Sweat RX Mag Winter Issue 2011 by Sweat RX Mag

CONTENTS

Alex Cibiri

50 | EVER HAD A LAMBURGER? 52 | THE TEN ULTIMATE GIFTS FOR A CROSSFITTER. 56 | WHAT HAS CROSSFIT PREPARED YOU FOR?

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FRED ANTWI

fred@sweatrxmag.com

JUSTIN TAYLOR

justin@sweatrxmag.com

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE JUSTIN TAYLOR DIRECTOR & KRISTOF B

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY

ASSOCIATE EDITOR ALICIA SKOONS

COPY EDITOR

CLIFTON BRETT JAMIE BROWN

NORA NICHOLAS

ART DIRECTOR OWNED AND PUBLISHED BY Sweat Equity Lifestyle Media Group 6-1500 Upper Middle Road West, #118, PHOTOGRAPHY Oakville, Ontario, L6M 0C2 Tel: 905 849-8111 Fax: 905 465-1335 Article submission and photography should be emailed to submissions@sweatrxmag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: IT’S BETTER WHEN YOU’RE TOGETHER.

n life, business and sport, it’s always better when you’re together. a huge proponent of CrossFit and its success is because of this - community is the key. In your grueling 6th set of tababta squats - everyone around you wants to see you hit 20 reps and will offer the encouragement to get you there! Sweat RX magazine is no different. Our first issue was a success beyond our expectations.We believe this issue will exceed your expectations. We have had the good fortune of meeting many of you over the last few months. You offered us invaluable feedback, comments and suggestions that we were able to implement into this issue resulting in a better representation of the CrossFit community. As we grow, we want to encourage you to connect with us as we strive to bring you a platform that provides you with information, tips, advice and the expertise you need to grow your business, elevate your performance or just plain get you into a box! A coach at CrossFit Kitchener told us that, “Sweat RX Magazine is a great tool to promote our box and connect to the community. We take a stack of Sweat RX, slap our gym’s sticker on it and drop them off at local businesses to help spread the word of the value of CrossFit.

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A magazine talking about how amazing CrossFit is while showing the reader where to find us is a very effective way to generate new memberships.” Great advice and it is working for Auxiliary Crossfit already! Lastly, we would like to thank Camille LeBlancBazinet and her lovely family for an amazing afternoon at their gym, Crossfit Brossard just south of Montreal. They allowed us in on a minute’s notice with a warm welcome. It was a pleasure to see the marriage of a business and family and witness their dedication and commitment in a fun-loving environment. Their success was an affirmation that it’s always better when you’re together! Seeing an entire family committed to the same goal and working together at CrossFit Brossard was both inspirational and encouraging. We hope to have the chance to work with them again soon. We hope this issue will get you thinking aboutwhat CrossFit is and what it can do for you. Beyond the fitness component it is changing peoples lives on a daily basis. If you have yet to get involved, we hope to see you hitting a WOD soon! Associate Editor,

Justin Taylor

CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE MAHLER

ike Mahler is a fitness information provider and kettlebell instructor based in Las Vegas, NV. Mike has been a strength trainer and kettlebell instructor for over nine years and has taught workshops all over the US and overseas. His current focus is on the field of hormone optimization via nutrition, training, and lifestyle. Mike is also the author of, “Live Life Aggressively! What Selfhelp Gurus Should Be Telling You” which covers how to carry the lessons that you learn from training to other areas of life.

SCOTT SONNON S

cott Sonnon, TACFIT Founding Director, is a Master of Sport, 5X World Champion Martial Artist, a contracting consultant for the US Federal Government and allied nations, former USA National Police Team Coach for Sambo submission fighting - part of the Police and Fire Fighter Olympics. As US Coach, Sonnon trained extensively for six years with the former USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and Special Operations Unit (Spetsnaz) Physical Conditioning and Performance Enhancement Specialists at the RETAL (Physical Skill Consultant Scientific & Practical Training) Center and was the first American to be licensed by the Russian government.

MAIREAD WALSH M

airead Walsh is a freelance journalist, intrepid globetrotter, adrenaline seeker and chocolate junkie. She has written for many international publications covering art, food, fashion, health, travel and lifestyle. Recently inspired by CrossFit competitors, she has added ‘ability to do one muscle-up and squat snatch WOD’ to her Christmas list to see if Santa Claus really exists.

Gallery

CrossFit Clitheroe

CrossFit Clitheroe is like no other Gym. Located slam-bang in the middle of the United Kingdom, we bring to the people of the Ribble Valley our version of the fastest growing fitness movement on the Planet. CrossFit is the sport of fitness and at Primrose Mill we have found the perfect place to deliver our message. GYM TELEPHONE: 07580381730 / 08445439316 EMAIL ADDRESS: CHRIS@CROSSFITCLITHEROE.COM

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PHOTO CREDIT/COURTSEY OF CROSSFIT CLITHEROE/ PHOTOGRAPHER JAMIE BROWN/MODEL/ CHRIS TEMPLEMAN

THE SCENE

SCHOOL OF HUSTLE:

ACADEMY OF LIONS

Toronto and downloaded through iTunes and the website. It also includes a speaker series called School Of Hustle Talks, which is like a TED Talk for youth. “Our goal is to provide a culture of strength and success, and to do it the right way. We teach our youth that disadvantage is actually your best ADVANTAGE and opportunity for creativity, community and innovation.” School Of Hustle Clothing can be purchased at high-end retailhe Academy Of Lions vision that they all have. Men- ers in toronto. It’s also sold at one Foundation is a not- tors work with them to hone their of the top Street/Urban wear boufor-profit that works to skills and habits to produce cloth- tiques including Proper as well improve youth lifestyle ing. But it’s the process, not the as Reserve at 498 Queen Street through CrossFit, athletics, nutri- clothing, that is the actual prod- West. It’s also sold at the Acadtion and mentorship/leadership. uct. These kids are given real life emy Of Lions and on the School In a short We work with homeless, street- lessons on how to make anything Of Hustle Website. time, the brand has become in involved, at risk and urban youth work for them; how to turn nothing very high demand, ages 15-23. AfOUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A CULTURE OF with a huge list ter these kids STRENGTH AND SUCCESS, AND TO DO IT THE of celebrities and have graduated the Youth Pro- RIGHT WAY. WE TEACH OUR YOUTH THAT DISAD- athletes wearing ir gram which runs VANTAGE IS ACTUALLY YOUR BEST ADVANTAGE including: Toronto i n s e m e s t e r s , AND OPPORTUNITY FOR CREATIVITY, COMMU- Blue Jays Starts JP Arencibia and Brett they are given NITY AND INNOVATION. Lawrie, Toronto opportunities to build on the physical, mental and into something, and do it in any Maple Leafs Colby Armstrong, Tyler Bozak, Mike Brown and Footsocial strength they have found aspect of their life. in CrossFit through entrepreneurThe School Of Hustle Project ball Hall of Famer, Damon Allen. The athletic community has reship, design and media through the and Brand include a high qualSchool Of Hustle. ity clothing line, hand-printed in ally embraced the line along with The School Of Hustle is a project Toronto, by the youth. They also business people and many oththat shows how successful youth have a radio show called “School ers who share common values of can become if they just tap into Of Hustle Radio” that can be heard hard work, community and social the energy, creativity, passion and on CKLN 88.1 and CIUT 89.5 in responsibility.

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CROSSFIT KITCHENER Nightmare on Mill St. was held on Oct 29th, 2011 at Crossfit Kitchener in Kitchener, Ontario. The goal was simple: throw down a competition where everyone and anyone in the CrossFit community can sign up and see what it is like to crossfit at a competitive level.

he competition itself was made up of three WOD’s and a fourth “final” WOD. Each of the first three consisted of a max effort strength portion, a monostructural portion and a 5 minute metcon. This was a workout structure that we have never seen used in a CrossFit competition, and when all was said and done it worked exceedingly well. The final WOD was also unique. The top five competitors in each division would go head to head in a short metcon. At the end of each round, the last place competitor was eliminated, until only one athlete was left standing – a very cool way to end the day!” Throughout the day, the overwhelming majority of the feedback was positive. Spectators and athletes commented on how smoothly the whole competition ran, and how well put together

the event was. This is all to the credit of the CrossFit Kitchener crew headed up by Joanne Mittelholtz and the programming run by Lars Bredhal, and let’s not forget to mention Pauly, the ever so eloquent announcer and MC for the day. With the help of some twenty volunteers, the competition went off without ahitch, and thanks to them, we delivered a high quality competition experience for both athletes and spectators. So it is our pleasure to say thanks to CrossFit Kitchener and all of their volunteers for hosting our first Sweat RX Magazine Crossfit Competition and making it such a thriving success. Lastly, congratulations to all of the competitors and especially each of our division champions.

CHAD HALL – Mens Prescribed LAUREN MANION – Womens Prescribed THOMAS SAROSI – Mens Scaled IRENA MIKLAVCIC – Womens Scaled JEFF PRINCE – Masters Male And a shoutout to JOANNE LEGAL, our only masters female who chose to compete as a scaled female!

IF YOU ARE EVER IN THE KITCHENER AREA MAKE SURE YOU STOP BY CROSSFIT KITCHENER AND SAY HELLO OR GET A WORKOUT IN. THE FIRST WORKOUT IS ALWAYS FREE. Please contact Joanne at: joanne@crossfitkitchener.com

THE SCENE

CROSSFIT VANCOUVER A different way of learning BY EMILY BEERS

hen Craig Patterson opened CrossFit Vancouver in 2004, Canada’s first CrossFit Affiliate, he immediately screwed everything up. “Within four or five months, we were going bankrupt, quickly,” said Patterson. CrossFit Vancouver narrowly avoided bankruptcy, but for a long time Patterson’s life was filled with extended working hours and financial uncertainty. “From the facilities we chose, to business practices, to the way we developed coaches, we made all the mistakes in the world,” he said. But through their mistakes, the CrossFit Vancouver crew managed to learn valuable lessons that helped them grow into the successful provincially registered vocational school they are today. The process of registering with the PCTIA (Private Career Training Institutions Agency of British Columbia) wasn’t easy. 2009 was marred by sleepless nights, stressful days and much scotch-drinking

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for Patterson, as he coped with the insanity of dealing with bureaucrats, never-ending red tape, and the threat of losing his livelihood. “I thought we might lose it all. At one point, we were given an eviction notice,” said Patterson. Those stresses are behind him now. Today, CrossFit Vancouver, a spacious, newly expanded 10,000-square-foot training facility, has 8 full-time coaches, 3 support staff and 25 apprentice coaches. It offers apprentice coaching programs and an Executive ‘Business Mentorship’ program. The school, which generated $700,000 last year, sees more than 200 students walk through its doors each day. The Executive ‘Business Mentorship’ Program The year is 2004. Patterson heads to California to learn from his mentor, Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit. It’s 2 am. The men sit on Glassman’s couch, sipping scotch. They talk about business ideas and the

way life works. Patterson is all ears when Glassman’s speaks: “Being a great coach is about more than learning how to teach the kipping pull-up. It’s about understanding people - figuring out where they need to grow,” says Glassman. “And you can spend all your time on the wrong people and be miserable, or you can embrace the ones that light you up. They will bring more people, and you will have a great community,” he continues. Eight years later, Patterson remembers those days fondly. “I learned more from Glassman about how to think during those nights than I ever did at a world class engineering school”, said Patterson. “He’s a genius.” Glassman’s genius is a big part of the foundation of Patterson’s business mentorship program. Dan MacDougald is a graduate of this program. A former big-shot lawyer from Atlanta, Georgia, MacDougald left his dazzling law career to open CrossFit Atlanta.

“CrossFit became my life’s passion,” said MacDougald, who speaks slowly with a southern drawl. “But I had no idea how to run a business, and I blundered along for several years making no money at it,” he said. “Until I met Patty at the 2009 CrossFit Games.” MacDougald consulted with Patterson for a number of months, before making the trip to Vancouver in the spring of 2011. “My focus had been entirely on excellence in training, and while that’s important, it’s not enough,” said MacDougald. What’s more important to MacDougald now is “the vibe in the box,” and things like community building, client retention, and developing coaches. These are all things he learned in Vancouver; all things that have since helped his business. “Our current monthly revenue is 50 percent higher than it was in 2010,” said MacDougald. Devin Glage, owner of Raw CrossFit in Ontario, is another beneficiary of the program. “When I met Patty, he threw his knuckles in the air and put his arm around me. He has a bit of the big brother thing going, and I’ve been trying to do that with my clients, too,” said Glage. Like MacDougald, Glage credits Patterson with helping his business. “As a new business owner, you

can’t predict what’s going to happen. But all the milestones Patty predicted came true. He’s been really helpful in getting me through them,” said Glage, who consulted with Patterson via e-mail and telephone before the official Executive Program existed. Today, the Executive Program is a three-day course aimed at teaching current and aspiring CrossFit affiliate owners how to develop a successful business. “All CrossFit owners get stuck in the same places. They all lower the price and devalue the product. Today, lots of people are putting out Groupons, which is the worst idea ever. They attract all the wrong people and they find themselves working for three dollars an hour,” said Patterson, who also lists bad partnership agreements, abandoning one-on-one personal training, and poor development of coaches, as other common mistakes. “It’s important to develop your coaches from the ground up,” said Patterson. “This is what we’re doing with our apprentice diploma program,” he said. Apprentice Program: What it’s really like to be a student at CrossFit Vancouver The purpose of the apprentice program at CrossFit Vancouver is to learn how to become a great coach. Apprentices shadow senior

coaches, they attend academic and hands-on seminars, they organize community-building events, and eventually they work with their own students. But students enrolled in the program find they learn as much about the way life works as they do about coaching. And most of this learning takes place outside of the class - on a night out on the town, where they discuss issues like the Downtown Eastside and debate whether kids who have been abused can ever have healthy sex lives. Bill McClain, an apprentice coach from Missouri, explains: “Something…something so different is going on at CrossFit Vancouver. We’re learning to embrace people, but at the same time we’re learning that you have to make them earn it. It takes some people three months to graduate to classes, so when they get there they value it a lot more,” said McClain. The biggest growth McClain has seen in himself is that he is learning how to understand people. “Patty understands how people work,” said McClain. “Patty makes mistakes all the time, but even when he’s trying to be a horse’s ass, even the times he pushes you until you cry, he is usually trying to teach you something.”

PROFILE

FIREPOWER

Grand Opening R

eebok CrossFit FirePower (RCFP), one of Canada’s leading CrossFit facilities, marked the official launch of the new partnership between Reebok CrossFit and FirePower Training. The launch party & member appreciation day took place Saturday November 5th at Reebok CrossFit FirePower, located at 509 Main St E, in Milton, Ontario, and was a huge success. The launch party hosted CrossFit workouts throughout the day , including CrossFit kids workouts, speeches and a team challenge. All of the festivities, including the workout, were open to the public to experience the power of CrossFit. RCFP was pleased to welcome special guests Toronto Argonaut running back Andre Durie who is a Reebok sponsored CFL athlete; CrossFit World Games medalist Rebecca Voigt, one of the fittest women on the planet; and Katie Hogan, CrossFit Games top 20 world-ranked athletes, both Reebok Crossfit sponsored athletes. “Reebok and CrossFit are working together to change the way the world perceives and experiences fitness, and the part-

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nership of Reebok CrossFit FirePower gives Miltonians and beyond the chance to push themselves to get physically fit in a fun, community-oriented environment,” said Reebok Canada’s Director of Marketing, Stewart Clark. “Whether you’ve been going to the gym for years or you’re new to exercise, you’ll feel the difference the first time you walk into our Reebok CrossFit FirePower box” Andrea Savard, co-owner of Reebok CrossFit FirePower says, “We’re a real community, with people of all ages and abilities, working together to reinvent themselves. This partnership was born out of a shared vision to change the future of fitness.” RCFP is a 7,000 sq ft training facility offering CrossFit, Olympic-style boxing, hockey training, multi-sport team strength & conditioning, and 911 fitness training. Strong emphasis is placed on real-food nutrition to support elite training performance and weight loss. FOR MORE INFO VISIT REEBOKCROSSFITFIREPOWER.COM

13 Credits: Courtesy of www.DiscoverMilton.Com Images: Neilmota.com

PROFILE

SARAH MACGREGOR

OFFICER DOWN, BUT NOT OUT

Police woman Sarah MacGregor bounces back from head injury at CrossFit Games Regional Competition

BY BONNIE LYNCH

arah MacGregor can tell you a thing or two about the school of hard knocks. The 31-year-old Hamilton, Ontario police officer has worked a beat where crimes can go down faster than a bottle of Mad Dog on a Saturday night. But on the afternoon of June 5th, 2011, while competing in the CrossFit Canada East Regional Games, she got a personal—and literal—lesson in hard knocks when she fell 7 feet to a concrete floor on her head. MacGregor was no newcomer

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to CrossFit. She started in the spring of 2009. “I had gone to other gyms and worked with a few personal trainers in the past,” she recalls, “but I just wasn’t getting the results that I was looking for.” She noticed a sign for FirePower Training, a CrossFit gym that has a particularly large contingent of fire and police personnel among its members. “They had an open house. I went in and got a tour of the gym, and there were a lot of great, really outgoing and welcoming people there.” Not long after

that, she would join the legions of the CrossFit-crazed—lifting, sprinting, kipping, and benchpressing her way to new heights of fitness. Spurred on by fellow CrossFitters she met at FirePower, she entered a few local competitions and some team events at the gym, then the individual competition at last year’s CrossFit Games Regional Competition. She’d done well enough to earn a place on this year’s FirePower team. On June 5th, the team was taking its first shot at the regional

PROFILE competition, and things were going well: they’d made the top 10 cut and were into the final WOD, which was a “chipper,” a workout with no exercises repeated. “There were four of us, and I was third in line to go. I had made it through rowing, burpees, ground-to-overhead with dumbells, and I was doing toes to bar. I was trying to do a lot of momentum, so I had a big swing going, and I remember thinking that [I should jump down], but I thought, ‘Oh, I just want to get one more,’ because I was kind of in competition mode, so I went for that one more and that’s when I just completely lost my grip and fell right back and landed on my head.” The next memory was of people talking to her while someone cradled her head. The “someone” turned out to be George Savard, FirePower’s owner and a firefighter with lots of experience in helping victims of trauma. “It was a good feeling to know that I was in good hands from the beginning,” MacGregor says. Savard accompanied MacGregor to the emergency room and reassured her as she was whisked off to everincreasingly serious levels of care, all the while strapped inside the cramped cocoon of a cervical collar and a backboard. The diagnosis: a fractured skull and a bleeding contusion at the front of her brain, caused by the severe bumper-pool–style rebound it had endured when the back of her head hit the floor. Although once the bleeding stopped, the injury was no longer life-threatening, she was put under strict orders to lift nothing heavier than a Starbuck’s latte, and to refrain from driving and working (or working

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out) for the next six weeks. “That was pretty life-changing –to go from 100 miles an hour to zero,” she says, chuckling at the memory of that sudden shift. What did she do? “I spent a lot of time with my family and my friends.” And with all this extra time on her hands, she started to notice a little silver lining peeking out from behind the thundercloud of her injury. “It was amazing, actually, to see how lucky

“When you go from being able to do a lot, you know, in your career and even with CrossFit—I guess it’s a part of your identity almost—so I found that when I lost that, that was really difficult. That’s why I wanted to make sure I went up to the gym and kept in touch with co-workers and friends as much as I could.” Visiting friends at FirePower was a bittersweet outing. “I initially found it very difficult to

“THE DIAGNOSIS: A FRACTURED SKULL AND A BLEEDING CONTUSION AT THE FRONT OF HER BRAIN, CAUSED BY THE SEVERE BUMPER-POOL –STYLE REBOUND IT HAD ENDURED WHEN THE BACK OF HER HEAD HIT THE FLOOR.” I am, and how many people around me care about me and were very generous with their time, just to help me get through everything.” She stayed with family for a few days, then went home to start the baby steps down the road to regaining her fitness. “I just had to make sure that I got out as much as I could. I walked every day, at least once a day, if not twice, and just forced myself to go out, even if it was just to grab a coffee somewhere. I was really worried about getting depressed, because obviously it changes everything physically and emotionally, and I didn’t want that to get ahead of, where I was, so I just had to stay on top of it.”

watch other people, because it’s something that you love so much and it’s part of your lifestyle, so I found it very difficult to watch.” But she got past that and found vicarious pleasure in watching and cheering her friends on and letting their energy feed her own CrossFit beast that was rattling its cage, impatient to be unleashed again. With her six-week hiatus behind her, initial headaches and dizziness subsiding and all neurological signs showing good progress, MacGregor was allowed to return slowly to working out—not an easy task for a competitive CrossFitter who had her own agenda for getting back to normal. “I was going from not doing anything to wanting to

do all the stuff I could do before, so I went in on my own for the first couple of weeks, in the evenings, kind of after everybody had left or there were only one or two people around, and I just made up my own kind of easy WODs. I just sort of did a half-speed kind of thing, like just doing a lot of the body weight stuff first of all, because I was very worried about building up to the heavier weights again. I just didn’t know how I would be able to handle them. And I had amazing support from everybody in the gym. Everybody was asking me how I’m feeling, what I was up to, and just offering a lot of encouragement, which was really helpful.” Eleven weeks out, MacGregor estimates that she’s got 75% of her fitness back. There’s still some latent fear of heavy lifting and kipping hasn’t made it back into her regular repertoire yet. But the psychological demons that whisper to her about the chance of a repeat episode or a return of symptoms are just new horizons that MacGregor approaches with the same ferocity that characterized her training before the accident. “I just have to see it as sort of a fluke thing, and learn from that.” And again, the down side of her injury keeps being overshadowed by new insights about ways to come back even better. “I was devastated when it first happened, totally devastated. And then, as time went on I found that my life prior to the accident was extremely hectic. I felt like I was just running all the time and I wasn’t really enjoying my time. It was like all aspects of my life were suffering. So this was kind of a forced way to slow down. I got to know so many people so

much better. I also found that with the setback in the CrossFit aspect too. It’s extremely humbling when you go from feeling like, kind of in control of the gym, like you’ve really been at it for a long time, to going back and struggling; it’s kind of like starting all over again. But it really brings you back to the roots of it. It’s not so much the competitive part, but it’s like ‘I’m having fun.’ It’s why I love CrossFit, because I was in there doing backto-basics again.” She’s honing her technique in all areas. “I’m looking at this as a fresh start too. I’m trying to get in there and perfect some stuff, to get away from any bad habits that I might have had and look at this as a way to improve, to start over again a little bit.” If her upcoming schedule is any indication, she’s starting not far from where she left off: as of this writing, she’s competed successfully in the GNC Sweat Equity XFit Challenge at the CanFitPro Conference and is on the roster as one of six FirePower Training athletes who’ll compete in the upcoming World Police & Fire Games in New York. Billed as “the second largest multi-sport event in the world” (the Summer Olympics being first), the WPFG takes competitors through a punishing series: a 5K cross country run, a shot put event, a 100-metre dash and 100-metre swim, a 20-foot rope climb, a bench press, and pull-ups, then finishes off those pain-wracked bodies with a test of speed and agility on a grueling obstacle course. MacGregor may have gone down hard, but she’s coming back even harder.

PROFILE

SEAN SHERK

FORMER UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION SEAN SHERK TALKS ABOUT HIS TRAINING, HIS DIET, AND WHAT HE WOULD BE DOING IF HE WASN’T FIGHTING BY JUSTIN TAYLOR HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN AND FOR HOW LONG? I train six days a week, anywhere from two to three times a day, when I’m training for a fight. The workouts are anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half long, depending on where I am in my training camp, and how far out my fight is. I train four to five days a week, one to two times a day, when I’m not training for a fight and the workouts are 30 minutes to an hour long. WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC GOALS WHEN TRAINING? I have many goals while training, which include technique, strength, and conditioning. I have some workouts where I just focus 100% on technique, and others, like my conditioning workouts, where I do circuit training and go balls-to-the-wall for 45 minutes straight. HOW DO YOU BREAK UP TECHNIQUE (FIGHTING) AND CONDITIONING? As an MMA fighter, there are so many different things that I have to cover besides wrestling, boxing, kick-boxing, and Jiu Jitsu. Those skills need to be practiced once or twice a day. Not only do I need to go “live” and all out, but I also need to work the technical aspect of all those arts. The timing, set-up, foot-work, submission flow drills, pad work, shadow boxing, bag work, and speed bag. That’s the stuff I get done in the morning and afternoon workouts. My last workout of the day consists of my condition and weight training. I do it that way because I don’t need perfect form for my conditioning workouts. I focus more on my heart rate, so I wear a heart rate monitor. I keep it somewhere between 175-

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190bpm for the entire workout. Max for me is 195, so I’m busting butt! WHAT SORT OF CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE THROUGH THE YEARS THAT HAVE WORKED/HAVEN’T WORKED? I’d say one of the bigger changes I’ve made was to my conditioning program. I used to do a lot of elliptical machines, swimming, sprints, and running stairs, which is all really good stuff, but as my level of training increased in intensity, I started adding all kinds of different movements to my program, and making circuits out of them. I added sprint intervals, strength training, MMA training workouts, and a lot of unconventional stuff into a circuit, going for time five to seven minutes for four to five rounds, rather than reps. The goal was to mimic a fight as much as possible. Then I added the training mask to the workouts and my conditioning went to a whole other level, at that point. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING REGIMENT IN YOUR SPORT? Strength and conditioning is very important. I spend a lot of time working and perfecting my skill set as a fighter, but if I don’t have the conditioning to last the duration of the fight, then the skills do me little good. I’ve always used my conditioning as a weapon. Working harder in the gym than my opponent has given me the ability to burn out my opponents and run them out of gas.

WHAT SORT OF PROGRAM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR SOMEONE GETTING STARTED?

as well. I also eat oatmeal every day, sometimes pasta.

My rest days are Wednesday, where I focus 100% on technique, no grinding or pounding on the body, and Sunday, where I just sit home and relax. Rest days are very important and they allow your body to recover physically and mentally.

HOW SOON AFTER A FIGHT DO YOU GET BACK IN TO IT?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AND LEAST FAVOURITE WORKOUT?

I have my chiropractor that I go see twice a week. I also get a massage three times a week. I take ice baths once a week, usually on Saturday after my last workout of the week. I also have a tense machine and massage chair that get used a couple of times a week.

ANY SUPPLEMENTS OR VITAGetting started, I would say start MINS TAKEN ON A REGULAR BAslow! If you’re not experienced, SIS? you should contact a trainer and I use a lot of vitamins and take pace yourself. them three times a day. I do one to two protein drinks a day, with a DO YOU HAVE REST DAYS? IF YES, HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY banana and raw oatmeal immediately after a workout. TO YOU?

The time I take off depends on how tough my previous fight was. WHAT’S YOUR METHOD FOR DEALING WITH INJURY?

My favourite workouts are sparring and clinch work. They are very technical workouts, real ‘grinders.’ My least favourite is running bleachers, but once I’m warmed up and got the music cranked up in my head phones, then I love it. DO YOU DO ANY OTHER SPORTS? I like pushing myself and seeing what I can do, and the bleacher Just MMA, don’t have time for anything else! workouts are a great test. WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE? My diet is really boring! Chicken and fish; steak once a week, usually on Sunday as a reward; lots of raw fruits and veggies – usually 12-15 different types of fruits and veggies a day. I have a juicer at the house, so I juice a lot of stuff

IF YOU COULDN’T HAVE BECOME A FIGHTER WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING? I’d probably be doing some kind of construction work. I used to be a machinist at a factory before I was able to do MMA as my full time job.

At Beyond Yourself, we believe hard work combined with our quality leading edge products will ensure that you have all the tools necessary to perform at an optimum level. Next time you hit that WoD or attempt a PR lift ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TIME TO GO BEYOND YOURSELF! For more information about us and our products, please visit us online, follow us on facebook and twitter or scan the provided QR code with your smart phone or tablet. Available online at: www.oldschoolequipment.ca

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SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

The Element CrossFit Team Challenge is a growing success! BY NORA NICHOLAS

he scene: a warehouse, its floor covered in rubber mats, barbells flying, a forest of pull-up bars and super fit, screaming athletes as far as the eye can see. It could only be one thing: The Element Team Challenge. Alex Cibiri and the Element CrossFit team have been putting on the Team Challenge since 2008. Just three years ago, one year after opening Element CrossFit, Alex hosted the first annual Team Challenge, bringing out about 20 teams. Since then, the size of the competition has nearly doubled each year. This year, more than 65 teams from across Ontario, and some from Quebec, came out to Element to throw down on September 24, exceeding everyone’s expectations. With programming inspired by ‘the good old days,’ when the CrossFit Journal was posting how-to instructions on DIY slosh-pipes, this year’s events saw the competitors move atlas stones, perform axle cleans and squat slosh pipes. The goal of his programming, Cibiri says, was to test the athletes’ CrossFit training in not-so-typical movements; how your grip strength holds up on the axle cleans, or how your clean helps you to move the atlas stones, for example. This style of programming also helped to level out the playing field: everyone was equally disadvantaged, be-

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ing faced with movements uncommon to CrossFit, giving the CrossFit ‘noob’ a chance to go up against a veteran. The workouts are, in and of themselves, not common to CrossFit. Daily WOD’s are almost exclusively individual, with each success and failure affecting only yourself. With team WOD’s, more is hanging in the balance, and it brings out a different level of intensity from the athletes, knowing their team-mates are depending on them. Cibiri notes, “... I think a lot of people will put down the bar and you count to three before you pick it up again; but you might count to five, just because you know, ‘I’m tired’, or whatever. But when your team-mate’s right across from you, and you see he’s dying, you’re less likely to take those extra two seconds to pick up the bar.” With such a huge turnout, and a community consensus about the success of the event, what might we expect in the years to come? Cibiri uses a ‘blackbox’ approach to each event: try anything, keep what works, and toss what doesn’t. It sounds like it can only get better from here! Congratulations to Burpees for Boobies for winning the Really Really Really Good-Looking Team Contest!

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COVER STORY

CAMILLE LEBLANC-BAZINET Newcomer to the CrossFit Games in 2010, LeBlanc-Bazinet surprised everyone by finishing in the top 10, and then did it again in 2011. A rising Canadian powerhouse, she tells us about her family training sessions, the five-minute makeup rule and the ninja who made her do it. BY MAIREAD WALSH

t 5’2, Camille LeBlancBazinet understands why some people might underestimate her capabilities. But this feisty Quebec native is not your average 23 year old and it doesn’t take long to realize that there is a lot more to this small package than meets the eye. Now part of the CrossFit Games elite, placing 8th this summer and 9th last year, LeBlanc-Bazinet admits breaking the top 10 came as a shock even to her. “I thought I would end up in the bottom 10 and instead finished in the top 10 two years in a row! I think I’d really like to win the Games one year,” she says with unbridled enthusiasm.

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CrossFit is a new passion for this lifetime athlete who got a jumpstart with gymnastics as her primary sport growing up. She started gymnastics when she was two years old and was competing by the time she was five. She dreamed of representing Canada, but several years later a hip injury changed the course of her athletic future. “I was sad that my dream was fading, but I realized that everything happens for a reason and maybe gymnastics wasn’t my sport.” Indeed, Leblanc-Bazinet tried every sport to satisfy her competitive drive including volleyball, football, skiing, soccer, half marathons and rugby. Then one night she met the ‘Ninja’ and everything changed.

“After a rugby game I went to a party dressed in my rugby kit and I met a guy called Ninja – that was his nickname because he competed in MMA fighting. He was telling us that we were not really in shape – not “ninjas” like him – and that we weren’t real athletes because we didn’t do CrossFit.” For Leblanc-Bazinet that was it, the proverbial gauntlet had been thrown. “I couldn’t believe he was telling me that I wasn’t an athlete, so I decided to try CrossFit for the challenge.” Her first session wasn’t a disappointment. “Because I had a gymnastics background and had been doing half marathons, I was crushing everyone and that proved this

guy, Ninja, wrong. But more than that, I felt the burn I had been looking for and I knew this was for me.” A FAMILY AFFAIR This new addiction was something that quickly spread through her whole family. She recruited her twin sister to join CrossFit, but her parents were initially confused and dubious about the new sport. “They thought it was dangerous and couldn’t be good for us, even though they saw how much we

It was an intensely bonding family activity that seriously impacted all of their lives. So much so, that the family eventually started their own gym. “Once we were all involved in CrossFit, it was costing over $6,000 a year for all of us to train. So my dad figured the money that we would put into another CrossFit gym in the next five or six years would pay for our own gym.” The whole experience has had a very positive impact on the family dynamic that is both supportive and inspiring. “We are so proud of

more golf, and they are just more positive. We are all feeling more alive.” FORWARD FOCUS Balancing her schedule as a full time 3rd year engineering student, LeBlanc-Bazinet is kicking her training into high gear. After this year’s CrossFit Games, she decided to try Olympic lifting. “I started Olympic lifting because I’m a little girl and I’m competing with girls who are often bigger. But we have

“I feel like Crossfit isn’t like any other sport. You are always fighting against yourself. If I’m better than someone else it’s just because I train harder, I put more effort into it.” loved it. But we started pushing them to try it too.” Leblanc-Bazinet’s older brother and sister got involved and eventually her parents got hooked. Her father was especially resistant at first because he had problems with his knees and had had a couple of shoulder operations. “He couldn’t hang from the bar when he started, but now he has no problem with pull-ups, and he has strengthened his knees enough to run again.” “My mom was not an athlete at all, and she was not very healthy when she started CrossFit. She had a herniated disk in her back and she wasn’t very active. But she eventually competed in the CrossFit Games in the master category and placed 6th.”

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each other. We always push each other to get better and we just have a lot of fun with it.” Beyond the fitness, Leblanc-Bazinet recognizes a change in her family that has come from CrossFit. “Both of my parents are over 50 and they are in better shape than they have ever been, but I think they also look at life differently now, with a new perspective. They are much more positive and willing to try new and different things,” she says. “Many older people spend time watching TV and waiting for things to happen, but from doing CrossFit my parents realize they can do more and they push themselves. They are doing renovations on the house, taking up new hobbies, going on roadtrips, playing

to lift the same weight and I think this will help with my strength and technique. I just had my first competition on Oct 29, and I’m competing to be on the national team on Dec 17.” Currently she is doing two hours of Olympic lifting training every day and CrossFit every other day. “I feel like Crossfit isn’t like any other sport. You are always fighting against yourself. If I’m better than someone else it’s just because I train harder, I put more effort into it,” she says. It’s a lot to expect from a young athlete and of course there are many sacrifices, but LeBlanc-Bazinet has a unique perspective on this. “I would say that I cut most of the crap that was in my life. I can’t go out drinking because that

1. Camille on the kettlebells.

Photo courtesy of Neil Mota

2. Camille on her muscle-ups in event 4 of the 2011 Crossfit Games in Carson, California.

3. Camille working on sled pulls

with a home made tire sled at Crossfit Brossard.

q Alexis Leblanc-Bazinet

showing some grit with a double 2 pood kettlebell swing.

Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet sticking a 42 inch box jump on an active rest day at Crossfit Brossard. would set me back two weeks of training. And seriously, think about how often in your day that you do things that are meaningless or a waste of time – some people watch two or more hours of TV a

take five minutes to get ready not an hour!” LeBlanc-Bazinet wants to be a role model for younger girls and impress upon them a more rounded notion of beauty. “I hope

“I hope I can show them that girls are not just supposed to be pretty, that you can be so many things at the same time – great at sports, smart, whatever you want.”

makes you pretty.” But make no mistake, LeBlancBazinet is used to getting the attention of the boys, especially in the gym. “Guys are funny,” she says. “At first they try to impress me, but when I start training they are so shocked and impressed themselves. They don’t even try to be cocky, they just ask me for tips. Guys have so much respect for the quality and intensity of the training that I do.” MOTIVATIONAL MANTRA

day, hang around malls or just do things slowly,” she laughs. “Maybe it’s me, I just do things super fast and try to organize my day.” “And I don’t spend a lot of time putting on make-up and styling my hair – things like that aren’t important to me. I’m always clean and healthy,” she assures me, “but I

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I can show them that girls are not just supposed to be pretty, that you can be so many things at the same time – great at sports, smart, whatever you want. Don’t worry about what others say, and don’t believe that there is any sport just for men – if you like it, just do it! And that kind of confidence is what

LeBlanc-Bazinet has an exuberant and determined approach to her training with a healthy dose of positive thinking in abundance. “I don’t really have a hero that I look up to, but I think the ideal role model is someone who is really positive and serious about what they do. I just want to be someone

“I don’t really have a hero that I look up to, but I think the ideal role model is someone who is really positive and serious about what they do. I just want to be someone who is super positive, helps people and pushes myself as hard as I can.” who is super positive, helps people and pushes myself as hard as I can. “What keeps me healthy and happy is knowing that I’m doing my best – that is more important to me than someone telling me that I’m good. I think that’s a good way to do anything in your life – do it for yourself and be proud when you give your best.” She’s not denying that it’s a tough road and you have to struggle to compete and even keep up with training sometimes. “I hate rowing,” she confesses. “I’m so small and it’s so hard, I just want to cry in the middle of it. I try to focus and tell myself that I do not hate it, but rather that I’m learning to love it,” she laughs. “If I start thinking that I’m not as good as I want to be then that’s just super negative and my performance suffers – so I need to stay positive. It’s the mind over muscle mentality, a motivational mantra that she repeats to herself and uses to inspire others. “When I coach someone and I see them struggling, I tell them ‘believe in yourself, your body can do it, don’t let you mind trick you into thinking that you can’t.’ When people doubt themselves I remind them the impossible can happen – you just have to believe in it.”

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FEATURES

ROCK THE BELLS FEATURING MIKE MAHLER

DOUBLE KB SWING

s kettlebell training becomes more popular, trainees are getting confused about how to effectively add kettlebell training to their regimens. Some people might enjoy kettlebell-only or kettlebell-focused programs, while others wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to quit their current program, but instead enhance them by introducing kettlebell movements. Kettlebells are excellent weight training tools and also useful for work capacity and structural integrity. When using kettlebells for weight-training, for a comprehensive and balanced program, you must cover the following five categories:

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RENEGADE ROW 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Upper Body Press Upper Body Pull Lower Body Press Lower Body Pull Core

Double KB Military Press One-Arm KB Military Press Alternating KB Military Press KB Clean and Military Press KB Push-Press One-Arm KB Floor Press Double KB Floor Press

Photo Credit: David Griffin

UPPER BODY KETTLEBELL PRESS EXERCISES

UPPER BODY KETTLEBELL PULL EXERCISES One-Arm KB Bent-Over Row Alternating KB Bent-Over Row Double KB Bent-over Row

RENEGADE ROW Alternating Renegade Row Lower Body Kettlebell Press One-Arm KB Front Squat Double KB Front Squat KB Suitcase Squat KB Suitcase Lunge

LOWER BODY KETTLEBELL PULL EXERCISES One-Arm KB Swing

DOUBLE KB SWING DOUBLE KB CLEAN ONE-ARM KB SNATCH Double KB Snatch

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CORE KETTLEBELL EXERCISES KB Windmill KB Turkish Get-Up KB Side Bend KB Guard Sit-Up KB Pass Between the Feet Once you’ve constructed your training program to cover these five areas, it’s easy to see where kettlebell movements can fit in. For more information on Mike’s programs visit www.mikemahler.com

CROSSFIT VS. BODYBUILDING Comparing crossfit to bodybuilding is like comparing two completely different cars. Yes most cars have things in common, most use the same fuel and generally use the same roads but each looks different, they drive different and each is built to accomplish a specific task. BY TOM WOODWARD FRED ANTWI

hen I first found CrossFit in 2008, there was a poorly hidden stigma against bodybuilders and the routines they used. Over the years, that condescension has taken the form of the following jabs: • They do isolation work on machines, not functional movements • They are only interested in aesthetics and show muscles. • They only build useless sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, rather than myofibrilar hypertrophy, so they are not very strong • They are not very well conditioned After further investigation and research into CrossFit, I was blown away by one thing: the intensity. As a former Mr. Canada and competitive bodybuilder, I know a thing or two about high intensity training. I can say without a doubt that CrossFit works, due in no small part to its intensity. Any competitive bodybuilder can tell you about the intensity need-

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ed in the pre-contest training phase leading up to a competition. With CrossFit, that intensity is built into the system as a result of the class structure and the hands-on approach of the trainers. The fact that the program can get more out of people than they could get out of themselves is why CrossFit has been so hugely successful. Chalking up its success to better programming than bodybuilding ignores or dismisses the abundant similarities between the two. Bodybuilding programs work if you have the intensity and dedication to match; CrossFit helps you find that intensity and dedication.

WHAT CHARACTERIZES BODYBUILDING WORKOUTS? Bodybuilding is a sport based on aesthetics –overall appearance, muscular balance, and symmetry of the human body. Bodybuilders work hard in the offseason to pack on as much muscle as possible so that

“BODYBUILDING IS A SPORT BASED ON AESTHETICS – OVERALL APPEARANCE, MUSCULAR BALANCE, AND SYMMETRY OF THE HUMAN BODY. BODYBUILDERS WORK HARD IN THE OFF-SEASON TO PACK ON AS MUCH MUSCLE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN DIET DOWN TO A SHREDDED STATE FOR COMPETITION.”

they can diet down to a shredded state for competition. These men and women then hop on stage and strut their stuff. However, bodybuilding is not just a sport or a single day competition – it is a method of training. Many recreational weightlifters that desire more muscle and less fat often implement bodybuilding techniques into their training. As with any other sport or method of training, there is a philosophy that defines the specific modality. In the case of bodybuilding, the workouts are based on a high volume of isolation exercises, in hopes of exhausting the muscle and forcing growth.

CrossFit, on the other hand, is a completely different monster. It is a unique strength and conditioning program used by a number of occupations to improve and maintain the physical fitness levels of staff. Although firefighters, law enforcement and military personnel are the majority of CrossFitters, civilians around the world are beginning to make use of this conditioning- based program. CrossFit is a very general, non-specialized program that focuses heavily on overall physical fitness. As for the exercises used by CrossFit, there are many. These movements are often performed in a circuit fashion. The goal is not necessarily the amount of weight lifted or reps performed, but rather the time it takes to complete the circuit. Although some of the exercises are complex in nature, the majority used in the Crossfit program are simple and fundamental.

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Photo Credit: kristof foto-studio.com

WHAT CHARACTERIZES CROSSFIT WORKOUTS?

THE SWEATRX 600 HERE’S A CHALLENGE TO ALL YOU “FIRE BREATHERS” OUT THERE! THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN THE GLOBO GYM, TRY SOMETHING FOR FUN. WE’VE ALL HEARD OF THE SPARTAN 300, TRY THE SWEAT RX 600 WORKOUT FOR TIME. GO ONLINE TO WWW.SWEATRXMAG.COM TO VIEW FULL WORKOUT DETAILS AND WATCH THE VIDEO OF CROSSFIT “FIRE BREATHER” CHRIS CRISTINI CRUSHING IT!

“POWER LIFTERS GENERALLY WON’T FIND MUCH OF A BENEFIT FROM PERFORMING A BODYBUILDING ROUTINE, HOWEVER THEY MIGHT DECIDE TO INCORPORATE SOME ASPECTS OF CROSSFIT INTO THEIR PROGRAM TO HELP KEEP CONDITIONING UP BETWEEN MEETS.”

CROSSFIT AND BODYBUILDING: THE COMMON BONDS There really are a lot more commonalities between CrossFit and bodybuilding than CrossFitters would like to admit. To prove this fact and show the strength and capacity of bodybuilders we’ve invited Chris Cristini Canadian Muay Thai Champion, Level 1 Crossfit trainer and owner of CrossFit Markham, to join Kip Young, a CBBF National bodybuilding competitor, who combines power training with hypertrophy, for a killer workout. “Like CrossFit, there are days that I focus on pure power and strength training in the core lifts

and other days that involve higher reps, short rest supersets or circuit training to promote hypertrophy (like the traditional CrossFit ‘met con’),” says Kip. As for the CrossFit vs. bodybuilding debate, it depends entirely upon your individual goals. Each program has its strengths and weaknesses. Powerlifters generally won’t find much of a benefit from performing a bodybuilding routine; however they might decide to incorporate some aspects of CrossFit into their program to help keep conditioning up between meets. The point is that anyone who completely shuts out a certain group in the fitness community is probably going to miss out on some quality ideas and inspira-

tion. Just because you think it’s weird that guys paint themselves brown and get up on stage to pose doesn’t mean you can’t learn a ton from their training methodology. In the end, a lot of it just comes down to how hard you’re willing to work regardless of the way you train. On that same note, bodybuilders may benefit from their traditional bodybuilding-typetraining by implementing some of the CrossFit programming during the fat-shedding phase. Choosing the right program depends on your individual goals.

THE

SWeATRX 600 DEADLIFTS q

Deadlifting is one of the best exercises (compound, groundbased movements) that you can include in your strength program. If done right there are many benefits of the deadlift.

BURPEES u

The burpee is the ultimate full body exercise. Both CrossFitters, and elite military forces use the burpee in their workouts. Just one simple movement tests both your strength and aerobic capacities. The pull-up is a strength building dynamo. In just one pull-up, your body calls upon more muscles then any other movement. CrossFit uses a version called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kipping.

CHEST PRESS q

The seated chest press mainly focuses on the chest muscles and is a safe exercise for those who want to tone, increase strength and endurance .

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Credit: special thanks to Fitness Fanatix

PULL-UPS u

BOX JUMPS q

Box jumps can yield tremendous results for those who are looking to loose weight, build core muscles and balance. They are simple and relatively easy to do. However you should concentrate and focus on the movements so as to avoid injury.

KETTLEBELL SWINGS q

The kettlebell swing , a CrossFit staple, can help you develop a strong posterior chain. Your muscles in the posterior chain include your back and shoulder muscles, your glutes, and your hamstrings. Either way, these muscle groups will develop and boost your cardiovascular endurance.

STRENGTH

C R E AT I N G A G A M ES AT H L E T E HOW DO WE CREATE THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT IN OUR AFFILIATES WHERE TOP LEVEL ATHLETES ARE PRODUCED AND THRIVE? BY JASON CAIN

ental fortitude is an undoubtedly integral part of developing a top level athlete. However, the truth is that each Games athlete got there as a result of their own unique combination of mental strength, physical ability, and raw talent. You don’t have to take my word for it, have a quick look at all of the top 50 men and women that qualified for the Games, and you will find more differences than similarities. Physically, there are athletes from both ends of the spectrum: From Aja Barto at 6’5”, to Chris Spealler at 5’5”. As for age, Ben Smith sits at 21 while Rob Orlando is 37. As far as personalities go, every athlete seems to have their own routine; while some are incredibly outgoing, others are very reserved. If there is a formula, then what is it? How can you know if the next athlete that walks inside your gym can be a Spealler, or a Froning? If all of these athletes have one thing in common, it is undoubtedly their training environment. Box owners and trainers ought to focus on developing an environment that will produce a consistent crop of Games’ athletes year after year. Although

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I would imagine there are many ways of doing this, one in particular has been consistently used in professional sports, and perhaps by looking to that example, we might apply the same strategy to CrossFit. Canada is trying to increase their current World Wide rank in Rugby; they are currently ranked 14th. So, the Canadian Rugby Program decided to hire a former member of the World Cup Champions, the New Zealand All Blacks, as their head coach. New Zealanders do not possess superior genetics which allow them to play better rugby, just as Canadians are not genetically better at hockey, or Brazilians at soccer. Instead, what these countries have developed over time are strong programs from the grassroots level, which foster a competitive environment, with a consistent focus on developing the highest proficiency in the skills required for their sport. They have built the highest level of expertise within their sport, so much so that these coaches are recruited worldwide, to help other countries build similar programs. So, although this year’s Games athletes trained in different states, different countries, with different

teams of coaches and trainers, one thing they had in common was that they were trained by the best of the best. If you want to build an affiliate that produces Games level athletes, year after year, you have to start with the right coaching. You need a head coach with a strong foundation in CrossFit, complimented by a few other coaches whose areas of expertise are not necessarily or primarily CrossFit, but are directly applicable to it, namely Olympic lifting and gymnastics. With strong programming and the right combination of coaches, you will eventually start attracting and producing the kinds of athletes that seek to improve their skills. Eventually your affiliate will be seen as the destination of choice if reaching the Games is a goal. You will have a core group of solid athletes, pushing against each other on a daily basis, all under the watchful eye of a high calibre coach. Raw talent needs an environment in which to thrive, develop, and grow, and I believe this combination of coaching and programming is the key to creating that environment.

PERFORMANCE

FUNCTIONAL

IS IT FOR TACFIT

TEST YOUR TACTICAL FITNESS WITH THE “Q” BY SCOTT SONNON, MASTER OF SPORT

o understand program design from a tactical fitness perspective, we must consider the evolution of movement from a social science standpoint. As our scientific understanding of movement evolved, so too did our movement capacity in sports and athletics. Functional fitness took the two-dimensional movements (and energy systems) of the preceding exercise perspectives, such as Victorian calisthenics and isolatory bodybuilding which move between the front/ back, right/left, and up/down planes, to movements which take you through two or more planes: threedimensional movement. Furthermore, functional fitness aims to restore the balance and function of the body in actual operation. Over-specialization in one plane, or in one direction of movement, creates an imbalance in the functionally opposite direction. Left unaddressed, this imbalance is what leads to diminishing returns, plateaus, pain, and injury. Only this ever evolving homeostatic approach to fitness allows us to be functionally capable to perform at prime output, without impediments or restrictions. Tactical fitness compounds functional programming with an intention of developing the motor patterns and energy systems which have a direct impact upon your ability to respond to a crisis. For example, in the fight against the elements or opponents, resisting rotation against collision, absorbing detonation and retranslating that force into the ground or back into the opponent. Instead of view-

ing the body as locked to the ground, tactical fitness views the body as free in space to move -- more as a jet fighter, rather than a tank. The late USAF Colonel John Boyd determined that agility in jet fighters allowed for more successful operational tempo, than did weight or speed, alone. How then do you keep the ability to change energy states rapidly? That is, how do you turn, rotate, or twist faster than your opponent? More importantly, how do you restore, after repeated collision, mental awareness and emotional control during the grueling turns that rapidly bleed out an opponent’s size, strength and speed advantages? The ideal fighter accelerates in rotation the quickest, and moves the fight into the rotation where he holds distinctly superior virtues. Combative engagements are characterized, not by sustained tempo, but by repeated collisions and retranslations, with periods of brief recovery and reorientation. Colonel Boyd described this as a “loop” of observing the threat, orienting upon an opportunity, deciding what to how to respond to the op, and acting out that strategy (OODA). If you truly want to be “fit” for “tac,” then you need to include protocols which focus upon:

• MOVING THROUGH WAVES OF INTENSITY FROM 100MPH TO A DEAD STOP, AND THEN BACK TO 100MPH • MOVING THE BODY THROUGH MULTIPLE PLANES (RETRANSLATING) • RECOVERING AS FAST AND AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE DURING THE BRIEF RESPITES • VISUALIZING THE GOAL CLEARLY BEFORE AND DURING PERFORMANCE Thus, tactical fitness equips an athlete to better meet the physiological demands of heart-rate-maximum events experienced under extreme duress. Basically, whoever recovers fastest wins. We must train this way, because whether it is combat or competition, we do not rise to the heights of our expectations and combative needs, but fall to the level of our preparation and training. The best we

PERFORMANCE ought to hope for in combat, is the worst we’ve performed in training. Therefore, if we’re training with suboptimal form, and accept an inability to hold technique, maintain awareness and concentrate on rapidly changing goals, our fitness is not merely lacking contribution to our tactical performance, it’s actually hindering it. As we approach and exceed heart-rate-maximum (HRmax), fine motor skills deteriorate, and a host of psychotropic phenomena occur, such as tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, tachipsychia (time warp), short term memory loss, speech impairment, fumbling, fainting, and others. Thus, for the tactical athlete, how fast we recover from HRmax is more important than our power output during it. Recovery is the most important attribute, since our goal is to endure the suck. But toughness alone is insufficient, since toughness is merely resistance to stress. Recovery from excessive combative stress determines who gets to go home. TACFIT Prequalifier or “Q” The following course, TACFIT Prequalifier or “Q” is currently used by several federal law enforcement agencies and special operations. The following example uses bodyweight resistance only, though there are portable external resistance tools which can be substituted. The data being recorded how fast does your heart rate recover from approaching HRmax, and how much power output can you achieve while maintaining moderate intensity. Moderate intensity

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allows you to still keep your combative skills accessible, as well as keeps your cognitive functions online - the absolutely critical barometer of a successful tactical fitness course, as without the skills and wherewithal to access and apply them with reasonable and sufficient force, fitness means nothing, zero, zilch. This program is meant to be performed at a moderate intensity. Moderate intensity = 60-80% HRmax. HRmax for general purposes can be calculated as 220-age. For example, if youʼre 40, then your HRmax is 180. That means that you must perform the following program between a heart rate of 108 and 144 to know what youʼre capable of performing efficiently in a tactical environment. This assumes that you can recover from approaching and exceeding HRmax. Those techniques - mental, emotional and physical - are not within the scope of this article. And can be discussed in a future installment of this introductory piece. A reasonable score on the “Q” is 40. Six exercises are performed for 8 sets of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, with 1 minute recovery in between each exercise: a total of 30 minutes of work. Right/left alternating exercises (Front Lunge, Sit-Thru Knee and Overhead Vertical) score 0.5 for a right/left performance of 1 point total; Plank Pull, Pushup and Spinal Rock equal 1 point per repetition. The lowest set of each of the 6 exercises is then added together for the total score. They must be performed in the order listed.

1. FRONT LUNGE STEP: Stand tall, spine perpendicular to the ground. Forearms parallel to chest and to each other. Pinch your elbows to your ribs. Step forward on railroad tracks, feet parallel to each other and shoulders width. Land quietly midfoot, exhaling through the mouth as you land. Get two 90 degree angles on both legs. Drive back to standing from midfoot push. 2. PLANK PULL KNEE: Begin on balls of feet, hips pushed back to heels, belly to thighs and elbows locked. Palms push back. Pinch elbows tight. Exhale through the mouth as you pull from your palms and press your forearms onto the ground to pull your body forward. Keep pulling until forearms lift off the ground forearms pinched to ribs, palms at floating rib height. Squeeze your gut tight. Tuck your tailbone. Keep your chin down. Move your spine parallel with the mat. Arch your tailbone and lift your hips back to return to beginning with an inhale through the nose. Avoid pushing back, or you won’t survive #4. 3. SIT THRU KNEE: Begin on hands and knees. Spine parallel to ground. Push your knee through. Drop your hip until thigh parallel to ground. Lock your elbow on planted arm. Keep scapula depressed, flairing lat, with no scap elevation. Pinch opposite forearm to your chest, elbow to ribs. Exhale through your mouth as you sit through for a strong core activation. Switch to alternate sides with no knee touch.

feet down. Roll backward until lower back stabilizes against ground, and only then pull knees to chest for next repetition.

4. TACTICAL PUSHUP: Pinch your elbows to your ribs, no space between your upper arms and lats. Tuck your tailbone and slightly round your mid-back to create the “hollow-body” (from gymnastics). Tighten your gut. Squeeze your glutes. Pinch off the pelvic wall. Lock your quads. Pull your toes to your shins and kick your heels away. Exhale through the mouth and press elbow-pits away to locked position. Inhale through the nose as you lower delts to hands.

5. SPINAL ROCK KNEE: Begin on your back, knees to your chest. Tuck your tail. Exhale your navel to spine. Tuck your chin. Kick your hips over your nose. Kick your knees over an imaginary bar to extend and snap your hips locked. Exhale your knees back to your chest. Pull with your hands as you roll toward sitting. Lift your chest up and inhale through the nose. Straighten your spine, crown up,

6. TRIPOD VERTICAL: Pull your elbow in to your hips in crab position. Opposite arm should be straight arm but elbow unlocked supported by tricep. Flair lat to prevent scapula elevation. Exhale and lift your hips. Drive mid foot, knees pinching to keep lower legs parallel to each other, and heels down. Sight down the barrel of your arm. Flex your tricep to lock your lifting elbow. Lift both shoulders until theyʼre in one line perpendicular to the ground. Flair your lat; keep your shoulder packed. Squeeze your glutes to full hip extension. Inhale elbow to back down to ribs. Bring your hips down. Switch hands fingers pointed away from body.

PERFORMANCE

o many CrossFitter’s, the thought of taking and using sports supplements is strictly taboo and more commonly suited for the “Globo” bodybuilding community. I can play both sides of the fence here. I mean, I’ve seen many of the strictest paleo zealots do very well and become elite CrossFitter’s without so much as a protein shake, vitamin or gosh forbid, an omega three fish oil! So the question then becomes, if you can be amazing without supplements, why should you take them? I usually reformulate this question to ask: by taking supplements, could you be even better? Empirical evidence and scientific research both suggest that for at least some products, the answer is a resounding yes! So if you do choose to use the science around you to get better, the question then becomes: What works?

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To this end, we will only discuss tthose supplements which the research and evidence have shown to help in your unique performance driven goals. When you think of a WOD in particular, one or more (or all) of the following things can be a huge burden to an athlete looking for a better time, a better lift or when it really matters, a competition. I know you’re with me here, when you look at this list and think about your “not-so-good” performances, you can identify immediately with one of the following reasons: LACTIC ACID BUILD UP MUSCULAR EXHAUSTION LACK OF STRENGTH LACK OF ENDURANCE LACK OF FOCUS JOINT PAIN Lactic Acid is right up there at the top of the list of performance killers. I ask you to walk through this vision with me…You’re closing in on your PR for “Angie” and

pumping out air squats like a piston that’s had too much caffeine when at 59 squats your legs start burning so bad, that you have NO CHOICE but to stop. We’ve been there… and so have you. But what if you could delay that insufferable, searing pain, even if just for a few seconds? What if you could delay it longer, say 30 or 45 seconds? I know that in this game, time is everything to you and delaying fatigue by even one second is a huge milestone! Imagine a thirty second difference! As we pound our way through a tough WOD, we begin to breathe faster as we attempt to shuttle oxygen to the working muscles. Now typically, your body prefers to work aerobically. But sometimes, say, when you’re trying to rescue a child trapped under a car, or to say…fend off an impending zombie attack, your body ends up requiring energy faster than you can

Photo Credit: Matthew Brush

ARE YOU STILL A BEAST IF YOU USE SUPPLEMENTS?

produce it aerobically. During vigorous exercise, the circulatory system cannot supply oxygen to muscle fibers quickly enough. It’s in this absence of oxygen, the muscle cells begin to produce a substance called lactic acid, which accumulates in the muscle. It is this build-up of lactic acid that causes soreness and stiffness within the muscle and thereby forcing you to rest. It is by this process (known as anaerobic glycolysis) that muscle glycogen can be converted into energy without the presence of oxygen as opposed to ATP production via aerobic glycolysis. Such a conversion allows glycolysis to proceed for minutes, when it could otherwise last only seconds. Thus, energy is supplied to promote survival in stressful times, i.e you get to run away from the

lions, or zombies, or zombie lions. HOW CAN WE CONTROL, REDUCE, DELAY IT OR JUST GET RID OF LACTIC ACID? Beta-Alanine is one scientifically proven product that is very safe that greatly reduces lactic acid within the muscle, improves strength and increases performance. These are the facts. 3.2 grams a day is the prescribed amount used in the studies that support it’s ergogenic benefits. So, one would say, that if getting better times was your main goal, then Beta-Alanine is surely a great option. Further to looking at simply buffering lactic acid in the muscle, one could look to Potassium Citrate and/or Sodium Bicarbonate to buffer lactic acid within the

blood. Peer reviewed studies have shown that these salts can reduce lactic acid, and improve performance considerably. In one trial, they gave marathon runners 4 one gram servings of Potassium/ Sodium blend and it increased their time to exhaustion by 20%, lowered their perceived effort and improved their VO2 Max by up to 12%! So to this end I say, don’t be afraid to try proven supplements if performance is your goal. Educate yourself and don’t rely on hype. Decide what helps you the most but be mindful that strength, energy, lactic acid buffering and recovery should be at the heart of any and all of your supplement toolbox.

NUTRITION

SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLEX WORLD OF CARBS

THE ILL-INFORMED “LOW FAT” TREND THAT INFLUENCED DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTLESS FOOD PRODUCTS HAS SUBSIDED IN FAVOUR OF A “LOW CARB” MOVEMENT. LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS AND ENDURANCE SPORT ENTHUSIASTS AREN’T PARTICULARLY KEEN ON THIS MOVEMENT, BUT CROSSFITTERS AND OTHERS ALIKE LOOKING TO REPLACE FAT WITH LEAN MASS ARE HEEDING SOME OF THE ADVICE. Photo Credit: Justin Bastien

BY JOHN MIKLAVCIC, MSc BACKGROUND

CARBOHYDRATES ARE COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUAL SUGAR UNITS LINKED TOGETHER. THESE SUGAR UNITS ARE THE PRINCIPLE SOURCE FROM WHICH WE DERIVE ENERGY. A “SIMPLE” CARBOHYDRATE REFERS TO A SINGLE UNIT OF SUGAR, OR JUST A FEW LINKED TOGETHER. “COMPLEX” CARBS REFER TO MANY SUGAR UNITS LINKED TOGETHER. IN FACT, “COMPLEXITY” INCREASES AS THE NUMBER OF SUGAR UNITS INCREASES. WHATS THE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT’S THE CONSEQUENCE OF CONSUMING EITHER? WHEN WE DIGEST A MEAL, THE INTESTINE BREAKS DOWN CARBOHYDRATES INTO SINGLE SUGAR UNITS BEFORE THEY ARE ABSORBED. CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. IT CAN HELP CONTROL SATIETY & HUNGER, ENERGY LEVELS, MANAGE WEIGHT, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN ENDURANCE-TYPE ACTIVITIES, AND DECREASE RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASE LIKE TYPE II DIABETES. THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMED INFLUENCES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. A FOOD LABEL WILL LIST “CARBOHYDRATE,” THEN SUB-LIST “FIBRE” AND “SUGAR.” WHEN READING A FOOD LABEL, MANY ATHLETES MAKE CHOICES WHERE SUGAR IS LOW, CLOSER TO ZERO. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO SELECT WHOLE WHEAT AND WHOLE GRAIN BREADS OVER WHITE BREAD.

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STUDIES

GI AND GL

The glycemic index (GI) has been developed as a scale which ranks foods from 0 to 100. Foods below 50 are deemed “low GI” and those above 70 are deemed “high GI.” A high GI food is one that raises blood sugar levels considerably after it’s consumed. Low GI foods don’t influence blood sugar as profoundly as their high GI counterparts. As a rule of thumb, it is generally in good interest to select low GI foods more frequently than high GI foods. Another important consideration is glycemic load (GL). While GI indicates carbohydrate quality, GL is a measure of carbohydrate quality and quantity. A high GI food, like a lollipop is not necessarily detrimental if the carbohydrate load consumed is low. Similarly, low GI food like whole wheat bread can be tolerated in higher quantity without negative effects on blood sugar.

PRACTICAL POINTS

Processing and cooking food alters its GI. Processed foods require less digestion and are absorbed more quickly, therefore cause higher spikes in blood sugar than non-processed foods. Over-cooking pasta can significantly increase its GI. Less time spent boiling, or pasta al dente can improve control of blood sugar. Fat, protein and soluble fibre slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Consuming food with high amounts of fat, protein and soluble fibre results in a less intense spike in blood sugar. For example, consuming a sugary pop with a balanced meal will annul some of the hyperglycemic response in comparison to consuming the pop alone. Even eating more slowly can prevent spikes in blood sugar.

A very recent study compared ingestion of high GI food vs. low GI food prior to running. The group consuming higher GI foods were quicker to exhaust in endurancetype activity than those consuming low GI foods. A similar study found that rate of perceived exertion is lower in a group of subjects consuming low GI food when compared to a group of high GI food consumers. In the same study, the group consuming high GI foods prior to high intensity, intermittent exercise also performed less total work than the low GI group in the same amount of time. Aerobic and anaerobic performances appear to be improved in individuals who consume low GI foods prior to training.

TAKE HOME

Consider a food with GI = 50 vs. a food with GI = 55. The difference between the two foods is rather small with respect to GI. Bear in mind that people are creatures of habit. We generally keep the same foods stocked and shop from the same stores on repeated occasions. While choosing rolled oats over packaged oatmeal might not seem like a big deal up front, applying the slight edge philosophy may change your point of view. An individual who consumes oatmeal daily for breakfast does so for one day first. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and so on. A small difference in GI compounded over time turns into a very big difference. We ultimately become a product of our habits.

GUEST CHEF

MINT “LAMBURGERS”

INGREDIENTS

1 LB OF GROUND LAMB. 3 CLOVES OF GALIC, MINCED 1 SHALLOT, MINCED 2 TBSP MINT, MINCED SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE DIFFICULTY: 2/5 PREP TIME: 15 MIN COOK TIME: 8 MIN SERVES: 4

COOKING NOTES

AN ALTERNATIVE TO GRILLING THE LAMBURGERS IS BAKING THEM ON A PARCHMENT-LINED COOKING SHEET AT 350 DEGREES FARENHEIGHT, FOR 25 MINUTES.

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THE PROCESS 1. HEAT GRILL TO MEDIUM HEAT

2. MIX GROUND LAMB WITH MINCED GARLIC, SHALLOT MINT, SALT & PEPPER. 3. FORM IN TO FOUR EQUALLY-SIZED PATTIES 4. GRILL LAMBURGERS APPROX. 4 MIN PER SIDE, TURNING ONCE. ADJUST COOK TIME FOR DESIRED INTERNAL TEMPERATURE ACCORDINGLY. 5. GARNISH HAMBURGERS WITH MINT LEAF.

SERVE WITH

GREEK SALAD & GREEK SALAD DRESSING

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of ‘Make It Paleo’

Juicy “Lamburgers” will have your mouth watering before they hit your plate. The aroma of mint and garlic filling your nose as you grill will have you anxiously awaiting the first bite. Plating these burgers over a deconstructed Greek salad will complete the full effect of this meal.

PROTEIN PACKED

MUSCLE

DELIVERY

FEED HUNGRY MUSCLES WITH 40 GRAMS* OF HIGH-QUALITY WHEY ISOLATE Cross Flow Microfiltered (CFM) process delivers an exceptionally pure whey protein isolate Instantized formula mixes easily into a delicious shake or smoothie

Extremely low in carbohydrates, fat and lactose Perfect for pre-workout, post-workout or a high-protein snack

AVAILABLE IN 6 GREAT-TASTING FLAVOURS AS WELL AS AN ALL-NATURAL FORMULA

ONLY AT GNC *For vanilla flavor. Visit GNC.ca for the store nearest you. ÂŠ2011 General Nutrition Corporation.

GEAR These are a few of our favoUrite things:

10 ULTIMATE GIFTS FOR A CROSSFITTER t 1.REEBOK CROSSFIT WAFFLE L.S. TEE

Stay thermal and comfy during the cooler winter WODS. The 100% lux waffle fabric has flat-lock stitching so you won’t have to worry about rubbing or chaffing - can’t say the same for your callused hands after a few weeks of CrossFit.

$50US shopcrossfitreebok.com 2. REEBOK CROSSFIT TRACK JACKET u

This high performance, four-way stretch PlayDry track jacket is perfect for warming up and cooling down. Ergnomic seams give this jacket a slim, athletic look whether you’re running 800m or everyday errands. An oversized, lined hood and cozy thumb holes are an awesome added bonus.

$108US shopcrossfitreebok.com 3. MEN’S CAMO WOD SHORTS

The tough look and functional features make the 2POOD v.2.5 an all around WOD short for daily workouts or competition. These look awesome and feel great with their 2-way stretch poly and Lycra which gives you the function factor – squats anyone?

$54US 2pood.com x 4. KETTLEBELL COFFEE MUG

Express your crossfit passion while sipping on your morning cup of Joe. Every mug is individually hand formed and fired in the USA. The mug handle has been tweaked for a more ergonomic feel – comfort, cool and crossfit…need we say more?

$19.99US

2pood.com

5. LIVE, LOVE LIFT SOCKS p

LIVE LOVE LIFT knee high socks are made with a moisture-wicking Hybrid Cool Max material that provides the superb comfort and unparalleled performance demanded by top athletes worldwide.... and they happen to be really cute. Sorry guys – these are for the ladies!

$15US fashletics.com

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6. WEAKNESS/KETTLEBELL CHARM AND CHAIN u This is some tough love right here. But you can’t argue with it. The Kettlebell charm is hand carved and cast in solid pewter and comes with the pewter tag charm, all hanging on a stainless steel bead chain.

$27US fashletics.com t

7. TIMEX® IRONMAN® SLEEK™ 50-LAP

This is sport functionality at its best! Ideal for CrossFit with two Interval Timers - this stop watch offers all the bells and whistles! You won’t miss a rep, or a WOD - it has 3 customizable alarm options to make sure early morning workouts don’t get missed! Two stylish options for him/for her.

$89.99US timex.ca 8. SKULL BELL u

Sometimes there is a fitness product that just wills you to the gym. The skull bell from Iron Skull Fitness is one of those products. Available in 26, 35, 53, and 70 lb models, these will give you the resistance you need and guaranteed to boost your image.

$59.99-129.99US ironskullfitness.com

10. AIRLINE TICKETS p 9. LULULEMON HOT N’ SWEATY BRA p

This one’s for the ladies! Lululemon offers support for your girls with a 4-way stretch power luxtreme™ fabric. It’s stylish and practical with adjustable straps to customize the fit. Don’t hold back – this one’s got you covered!

$48 lululemon.com

Yes! - airline tickets would be an awesome gift for anyone – but this pair happens to fly you to Carson, California where you’ll attend the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games on July 13 – 15th. So, while you may not be seaside sipping on pina coladas – you will be at the Home Depot Center at the world’s premier event to find The Fittest on Earth ™!

$PRICELESS