'Lone Survivor' [EXCLUSIVE TRAILER] | Moviefone

'Lone Survivor' [EXCLUSIVE TRAILER] | Moviefone

Strength and Cardio

Warm-Up

Double Unders

Push-Ups

METCON

Run 3 miles

25 reps KettleBell Swings @50/25 lbs.

25 reps Toes to Bar 

Post WOD

125 Sit-ups

200 Crunches

65 Leg Raises

120 sec Plank

CrossFit - The Awards Ceremony at the CrossFit Games

CrossFit - CrossFit Games Update Show: July 27, 2013

CrossFit - CrossFit Games Update Show: July 27, 2013

DYNASTY!! Rich Froning Jr. WINS 3rd Straight Crossfit Games.

Froning wins third CrossFit Games, Briggs wins first.

The CrossFit Games champions have been crowned: Rich Froning and Sam Briggs.

After 12 events, the two separated themselves from the field and proved themselves fitter than any other athlete in the world. For Froning, it was his third consecutive win, establishing the first dynasty in CrossFit Games history. Briggs won the 2013 Open, and her previous best finish at the Games came in 2011, when she was fourth. She sat out 2012 with an injury.

Both champions will take home US$275,000 in addition to prize money won for placing in various events. The top 10 male and female athletes all received prize money, and more than $1.4 million was awarded to athletes and teams over the week of competition.

Earlier in the day, Games Director Dave Castro brought the 30 remaining Individual athletes to the tennis stadium to reveal the final events.

Cinco is a two-part challenge, with each half scored separately. In the first half, Cinco 1, athletes were hit with three rounds of five heavy deadlifts (405/265 lb.) and five weighted one-legged squats (53/35 lb.) per leg before an 80-foot handstand walk.

One minute after the seven-minute cap of Cinco 1, Cinco 2 had athletes performing three rounds of five muscle-ups and five deficit handstand push-ups before 90 feet of walking lunges with a fat-bar (165/100 lb.) held overhead.

Men

Froning won every event on Sunday.

"Yeah, all according to plan," he said sarcastically.

Froning beat Ben Smith by 11.6 seconds to take first on Cinco 1, and at that point the overall competition was already his. On Cinco 2, the tennis-stadium crowd was on its feet as Froning stalked Josh Bridges on the gymnastics movements before passing him on the walking overhead lunges. Froning finished the event just over a minute faster than Bridges.

Knowing he had made history, the 26-year-old jumped into the stands to give his wife a hug and a kiss, stood up on the concrete ledge to wave to the fans, and then proceeded to encourage his fellow competitors who were still working on Cinco 2.

Winning his third consecutive Games, he said, was something he couldn’t put into words.

“It’s been a battle all weekend,” Froning said. “It’s amazing.”

Throughout the week, he described this year as the most difficult Games to date. His 30^th-place finish in The Pool event was his worst placing in any of his four Games appearances.

“This year’s just been rough, real rough,” Froning said.

Tonight, his plans were simple: "Relax. Don't work out."

Rounding out the top spots were 2008 Games champion Jason Khalipa and 2011 third-fittest man Ben Smith.

When asked how it feels to be on the podium again for the first time in five years, Khalipa simply replied, "Excellent."

Going into the final events, Khalipa has an outside chance to catch Froning, but he had second all but locked down.

"I knew if I did well in (Cinco 1) I could relax a little in the second one,” he said. “I wanted to have fun and enjoy the experience on the second one.”

Smith described the feeling as “awesome.”

"I knew I had a shot,” he said. “And all you can do is give yourself an opportunity to get there. I just put my faith in God. And it's awesome."

Women

Among the women, former collegiate volleyball player and Olympic weightlifter Lindsey Valenzuela—a fan favorite—placed second, while 2010 third-fittest woman and schoolteacher Valerie Voboril returned to the third-place podium spot.

"I'm fuckin’ ecstatic right now," said Valenzuela, who erupted in tears.

The endurance events weren't as strong for the 26-year-old, but she said she kept reminding herself to see it through until the end.

"There were so many ups and downs. And I just had to keep with it," Valenzuela said.

The Southern California athlete then made her way through the crowds of volunteers and staff to hug her husband, Arsenio.

Meanwhile, Voboril's first reaction wasn’t about her podium finish.

"I'm so glad I didn't make it to the overhead lunges," she said. "I was more nervous about the second (event) ... I hate those stupid lunges. And my muscle-ups have been on and off."

Once she discovered she was third overall, Voboril said she was surprised.

"Holy cow, what just happened? I never look at the standings," she said. "It's hard not to think about it. … I just try to do my personal best."

In the awards ceremony, 2010 CrossFit Games champion Kristan Clever was presented with the Spirit of the Games Award. The SoCal athlete twisted her ankle before the Games and competed at less than 100 percent. Despite the injury, she soldiered on and finished 32^nd, demonstrating the perseverance and dedication that define the finest CrossFit athletes.

Women The Cinco 1
1. Elisabeth Akinwale (3:32.2)
2. Talayna Fortunato (4:36.4)
3. Danielle Horan (4:46.6)

Women The Cinco 2
1. Talayna Fortunato (6:43.7)
2. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet (6:47.8)
3. Michele Letendre (7:01.0)

Overall winners
1. Samantha Briggs
2. Lindsey Valenzuela
3. Valerie Voboril

Men The Cinco 1
1. Rich Froning (4:05.7)
2. Ben Smith (4:17.3)
3. Scott Panchik (4:25.5)

Men The Cinco 2
1. Rich Froning (4:41.0)
2. Josh Bridges (5:40.8)
3. Jason Khalipa (5:52.6)

Overall winners
1. Rich Froning
2. Jason Khalipa
3. Ben Smith 

Spirit of the Games Award Winner
Kristan Clever

CrossFit - Update From the Desk: After the 2007 Announcement

CrossFit - Update From the Desk: Clean and Jerk Ladder

CrossFit - Update From the Desk: Clean and Jerk Ladder

CrossFit - Friday Night Lights

CrossFit - Friday Night Lights

1 Max Rep- Day 2

Warm-up

Double Unders

Jumping Jacks

Air Squats

METCON

Deadlift

Press

Sumo Deadlift High Pull

Thruster

Bench Press

Post WOD

110 Sit-ups

170 Crunches

60 Leg Raises

100 sec Plank

CrossFit - Sitting in First: CrossFit Dallas Central

CrossFit - Event Summary: Men's Legless

CrossFit - Event Summary: Team Burden Run

CrossFit - Event Summary: Team Burden Run

CrossFit - Event Summary: Women's ZigZag Sprint

1 REP MAX Day

Warm-up

Double Unders

Air Squats

METCON

1 Rep Max

Back Squats

Front Squats

Cleans

Clean and Jerk

Overhead Squat

Snatch

Post WOD

115 Sit-ups

180 Crunches

52 Leg Raises

110 second Plank

CrossFit - Greg Glassman Receives Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award

CrossFit - CrossFit Games Update Show: July 24, 2013

Form and Technique Improvement Day

Warm-up

• Various Stretching exercises to warm-up muscles.
• Slow concentrated movements
• Focus on really stretching out any sore areas.
• Range of motion movements, arm circles, hip rotations, etc.
• Side to Side groin stretches, slow and easy.
• Squatting Horse Stance, legs and hips at 90 degree angle then slowly bounce up and down.
• Slowly touch toes, legs straight, then raise arms to the sky holding stretch.
• Lying on a mat or floor, stretch lower extremities. 
• Standing leg swings; 10 times each leg, frontwards and side to sides.  Try not letting foot hit the floor.  Use chair or wall for balance till perfected.
• Wall Ball Shots, slow and easy with Squat.

Heart Rate Warm-up

• Double Unders-concentrate on technique. Use a 1-2-3 low jump-4 high jump pace.
• Jumping Jacks with split cross variance.

 Burgener Warmup

• Step 1: Down and Up for developing speed through the middle while holding an empty bar.The hips must open and the shoulders come up.
• Step 2: Elbows high and outside for keeping the bar close.
• Step 3: The muscle snatch for developing the turnover.
• Step 4: Practice footwork as you increase the depth of the receiving position with the bar overhead.
• Step 5: Put it all together, dropping to the floor with bar overhead representing a heavy overhead lift.

Clean Progression

50-55% Max Rep Weight 1st Round
60-65% Max Rep Weight 2nd Round

• 2 sets/3 reps: Hang Clean Shrugs
• 2 sets/3 reps: Hang Power Cleans
• 2 sets/3 reps: Hang Squat Cleans
• 2 sets/3 reps: Power Cleans
• 2 sets/3 reps: Clean Squats

Abs

105 Sit-ups

160 Crunches

60 Leg Raises

95 sec Plank

 

The Spealler Warm Up

DOUBLE UNDERS: THE BASICS-By The BoxLife Team

Have you mastered 100 or so single jumps and are ready to tackle the Double-Under?

Understanding the basics of Core to Extremity will help you achieve max rep efforts and unbroken sets. You’ll need to learn to use your large muscle groups for stability and support while using smaller muscle groups to jump and flick the rope. It may be a good idea to grab a partner or use a mirror to keep your form.

The Basics
Start with singles. Jump on the balls of your feet. Squeeze your legs together (create a pole with you lower body) and keep your arms close to your body. Remember, your wrists will do the flicking, not your arms.

What to Do 
After keeping good form for a few singles, try the number system: 1-2-3 and 4. Jump low for the first three jumps and high on the fourth. Don’t worry about double flicking the rope. Double-unders are as much about getting the rope under your feet twice as they are about how high you jump and rebound off the floor. Try jumping low on 1-2-3 and high on 4 until you can jump without landing on your heels.

Next, jump 1-2-3 low and 4 high, but this time add the double flick of the wrist. With enough practice, you’ll get it.

Form, coordination and timing are everything. Jump on the balls of your feet. Keep a neutral chin, abs tight, butt tight, and legs tight acting as one.

Play with the number system. Maybe try 5 low jumps with 1 high jump or 2 low jumps and 1 high jump plus the double flick.

Practice makes perfect. Keep practicing and you’ll have your double-under in no time.

HOW TO TURN FAILURE INTO SUCCESS-By Adam Saucedo

You may have heard the saying that “success stems from failure.” If this is true, how many of us truly embrace failure as a means to attain success? Probably not many of us.

Failure is generally synonymous with words like “breakdown” and “disappointment.” Those words generally evoke thoughts and feelings of negativity. However, if you redefine what failure means to you, you can start changing how it impacts you. Failure is a mindset. If you change your perspective on what failure means to you, you can view every challenge as a means to achieve mastery.

Think back to the last time you missed a rep or faced a challenge during a WOD or in everyday life. How did you react? What did you say to yourself (either aloud or to yourself)? How did this impact your mood? How did this impact your overall performance? Take a second to think about this.

It’s important to understand that your thoughts do impact your feelings, which in turn, impact your performance. If you considered your missed rep a failure, you were probably also frustrated or disappointed with yourself. In that moment, you may have lost focus on your performance, wasting critical energy on being negative. Instead, by viewing your missed rep as tool for improvement, you can be more efficient. This new tool allows you to feel confident and under control for the next rep. Remaining calm and poised, you can effectively evaluate what you need to correct in order to complete the next rep. Your positive thoughts create a positive emotional reaction, which in turn, positively impact your performance.

I constantly observe and learn from high-level CrossFit competitors and coaches. One day at NorCal CrossFit, I heard Pat Barber touching on the subject of failure as he coached a class on a heavy lifting day. I recently followed up with Pat to gather his thoughts in further detail. He told me, “On heavy days, if you have not failed you have not gone heavy enough, especially if it is a one-rep max day or three-rep max day. You need to find your limits; otherwise you’re probably undershooting yourself.” He went on to reinforce the importance of accepting failure. He commented, “Accepting failure is a huge thing. Being able to accept that and view that failure as a something you can improve is huge.” Just as I do and you should, Barber recognizes the importance of consistently challenging yourself and pushing past your preconceived limits. Not accomplishing the challenges as you’d expect, doesn’t define you as “weak” or “incapable”. You are merely being provided with instant feedback on your current limits. This is great information to help in the process of setting new goals. By continually setting new goals, you will always have a motivation to improve.

The next time you evaluate your performance, remember to view your challenges and obstacles as a means of development and ultimately, mastery. Think back to when you first started — every day was hard. Now, it is probably a little less hard. Like life, CrossFit is full of challenges; that is what draws people to the sport. If you can embrace the challenge of failure by adjusting your perspective and definition, you will be on your way to continuing your growth as a CrossFit athlete.

"Cindy" WOD

Warm-up

Double Unders

Burpees

Strict Press @115lbs

METCON

20 min AMRAP

5 Pull-ups

10 Push-ups

15 Squats

Post WOD

95 Sit-ups

140 Crunches

55 Leg Raises

85 sec Plank

Cardio Day

Run

2 Miles

Elliptical Machine 

30 minutes

  

Abs

85 Sit-ups

120 Crunches

50 Leg Raises

75 sec Plank

"FRAN" Friday

Warm-up

Double Unders

Air Squats

Side to Sides

METCON

For Time:

21-15-9

Thrusters @95/65lbs

Pull-ups

Post WOD

85 Sit-ups

120 Crunches

50 Leg Raises

75 sec Plank

"Isabella" WOD

Warm-up

Double Unders

Jumping Jacks

Dumbbell Thrusters

Metcon

3 rounds for Time

15 reps Hang Cleans @115/135lbs

Burpees

Post WOD

80 Sit-ups

110 Crunches

48 Leg Raises

70 sec Plank

"Up and Down the Ladder" WOD

Warm Up

20 Pullups

25 Double Unders

METCON

For Reps

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Burpees

Dumbbelll Thrusters 20/30lbs

Sit-ups

Post WOD

70 Sit-ups
90 Crunches
45 Leg Raises
60 sec Plank

"MARY " Benchmark WOD

Warm Up

25 Double Unders

30 Jumping Jacks

20 Min AMRAP

5 reps Handstand Push-ups

10 reps 1-Legged Squats or Pistols

15 Pull-ups

Post WOD

60 Sit-ups

75 Crunches

40 Leg Raises

50 sec Plank

How To Get Sh*t Done Reach Your Fitness Goals & Stay Balanced 22 Tips

 If you’re reading this you are probably a motivated, go-getter that is passionate and driven to be better and accomplish more. You likely work hard, play hard, and live hard.  That’s not the best way to go about your training or your life. I don’t believe it is healthy to go as hard as possible all the time.  You need to insert breaks in your intensity in life, and in your workouts, to reach maximum results.

Most people wake up and rush off to work, then rush to appointments, social engagements, events, meetings, dinners and parties. Then, they hurry to get everything together for the next day before rushing to bed, completely exhausted. Most people can’t stop thinking before bed and don’t sleep very well because they are restless and stressed. You may be doing all of those things, plus squeezing in a workout where you are pushing your body.

• Is everything you do either mentally or physically demanding?
• Are you always trying to get more done, in less time?

If this is you, you’ve gotta stop committing to so much, putting more on your schedule and saying yes to everything and everyone.

I believe that how you manage your time, and what you prioritize really says a lot about you. Life-balance is the factor that I help every single one of my clients improve (coaching options HERE). If you are a super driven person, you may think that you can’t take a break, that you have to do more, or that all-out is the only way. You may be stuck in a place where you feel like you can’t get anything done, but yet you are still trying to do it all.  You need to relax, chill out and check your priorities.

It is not healthy or fun to go, go, go all the time. If you are doing that, you are probably over-stressed, and your demeanor is already having negative impacts on your body, workouts, relationships, and mood. Training hard is fine, but not when you are under-rested and over-stressed. Working hard on something is fine, but not if you don’t take breaks. Believe me, I have put way too much on my plate, and I was crushed by anxiety…and it sucked (read moreHERE). When you have a clear, relaxed and stable state of mind, you’ll see drastic improvements in every aspect of your life. You simply need to slow down.

  22 Tips on How To Get Sh*t Done & Stay Balanced

1. Take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to write out your daily and weekly priorities – Focus on a few major things
2. Slow down, literally – Remind yourself to walk slower, drive slower, and talk slower *except if you’re in the middle of a workout
3. Schedule breaks into your day to be quiet and still and pray, meditate or just think – Even just 10 mins here & there
4. If you feel wiped out, tell those around you that you are trying to improve your time-management and that you may have to say no to certain invitations
5. Do the shitty and annoying stuff at the beginning of the day and the beginning of the week so it’s off your list – I normally attack my ‘shit list’ on Mondays
6. Remind yourself what’s important before you start on the next task, or go to the next place (gym, home, work, etc.) – Know why you are there and your purpose
7. Prioritize at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night and create a steady sleep schedule – Take naps when you can
8. Do something fun each day, and be sure to laugh your ass off as often as you can
9. Take care of others (especially those who are less fortunate than you) –  Take time, each day to tune into someone else who could benefit from your support and love
10. Have an accountability partner who helps keep you on track with your workout goals and weekly priorities – Ask them to stay all over you
11. Surround yourself with awesome people who have similar goals and lifestyles so that you can stay focused and you can continue to grow
12. Plan a day each week where you put nothing on your schedule – At the very minimum block off 5 hours of a day where you have absolutely nothing planned so that you can chill or be spontaneous depending on your mood
13. Be grateful and remind yourself that you are blessed for little things like your 5 senses, breathing, living etc. – Do this right when you wake up and right before you close your eyes
14. Take time to improve your fitness and health – Make sure that you are putting your best effort into training *read about training intensity and how to manage it to get the most results HERE
15. Prepare and cook your food in advance  - Prep your protein and veggies in bulk so that it is not a constant stress in your daily life *read how to keep your grocery shopping simple HERE
16. Do something relaxing and rejuvenating each day – Make a list of all the things that make you feel calm and do at least 1 of those, for a little, each day
17. Take some time away from the gym – You should take at least one full day off each week, and try to plan at least 2-3 days in a row away from the gym, each month
18. Play sports and games whenever you can – Make sure that you aren’t just doing one type of workout in the same location all the time (monotonous & boring as hell)
19. Get outside as often as you can and spend time in nature – Try to do this each day, but at the very minimum spend some time outside each week – It’s a beautiful world out there
20. Organize your space & clear the clutter – If you don’t use it, get rid of it – Be neat and clean so that you can focus
21. Stop multitasking so much – Everyone thinks they are good at multitasking, no one is *unless you are doing #3 & #19 at the same time, which I highly suggest
22. Reassess your priorities each week – Look over THESE 6 ASPECTS  as often as you can and see how you can improve your life-balance

• Keep working on these 22 tips and always try to improve your balance. I am constantly trying to get the important stuff done, yet stay relaxed and have a good time so that I can give my best to others.

As always, toss this a thumbs up if you enjoyed it – it’s really the only way I know if these articles are worth posting – Comment below with your favorite tips

- See more at: http://fletcherfitness.com/4838/how-to-get-shit-done-balance/#sthash.zEaBXd9l.dpuf

An Interview with CrossFit Tattoo Artist: Josh Wrede By WOD Talk

The amount of large scale tattoos adorning CrossFit athletes these days is growing almost as fast as the sport itself. In my own pursuit of self expression through tattooing I found a tattoo artist on the same road I was traveling.

In the heartbeat of Denver there’s a man with a magic hand backed by an imagination so transcendental that even shaking it is likely to send impulses of creativity to your soul. His humble spirit encompasses your energy as a majestic calm takes over your nerves when you meet him. It’s as if the tip of his tattoo needle were made of destiny.  Josh Wrede is not the man you appoint to simply give you a custom tattoo. He’s the man you ask to uncover the armor that’s already there, unveiling the warrior within you.

When he’s not pouring all of energy into his art you can likely find him at CrossFit Verve throwing around a ridiculous stack of bumper plates. Strength is his specialty and bumper plates are his serenity. His charismatic smile and love for a holistically healthy lifestyle is contagious.

On the CrossFit scene, he’s been infusing his sorcery on such legends as Chris Spealler, Tyson and Miranda Oldryod, Matt and Cherie Chan, and Pat Sherwood. After spending a great deal of his 20’s on the road guest spotting the Vans Warped Tour several times, he continues to tattoo Hardcore and Punk powerhouses to include, but not limited to; Hollywood Undead, Atreyu, Escape the Fate, The Sleeping, and Every Time I Die. He trains with the best, tattoos the best, and tattoos with the best. He’s rested his wandering spirit at Kaze Gallery in Denver, CO for now tattooing alongside artistic genius. It is the driven that inspire this humble, soft spoken man to keep challenging himself in every aspect of his life.

Wendy Spin (WS):  Thank you so much Josh for taking time out of your schedule for this interview. How long have you been tattooing, and how did it all start?

Josh Wrede (JW): My pleasure Wendy. I was in high school and my Mom was a body piercer at little hole in the wall tattoo shop. I spent a lot of time drawing, so she asked me to design a tattoo for her. The owner wanted to see more of my artwork and later asked if I’d be interested in learning.

My mom had a lot of tattooed biker friends that would come around the shop. To be honest I thought most of them were gross. I knew then I wanted to get away from that environment, but the opportunity to create art for people was exciting, so I hung in there. After a few weekends of drawing tattoos for the boss to tattoo on people I was hooked! The idea that people wanted to wear my art for the rest of their lives was indescribable. It was such an honor and a huge responsibility. I’d never had such purpose before and I was instantly consumed.  I was only 16 when I first started, and it took me a few years to really get focused. So I’ve been tattooing full time for 12 years now.

WS: How would you describe your personal style of tattooing?

JW: It’s funny after all these years I still have a hard time answering that. I’m currently trying to focus on large scale tattoos, so there is a heavy Japanese style influence. I don’t only tattoo Japanese themes, but their style of design has a way of complimenting the shape of human body. I try to create tattoos that move with you. I want them to look like they are part of you as opposed to just on you.  I also try to create a tattoo that is going to hold up to the test of time, which is bold designs, with clean solid outlines. I take the principals of traditional eastern and western tattooing and apply them to my designs.

 I want to create tattoos that catch the eye. For instance, if you were doing 60mph on the freeway and looked over for a split second to see a guy standing on the side of the road. I’d hope you could say, “did you see that guy’s dragon tattoo?”

WS: Athletes are showing up to the CrossFit Regionals and the Games with more and more tattoos every year. Any guesses why so many tattooed physiques adorn the sport of CrossFit?

JW: Well I think people get tattooed for all kinds of reasons. There is a difference between getting a quick little memento and getting heavily tattooed. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with little tattoos. I have lots, but I’m doing full coverage work on a lot of CrossFitters, and I see a lot of heavily tattooed CrossFitters.

 I can’t speak for everyone but there is this commonality we all have as CrossFitters. It’s as if we make this conscious choice to take a different path in life.  We’re not going to follow the masses by eating fast food and watching T.V.  We want more out of life and we are willing to push ourselves to the limit on a daily basis to achieve our goals.  No matter how bad it hurts or how bad we get our asses handed to us, we show up again and we fight.  We are not the average person and the same can be said about someone that is heavily tattooed.

 Although we all come from different walks of life and we all have a different story, there is no doubt that you have to earn your tattoo. Getting tattooed 10 plus hours isn’t for the weak minded, or the delicate of heart.  We are making a statement by being tattooed to stand apart, the same statement we make by being a part of this CrossFit movement.

WS: How long have you been doing CrossFit?

JW: It’s been a little over 3 years now.

WS: What is your CrossFit story? How did you get introduced to it?

JW: I decided to make a serious lifestyle change when I turned 30. I decided to give up the partying and focus on what is most important to me; my art and my health. I was doing these bootcamp workouts when I first met Matt Chan. He came in to the shop to get his first tattoo. He was telling me about CrossFit and I remember thinking to myself it was probably nothing compared to my bootcamps. Matt invited me to come and try out a sample workout. I showed up thinking I was really going to impress them. I think I was about 30 wallballs in when Cherie told me I better stop for a minute because my lips were purple. I struggled through the rest of the workout and hit the floor. I felt like I got my ass kicked and my lunch money taken. Needless to say I signed up that day!

WS: What types of WODs do you enjoy doing the most?

JW: I have to admit that my eyes light up when I look at that whiteboard and see a 1 rep max for any type of powerlifting movement. Those are the rare occasions that I stand out in the class, but I enjoy working on my weaknesses too. There is something really humbling about having a 100lb girl right next to me overhead squatting double what I can do. There have been so many moments where I have accomplished things I thought I’d never be able to, and I cherish every one of those.

WS: I hear a great deal about artists having back problems and joint problems. Do you feel CrossFit has helped you keep up physically with such a demanding profession?

JW: Yeah, I think it’s crucial. I sit in a chair or stand bent over, hunched, and twisted for 6-10 hours a day. We spend countless hours in positions that cause serious wear and tear on our bodies. Not to mention tattooers usually opt for fast food because time is money.  It’s generally a pretty unhealthy life style. If you’re not careful it can end your career. It could be through slipped discs, carpal tunnel, or good ole obesity.

 I was about 40lbs overweight before I started working out and eating better. I had a pinched nerve in my lower back. Some days it hurt so bad I couldn’t stand on one leg to put my pants on, I’d have to sit down.  I was pretty depressed and on a dark path. As trite as it may sound, CrossFit has truly changed my life! I don’t have any aspirations of competing in CrossFit, I chose my path 16 years ago.  I’m dedicated to tattooing, it’s who I am. However, I want to be able to be healthy enough to tattoo as long as I can. It’s so important to have the core strength to hold myself up in a healthy body position while working for hours at a time. CrossFitting for an hour a day, getting my heart rate up, and to eating real food is very important to me.  I went from 25% body fat, to 15% body fat. I feel healthy and strong mentally. I’m focused and sharp, but best of all I can put my pants on standing up!

WS: Is there a difference between tattooing the general public and tattooing a CrossFitter?

JW: Without a doubt!  I tell my CrossFit clients this all the time too. They have the mental discipline to deal with pain for extended periods of time. Plus, you never meet a boring CrossFitter, so they keep me entertained.  It’s a lot easier on me to tattoo fit people because the skin is already tight. CrossFitters are generally nicer to look at and we all know CrossFit isn’t cheap, so I know they’re not broke!

WS: Josh that’s hilarious. Forgive me for laughing. I have spent a fair amount of time hanging around tattoo shops and I know exactly what you mean. Okay, next question: describe what you like most about CrossFit?

JW: It’s the sense of community in CrossFit that I like most, without a doubt. You have this room full of people that were at one point total strangers, and they’re in there pushing themselves, and each other to become better people.  You could have the top athlete in your gym crushing a workout while everyone is blown away and cheering them on, or you could have a guy that’s 100lbs overweight, brand new to the gym just fighting to get 10 pushups on his knees. We are going to cheer just as loud because we are all there for the same reason.  We want to better ourselves and help better each other. It’s such a beautiful thing to me and I‘m so happy to be a part of it.

WS: What is your most memorable moment thus far in CrossFit?

JW: I’d have to say it was last year at the 2012 Games.  I was out there with the rest of the Verve crew to cheer on my coach and friend Matt Chan. By this point I had spent countless hours tattooing him telling each other embarrassing stories, and getting to know the guy. There are few people that I truly admire as human beings and he’s one of them. He’s dedicated to what he loves and he genuinely cares about others. That’s a rare quality these days.

So it was the rope climb/sled workout on Saturday, right after a 300 yard shuttle sprint. It was 5 rounds of 20 ft rope climb and 20 yard sled push. I don’t remember what that thing weighed but it was heavy! By the second round most guys couldn’t push it more than 5 yards at a time. They were throwing their whole bodies at that thing and it was hardly budging.  After the 3rd round guys were slowly walking back from the ropes just barely holding on. I was standing on the sideline with my crew, all of us just screaming at the top of our lungs for Matt, and no exaggeration, he was the only guy in that entire workout that jogged back from the rope every time! He didn’t get a running start for the sled, he just walked up to it, calmly picked it up, and pushed  it the entire 20 yards, every round without stopping.  It was so unreal! He beat everyone by over a minute. To have a person that you’ve seen train so hard pour his heart out like that is breathtaking, and to be with a group of friends all celebrating together was such a great feeling!

WS: What are your goals as you move forward in your profession, and with CrossFit?

JW: I think I can answer those both these questions together. I’m going to continue to push myself beyond the limit of my abilities on a daily basis. There are no pinnacles in either, so I’m going to continue to work as hard as I possibly can to better myself as an artist, as an athlete, and as a person for as long as possible.

WS: Thanks again Josh. It has been such a pleasure to meet you. Now for the most important question: How can ink interested CrossFitters get in touch with you?

JW:  I’m currently based in Denver CO, and I travel the states regularly. I generally have about a 10-12 month wait for new projects. You can visit my website www.jwredetattoos.com or reach me at joshwrede@gmail.com