Thats right ladies and gentlemen the once weekly event that made weekend warriors quiver in their boots is back! Our Pain In Paradise park workout will recommence this Saturday at Kapiolani Park (by the pull up bars on the oceanside). We will be getting there around 9am and our workout will start at 10am. Afterwards we will be having a pot luck and BBQ so feel free to bring some “grinds”. There will also be TUG-O-WAR and other fun things to try like the indo board and slack line. See you there!

Tara midflight of a burpee.

Noli, Sheryl (not Bamz), and Marla all praying to the tire burpee god on their first day.

Burpee.com- Read about the legacy of W. Atlee Burpee. The question is did he do burpees?
Here are some burpee videos to check out on Youtube.com

G.I. Jane- 150 Burpee-Pullups for time

Warrior Burpees

Beyond Burpees 1

Beyond Burpees 2

Whats your favorite Burpee related activity?? Besides not doing them. Leave you thoughts in the comments.

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Check out this post from Mikes myspace page. Its great, worth the time to read, and 10x better then anything I could write!!!

Fitness Goals

“OK, I wrote several months ago about my new fitness goals, but I never updated you on how I did.

That’s because my quest took me on a journey I never expected. Man, I can’t even begin to tell you what I’ve learned, but I can tell you that as a result, I’ve completely changed my idea of what fitness is, and how I work out.

Oh, and I’m easily in the best shape of my life.

I’ve had a lot of people asking me for my secret - how I did it.

I thought for a long time about keeping it a secret.

But this is too good not to.

So, in this post, I’m going to tell you how I did it. And I’m going to show you how YOU can do it, too.

Now here’s the bad news. Most of you who are reading this will go no farther than reading it. Once you know how, that’ll be enough for you. And that’s life.

There may be a few of you who will accept my challenge, and you’ll go try it out.

But know up front that 80% of the people who try this, quit within the first month. It’s that tough. It’s not for everyone. But ANYONE can do it.

Now if you’re like me, maybe knowing that will make you want to do it even more. I don’t know. It seems to me that the hardest things in life are the things most worth doing, because they usually have the greatest rewards.

So now that you know what you’re up against, if you decide you want to know more, then read on. This may be just the thing you’re looking for.

Now before I share with you my program, I’m going to explain how I came to find it. That will explain a lot.
You see, I’ve been going to 24 Hour Fitness for years now. I work out pretty regularly. You may even say I’ve gotten into pretty good shape.

I’ve worked the traditional approach. I’ve done “3 sets of 10″ for longer than I can remember. I’d have back days and chest days and arm days, and the usual half hour of cardio. That’s the way I learned back in high school. That’s the way EVERYONE does it, right?

Well, that’ll work. It’ll increase your mass. But that’s not true fitness. No matter how long you stay on that program. Ask me to sprint a 440, and you’d kick my ass. I’d still get winded when I’d climb stairs.

And as long and hard as I had worked, I NEVER had a six pack. Not even close.

One day in March, my friend Kevin pointed out the “300″ workout. This was around the time the movie “300″ came out, and one of the most talked about points of the movie was the amazing shape of the actors. How did they do it?

Men’s Health Magazine released an article titled The 300 Workout, which they claimed was used by the actors to train.

The workout consisted of the following:

For time:
a) Pullups - 25 reps
b) Deadlifts with 135 lbs - 50 reps
c) Pushups - 50 reps
d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps
e) Floor wipers - 50 reps
f) Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lb Kettlebell - 50 reps
g) Pullups - 25 reps

Now, I need to point out something important here. There’s a little bit of a misnomer here.

You see, there’s always more to the story.

After delving a little deeper into the matter, I found that while it is true that this was a workout that some of the actors and stuntmen did, this was not their training routine. In this case, quite literally, the words “training” and “routine” are an oxymoron.

The actors trained under Mark Twight, at Gym Jones, a private, invite-only training facility. And he explains in this article the true nature of the training.

Basically, every workout is different. Never the same workout twice. That’s the whole point. By keeping the challenges varied, you leave the body guessing. It never learns to adapt to any one exercise. And so you end up performing better at anything that’s thrown at you.

So the 300 workout was ONE of the workouts they did - in this case, this was sort of a fitness test they were all invited to do. But every day greeted them with a new challenge, using seemingly unorthodox tools, like medicine ball throws, climbing ropes, flipping tires, or kettlebell swings.

Pretty intense stuff, huh? It sounds fascinating to me.Now, quite serendipitously, what caught my eye was the fact that this training was a departure from traditional 3 x 10 sets of isolated muscle exercises, and instead, these workouts were designed to work the whole body through complex movements like deadlifts and squats, as well as plyometric exercises like platform jumps, as well as cardio like sprints and the rowing machine.

What else I noticed was the absense of machines. No machine fly. No cable crossovers. No lat pulldown - these staples of places like 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s gym offer a limited range of motion, and don’t employ more than one muscle group.

And if you think about it, this kind of workout is more like the way you would use your body in real life. We use multiple muscle groups at once. We throw. We catch. We jump. We climb. We don’t do curls. We don’t just bench.

Anyway, I started changing the way I approached exercise. Instead of focusing on one body part, I’d design workouts that worked every part of the body, everytime. I would use different methods, like platform jumps, variations on pullups, and mixing in cardio at different parts of the workout. On my days off, I’d go surfing or hiking.

This produced results. After about 3 months, I had lost about 20 lbs, and I shed a lot of stubborn belly fat.

But I still hated cardio. I couldn’t run a mile in under 8 minutes. I had very low endurance and needed to stop to catch my breath every few minutes.

So even though I was starting to LOOK good, I wasn’t really performing much better.

Now for some people, looking good is good enough. Especially if your fitness goal is simply to get in shape for Hard Rock pool parties. You can find pretty effective workout routines online that will get you there (hint: start now).

But for me, it was time to take it to the next level. It’s not enough for me to look good, I want to perform better.

So I delved deeper into the whole 300 training and Gym Jones. And I found that Mark Twight got his roots from something called Crossfit.

I did a search on Crossfit and found the Crossfit site.

Looking through, I was impressed with what I saw. It made sense to me. Fitness, by their definition is equal training in endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.

Firefighters, military and law enforcement swear by it.

BJ Penn uses this as his training program.

What’s more, this definition applies equally to everybody, no matter who you are, whether you’re male of female, young or old, bodybuilder or grandma. The only difference is a person’s cabilities, so the workout is SCALABLE for each person.

For example, if the workout calls for pullups, and you’ve never done a pullup, they might put a box under you, that you would jump from, until you’ve developed enough strength to do pullups. Every exercise is scalable.

Delving further, I noticed there was an affiliate page, and there were sites all over the country, including one on my little island.

I was more than a little curious. I had to try it for myself.

I found Crossfit Oahu inside a warehouse in Honolulu. No weight machines. No benches. No mirrors. No air conditioning.

Instead I found gymnastics mats. Kettlebells. Rings. Ropes attached to the ceiling. Medicine Balls. Pullup bars.

And what amazed me the most was seeing who was training there. Every kind of person you could imagine. There were Navy Seals training right next to 10 year olds right next to grandmothers.

I met the trainer, Bryant, who was very personable, and seemed really knowledgeable. I trusted him right away. I heard he just came back from San Diego as a finalist for the TV Show “Ninja Warrior”.

He took me around, showed me the workout of the day, demonstrated the proper form of the exercises, and set me up for the workout.

My first workout:

3 rounds for time:

2 15ft rope climbs
8 20 lb ball slams
14 pullups
20 dumbbell clean and press

Now, I considered myself to be pretty fit, and the workout didn’t look too daunting. But none of that mattered. I got my ass kicked. Within 5 minutes I was gasping for air, praying for a swift death. I crawled through the rest of the workout, no longer interested in getting a good time, but only in finishing.

I started to feel words come out of my mouth I’ve never heard myself say. “I ca- I can’t…”

But I wouldn’t let myself quit. I took 5 deep breaths and kept going. As much time as it took, each rep completed brought me that much painfully closer to finishing.

And finish I did. I can’t believe I did it.

I was humbled. I left the gym with my ego completely crushed.

Every muscle ached. For days.

I don’t know if I am a glutton for punishment or if I can’t stand the idea of quitting. But I do know that I have never had a workout like that in my life. I HAD to have more. I came back in as soon as I could walk normally again.

So I didn’t die. In fact, I started to get better at it.

I’ve been doing Crossfit for three months now. I’m doing things I’ve never imagined possible for myself. Before I started I couldn’t deadlift my bodyweight. I’m now close to deadlifting DOUBLE my bodyweight. I’ve increased my shoulder press by 15%. I made it onto the top 5 for L-sits, and only recently got knocked off, but I intend to get back on there tonight. Most importantly, I’m enjoying a much higher quality of life. I’m getting better at surfing. I’m getting better at everything!

And I’m just getting started.

Like I said, I was going to keep this as my own secret, but I’m just too excited about it to NOT share it with you.

If it sounds like I’m hyped about this, it’s because I AM! On top of all this, it’s the most fun I’ve had in a gym. I look forward to Crossfit days.

Now I would never recommend something to you unless I wholeheartedly believe in it. And while I can’t say for certain that Crossfit is the right kind of training program for you, I will say two things:

1. This is something YOU can do. It’s scalable to everyone, and it doesn’t matter if you can’t even do a single pullup. Many of the people who have come in couldn’t do a pullup when they first started. That changes surprisingly quickly.
2. If you stay with it for a couple months, you will find yourself improving in every area. You will have more endurance, greater range of motion, and more strength.

Now, having said all that, if I haven’t completely scared you off from it, I want you to do something.

If I have intrigued you with this, I want you to click on the Crossfit Affiliate Page, and find a Crossfit near you. If you’re one of my buddies from Thousand Oaks, there are several in the area. Same goes for LA and San Diego. If there’s a major military base nearby, you can definitely count on finding one in the area. There are tons in the DC area, and NYC, and Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle and pretty much wherever you may live.

Look over the page, find their schedule, prices (it’s usually about $10 a session, but varies for each affiliate), and give them a call or write them an e-mail. In many cases, the first workout is free.

Drop in, and give it a try. You might find yourself in it for the long haul.

If you’re a girl, this applies DOUBLE for you. Don’t think this is just for guys. And don’t think you can’t do this. We’ve got supermodels, new mothers, and grandmas of all fitness levels. You can do it. Trust me.
So there you have it. I hope you consider giving this a try. it might end up being everything you’ve been looking for.

And do tell me how you like it!”

Great work Mike!!! Be sure to post your thoughts on Mikes story and tell us a little about your story too.

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We will be having our Saturday workout in Kapiolani Park. We will be there at around 900am for fun and games like the slackline and the workout will be at 10:00am. Bring some food because we can all stick around and have a potluck/BBQ.

If you have a baby bring it, Marcus loves kids.

If you have a mascot costume bring that too.

We will post more info on the PIP this week.

Also Cheryl will be teaching our new 900am classes on Tuesday and Thursday. This means we now have 900am classes Monday-Friday.

Lindsey- Thanks for reminding me that I forgot to post this the other day.

Cary- He is back in Seattle now but not before he laid down a PR 7:04 Jackie time.

Juan- Our import from Chile. Its not just a food!! Learn about it.

“The Surf Divas”

Our HPD open house. More on CF and police training here.

Donald, the ghost ball, and his cheering squad at 430pm.

Richard running for daylight.

CF Ladies. Check out Jill’s full extension in the back!

CF Men. Pete (Not cheating), Andre (From CF S.F.), and Steve getting mad air on a burpee.

Post your favorite moment or a PR (personal record) you got this week.

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I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself.
Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me “garbage can” and telling me I’d be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn’t run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn’t going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you’ll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn’t think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class.Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn’t even drag them to my mom’s car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.’s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn’t looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn’t want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn’t know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn’t say &&*@ to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have
learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was
wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn’t teach you anything. That’s the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can’t be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn’t ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn’t have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone’s shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr.Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn’t see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you’re made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it’s some kind of miracle if you’re not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total *******. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

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Josh has been our ambassador from CF San Francisco since Dec 17. Josh has had his share of memorable moments out here including getting in a handstand for the first time. He is heading to S.F. tomorrow so wish him good luck with his continued quest for fitness dominance. What is the best thing about CFO in Josh’s mind? “The warm weather is better then the freezing cold at 600pm in S.F.” Well said.

Thats right ladies, real men wear pink!! We have new shirts in and we will be printing more shortly with all the slogans everyone came up with. Any ideas on colors? Leave a post in the comments to let us know.

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Its the first Monday for the new year. That means the holidays are officially over. Check out how sad Lindsey is…

In case you missed it we hosted an USAWeightlifting meet here on Saturday. Here are some of the highlights.

Willy Moser (35kg or 77lbs) lifting big.

Willy’s order brother James (105kg or 221lbs) warming up with a 130kg (286lb) snatch. Yes a warm up.

Ellyn Robinson from Boston talking to Tommy Kono. Tommy is one the best weightlifter America has ever produced. Check out his record from his website Tommykono.com-

“Joshie”

Complete three rounds for time of:
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
21 L Pull-ups
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
21 L Pull-ups

This workout is named in honor of Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Whitaker, 23, of Long Beach, CA who was killed in Afghanistan May 15th, 2007. Click here and read posts #59, #415, #419, if you would like learn more about Staff Sergeant Whitaker and the sacrifice he made.

Above is Jenna (Her 1st CFO workout), Will, Amy and Kari grinding out the 126 L pull-ups (or an appropriate substitution) called for in “Joshie”.