.

"There have been a number of studies that have shown if you treat a child with high cholesterol levels that you can reverse the build up in their arteries even at a very young age," Dr. Brian McCrindle of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children told CTV News.

However, Dr. Richard Tytus, a family physician in Hamilton, Ont., says that while cholesterol drugs are generally safe for children, the long-term effects of them are not yet known. As well, children will learn the lesson that a pill can be a quick fix for any problem.

"My point is let's not treat the symptoms, let's treat the cause," Tytus told CTV News.
The report's recommendations also include:

• Cholesterol screening for children who have a family history of heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes.
• Cholesterol screening for children with unknown family medical history.
• Lifestyle changes, such as an improved diet and an increase in physical activity, for reducing high cholesterol in children younger than eight.
• Another test, within three to five years, if a child's LDL levels are within a normal range.
  

Shapiro said that in Canada, doctors are already screening children for high cholesterol, particularly if they have a family history of the condition.
"But now we're saying that we should emphasize looking at children as individuals regardless of family history," Shapiro said. "If they themselves carry an individual risk, that's something that we should be looking at."

With a report by CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and senior producer Elizabeth St. Philip

Saturday 080809

Workout

Front Squat – 80% of your 1RM x5 x5



http://view.break.com/541145 - Watch more free videos

Friday 080808

Rest...but don't forget today is day 22 for the CTD push-up ladder challenge. Knock out 22 today or 253 push-ups to buy in/catch up.

Thursday 080807

Push-up ladder day 21. 231 CTD Push-ups to buy in/catch up.

Warm-up
using 45 lbs bar
Pressing Snatch Balance x3 x3
Heaving Snatch Balance x3 x3
Snatch Balance + OHS x3 x3
Sotts Press x3 x3

Workout
Snatch Reps are started on the minute
66%* x1 x5
71% x1 x5
76% x1 x5

Rest as needed between these sets
80%* x1
85% x1
88% x1
90% x1
92% x1
*Of 1RM

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Monday 080331

Wednesday 080806

I had to lean on Megan to keep from falling after the burpees (yea burpees!)

Workout
For time
21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, and 3 reps of:
Kettlebell Swing (M-53 lbs/F-35 lbs)
Ab-Mat Sit-ups
Box Jumps (20 inches)
Push-ups

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080404

Push-up ladder day 20. 210 CTD Push-ups to buy in/catch up. Hey, we've broken in to the 2oo's!

Tuesday 080805

Happy B-Day JP...I miss you.

Workout
CrossFit Total (CFT)1RM for:
Squat
Press
Dead lift

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 080709

Push-up ladder day 19. 190 to buy in/catch up.

The New York Times multimedia team gets conceptual in this slide show of six Olympic athletes with very different body types, and very different biostats, starting with shot-putter Christian Cantwell, who weighs 335 pounds and bench presses 650.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/magazine/803BODIES_index.html

Monday 080804

Day 18 of the push-up ladder. 171 to buy in/catch up.

As they say, the only constant is change. This change, I think, will be for the better. Going forward, we are adding some stuff to the TitanFit mix. We are doing so to put the 10 elements of fitness (see below) to the test. That and to get out of the gym every now and again.

• Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance - The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
• Stamina - The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
• Strength - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
• Flexibility - the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
• Power - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
• Speed - The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
• Coordination - The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
• Agility - The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
• Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
• Accuracy - The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

Workout
50 - Jump shots - 1 burpee (yea burpees), or exercise(s) that are hard for you (e.g. ring dips, jump squats, etc...) for every miss!

While using the "glass" is allowable, all shots must begin from OUTSIDE the paint/lane area.

Here's hoping I do fewer than 50 burpees (yea burpees) today.

Sunday 080803

Day 17 of the push-up ladder. 153 to catch-up/buy-in.

Workout:
100M run
20-65 lbs Thrusters

100 M run
20-Pull-Ups

100M run
20-24 inch Box Jumps

100M run
20-Lower Back Extensions

100M run
20-Sit-Ups

100M run
20-65 lbs Push Press

100M run
20-35 lbs Over Head Lunges

Walk back to the start of the 100M run. Take your time this is a tough workout!

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 080531

Saturday 080802

Happy Birthday Megan!

Workout
for time:
21, 15, 9 reps of
Burpees (yea Burpees)
95 lbs OHS

Today is day 16 of the push-up ladder challenge. If today is your first day, do 136, to catch-up/buy in. Remember you can do your push-ups in sets and throughout the day - so 136 isn't out of the question.

Mulitaffiliate Competition

CrossFit Milwaukee is hosting a Mulitaffiliate Competition. If you are interested, we'll drive up there to represent TitanFit and Indy. Below is the URL...
http://www.crossfitmilwaukee.com/events/wisconsins-first-mulitaffiliate-competition

When: August 24th, 2008, 9AM
Where: St. Mary’s Hill in Milwaukee
What: Our first regional gathering that potentially will include competitors from at least seven affiliates or affiliates in the making. The workout will consist of at least four activities. Two of these will favor heavier people, two will favor lighter people. Two of the events will favor shorter people and two will favor taller people - it will be a level playing field for all involved (not terrain-wise however - the only hint I’m giving anyone is that the hill will be involved in the workout).

All people interested in competing must email (ryan@crossfitmilwaukee.com) no later than August 17th. Please include your full name, gender, age and the CrossFit affiliate you practice at and/or wish to be associated with, if any.

The day will start off with individual competitions. There will be at least two divisions each for men and women with a separate division for CrossFit trainers/affiliate owners. We will run the competitors through the workout in heats of 4-6 people and should be able to wrap up the individual competition by noon. Tentative plans after that include a cookout and a hooverball tournament.

Friday 080801

Day 15! We are up to 120 push-ups for our ladder challenge. So...if you are just starting do 120 to buy in. Everyone else, 15 CTD push-ups today

Workout
for time
21, 15, and 9 reps of:
70 lbs KB swings
pull-ups

Check out this link...it is Melanie Roach's USA Olympic Weightlifter blog
http://melanieroach.blogspot.com/

Are you up to the challenge?
http://www.tacticalstrengthchallenge.com/index.html

Thursday 080731

Rest!

Hey it's day 14 of the push-up ladder challenge.

Make sure you get those done today. The best thing about day 14 is we've cracked the 100 push-up mark! For those that want to join do 105 today to "buy-in"/catch up. Remember you can do the push-ups throughout the day and any done as part of a workout count toward your number.

A Visitor
Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting United Sates Marine Corps, Captain Huysman. He is a coach at CrossFit Camp Pendleton (http://www.crossfitwarehouse.com/newsite/blog/) and is a CrossFit certified trainer. Below, you'll see him hard at work and all smiles after finishing. We wish him well in his travels.




Kelin/Seth Part 2
Kelin recently returned from vacation. He walked into the gym and decided he wanted to go for the Back Squat record. During his warm-up he mentioned he had not squatted more that 135 lbs in 10+ years. When someone tells you they have not gone heavy in a decade, you take it very slowly.

Much to my surprise he got 335 without much of a problem. He could have gone heavier but it has been 10+ years so I suggested he call it a day there. After writing his name on the record board, he walked to the WOD board and left a note for Seth, the former record holder. The note said, "I'm back!"

Today, Seth came in with an eye on Kelin's dead lift record of 413. After his workout, he asked for 415 on the bar...gripped it and got it with ease. The new note on the board from Seth to Kelin reads, "Where you at!"

I can't wait for part 3!

Wednesday 080730

WOW
Work on weakness!

many of us have avoided working on things we do not do well (me-Pull-ups,MetCon). When they come up in a WOD we struggle through but never get better.

Let's get it done, for tomorrow we rest!

Tuesday 080729

We are on day 12 of the CTD (Chest-to-Deck) push-up ladder challenge. Get 12 CTD push-ups today or if you are just joining, get 78 CTD push-ups to "buy in"

Workout
Snatch - 90% x 1 x 3
Clean & jerk - 90% x 1 x 3
Back squat - 90% x 2 x 2

3 rounds for time of:
500 m row
10 KB swings - 35% BW
10 kipping pull-ups

Are you hungry? Yesterday I found the following. I need to get rid of my Internet access.

The 7 Hamburgers of the Apocalypse
by Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese

Hamburgers, next to apple pie and statins they're the ambassadors of American cuisine--for better or for worse--and these harbingers of heart disease might be the baddest of all.
Here are 7 over the top hamburgers that are guaranteed to clog your arteries by just looking that them:
1. The Quadruple Bypass Burger
The Quadruple Bypass Burger from the Heart Attack Grill; four burger patties with side orders of Jolt Cola, unfiltered Lucky Strikes cigarettes and French fries deep-fried in pure lard.

2. Big Daddy Barrick Burger
Sonya Thomas, a 5'5 99-lbs competitive eating champion, downed an 18 pound Big Daddy Barrick Burger in Las Vegas a few years ago.

3. The Hot dog Hamburger
This one hails from England. I'm not sure what it's called, but it's a hamburger with a chopped hot dog on top.

4. Mulligan's Monster
Mulligan's invented the Hamdog, one hot dog wrapped in a beef patty and cheese, then deep-fried, covered with chili and onions and served on a bun with a fried egg on top.

5. Dyer's Burgers
Dyer's Burgers are deep-fried hamburgers piled with mustard, onion and pickle and paired with a single, double or triple-order of cheese fries.

6. Whatafarm Burger
Whataburger puts the entire farm in one sandwich; bacon, cheese, fried egg, burger patty, and chicken cutlet. They affectionately call it the "Whatafarm" burger.

7. Luther Burger
Another Mulligan's creation, the Luther Burger. Named after Luther Vandross it's a bacon cheeseburger sandwiched between two glazed donuts.

Now, I hope you all find it incredibly ironic that a guy who doesn't eat meat was asked to compile a list of monstrous hamburgers. I do.

Monday 080728

We are on day 11 of the CTD (Chest-to-Deck) push-up ladder challenge. Get 11 CTD push-ups today or if you are just joining, get 66 CTD push-ups to "buy in"

Workout:
Today you get a choice of workouts. Do either:

• 3M run
• 7k Row
• 800M, 2:00 rest, 400M, 2:00 rest, 800M, 2:00 rest 400M

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Sunday 080504

Sunday 080727

Rest!
Don't forget you 10 CTD push-ups today. Knock out 55, today to buy in and catch up.

Saturday 080726

Knock out your 9 CTD Push-ups. If today is your first day on the push-up challenge, get 45 to buy in...

Workout
"Elizabeth"
For time 21-15-9 reps of:
135 lbs Cleans
Ring dips

As always, SCALE if and when necessary. For some of us that are new to Olympic lifting, high pulls and FS will be good enough. The sub for ring dips is 4/1 bench dips, 3/1 bar dips or 2/1 jumping ring dips.

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 080507

Friday 080725

Workout

Front Squats
85% of your 1RM x3 x7

Don't forget your 8 Push-ups today for the Push-up ladder. wouldn't hate to miss them and need to make them up tomorrow!

If you want to "buy in", knock out 36 today and you are even par with the crew.

Thursday 080724

Happy B-Day Sherry!

Workout
7 CTD Push-ups (I thought we should get those out of the way early)

Remember 2 days ago when we said the 1RM thruster and weighted pull-ups workout was designed to make you next "Fran" better/faster?

Drum roll please....

"Fran"
For time:
21, 15 and 9 reps of:
Thruster - M 95pounds/F 65 pounds
Pull-ups

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 080510

Wednesday 080723

Push-up Challenge
Well today is day 6 of the Push-up Challenge. That being the case we need 6 CTD (Chest-To-Deck) Push-ups.

If you have not joined to 100 Push-up contest, and still want to get in, you need to do 21 today to buy-in!

REST

A few links and stuff...
Tour de France
The link below is for today's stage 17 of the Tour de France. It is likely to decide this year's winner. Take the day off work, call in sick, take a TV to work, do whatever it takes to watch this stage!
http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/LIVE/us/1700/etape_par_etape.html

OK, here's a link for a local duathlon...race info below.
Race Date
Saturday, August 09 2008
Race Name
Blacksnake Duathlon Series Race #3
Blacksnake Duathlon #3
Run 2 miles, Bike 20 miles, Run 2.5 miles
Location
Camp Atterbury - Johnson County Park
City
Franklin
http://www.trifind.com/in.html


OK, for you crazies out there, check out this website. It is for those that need MORE than the normal CF workout.
http://www.crossfitendurance.com/index.php

Tuesday 080722

Workout
Today's workout is designed to make your next "Fran" easier.

Thruster
Find a 1RM
10, 5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1

Weighted Pull-ups
Find a 1RM
10, 5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1

Push-up Challenge
And last but not least 5 chest to deck push-ups. If you want to join the 100 Push-up contest/challenge but haven't started yet, 15 push-ups today will get you in.

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Monday 080428

Monday 080721

4 CTD Push-ups.

Workout
Snatch Balance + OHS (complete one of each before re-racking the bar) Work to 110% of your SN 1RM

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Monday 080512

Sunday 080720

3 Push-ups Today!

Workout
3 rounds for time:
30 - Calories Rowing
30 - Squats
20 - Ring Push-ups
20 - 18 inch Box Jumps
10 - Pull-ups
10 - 65 lbs Thrusters

Recently, Men's Health published an article entitled: Muscle Myths Debunked - 7 Muscle Myths. I've pasted the contents of the article below...

Muscle Myths Debunked - 7 Muscle Myths
By: Scott Quill

Fact vs. Faction
The guy lifting beside you looks like he should write the book on muscle. Talks like it, too. He's worked out since the seventh grade, he played D-1 football, and he's big.

But that doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about. Starting now, ignore him.

The gym is infested with bad information. Lies that start with well-intentioned gym teachers trickle down to students who become coaches, trainers, or know-it-all gym-rat preachers. Lies morph into myths that endure because we don't ask questions, for fear of looking stupid.

Scientists, on the other hand, gladly look stupid--that's why they're so darn smart. Plus, they have cool human-performance laboratories where they can prove or disprove theories and myths.

Here's what top exercise scientists and expert trainers have to say about the crap that's passed around in gyms. Listen up and learn. Then go ahead, question it.

Myth #1
Lifting incredibly slowly builds incredibly big muscles. Lifting super slowly produces super long workouts--and that's it. University of Alabama researchers recently studied two groups of lifters doing a 29-minute workout. One group performed exercises using a 5-second up phase and a 10-second down phase, the other a more traditional approach of 1 second up and 1 second down. The faster group burned 71 percent more calories and lifted 250 percent more weight than the super slow lifters.

The real expert says: "The best increases in strength are achieved by doing the up phase as rapidly as possible," says Gary Hunter, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., the lead study author. "Lower the weight more slowly and under control." There's greater potential for growth during the lowering phase, and when you lower with control, there's less chance of injury.

Myth #2
If you eat more protein, you'll build more muscle. To a point, sure. But put down the shake for a sec. Protein promotes the muscle-building process, called protein synthesis, "but you don't need exorbitant amounts to do this," says John Ivy, Ph.D., coauthor of Nutrient Timing.

If you're working out hard, consuming more than 0.9 to 1.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a waste. Excess protein breaks down into amino acids and nitrogen, which are either excreted or converted into carbohydrates and stored.

The real expert says: More important is when you consume protein, and that you have the right balance of carbohydrates with it. Have a post workout shake of three parts carbohydrates and one part protein.

Eat a meal several hours later, and then reverse that ratio in your snack after another few hours, says Ivy. "This will keep protein synthesis going by maintaining high amino acid concentrations in the blood."

Myth #3
Leg extensions are safer for your knees than squats.And cotton swabs are dangerous when you push them too far into your ears. It's a matter of knowing what you're doing.

A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that "open-chain" exercises--those in which a single joint is activated, such as the leg extension--are potentially more dangerous than closed-chain moves--those that engage multiple joints, such as the squat and the leg press.

The study found that leg extensions activate your quadriceps muscles slightly independently of each other, and just a 5-millisecond difference in activation causes uneven compression between the patella (kneecap) and thighbone, says Anki Stensdotter, the lead study author.

The real expert says: "The knee joint is controlled by the quadriceps and the hamstrings. Balanced muscle activity keeps the patella in place and appears to be more easily attained in closed-chain exercises," says Stensdotter.

To squat safely, hold your back as upright as possible and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or at least as far as you can go without discomfort in your knees).

Try front squats if you find yourself leaning forward. Although it's a more advanced move, the weight rests on the fronts of your shoulders, helping to keep your back upright, Stensdotter says.

Myth #4
Never exercise a sore muscle.Before you skip that workout, determine how sore you really are. "If your muscle is sore to the touch or the soreness limits your range of motion, it's best that you give the muscle at least another day of rest," says Alan Mikesky, Ph.D., director of the human performance and biomechanics laboratory at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

In less severe instances, an "active rest" involving light aerobic activity and stretching, and even light lifting, can help alleviate some of the soreness. "Light activity stimulates blood flow through the muscles, which removes waste products to help in the repair process," says David Docherty, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of Victoria in Canada.

The real expert says: If you're not sore to the touch and you have your full range of motion, go to the gym. Start with 10 minutes of cycling, then exercise the achy muscle by performing no more than three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions using a weight that's no heavier than 30 percent of your one-rep maximum, says Docherty.

Myth #5
Stretching prevents injuries.Maybe if you're a figure skater. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed more than 350 studies and articles examining the relationship between stretching and injuries and concluded that stretching during a warm-up has little effect on injury prevention.

"Stretching increases flexibility, but most injuries occur within the normal range of motion," says Julie Gilchrist, M.D., one of the study's researchers. "Stretching and warming up have just gone together for decades. It's simply what's done, and it hasn't been approached through rigorous science."

The real expert says: Warming up is what prevents injury, by slowly increasing your blood flow and giving your muscles a chance to prepare for the upcoming activity. To this end, Dr. Gilchrist suggests a thorough warm-up, as well as conditioning for your particular sport.

Of course, flexibility is a good thing. If you need to increase yours so it's in the normal range (touching your toes without bending your knees, for instance), do your stretching when your muscles are already warm.

Myth #6
You need a Swiss ball to build a stronger chest and shoulders. Don't abandon your trusty bench for exercises like the chest press and shoulder press if your goal is strength and size. "The reason people are using the ball and getting gains is because they're weak as kittens to begin with," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S. You have to reduce the weight in order to press on a Swiss ball, and this means you get less out of the exercise, he says.

The real expert says: A Swiss ball is great for variety, but center your chest and shoulder routines on exercises that are performed on a stable surface, Ballantyne says. Then use the ball to work your abs.

Myth #7
Always work out with free weights.Sometimes machines can build muscle better--for instance, when you need to isolate specific muscles after an injury, or when you're too inexperienced to perform a free-weight exercise.

If you can't complete a pullup, you won't build your back muscles. So do lat pull downs to develop strength in this range of motion, says Greg Haff, Ph.D., director of the strength research laboratory at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The real expert says: "Initially, novice athletes will see benefits with either machines or free weights, but as you become more trained, free weights should make up the major portion of your training program," says Haff.

Free-weight exercises mimic athletic moves and generally activate more muscle mass. If you're a seasoned lifter, free weights are your best tools to build strength or burn fat.

Saturday 080719

REST!

Don't forget your 2 CTD push-ups today!

Friday 080718

CW with 70 lbs KB swings for Heavy "Helen"

Workout
DeadLift
4 x 4
80% of your 1RM for 4 sets of 4 reps

Then
5 rounds of "Cindy"

Today is day number 1 of the 100 day CTD (Chest-to-Deck) push-ups. We will do 1 today, 2 tomorrow and so on. Once we get to day 100 we will have completed 5050 push-ups.

Thursday 080717

Workout

Clean and Jerk:
Work up to 80% x1, 70% x1, 83% x1, 73% x1, 85% x1, 75% x1, 88% x1, 75% x1 notice the wave?

When complete, do FS (you are already warmed up) @ 80%-85% of your 1RM x1, x2, x3.

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Tuesday 080325

Wednesday 080716

Workout
HEAVY "Helen"
For time 3 rounds of:
400 M Run
15 - 70 lbs (M) 53 lbs (F) KB Swings
10 - BWT+20 lbs Pull-ups

I know that's a lot of weight. SCALE this one if you are unable to complete regular "Helen", but make sure you use the same weights for all 3 rounds. Remember you are competing against yourself!

If you scale do the "normal" rep scheme of 21 swings and 12 pull-ups.

Tuesday 080715

Rest!

HAPPY B-DAY JKL

Monday 080714

Workout
Back Squat
5 sets of 5 reps @ 80%-85% of your 1RM

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080523

Sunday 080713

Workout
5 sets of for time of:
15 - 95 lbs Thrusters
15 - 95 lbs SDHP

Compare to
TITANFIT: Thursday 080214

Saturday 080712

See I will, only if NECESSARY, do burpees (yea Burpees!)

Workout

For time:
21-15-9
Clean and Jerk (M95, F65)
Pull-up

Friday 080710

REST!

Get ready for HEAVY "HELEN"...

Thursday 080710

Workout
3 rounds for time:
20 - 95 lbs Snatch (take each rep from the deck)
20 - BWT Bench Press

Wednesday 080709

Workout
CrossFit Total (CFT)1RM for:
Squat
Press
Dead lift

Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080627

Big Fun here at TitanFit yesterday. Three different workouts, two PRs/TFRs!

KTF Dbl Unders during "Annie"

PSR Rowing like the wind

JB Handstand Push-ups during "JT"

Tuesday 080708

Workout

For time:
4 rounds of
400M Run
50 Air Squats

Monday 080707

Rest!

The new Painstorm is in:
As Many Rounds as Possible in 30 Minutes of:

100 ft Bear Crawl
5 Snatch Grip Deadlift
5 Hang Power Snatch
5 Overhead Squat
5 Behind the Neck Push Press
Men 65# / Women 45#

Sunday 080706

Workout
For time:

Big Brown Bear
15 - 135 lbs DL
12 - 135 lbs Hang Power Clean
9 - 135 lbs Front Squaat
6 - 135 lbs Push Jerk

CrossFit in the Park

CrossFit In The Park!

TitanFit teamed up with Blast Fitness (http://www.blastfitindy/) for today's CrossFit in the Park workout.

The workout was:
500M Row
20 - Burpees
30 - KB Swings (M 53 Lbs, F 20 or 35 lbs)
40 - Air Squats
50 - Sit-ups
800M Run

We had two sub 10:00 times...

Check out the pics below.


Joe, Jerry and Rick on the row

Kurt, Chris and Seth rowing

Jerry mid KB swing, Megan air squatting and Joe not having fun with a KB

Chris and Kurt swinging, Megan rowing

Megan air squatting

the Crew before the workout

AFTER!

Saturday 080705

Workout
If it is good enough for the CrossFit Games, It's good enough for us!

5 rounds for time of:
275 pound Deadlifts, 5 reps (185 pounds for women)
10 Burpees (with clap overhead while airborne)

Friday 080704

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

REST!

Here's some light reading...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080701/ap_on_hi_te/tec_atm_breach
By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology Writer
Tue Jul 1, 4:39 PM ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Hackers broke into Citibank's network of ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores and stole customers' PIN codes, according to recent court filings that revealed a disturbing security hole in the most sensitive part of a banking record.

The scam netted the alleged identity thieves millions of dollars. But more importantly for consumers, it indicates criminals were able to access PINs — the numeric passwords that theoretically are among the most closely guarded elements of banking transactions — by attacking the back-end computers responsible for approving the cash withdrawals.

The case against three people in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York highlights a significant problem.

Hackers are targeting the ATM system's infrastructure, which is increasingly built on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and allows machines to be remotely diagnosed and repaired over the Internet. And despite industry standards that call for protecting PINs with strong encryption — which means encoding them to cloak them to outsiders — some ATM operators apparently aren't properly doing that. The PINs seem to be leaking while in transit between the automated teller machines and the computers that process the transactions.

"PINs were supposed be sacrosanct — what this shows is that PINs aren't always encrypted like they're supposed to be," said Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm. "The banks need much better fraud detection systems and much better authentication."

It's unclear how many Citibank customers were affected by the breach, which extended at least from October 2007 to March of this year and was first reported by technology news Web site Wired.com. The bank has nearly 5,700 Citibank-branded ATMs inside 7-Eleven Inc. stores throughout the U.S., but it doesn't own or operate any of them.

That responsibility falls on two companies: Houston-based Cardtronics Inc., which owns all the machines but only operates some, and Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc., which operates the others.

A critical issue in the investigation is how the hackers infiltrated the system, a question that still hasn't been answered publicly.

All that's known is they broke into the ATM network through a server at a third-party processor, which means they probably didn't have to touch the ATMs at all to pull off the heist.
They could have gained administrative access to the machines — which means they had carte blanche to grab information — through a flaw in the network or by figuring out those computers' passwords. Or it's possible they installed a piece of malicious software on a banking server to capture unencrypted PINs as they passed through.

What that means for consumers is that their PINs were stolen from machines that showed no signs of tampering they could detect. In previous PIN thefts, thieves generally took steps that might draw notice — sending "phishing" e-mails, for example, or installing false-front keypads or even tiny cameras on ATMs.

Getting the PINs is a key step for identity thieves. It lets criminals encode stolen account information onto blank ATM cards and withdraw piles of cash from compromised accounts.
Don Jackson, director of threat intelligence for SecureWorks Inc., said he has seen an "alarming" spike in the number of attacks on back-end computers for ATM networks over the past year.

"This was fairly large, but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary — these kinds of scams go on every day," Jackson said. "What makes this case unique is the sheer luck of happening upon these guys and catching them red-handed. But there are a whole lot of other ATM and PIN compromises going on that aren't reported."

The alleged plot is outlined in court papers supporting the prosecution of three people — Yuriy Rakushchynets, Ivan Biltse and Angelina Kitaeva. They were indicted in March on two counts each of conspiracy and fraud. Prosecutors say their activities generated at least $2 million in illegal profits.

Defense lawyers for all three people did not return calls for comment, and it was not clear where they had been living. The main defendant, Rakushchynets, was described as having Michigan and Florida's driver licenses in a February FBI affidavit for an arrest warrant.
Citibank, part of Citigroup Inc., has declined to comment on the technique or how many customers' accounts were compromised. It said it notified affected customers and issued them new debit cards.

"We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts," the bank said in a statement.
Cardtronics said it is cooperating with authorities but otherwise declined to comment. Fiserv spokeswoman Melanie Tolley said the intrusion didn't happen on Fiserv's servers.
"Fiserv," she said, "is confident in the integrity and security of our system."

Thursday 080703

Workout
For time:
1 – Burpees
2 - 95 lbs PP
3 - 95 lbs FS
4 - 95 lbs PCLS
5 - 95 lbs DL
6 - Box Jumps
7 - Pull-ups
8 - Push-ups
9 - Ab Mat sit-ups
10 - Air Squats
11 - 53 lbs KB Swings
12 - A 500M Row

So the workout is:
1 Burpee
then 2 Push Press and 1 Burpee
then 3 Front Squats, 2 Push Press and 1 Burpee etc...

Wednesday 080702

Workout
TABATA!
Perform the following exercises for 8 rounds of 20 seconds work (in any order), 10 seconds rest:
Rowing*
Air squat
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Sit-ups

After the 8th round of each exercise, rest 1 minute before proceeding to the next. The lowest number of reps achieved in any of the 8 rounds is the score for that particular exercise (calories burned in place of reps are used for rowing). The sum of the scores for all of the exercises gives the score for the entire workout.

*Those without access to a rower, do SDHP with a 45 lbs barbell for each 20 second segment.
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 080524

How Long Can Peak Performance Last?
The question "How long can peak performance last?" sounds more salacious than does the answer offered by Elizabeth Weil, in her predictably lovely profile of a 41-year-old Olympic quality swimmer Dana Torres.

Weil quotes Hirofumi Tanaka, the director of the Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, who found that both elite and nonelite runners and swimmers could maintain personal bests until age 35, after which performance declined in a gradual, linear fashion until about age 50 to 60 for runners and 70 for swimmers.

Deterioration was rapid from there, writes Weil. Tanaka also found that swimmers experienced more modest declines than runners and that swim sprinters, like Torres, experienced the smallest declines of all.

At Yale, Ray Fair, a runner and an economist, crunched statistics on aging and peak athletic performance and created what he calls the Fair Model. The model provides a table of coefficients that enable an athlete to take a personal-best time and compute how long he or she should expect to take to complete that same event at a specific point later in life (assuming he or she has continued to train at the same level).

According to the Fair Model, a woman who swam a personal best 24.63 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle at or before age 35 should expect to clock 25.37 seconds at age 41. “I am struck by how small the deterioration rates are,” Fair wrote in a paper titled “How Fast Do Old Men Slow Down?” “It may be that societies have been too pessimistic about losses from aging for individuals who stay healthy and fit.”Read more from Liz Weil in the New York Times Sunday Magazine.

Tuesday 080701

Workout

1.5 Mile Run

Pull-up Ladder

1.5 Mile Run

Post running splits and pull-up ladder results...