Intrepid & Karma Competitors and Cheer Squad

It was a gorgeous day for spectators and competitors alike on Saturday at the Next Level Invitational. The Laguna Hills High School track was an ideal spot and extremely spectator friendly. Vendors set up mini challenges for anyone to participate in, often with nice prizes.  Below is the scorecard, which details the WODs and how they were scored:

The first WOD, Lucifer’s Loop, was aptly named. If your quads weren’t smoked from the air squats and backwards sandbag runs, the cleans were sure to finish them off. Our athletes each did very well with Holley finishing fourth amongst the Division 3 females, Jake finishing sixth amongst the Division 2 males (sprinting that final lap), and Mike gutting through the power cleans even though they were his body weight.

The floater WOD (to be completed by the competitor anytime before or after Lucifer’s Loop) was an agility course, complete with a standing broad jump, bean bag toss for accuracy, and a mini course complete with bear crawls (homage to Marcus) and hurdles.  Holley finished first in the broad jumps,  Mike got sixth in the accuracy throws (yay tailgating skills?), and Mike & Brian tied for 10th in the course.

The last WOD, Rust, was a leg smoker to end the day. All of our competitors had to dig deep to gut through the 2 minutes of OHS, burpees, and thrusters.  Josh took 11th in the burpees, and Holley took 9th, 5th, and 8th in each movement.

It was an incredibly successful day, and our cheer squad also performed beautifully, chasing the athletes around the track and screaming encouragements and cues. We even had our first Intrepid kids show up to cheer their dad on (even though they may have been more interested in sneaking on the agility course!).  For overall results and more details, check here.

WOD 02.07.12

Complete the following movements, broken up into reps of your choosing:
Run 1600m
Row 1000m
10 Rope Climbs (Sub 2 from the floor)
20 Pullovers (sub 2 Toes to Bar for every pullover not completed)
50 Box Jumps

example: Sean’s breakdown:
3 Rope Climbs
Run 400m
5 PO
15 BJ
Row 300m
2 Rope Climbs
Run 400m
5 PO
15 BJ
Row 300m
2 Rope Climbs
Run 400m
5 PO
10 BJ
Row 200m
2 Rope Climbs
Run 400m
5 PO
10 BJ
Row 200m

Break it down however you like, but you must keep track of your own progression and keep in mind that rowers and ropes will be shared by all. Be flexible but choose wisely.

Josh and I did our first crossfit workout back east in MA with is kid brother—Fight Gone Bad.  Pretty painful but at least we did not vomit as others did.  I wasn’t so sure about the crossfit thing after that.  Josh on the other hand started doing his own workouts following WODs online at his school’s gym.  Poor sucker that did it with him.  It took me longer to come around but I’m glad I did.

Happy Birthday to you, Josh.  We love you–signed Tami, Alex, and little Joshua (future Intrepids)

Come down to Laguna Hills High School in Orange County this Saturday to cheer on Josh, Brian, Jake, Michael H., and Holley during the Next Level Invitational CrossFit competition. Location is 25401 Paseo de Valencia, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. The events will run most of the day so if you make it down, wear your shirt and look for the Intrepid camp site.

Then 2 rounds of 1 minute stations:
Ball Slams
Double Unders
Row for Calories
Hang Power Snatches
Tire Flips

Cash Out:
Farmer’s Walks

• Lack of sleep increases inflammatory markers in your body, and chronically high inflammation has been linked to autoimmune disease, impaired metabolism and diabetes, and some types of cancer.  Also, lack of sleep weakens the immune system making you more susceptible to illness.
• Through hormonal interactions, lack of sleep can lead to the body feeling hungry more often and craving more carbohydrates oftentimes leading to poorer food choices.
• Sleep improves your recovery from training and improves strength building via secretions of growth hormone and testosterone that only occurs during your slumber.
• Sleep deprivation of 1-2 nights leads to a noticeable deterioration in psychomotor performance, meaning you know that you’re not up to part after not sleeping well after a night or two.  However, when compared to a milder sleep deprivation (only 6 hrs/night), over a sustained period of time, the decrease in motor performance is similar but the athlete’s perception is significantly reduced.  This means they do not recognize their performance is lackluster and less than thriving.
• Our lifts and workouts have a huge neurological component to them and if your central nervous sysem not only from yesterday’s workout but also your lack of sleep, you’re setting yourself up for a rough day at the gym.  It has been shown that athletes perform better on skill based movements after getting “extra”, likely due to the recovery their CNS gets.

Now that many of you have made it a priority to eat better this past month, start moving sleep up towards the top and do yourself a favor.  Not only for the benefits highlighted in Dallas’ article, but also for the improved quality of life.  If you’re looking for another way to help yourself reach your goals, it doesn’t get much easier than improving your sleep habits.  Other Intrepid articles to peruse on sleep are:  Enter Sandman, Siesta Anyone?, When Red Lights are a Good Thing, Jet Lag, Battling the Z-Monster, & Perchance to Dream.

By popular demand we have opened a Friday 7pm Group Class. It’s available now to sign up so get your weekend started on the right track with a great workout!

WOD 1.25.12

Snatch: Work up to a Heavy Double

AMRAP 4:
8 Wall Ball Shots
10 Sit Ups

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP 4:
5 Power Cleans
10 Toes to Bar

CrossFit is becoming increasingly popular as the means for people to test their competitive mettle. The “sport” aspect of CrossFit can be debated, but as coaches we just want you to compete in something. Whether you play soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, run half-marathons, or compete in CrossFit competitions, having a competition on the horizon helps to focus your training and push you past the complacency that might set in otherwise.

As you’ve likely heard, many Intrepids have found their way into competing in CrossFit and the 2012 CrossFit competition season kicks into high gear on February 22 with the five-week, five-workout CrossFit Games Open. Each week a workout will be posted on the CrossFit Games website and athletes will have the remainder of the week to complete the workout, post their scores online, and have the score verified by the affiliate they worked out at or a judge online if they submit a video. Scaling is allowed, however, in order to be eligible to advance to the next level workouts must be completed as they’re written. Each week, the workout will be announced on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT (starting February 22). Everyone will have until the following Sunday at 5 p.m. PT to complete that week’s workout and submit their score. You can do the workout at your local affiliate or film your attempt from any gym, a garage, or park.

Once you submit your workouts to the Games site, you’ll be able to find your rank, both worldwide and in your region. You get one point for each place (i.e. five points for 5th place) for each workout. Your overall score is the sum of all the workout scores, and lowest total points wins. You can compete both as an Individual and on a Team. Individuals are divided between men and women, and Masters are divided by gender and age.

The individual athletes and teams that perform the best across the five Open workouts, in each of the 17 regions, will be invited to compete at the second stage of the Games, the Regionals. The top 20 Masters in each age and gender category will earn an automatic spot at the Games in July.

Everyone in the world is invited to participate to see how they stack up. Tens of thousands of athletes from every continent will visit affiliates and submit videos in the quest to prove their fitness. If this is something that you’re even remotely interested in I encourage you to talk with one of the Intrepid coaches. Athletes must be registered as individuals in order to compete as a team, and teams for regionals consist of 3 men and 3 women. Registration opens up on Feb 1, 2012 so give it some thought and let us know if you’d like to sign up.

WOD 1.21.12

In teams of 4:
Complete:
12 rope climbs
40 hspu
200 box jumps
2k row
12 muscle ups or 48 ring dips
400 dubs
C/o Bonus: Traverse one lap around the pull up bars.

On January 28-29th, the Los Angeles Fitness Expo is going to be at the LA Convention Center in Downtown LA. Last year a group of Intrepids made it out to cheer on Ruth who was competing at the American Record Makers Weightlifting Competition, which is just one of the many competitions held at the LA Fitness Expo.

Once you get past the freakish bodybuilders, models with a few too many plastic surgeries promoting the most obscure products, and the realization of the commercialized nightmare that has become the fitness industry you’ll find that there are a number of interesting exhibitions and competitions at the Fitness Expo to be aware of:

• 2012 American Record Makers Olympic Weightlifting Competition (men lift 12pm Sat, women lift 12pm Sun)
• All-American Strongman Challenge
• CrossFit Kids Obstacle Course and “The Gauntlet” (CF Kids teen competition)
• USPA American Cup Powerlifting Invitational
• Other Bench Press and Deadlift competitions
• Adult and youth Brazilian Ju Jitsu Tournaments
• Mixed Martial Arts Exhibitions
• Paleo Diet Seminar (Sunday 1100-1130) & Ancestral Wellness Seminar (Sunday 2-2:30pm)

These are just the ones that stood out to me as I glanced over the list on thefitexpo.com website.  I couldn’t find details as to the times of each competition but they typically start shortly after the expo opens for the day.  The floor plan can be seen here to get an idea of where the major areas are that lists all the booths as well.  Hours on Saturday Jan 28th are from 9:30am-6:30pm and on Sunday from 10am-5pm.  Tickets are $20 but we have fliers for $5 off at the gym by the notebooks so grab one even if you’re only mildly interested just in case you’re looking for something to do over that weekend.

Here are some of the competitions from last year:

WOD 1.18.12

Jerk 2-2-2-2

Pick Your Poison:

4 Rounds:
100m Sandbag Run
8 Heavy Kettlebell Swings
16 Sledgehammer Strikes

OR:

4 Rounds:
200m Run
14 Kettlebell Swings
18 Ball Slams

This will be Angel’s last day with us before she heads off to the Fire Academy for the next four months.  I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her from her first day, through Foundations, and all the way to her first 1RM deadlift yesterday where she pulled 215 with room to go.  No stranger to hard work, Angel is a Navy reservist who has seen two deployments and has worked tirelessly these last few months to get in shape for the fire academy.

We wish you the best of luck in your training and can’t wait to have you back!  Take care, Angel, and don’t stop lifting!

Also, Matt “Date Nite” has generously offered a discount for blood testing for before and after the Whole 30 Challenge. Bloodwork is a great way to measure improvement in overall health and even a doctor can’t argue with the results. I’ll let him explain it a bit better:

Team CFI,

The Data Junkie is getting tested, so I thought some others might as well.  I am using one of the baseline panels recommended in Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution, which includes:

• C-Reactive Protein
• Hemoglobin A1c
• Lipid Panel

For the CF family, we are doing a Whole30 Challenge special for those interested in measuring their numbers pre and/or post challenge.  We can’t take insurance, but we have tried our best on pricing.  The Lipid Panel is most accurate when fasting, so best to get it done early in the am.   A few of the draw sites in Torrance have Saturday hours, although it can be busy.

$99 for one panel (regular price $170)

$170 for two panels (regular price $340)

We will also give one panel to the box challenge winner (if they want it).   If not, then 2nd place etc.

How to get the special:

When registering go to www.accesalabs.com/masterlist and choose Whole 30 CrossFit Panel for $99 or Whole 30 Crossfit Panel + Recheck for $170 (alpha order so you need to scroll down).  If you get lost, go to www.accesalabs.comand click on Order Now to get back to master list.

Here is some information about the tests:

C-Reactive Protein (Quantitative)

The C-Reactive Protein test, or CRP, measures the concentration of this marker in the blood.

CRP is an acute phase reactant that is used as a test for inflammatory disease and tissue injury. Elevated CRP has recently been associated to an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

Hemoglobin A1c

The Hemoglobin A1c, or HbA1c, measures the level of glycated hemoglobin in your blood.  The HbA1c is a good screening test for diabetes. It measures the average blood glucose over the past 120 days so that you can see how well your blood sugar has been controlled over the past few months.  If your level is between 5.7 and 6.4, you are at an increased risk for diabetes. A level >6.4 would suggest that you have diabetes.  If you already have diabetes, you should routinely monitor your Hemoglobin A1c to make sure that it is below 7.0 to ensure that you have adequate blood sugar control.

Lipid Panel

The Lipids & Cholesterol test measures your standard medical Lipid Panel.  This test measures your Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels.  The HDL level represents your “good” lipids while the other components are thought of as your “bad” lipids.  Elevated numbers of the “bad” lipid types can greatly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Measurement of these numbers every 3-6 months is beneficial for understanding overall health and assessing the impact of lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

Best results are obtained if you get your blood drawn after an 8-12 hour fast.

WOD 1.06.12

Press 3×5 or Wendler

4 Rounds:
6 Ring Dips
18 Wall Ball Shots

Rest 2 Minutes

4 Rounds
8 Pull Ups
16 Ball Slams

As a trainer, we look forward to helping all of you better yourselves as athletes. Few things make us sadder than when we find we have more interest in someone’s improvement than they do themselves. For example, let’s take skills days. This week I had a client ask me, “Are we going to work out this Thursday, or is it just a skills day?” It’s understandable, you come to a gym to get your sweat on, but the day’s workout is not the alpha and omega of your training.

In the well-known book The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, author Stephen Covey refers to the seventh habit as “Sharpen the Saw”. This website further illustrates what that means with a brief story:

Suppose you came upon someone in the woods working to saw down a tree. They are exhausted from working for hours. You suggest they take a break to sharpen the saw. They might reply, ” I didn’t have time to sharpen the saw, I’m busy sawing!”

Do you think you don’t have time for skills day, because you’re too busy exercising?

Before you groan and skip the next chance to sharpen your CrossFit saw, take some time to self-evaluate.

• Do you have to sub any exercises in the workouts? If so, is it due to temporary injury…or because you never learned the skill required?
• Can you kick up into a handstand on your own? What about if a wall isn’t there?
• How many strict pullups can you do? (Note: bodyweight and sex may be fine excuses on the surface, but after building a base of strength, anyone can do at least ONE strict pullup)
• Are you able to climb the ropes? Ring dips, etc.?

The list goes on and on, but by now you should get my point. No one can say they are a master of all things. Even pro athletes have to practice (well, except perhaps Allen Iverson). The skills day is an opportunity to expand your repertoire in an environment without one key component — the clock — that often causes form to go out the window. Take advantage, and sharpen your saw!

WHOLE 30 Announcement

We’re so excited to have so many people participating in the W30 this year!  We’ll have sign up sheets at the gym starting tomorrow (Wed), but here are a few more details:

• There will be a $15 entry fee (which will go toward the prizes for the winners) to be collected when you fill out your entry form.
• There will be one male winner and one female winner.
• Before and after pictures will be taken.  Winners will be posted, but you may ask for your face to be blurred. If you are not selected as a winner, we would also love to show your progress — but you may opt out of being posted.
• There will be a baseline WOD tomorrow that’s mandatory for all participants.  Make up day for this WOD will be Thursday, Jan 5th, which is the official start date for our W30.
• A final “End-of-Challenge” WOD will be done on Friday, Feb 3rd, with a make up day on Saturday, Feb 4th.
• Your score will be determined by the following 1) body composition change as shown by photos, 2) performance in baseline WOD, so no sandbagging, and 3) improvement shown in end-of-challenge WOD which may or may not be different from baseline WOD.
• Food logs posted on our online forum (TBD) will be mandatory and must be updated by the end of the day (11:59pm) each day.
• Text messages and emails to us will be allowed but if it’s a question that can easily be answered by reading our blog, Whole 9 Life’s blog, or google, burpee penalties will be enforced.

WOD 1.3.12

Running Skills and Drills

AMRAP 8

• 6 Knees to Elbows
• 12 Box Jumps
• 24 Kayaks

Rest 4 minutes

500m Row for Time

Whole 9 recently posted an article on how to grocery shop paleo on a budget.  In an early post, I touched on the food matrix concept where with limited options of meat, veggies, fats, and spices one could come up with a multitude of options to keep meals from getting boring.  Robb Wolf posted a shopping list and his own food matrix to go with his Paleo Solution book’s meal plans (which I highly encourage you buy and read).  Also Mark’s Daily Apple also posted a shopping list, but be forewarned that some items of Mark’s list are not Whole 30 approved and may not be allowed in January’s challenge.  If unsure check the Whole 30 site linked above and do some research.

Yes, your first Whole 30 may feel restrictive, but you’re only limited by your imagination and resources.  Since there is no shortage of paleo recipe sites, there’s no excuse to complain about running out of ideas or being tired of eating the same stuff all the time on the paleo diet.  Be creative and experiment with something different once and a while.  If you’re not sure what something is or how it tastes ask some other Intrepids if they’ve ever had it before.

Otherwise, enjoy your next trip to the grocery store or farmer’s market.  I know you’re super excited but try not to stock up so much perishable food items that you can’t get to them all before they spoil.  Instead of one mega food run try breaking it up into 2-3 moderate trips.  You’ll be in and out much quicker and will likely be able to avoid the crowds, or at least maneuver your way around easier, and your food will be fresher.

Your coaches will be at your beck and call for email and even text questions leading up to and during the month, BUT if you ask a dumb question (ie one that we have answered in a recent post or one that we listed multiple links for) there will be burpee penalties.  Use your resources.  Take the opportunity to learn and experiment with recipes!  Ask recent W30 people oodles of questions on what helped them the most.

WOD 12.29.11

Skill Day

Glute Ham Raises
Strict Pull Up
Free Time

We've come a long way since moving day!

Certain food groups (like grains, legumes and dairy) are probably having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin problems, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?

Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the inflammatory, insulin-spiking, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be provoking. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.

I’d encourage you to read up on the Whole 9 Life  site about the latest Whole 30 challenge as you may have questions that they already answered. More details will be coming soon enough, but here are some FAQ to get you started:

• The Challenge will start on January 5th (to give you time post New Year’s hangover to prep and grocery shop) and end on February 4th (just before Superbowl, so no excuses).
• There will be a cash buy-in (and subsequent prize) to ensure you really are committing to the challenge.
• There will be a buy-in WOD that you will be ranked on as well as a cash-out WOD on Day 30.  You can make up either WOD within 2 days of the start/finish date.
• You will be required to submit a food log online daily.  No exceptions.
• Before and after photos will be taken.  Winners may be subject to having their photos posted on our site, but we will blur out faces if you wish.

Yes, the gym is closed today and “not a creature is stirring” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be! Take a few minutes aside today to either stretch or foam roll your problem areas. If you dread every time you see the partner hamstring stretch, maybe — just maybe — you should hit those up today. Aside from helping you in the gym, it will also help alleviate some of the stress you’re likely experiencing due to shopping, crowds, traffic, parking, dealing with relatives… or all the above!

I will leave you with a simple egg nog recipe I made this year through trial and error.

• 3 cups whole milk (preferably raw)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 whole eggs (omega-3 if you got ‘em)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not some HFCS goop)
• ~1 tsp vanilla
• Nutmeg to taste
• Optional (but highly encouraged!): Dark rum

Throw everything into a blender until well mixed. The egg whites should form a frothy “head”. Pour into serving glasses and sprinkle an extra touch of nutmeg on top. Make sure you have a designated driver and enjoy!

WOD 12.24.11

Egg Nog 3-3-3

AM WRAP Presents

Cash Out: Fruitcake Toss