Ever looked at a workout and thought “Why on earth are we doing this?” Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Invictus HQ when developing our programming and coaching? We got our Invictus Athlete specialty coaches on a Zoom call last week and let you ask them these things!
There were a ton of great questions about coaching, mindset, programming, competition, lifting, gymnastics and so much more! Find out what the coaches really do when they are on Quarantine and get tips on how to approach your Quarantine training during and mounting your comeback to the gym and using equipment and heavy weights again.
If you missed the event, don’t worry because: 1) we recorded (view the video) it and timelined out all of the questions for your convenience below; and 2) we will definitely be doing more of these since this one was such a huge success! Stay tuned for more deets on that.
May 14th, 2020 – Invictus Coaches Panel Q&A
0:35 – Where do you stand on The Tiger King? (Everyone)
3:15 – Around the Horn: Coach Introductions & Favorite Netflix Binge (Everyone)
C.J. Martin – Invictus Fitness Founder & CEO
Tino Marini – Invictus Athlete/Competition
Hunter Britt – Invictus 8-Week Strength/Athlete
Nichole DeHart-Kribs – Invictus Masters
Travis Ewart – Invictus Gymnastics
Jared Enderton – Invictus Weightlifting
Nick Hawkes – Invictus Mind-Muscle Mobility
9:30 – What are you guys doing to stay sane during the COVID shut-downs? And what’s the silver lining or biggest source of joy you’ve found during this time? (Everyone)
14:28 – How will COVID affect your operations both online and offline? (Nick, Tino, CJ)
Resource mentioned: FREE Mind-Muscle Mobility Class on Zoom
17:38 – When Quarantine is over, how do we transition back to normal training? (CJ)
Further reading: Stay tuned on the Invictus Blog for an article by C.J. Martin going more in-depth on this topic.
20:20 – How should an athlete look to transition from standard CrossFit classes into competitive training? (Hunter, Tino, CJ)
Further reading: What are Your Goals? Fitness, Performance or Competition?
23:50 – What is the best drill to help stop jumping forward on the snatch and clean & jerk? (Jared)
Resources: Tall Clean, Tall Snatch, Snatch Balance
25:38 – How can somebody practice handstand push-ups in these times? (Travis)
Further reading: How to Do Handstand Push-Ups: A Quick Guide for Beginners, Using Steady State for Gymnastics Progression
27:15 – Invictus had a phenomenal run of Masters athletes qualifying in the AGQ, with 3 first place winners. How are you advising athletes to find the positives and move forward despite the disappointing end to their season? (Nichole & CJ)
29:52 – As far as regulating pain management, what are the best ways that we can modify programming if needed? (Nick)
Example: If an athlete is experiencing knee pain at midway through the depth of a back squat, but not the front squat, should we cut the back squat completely out? Decrease loading to a manageable load? Complete modify the movement completely, maybe to a deadlift (hinging movement pattern) and follow percentages and progressions through the cycle? Adding certain accessory movements based on the type of pain experienced?
Further reading: 3 Criteria to Consider When Programming Accessory Work
32:36 – Do you have any post-workout rituals you do to help you recover? (Tino, Nichole)
36:55 – What goes through your mind when you’re about to attempt a PR clean or snatch? What do you do to get in the moment and focus? (Jared)
Further reading: How to Overcome the Mental Aspect of Weightlifting
39:17 – How are you keeping your online clients engaged in the community and motivated with their programming right now? (Nichole)
40:56 – What motivates you to really push – to go to the dark place of intensity – when you are working out at home? (Hunter, Tino)
44:44 – What’s the method to the madness for the ‘nasal breathing’ aspects that we do in our programs? (Nick, Tino, Nichole, Jared)
Further reading: Rethink Your Breathing, So I Started Nasal Breathing – Now What?
49:00 – What drills do you recommend for athletes who tend to go wider with their feet in the snatch and clean when the weight gets heavy (instead of getting lower in the squat)? (Jared)
Resources: Tall Clean, Tall Snatch
51:50 – Do you train Masters athletes differently than younger athletes? (Nichole, CJ, Tino)
Further reading: Maximize Your Potential as a CrossFit Masters Athlete
57:18 – Can you put on mass or add strength with nothing but kettlebells or dumbbells? (Hunter)
Further reading: Increasing Strength Without Increasing Load
59:04 – I fell through the rings doing ring muscle-ups and now I get scared every time I touch the rings. What advice would you give to overcome this fear and become confident in this movement again? (Travis)
1:01:45 – When do you decide when an athlete is ready to perform the ‘optional’ workouts? And is that done in addition to the program or as a replacement for part of it? (Tino, CJ)
Resource mentioned: Athlete Plus
1:04:30 – What are the reactions of the David Goggins’s book, Can’t Hurt Me, from any of the Invictus coaches who have read it. How do you motivate athletes to push beyond what they perceive as their own physical limitations? (Nick, Tino, CJ)
Resources mentioned: The Invictus Mindset, Can’t Hurt Me
1:10:05 – Can you jump into Invictus Weightlifting mid-cycle or do you have to wait until the start of the cycle? (Jared, CJ)
Resources mentioned: 3-Day Weightlifting Program, 5-Day Weightlifting Program
1:12:40 – In regards to online programs, are there built in ‘deload’ weeks or is that up to the athlete’s discretion? (Tino, CJ)
1:16:11 – Can the Gymnastics Program be done along with your regular training on the same day or is it training that should be done on it’s own day? (Travis,CJ)
1:18:15 – What’s a good way to transition back into the Olympic lifts when you’ve been out of the game for a while? Especially for a Masters athlete with sore knees and shoulders? (Jared, Nichole)
Mentioned: Team Invictus 2009 – 4th Place Finish
1:20:55 – For a Masters athlete who follows Jared’s 3-Day Weightlifting Program, and also CrossFits 5-6 days a week…are they at risk of maxing themselves out? For example, if a training session is taking more than 2 hours, is that too long to be advantageous? (Nichole, Tino)
1:25:40 – All of you have been coaching for many years now, what’s the one thing that still gets you most excited when you go in to coach? (All)
That’s a wrap for this edition of the Coaches Panel Q&A! If your question didn’t get answered this time or you missed out on the live viewing, stay tuned for another event in the very near future! Meanwhile, you can always email us your questions to info@crossfitinvictus.com and they will be forwarded to the most appropriate coach to answer them. ‘See’ you all soon!
