TWL Gear at WZA Miami

The WOD Life joined forces with our USA Team (TWLGear.com) to take on The WODapalooza Fitness Festival in Miami, Florida.

Thanks to everyone who came past, hung out and picked up some new threads at The WODapalooza in Miami, Florida!

The weekend was actioned packed, it was great to meet so many people from across the USA and internationally all while witnessing some of the best fitness!

For everyone who missed out on the new releases, good news is that we are currently reloading for everything to be restocked in our warehouse in the coming two weeks!

In the meantime, check out some of our favourites here!

Here’s some of the action from TWL Gear at WZA Miami

Don’t forget to check out TWLGear.com. It’s our curated range available exclusively in the USA! With faster shipping

January 4, 2017October 22, 2020

Perhaps the most important part of any fitness regimen is the intention behind it. Especially in the image drive world we live in, those of us looking to get into better shape could be being influenced by all the wrong reasons. This approach usually ends up with a whole lot of frustration, binge eating, and self judgement which is never a great result for anyone involved.

That being said, when people approach me about wanting to get into better shape, I always encourage them to connect with what their goals are and why they want to achieve them. This is especially important for those new to the gym or a particular fitness program like CrossFit, for the sake of longevity. We all know results don’t happen overnight, whether we want to admit it or not, so having something to train for makes the days at the gym so much more worthwhile.

What are your intentions?

The same questions apply to veteran athletes and everyone in between. I myself have recently had to ask myself what my intention was and it revealed some interesting things. The questions I asked:

1. What is my fitness goal for the next month? The next 3 months? The next 6 months?

2. Why is putting the time in to train so important to me? What sacrifices am I willing to make in order to achieve my goals?

3. How will I support my training at the gym with my diet? Am I willing to change the way I eat in order to reach my goals?

4. What will my training schedule be in order to achieve the goals I set for myself? (Be specific — I will attend x class on x days, etc.)

Establish a plan

Once the specifics are laid out, a training plan can be established.

For me, this includes 4 CrossFit classes (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday), 3 sessions of cardio (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), plus at least 2 additional lifting sessions per week (Monday, Wednesday). My main goal is to lean, losing at least 1 inch from my midsection, and this will be supported by a mostly Paleo diet of around 1600 calories on work days, and 1300 on rest days. Training is important to me so I can maintain a lifestyle where I am ready for anything.

What are your goals?

Goals can vary drastically from person to person and the plan to achieve those goals will also be different. Therefore, setting an individual intention is important. One thing note is that training isn’t just about the time spent at the gym, but also the time spent in the kitchen, too. After all, 80% of fitness is diet. Don’t sabotage yourself by temptation.

Focus

The bottom line is if there is no intention, it’s difficult to establish direction. Without direction, it’s tough to reach the goals set forth. And no results often equals frustration and the cycle continues because it’s much easier to fall back to old habits than keep pushing forward. Don’t get caught in the cycle! So, write down your goals, set your intention, and get after it!

Why do you train? Tell us in the comments below.

January 4, 2017January 20, 2022

4 Tips For Your First CrossFit Competition

So you are thinking about signing up for your first CrossFit competition, but you aren’t sure where to start…

First of all, congratulations! Competing in CrossFit is an awesome experience because it gives you the opportunity to not only step outside the comfort of your box and test your fitness against other athletes, but it also gives you a chance to see what you are made of—for you. Like CrossFit as a sport, competitions are inclusive with different divisions to accommodate athletes of all levels.

Most CrossFit competitions will provide a list of movements that could be programmed along with the weights that will be used. This doesn’t mean that all of these movements will appear during the competition events, but what it does mean is that nothing outside of the list or weights any heavier than listed will be programmed. Either way, we know that signing up for your first competition can be overwhelming, so we put together a few tips to help you feel confident in your decision.

CHOOSING YOUR DIVISION

Pair with your coach or an experienced competitive CrossFit athlete to go over the movement list. By having a second opinion, you will have the benefit of having a subjective opinion of your abilities. For your first competition, you want to be sure to set yourself up for success, but still give yourself a challenge.

Most competitions will include a few different types of WODs. From experience, chippers, gymnastic-centered metcons, and a 1 rep max or ladder are popular pieces to program. Typically, the heavy barbell work appears in the latter, however, what’s important to know is that when talking about 1 rep maxes, the barbell work can go over what’s listed, depending on the athlete.

KNOW THE MOVEMENT STANDARDS

Good coaches will expect movement standards on the daily, but it is always good to give yourself a refresher before entering a competition. During a competition, each athlete or team will have a judge who’s job is to hold everyone to the standards as created by CrossFit. Videos of foundational movement standards can be found at CrossFit.com.

RUN THROUGH EACH WOD MULTIPLE TIMES

Most competitions don’t disclose all of the WODs until one to two weeks before the competition date. Some release them all at the same time and some will release them one by one, it just depends on the event organizer. Be sure to carve out time outside or in place of your normal class time to run through each WOD multiple times before game day. Doing multiple run-throughs will give you an idea as to how you will do in each event. Keep in mind though that during the competition, adrenaline will kick in which will help you move a little bit faster and lift a little more weight than you may normally be able to do.

GET REST AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

In order to put your best foot forward, getting a massage and/or increasing the time you spend on mobility and body work before a competition is imperative. Your foam roller and lacrosse ball will become your best friend. Performing multiple WODs in one day is going to be a different experience than your body is used to, so you have to prepare your body for it ahead of time. And of course, rest. Give yourself a day or two off from the gym before the competition and be sure to get plenty of sleep!

Good luck!

October 5, 2016October 22, 2020

Brian Shaw and Ben Smith in Surviving the Torture

Brian Shaw and Ben Smith, both a CrossFitter shares each others struggles, success, techniques and strategies on surviving the CrossFit World.

Learn here how both athletes made it!

October 5, 2016October 22, 2020

Conan Hits The Gym With Kevin Hart

Conan Hits The Gym With Kevin Hart

Conan O’Brien recently teamed up with the world’s highest-earning comedian, Kevin Hart for a session at the gym – with (as you expected) hilarious results.

Through bouts of verbal and physical sparring, the duo performed pull-ups, medicine ball throws and even more.

Kevin is clearly much more used to the gym life than Conan is…

Wanna know why? Find it out here and you’ll truly have fun watching this clip

October 5, 2016October 22, 2020

Joe Rogan on CrossFit

Joe Rogan on CrossFit

Joe Rogan is one of the most polarising thought leaders in today’s age. With one of the most successful podcasts on the planet, “The Joe Rogan Experience” gives his insight into the world of CrossFit.

Do you agree with Joe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QKxYOYmJ54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ech9lrUxwvY

August 11, 2016October 22, 2020

WEAKNESS IN CROSSFIT

We all have weaknesses. Yes, even you. We all have strengths. There are things at which we excel, things we love, and things we dominate. We see them posted on the whiteboard and get excited. We have a little dance party, maybe we feel relief, but whatever it looks like for you, we love when our strengths are on display. What about your weaknesses? Do you avoid them? Do you modify the work immediately, so no one will know? If the answer is yes, you are in trouble. If the answer is occasionally, you are in trouble. You don’t have to love it, but you have to show up and do the work.

We all know that CrossFit is about being a well-rounded athlete. We strive on constantly varied, functional movements. We are supposed to do it all. We don’t have to do it all well, but we have to be able to do it all. If we were only Olympic Lifters, we would be in Olympic Lifting. If we were only gymnasts, we would be in gymnastics. If we were only running, we would be runners. You see where I am going here, right? We are CrossFitters. We are constantly varied functional athletes. We are all of these things rolled into one crazy, addicted, athlete.

I hate running. HATE. IT. I have never been a good runner, and frankly, I am not very good at cardio in general. Put a barbell in my hand, and I am happy. Put me in a handstand and I am happy. Make me run a 400 M, and I’m mad. It’s how I work. However, I run. I run in WODS, I run on my own, and I show up to track night (occasionally). Why? Because it is my weakness. Because it will help me breathe better through the WODs when I don’t have to run. It will help me not want to cry like a baby when I do Murph once a year. I do the work because it makes me a better athlete, and helps me improve in the other areas I do enjoy.

We all have goals in the gym. Well, we all should have goals in the gym. If you don’t, you should and I will talk about that later. Nevertheless, if you are an athlete with a list of goals right now, look at it. What are they? If they are anything like mine, your list includes lift heavier, improve on a shaky movement, and finally accomplish that one thing that has eluded you all the time. Without working those weaknesses, you will not accomplish all of your goals, or really any of your goals. I have issues with chest to bar pull ups. I struggle with shoulder flexibility, and pull-ups in general. Every year, The Open rolls around, and chest to bar pull ups are thrown in and I am defeated. It’s generally pretty early that this happens, but it always happens. Why? Because I spent the entire year not working on chest to bar pull ups. I don’t work on my shoulder flexibility every week, I don’t work on my pull ups when I have the chance, and I don’t attempt chest to bar pull ups, except for the week that it shows up in The Open. Pathetic, right? And that is usually accompanied by me complaining about chest to bar pull-ups. If I do not work on what I need to work on during the year, I cannot complain. What do you need to focus on? What is that one thing that you complain about when it rolls around? Figure it out, and do the work.

There is a reason you do CrossFit. There is a reason you show up when you do, and do the work. If you wanted to focus on one specific modality, you would simply do that. But, you don’t. You show up to your local CrossFit box day in and day out and do the work. Here is the catch though, you have to do it all. The good and the bad. The fast and the slow. If you are always coming in first, you aren’t doing it right. Push through the weaknesses. Find the flaw and work on it. Make yourself a better athlete. It may not become your strength, but I can guarantee it will get a bit easier. You will become a bit faster, stronger, or better. Then you will find another thing to work on. That’s the thing about weaknesses. They never really go away. Luckily, for us, we can take it.

August 8, 2016October 22, 2020

ELITE ATHLETES BY Amanda Stewart

ELITE ATHLETES

The CrossFit Games have come and gone. What were your thoughts? If you are anything like me, you thought “how is that possible?” We set our DVRs, we tune our satellite radio, and we glue ourselves to the television to watch elite athletes perform at the highest level. Week after week, in boxes around the country, we watch these people, seemingly average humans, attain greatest with their bodies. But, how do they do it? Is there some magic formula that causes these people to achieve amazing times, heavy lifts, or record speeds? How does an average athlete become a phenomenal elite athlete?

If there is a secret formula, we all want a part of it. No matter the sport, the greats got there through ways some of us could never dream of. Sometimes it’s genetics. Sometimes we see families where athletics seem to run in their blood like brown hair. Sometimes athletes are born with the ability to perform their sport. In a recent interview 2016’s Fittest Man, Matt Fraser, discusses lifting in his youth and what they looked like for him. It was in his blood. However, not every athlete is born in to athletic prowess, and that doesn’t make it easy for that athlete. So, how do these athletes come to be the standard by which we measure ourselves? Passion, intensity, pride, mental fortitude. All of these attributes play a pivotal role in transforming an average athlete into elite.

Elite athletes must commit themselves to a training routine at which most of us would shudder. To be able to do this, a passion must come from somewhere we can scarcely imagine. An elite runner truly loves to run. They like the smell of the air in the morning, the sounds of their shoes gliding off the pavement, the feeling of the wind aiding them in their journey. It’s not just a run, but an expedition. To a CrossFit athlete there is nothing better than the feel of the barbell in their hand, and the sound of the weights crashing to the ground after a successful lift. To be an elite athlete, you have to love what you do. It becomes part of your soul. It’s just who you are.

It’s a look in their eye. Have you ever trained next to an elite athlete? Have you ever shared the same space as they prepared for their next big event? There is intensity in the air that cannot be matched. Had a bad run? You do it again. The round didn’t go as planned? You do it again. The way they push themselves is something most of us cannot understand. Intensity cannot be taught. There is no class on how to be intense during your workout. There is no way to copy the intensity of the person next to you. It’s the fire in your belly. It’s the constant desire to keep moving, to do better, to make it to the next level. Bad days come to every athlete. Things don’t always go as planned, but when you feel the intensity the elite feel, you wipe yourself off and you move on. You search for that feeling, that passion, that keeps you coming back.

Aristotle once said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” In essence, greatness is not obtained through random acts, but of constant and persistent hard work. Elite athletes are not handed a manual and told to show up. They do the work. They pour out the effort. They demand excellence, even in the midst of failure. The elite stand out because they do things and train in ways we regular folks cannot even dream of, and are often times scared of. There are no days off when you are an elite athlete. You may have rest and recovery days, but there is always some aspect of training to be done. Mobility, mental training, or simply resting are all part of the preparation for an elite athlete. It’s not about what is done when you feel good. It’s about what is done every day. What is accomplished every time you lace up your shoes and do work.

Most of us will never experience the life and training of an elite athlete. We will never walk in their shoes and understand the strength and adversity they must take on day after day. For the athletes who do walk that path, it’s important to understand how and why. These men and women have a passion, an intensity, a drive, and a willingness to learn. Prominence is not handed to them. They don’t expect success every time they step into an arena, but they know the winning formula. They hold the secret many of us only dream of knowing. It’s not luck and it’s not happenstance. It’s a combination of mental fortitude, consistency, passion, and pride that turn these athletes into elite. So, sit back and watch. It’s going to be an amazing site to behold.

July 17, 2016October 28, 2020

Road to the Games 16.08: Smith / Fraser

Ben Smith and Mat Fraser were in a tight race for the top of the podium at the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games. Ultimately, Fraser took home the silver medal for the second consecutive year, and Smith stood on top of the podium at his seventh Games.

This year, both Smith and Fraser have their sights set on the gold once again. The 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games take place July 19-24, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Watch it here!

May 14, 2016May 13, 2022

The CrossFit Games 2016: What They Are And What to Expect

The CrossFit Games started in 2007 and have grown to include 17 regions and 17 divisions. It’s a three stage process – The Open, Regionals, and The Games. Each stage has its rules as do the workouts.

The CrossFit Games is like a funnel. All athletes can participate but only the top performers qualify for the next stage eliminating the rest. Ages range from 14 years old and up.

The 17 regions are:

Africa

Asia

Australia

California – Northern and Southern

Canada – East and West

Central East

Europe

Latin America

Mid Atlantic

North – Central, East, and West

South – Central, East, and West

The 17 divisions are:

Individual – men and women

Teenage – boys and girls – two age categories (14 and 15), and (16 and 17)

Masters – Men and women – five age categories (40-44), (45-49), (50-54), (55-59), and 60+

Team

Part of CrossFit’s philosophy of being fit is being prepared for the unknown and/or unknowable. To gauge this, the workouts are not announced until right before the competition. Athletes really have no way of preparing for the Games other than competing with themselves during the year leading up to the competition.

The Open

This is the first stage. It’s held in the winter and lasts five weeks. The competition WODs are posted on Thursdays and athletes have until the following Monday to do the workouts and log their scores. This year, 2016, The Open started in February. The top athletes from the 17 regions and divisions will go on to the Regionals.

The five workouts for the Open were:

Workout 16.1

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:
25-ft. overhead walking lunge
8 burpees
25-ft. overhead walking lunge
8 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Men lunge 95 lb.
Women lunge 65 lb.

Workout 16.2

Beginning on a 4-minute clock, complete as many reps as possible of:
25 toes-to-bars
50 double-unders
15 squat cleans, 135 / 85 lb.

If completed before 4 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 toes-to-bars
50 double-unders
13 squat cleans, 185 / 115 lb.

If completed before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 toes-to-bars
50 double-unders
11 squat cleans, 225 / 145 lb.

If completed before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 toes-to-bars
50 double-unders
9 squat cleans, 275 / 175 lb.

If completed before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 toes-to-bars
50 double-unders
7 squat cleans, 315 / 205 lb.

Stop at 20 minutes.

Workout 16.3

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
3 bar muscle-ups

Men use 75 lb.
Women use 55 lb.

Workout 16.4

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 handstand push-ups

Men deadlift 225 lb. and throw 20-lb. ball to 10-ft. target
Women deadlift 155 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target

Workout 16.5

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
Thrusters
Burpees

Men use 95 lb.
Women use 65 lb.

Each workout could be scaled. To see the scaled workouts and the rules that had to be followed for counted reps, you can go to CrossFit’s site.

The top ten Regionals qualifiers worldwide are:

Regionals

In this second stage the athletes who performed best at the Open will advance to the Regionals. These workouts will be shown live and held over three weekends in May.

Remember the funnel analogy? The Open had 17 regions competing. The Regionals will have 8 regions competing. They are Atlantic, California, Central, East, Meridian, Pacific, South, and West. According to the Reebok CrossFit Games 2016 site:

20 men, 20 women and 15 teams will advance from regions in the U.S. and Canada.
30 men, 30 women and 20 teams will advance from Europe and Australia.
10 men, 10 women and 10 teams will advance from Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

The schedule for the Regionals is as follows:

The weekend of MAY 13-15 the California, South, and Pacific regions will compete.

The weekend of MAY 20 – 22 the West and Atlantic regions will compete.

The weekend of MAY 27 – 29 the Central, Meridian, and East regions will compete.

The top athletes then form teams from two-three regions to compete for the next stage – the CrossFit Games.

CrossFit Games

At this stage, 40 men, 40 women, 40 teams, 40 teenagers, and 200 masters get to compete for the “Fittest on Earth” title. In July, The Games will take place at the StubHub Center in California.

Prizes

The individual and team athletes that come in from first to fifth place get to take home cash prizes. These prizes are awarded in U.S. dollars. The prizes are distributed as follows:

Individual Division

First Place: $5,000
Second Place: $4,000
Third Place: $3,000
Fourth Place: $2,000
Fifth Place: $1,000

Team Division

First Place: $3,000
Second Place: $2,500
Third Place: $2,000
Fourth Place: $1,500
Fifth Place: $1,000

To keep with the integrity of the sport, all individuals are subject to drug testing. Everyone needs to take a drug test before moving on to the Games or to receive prizes.

Conclusion

Every year more and more athletes compete in the CrossFit Games. To get a sense of how big the sport is, last year over 11,000 affiliates participated in the Games. And it’s expected to grow bigger in the coming years.

What’s great about the CrossFit Games is that anyone can participate in the Open. That’s where you find out where your fitness level is compared to the rest of the world. And if you didn’t do as well as you wanted to this year, there’s always next year.

Josh Blackburn is NASM-CPT and Underground Strength Coach, who loves CrossFit, Strongman training, and helping people reach their athletic potential. He is also the founder of Athletic Muscle, where he shares information to help you build muscle, gain strength, and improve performance. You can join him on Facebook & Instagram as well.

April 5, 2016October 22, 2020

THE OPEN RECAP – ROAD TO REGIONALS WITH JAMES NEWBURY

The WOD Life catches up with James Newbury shortly after finishing 16.5 and qualifying for his fifth Pacific Regionals.

Newbury performed very consistently over the five week CrossFit Open competition, with his stand out workout coming in 16.2. Newbury completed 428 repetition of the toes to bar, double under and clean triplet to finish second overall in the Pacific Region.

Working together with Raw Strength and Conditioning, Newbury is now working towards achieving a goal that has elluded him so far in his CrossFit journey. A trip to the CrossFit Games in Carson, California as a competitor representing the Pacific Region.

We wish James all the best in the lead up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Jz0Y6kXFw

April 5, 2016October 22, 2020

THE OPEN RECAP – ROAD TO REGIONALS WITH STEPH ORTIZ

The WOD Life caught up with TWL athlete Steph Ortiz soon after completing 16.5 and qualifying for her third Pacific Regionals.

Ortiz finished her third CrossFit Open in 2016, finishing in seventh place overall. With a super competitive Top Ten and only five women able to move on to represent the Pacific Region at the CrossFit Games in Carson later this year, Regionals is set to be a hot contest.

Covering the Open series, the challenges and what is in store for the lead up to Regionals, we wish Stephanie Ortiz all the best!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jUH6jPLihM

Tag: The WOD Life

TWL Gear at WZA Miami

TWL Gear at WZA Miami