WOD

Sorry for the mistake in today’s blog.

Give Lis a few Jell-O shots and she skips over one whole day of programming! Today is actually back squats, then burpees and double or single unders (jump rope)… tomorrow’s WOD is the rope climbs, handstand push ups and lunges (and Friday is Cindy & bench press).

Bring a Friend Days coming next month!

Many have been asking when you can bring a friend to try out a CrossFit class… well here are the answers:
Option 1) they can email us or call 678.223.3308 to schedule a free intro session.
Option 2) Guest passes: if you are a Silver member, you get one guest pass a month. Gold members get two. That means you can bring a guest along to class once or twice a month. In order to keep the focus on our regular CFM students, we ask that you email us to confirm the day/time you’d like to bring your guest is appropriate for a newcomer. Hint: we don’t recommend visitors come to workouts with complex movements, since our coaches are focused on teaching the CFM students in class. We also limit visitors at busier classes.
Option 3) Bring a Friend Days! Every quarter, CFM plans three days in a row of beginner/guest friendly workouts, when you’re welcome to bring that friend, roommate, coworker, etc, who’s been wondering about this CrossFit thing you’re up to. Our next Bring a Friend Days are Thurs, Fri & Sat, March 7, 8, & 9. You’re invited to bring a guest along with you to any classes. We ask that you act as their host/hostess and show them the ropes in class, as well as

Thanks for a great Mardi Gras!

Thanks to everyone who attended and pitched in to make CFM’s Mardi Gras WOD a blast! We couldn’t have had all that fun without Cassie’s creative warm-up, Lynn’s jello shots and Lindsay’s decorations. Thanks to everyone who brought friends and came out to play!

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Back Squat: 5-5-5-5, every 3min
B. As many rounds & reps as possible in 8min:
8 burpees
35 double unders (sub 100 singles)

And coming tomorrow…

A. As many rounds & reps as possible in 20min:
10 handstand push ups
2 rope climbs
20 walking lunges
B. accumulate 3min each of L side plank & R side plank

WED 02.13.13 WOD Update! Read More »

How’s your HAPPY FEBRUARY going?

Earlier this month, I challenged you all to think positively this month. Practice chasing negative thoughts from your mind and you’ll be surprised at how much happier you’ll be! A good friend of mine shared this Zen Habits blog with me and I enjoy reading it regularly now. Here’s his great post from last week with some advice the author offers his kids. I wish the same for all of you/us!

Rowing class tonight at 7!

Every Tuesday, Uran leads a rowing class in the front room at 7pm. Please RSVP in advance, because only 5 SPOTS are available. Here’s tonight’s rowing workout:
Pyramid Workout
Keeping a steady stroke rating of 25-27 spm (strokes per minute) for all but the last piece (piece is rowing talk for an interval or distance…in this case, “the last piece” is the final 500m max effort):
500m, rest 2:00
750m, rest 2:00
1000m, rest 2:00
1500m, rest 2:00
1000m, rest 2:00
750m, rest 2:00
500m max effort (28-30 spm)

And here’s a great video from Concept2 (okay, a good video… very informative, but I’d like to add some dancing WB frogs or maybe give the narrator a wise guy gangster accent like in the cartoons) with some rowing form tips. Uran can teach you all this AND MORE!!!

Mardi Gras WOD tonight at 8!

Join us tonight as we celebrate Mardi Gras at the 8pm class. This class doesn’t count toward your weekly visits AND it’s open to the public/beginner friendly, so bring a friend. Wear your Mardi Gras yellow, green and/or purple to earn some beads & masks!
Bridget, Lynn and Nina have arranged for some post-WOD refreshments. I won’t give specifics but there might be spiked jello, king cake, a special cash-out and an after-party down the street at Front Page News (it’s a New Orleans Cafe. You know they’ll do it right). If you attended the holiday party, you’ll remember what an amazing jello chef Lynn is. Don’t miss it… we’ll be doing a special WOD to celebrate:
Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:
Odd rounds – 5 burpee bead tosses
Even rounds – 3 dance-atop-a box jumps (anti-dancers can do 5 squats atop the box instead)

All other classes will do the boring ole regular WOD, listed below…

Laissez les bon temps rouler! (aka LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL)

Workout of the Day (aka regular ole boring WOD)

A. Power Clean: 3-3-3-3-3-3-3, every 3min
B. 5 rounds for time:
12 toes-to-bar
10 wall balls 20/14#

And coming tomorrow…

A. As many rounds & reps as possible in 20min:
10 handstand push ups
2 rope climbs
20 walking lunges
B. accumulate 3min each of L side bridge & R side bridge

02.12.13 Mardi Gras WOD tonight! Read More »

Record your workouts

Last week we announced you can track your workouts through Zen Planner online (use the login you got when you started at CFM) or using their iPhone app.
Tracking your workouts will help you make quicker progress in the gym and helps your coaches help you.
If every time we back squat, you have no record of the weight used last time we squatted, you’ll spend your first few sets guessing at a good starting weight. Instead, track those numbers so you know exactly what you did last time and we can hopefully add a little weight next time around.
Note: new students are different. We’ll use your first few workouts to determine your starting weights for lifts and modifications for other movements.
Want to get better at pullups? When you approach your coach to ask for help, we might take a look at your training records (which we can see through Zen Planner…so cool!) and be able to recommend some additional work to complement what you’re doing in the gym. Or we might see that perhaps the reason you’re struggling with pull ups is that you avoid them every time they come up in a workout. Hint: today. pull ups. be here.
It’s also important to take a few minutes before class to review the workout of the day and your past results at similar workouts to decide what your starting weight will be or what modifications you might make. Your coach in class will always help with this, but checking your numbers during class can eat up valuable training time.
Come prepared and track your progress! It makes a big difference!

Olympic Lifting Seminar with Travis Cooper

Sunday, March 10th, Travis Cooper will be joining us for a six-hour seminar (9a-4p with an hour break for lunch) to teach us the finer points of the snatch and clean & jerk. Travis has competed and coached at the national & world levels. He is now a member of Team MDUSA and aspires to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
Register now! This seminar is limited to 24 athletes (8 spaces are already full!). Athletes and coaches of all levels will benefit from this course.

$75.00 – CFM Members
$85.00 – CFM Guests

Visit the FB event page for the seminar timeline and more info about Travis.

Workout of the Day

A. As many rounds & reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
1 chest-to-bar (CTB) pull up
1 box jumps (24/20)
2 CTB pull ups
2 box jumps
3 CTB chin ups
3 box jumps
… And so on, each round increasing by one rep until time expires.

Score= total reps

B1. Three rounds: Powell Raise 8-10, 30sec rest
Dumbbell External Rotation 8-10, 60sec rest

And coming tomorrow…

A. Power Clean 3-3-3-3-3-3-3, every 3min
B. 5 rounds for time:
12 toes-to-bar
10 wall balls 20/14#

MON 02.11.13 Read More »

Olympic Lifting Seminar with Travis Cooper

Sunday, March 10th, Travis Cooper will be joining us for a six-hour seminar (9a-4p with an hour break for lunch) to teach us the finer points of the snatch and clean & jerk. Travis has competed and coached at the national & world levels. He is now a member of Team MDUSA and aspires to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
Register now! This seminar is limited to 24 athletes. Athletes and coaches of all levels will benefit from this course.

$75.00 – CFM Members
$85.00 – CFM Guests

Visit the FB event page for the seminar timeline and more info about Travis.

Lis & Dan make good on their lost SuperBowl bet and do 50 burpees (notice Dan actually does 51) as a triumphant Nate heckles around them. Nate was nice enough to provide background music for the festivities. Dan made good on his prediction of a 2:30 finish time and was nice enough to drag Lis out super fast, way off her pace, to a 2:42ish finish. Both would later regret this blistering pace and lack of a warm-up.

Quarterly Progress Checks:

This week, we’re retesting several benchmark workouts and setting new goals for the next three months. Who will you be by early May? Set your intention now.

Workout of the Day

A. CrossFit Total:
1 rep max of –
Back squat
Strict press
Deadlift
B. 1 minute AirDyne test for max calories

And coming tomorrow…

Partner WOD at all classes!
Choose between –
A. 5k row: you and your partner alternate as you wish. Each partner must row at least 2000 meters.
B. TabataISH: you and your partner each complete 8 rounds – :20 max reps of air squats, push ups, sit ups, pull ups. While Partner A works, Partner B rests. Count all reps for total score.

FRI 02.07.13 CrossFit Total! Read More »

CrossFit Games Open

by Coach Dyer
The CrossFit Games Open is less than a month away. If you think you might be the kind of person who likes to have fun, sign up.

Dates: March 6 to April 7
Cost: $20
What is it?: CrossFit HQ will announce 1 workout on Wednesday March 6th and you have until Sunday evening to complete the workout in front of a judge and upload your score. This will happen for 5 consecutive weeks with a new workout each week. Your score(s) will give you a worldwide and regional ranking – so, you can finally go head-to-head against your friends who live outside of Atlanta or who train at another gym.
Where?: We’ll complete (and judge and validate your scores) all workouts here at CFM each week. If you have to travel one of these weeks, you can still do the WOD at any other participating CrossFit affiliate.

Check out CFM’s own Matt C showing off dem CrossFit skills last weekend at a bachelor party in South Florida. (Yes, they’re calling him Rex in the video… this is apparently his middle name and college alter-ego… AND his new whiteboard name)

Quarterly Progress Checks:

This week, we’re retesting several benchmark workouts and setting new goals for the next three months. Who will you be by early May? Set your intention now.

Workout of the Day

A. 1 Rep Max Weighted Pull Up(or 5 sets of 3 slooooow negatives)
B. For time:
250m row
15 kb swings 2/1.5pd
25 burpees
15 kb swings 2/1.5pd
250m row

And coming tomorrow…

A. CrossFit Total:
1 rep max of –
Back squat
Strict press
Deadlift
B. 1 minute AirDyne test for max calories

THURS 02.07.13 The CrossFit Games Open is a month away! Read More »

Striking a Balance

by Uran
This past weekend I attended CFM’s Ayurveda Workshop with Anna Russ. Boy oh boy, am I glad I did. One of my goals this year is to find some balance in my life.
I confess: I have a bad habit of being an “all or nothing” kind of person, and unfortunately, it has led to some unhealthy decisions. If I can only make it to the gym once this week, why go at all? If I can’t have a perfectly paleo meal when I’m eating out with my friends, why not just blow it out with something completely unhealthy? I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth, and this mentality has created a lot of additional and unnecessary stress in my life.
So, I’ve decided to stop it. I’ve committed to quit beating myself up about every little thing that falls short of perfection, because that is unrealistic, unattainable, and the opposite of good goal-setting.
Instead, I’ve vowed to focus on the wins in my life. While I made some good progress on my own in January, this workshop helped me reinforce this goal for February as well. It gave me some steps to understanding who I am and learning how to work with, rather than against, myself to find balance and live in the present moment. And finally, it reminded me that self-care is a lifelong process.
As we move into CFM’s February Challenge on Positive Thinking, think about if you’re struggling to find balance in your own life. For those of you who are, what will you do to center yourselves and regain your equilibrium?

Congrats on all your January Goals & Achievements! Add your new goals to the board in the box this week. Congrats to Casey on listing our first February accomplishment on the board: SHE DID ALL 10 PULL UPS IN THE BASELINE RX’ED FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Quarterly Progress Checks:

This week, we’re retesting several benchmark workouts and setting new goals for the next three months. Who will you be by early May? Set your intention now.

This week’s benchmarks

Your first session of the week: Goal-setting & baseline retest, then daily WOD…

As promised, for those of you who don’t remember your old Baseline score (RECORD YOUR STATS!), here are whiteboard pics from the last two Quarterly Check-Ins.
August 2012:

November 2012:

Workout of the Day

Olympic Total:
1 rep max of Snatch, then
1 rep max of Clean & Jerk

And coming tomorrow…

As many rounds as possible in 20min of:
20 Thrusters 135/95
20 Pullups
20 Burpees

TUES 02.05.12 Quarterly Progress Checks continue… Read More »

Workout Tracking is here:

How often do you record your workout results?

1. Download the Zen Planner app on your smartphone
2. Every day, before leaving the gym, record your workout result
3. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Anything worth doing is worth recording.

Quarterly Progress Checks:

This week, we’re retesting several benchmark workouts and setting new goals for the next three months. Who will you be by early May? Set your intention now.

This week’s benchmarks

Your first session of the week: Goal-setting & baseline retest, then daily WOD…

M (today’s Workout of the Day)
5 rounds for time:
7 handstand push ups
14 pistols
21 double unders

T (coming tomorrow)
Olympic Total:
1 rep max of Snatch, then
1 rep max of Clean & Jerk

W
As many rounds as possible in 20min of:
20 Thrusters 135/95
20 Pullups
20 Burpees

Th
A. 1Rep Max Weighted Pull Up (or 15 slooooow negatives)
B. For time:
250m row
15 kb swings 2/1.5pd
25 burpees
15 kb swings 2/1.5pd
250m row

F
A. CrossFit Total:
1 rep max Back Squat
1 rep max Strict Press
1 rep max Deadlift
B. 1 minute AirDyne test for calories

SAT
Partner WOD:
5k row for time. You and your partner split distance as you wish. Each partner must row at least 2k.

SUN
Open Gym:
Make up a QPC WOD (Quarterly Progress Check Workout of the Day) or do your own thing

MON 02.04.13 Quarterly Progress Checks Read More »

February challenge: POSITIVE THINKING

Last month, we challenged you to eat clean and break those bad nutrition habits you settled into over the holidays. That got me thinking: what if we have a different challenge every month? Something to think about throughout the month to try and improve yourself and your well being…
Last month we focused on clean eating. This month we focus on CLEAN THINKING! …well, positive thinking anyway. Ayurveda Anna (that is what I shall now call her) said something to me after our first meeting that just clicked:

“A negative thought is just as toxic to your system as a twinkie.”

So this month, I challenge you to chase negative thoughts & self-talk & language from your vocabulary/mind. No putting yourself down. No beating yourself up. No gossip. Chase negativity from your life. If you tend to be negative, this won’t be easy at first. Catch yourself in that negative thought and replace it with a positive one. It’s like my friends at lululemon athletica say:

“The conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.”

Be good to yourself.

Ayurveda workshop tomorrow…Finding Your Zone:

A Lifestyle Overhaul using Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science
Are you in a winter funk? Ever feel out-of-balance or so stressed out and overwhelmed you just don’t know what to do?
Has it ever occurred to you that self-care (taking time to nourish and nurture your body) will enhance your quality of life and improve your well-being?
Here’s what we’ll cover at tomorrow’s workshop:
-What is Ayurveda?
-How to determine your unique “constitution” (your mix of doshas)
-How to detect an imbalance and how to fix it
-Setting a routine in your day to gain balance
-Tune into the seasons to optimize your health
-Recipes & ayurvedic remedies
Register today! This workshop lasts two hours and costs $20 for CFM members and $30 for guests. Read more about Anna & register here.

Action shots from last Saturday’s Beginner class. Join us again tomorrow at 9am! Check out Sarabess, the M twins Liz & Katie, and Allyson gettin’ that WOD on!

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Back Squat: 4-5 reps @3010 tempo, every 4min for 6 rounds
B. “Helen”: 3 rounds for time of
400m run
21 kettlebell swings 53/35#
12 pullups

And coming tomorrow…

Partner Workout: As many rounds & reps as possible in 20min –
5 burpees over partner
10 kettlebell swings (moderate)
150m row
Alternate partners every movement (so P1 does burpees, P2 does KB swings, P1 does row, P2 does burpees, and so forth)

FRI 02.01.13 Happy February! Read More »

Athlete Spotlight: Jason L

Hometown: Norcross, Ga
Age: 21
Occupation: Legislative Intern for Senator John Albers
When did you first start CrossFitting?: August 2012
Favorite WOD: Anything that involves Rope Climbs
Least Favorite WOD: Anything that involves Squats and/or Deadlifts
Three words to describe you: Driven, Sporty, Nerdy
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I’ve been participating in athletics since I was 4 years old. I played hockey for 12 years (ice for 4, roller for 12), I played football in high school and ran track in high school as well.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? It was miserable… I just wanted to throw up as soon as I was done!
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? I have definitely toned out more! I have felt a lot healthier as well.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I feel more confident approaching challenges. CrossFit has certainly instilled a sense of perseverance!
Any advice for people just getting started? Stick with it…and push yourself. It is all about mentality!
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I am a politics fiend. Also, I love anything to do with sports.
What did you eat today? Pizza, and pasta, and salad, and peanut butter sandwich – a lot of bad carbs…
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? I am starting a 30-day paleo challenge in January!

Jason answered these questions a month ago, but I hadn’t posted his profile yet because I was waiting to snag some legit training pics of him first. VIDEO IS EVEN BETTER! Hopefully he’ll post an update in the comments for us on how his month of strict paleo and the past month of training have gone.

Lotsa peeps CRUSHING rope climbs and muscle-ups (and LOTS MORE making progress toward both skills!) in the box yesterday! Here’s some footage from the 5p class. Congrats to Jason on getting his 1st muscle up! And 2nd…3rd…all the way to 19 on his first day. BOOM. Shout outs also to Ester & Derrick getting their first rope climbs and Ian, Craig & Derrick doing their first jumping muscle ups at 5p.

Upcoming Events

Ayurveda workshop with Anna Russ: This Sat, Feb 2nd, 12n-2p. $20 for CFM members & $30 for guests. Read more & register here.
Mardi Gras WOD: Fat Tuesday. February 12th. 8pm. This WOD is open to the public so bring a friend if you wish. It won’t count as one of your weekly visits. The Beginner’s class will be cancelled on Fat Tuesday, but everyone is welcome to join the party (all levels!) and LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER! Beads & jello cocktails may or may not be provided.

Workout of the Day (WOD)

Turkish Get-Ups: 60 Turkish get-ups (30 ea arm), not for time.

Recovery WOD – have you been hitting it hard this week? Use this as a nice, moderately-paced WOD to work on core strength and technique. Feeling good or been taking it easy this week? Then pick up the pace a little more.

And coming tomorrow…

A. Back Squat: 4-5 reps @3010 tempo, every 4min for 6 rounds
B. “Helen”: 3 rounds for time of
400m run
21 kettlebell swings 53/35#
12 pullups

THURS 01.31.13 Athlete Spotlight: JASON L Read More »

Why is range of motion important?

This may seem like a silly question, but it’s an important one to address. I see it in two different types of people: 1) brand new students who don’t know any better, and 2) clock whores.
For you new folk, it may sound like the coaches are broken records when we constantly remind you to “squat lower” or “get your chin over the bar”. We want you to learn the right form in the beginning, first for safety, but also to build strength & muscle memory, and develop these skills that will make you stronger, faster, hotter, healthier and harder to kill.
When you’re new, it may seem like cheating your range of motion is no big deal, because “Hey, I just want to get this over with. If I even survive it, that’s an accomplishment.”
Errrrr, yes and no. Yes, every WOD you finish is another feather in your cap. Bravo. But “just getting through it” with poor range of motion is cheating yourself.
As coaches, we’d rather scale down the number of reps so you can complete each one with proper form, than to have you complete all the reps halfway. Do it right from the beginning.
Thankfully, we have very few of group #2: the dreaded clock whore, in our student body at CFM. And that’s why I want to address it now. I will borrow from Hyperfit USA for their definition of a Clock Whore:
“Person who is so obsessed with beating the clock/others that they will prostitute themselves and sacrifice important and vital components of training such as range of motion, repetitions or other performance metrics for a “better” time.” (read their entire post here)
No one likes clock whores. Who cares if you got the fastest time/heaviest lift/most reps in the box today if it wasn’t legit? We constantly say there’s no judgment at CFM… you are here to better yourself and for that there is nothing to be ashamed. But if people start seeing your scores on the board and scoffing at them because they know you’re a serial clock whore, that is shameful.
Why do you pay a premium to train at CrossFit Midtown? Because you want to get into the best shape of your life and have fun doing it, right? Let us help you DO IT RIGHT. We’re big on accountability at CFM. Ask your coach, or another classmate, to double-check your range of motion or help count your tempo. And please, don’t tell my mother I used that word (FIVE TIMES!) in today’s blog post.

New classes!

Rowing class continues tonight at 7pm with Uran. Class is capped at 5 students, so RSVP to save your spot!
Beginner classes with Coach Cassie are on Tues & Thurs nights at 8p and Sat mornings at 9a.
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Everywhere I turn, people are talking about this Sunday. We’ve been waiting MONTHS for this. No, I’m not talking about the Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh Bowl in NOLA. An even bigger sports duo: Newly minted CF Coach John Dyer & double-under ninja Don Matz will tag-team coach the first Sunday WOD in CrossFit Midtown history. Join Coach Dyer for Open Gym from 12n-2p. THEN you can go watch the big game and enjoy the party grub without guilt.
Yoga on Weds @ noon! Join Beth in the front room on Wednesdays at noon for yoga, starting NEXT WEEK Feb 6th. Thursday night yoga at 8:15 with Monica will also continue. Yoga is free with your CFM membership, so all students are welcome to attend… it doesn’t count as one of your weekly visits.

Upcoming Events

Ayurveda workshop with Anna Russ: This Sat, Feb 2nd, 12n-2p. $20 for CFM members & $30 for guests. Read more & register here.
Quarterly Progress Checks: Don’t miss the week of Feb 4-8th at CFM! We’ll be retesting the Baseline, maxing on several lifts, as well as doing a few other benchmark workouts. AND OH YEAH: Goal setting! We’ll reflect on the past quarter and set some new goals to crush over the next three months.
Mardi Gras WOD: Fat Tuesday. February 12th. 8pm. This WOD is open to the public so bring a friend if you wish. It won’t count as one of your weekly visits. The Beginner’s class will be cancelled on Fat Tuesday, but everyone is welcome to join the party (all levels!) and LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER! Beads & jello cocktails may or may not be provided.
Bring a Friend Days are coming back at the end of February. Bring a buddy along to class on Thursday, Feb 28, Friday, March 1 & Saturday, March 2 for a partner or team workout suitable for all fitness levels.

Post-surgery Walter? Thanks to Jon DLP for tracking down this image of what doctors were going for when they repaired Coach Walter’s torn tricep yesterday. Walter, we wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing that jerk PR once you’re healthy again!