Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Workout of the Day:
Deadlift
5-5-5
(Warm up to a heavy five rep set. Once you have found a weight that is almost too difficult to lift five times with proper posture, attempt to stay at that weight and complete two more sets of five. Your lift shall be considered a failure if you fail to maintain proper posture throughout the movement. We are looking for technical perfection for all five reps of a set.)
and then,
Five rounds for time of:
10 Each Arm – One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch (heavy)
10 Pull-Ups

Athlete Spotlight – Michelle “Jolly” Rogers
Written by George Economou

Nickname (s): Jolly Rogers
Hometown: Lancaster, CA (not a typo…apparently there’s one here in California)
Occupation: Attorney (indigent criminal defense)
Usual workout time: 12pm
Member since: Feb 09
Favorite exercise: The Squat

How did your CrossFit journey begin?
I work next door and one of the guys kept telling people to check out the gym. He didn’t actually workout here, but I showed up anyway.

So you work as a lawyer?
That’s right, criminal defense.  Indigent criminal defense.
Wow…that’s really lucky for us!
Why?
Nevermind, tell you later (wink).

Why do you keep coming back?
I can see the difference in my fitness…my gains. The coaches are great. CJ has been so encouraging. I literally could not have run unless someone was chasing me before I came here.

What are some of your fitness goals?
Just trying to get more fit.

Anything more specific?
Actually, yes.  I’d like to do the WODs as prescribed in a year’s time. (Feb 2010…we’ll hold you to that Michelle!)

Do you adhere to a specific diet?
Ha!  You don’t want to hear this. Don’t get me wrong, I eat well, and am very nutrition conscious. I adopted a method about a year ago that helped me lose 35lbs and I feel comfortable sticking with it.

Would you be willing to submit a 5-day nutrition journal to CJ? Maybe take a look at areas that could be tweaked?
I don’t know…it’s been working for me so far.
(I break out the puppy dog eyes and frown)
OK OK!

What other sports or activities has CrossFit made you better at?
I’m a much more active person now. My husband jokes sometimes about my weekend hikes around Torrey Pines – something I never liked doing before joining Invictus.

In your opinion, what is the world’s toughest animal?
I know this one! The leopard! I went on safari last year in South Africa and came to this conclusion: Because they are solitary, they have to be strong enough to fight on their own, but smart enough to know when to back off…or they’ll die.

Nice…a very convincing argument.  Have you ever heard of the Musk Ox?
Sure, but toughest? No way. Anything that has to survive on it’s own in the wild rates being called the toughest.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the CrossFit Invictus community?
I think anyone can do this at any level.  As long as you get started, that’s what counts.  You don’t need to be a stud.

After the initial interview, Michelle emailed me to make sure I captured the spirit of what she wanted to pass along about the gym. Rather than editing her sentiments into the interview, they’re best read in her own words:

The one thing I’m not sure if I got across that I would like other to know about Crossfit is how welcoming the other members seemed to me, someone who is anything but fit, at the beginning. The encouragement of the coaches and the other members makes a huge difference, and it made me realize that everyone is there for the same goal, no matter the level – to be the best athlete each individual can be, and to improve daily at their own level. I like that it doesn’t matter what fitness level you are at – that the workouts are equally hard for everyone, because they are scaled.

Thank you Jolly Rogers!