News & Notes 📰
Upcoming schedule changes:
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Thursday 4/3: There will be NO 8 am Open Gym due to our monthly coaches meeting.
Thank You for an Incredible CrossFit Open!
We’ve reached the end of the CrossFit Open and Friday Night Lights, and we just have to say—this was the most successful Open in CrossFit Lake Wylie history!
The energy, participation, and excitement from our community made these past three weeks unforgettable. Running an Intramural Open takes a ton of planning and effort—from organizing teams, coordinating heats, setting up the gym space, prepping scorecards, and ensuring everyone has a judge, to making it an event that is truly fun. We put so much thought into every detail, and this year, it all came together better than ever.
To our incredible members and coaches—thank you. You showed up, brought the energy, and made each Friday Night Lights feel electric. You made it easy, enjoyable, and an event to remember.
A few extra special shoutouts:
🔥 Greg, for making the last heat absolutely legendary with costumes, a fog machine, and an unforgettable entrance.
💃 Sasha, for dressing up and dancing all night, keeping the energy high and making everyone laugh.
💙 Micah, for delivering a heartfelt farewell to Laurin as we celebrated her last week with us.
We also had an amazing turnout for our FNL pizza party and Laurin’s farewell—a perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable Open season.
What we do at CrossFit Lake Wylie during the Open is special. Not every gym runs it like we do, and we do it because of you. This event is about more than just workouts—it’s about community, pushing ourselves, and coming together in a way that makes CFLKW truly unique.
Thank you for making this year’s Open the best one yet. We can’t wait for next year! 💙💪🏽
— Alie
CrossFit Lake Wylie Intramural Open Team Standings
Greg’s team is still holding onto the lead, but TJ’s team made a huge comeback—jumping from last place to 3rd! The competition is heating up, and there’s still time to shake things up.
Make sure you’re logging your points so your team gets the credit it deserves. Every point counts!
Next week, we’ll announce the winning team. And what’s up for grabs? Bragging rights and a free O2 for every member of the winning team! Let’s finish strong! 💪🔥
📢 How to Log Your Points:
- Go to Push Press > Workouts
- Select Monday, the 17th
- Change the drop-down at the top to your team
- Log your points!
🚨 IMPORTANT: This is NOT where you enter your 25.3 workout score! DO NOT put your number of reps here. Push Press explains exactly what points we’re looking for, so check the details before submitting.
Bring a Friend Week is in TWO WEEKS! – 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.
Jump Rope Upgrades!
We’ve replaced many of the jump rope cables this week to keep them in top shape for your workouts! Fresh cables mean smoother spins and better performance, so enjoy those double-unders.
Friendly reminder: Please only use the gym’s jump ropes indoors. Using them outside wears down the cables quickly, and we want them to last as long as possible.
Thanks for taking care of our equipment—we appreciate you!
Recent Member Wins 💪🏽🏆
- Bree B. checked in to 100 classes!
- Rony M. checked in to 50 classes!
- Rebecca F. checked in to 100 classes!
- Patsy S. got her first strict pull-up!
- Nick H. hit a 125 lbs x 3 push press PR!
- Jesse B. hit a 165 lbs x 3 push press PR!
- Jagan S. did 14 unbroken double-unders!
- Vince C. did 23 unbroken double-unders!
- Chris C. efficiently connected toes-to-bar and kipping pull-ups (results of a personal training session with Laurin)!
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 🥳
- 3/19 Demi O.
- 3/20 Christine B.
CrossFit Lake Wylie Anniversaries 🤩
- 3/19 Leven H. – 7 years
Nutrition & Wellness 🥑🧘🏽♀️🛌
Unlocking Metabolic Health with the Pareto Principle
In the world of fitness and nutrition, finding effective strategies to achieve optimal health can be overwhelming. However, one principle that has stood the test of time is the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule. This principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. When applied to metabolic health, the Pareto Principle can be a game-changer, helping individuals focus on the most impactful habits for long-term success.
Understanding Metabolic Health
Metabolic health refers to the efficiency of our body’s processes, including the ability to maintain optimal blood sugar levels, regulate insulin, and manage energy expenditure. A well-functioning metabolism is crucial for overall health, weight management, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Applying the Pareto Principle
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Prioritize Whole Foods: Focus on the 20% of foods that provide 80% of your nutritional needs. Whole foods, such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, are nutrient-dense and support metabolic health. By prioritizing these foods, you can improve your nutrient intake and overall health.
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Mindful Eating: Practice mindful eating to enhance digestion and nutrient absorption. Slow down, savor your meals, and listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. This small change can significantly impact your metabolism and prevent overeating.
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Regular Exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity, focusing on exercises that yield the most benefits. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are excellent choices, as they boost metabolism, increase muscle mass, and improve insulin sensitivity.
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Quality Sleep: Prioritize sleep as a key component of metabolic health. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to support hormone regulation, muscle recovery, and overall well-being. Even small improvements in sleep can have a significant impact on your metabolic health.
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Stress Management: Chronic stress can negatively affect metabolic health by increasing cortisol levels and promoting weight gain. Implement stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and regular exercise to keep stress in check and support a healthy metabolism.
The Bottom Line
By applying the Pareto Principle to your nutritional and fitness habits, you can achieve significant improvements in your metabolic health with minimal effort. Focus on the key habits that provide the most benefits, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, more vibrant life.
— Coach TJ
Tell Me About CrossFit 📚👩🏻🏫
CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement executed at high intensity.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic: Why CrossFit Focuses on Intensity
Your body has two main energy systems: aerobic and anaerobic.
- Aerobic means “with oxygen” and fuels long, steady efforts—like jogging or biking for an extended period.
- Anaerobic means “without oxygen” and powers short bursts of intense effort—like sprints or heavy lifts.
CrossFit focuses on the anaerobic system because high-intensity training improves strength, power, and speed while still benefiting endurance. Anaerobic workouts also create an afterburn effect, meaning you continue burning calories even after the workout ends.
If you always pace workouts at a comfortable level, you’re staying in the aerobic zone and missing out on the explosive power gains that CrossFit is known for. The key is intensity—pushing hard in shorter time domains to develop both anaerobic and aerobic capacity over time.
Programming Summary 🏋🏽♂️
Monday: We’re kicking off the week with a 9-minute interval workout of jump roping, pressing, and squatting. After the workout we’re doing 5 sets of 3 thrusters.
Intended stimulus:
- 5-100 double-unders.
- 20-40 push presses.
- 20-60 squats.
- No rest between movements; expect :05-:10 for transitions.
- Light movements at fast paces to allow for some intensity while recovering from the Open workout.
Tuesday: Today’s workout looks similar to a classic CrossFit Hero workout, DT. However, in this effort, we remove the push jerks and add a row to the deadlifts and hang power cleans.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 8:00-15:00; most athletes in 10:00-13:00.
- Row efforts in :50-1:20.
- Deadlifts in :15-:30 and 1-2 sets.
- Hang power cleans in :20-1:00 and 1-2 sets.
- High movement redundancy and the likelihood of local muscular fatigue in the glutes, back, and grip.
Wednesday: Today’s workout is an EMOM that blends skill work (rope climbs) and preparation for a benchmark max-effort 1-minute bike test at the end of class.
Intended stimulus:
- Rope climb and EMOM to blend skill work and preparation for the bike test.
- Perform a rope climb variation that builds skill but doesn’t create undue fatigue before the workout.
- Increase pace on the bike, row, or ski to finish at a fast pace on the final set.
- Finish class with a max-effort sprint for 1:00 on the bike.
Thursday: Today’s workout is a heavy day (12 sets of 3 back squats) with an emphasis on speed during the ascent.
Intended stimulus:
- Heavy day with an emphasis on speed during the ascent.
- Practice squatting down with control and standing up at a faster pace.
- Start at a light-to-moderate load and increase only if technique is sound and speed is maintained.
- Lift once every 1:30.
- Emphasize maximizing speed on the ascent for each rep vs. completing all 3 reps as quickly as possible.
- Last heavy 3-rep back squat 11/01/24. Results are in Push Press so be sure to go see what you did last time!
Friday: Today’s workout is a two-part effort that begins with a longer run and finishes with a gymnastics couplet of push-ups and toes-to-bar.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 15:00-23:00; most athletes in 17:00-20:00.
- Run in 9:00-14:00.
- Push-ups in :20-1:00 and 1-4 sets.
- Toes-to-bars in :30-1:00 and 1-3 sets.
Saturday: Something fun, partner option optional!
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, 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.
🏋️ Save the Date: Ryze Above Fitness Fundraiser – Date TBD! 🏋️
Mark your calendars! Sometime in April or May, we’re hosting our first-ever fundraising event at CFLKW to support Ryze Above Fitness—a great cause helping make fitness accessible to more people.
This will be a fun and friendly competition with divisions for everyone:
✅ RX – Bring your A-game
✅ Scaled – A challenging but approachable option
✅ Fun For All – No pressure, just a good time!
Whether you’re here to compete, cheer, or just be part of something bigger, we want everyone involved. Stay tuned for more details, but for now—save the date and get ready to throw down for a good cause! 💪🔥
🥾 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
