Workout of the Day:
Three sets of:
Back Squat x 4-5 reps @ 30X1
(not sure how to underscore this more, but it’s only three sets and you get a lot of rest, which means these should be uncomfortably heavy for 4 reps and the fifth should be a battle)
Rest 2 minutes
Powell Raises x 10-12 reps each arm @ 2010
Rest 2 minutes;
and then,
Three sets of:
Jumping Squats x 10 reps @ 10X0
(use 40-45% of today’s 5-RM weight) 
Rest 30 seconds
Unbroken Russian Kettlebell Swings x 25 reps
Rest 3 minutes
(Record weights used for jumping squats and unbroken swings)

This is Matt killing a kitten. Luckily, he joined Sage's Olympic Lifting Club shortly after this photo was taken and now gets his elbows around; kittens everywhere rejoiced.

5 of the most important things to ever think about when doing cleans
. . . And by cleans I don’t mean squat cleans ’cause those don’t exist.
Written by Sage Burgener

#1: Think about your chest

I may have mentioned it before (I can never remember anymore), but keeping your chest up is extremely important in the lifts. If your torso comes forward at all, (which it actually will most of the time due to inflexibility, but still try to think about keeping it as tall and proud as possible) that generally will put your weight on your toes making it extremely hard to stand up with the barbell. A tall chest makes for a much more stable position whether it be in a front squat or an overhead squat or even when pulling off the ground.

#2: Think about your elbows

Elbows turn around the same time that the feet hit the ground. I don’t mean turn them around in a T-Rex/reverse curl kind of way. I mean getting the elbows high and outside (which is happening as you pull yourself down. Read on, and this will make sense), and down and around REALLY fracking fast. The faster the elbows, the more comfortable you will feel receiving that barbell. Elbows can be EVERYTHING on a clean. Every time you have slow elbows on a clean, God kills a kitten.

#3: Think about Britney Spears

This is one of those common sense things that definitely doesn’t need any explanation.

#4: Pull yourself under the bar

Do NOT jump and drop under that barbell. Jump up (getting as tall as possible (ATAP)) and when you cannot possibly get any taller, IMMEDIATELY change your hip direction from going up, to going down by physically pulling yourself down and around that barbell. If you try to jump and drop, that bar is going to beat you down EVERY SINGLE TIME (I don’t know why I’m really into using caps lock right now). However, if you pull yourself under the bar (not pull the bar up with your arms), you can guarantee that there will be no crashing of that bar on your chest and you will receive it in a much more comfortable position.  Nobody likes walking around with baseball size bruised clavicles…that I know of.

Which leads me into my last point…

#5: Become one with the barbell

If you pull yourself under the bar, you know where it is in space and you can avoid having that barbell come up really high and smack you right in the throat or nose or forehead (we’ve all had it happen). Not knowing where the barbell is means that you are not in control of it. That bar WANTS to be controlled. It wants you to meet it wherever it is (since when did a barbell start developing personality traits?). So just do it, ok? Be more Zen-like with that barbell.

***Scheduling Note – Invictus will be closing at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 15 for the CrossFit Games in Carson, CA. We will re-open at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 19.***

Workout of the Day:
Five rounds for time of:
5 Power Cleans (155/105 lbs.)
10 Burpees
200 Meter Run

This is what someone's face looks like when I tell them to snatch.

Paralysis by Analysis
Written by Sage Burgener

It is universally known that the Olympic lifts are 87% more complex than physics and 73% more complex than women. I have grown up around the lifts (obvs) so at first it was hard for me to understand why people were having such a hard time performing a snatch or clean and jerk. In the beginning, alls I wanted to say was “Just snatch it. All you have to do is jump the bar over your head. It’s so simple!“ That’s when I began to notice that the look on someone’s face when I asked them to jump with a barbell in their hands was very similar to the look on a teenager’s face when trying to teach them how to drive a manual…blank (insert your age discriminatory joke here about how I’m so young I probably got my license last year). So, what is it about the oly lifts that makes them so darn complicated and hard to execute, especially in a crossfit style workout? Answer: there is way too much to think about and that creates, as my dad says, “paralysis by analysis”.

Chest up, back tight, weight on the heels, pull back, stay over the bar, jump hard, hips vertical, keep it close, pull under, aggressive turn over, meet the bar, stay tight and stand. Technically, those are all the things you should be thinking about as you are performing a snatch or a clean. However, unless you are a robot or are in the matrix and can see/perform movements in slow motion (if you can, please contact me immediately), thinking about all those things at once is impossible.

Now, let’s stop talking about how difficult life is, and start talking about the solution. The best thing for ya’ll to do is get to know yourself as a lifter. Think about all the cues that have been thrown at you while performing a lift and find the one that makes the most sense to you. Find the one cue that helps to bring everything else together. For example, when I am lifting, all I think about is keeping my chest up. This makes me set my back tight in the starting position, I don’t raise my butt up too soon off the ground, I keep it closer to my body and I am in a much more stable position when I receive the bar. All of those things allow me to have a successful lift and all I thought about was keeping my chest up! Isn’t that great?!

Now that you know another secret about lifting, go and experiment with it. Think about one cue at a time until you find the one that helps you to perform a beautiful snatch.

The end.

Workout of the Day:
Take 12-15 minutes to work on:
Snatch Technique – work up to a reasonably heavy weight that you can handle with proper technique;
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
Heavy Power Snatch x 3 reps
Pull-Ups x 12 reps
(Note time and weight used.)

Picture This . . . The Invictus Lifting Club!
Written by Sage Burgener

Picture this, I’m sitting on a park bench with almond butter and broccoli in my hand and Fergie in my ear.  As I gaze off into the distance, I start thinking about everything and nothing at the same time (deep, huh?) “Hmm?” I ponder “What is it that makes life so fantastical?”

…..pondering….

.47 seconds later, I had found my answers: Olympic weightlifting and ice cream (one being a little more appropriate than the other depending on if I’m talking to you as your coach or as your friend).

Olympic weightlifting consists of walking up to a barbell in super cool mismatched knee high socks, wearing wooden soled shoes that make obnoxiously loud noises if you’re trying hard enough, ANNND you get the opportunity to lift that barbell all the way over your head in a super fast graceful manner.  Better than ice cream?  Probably not… but we’ll pretend it is for the rest of this post.

“But Sassy Sage,” you say, “I’ve never really felt that way while lifting.  Most of the time I feel like you’re just asking me (in a really loud voice) to pull myself under a weight that could possibly fall on my head.”

I totally get it.  It is understandable for one to be afraid of barbells falling on their noggin, but just look at it as motivation to never mess up and perform the movements perfectly.  Problem solved!  It’s so simple!

However, performing the Olympic lifting movements perfectly takes a LOT of practice and I have just the solution!  The reason why Olympic weightlifters are able to move how they move (in a way that strongly resembles a ninja…or maybe even a gazelle) is because of their commitment to working on their weaknesses, doing the lifts repeatedly, and being consistent with their training.  Because I love ALL of you with my whole heart, I’m here to offer you a way to work on all three of those things.

If you are an observant individual, you have noticed the most beautiful platforms in the history of the world in the corner of the gym.  That area and those platforms are going to be for our new Olympic weightlifting club!! (Crowd goes wild!!!)

Monday through Thursday at 4:00 and 5:00 p.m., twice a week (you pick the days and time that works best for you) you will come in with an individual program that I have written up for you based on what I feel you’re fabulous at, and what I feel would make you a better person/lifter.  I’ll coach you for 45 minutes, making you more gazelle-like each minute, and then you can go off and jump into the CrossFit group workout if you so desire!  It’s like Christmas all over again!

This whole shindig is limited to 9 participants per session, two sessions per day (4:00 and 5:00 p.m.).  We are only selling 36 memberships total so that 18 participants can get in twice a week.  So, you best sign your cute booties up fast!

One last thing, there is only one thing that I ask for in return (no, not your soul).  I need to have worked with you before in my oly class or one-on-one.  This new fabulous club is meant to be extremely productive, so I need to have people who are familiar with the oly movements so we can be lifting some serious weight!

If you have not worked with me before, do not fret!  I’m not mad at you.  In fact, I’m offering an 8-session Fundamental Olympic Weightlifting class (Mon/Wed and Tues/Thurs @ 6:30pm) as a way for you to redeem yourself for neglecting me.  These sessions are a prerequisite for the oly lifting club.  They will help give me an idea of where you are technique wise, and they will help you to feel more comfortable and confident with the lifts so you’ll be ready to move right in and join the fun club!  The Club O’ Fun!

If you have any questions, holla atcha girl, or talk to Popsicle or C.J.

Workout of the Day:
Snatch (Power or Full)
3-2-1-1-1
and then,
Three rounds for as many repetitions of cleans as possible in three minutes of:
200 Meter Farmer’s Walk (as heavy as you can handle)
Sandbag Cleans (ground to shoulder – Men 90 lbs./Women 60 lbs.)
Rest three minutes between rounds.
 

How Olympic Lifting Has Improved My Game
Written by Michele Vieux

How cool are people who can move a couple times their body weight from the ground to overhead with speed, quickness, agility, flexibility, style and grace? THE COOLEST! People do it all the time with the Olympic lifts (Snatch and Clean & Jerk) and although I am not one of these people, I strive to be.

Although my desired end result is to elegantly jump 200+ pounds overhead, I have found that incorporating Oly training regularly into my workout routine has given me many more benefits than I had ever imagined or dreamt of.

The way the Olympic lifts are broken down to teach, practice, and address weaknesses has allowed me to greatly improve my form not only on the snatch and clean & jerk but also on every other movement I perform.

The step-by-step instruction used in pause front squats, three-position snatches, Barski cleans, and more, have helped me develop a keener mind-body connection. I can feel where I am in each of the steps and make adjustments based on cues given to me by my coach. This ability directly transfers to other movements. In fact, I also believe this keener connection has made me a better dancer!

Using the snatch balance (a skill transfer exercise) has greatly improved my overhead position—both the strength and stability of it as well as my ability to immediately and perfectly connect with it when going overhead. I have actually received compliments on it.

I have had issues with my flexibility for most of my adult life. It comes from never (or half-ass) stretching before or after practice as a kid. Unfortunately for me, flexibility is highly important for optimal athletic performance and especially for Oly lifting. Holding a load overhead or in front of me with my ass to my ankles has really forced me to loosen up. Although that alone didn’t improve my flexibility, my desire to make this phenomenon much easier has led me to spend more time stretching on my own. If big Casey Burgener can do it, so can I!

Jumping power is used in the Oly lifts to get the bar from the ground to overhead. Jumping heavy weight overhead has made it easier for me to jump myself onto a box. Since January (when I really started focusing on Oly lifting) I only use the 30” box for WODs and turn over the jumps just as fast as or faster than I did with the 24” box. I vow to never look back!

Nobody can deny that you must be quick to get under a 200# pile of moving metal and rubber. Practicing this with a barbell has proven useful for me in other areas of athletic performance as well as in the kitchen when I nearly spill something but save it from hitting the floor with my catlike quickness. Sometimes I even surprise myself.

Out of everything I’ve gained from Oly lifting, one thing truly stands out amongst the rest as the most beneficial—mental toughness. It is a total mind game to walk up to 200# knowing that you will, in a split second, move it from the ground to a precariously balanced position over your head. You have to be able to ignore your senses telling you that it isn’t possible. You have to ignore the noise and distraction around you. You have to forget about the people watching you. And if you miss, you have to be willing to get up, brush yourself off (and your ego) and try again. These are lessons that I apply to my everyday life. Nobody tells me what I can’t do except for me. I don’t think there is very much I can’t accomplish when I set my mind to it. Someday I will snatch Sage.

I have become a better coach from being coached by an awesome Oly coach and from performing the movements over and over. I feel comfortable (and enjoy) teaching complex movements such as the Olympic lifts. And because I like how the Olympic lifts are taught in a step-by-step breakdown, I now apply the same teaching methodology in other areas of my coaching.

Workout of the Day:
For time:
15 Thrusters (heavy)
30 Pull-Ups
12 Thrusters
24 Pull-Ups
9 Thrusters
18 Pull-Ups
(These thrusters should challenge you.  For some that might be 95 or 135 lbs., for others it will be 155 or more.)

It’s Time to Register for June Coaching Sessions with Sage!
Written by C.J. Martin

A new month is upon us, which means a new opportunity for 8-10 individuals to be coached on their Olympic lifts with Sage Burgener. Sage’s first two groups have made amazing improvements in just four weeks. For instance, Coryna “Lil’ Cheddies McBean” Holcombe’s improved technique allowed her to squat clean 10 lbs. more this week than she did in January when we completed “Elizabeth,” and she still cut her time by more than three minutes! 

Beginning next week two new groups of intermediate and advanced lifters will have an opportunity to work with Sage and only three or four other athletes for one hour a week for four weeks. Sage will coach two separate groups of four to five individuals, one on Monday nights at 6:30, and one on Wednesday nights at 6:30. The cost per person will be $49 for CrossFit Invictus members – that’s $12 per hour-long session with Sage!

Enrollment into Sage’s weekly coaching sessions will be first come, first serve. Email cj@crossfitinvictus.com or post your reservation request to comments NOW to reserve your spot. The group will be capped after the initial eight to ten spots are filled.

Non-members interested in being coached by Sage will pay $199 for the month and will also have the right to attend our regularly scheduled group coaching sessions.

Workout of the Day:
In teams of two, move 500 lbs. 400 meters for time.

Each team gets four 45 lb. rubber bumper plates, four 25 lb. rubber bumper plates, and four 10 lb. rubber bumper plates. The team must move a total of 500 lbs., in any combination of their choosing, around our 400 meter course. (E.g., Partner A runs 10 laps with a 25 lb. plate, Partner B runs 5 laps with a 45 lb. plate and 1 lap with a 25 lb. plate.) Your plates need to be swapped out every time around the block – so drop the 45 lb. plate you were carrying and pick up the 45 lb. plate that you left behind.

Why Olympic Lifting is Good for CrossFit
Written by Sage Burgener 

I recently decided to take a little break from the competition aspect of Olympic weightlifting and focus more on becoming a better all-around athlete. In order to do so, I took on Crossfit. Olympic lifting definitely set me back in fitness when it came to doing anything more than one snatch or one clean and jerk. Doing anything as simple as walking to the refrigerator to eat a spoonful (or three) of delicious cashew butter had me in severe oxygen debt. So, I decided something needed to change. That’s when CrossFit really came into my life.

The point of this post is not to bash the fabulous sport of Olympic weightlifting, but rather to brag about it. Now that my focus has shifted more to becoming a better CrossFit athlete, I have started to realize the benefits of having experience with Olympic weightlifting. I have started to realize how much the movements of the snatch and clean and jerk transfer over to almost every other movement in my CrossFit workouts. 

Because Olympic lifting is such a technical sport, I have been able to understand the concept of using my whole body as opposed to muscling my way through the CrossFit exercises. This enables me to save energy, and saving energy will, in the future, help me improve my times and scores. Olympic lifting has also helped me to gain a sense of body awareness. This comes in handy for movements that require rhythm and coordination such as kipping pull-ups and box jumps. 

Most importantly, Olympic lifting has helped in my journey to becoming the best all-around athlete that I can be by instilling in me mental strength. I am not saying that I am mentally strong by any means, but I have been able to feel what it is like to completely fear something, and yet still complete the task. I have felt the rush of butterflies right before a hideous workout, and I have experienced the constant struggle of telling myself not to quit when I thought I could not go on any longer. These are all things that CrossFitters experience EVERY workout. The mental strength that is required for CrossFit workouts does not necessarily exceed that of Olympic lifting, but it is definitely on a different level. I look up to and admire each and every CrossFitter for pushing themselves everyday to their absolute limit and for putting their bodies through constant pain with the goal of becoming a better athlete. So, having those experiences of overcoming the barrier of mental toughness in Olympic lifting has helped immensely in my pursuit of becoming as mentally tough as my fellow CrossFit friends. 

In conclusion, don’t shy away from the scary technical aspect of Olympic weightlifting – because you sure wouldn’t shy away from a scary CrossFit WOD. Learn to love the sport and learn how to master it, and watch it help you in your CrossFit endeavors.

It’s President’s Day . . . which means you can sleep in.  There will be no 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. sessions, but the rest of the schedule will be unchanged. Come in at 9:30, noon, 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. Hope to see you all for a fun day of competition.  

Workout of the Day:
Invictus Oly-Lifting Competition
Three attempts each for one rep max of:
Snatch
Clean and Jerk
(Post your best lifts to comments.)

Are you ready to compete? Go big, and maybe collectively we can lift more than Casey Burgener.