HELLO. I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL HOW MUCH I LOVE YOUR PRODUCTS. I AM CURRENTLY USING YOUR NITREAN+ AND OPTICEN. IN JUST TWO MONTHS I HAVE DROPPED MY BODY FAT FROM 19 TO 13 PERCENT! I’M 6 FEET TALL AND 200 LBS. I JUST HIT A PR TODAY ON MY DEADLIFT WITH 445 LBS X 4 REPS! MY PREVIOUS BEST WAS 385 LBS FOR 4. I AM TAKING NO OTHER SUPPLEMENTS BUT YOUR PROTEINS. I HAVE MADE NO OTHER CHANGES TO MY DIET. GREEEAAAT STUFFFFF!
THANKS,
DOUG H.
Jaime Gold’s CrossFit Games 2012 Prep Blog
Thursday 05-10-12
Strength Work
Bench Press 5/3/1
5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5+ @ 85% (130# for 10 reps)
Testing
Weighted Dips 3 x 3 sets – 3 attempts to get heaviest triple
Weighted Strict Pull Ups 1 x 3 sets – 3 attempts to get heaviest single
CrossFit Work
8 minute time cap
20 Double Unders
10 Russian KB Swings 70lb
1 Rope Climb
20 Double Unders
10 Russian KB Swings 70lb
2 Rope Climbs
20 Double Unders
10 Russian KB Swings 70lb
3 Rope Climbs
20 Double Unders
10 Russian KB Swings 70lb
4 Rope Climbs
etc…
Friday 05-11-12
Deadlift 5/3/1
5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5+ @ 85% (250# for 8 reps)
3X15 Glute Ham Raises
3×12 Reverse Hyper
Saturday 05-12-12
Active Rest: 30-45 min of Stand Up Paddle Boarding – we went to Key West 
Sunday 05-13-12: OFF
Monday 05-14-12
Strength Work
Shoulder Press
3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 or more reps @ 90% (95# for 7 reps)
Olympic / Skill Work
Block (knee) Power Snatch 70% (105#) x 3 x 2 sets, 80% (120#) x 2 x 2 sets
Block (knee) Power Clean & Jerk 70% (125#) x 3 x 2 sets, 80% (145#) x 2 x 2 sets
CrossFit Work
4 Mins Max Row for Calories
rest 1 minute
3 Mins Max Pull Ups
rest 1 minute
2 Mins Push Press or Push Jerks 95#
rest 1 minute
1 Min of Muscle Ups
score = amount of reps and calories
Last week I performed 6 Hero WODs in one session as a trial run for my charity project on Memorial Day weekend. My goal for that weekend is to raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation and another charity by completing all 11 Navy Special Warfare/SEAL inspired Hero WODs in a 24 hour period.
Colin training with a weighted vest
The aforementioned trial run was difficult to say the least! I completed Blake, Collin, Nate, Jason, JT, and Michael. I rested for 22 to 39 minutes between each one and refueled with bananas, electrolytes, and simple carbs. At the halfway point I added in a MAXIMUS shake mixed in water. Perhaps it is coincidental, but the workout right after that break was the high point of the whole day! I felt great!
The next day my shoulders and upper back where smoked, but an ice bath and contrast showering helped tremendously.
I’m nervous, but ready for the big day! I will report how it goes here. Wish me luck J.
My fight training is going really well. We are stepping up the intensity and at my last session I sparred with a partner using the same rest and work intervals as a real fight. I got two submissions! Just a month ago that would not have happened. My Westside style strength training combined with AtLarge’s products really seems to be paying dividends as my newfound power showed up during the sparring match. At one point I slammed my partner from a standing position. Prior to Westside and AtLarge I simply did not have the raw strength for something like that.
See you next week.
Colin
In case you did not see it last week, a short video blog discussing Colin’s performance of the 6 Hero WODs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rUGa_5g9BYE
Jaime Gold, CrossFit Games competitor and our newest sponsored athlete will be maintaining a training log on this blog. She will chronicle exactly what she is doing to prep for the Games with twice per week updates that will cover every day of training for that week. Below is her first installment:
Jaime Gold’s Training Log Update:
Sunday 05/06/12
First Week of 5/3/1
Percentages below are based off of 90% of my 1RM
Shoulder Press 65% (70#), 75% (80#), 85% (90#)
5-5-5+(I got 
Olympic Lifting Technique Work
Snatch, Clean & Jerk
~70% (in this case of 1RM), 3X3 (1 from each position)
Metabolic Conditioning
“Unbroken” – Each movement must be completed without rest
5 Rounds for Time
4 Handstand Push-ups
5 Hang Power Cleans (95#)
6 Chest to bar Pull ups
200m row
Monday 05/07/12
Week 1 (5/3/1)
Front Squat 65% (120#), 75% (140#), 85%(160#)
5-5-5+ (I got 10)
3 Supersets of:
15 Banded Squat Jumps
15 Banded Back extensions
1X300m Sled Pull
Tuesday (Endurance) 05/08/12
4 Rounds for time
200m Row
100m Farmer Carry (53# KB each Hand)
10 Wall Ball (20#, 10ft target)
20 Hand release Push ups
20 KB Swings (53#)
20 Air Squats
20 Double Unders
I have been following Chris Mason’s awesome advice (training and nutrition) on the CrossFit.com forums for some time. After reading so much solid information for such a long time I finally decided to give his products a try and purchased a tub of Nitrean+. I have NEVER been so impressed with a supplement.
I am what I consider to be a “hard gainer”. As such I have always felt that I needed lots of protein and have drank 4-5 protein shakes per day. The shakes really seemed to make a difference and I was happy with my results. That is why Nitrean+ was such an amazing surprise. With Nitrean+, just like their Nitrean and Nitrean+ Challenge says, I am only drinking 2 shakes and getting better results (talk about VALUE)! I have gone from 155 lbs to 162 lbs with my first tub of Nitrean+ and could not be happier!
I can’t wait to place my next order and will continue to spread the word. Thanks AtLarge Nutrition and Chris Mason. Keep up the good work on your site and with the CrossFit community.
Andrew Cooper
Real feedback from an AtLarge Nutrition Customer:
Comment: Typically I don’t do this, but I wanted to share my initial impressions of my recent order.
Prior to receiving my AtLarge shipment I got a few supplements at the typical chain stores to kind of jump-start my supplement plan. My AtLarge order arrived last Wednesday at which point I switched over. The first thing I noticed was that within the first 24-hours the bloated, awful feeling I’ve come to associate with sports nutrition supplements (which has kept me away from them) was completely gone. It’s only been 5 days, so too soon to draw any firm conclusions, but I’ve also noticed: a substantial blunting of DOMS, faster energy renewal, a bit more metabolic work capacity, and better sleep. My programming hasn’t included an opportunity to test single rep max strength yet.
I am an older (47-y.o.) Crossfitter, and the continual fatigue, soreness, and wear/tear, had me seriously considering stepping away from it despite the immense good it’s done me over the last 13 months. I am now hopeful that targeted nutrition supplements can take enough of an edge off the misery to keep me going indefinitely. Five days isn’t conclusive, so I’ll be monitoring things over the next several weeks (and I’ll be glad to let you know how it goes if you are interested). But so far I’m impressed. Oh, and I’m taking Results + Opticen PWO, Results alone on off days, ETS daily (6 at night, 2 in morning), and taking a scoop of Nitrean+ at bed time. Thanks!
Dave C.
Gretchen Kittelberger is one of the premier female CrossFit athletes in the world. Her 12th place finish at last year’s Reebok CrossFit Games solidified her position as one of the best of the best.
See her page here: http://www.atlargenutrition.com/athletes/gretchen-kittelberger
Eight weeks into this Ironman triathlon/powerlifting experiment, and I can safely say I’ve already learned a lot.
I’ve learned that between bench shirts, squat suits, knee wraps, bike shorts, camelbacks, brightly colored running socks, and tri shorts, I am more capable of looking absolutely ridiculous to the casual bystander than nearly any human being on earth… and I truly don’t care.
I’m learning that it’s entirely possible to get sick of nearly ANY food if you’re forcing enough of it down your throat (bacon shines as the blessed exception to this rule).
I’m learning that “you’re only human” shouldn’t be an insult- humans are capable of some pretty damn amazing things, and that there are plenty of humans out there whose achievements in incredible circumstances leave me zero room for excuses of my own.
And I’ve learned that nothing beats a slice of cold pizza and a glass of Bell’s Hopslam or Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch after a long, brutal workout.
DE deadlifts and 70 miles on the bike- the sign of a good weekend.
So half of this year’s goal is an elite total @ 220, which I’m pretty sure is within my grasp. (Ideally, I would have been going for an elite raw total, but I’m realizing now with the strain I’m putting on my joints, this might have to wait.) I’ve been following a basic Westside framework for my strength training, and it’s going exceptionally well- raw bench is up to about 435, but after a few sessions with a single ply shirt I’ve got a solid 495 in me, and room to grow. Deadlifts are nearly back to where they were when I was ten pounds heavier (high 6’s), and my squat is over 600 and still rising.
On the cardio side of things, I’m in my last few weeks of distance training for the Assault on Mount Mitchell, a pretty brutal mountain century ride: http://www.freewheelers.info/assaults/assault-on-mount-mitchell.html . Training load has been pretty steady- I’m putting in shorter hour-long rides a few times during the week, focusing on steady-state high power output workouts and/or steady hill repeats, with long rides on the weekend (70-100+ miles). For cross training purposes, I’m also putting in about 20 miles a week on foot, sticking mostly to mid distance trail runs, with the occasional 10-15 miler thrown in for fun.
On the technical side, I realized there’s no room for conventional cyclist/triathlete training- those interval style drills and varying intensity workouts are a sure formula for killing my lifts for the next week. I either need to be 100% anaerobic or 100% aerobic- middle ground is the enemy of both… In other words- specificity. The more you’re demanding of your body, the less room there is for extraneous stress… if it doesn’t help me get a stronger bench press, deadlift, or squat, then it had better help me be a faster marathon runner, swimmer, or cyclist. In other words, if you ever catch me doing a burpee or bosu pushup, give me a solid smack.
Supplements… at the moment, keeping the list short while I put Results to the test. Thus far, it’s delivered. I vetted the ingredients independently in the past, and they’re worth it. (Beta-alanine has helped my power output tremendously, particularly my ability to recover quickly between bouts of anaerobic effort, and HMB helped me keep lean body mass on during marathon training). Together, I couldn’t be happier with what I’m seeing. I wish I had this stuff back when I played rugby.
Of course, I still have seven months to go until Ironman Cozumel…
Following-up on my first blog post my performance of 6 Hero WODs as a prelude to doing all 11 in one day will be sometime in the next 2 weeks. I’m also eyeing June 8th for my first MMA fight. The only hesitation is that due to PA state rules head gear must be worn and no striking is allowed while on the ground. My trainers and I are trying to make the determination if competing under such rules will be a good first fight.
After consulting with AtLarge Nutrition owner Chris Mason I have decided to switch to a Westside strength training program. Although very new to the program I can tell I am going to make HUGE gains. I particularly appreciate the use of special exercises to address relative weaknesses.
I have consistently used MAXIMUS and RESULTS for the last 4 weeks. I have gained 4 lbs of lean muscle mass and considering my total workload that is pretty darned good! MAXIMUS has proven to be a real blessing as I need to consume 4-6k calories per day just to keep from losing weight! You can only eat so much peanut butter and olive oil before going nuts and the 900 cals I get from my MAXIMUS shakes (1 serving of MAXIMUS, 1 cup of milk, 1 serving of peanut butter) really helps.
Well, that’s it for this week, see you next week.
