Everything You Need to Know About the New Invictus Athlete Program

Everything You Need to Know About the New Invictus Athlete Program
Written by C.J. Martin

Q:      What is the Invictus Athlete program?
A:      Invictus Athlete is a comprehensive training program designed for dedicated athletes looking to compete in the sport of fitness. It incorporates all facets of strength, skill and energy system development needed to compete, and is written with an understanding of structural balance and periodization to keep athletes healthy and progressing year after year.

The methodologies used have been tested for more than 7 years within the walls of our gym in San Diego, as well as with our private remote clients around the world. The results speak for themselves:

Invictus has coached more than 30 individual CrossFit Games athletes (not including masters athletes), including a world champion and three other podium finishers. Team Invictus has qualified for Games 7 consecutive years, has finished in the top 5 four times and won the Affiliate Cup in 2014.

Our success is built upon training principles – not fads or workouts, and is constantly adapted by what we see in the gym every day with our world-class competitors.

Q:      What does the Invictus Athlete program include?
A:      Invictus Athlete will provide athletes with all of the following:

• A Structured, Comprehensive Training Program – We touch upon every element of fitness needed to compete, including all facets of strength and energy system development, gymnastics skills and strongman-based training. Invictus Athlete will offer multiple training sessions 5 days per week, as well as active recovery sessions programmed on Thursdays and Sundays. Our program is built upon principles of progression, structural balance and periodization. Every element of the training program has a purpose, and we take care to ensure that the elements of the program complement each other rather than interfere.
• Feedback from Expert Coaches – Our staff of coaches will be constantly engaging with members of Invictus Athlete to answer questions and provide feedback on results posted. We’re committed to being accessible to provide advice and guidance to help each athlete get the most out of their training experience. Each member of the Invictus Athlete coaching team has either participated in the CrossFit Games as an athlete, or has coached multiple individual athletes to the CrossFit Games.
• Instructional Videos – We have and will continue to build a library of instructional videos that will help our athletes better understand how to perform certain movements incorporated in the program. We see many athletes performing good exercises incorrectly, thereby negating any of the potential benefits. We will work to ensure that our athletes understand some of the finer points of the movements included in the program.
• Training Overviews – Our team of coaches will prepare overviews of what athletes can/should expect in different phases of training cycles. We will share our experiences and thoughts about how athletes should be approaching the training week, certain workouts, and/or recovery methods.

Q:      Why are we offering this program to the public?
A:      We started Invictus with a vision of helping individuals achieve their health and fitness goals. Over the years, Invictus has proudly adapted to the needs of its members, creating multiple programs – like Performance, Fitness and Competition – to best suit our members’ goals. The sport of fitness has changed a lot over the last several years, and those changes require a new program to help our athletes achieve their athletic goals.

Today’s competitive athletes have to master more skills, lift heavier loads, move faster and for longer than ever before. As a result, training volume has increased to allow for greater skill acquisition and acclimation to the rigors of 7-15 event competitions. But many athletes are finding out the hard way that additional volume, unless it is well-planned, can lead to nagging injuries and poor performance. It’s time to train smarter.

We’ve been successfully preparing athletes for the highest levels of competition for more than 7 years. Along the way we’ve learned important lessons about how to maximize progress without the negative effects of overtraining. Invictus Athlete is our opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with others. It’s our way to make a positive difference in athletes’ lives even when those athletes cannot be with us in San Diego, or cannot afford the cost of individualized remote coaching.

Q:      What type of athletes will benefit from Invictus Athlete?
A:      Invictus Athlete is designed for any athlete looking to compete in the sport of fitness. We have built in several options in the training program that will allow athletes to prioritize elements of their fitness that need the most work. Each day incorporates a mix of primary work that all athletes will perform, and accessory options that athletes will select based on their specific needs. For a sample day of the program, click here.

Q:      Will the Invictus Athlete program be a good option for teams?
A:      Yes. Team Invictus follows the Invictus Athlete program. We’ve always taken the approach at Invictus that to have a strong team, you must have 6-8 well-rounded individuals who get along well and know each others’ strengths and weaknesses. The Invictus Athlete program allows all members of the team to do their primary work together, and allows each individual team member to perform the accessory work that will best suit their specific needs.

Q:      What days will we be training, and how many times?
A:      The weekly training schedule for the Invictus Athlete program will change based on each training cycle, but leading up to the 2016 Open the schedule will be:

• Monday – 2 Gym Sessions + 1 Running Session (only for athletes needing to prioritize running)
• Tuesday – 2 Gym Sessions
• Wednesday – 2 Gym Sessions (access to strongman equipment suggested) + 1 Running Session (only for athletes needing to prioritize running)
• Thursday – 1 Swimming Session + 1 Mobility Session
• Friday – 2 Gym Sessions
• Saturday – 1 Gym Session + 1 Strongman Session and/or 1 Running Session
• Sunday – Active Recovery and Meal Preparation

Q:      Can I just do one long session instead of multiple sessions throughout the day?
A:      Yes. In our ideal world, every athlete would divide the training into two or more sessions. However, we understand that most working professionals don’t have that option. The Invictus Athlete program lists out options for athletes to prioritize their needs and customize their training. If you’re only going to be able to train one session, we encourage you to prioritize the day’s work that you most need rather than trying to jam in every element of the day’s training if it’s not a priority for you.

Q:      Will I need to have any special equipment to follow the Invictus Athlete program?
A:      No. The bulk of the program will incorporate equipment used in the CrossFit Games Open – including a Concept 2 rowing machine.

That said, there are pieces of equipment that we strongly recommend athletes have at their disposal, such as:

• Assault Air Bike
• Sleds – for pushing and pulling
• Ropes – for pulling sleds
• Dumbbells – at the very least pairs of, 35, 55 and 75 lbs
• Climbing Ropes

Q:      Will the program provide nutrition coaching?
A:      The nutrition needs of athletes are highly variable and dependent on many factors outside of training. While we may provide some basic guidance and/or examples of how some of our athletes fuel themselves, we will not be providing nutrition coaching as part of the Invictus Athlete program.

Q:      When will the Invictus Athlete program post workouts for the next day?
A:       The training for the next day will be posted daily at 9:00 p.m. PST.

Q:      When can I join Invictus Athlete, and how much does it cost?
A:       You can join Invictus Athlete any time! The cost is $79 per month.

You will be billed monthly. If you ever need a break from training, you can simply cancel any time before your billing date and you will not be charged for the next month. You can join back up whenever you’re ready to start training again.

Q:      How do I join Invictus Athlete and gain access to the program?
A:      Just click here to join the Invictus Athlete program.

Q:      Which coaches will be assisting with the Invictus Athlete program?
A:      The Invictus Athlete coaches are C.J. Martin, Tino Marini, Nichole DeHart, Hunter Britt and Bryan Miller.

C.J. Martin participated in the 2007 and 2008 CrossFit Games, and has coached athletes and teams at every CrossFit Games since 2009. He has learned from some of the best coaches in and outside of CrossFit, and has developed a training methodology that has proven for years to be one of the most effective ways to prepare for the sport of fitness.

Tino Marini started as a remote coaching client of C.J.’s in 2010, and after a couple of years was recruited to work for Invictus. Tino has served as the primary coach of more than a dozen individuals and masters athletes at the CrossFit Games.

Nichole DeHart finished on the podium of the 2007 CrossFit Games as a teenager, and has been a member of Team Invictus at the CrossFit Games four times. Nichole runs the Invictus Master’s Program and served as the primary coach for several masters athletes at the 2015 CrossFit Games – including podium finisher Karen McAdam.

Hunter Britt was part of the CrossFit Conjugate team that took 2^nd place behind Team Invictus at the 2014 CrossFit Games. Hunter moved out to San Diego in January of 2015 and has become an incredible coach and resource for our athletes. He is also training for 2016 with the Invictus Athlete program and will have great insights for fellow athletes.

Bryan Miller competed at the 2013 CrossFit Games as an individual, and was a member of Team Invictus in 2014 and 2015. Bryan is also a member of the Phoenix Rise NPGL team. Bryan is a phenomenal athlete and coach who has gone to great lengths to test the training methodologies that he prescribes to others.