Workout of the Day:
Jerk (Push or Split)
3-2-1-1-1
and then,
One Minute of Max Reps – Jerk (75-80% of 1-RM)
20 Seconds of Rest
One Minute of Max Reps – Ring Dips
20 Seconds of Rest
One Minute of Max Reps – Kettlebell Swings (32/24 kg)
One Minute of Rest
then, as quickly as possible, perform the same number of reps completed for each of the respective movements.
(WOD courtesy of our friend Jobst Olschewski.)

The Stine Family

The CrossFit Mom – My Inspiration
Written by Tabitha Stine 

We spend 16 hours a day being a teacher, employee, chef, chauffer, event coordinator, maid, stylist, counselor, and nurse…but our formal title is “Mom.” As a mother of four, I know the lengthy list that accumulates throughout the week. There’s the job, housework, grocery shopping, driving to and from the kids’ activities, etc. Moms tend to put their family’s needs ahead of their own and it’s easy to push themselves further and further down the list. However, not going to the gym because you’re too busy doesn’t benefit you or your family in the long run. Make sure your day’s schedule includes your hour at CrossFit Invictus.        

If you’ve been coming to group classes for any length of time, you have no doubt experienced an increase in your overall strength. Growing physically stronger means that jobs that require you to move large loads will become much easier. Carrying Costco boxes filled with 10-gallon jars of pickles and apple juice, clean and jerking your sleeping toddler in order to get him into the top bunk of his bunk bed, climbing up the stairs with one child on each hip all become less difficult. It was during these tasks especially when I first realized how significantly CrossFitting benefitted me in my daily activities. By staying committed to your weekly workout schedule, you will no doubt experience these same gains and more including stress relief, improved mood, and growing friendships. 

Perhaps one of the best benefits of all is that by staying committed to your own fitness you will be setting a great example for your children. So many kids today are overweight. Children’s forms of entertainment are much less active than in previous generations and they have easy access to junk food in schools. We all want our kids to grow up healthy, active and fit. That begins today by forming healthy habits that will continue on into adulthood. As Mom, when you make fitness a part of your own daily life, you are creating a lifestyle that carries over into your entire household. CrossFit and CrossFit Kids provide a program that the whole family can participate in and enjoy together.

Being a mother has to be one of the most difficult tasks assigned to a woman, but equally rewarding. Make your training at CrossFit Invictus an important part of your day. You will look, feel and perform your daily duties better when you are stronger, faster and healthier.

If you’re feeling unmotivated, just take a look around the gym at the many inspiring moms who have made fitness a priority for themselves and their family. You’re sure to feel energized and inspired. 

Workout of the Day:
Deadlift
3-2-1-1-1
(Your lift shall be considered a failure if you fail to maintain proper posture throughout the movement. We are looking for technical perfection for one rep.)
and then,
4th Quarter is Ours (courtesy of CrossFit Football)
Five rounds of:
20-yard Bear Crawl
5 Deadlifts (use 75-80% of today’s 1RM)
10 Burpees

***REMINDER - The Dutch Lowy Show is in town this weekend. Accordingly, CrossFit Invictus will be closed and all of the CrossFit Invictus coaches will be taking this weekend off to learn and participate in Dutch’s Training Seminar.
Hit it hard on Friday and we will look forward to seeing you on Monday.***

**Second Reminder - The Women of CrossFit Invictus dinner is TONIGHT at 7:30 p.m. at The Linkery on 30th Street. If you have any questions or need directions, please contact Michele at michele@crossfitinvictus.com.**

Workout of the Day:
Front Squat
3-2-1-1-1
and then,
Five rounds as quickly as possible of:
400 Meter Run
5 x Complex of 1 x Power Snatch, 3 x Overhead Squat
Suggested Weight = Men – 95 lbs./Women – 65 lbs.

Off the Clock
Written by C.J. Martin

Some of our members were surprised today when they were told that the workout would not be timed. My gosh, is this even CrossFit if there isn’t a stopwatch involved? Well, yes. And don’t be too concerned, it’s not gone forever. We are, however, going off the clock for the next week.

In furtherance of yesterday’s blog post, we’re taking a week to re-focus on our own individual performances. This doesn’t mean you won’t be encouraged to blaze through your workout as fast as humanly possible – you will. But it does mean that you will not find motivation in seeing your name on the whiteboard with a time next to it. You will not push yourself for the glory of beating others or seeing where you stack up against others. You won’t even be trying to beat a previous personal record (it’s doubtful you had one for these workouts anyway). Instead, you’ll have to focus on how hard you can push yourself without any external motivation. This is true mental fortitude.

Inner-strength and drive to succeed is our own AT rowing a marathon at a sub-2:00 pace just to prove to himself that he could. It’s Chris Spealler of CrossFit Park City pushing himself to the limit on the final day of his regional qualifier despite the fact that he would have won his qualifier by merely finishing the workout. These guys understand that the most powerful motivation comes from within.

Use this week to become better. Improve your mechanics – even if it means slowing down, go heavier – even if it means slowing down, and go faster – even though your efforts will not be recognized on the whiteboard.

***And don’t forget, tonight at 7:30 we will be hosting a guest lecturer to discuss mental toughness and overcoming barriers to optimal performance.***

Workout of the Day:
Four rounds as quickly as you can of:
12 x Deadlift
9 x Hang Power Clean
6 x Front Squat
3 x Push Jerk
15 x Pull-Up
(Set up one bar and storm through as quickly as possible. Suggested weights: Men – 135 to 155 lbs./Women – 95 to 115 lbs.)

Amazing Women, Amazing Athletes

Ladies, It’s Time We Talk
Written by CrossFit Invictus Charter Member Courtney Johnson

After Fight Gone Bad on Wednesday I sat down and had a chat with Lil’ Cheddies McBean. We were both griping about our performances. After a few minutes of our pity party however, we realized that we were being ridiculous. We were getting down on ourselves when we should have been congratulating each other on accomplishing a tough workout.  After talking for a few minutes we realized that we’ve seen many other women go through the same thing lately. It seems as though most CrossFit men seem to take their performances, good and bad, in stride. But many of us women tend to be a bit tougher on ourselves when we don’t perform as well as we think we should. 

In any fitness or athletic endeavor, especially one as intense as CrossFit, athletes go through periods of highs and lows. These periods can last for days, weeks or even a month or so. I personally have been experiencing a low for the past few weeks.  We have all been there, and unfortunately, many of us have beaten ourselves up over it. But getting down on yourself does not help you bounce back; in fact, it does quite the opposite.  A lot of us women feel pressure to be amazing mothers, wives, girlfriends and employees, and the added pressure of setting a new PR every day at the gym can be overwhelming. But just because you had an off day doesn’t mean you are a failure, and it doesn’t mean you aren’t improving. Sometimes, it just means you had a bad day and we need to shake it off and try again the next day. 

We need to remember why we love CrossFit – because it has helped to make us strong and confident women. Unfortunately that confidence has been shaken for a lot of us at times, myself included. The whiteboard we have in the gym is meant to showcase others’ accomplishments and achievements, yet many of us come in, look at the board, and think, “who do I have to beat today?” I am 100% guilty of this; somewhere along the line I lost my perspective on why CrossFit is important to me.

A few months ago I was peaking and often found myself at or near the top of whiteboard. But then I had a few off days which led to a couple inconsistent weeks at the gym. Suddenly I wasn’t at the top of the whiteboard anymore. This was a tough pill for me to swallow, and I let it affect me.

When I look back on how my performance started to improve a few months ago, I can see that my goals were different. I had just started doing workouts as prescribed, so I went to CrossFit every day, not with the intention of being the best, but with the intention of pushing myself to achieve something I hadn’t before. The second I started focusing on just beating someone is when I started to not perform as well.  I lost my focus.

I know I am not alone with this experience. There are a lot of women who have lost their perspective on why we love CrossFit and why we show up every day to put ourselves through tough workouts. We need to come together as women and remember what studs we are, forget about the bad days – they happen and will continue to happen.  However we need to let go of the pressures we put on ourselves to be super wives, super moms, and super athletes. We are already super studs because we are CrossFit women. We need to come together as women to celebrate our achievements and put the “bad days” behind us.

Michele, Coryna (”Cheddies McBean”) and I decided that it is time for the Women of Invictus to head out for ladies night to celebrate our strength and beauty. On Friday, June 26 at 7:00 p.m. we will meet at CrossFit Invictus and head out for a CrossFit Ladies dinner party from there. Please RSVP on the whiteboard or to michele@crossfitinvictus.com.  Please RSVP by Thurday evening so we can make reservations.

This kid is STRONG!

Justin Nahama was out of town last weekend when our other competitors participated in the Affiliate Cup Team tryout. He completed the two workouts today at 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. The results were amazing. He had a tougher time with the sandbag and hill than he expected and finished in 11:27. He set the record straight in the second WOD though. He completed the workout – 10 Snatches (135 lbs.), 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups, 10 Clean and Jerks (135 lbs.), 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups, 10 Thrusters (135 lbs.), 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups – in 2:58.  His total time was 14:25 for the two workouts.

Congratulations to Justin and the other participants. We have now a team of 8 solid individuals who will train together to represent CrossFit Invictus at the CrossFit Games. We will narrow the field to our final six as the date approaches and we are required to do so. Until then, please congratulate and give your support to the following individuals:

• Adam Towle
• Justin Nahama
• Josh Edgeman
• Mark Riebel
• Katie McLaughlin
• Christina Marzocca
• Sage Burgener
• Tabitha Stine