NEWS FROM THE BOX NOVEMBER ‘12
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News from the box IN THIS ISSUE
Imperium competes across Houston Athlete of the Month
by Katie Sowa
Competition season is heating up for Imperium athletes. The past few months have been full of competitions, giving Imperium a chance to shine. The Texas barbell Massacre consisted of a team of Tony, Stephano, Bethany, Mark, and Brooke. Stephano placed 3rd in RX overall. On October 20, 4 athletes headed to Champions CrossFit in Tomball to compete in the Oktoberfest Obliteration. Bethany, Tony, Mark and Chris Ponzica all competed. This was
Meet Jeff Phillips who is this Month’s athlete of the month!
Ponzica’s first competition. Last weekend, Imperium competed in a charity tournament, CoCo’s WOD. Tony, Mared, Bethany and Mark all competed in this competition benefiting, Coco, a sweet young boy whose foster parents are fighting for formal adoption rather than sending him back with his father of questionable character. Upcoming competitions 11/10- 3rd Texas Shootout Victoria 12/1- Throw down 12/15- Get Fit or Die Mayan If you are interested in attending or competing in any upcoming competitions, please contact Coach Marnie at marine@imperiumcrossfit.com. ◊
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Tips from the Box Imperium’s top 10 tips for newbies and oldies.
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We’re moving! In just ONE WEEK we’re moving to the new location. Read this for all the details.
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Recipe of the Month This month, learn how to make Italian Sausage meatballs with herbs—yum!
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CrossFit Endurance Page 5
Olympic lifting Vs. Power Lifting: What’s the difference? Page 6
Imperium Member corner Check out this real estate perspective from Lauren Baker
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Athlete of the Month: Jeff Phillips by Katie Sowa
1. How did you hear about CrossFit? I first heard of CrossFit from my cousin, Brett. He used to workout at P3 CrossFit before he married and moved away. Then my friend Chris started doing CrossFit and was the one who really explained to me what it was all about. He got out of it for a while, but kept up with the workouts on his own and later talked me into working out with him. I started doing CrossFit type workouts at the park in our neighborhood and did so for quite a few months. That eventually got boring and we found ourselves joining Imperium. 2. How has CrossFit changed your life? Beyond the obvious of getting myself in shape, CrossFit has really just given me a hobby and something productive to do with myself, which I certainly wasn’t doing before! It’s just something that I thoroughly enjoy and that I’m dedicated to. Not just the actual
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workouts, but putting the time and effort into improving in everything that we do. 3. What are your goals for CrossFit? My main goals have been to get stronger and improve my Olympic lifting techniques. I feel like I have accomplished that to a certain extent, but still have a lot of room for improvement. My goals going forward are just to keep doing what I have been, and hopefully I’ll keep improving in all areas. 4. What's your favorite part of working out at Imperium? My favorite part of working out at Imperium is obviously the community. Like anything else, the people you surround yourself with have an impact on whatever it is you’re doing. There’s so many great peps that are a part of Imperium, it makes going everyday worthwhile. 5. When will you start competing? My first official competition will be in December for Get Fit or Die Mayan. When I initially started CrossFit, I just wanted to get myself in better shape. Then I found myself putting all this extra time and energy into working on things that I wasn’t any good at.
I think wanting to do competitions is just a natural progression from being as dedicated as I am to the sport. I can’t say I’m an overly competitive person, but think the competitions will be fun and certainly help with keeping me motivated. 6. What is your advice for a beginner to CrossFit? Listen to and take care of your body, which is something I haven’t learned yet. ◊
Tips from the box: Top 10 tips for newbies and oldies by Tony Orozco
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Be on time for your training this ensures you have a proper warm-8. up and reduces the risk of injury. 2. Start slow. Remember, though you may see quick results, CrossFit isn’t a quick fix. This is a lifestyle change. You’re in this for the long haul. We often recommend that newbies to CrossFit start-out with a 2x or 3x per week membership and work their way up. 3. Don’t be discouraged by scaling your workouts. The best of us have scaled, once upon a time, not too long ago. 4. Ask questions and utilize those around you. Remember, everyone was a beginner at one point. 5. Check your ego at the door. There will always be someone bigger,9. faster and stronger. 6. What You Eat Is More Important Than What You Lift. Nutrition is the key to every aspect of your life. 10. 7. Crossfit Isn’t Everything. CI Crossfit so that I can do whatever I want: Go out, play sports, learn new things. Having that GPP allows me to take on new challenges. Crossfit is not my life. I Crossfit so that I can have a life…and be awesome at it.
It Doesn’t Get Easier, It Just Sucks Les. The longer you immerse yourself in the suck, the less it sucks. You get stronger, build a greater aerobic capacity, and become mentally tough. All of these aspects, combined with experience, allow you to know when to push yourself and when to back off, so that you can attack each workout to the best of your ability. Soon, you’ll come to love the beatdowns. Much like Kevin Bacon in Animal House, you’ll be screaming, “Thank you sir! May I have another?” Well, maybe not. But you get the point. Set your goals and write them down it is impossible to track your progress if the work you put in is not measurable. Keep a log of your daily WOD’s, lifts, times and PR’s. Have Fun! CrossFit is about community, fun and staying healthy. When you come to the “BOX”, show up early, introduce yourself to others and stay late. Most of all, HAVE FUN!!
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CROSSFIT FACTS Pull up bars at the new box
~Nerve impulses travel to and from the brain at 170 miles per hour when one does CrossFit. ~The first CrossFit affiliated gym opened in Santa Cruz in 1995. ~Actively doing CrossFit for as little as two weeks can alter the body’s hormonal makeup. ~Matt Damon used CrossFit training to sculpt his physique for the movie Invictus. ~The stapedius muscle of the ear is the smallest – and generally considered the weakest – muscle in the human body. Based on weight, the hamstring runs a close second in most people as their weakest muscle. ~1 min 53 seconds is the finish time of Jason Kaplan’s Record Setting Fran ~The strongest humans can lift about 3 times their own body weight; the average gorilla can lift 10 times its own body weight. The African Crowned Eagle can carry more than a cargo plane. The strongest creature is the Rhinoceros Beetle which can lift850 times its own body weight.
NEW ADDRESS! 1718 W. 23rd St Unit B, Houston, TX 77008.
We’re moving! by Tony Orozco
Imperium CrossFit opened its doors on September 1st, 2011 and has quickly become the premier CrossFit BOX in the Houston Heights and surrounding areas. Many of our members and athletes live in our Heights community as well as Timber Grove, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Shepherd Park Plaza, Galleria, Bellaire, Washington Corridor and the Medical Center. If you are a member of ICF or have ever visited one of our Community Events, you know we are a close community of friends and professionals from all walks. CPA's, Sales guys and gals, Executives, Nurses, Doctors, Lawyers, Realtors, Fire Fighters, Police Officers and Military Badasses… No matter whom you are or what you do, you will fit right in with our amazing community. When we decided to open a CrossFit BOX, we did so in an effort to bring something new to the CrossFit community, a different experience than that of any other CF BOX. Our goal was to bring a level of service and community to our members like no other Box has ever done. We wanted to offer a flexible schedule
that could accommodate most if not all schedules. Packages were tailored to fit the schedules of even the most frequent flyers out there. We also wanted our members to feel like they were part of something BIGGER, and not just another body to fill a class slot. No herd mentality here, we wanted to provide a level of service that would allow each member to be part of our family for years to come. Once we reached our 1 year anniversary on September 1st, 2012, we took a step back and looked at the amazing growth we experienced in our first year and knew that if we continued at our current growth rate, we would quickly out grow our current location within the next 6 months. With this in mind the wheels started turning and we started looking for more ways to make our members experience even better. We started looking for a new
NEWS FROM THE BOX NOVEMBER ‘12 | Issue 1
location that would accommodate our growth as well as provide us with the space for amenities we wanted to provide for our members. After months of looking just about everywhere you can think of, we finally found our new location just one block from our current location.
The day I walked into the warehouse, I knew this would be the future home of Imperium CrossFit. Our New Location is located at 1718 W. 23rd St Unit B, Houston, TX 77008.
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Our move date is quickly coming up and is currently set for Monday, November 12th, 2012. Our first class will begin at 5:15am at our new location. ◊
Recipe of the Month: Italian Sausage Meatballs with fresh herbs From: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-meatballs/#ixzz2BIXoPCnE
Perhaps there is a more eloquent way to say it, but Shalon perfectly describes the flavor of the meatballs she entered in the Primal Blueprint Cookbook Contest with this quote: “They satisfy my mmm, goodness requirement.” It’s true. “Mmm” is likely to be the first thing out of your mouth when you take a bite, thanks to a flavorful combination of ground beef (or bison) and sweet Italian sausage. Italian sausage is traditionally made from pork but chicken and turkey varieties are also out there. Fennel seed, which has a slightly sweet and very faint licorice-like flavor, is the distinguishing characteristics of sweet Italian sausage. The Italian sausage perfectly matches other ingredients in the meatballs like fresh herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes. You can dip the meatballs in ketchup or mustard if you want, but with so
much satisfying flavor packed into them you’ll be completely satisfied eating the meatballs unadorned. Meatballs are easy to pack for lunch. You can also do what Shalon does and keep your freezer well-stocked; whenever hunger hits, defrost a few for a convenient protein-packed snack. Makes 20 large or 30 medium meatballs. Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (or bison) ▪ 1 lb sweet Italian sausage ▪ 2 cloves garlic, minced ▪ 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced ▪ 3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced ▪ 1 long sprig fresh oregano, minced ▪ 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley ▪ 1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped ▪ 1/2 cup almond meal ▪ 2 eggs, whisked ▪ 1 tsp red pepper flakes ▪ a few grinds black pepper ▪ 1/4 cup cream (optional) ▪ 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan (optional) ▪ 1/4 cup bacon fat
Directions:
Remove the Italian sausage from its casing. Mix all of the ingredients, except bacon fat, together until well combined. With lightly oiled hands, roll the meatballs into the desired size. To cook, heat bacon fat in a sauté pan over medium to mediumhigh heat. Once hot, add the meatballs. Fry 5-7 minutes, until bottom is browned. Turn meatballs to opposite side and fry until that side is nicely browned, another 5minutes. Cut one open to determine if it is fully cooked on the inside. If not quite done, turn heat to low and cover pan for a few more minutes or put meatballs in a warm oven while you fry another batch. ◊
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CrossFit Endurance NOT YOUR TYPICAL ENDURANCE PROGRAM!!!! CrossFit Endurance - Train Smart, Run Strong. Imperium CrossFit Endurance provides the opportunity for athletes of all skill levels to train using the CrossFit Endurance (CFE) methodology. That methodology maintains that constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements are the best way to train for any athletic event including endurance sports. With CFE you will get maximum results, while minimizing your training time and improving your quality of life. Imperium CrossFit Endurance training program is dedicated to improving performance, fitness and athletic potential. Classes have already started but it’s not too late!!!! The CFE class runs from November 6th, to December 28th and will meet 2X per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 am. The normal cost of the class is $150 for a two month class but sign up by November 13th and a $35 discount on the first month bringing the total of the class to $115!!! Hurry and take advantage of this special offer. Use Discount code “icfendurance2012" when you sign up online. Imperium CrossFit Endurance - GET FASTER. GET STRONGER. TRAIN SMART. RUN STRONG!!!!
For more information check out the CFE section on the Imperium CrossFit website http://imperiumcrossfit.com/cfendurance/ or the CFE main site http://www.crossfitendurance.com/ ◊
SAVE THE DATE!
Pose Running Clinic- November 17th,2012. 2012 POSE Running Clinic with Master POSE running coach and CrossFit Endurance coach Valerie Hunt. If you’re an avid runner, about to run your first 5k or just want to learn how to run properly, you need this class. Our bodies were designed to run in a very efficient manner in which we incorporate gravity to propel our bodies in a forward motion. Pose Style Running will not only make you a better and more proficient runner, but it will also lessen the issues and injuries that plague most runners today.
Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot- n honor of Thanksgiving, we would like all of our members, friends and family to come out and run the Turkey Trot with us this year. There is a 5k and 10k as well as a kid’s run….Wear your Imperium CF shirt and get ready to have some fun!
December 15, 2012- Imperium Christmas Party at the NEW box! Invitations and RSVP details will go out soon!
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Powerlifting vs. Olympic lifting: what’s the difference? by Marnie Ischay
In the world of strength training, there are numerous methodologies used. Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting are the most popular of the competitive strength sports because of their focus on power and strength development. Both methodologies test different types of strength and when trained together can produce an explosive and powerful athlete. So what’s the difference between the two? Powerlifting consists of three lifts; the squat, the bench press and the deadlift with a focus on “absolute strength”. In powerlifting, the barbell is moved relatively short distances in a relatively uncomplicated manner, making these lifts the heaviest in terms of poundage. The lifts used for powerlifting are sometimes referred to as the slow lifts, because you simply have to move a weight from point A to point B in whatever time it takes. Olympic weightlifting involves only two lifts; the clean & jerk and the snatch. Olympic weightlifting, as it pertains to athletic performance, is a power specific force development or it creates “explosive strength.”
Olympic weightlifting lifts involve the moving of heavy loads long distances at a high velocity resulting in a high power output. The barbell is moved with significant speed from the floor to waist height where the lifter must drop under the bar at a high rate of speed. So why train both? At Imperium CrossFit, we believe you must have an “absolute strength” foundation before your “explosive strength” development can occur. In order to help our athletes achieve this, we are excited to be offering two new classes: Want to build a stronger more efficient body? Come check out Imperium’s Strength program, which is designed to provide the basis for a
powerful, strong athlete. This program will utilize 3 basic barbell exercises, the squat, the deadlift and the bench press, along with other different combinations and modalities, such as shoulder presses, pull-ups, dumbbells, kettle bells, bands, chains and your own bodyweight to help you to best achieve your personal strength goals. This program will be geared towards you, the individual, with specific programming designed to your needs to help you control and maximize your strength and take your fitness to the next level. Interested in becoming more proficient with Olympic lifts? Then, Imperium’s Olympic Weightlifting class is for you. Programming will focus primarily on performance in the clean & jerk and the snatch using dynamic pulling drills, skill transfer exercises, jerk blocks and other related training techniques; such as, snatch pulls, hang cleans, power snatch, power clean, push press, power jerk etc. This class will be geared towards developing optimal efficiency, refining proper movement technique and maximizing your explosiveness to help you achieve the potential power behind your Olympic lifts. ◊
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Imperium Member Corner Each month, members will share their expertise with the rest of the box. Whether it is real estate advice, parenting tips, or health advice, here’s a chance to share your knowledge with others. Lauren Baker is extremely enthusiastic about real estate! A native Houstonian, she went to school at the University of Texas, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelors of Sociology degree. Not really knowing how she wanted to use her degree, Lauren’s father gave her great counsel: “Get your real estate license,” was his sage advice. Initially working on-site in new home sales in various communities, Lauren found her way to mainstream real estate
several years ago, working for several larger real estate firms before joining Greenwood King Properties’ Heights office. “The GK Heights office was the right fit for me – when I walked in I felt like I was finally home. The agents and staff are very friendly and supportive, and together we are a very hard working team.” Lauren currently lives in the Heights and finds it is easy to run up to the office any time to take care of work. “I believe living nearby in the real estate world gives me an edge. I have the ability to know all of the movement and “going’s on” in our neighborhood.” She’s also an avid crossfitter and loves the convenience of Imperium. Lauren gives us the following advice about Imperium’s neighborhood: The Houston Heights tells a good story year after year. From charming bungalows to beautiful new
construction, this area caters to a diverse group from first time home buyers to young families to empty nesters. The Heights seem to have it all with a strong sense of community, exemplary schools and an explosion of dining and shopping entities which continually draw new buyers in and sees those already there wanting to move up in the area. Higher end properties surged with a number of sales prices creeping over the $1M mark. I’m always open to talk to others about real estate in the Heights! ◊
Looking to buy a house soon? Maybe you’re in need of mortgage advice? Be sure to contact Imperium member Josh Anderson to help you out! Give him a call or visit his website for more information.
Interested in sharing your ideas with the box next month? Email Katie Sowa at Ktsowa@gmail.com or talk to Tony!
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Get your T-shirts! Don’t forget to pick up your Imperium CrossFit shirt today!
News from the box November ‘12 © Imperium CrossFit 1608 22nd St., Houston, TX. (713) 591-6966 www.imperiumcrossfit.com tony@imperiumcrossfit.com
1608 22nd Street Houston, TX Newsletter Credits: Creative Director: Katie Sowa
Contributors: Tony Orozco Josh Anderson Marnie Ischay Jeff Phillips Lauren Barker