Our new CrossFit 818 T-Shirts are in! Get yours before they're gone and represent your second home in style! We're also going to be getting CF818 hoodies soon! Look for more information on pre-orders soon. 

Also, we just received our latest Stronger, Faster, Healthier order. So anyone who is running low on fish oil and/or whey protein should pick some up.

Finally, a quick word on the Christmas and New Year's Holiday scheduling: CrossFit 818 will be closed on December 24th and 25th, and also on December 31st and January 1st. We'll send out some more information on holiday hours soon along with a lot of other good stuff, so keep your eye out for our email!

Today's Workout
"Tabata Something Else"

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed 
by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are 
pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals 
are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. 
There is no rest between exercises.

Score is total number of reps.

Okay everyone…they are out there. Could be a family member, a co-worker, your neighbor, a friend of a friend…

Who is your CrossFit 818 CheerLeader? 

You know, the person that supports your CF efforts from afar. The person that is so happy for you but won't give it a shot for themselves. Tell us about them:

-Do they support your CF efforts? How?
-Do they talk about how they are going to start soon??? And they don’t. Do you think they will join in the future?
-Were you a former CF CheerLeader and now you have seen the light? How did you do it?

-Any interesting/funny CF cheerleader stories?

Sound off in the comments CF 818'ers. Paint us a picture:-)

Today's Workout
EMOTM for 10 minutes:
2 Deadlifts
then...
AMRAP 10 minutes:
Double Unders
*every time the rope stops you must perform 20 hollow rocks

Posted by Chris.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with their friends and family! Most of you have probably heard me at one time or another mention one of our key principles at CrossFit 818: we work hard in here (the gym), so that we can live our lives and play out there. To that end, CrossFit encourages people to learn and play new sports.

But coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday and heading into the Christmas and New Year season, there's one "game" I want all of you to avoid. You know what I'm talking about... that game that starts with Thanksgiving Dinner, proceeds through December with "I'm really busy at work", heads into the final stretch with "but I'm out of town for Christmas", and concludes with yet another New Year's resolution you aren't going to keep. You've worked your butt off thus far and made incredible gains, so don't throw it all away playing the six-week long holiday excuse game! You'll come to regret it later...

Don't worry! If playing the Holiday Excuse Game is an annual tradition for you, come talk to the coaches and we'll help you sit this one out (by working hard at the gym!)

Today's Workout
Complete For Time:
50 OH Walking Lunges (45/25)
40 Toes-to-Bar
30 Burpees
20 Pull-ups (Chest to Bar)
10 Man-makers (45/30 Dumbbells)

Posted by Zareh.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  Remember that today we're only open for 1 class at 9:30 AM.  Come by for a sweet team workout to really earn all that great food you all crushed last night!

That said, I'm kinda bummed to tell all of ya that one of our own beloved members is moving out of LA to chase her sweet goals and live the life she wants.  Mandy Paulson, a regular face in the morning classes, left LA on Wednesday afternoon, heading south.  If I'm not mistaken, by this posting, she's somewhere in Joshua Tree, enjoying the beauty out there before she moves on even further south.  I hope that most of you met Mandy at some point, and would immediately recognize the big, ever present smile plastered all over her face.  Her great attitude, loving personality, and incredibly friendly disposition made her a real presence in all the classes she attended, especially her regular 6:30 AM stints (what, what!!).  

Mandy, you are already sorely missed!  You'll always have a spot in our classes, so when you make it back to the City of Angels, we'd love to have ya.  Good luck, safe travels, and stay awesome, girl :)

Today's Workout

"Team Thankful Thirty"
Get ready to have fun with this awesome team-based workout.  Here are the movements, details will be covered in class tomorrow!

Box jumps
Jumping pull-ups
KB swings
Walking Lunges
Knees to elbows
Push press
Back extensions
Wall ball
Burpees
Double unders

Posted by Armen.

The coaches at CrossFit 818 wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's Workout
REST

Posted by Zareh.

One of the things we talk about when introducing new people to CrossFit 818 is the importance of our community. Our community is comprised of people who are committed to and serious about fitness in their everyday lives. But within that framework is a tremendous amount of diversity in terms of each individual's story, journey towards fitness, and their ultimate goals. We want to celebrate that diversity by presenting to you select CrossFit 818 athlete profiles, which we'll do regularly in the coming weeks.

Our first athlete profile also happens to be our very first member at CrossFit 818: Chris A.

I've known Chris for years, and suffice it to say that his transformation is nothing short of amazing. I'm incredibly proud of him for what he's accomplished in such a relatively short time and have every confidence that he will achieve anything he puts his mind to if he continues working as hard as he has worked to get to where he is today.

When did you first start CrossFitting?:


I first started CrossFitting, in November 2010 through a group-on deal I found online.

When did you first start training at CF 818?:

I started training at 818 from day one, first member at the gym signed up March 7th 2011.

Tell us about your sports and fitness background:

Growing up my parents tried to keep me active, so I played basketball briefly, which did not go well, and I played tennis since I was three. I continued with tennis all throughout highschool and coached as soon as I graduated. Even with some of the activities I had in my life my fitness was way below average, I was heavy and out of shape, and at one point weighed 320 pounds. Coming from a family of heart disease and obesity, I was following the path down a short life.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD...what was it, and how did it feel?

I was first exposed to CrossFit through coach Armen. When he started he would not shut up about it, and when I started to exercise and lose weight, he became more adamant about Crossfit.


My first WOD was "The Chief". At first I looked at the WOD and thought how hard could this be, simple movements, low reps, hell there were even rests in between rounds. I can totally handle this. After one round using 65 lbs for the cleans, I was light headed and couldn't breath, and sat down for the rest of the time. I scored a very solid 3 rounds on "The Chief"!

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)?:

I have seen huge changes from CrossFit. I'm down to 218lbs. and a 36 inch waist. I weigh less then I did when I was 15 and feel amazing. Full of energy, far more active, and just overall in a far better place than I ever was before.

What sort of change in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected?

I have found I'm more willing to try new things and far more active. I've picked up a few hobbies, including rock climbing which I never thought I would be interested in. Now I just want to get out there and learn any sport I can. This season my goal is to learn how to snowboard and come summer I'll be on a surf board.

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CF 818 moments:

Some of the best moments are those milestones you hit, first pull up, first time running a mile without stopping, hitting a big lift, those are all great times, but my absolute favorite is when the 6:30pm crew got started.
The workout was 21-15-9 deadlifts @ 225# between each set run 400 m. One of the first WODs I was doing at RX and that class Aram and Geoff were there. 3-2-1 go! and we all went at it. It was brutal! 225 got very heavy very quickly, and it's hard to run on legs that feel like jello, but we finished, all three of us trying to breathe laying on the floor laughing at how hard that was. From then, we stayed in touch and started the 6:30 crew.

Any advice for people just getting started?

CrossFit is hard, if you come in and it takes you 12 minutes to do Fran, don't worry we are in the same boat! We are training like some of the best in the world, and it's ok if we are not great at it. Just keep showing up, keep working hard, don't let the frustration stop you, let it be the motivation to get better to be stronger and to improve. Oh and the first week is going to suck and you are going to feel like hell, drink lots of water.

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?

I have found myself enjoying the outdoors more than I could have imagined. Climbing, hiking, playing tennis. I have great interest in Philosophy and plan on getting my masters to teach one day. Also I can wiggle my ears =D.

Today's Workout
10 rounds for time:
10 Kettlebell Swings (70/53)
5 Burpee Broad Jumps*

*Instead of a jump up at the end of the burpee, perform a broad jump for distance. Men must jump at least 6 feet and women must jump at least 4 feet. 

Posted by Zareh.

In your FITness, Career and the other important areas of your life it is easy to compare what you want to what others have...Or is it?

"I wish I could do as many ____ as he/she can!"
"Why can't I go as fast in the ____as he/she can?!"

Also, in life and career:

-"I want to be rich and famous"
-"Why can't I catch a break like _____ can"

We are all fascinated by celebrities, athletes and people of stature and the achievements they have accomplished. Even your friends you CrossFit with or people you admire that are not necessarily famous but have achieved FITness or career levels that you 'wish' to attain. It is easy to compare them to our personal achievements and beat ourselves up for not being in a similar position.

But are you doing a FULL comparison???

If you haven't put in the blood, sweat and tears they have, can you honestly compare yourself to them?...Hell NO! What do you expect?

If you want the success and income of your Millionaire Next Door, how does your resume stack up compared to his/her? Have you put in the hours they have? What connections have you build? Do you put in the extra work to do what it takes..... Do you even KNOW what it takes to get to the Next Level?

If you are upset after a workout that had lets say, ring pushups, and the person next to you crushed you and your time, how does your CrossFit resume compare to theirs? How many WODs have you done compared to them? How sound is your nutrition? Do you work on your weaknesses? Etc...

If you want to hit a golf ball like Tiger Woods, how does your weekly approach to your golf game compare to his?

Speaking of Tiger Woods check out this post to help "drive home" :-) this topic more:

It Takes a Lot to Be a Tiger
Think of Tiger Woods. He has been golfing since age three. You may flip on the US Open one Sunday afternoon, see Tiger valiantly trying to force a playoff on one leg, and you may still think, “Gosh, I wish I had a swing like that!” After the tournament, you go out to the driving range, grab two buckets of balls, and work on your drive. Monday comes around: do you go and hit three buckets? Tiger would. You see that Tiger has hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsements and winnings; you see the perfect drive Monday on his 91st hole that will put him in position to seal the tournament. You don’t see the Tiger that is at the driving range, fifteen minutes after dark, squinting through the night to see if his 300th iron shot of the day went to where he had planned. You don’t see all of the work he and his father put into his craft since he was three. You see the end product, which makes him less of a role model, and more a center of envy.If Tiger’s principles, rather than his persona, were your role model, you would go out on Monday, hit three buckets of balls, then go again Tuesday and hit four. He should not be your role model because he birdied the 18th hole to force a playoff on Sunday. He should be your role model because of how he put himself in position to do so. It was the role Tiger’s dedication played in his success that should be your model. What if Tiger fails? What happens if Tiger Woods ends up double bogeying the 18th hole, not forcing a playoff, and loses? Does Tiger’s failure mean you should not admire the hell out of the fact he played with a torn ACL and two stress fractures—enough kneedamage that would keep most of us on the couch asking if someone could please hand over the remote? Found from HERE


Next time your compare, don't compare only what you see, find out what you DON'T see, and if you don't compare to the work they put in...Stop Crying or Suck It Up!

From my personal blog: cpmfitness.blogspot.com

Today's Workout
A. 3 x 3 Power Cleans + 3 Front Squats
B. Max reps rope climb (touch and go at bottom, no rest)
C. 3 rounds for time:
200m run
3 Power Clean (185/125)
3 Shoulder to Overhead (185/125)
3 Power Clean
3 Shoulder to Overhead

Posted by Chris.

Seven weeks ago, we began our Paleo Challenge with 35 entrants. Everyone who finished the challenge will likely tell you that they won something, be it self-confidence, a clearer understanding of how food impacts their bodies, or even the outlines of their abs! But like all challenges, there was one individual who went above and beyond the others...

Congratulations to Scott and all the other winners on a fantastic challenge! Keep an eye out on your in-boxes for our next CrossFit 818 Challenge!

Today's Workout
"Invictus 20-minute work capacity test"
AMRAP 20 minutes
20 thrusters (135/95)
20 burpees
20 pull-ups

Posted by Zareh.

While watching the Thursday night football game, I couldn't help but marvel at how one athlete managed to yet again ratchet up his game when the pressure was the greatest. Tim Tebow is now 4-1 as a starter in the NFL, and despite a majority of experts or analysts insisting that he doesn't have the talent to play quarterback at the professional level, he continues to lead his team to victory.

In the context of your workouts, no matter how tough the first few rounds or reps of a workout are, you have to dig deep and find your inner Tebow. It may not be pretty, but sometimes all that matters is getting the job done!

Today's Workout
21 Push Jerk (135/95)
21 Deadlift (135/95)
15 Push Press
15 Deadlift
9 Press
9 Deadlift

Posted by Zareh.

Hi peeps!  I want to update all of you on the sweet stuff happening at the gym over the next couple weeks along with some general information type stuff.  So let's begin:

The Holiday Schedule

Here's the thing: Turkey Day is coming up, and Turkey Day is freaking awesome so we're changing up our schedule that weekend to reflect that awesomeness.  We will be closed on Thanksgiving day (11/24), and open only for one class the next day (Friday 11/25) at 9:30 AM.  Unlike most classes, this is not limited to only 10 people, so definitely come by for a fun post-Turkey Day workout.  That Saturday (11/26), there will only be the 9:30 and 10:30 AM classes (the 8:30 AM class will be cancelled) and that Sunday (11/27) there will only be the 10:30 AM class (9:30 AM is cancelled).  Let us know if you have any questions about this!

The Hold Policy

We know the Holidays are a time where people travel all over the place, and we're really supportive of that.  However, there are some rules regarding our hold policy.  Just a reminder: when you're on hold, you will still pay your membership dues, but the time you are out of town will be added onto the end of your membership, so you never actually lose the time.  Also, you must actually be out of town to put your membership on hold; having a cold or being busy at work is not a valid reason (unless these are extreme circumstances).  Also, you must let us know at least a week in advance by email.  Hope that helps clear this all up.  Happy travels :)

The Paleo Challenge Finale / The Turkey Day, Kinda Paleo, Definitely Awesome Pot Luck Fun Times

The Paleo Challenge ended this past Sunday (11/13) and I'm happy to announce that the before and after pictures of 3 Finalists are up on the Announcements board.  Your three Finalists are Scott Butler, Maria Siler, and Jill Joseph!  Now it's your time to vote for the two that will win a cash prize.  Remember that you have two votes, so grab a marker and add a tally mark onto the Paleo Board under the names of the people you think should win.  On top of that, The Spirit of the Challenge award winner will be picked by the coaches.   

The official winners will be announced on Sunday at The Turkey Day, Kinda Paleo, Definitely Awesome Pot Luck Fun Times (really rolls off the tongue there huh?).  That starts around noon (between 12 PM and 12:20 PM if you wanna be specific), and the announcement will happen around 1:30.  We'll hang out until around 2 or 2:15 PM, then we can move the party elsewhere if anyone is so inclined.  

Regarding what to bring to the Pot Luck: don't go crazy.  Let's stick to finger foods or something we can have in small-ish portions.  We'll have plates, plasticware, and cups, so feel free to bring your own adult beverages if you'd like!

BTW, if you'd like to have your before and after pictures, email me (armen@crossfit818.com), and I'll send them to you.

The Lost And Found

You've all got such sweet gear, why are you leaving it at the gym?  We've got a lost and found bucket in the back cubby.  It's big and red and should be used to hold beer, but is instead being used to hold all the sweaters, wristbands, and t-shirts you've left behind.  There's even a watch on the counter that's been there for a coulpe weeks now.  Go through it and grab your stuff!

The CrossFit 818 Social

I floated the idea of grabbing a group and hitting a ropes course in Culver City.  Turns out this is actually a significantly more expensive endeavor than I thought.  That said, I still want to get all of you together for some good time once or twice before the New Year.  Here are the two things I've come up with so far: bowling and karaoke, not necessarily together or in that order.  So...what do you think?  Sound off and let us know!

Today's Workout

"Helen"
3 rounds for time of:
400m run
21 Kettlebell swings (53/35)
12 Pull-ups

Posted by Armen.