April 2018

CrossFit Midtown is very excited to announce our April Member of the Month, Liza Akins! Liza has been a member for a litte over a year, has been crushing the WODs, and placed first overall for the scaled women at CFM this year in the Open! Read on to learn more about Liza and her CrossFit journey. Thank you for being such an outstanding member of the CFM community!

Name: Liza Akins
Nickname: Liza is a nickname.
Age: 32
Hometown: Atlanta

How did you get exposed to CrossFit?
One of my bosses was and is obsessed with CrossFit.

What brought you to CrossFit Midtown?
After hearing about CrossFit for 6 months, I thought it would be a great workout for … my husband. I showed up to the intro session as moral support.

What was your very first day at CrossFit Midtown like?
Humbling. Having been a barre addict for 5+ years, I thought I was in pretty good shape. I quickly realized that I had zero upper body strength and I needed to keep coming back.

What changes have you seen in your overall health and fitness level since starting CrossFit?
I’m much more well-rounded in my fitness these days. In the past, when I wasn’t training for a race, even going on a three mile run was a challenge. Now when I occasionally get outside for a run its not a struggle. It’s also helped mentally. If I can get myself through half an hour of whatever hell Mike has programmed for Part B, I can probably get through whatever else comes up in my day.

What kind of changes have you you experienced since starting CrossFit that were completely unexpected?
Definitely the community. I love how supportive everyone is, whether its in class, at Friday Night Lights, or one of the hero workouts. Also, the minor injuries. My mother has stopped asking why I’m so bruised all the time.

Favorite WOD: Anything with toes to rings or burpees (seriously).

Least favorite WOD:
Anything with wall balls. It’s bad enough when you’re short, but getting smacked in the face with a wall ball really solidified my dislike.

Favorite CrossFit Midtown moment:
Friday Night Lights. I love getting the opportunity to hang out with everyone, especially the people that I don’t normally get to see in class and I love the feeling of the entire gym pulling for those people who are struggling through whatever hell Dave Castro has come up with.

Hobbies, Talents and or Interests Outside of CrossFit:
I love creating – whether it’s making candles, cooking, or building something.

Advice for new CrossFitters: Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one expects you to automatically know what you’re doing, so listen to the coaches and ask when you have questions.