News & Notes 📰
Officially welcome Coach Alex to the CFLKW family! 🎉
The day is here — Coach Alex is officially joining our coaching team, and he’ll be on the schedule regularly starting Monday morning! If you’ve been following along, you already know a bit about his story, but we wanted to give him a proper, official introduction.
A little about Alex:
🏋️ Doing CrossFit since 2014
📅 Started at CFLKW in August 2026
📜 CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, Olympic Weightlifting Coach, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education
🔥 Favorite movement: the snatch
😅 Least favorite: burpees (we feel that one, Alex)
🌎 Speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese
Alex’s specialty is weightlifting, and those of you who got to experience his coaching during the power clean already know — it was a treat. His style is refreshing, detail-oriented, and just different in the best way. We loved watching him break things down, and we know you’ll appreciate it too.
What means the most to us about Alex is his heart for coaching. His favorite part of the job is helping athletes become stronger and more confident while reaching goals they once thought were impossible — whether that’s a new PR, a new skill, or simply realizing how capable they truly are. That’s exactly the kind of coach we want in our corner.
One more thing we love about Alex’s story: he moved to the US and learned English only about 3 years ago. Coaching at CFLKW is part of that journey for him too, and we think it’s pretty amazing. So if you’re chatting with him and need a beat to understand each other — give him grace and patience, the same way he’ll give it to you as your coach. Who knows, maybe some of you will even pick up a little Spanish along the way!
And last but not least — Alex’s wife will also be joining CFLKW as a member! Some of you already had the pleasure of meeting her during a Saturday workout last week, and we’re so excited to have their whole family become part of our community.
While Alex is officially on the schedule, he’ll also be going through our full coach onboarding process over the coming weeks — we love investing in our coaches, and he’s looking forward to it just as much as we are.
Please join us in welcoming Alex (and his wife!) to CFLKW. Come get a workout in with him and say hello — we know you’re going to love having him in your corner! 💪
🏆 Shoutout to Kirk S. — 1st Place at the Hyrox Simulation!
We are so proud of our very own Kirk S. who competed in a Hyrox simulation at Charlotte Strength this weekend — and didn’t just show up, but took 1st place in the Open Men Solo division with an impressive time of 1:19:26.1! 🔥
But here’s what makes this even more special: those of you who know Kirk know exactly how hard he works — and how quietly he does it. Kirk travels frequently for work, and yet somehow he always finds a way to get his training in. Many mornings you’ll find him putting in the work solo during the 8 AM open gym, no fanfare, no audience — just Kirk doing what Kirk does.
That kind of discipline and consistency doesn’t go unnoticed. And honestly? A 1st place finish doesn’t surprise us one bit. This is exactly what happens when you show up day after day, week after week, no matter what life throws at you.
Kirk, we are so incredibly proud of you and honored to have you as part of the CFLKW community. You are a true example of what hard work and dedication look like — and you absolutely earned this one. 🙌
Congratulations! 🥇
👧🧒 Would Your Kids Love CrossFit? Let Us Know!
One of the things we are so excited about with Coach Kalyn joining our team is her passion for working with kids and teens — and we are ready to make it happen! Before we build out the schedule, we want to hear from YOU.
If you have a child or teenager who might be interested in a CrossFit class designed just for them, please take two minutes to fill out our interest form! This helps Kalyn plan the best possible program — the right age groups, the right days and times, and the right structure to set our youngest athletes up for success.
CrossFit for kids isn’t just about fitness — it’s about building confidence, learning to move well, developing discipline, and having a blast doing it. And with Kalyn leading the charge, we know it’s going to be something special. 💛
The more responses we get, the faster we can make this happen! So if you’ve got kids, share this with other parents in the community too — the more the merrier!
👇 Fill out the interest form here:
Click here to submit the form
Let’s build something awesome for the next generation of CrossFitters at CFLKW! 🙌
🇨🇴 Helping Our CFLKW Family Help Colombia
By now many of you have seen our social media post about the devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia this week, impacting Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, Manizales and surrounding areas. Hundreds have lost their lives, thousands are injured, and families are still searching for missing loved ones.
This one hits close to home. Karen, who keeps our gym clean every week, and Brahyan, one of our members, are both from Colombia. Karen has friends and neighbors directly affected and is doing everything she can to help from here — and we want to stand behind her.
We’ve extended our donation period through Tuesday! Karen will pick everything up and deliver it to the Charlotte drop-off site so it can get to those who need it most.
What you can donate:
- Non-perishable food (canned goods, rice, pasta, grains, cereal, crackers)
- Personal hygiene items (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, towels, diapers)
- Blankets, bedding and clean linens
- Baby items (diapers, wipes, formula, baby food)
- Flashlights and batteries
- Gloves, masks and basic protective items
- First aid supplies (no prescription medications)
- Pet food and supplies
Bring donations by during class hours. Non-members are welcome to drop off too — just stop by the gym.
Prefer to give monetarily? Donations can be made directly through the By Immigrant Hands Foundation at byimmigranthands.com/donate
No donation is too small. Let’s show up for Karen and Brahyan’s community the way we always show up for each other. 💙
🏊 Summer Swim WOD — August 22nd @ Camp Thunderbird! 💦
Mark your calendars because one of our favorite summer events is back — and if you weren’t there last time, the pictures below will tell you everything you need to know. This is a real pool, people — no lake water required! 😂
Join us on Saturday, August 22nd at 8:30 AM at Camp Thunderbird’s outdoor pool for our annual Summer Swim WOD!
Here’s what to expect:
- 🏋️ A one-hour WOD combining dryland work and pool work
- 🏊 25-yard sprints as a finisher — and yes, it’s a competition 👀
- 🥊 Your chance to watch Coach Kalyn attempt to dethrone Coach Greg in the sprint race at the end. Greg, you’ve been warned. Kalyn, bring it. 😂
Can’t swim well? No problem! It’s a shallow pool and we’ll have a scaled version with dryland work and pool movements you’ll be able to do. Everyone is welcome — this is about having fun and doing something different together!
A few logistics:
- 📍 Park in the big lot as you enter and walk to the outdoor pool
- 📝 Waivers will be available in advance — fill yours out and bring it with you to save time
- 🚫 Sorry, no kids at this one!
- 📲 Register in PushPress to save your spot and get your check-in!
We cannot wait to see you there! 💙
Also, we will NOT have class at the gym this day so if you want to get a workout in meet us at the pool!
📬 Quick Favor — Update Your PushPress Profile!
Two small things that mean a lot:
1. Update your address — We love celebrating our members on their birthdays and we want to make sure your card gets to you! Please take a moment to make sure your current address is up to date in PushPress.
2. Add your emergency contact — We hope we never need it, but we want to make sure we have someone to call if anything ever happens while you’re with us. If you haven’t filled this in yet, please do!
It only takes two minutes! Simply open the PushPress app and go to Settings > Profile to update your address and emergency contact information. 💙
Recent Member Wins 💪🏽🏆
- Greg S. checked in to 50 classes!
- Meredith W. checked in to 100 classes!
- Congratulations on all these PRs!
- Deadlift
- Amy L. — 230 lbs!
- Courtney R. — 215 lbs!
- James R. — 365 lbs!
- Pravallika R. — 245 lbs!
- RJ A. — 470 lbs!
- Press
- Ashlee R. — 85 lbs!
- JeriLynn Y. — 55 lbs!
- Justin F. — 155 lbs!
- Nicole T. — 120 lbs!
- Tracy R. — 145 lbs!
- Back Squat
- Dwayne J. — 250 lbs!
- Justin K. — 435 lbs!
- Total
- Brad G. — 795 lbs!
- Russ T. — 205 lbs!
- Deadlift
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. Also keep in mind that this is not a full list of wins, so share your progress with a coach so we can celebrate you!
Birthdays this Week 🥳
- 8/17 Suzanna W.
CrossFit Lake Wylie Anniversaries 🤩
- 8/20 Coach RJ — 1 year
Programming Summary 🏋🏽♂️
August is all about moving your body — and moving it well!
This month our programming is focused on gymnastics skills, so expect to see bodyweight movements woven throughout your workouts and skill work. The goal is simple: help you move through space more efficiently. Whether that’s pulling, pushing, squatting, or swinging — we’re going to get better at controlling our bodies this month and that transfers to everything we do in the gym.
Our August benchmarks are two CrossFit classics — Annie and Cindy. If those names mean something to you, start mentally preparing. If they don’t yet, you’re about to find out! 😄
Monday: Today, you’ll take on a chipper of higher-volume reps for 3 movements. We’re doing pull-ups, hang squat cleans and rowing for calories!
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 9:00-15:00.
- Each movement in 5:00 or faster.
- Light hang squat clean loading; sets of 10+ reps.
- Conflicting pulling movement function between all three movements.
Tuesday: Today, you’ll take on “Tank-top Time,” programmed as a Community Cup workout entry by Bobby Peters from CrossFit Sierra Pacific. We’re doing DB bench presses and hand-release push-ups!
Intended stimulus:
- “Tank Top Time” written by Bobby Peters of CrossFit Sierra Pacific. This submission was a runner-up for the 2026 Community Cup.
- Finish in 6:00-10:00.
- Conflicting pushing movement function between the two movements.
- Moderate dumbbell loading; sets of 7+ reps.
Wednesday: Today’s workout is a longer grunt-style effort. After the two days of upper-body pulling and pushing, it’s time for lower-body and midline work. We’ve got GHD sit-ups, med-ball box step-ups, and a med-ball run!
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 18:00-24:00; advanced athletes closer to 16:00.
- Longer grunt-style effort.
- Each round in 8:00 or faster.
- Light med ball; unbroken reps.
- Hold the ball any way for the step-ups and run.
Thursday: Today, you’ll perform 7 split jerk singles, increasing in load to find today’s 1-rep max.
Intended stimulus:
- Heavy day going from shoulder to overhead.
- All sets 80%+ of 1-rep-max shoulder-to-overhead.
- Build to a heavy single across the 7 sets.
- Lift once every 3:00.
- Barbell from a rack.
- Compare to 02/07/26.
Friday: Welcome to the third workout of the 2026 Community Cup — From Austin Begiebing and Justin Cho of CrossFit Milpitas. We’ve got shuttle runs, toes-to-bars, power snatches, overhead squats, and squat snatches!
Intended stimulus:
- Community Cup, Event 3.
- Created by Austin Begiebing and Justin Cho of CrossFit Milpitas.
- 1:00+ to perform max reps; advanced athletes may have a bit more.
- Shuttle runs and toes-to-bars each in 1:30.
- Moderate barbell loading for quick singles; touch-and-go reps for advanced athletes.
Saturday: Something fun!
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. Therefore, keep showing up so you can be the best and fittest version of yourself! 😎
Upcoming Events 📅
🤩 Bring a Friend Week – Monday, Aug 24 – Saturday, Aug 29
CrossFit is fun—but it’s way more fun with people you know.
All week long, bring a friend, coworker, neighbor, or anyone you think could use more strength, more confidence, and a community that’s got their back.
They can come for free—no limit on how many times or how many friends!
We’ll make sure the workouts are beginner-friendly, while still giving our experienced members a solid challenge.
Here’s the best part:
If your friend signs up for a membership,
- → You get $65 cash
- → They get $65 off their first payment
Want to give them $100 off instead? Just ask Alie for a special $100 bill you can hand to your friend!
Let’s grow this community together. You already know what CFLKW has to offer—now share it with someone who needs it!
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.
❤️ Tori’s Tribe Fundraiser Workout — Saturday, September 19, 8-1 pm @ Immortal Athletics
Many of you may remember last year we rallied together for this incredible cause — and we’re doing it again because Tori is still fighting and she needs our support.
For those who may be new to our community: Tori Jablonka is the wife of Scott Jablonka, our preferred and favorite physical therapist, and she has been bravely battling cancer. Last year CFLKW showed up for Tori’s Tribe in a big way, and this year we want to show up even stronger. 💙
Here’s what the day looks like:
- 💪 3 workouts for 1 cause
- 🛍️ Vendors & silent auction
- 🚚 Food trucks
- 🙏 Community, faith, and fitness all in one place
All fitness levels are welcome — whether you want to compete, participate, or simply show up to support, there is a place for you at this event.
📅 Saturday, September 19th
⏰ 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Immortal Athletics | 235 Market St., Cramerton
All proceeds go directly to Tori Jablonka.
Sign up, donate, or find more details at the link below. Let’s show up for Tori the way this community always does. 💪❤️
Love fitness. Hate cancer. Be Vic-Tori-ous.
👇 linktr.ee/TorisTribeFundraiserWorkout
Member Perks 🤩
Being a member of CrossFit Lake Wylie has its perks! Here’s a look at all the discounts and benefits you get as part of our gym family.
- First, get 10% off at Thorne. You can grab anything from prenatal vitamins and probiotics to creatine, whey protein, health tests, and many other high-quality supplements.
- You can also save 30-40% on your CrossFit Lake Wylie membership by using HSA/FSA dollars to pay for it.
- Plus, get 10% off at Inov8 by using code CFLAKEWYLIE at checkout. They offer everything from barefoot training shoes and lifters to running shoes, including the F-Fly shoe—perfect for CrossFit with its lightweight feel and wide toe box.
- We also offer 20% off Saatva Luxury Mattresses. We personally sleep on the Saatva Classic Mattress, Plush Soft, and the difference in sleep quality has been huge. Better sleep. Better recovery.
- Another great benefit is 10% off a GOWOD Premium subscription. Just reach out to one of our coaches to receive your subscription link.
- If you need CFLKW apparel or other goodies check out our online store at crossfitlakewyliestore.com where you can order anytime!
- For recovery, enjoy $1 per minute massages with James Jones from Zenergy Massage Therapy ($60/60 mins or $90/90 mins). Simply show him your active membership in PushPress (click “Memberships” in the app) and let him know you’re part of CFLKW. Text (803) 526-3550 or book your appointment here.
- You can also save money and help our community grow through our Referral Program. Thank you for spreading the word!
- Finally, check in at least 16 times a month (12 for Masters) to make it into our Committed Club. Each month, your name goes in the drawing for a prize when you hit your check-ins.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17
