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New pull up rig gets installed today!!! Happy Birthday week indeed!

Who wants to go to Paleo Night Tuesday at Urban Pl8?

Email Courtney if you want to attend and we’ll make the reservation.

Free community WOD this Sunday

Let’s get together to break a sweat for the free August Community WOD at lululemon howell mill on Sunday at 10am. We’re heading to brunch afterward at Urban Pl8. I hope to see lots of CFMers there representing in your shirts! And mark your calendars for the next Community WODs on September 30th.

Other community events

In addition to Hooverball, monthly lululemon WODs and the Whole Life Challenge, there are lots of other active events happening around town this fall… check ’em out and email Alicia if you want to register so we can plan carpooling and matching knee socks.
Sat, Sept 8 @ 8am in Alpharetta – Gilby’s Gauntlet: Four mile CrossFit-obstacle run benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It’s two 1.9 mile loops with nine obstacle stations including things like overhead walking lunges, jumping pull ups, ground-to-overhead, sled pull, farmers carry, and more. Scalable for all levels.
Sun, Sept 9 @ 8:30am in Atlantic Station- : Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/WalkThis 5k Run is presented by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation who are “Building for America’s Bravest.” Proceeds from this race will go to building “Smart Homes” for two Georgia triple amputee veterans.
Sat, Sept 29th AND/OR Sat, Oct 6th at 9am – Atlanta Affiliate League East vs. West Team Competitions: Mixed and Elite teams of 4 to 6 will compete in WODs throughout the day. Let’s pick a day and send a few teams to compete!
West Competition – Saturday, September 29th 9am at CrossFit South Cobb in Smyrna
East Competition – Saturday, October 6th 9am at CrossFit HD

Rusty, Vanessa, Dermot, Wayne and Anami in the noon class rockin’ some burpee leap frogs last week. Animal warm-up Friday is back again!

Workout of the Day

A. Back squat:12-10-8, 2 min rest
B. For time: 60 air squats, 20 burpees, 400m row

08.24.12 ANIMAL WARM-UP FRIDAY!!! Read More »

Anna just returned from an amazing vacation. Here she is showing off her new-found plank strength overlooking Machu Picchu!

Athlete Profile: Anna Weitnauer

Hometown: Atlanta, Ga
Age: 27
Occupation: Business Analyst
When did you start CrossFit/join CFM?: second week of June
Favorite WOD: Fran has grown on me
Least Favorite WOD: anything with the AirDyne
Three words to describe you: barefoot, outdoors, comfortable
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: not much to say… I used to run cross country, swim, and play golf in high school. In college I was on crew. Since then I would ride my bike around town and tried a go at the Y what with their fancy computerized tracking of reps and sets, but it didn’t last. You need community!
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? My dad has been doing CrossFit for 3 or 4 years now, and my uncles and aunts have started it too. I didn’t seriously consider CrossFit (initially it seemed to pricey) until I chose to change my diet to Paleo/Primal. And I’m actually saving money with the new diet (a few CSAs) and CrossFit decisions– eating out was bad for my body and wallet.
Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? I’d have to check the journal to see what it was. If you count the baseline, well, I nearly fainted. Other words that come to mind: uncoordinated, pained.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? Besides the constant gun show for all my family and friends, I feel stronger, know I am stronger, and have a vitality that makes me feel that every day I am the healthiest I have been my whole life- yes, every day.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFM moments: Fran Challenge 2012. I had no idea such dramatic improvements could be possible. It was encouraging to see the results. (For the curious- my time dropped from 13:10 to 5:16).
Any advice for people just getting started? You don’t have to muscle it out. Work within your current capability. The transformation and strength will come. Give yourself grace and time.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I like to play golf and ride my bike.
What did you eat today? so far, bacon and eggs
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? Try to. The off-limits foods aren’t in the house, but I won’t say no to a croissant if it finds me.

Free community WOD this Sunday

Let’s get together to break a sweat for the free August Community WOD at lululemon howell mill on Sunday at 10am. We’re heading to brunch afterward at Urban Pl8. I hope to see lots of CFMers there!

Workout of the Day

A1.Single Arm press L x15x3, :30 rest
A2.Single Arm press R x15x3, 2:00 rest
B. 20 minutes easy run or row or AirDyne
C. 10 minutes max double unders or double under practice

THURS 08.23.12 Athlete Profile: ANNA WEITNAUER Read More »

Check out all the new stuff at CFM!

Did you see the JOD (joke of the day) board up front? That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, in addition to life-changing health and fitness, CrossFit Midtown now ALSO brings you daily laughter. You’re welcome. If you hate to laugh, there’s also a motivational QuOD (quote of the day) on the board. So you can be uplifted after you giggle.
And oh, did you notice we also knocked a wall down? Later this week the new pull up rig will be installed, and showers are still on the way too. We’re getting awesomer!

Free community WOD this Sunday

Let’s get together to break a sweat for the free August Community WOD at lululemon howell mill on Sunday at 10am. We’re heading to brunch afterward at Urban Pl8. I hope to see lots of CFMers there!

CFM is leading the way in WLC registrations! Join the fun!

Register for Whole Life Challenge using that link on the sidebar… THEN mark your calendars for upcoming WLC shenanigans:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

Family & friends can play too! Just have them register under CFM, then select you as their friend/family member. Friends & Family will also be eligible for some prizes (just not as freaking awesome as the ones the CFMers can win).

GET IN THE GAME! It’s all I ever wanted for my birthday.

Flashback to the Grand Opening Party…Matt, Lis, Dan & Dyer

Workout of the Day

A1. Front squat: 12-10-8, :30 rest
A2. Bent over row: 12-10-8, 2 min rest, increase weight if possible

B. The BirthdAMRAP
In 12 minutes, perform as many rounds/reps as possible of:
3 strict pull ups
3 toes-to-bar
2 heavy hang squat clean
2 front squat

Somebody turns 33 today, on the 22nd, in 2012… so that’s where the rep scheme & time domain came from. GET IN HERE AND EMBRACE THE BDAY PAIN TRAIN!

WED 08.22.12 Read More »

Party over heeeeeere

A wise man once said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” So it should be no surprise that so many AWESOME people with August birthdays have flocked to CrossFit Midtown. Let’s get together to celebrate this weekend by breaking a sweat for the free August Community WOD at lululemon howell mill on Sunday at 10am, then heading to brunch afterward at Urban Pl8. I hope to see lots of CFMers there!

Hooverball cancelled this weekend

There’s a volleyball tournament all weekend at Piedmont Park, so we’ve got no court on which to ball. We’ll be back at it again next weekend for a special Labor Day weekend edition of Hooverball.

Register for Whole Life Challenge using that link on the sidebar…

THEN mark your calendars for upcoming WLC shenanigans:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

When Dermot’s not busy CRUSHING the AirDyne, he runs RiRa Irish Pub just up the street. Join him and the gang there Friday to celebrate their third anniversary. Two words: mechanical bull.

Workout of the Day

A. Power snatch: Work to a heavy single

B. 3×3 power snatch: Use 80% of weight from Part A

C. 5 Rounds for time
10 burpees as fast as possible (AFAP)
200m run OR 200m row or :40 AirDyne
Rest 4:00

TUES 08.21.12 Read More »

Whole Life Challenge

I know, I know…you’re tired of hearing about the Whole Life Challenge and how you should totally get into the game. You’re all, “Goodness gracious, I already play pretty close to these rules… why do I need to pay for a Challenge?” or “I know I’m not going to be perfect, so why even play?”
Or, my personal favorite, “I don’t want to be excommunicated just because I don’t participate.”
To be clear, there will be no excommunication.. there WILL BE a lot of people around the gym getting healthier, improving at WODs/lifts, leaning out/bulking up, and just developing better life habits in general. Soooo, if you feel excluded, it’s only because MORE THAN 30 of your CFM-mates are already in the game.

I know eight weeks is a big commitment. You don’t have to be a hermit. We’ll plan group outings that have nothing to do with non-WLC-approved foods/activities. I’m talking hiking, rock climbing, gun range, trampolining, roller derby… etc…

Just take it day by day and create a better life for yourself. Still on the fence? Check out this testimonial…

Email us or come to the Pre-Challenge Huddle if you have more questions. Don’t let self-doubt leave you out of the game…You can do it.

Mark your calendars for upcoming WLC cahoots:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

International Make-Fred-Run Day

Workout of the Day

Ring Dips As many reps as possible. Rest 5 minutes. 3 Rounds.

7 sets (shooting for 1:00 rds):
10 thrusters 75/55
5 push ups
25 double unders (or 25 singles)
Rest 1 min

MON 08.20.12 HAPPY BDAY COURTNEY! Read More »

Quarterly Check-In week wraps up

It’s been a busy week in the gym, testing several benchmark workouts including the Baseline. Congrats to everyone who conquered the Baseline this week…as a warm-up to the regular WOD, no less! SO MANY PRs! Be proud of your achievements over the past quarter and be sure to set some goals for the quarter ahead. Before we know it, November will be here, we’ll be wrapping up the Whole Life Challenge, and retesting all these workouts again. Good luck with today’s CrossFit Total!

REMINDERS:

Hooverball Sundays

Weekly Hooverball continues Sunday at the Piedmont Park active oval. Be there by 10 am to help claim a court. You can parallel park on Piedmont, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, or in the deck (access off Monroe). Come out and play!

CFM 2.0

We’re already getting a facelift! This weekend we’ll be knocking down a few walls in order to expand the gym floor and install a new pull up cage with squat racks, dip stands and more rings… as well as a few other improvements. We’ll still have Saturday morning classes at 10 and 11, but they’ll be outside, so come prepared for some fun with tires and sledgehammers!!!

Whole Life Challenge update

Team CFM is up to 12 Whole Life Challengers! Alison D, Erin, Beth, Dyer, Bri, Brianne, Laura S, Uran, Vabs, Courtney, Jeremy and Lis are in the game. Who else is joining us? We’re shooting for 40. Get in the game!Register here.

Mark your calendars:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

Hooverball Sunday. Be there.

Workout of the Day

If it’s your first class of the week: Warm Up & retest Baseline

CROSSFIT TOTAL:
1RM Back Squat
1RM Strict Press
1RM Deadlift

Work up to your one rep max of each lift, in order: Back squat, then strict press, then deadlift. You’ll have 12 minutes at each lift, including warm up and three attempts. The heaviest of your three attempts will be your score for that lift. Add up the scores of the three lifts for your CrossFit Total score.

CASH OUT: 1 minute max effort AirDyne sprint for calories

Good Luck!

FRI 08.17.12 CrossFit Total Read More »

CFM 2.0

We’re already getting a facelift! This weekend we’ll be knocking down a few walls in order to expand the gym floor and install a new pull up cage with squat racks, dip stands and more rings… as well as a few other improvements. We’ll still have Saturday morning classes at 10 and 11, but they’ll be outside, so come prepared for some fun with tires and sledgehammers!!!

Hooverball Sundays

Weekly Hooverball continues Sunday at the Piedmont Park active oval. Be there by 10 am to help claim a court. You can parallel park on Piedmont, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, or in the deck (access off Monroe). Come out and play!

Whole Life Challenge registration is open!

Team CFM already has 9 Whole Life Challengers! Dyer, Bri, Brianne, Laura S, Uran, Vabs, Courtney, Jeremy and Lis are in the game. Who else is joining us? Register here.
Courtney is hard at work getting prizes donated, and most of the cash you pay for entry fee also goes into the prize pool! There will be several winners in different categories, so don’t let the fear of strict paleo deter you. The prizes for the overall winners will be AWESOME, but there will also be schwag for most improvement on the WLC WOD, most inches lost, most inches gained (for those wishing to bulk up), most accountable, best sponsor/support crew, AND … there will even be a special division for your coaches – CFM’s coaches and Instructor Training Program members will all be competing for prizes and bragging rights in their own division.

So what’s holding you back? No, wait, let me guess…
TOP 5 weak-sauce excuses heard recently from WLC haters:
1. I dont keep strict paleo, nor really aspire to.
Well la-di-da. This challenge is not just about strict paleo. It’s about creating healthy habits of mobility, exercise, supplements, accountability, AND nutrition.
2. It’s football season.
Unless you’re following high school, pop warner and the MAC, there is not football seven days a week. So you lose some points on the day your team plays (or maybe you behave and lose points only for the big games)… get your exercise and mobility work in before the tailgate party/game, and get nutrition back on track the next day.
3. I have a wedding/vacation/birthday/bachelor party during the Challenge.
So lose points those days. And get back on track after the big event. This Challenge is about creating new habits IN YOUR LIFE. These events will continue to come up, and if you can get through them and get back on track with nutrition and exercise now, it’s good training for when these events come up after the challenge.
4. I’m not going to enter because I never win this type of stuff.
There will be lots of prizes. And if the only prize you win is a sick new body and some healthy new habits, well then, uh… that’s cool too, right?
5. I don’t need to get lean. I want to get JACKED.
We’ll be giving prizes to people who gain muscle and inches as well as those who lose inches.

Mark your calendars:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

Welcome to new intern and Instructor Training Program member Courtney and her husband James!

Workout of the Day

If it’s your first class of the week: Warm Up & retest Baseline

5 Rounds for time:
7 handstand push ups
14 pistols
21 double unders or 100 singles

*This is a challenging WOD with some advanced skills. Do as much as you can, with a goal to improve/progress at these movements when we retest this WOD again next quarter.

THURS 08.16.12 Read More »

Whole Life Challenge registration opens today!

CrossFit Midtown is proud to be one of over 125 CrossFit affiliates around the globe participating in the first ever Whole Life Challenge Worldwide. It’s an 8-week health and fitness challenge designed to help you develop healthy habits, and make you stronger, fitter, healthier, more accountable to and honest with yourself.
Registration is now open. What are you waiting for?
Scared? Don’t be! The CFM community will help you through this challenge. Let’s do it together.

Register online, then join the CFM Whole Life Challenge Facebook group to keep up with all the happenings. So far we already have THREE PARTIES planned throughout the Challenge. What are you waiting for? Get in the game!

Mark your calendars:
Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle
Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck
Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims
Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck
Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party

Do it.

Workout of the Day

If it’s your first class of the week: Warm Up & retest Baseline

20 minute AMRAP:
20 thrusters 135/95#
20 pull ups
20 burpees

WED 08.15.12 Read More »

Whole Life Challenge registration opens Wednesday!

The Whole Life Challenge is an 8-week health and fitness challenge designed to turn you into a lean, mean master of your physical and mental destiny! The WLC started at CrossFit Los Angeles a year and a half ago, but this time, CFMers will be playing along with thousands of other CrossFitters around the world!

Entry Fee: $45 for everyone–all members, friends, and family.
Prelims: Saturday, September 15th
Finals: Saturday, November 10th
Registration: You can register online at http://www.wholelifechallenge.com starting TOMORROW!
Friends & Family may play along with you, but you must be registered first to invite them to join.

The challenge winner will succeed in 3 areas:
Performance – Improve your work, improve your play
Body Transformation– Get lean & mean
Accountability – Play every day!

How to play:
You’ll be measured in the beginning and the end of the challenge to track your improvement – body and performance.
Every day you will be challenged to live by these rules, and earn up to 6 points daily:
Nutrition – No grains or starches (including corn and soy), no sugar (artificial or natural), no alcohol, soda or juice, no legumes, no dairy and no artificial or processed foods. You can earn up to 3 points maximum for each day of nutrition. Violate one of your rules and subtract 1 point. The lowest score you can get on any day is 0.
Workout – Every day. The rule is 10 minutes minimum, and you get to say if it was a workout for you. Active recovery (yoga, hiking, recovery ride, run or row) counts. You will receive 1 point for working out.
Mobilization – Stretch daily, 10 minutes minimum. You can do this any way you want. You will receive 1 point for stretching/mobilizing.
Fish oil – A daily dose of fish oil. There is no minimum, but research suggests 4000mg combination of EPA/DHA per day.

Every day by 3pm you’ll log into the scoreboard and report how you did the previous day. You have until 3pm each day; after that you receive a 0 for the prior day, so set an alarm, leave yourself a post-it… whatever you have to do to make it a habit!

All participants in the challenge receive:
+ Access to the Whole Life Challenge WORLDWIDE online scoreboard
+ A “Pre-Game Huddle” seminar – Want to give yourself the best shot? Come to a 1-hour meet-up to cover the basics of setting yourself up: preparing your home and kitchen, shopping and preparing food, and other success strategies
+ Mid-challenge paleo potluck party
+ Access to the Whole Life Challenge blog with coaching, support, recipes and videos
+ Access to the Whole Life Challenge discussion forums to chat w other WLCers, share experiences, successes, breakdowns, tips, “cheats” and to lend and give support
+ Pre and post challenge measurements and workout scores
+ A post-challenge celebration!

CASH & PRIZES for Winners!

Quarterly Check-In Week kicks off with a doozy.

Workout of the Day

If it’s your first class of the week: Warm Up & retest Baseline
OLYMPIC TOTAL: In 15 minutes, work to a Snatch one rep max. Then, in 15 minutes, work to a Clean & Jerk one rep max.
CASH OUT:2:00 plank hold in each position – center, left, right

TUES 08.14.12 Read More »

Quarterly Check-In Week

I can’t believe CFM has already been open THREE MONTHS! Time has flown, and I’ve loved getting to know all of our students, seeing athletes make progress in the gym and watching the community grow. Three months in means it’s time for our FIRST EVER Quarterly Check-In Week.
One week each quarter, we hold quarterly check-ins. We’ll spend 10 minutes at the beginning of every class taking time to reflect on the past three months and set new goals for the upcoming quarter. We’ll also retest the Baseline WOD you did at your intro, test some benchmark WODs and work on skills that we’ll revisit during the next Quarterly Check-In week.
Use this week to look back and celebrate your accomplishments over the last three months. Give yourself a pat on the back. Many of you just started CrossFit in the last three months. That alone is a HUGE accomplishment!
This week you’ll also look ahead to the stronger, healthier athlete you plan to be in three months. Set goals and write action steps toward becoming that person. So get to the box this week and bring your A-GAME!!!

Whole Life Challenge registration opens Wednesday!

It just so happens that our next Quarterly Check-In week culminates with the Whole Life Challenge (WLC) finals. Registration for WLC opens Wednesday. Get in the game! Family and friends can play too. The Whole Life Challenge starts Saturday, September 15th with prelims when we’ll test a WOD and take measurements. In the eight weeks that follow, everyone will get awesomer at life as we log points daily based on exercise, mobility, nutrition, supplements and additional challenges. And on November 10th, we’ll have FINALS when we retest the prelims WOD, take final measurements AND GIVE OUT CASH & PRIZES for winners in several categories. More on that tomorrow…get excited!

Sam knocking out muscle-ups during Friday’s WOD: Amanda. Sam departs Sunday for Virginia Tech. He’s been a HUGE help at CFM as our summer intern, and we’ll miss him dearly. Thanks for everything, Sam. See you at Thanksgiving!

Workout of the Day

Warm Up & retest Baseline
STRENGTH: Take 10 minutes to find your 1RM weighted pull up.
TEST: For time –
250m row
15 KB swings 2/1.5 pood
25 burpees
15 KB swings 2/1.5 pood
250m row

MON 08.13.12 Quarterly Check-In Week! Read More »