Reebok: Building a CrossFit Community

Sevan Matossian recently toured Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, Mass., to meet the new members of the CrossFit community. One of the executives is Chris Gallo, director of performance apparel, who shows off the breadth of Reebok’s commitment to sports with the company’s multiple courts, tracks, fields and exercise facilities, including Reebok CrossFit One.

Gallo says he is impressed with CrossFitters as multifaceted athletes.

“They do everything,” he says. “They’re just great athletes.”

And Reebok employees are becoming great athletes, just like other CrossFitters around the world.

“I’m a CrossFitter,” says Chris Froio, the VP/head of Reebok fitness and training. “It became very obvious to me very quickly that CrossFit was exactly what I needed.”

In just six months, Froio has seen benefits to his health and fitness and is back to his college weight.

According to Bill Holmes, the VP/head of Reebok human resources, CrossFit is changing Reebok’s culture.

“I think what’s been amazing for us here at Reebok is that it’s really been a huge energizer for our organization, and it’s really been something that employees have rallied around in a big way.”

23min 29sec

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Additional reading: If the Shoe Fits … by Kevin Daigle, published Feb. 07, 2011.

Penélope Cruz Kristen Bell The Pussycat Dolls Isla Fisher Sophia Bush

Preparing for Masters: Jacinto Bonilla

Join reporter Jennifer Hunter as she shares the story of Jacinto Bonilla of CrossFit NYC.

Bonilla is a 72-year-old trainer at his gym. After finding CrossFit at age 67, Bonilla decided to give a second career a try and retired from radiography to become a coach. Even with an athletic background in competitive running, bodybuilding and circuit training, he says, “CrossFit really humbled me. ... I thought I was in shape.”

Now Bonilla is definitely in shape as he prepares for the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Bonilla competed in the 2008 CrossFit Games and had planned on competing in regionals last year, but an injury took him out of the competition. This year, he finished seventh overall in the masters 60-plus division and looks forward to the main event at the Home Depot Center this July.

When asked about how aging affects him as a CrossFitter, Bonilla replies, “You slow down, but that’s about it, you know. I still feel as strong as I was, and I still feel that I could do a lot of things.”

Bonilla concludes: “I wish … that every 70-year-old could do the things I do.”

8min 27sec

Additional reading: CrossFit After 40 by Dr. Allison Belger, published Jan. 30, 2010.

Zooey Deschanel Tara Reid Coco Lee Katy Perry Vinessa Shaw

Plaxico Burress released from prison after serving time for gun crime

? Wide receiver served 20 months of sentence
? Burress pleaded guilty after shooting himself in thigh

The former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been released from prison after serving 20 months on gun charges and the 2008 Super Bowl hero hopes to return to play in the NFL.

Burress, 33, left Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York three months early for good behaviour after pleading guilty to gun possession charges from a Manhattan nightclub incident in which he accidentally shot himself in the thigh.

"I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life," Burress said as he left the prison. "It's a beautiful day, it's a beautiful day to be reunited with my family and go home for some quality time with them."

Burress caught the game-winning pass in the last minute of New York's 17-14 upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. But he was was released by the Giants following the November 2008 shooting incident and is now an NFL free agent.

The tall receiver, who began his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, must wait for the labour dispute between NFL owners and players to be resolved before he can market his talents, which his agent has made plain he intends to do.

Taken in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the eighth overall pick by the Steelers out of Michigan State University, Burress has 55 touchdown catches on his NFL resume.

• NFL
• US sport

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lauren Conrad Arielle Kebbel Jessica Paré Leelee Sobieski Teri Hatcher

Gravity, Speed and Acceleration

Continuing our discussion series, Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov discusses gravity, speed and acceleration and how these concepts relate to Pose, a method of teaching sport-specific techniques.

Through mathematics, Romanov has determined that the body is falling at its maximum acceleration when tilted at an angle of 22.5 degrees. This is the point at which the “vertical direction of (the) body-weight vector becomes dominating.” He defines the terms “acceleration” and “speed” and explains their interactions.

“Gravity gives us (an) incredible amount of acceleration,” he says; however, the doctor believes we still don’t fully comprehend it or utilize it.

“In classical biomechanics, running was understood like rotation is a consequence of horizontal movement. In Pose concept, it’s opposite: rotation is creating horizontal velocity,” Romanov says.

According to the doctor, gravity is the only force that can increase rotational movement, and the only way to increase rotational speed is by increasing the magnitude of the angle of your fall to a maximum of 22.5 degrees while moving.

6min 56sec

Additional reading: The Basics of Pose Running Techniques by Brian MacKenzie, published Dec. 1, 2007.

Shiri Appleby Kelly Hu Michelle Rodriguez Mena Suvari Georgina Grenville

CrossFit Verve: The Best Shape of My Life Nutrition Challenge

For their latest nutrition challenge, CrossFit Verve owner Matt Chan says he and his wife Cherie chose the most successful elements from their previous challenges.

“We’ve had more success with this one than we’ve had with any of the other ones,” he says.

The nine-week Best Shape of My Life challenge was based on points won or lost during the challenge. Points were earned through Paleo and Zone meals, with bonus points for meal frequency, workout frequency, adequate water and sleep, and eating of vegetables. Points were lost for cheat meals, not having post-workout meals, not supplementing with fish oil, drinking alcohol and working out less than three times a week.

At the beginning of the challenge, participants bought in with $100, half of which went toward blood-work testing before and after the challenge. The participants tested their performance on the workout Cindy and retested again at the end of the challenge.

Prizes were awarded for the men and women with the best changes in body composition, best improvement in performance and best overall finish. Depending upon their point total at the end of the challenge, participants could win back their money and receive a T-shirt.

“It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s something that I really recommend that any gym do,” Chan says.

9min 10sec

Additional audio: CrossFit Radio Episode 121 by Justin Judkins, published May 26, 2010.

Maria Sharapova Lindsay Price Zoe Saldana Rachel Perry Mary Elizabeth Winstead

U.S. Women Lose, But ESPN Wins Over Viewers For World Cup Finals

To the surprise of few who have been following the 2011 FIFA Women?s World Cup, ESPN on July 17 continued to attract big ratings for its coverage of the two-week event.

Hilary Swank Whitney Port Minka Kelly Carol Grow Erika Christensen

NFL draft 2011: The first-round picks ? in pictures

As this season's draft takes place we give you a rundown of who has been selected by whom

Uma Thurman Alice Dodd Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle

My Reebok Opportunity

Old-school CrossFit star Josh Everett talks about why he believes the CrossFit-Reebok partnership is a great thing for both parties—and fitness.

Skeptical about the Reebok-CrossFit partnership? You’re not alone.

I travel the country working CrossFit’s Level 1 and Olympic-lifting courses, and I hear and feel the uneasiness about a big multinational company buying its way into the CrossFit community. I also hear the whispers of “sell-out” in regards to CrossFit’s role in the deal.

I answer questions and have conversations about this partnership weekly and thought the community might be interested in why I joined Reebok as an endorsed athlete—and why I’m thrilled with the partnership. To make a long story short, I was impressed with the company’s commitment and sincerity, and I signed a contract. In this article, I’m going to explain exactly why I signed that contract.

Amber Heard Veronica Kay Mýa Natalie Imbruglia Patricia Velásquez

Gravity, Speed and Acceleration

Continuing our discussion series, Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov discusses gravity, speed and acceleration and how these concepts relate to Pose, a method of teaching sport-specific techniques.

Through mathematics, Romanov has determined that the body is falling at its maximum acceleration when tilted at an angle of 22.5 degrees. This is the point at which the “vertical direction of (the) body-weight vector becomes dominating.” He defines the terms “acceleration” and “speed” and explains their interactions.

“Gravity gives us (an) incredible amount of acceleration,” he says; however, the doctor believes we still don’t fully comprehend it or utilize it.

“In classical biomechanics, running was understood like rotation is a consequence of horizontal movement. In Pose concept, it’s opposite: rotation is creating horizontal velocity,” Romanov says.

According to the doctor, gravity is the only force that can increase rotational movement, and the only way to increase rotational speed is by increasing the magnitude of the angle of your fall to a maximum of 22.5 degrees while moving.

6min 56sec

Additional reading: The Basics of Pose Running Techniques by Brian MacKenzie, published Dec. 1, 2007.

Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow

fri, jan 7, 2011

Maria Sharapova Lindsay Price Zoe Saldana Rachel Perry Mary Elizabeth Winstead

I Am CrossFit Challenge

Jennifer Reed of Atlas CrossFit in Chicago provides her athletes with a motivational program to help them make improvement. Her I Am CrossFit Challenge holds athletes accountable to their coaches for their workouts and nutrition plan for eight weeks.

Athletes sign up and choose their coach, then record their starting weight, body fat and measurements, complete with pictures. The incentive for athletes is a free month of membership, T-shirts and recognition, in addition to the positive changes they make in themselves and their performance.

“The goal is obviously some body-composition changes, but then also we do a performance aspect, so the other half of the competition is based on strength and endurance,” Reed says.

This year the endurance component was a rowing Helen and the strength components were a max squat and max press. The athletes performed these workouts at the beginning of the competition. Each week the athletes submitted food logs based on the Zone Diet and performed four workouts.

At the end of the competition, the athletes were retested on the workouts and photographed and measured for body-composition changes.

“I think for a lot of people they just need that accountability in their lives, and they’re happy about it,” Reed says.

6min 23sec

Additional video: It Changed My Life: Deborah Scarborough by Deborah Scarborough, published Nov. 17, 2010.

Eva Green Lauren Conrad Arielle Kebbel Jessica Paré Leelee Sobieski

Pitino half-jokingly claims Big East schedule set ?with a ouija board?

Rick Pitino is apparently pretty confused about how his Louisville team wound up with its specific 2011-12 Big East hoops schedule.

And, as per usual, Pitino felt no need to not express his opinion. He did so, though, in a pretty interesting forum.

"We have one of the premier commissioners in athletics, but whoever's doing our scheduling must be doing it with a Ouija board," he said.

This quote wasn't given to a pool of reporters, but rather to the Louisville sports information department for their official release on the schedule being announced. Those releases are typically known for containing the most vanilla, politically correct quotes that a coach can sit down for a minute and craft.

Pitino's biggest beef, which he also expressed later in the quote, is that two of the three opponents that Louisville faces twice are Pitt and Syracuse, who both will likely be joining UL in the preseason Top 25 rankings. The third is DePaul. However, wouldn't you consider those three being of equal difficulty as the trio Louisville double-dipped against last year (West Virginia, UConn and Providence)?

His other qualm, which is a bit more understandable and valid, is that the Cards' lone game against regional rival Cincinnati will be held on the road for a second consecutive year. They lost to the Bearcats last season, 63-54.

"It just doesn't make any sense to me," he continued. "West Virginia has a similar argument. They must be doing it with a Ouija board."

The three league foes West Virginia draws twice are Pitt, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Pitino's frustration, though, is probably rooted in the fact that the Cards have a pretty tough non-conference road to cross first. They have games at Kentucky and at home against Memphis and Vanderbilt, and last month requested to postponed a running series with UNLV for two years to provide a bit of relief. They would have traveled to Las Vegas this December for that game. They lost their first road game in that series back in 2009-10, but now it will continue in 2013-14 instead.

A look at Louisville's league schedule, though, won't likely cause outrage across the board, as it's going to be tough no matter which way you slice it in a 16-team league that's competitive almost all the way from the top to the bottom every season.

In other words, it's going to be nearly impossible to make everyone happy.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Ashley Scott Michelle Behennah Julie Benz Saira Mohan Brittny Gastineau

Troll Column Of The Week: Soccer Is Killing Football

Every once in a while a column so stupid is written that you have to sit back and say, "Hey, buddy. That's some solid trolling." It's OK. Sometimes a writer just wants to get a reaction. Today's example of Troll Columnry comes from John Kass of the Chicago Tribune who argues that soccer finally has [...]

Katy Perry Vinessa Shaw Rebecca Romijn Nadine Velazquez Pink

The 2011 Europe Regional: Part 1

What was it like to experience the Europe Regional? Join Sevan Matossian on a journey through Reebok Stadium to witness the crowds, the athletes and the battle to get to the Home Depot Center in California.

In Part 1, Matossian interviews the athletes and organizers, catching the set-up and first day of competition.

Annie Thorisdottir is among the competitors although she is pre-qualified for the Games.

“You always gain something from a competition,” she says. “Of course, I’m hoping that nothing will surprise me, but better to get the surprise here than at the Games.”

Thorisdottir says she prepared for the competition as she would a weekend of tough workouts, without any tapering or working toward peak performance.

“I’m of course going to peak at the Games,” she says.

The early leaders among the women include Thorisdottir and Samantha Briggs. Among the men, Tuomas Vainio and Mikko Aronpää both vie for first and second.

Of course, the other Mikko, an organizer at the regional, will also be a fierce competitor at the Games. Says his coach and mentor Juha Kangasniemi, “I still think that he’s the most powerful engine in the world—nobody can beat him in the long, heavy met-cons … and that’s CrossFit.”

26min 10sec

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Please note: These files are larger than normal Journal videos. For smoother viewing, please download the entire file to your hard drive before watching it (right-click and choose Save Link As...).

Additional audio: CrossFit Radio Episode 171 by Justin Judkins, published May 11, 2011.

Saira Mohan Brittny Gastineau Ashley Tisdale Rachel Blanchard Sienna Guillory

NFL draft 2011: Cam Newton focused on proving worth as No1 pick

? 21-year-old quarterback chosen in draft by Carolina Panthers
? College career dogged by rumours of academic cheating

It was hardly surprising after the turbulent year he has endured that Cam Newton would be greeted by both cheers and jeers when he was named as the NFL's first pick in Thursday's annual draft.

The 21-year-old quarterback, from Auburn University, may well have been the outstanding college player last year but he remains a controversial figure that has travelled a bumpy road to the top. His ability as a player, however, is unquestioned and it was no surprise that the Carolina Panthers opted for him as the No1 choice.

"It's a great responsibility and I'm willing to take that," Newton said about leading the Panthers offense, who finished an NFL worst 2-14 last season.

Newton started his college football career at Florida but after being found with a stolen laptop and dogged by rumours of academic cheating he transferred to a junior college. At Blinn College, he led the football team to a national junior college title before transferring back into big-time US college football at Auburn. That process led to another crisis for Newton.

In the midst of Auburn's brilliant 2010 campaign, it was revealed that Newton's father, Cecil Newton, who played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys as a safety, had tried to solicit payments from another university for his son's services, in violation of strict amateur rules. Newton was briefly declared ineligible to play but reinstated after no evidence was found proving he had any knowledge of his father's activities.

In the end, the quarterback threw 30 touchdown passes and was intercepted only seven times. He was a runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best player in Colle and showed his ability to overcome criticism when the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced at Radio City Hall on Thursday that he was the No1 pick.

"Man, am I happy. I'm glad for it to be over. There's been some sleepless nights," he said. "Oh, man, I'm relieved. What I really want to do, I can't do it. I just want to scream."

Newton was asked if his selection made all his travails worthwhile. He said: "To some degree it does. But at the same time, when I wake up in the morning, it's another goal or a task at hand that I need to tackle. You know, it's transforming an organisation that was worst and try to progress to be the first.

"I'm really not focused on endorsements and money. That's something that's going to take care of itself. The one thing I'm focused on, my No1 priority, is getting in this organisation and make steps as far as me becoming a better player."

He added: "I'm not trying to prove nothing to no one that I'm not trying to prove to myself, and I understand that I'm my biggest critic."

• NFL
• US sport

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June 2011 Collected Articles

Here are the individual PDF articles published in June 2011, collected together in a single download.

The video and audio articles are not contained in the PDF.

The articles included here are:

World of WODs No. 5: Sacramento Calif. - Morrison
Grassroots Games - Goodson
Work or Work Out? - Belger
Springtime Smoothie - Brown/Dazet
Rhabdomyolysis Revisted - Wright
“You Die Slower If U Work Out” - Jordan
My Reebok Opportunity - Everett
CrossFit Kids Ice-Cream Truck - Martin
“No Water, No Way Out” - South
More Than Scores - Warkentin
Shake Hands With the Fat Boys - Hersee
Lift-Off! - Brown/Dazet
The Westside Conjugate System - Simmons
A Brief Letter From a Representative of the Silent Masses - Carr

Thalía Brooke Burke Thandie Newton Liz Phair Aaliyah

Weekly Top Five: World Cup, Bruce Feldman, James Harrison & Golf!

Ian Darke has once again made the World Cup a pleasurable watch. The flawless Emmanuelle Chriqui is also a pleasurable watch.

Victoria Beckham Missy Peregrym Sarah Gellman Eliza Dushku Bonnie Jill Laflin

CrossFit Kids Goes to Middle School

Dan Strametz and Debbie Rakos take the CrossFit Kids program out of the box and into the education system.

It’s raining in Ramona, Calif.

Used to be not so common an occurrence. Used to be tinderbox dry for months on end. And then the Santa Ana winds would kick up, a spark would be struck and the county would burn.

At Olive Pierce Middle School (OPMS), such musings are far from the minds of the kids working the machines packed inside the Body Shop, the campus’ weight room. Trainers Debbie Rakos and Dan Strametz ensure proper usage of the machines and bide their time because in just about a decent Fran time, a familiar hue and cry is raised: “We’re bored. We wanna do CrossFit!”

Neither Rakos nor Strametz is particularly surprised. After all, the program is called “CrossFit Kids in the Body Shop.” And this pilot program’s success bodes well for CrossFit Kids’ expansion into school districts elsewhere.

Kate Bosworth Tamala Jones Yamila Diaz Alicia Keys Tyra Banks

Actor Doug Hutchison and His 16-Year-Old Wife, Courtney Stodden

Remember when that 16-year-old married the guy from LOST? Well, ABC News sat down with the happy couple with the 35-year age difference and it is every bit as creepy and weird as you could imagine. Just watch the way this girl looks at Hutchison. She looks like she's ready to jump him through the [...]

Norah Jones Nicky Hilton Garcelle Beauvais Kristy Swanson Ali Campoverdi

High-Performance Gear

What does Reebok have in the works for CrossFitters? Find out from Reebok apparel director Chris Gallo, as HQ’s Tony Budding visits Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, Mass. for some answers.

Reebok has an entirely new line of gear called Reebok Delta CrossFit, and it’s specifically for CrossFitters.

“It’ll be built for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, and it’s going to be the pinnacle of our training product for Reebok,” Gallo says.

According to Gallo, “It’s not just going to be moisture management; it’s going to be antimicrobial, it’s going to be the best branded yarns in the marketplace, and we’re working with our advanced-concepts group to develop new technologies.”

Gallo continues: “It’s going to be all about fit and comfort first.”

Reebok is equipping the CrossFit athlete with everything from boxers to outer layers—and everything in between. Gallo says Reebok is engineering clothing to manage temperature, odor and moisture, and to block UV radiation. With “cold black” technology, Reebok can even make heat-resistant dark-colored garments.

“Our philosophy’s always, ‘Whatever we put on the best athletes, we bring to the community,’” Gallo says.

7min 52sec

Additional reading: If the Shoe Fits … by Kevin Daigle, published Feb. 7, 2011.

Vanessa Marcil Rachel McAdams Kristin Cavallari Brittany Murphy Britney Spears