Gordon

Heidy

Dougie-Doug

Eva

Bear-Bear

Tonight Steve taught the Core crew swivel kicks, a compound bodyweight exercise that is often incorporated into martial arts and dance (think Cirque du Soleil). This magical movement allows the participant to vary intensity by simply changing the elevation of the leg kick.

Which of the five stars above best qualifies for the next cast of “So You Think You Can Dance?”

The beginning of the month is an interesting time at the Chamber. Our bootcamp classes get brand-new members, many of whom are unaccustomed to our style of exercise. It can be intimidating to walk into a room of strangers and try and squat, body row, and lunge for the first time, so we want to take a moment to offer kudos to all those who have made the commitment to give the Chamber a try, and also to those of you who keep coming back for more month after month. If you are an old-timer, please make a point of welcoming the new members. Your encouragement can go a long way.

Do you remember your first week at the IC?  Do share.

Since joining the IC less than 9 months ago, Eva has dramatically improved her athletic performance (after ACL surgery folks!) and totally transformed her physique.

She is not only ripped, but functionally strong, and beautifully feminine…

The six pack has made her the lastest inductee.

Congratulations to IC Athletes Dave, James, and Newton, who all took home medals this weekend from arguably one of the world’s most competitive sporting events: The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Pan American Championships.

Dave (left) won the GOLD in the super heavy weight division and the SILVER in the open weight class Black Belt Division.

James (middle) won the GOLD in the heavy weight Brown Belt Division.

Newton (right) won the BRONZE in the light weight Blue Belt Division.

Here are some interesting facts about our guys: 1) Dave successfully defends his gold medal performance in his weight class from 2003 and goes on to take the silver medal in the open weight class 2) This is James’ first competition as a Brown Belt and he competes despite having a nasty upper respiratory infection (walking pneumonia) 3) This is Newton’s first BJJ competition ever.

To say that these guys did great is an understatement. Newton confessed that when it was all said and done, it came down to strength and conditioning. In fact, all of his opponents were highly skilled technically, but Newton’s physical training gave him an edge and allowed him to push through when the others gassed.

Based on how hard they had been training for the past three months, there was little chance they would not win.

Kim (in red) and Lan-Ling (in white) share a significant birthday… today, April Fools’ Day! Other things they share in common: two young children (though Kim also has a fabulous stepson, Alex who trains with us too), husbands who once worked for the same company in London, a love of gourmet cuisine, and a proclivity for rowing, squatting, and pressing movements. We know Lan-Ling is of Chinese descent, but we still think they should research some family history to find out if they’re fraternal twins that were separated at birth… then they can thank the IC for reuniting them someday.

Happy Birthday to these two lovely ladies!