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Last day for CFMakeover Early Bird perks!

Our Fall challenge starts October 1…that’s just ONE WEEK AWAY! To sweeten the deal, we have a few bribes to entice you to get in the game early!
Register by midnight tonight and you’ll earn the following perk:
Gold members – one 15-minute skill session with Coach Lis or Coach Beka, to work on a skill of your choice.
Silver, Bronze or Basic members – free Open Gym access in October. You can attend CFM’s Open Gym sessions WITHOUT using one of your weekly visits. Open Gym times are Tues 8-9p, Wed 8-9p, Sun 1-2p.
Local non-members – free CFM yoga in October (classes are Thurs 8:15p & Sun 6p)
Remote non-members – one 15-minute nutrition consult with Coach Beka.
*These perks are not interchangeable (in other words, no, a Basic member can’t opt instead for a skill session).

Check out CFMakeover details here.

Leslie and Kevin powering through burpees and chin ups!

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Justin
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Justin
8a: All Levels CrossFit- Justin
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
8p: Open Gym- Lis

Workout of the Day

A. Power clean:5×3 (workups)
B. Jerk: 5×1 (workups)
C. Tabata row OR AirDyne OR jump rope singles OR double unders (if you trained on 9/4, choose a different option from what you did then)

And coming tomorrow…
Complete 4 rounds: Max Rep Bench Press 185/120
Max Rep Strict Pull Ups
15 Medicine Ball Sit Up Throws 20/14
*For med ball throws, get into a sit up position about 6-8 feet from the wall. Start with your back flat on the ground and the ball overhead. Sit up while flinging med ball against the wall, catch and repeat. Post total number of reps on bench & pull ups to comments.

TUES 9.24.13 Last day for CFMakeover Early Bird perks! Read More »

HOW to transform yourself in the CFMakeover

I want to address another concern I’ve heard from CFMers on the fence about joining the CFMakeover:
This isn’t a nutrition challenge. You decide your goals and we’ll help you get there. Of course, the cleaner you eat, the better your results will be, but I get it CFM football fans… some of you want to fall off the wagon once a week (or maybe every weekend). Be honest. Is that better than you usually do? Probably. If so, you have something to gain (or lose?) from this challenge.
After you register, you’ll tell us whether your goal for the month is to lean out or bulk up (get lean or get swole?). We will give you tips based on EITHER goal.
The PRIMARY habit that will help you reach either goal is QUALITY SLEEP. Get 7 to 9 hours in a cool, dark room (yes, Midtown-high rise dwellers, you need blinds to cover that gorgeous city view while you sleep).
For those who want to lose body fat or have never tried the paleo diet, we recommend following the Whole 30 plan for 30 days of strict paleo. This means you’ll eat meat, vegetables, some fruit, nuts and other good fats. You won’t eat grains, dairy, legumes or sugar of any kind.
We’ll help you do this, by sharing plenty of great recipes like these OR referring you to a local paleo meal delivery service. CFM recommends Edesia Meals.
If you’re an endurance athlete or “hard gainer” (as in, you’ve always been on the lean side…maybe even scrawny. And it’s tough to put on muscle), we’ll recommend a paleo diet (LOTS of protein) plus starchy vegetables (white potatoes, yucca, sweet potatoes), more fruit, and a few grains (white rice, oatmeal) on your training days.
We’ll also provide tips on recovery, supplements and more to transform your life in 30 days. I’m not being dramatic. I did my first “Whole 30” in October 2010 and it changed my life. More on that next week…
Get all the details here. Register by Tuesday to get the Early Bird perks.

If you choose to eat strict paleo during the CFMakeover, here’s what that entails.

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy

Workout of the Day

A. 10 min mobility work
B. 10 min POSE skillwork
C. “Nancy”
5 rounds for time:
400m run
15 overhead squats 95/65

And coming tomorrow…

In teams of 2-3:
Row 5000m
One teammate rows. One teammate does kettlebell swings. One teammate holds hollow or superman position.
Final score = 5k row time MINUS total number of kettlebell swings. Subtract one second per kettlebell swing.

FRI 9.20.13 Change your life in 30 days Read More »

Don’t forget we’re trying out an 8a class on Tuesdays & Fridays through the 15th.

Goodbye Cheryl & Kalen!

We’ve been so lucky to have 3-time Olympian Cheryl Haworth & her fiance Kalen as a part of the CFM community for the past four months. Kalen just got a promotion at SCAD (you go girl!), but the new gig is based in Savannah, so they’ll be moving back south later this week.
Join Cheryl today at the 5pm class as she coaches great clean & jerk form. She’ll also be back regularly for Olympic Lifting workshops. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you both and learning from you, Cheryl! Thanks for sharing your knowledge & expertise. Best wishes in Savannah!

Big crowd of 15 got after the Hotshots 19 hero WOD in Monday’s noon class. Great work crew!

Today’s Schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
8a: All Levels – Beka
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Lis & Cheryl
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Cassie
6:30p: Group Intro- Lis
7p: All Levels CrossFit- Cassie
8p: Advanced CrossFit- Lis

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Front Squat: 4×4 workups (work up, or increase weight each set)
B. Clean & Jerk: 15min of skillwork OR 15 min to a heavy triple
C. 12 min to find max height box jump

And coming tomorrow…

A. Single arm press: 5×5 each side (workups)
B. 10 min pistol skillwork OR find Weighted Pistol 3RM
C. Tabata row OR AirDyne OR jump rope singles OR double unders

TUES 9.3.13 Farewell Cheryl Read More »

Uran killing that Hooverball serve.

Athlete Profile – Urán Piedra

Hometown: Lawrenceville (OTP)
Age: 25 and I’ve got a BIRTHDAY COMING UP ON AUGUST 5TH!!! Just sayin 😉
Occupation: Sales/Marketing/Accounting/Finance/Operations at a biotech startup
When did you first start CrossFitting?: I actually spent about 3 months or so at BTB a few years back, but I just restarted Crossfit when I joined CFM about three weeks ago. Since then, I have been working out every day. I am soon planning to buy peptides usa as well to burn the excessive stubborn fat I have.
Favorite WOD: I don’t really know them well yet. Modified Annie seemed pretty good.
Least Favorite WOD: Fran *shivers*
Three words to describe you: Determined, resourceful, hungry
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I was not at all athletic until college when I joined the crew team. That’s when I really started to get the motivation to want to improve my physical fitness. For the past few years though, my workouts have been sporadic at best.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? My first exposure to CF was through BTB’s boot camp years ago. We got free Saturday classes at the gym as part of the boot camp, so I went in that first Saturday and did something called “Helen on Crack”. I don’t remember what they added to Helen, but it was brutal.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? So far nothing major, but its only been three weeks. 🙂
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? Seeing how amazing the community is at CFM. Everyone there is so nice and welcoming. To be honest, Crossfit intimidated the hell out of me, but I’m constantly blown away by how friendly and helpful the people are.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit/CFM moments: HOOVERBALL! It’s seriously awesome even if you’re terrible and uncoordinated like I am. Also, the Fran challenge was really cool to watch. Actually participating was another story, but watching the heat before mine was really inspiring.
Any advice for people just getting started? Listen to your coach, and don’t get discouraged. Some of the movements are really complex and take people years to get right, so if you don’t get it the first day, don’t beat yourself up. Also, focus on how much you’re learning/improving day to day rather than the things you can’t do yet. Those are the things I try to remember every time I go to the gym.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I mostly just work, sleep, and eat. Not very exciting.
What did you eat today? Breakfast was coffee and a Fage greek yogurt. For lunch I brought balsamic grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, and a banana. Dinner remains to be seen.
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? I’m usually Paleo about 90% of the time. The other 10% is reserved for the occasional slice of pizza or plate of tater tots (sometimes together). Although, eating grains usually leaves me feeling horrible, so I tend to stay away.

How was your first half of 2012?

Can you believe it’s the end of June already? It seems like just yesterday I was scouring Midtown for the right gym space. And now here we are, seven weeks since opening and almost 50 members strong. I am so proud of what we’re building here, and I appreciate all of you being a part of it.

So before we dive on into July, take some time to reflect on the first half of 2012. What was awesome about it? What can you do to make the second half of 2012 even better? Set some goals for the rest of the year. Where do you want to be at the end of July…the end of the summer…the end of the year…by July 2013…July 2017…July 2022?

If you need some help with goal-setting, let me know. AND plan to attend our Goal-Setting Workshop on Wednesday, July 11 at 7pm as Rachel from lululemon howell mill will lead us through some imagination, vision and goal-setting exercises.

Hooverball is Sunday at 10!

Join us Sundays at 10 am for Hooverball in the park (meet in the Piedmont Park Active Oval, nearest the Botanical Gardens/14th St gate). It’s lots of fun. Don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen and a towel. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll do a short pre-Hooverball warm up WOD.

July 4th Holiday Schedule

CFM will be closed on Wednesday, July 4th. The 6 and 7 am classes will also be cancelled on Thursday, July 5th. All other classes next week will be held as regularly scheduled.
We’ll post a no-equipment-needed WOD on Tuesday in case you wish to get moving on your own on the 4th.

Workout of the Day

Jackie (LEADER BOARD WOD)
1000m row
50 thrusters 45/35
30 pull ups

Optional cash-out: 3 rounds of max reps unbroken jump rope double unders or single skips.

FRANDAY 06.29.12: Athlete Profile – URAN PIEDRA Read More »

Paleo Night is tonight at Urban Pl8

Tonight is Paleo Night. Please join us at Urban Pl8 for a delicious four-course paleo meal (just $25!).I’ve got the following peeps in to join us for dinner: Lis, Sam, John DeG +1, Kenley, Donice, Dan, Alison, Uran… anyone else? We can add more by 5pm, just let Lis know! Reservation is at 8:30. If you want to carpool, be at the gym at 8.

July 4th Holiday Schedule

CFM will be closed on Wednesday, July 4th. The 6 and 7 am classes will also be cancelled on Thursday, July 5th. All other classes next week will be held as regularly scheduled.
We’ll post a no-equipment-needed WOD on Tuesday in case you wish to get moving on your own on the 4th.

SLEEP!

It’s come to my attention that many of you live in high-rise condos/apartments near the gym. These places all feature great views and beautiful tall windows. BUT, that also means a lot of ambient light from street lights and daytime sunlight comes in to disturb your sleep.
We all need seven to nine hours of sleep each night in a COOL, DARK room. And I mean pitch-black dark room… no light from alarm clocks, television, night lights, cell phones, street lights, sunshine, etc. Try blacking out those windows (garbage bags and tapestries do the trick just as well as expensive curtains) and turning the thermostat down a few degrees at night and note how much better you sleep.
Supplements like magnesium citrate (Natural Calm), GABA, melatonin and zinc can also enhance your sleep. Let Lis know if you’re having issues getting a good night’s sleep and we can do some troubleshooting.

Scott recovers post-Fran

Workout of the Day – Fight Gone Bad

Three Rounds, for max reps:
1 minute wall balls 20/14
1 minute sumo deadlift high pull 75/55
1 minute box jump 20″
1 minute push press 75/55
1 minute row (for calories)
1 minute rest

Add up all reps/calories for total score.

TUES 06.26.12 FIGHT GONE BAD Read More »

Good News:

Congrats to Dyer and Patrick on big snatch PRs yesterday. Patrick only beat his previous best by… oh, let’s see… 60 POUNDS! Atta boy. We love seeing new CrossFitters make huge gains as technique improves.
AND Dyer claimed the top spot on the leader board this morning with his new PR: a 1:33 500m row. Can anyone take him down? For those keeping score at home, Dyer is three for three on setting PRs when he delivers or makes coffee for Lis. LOOOOOVE the new coffee maker in the gym!

Piedmont Park Hooverball

Come out to the Piedmont Park sand volleyball courts on Sunday for HOOVERBALL at 11am. Don’t forget sunscreen and water. If you’ve never played before, we’ll teach you. It’s tons of fun. Let’s keep the momentum building from last weekend’s big turnout! We’ll go out for some lunch afterward.

GRIPS

Next week we’ll place an order for gymnastics grips from Again Faster. Many of you have complained about sore hands and calluses. Use of gloves or grips is a personal preference. I usually train bare-handed with some tape, but I like these grips for high rep pull-up/toes-to-bar/knees-to-elbows, or barbell/kettlebell work if my hands are already tender.
Shoot Lis an email if you’re interested in ordering a pair (check out the link above first for how to measure/determine your size). We may get a price break on quantity, but I’ll confirm once I know for sure…they’ll likely be in the $15-25 price range.

Class Levels

Beginning next week, we’ll be enforcing class levels. Starting Tuesday, 6/26, the 7PM TUESDAY, 6PM WEDNESDAY and 5PM THURSDAY classes will be for Beginners. These classes will focus on fundamental movements and we’ll do a scaled or modified version of the daily WOD. If you are an advanced athlete, you’re welcome to attend this class for some “back to basics” work, or you can attend a different class that day or take a rest day.
Refer to the schedule on the website or email Lis with questions.

Paleo Night at Urban Pl8

Next Tuesday is Paleo Night. Post in the comments if you want to join the CFM table at Urban Pl8 for a delicious four-course paleo meal for just $25. We’ll make an 8:30 reservation so people can head straight there after the 7pm class.

Snatches

Check out some snatches from yesterday’s 6pm class with Jon, Fred, Rocky, Vince, Foula, Rohan and Chang… As usual, the video quality is phenomenal:

Workout of the Day – Row & FRANDAYFRANDAYFRANDAY

Part 1: Max effort 500m Row
GET ON THE LEADER BOARD!

Part 2: Thrusters & Pull Ups
Three Rounds –
1 minute max thrusters 115/85
1 minute rest
1 minute max strict pull ups
1 minute rest

FRI 06.22.12 HAPPY FRANDAY! Read More »

Good News!

Welcome to Crystal and Rohan!
And great job to Matt on his first muscle-ups yesterday… and 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th, and… well, he did ALL 12 in the WOD! Also, Sam hit a new personal record (PR) on his 3 rep max deadlift. Congrats!

T-shirts and tumblers

See Lis if you missed the Grand Opening Celebration and didn’t receive a tumbler AND/OR if you haven’t picked up your new member t-shirt yet. New shirts are also in at the Pro Shop… get an American Apparel track shirt (unisex) or a ladies racerback tank for $25 each!

Class Levels

Beginning next week, we’ll be enforcing class levels. Starting Tuesday, 6/26, the 7PM TUESDAY, 6PM WEDNESDAY and 5PM THURSDAY classes will be for Beginners. These classes will focus on fundamental movements and we’ll do a scaled or modified version of the daily WOD. If you are an advanced athlete, you’re welcome to attend this class for some “back to basics” work, or you can attend a different class that day or take a rest day.
Refer to the schedule on the website or email Lis with questions.

Paleo Night at Urban Pl8

Next Tuesday is Paleo Night. Post in the comments if you want to join the CFM table for a delicious four-course paleo meal for just $25. We’ll make an 8:30 reservation so people can head straight there after the 7pm class.

CFM member Dr. Austin Cohen hooks Lis up with an adjustment after posting a 3:29 Fran time!

Workout of the Day – Triple B Tabata

A tabata is 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for eight rounds.

Tabata row
Rest 1 minute
Tabata squats
Rest 1 minute
Tabata plank hold
Rest 1 minute
Tabata lateral hops

WED 06.19.12 Read More »

Grand Opening is TOMORROW

Saturday from 5 to 8, join us at CFM to celebrate our Grand Opening and get to know your fellow members a little better. We’ll have some food, drinks and a DJ, and some of us will be going out to dinner afterward over at Steamhouse Lounge, so please join us. The more, the merrier!

The Quest for 500…27 to go!

If you’ve visited the CFM Facebook or YouTube pages, you know someone had the freaking awesome idea to do a dance to celebrate for every 100 Facebook fans we get. We’re 27 fans away from 500, and hoping to hit the big 500 milestone BEFORE SATURDAY night so we can make one big dance video of party guests doing the WOBBLE at the Grand Opening. PLEASE spread the word on Facebook, ask your friends to LIKE our page (if you go to the CFM page and click SHARE, you can post a status update spreading the word), AND THEN, learn the Wobble for Saturday. Here’s that video again:

Fran Challenge Prelims (NEW HEATS)

Sat 10 & 11am are the main heats. We prefer you do Fran then, BUT if Saturday AM doesn’t work for you, we’ll be running additional heats on Friday at 5:30 and 7pm (arrive at 5:30 or 7 to warm up…WOD ~6/7:30).
The sign-up sheet is in the box, or you can sign up here. EMAIL LIS TO CONFIRM YOUR HEAT, DIVISION AND T-SHIRT SIZE!

Recovery Day

Today is a recovery day for those who have trained hard all week and/or are doing Fran tomorrow. This will still be a great training day to work on mobility, recovery and some gymnastics skills. If you’re super sore, take it a little easier today. Feeling good? Get after it: push a little harder on the row and the AMRAP.

A few reminders to help your soreness & recovery –

Take a rest day every two to three days. You can still work on mobility on these days.
Get 7-9 hours of sleep in a COOL, DARK room.
Supplement with fish oil and magnesium to reduce soreness/decrease inflammation (Natural Calm or a magnesium citrate supplement will also help you sleep and keep you regular. Epsom salts baths are another great way to aid recovery w magnesium…active ingredient: magnesium sulfate).
DO NOT take pain killers like ibuprofen which wreak havoc on your body and inhibit muscle growth.
Drink plenty of water.
Post-workout nutrition: eating plenty of protein (about a gram per pound of bodyweight) will drastically help recovery and muscle growth. This is especially important immediately post-workout. Use a clean protein supplement within 45 minutes of finishing a WOD. My favorite is the SFH Recovery formula, which we sell in the Pro Shop in chocolate, vanilla and natural flavors. John from SFH is here this weekend with some samples of post-WOD protein and fish oil so check it out!

SundaySundaySunday

Free Park WOD – Sun 10am. Meet at the Piedmont Park sand volleyball courts
HOOVERBALL! – Sun 11am on the sand volleyball, er, HOOVERBALL courts.

The mural is ALMOST finished. Thanks to our Melvin for helping to decorate the gym with your artwork!

Workout of the Day

Recovery Day
Start with 10 minute easy row

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
30 second Handstand hold
30 second Squat hold
30 second L-sit hold
30 second Chin over bar hold

Finish w 10 minutes mobility and foam rolling

Fri 06.15.12 FRAN CHALLENGE & GRAND OPENING WKND!!! Read More »

Recovery

It’s been a tough week, and I’ve been talking with many of you about recovery and how to alleviate muscle soreness and other aches and pains.
Here are a few things to incorporate in your recovery program:

Foam & lacrosse ball rolling and mobility work – you can do this at home as well as at the gym.
HYDRATE – with plenty of water. As the summer heats up, use coconut water for added electrolytes. Avoid sports drinks high in sugar (and the diet versions with artificial sweeteners!). Limit caffeine to black coffee or tea, and don’t drink it after noon.
Sleep – Seven to nine hours in a PITCH BLACK dark, cool room.
Nutrition – how you eat throughout the day and ESPECIALLY what you take in immediately after your WOD is important. Get a good quality protein supplement into your system within 45 minutes of finishing a WOD, and then eat a full meal (protein, fat and carbs) 60-90 minutes later.
Supplements – fish oil and magnesium citrate will both aid in recovery. Fish oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation of all types, BUT these fatty acids are very fragile, so it’s important to invest in a quality fish oil supplement.
Epsom salts baths and contrast showers – take a warm bath in Epsom salts, or try a contrast shower (5 cycles of 1 minute hot, 1 minute cold water…this is also an excellent hangover cure… or so I’ve been told).
Rest days – listen to your body and take a day off when needed. A yoga class, a leisurely stroll through the park or an easy bike ride are all great activities to do on your days off from CrossFit.

*We sell Stronger, Faster, Healthier fish oil and protein in the Pro Shop. Check out some FAQ about their fish oil and protein here, or ask Lis for more details. Disclaimer: we’ll never sell anything in the Pro Shop that we don’t use ourselves. This is good stuff.

What are your top recovery tips/tactics? Share them in the comments!

Reminder for this weekend’s Free Piedmont Park WOD

Join us this Sunday at 10 for our FREE PARK WOD (open to the public and suitable for all skill levels). We’ll meet in the meadow near Park Tavern for a WOD, THEN we’ll head over to the sand volleyball courts to play HOOVER BALL. Don’t worry, if you don’t know what Hoover Ball is, we’ll teach you. Carlos is a pro and will be coaching the crew this Sunday!!

So meet in the meadow at 10 am AND/OR at the sand volleyball courts at 11 am. See you Sunday!

Zack and Melvin tackling the Bear Complex (check out Melvin’s mural progress behind him!)

Workout of the Day

Row or Run Repeats
3 1k row repeats OR 3 800m run repeats

Rest between row/run equal to the same amount of time the previous row/run took.
During rest: foam/lax ball roll/mobility work
Record splits.

If you did Murph on Monday, I recommend rowing. If you rowed on Tuesday, I recommend running.

Fri 06.01.12 Read More »

WOD

A. 3 x 1:00 Row @ 60%, 80%, 100%

B. DL 5RM

C. FOR FORM (not for time)

10, 9, 8…3, 2, 1 Dynamic Push Up

1, 2, 3…8, 9, 10 Supine Ring Pull Up OR Ring Row

Dynamic Push Ups:

The adorable Olivia, climbing on post-WOD Daddy (Dyer)

Don’t I come here to check out?

During yesterday’s shuttle runs I told Geoff and Alison they had to calculate their interval times during their rest break.
They joked with me about having to do math during the WOD.
“Don’t I come here to check out?” asked Geoff.
The answer is no. Maybe in your globo gym day you put on your headphones, hopped on the treadmill or elliptical, and stared at the TVs, tuning out as the minutes passed until your cardio was done.
At CrossFit Midtown, you’re here to learn and improve as an athlete. So don’t plan on “checking out” while you’re here. YES, we want you to leave work/stress/family life/etc at the door, but you do need to focus.
Be present. Focus on the skills we’re working on that day, and devote this time to improving your health and fitness. And keep up the great work!

5.16.12 Read More »