Invictus will be closed on New Year’s Day, but back to our normal schedule on Saturday, January 2, 2009.
Have fun ringing in the new year, but be safe! Otherwise, you could end up like Michele . . . .
Archive for December, 2009
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Workout of the Day:
Bulgarian Split Squat
5-5-5 (each leg)
(Thanks again to our friends at Catalyst Athletics for the great instructional videos.)
and then,
Three rounds for time of:
30 Jumping Lunges/Alternating Split Squats with 25/15 lb Dumbbells
20 Wall Ball Shots
200 Meter Run
Congratulations to Invictus Running Coach Nuno Costa!
Written by C.J. Martin
Goals give your hard work purpose. Achieving goals gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment, and reinforces character virtues such as focus, perseverance and work ethic. The achievement of hard-fought goals is cause for celebration.
Yesterday, our new resident running coach Nuno Costa achieved an impressive goal by running a 5k race in less than 18 minutes. Nuno finished the race in 17:48. Congratulations Nuno!
If you have a goal to become a stronger runner in 2010, I strongly suggest that you schedule a few appointments with Nuno. He is a certification coach for CrossFit Endurance and is very good at helping recreational runners reduce their times drastically. Nuno will be coaching small-group running seminars and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon training programs beginning in February, but is available to work with individuals or small groups before then by appointment. Please contact info@crossfitinvictus.com and let us know when you’d like to schedule a time to train with Nuno.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Workout of the Day:
Shoulder Press
5-5-5
and then,
Three rounds for time of:
20 Push Presses (Men=105-125, Women=75-85)
15 Pull-Ups
10 Ring Dips
Congratulations to Pops and Krazy K who celebrated their 30 year anniversary yesterday.
Ripped Hands Are Not Cool
Written by Mike Hom
I have done it. Many of our members have done it. It comes with the territory. But, contrary to popular belief, ripping your hands up is not a sign of hardcore-ness – even if you take a photo of them and post them on a website. It is, however, a clear and obvious sign of voluminous friction and pressure that overwhelms your skin’s ability to protect itself. Look, working out will rough up your hands; there is no argument there. But there has to be a harmony with your training and some of the unfortunate damage your body will take from it.
If your hands are mangled, you simply cannot train the way you want to until they heal. Heck, try doing everyday things like taking a shower, washing your hands, or washing your dirty dishes. I’m sure those holes that are missing chunks of flesh will thank you for the attention. So, the next time you feel your hands are on the verge of losing skin or if they already have experienced a loss of skin, be smart about it. STOP THE ACTIVITY CAUSING THE RIPPING!
Ok, lets assume for a second that you have some healthy callouses that have formed and you have no tears. Well, depending on the workout, there is a chance you will tear those callouses as mounds of lumpy, tough skin catch very easily in situations where there is friction and pressure. To mitigate this, take care of your callouses. Some ways to maintain your callouses include the following:
- Filing
- Grating – Find a callous grater at your local drug store or apothecary
- Dremel – A bit extreme but for $15 bucks, you will have a fast and speedy utility to quickly sand those callouses down
- Ped egg – I felt pretty emasculated buying this thing, but after hearing accolades from some guys and girls about this, I went out and bought one. It has become my favorite callous maintenance tool. It is basically the same as a grater but the grating mesh is finer and the thing collects the grated skin dust that you create until you’re ready to dispose.
Let’s re-cap. Ripped hands are not cool. They are not hardcore. They are an impediment to your training. If you rip your hands, stop the activity that is putting friction and/or pressure on your hands. If you have excessive callous development, maintain them by shaving them down. Simple!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28th, 2009Workout of the Day:
Power Clean
2-2-2-2-2
and then,
For time:
10 Power Cleans (use approximately 80% of today’s 2-RM)
20 Burpees
8 Power Cleans
16 Burpees
6 Power Cleans
12 Burpees
4 Power Cleans
8 Burpees
2 Power Cleans
4 Burpees
Merciless - not even the young are exempt!
My New Favorite Website
Written by C.J. Martin
We all love Sage; that’s a given. But now you can see even more of her! This should make life better for all of us, and will DEFINITELY help you improve your Olympic weightlifting.
First, Sage is going to have more time to take clients for individual coaching sessions. If you have a weightlifting goal for 2010, let us know now so you can get on her schedule. She is now able to take clients in the morning and early afternoon, so don’t let your evening schedule be an excuse.
Second, Sage is opening up two more seminars – which means 12 more lucky people will have an opportunity to get into a 4 week clinic with her for only $49. The new sessions (in addition to MTuW at 6:30 p.m.) will be Wednesday at noon and Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. Please sign up on the whiteboard or by emailing info@crossfitinvictus.com.
Finally, if you cannot make it into Invictus to improve your lifts with Sage, you have to check out my new favorite website. Sage has taken on the enormous task of breaking down the Olympic lifts one small segment at a time on her new blog. That is admirable in and of itself, but it’s the way she tackles the issues that makes this my favorite site. She isn’t pretentious, and doesn’t make anything harder than it has to be. Instead, she is freaking hilarious while still delivering solid content. Be warned, I almost peed my pants the first time I watched a few of her rap videos.
Check out Sage’s awesome blog!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27th, 2009Workout of the Day:
Overhead Squat
3-2-1-1-1
and then,
“Nancy”
Five rounds for time of:
400 Meter Run
15 Overhead Squats, 95/65 lbs.
(Compare performance to September 2, 2009)
A HUGE Congratulations to Justin and Susan! They met at Invictus shortly after we opened and became engaged last week. It's hard to imagine a more perfect couple. Congratulations!
Michele’s Keys to CrossFit (and the Universe)
Written by Michele Vieux
I feel like I say these things over and over while coaching and there is a good reason for it. They are the keys to athletic performance and can make you faster, stronger, better, and mentally tougher in ANYTHING you set out to accomplish.
Bracing is not just for one rep max deadlifts and squats. That big breath in and tightening of the midline before a lift should be used before kicking up into a handstand, hitting a backhand in your tennis match, taking a charge in you pickup basketball game, as well as any other activity in which you want to project maximum power and not crumble on top of yourself into a pile of flesh and bones.
Perfect mechanics go a long way in the long run. Setting up the correct way and continuing to use perfect form throughout the entire movement puts you in the perfect position to execute with the most potential power in the quickest, most efficient, and easiest way possible. If you have been using poor form, you have not reached your potential. Take the time to retrain yourself and adhere to strict form. Slow down until you have achieved it and you will find it will make you faster, stronger, and more efficient in the long run. You might need to recruit the help of one of your coaches for this, but quality of movement should be your focus.
Set a goal. Never go into anything—workout or daily task—without some sort of goal. It doesn’t always have to be a time goal. It could be to finish the workout with perfect form. It could be not to take a water break until you are done. It could be to finish a certain round or exercise unbroken. It could be to avoid that cookie in the break room. Tell someone what your goal is so they can help remind you and keep you accountable.
Live by the “four quarter rule”. I used this trick when I was a swimmer in my youth (my specialty was the 200M butterfly)—it was verified by my friend, “the Real Nik Hawkes”, a former Navy Seal and a current BUDs instructor who has spent a great many hours studying mental toughness and how to achieve it. This will help keep you moving through any workout or challenge in life. Whatever you are facing, divide it into four quarters.
An easy example of this is a four-round workout. Start the first round at a pace you know you can keep throughout the entire workout. Round two should be used to check yourself. It is easy to drift off or lose momentum in this round. Don’t drop too far behind your round one pace and if you find yourself falling behind, pick back up to that pace you know you can hold. The third round is the most important in terms of making something big happen. This is where you go above and beyond, push yourself to your max, and pull away from the pack. Pick up the pace and get through this round and you know you are onto the home stretch. Most people wait until the final round to start this move. Start in round three and all you need to do is bring it home—finish strong! You should have just enough left to accomplish this and hopefully a new PR, feat of strength, conquering of a life obstacle, or whatever it was you set out to achieve.
Merry Christmas and best wishes to all the members of the Invictus community!
Thursday, December 24th, 2009May the holidays bring you closer to those you love – be they two or four-legged.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009Workout of the Day:
Weighted Hip Bridge
8-8-8
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
20 Push-Ups
20-Yard Bear Crawl with Dumbbells (25/15 lbs.)
40 Anchored Sit-Ups
(Carry your dumbbells in your hands while you crawl, then place them on your feet to perform your anchored sit-ups.)
Prehab: Stabilizing The Shoulder – “W”
Written by Calvin Sun
If you haven’t had a chance to read my previous posts yet, take a moment to review parts one and two of this series on shoulder prehab. These exercises are designed to strengthen the supporting musculature of the upper back that isn’t sufficiently developed by conventional exercises like pull-ups and overhead movements. You’ll soon notice better posture as your shoulder blades will be pulled back and down to counteract the endless hours of desk jockeying you do everyday. This improved posture will allow for efficient and improved function of the shoulder which will not only allow you to perform better in the gym but also keep you injury free. Today, we will go over the third and final movement of our Y/T/W shoulder prehab circuit.
“W”
- To perform W’s, start by lying face down in a prone position.
- Keep your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle and bring your elbows in towards your torso, forming a “W” shape.
- With your palms facing downward, lift your arms off the ground by initiating the movement from your scapulae.
- Focus on sliding the shoulder blades back and down towards your spine.
- Turn palms out away from your body as you complete the movement.
(*Note – This movement might be even more effective with palms turned out away from the body as the scapulae is depressed and retracted.)
Common faults:
- Lifting the chest off the ground
- Initiating movement from the elbows
Now that we know how to perform each of these exercises correctly, we need to put these together in order to effectively and efficiently utilize them as part of a fitness program. Depending on how much time you have, perform 10 to 15 repetitions each of the Y, T, and W. Don’t rest between exercises as this should be a continuous circuit. You should perform this circuit 1 to 3 times depending on your ability level.
Still confused on how to perform these exercises or how to incorporate them into a personalized program? Set up an appointment with an Invictus coach today by emailing info@crossfitinvictus.com.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009***SCHEDULING NOTE – We will have two group sessions tomorrow – 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. We will be closed on Christmas Day and on Saturday, December 26.***
Workout of the Day:
Snatch Balance
3-3-3-3
(Don’t feel compelled to go heavy – work on your technique and make it perfect.)
(Thanks again to our friends at Catalyst Athletics for the great instructional videos.)
and then,
Five rounds for max reps of:
30 seconds of Ring Dips
30 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Strict Pull-Ups (no kipping – use bands if necessary)
30 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Box Step-Ups with KB Goblet Hold (heavy)
30 seconds of Rest
Book Review – Never Let Go
Written by George Economou
(Editor’s Note – I took this book with me to Hawaii. The problem was, I couldn’t put it down and I finished it before I even checked in to the condo. I emailed the coaching staff my notes on the book and made it a “must read.” So far at least three coaches have read it. I thank George for getting a review together and promise to supplement with some other gems in the near future. Go buy this book! It’s not only a great read for quality information on strength and conditioning, it’s also well-written and extremely entertaining.)
CJ wrote earlier this week about how Invictus coaches are always seeking out opportunities to educate themselves in order to provide better services to our athletes. Recently transitioning from the Marine Corps, that concept resonates deeply with me. The leadership principle of “know yourself and seek self improvement” has just as much application now for me as a strength coach as it did as an intelligence officer.
Growing up, so to speak, as a junior officer in a Marine Corps at war, experience was something you didn’t have but always wanted more of. One obvious way to gain experience was to stay engaged with your current mission and learn as much as possible from your successes and failures. A lower impact method was to substitute your experience with someone else’s…reading about their success and failures.
I recently finished Dan John’s book Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning. You can read his bio on your own time here, but trust me when I say that he is a highly respected athlete and coach not only among the Invictus coaches, but also in the strength industry as a whole. The book reprints and expands on a number of articles he’s written on T-Muscle.com and cover the gamut from dieting, building strength, building mass, getting rest, exercise fads, goal setting and motivation. The book is a must read for aspiring coaches and athletes alike, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some major takeaways.
Free Will. The Human and I argued about whether I should continue to use this term or replace it with “motivation.” Whatever you want to call it, Coach Dan John basically says you only have so much of it any given day. For example, your alarm clock goes off at 5am…actually heeding its call uses up some free will. Eating some meat, nuts and fruit for breakfast instead of the cheese filled toaster strudel…free will. Not putting creamer in your coffee…free will. Drinking water instead of grabbing that Diet Coke with Lime…free will. By the end of the day, your free will tank is running low, and may even be empty by the time those white chocolate-chocolate-chip-heath-crunch-cookies show up in front of your face (it’s ok, you’re only human).
What can you do to avoid this dilemma??? Take free will out of the equation! Many of you are doing this already. You come into the gym with the expectation that we will provide quality programming and push you to achieve your goals. We’re telling you what to do and making sure you do it; that’s more free will in your pocket to use later on in the day. Dieting can work the same way. Build a meal plan for the week on Saturday and do your shopping and food prep on Sunday. On Wednesday, after that 9am staff meeting, when you’re usually making the decision of C19 (snicker’s bar) or H07 (snowballs), you can reach for the Tupperware of trail mix – Booyah! Free will in your pocket!
Goal Setting. There is quite a bit on goal setting in the book, but what stuck with me was to share your goals with others. If you have a goal that you want to achieve, tell EVERYONE. What you’ll soon find is that you have a community of friends and family that will help you achieve that goal, and even hold you accountable to it. Do your coaches know your goals? How about the rest of your Invictus community? I challenge you to share your goals (decency permitting) and see what happens after you throw them out on the table of life.
Goals and Behavior. Does your behavior match your goal? Along with throwing your goals out there, you need to make sure that your lifestyle supports those goals. Tell me that you have a weight loss goal of 30 lbs in 6 months, and then be willing to live a lifestyle that will support that change. If you’re not willing to display the behavior necessary to achieve your goal, then one or the other must change. This takes soul searching for some of us, for instance:
Goal – Compete in the 2012 Olympics for Doubles Badminton.
Current Situation – Decent athlete, but couldn’t spell Badminton before writing this article.
Behavior – Only able to devote two hours a week to whacking the shuttlecock. Oh yeah, and I can’t find a doubles partner because I keep telling EVERYONE how I need to find someone to smash the shuttlecock with.
I’m not trying to bring down anyone on their goals, but understanding this concept will be a considerable factor in achieving your goals.
This is a very small sampling of what Coach Dan John’s book has to offer. If you’ve got some time off this holiday season, pick up a copy for yourself and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21st, 2009Workout of the Day:
“Squat a Ton and Run”
Four rounds for time of:
Squat one ton and run 400 meters
One ton equals 2240 pounds. For our purposes complete the following reps per round with the weight listed:
* 275 lbs. = 8 reps
* 245 lbs. = 9 reps
* 225 lbs. = 10 reps
* 205 lbs. = 11 reps
* 185 lbs. = 12 reps
* 155 lbs. = 15 reps
* 135 lbs. = 17 reps
* 115 lbs. = 20 reps
* 95 lbs. = 24 reps
Invictus Athlete Spotlight – Angela McLean
Written by Michele Vieux
If you’ve ever been to the Noon class, you’re sure to have seen Angela M. She’s one of the most consistent athletes in the group. She gets there early and stays late every day to get in a good warm-up row and enthusiastically hit up some sort of finisher—her current favorite is Tabata Six-Pack and she usually ropes in a few fellow classmates to join her.
Angela is never in a bad mood, is a positive encourager of fellow classmates, and is always willing to try anything without a complaint.
Besides all of those great attributes, what makes Angela an amazing person and wonderful client to coach is the fact that she’s always trying to improve herself. Besides the extra warming up and sticking around to torture herself with Tabata Six-Pack, she is always asking for advice and suggestions on how to make herself more fit.
Angela had a double-knee operation a few months ago and was back in the gym within three weeks modifying workouts to help rehabilitate. Heck, before she even went in for the surgery she was preparing for her return by getting ahead on the strength and flexibility she knew she’d lose due to the surgery.
Angela has surprised me many times but looking back on what I know of her, I don’t know why I was surprised. I was stoked when she showed up to the Movement & Mobility Cert we hosted this past Fall and she’s recently hit me up for workouts she can do while she travels this holiday season.
Angela also loves to cook and cherishes the Italian recipes she grew up on. I’ve enjoyed exchanging recipe ideas with her and helping her figure out how to make her old family favorites Paleo-friendly. In fact, I plan on stealing a few for the new cookbook before she has a chance to write her own (a dream of hers) that will be stocked on the shelves of her Italian store (another dream).
Factoids:
First Invictus WOD – May 2009
Profession – Insurance Fraud Investigator
Favorite Exercise – Straight Leg Deadlift (since she doesn’t have to bend her knees)
Least Favorite Exercise – HSPU (they make her dizzy)
Why She Loves Invictus & CrossFit – It is a team sport that is an individual sport. You only compete with yourself and you have a wonderful community supporting you.
What She’s Gained Most From CrossFit – Mental toughness
What She’s Lost – A couple pant sizes
Favorite Band of All Time – Duran Duran
2010 Concert Wish List – John Mayer; Sugarland; The Killers
Best Live Music Venue in San Diego – Belly Up Tavern
Favorite TV Show – No longer watches episodic TV since the finale of The X Files but loves a good history piece especially if it is about JFK
Favorite Holiday Traditions – Making cookies with her mom; Opening presents on Christmas morning instead of Christmas Eve
Best Animal – Zuffa the Dog (pictured below) who may or may not like to eat soap
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20th, 2009Workout of the Day:
Snatch
3-2-1-1-1
(Go heavy! Set a new mark for your 1-RM snatch.)
and then,
“Grace”
For time:
135/95 lb. Clean and Jerk x 30
(Compare time to August 17, 2009)
In Pursuit of Excellence
Written by C.J. Martin
The Invictus mission is to “provide excellence in fitness coaching in an environment that promotes and is conducive to healthy lifestyles.” The first proposition of this mission is dependent upon the constant improvement and education of our coaching staff. I am always seeking out opportunities to learn new skills and add new tools that can be used to help our members. But I cannot tell you how excited I am about this new opportunity.
James Fitzgerald, founder of Optimum Performance Training (”OPT”) in Calgary, is a wealth of strength and conditioning knowledge. James is well known as an athlete – CrossFit Games winner in 2007, and top competitor in 2008 and 2009 – but I believe his greatest contribution to our community is coming now with his coaching certification program. I have had the pleasure of speaking with James about training methodology and was blown away. He has been in the fitness industry for 16 years, and has tried and discarded more than most coaches ever learned. James is a consummate professional who practices what he preaches with tremendous effect. I have yet to meet an athlete that has trained under him who is not thriving.
The new OPT Coaching Certification Program is a culmination of the lessons James has learned over the years and is designed to be a comprehensive program to help coaches develop in all aspects of fitness coaching. It is not a weekend seminar and not something that can be completed quickly. It includes both a theoretical and a practical component that requires participants to go back to their clients and actually implement strategies and effect positive change in order to earn a coaching certificate.
I registered for the first seminar moments after it posted to the OPT website. That means I will be heading to Calgary in February – which is a big deal because I hate the cold. If you’re a coach that cruises this site, I hope you will consider signing up as soon as possible and joining me. If you’re a member of the Invictus community, rest assured that we are continuing to improve every day, and this is just one of many steps that will be taken in upcoming months to ensure that we stay true to our mission to provide you excellence in fitness coaching.
