Sweat RX Mag Sept/Oct 2012

fall 2012

Tribute to the 2012 Crossfit Games

|

Training for slugLife

Capturing the Spirit of the Games

fittest on earth Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir Reclaim the Title

Chris Spealler

CrossFit Icon on Periodized Training

Feed the Beast

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Exclusive interview

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W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

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Community, Competition, Camaraderie

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contents september/october 2012

<< fit rx >>

Features 38

the games From Pendleton to Podium A Complete Recap 44

greg glassman An Exclusive Interview 64

rhodes Rise Jay Rhodes Living the Outlaw Way

fall 2012

TribuTe To The 2012 CrossfiT Games

|

TraininG for slugLife

fittest on earth Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir Reclaim the Title

Chris spealler

CrossFit Icon on Periodized Training

Feed the Beast

Power up with High Protein Flank

this is how we roll Foam Roll like a Pro

exclusiVe interView

GreG Glassman CrossFit Founder

W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

$5.99 Vol 2, issue 1 sweatrxmag.com

1

SWEATRX_FALL2012_CVR4.indd 1

Taking you inside the world of CrossFit Tribute to the 2012 CrossFit Games Photography: George Bryant cover models: Chris Spealler, Rich Froning

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sept/oct 2012

3

contents september/october 2012

p.21

p.76

p.44

p.53

p.73

Up Front

Fit RX

Training

06. Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter/ Contributors 11. online.com 12. gallery

31. strength

58. [un]common wisdom

The Overhead Squat

Periodized Specialization

34. health

61. crossfit icon

Photographers Hannah Hayworth and Courtney Samway

Mental WOD

Chris Spealler

36. performance

68. this is how we roll

18. WODpress 19. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hot

Mastering Double Unders

Foam Roll Like a Pro

eating for life

Gear 73. the nano

26. spirit of the games

51. the benefits of seasonal cooking 52. sweet & spicy cauliflower 53. cinnamon apple butter squares 54. keep it simple

Deborah Cordner Carson - Profile

Flank Steak

28. infographic

55. fuel

History of the Games

Pumpkin Chai Smoothie

76. the grit, the grind, the glory

56. supplementation

2012 Sweat RX Championships

Whey Better Results

79. EVENTS

The Scene 21. rich froning and Annie Thorisdottir

The Shoe in Review

74. the look

Community

Upcoming Event Listings

80. Final WOD

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sept/oct 2012

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<< publisher’s letter >> contributors

fortitude is the name of the game.

Fred Antwi, Publisher

One of the

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sept/oct 2012

hannah hayworth

was given her first camera at age 14, and it became her “window on the world.” Hannah began CrossFit a year and a half ago and not only has it changed her fitness, nutrition and lifestyle, it has helped her find an entirely different photographic pursuit. Merging her two favourite things, CrossFit and Photography.

janne r. mortensen

is a sport Psychology Consultant working with athletes wanting to enhance their performance. She has a Master’s degree in sport science and psychology from the University of Copenhagen, European master in exercise and sport psychology, FEPSAC and experience with cognitive therapy and motivation. Janne is the founder of www.mentalwod.com.

chris mason

has been training for over 25 years and is an author in the fitness genre having written for both online and print publications, including the CrossFit Journal.

He is the owner of AtLarge Nutrition, LLC, (atlargenutrition.com) a retailer of proprietary sports performance nutritional supplements. He is an original member of Louie Simmons’ CrossFit Westside Powerlifting Certification Team. Chris also consults with athletes ranging from the strongest powerlifters on the planet to some of the best CrossFitters in the world, on the subjects of training, nutrition, and supplementation. Connect with him at chris@atlargenutrition.com.

W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

photo: Justin Taylor (Greg Glassman and Fred Antwi).

greatest gifts of this job for me is getting to meet so many of the incredible people that make up this community. Putting this issue together was beyond inspiring as Sweat RX was privileged to connect with the hundreds of athletes competing in the 2012 Sweat RX Championships (find our recap and photos on page 76), and seeing their sheer determination and competitive spirits soar. This was reminiscent of the magical aura of the 2012 Games in Carson, California and meeting up with Greg Glassman at the Home Depot Center for our exclusive interview with the man behind building the very foundation of this community. The stories, the moments and the people conjured up one single solid word to sum it all up - fortitude.

Fortitude is a word that I don’t use lightly. It’s a word I often think is rarely used because of its rather impressive nature. But after the experiences of the past few months, it’s a word that feels more familiar as I’ve now seen evidence of it in many forms. I was impressed with the level of commitment, discipline, and tenacity that oozes from the pores of the athletes. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet found it was her fortitude that pushed her from 30th to 6th place. Chris Spealler exemplified the utmost fortitude by overcoming the unexpected challenges that surfaced for him during the Games.

Deborah Cordner Carson conquered her fears and showed both the mental and physical fortitude that can only be attributed to a true champion.

We are proud to be the platform to present to you an entire community that understands that winning requires reaching deep inside of yourself for that extra gear needed to catapult yourself to greatness. And make no mistake, we are not just talking about a ‘win’ in the gold medal, first place podium finish sense of the word – we are talking about having the fortitude to challenge your own boundaries, test your own limitations, and muster the courage to question your mental and physical weaknesses. So go on. Read all about it. The grit, the grind, the guts and the glory - and what you will see come the Final Wod (page 80) is the recognition and familiarity of fortitude. Be sure to ‘LIKE’ us on facebook, follow us on Twitter, and write to us at info@sweatrxmag.com and share your stories and comments.

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Volume 2, Issue 1

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fred Antwi

fred@sweatrxmag.com

Associate Editor

Dina Rich

editor@sweatrxmag.com

ART DIRECTION

Erik Mohr/Bungalow PRODUCTION MANAGER/STAFF WRITER

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For Time Online Competitions Each Issue we will have a new workout posted to challenge you in and outside of the box. Just another way to keep you motivated and in the Game. Win cool prizes and get a little fame. Watch for the launch on our new website. www.sweatrxmag.com/fortime

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W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

sept/oct 2012

11

fit rx << << gallery>> >>

Athletes Caroline Fryklund

cheered on by her fellow competitors

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sept/oct 2012

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<< fit rx >>

community

photographer hannah hayworth

“This is what CrossFit is all about. The amazing community. It’s insane the amount of emotion I felt when I watched these incredible women push each other and cheer each other on even in the heat of competition...because it’s never just you against someone else. It’s you against the WOD.”

Hannah Hayworth

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sept/oct 2012

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<< fit rx >>

Athlete Julie Foucher

Athlete Jason Khalipa

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sept/oct 2012

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<< gallery >>

competition

photographer Courtney Samway

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Athletes must dig down deep in the heat of competition to win; people must dig down deep in the game of life to succeed. The deeper we dig, the higher we soar.â&#x20AC;?

Athlete Elisabeth Akinwale

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Kirby Maus

sept/oct 2012

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fit rx << << gallery>> >>

Athletes Rich Froning (front right), Dan Bailey (front left), Chris Spealler (back left), and Graham Holmberg (back right)

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<< fit rx >>

camaraderie

photographer Courtney Samway

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Awesome display of camaraderie and sportsmanship between the greatest CrossFit athletes in the world. Make no mistake, they are competitive, and they do compete against each other, with fierce determination. But it is clear that they admire and respect each other, and no less important, they genuinely like each other. Taking a moment to give praise to a higher power!â&#x20AC;?

Scott Trout

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sept/oct 2012

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Our WODpress correspondant Jennifer Young wants to hear from you. Email WODpress@sweatrxmag.com with your WOD photos, news & views.

wod press

Canada’s Top Finisher – Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

AFFILIATE CUP WINNERS Hack’s Pack UTE CrossFit The 2012 CrossFit Games

team competition presented a new challenge from 2011: every team member must participate in each event; no specialists allowed. CrossFit Ute’s Hack’s Pack of Salt Lake City proved that they had the best group of all-around athletes.

Team leader and gym owner Tommy Hackenbruck, runner up in the 2009 individual competition, crafted his team from athletes capable of competing individually, avoiding specialists. With three former individual competitors (Hackenbruck, Taylor Richards-Lindsay, and Mary Lampas), and 5 out of 6 team members qualified as individuals in the 2012 Open, Hack’s Pack entered the team event intending to win.

Team UTE dominated most of the weekend, winning 5 out of 10 events and finishing top 10 in all but the “Big Bob” 6-person sled pull. The men showed superior strength with the biggest front squats, and nearly 200m yoke carry (370 lbs for the men). The team also exhibited great speed, winning the Sprint Relay

18

sept/oct 2012

By Jennifer Young

and the Team Triplet (thrusters, burpees, row).

Hack’s Pack entered the final event with a 130 point lead, proving that they deserved the title. But their advantage was soon-to-be erased as they entered the “winner takes all” finale, “The Girls”, which consisted of 6 classic benchmark workouts: “Elizabeth”, “Fran”, “Isabel”, “Grace”, “Diane”, and “Karen”, one for each team member. For the first four rounds, it looked like Hack’s Pack might have to concede the title of fittest Affiliate to CrossFit Invictus or SPC CrossFit. But while other teams began to fail the handstand pushups in Diane, Hack’s Pack member Michael Cazayoux kept his steady, making up ground and pulling into the lead. Hackenbruck anchored the team with the 150 wall balls of “Karen”, completing the first 111 unbroken, and secured their victory!

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photo: (Top left) Courtney Samway; (Bottom) George Bryant

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet’s 2012 CrossFit Games did not start out as planned. In 30th place after the Pendleton triathlon, and faring no better at the O-course or Broad Jump, her prospects of besting her 8th place finish in 2011 were looking slim. Not one to give up, Leblanc-Bazinet began her comeback in the track triplet where her trademark muscle ups (this time on the bar) carried her to a 5th place finish. The momentum continued with some outstanding handstand-pushups in the Medball event, where she came in second behind Annie Thorisdottir. With four more top 10 finishes Leblanc-Bazinet found herself inside the top 10, just making the cut for the final showdown. The last event featured the classic Benchmark “Fran”, a workout in which Leblanc-Bazinet boasts a blistering personal best time of 2:04.

She ended the weekend in style with the fastest “Fran”, a time of 2:35. The effort was enough to propel Leblanc-Bazinet in the standings past Lindsey Valenzeula, Jenny Davis, and Elisabeth Akinwale to finish 6th overall.

Leblanc-Bazinet is proud of her climb from 30th to 6th. While she is typically unaccustomed to being in the underdog position, she entered the Games for the first time without her title of Fittest Woman in Canada East, a position she lost this season to Michele Letendre. Her ability to move past these disappointments to become Canada’s top finishing athlete at the 2012 Games is a testament to her physical training, and to how much her mental game has improved this past year.

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W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

As seen at the Olympics and the CrossFit Games – kinesiology tape can be used to treat injuries and/or enhance performance. Applied over an injury, it relieves pain and inflammation without restricting range of motion.

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<< fit rx >>

The Scene Rich froning

Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir Owning the podium 2 years and counting

annie thorisdottir spirit of the games infographic

By John Michael Bric Photo by Hannah Hayworth

History was made at

the Home Depot Center in July 2012, when the first ever back-to-back winners of the CrossFit Games were crowned. Heading into the 2012 showpiece, Annie Thorisdottir and Rich Froning were the ones to beat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only were they both reigning champions, but they were also the best performing athletes during the Regionals. In the end, no one could stop Rich and Annie as they once again held their $250,000 cheques in front of the cheering audience at the Home Depot Center.

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<< the scene >>

DAY 1 Camp Pendleton

Swim-Bike-Run 12th Place The big surprise of the 2012 CrossFit Games was Dave Castro’s announcement that there would be an extra day of competition beginning two days prior to when the Games were officially supposed to kick off. The surprise first event would be a 700-metre swim, 11-kilometre bike ride, followed by an 8-kilometre run through the hills of Camp Pendleton.

If there were an event that was going to spell out trouble for Froning, this would be it. Although it’s well established he’s a beast at CrossFit

22

sept/oct 2012

movements, a few question marks hung in the air over his ability as a triathlete. Nonetheless, Froning pushed through the event and crossed the finish line in 12th place.

O-Course 3rd Place Luck was on Froning’s side in the obstacle course race. After a good performance in the opening heat, Froning looked down and out in his quarterfinal. In a stroke of luck for Froning, Neal Maddox fell over just metres before the finish line, allowing Froning to cross the line ahead of him and advance to the semi-finals. He went on to qualify for the final, where he finished 3rd behind winner Spencer Hendel.

DAY 2 Home Depot Center Overall Position – 5th Place

Broad Jump 16th Place Day 2 started off with another surprise – the broad jump. Originally cancelled by organizers, the event was brought back into the competition at the last moment and ended up being one of Froning’s worst performances, with a 16th place finish overall. However, with only 50 points up for grabs, it wouldn’t have a big impact on the leaderboard.

Ball Toss 3rd Place The ball toss proved to be tough for spectators to watch, but easy for Froning to complete. Only two

W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

photo: Courtney Samway

RICH FRONING

Q+F << fit rx >>

Overall Position – 1st Place Medball-HSPU 4th Place In this event Froning showed no trouble with the 150 lb medicine ball nor the handstand push-ups and claimed another 4th place finish.

Training partner Dan Bailey finished 2nd, while Quebec’s Albert-Dominic Larouche finished with the best time.

DAY 3 Home Depot Center Overall Position – 1st Place

Sprint 18th Place The 50- and 100-yard sprints were Froning’s worst event at the 2012 CrossFit Games, landing him in an 18th place finish overall. But once again, with only 50 points up for grabs in this event, Froning still managed to hold onto the number 1 spot.

Rope–Sled 5th Place With big guys like Matt Chan, Jason Khalipa, and Chad Mackay as fellow competitors, you would think Froning might struggle to finish in the top 10 for this WOD. Wowing the crowd, Froning used brute strength to push the 90 lb sled over the finish line, securing the 5th best time. Chan and Khalipa were the stand out performers in this event.

Clean Ladder 5th Place Rich Froning has a superb clean; but it wasn’t good enough to beat Neal Maddox. Maddox’s impressive 365 lb clean was 20 lbs better than Froning’s.

The reigning champ finished in 5th place for this event.

W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

Double Banger 9th Place Not his best performance of the Games, but definitely not his worst.

Froning’s 9th place finish in the Double Banger was good enough to maintain a healthy lead over his rivals heading into the final few workouts.

Veteran Crossfitter Kyle Kasperbauer won the event.

Rich Froning 2010 vs

Rich Froning 2012

By Jerred Moon

I like Rich Froning just as much as the next guy, and he is a great athlete to benchmark off …if you like being depressed. Recently I stumbled across his athlete profile from the 2010 CrossFit Games, the first games in which he competed, and decided to do a little comparison. His progression over the last two years is quite impressive.

Elizabeth 1st Place Froning smashed this workout, finishing nearly 10 seconds ahead of second place finisher Matt Chan and setting up an almost invincible lead heading into the final two WODs. Isabel 1st Place Another event win by Froning. At this point it appeared the title was all but his. With a lead of over 100 points, all Froning had to do was complete the final workout to claim victory yet again at The CrossFit Games.

Fran 5th Place Scott Panchik might have won the final workout, but it will always be remembered as the moment Rich Froning became the first man to ever win back-to-back CrossFit Games titles.

In the end Froning won by 114 points over Matt Chan, with Kyle Kasperbauer rounding out the podium in 3rd place.

With such a dominant performance, the question being asked is, who can beat him in 2013?

Increase

DAY 4 Home Depot Center

(Quick facts)

Rich Froning – 2012

Track Triplet 4th Place The first real track event suited Froning, and he flew through the 3 rounds of running/snatches/bar muscle-ups to finish 4th overall, missing another podium finish by less than 1 second with Graham Holmberg, Chris Spealler, and Daniel Tyminski finishing ahead of him.

Chipper 1st Place The final event of Day 3 ended on a positive note for Rich Froning as he won his first event of The Games.

His time in the chipper event was more than 16 seconds ahead of Jason Khalipa, who finished 2nd, followed

by Matt Chan in 3rd. A first place finish in the event gave Froning an 88-point lead heading into the final day of competition.

Rich Froning – 2010

competitors managed to throw a GHD ball further than the reigning champ, so Froning secured his 2nd podium finish at The Games.

Height 5’8 5’10 2.9% Weight

185 lb. 195 lb. 5.4%

Fran 2:30 2:17 8.6% Grace 2:10 1:20 38.5% Fight Gone Bad

375 504 34.4%

Clean & Jerk

255 lb. 325 lb. 27.4%

Snatch

200

270 lb. 35%

Deadlift 455 lb. 525 lb. 15.4% Back Squat

365 lb. 425 lb. 16.4%

I am not sure if he actually grew two inches in two years or if the stats are being padded a little bit like in the NFL. Either way, Froning is remarkable. sept/oct 2012

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<< the scene >> maximum of 50 points up for grabs, the Ball Toss was an important event for Thorisdottir to climb the leaderboard.

She finished 4th overall, with 41-yearold Cheryl Brost taking 1st place.

Track Triplet 12th Place Many expected Thorisdottir to do better in this event. The Icelandic warrior finished 12th overall, nearly a minute-and-a-half behind winner Julie Foucher, who had opened up a lead of 60 points on top of the leaderboard.

Medball-HSPU 1st Place Just when it was needed most, Thorisdottir claimed her first event victory at the 2012 CrossFit Games. She smashed through the medball lifts and carries, to finish 14 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet.

Leader Julie Foucher failed to finish the workout within the cut-off time and saw her lead vanish.

DAY 3 Home Depot Center

ANNIE THORISDOTTIR

Overall Position – 3rd Place

DAY 1 Camp Pendleton

Rope–Sled 2nd Place This event was perfect for Annie Thorisdottir, and the reigning champ put in a great performance finishing 2nd overall. Rebecca Voigt was the standout performer, winning by more than 20 seconds. Julie Foucher finished 9th and had now lost her lead in the overall standings.

O-Course 3rd Place Just like Rich Froning, Thorisdottir recovered after a poor showing in the opening event and claim 3rd spot in the obstacle course. After winning her

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DAY 2 Home Depot Center Overall Position – 6th Place

Broad Jump 33rd Place By far Annie Thorisdottir’s worst performance at The CrossFit Games. The reigning champ struggled in the broad jump, scoring just 74 inches to finish 33rd overall, causing her to slip back further down the leaderboard.

Ball Toss 4th Place While this event only offered a

Clean Ladder 3rd Place Lindsey Valenzuela and Elisabeth Akinwale were the standout performers in this event, being the only two females to complete the entire ladder.

Next best was Thorisdottir who cleaned 220 lbs to finish 3rd overall and claim the top spot on the leaderboard for the

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photo: Courtney Samway

Swim-Bike-Run 14th Place Hailing from Iceland, it’s fair to say Annie Thorisdottir doesn’t do too much swimming in the ocean waters in her spare time. Going into the treacherous triathlon at Camp Pendleton, many were betting on Annie to struggle with the swim. However, she impressed with a 14th place finish in the event.

first few races, Thorisdottir wasn’t able to beat Talayna Fortunato and Kristan Clever in the final heat.

Sprint 15th Place With just 50 points up for grabs in this workout, Annie’s 15th place finish didn’t affect her position on the leaderboard much, especially with leaders Julie Foucher and Talayna Fortunato also struggling.

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Chipper 3rd Place Another great performance by Thorisdottir as she claimed her 5th podium finish at The Games. Her time of 8:15 wasn’t good enough to beat Julie Foucher, but it was enough to see her claim the overall lead.

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Fran 6th Place Annie Thorisdottir’s 6th place finish in the final workout was more than enough to see her become the first athlete in history to claim CrossFit Games titles two years in a row, with Julie Foucher finishing 85 points behind in 2nd place. Talayna Fortunato beat Kristan Clever by 9 points to claim 3rd position overall.

While the gap might be closing between her and the rest of the competitors, Annie Thorisdottir is still the worlds fittest woman, and looks likely to hold onto that title for years to come.

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FAB

Isabel 1st Place Victory in the second last workout all but secured consecutive titles for Annie Thorisdottir. Just like Rich Froning in the men’s division, Annie just had to finish the final ‘Fran’ workout to claim her second CrossFit Games crown.

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Elizabeth 6th Place Though she held a lead heading into the third final workout, Thorisdottir still needed a good performance in the Girl WOD event to claim back-to-back CrossFit Games titles. Her 6th place finish was better than Julie Foucher and Talayna Fortunato, leaving Thorisdottir perfectly placed heading into the final two events.

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Double Banger 5th Place A solid effort by Annie in an event that was suited to her talents. She showed great form in the hammer drives and finished 5th overall, with Elisabeth Akinwale claiming victory in the event.

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Overall Position – 1st Place

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Spirit of the Games Deborah Cordner Carson Conquers Fear and Inspires Thousands By Angela Rose Sometimes,

what doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. It’s a sentiment voiced by CrossFitters in boxes around the globe on any given day. Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdotter, two-time winners of the prestigious Reebok CrossFit Games, are living breathing testaments to the sport’s ability to create the fittest men and women on the planet. But at this year’s CrossFit Games, it was another competitor, who received the biggest crowd cheer. The stadium expolded with cheers for Deborah Cordner Carson: 13th place overall in the world, and recipient of this year’s “Spirit of the Games” award. Her placement and athletic achievement alone is an incredible feat, but it’s her story that brought tears to the thousands of eyes watching her in Carson, California.

This outstanding 32-year-old athlete from Minnesota qualified

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for the CrossFit Games in 2011, but unfortunately, the first event included a 210-meter open ocean swim—and Carson was afraid of the water.

“Growing up, I just never learned to swim,” Carson says. Fearing for her life in the churning ocean, Carson was pulled out of the water. Eliminated from the competition, she embraced the opportunity to complete the remaining events before the first cut, even though her scores would not count.

Ever determined to excel, the former gymnast and collegiate sprinter added swimming to her training routine upon her return to St. Paul.

And when she arrived at this year’s games, the challenge was waiting in the form of a rugged swim-bike-run race in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Carson was terrified going into the Pendleton event on Wednesday, July 11th. She wasn’t even sure if she was

going to show up. With encouragement from the CrossFit Games team, she confronted the cold ocean waters, faced her fears and finished.

Advancing on to another three days of competition, she finished in 13th position overall—a decided triumph for an athlete whose fate forced her to face her fears.

Throughout her athletic career, Carson has dealt with more than her fair share of obstacles. A scholarship sprinter at the University of Northern Iowa, she was known for her 53.5 second 400-metre run. Tragedy hit when a lump in her groin lead to episodes of swelling, then surgery and finally, word came from a specialist that she had lymphedema, a condition that affects roughly 140 million people worldwide. Swollen limbs is one of the symptoms. The diagnosis brought her competitive future on the track to a screeching halt.

Undaunted even after a serious case of cellulitis, Carson transitioned to long distance running until she discovered CrossFit in 2009. Unlike many of the 140 million people with lymphedema worldwide, she believes that diet and exercise have helped, rather than exacerbated, her condition. Of course, it’s still a challenge—requiring special compression garments to minimize symptoms and wrapping of her leg for up to 12 hours before a workout to prevent fluid retention.

An inspiration to thousands at the CrossFit Games, Carson will soon motivate many more to embrace life and enjoy the moment regardless of what may seem like overwhelming challenges. This September she will deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony for the National Lymphedema Network conference in Dallas, Texas. It is certain that the Her story community of doctors brought tears to the and researchers thousands will embrace her of eyes story and spirit as watchwholeheartedly as ing her in did the fans of the Carson, 2012 Reebok CrossFit California.

Games.

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photo: Courtney Samway

<< the scene >>

<< fit rx >>

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<< fit rx >>

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<< fit rx >>

The

OVERHEAD Squat

The Ultimate Exercise

By Nathan Beveridge

The overhead squat (OHS) is a phenomenal exercise that is highly underutilized in most training regimens. Perfecting the OHS lays a strong foundation for a multitude of CrossFit exercises. Performed correctly, overhead squats are a great tool for correcting imbalances in the hips, glutes, and low back.

When asked what single exercise they would perform if they could do only one movement in their training program, many strength and conditioning coaches list the OHS as the “ultimate exercise”. The benefits are numerous: • Opens up the hips and stretches out the Fascia • Builds strength across a wide range of motion photo: Nicole Bedard

• Provides full body stimulus • Works the core while challenging stabilization of the midline, lumbar region, and hip & shoulder girdles all at once • Is a great progression for developing the snatch • Skill transferability to the front, back and air squats

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<< fit rx >>

air squat Head position is neutral

mb

ar

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break parallel

lu

CHest Up

First things first

Weight on heels

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photo: Nicole Bedard

Butt travels back and down

Develop a quality air squat before you attempt the OHS. The fundamental movement principles are the same in the OHS and the air squat, but the risk of injury due to improper technique is greatly increased in the OHS due to the heavier load held directly above the head. Once you have perfected the air squat, grab a dowel and start to attempt the exact same motion, with the dowel elevated directly overhead.

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<< fit rx >>

WORKING OUT THE KINKS A vigorous

warm-up and dynamic stretching of all major muscle groups is necessary, with emphasis towards the entire hip girdle and shoulder girdle, including the pecs.

Doing shoulder “dislocates” with a standard PVC pipe or dowel is also a great way to develop range of motion.

Hold the PVC pipe at arm’s length on both ends with an overhand grip and rotate your straight arms all the way overhead and behind the back. Don’t bend your elbows.

Your finish position should be with the bar behind you, straight arms, resting on your backside. From there, rotate your arms back to their starting position the same way. Attempt this movement with your hands as close together as possible, without having to bend your arms to complete it.

Build the OHS into your warm-ups, cool downs, and throughout your training.

Remember, the OHS is a great tool to help create a healthy hip and shoulder girdle, so focus on achieving a greater range of motion and correct technique in the lift. As your technique improves, increase the load. As the load of your OHS increases, so too will your ability to perform a multitude of exercises, including the back squat, front squat, and snatch.

Overhead Squat Checklist

Photo: Justin Taylor

Get bar overhead in a wide snatch grip.

Lock out elbows and activate your shoulder girdle.

Externally rotate your arms and “show” your armpits.

Lock in your midline.

Drift the hips back, and then begin squatting down.

Keep weight over the heels at all times.

Shoulders back.

Get as low as you can (before you fall down through lack of range).

As you come back up, push through your heels.

Attempt to follow the same body mechanics as you would in a back squat, initiating the movement by drawing the hips back first, while making sure the bar stays over the mid-foot. Don’t let it fall too far forward or backward, as any movement will increase the torque on the lifter and increase the difficulty of the movement greatly. Press through the heel and middle of the foot, and be sure to squeeze the glutes on the way up.

With arms locked out, it’s important to stabilize your shoulder capsule. Apply outward tension on the barbell while it’s overhead, and try to pull the bar apart with your hands, maintaining this isometric force throughout the entire set. Doing so will activate the mid-traps, providing tightness and stability between your scapulae.

This puts you in a safer position to bear the load over your spine.

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<< fit rx >>

It’s all in your head!

Preparing Your Mind For the WODs

By Janne R. Mortensen

You’ve trained your body to peak at this competition. You’ve been disciplined, you’ve sacrificed, and you’ve worked yourself through pain and sweat in every workout, because you are committed to the goal of participating in this competition.

But have you also trained your mind for a peak performance?

Many athletes tend to put their focus on the physical preparation and forget about the importance of being able to perform mentally. It’s a fact: the mind–body connection is a powerful one. You can train your body to do great things, but if you choke on competition day because your mind wasn’t ready for what was coming . . . it doesn’t matter how strong, fit, or fast you are!

Here are a few tips on how you can prepare yourself mentally for a

Your brain

weighs just 3lbs or so–a fraction of overall body weight–but it gobbles up about 20% of your daily calorie intake. A brainhealthy diet is essential for keeping your memory and intellect sharp and your mood buoyant. Omega-3 oils (found mainly in oily fish, but also in walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds) are good “brain foods.”

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competition. But remember, this will only work if you’re as committed to the mental training as you are to the physical.

or ask you something about your performance. This way, you are in control of how you would like to appear.

1. Control your inner dialogue

Remember, there are always new goals to reach!

What are you telling yourself under pressure, when it hurts the most and every inch of you wants to stop?

Find your personal cue — something that reminds you of why you’re doing this, something that will keep you going; make it short and repeat it over and over again.

2. See it before it happens Use visualization as a tool to prepare yourself for the workout ahead. The more you prepare your brain for the movements your body is going to do, the quicker the brain will adjust when you are actually doing them.

3. Love your routines On competition day make sure you know your routines; food, warm-up, apparel, your self talk, visualization etc.

Have routines for before, during and after a competition.

4. The control list Make a list of what you can control and what is beyond your control on a competition day. Don’t talk about or dwell on anything but what you can control. Keep your focus.

5. Prepare for comments What will you focus on in this particular competition? Prepare a few sentences that you can use, when people comment

A part of working towards something and fighting for something will always result in some kind of climax when it is all over. This is the time to recover mentally. Your mind needs to unwind.

Take some time off, do the things you haven’t prioritized for a while, have fun, relax. Also, remember to take some time soon after your competition to evalulate while things are still fresh in your mind.

The mental recovery will help you:

Increase your self-awareness.

By being conscious of your reactions prior, during and after a competition, you get to know your state of mind during a competition. This will make you aware of what you need to work on mentally.

Acknowledge yourself.

If you do not evaluate yourself, how will you know what you did well? Don’t leave it at being just thoughts in your head.

Write down your success – share it with someone – talk about it.

Set new goals.

When you point out your challenges, you know exactly what to work on next. This is your foundation for your next goal setting session.

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<< fit rx >>

Skip it!

Mastering Double Unders by Shannon Fox

Double unders are an important element in the CrossFit program and aren’t as easy as they look to execute – even for the most fit and coordinated people. But as with any other fitness skill, an effective breakdown will allow smooth progression to success.

jump, jumping stiff-legged, and hunching over are common body position errors. Focus on keeping the shoulders back and lead with the top of the head, a straight back, and a soft bend in the knees.

Jumping Too High

To complete a double under, increase the height of your jump and the speed of turning your wrists, so the rope goes under your feet twice in one jump. Take off and land on the balls of both feet and use small, quick wrist motions to turn the rope.

Double Unders: How To

Practice the jump without the rope, slow and high with a light landing. Then add the rope, but put both handles in one hand and turn the rope by your side in the double under motion (hint: watch in a mirror to make sure the rope is going around twice in one jump).

Once you’re comfortable, start with several regular jumps to establish a rhythm, and then attempt a double under.

Consecutive Double Unders

To progress to consecutive double unders, start with 1 followed by 4 regular speed jumps. Once you can do 4 or 5 of these in a row, lessen the number of regular speed jumps until there’s only one jump between each double under. The next step is to do as many double unders in a row as you can. common errors and corrections body positioning

Kicking the feet forward (piking) on the

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Correct your jump height without the rope first.

The height of the jump should be 15 to 20 cm off the ground. Keep practicing without the rope until this height is reached and then add the rope.

Raising Arms

Raising the arms will cause the rope to get caught on your feet as the rope is lifted. Focus on keeping your hands at the same height as when you are doing basic jumping. If you are still struggling, try a longer rope. You will need to turn with more power as the rope is longer, but the added length will compensate for the raised arms.

Rope is too short

Having a rope that is too short will cause the rope to get caught on your feet, due to less clearance for the rope to pass under the feet. To correct this error, focus on keeping your hands closer to the body. If you’re still struggling with this action, try a longer rope.

Tips to increase your speed try a rope with a ball bearing

The bearing will ease your turning motion and allow your hands to keep up with your feet.

Caution: Your technique needs to be mastered before using a ball bearing rope.

Photos: Tim Banfield Model: Andrew Balha

The Technique

switch to a wire rope

The wire is light but keeps the arc when turned quickly. If possible, gradually shorten your rope. A shorter rope has less cord to turn and therefore has less drag, which allows you to go faster.

Do some double under interval training with a heavier rope to increase your forearm strength and muscular endurance.

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photo: www.CrossFit.com (Top), Hannah Hayworth (Bottom)

From Pendleton to Podium A complete recap of the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games

By Bonnie Lynch

W

ell before the first athlete stepped onto the field for the 2012 CrossFit Games, buzz was in the air that this year’s mega-event was not going to disappoint. Spectator tickets for the Carson, California Home Depot Center (capacity: 27,000) were sold out by June 1st, and in what seems to be a trend, the Games drew yet another recordbreaking crowd. From over 69,000 athletic hopefuls, 46 men and 45 women had won themselves the right to play in the big league.

As anyone who knows the difference between a kipping pull-up and a double-under will already have heard, Annie Thorisdottir (Reebok CrossFit, Reykjavik, Iceland) and Rich Froning (CrossFit Faith, Cookeville, Tennessee)

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held fast to their titles of Fittest Woman and Fittest Man on Earth, which they both first earned at the 2011 Games. It’s a first for the Games to have a repeat champion (let alone two in the same year, much less two who also came in second the year before they won – you get the idea), and both Rich and Annie commanded serious r-e-s-p-e-c-t for not only winning, but doing so by a comfortable margin – Annie by 85 points and Rich by 114.

From the first day the athletes arrived in Los Angeles, there was that nowfamiliar suspense in the air. Everyone knew that just like in Games past, the actual events wouldn’t be revealed until shortly before the competition.

What the athletes didn’t anticipate was that the diabolical mind of CrossFit’s training director, Dave Castro, had

brewed up a scheme to add an extra two events on Wednesday, two full days earlier than the athletes had planned to start.

SURPRISE! THIS AIN’T NO SUMMER CAMP.

At the U.S. Marine Base Camp Pendleton, competitors would face several different trials: a 700-meter swim, followed by an 8 km bike race and an 11 km run. “And oh,” Castro must have thought to himself with a maniacal chuckle, like a chef adding an extra pinch of habanero to the salsa, “why not finish up these preliminary races with an obstacle course, courtesy of the Marines’ School of Infantry?”

The athletes jumped to attention.

Australian Chad Mackay (CrossFit Active, Sydney, Australia), ironically

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FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: Handstand surprise, and a shoving match with Big Bob

Friday morning saw the individual competitors broad-jumping, then moving to an afternoon of armgrinding, leg-melting events that included throwing medicine balls for distance, performing a track triplet (8 bar snatches, 7 bar muscle ups, and a 400-meter run), then a final med ball lift and handstand push-up event. The men’s track triplet was full of surprises, when favored bets like Ben Smith (unaffiliated) and Dan Bailey (CrossFit Faith, Cookesville, Tennessee) didn’t make the top 20. Matt Chan (CrossFit

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Verve, Denver, Colorado), who has placed in the top 10 at three of the last four years’ Games and was sitting in 3rd place going into this event, took a beating in the handstand push-ups to finish 24th in the event and 4th overall.

Similarly, it was this final event of the morning that tore open the women’s competition. Foucher, who had been in the lead after Wednesday’s events, floundered on the handstand push-ups, didn’t finish within the time cap, and saw her lead over Fortunato drop from 59 points to 2. Thorisdottir also took her first win here on the bullet train to her Games victory.

Meanwhile, the teams were having some fun of their own, beginning with a 6 X 415-meter sprint relay, then a chance to dance with Big Bob (100 yards up the field, then back, for time).

In the afternoon, the merriment came in the form of front squats (2-rep, max load) and a team triplet, in which three male-female pairs completed rowing, burpees, and thrusters while holding pre-specified weights.

SATURDAY: Ladders, Chippers, Ropes, and Yokes

Saturday morning was no sleep-inand-munch-croissants experience; it began with a shuttle sprint, which put Froning in the top position, where he would stay for the remainder of the Games. Matt Chan’s hurt-fest continued here, as he tied for 42nd place. On the women’s side, the sprint was the perfect opportunity for Fortunato to eclipse Foucher’s

lead, which she did handily – not too shabby for a woman who fractured ribs and sprained her elbow in a boating accident the day before the Open began. Fortunato credits CrossFit “for preparing me for not only the unknown and unknowable WOD, but also for life’s unpredictable mishaps. I’m not only stronger physically and mentally than I was 2 ½ years ago, but I’m also damn sure harder to kill!”

Next up was a combination rope-sled event, with one run up the 20-foot rope and one 20-yard drive of the Big Bob(sled). Matt Chan finally regained his lost ground by not only taking first in the event, but laid a margin of almost a minute ahead of second-place finisher Jason Khalipa (NorCal CrossFit, San Jose, California). Kasperbauer just hung in with a 20th place showing in this event. Becca Voigt, third-place finisher from last year, nailed the top spot for the women, but Iceland Annie was already knocking on the door of Fortunato’s lead overall, closing a 100-point gap in the space of only three events.

The clean ladder event, which came next, would break down that door when Thorisdottir’s split clean of 225 pounds propelled her to first overall, with Fortunato in second, and Foucher in third. But the real crowd-pleasers in this event were Lindsey Valenzuela and Elisabeth Akinwale. Valenzuela made the crowd roar when she was first to finish what some thought would be an impossible ladder, with its final 235-pound clean. Valenzuela added two dead lifts to garner partial

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photos: www.CrossFit.com, Courtney Samway (This page and facing page bottom left)

the heaviest of all the competitors, finished first among the men, with a combined swim-bike-run time of 1:57:33. American Julie Foucher (CrossFit Ann Arbor, Michigan), winner of the 2012 Central East Regional and one of the favored women in this year’s Games, showed that she came ready to play by outperforming the other women (and beating all but eight of the men, too) with a time of 2:05:12.

The obstacle course was no letdown, either. Athletes competed in heats of four, and only the winners in each round were sure to go forward to the next round. At the end of 3 rounds, the four winners of the second round and the four fastest non-winners (wild cards) advanced to the final round. For the men, newcomer Spencer Hendel was the surprise of the day, coming from nowhere to take the event.

Talayna “Spider Monkey” Fortunato (CrossFit Real Fitness, Naples, Florida) lived up to her nickname by logrunning, wall-hurdling, and barswinging to edge out next-best Kristan Clever (Valley CrossFit, Valencia, California), winner of the Fittest Woman title in 2010, by .6 seconds.

“Iceland Annie” Thorisdottir, who had bagged a wild card entry to the final round, placed third.

points, but it wasn’t enough to keep Elisabeth Akinwale from moving ahead by achieving the final clean and then cranking out five dead lifts to take the top spot for the women in this event.

For the men, Neal Maddox prevailed with a 365-pound clean, while Khalipa placed 2nd with 355.10 pounds, with Marcus Hendren (CrossFit New Albany, Ohio) a close 3rd at 355.06. Rich Froning set a 10-pound personal record at 345.07, just behind Nate Schrader’s (Iron Forged CrossFit, Fayetteville, North Carolina) 3rd place lift of 345.09.

Saturday’s excitement was rounded out with a chipper event, in which competitors worked for time to complete specified reps of overhead squats, box jump overs, fat bar thrusters, power cleans, toes-to-bar, and burpee muscle ups. Chan kept pace with Froning until the final set of thrusters, and when all the chips had fallen on Saturday night, Froning was in the lead overall, Matt Chan had moved from 3rd place to 2nd, and Kasperbauer was holding on in 3rd.

“From over 69,000 athletic hopefuls, 46 men and 45 women had won themselves the right to play in the big league.”

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These would be their podium stations when all was said and done. On the women’s side, Thorisdottir was still in the lead, with Foucher in second and Fortunato in third. Like the men, the ladies had established their places on the podium by the end of Saturday, but Kristan Clever, the 30-year-old winner of the women’s 2010 title, hung in at fourth place, anticipating a chance to move up in Sunday’s final event, in which athletes would perform WODs Elizabeth, Isabel, and Fran, collectively nicknamed “The Girls.”

SUNDAY STARTS WITH A (DOUBLE) BANG

The athletes warming up for Sunday’s first event were intrigued to see staff from Rogue setting up tracks with blocks nested inside them and sledgehammers at the ready. The new event, dubbed “double banger,” interspersed rounds of double unders with sledge-hammering the heavy block through the length of three different tracks, each set at a different height. Kasperbauer banged out a win in this event, and shrank his gap behind Chan from 43 to 14 points.

Akinwale muscled her way to a win in the women’s competition. Thorisdottir easily held on to her lead with a 5th place showing.

Finally, it was time for the final event – the Girls – beginning with Elizabeth.

Froning had a spacious lead of 86 points going in. Not one to let things slide, he took an impressive unbroken run at the 21-15-9 reps of cleans and dips, finishing in 2:33, 11 seconds ahead of nearest competitor Chan. Froning, now with a 91-point lead going into Isabel, didn’t miss a beat as he tackled this workout, scoring a winning time of 1:20.

On to the final challenge, Fran, where the champ could have sat on his hands and still won the title. Instead, Froning racked up 80 more points with a 5th place showing, widening his margin even more. When asked why he bothered to go the extra distance, his answer was short and to the point: “Leave no doubt.” And, true to these words, Froning has left no doubt in

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anyone’s mind that his rightful place is still at the top of the podium. Panchik won the event with a time of 2:41; Kasperbauer and Bailey placed second and third. Chan, who had placed in the top three for both Elizabeth and Isabel, came 10th on Fran, which didn’t jeopardize his 2nd place standing overall. It was Chan’s fifth trip to the Games, and the first time he’d enjoyed the view from atop the podium.

Kasperbauer’s capture of silver left him feeling “absolutely ecstatic.”

Meanwhile, in the women’s camp, Clever used Elizabeth to narrow her gap behind third-place Fortunato to just nine points, and things only looked worse for Fortunato after Isabel, where Clever closed the gap to four. Even Foucher’s second place standing was in doubt at this point, because a win by Clever in the final event, Fran, could shake up both second and third places.

The deciding factor turned out to be pull-ups, where Clever faltered and came off the bar, allowing Fortunato to keep chugging right into a third-place finish, and kept fans guessing until the last minute who would occupy the podium with Annie.

TEAM COMPETITION

Teams competed on Friday and Saturday to earn one of six places in Sunday’s Affiliate Cup event. Although repeat performances were the theme for the individual champs, none of the six qualifying teams were repeaters from 2011. The qualifiers were SPC CrossFit (Kent, Ohio), Hack’s Pack Ute (Salt Lake City, Utah), Diablo CrossFit Anejo (Pleasant Hill, California), Invictus (San Diego, California), RAW Training (Wildwood, Pennsylvania), and TJ’s Gym Mill Valley (Mill Valley, California).

One of the highlights of team competition was the yoke event, which occurred on Saturday. Many CrossFitters are familiar with the Rogue yoke, either from seeing one at their own CrossFit box or (perhaps more sanely) watching any of the numerous YouTube videos that demonstrate it.

Basically, it’s a weight rack that’s been

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“Just to be here is one of the most exciting things in my life.” modified so that plates can be stacked onto each of its four supporting legs.

An unwieldy piece of equipment, to say the least, but the Games took unwieldy-ness to a new level: the apparatus looked like a giant version of one of those colorful toys you’d expect to see hanging from an infant’s crib, but instead of virtually weightless colored discs floating harmoniously around a central hub, there were two pendulous stacks of iron (think primitive watercarrying with a pole and two buckets) that bounced and bobbed as the athletes did their best to ferry the contraption from one end of the 100-yard course to another. Just getting to the end of the field still upright and with femurs intact was a triumph, as many teams couldn’t do it. Team Adrenaline’s T.J. Menerey summed it up nicely when he said, “The yoke sucked.”

SPC CrossFit looked like a force that might have what it would take to overpower 2011 team champs CrossFit New England, having turned in the best performance in cross-regional comparisons. But New England was knocked out of the running on Saturday’s rope-clean event, where SPC managed to squeak out a win, so it was anyone’s guess who might take the team honors this year. Meanwhile, team Hack’s Pack Ute was looking like a slightly dark horse, in spite of having three individual Games competitors (Tommy Hackenbruck, Mary Lampas, and Taylor Richards-Lindsay) among its ranks. But Hack’s Pack quickly showed what it was made of, dominating the team competition before Sunday’s final round began, besting their nearest

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<< fit rx >>

photos: www.CrossFit.com

MASTERS HIGHLIGHTS

competitor, CrossFit Diablo Añejo, by 47 points before the scoreboard was erased and the teams started fresh on Sunday with “The Girls.”

Each female completed Elizabeth (cleans, ring dips), Fran (thrusters, pull-ups), and Isabel (snatches), while males wrestled with Grace (clean and jerk), Diane (deadlifts, handstand push-ups), and Karen (wallball shots).

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The same events were used in last year’s team competition, and Ute blasted New England’s 2011 time by two minutes, proving that they were no flash in the pan. In the final event, Karen, Hackenbruck stole the show by completing a first-ever: 111 unbroken wall ball shots. In the end, SPC finished 2nd overall, just four seconds ahead of Diablo.

As is often pointed out, the performances of the Masters athletes not only offer a bright perspective on the possibilities of life in the middle years, they also put the vast majority of younger gym rats to shame. With four separate age divisions each of men and women, the Games wrap-up for Masters could easily fill an entire issue. A few moments deserve special mention, though, like three-year Games veteran Scott Olson’s (Front Range CrossFit, Denver, Colorado) domination of the 60+ division’s events. Olson had placed 2nd in his (55-59) division last year, then had back and knee surgery and roared back into the competition this year with a first-place finish, nearly 5 minutes ahead of the next competitor.

On the women’s side, Marnel King (CrossFit San Jose, California) gave new meaning to “women over 50” when she pumped out not 10, not 20, but 26 pullups in Sunday’s competition. King won three of the seven Master events in her division and clinched the gold.

Competitor Charles Sullivan (CrossFit Vero Beach, Florida), who finished in 5th in the Master men’s 55-59 division, probably spoke for athletes of all ages when he said, “Just to be here is one of the most exciting things in my life.”

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<< fit rx >>

Changing the World One WOD at a Time 44

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The future looks bright to Greg Glassman, pharaoh of functional fitness, bigtime businessman, and aweinspiring altruist

photo: Courtney Samway (Left), WWW.CROSSFIT.COM (Right)

T

By Angela Rose

his year, at the 2012 CrossFit Games, Sweat RX Magazine had the privilege of sitting down with the WODFather, Greg Glassman, to learn more about the brains behind it all. Leader, innovator, genius, coach—all are words that have been used to describe Greg Glassman, the man who created the CrossFit movement that has changed the lives of thousands of individuals around the world. And it all began with a dream rooted in the early 1970s and sprouted in the family garage, nurtured by a Ted Williams weight set from Sears.

Glassman, then a high school gymnast, wanted to increase his strength but found that traditional exercises just weren’t cutting it. Inspired by the cardio fatigue he had experienced in grueling routines on the rings, he created the first–now famous– Workout of the Day (WOD for short). Dubbed Fran, the routine combined alternating sets of thrusters and pull-ups in combinations of 21, 15, and 9 reps, completed as fast as humanly possible.

This first CrossFit WOD may very well have led Glassman to his successful coaching career, first at the Pasadena YWCA and later with dozens of high-profile celebrities, athletes, and law enforcement officials in gyms all over Southern California.

Glassman’s approach to exercise was decidedly innovative, and it helped to promote his now well-known definition of fitness: “increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains.”

His clients alternated heavy deadlifts with 400-metre sprints— their blood, sweat, and tears earning fitness results that dwarfed those obtained through cardio or strength routines alone.

He opened his first CrossFit box in Santa Cruz, California, in 1995. A few years later, in 2000, Glassman founded CrossFit Inc., still a privately held company today. With the launch of its website in 2001, the global fitness phenomenon known as CrossFit began its meteoric rise.

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A new WOD is posted to the website daily, along with an extensive video library of exercise demonstrations and an active forum for discussion. These amenities soon created a loyal following of CrossFit disciples from all walks of life; elite athletes, competitive martial artists, soldiers, and law enforcement officers embraced the program alongside mothers, students, medical professionals, scientists, and former couch potatoes looking for inspiration and a swift kick to the fast lane of fitness.

Glassman launched an affiliate program in 2003, and by 2005 had 18 affiliate gyms (affectionately known as “boxes”) across the U.S. By 2009 there were more than 1,000 CrossFit boxes worldwide, along with two to three new affiliate applications every day. Now, in 2012, CrossFit has more than 4,000 affiliate gyms around the world—a number that continues to grow. The company’s worth has recently been estimated at a tidy half billion dollars.

The continued popularity of the program and its ability to inspire, motivate, captivate, and transform such a varied group of aspiring athletes is a tribute to “Coach” Glassman’s charisma, his sweeping vision, and a rock-solid understanding of the needs of today’s fitness enthusiasts. Being a fountain of chutzpah doesn’t hurt, either.

Reebok, CrossFit, and a very large purse

In 2011, CrossFit got a mega-dose of popularity enhancement when it announced a 10-year title sponsorship deal with Reebok to support the CrossFit Games, a worldwide competition that had been running on a smaller scale since 2007. Now televised on ESPN platforms and breathlessly followed by thousands around the world, the Games allow athletes to battle it out for a combined $1 million prize purse. The male and female individual winners, known as the Fittest on Earth™, take home a cool quarter million each.

A blogger for Forbes magazine has called the Reebok CrossFit Games “one of the fastest growing sports in America,” and Glassman himself is amazed and thrilled with its success.

SRX: Could you ever have envisioned all of this just five years ago.

“I guess I could have imagined this, but I didn’t,” he says. “My brain just doesn’t work that way. I don’t really think of the end point. It occurs to me more as a process. For example, I think

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to consider the potential ramifications of commercialization.

With venture capitalists and investors regularly sniffing around the company headquarters and making offers to buy him out, Glassman explains in a recent video published on www.

CrossFit.com that he’s been giving the issue a lot of thought.

But he’s not selling.

Dream big, work hard; the rest takes care of itself

As the U.S., Canada, and much of the rest of the world dealt with the worst economic climate seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and businesses in many industries floundered, CrossFit continued to explode. While thankful for the continued economic success of CrossFit Inc., Glassman feels there’s much more to it than that.

SRX: Why do you think the trajectory and growth has been so fast and to what do you attribute to the great success that people are seeing from doing CrossFit? The business of CrossFit “works out” through the passion and commitment of the affiliates.“Our affiliates are owned by many enterprising people, and they are interested in the business of wildly transforming other people’s lives” . “We give them the opportunity to make the money that an orthodontist or urologist can make, but without the debt.” This the reason that CrossFit has seen such astonishing growth. “Changing lives is at the heart of it.

Our role at HQ is to support our affiliates, protect them from legal issues, and help them do what they do best—change the lives of their members”.

Scaling up without selling out

As any business grows, particularly one that has become as highprofile as CrossFit, it’s both natural and wise for those involved

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We are the world, not just the WOD

Glassman is fond of drilling home the point that since its inception, CrossFit has been about transforming lives. In addition to providing efficient, high-intensity, and rather addictive WODs, the program is also using its assets to change the world through philanthropic ventures, at both a company and affiliate level.

In 2007, for example, CrossFit affiliates across the U.S. raised and donated $550,000 to Athletes for a Cure, a charity dedicated to eliminating prostate cancer. And in 2009, they launched the Fight Gone Bad CrossFit fundraising event as a way for communities around the world to join together in support of this worthy cause. Since then, the event was replaced by Hope and has raised more than $3 million. In June 2012, CrossFit members joined together for a cause particularly close to Glassman’s heart.

Thousands participated in CrossFit for Hope, raising more than $1.5 million for cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

SRX: Can you tell us about some of the philanthropy initiatives that CrossFit is currently involved in and how this impacts CrossFit as a brand?

“When my son was an infant, he was in pediatric care at Phoenix Hospital,” Glassman explains. “While he was there, I witnessed a procession of children who were critically ill. I made a decision, then and there, that as soon as it was possible we would do what we could to lend some help.” He began to ask around and determined the biggest impact would come from a donation to St. Jude.

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photo: Courtesy of CrossFit Head Quarters

there is great potential here, and I don’t see why CrossFit can’t be an Olympic sport someday, but that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s going to happen. I took a goal-setting class once in university, the professor said that one of the most essential, salient features of a goal is that it be attainable. As a gymnast, I thought to myself, ‘that’s bullshit.’ So my hand went up and I told her she was incorrect. At the time, a million little girls had posters of Mary Lou Retton above their beds,“Maybe the reality was that all but five of them were as high as kites to think they would ever be that good, but there were five or so who weren’t just dreaming. Even so, all of them who were striving to be the next Mary Lou got something out of trying to achieve that goal every day. The value is in the journey, not the arrival. And it’s that way in business, too.”

CrossFit has never been about money. “We’ve never tried to correlate the effort we put in and the dollar that is returned”. It’s about doing the right things, for the right people, and for the right reason. Then everything else will work itself out.”

SRX: Tell us about your decision to decline the offers from buyers to purchase CrossFit. “The threat comes from the investment community”. “They look at 4,000 gyms and see a point of sale. They want to alter the relationship from one where we protect and serve our affiliates to one where they are merely retail operations.

My commitment to our affiliates is a sacred covenant. We are not going to engage in rent extraction. We are going to charge the minimum necessary to provide our affiliates with education, protection, legal support, and brand development.

We hope the owners of the world’s boxes feel the same way.

“We have committed from the beginning to give the affiliates every opportunity that we had when we opened our first gym, coupled with the support we lacked” . “My fear, when I talk about ‘growing pains,’ is affiliates giving in to the attraction of bright shiny objects, things like apparel, watches, and so many more deals to be made. I would never insist that they do so,” Glassman concludes.

I so want to hang out with these people.

They are all heroes playing critical roles reaching out to their communities.”

“I found out that they’ve reduced acute lymphoblastic leukemia fatalities in children from 94 percent to 6 percent in five years,” he says. “They did that with research dollars. And we wanted to help them do more.”

The generosity of CrossFit affiliates and members often overwhelms Glassman. “Honestly, I think one of the miracles of CrossFit is what happens at the affiliate level when people are helping other people,” he says. He has seen boxes band together to support members going through difficult times, like the death of family members, natural disasters, and cancer diagnoses. “They hold each other’s hand through the process,” he continues.

Recently, CrossFit has broadened its philanthropic scope to include Kenya, with a new initiative that will connect interested affiliates with local communities around Mombasa.

“We’ve built several schools in Kenya,” Glassman explains.

“Because education is not just about getting a better job, it also increases their life expectancy to 50 or 60.”

The schools feature tin roofs that collect up to 40,000 litres of water in cisterns during the rainy season. “Not only is this clean, fresh water,” says Glassman, “but it is also benefitting women in rural Kenya who regularly transport the water from wells that are 15 to 20 kilometres away.”

Other CrossFit money-raising campaigns include one for the Infant Swimming Resource, an organization dedicated to preventing drowning. “The pain a family has to endure when this tragedy occurs is a permanent affliction,” Glassman exclaims. “It is absolutely devastating and completely preventable.”

Glassman hopes that people will begin to associate CrossFit with these affiliate-driven philanthropic projects and not just brutal workouts. “We want them to know that CrossFit is not just a gym. It’s also about clean water and pediatric care and other important projects.”

“What can you do to make the world a better place by joining Bally’s or World Gym?” he questions. “But you can make the world a better place when you join CrossFit. Our affiliates are actively involved in all kinds of community outreach. That spirit begins right in your box.”

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The Future of CrossFit

In the present, Glassman is rightfully gratified to have inspired thousands of people around the globe to embrace fitness in a whole new way. But he lavishes the praise equally on all the players who make CrossFit what it is.

SRX: How does it make you feel to know you have inspired millions of people from around the globe to get fit, created opportunities for thousands of people to start their own businesses- including Sweat RX to start a magazine dedicated to CrossFit. “I’m so proud of everyone,” he says. “Kids doing CrossFit Kids, trainers, athletes, volunteers, judges–I’m amazed at what they’ve done. And it’s amazing to feel how everyone is so connected. I so want to hang out with these people. They are all heroes playing critical roles reaching out to their communities.”

As for the future, it’s looking bright. “You know, we opened a single gym in Santa Cruz and it became the inspiration for thousands of other people to do more amazing things. We combined an approach to fitness that is revolutionary in terms of the physiology and the resulting adaptation with the opportunity for affiliates to make a living creating profound change in people’s lives,” says Glassman. “I love what you’re doing with the magazine. It only goes to strengthen our community, I will do anything for Sweat RX”.

Sailing over the Horizon

Glassman appears to be a man who’s watching the sun set over his happy kingdom. The world is watching and CrossFit has made its mark. Don’t count on Glassman to start coasting now, though. The royal road to success has never been paved with complacency, and the CrossFit King almost certainly plans to take this journey as far as it can go.

“I made a list of things I’d like to do for my kids and my staff (we have about 50,000 level one certified trainers plus their clients), a list of what I would want for them, and what I would like this company to look like in the future. All of my dreams have already been answered.”

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<< eating for life >>

The

Benefits Seasonal Cooking of

By Jenna Antonelli

There’s a reason why flavours burst more when they’re eaten in their according season.

Not only do our senses crave the tastes and smells of each upcoming season’s bounty, but there are nutritional benefits as well. In autumn, we crave flavours like carrot,cauliflower, pumpkin, squash, peppercorn, and sweet potato. Our bodies were created to work with nature and when eating seasonally, we are eating the produce that is most readily available.

Shop locally and in season and you’re not only fuelling your body for the climate, but your supporting and sustaining your local farmers.

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<< eating for life >>

Sweet & Spicy Cauliflower Stuffed Acorn Squash The flavours of this dish arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ordinarily paired, but the combination is a welcome surprise. The sweetness of the squash blends perfectly with the spicy crunch of the vegetables and walnuts.

Directions Preheat oven to 400F. In a deep baking dish, place both halves of the acorn squash face down.

Add 1 tbsp of water.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Flip squash over, drizzle coconut oil and 1 tsp of cinnamon on top.

Bake for 10 more minutes or until fork-tender.

While acorn squash is cooking, place a wok, or large skillet over medium high heat.

Add half of the olive oil and saute chopped onions until translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add chopped sweet potato, saute for 6-7 minutes.

Add cauliflower, cinnamon, curry, cumin, salt and the rest of the olive oil.

Saute everything for 5 more minutes.

Toast walnuts for 5 minutes at 350F. Remove wok from heat, place walnuts in with the vegetables.

Scoop vegetable mixture into each acorn squash half.

Enjoy with a fork!

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photo: Jenna Antonelli

1 acorn squash, sliced in half 1 cup cauliflower, rinsed & chopped 1 sweet potato, peeled & cubed Âź cup of walnuts, toasted 1 small yellow onion, chopped 2 tbsp coconut oil 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp water 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp curry 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt Kitchen Tools: deep glass baking dish, wok

<< eating for life >>

Cinnmon Apple Butter Squares A perfect medley of

50 oz unsweetened applesauce 1 cup of apple cider 1 tbsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp crushed clove ½ tsp salt Kitchen Tools: crockpot Directions Place all ingredients in crockpot, stir occasionally, and cook on low for 8-10 hours until smooth, thick apple butter forms.

Cinnamon Almond Flour Crust

2 cups of almond flour ½ cup coconut oil, melted 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking soda Kitchen Tools: mixer, 8x8 baking pan

Directions Preheat oven to 325F. Combine all ingredients in mixer until dough forms.

Place dough into baking pan and press around all edges.

Bake for 12 minutes.

When apple butter is complete, spread over cooled almond flour crust and cut into squares. Serve warm.

photos: Jenna Antonelli

sweet apple butter and crispy cinnamon almond flour crust, these dessert squares taste as falL-inspired as your house will smell.

Apple Butter

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<< eating for life >>

Keep It Simple Flank Steak Recipe and Photography by Andrew Muto

Some of the best foods are the simplest! The flank steak, or London Broil, is definitely one in that category. It boasts 23 grams of protein and 15 percent of daily iron intake and has very little fat! What’s more amazing is how easy it is to prepare. Perfect for the avid athlete and people on the go!

Cooked flank steak can be used for stir fry, salads, Asian noodle dishes, fajitas or all on its own with vegetables or a salad.

The secret to success: Marinade the meat for at least an hour but not more than two (its a little tough, so marinating softens the fibres). Make sure to flip the meat so that both sides soak up the marinade.

Allow the cooked meat to “rest” or sit covered for 15 minutes before cutting.

Slice meat against the grain (slice thin strips).

Here’s a simple recipe: Ingredients: Salt Pepper Red Wine Olive Oil Fresh Crushed Garlic Place meat in a flat baking dish. Rub garlic all over the meat. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat. Let it marinade for an hour. Heat the oven to 350; heat a skillet and sear the meat on both sides until brown. Place back in a baking dish and cook in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and cover with a bowl or pan cover for 15 minutes. Cut thin slices across the grain. Meat should be pink on the inside and juicy!

Serve alongside sautéed portobello mushrooms (garlic, herbs, and mushrooms; there’s 5 grams of protein in a cup of portobello ‘shrooms) and enjoy a high-protein and low-fat meal!

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<< fuel >>

Pumpkin Chai Smoothie

by Grace Van Berkum, R.H.N.

Yes, you can make a pumpkin smoothie without cooking the pumpkin! Delicious, dairy-free, creamy, nutrient-dense, filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and energizing making it a fantastic smoothie for all types of athletes (or non-athletes).

Use any of the variations for optimal health.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup raw pumpkin cut into small pieces (or unsweetened canned pumpkin) 2 frozen bananas 1 cup cashews (or almonds) 2 tbsp hemp seeds raw honey to taste 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp green cardamom seeds pinch ground cloves 1-2 cups water to desired consistency 1 cup ice Blend until smooth.

Strain if desired.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Delicious!

For an extra Kick Extra protein for Recovery: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powde.

To reduce inflammation: Throw in a piece of fresh ginger to taste

To hydrate and maintain electrolyte balance: Use coconut water instead of water

For added energy: Use green tea instead of water (steep green tea, then cool)

For extra fibre: Add a tablespoon of chia seeds

Grace Van Berkum (Gracious Living) is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who is passionate about the healing powers of plant-based whole foods

To boost immune system: Sprinkle bee pollen

www.gracevanberkum.com

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<< supplementation >>

Whey Better Results Maximize your post-WOD recovery

By Carson Teedle

When we talk

about post-workout recovery we have a few main goals in mind: Promote muscle repair Reduce muscle breakdown (catabolism) Replenish energy stores Take maximum advantage of the anabolic window you have created for yourself after your WOD FACT: THE FASTER YOU RECOVER, THE MORE PROGRESS YOU WILL MAKE IN EVERY AREA OF YOUR TRAINING Don’t let your potential gains from daily work outs vanish!

Take control of your progress by supplying your body with key ingredients for muscle repair and recovery.

You may think that your post-WOD meal is enough but technically it’s really not sufficient to maximize your gains.

There is a ton of research backing up other high capacity/ endurance athletes who have benefited for years, from proper supplementation. Crossfitters can too!

The window…

The first 30 minutes after your WOD is largely agreed upon

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as the optimal time to get nutrients into your body and rush them to your muscles for repair, building and recovery. You just gave your blood, sweat and often tears in that WOD so keep up the giving and give back to yourself by suppying it with the necessary tools for recovery.

The Whey…

Whey protein is a fast-absorbing protein that is the most useful when taken post-WOD to get the body going in an optimal direction. It’s easy and effective and there are some really fantastic pure options out there without artificial sweeteners and that don’t come loaded with 50grams of refined sugar. There are also multiple forms of whey that include hydrolyzed whey, whey protein isolate, and whey protein concentrate. They are all good – just keep in mind that they do vary in flavour.

To obtain maximum recovery results, crossfitters can benefit greatly by taking whey protein after a workout. Whey is an ideal option because of its speed of digestion, allowing you to maximize the anabolic window for post-WOD consumption.

This is the whey!

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<< fit rx >>

Periodized Specialization for CrossFit Competitors

By Chris Mason

common Wisdom

This article will introduce a unique form of periodization for those seeking to be competitive at the highest levels of CrossFit. CrossFit competition is still a young sport, and training for it is a quickly evolving phenomenon. That which made a person competitive before will barely make one mediocre moving forward. The next big thing in competitive CrossFit training (in my humble opinion) is going to be periodized specialization. That sounds counter-intuitive in the CrossFit world, as CrossFit by definition is being fit across a broad range of time and modal domains.

In other words, the goal of CrossFit is to make you good at all components of physical fitness.

CrossFit specializes in “not specializing,” but that doesn’t mean specialization of training has no place. It does, and its use is the only way to truly optimize one’s CrossFit abilities.

The Norm Many competitive CrossFitters have gotten to where they are by simply practicing CrossFit style workouts (not necessarily main-site WODs, but WODs that fit the CrossFit mould).

Most of the more successful athletes have taken the next step, incorporating such specialized training as strength, gymnastic, and Olympic lifting skills to improve their relative weaknesses. Very few (to my knowledge) have actually blocked out periods of their training to focus specifically on improving one area. In other words, the trend has been

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to simply add in more work to address weaknesses, rather than temporarily focusing solely on them.

Specificity of Training Adaptation to training is extremely specific. For example, let’s say you normally bench press with a barbell and decide to switch to dumbbell pressing for a few months. If you are training properly, your dumbbell pressing strength will increase during that time.

The interesting thing–and this vexes many a trainee–is that when you switch

back to the barbell bench press, you will often be weaker than where you left off (at least temporarily). At face value it makes no sense. You got stronger at the dumbbell press and it works basically the same muscles, therefore you should be stronger with the barbell as well, right? Wrong.

The dumbbell press does work the same major muscles, but the primary reason you don’t get an immediate carryover is the difference in how the two movements are handled by the nervous system. When exercising, the angle, range of motion (ROM), type

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Periodized Specialization for CrossFitters I am not saying that CrossFitters should only train one fitness attribute at a time for the entirety of their training.

Rather, I am saying that once a basic level of CrossFit fitness is achieved, the only way to optimize competitive performance is to create training blocks in the off-season which each focus on improving one specific relative fitness weakness.

With standard block periodization the training is solely focused on one attribute and this permits detraining of essentially all others. For a CrossFitter this might mean a hypertrophy phase that ignored basic WOD training. My system also focuses on one attribute per block, but does not permit the detraining of one’s sport specific CrossFit abilities. It provides both focus and maintenance so that the step forward does not require two steps back.

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photo: George Bryant

of strength worked (speed strength, strength speed, starting strength, etc.), and other factors all involve the nervous system in different ways; thus a particular exercise performed in a given way is uniquely perceived by and therefore adapted to the nervous system.

This specificity of training is not relegated solely to the nervous system.

It has an impact on energy systems and types of muscle fibres, as well as other physical fronts.

The above is not to say that adaptation cannot occur to multiple forms of training stimuli simultaneously. CrossFit (and before it, the decathlon and many other sporting activities) have clearly shown that adaptation can occur to multiple stimuli simultaneously.

The question is whether or not simultaneous adaptation to multiple training stimuli is optimal? The answer is no! Let’s go right back to the decathlon example. While decathletes can be very good at many track disciplines, they are masters of none. Optimal adaptation can only occur with specialized training for a very specific goal.

The Chris Speal Examp W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

ller ple W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

This past year I spent some time working with CrossFit icon Chris Spealler. After 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CrossFit Games, Spealler came to the conclusion that he needed more size. This epiphany came in part due to the performance of Josh Bridges who is about the same height as Spealler, but was 20 lbs of lean mass heavier. Spealler and I had previously worked together on Westside-style absolute strength training. When he approached me about the possibility of working together again with the goal of adding 10 lbs of lean muscle mass, I was very excited!

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Spealler is an amazing athlete and individual in my opinion.

Part of what impresses me so much about him is that he is willing to listen and consider novel and/or unique approaches to training.

athlete’s training (four days per week is perfect for most applications) to address the chosen weakness, and then allowing for two days per week to maintain the balance of the sport specific abilities. It should be noted, as a “more is better” mindset seems to be fairly pervasive in the CrossFit culture, that a minimum of work is required and recommended to maintain most sport specific conditioning.

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Spealler also opted (and I felt it was a great idea) to perform some skill work (meaning using sub-maximal loads to work on perfecting technique) for Olympic lifts on those days.

We also addressed the nutrition component of Spealler’s program with a significant increase in his total caloric intake and some specific supplementation. The increased caloric intake was probably the hardest part of the program for Spealler. He is not a big eater and his incredibly busy schedule does not leave a lot of room for the necessary food intake. Nutrition is a topic that deserves its own article, so I won’t go any further here.

The end result of the program: Spealler added 10 lbs of lean muscle mass, increased his strength (yes, even on a bodybuilding program!) and maintained the majority of his CrossFit specific conditioning (even besting benchmarks in some WODs).

In other words, he accomplished his primary goal without significantly compromising, or detraining his sport specific conditioning in the process.

Training for Everyone The same basic template used for Chris can be used to improve almost any fitness attribute. The key is programming the majority of the

Wrap Games level competitive CrossFitters have essentially 8-9 months of training between seasons. At least 6 months should be blocked out to work on (in the manner shown above) defined weaknesses in their overall CrossFit abilities. The final training block can then focus on pure CrossFit ability with the goal of peaking for the competitive season with improved relative weaknesses and therefore improved overall performance.

This methodology, if utilized, will result in yet unseen CrossFit performances. Coaches or athletes: get started now and show the world what can be achieved!

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photo: Nicole Bedard

My excitement was, however, tempered with a bit of concern about what I knew I wanted him to do, and whether or not he could be compliant with it as it would be a huge departure from anything he had ever done.

Spealler is an amazing athlete and individual in my opinion. Part of what impresses me so much about him is that he is willing to listen and consider novel and/or unique approaches to training.

My concern was thus misplaced as he was not only willing to listen to what I had to say, he had enough faith in me that he agreed to submit to whatever I laid out for him (which I truly appreciated).

As an unofficial rule, CrossFit has a bit of disdain for bodybuilding. The simple fact is that no one is better at accruing lean muscle mass than bodybuilders. For Spealler to achieve his goal, the optimal way was to place him on a 3-4 month block of hypertrophy-specific, or bodybuilding training. That is exactly what I did.

We worked out a four day per week training schedule that hit each body part twice per week (a four day split).

On two of his “off” days I instructed him to perform one WOD each day. I allowed Spealler to program the WODs since he is certainly more versed in the nuances of CrossFit WODs than me.

The intensity of secondary work (the exercise used to maintain sportspecific conditioning) necessarily varies. For instance, if the individual were focusing on hypertrophy as Chris was, the two WODs per week should be conducted with the normal intensity of effort (read HIGH). Some care should be taken with their programming, as a King Kong type WOD would be counterproductive to a hypertrophy and strength program block. Intensity for other secondary training such as Olympic lifting skill work should be relatively low to minimize interference with the primary training goal.

The intensity of effort, or intensity as defined by percentage load, should vary depending upon what is needed to make the secondary exercise productive, while simultaneously minimizing any negative effect on the primary training goal of the block.

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<< fit rx >>

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Rhodes’ Rise W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

From Starting Blocks to CrossFit Box

By Brad Moore | photography by letusgophoto.ca

Some people

seem like they were born CrossFitters, kindergarten kippers whose strength-endurance-agility combo comes naturally. Jason “Jay” Rhodes doesn’t fit the stereotype.

Make no mistake—he’s got the hang of it now. Weighing in at a svelte 170, he’s deadlifted over 500 pounds and can snatch 240 and clean 305. He placed third in this year’s Canada East Open and eighth in the Regionals, and just launched his own box in Stoney Creek, Ontario, which he co-owns with girlfriend and fellow CF coach Lacey Van Der Marel. But the up and coming Rhodes recalls that he was once more fascinated by beer and golf than deadlifts and box jumps.

He had been a track star in college. But fractures of both of his feet meant that running was no longer an option. Golf wasn’t cutting it as a replacement. Oddly enough, a life-threatening illness that struck his father turned out to be Rhodes’ wake-up call. He knew he had to get back to something more physically and mentally challenging. Where to go with all that natural talent, competitive drive, and energy? He channeled it into CrossFit. Rhodes worked his way into trainer status and coached at Ontario’s CrossFit Altitude. He got some quality time in with Rudy Nielsen, and thus began a long-lasting relationship between himself and a training method that other Nielsen fans have come to know as The Outlaw Way. His new box, Outlaw North, even bears the Nielsen moniker. Rhodes took a pause from a busy coaching schedule to tell Sweat RX about his life, his work, his passion, and the CrossFit thread that ties it all together.

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Rhodes: I have those days like anyone else. But I try to look at the bigger picture. It’s one day, and...training is not designed to have you feeling 100% all the time. Usually all it takes is a decent warm-up and making the first few steps to get started, then it flows like a normal day. Sometimes you will be feeling like absolute garbage but is that when you take your foot off the gas? Or do you press on? That’s not to say I’ll never throw in an extra rest day here and there if I really need it. But the only way to get to know your body that well is to go into that territory where you may break down a bit. I have kind of always operated that way. When you’re really hesitant about something it’s best to just throw yourself in and start; don’t over-think it.

SRX: Let’s get some preliminaries out of the way: What’s a typical day in the life of Jay Rhodes?

Rhodes: During the school year I will normally wake up at 7 a.m. or so, teach until 3 p.m., get home, have something to eat, and head into the gym. Training and coaching usually take me until about 8:30 or 9 p.m. Get home, relax a bit, and get to bed hopefully by 11 p.m. During the summer it’s a little more relaxed. I am free to sleep in more than usual, and have some more freedom to train at different times of the day and get everything in.

SRX: What’s your diet like?

Rhodes: I try to keep it clean most of the time, but I’m not one to deprive myself of something if I really want it. I just know that it’s not something I can do all the time if I want to reach my goals. In the morning, a Beyond Yourself gainer shake, sometimes oatmeal, sometimes Greek yogurt with nuts mixed in. Oh and coffee, always coffee. For lunch it depends where I am. Sometimes a half rack of ribs, or a steak pita. I’ll usually keep some almonds or cashews around to snack on. At night, some PreWOD before working out, another gainer shake, and an average dinner would be steak, chicken, or fish, greens and avocado, maybe sometimes a sweet potato. I’ll drink lots of water throughout the day. You will not find me without a water bottle near very often. I also take BCAAs [Branched-Chain Amino Acids] once or twice a day, PurePharma fish oil, vitamin D, and magnesium as well.

SRX: Do you have a favourite WOD? A least favourite?

Rhodes: “Amanda” comes to mind [as a favorite]. 9-7-5 Muscle Ups, Full Snatch, 135/95 lbs. I love that blend of athleticism and work capacity. As far as least favourite, nothing in particular. I’m not a huge fan of beatdown-type WOD’s but I understand at times that’s part of the test of work capacity.

SRX: What motivates you to work out when you’re just not feeling it? You know, those days when you know you should do it, but your brain says no?

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SRX: You’ve advocated a principle called “Everything is everything.” Can you explain what it means, besides being the title of an old Lauryn Hill song?

Rhodes: Sure, but I have to credit this to Rudy Nielsen.

“Everything is everything” essentially means that when we are training to be good at everything, as CrossFit competitors claim to be, it actually means EVERYTHING. Every scenario.

It doesn’t make sense to see a guy or girl with a huge deadlift, huge power clean, and huge front squat, yet a fairly average squat clean. All the pieces are there, but this individual clearly hasn’t practiced the full lifts [enough]. They probably take their front squat to an inch below parallel because “it counts” rather than using the stretch reflex out of the bottom of the front squat, which would in turn help the clean. We see these athletes everywhere, though. I realized this in my own training back in 2010 and switched to performing full lifts. I was also good at muscle ups but had trouble with hitting full extension and maintaining false grip. When I go to competition, the standard is straight arm, so the fact that I can do 10+ without the standard I’ll be tested on means nothing. It’s all about how what you’re doing today in training will improve you for tomorrow and the next day, not getting the top score on the whiteboard just scraping by the standards.

SRX: You’ve said elsewhere that you really like working with absolute beginners. Imagine that I’m the person whose idea of exertion is rolling my garbage bin to the curb. Walk me through my first CrossFit experience at your box. What would I expect to be doing that first time, if I can barely do anything at all?

Rhodes: We do love working with beginners and seeing them start to believe in themselves. Your first experience would be a brief sit-down about the methodologies, how we describe fitness, and a quick overview of what we do to reach those gains in fitness.

We run three one-on-one sessions, the first being very basic movements, and then we build on each of those. We chose one-on-ones because it gives us more time to get to

W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

<< fit rx >>

“Everything is everything” essentially means that when we are training to be good at everything, as CrossFit competitors claim to be, it actually means EVERYTHING.

know the individual and [we get to] chat and focus on only them. Coming out of those sessions, you should have a brief understanding of many of the movements we’ll be using. It is now time to move to group sessions, and we understand that there will be new movements that will come up from time to time. The less experienced athletes will generally garner a little more attention during lifting and skill development than someone who has been around for a while, until they are proficient. We are looking for good movement before adding load and intensity, and if anything we may have to hold people back a little bit in terms of their weights being used, etc. After a few months pass, you’ll be able to take the garbage out for your whole block if you wish.

SRX: In your opinion, what is the biggest reason that someone might try CrossFit but not return to it, or not keep it up for the long term?

What’s the remedy for that?

Rhodes: There are a few things that come to mind. The moment a member feels like they are being treated as a number or a dollar value, you have lost them. I have seen that happen and it’s almost instant. Another would be owners or coaches holding athletes back in their development for selfish reasons, like they don’t want someone else in the gym being the top dawg.

The remedy? As a gym owner, you must remember why you’re in this business. People don’t want to come to a class with the business owner and hear about cash flow or margins; they come in to be coached with a positive attitude. It is essential to not allow those lines to blur. As far as holding athletes back, my personal opinion is that the true mark of a great coach is someone who can make those around them

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better. When you can build someone up and have them surpass you, that is the ultimate. Sure, it may be tough for you to take as an athlete, but you’ve got your coach hat on at that moment.

SRX: Tell us about Outlaw North. Is it open now?

Rhodes: We are OPEN now. We’ve run classes this week already and had a couple people go through their Intro program with us.

We are excited about the location…right off the QEW and incredibly easy to get to from any direction. The unit itself is 2500 square feet with a very high percentage of that being workable space. We’ve got a small office up front which is good enough for everything we need, and lots of space to comfortably fit group sessions. Classes are running 7-9 a.m. and 4:30-8:30 p.m. Mon-Fri, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on the weekends. Equipment is all brand new from Again Faster Canada, which we are stoked about.

SRX: So everything’s clipping along. Anything else you want to tell us?

Rhodes: Lacey and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of this along the way—from my personal training clients back in London, ON, to Jen Morris at CrossFit Altitude for having us coach there, to our founding members at our spot for putting their trust in us. To Coach Glassman, who at Regionals this year gave us a bit of the push we needed to actually do this thing; to Rudy Nielsen for creating Outlaw Nation, which we are incredibly proud to be a part of; and to my parents, who have been very supportive.

Outlaw North CrossFit is located at 156 South Service Road, Stoney Creek,

ON. Just a few minutes away, there are also a couple of golf courses, but it’s doubtful that Jay Rhodes will be teeing off there any time soon.

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Untying the Knots How to Foam Roll Like a Pro

By Dina Rich

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Lats lying on your right side with the foam roller under your armpit and the right arm extended flat on the floor.

PLACE your left arm down in front for greater stability and balance, and begin rolling out the lats, up and down, and forward and back. After 60 seconds, move onto the other side and repeat.

START

Stretching Is Not Enough

Stretching is very beneficial and cannot be neglected. But in the case of muscle knots, stretching alone is not enough. When stretching a muscle with knots, you are only stretching the healthy muscle tissue. The knot remains a knot, laughing in the face of the stretch. It’s time to take matters into your own hands and learn how to roll. Make room for a new type of massage, used pre-workout, pre-stretching, or simply to start the day.

Hip flexors/ Thighs photo: letusgophoto.ca MODEL: Christine Scozzari

“Since your hip flexors are located slightly towards the outer part of your pelvic region, you’ll experience a much more effective result if you roll with just one thigh rather than roll on both sides at the same time. As you’re rolling up and down on your hip flexors, you should try to rotate your body just a smidge from right to left to access the full width of this area.”

Start facedown on the floor with one thigh on the roller, and forearms propping up the torso.

Roll up two inches, then down one, spending extra time on any knots or trigger points (the motto: Search and destroy!)

Continue until you hit the entire front side of thigh, about 60 seconds per side.

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How we roll

Key Points for Specific Foam Roller Exercises

Rhomboids / Upper Back

1. Roll back and forth across the painful or stiff area for 60 seconds.

2. Spend extra time directly over the knot or trigger point itself.

3. Roll the injured area two to three time a day.

For prevention of injuries, two to three times a week is recommended.

4. Avoid rolling over bony areas.

5. Always stretch the area following foam rolling.

on your back with your knees bent and roller under your shoulder blades, engage the core and raise the hips up off the ground, maintaining the head and neck in a comfortable ‘neutral’ position.

To effectively target the rhomboids stretch your arms to either side or place them behind your head to expand your rhomboids. Using your legs, roll your body upwards and downwards from your shoulder blades to the middle of your back.

Spend 60 seconds rolling up and down the upper to mid-back, and alternating the rhomboids until the muscles relax.

Lying

Vastus Medialis Obliquus (VMO) Face down on ground with one leg to the side, and forearms propping up

the torso.

With the foam roll just above the inside of your knee roll the inside of the quad back and forth just above the knee.

Hold on sore spots for an extended time to release the tension, the more uncomfortable it is, the more that muscle needs to be massaged.

Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) Use your legs and arms to roll the length of your IT band , traveling right

down to just above your knee joint. As you get closer to your knee, you may feel more tenderness, so be prepared to use your arms and legs to ease pressure off of your IT band.

Lie on your right side with your right thigh on the foam roller, and right forearm propping up the torso.

It is very important to maintain proper Core control (abdominal Drawn-In position & tight gluteus) to prevent low back compensations.

Roll between the knees and the hip bone, taking extra time on any tender areas If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%. Continue for 60 seconds and switch sides.

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509 Main St E. Milton, ON L9T 3J2 Phone: 905-864-9941 Email: info@reebokcrossfitfirepower.com

Merci à l'équipe de Parc santé pour leur rôle lors de ma préparation aux Reebok Canada East Regionals.

Les traitements d'Active Release ont pu optimiser ma récupération entre les sessions d'entraînement.

-Michèle Letendre ...j’ai eu une énorme aide de la Multiclinique Parc santé. Une équipe de professionnels m'a pris sous son aile et m'a traitée à raison d'une ou deux fois par semaine pour la prévention et le traitement de mes petites failles.

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W W W. S W E AT R X M A G . C O M

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514.507.7555 4877, avenue du Parc Montréal, Qc H2V 4E7 www.parcsante.ca

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fitness is your

passion

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<< gear >>

The 411 on the 2.0

The Reebok CrossFit Nano – Review

By David Stark

If you’ve

been kipping, cleaning, snatching or pressing lately, you probably know that the Reebok CrossFit Nano 2.0s are out, or you may even have been sporting a pair for your last WOD. Developed in partnership with CrossFit athletes, Reebok has put some AMRAP behind their research and product development of this superior CrossFit shoe.

Flexible, Breathable and Durable are the best descriptors for the new nano available at sportchek.

1) Greater flexibility. The lattice frame upper reduces weight while adding flexibility which is key for movements like box jumps.

2) Increased breathability. The shoe is made from breathable mesh, which provides the ventilation you need, while the special inner lining is designed to not only minimize abrasion, but will keep your feet cool right to the last rep.

3) Enhanced durability. The 2.0’s are equipped with a DuraGrip toe cap which is ideal for rope climbs and will outlast any fabric. This evolution of the CrossFit Nano also has a lower to the ground feel, along with a wider toe box to contribute to the minimalist feel of the shoe, allowing the toes to spread out.

If you are an avid CrossFitter, your PR’s are probably more important than your fashion statement, but these new styles launching this Fall at SportChek stores across Canada, are easy on the eyes while still giving you optimal performance.

men

women & men

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<< gear >> Stretch Woven Short

Action Pant

Focus on your squats, not your pants.

This slim fit, stretch performance pant features convenient hip side pockets and smart cut-lines for an improved lunge. A premium blend of Play Dry fabric, keeps you cool and dry through any WOD and feels just as awesome after you leave the box.

This light weight short is great to wear to and from the box. Also great to wear during warm-ups and runs. There are convenient side pockets, a drawstring constructed in waist and sports a stylish heat transfer logo.

Quarter Zip Reebok CrossFit Lighweight Compression Top

Heat reflective technology allows you to work out in darker colors decreasing the attraction of sunlight (the way light color fabric performs). UV protection.

Flat-lock stitching. Strategically placed mesh in heat zones.

PlayDry and anti-microbial.

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Embrace your softer side - this Play Dry brushed stretch fabric feels deluxe. This quarter zip, henley-style pullover has smart seams around your back, shoulders and traps for added range of motion, plus the credit card/money clip arm pocket protects your essentials when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in between WODs

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Crossfit short bra

This skinny-strap racerback bra helps prevent wardrobe malfunctions as you’re doing hand-stand pushups, muscle ups, and any other antigravity WODs. Fourway stretch fabric and a racerback construction helps improve your range of motion and Play Dry technology with under-bust mesh venting keeps you cool and dry. Inner cup support has removable inserts so you have some options.

Crossfit Chase 2” short

Your backside has never looked better during deadlift days. This slim fit, bootcut performance pant is made with fourway stretch Play Dry fabric to keep you cool and dry. Designed with a low, stretchier waistband so you can move at the waist fluidly, and a back yoke adds comfort and confidence. Flat-lock stitching prevents irritation in sensitive areas and the key pocket inside the waistband comes in handy.

CrossFit Chase WOD 2” Short - For the ladies who prefer a little less fabric in their workout, this is a 2” inseam version of performance compression shorts. Made with premium four-way stretch fabric, these shorts are constructed to stay put during your WOD, and flat-lock stitching helps prevent rubbing and irritation. Designed with a low, stretchier waistband for added comfort, and an interior key pocket comes in handy.

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<< gear >>

Chase Pant

Crossfit Triblend Tee

Reebok CrossFit Tri Blend Short Sleeve Top is made with tri-blended fabric to give the look and feel of a cotton t-shirt with the added benefits of a pure performance top.

Perfect for CrossFitters looking to tackle the toughest WODs.

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<< fit rx >>

The Grit, the Grind & the Glory!

The 2012 Sweat RX Championships

By Sarah Lichtman | photography by letusgophoto.ca 76

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<< community >>

It was the sweat, strength and swagger that resonated with the kneedeep crowds hanging off the barricades to watch these champion crossfitters throw down! Personal Trainers, gym owners, spinners, fitness buffs and even Zumba specialists stood mesmerized alongside the well-seasoned crossfit spectators, and got a taste of the intensity, camaraderie and competition that the Canadian crossfit community has to offer.

The 2012 Sweat RX Championships was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, within the Canfitpro Tradeshow, on August 17th and 18th.

There was no shortage of talent as athletes came from as far west as Invermere,

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BC, as east as Halifax, Nova Scotia and everywhere in between! And just beyond the 300 athletes and sea of spectators you could see the Brinks truck backing in to dump the load of dough that these competitors were vying for – seriously! $13,000 in cold cash up for grabs for the individuals, an all-expense paid trip to the 2013 CrossFit Games in Carson, California for the affiliate Rx’d team to take gold, and GNC gift cards and some cool Reebok gear peaked the interest of the Masters and scaled team

competitors. Competition was fierce but most importantly, the ‘f’ word of the day was fun!

Quebec was in full force with multiple teams from CrossFit Montreal and CrossFit Laval. Special mention is owed to Jacques Ambroise, owner of CF Montreal and co-owner of CF Laval, who helped manage a very successful qualifier event for Quebec and shepherded dozens of athletes to the finals in Toronto while taking the challenge to compete in the

Masters division – impressive to say the least! CrossFit Laval scooped up 1st place in the Scaled Team division and fought like warriors for their 2nd place finish for the RX’d Team division – bravo! An honorable mention goes out to Reebok CrossFit Liberty Village who had a stellar performance in the Scaled Team division and showed incredible sportsmanship and camaraderie….what CrossFit is all about.

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Scaled Teams: 1st CrossFit Laval 2nd CrossFit Markham 3rd CrossFit Stoney Creek 4th CrossFit Select 5th CrossFit Laval 2

Kudos to Jason Cain, owner of Reebok CrossFit 306 in Saskatchewan who rounded up the Prairies competitors for yet another stellar qualifier event. As a top-ranked Regionals athlete, he set aside his potential cash cow personal event of the Individual Best of the Best to join his team for the finals in Toronto, taking a wellearned 3rd place finish on the podium.

The CrossFit Kinetics crew were nothing shy of impressive with 2 teams strong in the RX’d division.

Team 1 under the leadership of Jim Hardy who also gets kudos for his east coast qualifier event and a hell of a trip to Toronto to stand strong with a 5th place finish.

CrossFit O-Town pushed into

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an impressive 4th place for the RX’d division.

Never a dull moment,the competitors were kept on their toes with superior programming provided by Alex Cibiri from Element CrossFit. Athletes pushed through the grit and the grind and spectators stayed well-informed thanks to the tireless encouragement and running commentary from MC extraordinaire, Jamie Nugent of CompWOD. Special thanks to all of our partners and sponsors including GNC, Kaizen and canfitpro and gratitude is owed to the dozens of volunteers and judges that assisted in making the event run smooth as almond butter.

And in a nutshell, here are the highlights of the final throw down:

sept/oct 2012

RX’d Teams: 1st CrossFit Select (winning

the trip to the 2013 Games) 2nd CrossFit Laval 3rd Reebok CrossFit 306 4th CrossFit O-Town 5th CrossFit Kinetics 1 Masters Men: 1st Patrick Tortorici 2nd Jason Bird 3rd Steeve Dupre 4th Marc Chiarelli 5th Jacques Ambroise Masters Women 1st Jennifer Morris 2nd Cindy Henson 3rd Cara Vogl

The Individual Best of the Best Women 1st Michele Letendre $4000 2nd Kendra Johnsen $1500 3rd Lacey Van Der Marel $1000 4th Jessica Cote-Beaudoin 5th Elma Ducic

Individual Best of the Best Men 1st Pascal Baillargeon $4000 2nd Peter D’Amore $1500 3rd Chris Cristini $1000 4th Yves Tourville 5th Chad Furey

And the Kaizen 50/50 Challenge went off in a flurry of burpees and backrows leaving Tyler Kopacz as the top dog winner of $500 in Kaizen Supplements, Guiseppe Fetta back rowed his way into 2nd and Paul Hendriks captured 3rd.

Congratulations to all of the athletes. The event was incredible and we enjoyed the experience of connecting the community and seeing everyone come together, leaving a lasting impression of camaraderie and great sportsmanship. We are stoked about next year’s event! The planning has begun -stay tuned!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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SEPTEMBER 29th

4th Annual “PIZZA HELEN”

CrossFit Select & CompWOD are proud to present the 4th Annual “Pizza Helen”! This is a fun but competitive event started in 2009 by a group of CrossFitters who all had 2 things in common – their love of CrossFit … and pizza. These courageous young men and women decided to put their pizza where their mouth was (literally!), and thus “Pizza Helen” was born!

Date and Time: Sept. 29, 2012 12:00 pm Location: CrossFit Select For directions go to www.crossfitselect.com Cost: $10 All proceeds go to “CameronHelps’ Team Unbreakable Project”. www.cameronhelps.ca Registration: info@compwod.com or visit www.crossfitselect.com

OCTOBER 20th, 2012 UNderground Series

The last event of the UG Series. What woman, man and team will be crowned ONTARIO’s FITTEST ATHLETE? All the heavy hitters will be fired up for this one.

Can’t think of a better way to wrap up a great summer of competition.

Date and Time: Oct. 20th 2012 9:00am Location: Downsview Park 35 Carl Hall Rd North York, ON M3K 2E2 Registration: 7:00am-9:00am

BUILDING A STRONG COMMUNITY THROUGH EXCELLENT TRAINING, UNIFIED IN THE PURSUIT OF REAL FITNESS.

Official site: www.ugseries.com

GRAND OPENING Reebok CrossFit Ramsay

CALGARY — Reebok, one of the world’s leading fitness brands, and Reebok CrossFit Ramsay (formerly CrossFit Ramsay), are pleased to announce their new partnership and commitment to providing CrossFit’s unique revolutionary strength and conditioning program in Calgary. RCF Ramsay is a 7,000-squarefoot training facility offering CrossFit, strength and conditioning, and fitness training. Strong emphasis is placed on real-food nutrition to support elite training performance and weight loss.

Located at #2030 – 2600 Portland St. SE in Calgary, Alberta Facebook: Reebok CrossFit Ramsay Website: www.reebokcrossfitramsay.com

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3505 Laird Road - Unit 3 Mississauga, Ontario (905) 608-XFIT [9348] info@elementcrossfit.com www.elementcrossfit.com

Custom Cakes for every occasion!

416.252.CAKE (2253) customcakes@lacasadolce.ca

At CrossFit Montreal, we train with functional movements, not with machines.

We train at high intensity for a short period of time; no long slow walks here.

TATTOO. 577 king st.w. toronto, ont. m5v 1m1 416.850.8227 blacklinestudio.ca

4850 Saint-Ambroise, Suite 100, Montreal 514-678-6867 info@crossfitmontreal.ca

www.crossfitmontreal.com

sept/oct 2012

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<< final WOD >>

VICTORY Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Riches and Glory come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. And here we are O LORD, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name.

1 Chronicles 29:11 80

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photo: Hannah Hayworth

Faith Takes GOD without any “Ifs” Rich Froning Jr., The Fittest Man on Earth is a man of faith.

SFITTERS MADE BY CROS TERS FOR CROSSFIT

Visit one of the following locations to gear up for your next WOD. Sport Chek West Edmonton Mall

Sport Chek Upper Canada Mall

Sport Chek Polo Park

Sport Chek Sherway

Sport Chek Sunridge Mall

Sport Chek Place Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orleans*

Sport Chek Richmond

Sport Chek Kelowna

Sport Chek Londonderry

Sport Chek Halifax

Shop Online at SportChek.ca * Reebok CrossFit Footwear not available at this location.