April Invalesco Newsletter

April 2015
INVALESCO NEWS
Monthly Updates and News
Why a newsletter?
We have decided that the best way to communicate
with members is to release a monthly newsletter. This
will include everything going on in the current month,
along with any new news from the previous month.
Please read monthly to ensure that you are up to date
with the latest supplement orders, schedule changes,
new members, and any other news that may come up.
April 2015
Important Dates:
- UR orders on 4/6 and
4/20
What’s new with Invalesco?
End of The Open Pancake Party - This was again a huge success. Thank you all for
coming out and celebrating the end of the 2015 Open!
Protein and Gainz Candy– Many of you have been ordering the new protein product
we carry, UR. I am a personal fan of the chewable BCAA tablets and the Glutamine!
What are your favorites?
Mobility Class– I will be taking a poll soon to establish more class times for the Mobility Class. For many of you, this will be great recovery and much needed
“homework” on long nagging mobility issues.
Open got you down? - Fear not, I will be introducing a new format of…”intramural”
competition at the box for 2016!
The end of the Open, and what it means for the Newsletter—With the Open taking
up nearly all of the attention, there has not been much going on at the box. We will
aim to fix that this month! In the meantime, enjoy some photos!
Chris King enjoying
some time with his
newest addition at the
box.
Delicious pancakes,
eggs, sausage and
bacon from Double Yolk
in Mokena
Chuck and Hollywood
getting...maybe a bit too
comfortable during 15.5
"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried."
The Open is over - now what?
At the end of it all...how many individual shortcomings or failures did we encounter?
Muscle ups, double unders, heavy cleans, handstand push ups? WOOF. I'm sure
many of you questioned just why in the hell you signed up in the first place, or got
extremely frustrated. That being said - I believe that the Open is what it should
be...a test across a BROAD range of movements.
Here's the thing about that - I WANT you to fail from time to time! If I've said it once,
I have said it one hundred times - you must FAIL to know where to improve!
It is what I LOVE about CrossFit. It is a raw, undeniably brutally honest way to
tease out the truths in our beings. Be it physical, emotional, or even sometimes a
spiritual (admit it, you've laid on your back after a WOD wondering if you were
crossing over to the next plane of existence!)
We're ALL afraid of failure. A part of the human condition is that we all care what
others think of us. Nobody wants to look, or feel, inadequate. In some way, it
makes us feel as though we would be rejected.
Then we do something silly, like join a CrossFit gym, where failure is merely a matter of "when" and not "if." A place where we will very likely look ridiculous at some
point. It will expose the good, the bad, and the ugly. It will test you, it may even
break you. These battles against inadequacy and insecurity can help define and
sharpen us.
More than that, though...this is a place to ENDURE, CONQUER, and EVOLVE.
Failure is a necessity of growth. Ultimately, it is not about how many times you fail.
It is about how quickly you get up, and how hard you fight to become better. This is
where GOAL SETTING comes in. Goal setting it a huge part of any kind of progress. Rome was not built in a day - the same way that our strength cannot be built
overnight. You must set goals, work on weaknesses, and be diligent in attacking
them. Goals are the thing that will make us constantly push beyond the "limit."
What do I want you to take from this?
You fail at the edge of your experience. Branch out, set new goals and try new
things to challenge yourself to become stronger and more capable than you ever
thought possible.
Member Spotlight
Mike Kerrigan, AKA “Bruce”
I was introduced to Invalesco back in July 2013 when I was talking with Shawn
Rogers and Elliott Benn one day. They both were talking up the sport of CF as
well as Invalesco. At that time, I was working out to some degree but I was not
very motivated and my results were minimal at best. For the past 20 years, I
was literally doing the same workout 2 or 3 times a week. As far as physical
results, I maintained a fair amount of upper body strength. However, I had zero
leg strength, minimal cardiovascular fitness, and I could not get my waistline
below 34 inches. So with that, I decided to give CrossFit a try.
I tried the on-ramp workouts in early July 2013. I really enjoyed the variety of
movements- the mixture of calisthenics, weights, and gymnastics all combining
into a strength and cardio workout. The fact that every workout has varied
movements/times, etc., really motivated me. However, I did have some concerns/doubts at first. My biggest concern was injury. Being over 40 and starting
an intense workout with brand new movements did create some hesitation
initially. After a couple weeks, I began to feel confident with Corey and Meg’s
supervision and instruction. I feel
now that you can get injured
doing any kind of exercise.
There’s no guarantee from injury.
But, I do feel now that Corey and
Meg know their “stuff” when it
comes to CF. Injury is always a concern, but I trust the coaching and instruction now to a point where I just try to learn good
form and put the injury worries behind. I also am not the most
coordinated person in the world. So, it takes a while sometimes to learn some of the movements. It is still frustrating at
times, but I continue to learn movements and just try to improve.
As the months went by, I started to see a huge improvement in
my cardiovascular fitness. After the first 6 months, my weight
dropped from 175 pounds to about 162. My waistline dropped
from about a 34 down to a 30. Initially, I was going to the box
about 3 or 4 times per week. I was usually too sore to go more than that. After about 6 months, I also started
to get stronger- especially in my lower body and core. I wasn’t feeling as sore after most workouts. I was
feeling more comfortable with the
movements and I started wanting to
come in more often. For the last year, I
generally make it to the box 5 times a
week. I did my first individual competition in February in the master’s division. My goal this year is to get a lot
stronger – especially with squats and
cleans.
I always look forward to coming to the
box. It’s such a great stress reliever as
well. We have a great group of coaches and members.
Questions:
1.)If you could choose a theme song to play every time you walk into Invalesco, what would it
be? "Break Stuff" by Limp Bizkit.
2.) When you are not sweating at Invalesco, what do you spend your time doing? I am a residential loan officer specializing in refinances and purchases. Besides crossfit and working, most
of my free time is spent watching my 3 kids in their sports activities -which I love to do.
3.) How has CrossFit Invalesco made an impact on your life? Crossfit Invalesco has been a
great outlet for me in many ways. I love the huge variations of the workouts. Since joining Invalesco, I'm definitely in my best physical shape ever at 44 years old. Most importantly, there is
no better stress reliever than a CF workout.
4.) What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Pizza- which I eat every weekend.
5.) What is one thing you do or believe that would be surprise people? Nothing too surprising.
Being, a south side Irishmen, you'd think I'm a big Notre Dame fan. But, I actually can't stand
them. Sorry Shawn Rogers!
6.) What do you like most about CrossFit Invalesco? Invalesco has great coaches and effective
workouts. I really trust them when I have questions about anything related to CF—form, technique, diet, overall improvement, etc.
7.) Describe what your greatest milestone or achievement has been, and why it was so important to you. A few years ago, I was the #1 salesman out of 350 in the entire country for my
company. I worked extremely hard to accomplish that and it really paid off.
8.) What is your favorite WOD and/or movement? I love the "chipper" type workouts that we
usually would have on a Saturday
9.) What is something you currently struggle with, that you plan to master one day? I have a
huge mental block with split jerks. That is my primary goal.
10.) What advice would you give someone who is new to Crossfit? Don't worry about the
amount of weight you use at first. Just concentrate on good form and you'll get a great workout.
Don't get discouraged. Whether you are brand new or have been doing this for years, you just
want to make positive gains. Some gains may be bigger than others.
Member Spotlight
Jen Garcia
I feel extremely lucky!! A friend of mine, who
does CrossFit in Utah, introduced me to CrossFit. She would post her workouts on Facebook
and I was intrigued. So I spent about a month
“researching” CrossFit and trying to decide
where I should go. I moved to New Lenox a year
ago, so I am still learning a lot about what is
available in area. I came across a couple boxes
in the area but CrossFit Invalesco stood out for
me. So, I went to my first on ramp class and I
have to admit, I went home and curled up into a
fetal position. It has been a long time since I
have been that active. I seem to remember
falling asleep for a couple hours. I woke up the
next day
feeling good about myself and excited to
come back. It felt great to be doing something
challenging again and trying things that was
able to do in high school and college.
I started slow, coming in 3 times a week,
but what I liked more was that I was getting in
the car and getting my butt in to workout.
That in itself is a challenge for me. After a
month, I realized CrossFit is absolutely for me. The first couple months I wasn’t seeing a change in the scale, but I was not frustrated. I was seeing changes in my energy levels, strength, and my pant size. Now 5 months in, I have been coming into
CrossFit Invalesco about 4 days a week and look forward to another opportunity to
achieve a goal. I cannot say enough about the coaches and CrossFit Invalesco. I
am so lucky to have found you!!
Questions:
1.)If you could choose a theme song to play every time you walk into Invalesco, what
would it be? Soldiers of the Wasteland by DragonForce.
2.) When you are not sweating at Invalesco, what do you spend your time doing? I
am in my 4th year of teaching bilingual students in grades Kindergarten to 4th grade. I teach in
Joliet and truly enjoy what I do. I also enjoy doing crafts (I am a Pinterest junkie). Finally, I like
going to antique fairs and shops. Most of the time I just research a town that has a fair or a
bunch of antique shops and make a day out of it. The coolest one I have ever been to is in
Volo, Illinois. There are 6 huge buildings and one with vintage vehicles that you can walk
through and check out.
3.) How has CrossFit Invalesco made an impact on your life? CrossFit Invalesco has
made a tremendous impact on my life. I cannot count the many times I have tried to initiate a
workout program at a gym, club, or whatever new dance trend. It was always the same for me,
I did not feel challenged and I was not enjoying myself. CrossFit Invalesco has allowed me to
do things again that I have not been able to do since college. I appreciate everything I have
experienced these past 5 months. The coaches, the people, and atmosphere have consistently
shown me encouragement and an incredible example of commitment that I admire. I have a lot
of goals in my life and I am thrilled that I now have goals in bettering myself and my health.
4.) What is your favorite guilty pleasure? I love to binge watch television shows. I will purposely not watch a show until the season is done and available on Netflix. I don’t like planning
my day around a TV. show’s schedule. I will usually plan a big craft project that I want to do and
have the TV. show playing in the background. Most recently, I just finished watching Bates
Motel.
5.) What is one thing you do or believe that would be surprise people? I love to watch
horror movies. Anything and everything horror I will watch. People don’t really think that I enjoy
those kind of movies.
6.) What do you like most about CrossFit Invalesco? Besides the great people, I love that
there is a different workout every time I go in. I can get easily bored. However, CrossFit Invalesco has you do movements that maybe you are not as crazy about as others, but I always
felt great at the end of the workout.
7.) Describe what your greatest milestone or achievement has been, and why it was
so important to you. The greatest achievement I have done so far would be going back to
school to change my career. It was a difficult three years trying to work full-time and attending
school full-time, but it was worth it. It meant a lot to me because it has allowed me to do something I am passionate about. I finished my Master’s degree in Education this past summer.
8.) What is your favorite WOD and/or movement? I really like Jerks!
9.) What is something you currently struggle with, that you plan to master one day?
Kicking up to a handstand!!!
10.) What advice would you give someone who is new to Crossfit Invalesco? Ask
questions!! One of the things that made me feel more comfortable starting out was asking many
questions about the movements. The coaches are the best and are always willing to help you
out. Also, talk to everyone. I would say I was a little shy in the beginning, but I should not have
been. Everyone is so friendly and they are a great support through a tough WOD.
March New Members
Gary W. Gary has a pretty much insatiable appetite to try new movements. He should be a new night
class installment! He very much wants to be a stronger athlete, and I have a feeling he will work pretty
hard at it!
Andrew W.—Andrew comes to us after doing some CrossFit previously, and was persuaded to come in by
his friend, James. He is easy to coach and LOVES the C2 rowers. If you’re ever at the new BWW, say hi
to him!
Jen S and Michelle O. — These two come to us from whereabouts unknown, but have some experience
in the fitness world. Both are very eager to learn, and take direction well. You can spot them at the 7pm
classes!
Peter R.—Hailing from the land of Gymnastics, Peter is a natural mover, and he got started with us by
being friends with our very own Bruce!
Tim G. — You can spot Tim by the massive truck he drives. He is a police officer up North, and has a
great, positive attitude.
Please say hi and introduce yourself when you run into someone new or someone
you don’t know at Invalesco. The first couple months at a new box can be scary.
Help make them feel at home!
Upcoming April Competitions
Everyone go out and cheer on Andy and Chris Booker as they compete at
the FitBodies CrossFit event on April 19th!
Registration is currently open for many competitions. Let us know if you plan
to compete, and we will be more than happy to help!
March PR Board
If you didn’t get a chance to look at all the PR’s that happened in March, I have bad
news...I sadly erased it before taking a picture of it. Still, though, great Job everyone!
Take this image of a baby bunny as penance.
Last but definitely not least…
Congratulations to Lou and Jill on their second son, Everett; Andy T. and his wife Stephanie on the new addition
to their family!