News & Notes 📰
Reflections from the CrossFit Affiliate Summit in Jacksonville, FL
This past weekend, Greg, TJ, and I had the incredible opportunity to attend the CrossFit Affiliate Summit (all coaches were invited but due to scheduling conflicts not all could attend). The experience was not only enlightening but also deeply motivating for all of us. Below, I’m sharing reflections from Greg and TJ, followed by my own insights from the summit.
Their perspectives and takeaways highlight the importance of our roles as coaches and leaders in the CrossFit Lake Wylie community. We hope these reflections give you a glimpse into our continuous efforts to provide the best experience and support for our members.
TJ’s Reflection
My weekend in Jacksonville, FL at the CrossFit Affiliate Summit was incredibly enriching. So many highlights from the trip! Beginning the weekend with a lunch and learn on Friday with Healthy Steps Nutrition and Best Hour of their Day, followed by a 3-mile Ruck w/ GoRuck HQ on the beach. It was so neat to see the “behind the scenes” of GoRuck – the literal stitching taking place. I feel incredibly fortunate to have gained valuable insights and learning experiences from CrossFit OG’s like Austin Malleolo and Denise Thomas to networking with a diverse spectrum of individuals. My peers included seasoned coaches and affiliate owners of over 13 years to newcomers with just 6-weeks under their belt – it was very inspiring. Their expertise emphasized the importance of an ideal class experience, clear expectations/visions, effective coaching, holding individuals to the standard, and fostering health and longevity. This summit motivated me to set higher expectations/standards for myself, elevate my coaching approach, and aim to better support and empower my community on their pursuit to better health and during their fitness journeys.
My key points:
- The standard is the standard.
- Coaches coach!
- Effective coaches get people results.
- Results lead people to the good life — joy, happiness, health, longevity.
- Health isn’t found in a doctor’s office. Health is created in the gym.
I am deeply grateful to have a mentor that pours into my growth and development and to have fellow coaches that encourage me to become the best me. This weekend left me with a sense of renewed vigor and purpose and a clear path. Thankful. ✨🫶🏼
Greg’s Reflection
We received an invite from Alie to attend the CrossFit Affiliate Summit in Jacksonville, FL with her. Being new to CrossFit coaching, I want to soak up as much knowledge as possible so I accepted the opportunity. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew two things. 1). CrossFit has a high-caliber curriculum level for the Level 1 class and instructors are top-notch. 2). The CrossFit community is very welcoming and fun.
On the first day, we attended a luncheon and headed to the GoRuck Headquarters to network with other affiliate owners, managers, and some coaches, and go on a 3-mile ruck. Between these two events, it was evident that Alie is a Rock Star in the community and everyone either knows her or wants to know her 🙂
We packed Bold City Crossfit Gym and heard from our regional representative, PushPress, HSN, Best Hour of Their Day, and several people from CrossFit HQ. It was great to get this level of knowledge and have greater empathy for everything that Alie does on a day-to-day basis for our members and coaches at CrossFit Lake Wylie.
My two takeaways are:
- Listening to Denise Thomas, a CrossFit Level 4 staff member discuss how to master the application of CrossFit’s methodology via a dedicated commitment to coaches. Denise then brought eight people up to simulate what Level 4 coaching looks like for the Overhead Squat to show what the experience members should have. I was in awe of the level of usage of names, and visual, auditory, and tactile queues used to get CrossFit gym owners and managers to move more correctly. She did it effortlessly, and everyone had fun in the process.
- Over and over, we heard we need to focus on the product we deliver to members through coaching. I want to be a better CrossFit coach and mature because I like to be great at what I do, but I became a coach to help our members move and feel better to reach their goals. We need to continue our development as coaches to become better at delivering the CrossFit standard coaching experience like Denise. If we do this, we will be able to help more members, members will be more effective at reaching their goals, we will see more members carry on their CrossFit journeys longer, and everyone will have a lot of fun!
I shared where I am in my journey with others and asked questions of others who have experience with coach progress and development. I have gratitude for Alie inviting me so new in my journey to fuel my fire, and Alie already has a system in place to continue to up-level our skills as coaches. I plan to complete the Spot the Flaw CrossFit course to become better at spotting and correcting the standard movements, and I will also start Best Hour of Their Day training weekly.
Alie’s Reflection
I had the privilege of attending the CrossFit Affiliate Summit this past weekend with two of our coaches, Greg and TJ. It was an incredible experience filled with valuable insights and key takeaways that will help us better serve our community.
One of the main lessons I took away is that my foremost responsibility is to empower and support our coaching team, enabling them to take exceptional care of our members. Effective coaching leads to real results, and when impactful changes occur, it’s often because someone has challenged us to exceed our standards. This mentality is at the core of how we operate our business and how we coach our members.
The summit reinforced the importance of delivering a memorable experience, not just a class. As coaches, one of our primary roles is to create an environment where our members can thrive. This aligns perfectly with CrossFit Lake Wylie’s commitment to virtuosity – doing the common uncommonly well. This is something that CrossFit has always expected of Affiliates and we are actively working on it.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead this community and for the responsibility that God has placed in my hands. I do not take it for granted. My goal is to see our members succeed, our coaches flourish, and the Lake Wylie community find a real solution for improving their health.
Events like the Affiliate Summit help refill our cups and reignite our passion. I appreciate CrossFit for their dedication to these events, understanding the challenges we face as Affiliate owners. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of keeping our focus on the main thing.
We have an amazing team that is always improving, and I am extremely grateful and proud of them. I am committed to this community and will continue to prioritize initiatives that help our members achieve their goals.
Thank you all for being part of this journey with us.
— Alie
Grateful for Coach Micah’s Support
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Coach Micah for stepping up and covering classes this past Friday and Saturday. His coaching received amazing feedback from our community, and we are extremely grateful for his help.
Micah’s expertise and dedication ensured that everyone had a fantastic experience, keeping our regular schedule running smoothly. We are truly fortunate to have such wonderful support within our CrossFit family.
Thank you, Micah, for your incredible contribution and for making a positive impact on our community!
June Sit-Ups Challenge
Accumulate 1500 sit-ups in the month of June. You can do any variation or modification of a sit-up and switch the variation/modification as much as you’d like. Sit-ups you do in any workout count towards your total. Refer to the PushPress app for more details.
There are 13 days left and here are the top 5 results so far!
Recent Member Wins 💪🏽🏆
- Shreya D. checked in to 10 classes.
- Jay G. checked in to 10 classes.
- Ashley G. checked in to 100 classes.
- Chris C. checked in to 10 classes.
- Sarah Mu. checked in to 100 classes.
- Jesse B. checked in to 50 classes.
- Sandeep R. checked in to 10 classes.
- Jake strung several knees-to-elbows together.
We’re extremely proud of all these members for accomplishing great things!
*Remember to let a coach know if you hit a PR so we can highlight you each week. We know this is not an all-inclusive list of wins so be sure to share your wins with a coach so we can celebrate you!
Birthdays this Week 🥳
- 6/17 Pam R.
- 6/18 Amy L.
- 6/19 Coach TJ
- 6/19 Haochen G.
- 6/20 Kendall F.
- 6/21 Nicole T.
- 6/22 Matt B.
CrossFit Lake Wylie Anniversaries 🤩
- None this week.
Nutrition & Wellness 🥑🧘🏽♀️🛌
Waking Up at 💤 Night? It Might Not Be What You Think 🤔
4 things you may not have thought of
Ever crawl into bed exhausted, only to wake up multiple times throughout the night?
You’re not alone.
Many factors contribute to nighttime awakenings, but the good news is solutions exist.
Let’s explore some common culprits and strategies to reclaim your restful slumber.
Low Progesterone (Women): Light or fragmented sleep can be linked to hormonal fluctuations. For women, progesterone levels often dip before menstruation. Consult your doctor to check hormone levels, particularly progesterone, around day 5-7 of your cycle.
Chronic Stress or High Blood Sugar: Frequent urination at night is known to be a sign of chronic stress or high blood sugar. You know yourself best. Are you overstressed and not taking the time to process? Our brains are amazing and will process excess stress at night if we don’t do so during the day. This is a sign to say “No” to something that’s overstretching you and “Yes” to quiet time or another form of stress management.
If you tend to eat sugar-laden snacks in the evening (which is very common in our society), it can cause a spike in your blood sugar disrupting your sleep. Try switching to 1 balanced snack in the evening, like low-sugar yogurt with a sprinkle of nuts or a brown rice cake with peanut butter, and assess your sleep quality.
Low Blood Sugar at Night: Waking up hungry or sweaty could indicate low blood sugar. If you’ve been in a caloric deficit, eat several hours before bedtime, or exclude complex carbohydrates from dinner, you may start to wake up less often if you add a balanced snack with protein, carbs, and fat 1-2 hours before bed. This will help stabilize your blood sugar and promote longer sleep.
Liver Detoxification Issues: Waking up between 1 and 3 a.m. and experiencing night sweats might indicate a sluggish liver struggling with detoxification. Alcohol consumption is a major culprit. Try switching to alcohol-free options like Hiyo, Curious Elixirs, tea, or alcohol-free wine may be satisfying options that support your sleep.
If you don’t drink alcohol, do a quick lifestyle inventory. Pesticides, phthalates (commonly in personal care products), and chemicals in plastics are all associated with sleep problems.
By identifying the cause of your nighttime awakenings, you can take powerful steps toward achieving restful sleep. Remember, better sleep equals better overall health.
— Coach TJ
Tell Me About CrossFit 📚👩🏻🏫
CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement executed at high intensity.
Constantly Varied Programming
“Originally published in the CrossFit Journal on April 18, 2010.
CrossFit is about constantly varied training, but that doesn’t mean the training is random. While it’s true that we train for the unknown and the unknowable, programming is more than pulling random workouts out of a hopper—though you can certainly experiment with that model for short periods. In this clip, shot at a Coaches Prep Course in late January 2010, CrossFit Co-Director of Training Dave Castro talks about the art behind constantly varied programming.
One of the main characteristics of constant variation is the use of very different loads, time domains and movements. Sometimes athletes are performing short, heavy workouts like 5 sets of single deadlifts. Other times they’re doing a long, heavy workout such as Linda. Cindy is long and light, while Fran is usually short and relatively light. A 2K row and a max snatch both involve pulling, but one is about endurance and stamina, while the other is about strength and speed. Athletes adapt to such a diverse program because it is broad and ignores no aspect of fitness.
Constant variation is one of the foundations of the CrossFit program, and by allowing that principle to influence your programming, you will be putting your athletes on the path to high levels of general physical preparedness. As always, the magic is in the movements themselves. Add in large doses of intensity, and you might even have some true firebreathers on your hands.
The CrossFit Journal — (http://journal.crossfit.com)”
Programming Summary 🏋🏽♂️
June Focus: Conditioning
Monday: Today’s workout is a challenging EMOM with power cleans, bike and pull-ups, push-ups and air squats.
Intended stimulus:
Unbroken power cleans, Echo bike calories in :15-:50.
Strict pull-ups and push-ups in 2 sets or less.
Scale as needed to complete 1 full round of work in minute 3.
Advanced athletes can consider increasing the clean load and bike volume every other round as the workout progresses.
Tuesday: Today you’ll take on a jerk complex that has you completing 3 push jerks into 1 split jerk. After the WOD we’re spending some time with freestanding handstand practice.
Intended stimulus:
- All sets at 60% or more of 1-rep-max jerk or something that feels moderately light.
- Build to a heavy set of the complex, aiming for the heaviest load in the 5th or 6th set.
- Lift once every 3:00.
- Take the bar from the rack.
Wednesday: This workout is a mix of box jumping and running that will likely create a lot of leg fatigue. After the WOD we’re hitting the abs!
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 7:00-13:00.
- Box jumps in 1:00-2:00.
- Runs in 1:45-2:15.
- Box jump height decreases as volume increases.
- Same Rx’d box jump height for men and women.
Thursday: Today’s workout contains two fast couplets. First, toes-to-bars and double-KB overhead walking lunges followed by calorie row and lateral burpees over the rowing machine.
Intended stimulus:
- Record two separate times.
- Each couplet in 5:00-8:00.
- Toes-to-bars in sets of 3 reps or more.
- Lunges in sets of 6 or more.
- First row in 1:00 or less.
- Burpees in 1:00 or less.
Friday: Today you’ll hit a fun couplet combination of heavy lifting and conditioning work with built-in rest; the faster you move, the more rest you’ll get! First, you’re building to a heavy set of 3 deadlifts. Then, deadlifts and wall-ball shots in the workout.
Intended stimulus:
- Rounds complete in 1:00 or less; 1:00 or more for rest.
- Combination of heavy lifting and conditioning work.
- Unbroken deadlifts, adding load if mechanics are sound.
- Unbroken wall-ball shots to a higher-than-usual target.
Saturday: Fun partner WOD!
No single workout can develop all aspects of fitness and training different time domains helps develop different metabolic pathways. That’s why CrossFit workouts vary daily.
Effectively harnessing elements of variance is key to developing a broad fitness. Keep showing up so you can be the best and fittest version of yourself! 😎
Upcoming Events 📆
Bring a Friend Week – Monday, July 15 – Saturday, July 20
CrossFit is fun, but it’s even better with friends! From July 15th through the 20th, you have the chance to bring a friend—or as many friends as you want—to experience CrossFit with you, completely free all week!
Rest assured, we will ensure that all the workouts this week are accessible and not too technical for beginners, while still offering a challenge for our seasoned members.
Here’s the exciting part: if your friend signs up for a membership, you’ll receive $65 cash, and your friend will get $65 off their first month! 🤩💵💰
Please share this link with your friends to sign up.
- Invite as many friends as you’d like.
- They can attend as many classes as they want.
- They don’t have to attend the same class as you.
Once your friends sign up, we will send them instructions on how to reserve and check in to classes. Let’s make this week exciting and welcoming for everyone!
Register for Beers & Burpees – Saturday, October 12 – 12:20 pm and 1 pm Heats
We’re one of the co-host gyms for the 14th Annual Beers & Burpees Charity Event on Oct 12 in Charlotte/Indian Land. This event supports the local non-profit Changing Lives Together Foundation (www.cltfoundation.org) and last year the event had 1,068 athletes and raised $138,000. It’s a boot camp style partner workout with Standard, Scaled and Competitive workout options and the drinking is optional.
Registration is open and we’re trying to get our members to sign up for the 12:20 & 1:00 pm heat times soon so we can work out together! SUPER Early Bird pricing is in effect now but ends on April 8.
Members are looking for partners so please post in our private FB group to find someone to partner with!
It’s 2-person teams and each person gets a t-shirt/tank top and 6 craft beers per team. Heats are from 9 am to 6 pm with live DJ, games, activities, vendors, food trucks, craft beer garden and a kid’s Brownies & Burpees Heat at 1:40 pm.
To register go to — www.beersandburpees.com/register
Pickle for a Purpose – Saturday, August 24 – 10 am – 4 pm
Do you love to play pickleball or have you been interested in trying it out? Rise Together International is hosting an inaugural ‘Pickle for a Purpose’ Pickleball Tournament in Charlotte on August 24th from 11:00-4:00. Whether you are a seasoned pro or new to the game, there’s a place for you on the courts! They are hosting a skills clinic the morning of the event from 10-10:30 for $10.
Location
Charlotte Tennis & Pickleball
8401 Sharon Lakes Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28210
We are trying to get teams from CrossFit Lake Wylie signed up!! Many people have expressed interest in playing pickleball and this is the perfect opportunity. Even better, they will provide the paddles!!
Tickets for teams of two are $150. Your ticket include access to a beer & wine open bar (including non-alcoholic beverages) and food. There will be a food truck & cash bar available at the event for spectators. Spectator entry is free. In addition to the tournament, they will have a raffle/auction, open-play court, vendor booths & more to enjoy!
All proceeds go to the non-profit organization, Rise Together International. Their mission is to empower families in underdeveloped communities to build a brighter future by providing access to quality education, medical care and entrepreneurship training.
To learn more details about the tournament or sign up for a spot on the courts, click here.
CrossFit Lake Wylie is a proud sponsor of a dedicated Pickleball Court.
Member Perks 🤩
Being a member of CrossFit Lake Wylie has it’s perks and here are all the discounts and benefits you get for being part of our gym family!
- Get 15% off at Thorne. You can get anything from prenatal vitamins and probiotics to creatine, whey protein, health tests and so many other high quality supplements.
- Save 30% on your CrossFit Lake Wylie membership by using your HSA/FSA dollars to pay for your CrossFit Lake Wylie membership.
- Get 10% off a GOWOD Premium subscription. Get in touch with one of our coaches! Our partnership with GOWOD will enable you to receive a subscription link that will save you 10% on your subscription!
- $1 per minute massages with James Jones from Zenergy Massage Therapy ($60/60 mins or $90/90 mins). Just let him know you’re a member of CrossFit Lake Wylie and show him your active membership in PushPress (click Memberships in the PushPress app). Text (803) 526-3550 or book your appointment here.
- Get 10% off at WOD & DONE or use code CFLW at check out for discounts on:
- Hand protection grips
- Finger tape
- Pre-cut thumb protection tape
- Callus shaver
- And more!
- Get $10 off your first bag of Modballs clean energy bites or use code CFLW at check out. They have two flavors, almond coconut and peanut butter, which has been described as a healthy Reese’s Pieces. 😋
- Get one free InBody scan ever quarter. Scans will be done every January, April, July, and October. Please be sure to get your scan done to keep track of muscle mass and body fat percentage to ensure you’re making the right progress. InBody scans need to be done prior to working out and preferably early in the morning. Nutrition clients get a free scan every month.
- Check out our online apparel store and get yourself some new gear. We’ve got men’s and women’s tanks, T-Shirts and sweatshirts in various colors!
- Save $$ and help our community grow. Check out our Referral Program and thank you for your support.
- Check in at least 16 times (12 for Masters) a month and you make it to our Committed Club! If you make it each month your name goes in the monthly drawing for a prize.
