CrossFit Athens

Hardwork = Big Results

"What's so special about CrossFit?"

I get asked this many times. In truth, there really isn't anything that special. We've taken movements and philosophies about exercise that have been around for a hundred years and brought them back to the mainstream.

The big difference between a CrossFitter and a typical gym member, is that CrossFitters work hard to achieve their goals. They don't quit when it gets tough.

They know that constantly doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.

Meet Erica:

Meet Erica Lowe from Adam Head on Vimeo.

Erica started training with us 3 months ago. At that time, she couldn't do pullups without 4 assistance bands. Hard work and commitment led to what you see above.

So, ask yourself this. Are you going to do the same thing again this coming new year with the expectation of achieving results you have yet to achieve?

Or, do you want to try something different?

Come experience Athens' only 100% results guaranteed fitness program. Call now to schedule your intro session. 706-548-4874

Do You STILL Have Leftovers?

Okay, I know Thanksgiving was almost a week ago, but if your family is like mine, there is still some turkey or ham sitting in the fridge. Below is a delicious recipe from BTB CrossFit in Atlanta that utilizes a few unique ingredients you've probably never tried, or have forgotten about. Feel free to try it with ham also!

Turkey and Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (8 blocks if you're zoning) (continue here)
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Okay, after nearly everyone said they liked the Google Spreadsheet for signing up instead of ZenPlanner, we've gone back to it. No fuss, no muss, more importantly, no "moonlightshadow86" password to remember. BUT YOU MUST SIGN UP!
**UPDATE** I believe you now must have a google account to save the spreadsheet. Sign up, it's easy and free.
1. Pick the correct week.
2. Click edit this page in the bottom right corner.
3. Insert your name in the desired slot. If the class is full, its full.
4. Go to File>Save and Close at the left of the toolbar (this is different than the past!)

****Change of Hours****

There will be no 7:00,

or 7:30 pm WODs tonight.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving hours:
Wednesday - normal hours
Thursday - Closed
Friday - 10am - 2pm

Remember that you control your weight this holiday season. You do want that beach body right?

10 Tips for Keeping off the Turkey Ten this Holiday Season

Time once again folks for our Holiday Eating Survival Guide to keep you from gaining weight this Holiday season.

Did you know that the average American gains 10-14 pounds in the last 5 weeks of the year!!!! After a few Christmas and New Years parties like that, you too can join the NAAFA.

Today's tip is about time management. It keeps you on task at work, allows you to get more done in less time, and will help keep you from adding that 'turkey ten'.

How many times have you swung by a restaurant to pick something up for dinner because you simply did not have time to cook?

Or, especially with Christmas coming, decided to grab a bite at the mall food court because you were out shopping?

Between deadlines and soccer practice, (shout out to Rob and Jean!) most people simply don't have time.

Well, you can make time. Here's how:

1. Do all of your grocery shopping for the week on one day. Sunday usually works well for most people, but whatever fits your schedule.
2. As soon as you get home, wash your veggies, dry and put away.
3. Do all of your chopping, dicing, shredding, etc, also. Which leads us to. . .
4. PLAN YOUR MEALS OUT IN ADVANCE. (This one is really important, if you couldn't tell.)
5. Do as much cooking as possible on one day. Going to be having 2 chicken dishes this week? Cook them both at once. Ex: Grilled chicken with broccoli and a side salad on Monday, followed by chicken burritos on Wednesday. What's that old saying? Two birds with one grill?
6. Cook enough for lunch tomorrow. Saves time and money. 
7. Don't mind repeating meals throughout the week? Pick two or three and make enough for multiple meals.
8. Plan your shopping so that you have time to make it home for meals instead of grabbing on the run. I mean, how many times can you really eat the Bourbon Street chicken served at China Wok?
9. Pack your lunch the night before. It's much easier to grab your lunch box on the way out the door. Just remember to actually take it with you.
10. Plan out your meals for the entire week. Wait, did I already mention this one? Hmmmm. . . It must really be important then.

What are your strategies for holiday time management?

P.S. - Looking for a way to get a fast and effective workout? Stop in and see what you've been missing.

Holiday Eating Survival Guide #1

Many of you have heard me talk about the 80/20 rule before. For those that haven't, it states that 80% of our rewards come from 20% of our actions. For example, in business, 80% of sales are derived from 20% of the customer base. Conversely, 80% of your headaches come from 20% of your customers.

An even more CrossFit-esque example: 80% of our gains in strength, flexibility, stamina, cardio endurance, speed, power, accuracy, agility, coordination and balance come from about 20% of the exercises we utilize. Ever wonder why squats, deadlifts, push ups, and pull ups (or some variation of these, ie. wall ball) show up so often? Now you know.

Taking this principle of 80/20, we can infer that 80% of our gains in the nutritional realm of health come from about 20% of our habbits. Getting rid of sugar and junk food, drinking more water, and eatting more fruits and vegetables is powerful medicine. It will increase the average persons health more so than deciding to take fish oil supplements (or any supplements), worrying about macro-nutrient timing, or getting your Zone block portions correct.

So how can we put this info to use over the holidays? I'm glad you asked.

1. When you're at the office Christmas party this year, hold back on the sugar laiden snacks. Go for a handful of peanuts instead, or even better hit up the meat and cheese tray along with a handful off of the veggie platter. (Yes you can have the Ranch too. Just remember you should still be able to taste your veggies. You're not adding crunch to the Ranch!)
2. As much as possible, drink water. Even if it's as simple as throwing it in every other drink. (Plus an eggnog hangover is just not worth it).
3. When socializing, do so away from the food. We are all mindless eaters. Ever notice how you go through 3 baskets of chips at the Mexican resteraunt? Out of site, out of mind. It works, I promise!

There you have it. Three simple steps to avoiding the "Turkey Ten". Remember, 80% of results come from 20% of the effort. Make the simple things work for you!

Stay tuned for more from the Holiday Eatting Survival Guide!

Are We Crazy?

(For the very first Kitchen Tips from the Training Room, here's a great article by Robb Wolf from CrossFit NorCal. He's also a nutrition genius)

NorCal Nutrition: Are We Crazy?

You might have noticed that the nutrition approach we recommend at CrossFit NorCal is a bit...oh, shall I say, contrarian? Where the USDA, AMA and the rest of the Government sponsored entities recommend grains and legumes as the base of the diet, we recommend lean meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

That’s crazy, right? aren’t we going to die from heart disease and cancer if we eat meat? How will we ever get fiber if we don’t eat grains!? I mean, fruit and veggies...what have they got to offer?! I’m being fecetious here, I hope you get that. I do understand our recommendations fly in the face of what we are told to eat from nearly every source you can find...what’s the deal? Well...the deal is, our nutritional approach, a diet the attempts to emulate that of our paleolithic ancestors, is without a doubt the best route to optimized performance and health. Big claim? Yep, but easy to back up. Folks start with us, tweak their food, then look, feel and perform better. Every measurable bio-marker such as cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure improve...depression resolves. It just works, because this is the way we are wired to eat. But hey, what the hell do I know? I’m just the crazy guy in the shed telling people to do weird stuff like sleep more, take fish oil and increase their protein intake. How could I possibly be right about this? Well...here are a few interesting things for y’all to consider: (continue reading here)

Congrats to Kevin!

Hey Everybody. Let's all give a big congratulations to Kevin Patrick for passing the Bar exam!

(Kevin after finishing the bar exam. . .Yeah, the pull up bar exam!)
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Are you interested in learning more about how to keep the holiday pounds off?

Remember, all the CrossFit in the world can't compete with the excess turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, eggnog, honey baked ham, dinnerrolls, and sweet potato pie, not to mention all of the hors d'oeuvres and drinks that you'll be tempted with at holiday parties.

Stay tuned for Kitchen Tips from the Training Room about how to keep the holiday festivities under control!

My Idea of a Business Trip!

Come Check Out The New Shower!

That's right folks, we've had so many requests for a shower that we decided to install one. Believe it or not, it was pretty cheap, and only took minutes to hook up.

(It's about 41 degrees)