News & Notes 📰
📅 Upcoming Schedule Changes:
Thursday, September 18: No 6:30 pm class due to our Strong Back Blueprint workshop. See more details in the Upcoming Events section below.
Honoring Chestin
Yesterday meant so much to me. We had 48 people show up to do Chestin’s workout, and seeing that kind of turnout filled me with so much gratitude. I loved looking around and seeing familiar faces, people I care about, and people Chestin cared about too. CrossFit Lake Wylie wouldn’t be what it is today without him, and I’m forever thankful for the role he played in shaping this gym and this community. We’ll continue to do his workout every year in his honor — and what a workout it was. As Chestin would say, “it builds character.”
I also want to give a huge thank you to Coach Wes. Coaching one large class is hard, but yesterday he coached two massive classes of 24 people each and did it with total calm and control. He kept everyone organized, warmed up, and moving safely through the workout, all while making it feel easy. It’s not easy at all — it’s a skill, and he did an outstanding job.
A special shoutout to Nikki for being our photographer for the day and capturing some amazing images, and to Laurin for taking that content and creating a reel for social media. Be sure to look for it on Instagram or Facebook — it’s such a great way to remember the day.
Thank you to every single one of you who showed up. Whether you were here to work out, to support, or simply to remember, you made yesterday a beautiful tribute to Chestin. It reminded me again of just how special this community is.
Apparel Order is Live — Hoodies & T-shirts!! 😍👚
Don’t miss out — our Fall apparel order is only open until this Friday, 9/19!
Cooler weather is right around the corner, and these hoodies and tees will arrive just in time to keep you warm and repping CFLKW in style. Hoodie orders are rare — in fact, we won’t be doing another hoodie order at all in 2025. If you want one, now’s the time.
Even better… we’ve added pink hoodies and t-shirts for the first time ever! This is a brand-new option, and you don’t want to miss your chance to grab one.
Important: we will not have extras. Ordering now is the only way to guarantee you get the size and color you want.
Order your gear here: foreverfierce.com/collections/crossfit-lake-wylie
Coach RJ
Many of you got to take RJ’s very first class here last week at 11:30, and now we’re excited to give you a proper introduction!
RJ comes to us from Altamonte Springs, FL, and has been part of the CrossFit world since 2014. He earned his CF-L3 in 2023 and is also a Level 2 USAW Weightlifting coach, so you can bet he knows his way around a barbell. His favorite lift? The Clean & Jerk. His least favorite? Thrusters and burpees (we can all agree with that one).
RJ first connected with our team during the gymnastics seminar back in August, and it didn’t take long for us to realize he’d be a great fit for CFLKW. He officially joined the gym this September and is now working through our coach onboarding. You’ll see him co-coaching classes — this week he’s on the floor at 9 am on Thursday — and also jumping in for workouts alongside you.
When he’s not coaching or training, RJ is a proud husband to Megan and dad to their three-year-old son, Trey. Outside the gym he loves to travel and is passionate about perfecting his DJ skills.
RJ’s favorite part of coaching is helping athletes reach their goals and watching their health improve over time — something we know our community will benefit from right away.
Be sure to say hi when you see him in class and help us give him a warm CFLKW welcome!
Upcoming Workshop: Strong Back Blueprint – Thursday, September 18 @ 6:30 pm
Struggling with back pain or want to prevent it? Join us for a hands-on workshop with Dr. Britta Anderson, PT, DPT.
You’ll learn:
- Why your core, hips, glutes, and breathing all impact back health
- How posture and movement patterns affect pain
- Simple strategies to reduce discomfort and improve performance
- Practical exercises for breathing, hamstring activation, core stability, and glute strength
This session is designed for active men and women of all fitness levels. Walk away with tools to move better, train smarter, and keep your back strong.
Bring a Friend Week is NEXT WEEK!! Monday, September 22 – Saturday, September 27
CrossFit is fun—but it’s way more fun with people you know.
All week long, you can bring a friend, coworker, neighbor, or anyone you think could benefit from getting stronger, healthier, and more confident.
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 CrossFit Lake Wylie 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.
Recent Member Wins 💪🏽🏆
- David P. checked in to 10 classes!
- Carter S. checked in to 10 classes!
- Dalton Y. checked in to 10 classes!
- Reagan S. checked in to 50 classes!
- Ferrah C. checked in to 50 classes!
- Ceci G. ran all 400s in Monday’s WOD!
- Sarah Mu. got 4 kipping pull-ups!
- Kirk S. hit an Annie PR of 6:05!
- Congratulations on all these 3-rep bench press PRs!
- Allison R. – 3 @ 120 lbs
- Amanda P. – 3 @ 95 lbs
- Ana R. – 3 @ 70 lbs
- Angie C. – 3 @ 65 lbs
- Anthony W. – 3 @ 145 lbs
- Ashlee R. – 3 @ 85 lbs
- Benjamin F. – 3 @ 295 lbs
- Bret B. – 10 @ 120 lbs
- Cecilia G. – 3 @ 100 lbs
- Chris C. – 3 @ 195 lbs
- Christine B. – 3 @ 105 lbs
- Courtney R. – 3 @ 85 lbs
- Greg F. – 3 @ 230 lbs
- James R. – 3 @ 165 lbs
- JeriLynn Y. – 3 @ 70 lbs
- Jesse B. – 3 @ 215 lbs
- Kenyate B. – 3 @ 90 lbs
- Kirk S. – 3 @ 275 lbs
- Lucas A. – 3 @ 225 lbs
- Russ T. – 3 @ 155 lbs
- Sasha Z. – 3 @ 115 lbs
- Tara B. – 3 @ 55 lbs
- Wesley R. – 3 @ 245 lbs
- Zachary D. – 3 @ 275 lbs
- Congratulations on all these back squat PRs!
- Brad G. – 3 @ 275 lbs
- Kiya R. – 5 @ 145 lbs
- Nikki S. – 5 @ 165 lbs
- Reagan S. – 5 @ 95 lbs
- Shayna R. – 4 @ 190 lbs
- Tracy R. – 6 @ 240 lbs
- Congratulations on these Cindy PRs!
- Brad G. – 17 + 10
- Justin K. – 15 + 3
- Congratulations on all these 5-rep power clean PRs!
- Dalton Y. – 5 @ 235 lbs
- Jerry Y. – 5 @ 125 lbs
- Justin F. – 5 @ 180 lbs
- Justin K. – 5 @ 165 lbs
- Nicole T. – 5 @ 155 lbs
- RJ A. – 5 @ 225 lbs
- Sarah M. – 5 @ 115 lbs
- Stefani C. – 5 @ 130 lbs
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 🥳
- 9/16 Ben F.
- 9/20 David K.
- 9/20 Jay G.
CrossFit Lake Wylie Anniversaries 🤩
- 9/21 Tabatha H. – 1 year
Nutrition & Wellness 🥑🧘🏽♀️🛌
CrossFit’s stance on nutrition: Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
Pre-WOD Fuel
What you eat before a workout matters. The right fuel gives you energy to push harder, recover better, and actually enjoy the workout. The trick is keeping it light and easy to digest so you’re not weighed down.
Here are a few simple ideas to try:
- Banana + protein shake
Perfect if you’re rolling out of bed for the 5 am crew. Quick, easy, and gives you both energy and protein to power through. - Greek yogurt with berries
Great if you’ve got a little more time before class. Carbs from the berries fuel your workout, while the yogurt adds protein for muscle support. - Oatmeal with a drizzle of honey
A solid option if you train later in the day or need longer-lasting energy. The oats give you staying power, and the honey gives you a quick boost.
Most people do best eating about 60–90 minutes before class, but everyone’s a little different. Test it out, see what works for you, and notice how much stronger you feel when you’ve fueled up the right way.
Click here to book a FREE nutrition consult if you need help with nutrition.
Tell Me About CrossFit 📚👩🏻🏫
CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement executed at high intensity.
Programming Summary 🏋🏽♂️
September Programming Focus
This month we’re hitting classic CrossFit benchmarks—Fran, Annie, and Cindy—while also starting prep for CHAD1000X in November.
This week:
Monday–Thursday we’ll be tackling the CrossFit Everyday Hero Service Cup workouts.
This competition gives service members a chance to test their fitness virtually and qualify for an in-person final later this year. For us, it’s a great way to take on the same challenges and see where we stand. For more information on the Service Cup click here.
Monday: Welcome to the first workout of the 2025 CrossFit Service Cup: Thrusters and lateral burpees over the bar. This workout is going to be a burner! Not only that, but the added set of 9 reps just “kicks” you while you are already down.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 3:00-10:00.
- Sprint-style effort with conflicting movement functions (push of the thruster and the push of the burpee).
- Loading on the barbell should be relatively light.
- Complete each set of thrusters in 3 sets or less.
Tuesday: Welcome to the second workout of the 2025 CrossFit Service Cup: Rowing and farmers carries. Today’s workout is a classic grunt work effort. A 20-minute grind if you will.
Intended stimulus:
- 5-10+ rounds.
- Aim to complete each row in 90 seconds or less.
- Loading on the dumbbell farmer carry should be light-to-moderate and allow you to complete 50-ft segments unbroken.
Wednesday: Welcome to the third workout of the 2025 CrossFit Service Cup. Today’s effort is a grippy triplet of double-DB box step-overs, single-DB snatches and double-unders.
Intended stimulus:
- Finish in 15:00-20:00 (including rest). Advanced athletes could be a few minutes faster.
- Grippy triplet.
- Loading for the dumbbells should be light-to-moderate. Box step-overs will be more challenging than the snatches because of the two dumbbells versus one.
- Aim to complete a single round in 3:00 or less.
Thursday: Welcome to the fourth and final workout of the 2025 CrossFit Service Cup. Today’s workout is a two-part effort of hang clean and jerks, back squats and toes-to-bars. Then, find a 1-rep-max clean.
Intended stimulus:
- 120-240+ reps.
- Loading should be light to moderate.
- Aim to complete the hang clean and jerks and back squats unbroken.
- You may use a rack for the back squats.
- Perform the toes-to-bars in 3 sets or less.
- Aim to attempt at least 3 lifts within the 5-minute clock.
Friday: This interval workout is about pushing hard on the runs and challenging yourself with different styles of upper-body gymnastics: pull-ups, chest-to-bar pull-ups and bar muscle-ups!
Intended stimulus:
- All rounds under 2:00; 1:00+ of rest.
- Runs in :40-1:00.
- All movements completed unbroken.
- Score is the slowest time.
- Retest from Aug. 20, 2024.
Saturday:Something fun, partner variation 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, September 22 – Saturday, September 27
CrossFit is fun—but it’s way more fun with people you know.
All week long, you can bring a friend, coworker, neighbor, or anyone you think could benefit from getting stronger, healthier, and more confident.
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 CrossFit Lake Wylie 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.
Join Stephanie T. at The Pink Cupcake Walk – Saturday, October 4 @ 9:00 am
Another one of our sweet members, Stephanie T. is also a breast cancer survivor, and she’s inviting all of us to walk alongside her at The Pink Cupcake Walk this October.
At just 34 years old, Stephanie was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. After a long fight, she’s now almost one year in remission—and she’s using this milestone to give back, raise awareness, and support others in their journeys.
This walk is a little different and a lot of fun—you’ll make laps around the Charlotte Knights baseball field, and with each lap you’ll stop at a different bakery table for a delicious mini-cupcake. Sweet way to support a strong cause!
🗓 Saturday, October 4
📍 Truist Field – Charlotte, NC
⏰ 9:00 AM Start (field opens at 8 am)
Click here to register so you can walk with Stephanie or make a donation:
Pink Cupcake Walk Registration
Let’s show up big for one of our own.
Let’s walk for Stephanie.
Let’s walk for everyone impacted by breast cancer.
Join Kiya’s Team at the MORE THAN PINK Walk – Saturday, October 11 @ 8:30 am
Our very own Kiya R. is a breast cancer survivor, and she’s inviting all of us to walk alongside her at the Susan G. Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk this October.
In 2023, Kiya was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer at just 35 years old. With no family history, clean living, and an active lifestyle, the diagnosis came as a shock—but she faced it with strength and grace.
After 16 rounds of chemo, 30 rounds of radiation, a lumpectomy, and immunotherapy, she’s now cancer free and embracing a new chapter.
Now, she’s walking to raise awareness, support others, and help end breast cancer for good—and we can join her.
🗓 Saturday, October 11
📍 Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall – Charlotte, NC
⏰
- 7:00 AM | Event site opens
- 8:30 AM | Opening Ceremonies
- 8:45 AM | Walk begins
- 10:00 AM | Post-Walk Celebration
This is more than just a walk—it’s a show of support, love, and community.
Whether you’re a survivor, know someone who’s been affected, or just want to stand with Kiya—we’d love for you to join the team.
Click here to register on Kiya’s team so you can walk with her or simply make a donation.
Let’s show up big for one of our own.
Let’s walk for Kiya.
Let’s walk for everyone impacted by breast cancer.
Note: This is the same day as Beers & Burpees but happens in the morning so you could still do both events if you want to.
Beers & Burpees Charity Event – Saturday, October 11 – Heats 12:20 and 1:00 pm
CrossFit Lake Wylie is one of the co-host gyms for the 15th Annual Beers & Burpees Charity Event on Oct 11 in Charlotte/Indian Land. This event supports the local non-profit Changing Lives Together Foundation (www.cltfoundation.org) and last year the event had over 900 athletes and raised $141,000. It’s a boot camp style partner workout with Standard, Scaled and Competitive workout options and the drinking is optional.
Registration is now open and we’re trying to get our members to sign up for the 12:20 pm or 1:00 pm heat times soon so we can work out together! If you’re having your kids participate we recommend doing the 1:00 pm heat because the kids heat is at 1:40 pm.
It’s 2-person teams and each person gets a t-shirt/tank top and 6 craft beers per team. Heats are from 9am to 5pm with live DJ, other games, activities, vendors, food trucks, craft beer garden and a kid’s Brownies & Burpees Heat at 1:40pm.
To register go to — www.beersandburpees.com/register
Member Appreciation Week – Monday, November 10 – Friday, November 14
Member Appreciation Week is back!! This is where we dedicate an entire week to celebrate you and show our appreciation for your support of CrossFit Lake Wylie! Each day will feature something special, and we can’t wait to make this week all about YOU.
More details to come!
Friendsgiving – Saturday, November 15 @ 6 pm
Join us for our annual Friendsgiving Party!
Location: TBD – We’re looking for a member with a large house who would be willing to host this year’s party. If you’re interested in opening your home to the CFLKW community, please reach out to Alie.
More details to come!
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 10% 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 30-40% 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.
- 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
