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Whole Life Challenge starts Saturday!

You have until Friday to register. Get in the game. We have 65 players so far… about 30 members and 35 friends and family!
Let’s all crush this challenge. Create new healthy habits AND win great prizes… gift certificates, cash, CF gear and MORE!

Coming this weekend…

Fri, 9/14, 7-9pm: NOT-Paleo Potluck at CFM – bring the food/drink you’ll miss the most during WLC. And pleeeeease bring enough to share with 6-8 people.
Sat, 9/15 @ 10am: WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE Prelims at Piedmont Park Meadow – ***CFM will be closed the morning of Saturday, 9/15. Join us at the park instead for a WOD at 10am. Even if you’re not doing WLC, come do the WOD! If you are doing WLC and can’t make it to prelims, let us know. Alternate times are being coordinated.
Also note: Next Saturday, September 15 is the Whole Life Challenge Prelims event at Piedmont Park’s meadow. CFM WILL BE CLOSED on the morning of Saturday, Sept 15 for this event BUT whether you’re participating in the Whole Life Challenge or not, you’re welcome to join us at the park for a WOD. Meet near Park Tavern (closest to intersection of Monroe & 10th) in the Piedmont Park meadow at 10am.
Sun, 9/16 @ 10am: HOOVERBALL at the Park

CFM’s Instructor Training Program classes kicked off last night with a bang! Look for ITP members to be assisting in classes starting this week.

Workout of the Day

A. 4 rounds:
5 Front Squat, rest 1 min
3 Weighted Pull Up or Pull Up Negative, rest 3 min

B. Jackie
1000m row
50 thrusters 45/35#
30 pull ups

MON 09.10.12 Read More »

IT’S ANIMAL WARM UP FRIDAY!

…and we have an awesome weekend ahead of us.

LADIES NIGHT! I’m so excited to see so many strong athletes in the gym, especially the females! So tonight we’re having the first of many women’s group events. Join your fellow CFMidtown ladies on tonight from 7 to 9 as our neighbors at Fab’rik (three doors south of CFM) host us for a shopping party. Even if you don’t plan to shop, join us for some good times outside the box with the girls!
FELLAS, don’t feel too left out…I smell a Ri-Ra outing after Fab’rik. Come out to play!

And Sunday night kicks off our Instructor Training Program classes. Your CFM coaches and TEN! of our members will be meeting regularly over the next ten weeks to become better coaches, learn/prepare to become coaches, and build a stronger coaching team to lead our CFM athletes. Some of the ITP members will be helping out in classes starting next week, so keep an eye out!

Sat @ 12noon: Pre-WLC Huddle at CFM – we’ll chat for an hour to give you all the tools necessary to prepare you for the Whole Life Challenge kicking off in 10 DAYS! Post your questions to CFM’s WLC Facebook page and we’ll answer them Saturday (and on the page).
Sun @ 10am: HOOVERBALL at the Park – Hooverball Sundays continue at Piedmont Park. Join us from 10 until noonish. All experience levels are welcome.

And coming next weekend…

Arielle, Robbie, Adam and Other Carlos warmin’ up.

Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat 10-8-6, rest 2:30

B. 10-1 unbroken thrusters 105/75
In other words, 10 thrusters in a row, rest as needed, 9 thrusters in a row, rest as needed, 8 in a row, rest as needed, and so on… and so forth…

FRI 09.07.12 Read More »

September classes

The class schedule will remain as is for the month of September… that means the Mon & Wed 8pm and Fri 4pm classes are here to stay as long as attendance is good!
Also note: Next Saturday, September 15 is the Whole Life Challenge Prelims event at Piedmont Park’s meadow. CFM WILL BE CLOSED on the morning of Saturday, Sept 15 for this event BUT whether you’re participating in the Whole Life Challenge or not, you’re welcome to join us at the park for a WOD. Meet near Park Tavern (closest to intersection of Monroe & 10th) in the Piedmont Park meadow at 10am.

Upcoming events

THIS FRI, 7 to 9 pm LADIES NIGHT at Fab’rikJoin your fellow CFMidtown ladies on Friday as our neighbors at Fab’rik host us for a shopping party. Even if you don’t plan to shop, join us for some good times outside the box with the girls!
Sat @ 12noon: Pre-WLC Huddle at CFM – we’ll chat for an hour to give you all the tools necessary to prepare you for the Whole Life Challenge kicking off in 10 DAYS! Post your questions to CFM’s WLC Facebook page and we’ll answer them Saturday (and on the page).
Sun @ 10am: HOOVERBALL at the Park – Hooverball Sundays continue at Piedmont Park. Join us from 10 until noonish. All experience levels are welcome.
Fri, 9/14, 7-9pm: NOT-Paleo Potluck at CFM – bring the food/drink you’ll miss the most during WLC. And pleeeeease bring enough to share with 6-8 people.
Sat, 9/15 @ 10am: WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE Prelims at Piedmont Park Meadow – ***CFM will be closed the morning of Saturday, 9/15. Join us at the park instead for a WOD at 10am. Even if you’re not doing WLC, come do the WOD! If you are doing WLC and can’t make it to prelims, let us know. Alternate times are being coordinated.
Sun, 9/16 @ 10am: HOOVERBALL at the Park
Sun, 9/23 @ 10am: HOOVERBALL at the Park
Sun, 9/30 @ 10am: FREE COMMUNITY WOD at the Park – The lululemon WOD is taking a month off, so this time we’ll head to the park! Join your fellow CFMers, friends, family and anyone else who wants to come play, as we meet in the Piedmont Park active oval for a free WOD at 10am followed by… that’s right… HOOOOOOOVERBALL!
Sun, 9/30 @ 5:30pm: 10th & Flow – join lululemon for a HUGE yoga event in Piedmont Park

Tink’s Grass-fed Beef & pastured pork REGULAR delivery

Thanks to everyone who ordered from Tink’s this week, we had a big enough order that they’re willing to make regular deliveries to us! They’ll deliver every two weeks on Wednesday, so if you’re interested, check out the price list below and email info@tinksbeef.com to place your order by Tuesday (the day before delivery) at 5. If you order, you MUST leave a check at CFM in advance or arrange CC payment with the farm.

Workout of the Day

A1. HSPU at 40X1 x2, 30sec rest
A2. Strict Pullups at 40X1 x2, 1min rest
(5 sets)

B1. Weighted Back Ext x8, 30sec rest
B2. Strict Toes to Bar x8, 1min rest
(5 sets)

C. 4-3-2-1 Rope Climbs
w/2pd/1.5pd Farmer’s Walks

THURS 09.06.12 Read More »

CFM FINALLY filmed the 600 fan dance. Help us get to 700 so we can convince Vabs & Alison to do an N*Sync video next!!!

Tink’s Grass-fed Beef & pastured pork delivery

Tink’s Grassfed Beef, a local Georgia farm, will be delivering today. Om noms.
***If you ordered, pick up the meat today between 4 & 9 pm. The meat will be delivered frozen and kept in the CFM fridge until you pick up.

Upcoming events

Untied shoes be damned! Dale didn’t let that stop him, as he kicked off his untied shoe to finish his jump rope reps on Friday. Mad focus.

Workout of the Day

A1. Front Squat 10-8-6, rest 1min
A2. Deadlift 12-12-12, rest 2min

B. 6 rounds
10 burpees AFAP
150m run/row/30sec AD
4min rest

Alternate between A1 & A2 until all sets are complete, then move on to B. In this case, do 10 reps front squat, rest 1 minute, do 12 reps deadlift, rest 2 minutes, do 8 reps front squat, rest 1 minute, do 12 reps deadlift… and so on.
Increase weight on front squat. Do sets across AKA keep same weight on deadlifts.

WED 09.05.12 Read More »

Tink’s Grass-fed Beef & pastured pork delivery

Tink’s Grassfed Beef, a local Georgia farm, will be making a delivery tomorrow. The price list is below. Email info@tinksbeef.com to place your order by today at 5.
***If you order, you MUST pick up the meat tomorrow between 4 & 9 pm. The meat will be delivered frozen and kept in the CFM fridge until you pick up.

The first CFM LADIES NIGHT is Friday!

Join your fellow CFMidtown ladies on Friday as our neighbors at Fab’rik host us for a shopping party from 7 to 9 pm. Even if you don’t plan to shop, join us for some good times outside the box with the girls!

Workout of the Day

In 15 minutes, work to a Power Snatch double

Then, 5 sets:
15 kb swings
10 pushups
500m row OR 400m run OR 2:00 AirDyne
3 min rest

TUES 09.04.12 Read More »

Labor Day Weekend

CFM is open for Labor Day… please check out the following schedule updates:
Saturday, September 1 – regular scheduled classes at 10 & 11 am
Sunday, September 2 – Hooverball at 10 am, Piedmont Park sand volleyball courts
Monday, September 3 – regular classes cancelled. Join Jeremy for open gym from 10am-12noon.

Tink’s Grass-fed Beef & pastured pork delivery

Tink’s Grassfed Beef, a local Georgia farm, will be making a delivery on Wednesday, September 5th. The price list is below. Orders are due by Tuesday at 5pm. Email info@tinksbeef.com to place your order.
I have ordered from them regularly and love their meat! I’m so excited to start this relationship with them. Hopefully it will become a monthly delivery.

The first CFM LADIES NIGHT is coming!

Join your fellow CFMidtown Sistas next Friday as our neighbors at Fab’rik host us for a shopping party from 7 to 9 pm. They’re offering us a special discount and drinks will be served. Even if you don’t plan to shop, join us for some good times outside the box with the girls!

Two of our favorite Irish men, Colman and Paul, crushing some push presses.

Workout of the Day

Turkish get up: 10-rep max (each arm)
6 sets:10 wall balls 20/14
20 kb swings 53/35
50 double-unders or singles
Rest 2 min

FRI 08.31.12 Read More »

When she’s not breaking hearts on the basketball court, Brianne is also an awesome Hooverballer. Come out to see her in action (and play along) this Sunday at 10 am.

Athlete Profile: Brianne V.

Hometown: Bremerton, WA
Age: 26
When did you first start CrossFitting?: July 2010 – have been on and off over the years. Just came to CFM after going through physical therapy this year.
Favorite WOD: Pretty much anything that doesn’t involve overhead squats. Any workout that has double unders is now my new favorite because NOW I CAN DO DOUBLE UNDERS! Yeah!
Three words to describe you: Intelligent, modest, and awesome.
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: Zero group sports. However, when I was in college I wanted to be more active and in good shape but I already knew I hated working out on machines (so no “traditional” gyms), so I ended up running on a daily basis and doing yoga. That lasted for a few months and then I hurt my shoulder and that put an end to working out – until I found CrossFit 🙂
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? I went to CFATL. I went through the intro course and my first workout was Fight Gone Bad – I scored a 169. I was skeptical at first because it was so expensive and they were trying to convince me that whole grains weren’t healthy but I decided to try something new.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? When I started at CFM it was literally like starting brand new all over again because I had just spent four months in physical therapy for shoulder, hip, and lower back issues. I’ve been at CFM since the beginning of June and I already see a huge improvement in my strength (just PR’ed my deadlift by 55 pounds y’all!), endurance, mental abilities (I think I can I think I can), and attitude.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? The mental change. You really have to learn how to focus and get into a certain mental space that supersedes anything you may be feeling physically. That change has transferred over into other areas of my life with positive results.
Other favorite CFM moments: Anytime I PR (awesome feeling) and HOOVERBALL! Love my Sunday Fundays 🙂
Any advice for people just getting started? Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it – otherwise that’s exactly what will happen. Just focus on your breathing, remember any pain/fatigue/etc is only in your head and break down the reps as much as you need to – if you just do 5 then there is no reason you can’t do 5 more. Also – do mental math as a distraction. I’ve become a beast at doing fractions in my head to make it through a workout.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Eating, reading, bowling, swimming, traveling, meeting new people, laughing at myself, and climbing stairs.
What did you eat today? I had a Lara bar, an apple, and some almonds for breakfast. Just had lunch at Marlow’s Tavern and I had the pita club. It was amazing – ham, turkey, bacon, arugula, tomato, with wasabi mustard.
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? I attempt to follow primal/paleo. I think I am doing well but then when I actually keep a food log I can do better. I can’t wait to do the WLC challenge (Lis can tell you how excited I am about this – Lis can we talk about the challenge now?!?) so that I can become more disciplined in my diet and really give my body the foundation it needs to perform well and be healthy!

Workout of the Day

Back Squat:
15-12-8-6
Rest 8 minutes
15-12-8-6
Rest 2 minutes between all sets, except sets 4&5, when you will rest 8 minutes.

THURS 08.29.12 Athlete Profile: BRIANNE V. Read More »

The Whole Life Challenge – what’s holding you back?

When you complete the Whole Life Challenge, you will have expanded yourself beyond what you now believe your limitations are, and you will know yourself as an entirely different kind of human being when it’s over. A human being who doesn’t suffer from “that’s just the way things are,” but one who knows how to take dramatic action and get dramatic results. A human being who has power over outside circumstances and lives a life not of restrictive rules but of immense personal vitality and satisfaction. One who knows that “perfection” is a myth and real health and fitness lives in its pursuit and practice.

We are doing this as a group, and you will have tons of support from your fellow members. If there is anything that we know, it is that awesome things are possible inside of this community.

Contact Lis or Courtney if you have any questions. Let’s do this!

What other blogs do you read?

As my life is settling down a little, I’ve been able to get back to doing some daily reading. One of my favorite blogs is The Daily Love (thanks to CFM member and chiropractor extraordinaire Dr. Austin Cohen for turning me on to this one!) … it’s a great dose of daily inspiration that helps me start the day on a positive foot.

As I was reading back through the archives of another blog I love – Balanced Bites (awesome paleo recipes and holistic health tips), I found this post that I find very relevant to all those currently waffling over whether or not to join the Whole Life Challenge (WLC). Read this over and think about what’s holding you back. Is it past negative behaviors that might rear their ugly head and affect your performance in WLC? Or are you a little scared to see how good life could become? What’s your typical mindset?

Check these blogs out, and post in the comments to let us know what other blogs you enjoy reading regularly (not counting YOUR favorite AND mine, the CFM blog right here, of course!).

Rusty on CrossFit Total

Workout of the Day

A. Jerk 4×4 @75%, 3min rest

B. As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
10 Push Press 95/65
10 Box Jumps 24/20

WED 08.28.12 Whole. Life. Challenge. Do. It. Read More »

Kerry and Anna rocking some cleans.

Athlete Profile: Kerry M.

Hometown: LaGrange, GA
Age: 40
Occupation: Regions Private Wealth Management
When did you start CrossFit?: I started CrossFit about 4 years ago with an instructor for 3 months and then thought I would try just using Crossfit.com to get my WODs and instruction. BIG MISTAKE. Finally, after
lackluster results and poor form that nearly shredded my shoulder, I was just about ready to quit. Then, I moved to Atlanta and a few weeks later CrossFit Midtown opened up only a block away. I joined in June and have loved it!
Favorite WOD: Call me crazy but I like WODs with pull ups.
Least Favorite WOD: Any AMRAP.
Three words to describe you: God, Family, Work
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I played varsity tennis, wrestling, soccer and football in high-school. Even managed to be selected for GA All-State Football in 1994. After that high point, I went to college and basically stopped doing anything that closely resembled exercise. About 10 years ago I reached a peak of slothfulness and finally decided to get moving. I enjoyed spinning and exercise classes until I heard about CrossFit.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel?
I went in on a Saturday and the WOD was “Fight Gone Bad”. I gave it my all, was beat by most of the girls and still nearly croaked. No really. Turns out I had “rhabdomyolysis”, which is where muscle fibers are damaged and released into the bloodstream, often causing kidney damage. Seems that it’s often seen in 30+ year old guys who think they’re still 18. I haven’t done Fight Gone Bad since!
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF? I can carry my 9 and 6 year old kids around the house while dodging our barking dog.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I have more confidence in all aspects of life and have met some really great, interesting people.
Any advice for people just getting started? You will second guess your decision to start CrossFitting for the first few weeks. Don’t give up! Follow your instructor’s guidance. Push yourself every day and you will soon be missing the days you can’t make it into CFM!
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Living my life for Jesus Christ and spending as much quality time as possible with my wife and kids. I also enjoy bird hunting and scuba diving.
What did you eat today? Well, I thought about eating 3 cookies but I only ate one. That counts as progress–right, Lis?!
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? No. I might try it one day but for now I eat healthy “family” meals with lots of chicken, fish, veggies, nuts…and cookies.

Labor Day Weekend

Workout of the Day

A. 10 minutes to a heavy power clean single
B. Deadlift: 3 sets of 15, 2 min rest
C. Three rounds:
8 Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift R, 30 sec rest
8 Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift L, 30 sec rest
8 Glute-Ham Raises, 30 sec rest

TUES 08.28.12 Athlete Profile: KERRY M. Read More »

Labor Day Weekend

Strength symmetry

Some background on the unilateral exercises we’re doing in the gym, from our programming consultant and Arizona vampire James:
Strength symmetry is desirable for reducing the risk of injury associated with high repetition of movement, as found in many CrossFit workouts. The reason symmetrically equivalent strength levels reduce injuries is that when imbalanced muscle groups work together, the stronger side will attempt to compensate for the weaker side, creating undesirable torque on the musculo-skeletal system. Imbalances in strength or range of motion between the right and left sides of the same muscle groups may never be fixed by barbell work alone due to continual overcompensation. Only when each set of muscles is exposed to the same stimulus over time can strength symmetry be achieved. The best way to ensure the same stimulus is to use single arm or single leg movements with the same amount of tension. The single-arm and single-leg movements that you implement into your training will help ensure that you come closer to strength symmetry and therefore reduce your overall risk of injury.

The gregarious Olivia has a new little brother now. Congrats to the Dyers on the birth of Samuel James on Saturday.