Will April Showers bring May Squat Gains?
Ahhh, there’s something nice about the first few days post-Open. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but I love training the rest of the year where every week isn’t in anticipation of Friday. Plus, A NEW PROGRAMMING CYCLE IS HERE!
So let’s dive into all the things you should know going into April.
Intramural Open Wrap-Up
As you might have guessed, the T-Rx Assassins killed the competition this year! With the money raised through entries, we have some exciting additions to add to our facilities:
- East and West will both have 7 rowers!
- West will be adding 1 men’s barbell
- East will get all new house jump ropes and new foam rollers
- Both locations are adding short (6’) and long (15’) climbing ropes to add diversity to our classes, as well as 1 more set of CrossOver Symmetry Cords
We also have an awesome trophy that we’ll be adding nameplates to!
New Programming Cycle
Many of you are new to Angelo’s programming approach, let me try to break it down as best I can. We believe the off season is a time to build strength and power before prepping and building the aerobic systems for the typical tests we see in-season during the open.
We’re going to begin the cycle with some interval weight training. The goal here is to do submaximal lifts that will get your heart rate high (because of the load), then have an all-out effort on the bike (lactate work), directly into forcing yourself to flop around for 5 reps as fast as you can after being blown up. Sounds lovely right? We then insert a relatively long rest to try and recover so we can complete all the sets as fast/hard as possible. It’s all about INTENSITY here.
As you’ve probably seen in the last week, we built some tests in so we can see how we progress (my favorite part of it all):
- Snatch grip behind the neck press
- Handstand walk/progression
- 100m sprint
- CrossFit Total (Back squat 1RM)
We’ll also be doing some prep for Murph, which will be coming up at the end of May. We will use both interval style formats and continuous movements, depending on the week. It’s important to note that it won’t always look like Murph, but the idea is to prep our systems and muscles to complete high volume gymnastics/running/odd object carry exercise at our peak ability.
You can watch Angelo’s full programming talk here:
W30 Winner (belated because of open)
The Whole30/Nutrition Challenge ended right as the Open was beginning, and we realize things got crazy fast and we never got to announce the winners of the Nutrition Challenge. This year the winner is…
Annika Miller! Congrats Annika, come talk to us about your prize!
Honorable mentions: The Fosters and The Kemps
While the challenge is officially over, nutrition and meal prep sharing don’t have to be! We hope you will continue to share your awesome progress (and meal photos) as well as recipes you’re finding the Pack might find tasty and easy to make for themselves.
We have done multiple challenges in a year, and although they are less formal than the one we do around the New Year, message us if you’re ready to grab a few friends and start your own challenge. You can set your own time frame; we’ve seen challenges that range from a week in length to a full month.
Reminder about signing up for classes and Dual Membership option
While we always work to accommodate everyone who wants to attend a class, at times the workout/programming may not allow for more than 15 athletes due to safety and/or time. In those cases, we will have to ask those who didn’t sign up in advance to wait for the next class. It’s not something we ever want to have to do, but we thank you for understanding if this happens to you at some point. That being said, your best chance of attending the class of your choice is to RESERVE it ahead of time. As a reminder, this can be done through the following sites:
- To reserve class at EAST: http://fringe.members.pushpress.com
- To reserve class at WEST: http://fringewest.members.pushpress.com
We know that while the Open was going on, we let everyone jump around to complete workouts and get to know their teams better. Now that the Open is over, you must attend the gym you have a membership with unless you have added Dual Membership to your account. This includes classes and Open Gym times. If you are interested in Dual Membership, you can read more about it in our blog post and email us to add it to your account.
Upcoming Events
We know everyone is probably a little burnt out on events currently, but just in case you’re planning ahead:
- April 28th: Friday Night Lights at EAST – Save the date as we will be providing more info as we get closer! This will be a workout to benefit our local community so we will be requesting a small donation to participate. Members of both gym locations should plan on attending if able!
- May 26th-28th: Regionals in Nashville – Our very own Brooke Wells again dominated the Open finishing 9th in the World! We are working on ideas and plans to travel together for Regionals in Nashville. Tickets are available online.
- May 29th: Murph at WEST
How to Stay Up-To-Date with the Latest News
I know, social media can be overwhelming, and with two locations, we have quite a bit of it! Allow me a moment to unpack what we’ve got and how I’m executing it for you, lest you think I’m just throwing it out like…
Facebook business pages:
We have two: /crossfitfringe and /crossfitfringewest. I know, it’s crazy. We went back and forth on slimming to one, but then we realized that Facebook’s merge tool literally didn’t bring everything over and I didn’t want to lose all your interactions on Fringe West. So we have both. Important news is shared to both, sometimes photos are shared to either or depending on volume for the day.
Facebook account:
You might see a regular Facebook account floating around. We have that so we can post to the facebook group independent of our own account and to link through for other applications. Nothing critical gets shared there that isn’t elsewhere to find.
Facebook Groups:
We have a central Facebook group for all of our active members and those who have moved away, as well as a Barbell Babes Ladies group. We try not to spam you there, but if stuff is important or time-sensitive, we try to post it ASAP (weather notifications).
Instagram
We have both @crossfitfringe and @crossfitfringewest Instagram accounts. There is no way to merge them, and we didn’t want to lose the history of IWCF. Therefore there are two! We’re getting better about staggering images and scheduling things out, but overall, we’ve seen huge growth in both pages, so it’s going okay I think?
Twitter
I’ve long neglected Twitter, but I’m getting better at scheduling to it. I don’t spend a ton of time there, but I do watch it.
If you have any questions or suggestions for our social media presence, don’t hesitate to ask! I’m always looking for more help (especially at West) building our local and worldwide presence and posting images/videos. Feel free to send them my way! And if you’re posting something, be sure to tag #crossfitfringe!
Coach’s Spotlight: Taylor Park
How did you get into Crossfit? Any sports before background?
Before Crossfit, the name of the game was runnin’ long n’ hard; 7-12 miles/day for roughly 8 years. This culminated in a career-ending Roots n’ Blues half marathon PR, subsequently chugging 6 Michelob Ultras, and limping off with a stress fracture. That sub 6 minute pace was worth itttt, let me tell ya. Crossfit was calling in the form of a bright, shiny, $20 Groupon to Como CrossFit. Being a runner my whole life, I walked in at a body weight of 145# with an impressive 135# back squat- and haphazardly decided that this would be life now. Here I am, 4 years and two gyms later, 30lbs heavier, with a few hundred pounds added to my squat. #Crossfit.
So Taylor, what do you do when you’re not wearing ultra-fashionable clothes and coaching Crossfit?
Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t choose what I wear. Little Mermaid crop tops choose ME! When I’m not at the gym, I can be found sleeping.…JK I do more than just sleep. I’m also a nurse in the intensive care unit at Boone Hospital. Currently working nights, for as long as my girlfriend will let me. Other than that, we just cook a hell of a lot of sweet potatoes.
Since you started Crossfit, what is your favorite workout/movement?
Pullups!!! Body weight gymnastics all dayyy. Also- Nancy, because running.
What fun facts about yourself would you like to divulge?
I studied abroad in Argentina. I’ve broken the same wrist 4 different times. I’ve skydived, bungee jumped, white-water rafted, eaten 3 Chipotle burritos in one sitting, and held my breath for 3 minutes and 40 seconds.
What kind of fashion advice would you share?
Never be afraid to wear what you want, as long as it covers most of your butt it’s cool.
Have an amazing month of love, lifts, and GAINS! As always, if you need anything, you can reach out to us on social media, or email [email protected].