Workout of the Day:
Three sets of:
Pendlay Row x 6 reps
Rest 90 seconds
Single-Leg Squat x 6 reps each leg
(Load squat with weight vests or kettlebells)
Rest 2-3 minutes;
Two rounds, in teams of two:
3 Minutes – Row for Max Meters (90 seconds each)
3 Minutes Rest
3 Minutes – Sled Pull for Max Yards (alternate every 25-yards)
3 Minutes Rest

Happy Birthday Christina!

Stress and Weight Loss
Written by Nichole DeHart

Yesterdays post summarized how chronic stress effects the immune system and how it works against our goal of optimal health. What about stress and weight management?

When stressed, the pancreas is triggered to release a hormone called glucocorticoid (cortisol is a glucocorticoid). Having high levels of cortisol can decrease growth hormones, cause accumulation of visceral fat, keep blood fats and sugar high, lead to elevated insulin, promote insulin resistance (Type II diabetes), and increase desire to eat – especially sweet foods. An elevated level of cortisol (caused by chronic stress) is associated with increased resistance of insulin receptors and is associated with preferential deposition of fat in visceral stores. Basically, fat is harder to lose when one is chronically stressed. Does this seem to align with your fitness goals?  Probably not.

Here are a few tips for how to manage your levels of stress:

1. Positive Primary Appraisal: evaluate the potential threat of the event/stressor. Is this a threat to my well-being? Is this a challenge? A positive primary appraisal will help give one an increased sense of control, an increased use of problem-focused coping, an increased use of social support and will have less psychological distress.
2. Secondary Appraisal: If your primary appraisal detects a threat to your well being then a secondary appraisal is needed. Can I deal with this? Do I have control over the situation?
3. Adapt effective coping mechanisms to deal with the situation. These effective coping mechanisms may include problem management and emotional regulation. Problem management is basically managing the situation. This type of coping involves coming up with strategies directed at changing a stressful situation. Emotional regulation involves strategies directed at changing the way you feel or think about a situation. Guess what is part of emotional regulation? You got it, exercise!

You are already on the road to decreasing or more effectively managing your levels of stress. CrossFit Invictus provides a wonderful environment that encourages an active lifestyle and gives a platform for social support. These are attributes that may help reduce stress. Next time you come into the gym, think about what’s really stressing you out. Try to manage that stress and your overall fitness goals may be reached sooner than expected.

***PRESIDENT’S DAY SCHEDULE – The 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. sessions are canceled.  All other sessions will proceed at their regular time – 9:30 a.m., Noon, 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.  A new On-Ramp Group is also starting at 7:30 p.m. – it’s not too late to sign up!***

Workout of the Day:
Ten rounds, performed every 90 seconds, of:
2 Power Clean (use 85% or your 1-RM)
3 Burpees;
and then,
As many pull-ups as possible in 5 minutes.
Every time you come off the bar you must complete a 100 meter sprint before resuming pull-ups.

Rockstar members Justin and Susan at our one year anniversary party.

To Rotate or Not to Rotate?
Written by Mike Hom

There are a lot of arguments opining on the best way to train for sports or activities that require trunk rotation.  Naturally, many advocate employing rotational exercises to provide a stimulus in which the trunk rotates quickly and/or with external resistance.  On the other hand, others subscribe to the school of thought that you should primarily train to resist torsional forces.  In other words, training to resist something that is trying to twist you by striving to keep your posture square and straight.

Let’s look at a more specific example.  Let’s say you have a goal to hit a golf ball longer and straighter.  You need to augment your strength to help get more power out of your swing.  You might believe that exercises such as wood chops with a dumbbell or cable that simulate the movement you will be performing would be the way to go.  While I might incorporate some of that in your program, I would place a priority on exercises that forced you to resist trunk rotation – such as one-arm kettlebell swings – to help strengthen your midline stabilizers and aid them in keeping your spine in a strong and neutral position.

I believe that both rotating and resisting rotation play a necessary role in a well-balanced training protocol, but in my opinion a priority should be placed on resisting torsional forces.  Training to resist rotation more efficiently develops the musculature necessary to stabilize your spine and put you in an optimal position to transmit force from your core to your extremities.

For a great article on training for rotation with specific examples of how and how not to perform movements, check out Calvin’s two part series on Training for Rotation:
Part One
Part Two

Workout of the Day:
“Miracle Mile”
Sprint 400 meters
25 x Kettlebell Swings
Farmer’s Walk with heavy dumbbells the East and West sides of the block
Waiter’s Walk with heavy dumbbells the South and North sides of the block
25 x Box Jumps
Sprint the East and West sides of the block
Walking Lunges on the East and West sides of the building
Burpees x 25
Sprint 400 meters with 20 lb. DynaMax Medicine Ball

Congratulations to Sinthia and Barry, who will celebrate their 12 year anniversary on Valentine's Day.

And congratulations to Areba and Mark, who celebrate their 5 year anniversary on Valentine's Day!

Workout of the Day:
Five rounds for max reps of:
45 seconds of Deadlift (approx. 1.5 x Bodyweight)
15 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Bench Press (approx. Bodyweight)
15 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Power Clean (approx. .75 x Bodyweight)
15 seconds of Rest

(Seven or eight stations will be set up with varying weights for all skill/strength levels.)

What you put in your mouth is as or more important than what you put into your workouts.

Let’s Talk About Food!
Written by C.J. Martin

We’re now two weeks into the Invictus Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good Challenge.  Most have been dedicated and consistent with their workouts, but is everyone eating well?  Are you even sure that you know what “eating well” looks like?

This Saturday, February 13 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Invictus coaches Calvin Sun, George Economou and I will be presenting about the essentials of good nutrition.  Whether your goal is weight loss or performance based, we will provide a quality overview of how to set up and tweak your diet for optimal performance.  Topics covered will include:

THE BASICS OF GOOD NUTRITION
Macronutrients – Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
-What are they?
-What role do they play?

Macronutrient balance? Ratios?
-Food Quality and Food Quantity

ESSENTIALS OF FAT LOSS NUTRITION
Calories in, calories out?

Insulin
-Insulinogenic foods
-The role of Insulin in the human body
-The impact of Insulin on fat loss

Metabolism
-What is metabolism?
-Nutrient timing to increase metabolic rate
-The thermic effect of food

IMPLEMENTATION AND MEAL PLANNING
Grocery shopping
-Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
-Good choices and bad choices

Planning a successful week

Building a balanced meal

This seminar is FREE to Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good Challenge members who signed up for the coaching package.  All others wishing to attend will be asked to contribute $10.  Please let us know that you intend to participate so we can plan to have enough seating – just email info@crossfitinvictus.com.

And don’t forget, Master Chef Michele Vieux’s cooking demonstration is next Saturday, February 20.  Make sure you sign up!

Workout of the Day:
Six sets of:
Snatch + 2 Overhead Squats
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
10 Tall Wall Ball Shots (must clear the red stripe)
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

Why Run?
Written by Nuno Costa

‘Whether you have taken up running to lose weight, to improve fitness, to relieve stress, to compete, or just to kill time, you’ll find that the benefits are many.’

I haven’t always been a runner…I grew up playing soccer and volleyball and decided to finally give running a shot in college.  I knew I was fast, but I knew I would have to really dedicate myself to the sport if I was going to do anything with it.  My freshman year I played volleyball on the club team and that spring I walked into the track coaches office and told them I wanted to come out for the team.  They told me when tryouts were going to be held, but I don’t think they thought I would show up.

‘Just as important, running–like many forms of exercise — is a great cure for stress, emotional strain, even mild depression. You’ll likely find yourself with fewer headaches and more energy, patience, humor and creativity. Studies have found that healthy adults who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don’t.’

I showed up that fall and tried out, and just barely made the team – there was one specific workout our coach had us do: 300 meter all out sprint –  which was supposed to really gauge our speed – I did not do well, at least not well enough to compete at an NCAA Division 1 team.  For some reason or another, I didn’t get cut and I dedicated myself to getting faster and working my butt off.   The first year I competed at the conference championships, and that alone was an achievement.  The next year I received the most improved award, and my third year I made all conference when I finished 3rd in the 400M race at Conference and also cracked the top 10 all-time for Cal Poly SLO.

‘Many say they are at their most creative and lucid, even meditative, during their runs, as the worries of the day slip away. Confidence increases as you push your own limits, meeting goals and often surprising yourself by exceeding your own expectations. Running is a sport of discipline, sometimes of sacrifice, and always of self-reliance. You may surprise yourself with your capacity for all three. The personal rewards can be quite powerful.’

I could have given up, I could have not gone out and tried to make the team, but something told me that was a journey and a challenge I wanted to take on.  For me, running became an escape, it became my past time, it became my hobby, stress reliever, etc….  It was everything to me – for a few years I got away from running and life did not go as smooth for me – and in the past year or so as I have rededicated my life to running it seems as if everything is falling in place.

I run because it makes me happy.  I run because I feel accomplished.  I run because I know it inspires people.  I help people with their running because I realize this is a gift I have been given and to waste it would be doing a disservice.

Workout of the Day:
Power Clean and Jerk x 3 reps, on the minute every minute for 10 minutes.
Use 70-75% of 1-RM and focus on finishing 3 reps as quickly as possible; rest the remainder of the minute;
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
12 Ring Dips
18 Jumping Lunges/Alternating Split Squats
24 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)

Rest and Recovery – Ice Massage
Written by Calvin Sun
(Originally posted on January 19, 2009)

Elite fitness requires an equally high level of maintenance and care. You wouldn’t expect your car to run at a peak level of performance without regular service and repair, so it doesn’t make sense when athletes neglect to take care of their bodies. Cryotherapy is an effective method for managing inflammation and providing pain relief. It is common to see cryotherapy used in a variety of sports. Most often you will see athletes with bags of ice on various parts of their body after competition. A simple method of icing is using a cold compress or ice bag in cycles of 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. On the extreme end, you can jump into an ice bath after your next workout to see the recovery benefits (see Robb Wolf http://robbwolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/wolf-wanker.jpg). For those of you who have yet to build up such a tolerance, I would suggest ice massage as a simple and slightly less uncomfortable method of promoting recovery of the musculoskeletal structures.

Step 1. Fill your foam cup with water until it is almost full. You’ll want to leave some room for the expansion of ice.
Step 2. Place the cup in your freezer overnight or until the ice is solid.
Step 3. Peel away the foam cup to expose the ice.
Step 4. Keeping the ice moving, massage the affected area in small circles for 5 to 7 minutes. You can use a towel to clean up as the ice melts.

Ice massage is cheap and effective. All you need is a styrofoam cup like the one pictured here or if you are environmentally conscientious you can purchase a reusable product such as the Cryocup (http://www.cryocup.com/). An ice cube could be used but I would strongly recommend the foam cup or Cryocup as it will keep your hand from freezing.

Workout of the Day:
Perform three sets of:
Thrusters x 12 as quickly as possible (use the heaviest load you can manage unbroken for 12)
Rest exactly 60 seconds
Burpees x 12 as quickly as possible
Rest exactly 3 minutes;
and then,
“Annie”
Rounds of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 reps of:
Double-Unders
Anchored Sit-Ups

Coconut Oil Makes the Fluffiest Eggs
Written by Michele Vieux

Coconut oil makes eggs fluffy and delicious! I recently discovered this thanks to a suggestion from my buddy Wayne before he left us for NYC. The high smoke point (360 degrees) helps create little bubbles of steam to flow through the eggs and fluff up even more than when cooked with butter.

The high smoke point also means that coconut oil is perfect for sautéing, frying, and pretty much any other type of cooking you can imagine. It is a great substitute for butter in recipes and I’ve even heard of people using it to make spreads for veggies, as a creamer in coffee, and even lick it right off the spoon. I haven’t yet been that brave but am looking forward to testing it out in some of my recipes.

For those of you (weirdoes) who don’t like coconut—never fear, coconut oil doesn’t have a distinct taste so you can cook with it without changing the flavor of your dish.

Since I have been using more coconut oil, I thought I better do a little research to make sure its inclusion won’t cause me harm or hinder performance. Here’s what I found out (in addition to the fact that it makes a wonderful skin and scalp moisturizer).

Coconut oil is a tropical oil that South Pacific populations have thrived on. In fact, most South Pacific diets contain 30 – 60% of their calories from coconuts and coconut oil and the people consuming this much coconut product have normal cholesterol levels and little to no presence of cardiovascular disease.

It is made by drying the flesh of the coconut by heating it at a low temperature until the moisture is evaporated, leaving an oily residue. There are other processes of removing the oil that include chemical drying so make sure you look for a cloudy, solid substance labeled “virgin, organic” coconut oil to avoid these chemicals.

Coconut oil is made up mostly of medium-chain saturated  fatty acids (about 92%) and more specifically, lauric acid which has a neutral effect of cholesterol and triglyceride levels. For those of you who just freaked out when I said “saturated fatty acid”, you should know that fatty acids aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

Saturated fats make up one half of cell membrane structure, enhance calcium absorption and immune function, aid in the body’s synthesis of essential fatty acids, and are a rich source of fat soluble vitamins.

Western diets typically contain a majority of long-chain fatty acids so getting this variety in the diet is good. The medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil provide anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-microbial properties and RAISE metabolism!

Variety is the spice of life. It also makes sure we are getting all of the nutrients our bodies need, and with the intense workouts we perform in addition to our regular routines, CrossFitters need to be especially concerned with it.

I recommend subbing coconut oil in some of your recipes to achieve this variety. It can be found at most health food stores and foreign markets. It can be a little expensive (which will keep you from eating it by the spoonful) but is totally worth the investment.

Workout of the Day:
Deadlift x 15 reps (as heavy as you can handle unbroken, and with proper mechanics)
Rest 45 seconds
Handstand Push-Ups x Max Reps
Rest 3-4 minutes
Deadlift x 10 reps (use the same load)
Rest 45 seconds
Handstand Push-Ups x Max Reps
Rest 3-4 minutes
Deadlift x 5 reps (use the same load)
Rest 45 seconds
Handstand Push-Ups x Max Reps;
and then,
Four sets of 3-minute “Cindy” sprints (5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Squats) – Perform as many rounds as possible in 3 minutes, then rest 90 seconds between rounds and pick up where you left off to start the next round.  Score total number of rounds completed.

More to Celebrate at Invictus!!!
Written by C.J. Martin

George and Sarah (aka, “The Human”) spent last weekend skiing in Utah.  But their smiles should tell you that there is more to the story.  George popped the big question, and Sarah was gracious enough to make an honest man out of him.

I couldn’t be happier for the two of them.  Please join me in congratulating and wishing George and Sarah the absolute best!

Workout of the Day:
Seven rounds for time of:
Hang Power Clean x 7 reps
Front Squat x 7 reps
Thruster x 7 reps
(As heavy as possible, but you must be able to complete the first round unbroken.)

Have you registered for Michele's February 20 cooking demo?

***RUNNERS – remember that the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Training Program orientation meeting will be held at CrossFit Invictus on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.***

For those of you signed up for the Invictus Running Clinic that begins today, here is what coaches Nuno and Marc (aka, “Homey”) have planned: Video Analysis, Run Mechanics Lecture, Intro to all drills, & surprise CFE workout . . . .  And remember, wear flat shoes – something like Converse All Star, Racing Flats, Inov8, or DC Skate shoes.