New and Improved Invictus Athletes’ Camp – October 23-25, 2015
Written by C.J. Martin
I am excited to announce that our next Invictus Athletes’ Camp will be held at Behemoth CrossFit in Cypress, Texas (just outside of Houston) on October 23-25, 2015. We have recently made some exciting additions to our Athletes’ Camp staff and curriculum, and we’re looking forward to sharing this new content for everyone who can join us in Houston in October. Please get yourself signed up as soon as possible!
Registration is simple…just click here: Sign me up for the Invictus Athletes’ Camp!
The Invictus Athletes’ Camp
Invictus has established a reputation for excellence in preparing athletes for the sport of CrossFit. Invictus has qualified an affiliate team to the CrossFit Games seven consecutive years (one of only two gyms to do so). In the last seven years Team Invictus has finished in the top 5 at at the CrossFit Games four times, and became the Affiliate Champions in 2014. Invictus coach C.J. Martin has personally coached more than two dozen individual CrossFit Games athletes including, among others, Josh Bridges, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Valerie Voboril, Lauren Fisher, Jenny LaBaw, Michelle Kinney, Cheryl Brost, Kristin Holte and Maddy Myers.
The Invictus Athlete Camp is our opportunity to share with others the coaching and training principles we have found most effective in preparing our athletes for competition. The training and coaching principles presented will be geared toward individuals hoping to compete, at any level, in the sport of CrossFit. Whether you are looking to compete at a local competition, perform well in the Open, qualify for Regionals, or make it to the CrossFit Games, our coaches and athletes will have many lessons to share with you to help get you closer to your goal.
The typical schedule of events is as follows, and we always try to offer an additional benefit or surprise guest or two at every camp:
Friday - 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday - 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday – 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Topics covered will include:
Invictus Training Rules – Creating A Successful Training Environment (C.J. Martin)
Program Design for Competitive CrossFit Athletes (C.J. Martin and Julien Pineau)
How to Identify Deficiencies, Imbalances & Weaknesses (Julien Pineau)
Developing a Performance Mindset (C.J. Martin and Heidi Fearon)
Tapping Your Potential – The Mental Edge (Heidi Fearon)
Designing Workouts to Test Mental Toughness (C.J. Martin)
Nutrition and Fueling for Optimal Performance (C.J. Martin or special guest)
Essential Elements of Movement Preparation: From Mobility to CNS-Prep
Weightlifting – Snatch Skills and Drills
Weightlifting – Clean & Jerk Skills and Drills
Barbell Cycling and Movement Efficiency for Competitive Athletes
Rowing Technique and Strategy
CrossFit-Specific Gymnastics Skills and Drills
Essential Upper-Body Accessory Work for CrossFit Athletes (Sam Dancer & Julien Pineau)
Posterior Chain Development for CrossFit Athletes (Sam Dancer & Julien Pineau)
Athlete Testing
Training De-Brief: How to Analyze and Learn from A Performance
Recovery Tools – Maximizing the Other 22 Hours of the Day
Q&A with Panel of Coaches and Athletes
Coaching Staff: C.J. Martin, Nichole DeHart, Julien Pineau, Heidi Fearon, Aja Barto, Jenny LaBaw, Sam Dancer, Maddy Curley, Rasmus Wisbech-Andersen, Lauren Fisher, and several other special guests!
The Invictus Athlete Camp Coaches
C.J. Martin – CJ participated poorly as an athlete in the inaugural 2007 CrossFit Games and approximately two-thirds of the 2008 CrossFit Games before realizing that he was a much better coach than athlete. He skipped his final event at the 2008 Games to coach several San Diego athletes, and dedicated himself from that point forward to becoming the best coach he could be. Since 2009, CJ has designed programs for and coached more than two dozen CrossFit Games individual competitors, and has coached the Invictus affiliate team to the Games seven consecutive years – where they earned top 5 finishes four times, and finally earned the title of Affiliate Cup Champions at the 2014 CrossFit Games.
Nichole DeHart – Nichole is one of the first professional CrossFit athletes. Nichole earned a whopping $250 at the 2007 CrossFit Games for her first place finish in the CrossFit Total and her 3rd place overall finish. Nichole retired from individual competition after that, but has participated as a member of the Invictus affiliate team the last four years. Nichole is not afraid of being great at every aspect of our sport. She can put heavy weight overhead – 84 kg Snatch, 105 kg Clean & Jerk – knock out clips of muscle-ups, or smash a named workout – 2:33 “Fran,” 1:40 “Isabelle.” Nichole is also a phenomenal coach who understands the Invictus principles as well as anyone. Nichole will be assisting at all sessions throughout the weekend.
Julien Pineau – Julien has a phenomenally varied history as an athlete, competing at high level in swimming, Greco-Roman wrestling, mixed-martial arts and strongman, among other sports. Julien created a niche in training with strongman methodologies, but he will be the first to correct you if you assume he is a “strongman coach”; he is a movement specialist first and foremost, and with that knowledge has helped many athletes, including CrossFit Games athlete Valerie Voboril, achieve their goals.
Heidi Fearon – Heidi is known simply as the Invictus “Healer.” Heidi is an acupuncturist by trade, but her treatment of athletes ranges from sports psychology to pre-event massage. Words can’t describe the impact that she has had on Invictus athletes’ performance in the arena at the CrossFit Games. She is our secret weapon, and leaves the participants of every athletes’ camp with blown minds and a more clear sense of direction and motivation in their training for the Games season.
Aja Barto – Aja is a Houston native, owner of Behemoth CrossFit and three-time CrossFit Games individual athlete. Aja graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans playing 3 years for the Green Wave along with a few years of professional baseball with the Texas Rangers organization. Since 2014 he has taken a growing passion in the sport of olympic weightlifting, qualifying for the 2014 USAW national level meet and placing 7th place overall in the 105kg weight class. Aja is passionate about working with individuals who are determined and committed to being the best athlete they can be. Aja has been an Invictus athlete since the close of the 2011 season.
Jenny LaBaw – Jenny is a two-time Games competitor who was forced to miss the 2013 season after she was injured in an accident on her way home from work just a couple days before the Open. Jenny’s athleticism, intelligence and mental toughness has fueled her success as a CrossFit athlete. Jenny is also experienced with training around and through serious injury. She has proved that with the proper mindset and dedication, nothing should hold an athlete back from achieving their goals. Jenny will be lecturing on training through adversity and developing mental toughness, leading a breakout on proper mobility and warm-ups, and assisting throughout the weekend.
Sam Dancer – Sam is the owner of CrossFit QTown and one of the strongest competitors in the sport of CrossFit. Sam has a solid background in powerlifting and years of experience as a competitive athlete. He has combined his knowledge of strength development with his passion for helping others to create some of the most innovative methods for strength training the CrossFit community has seen. Sam enjoys and is particularly effective at finding ways to help CrossFit athletes address muscular imbalances to keep them healthy and performing to the best of their ability.
Maddy Curley – Maddy brings years of experience coaching and competing in gymnastics She has coached gymnasts from age 2 to 65 for over ten years. Maddy’s own gymnastics career began at age four; her competitive career at age six. She is a four-time Level 10 National qualifier and won Elite Nationals in 1999. She earned a full gymnastics scholarship to compete at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where she was also a four-time Academic All-American and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Upon graduation, Maddy made her film acting debut in Disney’s “Stick It,” an April 2006 release from Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment. Maddy’s first go at a CrossFit competition was at SoCal’s 2010 Sectionals where she placed 2nd. The next year she went on to compete with her team at the 2011 CrossFit Games where they took 5th place! In 2012, Maddy placed 11th in the world at the Open and took another stab at competing as an individual, taking a laudable 7th place in SoCal’s Regional competition. She went team again in 2013 and 2014, placing 3rd at Regionals both times. Maddy will be leading all breakout gymnastics sessions.
Rasmus Wisbech Andersen (also known as the Nordic beauty) – At 22 years of age, Rasmus has made a few waves already in the CrossFit world. He played all kinds of sports growing up then spent 15 years racing dirt bikes (called Speedway, a very dangerous sport). He came to the States for school in 2013 and was recognized quickly for his skills in CrossFit. He dedicated himself to training and made the Invictus 2014 team, which took 1st place at CrossFit Games. He went on to take 2nd at the 2014 Monstar Games and took 3rd at the 2014 Granite Games. He placed 1st in the Socal Open and placed an impressive 6th place worldwide in the 2015 Open. Rasmus brings lots of knowledge and experience to Olympic weightling and barbell cycling, a skill specific to competitive CrossFitters. He will be assisting in all portions of the weekend.
Lauren Fisher – Lauren’s first appearance at the CrossFit Games was in 2013 with Team Invictus, helping them land a 4th place finish. She dedicated herself to training the following season and qualified as an individual for the 2014 Games, taking 9th place. She has continued to make strides in her CrossFit career, as well as in her Olympic weightlifting career. She may be small but she is mighty, with a clean and jerk of 110kg and snatch of 84kg. She competed at the 2014 Junior Nationals, taking 1st place overall and winning best female lifter and lifting at the Pan Am’s where she took 4th place overall. She went on to place 10th at Junior Worlds in Russia for Team USA a few months later. At the age of 20, she has accomplished an incredible amount athletically and will be sharing her experiences as a competitive athlete, as well as assisting in our breakout sessions.
Here is what some of our past camp attendees had to say:
“The Athletes’ Camp truly exceeded every expectation. The variety of topics was perfect, and your coaching staff was absolutely amazing.” - Chad A.
“Thank you for the absolutely incredible, fun, challenging, inspirational weekend. I had an amazing time at the Invictus Athletes’ Training Camp. You and your staff are terrific!” – Jennifer S.
“Amazing Athletes/Coach camp this weekend at CrossFit Invictus. The amount of talent and knowledge in one room at one time is incredible.” - Travis F.
“I am truly a better athlete, but more importantly, I am a better person from this weekend’s experience.” - Jayson A.
Please click here to register for the camp: Sign me up for the Invictus Athletes’ Camp!
We look forward to seeing you there!