***There are only FIVE SPOTS LEFT for the Whole 9 Nutrition Seminar on Sunday, August 29. Sign up NOW or regret it forever!***
Workout of the Day:
Four rounds for max reps of:
60 seconds of Kettlebell Swings
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Ball Slams
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Push Press
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Anchored Sit-Ups
30 seconds of Rest
Invictus Kids are Happy Kids! Kids workouts on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.!
Workout of the Day:
TESTING DAY – Please follow prescription and report scores. We will be using this data going forward to track our athletes’ progress. Online followers, this means you too. If you’ve been following along at home, or plan to do so going forward, please report your testing scores to comments so we can track your progress as well. The more information we have, the better we can tailor our program to suit the needs of our community.
Deadlift x 3 reps (with PERFECT posture and mechanics) @ 20X0 tempo
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 3-RM x 5 reps
* Set 2 – 75% of possible 3-RM x 3 reps
* Set 3 – 85% of possible 3-RM x 2 reps
* Set 4 – 90-95% of possible 3-RM x 1 rep
* Set 5 – Test 3-RM
* Set 6 (optional) – Exceed Set 5 weight for 3-RM
Rest exactly 3 minutes between lifts;
and then,
“Jackie”
For time:
1000 Meter Row
50 Thrusters (45/33 lbs.)
30 Pull-Ups
(Our good friend and Invictus East charter member POS holds a 5:30 Jackie time – you’ve got to be moving to beat that.)
A Big Day for Birthdays!
Another Invictus coach is a year wiser! Dani’s birthday was yesterday, but please help her celebrate it today with well wishes and any fun stories you can share in the comments.
AND . . . we can also celebrate the birth of Caleb John Nahama, who was born at 7:06 p.m. on August 19. He is 21 inches long and weighs 7 lbs 15.9 ounces. Mom (Susan), Dad (Justin) and baby are well!
The proud new parents . . . pictures of Caleb will be up soon!
Workout of the Day:
Complete two cleans or power cleans on the minute, every minute, for 25 minutes.
Record and report the total amount of weight you clean during the 25 minutes.
The challenge: Can you clean 10,000 lbs. in this workout?
Alcohol and Your Health & Fitness Goals
Written by Nichole DeHart
In no way am I advocating for or against alcohol in this post. I do, however, think it is important to be well informed when making decisions about your health. The consumption of alcohol seems to be a question that comes up often, so I will use this as a platform to write a few facts about alcohol and its effects on your body. Remember that if you do enjoy having an alcoholic beverage, then moderation and balance is the key.
Alcohol has a significant effect on the body and your possible health goals. So next time you go out for a drink or pour yourself a glass of wine, consider some of the effects that alcohol can have on your fitness goals.
Workout of the Day:
Four sets of:
In five minutes, run 600 meters, and then complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
5 Ring Dips
10 Push-Ups
Rest exactly 5 minutes between sets.
Dallas and Melissa of Whole 9 with Robb Wolf
The Whole 9 Nutrition Seminar and My Journey to Nutritional Greatness
Written by Michele Vieux
I love to cook healthy food so much that I started a business to do it for others. Even though I quit my career in marketing to pursue this path and others have looked to me for answers and inspiration, I do not claim to be an expert in the field of nutrition. That is one of the amazing and exciting things about the health and fitness industry—there is always something new to learn.
This is the reason I will be attending the Whole9 Life Nutrition Seminar we are hosting here at Invictus on August 29th. I can’t wait to hear someone else’s perspective, knowledge, research, and tips on how to make healthy-eating feasible in today’s fast-paced world. I also want to make sure I know the effects of certain foods on the body (for both myself and my clients). New research comes out every day on this stuff and I would be an idiot to only look at 10-year-old data or data from one source. Or, to think that the findings are universal across humankind.
Like I said, I’m still learning and my quest for proper nutrition has been quite a journey for the past few years. When I first started CrossFitting, I was introduced to “The Zone.” I weighed and measured diligently and lost a lot of weight and was definitely healthier than when I didn’t pay attention to what I was consuming. But I was still eating things that caused me discomfort, like grains and peanut butter, because I didn’t know any better. All I knew was that I was balancing my meals with the proper 40:30:30 ratio and I saw results.
A couple years ago, I started to learn more about the “Paleo Diet” and its overall health benefits. I began to choose higher quality foods like greens and fruits instead of processed carbs like pita and rice. I also made the switch from my beloved peanut butter to almond butter. It was difficult at first but I started noticing results immediately. I leaned out even more. I had more energy. And, voila, a lifetime of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and heartburn disappeared and I threw out the Pepto, Tums, and Prilosec for good!
Even more recently, I have been tweaking the Paleo Diet for my personal Biosignature (more to come on this Charles Poliquin discovery in a later post). My problem sites are directly related to high cortisol levels and insulin resistance, two things you don’t want. I am now controlling those levels by cutting things I was previously taught were okay for me to consume like coffee and high insulin response foods like fruit and alcohol. I am also bumping up the use supplements like fish oils, hydrochloric acid, and an herbal adrenal support blend to help me combat some of the cortisol issues.
Now I wonder, what else can I be doing? What am I missing? What don’t I know that I could be telling you?
With the list of promises that the Whole9 Seminar offers (sign up here), I’m bound to learn something new to help myself AND you! My journey to lead by example and provide you with the most valuable and reasonable nutrition information available will take me to the Whole9 Seminar. I hope you will make it a priority as well.
Workout of the Day:
TESTING DAY – Please follow prescription and report scores. We will be using this data going forward to track our athletes’ progress.
PART ONE
Five or Six sets of:
Shoulder Press @ 20X1 tempo
Rest 3 minutes between sets
(use this time effectively to work on hip mobility or glute activation exercises – your coaches can help give you some suggestions)
For the shoulder press, perform the following reps and percentages:
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 1-RM x 3 reps
* Set 2 – 75% of possible 1-RM x 2 reps
* Set 3 – 85% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Set 4 – 90-95% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Set 5 – Test 1-RM
* Set 6 (optional) – Exceed Set 5 weight
Part Two
“Lucky Sevens”
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
7 Box Jumps (24″/18″)
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
Tricep Stretch with Rope
Written by Calvin Sun
Tight triceps can prevent you from achieving a proper overhead position, as well as cause issues in the rack position. Use this stretch to help improve and maintain flexibility in your triceps.
- Start standing straight up and reach behind you with your right hand over and your left hand under.
- Actively reach as low as you can on your back with your right hand.
- Use your left hand to gently pull the rope down and increase the stretch felt in your tricep.
- Perform 5 cycles of 5 seconds of contraction and 10 seconds of passive stretching. Switch sides and repeat the same process.
Try incorporating this stretch into your post-workout routine.
Still not sure how to perform this stretch? Feel free to ask one of your coaches.
Workout of the Day:
TESTING DAY – Please follow prescription and report scores. We will be using this data going forward to track our athletes’ progress.
PART ONE
Fives sets of:
Back Squat @ 30X0 tempo
Rest 2 minutes
Strict Pull-Ups x Max Reps
Rest 2 minutes
For the back squat, use a high-bar position and perform the following reps and percentages:
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 1-RM x 5 reps
* Set 2 – 75% of possible 1-RM x 3 reps
* Set 3 – 85% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Set 4 – 90-95% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Set 5 – Test 1-RM
* Set 6 (optional) – Exceed Set 5 weight;
Rest between 8-10 minutes between your last back squat and Part Two, but leave the weights on the bar when you finish, you’ll come back to this.
PART TWO
One Set for Max Reps:
85% Back Squat x Max Reps @ 30X0 Tempo
* Load your bar with 85% of today’s 1-RM back squat weight and perform as many reps as possible.
American Cancer Society Relay for Life
Written by George Economou
On June 15, 2010, CJ wrote about Ben Sullins’ goal and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life event on August 21, 2010. We’re just five days out from the relay and it’s time to bring this event to the forefront again. Ben is relaying to honor his mother, who on May 17, 2010, lost her six-year battle against lung cancer. Ben’s team has nearly doubled their monetary goal, and there promises to be a large support group – typical of the Invictus Sea of Green. If you’ve already donated to the Breathe More Team, great! If not, no worries as there is still plenty of time. And if you’re not the donating type, that’s cool too, just do your best to show up on the 21st and support the team.
Now, from one of the humblest and most sincere people I know, Ben Sullins:
“The Relay for Life is an overnight camp-out that involves team members taking turns walking around the designated track for a total of 24 hours straight! Unofficially there is a rumor we might throw in some burpees and pushups every lap, but that is just speculation at this point. The idea is to never break the circle representing the continuous fight against cancer.
Many others on the team, and supporters of the event, have similar stories of how cancer has affected their lives, and this is a great opportunity to come together and do what we can to stand up against this terrible disease.
Currently we have 8 people signed up on the team which means we’ll each need to be walking the track for 3 hours non-stop, so needless to say we need more people. Ideally we’d like to get up to 24 people to join us for the event. Not everyone needs to stay overnight but if you can that would be great!
If you are interested in joining us for the relay event please sign up using the link below or contact me with any questions you have. We are going to have a T-Shirt making session next week as well so if you are interested please contact me and I will send you the details.”
Join the team or Donate to the team
Contact Ben (ben.sullins@gmail.com) for info about the T-Shirt making session next week.
Click the link to check out Ben’s Relay Video
Workout of the Day (at Invictus):
Take 15 minutes to work on Power Cleans
(if you feel good, add weight, if not, work technique and focus on maintaining good speed on the barbell for each attempt);
and then,
7 rounds of:
3 x Power Cleans (as heavy as you can)
Wall-to-Wall Suicide Runs
(partner up with one or two others and work through – get back to the barbell as soon as you complete your sprints and your partner has moved on to his or her sprints)
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE INVICTUS BABY SHOWER EXTRAVAGANZA!
We will be meeting in Coronado at Glorietta Bay Park (click here to see the map posted on Thursday) for a 10:00 a.m. workout in the park! The workout will double as performance art as George will lead everyone through a workout based on our interpretation of what it takes to make (seriously), carry, birth and care for a child. Even if you cannot make it for the BBQ following the workout, don’t miss this opportunity to have a great workout in the park! If you are sticking around for the BBQ, please bring a side dish to share. Hope to see you out there!
Workout of the Day:
Take 12-15 minutes to practice a skill that you need to work on (double-unders, muscle-ups, handstand holds, etc…);
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
50 Double-Unders
25 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
25 Goblet Squats (24/16 kg)
Happy Birthday Jen!
The CrossFit Endurance Challenge
Written by C.J. Martin
Who’s crazy? No seriously, I am talking a TEN HOUR WORKOUT crazy.
The CrossFit Endurance Challenge is kicking off its event series here in Southern California with a really cool trail run and team event. We need a couple of Invictus studs that are willing to show off to the whole CrossFit community that Nuno is not just a really fast mo-fo, but also a great running coach.
The inaugural CrossFit Endurance Challenge will be held on September 25-26 with a fun and challenging trail race with lots of hills at Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano. There will be a 5K and 10K on Saturday the 25th. Sunday will be the 20K, and a 10-hour AMRAP on the 10K course.
Check out the video below!
CrossFit Endurance Challenge from brian mackenzie on Vimeo.
video of the race course…
So here’s the fun part, you can race as a 6-person relay team . . . OR you can run it SOLO! (I know Kath is more than ready for that challenge, anybody else?)
You can register at www.crossfitendurancechallenge.com
So who’s in?
Workout of the Day:
Three sets of:
Push Press x 3 reps
Rest 90 seconds
Side Plank Hold x 60-75 seconds each side
Rest 90 seconds;
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
5 x Push Press (135/95 lb.)
10 x Pull-Ups
15 x Box Jump (30″/24″)
Invictus Studs Thom and Rohini (who is actually on her tippy toes)
Invictus Baby Shower Extravaganza!
Written by C.J. Martin
As many of you are aware, Invictus is taking its commitment to producing 2035 CrossFit Games Champions very seriously. We’re breeding en masse to create a training cohort that will carry us to victory in a couple of decades. So far, we have 8 of the wonderful women of Invictus incubating future champions.
To celebrate the amazing efforts of our 8 moms to be, we’re throwing a huge baby shower extravaganza THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 14. We will be meeting in Coronado at Glorietta Bay Park (see map below) – this is down the Silver Strand, it is NOT Tidelands Park, which is off of Glorietta Boulevard.
There will be a team workout at Glorietta Bay Park at 10:00 a.m., so be there around 9:30 a.m. to get matched up with a team. After the workout, we will enjoy an amazing feast and enter our ideas regarding the naming of Katie Mac’s daughter – she promised me that she would name it whatever we decided in a naming contest. With some luck, we might also talk Susan into birthing little Nahama Nahama Nahama (say it fast if you don’t get it) there in the park – she is approximately 13 months pregnant at this point and I think she could probably deliver on command if we exerted enough peer pressure.
Everyone is invited! Please bring a side dish to share (we’re thinking the theme will be South of the Border, so guacamole, beans, peppers and onions, tortillas, salsa, etc…) and something to drink. The lovely and amazing Cynthia, who gets all the credit for this great idea, has volunteered to bring and make Barry grill lots of chicken and beef. Accordingly, PLEASE RSVP TO COMMENTS so we know how much meat to purchase.
Don’t worry about bringing gifts, your full effort in the workout to honor these phenomenal women will be your contribution to the raising of the strong mini-Invicti.
If you cannot make the baby shower, the gym will still be running it’s regularly scheduled 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. sessions on Saturday. You’re welcome to join us there, but there’s no reason not to get outside and enjoy a fun team workout in honor of our fabulous pregnant women.
Finally, thanks to our friends at NorCal Strength and Conditioning for this brilliant concept. They honored their moms-to-be in similar fashion back in June with a Paleo Baby Shower.
Workout of the Day:
Deadlift
Take three to four sets to warm up to a heavy, but not max effort, 3-rep set
and then,
In teams of two:
Deadlift as much weight as possible in 8 minutes.
The weight selected is up to the team, but must not exceed the weight that can be done with perfect mechanics by both team members. Each team member may complete a maximum of 7 deadlifts each time they grab the barbell, and upon dropping the barbell, must complete 7 burpees before lifting again. Post total weight lifted to comments.
Optional Finisher – Pinch-Grip Farmer’s Walk
Grab two 25 lb. plates, pinch each between your thumb and four fingers, and find out how far you can walk before having to drop them. Then pick them up and try again, with your goal being to get them all the way back inside the gym on that second trip.
Proposed Captions?
Summer Book Recommendations
Written by Nichole DeHart
It is officially summer and you know what that means . . . more time to read! Well, this could just be my perspective because I am on summer break right now, but it is a great time to lay out by the beach and grab a good read. Here are a few books that I have enjoyed reading that have complemented my interest in living a healthy lifestyle.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky
So I took a class in college called Stress Management and this was one of our required reading books. I am glad it was because I probably would not have picked it up off the shelf otherwise. Nonetheless I am so glad to have read it because it put a new perspective on how to identify stressors in ones life, if those stressors are even worth the anxiety they create and how stress has completely diminished our overall wellness. Sapolsky has a great sense of humor as he writes about how chronic stress has caused a wide range of physical and mental afflictions. Definitely pick this book up and take a look at how we can put an end to the cycle of chronic stress.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
If you have not already read this book, please do so. I am pretty sure I am in love with Michael Pollan and would marry him if he wasn’t already. This book changed my life. I read this a few years ago when I was just starting to get interested in food quality and food security. Pollan breaks down exactly where our food comes from and how drastically our food as been altered from its original source. You will have a whole new outlook on corn after reading this book. I also recommend watching the movie King Corn if you have already read this book and found it riveting.
The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker
Don’t let the title scare you off. This is an incredible book that I am constantly recommending. Gavin De Becker delves into how to spot danger signals in various situations. You know that feeling, that gut instinct, when something just isn’t right? De Becker explains how to identify and trust in our gut instincts. This book includes chapters on how to act when approached by a stranger and when dealing with people who are too persistent. Our intuition is a gift and De Becker explains how to read ones intuition and act on it.
The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson offers an excellent explanation as to how to eat primal (aka Paleo) and why to do so. Don’t worry, this book doesn’t get all sciency (yes, I am making that a word) but it explains in layman’s terms why eating and living primal is not only beneficial but also pleasurable.
Those are some books I have enjoyed reading. I would love to hear from others about any of your book recommendations!
