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Fran Finals tomorrow!

Our six week Fran Challenge wraps up tomorrow. If you haven’t yet signed up for a heat, there is still space available in both 10am and 11am classes. Drink plenty of water today, eat clean and get a good night’s sleep tonight. Let’s keep up the improvement Austin, Geoff and Uran kicked off on Wednesday as they finished their Fran Challenge! Afterward, hang around for prizes and a cookout.

Here’s your Franspiration (the last event of the 2012 CrossFit Games):

THIS WEEKEND

Community WOD at lululemon howell mill – join Lis for a free WOD at lululemon howell mill on the last Sunday of every month. Community WODs start this weekend. Be there Sunday at 10 am!
Sunday Hooverball – This Sunday is Carlos’s last week at Hooverball, so don’t miss it! Hooverball will be at 11 am this week (that’s an hour later than usual so we can all go hit the 10am free WOD at lululemon howell mill first).

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Hydrostatic Body Composition testing – Monday 7/30, 4-7 pm, $30. There are still spots available from 5 to 5:40 and after 7pm. Sign up for a 10-minute testing appointment at the gym or by emailing Alicia.
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – YUMMY four-course paleo meal for just $25. Tues, 7/31 at 8:30 pm. RSVP for dinner by emailing Alicia or signing up at the gym.
31 Heroes – Sat, 8/4. Check out the link on the sidebar of this page to register.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. Learn how to make better nutrition choices, grocery shopping tips, and other ways to make eating whole foods a habit.

Workout of the Day

If you’re doing Fran tomorrow:
10 minute easy row, run or AirDyne
3×10 back squats (3 min rest)
10 minute easy row, run, AirDyne
10 minutes foam/lax rolling & mobility
10 minute easy row, run, AirDyne

If you aren’t doing Fran tomorrow:
Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters 95/65
Pull Ups

FRI 7.27.12 The Eve of Fran Finals Read More »

Frantastic Results!

Congrats to our first heat to complete the Fran Challenge. Last night, Austin, Uran and Geoff ALL improved on their prelim times for PRs on Fran. Big ups to Uran who has the most improvement so far, beating her previous time by 2 MINUTES AND 17 SECONDS for 23% improvement! Booya.

Just TRY to get this song out of your head today.

Farewell James & Carlos!

There are so many people who’ve influenced CrossFit Midtown and what it continues to evolve into. Two of those people are making big moves in their lives this week. Tuesday night coach and resident vampire James Taylor is departing today for Scottsdale, Arizona, to take a personal training & program design role with Optimum Performance Training. And photographer extraordinaire/personal record machine Carlos leaves next week on the next leg of his nationwide tour, as he finishes shooting his photography book, The Face of Fitness.
Both of these fellas have been amazing friends to me personally, and continue to make a big impact on CrossFit Midtown.
James played a big part in my decision to open a CrossFit gym. Without James, I never would have visited my first CrossFit Games, trained with Olympic lifting coach John Broz, gotten my CrossFit Level 1 and Movement & Mobility certifications… or learned to play poker, but we won’t get into that. Even from across the country, James will continue to have a role at CFM, as he helps me design our workouts/programming.
Carlos is the person who first told me about The Biz (the CrossFit consulting company I worked for, and my business coaches), shot most of the photos that appear on our website and [figuratively] talked me off many a ledge. AND he’s responsible for bringing Hooverball to Atlanta. We’ll keep the weekly games going in his honor, and plan to eventually erect a statue of him near the Piedmont Park volleyball courts. Carlos keeps trying to leave Atlanta, but we continue to suck him back in. Hopefully he’ll be back with us in the fall.
Thanks for being great friends to CrossFit Midtown! We’ll miss you both and see you again soon!

Vampire teeth. Vampire teeth socks.

Carlos rings Carlos, the PR bell…named for him because he seems to improve on every single workout and rings it almost daily.

Workout of the Day

10 minutes to work to a heavy snatch double

Elisabeth
21-15-9
Power clean 135/95
Ring dips

Cash out – 50 barbell roll outs (use your power clean bar)

THURS 07.26.12 Farewell James & Carlos! Read More »

Member survey

Thanks to everyone who already completed the member survey emailed out yesterday. As you probably noticed, CrossFit Midtown is growing! So we’re constantly making changes to accommodate the growth and make sure CFM continues to be an awesome place to train. We’ll be modifying the schedule some for the month of August, just to test out a few new class times and see what works. We’re also ordering more equipment, which will be arriving in waves over the next month…including…drumroll…additional rowers, AirDynes, pull up bars, climbing ropes, barbells and more!
If you haven’t already filled out the survey, please do so, and give as much detail as possible when responding. It’s ONLY NINE QUESTIONS! Thanks for your feedback in making CFM better and better!
Email Lis if you didn’t receive the survey.

Paleo Diet

What is this paleo diet you CrossFitters speak of? I know, I know, CrossFit has a language of its own… *WOD, AMRAP, 3RM*… PALEO.
Here at CFM, our goal is to educate you about making healthier life choices, beginning with being active, but also in other parts of life – like your food choices. Take advantage of the resources we offer to learn more about eating better, so you can look, feel and perform better on a daily basis.
Library – did you know CFM has a library of books on various topics, including the paleo and primal diets? Ask a staff member how you can “check out” a book like Mark Sisson’s The Primal Blueprint, Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution, Melissa & Dallas Hartwig’s It Starts with Food, and many more.
Nutrition counseling – did you know your membership includes basic nutrition counseling? Once a month, you can send Lis a three-day food log to get her evaluation and feedback. Email Lis and she’ll send you the Google document for you to track everything you eat/drink, moods, sleep and activity over three days.
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – it’s next week. Join us Tuesday night, 7/31 at 8:30 pm for a delicious four-course paleo meal at Urban Pl8, to see how delicious paleo eating can be! Sign up for dinner in the gym or by emailing Alicia.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. We offer this workshop every other month to help you make better nutrition choices, teach you grocery shopping tips, what to order at a restaurant and other ways to make eating WHOLE FOODS a habit.

***CrossFit acronyms decoded: WOD – Workout of the Day; AMRAP – As many rounds/reps as possible; 3RM – 3 rep max (in weightlifting, the maximum amount of weight you can lift for three consecutive repetitions).

Bri, Carolyn and Matt C on power cleans.

Workout of the Day

3 sets of 10 strict press, rest 3:00
3 Rds (1 minute round, 1 minute rest):
5 wall balls
10 kb swings
20 double unders or singles
4 min rest
3 more rounds (1 minute round, 1 minute rest):
5 wall balls
10 kb swings
20 double unders or singles

-Select medicine ball, kettlebell and jump rope modifications based on a goal of a 1:00 round.
-If you cannot complete 20 double unders unbroken (or with no more than 1 break), do singles.
-If you do singles, you will complete 5 wall balls, 10 kettlebell swings, and then jump rope for the remainder of the minute.

-After each round, rest one minute… with the exception of round 3 (four minutes rest between Rd 3 & Rd 4). Complete six total rounds.

Don’t worry, we’ll explain in class!

WED 07.25.12 Read More »

CrossFit footwear

There’s been a lot of talk around the gym about the best shoes for CrossFit. Many of our foundational movements require you to keep your weight back on your heels, which becomes tough if you wear a running shoe with a thick heel that constantly pushes you forward. Most of the barefoot running shoes are great for CrossFit.
My favorite CrossFit shoes are Asics Onitsuka Tigers (not actually a CF shoe at all, but Asics’ throwback 80s running shoe), but I also like my Inov-8 230s and 195s. Other popular shoes among our members are the old school Converse/Chuck Taylors, Vibrams, Saucony Originals Bullet and Reebok’s CrossFit Nano. If you don’t want to invest in new shoes, squatting and deadlifting in socks is also an option (just don’t drop a bumper plate on your toe).
You can purchase any of these brands online, and Abbadabba’s also carries all but the Reebok Nano. Post in the comments to tell us what’s your favorite shoe for CrossFit.

COOKOUT THIS SATURDAY! (you just have to do Fran first to earn your meal)

CrossFit Midtown’s first challenge, the Frantastic Voyage, wraps up this Saturday, July 28. Join your fellow CFMers this weekend as we shoot to improve on our prelim Fran times.
We’ll have heats at 10 and 11 (warm up starts on the hour. Heats at 10:30, 10:45, 11:30 and 11:45) followed by the REAL FUN: a cookout and awards ceremony starting at noon…there may or may not be vodka.
Can’t make it Saturday? There will be one makeup heat on Wednesday, 7/25 at 7pm. Sign up for your heat on the whiteboard this week. Email us to confirm whether you’ll DOMINATE Fran on Wed at 7, Sat at 10 or Sat at 11.
What if I’m new to CFM and missed the Fran Prelims? We don’t want you to miss a date with Fran! New members are also welcome to join us for the Fran finals. Just sign up for a Saturday heat time on the white board.

Stay tuned for details on our next big test, the WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE, starting in mid September!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Community WOD at lululemon howell mill – join Lis for a free WOD at lululemon howell mill on the last Sunday of every month. Community WODs start Sunday 7/29 at 10 am.
Sunday Hooverball – This Sunday is Carlos’s last week at Hooverball (until Atlanta sucks him back in to work on another movie, that is) so come on out to see him DOMINATE Jon DLP one last time. Hooverball will be at 11 am this week (that’s an hour later than usual so we can all go hit the 10am free WOD at lululemon howell mill first).
Hydrostatic Body Composition testing – Monday 7/30, 4-7 pm, $30. Sign up for a 10-minute testing appointment at the gym or by emailing Alicia.
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – Tues, 7/31 at 8:30 pm. RSVP for dinner by emailing Alicia or signing up at the gym.
31 Heroes – Sat, 8/4. Check out the link on the sidebar of this page to register.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. Learn how to make better nutrition choices, grocery shopping tips, and other ways to make eating whole foods a habit.
Don’t hate. Appreciate.

Workout of the Day

3 rounds:
10 deadlifts
Rest :30
5 weighted pull ups or 5 pull up negatives
Rest 2 minutes
THEN
As many reps as possible in 5 minutes of:
Burpee muscle ups, burpee pull ups, or burpee jumping pull ups

TUES 07.24.12 Read More »

TRACK YOUR WORKOUTS

Do you write down the results of every training session? You should! We’re starting a new strength cycle this week. For the next six weeks we’ll be doing a different lift each day of the week, so WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU LIFT. This week we’re doing sets of 10 reps. Next week will be sets of 5 reps… then in two weeks, we go back to sets of 10 and aim to go up a little in weight from this week’s numbers. There will be a burpee penalty for not knowing your strength numbers… WRITE IT DOWN!

Fran Finals are this week!

Stay tuned for details on our next big test, the WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE, starting in mid September!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Community WOD at lululemon howell mill – join Lis for a free WOD at lululemon howell mill on the last Sunday of every month. Community WODs start Sunday 7/29 at 10 am.
Sunday Hooverball – meet at the sand volleyball courts at 11 am (pushed back an hour this week so we can do the lululemon WOD!)
Hydrostatic Body Composition testing – Monday 7/30, 4-7 pm, $30. Sign up for a 10-minute testing appointment at the gym or by emailing Alicia (our killer new intern!).
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – Tues, 7/31 at 8:30 pm. RSVP for dinner by emailing Alicia or signing up at the gym.
31 Heroes – Sat, 8/4. Check out the link on the sidebar of this page to register.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. Learn how to make better nutrition choices, grocery shopping tips, and other ways to make eating whole foods a habit.

This Sunday is Carlos’s last week at Hooverball (until Atlanta sucks him back in to work on another movie, that is) so come on out to see him DOMINATE Jon DLP one last time. Hooverball will be at 11 am this week (that’s an hour later than usual so we can all go hit the 10am free WOD at lululemon howell mill first).

Workout of the Day

3 sets of 10 front squats
REST 3 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS (wrist mobility)

3 sets of :20 AirDyne sprints, rest 3:40
Rest 7-12 minutes (mobility/core work)
3 sets of :20 AirDyne sprints, rest 3:40

MON 07.23.12 Read More »

Welcome to Arielle and Scott S. (yes, ANOTHER Scott!)!

Fran Finals are a week away!

Saturday, July 28 marks the end of our Fran Challenge. Join your fellow CFMers next weekend as we shoot to improve on our prelim Fran times. We’ll have heats at 10 and 11 (warm up starts on the hour. Fran at 10:30 and 11:30). Hang around afterward for a cookout and awards ceremony (starting at noon). Can’t make it Saturday? There will be one makeup heat on Wednesday, 7/25 at 7pm. Email us to confirm whether you’ll DOMINATE Fran on Wed at 7, Sat at 10 or Sat at 11.

OTHER EVENTS

Sunday Hooverball – meet at the sand volleyball courts at 10 am
Community WOD at lululemon howell mill – join Lis for a free WOD at lululemon howell mill on the last Sunday of every month. Community WODs start Sunday 7/29 at 10 am.
Hydrostatic Body Composition testing – Monday 7/30, 4-7 pm, $30. Sign up for a 10-minute testing appointment at the gym or by emailing Sam.
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – Tues, 7/31 at 8:30 pm. RSVP for dinner by emailing Sam.
31 Heroes – Sat, 8/4. Check out the link on the sidebar of this page to register.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. Learn how to make better nutrition choices, grocery shopping tips, and other ways to make eating whole foods a habit.

LADIES & GENTLEMEN! Dan the Man coaching Adam and Betsy at Fran Prelims.

Workout of the Day

3 Rounds:
15 thrusters 95/65
15 pull ups
Rest 6:00

CASH OUT: 2 min (ea side) wall stretch; 5 sloooooow pull up negatives

FRANDAY 07.20.12 Read More »

CrossFit Endurance & POSE Running workshop is tonight!

Email info@crossfitmidtown.com if you plan to attend but haven’t yet RSVP’ed/paid your $25. Register here or at the gym with cash or check.

Do you want to improve your running technique and race times?
Are you clueless on how to work CrossFit Endurance workouts into your exercise routine?
Or do you just hate running and wish to improve your form to make it less painful and more enjoyable?
Join James Taylor, CrossFit Endurance-certified trainer and former Georgia Tech cross country and track & field athlete, for a 90-minute workshop to learn how to improve your technique, become a more efficient runner, and learn how to train for your next race.
Workshop includes:
-Pre- and post- workshop video evaluation of running technique, discussion of individual technical issues and identification of long-term solutions
-Discussion of general technical principles and methods to prevent common injuries
-Practical drills to improve running technique
-Detailed, sample programming ideas for various training goals
-Q&A
Price: $25
When: Thursday, 7/19, 7-8:30 pm

OTHER EVENTS

Sunday Hooverball – meet at the sand volleyball courts at 10 am
Frantastic Voyage Finals & Cookout– Finals are Saturday, July 28th at 10 & 11 am; Cookout at noon
Community WOD at lululemon howell mill – join Lis for a free WOD at lululemon howell mill on the last Sunday of every month. Community WODs start Sunday 7/29 at 10 am.
Hydrostatic Body Composition testing – Monday 7/30, 4-7 pm, $30. Sign up for a 10-minute testing appointment at the gym or by emailing Sam.
Paleo Night at Urban Pl8 – Tues, 7/31 at 8:30 pm. RSVP for dinner by emailing Sam.
31 Heroes – Sat, 8/4. Check out the link on the sidebar of this page to register.
Food as Fuel – Saturday, August 11th, 12-1:30 – free to members, $25 for guests. Learn how to make better nutrition choices, grocery shopping tips, and other ways to make eating whole foods a habit.

Chuck A and Ro on Fight Gone Bad.

Workout of the Day

1. Time trial: 1k row

2. 3 Power cleans EMOM (every minute on the minute) for 10 minutes

CASH OUT: 3 rounds plank hold – 1 min each – center, left, right

THURS 07.19.12 CF Endurance & POSE Running workshop tonight! Read More »

Food as Fuel & Paleo Potluck is Saturday, August 11th

Mark your calendars for the next Food as Fuel nutrition class, on Saturday, 8/11 from 12 to 1:30 pm. Everyone bring a dish to share while Lis hosts a paleo Q&A discussion. Bring your questions and your paleo grub!

CrossFit Endurance & POSE Running workshop is THIS THURSDAY

In one of my favorite moments from the Games, pictured above, the athletes did Fran to cap off a grueling weekend of competition. It came down to the final event to decide who got the final (3rd place) spot on the podium between Kristan Clever and Talayna Forunato. In the final set of nine pull ups, Kristan was a rep ahead, but a break in her butterfly kip gave Talayna the chance to pull ahead, finishing all her reps unbroken and claiming the title of 3rd Fittest Woman in the World. Considering how challenging a WOD we all know Fran is (especially as we train for it over the course of our Fran Challenge), watching these athletes complete it so quickly, after ALL the other work of the weekend, was pretty amazing.

Workout of the Day

1. 3×5 Back Squat

2. FOR TIME: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Lateral box jumps* 24/20 & Wall Balls 20/14

For lateral box jumps, each side equals one rep. In other words, jumping over and back is two reps.

CASH OUT – 2 min wall stretch each side; 5 min lax ball love on achilles/calves

WED 07.18.12 Read More »

Austin and Shira, pictured in the center, married earlier this year and just returned from their long-awaited honeymoon.

Athlete Profile – Dr. Austin Cohen

Hometown: Charleston, SC
Age: 30
Occupation: Chiropractor
When did you first start CrossFitting?: 2010…But really feel like I took it more seriously last year
Favorite WOD: Anything bodyweight
Least Favorite WOD: OH Squats, Muscle Ups, Rowing, and OH squats (again)
Three words to describe you: Passionate, Very Competitive
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: Been a runner my whole life doing marathons and triathlons.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? I thought I would never have to relive this experience….I did Helen and only had to do 2 rounds of it because I could barely do a pull-up. I was so sore that I waited 2 weeks to join because I could barely move.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? Before – Manorexic from all my endurance training. Now – Being 2.5 years into crossfit and paleo I am noticing some serious gains in muscle mass and tone. I am 3 pounds away from ideal body weight and probably on 1-2% away from ideal body fat. Crossfit has made a huge impact on my life.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I remember when I first started there were so many movements I NEVER thought I could get such as: double unders, pull-ups, RX weight, muscle ups, etc. Now 2.5 years into it I am doing these very well and hitting record times and loads on all my workouts.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFM moments: I love seeing people follow their passion and dreams so just witnessing Lis and how happy she is very inspiring.
Any advice for people just getting started? STICK TO IT and the only person to compare yourself to is YOU. When I first started I would get frustrated because all these guys would dominate workouts and I could not do everything RX or had to use bands for pull-ups. I almost quit because I felt like I was not improving. Lis was a big part of me sticking to Crossfit but I am so happy I did as I feel I am in the best shape of my life and love whipping up on these 20-year olds.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? My life pretty much revolves around the lifestyle such as doing yoga, chiropractic, massages, finding new healthy restaurants, and hanging with the wife.
What did you eat today? Deviled avocado eggs, chicken sausage, and cashews.
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? Paleo. Philosophy is eat the way we ware genetically designed to eat and you are setting yourself up for success.

Workout of the Day

1. Strict Press 3×5

2. 5 rounds NOT FOR TIME:
1 resisted run
10 atomic sit ups*

*For atomic sit ups, demonstrated in the video below, select a bumper plate that will challenge you for a set of 10. Start laying down with the plate behind/over your head at the bottom of a sit up. As you sit up, swing the plate between your feet, using the plate for momentum to propel you on to your feet to standing position. Then press the plate overhead to full extension before returning to the floor to starting position.

TUES 07.17.12 – Athlete Profile: AUSTIN COHEN Read More »

CrossFit Endurance & POSE Running workshop is THIS THURSDAY

Hydrostatic Body Composition testing is Mon, July 30

For everyone who wants to “lose weight,” LISTEN UP. Your scale weight means NOTHING. As you get into CrossFit, your body composition will begin to change as you lose fat and gain muscle. These changes aren’t always reflected on the scale, so we’re bringing in the Mobile Hydrostatic Body Composition unit to give you a good measuring point. Every two to three months, we’ll schedule another testing day so you can track your progress.
What should I expect? This big truck will come park behind the gym. You’ll enter the truck, check in with Bali, and use the changing room to change into a swimsuit. Then you’ll be weighed. There’s a large bathtub on-board the truck, which you will dunk yourself in three times as the computer takes a reading of your body composition. Then you’ll dry off and Bali will give you a printed report and discuss your results with you.
How do I sign up? Email Sam to schedule your appointment or sign up in the gym. Appointments take 10 minutes. We have availability every 10 minutes from 4pm until 7pm. The test is $30. You can pay with your CC on file, cash or check (payable to CrossFit Midtown). More info about hydrostatic body composition testing.

Elite spectating at the CrossFit Games with our new friends from East Valley CrossFit in Chandler, Arizona. That’s Fred and Lis up front under the big hats. Carlos was also there…he’s just hiding.