Workout of the Day:
“The Bear”
Perform one of each of the following:

• Power Clean
• Front Squat
• Push Press
• Back Squat
• Push Press

Complete the series of movements seven times per round, and complete a total of five rounds.  Once you begin a round, the weight cannot rest on the floor until the round is completed.  Rest 3-5 minutes between rounds.  The goal is not to complete the workout in a set amount of time, but rather to complete it with the heaviest weight possible.

Announcing the Self-Myofascial Release Clinic – Coming to Invictus on January 30-31
(Editor’s Note – I am extremely excited to be hosting Jeff Alexander and his SMR clinic.  The coaches at Invictus are huge fans of foam rollers and lacrosse balls as means of helping you recover between workouts and improving muscle tissue quality.  Jeff is the best around at teaching how to effectively utilize these tools.  I hope many of you will sign up soon.  Just click the link below.)

Does your neck hurt?  What about your shoulder, back, or knees?

Come learn what is possible through self-care. We will cover how to work your body from head to toe, delve deeply into the muscles that contribute to proper joint function and which ones limit proper function when they lock up. If your issue is muscle related, you’ll learn techniques that can help. You will also learn how to cue others for proper placement and body position, as well as when it is time to call a licensed therapist.

All participants receive written instructions in a 158-page course workbook, an SMR tool kit that includes the Footballer, 2 Massage Balls, the Baller Block, Quadballer and the revolutionary GRID, from Trigger Point Performance, along with special discounts on Trigger Point Performance products

Click here to view and print the Coaches Clinic Flyer

Click here to register.

When:  Saturday and Sunday, 
January 30-31, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

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Workout of the Day:
Four sets of:
Hang Power Snatch x 3 reps
Rest 90 seconds
Rotational Ball Throw x 10 reps (5 each side)
Rest 90 seconds
(Use a 4, 6 or 8 lb. ball for the throw.  Place the ball in the center of your chest with your elbows at 90 degrees from your body, your front elbow pointing toward the wall, step and throw as if you are delivering a punch.  Your goal should be to produce as much speed as possible on the ball.  Reset yourself completely between throws.)
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
12 x Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
12 x Renegade Rows
(Use the heaviest dumbbell or kettlebell you can handle.)

A photo for POS and our friends following our blog from colder climates. This photo was taken last weekend just after a tough beach WOD that required an ocean plunge to help relieve soreness.

Spinal Mechanics Made Simple
Written by Mike Hom

The coaches at Invictus seem to really harp on spinal health.  We do not let you mobilize your lumbar spine no matter how good it may feel at first.  There are some good reasons for this.

If you think of your spine being similar to a fishing pole, you can see a lot of similarities.  Your spine can easily flex and extend through your cervical vertebrae and retain a fair amount of mobility through your thoracic.  Once you reach the lumbar vertebrae, your spine gets much stiffer, but not completely immobile.

Now, consider a fishing pole under load.  If the fish is larger than the pole’s tolerance, the pole will flex and flex until it eventually snaps.  Depending on how much shearing force and the direction the fish was headed, the pole can snap close to the tip or farther down where the pole starts to stiffen up.  This is, for all intents and purposes, very similar to how your spine behaves under load.

We’ve already seen topics revolving around postural health (http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/2009/03/wednesday-march-4-2009/) and ways to maintain or improve thoracic mobility (http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/2009/06/tuesday-june-16-2009/ and http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/2009/06/wednesday-june-17-2009/), so it would seem logical that rolling out the lower back is a good thing, right?

Wrong!

Like the fishing pole, we want our lumbar spine as strong as possible.  Unlike the fishing pole, our lumbar spine is still comprised of vertebral discs which can move.  To make things worse, the more the lumbar gets mobilized over time, the more susceptible we are to back problems.  So keep your lumbar spine stiff!  Instead, roll your thoracic spine and hip abductors, and spend some time with a lacrosse ball on your psoas.  Keeping these areas mobile will reduce pressure on your lumbar spine.

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Workout of the Day:
Back Squat x 20 reps
and then,
Four Rounds for Max Reps:
45 seconds of Ring Dips
15 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Pull-Ups
15 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Ball Slams (as heavy as you can handle)
15 seconds of Rest
Rest 60 seconds between rounds.
(Take 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps to warm-up to weight that will likely challenge you for 12-15 reps – then squat it 20 times without racking the bar.)

Don’t Workout With Strangers
Written by C.J. Martin

(Editor’s Note – The following post originally ran on on January 30, 2009.  Over the course of January we will periodically take a look back at some of the blog posts from 2009 that help explain why CrossFit Invictus is different, or explain helpful tips for the members of our community.  If you recall a post that had an impact on you, please let us know by emailing info@crossfitinvictus.com.)

Elevators are awkward. They present an opportunity by which you could be uncomfortably confined with several individuals that you have never met. Body odors, loud talkers and space invaders are just a few of the many perils of the awkward elevator situation. And because we know that the ride will end soon, it just isn’t worth making a personal connection with our fellow passengers. Unfortunately, at GloboGyms around the country, millions of individuals are turning their fitness facilities into similarly awkward and unappealing places. GloboGyms are filled with people tuned in to their headphones and doing everything humanly possible to avoid eye contact. There is always some trepidation as to whether someone is going to want to “work in” with you and leave a sweaty trail in their wake. More often than not there is a guy grunting or yelling loud enough for any female of breeding age to hear him from across the gym and look over to see his kipping bicep curl. Despite all of this, millions suck it up and hurry through their workout hoping to make it out of their with as few awkward interactions as possible.

Why do people choose to put themselves in that environment? Given a choice, wouldn’t you rather workout amongst friends who will support and encourage your efforts and celebrate your successes? If not, you’re a sociopath and can stop reading. But if you are like those of us who enjoy the company of others, CrossFit Invictus is the place for you.

One of our taglines and objectives at CrossFit Invictus is “Building Communities,” and it is something we take very seriously. We believe that there is more to fitness than just athletic achievement. CrossFit facilitates development of mental fortitude because of the rigors associated with its relative intensity, but more importantly, it fosters friendships in a way that is only typically seen in team sports and certain divisions of our Armed Forces. CrossFit can at once be inspiring and humbling. It presents hurdles that seem insurmountable and the thrill of achievement when they are overcome. It’s precisely because of these rigors and their associated emotions that we grow close to those who share the experience with us. We cheer the loudest for others because we remember overcoming a similar obstacle and know the sense of achievement. Their successes become our inspiration and drive us to achieve even more.

For the most part, this community building is organic and needs very little tending. But it is important to plant the seed. At CrossFit Invictus I ask at the beginning of each coaching session that everyone takes a moment to introduce themselves to anyone in the room they don’t know. I encourage our more veteran athletes to take the initiative to introduce themselves to newcomers even before the session begins. It might seem silly or forced, but it is amazing how knowing someone’s name can change your view of them and your willingness to connect with them. So if you have not made a habit of it already, be sure to shake someone’s hand and introduce yourself the next time you see someone in here that you haven’t met. By doing so, you help us combat the awkwardness that plagues GloboGyms (and elevators) everywhere.

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Workout of the Day:
“Lynne”
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups
(Compare to June 4, 2009)

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