đ„ Teen & Youth Strength & Speed: Summer Starts June 15!
Summer is almost here, and that means itâs time for one of our favorite ICA traditions – the summer Teen & Youth Program!
Our Teen Strength & Speed (ages 13â17) and Youth Strength & Speed (ages 8â12) programs are built to develop strength, explosive power, speed, coordination, and mobility in a safe, fun, and encouraging environment. Whether your child is brandânew to training or already deep into their sport, our coaches know how to meet them where they are and help them level up.
More than just workouts, these sessions build:
A lifelong love of movement
Confidence in and out of the gym
Solid technique and training knowledge
Athleticism that carries over to every sport
Our summer session kicks off June 15, and weâre ready to help your kids have their strongest, fastest, fittest summer yet â and return to their fall sports fitter than they left.
Details
Dates: June 15 – August 14
Class Times: We offer a mix of evening and daytime classes to fit every schedule!
Youth Program (Ages 8 – 12)
Monday: 7:00 – 7:45 PM
Tuesday: 10:30 – 11:15 AM
Thursday: 10:30 – 11:15 AM
Teen Program (Ages 13 – 18)
Monday: 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Wednesday: 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 10:30 – 11:30 AM — FREE SESSION! The Thursday Teen class does not count toward class totals. It’s available to all Phoenixville area Teens — no ICA membership required. For safety and liability, we require all participants to sign a waiver and register in advance. Contact John (info@ica-strong.com or 717-794-8226) for details.
Pricing:
1x/week (5 classes/month) – $88/month
2x/week (9 classes/month) – $131/month
3x/week (14 classes/month) – $165/month
Contact Us
Reach out to John at info@ica-strong.com or 717-794-8226 (text or call) with questions or to enroll!
Nutrition Notes: Day 31/40. For our members on the “Macro” diet, your goal is to hit your assigned macros (within 5%) each day. But every once in a while, circumstances may cause you to go over. Here’s a tip. In terms of their role in providing energy for our bodies, carbs and fat are somewhat interchangeable. So in a pinch, you can “trade” 22 grams of carb for 10 grams of fat. For instance, if your daily goals are 130gP/60gF/180gC, but you eat a fattier meat with lunch and end up with 70gF for the day, knock your carb back to 158g. This “trade” should be an infrequent occurrence, but it’s good to know about for those times you really need it!
Coaches Notes: Athletes will complete 6 laps of the 400m course. Start with DBs lined up at the garage door. Run the first 400m. Pick up the DBs and complete HALF of the 400m course. (Out to the stop sign, turn around, stop just shy of our driveway.) Leave the DBs and run another 400m. Pick up the DBs from their resting spot and return to the garage door area. Repeat.
Nutrition Notes: Day 30/40. Legumes are seeds (and sometimes their pods) from plants in the pea family. The most common legumes are beans, such as black beans, soybeans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans and lima beans. But also included are: peanuts, peas, green beans, lentils, and alfalfa. Legumes are not allowed on the Paleo and Whole30 diets because, like grains, they contain proteins called lectins that are known to cause digestive issues and inflammation. However, legumes are generally considered “safer” than grains… so while they should not make up a large part of your diet, you may find you’re able to eat them in small quantities. Also, different legumes contain different amounts of lectins. Green beans and others where you eat the pod are generally less inflammatory. For our challenge, we asked you to follow Paleo principles as much as possible. While you shouldn’t be chowing down on beans and peas, occasional green beans or hummus are just fine by us!
Event Notes: On Saturday, October 20, CrossFit Lock 60 has invited ICA to join them for a Phoenixville inter-box workout! They’re planning a fun morning of 3 team workouts; each team will have 2 ICA and 2 L60 members. The event starts at 9am and should be done around noon. Aloha food truck will be on site! If you are interested in participating, there is a sign up sheet on our desk so we can give Lock 60 an approximate head count.
Hats off to all the ICA runners at the Kimberton Waldorf 5 and 10k. ICA took 6 podium spots!
Sumo Deadlift 8×1 (85% 1RM)
Then
3×8 Zercher deadlifts (30-40% 1RM sumo deadlift)
Nutrition Notes: Day 29/30. Have you ever heard of bulletproof coffee? It’s been around in paleo and CrossFit circles for years, but recently is becoming more main stream. It’s also referred to as “keto coffee,” due to all the healthy fats.
Directions: Brew a strong cup of coffee and add it to a blender along with (a) 1 tablespoon of unsalted, grassfed butter or Ghee, and (b) 1 tablespoon of MCT oil. Blend it for 20-30 seconds until it foams like a latte.
If you’re on the Macro plan, be sure to count the fats into your totals – it adds up to 25 grams! If you’re on Macroish, we recommend replacing your morning eggs with egg whites and/or choosing leaner meat on days you have one. Are any of our ICAers bulletproof coffee fans? Sound off in comments!
10R/10L weighted step ups (24/20″, 53/35# each arm)
15 evil wheels (135/85#)
Max consecutive strict pull ups / chin ups
60 second rest between rounds
WOD Notes:Â Step ups can be done with KBs or DBs. If you can’t do full ROM evil wheels, substitute a 90 second plank hold (on elbows) per round. Focus on quality of movement! Record total time and total number of pull ups.
Schedule Notes: Treat your body and mind to yoga with Jana at 11:15am! Or hit the trails at the Kimberton Waldorf School 5k/10k trail run. There’s a health and wellness fair starting at 8:30am, a FREE fun run for kids at 9:00am, and the trail run kicks off at 10:00. Remember to wear your ICA gear!
Nutrition Notes: Day 28/40. Can you do CrossFit if you’re vegetarian or vegan? The answer is YES! You’ll need to follow a well thought out nutrition plan, high in plant-based proteins, but itâs definitely possible… just look look to CrossFit Games athlete Jeremy Reijnders (âthe fittest man in the Netherlandsâ) or Olympic weightlifter Kendrick Farris as examples of vegan athletes who have made it to the top of their sport. You can read about another veganâs journey into the the world of CrossFit in âCan Vegans Do CrossFit?â Other great resources for plant-based athletes include: www.nomeatathlete.com, www.veganbodybuilding.com, or the book âThrive.” The bottom line: we believe that high quality animal protein has a place in the human diet and plays an important role in our health and fitness; however, we also believe you can build strength, live a healthy life, and succeed at CrossFit on a plant based diet. (Sound off in comments if you’re a vegan or vegetarian athlete!)
Complete the following work in teams of 2, for time:
Row 180/120 calories
60 clusters (165/105#)
WOD Notes: In this workout, Partner 1 begins on the rower while Partner 2 starts on barbell, performing clusters (1 clean + 1 thruster). Partners switch as often as desired. Reps do not have to be divided evenly. Two athletes work at a time until one of the movements is completed, then take turns to complete the remaining movement. The clean + thruster should be one continuous movement; if that’s not possible then modify to power clean & jerk.
Nutrition Notes: Day 27/40. Intermittent fasting (IF) is an approach to eating that’s growing in popularity… but is it right for you? IF involves fasting for extended periods of time followed by eating all of your meals in a shortened window. A common approach is to fast from 8:00pm until 12:00pm (noon) the next day, then eat all your calories in an 8 hour window. Water, coffee, tea, and other non-caloric beverages are allowed during the “fasting” period. Many people do IF as a way of restricting calories to promote weight loss. Others believe the long fasting periods are beneficial for metabolic health. Unfortunately, almost all the research to date has been in overweight or obese adults, so it is unclear whether IF has benefits for normal or athletic populations. For our ICA athletes, we generally don’t recommend IF unless you have all your other lifestyle factors in line. Are you eating high quality foods, in the right amounts? Are you working out consistently? Are you sleeping 7-8 hours a night? If the answer to these questions is YES, then feel free to try IF. If not, focus on those things first… they are tried and true ways to improve your health and fitness. For a balanced article on IF, check out this article by the Poliquin Group.
Take 15 seconds to transition to the next station. Score will be total number of reps completed.
WOD Notes: It’s Friday. This is a good WOD to turn your brain off and just go!
Nutrition Notes: Day 26/40. **Only two weeks to go!!** Today’s “note” comes in video form. These two short videos provide a sneak peak into what goes on at a CrossFit Level 1 Seminar. First up, Eating for Wellness, then Eating for Performance. These videos are from the CrossFit Journal, a great source of articles and videos covering topics of interest to CrossFitters. Some are free (like these two), others require a subscription to view.
Come in between 4:30 and 7:00 pm for Open Gym. You can use this time to work on anything you like!
Schedule Notes:Â Coach Kehl will be holding CFE at 5:30 am and Amy will be holding yoga at 7:00 pm if you are looking for a class setting on Open Gym day.
Nutrition Notes: Day 25/40. Did you know the “official” diet of CrossFit is the Zone Diet?? The Zone Diet was designed in the late 1980’s by Dr. Barry Sears, with a goal of balancing insulin levels, decreasing systemic inflammation, and promoting overall wellness and health. (FYI – The CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide is completely FREE, and the Zone discussion starts at page 53.)
The Zone Diet involves eating 5 times a day (3 meals and 2 snacks) with every meal consisting of 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats. To simplify the tracking of these macronutrients, the Zone Diet created the concept of a “block” of food. This website allows you to search almost any food and determine what 1 block of that food is equal to. At each meal you eat an equal number of blocks of carb, fat, and protein, working toward a specific number of blocks each day. For instance, a medium sized male might target 17 blocks a day. That means 17 blocks of carb, 17 blocks of protein, and 17 blocks of fat. This might be spread throughout the day as three 5-block meals and two 1-block snacks.
Many CrossFit athletes still follow the Zone, and it’s not all that different from the 40/30/30 Macro diet that we have many ICA athletes on for our nutrition challenge. The Macro diet is more flexible in two key ways: (1) You need to hit your 40/30/30 ratio by the end of the day but not necessarily at each meal, (2)Â It allows us to “fine tune” people’s macronutrient ratios and overall calories. Nonetheless, the Zone Diet is a great option for any CrossFit athlete… Let us know if you want to give it a try and need help getting started!
Nutrition Notes: Day 24/40. Many CrossFit athletes (including several at ICA) follow the Renaissance Periodization (“RP”) diet. RP was developed by a powerlifter and bodybuilder to provide a scientifically-based nutrition program for his physique and fitness clients. The RP diet assigns you an eating “template” based on your current weight, gender, and your goals – i.e. fat loss or muscle gain. Each template provides:
Different eating plans based on how hard your training is that day (hard moderate, light, non-training) and when your training is taking place (early morning, late morning, afternoon, evening, or late PM).
Progressive diet phases from the “base” diet to various “cut” or “gain” cycles, in which the diet is modified in response to your adapting body and metabolism
A recovery plan for when your diet ends to help you maintain your results
The recommended foods on RP include (lean) protein, veggies, healthy fats, and healthy (low GI) carbs. The RP diet does not require you to avoid gluten, but it’s easy to do so if you want to. RP recommends the use of whey and casein protein shakes, but some of our athletes have substituted non-dairy alternatives. At ICA, many athletes have found success on the RP diet. Others have found it to be overly prescriptive and hard to follow. If you are interested in RP, Coach Dave has been following it for several years and is a wealth of information. You can also check out the RP website HERE. It’s worth noting that RP also offers personalized nutrition coaching, if 1:1 coaching is something youâre interested in.
WOD Notes: Pick a hang power snatch weight that can be completed unbroken through at least 3 rounds. Choose a run distance (1.25 miles, 1 mile, .75 miles) that will take approximately 10 minutes, leaving you with 8 minutes for the AMRAP. Focus on intensity on the run. Trying to tackle the AMRAP when you are completely our of breath will make this workout special!
Nutrition Notes: Day 23/40. In the next few posts we’ll touch on some popular diets you may have heard of. We already covered Whole30 in our post on 180923. Today’s topic is the ketogenic diet, or “keto” for short. The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. A standard ketogenic diet contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs. This macronutrient profile shifts the bodyâs metabolism away from carbs and into a state of ketosis, where fat and ketones are the primary source of “fuel.” The ketogenic diet is most effective for people with reduced insulin sensitivity, such as diabetes or pre-diabetes. In these individuals, a ketogenic diet can reduce blood sugar and insulin levels and promote significant fat loss. Generally the ketogenic diet is NOT recommended for CrossFit or other high-intensity aerobic exercise, because it will significantly hamper your performance and recovery in the gym. The ketogenic diet may be beneficial for endurance athletes, after a period of adaptation. To reach the desired macros, followers of the ketogenic diet eat primarily fatty meat and fish, eggs, butter and cream, cheese, nuts and seeds, healthy oils, avocados, and low-carb veggies (i.e. most green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc).
Congrats to our newest additions to the Loyal Member Board!
Complete 5 rounds for time of:
10 Deadlifts (225/155# NTE 65% 1RM)
15 Ring rows
50 Double unders
Nutrition Notes: Day 22/40. Omega-3 is a fatty acid that’s found in high amounts in fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines). There is another essential fatty acid, omega-6, that has become increasingly present in Western diets. It’s found in high amounts in conventionally raised meats as well as safflower oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, and soybean oil (which are ingredients in most processed foods). Scientists believe that diets high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 increase systemic inflammation. Avoid this imbalance by minimizing processed foods and actively eating foods high in omega-3! Here are some tips:
Eat cold water fish 1-2 times per week.
Choose grassfed beef over conventionally raised beef, which is fed mostly grains (soy and corn) which causes a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
Eat pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs
If you eat a lot of conventionally raised meats or don’t eat much seafood, consider taking a fish oil supplements; here’s one of our favorites: Coromega Omega 3.
Nutrition Notes: Day 21/40. Sugar 401. High glycemic carbs aren’t always bad. They can actually be beneficial for an athlete, when timed just before/during an intense workout. The resulting insulin spike will increase blood flow and the uptake of glucose into your muscles, and help with muscle repair, while suppressing the release of cortisol (a negative “stress” hormone). For athletes whose primary goal is muscle gain or rapid recovery, consuming 30-50 grams of high-glycemic carbs before the workout may help you reach your goals. You should also eat plenty of low-glycemic carbohydrates throughout your day, especially in the couple hours before your WOD, to ensure adequate glycogen stores. If you’d like to understand more, reading the book “Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sport Nutrition” is a wealth of information!
Drake (back from a year in the southwest) working on TGU!
Every minute for 30 minutes complete the complex:
Power Clean + Hang Power Clean (2+1)
WOD Notes: Today is a heavy OLY form day. You’ll complete the complex of 2 power cleans and 1 hang power clean at the start of each minute. You may increase weight at any time and should probably go through ~10 increases over the course of the 30 minutes. You don’t need to find a true max but rather get to a very heavy weight with 2 or 3 minutes to go and try to stay there.
Nutrition Notes: Day 20/40. Electrolytes are chemicals (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to name a few) that conduct electricity when mixed with water. Electrolytes control nerve impulses that keep your body functioning properly — like your breathing, heart beat, and brain function. They regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood pressure, and rebuild damaged tissue. During a WOD, you lose electrolytes in your sweat. Replenishing these electrolytes is important, but unless youâre a pro or endurance athlete, chugging a Gatorade REALLY isnât necessary (especially when you consider all that added sugar). You can replenish electrolytes sufficiently by eating fruits and veggies and staying hydrated with good old fashioned H20. If you want to known more, check out this short video.
Community Notes: There’s still time to join us for this Sunday’s CHOP 5k (with 2k walk option) with team Maren’s Fierce Fighters, or next Sunday’s 5k/10k trail run at Kimberton Waldorf School with team ICA. Email us with any questions; we hope to see you there!
OLY WOD:
1) EMOM for 15 minutes of: power clean + hang power clean (2+1) increasing in weight
WOD Notes: The handstand push up sub for today can either be wall climbs (12 reps) or DB push presses. If your shoulders are sore or fatigued, ab work sustained for about 3 minutes would work as well!
Nutrition Note: Day 19/40. Sugar 301. The glycemic index is a system of assigning a number to carbohydrate-containing foods that indicates how quickly the carbs break down into glucose and enter your blood stream. A simple way of thinking about glycemic index is it tells you how much a particular food will spike your blood sugar. The smaller a food’s glycemic index, the less impact it will have. A value of 100 is the value for pure glucose. Foods that are close to how they’re found in nature tend to have a lower glycemic index than refined and processed foods. Also, foods that include some protein and fat tend to have a lower glycemic index. Of course, glycemic index shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when making choices about what to eat. Calories, vitamins, and minerals are important too! (For example, potato chips have a lower glycemic index than oatmeal… but oatmeal has more nutrients.) Lastly, remember that portion sizes matter. The more carbs you eat, no matter the glycemic index, the more they’ll affect your blood sugar.
Come in between 4:30 and 7:00 tonight for Open Gym! You can work on anything you like including a workout from the last week:
Bench Press 10-8-6-4-2 then cash out card
Run 5000m
AMRAP in 15 minutes of: 5 hang power cleans (185/115#), 7 pull ups, 9 box jumps (24/20″)
AMRAP in 20 minutes of: 5 right TGU, 2 rope climbs, 5 left TGU, 1 minute plank
Front Squat 5×8 then 50 pistols NFT
Complete 15 rounds for time of: 2 muscle ups, 10 wallballs (20/14# to 10/9′)
Nutrition Note: Day 18/40. Sugar 201. How does your body regulate blood sugar? There are two key hormones – insulin and glucagon – that keep your blood sugar (glucose) in balance. As you digest carbohydrates, your blood glucose rises, which triggers your pancreas to release insulin. The insulin travels to your cells and tells them to take in the glucose where it can be used for energy. Liver and muscle cells can also convert glucose to glycogen for storage for later use. Several hours after you eat, the glucose levels in your blood start to fall below the desired range. Your pancreas now produces glucagon, a hormone that signals your liver and muscle cells to change the stored glycogen back into glucose and release it back into your bloodstream, where your other cells can use for energy. So how does excess sugar lead to weight gain? Once the liver is full of glycogen, it starts turning glucose into fatty acids for long-term storage as body fat. That’s why, in his “World Class Fitness in 100 Words,” Glassman gives this simple advice: “Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.”
WOD Notes: The scale for muscle ups today will be 5 pull ups and 5 push ups.
Nutrition Note: Day 17/40. Sugar 101. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and it’s found naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk. During the digestive process, all carbohydrates are broken down into a simple sugar called glucose, which our bodies then use for energy. So, sugar isn’t inherently bad – it’s actually essential to human life! The problem lies in society’s addiction to sugar, and the fact that it’s an ingredient in most processed foods and beverages. Excess sugar can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. (See yesterday’s post for more on inflammation.) During this challenge, one of our goals is to break you free from sugar cravings. To accomplish this, avoid all dairy and added sugar, and eat fruit in moderation. If you need a treat, go for 85% (or higher) dark chocolate and a handful of berries. If you’re really in a pinch and need to eat some sort of processed snack, choose one with less than 5g sugar per serving. And, if you haven’t watch this Jack LaLanne video on Sugarholics, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s one of our favorites.
Community Note:Â Congratulations to Coach Kehl on the birth of his daughter Bridget Elizabeth!
Nutrition Note: Day 16/40. What is inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s attempt to heal itself after an injury, defend itself against foreign invaders (such as viruses and bacteria), and repair damaged tissue. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic (“systemic”) inflammation. Acute inflammation is short-term and the effects subside after a few days. Examples are a sprained ankle, a cut, or an infection. Systemic inflammation is long-term, low-grade inflammation, present with conditions such as osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Lifestyle and environmental factors can also lead to systemic inflammation, for instance: poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, pollution, etc. Scientists are still working to understand all the health implications of chronic inflammation, but it is believed to play a role in heart disease, diabetes, lung issues, bone health, depression and cancer. By avoiding inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy, sugar, legumes) we can start to reduce systemic inflammation in our bodies. Take it a step further by eating foods known to have anti-inflammatory properties: cold water fish (high in omega-3), cruciferous vegetables, berries, and certain spices such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne, and nutmeg.
United Mettle Note: United Mettle is running an exclusive promotion with Lifting Culture Apparel – it’s a camo LCA shirt, and only 100 will be printed. The shirts are available for pre-order through September 30 ($28); after October 5th there will limited quantities available at our in-house pro shop ($30). Click HERE to see a mock-up, and click HERE if you want to pre-order online.
Moira hanging out with race security at her 10k in Wyoming!
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
5 right-arm Turkish get ups (35/20#)
2 rope climbs
5 left-arm Turkish get ups (35/20#)
1 minute plank hold
WOD Notes:Â Today’s workout is a slower moving metcon; your focus should be first and foremost on quality of movement. The sub for rope climbs will be 10 hanging knee tucks.
Nutrition Notes: Day 15/40. 2 weeks down and 4 to go! Today’s topic is dairy, and why it’s not allowed on our challenge (or on diets like Whole30 and Paleo). The primary reason is that dairy is a highly inflammatory food, and for many individuals it causes digestive issues. People may react to the sugar (lactose) or the proteins (casein and whey). Individuals who are lactose intolerant donât produce the lactase enzyme required to break down lactose. Casein is a protein with a similar molecular structure to gluten, and is a common food allergen. Here are some other reasons to avoid dairy:
It causes a large insulin spike which can contribute to fat gain.
It causes congestion and even sleep apnea in many people.
It can cause acne
It has growth-promoting properties, which can be trouble especially if you have potential cancer cells.
Most of our milk comes from mass-production farms that feed their cows growth-producing hormones and antibiotics.
By removing all forms of dairy from your diet for the duration of our challenge, you’ll allow your body to heal from any potential issues that dairy has been causing you. After the challenge, re-introduce it gradually and be on the lookout for any negative reactions.
WOD Notes:Â The HPCs should be challenging, yet unbroken for the first several rounds.
Nutrition Notes: Day 14/40. Several of our nutrition notes have referenced “Whole30.â If that’s a new term to you, it’s worth knowing about! Whole30 is an elimination diet, where you avoid all potentially inflammatory foods for 30 days to see if they’re having a negative impact on your health without you even realizing it. Much like our nutrition challenge, Whole30 has you eliminate sugar, grains, dairy, alcohol and legumes… but they’re a lot more strict than we are! See the Whole30 rules HERE. The Whole30 website is a wealth of information and support. Our meal service, Kettlebell Kitchen, offers Whole30 approved meals. And thanks to coach eQ for the tip that Zoe’s Kitchen (in the Collegeville Wegmans plaza) offers Whole30 approved meals as well!
WOD Notes: Donât you cherry pick, you bums. This benchmark comes around only once a year, and it’s going to be a beautiful day for a run! Anyone who canât run may row 5000m or air bike 25 minutes for total distance. Another scaling option is to complete a 1 or 2 mile run. Compare to 170628.
Course directions: Leave ICA parking lot via Jefferson St and head toward Bridge. Turn left on Bridge and run all the way to Nutt Rd (Rt 23). Right on Nutt Rd, run until Main St (just past the hospital). Right on Main St, then Right on Anderson, which you take all the way back to Bridge St. Left on Bridge and back into the gym (by way of Jefferson St).
Nutrition Notes: Day 13/40. If you haven’t checked out the Phoenixville Farmer’s Market yet, it’s a great place to buy fresh and local meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. The market is open on Saturdays from 9:00am until 1:00pm at 200 Mill St (under the Gay Street bridge). Any given Saturday there’s a decent chance you’ll run into another ICAer there! Just be warned – there’s a decent selection of baked goods too, so bring your resolve with you if you go! For a list of providers click HERE (not all are present each week).
OLY WOD:
Power Snatch + hang power snatch + hang snatch complex 1-1-1-1-1
Clean pull + clean (3+1) 1-1-1-1
5 rounds for time of: 10 back squats (50% 1RM), 5 bar muscle ups
Nutrition Note: Day 12/40. What is gluten and why are we avoiding it? Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. It’s in bread, pasta, cereals, baked goods, and most processed foods. Individuals with celiac disease are gluten intolerant and sensitive to even the smallest amounts of gluten. However, many non-celiac individuals have found that they also react negatively to gluten, experiencing bloating, tiredness, stomach pain, or diarrhea. The best way to find out if you are sensitive to gluten is to follow a gluten-free diet for a few weeks and note how you feel. Then re-introduce gluten and see if you react negatively. For our challenge, we’re asking you to eliminate gluten for 40 days. You should get the bulk of your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, and when you need a higher density carb there are many gluten-free grains including oats, rice, corn, quinoa. (Nutrition 201: FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates found in many foods, including wheat. Some believe they are the true culprit for our negative reaction to wheat. Either way, eliminating wheat will solve the problem!)
Come in between 4:30 and 7:00 tonight for Open Gym! You can work on anything you like including a workout from the last week:
Complete for time in any order: 1600m run, 100 wallballs, 100 sit ups
Deadlift 2-2-2-2-2 then 4×15 RDL
Complete 12-9-6-3 reps for time of: power cleans (185/115#), burpees, ring dips
Partner Interval Complete 10 rounds for time of: 25/15cal row, 10 thrusters, 10 pull ups
Complete 40-30-20-10 reps for time of push ups and 2x double unders
AMRAP in 12 minutes of 6 front squats (165/110#), 12 toes to bar
Nutrition Notes: Day 11/40. Todayâs topic is healthy fats. For those on the macro diet, what do you do if you realize youâre coming up short on fat? Some of the best sources of fat are canned coconut milk and avocados. Other inexpensive options are coconut oil, olive oil, and ghee. (Although ghee is derived from butter, itâs healthier than butter, since butter contains butterfat, milk solids and water, whereas ghee is pure butterfat.) When it comes to fats, beware the temptation to use nuts, seeds, and nut butters as a primary fat source, since theyâre not your healthiest option and they tend to be pricey. Also, many nuts are roasted in seed or vegetable oils â a less healthy option – so always go for dry roasted. (For more information on nuts, check out this article from Whole30.)
Pro Shop Notes:Â The United Mettle Pro Shop is open! We will have a United Mettle rep in sometime next week for an official roll out, but you can make purchases starting immediately. If you see something you like, simply check out with a credit card at the kiosk. If you need a different size or color, United Mettle also has an online shop, here. Note that the ICA gear (on a separate rack off to the right of this picture) is NOT part of the pro shop – see Nikki or John to pay for those items.
Schedule Notes: Join Coach Kehl for CrossFit Endurance at 5:30 am and Amy for yoga at 7:00pm!
Nutrition Notes:Â Day 10/40. Congrats ICA, weâre 25% of the way through our challenge! For those who have been adhering to their diet, how are you feeling? Have you dropped any inches, started sleeping better, or have any other improvements to share? If youâve been wavering in your commitment or compliance, itâs not too late to get on board. Join our challenge starting NOW and you can still realize amazing results over the next 30 days. Just read our initial nutrition post HERE and send us an email letting us know youâre in!
Kyle K. staring down a heavy clean (ended up PRing at 200# at age 16)!
Complete 40-30-20-10 reps for time of:
Push ups
Double unders (2x reps)
WOD Notes: Banded push ups or push ups to an elevated position or cutting the reps in half are all valid ways to scale the push up portion of the workout. Anyone who feels like killing it can either try to go 3x DU or shoot for unbroken DU. Have fun with it!
Nutrition Notes: Day 9/40. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet? Most nutritionists will recommend 25-40 grams of fiber per day – from real food sources – to keep your gut happy (and to keep things moving along). Currently, dietary fiber intake among adults in the U.S. averages about 15 grams a day. Fiber is found in plant foods, such as vegetables, nuts and seeds, and legumes. Eating the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables provides a greater dose. Look back at a few days in your eating journal and try to calculate how much fiber you’re eating. If you think you may be low, here are a few challenge-friendly foods that are naturally high in fiber:
1 cup fresh raspberries (8 grams)
1 medium pear with skin (5.5 grams)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (5.5 grams)
1/2 cup (dry) old fashioned rolled oats (5 grams)
1 medium apple with skin (4.5 grams)
1 medium banana (3 grams)
1 cup fresh blueberries (3.5 grams)
œ medium avocado (5 grams)
1 ounce almonds (3.5 grams)
Tip: One of our favorite ways to get fiber is to add 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1/2 cup blueberries to a bowl of oatmeal (1/2 c dry). This adds up to 41g carb, 7g fat, and 7g protein, with 14g fiber. When increasing fiber, be sure to do it gradually and consume plenty of water.
WOD Notes: In this workout, one partner will complete a full round while the second partner rests. Then the second partner will complete a round while the first rests. Continue until each athlete has completed 5 rounds. Choose a thruster weight that will allow you to complete the reps unbroken.
Nutrition Notes: Day 8/40. Remember to keep as accurate a food log as possible during this challenge. Recording quantities, type of food, and (if you’re on macro diet) the total grams of protein, fat and carb are all important to capture what you’re putting into your body. Bonus points for recording time of day! Let us know ASAP if you think you’re undereating, overeating, or if you have any other questions. Having an accurate food journal will help us help you!
Nutrition Notes: Day 7/40. What do you do when youâre hungry but itâs not time for your next meal? One thing to try is a zero calorie beverage. Water is best, but seltzer, unsweetened tea, or black coffee are all options too. However, if youâre routinely hungry outside of your meal times, be sure to let us know. If itâs also accompanied by low energy and/or trouble sleeping, you may just need more calories!
Schedule Notes: Yoga with Jana at 11:15am! Itâs good for the body and soul!
Online Store Notes: We’ve added a car decal and an aluminum water bottle to our online store! Check out our latest products HERE.
Nutrition Notes: Day 6/40. Your diet should include tons of colorful vegetables. Go for local and seasonal whenever possible. When is it worth buying organic? If you’re buying one of these “Dirty Dozen” items, it’s worth paying the extra for organic. Another good rule is if you peel it before eating it (or don’t eat the skin), organic isn’t as important. Frozen vegetables can be a budget friendly option!
WOD Notes: For this workout, you must complete the work listed above but it can be done in any sequence. Four rounds of 400m run, 25 wallballs, 25 sit ups would get the job done but so would chipper style (as written)!
Event Notes: There’s still time to sign up for two upcoming 5k’s! On Sunday Sept 30 many ICAers will run the CHOP 5k with team Maren’s Fierce Fighters. Wear hot pink in honor of Maren! The second 5k is a trail run in Kimberton on Sunday October 7. You can do a 5k run, 5k walk, or 10k run. Remember to join team Iron Cross Athletics and use code “ICA” for $5 off when you register.
Nutrition Notes: Day 5/40. What are you doing to set yourself up for success over the next 3 days – your first weekend of the challenge?! Many of us ace our food prep on M-F, but Saturday and Sunday throw our normal routine into choas. We’re stuck in the car running errands or traveling, we go out on the town, attend family gatherings, watch football games, etc. It’s important to have a plan for what you’ll eat (and when you’ll eat it). Don’t wait until you’re hungry to plan your next meal – that will increase the likelihood of making poor food choices. We recommend that you write down your meal plan first thing every morning… When it’s in writing, you’re more likely to stick to it!
Come in between 4:30 and 7:00 for open gym. You can work on anything you like including a workout from the last week:
Complete 3 rounds for time of: 15 DB push jerks, 50 DU, 25 DB step ups (20/16″), 50 DU
Back Squat 5×3 (80-85% 1RM) then 3×10 RKBS (heavy)
Complete 5 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off: row, lateral burpees over bar, thrusters“2018 Nutrition Performance Test” – max consecutive MU or PU, then for time: 20 deadlifts, 20 box jumps, 20 power cleans, 20 BJ, 20 push jerks, 20 BJ, 20 power cleans, 20 BJ, 20 deads. (135/85# and 24/20″ box)
Complete 20-15-10-5 reps for time of: L/R KB swings and L/R squats, with 2L/2R rope climbs after each round
High hang snatch 5×1 (50%) then Snatch 1-1-1-1-1
Nutrition Note: Day 4/40. Ideally your protein should come from high quality animal sources: meat, fish, and eggs. If your budget allows for it, look for organic chicken, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish. Go for the organic, pastured eggs – even at $5 a dozen, they’re still one of the cheapest sources of high quality protein. Try out lamb, goat, elk, bison, venison. Buy the leanest cuts available and trim all the fat (or skin) before eating. Lastly, avoid commercially-raised processed meats like sausage, deli meats, and bacon (yep, sorry!).
Schedule Notes: Coach Kehl will be running an Endurance WOD at 5:30am. Also, join us for yoga with Amy at 7:00pm. (Drop in for $10 or get unlimited monthly yoga for $15.)
Nutrition Notes: Day 3/40. If you made large changes to your diet for this challenge, it may start to”hit” you today. You may crave foods you’ve eliminated (sweets, breads, dairy, etc). Fight the fight, ICA! After a few more days those cravings will go away and you’ll start to feel better than ever. If you need support, hit us up on our Facebook group.
Event Notes: On November 17, ICA will host Battle on Bridge Street, our first-ever competition that’s open to ICA and non-ICA members! Teams are 1 male and 1 female, scaled or Rx division. If you’ve been thinking of entering a local competition, now is your chance to try one out the comfort of your home box! For more information check out the Facebook or Instagram pages, or go directly to the registration page. Direct questions to Coach Dave (the official event organizer).
Complete 2 left and 2 right handed rope climbs after each round.
Nutrition Challenge: Day 2/40. Reminders:
We will pick our winners primarily based on the performance test; however, body composition and diet adherence are also factors!
All participants are required to keep a food log in which you record WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat. Every meal, every snack, every teaspoon of oil you cook your food in⊠The logs are an extremely valuable resource if you have questions during the challenge. Many athletes use an app such as My Fitness Pal, but an old fashioned paper journal works fine too!
All participants are required to take body measurements, especially if you didn’t do an InBody scan. Please measure your waist (circumference at the belly button) and body weight, and email them to us, ICA honor code! Before and after photos are also a great way to validate your progress, even if you keep them to yourself!
Community Notes: Happy Birthday Sofia and Whitney!
WOD Notes: Today’s workout is our “baseline” performance test for the nutrition challenge. As always, please scale/modify as needed to make the workout safe and effective for you, but take good notes so you can repeat the same exact version on October 19! Pull up options will include bar rows, banded PU, kipping PU, or strict PU. For the metcon, the weight should be moderately heavy, but you should be able to string sets of 5 shoulder to overhead (even mid-workout). If box jumps are too much impact for your knees, modify to step ups or sub a bike or row.
Nutrition Notes: IT’S GAME TIME!!!! Starting tomorrow morning it’s measured, clean eating for 40 straight days! If you have been on the fence about joining our challenge, stop overthinking it and just do it! Add your name to this spreadsheet and talk to us ASAP about getting on an eating plan. This challenge is an amazing opportunity to step up your nutrition game… In previous years many of our athletes have joined in thinking it would be a temporary thing, and they feel so amazing after 6 weeks that it becomes their lifestyle going forward.
Also, please remember that if you “mess up” one day or even for a stretch of days, don’t quit the challenge! Get back on track and finish out strong. Questions or concerns? Hit us up by email or on the ICA Nutrition Facebook group. Let’s do this ICA!!!
Event Note: ICA is an event sponsor for a 5k trail run on October 7 at the Kimberton Waldorf School. It’s a beautiful course and a fun, small event. There is also a 10k course option for our distance athletes. We’d love to have a big ICA turnout at the run (you can also walk…) Register HERE and be sure to join team Iron Cross Athletics! Use code “ICAâ for $5 off.
Come in between 4:30 and 7:00 tonight for open gym. You can work on anything you like including a workout from the last week:
Push Jerk 1-1-1-1-1 then 5×10 DB push presses
AMRAP in 14 minutes of an ascending ladder by 6’s of DB snatches (50/35#), burpees, box jumps
Complete 6 rounds for time of: row (250/200m), 9 power cleans (135/95#), 7 strict chin ups. Rest 2 min after each round.
“Johnson” – AMRAP in 20 minutes of: 9 deads, 8 muscle ups, 9 power cleans
Overhead Squat 7-7-7-7 then 800m run for time
“Diane” 21-15-9 reps for time of: deads (225/155#), HSPU
Schedule Notes: Check the blog tonight to see what Coach Kehl has in store for CFE at 5:30 tomorrow morning! Jana will be running yoga tonight at 7:00 pm. Come out for some core and flexibility work!
Nutrition Notes: If you are taking part in the nutrition challenge, please sign up via this SPREADSHEET. Signing up is free. If you want to get an Inbody scan ($50), you can sign up for a day in that same spreadsheet.
WOD Notes: The scale for handstand push ups will be 2 or 3x regular push ups (or 1 or 2x ring dips). If the high rep deadlifts are concerning to you, we can scale them to 3x KB swings or 2x cal row. Compare to 170919.
Nutrition Notes: We will have a brief nutrition talk / Q and A at the start of each class today. Come with questions about the nutrition challenge that starts next week!
31 Heroes Notes:Â At the live event on 7/28 we raised an additional $735, bringing our fundraising total to $7,655! Thank you to everyone who contributed. We beat our previous best of $7600 (from 2016)! Huge props go to CrossFit Midtown who impressively raised over $10,500 and will be taking home the C2 ski erg. Luckily, we already have one!! đ Thanks for another great year; we’re already looking forward to 2019!
CrossFitâs âHierarchy of Fitness.â Nutrition is the foundation!
Itâs that time of the year again! Time for ICAâs annual Fall Nutrition Challenge! Read the details below and sign up HERE to participate!
What:
ICAâs 2018 Fall Nutrition Challenge
Who:
Every single member at ICA! This a FREE nutrition challenge, so there is no excuse to not join in!
When:
Monday September 10 â Friday October 19
Why:Â
For most of us, “summer” and “clean eating” don’t go hand-in-hand. Cookouts, beer, ice creamâŠÂ much of our summer fun revolves around food. That’s why every Fall we run a nutrition challenge at ICA, designed to kick our summer bad eating habits to the curb and get our diet back on track. For 6 weeks, we’re asking you to cut out all sugar, alcohol, gluten, and dairy. We guarantee that you’ll emerge from this challenge feeling AMAZING and performing better than ever.
How (a.k.a the “Rules”):
Choose your nutrition challenge level (detailed below) and sign up HERE.
Eat “real” foods. Eat meat and vegetables, some fruit, and some starch. Avoid sugar, gluten, dairy, and alcohol. More details below.
Complete the performance test before and after the challenge. We will run it as the daily WOD on 9/10 and 10/19.
Keep a daily food log in which you record WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat. Every meal, every snack, every teaspoon of oil you cook your food inâŠÂ The logs are an extremely valuable resource if you have questions or want help or feedback during the challenge (for instance if you notice that you are low on energy or not seeing results). We will also use the food logs to help select our challenge winners. Many athletes use an app such as My Fitness Pal, but an old fashioned paper journal works fine too!
Take body measurements before and after the challenge.
At a minimum this means your waist (circumference at the belly button) and body weight. Other common measurements include hips, thighs, and arms. You can take these numbers on your own and email them to us, ICA honor code!
New this year we have an InBody Body Composition Analyzer – a professional-grade device that can accurately measure your weight, muscle mass, and body fat. For $50 you can get a before and after InBody scan.
Before and after photos are a great way to validate your progress, even if you keep them to yourself!
Level 1: MACRO(ish)
This is our âintroductory levelâ for the Nutrition Challenge. Your goal is to ensure you are eating a balanced amount of high-quality carbs, protein, and fat.
Allowed foods: Lean meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and certain starches (gluten free)
In order to be “in the running” to win the challenge, you should avoid all of the above foods. However, we recognize that not all “cheats” are the same. If you eat something off the above list, be sure to log it in your journal.
We have developed several eating templates based on your target caloric intake. We will help you pick the appropriate template, and you should follow it for all 6 weeks / 39 days. Templates can be viewed HERE.
You’ll need a set of measuring cups and a food scale. Amazon has a huge selection of food scales in the $10-$15 range.
Level 2: MACRO DIET
For this level, you will eat a precise number of âmacrosâ (i.e., grams of protein, carb, and fat) each day.
If you already know your target macros, simply run them by John or Nikki before the challenge begins.
If you need us to assign your macros, let us know ASAP. We’ll need you to either: (1) complete an InBody scan OR (2) track your food intake for 3 days. Either can serve as a starting point for assigning macros.
This level requires you to weigh and measure EVERYTHING you eat. A food scale and a set of measuring cups is required. Amazon has a huge selection of food scales in the $10-$15 range.
Although the macro diet typically does not require you to cut out any specific food groups, for the purpose of this challenge we ask that you apply âpaleoâ principles as much as possible (i.e. no gluten, dairy, processed foods, etc). We do allow non-gluten starches such as oats, rice, and quinoa.
In order to be “in the running” to win the challenge, you should avoid all alcohol. However, if you treat yourself to a drink or two during the challenge, please limit it to 4oz red wine or 2oz hard alcohol, and include it in your macro calculation as 25g carb. An 8oz beer is strongly discouraged but would also be counted as 25g carb.
Other Diets:
We know several ICA athletes have found success with other diets, such as Renaissance Periodization or the Zone Diet. If you have used one of these methods and are happy with it, you are welcome to follow it for the challenge. Just as with our Level 1 and Level 2 diets, we expect you to follow “paleo” principles as much as possible (no sugar, gluten, or dairy).
InBody 270 Body Composition Analyzer:
New to ICA is our InBody 270, a professional grade device that accurately measures your overall body mass, muscle mass, water mass, and fat mass. It even calculates your basal metabolic rate, i.e. the number of calories your body burns at rest.
Why should I get an InBody scan? Regular weight scales give you one number: your weight. But as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat. So over the course of the challenge, if you build muscle while losing fat, the number on the scale may stay the same or even go up! Getting an InBody scan before and after the challenge will provide you with an accurate picture of how your body composition changed over the 6 week challenge. Your pre-challenge results will also help us select your target macros.
How much does an InBody scan cost? InBody scans will typically cost $35/scan for members and $50/scan for non-members. This price includes a break down / discussion of the results sheet. For the nutrition challenge, we’re offering a 2-scan bundle for $50.
How do I sign up? When you sign up for the nutrition challenge, there is a place to denote whether you want an InBody scan. We will not charge your card until you complete your first scan.
When can I get scanned? You can complete your “before” scan anytime before Tuesday Sept 11. We expect a lot of interest, so we’ve blocked off some “Open House” times in the next week when we’ll run people through first come first serve. Please indicate on the Nutrition Sign Up Page if you plan to attend one of these times. If you can’t make any of these times, contact us to make an appointment.
Thursday September 6, 4:00-5:30pm
Saturday September 8, 6:45-8:15am
Sunday September 9, 8:30-10:30am
Do I need to fast before myscan? Yes, in order to get the most accurate results, please follow these guidelines.
Challenge Winners:Â
At the end of the challenge we will pick 3 winners – one Beginner, one Advanced, and one Spirit award. “Beginner” members are anyone who has been with ICA less than a year, or for whom this is their first nutrition challenge with us. Winners will be selected primarily on performance improvements, but we will also consider body measurements (especially InBody results) and diet adherence.
Shout out to our challenge winners from the last 2 years!
2017:Â Megan S (beginner), Moira (experienced), Christine (spirit)
2016: Chris Sigal (L1) Karen Smith (L2), Heather (spirit)
ICA Nutrition Club:
We have a Facebook group that was set up during last yearâs challenge to provide members with a place to ask questions, share knowledge, post recipes, and generally provide support. If you want to join the group, link HERE.
We will run a short âkick offâ in classes on Wednesday 9/5. Come with questions!
Join us between 7:30-10:30 am for open gym. You can work on anything youâd like, including making up a workout you missed, retesting your âbaseline,â or try your hand at this hero WOD:
“Johnson”
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
9 deadlifts (245/165#)
8 muscle ups
9 cleans (155/105#)
Hero Notes: U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, of the 7th Communications Battalion, 3rd Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, headquartered in Okinawa, Japan, died Sept. 8, 2009, while supporting combat operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. See 100709.
Newest additions to our Loyal Member board. Congrats on your 1 year anniversaries!
Complete 6 rounds, each for time:
Row (250/200m)
9 power cleans (135/95#)
7 chin ups
Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
WOD Notes: We’ll record the time for each round. Scale as needed to keep moving FAST through each movement. Rounds should take less than 3 minutes each.
Community Note: Happy birthday Fili!
Yoga Note: Do you want to improve your flexibility, balance, core strength, and stress?!? Then join Jana for Yoga at 11:15am! Yoga memberships are $15/month for current ICA members, or drop in on any yoga class for $10. Members and non-members are welcome.
WOD Notes: This workout is what you need! For those that cannot handstand walk 50 yds, we will dedicate some time to the skill of getting inverted. In large classes, the more experienced handstanders will row first while the less experienced can work on inversions while they are fresh.
Schedule Notes: All regular classes on Labor Day (Sep 3rd) are cancelled and have been replaced with a 3 hour open gym from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. Come on in and have some fun!
5k Notes: On Oct 7 ICA will be sponsoring a 5k trail run at the Kimberton Waldorf School. For more information, you can click HERE.
Nutrition Notes: Our Fall nutrition challenge will kick off on Monday, September 10 and run through Friday, October 19. New for this year we purchased a professional body composition scale (InBody) that will be available for anyone who wants better before/after data. Additional cost applies – details will be posted soon.
WOD Notes: Both partners will run the 800m together at the beginning and end. The 6 rounds can be partitioned any way you like between partners but must be done in order.
Community Notes:Â Happy Birthday Rob G and Saritha!
Faith showing off a good squat that she’s been working on for years!
âNancyâ
5 rounds for time of:
400m run
15 overhead squats (95/65#)
WOD Notes: This is one of our ICA Benchmarks for 2018. Run fast! We will have a 25 minute time cap. Anyone with limited shoulder mobility, should complete front squats instead of OHS. Compare to 170620.
WOD Notes: Compare to main page 180806. Anyone without bar MU can divide the reps between C2B and regular PU. Anyone without C2B can do all pull ups (basically Fran but in reverse order!).
Joe S. breaking in the ski erg with a 200 cal effort!
Partner Interval:
Complete 20 rounds for time of:Â
12 deadlifts (135/95#)
10 lateral plyo skier hops (24/20″)
8 shuttle runs (10 yds)
WOD Notes: Partner interval means that one partner will complete a full round of this workout while the other partner rests, then switch. Continue until 20 rounds (10 per partner) are complete. The lateral plyo skier hops are 10 total, 5 per side. Consider dropping the reps to 10-8-6 if any of these movements concern you. Go fast!
WOD Notes: Make sure to come in for this ICA tradition! Bring a friend for free! It is a great benchmark for your conditioning and mental toughness. Scaling options include 100 or 150 burpees for time. There will be a 25 minute cap on this WOD. Compare to 170819.
WOD Notes: Today’s cleans will pass through a full squat. The ascending weights should start moderately heavy and progress to heavy (NTE 90% 1RM). If you are unsure of what weights to use, consider choosing an intermediate weight and completing 5 reps each round. Anyone not comfortable going overhead can modify to cleans.
WOD Notes: The deadlifts today are designed to be a lot of hard work. Try to find a single weight at which the reps are challenging but technically sound and hold on for 4 sets of 8. During the assistance work, try to go unbroken. It may not be possible on the evil wheels.
WOD Notes: Try to move fast on this lung burner! The scale for double unders will be 2x or 3x single unders. Barbell thrusters can be scaled to front squats or DB thrusters and anyone doing strict or banded pull ups should cut the reps to 10 or 15.
Some teens from the summer program hustling through a tire flip!
Complete 10 rounds for time of:
3 power snatches (135/95#)
7 burpee box jumps (24/20″)
WOD Notes: Picking the right scales/modifications will be important to keep this workout in the right time domain! There will be a 15 minute cap, but your goal should be to complete the first round in less than a minute. To accomplish this, the power snatches do not need to be “touch and go,” but they should be fast singles.Â
Community Notes: United Mettle is running a Games promo, offering 15% off knee sleeves and 20% off all King Kong bags (discount codes KNEEME15 and KINGME20, respectively). Click HERE to visit their store. Please use our direct link soICA will get a kick back on each purchase, which we will donate to 31Heroes!
Schedule Notes: The 12:00 and 4:00pm classes are cancelled for today.
“31 Heroes” – if doing solo perform 31 min AMRAP of 200m sandbag run, 10 thrusters, 3 rope climbs, 18 box jumps.
5 rounds for max reps of 30s on, 30s off: hang power cleans (135/85#), lateral hops over the bar, floor wipers
Hang muscle snatch 1-1-1-1, hang power snatch 1-1-1-1, hang snatch 1-1-1-1
“Strict Nicole” – AMRAP in 20 minutes of: 400m run, max reps strict pull ups
Partner Interval: Complete 16 rounds for time of: 8 DB thrusters (50/35#), 30 double unders
Schedule Notes: There are several schedule changes over the next few days due to 5 of our coaches being out of town. Thanks to Tanya, Iggy, and Sarge for running the gym in our absence!
Thursday – No 5:30am CF Endurance class
Thursday – Open Gym starts at 5:00pm
Friday – No 12:00pm or 4:00pm classes
Saturday – No Olympic class. Gym opens at 7:30am.
Yoga Notes: Our regular Thursday night yoga instructor (Amy) is away for most of August. Our Sunday instructor (Jana), is teaching in her place. Jana recently revamped her yoga class to better meet the needs and wants of our members – you’ll notice more mobility work (especially hip opening) and less emphasis on strength (such as planks and balance holds). Come check out the new format and please give us your feedback
Community Notes: Congratulations to Katie L on the birth of George William Albert Lamac and to Frank and Cindy on the birth of Jack Cecil Weldele! Both babies were born on 7/31 and both moms are doing great!
Complete 16 rounds for time (partner interval style) of:
8 DB thrusters (50/35#)
30 double unders
WOD Notes: Partner interval means that one athlete will complete a full round of this workout while the other rests, then switch. Keep alternating rounds until 16 rounds (8 each) are completed. The goal in this workout is to choose a weight such that the thrusters are unbroken each round.
WOD Notes: “Nicole” is one of the original CrossFit benchmarks, but today we’re doing it with strict pull ups. Every time you drop off the bar, head out for another 400m run! Pick a scale that allows you to get at least 10 reps your first round. Scale by kipping, adding a band, or doing ring rows. Slower runners may consider a 250m instead of a 400m. Score is total number of pull ups completed.
WOD Notes: Pick a weight for the HPC that allows you to hang on for all 30 seconds. You’ll use the same bar for floor wipers.
Schedule Notes: There is no 9:00am WOD today, just the 10:00am. Please reserve a spot only if you are 100% committed to attending. Also, our last FREE YOGA session is at 11:15. Guests are welcome!
31Heroes Notes: Thank you for an amazing day! We had 129 participants, including 8 kids in the 11am heat, if you missed it! We collected an additional $695 cash, bringing our fundraising total to $7,431. Online donations are open through September 30, so we have a long time to go before we find out if we won the C2 ski erg. Of course… thanks to you all we already have a ski erg!! Thank you so much for the anniversary gift; we can’t wait to torture you all with it!
Please extend a warm ICA welcome to our guests from CrossFit Rage, CrossFit Apex, CrossFit Lock 60, CrossFit Prime, CrossFit Mainline, and CrossFit King of Prussia!
WOD Notes:  This WOD was designed for Carver’s 1st birthday, and has become an annual benchmark in his honor! It consists of some of John and Nikki’s favorite movements in the gym. (Can you guess which were Nikki’s and which were John’s?) The scale for muscle ups is 3x push ups.  Compare to 170728.
Schedule Notes: There is no 6:00pm class today.
Lost & Found Notes: Items will be donated tomorrow to clear things out for 31 Heroes. Please check the bin or, if you can’t make it in tomorrow, send us an email if you think an item of yours might be there.
Apparel Note:Â We made a big change at the online apparel store. Everything is now available at wholesale cost (0% mark-up)! We LOVE seeing our members wear ICA gear, and we want you to be able to buy it, customize it, and enjoy it for less. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being part of the ICA community!
Schedule Note: We are planning to cancel the 6:00pm class this Friday. If you were planning to attend and are unable to make any other class times, please let us know ASAP!
Apparel Note: We’ve added 2 new designs to our online apparel store! Shout out to Ricky and Smith for coming up with the DEDICATED design. If you didn’t already know, our online apparel is fully customizable through the “Customize this Product” link. You can add text, logos, change the colors, etc. Orders over $75 ship for free! Link to our new designs HERE.
31Heroes Note: Teams and heat times are posted HERE! Let us know ASAP if you see any errors. If you don’t like your randomly assigned team name, email us a better one!
WOD Notes: Don’t cherry pick this ICA classic! This is an awesome benchmark for mid length conditioning. Compare to 121012. Â
31 Heroes Notes: Tomorrow is technically the last day to register for 31 Heroes at the gym although we won’t be in to pick up the sign up sheets until Sunday afternoon. Get your name on the list if you’re interested!
Schedule Notes: Due to coach (un)availability during the first week of August, we have updated Wellness Living to reflect the following schedule changes:
Thu Aug 2 – no CF Endurance; Open Gym starts at 5:00pm
Fri Aug 3 – no 9:30, 12:00, or 4:00. Classes at 5:15am, 6:15am, 5:00pm and 6:00pm
Sat Aug 4 – no Olympic class, gym will open at 7:30am for Daily WOD & Open Gym
Join us between 4:30 and 7:00pm for Open Gym! You can do any workout youâd like, or make up a workout from the past week:
Complete 5 rounds for time of: 400m run, 30 box jumps, 30 wallballs
Complete 5 rounds for time of: 5 hang clean thrusters, 10 t2b, 15 deadlifts (155/95#), rest 1 minute after each round.
In one minute complete 5 back squats (80%) then max box jumps (20/16″), rest 2 minutes and repeat for a total of 6 rounds.
Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 then 5×10 KB bench press
Complete max reps in 4-3-2-1 minutes of: row (calories), rope climbs
“Nasty Girls” – 3 rounds for time of: 50 air squats, 7 muscle ups, 10 HPC (135/95#)
Reminder: Check the comments to see what Coach Kehl has in store for CFE tomorrow morning. Also, tomorrow night is free yoga with Amy. Come check it out!
Complete max reps in 4 minutes at each of the following stations:
Row (1 cal = 1 rep)Â
Rope climbsÂ
Then repeat for 3 minutes at each, then 2 minutes, then 1 minute. Record total cal rowed and total climbs.
WOD Notes: Good news, there is no built in transition time! This workout will be run on a 20 minute clock. Work hard right to the end of the time and then get to the next station.
WOD Notes: Racks will be used for back squats today which means you will be in groups ranging from 1 to 3 people. Groups of 3 will have to work as well oiled machines to ensure the right weights end up on the bar for each person. Box jumps may be performed dynamic. You can jump off the top of the box immediately after landing as long as you hit full extension of the hips and knees somewhere on or above the box.
WOD Notes: Once the workout starts, everyone will be tracking their own times. Â If you finish round 1 at 1:07, youâll begin round 2 at 2:07. Â We will record total time for the workout.
WOD Notes:  This is a benchmark WOD, and itâs a long one! The fastest athletes can finish this in the low 20 minute range, but it is more often in the 30-40 minute range. We will have a 35 minute time cap; please scale accordingly! One scaling option for this WOD is to do 3 rounds instead of 5. Another option is to do 1/2 reps of box jumps and wall balls. Compare to 170708.
Join us between 4:30 and 7:00pm for Open Gym! You can do any workout you’d like, or make up a workout from the past week:
AMRAP in 16 minutes of: max consecutive muscle ups, w/ 100 DU after each break. (Modification: AMRAP in 16 of 20 pull ups, 20 push ups, 100 DU)
Clean & Jerk 1-1-1-1-1, then 3 x 10 consecutive power clean & jerks
Complete 7 rds for time of: 25 yd overhead walking lunge (45/25# plate), 15 box jumps (24/20″). Cash out: WALK for 15 minutes with 50/35# wreckbag for max distance
Every 4 minutes for 40 minutes complete a 400m run or 400m row. (Alternate rounds of running and rowing until you complete 5 rds of each.)
Complete for time: 10 burpees, 20 power snatches (115/75#), 30 burpees, 40 power clean & jerks (115/75#), 50 burpees
Overhead squat 3-3-3-3-3 then 50-40-30-20-10 reps not for time of: hollow rocks, sit ups
Schedule Notes: There will be will be no 12:00pm class this Friday. All other classes are on as normally scheduled!
Every 4 minutes for 40 minutes complete a 400 meter RUN or 400 meter ROW.
WOD Notes: Alternate rounds of running and rowing until you complete 5 of each.
Event Notes: In case you missed it, our annual 31 Heroes fundraiser is taking place on July 28! Check out our event page for more details. Sign up sheets are on the desk. You can sign up as a full team of 4, a partial team (2 or 3 athletes), or a free agent, and we’ll help you fill out the rest of your team! Remember to share our team fundraising page with your friends and family to help us reach our $5,000 goal. The team who raises the most funds by September 30 will win a Concept 2 Ski Erg and a prize pack from RockTape!
Cash out: Â WALK for 15 minutes with 50/35 lbs wreck bag for max distance
Reminder: If you registered for class but can no longer attend, please remove your name at least an hour before class begins to avoid a $10 late cancel fee. This policy applies to all weekend classes. Thank you!
Reminder 2: There is no yoga today. The next yoga class will be Thursday July 19!
WOD Notes: The Rx version of today’s WOD is designed for athletes who can hit multiple muscle ups in a row even when tired. Your score will be the total number of muscle ups completed. We’ll have several scaling options. For instance, if you can do MU but only 1-2 at a time, consider picking a number to hit each round (3-5 range). If MU aren’t in your repertoire, the second version of the WOD is for you. Score will be number of rounds completed.
3 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off, of: 1-arm DB thrusters, toes to bar, 1-arm DB snatches, row for calories
Max distance broad jump then front squat 8-8-8
With a partner, alternating movements, complete 8 rounds of: 20 box jumps (24/20″), 20/15 calorie row, and 20 DB snatch (50/35#)
Schedule Notes: Both CrossFit Endurance and Yoga are cancelled for today. We apologize for the inconvenience. Coach Kehl still plans to post an Endurance WOD to comments, which can you do during Open Gym!
ICA is closed today. Rest up, and enjoy this day celebrating with family and friends!
If you don’t already have plans, it’s not too late to join us for a day of outdoor fun in Bethel, PA (about 75 min from Phoenixville). We’ll be swimming, fishing, and hiking up to the coolest (actually coldest) little swimming hole on the Appalachian Trail. Most of the day we’ll be hanging at the community lodge, where there is plenty of shade, bathrooms and a kitchen. There will be a grill available, as well as a microwave and a fridge/freezer. It’s BYO – please bring food and drinks for yourself and some to share!
Plan to arrive anytime after 11:00am. If you’re still hanging come 5:00/6:00pm we’ll move the party to our cabin where we’ll light a fire and roast some marshmallows. Overnight guests are welcome – BYO tent! Text Nikki or John for directions at 203-558-7281 or 717-572-3994.
