Workout of the Day:
Bench Press
5-5-5
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
5 x Dumbbell Renegade Rows
10 x Ring Dips
15 x Toes to Bar

Linz J. of Cynergy CrossFit - on loan from CrossFit Invictus

The Front Door, The Ultimate Milestone
Written by Lindsey Johnson – an East Coast Member of the Invictus Family
(Editor’s Note – Lindsey’s article appeared on the Cynergy CrossFit website on November 24, 2009. It makes a great point that is often overlooked. As we are hosting more and more On-Ramp sessions for new members, remember how intimidating your first day was and please make an effort to walk over and introduce yourself to any new person you haven’t met.)

We all remember our big fitness milestones, first pull up, first muscle up, first triple digit lift, first WOD as RX’d, first WOD period….
In reality I think the most important  milestone, one that goes unnoticed by most, is getting in here in the first place.  It’s much easier to make excuses, stay home, sleep late, make dinner, cart the kids around, take care of the day-to-day which weighs on us so heavily.
The challenge is getting up, getting here, getting through the front door.
After some time that challenge isn’t so much of a challenge, many of us, do it with ease or even look forward to it.  But remember that first time?  You had never been to CrossFit, maybe you had never worked out, maybe you had a been a bootcamper of sorts, but never tried CrossFit, maybe you were a “globo gym hero” but new to this type of fitness.  Whatever it is/was, we all started somewhere.  We all faced that challenge.
I was inspired on Saturday by a new member to our box, coming in to meet Cindy for a foundations class; she walked in and she stood over by the door watching…
Watching: the Saturday morning “hooligans play around” after the WOD, doing muscle up work on both the bars and the rings, climbing the rope, doing handstands and generally having fun.
I remembered what that felt like, for me, being the “new kid”, feeling totally out of shape and out of place and thinking “what the hell am I doing here”.  I remembered my first day, I was at CrossFit San Diego, and I knew no one in the class or at the gym.  I waited by the door like so many of us do, observing those around me, wondering if anyone is going to say hi, wondering just how “in shape these people are” and what they will think of me when I can barely get through the workout that lies ahead.  I remember thinking, these people are going to think I am such a loser I should just leave… NOW.  I remember waiting… It was terrifying.
Then the workout started and it wasn’t so bad, it was harder than anything I had ever done, but the people were super nice, encouraging and positive.

I thought to myself Saturday and remembered that first time; watching this “new girl” standing in the corner, waiting to get her ass handed to her by one of our favorite people, this girl has guts… good for her!

The strength of spirit it takes to get past all of those things that make you want to turn around and walk away, the strength it takes to get  through the front door…
In the spirit of our front door changing in a few days, I’m wondering what got you through the front door?

Whatever it was, we’re glad you’re here and you’re a part of our family.

Workout of the Day:
Bench Press
5-3-3-2-2
and then,
Three rounds for time of:
10 x Hang Power Snatch (115/75 lbs.)
15 x Ring Row

George (and his hamstrings) made quite an impression on Coach Starrett.

Fundamentals – Steps Back, Leaps Forward
Written by Mike Hom

Often times, we become overly involved in forward progress without regard to periodic re-evaluation. This happens with both experienced and inexperienced athletes. As an example, you may be decent enough at the air squat, which then allows you to be decent enough at the front and overhead squats, which results in you being decent enough at the clean or snatch. What invariably follows is decent enough progress until you hit a very tangible ceiling – the plateau, so to speak. The basic thought process is to examine how to create quick forward progress (to maintain momentum, of course) which, for most people, is the ability to move more weight. And, often times, the easiest conclusion to come to is to suck it up and try to increase the weight with your “decent enough” form.

Unfortunately, this is not the best approach to make progress.

Virtuosity is a subject we coaches like to hit on, repeatedly, from every angle. It gives us a base motivation to be better at something. That constant improvement is what keeps us coming back. Let’s go back to the example above: Everything about our overall performance is “decent enough.” It’s alright. It ain’t anything to write home about.

We DO NOT want good enough.

We want to be the best at what we do. We aspire not for a 10 on a scale of 1-10. We want to aim for 11. The question is, how do we get to 11 when we’re at a 3, 5 or 7? How can we make those leaps of progress? Sometimes we have to do what is hardest.

We have to take steps back.

Aside from being a coach, I try to maintain some modicum of athleticism. I have to be very honest with myself about where I stand with regards to my performance overall and with each discrete movement and exercise. I am good at some. I am OK at others. I am terrible at many. I can elect to only chase my strengths. That’s great for my ego. But to become more well-rounded – to become fitter by any standard – I have to buck up and work on the stuff I am simply not good at. It also means that I have to work on all of the constituent exercises that may lead to more complex movements – regardless of whether I am good at them or not.

Going back to the original example in the first paragraph, if I am only decent enough at the clean, I will work on not just my front squat, but my air squat! Why? Because it is principally the fundamental exercise. If I cannot improve my ability to brace as hard as possible, squeeze my glutes, suck my ribs down and keep my spine and hip wedded for integrated movement without load, it would be a good guess (not necessarily a law, though) that having a load across my collarbone and shoulders will not assist in the matter.

If chasing excellence leads to success, then chasing virtuosity leads to progress. Some could say they are the same, but I say they are similar with differences. Excellence is a state of superiority in some given quality – to go above and beyond. Virtuosity is having great skill in the practice of something – anything. You want to chase virtuosity in your movement to continually nurture the seed of progress. You want to use that progress to help you chase excellence in order to go above and beyond what you think you can do, and consequently, experience success.

Be excellent. Be virtuous.

Workout of the Day:
Rounds of 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6 and 3 reps for time of:
Knees to Elbows
Pull-Ups
Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
 

Bursting Your Comfort Bubble
Written by Nick Hawkes

When I told people that I was taking a six month hiatus from the all-star coaching staff at CrossFit Invictus in favor of spending the summer in Utah being a Wildland Firefighter, the most common responses I received were, “Why would you do that?”, and “That crap looks hard!” Indeed, I must not have all my crap in one sock, a few screws loose or something. I left a great position at Invictus and a sweet apartment, and I had to cram 6 months of Navy reserve duties into one month. Not to mention leaving behind an extremely awesome girlfriend, one who does not mind being referred to as a hay burning pack animal. That is hard to find! (I love Llama.) So, why would I leave all this? To burst my comfort bubble, thats why.

Bursting your comfort bubble is about abandoning your reservations and facing your fears. I do not have any ideals that my new adventure has anything remotely easy associated with it. Its going to be hot, dangerous, and labor intensive. My time will be filled with 2 week tours encompassing 16 hour days, while the nights will be spent in a sleeping bag on the ground, with only a tarp between the ground and the sky. But that is exactly why I am doing it, for the challenge.

Bursting your comfort bubble does not need to be as extreme as moving 3 states away, ready to do battle with Mother Earth armed with only a shovel. It can be as simple as switching your grip during pull ups, or adding 10 pounds to the bar for your next WOD. If you have thought about running a marathon or a triathlon, do it! Maybe you want to write a book or learn to tap dance – do it! Bust out of your comfort bubble: don’t let the fear of failure or the difficulty of your chosen task be your guiding force. Appreciate your struggles, bask in your victories and learn from your defeats.

I do not know if I will enjoy this experience, but, I have always wanted to be a fire fighter, and now, for at least one season, I am.

Workout of the Day:
Shoulder Press
5-3-2-1-1-1
and then,
As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
5 x 135/95 lb. Push Press
10 x Pull-Ups
15 x 30″/24″ Box Jump

Congratulations to CrossFit Invictus SuperStud Christina for completing the SuperSeal Olympic distance triathlon yesterday.

The Choice
Written by Mark Riebel

Nearly every day that I coach I’m asked by someone how they can get better. The questions vary depending on the day’s exercise or workout, and range from issues of timing, optimal joint placement or something as minute as a grip adjustment. These questions are encouraged and I like the fact that so many people are taking such an interest in their health and physical performance. While I will always do my best to answer your question, the answer may not lie with me or any of the other Invictus coaches. Sometimes you’ll find that the answer lies within you.

When you walk through our door and look at the whiteboard, or log on to our website and see the workout of the day, you have a choice. You can choose to dread the workout and think about how much it will hurt or how bad you are at the exercises in store for the day, or you can choose to use this opportunity to improve on your weaknesses and push yourself harder than yesterday. You can choose to drop the bar when every muscle fiber you have screams in agony, or you can choose to bang out a few more reps before time expires. You can choose to slow your pace because your head is swimming from lack of oxygen, or you can choose to bear down and finish the last stretch in a sprint. 

Was that missed rep a consequence of pulling too early, or was it because you let the thought of attempting a heavier weight get in your head and scare you away from a PR? Was today’s slower time caused by you not having a perfect running stride, or was it because a fellow CrossFitter passed you on the last round and took the wind out of your sails? You may think these slip-ups are form related (and they may be), but they could be an issue of you being willing to face down your demons.

The coaches at CFI are facilitators. We’ll give you all the tools you need to achieve superhuman levels of fitness. We’ll encourage, instruct, tweak, and advise you in every way we can. But we cannot, and will not, drag you to success. The effort must come from you, and ultimately, the choice to unleash that effort must come from you as well. So what’s your choice? 

Workout of the Day:
Seven rounds for time of:
155/105 lb. Power Cleans x 3
24″ Box Jumps x 6
Pull-Ups x 9

Formula for Mental Toughness 
Written by Michele Vieux

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.