December news from box by Imperium CrossFit

News From The Box Imperium CrossFit

Vol. 2, Issue 4

In This Issue Athlete of the Month Page 4 Recipe of the Month Page 4 Tips From The Box Page 5 Meet Elite F’ing Meals Page 6 Imperium Christmas Party Page 7 Photo Collage Page 8-9 The 10 things t hat will happen when you begin crossfit Page 10-11, 14 Coach Phil’s Word of the Month Page 17 Thanksgiving schedule Page 17 Calendar of Events Page 18

News From The Box

Page 4

Athlete of the Month: Mike Gillum 4. What's your favorite part of working out at Imperium?

1. How did you hear about CrossFit? Facebook and all the annoying posts I used to see...thought if never do it, then, decided to try it because I was bored with lifting and cardio and not getting results so I came with Todd and Ashlee Amy and it just about whipped my ass the first time I went. Now i absolutely LOVE IT!

There isn't much about the place I don't like... I like how everyone is friendly and easy to get along with people have no problem helping ya if you don't seem to get something...just an all around great atmosphere. 5. What is your advice for a beginner to CrossFit?

2. How has CrossFit changed your life? It's made me open my eyes to try stuff I would have never tried or wanted to try before. From different workouts to eating habits..

3. What are your goals for CrossFit? Get in better shape, lose some pounds and maybe try to compete some day...that's still up in the air.

Go in with no expectations Except it's gonna kick your ass at first. It will get better and like Marnie told me, don't look at the clock the fiast month or two...go at your own pace. â&#x2014;&#x160;

Recipe of the Month: Bacon Sweet Potato Muffins Ingredients (4 muffins)

Directions

6 slices of bacon 1 large sweet potato

2. Grate the sweet potato and combine with the egg, mixing thoroughly.

1 egg

3. Grease the muffin tray with coconut oil.

1.5 tsp minced dried onion 1 bunch chives 1 tsp coconut oil Sea salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lay a slice of bacon inside each cup to form a cup-shaped lining. 4. Fill the bacon cup with the grated potato mix and sprinkle with the minced dried onion. Add sea salt to taste.

Volume 2, Issue 3

Tips From The Box: Clean vs. Power Clean reprinted from: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/11/05/clean-and-power-clean-technique/

T-Shirt Pre-Orders! Now taking pre-orders for Men's CVC Crew - Black $20 Women's CVC - Red $20 Women's (Unisex) Tank- Blue. $20 Hoodies- $40 Order forms will be up at the box!

Page 5

News From The Box

Page 6

Meet Elite F’ing Meals Who We Are Elite F'ing Meals is a locallyowned Paleo and Primal meal delivery service. Our goal is to help busy individuals stay committed to eating “real food” by offering a convenient and healthy alternative to the drive-thru. What is “real food”? It’s simple. Whole foods, as nature intended us to eat them: grassfed and pasture-raised meats and eggs, organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and the occasional use of wellsourced, unpasteurized dairy from local farmers. Our menu changes with the seasons, dependent upon what is available at local farms and markets in the area. We guarantee fresh, handpicked ingredients that also support our community. Our Story Elite F’ing Meals is the brainchild of two health-minded friends, Barb and Marianne, who share a passion for sarcastic humor,

clean eating and lifting heavy objects. After being introduced to crossfit and a Paleo lifestyle, both of us discovered how our daily food choices positively impacted our health. With all of the negative press surrounding conventional meats and produce, the decision to switch to a clean lifestyle was a no brainer. The hardest part of the journey was learning what food choices worked best for us and finding food sources that we could trust. On a quest to get back to basics, we began to explore organic meat and produce shares from local co-ops, and spent most of our nights cooking for small groups of friends at home. The difference in the quality of the food, flavors and freshness was pretty obvious to us, as well as all of our friends who have spent time with us in the kitchen. Cooking is a labor of love and the evolution of our journey led us to create Elite F’ing Meals. Ordering

We are currently offering an introductory special for weekly $10per-meal plans as 3 or 5 day packages. Our food is made to order and will be delivered to Imperium Crossfit and other set locations, once or twice a week, depending on which plan you order. Each meal plan includes a fixed menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner for $10 per meal: $90 for 3 days (9 meals) or $150 for 5 days (15 meals). Are you concerned about a food allergy? We customize our menu for many of our clients, including nut-free or shellfish-free plans. For more information on how to get signed up for one of our plans, email us at info@elitefingmeals.com.

You are cordially invited to... The Imperium Crossfit Christmas Party December 14, 2013 at 7:30 in the evening at the box Attire is Black Tie or Awesome $10 donation for Imperium Members

**Open Bar

$20 for non-members

**DJ

All donations will benefit Saint

**Photo booth

Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital and 2

**Door Prizes

other charities Proceeds will also have a corporate match

Page 8

News From The Box

Page 9

News From The Box

Page 10

The 10 Things That Will Happen When You Begin CrossFit by Joshua M. Brown

Reprinted from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joshua-m-brown/crossfit-beginners_b_3867924.html

This week marks three months since I began the most intense workout regimen of my entire life, CrossFit. What led to me beginning CrossFit was a realization that, if left to my own devices, I would never push myself hard enough to truly make the changes I needed to in order to get in shape. Occasional jogs and going through the chest-and-biceps motions of a traditional gym simply weren't going to get it done. I also knew that there was no shot that I'd be able to stick to a diet if it didn't coincide with something more offensive, like physical training of some sort that demanded I take in more nutrients and less garbage. And so on July 21st, at 258 pounds and sick of seeing my giant moon-face on TV every day, I walked into the CrossFit Lighthouse in Wantagh, Long Island and submitted to a long-overdue comeuppance. I marched my Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man-frame into a firefight I wasn't truly prepared for. It's 90 days later and I still have a long way to go to get back to the old me. But I'm happy to report that for the first time in years I feel like I'm back in control and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Every day I get closer. For those who are thinking about trying CrossFit and rewriting their own futures, below are the first ten things that will happen. 1. You will find out how truly out of shape you are. It is likely that your first few sessions at a CrossFit gym will consist of stretching and basic instruction. You will likely sweat like a pig and require numerous breaks to catch your breath even during this relatively easy phase. This is because you are engaging and stretching

muscles that have been dormant for years. You will also be sucking at the air for every molecule of oxygen you can get. It will be a week or two before your lungs are really open, prepare to gasp like a newborn taking its very first breath. 2. You will realize how fat you and other regular people are compared to real athletes. This is because your certified instructors will have the physiques of comic book superheroes. You will weigh 40 percent more than them but they will be somewhere between 50 and 150 percent stronger than you. It will make no sense that such "little" guys and girls are that much more powerful than you; it'll be rather disorienting, especially if you're a big guy like me who thought he was "strong" walking in. The instructors are not huge or freakishly jacked like traditional body builders, but I wouldn't

want to bet against them in any contests of strength. The idea is to be able to lift heavy weights but in as efficient a manner as possible, and then to be able to run a mile while the old school body builder huffs and puffs behind you. And you, big guy, are not strong. You are fat and incidentally may be able to lift some weight up. You will learn about real strength very soon. 3. You will begin learning the lingo and using it without feeling like a dork:

W.O.D (or WOD): Workout of the Day, this is the combination of exercises, prescribed weights and time allotment that will be the law of the land from the first class to the last. Typically a WOD will consist of one gymnastic move (pull-ups, ring rows, sit-ups, etc.),

Volume 2, Issue 3

one aspect of cardio (rowing, running, jumping rope, etc.) and one Olympic power-lifting maneuver (back squats, clean & jerks, dead lifts, push-presses, etc.). RX: When one does the prescribed amount of weight and reps, one is said to have RX'd (as in, he or she followed the prescription). Box: CrossFit centers are not called gyms, they're called "boxes" and many of them resemble just that. Typically they'll be in warehouse-like spaces with cement walls, exposed rafters criss-crossing the ceiling and nought but a black mat covering the length of the floors. There are no smoothie bars or aerobics studios in one's peripheral vision, just the iron bar you'll hang from, the weights you'll thrust up above your head and the ground you'll drip your perspiration and occasional tears into until you feel as though you've become a part of the place. This is your box. There are thousands of CrossFit boxes across the country, but this one is yours.

4. Your friends and family will start Googling the term CrossFit and giving you warnings. "Oh, you're doing that Cross thing, I think I just read something about that..." They will come across a rare disorder wherein people push themselves past the exhaustion point until their muscle fibers begin to break down and slip through the bloodstream into their kidneys. They will also come across stories about injuries and the like associated with CrossFit search terms. The reality is that these types of injuries can and do occur with any kind of training if taken too far and under the wrong type of supervision. You are equally likely to be injured while ice skating, lifting weights alone, horseback riding, surfing or doing any other type of strenuous activity if you are engaging recklessly and not taking

Page 11

the proper precautions. I would also note that there is an ongoing fearmongering campaign being waged by the traditional fitness clubs and gyms. They see the proliferation of the CrossFit movement across the country as a massive threat to their membership rolls. There is no possible way that a guy doing his usual leisurely circuit around the same 12 or 15 machines in a gym is ever going to get the intensity of a workout at a CrossFit box. 5. You will get insanely good at counting. Everything in CrossFit is about reps. 20 clean & jerks followed by 10 box-jumps topped off with 30 sit-ups, then repeat five times and compete for time. Think about the counting, the counting down, the mental division of large quantities of reps into small, more manageable-seeming blocks. "Okay, let me get five more then take a breath and then just three more and then only two sets left until I'm three fifth's of the way through the five rounds." This is the kind of conversation you're carrying on with yourself in the heat of the W.O.D. and you'll become very proficient at counting backward as well -- "seven more...six, five more, c'mon, four..." Whatever it takes to get you through. 6. You'll begin to respect endurance and stamina. When you're a kid, your idea of strength revolves around how much one can lift, what someone's arms and chest look like, etc. If you haven't yet grown out of this idea, you will upon beginning CrossFit. You will begin to be much more amazed at things like quad strength and lower back strength. You'll be blown away by the ability of others to do hundreds of airsquats or hold various static positions (holding one's body in a plank six inches above the ground or half-squatting with one's back against the wall, with thighs perpendicular to the ground and a 20pound medicine ball pressed to one's chest. When you can barely get

through 30 seconds in these positions but you see someone hold them for 4 to 6 minutes, all of your ideas about what being strong means will be out the window. 7. You will gain weight at first. The most frustrating part of my first month at CrossFit was the weight gain. Simply stated, because you are using muscles that have been out of the game for years, you will be building those muscles rather rapidly, and muscle weighs more than fat. So while you will definitely be shedding water weight puffiness and sweating like you've been on a scavenger hunt in a rainforest, the scale will be ticking up not down. This will drive you f***ing crazy. And then, all of a sudden, you will hit that tipping point where the muscle you've been adding is burning enough calories each night to have you start to drop pounds. Then you'll start to see your clothes fit better and your face shrink. All downhill from here provided you keep going. 8. You'll notice an uptick in energy, even when you're dead sore from CrossFitting. This newfound energy bounce comes from the fact that you're dragging less fat around with you all day and you're breathing easier. You're putting less wear and tear on your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems and the dividend is you can keep up with your kids and accomplish more each day. The confidence and happiness that comes along with this is selfexplanatory. Wait til you see the little and unexpected ways in which these peripheral benefits creep into your daily routine at home and at work! 9. You will learn about your mental weakness. My box, the CrossFit Lighthouse, posts the

Bayou Belle is a small online based boutique with a style we've dubbed Texas, with Southern Flair. We carry the latest fashion trends at affordable prices, and have a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s section for all the outfits, bows, and tutus you may need! Check out or Monday Madness on Facebook at 7:30 p.m. for weekly specials, new arrivals, and future product lines!

$27

Our oversized vintage American Flag scarf is $20 with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project!

$31 BayouBelleBoutique.com www.facebook.com/shopbayoubelle

Volume 2, Issue 3

Page 13

What happened to my beautiful hands? by Katie Soww

When I started at Imperium in June of 2012, I was very inexperienced in the realm of lifting weights. Most of my workouts consisting of running, running, and more running. The only blisters that ever appeared on my body were typically on my feet after a long night out in heels. One day I noticed my hands felt particulary rough. I was embarrassed and ashamed. What happens when I need to shake somebody’s hand? What about holding hands with a guy? What will my patients think? For somebody who spends all day working with their hands, cleaning calculus off the teeth of people who never brush, these new rough hands are quite annoying. Unfortunately, my hands just keep getting worse. The better I become at pull-ups and deadlifts, the worse my hands look. A few months ago, I went to have my nails done. The little Asian lady was so baffled by my callused hands that she insisted I pay the extra money for the paraffin wax. I reluctantly agreed and to my surprise, my hands were back to normal afterwards. I obviously can’t afford weekly manicures on a student’s budget, so I researched some tips to help keep my hands smooth in the meantime. Perhaps some of you ladies may have a similar issue and this will come in handy. 1. Don’t overdo it on the chalk. I tend to fall victim of this very myth. I pack chalk on my hands because at the time it feels good. The chalk instantly dries out your hands,

making you even more susceptible to rough spots. Use just enough chalk to not slip. 2. Moisturize your hands. This is another problem I face. Since I’m constantly changing gloves and washing my hands, my hands quickly lose their natural moisture. I started to keep moisturizer in my clinic bag to use as often as I can. 3. Use a pumice stone. I have yet to buy one of these, but Coach Phil has shared many benefits of using a stone to smooth out those rough spots. Don’t overdo it with the stone– excessive use may cause the hands to be constantly sore during the workout. 4. Use a callus shaver. This sounds so painful and I will never use one. Try it if you’re desparate. 5. Wash your hands when they’re dirty. This should be a no-brainer. If you see dirt, clean it up. Excess bacteria can also cause dryness leading to rough spots. But don’t forget to moisturize after! If all of the above fail, splurge and get that paraffin wax at the nail salon. ◊

News From The Box

Page 14

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from p. 11

Workout of the Day on their website each morning. Three weeks in, once I had learned all the various exercises, I found myself hitting up the site and deciding based on what the W.O.D. was whether or not I was going to attend that day. One day I logged on and saw that there were 3 sets of 20 burpees included, which immediately triggered an inner dialog that went something like this: "I just did burpees on Tuesday and I'm still sore, maybe tonight will be my rest night and I'll go tomorrow and Friday instead." I realized that I was picking and choosing the workouts like they were on an a la carte menu, "I'll do this but I'm skipping that because my ankle is acting up." Once I realized this about myself, I stopped going to the site. I learned what a bitch I could be, and then I learned to deny myself the opportunity going forward. This is one example of many revelatory moments that have allowed me to get to know myself much better and make the appropriate adjustments. 10. You will learn a lot about your mental toughness. You will find that you barely knew yourself at all before beginning this adventure. That you didn't have a clue about what really made you

tick, your own elemental motivations and desires. In the heat of battle, when your head is soaked in sweat and there is nothing but the clanging of metal and the grunting of others around you, you will reach inside of yourself and go to that next level. When you realize that you are 80 percent of the way through a particularly punishing workout, you will dig deep and find what you need to get through to the other side. It's there, and maybe you haven't had to access it in years -decades -- but when you finally do...my god. There is an apotheosis underway. And on the other side of an experience like that (or a series of them), you are a lot less hesitant to step into the breach. You have gained a knowledge (or in some cases, a remembrance) of yourself and what you're capable of. I pity the person, in life or in business, who dares to face off against you once this has taken place. It won't be fair to them in the least. In my first three months of CrossFit, I came to grips with who I truly was, how out of shape I had let myself become and what kind of impact a steady and compounding list of physical achievements could have on my daily life. Now I find myself fleeing from the city after work each day at top speed just to make it back in time for a class. I find myself declining virtually every opportunity to drink at happy hours and eat lavish dinners and the like. Anyone who knows me will tell you how out of character all of this is.

e o and mad le a p % 0 0 s are 1 me suggest to the choco a n n w e o th d s t a h , ig ients. R XO Paleo our food ingred le o h e will have w , W ty . li h a tc u q ra h sc wit e from eveich we mak h w s, at the box ip h c sh e fr s late ie k o an be te chunk co s. Orders c la si o a c b o h e c rv o se le pa , first a first come n o y a d n o ry M rium or webup at Impe nce on our a d v e d k a ic p in e d b e plac eeks. .com to upcoming w boxproshop e e th th n in .i s w le w p site,w re sam uthned for mo ilt-free, mo tu u y g ta re S o . m d e n shipp eaks o the final tw g in tt u p re We a Till then o treats. le a p g n ri wate

XO, Paleo

Need to work on your golf game? Tired of hitting off mats that provide dismal swing feedback? We have the solution for you! Come out to 5050 Acorn Golf to find a full service practice facility that includes a Bermuda grass tee line, chipping and putting areas, PGA and LPGA certified instructors, re-gripping and maintenance services, TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to watch your favorite games, and serving your favorite beer and wine. How can you beat that? We are located just north of 43rd St near Antoine @ 5050 Acorn St in the Oak Forest Neighborhood. Give us a call (832) 831-5327 www.facebook.com/5050AcornGolf 5050acorn@gmail.com ***Present this newsletter and receive a free small bucket of balls.***

Page 16

News From The Box

In The Box, Pro Shop will be printing the next batch of Imperium Crossfit shirts. We are currently in the process of printing our own designs which will be revealed on Dec. 7th at the Holiday Havoc CrossFit event. They will also be made available at that time on our web site; www.intheboxproshop.com . We also cut vinyl decals for almost any application. If you need custom t-shirts or vinyl decals for your business or to support any cause, let us know, and we would be glad to help you out!

Page 17

News From The Box

Coach Phil’s Word of The Month We all know Coach Phil speaks a very unique language none of us understand. Starting with this issue, we will dissect his lingo to fully understand what he’s talking about.

Froggy\ Fraw-GEE\ adjective A feeling of excitement and anxiety. Ready to “leap like a frog”. I’m feelin so froggy today. If you feelin froggy, then leap. Coach Phil is froggy today, so the WOD will be hard. Holiday Hours

Thanksgiving scheduleThursday 11/28– CLOSED Friday 11/29– 9am “Un-stuff the Stuffing WOD”- All other classes cancelled Saturday 11/30– 9am and 10:15am classes as scheduled

December 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

24 Xmas eve

25 Xmas

Jan 1

INSIDE THE BOX. OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

News from the box

Please rate us on Facebook and Yelp!!

December ‘13

1718 W. 23rd St Unit B. Houston, Texas 77008

Newsletter Credits: Creative Director: Katie Sowa

Contributors: Tony Orozco Marnie Ischay

Mike Gillum