Workout of the Day:
For max reps:
60 seconds of Box Jumps (24″/18″)
60 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Push Press (75/45 lbs.)
60 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Pull-Ups
60 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Box Jumps (24″/18″)
45 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Push Press (75/45 lbs.)
45 seconds of Rest
45 seconds of Pull-Ups
45 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Box Jumps (24″/18″)
30 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Push Press (75/45 lbs.)
30 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Pull-Ups
30 seconds of Rest

Levitation Class at CrossFit Invictus

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Workout of the Day:
For time:
100 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
80 Wall Ball Shots (20/12 lbs.)
60 Knees to Elbows

Are You Over-Training, or Under-Recovering?
Written by Calvin Sun
(Originally published on June 2, 2009.)

Are you really overtraining? Sure, you might be experiencing some of the symptoms of overtraining but are you really training that hard? Michele’s post on overtraining suggests that working out without rest leads to the condition. I agree with Michele that people who do two workouts everyday under the assumption that more is better will quickly hit a point of diminishing returns. However, in my experience, I think the larger problem for the majority of our athletes is not training enough. Let’s be honest, on average, how many days a week do you train? If you only manage to get in 3 or 4 days a week, you are not overtrained. Yet you complain of fatigue, altered sleep patterns, mood swings, increased frequency of illness, persistent muscle soreness, and weight loss. Have you ever considered you might be under-recovered? You might not be doing too many WODs, instead you probably aren’t doing enough to make sure you are properly recovered from your training. Rest is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to recovery. There are many aspects to proper recovery:

Nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemical foundation that fuels our bodies. You can’t repair muscles without adequate intake of high-quality protein. Chicken, fish, beef, and eggs are all great choices because of their complete amino acid profiles. Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. You need to eat some quality carbohydrates in order to replenish yourself. Vegetables, fruits, and some starchy tubers (i.e. sweet potatoes) are all good choices. Grab one of Michele’s delicious “Invictus Shots” after your next WOD to make sure you are getting the fuel your body needs. Don’t forget to eat some healthy fat as well. Besides serving as an energy source, fat helps you absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Read the The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Dr. Loren Cordain for more information.

Sleep
Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. During sleep, your body releases a chemical cocktail that will help enhance your recovery and give you the greatest benefit from your training. Muscle tissues are repaired and the central nervous system is rejuvenated allowing for you to train at peak performance the next day.

Rest Days
As I mentioned earlier, Michele is spot on with this one. If you are training hard enough, you will need to rest once every 2 to 3 days. Following a 3-on/1-off schedule or even a 3-on/1-off/2-on/1-off schedule would serve to benefit you. Active recovery is great, go for a swim, a quick jog, or even a round of golf.

Myofascial Release
The repeated microtrauma from training everyday can take its toll on your body. Adhesions and trigger points can lead to all sorts of pain in both your muscles and your joints. Grab a foam roller and start rolling out your muscles. Lats, pecs, traps, glutes, quads, and hip flexors are the hot spots you’ll definitely want to hit everyday. Lacrosse balls are great for calves and glutes as well. The taped balls are perfect for rolling the thoracic erectors as well performing t-spine mobilization. Feel free to schedule a massage but you’ll want to make sure you are doing some damage control on a daily basis.

Stretching
Do not save the stretching for rest days. Tight hamstrings, tight calves and tight hip flexors are often to blame for the pain and injuries experienced by athletes. Do yourself a favor and stretch out after every workout. You don’t have to stretch out immediately after the WOD. I realize people have to get to work or get home for dinner, just make sure you do stretch sometime between the completion of your workout and your 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

NSAIDs
Lay off the Motrin. There is a normal healing process that occurs after an injury. The first 2 to 4 days are the inflammatory response phase. This phase is essential for initiating the healing process. When you take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, like ibuprofen, the entire healing process is halted. Read more in Kelly Starrett’s article.

Cryotherapy
Instead of drugs, use ice as it can help with the inflammation associated with the muscle soreness experienced after training. Use ice packs, ice baths, ice cups, ice massage, just not ice cream.

Fish Oil
Supplementing your diet with fish oil can reduce inflammation as well as help lubricate your joints. Read Mark’s post here. Dietary supplements should always be the last thing to add to your recovery program. Make sure your nutrition is solid before adding fish oil or any other supplement for that matter.

Having an effective and comprehensive recovery program in place is essential for your continued success as an athlete. Failing to do so will inevitably lead to training plateaus and/or injuries. You should strive to combat under-recovery with the same persistence and dedication that you have in your training. Remember, elite human performance requires an equally high level of maintenance and care.

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Workout of the Day:
Two sets of:
Deadlift x 6-8 reps @ approximately 60-70% of your 1-RM
(focus on maintaining perfect posture – any rounding must be considered a failed lift)
Rest 30 seconds
Two minutes of Double-Under Skill Practice
(work on finding a rhythm and/or mastering the skill)
Rest two minutes;
and then,
Three sets for time of:
Deadlift x 10 reps @ 60% of 1-RM
400 Meter Sprint
Rest 4 minutes

Formula for Mental Toughness
Written by Michele Vieux
(Originally published on March 2, 2009.)

In my opinion, CrossFit requires strength, speed, stamina, and a great deal of mental toughness. What good is being as strong as an ox or as fast as Flo Jo if you can’t push through tough and challenging workouts and maintain a steady or increased pace? I argue that mental toughness can get you a lot farther in CrossFit than brute strength or lightning fast speed.

But what is mental toughness? CrossFit Invictus member, Courtland, put it perfectly in a recent blog post.

“[Mental toughness is] getting past difficult points by experience and realizing how much of what one thought was too hard, impossible, etc. has now been felt and lived through, nearly always for great benefit.”

In CrossFit, mental toughness is maybe even more important than your physical ability or God-given athletic talent. CrossFit requires mental toughness to be able to perform at YOUR peak level. As your performances improve, so too does your mental toughness—both in your workouts AND your everyday life!

Some say mental toughness is inherent and some say it is learned. I say it is probably a little of both which means you can still improve yours no matter what level you already possess.

Here are some tips to help you get beyond those difficult points so that you may experience what you never thought possible and increase your mental toughness:

1. Psyche yourself up, not out. Think about what you need to do to complete the task at hand and NOT how hard or heavy it is going to be. Don’t let fear hinder or block your performance.
2. Don’t hang onto prior mistakes or failed attempts—use them as learning devices and stepping stones to success for your next try.
3. Set a goal like a pace time per round, completion of the WOD in under a certain amount of time, getting in a set number of reps completed before resting, giving yourself the best prep for your upcoming race, or even keeping a fellow Invictus member within your sights. Remind yourself of this when you want to stop.
4. Start next round or exercise BEFORE assessing if you need a rest. Getting in at least a couple of reps of the next task not only gives your mind a confidence boost but also gives your body a chance to assess if you still need the break. Sometimes moving in a different way can relieve some of the stress on your tired body parts.
5. The countdown—stick to it! If you do need to rest, no problem, but give yourself “the countdown” of a preset time limit in which you solemnly swear to restart your WOD.

When you realize that what you once thought was impossible is actually not, you will begin to see improved overall performance in your CrossFit workouts. And since mental toughness is a virtue that crosses many mediums, you should easily be able to relate your CrossFit experiences to your daily routine and enjoy improved performance in your quality of life with your newly acquired confidence and toughness.

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Workout of the Day:
Three sets of:
Bench Press x 4-6 reps
Rest 2 minutes
Ring Rows x 10-12 reps
(hold for 2 seconds at the top and take 3 seconds to descend)
Rest 2 minutes;
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
10 Pull-Ups
15 Dynamic Push-Ups
20 Anchored Sit-Ups
(Push-ups – Adv.=Slapping Chest, Int.=Clapping, Beg.=Pop Hands Off Ground)

Mark hates that we post this photo . . . which is pretty much why we do it.

Function over Aesthetics
Written by Mark Riebel
(Originally published on February 26, 2009)

Anywhere you look these days, you’re bound to see images of lean, beautiful people in the media enjoying their lives and selling you every product under the sun. Our society has put the image of a svelte, toned individual on such a high pedestal that it has become an obsession for countless individuals. As a result of this, the multi-billion dollar fitness industry has exploded as so many people get in front of the mirrors in gyms across America doing bicep curls to try to look pretty. We at CrossFit Invictus have a bit of a different goal than a great looking body—overall functional fitness.

Please don’t misunderstand me and think that I’m saying improving your physical appearance is a poor or misguided goal to have. I think it’s an excellent aim to want to lose a little fat or gain a few pounds of muscle and increase your overall level of health, and I realize that everyone who walks through our doors has a different and valid reason for doing so.

Rather, I’m saying that our brand of high-intensity workouts utilizing compound, multi-joint exercises (and not in the fashion of bicep curls with both arms) such as squats, deadlifts, and presses will lead to a much greater level of fitness and health than any circuit of machines at a traditional gym. And here’s the best part—the aesthetics will come with it. They always do. Your body will transform as you become stronger, leaner, and faster, and you’ll be developing the whole package of fitness while doing it.

The difference with our brand of training is that while training on a machine or in a way to isolate a muscle will work that muscle and make it look nice, that’s not how the human body is programmed to work. Our muscles work in concert with one another, and for the best results, that is how you should train. Training your muscles in isolation is kind of like buying a Lamborghini with a Geo Metro engine or going on a date with Paris Hilton. They both look nice, but when you go searching for the substance there’s just nothing there. That’s why you can see a big, buff guy injure himself picking up a 70 lb. box (something any of our CFI ladies can do) because he has never trained to deadlift properly.

So the next time you’re at Invictus up to your neck in a beast of a workout and you happen to get a lucid moment and wonder why you’re training the way you are, just know that you are stepping closer to your goals, and in a much more effective and valuable way than those guys and gals watching TV while they leg press.

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Workout of the Day:
Back Squat - Take 20-25 minutes to work up to a new 1-RM
(take a few warm-up sets, then once you get to 90% or above, rest at least 4-5 minutes between efforts);
and then,
Five sets for max reps of:
30 seconds of Clean and Jerk (115-135/75-95 lbs.)
30 seconds of Rest
30 seconds of Box Jumps (24″/18″)
30 seconds of Rest

Nichole knows how to lift heavy.

The Importance of Girls Going Heavy
Written by Dani Dufrene
(Originally published on February 5, 2009)

Sorry guys, this one is for the ladies.

I realize that not all of our CrossFit gals are opposed to going heavy; however, it is common for women to feel less comfortable going heavy than participating in met-con WODs. Women who were not engaged in team sports growing up have rarely been exposed to weightlifting. I know I wasn’t. I grew up dancing and dabbling in long distance running. Before CrossFit I certainly never lifted heavy loads overhead.

I think because going heavy is less familiar for women, we have a tendency to either avoid it all together (strategically making heavy days our rest days) or to not push ourselves to our full potential. I believe that is a great disservice to our overall performance both physically and mentally.

Why I think it is important to go heavy:

Going heavy builds confidence and is very rewarding for women. There is something extraordinarily empowering about being able to perform a body weight overhead lift or twice your body weight deadlift. It reassures you that when you are out in daily life you can hold your own – lug several bags of groceries into the house, then balance them on one knee while you open the door; squat down and scoop up your kids one in each hand or change the water jug at the office.

It helps build muscle and increase bone density. Muscle burns more calories than fat. The higher your lean body mass is the more efficient your body is in burning calories. As women get older their bodies produce less estrogen, which helps to keep bones strong. The strain that is placed on your bones during weight bearing exercise promotes bone strengthening and can help fight against osteoporosis.

What it feels like to go heavy:

You will have to dump the weight at some point in time. If you are successful in all of your lifts you are not pushing hard enough. Some women are afraid to test their limits, because they think they won’t make the lift. That should never be a concern. If you can’t make it – you dump it. But you will never know if you don’t try.

You might feel a little dizzy or light headed. If you get dizzy or light headed it is to be expected and you may be able to lessen the effects if you focus on your breathing. The dizziness is due to a lack of oxygen and won’t be as much of an issue if you make sure to take a deep breath at the beginning of each lift.

The last rep of a set should be questionable. When you are truly going heavy, it is work. It should not be performed with the same ease as the weight you use in a met-con WOD. You should have to fight. If you are doing 5×5 it should be a gamble whether or not you make that last repetition. If not, add some weight.

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Workout of the Day:
Five sets of:
Shoulder Press x 2-3 reps
Rest 2 minutes
Weighted Pull-Ups x 1 rep
(go for a new 1-RM – if you don’t have weighted pull-ups, work on negatives – hold the descent for 5-10 seconds, and if you can do that, add weight and try it again)
Rest 2 minutes;
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
15 Knees to Elbows
10 Dumbbell Renegade Rows

The CrossFit Games will be at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California!
This is bittersweet for me.  As a participant in the inaugural CrossFit Games, I will miss the feel and camaraderie of a small, non-commercial event.  But the sport of CrossFit has evolved, and this is a great development for all involved in the Games.  While this year’s Games will be a completely different experience from the first, I am just as excited and looking forward to this one.  Mark your calendars for July 16-18 (and make sure you’re also up in Irvine on May 7-9 to root our athletes to victory and spots in the Games).

On another note, if you can make the time for some nutrition information, check out this video – Sugar: The Bitter Truth.  It features Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, exploring the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.

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Workout of the Day:
For time:
12 Power Cleans
2 Burpees
10 Power Cleans
4 Burpees
8 Power Cleans
6 Burpees
6 Power Cleans
8 Burpees
4 Power Cleans
10 Burpees
2 Power Cleans
12 Burpees

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Workout of the Day:
Five sets of:
Back Squat x 2-3 reps
Rest 2 minutes
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row x 10-12 reps
Rest 2 minutes;
and then,
Complete as many rounds as possible of 10 Russian Kettlebell Swings and 5 Goblet Squats for each of the following time domains:
30 seconds of Swings and Squats
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Swings and Squats
60 seconds of Rest
90 seconds of Swings and Squats
90 seconds of Rest
2 minutes of Swings and Squats
2 minutes of Rest

Art Walk in Little Italy This Weekend
Written by C.J. Martin

San Diego’s Art Walk is surrounding the gym!  Art Walk is a great annual event that just so happens to be in our neck of the woods.  I don’t want to push too much culture on you, but I would strongly suggest taking an afternoon this weekend to see the many displays and visit the vendors at Art Walk – except the churro stands and similarly toxic junk food.

Art Walk is a really cool opportunity to hang out with friends and family, and buy or look at some amazing art.  It is not, however, particularly convenient for our members because of the street closures.  So, please be warned that on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, street parking could be very difficult to come by.  Our parking lot is available, as always, before 7:30 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m., but please ensure that you leave for the gym a little earlier than normal to navigate through street closures and find parking on Friday and Saturday.

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Workout of the Day:
Five sets for max reps of:
60 seconds of Bench Press (135/85 lbs.)
60 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Pull-Ups
60 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Anchored Sit-Ups
60 seconds of Rest

Last weekend's jump rope clinic at Invictus was awesome! Thank you Sara!

Where is he now?
Written by C.J. Martin

It’s true; I am off once again.  I have been away a lot this year.  But I promise, it’s because I love you.

It’s no secret that I love education.  After all, I spent nearly 20 years of my life working toward academic degrees.  But I truly see it as my job as a coach and business owner to be on a constant hunt for information and better methods.

Now, what’s a better method?  I don’t know yet.  And that’s kind of the point of committing to lifelong education.  I am trying to be as informed as possible so that we can test methods and determine best practices.  I am sure we’ll make mistakes in the process, but I am also confident that we will continue to find ways to improve how efficiently we can help our members achieve their fitness goals.

So where am I off to now?

I leave before dawn on Friday to head to Rhode Island for a BioSignature Certification put on by Charles Poliquin.  If you haven’t heard of Charles Poliquin, he is an extremely accomplished strength and conditioning coach who has worked with a wide variety of athletes, from bodybuilders to Olympians and NFL players.  From all accounts, the man is a scientist dedicated to tracking trends and correlations seen in his athletes.  From these trends and correlations, he created the BioSignature Method.

BioSignature is a system based on scientific evidence that where people store their body fat is an indication of their hormonal profile.  The concept is that once you have an understanding of an individual’s hormone profiles, you can more efficiently correct their specific imbalances through diet, exercise and lifestyle modification.  Or more simply put, by understanding what’s going on under your hood, we can better tune your engine so that you run more efficiently.

I don’t know enough yet to tell you that it will completely change how I counsel clients on exercise and nutrition, but I know that I need to know more about it.  I also know that several coaches that I consider teachers and mentors, such as James Fitzgerald and Robb Wolf, have invested in learning about BioSignature and have incorporated elements into their practices.  So I am off to figure out what I can bring back to you all and how we can continue to improve the coaching and knowledge in the Invictus community.

While I am gone next week, we’ll run a review of some of our best blog posts of 2009.  I was reminded recently that not all of our members have read some of what I consider to be the most important posts we’ve put on our blog.  I have picked a blend of posts that have helped create or communicate our culture and showcase some of our bright coaches and the education that has helped them to become superb at what they do.

I look forward to sharing what I learn with you all when I return.

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