If you train long enough, you will eventually suffer minor injuries. A minor injury is one that doesn't prevent you from continuing your training in a modified manner (even if that modification is simply dealing with pain). But the last thing you want is a minor injury turning into a major one. So keep a couple of things in mind: 

1. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - Don't ever skimp on icing an injury just because it is 'minor'. Neglecting the ice causes the injury to linger for longer periods of time, which in turn raises the chance of the injury becoming aggravated. Treat even minor injuries aggressively!

2. Easy on the Vitamin I - Ibuprofen might help you get deal with soreness and pain, but studies have shown that high doses of Ibuprofen actually inhibit muscle protein synthesis. In other words, too much Ibuprofen can be counter-productive for optimal recovery. Keep it under 400mg a day if possible.

3. Fish Oil! Here's the calculator I use, whether I am banged up or not: http://whole9life.com/fish-oil/

3. Make sure your minor injury isn't really a major one in disguise - If your minor injury is lingering and not improving, go get it checked out! Your body tends to heal minor injuries given time and rest, so if the injury isn't healing, then something isn't right. The corollary of this is make sure you know what is actually injured. Sometimes 'back pain' has little to do with your back and is actually a symptom of something else down the chain. ​

Diesel being Diesel

Today's Workout:

A. Every 3 minutes for 5 rounds

    3 paused back squats (3 count pause)

    *warm up to a heavy set and use the same weight across

B. Tabata mash-up

    L hang
    plank hold
    V hold

Posted by Commish

One of Emily's first pull-ups, and yes it really did look like this!!

Today's Workout:

A. Every 2.5 minutes for 6 rounds:

    3 snatch grip deadlift + 3 hang power snatch + 3 overhead squats

    *work up to a heavy set

B. For time:

    "Choose your own Adventure"

    150 double-unders
    1000m row
    75 wall balls
    50 pull-ups

    *complete the workout in the order and rep scheme of your choosing

Posted by Commish

Here's some hump day motivation for y'all! This woman is 100 years old and still makes time to workout and run regularly. She holds several track and field records and didn't even start competing until her late 60's. Check out her story here and the video below!

Today's Workout:

5 rounds for time:
400m run
15 supine rows
15 overhead sit ups (35/25)
15 push ups

Posted by Megan

Maybe not all of them, but I'll do my best!
​
Starting next week, I'm going to be covering a variety of nutrition based topics throughout the month of May. I'll be going over things such as, different diets and what they all mean (mainly: Paleo, Ketogenic, IIFYM), supplementation, protein shakes, etc. The idea here is to answer any questions y'all have regarding your nutrition and your fitness, and create some clarity on what can be a very tricky thing to navigate. If there is anything you would like to see covered, feel free to shoot me an email or come talk to me at the gym so that I can make sure I get your questions answered. 

Greg getting through some thrusters

Today's Workout:

A. Every 2 minutes for 5 rounds:
    1 push press + 1 push jerk + 1 split jerk
    *work up to a heavy set

B. For time:
    20-15-10-5
    Push press (95/65)
    Front squats
   *EMOTM 5 burpees

Posted by Megan

Congratulations to Alin & Myles and Sally & David who competed in the California Affiliate League event at RC CrossFit on Saturday! They crushed four workouts over the course of six hours and put on a great show while doing it. This was each of their first competition and it was a great experience for them participating in such a challenging event. Make sure to give them a high five if you see them at the gym this week because they deserve it!

P.S. We will be keeping the community informed about upcoming competitions, so if you're interested let us know!

Today's Workout:

A. EMOTM 10
    odd - 30 seconds hollow rock
    even - 10 renegade rows

B. For time:

    1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

    box jumps (30/24)
    handstand push-ups
    knees to elbows

    *run 200m after each odd numbered round

Posted by Commish

Happy Friday 818!

Tomorrow CrossFit 818 is sending two teams to RC CrossFit in Moreno Valley! If you're interested in coming down to watch and cheer on our athletes, plug 12125 Day St., Suite E317, Moreno Valley (map) into your GPS and plan on being there from about 2 PM - 8 PM. Admission is free!

CrossFit 818 has been involved in a number of competitions over the years and it's great to see people getting back into it! David & Sally and Myles & Alin will participate in 4 workouts that will test their fitness and mental toughness. If you have ever played a competitive sport you know what it's like to rev the engine and challenge yourself. Send good vibes their way!

Today's Workout:

A. 1 mile run

B. For time:

    21-18-15-12-9-6-3

    calorie row
    burpees
    wall balls (20/14)

Posted by Commish

Sure, there was a lot of it along the 10-mile course but Tough Mudder is so much more than what it seems. It was indeed a long day with wicked dust storms and the sun angrily beating down from above. At the end of the day everyone on the CrossFit 818 team was tired, hungry and pretty beat up. The event lived up to its name as it was most certainly not for the faint of heart.

But, again, Tough Mudder is more than death waivers and discomfort.

The "more" part is you and the people that were beside you. Put more specifically, it is what you accomplished together.

This was my third Tough Mudder and I can say that this was by far the most fulfilling experience I have had participating in one. There is something to be said about the look in someone's eyes when they conquer something that only a few minutes before absolutely terrified them. There was a lot of that this past Saturday, it was both inspiring and invigorating to be a part of. Everyone at some point along the course needed a helping hand or a word of encouragement and every one of those needs was met with great aplomb.

You see, Tough Mudder is a rite of passage. A reminder that you, yes little ol' you, are capable of incredible feats through teamwork. An extrapolation of this can, and should, be applied to our daily lives. There are few things that we can truly do on our own, and those things so often pale in comparison to what we can accomplish together. Show someone how to do something. Pull or push them as needed. Carry them to safety if you have to. The Tough Mudder course and our lives are both treacherous places. Never forget that you are capable of more than you think, and most importantly, you are not alone.

Today's Workout:

For time:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

power cleans (135/95)

*20 abmat sit-ups and 20 double-unders between each round

Hey folks! In just a few weeks, the CrossFit Regionals will begin which means you all have the opportunity to go watch the top athletes in California throw down to see who will make it to the Games this year. The dates for the California Regional are May 13-15. You can get your tickets through the CrossFit Games main site, games.crossfit.com. In case you're wondering what it's all about, here's a video of last year's Regional.

Today's Workout:

A. 1rm overhead squat

B. Max reps at 80% of A

C. Max reps at 60% of A

D. 1 overhead squat at 100% of A

Posted by Megan

No, I'm not talking about the scale you use in workouts for your pull ups. I mean, the scale you probably have in your bathroom or bedroom that plays a big role in our body image. Unless you are competing in a sport that involves weight classes or you have medical reasons, the scale should not be a factor in how you view your body or perceive your body. The old saying, "muscle weighs more than fat" isn't necessarily true in that a pound is still a pound. But, the meaning of that saying is that fat takes up more volume or space than muscle, therefore making it seem like muscle "weighs more" because it's compact and dense. Being that we lift weights regularly and train the way we do, CrossFitters in general have more muscle than the average person making our number on the scale sometimes jump up a little and that's not a bad thing. Also, the scale can lie. Your weight fluctuates throughout the day based on how much you've eaten, what you've eaten, how much water you've had, diuretic consumption (coffee, tea, alcohol), if you've worked out, if you've used the restroom, ladies: time of the month, etc. The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning before any food and liquid consumption, but even then the day before can have a big impact on your weight and can skew your results for the worse. 

 A more positive way to check in with our aesthetic goals is by seeing if our clothes are fitting differently and where they're fitting differently. Are your pants looser in the waist? Thumbs up! You've lost some belly fat. Are your tops a bit baggier than they used to be? That would be from some lost fat in your upper body such as, your back, arms, and midsection. You need to get jeans with stretch? Your legs have developed some muscle tone which isn't going to be as forgiving as fat (that's good!).

The point is folks, there's a better way to check in with your body image than hopping on the scale and seeing what it says. By eating clean and working out regularly, you're leaps and bounds ahead of thousands of other people out there. Keep up the hard work!
​

Marty and Myles working on their summer abs

Today's Workout:

Every 10 minutes for 4 rounds:
500m row/400m run
40 squats
30 kb swings (53/35, USSR)
20 push ups
10 pull ups

Posted by Megan

Today's Workout:

6 rounds:

6 kettlebell clean and jerks (70/53)
8 front rack lunges
10 toes-to-bar
300m run

Posted by Commish