Well, I've had the pleasure of using a RX Jump Rope for over the past 2 years. I consider myself spoiled but more importantly, well equipped and well educated on how clutch it is to have the right rope.

A couple years ago I walked into the gym and sat down next to a buddy of mine to put on my shoes. This was back in the day when I religiously walked into the gym wearing flip flops, even if it was the middle of the winter in rainy Portland. Fuck it, might as well be in the sun in spirit.

James pulls out this beautiful jump rope like I’d never seen before. It had handles like a tennis racket with that nice wrapping and clear PVC piping around the silver metal cords giving it a shine when you spun it. At the end of the cord there was some sort of loop attached to a bearing system that spun better than an Eleiko Barbell. I thought to myself “that looks fancy.” This was back when I took pride into walking into the gym with a pair of 8 year old shorts, beat up sneakers and an old lacrosse t-shirt from high school to get my workout on. I didn’t need any fancy equipment to get the job done and I was doing just as good as the rest of them.

As I sat there putting on my shoes I watched James warm up with a series of single skips, single leg skips, double unders, back to singles, switching feet and moving back and forth on the gym floor.

Here he is with his board shorts, neon colored triathalon shoes, long blond hair, tied in a top knot under his bandanna like some kind of model in a TV commercial. Haha, I admit I was laughing on the inside thinking “these Cali guys bring workout style to a whole nother level”. None the less he started knocking out double unders left and right like it was a fun joke. He probably did a couple sets of 50 and then dropped the rope and walked off barely out of breath. Now I’m like what the fuck....He’s some kind of Jump Roping Samurai. The top knot made more sense...

I walked up to James later and asked him what the deal was with his fancy rope. He handed me the rope and said, “give it a try.” I did. It was like someone had given me a cheat code for a video game. Instant flawless double unders. I had to get one of these.

James was up from SoCal on a construction job and had been working out at our box for a month or so. He said a guy named Dave Newman made these ropes in his garage back in San Diego where he was from. He said he was calling them RX Jump Ropes and that the owner was a good guy and friend of his. James was no foreigner to quality equipment as he had been a SEAL in the Navy up until a little before I met him.

Couple days later I looked up Dave Newman and wrote him a message on facebook explaining to him how I was a CF trainer and an owner of an apparel company, that had come across one of his ropes and absolutely loved it. He wrote me back with compliments on our t-shirts and simply asked for my address and height. Two days later I received a package in the mail with two jump ropes. I was stoked and ready to roll.

Two years later of burning my shoulders with the Beast rope and double undering my way into the top jump roping ranks in my gym I had finally wore down that rope. The PVC piping around the center of the rope had been cracked thanks to the days I had chosen to go outside and jump on the asphalt or concrete. The bearings weren’t spinning right any longer and it was becoming even more challenging to get good sets down. But hey, I’m stubborn. I taped the PVC piping and kept with it.

The Beast rope is the thickest cable RX Jump Ropes makes and I actually owe Dave even more of a thank you for starting me out with this rope. You see, after 2 years of practicing and “Wod’n” it up with this rope it made me solid at double unders. It hurt like hell at first with the insides of my shoulders aching and burning during and after workouts but like they say...no pain, no gain.

I was up to 124 double unders in a row with my rope and could consistently do workouts with sets of 50 double unders per round. One of the best tests we had was 10 Rounds of 1:00 Max double unders, 1:00 Rest. I scored 944 on that workout with my beat up Beast rope.

In the past months I had become interested in seeing how a newer and lighter rope would effect my double unders. I shot Dave an e-mail and told him my experience thus far. He sent me one of each of his models for me to test. Over the next couple of days I tested each rope and here’s how it went.

I ran the test over a 2 day period on a weekend. It may not have been the most ideal time since it was testing week for the CF Football programming I’ve been following at my gym, Bridgetown CrossFit & Barbell Club, but the results speak for itself.

The four rope types I tested are as follows, from heaviest to lightest.

1. Beast
2. Yellow Buff
3, Black Elite
4. Red Ultra

Since I had been using the heaviest rope for more than two years I decided it was a good idea to try sets of max double unders starting with the heaviest rope and going down by thickness. This also helped me rep out more sets in one night without fatiguing too fast, or so I thought.

The first night, a Friday night in a dark basement gym at 10:30pm. I stretched a bit and then hit a max set with the new Beast. The bearings were spinning effortlessly and I was just cruising. 155 double unders before the rope landed between my two feet. Not bad. That’s a personal record by 31 double unders.

I rested a couple minutes, then picked up the Yellow Buff. Little bit less than two minutes and I’m still jumping like some kind of African tribesman with some techno beat blasting in the background. Rope hits the front of my feet, denied at 193 double unders. Now I’m like “Fuck!, 7 double unders from 200!!” I’m not even happy I PR’ed, typical...

At this point I’m tired. I rest for a little while and pick up the Black Elite. Here goes nothing. Shoulders start burning, calves are getting real tight and whip. 78 double unders, that hurt. Ok, it’s clear I’m tired. But I’m following through with this because now it’s like a WOD and I’ll be damned if I quit. Another rest.

Last but not least, the Red Ultra. And let me make something clear. This rope is just as SEXY as the name sounds. For you fat kids on the inside you’ll recognize a clear similarity between Red Vines candy and this rope. All I see if the personification of Jessica Rabbit in a rope. Ha, I know I’m weird, but this rope is SEXY.

Anyway, I’m jumping, my calves are cramping up, my shoulders are aching and I feel like I’m underwater trying not to give in to my lungs which are screaming at me to stop and breath. Ha, we’ve all heard that one before, your lungs are lieng. If you stop it just hurts more. 107 double unders. I’m bent over and now it’s time to call it a night. I limp my way out of the gym and stub my foot on the stairs up to the door like a gimp. For you list loving types, here’s how the Friday night went down in summary.

1. Beast - 155
2. Yellow Buff - 193
3, Black Elite - 78
4. Red Ultra - 107

In conclusion for this night I was able to PR by a total of 69 double unders after already completing 155 double unders, for a PR of 31, a set before. That’s sick. Basically I was able to hit a PR and build on it over again. On top of that I completed sets of 78 and higher after I was gassed and feeling fatigued and even came close to beating my old PR on the last rope. There is a lesson being learned here...

As you can imagine I was walking a little funny the next day and was hesitant to test the ropes again but I was also curious to see what I could accomplish.

Saturday night around 9:30pm here I find myself in the dungeon again ready to wage war against my mind and do battle with the two lightest ropes. I do a warm up set and it quickly sets in that I’m fatigued, sore and tired. What else is new? Ever lift heavy every single day and follow a program like CF Football? Get use to all those feelings, it doesn’t stop. You just get stronger.

The Black Elite serves me well tonight as I hit 193 double unders with a lot of effort. My shoulders are burning around 50 double unders in, my left calf is way too tight and is giving in with every jump after number 100 but I keep it together, crack a smile and focus on the beat of the Deadmou5 song playing. 193 is the same number I hit with the Yellow Buff the night before.

I notice that with the lighter ropes I have to adjust my hands as they are much more sensitive to my movement both in my wrist and if I jump to different spots on the floor. With a heavier rope you can use the momentum to carry it so you’re really putting out short burst of effort while jumping as oppose to a constant quick flicking of the wrist. Think rowing for calories versus rowing for a sprint of meters. With this lighter rope I have to find a balance between and focus on keeping the rope in the right place or it’s over.

After resting a little bit I grab Little Ms.Sexy. Red Ultra. I have a friend count for me on this one. I don’t even want to get stuck doing the whole count to 100 and then start up with 10’s and so on, eventually making it a cluster fuck of addition while swimming under water and trying to jump in place with my legs telling me to go fuck myself. Get my drift? Even if you have no clue what I just meant. Have someone count for you in situations like this. Nuff Said.

Well I’m jumping and jumping and jumping...and jumping and my buddy says 200! I try to keep my cool and focus on moving forward. I know that every single completed double under is a bonus and I like bonuses. The rope finally hits my foot and I fold in half laughing like a mad man. Jessica Rabbit how I love you, 227 double unders!

I learned a lot from this test. Without a single doubt in my mind RX Jump Ropes makes the best damn jump ropes anywhere, period. Using the Beast rope for 2 years made me strong at double unders. So strong, that I could test these ropes two days in a row, consecutively PR just by using a lighter RX rope with fresher bearings. I increased my max double unders by 103! And I know on a fresh day I could probably knock out 250+.

Since using the first RX Jump Rope I was sent I have recommended these ropes to every athlete I have coached and have seen phenomenal results. I’ve seen athletes who couldn’t do a single double under knock out 15-20 and I’ve seen experienced athletes with years under their belts PR by 50+ without any formal testing using someone else's RX Jump Rope... It is absolutely imperative to have the right rope, measured to the right length according to your height. Your preference of weight mostly depends on your experience level and goals.

Now that you’ve read this memoir of RX Jump Ropes and my experience with them you may be asking yourself where do I start? Here’s my recommendation.

Buy yourself two ropes from RX Jump Ropes. One of the heaviest ropes they make and one of the lightest. Use the heavier rope for all your jump rope workouts and training. When you decide to do a workout that you have done numerous times in the past and want to PR on, grab the lighter rope and let it swing.

These ropes will last you a very long time if you take care of them. Hell, if you don’t take care of them they’ll still last a long time. Use my experience to your advantage, be smart and Train Hard with RX Jump Ropes.

G

Special Thanks to:
James Storer the Jump Roping Cali Samurai, Co-owner of Outlier CrossFit

Dave Newman, Owner of RX Jump Ropes

The post The Jump Roping Samurai: An RX Jump Ropes Review appeared first on MANIMAL.

Anyway he's over there screaming for his life squatting something I do multiple times for a warm up set and I'm doing some sets of bench press and kettle bell rows keeping quiet minding my business, not really though. Then he does something that strikes me as weird. He goes over behind the rack, grabs a bottle of honey and starts sucking on it with the bottle tilted upside down and his face to the ceiling. Now, I live in Portland, OR and people pride themselves on how "weird" they are. The problem with that is they try so hard it's actually pretty boring to anyone of real substance(traveled). So when I saw this guy doing something genuinely weird it was both refreshing and hilarious.

I started laughing out loud. I finally walked over to him and asked, "Is that honey helping your legs?" He spoke up in a European accent and said " I didn't eat well today because I've been traveling and it's something to keep my blood sugars up." I chuckled on the inside and have to admit a little spark of curiosity lit up and I actually considered it for a second. Hey, if you've been in a gym a while you know people keep their secrets and sometimes they're gold, most of the time pirate's, but still.

No I didn't try it and still haven't to this day. So later after my metcon, which is usually a heavy sprint, I talked to this guy, good guy. He was from Amsterdam and asked me what I was training for. My answer, LIFE. With a surprised look on his face he said "Oh, I thought you were a football player or something." ***Cue the voice in my head.*** If you weren't such a punk maybe you would have been a pro athlete by now. ****Back to Reality****

This weird day at the gym got me thinking. What am I training for? What does it say about myself? Our culture in general as Americans? I can tell you this without hesitation.

One of the reasons I train is because there is a hole in my life, inside of me. It's a lack of fulfillment. I use that word often when I reflect on my own goals. It means "Satisfaction or happiness as a result of fully developing one's abilities or character." There is rarely a day that ends where I say to myself, "I did enough." "I accomplished something serious" "My full potential was reached" "I'm definitely headed in the right direction." Like most people I have no clue where I'll be 10 years from now. People who know me might say the exact opposite about me, but we all have different standards and just like you, I have to live with my own.

Applying myself to something day in and day out, letting it shape my lifestyle, down to how I eat, sleep, party and even support myself financially helps fill that gap. I know that if every day I'm in the gym I give it 100%, remember to play it smart and keep an attainable goal in mind I will get there. It keeps me hungry and when you're not hungry you're digging your own grave. Like a shark, I have to keep moving to live. The direction is key. When I reach that goal it lets me know that everything that was done before that moment was right. (In my training.)

The happiest of men I have met knew what they wanted in life and did the work to get there. It's a beautiful thing. They were men of all backgrounds with totally different lifestyles. I am envious of these men. I call upon them in my head often times when I lack direction. Sometimes I sit down and have a beer with them. Other times I just read their books.

Recently I finished Turning Pro by one of my favorite authors Steven Pressfield. It is the sequel to one of the best books I have ever read, a smoking gun in any successful professional's collection, The War of Art.

Turning Pro is about the mindset and approach to life that will make you a Professional as opposed to an Amateur. The goal being, you accept who you are as a person and apply yourself to what you were meant to do, reaching full potential, leaving behind your legacy and forgetting about society's expectations of you. Sound familiar? Fulfillment, it's about getting it and keeping it.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book.

"Each day, the professional understands, he will wake up facing the same demons, the same Resistance, the same self-sabotage, the same tendencies to shadow activities and amateurism that he always faced. The difference is that now he will not yield to those temptations. He will have mastered them, and he will continue to master them."

With that said, look back at all the time you have spent in a gym, training to be "fit", eating differently to be "healthy" and being consistent for years, all for the results. What would happen if you could identify what you really were meant to do and apply that same perseverance and dedication to accomplishing that feat?

I bet the Dutchman wouldn't ask you what you were training for.

--

Special Thanks to Steven Pressfield
& The Dutchman Who Came to Bridgetown Barbell Club & CrossFit

The post Fulfillment appeared first on MANIMAL.

WOD for a Cure

Manimal was proud to sponsor the WOD For a Cure, benefiting the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The WOD was scaled to 3 different skill levels, and it was a chipper for most part. The turnout was great and the dedication to help a very important cause was nothing short of inspiring!

Beast Mode Battle

Next up is the Beast Mode Battle which will be held on June 16th. The WODs are being released now on the BMB Facebook page, with WOD #2 being sponsored by MANIMAL! Hang cleans for the "buy in" are followed by overhead squats and a sandbag run for 4 rounds. This is shaping up to be quite a test of strength and endurance! Last year's event was filled with some serious monsters, so be sure to keep an eye on their page to see what comes next.

2012 Mission Afghanistan Games

MANIMAL is VERY proud to be the creator and provider of the shirts that will be worn by the competitors, judges, and staff members during the 2012 Mission Afghanistan Games. The Games will be held at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on June 12, 2012. This is a great event that lets military and civilians alike spend a few hours breaking away from their lives and jobs in Afghanistan to put their fitness to the test.

Here's the design on the competitor's shirts.

Manimal Sponsored Athlete

Mike Sabato will be joining the ranks of the Manimal Sponsored Athletes. We don't want to give away the details now, but keep checking back for Mike's Sponsored Athlete page.

The post 2012 Mission Afghanistan Games & MANIMAL appeared first on MANIMAL.

Here's some more info from their site. "The first Rainier outing will be in the winter of 2013, fundraising needs to be done until then as equipment and the school costs add up quickly. However anyone in the local Socal area is welcome to our planned one day a week of climbing, free of charge to begin prep.

Surfing will be offered one day a week as well. Once the summer months arrive we will be adding another day each week. I have two other surfers on board to assist with instruction and help. All boards will be purchased from fundraiser proceeds, ensuring that all vets pay absolutely nothing out of pocket."

MANIMAL always jumps at the chance to support our troops, and we feel this is a worthy cause, so check it out.

The Maine Indoor Rowing Championships (MIRC) on February 4, 2011 in Portland, Maine had a great turn out!  The event was presented by CrossFit Casco Bay and the Portland Community Rowing Association, and MANIMAL was proud to be a sponsor.

Here's a little peek at the competition.

The post MANIMAL Sponsors MIRC and Wounded Summits appeared first on MANIMAL.

Most Recent Stats:

How long have you been training?

I've been active in sports all my life. When I was little I wanted to be Jane Fonda, then moved on to wanting to be Kiana Tom from ESPN's Body Shapers because she got to lift weights lol. I got into rowing in high school because I heard the team got to do weight training in the off season. Rowing got me a scholarship to college which introduced me to collegiate strength and conditioning. That introduced me to my future husband, squats and hang power cleans. I enjoyed the challenge the weights brought, so my strength coach/future husband taught me how to do the "olympic lifts" when my rowing eligibility was up in 2005. And when I wasn't working on my olympic lifts he was making me do good mornings, RDL's or some crazy workout from this blog he found called CrossFit. I wonder now if the good mornings and RDL's were simply for his enjoyment or if my posterior chain needed that much work.

Why do you train?

At first it was because Jay told me to. Now it's because I enjoy it and need it. I'm competitive. If I'm not training I get kinda crazy and start turning everything into a game with a winner and a loser. It's much better for me and those around me when I'm training.

Where do you train?

In my gym.

Bridgetown CrossFit and Barbell Club

How does your training complement/improve your life outside the gym?

Being a gym owner, there isn't too much of a life outside of the gym! But when it comes to getting things done, carrying groceries, cutting the lawn, helping family put up or pull down christmas decorations, pushing a friends dead car up the street, chasing after a wild 6 year old at the park, it's helpful to be in shape. I don't dread those weekend projects I hear family and friends putting off because they are too tired.

Have you ever competed in your sport?

Ha - yes. I didn't want to compete, but my coach told me that it would be just like a typical training session except I wouldn't have to load or unload the bar. I was in! I competed at Collegiate nationals in 2006 after only 5 months of very inconsistent training. Since then I've competed several times, sometimes improving and others just to force myself to get back to it. It's rough in weightlifting when you compete, take some time off which turns into too much time, then compete to kick start things and see that your max attempts in that competition were less then your opening attempts while you were peaked. It's very humbling and gets me motivated to start taking training seriously again.

What goals are you currently working toward in the gym?

Getting back to consistanly training weightlifting. Opening the buisness has been hectic and for a while left me with no place to train consistently. Right now the goal is to do CrossFit style workouts to get my work capacity back to where it should be then switch gears and move back to weight lifting 4 days a week so that I can qualify for the American Open this December.

How does Manimal's message relate to your lifestyle or training?

You need to build a relationship with the bar in weightlifting. If you fear it, it will dominate you. If you cheat on it, it will know. If you give it respect, it will treat you well. Every time you approach it, it's daring you not to lift it off the floor. I'm competitive and I don't like to lose - even to the bar. I know that I've executed discipline to follow my training program and I've committed myself to my training, I will win that battle with the bar every single time, unleashing the beast within.

What are your greatest training or sports accomplishments?

Rowing in college with the best group of women set me up to believe in determination and heart. How bad do you want it? It doesn't matter, it's how much work you've put into it AND how much you want it that matters. The power of knowing you can achieve the unachievable if you work hard, smart and together.

What are your favorite lifts or workouts?

I love front squatting! My favorite lift right now would be the snatch. Favorite training movement is jerk supports. My least favorite is clean pulls from the block and I love met cons with heavy kettle bell swings for a workout.

The post Profile: Erin Zwier-Tieder appeared first on MANIMAL.

Update: Wrist Wraps In Stock. Click Here

Manimal is not your every day apparel company, especially in the CrossFit market. Unlike many other companies out there, we're organic. We didn't pop up on the scene with twenty products in every color option imaginable. Everything we put out, everything you see from Manimal comes from our growth as a company and to put it more simply, your support of our brand.

We created a brand that originated from where true athletes are training hard. In the gym. We've grown mainly by word of mouth and we're staying true to who we are as a brand and the people who support us.

In the next couple of weeks and months we're going to be releasing new products. Not just apparel either. Here's a peek at some of the new stuff coming out.

Keep in mind, they're all prototypes. You've got to wait to see the real deal!

Performance Flex Fit Bamboo Hats

Manimal Wrist Wraps

Axle Bars

Brute Force Limited Edition Manimal Sandbags

New Mark of the Beast Shirt

If you've ordered shirts from us recently you've noticed we send a sticker with each shirt you purchase now, all of the items above will come with stickers as well.

Rumors:

1. We're working on an online event to find new athletes to sponsor that will be featuring cash and gear prizes.

2. We're making apparel for Brass Ring Fitness and it will be available for purchase on our site.

3. We're making apparel for CrossFit Fort Vancouver and it will be available on our site.

4. We're going to be putting up Manimal banners for sale.

5. Thermals for the winter.

The post New Release Products appeared first on MANIMAL.

Little did we know, when he's not at the box or out on the road working he's at home in his man cave cooking up music tracks with digital equipment and instruments he plays himself. He's always rocking Led Zeppelin at the box during his class and when he's hit a wall during a WOD he looks over and gives the Zeppelin que and we know what to do. Recently he had this idea to make tracks specifically for CrossFit WODs. He made two tracks based around Fight Gone Bad with built in time queues for each round and station switch. One is a remix of Led Zeppelin songs and the other is his own instrumental mix. This is his first debut and we're psyched he came to us with it.

Captain America Himself

Feel free to download it and use it for the Fight Gone Bad coming up this week. Or play it whenever you do the workout Fight Gone Bad. May this track bring you more reps and adrenaline.

Fight Gone Bad By Scott Dawson - Click to play

Fight Gone Bad (Zeppelin Mix) By Scott Dawson - Click to play

The post WOD Music: “Fight Gone Bad” by Scott Dawson appeared first on MANIMAL.

Coach Mike Burgener is the owner of Mike's Gym, a USAW Regional Training Center & a Crossfit Affiliate. As a USAW Senior Instructor & CrossFit Olympic Weightlifitng Instructor he travels both nationally and internationally training youth, professional athletes and those aspiring to be the best in the Weightlifting world. He is a former Junior World Team (1996-2004) and Senior World Team Coach (2005). He also shares his passion with youth as the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, California.

When you get past his impressive experience you see a veteran of the Marine Corps, a mentor who gives free advice on weightlifting videos posted by strangers on facebook, a father of two accomplished weightlifters, a man who enjoyes riding his motorcycle cross country and last but not least a kind, giving professional who always looks for a way to give back with his work.

Coach B approached us with an idea for a shirt. He wanted the shirt to be patriotic, exciting, authentic in design and a quality above the rest. He also made sure to let us know the shirt was to benefit Steve's Club.

Our reaction was, let's get started! We couldn't have been offered with a better opportunity: Support a good cause and collaborate with one of the best Weightlifting Coaches and role model Americans around. This is what we're all about.

Steve's Club is a non profit organization that provides the youth of Camden, NJ with coaching, community, support and guidance. Paleo Kits, which is still one of the best ways to travel and eat Paleo, is owned by Steve and made this organization possible to begin with. (On a side note, one of the owners of Manimal was born in an urban New Jersey town.) This quote sums it up well:

"50 years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child."

Purchase your shirt HERE.

The post MANIMAL Designs Coach Burgener Charity Shirt appeared first on MANIMAL.

On September 3rd, 2011 CrossFitters and athletes of all kinds will join together in a workout across the nation to honor the heroes killed in action and to raise money for the families affected by this tragic loss.

Manimal is proud to be a sponsor of the 31Heroes fundraiser in support of those troops and their families. We support this cause and it's message 100%.

Register to participate in the event or donate to help the families of the operators who passed at 31Heroes.com. 100% of all donations will go directly to those affected. Let the families of those who gave their lives to serve this country know that we respect and appreciate the great sacrifice that they made for us and our beautiful country.

The post MANIMAL Sponsors 31 Heroes Fundraiser appeared first on MANIMAL.

That's why we are proud to be part of the Fueling the Fire project. Paleo Magazine has put together numerous care packages to go to our troops overseas, and Manimal has donated over 100 shirts to be included in the packages, along with other paleo goodies and copies of Paleo Magazine.

If you'd like to show your support, you can write letters,
cards, or donate at Fuelingthefire.org

The post MANIMAL Donates Shirts to Fueling the Fire appeared first on MANIMAL.