News & Notes 📰
💙 A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Amazing Coaching Team
Yesterday, we had the privilege of treating our incredible coaching team (and their spouses) to a special steak dinner as a small token of our appreciation. This is just one of the many ways we want to show how deeply grateful we are for everything they do.
Our coaches go above and beyond every single day, not just in guiding our members through their workouts, but in building a supportive, empowering community. They are the heart and soul of CrossFit Lake Wylie, always giving their best to help others grow, improve, and achieve their goals.
We wanted to take this opportunity to spend quality time together, away from the gym, and show them just how much they mean to us. They work tirelessly, with passion and dedication, to make our gym feel like home to everyone who walks through the door. I am beyond thankful for each of them and the impact they have on our members’ lives and our community as a whole.
To the entire coaching team—thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to our mission. You are appreciated more than words can express, and I’m grateful to have each of you as part of our team. 🙏
— Alie
🏋️♀️ The CrossFit Lake Wylie Intramural Open is Here! 🏋️
It’s that time of year again—our favorite annual tradition: The CrossFit Lake Wylie Intramural Open! 🎉 We can’t wait to see everyone come together as a community to make this year’s Open the best one yet.
What is the CrossFit Lake Wylie Intramural Open?
The Intramural Open is our way of making the CrossFit Open even more exciting and inclusive. It’s three weeks of challenging workouts, camaraderie, and a chance to push yourself alongside your CFLKW family.
💡 For New Members: Think of it as a gym-wide competition where everyone has a role to play! You’ll be drafted into a team, and together, you’ll earn points through participation, spirit, and performance. It’s not about being the fittest—it’s about showing up, having fun, and celebrating our amazing community. We will be announcing teams in the next week or so, including team coaches and team captains. We will also explain how to earn points each week!
Who is It For?
The Open is for everyone—whether you’re a seasoned athlete or new to CrossFit. While we encourage everyone to register officially through CrossFit HQ, participation in the CrossFit Lake Wylie Intramural Open is automatic, regardless of official registration. No matter your experience level, you’ll be part of a team and contribute to the fun.
📢 Why Register Officially?
Official registration through CrossFit HQ is another way to engage and support the larger CrossFit community. Plus, you’ll earn extra points for your team by registering and officially logging your scores online! It’s a win-win.
Why We Do the Open
The Open isn’t just about workouts—it’s about:
- Community: Coming together to support and cheer each other on.
- Growth: Testing your progress and discovering what you’re truly capable of.
- Fun: Creating unforgettable memories with your gym family.
Save the Dates: Friday Night Lights, Thursday Throwdown & Pizza Party!
- Friday Night Lights (FNL): Each Friday during the Open, we’ll transform the gym into a competition stage! You’ll tackle the week’s Open workout surrounded by cheering teammates, coaches, and friends.
- Injury Screens: Dr. Scott Jablonka from Carolina Movement Doc will be back during FNL Week 1 of the Open (Feb 28) to offer free Injury Screens for members!
- Get ready for an unforgettable night during Week 2 of the Open! On Thursday, March 6 @ 6:30 pm, we’ll host our annual Thursday Throwdown, where certain athletes go head-to-head in front of an electric crowd. It’s always a highlight of the Open season here at CFLKW because Bruce, our amazing photographer will be on-site to capture all the action with his amazing photography skills. 📸
- Final FNL Celebration: After the last FNL, we’ll cap things off with a pizza party to celebrate everyone’s hard work, dedication, and the incredible moments we’ve shared during the Open. 🍕🎉
🔥 Are You Ready?
Sign up now, mark your calendars, and get excited to be part of something special. Whether you’re hitting your first Open workout or aiming for a PR, this is your chance to shine!
Registration is open now—let’s make 2025 the best CFLKW Intramural Open yet! 🎯
⏳ Time is Running Out to Get Your InBody Scans! ⏳
There are only two weeks left in January to take advantage of the InBody Scanner! If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to schedule your scan and check in on your progress.
🚨 Reminder: Once January ends, we’ll be packing up the machine, and it won’t be available again until April. Don’t miss this opportunity to get valuable insights into your body composition, track your hard work, and set goals for the months ahead.
✨ Whether you’re measuring your progress for the first time or seeing how far you’ve come, the InBody Scan is an incredible tool to help you stay motivated and focused.
👉 Book your scan today—time is ticking! ⏱️ Let’s finish January strong! 💪
🎯 Need Guidance? If this is your first scan, or if you’d like help setting goals, schedule a goal-setting session with a coach!
💥 Saturday Workouts with a Personal Touch: Updates! 💥
Our ambassador-inspired Saturday WOD tradition continues to bring incredible energy to the gym, and here’s a recap of yesterday’s fun along with what’s coming next!
📅 January 18: Ben’s WOD Recap
Yesterday, we took on Ben’s WOD, “Golden Grit”, and it was nothing short of amazing! With an incredible turnout of 26 athletes, the energy in the gym was electric. The crowd was so big that we turned the workout into teams of three—and let’s be honest, we were all grateful for that! 😅 We even had a special guest, Ben’s brother Del, who joined us for his very first CrossFit workout. What a day to remember!
📅 January 25: A Tribute to Blue
This upcoming Saturday, we’re switching gears for a very special WOD in memory of Blue, Nikki’s beloved dog. Nikki unexpectedly lost Blue last month, and this workout is a heartfelt tribute to her loyal companion.
The workout is named:
“A Tribute to Blue Berry Steponkus…the Goodest Girl!”
Join us as we come together to support Nikki, celebrate Blue’s memory, and honor the bond between pets and their people. Let’s show up for Nikki and make this another memorable day at CFLKW. 💙
💪 Why These Saturdays Matter
These ambassador-inspired workouts are more than just exercise—they’re a way to celebrate the unique stories and connections that make our community so special. Each WOD reflects the heart and spirit of the people we’re here to support.
See you Saturday! Let’s keep the momentum going, team! 💥
💧 New Product Alert: LMNT Drink Mix! 💧
We’re excited to announce that LMNT Drink Mix is now available at the gym! 🥳
Just add a packet to your water bottle for a refreshing and flavorful hydration boost. LMNT is packed with electrolytes—sodium, potassium, and magnesium—to help:
✅ Support performance and recovery
✅ Combat dehydration
✅ Prevent muscle cramps
✅ Keep your energy up during and after workouts
Stay hydrated, feel your best, and crush those WODs! 💪 Grab a packet and give it a try!
Recent Member Wins 💪🏽🏆
- Dani C. checked in to 100 classes!
- Clover C. checked in to 50 classes!
- Sarah Mc. checked in to 100 classes!
- Emily T. checked in to 50 classes!
- Ale H. checked in to 100 classes!
- Gabriella A. checked in to 25 classes!
- Tara B. checked in to 10 classes!
- Kenyate B. checked in to 100 classes!
- Sarah Mu. did 27 unbroken double unders! Last week 21, this week 27!! What will it be next week? 😜
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 🥳
- 1/20 Cliff T.
- 1/25 Aaliyah V.
CrossFit Lake Wylie Anniversaries 🤩
- 1/20 Ceci G. – 3 years
Nutrition & Wellness 🥑🧘🏽♀️🛌
The Recent Ban on Red Dye #3: What It Means
The recent decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban Red Dye #3, also known as erythrosine, has sparked significant discussion and concern among consumers. This synthetic food coloring, used for decades to give products a bright red hue, has been linked to cancer in animal studies, leading to its prohibition in cosmetics over 30 years ago. Now, the FDA has extended the ban to food and ingested drugs, citing the same health risks.
Food dyes, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, have been linked to several health concerns. Studies suggest these dyes may contribute to hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions, and potential cancer risks. While the FDA regulates these dyes, ongoing research continues to evaluate their long-term safety
The Ban and Its Implications
The ban will take effect gradually, with food manufacturers given until January 15, 2027, to reformulate their products, and drug manufacturers until January 18, 2028. This timeline allows companies to transition to safer alternatives, such as beet extract or other natural substitutes.
Products Affected
Red Dye #3 is commonly found in a variety of consumer products, including candies, snack cakes, maraschino cherries, strawberry-flavored beverages, and some medications. Popular items like Airheads, candy corn, and certain gummy vitamins will need to be reformulated to comply with the new regulations.
Looking Ahead
The ban on Red Dye #3 is part of a broader trend towards reducing the use of synthetic additives in food and drugs. As consumers become more health-conscious, the demand for natural and safer ingredients is likely to grow. This shift may encourage further research and development of natural colorants and other safer alternatives.
The reason dyes are used in foods is to make food look more attractive. There is absolutely no nutritional benefit of food dyes.
The biggest sources of food dyes are unhealthy processed foods that have other negative effects on health.
Removing processed foods from your diet and focusing on healthy whole foods will improve your overall health and drastically decrease your intake of artificial food dyes in the process.
Healthy Whole Foods Are Naturally Free of Dyes
The best way to remove artificial food dyes from your diet is to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods.
Unlike processed foods, most whole foods are highly nutritious.
Here are a few foods that are naturally dye-free:
- Dairy and eggs: Milk, plain yogurt, cheese, eggs, cottage cheese.
- Meat and poultry: Fresh, unmarinated chicken, beef, pork and fish.
- Nuts and seeds: Unflavored almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables: All fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Grains: Oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley.
- Legumes: Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, navy beans, lentils.
If you want to avoid all dyes in your diet, always read the label before you eat a food. Some seemingly healthy foods contain artificial food dyes.
— Coach TJ
Tell Me About CrossFit 📚👩🏻🏫
CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement executed at high intensity.
Get Ready for the Intramural Open: Let the Battle Begin!
The countdown to the CrossFit Open is on, and we’re turning up the excitement with the CFLKW Intramural Open—our own in-house competition that will make these three weeks even more memorable!
Here’s how it works: We’re splitting everyone into five teams, and each team will battle it out for the title of Intramural Champion. Points will be earned for participation, performance, and more. This isn’t just about crushing workouts; it’s about coming together, pushing your limits, and celebrating every victory as a community.
We’re currently working on creating the teams and selecting team captains, and we’ll be announcing the final lineups in the next week or two. Whether you’re RXing, scaling, or anywhere in between, everyone contributes to the team’s success. No matter your fitness level, you’re a valuable part of this experience.
Get ready to throw down, have fun, and show the world what CrossFit Lake Wylie is made of. Let’s make this year’s Intramural Open unforgettable!
🏆 Which team will take home the glory? Let’s find out together! 🏆
Programming Summary 🏋🏽♂️
Monday: Today’s workout is a sprint effort with higher-skill movement function interference because we’re doing handstand walks, shoulder presses, and a run.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 10:00 or less.
- Handstand walk in 3:00 or less.
- Shoulder presses in 2:00 or less.
- Run in 5:00 or less.
Tuesday: Whereas yesterday was all about the shoulders, today is all about your core! We’re doing plank holds, rowing, V-ups, pull-ups, and knees-to-elbows! Then after the workout we’re doing GHD hip extensions or good mornings.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 11:00-16:00.
- Plank holds in 3 sets or less.
- Row efforts in 2:00 or less.
- V-ups, pull-ups, and knees-to-elbows in 6:00 or less (combined).
Wednesday: Today’s workout is a heavy day building to a 1 rep max snatch. Keep in mind that heavy is relative to each athlete. This effort is one of three benchmarks in January. Keep track of your score as we will repeat this benchmark later in the year.
Intended stimulus:
- First of 3 January CAP tests.
- Aim to complete at least 6 heavy lifts and no more than 10.
- Increase loading across each lift as you are able.
- Compare to 12/16/24.
Thursday: This repeat workout from June 19, 2024 is a mix of jumping and running that will likely lead to leg and hip flexor fatigue. After the workout we’re doing some hollow holds!
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.
- Retest from 06/19/24. Scores are in PushPress so be sure to go back and see what you got!
Friday: Expect today’s workout to feel like an Open-style test that is moderate-to-long in duration, high in volume, and fast-paced. We’ve got wall walk, single-arm DB overhead walking lunges, and burpee pull-ups!
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 16:00-22:00.
- Maintain at least 2 minutes per round for most rounds.
- Unbroken lunges.
- 22:00 time cap.
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 📆
CrossFit Open 2025!!
Below are the key dates to keep in mind in regard to the 2025 CrossFit Open. We will provide more information soon on what this is, how we do it at CrossFit Lake Wylie and everything else you need to know!!
- Jan. 15 – Open Registration Begins
- Feb. 27 – 25.1 Workout Announcement
- March 6 – 25.2 Workout Announcement
- March 13 – 25.3 Workout Announcement
Injury Screens with Dr. Scott Jablonka – Friday, February 28 from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
We’re excited to announce that Dr. Scott Jablonka from Carolina Movement Doc will be back at CrossFit Lake Wylie to offer Injury Screens during the first week of the Open 25.1! 🏋️♀️
Whether you’re feeling a little tight, dealing with an old injury, or just want to make sure you’re performing at your best during the Open, Dr. Jablonka’s injury screens are a great way to address any concerns and ensure you’re moving safely.
When: First week of Open 25.1 during Friday Night Lights
Where: CrossFit Lake Wylie
Cost: Free for members!
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get a professional evaluation and ensure you’re feeling your best as we kick off the Open!
Let’s make this Open the best one yet! 💪
Thursday Throwdown – Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 pm
Our annual Open Throwdown is going down at 6:30 pm (no 6:30 pm class). We will have six athletes going head-to-head to take on 25.2!
Bruce Williams will be here to capture the excitement. We want to have as many spectators as possible there to cheer on the 6 athletes that will be doing 25.2. This is a super fun event and we encourage you to block your calendar and come support these athletes. See you there!
Bring a Friend Week – Monday, March 24 – Saturday, March 29
CrossFit is fun but it’s more fun with friends. This is a whole week where you get to bring a friend or as many friends as you’d like so they get to experience CrossFit with you. They can come for free all week!
Don’t worry, we will make sure all the workouts this week are doable and not so technical for beginners (while still giving those of you with experience a challenge).
And for the exciting part…if your friend signs up for a membership you get $65 cash and your friend gets $65 off their first month! 🤩💵💰 If you want to give your friend $100 off instead, please reach out to Alie for a special $100 bill that you can give your friend!!
Please send your friends this link to sign up.
- You can invite as many friends as you’d like.
- They can come as much as they’d like.
- They don’t have to come to the same class as you.
- Once your friends sign up we will send them instructions on how to reserve and check in to classes.
🥾 MammothMarch 20-Mile Hike! 🥾 – Saturday, May 10 @ 7:45 am
Let’s kick off 2025 with an adventure! Coach Greg, Jesse B., and Ben D. are taking on the MammothMarch 20-Mile Hike at Kings Mountain State Park – and they want YOU to join them!
This epic hike is a chance to push yourself, enjoy the great outdoors, and bond with your fellow CFLKW members. Don’t worry if you’re new to hiking – all levels are welcome and encouraged!
🌟 Details:
📅 Event Date: Saturday, May 10 @ 7:45 am
📍 Location: Kings Mountain State Park, 1020 Apple Rd, Blacksburg, SC 29702
🎟️ Tickets & Info: Get your ticket here
Greg, Jesse, and Ben will also host shorter rucks and hikes leading up to the event, so you can train and prepare together.
👉 Interested? Let Coach Greg know, and check out the event page on FB for more details. Let’s tackle this challenge as a team and start the year with an unforgettable adventure!
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 at Inov8 – use code CFLAKEWYLIE at check out. They offer everything from barefoot training shoes and lifters to running shoes and more, including the F-Fly shoe, perfect for CrossFit with its lightweight feel and wide toe box.
- 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 your first bag of Modballs clean energy bites – 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. 😋
- 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.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17
