Check out Surya’s interview on the Australian Kettlebell Club blog.

"...I do not want to trade quality for rep count. I am not willing to bend the definition of the lift..."

Jeneane, Earl, Mark, Jim, John, Tracy, Wendy, Lisa M, Jeremy, and Lisa B. (Matt C. was missed during his vacation in Mexico!)

Congratulations to the IC Softball Team for finishing this season with a 7-1 record!  These powerful & resilient players went into the championship game, with no break, immediately after beating their playoff rivals 17-16 in overtime.  The IC has now earned the reputation as the most feared team in the league!  Until next season… Go IC!

IC rock stars, Ann and Mark, will be moving to San Mateo next month and we are sad to say today was their last day at the Chamber.  Combined, they have lost over 100 lbs. with us in less than one year!

Here is what Ann had to say about their journey:

“In my fat pic I was around 230; the post pic I am 165.  I think I was around 190 when I joined the IC ~ now I’m slimmer with a lot more muscle.    Pretty dramatic change that couldn’t be done without IC workouts.  In general my weight has been the most stable in my life training here.  Really gonna miss it!

No one noticed that Catha was the only one in class able to complete these advanced drills.

Last Thursday night, Catha attended Core class and wowed the trainers with her intervals of picture-perfect donkey kicks.  They looked more like mini handstands each time she exploded in the air fully executing dozens of rounds.

Jim's interest in different modes of fitness is not good news for his competitors

Jim, meanwhile, was taking it easy on a SPIN bike next door that same night. Notice how happy he looks not to be alongside Catha at that moment.  In general he saves most of his energy for his 1 rep max attempts on either the bench press, deadlift, or back squat… AND of course for scoring points against his buddies in Battle Zone.

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Team Name:  Equitable Remedy

Claim to Fame:  Catha was once on the same competitive swim team as Olympic Champion, Dara Torres.  In addition to powerlifting and attendance in both IC Core and SPIN classes, Jim plays for the IC Softball Team on Tuesday nights.  Catha and Jim excel in nearly every area of fitness.

Potential Team Strength: Catha operates under the radar and can easily slide past you without notice.  Jim is a rhetoric expert whose gift of gab has saved him many times in Battle Zone.  Both are attorneys secretly planning to leave law in pursuit of opportunities as professional athletes.

Potential Weakness:  Paralysis by analysis?

Captain Rune

Back from fire season and vested up all week.

Elise is one of our most persistent 6am’ers never missing a beat.  Success is often as simple as finding a consistent time to exercise and sticking with it.

Newton Casemiro is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.  Unless you ask him, you will not know his complete curriculum vitae.  Newton is currently one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athletes in the nation.  He most recently won the Gold Medal in the open division at the American National Championships.  He is also a 2x National Brazilian Champion in Judo.  When not competing, he can be found dancing, teaching, helping people, and training at the IC.

How cute is baby Frank?!

Let’s be Frank, after a couple of years at the Chamber, this is what a family outing now looks like in the Walker household.

Amy knows fashion and function

John and Amy are two IC veterans who’ve been committed to intense physical fitness for over five years now.  These two always perform well under fire and have never backed down from an IC challenge.

If push-ups are included in the pentathlon, competitors beware.

Team Name: Suits and Martinis

Claim to Fame:  Amy is well known for her stylish workout gear, but her competitors may not know that she also studied martial arts (should help explain why she demos kicks so well in class). Her idea of fun would include turning Saturday Core class into Morning Battle Zone.  John is a financial wiz and seasoned endurance athlete, best known for calculating strategies and leaving everyone in the dust (including Team IC!), most notably during the 2010 Inaugural Tough Mudder race.

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Potential Team Strength:  They are not a couple in real life so there is no emotional baggage posing any present or future threat.  Instead, they’re seasoned workout buddies with their own secret form of fitness-sign language (i.e. John will throw up two fingers if he wants Amy to request a lighter set of dumbbells) which will undoubtedly serve them well during the pentathlon.  They are straight shooters who believe in good planning and strategy.

Potential Team Weakness:  Will their dependency on tactical forecasting be enough to overcome the unpredictability of the pentathlon?

Sara is acclimating to the demands of motherhood (x2) like a true champ! Luci & Gavin are adorable beyond words — they’re strong and healthy just like their mama. Sara did a tremendous job incubating her little ones for nearly ten months while teaching every one of her IC classes up until just last week. “I would go crazy if I was just sitting at home waiting for them to arrive,” she often said.  Was anyone surprised by her superhuman stamina?  It was awesome to witness.

Sara with Luci and Gavin (in yellow)

Although we already miss Sara’s wonderful guidance in class, we are excited about this next chapter in her life.  Speaking of which, are there any special tips or words of wisdom that you think Sara Bear would benefit from as she navigates through this first week of parenthood?  Do share!

Luci and Gavin, two perfect peas in a pod