Mark’s Daily Apple wrote a post back in July regarding the 8 key health challenges we face as we age. In no particular order the 8 health challenges are:

1). Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome- Biggest cause of preventable death, because it can be linked to other major causes of death (cancer, diabetes, heart disease).  Some simple ways to prevent obesity are to eat clean (remove the refined foods) and to exercise.

2). Arthritis- Eating clean and weight training exercises help with this challenge.

3). Osteoporosis and Falls- Caused by being overweight, sedentary, and spending majority of the time indoors can lead to osteoporosis. A fracture in older age can lead to falls.

4). Cancer- A very scary word and thought, but besides diet and exercise, being proactive in medical screenings can also add to the fight of beating cancer.

5). Cardiovascular Disease- Eating well, keeping it light in the sodium department, and not smoking are the ways to keep the percentage down of getting a cardiovascular disease.

6). Vision and Hearing Loss- Adding produce to your diet can go a very long way. Results have shown that having at least 6 servings of vegetables a day can produce eyes and ears with a protective antioxidant.

7). Teeth- Don’t just brush twice a day. Make sure to floss!

8). Mental Health: Memory and Emotional Well-Being- Exercise is a must. Also be sure to find a spiritual or emotional outlet (pray), think young, work on those close friendships, hug or kiss someone (touch is important), and love someone who is dependent on you.

As we get a little older it becomes more and more important how well we take care of ourselves. A little extra care of our minds and bodies can go a very long way.

WOD 12.21.2013

Partner WOD-

Buy in with 6 Rope Climbs, then complete

• 20 Synchronized Burpees
• Run 400m with a Med Ball
• 30 Overhead Lunges (45/25)
• Run 240m with a Sandbag
• 40 Synchronized Sit Ups
• Run 100m

*One Med Ball/Sandbag per team

In the last couple of weeks there has been a usual amount of sport films on TV.  It is not a bad thing because it just so happens that I love most sport movies, especially the training montages. I don’t know if it was 80’s/90’s week, but there were some classics on. The film series, Rocky (except Rocky V), happens to have my favorite training scenes. Everybody loves Rocky III and IV when Rocky gets ready to fight Mr. T and Ivan Drago. You can be sure that I watched both movies when they played last week. Some other good ones that were on were Blood Sport and Kickboxer. Jean-Claude Van Damme had some bad a$$ training going on. I even caught Daniel Larusso getting ready to take on the Cobra Kai. What I noticed about the majority of these movies was that I was getting super motivated during the training scenes. After each scene I had the urge to go to Intrepid and attempt PRs on every movement we do. So needless to say after the marathon of awesome sport flicks I browsed the web to find the “Greatest Movie Training Montages Ever”.

In the link below there are 10 scenes that get the adrenaline pumping. Men’s Fitness provides the list.

http://www.mensfitness.com/leisure/entertainment/worlds-10-greatest-movie-training-montages-ever

I also found a site that was inspired by the 2012 Summer Olympic and this site got in the action with a list of “10 of Film’s Greatest Training Montages”. There were some movies on there that I haven’t seen and feel shouldn’t have made the list.

http://flavorwire.com/313000/10-of-films-greatest-training-montages/view-all/

 Motivation is a funny thing because it can come from anywhere and everywhere. Is there a particular movie out there that gets you pumped up and makes you want to hit the gym that moment? Go ahead and post to comments if you would like to share.

WOD 12.14.2013

Run 1 Mile,

then Rest 4 Mins, then complete:

• 15 Back Squats (225/155) or 60% of 1 Rep Max
• 30 Toes 2 Bar
• 30 Pistols
• 60 Sit-ups

Earlier this week one of our athletes suffered a head injury while doing a WOD. During the run she slipped and hit her head on the ground. Fortunately, all she received was a small bump on her forehead and some scratches on her arm. This could have easily been an uglier situation. Any bump, blow or jolt to the head/body that causes the head to move or stop rapidly can lead to a concussion.  I recently took a course in concussion in sports and learned a few things. Concussions can occur in any sport, which even means Crossfit.  If an athlete in the gym were to suffer a concussion the signs and symptoms observed by the coaches and/or other athletes would include one or more of the following; athlete appears dazed or stunned, confused about what he/she is doing, moves clumsily, answers questions slowly, loss of consciousness, shows behavior or personality changes, and cannot recall events prior to or after the injury. When a concussion takes place it can affect 4 areas of functionality: the way the person feels (headaches and fatigue), how they think (memory loss and concentration issues), change in emotions (may become irritable or sad), and problems with sleep (trouble staying awake or falling asleep).

 Recovery depends on the severity of the concussion, but always starts with receiving medical attention. Usually a CAT scan is involved and the doctor is the only one that can allow the athlete back to the activity. In some cases it can take weeks to return to activity while other times it can take months. There is a current lawsuit taking place at a local high school in the area regarding a concussion. A female water polo player was struck in the head with the ball while playing against male water polo players. This incident happened earlier this fall and her concussion is so bad that she still cannot attend classes because she cannot concentrate on the course material.

It can be difficult to prevent a concussion, but at Intrepid we take the appropriate safety measures when dealing with heavy weight overhead, and all movements in general, so that hopefully we never have to come across a concussion situation.

WOD 12.07.2013

It also is a very busy weekend for Intrepids. Good luck to those competing in the Weightlifting meet as well as those participating in the partner competition!

Photo by RaceWire

On December 21, Winter Solstice, also known as the longest and darkest day of the year is the perfect time for the Manhattan Beach Yuletide 5k. The tradition of night running on the beach is back again. No need to worry about the darkness because the course will be lit by luminarias and all pre-registered runners will receive glow necklaces. The 5:30pm race starts and ends under the Christmas lights of the Manhattan Beach pier. Participants will be heading north on the hard sand to 45^th street and then return back to the pier. Normally running on the sand can be difficult, but the low tide creates a solid surface to race on. It would be more like running on a trail or dirt road.  Mile markers are placed throughout the course so those looking to push their limits can easily keep track of their pace.  Those looking to enjoy the scenery can walk the race too. Besides the 5k race, there are three different races for the little ones. The Elves Dash 1k (ages 7-12) starts at 6:30pm, the Little Elves 400 meter dash (ages 3-6) starts at 6:40pm and the Crawlers 50 meter race (ages 2 and under) starts at 6:50pm. As you can tell this event is for the entire family. Since it is still early the cost is not too expensive. Adults are $35 and kids are $30. This race definitely sounds like fun since I have never been part of a night race. I think it would be a great idea to get an Intrepid team to participate. If anyone is interested go ahead and let me know and we can put something together.

WOD 11.30.2013

In Teams of 3:

• 75 Toes 2 Bar (Hang from bar)
• 60 Tire Flips (Holds a plank)
• 75 Box Jumps (Holds a squat)
• 75 Burpees (Holds a hollow)

Cash Out- Rope Climb Skills and Foam Roll

*One person works, one person does active rest, and one person rests

There are two main types of feedback in the sports world. The first is intrinsic feedback. This type of feedback occurs when information is received by the athlete as a direct result from producing a movement. It is dependent on the feelings from your muscles, joints, and balance. A good example would be performing a strict press and hitting all the points of the movement. Feet are under the hips, legs are straight, rib cage is down, arms are locked out and you “punch the ceiling”. Once you have completed the lift you have the feeling of a successful lift. Same thing applies when the lift is not done properly. This time when you attempt the lift you strive to hit all the points of the movement, but you end up having a dip in the knees and instead of a strict press you accidentally performed a push press. As soon as you complete the movement you realize that it was done incorrectly.

The other type of feedback is called extrinsic or augmented feedback. This type of feedback is received by the athlete from an outside source. That source can be a coach or even maybe a video about the movement. The athlete should be able to see and /or hear what is being communicated to them. We could use the press again as an example. Say a new person walks into the gym to begin their foundations. They have no general background in lifting weights. The coach goes over all the points of the press. The person attempts a few reps and then the coach provides verbal feedback on what they did well and what can be worked on. The coach also provides visual feedback by a taking a barbell and showing them what was done correctly as well as what needs improving.

In our gym both types of feedback take place on a daily basis. There are times when we have felt the lift was done correctly or incorrectly. Either way there is always a coach around to provide us feedback on what we do. As an athlete do you rely more on one or the other? In my case I am much bigger fan of augmented feedback. I feel when another coach gives their input on what I am doing I can provide a better result.

WOD 11.23.2013

Row 1k

then 2 Rounds:

• 20 Box Jumps
• 20 Burpees
• 20 KBS
• 20 Pull-Ups

The other day I came across an interesting article regarding Moscow subway commuters. On an average day metro riders pay 30 rubles ($0.92 American) for a one way ticket. That’s not so bad, but what if one could pay in the form of exercise? That is exactly what is happening at the Vystavochaya metro station. In this station there is a ticket machine that accepts 30 squats (1 squat per ruble) instead of money as payment.  Commuters simply stand and perform all the squats in front of the special machine. This particular machine is able to tell if all squats are being done correctly. The challenge is to complete all 30 squats in two minutes in order to receive a free one way ticket. If subway riders can’t complete the task in the two minute time cap then they must pay the standard ticket price. Don’t expect to see these machines popping up everywhere across the world though. This ticket machine is being used for the promotion of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games that are taking place in Russia. Members of the Olympic Committee wanted not only way to promote the Games, but also to “add elements of sports to daily life”.  More specifically the Committee “wants to show that the Olympic Games is not just an international competition that people watch on TV, but that it is also about getting everyone involved in a sporting lifestyle”.  So far results have varied. Some subway riders find the task easy, while others needing the entire two minutes to complete the 30 squats. With the incentive being something positive (free ride) riders feel that this is very beneficial. This promotion will continue through the month of November until the end of December. The Olympic Committee has also mentioned they plan to promote the Games on other forms of transportation. They have an idea to turn handles hanging on buses into exercise bands. So even while you stand there you can exercise. My favorite idea that was mentioned is to have stationary bikes around the city being used as cell phone chargers.  I could see that idea spreading across to the US. The tagline would be…Not only a way to keep up your battery life, but YOUR life too (TM, Jacob Delgado).

Nathalia, pictured left, the bday girl

Intrepid would like to wish a Nathalia a very Happy Birthday. When asked about her birthday plans, her answer “Coming to Weightlifting class!” Enjoy your day!

WOD 11.16.2013

AMRAP 17 Minutes:

• 5 Rope Climbs
• 50 Dubs
• 40 T2B
• 30 Weighted Pistols (53/35)
• 20 HSPU
• 10 Ground to OH (185/123)
• 5 Muscle Ups

After finishing the 5th Muscle Up work back up the ladder starting with 10 Ground to OH, 20 HSPU, etc.

Today is Cicely’s birthday! Ryan has provided a nice post for the bday girl, enjoy!

Okay. Where to begin?  Let me start by saying that if you expect this to be anything close to the amazing post that my loving fiancée submitted for me about a month ago, please don’t get your hopes up – cause this ain’t no competition (and I for one am glad).

So to start – again – Happy 34^th bornday Love Nugget!  May your birthday be filled with barbed wire, electro-shock, underwater caverns, and countless other treacherous obstacles that like the rest of life’s challenges, we will overcome together.

You see, today, on Cicely’s birthday, we will be partaking in Tough Mudder together in culmination of our 100 miles of active events pledge for 2013.  Helluva birthday present huh!  I know, boyfriend of the year points right there…but don’t worry – she is also getting a spa weekend after the race which does include some nice deep tissue, trigger point therapy to help her recover.

So let’s give you a few fun facts and tidbits about Cicely – 9 to be exact:

1)     First things first – the reason that I am doing 9 fun facts and not 1 for each year the she has graced this earth – is because 9 is her favorite number and it shows itself in her life quite often.  It is the date she was born, the date her mother was born, the birth month of her father (and now father and brother -in-law to be) her dad is one of 9 siblings, her parents tried for 9 years for a child until they had her and if you add each individual number of her height and weight it equals 9 (in no particular order 5-2-1-1-0), the amount of letters in her first name and middle name combined equals 9, as does her middle and future last name.

2)     Cicely is an only child – but she has a very large and close knit extended family that throw a party for any and every possible occasion!  It’s really quite awesome.  These parties usually include fantastic games, karaoke, individual stunts and performances by the younger generation, and sometimes even a bit of gambling.  Oh…and tons of food!

3)     She has two black cats, Timmy and Sam, who are the loves of her life.  She is an amazing mother to them and makes sure to give them hugs and kisses every day when she leaves the house and when she comes home.  She also holds birthday celebrations for each of them, and dresses them up in bowtie collars for the special occasions.

4)     Cicely is an absolute animal lover and champion – and is hoping in the very near future to start officially rescuing and fostering animals on a regular basis.  She has already started on an amateur basis beginning with Trap-Neuter-Releases of feral cats, a trap and rescue of a stray little pup with a broken and dislocated hip (Fey), to the fostering of a lost Pit-Bull Simba that won over our hearts quite recently and really opened our eyes to the beauty in that very misunderstood breed.

5)     Cicely is a stickler for the rules…usually.  She didn’t have a drink of alcohol until her 21^st birthday. Although…she was tricked into having some jello shots by her college roommates, and got a little tipsy.  She had no idea that the jello contained any amount of alcohol.

6)     Her favorite ice cream is Thrifty Ice cream. Her favorite flavor is mint ‘n chip.  Her favorite order is a double scoop regular cone with chocolate malted crunch and mint ‘n chip, but the mint ‘n chip has to be on the bottom.  Her favorite part – is when she gets to the bottom of the cone and it has that bit of ice cream that she pushed down to the bottom and she gets to pop the whole thing into her mouth and gets to enjoy that perfect combination of cone and ice cream.

7)     Cic is a regular billie-badass when it comes to shooting a shotgun.  Her first time shooting clay pigeons she showed amazing accuracy and had absolutely no problem wielding the 12 gauge and blowing the pigeons to smithereens. That was until they started with the rolling targets, and our guide described the rolling clay as bunny shooting practice…Cic couldn’t bring herself to shoot the poor little fake Thumpers…until they were updated to zombie killer bunnies that would infect the rest of the bunnies so she slaughtered them all.  Seriously, didn’t miss a shot.

8)     One time in college, Cic broke her tailbone falling off of 2 sticks while dancing on the shoulders of 4 men.

9)     Cicely’s dream in life is to open a sanctuary for any and all of the misunderstood black cats of the world.  To ensure that they all have a chance to receive the same amount of love and happiness that she gives Timmy and Sam, and to educate the world as to why they are not the scary, superstitious, aloof felines that they are cracked up to be.  They are really just looking for someone to love them.

There is really a lot more to Cic, but I am going to keep some of that to myself.  What can I say? I am selfish.  But one last thing that I will share…is that she is absolutely amazing and I am absolutely the luckiest man in world since she entered my life.  I am a better man through and through with her by my side.  I am so looking forward to adding 9 more tidbits each and every year for the next 70 years as we continue our adventures together.  I love you nugget!  Happy born day!

Also a shout out is in order for Mike C., Ryan, and Cicely as they will be competing in a Tough Mudder! Good luck!!!

WOD 11.09.2013

Partner WOD-

In teams of 4 complete

Run 400m as a team then in a ladder do:

• 20 Tire Flips
• 4 Rope Climbs
• Row 500m
• 20 Ring Dips OR 7 Muscle Ups

Then 1600m relay

It has been a couple of months since I have posted about doing activities outside the gym. Today I’d like to discuss a little a bit about my experience with yoga. First off, although it is a non Crossfit activity, I did take the class at our very own Intrepid. Secondly, since the gym offers the Restorative Yoga class on Thursday nights at 7pm it was a no brainer to give it a try. At the time it seemed to make sense to try an activity that focused on recovering from a very intense Monday-Wednesday. Class promptly began at 7 with a change in music. It was not the usual fast paced rock songs, but a calmer and quieter playlist of music. It set the tone for a relaxing environment. Amanda, the yoga instructor, started with some stretching poses and would then walk around to individually check if our form was correct. A few times she adjusted my arms or legs to be set in the appropriate position. After stretching Amanda got us going on different poses that required to be held for a significantly longer period of time. With each pose Amanda would help every one of us reach that optimal positioning. I felt that she did a solid job of paying attention to each individual. During the hour long session we probably covered 8-10 different poses. With the low amount of poses you can imagine the time spent on each one. Amanda made sure that we would benefit from all poses. Towards the end of the session I began to feel my body loosening. I noticed that certain muscles were not as sore as when the class started. I also found that I could get deeper into the stretch without discomfort. With 5-10 minutes remaining we switched into a more relaxing pose. The eyes were required to be closed and my mind and body were so at ease that I accidentally dozed off for a bit. You can imagine how relaxed I was at that point. Overall, I feel that the yoga class is very beneficial. It is a great way for the body to unwind and get back to a neutral setting. Although I have not been back to the yoga class yet, I would absolutely love to do it again. What I like about it is that you really don’t need previous yoga experience. I was able to jump in without any issues. I would suggest to all of you to give this yoga class a try. I would like to see a bigger turn out for this class! Hope to see you there.

WOD 11.02.13

Partner WOD

8 rounds DT / 10 rounds Cindy

DT (155/105)

• 12 Deadlifts
• 9 Hang Power Cleans
• 6 Push Jerks

Cindy

• 5 Pullups
• 10 Push Ups
• 15 Squats 

*One person on DT/Cindy at a time. Once you begin a round, must finish before tag out.

Today Celina gets the spot light as it is her birthday! Her Partner In Crime and best friend, Amanda, has written a great bday post, enjoy! 

As you have seen around CFI, the bromance challenge has been brought. A month ago, you heard Celina’s side of the story. Well, thanks to Pat’s offer to let me write Celina’s birthday post, it is now time to return the favor. :) (Thanks, Pat!)

For starters, Celina also goes by Bina. While I wasn’t present for that story, I do know its origin – her younger brother called her Bina when he was first learning to speak. The name stuck so well, she even has a jelly bean integrated into her Claddagh ring-inspired tattoo. 

One of my favorite aspects of crossfit and training at CFI is the partnerships you develop with your fellow classmates. You push each other, you challenge each other, and you hold each other accountable for a good lift and correct technique. Bina is right by my side challenging me to do better, lift heavier, use better form. Additionally, she is my goat standard. Every one of my goats is her strength – how’s that for a best friend and WOD partner?!? As such, I thought she deserved the honor of having a WOD named after her. These aren’t her only strengths; these are the highlights. And yes, this will hurt. I am NOT looking forward to Celina…

“Celina” WOD

5 Rounds for Time

• 500M Row
• 25 Wall Balls
• 50 Pistols
• 1 Rope Climb 

Last summer at Bryant’s farewell, we forged our friendship… over beers, brats, and corn hole. And it was also the first night Lali (me) slept on the couch followed by eggs and bacon breakfast the next morning. Quickly, we realized we had a ton in common, and we would become darn close to inseparable. We cook our week’s meals together during the weekends. Celina helped me to learn how to be successful through a Whole30 – she even did it with me! 

What do you say about the person who is your best friend? We have shared so many laughs, cries, and celebrations just in the past year. I look forward to the many more…Ben & Jerry’s included!
Celina is super-woman. She is in law school – rocking her first year! And yes, I’ll brag, she did so well that she now has a scholarship to attend her top choice law school (Pepperdine)! She is ALL IN – pushing herself and others to excellence in all ways. In top of that, Pat recently returned from Afghanistan, so law school, a two year old, husband in combat – yes, she is super-woman! 

I think the most important story to tell is the friend Celina is to everyone who knows her and especially the friend she has been to me. Celina is the exact opposite of a fair weather friend…Yes, we have celebrated the best of times, and we have mourned the toughest of times, too. Celina is the friend who is there right when you need a friend the most. 

As many know, I had shoulder surgery last year. Celina was there. She  and her wonderful family supported me during the one week she happened to have off from work before she started law school. She dropped me off at the hospital, and she picked me up while I was drugged up. (She and my dad still joke about that…  apparently I sounded really funny.) She cared for me. When I was the most vulnerable I have ever been in front of anyone, she was there with such grace and care, keeping my dignity in my weakness. I will not get into the details, but suffice to say, I needed help, and Celina was there. I cannot describe a more loyal and loving friend. 

That is the amazing friend I have. 

Poor Pat, Roberta, and Land dad (Celina’s parents) have to listen to the “Why do we talk?” as we finish each other’s thoughts, sentences, and (usually without prior planning) pick the same clothes for a WOD or anything else… seriously. Why do we talk? The answer – so everyone else can appreciate our humor, of course! 

Happy birthday to the best friend anyone can hope to find!

WOD 10.26.2013

Partner WOD-

3 Rounds for time- 20 Min time cap

• Row 1200 Meters
• 30 Box Jumps
• 30 Pull-Ups
• 30 Slam Ball tosses (standing at least 4 ft away)

Today we wish one of the first Intrepid members, Stephanie, a Happy Birthday!  Her husband Michael H (aka Ninja, aka Michael Y) has written a post for his lovely wife, enjoy!

——-

(Intended to be read fast, go!)

Happy Birthday Steph….

Straight to the point.

Steph is a BAD ASS in every way.
Steph is the epitome of strength and beauty.
Steph is awesome.

If you know her, then you know the above is true, if you don’t know her, ask yourself would you trust, me or a politician. I only speak of the truth.

Happy Birthday Steph….

Done.

(Ok slow it down…)

Now on to more important matters, what should I get Steph for her birthday? I could buy her something that’ll probably go out of style, break, or get lost; or I could get her something priceless and last her a lifetime. I’ve already married her so I can’t do that again, I already knocked her up so I can’t use that as a gift. So what’s left? After going through a debate with the demons in my head, I’ve come up with a few options, a gift that keeps giving… a pocket card that she can use at her discretion 24/7/365 but I’m going to twist it a little. I’m going to let the gym decide what she deserves

Having said that, I present to you. The “What should I get Steph poll” 3-2-1-Vote!

1. Steph should never have to change a diaper if we are in the same room.
2. Steph should never have to change our cat litter box.
3. Steph should never have to pick up after our dogs poop.
4. Steph should never have to cover the grave yard shift when the baby cries.
5. Steph should give me a foot massage every day.
6. Some of the above.

Click here to vote!

BTW if you’re curious how old she is, count the periods used in this post.

In other news
Don’t forget, we have 3 Intrepid teams competing today at the Randy Simmons Fitness Challenge! Come out join the cheer squad! Heats start at 08:00, 08:15 and 08:30 AM

WOD 10.19.2013

Partner WOD:

Buy-In with 75 Power Snatches (or Muscle Snatches) (75/55)

Then complete a total of,

• 50 Pistols
• 50 Med ball Toss Sit-ups
• 150yd Bear Crawl