4oz of grilled chicken (4P) 2 handfuls of chopped romaine (negligible C) 1 Orange pepper, chopped (.5C) 1/2 Cup of tomato, diced (1C) 1/2 Cup baby carrots, chopped (.5C) 2 TBSP dried cranberries (1.35C) 1.3 tspn Olive oil (4F) 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar (.6C)
Exchange is 4P, 4C, 4F, this is why the zone is so easy, you get so much yummy food! Enjoy!
Have some amazing food today on the grill and celebrate our independence. We are so grateful to all of those who have dedicated their lives to continuing to protect our independence. Our love and our gratitude, sincerely!
It’s almost here; the CrossFit Games in Carson, CA are less than two weeks away and the anticipation is building. The CrossFit Games represent the pinacle of what’s possible in our sport. Every year, as the Games grow nearer, you can’t help but imagine what amazing tasks the athlete’s will have to complete. Then, you can’t help but put yourself in the athlete’s shoes and wonder if you’re capable of the same task. But, being at the Games requires more than imagination… even as a spectator.
I’ve polled a few of the CrossFit Games veteran spectators to come up with a list of “don’t forgets”. Of the spectators polled, each named a hat as a must-have. Some mentioned a sun hat, others said a baseball cap would suffice. Second on the list is a boat load of sunscreen, whether it’s the aerosol type or lotion – have it and plenty of it. Next, have a long sleeve shirt to escape direct sunlight, in addition to keeping you warm on the breezy evenings. Last on the list of must-have’s is a way to carry water. Whether it’s a camelback or a large nalgene, you’re going to be sweating alot and you’ll need to replenish your fluids.
The veteran spectators also had a few “should-have’s”. A couple stated that having cash might be a good idea, as the Paleo food vendor only accepted greenbacks. One or two stated that a small cooler was allowed last year, which really cut down the cost of food at the Home Depot Center. Along that same line, two of the veterans said that having snacks would have been nice throughout the day. They all agreed with Louie, “Not having a plan is a plan to fail”.
Reminder: Wednesday, July 4th we’ll have a limited schedule. Please check MindBody for an up-to-date list of classes. Please note, that all Dad’s are invited to join the “Mom’s” class for a little family fun. Please sign up and bring the whole family!
This well-organized and run meet will be complete with judges, weigh-ins, and scoring; however, it will not be USAW sanctioned. There will be two platforms running, and this is a perfect opportunity to practice your lifts in a slightly more formal format. Your friends and family can come see you front and center as you have some fun and perform feats of explosive strength in dramatic fashion.
This is a great meet for any individual who wants to lift in a competitive environment but perhaps doesn’t want to wear a singlet (of course, you certainly can if you’d like!) All skill levels welcome to compete. As your coaches, we would love to help you prepare your warm-up and strategy for your lifts, so you can be as successful as possible, and at least one of us will be there at the meet.
Check-in at 8:30. Warm-ups at 9:00am. Meet begins at 10:00am. Awards following lifts.
Post to comments your thoughts/experiences and throw down for the competition. Perhaps we’ll have a Verve prize for best dressed lifter (singlet or not!).
Check out those open hips while doing P-bar swings, a task that is difficult and a sight rarely seen! Nice job Nate!
The new Reebok Nano 2.0’s and OLY shoes are in!
Yay, they’re here! While not all special orders have been filled, I’m assured they will be here soon. The good news is that the new 2.0’s are $10 less the the original 1.0’s at $109.99. With that we’ve decided to put all the older 1.0’s on sale at 20% off, (original cost $119.99, NOW $95.99). The Oly shoes are $149.99. Feel free to try them on. If you decided to get a pair just jot down ALL information on the membership purchases sheet (please include your color and size) and we’ll charge your account. If you need help, feel free to ask us!
So your lift sucks. Begin again.
So your heart is down. Begin again.
Your job, your romance, your relationships, your bank account, and everything that you think is your life may have just fallen to total and irrevocable shit … but you know what? It’s not really your life. Your life is your heart beating and your lungs filling with air and your brain overflowing with a million thoughts and emotions. If you’re reading this, you’re still breathing. So, pick yourself up off the floor. Wipe the dirt off your butt and … begin again.
Each and every day.
Every single time you fail. Begin again. As long as you draw breath in this world.
Nobody said it was going to be easy for you. Nobody said it was going to be rainbows and roses and (creepy) clowns. Sure, nobody said it would be this hard, either. But you woke up today. So many people were not so lucky. Begin again, always. Grab hold of that new chance with both hands and don’t you let it go.
Our first CrossFit Verve Kids session completed last Saturday and was a huge success! The kids learned several foundational movements and had fun at the same time. Tons of jumping, laughing, and learning occurred in the six week session. We are planning to have our next six week session to start the week after the CrossFit Games. It will run from July 21st to August 25th on Saturday’s at 1:30pm. We will be building off of the concepts taught in the first session with new movements and games. In the mean time, we want to keep the steam rolling. Verve will be hosting a CrossFit Kids class this Saturday June 30th at 1:30pm and is open to all!
Here is the low down:
– There is no cost for this class
– Your kiddo must be between the ages of 5 and 12 years old
– You do not have to be a member of CF Verve for your child to attend
– Please email mas@crossfitverve.com if you are interested (you will receive a questionnaire to fill out and bring with you)
– Sign a release form, if you have not already done this (this will be done the day of at the gym)
– Kids should be ready to have tons of fun!!
Call your friends, tell your neighbors, drag your family down to the gym on Saturday for some BIG FUN!
Coach Luke, practicing what he preaches... MLS, PCE, C2E, AS, & ROM.
Five Unchanging Elements
The functional movements that we practice and perform share five unchanging elements that we can not sacrifice under any circumstances. These elemental components are what allow us to perform functional movements safely and are also what bolster high performance. Because of this, it’s worth jumping into each of the five briefly.
Midline stability – The first and arguably the most essential of the elements is the ability to lock your lumbar spine into a neutral position by engaging your abdominals, obliques, and erectors, whilst utilizing air pressure and musculature of the upper back to stabilize your torso. This can be applied to 99.99% of the movements we perform. It creates a stabile platform on which we can apply force and efficiently transfer energy.
Posterior chain engagement – This is exercise physiology terminology for recruiting the largest muscles in the body, specifically the glutes and the hamstrings. We have become over reliant on the anterior chain of lower body muscles, specifically the hip flexors and quadriceps. Is it wrong to use the anterior muscles? Not at all – rather, we’re seeking a balance in lower body muscles as well as safer positioning for the knee joint.
Core to extremity – The muscles that have the ability to produce the most force are the abdominals and erectors (core). The next strongest muscles are the hip flexors and hip extensors, followed by the muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle. As you move distally from the core to the extremities, muscles are successively able to produce more velocity than they can force. When we perform movements, the wave of contractions begins with the high force, low velocity muscles of the core and radiates outwardly to the low force producing, high velocity muscles of the extremities.
Active shoulders – Often mistaken as meaning to actively press your shoulders up, active shoulders requires a little background information. Make a fist and wrap your hand around it… this is your shoulder joint. What secures the head of humerus in the glenohumeral cavity (the hand that’s covering the fist) are ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Because of the huge range of motion that the shoulder joint is capable of, it makes it mechanically unstable. To stabilize the joint, retraction of the scapula is required no matter what the direction of force is.
Range of motion – The development of muscle tissue is essential to your well being, especially at the end range of motion about a joint. By performing movements with a full range of motion that the joint is capable of you are ensuring strength in any position. This can be misunderstood though, the muscles must be engaged while performing the movements. In other words, taking a joint to end-range without isometrically contracting muscle tissue doesn’t stabilize the joints up or downstream of that joint, causing a loss of positioning and power. For example, reach the bottom of a squat and relax… what happens as you desist contracting your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps? You lose positioning and therefore power from the knee and hip joints.
Dumbell burpees, 40# (25#) each hand Push jerks, 95# (65#) Toes-to-bar
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James B. "Suns out, guns out!"
Our new neighbors Level 1 Productions are celebrating their grand opening Saturday from 12pm-6pm. Check out the details here.Come by Verve and get your WOD on and then stop over and give them a friendly hello!
