I stood at a distance and watched America tip toe across the concrete.  Her steps were ever so subtle as she wasn't one of the street kids fortunate enough to have shoes.  America's bones were wrapped in dark skin and not much else.  She wore only what looked to be a men's tank top.  There was nothing underneath it.  This stained shirt was her only garment.  I think she was maybe 3 or 4.

As she glided across the concrete I found myself worrying what would happen to her if any of the kids accidentally bumped into her.  If she fell could her weak frame sustain it?  Thankfully that was only a thought and she didn't fall.  She was curious - as curious as any kid I had ever seen.  She was on a mission right now.  After all, the rest of the street kids were sitting waiting on what might be one of their only meals of the week.  If they got up or were unruly that could be compromised.  Little America had other concerns than food on her mind.  She had to see what was going on around the corner on the other side of the steps. 

She made it past the lunch tables in stealth like fashion.  Her long white tank top dragging the ground she traveled as a ghost.  My heart cheered for her.  Security was top notch; the older kids watching the younger ones, but she had made it through unscathed.  She stopped and stared at her next challenge... The basketball court.  Over 100 feet of wide open space.  I thought to myself surely she would turn back.  Little America couldn't make this trip unseen.  I lost hope for her.  She looked at her table far behind her little body then back towards the prize that lay beyond the steps.  This happened a couple of times...  Back and forth as she weighed her options.

I began to look away I couldn't watch her defeat. She had come so far...  She looked to the stairs one last time and then began to sprint.  Her little feet packing concrete - she couldn't be stopped.  No older kid in a yellow vest was stopping her today.  She might be smaller than them, but her heart was bigger.  She had come this far in life.  Three maybe four whole years...  And if she had made it this far in life she was going to make those steps.  She sprinted and then leaped onto the steps immediately falling to all fours. She could move faster this way.  I looked in the distance and she had been spotted.  A yellow vest was already moving in her direction. He sprinted towards her as she climbed.  He was getting closer and these steps were big, but America's heart was bigger and she pushed on.  Right as the yellow vest went to grab her she mounted the stairs and turned the corner!  She had made it.

I didn't see what America saw, but I know whatever it was around that corner it was worth it.  As the yellow vest carried her to the back tables she didn't cry.  I'm not quite sure, but I'd like to remember that a small grin of satisfaction passed across her face.  She was reprimanded which was of small consequence to her and then seated in the back where she had started her race. 

America got her food today, she got her vitamins and hand sanitizer and I think... she got a little something more.

Heart racing, chest heaving.

Body moving in ways that I could have never imagined. Sweat runs down my brow, down my chest, down my lower back. The fresh air smells and feels so good against my sweaty body.

Veins pulsing, muscles ripping. Inhaling and exhaling deeply as I reach a point of no return.

Floating while my body performs. I feel  blood rushing through my veins and my lungs cannot keep up with my racing breath. Sweat runs down my shoulders and glides down my body effortlessly.

More grunting, body can't stop pulsing. And then finally with the last movement, my body collapses. I exhale and a feeling of euphoria rushes over my body. It's not what you think..... It's crossfit baby! ;-)

Meet Mach 5's newest member and future firebreather, Chloe Sophia Lara. Chloe was born on September the 6th at 8:58 pm. She weighed in at 7 lbs 7 oz and measured 20 inches. Proud parents JP and Jocelyn are well and resting. JP sends his regards. Please join us in congratulating them on a job well done! Ladies, prepare for some future competition!!

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Well Gang…………….we did it! Our very first park WOD was a huge success and we have each of you to thank for it. Needless to say, a lot of time, thought, energy and expense went into this event. It is our sincere hope you all found it to be challenging, as well as rewarding. When conceptualizing this event, one of the primary objectives was to put as many of the CrossFit tenets to use as possible because as you all know, our goal is to train for the unknown and unknowable. First, we had an entirely new and unfamiliar venue to contend with. Next, we faced some pretty harsh and extreme temperatures (100 + degrees). CrossFit also encourages us to regularly learn new sports and movements and we certainly had plenty of that today. There were sledgehammer swings, weighted push-ups, virtual shoveling and sandbag carries to name a few. And finally, today was about building bodies that are able to perform under physical and mental stress.

As the owner and head coach of this box, I couldn’t be more proud of the athleticism, skill, determination and fortitude on display today. One of the most rewarding aspects of running this gym and why I do it to be quite honest is the opportunity to witness your transformation in becoming skilled athletes. There’s nothing like it. I know for many of you, this was way beyond your comfort zone and most of you were able to hang tough. For those that were unable to finish today, a humbling reminder that elite fitness is earned, not given. CrossFit isn’t always about merely attempting something that is VERY fucking hard. Rather, it’s about shifting the mindset into not just the possibility of completion, but the explosive dominance and subsequent victory you’ll have over that barrier. You see, the mindset itself is the victory. And the waning moments after when your heart is still racing and short of breath — that’s the equivalent of standing at the podium. Learning how to give everything you have mentally and physically to achieve your goals is what getting stronger is all about. Learn from today’s experience and how you can better yourself and your training. Remember, any ordinary “tool” can go to Bally’s wearing gloves and a dew rag and work out in nice air conditioning and crank out 3 sets of 8 on those fancy (and quite useless) machines. On the other hand, how many people do you know that can accomplish what you did today? Feels pretty fucking good doesn’t it? That’s because it takes courage, determination and a desire to be the best to do what we do.

On a final note, thank you ALL for your help in loading/unloading the equipment and a SPECIAL thanks to those of you that helped with the loading and unloading at the house as well. I greatly appreciate it. Also, special thanks to Jarrett for helping man the timers, as well as fielding inquiries. We hope to acquire some good members as a result and also hope this is the first of many more events in the near future. After today’s success, our goal is to do this at least once a quarter so we can show the world what we’re all about. We have lots of new “toys” and equipment on the way as you know so we plan to put it to good use.

Here’s to being Bigger, Stronger and Faster!

Mach 5 is officially an owner of this badge having completed the 2011 Tough Mudder Southern California, hosted in Running Springs, CA on Saturday, May 28

Mach 5 was superbly represented by Israel Juarez, Marcus Juarez, Jean Paul Lara, Mimi Kuztin, Carlos Tapia, Eve Overland and Michelle Rosen.  

GO MACH 5!

For those unfamiliar with the legend of Milo, he was a 6th century BC wrestler from the Magna Graecian city of Croton in southern Italy who enjoyed a brilliant wrestling career and won many victories in the most important athletic festivals of ancient Greece. Like other successful athletes of ancient Greece, Milo was the subject of fantastic tales of strength and power, some, perhaps, based upon misinterpretations of his statues. Anecdotes about Milo's almost superhuman strength and lifestyle abound. His daily diet allegedly consisted of 20 lbs. of meat, 20 lbs. of bread, and eighteen pints of wine. Pliny the Elder and Solinus both attribute Milo's invincibility in competition to the wrestler's consumption of alectoriae, the gizzard stones of roosters. Legends say he carried his own bronze statue to its place at Olympia, and once carried a four-year-old bull on his shoulders before slaughtering, roasting, and devouring it in one day. He was said to have achieved the feat of lifting the bull by starting in childhood, lifting and carrying a newborn calf and repeating the feat daily as it grew to maturity. And so strength training was born.

Jump several centuries forward and modern strength training would eventually evolve into Olympic Weightlifting introduced around the early 1900’s and Powerlifting around the 1950’s. With the mini-history lesson out of the way, let’s take a look at the two types of bars used and their unique design patterns.

 According to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWC), the governing body of competitive lifting, a men's Olympic bar is 2.2 m (7.22 ft.) long and weighs 20 kg (44.1 lbs.).The outer ends are 50mm (1.9685 in.) in diameter, while the grip section is 28mm (1.1024 in.) in diameter. The bars have grip marks spaced 910mm apart to allow intuitive grip width measurement. Additionally, an Olympic or weightlifting barbell consists of a bar in which the sleeves rotate. This enables the discs to spin on their own axis, which eliminates the rotational-inertia effect placed upon the lifter during such explosive lifting and enables him/her to descend under the bar easier. A women's Olympic bar is similar to the men's bar, but is shorter - 2.05 m (6.73 ft.) - and lighter - 15 kg (33.07 lbs.) - with a smaller grip section diameter (25 mm). Also in contrast to the men's bar, the women's bar does not sport a center knurl.

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These bars are the standard used in competitive weightlifting where men and women compete at the highest level - the Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games, World Championships, and the Olympics. The total weight of the barbell varies based on the type and number of plates loaded onto the ends of the bar and the lift being performed and can be as much as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) which is the limit of total load. This type of barbell is used primarily for explosive lifts such as the Clean & Jerk and Snatch.

In addition to regular Olympic bars, Powerlifting often requires use of sturdier bars to better accommodate the heavier weights being used in the sport. These bars can be longer (to allow loading of more plates) and thicker (to deform less under load). Additionally, Powerlifting bars have their grip marks spaced closer, at 810mm. This closer spacing is used to check legal grip width in the bench press. The International Powerlifting Federation does not, however, allow the use of bar with different dimensions than 29mm grip section diameter and 2.2 m overall length. Powerlifting bars also distinguish themselves by including a center knurl, as well as more aggressive knurling throughout to ensure a better grip. These bars should be used when performing static lifts such as Back Squats, Shoulder Press and the Deadlift.

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Some of the best and finest bars available are made by Eleiko, Ivanko, Werksan, Pendlay, York and Rogue to name a few. We proudly feature many of these bars at our box. Proper care and maintenance should be exercised when using these simple, yet highly effective (and expensive) pieces of equipment. Particularly, always remember to never allow the sleeves to hit the floor in unpadded areas. This can result in severe damage to the needle bearings. Also, while they are most certainly designed to withstand numerous drops with heavy loads, bars should be dropped only when necessary. Learning to control external objects (i.e. weight) is one of the reasons we train remember.

Here’s to being Bigger, Stronger and Faster!

Coach Iz