Workout of the Day:
“St. Valentine’s Day Massacre 2009″
Rounds of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 reps for time of:
Kettlebell Swings (heavy)
Box Jumps (high)
(It’s a different holiday, but Halloween is a good time for a massacre as well. Compare your performance to February 14, 2009.)
Will you have a CrossFit-themed Halloween?
Or will you disguise yourself as a sweet old grandmother?
Workout of the Day:
“CrossFit Total”
Three attempts for one rep max of each of the following:
Back Squat
Shoulder Press
Deadlift
(Compare total to June 1, 2009.)
The Invictus mascot, Sarah the Dingo, is glad squirrels are Paleo-approved.
A Closer Look at Agave Nectar
Written by George Economou
So as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the Paleo foods at last weekend’s potluck were amazing. But I was concerned with the use, and potential misconception, of agave nectar. There were at least two dishes that used agave as a sweetener, and I’ve heard about it being used by other athletes in the gym. This raises a red flag with me because I can remember Robb Wolf calling it “liquid death” or something along those lines. When it comes to nutrition, I trust in Robb, but this is the Invictus Blog! Our readers expect and deserve some independent research, so I did a little.
From a philosophical perspective, agave nectar probably should not be considered paleo-friendly. While the naming suggests that it is some sort of divine gift collected in buckets by a prepubescent Central/South American boy who merely tapped a cactus with a spigot, there is actually some processing involved. Pulling US Patent 5846333 – Method of producing fructose syrup from agave plants, you can read how “a pulp of milled agave plant” is processed in order to produce a “hydrolyzed fructose extract.” I’m pretty sure that Paleo-George did not have access to the cationic and anionic resins used in the process, or the inulin enzymes, but he probably was willing to fight off swarms of 20lb Paleolithic bees to get to some honey.
From a more scientific perspective, “liquid death” is probably a fitting term. On October 13th, Calvin wrote “Low-Glycemic – Part one.” He touched on how a low GI can be deceiving when determining whether or not something is good for you. Agave nectar has a relatively low GI (10-19 depending on brand), and I’m sure Cal will mention something about how low glycemic loads should be considered in your diet. The reason behind the relatively low GI in agave is the fructose; typical agave is about 90% fructose and 10% glucose. There are many problems associated with the high fructose levels, and it makes wonderful bedtime reading (see Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia). Here are some highlights:
I think the philosophical argument is strong enough to deter the use of agave nectar, or at least limit the use of it. If you chose to embrace the Paleo diet, it was probably because you wanted the long-term health benefits associated with it. Part of receiving those benefits means cutting ties with modern man’s diet, including the desserts. That’s not to say that a little cheating is a horrible thing. Personally, I set aside one cheat dessert night a week – a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Is it good for me? Probably not, but if that’s my one cheat, I’m not going to kid myself with supposedly “natural” substitutes…I’m cheating big.
***Reminder - Friday is CrossFit Total day. Please make an effort to be there to test your progress, or talk to your coach about sneaking it in another time this week or early next week.***
Workout of the Day:
Split Squats or Bulgarian Split Squats
5-5-5 (each leg)
(Thanks again to our friends at Catalyst Athletics for the great videos demonstrating these movements.)
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
10 Pull-Ups
25 Double-Unders
20-Yard Bear Crawl
The Halloween Paleo Potluck Results
Written by George Economou
My apologies for not posting this sooner, but the results are in. Thanks again to everyone who participated in the potluck. We had a wide variety of dishes present, including: meatballs, bacon wrapped steak and scallops, salad, honey & almond butter stuffed raspberries, granola, ice cream (probably the tastiest), and many more. Now, on to the winners!
Best Individual Costume – Kristen Hatcher: 80’s Prom Queen. The beauty of Kristen’s costume was that 20 years ago it really was her prom dress! As a reward for hanging onto the dress, Kristen will receive a yearlong subscription to the Performance Menu.
Best Family Costume – The Stines: Little Bo Peep, Big Bad Wolf, and a flock of sheep (every flock has one black sheep). To help subsidize the cost of cotton balls involved in creating the flock, the Stines have won a Thanksgiving Turducken from Iowa Meat Farms.
Although the potluck was a success in sharing paleo-friendly recipes, and just getting some community members together for a good time, I was concerned with the use, and potential misconception, of agave nectar. So, I decided to look into it a bit more. Tomorrow’s post will detail what I have found and give you my thoughts on whether agave nectar should be an acceptable sweetener in a Paleo diet.
Workout of the Day:
Handstand Push-Ups or Handstand Holds
Perform three sets of max rep handstand push-ups (if you’ve got more than 3) or three sets of max time handstand holds
and then,
Four rounds of:
30 seconds of max rep push-ups
30 seconds of push-up position plank hold
followed immediately by four rounds of:
30 seconds of max rep squats
30 seconds of below-parallel squat hold
Is our super mobile Nichole properly braced?
The Fundamentals – Bracing
Written by Mike Hom
If you had the pleasure of being part of our On-Ramp process, you will know how important the concept of bracing is to us coaches. In fact, if you have not attended an On-Ramp session, I highly encourage you to do so in order to practice some of the fundamentals that you might be taking for granted. If anything, sit in on an On-Ramp session to get a better understanding of what bracing is and why it is important.
This rather simple concept is easily forgotten by many people but holds some astonishing long-term repercussions. Let’s quickly discuss why bracing is important in a nice, simple flowchart:
So how do you do it?
To begin, imagine your entire torso and butt in 360 degrees. You want that entire column of your body to be just that: a strong, immovable column that does not bend, does not shift, does nothing but keep your spine neutral and wedded to your hips. This happy marriage is often overlooked in the chase for extreme lumbar extension. While we initially want people who have problems with lumbar flexion to learn how to obtain a lumbar curve, we also want them to think about their entire body, and in particular their spine and hips, as one happily married piece.
In order to make this happen, do the following:
By this time, you should notice your whole body is about as tight as it can possibly get and you should feel like you’re working hard just to do this. This is the most extreme, dare I say ideal, bracing you can do. Aim to go through these steps in order to provide yourself minimum risk and maximum return while training. But beware, mastering the breathing takes some practice – so PRACTICE! Do it while you are warming up, going through basic movements, etc….
Just to provide yourself some individual feedback, try to do one air squat as you normally would. Now perform one air squat with the bracing process described above. You should feel more “integrated,” as if your entire body’s individual body parts are truly working in concert with each other.
Hopefully, everybody who reads this blog will learn to move their body with proper bracing and allow me to take the quotation marks off the word “integrated” in the future.
As always, big thanks to K-Star of San Francisco CrosSFit for the inspiration and knowledge to use the aforementioned verbiage!
***Programming Note – We will be doing the CrossFit Total on Friday. Please make every effort to make it to one of our group coaching sessions on Friday so that you can gauge your improvement since June 1. If you cannot make it on Friday, let a coach know that you would like to test your progress at some other point this week.***
Workout of the Day:
Clean Pulls (video courtesy of Catalyst Athletics)
3-3-3-3
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
5 Deadlifts (use weight used for clean pulls)
30 Walking Lunges
20 Knees to Elbows
How do you workout on vacation?
Travel WODs – Maui Edition
Written by C.J. Martin
The picture above was taken from my balcony shortly after sunset here in Maui. This is my paradise, the place I come to relax, reinvigorate and perhaps oddly, it’s where I get a lot of work done thinking about how I can improve CrossFit Invictus. It’s a chance to step back from the day-to-day fun and think about how to make the future even better. It’s also where I get a chance to play around with some fun workouts.
It may sound odd to many of you, but those of you who own affiliates or make a career out of fitness coaching will likely understand that it can be challenging to get your workouts in during a busy week at the gym. On vacation, I have a lot more time for myself and am quickly reminded that I really enjoy working out. There’s just one problem . . . here’s what I have to work with (other than my own body and the natural environment):
It’s your pretty standard hotel/resort weight room. It’s equipped with dumbbells, stability balls and benches. This is more than enough to get a killer workout. So here’s what I have done since Saturday (excluding beach walks and the stuff that generally makes for a fun active vacation):
Saturday
Sunday (with Pops and Krazy K) – Total time – 50 minutes, including post-WOD static stretching
Monday – Total time – 100 minutes
I will post again at the end of the week with the rest of my travel WODs. Krazy K, Pops and I are heading out for a couple of good hikes tomorrow, and there will certainly be some fun bodyweight beach WODs in our very near future.
Workout of the Day:
Snatch Balance
3-3-3-3
and then,
“Invictus”
For time:
10 Snatches
10 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups
10 Clean and Jerks
10 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups
10 Thrusters
10 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups
(Weight: Men – 135 lbs./Women – 95 lbs. Scale as needed.)
Compare performance with June 15, 2009.
All Good Things . . .
Written by Mark Riebel
Unfortunately I have to say goodbye to my friends and family at Invictus. As you read this, I’m probably on the road headed for my next duty station in San Antonio, where I’ll be going to physical therapy school.
I remember when I first found out I was accepted into the Baylor program—I was ecstatic knowing that I’d now get to pursue a career that I feel truly passionate about with the Navy picking up the tab. But a few days later, a little melancholy started to creep in. It had been a long time since I had really felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, and that’s exactly what I’ve felt the entire time I’ve been with our crew here. Many times we go through life thinking that we’re not making much of an impact on others, but the clients I’ve worked with at Invictus have made me think that maybe I really am affecting some positive change, and continuing that as a physical therapist is exactly what I intend to do. But I had to face the reality that I’d have to leave a place that I could say I actually had a small part in building, and I knew I’d miss it. CFI is partially responsible for even turning me on to the idea of physical therapy, otherwise I might still be thinking of defusing bombs or something along those lines.
Now, as many of us familiar with the military know, you don’t always get to go where you want, so I’ll ultimately be where the Navy will need me. But with any luck, I’ll make it back to San Diego in a few years and maybe I can again moonlight as a CFI coach. I don’t plan on making this transition a period in the story…hopefully it’s just a comma, or perhaps an ellipse. If I had to paint an ideal picture of my future career path, it’s somewhere along the lines of Invictus Rehab, Strength & Conditioning. I can only hope that’s the way it turns out.
I have far too many of you to thank to keep this to one post, but I do have to call out CJ in particular. CJ Martin is really the desire and drive behind the community that has become CrossFit Invictus, and he was kind enough to give me the chance to learn and teach and become an effective coach. All of the members are truly lucky to have him at the helm along with the team of great trainers he has put together.
Lastly, I couldn’t have asked for a better final coaching slot than last Thursday’s 6AM. The morning crew has always showed up with unbelievable energy at that God-forsaken hour of the day, and they’ve put up with all of my random useless facts and bad jokes giving me smiles in return. I’m truly impressed with you and all the motivation you guys bring into the box with you. I’m going to miss that start to my day for sure. I’ll still be dropping in on the blog from time to time, and I’d be happy to help however I can through email or phone call.
Best of luck to you all, keep pushing hard, and I’ll see you soon.
*** Editor’s Note – We have all known this day was coming for a while, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Mark’s impact on our community is immeasurable. He has been our brains, our brawn and our inspiration since day one. He’s made all of us better, coaches and athletes alike. Mark cannot and will not be replaced. He will continue to be as much a part of this community as ever, albeit from a satellite location. I look forward to learning from Mark as he adds tools to his already vast arsenal for improving athletes’ performance. Until the Navy brings you back to us, and until Invictus Rehab, Strength & Conditioning becomes a reality, know that you have a family in San Diego that misses you dearly.***
Workout of the Day:
“Tabata This”
Eight Tabata rounds (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) each of:
Row (for calories) or substitute One-Arm Dumbell Snatch (35/25 lbs.)
Air Squats
Pull-Ups
Push-Ups
Sit-Ups
(Rest one minute between each Tabata round – which should allow for adequate time to rotate stations.)
The Dutch Lowy Seminar on November 8 Is Now A Bit Sweeter!
Written by C.J. Martin
As most of you know, Dutch Lowy is a good friend that has had a profound impact on my coaching. I suggest his Performance Development Seminar to just about every CrossFit athlete or coach I know. We’re hosting Dutch again on November 8 and we hope to have a great crowd there to learn how to most effectively and efficiently reach their athletic goals.
But as cool as this seminar is already, it just got exponentially better. Aimee Anaya of Catalyst Athletics will also be presenting on November 8 at the Performance Development Seminar. Aimee will be speaking about training female athletes – something she is an expert in both from her own athletic experience (lifting more overhead than you) and coaching experience (coach to Jolie Gentry, perennial Games favorite).
So if you haven’t signed up for Dutch’s Performance Development Seminar yet, hurry up! You can use the link on the right side of the page (under “Events”) or go to www.dutchlowy.com.
Workout of the Day:
Front Squat
5-5-3-2
and then,
Rounds of 20, 15, 10 and 5 reps for time of:
Front Squats (use 50% of today’s 2-RM)
Box Jumps (24″/18″)
Who wouldn't want to party with these people?
Invictus Paleo Halloween Bash
Written by C.J. Martin
Your Halloween costume is too cool to wear only once. Get into your gear a week early and join us for the Invictus Paleo Halloween Bash. It’s a Halloween party where all of the treats are Paleo-friendly. The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. We’ll have games for the kids (and adults), and prizes will be awarded for best dish, best costume-individual, best costume-couple, and best costume-family. It should be fun; be there!
And speaking of Paleo, check out this SUPER COOL blog, Paleo is Possible, created by Sarah Fragoso – one of the studs at CrossFit Norcal. Sarah is a busy mother of three boys, is finishing up her degree and helping her husband run his business. If she can make Paleo Possible for herself and her family, you should be able to do so also.
Workout of the Day:
Single-Leg Barbell Deadlift
5-5-5 (each leg)
and then,
For time:
10 Kettlebell Swings (32/24 kg)
1 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
9 Kettlebell Swings
2 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
8 Kettlebell Swings
3 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
. . .
1 Kettlebell Swing
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
Fair Winds to Army Jon
Written by George Economou
Writing this athlete profile has been bittersweet for me. On the one hand, Jon is a great athlete, an even better friend, and an all-around good dude; on the other hand, Jon is leaving us this week. Yes, Army Jon will join the ranks of Manimal, Kenny G, and Tim J…ditching us so they can “execute orders as directed…” blah blah blah.
I had the chance to sit down with Jon last week and discuss the gym, goals, and awkward moments.
Nickname: Army Jon
Hometown: California/Hawaii
Occupation: American Badass
Favorite Workout: “Cindy”
Jon, we usually end the interview with this question, but what would you like to share with the other athletes at Invictus?
Continue what you’re doing because it’s a great community. Everyone has the same motivation, and similar goals and drives. The energy levels in the gym can’t get any better.
Army Jon, you come from a military background. What would you say about the camaraderie here at Invictus? How does it compare with what you’ve seen in the armed forces?
The camaraderie here is the real deal. It’s kind of hard to compare totally because we’re only in the gym for an hour a day, but if we were here for 24 hours we would be controlling the whole city.
At 144lbs, you’re not the biggest dude, but you consistently put up top numbers on the board. What is your sporting background?
I played baseball, football, and basketball growing up. I also did a lot of surfing in Kaneohe Bay. This gym reminds me of when I was surfing in Hawaii in K-Bay; you see the same crew every day, out there to catch waves and enjoy each other’s company.
That’s very cool. So you’ll probably be gone for the next two years, with a few visits back to San Diego. What else is on the horizon for you and your athletic goals?
Well, I have this crazy idea to run a 100 mile race…like Badwater or something. I want to push myself to a point I’ve never been before; maybe receive some enlightenment or euphoria or something. When I was 15 years old, I ran my first marathon because I called out my dad. It was the worst experience of my life. Hitting the wall at 13 miles was horrible, and the second 13 miles were even worse. But when I was done…amazing. That’s what I want again.
Again, very cool Jon. Any lasting memories you’re going to take with you?
Memories…there are more good memories than bad. I do have a funny memory. Wink (Wayne) and I were deadlifting and while I was pulling I farted. Wayne just looked at me and started laughing. Maybe you had to be there.
No, that’s very funny! In fact, I had a similar experience with Wink recently, but it involved some partner stretching. Thanks for sitting down with me Jon. You’ll be missed! Fair winds and following seas.
Workout of the Day:
Power Clean
3-2-1-1-1
and then,
Three rounds for time of:
400 Meter Run
10 Power Cleans (135/95 lbs.)
10 Front Squats (135/95 lbs.)
10 Push Press or Jerk
A Simple and Delicious Crispy Kale Recipe
Written by Michele Vieux
My friend Lu Crenshaw of CrossFit Allegiance is always talking about a delicious recipe she makes called Krispy Kale.
Kale is a dark, leafy green vegetable that is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and calcium. It can be eaten cooked or raw. It is Paleo. And, for you Zoners, 1 ½ c. raw kale is equal to one block of carbs.
I actually bought the kale to put in my morning smoothie but remembered this recipe when I was cooking dinner the other night and decided to give it a whirl as a side dish.
I was pleasantly surprised. It came out crispier than potato chips and had a nice, rich almost nutty flavor.
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale for every two people you wish to serve
1T oil per bunch of kale
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop kale into large pieces about the size of a playing card. Toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place on baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Flip pieces on baking sheet and roast for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy.