As the saying goes, “Ladies first”, so we will start with our top female finishers…

Third place goes to our defending champion from last year’s Whole 30 — Michelle! While she may have had a leg up since this wasn’t her first rodeo, she still managed to avoid chocolate cupcakes — on her birthday, no less! Kudos to some massive willpower.

In second place, someone that we found has been sandbagging! Skillfully hiding her strict pullup and powerful deadlift, Mercy really turned it up a notch this past month.

And our female winner this time around really showed that teamwork can help take you far. She made a point of sharing dinners with fellow W30 competitors to help stay on track. Congrats to Celina!

Tomorrow we will announce the male winners. Prizes will be announced afterward.

WOD 02.09.12

Skills Day

Mike Tuchscherer, owner of Reactive Training Systems, wrote an article recently posted on T-Nation entitled “How to Modulate Intensity“. In his article, Mike clarifies that, “intensity in strength training doesn’t refer to the amount of emotional arousal or discomfort experienced during training, but rather the weight on the bar.” Relative intensity is a principle many of you are familiar with, especially if you’re on the Wendler 5-3-1 progression, where intensity is measured as a percentage relative to your 1-Rep max (1RM) or projected 1RM. In a nutshell, Mike notes that intensity drives a bulk of the training effect in strength training, and:

“The weight on the bar – or more accurately, the effort required to move it – will determine the vast majority of your training effect. Volume will determine the magnitude of that effect.”.

One issue with making the weight on the bar the sole metric used to determine intensity is that there are a host of other variables that come into play (ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch fibers, training history, and other physiological issues). Also, accurate 1RM weights may be an issue for certain movements and it helps to have another way to measure intensity.

Enter the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. Fortunately for us, the adaptations that occur from training are a result of tension and duration, and using the RPE scale adds another dimension in not only tracking progress, but also modulating training if you are experiencing an “Off-Day” or tapering for a competition. Mike’s RPE scale is described as such:

@10: Maximal Effort. No reps left in the tank.
@9: Heavy Effort. Could have done one more rep.
@8: Could have done two or three more reps.
@7: Bar speed is “snappy” if maximal force is applied.
@6: Bar speed is “snappy” with moderate effort.

Describing intensity in terms of reps and RPE brings us closer to approximating the tension and duration that your muscles respond to, allowing for a more precise training effect. An easy way for us to get used to using the RPE scale is in our lifts, describing each of our sets including your final “burnout” set. For example, if I am doing 3×5 of back squat and my goal is to do my three sets at 275#. My first set might feel like an @6 or @7, second set an @7 or @8, and my final burnout set should feel like an @9. Now say I didn’t sleep well, haven’t eaten much that day, am dehydrated, over stressed, or just feeling rather uninspired to lift that day, use the RPE scale to find weights that will likely be much lighter (say 225# for the example above), but should feel just as heavy in terms of perceived exertion as your usual worksets (@6-7, @7-8, @9). The body will respond to the force of the muscle’s contraction, how long the contraction lasts, and how many contractions there were, and the RPE scale helps us manage this type of approach more so than strict percentages of 1RM.

If you haven’t already, start tracking not only the sets, reps, and weights for your lifts, but also the RPE rating for each set. After a couple of months don’t be surprised if you observe patterns in your training, recovery, and progress relating to your RPE ratings. And should you need to back off every once and a while, the RPE rating system helps us find challenging loads that will help us make the most of those off-days.

Press 3×5/Wendler

3 Rounds:
AMRAP 3
12 Wall Ball Shots
6 Ring Dips
20 Double Unders

Rest 1 minute between rounds

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.

Congratutions to all of our NLI competitors and Holley on her 1st place finish!

Now that the Whole30 Challenge is over, some of you may be wondering what to do now. Whole9′s site ran a recent post that covered this exact subject and you might pick up some good tips from the read.

The Whole30 Training Wheels

A universal truth: making good food choices is easy when you’re following the Whole30 “rules”, but much harder out there in the real world. We’ve talked to many a workshop attendee about this very topic (usually after they’ve fallen face-first into a box of doughnuts post-Whole30).

The rules of the Whole30 program are very specific, and completely non-negotiable. They narrow your (food) world, and remove some of the stress of making your own food choices. The program also gives you an easy fall-back when faced with social or peer pressures. For many, the rules of the Whole30 function much like training wheels on a bike, giving you all the support and back-up you need while allowing you to complete the program under your own power. But are you prepared to ride your big-kid cycle when your 30 days are up?

Let Us Run Your Life…

For many – especially those who have bounced in and out of different dietary plans in the past – the strict confines of the Whole30 program is comforting. It takes all the guesswork out of our expectations and your goals, and gives you clear objectives to achieve along the way. (“Start eating healthy” is a far more difficult challenge to wrap your arms around than, “Eat no added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes or dairy in any form for 30 days.”)

Take a look at the rest of the article here.

WOD 02.06.12

Back Squat 3×5 or Wendler

AMRAP 9
7 OHS
9 Burpees
11 Kettlebell Swings

Kyle’s birthday was yesterday as well, thanks to his college buddy, Nick, for his birthday post!

A big year for my good friend Kyle! Not only did he move out to California from the city known for its wonderful winters, Boston, he also got engaged and joined Intrepid (obviously one more monumental than the other…). Kyle is an extremely dedicated athlete and a fellow geek (we studied engineering together, what can we say). I knew CrossFit would be a perfect fit for him, so all I had to do was let the bug bite him. On a trip out here last March, I  had him stop into Intrepid and the rest was history. He went back East, started causing a ruckus in the BU gym by doing CrossFit on his own and became instantly addicted. When work brought him out to the West coast, he jumped right back into Intrepid and has been a consistent 6 and 7 pm’er since. He is a great fit for the Intrepid family, and we jokingly said tonight that I see him more now than I did in college. It has been great working out and spending time with you over the past year, and I look forward to another one! Happy birthday buddy!

Now onto the goods…

Started Crossfit: March 2011
Favorite Movement: Running (did I mention he runs marathons?) and cleans
Least Favorite Movement: Pistols (he answered this one pretty quickly…)
Favorite WOD: Anything chipper-like (lots of movements, endurance)
Least Favorite WOD: Fran (agreed.)
Fitness Goals: To get better at running marathons without doing marathon-style training. May I add, Kyle has already shaved 15 – 20% off his 5k time with CrossFit and is planning to run the San Diego half-marathon in March to put CrossFit to the test!
Hobbies and outside interests: His Fiance (obvious choice), brewing beer, being a nerd

REST DAY 02.05.12

A big thanks to Troy (Tyler’s younger brother) for putting together his 30th birthday post.

Today is Tyler’s 30th birthday. If you know us at all, were not those brother’s that get all emotional and hug and cheer each other on for all to see. We work together, we were roommates for 5 years, and we started cross fit together. We push each other to new heights in everything we do. After talking with a friend at cross fit South Bay, we tried one workout with Ruth and Sean back in March 2011 and were instantly hooked. Being the younger brother, my goal has always been to defeat Tyler, unfortunately its easier said than done. Tyler is one of those athlete’s that doesn’t stretch, roll, spend extra time on skill work, doesn’t enjoy running but is fast as hell, and doesn’t get tired mid work out. He can push through pain, and “destrominate” work outs no matter what it is (even rowing). He mastered muscle ups in a day, and dubs in a few weeks. Both took me months and frustrated the crap out of me, yet he was the one that gave me the extra pointers to figure them out. He has brought more new faces to the gym then anyone I can think of. Not all of them lasted but he is always spreading the word about Intrepid, how great of a workout it is and the results you will see. Tyler has come a long way from his old nickname of Bulldozer. He has matured and turned into a great athlete, brother, friend, and future husband to his fiancé Liz. The only thing he may love as much as Liz is surfing. He is the only person I know that commits to surfing 5 times a week rain or shine, weather its 50 degrees or 90 degrees if there’s waves you know where he is at. He also enjoys beach days, bike rides, and his latest obsession FOOD. Just ask Chef. Anyways Happy Birthday Tyler, I love you and you’re a great person to look up to, that is however when I am not looking back at you in a WOD.- Troy

Head down to Laguna Hills High School today and cheer on Josh, Brian, Michael, Jake, and Holley as they take on the Next Level Invitational CrossFit competition. Best of luck gang! See you down there!

WOD 2.04.12

Deck of Cards
In Teams of 3-5:
Hearts: Push Ups
Spades: Box Jumps
Diamonds: Sit Ups w/weight or T2B
Clubs: Squats (can be sandbag or goblet)

Today marks the last official day of the Intrepid Whole 30 Challenge (just in time for the big game right!?). Please don’t go off of the deep end and go crazy eating every junk food known to man. Be smart about how you reintroduce foods and get even more in tune with how your body reacts to the gradual reintroduction of non-W30 foods. Got it? Good.

Being that I’m a Buffalo boy, I love me some good chicken wings. Especially for the super bowl. So I’ve been hard at work in the kitchen looking for ways to clean up one of my gameday favorites. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
Option 1: Baked Wings

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Lay the chicken wings on a cookie sheet or flat pan and brush with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes and flip
• Bake another 10-15 minutes until they begin to brown and crisp

Option 2: Fried Wings

• Heat coconut oil in a deep fryer, wok, or pot so that at least a few wings are completely covered.  I used a wok so I could only fry about 3-4 wings per batch.  The upside is that I didn’t use all of our coconut oil for one batch of wings.  The downside is that it takes much longer depending on how many wings you’re making.
• The oil is ready when you hear it start to sizzle.
• Add the wings to the hot oil but please be careful as the oil can splatter
• Keep an eye on the wings and flip them at least once, usually about 3-5 minutes into the frying
• The wings are done when they start to brown

Sauce:

No matter which method you choose for cooking the wings, the method I used for the sauce is the same.  I tried 2 sauce recipes, one using Ghee and one using coconut oil, and Ruth and I both seem to enjoy the ghee better.  Traditional Buffalo wing sauce uses butter, but as we know from the past month butter is less than ideal, so ghee is a pretty close alternative while still giving the wings some flavor.

• If the ghee or coconut oil is solid, melt it in a small bowl in the microwave.  If it is already liquid then simply pour into a small bowl or cup and skip the melting.

•  The best tasting clean Buffalo style hot sauce I’ve come across is the Tabasco brand Buffalo hot sauce.  Simple, clean, and tastes great.  Once the ghee or coconut oil is melted just add the sauce to suit your taste.  Mix in the sauce thoroughly.

• Once the sauce is ready, put the chicken wings into large mixing bowl, add the sauce and toss the wings around in the bowl until they’re slathered in sauce.
• Serve and devour!

Intrepid W30 Finale Workout
Max Rep Deadlift at 85% of 1RM
Rest at least 2 mins
Max Strict Pullups
Rest at least 2 mins
Sprint around the block for time

*For those still eligible to win the challenge be sure to take your “after” photos before leaving today

Chris let me sample one of his supply and suggested I do a write-up for everyone’s benefit. The pack Chris had is one of the first that came on the market — Paleo Kits — and is quite popular in the CrossFit community. One of the nice things about Steve’s Paleo Kits is that your purchase also helps support the Steve’s Club charity. The pack I tried was the large size and had beef jerky, strawberries, and coconut. This serving was definitely on the larger side and was quite a substantial “snack”.

There is also another company called Primal Pacs that sells a very similar product. This particular company has the distinction of being “Whole9 Approved” for the absence of sugars in the beef jerky. They have a slightly different fruit/nut combo, and is priced about the same.

Either way, you can’t really go wrong. Both companies have grass-fed jerky without the usual crap (MSG, nitrates, etc.) and fruits without a bunch of added sugars. Chris said he likes to keep the Paleo Kits in his trunk in case of emergencies so he knows he has a compliant meal at the ready. If you frequently find yourself without a good food option nearby, you should look into picking some Paleo Kits or Primal Pacs up!

WOD 02.02.12

Skills Day

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

Stephanie on a blue band May 2010. Last night she did a 10# weighted pull up for a set of 2!

I posted about pull up progressions a while back based on an article from T-Nation which detailed a series of movements ranging from barbell rows to ring rows to pull ups and weighted pull ups.   Yesterday, 70′s Big honed in on specific progressionsto get from no chin up (palms facing you) to one or more pull ups (palms facing away).  These are excellent progressions and can be done even if you don’t have bands to assist with pull ups.

Instead, he focuses on using negatives in his progressions (Be controlled and deliberate during your negatives and don’t just drop to the bottom).  It’s important to also include  band-less progressions so you can increase your grip strength.  The bands often support enough of your weight that when you try to hang from the bar on your own, your grip goes out before you can even attempt the pull up!   Check out his progressions below:

• No chin-up, weak: Use some sort of body rows (ring, barbell).
• No chin-up, not so weak: Use negatives.
• No chin-up, weak in top half (lockout): Use “Double Negatives” for the top range of motion. What’s a Double Negative? »
• No chin-up, weak in bottom half (getting started): Use Double Negatives for bottom ROM.Tell me how »
• Chin-up! Yay! But only one?: Maintain frequency method, but with full ROM (more in later sections).
• Regular chin-ups, no pull-up: Start hitting doubles on chins for a week, then triples. Then start on pull-ups.
• Chin-ups are pretty solid, but no pull-up: Alternate between workouts that focus on chin-ups (see previous point) and pull-ups. Find out where you are on this list on the pull-up and start there. If you can’t lock it out, then work the top ROM. If you can’t get out of the bottom, then work that ROM. If it’s no dice either way, use negatives.

Note that you’ll occasionally (i.e. once every 7 to 10 days) attempt a dead hang chin or pull-up. If you show progress, then shift to the next point.

Read more about developing a pull up here.

We’ve had the opportunity to witness many many athletes go from banded pull ups to strict pull ups.  Yesterday Sri busted out his first two strict pull ups after just one month here (started with blue/red)!  This last month many Intrepids got their first pull ups and chin ups.  Below is Michelle’s pull up story:

8/5/10  Green (1^st workout after foundations)

9/20/10 Blue/Purple

11/2/10 Blue

12/10/10 Red

5/2/11  Purple

Got my first unassisted pull up towards the end of the W30 challenge (around 5/3/11)

5/24/11 NO BANDS!!

If you transitioned from banded to strict pull ups here, post your story to comments!!

WOD 01.31.12

Back Squat 3×5 or Wendler

Partner WOD:
AMRAP 9:
7 Thrusters
7 Burpees
170m Run

Partner A completes 7 Thrusters while Partner B completes 7 Burpees. Partners then switch movements and go on the run together. When both partners return, Partner A then starts with 7 Burpees while Partner B starts with 7 Thrusters.